NFL 2024 Super Bowl LIX Recap + Preaseason Picks/Awards Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is in the books. The game that was the Super Bowl was not quite the competitive game that we would expect from the biggest game in North American sports. The NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles demolished the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. In this post I will break down the game itself as well as the commercials I liked, the halftime show and a recap of my preseason and awards picks I made prior to Week 1. A lot to get into so let's get to work!

Super Bowl LIX Recap

Kansas City 22, Philadelphia 40
Pick: Chiefs
Anything that could go wrong for the Chiefs, went wrong for the Chiefs. The Super Bowl began with the Chiefs winning the coin toss but deferring to the Eagles. It would at first pay off as the Eagles would punt on their first drive. The Chiefs would start off running as they would hit a pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster for their only 1st down in the 1st half. The Chiefs would only get one yard the rest of the drive as they were forced to punt. Jalen Hurts would hit passes of 20 and 27 yards. The 27 yard pass went to Jahan Dotson that would guide the Eagles to the 1-yard line. The first score of the game was a Tush Push touchdown for Hurts for a 1-yard touchdown. The next Chiefs possession would be another punt as they went seven yards on a drive. The last Eagles drive of the 1st quarter was a long march that would eat up 5:21 of possession time. The result of the drive was an intercepted pass by Bryan Cook. The Eagles would have the lead 7-0.

The 2nd quarter would play out much like the 1st quarter. They would get seven yards again but the big thing was a dropped pass to Travis Kelce that would be one of the reasons why the Chiefs would lose this game. The Chiefs punted to the Eagles again. Philadelphia would start on their own 43-yard line. A big play in the game was a Hurts pass to AJ Brown for a 22-yard gain to the Chiefs 32. The Eagles wouldn't gain a whole lot after that as three runs would only yield seven yards to a 4th down. Jake Elliott hit the field goal to a 10-0 Eagle lead. The next Chiefs drive would be a disaster and a half. Back-to-back sacks on Mahomes that would drive the Chiefs back six yards. The game would break wide open as a bull-rush by Josh Sweat would force Patrick Mahomes to throw a pass that was intercepted by Cooper DeJean for a 38-yard pick-six. A huge momentum shift as a turnover turned into points as the Eagles were up 17-0. The Chiefs would go minus six yards on the next possession but wouldn't turn the ball over again. Philadelphia would go 3:00 of possession time on eight plays for 17 yards but would punt back to the Chiefs. Deep in their own territory, the Chiefs would turn the ball over again on a Patrick Mahomes pass turned to interception this time to Zach Baun. Baun was a free agent signing that would prove to be useful. On the Eagles 2nd play of the drive, Jalen Hurts found AJ Brown open for a 12-yard score. The Eagles lead went up to 24-0 at halftime. 

The 24-0 halftime deficit was the largest that Patrick Mahomes had in his career. It was also the largest deficit since Super Bowl XXIV. Kansas City's first drive in the 2nd half would show progress. The Chiefs would go farther than they had ever in the game so far on a five play, 15 yard drive. It would lead to their first down since the 1st drive on a Patrick Mahomes pass to Xavier Worthy for a 8-yard gain. Pass protection would break down a lot as Mahomes was sacked again on back-to-back plays for a collective 7-yard loss. The Chiefs would punt again. With the lead in hand, the Eagles would utilize the talents of Saquon Barkley. Barkley, a free agent from the Giants, wouldn't have a spectacular game but he made it count with catches and carries. The running back had 37 total yards on the drive. Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones would get injured during the Philly drive. The Eagles would get to the Chiefs 6-yard line but wouldn't go further. If there was something wrong that the Eagles did was pre-snap penalties on field goal attempts. A false start would send the Eagles back to the 11. Jake Elliott hit another field goal that would drive the Eagles lead to 27-0 with 5:22 left in the 3rd quarter. The Chiefs would go a bit further on their next possession with a five-play, 17 yard drive that would get another first down on a Patrick Mahomes pass to DeAndre Hopkins for a 11-yard gain. The Chiefs offense would falter yet again as a Kareem Hunt fumble that was recovered by Patrick Mahomes and an offensive holding call. The Chiefs would drive to get back to another 1st down. They would falter as on a 4th down and 4 play, Patrick Mahomes went right and tried for DeAndre Hopkins again but the wide out would drop it. The Eagles would get the ball as a result of another Chiefs miscue and turnover on downs. The Eagles first play of the game would cause it to be a nail in the coffin as Jalen Hurts hit Devonta Smith for a 46-yard score that was the biggest play of the game on offense for Philadelphia. The Eagles lead went up to a 34-0 score. The Chiefs would be playing against themselves, the Eagles and the clock. The Chiefs would go the distance as they reached past the 50-yard line and into Eagle territory. The play that would give the Chiefs that opportunity was a Mahomes pass that would see the best pass protection all day as he hit Xavier Worthy for a 50-yard play that would be the longest play for the Chiefs. Four plays later, on a 1st down and 10 play, Patrick Mahomes would once again hit Xavier Worthy in the endzone for a 24-yard score. The Chiefs were finally on the board but would miss on a 2-point conversion as Travis Kelce catch went incomplete. The Chiefs still had to contend with a 34-6 deficit as the 3rd quarter time dwindled. 

The Eagles next drive saw the end of the 3rd quarter and into the 4th quarter. Jalen Hurts would be used a lot as he saw Saquon Barkley for a 11-yard gain, AJ Brown on two plays later for a 9-yard gain. Then on a 2nd and 11 play, Hurts ran for a 17-yard gain to get the Eagles to the Chiefs 27-yard line. In a rare occasion in the game, Jalen Hurts was sacked for a five yard loss. The Chiefs defense would hold the line to the Chiefs 30-yard line and forced the Eagles to try for three again. Jake Elliott would hit yet again to get to a 37-6 lead. The next Chiefs drive ended in disaster again as Patrick Mahomes was stripped from the ball that was recovered by Milton Williams. The Chiefs defense would hold the Eagles yet again for another Jake Elliott field goal that would increase the lead to 40-6. The Eagles wouldn't score again in the game but by that time the damage had already been dealt. Racing against the clock, the Chiefs would drive the field again for a 12-play, 75-yard march that would get the Chiefs to another touchdown. The score went to DeAndre Hopkins on a pass from Mahomes to Hopkins on an out route pattern. Hopkins feet awareness would do the rest. The 2-point conversion was successful as Justin Watson caught the pass from Mahomes. The deficit was down to a 40-14 margin. With the lead in hand, the Eagles would turn to former Steeler Kenny Pickett. The quarterback wouldn't do a whole lot as the Eagles stalled out on their own 50-yard line. A turnover on downs and the next Chiefs possession would yield maximum results as Patrick Mahomes hit Xavier Worthy for a touchdown from 50-yards. A pass to DeAndre Hopkins on a 2-point conversion would get the Chiefs to a 40-22 deficit. It would be their last play and drive of their season and the game. On an onside kick, Harrison Butker would try to get the Chiefs the ball with 1:48 left. The attempt would fail as Grant Calcaterra would recover it. The Chiefs attempt of a comeback would fail. There would be no threepeat. The thrill of victory was felt on one sideline and the agony of defeat would be felt on the other as Kenny Pickett kneeled three times to kill the clock. The Eagles would get their revenge on Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in a total and utter domination by a final score of 40 to 22. The quarterback that was said to be too small to be an NFL quarterback would win the game's MVP, Jalen Hurts. 

