NFL 2023 Week 8 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. Week 8 brought us some crazy action including a shocker in Tennessee, a winner in Carolina, a collapse in the making in San Francisco, and a game-winner in Overtime in the Meadowlands. All those games and more in this week's recap post.

NFL Week 8 Freaky Stat

The Jacksonville Jaguars has 17 takeaways thus far this season. It currently leads the NFL this season. We're not even into November. They have also won five straight games in October in the first time of their history. Tyreek Hill has 1,014 receiving yards in the first eight games of the season thus far. With names like Don Hutson and Elroy Hirsch having higher numbers has to be a well deserved honor for Hill. 

NFL Week 8 Recap

Tampa Bay 18, Buffalo 24: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
For a moment the hearts of Bills fans were in their throats when Josh Allen was taken into the blue tent. Josh Allen would persevere and lead the Bills to victory. Baker Mayfield hit 25 of 42 passes for 237 yards for two touchdowns. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans were the players that caught those touchdowns. Tampa's running game was not quite as versatile. Rachaad White rushed for 39 yards on nine carries. Baker Mayfield rushed for 19 yards. Tampa would have some slow starts on offense throughout the game. They finished the game with 302 total yards of offense. Josh Allen would hit 31 of 40 passes for 324 yards with two touchdown passes to Gabe Davis and Dalton Kincaid. Allen would throw an interception in the game. He would face some struggles as he had to go into the blue tent for medical evaluation. He would be fine. James Cook would get back to playing some better football as he rushed for 67 yards on 14 carries. Josh Allen would also see the endzone with a rushing touchdown while finishing the game with 41 yards. Buffalo would finally get some points in the first half with 17 at halftime. They had a slow start over the last three games since the Jaguars game in London. They got out of their offense 427 total yards. For the Buccaneers, they drop to 3-4 and currently have a three-game losing streak. For the Bills, they break out of their funk and get to 5-3 on the 2023 season. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: @ Houston

Buffalo: @ Cincinnati

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Atlanta 23, Tennessee 28: TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons

Who had Will Levis getting four touchdown passes on their bingo card? Desmond Ridder started this game for the Falcons as he hit 8 of 12 passes for 71 yards. He would leave the game after suffering a concussion. Former Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke hit 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards with a touchdown pass to Scott Miller. Bijan Robinson had a quiet game last week but would have a better game with a rushing touchdown and had 62 yards rushing. Clutch kicker Younghoe Koo would round out the scoring with three field goals. Unfortunately for him his team didn't give him a shot to win it. Atlanta got 342 total yards of offense. Will Levis would play spectacular as he hit 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards with four touchdowns. Three of those touchdowns came to DeAndre Hopkins and one other to Nick Westbrookshine. Derrick Henry rushed for 101 yards in the game. The Titans hit 375 total yards of offense in this game. The Titans choice in uniforms had to make some NFL fans reminisce as they wore the classic Houston Oiler uniforms. Probably not a fun sight for those in Houston that still remember the Oilers. For the Falcons, they drop another game and reach to .500 football at 4-4. For the Titans, they get a much needed win and improve to 3-4 on the season.

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Minnesota
Tennessee: @ Pittsburgh (Thursday night)

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Houston 13, Carolina 15: TW: Panthers; CV: Texans

Eddy Pineiro the hero as Carolina got their first win in 2023. CJ Stroud wouldn't do a lot in this game but did get 16 of 24 pass completions for 140 yards while rushing in for a touchdown on a 1-yard play. Dameon Pierce rushed for 46 yards on 12 carries. Andrew Beck rushed in for a touchdown on a 1-yard play. A missed opportunity for a two-point conversion would be one of the miscues that the Texans would face all day as they also lost on a fumble. Houston would outpace the Panthers on offensive yardage with 229 total yards. Bryce Young did good enough in the win as they hit 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown pass to Tommy Tremble. Chuba Hubbard rushed for 28 yards on 15 carries. Adam Thielen caught eight passes for 72 yards in the game. Eddy Pineiro hit 3 for 3 on field goals including the game-winning 23-yard field goal that gave the Panthers their first dub of the season. They got 224 total yards of offense in the game. For the Texans, they drop to 3-4 with with some hope of staying with the Jaguars in the AFC South division race. For the Panthers, they are winless no more as they get to 1-6 on the season. 

Next week:

Houston: vs Tampa Bay
Carolina: vs Indianapolis

TW: 2-1; CV: 1-2

Jacksonville 20, Pittsburgh 10: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

Gotta feel pumped up seeing James Harrison in Pittsburgh again. Trevor Lawrence hit 24 of 32 passes for 292 yards with a touchdown pass to Travis Etienne for a 56-yard deep pass. The runner ran out of gas but persevered and saw six points. Etienne rushed for 79 yards on 24 carries. Trevor Lawrence would have one of his passes caught by a player wearing a black and gold jersey. Jacksonville ran over the vaunted Steelers offense with 377 total yards. Kenny Pickett started the game and hit 10 of 16 passes for 73 yards. Pickett would leave the game with a rib injury after taking a rough tackle to the ground. Mitchell Trubisky would play in his stead and hit 15 of 27 passes for 138 yards with a touchdown pass to George Pickens with two interceptions in the game. Pittsburgh wouldn't get a lot from their running game as a whole they got only 70 yards with Jaylen Warren rushing for 19 yards. It was a quiet game for their offense as they got a meager 261 yards of offensive ball. The Steelers had converted three times on 3rd down in a total of 12 chances. On 64 plays, the Steelers gained on average 4.1 yards/play. For the Jaguars, they get to 6-2 for only the 2nd time since 1999 with a sustained lead in the AFC South. For the Steelers, they drop to 4-3 on the season. 

