NFL 2022 Week 5 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The fifth week of the regular season is done and a quarter of the season is completed. There were many tasty storylines for the fans to digest. Such storylines like the roughing the passer penalties in Tampa and Kansas City, a clutch field goal by Justin Tucker, a giant upset in London, and a shutout in New England. All those storylines and more in this week's recap post. 

Week 5 Recap 

Indianapolis 12, Denver 9 (F/OT): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
Touchdowns were scarce but football ineptitude was plentiful. Matt Ryan was not good as he completed 26 of 41 passes for 251 yards with two interceptions. One of them was a blatant interception right down the middle. Deon Jackson would get a majority of the carries as he would get 62 yards. Philip Lindsay, the former Bronco, would get 40 yards in a return trip to Denver. Along with the two interceptions, the Colts would fumble four times but wouldn't lose it. For 3rd down conversions, the Colts were 4 of 16. Pass rushes would also plague the Colts offense as Matt Ryan was sacked six times. Russell WIlson would fare no better as he completed 21 of 39 passes for 274 yards with two interceptions of his own. One of them to the former Patriot, Stephon Gilmore in the 4th quarter. With Javonte Williams out for the season, Melvin Gordon would get a majority of the rushing yards with 54. Russell Wilson would feel the pressure and get sacked four times. Red zone efficiency would be a big, fat 0 for both teams went 0-6 combined.  On 3rd down conversions, the Broncos offense would stay stuck as they would go 2 of 15. For the Colts, it was an ugly win but they get their 2nd win of the season. For the Broncos, the loss drops them to 2-3 after a 2-1 start. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Jacksonville
Denver: @ LA Chargers (Monday night)

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

NY Giants 27, Green Bay 22: TW: Packers; CV: Giants
Wow how about those Giants. Daniel Jones would pass well in this game as he completed 21 of 27 passes for 217 yards. New York's running game would do the scoring in this game. Saquon Barkley would get 70 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown. His longest was from 40 yards. Gary Bright well and Daniel Bellinger would both get scores as they would get five and two yards rushing in this game. Jones would get 37 yards rushing. Aaron Rodgers wouldn't have the passing completion category but he would complete 25 of 39 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns to Marcedes Lewis and Alan Lazard. Aaron Jones would put up a respectable 63 yards on 13 carries. The Giants defense would hold down the Packers to 301 total yards. Green Bay would get a safety late in the 4th quarter that would be cut down the Giant lead to five. It wouldn't save them. Penalties would plague both teams as both teams would combine for 100 yards in penalties. Offense for the Packers would be faulty on 3rd down as they would go 4 of 10. The Giants are now 4-1 and keep pace with the Cowboys in the tight NFC East race and the Packers drop to 3-2.

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Baltimore
Green Bay: vs NY Jets

TW: 0-2; CV: 1-1

Chicago 22, Minnesota 29: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Vikings just don't want to do anything easy will they. Justin Fields would put up decent numbers in this game as he would complete 15 of his 21 passes for 208 yards with a touchdown pass to Velus Jones Jr on a 9-yard short pass down the middle in the 3rd quarter. Fields would tack on 47 yards rushing for the Bears. David Montgomery who has had a solid start to the year would only get 20 yards rushing with a touchdown run in the 2nd quarter. Kirk Cousins played well who completed 32 of 41 passes for 296 yards with a touchdown pass to Jalen Reagor, a recent pick up from the Eagles on a 1-yard pass play. Cousins would score a touchdown on the ground as well. The day would belong to Dalvin Cook who racked up 94 yards rushing with two touchdowns. The Vikings offense would go quiet in the 3rd quarter where the Bears who looked dead during the first half would put up points to where they would lead the Vikings by one point late in the 4th quarter. It would be a Cousins run to the endzone to give the Vikings the leading edge. For the Bears, it is a 2-3 with two straight losses. For the Vikings, their 4-1 record gives them sole possession of 1st place in the NFC North.

Next week:
Chicago: vs Washington (Thursday night)
Minnesota: @ Miami

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

Atlanta 15, Tampa Bay 21: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
It wasn't a pretty win for the Buccaneers but it was a win. Marcus Mariota, who had found a second life in Atlanta would complete 14 of 25 passes for 147 yards with a touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus  in the 4th quarter. Mariota would also be the leading rusher in the game as he racked up 61 yards. Avery Williams would get the scoring started for Atlanta with a 8-yard touchdown. Tom Brady, who made news this week with his hiring of a divorce lawyer, would complete 35 of 52 passes for 351 yards with a touchdown pass to Leonard Fournette. Fournette would get 56 yards rushing with a touchdown and had 83 receiving yards with a touchdown. All of Tampa's 21 points would come in both the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Tom Brady would be part of a controversial roughing the passer call that would go against the Falcons. There would also be a defensive pass interference call that would go not called. Brady would feel the heat of not just Tampa but also the Falcons as they would make him uneasy all day. For the Falcons, it is a 2-3 start after a few surprising wins. For the Buccaneers, it is a rebound win with a 3-2 record. 

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

TW: 2-2; CV: 3-1

Detroit 0, New England 29: TW: Patriots; CV: Lions
The 2022 Lions have put up points. In New England, they would put up a big, fat ZERO. Jared Goff would complete 19 of 35 passes for 229 yards with an interception. The running attack of the Lions, their bread and butter, would be held to 101 yards. Jamaal Williams would get 56 yards on 15 carries. The biggest stat for the Lions was their 4th down conversion as they became the first team since 1995 to go 0 for 6 on 4th down. I would at least try to go for a punt or a field goal. Bailey Zappe would get his first start for the Patriots and wasn't flashy but consistent was the word. Zappe would hit 17 of 21 passes for 188 yards with a touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers. Zappe would have an interception as a blemish. Rhamondre Stevenson would have a day on the ground as he rushed for 161 yards on 25 carries. Darn shame he didn't have a touchdown. The turning point in the game would be a Lions fumble that would be recovered by Kyle Dugger for a 59-yard touchdown. For, the Lions it is their 3rd straight loss with a much needed bye week next week. For the Patriots, it is a huge win as they get back on the winning column to a 2-3 record. 

Next week:
Detroit: Bye
New England: @ Cleveland

TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2

Houston 13, Jacksonville 6: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
Well Houston, you can say that you have your win. Davis Mills would complete 16 of 24 passes for 140 yards. He wouldn't get a touchdown but he wouldn't throw an interception in this game. Dameon Pierce would be the shining light for the Texans as he would get 99 yards with a touchdown. He would have a 20-yard run that would be the longest run play for the Texans. Houston's offense wouldn't amount to much as they would get 248 yards. Trevor Lawrence wasn't spectacular in this game as he complete 25 of 47 passes for 286 yards with two interceptions. Travis Etienne rushed for 71 yards on 10 carries. His 30-yard long run would be the longest run for the Jaguars. Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson would hit two field goals for the Jags only points in the game. For the Texans, it is their first true win of 2022. For the Jaguars, it is two straight losses after going 2-1. 

Next week:
Houston: Bye
Jacksonville: @ Indianapolis

TW: 3-3; CV: 3-3

LA Chargers 30, Cleveland 28: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
It was a Cade York field goal miss that saved the Chargers from disaster. Justin Herbert completed 22 of 34 passes for 228 yards with a touchdown to Austin Ekeler. Herbert rushed for 49 yards with a touchdown but it would be Ekeler that would be the star in this game. He finished with a stat line of: 16 carries, 173 yards rushing, one touchdown, with a 71-yard run. Jacoby Brissett completed 21 of 34 passes for 230 yards with a touchdown but also tossed an interception. Nick Chubb was doing his thing as he rushed for 134 yards with two touchdowns on 17 carries. His partner in crime, Kareem Hunt, rushed for 47 yards with a touchdown. The Browns would find themselves at good field position as Chargers coach Brandon Staley gave them a 4th and 2 play that would force the Chargers to give the ball back to the Browns. Cleveland proceeded to go down the field with 1:10 left to go. Cade York would attempt a field goal from the 35-yard line and looked good at first before it would sail right. Both teams were plagued by midges, a small insect, that comes from Lake Erie. A bug that was made famous due to a 2007 baseball playoff game with New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain swatting the bugs against the Cleveland Indians. For the Chargers, they are now above .500 after a rough 1-2 start including a lopsided loss to the Jaguars. For the Browns, they fall to 2-3 in a tightly contested AFC North. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Denver (Monday night)
Cleveland: vs New England

TW: 4-3; CV: 4-3

Miami 17, NY Jets 40: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Quarterback problems loom for the Dolphins. Teddy Bridgewater would have an incompletion before leaving the game after being hit by Ahmad Gardner on a blitz that was deep in the Dolphin endzone. The incompletion would lead to not just Bridgewater leaving the game with an injury but an intentional grounding penalty resulting in a safety. Third string quarterback Skylar Thompson, the product of Kansas State, completed 19 of 33 passes for 166 yards with an interception. Miami would have a few shining moments as Raheem Mostert rushed for 113 yards with a touchdown. Tight end Durham Smythe would find the endzone on a run play from the 1-yard line. Zach Wilson completed 14 of 21 passes for 210 yards. New York's running game would be their point production as Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Bernard Berrios and Zach Wilson all scored at least a touchdown. Michael Carter scored two touchdowns. Breece Hall rushed for 97 yards. For the Dolphins, their issues loom large as they drop to 3-2 on two straight losses. For the Jets, they are above .500 for the first time in a long time as they are in 2nd place in the AFC East. 

Next week:
Miami: vs Minnesota
NY Jets: @ Green Bay

TW: 4-4; CV: 4-4

Pittsburgh 3, Buffalo 38: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
I felt it would be a Bills win but not a 35-point Bills win. Kenny Pickett got his first start for the Black and Gold. The former Pitt Panther completed 34 of 52 passes for 327 yards with an interception. Pittsburgh's running game would fare less as Jaylen Warren got 24 yards rushing. Najee Harris rushed for 20 yards. Josh Allen was like Picasso against the Steelers defense as he completed 20 of 31 passes for 424 yards with four touchdowns with an interception being his lone mistake. He would also get 42 yards rushing. James Cook would get 31 yards rushing with a touchdown and Devin Singletary would match Allen with 42 yards rushing. Buffalo would put forth 31 points in the 1st half as the lead would not be relinquished in this game. Pittsburgh's offensive woes continue as they went 5 for 15 and 0 for 3 on 3rd and 4th down conversions. For the Steelers, it is their fourth straight loss after being the defending AFC champion Bengals in Week 1. It is their worst loss in the Mike Tomlin era and the 35-point loss was the franchise's worst since 1989. For the Bills, it is their 4-1 record that keeps them atop the standings in the AFC East. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Tampa Bay
Buffalo: @ Kansas City

TW: 5-4; CV: 5-4

Seattle 32, New Orleans 39: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
It was the Taysom Hill show in the Big Easy. Geno Smith was good in this game for the Seahawks as the passer completed 16 of 25 passes for 268 yards for three touchdowns, two of them to Tyler Lockett. Kenneth Walker III would see the endzone for a touchdown while getting 88 yards rushing for Seattle. The touchdown would come from a 69-yard (heheh nice) run play that gave the Seahawks a 32-31 lead in the 4th quarter. Andy Dalton completed 16 of 24 passes for 187 yards with a touchdown pass but also threw an interception. Taysom Hill had a day for the Saints. Hill would complete a 22-yard pass for a touchdown while rushing for 112 yards for three scores becoming the 3rd player since the 1970 merger to rush for 100 yards with three touchdowns while passing for a touchdown. LaDainian Tomlinson in 2005 and Ronnie Brown in 2008 were the other two players. New Orleans's rush offense would out hustle their passing offense to a 235-203 margin. For the Seahawks, it is a wounding loss that marks their record at 2-3. For the Saints, it is their 2nd win after a horrid start to 2022. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs Arizona
New Orleans: vs Cincinnati

TW: 5-5; CV: 5-5

Tennessee 21, Washington 17: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Three touchdowns were enough for the Titans to top the Commanders. Ryan Tannehill hit 15 of 25 passes for 181 yards with a touchdown pass to Dontrell Hilliard. Derrick Henry was doing his thing as he rushed for 102 yards with two touchdowns. Carson Wentz was good in the game as he completed 25 of 38 passes for 359 yards with two touchdowns to Dyami Brown in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Wentz had the chance to win the game for Washington but would toss an interception at the 1-yard line to Titans defensive back David Long Jr. Tennessee's defense would save the day for the 2nd time in three games. Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr would get 22 yards rushing on nine carries for Washington. For the Titans, it is a 3-2 record that puts them at 1st place in the AFC South. For the Commanders, it is a 1-4 record with four straight losses to keep them in the basement of the NFC East.

Next week:
Tennessee: Bye
Washington: @ Chicago (Thursday night)

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

San Francisco 37, Carolina 15: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
It was red and gold in the stands and red and gold on the field. Jimmy Garoppolo would hit 18 of 30 passes for 253 yards with two touchdown passes to Tevin Coleman and to Deebo Samuel. Further proving to the 49ers that not trading him was the best thing that they could've done. Jeff Wilson would have a great game running the ball getting 120 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown. Tevin Coleman would also add a rushing touchdown to this game while putting in 23 yards rushing. San Francisco would take advantage of a Baker Mayfield pass that would land in the hands of Emmanuel Moseley and returned it for a 41-yard score. Baker Mayfield wouldn't amount to much as the former Brown would get only 20 of 36 passes completed for 215 yards. He would toss said interception to Mosley. PJ Walker would see some action as he would get a solid 5 of 6 for 60 yards passing. Christian McCaffrey would provide the only offensive touchdown for the Panthers in the 3rd quarter on a 19-yard run to the right. The Panthers would attempt a 2-point conversion but like their game plan, it would fail. If you watched highlights of this game you could seriously see more red than light blue in the stands. For the 49ers, they're above .500 and with the Rams struggling are now in the drivers seat in the NFC West. For the Panthers, the 2022 campaign can't end anytime soon as their record drops to 1-4. The best news possibly will be Matt Rhule losing his job come Monday.  

Next week:
San Francisco: @ Atlanta
Carolina: @ LA Rams

TW: 7-5; CV: 7-5

Dallas 22, LA Rams 10: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
It was a game that Murphy's Law would apply, at least if you were a player who wore a Rams jersey. Cooper Rush made stats last week as being the only Cowboys quarterback to win the first four starts of his career. His numbers for his fifth win weren't impressive as he completed 10 of 16 passes for 102 yards. Tony Pollard would shine in this game as the runner would get 86 yards rushing with a touchdown. He would get a 57-yard run for the touchdown that would be the longest in the game. Ezekiel Elliot would carry most of the running back workload as he would get 22 carries for 78 yards. The first score for Dallas would happen on a Matthew Stafford fumble that would be picked up by Demarcus Lawrence with only a minute and 24 seconds past in the 1st quarter. Brett Maher hit 3 for 3 for field goals. Matthew Stafford somewhat struggled in this game as the passer completed 28 of 42 passes for 308 yards with a touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp. He also threw an interception along with said fumble. Some trick plays would be used by the Rams as Riley Dixon would toss a pass for a 12-yard gain. Cooper Kupp would try a pass but would be an incompletion. The Rams running game was stifled for the game as Cam Akers was held to 33 yards on 13 carries. Cooper Kupp had 125 receiving yards with seven catches. The Rams would also try some fake punt plays. One would be successful while the other wouldn't. For the Cowboys, the 2022 season has been a success with their tremendous depth and 4-1 record. For the Rams, their flatness on offense has put them to a 2-3 hole in the NFC West. 

Next week:
Dallas: @ Philadelphia (Sunday night)
LA Rams: vs LA Rams 

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

Philadelphia 20, Arizona 17: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Eagles stay undefeated after a near miss field goal. Jalen Hurts completed 26 of 36 passes for 239 yards with 61 rushing yards on two touchdowns. At game's end Hurts would account for 300 total yards. Miles Sanders rushed for 58 yards on 15 carries. You'd have to give props to the Cardinals defense as they really held down the Eagles offense to 6 of 13 on 3rd down conversions and kept their offense in this game. Kyler Murray completed 28 of 42 passes for 250 yards with a touchdown but also tossed an interception early in the 1st quarter. Arizona's offense wouldn't get to the scoring mood until the 7th minute mark in the 2nd quarter on a Murray to Marquise Brown connection. Eno Benjamin rushed for 25 yards with a touchdown on the ground. James Conner was the leading rusher for the Cards with 55 yards. With 22 seconds left in the game, the Cardinals entrusted Matt Ammendola to kick their way to overtime. On a 43-yard field goal the ball looked like it would go through before veering right like a Scott Norwood flashback. For the Eagles, they remain undefeated with their 5-0 start, their best start since 2004 when they went to Super Bowl XXXIX. For the Cardinals, they fall to 2-3 in a NFC West where the division is up for grabs. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Dallas (Sunday night)
Arizona: @ Seattle

TW: 8-6; CV: 8-6

Cincinnati 17, Baltimore 19: TW: Ravens; CV: Bengals
Justin Tucker does his best Mighty Mouse impression. Joe Burrow completed 24 of 35 passes for 217 yards with a touchdown pass to Hayden Hurst in the 2nd quarter. He would take a dive for the endzone. Burrow would follow his linemen's lead and dive into the endzone for the other touchdown that the Bengals scored. The touchdown would give the Ravens 1:58 of gametime left for Tucker to try his magic. Joe Mixon would rush for 78 yards on 14 carries. Ja'Marr Chase would be a small factor in this game as he caught seven balls for 50 yards. Overall the Bengals offense would put 291 total yards. Lamar Jackson completed 19 of 32 passes for 174 yards with a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews in the 2nd quarter. He was also picked off by Von Bell. Jackson would once again be the runner as he rushed for 58 yards. Justin Tucker, the platinum leg of the NFL, would hit four field goals in this game. The fourth field goal would count the most. From 43 yards, Tucker would hit the ball right down the center like a golfer's putt in the Masters tournament. For the Bengals, they drop to 2-3 and share a tie with the Cleveland Browns in 2nd place for the AFC North. For the Ravens, it is a 3-2 record and they would drop a lead but with the thanks to their clutch kicker, they avoid the disaster. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ New Orleans
Baltimore: @ NY Giants

TW: 9-6; CV: 8-7

Las Vegas 29, Kansas City 30: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Tensions would flare in this game as two rivals meet in Kansas City. Derek Carr would get the Raiders offense going as he hit 19 of 30 passes for 241 yards with two touchdown passes. Both of them to Davante Adams. One of the touchdowns would come on a 4th and 1 play that would go for a 58-yard touchdown and then a 48-yard touchdown. Josh Jacobs would get 154 yards rushing with a touchdown run. Davante Adams had a good game with 124 receiving yards on three catches. The last play of the game would come down to a Carr to Adams pass that was originally called a completion but a replay review would reverse that call. Patrick Mahomes would do Mahomes things in this game as he completed 29 of 43 passes for 292 yards with four touchdowns, all of them to Travis Kelce. Jerrick McKinnon would go for 53 yards rushing on eight carries. The Chiefs would be on the receiving end of a questionable roughing the passer penalty on Chris Jones. It looked at first like it was a sack on Derek Carr but an official made the call to give the Raiders a first down. Las Vegas was up 17-0 before the Chiefs went on a 30-12 run to win the game. For the Raiders, it was a gut wrenching loss but the fact of the matter is that their record is now 1-4. For the Chiefs, the near loss was an ugly win but suffice to say is that they are leading the AFC West with a 4-1 record heading into a huge contest against Buffalo next week.

