Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The number 13 might be an unlucky number but for some NFL teams it meant it was a lucky number. Storylines this week featured: an AFC East showdown in Foxboro, a blowout in Detroit, a physical matchup in the NFC East, and Mr. Irrelevant coming to the rescue in San Francisco. Those storylines and more in this week's recap post.
Week 13 Recap
Buffalo 24, New England 10: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills finally earn win #1 in the AFC East. Josh Allen hit 22 of 33 passes for 223 yards with touchdown passes for Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. James Cook was the leading rusher for the Bills with 64 yards rushing. Devin Singletary scored a rushing touchdown while getting 51 yards on the ground. Stefon Diggs made the Patriots defense look silly as he had seven catches with 92 yards receiving. It was a game where the matchup to watch was Josh Allen vs the Patriots defense. The quarterback won out in the end as he would torch them threw the air. Mac Jones fared less than fortunate. The quarterback completed 22 of 36 passes for 195 yards with a touchdown pass to Marcus Jones on the receiver's first play on offense. Marcus Jones had made the game-winning play against the Jets on special teams. It would be the only big play the Patriots would get all game. Mac Jones did have a play where a pass looked like it was intercepted but was declared an incomplete pass by an official. Rhamondre Stevenson would help the offense a bit with 54 yards rushing but wouldn't get a touchdown. After the hopeful performance against the Vikings, the Patriots offense sputtered to put anything together. On 3rd down conversions, the Pats went 3 for 12. New England would only visit the redzone and Goal To Go only once. It was on their last drive of the game. For the Bills, They move to 9-3 with a possible temporary hold of the AFC East. For the Patriots, they drop to 6-6 in 2022.
Next week:
Buffalo: vs NY Jets
New England: @ Arizona (Monday night)
TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0
Cleveland 27, Houston 14: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
DeShaun Watson made his 2022 debut in a homecoming at Houston. The former Texans player hit 12 of 22 passes for 131 yards with an interception. Nick Chubb rushed for 80 yards on 17 carries. He would be tackled on his own endzone for a safety for the Texans in the 2nd quarter. Kareem Hunt had 56 yards rushing. Cleveland wouldn't score an offensive touchdown all game. The three touchdowns the Browns scored was a special teams and two defensive touchdowns. David Peoples-Jones helped his team out with a punt-six late in the 2nd quarter on a 76-yard play that gave the Browns their first lead of the game. The defensive touchdown was on a Kyle Allen fumble that Denzel Ward recovered for a 4-yard touchdown. Tony Fields II intercepted a Allen pass for a pick-six on a 16-yard score. Browns kicker Kyle Fairbairn did the rest of the scoring with three field goals. Kyle Allen started for the Texans. Allen hit 20 of 39 passes for 201 yards with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins in the 4th quarter. Along with the fumble, the quarterback tossed two interceptions. Dameon Pierce had a decent day on the ground with 73 yards rushing. For the Browns, the win moves them to 5-7 on the season. For the Texans, the loss drops them to 1-10-1. They are also the first team to be eliminated from postseason play.
Next week:
Cleveland: @ Cincinnati
Houston: @ Dallas
TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0
Denver 9, Baltimore 10: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Big storyline in this game was Lamar Jackson got hurt. Russell Wilson hit 17 of 22 passes for 189 yards. He didn't have a touchdown but didn't throw an interception in the game. Latavius Murray was the leading rusher in the game as he had 47 yards on 17 carries. All of Denver's points went to kicker Branon McManus who hit 3 of 4 in the game with a 52-yard kick being the longest. It was a pitiful game on offense for Denver. The Broncos would only get 12 first downs, went 2 for 12 on 3rd down conversions and Wilson was sacked two times. Lamar Jackson started the game for the Ravens. Jackson had 3 of 4 passes completed for 11 yards and ran once for nine yards. He left the game with a knee injury. Tyler Huntley as a passer entered the game. Huntley had 27 of 32 passes completed for 187 yards and had an interception thrown. James Proche also had a ball picked off. Huntley scored the only touchdown in the game in the 4th quarter along with 41 yards rushing. Kenyan Drake had 29 yards rushing in the game. For the Broncos, the season spirals to a 3-9 record. For the Ravens, the close game yields for them a 8-4 record to keep pace with the Bengals in the AFC North.
Next week:
Denver: vs Kansas City
Baltimore: @ Pittsburgh
TW: 3-0; CV: 3-0
Green Bay 28, Chicago 19: TW: Packers; CV: Bears
The Packers are now the winningest franchise in NFL history. It was a challenging start for Aaron Rodgers and company. Rodgers finished the game with 18 of 31 passes completed for 182 yards with a touchdown pass to Christian Watson in the 2nd quarter with 23 seconds left in the 1st half. Green Bay struggled in the first half with just only 10 points during the first 30 minutes. AJ Dillon would carry the load on the ground as he had 93 yards rushing with a touchdown. Christian Watson was also utilized on a trick play that yielded a 46-yard play that resulted in a touchdown. Green Bay put up 18 points in the 4th quarter and finished the game with 357 total yards. Justin Fields was fairly accurate in his passes as he had 20 of 25 of them completed for 254 yards. He would toss two interceptions that costed his team dearly in the 4th quarter when they were still up in the game. Along with a fumble and a missed field goal hurt the Bears in the game. Justin Fields and David Montgomery did the work on the ground with Fields' 71 yards and Montgomery's 61 yards. Both of them had a touchdown to their name in the game. For the Packers, the win helps them with a 5-8 record in 2022 and win #787 all-time. For the Bears, the 2022 campaign worsens as they drop to 3-10. For the first time since 1921, the Bears do not own the all-time franchise wins list. They also are eliminated from postseason competition.
Next week:
Green Bay: Bye
Chicago: Bye
TW: 4-0; CV: 3-1
Jacksonville 14, Detroit 40: TW: Lions; CV: Jaguars
A thorough demolition in the Motor City. Trevor Lawrence started the game with 17 of 31 passes completed for 179 yards with a touchdown pass to Evan Engram in the 3rd quarter. With the game out of reach the Jaguars gave CJ Beathard some play time and hit 2 of 3 for 6 yards. Travis Etienne rushed for 54 yards on 13 carries. It was a contest where the Jags offense couldn't drive the ball down the field and score touchdowns and had six possessions that resulted in six points in the first half. A foreshadow was a fumble on the first drive that was a sign that things wouldn't go well for Jacksonville. Jared Goff had one of his best starts in the year who had 31 of 41 passes completed for 340 yards with two touchdown passes. Those two touchdowns went to his favorite target Amonra St. Brown who finished with 11 catches for 114 yards. Dandre Swift rushed for 62 yards with a touchdown. Jamaal Williams rushed for 35 yards with a touchdown run as well. Detroit in the game had 437 total yards, reverting back to their high scoring offense that made them noteworthy earlier in the season. Detroit's punter wasn't put to use as they either had a touchdown or a field goal in each of their drives (except for the final drive that resulted in the end of the game). For the Jaguars, the 2022 campaign drops them to 4-8 with dwindling hope of postseason play. For the Lions, they continue to be a dark horse in 2022 with a 5-7 record.
Next week:
Jacksonville: @ Tennessee
Detroit: vs Minnesota
TW: 5-0; CV: 3-2
NY Jets 22, Minnesota 27: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
A comeback that came up short for Gang Green. Mike White had a tough game who had 31 of 57 passes completed for 369 yards who had two interceptions. Definitely got his arm a workout for sure. Zonovan Knight was the leading rusher for the game with 90 yards rushing. Mike White scored the only offensive touchdown for the Jets on a quarterback sneak for a 1-yard play that was initially called short of the touchdown. After a challenge the call was reversed. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein got his leg a workout as he gave the Jets five field goals in the game. New York was not able to sustain drives as they went 3 for 16 in converting 3rd downs and 2 for 5 in converting 4th downs. They also had 486 total yards in the game on 83 plays. Kirk Cousins didn't give his arm a workout as he completed 21 of 35 passes for 173 yards with a touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson. The Cook-Mattison tandem both scored a touchdown while getting 86 and 14 yards rushing respectively. Justin Jefferson had a game that wasn't big on numbers but he caught seven balls for 45 yards receiving. Despite the score, the Vikings only put up 287 total yards on offense. The big thing in the game was that the Vikings gained three first downs on penalties. For the Jets, the loss drops them to 7-5 with a date with the Buffalo Bills next Sunday. For the Vikings, the win moves them to 10-2 but with the Lions win they will have to wait next week for a shot to win the NFC North division title.
