NFL 2022 Week 15 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought us some amazing storylines. Such storylines like the comeback in Minnesota, a duel in the cold in Buffalo, a couple of overtime games in Jacksonville and Houston and a wild finish in Las Vegas. All those games and more in this week's recap post! Let's get to work!

Week 15 Recap

San Francisco 21, Seattle 13: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
A Seahawks comeback was in the works but it was too little too late. Brock Purdy went out and played well in his 2nd start of his career. He hit 17 of 26 passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns to George Kittle. Christian McCaffrey was a beast in this game with 108 rushing yards and a touchdown while getting 30 receiving yards. Jordan Mason had 64 yards rushing, including a 55-yard run. All in all, the 49ers offense was rolling on all cylinders getting 381 total yards in the game. Geno Smith had a solid game with 31 of 44 passes completed for 238 yards with a touchdown pass to Noah Fant in the 4th quarter late. Seattle got a boost of offense with the return of Kenneth Walker III who got 47 yards rushing for Seattle. San Francisco's defense put the clamp on anything that Seattle could do. They sacked Geno Smith three times and was hit nine times. For the 49ers, the win puts them at 10-4 but also win the NFC West for the first time since 2019. For the Seahawks, they drop to 7-7 on the season and will need to get back to playing better football if they want a shot at the playoffs. 

Next week:
San Francisco: vs Washington
Seattle: @ Kansas City

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Indianapolis 36, Minnesota 39 (F/OT): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Biggest comeback in NFL history and Frank Reich wasn't even a part of it. Matt Ryan was effective in the game with 19 of 33 pass completions for 182 yards with a touchdown. Definitely feel that he could've done more in this game for sure. Reasons will be stated later. Zack Moss was the leading rusher for the Colts with 81 yards rushing. Special teams were key for the early Colts surge in points as they had a blocked punt and recovered the ball for a punt-six. Defense would get on with the scoring as a Kirk Cousins pass was picked off by Julian Blackmon that would give the score in a 30-0 with 5:50 left in the 1st half. After two straight Chase McLaughlin field goals that put the score at 36-7, the Colts wouldn't visit the scoreboard again for the rest of the game. Kirk Cousins started off sluggish but by the time the 2nd half started, he was on fire. He finished the game with 460 yards passing with four touchdowns and two interceptions. KJ Osborn, Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen were the players that caught those touchdown passes from Cousins. Dalvin Cook was a monster in the game with 95 yards rushing and 95 receiving yards. CJ Ham scored a rushing touchdown on a 1-yard run. Officiating was an issue for this game as the Vikings were hosed by two plays that looked like fumbles and ran back for touchdowns. Referees would overturn them and give life to the Colts. Unfortunately it wouldn't last. The 33-0 comeback is now the all-time biggest comeback in NFL history, surpassing the Oilers vs Bills AFC Wild Card game from 1992 where former head coach Frank Reich orchestrated the comeback. For the Colts, the gut-punching loss won't give them brownie points as they drop to 4-9-1 with little hope of a postseason berth. For the Vikings, the win puts them at 11-3 with the NFC North locked up for the first time since 2017. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs LA Chargers
Minnesota: vs NY Giants

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Baltimore 3, Cleveland 13: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The game was ugly but the Browns would prevail over their rivals. Tyler Huntley wasn't spectacular in the game with 17 of 30 passes completed for 138 yards and an interception. JK Dobbins had a solid game for the Ravens running game with 125 yards rushing with a 37-yard run being his longest. Gus Edwards had 55 yards rushing. Along with the interception, the Browns recovered a fumble. The big thing that you'd have to take into account is that the Ravens went 0 for 3 in 4th down conversions. Just a rough night for John Harbaugh. DeShaun Watson wasn't great either but he helped when he needed to. Watson had 18 of 28 passes completed for 161 yards with a touchdown pass to David Peoples-Jones in the 3rd quarter that gave the Browns the score that held until the end of the game. Nick Chubb did good with his running of the ball with 99 yards rushing on 21 carries. The Browns had better success in 4th down but not as much on 3rd down. They went 2 for 2 on 4th down and 5 for 15 on 3rd down. It was a tough game to follow after the miraculous Colts-Vikings game. For the Ravens, the loss drops them to 9-5 with a possible lead in the division in danger. For the Browns, the win keeps their hopes of playoff football alive for another week. 

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Atlanta
Cleveland: vs New Orleans

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Miami 29, Buffalo 32: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Scoring and snowballs were abound in Western New York. Tua Tagovailoa did well in the Buffalo cold with 17 of 30 passes completed for 234 yards with two touchdowns to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. Raheem Mostert was a monster to the Bills rush defense with 136 yards rushing on 17 carries. He had a 67-yard run that amazing to watch. Salvon Ahmed had 43 yards rushing with a touchdown. Miami wouldn't lay down in the cold where the temperature would dip down to 20 degrees Farenheit. They finished the game with 405 total yards on offense. Josh Allen was magical in the game as he had 25 of 40 pass completions for 304 yards with four touchdown passes. Dawson Knox, Quintin Morris, Nyheim Hines, and James Cook were the players that caught those passes from Allen. It was another game that Josh Allen was the leading rusher for the Bills with 77 yards rushing. He did have a 44-yard run that was a thing of beauty. It was the Dawson Knox touchdown that cut the lead down to two. On the two-point conversion it was a Allen run that gave the game a tie. Tyler Bass was the hero that gave the Bills the win on a 25-yard field goal. For the Dolphins, the loss is their 3rd straight loss as they drop to 8-6. It is their 2nd three-game losing streak this season. For the Bills, the win gives them a playoff berth and a 11-3 record. 

Next week:
Miami: vs Green Bay
Buffalo: @ Chicago

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

Atlanta 18, New Orleans 21: TW: Falcons; CV: Saints
The Big Easy was treated to an entertaining game. Desmond Ridder got his first start at quarterback. The rookie completed 13 of 26 passes for 97 yards. Atlanta's running game did well in the game. Tyler Allgeier had 139 yards rushing with a touchdown with a 43-yard run. Cordarrelle Patterson also got a touchdown run while getting 52 yards rushing. The Falcons offense git 320 yards of offense but only 97 of them being passing yards. Only Drake London, Mike Pruitt and Avery Williams had receptions for gained yards in the game. Andy Dalton completed 11 of 17 passes for 151 yards with two touchdowns. Taysom Hill had an active role in this game as he had 80 yards passing with a touchdown and had 30 yards rushing. Alvin Kamara had a good game for the Saints with 91 yards rushing on 21 carries. New Orleans had 348 total yards in the game. It was an even game with the time of possession and 3rd down conversions. Defense reigned supreme sacked Ridder was sacked four times and Andy Dalton was sacked two times. For the Falcons, the division race slims down a bit as they drop to 5-9. For the Saints, The NFC South title is still up for grabs with a 5-9 record with the win. 

Next week:
Atlanta: @ Baltimore
New Orleans: @ Cleveland

TW: 3-2; CV: 4-1

Dallas 34, Jacksonville 40 (F/OT): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
An ugly game for both sides but the Jaguars pull off the upset. Dak Prescott had a tough game as he completed 23 of 30 passes for 256 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Dallas running game did play well as Tony Pollard ran for 75 yards on 19 carries. Ezekiel Elliot ran for 58 yards with a touchdown. Prescott's interceptions were costly as they came off of field position deep in their own territory. The last interception was in overtime that ended the game in a pick-six by Ronald Jenkins. He was also sacked three times. Trevor Lawrence continued his good play with 27 of 42 pass completions for 318 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Zay Jones had three touchdowns caught and Marvin Jones had one touchdown. Travis Etienne rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries. James Agnew had 52 yards rushing with a 30-yard run being the longest in the game. It would be Riley Patterson's 48-yard field goal that sent the game to overtime. For the Cowboys, they fall to 10-4 with hopes of the NFC East title slipping away. For the Jaguars, the pressure is on the Titans to stay on top of the AFC South as the Jags improve to 6-8.

Next week:
Dallas: vs Philadelphia
Jacksonville: @ NY Jets (Thursday night)

TW: 3-3; CV: 4-2

Detroit 20, NY Jets 17: TW: Lions; CV: Lions
As it turns out, Zach Wilson would start this game for New York. Jared Goff had a good day throwing the ball as he completed 23 of 38 passes for 252 yards with a touchdown pass. Brock Wright was the player that caught that pass on a 51-yard play. Dandre Swift had 52 yards rushing. Jamaal Williams had 33 yards rushing. Detroit's special teams had a boost with Kalif Raymond getting a touchdown on a punt-six. Zach Wilson would get the start for the Jets. Wilson hit 18 of his 35 passes for 317 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Zonovan Knight didn't get much for his game via running game with 23 yards on 13 carries. It was a close game that could've went either way but it was the Goff to Wright connection late in the 4th quarter that doomed the Jets. For the Lions, the win improves their playoff cause to a 7-7 record. For the Jets, the loss drops them to 7-7 with a slimming chance of making the playoffs. 

Next week:
Detroit: @ Carolina
NY Jets: vs Jacksonville (Thursday night)

TW: 4-3; CV: 5-2

Kansas City 30, Houston 24: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
It was an ugly game but Jerrick McKinnon called game. Patrick Mahomes played lights out in the game with 336 yards passing and 33 yards rushing in the game. Mahomes had three total touchdowns (two pass, one rush) in the game where Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jerrick McKinnon caught those passes. Isiah Pacheco had 86 yards rushing in the game. Jerrick McKinnon had 52 yards rushing with the game-winning touchdown on a 26-yard run. Davis Mills had a rebound game and tossed 12 of 24 passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns to Jordan Akins and Teagan Quitoriano. He also had a rushing touchdown while getting 21 yards rushing. Royce Freeman ran for 51 yards in the game. One of the reasons that kept the Texans in the game was two fumbles and penalties that resulted in 102 total yards off of the yellow flag. Nevertheless, the great teams find ways to win if they're not playing their best. For the Chiefs, the win clinches their 7th straight AFC West title with a 11-3 record. For the Texans, they drop to 1-12-1 on the season. 

Next week:
Kansas City: vs Seattle
Houston: @ Tennessee

TW: 5-3; CV: 6-2

Philadelphia 25, Chicago 20: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Not a good day for Jalen Hurts the passer but a great day for Jalen Hurts the runner. Hurts had 315 yards passing with two interceptions and 61 yards rushing with three touchdowns. Miles Sanders had a quieter day in the game with 42 yards rushing. AJ Brown had a solid day catching the ball with 181 receiving yards on nine catches. Justin Fields did well in the game with 152 yards passing with two touchdown passes and 95 rushing yards. David Montgomery had 53 rushing yards with a touchdown. The turnovers helped keep the Bears in it but they just couldn't stop them enough to get the win and the upset. For the Eagles, the win increases their record to 13-1 with the shot to win the NFC East against Dallas next week. For the Bears, they go to 3-11. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: @ Dallas
Chicago: vs Buffalo

TW: 6-3; CV: 7-2

Pittsburgh 24, Carolina 16: TW: Panthers; CV: Steelers
A win is a win and Mitchell Trubisky got to play the whole game. Trubisky had 17 of 22 pass completions for 179 yards with nine rushing yards with a touchdown. Didn't throw a touchdown but didn't throw an interception either. Najee Harris had 86 yards rushing with a touchdown. Jaylen Warren had 38 yards rushing with a touchdown. It was news before the game that Trubisky's leash was short but I think he did enough to play again. Sam Darnold played a fairly good game with 14 of 23 passes for 225 yards with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore in the 2nd quarter. Carolina's run game got them 21 yards total with Chuba Hubbard, D'Onta Foreman and Sam Darnold contributing to those yards. Carolina in all had 209 total yards. Eddy Pineiro had three field goals for the Panthers. For the Steelers, the win keeps their playoff hopes alive and Mike Tomlin's hopes of continuing his no losing season streak for at least another week. For the Panthers, their loss drops to 5-9 in 2022. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Las Vegas
Carolina: vs Detroit

TW: 6-4; CV: 8-2

Arizona 15, Denver 24: TW: Cardinals; CV: Broncos
Turnovers galore in the Mile High City. Colt McCoy started for the Cardinals but left the game in the 3rd quarter after taking a hit while diving in the ground in the 3rd quarter. He had 13 of 21 passes completed for 78 yards with an interception. Arizona turned to 3rd stringer Trace McSorley. McSorley didn't help the cause as he hit 7 of 15 passes for 95 yards and threw two interceptions. James Conner rushed for 63 yards with a touchdown that cut the Bronco lead to 24-15. The two-point conversion failed. Brett Rypien started for Denver over Russell Wilson who was given the week off. The 2nd stringer hit 21 of 26 passes for 197 yards with a touchdown and threw an interception. Rypien faced the pressure, the hits, and the sacks of the Cardinals defense. For example, JJ Watt was a force like his days of old. Latavius Murray rushed for 130 yards with a touchdown. Marlon Mack rushed for 37 yards with a touchdown. Brett Rypien was sacked seven times but the passer would lead the Broncos to three scoring drives in the 2nd half after being held to three points in the 1st half. For the Cardinals, the loss drops their record to 4-10 with the season surely over for them. For the Broncos, the win is their 4th in the 2022 season. 

Next week:
Arizona: vs Tampa Bay
Denver: @ LA Rams

TW: 6-5; CV: 9-2

New England 24, Las Vegas 30: TW: Patriots; CV: Raiders
The Patriots made it a comeback but the game would go down for a whole different reason. Mac Jones was not good in this game as the quarterback hit 13 of 31 passes for 112 yards. It was also a game where the Patriots passing game didn't generate enough offense. It was the running game that made it a game for the Pats. Rhamondre Stevenson returned in this game and played his heart out. He had 172 yards rushing on 19 carries with a touchdown. It was a pitiful performance on offense as the Patriots converted on 3rd down twice out of 13 tries in this game. One plus side to the Patriots was that Mac Jones was clean and the offensive line played one of their best games of the season. Penalties were reduced as well. Derek Carr completed 20 of 38 passes for 231 yards with three touchdowns and an interception that was returned for a pick-six in the 3rd quarter. Keelan Cole, Darren Waller and Mack Hollins were the players that caught passes by Carr for touchdowns, Cole being the one that tied the game. The play was questionable as Cole was possibly touching the out of bounds area. Nevertheless, the momentum was on the Raiders. Josh Jacobs had a good day on the ground with 93 yards rushing. Overall the Patriots defense did well enough to keep the Raiders from scoring more points in the game. Derek Carr was sacked three times. The game would come down to a draw play that started off with Rhamondre Stevenson driving down the field. Stevenson would toss the ball to Jakobi Meyers who relayed the ball to Mac Jones. Unfortunately Chandler Jones was in the way and recovered the ball, truck sticked Mac Jones and ran it back to the endzone to win the game. For the Patriots, the loss drops them to 7-7 with the toughest part of their schedule coming up. For the Raiders, their playoff hopes are still alive with a 6-8 record. 

Next week:
New England: vs Cincinnati
Las Vegas: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 6-6; CV: 10-2

Cincinnati 34, Tampa Bay 23: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The game looked promising to some when the schedule was released. It wouldn't be the case. Joe Burrow was masterful in the game as he hit 27 of 39 passes for 200 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Cincinnati didn't get a lot from their running game but with the score, I don't think they'll mind. Samaje Perine had 24 yards rushing. Joe Mixon had 21 yards rushing. Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, Mitchell Wilcox and Tee Higgins were the players that caught those touchdown passes from Burrow. Tom Brady was not at his best in the game as he hit 30 of 44 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He would also lose two fumbles in the game. Leonard Fournette rushed for 44 yards on 10 carries. Rashaad White rushed for 38 yards with 11 carries. It was a tale of two halves in this game. The first half was dominated by Tampa who put up a 17-3 margin at halftime. It was then a 3rd quarter from hell as anything that could go wrong, went wrong. The Bengals would score 31 points in the 2nd half to the Buccaneers six. For the Bengals, the win moves them up to 10-4 and lead now in the AFC North with the Ravens loss earlier on Sunday. For the Buccaneers, the loss drops them to 6-8 but still have control of their own destiny in the NFC South. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ New England
Tampa Bay: @ Arizona

TW: 7-6; CV: 11-2

Tennessee 14, LA Chargers 17: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Justin Herbert did the driving and Cameron Dicker did the rest. Ryan Tannehill started the game for the Titans before leaving the game temporarily with an injured ankle. The time period would last only one possession and finished the game with 165 yards passing with an interception but did ran it in for a score that tied the game at 14. Malik Willis passed for 20 yards on that one possession. Derrick Henry had 104 yards rushing with a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Tennessee put up 284 total yards on offense in the game. Justin Herbert wasn't quite there in the game. He hit 28 of 42 passes for 313 yards with two interceptions. Austin Ekeler had 58 yards rushing with a touchdown. Joshua Kelley also had a touchdown on 24 yards rushing. The last drive for the Chargers started on their own 23-yard line. It would be a 31-yard pass play to Mike Williams that drove the Chargers down the field. Cameron Dicker came in the clutch and hit a 43-yard field goal that sent the Chargers fans home with a win. For the Titans, the loss drops them to 7-7 and with the Jaguars winning today keeps the pressure on them to win the AFC South. For the Chargers, they move to 8-6 on the year and move into the #6 seed in the AFC playoffs. 

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Houston
LA Chargers: @ Indianapolis

TW: 7-7; CV: 11-3

NY Giants 20, Washington 12: TW: Commanders; CV: Giants
NFC East rivals dueled in primetime. Daniel Jones played well enough in the game as he hit 21 of 32 passes for 160 yards. He didn't toss a touchdown but neither an interception. Saquon Barkley scored the only offensive touchdown for the Giants on a direct snap and ran it in for a 3-yard score. New York's defense would score on a Taylor Heinicke sack that was fumbled and recovered by Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Giants would also get another fumble in the game. Taylor Heinicke played alright in the game with 17 of 29 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson in the 3rd quarter. The fumble-six by Heinicke really hurt their chances of victory. Brian Robinson Jr rushed for 89 yards on 12 carries. Washington's offense wasn't effective in overcoming 3rd down as they went 1 for 10. The Giants went 2 for 10. Like most games this week the game was mired in officiating controversy in a no pass interference call on a ball that was thrown to Washington's Curtis Samuel. For the Giants, their winless streak ends with a playoff spot in their midst. For the Commanders, the loss drops them to 7-6-1 but still have a playoff spot for the moment. 

Next week:
NY Giants: @ Minnesota
Washington: @ San Francisco

TW: 7-8; CV: 12-3

LA Rams 12, Green Bay 24: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
It was the running backs that ran the show in the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field. Baker Mayfield completed 12 of 21 passes for 111 yards with a touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee. Mayfield would also throw an interception. Cam Akers ran the ball fairly well with 65 yards rushing on 12 carries. Whether it was the Green Bay cold or the luck fading out, the Rams offense was held to 156 yards of offense. Aaron Rodgers did good in the game with 22 of 30 passes for 229 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Aaron Jones caught the pass from Rodgers. The damage that Aaron Jones did was on the ground with 90 yards rushing. The key contributor to the scoring was AJ Dillon with 36 yards rushing with two touchdowns. It was an effective game for the Packers offense with 345 total yards. Pass protection was an issue for both sides as Baker Mayfield was sacked five times and Aaron Rodgers was sacked three times. For the Rams, the loss drops their sad title defense season to 4-10. For the Packers, they get a much needed win and improved to 6-8. 

Next week:
LA Rams: vs Denver
Green Bay: @ Miami

TW: 8-8; CV: 13-3

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
Week 12: 10-6
Week 13: 11-3-1
Week 14: 7-6
Week 15: 8-8

Total: 134-88-2

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
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 8-6-1
Week 14: 9-4
Week 15: 13-3

Total: 125-95-2

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 

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 16 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 15 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought us some sad realities as a new wave of COVID has impacted games from starting in their original times to more stranger times like Tuesday or Wednesday or something. However the week did bring some surprises as the Colts ended the Patriots winning streak, a down to the wire game in Pittsburgh, and a Lions team upsetting the top heavy Cardinals. This post will have a recap of those games and more in this week's recap post. Let's get to work!

Week 15 Recap

Kansas City 34, LA Chargers 28 (F/OT): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Holy cow this was a crazy game. Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert put up quite a show. Mahomes completed 31 of 47 passes for 410 yards with three touchdowns and had an interception picked off. He would also get 32 yards rushing and his 32-yard run was the longest in the game. Clyde Edwards-Helaire also would get 32 yards rushing in the game. Michael Burton, the Chiefs fullback, would get a touchdown on a 7-yard run. The touchdown play would come on a 7-yard pass to the right to Travis Kelce. Harrison Butker would be the one to tie it up. Justin Herbert completed 22 of 38 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns but also threw an interception. He also would get 16 yards rushing with a touchdown. Along with Herbert was Justin Jackson's 86 yards, Austin Ekeler's 59 yards with a touchdown and Justin Kelly's 21 yards rushing. The game-winning touchdown would come from a Mahomes to Kelce pass for 34 yards down the middle for the score. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Next week:
Kansas City: vs Pittsburgh
LA Chargers: @ Houston

New England 17, Indianapolis 27: TW: Colts; CV: Patriots
Mac Jones would turn mortal for this game. Jonathan Taylor might've just won MVP just in this game alone. Mac Jones completed 26 of 45 passes for 299 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 36 yards in the game. Certainly the Colts defensive gameplan was to slow or limit the effectiveness of the Patriots run game. Carson Wentz completed 5 of 12 passes for 57 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception. Jonathan Taylor carried the ball 29 times for 170 yards with a touchdown, including a 67-yard run that would result in a score. Indianapolis would also get a score on a special teams play that featured a block punt that was recovered by Elijah Speed for a score. Anything can happen in the NFL and this season is no exception. 

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

Next week:
New England: vs Buffalo
Indianapolis: @ Arizona

Arizona 12, Detroit 30: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Who saw this coming? Not even Lions fans probably. Kyler Murray threw 23 of 41 passes for completion for 257 yards with a touchdown and had a pass that was intercepted. Colt McCoy would play some in this game as he threw 6 of 9 passes for 56 yards. Chase Edmonds rushed the ball for 53 yards on six carries. Jared Goff had one of his best days as a Lion as he completed 21 of 26 passes for 216 yards with three touchdowns. Craig Reynolds, the former product out of Kutztown (apparently there's a school named that), would make the most of his opportunity as Jamaal Williams was out on COVID protocol. Dandre Swift would also not play due to a shoulder injury. Reynolds would rush for 112 yards on 26 carries. Red Zone efficiency hurt the Cardinals in this one as they would go 0-4 inside the 20-yard line. Certainly a shock but a shock that DeAndre Hopkins will be out for the rest of the season. 

TW: 2-1; CV: 1-2

Next week:
Arizona: vs Indianapolis
Detroit: @ Atlanta

Carolina 14, Buffalo 31: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Buffalo gets back on track while Carolina continues to freefall. Cam Newton would continue to his below average play as he completed 18 of 38 passes for 156 yards with a touchdown to Ameer Abdullah but also threw a pass to a Bills player. He also did save himself with a 15 carries, 71 yards rushing, one touchdown performance in the game. Chuba Hubbard had eight carries for 40 yards. Josh Allen would have a better game with a better cast. Allen completed 19 of 34 passes for 210 yards with three touchdown passes but did have an interception. Devin Singletary would have a solid day on the ground with 86 yards rushing with a touchdown. Josh Allen would get 24 yards rushing on three carries. 

TW: 3-1; CV: 2-2

Next week:
Carolina: vs Tampa Bay
Buffalo: @ New England

Dallas 21, NY Giants 6: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys with the more convincing win and the Giants just trying to get out of this season with a better draft position. Dak Prescott completed 28 of 37 passes for 217 yards with a touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz. Tony Pollard would return to action in this game as he rushed for 12 times with 74 yards rushing. Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 52 yards on 16 carries. Mike Glennon would start for the Giants with 13 of 24 passes completed for 99 yards with three interceptions. Jake Fromm would come in and provide 82 yards passing on 6 of 12 passing. Devontae Booker carried the ball eight times for 74 yards. Saquon Barkley would rush for 50 yards on 15 carries. 

TW: 4-1; CV: 3-2

Next week:
Dallas: vs Washington
NY Giants: @ Philadelphia

Houston 30, Jacksonville 16: TW: Texans; CV: Texans
Jacksonville fans got an early Christmas present: Urban Meyer got fired! Bad news is that they lost their 12th game this season. Davis Mills completed 19 of 30 passes for 209 yards with two touchdowns to Brandin Cooks but also threw an interception. Rex Burkhead provided 41 yards on the ground on 16 carries. David Johnson added 24 yards on six carries. Trevor Lawrence was alright in the circumstances that he was in with 22 of 38 completions for 210 passing yards. James Robinson rushed for 75 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. Hopefully the Jaguars actually provide a head coach that can help not hinder Trevor Lawrence. 

TW: 5-1, CV: 4-2

Next week:
Houston: vs LA Chargers
Jacksonville: @ NY Jets

NY Jets 24, Miami 31: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Dolphins have now won six straight games. The Jets also lead at halftime in this game for the first time this year. Zach Wilson started and had 13 of 23 passes for 170 yards for the Jets. Tevin Coleman rushed for 50 yards on eight carries. Zach Wilson would get in the endzone while adding 12 yards rushing. Braxton Berrios would also get a touchdown on 10 yards rushing as well. Tua Tagovailoa wasn't too great in this game as he threw 16 of 27 passes for 196 yards with two touchdowns but also had two passes picked off. Duke Johnson had a great day on the ground however as the runner had 107 yards rushing on 22 carries as well as two touchdowns. Myles Gaskin had 54 yards rushing with 10 carries. Safe to say the Dolphins are back into the playoff hunt after looking left for dead. 

TW: 6-1; CV: 5-2

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Jacksonville
Miami: @ New Orleans

Tennessee 13, Pittsburgh 19: TW: Steelers; CV: Titans
Thank god for that defense. Ryan Tannehill completed 23 of 32 passes for 153 yards with an interception that was grabbed by Justin Schobert. Donta Foreman really did a good job going after the weak Steelers rush defense and had 108 rushing yards on 22 carries. Ryan Tannehill would get the only touchdown for the Titans on a 1-yard run to the right. Ben Roethlisberger completed 16 of 25 passes for 148 yards. He would also score the only touchdown for the Steelers on a  1-yard run. Najee Harris would only get 18 yards on the ground. Pittsburgh's defense would have a field day in the turnover department as they would force five fumbles and recover three of them as well as said interception. 

TW: 7-1; CV: 5-3

Next week:
Tennessee: vs San Francisco
Pittsburgh: @ Kansas City

Atlanta 13, San Francisco 31: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
It was a thorough demolition in Santa Clara. Matt Ryan completed 19 of 32 passes for 236 with a touchdown pass to Russell Gage. Mike Davis rushed for 21 yards on six carries. Jimmy Garoppolo was good in this game as he completed 18 of 23 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown. San Francisco's running attack would do the scoring. Jeff Wilson did the most damage with his 110 rushing yards with a touchdown. Deebo Samuel would contribute to the scoring as well as he had a touchdown and added 29 yards rushing in the game. Kyle Juszczyk would get a touchdown on a 6-yard run. 

TW: 8-1; CV: 6-3

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Detroit
San Francisco: @ Tennessee

Cincinnati 15, Denver 10: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Hopefully Teddy Bridgewater is alright after taking a vicious hit to the head. Joe Burrow completed 15 of 22 passes for 157 yards with a touchdown to Tyler Boyd. Joe Mixon carried the ball 17 times for 58 yards. Evan McPherson would hit 3 of 3 field goals that would help the Bengals. Teddy Bridgewater would start for the Bengals. He would complete 12 of 22 passes for 98 yards before getting hit in the head by linebacker Joe Bachie. Bachie would leave the game with a knee injury. Drew Lock would come in and provide 88 passing yards with the only touchdown the Broncos would hit. Javontae Williams rushed for 72 yards and Melvin Gordon rushed for 53 yards. Sucks that bad things happen to good people like Teddy Bridgewater who had gotten his life back together. Football gods giveth and football gods taketh. 

TW: 9-1; CV: 7-3

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Baltimore
Denver: @ Las Vegas

Green Bay 31, Baltimore 30: TW: Packers; CV: Ravens
Once again the analytics would prove to be a costly decision for the Baltimore Ravens. Aaron Rodgers would do Aaron Rodgers things as the passer completed 23 of 31 passes for 268 yards with three touchdowns. AJ Dillon would carry the ball seven times for 22 yards with a touchdown. Aaron Jones would carry the ball 13 times for 58 yards. Tyler Huntley would carry the Ravens on his back in this one as he completed 28 of 40 passes for 215 yards for two touchdowns as well as adding 73 rushing yards with two touchdowns. Bringing his total touchdowns to four. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh would try again to win the game on a two-point conversion. The play itself would be a pass play where Huntley would go to the right and tries to hit Mark Andrews. Huntley would also have an open Malcolm Brown down the middle as well. 

TW: 10-1; CV: 7-4

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Cleveland
Baltimore: @ Cincinnati

New Orleans 9, Tampa Bay 0: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Saints
First time since 2006 since Tom Brady had been shutout (last time was a 21-0 defeat to Nick Saban's Miami Dolphins). Taysom Hill completed 13 of 27 passes for 154 yards. The passer would add 33 yards rushing as well. Saints kicker Brett Maher would provide the only scoring in this one as he hit three field goals. His longest was from 42 yards. Tom Brady would hit 26 of 48 completed passes for 214 with an interception. Ronald Jones would rush for 63 yards on eight carries. I don't get it, the Saints in the regular season are somehow Brady's kryptonite. With a depleting receiving corp, will the Bucs make it back to the Super Bowl? Who knows.

TW: 10-2; CV: 8-4

New Orleans: vs Miami
Tampa Bay: @ Carolina

Las Vegas 16, Cleveland 14: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The game that ended up being on a Monday instead of a Saturday. Thanks COVID. Derek Carr completed 25 of 38 passes for 236 yards with a touchdown and had an interception in the game. Josh Jacobs would get adequate yardage in the game as he had 52 yards rushing on 15 carries. Nick Mullens would get the start for Cleveland in place of Baker Mayfield. Mullens would get 20 of 30 passes completed for 147 yards with a touchdown. Nick Chubb had a good game as the running back had 91 yards rushing on 23 carries. Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson would be the clutch player in the game as he would hit a 48-yard field goal to win it for the Raiders. 

TW: 10-3; CV: 8-5

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Denver
Cleveland: @ Green Bay

Minnesota 17, Chicago 9: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Kind of a boring game, kind of a sleeper. Kirk Cousins completed 12 of 24 passes for 87 yards with two touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson and to Ihmir Smithmarsette. Dalvin Cook would rush for 89 yards on 28 carries. Justin Fields completed 26 of 39 passes for 285 yards with a touchdown pass to Jesper Horsted. The touchdown would come on the last few seconds of the game. David Montgomery rushed for 60 yards on 18 carries. The division is out of the question for the Vikings but the wild card is still in play for them. At least the Bears won't make the playoffs and head coach Matt Nagy won't be the head coach for much longer. Truly a wonderous Christmas gift for the Bears faithful. 

TW: 11-3; CV: 9-5

Next week:
Minnesota: vs LA Rams
Chicago: @ Seattle

Seattle 10, LA Rams 20: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Rams take care of business and the Seahawks are now losing season bound for the first time since 2011. Russell Wilson would find this one inhospitable as he completed 17 of 31 passes for 156 yards with an interception. DeeJay Dallas rushed for 41 yards and scored the only touchdown for the Seahawks in this game. Rashad Penny would rush for 39 yards in the game. Matthew Stafford was good in this game as he completed 21 of 29 passes for 244 yards with two touchdown passes to Cooper Kupp. He also threw an interception as well. Sony Michel had a solid day running the ball as the former Patriot racked up 92 yards on 18 carries. Darrell Henderson rushed for 23 yards on six carries. With the Cardinals faltering, could the Rams take control of the NFC West? Who knows. 

TW: 12-3; CV: 10-5

Next week:
Seattle: vs Chicago
LA Rams: @ Minnesota

Washington 17, Philadelphia 27: TW: Eagles; CV: Football Team
Good old fashioned NFC East football here. Garrett Gilbert would start over the folk hero Taylor Heinicke. The passer would finish with 20 of 31 passes for 194 yards, not a bad start for him given the circumstances. Antonio Gibson would find the endzone but would find it difficult to find holes as he would only get 26 yards rushing on 15 carries. Jaret Patterson rushed for 20 yards on four carries with a touchdown as well. Jalen Hurts would be the one to carry the Eagles in this one as he had three total touchdowns as well as racking up 296 passing yards and 38 rushing yards. Miles Sanders would find holes very well as he rushed 131 yards on 18 carries. Jordan Howard rushed for 69 yards with 15 carries. Philadelphia is still in the drivers seat for a playoff spot. 

TW: 13-3; CV: 10-6

Next week:
Washington: @ Dallas
Philadelphia: vs NY Giants

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

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

Total: 137-86-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

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

Total: 138-85-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

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 

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 16 picks post!

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 15 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought some big surprises. Such surprises as: an early Christmas present for the Jets, a Patriots finishing with no playoffs, and Atlanta blowing yet another lead. Well, okay the last one wasn't real surprising. In this post, I'll recap the week's action. Let's get to work!

Week 15 Recap

LA Chargers 30, Las Vegas 27 (F/OT): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Raiders head coach wore an Oakland Raiders hat before realizing his team now resides in Las Vegas. Probably was a sign that perhaps the Raiders might not win this one. Justin Herbert threw for 314 yards with two touchdowns. He also rushed for 14 yards with a touchdown run. The touchdown run ended up being the game-winning score that gave the Chargers the win. Austin Ekeler rushed for 60 yards. Derek Carr started for the Raiders and threw for 53 yards before leaving the game with a groin injury. Former Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota came into his place and threw for 226 yards and threw a touchdown but also threw an interception. Mariota rushed for 88 yards with a rushing touchdown. Josh Jacobs rushed for 76 yards with a touchdown run of his own. Let the Marcus Mariota is the next Jim Plunkett comparisons begin!

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Denver
Las Vegas: vs Miami

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Buffalo 48, Denver 19: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
It's been a long time coming but the Buffalo Bills have conquered the AFC East for the first time since 1995. Josh Allen threw for 359 yards with two passing touchdowns. Allen also rushed for 33 yards with two rushing touchdowns. Zack Moss rushed for 81 yards and Devin Singletary rushed for 68 yards with a touchdown. Drew Lock finished with lesser stats as he threw for 132 yards but also threw a touchdown pass. Melvin Gordon rushed for 61 yards with two touchdowns. I was in 1st grade when the Buffalo Bills won a division title. It's been that long. 

Next week:
Buffalo: @ New England
Denver: @ LA Chargers

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Carolina 16, Green Bay 24: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
First three drives for Green Bay: three touchdowns. Next five drives: five punts. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 258 yards and didn't throw a touchdown pass. Mike Davis ran for 59 yards. Bridgewater rushed for 26 yards with a touchdown. Rodney Smith rushed for 23 yards. Aaron Rodgers threw for 143 yards with a touchdown pass. Aaron Jones had another stellar day on the ground with 145 yards with a touchdown. His longest was for 46 yards. Aaron Rodgers provided 26 rushing yards with a touchdown. Definitely will need to put the foot on the gas for more than a half in a game to make it far in January football. 

Next week:
Carolina: @ Washington
Green Bay: vs Tennessee

TW: 3-0: CV: 3-0

New England 12, Miami 22: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
For the first time since 2008 the Patriots will not play January football. Only the 2nd time since 2000 that the Patriots won't play in January as well. Cam Newton threw for 209 yards in the game but didn't throw an interception. Sony Michel rushed for 74 yards. Cam Newton rushed for 38 yards in the game as well. Patriots kicker Nick Folk kicked 4 of 4 field goals in the game. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 145 yards with an interception in the game. Salvon Ahmed rushed for 122 yards with a touchdown run. Matt Breida rushed for 86 yards. Tua Tagovailoa rushed for nine yards with two touchdown runs. Well New England, you get to watch the playoffs with the rest of America. 

Next week:
New England: vs Buffalo
Miami: @ Las Vegas

TW: 4-0; CV: 4-0

Seattle 20, Washington 15: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Seattle got a playoff spot. Russell Wilson threw for 121 yards with a touchdown and had an interception in the game. Seattle's running game was pretty effective as Chris Carson had 63 yards, Carlos Hyde rushed for 55 and Russell Wilson rushed for 52 yards. Hyde scored a rushing touchdown. Dwayne Haskins would get the start in place of injured starter Alex Smith. Haskins threw for 295 yards with a touchdown but also threw two interceptions in the game. JD McKissic rushed for 51 yards. Peyton Barber rushed for five yards and scored a rushing touchdown. It was pretty much Seattle's game but Washington did score 12 unanswered points in the 4th quarter. A win is a win though.

Next week:
Seattle: vs LA Rams
Washington: vs Carolina

TW: 5-0; CV: 5-0

San Francisco 33, Dallas 41: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Here comes the "DALLAS GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS AND GETTING LOMBARDI #6 CROWD" damn you San Francisco! Nick Mullens started for the 49ers and threw for 219 yards with two touchdowns and had two interceptions in the game. One of them was late in the game when the 49ers had a chance to get closer in terms of score. CJ Beathard threw for 100 yards with a touchdown pass of his own. Raheem Mostert was a factor in the game as he ran for 68 yards and Jeff Wilson rushed for 60 yards with a touchdown run. Andy Dalton threw for 209 yards with two touchdown passes. Tony Pollard started in place of Ezekiel Elliot and provided 69 yards rushing with two touchdowns. His longest run was from 40 yards. 

Next week:
San Francisco: @ Arizona
Dallas: vs Philadelphia

TW: 5-1; CV: 5-1

Tampa Bay 31, Atlanta 27: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
You thought that Atlanta might be done blowing huge leads, hell no you'd be wrong! Tom Brady did Tom Brady things and threw for 390 yards with two touchdown passes. Leonard Fournette would get the leading rusher honors in this game with his 49 yards with two touchdown runs. Matt Ryan threw for 356 yards with three touchdown passes. Pretty good day for him. Ito Smith wouldn't get much from the ground as he was held to 24 yards rushing on six carries. Atlanta should just not have a lead at all, that way they can blow a lead. Seriously, you give your fans headaches!

Next week:
Tampa Bay: @ Detroit
Atlanta: @ Kansas City

TW: 6-1; CV: 6-1

Jacksonville 14, Baltimore 40: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Oh poor Gardner Minshew. Not even Minshewmania could save him. Gardner Minshew threw for 226 yards with two touchdown passes. James Robinson rushed for 35 yards. Lamar Jackson threw for 243 yards with three touchdowns and had an interception in the game. JK Dobbins rushed for 64 yards with a touchdown run. Lamar Jackson rushed for 35 yards with a touchdown run. Quick recap, not much else to say. How are you doing?

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Chicago
Baltimore: vs NY Giants

TW: 7-1; CV: 7-1

Houston 20, Indianapolis 27: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
Fumbles all over in this one! DeShaun Watson threw for 373 yards with two touchdowns. David Johnson could only get 27 yards rushing in this one. Houston had three fumbles in this one, two of them were lost. One of them was a fumble in the endzone that ended any hopes of a score for the Texans. Phillip Rivers threw for 228 yards with two touchdowns. Johnathan Taylor rushed for 83 yards with a touchdown run. It seemed more closer to me than the stats show. Either that or the Colts aren't great at blowing out opponents. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Cincinnati 
Indianapolis: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 8-1; CV: 8-1

Chicago 33, Minnesota 27: TW: Vikings; CV: Bears
Both sides of the ball sucked for the Vikings. Mitchell Trubisky threw for 202 yards with a touchdown pass and also threw an interception. David Montgomery somehow outrushed Dalvin Cook in this game as the Bears runner rushed for 146 yards with two touchdowns. Kirk Cousins threw for 271 yards with two touchdown passes and threw an interception in the game. Dalvin Cook had a good game in this one as he rushed for 132 yards with a touchdown run. Minnesota had a chance to tie the game with a hail mary. Ultimately, it didn't go as well as it had hoped and Chicago intercepted. 

Next week:
Chicago: @ Jacksonville
Minnesota: @ New Orleans

TW: 8-2; CV: 9-1

Detroit 25, Tennessee 46: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Derrick Henry stiff armed a guy and threw him to the ground so hard you could feel it. Kind of proved what this game was all about. Matthew Stafford threw for 252 yards with a touchdown pass. Chase Daniel would see some action in this one as he threw for 55 yards and had an interception. Dandre Swift rushed for 67 yards with a touchdown run. Ryan Tannehill had a great day in this one. Tannehill threw for 273 yards with three touchdowns and had 21 yards rushing with two touchdown runs. Derrick Henry rushed for 147 yards with a touchdown run. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Tampa Bay
Tennessee: @ Green Bay

TW: 9-2; CV: 10-1

NY Jets 23, LA Rams 20: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Good news: Jets won a game. Bad news: Jacksonville holds the #1 draft pick now. Sam Darnold threw for 207 yards with a touchdown pass. Frank Gore rushed for 59 yards in this one and had a touchdown run. Jets kicker Sam Ficken hit 3/3 in field goals in this game. Jared Goff threw for 209 yards with two touchdown passes with an interception in the game. Cam Akers had a quieter game in this one with 63 yards. Interesting stat: the Jets were 18-point underdogs to the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, the Jets were 17-point underdogs in this game. Crazy!

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Cleveland
LA Rams: @ Seattle

TW: 9-3; CV: 10-2

Philadelphia 26, Arizona 33: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
This one was a fun little slugfest. Jalen Hurts threw for 338 yards with three touchdown passes and didn't throw an interception. Miles Sanders rushed for 64 yards and Jalen Hurts rushed for 63 yards with a rushing touchdown. Kyler Murray threw for 406 yards with three touchdowns with an interception. His 406 yards yards was his career high. Chase Edmonds rushed for 47 yards. Kyler Murray rushed for 29 yards with a touchdown. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: @ Dallas
Arizona: vs San Francisco

TW: 10-3; CV: 11-2

Kansas City 32, New Orleans 29: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The game played up to expectations. Patrick Mahomes threw for 254 yards with three touchdown passes. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 79 yards in the game. Le'Veon Bell rushed for 62 yards with a touchdown. Drew Brees made his return to the fray. Brees threw for 234 yards with three touchdown passes but also threw an interception. Taysom Hill went back to a secondary role in the running game with three yards rushing with a touchdown. Alvin Kamara rushed for 54 yards in the game. It seems the wheels are falling off a bit for New Orleans. 

Next week:
Kansas City: vs Atlanta
New Orleans: vs Minnesota

TW: 11-3; CV: 12-2

Cleveland 20, NY Giants 6: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Cleveland has double-digit wins for the first time since 2007. Baker Mayfield threw for 297 yards with two touchdowns. Nick Chubb rushed for 50 yards in the game. Colt McCoy would start in place of injured starter Daniel Jones in the game. McCoy threw for 221 yards in the game and didn't throw a touchdown in the game. Alfred Morris rushed for 39 yards and Wayne Gallman rushed for 29 yards in the game. Not much for the running game it seems. Giants kicker Graham Gano would hit two field goals to give the Giants the offense it would get in this one. I would say one more win and the Browns could be playing January football. 

Next week:
Cleveland: @ NY Jets
NY Giants: @ Baltimore

TW: 12-3; CV: 13-2

Pittsburgh 17, Cincinnati 27: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Honestly, how do you lose to a quarterback that puts up only 89 yards passing? Oh right you're offense is terrible and has that much talent. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 170 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception. It was also a bonehead interception as well. Benny Snell rushed for 84 yards with a touchdown run. Ryan Finley got the start for the Bengals in the game. Finley threw for 89 yards with a touchdown pass. Cincinnati's running game was pretty good in the game. Giovanni Bernard rushed for 83 yards with a touchdown run. Ryan Finley used his legs in this game as well as he rushed for 47 yards with a touchdown run of his own. Trending downward for Pittsburgh. Surely I thought they'd figure their shit out in this one. Apparently not. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Indianapolis
Cincinnati: @ Houston

TW: 12-4; CV: 13-3

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
Week 12: 11-5
Week 13: 10-5
Week 14: 7-9
Week 15: 12-4
Total: 145-78-1

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
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 11-4
Week 14: 11-5
Week 15: 13-3
Total: 143-80-1

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 16 picks post! 
-Tom

NFL 2018 Week 15 Recap

Hello readers!

LA Chargers 29, Kansas City 28: TW: Chiefs, CV: Chargers
The Chiefs really let this one slip away from them. They had a 14-point lead going into the 4th quarter and would lose the game by one-point. Patrick Mahomes would finish the game with 243 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs running game was led by Damien Williams with 49 yards rushing and two touchdowns of his own. Phillip Rivers finished the game with 313 yards and two touchdowns. He would also throw two interceptions. Justin Jackson would run the ball for 58 yards and a touchdown as well. The Chargers would attempt a 2-point conversion and would get it, and that would be the final result.

Week 16: LA Chargers: vs Baltimore; Kansas City: @ Seattle

TW: 0-1; CV: 1-0

Houston 29, NY Jets 22: TW: Texans, CV: Texans
It was a back and forth affair between the two teams. Both quarterbacks played outstanding ball throughout the game. DeShaun Watson had 294 yards passing with two touchdowns while rushing the ball for 26 yards. Sam Darnold had a better game throwing the ball for 254 yards and two touchdowns. With no interceptions mind you. The Texans could win the division with a Colts loss or tie and a Titans loss or tie.

Week 16: Houston: @ Philadelphia; NY Jets: vs Green Bay

TW: 1-1; CV: 2-0

Cleveland 17, Denver 16: TW: Browns, CV: Browns
Around this time last year, the Browns were trying to get their first win. After tonight's game, they won their 6th game. Both teams had their share of mistakes but it would be the Browns that would hold on to win. Baker Mayfield threw the ball for 188 yards for two touchdowns and a pick. Nick Chubb had a good day on the ground with 20 carries for 100 yards. Case Keenum threw for 257 yards for two interceptions. The Broncos running game was stagnant with Philip Lindsay rushing the ball for only 24 yards. Keenum scored the only touchdown for the Broncos on a 1-yard rush. Tough loss for the Broncos. A win is a win for the Browns.

Week 16: Cleveland: vs Cincinnati; Denver: @ Oakland (Christmas Eve)

TW: 2-1; CV: 3-0

Oakland 16, Cincinnati 30: TW: Raiders, CV: Bengals
The game was really a show of how dominant the Bengals were earlier in the season. Jake Driskell threw for 130 yards while getting a touchdown pass and an interception. The real star was Bengals running back Joe Mixon running the ball for 129 yards for two touchdowns. The Raiders fared much less good on offense though Derek Carr threw for 263 yards for a touchdown (the only touchdown for the Raiders all game). Doug Martin couldn't get a lot going on the ground with 39 yards rushed. Only two more weeks Raiders fans.

Week 16: Oakland: vs Denver (Christmas Eve); Cincinnati: @ Cleveland

TW: 2-2; CV: 4-0

Tampa Bay 12, Baltimore 20: TW: Ravens, CV: Ravens
The Ravens defense kept the high flying Buccaneers pass offense in check for most of the game. Jameis Winston did get the start, throwing for 157 yards for an interception. The Buccaneers had some success on the ground with Peyton Barber getting 85 yards on 19 carries while scoring a touchdown. It was a game that was again a showcase of how good Lamar Jackson can be with both his arm and legs. Jackson threw for 131 yards while scoring a touchdown and getting 95 yards. Gus Edwards had a great day with 104 yards rushing with a touchdown. Baltimore could be dangerous in the future.

Week 16: Tampa Bay: @ Dallas; Baltimore: @ LA Chargers (Saturday night)

TW: 3-2; CV: 5-0

Tennessee 17, NY Giants 0: TW: Giants, CV: Titans
I was somewhat expecting the game to be a showcase of two great running backs, one came up huge, the other was eh. Derrick Henry had a repeat performance, gaining 170 yards while scoring two touchdowns. Marcus Mariota only got 88 yards passing with zero touchdowns. Eli Manning could only manage 229 yards passing with an interception. Saquon Barkley could only get 31 yards rushing on 14 carries. Not quite what you would expect with Barkley. Sorry Tennessee for doubting you... again.

Week 16: Tennessee: vs Washington; NY Giants: @ Indianapolis

TW: 3-3; CV: 6-0

Washington 16, Jacksonville 13: TW: Jaguars, CV: Jaguars
Both teams were looking for a win in a down year, Washington's offense would ultimately show up to play. Josh Johnson threw for 151 yards with a touchdown pass, Washington's only one for the day. Adrian Peterson provided a boost in the running game with 51 yards rushing. Cody Kessler would get the start again for the Jaguars only throwing for 57 yards with an interception. Kessler would be the team's leading rusher in the game with 68 yards. Dede Westbrook would provide the only touchdown for the Jaguars on a 74-yard punt return. Washington was down 13-6 at the start of the 4th quarter.

Week 16: Washington: @ Tennessee; Jacksonville: @ Miami

TW: 3-4; CV: 6-1

Miami 17, Minnesota 41: TW: Vikings, CV: Vikings
In the past, I had Dalvin Cook for not showing up when his team needed him most, in this game he showed up to the ball. Cook would run the ball for 136 yards on two touchdowns. Latavius Murray would get a touchdown as well with 68 yards rushing. Kirk Cousins gave the Vikings pass attack a boost with 215 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Kalen Balledge of the Dolphins had a good day with 123 yards rushing with a touchdown run of his own. The Dolphins defense did manage to pick off Kirk Cousins for a pick-six.

Week 16: Miami: vs Jacksonville; Minnesota: @ Detroit

TW: 4-4; CV: 7-1

Green Bay 17, Chicago 24: TW: Bears, CV: Bears
I had hoped for a Bears victory, and boy did I get it. It pained me to watch it as a Packer fan, but it was necessary. Aaron Rodgers threw the ball well enough to get 274 yards with an interception (his first in a long time). Jamaal Williams gave the Packers rush some help with 55 yards with a touchdown, the only touchdown the Packers could put up all game. Mitch Trubisky gave the Bears a good game with 235 yards passing with two touchdowns. Jordan Howard got 60 yards with a touchdown while running the ball. Keep the faith, Packer nation!

Week 16: Green Bay: @ NY Jets; Chicago: @ San Francisco

TW: 5-4; CV: 8-1

Dallas 0, Indianapolis 23: TW: Cowboys, CV: Cowboys
It was a weird game. The Cowboys can look like a Super Bowl contender in one game, then look like a dud in another. Dak Prescott threw the ball for 206 yards with an interception while Ezekiel Elliot ran the ball for 87 yards with zero touchdowns. Certainly not the performance that we've expected to see from the Cowboys. You have to give credit to the Colts. Marlon Mack ran the ball for 139 yards on two touchdowns. Andrew Luck gave the Colts passing game some help with 192 yards passing on zero touchdowns. Kudos to the Colts though.

Week 16: Dallas: vs Tampa Bay; Indianapolis: vs NY Giants

TW: 5-5; CV: 8-2

Arizona 14, Atlanta 40: TW: Falcons, CV: Falcons
The Falcons have had a down season, they needed a spark to their team. They would get it when they hosted the Cardinals. Matt Ryan threw for 231 yards with two touchdowns while running it in for a touchdown himself. Tevin Coleman would have a great day on the ground with 145 yards with a touchdown. The Cardinals fared less good. Josh Rosen would throw for 132 yards with two interceptions before getting benched in favor for Mike Glennon who would finish for the Cardinals with 111 yards passing on a touchdown. David Johnson would run the ball for 33 yards while scoring a touchdown. Only two more weeks for you Cardinals fans for your season to be finally over.

Week 16: Arizona: vs LA Rams; Atlanta: @ Carolina

TW: 6-5; CV: 9-2

Detroit 13, Buffalo 14: TW: Bills, CV: Lions
The game truly came down to a missed 2-point conversion. Josh Allen would run the show on offense for the Bills with 204 passing yards with a touchdown while running it in for a score himself. He would finish the day with 16 rushing yards. Keith Ford would give the Bills some boost in the running game with his 46 yards rushing. Matthew Stafford threw the ball for 208 yards with a touchdown. Theo Riddick and Zach Zenner would both have 47 and 45 yards rushing respectively. Zenner would score the 2nd touchdown for the Lions.

Week 16: Detroit: vs Minnesota; Buffalo: @ New England

TW: 7-5; CV: 9-3

Seattle 23, San Francisco 26 (F/OT): TW: Seattle, CV: Seahawks
Special teams were the MVP for the 49ers in the contest. Seattle's Russell Wilson had 237 passing yards with two touchdowns. Chris Carson had 119 yards rushing with a touchdown. Nick Mullens had 275 yards passing with a touchdown. Matt Breida and Jeff Wilson had 50 and 46 yards on the ground respectively. Richie James had a kick return for a touchdown for 97 yards. Robbie Gould finished with 4/4 on field goals. He hit the 36-yard game winner in overtime.

Week 16: Seattle: vs Kansas City; San Francisco: vs Chicago

TW: 7-6; CV: 9-4

New England 10, Pittsburgh 17: TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots
It was an uncharacteristic performance from the Patriots. Tom Brady would give the Patriots 279 yards passing with a touchdown and interception. Sony Michel would be the team's leading rusher with 59 yards. Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers had 235 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Jaylen Samuels had an off day last week but he would ring the bell (pun intended perhaps) with 142 yards on 19 carries. His longest was for 25 yards. A first-round bye is in jeopardy for the Patriots. Pittsburgh finally gets the Patriots monkey off their back.

Week 16: New England: vs Buffalo; Pittsburgh: @ New Orleans

TW: 7-7; CV: 9-5

Philadelphia 30, LA Rams 23: TW: Rams, CV: Rams
The defense was the name of the game with both defenses getting three interceptions. Nick Foles would start for the Eagles again, throwing the ball for 270 yards passing with an interception. Wendell Smallwood would get 48 yards rushing on two touchdowns for the Eagles. Jared Goff had another off game with two interceptions while getting 339 yards passing. Todd Gurley would pick up the slack with 48 yards rushing with two touchdowns of his own. The defending champs aren't dead... yet.

Week 16: Philadelphia: vs Houston; LA Rams: @ Arizona

TW: 7-8; CV: 9-6

New Orleans 12, Carolina 9: TW: Saints, CV: Saints
The game wasn't pretty, it was not the offensive showdown that most probably expected, but it was a win for the Saints. Drew Brees had 203 yards in the air with an interception. Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram, the versatile running back tandem, had 67 and 63 yards rushing respectively. Kamara had a touchdown as well. Cam Newton had 131 yards passing with an interception as well. Christian McCaffrey had a touchdown pass on a 50-yard play. McCaffrey had 53 yards rushing on 15 carries. It was Carolina's sixth straight loss after going 6-2.

Week 16: New Orleans: vs Pittsburgh; Carolina: vs Atlanta

TW: 8-8; CV: 10-6

Records:

Tom (me)
2018:
Week 1: 10-5-1
Week 2: 6-9-1
Week 3: 8-8
Week 4: 12-3
Week 5: 6-9
Week 6: 10-5
Week 7: 10-4
Week 8: 11-3
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 7-7
Week 11: 8-5
Week 12: 11-4
Week 13: 10-6
Week 14: 7-9
Week 15: 8-8
Overall: 133-89-2

Cardinal Viking
2018:
Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 9-6-1
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 9-6
Week 5: 9-6
Week 6: 6-9
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 10-4
Week 9: 8-5
Week 10: 9-5
Week 11: 7-6
Week 12: 13-2
Week 13: 11-5
Week 14: 7-9
Week 15: 10-6
Overall: 133-89-2

See you guys on Wednesday for the Week 16 picks column!
-Tom