NFL 2020 Week 8 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought some big surprises. Such surprises as the Steelers overcoming their rival Baltimore, Minnesota ravaging Green Bay, and Miami overcoming the goliath Rams. We'll get to those games and more in this post. Let's get to work!

Week 8 Recap

Atlanta 25, Carolina 17: TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Atlanta had a lead and held onto it, it truly is a miracle. Matt Ryan threw for 281 yards while throwing an interception. Ryan would also score a touchdown and racking up 27 yards in the game. Brian Hill rushed for 55 yards while Todd Gurley rushed for 46 yards and gained some redemption by scoring a touchdown. This time this touchdown was warranted. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 176 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Curtis Samuel would score a rushing touchdown while getting 23 yards rushing. Mike Davis was the leading rusher in the game with 66 yards. For a time, I actually thought Carolina could make some noise this season. Now i'm not so sure. 

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Denver; Carolina: @ Kansas City

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

New England 21, Buffalo 24: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills actually did it. Cam Newton threw for 174 yards in the game while not throwing a touchdown but didn't throw an interception either. Damien Harris ran for 102 yards in the game with a touchdown and Cam Newton scored a rushing touchdown as well with 54 yards. Josh Allen threw for 154 yards but threw an interception. Allen rushed for 23 yards with a touchdown. Zach Moss rushed for 81 yards and scored two touchdowns and Devin Singletary rushed for 86 yards. Buffalo won at home against the Patriots for the first time since 2011. 

Next week:
New England: @ NY Jets; Buffalo: vs Seattle

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Minnesota 28, Green Bay 22: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
This game was what I was expecting in their Week 1 matchup. Kirk Cousins threw for 160 yards with a touchdown pass. Dalvin Cook absolutely went on a tear in this game, rushing for 163 yards with three touchdown runs. Aaron Rodgers threw for 291 yards with three touchdowns. Jamaal Williams rushed for a good 75 yards but didn't score a touchdown in this game. Penalties were abundant for the Packers with nine of them for 85 yards. 

Next week:
Minnesota: vs Detroit; Green Bay: @ San Francisco

TW: 1-2; CV: 1-2

NY Jets 9, Kansas City 35: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The result was to be expected, the Jets are terrible. Sam Darnold threw for only 133 yards. Frank Gore rushed for 30 yards in the game. Patrick Mahomes went on a tear and left no stone unturned as he threw for 416 yards with five touchdowns. Chad Henne and Tommy Townsend would see some action in the game due to the blowout. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 21 yards. How about that blue sky eh?

Next week:
NY Jets: vs New England; Kansas City: vs Carolina

TW: 2-2; CV: 2-2

Pittsburgh 28, Baltimore 24: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Turnovers hurt and fortunately Pittsburgh woke up to get past their rival. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 182 yards with two touchdowns. James Conner rushed for 47 yards with a touchdown. Lamar Jackson threw for 208 yards with two touchdowns but threw two interceptions. One of them was a pick-six from Steeler linebacker Robert Spillane. Jackson also rushed for 65 yards. JK Dobbins rushed for 113 yards and Gus Edwards rushed for 87 yards while scoring a rushing touchdown. The rivalry is back. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: @ Dallas; Baltimore: @ Indianapolis

TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2

Tennessee 20, Cincinnati 31: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Gotta give it to Cincy, they hung tough and got a win. Ryan Tannehill threw for 233 yards with two touchdowns and threw an interception. Derrick Henry rushed for 112 yards while scoring a rushing touchdown. Corey Davis had 128 receiving yards and had a touchdown. Joe Burrow threw for 249 yards and scored two touchdowns. Giovanni Bernard and Samaje Perine scored rushing touchdowns while racking up 62 and 32 rushing yards respectively. Cincy really controlled the time of possession with a 35:57 to 24:03 advantage. 