Next week:
NY Jets: @ Buffalo
Minnesota: @ Detroit
TW: 6-0 CV: 4-2
Pittsburgh 19, Atlanta 16: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The rebounding Steelers steal a win in Atlanta. Kenny Pickett started the game for the Steelers who had 16 of 28 passes completed for 197 yards with a touchdown pass to Connor Heyward. It was the only touchdown for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh's running game rushed for 86 yards on 17 carries. Benny Snell had 24 yards on six carries. The Steelers had a new kicker go for them as Matthew Wright hit 4 for 4 for field goals with a 48-yard kick the longest in the game. Marcus Mariota was alright in the game for the Falcons. Mariota hit 13 of 24 passes for 167 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Pruitt in the 3rd quarter along with an interception. Atlanta's running game put some production with Cordarrelle Patterson's 60 yards rushing and Tyler Allgeier's 52 yards rushing. It unfortunately didn't result in touchdowns. Atlanta could only put six points on their first three drives in the game with two field goals. Marcus Mariota had a chance to win the game but on the first play from their own 2-yard line, Mariota threw the interception. For the Steelers, the close win moves them up to 5-7 with some hope for postseason play. For the Falcons, the loss is their 4th in five games as they drop to 5-8.
Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Baltimore
Atlanta: @ New Orleans
TW: 7-0; CV: 5-2
Tennessee 10, Philadelphia 35: TW: Eagles; CV: Titans
The Eagles just keep on winning. Ryan Tannehill and the Titans started off well in the first quarter. Tannehill threw a touchdown pass to Treylon Burks in the first quarter. They wouldn't visit the endzone for the rest of the game. Tannehill finished with 14 of 22 passes completed for 141 yards with said touchdown. Tannehill was the leading rusher for the Titans with 34 yards. Derrick Henry had only 30 yards. Jalen Hurts put the hurt on the Titans as he had 29 of 39 passes completed for 380 yards with three touchdowns. AJ Brown had two touchdown passes caught and Devonta Smith had one. Philly's running game wouldn't match the passing game but Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts both scored a touchdown with Sanders running for 24 yards and Hurts getting 12 yards. Despite the dominating effort, the Eagles would punt the ball five times in the game. Suffice to say, I don't think Eagles fans won't mind it. For the Titans, the loss drops them to 7-5 but still well within a distance of the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC South. For the Eagles, the dominating season continues as they move to 11-1 with a playoff berth if the 49ers and Seahawks lose this week.
Next week:
Tennessee: vs Jacksonville
Philadelphia: @ NY Giants
TW: 8-0; CV: 5-3
Washington 20, NY Giants 20 (F/OT): TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
Another game that ends in a tie baby! Taylor Heinicke would play well in the game despite constant pressure. He hit 27 of 41 passes for 275 yards with two touchdowns. Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson were the ones that caught those passes and ran them in for a score. The folk hero bare the brunt of the Giants pass rush as he was hit multiple times and sacked five times. Brian Robinson had a good game with 96 yards rushing on 21 carries. Penalties were an issue for the Commanders as they were flagged seven times for 56 yards, most of them were offensive penalties. Daniel Jones was efficient in the tie as he hit 25 of 31 passes for 200 yards with a touchdown pass to Isaiah Hodgins. Jones was also the leading rusher for the Giants with 71 yards on the ground. Saquon Barkley had a touchdown run with 63 yards rushing in the game. It would be the Dotson touchdown and point after that would tie the game and eventually send the game to overtime. In overtime, both teams couldn't generate enough offense to get their kickers enough of a respectable range for a game-winning field goal. The last play of the game was a Graham Gano 58-yard field goal try. The kick didn't veer left or right but landed short of the goalposts. For the Commanders, they move to 7-5-1 in the NFC East. For the Giants, the tie moves them to 7-4-1.
