NFL 2021 Week 2 Recap

 Hello readers! The 2nd week of National Football League is finished. Week 2 brought us some blowouts, some surprise upsets, and some high scoring contests. Last week, I beat Cardinal Viking by a game in Pick 'Ems. With us choosing different teams in six games, who will come out on top. All that and the recap of the week's action in this week's post. Let's get to work!

Week 2 Recap

NY Giants 29, Washington 30: TW: Football Team, CV: Football Team
The game was a close one much to everyone's surprise. Daniel Jones had been undefeated against Washington and he put on a good showing with 249 yards passing with a touchdown pass and a touchdown run. He had 95 yards rushing. Saquon Barkley had 57 yards rushing. Taylor Heinicke put on a show for the Washington faithful with 336 yards passing with a two touchdown, one interception performance. Antonio Gibson rushed for 69 yards with JD McKissic getting 10 yards rushing with a touchdown. The game would come down to a field goal by kicker Dustin Hopkins. The kicker would hit the game-winner on a 2nd chance as a questionable offsides call was called on Giants player Dexter Lawrence. Life goes on. 

TW: 1-0: CV: 1-0

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Atlanta
Washington: @ Buffalo

Buffalo 35, Miami 0: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
This one stung a lot more ways than one if you were a Dolphins fan. Josh Allen threw for 179 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He had a good showing with his backfield as Devin Singletary rushed for 82 yards with a touchdown. Zach Moss was the featured scorer as he rushed for 26 yards with two touchdowns. Tua Tagovailoa would start for Miami but would leave with a rip injury. He left with just 13 yards passing. Jacoby Brissett wouldn't get a lot going for them as he threw for 169 yards with an interception. Myles Gaskin wouldn't get a lot going as he was held to 25 yards rushing. Don't want to hit the panic button yet if you're Miami but you'd just hope that Tua isn't out for too long. 

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Washington
Miami: @ Las Vegas

Cincinnati 17, Chicago 20: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
A knee injury would give Justin Fields more airtime than he had hoped. Joe Burrow threw for 207 yards with two touchdowns and had three interceptions. Not quite the stellar game for him. Joe Mixon rushed for 69 yards with zero touchdowns. Andy Dalton did start for Chicago and he had 56 yards passing with a touchdown before leaving with a knee injury. Justin Fields threw for 60 yards with a touchdown. David Montgomery and Justin Fields would provide help with rushing as they both had 61 yards and 31 yards respectively. 

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ Pittsburgh
Chicago: @ Cleveland

Denver 23, Jacksonville 13: TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
Jerry Jeudy got sidelined with an injury last week and Cortland Sutton would turn in a career best performance. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 328 yards with two touchdowns. Javonte Williams rushed for 64 yards. Cortland Sutton would prove to be the key to the game as he had nine catches for 159 yards receiving. Trevor Lawrence would throw for 73 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive. He would finish the game with 118 yards passing with two interceptions and not much else in the touchdown department. James Robinson had a okay game with 47 yards rushing. Jaguars kick returner James Agnew would get a kick six for them on a 102-yard return. 

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

Next week:
Denver: vs NY Jets
Jacksonville: vs Arizona 

Houston 21, Cleveland 31: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Baker Mayfield maybe not human, just saying. Tyrod Taylor threw for 125 yards with a touchdown pass. He would not return to play as he would leave with an injury. Davis Mills would be thrown into the action and had a shaky relief as he threw for 102 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Mark Ingram rushed for 41 yards. Tyrod Taylor rushed for a touchdown on a 15-yard play. Baker Mayfield would temporarily leave the field with a shoulder injury but would come back. Mayfield would throw for 213 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Mayfield rushed for 10 yards with a touchdown. Nick Chubb rushed for 95 yards with a touchdown. 

TW: 4-1: CV: 4-1

Next week:
Houston: vs Carolina
Cleveland: vs Chicago

LA Rams 27, Indianapolis 24: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Uffda, not a good start for Carson Wentz. Matthew Stafford threw for 278 yards with two touchdowns with an interception as well. Darrell Henderson rushed for 53 yards. Carson Wentz started for the Colts and had 247 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He would ultimately leave the game in the 4th quarter with an ankle injury. Jacob Eason would add 25 passing yards to his day. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 51 yards. Colts receiver Ashton Dulin would score on a special teams touchdown off of a Rams fumble close to the endzone. Never really thought an 0-2 start would be in for the Colts but they do have a crummy division that they play in. I'm not too afraid yet. 

TW: 5-1; CV: 5-1

Next week:
LA Rams: vs Tampa Bay
Indianapolis: @ Tenneessee

Las Vegas 26, Pittsburgh 17: TW: Steelers; CV: Raiders
The absence of TJ Watt in the 2nd half would prove to be a dealbreaker for the Black and Gold. Derek Carr threw for 382 yards with two touchdowns with zero interceptions. Peyton Barber, in place of injured Josh Jacobs, would rush for 32 yards in the game. Ben Roethlisberger finished the game with 295 yards with a touchdown and had a bonehead interception. JuJu Smith-Schuster had a rushing touchdown on a 3-yard run. Najee Harris had a 38-yard day on the ground. Safe to say, the Steelers offense is struggling in an offseason which was optimistic of it. 

TW: 5-2; CV: 6-1

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Miami
Pittsburgh: vs Cincinnati

New England 26, NY Jets 7: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
In a duel of rookie quarterbacks, it would be Mac Jones of the New England Patriots who would win it out. Mac Jones finished the game with 186 yards passing. Damien Harris rushed for 62 yards with a touchdown and James White rushed for 20 yards with a touchdown run of his own. Zach Wilson would prove to be the quarterback that lost the duel. Wilson threw for 210 yards with four interceptions. Michael Carter would provide some help to Wilson as he rushed for 59 yards for the Jets. Hang in there, Zach Wilson, the rough season has just begun. 

TW: 6-2; CV: 7-1

Next week:
New England: vs New Orleans
NY Jets: @ Denver

New Orleans 7, Carolina 26: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Old habits die hard for Jameis Winston. The Saints quarterback threw for 111 yards with two interceptions, a total flip around from last week. Jameis Winston would also be the leading rusher and the only offensive score for New Orleans as he rushed for 19 yards. Taysom Hill had 16 yards rushing. Sam Darnold improved his game in thsi one as he threw for 305 yards with two touchdowns and just an interception. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 72 yards with a touchdown in the game. Surprise, surprise, Carolina is 2-0. 

TW: 6-3; CV: 7-2

Next week:
New Orleans: @ New England
Carolina: @ Houston

San Francisco 17, Philadelphia 11: TW: Eagles; CV: 49ers 
It would prove to be not the offensive shootout but rather a defensive game. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 189 yards with a touchdown. He would also score a rushing touchdown while putting up 20 yards rushing. Elijah Mitchell had 42 yards rushing. Jalen Hurts threw for 190 yards with no touchdowns but no interceptions either. Hurts was also the leading rusher for the Eagles with 82 yards with a touchdown. Philadelphia did try to use the "Philly Special" on the 49ers. It didn't yield a touchdown. 

TW: 6-4; CV: 8-2

Next week:
San Francisco: @ Green Bay
Philadelphia: @ Dallas

Atlanta 25, Tampa Bay 48: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tom Brady did Tom Brady things, no more no less. Matt Ryan threw for a solid 300 yards with two touchdowns but he would also throw three interceptions in the contest. Cordarrele Patterson would get a rushing touchdown with 11 yards on the ground. Mike Davis rushed for 38 yards for the Falcons. Tom Brady threw for 276 yards with five touchdown passes. Leonard Fournette would get the most yards rushing in the game for Tampa with 52 yards. Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski had two receiving touchdowns each and Chris Godwin had one. 

TW: 7-4; CV: 9-2

Next week:
Atlanta: @ NY Giants
Tampa Bay: @ LA Rams

Minnesota 33, Arizona 34: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Oh Vikings, you'd think that Wide Left would be harsh but how about Wide Right. Kirk Cousins threw for 244 yards with three touchdowns. Dalvin Cook rushed for a solid 131 yards. Vikings linebacker Nick Vigil caught a pass off of Kyler Murray and ran it in for a touchdown. Kyler Murray threw for an even 400 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, one of them was aforementioned pick-six. Murray rushed for 31 yards with a touchdown while Chase Edmonds rushed for 46 yards. Vikings kicker, Greg Joseph, had an opportunity to give the Vikings the win but would miss the goalposts by a few inches. Good game though. 

TW: 8-4; CV: 10-2

Next week:
Minnesota: vs Seattle
Arizona: @ Jacksonville

Dallas 20, LA Chargers 17: TW: Cowboys; CV: Chargers
Greg Zuerlein was the butt of jokes in Week 1. By Week 2 he became the cowboys savior. Dak Prescott threw for 237 yards with an interception. It would be the Dallas running game that would help the quarterback out as Tony Pollard rushed for 109 yards with a touchdown as well as Ezekiel Elliot rushing for 71 yards with a touchdown. Justin Herbert threw for 338 yards with a touchdown pass but also threw two interceptions. Austin Ekeler got 54 yards on the ground for the Chargers. The game would come down to a 56-yard field goal by Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein. He would hit it and the Cowboys would avoid a 0-2 start. 

TW: 9-4; CV: 10-3

Next week:
Dallas: vs Philadelphia
LA Chargers: @ Kansas City

Tennessee 33, Seattle 30 (F/OT): TW: Seahawks; CV: Titans
Derrick Henry would regain his crown. Ryan Tannehill threw for 347 yards in the game. Derrick Henry was quiet in Week 1 against Arizona but his 182 yards rushing would prove to be the deciding factor in this game. He also scored two touchdowns in this game. Russell Wilson was yet again out to prove that he was a worthy MVP as he threw for 343 yards with two touchdowns. Chris Carson was the Seahawks leading rusher with 31 yards with two touchdown runs. The deciding score would come off the foot of Titans kicker Randy Bullock as he hit a 36-yard field goal to give the Seahawks a rare home loss. 

TW: 9-5; CV: 11-3

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Indianapolis
Seattle: @ Minnesota

Kansas City 35, Baltimore 36: TW: Chiefs; CV: Ravens
This was a classic to watch but ultimately it was Lamar Jackson that would get the Kansas City Chiefs monkey off his back. Patrick Mahomes threw for 343 yards with three touchdowns and had an interception. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 46 yards. Lamar Jackson would be the one to carry his team as he threw for 239 yards with a touchdown and had two interceptions. He was also the Ravens leading rusher with 107 yards with two touchdowns. Tyson Williams was the 2nd highest with 77 yards. 

TW: 9-6; CV: 12-3

Next week:
Kansas City: vs LA Chargers
Baltimore: @ Detroit

Detroit 17, Green Bay 35: TW: Packers; CV: Lions
It was a struggle but the Packers would clamp down on the Lions. Jared Goff threw for 246 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception in the game. He was also the leading rusher for Detroit with 46 yards. Dandre Swift was the 2nd highest with 37 yards. Aaron Rodgers returned to form after a horrid Week 1 performance. He threw for 255 yards with four touchdowns. Aaron Jones rushed for 67 yards with a touchdown run. It was a 14-10 ballgame at halftime but the Packers would ultimately shut down the Detroit offense and put up 21 unanswered points. 

TW: 10-6; CV: 12-4

Next week:
Detroit: vs Baltimore
Green Bay: @ San Francisco

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6

Total: 17-15

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4

Total: 18-14

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

Look out for the Week 3 picks post sometime on Wednesday! See you then!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 2 Picks

Hello readers! The first week of National Football League action has come and gone. Hopefully the second week will bring just as much drama and action to the masses. For Week 2, I'm looking at the Raiders-Steelers, Bills-Dolphins and 49ers-Eagles games to be intriguing watches. In this post, I'll discuss my picks for the games. Let's get to work!

Week 2: The Preview

Week 2 of the NFL's regular season starts in Landover, Maryland and finishes up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The week features a 16-game slate. No teams are on a bye this week. The slate features: a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. CBS will have the double-header this week while FOX will have the single-game this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 2: The Picks

Note: TW is me, CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate. All times are in US Eastern.

NY Giants (0-1) @ Washington (0-1) (NFL Network; 8:20 pm): TW: Football Team; CV: Football Team
Both teams lost last week as the Giants lost to the Broncos and the Football Team lost to the Chargers. Week 2 starts with a meager matchup in the NFC East as the Giants and the Football Team renew their rivalry. Seems In spite of not having Ryan Fitzpatrick for most of the game, the Football Team did well enough to almost win against the Chargers. I'll take a bit of faith and pick Washington. 

Buffalo (0-1) @ Miami (1-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills lost last week to the Steelers and the Dolphins beat the Patriots. In spite of their loss to the Steelers last week, Buffalo I feel should get back to the basics and get a road win against their division rival in the Dolphins. If Buffalo has a chance to win they need to get back to running the football and make Devin Singletary their main weapon. I don't think the Bills Mafia would like to have their team be at a 0-2 hole to start the year. 

Cincinnati (1-0) @ Chicago (0-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The Bengals beat the Vikings and the Bears lost to the Rams last week. Cincy played pretty well last week even if they were facing against a better opponent in the Vikings. If Matthew Stafford can carve up the Bears defense, then I don't see any reason why Joe Burrow can't. It will be a good test to see if the Bengals defense can do well again against another NFC North opponent. I'll buy the Bungles another win. 

Denver (1-0) @ Jacksonville (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
The Broncos beat the Giants and the Jaguars lost to the Texans last week. Trevor Lawrence suffered his first loss in his football career going back to high school. His next opponent in the NFL will prove to be a bigger test. Teddy Bridgewater did well in his Broncos debut and I'll give him that much faith in taking on the Jaguars. I'll take the Broncos in that the offense will do well against the Jaguars defense that allowed so much last week to Houston. 

Houston (1-0) @ Cleveland (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The Texans beat the Jaguars and the Browns lost to the Chiefs last week. I did not think that the Texans would beat the Jaguars and you have to give them credit in doing so. What they face next is a Browns team that is looking to get back to a winning way after losing a close game in Kansas City. It might be a good game or a defensive game but I think the Browns running game will be key for a win. 

LA Rams (1-0) @ Indianapolis (0-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Rams beat the Bears and the Colts lost to the Seahawks last week. Much to my shock, Carson Wentz did suit up for the Colts. Wentz would play fairly well even though his counterpart in Russell Wilson would prove to be too much for Indy. They will face another NFC West foe in the Rams. If Matthew Stafford plays like he did last week then the Rams will be a tough team to beat. I think the Rams win. 

Las Vegas (1-0) @ Pittsburgh (1-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Raiders
Both teams won last week as the Raiders beat the Ravens and the Steelers beat the Bills. The Raiders-Steelers rivalry hasn't had a lot of games to say were great recently. Certainly the matchups in the 1970s were stellar contests. If the Steelers have hope to win they'll need to get better production from their runners as first-round pick Najee Harris only ran for 45 yards against the Bills. Las Vegas's offense will play up to task but I question how well their defense will do. I'll take the Steelers on a whim. 

New England (0-1) @ NY Jets (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Both teams lost last week as the Patriots lost to the Dolphins and the Jets lost to the Panthers. New England looked good against a Dolphins team looking to get back into the playoffs. Mac Jones and the Patriots look to get back to a winning formula against an inept Jets team. 

New Orleans (1-0) @ Carolina (1-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Both teams had wins last week as the Saints beat the Packers and the Panthers beat the Jets. Jameis Winston had a great game with five touchdown passes against the hyped Packers. I'm impressed enough to give the man and the New Orleans Saints a win against the Panthers. Carolina shouldn't be underestimated but they did barely beat a Jets team that is rebuilding. I'll take the Saints. 

San Francisco (1-0) @ Philadelphia (1-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: 49ers
Both teams won last week as the 49ers beat the Lions and the Eagles beat the Falcons. Strange how I thought the Eagles would lose to the Falcons last week. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense seemed to handle their own against the Falcons. San Francisco too looked like they were on cruise control but nearly lost to the Lions last week. The loss of Raheem Mostert could hurt San Fran but Elijah Mitchell seems to be a capable back. I'll take Philly on a toss-up. 

Atlanta (0-1) @ Tampa Bay (1-0) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Bucanneers
The Falcons lost to the Eagles and the Buccaneers beat the Cowboys last week. Atlanta had some hope of doing well this season but after the way that they lost to the Eagles, I'd suggest otherwise. What they face against is the class of the NFC South in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Doesn't help that the Bucs are the defending champs. Tampa's one weakness could be their secondary and Atlanta certainly does have the weapons to challenge them to give them some headaches. I'll still take the Buccaneers. 

Minnesota (0-1) @ Arizona (1-0) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Vikings lost to the Bengals and the Cardinals beat the Titans last week. Me and Cardinal Viking picked the Titans last week to beat the Cardinals, they got their lunch money taken by them in an overwhelming manner. It seems that the Cardinals offense has so much firepower that they should be able to hold their own against the Vikings. Minnesota could win if they can keep the Cardinals offense off the field. 

Dallas (0-1) @ LA Chargers (1-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Chargers
The Cowboys lost to the Buccaneers and the Chargers beat the Football Team last week. Dallas were close to ruining the party last week in Tampa. With a revamped defense, the Cowboys look to possibly put an upset in the works in Los Angeles. Justin Herbert and the Chargers will be put to the test as to how well they can do. I do think they're up to the task but you have to remember, Greg Zuerlein was a few field goals away from getting a win last week. I'll take Dallas on a whim. 

Tennessee (0-1) @ Seattle (1-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Titans
Last week, the Titans lost to the Cardinals and the Seahawks beat the Colts. The Titans ran into a buzzsaw in the Cardinals last week and they'll need to rebound this week as they'll be going to Seattle and facing off against the 12th man. Derrick Henry will need to have a great game for the Titans to win as if you can get the crowd to quiet down, you can control the game better. Seahawks will have the cards in this matchup as they just seem to be playing good ball right now. I'll take the Seahawks. 

Kansas City (1-0) @ Baltimore (0-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Ravens
The Chiefs won against the Browns and the Ravens lost to the Raiders last week. Classic AFC matchup on NBC! I'd be more excited about this matchup but the Ravens getting their taste of the injury bug has killed any hope of it. The Chiefs defense didn't do well at first against Cleveland but I like them to get back to playing better. Patrick Mahomes looks back to being the quarterback that we all expect him to be. 

Detroit (0-1) @ Green Bay (0-1) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Lions
Both teams lost last week as the Lions lost to the 49ers and the Packers lost to the Saints. Detroit almost pulled off a comeback against the better on paper defense in San Francisco. They sadly didn't. Green Bay however basically shat the bed and also shat the couch afterwards. At least the Lions played with heart and the Packers played like they literally let Jameis WInston walk over them, which they did. In spite of their bad loss I think the Packers will get back to form but honestly Cheeseheads should be cautiously optimistic. 

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com):

CBS Early
Las Vegas @ Pittsburgh
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

CBS Late
Dallas @ LA Chargers
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single
Minnesota @ Arizona
Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib

For more information on which is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2021: Week 2 Maps

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

See you guys on Monday for the Week 2 recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 1 Recap

 Hello readers! The first week of the National Football League's regular season is in the books. Surprises were had, upsets were had, and some sure things were had as well. Such surprises like the Steelers upsetting the Bills, or the Bengals beating the Vikings in overtime. All those games and more in this week's recap post. Let's get to work!

Week 1 Recap

Dallas 29, Tampa Bay 31: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
It was Tampa's night to celebrate their Super Bowl win last February, Dallas was more than willing to spoil those plans. They almost did. Dak Prescott would start for the Cowboys and would finish the game with 403 passing yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Ezekiel Elliot would get some yards in this one with 33 yards with 11 carries. The improved Cowboys defense would get two interceptions off of Tom Brady as Jourdan Lewis and Trevon Diggs would get an interception each. Tom Brady would finish with 379 yards with four touchdowns but also threw two picks. The biggest factor in the game was Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein would hit 3 of 5 field goals and 2 of 3 extra points. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Next week: 
Dallas: @ LA Chargers
Tampa Bay: vs Atlanta

Arizona 38, Tennessee 13: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Well me and Cardinal Viking missed this pick by a bit. Kyler Murray threw for 289 yards with four touchdowns and had just one interception. Murray would also get a rushing touchdown. Chase Edmonds rushed for 63 yards. The Cardinals receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk had 83 and 70 receiving yards respectively and had two touchdowns each. Ryan Tannehill would have no chance to compete in this game as he would finish the game with 212 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Tannehill would also rush for a touchdown. Derrick Henry would not be used a lot due to the score but he would finish with 58 yards rushing. 

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Next week:
Arizona: vs Minnesota
Tennessee: @ Seattle

Jacksonville 21, Houston 37: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
In Houston, the future was cloudy but the single shining light was Tyrod Taylor. It would also see the debut of Trevor Lawrence the highly-touted first overall pick from Clemson. Lawrence finished with 332 yards passing with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He wouldn't get much help from the rest of the offense as Carlos Hyde would only get 44 yards rushing. Tyrod Taylor, in place of franchise quarterback DeShaun Watson, threw for 291 yards with two touchdowns and had no interceptions. It would be the Texans running game that would prove to be game changer as Mark Ingram rushed for 85 yards with a touchdown. Tyrod Taylor rushed for 40 yards. Phillip Lindsay with 25 yards with a touchdown. It would be Trevor Lawrence's first loss in his football career. 

TW: 1-2: CV: 1-2

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Denver
Houston: @ Cleveland

LA Chargers 20, Washington 16: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
It was a defensive game but the Chargers would come up with a win. Justin Herbert would throw for 337 yards with a touchdown and had an interception in the game. Austin Ekeler was questionable to play but he would put up a respectable effort with 57 yards with a touchdown. Chargers kicker Tristan Vizcaino hit two field goals in the win for LA. Hardy veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick would start for the Football Team and was 3 for 6 with 13 yards before leaving with a right hip injury. Backup Taylor Heinicke would give the Football Team 122 yards passing with a touchdown. Washington's kicker Dustin Hopkins would hit 3 of 4 field goals. 

TW: 2-2; CV: 2-2

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Dallas
Washington: vs NY Giants

Minnesota 24, Cincinnati 27 (F/OT): TW: Vikings, CV: Vikings
Hope is back for the Bungles. Kirk Cousins threw for 351 yards with two touchdowns. Dalvin Cook would get 61 yards with a rushing touchdown. Joe Burrow stayed fairly upright for the game and threw 261 yards passing with two touchdowns. Joe Mixon ran over the Vikings defense with 127 yards rushing with a touchdown. Joe Burrow got a boost with his receiving corp with Jamarr Chase, Burrow's teammate at LSU and Cincy's first round pick in last May's draft. Vikings kicker Greg Joseph would hit the game-tying field goal that would send the game to overtime while Bengals kicker Evan McPherson would hit the game-winner that would give the Bengals the edge. 

TW: 2-3, CV: 2-3

Next week:
Minnesota: @ Arizona
Cincinnati: @ Chicago

NY Jets 14, Carolina 19: TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Sam Darnold would get his revenge on his old team but the game itself was close. Zach Wilson, Darnold's replacement in New York, finished the game with 258 yards passing with two touchdowns and had an interception. Tevin Coleman rushed for 24 yards in the game. Darnold finished with 279 yards with a touchdown. He also had a rushing touchdown on a 5-yard scramble. Christian McCaffrey had a good game with 21 carries for 98 yards. Carolina's revamped defense would finish with six sacks. 

TW: 3-3; CV: 3-3

Next week:
NY Jets: vs New England
Carolina: vs New Orleans

Philadelphia 32, Atlanta 6: TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
One team came to play football, and the other forgot to play football. Jalen Hurts finished the game with 264 yards passing with three touchdowns. Philadelphia's running game would get going in this one as Miles Sanders had 74 yards, Jalen Hurts had 62 yards and Kenneth Gainwell had 37 yards with a rushing touchdown. Matt Ryan would get very little done but put up 164 yards passing. Journeyman Cordarelle Patterson rushed for 54 yards and Mike Davis rushed for 49 yards for the Falcons. Younghoe Koo, Atlanta's kicker, would provide the only points for the Falcons with two field goals. 

TW: 3-4; CV: 3-4

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs San Francisco
Atlanta: @ Tampa Bay

Pittsburgh 23, Buffalo 16: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
There was questions whether TJ Watt would play due to contract negotiations. He got paid and he delivered. Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense would struggle in the first half. Roethlisberger would throw for 188 yards with a touchdown. Najee Harris would rush for 45 yards in the game. Pittsburgh's defense and special teams would give them the edge as TJ Watt would finish with three tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Miles Killebrew would block a punt that would end with Ulysses Gilbert scoring a touchdown. Josh Allen threw for 270 yards with a touchdown pass. Devin Singletary would rush for 72 yards. 

TW: 3-5; CV: 3-5

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Las Vegas
Buffalo: @ Miami

Seattle 28, Indianapolis 16: TW: Seahawks; CV: Colts
Russell Wilson would provide all the points for the Seahawks in this one. The Seahawks quarterback would throw the ball for 254 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Chris Carson would give the Seahawks a lot of help with 16 carries for 91 yards. Indy would start Carson Wentz and not Jacob Eason (much to my brilliant thoughts). Wentz did well in his Colts debut with 251 yards passing with two touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor had a respectable game with 56 yards rushing but no touchdowns for him. Three of four Russell Wilson touchdowns would come in the first half and Indy could not stop him. 

TW: 4-5, CV: 3-6

Next week:
Seattle: vs Tennessee
Indianapolis: vs LA Rams

San Francisco 41, Detroit 33: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
San Fran looked like they were on cruise-control at one point with a 38-10 lead in the 4th quarter. Then Detroit gave them something to worry about. Jimmy Garoppolo would start for the 49ers and had 314 yards with a touchdown pass. Trey Lance, the 49ers first-round draft pick and North Dakota State product, would get his first NFL touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Lance to Trent Sherfield. Raheem Mostert would get injured in the game but provided 20 yards of rushing offense. Elijah Mitchell would get 104 yards rushing with a touchdown. Deebo Samuel would get 189 receiving yards with a touchdown. Jared Goff would do well in his Lions debut with 338 yards passing with three touchdown passes and an interception. Jamaal Williams had 54 yards rushing with a touchdown. 

TW: 5-5; CV: 4-6

Next week:
San Francisco: @ Philadelphia
Detroit: @ Green Bay

Cleveland 29, Kansas City 33: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Oh Cleveland, so close but no cigar. Baker Mayfield started for the Browns and had 321 yards of passing yards with an interception in the game. Cleveland's running game would do the scoring for them as Nick Chubb lead the running attack with 83 yards with two touchdowns. Kareem Hunt added 33 yards of his own with a touchdown. Jarvis Landry would play the running back role with a touchdown as well. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense got off to a slow start in the first half with only 10 points to show for it. Mahomes would finish the game with 337 yards passing with three touchdowns. He would also rush for 18 yards with a rushing touchdown. Clyde Edwards-Helaire had 43 yards rushing for the Chiefs. I mean eventually Cleveland realized that the Chiefs would comeback right?

TW: 6-5; CV: 5-6

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Houston
Kansas City: @ Baltimore

Denver 27, NY Giants 13: TW: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
Teddy Bridgewater seems to be Denver's answer. Bridgewater finished with 264 yards passing with two touchdowns. Melvin Gordon had a good day on the ground with 101 yards rushing with a touchdown. Jerry Jeudy would have 72 receiving yards but would leave with an injury. Daniel Jones threw for 267 yards with a touchdown. A fumble by Jones would also be key to the Broncos victory. It would be Jones that was the leading rusher for the G-Men as he rushed for 27 yards with a touchdown. Saquon Barkley would make his season debut after injuring his ACL last season. He finished the game with 26 yards. 

TW: 6-6; CV: CV: 5-7

Next week:
Denver: @ LA Chargers
Giants: @ Washington

Green Bay 3, New Orleans 38: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
Who saw this coming? Aaron Rodgers had a terrible game with 133 yards passing with two interceptions. Backup quarterback Jordan Love would replace him. Love in his debut threw 68 yards. Green Bay's running game wouldn't get going due to the score but AJ Dillon rushed for 19 yards. Mason Crosby would be the only Packer who put points for them on a field goal. Jameis Winston threw for 148 yards with an astonishing five touchdowns. Alvin Kamara rushed for 83 yards for the Saints. Tony Jones had 50 yards rushing on 11 carries. 

TW: 6-7; CV: 5-8

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Detroit
New Orleans: @ Carolina

Miami 17, New England 16: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
It was a tight game and it really came down to a turnover. Tua Tagovailoa started for Miami and threw for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Tagovailoa rushed for a touchdown as well. Myles Gaskin rushed for 49 yards. The Mac Jones era began in earnest as the first-round pick threw for 281 yards with a touchdown. Damien Harris rushed for 100 yards in a good effort for the Patriots. Xavien Howard, a player who had happened to want out of Miami, would come up with the signature play in the game as he recovered a fumble towards the middle of of the 4th quarter. 

TW: 6-8; CV: 5-9

Next week:
Miami: vs Buffalo
New England: @ NY Jets

Chicago 14, LA Rams 34: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
It looked like a decent matchup on paper but Matthew Stafford proved that he wasn't the problem in Detroit. Chicago started Andy Dalton and has 206 yards in the game with an interception. The Bears running game would give the points for the Bears. David Montgomery rushed for 108 yards with a touchdown. Rookie quarterback rushed in for a touchdown as well. Matthew Stafford did well in his Rams debut as he threw for 321 yards with three touchdowns. Darrell Henderson was the leading rusher for LA as he had 70 yards with a touchdown. 

TW: 7-8; CV: 6-9

Next week:
Chicago: vs Cincinnati
LA Rams: @ Indianapolis

Baltimore 27, Las Vegas 33 (F/OT) : TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
What a wild game. Early to say that this game was game of the year but I would argue that this game is worthy of it. Lamar Jackson did well throwing the ball with 235 yards with a touchdown pass. Baltimore's bread and butter is their rushing attack and the Ravens did that with Lamar Jackson leading the way with 86 yards, Tyson Williams rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown and new addition Latavius Murray rushed for 28 yards with a touchdown of his own. Turnovers played a role in the game and the Ravens would have four fumbles, losing two of them. Derek Carr threw for the Raiders and racked up 435 yards passing with two touchdowns while having an interception. Josh Jacobs rushed for 34 yards and punched his way through for two scores. It would be a Derek Carr pass to Zay Jones in overtime to give the Raiders their first win of the season. 

TW: 7-9; CV: 6-10

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Kansas City
Las Vegas: @ Pittsburgh

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

Well I'll see you all on Wednesday for the Week 2 Picks post! See you then!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 1 Picks

Hello readers! The National Football League's regular season is coming upon us in less than two days away. The excitement is just unbearable but suffice to say we shall have to be patient. In this post I'll be discussing the general rules of pick 'ems (or at least how I do them) and then I'll be posting my picks for the week's action. Let's get to work!

General Rules of My Pick 'Ems

The 2021 season will be my 8th season of doing pick 'ems. It will more than likely be Cardinal Viking's 5th season of doing them as well. Cardinal Viking is my former roommate who wanted to do pick 'ems alongside as a sort of bragging rights between the two of us. It will also be bragging rights as I'm in a fantasy football league with him this season. 

The rules are in general simple. The picks that the both of us submit are straight up and not on sportsbooks. Picks must be submitted prior to the first game of that week's action starts whether it'll be on Thursday or whatever. Although some exceptions will be considered such as starters needing to quarantine because of COVID (hopefully this year that won't happen). If the team you picked wins, you win, if they lose, they lose, if the game ends in a tie, then it'll be a tie. Really straightforward. 

Week 1

Week 1 of the National Football League's regular season will start in Tampa, Florida and finish up in Paradise, Nevada. The week will feature a full 16-game slate. It will include a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. Both CBS and FOX will have the double-headers this week. No teams are on a bye this week. Let's get to the picks!

NOTE: TW is me, CV is Cardinal Viking. Game times are in U.S. Eastern Time

Dallas (0-0) @ Tampa Bay (0-0) (NBC) (8:20 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The regular season kicks off with the defending champs hosting the Dallas Cowboys. It will be a good test for the Cowboys defense at how well they have improved from last year and when you're facing off against Tom Brady, there's no better test. I think the game will be closer than most will think but I'll take the defending champs.

Arizona (0-0): @ Tennessee (0-0) (CBS) (1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The game is an intriguing one as both teams possess great offenses. I lean towards the Titans in that they have the better offense and a defense that is better than the Cardinals. Should be an entertaining one but I'll take the Titans in a close one.

Jacksonville (0-0) @ Houston (0-0) (CBS) (1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
Oh boy, this one will be a Toilet Bowl written all over it as both teams will more than likely spend a fair amount of time in the AFC South's basement. Houston is a mess and full of distractions while Jacksonville isn't as much. I think Jacksonville will take it and give both Trevor Lawrence and Urban Meyer their first win in the pros. 

LA Chargers (0-0) @ Washington (0-0) (CBS) (1:00 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Justin Herbert had a solid rookie season and going into year two will put some pressure on him to continue that success. Washington is the current NFC east champion but I think they could slip up a bit this year with Ryan Fitzpatrick and a weak offense. Fortunately for the Football team, they have a good defense that can keep them in it. I'll take the Chargers.

Minnesota (0-0) @ Cincinnati (0-0) (FOX) (1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Depending on who starts for the Vikings, I think Minnesota has a solid shot to win this game as they do have a running game and a defense that can put pressure on Joe Burrow to throw the ball. If Cincy wants to win this game they'll need to keep Joe Burrow upright and take advantage of turnovers if the Vikes graciously give them. 

NY Jets (0-0) @ Carolina (0-0) (CBS) (1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Sam Darnold's new team vs Sam Darnold's old team. In Darnold's place for the Jets is quarterback Zach Wilson. I personally think the Panthers will have the advantage based on their running attack and some decent weapons at wide receiver like Robby Anderson and DJ Moore. The Jets are likely going to have a rough season and I won't be placing a lot of faith in them to win this one. 

Philadelphia (0-0) @ Atlanta (0-0) (FOX) (1:00 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
For some reason, I like the Falcons in this matchup. Both teams will have rookie head coaches going into their first game at the head coaching position. Philly's defense is a bit banged up and the Falcons could take advantage of that with getting the ball to Calvin Ridley or to their other weapons. Could be a toss up game or the Falcons could choke a lead. 

Pittsburgh (0-0) @ Buffalo (0-0) (CBS) (1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Both teams are solid on both sides of the ball. I think the factor that will play into it is if TJ Watt won't play for the Steelers due to holdout. Buffalo's very good at the trenches and it will ultimately come down to the battles in them. It should be an exciting game and hopefully it turns out to be that. 

Seattle (0-0) @ Indianapolis (0-0) (FOX) (1:00 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Colts 
Carson Wentz won't likely play in the game so it will come down to 3rd year man Jacob Eason to get the Colts off to the right foot. What he gets to face is the Seahawks with an improved defense that will give him some headaches. Jonathan Taylor will likely need to take the majority of the load on offense if the Colts have a shot to win. I just think the Seahawks have so much at stake to win and I think they'll come through. 

San Francisco (0-0) @ Detroit (0-0) (FOX) (1:00 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Macho Man Dan Campbell will have his coaching debut as Lions head coach. Unfortunately, the Lions will face a 49ers team that will like nothing more to get back to the playoffs. It doesn't seem like a favorable matchup on either side of the ball for Detroit to take advantage of. Sorry Lions fans.

Cleveland (0-0) @ Kansas City (0-0) (CBS) (4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Week 1 is usually a tough week to do pick 'ems as you're not sure how well a team will do. This game is a true example of that as both Browns and Chiefs will have a lot to prove this season. I personally like the Chiefs in the game as Patrick Mahomes is quarterback and perhaps the Chiefs defense will do well. Should be close but I'll take KC. 

Denver (0-0) @ NY Giants (0-0) (FOX) (4:25 pm): TW: Giants; CV: Giants
Denver will be showcasing a new quarterback yet again this year as Teddy Bridgewater will get the keys to the Ferrari. The Giants intrigue me as being underdog as they could get Saquon Barkley back and hopefully the defense can take advantage of mistakes. 

Green Bay (0-0) @ New Orleans (0-0) (FOX) (4:25 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The game won't be in the SuperDome due to Hurricane Ida. It will be in Jacksonville. At least Jaguars fans will get to see how two other teams play football. I like the Packers in the matchup as the Saints start the post-Drew Brees era in earnest. Jameis Winston will start and his past performances will suggest otherwise that he will do well as a Saint. 

Miami (0-0) @ New England (0-0) (CBS) (4:25 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Mac Jones era begins with in New England. Miami's defense is no slouch compared to past seasons as the Dolphins are looking to make it back to the playoffs. I like both teams in the matchup but I think it'll come down to how well both quarterbacks handle the defensive schemes of their opponents. I'll take the Pats but I think the Dolphins-Patriot series will ultimately become a split. 

Chicago (0-0) @ LA Rams (0-0) (NBC) (8:20 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Both teams will be handing the reins to new quarterbacks as the Bears will go with Andy Dalton and the Rams with Matthew Stafford. The game itself looks like a mismatch when it comes to the Bears offense vs the Rams defense. LA's blitzing will play a factor in the game. I like the Rams.

Baltimore (0-0) @ Las Vegas (0-0) (ABC/ESPN) (8:15 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens 
The week finishes up with a solid game on Monday night as primetime football returns to ABC for the first time since Super Bowl XL. Lamar Jackson and Derek Carr are both quarterbacks that are looking to get to that next level. The game will be a huge test as to how well Jon Gruden's Raiders defense will play up to against the Ravens running attack. If the Raiders can pick up the running situations well, they have a decent shot to win the game. 

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com): 

CBS Early
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

CBS Late
Cleveland @ Kansas City
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Early
Minnesota @ Cincinnati
Chris Meyers, Daryl Johnston

FOX Late
Green Bay @ New Orleans
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

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

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

I will see you all sometime either after the Monday night game or on Tuesday for the Week 1 recap post. Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Predictions + Playoff/Awards Picks

 Hello readers! The season we're all waiting for is just only a few days away as the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off on Thursday night to open the National Football League's 102nd season. In This post I will predict how well each of the 32 teams will do this season, who will win the division, who will place where, etc. I will also predict the playoffs including the Super Bowl and who will win the yearly awards. Unfortunately before making this post I was planning on doing something about the preseason but lost track of time. Let's get to the predictions! 

Season Predictions

I did the AFC first last year so let's do the NFC...

NFC

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys (1st in NFC East): You had one of your more uglier seasons in a long time as Dak Prescott went down and the offensive wheels fell off. Another ugly season and Mike McCarthy's hot seat might get a lot warmer. I still think they'll pull off a division championship if they stay healthy. 

Washington Football Team (2nd in NFC East): The defending division champs look to be riding high but with the arrival of Ryan Fitzpatrick and an inept offense it will look like its going to have to rely on the defense to get them far. 

New York Giants (3rd in NFC East): New York along with most of the division had the chance to be in the playoffs as well as a top-10 pick. With Saquon Barkley missing most of last season 2021 will be a big year for him to stay healthy. Daniel Jones will also have a lot to prove to be the franchise quarterback that this team desperately needs. If the Gints want to go far they'll need their improved defense to take them to that next level.

Philadelphia Eagles (4th in NFC East): Carson Wentz is gone and Doug Pederson is gone. Jalen Hurts seems to be quite the talent at quarterback but with a weak receiving corp and running game I feel this year will be a lost one for Hurts. It'll be a long road for new Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. 

The NFC East proved that last year was no fluke, this division is pretty bad. The division might've been the gold standard in the NFL 30 years ago but this division makes the NFC West in the early 2010's look like a competitive division. If Dallas stays healthy, this will be their division, if they don't then it'll be wide open. 

NFC North

Green Bay Packers (1st in NFC North): Green Bay had an interesting offseason as it gave Packers fans PTSD from 2008 when Brett Favre wanted to come back to play for the Green & Gold. With Aaron Rodgers back and a possibly better receiving corp and a shored up defense, the Packers look to get back to the playoffs with a Super Bowl or Bust mindset.

Minnesota Vikings (2nd in NFC North): The Vikings are a dark horse in the division as the attention seems to be given to the Packers. The season will be a big one for head coach Mike Zimmer and quarterback Kirk Cousins. The defense will need to step up big for the Vikes. Worst case scenario: you'll win seven games. Best case scenario: you might make the playoffs.

Chicago Bears (3rd in NFC North): Chicago confuses me, you drafted a quarterback and then you bring in a new quarterback in Andy Dalton. Matt Nagy's seat is already warm and the season hasn't started yet. The Bears running attack and defensive front will have to win the day if they want to have success. 

Detroit Lions (4th in NFC North): Matthew Stafford out, Jared Goff out as Detroit's newest head coach Dan Campbell will have a lot of growing pains in his first year. Sorry Lions fans, this years iteration of the Detroit Lions will likely be that of a punching bag. Still it might mean that you guys win the 1st overall pick next spring. 

NFC North stock will drop a bit this year as I think the best case scenario is that two teams will represent the division in January. Worst case scenario is that the Packers will runaway with the division and maybe a team will eke out a wild-card berth.

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1st in NFC South): The defending champs look to have everything in place to make another title run. I honestly don't really find anything wrong with them on offense or defense, perhaps the running game might be weaker but when you have Tom Brady playing for you on offense, you just need to run for three yards every once in a while.

New Orleans Saints (2nd in NFC South): Drew Brees retired and in comes Jameis Winston. I don't necessarily doubt Winston but his play in Tampa Bay hasn't really convinced me that he is the worthy successor to the future hall-of-famer Brees. Sure it might be a guarantee that Winston will throw 30 touchdowns but hecan possibly throw 28 interceptions as well. 

Carolina Panthers (3rd in NFC South): Christian McCaffrey will be key for the Panthers to have any shot of having the elusive 2nd place in the division. Their ceiling is a winning record but it is a high ceiling. You got Sam Darnold out of that awful situation in New York though this situation isn't much better, at least he has some help. 

Atlanta Falcons (4th in NFC South): Arthur Smith is the new head coach for the Falcons as he hopes to bring his Tennessee Titans offensive magic to a team that is decent to good on offense but horrendous on defense. Atlanta will need to hold onto leads to even have a shot to be better than Carolina or New Orleans. The loss of Julio Jones could be a factor into Atlanta's season. Overall, I think it's a basement season for the dirty birds.

The South will be a weaker division as expected as its only really the Buccaneers that will take it. Only team I think that will make noise is the Saints. It'll be a battle for 2nd place among the Panthers, Falcons and Saints. 

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers (1st in NFC West): Jimmy Garoppolo will be the starter as Trey Lance will take the role of the backup. It is the wiser decision to start the more experienced man as Lance only played over a year at North Dakota State. The talent that the 49ers have is quite remarkable on offense and defense. 

Seattle Seahawks (2nd in NFC West): The defending division champs will have a tougher NFC West to deal with. With Russell Wilson still at quarterback the Seahawks will still make the playoffs but I just feel that the Seahawks will have a setback this year. 

Los Angeles Rams (3rd in NFC West): Jared Goff out, Matthew Stafford in as Sean McVay will have an experienced veteran at quarterback. With a stingy defense that will keep them in games, I'm not sure how well the offense will do. A playoff berth could be in their future. 

Arizona Cardinals (4th in NFC West): The Cardinals seem to be the offseason champions as they acquired JJ Watt and AJ Green. The talent of the team could be in just name only as both players haven't been able to stay healthy for an entire season for a while. The Cards will likely have a winning season or at worst a 8-9 record. 

The West will be the toughest division in pro football as the 49ers, Seahawks and Rams could very well be playing football into January. Could very well see all four teams with winning records. This division is just that good. 

AFC

AFC East

Buffalo Bills (1st in AFC East): Winning the battle in the trenches is the name of the game and the Bills look to be much improved on both sides of the ball. Josh Allen has proven to be a quarterback that can win you ballgames. The defense can be very physical and torment opponents. This team could very well be the gold standard in the division.

New England Patriots (2nd in AFC East): Cam Newton is out and the Mac Jones era begins in earnest in New England. Bill Belichick has improved the defense a lot and could be a thorn at the side of the Buffalo Bills. Could see Mac Jones struggling a bit but a lot of trust is put on him. 

Miami Dolphins (3rd in AFC East): Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has done a remarkable job and looks to make some noise in the division. Miami could cause havoc on both the Bills and Patriots playoff hopes as they have the pieces together to make a playoff berth. Just how well can the Dolphins be depends on how mature will the Dolphins have built do. 

New York Jets (4th in AFC East): Sam Darnold is out and Zach Wilson is in. Wilson is yet another quarterback to try and rejuvenate this team which has lacked talent for years. With little help on offense and a defense that isn't that much better. Robert Saleh will have a rough one on the sidelines for the Jets as the rebuild will continue on. 

This division intrigues me for some reason. It's not nearly as bad as it has been and the emergence of the Dolphins as a division title contender makes it even better. I still think the Bills will be the division winner when it's all said and done but a 2nd team could very well represent this division as well, whether it'll be the Patriots or Dolphins.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (1st in AFC North): Last season was a tough one to swallow as the Steelers went from 11-0 to 12-4 and then a one-and-done team. Pittsburgh will still have a successful season but with the emergence of the Browns will keep them on their toes. The defense will be there but it could be possible that the offense will slip a bit. 

Cleveland Browns (2nd in AFC North): At this time last year I felt a winning season would've been a successful one for this team but to actually make the playoffs and win a playoff game was something that I didn't see. A lot will hinge on how well Kevin Stefanski will keep this group hungry for more and keeping them focused as this team has found success just not sustained success. 

Baltimore Ravens (3rd in AFC North): The Ravens remain a team that can devastate opponents in the regular season but act like a chicken with its head off in the playoffs. It is a trend that needs to change if Baltimore wants to win a championship with this group. The window is still there but the loss of JK Dobbins will play havoc with those plans. It'll be a battle for 2nd place against the Browns. 

Cincinnati Bengals (4th in AFC North): Joe Burrow will be back from injury but the Bengals success will hinge on him staying upright. The Bengals have done their part to give him help in Ja'Marr Chase out of LSU and Jackson Carman out of Clemson. With a defense that needs to do its part, the ceiling is unfortunately another basement season in the North.

AFC North will be the toughest division in the AFC just like the NFC West in the NFC. The Steelers, Ravens and Browns have what it takes to win the division but they will just beat up on the Bengals. Practically those three teams could win the division. 

AFC South

Tennessee Titans (1st in AFC South): With the addition of Julio Jones into the offense, this team has what it takes to be a contender. With injury issues in Indianapolis the Titans look like to be the favorite to win the division. As far as them winning the Super Bowl, that remains in doubt. 

Indianapolis Colts (2nd in AFC South): The losses of Quenton Nelson and Carson Wentz will put this teams playoff hopes in doubt. They will still have talent on defense and rely on the running game but I feel the Colts will play catch up with the Titans. They surely will finish better than the Jaguars and Texans in the division. 

Jacksonville Jaguars (3rd in AFC South): Trevor Lawrence will be a bright spot for the team in a team that lacks a lot of bright spots. Urban Meyer will have his work cut out for him as this team will be fighting for 3rd place against the Texans. 

Houston Texans (4th in AFC South): The Bill O'Brien era is over. The team is just not that great on offense or defense. DeShaun Watson's situation is just getting worser. The team is just a mess and won't likely even sniff a winning season. 

The AFC South looked like a good division at first but injury problems with the Colts put any hopes of that to rest. Tennessee looks like the team to beat in the division while the Texans and Jaguars will fight for who wants the basement cellar the most. Just not a thrilling division to watch.

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs (1st in AFC West): Despite the loss in the Super Bowl the Chiefs look like the team that will win the division as long as Patrick Mahomes stays healthy. The Chiefs defense laxed a lot last year and will need to play better if they want to hoist a Lombardi trophy in February. 

Los Angeles Chargers (2nd in AFC West): Justin Herbert had a good rookie season and with an improved offense and a defense that will be just as good. As long as the sophomore slump doesn't sting him the Chargers could very well play for a playoff berth. 

Las Vegas Raiders (3rd in AFC West): Make or break season for the Raiders as Derek Carr could be on the way out if the Raiders don't make the playoffs. With the Broncos and Chargers playing improved ball, the Raiders could be the odd man out. 

Denver Broncos (4th in AFC West): The quarterback carousel continues as Teddy Bridgewater becomes the next one on the merry-go-round. He will have help on offense as the Broncos will have a good receiving corp. The question is how well the defense can do to keep them in games. 

The Chiefs seem to be the team that will take the division while the rest of the division will try to beat up on each other to get a possible playoff berth. It'll be a toss-up to who will win the elusive 2nd place in the division. I like the Chargers to do it but the Raiders and Broncos look to put that to change that. 

Playoff + Super Bowl Prediction

NFC

1st seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2nd seed: Green Bay Packers
3rd seed: San Francisco 49ers
4th seed: Dallas Cowboys
5th seed: Seattle Seahawks
6th seed: Los Angeles Rams
7th seed: Minnesota Vikings

Wild Card:

Packers over Vikings
49ers over Rams
Seahawks over Cowboys

Divisional:

Packers over 49ers
Buccaneers over Seahawks

Championship:

Buccaneers over Packers

AFC

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs
2nd seed: Tennessee Titans
3rd seed: Buffalo Bills
4th seed: Pittsburgh Steelers
5th seed: New England Patriots
6th seed: Cleveland Browns
7th seed: Baltimore Ravens

Wild Card:

Ravens over Titans
Bills over Browns
Steelers over Patriots

Divisional:

Chiefs over Ravens
Bills over Steelers

Championship:

Bills over Chiefs

Super Bowl:

Buccaneers over Bills

Award Predictions

MVP: Patrick Mahomes
Offensive Player of the Year: Nick Chubb
Defensive Player of the Year: TJ Watt
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Najee Harris
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Micah Parsons
Comeback Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey
Coach of the Year: Kyle Shanahan

With the Opening Night game on Thursday, expect the Week 1 picks post to be posted sometime on Tuesday or Wednesday night. Until then enjoy the rest of your Labor Day weekend! 

-Tom

NFL 2021 Offseason Thoughts

 Hello readers! The NFL offseason is past us and 32 teams will start their training camps this week as the prepare for the upcoming 2021 season. For the first time since 2019 there will be a preseason to be had as there will be a Hall-Of-Fame Game and then four weeks of preseason. In this post, I'll give my thoughts on the Aaron Rodgers drama in Green Bay, Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville, and a QB trade in Detroit and Los Angeles. Let's get to work!

Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay and public relations haven't been known to gel well together. This isn't new for the Packers as another quarterback has been the cause of drama. In the summer of 2008, Brett Favre announced that he was unretiring and wanting to come back to the Packers. The result would cause the Packers to trade their future hall-of-fame quarterback to the New York Jets. Thirteen years later, Green Bay finds themselves in the middle of a firestorm. 

Aaron Rodgers is inarguably a future hall-of-fame quarterback onto himself. His case for it helped when he lead his team in a Super Bowl win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Ever since then, Rodgers has been looking for that 2nd ring. What would happen next would be 11 seasons of failure, in those 11 seasons, the Packers made the playoffs in nine of them, and making to the NFC Championship Game in four. Green Bay hasn't made past them. 

Aaron Rodgers realizes that his window is closing on both the team winning a championship and in his career. Green Bay hasn't made it made it clear that they're building a winner. In the drafts, the Packers would draft players to back up their struggling defense, never to their receiving corp. Especially in the 1st round. 

The recent offseason has been the ultimate will he, won't he situation for Rodgers. There was a time where he contemplated retirement, wanted a trade, and then wanted to go back to Green Bay for another season. Recently, Aaron Rodgers has chosen the route of going back to Green Bay. Whether the Packers will allow him to go back will be up to them. 

My overall thoughts are that: he certainly has the right to be angry with the Packers in not giving him offensive help and drafting a quarterback in the 1st round in the 2020 NFL Draft. I get that he has been frustrated with not getting back to the Super Bowl after so many seasons back in the playoffs. What I have an issue is that he seems to be acting like a prima donna which is something that he isn't. I just hope that it is something that both the Packers and Aaron Rodgers will resolve quickly as it could lead to becoming a distraction. 

Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville

With not much surprise, the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the 1st overall pick back in May. Jacksonville expects Lawrence to be their franchise's savior and franchise quarterback. 

Trevor Lawrence has never known losing in his football career. Dating back to his high school days, he never lost a game, once he graduated high school and attended Clemson University, it would be much more of the same success. The chances of him going undefeated in Jacksonville in the NFL level is very unlikely. Everyone will be watching him to see how well he does though. 

Jacksonville will likely have a cornerstone of the franchise and something for the team to build on. He will have some help with Tim Tebow as tight end but not as much help on the offensive line. Do not let his career waste away. 

Goff in the Motor City, Stafford in Hollywood

In a surprising move for the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, both teams traded their star quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff. Whether the trade will benefit both teams or not, we will have to see. 

Matthew Stafford has been an enigma in the NFL since getting drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 2009 Draft. Stafford has had great seasons and then he has had bad seasons. Playing for the Detroit Lions where Stafford has played for many head coaches, offensive coordinators, and quarterbacks coaches has to take a toll on the veteran. With only a few playoff appearances under his belt, Stafford hopes the trade to the Rams will revitalize his waning career. 

Jared Goff, like Stafford, was a former 1st overall pick from the 2016 NFL Draft. He would play fairly alright with his first few seasons in Los Angeles. Everything would change in 2018 as Goff would help lead the Rams to a great offense and an appearance in Super Bowl LIII. The Rams would be held to 3 points as the New England Patriots would beat them 13-3. After the appearance, Goff has been lackluster as he has either been playing like a Pop Warner quarterback or a Pro-Bowl caliber quarterback. Perhaps new scenery will get Jared Goff some new life in the Motor City.

My thoughts on the trade are mixed. On one hand the Rams are getting a veteran that could possibly have a few years left in the tank. He certainly has a coach in Sean McVay that he can count on to help him. Detroit will get a quarterback that is younger and has had a few seasons of quality quarterback play that can help a team win games. I feel the Rams won the trade but anything can happen.

What's Next

Well with this post in the books, I would expect possibly another post on more thoughts prior to the start of the season and then my season predictions. Until then, see you all soon.

-Tom

NFL 2020 Super Bowl LV Recap

 Hello readers! The 32 teams that started this season back in September has reached to one champion as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl Champions for the first time since 2002. In this post I'll do a recap of the big game, my thoughts on the halftime show, and my favorite ad from the big game. Let's get to work!

Super Bowl LV Recap

Kansas City 9, Tampa Bay 31: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The winning team wasn't a surprise but the margin of victory was one. There was questions on how well Patrick Mahomes could move around and how well his toe was. He moved around a lot sure but he looked off on his throws. Mahomes finished the game with 270 yards passing with two interceptions. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 64 yards on nine carries but most of those runs were during the early quarters. Patrick Mahomes rushed for 33 yards. It would be the first time since 2017 that the Chiefs would go a whole game without scoring a touchdown. 

The keys for the Buccaneers were to take advantage of turnovers, pressure Patrick Mahomes and play smart football. Tom Brady was spectacular in the game as he threw for 201 yards with three touchdowns. Leonard Fournette made his case for MVP as he rushed for 89 yards with a touchdown. The Super Bowl MVP went to Tom Brady instead.

Halftime Show Thoughts

So The Weeknd was this year's halftime act. I had listened to some of their songs prior to the show and I liked them. The first part of it where they were up in the stands was kind of off. Especially when the singer was in the sort of light-up funhouse. It sort of got better when the show took it to the field. Overall, I still think Prince's performance in Super Bowl XLI is the best. 

Favorite Super Bowl Ad

In my honest opinion, I thought the commercials this year weren't that great compared to last year. My favorite from this year was the Flat Matthew McConaughey commercial from Doritos. It kind of reminded me of the Jason Momoa commercial where he was taking off his six-pack and muscular arms after a long day.  

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
Week 16: 8-8
Week 17: 14-2
Total: 167-88-1

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
Week 16: 9-7
Week 17: 11-5
Total: 163-92-1

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

In terms of NFL posts, I won't be posting those for probably until July unless something comes up. Thanks again for reading these posts, its been a fun season doing these. 

-Tom

NFL 2020 Super Bowl LV Pick Post

Hello readers! The big game is almost a week away (writing this on a Sunday and possibly part of Monday) and the anticipation of it is intense. In a week's time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs will be set to do battle for the Lombardi Trophy. In this post i'll talk about: a recap of both team's seasons, who'll be the Super Bowl broadcaster on television, an NFL Throwback, my keys to the game and my pick to who will win it all. This post will be probably lengthy so be prepared. Let's get to work!

Team Recaps: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Prior to the 2020 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were stuck in a mess. Jameis Winston looked like another quarterback that turned into a bust for a team that made it a career black hole where NFL careers would go to die. All that would change in March 2020. 

For the first 20 years of his career, Tom Brady was a New England Patriot. After 20 years of playing on one of the greatest dynasties in the National Football League history, he became a free agent. It would not take him long to sign with a new team. In an instant, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became a legit contender for the Super Bowl. 

Jameis Winston would get traded to New Orleans. The team then added veteran players like Rob Gronkowski who had been retired for two years as well as Leonard Fournette. To shore up the defense the Buccaneers drafted Antoine Winfield Jr and Tristan Wirfs to help provide some protection to Tom Brady. 

The new collusion of players would need time to gel and with no offseason program to help gel them together, the Buccaneers got off to a rough start. The Bucs would win three of their first five games by close margins. There was no panic mode however. The leadership of Tom Brady would help guide the Buccaneers through the rough patches. 

Tampa Bay would go on to have a three-game winning streak that included blowout wins against Green Bay and Las Vegas. They would win a close game against the Giants on the road. It looked like things were back in order for them until the Saints came to town. 

New Orleans would prove to be a versatile adversary for Tampa. Tampa lost to them on the road in Week 1 by a fair margin. When the experts and America were on the Buccaneers side, the Saints proved to use the underdog card to their advantage. The Saints would win matchup #2 by a 38-3 margin. 

Much was talked about after their blowout loss to the Saints. Such talk was that the Buccaneers were disintegrating from within, Tom Brady and Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians at odds with each other. It was a media circus with the team. The team would go on to beat the Panthers in a rebound win but they would lose again. They would lose to the Rams and the Chiefs by close margins but losses matter in this league. Tampa would head into their bye week with a 7-5 record. They would not lose another game for the rest of the regular season. 

The Buccaneers last four games were good wins. They beat the Vikings 26-14 in an effort to keep up with the Saints in the division and stay in the playoffs. Tampa won a close game against the Falcons. Their playoff drought was ended when they blew out the Detroit Lions 47-7 to get their first playoff berth since 2007. They finished the regular season with a win against the Falcons at home with a record of 11-5. 

Their playoff prospects were somewhat rosy. Tampa would have to go on the road for all of their games. In the Wild Card round game, they would rack up 500+ offensive yards against the Washington Football Team in a 31-23 win. That seemed simple for the Bucs but the true test was coming up. 

The Buccaneers had lost to the Saints twice in the regular season. Both games were 10+ point losses and each time it looked like Tom Brady played like he was a rookie still. Tampa's defense would have to step up to the challenge to thwart Drew Brees from him getting another ring. Led by linebacker Devin White who had 10 tackles, 1 forced fumble and an interception as well as two Tom Brady passing touchdowns, the Bucs would exact some measure of revenge in a 30-20 win. The Buccaneers were one game away from a trip back home to the Super Bowl.

Standing in the Buccaneers way of a Super Bowl berth was the Green Bay Packers. The Buccaneers soundly beaten the Packers 38-10 at home. The conditions were much colder in Green Bay. Tampa's offense was playing stellar in the 1st half and then things turn for the worst when Tom Brady threw three interceptions. Fortunately, the Buccaneers defense would come to the offense's aid as the Packers would not get much points out of the opportunities. In a much closer game, the Buccaneers would hold off Green Bay in a 31-26 win. 

Tampa Bay will make their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in team history in Super Bowl LV. Their first appearance was in Super Bowl XXXVII when they defeated the Oakland Raiders 48-21 to win their 1st Super Bowl championship. We will have to see if they can win their 2nd this upcoming Sunday. 

Team Recaps: Kansas City Chiefs

On February 2nd, 2020 the Kansas City Chiefs erased five decades worth of championship drought, playoff exits, and losing seasons. They won their first Super Bowl championship since Super Bowl IV. The moment was truly bittersweet but like most champions, the Chiefs were hungry for more. 

The prospects for a Chiefs return to the Super Bowl were pristine as many starters from the 2019 team would return. One of the weaker spots of the team was the lack of a good running game. The answer for the problem came in the draft as the Chiefs drafted Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the 1st round of the 2020 draft. 

Clyde Edwards-Helaire didn't take long to prove that the Chiefs made the right decision as he racked up 138 yards rushing with two touchdowns in the Chiefs Week 1 victory over Houston. He would finish the season with 803 yards rushing with four touchdowns. Safe to say it was a good choice. 

Kansas City would start the season winning their first four games by fairly reasonable margins. Their closest game to a possible loss was an overtime win against the Chargers. That game would feature the debut of Justin Herbert. 

If there was a wakeup call for the Chiefs in 2020 it was when the Las Vegas Raiders came to town. The game was a reminiscent of the old Raiders-Chiefs matchups as both teams traded punches. Ultimately it came down to a failed Chiefs comeback to give the Chiefs their first loss since November 10th, 2019 to the Titans. The Chiefs would not lose another game until Week 17. 

After a 4-1 start they would win their next four games before their bye week. Such wins against the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Carolina Panthers. They would reach their bye week with a 8-1 record. 

The rematch against the Las Vegas Raiders provided some exciting drama as the Chiefs would score a touchdown with less than a minute to go. Las Vegas had scored a touchdown prior to that. It seemed that the Raiders left too much time for the Chiefs to go down and score a touchdown to win the game. 

The next game would provide some additional drama as the Chiefs traveled to Tampa Bay. The game was a no contest in the 1st half as Tyreek Hill ran over the Buccaneers defense. Kansas City was up 20-7 by halftime. Tampa Bay would comeback in the 2nd half but the Chiefs would hold on to beat them 27-24. 

The rest of the regular season didn't provide a lot of drama for the Chiefs. Kansas City would win a 1st round bye in the playoffs, their 5th consecutive division title, and a 14-1 record into Week 17. Head coach Andy Reid decided to rest his starters against the Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Herbert exacted some revenge over the Chiefs as he helped beat the Chiefs 38-21. Granted he was facing off against Chad Henne. 

With a 1st round bye the Chiefs would not play in the Wild Card round. They would need the extra rest as the challenge of repeating a Super Bowl title is tough enough. The Road to the AFC playoffs would go through Kansas City as they were the #1 seed. 

Their opponent in the Divisional round would be the Cleveland Browns, a team that had beaten rival Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round. Kansas City would jump out to a 16-3 lead heading into halftime. Virtually the Chiefs offense was unstoppable as Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce would provide the power. These Cleveland Browns were not your father's Cleveland Browns though as they came back to a 5-point lead heading into the late 4th quarter. They would get to Patrick Mahomes and injure him with a concussion (it would be later be diagnosed as a pinched nerve). Chad Henne would come in and help get the needed first downs for the Chiefs to win. Kansas City would survive with a 22-17 victory. 

The Chiefs last opponent from a Super Bowl berth was the Buffalo Bills. Both teams had meet earlier in the regular season as the Chiefs would beat the Bills 26-17 on the road in Orchard Park. The game was reminiscent of some of the playoff games that the 2019 Chiefs had dealt with as the Bills would go up 9-0 at the end of the 1st quarter. Kansas City would answer back with 21 points scored in the 2nd quarter. Instead of touchdowns, the Bills would resort to field goals. They couldn't stop the Chiefs machine. Kansas City would not let Buffalo back in the game as they would win 38-24 enroute to their 2nd straight Super Bowl. 

Super Bowl LV will be the Kansas City Chiefs' 4th Super Bowl Appearance in their history. The Chiefs would lose in Super Bowl I to the Green Bay Packers. They would win their 1st Super Bowl in Super Bowl IV against the Minnesota Vikings. Their championship drought would end as they would beat the San Francisco 49ers to win their 2nd Super Bowl in Super Bowl LIV. 

Super Bowl LV Broadcaster

The television broadcaster for Super Bowl LV will be CBS. This will be CBS's 22nd Super Bowl (including Super Bowls: I (with NBC), II, IV, VI, VII, X, XII, XIV, XVI XVIII, XXI, XXIV, XXVI, XXXV, XXXVIII, XLI, XLIV, XLVII, 50, and LIII). Doing the play-by-play commentary will be Jim Nantz who will be calling his 6th Super Bowl for CBS. His color commentator will be Tony Romo who will be calling his 2nd Super Bowl for the network. 

NFL Throwback

When I had to dig through the annals of NFL history between the matchups of the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they weren't great. For most of their history, both teams had either been terrible or just had plain bad luck. However, one matchup in 1979 seemed to be just about as interesting as any. 

This 1979 meeting between both teams was held in Week 16 of the regular season. The setting was in Tampa Stadium. One team looked like it was going in a positive direction and the other was just trying to look for a direction.

Kansas City was looking for its first non-losing season since 1973. Marv Levy was in his 2nd year at the helm for KC. This season would mark an improvement for the Chiefs as they had went 4-12 in 1978. Unlike the Chiefs of today, the 1979 Chiefs had one of the most inept passing games in the NFL that season with a droopy 103.8 passing yards/game. 

Tampa Bay was in the midst of a playoff berth, a winning season, and a division title. It would be a season of firsts for the franchise that had just won only seven games from 1976 to 1978. You have to remember that this team started 0-26 in 1976 and well into 1977. The team was coached by former USC head coach John McKay who was entering his fourth season at Tampa. 

Both teams would be greeted but not just each other but mother nature herself. During the duration of the game the weather would be drenching as rain fell like cats and dogs on both teams. The play on the field was pitiful as the Buccaneers gave up seven turnovers. The Chiefs would not capitalize on them. If you stepped on the field it felt like slosh all over. 

To add to the conditions, the scoring would be at a premium as the only score was a Neil Donoughue field goal that would give the Buccaneers a 3-0 victory. It would be the Buccaneers first shutout in their history. The game helped clinched Tampa Bay's first NFC Central division title. 

In the end, the Chiefs would rebound in 1980 to post their first non-losing season since 1973 and would have a 9-7 record in 1981. The success would not last as 1982 would be Marv Levy's last season as head coach, finishing with a 3-6 record. The Chiefs would not make it back to the playoffs until 1986.

For the Buccaneers the 1979 season marked a great success. They would go on to win their first playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles 24-17. Their run of luck would end in the NFC Championship Game where they were held to 9-0 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Bucs would continue to have some playoff success in 1981 but would lose badly to the Dallas Cowboys 38-0. They would not make it back to the playoffs until 1997.

It seems interesting to me that this game would be held in Tampa. Perhaps it is even more interesting to see how bad these two teams played that day and how their fortunes have changed since then. Such is life in the NFL as you can be bad one year and then great the next. 

Super Bowl LV: Keys to the Game

The Super Bowl is really and truly a game of matchups. A sort of chess match to decide who wins it all. Fortunately both teams had played each other once already this season. The 27-24 win for the Chiefs can be a bit telling. It could be a game where it could play the same result. I would like to beg to differ. It feels like you can benefit from having played a team already to correct what you did wrong. Here's my keys to the game for both teams.

Kansas City:

Get everyone else involved other than Tyreek Hill: The Buccaneers might trying to cover Tyreek Hill who had ran over the Bucs in their regular season matchup. Travis Kelce could be a big factor in this game. 

Pressure Tom Brady often: Tom Brady is only Tom Brady when you give him time in the pocket. Pressuring him will make him break eventually. Just check how the Giants pressured and sacked him in those Super Bowls. 

Keep Patrick Mahomes upright: kind of the same as key #2 except for your side. 

Tampa Bay: 

Protect the Football: Tampa's last game against the Packers was kind of a wakeup call as Tom Brady had thrown the football to the opposition. Green Bay didn't take advantage of the opportunities. Kansas City will not. 

Keep Patrick Mahomes off the field: Your offense will have great luck if they can stay on the field for every second it can. That means running the football and passing the football as well. 

Keep an eye on Tyreek Hill at all times: double team him, triple team him, do whatever you can. Don't let him beat you, make Sammy Watkins beat you.

Super Bowl Pick

Super Bowl LV seems to be a matchup of two great quarterbacks with their supporting casts. Both teams have great offenses that seem to be well rounded. What I question is how good can either team's defense be in this game. Anything can really happen in this game but I feel it will come down to the defense. So my pick for the Super Bowl winner is...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Tampa Bay will be playing at home for a Super Bowl for the first time in the history of the Super Bowl. I feel that they will take advantage of it being at Raymond James Stadium. They possess the offense that can keep the Chiefs off the field. Tom Brady is the only quarterback to have beaten Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs. You'd have to remember that Brady beat him in the 2018 AFC Championship Game. I do like the Bucs defense a bit more than the Chiefs. Will they win? hard to say but hopefully it will be a game for the ages. 

Super Bowl Record: 

Super Bowl XXXII: Packers vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XXXIII: Broncos vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams vs Titans (won)
Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens vs Giants (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVI: Rams vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVII: Raiders vs Buccaneers (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Panthers vs Patriots (won)
Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots vs Eagles (won)
Super Bowl XL: Steelers vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl XLI: Colts vs Bears (won)
Super Bowl XLII: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers vs Cardinals (lost)
Super Bowl XLIV: Saints vs Colts (won)
Super Bowl XLV: Steelers vs Packers (won)
Super Bowl XLVI: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens vs 49ers (lost)
Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl 50: Panthers vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl LI: Patriots vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl LII: Eagles vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl LIII: Rams vs Patriots (won)
Super Bowl LIV: 49ers vs Chiefs (lost)

All-time record: 9-13

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
Week 16: 8-8
Week 17: 14-2
Total: 167-88-1

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
Week 16: 9-7
Week 17: 11-5
Total: 163-92-1

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 Tuesday/Wednesday for the Super Bowl LV recap post. Enjoy the game!

-Tom