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Chicago; Cincinnati: Bye

TW: 3-3; CV: 3-3

Las Vegas 16, Cleveland 6: TW: Browns; CV: Browns 
Oh Browns, somehow I knew you'd fuck it up. Derek Carr threw for 112 yards with a touchdown pass. Josh Jacobs really came out and balled against the Browns defense and rushed for 128 yards. The Baker Mayfield we got in this one was the dud version that threw for 122 yards and threw for no touchdowns but neither didn't throw an interception either. Kareem Hunt did have a decent game with 66 yards rushing. Las Vegas controlled the clock with over 37 minutes of time of possession. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: @ LA Chargers; Cleveland: Bye

TW: 3-4; CV: 3-4

LA Rams 17, Miami 28: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Somehow the Dolphins have a winning record. Jared Goff threw for 355 yards with a touchdown and threw two interceptions. Darrell Henderson wouldn't get too much from the ground with 47 yards. Robert Woods did score a rushing touchdown with nine yards in the game. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 93 yards with a touchdown pass in his first NFL start. Myles Gaskin rushed for 47 yards with a touchdown. Miami's defense would get some points as Jared Goff fumbled the ball that would end up getting recovered by Emmanuel Ogbah for a touchdown. Their special teams would get a punt-six as Jakeem Grant ran for 88 yards for a touchdown. 

Next week:
LA Rams: Bye; Miami: @ Arizona

TW: 3-5; CV: 3-5

Indianapolis 41, Detroit: TW: Lions; CV: Colts
Why Detroit? WHY! Phillip Rivers threw for 262 yards with three touchdowns. A good game for him. Jordan Wilkins rushed for 89 yards with a touchdown for Indy. Trey Burton scored a rushing touchdown on a 2-yard play. Matthew Stafford threw for 336 yards with three touchdowns and threw an interception. His running game did not help him a lot as Jamal Agnew rushed for 11 yards on one carry. Adrian Peterson would get seven rushing yards on five carries. I questioned why Detroit lost but then I remember that their defense is a faux version of New England. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Baltimore; Detroit: @ Minnesota

TW: 3-6; CV: 4-5

LA Chargers 30, Denver 31: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Atlanta, you're not the only one that likes to blow leads. Justin Herbert threw for 278 yards with three touchdowns and had two passes that were intercepted. Justin Jackson gave his team a good game with 89 yards rushing. Drew Lock threw for 248 yards with three touchdowns and had an interception in the game. Phillip Lindsay rushed for 83 yards with a touchdown. For context, at the end of the 3rd quarter, the Chargers were ahead 24-10 in the game. Denver goes on a 21-6 run. Welcome to the club LA!

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Las Vegas; Denver: @ Atlanta

TW: 3-7; CV: 4-6

New Orleans 26, Chicago 23 (F/OT): TW: Saints; CV: Bears
Both teams almost finished this game in a tie. Quite honestly both teams played awful that they probably deserved to tie it. Drew Brees threw for 280 yards with two touchdowns. Alvin Kamara rushed for 67 yards in the game, his longest was for 20 yards. He also had 96 receiving yards. Nick Foles threw for 272 yards with two touchdowns but also threw an interception. David Montgomery was the leading rusher in the game with 89 yards. Allen Robinson had 87 receiving yards with a touchdown. Saints kicker Wil Lutz would hit the game-winning field goal from 35 yards. I'm glad Chicago lost. 

Next week:
New Orleans: @ Tampa Bay; Chicago: @ Tennessee

TW: 4-7; CV: 4-7

San Francisco 27, Seattle 37: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The result to be expected but the amount of injuries was not. San Francisco looked dead for a while but then they almost made a comeback. Jimmy Garoppolo started for San Fran but would also go down due to injury. He threw 84 yards. Nick Mullens threw for 238 yards with two touchdowns in his stead. The 49ers running game wouldn't get much but Jamycal Hasty ran for 29 yards with a touchdown. Russell Wilson threw for 261 yards with four touchdowns. Deejay Dallas rushed for 41 with a touchdown run. George Kittle also went down with an injury and could possibly miss 6-8 weeks. Rough season for the 49ers. 