Next week:
Washington: Bye
NY Giants: vs Philadelphia
TW: 8-0-1; CV: 5-3-1
Miami 17, San Francisco 33: TW: Dolphins; CV: 49ers
Mr. Irrelevant saved the day for the 49ers. Tua Tagovailoa was on on some plays and off on some others. He hit 18 of 33 passes for 295 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tyreek Hill and Trent Scherfield were the recipients of those passes that lead to scores. The interceptions and some incompletions were something that we've not seen from Tua this season. San Francisco would sack Tua three times and pressured for even more. The game was a homecoming for former 49ers running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson. Both running backs combined for just 33 yards rushing. Jimmy Garoppolo started the game for the red and gold. He hit 2 of 4 passes for 56 yards before leaving the game with a foot injury. Brock Purdy, a rookie quarterback out of Iowa State and the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft, stepped in and provided help to his team. He finished with 25 of 37 passes for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Kyle Juszczyk and Christian McCaffrey were the players that caught those passes and converted them to scores. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 66 yards in the game on 17 carries and had 80 receiving yards. Good game for him. Jordan Mason had 51 yards rushing. Miami failed to convert a 3rd down all game after facing a 3rd down situation seven times. San Francisco owned the time of possession on a 40:34 time to Miami's 19:26. It was also a homecoming to Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel who had served as the 49ers offensive coordinator last season. A teacher owning the student game. For the Dolphins, they drop to 8-4 and drop to 2nd place in the AFC East. For the 49ers, the win moves them to 8-4 with a lead in the NFC West.
Next week:
Miami: @ LA Chargers (Sunday night)
San Francisco: vs Tampa Bay
TW: 8-1-1; CV: 6-3-1
Seattle 27, LA Rams 23: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Geno Smith went the distance for the game-winning touchdown. He hit 28 of 39 passes for 367 yards with three touchdowns and had a pass intercepted. Tyler Lockett and Noah Fant were the players who received the passes for touchdowns. With 36 seconds left to play, Geno Smith would find DK Metcalf for an 8-yard touchdown that gave the Seahawks the lead for good. Both Lockett and Metcalf combined for 275 receiving yards. Seattle would be without its rookie running back Kenneth Walker III who left the game with an ankle injury. Walker III finished the game with 36 yards rushing. Deejay Dallas had 37 yards rushing. Along with the interception, the Seahawks also fumbled a ball that was recovered by the Rams. John Wolford started for the Rams instead of Bryce Perkins. Wolford didn't amount to much as he completed 14 of 26 passes for 178 yards with two interceptions. Cam Akers carried the offensive load for the Rams with his 60 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Brandon Powell, normally a wide receiver, rushed for 45 yards on three carries. The Rams running game outgained the passing by a 171 to 148 net margin. For the Seahawks, the win rebounds them to 7-5 and stay a game closer to the 49ers. For the Rams, the season looks bleaker for them as they drop to 3-9 with no signs of hope in sight. At least you have last year Rams fans.
Next week:
Seattle: vs Carolina
LA Rams: vs Las Vegas (Thursday night)
TW: 9-1-1; CV: 7-3-1
Kansas City 24, Cincinnati 27: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The game felt like an AFC Championship, not just a rematch of the game last January. Patrick Mahomes hit 16 of 27 passes for 223 yards with a touchdown pass to Jerrick McKinnon and ran it in for a touchdown that looked like he was going to dive and bounce off Bengals defenders. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 66 yards with a touchdown. Jerrick McKinnon rushed for 51 yards on eight carries. It was a game where the Chiefs had control of the game. While up 24-20, Mahomes threw a pass to Travis Kelce for a sizable gain. The dog pile on him would force the ball out off the tight end and gave the Bengals offense some life. Joe Burrow completed 25 of 31 passes for 286 yards for two touchdowns. Tee Higgins and Chris Evans were the happy receivers that caught those passes for scores. Like Mahomes, Burrow scored a touchdown on a run while getting 46 yards. Samaje Perine put together a solid game on the ground with his 106 yards on 21 carries. Ja'Marr Chase made his return to the Bengals after missing the last four games. Chase caught seven balls for 97 yards receiving. For the Chiefs, the loss hurts them as they drop to 2nd place in the AFC (Buffalo had beaten them earlier in the year and own the head-to-head). For the Bengals, the win moves them to 8-4 but still at 2nd place in the AFC North with the Ravens.
Next week:
Kansas City: @ Denver
Cincinnati: vs Cleveland
TW: 9-2-1; CV: 7-4-1
LA Chargers 20, Las Vegas 27: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Carr to Adams put the hurt on the Chargers. Justin Herbert completed 28 of 47 passes for 335 yards with a touchdown pass to Keenan Allen in the 4th quarter. Keenan Allen finished the game with 88 yards receiving with six catches. Austin Ekeler rushed for 35 yards on 10 carries. Joshua Kelley rushed for 30 yards on seven carries. Derek Carr had an alright game as he hit 16 of 30 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns to Davante Adams. Carr did toss an interception that was a tipped pass that landed in the arms of Bryce Callahan for a pick-six. Josh Jacobs, the man of the hour last week with his 303 all-purpose yards, rushed for 144 yards with a touchdown run on 26 carries and caught two balls for six receiving yards. For the Chargers, the loss drops them to 6-6 with a game lead over the Raiders in the AFC West. For the Raiders, the memories of 2-7 drifted away as they have won three straight games.
Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Miami (Sunday night)
Las Vegas: @ LA Rams (Thursday night)
TW: 9-3-1; CV: 7-5-1
Indianapolis 19, Dallas 54: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys may have blown out the Colts but at least we got a scorigami! Matt Ryan had a game to forget as the passer completed 21 of 37 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Alec Pierce and Ashton Dulin were the players who caught those passes and went to the endzone for scores. Jonathan Taylor had a decent game running the ball with 82 yards rushing on 21 carries. Despite the score, the Colts were behind 21-19 prior to the 4th quarter. Here's a list of the 4th quarter drives that the Colts had: Fumble, Interception, Interception, Fumble, end of game. Just bad ball protection. Dak Prescott did better than his counterpart with 20 of 30 passes completed for 170 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Michael Gallup caught two and CeeDee Lamb caught one of those passes for touchdowns. It would be the Dallas running attack that ruled the day. Tony Pollard gave his team 91 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliot had 77 yards rushing with a touchdown. Malik Davis would see action has he 29 yards rushing with a touchdown of his own. For the Colts, the loss drops them to 4-8-1 with sinking hopes of a rebound. For the Cowboys, the win keeps them on pace for a playoff spot and add some pressure on the Eagles.
Next week:
Indianapolis: Bye
Dallas: vs Houston
TW: 10-3-1; CV: 8-5-1
New Orleans 16, Tampa Bay 17: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Saints
Tom Brady comes in clutch when the Bucs needed him most. Andy Dalton did well enough in the game with 20 of 28 pass completions for 229 yards with a touchdown pass to Taysom Hill in the 2nd quarter. It would be the only touchdown for the Saints in the game. Mark Ingram rushed for 27 yards and Alvin Kamara rushed for 26 yards in the game. Not quite the amount of rushing yards that the Saints offense could put up. Tampa's defense would hold the Saints to 298 total yards. Tom Brady threw the ball a lot in the game with 36 of 54 passes completed. He threw the ball for 281 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Cade Otton and Rachaad White were the ones that caught those passes from Brady to get into the endzone. White's touchdown would be the one that was the go-ahead score with eight seconds left in the game. Leonard Fournette provided some help with 49 yards rushing on 10 carries. Tampa looked quiet on offense but turned it on when the game was close to the end. They scored two touchdowns in three minutes of game time. It's also the first time since 2007 when the Buccaneers swept the Saints in the regular season series. For the Saints, the loss was a tough one to swallow as they drop to 4-9. For the Buccaneers, they get back to playing .500 ball at 6-6.
Next week:
New Orleans: Bye
Tampa Bay: @ San Francisco
TW: 11-3-1; CV: 8-6-1
2022 Pick ‘Em Records
My record:
Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 10-6
Week 13: 11-3-1
Total: 119-74-2
Cardinal Viking's record:
Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6
Week 8: 9-6
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 8-6-1
Total: 103-88-2
Previous Picking Records:
2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1
