NFL 2022 Week 14 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. Week 14 provided us some interesting storylines. Such storylines like: Baker Mayfield making the most of his new opportunity on Thursday night, a blowout in New Jersey, a close call in Dallas, and a new chapter of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry. All those storylines and more in this week's recap post! Let's get to work!

Week 14 Recap

Las Vegas 16, LA Rams 17: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
It was a Hollywood script that was a remake of the Saints-Bucs game last Monday. Derek Carr wasn't much of a factor in this game as he completed just 11 of his 20 passes for 137 yards with two passes intercepted. Josh Jacobs would be one of the bright spots in the game with his 99 yards rushing with a touchdown run in the 1st quarter. It was the only offensive score the Raiders would put forth in the game. Davante Adams would make some spectacular catches including a one-handed catch early in the Raiders first drive. He finished with three catches for 71 yards. Penalties would hurt the Raiders in this game who'd get flagged seven times for 94 yards. One of the infractions was a Unsportsmanlike Conduct on Jerry Tillery who'd knocked the ball down from Baker Mayfield's hands on the Rams last drive. Baker Mayfield, who was picked up via waivers on Tuesday, wouldn't start as John Wolford got the nod. Wolford wouldn't throw a pass. Baker Mayfield completed 22 of 35 passes for 230 yards with a touchdown pass to Van Jefferson. The Jefferson catch was from a deep pass on a 23-yard connection that gave the Rams the tie and eventually the lead with the point after. Cam Akers rushed for 42 yards with a touchdown. Like the Bucs, the Rams offense wouldn't get a lot of offense for the first 55 minutes of the game. Unlike the Bucs, the last scoring drive for LA was from their own 2-yard line. For the Raiders, the loss snaps a 3-game winning streak to a 5-8 record. The Raiders were 10-7 last season. For the Rams, the win is their first win since Week 6 against Carolina. The starting quarterback for the Panthers wasn't Baker Mayfield but I guess we don't always get nice things. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs New England
LA Rams: @ Green Bay (Monday night)

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Cleveland 10, Cincinnati 23: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Joe Burrow finally gets a win against the rival Browns. DeShaun Watson completed 26 of 42 passes for 276 yards with a touchdown and an interception. David Njoku was the one that got that pass and ran it in for six points. Cleveland's running game wasn't a factor in this game as they ran for a combined 71 total yards. Nick Chubb had 34 yards and Watson had 33 yards. Not quite the game for them. Cleveland finished the game with 344 total yards and would spend a majority of the first half with 0 points. They also went 0 for 3 in 4th down conversions. David Peoples-Jones had 114 receiving yards. Joe Burrow did well enough in the win with 18 of 33 passes completed for 239 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Ja'Marr Chase and Trenton Irwin each scored a touchdown on throws by Burrow. Cincinnati had a better game on the ground with 136 total yards. Joe Mixon owned 96 of those yards. Samaje Perine scored a rushing touchdown while getting 22 yards rushing. Cincy did most of their damage on offense in the 2nd quarter with two drives that resulted in touchdowns. Welcome back Joe Mixon. For the Browns, they drop to 5-8 in 2022. For the Bengals, they keep up pace with the Ravens in the AFC North with a 9-4 record. 

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Baltimore (Saturday afternoon)
Cincinnati: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Baltimore 26, Pittsburgh 14: TW: Steelers; CV: Ravens
A low-scoring affair, what else is new in the Ravens-Steelers rivalry. Tyler Huntley started for the Ravens but wouldn't finish the game. Huntley hit 8 of 12 passes for 88 yards before leaving with a concussion. To replace him would be Anthony Brown, an undrafted free agent from the University of Oregon, hit 3 of 5 passes for 16 yards. Baltimore would lean on their running game to get the job done. The only offensive score would be off of a JK Dobbins run to the right for a 4-yard score. Justin Tucker hit 3 field goals in the game. Gus Edwards had 66 yards rushing. Kenny Pickett started for Pittsburgh but was sacked hard by Roquan Smith and left the game with a concussion. Mitchell Trubisky would come in for relief. He hit 22 of 30 passes for 276 yards with a touchdown pass to Pat Friermuth and threw three interceptions. Najee Harris got a rushing touchdown on  33 yards rushing on the day. Just wasn't enough to get it done. Turnovers hurt an offense as they really left points on the board for the Steelers. For the Ravens, the win keeps them in 1st place in the AFC North with a 9-4 record. For the Steelers, their 2022 season dwindles down to 5-8 with great risk to head coach Mike Tomlin having his first losing season as Steelers head coach. 

Next week:
Baltimore: @ Cleveland (Saturday afternoon)
Pittsburgh: @ Carolina

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

Houston 23, Dallas 27: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
Oh boy, if Dallas lost this game. They'd have to pack it in. Davis Mills started the game for the Texans and hit 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards with an interception. Houston gave backup quarterback Jeff Driskel some play time as he hit 4 of 6 passes for 38 yards with a touchdown pass. Amari Rodgers was the guy who caught the pass from Driskell. Dameon Pierce had 78 yards rushing with a touchdown. The Texans controlled the score for most of the game before Dallas stormed back with 10 unanswered points in the 4th quarter. Dak Prescott wasn't his best version in the game as he hit 24 of 39 passes for 284 yards with a touchdown to Tony Pollard and two interceptions. Pollard had also a rushing touchdown with 42 yards rushing. Down 23-20 with less than a minute, the Cowboys called on Ezekiel Elliot to run it up the middle for two yards with 46 seconds left in the game. He had 62 yards rushing. Dallas also fumbled in the game along with the two interceptions. For the Texans, the season has four games left but they have a 1-11-1 record staring at them. For the Cowboys, the win moves them to 10-3 in 2022. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Kansas City
Dallas: @ Jacksonville

TW: 2-2; CV: 3-1

Jacksonville 36, Tennessee 22: TW: Jaguars; CV: Titans
A shocker in the AFC South. Trevor Lawrence was a gang buster in this game. He hit 30 of 42 passes for 368 yards with three touchdowns and had zero interceptions. Zay Jones had one and Evan Engram had two passes that were caught and ran it in for the endzone for six points. Travis Etienne had 32 yards rushing with 17 carries. The Jaguars offense, which had its ups and downs this season, had 428 total yards in the game. Trevor Lawrence's 30 completions for 368 yards would come with a 8.8 yards per pass average. Not bad. The Jaguars six of their eight drives resulted in either a field goal or touchdown.  Ryan Tannehill completed 25 of 38 passes for 254 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Nick Westbrookikhine and Chigoziem Okonkwo were the players that got those passes for touchdowns. Derrick Henry, the bulldozer, ran for 121 yards with a 3-yard touchdown on 17 carries. Fumbles were an issue for the Titans as they fumbled three times that ended drives. In the first half, they fumbled twice. For the Jaguars, they improve to 5-8 on the season with a closer distance to the Titans in the AFC South. For the Titans, they've lost their third straight game and drop to 7-6. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Dallas
Tennessee: @ LA Chargers

TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2

Minnesota 23, Detroit 34: TW: Lions; CV: Vikings
The Lions keep on rolling. Kirk Cousins had a solid game for the Vikings with 31 of 41 passes completed for 425 yards with two touchdowns. Adam Thielen and KJ Osborn were the players that got those passes and scored touchdowns. Dalvin Cook was fairly quiet in the game but scored a touchdown with 23 yards rushing on 15 carries. The 22 total rushing yards has to be Minnesota's lowest in a long time. Despite the loss, Justin Jefferson had 223 receiving yards that became a franchise record. Key inactives in the game were Harrison Smith and offensive lineman Garret Bradbury and Christian Darrisaw. Jared Goff had a great game with 27 of 39 passes for 330 yards with three touchdowns. DJ Chark, Jamaal Williams and Josh Reynolds were the ones that got those passes for scores. CJ Moore had 42 yards rushing. Justin Jackson ran it in for a score with 19 yards rushing. Jamaal Williams had 37 yards rushing in the game. For the Vikings, the loss moves them down to 10-3 but still have a sizeable cushion in the division. For the Lions, the win is their sixth of their seven games, their best stretch of football since 2016. 

Next week:
Minnesota: vs Indianapolis (Saturday afternoon)
Detroit: @ NY Jets

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

NY Jets 12, Buffalo 20: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Weather was dreary in Western New York as it was the Buffalo Bills' first game since the loss to the Vikings. Mike White started for the Jets with 27 of 44 passes for 268 yards. Joe Flacco got some playtime after White took a vicious hit to the ground. Flacco completed one of three passes for one yard. Zonovan Knight scored the only touchdown for the Jets while getting 71 yards. The touchdown showcased Knight's ability to drive forward that gave the Jets a 7-7 tie in the 3rd quarter. The Jets bright spot was a Sam Martin punt that was blocked that was recovered in the endzone by Buffalo that turned into a safety. Josh Allen did Josh Allen things in the game. Allen had 16 of 27 passes for 147 yards with a touchdown pass and a touchdown run and 47 yards rushing in the game. Dawson Knox was the player that got the touchdown pass from Allen. Devin Singletary had 39 yards rushing. It was a defensive struggle in the first half as the two teams entered halftime with a 7-0 lead in favor of the Bills. A wintry mix of rain, sleet, snow enveloped Highmark Stadium. For the Jets, the loss drops them to 7-6 with them losing three of their last five games. For the Bills, the win keeps them on top of the AFC with a 10-3 record. 