Next week:
Las Vegas: Bye
Kansas City: vs Buffalo

TW: 10-6; CV: 9-7

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6

Total: 42-37-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7

Total: 37-42-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

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

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 6 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 5 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. Through four week of play, only one team remains undefeated. Also through four weeks all 32 teams have at least half of a win to their name. If the 2022 season could be put into one word it would be: parity. In this post I'll do a preview of the week, my picks for the week's games and the broadcast pairings for the early and late game windows. I'm stoked to get started. Let's get to work!

Week 5 Preview

The fifth week of the NFL's regular season starts in Denver, Colorado and ends in Kansas City, Missouri. The week features a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. No teams are on a bye. Week 5 features a Thursday night game, a Sunday morning game, nine early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will have the doubleheader this week and CBS will carry the single, regional game. Let's get to the picks!

Week 5 Picks

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

Indianapolis (1-2-1) @ Denver (2-2) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
Both teams lost last week as the Colts lost to the Titans and the Broncos lost to the Raiders. The week starts with a decent matchup with two veteran quarterbacks with two of them missing their star running backs. Jonathan Taylor and Javonte Williams will force both teams to go with their other runners in this game. The Colts have been a disappointment thus far this season and their turnover margin will need to improve to get them back into the AFC South hunt. The loss of Taylor will have to give Colts fans frights of their offense being one-dimensional. Denver has been somewhat of a decent team that is trying to figure themselves out on offense. Russell Wilson has had a tough start. I think the game will come down to whoever gets stuffed the most on the rush offense. If either team will be forced to go to the air a lot will likely mean they're losing. I'll take the Broncos.

NY Giants (3-1) @ Green Bay (3-1) (NFL Network; 9:30 am): TW: Packers; CV: Giants
Both teams earned wins last week as the Giants beat the Bears and the Packers beat the Patriots. It's the second straight week in London. How about that breakfast football? New York has had a resurgence and have been the biggest surprise of the season and the reason for the turnaround has been their rush offense. It's currently tops in the league with 192.5 yards/game. It's going to face a test in the Packers defense. Green Bay has been guiding the ship ahead but the loss of Davante Adams has been noticeable as the Packers passing attack isn't quite in the top 10 yet. Like the Giants, the Packers have a tough rushing attack of their own and will have to exploit it to get a win. I'll take the Packers. 

Chicago (2-2) @ Minnesota (3-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Bears lost to the Giants and the Vikings beat the Saints last week. A old black and blue division battle as the Bears face off against the Vikings. The Bears go into this matchup with a tough loss to the Giants. They go up against a real tough test as they face off against the division leading Vikings. It's going to come down to Justin Fields playing his best game of the year thus far. As for the Vikings, they have had a successful year despite their team at times likes to smell their own farts and make things difficult. A loss for them could possibly set them back in the division race and losing a division game is not acceptable if you're the Vikings. I think the Vikings will go forth and put up points against the Bears.

Atlanta (2-2) @ Tampa Bay (2-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Falcons beat the Browns and the Buccaneers lost to the Chiefs last week. Atlanta has been a surprise somewhat. Their offense has stepped up to the challenge and their biggest star has been Cordarrelle Patterson. The man has lead the Falcons to the 4th highest rushing yards/game in the NFL. Tampa Bay has had a bit of a sluggish start compared to the last few seasons. With the news of Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen, his wife, hiring lawyers for divorce it could spell a trying time for the quarterback. On football terms, I think the Buccaneers will have enough talent to play well and beat their division rival. They will have to rush the ball a lot more to do that. 

Detroit (1-3) @ New England (1-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Lions
Both teams lost their games last week as the Lions lost to the Seahawks and the Patriots lost to the Packers. A tale of two team's seasons spiraling out of control. You have a Lions squad that can't keep opponents out of the endzone and you have the Patriots who can't keep a quarterback healthy. Detroit is on pace to break the most points scored in a season record held by the 1981 Baltimore Colts. Bailey Zappe will likely get the start and wasn't terrible against the Packers. I think the Patriots will take the dub because of their strong running game and Zappe looks to be not like Tom Brady but more of a field general. Not flashy but not a gambler either. I'll risk it ant take the Pats.

Houston (0-3-1) @ Jacksonville (2-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
Both teams lost last week as the Texans lost to the Chargers and the Jaguars lost to the Eagles. Houston has been as to be expected, in a rebuilding mode. Jacksonville nearly beat the undefeated Eagles and that has to say a lot about them. The resurgence of the Jaguars has been their head coach Doug Pederson and the maturity of sophomore quarterback Trevor Lawrence. I really don't trust Houston to win this game. Jacksonville just has too much talent to afford to lose to the hapless Texans.

LA Chargers (2-2) @ Cleveland (2-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Chargers beat the Texans and the Browns lost to the Falcons last week. A matchup between two 2-2 teams. The Chargers have been explosive on offense as to much of everyone's liking. Justin Herbert looked good throwing the ball and I feel the good feelings will resonate again. Cleveland does have something that can be lethal to a high scoring offense: a running game. If the Browns can utilize their running attack and keep Justin Herbert on the bench they do have a solid chance to win. This would have to mean that the Chargers would have to eat clock themselves. I do like the Browns in the game but I can't convince myself that the Chargers will let the Browns hang around. 

Miami (3-1) @ NY Jets (2-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Dolphins lost to the Bengals and the Jets beat the Steelers last week. Tua Tagovailoa will be out for this game. With controversy surrounding the handling of his injuries last week, I think it was the right call. In his place will be journeyman, Teddy Bridgewater, who will get the start. I think the offense will be fine with Bridgewater as long as he doesn't drive the offensive machine off the cliff. The Jets will definitely have their hands full in this game. Zach Wilson made his 2022 debut and wasn't great but wasn't god awful either. I'm still scratching my head how they won that game last week. Anyway, I'll take the Dolphins. 

Pittsburgh (1-3) @ Buffalo (3-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Steelers lost to the Jets and the Bills beat the Ravens last week. Pittsburgh hasn't gotten off to the start that we've all expected. They finally gave their offense a spark and played rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett against the Jets. They will have a huge question mark on who should start. I personally think that their offensive troubles start with offensive coordinator Matt Canada who is just unwilling to adapt and switch things up on offense. At least not run the ball on a 2nd and long play. The Bills have been playing well up to expectations and are heavily favored to win this game. Josh Allen has been masterful in the offense and he has been instrumental to their success the last few years. If the Steelers have a shot to win, I would say it would have to be getting better balance on offense and try to take shots down the field. 

Seattle (2-2) @ New Orleans (1-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The Seahawks beat the Lions and the Saints lost to the Vikings. Seattle put up numbers against Detroit last week. Will they have the same offensive explosion against the directionless Saints. Probably not. The Saints have a offense to match but have a question mark at quarterback as Andy Dalton played alright against the Vikings. He certainly will have a good shot to win with the offense he has. New Orleans has been suspect this season. I feel that they really went to Jameis Winston for too long. I'll take the Seahawks for the upset.

Tennessee (2-2) @ Washington (1-3) (CBS: 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Titans beat the Colts and the Commanders lost to the Cowboys last week. Tennessee has been playing some decent ball this week and their offense has been playing well. Derrick Henry has been returning to form and it's probably a good thing too. Ryan Tannehill has been mixed this year but he could yet be good in this game. Washington has been a bit of a mess so far with Carson Wentz at the helm. Turnovers have been handed out like Washington are the NFL's official baker. If they want to get back on track they're going to have to play better football and not giveaway the ball. I'll take the Titans.

San Francisco (2-2) @ Carolina (1-3) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Rams and the Panthers lost to the Cardinals last week. San Fran has been playing well and soundly beat the defending champions. They've done it with their balanced attack as well as Deebo Samuel. Their defense has been hitting people and taking away the ball. Carolina has seemed to be the team on the decline. It's to the point where Baker Mayfield could be benched for Sam Darnold. Matt Rhule's seat could boil over if they lose this game. Losing the locker room isn't quite the situation that he would want to be in. 

Dallas (3-1) @ LA Rams (2-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Cowboys beat the Commanders and the Rams lost to the 49ers last week. The marquee game of the week on FOX. Dallas comes into this game winning 3 of 4 games. Cooper Rush has been a steady backup. It is possible that Dak Prescott could return but honestly, I'd rest him for this game. The defending champions have been sluggish this season and it doesn't help that the turnovers have been killing them. If the Rams want to win they'll have to play their way and let Aaron Donald loose on the backup quarterback. If the Cowboys want to win they'll have to get their running game going. I'll take the defending champs.

Philadelphia (4-0) @ Arizona (2-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Both teams won last week as the Eagles beat the Jaguars and the Cardinals beat the Panthers. A battle of the birds! Philly has an undefeated record and it is warranted as they had a great offseason. Both sides of the ball have been playing well. The Cardinals have been either really good or bad. They played well against the Panthers but the Panthers have been not great. I think the unbeaten streak will continue but I feel the Cardinals will make it an interesting game. 

Cincinnati (2-2) @ Baltimore (2-2) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Bengals
The Bengals beat the Dolphins and the Ravens lost to the Bills last week. Cincy has been playing better as of late. They had a rough game against the Steelers and Cowboys but have had great wins against the Dolphins and Jets. The Ravens should honestly be 3-1 but they seem to have a habit of blowing leads. With the way that they let the Bills game slip away from them they really shouldn't afford to let a lead slip away against a good team like the Bengals. I'll take the home team.

Las Vegas (1-3) @ Kansas City (3-1) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Both teams won last week as the Raiders beat the Broncos and the Chiefs beat the Buccaneers. Las Vegas has had a rough start to the season but finally got a win for Josh McDaniels. What they face against is their old rival in the Chiefs. The Chiefs have been playing well despite a flustered loss against the Colts. The win against the Buccaneers convinced me that they got a great shot to win against the Raiders. Perhaps momentum will finally go to the Raiders but I can't go against Patrick Mahomes in this game.

Early & Late Game TV Pairings

Note: games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings for your area.

CBS Single

Pittsburgh @ Buffalo
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Miami @ NY Jets
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

LA Chargers @ Cleveland
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Tennessee @ Washington
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Houston @ Jacksonville
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

San Francisco @ Carolina (LATE)
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

FOX Early

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

Chicago @ Minnesota
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Detroit @ New England
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Seattle @ New Orleans
Brandon Gaudin, Matt Millen

FOX Late

Dallas @ LA Rams
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Philadelphia @ Arizona
Chris Myers, Robert Smith

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2022: Week 5 Maps

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5

Total: 32-31-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10

Total: 29-35-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

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

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 5 Recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 4 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week gave us exciting and interesting storylines to digest for the next few days. Such storylines like Tua's injury, the Ravens blowing yet another lead, a double doink in London, and the Chiefs and Buccaneers doing battle in a Super Bowl rematch. All those storylines and more in this week's recap. Let's get to work!

Week 4 Recap

Miami 15, Cincinnati 27: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
What was to be a good game would be overshadowed by an injury. Tua Tagovailoa would be cleared to play after what seemed to be a head injury on Sunday against the Bills. It would be listed as a back injury. The back would be alright for Tua as he would complete 8 of 14 passes for 110 yards with an interception. He would leave after taking a vicious tackle drive to the ground by defensive tackle Josh Tupou. The quarterback would display signs of a "fencing response" and would remain down for seven minutes. Tua would be stretchered off the field and taken to a local hospital to be cleared hours later. His backup Teddy Bridgewater, the journeyman, would provide 193 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception. Raheem Mostert would provide help to the Dolphins running game with 69 yards. Tyreek Hill would get 160 receiving yards. Joe Burrow would be showing his 2021 form as he completed 20 of 31 passes for 287 yards with two touchdowns. Joe Mixon would get a rushing touchdown while adding 61 yards from the ground. As far as what my take is on the "Tua situation" I would say is that if he did have a concussion against the Bills, then there should've been no reason for him to play on Thursday on three days rest. I feel fines and docking draft picks would be necessary. For the Dolphins, the undefeated campaign ends with a rough loss. For the Bengals, they're back to .500 and look to keep going in 2022.

Next week:
Miami: @ NY Jets
Cincinnati: @ Baltimore (Sunday night)

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Minnesota 28, New Orleans 25: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Vikings and the Fleur De-Lis would invade London's Tottenham Stadium. Kirk Cousins would lead his Norsemen and provide 25 of 38 completed passes for 273 yards with a touchdown but also gave a pass away to the Saints. Dalvin Cook would fight on the ground to provide 76 yards on 20 carries from the ground. Justin Jefferson would surprise the Frenchmen on a 3-yard run to the left. Andy Dalton would get the nod from his head coach to start. The journeyman would provide 20 of 28 passes completed for 236 yards with a touchdown pass to rookie Chris Olave. Latavius Murray would get a touchdown while providing 57 yards for the flower people. Taysom Hill would also get a touchdown on a 2-yard run to the right. It would be a display for the two teams kickers as Greg Joseph and Wil Lutz would combine for 6 of 7 on field goals and 3 for 4 on point afters. It would be Greg Joseph's leg that would be the game-winner for the Vikings on a 47-yard prayer with 29 seconds left. For the Vikings, it is a hard-fought win and will return home in longboats filled with loot. For the Saints, it is a sad defeat as they will have to go back to the basement of the NFC South. How about that double-doink? 

Next week:
Minnesota: vs Chicago
New Orleans: vs Seattle

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Chicago 12, NY Giants 20: TW: Giants; CV: Bears
Passing would be at a premium in New Jersey. Justin Fields would complete 11 of 22 passes to his receivers with 174 passing yards. Khalil Herbert would rush for 77 yards for the Bears and Justin Fields would tally 52 yards. Overall the Bears would get 314 total yards in this game. All of the Bears points would come from their kicker Mike Badgley who hit 4 of 4 field goals. His longest was from 40 yards. Daniel Jones would start this one for the G-men and contributed 8 of 13 passes for 71 yards. Jones would leave the game after injuring his ankle. Tyrod Taylor would come in but he too would leave the game after incurring a concussion. The Giants running game would carry them this day as Jones would score the two touchdowns New York would get while getting 68 yards. Saquon Barkley would be the leading rusher in this game with 146 yards gained on 31 carries. For the Bears, it is a loss that generated a 2-2 record while the Giants improve to 3-1, their best record since 2011.

Next week:
Chicago: @ Minnesota
NY Giants: @ Green Bay (Sunday morning; @ London)

TW: 2-1; CV: 1-2

Buffalo 23, Baltimore 20: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
It was a game that lived up to the hype, in my opinion. Josh Allen started off sluggish in the first half in the midst of the rain. Allen completed 19 of 36 passes for 213 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception. For his run offense the talented QB would get 70 yards with a touchdown on the ground. Devin Singletary would get 49 yards on 11 carries. Baltimore's offense would start off hot as they would score 20 points in the first half. Lamar Jackson completed 20 of 29 passes for 144 yards with a touchdown but also tossed two interceptions. One of the interceptions was caught by Jordan Poyer in a risky gamble by Baltimore with 4:09 left in the game. Lamar Jackson would get 73 yards rushing. JK Dobbins would score a touchdown while getting 41 yards. Should be noted that the Bills were down 20-3 before they chipped away at the Raven lead. With the takeaway the Bills would slowly drive down the field to where Bills kicker Tyler Bass would hit a 21-yard field goal that would complete the comeback. For the Bills, last week's loss can be put behind them. For Baltimore, it is back to a .500 record for them. 

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Pittsburgh
Baltimore: vs Cincinnati (Sunday night)

TW: 3-1; CV: 2-2

Cleveland 20, Atlanta 23: TW: Browns; CV: Browns 
How about those Falcons? Two-game winning streak. Jacoby Brissett was not the picture perfect passer as he would complete 21 of 35 passes for 234 yards with an interception that would be grabbed by Dee Alford to end the game and hopes of a Browns win. Nick Chubb was his usual self as he rushed for 118 yards with a touchdown. Kareem Hunt rushed for 49 yards. Jacoby Brissett would get a rushing touchdown. Cleveland's defense would be hurting as Myles Garrett wouldn't play due to a car accident he suffered earlier this week. Marcus Mariota would be not as effective in this game as he completed just 7 of his 19 passes for 139 yards with an interception. Atlanta's running game would be the guiding light for the Falcons as Tyler Allgeier rushed for 84 yards. Caleb Huntley rushed for 56 yards with a touchdown and Cordarrelle Patterson would rush for 38 yards with a touchdown. For the Browns, it is back to a humbling 2-2 while the Falcons currently sport one of the better streaks in the NFL. 

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

TW: 3-2; CV: 2-3

Jacksonville 21, Philadelphia 29: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Jaguars hopes of an upset would falter as the Eagles are now the lone undefeated team in the NFL. Trevor Lawrence would play fairly well as the quarterback would complete 11 of 23 passes for 174 yards with two touchdowns to Jamal Agnew. Travis Etienne would get 32 yards rushing on eight carries. James Robinson would also get eight carries with 28 yards rushing. Jalen Hurts as a passer was alright as he completed 16 of 25 passes for 204 yards with an interception. Hurts the runner would have better success as he get a touchdown while rushing for 38 yards. Miles Sanders would be the star in the game as he rushed for a 134-yard, two touchdown day for the Eagles. Kenneth Gainwell would get 19 yards as well as a touchdown. The game was also a homecoming to Jaguars coach Doug Pederson who lead the Eagles to their lone Super Bowl win in Super Bowl LII over the Patriots. For the Jaguars, it was a humbling defeat but a close defeat against one of the best teams in the league. For the Eagles, the prospects of a undefeated season will last for another week. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Houston
Philadelphia: @ Arizona

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

LA Chargers 34, Houston 24: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
All is well with Justin Herbert and company. Justin Herbert would complete 27 of 39 passes for 340 yards with two touchdowns to Gerald Everett and to his running back Austin Ekeler. Safe to say that Herbert is back to his form. Austin Ekler would also get 60 yards with two touchdown trips. Davis Mills would play well to Houston's standards as he completed 26 of 35 passes for 246 yards with two touchdowns to Brandin Cooks and Rex Burkhead. Mills would also make two interceptions. Dameon Pierce would get 131 yards rushing with touchdown. His longest would be a 75-yard run that would give him that touchdown. It was a Texans surge in the 2nd half that would cut the lead to three before the Chargers would answer back with said Ekeler touchdown. For the Chargers, it is back to .500 after an ugly loss to the Jaguars. For the Texans, they can still hang their hats with their "half-win" in week 1.

Next week:
LA Chargers: @ Cleveland
Houston: @ Jacksonville

TW: 5-2; CV: 4-3

NY Jets 24, Pittsburgh 20: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Pickett Time in Pittsburgh falls short. Zach Wilson would make his 2022 debut after missing a month's time due to a foot injury. Wilson wasn't at his best but the passer would complete 18 of 36 passes for 252 yards with a touchdown but tossed two interceptions. Braxton Berrios, the team's wide receiver, would toss a short pass to Wilson for a touchdown. Breece Hall was effective as a runner as he would get 66 yards and the go-ahead touchdown to help put the Jets over the Steelers. Mitchell Trubisky would get the start but would be benched. Before the benching he completed 7 of 13 passes for 84 yards with an interception. Kenny Pickett, the rookie from nearby University of Pittsburgh, would be not as effective as he completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards and tossed three interceptions. Pickett would be the better player as a runner as he would get two touchdowns from the ground. Najee Harris would slowly get back to his rookie form as he ran for 74 yards on 18 carries. For the Jets, it's their 2nd win against an AFC North opponent and just their 2nd win in Pittsburgh in franchise history (first time was in 2010). For the Steelers, it is a 1-3 record staring at them as they will need to find answers to get back on track.

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Miami
Pittsburgh: @ Buffalo

TW: 5-3; CV: 4-4

Seattle 48, Detroit 45: TW: Lions; CV: Lions
We got ourselves a Scorigami folks! Both teams would combine for 11 touchdowns. Geno Smith would complete 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards with two touchdowns to Noah Fant and Will Dissly. Seattle's running game would be the showcase as Rashaad Penny rushed for 151 yards with two touchdowns and Geno Smith would get a touchdown while running for 49 yards. Jared Goff would go off in this game as he completed 26 of 39 passes for 378 yards with four touchdown passes with an interception. Jamaal Williams rushed for 108 yards with two touchdowns for the Lions. The 51-yard run for Williams would be the longest in the game. Detroit looked fairly dead during the first three quarters as they would get 23 points during those 45 minutes of play. They would go off and get 22 points in the 4th quarter. Unfortunately the hole they dug was not enough to overcome. For the Seahawks they survive and reach 2-2 on the year while the Lions are wincing at the loss as they go 1-3. 

Next week:
Seattle: @ New Orleans
Detroit: @ New England

TW: 5-4; CV: 4-5

Tennessee 24, Indianapolis 17: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Before the season, I thought this game would be one of the more marquee matchups but the play of the Colts proved otherwise. Ryan Tannehill would be a background player but would complete 17 of 21 passes for 137 yards with two touchdowns. Derrick Henry would run over the Colts defense as he would get 114 yards on the ground with a touchdown. Overall, the Titans would have just 244 total yards in the game. Matt Ryan would play better in this game as the passer completed 27 of 37 passes for 356 yards with two touchdowns to Mo Alie-Cox in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Ryan would also add to the Colts turnover problems with an interception. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 42 yards on 20 carries. To add to the Colts woes is the possible loss of linebacker Shaquille Leonard who left the game with a concussion. The bad news doesn't stop for the Colts as they might lose Jonathan Taylor for an amount of time. For the Titans, it is a 2-2 record as they have rebounded from a sluggish start. For the Colts, it is another loss where they have a -6 turnover margin. Ouchies. 

Next week:
Tennessee: @ Washington
Indianapolis: @ Denver (Thursday night)

TW: 6-4; CV: 5-5 

Washington 10, Dallas 25: TW: Cowboys; CV: Commanders
The rivalry of Washington-Dallas entered a new chapter in AT&T Stadium. Carson Wentz was stuck in this game as he completed 25 of 42 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson in the 2nd quarter. Wentz would also toss two interceptions that would prove to be costly. Antonio Gibson would get 49 yards rushing and Jonathan Williams would get 48 yards rushing. Cooper Rush would get the nod again for Dallas as the passer would complete 15 of 27 passes for 223 yards with two touchdowns to CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. Rush also became the first Cowboys starter to win all four of his starts. Something not even Don Meredith, Roger Staubach, Danny White, or Troy Aikman could accomplish. Ezekiel Elliot would get 49 yards from the ground. For the Commanders, the season has been a long one and if they can't find answers to their offense it could be alonger one. For the Cowboys, three straight wins in 2022 as Dak Prescott continues to rehab his injury. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Tennessee
Dallas: @ LA Rams

TW: 7-4; CV: 5-6

Arizona 26, Carolina 16: TW: Cardinals; CV: Panthers
Uffdah, Cardinal Viking picking against his team and they win. Kyler Murray was the one-man wrecking crew as the passer and runner would hit 23 of 32 passes for 207 yards with two touchdowns to Marquise Brown and Zach Ertz. Murray would throw an interception that would be grabbed by Frankie Luvu (nice name) for a pick-six in the 2nd quarter. On the ground Murray would account for 26 yards with a touchdown. James Conner, the former Steeler, would tack on 55 yards from scrimmage for the Cards. Baker Mayfield would be not effective in this game as the passer would complete 22 of 36 passes for 197 yards with a touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey in the 4nd quarter. Mayfield would put forth two passes that would be grabbed by the Cardinals. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 27 yards in the loss but did add 81 receiving yards to an overall meager day for him. Carolina wasn't great at 3rd down conversions as they would go 2 for 10 on 3rd down. For the Cardinals it is a good win against a faltering and dysfunctional Carolina squad. For the Panthers, the seat for head coach Matt Rhule is starting to get warmer as his group is now 1-3 and looking out of contention.

Next week:
Arizona: vs Philadelphia
Carolina: vs San Francisco

TW: 8-4; CV: 5-7

Denver 32, Las Vegas 23: TW: Raiders; CV: Broncos
The 2022 Las Vegas Raiders have had a rough start to the year under new head coach Josh McDaniels. In this game, they would find a way to win. Russell Wilson has had a rough start as well but in this game he would rebound as the passer completed 17 of 25 passes for 237 yards with two touchdowns to Jerry Jeudy and Cam Sutton. He would also score the lone rushing touchdown for the Broncos as he would get 29 yards rushing. Javonte Williams would get 28 yards rushing. Denver's offense would not get a lot going as they would go 3 for 11 on 3rd down conversions and 1 of 2 on 4th down conversions. Sacks would be a factor as Wilson was sacked three times for 23 yards. Derek Carr has had not an easy start to the year as well as he completed 21 of 34 passes for 188 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions. Josh Jacobs would provide all the scoring for the Raiders offense as the runner scored twice with 144 yards rushing for the day. Including a 43-yard run that was the longest in the game. Las Vegas would take advantage of turnovers as they would grab a fumble-six from a Melvin Gordon fumble would be recovered by Amik Robertson for a 68-yard score. For the Broncos, it is a tough loss as they go down to 2-2. For the Raiders, it is a much needed win and hopefully they can stick to their running attack in the future for their success is running it. 

Next week:
Denver: vs Indianapolis (Thursday night)
Las Vegas: @ Kansas City (Monday night)

TW: 9-4; CV: 5-8

New England 24, Green Bay 27 (F/OT): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
New England's backup would need a backup as the Patriots nearly upset the Packers. Brian Hoyer would get the start and provided the Patriots 5 of 6 for 37 yards before he would leave the game after getting a head injury from a sack by Rashan Gary. In for the Patriots would be rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe, the rookie quarterback out of Western Kentucky. The former Hilltopper would hit 10 of 15 passes for 99 yards with a touchdown to DeVante Parker in the 3rd quarter. Damien Harris would get a good game as he rushed for 86 yards with a touchdown. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 66 yards. The Patriots defense would get a score off of a Aaron Rodgers pass towards halftime for a pick six. Jack Jones would find the ball as a gimmie and proceeded to give Aaron Rodgers his 4th pick-six in his career. Aaron Rodgers would hit 21 of 35 passes for 251 yards with two touchdown passes to Romeo Doubs and Robert Tonyan. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon would combine for 183 yards of rushing offense. Christian Watson, the former NDSU Bison, would get a touchdown on a 15-yard run on a sweep to the right. For the Patriots, it is a rough loss but hope is there for Bailey Zappe could be a decent quarterback but the record of 1-3 is staring at Bill Belichick's face. For the Packers, it was a close win but an ugly win in a game that they should've won handily. 

Next week:
New England: vs Detroit
Green Bay: vs NY Giants (Sunday morning)

TW: 10-4; CV: 6-8

Kansas City 41, Tampa Bay 31: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Twenty months ago on the same field, the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers would meet for the Super Bowl. Fast forward to Sunday night, the storyline would flip. Patrick Mahomes was in control in this game as the passer completed 23 of 37 passes for 249 yards with three touchdowns and a late game interception. Mahomes would tack on 34 rushing yards. The Chiefs would answer quickly in the game's opening minute as Mahomes would hit Travis Kelce down the middle for a 16-yard score with only 40 seconds gone by. Clyde Edwards-Helaire would play a solid game for the Chiefs running attack as he rushed for 92 yards with a touchdown. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 63 yards. Overall the Chiefs offense was unstoppable as they would put up 417 total yards. Tom Brady had Patrick Mahomes' number prior to the game, sporting a 3-2 record against him. Brady would throw on nearly every offensive snap as he completed 39 of 52 passes for 385 yards with three touchdown passes. Two of them would go to his favorite target Mike Evans. Kansas City's defense would clamp down on the Bucs rush offense but Rachaad White, the rookie from Arizona State, would score a touchdown while getting six yards rushing. The time of possession was a stat that stood out to me as the Bucs would have the ball for just 21 minutes and 22 seconds. For the Chiefs, it is a taste of revenge as they stay alone at the top of the AFC West. For the Buccaneers, it is a wincing loss as the Buccaneers have yet to retain the same spark that they had in 2021. At least they still got the Super Bowl championship... right? 

Next week:
Kansas City: vs Las Vegas (Monday night)
Tampa Bay: vs Atlanta

TW: 10-5; CV: 6-9

LA Rams 9, San Francisco 24: TW: 49ers; CV: Rams
The Rams might be defending champs but they still can't beat the Niners in the regular season. Not that it really counts for anything. Matthew Stafford proved to be not quite there in this game as the former Lion completed 32 of 48 passes for 254 yards with an interception to Talanoa Hufanga who turned the takeaway to a touchdown. Rush offense wouldn't amount to much as the group would account for just 57 yards on the ground. Darrell Henderson rushed for 27 yards on seven carries. Cooper Kupp was the bright spot for the Rams as usual as the receiver caught 14 balls for 122 yards. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 16 of 27 passes for 239 yards with a touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel. Samuel would catch six passes for 115 receiving yards. Jeff Wilson would go on a roll against the Rams defense as he would get 74 yards rushing with a touchdown run that would go on a 32-yard distance. Unlike the Rams, the Niners would find more success in total yardage as they would get 327 yards. A questionable call would surface as a Matthew Stafford attempted throw would be challenged as a fumble. Another noteworthy event would happen as a spectator would run onto the field holding a smoke canister while sporting a "RightToRescue" t-shirt. Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner would use the truck stick on the spectator and security would handle him. For the Rams, the Niners menace continues to plague them in the regular season. For the Niners, they make it back to .500 with the win and move forward with Jimmy Garoppolo. 

