NFL 2023 Super Bowl LVIII Recap + Preseason Picks/Awards Recap

  Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is in the books. The 2023 NFL season ends with a great game in the Super Bowl. Of the two teams, the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, the Chiefs emerge from the carnage with their 4rd Super Bowl championship in franchise history. In this post, I'll talk about the game, the commercials and the halftime show, and a recap of my predictions prior to the start of the regular season. We have a lot to talk about so let's get to work!

Super Bowl LVIII Recap

San Francisco 22, Kansas City 25: TW: 49ers; CV: Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs repeat as champions for the first time since the 2003 and 2004 Patriots. Brock Purdy hit 23 of 38 passes for 255 yards with a touchdown to Jauan Jennings in the 4th quarter. The ensuing point after was blocked that would prove to be a factor in the game. Jauan Jennings would play quarterback for a play on a pass play to Christian McCaffrey. The play was a gadget play where Purdy threw a pass to Jennings who threw it back to Christian McCaffrey who ran it in for the game's first touchdown. Christian McCaffrey would have a solid day as he rushed for 80 yards on 22 carries while catching eight passes for 80 yards. The 49ers put up 382 total yards in the game. A factor in the game was the special teams miscues as the 49ers muffed on a punt where a 49er hit the ball with his foot which meant it was a live ball. Ray Ray McCloud tried as he may to recover it but it was too late. The Jake Moody missed point after block possibly costed the 49ers a point that would prove to be the key to the game. 

Patrick Mahomes would start off slow in the game. He and the offense would start off slow as the 49ers defense would pressure him a lot. He finished with 34 of 46 passing for 333 yards with two touchdown passes and had an interception in the game. The first touchdown went to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a play where the Chiefs recovered off of the McCloud muff punt return. The 2nd touchdown went to Mecole Hardman for the game-winning score. Patrick Mahomes rushed for 66 yards on nine carries, a majority of it being on the final drive where Mahomes went on a 22-yard gain. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 59 yards on 18 carries. Travis Kelce was on some controversy as he got into an altercation via bumping into his head coach Andy Reid. In the first half, Kelce had just one catch for one yard. In the 2nd half, he would get eight more for 92 yards. Kansas City had 455 total yards of offense in the game. A lot of it being from the 2nd half. Key plays for the Chiefs was a 52-yard big gain for Mecole Hardman. Harrison Butker would beat the Super Bowl record set by Jake Moody (in the 2nd quarter Moody hit a 55-yard field goal) by hitting a 57-yard field goal. The Chiefs weren't without mistakes on their own. The Pacheco fumble was the first turnover. The 2nd turnover came on a Mahomes interception in the 2nd half on the Chiefs 1st drive in the 3rd quarter. The ensuing 49ers drive didn't yield into much. The biggest thing that factored in the Chiefs win was their defense. They were gassed at the end but by the time they were exhausted, the offense would achieve victory. The Chiefs offense would do just enough to win. 

The scoring would get started with a Jake Moody field goal for a 55-yard attempt. Next, was the trick play for a Christian McCaffrey touchdown. Harrison Butker hit a field goal that would give the Chiefs a 10-3 deficit at halftime. Butker got called again to hit a field goal and he hit a 57-yard field goal that eclipsed Moody's kick in the 1st quarter in terms of records. Two Chiefs drives later, Mahomes hit Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 16-yard touchdown that gave the Chiefs a 13-10 lead. The Chiefs got 10 points in 4 1/2 minutes in the 3rd quarter. In the 4th quarter, the 49ers regained the lead on a Purdy pass to Jauan Jennings for a 10-yard score. Jennings became the 2nd player in NFL history to score a touchdown and throw for a touchdown (Nick Foles was the first in Super Bowl LII). The key to the game was the blocked point after try that would keep the score at a 16-13 49er lead. Harrison Butker hit a field goal from 24 yards to tie the game. Jake Moody was called on again to hit a field goal from 53 yards to give the 49ers a lead again at 19-16 with 1:57 left in the game. Harrison Butker would also get called again to give the Chiefs a 19-19 tie going into end of regulation time and into overtime. On a drive that lead to the 49ers last drive of the season that eclipsed 7:38 of time of possession, Jake Moody was called on again. He delivered a 27-yard field goal that gave the 49ers a 22-19 lead. On come the Chiefs. The Chiefs final drive of the season reached perfection as they took up 75 yards, 7:19 of time of possession and 13 plays. The final play of the season was a pass play that set Mecole Hardman to motion to the left and then to the right. With time slipping at overtime with the 49ers still holding the lead. At the snap of the ball, Mahomes went right and Hardman went further right. Mahomes found his man all alone in the endzone and Mahomes tossed it to him and caught it to give the Chiefs the lead and the win. The Chiefs were NFL champions again for the 3rd time in five seasons. 

Commercials

The commercials for this year's Super Bowl were pretty good. At least for the most part. The least favorite was the RFK Jr. ad. It didn't seem right to show it with the Super Bowl on. Especially a political ad whether it be a Republican or Democrat running. I mean you didn't see a Trump or Biden ad run an ad. 

My favorite ad was the State Farm commercial ad with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito. I like the play on words with Schwarzenegger's emphasis in neighbah instead of neighbor. I liked the Ken Jeong commercial with him being scared of a Roomba. 

If I had to choose a least favorite commercial that wasn't the RFK Jr. ad it would have to be the Michael Cera commercial for "Michael CeraVe."

Halftime Show

Usher's halftime show was good. He definitely put on a good show. He had a good cast of characters like Lil Jon, Alicia Keys, and H.E.R. even though I didn't know most of the songs. As long as he played "Yeah!" I was happy. At least middle schooler me was happy to hear it. Very solid show I'm not sure if its better than Rihanna's last year but it's definitely a great show. Nothing can beat Prince's show. 

Preseason Predictions + Awards Recap

Prior to the Week 1 Picks post last September, I made a preseason predictions post where I picked where the 32 teams will finish in the standings, the playoffs, the Super Bowl matchup and winner as well as the Awards winners. It's a fun way to look back on where I was right and where I was wrong. This will be probably painful haha. Let's take a look:

Regular season predictions

NFC:

East

Dallas Cowboys (picked to finish 1st, finished 1st) correct
Philadelphia Eagles (picked to finish 2nd, finished 2nd) correct
New York Giants (picked to finish 3rd, finished 3rd) correct
Washington Commanders (picked to finish 4th, finished 4th) correct

North

Detroit Lions (picked to finish 1st, finished 1st) correct
Minnesota Vikings (picked to finish 2nd, finished 3rd) incorrect
Green Bay Packers (picked to finish 3rd, finished 2nd) incorrect
Chicago Bears (picked to finish 4th, finished 4th) correct

South

New Orleans Saints (picked to finish 1st, finished 2nd) incorrect
Atlanta Falcons (picked to finish 2nd, finished 3rd) incorrect
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (picked to finish 3rd, finished 1st) incorrect
Carolina Panthers (picked to finish 4th, finished 4th) correct

West

San Francisco 49ers (picked to finish 1st, finished 1st) correct
Los Angeles Rams (picked to finish 2nd, finished 2nd) correct
Seattle Seahawks (picked to finish 3rd, finished 3rd) correct
Arizona Cardinals (picked to finish 4th, finished 4th) correct

AFC:

East

Buffalo Bills (picked to finish 1st, finished 1st) correct
Miami Dolphins (picked to finish 2nd, finished 2nd) correct
New England Patriots (picked to finish 3rd, finished 4th) incorrect
New York Jets (picked to finish 4th, finished 3rd) incorrect

North

Cincinnati Bengals (picked to finish 1st, finished 4th) incorrect
Pittsburgh Steelers (picked to finish 2nd, finished 3rd) incorrect
Baltimore Ravens (picked to finish 3rd, finished 1st) incorrect
Cleveland Browns (picked to finish 4th, finished 2nd) incorrect

South

Jacksonville Jaguars (picked to finish 1st, finished 2nd) incorrect
Tennessee Titans (picked to finish 2nd, finished 4th) incorrect
Houston Texans (picked to finish 3rd, finished 1st) incorrect
Indianapolis Colts (picked to finish 4th, finished 3rd) incorrect

West

Kansas City Chiefs (picked to finish 1st, finished 1st) correct
Los Angeles Chargers (picked to finish 2nd, finished 4th) incorrect
Denver Broncos (picked to finish 3rd, finished 3rd) correct
Las Vegas Raiders (picked to finish 4th, finished 2nd) incorrect

So overall I got at least 15 of 32 correct, last year I finished with 19 of 32 correct. Some of the obvious ones that I missed was messing up on the AFC North standings as well as the AFC South. Kind of wild how I did get both the NFC East and West standings correct as well. I feel the playoff predictions are going to hurt. 

Playoff Predictions

AFC

1st seed: Cincinnati Bengals (incorrect)
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (incorrect)
3rd seed: Buffalo Bills (incorrect)
4th seed: Jacksonville Jaguars (incorrect)
5th seed: Miami Dolphins (incorrect)
6th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (incorrect)
7th seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (correct)

Wild Card: 

Kansas City over Pittsburgh (incorrect)
Los Angeles over Buffalo (incorrect)
Jacksonville over Miami (incorrect)

Divisional

Cincinnati over Los Angeles (incorrect)
Jacksonville over Kansas City (incorrect)

Conference Championship

Cincinnati over Jacksonville (incorrect)

NFC

1st seed: San Francisco 49ers (correct)
2nd seed: Dallas Cowboys (correct)
3rd seed: New Orleans Saints (incorrect)
4th seed: Detroit Lions (incorrect)
5th seed: Philadelphia Eagles (incorrect)
6th seed: Minnesota Vikings (incorrect)
7th seed: Atlanta Falcons (incorrect)

Wild Card:

Dallas over Atlanta (incorrect)
Minnesota over New Orleans (incorrect)
Philadelphia over Detroit (incorrect)

Divisional:

San Francisco over Minnesota (incorrect)
Dallas over Philadelphia (incorrect)

Conference Championship:

San Francisco over Dallas (incorrect)

Super Bowl LVIII:

Cincinnati over San Francisco (incorrect)

Well I wasn't expecting the Bengals to lose Joe Burrow toward the middle of the season. I had banked on the idea that the Bengals would have enough star power to get over the hump. A rematch against the 49ers would've been an interesting Super Bowl I felt. 

Award Predictions:

MVP: Joe Burrow (incorrect)

Offensive Player of the Year: Ja'Marr Chase (incorrect)

Defensive Player of the Year: Micah Parsons (incorrect)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Anthony Richardson (incorrect)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Will Anderson Jr. (correct)

Comeback Player of the Year: Damar Hamlin (incorrect, but probably should've won)

Coach of the Year: Dan Campbell (Incorrect)

Bold Predictions

TJ Watt getting 23 sacks: He had 19 sacks
Trevor Lawrence passing for 4,500 yards: he had 4,016 yards
Derrick Henry getting rushing title: he had 1,167 yards, finishing 2nd to Christian McCaffrey with 1,459 yards. 

Well another season ends in the books and hopefully you all enjoyed me reading all the goings on in the NFL season. Normally this blog ends with a hibernation period until August when the NFL season is around the corner. I would like to do more blog posts with Free Agency, Draft, etc. but we will see. Until the next blog post, see you around!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Super Bowl LVIII Pick

 Hello readers! Another week of National League action is coming upon us yet again. Out of the 32 teams that started the regular season back in September, only two remain. Two teams remain and only one will win the highest prize in North American sports, the Super Bowl's Lombardi Trophy. On Sunday February 11th, 2023, the San Francisco 49ers will do battle against the Kansas City Chiefs. In this post, I will talk about Super Bowl Notes, TV broadcast notes, a recap of the Chiefs and 49ers seasons, the keys to victory and finally my prediction on who will win the big game. Let's get to work!

Super Bowl Notes

Super Bowl LVIII will be a rematch of Super Bowl LIV where the Chiefs beat the 49ers 31-20. This will be 9th Super Bowl where it will be a rematch. The previous Super Bowls that had the rematch storyline were XIII, XVII, XXIII, XXVIII, XXX, XLVI, LII and LIII. 

The referee for Super Bowl LVIII will be Bill Vinovich who will be refereeing his 3rd Super Bowl (XLIX and LIV). Joining him will be Umpire Terry Killens, Down Judge Mark Perlman, Line Judge Jeff Bergman, Field Judge Tom hill, Side Judge Allen Baynes, Back Judge Brad Freeman, Replay official Mike Chase and Replay assistant Jack Persampire. Killens will be the first official to officiate a game while being a former player in a Super Bowl (he played in Super Bowl XXXIV as a member of the Tennessee Titans). 

Super Bowl LVIII will be a game of tantalyzing storylines. Will winning another Super Bowl constitute a Chiefs dynasty? Will the 49ers finally win their 6th championship after a 29-year championship drought? Can Brock Purdy become the first Mr. Irrelevant to win a Super Bowl? Can Kyle Shanahan finally erase his biggest blunders from the 28-3 disaster in Super Bowl LI to blowing a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter in Super Bowl LIV? Can the Chiefs repeat as Super Bowl Champions for the first time since the 2003-2004 New England Patriots? Can Christian McCaffrey keep up with the undefeated Super Bowl streak set forth from his father Ed McCaffrey (he won Super Bowl XXIX as a 49er and won Super Bowl XXXII and XXXIII as a member of the Broncos)? At the end of Super Bowl LVIII those questions will be answered. 

Super Bowl LVIII TV Broadcast Notes

Super Bowl LVIII will be televised on CBS in the United States. It will also carry an alternate broadcast on Nickelodeon. Super Bowl LVIII will be the 22nd Super Bowl that CBS will broadcast. They have broadcasted Super Bowls I (with NBC), II, IV, VI, VIII, X, XII, XIV, XVI, XVIII, XXI, XXIV, XXVI, XXXV, XXXVIII, XLI, XLIV, XLVII, 50, LIII, and LV. Super Bowl LVIII will be the network's 9th Super Bowl since taking over the AFC package in 1998. 

Doing the play-by-play commentary will be Jim Nantz. Nantz will be calling his 7th Super Bowl while handling the play-by-play duties in the same shoes as Ray Scott, Pat Summerall and Greg Gumbel. 

Doing the color commentary will be Tony Romo. Romo will be calling his 3rd Super Bowl as a color commentator. He will have the same duties as past commentators like Pat Summerall, Tom Brookshier, John Madden and Phil Simms. 

Super Bowl LVIII will be televised in such countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, Canada, in the Balkan countries and in the Phillipines. It will be the first time in Super Bowl history where there will be an alternative broadcast of the game on Nickelodeon and will be streaming live on Paramount+. 

For the Super Bowl lead out program will be the premiere of Tracker. The week after the Super Bowl will be the network's week to showcase new upcoming shows. The lead out program for Nickelodeon will be the newest show Rock, Paper, Scissors. 

The halftime performer in Super Bowl LVIII is the American R&B singer Usher. The event marks the 30th anniversary of his first album Usher in 1994. Surely he will have to include "Yeah!" in the performance. 

Singing the National Anthem will be Reba McEntire while actor Daniel Durant will do American Sign Language of the anthem. Singing "America the Beautiful" will be Post Malone. Andra Day will sing "Lift Every Voice and Sing." 

2023 San Francisco 49ers Season Review: 

The road back to the Super Bowl for the 49ers was just as hard as getting there. In 2020, the 49ers faltered to finish to a 6-10 season. The big highlight for them that year was a new and upcoming quarterback named Nick Mullens. In 2021, the 49ers started to get back their luster from 2019. They made the playoffs as a Wild Card team and beat the Cowboys and Packers en route to a NFC championship loss to the future Super Bowl champion Rams. In 2022, they looked just as good as they were in 2019 but injuries started to falter them as they lost to the NFC champion Eagles. 

In 2023, the 49ers made the shocking trade of trades in giving up Trey Lance to Dallas. They also traded for Chase Young from Washington. They finished the Preseason schedule with a 1-2 record. At the start of the season, the 49ers offense put up 33.4 points/game while compiling a 5-0 record. Such wins included a win over the Rams and blowing out the Cowboys 42-10 on Sunday night. The wheels would fall off the 49ers offense as they would score 17 points in three consecutive games as they lost to the Browns, Vikings and Bengals. 

With a Week 9 bye week, the 49ers got their heads on straight to finish off the rest of the regular season going on a 7-2 run, including a 6-game winning streak, blowing out the Jaguars, the Seahawks on Thanksgiving. In a revenge game against the Eagles, the 49ers blew out the defending NFC Champions 42-19. After a win against the Cardinals, the 49ers got ran out of town against the Ravens on Christmas Day. They finished the regular season beating the Commanders 27-10 at FedEx Field and lost to the rival Rams at home in a game where was meaningless. 

The 49ers finished the regular season with a 12-5 record with the best record in the NFC and the wild-card bye. They entered the playoffs as heavy favorites over the Green Bay Packers. The 49ers started off slow with a sluggish start on offense. They would eventually get their heads on straight and play better, getting turnovers and slowing down the Packers offense. They would win against the Packers 24-21. 

In the NFC Championship Game, the 49ers would once again start off slow against the Detroit Lions. The Lions would get to a 24-7 lead in the 3rd quarter. After a failed 4th down conversion by Detroit, the 49ers would get going on a 27-7 run to beat the Lions in the 2nd half. They reach the Super Bowl with winning their 8th conference championship and look to win their 6th Super Bowl in franchise history. 

2023 Kansas City Chiefs Season Review: 

The story of the 2023 Chiefs has to start after five minutes winning Super Bowl LVII. Patrick Mahomes had won his 2nd Super Bowl in just his fifth season as a starter. To get to be one of the greatest of all time he would have to win more than just two. He and the Kansas City Chiefs would have to make a run to repeat the championship. 

The Chiefs road back would take a detour in the offseason with longtime Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy left to be the OC in Washington. Matt Nagy, the former Bears head coach, would take over. Greg Lewis, the running backs coach, would go to Baltimore as well. They didn't fill in the position. 

In free agency, the Chiefs lost Orlando Brown, Frank Clark, Mecole Hardman and JuJu Smith-Schuster. What they added was Byron Cowart, Mike Edwards, Richie James and Drue Tranquill. In the draft they picked up notable pieces Rashee Rice and Felix Anudike-Uzomah. 

With a 2-1 preseason record the Chiefs looked to be not missing a step a whole lot by the time the regular season started. What they didn't expect was a holdout by Chris Jones with Week 1 on the horizon. 

The Chiefs would play host to the Opening Night game against the Detroit Lions. Chris Jones' presence was felt as the Chiefs lost 21-20. Jones would get his new contract a few days after the Lions game. Despite the falter in Week 1, the Chiefs proceeded to go on a six-game winning streak. Such wins came a Divisional rematch against Jacksonville in Week 2, wins against the Bears and Vikings and division wins against the Broncos and Chargers. 

The Chiefs would fall back to earth in a rare road loss to the Broncos by a 24-9 thrashing. The Chiefs traveled to Germany in a reunion game against former wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The Chiefs would hold on to beat the high-powered Dolphins 21-14. The Chiefs had a Week 10 bye week. 

Normally teams would have a fresh start after a bye week. The Chiefs were the exception to that assumption. In a Super Bowl rematch, the Eagles came back and beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead 21-17. The next week the Chiefs beat the Raiders soundly at Allegiant Stadium. The pivotal stretch of the season happened in Week 13 and 14. In Week 13, they faltered in a defensive battle against the Packers. In a regular meeting with Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, the Chiefs lost 20-17 on an offsides penalty that even made home fans question the Chiefs reasoning for arguing against the call. 

A win against the Patriots gave the Chiefs a 9-5 record. On Christmas Day, the Chiefs faltered in an offensive ineptitude game against the rival Raiders. As of February 5th, this game remains the last game that the Chiefs have lost. The Chiefs would play their best game of the season arguably against the Joe Burrow-less Bengals in a game where the locked up the AFC West for the 8th consecutive season. They beat the Bengals 25-17 and proceed to hold on to win against the Chargers 13-12. The two wins gave the Chiefs a 11-6 record heading into the postseason. 

As the playoffs began, the Chiefs would have to take the tough road to get to the Super Bowl. The first test was a date with the Dolphins on the coldest game in the history of Arrowhead Stadium. With a kickoff temperature at -4 Fahrenheit (-20 Celsius), the Chiefs would easily handle the warm weather Dolphins 26-7. The first test was complete. The Chiefs would have to go on the road to get to the Super Bowl. 

It had been playoff tradition for Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen to meet in the playoffs. In previous matchups, it was Allen who traveled. on January 21st, 2024, Patrick Mahomes made the trek to his first playoff game on the road. In a tightly-contested game, the Chiefs prevailed by shutting down the Bills offense and have a Tyler Bass missed kick to the right go in their favor. The 27-24 final was Mahomes' first road playoff win. One more test to go. 

It was Baltimore's first hosting the AFC championship since January 1971. Such names like Johnny Unitas, Ray Perkins and Mike Curtis were part of that game. The Ravens would try to replicate the success of the 1970 Baltimore Colts in the Ravens first time hosting the championship. The Ravens got off to a decent start, trading blows with the Chiefs but ultimately turnovers and bad penalties doomed the Ravens chances to win. The Chiefs ultimately won 17-10 and took home their fourth conference championship in the last five seasons. They are seeking their fourth Super Bowl championship. They have a chance to surpass the Raiders three Super Bowl championships if they win. 

49ers-Chiefs: A Matchup History

The 49ers-Chiefs matchup history has been an intriguing one. The first matchup between the two teams was a December 6th, 1971 matchup where the Chiefs beat the 49ers 26-17 in Candlestick Park. From 1975 to 1991, the 49ers won four straight games in the history. The Chiefs beat the 49ers in the 1994 (the matchup of the Steve Young vs Joe Montana game) and 1997 matchups. The 49ers returned the favor in beating the Chiefs in 2000 and 2002. In 2006 and the 2010 games, the Chiefs beat the 49ers. In 2014, the 49ers beat the Chiefs 22-17. As of 2/3/2024, this is the last time the 49ers beat the Chiefs. The Chiefs beat the 49ers three straight times in 2018, Super Bowl LIV and in 2022. The most famous matchup of the series is obviously the Young vs Montana matchup in 1994 but I highlighted that in the Super Bowl LIV post. I would say that the Super Bowl LIV matchup was the most famous one. Let's look back at that game. 

Keys to Victory

Super Bowl LVIII will be a game of offenses. Both teams possess some really solid offenses. The 49ers have Christian McCaffrey who is arguably the best back in football. The Chiefs have primarily Isiah Pacheco, the workhorse of Super Bowl LVII. If there was an advantage on offense, it'd be the 49ers wide receivers of Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. On defense, the 49ers have probably one of the more tougher defensive lines with Nick Bosa and Chase Young. The Chiefs have a very underrated defensive front-seven. They got a defense that can also smack the ball away from opposing wide receivers as well. Both teams could definitely win this game. Here's what I think both teams will need to succeed in Super Bowl LVIII

Kansas City:

Catch the ball: a previous Achilles heel for the Chiefs was their inability to catch passes thrown by Mahomes. At least in the regular season. In the Super Bowl, the mistakes are magnified. At least in the playoffs their catching problems were put to a stop. You'd hate to see the inability to catch balls as a reason to lose a Super Bowl.

Ensure Patrick Mahomes is upright: pressures, sacks, and hits are no quarterbacks friend. 

Attack the 49ers receivers: the 49ers offense is a pretty big juggernaut. The best way for them to really win this game is to concede the run in order to ensure that Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel have limited days in catching passes. Might be a tough thing to say but the best way to beat the 49ers is to make Brock Purdy's day a lot harder. 

San Francisco:

Start off fast: San Francisco has the capabilities to start off fast but in the past few playoff games, they had rough starts despite winning the games. A 10-point deficit to the Packers and a 24-7 deficit to the Lions. They might've gotten past those teams but the Chiefs won't surely afford them that opportunity. Get that first seven points on the first drive. 

Assign a chaperone to Patrick Mahomes: Patrick Mahomes can hurt you with his legs and arm. Ensure that he doesn't beat you with his legs or it will be a long day indeed. 

Ensure Brock Purdy is at ease: The young quarterback will be in his first Super Bowl. I'm not saying that he will be fully at ease in the Super Bowl. Most people's first Super Bowl isn't as friendly. If Purdy throws interceptions in this game, it could come back and bite the 49ers in the butt. 

Super Bowl LVIII Pick

San Francisco @ Kansas City (CBS; 6:30 pm US Eastern): CV: Chiefs

The 49ers beat the Lions and the Chiefs beat the Ravens in Championship Sunday. The ultimate game of games. This game will be a rematch of Super Bowl LIV when these two teams met in February of 2020. Prior to COVID (yeah it feels a lot longer than four years ago). In the history of the Super Bowl, the teams that meet in in the rematch Super Bowl, the team that won the first game won the 2nd game. Such examples include Super Bowl X and XIII where the Cowboys-Steelers played and Steelers won. Super Bowl XVI and XXIII had Bengals-49ers and the 49ers won both matchups. Super Bowl XXVII and XXVIII had Bills-Cowboys and Cowboys won both games. Super Bowl XLII and XLVI where the Giants-Patriots played those games and the Giants won both games. Maybe it is time for the 49ers to break that streak. 

History aside, the Chiefs have the championship pedigree and experience on their side. Going to three Super Bowls and winning two of them has to give them that nod. However, the experience factor might not be a factor if they drop passes. Granted they haven't had that issue for a few weeks. I fear that will rear its ugly head on the Chiefs. Maybe it might be a factor if Taylor Swift is not in attendance. If she is there, the good luck charm (and girlfriend, sorry Swifties) factor might play in that Travis Kelce might play well. If she isn't then it might affect the Chiefs in a rough way. I think the quarterback play with Mahomes will be fine, I think he could make some things happen and play well. It's just the rest of the offense that I have questions on. Isiah Pacheco maybe can get a pass. Kadarius Toney would have to play a great game to regain the pain that Chiefs fans have gained this season. Defensively I think the Chiefs defense will be solid to a point. The 49ers have a lot of weapons and they will have their hands full. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnola will have his work cut out for him. 

The 49ers have the offense to really put forth some yards and some points. They have also the offense that could crumble before our eyes. Turnovers have been a factor for the 49ers this season. The health of Christian McCaffrey could be a possible factor as well. McCaffrey has had two weeks to rest up but I feel one play going the wrong way could be the factor to topple the running back and wreck the 49ers chances to win. The passing game should be fine as Brock Purdy has multiple weapons to throw to. He has George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel to go to. A lot of trickery could be in play for the 49ers in the game. In the defensive front, I think they're about as equal to the Chiefs defense, maybe a bit better on the star power front. Chase Young's effort could be a factor and Nick Bosa staying healthy could be a factor as well. As long as those two can do their job against the Chiefs offensive line. 

So, the pick. I think the game will be a good and a possible defensive game. I think if the game sticks to a defensive one, I think the Chiefs offense will have a tougher time to get stuff going. The 49ers offense I feel is better than the Chiefs offense. With all of the money invested in the 49ers this season, I hate to think that the 49ers can possibly lose this game. They have not a lot to lose other than the salary cap and their window is pretty much right now. The Chiefs have the most to lose as they have the chance to go on a repeat performance and to live up to Taylor Swift being there. My pick to win the Super Bowl will be... the San Francisco 49ers. 

Prediction: San Francisco 30, Kansas City 23

Super Bowl Record

I had been doing picks for the Super Bowl roughly since Super Bowl XXXII when the Packers and the Broncos played (yeah I have a good memory fairly). Safe to say there was a long stretch when I had lost three straight Super Bowls and then five straight Super Bowls. 

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

All-time record: 11-14

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 6-8

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Super Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Divisional Playoff: 3-1

Conference Championship: 

Total: 153-129

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Divisional Playoff: 2-2

Conference Championship: 

Total: 167-115

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
2022: 166-103-2

See you all the Monday/Tuesday after the Super Bowl for the Super Bowl LVIII recap post! Enjoy the big game!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Conference Championship Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. After all the carnage of training camp and the regular season. Through the bloodbath of the playoffs. We now have our two teams that will represent both the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. The representative from the AFC is the Kansas City Chiefs and the representative for the NFC is the San Francisco 49ers.

NFL Conference Championship Freaky Stat

For the fourth time in five years, the Kansas City Chiefs are AFC champions. Only the 1990's Buffalo Bills and 2010's New England Patriots have equaled that number. The Lions last road playoff win came in the 1957 playoffs against the 49ers. The Lions won by overcoming a 24-7 deficit. In the NFC Championship game, the Lions had a 24-7 lead and the 49ers overcame it. 

NFL Conference Championship Recap

Kansas City 17, Baltimore 10: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

Patrick Mahomes is still undefeated in road playoff games. Patrick Mahomes hit 30 of 39 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce. The pass to Kelce came on the Chiefs first drive in the game on a 19-yard, deep pass to the right. Travis Kelce was the workhorse in the game with 11 catches for 116 receiving yards with the aforementioned touchdown. Isiah Pacheco carried the ball for 24 carries for 68 yards with the Chiefs 2nd touchdown on a 2-yard run to the left. Harrison Butker hit one field goal from 52 yards that gave the Chiefs the 17 points in the game. Kansas City would put up the yardage mostly in the 1st half but finished with 319 total yards to close out the game. The key to the win was protecting Mahomes and limiting the Ravens offense to 110 total yards at halftime. It also helped when the Chiefs defense recovered two fumbles and one interception. Lamar Jackson would have a trying game as he hit 20 of 37 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown pass to Zay Flowers on the Ravens 2nd drive in the 1st quarter. Lamar Jackson's legs rushed for 54 yards on eight carries. Gus Edwards rushed for 20 yards on three carries. Zay Flowers had a game of good and bad. The good was him catching five passes for 115 yards with a touchdown. The bad would come on a taunting penalty and a fumble that Flowers had while diving into the endzone. Baltimore started slow on offense with 110 total yards at halftime but managed to get to 336 total yards to finish the game. The total yardage was there, the points were not. On two drives where the Ravens were driving down the field, they gave up the ball twice on a fumble and an interception. Penalties were the thing that killed the Ravens in the game as they were flagged eight times for 95 yards. The ones that hurt the most was the taunting, 12 men on the field and the unnecessary roughness flags. One shocking thing was that the Ravens only rushed the ball sixteen times when they were the #1 rushing team in the NFL. Suffice to say the mistakes and turnovers costed them a chance to move on. For the Chiefs, they move on and take on the  in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. For the Ravens, their magical season falters in a gut punching way and will have to watch the Super Bowl at home. 

Next game: 

Kansas City: Super Bowl LVIII vs San Francisco
Baltimore: hang out at home and watch the Super Bowl

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Detroit 31, San Francisco 34: TW: Lions; CV: Lions

A tale of two halves. Jared Goff hit 25 of 41 passes for 273 yards with a touchdown pass to Jameson Williams that would cut the 49er lead to a 34-31 score. Jameson Williams the runner scored the Lions first touchdown on a 42-yard play on the Lions first drive with 13:27 left in the 1st quarter. David Montgomery had the most carries with 15 carries for 93 yards with a touchdown. Jahmyr Gibbs had 45 yards rushing on 12 carries with a touchdown. The Lions running game did the scoring for most of the 1st half. The Lions had at one point a 24-7 lead at halftime. The turning point of the game came on a questionable decision by head coach Dan Campbell on a 4th down and 2 play early in the 3rd quarter on the 49ers 28-yard line. After that things happened for the 49ers. At the end of the game, the Lions had 442 total yards of offense. Brock Purdy didn't do so well in his first NFC championship game last year. In this year's reiteration of the event, he did alright. He hit 20 of 31 passes for 267 yards with a touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk for a 6-yard score that would eventually cut the Lions lead to a 24-17 score. Christian McCaffrey would have the game of his life as he rushed for 90 yards with two touchdown runs of 2 and 1 yard scores. He had 20 carries with a carry of 25 yards in the game. Elijah Mitchell scored the final 49ers touchdown on a run up the gut for a 3-yard score. It would be the score that gave the Niners the 34 points they need to win. Brock Purdy had five carries for 48 yards in the game. San Francisco had 413 total yards in the game. Another big momentum swing for the Niners was a pass play to Brandon Aiyuk that looked like an incompletion. The Lions defender Kindle Vildor bobbled the ball, Aiyuk collected it and recovered it. It was one of the more insane plays of the season for sure. A key to the game was obviously the 4th down stop but shutting down the Lions run game in the 2nd half was important as only one of the Lions five drives resulted in a score. Once the 49ers had momentum, it was damn near impossible to stop them. For the Lions, their impressive season ends in disappointment as they were 17 points and 30 minutes away from going to Super Bowl LVIII. They have some things to build on for next year though. For the 49ers, they will go to Super Bowl LVIII, their 2nd trip to the big game in five years and their 8th overall as a franchise. 

Next week: 
Detroit: go to a Red Wings game and chant Jared Goff. 
San Francisco: Super Bowl LVIII @ Kansas City

TW: 0-2; CV: 0-2

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 6-8

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Super Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Divisional Playoff: 3-1

Conference Championship: 0-2

Total: 153-131

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Divisional Playoff: 2-2

Conference Championship: 0-2

Total: 167-117

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
2022: 166-103-2

See you all on February 5th for the Super Bowl LVIII Pick post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Conference Championship Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us! Of the 32 teams that started out in early September, we are now at the NFL's version of the Final Four. The Kansas City Chiefs will head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens for the American Football Conference's spot for the Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions will go to San Francisco for the National Football Conference's spot for the Super Bowl. These four teams will be reduced to two and will go on to play for the biggest prize: the Lombardi Trophy. In this post, I will do a preview of the Championship Sunday, the picks for the two games and the broadcast pairings for the games. Let's get to work!

Conference Championship Preview

Championship Sunday will get started in Baltimore, Maryland and finish up in Santa Clara, California. There will be two games played where four teams will compete in. CBS will have first dibs with the AFC Championship game and FOX will get the primetime slot for the NFC Championship game. 

Conference Championship Picks

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

Kansas City @ Baltimore (CBS; 3:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Chiefs beat the Bills and the Ravens beat the Texans last week. First up on the Championship Sunday docket is a matchup between two good quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes did good in his road playoff debut and didn't turn the ball over during that game against Buffalo. The Chiefs did have their problems with fumbles and not generating enough offense. I think the Chiefs offense will have to play their best game against the Ravens defense. No dropped passes and keeping Lamar Jackson off the field. With that, Isiah Pacheco will need to have to have another solid game in running the ball. Baltimore was able to handle the Texans. Houston was somewhat of an inexperienced team in getting to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Baltimore celebrating like they did last Saturday was a bit of a shocker. They danced like they won something. John Harbaugh needs to get his troops back in line and respect the Chiefs. The Ravens running game is sound, I'm not all sold on their passing attack. If the Ravens want to win they will need to ensure that Jackson is upright. The Ravens will also need to get their passing game going as if you go one-dimensional as an offense, it'll be a tough day to get it back. It seems like a toss up but I think the Ravens will take it by a field goal. 

Detroit @ San Francisco (FOX; 6:30 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions

The Lions beat the Buccaneers and the 49ers beat the Packers last week. The 2nd game on the docket for the right to be the National Football Conference's champion in the Super Bowl. The Lions come into the game with big wins against the Rams and Buccaneers. Their offense has looked as good as it has been all season. They will have their best best of the season in taking on the vaunted 49ers defense. They do their best in rushing the passer, forcing the quarterback to throw into tough situations. Detroit's defense has some good pass rushers but the defense outside of that is a bit suspect. They are 29th in the NFL against the pass. Might be a tough call for the Lions faithful in having faith in their defense. If Brock Purdy can take charge and throw the ball to his pass catchers. There is somewhat of a problem. If Deebo Samuel is unable to play it will make things a bit tougher for the 49ers. What Deebo brings was a speedster that can catch passes and a versatile running back. Essentially the utility guy for the 49ers plan of attack. The 49ers should try to rattle Jared Goff early and often. Whether it be pressuring or hitting him. A rattled quarterback means mistakes for the offense and opportunities for the defense. I do think the 49ers are the better team on paper but I think the Lions feel like a team with momentum. I'll take the Lions to go to Las Vegas. 

TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

Kansas City @ Baltimore

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson

Detroit @ San Francisco

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson, Erin Andrews

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 6-8

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Super Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Divisional Playoff: 3-1

Total: 153-129

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Divisional Playoff: 2-2

Total: 167-115

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
2022: 166-103-2

See you all after the NFC Championship game for the Conference Championship Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Divisional Playoff Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. 

NFL Divisional Playoff Freaky Stat

The Baltimore Ravens will get to host the AFC championship game for the first time in their history. You have to go back to the 1970 Baltimore Colts hosting the AFC championship game for the last time that a Baltimore-based team had hosted a conference championship. They hosted the NFL championship game in 1959 and 1968. 

NFL Divisional Playoff Recap

Houston 10, Baltimore 34: TW: Ravens; CV: Texans

It was a slow start but the Ravens will get to host their first championship game in Ravens history. CJ Stroud wouldn't be much of a factor in this game. He hit 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards and rushed for nine yards. His running back help was a hinderance as Devin Singletary rushed for 22 yards on nine carries. It would be a special teams touchdown that would get the Texans going on a Steven Sims 67-yard punt return shortly before halftime. It would be the last time the Texans score for the rest of the 2023 season. Houston's offense was held to 213 total yards. The recipe for the Texans struggles on offense was keeping the running game in check while being forced into long 3rd down situations. Sustaining drives was also a topic of conversation as the Texans were held to just 22:25 time of possession with only 10 first downs. Lamar Jackson was spectacular in his first playoff game since 2021. The passer hit 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards with two touchdowns. The runner also scored two touchdowns while achieving the 100-yard mark. The first passing touchdown went to Nelson Agholor for a short, 3-yard play down the middle in the 2nd quarter. The second touchdown went to Isiah Likely for a 15-yard touchdown where Likely had to leap to grab the ball. Jackson's runs for scores were from 15 and 8 yards. In previous games, turnovers were where the hurt came on the Ravens, in past playoff games Jackson's turnovers came to seven. Jackson had zero turnovers in this one. Baltimore would find success in running the ball as a collective the Ravens ran for 229 yards. Justice Hill rushed for 66 yards. Gus Edwards rushed for 40 yards. Newly acquired Dalvin Cook had 23 yards rushing. Baltimore had success in getting first downs as they had 22 first downs and held the ball for 37:35. For the Texans, their magical season ends in defeat but their future is bright with a rookie head coach and quarterback. For the Ravens, they move on and host an AFC championship game for the first time in their history and the first since January of 1971. 

Next week:
Houston: eat Texas barbeque or something
Baltimore: Conference championship vs Kansas City

TW: 1-0; CV: 0-1

Green Bay 21, San Francisco 24: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

Dre Greenlaw called game. Jordan Love went to rainy Santa Clara and did eh. He hit 21 of 34 passes for 194 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The two interceptions were grabbed by linebacker Dre Greenlaw. One of them was the game-sealing one for the Niners on a pass down the middle off of a really awkward Love throw. The first touchdown went to Bo Melton for a big 19-yard play. The second touchdown went to Tucker Kraft for a 2-yard play. Aaron Jones rushed for a big game with 18 carries for 108 yards including a 53-yard run. Romeo Doubs had four catches for 83 yards. The Packers had their chances to win. Whether it be the missed or dropped passes for interceptions that Brock Purdy threw. Or the Anders Carlson field goal that was missed and gave the Niners a chance to get the go-ahead touchdown. It felt that despite the turnovers, the Packers were probably the better team. Special teams played a part as Kiesen Nixon returned two kicks for 73 yards, one kickoff return came on a return that came down to the 49ers 20-yard line. They definitely almost pulled off the upset win. The Packers hit 330 yards of offense in the game. Brock Purdy got it done when it mattered most. He hit 23 of 39 passes for 252 yards with a touchdown pass to George Kittle on a 32-yard pass where the tight end was moving left and right to get to the endzone. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 98 yards on 17 carries. He rushed into the endzone on 39 yards and then the 6-yard touchdown that put the Niners in the lead for good. San Francisco got 356 total yards in the game. The Niners struggles really stem from not getting enough production in the passing game. They were mostly held in check by the Packers pass defense. Penalties also played a part as the Niners were flagged six times for 83 yards. They also punted four times compared to the Packers only punting once. For the Packers, their surprise season ends on a sour note but the future is bright in the first year of the Jordan Love era. For the Niners, they will host the NFC championship game for the first time since 2019 and will play in their fourth championship game in five years. 

Next week: 
Green Bay: eat some cheese curds or go to Bucks game.
San Francisco: Conference championship vs Detroit

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

Tampa Bay 23, Detroit 31: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Lions

Derrick Barnes makes the play that will live in Detroit sports lore for decades to come. Baker Mayfield hit 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards with three touchdowns but also tossed two interceptions. One of those interceptions came to Derrick Barnes as I mentioned before. The first touchdown came to Cade Otton in the 2nd quarter on a short 2-yard pass play. The 2nd touchdown went to Rachaad White on a red zone trip for a 12-yard score. The third touchdown went to Mike Evans on a 16-yard score. They didn't score again after 4:37 left in the 4th quarter. Rachaad White rushed for 55 yards on nine carries. The Mayfield to Mike Evans connection was prosperous for the Buccaneers as the wide receiver caught eight passes for 147 yards. Tampa Bay had 408 total yards in the game. The theme for the Buccaneers in the game was not sustaining drives and not keeping the football in their hands by not turning the ball over. Sacks played a part as Mayfield was sacked four times. Jared Goff played well in the game. He hit 30 of 43 passes for 287 yards with two touchdowns. The first touchdown went to Josh Reynolds for a 9-yard score up the middle. The 2nd touchdown went to Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 9-yard score where the Sun God was found on the right side of the field. It would be the score that gave the Lions the 31 points. The Lions running game would find the endzone as well. The first rushing touchdown went to Craig Reynolds on a play up the middle, for a 1-yard score up the Buccaneers throats. It was Reynolds only carry in the game. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 74 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown was a 31-yard power run to the left. David Montgomery rushed for 33 yards on 10 carries. Amon Ra St. Brown caught eight passes for 77 yards. The Lions offense had 391 total yards of offense in the game. The success to the Lions in the game was the ability to sustain drives as they had 32 minutes of possession time. They had success on 3rd down as they had 6 of 14 conversions while the Buccaneers had 4 of 12. The Lions could've put forth more points as they had finished with 3 of 4 chances in the redzone and 2 of 3 in goal-to-go situations. It felt a bit closer than it seemed for sure. For the Buccaneers, their season ends in the Motor City but have something to build on into 2024. For the Lions, they will go to the NFC championship game for the first time in 33 years as they travel to San Francisco to meet the 49ers next Sunday. 

Next week: 
Tampa Bay: watch a Lightning game or something

Detroit: Conference championship @ San Francisco

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Kansas City 27, Buffalo 24: TW: Bills; CV: Chiefs

Tyler Bass, meet Scott Norwood. You might get along quite nice. Patrick Mahomes entered his first road playoff game. The passer did fine as he hit 17 of 23 passes for 215 yards with two touchdowns. Much to everyone's surprise, both of the touchdowns went to Travis Kelce for 22 and and 3-yard scores. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 97 yards on 15 carries. He scored the last touchdown of the game for the Chiefs on a 4-yard run that gave the Chiefs a 27-24 lead. Travis Kelce had five catches for 75 yards. The key to the Chiefs offense was ensuring that they didn't turn the ball over while getting the ball to their key pass catchers. The Bills defense couldn't stop Patrick Mahomes as they had plenty of banged up players. Kansas City finished the game with 361 total yards. There was a miscue as Mecole Hardman tried to reach for the endzone but fumbled the ball into the endzone. Thus it was a result of a touchback and the Bills ball. Josh Allen had a solid game. He hit 26 of 39 passes for 186 yards with a touchdown pass to Khalil Shakir. The touchdown came to Shakir on a pass that looked like Shakir had to catch it with his tippy toes. It was the last Bills score of the season. Josh Allen the runner had 72 yards rushing with two touchdowns. The Allen touchdowns came on plays for 5 and 2-yard plays. James Cook had 61 yards rushing on 18 carries. Ty Johnson had 40 yards rushing with 7 carries. Buffalo had 368 total yards in the game. The issues for the Bills stem on special teams. They decided to go for a fake punt but sadly that backfired. Granted the ensuing Chiefs possession lead to the Hardman touchback. A lot of blame will go to Tyler Bass who missed the field goal but I think the Bills sequence of plays prior to the field goal was head scratching. The first down play was a James Cook run for 1-yard gain. The 2nd down play was a deep pass play to Shakir that ended up being an incompletion. The 3rd down play was a pass play that ended up being a throwaway. Definitely a questionable sequence of plays. The 44-yard field goal try wasn't a guarantee as the wind was blowing a fair bit from left to right. Unfortunately, he might get the blame for most of the Bills woes. For the Chiefs, they move on and play the Ravens in the AFC championship game next Sunday. For the Bills, the season ends in another heartbreaking way and will have some big decisions to make in the offseason. 

Next week: 
Kansas City: Conference championship @ Baltimore

Buffalo: eat some buffalo wings at B dubs or something

TW: 2-2; CV: 3-1

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 6-8

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Super Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Divisional Playoff: 3-1

Total: 153-129

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Divisional Playoff: 2-2

Total: 167-115

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
2022: 166-103-2

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday/Friday for the Conference Championship picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Divisional Playoff Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again! The Wild Card playoffs are over and the best weekend of the NFL season (in my opinion) is here. My favorite round of the playoffs is the Divisional round. It is truly the mark of a David vs Goliath matchup. You have the teams that have the momentum going their way (David) and the #1 seeded teams (Goliath) going at it. Whether or not who gets the upper hand will yet to be seen.

Divisional Playoff Preview

The NFL's Divisional Playoff round will start in Baltimore, Maryland and finish up in Orchard Park, New York. There will be four games played where eight teams will play. Two games will be played on Saturday and two games will be played on Sunday. Saturday's games will be televised on ABC and FOX. Sunday's games will be televised by NBC and CBS. Let's get to the picks!

Divisional Playoff Picks

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

Houston @ Baltimore (ABC/ESPN; 4:30 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Texans

The Texans beat the Browns and the Ravens had the bye last week. Houston looked really good against Cleveland. They made mince meat of the Browns defense. They turned the ball over on the Browns offense that looked good. They essentially destroyed them. Baltimore should be on high awareness that this team can do the same to them. CJ Stroud took advantage of the good protection and if the Ravens don't get in his face early and often, he will find a way to destroy you. Baltimore has had a history of getting to the Divisional playoff and fade away. The best way to combat the week layoff is to just play smart conservative football and then crank it up during the course of the game. Get the running game going and protect the ball. I still have faith in the Ravens to get it done but they cannot take the Texans lightly and have some respect for them going into this game. 

Green Bay @ San Francisco (FOX; 7:15 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

The Packers beat the Cowboys and the 49ers had a bye last week. Green Bay prevailed in an upset win against the Cowboys. They took advantage of mistakes that the Cowboys made and really put the hurt on Dallas on defense. Granted the Packers offense was quite efficient as Jordan Love and Aaron Jones scored three touchdowns each in their respective categories. San Francisco looks to be the safer bet of the two #1 seeds coming into Divisional weekend. The Niners are healthy for once in the playoffs, their offense and defense are solid across the board. I question whether or not the loss to the Rams in Week 18 will have any lingering effects on them. Like the Texans, the Packers are a team that you shouldn't take lightly. They will use the "No one expects us to win so let's just play out here with nothing to lose" mantra to heart. I think if the 49ers are going to win they will need to make the Green Bay wide receivers beat you and gameplan around stopping Aaron Jones. Green Bay's plan of attack is to sustain drives and to know where Nick Bosa and Chase Young are at all times. I think San Fran moves on. 

Tampa Bay @ Detroit (NBC; 3:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Lions

The Buccaneers beat the Eagles and the Lions beat the Rams last week. A classic NFC Central matchup. The Buccaneers come into this game with a big win against the defending conference champion Eagles. They really got to them defensively, forcing turnovers, forcing many later down and long situations, as well as stopping the Tush Push. The Eagles bowing out means that the NFC is going to be wide open as well as having a new champion in its midst. Offensively the Buccaneers are right there with the rest of the NFL. They can put it in the air with many weapons and the ground with some decent choices at running back. The Lions come off a big win as well. A win 30+ years in the making. Jared Goff and company did just enough to pull off the win and then some. I do question how well their defense can handle the many weapons of the Buccaneers wide receiving corp. Detroit might have a challenge in its midst if they can't stop the Bucs passing game. They should be able to handle their running game. I think the Lions luck ends against the Bucs. 

Kansas City @ Buffalo (CBS; 6:30 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Chiefs

The Chiefs beat the Dolphins and the Bills beat the Steelers last week. Divisional weekend wraps up with Allen-Mahomes, like it should. For the first time in his career, Patrick Mahomes will have to travel to another team's stadium in a game that is not the Super Bowl. It's true that he will have to put on road white uniforms for this game. It is also the first time that Allen-Mahomes will be played in Josh Allen's house. I'm not sure how well Mahomes will face in a hostile environment. He has played road games before in the regular season and has done fairly well. The Chiefs offense has been off a bit. They just miss a detail or two and they fall apart like that. The defense has played well. Buffalo is coming off a big win with a bit less rest but still will be ready to do battle. It is against a formidable foe so all hands will be on deck for sure. It's a toss-up but I will take the home team and give Patrick Mahomes his first road playoff loss. 

TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: All games are being televised nationally

Houston @ Baltimore

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Green Bay @ San Francisco

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Tampa Bay @ Detroit

Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth

Kansas City @ Buffalo

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 6-8

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Super Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Total: 150-128

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 10-6

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Total: 165-113

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
2022: 166-103-2

See you all after the Sunday night game for the Divisional Playoff Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom