NFL 2019 Wild Card Recap

Hello readers! Eight teams entered into Wild Card weekend and four escaped to move on to next weekend's Divisonal playoff game. The post will have an NFL 100 spotlight on the 1974 Divisional playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders, also known as "The Sea Of Hands," as well as a recap of the Wild Card games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

Very few playoff games in NFL history had hype. Such hype came as surprise to some, while such games had so much hype that they would be called "Super Bowl 8 1/2." One such game would would be forever be called "The Sea Of Hands." The Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins would meet in one of the greatest games in NFL history.

The two teams had known each other very well. In 1973, the Raiders won the regular season meeting 12-7, snapping Miami's 18-game winning streak dating back to the beginning of the 1972 season. The two teams would meet again for the AFC Championship game. The Dolphins would exact revenge on the Silver & Black, beating them 27-10 in a dominating effort. The Dolphins would win the Super Bowl that year.

The next year, the two teams wouldn't meet in the regular season but the two would meet in the AFC Divisional round. There was much hype to the game as the media felt that the two teams were the best in the AFC. The game would be dubbed "Super Bowl 8 1/2" since the winner of the game would likely win the Super Bowl that year. Should be noted that the Pittsburgh Steelers would face off against the Buffalo Bills that weekend as well.

While I won't discuss the game in detail, it should be noted that this game had six lead changes with one tie. The game ultimately came down to an 8-yard pass from Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler to Clarence Davis that would ultimately give the Raiders the lead and would be the game winning score. Stabler was falling down when he threw the ball to Davis. Clarence Davis had many Dolphins players near him with their hands eyeing for the ball, hence the name "Sea Of Hands."

In the end, the Raiders ended the Dolphins their two-year run as champions. Miami wouldn't reach the playoffs again until the 1978 season. They would lose Larry Czonka and Jim Kiick to the riches of the World Football League. They wouldn't make it back to the Super Bowl until the 1982 season.

For the Raiders, they would move on to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. It would be ultimately John Madden's praise for the Dolphins and Raiders that would cost them a chance to win. An inspired Steelers team would come into Oakland and beat the Raiders and would kick off their dynasty of the 1970s.

Wild Card Recap

Buffalo Bills 19, Houston Texans 22 (F/OT): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

Buffalo will have to wait for another year to get that first playoff win since 1995. Josh Allen threw for 264 yards with zero touchdowns. John Brown would complete a 16-yard pass to Josh Allen for a touchdown. Josh Allen would be the leading rusher as he gained 92 yards for the game. DeShaun Watson would earn his first playoff victory while throwing for 247 yards with a touchdown. Watson would be the leading rusher for the Texans with 55 yards with a touchdown. To be honest, both teams really didn't deserve to win but sadly someone has to end up winning. Houston will go on to play the Chiefs on Sunday.

All-time series: Texans lead 6-4

Tennessee Titans 20, New England 13: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Titans played better than the Patriots. There I said it. Ryan Tannehill finished the game with 72 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Derrick Henry finished the game with 182 yards with a touchdown. Former Patriot, Logan Ryan, would give the Titans the win off an interception from Tom Brady for a 9-yard return. Tom Brady would throw for 209 yards while throwing said interception. Sony Michel was the leading rusher for the Patriots as he gained 61 yards. Julian Edelman would get 12 yards rushing while scoring a rushing touchdown. As far as Tom Brady's future is concerned, I feel he'll come back, but I don't know if he can get another ring as the Patriots wide receiving corp outside of Edelman is not that great. The Mohammad Sanu Jr trade was somewhat of a dud. Hard to say. Titans move on to take on the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

All-time series: Patriots lead 25-18-1

Minnesota Vikings 26, New Orleans Saints 20 (F/OT): TW: Saints; CV: Vikings

It was a surprise to some but not necessarily to me. Kirk Cousins threw the ball for 242 yards with a touchdown. That touchdown would ultimately be the game-winning score to Kyle Rudolph in overtime. Dalvin Cook returned to start and had a good game with 94 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Drew Brees threw for 208 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Taysom Hill was the leading rusher for the Saints with 50 yards while Alvin Kamara ran for 21 yards with a touchdown in the game. Hard to say if this is the last chance for the Saints to get another ring but certainly you have to not try to play against the Vikings it seems. Minnesota moves on to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.

