NFL 2022 Week 2 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of exciting National Football League action has come and gone. The nervousness of Week 1 is over and teams are able to settle into 2022 and start to make their stride over the competition. Week 2 provided us such exciting storylines like a bruiser in Kansas City, jubilation in Detroit, a shocker in Cleveland and Tom Brady exercising some demons in the Big Easy and three teams overcoming large point deficits to achieve victory. All those storylines and more in this week's recap. Let's get to work! 

Week 2 Recap

LA Chargers 24, Kansas City 27: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
It was a physical game in Arrowhead and it would be a seventh-round pick that would make the biggest noise. Justin Herbert would be a gladiator in this game as the passer completed 33 of 48 passes for 334 yards with three touchdowns but had a pass intercepted. Herbert would suffer a rib injury as he was driven to the ground by Joshua Palmer. His status for 2022 would be questionable. Austin Ekeler would provide some help in the running game as he would get 39 yards rushing. Mike Williams would get 113 yards receiving with a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes would be efficient in this game as he completed 24 of 35 passes for two touchdowns. One of them would be a toss-pass to Jerick McKinnon. With the Chargers driving to the Kansas City endzone, Jaylen Watson would make the most of the opportunity given to him. An opportunity gifted to him by Justin Herbert. Watson would go untouched and run for 99 yards and give the momentum back to the Chiefs. Just two years before, Watson was working at his mother's Wendy's restaurant. For the Chiefs, it was a hotly contested game but the Chiefs are 2-0. For the Chargers, it was a game that they had in their grasp but unfotunately the NFL doesn't award teams with a win before the game ends. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Jacksonville
Kansas City: @ Indianapolis

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Carolina 16, NY Giants 19: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The G-Men are 2-0 for the first time since 2016. Baker Mayfield would be mostly the same as Week 1 as he completed 14 of 29 passes for 145 yards with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore in the 3rd quarter. A bright side for the Panthers was Christian McCaffrey's 102 yards rushing with a 49-yard run being his longest in the game. Miscues would haunt the Panthers in this game as Carolina would have three fumbles and losing two of them. Daniel Jones had similar numbers as the passer completed 22 of 34 passes for 176 yards with a touchdown pass to Daniel Bellinger. Saquon Barkley had 72 yards rushing on 21 carries in the game. Both teams were rough in 3rd down conversion as both teams would have 8-30 in conversions. Both teams kickers would get a workout as Carolina's Eddie Pineiro hit 3 of 3 for field goals and Giants kicker Graham Gano would hit 4 of 4. For the Panthers, it is an ugly and sad 0-2 record staring at them as head coach Matt Rhule's seat gets a little warmer. For the Giants, it is their first 2-0 start since 2016, that season they made the playoffs. 

Next week:
Carolina: vs New Orleans
NY Giants: vs Dallas

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Indianapolis 0, Jacksonville 24: TW: Colts; CV: Jaguars
What the heck Matt Ryan? The former Falcon was off in this game as he completed 16 of 30 passes for 195 yards with three interceptions. He would also meet the ground as the Jaguars sacked him five times. Jonathan Taylor would also feel the might of the Jaguars defense as he would muster 54 yards. All in all, the Jaguars defense would hold the Colts to 218 total yards. Indy would also find itself limping as they were without linebacker Shaquille Leonard and wide receiver Michael Pittman. Trevor Lawrence would shine like the Florida sun in this game getting 25 of 30 passes completed for 235 yards with two touchdowns. James Robinson would get 64 yards rushing with a touchdown. Props to the Jaguars defense as rookie Devin Lloyd and safeties Andre Cisco and Rayshawn Jenkins would pick off Matt Ryan. Josh Allen would have two of the defenses five sacks. For the Colts, they are still looking for their first win in 2022 and for the Jaguars they're continue their home streak against the Colts to eight. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Kansas City
Jacksonville: @ Jacksonville

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

New England 17, Pittsburgh 14: TW: Steelers; CV: Patriots
For the first time since December 6, 1998 the Patriots or Steelers wouldn't have a quarterback named Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger under center. Mac Jones would complete 21 of 35 passes for 252 yards with a touchdown but also had a pass picked off by Minkah Fitzpatrick. Damien Harris would get a lot of yardage in this game as he gained 71 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown would come off of a muffed punt by Gunner Olszewski that was recovered by New England. Mitchell Trubisky would get the nod again for the Steelers. The former Bear would toss 21 of 33 passes for 168 yards with a touchdown pass to Pat Friermuth but also had an interception. Najee Harris wouldn't have a great game but did have a decent 49 yards on 15 carries in this game. For the Patriots, they avoid an 0-2 start for the 21st consecutive season. For the Steelers, its a grimacing loss as they are 0-5 without TJ Watt. 

Next week:
New England: vs Baltimore
Pittsburgh: @ Cleveland (Thursday night)

TW: 1-3; CV: 3-1

NY Jets 31, Cleveland 30: TW: Browns; CV: Jets
Brownie the Elf couldn't save the Browns from being the Browns. The Jets would get one of their best passing games from a quarterback in a long time as Joe Flacco would give off his old Baltimore Ravens abilities to haunt the Dawg Pound. Flacco would complete 26 of 44 passes for 307 yards with four touchdown passes. Breece Hall would be the leading rusher for New York in this game. New York would get scoring inside two minutes as the Jets would score 14 points in 70 seconds to shock the Browns. Jacoby Brissett would do alright in this game as he hit 22 of 27 passes for 229 yards with a touchdown but had a pass picked off late in the 4th quarter. Nick Chubb would find the endzone a lot with his legs as the runner would get 87 yards rushing with three touchdowns. For the Jets, it is a huge win as the underdog. For the Browns, they will have to seek a 2-0 start next season. 

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Cincinnati
Cleveland: vs Pittsburgh (Thursday night)

TW: 1-4; CV: 4-1

Tampa Bay 20, New Orleans 10: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tom Brady would finally defeat the Saints in the regular season. It was an ugly game for the Buccaneers as they would have a pep talk at the Saints logo before the game began. Tom Brady was kind of off in this game as he would get 18 of 34 passes completed for 190 yards with a touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman. Leonard Fournette would get 65 yards rushing for the Buccaneers ground game. Brady would instigate a fight that would lead to ejections of Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore and wide receiver Mike Evans. It was also an ugly game to be a tablet as Tom Brady would throw one to the ground. Tampa would get some spark on defense as Mike Edwards would get a pick-six on a Jameis Winston pass. The Saints quarterback was off in this game as he would be dealing with pain in the back. He would hit 25 of 40 passes for 236 yards with a touchdown pass to Michael Thomas but his damage would come off of three interceptions. For the Buccaneers, it is a 2-0 start and for the Saints it is a rough 1-1 start with pain in the form of Winston's back. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs Green Bay
New Orleans: vs Carolina

TW: 2-4; CV: 5-1

Washington 27, Detroit 36: TW: Lions; CV: Lions
Offense would ensue in this contest in the Motor City. Carson Wentz would complete 30 of his 46 passes for 337 yards with three touchdown passes with an interception. Antonio Gibson wouldn't get a lot on the ground as he would get 28 yards rushing with a touchdown. Wentz would find himself on the ground a lot as he would get sacked five times. Jared Goff did well in this game. Goff hit 20 of 34 passes for 256 yards with four touchdowns with Amonra St. Brown getting two of four of those touchdown connections. Amonra St. Brown was also the leading rusher for the Lions as he got 68 yards rushing with a 58-yard run his longest in the game. Dandre Swift would get a 50-yard run in this game and finished with 56 yard rushing. For Carson Wentz, next week will be against a familiar opponent in the Eagles. For the Lions, they are 1-1 in a game that they were favored to win for the first time in 10 years. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Philadelphia
Detroit: @ Minnesota

TW: 3-4; CV: 6-1

Miami 42, Baltimore 38: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Miami looked dead in the water and then the 4th quarter happened. Tua Tagovailoa provided numbers that looked like he was in a Madden video game. Tua hit 36 of 50 passes for 469 yards with six (yes six) touchdown passes with two pass interceptions. Four of the six touchdowns would come in the 4th quarter. Raheem Mostert provided his quarterback with some help as he would get 51 yards with 11 carries. Miami's receiving corp would have big games as Tyreek Hill would get 190 yards receiving with two touchdowns and Jaylen Waddle had 171 yards with two touchdowns. Lamar Jackson was a beast as the passer was also a runner. Jackson had 21 of 29 pass completions for 318 yards with three touchdowns and had 119 yards rushing with a touchdown. He would account for 437 of Baltimore's 473 yards. For the Dolphins, it is their first 2-0 start since 2018. Tua Tagovailoa's six touchdowns ties the game record (Bob Griese had six touchdown passes against the Cardinals in 1977 and Dan Marino had six against the Jets in 1986). For the Ravens, it was a game that they really had within their grasp but with everyone in their division losing today, it's not too bad of a loss but still a loss. 

Next week:
Miami: vs Buffalo
Baltimore: @ New England

TW: 3-5; CV: 6-2

Atlanta 27, LA Rams 31: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Rams had a 28-3 lead going into the 3rd quarter against the Falcons. I'll leave the rest of that thought up to you. Marcus Mariota would get 17 of 26 passes completed for 196 yards with two touchdowns and had two passes intercepted. Drake London was one of the recipients of those touchdowns. Cordarrelle Patterson would find himself getting 41 yards rushing on 10 carries. Matthew Stafford would get himself somewhat into a groove for most of this game. Stafford would hit 27 of 36 passes for 272 yards with three touchdowns and had two interceptions. Darrell Henderson would get similar numbers to Patterson but he would get 47 yards rushing with a touchdown. For most of the game the Falcons looked dead but something sparked in them. Atlanta would get a spark by their special teams as they blocked a punt that would be recovered for a touchdown and then would get a safety. The comeback would be shortlived as the Rams would survive and get their first win of 2022. For the Falcons, they're still looking for that first dub. 

Next week:
Atlanta: @ Seattle
LA Rams: @ Arizona

TW: 4-5; CV: 7-2

Seattle 7, San Francisco 27: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The emotions of 49ers fans in this game were like the weather: sunshine, rain, and in the end, sunshine. Geno Smith wouldn't find a lot of production in this game as the former New York Jet completed 24 of 30 passes for 197 yards with an interception. Rashad Penny would find lesser production as he would rush for 15 yards on five carries. Seattle's lone score would come off of a blocked field goal as Michael Jackson would recover it and score it in a 10-point swing. The momentum would be short lived for the Seahawks faithful. Trey Lance would start in this game for the 49ers. He had a statline of: 2/3 for 30 yards passing with 13 yards rushing on three carries. His start would be short lived as he would be carted off from a nasty slide that would make you lose your lunch. As of 6:33 pm Central Time, Trey Lance is out for the season. In comes Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo would complete 13 of 21 passees for 154 yards with a touchdown. The backup would also get a rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak at the end of the game. Kyle Juszczyk would get a rushing touchdown as well. Seems that not trading Jimmy Garoppolo was the best choice for the 49ers this past offseason. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs Atlanta
San Francisco: @ Denver (Sunday night)

TW: 5-5; CV: 8-2

Arizona 29, Las Vegas 23 (F/OT): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Cardinals would score 22 unanswered points in this game. Crazy! Kyler Murray would complete 31 of 49 passes for 277 yards with a touchdown pass to Greg Dortch. Darrel Williams would find holes in this game as he would rush for 59 yards with a touchdown on eight carries. One of the wildest two-point conversions you'll ever see ensued in this game. On a pass play Kyler Murray scrambled all over to find a receiver. He would direct a receiver to go a certain direction. In the end, Murray would score the two points himself. Derek Carr was good in this game for the first 60 minutes of it. Carr hit 25 of 39 passes for completions on 252 passing yards with two touchdowns. His lone blemish was on a Carr pass to Hunter Renfrow that would get fumbled and would be recovered by Arizona for the winning touchdown. Las Vegas's running game would get some production from Josh Jacobs' 69 yards on 19 carries. For the Cardinals, the comeback gives them their first win of 2022 to keep pace with the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks.

Next week:
Arizona: vs LA Rams
Las Vegas: @ Tennessee

TW: 5-6; CV: 8-3

Cincinnati 17, Dallas 20: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Mike McCarthy's seat cools just a tish. Joe Burrow would find himself in a familiar situation in big D as he was sacked six times. Burrow would complete 24 of 36 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown pass to Tee Higgins. Cincy was pitiful on 3rd down as they would convert 6 of 17 on 3rd down. Joe Mixon would get 57 yards rushing on 19 carries. Cooper Rush would get the start for the Cowboys. The quarterback would complete 19 of 31 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown pass to Noah Brown in the 1st quarter. Dallas's running game would get something going as Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 53 yards and Tony Pollard rushed for 43 yards while scoring a rushing touchdown. For the Bengals, the prospects of a 0-2 start wasn't in their minds but the Super Bowl hangover is real. For the Cowboys, they mark themselves at 1-1 and their season teeters on the shoulders of Cooper Rush. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ NY Jets
Dallas: @ NY Giants

TW: 5-7; CV: 8-4

Houston 9, Denver 16: TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
A win but an ugly win for Bronco Country. Davis Mills would complete 19 of his 38 passes for 177 yards. A bright spot for the Texans was a running back was Dameon Pierce, a 22-year old product out of the University of Florida. Pierce had 69 yards on 15 carries. Houston's scoring would be from their kicker Kyle Fairbairn as he hit 3 for 3 in 3-pointers, including a 44-yard long one. Russell Wilson was flat in this game. The passer completed 14 of 31 passes for 219 yards with a touchdown pass to Eric Saubert in the 4th quarter. Should be noted that Wilson was 10 for 24 before that pass. Wilson did have an interception in the game. Javontae Williams got some good yardage on the ground as he ran for 75 yards on 15 carries. For the Texans, they are still looking for their first win in 2022 and will need to get a better offensive plan together. For the Broncos, they get dub #1 in the Wilson era. 

Next week:
Houston: @ Chicago
Denver: vs San Francisco (Sunday night)

TW: 6-7; CV: 9-4

Chicago 10, Green Bay 27: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
Old rivals meet in Lambeau Field. Justin Fields would get the start for the Bears. Fields would find a hard time in passing the ball as he would throw 7 of 11 passes for 70 yards with an interception. The Bears would have 48 net passing yards. He would score the only touchdown Chicago would reach on a pile up that would result in the ball crossing the plane. David Montgomery would be the driving force for the Bears offense as he racked up 122 yards on 15 carries. Aaron Rodgers has dominated the Bears as he had in his whole career as he threw 19 of 25 passes for 234 yards with two touchdowns. Aaron Jones too would have a key part for the offensive attack for the Packers as he would score a touchdown on a sweep that would make Vince Lombardi proud. A power sweep that was reminisce of runs that Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor would run. AJ Dillon would rush for 61 yards in the game. For the Bears and Packers, they are at 1-1 with the Lions in a contested NFC North. 

Next week:
Chicago: vs Houston
Green Bay: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 7-7; CV: 10-4

Tennessee 7, Buffalo 41: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Business as usual in Buffalo. Tennessee would have very limited offense in this game as the Titans racked up 187 total yards. Ryan Tannehill was less than spectacular as he completed 11 of 20 passes for 117 yards with two interceptions. Malik Willis, the rookie quarterback out of Liberty University, saw some action. The young quarterback would complete a pass out of four attempts for six yards. Hassan Haskins rushed for 37 yards on nine carries. Derrick Henry provided the only touchdown for the Titans off of a run play up the middle in the 4st quarter. It was all Buffalo from there. Josh Allen was spectacular in this game as he completed 26 of his 38 passes for 317 yards with four touchdowns, three of them to Stephon Diggs. James Cook rushed for 53 yards on 11 carries. It was a thorough demolition of the Titans who cruise their way to a 2-0 start while the Titans have gone 0-2. 

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

TW: 8-7; CV: 11-4

Minnesota 7, Philadelphia 24: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The honeymoon of Kevin O'Connell and the Vikings might be at end. Kirk Cousins was lackluster in this game as he would complete 27 of 46 passes for 221 yards with the Vikings lone touchdown and threw three interceptions. The touchdown would come off a redzone pass to his tight end Irv Smith. Along with the three interceptions, the Vikings offense was 1 for 3 in redzone trips and 4 for 11 on 3rd down conversions. Cousins would be the leading rusher in this game for the Vikes as he would get 20 yards rushing. Jalen Hurts was very good in the offensive game as he completed 26 of 31 passes for 333 yards with a touchdown and had an interception. Hurts would also put the hurt on the Vikings with his legs as he got two touchdowns while getting 57 yards rushing. Miles Sanders would get 80 yards rushing. For Minnesota, its a humbling defeat that will have them going to the drawing board again. For the Eagles, it was a game that showcased their potential and showed how far they can go in 2022. 

Next week:
Minnesota: vs Detroit
Philadelphia: @ Washington

TW: 8-8; CV: 11-5

2022 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8

Total: 16-15-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5

Total: 17-14-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

For the Week 3 picks post, expect it sometime on Wednesday! Have a good start to your week! 

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 2 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of exciting National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The first week brought us football and there were plenty of upsets abound. Team's that lost in Week 1 will now have to try to stave off the dreaded 0-2 mark. I'm ready to get into the week's preview, my picks for the games and which broadcast pairing will be covering the Early and Late game windows. Let's get to work!

Week 2 Preview

The 2nd week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Kansas City, Missouri and ends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All 32 teams will play in 16 games this week. No teams are on a bye this week. The week will feature: a Thursday night game, seven early games, five late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. CBS will have the doubleheader and FOX will carry the single, regional game this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 2 Picks

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

LA Chargers (1-0) @ Kansas City (1-0) (Amazon Prime, 8:15 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Both teams picked up a win last week as the Chargers beat the Raiders and the Chiefs beat the Cardinals. It will be the debut of Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit on Amazon Prime. The duo will have a lot of fun in this one. The two teams are very similar in their passing offenses. I think it'll come down to a slugfest. I'll go for the Chargers in that I like their defense a little bit better in this game than the Chiefs defense. 

Carolina (0-1) @ NY Giants (1-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Giants; CV: Giants 
The Panthers lost to the Browns and the Giants beat the Titans last week. New York got a lot of good vibes after pulling off a victory against Tennessee. I think that they will keep on with these good feelings and take down a Panthers team that would've beaten a Browns team. The Panthers are a decent team and they could be a better team if Baker Mayfield could just play the field general that he has been in the past. I don't see it happening I'll take the G-men for this game. 

Indianapolis (0-0-1) @ Jacksonville (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Jaguars
The Colts tied with the Texans and the Jaguars lost to the Commanders last week. Indianapolis had a rather disappointing start to the season with the tie against Houston. I tend to believe that the game was a fluke and that the offense will rebound. Jacksonville showed the NFL that they're one of the improved teams in the NFL. It might be just one week but I feel the more experienced Colts will pull it off. 

Miami (1-0) @ Baltimore (1-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens: CV: Ravens
Both teams got wins last week as the Dolphins beat the Patriots and the Ravens beat the Jets. Miami did a good job against the Patriots and took advantage of their mistakes. I don't think the Ravens will provide the same luxury. Baltimore played well against the Jets and really hammered down against their offense. I think both teams will be tested in this game and I feel the Ravens will pull off the scare game in this one. 

New England (0-1) @ Pittsburgh (1-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Patriots
The Patriots lost to the Dolphins and the Steelers beat the Bengals last week. Emotions are riding high in the Steel City as the Steelers took down the defending AFC champions last week. Both teams might be without their star players in Mac Jones for the Patriots and TJ Watt for the Steelers. The potential loss of Jones will be less than Watt. The big matchup in this game I feel will be Mitchell Trubisky vs the Patriots front-seven. Despite the loss of Watt I feel the Steelers will take the win in this game as I think the playmakers in their defense will go the distance. 

NY Jets (0-1) @ Cleveland (1-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Jets
The Jets lost to the Ravens and the Browns beat the Panthers last week. New York with Joe Flacco didn't look that great last week against Baltimore. The Jets weren't very competitive either. In order for them to win this game they will have to stuff the Browns running game. I'd honestly take Jacoby Brissett over Joe Flacco. At least the Browns will be showing their "Brownie the Elf" logo in this game. A logo that I like better than their helmet logo.

Tampa Bay (1-0) @ New Orleans (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Both teams got wins last week as the Buccaneers beat the Cowboys and the Saints beat the Falcons. Going off of the results last week, I would currently say that the Bucs will win this game. As Lee Corso would say, "Not so fast, my friend," Tom Brady has yet to beat the Saints in the regular season since he became a Buccaneer. I don't see it happening. I mean it took a 16-point comeback to beat the Falcons. Anything could happen. 

Washington (1-0) @ Detroit (0-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
The Commanders beat the Jaguars and the Lions lost to the Eagles last week. Carson Wentz was on most plays and off and some. He's a wild card when you have him on your team. Detroit is a bit more predictable as they usually lose by less than a touchdown. They had a lot of success in winning the ground game against the Eagles and I think they should go with the same formula again. I would take Washington but I just can't trust Wentz. 

Atlanta (0-1) @ LA Rams (0-1) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Both teams lost last week as the Falcons lost to the Saints and the Rams lost to the Bills. Look Rams, you had a rough game against the AFC's team to beat in the Buffalo Bills. Matthew Stafford had a rough game and the offense had a rough game as well. With the Falcons in town the Rams should stand a chance to beat the possible worst team in the NFC. You got this right? 

Seattle (1-0) @ San Francisco (0-1) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Seahawks beat the Broncos and the 49ers lost to the Bears last week. The torential rain in Chicago really put a damper (pun intended) on the 49ers offense. I think the Santa Clara sunshine will give the 49ers some needed warmth and dryness that they will execute their offense that we all expect them to be. Seattle was surprising last week and they could put up a fight in this game. I trust the Saints offense a bit better than their defense. I just don't see Seattle getting back to back wins. Too much at stake for the 49ers. 

Arizona (0-1) @ Las Vegas (0-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Both teams took losses last week as the Cardinals lost to the Chiefs and the Raiders lost to the Chargers. Arizona did not look good against the Chiefs but then again for most teams in the NFL, who would be able to handle themselves against the Chiefs. The only time they did good was in the later minutes of the game. Las Vegas battled and nearly came out on top against a tough Chargers team. I think the turnovers will be an issue that will be needed to address if the Raiders want to win. I think they'll figure it out. 

Cincinnati (0-1) @ Dallas (0-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Both teams lost last week as the Bengals lost to the Steelers and the Cowboys lost to the Buccaneers. Joe Burrow was bad last week. Let's be frank. Losing to the Steelers was hopefully a wake up call for them. What's at stake is that the Cowboys are missing Dak Prescott for likely a good portion of the season. Dallas will have to go with Cooper Rush in this game. Despite the poor performance, I still like the Bengals in this game. Please have a better game this week Joe Burrow. 

Houston (0-0-1) @ Denver (0-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
The Texans tied with the Colts and the Broncos lost to the Seahawks last week. Houston held their own against the Colts and they will have an interesting test against the Broncos that really should've won their game against Seattle last week. Russell Wilson did good in his debut and I feel he will do well against the Texans defense. Davis Mills will likely play well but the Texans offense isn't likely going to go off on the Broncos. 

Chicago (1-0) @ Green Bay (0-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Bears beat the 49ers and the Packers lost to the Vikings last week. The great rivalry begins a new chapter as old rivals clash in Lambeau. Chicago kind of got a helping hand from mother nature. Justin Fields played well in the rain. Aaron Rodgers and company didn't do so hot against the Vikings. Green Bay's receiving corp was not in sync with their quarterback and they will need to be more on the same page in this game. I'll take the Pack.

Tennessee (0-1) @ Buffalo (1-0) (ESPN; 7:15 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Titans lost to the Giants and the Bills beat the Rams last week. Buffalo will be well rested in this game. Tennessee gave away their game against the Giants. The Bills look like the best team in the NFL. They will have a good test against a Titans team that is looking to stay out of the possible 0-2 record. Derrick Henry will have to carry his team as Ryan Tannehill isn't exactly a recipe for success. 

Minnesota (1-0) @ Philadelphia (1-0) (ABC; 8:30 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Both teams got wins last week as the Vikings beat the Packers and the Eagles beat the Lions. Minnesota played pretty well against the Packers granted the Packers offense was mostly inept. They will have a good test against the Eagles and their vaunted running game. If the Vikings can stop or slow down their running game of Miles Sanders, Jalen Hurts, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott they have a good shot to win it. AJ Brown had a good debut against the Lions as well. I feel the Vikes will take the win. 

Early & Late Game Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are games shown in my area. 

FOX Single

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Carolina @ NY Giants
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

Washington @ Detroit
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Atlanta @ LA Rams (Late)
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Seattle @ San Francisco (Late)
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

CBS Early

New England @ Pittsburgh
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Miami @ Baltimore
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

NY Jets @ Cleveland
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

Indianapolis @ Jacksonville
Tom McCarthy, Tiki Barber

CBS Late

Cincinnati @ Dallas
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Arizona @ Las Vegas
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuletta

Houston @ Denver
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

For more information on which which game is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2022: Week 2 Maps

2022 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1

Total: 8-7-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1

Total: 6-9-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

See you all on Tuesday for the Week 2 Recap post! 

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 1 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The first week of the regular season brings promise to all 32 teams as everyone starts out at 0-0. Unfortunately everyone will either have a 1-0 or an 0-1 record at the end of the week. Week 1 brought us such moments like a puddled field in Chicago, a tie in Houston, a sour reunion for the Broncos and Panthers quarterbacks and most of all football being back. I'm excited to get into this week's action! Let's get to work!

Week 1 Recap

Buffalo 31, LA Rams 10: TW: Rams; CV: Bills
Welcome back football! The celebrations in Inglewood, California were grand as Dwayne Johnson was there. The celebration went off with a bang and then the game happened. Josh Allen was overall good in this game as the passer threw 26 of 31 completions for 297 yards with three touchdowns but also had two interceptions. One of them wasn't necessarily his fault. Allen would also rush for 56 yards with a rushing touchdown. Devin Singletary would rush for 48 yards in the game. The first touchdown on the year would come on a Josh Allen to Gabe Davis connection off of a fake handoff that the Rams would buy. For the Rams they had a rough game on offense. Matthew Stafford was ravaged by the Bills pass rush and would get 29 of 41 passes completed for 240 yards with a touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp and threw three interceptions. Former Rams player, Von Miller, would rack up two sacks and had four tackles. At least the Rams won the Super Bowl last year. For the Bills, the 2022 campaign starts off with a win against the defending champions. For the Rams, the hangover might be real and they will have to bounce back quickly.

TW: 0-1; CV: 1-0

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Tennessee (Monday night)
LA Rams: vs Atlanta 

Baltimore 24, NY Jets 9: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
It would be Joe Flacco vs the guy who replaced him in Baltimore in East Rutherford. Lamar Jackson wouldn't get a new contract done but that didn't stop the versatile quarterback from putting up numbers. Jackson would finish the game with 17 of 30 passes completed for 213 yards with three touchdown passes but did have a pass intercepted. Kenyan Drake would get a fair amount of rushing yards as he would get 31 yards on 11 carries. The former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco would start for the Jets. Flacco would complete 37 of 59 passes for 307 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Michael Carter would get 10 carries while rushing for 60 yards. Baltimore starts off the 2022 campaign with a 1-0 mark while the Jets continue to have an opening day loss streak stretching out to four. 

TW: 1-1; CV: 2-0

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Miami
NY Jets: @ Cleveland

Cleveland 26, Carolina 24: TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
The Baker Mayfield Bowl would live up to the hype. The former Browns quarterback would play against his former team and told the media that he would f*ck them up. For Cleveland, they would start journeyman Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. Brissett would do fine under center as he completed 18 of 34 passes for 147 yards with a touchdown pass to Kareem Hunt to start the scoring for the Browns. Cleveland's running tandem Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt would rack up the yards against the Panthers defense. Chubb would get 141 yards and Hunt would get 46 yards with a rushing touchdown on his own. Baker Mayfield was on some plays and was off on some plays. The passer would hit 16 of 27 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown but also had an interception that would go to Grant Delpit. Mayfield would get a rushing touchdown early in the 4th quarter that would cut the Browns lead to seven. Mayfield's 2nd touchdown would go to Robbie Anderson for a 75-yard score. The game would compe down to a Cade York 58-yard field goal that would give the Browns the win. For the first time since 2004, the Browns are 1-0 to start a season. For the Panthers, the loss will leave a wound but it gives the team some promise to get better. 

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

Next week:
Cleveland: vs NY Jets
Carolina: @ NY Giants

Indianapolis 20, Houston 20 (F/OT): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
For the 5th straight season, there will be a game that ends in a tie. Indianapolis would bring in a new quarterback in Matt Ryan. The former Falcon would put up a showing as he completed 32 of 50 passes for 352 yards with a touchdown to Michael Pittman but also had an interception. Jonathan Taylor, arguably the best running back in football, had a stellar game on the ground as he carried the ball 31 times for 161 yards with a touchdown. Indy's offense would start off slow during the first three quarters as they would only have three points. They would put up 17 in the 4th quarter. Davis Mills would guide the ship in Houston as he threw 23 of 37 passes for 240 yards with two touchdowns, both to OJ Howard. Houston would get a helping hand in rushing with Rex Burkhead rushing for 40 yards on 14 carries. Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship would have a chance to win it in OT but would go wide left. For the Colts and Texans, they didn't win the game but they didn't lose it either. 

TW: 1-2-1; CV: 2-1-1

Next week:
Indianapolis: @ Jacksonville
Houston: @ Denver

Jacksonville 22, Washington 28: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
The Commies Commanders era began with a wild game. Trevor Lawrence would get 24 of 42 passes completed for 275 yards with a touchdown but also had a pass picked off by the Commanders. James Robinson rushed for 66 yards on 11 carries for a touchdown. Lawrence's touchdown would go to Robinson on a short pass to the right. Carson Wentz would have to go the distance for this game as he provided all the scoring for Washington. He would finish with 27 of 41 passes completed for 313 yards with four touchdown passes but had two interceptions. One of the interceptions would come from a Wentz sidearm delivery to Jaguars linebacker Travon Walker. For the Jaguars, the hard loss would put them at a 0-1 start. For the Commanders, the 2022 season starts with a good but crazy win. 

TW: 1-3-1; CV: 2-2-1

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Indianapolis
Washington: @ Detroit

New England 7, Miami 20: TW: Dolphins; CV: Patriots
In sweltering Miami, the Patriots offense would melt over the improved Dolphins pass rush. Mac Jones would have a decent game as the passer threw 21 of 30 passes for 213 yards with a touchdown pass to Ty Montgomery and would have an interception that really wasn't his fault and was off of a controversial defensive pass interference no-call. Damien Harris would rush for 48 yards. Tua Tagovailoa would play well in this game under new head coach Mike Daniel. Tua would complete  23 of 33 passes for 270 yards with a touchdown pass to Jaylen Waddle to close the end of the 1st half. Chase Edmonds would rush for 25 yards. Tyreek Hill, the former Chief, would prosper in his first game as a Dolphin as he gained 94 receiving yards while catching eight passes. For the Pats, it was the end of a nightmare game and it could be worse as Mac Jones suffered a back injury. For the Dolphins, the Mike Daniel era begins with a dub. 

TW: 2-3-1; CV: 2-3-1

Next week:
New England: @ Pittsburgh
Miami: @ Baltimore

New Orleans 27, Atlanta 26: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Three guarantees in life: death, taxes, and the Atlanta Falcons blowing a lead. Jameis WInston would start off slow in this game but would finish with 23 of 34 passes for 269 yards with two touchdown passes to Michael Thomas. Taysom Hill would be a running back for the Saints as the runner racked up 81 yards with a touchdown, his longest run would be for 57 yards. Marcus Mariota, the journeyman, would get the start for the Falcons as he completed 20 of 33 passes for 215 yards. Atlanta's scoring would go to their running game as Cordarelle Patterson would have a game as he rushed for 120 yards with a touchdown on 22 carries. Marcus Mariota would get a touchdown of his own while rushing for 72 yards. Atlanta would have a 26-10 lead going into the 4th quarter. The Saints would win the game on a Wil Lutz 51-yard field goal that would give the Saints their first lead since the first quarter. For the Saints, it was a roller coaster of a game and it provided memes for the NFL community. For Atlanta, its more of the same, blown lead formula. 

TW: 3-3-1; CV: 3-3-1

Next week:
New Orleans: vs Tampa Bay
Atlanta: @ LA Rams

Philadelphia 38, Detroit 35: TW: Eagles; CV: Lions
The Lions nearly win a game, wash, rinse repeat. Jalen Hurts would have a game that would be marvelous. Hurts would rack up 333 total yards (243 passing, 90 rushing) with a touchdown run. Miles Sanders, Kenneth Gainwell and Boston Scott would all score a rushing touchdown. Newly acquired wide out, AJ Brown, would have a stellar game as he would account for 155 receiving yards with 10 catches. Jared Goff would start for the Lions. Goff would play alright as he completed 21 of 37 passes for 215 yards with two touchdown passes to Amonra St. Brown and DJ Chark. Goff would also toss an interception. Dandre Swift would run over the Eagles rush defense as he get 144 yards with a touchdown. Jamaal Williams would get 28 yards with two touchdowns. For the Eagles, the late comeback would come undone as the campaign starts with a 1-0 start. For the Lions, the same old story of coming up short. 

TW: 4-3-1; CV: 3-4-1

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Minnesota (Monday night)
Detroit: vs Washington

Pittsburgh 23, Cincinnati 20 (F/OT): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
What an ugly game for the defending AFC Champions. Mitchell Trubisky would be the starter for the Steelers and did well in orchestrating Matt Canada's offense. He would complete 21 of 38 passes for 194 yards with a touchdown pass to Najee Harris on a 3-yard checkdown. It would be Chase Claypool, not Harris, that would be the leading rusher for the Steelers as Claypool would get 36 yards rushing on six carries. It would be a challenging afternoon for kicker Chris Boswell as he would hit 3 of 4 field goals but would hit the game-winning field goal from 53 yards. Joe Burrow would have a rough game as he would get battered, sacked, and beat up. Burrow would complete 33 of 53 passes for 338 yards with two touchdowns but had four interceptions in the game. Ja'Marr Chase would get 129 receiving yards with a touchdown that would be the touchdown that would help get the game tied and would go to overtime. The Steelers survive a scare in Cincinnati that might turn to worse if TJ Watt will miss time due to a pectoral injury. For the Bengals, the campaign back to the Super Bowl will go in the loss column. 

TW: 4-4-1; CV: 3-5-1

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs New England
Cincinnati: @ Dallas

San Francisco 10, Chicago 19: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
A puddled field in Chicago would cause havoc for the 49ers offense. Trey Lance would get a nod of faith as the 49ers would make him the starter over Jimmy Garoppolo. Lance would have a rough game as he completed 13 of 28 passes for 164 yards with an interception. He would have a fair game running the ball as he rushed for 54 yards on 13 carries. Deebo Samuel would get 52 yards rushing and scored the only touchdown for the 49ers. Elijah Mitchell would rush for 41 yards. Justin Fields would fare a bit better in passing as he would complete 8 of 17 passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns to Dante Pettis and the former Packer Equanimeous St. Brown. Chicago's running game would get some love as Khalil Herbert would score a touchdown while getting 45 yards rushing. Despite the field conditions the Bears would find enough scoring to win their first contest under new head coach Matt Eberflus. For San Francisco, the watered down field would slip up their hopes for a good start to 2022. 

TW: 4-5-1; CV: 3-6-1

Next week:
San Francisco: vs Seattle
Chicago: @ Green Bay (Sunday night)

Green Bay 7, Minnesota 23: TW: Vikings; CV: Packers
Justin Jefferson would carve up the Packers like cheese. Aaron Rodgers would be the opposite. The veteran quarterback would complete 22 of 34 passes for 195 yards with an interception. Jordan Love would see some action as he passed for 65 yards. Green Bay's running game would fare no better as Aaron Jones rushed for 49 yards. AJ Dillon would rush for 45 yards and scored the only touchdown the Packers would get. Green Bay would find trouble in the redzone as they would go 1 for 3 inside the 20 yard-line. Kirk Cousins would do better than his counterpart as he would torch the stacked Packers defense for 23 of 32 passes for 277 yards with two touchdowns. Dalvin Cook wouldn't have a 100-yard rushing day but he was close with 90. Alexander Mattison would get 36 yards. The star in the game would be Justin Jefferson who would catch nine balls for 184 yards with two touchdowns. For the Packers, the offensive mojo without Davante Adams will haunt them this week. Minnesota would rack up dub #1 for head coach Kevin O'Connell. 

TW: 5-5-1; CV: 3-7-1

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Chicago (Sunday night)
Minnesota: @ Philadelphia (Monday night)

Kansas City 44, Arizona 21: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Chiefs did Chiefs things in the desert. Patrick Mahomes was on fire as he threw 30 of 39 pass completions for 360 yards with five touchdowns. Mahomes would fire touchdown passes on the first three Chiefs drives, only the 2nd time since 1991 (Aaron Rodgers in 2011 would do it first). Isiah Pacheco would rush for 62 yards and scored a rushing touchdown. Kyler Murray would score a touchdown in the 1st quarter but wouldn't score another until late in the 3rd. By that time the comeback would be insurmountable. For the Chiefs, it was business as usual. For the Cardinals, the defense let them down. 

TW: 6-5-1; CV: 4-7-1

Next week:
Kansas City: vs LA Chargers (Thursday night)
Arizona: @ Las Vegas

Las Vegas 19, LA Chargers 24: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
It was a rematch of the Sunday night Week 18 matchup and Week 1 game lived up to the hype. Derek Car would play okayish as he completed 22 of 37 passes for 295 yards with two touchdowns but had three interceptions. Josh Jacobs would get 57 yards rushing. Newly acquired player Davante Adams would do well in his Silver & Black debut as he received 141 yards. Justin Herbert would play well in comparison to Carr. Herbert would complete 26 of 34 passes for 279 yards with three touchdowns. Austin Ekeler would get a fair amount of rushing yards as he rushed for 36 yards on 14 carries. The game would also see the Chargers debut of former Raider Khalil Mack. Mack would get three sacks against his former team. For the Raiders, the Josh McDaniels era would start off with a rough start. For the Chargers, they will stay in a 1-0 column in the expected tough AFC West. 

TW: 7-5-1; CV: 5-7-1

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Arizona
LA Chargers: @ Kansas City (Thursday night)

NY Giants 21, Tennessee 20: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Giants won a game? Miracles can happen. Daniel Jones would complete 17 of 21 passes for 188 yards with two touchdowns but had an interception in the game. The key to the Giants in 2022 is the health in their running game as Saquon Barkley would have a resurgent game as he rushed for 164 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. His longest run was for 68 yards. Brian Daboll would test his new team by going for the two-point conversion. The Giants would make it on a play that the Titans should've been more prepared for: a Jones to Barkley pass for the go ahead two points. Ryan Tannehill would get the start for Tennessee. The veteran would hit 20 of 33 passes for 266 yards with two touchdown passes to Dontrell Hilliard in the 1st and 3rd quarters. Derrick Henry would run well in his 2022 debut but his 82 yards on 21 carries wouldn't get it quite done for the Titans. For the Giants, the curse of the 0-2 stretch ends with a 1-0 start. For the Titans, the hangover of the #1 seed might be plaguing them a bit. Hard to say if this stretch is harming them. Helps that no one in the AFC South didn't win this week. 

TW: 7-6-1; CV: 5-8-1

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Carolina
Tennessee: @ Buffalo (Monday night)

Tampa Bay 19, Dallas 3: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tom Brady's record against the Cowboys remains perfect. The GOAT began his 23rd NFL season with 18 completions out of 27 passes thrown with 212 yards passing with a touchdown to Mike Evans. Brady would throw an interception too. Leonard Fournette would carve up the Cowboys defense with 127 yards rushing on 21 carries. Dak Prescott would have a rough night as he completed 14 of his 29 passes with an interception. Cooper Rush would come into the game but would provide little to help as he threw for 64 yards. Ezekiel Elliot would not have a monster game as he would get 52 rushing yards on 10 carries. Just an ugly loss for the Cowboys that gave up four sacks and go 3 for 15 on 3rd down conversions. For the Buccaneers, it was a win but have to think that the Bucs could've done maybe a little bit better. 

TW: 8-6-1; CV: 6-8-1

Next week: 
Tampa Bay: @ New Orleans
Dallas: vs Cincinnati

Denver 16, Seattle 17: TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
It would be Geno Smith, not Russell Wilson, that would get the last laugh in the Russell Wilson reunion. The former Seahawks quarterback would get 29 of 42 passes completed for 340 yards with a touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy. It would be the only touchdown for the Broncos. Melvin Gordon would get 58 yards rushing on 12 carries. Javonte Williams would get 43 yards rushing. Denver's kicker Brandon McManus would have a good day kicking the ball, hitting 3 of 4 field goals. The Broncos would suffer in the redzone as they would go 0 for 4 inside the 20. Geno Smith would get the start for the Seahawks. The journeyman quarterback would hit 23 of 28 passes for 195 yards with two touchdowns. Rashad Penny would find success in running the ball with 60 yards on 12 carries. For the Broncos, the Wilson era hits a rocky start. For the Seahawks, they got a good game out of a journeyman that made use of the opportunity given to him. 

TW: 8-7-1; CV: 6-9-1

Next week:
Denver: vs Houston
Seattle: @ San Francisco

2022 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1

Total: 8-7-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1

Total: 6-9-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

NFL 2022 Week 1 Picks

Hello readers! Another NFL season is set to begin as the games that count are about to begin. Week 1 is the toughest week to predict for pick 'ems as teams can either turn out to be good or bad. It almost seems like Week 1 is like the 4th week of preseason for most teams. In this post I'll do a breakdown of the rules, my history of pick 'ems, a preview of the week and my picks for the games. It's plenty to cover but I'm excited to get into it. Let's get to work!

Pick 'Em Rules:

The rules for my pick 'ems are relatively simple. My pick 'ems are straight up and not based on betting lines. No money will be used. Betting lines are too confusing for me to understand, I prefer straight up. 

Picks must be submitted before said game(s) begin. I used to be more stingy with this rule in the past then the COVID season of 2020 happened. Such players on teams would get tested positive before a game that would directly effect the outcome. One example was the Patriots-Chiefs matchup in 2020. Thursday picks must be submitted prior to the game but Sunday picks can be submitted before the early games. 

Pick 'Em History:

The 2022 NFL Season will be my 9th season doing pick 'ems. I first started doing Pick 'Ems in 2012 when I used a WordPress blog. I used Wordpress from 2012 to 2014. I took a step back from Pick 'Ems for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. After some convincing I came back to doing Pick 'Ems during the 2017 season on the Blogger platform. I've used Blogger ever since. 

Since 2017 I have done pick 'ems with my former roommate, Cardinal Viking, who won the Pick 'Ems in 2017. In 2018, we would finish the season with a tie. I would finally win the Pick 'Ems in 2019 and would win again in 2020 and 2021. Maybe 2022 will be the year that Cardinal Viking breaks out of the losing column. 

Week 1 Preview: 

The first week of the 2022 National Football League's regular season will start on September 8th and finish up on September 12th. All 32 teams will be playing in 16 games this week. There will be a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. Both FOX and CBS will have doubleheaders this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 1 Picks:

Note: all game times are in US Eastern time. TW is me and CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate. 

Buffalo (0-0) @ LA Rams (0-0) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Bills
The regular season kicks off with the Rams defending their title against a solid Bills team that might've been the AFC's representative in last year's Super Bowl. It's looking like Matthew Stafford will be able to play in the game. He will need to be on the field as the Bills defense is solid. Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson will also be ready to play. Usually the home team wins on the Opening Night game so I'll give the Rams the nod.

Baltimore (0-0) @ NY Jets (0-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens will have to go on the road to take on the Jets. With everyone set to go for the Ravens I would go with the Ravens. It is Week 1 and the Jets could very well play spoiler and notch a win. I don't think the Jets have that capability so I'll go with the Ravens.

Cleveland (0-0) @ Carolina (0-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
The Baker Mayfield Revenge Game! Deshaun Watson will be serving that 11-game suspension in this one and the Browns will trot out Jacoby Brissett. Baker Mayfield will get the start against his former team. I will be giving the Panthers an edge as they do have the multiple capabilities of Christian McCaffrey and I tend to like the Panthers defense in this matchup. 

Indianapolis (0-0) @ Houston (0-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Matt Ryan era starts in earnest against the hapless Texans. It feels like a trap game in the first week for the Colts as they could struggle to adjust to Ryan at quarterback. I don't think it'll be the case with this game but I could be wrong. I feel Jonathan Taylor will have a good day against the Texans rush defense. 

Jacksonville (0-0) @ Washington (0-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
The first game of the Carson Wentz era starts in Washington as he leads the Commanders against the Jaguars. Jacksonville will have a better time in passing offense with the weapons that were picked up in the offseason. Wentz certainly started off poorly around this time last year and I think he will find some struggles in this game against a Jaguars team hungry for wins. 

New England (0-0) @ Miami (0-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Patriots
Tyreek Hill's first game as a Dolphin. New England made changes to the offense as Matt Patricia takes over for Josh McDaniels who left for Las Vegas. Mac Jones will likely struggle against the Dolphins who made improvements to their defense. I think it'll be a defensive struggle for both teams but I think the Dolphins come out on top. 

New Orleans (0-0) @ Atlanta (0-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Saints take on the Matt Ryan-less Falcons in this game. Matt Ryan won't be playing and Marcus Mariota will likely go as quarterback for the Falcons. I think it'll be a stressful season to be a Falcons fan as the roster that the Falcons have is just not that great. New Orleans seems to be on the right foot in terms of this game based on wide receivers. I'll take the Saints.

Philadelphia (0-0) @ Detroit (0-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Lions
The revamped Eagles go to Detroit and look to steal a win from the Lions. Philly made strides to their team in the offseason. Now is the time to see if those moves paid off. Aidan Hutchinson will make his debut as a Lion in this game and could be a factor in the Lions stealing this game. I don't think the Lions quite have that ability to beat the best teams in the NFC but I think they'll make noise. 

Pittsburgh (0-0) @ Cincinnati (0-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The AFC Champion Bengals take on the Steelers in a rivalry matchup. Last time the Steelers met the Bengals on the road it was a blowout. I think the game this go around will be different as they do have a younger quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky under center. I think the Bengals will be able to win it based on their offense vs the Steelers offense which might struggle with Trubisky under center. 

San Francisco (0-0) @ Chicago (0-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The game will feature two young quarterbacks in Trey Lance for the 49ers and Justin Fields for the Bears. The deciding factor in this game will be that Trey Lance will have a better supporting cast than Fields. It will also come down to how well the pressure that Lance may face as he will be given the keys to a high performance vehicle. I don't trust the Bears to do a lot of winning this season and this game might be the reason. 

Green Bay (0-0) @ Minnesota (0-0) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Packers
Its a classic rivalry game as the Packers travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. I feel both teams will have some struggles on offense that the two teams defenses will be better, specifically the Packers defense. The matchup that I will be watching is how well the Packers offense will do with the loss of Davante Adams. I think the Packers will struggle to move the ball so I'll take the Vikes in this game. 

Kansas City (0-0) @ Arizona (0-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Star power abound as Patrick Mahomes goes to the desert to take on Kyler Murray's Cardinals. It seems like this game is a matchup of defenses. If the Cardinals defense can cause havoc to Mahomes then they do have a good shot to win this game. For the Chiefs, just let Mahomes do Mahomes things in having him do what it takes to win a game. Clyde Edwards-Helaire will be a factor in this game. 

Las Vegas (0-0) @ LA Chargers (0-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Week 18 rematch! Last time these two teams met it was the Sunday night game in Week 18 that would've determined the fate for not just the Raiders and Chargers but also the Steelers. Justin Herbert and the Chargers really should've won that game as the Raiders were really letting that game slip through their fingers. Las Vegas has a new coach in Josh McDaniels which means that the offense will improve but also like his stint in Denver, it could backfire. I feel the Chargers will take the game based off of their offense. I'll take the Chargers. 

NY Giants (0-0) @ Tennessee (0-0) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Daboll era in New York begins with a trip to the Music City to take on the Titans. Tennessee had a rollercoaster of a season last year. The factor for the 2022 Titans will be the health of Derrick Henry, without him the Titans are one dimensional. For the G-Men they have a running back who's looking to get back to form in Saquon Barkley. I think the Giants will be competitive in this game but I feel the Titans will come out on top. 

Tampa Bay (0-0) @ Dallas (0-0) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tom Brady's quest for ring #8 begins with a date with the Dallas Cowboys. The Buccaneers had a bit of a scare when Brady retired for a couple of months in the offseason. Fortunately for the fans, Brady had a change of heart. Tampa's roster has largely remained the same. For the Cowboys, the roster has seen some change as they had to shed talent due to the salary cap. I can't count out on Tom Brady so I'd take him in this game. 

Denver (0-0) @ Seattle (0-0) (ABC; 8:15 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
To say this game has delicious storylines would be an understatement. Russell Wilson has a chance to beat the team that drafted him back in 2012. This will also be the Monday Night Football debut of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Both of them who had spent a majority of their broadcasting careers with FOX. Back to football, the game looks like a mismatch in terms of the quarterback position as Russell Wilson would seem to be the better quarterback than Drew Lock. On offense and defense I would say the Broncos have the better sides of the ball. It could be a rough night to be a Seahawks fan. 

NFL Early & Late Game Broadcast Pairings (games subject to change, check local listings, games in bold are being shown in my area): 

CBS Early:

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

New England @ Miami
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Baltimore @ NY Jets
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Cleveland @ Carolina
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

Indianapolis @ Houston
Tom McCarthy, Tiki Barber

CBS Late:

Kansas City @ Arizona
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Las Vegas @ LA Chargers
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

FOX Early:

San Francisco @ Chicago
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

Philadelphia @ Detroit
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

New Orleans @ Atlanta
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Jacksonville @ Washington
Chris Myers, Robert Smith

FOX Late:

Green Bay @ Minnesota
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

NY Giants @ Tennessee
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2022: Week 1 Maps

2022 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 0-0

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 0-0

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 1 Recap post. Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Regular Season Predictions + Playoff/Award Winner Predictions

 Hello readers! The Preseason games are over and the games that count are about to begin in less than a week. With this new season comes another season of pick 'ems that will surely bring the smarts and the dumbs of me. In this post I will give out my season predictions for all 32 teams, playoff predictions and Super Bowl matchup. As well as my award predictions. I can't wait to get started, lets get to work!

2022 NFL Regular Season Predictions

The predictions post starts out with my regular season predictions of how each team will do. How many will I actually get right? More than likely less than 50%. Do I claim to be right when I do these? Definitely not. Enough with the disclaimer and let's go for broke!

Let's start with the AFC...

AFC East

Buffalo Bills (1st in AFC East): The Bills of 2022 have a stacked team with one of the best offenses in the conference with Josh Allen and his receiving corp. With the addition of Von Miller should add some leadership and if he's healthy somewhat of a pass rush. Only real concern that I would have is if they have enough talent to get over the hurdle that is the Kansas City Chiefs who have ended the Bills hopes of a championship the last two years. 

Miami Dolphins (2nd in AFC East): Out with Brian Flores and in with the offensive mind of Mike McDaniel. Miami added Tyreek Hill as a weapon for Tua Tagovailoa's arsenal. Providing if Tua can throw it to him the Dolphins offense will be much more explosive. Despite missing the playoffs last year the Dolphins got nine wins with a very inept offense. This year could be a bit different for Dolphins fans.

New England Patriots (3rd in AFC East): After a season of low expectations, there is higher expectations for Mac Jones to produce the same level that he did last year. With a new Offensive Coordinator in Matt Patricia at the helm (his first season on the offensive side of the ball) Mac Jones doesn't seem all that happy with the change. More so the Patriots should have a better time protecting Mac Jones and their defense should get better with Jabrill Peppers and Malcolm Butler patrolling the field. Could be a trying season in Patriot Country. 

New York Jets (4th in AFC East): Another year, another rebuild for the Jets. With a few additions like Sauce (nice name buddy) Gardner and Garrett Wilson will provide some help for the Jets on both sides of the ball that they didn't have last year. Giving Zach Wilson a wide receiver he can help move the ball to is one of them. Wilson will also have some security in getting CJ Uzomah from Cincinnati via free agency. New York isn't quite ready to get out of the basement but they have some signs of life. 

Overall, the AFC East will likely be a division that will be won by the Bills with some competition from Miami and New England. Quite honestly its a Super Bowl or bust for the Bills. 

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens (1st in AFC North): Baltimore dealt with the injury bug hard last year and nearly made the playoffs. With the offense getting back to health I feel this will be a make or break year for Lamar Jackson in a contract year. In an uncertain AFC North the Ravens could be a poised team that would take a trip back to the playoffs. 

Cincinnati Bengals (2nd in AFC North): A year ago, I didn't have the Bengals as the AFC representative in the Super Bowl, let alone be in the big game. Joe Burrow staying upright will be key for the Bengals return to the Super Bowl. The additions of Ted Karras, Alex Cappa and moving La'el Collins from center to right tackle will help keep Burrow upright. Typically the Super Bowl hangover for the loser means that the team will fall off and I don't trust the Bengals to win the division. Just a gut feeling.

Pittsburgh Steelers (3rd in AFC North): For the first time since 2003, there will be a quarterback not named Ben Roethlisberger on the roster. The search for his successor as lead the Steelers to get Mitchell Trubisky via free agency and Kenny Pickett from the draft. Pickett could likely become the starter. On defense, the Steelers should be right where they were last year, dominant. I question how well the Steelers offense can gel with a new leader under center. 

Cleveland Browns (4th in AFC North): The Browns made some big news in the offseason and not for the good reasons. Deshaun Watson got 250 million guaranteed and hasn't played a snap since 2020. Kind of typical for the Browns to make. The departure of Baker Mayfield will be tough for the Browns passing game to be on a level that will be needed to win ball games. Still they have Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb who can provide you with some help on offense. I don't see the Browns making a whole lot of noise. I seriously thought the Browns would have a change of heart by not trading for Watson. 

The AFC North seems a bit of a weird division in 2022. The Ravens are kind of a dark horse as well as the Bengals to try and win another division title. Pittsburgh seems like a sensible choice but I feel the quarterback carousel will make it tough. And then there's Cleveland.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts (1st in AFC South): Carson Wentz out and Matt Ryan is in for the Colts. A heartbreaking loss to the Jaguars last year doomed the Colts. The Colts added some help on defense with signing Stephon Gilmore and trading for Yannick Ngakoue. I think the Colts are poised to take advantage of a possibly cracked open AFC South if the Tennessee Titans falter a bit. 

Tennessee Titans (2nd in AFC South): Tennessee looked like a legit contender last season. Then the Derrick Henry injury happened. With Henry out the Titans limped along with a relatively weak AFC South. Doesn't help the Titans cause that they traded away AJ Brown and haven't given Julio Jones that big boy contract yet. I could see the Titans faltering a little bit but I still think their defense will keep them in games. 

Jacksonville Jaguars (3rd in AFC South): The Jags might actually will make some noise in the division if the Titans slip up a bit. Their head coaching will get better with Doug Pederson at the helm and not the sleezeball Urban Meyer. Trevor Lawrence might be entering the sophomore year in the NFL but he does have some help with Christian Kirk from Arizona and Travis Etienne. It could be a better year in Jags land but let's not go that far. 

Houston Texans (4th in AFC South): The trade haul for Deshaun Watson will help Houston out in the future in draft capital. In the present, the Texans are not looking that promising to be a contender to break out of the basement. Davis Mills will be the guide to another possible 10+ loss season. He will have some help with Brandin Cooks and offensive line help. Other than that there's not much to be hopeful for in Houston.

The AFC South is likely going to be the worst division in the conference as it will be once again a battle between the Titans and Colts for the division title. 

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs (1st in AFC South): Kansas City has seen some changes since we last saw them in January. Out with Tyreek Hill and in with JuJu Smith-Schuster. As well as out with Tyrann Mathieu and in with Justin Reid. The loss of Hill could make things a little challenging with Mahomes but he still has Travis Kelce who can provide him with the help that a tight end can provide. In a tough division it is hard to count out the Chiefs. 

Los Angeles Chargers (2nd in AFC South): The Chargers were a few seconds away from making the playoffs but a timeout doomed them in the end. Chargers offense will stay largely the same and as explosive as ever with Justin Herbert and company. The questions would come from a defensive perspective. Adding Khalil Mack to play opposite of Joey Bosa will give the Chargers defense a boost in defensive rush. I think the Chargers might be the biggest challenge to the Chiefs this year. 

Las Vegas Raiders (3rd in AFC South): The Raiders last year had a rough go of it. With the Jon Gruden controversy to the Henry Ruggs incident. Josh McDaniels is back in the head coaching ranks and could bring a better experience than what he had brought to the Denver Broncos a decade ago. He will be able to improve the offense and give Derek Carr, tight end Darren Waller and wide out Hunter Renfrow more explosiveness. They also added Davantae Adams from the Packers. The Raiders could be a wild card winner. 

Denver Broncos (4th in AFC South): Drew Lock is gone and Russell Wilson is in for the Broncos. For really the first time since 2015 when Peyton Manning was at the helm, the Broncos front office gave their fans someone they can hope for that can last more than a season. It seems that the move might be the best case for them to make some noise in the division. There's one problem. The AFC West is stacked and beefed up. 

There's a case that the AFC West is the best division in the NFL, not just the AFC. Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Derek Carr compose the quarterbacks in this division and that alone makes it quite the division. Any team could be a division winner and be a playoff contender. I wouldn't go as far as to say that all four teams will make it to the tournament but I think at least three teams will make it. 

Let's go to the NFC...

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles (1st in NFC East): The offseason champions made that moniker to use as the Eagles offense upgraded a lot. Philly took advantage of Tennessee and traded for AJ Brown in exchange for a 1st round pick. The Eagles also added some help on defense with Jordan Davis via the draft. Giving up Jalen Reagor to Minnesota could be perhaps a bit of a weird move but I still like the Eagles to possibly move in a division that had been dominated by the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys (2nd in NFC East): Big D's hold on the NFC East might slip up a bit as the other teams got better. Dallas had to shed quite a bit of talent due to the salary cap. Such players like La'el Collins, Amari Cooper, and Randy Gregory were victims of such financial circumstances. They would make up for the losses to add Jalen Tolbert to the wide out corp and offensive lineman Tyler Smith. It could be a trying year for the Cowboys but I think they can make the playoffs. 

New York Giants (3rd in NFC East): Big Blue seems to find some competent head coaching and a general manager that seems to know what they're doing. Brian Daboll takes over a team that has seen better days. Joe Schoen takes over the GM duties after spending time in team building in Buffalo. The G-Men have some weapons on offense that can translate into a better offensive unit. The question is how well the new coaching can gel with the roster and if said roster can stay healthy. I don't trust their secondary and Daniel Jones lacks a tight end that can be a security blanket. I think it'll be a year of breaking out of the basement for New York.

Washington Football Team Commanders (4th in NFC East): Washington made big news with a name change that lacks creativity. On the football side, the Commanders traded for Carson Wentz in exchange for draft capital. A lot of the Commanders fans hopes will hinge on how well Wentz can transition into the roster and generate offense. His report card from Indy last year could be marked as a "D" or an "F" depending on how you look at it. Certainly Colts head coach Frank Reich would've given him the latter. On defense, Chase Young will return after missing a majority of the season and can help Washington out with pass rush. 

The NFC East seems to be a mediocre division that lacks real depth. If there was a dark horse that can be a challenge it would be the Giants. It seems like its a division that will come down to if the Eagles choking and if the Cowboys can find a spark.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers (1st in NFC North): After another year of "Will Aaron Rodgers retire or not" the Packers signal caller will stay with the team for another season in a "Super Bowl or Bust" mode yet again. The Packers lost quite a bit of talent due to the salary cap. Such players like Davante Adams to Las Vegas and Za'darius Smith to the Vikings. Defensively, the Pack boasts possibly one of the better defenses in the conference with rookie Quay Walker and Kenny Clark fronting the defensive line. I think the Pack have enough to stave off the rising Vikings.

Minnesota Vikings (2nd in NFC North): The defensive minded coach Mike Zimmer is gone and offensive mind Kevin O'Connell is in. Kevin will bring forth his offensive mind from the Rams who had won a Super Bowl last year with that talent group. It'll mean that the Vikings offense will get better in both the passing and running games, more than likely the pass. Defensively, I still question them a bit. Bringing in former Packer Za'Darius Smith to the Purple People Eaters will help solve some problems. I feel its a good group that can make it to the playoffs in first year under the O'Connell regime.

Detroit Lions (3rd in NFC North): The key to the 2022 Detroit Lions will be keeping Dan Campbell. Seeing how the Lions fought hard for every game last year the Lions could've easily won more than the three games that they won in 2021. Detroit fell short of winning by a touchdown or less in seven contests. For 2022 the Lions picked up DJ Chark to help out a wide receiving corp that lacked weapons for Jared Goff to throw to. On defense, the Lions picked up Aidan Hutchinson from nearby Michigan via the draft to help bolster the line. With a better cast for 2022, the Lions might break out of the basement. 

Chicago Bears (4th in NFC North): I kind of forgot that Chicago hired a new head coach in Matt Eberflus. They also have a rookie offensive coordinator in Luke Getsy. All this spells is a long season for the Bears, especially for Justin Fields. Fields will improve in his mechanics and being more assertive. Will said improvement give the Bears a winning season, I wouldn't hold my breath. 

The NFC North will be a weaker division. Detroit might get more than 5 wins this season and that's a big step in the right direction for them. Green Bay and Minnesota will be at each others throats this season while Chicago will be the punching bag of the division. 

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1st in NFC South): For a moment it seemed that Tom Brady would be done with the NFL, and then he decided to unretire, just like Brett Favre. Brady would be right to stay on for another season as the Bucs roster has went with more younger players. Akiem Hicks took over for Ndamukong Suh, Russell Gage to replace Chris Godwin until he gets back from injury. The Buccaneers look to be the NFC's representative in the Super Bowl. 

New Orleans Saints (2nd in NFC South): The Saints hired Dennis Allen to replace Sean Payton who retired in the offseason. New Orleans has questions in the quarterback position as they have both Jameis Winston and Andy Dalton vying for the job. It seems that the job is Winston's job to lose. In the draft the Saints took Chris Olave who will be one of the best route runners in the business. On defense, the Saints signed Tyrann Mathieu to help with their secondary. Will the talent the Saints have be enough to overtake the Buccaneers, not likely. Still it seems that the Saints are Tom Brady's kryptonite. 

Carolina Panthers (3rd in NFC South): Carolina had a rough go of it in 2021. The 3-0 start seemed to put them on the map for one of the better teams in the NFC. Then the injury to Christian McCaffrey happened and it all went to crap. Carolina traded to get wanderer Baker Mayfield from Cleveland and some players don't seem to care for him. Still its an improvement from Sam Darnold but how much will it be? That'll be the question that has to be answered if the Panthers want to sniff a playoff berth. DJ Moore will be a great wide out and the drafting of Ikem Ekwonu to anchor the left side of the O-line will help. I don't see the Panthers doing a lot this year. 

Atlanta Falcons (4th in NFC South): Matt Ryan is gone and the Falcons will have to pay $40.5 million in dead cap as the quarterback got traded to the Colts. Other questions the team will have is at the quarterback spot as Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder look to be Ryan's successor. I don't see either of them putting up numbers like Ryan but it will be intriguing to see. Despite a lackluster roster, the Falcons do have one of the better tight ends in football in Kyle Pitts. It could be a case for the Falcons being the worst team in the NFC.

NFC South is possibly one of the worst divisions in the NFL but they do have one of the best teams in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Other than the Bucs I don't see any other team making a playoff berth. Just plain yucky of a division, just like the summer weather down there. 

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams (1st in NFC West): A team hasn't won back-to-back Super Bowls since the 2003 and 2004 Patriots. That was 17 years ago. The Rams look to end that trend. It'll be interesting to see how well bringing in Allen Robinson and Bobby Wagner to replace the losses of Andrew Whitworth and Von Miller. The case for the Super Bowl hangover is there but Sean McVay will have this group primed for another run and attempt to keep Tom Brady from making back to a Super Bowl. 

San Francisco 49ers (2nd in NFC West): San Fran believes that Trey Lance is the answer over the experienced starter Jimmy Garoppolo. Lance fits in well with the concepts that head coach Kyle Shanahan wants to deploy like counters, sweeps, etc. Some questions will come with is Nick Bosa's health and how well Deebo Samuel will gel with his new quarterback. It might be a playoff season for the 49ers. 

Arizona Cardinals (3rd in NFC West): The Cards are strange to me. They have enough talent to be one of the best teams in the NFL but always seem to smell rotten later in the season. Losing five of the last six games in 2021 helped prove that moniker well. Kyler Murray made some news for the worse that he and the team aren't on the greatest of terms. Murray will be without his top target in DeAndre Hopkins for the first six games of the season due to a performance-enhancing drug violation. Marquise Brown could also face some punishment due to a speeding offense on a Arizona highway. Defensively, the Cardinals have some pieces to keep them in games. JJ Watt will be key to the Cards getting a winning record. Could be a trying time for the Cards in 2022. 

Seattle Seahawks (4th in NFC West): Seattle sounded the rebuild bell by trading longtime quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver in exchange for Drew Lock. Head coach Pete Carroll will have to rely heavily on his running game of Rashaad Penny and 2nd round draft pick Kenneth Walker III to provide help on offense. Defensively the Seahawks pose a weak group but Jamal Adams is still on the roster which will help them in some games. Might be a trying season for the old ball coach and his Seattle Seahawks. The 2013 Seattle Seahawks seems like a distant memory now. 

The NFC West has a decent division with the Rams and 49ers bringing up the front while the Cardinals look to be average and the Seahawks looking to be in the basement. I'll give this division a better than average grade. Just not quite the same division that was during a few seasons ago. 

NFL 2022 Playoff Predictions

AFC:

1st seed: Buffalo Bills
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs
3rd seed: Indianapolis Colts
4th seed: Baltimore Ravens
5th seed: Los Angeles Chargers
6th seed: Las Vegas Raiders
7th seed: Cincinnati Bengals

Wild Card:

Chiefs over Bengals
Colts over Raiders
Chargers over Ravens

Divisional:

Bills over Colts
Chiefs over Chargers

Conference Championship:

Bills over Chiefs

NFC:

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

Wild card:

Rams over Vikings
Packers over Cowboys
49ers over Eagles

Divisional:

Buccaneers over 49ers
Rams over Packers

Conference Championship:

Buccaneers over Rams

Super Bowl LVII:

Buccaneers over Bills

Award Predictions:

MVP: Justin Herbert

Offensive Player of the Year: Justin Jefferson

Defensive Player of the Year: Nick Bosa

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Christian Watson

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson

Comeback Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey

Coach of the Year: Brandon Staley

Look out for the Week 1 Picks post to be posted sometime before the Thursday night game! Enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Offseason Thoughts

Hello readers! Welcome to the first post of the 2022 season. What is to be expected to be another thrilling season of me posting blogs this season, I would like to give my thoughts on some of the bigger stories going into the preseason for the 2022 season. My thoughts will include the quarterback carousel in Cleveland, the soap opera in Green Bay and my thoughts on which team should bring back their throwback uniforms for this season. Let's get to work!

Cleveland Browns: The Factory of Misery Reopened

There's two certainties in life: death and taxes. I would argue that there's a third: the Cleveland Browns doing something stupid. They have the capability of doing something good and then turn the clock back and screw themselves over. 

When the Browns held the #1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft, they took a shot and drafted Baker Mayfield. The Oklahoma product provided the arm that the team had sorely lacked. What he lacked was leadership and accuracy. Baker's first two seasons in Cleveland were marked as incomplete as he would suffer injuries, a plethora of head coaches, and poor play. Things would have to change in 2020 for him to stay in Cleveland. 

For the 2020 Browns they would have one of their better seasons since returning to Cleveland in 1999. Posting a 11-5 record and winning their first playoff game in 26 years. The formula for their success was a strong running game, a formidable defense and steady play from Mayfield. Great expectations were in store for the 2021 Browns. 

The 2021 Browns would falter from the lofty expectations. Injuries would ravage the team and that included the quarterback. The Browns would fail to make the playoffs and finished with a 8-9 record. It would be a season of change. 

Baker Mayfield's future in Clevleand would be questioned as the quarterback would see his team trade a 1st and a 4th round draft selection including a 2023 first and third round selection and a 2024 first and fourth round selection to the Houston Texans for quarterback Deshaun Watson and a 2024 sixth round pick. Baker Mayfield would be angered at the trade and would eventually get dealt to the Carolina Panthers for a 2024 5th round conditional pick. 

The trade for Watson was obviously a bad deal for not just the Browns but any NFL fan could see it. Watson has been dealing with off the field issues that would make any sensible team to pass on him. With 20+ allegations of sexual harassment of and sexual assault surrounding him he would end up settling the lawsuits out of court. With the off-field issues settled, the response from the NFL will be something yet to see. Any sensible response from the NFL would have Watson be suspended for the 2022 season but it could be a likelihood that he'll get 8-games. Honorable mention that the Browns guaranteed Watson $230 million. That's 230 with six zeroes. For a guy that won't likely play for them in half the season or so. 

I honestly hoped the best for you Cleveland. After only two postseason appearances in just 22 seasons, I thought 2020 would be a start of something special that would rival the great Browns teams from the 1980's. With a future that's strapped for Watson, I don't honestly think the 2022 Browns will achieve a lot this year. 

Green Bay: The Rodgers Era Continues

After another playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round, the Green Bay Packers would have to drop a lot of salary to stay out of cap hell. The Packers would have to shed big time stars like Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, an Za'Darius Smith to free agency or to trades. A rebuilding of the wide receiver room would be needed to return to good football. 

The Packers would once again not spend 1st round pick on a wide receiver in the 2022 draft. They would instead draft Christian Watson out of North Dakota State as a 2nd rounder. Another wide out would get included as Romeo Doubs of Nevada would get drafted as a 4th rounder. Samori Toure of Nebraska would also join the Pack. 

Aaron Rodgers would return to the Packers as he would enter his 17th NFL season. The passer is coming off another successful MVP campaign as he would throw for 4,115 yards with 37 touchdown passes. After failing to get past his childhood team, the 49ers, many people feared that 2021 would be his last in Green Bay. 

With a defense without its key pieces like Za'Darius Smith and a young wide receiver corp the Packers will need lean on throwing arm of Aaron Rodgers again to have success as division rival Minnesota Vikings look poised to be the thorn of the Packers backsides yet again. 

Throwback uniforms: A wishlist

With the 2022 season coming soon, various NFL teams will be bringing back their old uniforms to be featured in various games throughout the year. Such throwbacks that will be included are the Pat Patriot from the New England Patriots, the Kelly Green uniforms from the Philadelphia Eagles, and the "GIANTS" helmet logo from the New York Giants. With these uni's coming back I thought about what other throwbacks I would like to see make a return to the NFL. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: Batman/Triangle Uniforms

These uniforms were worn during a time when the Steelers were known more for losing than actually winning games. The Steelers would wear these for two seasons in 1966 and 1967 before going with their classic uniforms that they're using to this very day. The uniform itself is kind of cool and relatively simple. With a yellow trim at the top and a black/white primary color for the rest of the uniform the Steelers should bring this uniform back as they have used the bumblebee and mustard uniforms in the past. Sadly, the Steelers would rather not bring back this memory of their past when they were a doormat.

New York Jets: Kelly green uniforms

The Philadelphia Eagles weren't the only teams that sported the darker, Kelly green uniforms that were in fashion in the NFL during the 80's and 90's. The New York Jets would go for a more simpler look starting in 1978 as the team would go away from their classic Joe Namath era uniforms to a simpler look with the "JETS with a Jet" logo. The team wouldn't have the same success as they did but I like the simplicity of them. 

Seattle Seahawks: Blue & Green Seahawk uniforms

The Seahawks would sport this uniform way back when they were still in the American Football Conference in the old AFC West. The uniforms would be used from their inception in 1976 until they would move back to the NFC in the 2002 season. The uniform was simple with a lighter shade of blue than they use now with a blue and green Seahawk on the shoulder sleeves. It was simple but the Seahawks wouldn't find a lot of success in them as they wouldn't make it to a Super Bowl until the 2005 season. 

Plan for the future:

With training camps underway and preseason starting up in a couple of weeks and the season more than a month away, I plan on doing a preseason predictions post and a Week 1 picks post before the season starts. Until then, enjoy the preseason! 

-Tom