Next week:
San Francisco: vs Green Bay; Seattle: @ Buffalo

TW: 5-7; CV: 5-7

Dallas 9, Philadelphia 23: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles 
Two former NCAA FCS quarterbacks played in this one. Ben DiNucci of James Madison University threw for 180 yards but didn't throw a touchdown in the game or throw an interception either. Ezekiel Elliot gave his team some help in the run game with 63 yards but didn't score a touchdown. Carson Wentz of North Dakota State University wasn't really spectacular in this one as he threw for 123 yards with two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions. Boston Scott rushed for 70 yards on 15 carries. Both teams combined for six turnovers as the Cowboys lost two fumbles while the Eagles fumbled two times as well as Wentz's two interceptions mentioned either. In spite of the poor play, the Eagles did get by with a win. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs Pittsburgh; Philadelphia: @ NY Giants

TW: 6-7; CV: 6-7

Tampa Bay 25, NY Giants 23: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
This one was a close one. Like a two-point conversion attempt away from a tie game. Tom Brady threw for 279 yards with two touchdowns. Leonard Fournette would be the leading rusher for the game with 52 yards. Mike Evans had 55 receiving yards with a touchdown. Daniel Jones threw for 256 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. One of the touchdowns was a pass to Golden Tate that brought the game to a 25-23 margin. Wayne Gallman rushed for 44 yards with a touchdown. Ryan Succop hit four field goals to help the Buccaneers out. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs New Orleans; NY Giants: @ Washington

TW: 7-7; CV: 7-7

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 7-7
Total: 78-40-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Week 8: 7-7
Total: 71-47-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Wednesday for the Week 8 picks post! Be sure to go vote and make your voice heard! See you then!

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 8 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us! Week 8 has some interesting matchups for us fans to enjoy like: the Steelers-Ravens rivalry gets renewed, an NFC West battle as the 49ers go to Seattle, and Tom Brady returns to play against the Giants. In this post, I'll talk about my picks for the upcoming games.

Week 8 Picks

Week 8 in the National Football League's regular season starts in Raleigh, North Carolina and finishes in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The week offers a 14-game slate. There will be a Thursday night game, eight early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. CBS will carry the single game and FOX will have the double-header this week. Arizona, Houston, Jacksonville, and Washington have byes this week. Enough talk let's get to the picks!

Atlanta (1-6) @ Carolina (3-4) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Both teams lost last week as the Falcons lost to the Lions and the Panthers lost to the Saints. Atlanta can't hold leads to save their lives even if its less than a few minutes left in a game. I'm tired of picking them. Carolina has done fairly well this season without Christian McCaffrey. The running back could be back from injury in this game and play but I feel Teddy Bridgewater is set to have a monster game. I'll take the Panthers to start the week off with a good start. 

New England (2-4) @ Buffalo (5-2) (CBS): TW: Bills; CV: Bills 
The Patriots lost to the 49ers and the Bills beat the Jets last week. Oh boy, we will learn a lot about the Bills in this game. No more Tom Brady to beat you up, Bills. New England's defense was ravaged last week and I can't see how they can stop the talented Josh Allen from beating them. Devin Singletary will need to get back to playing some solid running football to give Allen some relief. Patriots quarterbacks are a mess right now as the once prodigal Cam Newton looks mortal. I'll take the home team. 

Minnesota (1-5) @ Green Bay (5-1) (FOX): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Vikings were on a bye and the Packers beat the Texans last week. Minnesota has gone downhill and Green Bay has looked upright. Kirk Cousins hasn't turned out well for the Vikes this season and their defense hasn't lived up to par. They would also traded Yannick Ngoukue to Baltimore after six games. Green Bay just seems like the more stable choice as both sides of the ball and a defense that can hold its own. 

NY Jets (0-7) @ Kansas City (6-1) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Jets lost to the Bills and the Chiefs beat the Broncos last week. Vegas has the Chiefs tabbed as nearly 20-point favorites over the Jets. Honestly, I don't see any reason why I would argue against them. Jets offense is terrible, their defense is better but that's a stretch and well their special teams is non-existent. Straight up I'll take the Chiefs easily. If I bet a dollar on the Jets, I could get some decent money if they won but I'm not a gambler. 

