NFL 2018 Week 16 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is upon us yet again! The league is entering its 16th week of competition. In the column, I'll discuss the latest playoff picture, an NFL edition of what 32 teams will be getting this holiday, a cool video of the week, and of course, the picks! Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 16

AFC:

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)
2nd seed: Houston Texans (10-4)
3rd seed: New England Patriots (9-5)
4th seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5-1)
5th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (11-3)
6th seed: Baltimore Ravens (8-6)

Wild Card:
Baltimore @ New England
LA Chargers @ Pittsburgh

Still alive:
Indianapolis (8-6), Tennessee (8-6), Miami (7-7), Cleveland (6-7-1)

Eliminated:
Denver (6-8), Cincinnati (6-8), Buffalo (5-9), Jacksonville (4-10), NY Jets (4-10), Oakland (3-11)

NFC:

1st seed: New Orleans Saints (12-2)
2nd seed: Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
3rd seed: Chicago Bears (10-4)
4th seed: Dallas Cowboys (8-6)
5th seed: Seattle Seahawks (8-6)
6th seed: Minnesota Vikings (7-6-1)

Wild card:
Minnesota @ Chicago
Seattle @ Dallas

Still alive:
Philadelphia (7-7), Washington (7-7), Carolina (6-8)

Eliminated:
Green Bay (5-8-1), Atlanta (5-9), Tampa Bay (5-9), NY Giants (5-9), Detroit (5-9), San Francisco (4-10), Arizona (3-11)

The Kansas City Chiefs and LA Chargers both clinched playoff berths. Two of the six teams in the AFC are in the dance. New Orleans, LA Rams, and Chicago both clinched their divisions assuring that they won't fall below the 4th seed in the playoffs. Maybe not a lot of teams still not in the hunt but there's still seeding to consider.

Secret Santa: What the 32 Teams Will Get This Year

This was something that I did last year as a kind of gag. A gag in that I predicted that what each team would get for the holidays. Like most of my predictions, it won't come true, its more of a joke. Just imagine if there were 32 people getting something for the holidays like a gift.

Arizona Cardinals: A younger version of Larry Fitzgerald.

Atlanta Falcons: Tickets to the Super Bowl since your stadium is hosting it this year but you won't play in it because... well you aren't even in the playoffs.

Baltimore Ravens: You get whatever you get out of a possible Joe Flacco trade. Think of it as a surprise.

Buffalo Bills: You're not in the playoffs this year, but don't feel down. You get snowblowers because of the Buffalo winters. A decent draft pick would be good too.

Carolina Panthers: A defensive unit that won't choke.

Chicago Bears: A DVD collection of past Bears team's not getting to the Super Bowl!

Cincinnati Bengals: Maybe a Marvin Lewis resignation letter, which is a stretch. You'll just get tinker toys.

Cleveland Browns: A better season than what you have had the past two seasons. Six wins is a great gift.

Dallas Cowboys: A GM that will be the mitigator between Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett. You need it, badly.

Denver Broncos: A John Elway-esque quarterback that can throw for more than 200 yards a game.

Detroit Lions: The next Calvin Johnson.

Green Bay Packers: A head coach that knows how to play a balanced offensive game.

Houston Texans: A fighting chance to beat either the Steelers or the Patriots.

Indianapolis Colts: Better offensive linemen

Jacksonville Jaguars: A brand new head coach, or just maybe Tom Coughlin.

Kansas City Chiefs: A playoff win.

Los Angeles Chargers: A chance to go back to San Diego so that I don't have to catch myself twice before saying your name.

Los Angeles Rams: A no-choker label come playoff time.

Miami Dolphins: Shiny reminder that the 1972 Dolphins went undefeated for an entire season. Perhaps a trophy.

Minnesota Vikings: See Los Angeles Rams. Congrats.

New England Patriots: Tom Brady's clone.

New Orleans Saints: Some delicious gumbo and shrimp. You don't need anything special.

New York Giants: Eli Manning's younger self. Like when he used to ball out for 300+ yards.

New York Jets: Signs for the Jets wide receivers to hold that says "Pass to me" or "don't pass to me"

Oakland Raiders: A lump of coal for making me think you were legit championship contenders. I won't forget that.

Philadelphia Eagles: A free pass to boo Santa Claus now that you won a championship last year.

Pittsburgh Steelers: A defensive unit that doesn't shit the bed against sub-par teams.

San Francisco 49ers: A truck to move Levi's Stadium to San Francisco. Santa Clara, really?

Seattle Seahawks: A rebuilding season? A playoff contender? You really don't need anything.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Stability at quarterback.

Tennessee Titans: A Derrick Henry bobblehead.

Washington Redskins: A Dan Snyder resignation letter. Or just some tinker toys.

Cool Video of the Week:

Christmas, a time for giving gifts, eating delicious food, spending time with friends and family. There are people out there in the world that sadly don't get to experience the spirit of the holiday. As you spend time with those you care about, remember of those who are less fortunate and perhaps give a little bit. Here's a video of one of my favorite Christmas songs. Enjoy!

Week 16 Picks!

Week 16 in the NFL's regular season will start in Nashville, Tennessee and ends in Oakland, California. The week will have two Saturday games, nine early games, three late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. No teams will be on a bye week. CBS will have the doubleheader and FOX will have the single, regional game. Let's get to the picks!

Washington (7-7) @ Tennessee (8-6) (NFL Network): TW: Titans, CV: Titans
Both teams got a win last week as the Redskins beat the Jaguars and the Titans beat the Giants. The game will be a showdown between the old, hardy veteran running back in Adrian Peterson to the younger running back in Derrick Henry. I have been doubting the Titans a lot this season, and I feel that this will come down to which running back can give their teams a lift. I trust in you Tennessee

Baltimore (8-6) @ LA Chargers (11-3) (NFL Network): TW: Chargers, CV: Chargers
Both teams got a win last week as the Ravens beat the Buccaneers and the Chargers beat the Chiefs. The game will come down to which side of the ball really controls the game. Whether it will be the Ravens staunch defense or the powerful Charger offensive attack. Time for me to be a little skeptical of Baltimore this week. If they can keep up with the Chargers it will be a possible victory for them.

Jacksonville (4-10) @ Miami (7-7) (CBS): TW: Dolphins, CV: Dolphins
Both teams got losses last week as the Jaguars lost to the Redskins and the Dolphins to the Vikings. The battle for Florida will be intense. Both teams have shown some lackluster play throughout the season. I tend to like the Dolphins in the matchup as they do have some stability at quarterback and good offensive pieces that can sustain drives. I just can't pick the Jaguars again.

Houston (10-4) @ Philadelphia (7-7) (CBS): TW: Texans, CV: Texans
Both teams got a win last week as the Texans beat the Jets and the Eagles beat the Rams. I don't know how to feel about this game. The two teams have had the capability to do good things on offense but on defense, I would certainly say that Houston still has the advantage with JJ Watt on the field. Nick Foles will still be starting. I feel it will depend on how well the Texans run game can get going. I like the Texans on both sides.

Minnesota (7-6-1) @ Detroit (5-9) (FOX): TW: Vikings, CV: Vikings
The Vikings beat the Dolphins and the Lions lost to the Bills last week respectively. The Vikings run game came to play last week and I feel will have a repeat performance. The Vikings will need it to get going against a Lions team that has seen some success in pass defense. As far as the two defenses, I still have the Vikings defense over the edge against the Lions.

Tampa Bay (5-9) @ Dallas (8-6) (FOX): TW: Cowboys, CV: Cowboys
Both teams took losses last week as the Buccaneers lost to the Ravens and the Cowboys to the Colts. I have to feel that the shutout loss against Indy last week will put the Cowboys in a foul mood and will have a rebound game. The Cowboys defense needs to come through in the clutch as well as the Bucs pass offense is pretty good and will need to give their offense a chance to put points on the board.

Green Bay (5-8-1) @ NY Jets (4-10) (FOX): TW: Packers, CV: Jets
Both teams took losses last week as the Packers lost to the Bears and the Jets to the Texans. I feel this is one of the games that the Packers are capable of winning but also prone to losing due to how bad the offense is compared to the past seasons in the Aaron Rodgers era. If the Packers can sustain drives by being balanced and keeping Sam Darnold off-key during the game on defense will be a result in the Packers in a victory.

NY Giants (5-9) @ Indianapolis (8-6) (CBS): TW: Colts, CV: Colts
The Giants lost to the Titans and the Colts beat the Cowboys last week. The game will have two great running games in Saquon Barkley in the Giants and Marlon Mack of the Colts. Barkley didn't quite show up to the game that I had expected him to. It was a relative surprise. I feel the game will come down to how well the rest of the Colts will play. If the Colts defense can get a few stops early it will be a Colt victory.

Cincinnati (6-8) @ Cleveland (6-7-1) (CBS): TW: Browns, CV: Browns
Both teams got a win last week as the Bengals beat the Raiders and the Browns beat the Broncos. The battle for Ohio recommences for the last time this season. The two teams still have some meaning to their seasons. I feel the Browns will win if they can stick to the winning formula and play some tight defense. Keeping Joe Mixon off-key will be huge as he is the Bengals big weapon.

Atlanta (5-9) @ Carolina (6-8) (FOX): TW: Falcons, CV: Falcons
The Falcons beat the Cardinals and the Panthers lost to the Saints last week. The Panthers will be without Cam Newton in the game. The Falcons still have a lot of offensive talent to account for. The combo of Matt Ryan to Julio Jones will be a huge part of this game. The Falcons defense will keep staying on focus as they will have to plan against Taylor Heinicke. Christian McCaffrey will probably see a huger workload.

Buffalo (5-9) @ New England (9-5) (CBS): TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots
The Bills got a win against the Lions and the Patriots lost to the Steelers last week. The Patriots will need to get a win to remain in the hunt for a 1st round bye. I feel a trouncing of the Bills will keep the Patriot faithful happy. The key in the game is how well Josh Allen will be against a Patriots defense that has shown some lackluster play against the run.

Chicago (10-4) @ San Francisco (4-10) (FOX): TW: Bears, CV: Bears
The Bears beat the Packers and the 49ers beat the Seahawks last week. The game will come down to who will play better in the passing game. Both teams have solid players at running back and can come up clutch on defense. I like the Bears in the game as they have offensive players that can make drives long and can keep Nick Mullens off his game.

LA Rams (11-3) @ Arizona (3-11) (FOX): TW: Rams, CV: Rams
The two teams took losses last week as the Rams lost to the Eagles and the Cardinals to the Falcons. The game really looks like a mismatch on paper but the Rams have shown some signs of slowing down. The key to the game will depend on which Rams team shows up to play. I can't trust the Cardinals enough to pull off one of the huger upsets this week. Go Rams!

Pittsburgh (8-5-1) @ New Orleans (12-2) (CBS): TW: Saints, CV: Saints
The two teams got a win last week as the Steelers beat the Patriots and the Saints beat the Panthers. The marquee game of the week will be the Steelers visiting the Big Easy against the Saints. The game will come down to if how well the Steelers offense can keep the Saints defense on the field. That will mean how well the pass and run game can keep them on the field. Jaylen Samuels will need to play well to give his team a chance to win. The Superdome crowd will be pretty loud and hostile as well. I can't trust the Steelers to get a win in there.

Kansas City (11-3) @ Seattle (8-6) (NBC): TW: Chiefs, CV: Chiefs
Both teams took a loss last week as the Chiefs lost to the Chargers and the Seahawks lost to the 49ers. The game will depend on if the Chiefs can hold a lead as well as keeping their foot on the gas. The Seahawks are still a possible playoff team and will need to maintain their focus. I still like the Chiefs in that they have a good offense and can put up points quite easily.

Denver (6-8) @ Oakland (3-11) (ESPN): TW: Broncos, CV: Broncos
Both teams took losses last week as the Broncos lost to the Browns and the Raiders to the Bengals. The game will depend on how well the passing game of the Broncos will be. The Broncos running attack will have a good day, I feel. The Broncos could win as they still have a solid play on defense. I can't trust the Raiders to pick them after all the pain they've caused me all season. Could also be the last game played in Oakland.

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, subject to change):

CBS Early:
Houston @ Philadelphia
Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

CBS Late:
Pittsburgh @ New Orleans
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single:
Minnesota @ Detroit
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

For more info on which game is being played in your area, check out: NFL 2018: Week 16 Maps

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

Sorry for the late post, I had planned on putting this up earlier in the week but I realized the games were on Saturday. I'll see you guys on Wednesday for the recap column as the Christmas holiday will surely be busy. 

-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

NFL 2018 Week 14 Recap

Hello readers! Another week in the National Football League is finished. The week that was brought us some blowouts, some close games, and a game that ended on the final play. The column will have a recap of the week's games and a look ahead of the current record of me and Cardinal Viking (my roommate). Let's get to work.

Jacksonville 9, Tennessee 30: TW: Titans, CV: Titans
I'll be honest, I thought the game would be closer than what the final score would be. Derrick Henry ultimately changed that thinking fairly quickly. The Titans running back would steamroll the Jaguars defense, gaining 238 rushing yards with four touchdowns. Marcus Mariota had 162 passing yards with an interception. The Jaguars started Cody Kessler for the game, throwing the ball for 240 yards and a touchdown (the only touchdown the Jaguars would get in the game). The running game of the Jaguars didn't provide the same offense with Leonard Fournette getting only 36 yards. It was the Derrick Henry Show.

Week 15: Jacksonville: vs Washington; Tennessee: @ NY Giants

TW: 1-0, CV: 1-0

Indianapolis 24, Houston 21: TW: Texans, CV: Texans
It was a game that Andrew Luck had to carry his team to victory. Luck had 399 yards passing on two touchdowns and an interception. His running game couldn't get a lot going with Melvin Mack rushing for 33 yards. The Texans running game was productive as Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue got a touchdown each while Deshaun Watson was the leading rusher. Watson did throw for 267 yards and a touchdown in the game. The Texans win streak ends at nine.

Week 15: Indianapolis: vs Dallas; Houston: @ NY Jets

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Carolina 20, Cleveland 26: TW: Panthers, CV: Browns
If there was any doubt of either Carolina becoming a threat in the NFC or the Browns staying as a cellar-dweller changed at the end of this game. Baker Mayfield had a good day with 238 yards passing with a touchdown. Nick Chubb and Jarvis Landry had decent days on the ground with both getting 66 and 54 rushing yards respectively. The ground game was good for Carolina with Christian McCaffrey running for 63 yards and two touchdowns. Cam Newton had 265 yards passing with an interception. The Browns had two turnovers in the game with two fumbles, Carolina couldn't capitalize on the mistakes, however.

Week 15: Carolina: vs New Orleans; Cleveland: @ Denver (Saturday)

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

New England 33, Miami 34: TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots
It was a game that the Patriots really let slip away. Tom Brady threw for 358 yards on three touchdowns with a running game that was provided by Sony Michel for 57 yards, James Develin had a rushing touchdown. Ryan Tannehill of the Dolphins had 265 yards passing with three touchdowns to his name as well. The Dolphins running game of Frank Gore torched the Pats with 92 yards and Brandon Bolden had 60 yards with two touchdowns. The final play of the game was a 69-yard pass play from Ryan Tannehill and eventually let to Kenyan Drake scoring the touchdown. After a few legal lateral passes of course.

Week 15: New England: @ Pittsburgh; Miami: @ Minnesota

TW: 1-3; CV: 2-2

NY Giants 40, Washington 16: TW: Giants, CV: Redskins
The season went from bad to worse for the Redskins at the end of this game. A possible playoff contender in Washington now looks to stay competitive. The Giants offense was jumpstarted by Saquon Barkley's 170 yards with a touchdown. Eli Manning had 197 yards passing with three touchdowns. Mark Sanchez was quickly replaced after he threw two interceptions in the game and Josh Johnson would provide the only two touchdowns in the game for Washington, both a passing and a rushing touchdown. It would seem that Josh Johnson would be the best bet for them for the rest of the season.

Week 15: NY Giants: vs Tennessee; Washington: @ Jacksonville

TW: 2-3; CV: 2-3

NY Jets 27, Buffalo 23: TW: Bills, CV: Jets
The rare time I pick the Bills and they screw it up. Such my luck. Sam Darnold would return to start for the Jets in the game racking up 170 yards passing with a touchdown and a pick. The Jets running game had a decent game with Elijah McGuire picking up 60 yards. The Bills would ultimately rely on the arm and legs of Josh Allen. Allen threw for 206 yards and two interceptions while running for 101 yards and a touchdown. The Bills had three turnovers in the game, the Jets had two. First comeback victory for Darnold.

Week 15: NY Jets: vs Houston; Buffalo: vs Detroit

TW: 2-4; CV: 3-3

Baltimore 24, Kansas City 27 (F/OT): TW: Ravens, CV: Chiefs
The game was about as low scoring as I had thought though Patrick Mahomes did put up stellar numbers in the game. It was Spencer Ware that provided the needed rush offense for the Chiefs. Ware had 75 yards on the ground while Mahomes threw for 377 yards passing on two touchdowns and a pick. Lamar Jackson was both the passer and the runner in the game getting 218 all-purpose yards while compiling two passing touchdowns. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker would kick the game-winning 35-yard field goal to give the Chiefs the victory. Rough one for Baltimore.

Week 15: Baltimore: vs Tampa Bay; Kansas City: vs LA Chargers (Thursday night)

TW: 2-5; CV: 4-3

New Orleans 28, Tampa Bay 14: TW: Saints, CV: Saints
It wasn't quite the shootout that I had hoped it would be, let alone from the first matchup for both teams in week 1. Drew Brees threw for 201 yards with a touchdown and a pick in the game. Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram racked up 103 rushing yards combined with a touchdown for Ingram. Jameis Winston would throw the ball for 213 yards with two touchdowns and a pick. Winston was the leading rusher with 47 yards from the ground. New Orleans locked up the division with a repeat division title.

Week 15: New Orleans: @ Carolina; Tampa Bay: @ Baltimore

TW: 3-5; CV: 5-3

Atlanta 20, Green Bay 34: TW: Packers, CV: Falcons
The game was quite entertaining for those who like Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers would throw the ball for 196 yards on two touchdowns. Aaron Jones gave the Packers running attack with 71 yards and a touchdown as well. Matt Ryan had 262 yards passing with three touchdowns and a pick. Ito Smith had 60 yards on the ground for the Falcons. It was the first win for interim head coach Joe Philbin.

Week 15: Atlanta: vs Arizona; Green Bay: @ Chicago

TW: 4-5; CV: 5-4

Cincinnati 21, LA Chargers 26: TW: Chargers, CV: Chargers
It was a game that looked to be a blowout on paper, but a close one on the field. Jake Driskell had 170 yards passing with a touchdown for the Bengals. Joe Mixon had a great day on the ground with 111 yards rushing and a touchdown of his own. Phillip Rivers had 220 yards passing with a touchdown. Austin Ekeler had 66 yards rushing with a touchdown in this game for the Chargers. Keenan Allen had 78 yards receiving on five catches for a touchdown. Tough luck Cincy.

Week 15: Cincinnati: vs Oakland; LA Chargers: @ Kansas City (Thursday)

TW: 5-5; CV: 6-4

Denver 14, San Francisco 20: TW: Broncos, CV: Broncos
San Francisco's quarterback Nick Mullens would end the game with 332 passing yards, 210 of that was from tight end George Kittle. Mullens would finish the day with two touchdowns and a pick. Jeff Wilson had a good day on the ground running the ball over Denver for 90 yards, longest for 11 yards. Case Keenum had 186 yards passing with a touchdown and zero interceptions. The Broncos running game didn't quite get a lot going with Royce Freeman getting 36 yards and Phillip Lindsey getting 30 yards and a touchdown. Kittle would also score an 85-yard touchdown for the Niners.

Week 15: Denver: vs Cleveland (Saturday); San Francisco: vs Seattle

TW: 5-6; CV: 6-5

Detroit 17, Arizona 3: TW: Cardinals, CV: Cardinals
Zach Zenner would provide the only offensive touchdown for the Lions in the game while racking up 54 rushing yards. Matthew Stafford threw for only 101 yards in the game. Josh Rosen threw the ball for 240 yards and an interception that would get picked off by Darius Slay for a pick-six. David Johnson had only 49 yards rushing for the Cardinals. I should've picked Detroit in the game. BAH!

Week 15: Detroit: @ Buffalo; Arizona: @ Atlanta

TW: 5-7; CV: 6-6

Philadelphia 23, Dallas 29 (F/OT): TW: Cowboys, CV: Cowboys
It was a game that perhaps means the return of a great rivalry. Both Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz had three touchdowns each. Wentz had 455 yards passing with two interceptions, however. Dak Prescott had 228 yards passing for Dallas. Ezekiel Elliot had 113 yards rushing for zero touchdowns. Josh Adams had only 36 yards rushing for the Eagles, the rushing leader for them in the game. Any hope for the defending champs to return to the playoffs is starting to slip.

Week 15: @ LA Rams; Dallas: @ Indianapolis

TW: 6-7; CV: 7-6

Pittsburgh 21, Oakland 24: TW: Steelers, CV: Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger would throw the ball for 282 yards and two touchdowns before getting injured and returning later on in the game. Jaylen Samuels would only run the ball for 28 yards. Stevan Ridley would score a touchdown for Pittsburgh in the game. Derek Carr would throw for 322 yards and two touchdowns while Doug Martin would run for 32 yards and a touchdown of his own. It was a sense of joy for Oakland in a season where there was not much to celebrate. The light of the tunnel is near.

Week 15: vs New England; Oakland: @ Cincinnati

TW: 6-8; CV: 7-7

LA Rams 6, Chicago 15: TW: Rams, CV: Rams
It was a game that featured two good defenses, the Bears defense would ultimately prevail. Jared Goff was off all game with 180 yards passing and 4 interceptions. Todd Gurley would only get 28 yards rushing in the game. Mitchell Trubisky had 110 yards passing with a touchdown and three interceptions. The Bears running game of Jordan Howard had 101 yards on the ground. Not quite the offensive game that some people are accustomed to in either team.

Week 15: LA Rams: vs Philadelphia; Chicago: vs Green Bay

TW: 6-9; CV: 7-8

Minnesota 7, Seattle 21: TW: Seahawks, CV: Vikings
The game was a quiet one until things got going in the 4th quarter. Russell Wilson had 72 yards passing with zero touchdowns and an interception. Chris Carson had 90 yards on the ground with a touchdown, the only offensive touchdown for the Seahawks. Minnesota had the better passing attack with 208 yards and a touchdown. Dalvin Cook had 55 yards rushing with zero touchdowns.

Week 15: Minnesota: vs Miami; Seattle: @ San Francisco

TW: 7-9; CV: 7-9

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
Overall: 125-81-2

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
Overall: 123-83-2

See you guys on Thursday for the Week 15 Picks column! 

-Tom

NFL 2018 Week 14 Picks

Hello reader! That time of the week has come yet again! The National Football League is entering into its 14th week of competition. In the column, I'll talk about the latest playoff picture, a cool video of the week, and the picks for the week's games.

Playoff Picture: Week 14

AFC:

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (10-2)
2nd seed: New England Patriots (9-3)
3rd seed: Houston Texans (9-3)
4th seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4-1)
5th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (9-3)
6th seed: Baltimore Ravens (7-5)

Wild Card:
Baltimore @ Houston
LA Chargers @ Pittsburgh

Still alive:
Miami (6-6), Indianapolis (6-6), Denver (6-6), Tennessee (6-6), Cincinnati (5-7), Cleveland (4-7-1), Buffalo (4-8), Jacksonville (4-8), NY Jets (3-9), Oakland (2-10)

Eliminated:
Oakland (2-10)

NFC:

1st seed: Los Angeles Rams (11-1)
2nd seed: New Orleans Saints (10-2)
3rd seed: Chicago Bears (8-4)
4th seed: Dallas Cowboys (7-5)
5th seed: Seattle Seahawks (7-5)
6th seed: Minnesota Vikings (6-5-1)

Wild card:
Minnesota @ Chicago
Seattle @ Dallas

Still alive:
Carolina (6-6), Philadelphia (6-6), Washington (6-6), Tampa Bay (5-7), Green Bay (4-7-1), Atlanta (4-8), NY Giants (4-8), Detroit (4-8), Arizona (3-9)

Eliminated:
San Francisco (2-10)

Minnesota will travel to Seattle this week in a huge game that will have ramifications in the seeding of the wild card. You have to remember that head-to-head is a deciding factor in the seeding process. I will have my pick for that game later.

Cool video of the week:

When it comes to Christmas music, you have such artists like Vince Guaraldi's Peanuts music, Nat King Cole, or Andy Williams. The more underrated artist of the Christmas music scene is The Beach Boys. Okay maybe not underrated in that aspect but there's more to it than just their holiday hits like "Little Saint Nick" or "Frosty The Snowman." In this video, you'll hear about 30 minutes worth of their Christmas songs. Enjoy.

Week 14 of the NFL regular season will kick off in Nashville, Tennessee and end in Seattle, Washington. There will be a Thursday night game, eight early games, five late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. No teams are on a bye. FOX will have the doubleheader and CBS will have the single, regional game this week. Let's get to work!

Jacksonville (4-8) @ Tennessee (6-6) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Titans, CV: Titans

Both teams got a win last week as the Jaguars beat the Colts and the Titans beat the Jets. The week kicks off with kind of a lame game. The Jaguars haven't lived up to the expectations set forth early in the season while the Titans have gotten great wins. If the Titans can keep Jaguars starter Cody Kessler off-key during the game and their offense can do what it does best in running the ball, they should win. 

Indianapolis (6-6) @ Houston (9-3) (CBS): TW: Texans, CV: Texans

The Colts lost to the Jaguars and the Texans beat the Browns last week. The Texans are currently riding the longest win streak in the NFL this season at nine games. I'm somewhat leaning to the Texans as they are at home for this game and still have JJ Watt on the field at defense. The two team's running games will be key in this game. I like the tandem in Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue of the Texans. 

Carolina (6-6) @ Cleveland (4-7-1) (FOX): TW: Panthers, CV: Browns

Both teams took losses last week as the Panthers lost to the Buccaneers and the Browns to the Texans. The Browns winning quite a few games is a nice story in the NFL, most of their wins have been from home, I just don't know if I can trust them to get a win against a still hungry and powerful Panthers team. The Panthers took a lick the last few weeks sure, but I feel they can come back and get it done this time around, maybe. 

New England (9-3) @ Miami (6-6) (CBS): TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots

Both teams got a win last week as the Patriots beat the Vikings and the Dolphins beat the Bills. South Beach had not been kind to Brady & Company for the duration of their run but a chance to clinch the AFC East is at stake for the Patriots and I feel they will be focused enough to get a win. I don't trust Miami enough to pick them, especially in a game where they try to play spoiler. 

NY Giants (4-8) @ Washington (6-6) (FOX): TW: Giants, CV: Redskins

The Giants beat the Bears last week and the Redskins lost to the Eagles last week. The game will come down to if Mark Sanchez can lead the team to a victory. He has had two weeks to learn the system and I don't know if I can go with them. I like the Giants in the matchup based on their defensive play and how they run the ball. The Redskins are 9th in rush defense so it will greatly depend on how well the Giants can run it. 

NY Jets (3-9) @ Buffalo (4-8) (CBS): TW: Bills, CV: Jets

Both teams took losses last week as the Jets lost to the Titans and the Bills to the Dolphins. The game is a rarity as I'm picking the Bills in the contest. The reason why is that the Jets are pretty bad on rush defense and the Bills offense relies on the ball-carrying skills of LeSean McCoy and Josh Allen with a few sprinkles of passes every now and again. The game will probably come down to if Sam Darnold can play but Josh McCown will more than likely get the start. Go Bills.

Baltimore (7-5) @ Kansas City (10-2) (CBS): TW: Ravens, CV: Chiefs

Both teams got a win last week as the Ravens beat the Falcons and the Chiefs beat the Raiders. The Chiefs struggled to beat the Raiders last week and though they got the win, the loss of Kareem Hunt was certainly a possibility. I like the Ravens in the game because of their great defense and if they can keep Patrick Mahomes off the field they have a shot to win the game. The Ravens have a great running game in Lamar Jackson who can also throw the ball mind you. If the Ravens defense can cause the Chiefs be a one-dimensional team, they also have that key as well. Good game to watch.

New Orleans (10-2) @ Tampa Bay (5-7) (FOX): TW: Saints, CV: Saints
 The Saints lost to the Cowboys last week and the Buccaneers beat the Panthers last week. The last time these two played each other was in week 1. The Buccaneers pulled off an upset in a shootout where the world was introduced to Ryan "Fitzmagic" Fitzpatrick. The two teams have gone in different directions since then. The Saints should get a bounce-back win in the game as they are way too good to have two straight losses, they also have the Chicago Bears breathing down their neck for that 2nd seed spot. Give me the Saints!

Atlanta (4-8) @ Green Bay (4-7-1) (FOX): TW: Packers, CV: Falcons
Both teams lost last week as the Falcons lost to the Ravens and the Packers to the Cardinals. The Joe Philbin era begins for the rest of the season as the Packers, later on, fired Mike McCarthy shortly after their loss to Arizona. The fans got their wish and now its time to move on. As much as I want the Packers to get a good draft pick in the draft, I hope they can get a win for Philbin. The Packers defense has been better and they still have Aaron Rodgers on the field, the Falcons still have a great offense with Matt Ryan and his receiving corp. Go Pack Go!

Denver (6-6) @ San Francisco (2-10) (CBS): TW: Broncos, CV: Broncos
The Broncos got a win against the Bengals and the Niners lost to the Seahawks. The game will depend on if the Broncos running game can continue to do their best work as the Niners are ranked 15th in rush defense this season. The loss of Emmanuel Sanders will be somewhat of a factor but I like the Broncos in the game as they still can get solid defensive play. The surprising dark horse in Denver, pun intended.

Cincinnati (5-7) @ LA Chargers (9-3) (CBS): TW: Chargers, CV: Chargers
The Bengals lost to the Broncos and the Chargers beat the Steelers last week. The Bengals have had a rough time since going 4-1 to start the season. Injuries have been a factor for them. The Chargers have a great offense with some great pieces on defense. They can be a dangerous team come playoff time. That is pretty much my reason why I'm going LA in the game.

Pittsburgh (7-4-1) @ Oakland (2-10) (FOX): TW: Steelers, CV: Steelers
Both teams took losses last week as the Steelers lost to the Chargers and the Raiders to the Chiefs. The two teams used to be huge rivals in the 1970s when they competed for Super Bowls but the rivalry died out in the 1980s. Safe to say I don't think there will be blood spilled in the game. I feel the Steelers will have a rebound game even though they won't have James Conner playing for them. Jaylen Samuels and Stevan Ridley will get the rushing workload. They can't possibly lose to the lowly Raiders this season, right?

Detroit (4-8) @ Arizona (3-9) (FOX): TW: Cardinals, CV: Cardinals
The Lions lost to the Rams last week and the Cardinals beat the Packers last week. The two teams have had bad seasons for the most part and I don't know if I can trust the Lions enough to give them a notch. It could be a toss-up game but I like the home team in the game. I don't want the Packers to be a last-place team, give 'em hell Arizona!

Philadelphia (6-6) @ Dallas (7-5) (FOX): TW: Cowboys, CV: Cowboys
Both teams got a win last week as the Eagles beat the Redskins and the Cowboys beat the Saints. The game will be a huge one in the NFC East race as the winner could be the division winner. That could possibly be Dallas who has had an up and down season. The Cowboys still have all their pieces on offense against an Eagles defense who is missing key personnel. Sorry, Philly.

LA Rams (11-1) @ Chicago (8-4) (NBC): TW: Rams, CV: Rams
The Rams got a win against the Lions and the Bears lost to the Giants. The game should see a return of Mitchell Trubisky who was out for a few weeks with an arm injury. I don't feel this will be enough as the Rams are a well-built team that can pass the ball with receivers and tight ends, a running game with Todd Gurley and a defense that can stifle teams. Chicago has those things but I tend to trust the Rams enough to get a road win.

Minnesota (6-5-1) @ Seattle (7-5) (ESPN): TW: Seahawks, CV: Vikings
The Vikings lost to the Patriots and the Seahawks got a win against the 49ers. The week finishes off with two teams with wildcard aspirations. The Vikings have a great defense and some semblance of a passing game that can give opposing defenses fits. Seattle also has a solid offense with Russell Wilson as a possible MVP candidate. It will come down to whether or not the Seahawks can give the Vikings offense some trouble and limit their running attack, forcing Kirk Cousins into passing the ball more often.

Local TV Schedule:

CBS Single:
Baltimore @ Kansas City
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Early:
Atlanta @ Green Bay
Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

FOX Late:
Philadelphia @ Dallas
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

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
Overall: 118-72-2

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
Overall: 116-74-2

See you guys on Monday for the Week 14 recap column. Have a great weekend!

-Tom

NFL 2018 Week 13 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of the National Football League has passed us by yet again. The week that was brought us a few coaching firings, some close games, and kickers failing to do their job again. All this and more in this week's recap. In the recap, I will discuss the firing of Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and the recap of the week's games.

McCarthy Out

With the loss of the Arizona Cardinals, the Green Bay Packers were quick to make a change in the head coaching position. Mike McCarthy, the Packers head coach since 2006, was fired after that loss. McCarthy would be the coach that would oversee the transition from the gunslinger in Brett Favre to the calm, Joe Cool like Aaron Rodgers. He would also win a Super Bowl XLV and get to the playoffs with the Packers from 2009 to 2016.

As far as the decision to fire McCarthy, I don't either blame or condone the Packers decision. There was a certain body language with the players that said "I'm not sure I can buy into what you're trying to do with us" it was a sort of delusion with them I felt. The personnel wasn't there for him to succeed and for Rodgers to succeed. I'm neither a proponent for him to "finish out the season as head coach" nor to "Run the table and get into the wild card on a crazy whim" because the latter worked before and it was a miracle that it did, not so much this time. Whether or not they were trying to get back to the playoffs or not, the loss to the Cardinals did more harm than good, it's not like the Bears or Vikings are going to collapse at this point.

The Recap

New Orleans 10, Dallas 13: TW: Saints, CV: Saints
The game was nothing that the result would show. A combined 23 points put up. I was somewhat expecting the Cowboys to get hung up by 40 or more in the game. The Cowboys did have a game plan in place to keep Drew Brees and company on the sideline for more than 36 minutes of the game. The Saints only had 23 minutes of possession time. Drew Brees only threw for 127 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Dak Prescott threw for 248 yards and a touchdown while Ezekiel Elliot would run for 76 yards. The winning streak ends for the Saints and have to regroup quickly to stay on top of the NFC.

Week 14: New Orleans: @ Tampa Bay; Dallas: vs Philadelphia

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Chicago 27, NY Giants 30: TW: Bears, CV: Bears
Turnovers would be the story in the game. The Bears would give up three turnovers in the game two from interceptions from Chase Daniel. The Giants defense would cause six fumbles, recovering one. The game was still a close one with the two quarterbacks posting similar numbers. Chase Daniel threw for 285 yards and a touchdown while Eli Manning would throw for 170 yards and a touchdown and a pick. The game would go to overtime where the Giants would net a 44-yard field goal from Aldrick Rosas to give the G-men their 4th win on the season.

Week 14: Chicago: vs LA Rams; NY Giants: @ Washington

TW: 0-2; CV: 0-2

Carolina 17, Tampa Bay 24: TW: Panthers, CV: Panthers
It was a tale of two quarterbacks in this game. One threw zero interceptions, while the other would throw four. Cam Newton had one of the rarest days of his career in this game. The Buccaneers would pick him off four times in the contest. Newton did throw for 300 yards with two touchdowns in the game but still to throw that many picks. The Buccaneers started Jameis Winston who threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers had a good game from Christian McCaffrey on the ground racking up 106 yards. Probably spoke more of how the Bucs couldn't capitalize on the mistakes of the Panthers more than anything. The Bucs are now only a game behind the Panthers in the division.

Week 14: Carolina: @ Cleveland; Tampa Bay: vs New Orleans

TW: 0-3; CV: 0-3

Cleveland 13, Houston 29: TW: Texans, CV: Texans
It was a game where you could see the personnel of one team at its best and a team that is struggling to find the right people to fit into its right scheme. Baker Mayfield threw for 397 yards and a touchdown pass, while throwing three picks in the game. The Browns running game of Nick Chubb would only get 31 yards from the ground. While the Texans quarterback, DeShaun Watson, would throw for 224 yards and a touchdown. The running back tandem of Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue racked up a combined 157 yards from the ground. Rough way to go Cleveland.

Week 14: Cleveland: vs Carolina; Houston: vs Indianapolis

TW: 1-3; CV: 1-3

Indianapolis 0, Jacksonville 6: TW: Colts, CV: Colts
The score is indeed correct. The only scoring was from two field goals from Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo. The Colts offense was ineffective as Andrew Luck would only throw for 248 yards and an interception and the Jaguars started Cody Kessler as he would throw for 150 yards. Sure enough I pick the Jaguars, they lose, and when I pick the opposition, they win. Go figure.

Week 14: Indianapolis: @ Houston; Jacksonville: @ Tennessee

TW: 1-4; CV: 1-4

LA Rams 30, Detroit 16: TW: Rams, CV: Rams
The Rams, like the Romans, came, saw, and conquered when they got to the Motor City. Jared Goff threw for 207 yards with a touchdown and a pick while Todd Gurley racked up 132 yards from the ground with two touchdowns. The Lions offense came from Matthew Stafford's 245 yards passing with a touchdown and LeGarrette Blount's 61 yards from the ground. not quite enough to get a win. The Rams became NFC West division champions again.

Week 14: LA Rams: @ Chicago; Detroit: @ Arizona

TW: 2-4; CV: 2-4

Buffalo 17, Miami 21: TW: Dolphins, CV: Dolphins
It was a game where Josh Allen had more rushing yards than the entire Dolphins running back corp, combined. The Bills quarterback threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns and two picks. He would rack up 135 yards on the ground. The Dolphins had a good performance from Ryan Tannehill's three touchdowns on 137 yards passing, while throwing one pick. Kenyan Drake only ran the ball for 31 yards.

Week 14: Buffalo: vs NY Jets; Miami: vs New England

TW: 3-4; CV: 3-4

Denver 24, Cincinnati 10: TW: Broncos, CV: Broncos
It was a game that was dominated by one man, Phillip Lindsey. Lindsey ran the ball for 157 yards with two touchdowns. Case Keenum managed the game well with 151 yards passing and a touchdown. The Bengals started Jeff Driskell in the game and managed to get 236 yards passing with a touchdown and a pick. Joe Mixon ran for 82 yards. Cody Core would score the only touchdown for the Bengals in the game. Once upon a time, the Cincinnati Bengals were 4-1, now it seems like a long time ago.

Week 14: Denver: @ San Francisco; Cincinnati: @ LA Chargers

TW: 4-4; CV: 4-4

Baltimore 26, Atlanta 16: TW: Ravens, CV: Ravens
It was a game where both teams traded fumbles for scores. The Falcons got their fumble-six off of Lamar Jackson where Vic Beasley would run it in for 74 yards for the touchdown. The Ravens got some revenge from a Matt Ryan fumble recovered by Kenny Young for a 12-yard touchdown. Lamar Jackson had an alright game with 125 yards passing with zero touchdowns while he would run it in for a score. Matt Ryan threw for 131 yards and a touchdown in the game. The defensive effort by the Ravens in this one.

Week 14: Baltimore: @ Kansas City; Atlanta: @ Green Bay

TW: 5-4: CV: 5-4

Arizona 20, Green Bay 17: TW: Packers, CV: Packers
The game that ultimately spelled doom for Mike McCarthy. The game offensively was good enough for the Packers with Aaron Rodgers throwing for 233 yards and a touchdown. Aaron Jones would score a touchdown on 36 yards from the ground. While Josh Rosen of the Cardinals threw for 149 yards and Chase Edmonds would score the two touchdowns that the Cardinals would get for the afternoon. It would seem that the playoff hopes for the Packers died yesterday. Sad to see.

Week 14: Arizona: vs Detroit; Green Bay: vs Atlanta

TW: 5-5; CV: 5-5

NY Jets 22, Tennessee 26: TW: Titans, CV: Titans
It was a tale of two teams. The Jets started off well, but couldn't finish. The Titans had a terrible start but would recover nicely to get a win. Josh McCown would throw for 128 yards for an interception while Isiah Crowell would run the ball for 98 yards. Trumaine Johnson would score the only touchdown for the Jets from a Marcus Mariota interception. Marcus Mariota would recover from the interception throwing for 282 yards for two touchdowns, while Derrick Henry would run the ball for 40 yards and a score of his own.

Week 14: NY Jets: @ Buffalo; Tennessee: vs Jacksonville

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

Kansas City 40, Oakland 33: TW: Chiefs, CV: Chiefs
The news of Kareem Hunt's viral video of him punching, kicking, and headbutting a woman back in February would prove to be a factor in this one. The Raiders had nothing to lose would give the Chiefs quite a fight in the game. Derek Carr would throw for 285 yards on three touchdowns. Jalen Richard would run the ball for 95 yards. Patrick Mahomes would throw for 295 yards on four touchdown passes. Spencer Ware would score a touchdown as well while running the ball for 47 yards. Gotta be a confidence booster for the Raiders if they can run up 30 against a good offensive team.

Week 14: Kansas City: vs Baltimore; Oakland: vs Pittsburgh

TW: 7-5; CV: 7-5

Minnesota 10, New England 24: TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots
Turnovers by the Vikings would kill them ultimately in this game. Kirk Cousins threw for 211 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions. Dalvin Cook would have a good game on the ground running for 84 yards on nine carries. Tom Brady threw for 311 yards and a touchdown and a pick. Sony Michel would be the Patriots leading rusher in the game with 63 yards. James Develin would run in for two touchdowns in the game. The win guaranteed the Patriots their 18th straight winning season, 2nd only to the Dallas Cowboys 20 straight winning seasons from 1966 to 1985. Impressive streak to be sure.

Week 14: Minnesota: @ Seattle; New England: @ Miami

TW: 8-5; CV: 8-5

San Francisco 16, Seattle 43: TW: Seahawks, CV: Seahawks
Somehow the Seahawks were in a rebuilding season. Yet they are 7-5 on the year after this game. Russell Wilson threw for 185 yards on four touchdowns. The running back tandem of Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny ran for 69 and 65 yards respectively. Penny would score a rushing touchdown. Nick Mullens had a solid game throwing the ball for 414 yards and two touchdowns. Jeff Wilson ran the ball for 61 yards for the Niners in the game. The rebuilding continues for San Francisco.

Week 14: San Francisco: vs Denver; Seattle: vs Minnesota

TW: 9-5; CV: 9-5

LA Chargers 33, Pittsburgh 30: TW: Steelers, CV: Chargers
The Steelers really took their foot off the gas in this game. By halftime, the Steelers were up 23-7 yet the Chargers would go on a 26-7 run to finish the game. The ending of the game was insane as the Steelers were offsides for three straight penalties in the game-winning field goal play. Ben Roethlisberger would throw the ball for 281 yards for two touchdowns while James Conner ran the ball for 60 yards. Phillip Rivers threw the ball for 299 yards for two touchdowns. Justin Jackson of the Chargers ran the ball 63 yards and a touchdown.

Week 14: LA Chargers: vs Cincinnati; Pittsburgh: @ Oakland

TW: 9-6; CV: 10-5

Washington 13, Philadelphia 28: TW: Eagles, CV: Eagles
The NFC East race is staying as tight as possible as both teams after the game are now 6-6, trying to catch the Cowboys. Carson Wentz would throw for two touchdowns on 306 yards passing while both Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez would combine for 150 yards passing and a touchdown (Sanchez would throw it). Adrian Peterson ran the ball for 98 yards and get a touchdown for his efforts. Could be a race to the finish.

Week 14: Washington: vs NY Giants; Philadelphia: @ Dallas

TW: 10-6; CV: 11-5

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
Overall: 118-72-2

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
Overall: 116-74-2

See you guys on Thursday for the Week 15 picks column! 
-Tom

NFL 2018 Week 13 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us. The league is entering into its 13th week of competition in the 2018 regular season. There is only five more weeks left in the season and there are still division races to be won, wild cards to be gained and teams that won't play past January. In the column I'll talk about the latest playoff picture, a cool video of the week and of course the picks! Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 13

AFC:
1st seed: Kansas City (9-2)
2nd seed: New England (8-3)
3rd seed: Houston (8-3)
4th seed: Pittsburgh (7-3-1)
5th seed: LA Chargers (8-3)
6th seed: Baltimore (6-5)

Wild Card:
Baltimore @ Houston
LA Chargers @ Pittsburgh

Still alive:
Indianapolis (6-5), Miami (5-6), Cincinnati (5-6), Denver (5-6), Tennessee (5-6), Cleveland (4-6-1), Buffalo (4-7), Jacksonville (3-8), NY Jets (3-8), Oakland (2-9)

NFC:

1st seed: New Orleans (10-1)
2nd seed: LA Rams (10-1)
3rd seed: Chicago (8-3)
4th seed: Dallas (6-5)
5th seed: Minnesota (6-4-1)
6th seed: Washington (6-5)

Wild card:
Washington @ Chicago
Minnesota @ Dallas

Still alive:
Seattle (6-5), Carolina (6-5), Philadelphia (5-6), Green Bay (4-6-1), Atlanta (4-7), Tampa Bay (4-7), Detroit (4-7), NY Giants (3-8), Arizona (2-9), San Francisco (2-9)

Cool video of the week:

One of the more interesting viral videos of the week is a cow. A big, tall cow. A cow that is just as tall to the true GOAT, Michael Jordan. Why is this the cool video of the week? Why not? Enjoy.

Week 13 Picks:

Week 13 of the National Football League starts in Arlington, Texas and ends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. No teams are on a bye this week. There are 16 games on the slate. The week will have a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will have the doubleheader and CBS will have the single, regional game. On to the picks!

New Orleans (10-1) @ Dallas (6-5) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Saints, CV: Saints
Both teams got a win last week as the Saints beat the Falcons and the Cowboys beat the Redskins. An enticing matchup to be sure, the Saints are going on a 10-game winning streak, the longest streak of the NFL this season. I don't know if the Saints running game can be stopped in the game, I feel this is the key to the game for the Cowboys. If they can cause the Saints to be one dimensional and sustain drives of their own, they got a chance to win. I don't know if Dallas can.

Denver (5-6) @ Cincinnati (5-6) (CBS): TW: Broncos, CV: Broncos
The Broncos got a win against the Steelers and the Bengals lost to the Browns. The Broncos defense pulled up the stops against Pittsburgh last week and I feel they got a chance to do the same for Cincinnati. I feel the Broncos have an advantage on offense as well. Better running attack. When you lose to the Browns, you gotta lose a bit of credibility. I'll take my chances with the Broncos.

Chicago (8-3) @ NY Giants (3-8) (FOX): TW: Bears, CV: Bears
The Bears got a win against the Lions and the Giants lost to the Eagles last week. It's possible to not see Mitchell Trubisky in this game as he is recovering from injury so Chase Daniel might get the start again. The Bears defense could give the Giants a bit of a fit but I think they can get it done against the Giants.

Carolina (6-5) @ Tampa Bay (4-7) (FOX): TW: Panthers, CV: Panthers
The Panthers lost to the Seahawks and the Buccaneers got a win against the 49ers. The game will be a high-scoring, offensive game. The two teams are great on both run and pass offense. I like the Panthers because of their better defense than the Buccaneers (14th in overall defense, to the Bucs 27th).

Cleveland (4-6-1) @ Houston (8-3) (CBS): TW: Texans, CV: Texans
Both teams got a win last week as the Browns beat the Bengals and the Texans beat the Titans. The Browns have been quite a nice story for the NFL when they win, the underdogs of the world win as well. This week, however, not so much. The Texans are riding on an 8-game winning streak, 2nd longest in the NFL this season. Sorry, Cleveland but Houston is a bit better on defense as long as JJ Watt is on the field.

LA Rams (10-1) @ Detroit (4-7) (FOX): TW: Rams, CV: Rams
The Rams were on a bye week and the Lions lost to the Bears on Thanksgiving. The Rams are coming off a bye week and should be refreshed to finish off the season. The defense alone could keep the Lions pinned down enough to give them a win. Rams on offense are rock solid with Todd Gurley and Jared Goff as the quarterback. Could be a trap game though, be careful Los Angeles.

Buffalo (4-7) @ Miami (5-6) (CBS): TW: Dolphins, CV: Dolphins
The Bills got a win against the Jaguars and the Dolphins lost to the Colts last week. The matchup could be a dumpster fire but I like the Dolphins. The quarterback play of the Bills has been lackluster for the better part of the season and the Dolphins have shown some semblance of a quarterback that can lead an offense. Could be a dumpster of a game.

Indianapolis (6-5) @ Jacksonville (3-8) (CBS): TW: Colts, CV: Colts
The Colts got a win against the Dolphins and the Jaguars lost to the Bills. The Jaguars for the better part of the season have let me down. A lot. The last straw was last week. After last week, I'm not going to pick them for the rest of the season. That and I like the Colts on offense, and their defense can keep Blake Bortles at bay. That will be the key.

Baltimore (6-5) @ Atlanta (4-7) (CBS): TW: Ravens, CV: Ravens
The Ravens got a win last week as they beat the Raiders and the Falcons lost to the Saints. The game is a classic defense vs offense game. The Ravens are great on defense, and the Falcons are good on offense. The Ravens have a bit of an edge on the game as they have an offense that can run and pass the ball well. The key will be whether or not the Falcons defense can keep their opponents off the field.

Arizona (2-9) @ Green Bay (4-6-1) (FOX): TW: Packers, CV: Packers
Both teams got a loss last week as the Cardinals lost to the Chargers and the Packers to the Vikings. The Packers need to get a win to even stay in the talk of being in the NFC playoff race. I'm still holding out hope that Mike McCarthy can get it together to get a win before reality sets in. The reality that he might be fired at the end of the season. Go Pack Go!

NY Jets (3-8) @ Tennessee (5-6) (CBS): TW: Titans, CV: Titans
Both teams took losses last week as the Jets lost to the Patriots and the Titans lost to the Texans. The game comes down to if Sam Darnold will regain the starting position or if Josh McCown will stay in as the starter. The Jets nonetheless just might lose this game still as the running game hasn't gotten going for a while. I like the Titans in the game as they have a pretty potent offense that features both the feet and arm of Marcus Mariota. I'll take Tennessee.

Kansas City (9-2) @ Oakland (2-9) (CBS): TW: Chiefs, CV: Chiefs
The Chiefs were on a bye week and the Raiders lost to the Ravens last week. I'll be honest, the Raiders were somewhat a leading candidate in one thing going into this game. A high draft choice. I'll take the Chiefs because of Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs defense could cause issues.

San Francisco (2-9) @ Seattle (6-5) (FOX): TW: Seahawks, CV: Seahawks
The 49ers lost to the Buccaneers and the Seahawks beat the Panthers last week. The game could be a close one but its possible that it won't be as well. I like the Seahawks at home as the atmosphere is hopeful for a playoff berth. I don't trust the 49ers offense enough to give them an edge to the Seahawks.

Minnesota (6-4-1) @ New England (8-3) (FOX): TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots
Both teams got a win last week as the Vikings beat the Packers and the Patriots beat the Jets. The game will greatly depend on if the Vikings running game can keep the Patriots defense on the field and keep Tom Brady on the sideline. As it is the formula to beat him and to take risks against the Patriots. Brady is proven to be a winner and just in general trust the Pats in the matchup.

LA Chargers (8-3) @ Pittsburgh (7-3-1) (NBC): TW: Steelers, CV: Chargers
The Chargers beat the Cardinals and the Steelers lost to the Broncos last week. The game is an AFC matchup on NBC, like old school AFC matchup. The Steelers running game was hit into a wall last week but I feel James Conner can get the ball back in the game and have a good day on the ground, the Steelers will need it.

Washington (6-5) @ Philadelphia (5-6) (ESPN): TW: Eagles, CV: Eagles
The Redskins lost to the Cowboys and the Eagles beat the Giants last week. The week finishes off with a classic NFC East matchup. Washington's quarterback problem will be lessened in this game if Colt McCoy can have an improved game than what he did against Dallas last week. I like the Eagles in the game as they still have Carson Wentz and the offense is still good enough to get points.

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, subject to change):

CBS Single:
Denver @ Cincinnati
Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

FOX Early:
Chicago @ NY Giants
Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

FOX Late:
Minnesota @ New England
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more information on which game is played in your area, check out: NFL 2018: Week 13 Maps

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
Overall: 108-66-2

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
Overall: 105-69-2

See you guys on Monday for the week's recap, enjoy the games!
-Tom

Edit #1: Included Cardinal Viking's picks. 

NFL 2018 Week 12 Recap

Hello readers! The aftermath of having family over, eating delicious food, and of course watching football is an afterthought. Now comes the holiday season, the home stretch of the National Football League's regular season. In the column, I'll talk about the recaps of all the games that took place over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Chicago 23, Detroit 16: TW: Bears, CV:  Bears
The Thanksgiving football got started with this game. It was an overall entertaining game, at least if you were a Bears fan. Chase Daniel filled in at quarterback for Mitchell Trubisky and had a good game, throwing the ball for 230 yards for two touchdowns. The Bears running game didn't really get going too much in the game. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford threw two interceptions, one for a pick-six, while throwing for 236 yards. LeGarrette Blount provided a bit of a spark to the Lions running game with 88 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Week 13: Chicago: @ NY Giants; Detroit: vs LA Rams

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Washington 23, Dallas 31: TW: Cowboys, CV: Cowboys

The sleeper game featured two teams looking to be in the NFC East race. The recent addition of Amari Cooper provided quite a game for the Cowboys, with eight catches for 180 yards. Ezekiel Elliot had a good game as well with 26 rushes for 121 yards and a touchdown. He also contributed $21 to the Red Bucket as well. For the Redskins though, Colt McCoy did probably more harm than good with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Granted that Adrian Peterson only had 35 yards rushing in the whole game. Despite the sleeper title, it was an interesting game, nonetheless. 

Week 13: Washington: @ Philadelphia; Dallas: vs New Orleans

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Atlanta 17, New Orleans 31: TW: Saints, CV: Saints

It was a game that was a tale of two quarterbacks. Drew Brees of the Saints only had 177 yards passing for four touchdowns and an interception. Matt Ryan for the Falcons had 377 yards passing for two touchdowns an interception. The Saints running back tandem of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram provided a nice balance to the Saints offensive attack both getting 89 and 52 rushing yards respectively. It was a game that the Saints dominated from the first snap onwards. 

Week 13: Atlanta: vs Baltimore; New Orleans: @ Dallas

TW: 3-0; CV: 3-0

Oakland 17, Baltimore 34: TW: Ravens, CV: Ravens

It was a strange game. The Ravens offense would only put up two touchdowns in the game, there would be other ways for them to get a score. Baltimore's special teams gave them a spark with Cyrus Jones running in for the score after returning a punt. The Ravens defense also recovered the ball after a Derek Carr fumble, which resulted in another touchdown. The Raiders just couldn't get anything going, Carr would throw for 194 yards and a touchdown in the game. Doug Martin had an okay game running the ball for 51 yards with 11 carries. Only five more weeks left Raiders fans. 

Week 13: Oakland: vs Kansas City; Baltimore: @ Atlanta

TW: 4-0; CV: 4-0

Seattle 30, Carolina 27: TW: Panthers, CV: Panthers

The struggles of the Carolina Panthers continue. Going into the 4th quarter, Carolina had a 27-17 lead. They just couldn't close the Seahawks out. Cam Newton had 256 passing yards with two touchdowns and a pick. Christian McCaffrey had a great day on the ground with 125 rushing yards with a touchdown. The winning quarterback, Russell Wilson, had a field day with 339 passing yards and two touchdowns. Chris Carson had an okay game on the ground with 55 rushing yards and a touchdown. Sebastian Janikowski would ultimately hit the game-winning field goal for Seattle.

Week 13: Seattle: vs San Francisco; Carolina: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 4-1; CV: 4-1

San Francisco 9, Tampa Bay 27: TW: Buccaneers, CV: Buccaneers

The football gods giveth, and the football gods taketh. A few weeks ago, Nick Mullens became a household name, in the game reality came rushing back. Mullens had 221 passing yards with a touchdown and two picks. Matt Breida had a good game on the ground with 106 yards with 0 touchdowns. Dante Pettis would provide the only touchdown for the Niners in the game. For the Bucs, it was a return to Jameis Winston's form with 312 passing yards with two touchdowns. The victory ended a 4-game skid for Tampa.

Week 13: San Francisco: @ Seattle; Tampa Bay: vs Carolina

TW: 5-1; CV: 5-1

NY Giants 22, Philadelphia 25: TW: Eagles, CV: Eagles

It was a close game from the first snap to the final play. It was really a repeat of last year's Giants at Eagles game. The Giants got quite a bit of offense with Eli Manning throwing for 297 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Saquon Barkley had 13 carries for 101 yards. Carson Wentz had 236 yards and a touchdown. Jalen Mills got quite a bit of yards on the ground with 81 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles were down 19-3 at one point in the 2nd quarter but you can't discount the heart of a champion. Much like last year, Jake Elliot would hit the game-winning field goal, from 43 yards. 

Week 13: NY Giants: vs Chicago; Philadelphia: vs Washington

TW: 6-1; CV: 6-1

New England 27, NY Jets 13: TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots

Tom Brady would set the NFL record in career passing yards in the game but would win the game as well. The Patriots were somewhat sluggish for most of the game on offense, the defense held their own. Josh McCown had 276 passing yards with a touchdown and a pick. The Jets running game couldn't get a lot going with only 30 yards from Isaiah Crowell. The Patriots running game back tandem of Sony Michel and James White provided quite a bit of spark for them, 133 and 73 yards rushing respectively. Tom Brady would throw for 283 yards and two touchdowns. Welcome back Rob Gronkowski. 

Week 13: New England: vs Minnesota; NY Jets: @ Tennessee

TW: 7-1; CV: 7-1

Jacksonville 21, Buffalo 24: TW: Jaguars, CV: Bills

It was a game that really featured two teams. A team that had nothing to prove but show up to play in the Buffalo Bills, and the shadow of what they once were at the start of the season in the Jacksonville Jaguars. Leonard Fournette and Shaq Lawson would get into a scuffle during the game and were both ejected from the game. Instead of using that as a motivation, the Jaguars didn't take advantage of it. Blake Bortles had a poor game with 127 yards passing with a touchdown and two picks in the game. Somehow Josh Allen had a better game for Buffalo, with 160 yards passing and a touchdown. Allen was also the leading rusher with 99 yards. It was a game that Jacksonville should've won but they're a dead team walking. 

Week 13: Jacksonville: vs Indianapolis; Buffalo: @ Miami

TW: 7-2; CV: 8-1

Cleveland 35, Cincinnati 20: TW: Browns, CV: Browns

Cleveland won a game on the road for the first time since 2015. Baker Mayfield had a great game with 258 yards passing with four touchdowns (yeah FOUR touchdowns). The Bengals would lose Andy Dalton early in the game with a thumb injury, Jake Driskell would finish the game for Cincinnati. Somehow Mayfield would outthrow the two quarterbacks. Congrats Cleveland! 

Week 13: Cleveland: @ Houston; Cincinnati: vs Denver

TW: 8-2; CV: 9-1

Arizona 10, LA Chargers 45: TW: Chargers, CV: Chargers

The Arizona Cardinals scored 10 points in the first quarter, they wouldn't for the rest of the game. Los Angeles would end up scoring 45 unanswered after the 1st quarter. Josh Rosen only threw for 105 yards with a touchdown and a pick. It would be a 25-yard pass for Larry Fitzgerald for the only touchdown for the Cards. Phillip Rivers had a great game with 259 yards passing and three touchdowns, completing 28 of 29 passes. The Chargers running game would get scores from Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler. LA dominated the game but looked sluggish in the first quarter, nonetheless would play outstanding ball for the next three quarters. 

Week 13: Arizona: @ Green Bay; LA Chargers: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 9-2; CV: 10-1

Miami 24, Indianapolis 27: TW: Colts, CV: Colts

It was a game that Miami probably should've won. Andrew Luck had an alright game with 343 yards passing with three touchdowns and two picks. Melvin Mack had a good day on the ground with 15 carries with 85 yards. The Dolphins would start Ryan Tannehill who has been gone for quite a bit of time due to injury. Tannehill had an alright game with 204 yards and two touchdowns. The three Colts turnovers probably should've meant doom for the Colts but a win is a win. An ugly win at that. 

Week 13: Miami: vs Buffalo, Indianapolis: @ Jacksonville

TW: 10-2; CV: 11-1

Pittsburgh 17, Denver 24: TW: Steelers, CV: Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger would have to carry the load in the game. Throwing for 462 yards, one touchdown, and two picks. James Conner didn't have that stellar game that we had been accustomed to seeing out of the young running back, only rushing for 53 yards on 13 carries. It would be Big Ben that had to carry the team again. Phillip Lindsey of the Broncos had 110 yards on the ground with a touchdown, and Case Keenum would throw for 197 yards and two touchdowns. It was cool to see Denver with the throwback helmet and uniforms though. 

Week 13: Pittsburgh: vs LA Chargers; Denver: @ Cinncinnati

TW: 10-3; CV: 11-2

Green Bay 17, Minnesota 24: TW: Packers, CV: Vikings

It would ultimately be the Vikings offense of Kirk Cousins that would dictate how well the game would turn out. Cousins would throw for 342 yards and three touchdowns. The Vikings running game didn't get a lot from the ground as Latavius Murray would run for 33 yards. Aaron Rodgers would throw for 198 yards and a touchdown. Aaron Jones would run for 72 yards and a touchdown as well. It was the Packers offensive ineptitude that would prove doom for the Packers. There's gotta be a change in the head coach eventually. 

Week 13: Green Bay: vs Arizona; Minnesota: @ New England

TW: 10-4; CV: 12-2

Tennessee 17, Houston 34: TW: Texans, CV: Texans
The win streak continues for Houston as they won their 8th straight game, a franchise record. Impressive to say the least. The Texans offense was on fire with Deshaun Watson leading with 210 passing yards with two touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Lamar Miller had a 97-yard rushing touchdown as well. Marcus Mariota had a good day as well throwing for 303 yards and two touchdowns. The only real difference is that the Texans were balanced on offense, the Titans weren't. Not going to win a lot of games with Derrick Henry rushing for 30 yards.

Week 13: Tennessee: vs NY Jets; Houston: vs Cleveland

TW: 11-4; CV: 13-2

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
Overall: 108-66-2

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
Overall: 105-69-2

See you guys on Wednesday for the Week 13 Picks column!
-Tom