All-time series: Vikings lead 23-12

Seattle Seahawks 17, Philadelphia Eagles 9: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

In his 16 seasons as pro, Josh McCown had not played in a playoff game, he would sadly not get the job done. Russell Wilson threw well in the game with 325 yards with a touchdown. He would also be the leading rusher for the Seahawks with 45 yards. Carson Wentz made his first playoff start in his career. He would ultimately leave the game with a concussion/head injury, with only 3 yards passing. Hardy veteran Josh McCown would take his place and put up 174 yards in the game. Miles Sanders ran the ball for 69 yards in the game. Sadly, Nick Foles couldn't quite save them this time. Seattle goes to Green Bay on Sunday.

All-time series: Seahawks lead 11-7

See you guys on Thursday/Friday for the Divisional picks!

-Tom

NFL Week 14 Picks

Hello Readers! The week has come yet again for picks and predictions. The week that was week 13 was quite entertaining full of close games, some going to OT, while some going into the double digits as far as point margin.

With only 4 weeks left in the regular season (including this week) the playoff picture still remains largely the same. No new teams enter into the picture, but the position of the seeds have changed a bit. With the Eagles loss to the Seahawks and the Vikings win over the Falcons, the Vikings move to the #1 spot, based on strength of victory. Let's look at the current picture:

AFC:

#1: Steelers (10-2)
#2: Patriots (10-2)
#3: Titans (8-4)
#4: Chiefs (6-6)
#5: Jaguars (8-4)
#6: Ravens (7-5)

Wild card:
Ravens @ Titans
Jaguars @ Chiefs

In the hunt:
LA Chargers (6-6), Buffalo (6-6), Oakland (6-6), NY Jets (5-7), Miami (5-7), Cincinnati (5-7), Houston (4-8), Indianapolis (3-9), Denver (3-9)

Eliminated:
Cleveland (0-12)

NFC:

#1: Vikings (10-2)
#2: Eagles (10-2)
#3: Rams (9-3)
#4: Saints (9-3)
#5: Seahawks (8-4)
#6: Panthers (8-4)

Wild card:
Panthers @ Rams
Seattle @ New Orleans

In the hunt:
Atlanta (7-5), Detroit (6-6), Green Bay (6-6), Dallas (6-6), Washington (5-7), Arizona (5-7), Tampa Bay (4-8)

Eliminated:
Chicago (3-9), San Francisco (2-10), NY Giants (2-10)

Division/Playoff clinching scenarios:

As always with picks/predictions, I have a "bragging contest" with Cardinal Viking, my roommate. When I wrote the blog for Week 13 last week, Cardinal Viking held a 2-game lead on me in overall record. As far as records go, let's take a look:

My record:

12-4 (picked the Bears over the Niners last week and the Eagles fell quite short against the Seahawks, I picked the Eagles.)

Cardinal Viking's record:

10-6 (picked the Bears over the Niners and picked the Broncos over the Dolphins, as did I)

With December upon us, as well as the Christmas/Holiday season. People shopping, breaking the bank, and spending money on food with good company. For those who probably hate Christmas songs can quickly to move down to the latter part of the blog, here's the cool video of the week, with 'Ole Blue Eyes: 

Week 14 will begin at Atlanta, Georgia and will end in Miami, Florida. The week consists of a Thursday night game, 8 early games, 5 late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will handle the double-header for the week while CBS will have the single game. There are no teams on bye week. And now it is time for the picks:

New Orleans @ Atlanta: Saints. The Saints come off a win against the Panthers last week while the Falcons lost to the Vikings. The week opens up in a classic NFC south match up. The game could be a huge offensive showing for the both teams as both defenses aren't that grand. I'd like the Falcons a bit more if I trusted the Falcons offensive weapons a bit more. The Saints defense has been good for the past while and I'll trust them enough to beat a team that lost to the Dolphins in the Falcons. 

Chicago @ Cincinnati: Bengals. Both teams come off losses last week as the Bears lost to the 49ers and the Bengals lost to the Steelers. Much of the talk this week is the Bengals performance against the Steelers in terms of suspensions and injuries. As far as I want to give the Bears the benefit of the doubt, the Bengals still have a pretty good defense, better then the Bears I'd say. Better proven quarterback in Andy Dalton for the Bengals.

Dallas @ NY Giants: Cowboys. The Cowboys come off a win against the Redskins last week while the Giants lost to the Raiders. The Ben McAdoo era is over and the Steve Spagnola's reign as Head Coach begins as the Giants will start Eli Manning against the Cowboys. The Giants are pathetic this season and the Cowboys won't lose to a 2-10 team, I mean come on. 

Detroit @ Tampa Bay: Buccaneers. Both teams come off losses last week as the Lions lost to the Ravens and the Buccaneers to the Packers. It's been a while since I've last picked the Buccaneers. The Lions are pretty much back to their old selves this point of the season despite being in the middle of a playoff hunt. It will depend on if Matthew Stafford of the Lions can play. I don't trust the Lions but I don't trust the Buccaneers either so. It was a toss-up and I picked the Buccaneers. 

Green Bay @ Cleveland: Packers. The Packers picked up a win against the Buccaneers and the Browns lost to the Chargers. As a Packers fan, if you lose to the Browns, don't even think about bringing back Aaron Rodgers this season, you need a high draft pick, not another playoff run. 

Indianapolis @ Buffalo: Bills. Both teams come off losses last week as the Colts lost to the Jaguars and the Bills lost to the Patriots. The game is a tale of two teams. A team that isn't going anywhere but down (Colts), while the other team has some direction even though it probably will miss the playoffs yet again (Bills). I have been picking on the Bills fairly often this season and some of the time it has backfired on me. So I'll take the Bills as a safe pick. 

Minnesota @ Carolina: Vikings. The Vikings picked up a win against the Falcons while the Panthers lost to the Saints. The Vikings long road trip has so far been good to the team in purple. I'll take the Vikings because Case Keenum has been playing lights out so far this season, and I can't sense that this will be a trap game for the Vikings. It could possibly be one. 

Oakland @ Kansas City: Raiders. The Raiders got a win last week against the Giants and the Chiefs lost to the Jets. The game will come down to the offense who can put up the most points and the defense that can stop the most as it will probably be a game much like their first matchup of the season. I'll take the Raiders. 

San Francisco @ Houston: Texans. The 49ers picked up their 2nd win of the season beating the Bears while the Texans lost to the Titans. The 49ers got a win against a bad Bears team and it wasn't a complete rout, so I'll take the Texans based on the fact that there is more weapons and more well built than the 49ers. 

NY Jets @ Denver: Jets. The Jets picked up a win last week beating the Chiefs while the Broncos lost to the Dolphins. I tend to go with Denver at home due to the homefield advantage with the high altitude. The Broncos lost to the Dolphins. The Jets have proven me and a lot of people wrong this season, so I'll take the Jets. Meh.

Tennsseee @ Arizona: Cardinals. The Titans come off a win against the Texans and the Cardinals lost to the Rams. I'm taking the Cardinals based on the fact that there is a definite advantage for the Cardinals in terms of passing offense. The Cards are 10th in pass offense, the Titans are 25th in pass defense. That's based on my research. Trust me. 

Washington @ LA Chargers: Chargers. The Redskins come off a loss to the Cowboys while the Chargers won against the Browns last week. The Chargers are taking advantage of a weak AFC this season after going 0-4 to start off the season. The Redskins seem to be the team that is starting to fall off the rails and looking forward to another missed playoffs. 

Philadelphia @ LA Rams: Eagles. The Eagles come off a loss to the Seahawks and the Rams beat the Cardinals last week. The best game of the week will be played at sunny Los Angeles. The game features two 2016 Draft QB's in Carson Wentz of the Eagles and Jared Goff of the Rams. The game will depend on which defense shows up to their respected teams. This game will be a offensive showcase. I feel the Eagles will pull off. 

Seattle @ Jacksonville: Seahawks. Both teams come off wins last week as the Seahawks beat the Eagles and the Jaguars beat the Colts. The Seahawks have been playing well so far this season and the Jaguars have as well. Despite the loss of Richard Sherman of the Seahawks, their defense is still battle tested and the Jaguars will have their hands full with Seattle's offense. 

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh: Steelers. Both teams got wins last week as the Ravens beat the Lions and the Steelers beat the Bengals. The loss of Ryan Shazier will be a big loss to the Steelers but I still feel the Steelers will get a win as long as the Triplets stay on their game and take it to the Ravens defense. 

New England @ Miami: Patriots. Both teams got wins last week as the Patriots beat the Bills and the Dolphins beat the Broncos. The week ends as Tom Brady & Company go to sunny Florida to take on the Dolphins. I like the Patriots based on the fact that they dominate their divisional rivals and I feel this will still be the case in this game. I won't pick against Tom Brady.

Local TV Schedule (subject to change, via 506sports)

CBS Single:

Minnesota @ Carolina

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Early:

Green Bay @ Cleveland

Thom Brennamen, Chris Spielman

FOX Late:
Philadelphia @ LA Rams

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more info on which game will be played in your area, check out: NFL Maps, Week 14

Record:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 8-7

Week 8: 12-1

Week 9: 6-7

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 8-6

Week 12: 14-2

Week 13: 12-4

Overall: 122-70

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 4-10

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-5

Week 8: 11-2

Week 9: 7-6

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 12-2

Week 12: 13-3

Week 13: 10-6

Overall: 122-70

See you guys next week!

-Tom