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Detroit
Buffalo: vs Miami (Saturday night)

TW: 5-2; CV: 4-3

Philadelphia 48, NY Giants 23: TW: Giants; CV: Eagles
The I-95 rivalry turned into a Giants feast for the Eagles. Jalen Hurts continues his case for MVP with 21 of 31 passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns and 77 yards rushing with a touchdown run. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith were the players that got those touchdown passes. The big hurt for the Eagles came with their running game. Miles Sanders rushed for 144 yards with two touchdowns. Boston Scott had 33 yards rushing with a touchdown. Philly's defense also feasted on Giants quarterbacks with seven sacks. Brandon Graham had three of those seven sacks. Philadelphia had 437 total yards, 253 of them being from their run game. Daniel Jones started for the Giants. Jones had 18 of 27 passes for 169 yards with a touchdown pass and had 26 yards rushing with a touchdown. Backup Tyrod Taylor had some playtime and hit a perfect 5 of 5 passes for 47 yards with a touchdown. Tyrod Taylor also had 40 yards rushing on two carries with a 32-yard run. Saquon Barkley had 28 yards rushing. New York's offense couldn't keep up with the Eagles as they had a 24-7 deficit at halftime. For the Eagles, they move to 12-1 on the season and a playoff berth for them. For the Giants, the loss drops them to 7-5-1 with their playoff hopes slipping away. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: @ Chicago
NY Giants: @ Washington

TW: 5-3; CV: 5-3

Kansas City 34, Denver 28: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes wasn't himself and the Denver offense came alive for once. Patrick Mahomes started off on fire in the game but slowly sizzled away in the Colorado elevation. He had 28 of 42 pass completions for 352 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Jerrick McKinnon caught two and JuJu Smith-Schuster caught one of Mahomes' passes for scores. Isiah Pacheco rushed for a solid 70 yards on 13 carries. Kansas City scored on their first four possessions. On the next two drives, the passer would get intercepted twice. Jerrick McKinnon finished with seven catches with 112 yards receiving. Russell Wilson started like he had during the season, very slow. Wilson finished the game with 23 of 36 completions with 247 yards with three touchdowns and had a pass intercepted in the 2nd quarter. Wilson wouldn't finish the game as he was taken down by a vicious hit that turned to be a concussion. Brett Rypien came in and provided 16 passing yards with a touchdown and an interception. Before Wilson left he also added 57 yards rushing on four carries. For the Chiefs, the win improves their record to 10-3 in 2022. For the Broncos, the loss drops them to 3-10 and have been eliminated from playoff contention. They haven't made it back to the playoffs since 2015. 

Next week:
Kansas City: @ Houston
Denver: vs Arizona

TW: 6-3; CV: 6-3

Carolina 30, Seattle 24: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The Panthers play spoiler in Seattle. Sam Darnold played alright in this game as he hit 14 of 24 passes for 120 yards with a touchdown pass to Shi Smith. D'Onta Foreman was part of a tandem that ran over the Seahawks defense. Foreman had 74 yards rushing. Chuba Hubbard and Raheem Blackshear both got a rushing touchdown while getting 74 yards and 32 yards rushing respectively. The 223 total rushing yards have to be a team best for 2022. During the game, Terrace Marshall Jr had one of the more unique catches. He had caught a ball and then caught the ball between his legs and secured it. Geno Smith did not have his best game as he completed 21 of 36 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns and two interceptions. Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf and Marquise Goodwin were the players that caught the Smith passes for touchdowns. I think the loss of Kenneth Walker III is partially the reason why the Seahawks offense was not on their best in this one. Travis Homer rushed for a meager 26 yards on nine carries. For the Panthers, the win moves them to 5-8 with still some hope of a division title. For the Seahawks, the loss drops them to 7-6 with their hopes of a NFC West division title slipping away. 

Next week:
Carolina: vs Pittsburgh
Seattle: vs San Francisco (Thursday night)

TW: 6-4; CV: 6-4

Tampa Bay 7, San Francisco 35: TW: Buccaneers; CV: 49ers
It was a rough game if you were a Buccaneers fan. Tom Brady did not have one of his best games. He hit 34 of 55 passes for 253 yards with a touchdown pass to Russell Gage in the 3rd quarter. It was the only touchdown the Bucs would get all day. The two interceptions that Brady threw were really off, like they were no players wearing white jerseys in the vicinity. Rashaad White did get some yardage in the game as he rushed for 56 yards on 13 carries. Brock Purdy, the last pick of the NFL Draft, had quite the day. The passer completed 16 of 21 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns to Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey and ran it in for a touchdown. McCaffrey rushed for 119 yards with a touchdown. Deebo Samuel had 21 yards rushing with a touchdown and had 43 yards receiving in the game. He wouldn't finish the game as he left the game with an injury. Jordan Mason had 56 yards rushing. Purdy joins only Don Strock as the only quarterbacks to have at least two passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown in their first start. The 49ers defense played havoc on the Buccaneers as they held them to 322 total yards, 4 for 16 on 3rd down conversions and 4 for 7 on 4th down conversions. Not quite the game for them. For the Buccaneers, the loss drops them to 6-7 with still the division lead. For the 49ers, the win moves them to 9-4 with a shot to clinch the NFC West next week.

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs Cincinnati
San Francisco: @ Seattle (Thursday night)

TW: 6-5; CV: 7-4

Miami 17, LA Chargers 23: TW: Dolphins; CV: Chargers
The Chargers played arguably their best game of the season but still didn't blow out the Dolphins. Tua Tagovailoa wasn't his best in the game as he hit just 10 of 28 passes for 145 yards with a touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill in the 3rd quarter. It would be another touchdown for Tyreek Hill that would be an oddity in this game. The play itself was a run by Jeff Wilson up the middle that was fumbled. The dog pile for the ball looked like it was recovered by the Chargers but Tyreek Hill found the ball and ran it back for a touchdown on a 57-yard play. Raheem Mostert ran the ball for 37 yards on 11 carries. The 219 total yards for Miami was their lowest in quite some time. Especially for an offense that was on a roll the last few weeks. Justin Herbert had quite the game as he hit 39 of 51 passes for 367 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Williams. Williams finished the game with six catches for 116 yards receiving. Austin Ekeler had 45 yards rushing with a touchdown run. Despite the 432 total yards the Chargers would only get 23 points in this game. They had a chance late in the 4th quarter to put up more than three points. A botched snap would wreck that opportunity. For the Dolphins, the loss drops them to 8-5 with lessen hope of winning the AFC East. They'll have a shot to get back to winning football in Buffalo. For the Chargers, the win was a must as they have the 7th seed at the moment in the AFC playoffs. 

Next week:
Miami: @ Buffalo
LA Chargers: vs Tennessee

TW: 6-6; CV: 8-4

New England 27, Arizona 13: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Patriots keep pace with the AFC Wild Card race. Mac Jones did well enough to get the job done with 24 of 35 passes completed for 235 yards with an interception in the 1st quarter. The Patriots offensive line, under scrutiny all season, would allow only one sack in this game. The key to the game was the running game of New England. Rhamondre Stevenson left the game with an injury. The next man up mentality would be showcased a lot in this game as Pierre Strong Jr and Kevin Harris stepped in to help the team. Strong finished with 70 yards rushing with a touchdown. Kevin Harris had a touchdown and 26 yards rushing. Issues with penalties and 3rd down conversions plagued the Patriots in this game as they were flagged eight times for 80 yards and went 3 for 11 on 3rd down. Not quite getting it done on offense. Defense turned into offense as Raekwon McMillan recovered a DeAndre Hopkins fumble and ran it back for a 23-yard touchdown. Arizona wouldn't fare well in this game. Kyler Murray started the game but left the game in the 1st quarter with a non-contact knee injury but did complete a pass for nine yards. Colt McCoy stepped in with 27 of 40 passes for 246 yards with an interception. The only offensive score for the Cardinals was from a run up the middle for 10 yards in the 2nd quarter. Colt McCoy added some rushing yards in the game as he hit 24 yards. DeAndre Hopkins had a good day with 79 yards receiving with seven catches. Pass protection was a factor in the game as the Patriots sacked Cardinals quarterbacks six times for 45 yards. Josh Uche had three of those sacks. For the Patriots, the win moves them to 7-6 and usurp the Chargers in the 7th seed of the playoffs. For the Cardinals, the loss will be a bitter one to swallow as they drop to 4-9.

Next week:
New England: @ Las Vegas
Arizona: @ Denver

TW: 7-6; CV: 9-4

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

Total: 126-80-2

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
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6
Week 8: 9-6
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 8-6-1
Week 14: 9-4

Total: 112-92-2

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 

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 15 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 14 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming your way. With the start of Week 14, there's only five more weeks of regular season play and all of the divisions and wild card spots still available throughout the NFL. In this post I'll go over the playoff picture, a Week 14 Preview and Picks of the week's games, and the Early & Late game TV Broadcast Pairings. Let's get to work!

Week 14 Playoff Picture

No clinching scenarios for the AFC this week and surprisingly no scenarios for the NFC this week. With division leaders edging out the pack it's only a matter of time before they're crowned division winners. The wild card spots are still open to those teams that put forth the momentum to win them. Let's start with the AFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Buffalo Bills (9-3)
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (9-3)
3rd seed: Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
4th seed: Tennessee Titans (7-5)
5th seed: Cincinnati Bengals (8-4)
6th seed: Miami Dolphins (8-4)
7th seed: New York Jets (7-5)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

NY Jets @ Kansas City
Miami @ Baltimore
Cincinnati @ Tennessee

In the Hunt

New England (6-6), LA Chargers (6-6), Las Vegas (5-7), Cleveland (5-7), Pittsburgh (5-7), Indianapolis (4-8-1), Jacksonville (4-8), Denver (3-9)

Better Luck Next Year

Houston (1-10-1)

The Bills are ahead of the Chiefs because of head-to-head record. Cincinnati is ahead of Miami because of head-to-head record as well. New England is ahead of the Chargers because of conference record (Patriots have 5-3 record and Chargers have 4-4 record). Despite the lack of clinching scenarios, the AFC is probably the most intriguing conference to keep an eye on. The Bills-Jets and Ravens-Steelers games this week will be must-watch TV for those who are able to watch. Let's go to the NFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles (11-1)
2nd seed: Minnesota Vikings (10-2)
3rd seed: San Francisco 49ers (8-4)
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6)
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
6th seed: New York Giants (7-4-1)
7th seed: Seattle Seahawks (7-5)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Seattle @ Minnesota
NY Giants @ San Francisco
Dallas @ Tampa Bay

In the Hunt

Washington (7-5-1), Detroit (5-7), Green Bay (5-8), Atlanta (5-8), Arizona (4-8), Carolina (4-8), New Orleans (4-9), LA Rams (3-9)

Better Luck Next Year

Chicago (3-10)

Week 14 Preview

The fourteenth week of the NFL's regular season starts in Inglewood, California and finishes up in Glendale, Arizona. There will be 13 games played this week where 26 teams will play. Teams on a bye this week are the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders. The week features a Thursday night game, seven early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will carry the doubleheader and CBS will show a single, regional game this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 14 Picks

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

Las Vegas (5-7) @ LA Rams (3-9) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Raiders beat the Chargers and the Rams lost to the Seahawks last week. Baker Mayfield is back with his third team in a year. Mayfield, who was picked up via waivers from Carolina, will get the nod to start. I feel its a moot point as the Rams won't likely get into the postseason. Maybe its an attempt to get back to back to respectability. Nevertheless, I don't see them winning this game. Las Vegas has been one of the better teams after starting 2-7. They've won three straight games and I think they'll ride that momentum despite the short week for both teams. I'll take the Raiders. 