Pittsburgh (6-0) @ Baltimore (5-1) (CBS): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The Steelers beat the Titans and the Ravens were on a bye last week. Oh man, such a shame that this game isn't on a primetime slot as the Steelers-Ravens rivalry is back and both teams are playing great football. The game could go either way and the key to me is if the Steelers can contain Lamar Jackson by cutting off his running lanes and blitz him as they have legit four or five great blitzers. Ravens will need to have all hands on deck in slowing down Pittsburgh's pass attack. Definitely psyched for this one. 

Tennessee (5-1) @ Cincinnati (1-5-1) (CBS): TW: Titans; CV: Titans 
Both teams lost last week as the Titans lost to the Steelers and the Bengals lost to the Browns. Tennessee was one short field goal away from possibly staying undefeated but luck wasn't on their side. Both Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry have played up to expectations and at times exceeded them. The recipe doesn't bode well for the Bengals to have a chance in this game. If the time of possession game is in favor of Tennessee, I can't take the Bengals in a long shot to win this one. 

Las Vegas (3-3) @ Cleveland (5-2) (FOX): TW: Browns; CV: Browns 
The Raiders lost to the Buccaneers and the Browns beat the Bengals last week. Which Baker Mayfield will be getting this week? The one that played like crap one week or the one that dominated when it mattered most like last week. With Odell Beckham Jr being out for the season, the Browns pass weapons will fall on Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, and Rashard Higgins. I'll take the Browns but the Raiders have been playing fairly decent despite last week's drubbing against the Bucs. 

LA Rams (5-2) @ Miami (3-3) (FOX): TW: Rams; CV: Rams 
The Rams beat the Bears and the Dolphins were on a bye last week. We will get a chance to see Tua Tagovailoa in this game, replacing Ryan Fitzpatrick. Personally the move is a bit too soon as Miami's pass protection is at times suspect. He's gonna need all the help that he can get against a much improved Rams team that drubbed the Bears with their vaunted defense of Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. I don't see how Miami can squeak out a win. 

Indianapolis (4-2) @ Detroit (3-3) (CBS): TW: Lions; CV: Colts
The Colts were on a bye and the Lions beat the Falcons last week. Indy has done fairly well this season despite Phillip Rivers reverting back to his old ways in throwing to any person that moves, albeit a person who wears a different jersey than him. I think the matchup in this game will have to be Indy's defensive line and Detroit's offensive line. The Lions seem to commit to running the ball more in week's past than previously before. Matthew Stafford has had a better season than most with 1,580 passing yards with 10 touchdown passes. If Detroit scores points on turnovers, this could spell doom for the Colts. I'll go on a whim and take the Lions based on their momentum so far this season. Why not? 

LA Chargers (2-4) @ Denver (2-4) (CBS): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Chargers beat the Jaguars and the Broncos lost to the Chiefs last week. Justin Herbert has been the fun story so far this season who has played beyond his expectations. His team hasn't been all that good in particular on running the ball and defense but he is the driving force with their success. It would be expected that Drew Lock will make the start again for Denver. Denver did have some success in running the ball against KC and perhaps they could change it up and throw often. Denver has disappointed me this season and they shall now get shunned.

New Orleans (4-2) @ Chicago (5-2) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Bears
The Saints beat the Panthers and the Bears lost to the Rams last week. Chicago's defense has done very well. Chicago's offense has been the opposite. Nick Foles has at times done well enough to lead the Bears to victory but I don't know how long can he keep his job with Mitchell Trubisky looking to get another shot. I'll take the Saints as they seem to be more stable at quarterback and their offense has played well. I trust the Saints. 

San Francisco (4-3) @ Seattle (5-1) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The 49ers beat the Patriots and the Seahawks lost to the Cardinals last week. The marquee game might not have the same luster as some previous games but the 49ers have been playing better and seemed to recover from their injury bug earlier this season. Jimmy Garoppolo will need to play the game of his life to best the Seahawks as Seattle will likely try to contain the running attack of San Francisco. It seems like a uphill battle for San Fran but Seattle seems to be logical choice for this game. 