Next week: 

Jacksonville: Bye
Pittsburgh: vs Tennessee (Thursday night)

TW: 3-1; CV: 2-2

LA Rams 20, Dallas 43: TW: Rams; CV: Rams

Dak Prescott's four touchdowns and Daron Bland's 3rd pick-six spell doom for the Rams in Jerry World. Matthew Stafford hit 13 of 22 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown pass to Ben Skowronek with an interception in the game. He would leave the game with a right thumb injury. The injury occurred on catching a failed two-point conversion pass that looked like a "Philly Special" play. Bryce Rypien played in his stead and hit 5 of 10 passes for 42 yards. Royce Freeman rushed for 44 yards on a touchdown. The first half was not kind to the Rams as they would hit a field goal, turnover via interception and have a blocked punt that resulted in a safety while punting twice on the next two drives while scoring a touchdown in their drives. Dak Prescott was masterful as he hit 25 of 31 passes for 304 yards with four touchdowns but also tossed an interception in the game. CeeDee Lamb caught two while Brandin Cooks and Jake Ferguson caught one each in the four touchdown passes that Prescott threw to them. Tony Pollard rushed for 53 yards on 12 carries. The first half was better for the Cowboys as they four of their five drives in the half resulted in either a touchdown or a field goal. Their lone drive that didn't result in points was on the Prescott interception. Both teams put up some numbers on offense as Los Angeles got 280 total yards while the Cowboys got 387 total yards of offense. A slow start on offense proved to be the downfall for the Rams. For the Rams, they drop to 3-5 and drop their 3rd game in the last four games. For the Cowboys, they keep pace with the Eagles in the NFC East at 5-2. 

Next week: 

LA Rams: @ Green Bay

Dallas: @ Philadelphia

TW: 3-2; CV: 2-3

Minnesota 24, Green Bay 10: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

Two Kirk Cousins passes lead the red-hot Vikings past their rivals in Green Bay. Kirk Cousins hit 23 of 31 passes for 274 yards with two touchdown passes to Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson. Cousins would leave the game after suffering a possible Achilles injury. Jaren Hall got some playtime with 3 of 4 pass completions for 23 yards. Cam Akers would see the endzone on the Vikings first touchdown in the 1st quarter while rushing for 19 yards. Alexander Mattison was the leading rusher for the Purple gang with 31 yards. Minnesota would finish well with 346 total yards of offense. Jordan Love would have a rough go of it as he hit 24 of 41 passes for 229 yards with a touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs in the 3rd quarter. He would have an interception that was a gimmie from Jayden Reed to Josh Metellus. Jordan Love rushed for 34 yards. Aaron Jones rushed for 29 yards with seven carries. Green Bay got on offense a total of 270 total yards. Green Bay's inability to sustain drives cost them in this game as they only got 23:38 time of possession while getting 5 of 14 3rd down conversions. For the Vikings, they get to 4-4 and won't have a game finishing by one score for the first time this season. For the Packers, they drop to 2-5 on the season with a four-game losing streak. 

Next week: 

Minnesota: @ Atlanta
Green Bay: vs LA Rams

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

New England 17, Miami 31: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins

The Patriots played competitive football but Tua would prove to be too much for the Pats. Mac Jones played well enough for a consecutive week with 19 of 29 passes for 161 yards with tow touchdown passes to Kendrick Bourne and JuJu Smith-Schuster. He might've gotten another touchdown but on a pass that Jalen Ramsey saw dead-on, the corner would find it and pick it off. The Patriots running game wouldn't get much on the stat sheet with Rhamondre Stevenson getting 39 rushing yards on 10 carries. Kendrick Bourne would leave the game with an injury as he wouldn't come back to this game. The Patriots offense would find itself putting up 218 total yards. Tua Tagovailoa did solid with 30 of 45 passes for 324 yards with three touchdown passes while tossing an interception that lead to a Patriots touchdown. Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill and Cedric Wilson Jr were the Dolphins that caught those passes for scores. Miami had Two wide receivers with 100-yard days as Jaylen Waddle had 121 yards and Tyreek Hill had 112 yards. Raheem Mostert would see the endzone while getting 46 rushing yards. Jeff Wilson had 23 yards rushing. Miami would do its thing on offense as they got 390 total yards. For the Patriots, they drop to 2-6 and sit in dead last in the AFC East standings. For the Dolphins, they stay on top of the AFC East with a 6-2 record. 

Next week: 

New England: vs Washington
Miami: @ Kansas City (Sunday morning)

TW: 5-2; CV: 4-3

New Orleans 38, Indianapolis 27: TW: Colts; CV: Saints

The Saints win their fifth straight game against the Colts, a streak that started in Super Bowl XLIV. Derek Carr was on fire as he hit 19 of 27 passes for 310 yards with two touchdown passes to Rashee Shaheed and Alvin Kamara. Taysom Hill rushed for 63 yards with two touchdowns. Alvin Kamara rushed for 59 yards with a touchdown run. Of the 310 passing yards that Carr threw, 153 of them went to Rashee Shaheed who caught just three passes with a 58-yard touchdown that took advantage of the battered Colts secondary. The Saints offense put up 511 total yards in the game. Gardner Minshew did alright in the game with 23 of 41 passes for 213 yards with two touchdown passes with an interception. Alec Ogletree and Michael Pittman were the players that caught those touchdown passes and Paulson Adebo was the Saint that intercepted the pass. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 95 yards on 12 carries, including a 42-yard rushing play. Zach Moss had 11 carries on 66 yards with a touchdown. Indianapolis produced 371 total yards of offense in the game. Both teams scored a fair amount of points as they went to halftime with a 21-20 score. It was a 17-7 run that the Saints produced that was the ultimate decider in the game as the Saints defense shut down the Colts offense. For the Saints, they get to 4-4 as they are now at .500 football and stay at pace with the Buccaneers in the wild NFC South. For the Colts, they drop to 3-5 and lose their third straight game. 

Next week:

New Orleans: vs Chicago
Indianapolis: @ Carolina

TW: 5-3; CV: 5-3

NY Jets 13, NY Giants 10 (F/OT): TW: Jets; CV: Jets

In the Battle of New York, the Jets get the last laugh in rainy cold MetLife Stadium. Zach Wilson hit 17 of 36 passes for 240 yards with a touchdown pass to Breece Hall in the 3rd quarter. Zach Wilson rushed for 25 yards on four carries. Garrett Wilson caught seven passes for 100 receiving yards. The Jets offense got enough for the win as they got 251 total yards. The veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein hit the game winner in overtime from 33 yards. The Giants passing game had an ugly game as starter Tyrod Taylor hit 4 of 7 passes for 8 yards. Taylor would leave the game with a rib injury. Third stringer Tommy DeVito (no relation to the actor sadly) came in and provided 2 of 7 pass completions for -1 yard. The Giants net passing yards went for -9 yards with six pass completions that would be a -0.5 yards per pass. The shining moment for the Giants was Saquon Barkley as he rushed for 128 yards with 36 carries. Tommy DeVito did rush for the only Giants touchdown. The Giants had an opportunity to win it before overtime but a Graham Gano miss in the New Jersey rain would prove to be the game deciding play. For the Giants, they would get a putrid 194 total yards of offense. For the Jets, they improve to 4-3 and break out of the .500 football column. For the Giants, they continue their fall from grace to a 2-6 record. 

Next week: 

NY Jets: vs LA Chargers
NY Giants: @ Las Vegas

TW: 6-3; CV: 6-3

Philadelphia 38, Washington 31: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

An injured leg wouldn't keep Jalen Hurts out of this game. Jalen Hurts was on fire as he hit 29 of 38 passes for 319 yards with four touchdown passes. Of the four touchdown passes, AJ Brown caught two, Devonta Smith caught one and Julio Jones caught the other. D'Andre Swift would rush for 57 yards with a touchdown. AJ Brown had eight catches for 130 receiving yards in the game. Philly had some miscues as two turnovers costed the Eagles some points in the redzone via fumble. Jalen Hurts and Kenneth Gainwell both fumbled inside the five-yard line. The Eagles offense had 374 total yards of offense. Sam Howell had quite the game as the passer hit 39 of 52 passes for 397 yards with four touchdowns and had an interception in the game. It was a collective effort as Jahan Dotson, Jamison Crowder, "Scary" Terry McLaurin and Logan Thomas were the players that caught those touchdown passes from Howell. Reed Blankenship was the Eagle that caught the interception. Brian Robinson rushed for 59 yards on 10 carries. Washington would outpace Philadelphia in total yardage as they had 472 total yards. It just seemed like the Commanders were just short by just a play or two in the game. For the Eagles, they improve to 7-1 in the season and will face a big test next week against Dallas. For the Commanders, they drop to 3-5 and have went 1-5 since starting at 2-0. 

Next week: 

Philadelphia: vs Dallas
Washington: @ New England

TW: 7-3; CV: 7-3

Cleveland 20, Seattle 24: TW: Browns; CV: Browns

Oh those throwback uniforms by Seattle. PJ Walker was not really that great in this game as the psaser hit 15 of 31 passes for 248 yards with a touchdown pass to David Njoku that would cut the Seahawk lead to a 14-7 score. Walker would hinder the Browns cause as he tossed two costly interceptions, including the one where the Seahawks would score the go-ahead touchdown. Kareem Hunt scored the other touchdown that the Browns would have in this game. Pierre Strong Jr had 41 yards rushing while Jerome Ford had 37 yards rushing. Along with the two interceptions, the Browns would also fumble on their 2nd drive of the game. Cleveland would put up some good offense in the game putting up 385 total yards in this game. Geno Smith would do a bit better than his counterpart as he hit 23 of 37 passes for 254 yards with two touchdown passes but also tossed two interceptions as well. Tyler Lockett caught the first touchdown on a short 12-yard pass that would increase the Seahawk lead to 14-0. Jaxon Smith-Njigba would catch the 2nd pass on another short 9-yard play that would send Jaxon to the left and a carefully placed block later would let him see six points. It would be the go-ahead touchdown. Kenneth Walker rushed for 66 yards while Zach Charbonnet rushed for 53 yards. Jake Bobo would score the first Seahawks touchdown on a drive play up the middle. Seattle would find itself score 17 points in the first quarter and would not score again until the Smith-Njigba touchdown. Seattle finished with lesser offensive yards with 362 total yards but they got a win. For the Browns, they drop to 4-3 with some lost ground in the AFC North. For the Seahawks, they go to 5-2 and get some ground on the 49ers in the NFC West.

Next week: 

Cleveland: vs Arizona
Seattle: @ Baltimore

TW: 7-4; CV: 7-4

Baltimore 31, Arizona 24: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

Gus Edwards's three rushing touchdowns proved to be too much for the Cardinals. Lamar Jackson hit 18 of 27 passes for 157 yards with a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews. It would be three rushing touchdowns from Gus Edwards that put the Ravens on top as Edwards rushed to the endzone on plays from 1, 7 and 1 yards. Edwards had 80 rushing yards. If there was a blemish on the Ravens game it was going 4 for 11 on 3rd down conversions. They had 29:39 time of possession. Baltimore put up only 268 total yards of offense. Josh Dobbs hit 25 of 37 passes for 208 yards with two touchdown passes but also tossed two interceptions in the game. Trey McBride and Malcolm Brown were the players that caught the passes for six points from Dobbs. Dobbs would see the endzone on a play while getting 26 yards rushing. Emari Demercado rushed for 78 yards while on 20 carries. Arizona would get 310 total yards of offense in this game. The Cardinals kept it close but this game really should've been a blowout compared to the turnovers in the game. For the Ravens, they tie with the Chiefs for the Best record in the AFC at 6-2. For the Cardinals, they drop to 1-7 on the season.

Next week: 

Baltimore: vs Seattle
Arizona: @ Cleveland

TW: 8-4; CV: 8-4

Cincinnati 31, San Francisco 17: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

Two Brock Purdy interceptions cause the free-falling 49ers to lose to the Bengals. Joe Burrow was masterful in this game as he hit 28 of 32 passes for 283 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Andrei Iosivas were the players that caught those touchdown passes. Joe Mixon would get going as well as the runner would see the endzone while putting up 87 yards rushing. Joe Burrow would also do a bit of running as well as he rushed for 43 yards. The Bengals would take advantage of turnovers as well as get some good yardage in kickoff returns. Their offense finished with 400 total yards of offense. Brock Purdy was on point in some plays but off in most. He hit 22 of 31 passes for 365 yards with a touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey while tossing two costly interceptions. Along with the two turnovers, the 49ers would also fumble as well. Brock Purdy was also the leading rusher with 57 yards rushing. Christian McCaffrey would also rush for 54 yards with a touchdown and got 64 receiving yards on six catches. George Kittle had 149 receiving yards on nine catches and had a 34-yard pass play that was the longest in the game for the Niners. Despite the score, the 49ers would get 460 total yards. Turnovers cost the 49ers in the game where in previous weeks was the opposite. It feels like Brock Purdy is doing too much. For the Bengals, they get to 4-3 and win their 3rd game in the last four games. For the 49ers, they drop their 3rd straight game to a 5-3 record after going 5-0 to start the season. 

Next week: 

Cincinnati: vs Buffalo
San Francisco: Bye

TW: 8-5; CV: 8-5

Kansas City 9, Denver 24: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The underdog Broncos surpass the defending champion Chiefs in Mile High. Patrick Mahomes would not be effective as he has in games this season as he hit 24 of 38 passes for 241 yards with two interceptions. It is only the third time in his career where he did not throw a touchdown pass in a game. Justin Simmons and Ja'Quan McMillian were the Broncos that caught and ran back those Mahomes passes. Isiaiah Pacheco rushed for 40 yards on eight carries. Patrick Mahomes rushed for 20 yards on three carries. Of the things that went wrong for the Chiefs were going 3 for 10 on 3rd down, 1 for 3 on 4th down, three turnovers including one fumble on a punt return that lead to a Broncos score. Russell Wilson would play one of his better games as he hit 12 of 19 passes for 114 yards with three touchdown passes while rushing for 30 yards. Jerry Jeudy, Cortland Sutton and Javonte Williams were the Broncos that caught the passes from Wilson. Javonte Williams would also put the hurt on the Chiefs defense as he carried the ball 27 times for 85 yards. The Broncos offense would not get much on offense but the turnovers would help a lot in the process as the Broncos got 240 total yards. For the Chiefs, they falter to 6-2 but have a decent lead in the AFC West division race. For the Broncos, they end their 16-game losing streak to the Chiefs dating back to a September 17th, 2015 game when the Broncos last beat the Chiefs. Interestingly enough Peyton Manning was still a Bronco and Alex Smith was a Chief in that game. 