Cleveland (5-7) @ Cincinnati (8-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Both teams won last week as the Browns beat the Texans and the Bengals beat the Chiefs. Cleveland got a win in DeShaun Watson's 2022 debut. The quarterback was rusty at best but wasn't god awful. He'll have a better showing I would assume. Cincinnati looks to be a runner-up for the best team in the AFC. They invested a lot in their offensive line and the investment has paid off as Burrow hasn't been injured this season. I think Burrow will finally beat the Browns in the 2nd battle of Ohio. 

Baltimore (8-4) @ Pittsburgh (5-7) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Ravens
Both teams won last week as the Ravens beat the Broncos and the Steelers beat the Falcons. The Ravens-Steelers rivalry returns this week. While the days of Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger are over the rivalry still feels very much energized. Lamar Jackson won't play as he will be out for at least 1-3 weeks. A lot of pressure will be squarely on Tyler Huntley against the vaunted Steelers front seven. Kenny Pickett has played better than the previous games when he started. At least he cut down on the turnovers. Pittsburgh has gotten it done with their defense and running game. TJ Watt hasn't had the season that he'd wanted like last year when he tied the season sack record. I think its a tough matchup for Baltimore, so I'd take the Steelers.

Houston (1-10-1) @ Dallas (9-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Texans lost to the Browns and the Cowboys beat the Colts last week. The Battle of Texas! Houston is not a great team, in fact they're terrible. Dallas however, is a great team this year. At least until they choke in the playoffs. Unfortunately, this game isn't a playoff game. If Dallas loses this game, just pack it up and call it a day. 

Jacksonville (4-8) @ Tennessee (7-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Titans
Both teams lost last week as the Jaguars lost to the Lions and the Titans lost to the Eagles. A big AFC South showdown. Jacksonville come into the contest winning and losing games on a consistent basis. They lost big against the Lions where the Jags defense surrendered 40 points. Granted the Lions have one of the better offenses this season. As you can imagine turnovers played a part in that game. They'll need to cut those down if they want a shot to win against the division leading Titans. Tennessee is a mystery to me. They lose games by the strangest of circumstances. Last week, former Titan AJ Brown ran over them. The end result of GM Jon Robinson losing his job in a surprising manner. I really don't know what to think of this game. I don't trust either team so I'll go with the Jags on a whim. 

Minnesota (10-2) @ Detroit (5-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Vikings
Both teams won last week as the Vikings beat the Jets and the Lions beat the Jaguars. An interesting contest in the NFC North. The Vikings offense has mostly been high-powered. Kirk Cousins has been mostly on his game for the most part. Of course Justin Jefferson has to be mentioned too. Detroit has been playing well on offense. Jared Goff has gotten it done in the passing game. The real monster(s) in the offense is their running game with Jamaal Williams and Dandre Swift. The duo have accounted for 18 rushing touchdowns. Minnesota may very well beat the Lions in this game but I'll go with the home team. 

NY Jets (7-5) @ Buffalo (9-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Jets lost to the Vikings and the Bills beat the Patriots last week. A big AFC East showdown in Orchard Park! The Jets come into this game with the man Mike White having a 1-1 record in 2022. The quarterback was solid against the Bears and wasn't great against the Vikings. He turned the ball too much. He will need to do a better job at protecting the ball against one of the better defense in the league. Buffalo comes into this game with longer rest. Josh Allen will improve and get healthier in this game. As if he wasn't already getting healthier and better. As long as the Bills don't shoot themselves in the foot, I think they'll take the win. 

Philadelphia (11-1) @ NY Giants (7-4-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Giants; CV: Eagles
The Eagles beat the Titans and the Giants tied with the Commanders last week. The classic I-95 rivalry returns in earnest. The Eagles have gotten it done with both sides of the ball playing really well, in accordance of their record. The Giants are a little trickier to figure out. If you needed an example, last week would be a good one. They should've won that game but they let it slip away from them. Despite that fact, the Eagles-Giants rivalry will be a tough one in terms of how these teams will play against each other. Rivalry games always bring out the best of a team. I think the Giants will find a way to upset their rivals. 

Kansas City (9-3) @ Denver (3-9) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Chiefs lost to the Bengals and the Broncos lost to the Ravens. At this point, I'm surprised that a change hasn't happened in Denver. Whether it be the coaching or the players, something has to happen for the Broncos to get back to respectability. I don't think the playoffs is in their future in 2022. What they can do is play their best game of the season at home against the rival Chiefs. Kansas City last week definitely felt like a letdown of a game and they missed an opportunity to stay at the #1 seed in the AFC. When it comes to this matchup, I think the offense that puts together drives will win it. My gut says that the Chiefs will take it.

Carolina (4-8) @ Seattle (7-5) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The Panthers had a bye and the Seahawks beat the Rams last week. Carolina will not have Baker Mayfield playing in this game as he was sent on waivers. They will either go with PJ Walker or Sam Darnold at quarterback. I feel the Panthers could maybe play spoiler in this game but I don't know who they have on the roster that can beat one of the better offenses in the league. Seattle has had a return to respectability with Geno Smith at quarterback. Kenneth Walker III won't be available as he suffered an ankle injury last week. I think the Seahawks will take it. 

Tampa Bay (6-6) @ San Francisco (8-4) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: 49ers
Both teams won last week as the Buccaneers beat the Saints and the 49ers beat the Dolphins last week. I would go with the 49ers but I question how well Brock Purdy will do at quarterback in his first start. Mr. Irrelevant helped his team with some great throws and plays that turned into touchdowns. Despite the lack off offense for the last 55 minutes of that Saints game, I think the offense will get back to better play. The offensive line vs the defensive line will be a matchup to keep an eye on as Nick Bosa is a legit great defensive player. I can't count out Tom Brady. 

Miami (8-4) @ LA Chargers (6-6) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Chargers
The Dolphins lost to the 49ers and the Chargers lost to the Raiders last week. Miami had a bit of a mismatch last week against the 49ers. San Francisco took advantage of turnovers and put up points before the Dolphins knew what hit them. I think they'll have a better game this week. The Chargers are a mystery to me. They have the offensive talent to put up points but they just look lost out there. The defense hasn't been improved like they should've when they got Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. If the Chargers have a shot to win I think it'll come to their defense to do the job. Will I see it happen? I highly doubt it. I'll take the Dolphins.

New England (6-6) @ Arizona (4-8) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Patriots lost to the Bills and the Cardinals were on a bye last week. The week finishes up with an interesting contest. Noise has stirred up in New England with the offense falling apart. All parties have to be accountable for the lack of generated offense, red zone trips, sustaining drives, and offensive touchdowns. Despite the negativity, the Patriots do have a weapon in Rhamondre Stevenson who has been their rock this season. Arizona is facing trouble of their own in the offense. Kyler Murray had been dealing with issues with his head coach on live tv. Despite all that, the Cardinals do have a good group of receivers that can go down the field with. DeAndre Hopkins to name at least one who can be a playmaker. It'll be telling how well the Cardinals offense can generate offense against one of the better defenses in the Patriots. Matthew Judon has been a stud on defense. I think it'll be a close call but I'll go with the Pats. 

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are games shown in my area. Check local listings.

CBS Single

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

NY Jets @ Buffalo
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Cleveland @ Cincinnati
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Jacksonville @ Tennessee
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Kansas City @ Denver (Late)
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

FOX Early

Philadelphia @ NY Giants
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

Houston @ Dallas
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Minnesota @ Detroit
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

FOX Late

Tampa Bay @ San Francisco
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Carolina @ Seattle
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2022: Week 14 Maps

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
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 10-6
Week 13: 11-3-1

Total: 119-74-2

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
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6
Week 8: 9-6
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 8-6-1

Total: 103-88-2

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 

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 14 Recap post! Enjoy the rest of your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 13 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The number 13 might be an unlucky number but for some NFL teams it meant it was a lucky number. Storylines this week featured: an AFC East showdown in Foxboro, a blowout in Detroit, a physical matchup in the NFC East, and Mr. Irrelevant coming to the rescue in San Francisco. Those storylines and more in this week's recap post. 

Week 13 Recap 

Buffalo 24, New England 10: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills finally earn win #1 in the AFC East. Josh Allen hit 22 of 33 passes for 223 yards with touchdown passes for Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. James Cook was the leading rusher for the Bills with 64 yards rushing. Devin Singletary scored a rushing touchdown while getting 51 yards on the ground. Stefon Diggs made the Patriots defense look silly as he had seven catches with 92 yards receiving. It was a game where the matchup to watch was Josh Allen vs the Patriots defense. The quarterback won out in the end as he would torch them threw the air. Mac Jones fared less than fortunate. The quarterback completed 22 of 36 passes for 195 yards with a touchdown pass to Marcus Jones on the receiver's first play on offense. Marcus Jones had made the game-winning play against the Jets on special teams. It would be the only big play the Patriots would get all game. Mac Jones did have a play where a pass looked like it was intercepted but was declared an incomplete pass by an official. Rhamondre Stevenson would help the offense a bit with 54 yards rushing but wouldn't get a touchdown. After the hopeful performance against the Vikings, the Patriots offense sputtered to put anything together. On 3rd down conversions, the Pats went 3 for 12. New England would only visit the redzone and Goal To Go only once. It was on their last drive of the game. For the Bills, They move to 9-3 with a possible temporary hold of the AFC East. For the Patriots, they drop to 6-6 in 2022. 

Next week:
Buffalo: vs NY Jets
New England: @ Arizona (Monday night)

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Cleveland 27, Houston 14: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
DeShaun Watson made his 2022 debut in a homecoming at Houston. The former Texans player hit 12 of 22 passes for 131 yards with an interception. Nick Chubb rushed for 80 yards on 17 carries. He would be tackled on his own endzone for a safety for the Texans in the 2nd quarter. Kareem Hunt had 56 yards rushing. Cleveland wouldn't score an offensive touchdown all game. The three touchdowns the Browns scored was a special teams and two defensive touchdowns. David Peoples-Jones helped his team out with a punt-six late in the 2nd quarter on a 76-yard play that gave the Browns their first lead of the game. The defensive touchdown was on a Kyle Allen fumble that Denzel Ward recovered for a 4-yard touchdown. Tony Fields II intercepted a Allen pass for a pick-six on a 16-yard score. Browns kicker Kyle Fairbairn did the rest of the scoring with three field goals. Kyle Allen started for the Texans. Allen hit 20 of 39 passes for 201 yards with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins in the 4th quarter. Along with the fumble, the quarterback tossed two interceptions. Dameon Pierce had a decent day on the ground with 73 yards rushing. For the Browns, the win moves them to 5-7 on the season. For the Texans, the loss drops them to 1-10-1. They are also the first team to be eliminated from postseason play. 

Next week:
Cleveland: @ Cincinnati
Houston: @ Dallas

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Denver 9, Baltimore 10: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Big storyline in this game was Lamar Jackson got hurt. Russell Wilson hit 17 of 22 passes for 189 yards. He didn't have a touchdown but didn't throw an interception in the game. Latavius Murray was the leading rusher in the game as he had 47 yards on 17 carries. All of Denver's points went to kicker Branon McManus who hit 3 of 4 in the game with a 52-yard kick being the longest. It was a pitiful game on offense for Denver. The Broncos would only get 12 first downs, went 2 for 12 on 3rd down conversions and Wilson was sacked two times. Lamar Jackson started the game for the Ravens. Jackson had 3 of 4 passes completed for 11 yards and ran once for nine yards. He left the game with a knee injury. Tyler Huntley as a passer entered the game. Huntley had 27 of 32 passes completed for 187 yards and had an interception thrown. James Proche also had a ball picked off. Huntley scored the only touchdown in the game in the 4th quarter along with 41 yards rushing. Kenyan Drake had 29 yards rushing in the game. For the Broncos, the season spirals to a 3-9 record. For the Ravens, the close game yields for them a 8-4 record to keep pace with the Bengals in the AFC North. 

Next week:
Denver: vs Kansas City
Baltimore: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 3-0; CV: 3-0

Green Bay 28, Chicago 19: TW: Packers; CV: Bears
The Packers are now the winningest franchise in NFL history. It was a challenging start for Aaron Rodgers and company. Rodgers finished the game with 18 of 31 passes completed for 182 yards with a touchdown pass to Christian Watson in the 2nd quarter with 23 seconds left in the 1st half. Green Bay struggled in the first half with just only 10 points during the first 30 minutes. AJ Dillon would carry the load on the ground as he had 93 yards rushing with a touchdown. Christian Watson was also utilized on a trick play that yielded a 46-yard play that resulted in a touchdown. Green Bay put up 18 points in the 4th quarter and finished the game with 357 total yards. Justin Fields was fairly accurate in his passes as he had 20 of 25 of them completed for 254 yards. He would toss two interceptions that costed his team dearly in the 4th quarter when they were still up in the game. Along with a fumble and a missed field goal hurt the Bears in the game. Justin Fields and David Montgomery did the work on the ground with Fields' 71 yards and Montgomery's 61 yards. Both of them had a touchdown to their name in the game. For the Packers, the win helps them with a 5-8 record in 2022 and win #787 all-time. For the Bears, the 2022 campaign worsens as they drop to 3-10. For the first time since 1921, the Bears do not own the all-time franchise wins list. They also are eliminated from postseason competition.

Next week:
Green Bay: Bye
Chicago: Bye

TW: 4-0; CV: 3-1

Jacksonville 14, Detroit 40: TW: Lions; CV: Jaguars
A thorough demolition in the Motor City. Trevor Lawrence started the game with 17 of 31 passes completed for 179 yards with a touchdown pass to Evan Engram in the 3rd quarter. With the game out of reach the Jaguars gave CJ Beathard some play time and hit 2 of 3 for 6 yards. Travis Etienne rushed for 54 yards on 13 carries. It was a contest where the Jags offense couldn't drive the ball down the field and score touchdowns and had six possessions that resulted in six points in the first half. A foreshadow was a fumble on the first drive that was a sign that things wouldn't go well for Jacksonville. Jared Goff had one of his best starts in the year who had 31 of 41 passes completed for 340 yards with two touchdown passes. Those two touchdowns went to his favorite target Amonra St. Brown who finished with 11 catches for 114 yards. Dandre Swift rushed for 62 yards with a touchdown. Jamaal Williams rushed for 35 yards with a touchdown run as well. Detroit in the game had 437 total yards, reverting back to their high scoring offense that made them noteworthy earlier in the season. Detroit's punter wasn't put to use as they either had a touchdown or a field goal in each of their drives (except for the final drive that resulted in the end of the game). For the Jaguars, the 2022 campaign drops them to 4-8 with dwindling hope of postseason play. For the Lions, they continue to be a dark horse in 2022 with a 5-7 record. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: @ Tennessee
Detroit: vs Minnesota

TW: 5-0; CV: 3-2

NY Jets 22, Minnesota 27: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
A comeback that came up short for Gang Green. Mike White had a tough game who had 31 of 57 passes completed for 369 yards who had two interceptions. Definitely got his arm a workout for sure. Zonovan Knight was the leading rusher for the game with 90 yards rushing. Mike White scored the only offensive touchdown for the Jets on a quarterback sneak for a 1-yard play that was initially called short of the touchdown. After a challenge the call was reversed. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein got his leg a workout as he gave the Jets five field goals in the game. New York was not able to sustain drives as they went 3 for 16 in converting 3rd downs and 2 for 5 in converting 4th downs. They also had 486 total yards in the game on 83 plays. Kirk Cousins didn't give his arm a workout as he completed 21 of 35 passes for 173 yards with a touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson. The Cook-Mattison tandem both scored a touchdown while getting 86 and 14 yards rushing respectively. Justin Jefferson had a game that wasn't big on numbers but he caught seven balls for 45 yards receiving. Despite the score, the Vikings only put up 287 total yards on offense. The big thing in the game was that the Vikings gained three first downs on penalties. For the Jets, the loss drops them to 7-5 with a date with the Buffalo Bills next Sunday. For the Vikings, the win moves them to 10-2 but with the Lions win they will have to wait next week for a shot to win the NFC North division title.

Next week:
NY Jets: @ Buffalo
Minnesota: @ Detroit

TW: 6-0 CV: 4-2

Pittsburgh 19, Atlanta 16: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers 
The rebounding Steelers steal a win in Atlanta. Kenny Pickett started the game for the Steelers who had 16 of 28 passes completed for 197 yards with a touchdown pass to Connor Heyward. It was the only touchdown for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh's running game rushed for 86 yards on 17 carries. Benny Snell had 24 yards on six carries. The Steelers had a new kicker go for them as Matthew Wright hit 4 for 4 for field goals with a 48-yard kick the longest in the game. Marcus Mariota was alright in the game for the Falcons. Mariota hit 13 of 24 passes for 167 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Pruitt in the 3rd quarter along with an interception. Atlanta's running game put some production with Cordarrelle Patterson's 60 yards rushing and Tyler Allgeier's 52 yards rushing. It unfortunately didn't result in touchdowns. Atlanta could only put six points on their first three drives in the game with two field goals. Marcus Mariota had a chance to win the game but on the first play from their own 2-yard line, Mariota threw the interception. For the Steelers, the close win moves them up to 5-7 with some hope for postseason play. For the Falcons, the loss is their 4th in five games as they drop to 5-8. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Baltimore
Atlanta: @ New Orleans

TW: 7-0; CV: 5-2

Tennessee 10, Philadelphia 35: TW: Eagles; CV: Titans
The Eagles just keep on winning. Ryan Tannehill and the Titans started off well in the first quarter. Tannehill threw a touchdown pass to Treylon Burks in the first quarter. They wouldn't visit the endzone for the rest of the game. Tannehill finished with 14 of 22 passes completed for 141 yards with said touchdown. Tannehill was the leading rusher for the Titans with 34 yards. Derrick Henry had only 30 yards. Jalen Hurts put the hurt on the Titans as he had 29 of 39 passes completed for 380 yards with three touchdowns. AJ Brown had two touchdown passes caught and Devonta Smith had one. Philly's running game wouldn't match the passing game but Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts both scored a touchdown with Sanders running for 24 yards and Hurts getting 12 yards. Despite the dominating effort, the Eagles would punt the ball five times in the game. Suffice to say, I don't think Eagles fans won't mind it. For the Titans, the loss drops them to 7-5 but still well within a distance of the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC South. For the Eagles, the dominating season continues as they move to 11-1 with a playoff berth if the 49ers and Seahawks lose this week. 

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Jacksonville
Philadelphia: @ NY Giants

TW: 8-0; CV: 5-3

Washington 20, NY Giants 20 (F/OT): TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
Another game that ends in a tie baby! Taylor Heinicke would play well in the game despite constant pressure. He hit 27 of 41 passes for 275 yards with two touchdowns. Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson were the ones that caught those passes and ran them in for a score. The folk hero bare the brunt of the Giants pass rush as he was hit multiple times and sacked five times. Brian Robinson had a good game with 96 yards rushing on 21 carries. Penalties were an issue for the Commanders as they were flagged seven times for 56 yards, most of them were offensive penalties. Daniel Jones was efficient in the tie as he hit 25 of 31 passes for 200 yards with a touchdown pass to Isaiah Hodgins. Jones was also the leading rusher for the Giants with 71 yards on the ground. Saquon Barkley had a touchdown run with 63 yards rushing in the game. It would be the Dotson touchdown and point after that would tie the game and eventually send the game to overtime. In overtime, both teams couldn't generate enough offense to get their kickers enough of a respectable range for a game-winning field goal. The last play of the game was a Graham Gano 58-yard field goal try. The kick didn't veer left or right but landed short of the goalposts. For the Commanders, they move to 7-5-1 in the NFC East. For the Giants, the tie moves them to 7-4-1. 

Next week:
Washington: Bye
NY Giants: vs Philadelphia

TW: 8-0-1; CV: 5-3-1

Miami 17, San Francisco 33: TW: Dolphins; CV: 49ers
Mr. Irrelevant saved the day for the 49ers. Tua Tagovailoa was on on some plays and off on some others. He hit 18 of 33 passes for 295 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tyreek Hill and Trent Scherfield were the recipients of those passes that lead to scores. The interceptions and some incompletions were something that we've not seen from Tua this season. San Francisco would sack Tua three times and pressured for even more. The game was a homecoming for former 49ers running backs Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson. Both running backs combined for just 33 yards rushing. Jimmy Garoppolo started the game for the red and gold. He hit 2 of 4 passes for 56 yards before leaving the game with a foot injury. Brock Purdy, a rookie quarterback out of Iowa State and the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft, stepped in and provided help to his team. He finished with 25 of 37 passes for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Kyle Juszczyk and Christian McCaffrey were the players that caught those passes and converted them to scores. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 66 yards in the game on 17 carries and had 80 receiving yards. Good game for him. Jordan Mason had 51 yards rushing. Miami failed to convert a 3rd down all game after facing a 3rd down situation seven times. San Francisco owned the time of possession on a 40:34 time to Miami's 19:26. It was also a homecoming to Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel who had served as the 49ers offensive coordinator last season. A teacher owning the student game. For the Dolphins, they drop to 8-4 and drop to 2nd place in the AFC East. For the 49ers, the win moves them to 8-4 with a lead in the NFC West.

Next week:
Miami: @ LA Chargers (Sunday night)
San Francisco: vs Tampa Bay

TW: 8-1-1; CV: 6-3-1

Seattle 27, LA Rams 23: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Geno Smith went the distance for the game-winning touchdown. He hit 28 of 39 passes for 367 yards with three touchdowns and had a pass intercepted. Tyler Lockett and Noah Fant were the players who received the passes for touchdowns. With 36 seconds left to play, Geno Smith would find DK Metcalf for an 8-yard touchdown that gave the Seahawks the lead for good. Both Lockett and Metcalf combined for 275 receiving yards. Seattle would be without its rookie running back Kenneth Walker III who left the game with an ankle injury. Walker III finished the game with 36 yards rushing. Deejay Dallas had 37 yards rushing. Along with the interception, the Seahawks also fumbled a ball that was recovered by the Rams. John Wolford started for the Rams instead of Bryce Perkins. Wolford didn't amount to much as he completed 14 of 26 passes for 178 yards with two interceptions. Cam Akers carried the offensive load for the Rams with his 60 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Brandon Powell, normally a wide receiver, rushed for 45 yards on three carries. The Rams running game outgained the passing by a 171 to 148 net margin. For the Seahawks, the win rebounds them to 7-5 and stay a game closer to the 49ers. For the Rams, the season looks bleaker for them as they drop to 3-9 with no signs of hope in sight. At least you have last year Rams fans. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs Carolina
LA Rams: vs Las Vegas (Thursday night)

TW: 9-1-1; CV: 7-3-1

Kansas City 24, Cincinnati 27: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The game felt like an AFC Championship, not just a rematch of the game last January. Patrick Mahomes hit 16 of 27 passes for 223 yards with a touchdown pass to Jerrick McKinnon and ran it in for a touchdown that looked like he was going to dive and bounce off Bengals defenders. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 66 yards with a touchdown. Jerrick McKinnon rushed for 51 yards on eight carries. It was a game where the Chiefs had control of the game. While up 24-20, Mahomes threw a pass to Travis Kelce for a sizable gain. The dog pile on him would force the ball out off the tight end and gave the Bengals offense some life. Joe Burrow completed 25 of 31 passes for 286 yards for two touchdowns. Tee Higgins and Chris Evans were the happy receivers that caught those passes for scores. Like Mahomes, Burrow scored a touchdown on a run while getting 46 yards. Samaje Perine put together a solid game on the ground with his 106 yards on 21 carries. Ja'Marr Chase made his return to the Bengals after missing the last four games. Chase caught seven balls for 97 yards receiving. For the Chiefs, the loss hurts them as they drop to 2nd place in the AFC (Buffalo had beaten them earlier in the year and own the head-to-head). For the Bengals, the win moves them to 8-4 but still at 2nd place in the AFC North with the Ravens.

Next week:
Kansas City: @ Denver
Cincinnati: vs Cleveland

TW: 9-2-1; CV: 7-4-1

LA Chargers 20, Las Vegas 27: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Carr to Adams put the hurt on the Chargers. Justin Herbert completed 28 of 47 passes for 335 yards with a touchdown pass to Keenan Allen in the 4th quarter. Keenan Allen finished the game with 88 yards receiving with six catches. Austin Ekeler rushed for 35 yards on 10 carries. Joshua Kelley rushed for 30 yards on seven carries. Derek Carr had an alright game as he hit 16 of 30 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns to Davante Adams. Carr did toss an interception that was a tipped pass that landed in the arms of Bryce Callahan for a pick-six. Josh Jacobs, the man of the hour last week with his 303 all-purpose yards, rushed for 144 yards with a touchdown run on 26 carries and caught two balls for six receiving yards. For the Chargers, the loss drops them to 6-6 with a game lead over the Raiders in the AFC West. For the Raiders, the memories of 2-7 drifted away as they have won three straight games. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Miami (Sunday night)
Las Vegas: @ LA Rams (Thursday night)

TW: 9-3-1; CV: 7-5-1

Indianapolis 19, Dallas 54: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys may have blown out the Colts but at least we got a scorigami! Matt Ryan had a game to forget as the passer completed 21 of 37 passes for 233 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Alec Pierce and Ashton Dulin were the players who caught those passes and went to the endzone for scores. Jonathan Taylor had a decent game running the ball with 82 yards rushing on 21 carries. Despite the score, the Colts were behind 21-19 prior to the 4th quarter. Here's a list of the 4th quarter drives that the Colts had: Fumble, Interception, Interception, Fumble, end of game. Just bad ball protection. Dak Prescott did better than his counterpart with 20 of 30 passes completed for 170 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Michael Gallup caught two and CeeDee Lamb caught one of those passes for touchdowns. It would be the Dallas running attack that ruled the day. Tony Pollard gave his team 91 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliot had 77 yards rushing with a touchdown. Malik Davis would see action has he 29 yards rushing with a touchdown of his own. For the Colts, the loss drops them to 4-8-1 with sinking hopes of a rebound. For the Cowboys, the win keeps them on pace for a playoff spot and add some pressure on the Eagles. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: Bye
Dallas: vs Houston

TW: 10-3-1; CV: 8-5-1

New Orleans 16, Tampa Bay 17: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Saints
Tom Brady comes in clutch when the Bucs needed him most. Andy Dalton did well enough in the game with 20 of 28 pass completions for 229 yards with a touchdown pass to Taysom Hill in the 2nd quarter. It would be the only touchdown for the Saints in the game. Mark Ingram rushed for 27 yards and Alvin Kamara rushed for 26 yards in the game. Not quite the amount of rushing yards that the Saints offense could put up. Tampa's defense would hold the Saints to 298 total yards. Tom Brady threw the ball a lot in the game with 36 of 54 passes completed. He threw the ball for 281 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Cade Otton and Rachaad White were the ones that caught those passes from Brady to get into the endzone. White's touchdown would be the one that was the go-ahead score with eight seconds left in the game. Leonard Fournette provided some help with 49 yards rushing on 10 carries. Tampa looked quiet on offense but turned it on when the game was close to the end. They scored two touchdowns in three minutes of game time. It's also the first time since 2007 when the Buccaneers swept the Saints in the regular season series. For the Saints, the loss was a tough one to swallow as they drop to 4-9. For the Buccaneers, they get back to playing .500 ball at 6-6. 

Next week:
New Orleans: Bye
Tampa Bay: @ San Francisco

TW: 11-3-1; CV: 8-6-1

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
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 10-6
Week 13: 11-3-1

Total: 119-74-2

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
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6
Week 8: 9-6
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 8-6-1

Total: 103-88-2

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 

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 14 Picks post. Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 13 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The number 13 usually means good luck or bad luck depending on what you believe in. For Week 13 could bring either of those things to teams this week. In this post I'll post about: The current playoff picture, a preview of the week's action, my picks for the games, and the tv pairings for FOX and CBS in the early and late windows on Sunday. Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 13

Week 13 presents us with some possible clinching scenarios in the NFC. Not quite there yet for the AFC for clinching scenarios. Let's take a look at the NFC. 

Seeding

1st Seed: Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)
2nd Seed: Minnesota Vikings (9-2)
3rd Seed: San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6)
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
6th seed: NY Giants (7-4)
7th seed: Washington Commanders (7-5)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Washington @ Minnesota
NY Giants @ San Francisco
Dallas @ Tampa Bay

In the Hunt

Seattle (6-5), Atlanta (5-7), Detroit (4-7), Green Bay (4-8), Arizona (4-8), Carolina (4-8), New Orleans (4-8), LA Rams (3-8), Chicago (3-9)

Philadelphia can clinch a playoff berth with a win + Commanders loss. Minnesota can clinch the NFC North with a win and Lions loss or tie. Not much there for tiebreakers for seeding as everyone has a different record. Let's go to the AFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (9-2)
2nd seed: Miami Dolphins (8-3)
3rd seed: Tennessee Titans (7-4)
4th seed: Baltimore Ravens (7-4)
5th seed: Buffalo Bills (8-3)
6th seed: Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)
7th seed: NY Jets (7-4)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

NY Jets @ Miami
Cincinnati @ Tennessee
Buffalo @ Baltimore

In the Hunt

New England (6-5), LA Chargers (6-5), Indianapolis (4-7-1), Jacksonville (4-7), Las Vegas (4-7), Cleveland (4-7), Pittsburgh (4-7), Denver (3-8), Houston (1-9-1)

As stated before, no clinching scenarios for the AFC yet. Houston is still very much alive but have to think another loss means playoff elimination for them. Should be noted that the Bengals are ahead of the Jets based on head-to-head. Tennessee is ahead of Baltimore based on conference record (Titans have 5-3 and Ravens have 4-3 so had Baltimore won on Sunday they'd be ahead of the Titans). 

Week 13 Preview

The thirteenth week of the National Football League's regular season starts in Foxboro, Massachusetts and finishes up in Tampa, Florida. Week 13 will feature a 15-game slate where 30 teams will play. Teams on a bye are the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers. The week will have a Thursday night game, eight early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. 

Week 13 Picks 

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

Buffalo (8-3) @ New England (6-5) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills beat the Lions and the Patriots lost to the Vikings last week. A rematch of the AFC Wild Card matchup in Buffalo. Not also to mention this is a battle of rivals to start the week off. Buffalo comes into this game with two wins at Detroit so they are certainly capable of playing road ball. New England comes into this game with a disheartening loss to the Vikings in a game where they could've won. If Von Miller is not in this game the Bills will have a bigger challenge in stopping Mac Jones. The loss of Damien Harris to the Patriots run game could be a factor as Rhamondre Stevenson will have to carry the ground load. The big matchup in this game will be Josh Allen and the front seven of the Patriots defense. I think the Bills will take this one based on the more experience that the Bills have. 

Cleveland (4-7) @ Houston (1-9-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The Browns beat the Buccaneers and the Texans lost to the Dolphins last week. Jacoby Brissett won't start this game as DeShaun Watson (yeah remember that guy) will get the nod. Personally I don't think Watson should see the field at all this season let alone get the payday he got. Now that I got that out of the way, I think the Browns will still win this game based on their running game. Nick Chubb already has 1,000 rushing yards this year with 12 touchdowns. No sense in thinking that the Browns will go something different in their gameplan. For Houston, maybe they have an outside chance to win but they have to stop turning the ball over and have their quarterback have some time to throw the ball. Or even give it to Dameon Pierce. 

Denver (3-8) @ Baltimore (7-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Both teams lost last week as the Broncos lost to the Panthers and the Ravens lost to the Jaguars. Things have been tough for both teams this year. The Broncos can't seem to get going on offense and the Ravens can't hold onto a lead to save their lives. Russell Wilson has been given a lot of blame and it is warranted. With just eight passing touchdowns, Wilson really needs to get going if the Broncos want to salvage at least most of their season. Baltimore just loves smelling their own farts when they take a lead late in the game. Something is going to have to give for this one. Either the Broncos unleash their 2013 offense on the Ravens or Baltimore holds onto a lead and in convincing fashion. I can't trust the Broncos.

Green Bay (4-8) @ Chicago (3-9) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Bears
Last week the Packers lost to the Eagles and the Bears lost to the Jets. The NFL's oldest rivalry starts a new chapter as the man Nathan Peterman starts for the Bears and Aaron Rodgers starts for the Packers. Both teams haven't had the season they'd wanted but bragging rights are still very much alive in this game. News stories seem to lean toward Rodgers starting and I feel that they are true. Aaron Rodgers wouldn't want to miss his team trying to win against the Bears. A team that he supposedly owns. I feel the Packers will take the win based on better supporting cast. The track record on Nathan Peterman isn't good.

Jacksonville (4-7) @ Detroit (4-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Jaguars
Last week the Jaguars beat the Ravens and the Lions lost to the Bills. Detroit can feel at ease knowing that their 2nd tenant in the Buffalo Bills are back in Western New York. Jacksonville last week had one of the bigger upsets in the season in beating Baltimore. Granted they took advantage of turnovers. If things go well enough for them, they could torch one of the worst defenses in the league and put up points. Trevor Lawrence is somewhat trustable. Detroit has one of the better offenses in the league with one of the least talked about running backs in Jamaal Williams. Amonra St. Brown isn't bad either. In terms of a home environment, I like the Lions in this matchup. It's a gut feeling but I think they'll win.

NY Jets (7-4) @ Minnesota (9-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Jets beat the Bears and the Vikings beat the Patriots last week. Mike White made the Jets offense look like the days of Joe Namath with the way he was making the Bears defense look silly. He'll have a bigger challenge against the Vikings. Minnesota's defense isn't terrible but it isn't great either. The offense is gotten it done for the Vikings in 2022. They have the best running back and wide receiver in the game right now with Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson. New York's defense is not something you can laugh at. They can pressure you and Sauce Gardner can be a shutdown corner when the need arises. I think the Vikings will win but the Jets aren't something you can brush over. 

Pittsburgh (4-7) @ Atlanta (5-7) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The Steelers beat the Colts and the Falcons lost to the Commanders last week. Just when the Steelers finally got something going good, something bad happens to them. The loss of Najee Harris for this game might be detrimental for the Steelers offense. They will need to rely on Benny Snell for the long run. Atlanta seems like the better team in terms of the running game. They have three running backs that can go for long gains in Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson. A winning season is still up there for the Steelers but they can't lose a lot more games. I'll take the Steelers.

Tennessee (7-4) @ Philadelphia (10-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Titans
The Titans lost to the Bengals and the Eagles beat the Packers last week. Both teams have great running attacks. It's really Derrick Henry vs the running backs roster of the Eagles. It seems that the Eagles are the better team based on record alone. The only time they lost was against Washington who took advantage of turnovers that they caused. Tennessee isn't much of a team that causes turnovers but they will need to if they want to win this game. I'll take the Eagles.

Washington (7-5) @ NY Giants (7-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
The Commanders beat the Falcons and the Giants lost to the Cowboys last week. First time since 2016 that both teams had a winning record prior to their meeting. Washington's nickname might change but the its rivalry with the Giants does not. New York has taken a bit of a dive of late and they are underdogs in this game. Washington has gotten better of late with Taylor Heinicke and his running game doing the offensive production. I think this game will be a test to see how well the Giants can comeback against adversity. I can't imagine they'd want to go back to their losing ways prior to this season. I'm still gonna go with the Commanders. 

Miami (8-3) @ San Francisco (7-4) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: 49ers
Both teams won last week as the Dolphins beat the Texans and the 49ers beat the Saints. A possible Super Bowl preview? Miami comes into this game being one of the better teams in the AFC. San Francisco has been on and off since acquiring Christian McCaffrey prior to the matchup against the Chiefs. The game seems like it'll be a shootout between two great quarterbacks. I think the end result will be a Dolphins victory in that Tua Tagovailoa will throw better than Jimmy Garoppolo. Just a hunch. 

Seattle (6-5) @ LA Rams (3-8) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Both teams lost last week as the Seahawks lost to the Raiders and the Rams lost to the Chiefs. The defending champions haven't looked exactly like themselves as of late. Injuries and the hangover have plagued the 2022 Rams. The Seahawks though have looked like a reinvigorated squad that most experts thought they'd be where the Rams are at. Geno Smith has been the main catalyst to this development. I See the Seahawks taking the game but I wouldn't count out the Rams if they have Matthew Stafford back. 

Kansas City (9-2) @ Cincinnati (7-4) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Both teams won last week as the Chiefs beat the Rams and the Bengals beat the Titans. A rematch of the AFC Championship game last year is the marquee game. Both teams are mostly the same as they were that had played in January. Kansas City looks like the better team in the matchup and I tend to feel that way. Patrick Mahomes has been playing on another level and as long as he stays upright. The Chiefs have a good shot to win. Cincinnati is a good team as well. I'm leaning more to the Chiefs because of the missing piece in the Bengals offense in Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Mixon. Mixon, if everything goes well in practice and rehab, will likely get to play on Sunday. Joe Burrow will need the help he can get. 

LA Chargers (6-5) @ Las Vegas (4-7) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Chargers beat the Cardinals and the Raiders beat the Seahawks last week. Justin Herbert and company got a much needed win against the Cardinals. The team gambled their season on a 2-point conversion that yielded in a positive result. Las Vegas had one of the best games out of a running back in franchise history (which says a lot out of the many great running backs they've had over the years) with Josh Jacobs' 303 all-purpose yards. Both teams are similar in the both sides of the ball. It seems like a toss-up matchup but I'll take the Chargers on a coin flip. 

Indianapolis (4-7-1) @ Dallas (8-3) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Colts lost to the Steelers and the Cowboys beat the Giants last week. Sunday night features a meh matchup between a team that's going down in record and one that is going up. Dallas goes into this game as a 11-point favorite and Vegas isn't necessarily wrong in that assessment. Indy has had a terrible season and hasn't had great results from interim head coach Jeff Saturday who kind of took over the job over Frank Reich. Dallas seems to be the team that has everything going for them well on both sides of the ball. Perhaps their defense is underrated in that aspect. In spite of the record, Dallas tends to keep teams in it and if the Colts can just sustain drives and put points on the board, I think Dallas could be in trouble. I don't see it happening but I'll take the Cowboys.

New Orleans (4-8) @ Tampa Bay (5-6) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Saints
Both teams lost their games last week as the Saints lost to the 49ers and the Buccaneers lost to the Browns. Tom Brady and company haven't looked like themselves this season and I think their defense isn't as good as it was last year and the year before. I mean they literally let Nick Chubb walk over them. New Orleans is in the same boat as they haven't had the season that they'd hoped. They were on a stretch where they might make the playoffs in 2021 but haven't met expectations in 2022. The joke that Tom Brady couldn't beat the Saints in the regular season is over as he had beaten them earlier this season in a close contest. You know the one where Mike Evans had to step up to defend his quarterback. I'll take the Bucs in the game as I'm not sure what kind of game that the Saints can put in this one. 

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area. Check local listings.

CBS Early

NY Jets @ Minnesota
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Denver @ Baltimore
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Pittsburgh @ Atlanta
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Cleveland @ Houston
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

CBS Late

Kansas City @ Cincinnati
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

LA Chargers @ Las Vegas
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

FOX Single

Tennessee @ Philadelphia
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen

Washington @ NY Giants
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Green Bay @ Chicago
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Jacksonville @ Detroit
Chris Myers, Robert Smith

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

Miami @ San Francisco (Late)
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

For more information on which game is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2022: Week 13 Maps

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
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 10-6

Total: 108-71-1

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
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6
Week 8: 9-6
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7

Total: 95-82-1

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 

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 13 Recap post! Enjoy your week and the games. 

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 12 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The Thanksgiving holiday is over and the season is getting close to the home stretch. The storylines for Week 12 will surely have to be: a back and forth affair in Minnesota, an upset in Cleveland, and a wild finish in Jacksonville. In this post I'll do a recap of the week's games. Let's get to work!

Week 12 Recap

Buffalo 28, Detroit 25: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills would get their 2nd win in Detroit in five days. The game was a trying one for Josh Allen and had 24 of 42 passes completed for 253 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Isiah McKenzie and Stefon Diggs were the recipients of those touchdown throws. Josh Allen would rush for 78 yards with a touchdown. Devin Singletary had 72 yards rushing. It would come down to a Tyler Bass Field goal in the final minute that would give the Bills the win. Jared Goff would have a better day as a passer with 23 of 37 passes completed for 240 yards with two touchdowns. Amonra St. Brown and DJ Chark were the recipients of those touchdown passes. Jamaal Williams would would have some tough runs in the game but he managed to get 66 yards rushing with a touchdown. Including a 27-yard run that was the longest in the game. For the Bills, the win puts them at 8-3 with division hopes still alive in the AFC East. For the Lions, the loss snaps their three game winning streak and puts them at 4-7. 

Next week:
Buffalo: @ New England (Thursday night)
Detroit: vs Jacksonville

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

NY Giants 20, Dallas 28: TW: Cowboys; CV: Giants
It started off slow for Dallas but they would rebound and beat their division rivals. Daniel Jones would play alright in this game as he completed 21 of 35 passes for 228 yards with a touchdown pass to Richie James in the 4th quarter. New York's running game wouldn't be used a lot as Saquon Barkley would rush for 39 yards with a touchdown that game the Giants a 10-7 lead in the 2nd quarter. Gary Brightwell had 31 yards rushing. Dak Prescott would not have one of his best games as he completed 21 of 30 passes for 261 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Dalton Schultz would be the one that would score on those passes. It would be the two interceptions that would help the Giants take the lead into halftime. Ezekiel Elliot would have a day as the runner completed the game with 92 yards rushing with a touchdown run. His teammate Tony Pollard had 60 yards rushing. Tight end Peyton Hendershot would get a rushing touchdown on a sweep play that the Giants would get caught off guard. For the Giants, the loss is their third in the last four games as they drop to 7-4. For the Cowboys, they still keep the pressure on the Eagles in the hotly contested NFC East. 

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

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

New England 26, Minnesota 33: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Resiliency would be the name of the game for the Vikings in this game. Mac Jones had one of his best games passing the ball in 2022 with 28 of 39 passes completed for 382 yards with two touchdowns. Hunter Henry and Nelson Agholor were the receivers that would score on those passes. One of the surprising things in this game was that the Patriots would only run the ball 13 times. Rhamondre Stevenson one of the bedrocks in the Pats offense would only get seven carries for 36 yards. Penalties and 3rd down conversions would hurt the Patriots in this game as the yellow flag would cost the Pats 55 yards and had 3 of 10 conversions on 3rd down. Kirk Cousins would have a solid game as he completed 30 of 37 passes for 299 yards with three touchdowns and had a pass intercepted. Dalvin Cook would have a tough time getting anything going on the ground as he had 42 yards rushing on 22 carries. It was another big game for Justin Jefferson as the receiver gave Vikings fans glimpses of Randy Moss' performance against Dallas in 1998. Jefferson had nine catches for 139 yards with a touchdown. The game would come down to a few questionable calls by the refs. There was a missed touchdown call as Hunter Henry would cross the plane with the ball. Another questionable decision was a holding that wasn't called. For the Patriots, the game snaps a three-game winning streak and begins a tough stretch of football for them. For the Vikings, the win keeps them well ahead in the NFC North division race. 

Next week:
New England: vs Buffalo (Thursday night)
Minnesota: vs NY Jets

TW: 3-0; CV: 2-1

Atlanta 13, Washington 19: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
It was a grind out contest in rainy FedEx Field. Marcus Mariota would complete 15 of 25 passes for 174 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Pruitt on a 4-yard pass that would be the only offensive touchdown for the Falcons. Taylor Allgeier would put forth a 54 yard, 11 carry performance in this game. Cordarrelle Patterson would have 52 yards on 11 carries. Miscues on special teams would hurt them as Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo would miss a field goal late in the 2nd quarter that would keep the score at a 10-10 tie. Koo would finish the game with 2 of 3 field goals hit. Taylor Heinicke would play well enough. The folk hero would hit 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards for two touchdowns and an interception that would almost prove to be costly in the final minute of the 2nd quarter. Brian Robinson Jr and John Bates would be the players that would catch those passes. Robinson Jr would see the ball often as the runner racked up 105 yards rushing on 18 carries. Continuing his stellar of a season where in August he was shot and spent a majority of the first few months of the season recovering. The game also marked the 15th anniversary of the death of safety Sean Taylor. In honor of his death, the Commanders put forth a "statue" of him. For the Falcons, the loss drops them to 5-7 with a few missed opportunities to stay with the Buccaneers in the NFC South. For the Commanders, they still stay with the top dogs in the NFC East with a 7-5 record. 

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

TW: 4-0; CV: 3-1

Baltimore 27, Jacksonville 28: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
You just had to have a lead and then blow said lead. Well done. Lamar Jackson would play alright enough with 16 of 32 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown pass to Josh Oliver in the 4th quarter and with the 2-point conversion gave the Ravens the 27-20 lead. Jackson would once again play running back as he had 89 yards rushing. Gus Edwards had 52 yards rushing on 16 carries with a touchdown. Baltimore would utilize kicker Justin Tucker often as the magic man hit 4 of 5 field goals with a 55-yard being the longest in the game. The lone miss would come on a long try in the final seconds of the game. In what many thought the kick was good would fall just short. Trevor Lawrence would have one of his better games this season. The former Clemson Tiger had 29 of 37 passes completed for 321 yards with three touchdowns. Marvin Jones, James Agnew, and Jamycal Hasty were the ones getting those touchdown passes. Hasty had 28 yards rushing on 12 carries. Ball security would be the name of the game for the Ravens as they had three fumbles in this game and two of those were lost late in the game. The mistakes would turn into Jaguars points. The game-winning play would come down to the players wanting to go for two and for head coach Doug Pederson to give the go-ahead to do it. The play would be a Trevor Lawrence to Zay Jones connection that would sail to the left to give the Jags the lead and the win. For the Ravens, the loss drops them to a 7-4 record with the Bengals breathing down their necks. For the Jaguars, it is their 2nd win in three games and improve their record to 4-7.

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Denver
Jacksonville: @ Detroit

TW: 4-1; CV: 3-2

Chicago 10, NY Jets 31: TW: Jets; CV: Jets
Mike "The Man, the Myth, the Legend" White strikes again! With Justin Fields out for the game, the Bears hopes of victory teetered on journeyman Trevor Siemian. Siemian would make the most of the opportunity with a 14 of 25 completions for 179 yards with a touchdown and an interception performance. The play would be a Siemian to Byron Pringle connection up the middle that gave the Bears their only lead in the game. David Montgomery would find some gaps in the Jets defense with a 79 yards rushing on 14 carries performance. Chicago would finish the game with 292 total yards with an average gain of 5.2 yards/play. Trenton Gill would see a lot of action in the punting game as he punted five times for an average punt of 48.8 yards. Including a 61-yard long punt. Mike White played well despite making his first start of 2022. The passer had 22 of 28 passes completed for 315 yards for three touchdowns. Garrett Wilson had two touchdowns and Elijah Moore had one. New York's running game would carve up the Bears with 158 total rushing yards. Zonovan Knight, a practice squad member, was activated for this game. The runner had 69 yards rushing on 14 carries. Ty Johnson would score a rushing touchdown and had 62 yards rushing. Offense would not be an issue for the Jets in the game as they had 466 total yards on 62 plays with a 7.5 yards average gain. In a game where their offense was pitiful last week against New England. For the Bears, the loss drops them to 3-9 and with it hopes of a winning season. For the Jets, their turnaround season continues with a 7-4 record. 

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

TW: 5-1; CV: 4-2

Cincinnati 20, Tennessee 16: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Tennessee would not get its revenge against the defending AFC champions. Joe Burrow would hit 22 of 37 passes for 270 yards with a touchdown pass to Tee Higgins that would prove to be the game-winner, early in the 4th quarter. In the AFC Divisional playoff, the Titans defense would sack Burrow nine times. In this game he would get sacked only one time. Samaje Perine would play well enough to help his team. He had 58 yards rushing with a touchdown run in the 2nd quarter. Tee Higgins would finish the game with seven catches and 114 receiving yards. Ryan Tannehill would play better than the last time these two teams played. Tannehill had 22 of 34 passes completed for 291 yards. Derrick Henry would be limited to just 38 yards rushing in this game though he would have 79 receiving yards. The lone touchdown for the Titans would come on a Tannehill to Henry pass play that would get fumbled and would get recovered by Treylon Burks for a 69-yard play. So you can say it was a play that failed successfully. With Randy Bullock injured, the Titans would sign Caleb Shudak off the kicking caravan. Shudak would do well enough but would hit just 3 of 4 on field goals. For the Bengals, the win moves them to 7-4 but are currently in a 2nd place bind over rival Baltimore who had lost on Sunday. For the Titans, the loss also drops them to 7-4 and with some breathing room still in the AFC South. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Kansas City
Tennessee: @ Philadelphia

TW: 5-2; CV: 4-3

Denver 10, Carolina 23: TW: Panthers; CV: Broncos
The Broncos offense would once again falter. Russell Wilson the contributor to the faltering play would hit 19 of 35 passes for 142 yards with a touchdown pass to Brandon Johnson late in the 4th quarter. The touchdown would be the only score for the Broncos in the game. Things would get heated as Broncos nose tackle Mike Purcell would have choice words for his quarterback on the sideline. Carolina's pass rush would see Wilson somewhat often as he was sacked three times. Latavius Murray had success with 92 yards rushing on 13 carries with a 52-yard run being his longest in the game. The Broncos offense would put up 246 total yards on 57 plays. It would be Sam Darnold that would get the start for the Panthers. The former Jet would hi 11 of 19 passes for 164 yards with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore. Darnold would get a rushing touchdown on a 2-yard play. D'Onta Foreman had 113 yards rushing in the game on 24 carries. Good day for him. For the Broncos, the nightmare season continues with a 3-8 record and no light on the other side in sight. For the Panthers, it is their 4th win at home as they improve to 4-8 in 2022. 

Next week:
Denver: @ Baltimore
Carolina: @ Seattle

TW: 6-2; CV: 4-4

Houston 15, Miami 30: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Dolphins would put up 30 points in the 1st half and went on cruise control the rest of the way. Kyle Allen would get the start for the Texans. The change wouldn't produce results as he had 26 of 39 completions for 215 yards with a touchdown pass to Jordan Akins in the 4th quarter. The play would be a 25-yard pass that cut the Dolphin lead to a 30-12 score. Allen would also have two interceptions in the game. Dare Ogunbowale would get a rushing touchdown in the 3rd quarter with 14 yards rushing. Houston would only have 210 total yards in the game. Tua Tagovailoa would play well in the game as he had 22 of 36 passes completed for 299 yards with a touchdown pass to Durham Smythe. Jeff Wilson played the ball well on the ground with 39 yards rushing with a touchdown. The Dolphins defense would get a score on a Jordan Akins pass that would get fumbled and recovered by Xavien Howard for 16-yard fumble-six. Just another day in the office for the Dolphins offense. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Cleveland
Miami: @ San Francisco

TW: 7-2; CV: 5-4

Tampa Bay 17, Cleveland 23 (F/OT): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Umm... wow Brownies. Tom Brady would have a solid game as he had 29 of 43 passes completed for 246 yards with two touchdowns to Chris Godwin and Ko Kieft. Rashaad White was the leading rusher for the Bucs with 64 yards rushing on 14 carries. Chris Godwin would see the ball come his way often as he caught 12 balls for 110 yards receiving. Tampa would find difficult to move the ball as they went 4 of 15 on 3rd down and punted six times out of seven possessions. Cleveland would sack Brady three times. Jacoby Brissett would play alright in the game as he completed 23 of 37 passes for 210 yards with a touchdown pass to David Njoku. The Njoku pass gave the Browns the 17-17 tie going into overtime. Brissett would have an interception in the game. Anthony Schwartz found the endzone on a little trickery play that went for a 31-yard touchdown. Nick Chubb would carry the team on his back in this game as he had 116 yards rushing with a touchdown that gave the Browns the win and the upset victory. For the Buccaneers, the shocking loss drops them to 5-6 but still in control of the NFC South. For the Browns, the win is their 2nd in four games and improve to 4-7. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs New Orleans (Monday night)
Cleveland: @ Houston

TW: 7-3; CV: 5-5

LA Chargers 25, Arizona 24: TW: Cardinals; CV: Chargers
I've given Brandon Staley crap all year but that two-point conversion was ballsy and it worked out for his team. Justin Herbert had a solid game as he completed 35 of 47 passes for 274 yards with three touchdowns as well as 38 yards rushing. One run of his went for 23 yards. Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler and Deandre Carter were the ones that got those touchdown passes. It was the Austin Ekeler touchdown that would give the Chargers a 24-23 deficit. Instead of going for the point after and the tie, head coach Brandon Staley opted to go for the win. The resulting play would be a Herbert pass to Gerald Everett. The Chargers were cold for a majority of the game as they would punt on six possessions. Kyler Murray would have a decent game as he had 18 of 29 passes for 191 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. DeAndre Hopkins and James Conner were the ones that got those touchdown passes. Arizona would waste a great game by James Conner who had 120 yards rushing on 25 carries. Kyler Murray would score a rushing touchdown while getting 56 yards on the ground. Turnovers would be costly for the Cards as they would fumble the ball on their first possessions in the 1st and 2nd quarters. A miscue on special teams would also cost the Cardinals points as Matt Prater went 1 of 2 in the field goal department. For the Chargers, they get back to above .500 and in the playoff picture in the AFC. For the Cardinals, the loss drops them to 4-8 and in danger of not making the playoffs. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: @ Las Vegas
Arizona: Bye

TW: 7-4; CV: 6-5

Las Vegas 40, Seattle 34 (F/OT): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Josh Jacobs unleashed his inner Might Mouse in overtime. Derek Carr would have a sluggish start but would rebound. He hit 25 of 36 of his passes for 295 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The interceptions came on the first play and on a tipped pass. Josh Jacobs would have a great game as the runner had 229 yards (not a typo) rushing with two touchdowns. The two touchdowns would be on a 30-yard play and on a 86-yard play that would decide the game for the Raiders in overtime. Jacobs also had 74 receiving yards and with the 303 yards is the most in franchise history and just 7th most in the Super Bowl Era. The Raiders had quite the game on offense as they had 576 total yards on 77 plays with an average gain of 7.5 yards. Geno Smith completed 27 of 37 passes for 328 yards with two touchdowns to Tyler Lockett and Travis Homer. He had a pass intercepted. Kenneth Walker III wouldn't get a lot of rushing yards in the game but he scored two touchdowns on 12-yard and 14-yard plays. Seattle would only get 372 total yards in this game. The big thing that the Raiders turnovers cost them early and helped them stay with the Raiders in this game. For the Raiders, they move to 4-7 with some job security for head coach Josh McDaniels. For the Seahawks, the loss drops them out of 1st place in the NFC West. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs LA Chargers
Seattle: @ LA Rams

TW: 7-5; CV: 6-6

LA Rams 10, Kansas City 26: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
It was tough sledding for the defending champs. Matthew Stafford was out for this game and John Wolford was out as well. It would come down to 3rd stringer Bryce Perkins. Perkins, a 3rd-year player from the University of Virginia, would not be a factor as he completed 13 of 23 passes for a touchdown to Van Jefferson in the 4th quarter. He would not help the cause as he threw two interceptions. He would be the leading rusher in the game with 44 yards. Cam Akers had 37 yards rushing. The Rams would get 198 total yards of offense in the game. Patrick Mahomes played alright as he had 27 of 42 passes completed for 320 yards with a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce in the 1st quarter on a 39-yard play. Mahomes would toss an interception. Isiah Pacheco had 69 yards rushing with a touchdown run. The Chiefs had 437 total yards in the game. One thing that the Chiefs need to clean up is the Red Zone efficiency as they went 1 for 6 inside the 20. They also need to do better in goal to go efficiency as they went 1 for 5. For the Rams, the title defense has turned into a rough season for them as they drop to 3-8. For the Chiefs, the win moves them to 9-2 in 2022. 

Next week:
LA Rams: vs Seattle
Kansas City: @ Cincinnati

TW: 8-5; CV: 7-6

New Orleans 0, San Francisco 13: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Defense would take down the Saints in Santa Clara. Andy Dalton finished the game with 18 of 29 completions for 204 yards. He got sacked once in the game but his teammates would face the menace of the 49ers defense. Taysom Hill was called into to play for only one time with a lengthy play that yielded zero results. Andy Dalton was also the leading rusher for the Saints. San Francisco held New Orleans to just 260 yards and forced two fumbles, one of those fumbles was in the redzone. Jimmy Garoppolo didn't put up numbers but he managed the game. He finished with 26 of 37 completions for 222 yards with a touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings in the 2nd quarter. Elijah Mitchell rushed for 35 yards on seven carries. Christian McCaffrey had 32 rushing and 17 receiving yards in the game. Talanoa Hufanga finished the game with six total tackles and a forced fumble in the game. For the Saints, the loss drops them to 4-8 but with the NFC South being open as it is, it's a possibility that the Saints can win it. For the 49ers, the win moves them up to 1st place in the NFC West at 7-4. 

Next week:
New Orleans: @ Tampa Bay (Monday night)
San Francisco: vs Miami

TW: 9-5; CV: 8-6

Green Bay 33, Philadelphia 40: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Jalen Hurts is good at this football thing. Aaron Rodgers started the game and completed 11 of 16 passes for 140 yards with two touchdowns to Randall Cobb and Aaron Jones. The passer would get fooled on two plays which resulted in interceptions. He would leave the game with an oblique injury. Jordan Love would come into the game and played well enough to help the team with 6 of 9 passing for 113 yards with a touchdown pass to Christian Watson. The Packers were knocking the door late in the game but a deflected pass from Love would result in the Pack going for the field goal. AJ Dillon had 64 yards rushing with a touchdown. Aaron Jones had 43 yards rushing. Jalen Hurts had 16 of 28 passes completed for 153 yards with two touchdown passes to AJ Brown and Quez Watkins. Philly's running game would be the star in this game. Hurts had 157 yards rushing so he had more rushing yards than passing. Miles Sanders tore through the Pack's defense with 143 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Kenneth Gainwell had 39 yards rushing with a touchdown. Despite the 500 total yards on offense, the Eagles only won by seven points. Definitely proves that the Eagles might have some weaknesses. For the Packers, the injury to Rodgers could be detrimental as they drop to 4-8 and playoff hopes slimming. For the Eagles, they stay on top of the NFC East with a 10-1 record. 

Next week:
Green Bay: @ Chicago
Philadelphia: vs Tennessee

TW: 10-5; CV: 9-6

Pittsburgh 24, Indianapolis 17: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Steelers got it done in Indy but at a cost. Kenny Pickett completed 20 of 28 passes for 174 yards with 32 yards rushing. It was the Steelers run game that got it done for them. Najee Harris started and got 35 yards rushing on 10 carries with a touchdown. He would leave the game with an injury. With his teammate out, Benny Snell stepped up and got a touchdown while getting 62 yards rushing. On offense the Steelers allowed three sacks, finished with 323 total yards on 67 plays. It was a performance that wouldn't warrant they to be a playoff team but they didn't turn the ball over. Matt Ryan started the game for the Colts and hit 22 of 34 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown to Michael Pittman in the 3rd quarter. Ryan had a pass intercepted by Alex Highsmith. Jonathan Taylor did a solid job in running the ball as he got 86 yards rushing with a touchdown. Pittsburgh's defense really clamped down on the Colts only allowing just six total yards on Indy's first three drives. Along with the interception, the Colts also fumbled the ball on a sustained 16-play drive. Indianapolis finished the game with 290 total yards. For the Steelers, the win moves them up to 4-7 but will need some miracle to sniff the playoffs. For the Colts, the 2022 campaign takes a turn for the worst as they drop to 4-7-1. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: @ Atlanta
Indianapolis: @ Dallas (Sunday night)

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
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 10-6

Total: 108-71-1

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
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6
Week 8: 9-6
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7

Total: 95-82-1

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 13 picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom