NFL 2019 Week 11 Recap

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

NFL 100: A Spotlight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Week 11 Recap

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

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

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

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

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

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

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

All-time series: Ravens lead 9-2

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

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

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

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

All-time series: Vikings lead 8-7

Next week: Denver: @ Buffalo; Minnesota: Bye

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

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

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

All-time series: Colts lead 24-13

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

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

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

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

All-time series: Saints lead series 35-21

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

TW: 4-1; CV: 4-1

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

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

All-time series: Redskins lead series 8-4

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

TW: 4-2; CV: 5-1

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

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

All-time series: Cowboys lead 17-12

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

TW: 5-2; CV: 6-1

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

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

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

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

TW: 6-2; CV: 7-1

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

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

All-time series: Atlanta leads 31-18

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

TW: 6-3; CV: 7-2

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

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

All-time series: 49ers lead 31-26

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

TW: 7-3; CV: 8-2

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

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

All-time series: Raiders lead 21-11

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

TW: 8-3; CV: 9-2

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

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

All-time series: Eagles lead 8-7

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

TW: 9-3; CV: 10-2

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

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

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

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

TW: 10-3; CV: 11-2

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

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

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

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

TW: 10-4; CV: 12-2

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Week 8: 11-4

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 2-11

Week 11: 12-2

Overall: 97-64-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Week 8: 14-1

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 5-8

Week 11: 10-4

Overall: 99-62-1

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

NFL 2019 Week 11 Picks

Hello again readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us! Last week was a down week finishing off with a 5-8 record in picks. Fortunately better than Cardinal Viking (my roommate) did last week. With a good slate of games, I feel I can get back to a winning week. In the post I'll do an NFL 100 Spotlight and my picks for the games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The Cincinnati Bengals in 1988 was a dream season. Their quarterback Boomer Esiason was named NFL MVP, Sam Wyche guided the team to a 12-4 record and a Super Bowl berth, and a 2nd round pick would create a dance that would turn into a craze. That 2nd round pick was Ickey Woods.

Woods was born on February 28th, 1966 in Fresno, California. He would attend college at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. In the 1988 NFL Draft he was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2nd round, 31st overall. While he would only play for four seasons, he helped introduce the "Ickey Shuffle" to the world.

While the dance wasn't quite as flashy as the "Dirty Bird" or the "Floss" the Ickey Shuffle was rather simple. The dance would begin with three hops to the left and three hops to the right and then a football spike. The dance, like the season itself, would eventually drift away to memory.

The 1988 Bengals would dominate their competition and into the playoffs. They would beat the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills enroute to Super Bowl XXIII in a Super Bowl rematch against the San Francisco 49ers. Ickey Woods wouldn't quite have the stellar game as he did during the season as he finished with 20 carries for 79 yards.

Week 10 Picks!

Pittsburgh (5-4) @ Cleveland (3-6) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

Both teams got wins last week as the Steelers beat the Rams and the Browns beat the Bills. The week starts off with a meh game in the AFC North. The Steelers are the hot team coming into the game while the Browns haven't done a lot to show how great they are. If Pittsburgh's offense can get going and give their defense a break, I like the Steelers chances in this one.

Houston (6-3) @ Baltimore (7-2) (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Texans were on a bye and the Ravens beat the Bengals last week. Both teams are fairly similar on offense, especially at quarterback. I think the Texans defense is weaker than the Ravens defense since Houston lost JJ Watt a few weeks ago. I can't trust Houston enough to give them the pick this week, especially in a match-up like this.

Denver (3-6) @ Minnesota (7-3) (CBS): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The Broncos were on a bye and the Vikings beat the Cowboys last week. Denver is coming into the game with longer rest but ultimately it comes down to talent on the offensive end, which Minnesota has quite a bit more than Denver. Its a bit more closer in terms of defense but unfortunately Minnesota owns in that department as well. The game could be close if the Broncos running game can get going but in most cases, I'll take the safe bet in Minnesota.

Jacksonville (4-5) @ Indianapolis (5-4) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Colts

The Jaguars were on a bye and the Colts lost to the Dolphins last week. Jacoby Brissett is likely to return to play for this game after missing last week's game. If the Colts want to get to the playoffs, they need to get a good start from Brissett. I trend towards the Colts in this game but in the AFC South, everyone beats up on everyone.

New Orleans (7-2) @ Tampa Bay (3-6) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Saints

The Saints lost to the Falcons and the Buccaneers beat the Cardinals last week. Last week has to be a fluke if you're a Saints fan. I feel the Saints will get back on track on defense and take advantage of a Jameis Winston that tends to throw interceptions. I mean you can't lose back-to-back games in a heavily contested NFC, right?

NY Jets (2-7) @ Washington (1-8) (FOX): TW: Redskins; CV: Jets

The Jets beat the Giants and the Redskins were on a bye last week. In terms of this game, no one really wins, as its fairly meaningless. I tend to like Washington as their defense is pretty underrated and if their offense can get enough going, I somewhat like their chances. Of course it could just blow up in my face but I'll take that chance.

Dallas (5-4) @ Detroit (3-5-1) (FOX): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

The Cowboys lost to the Vikings and the Lions lost to the Bears. Dallas has been awful since their debacle against the Jets. Ezekiel Elliot has been quiet for the past few games and will need to get back to form against a 28th ranked rush defense in Detroit. I can see Detroit winning it if the Cowboys shoot themselves in the foot. Other than I can't see them losing to the Lions.

Buffalo (6-3) @ Miami (2-7) (CBS): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Bills lost to the Browns and the Dolphins beat the Colts. At some point the Dolphins realize that tanking means they have to lose games, right? I don't expect them to win their third straight against a fairly better Buffalo team. The Bills defense is really and truly better than Miami's. You can't expect the Bengals to win a game against the Raiders.

Atlanta (2-7) @ Carolina (5-4) (FOX): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers

The Falcons beat the Saints and the Panthers lost to the Packers. Somehow this Atlanta team beat the Saints last week. I feel the Panthers will bounce back with their MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey and a solid passing attack with Kyle Allen. Matt Ryan had a below average game despite them winning. I'll take Carolina.

Arizona (3-6-1) @ San Francisco (8-1) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

Both teams lost last week as the Cardinals lost to the Buccaneers and the 49ers lost to the Seahawks. Their previous meeting was rather close and this game could end up being a pretty good one as well. San Francisco needs to get back to running the football better, if they can do that, then everything can fall into place.

Cincinnati (0-9) @ Oakland (5-4) (CBS): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders

The Bengals lost to the Ravens and the Raiders beat the Chargers. Oakland has been playing pretty well since their game against the Bears in London. They've had a resurgence in quarterback with Derek Carr and a great running game with Josh Jacobs. I really can't see Cincinnati winning this game as they just have no real quality talent on both sides of the ball, except for maybe Joe Mixon

New England (8-1) @ Philadelphia (5-4) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

Both teams were on a bye last week. Philadelphia has an interesting position to regain some ground against Dallas but they're running into a Patriots team that lost last week. New England typically doesn't lose back-to-back games and often win those games fairly big. I'll take New England but I hope this game will be a good one as this is the marquee game.

Chicago (4-5) @ LA Rams (5-4) (NBC): TW: Rams; CV: Rams

The Bears beat the Lions and the Rams lost to the Steelers last week. NBC really should've gotten this game flexed out as this might've been a decent match-up earlier in the season. Both teams are just not that superb. Rams have more talent on defense and I will take Los Angeles on that alone.

Kansas City (6-4) @ LA Chargers (4-6) (ESPN): TW: Chargers; CV: Chiefs

Both teams lost last week as the Chiefs lost to the Titans and the Chargers lost to the Raiders. The week finishes up with an okay match-up in Mexico City. The Chiefs running attack and defense just isn't as great as one would assume. Patrick Mahomes just can't do it all on his own, his team needs to back him up. I like the Chargers in this one as they do have a legit running game. As long as Philip Rivers throws to people in blue jerseys, they should do fine in this one.

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

FOX Single:
Dallas @ Detroit
Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

CBS Early:
Denver @ Minnesota
Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon

CBS Late:
New England @ Philadelphia
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Week 8: 11-4

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 2-11

Overall: 85-62-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Week 8: 14-1

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 5-8

Overall: 89-58-1

See you guys after the Monday night game for the Week 11 recap. Enjoy the games!
-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 10 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has passed us by. At this time last week I finished with an 8-6 record for Week 9. We shall see if I can have a better week than that as there was 13 games that were played this week. The post will include an NFL 100 Spotlight and a recap of the week's action. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

For the past few days it has been snowing where I live. So I began to think of NFL games that have been played in the snow. There has been quite a  few snow games throughout the history of the NFL, none too quite greater than the 1948 NFL Championship Game when the Chicago Cardinals visited the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chicago Cardinals won the NFL championship in 1947 (where their opponent was the Philadelphia Eagles) and finished 1948 with a 11-1 record. They had such stars like Ray Mallof, Paul Christman, Charley Trippi, and Red Cochran. The Cardinals heading into the championship game looked to repeat.

The Philadelphia Eagles hadn't found much success prior to 1948. At one point in their history they merged with the Pittsburgh Steelers due to roster shortages due to World War II, being dubbed the "Steagles." In 1947 they finally made the playoffs and would easily handle the Pittsburgh Steelers in a tie-breaker playoff game. Despite losing the 1947 championship game to the Cardinals, the Eagles looked to build off their success. The Eagles finished 1948 with a 9-2-1 record. They had such stars like Tommy Thompson, Pete Pihos, Ernie Steele and of course Steve Van Buren.

The game, dubbed "The Philly Blizzard" began shortly before kickoff. NFL Commissioner Bert Bell had considered postponing the game due to the large amount of snowfall. The tarp had to be removed by players of both teams. The kickoff time was moved to 2:00 pm Eastern time to help clear more snow. More than 28, 864 fans would pack Philadelphia's Shibe Park to watch their Eagles play. The gametime temperature was 27 degrees Farenheit (or -3 celsius).

The passing game was very limited due to the harsh weather conditions. Both teams would combine for five completions out of 23 attempts, Eagles quarterback Tommy Thompson would complete three of those five. It would be a game where running the football was important, and to hold onto it.

When it comes to scores, there was only one. It would take until the 4th quarter when Steve Van Buren would score the only touchdown of the game on a five-yard run. Nonetheless, as long as you score more points than the other team, you would win.

The Cardinals wouldn't recover from the game, they wouldn't win 11 games until 1975 when they were the St. Louis Cardinals. They wouldn't get back to a championship game until Super Bowl XLIII (yeah that long) more than 60 years after the 1948 championship game.

The Eagles would continue to have championship success the next season when they beat the Los Angeles Rams in 1949 and win another championship in 1960. After 1960, they would endure one of the longer championship droughts for a franchise until the Eagles would win their first Super Bowl in 2017, beating the New England Patriots.

Enjoy the nostalgia as well as black and white footage of old-school football:

Week 10 Recap

LA Chargers 24, Oakland 26: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

The Chargers had a chance to win it despite mistakes from Philip Rivers. Rivers probably turned in one of his worst performances of the season with 207 yards passing with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Melvin Gordon did well with his 108 yards rushing and a touchdown. Derek Carr continued his comeback season with 218 yards passing with a touchdown. Josh Jacobs continued his Rookie of the Year resume with 71 yards rushing with a touchdown. Erik Harris would have a pick-six in the game, a 56-yard return for a touchdown.

All-time series: Raiders lead 64-54-2

Next week: LA Chargers: @ Kansas City; Oakland: vs Cincinnati

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Buffalo 16, Cleveland 19: TW: Bills; CV: Bills

Congrats Browns! The good news: you won your third game this season. The bad news: the win came in Week 10. Josh Allen did fine with his 266 yards passing but threw for zero touchdowns. Allen would provide the only touchdowns for Buffalo with two rushing while compiling 28 yards from the ground. Devin Singletary would be the leading rusher with 42 yards. Baker Mayfield would have his best game in a long time with 238 yards passing with two touchdowns. Nick Chubb would carry the load for the Browns with his 116 yards rushing on 20 carries, despite not getting a rushing touchdown. You just might salvage your sorry ass season yet, Browns.

All-time series: Browns lead 13-9

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

TW: 0-2; CV: 0-2

Detroit 13, Chicago 20: TW: Bears; CV: Lions

Matthew Stafford would be ruled out of the game but the Lions held their own. Jake Driskell threw the ball for 269 yards with a touchdown but would throw an interception in the game. Driskell would be the leading rusher with 37 yards, a poor effort for Detroit's running game despite not having Kerryon Johnson. Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears offense got it going compared to last week. Trubisky would finish with a 173 yards passing total but would do better with three passing touchdowns. Devin Montgomery would rush for 60 yards. Poor Lions.

All-time series: Bears lead series 100-74-5

Next week: Detroit: vs Dallas; Chicago: @ LA Rams

TW: 1-2; CV: 0-3

NY Giants 27, NY Jets 34: TW: Giants; CV: Giants

The Battle of New York... or New Jersey! Daniel Jones had a pretty good game throwing the ball, getting 308 yards passing with four touchdowns. Daniel Jones was the leading rusher for the Giants with 20 yards, Saquon Barkley would only get a yard from 13 carries. Sam Darnold would throw for 230 yards with a touchdown, while scoring a rushing touchdown with 25 rushing yards. Le'Veon Bell would get a rushing touchdown as well but could only get 34 yards rushing. Jets kicker, Sam Ficken, would hit 2 of 3 field goals.

All-time series: Giants lead 8-6

Next week: NY Giants: Bye; NY Jets: @ Washington

TW: 1-3; CV: 0-4

Baltimore 49, Cincinnati 13: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Ravens complete the season sweep of Cincinnati in a rather convincing fashion. Lamar Jackson threw the ball for 223 yards with three touchdowns while compiling 65 yards rushing with a touchdown. Mark Ingram would have 34 yards rushing with a touchdown. Ryan Finley would be starting for Cincinnati in Andy Dalton's place. Finley did fine despite the circumstances, with 167 yards passing with a touchdown but also an interception. Joe Mixon would have a 100-yard+ day with 116 yards but scored zero touchdowns. Just remember Cincy, you have a chance to get a win against Miami in Week 16.

All-time series: Ravens lead 25-23

Next week: Baltimore: vs Houston; Cincinnati: @ Oakland

TW: 2-3; CV: 1-4

Kansas City 32, Tennessee 35: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

I don't get it. Patrick Mahomes out, defense plays well; Patrick Mahomes in, defense lapses. Mahomes would make his return for the first time in a few weeks and wouldn't disappoint with 446 yards passing with three touchdowns. Damien Williams rushed the ball for 77 yards with zero touchdowns. Tyreek Hill would get 157 yards receiving with a touchdown. Ryan Tannehill threw the ball for 181 yards with two touchdowns. Derrick Henry would finish with more yardage than his quarterback with 188 yards rushing with two touchdowns of his own. Ryan Tannehill would hit Adam Humphries for a 23-yard score to give the Titans the lead with :23 left in the game. Chiefs defense is not that good and will need to play well if they want a chance to dethrone the Patriots and win a championship.

All-time series: Chiefs lead 29-24

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

TW: 2-4; CV: 1-5

Atlanta 26, New Orleans 9: TW: Saints; CV: Saints

One of the biggest upsets of the season so far. Matt Ryan would start for the Falcons, and he would throw the ball for 182 yards with two touchdowns while throwing an interception. Brian Hill would run the ball for 61 yards with zero touchdowns. Younghoe Lee would hit 4/4 in field goals. Drew Brees would get 287 yards passing with zero touchdowns. One of the rare games that Brees would have zero passing touchdowns. Alvin Kamara wouldn't get a lot of yardage on the ground with 24 yards. Wil Lutz would hit 3/3 in field goals.

All-time series: Falcons lead series 53-48

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

TW: 2-5; CV: 1-6

Arizona 27, Tampa Bay 30: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Cardinals

It was a long time coming but Jameis Winston would finally come away with a winner for the first time since Week 4. Kyler Murray did well in the game despite throwing an interception. Murray would finish the game with 324 yards passing with three touchdowns. He would also have the leading rusher honors with 38 yards while Kenyan Drake finished with 35 yards. Jameis Winston threw the ball for 358 yards with a touchdown while throwing two interceptions. Peyton Barber would get 43 yards rushing with a touchdown while Ronald Jones got 29 yards rushing with a touchdown as well. Pretty ugly win but I'm sure Tampa will take it.

All-time series: Cardinals lead series 11-10

Next week: Arizona: @ San Francisco; Tampa Bay: vs New Orleans

TW: 3-5; CV: 1-7

Miami 16, Indianapolis 12: TW: Colts; CV: Colts

Another upset this week! Ryan Fitzpatrick would provide the only touchdown for the Dolphins this game. Fitzpatrick would throw the ball for 169 yards with an interception. He would run the ball for 23 yards while scoring the only touchdown for Miami. Kalen Ballage would get 43 yards from the ground. Brian Hoyer would get the start for Indy while getting 203 yards passing with a touchdown and three interceptions. Marlon Mack would get quite a bit of production on the ground with 74 yards rushing but wouldn't score a touchdown. Adam Vinatieri would be 2/2 for field goals in the game.

All-time series: Dolphins lead series 48-27

Next week: Miami: vs Buffalo; Indianapolis: vs Jacksonville

TW: 3-6; CV: 1-8

Carolina 16, Green Bay 24: TW: Packers; CV: Panthers

Aaron Rodgers didn't have the bestest of games but the Packers are 8-2 heading into a long-awaited bye week. Kyle Allen was productive in the game with 307 yards passing with a touchdown but also threw an interception. It could've been much worser for Allen as he was pressured quite a lot in the game. Christian McCaffrey was fairly productive as well with 108 yards rushing with a touchdown, while compiling 33 yards receiving. Aaron Rodgers would get 223 yards passing for the game with zero touchdowns. Another Aaron would give the Packers all the scoring that they would need as Aaron Jones ran the ball for 93 yards for three touchdowns.

All-time series: Packers lead 10-6

Next week: Carolina: vs Atlanta; Green Bay: Bye

TW: 4-6; CV: 1-9

LA Rams 12, Pittsburgh 17: TW: Rams; CV: Rams

The trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick has paid off dividends for the Steelers. Jared Goff didn't look all that great with 243 yards passing with zero touchdowns but would throw two interceptions. Todd Gurley would finish the game with 73 yards rushing but wouldn't get a touchdown. Dante Fowler would get the only touchdown for the Rams from a fumble-six. Mason Rudolph finished the game with decent stats with 242 yards passing with a touchdown. Minkah Fitzpatrick would score a touchdown on a fumble-six. Overall, the game wasn't that well played as there were lots of turnovers.

All-time series: Rams lead series 15-10-2

Next week: LA Rams: vs Chicago; Pittsburgh: @ Cleveland

TW: 4-7; CV: 1-10

Minnesota 28, Dallas 24: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The Cowboys wasted a pretty good game from Dak Prescott. Kirk Cousins threw the ball for 220 yards with two touchdowns. A decent game for him. Dalvin Cook would end up being the better running back with 97 yards rushing with a touchdown. Dak Prescott finished the game with 397 yards passing with three touchdowns while throwing an interception. Ezekiel Elliot was pretty quiet this game with only 47 yards from the ground. What's wrong with Dallas?!

All-time series: Cowboys lead 16-15

Next week: Minnesota: vs Denver; Dallas: @ Detroit

TW: 5-7; CV: 2-10

Seattle 27, San Francisco 24 (F/OT): TW: 49ers, CV: 49ers

San Francisco is undefeated no more. Russell Wilson threw the ball for 232 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. The Seahawks running game was pretty effective as Chris Carson ran the ball for 89 yards with a touchdown, Wilson would have 53 yards. Jimmy Garoppolo would throw the ball for 248 yards with a touchdown as well as an interception. The Seahawks defense kept the Niners running game from going as Tevin Coleman's 40 yards rushing was the leading rusher for San Fran. Pretty good game safe to say.

All-time series: Seattle leads series 26-16

Next week: Seattle: Bye; San Francisco: vs Arizona

TW: 5-8; CV: 2-11

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Week 8: 11-4

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 2-11

Overall: 85-62-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Week 8: 14-1

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 5-8

Overall: 89-58-1

See you guys on Wednesday for the Week 11 picks!
-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 10 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us. Last week was an average week for me in picks with a 8-6 record. While not a bad record, it wasn't quite the similar record the week before. Hopefully this week's games will provide less crazy and give me a better week. In this post I'll give you another NFL 100 Spotlight and my picks for the Week 10 games! Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

For most of the San Francisco 49ers long history since joining the NFL in 1950, they had never went on to win a championship. From 1970 to 1972 they would go to the playoffs, and each time losing to the Dallas Cowboys. For the next six seasons they would not get a chance to build a team that could contend. All that would change in January 1979.

Bill Walsh, the genius of the West Coast Offense and offensive coordinator for Paul Brown's Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 to 1975, was hired to reverse the losing trend and build a winner in the Bay City. The trend would continue when the 49ers finished 1979 with a 2-14 record. By 1980, the 49ers were putting people in the seats at Candlestick Park with high flying offense from Walsh's system, unfortunately his defense wasn't stopping opponents either. San Francisco would finish the season with a 6-10 record. In the 1981 NFL Draft, Walsh would spend much of his picks on the secondary with players like Eric Wright and Ronnie Lott. There was much doubt that the 49ers would be a contender in 1981.

The first month of the 1981 season would see much of the same as the 49ers went 2-2 through four weeks. All that would change with a confidence building victory over the Washington Redskins by a score of 30-17. The momentum would build as the 49ers would lay a lickin' over the Dallas Cowboys with a blowout win of 45-14. What changed was the season additions of Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds and Fred Dean. With an explosive offense and a defense to match, the surprising 49ers would finish the season with a 13-3 record.

The 49ers would easily beat the New York Giants 38-24 in the Divisional playoff. Their next opponent would be the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas had been in the 49ers way to a championship for the longest time, and the 49ers wouldn't miss out on the opportunity.

The team's would trade leads as the game's scoring was at 27-21 late in the 4th quarter. The ball was spotted at the 49ers 6-yard line with all of their timeouts intact with 4:54 left on the clock. America would be introduced to Joe Cool.

Bill Walsh would utilize his running game of Freddie Solomon and Lenvil Elliot on the final drive. He used this as the Cowboys expected Joe Montana to pass. The 49ers would march down the field as Lenvil Elliot would get a 6-yard run on a 2nd and 10 play. San Francisco would call their 2nd timeout with 58 seconds left. The ball was on the Cowboys 6-yard line. The next play would mark the beginning of one dynasty while subverting the end of another.

The play was Sprint Right Option, a play that was designed as a pick play. Dwight Clark was the designated pick man, the intended target was for Freddie Solomon. When the ball was snapped, Solomon slipped while running his route thus Montana's timing would be off. Montana's protection was breaking down as Montana ran to the right end of the sideline, trying to buy time. Ed "Too Tall" Jones and Larry Bethea were gunning for Montana. Trying to buy some more time, Montana used a pump fake to make Jones jump which he did and Montana aired it out to the endzone. Some possibilities was that Joe Montana intended to throw it as a throwaway to give the 49ers one last chance on 4th and goal. This would not be the case.

Running a similar route as Solomon, Dwight Clark knew he would have to be the intended target as Solomon slipped during the beginning of the play. As the ball was coming to him, he would reach up and take it with his fingers as high as he could and come down with it. The 49ers had scored a late touchdown on America's Team. A Ray Wershing point after would give the 49ers a 28-27 lead and would ultimately win the game.

The San Francisco 49ers would enjoy success during the 1980's, eventually becoming the "Team of the 80's" with four Super Bowl championships, while winning a fifth championship in 1994. They would continue to have playoff success until 2003 but the 22-year run has to be one of the greatest in NFL history. 

Week 10 Picks

The 10th week of the National Football League regular season starts in Oakland, California and ends in Santa Clara, California. There will be six teams on a bye this week: New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Washington Redskins. The week's slate will have 13 games. The week includes a Thursday night game, seven early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. CBS will have the single, regional game while FOX will have the double-header. Here are the picks!

LA Chargers (4-5) @ Oakland (4-4) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

Both teams got wins last week as the Chargers beat the Packers and the Raiders beat the Lions. The week starts off win a fairly decent match-up. Both teams have good offenses and utilize their running games quite a lot. I feel the game will come down to which team's rush defense can shut down the opponent. Green Bay's running attack wasn't very effective last week so I'll take the Chargers this game.

Buffalo (6-2) @ Cleveland (2-6) (CBS): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Bills beat the Redskins and the Browns lost to the Broncos. I don't trust the Browns anymore enough to take them when they are favored to win. The Bills have had a somewhat soft schedule so far so this game will be a huge game to see how good the Bills can be. If the Bills can control the time of possession and run the ball well, I feel they should get a win.

Detroit (3-4-1) @ Chicago (3-5) (CBS): TW: Bears; CV: Lions

Both teams lost last week as the Lions lost to the Raiders and the Bears lost to the Eagles. The only real reason why I'm taking the Bears is the lack of a running game in Detroit. Since the loss of Kenny Golladay, there hasn't been a lot of production on the ground for the Lions. I feel the Bears passing offense will get back to basics this week as well.

NY Giants (2-7) @ NY Jets (1-7) (FOX): TW: Giants; CV: Giants

Both teams lost last week as the Giants lost to the Cowboys and the Jets lost to the Cowboys. It's the battle for New York... or New Jersey for that matter. The Jets have been playing terrible despite being a possible playoff contender. I like the Giants in the match-up because of their offense but this game could come down to a field goal. Really a toss-up game but I'll take the road team.

Baltimore (6-2) @ Cincinnati (0-8) (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Ravens beat the Patriots and the Bengals were on a bye last week. Ryan Finley will get the start for the Bengals and the task at hand is going to be a tough one for the quarterback. Baltimore is more talented on paper and I will take the Ravens since they're double-digit favorites to win as well. I can't trust Cincinnati to give them a win but if they somehow pull off a win, I'd be shocked.

Kansas City (6-3) @ Tennessee (4-5) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The Chiefs beat the Vikings and the Titans lost to the Panthers last week. Patrick Mahomes will likely return after missing two games. Depending on how effective he will be, he will still need his running game to be effective as the Titans have a great running attack of their own and much improvement at quarterback with Ryan Tannehill. I'll take the Chiefs as they need to win if they want to have a bye week in the playoffs.

Atlanta (1-7) @ New Orleans (7-1) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Saints

Both teams were on a bye last week. The Saints have been playing great football without Drew Brees and with the extra week of rest the Saints look poised to make a run. I feel they will win with his arm and while the Falcons don't have Matt Ryan, this game could still be close.

Arizona (3-5-1) @ Tampa Bay (2-6) (FOX): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Cardinals

Both teams lost last week as the Cardinals lost to the 49ers and the Buccaneers lost to the Seahawks. The Cardinals were a surprise last week with a great game by Kenyan Drake and a solid defense. I honestly like the Buccaneers in the game with the more weapons for Jameis Winston to throw to. I wouldn't be surprised if they lost either. I don't really trust either team to win but the name of the game is choosing which one will win so yeah.

Miami (1-7) @ Indianapolis (5-3) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Colts

The Dolphins won against the Jets and the Colts lost to the Steelers. Miami finally got a win but I feel their losing ways will comeback in this one. Jacoby Brissett might not play in this game but Brian Hoyer did well in his absence last week. The Dolphins aren't really good on either side of the ball so I'll take Indy.

Carolina (5-3) @ Green Bay (7-2) (FOX): TW: Packers; CV: Panthers

The Panthers beat the Titans and the Packers lost to the Chargers. Green Bay's running game and rush defense was largely ineffective last week. Christian McCaffrey could have quite a game this week if they can't stop him. If the Packers defense can hold down McCaffrey and force Kyle Allen to beat them this game will largely be in Cheesehead favor.

LA Rams (5-3) @ Pittsburgh (4-4) (FOX): TW: Rams; CV: Rams

The Rams were on a bye and the Steelers won against the Colts. Jared Goff has gotten out of his slump earlier in the season and they will need to play well on offense to have a chance to beat the Steelers defense. Rams defense should do fine against an average Steelers offense. I'll take the Rams as they need to win if they want to remain in the playoff hunt.

Minnesota (6-3) @ Dallas (5-3) (NBC): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The Vikings lost to the Chiefs and the Cowboys beat the Giants last week. Minnesota had a fluke loss last week and I think they should rebound. Dallas could make this game interesting. Both teams have very similar talent levels on offense but I like the Vikings defense over the Cowboys in this game. Minnesota could very well lose, who knows.

Seattle (7-2) @ San Francisco (8-0) (ESPN): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

Both teams got wins last week as the Seahawks beat the Buccaneers and the 49ers beat the Cardinals. The two teams have their work cut out for them as ESPN has a pretty good matchup this week. Ultimately I think the longer rested 49ers will eke out a win this week. The 49ers running game needs to have a better game this week as Jimmy Garoppolo has enough on his plate dealing with the Seahawks pass rush. It will be close but I'll take the home team.

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

CBS Single:
Detroit @ Chicago
Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

FOX Early:
Atlanta @ New Orleans
Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

FOX Late:
Carolina @ Green Bay
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Week 8: 11-4

Week 9: 8-6

Overall: 83-51-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Week 8: 14-1

Week 9: 8-6

Overall: 84-50-1

See you guys on Monday night for the Week 10 recap! Enjoy the games!
-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 9 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The season is halfway over and certain division races are still close to the chest while some are not so close. Last week was a great week with a 14-1 record. We shall see how well I did this week and against Cardinal Viking. I should note that I forgot to put the Local TV schedule on the week's picks post, my apologies, I didn't realize of that until earlier today. The post will include a shorter NFL 100 Spotlight and a recap of the week's action. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The past two posts were pretty lengthy as the history of the AFL requires you to talk about it from birth to the 1970 merger. This spotlight will be shorter as I will talk about one of the greatest runs I've ever seen from a running back. The crowd noise alone caused enough seismic activity to cause a tremor. The game would be called "Beast Quake."

On January 8th, 2011 the 7-9 Seattle Seahawks (winners of the NFC West, mind you) hosted the 11-5 New Orleans Saints in the opening game of the NFL Wild Card playoffs. The Seahawks were lead by Matt Hasselbeck, Marshawn Lynch, Mike Williams and Earl Thomas. The Saints were the defending champions after winning Super Bowl XLIV the year before. They were anchored by Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Darren Sharper and Jonathan Vilma. It would be the first time that a team with a losing record play in the playoffs, let alone host a playoff game.

The two teams had met before during the regular season. In a week 11 contest, the Saints would beat the Seahawks at home 34-19. In most people's minds, the wild card game between the two would be much of the same. Vegas had the Saints as 10-point favorites.

The first quarter scoring started with a Garrett Hartley field goal to put the Saints up 3-0. A 1-yard pass play from Brees to Heath Evans gave the Saints a 10-0 cushion. John Carlson would give the Seahawks some points on the board from a 11-yard play from Hasselbeck to cut the lead to 10-7 to end the first quarter.

The 2nd quarter would see more scoring as Brees hit Julius Jones for a touchdown, with a 17-7 Saints lead. John Carlson would get his 2nd receiving touchdown from Hasselbeck, keeping the deficit down to 3 with a 17-14 game. Olindor Mare would give the Seahawks a field goal to tie the game at 17. Seattle wouldn't be done with that as Hasselbeck would hit Brandon Stockley with a 45-yard pass for a touchdown to give the Seahawks their first lead in the game, 24-17 Seattle. Garrett Hartley would hit a field goal to finish the first half with a 24-20 Seahawks lead into halftime.

Mike Williams 38-yard pass catch for a touchdown opened up the scoring into the 3rd quarter. Giving the Seahawks a 31-20 cushion. Olindo Mare would hit a field goal to give the Seahawks a 34-20 lead, finishing the 3rd quarter.

The Saints would come roaring back with a 4-yard run from Julius Jones to cut the lead down to a 34-27 deficit. Garrett Hartley would hit a field goal to cut the Seahawks lead down to 4 with a 34-30 game. The two teams would trade possessions a couple of times until the Seahawks would attempt to kill some clock and run the ball. They would get that and more.

On a 2nd and 10 play, the Seahawks would run a play in the I-formation with the play "17 Power" a counter run by Lynch. The end result would be that Lynch would break eight tackles en route to the endzone on a 67-yard run that would drive the people at Qwest Field nuts, creating a crowd noise that caused a tremor.

The play is certainly most memorable as I was in my dorm room at the time watching the game. After the game was over I put a status on Facebook saying "The Saints are the first team to lose to a losing team in the playoffs" or at least something like that. In the end, it would be the final playoff win for Matt Hasselbeck both as a player and as a Seattle Seahawk. In the 2011 offseason he would sign with Tennessee. A couple of seasons later the Seahawks would draft a rather short quarterback out of Wisconsin by the name of Russell Wilson, the rest is history.

Week 9 Recap

San Francisco 28, Arizona 25: TW: 49ers, CV: 49ers

The Cardinals kept it an interesting game but the 49ers remain undefeated. Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball for 317 yards with four touchdowns, easily his best game of the season so far. Matt Breida would be the leading rusher for the 49ers with 78 yards but with zero touchdowns. Certainly the Cardinals defense kept the 49ers rushing attack from getting a lot of yardage. Kyler Murray did well with 241 yards passing yards with two touchdowns. Newly acquired player Kenyan Drake ran the ball for 110 yards with a touchdown, giving him leading rusher honors of the game.

All-time series: 49ers lead series 30-26

Next week: San Francisco: vs Seattle (Monday night); Arizona: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Houston 26, Jacksonville 3: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

The loss of JJ Watt certainly didn't affect the Texans defense. DeShaun Watson finished the day with 201 yards passing with two touchdowns while rushing for 37 yards. Duke Johnson would get a touchdown while compiling 13 rushing yards. Carlos Hyde would get leading rushing honors in the game with 160 yards. Gardner Minshew looked mortal in the game with his 309 yards passing with two interceptions. Leonard Fournette would only get 40 yards rushing for the Jaguars. Houston escapes London with a win.

All-time series: Texans lead series 23-13

Next week: Houston: Bye; Jacksonville: Bye

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Minnesota 23, Kansas City 26: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The game was actually pretty entertaining. Kirk Cousins did well in the game but perhaps could've done more to get the win. Cousins threw the ball for 220 yards with 3 touchdowns. Dalvin Cook was held to less than 100 yards for the first time in quite a while. Cook would finish the game with 71 with zero touchdowns.  Matt Moore was starting for the 2nd consecutive game in Patrick Mahomes' absence. Moore finished the game with 275 yards passing with a touchdown. Damien Williams would get 125 yards rushing, including a 91-yard rushing touchdown. Harrison Butker would hit 4 for 4 in field goals, including the game winning field goal from 44 yards. Vikings should've really won this game but defense kind of let them down.

All-time series: Chiefs lead series 8-5

Next week: Minnesota: @ Dallas; Kansas City: @ Tennessee

TW: 1-2; CV: 1-2

NY Jets 18, Miami 26: TW: Jets; CV: Jets

The ghosts of the 2008 Lions and 2017 Browns can sleep easy as the Dolphins get win #1. Sam Darnold threw the ball for 260 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Le'Veon Bell ran the ball for a decent 66 yards with zero touchdowns. Ryan Fitzpatrick started for Miami, getting 288 yards passing with three touchdowns. Mark Walton Jr ran the ball for 29 yards. Oddly enough there was two safeties in this game, one each for both teams. Cincinnati is the lone winless team now this season.

All-time series: Jets lead series 54-53-1

Next week: NY Jets: vs NY Giants; Miami: @ Indianapolis

TW: 1-3; CV: 1-3

Washington 9, Buffalo 24: TW: Bills; CV: Bills

Dwayne Haskins would get his first start of the season for the Redskins. It was an average start. Haskins threw the ball for 144 yards with zero touchdowns while not throwing any interceptions. Adrian Peterson would carry the load with 108 yards with zero touchdowns, a good day for him. Josh Allen would have a good day with his arm and legs as he threw for 160 yards with a touchdown while getting 12 rushing yards with a touchdown. Devin Singletary would finish the day with leading rushing honors for the Bills with 95 yards.

All-time series: Bills lead series 9-6

Next week: Washington: Bye; Buffalo: @ Cleveland

TW: 2-3; CV: 2-3

Indianapolis 24, Pittsburgh 26: TW: Steelers; CV: Colts

The game came down to a missed field goal from Adam Vinatieri. Jacoby Brissett would start the game but would leave the game with a knee injury with 59 passing yards. Brian Hoyer would step in and have a good game in the backup role with 168 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception. Marlon Mack would finish the day with 89 rushing yards. Mason Rudolph started for Pittsburgh and would throw for 191 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Trey Edmonds would tally 73 yards rushing with zero touchdowns, while filling in as a backup running back. Steelers are back to .500 after a 1-4 start.

All-time series: Steelers lead 25-6

Next week: Indianapolis: vs Miami; Pittsburgh: vs LA Rams

TW: 3-3; CV: 2-4

Tennessee 20, Carolina 30: TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers

Another game, another day at the office for Christian McCaffrey. Ryan Tannehill finished the game with 331 yards passing while throwing a touchdown and two interceptions. Tannehill would also have 38 yards rushing with a touchdown. Derrick Henry would be the leading rusher for the Titans with 63 yards with a touchdown as well. Kyle Allen continued to play well in Cam Newton's stead (yeah Cam Newton still exists in this universe) with 232 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Christian McCaffrey would run the ball over the Titans defense with 146 yards rushing while getting 20 yards receiving.

All-time series: Series tied at 3

Next week: Tennessee: vs Kansas City; Carolina: @ Green Bay

TW: 4-3; CV: 3-4

Chicago 14, Philadelphia 22: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

At one point the Bears were 3-1, and four games later they are now at 3-5. Mitchell Trubisky threw the ball for 125 yards with zero touchdowns while not throwing an interception. David Montgomery ran the ball for 40 yards with two touchdowns. Carson Wentz of the Eagles threw the ball for 239 yards with a touchdown with no interceptions. Jordan Howard ran the ball for 82 yards with a touchdown. The Bears offense was at one point terrible, as in single digit total yards by halftime terrible.

All-time series: Bears lead 29-16-1

Next week: Chicago: vs Detroit; Philadelphia: Bye

TW: 5-3; CV: 4-4

Tampa Bay 34, Seattle 40 (F/OT): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

The game would go into overtime but the Seahawks would survive from another great Russell Wilson game. Jameis Winston would have a good game with 335 yards passing with two touchdowns. A rare game where he would throw no interceptions. Ronald Jones would run the ball for 67 yards with a touchdown. Dare Ogunwale would run in for a touchdown from a 1-yard play. Russell Wilson would have a game for the ages with 378 yards passing with five touchdowns. Chris Carson would be the leading rusher for the Seahawks with 105 yards. Seahawks defense perhaps a bit suspect but a win is a win.

All-time series: Seahawks lead series 9-5

Next week: Tampa Bay: vs Arizona; Seattle: @ San Francisco (Monday night)

TW: 6-3; CV: 5-4

Detroit 24, Oakland 31: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders

The difference between the two teams was that Detroit didn't have a running game and Oakland had one. Matthew Stafford would finish the game with 406 yards with three touchdowns and an interceptions. JD McKissic would be the Lions leading rusher with 32 yards as Kenny Golladay wasn't in the lineup due to injury. Derek Carr finished the day with 289 yards with two touchdowns. Josh Jacobs ran the ball for 120 yards with two touchdowns, another good game for him. Poor Lions.

All-time series: Raiders lead series 7-6

Next week: Detroit: @ Chicago; Oakland: vs LA Chargers (Thursday night)

TW: 7-3; CV: 6-4

Cleveland 19, Denver 24: TW: Browns; CV: Broncos

Cleveland just can't seem to find a win to save its life. Baker Mayfield would do fine with his 273 yards passing with a touchdown but perhaps could've done better. Nick Chubb wouldn't get a lot of yardage in this one but would get 65 yards rushing with zero touchdowns. Austin Seibert, the Browns kicker, would hit 4/4 field goals. Brandon Allen started for Denver and would do fine with his 193 yards with two touchdowns. Philip Lindsey would have a good day with his 92 yards rushing with a touchdown.

All-time series: Broncos lead 24-6

Next week: Cleveland: vs Buffalo; Denver: Bye

TW: 7-4; CV: 7-4

Green Bay 11, LA Chargers 26: TW: Packers; CV: Packers

The Packers laid an egg but everyone else in the NFC North laid an egg too. Aaron Rodgers did fine at the end of the day but perhaps could've gotten more than just 161 yards passing with a touchdown. Aaron Jones, the yardage back, was held to 30 yards this game with credit to the Chargers defense. Phillip Rivers would finish the game with 294 yards passing but wouldn't get a touchdown pass. The Chargers running attack found a way to win with Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler who finished the game with 80 yards and 70 yards rushing respectively. Gordon would get two touchdowns from the ground. It wasn't a pretty game but at this point I'll take a 7-2 record for Green Bay.

All-time series: Packers lead series 10-2

Next week: Green Bay: vs Carolina; LA Chargers: @ Oakland (Thursday night)

TW: 7-5; CV: 7-5

New England 20, Baltimore 37: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The undefeated are no more. Tom Brady would throw the ball for 285 yards with a touchdown and an interception. James White could only get 38 yards rushing while scoring a touchdown from the ground. Lamar Jackson would have a good day with his arm and legs. Jackson would throw the ball for 163 yards with a touchdown while compiling 61 yards and two touchdowns from the ground. Mark Ingram was the leading rusher for the Ravens with 115 yards. Gus Edwards would get 27 yards rushing with a touchdown as well. Perhaps the game will be a wake up call for the Patriots.

All-time series: Patriots lead series 10-4

Next week: New England: Bye; Baltimore: @ Cincinnati

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

Dallas 37, NY Giants 18: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

The game was as to be expected. Dak Prescott would have a decent to good game with an early interception but would finish the game with 257 yards passing with three touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliot would run over the Giants rush defense with 139 yards. Daniel Jones would pass for 210 yards with a touchdown and an interception while being the leading rusher with 54 yards. Saquon Barkley could only get 28 yards rushing.

All-time series: Cowboys lead 67-46-2

Next week: Dallas: vs Minnesota; NY Giants: @ NY Jets

TW: 8-6; CV: 8-6

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Week 8: 11-4

Week 9: 8-6

Overall: 83-51-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Week 8: 14-1

Week 9: 8-6

Overall: 84-50-1

See you guys/gals on Wednesday for the Week 10 Picks post!
-Tom