Next week:
LA Rams: vs Dallas
San Francisco: @ Carolina

TW: 11-5; CV: 6-10

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5

Total: 32-31-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10

Total: 29-35-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

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

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 5 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 4 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again! Through three weeks, parity is the name of the game as only two teams have undefeated records and one team is winless (Houston’s tie counts as a half-win). For week 4 will those teams finally get either their first loss or their first win in 2022. I’m stoked to get started with this week’s picks post. Let’s get to work!

Week 4 Preview

The fourth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Cincinnati, Ohio and finish in Santa Clara, California. The week will have a 16-game schedule that will have all 32 teams play. No teams are on a bye this week. The week features: a Thursday night game, a Sunday morning game, eight early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. Carrying the doubleheader this week will be CBS and FOX will have the single, regional game. Enough talk, let's get to the picks!

Week 4 Picks

Note: Game times are in US Eastern. TW is me and CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate who I go head-to-head in pick 'ems.

Miami (3-0) @ Cincinnati (1-2) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Both teams won last week as the Dolphins beat the Bills and the Bengals beat the Jets. Cincinnati finally got their first win of the season against a meager Jet team. Miami has been quite the surprise team this season. Tua Tagovailoa was limited in practice this week but he has a capable backup in Teddy Bridgewater who is a hardy veteran. Turnovers were a factor in the early season for the Bengals in their two losses but they have been playing better. I think the game will be good but I feel the undefeated Dolphins will keep on chuggin' along. 

Minnesota (2-1) @ New Orleans (1-2) (NFL Network; 9:30 am): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Vikings beat the Lions and the Saints lost to the Panthers last week. New Orleans has been a disappointment so far and the main culprit for their 1-2 start is their quarterback play. Jameis Winston is banged up. The Saints offense hasn't really been that stellar, in particular their running attack. Minnesota however, has had great success in first year head coach Kevin O'Connell. In spite of the near loss to the Lions this week, there's too much at stake when it comes to these two teams history. I think the Vikings will take care of business in Twickenham Stadium.

Chicago (2-1) @ NY Giants (2-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Giants; CV: Bears
The Bears beat the Texans and the Giants lost to the Cowboys last week. Chicago has been kind of a surprise with a 2-1 mark so far in the year. In spite of the quality of talent their two wins have been against San Francisco in a tempest and against a poor Texans team. New York has had some quality wins beating the Titans and not so much against the Panthers. It'll be a good test to see how well both teams can do. I think the Giants will be hungry after a near win against Dallas. I'll take the Giants.

Buffalo (2-1) @ Baltimore (2-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills lost to the Dolphins and the Ravens beat the Patriots last week. Quite honestly, this game should be the game of the week. Shame on you CBS. Josh Allen has been stellar this season with a 9 touchdown and 2 interception mark so far. Lamar Jackson has had better numbers as he has 12 total touchdowns. This game should be a quite a good one for sure, this game will be a quarterback battle. I think whoever falters the most in this game will lose this game. I'll take the Bills. Seriously CBS, Patriots-Packers for your game of the week? 

Cleveland (2-1) @ Atlanta (1-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Both teams won last week as the Browns beat the Steelers and the Falcons beat the Seahawks. Cleveland may have found their quarterback for the near future in Jacoby Brissett. Honestly the guy has the numbers to back it up. With a running game that is one of the best in the NFL, I like the Browns in this matchup. Atlanta shouldn't be underestimated. Cordarrelle Patterson has had a fun season in Atlanta. They have an okay passing game and defense. I just think if the Browns play to their discipline and make no errors I think they'll have a good shot to win the game. 

Jacksonville (2-1) @ Philadelphia (3-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Both teams won last week as the Jaguars beat the Chargers and the Eagles beat the Commanders. Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson goes back to the city where he won a Super Bowl for. Jacksonville has played well so far this year, making their 2021 record look like a thing of the past. The maturity of Trevor Lawrence as a passer has been one of the factors. Their defense too has been something special. Philly has had one of the better starts in the league. Their average total yards per game is 447 which is insane. I think it will be a good game to see how well the Jaguars can be. I think the Eagles will get it done. 

LA Chargers (1-2) @ Houston (0-2-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Both teams lost last week as the Chargers lost to the Jaguars and the Texans lost to the Bears. Houston has been as to be expected, not a contender but still in a rebuilding mode. Davis Mills is probably the lone piece that is keeping this team from venturing into winless territory. The Chargers have had a rough start to the year. The injury to Justin Herbert has been the major factor. He wasn't 100% against Jacksonville but given more time I feel he will be more than capable to play his game this week. I feel the Texans could play a hard game but I feel the Chargers will get back into .500 with a win.

NY Jets (1-2) @ Pittsburgh (1-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Both teams lost last week as the Jets lost to the Bengals and the Steelers lost to the Browns. The two teams have similar records but the expectations of them both are very different. Joe Flacco has provided some stability and poise to the quarterback spot where he was on point on some plays and off on some others. Mitchell Trubisky has been somewhat of the same quarterback who's been hindered by an offensive coordinator that refuses to think outside of the box. It doesn't help that the Steelers don't have TJ Watt on defense but that's short of an excuse to not be more aggressive on offense. I think the Steelers will win but at some point they need to let the dogs loose. 

Seattle (1-2) @ Detroit (1-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
Both teams lost last week as the Seahawks lost to the Falcons and the Lions lost to the Vikings. Seattle has had a bit of a transitional period in the Post-Wilson era. Geno Smith has provided stability to the quarterback position but he hasn't shown that he is "the man" yet. Detroit on the other hands, is favored to win in this game in what would be considered to be a renaissance in Lions football. Dan Campbell has gotten his guys believing in each other and fighting despite the odds. The issue is that the talent isn't quite there yet and inexperience has proven otherwise. I'll take the Lions because the Seahawks are a mess. You seriously lose to Atlanta?! C'mon.

Tennessee (1-2) @ Indianapolis (1-1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Both teams won last week as the Titans beat the Raiders and the Colts beat the Chiefs. The Titans-Colts games the last few years have been slugfests where not one team sweeps the other. The divisional rivalry features two of the best running backs in the league in the Titans Derrick Henry and the Colts Jonathan Taylor. The close win to the Raiders might be the momentum that the Titans need to get back to 2021 form. Indianapolis has been a disappointment with the play of Matt Ryan. I want to take the Colts so badly in this game but gut feeling has me taking the underdog Titans. 

Washington (1-2) @ Dallas (2-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Commanders
The Commanders lost to the Eagles and the Cowboys beat the Giants last week. Washington's nickname might change but the rivalry with the Cowboys will remain the same. Despite the fact that said rivalry hasn't had the same luster since the early 90's, the games have been somewhat competitive. Cooper Rush will get the start and should get a good dose of running from his tandem of Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard. It seems like it should be more than a close game, I think it'll be a blowout. 

Arizona (1-2) @ Carolina (1-2) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Panthers
The Cardinals lost to the Rams and the Panthers beat the Saints last week. Arizona's 2022 campaign has been lackluster. With limited weapons, Kyler Murray has had to rely more on his legs sometimes more than his arm. The resurgence of Marquise Brown has been much to Murray's liking as he had a huge game last week. Carolina has similar problems. Baker Mayfield's season so far has been mixed. The team's x-factor has been Christian McCaffrey who had a 100-yard day last week. The game feels like a toss-up but in terms of quarterback play, I trust Kyler Murray more than Baker Mayfield.

Denver (2-1) @ Las Vegas (0-3) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Broncos
The Broncos beat the 49ers and the Raiders lost to the Titans last week. Las Vegas remains to be the only winless team in the NFL. The thing is: they shouldn't be winless. If anything they should've at least won against the Titans. Derek Carr hasn't been the quarterback that he had been and certainly a new coach and a new system has to be one of the reasons to it. For the Broncos, it hasn't been smooth sailing with Russell Wilson. The passer has just two touchdowns in three games. He will need to get going and put up numbers. At some point, the Raiders will get going. Otherwise, Josh McDaniels tenure will be over as fast as his tenure with the Broncos. 

New England (1-2) @ Green Bay (2-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Patriots lost to the Ravens and the Packers beat the Buccaneers last week. Mac Jones won't likely play in this game and the veteran Brian Hoyer will get the start. The season for Mac hasn't been pretty as he was introduced to a new system. New England's road to success will have to go through their running game. That'll be a tough task as they take on a Packers team that survived a win against the Bucs. Aaron Rodgers has been playing well to his usual self in 2022. He hasn't had the success in his wide receiving corp in past years but with a Russell Doubs possibly breaking out of the group, the Packers look to be a top contender in the NFC. I think it'll be a mismatch with the Packers winning it. Seriously, you could have Bills-Ravens playing in this slot, CBS!

Kansas City (2-1) @ Tampa Bay (2-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Both teams lost last week as the Chiefs lost to the Colts and the Buccaneers lost to the Packers. A rematch of Super Bowl LV. This game might not be played in Tampa due to Hurricane Ian ravaging the city and surrounding areas. My thoughts go out to those who are impacted. For this game, both teams have seen a change of personnel since that February day in 2021. I would say that the Chiefs look to be the better team on paper and in talent. Tampa Bay seems like one of those teams that "everything's normal but yet there's something off about them." Whether it is quarterback Tom Brady or with the system itself. Despite the tough loss last week I think the Bucs will rebound and prove that they're still good enough. Plus, Mike Evans is back after a game suspension. 

LA Rams (2-1) @ San Francisco (1-2) (ABC/ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: Rams
The Rams beat the Cardinals and the 49ers lost to the Broncos last week. A rematch of last year's NFC championship game. The Rams have had a slow start to the defense of their title but they have been coming out swinging and being more innovative than ever. Cooper Kupp has been staying in his form. The defense has been playing lights out. San Francisco has had a rough start to 2022 with the loss of Trey Lance. Fortunately for the 49ers, they have a capable quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo. Garoppolo was in the midst of trade rumors during the offseason. Sometimes the best deal that you can make is not making a deal for a player. I feel the rivalry aspect will play in a factor in this game and I think the 49ers will pull off a minor upset of the world champs. 

Early & Late TV Broadcast Pairings:

Note: Courtesy of 506sports.com, games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings.

CBS Early

Buffalo @ Baltimore
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

NY Jets @ Pittsburgh
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

LA Chargers @ Houston
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Jacksonville @ Philadelphia
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

Cleveland @ Atlanta
Beth Mowins, Tiki Barber

CBS Late

New England @ Green Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Denver @ Las Vegas
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

FOX Single

Washington @ Dallas
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Chicago @ NY Giants
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

Seattle @ Detroit
Chris Myers, Robert Smith

Tennessee @ Indianapolis
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Arizona @ Carolina (LATE)
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11

Total: 21-26-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11

Total: 22-25-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

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

See you all on Monday for the Week 4 recap post! Enjoy the rest of your week and enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 3 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The third week of the season has brought us yet again closer to who could be come contenders and who could be pretenders. However, the season is still young and anything can happen. What Week 2 taught us that no lead is safe. For Week 3, teams that had leads in games would hold onto them. The week also brought us: a slugfest in Foxboro, a whimper contest that featured two of the best quarterbacks in the NFC, a Puntpalooza in Denver, and a multitude of teams getting their first win of the year. I'm excited to break down those games and more in this week's Recap! Let's get to work!

Week 3 Recap

Pittsburgh 17, Cleveland 29: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Last week, the Browns gave up an unimaginable collapse. Against the Steelers, they would avoid the collapse and more. Mitchell Trubisky would start for the Steelers and would be just a passer. He would complete 20 of 32 passes for 207 yards. The veteran would find the endzone on a run that would go to the right. Najee Harris was off to a rough start for 2022 but would find the endzone on a 5-yard run. Harris would tally 56 yards on 15 carries for the Steelers. Pittsburgh's offensive woes would be marked by one stat: 1 for 9 in 3rd down conversions. One of the exciting parts of the game was a George Pickens one-handed catch that rivals Odell Beckham Jr's one-hander against Dallas in 2014. Jacoby Brissett would lead the Browns air attack with a solid passing showcase of 21 of 31 passes completed. He would get 220 yards with two touchdowns to Amari Cooper and David Njoku. Cleveland's bread and butter offense was their running tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Both Chubb and Hunt would get 113 yards and 47 yards respectively from the ground. Chubb would get a rushing touchdown. For the Steelers, it marks another inconsistent game for an offense that should be better than they should. It also marks an 0-6 record without game-changer TJ Watt. For the Browns, it is win #2 in 2022 with journeyman Jacoby Brissett who is just making the most of the opportunity. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs NY Jets
Cleveland: @ Atlanta

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Baltimore 37, New England 26: TW: Patriots; CV: Ravens
Rivals put on a show in Foxboro. Last week the Ravens blew a lead in the 4th quarter, this week they didn't let it happen. Lamar Jackson was contained for first part of the game but gradually would bend the Patriots defense will. Jackson finished with 218 passing yards with four touchdowns with an interception. He would also get 107 yards rushing with a touchdown. Baltimore's defense would take advantage of turnovers despite they would bend not break the Pats offense. Mac Jones was having a decent star to 2022 but it would be this game that he would break. The former Alabama product completed 22 of 32 passes for 321 yards with three interceptions. One of them was in a redzone trip. Despite the passing woes they would have some bright spots in the run game. Rhamondre Stevenson would rush for 73 yards with a touchdown. Damien Harris would have 41 yards with a touchdown. Mac Jones would get a rushing touchdown with 31 yards rushing. Another bright spot for the Patriots was Devante Parker who racked up 156 receiving yards. For the Ravens, it is back to normalcy with the collapse in the back of their minds. For the Patriots, it is back to the drawing board with the possibility of Mac Jones missing time. 

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Buffalo
New England: @ Green Bay

TW: 0-2; CV: 1-1

Buffalo 19, Miami 21: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
AFC East rivals would meet in the Florida sun. Josh Allen would once again have a stellar game as the passer completed 42 of 63 passes for 400 yards with two touchdown passes to Devin Singletary and Isaiah McKenzie. Allen was also the leading rusher in the game with 47 yards. It seems that the Bills used his arm too much and not a lot of balance on offense. Certainly if I had to throw the ball 63 times I would die. Tua Tagovailoa had a game for the ages last week against the Ravens but would have a meager game. The passer would complete 13 of 18 passes for 186 yards with a touchdown. Tua would leave the game for a time with a lower back injury. Chase Edmonds would get 21 yards rushing with two touchdowns. It was a game that on paper was a slugfest for the Bills but yet it was a two-point loss. It seems that Buffalo's red zone efficiency was not quite there with 2 for 4 inside the 20. Buffalo would also giveaway a fumble in the game but it wasn't quite the awful performance. For the Dolphins, they are now the only undefeated team in the AFC. 

Next week:
Buffalo: @ Baltimore
Miami: @ Cincinnati (Thursday night)

TW: 0-3; CV: 1-2

Cincinnati 27, NY Jets 12: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Bengals would get a dub. Joe Burrow has had a shaky start to 2022 but would find improvement in this game. He completed 23 of 36 passes for 275 yards with three touchdowns. Cincy's running game would provide some help as Samaje Perine would get 47 yards and Joe Mixon would get 24 yards. The Bengals defense would ensure that Joe Flacco wasn't comfortable in the pocket as they would cause four turnovers, two fumbles and two interceptions. Joe Flacco would lead the way to the Jets victory against Cleveland last week but would be undone as the passer completed 28 of 52 passes for 285 yards with two interceptions. One of the interceptions was a gimmie in the endzone. Breece Hall and Michael Carter would both get 39 yards rushing each in this game. Pass protection would be an issue for the Jets as the Bengals would attack Flacco and sack him four times with 33 total yards lost. For the Bengals, they finally get win #1 and try to keep with the Ravens and Browns who both won this week. 

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

TW: 1-3; CV: 2-2

Detroit 24, Minnesota 28: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Not a consistent win in all three phases for the Vikes in this one but a win is a win. Jared Goff was consistent in this game as he completed 25 of 41 passes for 277 yards with a touchdown but also had an interception that was caught by Josh Metellus. Detroit's running game would outpace Minnesota's by a 139 to 123 yard comparison. Jamaal Williams got 87 yards with two touchdowns. Detroit was close to winning the game but a redzone trip and a Cousins to Osborn connection with 45 seconds left would spell doom to the Lions. Kirk Cousins had a rough game last week in Philadelphia. Cousins completed 24 of 41 passes for 260 yards with two touchdowns to KJ Osborn. Minnesota's running game would get lesser yards but would get two touchdowns from Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison. Minnesota's special teams was not great as Vikings kicker Greg Joseph would miss two field goals. For the Lions, it is another close loss in a game that could've gone their way. For the Vikings, their 2-1 mark helps them keep pace in a tight NFC North race. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Seattle
Minnesota: @ New Orleans (Sunday morning)

TW: 2-3; CV: 3-2

Houston 20, Chicago 23: TW: Bears; CV: Texans
Lovie Smith would be in familiar Soldier Field in this game. The former Bear coach would see his team battle against the Bears. Davis Mills would not play well but he plays for the Texans after all. Mills completed 20 of 32 passes for 245 yards with a touchdown to Jordan Akins. Dameon Pierce provided the Texans running offense some help as he got 80 yards rushing with a touchdown. His longest run was for 24 yards. Houston's defense would be a bright spot in pass defense as they held the Bears to 82 total pass yards. Justin Fields would toss 8 of 17 passes for 106 yards with two interceptions. The x-factor in this game would be Chicago's running game. Khalil Herbert was a beast as he got 157 yards rushing with two touchdowns. His longest run was from 52-yards. Seems like he was trying to unleash his inner Walter Payton a little bit. For Chicago, they are 2-1 in a surprising start for them. For Houston, they're still looking for their first win despite getting a half-win/tie in Week 1. 

Next week:
Houston: vs LA Chargers
Chicago: @ NY Giants

TW: 3-3; CV: 3-3

Kansas City 17, Indianapolis 20: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Colts get their first win in 2022. Their 1-1-1 record would make any binary code fan happy. Patrick Mahomes would be not as happy as he completed 20 of 35 passes for 262 yards with a touchdown to Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Mahomes would also be the team's running back as he completed 26 yards rushing. Jerrick McKinnon would get 20 yards rushing. Mahomes would also get into a war of words with offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy before halftime. Matt Ryan would have his roughest start in his career last week. He would have a better showing at home as he completed 27 of 37 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor would run a solid game as he rushed for 71 yards on the ground. The game-winning drive by Indy would take 16 plays and resulted in a Matt Ryan to rookie Jelani Woods with 24 seconds left in the game. For the Chiefs, their hopes of an undefeated campaign ends. 

Next week:
Kansas City: @ Tampa Bay (Sunday night)
Indianapolis: vs Tennessee

TW: 3-4; CV: 3-4

Las Vegas 22, Tennessee 24: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Raiders are off to their worst start since 2018. Derek Carr completed 26 of 44 passes for 303 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception. Josh Jacobs rushed for 66 yards on 13 carries. Mack Hollins had a game for the Raiders as the wide out had 158 yards receiving on eight catches. His longest was for 60-yards. Davante Adams had 36 receiving yards with a touchdown. This game was a showcase of slow starts for Las Vegas as they were down 24-10 at halftime. Opportunity was there to win it. One such opportunity was to convert a two-point conversion that would've tied the game at 24. It would be a failed attempt. Ryan Tannehill was having a poor start to 2022 but did have a better showing in this game as he completed 19 of 27 passes for 264 yards with a touchdown pass and had an interception. Derrick Henry was back as the king would rack up 85 yards rushing with a touchdown. For the Titans, they would hold on and get win #1 in the campaign. With a returning Derrick Henry to form they Titans can try to keep pace with the Colts.

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Denver
Tennessee: @ Indianapolis

TW: 3-5; CV; 3-5

New Orleans 14, Carolina 22: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Quarterback problems would plague the Saints in this game. Jameis Winston has dealt with back issues for the last two weeks and would continue to haunt him in this game. He completed 25 of 41 passes for 353 yards with a touchdown pass to Michael Gallaway but tossed two interceptions. Alvin Kamara would share in the woes as he would rush for 61 yards and would cause a fumble that would be scooped by Carolina for the first touchdown in the game. Mark Ingram would get a touchdown for the Saints while getting 18 yards rushing. Baker Mayfield was still off on plays but he would get a decent 170 yards passing with a touchdown pass to Laviska Shenault, a preseason acquisition from Jacksonville, in the 4th quarter. Christian McCaffrey would shine like his old self as the runner would get 108 yards rushing from scrimmage. For the Panthers, it is a win for them in 2022 and snaps a rough nine-game losing streak dating back to last year. 

Next week:
New Orleans: vs Minnesota (Sunday morning)
Carolina: vs Arizona

TW: 3-6; CV: 3-6

Philadelphia 24, Washington 8: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Inhospitality was dished out in Landover, Maryland. Jalen Hurts would showcase his arm more so than his legs in this game. Hurts would complete 22 of 35 passes for 340 yards with three touchdowns. All three of them would come from the 2nd quarter. Miles Sanders would rush for 46 yards on 15 carries. DeVonta Smith would have a game as he would catch eight balls for 169 receiving yards. Carson Wentz, unlike Hurts, would fare worse than his counterpart. Wentz would toss 25 of 43 balls for completions for 211 yards. Wentz didn't throw a touchdown but didn't throw an interception either. The main story was his former Eagle teammates sacking him nine times. Washington's lone touchdown would come from Antonio Gibson at the two-minute warning. Washington would score a safety as Eagles running back Boston Scott would get tackled. For the Eagles, they're the lone undefeated team in the NFC. For Washington, it was a rough game that would be preferable to store away and forget about. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Jacksonville
Washington: @ Dallas

TW: 4-6; CV: 4-6

Jacksonville 38, LA Chargers 10: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
It would be Trevor Lawrence not Justin Herbert that would be the better quarterback in this game. Lawrence would complete 28 of 39 passes for 262 yards with three touchdown passes. Jacksonville's running game also came alive in this game as James Robinson rushed for 100 yards with a touchdown run. His 50-yard long run would be the longest in this game. Travis Etienne would get 45 yards in the game. Justin Herbert would be questionable at the start of this game with a rib cartilage injury. Herbert would be off in this game as he completed 25 of 45 passes for 297 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Williams and had an interception. Sony Michel wouldn't get a lot going in this game as he would get 22 yards rushing. For the Jaguars, it marks the end of an 18-game road losing streak that goes back to a 2019 Week 15 win at Oakland. It also marks a 2-1 record for the Jags. For the Chargers, they're 1-2 in a competitive AFC West.

Next week:
Jacksonville: @ Philadelphia
LA Chargers: @ Houston

TW: 4-7; CV: 4-7

Atlanta 27, Seattle 23: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Have a day, Cordarrelle Patterson! Marcus Mariota would play in this game as he would complete 13 of his 20 passes for 229 yards with a touchdown and had an interception. Mariota would cross the endzone plane for a rushing touchdown. Seattle would have their hands full with Cordarrelle Patterson who had 141 rushing yards with a touchdown. He had a 40-yard run that would go the distance. Patterson had already bested his Week 1 performance of 120 yards against the Saints. Geno Smith would produce in this game as he completed 32 of 44 passes for 325 yards with two touchdown passes to DK Metcalf and Will Dissly. Smith also had an interception. Rashad Penny would put together a good showing with 66 yards rushing. 

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Cleveland
Seattle: @ Detroit

TW: 4-8; CV: 4-8

Green Bay 14, Tampa Bay 12: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The last Rodgers-Brady matchup was... a whimper. Aaron Rodgers completed 27 of 35 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns but had an interception. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon wouldn't get a lot going on the ground for the Packers but would get 36 and 32 yards respectively. Romeo Doubs would be the leading receiver for the Packers with 73 yards. Tom Brady would be solid in this game but his weapons was limited. He completed 31 of 42 passes for 271 yards with a touchdown to Russell Gage. Tampa's running game would be limited as well as Leonard Fournette would get 35 yards on 12 carries. Both teams would get 101 yards rushing in this game. Green Bay's defense would step up as they would limit the Bucs offense to 285 total yards. They would sack Tom Brady three times. Tom Brady would eventually lead the Bucs on the final drive and get a touchdown that would cut the lead to 14-12. On the attempted two-point conversion, Brady would try to go to Russel Gage again but would be broken up. For the Packers, they would get the last laugh in the marquee matchup at least until the playoffs. For the Buccaneers, it marks their first loss of 2022. 

Next week:
Green Bay: vs New England
Tampa Bay: vs Kansas City

TW: 4-9; CV: 4-9

LA Rams 20, Arizona 12: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
In Glendale it was a defensive effort for the Rams, rather than an offensive effort. Matthew Stafford would put together a 18 of 25 completed passes, 249 yards passing effort. His longest pass would be a Ben Skowronek connection for 32 yards. The Rams scoring would be from their running attack as Cam Akers would rush for 61 yards for a touchdown. Cooper Kupp would play the role of a runner in a 20-yard run that would end in a six-points result. Kyler Murray would use his arm a lot as he completed 37 of 58 passes for 314 (at least his performance would be worthy of a slice of pi). The passer wouldn't get a touchdown for the game but he didn't throw an interception either. Arizona's offense would be putrid on 3rd down as they would convert 6 of 18 3rd down chances. James Conner would rush for 39 yards on 13 carries. Malcolm Brown would be the leading receiver for the Cards in this game catching 14 balls for 140 yards. For the Rams, it is a 2-1 start for them and a 11 of 12 games dominance over their division rivals, dating back to 2017. For the Cardinals, it is a 1-2 start that would share a record with the Seahawks and 49ers. 

Next week:
LA Rams: @ San Francisco (Monday night)
Arizona: @ Carolina

TW: 5-9; CV: 5-9

San Francisco 10, Denver 11: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
At Empower Field at Mile High, fans were treated to more of a baseball score rather than a football one. Jimmy Garoppolo who would replace Trey Lance last week, was effective in most areas in this game. The passer completed 18 of 29 passes for 211 yards with a touchdown to Brandon Aiyuk but would have an interception in the game. The biggest issue for Garoppolo was field awareness. In the 3rd quarter, deep in his own endzone, Garoppolo would touch the out of bounds part of the endzone, resulting as a safety. Jeff Wilson would be the leading rusher in the game as he rushed for 75 yards on 12 carries. Deebo Samuel would catch five balls for 73 yards. Russell Wilson has had a slow start for the Broncos but would complete 20 of 33 passes for 184 yards. Javontae Williams would get 58 yards rushing for the Broncos. Melvin Gordon would score the lone touchdown for the Broncos on a late drive in the 4th quarter. He would get 26 yards on the ground. For the 49ers, it is a meager performance that sends them to the bottom of the NFC West basement. For the Broncos, they are keeping in pace with the Chiefs who lost earlier on Sunday. 

Next week:
San Francisco: vs LA Rams (Monday night)
Denver: @ Las Vegas

TW: 5-10; CV: 5-10

Dallas 23, NY Giants 16: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The football gods were kind to one but cruel to another. Cooper Rush would throw well in the game as he completed 21 of 31 passes for 215 yards with a touchdown to CeeDee Lamb. Lamb had dropped an earlier pass but would rebound from the rough start. Big D's running game would pile on the Giants defense as Tony Pollard rushed for 105 yards. Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 73 yards with a touchdown. Dallas would rely on kicker Brett Maher a lot as he would hit 3 of 4 for field goals. It was a slow start for Dalls on offense but would get going in the 2nd half by scoring 17 of their 23 points. Daniel Jones would find less than paradise in this game. He completed 20 of 37 passes for 196 yards with an interception that would be caught in the 4th quarter. Jones would face pressure from the Cowboys all game as he would have 20+ pressures in the game. Saquon Barkley would have some good showing as he ran for 81 yards with a touchdown, including a 36-yard run. Sterling Shepard would be the leading receiver for the Giants with 49 yards. Shepard would leave the game with a leg injury. For the Cowboys, it is a huge win against a resurgent Giants team and would keep pace with the Eagles. For the Giants, it is a grimacing loss after starting the season with a 2-0 record. The loss will hurt but they've faced worse.

Next week:
Dallas: vs Washington
NY Giants: vs Chicago

TW: 5-11; CV: 5-11

2022 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11

Total: 21-26-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11

Total: 22-25-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

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

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 4 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom