NFL 2020 Predictions + Playoff/Awards Picks

 Hello readers! Another NFL season is soon upon us. The days of summer are ending and the boys of fall are starting. The year 2020 has been not a kind one and the hope of a NFL season will surely bring some joy to at least most if not all of its fans. In this post I'll break down my predictions on how each team will do this season as well as my playoff and awards picks. Let's get to it!

Season Predictions

AFC

AFC East:

Buffalo Bills: Your old bully in the New England Patriots are going away like the Dodo. You have some help on offense with the addition of Stephon Diggs to give Josh Allen some weapons. Your defense is still good with with a very dangerous secondary with Micah Hyde. We shall see how well the Bills do with high expectations to take this division. Or they'll fuck it up. 

(1st in AFC East)

New York Jets: Honestly its a toss-up whoever finishes 2nd in this division. The Jets decided to let its star Jamal Adams go to Seattle via trade, possibly creating tension in the locker room. Honestly, your season will depend on how well the mono-prone Sam Darnold will play. If he can mature and provide some offense to this team, they can go far. Their defense is legit.

(2nd in AFC East)

New England Patriots : The big story up in New England is that Cam Newton is the heir to Tom Brady, the GOAT. New England's offense should do fine depending on which version of Cam Newton they'll get out of it, 2015 Cam Newton or Post-2015 Cam Newton. Hopefully the former.

(3rd in AFC East)

Miami Dolphins : The Tank For Tua campaign is complete and you got a few pieces that will help in the rebuild. I can't see Tua playing a majority of the season but he should learn as much as he can from Ryan "Beard-Man" Fitzpatrick. RIP Josh Rosen. 

(4th in AFC East)

AFC North: 

Baltimore Ravens: So you've had your best season in your franchise's history and you shit the bed by not winning a playoff game. Regardless, Lamar Jackson will still do Lamar Jackson things and your defense should still play well. 

(1st in AFC North)

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers intrigue me as a possible playoff team. They finished last year at 8-8 with Ben Roethlisberger out for most of the season. If Popeye can stay upright and go back to his old self, this team could be a real dark horse candidate in the AFC. That defense is quite good too.

(2nd in AFC North)

Cleveland Browns: So you shit the bed with moderately high expectations last season. Honestly this team needs to stay under the radar to have a chance at doing anything noteworthy. The Browns could do some nice things this season but honestly, they haven't proved to me that they can do anything nice. 

(3rd in AFC North)

Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals got their new franchise quarterback in Joe Burrow. With Joe Mixon and AJ Green to help him, they could do some good things but their defense was just as bad as their offense. The basement calls!

(4th in AFC North)

AFC South:

Indianapolis Colts: To be honest, the AFC South could be the worst division in football by year's end. The Colts would be the team to represent this division come January. Phillip Rivers still has something left in the tank and your defense is quite underrated with Darius Leonard and DeForest Buckner lining up the front seven. 

(1st in AFC South)

Tennessee Titans: You guys made quite the run last season beating the Patriots and Ravens in the playoffs. Despite an AFC Championship Game appearance you guys re-signed Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry should still play up to potential. Along with a good defense, this team could definitely make a run for the money. This division is pretty much up for grabs.

(2nd in AFC South)

Houston Texans: One of the bigger questions is why Bill O'Brien is still your head coach? You trade DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona for David Johnson. Did I miss something here? You trade your best pass catcher for a guy who has averaged less than 4 yards per carry in the last two seasons. Sure Brandin Cooks is a decent choice but its like replacing a Lamborghini with a 4-door sedan.  Injuries plague this team as JJ Watt hasn't stayed healthy for the last few seasons with 2018 being the exception. This team could do good things but it feels like a lost year for DeShaun Watson. 

(3rd in AFC South)

Jacksonville Jaguars: Oh Jacksonville, you were one win away from a Super Bowl appearance not that long ago. You basically told your stars to fuck off with not much else for Gardner Minshew to work with. At least you get a 2nd round pick for Yannick Ngakoue via trade to Minnesota. You'll need it for that rebuild. 

(4th in AFC South)

AFC West:

Kansas City Chiefs: You finally overcame 50 years of title drought with a victory in Super Bowl LIV. You still have the pieces in place that won that Super Bowl with you. I can't see this team coming down with a hangover. Unless the football gods decide to injure Patrick Mahomes. By the way, Mahomes got paid, big time!

(1st in AFC West)

Denver Broncos: The inclusion of Jerry Jeudy (yeah I had to look it up for spelling) from the draft will give 2nd year man Drew Lock some help along with Noah Fant. Bradley Chubb returning to the defense will help out as well. This team could make some noise with some luck on their side. Melvin Gordon III could help out as well. 

(2nd in AFC West)

Las Vegas Raiders: Over/Under 3 times I fuck up thinking this team is still in Oakland. I'd take the over. Joking aside, this team will do fine on offense with Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller at the helm. Carr's future is still in question but perhaps with a great year, Jon Gruden will see things eye-to-eye with his quarterback. Defense is still a work in progress. 

(3rd in AFC West)

Los Angeles Chargers: At least you guys won't have to deal with road team fans at your stadium with the pandemic going on. Your quarterback Phillip Rivers is gone and in with the former Oregon product Justin Herbert. The defense should do fine with Joey Bosa helping out. I just don't see this team doing a lot in a fairly stacked division.

(4th in AFC West)

NFC

NFC East:

Dallas Cowboys: This team frustrated me last season. They laid an egg against the Jets last year. Highly underachieving team. With Mike McCarthy at the helm, the Cowboys offense should do well. Everson Griffin is a decent replacement to the loss of Robert Quin but sack production could be a problem. Their window might be closing a bit depending on how well the NFC is stacked this season.

(1st in NFC East)

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles lucked out with a division title last season, let's be honest. Injuries have plagued this team for quite a while on both sides of the ball. I can't see them having an explosive offense with Alshon Jeffery's health and the inexperienced secondary could be a problem too. Who knows, Carson Wentz could make a miracle out of this team again.

(2nd in NFC East)

New York Giants: Big Blue should get an improved Daniel Jones going into his 1st full season at quarterback. Saquon Barkley once again is going have to carry the load of the offense. Jones and Barkley will have some issues with an O-line that isn't very good and a defense that is still developing. 

(3rd in NFC East)

Washington Football Team: The Redskins era is over in Washington and the "Football Team" era has begun. Jokes aside, this team is still going to be a headache to watch, especially on offense. Chase Young will help fill some holes on defense but this team will likely be an "automatic W" for teams that play them. 

(4th in NFC East)

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikes still have the pieces that helped them win a playoff game last season. They traded Stephon Diggs to Buffalo and replaced him with a potential star in Justin Jefferson. The acquisition of Yannick Ngakoue will bolster the defense. This team will have a good case to be a division winner. 

(1st in NFC North)

Green Bay Packers: Classic "Meet the new boss, just the same as the old boss" kind of team. This team made no impactful acquisitions in the offseason, let alone the draft. The defense should be better with Kingsley Keke at linebacker. Honestly, I don't think Aaron Rodgers will stay on once his contract is done. Don't get me started with Jordan Love. Rodgers will pull this team out of a losing season but not much farther. Seriously, fuck this team.

(2nd in NFC North)

Chicago Bears: Mitchell Trubisky's time in the Windy City could be over as the Bears acquired Nick Foles in the offseason. The loss of David Montgomery won't help the offense much as he could miss 2-4 weeks. The defensive anchor in Khalil Mack will help the Bears win some games against weaker opponents but this team will hinge on how well Nick Foles can get this offense to work.

(3rd in NFC North)

Detroit Lions: Detroit could make some strides this year if Matthew Stafford can stay upright. They will also need consistency as Stafford has had quite a many offensive coordinators and head coaches. If Matt Patricia doesn't make some noise this year, it could a hot seat this season for him. 

(4th in NFC North)

NFC South:

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees is coming back for another shot to try and get another ring. With Tom Brady in Tamps, the Saints will need to hold off the Bucs on top of the division. I feel safer with the Saint's as Brees is capable of winning games well into the double digits. The signing of Emmanuel Sanders will help out that case nicely. If their defense can improve this team can go beyond playing into January. 

(1st in NFC South)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: You got an upgrade at quarterback in Tom Brady which says something about Jameis Winston. Your offense will be better in terms of lesser interceptions. Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaquill Barrett on defense will help out. Will it get you over the Saints in the division? I don't think so. 

(2nd in NFC South)

Atlanta Falcons: With the Saints and Buccaneers getting better, Atlanta looks to be on the outside looking in. Their offense will do fine with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones at the helm. On defense, its a bit of a head scratch. The Falcons won't have to play both teams until later in the season so it should be a bit more of a smooth ride before then. 

(3rd in NFC South)

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers had a rough offseason. Cam Newton is gone, Eric Reid is gone, Ron Rivera is gone. Teddy Bridgewater seems to be a safer bet in quarterback compared to Kyle Allen or Will Grier. Both sides of the ball will be rough for the Panthers, especially for Christian McCaffrey who will have to carry the majority of the offensive load. 

(4th in NFC South)

NFC West: 

Seattle Seahawks: The team made improvements on defense with Bruce Irvin and Jamal Adams. Their offense is still good with Russell Wilson and a plethora of weapons like Greg Olson and DK Metcalf, as well as a running tandem with Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde. Offensive line will still be a problem.

(1st in NFC West)

San Francisco 49ers: You guys made a huge leap with a Super Bowl appearance. Hard to say that this team will have a hangover going into this season but injuries before the season starts will not help change that case. The offense will have to rely on their running game that helped them get to a Super Bowl. Matt Breida is gone so the workload will have to rely on Jerrick McKinnon and Raheem Mostert. 

(2nd in NFC West)

Los Angeles Rams: Expectations should be low for this team to do things. The offensive line will be a problem as they have injuries to their center and tackles. Defense will have to carry this team with Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp will still help out with pass catching. At least that new stadium will be nice, too bad fans won't be able to go in it, at least for a while.

(3rd in NFC West)

Arizona Cardinals: You picked up a great wide out in DeAndre Hopkins in exchange of David Johnson via trade from the Texans. The offense is starting to look up along with Kenyan Drake and sophomore quarterback Kyler Murray. The defense will be the major question for the Cardinals this season as they've been in the bottom of defensive categories for the last few seasons. Definitely trending upwards but the NFC West is pretty stacked. 

(4th in NFC West)

Playoff Picks

This season will include a 3rd wild card team into the mix this season. Personally I like the two-wild card system that has been around since 1990. Not every team needs to get in. This isn't the NHL or NBA for god's sake.

AFC:

1st: Kansas City Chiefs
2nd: Baltimore Ravens
3rd: Indianapolis Colts
4th: Buffalo Bills
5th: Pittsburgh Steelers
6th: Denver Broncos
7th: Cleveland Browns

Wild Card:
Baltimore over Cleveland
Denver over Indianapolis
Pittsburgh over Buffalo

Divisional:
Kansas City over Denver
Pittsburgh over Baltimore

Championship:
Kansas City over Pittsburgh

NFC:

1st: New Orleans Saints
2nd: Dallas Cowboys
3rd: Seattle Seahawks
4th: Minnesota Vikings
5th: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6th: San Francisco 49ers
7th: Green Bay Packers

Wild Card:
Dallas over Green Bay
Seattle over San Francisco
Tampa Bay over Minnesota

Divisional:
New Orleans over San Francisco
Dallas over Tampa Bay

Championship:
New Orleans over Dallas

SUPER BOWL LV:
New Orleans over Kansas City

Awards Picks:

MVP: Patrick Mahomes
OPOY: Dalvin Cook
DPOY: TJ Watt
OROY: Joe Burrow
DROY: Chase Young
Comeback Player of the Year: Alex Smith
Coach of the Year: Bruce Arians

Whether these predictions will come true or not, its somewhat fun to figure out what could happen. I'm pretty sure I got less than 25% of the predictions right last year. Expect the Week 1 predictions post to happen before Thursday. Back to the regular schedule for this blog with the NFL season coming up. See you guys before Thursday. 

-Tom

NFL 2020 Offseason Thoughts

Hello readers! It has been a fair while since I had last wrote on this blog. Days and months have passed since I wrote back in February on the Kansas City Chiefs victory in Super Bowl LIV over the San Francisco 49ers. In this post I'll talk about: Tom Brady, my take on the coronavirus pandemic and how it could affect the 2020 season, and my thoughts on making the season more fan friendly.

Brady taking his talents to Tampa

Tom Brady has been in the NFL for 20 seasons. For the 100+ years that the National Football League has existed, Tom Brady has been in it for 1/5th of its history. How about that for crazy stats. For 20 seasons he played for the New England Patriots, a franchise who's best known player was offensive guard John Hannah (if you've never heard of him, check him out). Brady helped put the Patriots on the map and gave Boston area fans a reason to watch football on Sundays.

In March, Tom Brady bid farewell to the team that he helped lead to countless victories, including six Super Bowl wins, including nine Super Bowl appearances. The rumors of his departure were ever growing when last fall he put his house up for sale. Once the news broke, the media went into a frenzy. Once the hardy veteran's contract with the Patriots was up, he became for the first time in his career, a free agent.

I could imagine there were a few teams that wanted him, but I felt that he knew all along that he wanted to be a Buccaneer. Who could blame him for wanting to go there? He has one of the best wide receivers in the game in Mike Evans along with former Patriot teammate Rob Gronkowski. Tampa Bay has an underrated defense as well, finishing the 2019 season as the best rush defense in the league, only allowing 73.8 yards/game. Along with head coach Bruce Arians, the Bucs look to make some noise in the NFC South.

The After-Brady Era 

The loss of Brady will hurt but it was to be expected. There was no "Brady riding off into the sunset" victory last season. If Brady truly wanted to retire, he would've after Super Bowl LIII. Patriots head coach Bill Belichek has won games before Brady, and it would to be expected that he will win games after Brady.

The team that Belichek has is still relatively good. They still have the hallmark Belichek defense that from top to bottom has great depth and uses many packages to confuse offenses. It is more of how well the offense can do.

Before July, it had been assumed that Jarrett Stidham would be Tom Brady's successor in New England. All that changed on July 2nd when former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton signed a 1-year deal with the Patriots. The 10th year passer out of Auburn will compete against Stidham along with Brian Hoyer for the starting quarterback role in New England.

I feel there's a few reasons why Cam Newton came to New England. First was the fact that the Patriots, in my opinion, was like an island of misfit toys of sorts, when other teams discarded their players, they found success in New England. All you have to look is Rodney Harrison who was discarded by the Chargers in March 2003, eleven months later he would end up helping the Patriots win their 2nd championship. Bill Belichek always gave you a 2nd chance if he felt that you still had something left in the tank. A sort of 21st century version of the Oakland Raiders in the 1970's.

2nd reason was that the Patriots are a stable franchise that can help him with his mechanics, help him be a better player for them. It should be a fact that the most successful teams in any sense of the word, starts from the top and works their way to the bottom. If you have a stable front office/leadership then people will gravitate towards that. People tend to like places where there isn't a lot of drama or weak leadership.

Coronavirus and the NFL

If you've been living in a cave or under a bridge for the past several months, you've more than likely noticed that there's a pandemic going on. It has certainly affected local, state, national and international governments. The way that the pandemic has been going on in the US has been less than satisfactory. While I won't go into the political side of the issue, I do believe that things haven't gotten better in the United States, compared to other countries. Be smart, where a mask if you have to go out in public.

I think the NFL will be watching how well the other three major sports leagues will handle their situations. The National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League will have restarts to their seasons later this month and Major League Baseball will start its season on Thursday the 23rd (I'm writing this as of the 18th). If it proves to be successful, then there should a good chance that the football season will start as scheduled come September. If it doesn't, then there could be problems.

There could be a possible reduction to the season where perhaps the only games will be divisional games or rather teams will play teams in close proximity to each other, to lessen the spread. The ultimate worst case scenario is that won't be no football this season. It is rather difficult to see how well things will go come September. American football is not exactly a sport where "social distancing" is a thing that is practiced all that often. Just imagine Aaron Rodgers telling Anthony Barr to practice social distancing while Rodgers hits Devantae Adams for a touchdown. In other words, it ain't gonna happen.

The Fan Experience

The major sports leagues in the US will more than likely have to have no fans in the stands for games. This will likely be none the truer than in the NFL. Since the possibility of no fans in the stands is in all likelihood, I've come up with a few ways to possibly make the fan experience better and help take our minds off of the problems of the outside world.

Cheaper price for NFL Sunday Ticket: The fact that you have to pay so much money for a TV package like Sunday Ticket is outrageous, let alone during a pandemic. It sucks that you have to be a Jets fan in Colorado or a Bears fan in Texas. It sucks that you have to pay close to 400 bucks for a whole season, hell it even sucks for those fans that can't even go to the games this season. You want to get fans interested in your league, make it cheaper, especially since many people right now are out of work.

Lessen the crowd noise: I don't really like artificial crowd noise. Hell, I hate it when teams put in crowd noise to drown out the fans in the stadium. I want to hear the players mic'd up. I want to hear them say words that you wouldn't say to your own grandmother. I want to hear them make adjustments as the game goes on.

Bring back vintage uniforms: I like history. I enjoy watching old NFL films productions. Bring back old school uniforms. I want to see uniforms that teams wore in their early years.

Bring back Monday Night Football on ABC: There's a reason why ESPN shows their Wild Card game on their network and ABC, TO INCREASE VIEWERSHIP. It sucks that its on cable and not on an ABC affiliate. Monday is usually the last time you get to watch football until Thursday. Just for this season have it be on ABC/ESPN simulcast.

Let fans make the call: This one perhaps could be a iffy. There's no question that NFL officiating has been questionable over the last few years, let alone decades. You want to gauge fan interest, let them vote on the call on whether or not a player caught the ball or not. Let them decide on a fumble.

The next post that will happen will more than likely happen later this month. Once training camps start happening I'll talk more. Eventually, I'll get into my preseason picks and my picks for the weekly games. Until then, thank you for reading and I'll see you all on the next post.

-Tom

NFL 2019 Super Bowl LIV Recap

Hello readers! Two teams entered the big game on Sunday night and only one would walk out of the carnage as Super Bowl champion. The bummer is that there won't be football until August. In the post I'll post a final NFL 100 spotlight featuring the greatest Super Bowl of all time: Super Bowl XIII, a recap of the game, halftime show, and my pick for the best commercial. Let's get to work and close up shop!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The number 13, a rather unlucky number to most people, is a rather lucky number when it came to the Super Bowl. The game had quite a few things right by it. It had high-scoring, drama, as well as hall-of-famers playing in it.

The Super Bowl pitted two teams that had won two previous Super Bowls in the 1970s. The Dallas Cowboys had won Super Bowl VI and XII, the Cowboys were the defending champions. The other team was the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had won Super Bowl IX and X. Both teams were fighting for their place as "Team of the Decade."

Both teams had ridiculous amount of talent on both sides. The Cowboys had Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Drew Pearson on offense and Randy White, Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, and Charlie Waters. The Pittsburgh Steelers had Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swan on offense and Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, and Joe Green on defense.

Super Bowl XIII had loads of future Hall-of-Famers in the game. Both teams combined for 25 Hall-of-Famers (including owners, administrators, coaches, players who would later be elected as head coach). Donnie Shell is the latest Hall of Famer that played in the game.

Both teams would combine for 64 points, certainly an unheard of amount prior to the game. The 2nd closest prior to that game was 47 in Super Bowl II. Certainly the rule changes prior to the 1978 season made the difference, for example the "Mel Blount Rule" which limited the amount of contact defenders could put on wide receivers.

The game wasn't without drama as well. The most dramatic player was Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson who made controversial statements like questioning Terry Bradshaw's intelligence, or how Steelers tight end Randy Grossman was only playing when someone "died or injured." Certainly Bradshaw and Grossman were ready to prove him wrong.

Ultimately, the Steelers would prevail in the contest. Most people forgot that the Cowboys would've made it a game when tight end Jackie Smith almost caught a pass in the endzone, but dropped it. Pittsburgh had won the war for "Team of the Decade." It was the first time that Terry Bradshaw threw for more than 300 yards.

The Steelers would win another Super Bowl a year later beating the Los Angeles Rams to win their 4th Super Bowl in six seasons. They wouldn't make it back to a Super Bowl until they faced off against the same Dallas Cowboys team in Super Bowl XXX, which ended in a loss for Pittsburgh.

The Dallas Cowboys would continue to have playoff success but wouldn't make it back to the Super Bowl for the rest of Tom Landry's tenure as head coach. Landry would be fired shortly after Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys in January 1989. After many successful drafts the Cowboys would win the Super Bowl three out of four years, becoming the Team of the 1990s. They haven't made it back to a Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXX.

It certainly has been fun looking back and researching the topics for these NFL 100 Spotlights. I plan on doing them well into next year and beyond. The NFL has been around for 100 years and there are many stories left to tell. Hopefully you've enjoyed reading these as well.

The Recap

Looking back after a few days of digesting the game, I felt the game was pretty solid despite the turnovers. I felt the game was going to be more points scored than last year and that was evidence as both teams combined for 51 points, just lightly under the over/under of 53. The coach that was the more aggressive playcaller ended up winning the game.

Jimmy Garoppolo finished the game with 20 of 31 passes completed with 219 yards and a touchdown while throwing two interceptions. Raheem Mostert had a decent game with 58 yards rushing with a touchdown. Deebo Samuel had 53 yards in the game. What really shocked me other than the 49ers poor clock management was that how bad the Chiefs rush defense was when it came to the 49ers running the ball. It's almost like the 49ers forgot the players that really got them there. Of course poor clock management, bad playcalling, and blowing leads is something that Kyle Shanahan has yet to learn from. After all he was the offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons when they blew a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI. Robbie Gould would hit two field goals, with the longest coming from 42 yards.

For the Chiefs it was solid performance. Patrick Mahomes finished the game with 26 of 42 passes completed for 286 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Mahomes would also get 29 yards rushing with a touchdown as well. Damien Williams rushed the ball for 104 yards with a touchdown in the game, his longest was the game-sealing 38-yard run for a touchdown that would give the Chiefs the 31-20 win. It wasn't Patrick Mahomes greatest game but he was tough fighting threw adversity and having a short-term memory about the interceptions. Mahomes deserved the MVP but I felt that Damien Williams should've been MVP as well. In the keys to the game, I had the Chiefs playcalling to be more aggressive as Andy Reid had made a reputation of himself to play conservative when it mattered most. In the game, the guy took chances and made the best of opportunities when it mattered most.

The Halftime Performance

If I had to grade it, I'd give it a B-. I thought last year's performance was not that great as I felt Maroon 5 was a bit past their prime. The idea of having two performers was alright. I liked that they had Shakira doing her bit and then J Lo doing hers and then the two performing together in a climax. I still consider Prince's halftime performance in Super Bowl XLI as the best. One thing is for sure... hips definitely don't lie.

The Best Commercial

The Super Bowl had its share of good, bad and ugly commercials. I felt the ugly was the political commercials that Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg put up (I mean put politics aside and try to enjoy the game). The bad was probably the Mountain Dew commercial, because it was a commercial that I had already seen before the game (probably on Youtube). The good was the Bill Murray-Jeep commercial. Definitely some honorable mentions are the Rocket Mortgage (with Jason Momoa) and the Pringles commercial (with Rick and Morty). I'd give it a grade of B.

What next?

Well, I'm not entirely sure exactly. I'm sure if something does pop up in the offseason, I'll write about it. You can expect the preseason prediction posts to come shortly before the regular season starts. That wouldn't happen for nearly 7 months though. Just keep an eye on the blog whenever something happens. I enjoy doing these and hopefully you've enjoyed reading them. Thank you!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Super Bowl LIV Pick Post!

Hello readers! The big game is less than a week away. I feel there has been enough time for me to make my thoughts clear and put into words. Along with my Super Bowl post I will do an NFL 100 spotlight based on the 49ers-Chiefs matchup that happened in 1994. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the 14th time in their history. Their matchups have been relatively high scoring. At one point the Chiefs would hang 44 points on the 49ers in a 44-9 game in 1997 while the 49ers put up 31 points in a 31-3 game in 1985. None of the previous 13 meetings will match up to the 1994 game that was a revenge game beyond all revenge games.

In 1993, the 49ers traded Joe Montana to the Chiefs. Montana had led the 49ers to 4 Super Bowl wins while compiling great stats for the 49ers. I certainly believed that Joe Montana looked forward to the Week 2 match up in the 1994 season against his old team.

Steve Young was brought to San Francisco in 1987. The quarterback would be in Montana's shadow during the 49ers Super Bowl wins in 1988 and 1989. Montana would suffer a season ending injury in 1991, Steve Young would take the reins from Montana. He would have his chance at last. He wouldn't lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl win however.

By 1992, Young had competition. Steve Bono was on the roster and Montana's season ending injury in 1991 was close to recovery. Young would play the most of the season except for the last game where Montana led the 49ers to victory against the Detroit Lions. It would be Montana's last game as a 49er.

In 1993, the rift between Montana and Young grew as teammates began to take sides. Some for Montana, some for Young. Young didn't want to return as a backup and many felt that Montana was the face of the franchise. Ultimately, Joe Montana made the ultimate sacrifice, he requested a trade.

The Week 2 match up in the 1994 season was unlike any other in NFL history. There had been revenge games before. One example that comes to mind was Super Bowl XII where the Dallas Cowboys had traded starter Craig Morton to the Giants, and then Morton was the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos in that game. Ultimately, Morton's successor, Roger Staubach, and his old team would hand him a rousing defeat. Nothing really like two future hall of fame quarterbacks who played for the same team, duking it out on opposing sides.

In the end, the Chiefs would win the game by the score of 24-17. Steve Young was roughed up by the Chiefs defense, as he was sacked four times in the game. The 49ers would recover from the loss and would finish the season with a 13-3 record. They would beat the Bears in the Divisional playoff and exacted some revenge on the Dallas Cowboys, who had beaten the 49ers in the 1992 and 1993 NFC Championship Games. Young and the 49ers humbled the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. Steve Young had finally gotten the shadow of Joe Montana off his back as he led the 49ers to a championship.

The 1994 Chiefs was somewhat of a direct contrast. After winning their first three games, the Chiefs would finish the season with a 9-7 record. The Chiefs would make the playoffs and put up a decent effort against the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card game. Montana threw for 314 yards with two touchdowns but ultimately lost the game 27-17 in what would be Joe Montana's last game.

In general, the Week 2 match up between the two teams didn't mean much in the end. Both quarterbacks had reached their respective conference championship games in 1993. Young was humbled against the Dallas Cowboys on the road and Montana would get crushed against the Buffalo Bills in the Bills 4th straight trip to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LIV!

So I'll be doing this sort of like what I did last year. I'll do topics on keys to victory, the tv broadcaster, how the two teams got here, the all-time series, and finally my pick to who will win. Let's get started.

TV Broadcaster:

Super Bowl LIV will be played on February 2nd, 2020. The United States TV broadcaster for the game will be FOX. This will be FOX's 9th Super Bowl telecast since becoming the NFC package holder prior to the 1994 season. Calling the game will be Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. The duo will be calling their sixth Super Bowl together. Their first Super Bowl assignment was back in Super Bowl XXXIX. Joe Buck is the son of the late broadcaster Jack Buck. Coincidentally, Jack Buck was the play-by-play broadcaster for Super Bowl IV for CBS. Super Bowl IV, prior to this season, was the Chiefs last Super Bowl appearance. We shall have to see if they can win it. 

The All-Time Series

The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the 14th time in the series. The 49ers hold the edge in the series with a 7-6 mark. The first match up between the two teams was back in 1971 where the Chiefs would beat the 49ers 26-17. Prior to the aforementioned 1994 match up, the 49ers had won four straight against the Chiefs. Most recently, the Chiefs beat the 49ers 38-27 during the 2018 season. 

How Did They Get Here?: San Francisco 49ers

Not much was to be expected from the 2019 49ers. They had lost four games in 2018 and they were playing in a tough division with the Rams and Seahawks vying for dominance. They were led on offense by Jimmy Garoppolo who had missed 2018 with an injury. Garoppolo threw well in 2019, with 3,978 passing yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. On defense they were led by veteran Richard Sherman who had signed with the 49ers in 2018 to provide a boost to the secondary. What made the 49ers stand out was their running game. The team relied on three running backs to get them yardage. Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida ran for 500+ yards in 2019 with Coleman getting 544 yards, Mostert getting 772, and Breida getting 623. The trio would combine for 15 rushing touchdowns. They were the comeback story in the NFL with a 13-3 record and crushed the Vikings and Packers to get to their 7th Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. 

How Did They Get Here?: Kansas City Chiefs

Expectations for the 2019 Chiefs were relatively high as this team last season was one offsides penalty away from possibly going to a Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes entered his 2nd full season as the Chiefs starter, quickly becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league in his 3rd season. The young quarterback would miss a few games due to injury but backup Matt Moore filled in nicely as Moore started for the Chiefs in the Packers and Vikings games during the regular season. The defense was anchored by Frank Clark on the defensive line while veteran Tyrann Mathieu patrols the secondary. On offense the Chiefs have a deep receiving corp with Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. The Chiefs would finish the season with a 12-4 record. In the playoffs they beat the Texans and Titans to get to their 3rd Super Bowl in franchise history.

Keys To The Game

The game is intriguing in terms of the possibilities of the passing game. I feel the game will be more of a offensive game than a defensive one in last year's Super Bowl. I can't see it being a combined 100+ game but i feel the scoring will definitely be in the 20-30's. Here's the keys to victory for both teams:

Chiefs:

Get the running game going: I feel the 49ers will attempt to contain Patrick Mahomes from really hurting them. 

Slow down the 49ers running game: San Francisco's bread and butter on offense is their running backs. Expect a long game for the Chiefs defense if they can't slow down the 49ers rush.

Don't stick to the conservative game: Let's be honest, Andy Reid is renowned for his conservative playcalling, especially when the Chiefs have a lead. Just play smart.

49ers:

Jimmy Garoppolo: He has benefited from a stellar running game and I feel the Chiefs defense will try to cause the 49ers to be one-dimensional. If he doesn't get into a rhythm, I can expect the 49ers will have a rough time on offense. 

Contain Patrick Mahomes: The Titans learned the hard way in not containing Patrick Mahomes. Fortunately, the 49ers do have a rush that can get to the quarterback. 

Get the wide receivers going: There's no question that the 49ers rushing attack is great but their wide receivers aren't as deep as the Chiefs. Perhaps they need to get going to prove they belong. 

The Pick

Super Bowl LIV will be the 23rd Super Bowl that I've watched since Super Bowl XXXII. My record in the game hasn't been that stellar but its hard to predict it after all. Before I release my pick for the game, here is my record so far:

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)

All-time record: 9-12

My pick for the team that will win Super Bowl LIV is:

The San Francisco 49ers.

While I feel the Chiefs are the sexy pick in the game due to Patrick Mahomes. I think the 49ers defensive front will prove to be too much for the quarterback. On offense I think the 49ers running game will be the big thing to watch. It will be interesting how well Jimmy Garoppolo will handle starting in the Super Bowl. I like seeing championship droughts come to an end but I just think the 49ers have been the better team all year. If they win they will join the Steelers and Patriots with 6 Super Bowl wins. I'd be alright with the Chiefs winning too but only one can become the champion and I'll take the 49ers.

As far as Super Bowl recap posts, I'll think about doing one on Tuesday/Wednesday next week. I've never done one before but I feel one more post will put a nice bow on the season. See you guys next week and enjoy the game!
-Tom

NFL 2019 Conference Championship Recap

Hello readers! Four teams came into Sunday, two came out of the carnage and will play in the big dance in less than two weeks from yesterday. The post will feature an NFL 100 spotlight on Deacon Jones and a recap of the championship games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The game of football has had its share of menacing players. So menacing that just by looking at them, they had a certain look to them that made them scary. Deacon Jones comes to mind in this respect. On Sunday's he was a force to be reckoned with. He put fear into opposing quarterbacks like no other. He coined the term "sack" that would be later featured as a statistic. His head slaps to opposing offensive linemen was lethal in gaining an advantage.

David "Deacon" Jones was born on December 9th, 1938 in Eatonville, Florida. He lived in a four-bedroom house with a family of ten. He would attend high school at Hungerford High School where he excelled at football, baseball and basketball.

He lived in the Deep South where he witnessed acts of prejudice and racism. He was 14 years old when he witnessed white teenagers hit an elderly black woman with a watermelon. The woman would die days later. Deacon was determined to not let society dictate what he would become. He found his outlet in football to unleash his anger as a motivation.

He would attend in two full seasons in college. First, was at South Carolina State University in 1958. His scholarship was revoked after the school learned that he participated in a Civil Rights Movement protest. In 1959, he was out of school and football. One of the coaches at South Carolina State moved to Mississippi Vocational College told Deacon and a few African-American players that they could get scholarships there. He would play a final season at MVC in 1960.

Jones was overlooked by NFL scouts as there was little coverage where he played in college. He was discovered by the Rams when Jones outran some of the running back prospects that they had been scouting. Deacon Jones was drafted by the Rams in the 14th round in the 1961 NFL Draft.

His role on the team was to complement the already talented defensive line in Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy, and Rosey Griner. Together they formed "The Fearsome Foursome." The group is widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive lines in NFL history.

He devastated quarterbacks with his elusiveness and speed. He stood at 6 feet, 5 inches with a 265 pound frame. He would revolutionize the position. He would coin the term "sacking the quarterback." While the sack didn't become a stat until 1982, his unofficial sack total throughout his career totaled to 173.5. While Bruce Smith was the holder in career sacks with 200.

He never won a championship in his career with the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers or Washington Redskins but his impact in defining the defensive end will never be outmatched. His head slaps would devastate offenses as it was a move that Jones learned from Muhammad Ali. If you slapped a linemen on the head, they would blink, and a second was all that Jones needed in getting an edge. Sadly the NFL outlawed head slaps years later. He is without a doubt my favorite defensive players to watch.

Conference Championship Recap

Tennessee Titans 24, Kansas City Chiefs 35: TW: Chiefs

It took them 50 years to get back to the Super Bowl but it was worth it. Ryan Tannehill was a bit more productive in the passing game as he threw for 209 yards with two touchdown passes. Derrick Henry was slowed down in the game as the runner would get 69 yards with a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes was shear magic in the game. Mahomes threw for 294 yards for three touchdowns. Mahomes would get 53 yards on eight carries. His 27-yard run for a touchdown was something to watch as he broke tackles from 5-6 Titans. Damien Williams ran the ball for 45 yards with a touchdown as well. Kansas City will play San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV on February 2nd. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead 30-24

Green Bay Packers 20, San Francisco 49ers 37: TW: 49ers

It was to be expected, perhaps I wanted it to be more competitive. Aaron Rodgers threw the ball for 326 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He would also lose a fumble on a botched snap. Aaron Jones ran the ball alright getting 51 yards with a touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo would only throw six of eight passes for 77 yards in the game. It would be the 49ers run game that would shine the best. Raheem Mostert ran the ball for 220 yards for four touchdowns. The 2nd closest 49er was Deebo Samuel who ran for 43 yards. The 49ers will play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV on February 2nd. 

All-time series: Packers lead 36-32-1

I won't be posting my Super Bowl pick this week but more than likely I will do it next week, possibly next Monday. See you all until then.

-Tom

NFL 2019 Conference Championship Picks

Hello readers! The final four is set and only two teams will make it past Sunday and will play for the ultimate prize on February 2nd. The post will have an NFL 100 Spotlight on a personal level and my picks for the AFC and NFC championship games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The National Football League has been a pretty big part in my life. I've seen every Super Bowl from Super Bowl XXX onward. The game was fast, fun to watch, and in general better defense with lesser rules. The tradition of watching football on Sundays really has been around for over 20 years and quite frankly I don't see it ending anytime soon.

The first game that really got me hooked for good was Super Bowl XXXII on January 25th, 1998. The storylines for the game were endless. Brett Favre looked to get his 2nd ring. John Elway was a Super Bowl participant in three Super Bowls and had lost all three. The NFC had dominated its brother conference since the San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX, nearly 13 years of NFC dominance in the Super Bowl.

It was also the last time that I would hear the great voices of Dick Enberg, Phil Simms and Paul Maguire in the same booth. The 1997 season was NBC's last season with the AFC package that the network carried since the merger of 1970 and AFL games since 1965. CBS would takeover the AFC package in the 1998 season. It would be the last time hearing that amazing Randy Edelman score during an NFL broadcast on NBC.

The pregame dope featured an intriguing spread. The Packers were favored to beat the Broncos by 11 1/2 points despite the fact that both teams had similar records. The Packers were defending champions and the Broncos were blown out in every Super Bowl that John Elway was under center for them. I suppose you can't blame Vegas for that.

The strange thing was that I picked the Broncos to win. Not necessarily because of the fact that I hated the Packers, it was that I liked the Broncos uniforms (you have to remember that I was 9 years old at the time) I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I eventually asked my parents to get me a John Elway jersey of the same uniform. It was certainly one of the coolest uniforms next to the "Pewter Power" uniform that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wore for the longest time after 1997.

Brett Favre was amazing in the game, throwing the ball for 256 yards for three touchdowns while throwing an interception. Dorsey Levens ran the the ball for 90 yards. John Elway would have a fairly average performance in the game, throwing for 123 yards with an interception. The Broncos running game, which had been absent in the three previous times Denver made it, would step up huge for them. Terrell Davis ran for 157 yards for three rushing touchdowns. John Elway would rush for 17 yards with a touchdown.

One of the coolest plays I've ever seen in a Super Bowl was the run that John Elway took. He told fullback Howard Griffith to block for him while he reached for a first down. He would dive head first and make contact with another player, causing him to helicopter around. Truly he and the Broncos wanted it more than the Packers.

Ultimately, the Packers three turnovers costed them as Denver took as much time off the clock as much as possible and converted those turnovers into scores. Both offensive lines played well as only the Broncos would sack Brett Favre one time, while John Elway wouldn't get sacked at all.

The Packers would return to the playoffs but would lose in the Wild Card round against the 49ers in a game known as "The Catch II." They wouldn't sniff another chance at a Super Bowl with Brett Favre. The closest that they would get to would be during the 2007 NFC championship game where Brett Favre threw an interception that ultimately gave the New York Giants a chance to win. It would be Favre's last pass as a Packer.

John Elway and the Broncos could finally get the monkey off their back and win their first championship in franchise history. They would repeat as champions again in Super Bowl XXXIII against the Atlanta Falcons. It would be John Elway's last game as he finally rode off into the sunset as finally a champion.

Super Bowl XXXII would be the game that got me hooked to the NFL and kept me hooked since. I watched the previous one and I thought the game in general was a blowout. Granted the weather that year in 1997 was dreadful where I lived. We had one of those "One In A Century Floods." I still look fondly back and enjoy that game very much.

Conference Championship Picks

Tennessee Titans (9-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: 

The Titans beat the Ravens and the Chiefs beat the Texans in the Divisional playoff last week. The game really depends on how well the Chiefs can stop/slow Derrick Henry. One advantage that the Titans have is at running back. If they can do that and force Ryan Tannehill to beat you, then I like the Chiefs defense in the match-up. I like the Chiefs at quarterback obviously as Patrick Mahomes has a good chance to get to a Super Bowl. Should be a fun game.

Green Bay Packers (13-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (13-3) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV:

The Packers beat the Seahawks and the 49ers beat the Vikings in the Divisional playoff last week. It has been a fun ride for the Packers as most fans wouldn't have ever expected this team to get far, let alone a playoff team. Green Bay has a chance to win if they can control the clock and keep the 49ers defense on the field. They once again will need to have a great game from Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Davantae Adams, and the rest of the receiving corp. The Packers defense couldn't keep the 49ers running game out of its element in the previous meeting. Let's just say that Green Bay has its hands full in this one and they are one deep threat away from really being on the 49ers level. I hope I'm wrong but if this game is anything like the previous meeting, this thing will be over by halftime. 

See you guys on Monday for the Conference Championship Game Recap!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Divisional Recap

Hello readers! Divisional weekend is over and the National Football League's version of the Final Four is set. We will go over how the four teams got there as well as an NFL 100 spotlight on the great Jim Brown. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

By the time you're 29 years old, you've got a career set, possibly married with a few kids on the way. When Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown walked away from the game at age 29, he felt he had no more left to accomplish. Who could blame him?

James Nathaniel Brown was born in St. Simons, Georgia on February 17th, 1936. He was the son of a professional boxer and a homemaker. His childhood was that of self-reliance as he was raised by his grandmother in the island of St. Simons, off the coast of the state of Georgia. He grew up unaffected by racism that much of the mainland would experience during that time.

He would move to Manhasset, New York at the age of eight with his mother where he would attend high school at Manhasset, playing football and basketball, and excelling at both. Brown set records in basketball, including 38 points per game, a record that stood until future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski would break it.

He chose to go upstate to Syracuse University for college. Like high school, Brown would excel in track, basketball, as well as lacrosse. In fact, he would score 43 goals in 10 games for Syracuse in his senior year. Ultimately, it would be football where he would choose his career path.

Ironically, the Cleveland Browns selected Jim Brown with the 6th overall pick in the 1957 draft. His greatness showed against the Los Angeles Rams, rushing for 237 yards, a record that stood for 14 years, and a rookie record that stood for 40 years. He continued his onslaught on the record books.

In 1958, he rushed for 1,527 yards in a 12-game season. The record broke Steve Van Buren's 1,146 yards set in 1949. He scored 17 touchdowns that season and the 2nd closest was Raymond Berry who had nine. Jim Brown would win his first of three NFL MVP awards throughout his career.

In 1964, Jim Brown helped the Cleveland Browns win the NFL championship over the Baltimore Colts. He rushed for 1,446 yards with seven rushing touchdowns that season. The Cleveland Browns haven't won a championship since.

He would win his 3rd MVP in 1965, compiling 1,544 yards with 17 touchdowns scored. Not also to mention his longest run that season was from 67 yards. Much to many people's surprise, Jim Brown retired after the 1965 season at the ripe age of 29.

Jim Brown helped set the standard for running backs in the NFL. His speed and agility matched only by his toughness and strong upper body strength. His 104.3 career rushing yards per game is an NFL record that still stands to this day. He led the league in rushing eight times while becoming the first NFL player to rush for 10,000 career yards. While he last played over 50 years ago, his contribution to the NFL will never be forgotten.

Divisional Recap

Minnesota Vikings 10, San Francisco 49ers 27: TW: 49ers; CV: Vikings

The good news: the Vikings offensive coordinator is going to Cleveland. The bad news: Kirk Cousins will likely have to learn a new system. Kirk Cousins finished the game with 172 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Dalvin Cook wouldn't get much on the ground as he mustered only 18 yards. Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball for 131 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Tevin Coleman ran teh ball for 105 yards with two touchdowns, getting leading rusher status for the game. The 49ers defense held the Vikings to seven first downs. Pretty impressive. San Francisco moves on to host the NFC Championship game on Sunday night.

All-time series: 49ers lead 24-23

Tennessee Titans 28, Baltimore Ravens 12: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

There's bound to be upsets in the Divisional round but that was a shocker. Ryan Tannehill threw the ball for 88 yards with two touchdowns, while running for 13 yards in the game with a rushing touchdown. Derrick Henry would throw a 3-yard pass for a touchdown while getting 195 yards in the game. Lamar Jackson was really a one-man show in the game for Baltimore, throwing for 365 yards with a touchdown with two picks. Jackson also ran for 143 yards in the game. Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards would only muster 22 and 20 yards respectively. Ravens defense and the rest of the offense failed to show up. Tennessee moves on to play on the road against the Chiefs.

All-time series: tied at 12-12

Houston Texans 31, Kansas City 51: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

By the end of the 1st quarter, it was 21-0 Texans. At halftime, it was 28-24 Chiefs. DeShaun Watson threw for 388 yards with two touchdowns. Watson also ran for 37 yards with a touchdown while Carlos Hyde ran for 44 yards. Patrick Mahomes threw the ball for 321 yards with five touchdown passes. He was the leading rusher for the Chiefs with 53 yards. Damien Williams also got 47 yards with two touchdowns on the ground. The momentum shifter was the bad call by Bill O'Brien to go for it on 4th down in your own territory. The move should seriously cost him his job but no word yet if he will still be employed. Kansas City moves on to host the AFC championship game against the Titans on Sunday afternoon.

All-time series: Chiefs lead 7-5

Seattle Seahawks 23, Green Bay Packers 28: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

The win was ugly but that's really the story of the season for the Packers. Russell Wilson threw for 277 yards with a touchdown while rushing for 64 yards. Marshawn Lynch couldn't get a lot going on the ground as he finished with 26 yards rushing but did get two touchdowns on the ground. Aaron Rodgers threw for 243 yards with two touchdowns, certainly vintage Rodgers. Aaron Jones was good in the ground game as he ran for 62 yards with two touchdowns. Offense puts up enough points while the defense does the rest, not a bad formula. Seattle had a good season with a great receiving corp potential in DK Metcalf. Green Bay heads west to battle the 49ers in the NFC championship game. 

All-time series: Packers lead 14-9

See you guys on Thursday/Friday for the Conference Championship Game picks!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Divisional Picks

Hello readers! The Divisional round of the playoffs is almost here. One of my favorite weekends in the NFL calendar. It's the David vs Goliath, the battle tested vs the rested, if you make it past this weekend, you're one game away from going to the Super Bowl. In this post, I'll talk about the great Jerry Rice in the NFL 100 spotlight and my picks for the weekend's games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The history of the NFL has had many great names. Many of them dominated in eras where offense was subpar compared to the defense, and vice versa. Only one player in the history of the game dominated from the first snap to the last snap of his career. He played from 1985 to 2004 on three teams. His statistics are records and the 2nd closest player is nowhere near him. He is arguably the greatest player in NFL history, Jerry Rice.

Jerry Rice was born on October 13th, 1962 in Starkville, Mississippi. He was the son of a brick mason. He would attend high school at B.L. Moore High School in Oktoc, Mississippi.

He wouldn't start playing football until his sophomore year. He wanted to play the game in his freshman year but his mother denied the request. After an incident of Rice being truant, the school principal contacted the school's head coach about Rice's speed and was allowed to join the team. Rice would also excel at track and field and basketball.

He attended college at Mississippi Valley State University for four seasons. He quickly became the standout receiver on the Delta Devils, gaining the nickname "World" for how he could catch anything thrown to him. He also set a single-game record for catching 24 passes in a game against Southern University in 1983.

His play in college gained the attention of many scouts but both the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys wanted to draft him. On Draft Day, the 49ers traded two picks to New England for the Patriots first-round choice. Dallas held the 17th pick in the first round. With the draft trade the 49ers selected Rice at pick #16. The Cowboys missed out on him by that much.

Jerry Rice wouldn't take long to impress his team and the rest of the NFL. He was particularly effective in a 10 catch, 241 yard receiving performance against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite early struggles like dropping man catches, Rice earned the NFC Offensive Rookie Of The Year award in his rookie year.

Some of his best football came in the biggest game of all. He was part of three Super Bowl teams with the 49ers in 1988, 1989 and 1994. He won Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXIII.

When he retired, he set career records in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. His 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards, and 197 touchdowns are all NFL records and no one has come close to it. What really truly made him great was his YAC (Yards After Catch). It was that that made him truly great. He was a great runner with a great catching ability. Arguably the greatest of all time.

Divisional Picks

The Divisional Playoff weekend starts in Santa Clara, California, and ends in Green Bay, Wisconsin. NBC and CBS will have games shown on Saturday and CBS and FOX will have games on Sunday. Let's get to the picks!

Minnesota Vikings (10-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (13-3) (NBC): TW: 49ers; CV: Vikings

The Vikings beat the Saints in the Wild Card round and the 49ers were on a bye last week. The weekend starts with a pretty intriguing game. On paper, it seems that the 49ers should get a win as they do have a better offense in my opinion but their defense is suspect in comparison against the Vikings defense. History should offer a warning to the 49ers as the Vikings once beat the #1 seed 49ers once in the 1987 playoffs (Vikings also beat the Saints on the road as well). Could Stephon Diggs put up Anthony Carter type numbers in the game? Its a possiblity. Its also possible that Adam Thielen could be out for the Vikings in the game as he is questionable. Minnesota will also be without Mackensie Alexander for this game but could return to play in the next game should Minnesota advance. I feel the more rested team will get the win as I tend to like the 49ers running game as a whole with Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida, Deebo Samuel, and Tevin Coleman. I think the home team will win on solid defense but I can't stress enough how much of an upset this will be if history repeats itself.

Tennessee Titans (9-7) @ Baltimore Ravens (14-2) (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Titans beat the Patriots in the Wild Card game and the Ravens were on a bye last week. Mark Ingram is unlikely to play in the game which means much of the workload will fall on Gus Edwards to get the Ravens a win. The Titans could make this a very interesting game with Derrick Henry as running back. If the Titans can control the clock and keep the Ravens offense off the field, this could be a very wild game. Ryan Tannehill is a decent quarterback but I can't think of him having a big game in this one. I'd be surprised if the Titans win this game. Lamar Jackson isn't 40 years old after all.

Houston Texans (10-6) @ Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The Texans beat the Bills in the Wild Card game while the Chiefs were on a bye last week. Houston barely managed to beat a team that shot themselves in the foot in the 2nd half last week. Quite honestly the Texans offense outside of DeShaun Watson needs to play better. He pretty much saved your butts last week. The same in general goes to Patrick Mahomes. He needs to put up better stats than the past few weeks, at least with more passing yards. I like the Chiefs offense a bit more than the Texans offense and in terms of defense I like the Chiefs offense a smidge better than the Texans as they have been playing better as well. I'll take KC.

Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ Green Bay Packers (13-3) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

The Seahawks beat the Eagles in the Wild Card game while the Packers were on a bye last week. Out of the teams that had a bye last week, Green Bay is probably the most vulnerable of being a one-and-done. The running game is capable of putting up numbers and Aaron Rodgers is good in the playoffs but which of his wide outs are going to step up and put up yardage. Outside of Davante Adams, who can Rodgers rely on? I feel the Packers defense will get tired of the offense going three and out in the game. Seattle has a running game and a capable receiving corp to get them far. If the Packers can't get to Russell Wilson then this game will be very much in Seattle's favor. I hope I'm wrong but I can't trust the Packers offense to put up more points than Seattle. Definitely hope that I'm wrong.

See you guys on Monday for the Divisional round recap.

-Tom

NFL 2019 Wild Card Recap

Hello readers! Eight teams entered into Wild Card weekend and four escaped to move on to next weekend's Divisonal playoff game. The post will have an NFL 100 spotlight on the 1974 Divisional playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders, also known as "The Sea Of Hands," as well as a recap of the Wild Card games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

Very few playoff games in NFL history had hype. Such hype came as surprise to some, while such games had so much hype that they would be called "Super Bowl 8 1/2." One such game would would be forever be called "The Sea Of Hands." The Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins would meet in one of the greatest games in NFL history.

The two teams had known each other very well. In 1973, the Raiders won the regular season meeting 12-7, snapping Miami's 18-game winning streak dating back to the beginning of the 1972 season. The two teams would meet again for the AFC Championship game. The Dolphins would exact revenge on the Silver & Black, beating them 27-10 in a dominating effort. The Dolphins would win the Super Bowl that year.

The next year, the two teams wouldn't meet in the regular season but the two would meet in the AFC Divisional round. There was much hype to the game as the media felt that the two teams were the best in the AFC. The game would be dubbed "Super Bowl 8 1/2" since the winner of the game would likely win the Super Bowl that year. Should be noted that the Pittsburgh Steelers would face off against the Buffalo Bills that weekend as well.

While I won't discuss the game in detail, it should be noted that this game had six lead changes with one tie. The game ultimately came down to an 8-yard pass from Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler to Clarence Davis that would ultimately give the Raiders the lead and would be the game winning score. Stabler was falling down when he threw the ball to Davis. Clarence Davis had many Dolphins players near him with their hands eyeing for the ball, hence the name "Sea Of Hands."

In the end, the Raiders ended the Dolphins their two-year run as champions. Miami wouldn't reach the playoffs again until the 1978 season. They would lose Larry Czonka and Jim Kiick to the riches of the World Football League. They wouldn't make it back to the Super Bowl until the 1982 season.

For the Raiders, they would move on to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. It would be ultimately John Madden's praise for the Dolphins and Raiders that would cost them a chance to win. An inspired Steelers team would come into Oakland and beat the Raiders and would kick off their dynasty of the 1970s.

Wild Card Recap

Buffalo Bills 19, Houston Texans 22 (F/OT): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

Buffalo will have to wait for another year to get that first playoff win since 1995. Josh Allen threw for 264 yards with zero touchdowns. John Brown would complete a 16-yard pass to Josh Allen for a touchdown. Josh Allen would be the leading rusher as he gained 92 yards for the game. DeShaun Watson would earn his first playoff victory while throwing for 247 yards with a touchdown. Watson would be the leading rusher for the Texans with 55 yards with a touchdown. To be honest, both teams really didn't deserve to win but sadly someone has to end up winning. Houston will go on to play the Chiefs on Sunday.

All-time series: Texans lead 6-4

Tennessee Titans 20, New England 13: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Titans played better than the Patriots. There I said it. Ryan Tannehill finished the game with 72 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Derrick Henry finished the game with 182 yards with a touchdown. Former Patriot, Logan Ryan, would give the Titans the win off an interception from Tom Brady for a 9-yard return. Tom Brady would throw for 209 yards while throwing said interception. Sony Michel was the leading rusher for the Patriots as he gained 61 yards. Julian Edelman would get 12 yards rushing while scoring a rushing touchdown. As far as Tom Brady's future is concerned, I feel he'll come back, but I don't know if he can get another ring as the Patriots wide receiving corp outside of Edelman is not that great. The Mohammad Sanu Jr trade was somewhat of a dud. Hard to say. Titans move on to take on the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

All-time series: Patriots lead 25-18-1

Minnesota Vikings 26, New Orleans Saints 20 (F/OT): TW: Saints; CV: Vikings

It was a surprise to some but not necessarily to me. Kirk Cousins threw the ball for 242 yards with a touchdown. That touchdown would ultimately be the game-winning score to Kyle Rudolph in overtime. Dalvin Cook returned to start and had a good game with 94 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Drew Brees threw for 208 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Taysom Hill was the leading rusher for the Saints with 50 yards while Alvin Kamara ran for 21 yards with a touchdown in the game. Hard to say if this is the last chance for the Saints to get another ring but certainly you have to not try to play against the Vikings it seems. Minnesota moves on to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.

All-time series: Vikings lead 23-12

Seattle Seahawks 17, Philadelphia Eagles 9: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

In his 16 seasons as pro, Josh McCown had not played in a playoff game, he would sadly not get the job done. Russell Wilson threw well in the game with 325 yards with a touchdown. He would also be the leading rusher for the Seahawks with 45 yards. Carson Wentz made his first playoff start in his career. He would ultimately leave the game with a concussion/head injury, with only 3 yards passing. Hardy veteran Josh McCown would take his place and put up 174 yards in the game. Miles Sanders ran the ball for 69 yards in the game. Sadly, Nick Foles couldn't quite save them this time. Seattle goes to Green Bay on Sunday.

All-time series: Seahawks lead 11-7

See you guys on Thursday/Friday for the Divisional picks!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Wild Card Picks

Hello readers! The Wild Card Weekend starts on Saturday. Gone are the pretenders and here come the contenders. This post will have a recap of my predictions that I made back in September and how I fared (which I know isn't looking too well), an NFL 100 Spotlight on the broadcaster Pat Summerall, and my picks for the Wild Card games this weekend. Let's get to work!

Preseason Recap

Before the season started, I made a predictions post on how each team will fare. I also predicted the division winners and who would eventually win the Super Bowl, as well as award winners. I will leave the award winners until probably after the Super Bowl but I'd say most of them are way off (Baker Mayfield for MVP was a bit off I'd say). Here's how I did:

Arizona Cardinals: 4th in NFC West (Correct)
Atlanta Falcons: 3rd in NFC South (Incorrect, they did tie with Tampa though)
Baltimore Ravens: 3rd in AFC North (Incorrect, probably thought Lamar Jackson would have sophomore jinx I guess)
Buffalo Bills: 3rd in AFC East (Incorrect)
Carolina Panthers: 2nd in NFC South (Incorrect)
Chicago Bears: 2nd in NFC North (Incorrect)
Cincinnati Bengals: 4th in AFC North (Correct)
Cleveland Browns: 2nd in AFC North (Incorrect)
Dallas Cowboys: 1st in NFC East (Incorrect, close but no cigarette)
Denver Broncos: 4th in AFC West (Incorrect)
Detroit Lions: 4th in NFC North (Correct)
Green Bay Packers: 3rd in NFC North (Incorrect, ouch my own team)
Houston Texans: 2nd in AFC South (Incorrect)
Indianapolis Colts: 1st in AFC South (Incorrect)
Jacksonville Jaguars: 3rd in AFC South (Incorrect)
Kansas City Chiefs: 1st in AFC West (Correct)
Los Angeles Chargers: 2nd AFC West (Incorrect)
Los Angeles Rams: 1st in NFC West (Incorrect)
Miami Dolphins: 4th in AFC East (Correct)
Minnesota Vikings: 1st in NFC North (Incorrect)
New England Patriots: 1st in AFC East (Correct)
New Orleans Saints: 1st in NFC South (Correct)
New York Giants: 3rd in NFC East (Correct)
New York Jets: 2nd in AFC East (Correct)
Oakland Raiders: 3rd in AFC West (Correct)
Philadelphia Eagles: 2nd in NFC East (Incorrect)
Pittsburgh Steelers: 1st in AFC North (Incorrect)
San Francisco 49ers: 2nd in NFC West (Incorrect)
Seattle Seahawks: 3rd in NFC West (Incorrect)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4th in NFC South (Incorrect)
Tennessee Titans: 4th in AFC South (Incorrect, maybe I was drinking too much of the Mariota kool-aid)
Washington Redskins: 4th in NFC East (Correct)

Well out of the 32 teams, I got 10 right in predictions. Almost a 1/3 of them.

Playoff seedings

NFC:
1st: New Orleans Saints
2nd: Dallas Cowboys
3rd: Los Angeles Rams
4th: Minnesota Vikings
5th: Chicago Bears
6th: Carolina Panthers

Well as far as seeding, I missed all of them but I managed to get the Saints and the Vikings in the playoffs.

AFC:
1st: Kansas City Chiefs
2nd: New England Patriots
3rd: Pittsburgh Steelers
4th: Indianapolis Colts
5th: Los Angeles Chargers
6th: Cleveland Browns

Same thing for the AFC for seeding but I got only the Chiefs and Patriots right in making the playoffs. Should be noted that I still have the prediction of a Saints vs Patriots Super Bowl in play. I feel good about it.

NFL 100: A Spotlight

If you were born between 1960 and 1995 and watched an NFL game, you more than likely heard the voice of Pat Summerall. From playing football at an early age to his final call at Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002 his life was football.

Summerall was born in Lake City, Florida on May 10th, 1930. He would play at Columbia High School as a placekicker. As well as football, Summerall played tennis, baseball, and basketball. He would go to college at the University of Arkansas from 1949 to 1951 and played as a placekicker, defensive end and tight end for the Razorbacks.

In the 1952 NFL Draft, Summerall was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 4th Round, with the 45th pick. He would only play for the Lions in the preseason before getting an arm injury. He was traded to the Chicago Cardinals from 1953 to 1957. He would then play some of his well-known football with the New York Giants from 1958 to 1961. He would play in "The Greatest Game Ever Played" in the 1958 NFL Championship Game. In 1959 he was 30/30 in Point After Touchdowns and 20/29 in field goals.

Summerall retired after the 1961 season and would be hired by CBS to work as a color commentator for the network's NFL package. During the early years of his job, he was paired with Chris Schenkel to do Giants games (CBS had their own crews designated to a specific team). He was there for CBS postgame coverage for Super Bowl I. After 1968, he rose to be part of CBS #1 crew, pairing with either Ray Scott and Jack Buck.

After Ray Scott's retirement after Super Bowl VIII, Summerall would take over as the Play-by-Play commentator and would be paired with Tom Brookshier. Brookshier would work with Summerall with during the "This Week In Pro Football" during the late 1960's through the 1970's.

Pat Summerall's most famous broadcast partner would be John Madden. Madden was hired by CBS in 1981. The pairing would call five Super Bowls for CBS. The pairing worked well as both knew football and could explain it well to the average viewer. Summerall's minimalist approach and Madden's coaching knowledge made them one of the best partnerships in Sports TV history.

When FOX won the NFC package in 1994, the fledgling network recruited both Summerall and Madden to front their production. The pair would call three more Super Bowl's for FOX before retiring from broadcasting after Super Bowl XXXVI. Joe Buck would take over as FOX's NFL #1 play-by-play commentator, paired with Troy Aikman with Cris Collinsworth.

As well as calling football games for CBS, Summerall would call CBS coverage of the U.S. Open and the Masters. He brought with him his velvety voice and minimilistic approach to those assignments as well. His best work was truly with the National Football League. His voice was nearly recognizable. If he was covering a game, you knew the game held something important.

Pat Summerall would pass away on April 16th, 2013 due to a cardiac arrest. The Sports World mourned as he was truly "a great loss." He was 82 years old.

Wild Card Picks

Wild Card weekend will start in Houston, Texas and end in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There will be two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday. ESPN and CBS will air the Saturday games while FOX and NBC will air the Sunday games. Here are the picks:

Buffalo Bills (10-6) @ Houston Texans (10-6) (ESPN/ABC): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Bills are entering as the 5th seed in the playoffs while the Texans are the AFC South winners as the 4th seed. Wild Card weekend isn't too kind for the Texans these last few years and if they don't win this game, head coach Bill O'Brien's future definitely is in jeopardy. I'm leaning towards the Bills because of their defense. If they can throw the Texans offense off a bit, they have a distinct advantage. Turnovers will be key to victory for Buffalo as they have a versatile running game with a quarterback to match. While Josh Allen's weapons aren't nearly as superb as DeShaun Watson's, clock management will be also huge too. The Texans are a 2.5 favorite which doesn't bode well for Vegas' confidence in the group. I can't trust the Texans to get a win. I have been wrong before with the Texans.

Tennessee Titans (9-7) @ New England Patriots (12-4) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Titans enter in the playoffs as the 6th seed and the Patriots won the AFC East along with the 3rd seed in the playoffs. One of the better match-ups in the weekend. Tennessee has shown that they can win with Ryan Tannehill as quarterback along with a great running back Derrick Henry. The Patriots have won with their strong defense and I feel they can easily make the Titans one-dimensional with them shutting down their running game and forcing Tannehill to beat them. Tom Brady hasn't played particularly well to standards but with the playoffs here, perhaps they can find new energy and win this one. I'd be generally surprise if the Titans win this game. 

Minnesota Vikings (10-6) @ New Orleans Saints (13-3) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Vikings

The Vikings are entering the playoffs as the 6th seed while the Saints won the NFC South as the 3rd seed. Minnesota is entering this postseason with a little chip on their shoulder. They have the underdog card as most experts felt that they wouldn't go far. My take is they have a very good defense and if they can get their offense going and cause havoc on the Saints defense. The key to the game is the health of Dalvin Cook and how well the Vikings can depend on running back Mike Boone if Cook is inactive. I like the Saints in the match-up but the Vikings could make this game a very interesting one. 

Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) (NBC): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Seahawks enter the playoffs as the 5th seed and the Eagles won the NFC East as the 4th seed. Keeping Russell Wilson upright will be huge as the Seahawks offensive line allowed 26 sacks in the previous seven games. Philadelphia got to Wilson six times. The Eagles will need Carson Wentz and the secondary to have a good day to have a chance to get a win as well. I feel with Marshawn Lynch on the team, they will have some inspiration to play well. The talent on paper for Seattle is there but momentum is not there for them as they lost two straight games. I feel safer with Philly if they can get to Wilson early and sack him or hit him. They have the blueprint to get him so why not Philly.

I'll see you guys on Monday for the Wild Card recap. I'll probably update the post with Cardinal Viking's picks as well. Enjoy the games!

-Tom

Update #1: added Cardinal Viking's picks

Update #2: Changed Bill Callahan to Bill O'Brien. Got the right first name but wrong head coach. Sorry Bill Callahan if you're reading this. 

NFL 2019 Week 17 Recap

Hello readers! The final week of the regular season is finished. What happens now is the National Football League's second season: the playoffs. In this post I'll talk about: an NFL 100 spotlight on the 1972 Miami Dolphins and a recap of the week's games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100 Spotlight

In sports, the word perfect is hard to come by. There's the perfect punch that knocked Joe Frazier out by Muhammad Ali in 1968, the perfect putt by Jack Nicklaus in the 1986 Masters, or Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Only one professional sports team in North American sports achieved a season without a tie or loss was the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

The story of the 1972 Dolphins began on the evening of January 16th, 1972. In only Don Shula's 2nd season as the Dolphins head coach, he lead the Dolphins to their first Super Bowl appearance. The Dolphins were held to 3 points in a 24-3 thrashing by the Dallas Cowboys. It had been Don Shula's 2nd Super Bowl loss in three years. He was the losing head coach in Super Bowl III as the Baltimore Colts head coach.

Don Shula's focus for the 1972 season was clear. The team wouldn't have a loss like that in that Super Bowl and if they had to go undefeated, they would do that such of a thing. As far as actually going undefeated, it probably was the farthest thing from their minds. Winning a championship was their goal.

The closest that the Dolphins came to losing was in a Week 3 match-up against the Minnesota Vikings on the road. Miami was down by 5 points in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter. Quarterback Bob Griese marched the Dolphins down the field and threw a 3-yard pass to Jim Mandich for the game-winning score.

During a Week 5 match-up against the San Diego Chargers, Bob Griese would be lost for a couple of months due to injury. The offense was now fronted by 38 year-old Earl Morrall. He was older than some of the Dolphins head coaches. In fact, they put up a rocking chair beside Morrall's locker. The hardy veteran kept winning games for the Dolphins.

The playoffs for the Dolphins were daunting. In the divisonal round, they would squeak by the Cleveland Browns 20-14. The NFL playoffs rotated by division at that time. As a result, the Dolphins would have to play on the road at Three Rivers Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The week before the AFC championship game was the "Immaculate Reception" play.

The offense struggled during the first half of the AFC Championship Game. Don Shula would make a quarterback change at halftime. Bob Griese would give life to the Dolphins as they would beat the Steelers 21-17 enroute to their consecutive Super Bowl appearance.

Super Bowl VII was Don Shula's 3rd Super Bowl appearance in 5 years. Another loss would be heartbreaking for the coach, but a win would seal the Dolphins place in history. The "No Name Defense" (named after Tom Landry) would hinder the Washington Redskins offense helpless. They forced three turnovers and held Redskins running back Larry Brown to 72 yards. The Dolphins offense scored enough points with two touchdowns: A 28-yard pass play from Griese to Wide Receiver Howard Twilley and a 1-yard rush from Jim Kiick.

In a play that would've made the game 17-0 in a 17-0 season. Garo Ypremian would have the kick blocked and attempted to throw a pass and would misfire. The gaffe would be returned by Redskins player Mike Bass for a 49-yard fumble return for a touchdown. While the Dolphins chance of having a shutout was dead, any chance for the Redskins to win was far from it. Don Shula's redemption was achieved and the Dolphins had completed their mission to go undefeated.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to win every game in their season without a loss or tie. The team wasn't necessarily the best when it came to strength of schedule. The Dolphins in 1973 would win the Super Bowl again but would finish the season with two losses. While they did lose a few games, they played better opponents. You could certainly argue that the 1973 Dolphins were better than the 1972 Dolphins but I feel you have to look at the record.

What made the team special was they were good in every area of a football team. They had one of the best offensive lines in NFL history nicknamed "The Expendables" and had a great defense. It would have to be their running attack that made them special. While they had Larry Czonka and Jim Kiick, they also had a great running back in Mercury Morris. Both Czonka and Morris would get 1000 yards rushing. What made the team special was that they won together, as a team.

Week 17 Recap

In 2017, the first season in the Blogspot era (4th overall season as a blogger) Cardinal Viking (my former roommate) won in picks. In 2018, both me and Cardinal Viking ended up with a tie. As for the 2019 season, we shall see who won in picks this year. Let's get started:

Green Bay 23, Detroit 20: TW: Packers; CV: Lions

The game was fairly ugly but somehow the Packers got some luck and won. Aaron Rodgers finished the game with 323 yards with two touchdowns while throwing an interception late in the 4th quarter. Aaron Jones had a stellar day with 100 rushing yards. David Blough finished the game with 122 yards with an interception. Danny Amendola would throw a 19-yard pass to David Blough for a touchdown. Ty Johnson was the leading rusher for Detroit with 65 yards but Kerryon Johnson ran the ball for 53 yards with a touchdown. With a first-round bye, the Packers needed it.

All-time series: Packers lead 102-72-1

TW: 1-0; CV: 0-1

Cleveland 23, Cincinnati 33: TW: Browns; CV: Browns

The Freddie Kitchens era is over. Baker Mayfield would finish the game with 279 yards with three touchdowns but threw three interceptions. Nick Chubb wouldn't get a lot on the ground game as he finished with 41 yards. Andy Dalton finished with 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The leading rusher for the game was Joe Mixon with 162 yards with two touchdowns. Andy Dalton would get 10 yards with a rushing touchdown as well. Cleveland will have to hire their 8th head coach since 2009.

All-time series: Bengals lead 51-41

TW: 1-1; CV: 0-2

Chicago 21, Minnesota 19: TW: Vikings; CV: Bears

Da Bears finish with an 8-8 season. Mitchell Trubisky threw for 207 yards but wouldn't throw for a touchdown nor an interception. Devin Montgomery had a solid day on the ground as he ran for 113 yards with a touchdown. Sean Mannion would start for Minnesota. He finished with 126 yards with two interceptions. Mike Boone would start the game at running back, finishing with 148 yards with a touchdown. It was a fairly meaningless game for the Vikings which have a tough road ahead going into the playoffs, traveling to New Orleans in the Wild-Card round.

All-time series: Vikings lead 60-56-2

TW: 1-2; CV: 1-2

LA Chargers 21, Kansas City 31: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The crowd made more noise when the Dolphins beat the Patriots than their own team beat the Chargers. Philip Rivers threw the ball for 281 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Certainly less than their previous meeting in Mexico City. Melvin Gordon finished the game with 46 yards with a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes threw for 174 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Mahomes also ran for 21 yards. Damien Williams was the leading rusher in the game with 124 yards with two touchdowns. Kansas City will have a 1st-round bye. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead 63-56-1

TW: 2-2; CV: 2-2

Miami 27, New England 24: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

For the first time since 2009, the Patriots will play on Wild-Card weekend. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw the ball for 320 yards with a touchdown. Fitzpatrick would also get 15 yards rushing with a touchdown as well. Patrick Laird was the leading rusher for Miami with 21 yards. Tom Brady finished the game with 221 yards with two touchdowns with an interception. Sony Michel ran the ball for 74 yards with a touchdown. The Patriots will play the Titans next weekend. 

All-time series: Dolphins lead 56-53

TW: 2-3; CV: 2-3

NY Jets 13, Buffalo 6: TW: Bills; CV: Jets

It was a meaningless game. Sam Darnold threw the ball for 199 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Le'Veon Bell was the leading rusher in the game with 41 yards. Matt Barkley started for Buffalo and finished with 232 yards with two interceptions, Josh Allen would enter the game but would only get 5 yards passing. Ian McKenzie ran for 30 yards on two carries while Frank Gore ran for 26 yards. Buffalo will go to Houston next weekend. 

All-time series: Bills lead 63-56

TW: 2-4; CV: 3-3

New Orleans 42, Carolina 10: TW: Saints; CV: Saints

They may have not gotten a first-round bye but they're quite possibly an underrated team heading into the playoffs. Drew Brees threw for 253 yards with three touchdowns. Latavius Murray ran for 61 yards while Alvin Kamara ran for 39 yards with two touchdowns. Kyle Allen started for Carolina and threw for 295 yards while throwing an interception. Will Grier would see some action as well but would only throw for four yards with an interception. Christian McCaffrey ran for 26 yards with a touchdown while gaining 72 yards. The Saints will host the Vikings next weekend.

All-time series: Saints lead 26-25

TW: 3-4; CV: 4-3

Atlanta 28, Tampa Bay 22 (F/OT): TW: Falcons; CV: Buccaneers

The Buccaneers season finished much like how it started: with an interception. Matt Ryan threw for 313 yards with a touchdown. Devonta Freeman ran for 58 yards while not scoring a touchdown. Jameis Winston threw the ball for 201 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ronald Jones ran for 106 yards with no touchdowns. Deion Jones put the icing on the cake with a pick-six into the Overtime period. 

All-time series: Falcons lead 28-25

TW: 4-4; CV: 4-4

Washington 16, Dallas 47: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

The Bruce Allen Era is over in Washington but it doesn't help that they got hung 47 against the Cowboys. Case Keenum threw for 206 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Adrian Peterson ran the ball for 78 yards. Dak Prescott had a good game with 303 yards with four touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliot ran for 122 yards with a touchdown. Where was this Cowboys team a week ago? 

All-time series: Cowboys lead 73-45-2

TW: 5-4; CV: 5-4

Indianapolis 20, Jacksonville 38: TW: Colts; CV: Colts

Minshewmania returns! Jacoby Brissett threw for 162 yards but didn't throw a touchdown pass in the game. Marlon Mack ran for 77 yards while scoring two touchdowns. Gardner Minshew turned in one of his better performances of the season, finishing with 295 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Ryquell Armstead ran for 33 yards but didn't get a touchdown. Give Gardner some defense next season!

All-time series: Colts lead 24-14

TW: 5-5; CV: 5-5

Arizona 24, LA Rams 31: TW: Rams; CV: Cardinals

It was a winning season for the Rams, at least. Kyler Murray threw for 325 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Kenyan Drake ran the ball for 60 yards with a touchdown. Jared Goff threw the ball for 319 yards with three touchdowns. Todd Gurley was the leading rusher for the Rams with 68 yards while Malcolm Brown ran for 26 yards with a touchdown. Final game at LA Coliseum for the Rams. 

All-time series: Rams lead 43-38-2

TW: 6-5; CV: 5-6

Oakland 15, Denver 16: TW: Broncos; CV: Raiders

Bittersweet moment for the Raiders but they move to better pastures in Las Vegas next week. Derek Carr threw the ball for 391 yards with a touchdown. DeAndre Washington ran the ball for 77 yards. Drew Lock threw for 177 yards with a touchdown pass. Philip Lindsay ran for 53 yards. Not much else to say about this one. 

All-time series: 65-54-2

TW: 7-5; CV: 5-7

Philadelphia 34, NY Giants 17: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

It was a beautiful moment to watch Jerry Jones turn away from the television knowing his team won't be in the playoffs. Carson Wentz did fine in the game with 289 yards with a touchdown. Boston Scott ran for 54 yards with three touchdowns while Miles Sanders ran for 52 yards. Scott would also get 84 yards receiving. Daniel Jones threw for 301 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Saquon Barkley ran for 92 yards with a touchdown. Philly hosts the Seahawks next week.

All-time series: Eagles lead 87-85-2

TW: 8-5; CV: 6-7

Tennessee 35, Houston 14: TW: Titans; CV: Texans

Mike Vrabel gets to play/coach against his former team in the Wild Card round next week. Ryan Tannehill threw for 198 yards with a couple of touchdowns. Derrick Henry had a stellar day on the ground with 211 yards with three touchdowns, his longest run was from 53 yards. AJ McCarron would get the start for Houston with DeShaun Watson resting for next week. McCarron threw for 225 yards with an interception. McCarron ran for 39 yards with a touchdown while Taiwan Jones was the leading rusher with 40 yards. The Titans go to Foxboro next weekend. Houston will host the Bills next weekend as well

All-time series: Titans lead 19-17

TW: 9-5; CV: 6-8

Pittsburgh 10, Baltimore 28: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

It was an icing on the cake to a great season. Devlin Hodges didn't do much as he threw for 95 yards while not throwing a touchdown. Benny Snell ran for 91 yards with a touchdown. Robert Griffin III would get the start, as to be expected, and threw for 96 yards while throwing a pick. He would also get 50 yards rushing. Justice Hill would get a rushing touchdown while getting 39 yards. Gus Edwards had a great day on the ground with 130 yards. Baltimore has the first-round bye.

All-time series: Steelers lead 28-24

TW: 10-5; CV: 7-8

San Francisco 26, Seattle 21: TW: 49ers; CV: Seahawks

The final game of the regular season was entertaining. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 285 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions. Raheem Mostert ran for 57 yards with two touchdowns while Deebo Samuel ran for 33 yards with a touchdown. Russell Wilson threw for 233 yards with two touchdowns. Travis Homer ran the ball for 62 yards. The game also saw the return of Marshawn Lynch to Seattle as the veteran ran for 34 yards with a touchdown. As well as a bag of skittles to go along with it. San Francisco will have a first-round bye while the Seahawks will travel to Philadelphia. 

All-time series: 26-17

TW: 11-5; CV: 7-9

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Week 8: 11-4

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 2-11

Week 11: 12-2

Week 12: 9-5

Week 13: 8-8

Week 14: 9-7

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 11-5

Week 17: 7-9

Overall: 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:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Week 8: 14-1

Week 9: 8-6

Week 10: 5-8

Week 11: 10-4

Week 12: 10-4

Week 13: 10-6

Week 14: 9-7

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 12-4

Week 17: 11-5

Overall: 161-94-1

Looks like I won this year in picks! When it comes to prizes, there are none, just bragging rights. In truth, win or lose, I still technically kind of win since I write the blog. Sorry Cardinal Viking, better luck next year. Anyway, look out for the Wild Card Picks post on Friday. 

-Tom