Next week: 

Kansas City: vs Miami (Sunday morning)
Denver: Bye

TW: 8-6; CV: 8-6

Chicago 13, LA Chargers 30: TW: Chargers, CV: Chargers

Dominating performance from Justin Herbert paves the way to a Chargers win. Tyson Bagent would have a trying game as he hit 25 of 37 passes for 232 yards with two interceptions in the game. He would make up for it with a rushing touchdown. Donta Foreman rushed the most for the Bears with 34 yards. Darrynton Evans would score the other touchdown for the Bears via rushing. The Bears would get a solid 295 total yards of offense. Justin Herbert would have a rebound game as he hit 31 of 40 passes for 298 yards with three touchdown passes. Austin Ekeler caught one pass, Darnell Parham Jr caught another while Simi Fehoko caught the other touchdown pass from Herbert. Austin Ekeler rushed for 29 yards with 15 carries to his name while catching seven passes for 94 yards. The Chargers offense would put forth a good effort with 352 total yards. For the Bears, they drop to 2-6 on the season with competition from the Packers for the basement of the NFC North. For the Chargers, they get a much needed win and move up to 3-4. 

Next week: 

Chicago: @ New Orleans

LA Chargers: NY Jets

TW: 9-6; CV: 9-6

Las Vegas 14, Detroit 26: TW: Lions; CV: Lions

Jared Goff and company take care of business at home on Monday Night Football. Jimmy Garoppolo would not awe the crowd in this one as he hit 10 of 21 passes for 126 yards with an interception. Josh Jacobs would be the team's leading rusher and leading receiver while scoring the Raiders only offensive touchdown while getting 61 rushing yards and 27 receiving yards. Perhaps it was the back issue for Garoppolo who had to leave the game during the Patriots contest to go to a local hospital due to back issues. The other touchdown from the Raiders came on a Jared Goff pass that was intercepted by Marcus Peters for a Raiders pick-six Las Vegas would only get 157 total yards from their offense. Jared Goff was solid enough for the win. He hit 26 of 37 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta. Goff would toss the aforementioned interception in this game. Jahmyr Gibbs would be the rock that would not be stopped for the Lions as he rushed for a staggering 152 yards with a touchdown run on 26 carries in this game. Chase Reynolds would also rush for 74 yards on 14 carries as a backup role. Amon Ra St Brown would catch six balls for 108 yards in the game. The icing of the cake for the victory is Riley Patterson who hit 4 of 5 field goals in the win. The Detroit Lions offense would prevail in this one with 486 total yards in a dominating effort that isn't quite there in the scoreboard. For the Raiders, they drop to 3-5 on the season. For the Lions, they move up to 6-2 with the nightmares of yesteryear slipping past them like an ocean wave. 

Next week: 

Las Vegas: vs NY Giants
Detroit: Bye

TW: 10-6; CV: 10-6

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Week 8: 10-6    

Total: 70-52

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 10-6

Total: 75-47

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week # Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 8 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has passed us by. Last week in picks I was average with a 7-7 record, with 15 games played this week I should know at least if I get a winning or losing week. The post will have a NFL 100 spotlight and a recap of the week's games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

It seems almost imperative to talk about another football league that helped change the football landscape forever. A league that centered on innovation, entertainment and of course good football. I am talking about, of course, the American Football League.

By 1960, the NFL had grown to surpass Major League Baseball as the #1 sports league in the U.S., encompassing even college football. Teams enjoyed lucrative tv contracts, the invent of television, and drama that baseball failed to capitalize on. However, the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL was declining.

Cardinals owner, the Bidwell family, opened up to investors to help finance the team to move out of Chicago, one such investor was Lamar Hunt, son of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, and approached the Bidwells to move the Cardinals to Dallas. The Bidwells declined as they didn't want to move the team to a place that had an NFL team (the Dallas Texans were a team in 1952). Hunt, along with Bob Howsam and Max Winter approached NFL commissioner Bert Bell with the possibility of expansion. Bell declined that as well. Hunt never gave up on owning a football team and decided to create a new league with Howsam and Winter. Winter would back out of the deal later on and became the owner of the Minnesota Vikings in 1961.

Lamar Hunt had work to do, he had to find a commissioner for his new league, he had to find owners to help produce teams for his new league. He would hire Joe Foss, a former Marine pilot and governor of South Dakota, to be the league's first commissioner. On August 14th, 1959, Hunt and a bunch of owners like Bud Adams met for the first time. On August 22, the new league was named American Football League, with the famous "Eagle On Football" logo. The league agreed to have teams play in New York, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and Los Angeles. When the ownership group of Winter backed out, Barron Hilton, owner of the Los Angeles team, suggested that a 2nd team in California to be founded, to lower operation costs as well as form an in-state rivalry. That team would be based in Oakland.

Ralph Wilson, part owner of the Detroit Lions, agreed to form a franchise in Miami. Wilson's plans backfired as the city declined to put a football team there. The franchise would base themselves in Buffalo, New York and call themselves the Buffalo Bills. On November 22nd, a 10-man ownership group in Boston was awarded a franchise, giving the American Football League their 8th franchise. The new league would start play in the 1960 season with the Boston Patriots, New York Titans, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Texans, and Houston Oilers.

The new league found some success as teams did well financially, with the exception to the Oakland Raiders and New York Titans (teams that were battling with an NFL team in their metro area). The league's first dynasty was the Houston Oilers who would win the league championship in 1960 and 1961. Their quarterback was Billy Cannon, a player that was originally drafted by the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, but was lured away with money to play for the Oilers. They had a contract with ABC to broadcast their games. The money helped keep the league afloat.

The game that helped put the league on the map was the 1962 AFL Championship Game. It featured the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Texans. The game became a classic as the Texans would beat the the two-time defending champion Oilers 20-17 in a two-overtime thriller, becoming the longest football game played at the time.

The Raiders would struggle but kept going despite poor results on the field. In 1963, Sonny Werblin bought the New York Titans from Harry Wismer, and renamed the team the Jets due to the fact that Shea Stadium was next to airports and the Jets would fly over the stadium. The move helped reverse the course for the franchise. In 1961. Barron Hilton would move the Chargers to San Diego due to the fact that they couldn't compete with the NFL's Rams.

The league championships in 1963, 1964 and 1965 saw different philosophies for the league. In 1963, the Chargers would win their only league championship (as of the 2018 season) beating the Boston Patriots 51-10 in San Diego. In 1964 and 1965 the league saw its 2nd dynasty in the Buffalo Bills. The Bills would beat the Chargers both times 20-7 and 23-0 respectively.

The year 1965 was a huge year for the league for two reasons: Joe Namath and NBC. The draft in 1965 was a competitive one as both the NFL and AFL sought out talent. The NFL's St. Louis Cardinals drafted Joe Namath of Alabama, but bolted to sign with the New York Jets. The league would get even when the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Gale Sayers but ended up signing with the NFL's Chicago Bears. The AFL had won itself a victory and Sonny Werblin knew it, signing Namath to a lucrative contract of $427,000. NBC paid a $36 million deal to show its games in 1965. The deal meant that the league was there to stay, and NFL owners were scared. Pittsburgh Steelers owner, Art Rooney, commented to NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle with "They don't have to call us Mister, anymore."

On April 7th, 1966 AFL commissioner Joe Foss resigned. Raiders owner, Al Davis, picked up where Foss left off and began a more, aggressive strategy towards the NFL. Davis looked to lure NFL players away from their teams to AFL ones. Such players included Mike Ditka, Roman Gabriel and John Brodie.

A month after Davis was named commissioner, Tex Schramm, general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, and a bunch of owners approached Lamar Hunt to discuss the possiblity of merging. The merger was headlined by Hunt, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, and Tex Schramm. On June 8th, 1966 the war was finally over as the merger agreement was signed.

The merger deal included: a common draft, players from NFL teams that signed to an AFL team to return to their original team, an expanded league, and a championship game between the two leagues (later would become the Super Bowl). The AFL's teams would form the American Football Conference and the NFL's teams would form the National Football Conference. In 1966, the AFL expanded to nine teams with the addition of the Miami Dolphins under the ownership group of Joe Robbie and Danny Thomas. The NFL would expand as well with the inclusion of the Atlanta Falcons. The two leagues would agreed to continue expansion to have 26 teams by the merger's effective date in 1970.

The news of a merger outraged Al Davis and promptly resigned from commissioner in June 1966. The reason why Davis resigned was that Rozelle would retain commissioner as part of the merger deal, rather to see the completion of the merger fulfilled. Milt Woodard would be hired as President of the AFL for the duration of the league's existence.

In a period of seven years, the AFL had gone from being a league for washups and has been's to a legitimate league that had won its battles against the NFL off the field. The NFL's war with their brother league was only beginning as the AFL hadn't won the battle on the field, and the Super Bowl would ultimately prove which league was superior. That will be a story for another time.

NFL Week 8 Recap

Washington 9, Minnesota 19: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The game was closer than most imagined but the Vikings held the Redskins to zero touchdowns. Case Keenum started the game but threw for 130 yards for zero touchdowns. Once Keenum left the game with a concussion, the Redskins put Dwayne Haskins to play, throwing the ball for only 33 yards with an interception. Former Viking, Adrian Peterson, ran the ball for 76 yards, getting a standing ovation when he made a milestone in rushing yards. Kirk Cousins threw the ball for 285 yards with zero touchdowns. Dalvin Cook would get the only offensive touchdown in the game while compiling 98 rushing yards. Washington's defense isn't too bad, I will say.

All-time series: Vikings lead series 14-13

Next week: Washington: @ Buffalo; Minnesota: @ Kansas City

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

NY Jets 15, Jacksonville 29: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

Sam Darnold would see a few less ghosts but it didn't help that he threw three interceptions. Darnold threw the ball for 218 yards while throwing two touchdowns. Le'Veon Bell could only get 23 yards rushing from 11 carries, not helping the offensive cause much. Gardner Minshew of the Jaguars threw the ball for 279 yards with three touchdowns. Leonard Fournette had a good game with his 76 yards rushing while not scoring a rushing touchdown in the game. Sam Darnold is a mess and the Jets broke him, sadly. 

All-time series: Jaguars lead series 8-7

Next week: NY Jets: @ Miami; Jacksonville: vs Houston (London)

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

NY Giants 26, Detroit 31: TW: Lions; CV: Lions

The Giants really came to play in this game. Daniel Jones threw the ball for 322 yards with four touchdowns, giving him a pretty good day from the air. Saquon Barkley ran the ball for 64 yards, respectable numbers for sure. Matthew Stafford would finish the day with 342 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. The Lions leading rusher was Tra Carson with 34 yards from the ground. 

All-time series: Lions lead series 24-21-1

Next week: NY Giants: vs Dallas; Detroit: @ Oakland

TW: 3-0; CV: 3-0

Philadelphia 31, Buffalo 13: TW: Eagles; CV: Bills

A week after the Eagles got destroyed by Dallas, they rebounded and got a huge win. Carson Wentz threw the ball for 172 yards with a touchdown but it would be the ground where the Eagles got their win. Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders and Boston Scott would score rushing touchdowns while getting 96, 74 and 6 rushing yards respectively. Josh Allen continued his good play with his arm and leg, throwing the ball for 169 yards with two touchdowns while running the ball for 45 yards. Frank Gore could only get 34 yards from the ground. 

All-time series: Eagles lead series 8-6

Next week: Philadelphia: vs Chicago; Buffalo: vs Washington

TW: 4-0; CV: 3-1

Seattle 27, Atlanta 20: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

Seattle hung 24 on Atlanta by halftime but the Falcons wouldn't go quietly. Russell Wilson threw the ball for 182 yards with two touchdowns while rushing for four yards. Chris Carson would have leading rusher honors with his 90 yards and a touchdown to go along with it. Matt Schaub still proved that he can still sling a football with his 460 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Brian Hill would get a rushing touchdown but it would be Devonta Freeman with 39 yards rushing. At least it wasn't another blowout for the Falcons defense.

All-time series: Seahawks lead series 11-8

Next week: Seattle: vs Tampa Bay; Atlanta: Bye

TW: 5-0; CV: 4-1

Tampa Bay 23, Tennessee 27: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers

The game should've been a more wider margin as the Titans caused four Buccaneer turnovers. Jameis Winston threw the ball for 301 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Winston was the leading rusher for Tampa with 53 yards. Ryan Tannehill for the Titans threw the ball for 193 yards with three touchdowns. Derrick Henry got a solid day with his 75 yards rushing. 

All-time series: Titans lead series 10-2

Next week: Tampa Bay: @ Seattle; Tennessee: @ Carolina

TW: 5-1; 4-2

LA Chargers 17, Chicago 16: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

New year, same old shit for Bears kickers. Phillip Rivers threw the ball for 201 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Melvin Gordon would get 31 yards with a touchdown. Mitchell Trubisky threw the ball for 253 yards with an interception. David Montgomery ran the ball over the Chargers defense, getting 135 yards rushing with a touchdown. Eddy Pineiro of the Bears had a chance to give Chicago the win with a 41-yard field goal but failed. At some point, you have to not blame the kicker and blame the offense to put up enough points so that you don't have to call on your own kicker to save your ass. Just saying. 

All-time series: Bears lead series 7-6

Next week: LA Chargers: vs Green Bay; Chicago: @ Philadelphia

TW: 6-1; CV: 5-2

Denver 13, Indianapolis 15: TW: Colts; CV: Colts

It wasn't a pretty game and Adam Vinatieri had missed a few kicks in the game, but the Colts came with a win. Joe Flacco started for the Broncos, throwing for 174 yards with zero touchdowns. Royce Freeman ran the ball for 40 yards with a touchdown but his teammate Philip Lindsay would get leading rusher honors with 59 yards. Jacoby Brissett would throw the ball for 202 yards with zero touchdowns and a fumble. Marlon Mack had a great day on the ground with 76 yards rushing with a touchdown, the only Colts touchdown of the game. Adam Vinatieri would redeem himself from his misses, hitting a 51-yard field goal. 

All-time series: Series tied at 14-14

Next week: Denver: vs Cleveland; Indianapolis: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 7-1; CV: 6-2

Cincinnati 10, LA Rams 24: TW: Rams; CV: Rams

For the 10th time in franchise history, the Cincinnati Bengals start 0-8. Andy Dalton threw for 329 yards with a touchdown while getting sacked five times. Joe Mixon had a better game than most with 66 yards rushing but zero touchdowns. Jared Goff threw for 372 yards with two touchdowns, Cooper Kupp had 220 of those yards. Darrell Henderson ran the ball for 49 yards with 11 carries but Todd Gurley ran the ball for 44 yards and a touchdown. Fortunately for the Bengals, they have a bye week next week. 

All-time series: Bengals lead series 8-6

Next week: Cincinnati: Bye; LA Rams: Bye

TW: 8-1; CV: 7-2

Arizona 9, New Orleans 31: TW: Saints; CV: Saints

Wasn't expecting Drew Brees to return after getting injured six weeks ago. Kyler Murray would throw the ball for 220 yards with zero touchdowns. The Cardinals leading rusher was Christian Kirk who got 19 yards on 1 carry. Drew Brees returned to form with his 373 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception. Latavius Murray continues his stellar play with 102 yards from the ground and a touchdown. 

All-time series: Saints lead series 16-15

Next week: Arizona: vs San Francisco; New Orleans: Bye

TW: 9-1; CV: 8-2

Carolina 13, San Francisco 51: TW: 49ers; CV: Panthers

Kyle Allen fell down to earth while the 49ers improve to 7-0 with a win. Kyle Allen threw the ball for 158 yards with three interceptions. Christian McCaffrey carried the load with his 117 yards rushing with a touchdown, while compiling 38 receiving yards. Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball for 175 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. It would be the 49ers running game that would dominate the game as Tevin Coleman scored three touchdown while Raheem Mostert and Deebo Samuel ran it in for a touchdown each. Just sheer domination. 

All-time series: Panthers lead series 13-9

Next week: Carolina: vs Tennessee; San Francisco: @ Arizona

TW: 10-1; CV: 8-3

Cleveland 13, New England 27: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

In 1991, Browns head coach Bill Belichek got his first win as head coach against... the New England Patriots. On Sunday he got his 300th win as Patriots head coach against... the Browns. Mind blown right? Baker Mayfield threw the ball for 194 yards with a touchdown and an interception while getting 18 yards on the ground. Nick Chubb did the ground work with 131 yards rushing with zero touchdowns. Tom Brady had a good game with his 259 yards passing with two touchdowns. Sony Michel was the leading rusher for the Pats with 74 from the ground. Poor Cleveland.

All-time series: Browns lead series 13-12

Next week: Cleveland: @ Denver; New England: @ Baltimore

TW: 11-1; CV: 9-3

Oakland 24, Houston 27: TW: Texans; CV: Texans

Houston finally got a win when I picked them! Derek Carr had a good game in this one with 285 yards passing with three touchdowns. Josh Jacobs had a fine day on the ground with 66 yards rushing. DeShaun Watson had a good day on the field with his 279 yards for three touchdowns, one was on a play where a cleat hit his left eye and threw it somewhat blindly into the endzone for a score. Carlos Hyde kept the running game honest with his 83 yards rushing. The win however proved costly as JJ Watt was injured, later on it became a season-ending injury. 

All-time series: Texans lead series 8-4

Next week: Oakland: vs Detroit; Houston: @ Jacksonville (London)

TW: 12-1; CV: 10-3

Green Bay 31, Kansas City 24: TW: Packers; CV: Chiefs

The Chiefs did well with Matt Moore but couldn't stop the Aaron Jones train. Aaron Rodgers threw the ball for 305 yards with three touchdowns, 159 of those yards were to Aaron Jones who ran it in for two scores. Aaron Jones did well enough to get 67 yards rushing. Jamaal Williams got a rushing touchdown on a 1-yard play. Matt Moore threw the ball fine for the Chiefs with 267 yards and two touchdowns. LeSean McCoy was the leading rusher for KC with 40 yards but Damien Williams got 30 yards with a touchdown. Overall nice game without Mahomes even though they lost. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead series 7-5-1

Next week: Green Bay: @ LA Chargers; Kansas City: vs Minnesota

TW: 13-1; CV: 10-4

Miami 14, Pittsburgh 27: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

The game was a story of two parts: the 14 unanswered points by Miami, and the 27 unanswered points by Pittsburgh. Ryan Fitzpatrick started off good but finished well not so good. He threw the ball for 190 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Mark Walton had 11 carries for 35 yards rushing in the game. Mason Rudolph started for Pittsburgh and finished with 251 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception. James Conner had quite a game with his 145 yards rushing with a touchdown. Yinzer Nation won't riot tonight, they can sleep well tonight. 

All-time series: Steelers lead 15-13

Next week: Miami: vs NY Jets; Pittsburgh: vs Indianapolis

TW: 14-1; CV: 11-4

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

Week 8: 11-4

Overall: 75-45-1

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

Week 8: 14-1

Overall: 76-44-1

See you guys on Wednesday for the Week 9 picks post! 

-Tom