Dallas (2-5) @ Philadelphia (2-5) (NBC): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Cowboys lost to the Football Team and the Eagles beat the Giants last week. If both teams weren't hit by injuries, this game would definitely be a worthwhile watch. Ben DiNucci will likely get the start as Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton will be out for Dallas. Carson Wentz may not have a lot of weapons to go to but DeSean Jackson and Travis Fulgham to throw to against the terrible Dallas pass defense. I'll take the Eagles. 

Tampa Bay (5-2) @ NY Giants (1-6) (ESPN): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers beat the Raiders and the Giants lost to the Eagles last week. Tom Brady returns to New York to take on the Giants. Brady has been on a tear lately and quite honestly, I don't see any reason why the Buccaneers should lose this game. Both sides of the ball are quite good for the Bucs. They have a solid running back in Ronald Jones and an extra back in Leonard Fournette when needed. Their defensive front seven is legit tough to beat. I'll take the Bucs. 

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports, subject to change): 

CBS Single:
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Early:
Minnesota @ Green Bay
Kevin Burkhardt, Daryl Johnston

FOX Late:
New Orleans @ Chicago
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more information on which game is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2020 Maps: Week 8

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Total: 71-33-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Total: 64-40-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys after the Monday night game for the Week 8 recap! Enjoy the games. 

-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 8 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us! The week that was last week was an average week ending at 7-7, slightly better than what I thought but at one point I was 6-0 in picks last week. Hopefully this week gets better. The post will include a mind blowing NFL 100 spotlight and my picks to the week 8 games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

On Sunday, the Browns visit Foxboro to take on the Patriots. What if I told you that Bill Belichek, Vinny Testaverde, Bill Parcells, Willie McGinest, and Drew Bledsoe had one thing in common. They were in a playoff game with the same two teams. I'll explain.

On January 1st, 1995, the 10-6 New England Patriots visited the 11-5 Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The Patriots are entering their first playoff game since 1986. The Browns are returning to the playoffs since 1989. Little did both teams know that the aftermath of the game would set things in motion that still echo to this day.

The Patriots head coach, Bill Parcells, was entering his 2nd season at the helm of the Patriots. Just two years earlier, the team contemplated moving to St. Louis. Ultimately the team was bought by local businessman Robert Kraft in 1993. Parcells was lured out of a cushy TV job at NBC to coach the team. In the 1993 draft, the Patriots drafted Drew Bledsoe and Troy Brown. In the 1994 draft, Parcells selected Willie McGinest and with that the foundation of the Patriots success for the next decade was set.

The Browns hired Bill Belichek after the 1990 season. He set about rebuilding the defense and keeping Bernie Kosar as quarterback. While the Browns had three losing seasons, Belichek would let Kosar go as a free agent. Kosar would eventually help Dallas to win Super Bowls. Vinny Testaverde would start the playoff game against the Patriots.

Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which was opened on 1931, was crumbling. Hopes that Browns owner, Art Modell, would get a new stadium deal was crumbling as well. After the 1993 season, the Cleveland Indians would move into Jacobs Field to start play in the 1994 season. The new ballpark was designated as a baseball-only park.

The game itself was a competitive one as Browns kicker Matt Stover hit a field goal to give the Browns a 3-0 lead. The lead wouldn't last long as Drew Bledsoe found Leroy Thompson for a touchdown, 7-3 Patriots. Cleveland answered back with Vinny Testaverde would hit Mark Carner for a 5-yard touchdown, 10-7 Browns. Patriots kicker Matt Bahr would hit a field goal before halftime to tie the game 10-10. Leroy Hoard would run it in for a touchdown to start scoring after halftime, 17-10 Browns. Matt Stover would hit a field goal to give the Browns a 20-10 cushion. Matt Bahr would give the Patriots some more points with a field goal with a 20-13 game. Ultimately the score would end with a 20-13 Browns win.

For the Browns, it would be their last playoff win (as of the 2018 NFL regular season) and it would be Bill Belichek's first playoff win as a head coach, besting his mentor Bill Parcells. A year after the playoff game, the Browns would move to Baltimore to become the Ravens after negotiations between the city and Art Modell fell through. Vinny Testaverde would play for Bill Parcells as the Jets starter in the 1998 AFC Championship game. He would join Parcells in Dallas in 2005, his backup was Tony Romo. Bill Belichek would return to the assistant coaching ranks with Parcells in 1996 and moved with him to the Jets. When Parcells announced his resignation, Belicheck at first took the coaching job but would ultimately decline, becoming the Patriots head coach. The rest, as they say is history.

For the Patriots, they would post a 6-10 record in 1995 but would make their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in 1996. Bill Parcells would leave the job after Super Bowl XXXI to coach the Jets. In 2005, he became the head coach of the Cowboys. His quarterbacks were Vinny Testaverde, Drew Bledsoe, and Tony Romo. Drew Bledsoe remained a Patriot until the 2001 season when he became injured in a game against the New York Jets. His backup was Tom Brady. Brady along with McGinest, and Troy Brown would win three Super Bowls in four years. Bledsoe was dealt to the Buffalo Bills and then joined the Cowboys where another injury would put his backup into action, Tony Romo.

Essentially NFL history was made in this AFC Wild Card game in 1995. Both teams had no idea what kind of rammifications would happen years later. Such rammifications like Tom Brady or Tony Romo ultimately becoming starting quarterbacks. Talk about mind-blowing, eh?

Week 8 Picks!

Week 8 of the National Football League regular season starts in Minneapolis, Minnesota and ends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There are 15 games on the week slate. The Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys are on bye this week. FOX will have the single, regional game and CBS will have the double-header. There will be a Thursday night game, nine early games, three late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. Let's get to the picks!

Washington (1-6) @ Minnesota (5-2) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The Redskins lost to the 49ers and the Vikings beat the Lions last week. The week kicks off with a weak game as the Redskins aren't that good on either side of the ball. Unless Kirk Cousins shits the bed, I think the Vikings will take a win.

NY Jets (1-5) @ Jacksonville (3-4) (CBS): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

The Jets lost to the Patriots and the Jaguars beat the Bengals last week. The matchup seems a bit more in favor to the Jaguars as they do have a better offense. Defense seems a bit more leaning towards the Jaguars but I can't sleep on the Jets defense either. I think Leonard Fournette will have a good game which means bad news for the Jets defense trying to get stops.

NY Giants (2-5) @ Detroit (2-3-1) (FOX): TW: Lions; CV: Lions

Both teams lost last week as the Giants lost to the Cardinals and the Lions lost to the Vikings. Saquon Barkley is questionable for this game and Kerryon Johnson is questionable to start as well. I feel the Lions will win based on their better defense than the Giants. Please Detroit, don't fuck this up.

Philadelphia (3-4) @ Buffalo (5-1) (FOX): TW: Eagles; CV: Bills

The Eagles lost to the Cowboys and the Bills beat the Dolphins. Philadelphia looked awful last week and they need a win in hostile environment. Carson Wentz has a tough challenge and his receivers and defense needs to play better, and limit the turnovers. Tough sledding for Philly but I'll take them.

Seattle (5-2) @ Atlanta (1-6) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

Both teams lost last week as the Seahawks lost to the Ravens and the Falcons lost to the Rams. Matt Schaub will start for Atlanta and I don't trust him to overcome this good Seahawks team. Russell Wilson had an off day but should get back to normal against an awful Falcons defense.

Tampa Bay (2-4) @ Tennessee (3-4) (FOX): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers

The Buccaneers were on a bye and the Titans beat the Chargers last week. Ryan Tannehill played well in his first start of the season. Tampa has the #1 ranked rush defense and the gameplan should center on trying to make Ryan Tannehill beat you with a one-dimensional offense. I could be off as Jameis Winston could throw six interceptions in the game but I like the rested Bucs in this one.