Stats in this game would be rough as Patrick Mahomes hit 21 of 32 passes for 257 yards with three touchdown passes and two interceptions. The Chiefs run game would have pitiful numbers as Patrick Mahomes ran for his life with four carries for 25 yards. Kareem Hunt had three carries for nine yards. Xavier Worthy was the leading receiver for the Chiefs with eight catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns and had a catch of 50 yards to be the longest pass play for the Chiefs. Line play would be a factor in this game and the Chiefs would fail in every regard as they couldn't control the line of scrimmage and pass protection broke down. Dropped passes would also be a factor as well as not getting the run game going. Murphy's law applied best for the Chiefs as everything went wrong for them. Kansas City had 275 total yards in the game.

Jalen Hurts hit 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The two touchdowns went to Devonta Smtih and AJ Brown. Jalen Hurts was the leading rusher with 11 carries for 72 yards with a rushing touchdown. He had a run of 17 yards that was the longest run int he game for Philadelphia. Devonta Smith had four catches for 69 yards and had a catch that went for a 46-yard gain for the touchdown. Philadelphia would dominate on the defensive front. They wouldn't blitz a lot as most of the pressure would come on 4-man pressures. When you have that much while the rest of the defense can play pass defense, you can have success. With the defense figured out, the offense would grind out the Chiefs defense and cause them to be on the field for a long time. The Eagles would get 345 total yards in the game. 

In my closing thoughts, I think it serves as a reminder that the Chiefs success this season shouldn't be a failure. Yes, they didn't get the threepeat but it proves once again that it is difficult to even get to a Super Bowl, let alone win one, let alone get to another Super Bowl and to even get another Super Bowl win to defend your championship. The Eagles played a better game on Sunday and they had no pressure on them. They dominated the trenches, got takeaways and scored points like a pinball machine. The Philadelphia Eagles got their 2nd Super Bowl championship and their 5th overall championship in franchise history. 

Commercials

The commercials this year weren't too shabby. It certainly made the game a bit easier to digest as the Chiefs were getting stomped on. In most years, the commercials aren't good as they are mostly off the top and you have to get the humor of it. Here's some of the commercials that I liked. 

Mountain Dew:

Nike:

Hellman's:

UberEats:

The Mountain Dew one was kind of funny as you have the artist Seal as a seal singing a parody of his song "Kiss From A Rose." If only there was a biopic of Mike Ditka that Matthew McConaughey would star in. I think he has a case for Football being more like Foodball. 

Halftime Show

Kendrick Lamar did the halftime show this year. For the most part, I didn't really understand it. I thought the show design was kind of neat and the choreography was kind of cool. The real winner was Samuel L. Jackson playing as Uncle Sam. Prince's performance in Super Bowl XLI was still top notch for me. 

Preseason Predictions + Awards Recap

Prior to the Week 1 Picks post last September, I made a preseason predictions post where I picked where the 32 teams will finish in the standings, the playoffs, the Super Bowl matchup and winner as well as the Awards winners as well as my bold predictions. It's a fun way to look back on where I was right and where I was wrong. This will be painful. Let's take a look:

Regular season predictions

NFC:

East

Philadelphia Eagles (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Dallas Cowboys (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 3rd place): Incorrect

Washington Commanders (picked to finish 3rd; final result 2nd place): Incorrect

New York Giants (picked to finish 4th; final result: 4th place): Correct

North

Detroit Lions (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place: Correct

Green Bay Packers (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 3rd place): Incorrect

Chicago Bears (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 4th place): Incorrect

Minnesota Vikings (picked to finish 4th; final result: 2nd place): Incorrect

South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Atlanta Falcons (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 2nd place): Correct

New Orleans Saints (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 4th place): Incorrect

Carolina Panthers (picked to finish 4th; final result: 3rd place): Incorrect

West

Los Angeles Rams (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

San Francisco 49ers (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 4th place): Incorrect

Seattle Seahawks (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 2nd place): Incorrect

Arizona Cardinals (picked to finish 4th; final result: 3rd place): Incorrect

AFC:

East

Buffalo Bills (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Miami Dolphins (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 2nd place): Correct

New York Jets (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 3rd place): Correct

New England Patriots (picked to finish 4th; final result: 4th place): Correct

North

Baltimore Ravens (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Cincinnati Bengals (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 3rd place): Incorrect

Pittsburgh Steelers (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 2nd place): Incorrect

Cleveland Browns: picked to finish 4th; final result: 4th place): Correct

South

Houston Texans (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Indianapolis Colts (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 2nd place): Correct

Jacksonville Jaguars (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 3rd place): Correct

Tennessee Titans (picked to finish 4th; final result: 4th place): Correct

West

Kansas City Chiefs (picked to finish 1st; final result: 1st place): Correct

Los Angeles Chargers (picked to finish 2nd; final result: 2nd place): Correct

Denver Broncos (picked to finish 3rd; final result: 3rd place): Correct

Las Vegas Raiders (picked to finish 4th; final result: 4th place): Correct

The final tally of the teams I had correct was 20 out of 32 correct placing. In terms of percentages it is 62% correct. For perspective, I had 15 out of 32 correct last year and then 19 of 32 correct the year before. I would say it is a successful picks placing. 

Playoff Predictions

AFC

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (correct; Chiefs #1 seed)
2nd seed: Baltimore Ravens (incorrect; Ravens #3rd seed)
3rd seed: Buffalo Bills (incorrect; Bills #2nd seed)
4th seed: Houston Texans (correct; Texans #4 seed)
5th seed: Cincinnati Bengals (incorrect; Chargers #5 seed)
6th seed: Miami Dolphins (incorrect; Steelers #6 seed)
7th seed: New York Jets (incorrect; Broncos #7 seed)

Wild Card: 

Ravens over Jets (ravens did win their wild card matchup)

Bills over Dolphins (incorrect)

Bengals over Texans (incorrect)

Divisional

Chiefs over Bengals

Ravens over Bills (almost happened)

Conference Championship

Ravens over Chiefs (incorrect)

NFC

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles (incorrect; Eagles #2 seed)
2nd seed: Los Angeles Rams (incorrect; Rams #4 seed)
3rd seed: Detroit Lions (incorrect; Lions #1 seed)
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (incorrect; Buccaneers #3 seed)
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys (incorrect; Cowboys didn't make playoffs)
6th seed: San Francisco 49ers (incorrect; 49ers didn't make playoffs)
7th seed: Green Bay Packers (correct; Packers #7 seed)

Wild Card:

Rams over Packers (kind of correct; Rams did win their Wild Card game)

Lions over 49ers (incorrect)

Buccaneers over Cowboys (incorrect)

Divisional:

Eagles over Buccaneers (Eagles did win their divisional game)

Lions over Rams (incorrect but Rams did lose their Divisional game)

Conference Championship:

Eagles over Lions (kind of correct; Eagles did represent the NFC in Super Bowl)

Super Bowl 59:

Ravens over Eagles (incorrect for the AFC winner and Super Bowl winner; correct for NFC winner).

