NFL 2020 Week 15 Recap

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

Week 15 Recap

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

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

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

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

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

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

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

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

TW: 3-0: CV: 3-0

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

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

TW: 4-0; CV: 4-0

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

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

TW: 5-0; CV: 5-0

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

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

TW: 5-1; CV: 5-1

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

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

TW: 6-1; CV: 6-1

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

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

TW: 7-1; CV: 7-1

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

Next week:
Houston: vs Cincinnati 
Indianapolis: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 8-1; CV: 8-1

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

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

TW: 8-2; CV: 9-1

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

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

TW: 9-2; CV: 10-1

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

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

TW: 9-3; CV: 10-2

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

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

TW: 10-3; CV: 11-2

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

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

TW: 11-3; CV: 12-2

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

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

TW: 12-3; CV: 13-2

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

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Indianapolis
Cincinnati: @ Houston

TW: 12-4; CV: 13-3

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 10-4
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 7-7
Week 12: 11-5
Week 13: 10-5
Week 14: 7-9
Week 15: 12-4
Total: 145-78-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 11-3
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 11-4
Week 14: 11-5
Week 15: 13-3
Total: 143-80-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Wednesday for the Week 16 picks post! 
-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 15 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us yet again. The week features some intriguing matchups that will sure to please any casual fan. I'll be keeping a close eye on the Seahawks-Football Team, Chiefs-Saints, and Browns-Giants games this week. In this post, I'll talk about the latest playoff picture and my picks for the week's games. Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture:

Let's start with the AFC...

Seedings:

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) (clinched AFC West)
2nd seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2) (clinched playoff spot)
3rd seed: Buffalo Bills (10-3) 
4th seed: Tennessee Titans (9-4)
5th seed: Cleveland Browns (9-4)
6th seed: Indianapolis Colts (9-4)
7th seed: Miami Dolphins (8-5)

Wild card matchups:
Miami @ Pittsburgh
Indianapolis @ Buffalo
Cleveland @ Tennessee

Cleveland is ahead of the Colts in terms of head-to-head (1-0 advantage to the Browns). Tennessee is ahead of the Colts based off of division record. 

To the NFC...

Seedings:

1st seed: Green Bay Packers (10-3) (clinched NFC North)
2nd seed: New Orleans Saints (10-3) (clinched playoff spot)
3rd seed: Los Angeles Rams (9-4)
4th seed: Washington Football Team (6-7)
5th seed: Seattle Seahawks (9-4)
6th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5)
7th seed: Arizona Cardinals (7-6)

Wild card matchups:
Arizona @ New Orleans
Tampa Bay @ LA Rams
Seattle @ Washington

Green Bay is ahead of New Orleans based off of head-to-head record. LA Rams are ahead of Seattle based off of head-to-head record as well. 

Week 15 Picks

The 15th week of the National Football League's regular season starts in Paradise, Nevada and finishes in Cincinnati, Ohio. The week features a 16-game slate. It features a Thursday night game, two Saturday games, eight early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. CBS will have the double-header while FOX will have the single, regional game. No teams are on a bye this week. Let's get to the picks!

Note: TW is me, and CV is Cardinal Viking my former roommate.

LA Chargers (4-9) @ Las Vegas (7-6) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Chargers beat the Falcons and the Raiders lost to the Colts last week. Las Vegas has been grinding to a halt and has been on a downward spiral lately. Justin Herbert has been a nice story for the Chargers and while I think they could use some help on defense with a decent draft pick, I like the matchup in that Herbert and Austin Ekeler can run over the Raiders defense. I'll play the upset card in this one. 

Buffalo (10-3) @ Denver (5-8) (NFL Network): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Both teams got wins as the Bills beat the Steelers and the Broncos beat the Panthers last week. Definitely hard pressed to pick the Broncos despite them playing probably their best game last week against Carolina. I think the Bills are riding on a high getting a huge win against Pittsburgh, arguably the best team in the AFC. I'd take the Bills. 

Carolina (4-9) @ Green Bay (10-3) (NFL Network): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Panthers lost to the Broncos and the Packers beat the Lions last week. Not likely for Carolina to see Christian McCaffrey back in action. At least until next week. Mike Davis has been a nice substitute for the Panthers and he will need to have a great game and beat out the Packers rush defense to win. Aaron Rodgers is having one of his best seasons ever and has a great running game to help him out. Safe to say, I'll take the Pack. 

New England (6-7) @ Miami (8-5) (CBS): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Both teams lost last week as the Patriots lost to the Rams and the Dolphins lost to the Chiefs. You have to remember that both of these teams last met in Week 1. A lot has changed since then. New England is possibly on the verge of not having a 9+ win season since 2000. Granted that 2000 Patriots team finished with a 5-11 record. Miami might not have the great running game of the Rams but Tua Tagovailoa has proven to play well in his young career. I feel Miami in this one. 

Seattle (9-4) @ Washington (6-7) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Both teams won last week as the Seahawks beat the Jets and the Football Team beat the 49ers. Jet lag might be a factor in this one as the Seahawks haven't played spectacular but reasonable on the East coast. If the Seahawks offense gets hot, it'll be tough for the Football Team to keep up. Chase Young is a nice story but I don't know if they have enough weapons to keep up with Seattle. 

San Francisco (5-8) @ Dallas (4-9) (CBS): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers lost to the Football Team and the Cowboys beat the Bengals last week. Classic NFC matchup on CBS. San Francisco would like nothing more to have this season behind them. Injuries ravaged them, Santa Clara County forcing them to play elsewhere, and a Super Bowl hangover. Nick Mullens doesn't necessarily have to play superb but if he can protect the football and make wise reads while getting his running game going. Dallas going into this game is running on a somewhat high after a win against the Bungles. I'll take the 49ers. 

Tampa Bay (8-5) @ Atlanta (4-9) (FOX): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers beat the Vikings and the Falcons lost to the Chargers last week. Tampa got a much needed win against Minnesota and they look poised to try and make a run in January football. Tom Brady and company look to be too much for the Falcons defense. Matt Ryan might try to make this a duel and a shootout but I tend to like the Bucs defense in the matchup. 

Jacksonville (1-12) @ Baltimore (8-5) (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens 
The Jaguars lost to the Titans and the Ravens beat the Browns last week. A bit of a shorter week for the Ravens who won a slugfest against their rival Cleveland. Fortunately for them, they play a Jaguars team that isn't stellar on defense but okay on offense at times. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, if they want to beat Baltimore, they would have to play great on defense so much that they would have to pull Lamar Jackson for Robert Griffin III. Likely not going to happen.

Houston (4-9) @ Indianapolis (9-4) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Texans lost to the Bears and the Colts beat the Raiders last week. Tough loss against the Bears last week for Houston. They were outplayed in every way possible. The Colts finally look like the team that everyone expected coming into this season. Jonathan Taylor could possibly have a huge game in this one if the Texans defense laxes like it did in Chicago. No brainer in taking the Colts.

Chicago (6-7) @ Minnesota (6-7) (FOX): TW: Vikings; CV: Bears
The Bears beat the Texans and the Vikings lost to the Buccaneers. One would hope that Dan Bailey figures himself out in this one. In spite of the kicking woes, the Vikings played pretty well against the Buccaneers. With Mitch Trubisky playing better, the Vikings defense will have a big test against him, and David Montgomery. I'll take the home team. 

Detroit (5-8) @ Tennessee (9-4) (CBS): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Lions lost to the Packers and the Titans beat the Jaguars last week. Detroit played fairly well against the Packers in spite of the refs. What they face against is Derrick Henry who had more rushing yards than what the entire Jaguars offense had at one point last week. Its a tall task for the Lions but I think the Titans will get a win. They'll need to keep off of the Colts out of the division race. 

NY Jets (0-13) @ LA Rams (9-4) (FOX): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Jets lost to the Seahawks and the Rams beat the Patriots last week. Jared Goff and company would have to fall to the winless Jets. Sure the Jets running game and overall offense has been terrible but this could be an opportunity to shock the world. Or they could just fall to earth and go 0-14. 

Philadelphia (4-8-1) @ Arizona (7-6) (FOX): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Eagles beat the Saints and the Cardinals beat the Giants last week. Jalen Hurts has given the Eagles offense some new life. Miles Sanders has been a nice story as well has he had a great game against New Orleans. Any chance of the Eagles to make a playoff run is somewhat unlikely as they face off against a Cardinals squad that won a huge game against the Giants. If the Cards defense can keep the Eagles at bay enough to give their offense some looks, I like the Cardinals in this one. 

Kansas City (12-1) @ New Orleans (10-3) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs 
The Chiefs beat the Dolphins and the Saints lost to the Eagles last week. Marquee game of the week. The first and probably only time you'll see Patrick Mahomes vs Drew Brees. That'll be assuming that Drew Brees plays. He was designated to return but he did experience pain in throwing today. If he isn't good to go, then its Taysom Hill's time to usurp the defending champs. I'll take the Chiefs if that's the case. 

Cleveland (9-4) @ NY Giants (5-8) (NBC): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The Browns lost to the Ravens and the Giants lost to the Cardinals last week. Cleveland almost pulled off a win against their rival Baltimore. The game proved that they are legit playoff contenders and they can certainly do it against an average Giants team. New York could make it an interesting game but I don't think they have the ability to sustain drives enough to keep the Browns off the field. 

Pittsburgh (11-2) @ Cincinnati (2-10-1) (ESPN): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The Steelers lost to the Bills and the Bengals lost to the Cowboys. Seems like a mismatch but the Steelers did have hit a slump this late in the season. If Joe Burrow was still around I think this game could be a bit closer than possible but Brandon Allen isn't exactly Joe Burrow. I think the Steelers get back on track in this one. 

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, check local listings): 

CBS Early:
San Francisco @ Dallas
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

CBS Late:
Kansas City @ New Orleans
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single:
Chicago @ Minnesota
Chris Myers, Greg Jennings

For more information on what's being shown in your area check out: NFL Maps: Week 15

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 10-4
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 7-7
Week 12: 11-5
Week 13: 10-5
Week 14: 7-9
Total: 133-74-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 11-3
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 11-4
Week 14: 11-5
Total: 130-77-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys after the Monday night game for the Week 15 recap. Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 14 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought some intriguing finishes, some blowouts and some surprises. There was the Texans imploding in Chicago, Kansas City's slow start against the Dolphins, and the possibility of the Patriots dynasty coming to an end. In this post I'll do a recap of the week's action. Let's get to work!

Week 14 Recap

New England 3, LA Rams 24: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
For the first time since 2002, the Patriots will not finish a season with double-digit wins. Cam Newton was okay as he threw for 119 yards but threw an interception and had 16 rushing yards. He was sacked four times. Jarrett Stidham would see some action in place of Newton as he threw for 27 yards. Damien Harris would get some modest rushing yards in the game with 50. Sony Michel rushed for 22. Jared Goff threw for 137 yards with a touchdown and had an interception in the game. The game belonged to Cam Akers who ran over the Patriots defense with 171 yards rushing. Hard pressed to say that the Patriots will play in January football. 

Next week:
New England: @ Miami; LA Rams: vs NY Jets

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Denver 32, Carolina 27: TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Where was this version of Drew Lock for most of the season? Lock threw for 280 yards with four touchdown passes. Melvin Gordon rushed for 68 yards for the Broncos. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 283 yards but didn't throw a touchdown pass. He also rushed for 31 yards and had a rushing touchdown. Mike Davis had a good game with his 51 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns. 

Next week: 
Denver: vs Buffalo; Carolina: @ Green Bay

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Dallas 30, Cincinnati 7: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Andy Dalton's return to the Queen City was sweet. Dalton threw for 185 yards with two touchdown passes. Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 48 yards and Tony Pollard rushed for 39 yards. Cowboys defensive tackle Aldon Smith recovered a fumble to score a 78-yard touchdown. Brandon Allen would get the start for the Bungles. He threw for a good 217 yards and had a touchdown pass. It would be the only score for the Bengals in the game. Trayveon Williams rushed for 49 yards in the game. Dallas is still within striking distance of the playoffs but also have a shot for a good draft pick. I'd take the latter. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs San Francisco; Cincinnati: vs Pittsburgh

TW: 1-2; CV: 1-2

Houston 7, Chicago 36: TW: Texans; CV: Texans
Mitchell Trubisky somehow outplayed DeShaun Watson in this game. Watson threw for 219 yards with a touchdown pass. He would get roughed up a lot in this game as he got sacked seven times and was hit in the endzone for a safety. Buddy Howell rushed for 42 yards in this game for Houston. Mitchell Trubisky threw for 267 yards with three touchdowns. David Montgomery rushed all over the Texans defense with 113 yards and a touchdown. Bears defender Khalil Mack sacked DeShaun Watson for a safety in the 2nd quarter. 

Next week:
Houston: @ Indianapolis; Chicago: @ Minnesota

TW: 1-3; CV: 1-3

Minnesota 14, Tampa Bay 26: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Dan Bailey has been accurate for most of this season. In this game, he wasn't. Kirk Cousins threw for 225 yards with a touchdown. Dalvin Cook would outrush Ronald Jones in this game as Cook rushed for 102 yards with a touchdown run of his own. Dan Bailey was 0/3 in field goals and 0/1 in PAT's in this game. Tom Brady was efficient as he threw for 196 yards with two touchdown passes. Ronald Jones rushed for 80 yards with a touchdown. It was a much needed win for both teams and sadly only one can win. 

Next week:
Minnesota: vs Chicago; Tampa Bay: @ Atlanta

TW: 2-3; CV: 2-3

Tennessee 31, Jacksonville 10: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The result wasn't too surprising. Ryan Tannehill threw for 212 yards with two touchdowns. Derrick Henry rushed for 215 yards with two touchdowns of his own in the game. Mike Glennon would start for the Jaguars but he wouldn't put up the same numbers in this one as he had 85 yards with an interception. Gardner Minshew would return to action in place of Glennon and had 178 yards with a touchdown pass. James Robinson would provide some help to the Jaguars offense with 67 yards but wouldn't get a touchdown in this one. 

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Detroit; Jacksonville: @ Baltimore

TW: 3-3; CV: 3-3

Arizona 26, NY Giants 7: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Arizona's defense can be devastating when it gets hot. Kyler Murray threw for 244 yards with a touchdown. Kenyan Drake rushed for 80 yards with a touchdown run. The Cardinals defense sacked Giants quarterbacks eight times and caused three fumbles in this game. Daniel Jones returned to the fray in this one but would only provide 127 yards of offense in his return. Colt McCoy would go in Jones's place and provided 18 passing yards. Wayne Gallman rushed for 57 yards and Dion Lewis rushed for 14 yards with the only touchdown for the Giants in this game. 

Next week:
Arizona: vs Philadelphia; NY Giants: vs Cleveland

TW: 4-3; CV: 4-3

Kansas City 33, Miami 27: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
It would take a 30-yard sack and two interceptions before Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to get back to doing things their way. Mahomes finished the game with 393 yards passing with two touchdowns and had three interceptions. Tyreek Hill would be used as a runner on a 32-yard touchdown. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 32 yards on 16 carries. Tua Tagovailoa threw for 316 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception. He would also rush for 24 yards with a touchdown in the game. Deandre Washington had 35 yards from the ground for the Dolphins. Miami kept it close and this game could be a playoff game come January possibly. 

Next week:
Kansas City: @ New Orleans; Miami: vs New England

TW: 5-3; CV: 5-3

NY Jets 3, Seattle 40: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The Seahawks chances of losing were slim and fortunately they rebounded. Sam Darnold threw for 132 yards with no touchdown passes and didn't throw an interception. Josh Adams was the leading rusher for the Jets with 27 yards. Frank Gore had 23 yards rushing. Russell Wilson threw for 206 yards with four touchdown passes with an interception in the game. Geno Smith would get some playing time late in the game and added 33 yards passing of his own. Chris Carson rushed for 76 yards in the game. Carlos Hyde rushed for 66 yards. New York's chances of winning a game are slim as they have to play: at LA Rams, vs Cleveland, and at New England. An 0-16 season is a possibility. 

Next week:
NY Jets: @ LA Rams; Seattle: @ Washington

TW: 6-3; CV: 6-3

Indianapolis 44, Las Vegas 27: TW: Raiders; CV: Colts
Las Vegas is imploding more than a mob boss with bad credit. Philip Rivers threw for 244 yards with two touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor rushed all over the Raiders defense with 150 yards with two touchdown rushes. TY Hilton had five catches with 85 yards with two touchdowns. Derek Carr threw for 316 yards with two touchdowns and had two interceptions. Josh Jacobs returned to the fray in this game with 49 yards. Derek Carr rushed for 12 yards with a touchdown. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Houston; Las Vegas: vs LA Chargers

TW: 6-4; CV: 7-3

Atlanta 17, LA Chargers 20: TW: Falcons; CV: Chargers
Interceptions galore! Matt Ryan threw for 224 yards with a touchdown and had three interceptions in the game. Ryan Gage would throw a 39 yard pass for a touchdown. Ito Smith rushed for 42 yards in the game. Justin Herbert would have a better game in this one as he had 243 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception. Austin Ekeler rushed for 79 yards in the game for the Chargers. Mike Badgley hit the game-winning field goal from 43 yards. Honestly, both teams really didn't deserve to win this one. It stunk.

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Tampa Bay; LA Chargers: @ Las Vegas

TW: 6-5; CV: 8-3

Green Bay 31, Detroit 24: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
It wasn't pretty but the NFC North title belongs to the Packers. Aaron Rodgers threw for 290 yards with three touchdown passes. Rodgers also rushed for 13 yards and had a rushing touchdown. Aaron Jones compiled 69 yards from the ground. Matthew Stafford threw for 244 yards with a touchdown. Dandre Swift rushed for 24 yards with a touchdown. Kerryon Johnson had a rushing touchdown of his own as well. Typically Green Bay doesn't do well in Detroit but fortunately, they survived. 

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Carolina; Detroit: @ Tennessee

TW: 7-5; CV: 9-3

New Orleans 21, Philadelphia 24: TW: Saints; CV: Saints 
In a battle of backup quarterbacks, the kid from Oklahoma won out in the end. Taysom Hill threw for 291 yards with two touchdowns and had a pass intercepted. Alvin Kamara rushed for 50 yards with a touchdown run. Jalen Hurts got his first start and would get his first win. Hurts threw for 167 yards with a touchdown and added 106 yards rushing. Miles Sanders ran through the vaunted Saints defense with 115 yards rushing for two touchdowns. Safe to say, this Jalen Hurts guy could be special. 

Next week:
New Orleans: vs Kansas City; Philadelphia: @ Arizona

TW: 7-6; CV: 9-4

Washington 23, San Francisco 15: TW: 49ers; CV: Football Team
Chase Young is a scary man. Alex Smith threw for 57 yards and an interception before leaving with a leg injury (hopefully not serious). Dwayne Haskins threw for 51 yards. JD McKissic rushed for 68 yards. Chase Young would recover a fumble and run it in for a touchdown. Nick Mullens threw for 260 yards with a touchdown and had an interception. Raheem Mostert ran for 65 yards and Jeff Wilson rushed for 31 yards with a touchdown run. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Seattle; San Francisco: @ Dallas

TW: 7-7; CV: 10-4

Pittsburgh 15, Buffalo 26: TW: Steelers; CV: Bills
Steeler offense got exposed a bit. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 187 yards with two touchdowns and had two interceptions. One of them was a pick-six. James Conner returned to the fray in this one and wouldn't contribute much as he rushed for 18 yards. Benny Snell rushed for 14 yards. Josh Allen had 238 yards passing with two touchdowns and had an intercepted pass. Zane Moss rushed for 43 yards and Devin Singletary rushed for 32 yards. At least Pittsburgh is in the playoffs. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: @ Cincinnati; Buffalo: @ Denver

TW: 7-8; CV: 11-4

Baltimore 47, Cleveland 42: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Oh so close Brownies... so close. Lamar Jackson threw for 163 yards with a touchdown. He also added 124 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Gus Edwards had 49 yards with two touchdowns. JK Dobbins had 53 yards with a rushing touchdown. Baker Mayfield had 343 yards passing with two touchdowns and had a pass intercepted. Nick Chubb rushed for 82 yards with two touchdowns. Kareem Hunt and Baker Mayfield rushed for 33 yards and 23 yards with a touchdown each to both of them. Justin Tucker hit a 55-yard field goal to give the Ravens a 45-42 edge. Things also imploded for Cleveland when a various amount of laterals would end up becoming a safety for Baltimore. In spite of the mistakes, I think it proves that Cleveland is starting to look like a scary team. I'd hate to face them. 

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Jacksonville; Cleveland: @ NY Giants

TW: 7-9; CV: 11-5

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 10-4
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 7-7
Week 12: 11-5
Week 13: 10-5
Week 14: 7-9
Total: 133-74-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 11-3
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 11-4
Week 14: 11-5
Total: 130-77-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Wednesday for the Week 15 picks post! 

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 14 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us! The week that will be hopefully features less game changes and more consistency in original game times. I'll be keeping a close eye on a few games this week like: Vikings-Buccaneers, Cardinals-Giants, and Steelers-Bills. In this post, I'll talk about the latest playoff picture and my picks for the week's games. Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 14

Let's start with the NFC...

1st Seed: New Orleans Saints (10-2) (clinched playoff berth)
2nd Seed: Green Bay Packers (9-3)
3rd seed: Los Angeles Rams (8-4)
4th seed: New York Giants (5-7)
5th seed: Seattle Seahawks (8-4)
6th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)
7th seed: Minnesota Vikings (6-6)

Wild card matchups:

Minnesota @ Green Bay
Tampa Bay @ LA Rams
Seattle @ NY Giants

Just one thing to note is that the Vikings are ahead of the Cardinals based on common games record (Minnesota has 2-2 record vs Cardinals 2-3 record). Let's now check out the AFC...

1st seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (11-1)
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (11-1) (clinched playoff berth)
3rd seed: Buffalo Bills (9-3)
4th seed: Tennessee Titans (8-4)
5th seed: Cleveland Browns (9-3) 
6th seed: Miami Dolphins (8-4)
7th seed: Indianapolis Colts (8-4)

Wild card matchups:

Indianapolis @ Kansas City
Miami @ Buffalo
Cleveland @ Tennessee

Pittsburgh is ahead of Kansas City based on conference record (Pittsburgh's 8-0 and Kansas City's 9-1). Also, the Steelers can clinch the AFC North with a win vs Buffalo and a Browns loss. 

Week 14 Picks

Week 14 in the National Football League's regular season starts in Inglewood, California and finishes up in Cleveland, Ohio. No teams are on a bye this week. The week features a full 16-game slate. It includes a Thursday night game, seven early games, six late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will have the double-header and CBS will have the single, regional game. Let's get to the picks!

Note: TW is me, and CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate

New England (6-6) @ LA Rams (8-4) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Both teams won last week as the Patriots beat the Chargers and the Rams beat the Cardinals. Seems weird that the last time these two teams met it was two years ago in the Super Bowl. Times have changed and not kind to the Pats. I think Sean McVay and company find a way to get it done. I can't trust Cam Newton to throw for more than 150 yards. 

Denver (4-8) @ Carolina (4-8) (CBS): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
The Broncos lost to the Chiefs and the Panthers were on a bye last week. Both teams aren't particularly great but I will likely look at the matchup between Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater has played fairly well this season despite not having the most stellar of receiving corps. Christian McCaffrey was limited in practice on Wednesday which doesn't bode well for the explosiveness of the Panthers offense. I still kind of like the Panthers in this game. 

Dallas (3-9) @ Cincinnati (2-9-1) (FOX): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals 
Both teams lost as the Cowboys lost to the Ravens and the Bengals lost to the Dolphins last week. I nearly forgot to make a pick in this game. Honestly a dumpster fire would be better than both of these teams combined and that's saying something. I made a pact to not pick the Cowboys again and I sadly broke that pact on Thanksgiving and now I have to reap what I sew again. No turning back. I have to go with the Bungles. Good news is that the Bengals could have Joe Mixon back and if the Cowboys rush defense is terrible he might have a great day. 

Houston (4-8) @ Chicago (5-7) (CBS): TW: Texans; CV: Texans
The Texans lost to the Colts and the Bears lost to the Lions last week. The game seems to be more about who's trending. The Texans stock is rising a bit and the Bears stock is going down (not gonna lie, pun intended, look up bear market for meaning). Chicago's quarterback situation is a mess and Houston has done right by sticking to one quarterback and having a decent cast around him. It somewhat helps when they have a defense that can stop people. I'll take the Texans relatively easily. 

Minnesota (6-6) @ Tampa Bay (7-5) (FOX): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Vikings beat the Jaguars and the Buccaneers were on a bye last week. Late bye weeks tend to benefit teams quite a bit and when you have a 40+ year old quarterback in Tom Brady, its more of a necessity. Both teams are fairly similar. I would prefer Dalvin Cook in the game if the Bucs defense wasn't as good but I feel they'll rebound after the 269 yard day they gave up to Tyreek Hill. I'll take the safe bet and take the Bucs. 

Tennessee (8-4) @ Jacksonville (1-11) (CBS): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Both teams lost last week as the Titans lost to the Browns and the Jaguars lost to the Vikings. It just seems right to take the Titans in this situation as the Jaguars. Sure the Jaguars offense isn't as much of a dumpster fire as their defense. I think Derrick Henry will do some Derrick Henry things. 

Arizona (6-6) @ NY Giants (5-7) (FOX): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals 
The Cardinals lost to the Rams and the Giants beat the Seahawks last week. The roller coaster that is the NFC East continues on for another week. Arizona is still trying to lock up a playoff spot and they need a win to do it. I'm taking the Cardinals because of their offense mostly. If they can slow down Wayne Gallman and force Colt McCoy to beat them then I like the Cards chances in this one. 

Kansas City (11-1) @ Miami (8-4) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs 
Both teams won last week as the Chiefs beat the Broncos and the Dolphins beat the Bengals. What can I say, it's hard to not pick the defending champs on this one. Tua Tagovailoa has been a pleasant story this late in the season but I don't know how they can possibly keep up with the powerful Chiefs offensive juggernaut. Maybe Miami's defense can slow them down a little

NY Jets (0-12) @ Seattle (8-4) (CBS): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks 
Both teams lost last week as the Jets lost to the Raiders and the Seahawks lost to the Giants. Seattle didn't have its best game out there last week and if they play like that then maybe the Jets might have a shot to win this one. Honestly, I don't what to expect in this one. All I know is that one team is bound to win this one at some point. I'll take the Seahawks. 

Indianapolis (8-4) @ Las Vegas (7-5) (CBS): TW: Raiders; CV: Colts
Both teams won last week as the Colts beat the Texans and the Raiders beat the Jets. Perhaps a bit of a gamble but I like the Raiders in this one. The Colts defense has been trending a bit downward and the trend could possibly continue in this one. Sustaining drives and not turning the ball over will be huge for a Raiders victory in this one. It might help if the Raiders can slow down the Colts runners as well. 

Atlanta (4-8) @ LA Chargers (3-9) (FOX): TW: Falcons; CV: Chargers
Both teams lost last week as the Falcons lost to the Saints and the Chargers lost to the Patriots. Seems to be a game that spells shootout don't you think? LA had a terrible game against the Patriots and that could still be a defining factor in this game. Raheem Morris has done fairly well since Dan Quinn's firing back in October. I think it'll come down to who can have the better day: the veteran Matt Ryan or the youngster Justin Herbert. I like the Falcons. 

Green Bay (9-3) @ Detroit (5-7) (FOX): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
Both teams had wins last week as the Packers beat the Eagles and the Lions beat the Bears. Aaron Rodgers has been on a tear this season and the running game is back to form. What stands in their way is a Lions squad that has been playing better all around in both sides of the ball. It is certainly possible that Adrian Peterson can have a good day against the Packers front seven. I think it'll be close but I think Green Bay will eke out a win on the road. 

New Orleans (10-2) @ Philadelphia (3-8-1) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Saints beat the Falcons and the Eagles lost to the Packers last week. Drew Brees won't likely play until next week so it is once again Taysom Hill time for New Orleans. Who will start for Philly remains to be in question as it is possible that Jalen Hurts will start. Hurts was promising against the Packers defense. How he stacks up against a better defense in the Saints will remain in question. I don't see the Eagles winning it. 

Washington (5-7) @ San Francisco (5-7) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV: Football Team
The Football Team beat the Steelers and the 49ers lost to the Bills last week. Washington defied the odds and gave the Steelers their first loss of the season. I tend to think that they will be at a loss of emotion and intensity against a 49ers squad that look to get back on the winning track. I tend to like the 49ers running game in this one. I could be wrong. 

Pittsburgh (11-1) @ Buffalo (9-3) (NBC): TW: Steelers; CV: Bills 
The Steelers lost to the Football Team and the Bills beat the 49ers last week. Another classic AFC matchup on NBC. It is an intriguing matchup and both teams matchup pretty well. What is defining in this game is that I feel the Steelers have a better defense that can stop the run, attack the quarterback and play pass defense. This one should be a dandy to watch. 

Baltimore (7-5) @ Cleveland (9-3) (ESPN): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Both teams won last week as the Ravens beat the Cowboys and the Browns beat the Titans last week. Cleveland took the big step and got their first winning season since 2007. They face off against one of their better division rivals in the Ravens. It seems to be a tall task as the Ravens have had the Browns number for the past number of meetings but if there was a time for the Browns to take the next step in making the playoffs, it needs to be now. If Baker Mayfield is that good, show it! If you're such a great defense, stop or slow down Lamar Jackson and the running game of the Ravens! 

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, check local listings): 

FOX Early:
Minnesota @ Tampa Bay
Joe Buck Troy Aikman 

FOX Late:
Green Bay @ Detroit
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

CBS Single:
Indianapolis @ Las Vegas 
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

For more information on which game is being shown in your area, check out: NFL Maps: Week 14

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 10-4
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 7-7
Week 12: 11-5
Week 13: 10-5
Total: 126-65-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 11-3
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 11-4
Total: 119-72-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys after the Monday night game for the Week 14 recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 13 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week's slate didn't look appetizing at first but it did offer some surprises. Such surprises like: a near upset in Minnesota, a winning season for Cleveland and a shutout in Los Angeles. In this post, I'll recap the week's action. 

Week 13 Recap

Note: TW is me, the writer, and CV is Cardinal Viking my former roommate. 

Detroit 34, Chicago 30: TW: Bears; CV: Lions
Darrell Bevell got his first win as a head coach. Matthew Stafford threw for 402 yards with three touchdowns but also threw an interception. Adrian Peterson was key to the Lions in their win as he rushed for 57 yards with two touchdowns runs. One of the runs was the game-winning touchdown with less than two minutes in the game. Mitchell Trubisky started again for the Bears. Trubisky threw for 267 yards with a touchdown pass. David Montgomery rushed for 72 yards with two touchdown runs. Cordarelle Patterson rushed for 59 yards with a touchdown. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Green Bay; Chicago: vs Houston

TW: 0-1; CV: 1-0

Cleveland 41, Tennessee 35: TW: Titans; CV: Browns
Well, I didn't think they could do it but they did it. Baker Mayfield threw for 334 yards with four touchdown passes. Most of the offense was during the first half when the Browns hung 38 points. Nick Chubb ran for 80 yards with a touchdown run. Ryan Tannehill threw for 389 yards with three touchdowns with an interception. The key to the Browns victory was slowing down Derrick Henry and the great running back was held to 60 yards from the ground. Cleveland clinched its first winning season since 2007. Long time coming and hopefully they can keep it going. 

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Baltimore; Tennessee: @ Jacksonville

TW: 0-2; CV: 2-0

Indianapolis 26, Houston 20: TW: Colts; CV: Colts 
Big win for the Colts. Philip Rivers threw for 285 yards with two touchdown passes and didn't throw an interception for once. Jonathan Taylor had a better game for the Colts with 91 yards. Nyheim Hines ran for 10 yards with a touchdown. Justin Houston of the Colts would provide some offense as he sacked DeShaun Watson in the endzone for a safety. DeShaun Watson threw for 341 yards with an interception thrown. Watson also had 38 yards rushing with a touchdown run. David Johnson had some decent runs but he finished with 44 yards with a touchdown run of his own. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: @ Las Vegas; Houston: @ Chicago

TW: 1-2; CV: 3-0

Jacksonville 24, Minnesota 27 (F/OT): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings 
The Vikings seem to like playing it close to the collar. Mike Glennon started again for the Jaguars. Glennon threw for 280 yards with a touchdown pass but also threw two interceptions. The touchdown pass was off of a deflection that was caught by Laviska Shenault Jr. James Robinson had a decent day running the ball against the Vikings defense with 78 yards rushing. Kirk Cousins had a good day throwing the pigskin as he had 305 yards with three touchdowns but also threw an interception that ended up being a pick-six. Dalvin Cook once again did Dalvin Cook things and rushed for 120 yards. Vikings kicker hit the game-winning field goal from 23 yards. The Vikings are back in the .500 column after a horrid 1-5 start. That seemed so long ago. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Tennessee; Minnesota: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 2-2; CV: 4-0

New Orleans 21, Atlanta 16: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Taysom Hill finally threw a touchdown, that's cool I guess. Hill threw for 232 yards with two touchdown passes. He sadly didn't get a touchdown run. Alvin Kamara rushed for 88 yards with a touchdown run. Matt Ryan threw for 273 yards with a touchdown pass. Falcons running back Ito Smith wouldn't get much from the ground but would get 36 yards. New Orleans clinched a playoff berth, that's also kind of cool I guess. 

Next week: 
New Orleans: @ Philadelphia; Atlanta: @ LA Chargers

TW: 3-2; CV: 5-0

Las Vegas 31, NY Jets 28: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Holy shit the Jets almost won a game but Derek Carr and a busted coverage kept the Jets winless. Derek Carr threw for 381 yards with three touchdown passes but also threw an interception. Carr also ran for five yards with a touchdown run. Devontae Booker rushed for 50 yards for the Raiders. Henry Ruggs III would make the catch that would stab the hearts of Jets fans everywhere as he easily outran his man for an easy touchdown. Sam Darnold threw for 186 yards with two touchdowns and had one interception in the game. Frank Gore would leave the game early with a concussion and the role was given to Ty Johnson. Johnson rushed for 104 yards with a touchdown. You almost had it Jets but hey at least you guys got rid of that Adam Gase guy... oh you got rid of Gregg Williams... sigh. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Indianapolis; NY Jets: @ Seattle

TW: 4-2; CV: 6-0

Cincinnati 7, Miami 19: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Safe to say even if Dan Marino came out of retirement, the Bengals would still lose. Brandon Allen threw for 153 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception. Ryan Finley would see some action in this game as he threw for 40 yards. Cincy's running game would struggle to find anything open as Giovanni Bernard rushed for 30 yards. Tua Tagovailoa would return to the fray instead of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Tagovailoa threw for 296 yards with a touchdown. Myles Gaskin rushed for 90 yards. The game also see five ejections as DeVante Parker, Mack Hollins and Xavien Howard of the Dolphins were ejected. The Bengals Mike Thomas and Shawn Williams were ejected as well. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Dallas; Miami: vs Kansas City

TW: 5-2; CV: 7-0

NY Giants 17, Seattle 12: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Wait... what? Colt McCoy threw for 105 yards with a touchdown and had an interception in the game. Wayne Gallman would carry the Giants offense again as the runner rushed for 135 yards. Alfred Morris rushed for 39 yards with a touchdown. Russell Wilson threw for 263 yards with a touchdown pass but also threw an interception. Chris Carson would only get 65 yards in this game. The Seahawks defense would get a blocked punt during the 2nd quarter that resulted in a safety. Weird game, weird score, weird all around. Kudos to the Giants though. 

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Arizona; Seattle: vs NY Jets

TW: 5-3; CV: 7-1

LA Rams 38, Arizona 28: TW: Rams; CV: Cardinals
Rams are now 1st in the NFC West. Jared Goff threw for 351 yards with a touchdown pass. He took his coaches criticism over his play last week to heart obviously. Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson and Jared Goff would rushed for a rushing touchdown each while gaining 72, 49, and one yard respectively. Kyler Murray threw for 173 yards with three touchdown passes but also threw an interception. The interception would end up being a pick-six that would cause a 14-point swing. Kenyan Drake ran for 49 yards with a touchdown run. Cardinals are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. 

Next week:
LA Rams: vs New England Patriots; Arizona: @ NY Giants

TW: 6-3; CV: 7-2

Philadelphia 16, Green Bay 30: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
At one point I actually thought the Packers would blow this game, that's how bad Green Bay's defense and special teams is. Carson Wentz started the game for the Eagles and had 79 yards before getting benched for Jalen Hurts. Hurts would throw for 109 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception. Philly's running game wouldn't get a lot of yardage from their running backs as Miles Sanders would put up 31 yards, Jalen Hurts would get 29 yards. Aaron Rodgers was masterful as he threw for 295 yards with three touchdowns. Aaron Jones would have a big day on the ground with 130 yards with a touchdown run. His longest was from 77 yards for a touchdown that would give the Packers a 30-16 cushion late in the 4th quarter. Not sure how long Carson Wentz will last in Philadelphia now. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs New Orleans; Green Bay: @ Detroit

TW: 7-3; CV: 8-2

New England 45, LA Chargers 0: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Well me and Cardinal Viking fucked up with this pick. Cam Newton threw for 69 yards with a touchdown. Jarrett Stidham would get some throws in as he threw for 61 yards with a touchdown as well. Damien Harris rushed for 80 yards and Cam Newton rushed for 48 yards with two touchdown runs. New England's special teams accounted for two touchdowns in the game. One of them was off a blocked field goal that was recovered by Devin McCourty and a punt-six by Gunner Olszewski. Justin Herbert would finish with one of his lower passing days in his young career with 209 yards with two interceptions. The Chargers running attack wouldn't get much as Austin Ekeler would get 36 yards and Kalen Ballage would get 34 yards. If the Patriots somehow make the playoffs, Bill Belichek should get some votes for Coach of the Year. 

Next week:
New England: @ LA Rams; LA Chargers: vs Atlanta

TW: 7-4; CV: 8-3

Denver 16, Kansas City 22: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The defending champs may have not played their best but they found a way to win. Drew Lock would return as starter for Denver after missing last week due to COVID protocol. Lock threw for 151 yards with two touchdown passes but also threw two interceptions. The x-factor for the Broncos was running back Melvin Gordon who ran over the Chiefs rush defense with 131 yards. Patrick Mahomes did Patrick Mahomes things as he threw for 318 yards with a touchdown. Le'Veon Bell would get most of the snaps for the Chiefs ground game as he rushed for 40 yards with 11 carries. 

Next week:
Denver: @ Carolina; Kansas City: @ Miami

TW: 8-4; CV: 9-3

Washington 23, Pittsburgh 17: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The ghosts of the 1972 Miami Dolphins can rest in peace for another year. Alex Smith threw for 296 yards with a touchdown throw. Peyton Barber rushed for 23 yards with a touchdown run. Ben Roethlisberger would throw for over 50 times in this game as he threw for 305 yards with two touchdowns and an interception thrown. Pittsburgh's running game, their renowned bread and butter, was ineffective against the Football team in this one as Anthony McFarland rushed for 15 yards, Benny Snell got five yards. I knew the Steelers would finally lose a game but I didn't think it would've been Washington.

Next week:
Washington: @ San Francisco; Pittsburgh: @ Buffalo

TW: 8-5; CV: 9-4

Buffalo 34, San Francisco 24: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Josh Allen is pretty good at this football thing. Allen threw for 375 yards for four touchdowns. Of the 375 yards, 236 of them came in the first half. Devin Singletary provided some help as he rushed for 61 yards in the game. Cole Beasley of the Bills had nine catches for 130 yards with a touchdown. Nick Mullens would start again for the 49ers. Mullens threw for 316 yards with three touchdowns with two interceptions thrown. Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert provided some running support as Wilson rushed for 47 yards and Mostert rushed for 42 yards. First time Buffalo won on Monday Night Football since 1999. 

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Pittsburgh; San Francisco: vs Washington

TW: 9-5; CV: 10-4

Dallas 17, Baltimore 34: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Like ravens in the wild nature, the Baltimore Ravens ran wild over the Dallas Cowboys. Andy Dalton threw for 285 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception. Ezekiel Elliot put up some good numbers against the vaunted Ravens defense and finished with 77 yards. Tony Pollard was somewhat of a factor in the run game as well, contributing with 22 yards. Pollard's biggest contribution was a 66-yard kickoff return that almost resulted in a touchdown for Dallas. Lamar Jackson returned to the fold for this game after being out last week due to COVID protocol. Jackson finished with 107 yards passing with two touchdowns and had an interception. Baltimore's run game feasted on the terrible Cowboys rush defense as Gus Edwards rushed for 101 yards while Lamar Jackson had 94 yards and JK Dobbins had 71 yards. Both Jackson and Dobbins scored touchdowns. Big win for Baltimore and a guaranteed losing season for Dallas. I'm cool with it. 

Next week:
Dallas: @ Cincinnati; Baltimore: vs Cleveland

TW: 10-5; CV: 11-4

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 10-4
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 7-7
Week 12: 11-5
Week 13: 10-5
Total: 126-65-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 11-3
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 11-4
Total: 119-72-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Wednesday for the Week 14 Picks post! 

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 13 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us soon. Last week was certainly a long week for everyone. Hopefully this week will be free of COVID positives for all 32 teams. The week features a few intriguing matchups. I'll be keeping an eye on the Browns-Titans, Rams-Cardinals and Broncos-Chiefs games. In this post I'll talk about: the latest playoff projection and my picks for the week's action. Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 13

Starting this season the NFL added an extra wild card team for both the NFC and AFC. So there'll be four division winners that will make up the top-4 seeds and then three wild cards. So in total there will be 14 teams that will be playing January football. Here's the latest playoff projection: 

AFC:

1st seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (11-0)
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (10-1)
3rd seed: Tennessee Titans (8-3)
4th seed: Buffalo Bills (8-3)
5th seed: Cleveland Browns (8-3)
6th seed: Miami Dolphins (7-4)
7th seed: Indianapolis Colts (7-4)

Wild card:

Indianapolis @ Kansas City
Miami @ Tennessee
Cleveland @ Buffalo

I assume that the team that is the lowest seed would go onto play the Steelers in the divisional playoff. The major tiebreaker of note is that Tennessee is ahead of Buffalo based on their head-to-head (Tennessee beat Buffalo earlier in the season). 

NFC:

1st seed: New Orleans Saints (9-2)
2nd Seed: Seattle Seahawks (8-3)
3rd seed: Green Bay Packers (8-3)
4th seed: New York Giants (4-7)
5th seed: Los Angeles Rams (7-4)
6th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)
7th seed: Arizona Cardinals (6-5)

Wild card:

Arizona @ Seattle
Tampa Bay @ Green Bay
Los Angeles Rams @ New York Giants

You read that right ladies and gentlemen a 4-7 football team could possibly host a playoff game and a team that has a better record will have to go on the road to beat them. An interesting tiebreaker is that the Seahawks is ahead of the Packers based on strength of victory. 

Week 13 Picks

Week 13 of the NFL's regular season features a 15-game slate. There will be no Thursday night game this week. The week features seven early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, two Monday games, and a Tuesday night game. CBS will have the doubleheader while FOX will have the single, regional game. Tampa Bay and Carolina are on a bye this week. Let's get to the picks!

Note: TW is me and CV is Cardinal Viking my former roommate

Detroit (4-7) @ Chicago (5-6) (FOX): TW: Bears; CV: Lions  
Both teams lost last week as the Lions lost to the Texans and the Bears lost to the Packers. Matt Patricia is gone and the Lions future is unknown. I'm not sure how the Lions will respond. Typically teams that react to their head coach firing is in general good. I feel the Bears will win based on in general better running game and defense. This could be a close one and the sad thing is one of these teams is bound to win.

Cleveland (8-3) @ Tennessee (8-3) (CBS) TW: Titans; CV: Browns
Both teams won last week as the Browns beat the Jaguars and the Titans beat the Colts. Cleveland are at least guaranteed to finish at least at .500 which is certainly a long time coming for them. Unfortunately, they play next a Titans team that destroyed the Colts on the road. The way the Browns rush defense couldn't stop/slow down James Robinson of the Jaguars doesn't really convince me that the Brownies have the means to stop Derrick Henry or at least slow him down. I think the Titans are the better team in this matchup. 

Indianapolis (7-4) @ Houston (4-7) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Colts lost to the Titans and the Texans beat the Lions last week. Momentum seems to be on the Texans side as they destroyed the Lions on Thanksgiving. Indy in general can play well when they don't shoot themselves in the foot via penalties or turnovers. In spite of last week's horrible loss, I do like the Colts in the matchup as they still have a formidable defense that can contain David Johnson enough to make the Texans go to DeShaun Watson more often for offense. 

Jacksonville (1-10) @ Minnesota (5-6) (CBS): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Jaguars lost to the Browns and the Vikings beat the Panthers last week. Jacksonville was close to getting a win last week against the Browns but nevertheless they will finish with double digit losses this season. Any chances of victory are slim but not impossible. Who am I kidding? It would take a terrible Kirk Cousins game for the Vikes to lose this one. 

New Orleans (9-2) @ Atlanta (4-7) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Both teams got wins last week as the Saints beat the Broncos and the Falcons beat the Raiders. Not gonna lie, I want to take the Falcons in this game. Taysom Hill's time at quarterback hasn't been exactly Drew Brees-esque (if that's a word) but I like the Saints running game and defense enough to lean toward to New Orleans. 

Las Vegas (6-5) @ NY Jets (0-11) (CBS): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Both teams lost last week as the Raiders lost to the Falcons and the Jets lost to the Dolphins. Probably the shortest summary ever. If the Raiders lose to the Jets... just move back to Oakland. Seriously. 

Cincinnati (2-8-1) @ Miami (7-4) (CBS): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Bengals lost to the Giants and the Dolphins beat the Jets last week. It is possible that Tua Tagovailoa could return to the fray that is the Miami Dolphins offense. What he or Ryan Fitzpatrick will face is a Joe Burrow-less Bengals team that will likely start Brandon Allen who made the most of his situation. The Bungles will likely not have Joe Mixon back until next week. It seems wise to go with the Dolphins. 

NY Giants (4-7) @ Seattle (8-3) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Both teams got wins last week as the Giants beat the Bengals and the Seahawks beat the Eagles. While the 12th man might not be out in force in this game, the Seahawks should win this game based on their offense alone. The trio of Russell Wilson, Chris Carson, and DK Metcalf is hard to stop and I don't see the Giants putting a lid on it. Ironic that the Seahawks, who had in 2010 a 7-9 record and was in the playoffs, play the Giants a team that is currently leading their division with a 4-7 record. 

LA Rams (7-4) @ Arizona (6-5) (FOX): TW: Rams; CV: Cardinals
Both teams lost last week as the Rams lost to the 49ers and the Cardinals lost to the Patriots. Arizona's achilles heel is rearing its ugly head: overall defense. Arizona has lost 3 of its last 4 games. You could make a case that Kyler Murray deserves some of the blame. They're way too good on offense to not have at least 7 or 8 wins. Unfortunately, I feel the Rams seem to be the safer choice in this one as I don't know if they can be stopped with the Cardinals defense. Could be a close game though. NFC West matchups are interesting to watch. 

Philadelphia (3-7-1) @ Green Bay (8-3) (CBS): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Eagles lost to the Seahawks and the Packers beat the Bears last week. In spite of a 3-game losing streak, the Eagles still have somewhat of a shot to win their division. What stands in their way of a win is the Packers who seem to be a better built team on offense. Sure their defense is suspect but the Eagles offense is just as suspect. Seems like a tall mountain to climb for Carson Wentz and company but I'll take the Packers. 

New England (5-6) @ LA Chargers (3-8) (CBS): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Patriots beat the Cardinals and the Chargers lost to the Bills last week. Even Vegas isn't sure who is going to win this game. Justin Herbert has a been nice story for the Chargers who basically are a trainwreck without him. I think what makes this game intriguing is how well the Patriots pass defense handles him as Bill Belichek has made it a habit to giving rookie quarterbacks nightmares. It's a toss-up but I think the Chargers squeak out a win. 

Denver (4-7) @ Kansas City (10-1) (NBC): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Broncos lost to the Saints and the Chiefs beat the Buccaneers last week. Hopefully the Broncos have at least one of their quarterbacks in this one. Kendall Hinton could make another start if none of them are available due to COVID. Otherwise I think Drew Lock will start again for the Broncos. Chiefs will still win because of Patrick Mahomes doing Patrick Mahomes things. 

Washington (4-7) @ Pittsburgh (11-0) (FOX): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Both teams won last week as the Football Team beat the Cowboys and the Steelers beat the Ravens. Washington will be riding high as they pretty much pillaged and burned the hopes of the Cowboys making a late run to the playoffs on Thanksgiving. What they face is a Steelers squad that didn't play well against the Ravens on Wednesday. It's to be expected since the game was pushed back so much and the play was pretty sloppy. I think the game will get the Steelers back to form. 

Buffalo (8-3) @ San Francisco (5-6) (ESPN): TW: Bills; CV: Bills 
Both teams won last week as the Bills beat the Chargers and the 49ers beat the Rams. Game won't be in Santa Clara due to Santa Clara county's ban on contact sports due to COVID. This game will be in Glendale, Arizona. So perhaps the 49ers should be called the Arizona 49ers? Jokes aside, the Monday night game is somewhat of a tantalizing matchup. I like the Bills based on their offense with the multi-talented Josh Allen at the helm. If Buffalo's defense can get into the game and make things happen via turnovers, I like Buffalo in the game. 

Dallas (3-8) @ Baltimore (6-5) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Both teams lost last week as the Cowboys lost to the Football Team and the Ravens lost to the Steelers. The game was originally supposed to happen tonight (writing this on Thursday night) and got moved to Tuesday because of the Ravens-Steelers contest that took place on Wednesday. Dallas might have some advantage because of the extra rest. Baltimore could see most of its starters return to action which doesn't bode well for the Cowboys who're still trying to get a playoff berth out of their ass. I don't see it happening. 

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, check local listings):

CBS Early:
Jacksonville @ Minnesota
Beth Mowins, Jay Feely

CBS Late:
Philadelphia @ Green Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single:
Detroit @ Chicago
Kevin Kugler, Chris Spielman

Note: Washington @ Pittsburgh will be shown on FOX but my local market won't show it as it is exclusive to NFL Sunday Ticket. Bummer

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

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 10-4
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 7-7
Week 12: 11-5
Total: 116-60-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 11-3
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Total: 108-68-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys after the Monday night game for the Week 13 recap.

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 12 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was featured some surprises. Such surprises including the comeback win for the Vikings, the Cowboys attempting to surprise the rest of America with a fake punt and hopefully some new Thanksgiving food to enjoy. I know cooked carrots are highly underrated. In this post, I'll do a recap of the week's action. Let's get to work!

Week 12 Recap

Houston 41, Detroit 25: TW: Texans; CV: Texans
From the Week 12 Picks post: "Detroit Lions: The hope that Matt Patricia could be fired." Well, Lions fans, it happened, Matt Patricia is gone. Unfortunately, you still lost. DeShaun Watson threw for 318 yards with four touchdowns and had no interceptions in the game. Houston's running game was reserved to a helper role as David Johnson rushed for 37 yards. Wil Fuller had a good day with 171 receiving yards with two touchdowns. Matthew Stafford threw for 295 yards with a touchdown pass but also threw an interception in the game. Adrian Peterson had a good game with his 55 yards with two touchdowns. Might as well bring back Jim Caldwell if you're Detroit. At least he brought you guys two playoff appearances. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Indianapolis; Detroit: @ Chicago

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Washington 41, Dallas 16: TW: Cowboys; CV: Football Team
I guess this is what I get for going back on my "Never gonna pick the Cowboys for the rest of the season" vow. Alex Smith threw for 149 yards with a touchdown pass and had an interception. Antonio Gibson would carry the Football Team's offense with 115 yards with three touchdowns. Washington's defense would get some offense with a Montez Sweat pick six. Andy Dalton would return for the Cowboys with 215 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Ezekiel Elliot wouldn't get much going from the ground in this one as he racked up 32 yards. Credit to the Football Team's defense in this one. Shoutout to Alex Smith's first win in nearly two years. 

Next week:
Washington: @ Pittsburgh; Dallas: @ Baltimore

TW: 1-1; CV: 2-0

Las Vegas 6, Atlanta 43: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Who would've thought this game would be a blowout, let alone be a Falcons blowout. Derek Carr threw for 215 yards and threw an interception in the game. The interception ended up being a pick-six. Josh Jacobs wouldn't get a lot of rushing yards in the game with 27 yards. The game was also out of reach so its perhaps that they stopped going to him. Matt Ryan threw for 185 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception in the game. Atlanta's running game showed up in this one as Ito Smith rushed for 65 yards with a touchdown and Brian Hill rushed for 55 yards. Atlanta's defense, the butt of all jokes for most of the season, had their best day of the season. They sacked Derek Carr five times, forced four fumbles and had one interception that was a 67-yard pick six by Deion Jones. How about Raheem Morris having a 4-2 record since Atlanta fired Dan Quinn?

Next week:
Las Vegas: @ NY Jets; Atlanta: vs New Orleans

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

LA Chargers 17, Buffalo 27: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Buffalo looked a bit off but a win is a win. Justin Herbert had another stellar day with 316 yards passing with a touchdown pass. His lone blemish would be an interception that he had. Austin Ekeler had 44 rushing yards and Joshua Kelley had 35 rushing yards of his own with a touchdown run. The Chargers defense made it a close game with three consecutive turnovers by the Bills offense. Josh Allen threw for 157 yards with a touchdown pass but also threw an interception. Allen also rushed for 32 yards with a touchdown. Cole Beasley would have a passing touchdown to his resume with a 20-yard pass to Gabriel Davis. Devin Singletary had a good game for Buffalo with his 82 rushing yards. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs New England; Buffalo: @ San Francisco

TW: 2-2; CV: 3-1

Miami 20, NY Jets 3: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The winless season continues with no end in sight. Ryan Fitzpatrick would start in place of the rookie Tua Tagovailoa. Fitzpatrick wouldn't miss a beat as he threw for 257 yards with two touchdown passes. DeAndre Washington was the leading rusher for the Dolphins with 49 yards. Matt Breida had 36 yards. Sam Darnold was the complete opposite of Fitzpatrick in this one as he threw for 197 yards with two interceptions. Frank Gore had a reasonable 74 yards rushing in the game. One bright spot for the Jets was that they had two forced fumbles that were recovered. They just weren't converted into points. New York's 11-game skid is the 2nd longest in team history. The longest is a 12-game losing streak that was held by Rich Kotite's Jets during the mid-1990's.

Next week:
Miami: vs Cincinnati; NY Jets: vs Las Vegas

TW: 3-2; CV: 4-1

Tennessee 45, Indianapolis 26: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
Tennessee got its revenge on the Colts. Ryan Tannehill threw for 221 yards with a touchdown pass. Derrick Henry once again proved that he's the best running back in the game with his 178 rushing yards with three touchdowns. The Titans defense would prove to be the better defense as they held the Colts to 26 points with an interception by Breon Borders. Philip Rivers threw for 295 yards with two passing touchdowns but also threw an interception. Nyheim Hines ran for 29 yards in the game. Colts backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett rushed for three yards with two touchdowns. Tennessee proved me and Cardinal Viking wrong somehow. 

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Cleveland; Indianapolis: @ Houston

TW: 3-3; CV: 4-2

Cleveland 27, Jacksonville 25: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
It wasn't pretty but the Browns will have their first non-losing season since 2007. Baker Mayfield played well in this game, throwing for 258 yards with two touchdowns. Jarvis Landry accounted for 143 yards with a touchdown. Nick Chubb rushed for 144 yards with a touchdown and Kareem Hunt rushed for 62 yards. Mike Glennon would get the start for the Jaguars in this game. Glennon finished with 235 yards with two touchdowns. Cleveland's rush defense would have hard time figuring out how to slow down James Robinson as Robinson rushed for 128 yards with a touchdown run. We shall see if Cleveland will get win #9 for this season. 

Next week:
Cleveland: @ Tennessee; Jacksonville: @ Minnesota

TW: 4-3; CV: 5-2

NY Giants 19, Cincinnati 17: TW: Giants; CV: Bengals
New York would lose Daniel Jones in this one but the G-men did win. Jones threw for 213 yards in this one before getting injured during the 2nd half with a hamstring injury. Colt McCoy would come in and threw for 31 yards in this game. Wayne Gallman would provide the only offensive touchdown for the Giants with his 94 yards rushing in the game. Giants kicker Graham Gano would hit all four of his field goals including a 49-yard field goal. Brandon Allen would get the start for the Bengals in place of Joe Burrow. Allen threw for 136 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception in the game. Giovanni Bernard would get 32 yards rushing in the game. Cincinnati got a boost on special teams with Brandon Wilson's 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. New York is now in 1st place of the NFC East, assuming the Eagles lose on Monday night. 

Next week:
NY Giants: @ Seattle; Cincinnati: @ Miami

TW: 5-3: CV: 5-3

Carolina 27, Minnesota 28: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Carolina forced three Viking turnovers and somehow lost. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 267 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception in the game. Mike Davis rushed for 55 yards in the game. The Panther defense scored two touchdowns on two fumbles. Jeremy Chinn would recover two fumbles and would score on a 17-yard and 28-yard touchdown. Good day for him. Kirk Cousins would carry the Vikings back to victory with his 307 yards passing with three touchdowns. Dalvin Cook would rush for 61 yards. The game tying touchdown was a Cousins pass to Chad Beebe with 46 seconds left in the game. Dan Bailey would hit the point after that would give the Vikes a 28-27 edge. 

Next week:
Carolina: Bye; Minnesota: vs Jacksonville

TW: 6-3; CV: 6-3

Arizona 17, New England 20: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Pats aren't dead quite yet. Kyler Murray threw for 170 yards and threw an interception in the game. Kenyan Drake rushed for 78 yards and scored the only two touchdowns that the Cards would put up in this game. Cam Newton wouldn't get quite a lot of yards in this one as he threw for only 84 yards and had two passes intercepted. Damien Harris ran for 47 yards, Cam Newton rushed for 46 and James White rushed for 18 yards and scored the two touchdowns for the Patriots. Patriots kicker Nick Folk hit a 50-yard field goal to give the Patriots the edge as time expired. 

Next week:
Arizona: vs LA Rams; New England: @ LA Chargers

TW: 6-4; CV: 6-4

San Francisco 23, LA Rams 20: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Looks like the 49ers won't be playing in Santa Clara anytime soon. Nick Mullens had a better game as he threw for 252 yards but also threw an interception in the game. Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert rushed for 43 yards respectively. Mostert would score the only offensive touchdown for the 49ers. San Francisco's defense would help their offense out with a pick-six by defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw. Robbie Gould would hit 3 of 4 field goals in the victory. Jared Goff threw for 198 yards with two interceptions, one of the interceptions was the said pick-six. Cam Akers rushed for 84 yards with the only offensive touchdown for the Rams. Los Angeles also had some offense on defense from a Raheem Mostert fumble that would be recovered by cornerback Troy Hill. 

Next week:
San Francisco: vs Buffalo; LA Rams: @ Arizona

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

New Orleans 31, Denver 3: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Imagine having four quarterbacks on your roster and have all four of them be put into COVID protocol. Taysom Hill threw for 78 yards with an interception. The turnover didn't really hurt New Orleans for obvious reasons. Hill also rushed for 44 yards with two touchdown runs. Latavius Murray rushed for 124 yards with two touchdowns as well. A month ago, Kendall Hinton was working in sales. Prior to Sunday, Hinton was a practice squad wide receiver for the Broncos. On Sunday, he would get his first NFL start. Hinton didn't look impressive as he threw for 13 yards while throwing two interceptions. It was a paltry performance but given the situation, it could've been a lot worse for Hinton. Royce Freeman was the leading rusher for the Broncos as he rushed for only 50 yards. 

Next week:
New Orleans: @ Atlanta; Denver: @ Kansas City

TW: 7-5; CV: 7-5

Kansas City 27, Tampa Bay 24: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Tampa's comeback almost overshadowed Tyreek Hill's first quarter performance. Patrick Mahomes threw for 462 yards with three touchdowns. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 37 yards. The star in the game was Tyreek Hill who had 203 receiving yards by the end of the 1st quarter. He finished the game with 269 yards. Tom Brady threw for 345 yards with three touchdown passes and threw two interceptions in the game. Ronald Jones had 66 yards rushing in the game, his longest was from 34 yards. Rob Gronkowski had 106 receiving yards. What's happening in Tampa? Sheesh.

Next week:
Kansas City: vs Denver; Tampa Bay: Bye

TW: 8-5; CV: 8-5

Chicago 25, Green Bay 41: TW: Packers; CV: Bears
Remember when Chicago was 5-1? Good times. Mitchell Trubisky threw for 242 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. David Montgomery had a better game on the ground with 103 yards rushing. Aaron Rodgers threw for 211 yards with four touchdown passes. Rodgers also surpasses 50,000 career passing yards during the game. Aaron Jones rushed for 90 yards in the game. Jamaal Williams rushed for 73 yards with a touchdown run. 

Next week:
Chicago: vs Detroit; Green Bay: vs Philadelphia

TW: 9-5; CV: 8-6

Seattle 23, Philadelphia 17: TW: Seahawks; CV: Eagles
DK Metcalf was unstoppable in this one. Russell Wilson threw for 230 yards with a touchdown pass. Chris Carson rushed for 41 yards with a touchdown run. DK Metcalf had 177 receiving yards in the game. Carson Wentz threw for 215 yards with two touchdowns but also threw an interception in the game. At least he had lesser interceptions than touchdowns. Jalen Hurts would see some action in the game but he only threw once for six yards. Wentz also rushed for 42 yards, perhaps further proving that he needs help via offensive line. At least you won't possibly have to play in the playoffs with a 3-7-1 record. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs NY Giants; Philadelphia: @ Green Bay

TW: 10-5; CV: 8-7

Baltimore 14, Pittsburgh 19: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
It took them nearly six days but this game happened. Robert Griffin III started for Baltimore. RGIII would put up 33 yards with an interception. Trace McSorley would replace RGIII and put up 77 yards with a touchdown pass. The leading rusher in the game was RGIII with 68 yards rushing. Gus Edwards rushed for 10 yards with a touchdown run. Marquise Brown had 85 yards receiving and a touchdown. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 266 yards with a touchdown and had an interception in the game. Benny Snell rushed for 60 yards in the game. 

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Dallas; Pittsburgh: vs Washington

TW: 11-5; CV: 9-7

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 10-4
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 7-7
Week 12: 11-5
Total: 116-60-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 11-3
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Total: 108-68-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Thursday for the Week 13 picks.

-Tom