LA Chargers (2-5) @ Chicago (3-3) (FOX): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

Both teams lost last week as the Chargers lost to the Titans and the Bears lost to the Saints. Chicago played awful last week against the Saints. The Bears offense in particular was not that good and while they do play against an average Chargers defense. I trust Philip Rivers to get back on track and get a win but if Rivers gets sacked a lot, I might regret taking the Chargers in this one. Let's just hope not.

Denver (2-5) @ Indianapolis (4-2) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Colts

The Broncos lost to the Chiefs and the Colts beat the Texans last week. Indianapolis is quietly becoming a good team in a wide open AFC. Denver let Emmanuel Sanders go via trade so I don't expect the Broncos offense to get a lot going as their pass protection is not great either. I'll take Indy with their 5th win of the season.

Cincinnati (0-7) @ LA Rams (4-3) (CBS): TW: Rams; CV: Rams

The Bengals lost to the Jaguars and the Rams beat the Falcons last week. The game will be in London. Jared Goff and the Rams offense should do well in this matchup as both sides of the ball for Cincinnati is pretty much trash. Andy Dalton could have a long day.

Arizona (3-3-1) @ New Orleans (6-1) (CBS): TW: Saints; CV: Saints

Both teams got wins last week as the Cardinals beat the Giants and the Saints beat the Bears. I don't trust the Cardinals defense to keep the hot Teddy Bridgewater and the Saints offense out of their element. The SuperDome will be loud and when it comes to young quarterbacks, the noise will effect their communication. Unless the Saints defense breaks down and the Cardinals offense can get the crowd out of the game, they have a shot to win.

Carolina (4-2) @ San Francisco (6-0) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV: Panthers

The Panthers were on a bye and the 49ers beat the Redskins last week. San Francisco got better on pass offense with the addition of Emmanuel Sanders via trade from Denver. I think the addition adds another weapon to a fairly average receiving corp. The game will be somewhat high scoring but I think the victor will be the one who can put up 30+ and can keep Christian McCaffrey out of his element.

Cleveland (2-4) @ New England (7-0) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Browns were on a bye and the Patriots beat the Jets last week. The marquee game this week. The game looked pretty nice on paper when the schedule came out but not so much now. The Browns have been somewhat of a disappointment this season (probably as to be expected) while the Patriots have been somewhat vulnerable. Perhaps the addition of Mohamed Sanu will give Tom Brady some versatility in the passing attack. I don't trust Cleveland to get a win in a hostile environment.

Oakland (3-3) @ Houston (4-3) (CBS): TW: Texans; CV: Texans

Both teams took losses last week as the Raiders lost to the Packers and the Texans lost to the Colts. I really hate myself for doing this but I'm sadly taking Houston in this game. The Texans rush defense is pretty good and the Raiders pride themselves on using Josh Jacobs to get them yardage. So please Houston, win this game so that I can keep my sanity with you.

Green Bay (6-1) @ Kansas City (5-2) (NBC): TW: Packers; CV: Chiefs

Both teams got wins last week as the Packers beat the Raiders and the Chiefs beat the Broncos. Matt Moore will start for the Chiefs most likely in this game but the Packers should be prepared to play against Patrick Mahomes. If the latter starts, this game will be a pretty good one as both teams have pretty good quarterbacks. The Chiefs have the edge in terms of wide receivers but I like the Packers defense over the Chiefs.

Miami (0-6) @ Pittsburgh (2-4) (ESPN): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

The Dolphins lost to the Bills and the Steelers were on a bye last week. Week 8 finishes up with a doozy of a game for ESPN. I expect the Steelers to win pretty handily as the Dolphins are pretty terrible on either side of the ball. Quite honestly, Yinzer Nation will riot the streets if the Steelers lose to a hapless Dolphins team.

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, subject to change):

CBS Early:
Denver @ Indianapolis
Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

CBS Late:
Cleveland @ New England
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single:
Philadelphia @ Buffalo
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

For more information on which game is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2019: Week 8 Maps

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Overall: 64-41-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Overall: 62-43-1

See you guys on Monday night for the Week 8 recap post!

-Tom