NFL 2022 Week 11 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. Week 11 brought us some interesting storylines. Such storylines like: Buffalo picking up a victory in Detroit, Dallas putting the hurt on the Vikings, Green Bay staying cold at home, and Kansas City picking up a close win on the road. In this post I'll do a recap of the week's games. Let's get to work

Week 11 Recap

Tennessee 27, Green Bay 17: TW: Packers; CV: Titans
In cold Green Bay the Titans wouldn't freeze up in the Frozen Tundra. Ryan Tannehill would stay warm in the game as he had 333 yards passing on 22 of 27 pass completions with two touchdown passes. Dontrell Hilliard and Austin Hooper would be the recipients of those passes. Tannehill would toss an interception in the 4th quarter that gave the Packers a shot to win. Derrick Henry would play quarterback on a couple of plays, one of them resulted in a passing touchdown. Henry would jump up to pass to Austin Hooper on a Tannehill fake pass. Along with the passing touchdown, Henry would have a rushing touchdown on 87 yards. Aaron Rodgers would finish feeling cold as he had 24 of 39 passes for 227 yards. He would thaw on two touchdown passes to Christian Watson who has scored five touchdowns in the last two games. Prior to last week the receiver had only 88 receiving yards. Aaron Rodgers wouldn't find much help with his running game as Aaron Jones would only get 40 yards on 12 carries. It would be a game where the Titans defense would hold the Packers to 271 yards of offense. The Packers would go 7 for 14 on 3rd down conversions and would fail to convert a 4th down two times. For the Titans, the AFC South remains theirs for the taking as they have a 7-3 record. For the Packers, the must-win contest fizzles out for them and their playoff prospects start to get even slimmer. Their 4-7 start is their worst since 2006. 

Next week:
Tennessee:
Green Bay: 

TW: 0-1; CV: 1-0

Chicago 24, Atlanta 27: TW: Bears; CV: Bears
A back and forth affair in Atlanta. Justin Fields would have an interesting day as he completed 14 of 21 passes for 153 yards passing and 85 yards rushing. He would have two total touchdowns with an interception. His teammate David Montgomery had 67 yards rushing with a touchdown. It would be a Montgomery touchdown that would tie the game at 24. Atlanta's defense would wreck havoc as they would sack Justin Fields four times. Team discipline would play a factor in this game as the Bears would face seven penalties for a total of 56 yards. Marcus Mariota would do enough to help his team win. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 131 yards with a touchdown pass to Drake London. Mariota would also score a rushing touchdown while getting 25 yards on the ground. Tyler Allgeier would get 55 yards rushing. Cordarrelle Patterson had 52 yards rushing and had a kick-six touchdown on a 103-yard return. It would be his 9th kickoff return for a touchdown in his career. For the Bears, the loss drops them to 3-8 and in the cellar of the NFC North. For the Falcons, their playoff prospects still remain warm as they go to 5-6. 

Next week:
Chicago: @ NY Jets
Atlanta: @ Washington

TW: 0-2; CV: 1-1

Carolina 3, Baltimore 13: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
A closer game than what people wearing purple were wanting. Baker Mayfield would hit 21 of 33 passes for 196 yards with two interceptions that would happen in the 4th quarter. Certainly situations that the Panthers brass would not have wanted. D'Onta Foreman, the workhorse last week against Atlanta, would be held to 24 yards rushing on 11 carries. Overall the Panthers offense would get 205 total yards on 54 plays. That's a 3.8 yards/play average gain. Along with that, the Panthers were 3 for 12 on 3rd down and also lost a fumble to add to the turnovers. Lamar Jackson would have not a stellar day as he completed 24 of 33 passes for 209 yards with an interception to big man Bravvion Roy. Jackson would score the only touchdown in the game off a 1-yard run up the middle that would result from a Panther turnover. Jackson had 31 yards rushing. Kenyan Drake had 46 yards rushing. It wasn't a pretty game for the Ravens offense as they would go 6 for 15 on 3rd down. Penalties hurt the Ravens as well as they had 10 penalties for 93 yards. It would be the Ravens defense that would hold down the fort. For the Panthers, the loss drops their record to 3-8. For the Ravens, the defensive game win would give them a 7-3 record, well in control of the AFC North.

Next week:
Carolina: vs Denver
Baltimore: @ Jacksonville

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

Cleveland 23, Buffalo 31: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The game wasn't in Buffalo but the Bills would get their rebound win. Jacoby Brissett hit 28 of 41 passes for 324 yards with three touchdown passes to Amari Cooper who had two and David Peoples-Jones for one. Buffalo would make the Browns run game earn every yard as they had just 80 total yards on the ground, 32 of them to Kareem Hunt. Nick Chubb had 19 yards rushing. Jacoby Brissett had 29 yards rushing. Not quite the effort that you'd expect from them. Those who had Jacoby Brissett on fantasy football had a good day with him. Josh Allen would rebound in this game as he had 18 of 27 passes for 197 yards passing with a touchdown to Stefon Diggs in the 2nd quarter. Devin Singletary and James Cook would have 172 combined rushing yards in this game. Singletary had a rushing touchdown. Tyler Bass would be the key contributor in the game as he had a perfect 6 for 6 on field goals including a 56-yard field goal. Both teams would not do so hot in scoring opportunities as they both went 4 for 9 in the red zone and 4 for 6 in goal to go situations. For the Browns, the season is starting to slip from them and the playoff prospects are looking bleak as they go to 3-7. For the Bills, the rebound win gives them a 7-3 record and some breathing room. The Dolphins had a bye and the Jets lost to the Patriots. 

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Tampa Bay
Buffalo: @ Detroit (Thanksgiving)

TW: 2-2; CV: 3-1

Detroit 31, NY Giants 18: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
Don't look now but the Lions have won three straight games. Jared Goff wouldn't partake in the scoring but he would help with 17 of 26 pass completions with 165 yards passing. It would be the running game that gave the Lions the winning edge. Justin Jackson had 66 yards rushing on nine carries. Jamaal Williams would have a game as he rushed for 64 yards with three touchdowns. Dandre Swift had 20 yards rushing with a touchdown. It's interesting as the Lions had just 160 yards rushing in the game. Essentially 40 yards per touchdown. Detroit's defense really came through as they got three takeaways including two interceptions and a fumble. Daniel Jones would not play well in the game as he had 27 of 44 passes for 341 yards with a touchdown pass Richie James in the 4th quarter. The hurt would come from two interceptions. Daniel Jones would have a rushing touchdown on a bootleg that went to the right. Matt Breida would have a rushing touchdown as well. It is Detroit's first win against the Giants on the road since 2004 back when New York still called Giants Stadium home. For the Lions, the win is their 3rd straight with a 4-6 record and 2nd place in the NFC North. For the Giants, the loss drops them to 7-3. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Buffalo (Thanksgiving)
NY Giants: @ Dallas (Thanksgiving)

TW: 2-3; CV: 3-2

LA Rams 20, New Orleans 27: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The defending champs keep on faltering. Matthew Stafford would complete 11 of 18 passes for 159 yards with two touchdown passes to Allen Robinson and Tutu Atwell (nice first name buddy). The pass to Atwell would come on a 62-yard deep throw for the touchdown. Stafford wouldn't finish the game as he would come off with a concussion. Bryce Perkins would complete 5 of 10 passes for 64 yards. Cam Akers would make his return from injury as he had 61 yards rushing. Bryce Perkins had 39 yards rushing. Andy Dalton would get 21 of 25 passes for 260 yards with three touchdown passes. Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson and Jarvis Landry were the recipients of those passes that converted to scores. Taysom Hill had 52 yards rushing and had 14 yards passing. Alvin Kamara had 42 yards. For the Rams, they still have memories of last year to hold onto as they have a 3-7 record to stare at. For the Saints, the win improves their record to 4-7 ending a two-game losing streak. 

Next week:
LA Rams: @ Kansas City
New Orleans: @ San Francisco

TW: 2-4; CV: 3-3

NY Jets 3, New England 10: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The game looked like more of a baseball score than a football one. Zach Wilson would play a bit better than the last time these two teams met. He completed 9 of 22 passes for 77 yards with zero turnovers. He would have 26 yards rushing to lead the team in this game. Michael Carter had 19 yards. New York's offense would fare the worst as they would just get only 103 total yards, including 44 net yards passing. Zach Wilson would face the pass rush a lot as he was sacked four times. The Jets 3rd down conversions were not great as they had 3 of 14 conversions. Mac Jones would play an efficient game as he completed 23 of 27 passes for 246 yards with no turnovers. Jones would get sacked six times in this game. It wouldn't help his cause that center David Andrews would leave the game. He had been dealing with a nagging leg injury for most of 2022. Damien Harris would see the ball the most as he rushed for 65 yards rushing. Rhamondre Stevenson had just 26 yards. It would be a punt return of Marcus Jones that would be the game-winning play that gave the Pats the win. The return would be from 84 yards. For the Jets, the loss drops them to 6-4 and in the bottom of the AFC East. For the Patriots, the win improves them to 6-4 with a tough contest in Minnesota on Thanksgiving night. 

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Chicago
New England: @ Minnesota (Thanksgiving)

TW: 3-4; CV: 4-3

Philadelphia 17, Indianapolis 16: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Oh boy, did the Eagles nearly blow this one. Jalen Hurts would complete 18 of 25 passes for 190 yards with a touchdown pass to Quez Watkins in the 3rd quarter. Hurts would put the hurt on the Colts with his legs as he rushed for 86 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown would be from a 8-yard run up the middle with 1:20 left in the game. The score and point after gave the Eagles a 17-16 lead. Miles Sanders had 47 yards rushing. Matt Ryan would hit 23 of 32 passes for 213 yards. Jonathan Taylor would score the only touchdown for the Colts on a 1-yard handoff to the left that gave the Colts a 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter. Taylor had 84 yards rushing at the end of the game. The slow start by the Eagles would be from the fact that they would punt on three of four possessions with a starting field position deep in their own territory. For the Eagles, the close win will keep them at 9-1 and at the top of the NFC East. For the Colts, the loss is Jeff Saturday's first as interim head coach as the Colts drop to 4-6-1. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Green Bay (Sunday night)
Indianapolis: vs Pittsburgh (Monday night)

TW: 4-4; CV: 5-3

Washington 23, Houston 10: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
Houston loses again. What else is new. Taylor Heinicke would play well enough as he completed 15 of 27 passes for 191 yards. Curtis Samuel would score the lone offensive touchdown for Washington on a 10-yard run in the 2nd quarter. Antonio Gibson had 72 yards rushing. Brian Robinson Jr had 57 yards rushing. Davis Mills would have a game to forget as he had 19 of 33 passes for 169 yards with two interceptions. One of those interceptions would come on a grab by Kendall Fuller that would go 37 yards for a touchdown. It was on just the Texans first possession of the game. Mills would shine for a play that would come on a scramble for four yards that would give the Texans a touchdown late in the 4th quarter. For the Commanders, the win moves them back to above .500 in the NFC East standings. For the Texans, the loss drops their record to a putrid 1-8-1 with the 1st overall pick in next year's draft looking more promising. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Atlanta
Houston: @ Miami

TW: 5-4; CV: 6-3

Las Vegas 22, Denver 16 (F/OT): TW: Raiders; CV: Broncos
It would come down to overtime but the Raiders would get a dub. Derek Carr would do well enough and got 23 of 37 pass completions for 307 yards with two touchdown passes to Davante Adams. The first would come on a 31-yard pass to Adams that would come also on a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on DJ Jones. The 2nd score would be the game-winner that would come on a 35-yard play. Josh Jacobs would have a good day on the ground with 109 yards rushing on 24 carries. Davante Adams would have a day as he had seven catches for 141 receiving yards. Russell Wilson would do efficiently but wanted more. He had 24 of 31 passes completed for 247 yards with zero touchdowns. Denver's only touchdown would be from a Latavius Murray run up the middle on a 1-yard play. That would come in the 1st quarter. Murray would have 49 yards on the day. Melvin Gordon would have 31 yards rushing. The rest of the points would be from Brandon McManus who hit 3 of 4 field goals in the game. Both teams would have offenses that were not great but the Raiders would have more total yards than the Broncos with a 407-320 margin. On 3rd down the two teams would combine for 6 of 23 conversions. Just not a great day for either team. For the Raiders, they get their 3rd win of 2022 and improve to 3-7. For the Broncos, they will drop to 3-7 with the dark reality of 4th place in the AFC West. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: @ Seattle
Denver: @ Carolina

TW: 6-4; CV: 6-4

Cincinnati 37, Pittsburgh 30: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
No Ja'Marr Chase, no problem. Very little of Joe Mixon, no problem either. Joe Burrow would struggle in the Steel City but would play well enough to get the win. He would hit 24 of 39 passes for four touchdowns with two interceptions. Three of the touchdowns would come to Samaje Perine and then to Trenton Irwin. Samaje Perine would have 30 yards rushing but his damage would come as a receiver with 52 yards receiving. Joe Mixon would start at running back and put up 20 yards before leaving the game with a concussion. Tee Higgins would carry the receiving corp with 148 yards receiving. Joe Burrow would only get sacked two times in this game. Kenny Pickett would start for the Steelers and put up points in this game. Pickett would complete 25 of 42 passes for 265 yards with a touchdown pass to George Pickens on a 24-yard pass play. Najee Harris who had a rather quiet start to 2022 would put up 90 yards rushing with two touchdowns. One of them would come from a 19-yard run play that would go to the left that the runner would leap up and fly into the endzone. The 2nd touchdown would come on a 1-yard dive in with 47 seconds left in the game. It would prove to be too little too late for the Steelers. For the Bengals, the win puts them at 6-4 in the AFC North. For the Steelers, the loss drops them to 3-7 as the prospects of head coach Mike Tomlin's first losing season seems more possible. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ Tennessee
Pittsburgh: @ Indianapolis (Monday night)

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

Dallas 40, Minnesota 3: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Last week, Dallas blew a 14-point lead going into the 4th quarter. This week, Dallas would put the hurt on the 8-1 Vikings. Dak Prescott would have one of his best starts this season as the passer would only have three incompletions for 276 yards with two touchdowns to Tony Pollard. Pollard would put 189 total yards in this game (109 receiving, 80 rushing) in this game. Ezekiel Elliot had 42 yards rushing with two touchdowns. With the 458 total yards on 70 plays, the Cowboys averaged 6.5 yards/play. Dallas would do well on 3rd down conversions as they would convert 12 of 17 chances. Kirk Cousins would have a rough game. He had 12 of 23 passes for 105 yards. That would be 8.7 yards/pass attempt. He would face the Cowboys pass rush and would get sacked seven times. Nick Mullens would see some play time as he had 54 yards passing. Dalvin Cook would have 72 yards rushing on 11 carries. Justin Jefferson, the hero of last week's win against the Bills, would be held to just three catches with 33 yards receiving. For the Cowboys, the win will keep them at 2nd place but have the edge over the New York Giants in the NFC East. For the Vikings, the loss drops them to 8-2 but the race in the NFC North is still in their favor. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs NY Giants (Thanksgiving)
Minnesota: vs New England (Thanksgiving)

TW: 6-6; CV: 6-6

Kansas City 30, LA Chargers 27: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
It would be a back and forth affair but the Chiefs would win it. Patrick Mahomes would put on a performance that even Henry Winkler would be proud of. Winkler, who played the role The Fonz on Happy Days. The Fonz who always played it cool was a mirror image of Mahomes who had 329 yards passing with three touchdowns. All of those touchdowns would go to his favorite target, Travis Kelce. The last touchdown would would come on a 15-yard play up the middle that Kelce would find and go to the endzone. Isiah Pacheco would get 107 yards rushing on 15 carries. Travis Kelce put up numbers as he caught six balls for 115 yards. Justin Herbert would have a stiff challenge in this game as he completed 23 of 30 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns to Josh Palmer. On the Chargers last drive Herbert would toss a prayer ball to the sideline that would get knocked up and land on a player wearing red. Austin Ekeler would have 83 yards rushing on 19 carries with a touchdown run. Decent day for him. Not gonna lie, I would totally want a "Football. Family. Fonzie" t-shirt like Kelce wore prior to the game. For the Chiefs, the record is at 8-2 with the vehicle on cruise control in the AFC West. For the Chargers, the loss drops them to 5-5 but they still have 2nd place in the AFC West. 

Next week:
Kansas City: vs LA Rams 
LA Chargers: @ Arizona

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

San Francisco 38, Arizona 10: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Miners would find gold in rainy Estadio Azteca. Jimmy Garoppolo would have a great game as the passer hit 20 of 29 passes for 228 yards with four touchdown passes. George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk would get two touchdowns each. Deebo Samuel had 94 total yards (37 rushing, 57 receiving) with a rushing touchdown. Elijah Mitchell would get 59 yards rushing on nine carries. Christian McCaffrey would get 39 yards rushing and had 67 receiving yards. San Francisco would have 387 total yards of offense in this game. Colt McCoy would get the nod at quarterback as Kyler Murray was still out on injury. McCoy would hit 24 of 34 passes for 218 yards with an interception. He would leave the game with an injury but third stringer Trace McSorley would play in relief. Trace would not produce a lot but he would hit 6 of 10 passes for 59 yards with an interception. James Conner would produce Arizona's lone touchdown on a 2-yard run up the middle that would give the Cardinals a 14-10 deficit in the 2nd quarter. Conner would finish with 42 yards rushing on 14 carries. Arizona would not have a good game on offense as turnovers killed them as well as only putting up 314 total yards. For the 49ers, the win moves them to 5-4 and with striking distance against the division leading Seattle Seahawks. For the Cardinals, the loss drops them to 4-6 at 3rd place in the NFC West. 

Next week:
San Francisco: vs New Orleans
Arizona: vs LA Chargers

TW: 8-6; CV: 8-6

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6

Total: 98-65-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

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

Total: 88-75-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

I'll see you all on Wednesday for the Week 12 picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 11 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come by yet again. The week that was featured some entertaining finishes including two overtime games, a shutout, and the Cowboys winning their 3rd game this season. All this and more with this week's recap. Let's get to work!

Week 11 Recap

Arizona 21, Seattle 28: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The game had just as much drama to it than the 1st game. Kyler Murray threw for 269 yards with two touchdowns in the game, along with 15 yards rushing. Kenyan Drake wouldn't get a lot of rushing yards in the game as he rushed for 29 yards but did score a rushing touchdown. Russell Wilson threw for 197 yards with two touchdowns. Carlos Hyde made his way back from injury and contributed 79 yards rushing with a touchdown run. Seattle's defense would cause a safety that was the result of an offensive holding. I feel these two teams will meet again possibly in January. 

Next week:
Arizona: @ New England; Seattle: @ Philadelphia

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

New England 20, Houston 27: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
DeShaun Watson dragged two New England defenders with him to the endzone. Cam Newton had a great game with 365 yards passing with a touchdown. Damien Harris rushed for 43 yards with a touchdown run. DeShaun Watson had a remarkable game as well, finishing with 344 yards passing with two touchdowns. Watson also had 36 yards rushing with a touchdown. JJ Watt was the football swatter, knocking down many Cam Newton passes. With a 4-6 record, the hopes of a playoff return for New England, is starting to slip away.

Next week:
New England: vs Arizona; Houston: @ Detroit

TW: 0-2; CV: 0-2

Detroit 0, Carolina 20: TW: Panthers; CV: Lions
PJ Walker made the most of his opportunity. Matthew Stafford threw for 178 yards but didn't throw for a touchdown pass in the game. Dandre Swift was injured for Detroit so Adrian Peterson would get the start at running back. Peterson could only put up 18 yards. Detroit wouldn't get much in terms of pass protection as Stafford was sacked five times. PJ Walker got the start for Carolina. The former XFL star threw for 258 yards with a touchdown but also threw two interceptions. Mike Davis rushed for 64 yards and rushed for a touchdown. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Houston; Carolina: @ Minnesota

TW: 1-2; CV: 0-3

Philadelphia 17, Cleveland 22: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The weather and the Browns made it inhospitable for Carson Wentz. Wentz threw for 235 yards with two touchdown passes but also threw two interceptions. One of the interceptions ended up being a pick-six. Miles Sanders had 66 yards in the game but also fumbled the ball. Baker Mayfield was more of a field manager as he threw for 204 yards with zero touchdowns. Nick Chubb racked up yards in this one as he rushed for 114 yards, his longest was for 54 yards. Kareem Hunt would score the only offensive touchdown for Cleveland, while getting 11 yards. Cleveland's hopes for a winning season are high, we shall have to see if they can play January football. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Seattle; Cleveland: @ Jacksonville

TW: 2-2; CV: 1-3

Pittsburgh 27, Jacksonville 3: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Pittsburgh looked perfect, nothing more, nothing less. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 267 yards with two touchdowns but also threw an interception in the game. Jacksonville couldn't capitalize on it though. James Conner rushed for 89 yards and Benny Snell rushed for 15 yards and scored a touchdown. Jake Luton wouldn't have a repeat performance in this one as he threw for 151 yards but also threw for four interceptions. James Robinson would carry the ball 17 times for 73 yards in the game. Do I think that Pittsburgh can stay undefeated? I doubt it. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Baltimore; Jacksonville: vs Cleveland

TW: 3-2; CV: 2-3

Tennessee 30, Baltimore 24 (F/OT): TW: Ravens; CV: Titans
Definitely no love lost in this one. Ryan Tannehill threw for 259 yards with two touchdowns but also threw an interception. Derrick Henry was slowed down but not contained in the game. He rushed for 133 yards in the game, his longest was the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Lamar Jackson threw for 186 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Jackson also ran for 51 yards. JK Dobbins rushed for 70 yards with a touchdown. 

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

TW: 3-3; CV: 3-3

Cincinnati 9, Washington 20: TW: Football Team; CV: Football Team
Heartbreak for Joe Burrow who'll likely be out for the rest of the season. Joe Burrow started for the Bengals and had 203 yards passing with a touchdown. He would leave the game during the 3rd quarter with what looked to be an apparent leg injury that bent backwards, tearing his ACL. Ryan Finley replaced him and would contribute only 30 yards passing with an interception. The Bungles running game wouldn't get much as both Samaje Perine and Ryan Finley rushed for 19 yards each. Giovanni Bernard rushed for 18 yards. Alex Smith threw for 166 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception. Antonio Gibson rushed for 94 yards with a rushing touchdown in the game. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs NY Giants; Washington: @ Dallas

TW: 4-3; CV: 4-3

Atlanta 9, New Orleans 24: TW: Saints; CV: Falcons
Atlanta had no answer for Taysom Hill. Matt Ryan threw for 232 yards and threw two interceptions in the game. Todd Gurley wouldn't get much from the ground with 26 yards rushing. There was some controversy prior to this week in starting Taysom Hill for New Orleans but he seemed to pay it off. Hill threw for 233 yards. He didn't throw for a touchdown pass but didn't throw an interception in the game either. His biggest contribution in the game was his 51 yards rushing with two touchdown runs. Alvin Kamara gave some rushing yards of his own with 45 yards and also rushed for a touchdown. Latavius Murray rushed for 49 yards. Thankfully Sean Payton's decision to start Taysom Hill over Jameis Winston made enough sense to the rest of the team. 

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Las Vegas; New Orleans: @ Denver

TW: 5-3; CV: 4-4

NY Jets 28, LA Chargers 34: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Might as well just give Offensive Rookie of the Year to Justin Herbert. Joe Flacco threw for 205 yards with two touchdowns but also threw an interception that led to a pick-six. Frank Gore and Lamical Perine both scored rushing touchdowns with 61 and 33 yards rushing respectively. Justin Herbert was magical in the game with 366 yards with three touchdown passes. Kalen Ballage rushed for a modest 44 yards in the game. You almost won Jets, just didn't quite have enough to stop Herbert.

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Miami; LA Chargers: @ Buffalo

TW: 6-3; CV: 5-4

Miami 13, Denver 20: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Celebrations for a possible Dolphins playoff appearance will have to be put on hold. Tua Tagovailoa started for the Dolphins and threw for 83 yards with a touchdown before getting sacked six times and knocked out in the 4th quarter. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 117 yards with an interception. Salvon Ahmed rushed for 43 yards in the game. Drew Lock had a better game this go around with 270 yards but only threw just one interception. Melvin Gordon rushed for 84 yards with two touchdowns. 

Next week:
Miami: @ NY Jets; Denver: vs New Orleans

TW: 6-4; CV: 5-5

Dallas 31, Minnesota 28: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The well-rested Cowboys got a much needed win. Andy Dalton made his return at quarterback and threw for 203 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Ezekiel Elliot broke his 8-game streak of not rushing for 100+ yards in a game with 103 yards in the game. Tony Pollard rushed for 60 yards with a touchdown run. CeeDee Lamb caught four for 34 yards with a touchdown, including a crazy over the shoulder catch that resulted in the touchdown for him. Kirk Cousins threw for 314 yards with three touchdown passes and did not throw an interception in the game. Dalvin Cook would get the edge over Ezekiel Elliot in terms of rushing yards as Cook finished with 115 and scored a touchdown run. Adam Thielen had a monster game with eight catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns. At this point, I just want some team from the NFC East a winner with not a losing record. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs Washington; Minnesota: vs Carolina

TW: 6-5; CV: 5-6

Green Bay 31, Indianapolis 34 (F/OT): TW: Packers; CV: Colts
Green Bay's offense did not do a lot in the 2nd half and the defense did the same as well. Aaron Rodgers threw for 311 yards with three touchdown passes and had an interception in the game. Aaron Jones ran for 41 yards with a touchdown run. Phillip Rivers threw for 288 yards with three touchdowns as well as an interception. The big difference is that the weak Packers rush defense reared its ugly head as Jonathan Taylor rushed for 90 yards in the game. Somewhat of a factor was penalty yards and turn overs. Green Bay committed three fumbles while Indianapolis had 116 penalty yards in the game. Ugly game for both but one would end up winning. 

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Chicago; Indianapolis: vs Tennessee

TW: 6-6; CV: 6-6

Kansas City 35, Las Vegas 31: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The game was nothing short but a must-watch. Patrick Mahomes threw for 348 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception in the game. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns. Le'Veon Bell made his Chiefs debut in this one and had 25 rushing yards with a touchdown. Derek Carr threw for 275 yards with three touchdowns and had an interception in the game. Josh Jacobs rushed for 55 yards and had a touchdown run. Derek Carr's touchdown to Jason Witten gave the Chiefs 1:43 left to play to score the go-ahead touchdown. Patrick Mahomes would only need 1:15 of game time to score that touchdown. Could be a possible playoff rematch in January. 

Next week:
Kansas City: @ Tampa Bay; Las Vegas: @ Atlanta

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

LA Rams 27, Tampa Bay 24: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Rams
The game really shouldn't have been closer than the score suggests. Jared Goff threw for 376 yards with three touchdowns and threw two interceptions in the game. Malcolm Brown wouldn't get too much going in the game as he racked up only 20 yards. Tom Brady threw for 216 yards with two touchdowns and threw two interceptions. One of the interceptions came during the Bucs final drive in the game. Ronald Jones was contained pretty well by the Rams defense as he rushed for only 24 yards. Leonard Fournette would score a rushing touchdown in this one but he could get only 17 yards of his own. 

Next week:
LA Rams: vs San Francisco; Tampa Bay: vs Kansas City

TW: 7-7; CV: 8-6

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 10-4
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 7-7
Total: 105-55-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 11-3
Week 11: 8-6
Total: 99-61-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Wednesday for the Week 12 Picks post

-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 11 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League has ended. Last week was somewhat of a rough week with a 5-8 record. With 14 games on this week's slate, it is certainly possible to finish with a .500 record. This post will include an NFL 100 spotlight and a recap of the week's action. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The Cleveland Browns had some glimpses of good football in 2018, not so much in 2019. However, there was at one point when the Browns were one of the dominant teams in the NFL. A time when they had stability at quarterback, an offense that was scary, a defense to match and most importantly they won division titles and NFL championships. Let's take a look at the 1950's Browns.

The Cleveland Browns were founded in 1944 and became one of the charter franchises in the newly-minted All-American Football Conference. The new league would start operations in 1946 and would continue to operate until 1949, the year when league agreed to a merger with the NFL. The Browns would dominate every season while in the AAFC.

Unlike the more successful American Football League, the AAFC would let three of its seven teams join the NFL after the two leagues agreed to merge. The AFL would let all ten of their franchises join the league after the AFL and NFL agreed to a merger. The teams that would join the NFL from the AAFC were: Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers, and Baltimore Colts (this version of the Colts would exist for only one season in 1950 but a different iteration of the Colts would begin in 1953).

Many of the experts expected the Cleveland Browns to fail in 1950 as many NFL people felt that the AAFC was a minor league compared to the established NFL. After all, the NFL had survived its roughest stretch of existence due to World War II and was coming out of the war with its feet intact and looked to a brighter future. Most of the top athletes during this era were still playing baseball, or boxing. Once the Browns entered the NFL, the American consciousness would start to shift.

The Browns during the 1950's would enjoy some of the best football ever seen in the history of the NFL. They would win the NFL championship in 1950, 1954 and 1955. They would win the conference championship every year from 1950 to 1955, as well as 1957. One of the craziest statistics is that they won their division every year from 1946 to 1955. You have to remember this was during a time when the NFL had lesser teams, the rules were less, and defenses could literally do anything. The 1950's Browns were really and truly the first great dynasty in the NFL.

They had great players during those years. Such players like Otto Graham, Lou Groza, Dante Lavelli, Marion Motley and Bill Willis (Motley and Willis were two of the earliest African-American players to play professional football). The man who coached those players stands above all others, Paul Brown.

Paul Brown was the franchise's first head coach and where the team got their name from. He would coach those championship years for the Browns. What I think Brown brought to the table was turn the coaching profession into a science. He controlled everything in a player's daily schedule. From practice, watching game film, to forcing players to not have sex after Tuesday or signing players regardless of race. The topic of race never resonated with him, if he was good at playing the game, Brown would stop at nothing to sign him. Many coaches like Chuck Noll, Don Shula, and Bill Walsh used Brown's system.

Week 11 Recap

Pittsburgh 7, Cleveland 21: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

The game was an old-fashioned black and blue football game, but it was overshadowed by two players: a player who instigated the fight, and a player who lost his cool in the moment. Mason Rudolph was the one who instigated the fight would finish the game with 221 yards passing with a touchdown but threw for four interceptions. Pittsburgh's running game didn't do much as Jalen Samuels was the leading rusher with 26 yards, James Conner had only 10. Baker Mayfield continued to play it safe and finished the game with 193 yards passing with two touchdowns. Mayfield would run it in for a touchdown on a 1-yard play. Nick Chubb would have a good day on the ground with his 92 yards from the ground. Overall, I think Mason Rudolph should get some punishment for instigating the fight between him and Myles Garrett. Don't get me wrong, I think Garrett deserves the blame for it as well. 

All-time series: Steelers lead series 75-59-1

Next week: Pittsburgh: @ Cincinnati; Cleveland: vs Miami

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Houston 7, Baltimore 41: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The match-up between DeShaun Watson and Lamar Jackson was well... not what was expected from the final result. Watson douldn't do much against the Ravens defense, finishing the day with 169 yards passing with an interception. He couldn't do much on the ground with 12 yards rushing. Carlos Hyde was the Texans leading rusher with 65 yards. Penalties and turnovers didn't help much for Houston as they took three penalties and two turnovers. Lamar Jackson had a fine day with 222 yards passing with four touchdowns and would ran for 86 yards. Gus Edwards was the leading rusher with 116 yards with a touchdown. Just another day in the office for Lamar Jackson.

All-time series: Ravens lead 9-2

Next week: Houston: vs Indianapolis (Thursday); Baltimore: @ LA Rams

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Denver 23, Minnesota 27: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

It was a game of two halves: the "Vikings did squat while the Broncos played aggressive football" and the "Vikings got back to playing better football while the Broncos did squat." Brandon Allen did well enough, finishing the day with 240 yards passing with a touchdown while throwing an interception late in the first half. Philip Lindsey was the leading rusher for Denver with 67 yards while Andy Janovich ran it in for a touchdown on a 1-yard play. Kirk Cousins was sluggish in the first half but would turn it up in the 2nd half, finishing the game with 319 yards with three touchdowns. Denver did well containing Dalvin Cook, holding the runningback to 26 yards but would get a touchdown in the game. Broncos did fine, but forgot to put the foot on the gas after halftime.

All-time series: Vikings lead 8-7

Next week: Denver: @ Buffalo; Minnesota: Bye

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Jacksonville 13, Indianapolis 33: TW: Colts; CV: Colts

Nick Foles returned to the Jaguars after getting injured in Week 1. Foles did fine in the game, with his 296 yards passing with two touchdowns while throwing an interception. Leonard Fournette didn't see a lot of action from the ground with eight carries for 23 yards, probably because that the Jags defense couldn't stop Indy. Jacoby Brissett returned and had a meager day with his 148 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It would be the Colts running game that would shine best as Marlon Mack and Johnathan Williams would both run for 109 and 116 yards rushing respectively, with Mack getting the rushing touchdown. It would be the first time that Indy had two 100+ yard rushers in a game since 1985.

All-time series: Colts lead 24-13

Next week: Jacksonville: @ Tennessee; Indianapolis: @ Houston (Thursday)

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

New Orleans 34, Tampa Bay 17: TW: Saints; CV: Saints

The Saints had a wake up call last week, losing to Atlanta and in a competitive NFC, they needed a win. Drew Brees threw the ball for 228 yards with three touchdowns. Alvin Kamara ran the ball for a good amount of 75 yards. Jameis Winston reverted back to his wild ways, finishing the game with 313 yards passing with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Winston was the leading rusher with 23 yards in the game.

All-time series: Saints lead series 35-21

Next week: New Orleans: vs Carolina; Tampa Bay: @ Atlanta

TW: 4-1; CV: 4-1

NY Jets 34, Washington 17: TW: Redskins; CV: Jets

Well I took a chance on Washington, and it backfired, such my luck. Sam Darnold had one of his better games this season with 293 yards passing with four touchdowns and an interception. Le'Veon Bell had a decent day with 59 yards rushing with a touchdown. Dwayne Haskins had a better game than some of his previous starts this season, finishing with 214 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Adrian Peterson wouldn't be able to get much of a ground game going with only 26 yards rushing on nine carries.

All-time series: Redskins lead series 8-4

Next week: NY Jets: vs Oakland; Washington: vs Detroit

TW: 4-2; CV: 5-1

Dallas 35, Detroit 27: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

The Cowboys defense had a rough game but Dak Prescott saved the day. Prescott threw for 444 yards with three touchdowns in the game, a pretty good game for him for sure. Ezekiel Elliot didn't get much on the ground with 45 yards but would run it in for a touchdown. Michael Gallup had 148 receiving yards. Jake Driskel started in place of Matthew Stafford and did okay with his 209 yards with two touchdown. Driskel would run for 51 yards with a touchdown. Bo Scarborough was the leading rusher for the Lions with 55 yards. With Philadelphia's loss, the Cowboys have a 1-game cushion in the division.

All-time series: Cowboys lead 17-12

Next week: Dallas: @ New England; Detroit: @ Washington

TW: 5-2; CV: 6-1

Buffalo 37, Miami 20: TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Bills did what they were expected to, they beat a bad team. Josh Allen did well in this game with 256 yards with three touchdowns. Devin Singletary had a good day on the ground with 75 yards but wouldn't score a touchdown. Ryan Fitzpatrick had 319 yards passing but wouldn't get a passing touchdown in the game. Oddly enough, both Jakeem Grant and Kalen Ballage would score a touchdown each but could only put up 7 and 9 yards rushing respectively. Grant would also score a touchdown on a 101-yard kickoff return, his fourth overall kick-six in his career. Buffalo is 7-3 for the first time since 1999.

All-time series: Dolphins lead 61-50-1

Next week: Buffalo: vs Denver; Miami: @ Cleveland

TW: 6-2; CV: 7-1

Atlanta 29, Carolina 3: TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers

Where was this Atlanta team earlier in the year? Matt Ryan had a better game than what he had last week as he finished the game with 311 yards passing with a touchdown but improved in that he didn't throw an interception. Brian Hill didn't get too much on the ground as he put up 30 yards rushing. Kyle Allen looked very mortal in this game as he threw for 325 yards but would throw four interceptions. Christian McCaffrey had a good day on the ground and air with 70 rushing yards and 122 receiving yards. What's wrong with Carolina?

All-time series: Atlanta leads 31-18

Next week: Atlanta: vs Tampa Bay; Carolina: @ New Orleans

TW: 6-3; CV: 7-2

Arizona 26, San Francisco 36: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

The 49ers kept this one close but you have to give credit to Arizona when its due. Kyler Murray threw the ball for 150 yards with two touchdowns while running the ball for 67 yards with a touchdown. Kenyan Drake would get 67 yards as well. Jimmy Garoppolo was quite interesting in this game. He threw for 424 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions, the only blemish was the two picks. It was another game where the running game was quiet as Tevin Coleman ran for 14 yards. San Francisco's offense needs to get better if they want to beat Green Bay next week.

All-time series: 49ers lead 31-26

Next week: Arizona: Bye; San Francisco: vs Green Bay

TW: 7-3; CV: 8-2

Cincinnati 10, Oakland 17: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders

The Bengals remain winless while the surprise Raiders keep on winning. Ryan Finley started again for the Bengals, and he finished the game with 115 yards passing with an interception. Joe Mixon would score the only touchdown for the Bengals while compiling 86 yards rushing. Derek Carr did fine in the game with 292 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It was another 100+ yard game for Josh Jacobs who has already broken the Raiders rookie rushing record. Jacobs finished the game with 112. His 4 100-yard games this season broke the record set by Marcus Allen. Not too bad.

All-time series: Raiders lead 21-11

Next week: Cincinnati: vs Pittsburgh; Oakland: @ NY Jets

TW: 8-3; CV: 9-2

New England 17, Philadelphia 10: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Super Bowl rematch was more of a defensive battle than the actual championship game these two teams played back in February 2018. Tom Brady looked alright but threw the ball for 216 yards for zero touchdowns. Julian Edelman did manage to throw a touchdown pass for 15 yards. Sony Michel was able to muster 33 yards from the ground. Carson Wentz had similar numbers like Brady but threw for 214 yards with a touchdown, a pass from Wentz to Dallas Goedert. Miles Sanders was the leading rusher for the game with 38 yards rushing. Don't really know how good the Patriots can be without a solid offensive line.

All-time series: Eagles lead 8-7

Next week: New England: vs Dallas; Philadelphia: vs Seattle

TW: 9-3; CV: 10-2

Chicago 7, LA Rams 17: TW: Rams; CV: Rams

The game was what I had expected it to be. It was pretty ugly and both quarterbacks didn't do very well. Mitchell Trubisky had 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It might've been an end of an era for Trubisky as Chase Daniel was put into the game. Tarik Cohen had 39 yards rushing for the game. Jared Goff finished the game with 173 yards passing with an interception. Todd Gurley would be the focal point of the offense, as Sean McVay would say, as Gurley finished with 97 yards rushing with a touchdown. Malcolm Brown had 15 yards for the game with a touchdown in the game as well. The Rams stay alive.

All-time series: Bears lead 54-37-3

Next week: Chicago: vs NY Giants; LA Rams: vs Baltimore

TW: 10-3; CV: 11-2

Kansas City 24, LA Chargers 17: TW: Chargers; CV: Chiefs

The game was just as ugly as the Sunday night game. Five total turnovers from both teams, granted that four of them are from the Chargers. Patrick Mahomes wasn't his normal self but was more of manager with 182 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Mahomes was the leading rusher with 59 but Damien Williams and LeSean McCoy scored for touchdowns in the game. Philip Rivers really looked not good in this game, throwing the ball 52 times and threw for 353 yards passing with a touchdown and 4 interceptions. Melvin Gordon did fine in the game with the ground as he racked up 69 yards rushing. Just imagine how the game could've changed when Rivers had lesser interceptions. I feel the Chargers are done.

All-time series: Chiefs lead 62-56-1

Next week: Kansas City: Bye; LA Chargers: Bye

TW: 10-4; CV: 12-2

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

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 2-11

Week 11: 12-2

Overall: 97-64-1

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

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 5-8

Week 11: 10-4

Overall: 99-62-1

See you guys on Wednesday for the Week 12 Picks post!
-Tom