Award Predictions:

MVP: Josh Allen (correct; you're welcome Josh!)

Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Jefferson (incorrect; Saquon Barkley won)

Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt (incorrect; Patrick Surtain II won)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Marvin Harrison Jr. (incorrect; Jayden Daniels won)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Dallas Turner (incorrect, Jared Verse won)

Comeback Player of the Year: Aaron Rodgers (incorrect, Joe Burrow won)

Coach of the Year: Dan Campbell (incorrect, Kevin O'Connell won)

Bold Predictions

Mike McCarthy will be let go as Cowboys head coach prior to the Super Bowl - Correct, he was let go prior to the Divisional playoff. 
Tyreek Hill will achieve 2,000 receiving yards - Incorrect, He had 959 receiving yards. 
No team(s) will have 14 or more wins - Incorrect, four teams had 14 or more wins (Lions, Vikings, Chiefs and Eagles)
We will have four quarterbacks throw for more than 4,000 yards - Incorrect, six quarterbacks had more than 4,000 passing yards: Joe Burrow, Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, Sam Darnold and Lamar Jackson. 

Farewell to 2024

Well another season ends in the books and hopefully you all enjoyed me reading all the goings on in the NFL season. I would like to announce that my days on Blogger are going to come to an end. Blogger has been somewhat of a useful tool for me to blog with but the years from 2017 to 2024 have been enjoyable. I am planning on going back to my roots and write on WordPress again. I had written on WordPress from 2012 to 2014. I just find it to be a bit more useful for writing blogs than Blogger. It doesn't mean that I won't stop writing for the National Football League. I plan on writing more on there about season recap, free agency, the draft, random blogs, etc. Until then, I hope you enjoy reading these blogs as much as I enjoy writing them. Farewell! :-)

-Tom

NFL 2024 Divisional Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The divisional round is over and the eight teams that came into it prior to the weekend has now come down to four. The four teams moving onto the next round is the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills. This recap post will document how these teams got there and the teams that lost to these teams. Let's get to work!

NFL Divisional Freaky Stat

The Houston Texans become the first team to put up 100+ yards than their opposition without giving the ball away and lose a game. Teams prior to that were 49-0. 

NFL Divisional Recap

Houston 14, Kansas City 23

Pick: Chiefs

The Texans left out in the cold in Arrowhead. CJ Stroud hit 19 of 28 passes for 245 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. The lone touchdown on offense was a Joe Mixon run of 13 yards. Houston would miss the extra point attempt. Mixon would get 18 carries for 88 yards in the game. CJ Stroud had a run of 28 yards that was the longest run in the game for them. He did have six carries for 42 yards in the game. Nico Collins had five catches for 81 yards in the game to be the leading receiver for the Texans. Houston at one point outgained the Chiefs in yards but in the most important statistic which is points. They lacked a bit of flare and daring in the game and did the right thing in keeping Patrick Mahomes on the sideline for 33:33 of gametime. Once again, points escaped them. The defense would get two points on a safety as Matt Araiza would run it back 18 yards into the Chiefs own endzone for a safety. The game kind of was a doomed from the start sort of deal as cornerback Kris Boyd was flagged 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct by throwing his helmet on the field. He would even push his Special Teams Coordinator Frank Ross. The play was on the opening kickoff where Boyd would force a fumble on Samaje Perine that was unfortunately recovered by the Chiefs. The helmet throwing and shoving was probably reaction on the fumble and he probably thought that the Texans recovered it. Still, keep your emotions in check. Outside of that, the Texans really couldn't generate enough offense and get points when they needed it most. So for the Texans, their season ends yet again in the Divisional round but put up 336 total yards. 

Patrick Mahomes hit 16 of 25 passes for 177 yards with a touchdown pass. The touchdown pass went to Travis Kelce, of course. Kareem Hunt had eight carries for 44 yards with a touchdown run that went to the right for a 1-yard score. Patrick Mahomes had the longest run in the game for the Chiefs with a 15-yard run. Travis Kelce had seven catches for 117 yards receiving in the game to be the leading receiver. He would also have the longest pass play for Chiefs on a catch that went for a 49-yard gain. Note that it wasn't the touchdown catch but the catch that he caught went for a 11-yard gain. Kansas City's offense looked rusty but they did get the points when it mattered most whether it is a field goal or a touchdown. They wouldn't put up a lot of yards in this game. The game came down to a few weird calls, especially the roughing the passer call that almost looked like helmet-to-helmet but hard to say for sure. There was another roughing the passer call where Mahomes was barely touched but two Texans defenders hit each other in the helmet. Mahomes appeared to slide on the play. It was enough for Troy Aikman to question the call. It certainly added to the conspiracy that the refs are in favor of the Chiefs. It seems wild that the Chiefs last playoff loss that wasn't the Super Bowl or the AFC Championship game was the Wild Card game against the Titans in 2017. That season was Patrick Mahomes's rookie season and wouldn't become the starter until the following season in 2018. Since then, Mahomes has taken the Chiefs to the AFC Championship every year since 2018. His team still has a shot to become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls. For the Chiefs, they move onto the next round with 212 total yards in the game. 

Next week:

Houston: eat BBQ or something.
Kansas City: Conference Championship vs Buffalo

TW: 1-0

Washington 45, Detroit 31

Pick: Lions

Washington shocks the world in the Motor City. Jayden Daniels hit 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards with two touchdowns. The two touchdowns went to Terry McLaurin and Zach Ertz. Brian Robinson Jr. had 15 carries for 77 yards with two touchdown runs. Daniels had 16 carries for 51 yards in the game. Austin Ekeler had six carries for 47 yards in the game and had a run of 35 yards that was the longest run in the game. Dyami Brown had six catches for 98 yards that was the leading receiver for the Commanders. Terry McLaurin's touchdown was the longest play for a pass with the 58-yard gain score. Washington's defense got in with the scoring as well as they had a pick-six on a Jared Goff pass that was returned by Jartavius Martin for a 40 yard score. The Commanders would go toe-for-toe with the Lions in the game. They would match their drives with touchdowns and would play gritty. Turnovers by the Lions would give the Commanders their means to the win. Credit to the Commanders defense for really putting the hurt on the Lions. Same for the offense as they really took it to a Lions defense that was somewhat getting better. They took a Vikings team to task and limited their team to just nine points in Week 18. I guess the homefield advantage did affect the Lions in this game. For the Commanders they had 481 total yards in the game and move onto the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season where they won Super Bowl XXVI. 

Jared Goff hit 23 of 40 passes for 313 yards with a touchdown pass and tossed three interceptions. The touchdown pass went to Sam LaPorta on a 2-yard short pass. David Montgomery played quarterback and tossed a pass for a 20-yard gain. Jared Goff was injured in the pick-six play and would have to sit for a time. Teddy Bridgewater would play and toss a pass for a 3-yard gain. He would help orchestrate a scoring drive that would yield a Jameson Williams run of 61 yards that resulted in a touchdown which was the longest run in the game for the Lions. Teddy Bridgewater had coached a high school team to a state title a few months ago. Jahmyr Gibbs had 14 carries for 105 yards with two touchdowns. Amon Ra St. Brown had eight catches for 137 yards in the game and had a catch that went for a 34-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Lions. What can be said about this game? The Lions would turn the ball over too much, they likely underestimated how good the Commanders offense was. The three Goff interceptions included an interception thrown by Jameson Williams and there was also a fumble on Jared Goff where he was strip sacked. Ball control which had been their forte for most of the season fell apart this time around. Anything that could go wrong went wrong for them. Despite that, the two teams did put on a good show with offense. They had 76 combined points while getting 1,002 yards of offense combined. The Lions just got outclassed and outfought by a team which hadn't won a playoff game prior to last week in 20 years. For the Lions, their magical season ends on a whimper as they have to lick their wounds and prepare for next season while compiling 521 total yards. 

Next week:

Washington: Conference Championship @ Philadelphia
Detroit: eat some Little Caesar's or something

TW: 1-1

LA Rams 22, Philadelphia 28

Pick: Eagles

The Eagles survive one last Rams drive. Matthew Stafford hit 26 of 44 passes for 324 yards with two touchdowns. The touchdowns went to Tyler Higbee and Colby Parkinson. The Higbee touchdown came on a 4-yard play to the left. The Parkinson touchdown came on a 4-yard touchdown down the middle of the field. That last touchdown went on the 2nd to last Rams drive. Kyren Williams had 19 carries for 106 yards in the game and had a run of 30 yards that was the longest run play for the Rams. Puka Nacua was the leading receiver for the Rams with six catches for 97 yards. The longest pass play was a catch by Demarcus Robinson that went for a 48-yard gain. The Eagles and the elements would be the adversaries for the Rams and they took it to the Eagles. In the end of things, they couldn't stop or slow down Saquon Barkley. The last Rams drive started on their 18-yard line a few short passes guided them to the 31. On a 3rd down and 10, Stafford hit Nacua for a 11-yard pass. The big play was a Nacua catch on the next play for a 37-yard gain. The killer of the drive was a false start penalty and a sack for a loss of nine yards. The sack happened on a 3rd down. On the last play of the Rams season, Matthew Stafford attempted to throw a pass to Nacua for the dagger but it was defensed by Jalen Carter. A Jalen Hurts kneel and the season was over. Despite going 0-2 on the season and then 1-3 and make it here is nothing short of a miracle. For the Rams, their season ends in snowy Philly with 402 total yards. 

Jalen Hurts hit 15 of 20 passes for 128 yards and had a touchdown run while carrying the ball seven times for 70 yards. The big story for this game was Saquon Barkley who had 26 carries for 205 yards for two touchdowns. The two touchdown runs came on 62 and 78 yard plays. The latter being the longest run in the game for the Eagles. Barkley's performance was the 10th best performance by a running back in postseason play. Dallas Goedert had four catches for 56 yards in the game. The longest pass play was a catch by Goedert for a 31-yard gain. The weather for the game was partially alright but then as the temperature came to 33 degrees Fahrenheit the wet snow came. And then the wet snow turned the field into a winter wonderland. The Eagles would wind up going with a run game for most of the game as they only did 20 pass attempts and 34 rush attempts. The running game would answer the call and made use of it as much as possible. Another unit that would answer the call would be the Eagles defense as they forced and recovered two fumbles and sacked Stafford five times. They would bend but not break for most of the game. Jalen Carter would come into the clutch and defensed the last Rams play in the game. The Eagle season continues and will host the NFC Championship game for the 2nd time in three years. They will play host to a familiar foe in the Washington Commanders. For the Eagles they gained 350 yards of offense in the game. 

Next week:

LA Rams: help the people recovering from the LA wildfires or something
Philadelphia: Conference Championship vs Washington

TW: 2-1

Baltimore 25, Buffalo 27

Pick: Ravens

The Bills outlast the Ravens in Western New York. Lamar Jackson hit 18 of 25 passes for 254 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The two touchdowns went to Isiah Likely and Rashod Bateman. The Likely touchdown was the score that cut the lead down to a two-point game. The interception was taken by Taylor Rapp of the Bills. Derrick Henry had 16 carries for 84 yards with a touchdown run on a 5-yard run. The longest run was a 22-yard run by Justice Hill. Rashod Bateman had a catch that went for a 42-yard gain to be the longest pass play for the Ravens. The interception, the fumbles and the drops were the things that cost the Ravens in this one. Mark Andrews will sadly have nightmares from this game as he was the reason why the game remained a two-point advantage for Buffalo. His fumble on a catch he made was one of the biggest turning points in the game. Baltimore was having the momentum going for them and to do that hurt them. So my Super Bowl pick to represent the AFC and my Super Bowl winner pick is scrapped. Thanks Baltimore. Anyway, another postseason exit for the Ravens. Sadly it shouldn't be reflective of the regular season they had but football is a vicious game. For the Ravens, they had 416 total yards. 

Josh Allen hit 16 of 22 passes for 127 yards and rushed 10 times for 20 yards and two touchdowns. The two touchdowns were from 4 and 1 yard plays. Ray Davis had 4 carries for 29 yards with a touchdown run as well. The leading rusher was James Cook who had 17 carries for 67 yards. The longest run in the game was a Ty Johnson run that went for 17 yards. The leading receiver for the Bills was Khalil Shakir with six catches for 67 yards. He had a catch that went for a 34-yard gain to be the longest pass play for the Bills. Weather was chilly in Buffalo with a chilly 22 degrees Fahrenheit with some snow. At least enough for the field to have a little bit of white to it. It was also Lamar Jackson's coldest game in his career. It had some advantage for the Bills but they nearly blew it. Had it not been for Mark Andrews dropping the two-point conversion, it might've been a different story. The game really was more of a Ravens losing it than the Bills winning it. Buffalo will now go back to Kansas City, their own personal house of horrors in the playoffs, for the right to go to the Super Bowl next week for the AFC Championship Game. Next week will be a war in Arrowhead. For the Bills, they move onto the next round and had 273 total yards in the game. 

Next week:

Baltimore: hang out in the Baltimore Warehouse thing next to Camden Yards or something.
Buffalo: Conference Championship @ Kansas City

TW: 2-2

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11
Week 6: 13-1
Week 7: 13-2
Week 8: 9-7
Week 9: 12-3
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 11-3
Week 12: 7-6
Week 13: 14-2
Week 14: 11-3
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 12-4

Week 18: 9-7
Total: 193-80

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Divisional: 2-2

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
2023: 161-111

See you all on Thursday/Friday for the Conference Championship Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Week 18 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The regular season brought some interesting storylines. Such storylines like an upset in Pittsburgh, a possible final game in East Rutherford, a last second victory in Dallas, an upset in New England and a season finale to behold in Detroit. The final week might mark the final time players wear cleats and pads, while others will continue their careers into the next season. Of the 32 teams that began the season at 0-0, 14 of them will move onto the playoffs while 18 of them will spend the long months assessing their team and prepare for the following season. In this post, I will do a recap of the games. Let's get to work!

NFL Week 18 Freaky Stat
Bailey Zappe will be the 40th starting quarterback for the Browns since returning to the NFL in 1999. The Green Bay Packers had just eight different starting quarterbacks in that time.

NFL Week 18 Recap

Cleveland 10, Baltimore 35
Pick: Ravens
The Ravens win and lock up the AFC North. Bailey Zappe hit 16 of 31 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions. One of the interceptions being a pick-six. Zappe, who had played in New England last season, made his season debut in this game. He would see the bench as Dorian Thompson-Robinson made some play time and hit 2 of 3 passes for 13 yards. Donta Foreman had 10 carries for 27 yards in the game. Jacob Kibodi had the longest run in the game of 17 yards while adding five carries and 24 rushing yards in the game. Jerry Jeudy had six catches for 63 yards in the game and had a catch that went for a 30-yard gain in the game. Jordan Akins had the touchdown pass from Zappe. It would be the only offensive score in the game. Cleveland never really had an opportunity to get a lead but they kept it close in the 2nd half to the point where it was a 14-3 lead at halftime. By the time the game ended it would be a 21-7 run for the Ravens. For the Browns, they finish their crummy season with a 3-14 record with 230 yards of offense.

Lamar Jackson hit 16 of 32 passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns and had nine carries for 63 yards. Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews were the Ravens that caught the passes from Jackson for touchdowns. Derrick Henry would do Derrick Henry things as he had 20 carries for 138 yards for two touchdowns. He would have a carry of 43 yards that was the longest run play for the Ravens. Rashod Bateman was the leading receiver with five catches for 76 yards in the game. Mark Andrews would have a catch that went for a 30-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Ravens. The offense would shine in this game but the defense would get things started as Nate Wiggins, a rookie out of Clemson, intercepted a Zappe pass for a touchdown that would get the Ravens their first touchdown. The game for Baltimore was pretty much to cause mayhem for the Browns and let Derrick Henry loose and they did just that. It was also Derrick Henry's birthday on Saturday. Michael Pierce, a 355-pound lineman, would intercept a pass as well but wouldn't go the distance. He probably could've if he wanted to. For the Ravens, they clinch the AFC North with a 12-5 record with 437 total yards.

Next week:

Cleveland: visit the Rock and Roll museum probably
Baltimore: vs Pittsburgh

TW: 1-0

Cincinnati 19, Pittsburgh 17
Pick: Steelers 

Cincinnati holds off the Steelers late. Joe Burrow hit 37 of 46 passes for 277 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Ja'Marr Chase was the Bengal that caught the pass from Burrow. Khalil Herbert carried 20 times for 69 yards. He would have a run of eight yards that was the longest run in the game. Ja'Marr Chase was the leading receiver with 10 catches for 96 yards with a catch that went for a 19-yard gain. That was the longest pass play for the Bengals in the game. The Bengals would jump out and score 16 points into the 4th quarter. They had a 19-7 lead. The defense would actually do better against Pittsburgh than I had thought. With the win, they did their part to get a win but they will need help from the Chiefs and Jets to get in. For the Bengals, they improve to 9-8 on the season with 314 total yards.

Russell Wilson had 17 of 31 passes for 148 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown pass went to Pat Friermuth in the game. Najee Harris had 12 carries for 36 yards with a touchdown run. Russell Wilson would run the longest play in the game on a 12-yard run. Pat Friermuth had eight catches for 85 yards to be the leading receiver for the Steelers. The Steelers had a lackluster effort on offense in an opportunity where they could've done something to build momentum into next week as they have won a playoff berth. With a 10-3 record at Week 14 and now a 10-7 record it feels like the Steelers might be a one and done team. For the Steelers, they drop to 10-7 with 193 total yards.

Next week:
Cincinnati: go and enjoy their lives or something. What is there to do in Cincinnati?
Pittsburgh: @ Baltimore

TW: 1-1

Buffalo 16, New England 23
Pick: Bills
The Bills give the Pats the win. Josh Allen would start in the game but would play in one play to keep up his consecutive game streak. Mitchell Trubisky would play most of the game with 15 of 21 passes for 101 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown pass went to Ray Davis. Mike White would play some as he hit 3 of 11 passes for 28 yards. Ray Davis would be the leading rusher with 15 carries for 64 yards in the game. He had the longest run in the game with a 23-yard carry. James Cook had 10 carries for 28 yards with a rushing touchdown. Curtis Samuel was the leading receiver with seven catches for 52 yards. Keon Coleman had a catch that went for a 20-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Bills. Buffalo would play the game with some fire but they would mostly play with their food as they would let the Patriots win the game. The Bills would have a hand tied to their back so to speak. For the Bills, they finish the season with a 13-4 record with 259 yards of offense. 

Drake Maye would play a series in the game with one pass attempt for an incompletion. His day was over. Joe Milton III, a rookie out of Tennessee, would play the rest with 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte. Antonio Gibson had 12 carries for 41 yards in the game and had a run of 15-yards that was the longest run play for the Patriots. Joe Milton would score his first rushing touchdown in the game on his first drive of his career. He had 10 carries for 16 yards in the game. Kayshon Boutte would have seven catches for 117 yards. He breaks a streak of 15 games with no 100-yard receiving receiver for the Patriots. He also had a catch that went for a 48-yard gain that was a result of his touchdown. The game was impressive to see what Milton would do in an NFL game. It might give him some promotion as a backup to Drake Maye in the course of the following months. The win knocks them off the #1 draft pick spot but won't fall further than #4. For the Patriots, they finish the season with a 4-13 record with 309 total yards. 

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Denver
New England: watch Celtics game or eat clam chowder

TW: 1-2

Carolina 44, Atlanta 38 (F/OT)
Pick: Falcons
Miles Sanders overtime touchdown ends a thriller in Atlanta. Bryce Young hit 25 of 34 passes for 251 yards with three touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in the game. Miles Sanders had 17 carries for 66 yards with a touchdown that ended up being the overtime-winner. The longest run was a 26-yard gain by Raheem Blackshear. Jalen Coker played quarterback in the game with a pass that went for a 19-yard gain and caught seven passes for 62 yards. The longest pass play was a 33-yard gain that was caught by Miles Sanders. Carolina had some hope to build off of for the next season. Bryce Young would play his best game this season in this one as he accounted for five touchdowns. The win sends Falcons home. For the Panthers, they finish with a 5-12 record with 425 total yards. 

Michael Penix Jr. had 21 of 38 passes completed for 312 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Both touchdown passes went to Drake London. Bijan Robinson had 28 carries for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He had the longest run of the game with a 20-yard gain for a carry. Drake London had 10 catches for 187 yards in the game. He wouldn't have the longest pass play as RayRay McCloud had a catch that went for a 42-yard gain to be the longest pass play for the Falcons. A valiant effort for the Falcons but they wasted two great games by Bijan Robinson and Drake London and their defense wouldn't be able to stop the Bryce Young led Panthers. The loss ends slim hopes of getting into the playoffs. For the Falcons, they finish with an 8-9 record with 537 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Carolina: watch Duke basketball
Atlanta: eat Chick-Fil-A or something

TW: 1-3

Chicago 24, Green Bay 22
Pick: Packers
Chicago gets a rare win in Lambeau. Caleb Williams hit 21 of 29 passes for 148 yards with a touchdown pass. The touchdown went to DJ Moore. Keenan Allen would play quarterback for one play but it would get intercepted. Dandre Swift had 20 carries for 65 yards with a rushing touchdown. He had a run of 14 yards that was the longest run play for the Bears. DJ Moore had nine catches for 86 yards in the game. He caught a pass that went for a 32-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Bears. Chicago got a boost of offense on special teams as Josh Blackwell returned a punt and ran it back to the endzone for a 94-yard punt-six. Despite the season being a long one and tough to swallow, the win does break a losing streak dating back to October 13th where the Bears whooped the Jaguars 35-16. For the Bears, they finish with a 5-12 record with 224 total yards. 

Jordan Love hit 7 of 12 passes for 69 yards in the game. He would leave the game with a hand injury but was ruled able to go. Head coach Matt LaFleur would not let him play another snap in the game. Malik Willis had 10 of 13 passes completed for 136 yards. Emanuel Wilson had 14 carries for 73 yards in the game with a touchdown. Josh Jacobs had six carries for 44 yards in the game with a touchdown as well. He would see the bench after the 2nd quarter. The longest run play was a 23-yard run by Christopher Brooks who had eight carries for 59 yards. Malik Heath had three catches for 53 yards in the game with a catch that went for a 41-yard gain. That was the longest pass play for the Packers. A quiet game for the Packers who wouldn't move up or down in the seeding but will have to play for the 7th seed and head to Philadelphia next week. For the Packers, they finish the season with a 11-6 record with 367 yards of offense. 

Next week:
Chicago: stay at home, too cold outside
Green Bay: @ Philadelphia

TW: 1-4

Houston 23, Tennessee 14
Pick: Texans
Houston gets a win. CJ Stroud hit 6 of 6 passes for 50 yards with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins. Stroud wouldn't finish the game as he would get rest for the rest of the game. Davis Mills had 12 of 22 passes for 128 yards in the game. Dameon Pierce had 19 carries for 176 yards with a carry that went for a 92-yard gain. That was the longest run play for the Texans in the game and would result in a touchdown. Robert Woods had two catches that went for 39 yards to be the leading receiver for the Texans. He had a catch that went for a 24-yard gain to have the longest pass play for the Texans. Houston was having some slack of being the weaker of the division winners. They still do feel that way of being a one-and-done team but they do have some momentum going into next week. For the Texans, they finish with a 10-7 record with 374 total yards. 

Will Levis started for the Titans and hit 9 of 17 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown pass to Tay Martin. Mason Rudolph had 7 of 9 passes for 70 yards in the game. Tony Pollard had 22 carries for 62 yards in the game. He had a run of 11 yards that was the longest run in the game for the Titans. Calvin Ridley had three catches for 76 yards in the game to be the Titans leading receiver. Tay Martin had a catch that went for a 49-yard gain that was part of the touchdown play for the Titans. Tennessee donned the Oilers uniforms for this one to rub it in to the Texans. Houston would answer accordingly. Despite the loss, the Titans gained the #1 pick in this spring's draft. For the Titans, they drop to 3-14 on the season with 314 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Houston: vs LA Chargers
Tennessee: watch a Grand Ole Opry show

TW: 2-4

Jacksonville 23, Indianapolis 26 (F/OT)
Pick: Colts
The Colts get a win at home. Mac Jones hit 20 of 32 passes for 225 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Parker Washington was the lucky recipient of the pass by Mac Jones. Tank Bigsby carried the ball 14 times for 39 yards in the game for a rushing touchdown. The longest run was a 22-yard run by Dernest Johnson. Brian Thomas Jr. had seven catches for 103 yards in the game and caught a pass that went for a 41-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Jaguars. Jacksonville didn't have a lot to play for in this one as they were pretty much playing for their jobs. They likely need the loss to draft a top-10 pick in this spring's draft. It might be a possibility for the Jaguars to let go Doug Pederson. For the Jaguars, they finish with a 4-13 record with 319 total yards in the game. 

Joe Flacco hit 23 of 40 passes for 264 yards with a touchdown pass. The touchdown pass went to Alec Pierce. Jonathan Taylor was used a lot in the game as he carried for 34 times for 177 yards with a touchdown run. He would obviously have the longest run play for a gain of 17 yards in the game. Josh Downs had 10 catches for 94 yards in the game. Alec Pierce had a catch that went for a 40-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Colts. Indianapolis didn't have a lot to play for as well as they got eliminated a few weeks ago but they would fight for their jobs and pride as they would fight tooth and nail against the Jaguars to get almost a .500 finish. For the Colts, they finish with a win at a 8-9 record with 429 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: I don't know, what is there to do in Jacksonville
Indianapolis: see a Hoosiers basketball game or something

TW: 3-4

New Orleans 19, Tampa Bay 27
Pick: Buccaneers
Struggles for the Bucs but would overcome it to win. Spencer Rattler hit 26 of 42 passes for 240 yards with a touchdown pass to Dante Pettis. Clyde Ewards-Helaire rushed eight times for 26 yards in the game and had the longest run for the Saints on a 12-yard carry. Josh Johnson had six catches for 80 yards and had a 26-yard pass play that he caught for that much of a gain. New Orleans had an opportunity to give the Falcons some hope as they were up 16-6 in the 2nd quarter. The Buccaneers would overcome the deficit and the rest is history as the Saints falter after starting at 2-0 to begin the season. For the Saints, they finish with a 5-12 on the season with 292 total yards. 

Baker Mayfield had 21 of 32 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The touchdowns went to Jalen McMillan and Payne Durham. Bucky Irving had 19 carries for 89 yards in the game with a touchdown run on a 11-yard play. Baker Mayfield had nine carries for 68 yards in the game and had the longest run play of a 28-yard gain on the run. Mike Evans had nine catches for 89 yards. He ties Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000 yard seasons with 11 straight seasons. He'll likely be smelling the Hall of Fame sometime soon in the future. The longest pass play for the Buccaneers was a 33-yard gain for a catch by Jalen McMillan that was the touchdown score. The Buccaneers would start off slow as the Saints and Buccaneers traded field goals and then the Saints would jump out to a 16-6 lead but the Buccaneers with their experience would turn it around. They finished with a 21-3 run to get the win. For the Buccaneers, they win the NFC South with a 10-7 record and had 395 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
New Orleans: eat some gumbo or something.
Tampa Bay: vs Washington

TW: 4-4

NY Giants 13, Philadelphia 20
Pick: Eagles
Philly walks away with a dub. Drew Lock hit 22 of 29 passes for 138 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown went to Malik Nabers to finish up his solid rookie season. Tyrone Tracy Jr. had 14 carries for 59 yards in the game and had a carry that went for a 16-yard gain that was the longest run in the game. Malik Nabers had five catches for 64 yards in the game but also had the longest pass play with a catch that went for a 45-yard gain. The game was pretty much a mirror to most of the games that the Giants have had this season. Not a lot of offense and the defense being out for way too long at times. The Giants will have some things to figure out over the next few months in terms of direction. For the Giants, they finish the year with a 3-14 record with 238 total yards on the game. 

Tanner McKee had 27 of 41 passes for 269 yards with two touchdowns in the game. He would start the game again for the Eagles. Will Shipley had 10 carries for 32 yards in the game. He had the longest run in the game with a carry of 7 yards for a gain. Saquon Barkley would not play as he would see himself in street clothes for rest to get to the playoffs next week. Jahan Dotson had seven catches for 94 yards in the game. He had a catch that went for a 19-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Eagles. Despite a limited cast of starters and 1st stringers, the Eagles would mostly have their way with the Giants in this one. It was a safe bet for the Eagles to rest starters to prepare for the road that is to get back to the Super Bowl. For the Eagles, they finish the regular season with a 14-3 record with 303 total yards. 

Next week:
NY Giants: stay out of New Jersey, too many drones
Philadelphia: vs Green Bay

TW: 5-4

Washington 23, Dallas 19
Pick: Cowboys
Jayden Daniels hit 6 of 12 passes for 38 yards but would see the bench for rest in the game. Marcus Mariota had 15 of 18 passes for 161 yards with two touchdowns. Zach Ertz and Terry McLaurin were the players that caught the passes for touchdowns for the Commanders. It was the McLaurin touchdown that would be the go-ahead touchdown for the Commanders. Marcus Mariota would also rush five times for 56 yards with a touchdown run. He had a run of 33 yards that was the longest run in the game for the Commanders. Terry McLaurin had eight catches for 62 yards in the game to be the leading receiver. The longest pass play was a catch by Olamide Zaccheaus with a catch that went for a 29-yard gain. Washington didn't have a lot to play for but to get a better seeding in the playoffs but also beating Dallas has to feel good for the Commanders fans. At least to beat your longtime rival. For the Commanders, they improve to 12-5 on the season to finish it with 269 total yards. 

Trey Lance went 20 of 34 passes for 244 yards in the game. He would make his first start for the Cowboys in the game. Rico Dowdle had 22 carries for 72 yards with a touchdown run in the game. It was the only touchdown for the Cowboys in the game. The longest run in the game was a Deuce Vaughn run that went for a 12-yard gain. Jake Tolbert had four catches for 98 yards in the game to be the leading receiver. Kavonte Turpin had a catch that went for a 33-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Cowboys. Brandon Aubrey hit four field goals in the game with a longest kick was a 41-yard attempt for Dallas. A bit of a whimper of a finish as the Cowboys were one of the better teams to in December with wins but falter at the end as the Terry McLaurin touchdown came with two seconds left in the game. For the Cowboys, they finish with a 7-10 record with 378 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Washington: @ Tampa Bay
Dallas: watch the Cotton Bowl later in the week.

TW: 5-5

Kansas City 0, Denver 38
Pick: Broncos

The Broncos shut down the Chiefs to get a playoff berth. Carson Wentz started for the Chiefs. He wouldn't do a whole lot as he hit 10 of 17 passes for 98 yards in the game. Carson Steele had eight carries for 25 yards in the game. He and Chris Oladokun had a run of 5 yards to be the longest run in the game. Nikko Remigio had two catches for 48 yards to be the leading receiver for the Chiefs. He had a catch that went for the longest pass play for the Chiefs with a 25-yard gain. Kansas City wouldn't do a whole lot on offense as most of their starters would not play in the game. It was mostly full of 2nd stringers and players on the practice squad probably. With the #1 seed locked up the Chiefs will not play next week and will play the weekend of either the 18th or 19th. For the Chiefs, they finish with a 15-2 record with 98 total yards. 

Bo Nix hit 26 of 29 passes for 321 yards with four touchdowns in the game. Cortland Sutton had one, Marvin Mims had two and Devaughn Vele had the other to the total of four in the game. Bo Nix was also the leading rusher with seven carries for 47 yards and had a run of 27 yards that was the longest run in the game for the Broncos. Audric Estime had 12 carries for 34 yards with a rushing touchdown. Jaleel McLaughlin had 16 carries for 39 yards in the game. Cortland Sutton had five catches for 98 yards in the game and had a catch that went for a 47-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Broncos. Well the near decade of playoff futility has washed away as the Broncos are the final team to clinch a playoff berth and it is their first since the 2015 season. For the Broncos, they finish with a 10-7 record with 479 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Kansas City: have some BBQ or something that Kansas City has to offer while you're on that bye
Denver: @ Buffalo

TW: 6-5

LA Chargers 34, Las Vegas 20
Pick: Chargers
Chargers get a win on the road. Justin Herbert hit 28 of 36 passes for 346 yards with two touchdowns. The touchdowns went to Will Dissly and DJ Chark. Hassan Haskins had a rushing touchdown while getting 12 carries for 33 yards in the game. JK Dobbins was the leading rusher with 18 carries for 63 yards in the game. The longest run was a run by Justin Herbert that went for a 41-yard gain. Quentin Johnston had 13 catches for 186 yards in the game. A big day for him indeed. Ladd McConkey had a catch that went for a 47-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Chargers. It was somewhat of a meaningless game for the Chargers but it did implicate some pride as they played against rival Raiders. They have gained a playoff berth before this week. For the Chargers, they get to 11-6 with 473 total yards in the game. 

Aidan O'Connell had 24 of 34 passes for 214 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the game. Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers were the Raiders that caught the passes from O'Connell. Alexander Mattison had six carries for 20 yards in the game and had a run of 11 yards that was the longest run in the game for the Silver and Black. The leading receiver was Jakobi Meyers with nine catches for 123 yards and caught a pass of 25 yards to be the longest pass play for the Raiders. It was a game that the Raiders probably needed to lose as they are not a good team and will need some high draft pick help to fill a few holes in their roster. Possibly on offense. For the Raiders, they finish the season dropping to 4-13 on the season with 264 total yards. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: @ Houston
Las Vegas: you're in Vegas, there's millions of things to do.

TW: 7-5

Miami 20, NY Jets 32
Pick: Dolphins
Tyler Huntley hit 25 of 41 passes for 227 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The touchdown pass went to Jonnu Smith. De'Von Achane had 11 carries for 121 yards in the game and scored a touchdown on a 11-yard play. He had a run that went for a 61-yard gain that was the longest run for the Dolphins in the game. Jonnu Smith had nine catches for 56 yards in the game to be the leading receiver for the Dolphins. The longest pass play was a Jaylen Waddle catch that went for a 23-yard gain. The game was not a guarantee for the Dolphins to win as they needed to win and get help to get into the playoffs. Inconsistent play, turnovers and injuries doomed the Dolphins this season and this game was in general no different. For the Dolphins, they drop to 8-9 to finish the season with 334 total yards. 

Aaron Rodgers played well in the game. He hit 23 of 36 passes for 274 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Of the four passes for scores, it went to Davante Adams, Alan Lazard, Tyler Conklin and Breece Hall. The touchdown to Conklin was Aaron Rodgers 500th touchdown pass in his career. He finished the game with 503. Breece Hall had 12 carries for 57 yards in the game. The longest run play was a carry that went for 20 yards by Isaiah Davis who had four carries for 41 yards. Davante Adams had six catches for 88 yards in the game. Alan Lazard had the longest pass play with a catch that went for a 43-yard gain. It was a game where the Jets would have fun as they were out of the playoffs but would play spoiler to the Dolphins who were still hoping to get in. If it was the end of the line for Aaron Rodgers the final image would be at the end of the game with his friend Davante Adams walking off the field and in through the tunnel and to the locker room. For the Jets, they finish with a 5-12 record with 375 total yards. 

Next week:
Miami: watch Miami Vice re-runs. 
NY Jets: see NY Giants

TW: 7-6

Seattle 30, LA Rams 25
Pick: Seahawks
Geno Smith hit 20 of 27 passes for 223 yards with four touchdowns. The four touchdowns went to: Noah Fant, DK Metcalf, AJ Barner and Jake Bobo. Zach Charbonnet had 14 carries for 59 yards in the game. Geno Smith would have the longest run play in the game for Seattle with a carry of 15 yards. Noah Fant had five catches for 63 yards in the game. The longest pass play was a 32-yard play with catches to Noah Fant and Zach Charbonnet. Seattle would fight tooth and nail to get a win in this one but the Seahawks get a bit of revenge and momentum as they close out the season with rookie head coach Mike MacDonald. For the Seahawks, they finish with a 10-7 record with 336 total yards in the game. 

Jimmy Garoppolo hit 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Tyler Higbee and Tyler Johnson were the Rams that caught the passes from Garoppolo for the touchdowns. Ronnie Rivers had 12 carries for 48 yards in the game and had a run of nine yards that was the longest run for the Rams. Jordan Whittington had three catches for 86 yards in the game. He had a catch that went for a 50-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Rams. Matthew Stafford would not take a snap in this one as he would get the rest for the playoffs that start next week. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp would not play in this game as well. The Rams have already won the NFC West and will play next week. For the Rams, they drop to 10-7 on the season with 403 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Seattle: drink Starbucks and listen to Nirvana
LA Rams: vs Minnesota

TW: 8-6

San Francisco 24, Arizona 47
Pick: Cardinals
Arizona wins against San Francisco. Josh Dobbs hit 29 of 43 passes for 326 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ricky Pearsall and Kyle Juszczyk were the 49ers that caught the passes from Dobbs. Josh Dobbs had eight carries for 17 yards with a touchdown run up the middle for a 1-yard score. Patrick Taylor had 17 carries for 109 yards in the game and had a carry that went for a 29 yard gain in the game. Ricky Pearsall had six catches for 69 yards in the game. The longest pass play was a Kyle Juszczyk catch that went for a 36-yard gain. The title defense season is over and the 49ers will miss the playoffs. The missed opportunity will be a self-reflection as they will have to make a ton of choices of player personnel in free agency. For the 49ers, they drop to 6-11 on the season with 436 total ayrds in the game. 

Kyler Murray had 25 of 35 passes for 242 yards with four touchdowns in the game. Of the four touchdowns, Greg Dortch had two, Marvin Harrison Jr. had one and Trey McBride had one for the total of four. Tony Jones had four carries for 55 yards with a touchdown on a 46-yard run. Michael Carter had a touchdown run as well on a 4-yard play and had 17 carries for 43 yards in the game. Trey McBride had seven catches for 65 yards to be the Cardinals leading receiver. He had a catch of 28 yards that was the longest pass play for the Cardinals. Arizona would put the hurt on the 49ers as they would capitalize on the 49ers mistakes and would run over the 49ers defense lead by Nick Bosa. The win won't give the Cardinals a playoff spot but it gives them some hope of getting back to the playoffs next season. For the Cardinals, they finish with a 8-9 record with 393 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
San Francisco: watch 49ers highlights from 1981 to 1998
Arizona: wrangle rattlesnakes or something

TW: 9-6

Minnesota 9, Detroit 31
Pick: Vikings
The season finale ends on a blowout. Sam Darnold hit 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Cam Akers had six carries for 65 yards and had one carry go for a 58-yard gain in the game. Aaron Jones had 10 carries for 45 yards. Justin Jefferson had three catches for 54 yards in the game and had a catch that went for a 31 yard gain. Minnesota's normally powerful offense just got manhandled and the defense kind of had a rough day. Maybe it was more of a game that was a wake up call that the Vikings aren't quite as good as they thought they were. They'll need to figure it out as they have to take the road to the playoffs. For the Vikings, they finish with a 14-3 record with 262 total yards in the game. 

Jared Goff hit 27 of 33 passes for 231 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Jahmyr Gibbs had was the player that caught the touchdown pass. Gibbs would do most of his damage on the ground as he had 23 carries for 139 yards for three touchdowns. He did have a run that went for a 47-yard gain but it wasn't part of a touchdown. Amon Ra St. Brown caught six passes for 77 yards to be the leading receiver. He did have a catch that went for a 23-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Lions in the game. Questions surrounding the Lions defense would prove to be washed away as they really made the normally powerful passing game of Minnesota's held to just 142 net yards and the Vikings running game to 120. Suffice to say, the Lions are now NFC North champions for the 2nd straight year, have the #1 seed for the first time in their history and have 15 wins which is a franchise record. For the Lions, they finish with a 15-2 record with 394 yards of offense in the game. 

Next week:
Minnesota: @ LA Rams
Detroit: 1st round bye, probably go see Motown museum

TW: 9-7

Records
2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11
Week 6: 13-1
Week 7: 13-2
Week 8: 9-7
Week 9: 12-3
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 11-3
Week 12: 7-6
Week 13: 14-2
Week 14: 11-3
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 12-4

Week 18: 9-7
Total: 193-80

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
2023: 161-111

See you all on Thursday/Friday for the Super Wild Card Weekend Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom