NFL - Week Six Recap

 

Quarterbacks Jayden Daniels (left) and Lamar Jackson put on a show in Baltimore.

The Baltimore Ravens (4-2) won the big game at home against the Washington Commanders, 30-23 on Sunday as quarterback Lamar Jackson passed for 323 yards with one touchdown and running back Derrick Henry rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns. It was the fourth consecutive win for the Ravens. The Commanders (4-2) tied the game 10-10 on a seven yard TD pass from QB Jayden Daniels (269 passing yards, two TD) to wide receiver Terry McLaurin  in the second quarter, but the Ravens took over from there and eventually built a 14-point lead before Daniels and McLaurin did it again with a six yard TD scoring pass early in the fourth quarter.

In London, the Chicago Bears (4-2) blasted the Jacksonville Jaguars, 35-16 with rookie QB Caleb Williams throwing four touchdown passes (two each to tight end Cole Kmet and wide receiver Keenan Allen) along with RB D'Andre Swift (17 carries for 91 yards) scoring on a one-yard run. The Bears defense forced two turnovers by the Jaguars (1-5) and QB Trevor Lawrence was sacked four times, but did throw two scoring passes to WR Gabe Davis in the loss.

The Green Bay Packers (4-2) throttled the visiting Arizona Cardinals, 34-13 with QB Jordan Love tossing four TD passes as they built a 24-10 halftime lead. The Cardinals (2-4) fumbled the ball away three times and QB Kyler Murray had a TD pass in defeat. 

In Philadelphia, the Eagles (3-2) outlasted the Cleveland Browns, 20-16 with QB Jalen Hurts throwing two TD passes while the Philly defense had five sacks. The Browns dropped to 1-5 this season and their only touchdown came on a 50-yard return of a blocked field goal.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers improved to 4-2 this season with a 51-27 trouncing of the host New Orleans Saints (2-4), who dropped their fourth game in a row. The Buccaneers scored 27 unanswered points in the second half and QB Baker Mayfield had four TD passes (also three interceptions) along with 325 passing yards to lead the rout. New Orleans stormed back from a 17-0 deficit by scoring all 27 points in the second quarter as rookie QB Spencer Rattler (243 yards, one TD, two INT) threw for a touchdown while Alvin Kamara scored on a four-yard run and Rashid Shaheed scored on a 54 yard punt return along with two field goals.

Houston improved to 5-1 with an easy 41-21 road win against the New England Patriots (1-5) as QB C.J. Stroud threw for 192 yards and three touchdown passes while RB Joe Mixon (1-2 rushing yards) rushed for a touchdown and also caught a TD pass. The Texans put the game away midway through the final quarter when RB Dameon Pierce went 54 yards for a scoring run. Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye made his first start and had three TD passes along with two interceptions and 243 passing yards in defeat, which was the fifth in a row for the Pats.

The Indianapolis Colts (3-3) beat the host Tennessee Titans, 20-17 behind a pair of scoring passes by QB Joe Flacco, starting again in place of injured QB Anthony Richardson. Flacco's second TD pass went ten  yards to WR Michael Pittman, Jr. with 7:27 remaining in the fourth quarter to decide the game. The Titans (1-4) led 17-10 after three quarters, but couldn't stop the Colts in crunch time. Titans QB Will Levis had a TD pass and RB Tony Pollard scored on a 23 yard run in the loss.

The Thursday night game in Seattle was a shootout won the by the San Francisco 49ers, 36-24 as QB Brock Purdy threw for three touchdowns and the 49ers (3-3) gained 483 yards in offense, including 228 rushing yards. 'Niners tight end George Kittle caught two TD passes and WR Deebo Samuel (three receptions for 102 yards) also had a TD grab. The Seahawks (3-3) closed the deficit to 23-17 after three quarters as Laviska Shenault took a kickoff back 97 yards for a score and Kenneth Walker III scored a rushing touchdown. San Francisco scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

 

The Detroit Lions (4-1)  went on the road and annihilated the Dallas Cowboys, 47-9 as their offense rolled up 492 yards and QB Jared Goff passed for 315 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys (3-3) had five turnovers and managed just three field goals in the loss, while only amassing 251 yards in  total offense. The Lions lost All Pro defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (pictured right) to a broken leg in the second half as he sacked Dallas QB Dak Prescott and he will be out for the rest of the season.  

In Denver, the Los Angeles Chargers built a 20-0 halftime lead and then held off the Broncos, 23-16 to go to 3-2 this season. Denver (3-3) mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter to erase the 16-point deficit in the final minute of play, but couldn't recover the onside kickoff. Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins ran for 96 yards and had a rushing touchdown while QB Justin Herbert passed for 237 yards and one touchdown in the win. Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix (216 passing yards) threw for two scores and was intercepted once and also rushed for 61 yards as the Broncos three-game win streak was snapped.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) dominated the host Las Vegas Raiders, 32-13 with QB Justin Fields scoring a pair of rushing touchdowns and RB Najee Harris also scoring a rushing TD as he went for 106 yards on 14 carries. The Raiders (2-4) took a brief 7-3 lead on Alexander Mattison's three-yard scoring run. The Steelers racked up 183 rushing yards and the defense forced three turnovers in the easy win.

The host Carolina Panthers (1-5) battled the Atlanta Falcons, but ran out of gas in the second half as they lost, 38-20. The Falcons (4-2) stayed in a first place tie with Tampa Bay in the NFC South as QB Kirk Cousins passed for 225 yards and one TD while the running back tandem of Tyler Allgeire (105 yards, one TD) and Bijan Robinson (95 yards, two TD) combined for 200 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Panthers QB Andy Dalton had two TD passes along with 221 passing yards and two interceptions in the loss.

The Sunday night game between the host New York Giants (2-4) and Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) was a yawner  as the Bengals won, 17-7 with QB Joe Burrow scoring on a 47-yard run and RB Chase Brown scoring on a 30-yard run with 1:52 remaining in the fourth quarter to seal the win. The Giants lone touchdown came on a one-yard run by Tyrone Tracy, Jr. to even things up at 7-7 with 5:48 left in the third quarter. 

In the Monday Night Football game, the Buffalo Bills beat the host New York Jets, 23-20 thanks in part to very windy conditions that caused three missed field goals combined by both teams, two of them by usually reliable Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein (from 43 and 32 yards out). Bills QB Josh Allen rushed for a touchdown and passed for two more scores to pace the offense as the Bills improved to 4-2 while the Jets fell to 2-4 with their third consecutive loss. Jets QB Aaron Rodgers had two TD passes along with 294 passing yards and one interception in the setback.

WEEK SIX RESULTS 

San Francisco 36, Seattle 24 

Chicago 35, Jacksonville 16 

Philadelphia 20, Cleveland 16 

Baltimore 30, Washington 23

Indianapolis 20, Tennessee 17 

Green Bay 34, Arizona 13 

Tampa Bay 51, New Orleans 27 

Houston 41, New England 21 

Atlanta 38, Carolina 20

L.A. Chargers 23, Denver 16

Pittsburgh 32, Las Vegas 13

Detroit 47, Dallas 9

Cincinnati 17, N.Y. Giants 7

Buffalo 23, N.Y. Jets 20

NFL - Week Six Preview

The amazing Washington Commanders take on the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday and it should be an exciting game with two of the better quarterbacks leading their teams. Washington rookie QB Jayden Daniels has been superb in the first five games for his team (4-1 record) passing for 1,135 yards with four touchdowns and just two interceptions and also rushing for 300 yards and four touchdowns. Of course, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player is on the Ravens (3-2) and Lamar Jackson has been even better than Daniels through the first five games. 

Jackson has passed for 1,206 yards with nine touchdowns and only one interception while rushing for 363 yards and two scores. Along with Jackson is Derrick Henry (572 rushing yards, six TD) and the vaunted running attack. The defense has been down so far this season for Baltimore, so look for a possible high scoring game. The Commanders are averaging 31 points per game while the Ravens score 29.4 PPG this season. The defense for Washington has been improving after giving up a bunch of points the first three games, allowing just 27 points combined in the last two games. 

In Dallas, the Cowboys (3-2) will be hosting the Detroit Lions (3-1) and their high powered offense, led by QB Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions are averaging 26 PPG while allowing 20.5 PPG so far. The Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road last Sunday night and QB Dak Prescott was clutch in the final seconds, throwing the game winning TD pass with just 20 seconds remaining. 

The Cowboys are scoring just 24 points per game while their defense has allowed 121 points (24.2 PPG) so they are used to close games and this one will likely be just that. The Lions defense has been solid and defensive end Aidan Hutchinson has 6 1/2 sacks. The Cowboys have been beat up on defense, so the Lions rate a slight edge as they look to get the road victory. 

Over in London, England this Sunday, the Chicago Bears (3-2) take on the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4), who will be playing back-to-back games across the pond. The Jags always play in London while the Bears haven't made the trip overseas in quite some time. Rookie QB Caleb Williams is coming off his best game for the Bears so far (two TD passes and 304 yards in a 36-10 trouncing of Carolina) and could put up some impressive numbers again this week as the Jaguars defense has been suspect through five games. 

The Jaguars finally got a win last week against Indianapolis and QB Trevor Lawrence has passed for 1,100 yards and six touchdowns along with two interceptions this season. This one could be close and a late field goal could be the difference in the final score.

The rest of the NFL action for Week Six follows up in the capsule style format and the Heftyinfo picks as well. 

 

Arizona (2-3) at Green Bay (3-2) - This game should be high scoring and the Packers should prevail. 

Indianapolis (2-3) at Tennessee (1-3) - The Colts are banged up on both sides of the football and have to face a Titans team coming off the bye and a win.

Houston (4-1) at New England (1-4) - Will Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye get it done? The Texans will be without top wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring injury) but should do enough to get the win. 

Tampa Bay (3-2) at New Orleans (2-3) - What a week for the Buccaneers following Hurricane Milton in Florida. A win in The Big Easy would be welcome for sure. The Saints will be without QB Derek Carr (oblique injury) so that will be a factor. 

Cleveland (1-4) at Philadelphia (2-2) - Two under achieving teams go at it in this one. Eagles have a better offense, but have been hampered by injuries. 

Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) at Denver (3-2) - Can the Broncos keep the good vibes going against the Chargers? It's a good possibility, but if L.A. quarterback Justin Herbert is close to full health, then it could be a different outcome. 

Pittsburgh (3-2) at Las Vegas (2-3) - This game lacks the sizzle it had so many times in the past. Steelers should get the win against a Raiders team that has a lot of question marks. 

Atlanta (3-2) at Carolina (1-4) - Which Falcons team will show up this week? 

Cincinnati (1-4) at N.Y. Giants (2-3) - This is the Sunday night game in prime time? Perhaps Bengals QB Joe Burrow (five TD passes in defeat last week) will light it up again with his team getting a win this time around. 

Buffalo (3-2) at N.Y. Jets (2-3) - The Jets have a new (interim) head coach, but will it make a difference against a Bills team trying to snap a two-game skid? The Monday night game should be a good one between these AFC East rivals. 

The Heftyinfo picks for Week Six  . . . . . . . . . . . . .      (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS) 

San Francisco over Seattle 

Chicago over Jacksonville (game being played in London, England) 

Green Bay over Arizona 

Tennessee over Indianapolis 

HOUSTON over New England 

Tampa Bay over New Orleans 

Philadelphia over Cleveland 

Baltimore over Washington 

Denver over L.A. Chargers 

Pittsburgh over Las Vegas 

Detroit over Dallas 

Atlanta over Carolina 

Cincinnati over N.Y. Giants 

N.Y. Jets over Buffalo 

 

Last Week's Record - 10-4 

SEASON RECORD - 48-30 

Lock of the Week Record - 2-3 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Five Recap

 

Ravens kicker Justin Tucker celebrates game winner.

Some high scoring games around the NFL in Week Five and the Baltimore Ravens outlasted the host Cincinnati Bengals, 41-38 in overtime. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had 392 yards passing, five TD passes and one interception while Ravens QB Lamar Jackson passed for 348 yards with four TD throws and also rushed for 55 yards. Cincy kicker Evan McPherson missed a 53-yard field goal in the OT session and then the Ravens drove down the field thanks to a big run by running back Derrick Henry (15 carries for 92 yards, one TD) to set up the game winning 24-yard field goal by Justin Tucker, who earlier made a 56-yarder with 1:35 left in the final quarter to force the game into overtime.

On Thursday night in Atlanta, the Falcons (3-2) beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) in overtime, 36-30 as QB Kirk Cousins (509 passing yards, four TD, one INT) connected with KhaDarel Hodge for a 45-yard touchdown pass to win the game. Falcons wide receiver Drake London had a big game with 12 receptions for 154 yards and a touchdown. Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo made three field goals, including a 52-yarder at the buzzer to force overtime. Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield threw for three scores in the loss.

The Chicago Bears (3-2) blasted the visiting Carolina Panthers, 36-10  with rookie QB Caleb Williams passing for 304 yards with two touchdowns as the Bears rolled up 424 yards in total offense. Carolina dropped to 1-4 with the loss as they turned the football over three times and QB Andy Dalton was sacked four times.

Over in London, England, the Minnesota Vikings (5-0) stayed perfect with a hard fought 23-17 victory against the New York Jets (2-3) as their defense intercepted Aaron Rodgers three times, including a pick six 63-yard interception for a score by Andrew Van Ginkel to make it 10-0 in the first half. Vikings kicker Will Reichard made three field goals to help provide the final outcome. Rodgers did pass for a pair of touchdowns, but it wasn't enough as the Minnesota defense picked him off with less than one minute remaining to wrap things up. Following the trip overseas, the Jets fired head coach Robert Saleh.

The Washington Commanders improved to 4-1 with a 34-13 trouncing against the visiting Cleveland Browns (1-4) with QB Jayden Daniels throwing a TD pass and running back Brian Robinson, Jr. scoring two rushing touchdowns to lead the way. Washington had 434 total yards in offense and their defense limited the Browns (1-4) to only 212 yards in offense.

In Jacksonville, the Jaguars (1-4) earned their first win this season with a 37-34 thriller against the Indianapolis Colts (2-3) when Cam Little made a 49-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to play. Jacksonville coughed up a 34-20 lead in the fourth quarter as Colts QB Joe Flacco (359 passing yards) threw his third scoring pass of the game to Alec Pierce (65 yard TD) with 2:40 remaining. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (371 passing yards) had two TD passes and one INT along with RB Tank Bigsby rushing for 101 yards and two scores in the win.

The New York Giants (2-3) went out to Seattle and toppled the Seahawks, 29-20 and sealed the win with a 60-yard TD return of a blocked field goal. Seahawks defensive back Rayshawn Jenkins scooped up a fumble and returned it 102 yards for the touchdown to open the scoring late in the first quarter. Giants QB Daniel Jones threw two TD passes and RB Tyrone Tracy added 129 rushing yards for a balanced offense that gained 420 yards. It was the second straight loss for the Seahawks (3-2). 

 

The Denver Broncos (3-2) made it three wins in a row with a 34-18 victory at home against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-3) with rookie QB Bo Nix throwing for two scores and rushing for another touchdown while defensive back Patrick Surtain II (pictured right) had two interceptions, including a 100-yard "pick six" touchdown return that tied the game 10-10 in the second quarter. Three interceptions thrown by Raiders quarterbacks proved to be too much to overcome.

Miami beat New England, 15-10 for a road win as third string QB Tyler Huntley led the offense to help snap a three-game losing streak. Dolphins RB Alec Ingold scored on a three-yard run late in the game to make the difference. The Patriots (1-4) led 10-3 before the Dolphins (2-3) added a pair of field goals and then held them scoreless the rest of the way.

The Houston Texans (4-1) beat the visiting Buffalo Bills, 23-20 when Ka'imi Fairbairn nailed a 59-yard field goal as time expired for the win. The Bills (3-2) overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half with two touchdowns, including a scoring pass by QB Josh Allen, who was just 9-for-30 passing for 131 yards in the loss. Texans QB C.J. Stroud had a scoring pass along with 331 yards (and one INT) to help lead the victory.

Green Bay (3-2) got a 24-19 road win against the Los Angeles Rams (1-4) as QB Jordan Love had a pair of TD passes and RB Josh Jacobs scored a rushing touchdown. Rams QB Matthew Stafford threw for a touchdown and RB Kyren Williams had a rushing score along with 102 yards in the loss.

The Arizona Cardinals (2-3) overcame a ten point deficit in the fourth quarter as they surprised the host San Francisco 49ers, 24-23 with kicker Chad Ryland making the game winner from 35 yards with 1:37 remaining. The Cards defense then intercepted 49ers QB Brock Purdy (244 passing yards, one TD, two INT) to complete the win. Arizona QB Kylker Murray scored on a 50-yard run and also threw for a score to lead the balanced attack, which saw the Cardinals gain 358 yards (169 rushing yards, 189 passing). San Francisco dropped to 2-3 with the loss.

On Sunday night in Pittsburgh, stormy weather delayed the start of the "prime time" game, but the Dallas Cowboys (3-2) and Steelers (3-2) played a game that went down to the wire with the Cowboys winning, 20-17 as QB Dak Prescott (352 passing yards, two TD, two INT) threw a four-yard TD pass to Jalen Tolbert with 20 seconds remaining. The game went back and forth with Steelers QB Justin Fields throwing for two scores in the losing effort. 

The Kansas City Chiefs stayed unbeaten with a 26-13 win at home against the New Orleans Saints (2-3) on Monday Night Football. Running back Kareem Hunt rushed for 102 yards (on 27 carries) and scored a touchdown and Xavier Worthy added a three-yard scoring run for the Chiefs (5-0) and QB Patrick Mahomes passed for 331 yards in the win. Saints QB Derek Carr had two TD passes along with an interception and 165 passing yards in defeat.

 

WEEK FIVE RESULTS 

Atlanta 36, Tampa Bay 30 (OT)

Minnesota 23, N.Y. Jets 17

Chicago 36, Carolina 10 

Washington 34, Cleveland 13 

Houston 23, Buffalo 20 

Miami 15, New England 10 

Baltimore 41, Cincinnati 38 (OT) 

Jacksonville 37, Indianapolis 34  

N.Y. Giants 29, Seattle 20

Arizona 24, San Francisco 23 

Green Bay 24, L.A. Rams 19

Denver 34, Las Vegas 18 

Dallas 20, Pittsburgh 17

Kansas City 26, New Orleans 13

 

Harris and Walz Ticket Needs To Keep Hammering Trump on PROJECT 2025

 

The 2024 presidential campaign is entering the final month before Election Day (November 5th) and the candidates are going from stop to stop on the campaign trail as current Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz do their thing while former president and convicted felon Donald Trump (and J.D. Vance) continue to try and convince "undecided" voters they can fix things and (using the tired, old slogan) "make America great again." 

The Harris campaign has a set agenda and real plans for Americans while Trump continues to try and deceive people with "concepts" of plans and he and Vance continue to lie about just about everything, including the tragedy of the recent hurricane that hit the southern states of the country last week.

 

That is the latest distraction that Trump and Vance offer up along with too many others to count. The whopper of all their lies is the Haitian refugees in Ohio that eat cats and dogs. 

Distract! Distract! Distract! It's all they know how to do. Trump lies about everything and Vance licks his boots and does the same. 

That is the reason that former Vice President Mike Pence is no longer around for the republican party. Pence showed some integrity and wouldn't go along with Trump and company four years ago in the coup attempt to overthrow the 2020 presidential election. January 6th was a travesty as traitor Trump sicked his psychotic followers on Pence and Nancy Pelosi in the failed coup attempt in Washington, D.C. to try and stop the free and fair electoral process. 

Remember that?

As for this year's election process, Harris and Walz need to stay focused on their campaign plans and also HAMMER AWAY at Trump's PROJECT 2025 agenda, which is an attempt to make the United States of America a fascist country with Trump as the "ruling dictator" and doing whatever he wants, thanks in big part to six corrupt Supreme Court justices (John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett) who just made up out of thin air a ruling that grants the POTUS "immunity" from illegal activities as long as they are considered " official presidential acts."

What a crock of bullshit that is! 

Harris and Walz (so far) have been bringing it up on the campaign trail and should continue to do so AT EVERY STOP they make along with promoting their own plans for our country. The fact is Trump and Vance want to continue to give everything away to the richest of the rich in this country and abroad, along with allowing corporations to help set the rules in the PROJECT 2025. This plan is pure evil and would gut nearly everything that does good for the people of this country. Of course, medicare and social security are on the chopping block. Also in the target cross hairs of the curators of this plan is unions and good paying union jobs. 

Be careful what you wish for folks. 

Those looking to choose Trump and Vance in the election are misled individuals and it's surprising that union members are among them. But as P.T. Barnum once famously said . . . "There's a sucker born every minute." 

In addition, Trump is hoping to get a "get out of jail free" card if he were to win the election. He still faces numerous charges for his crimes while he was both in office and afterward as well as before he became POTUS back in 2016. And Jack Smith just dropped a new one on him (unsealed this week) that gets around the bogus Supreme Court "presidential immunity" ruling for the crimes Trump committed.

Harris and Walz are for Americans . . . everyday people who work hard and just want to live their lives without all the drama that Trump brought about during the four years he was in office. We have seen the Trump shit show already and we are not going back again. 

The fact that Trump is having to hold campaign rallies in North Carolina and other "red states" at all tells you all you need to know about the 2024 presidential campaign. 

But there is much work to be done and people cannot get complacent. The key is to stay the course and continue to hammer away at PROJECT 2025 and expose it for the evil that it is. 

HARRIS - WALZ 2024 to really make things continue to work in a positive way. 

The stock market continues to set all time record highs and the latest jobs report far exceeded expectations last month as over 250,000 new jobs were created in September and the unemployment rate dropped yet again. Great news for the USA just one month away from the election.

Bidenomics at work and Harris and Walz will continue that upward trend. Trump and Vance will take the country backwards and give away everything to corporate interests and the uber rich. 

We are not going back! 

PROJECT 2025? 

No way! 

VOTE! 

HARRIS - WALZ 2024  !! 

 

NFL - Week Five Preview

The NFL season heads into October and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons are the Thursday night game in a big NFC South divisional battle in Atlanta. The Bucs (3-1) are off to a hot start and quarterback Baker Mayfield (984 passing yards, 70.4 percent completions, 8 touchdowns, two interceptions) has been solid in that span. Meanwhile, the Falcons (2-2) have been so-so and QB Kirk Cousins (864 passing yards, four TD, four INT) has been just that as well through the first four games. 

The game should be a close one and it will likely come down to which teams defense makes the big play (goal line stand, huge turnover or sack on third down) in crunch time. The call here is for the Falcons to pull out a close win.

 

The New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings will kickoff their game in London, England and the 4-0 Vikes are strutting around like world beaters and who can blame them? Minnesota has scored 116 points (29 PPG average) and allowed just 59 points so far. The Jets are 2-2 and Aaron Rodgers and company were kept out of the end zone last Sunday against Denver in a 10-9 loss. 

The Vikings will look to pressure Rodgers and they have averaged four sacks per game. Avoiding turnovers will be the priority for the Jets if they want to win this one. In addition, the Vikings have intercepted eight passes already while the Jets defense has just one. The Jets defense has to stop Vikings QB Sam Darnold (932 passing yards, 11 TD, three INT) and wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who already has 20 receptions for a 16 YPC average and four touchdowns. 

The Buffalo Bills will take on the Houston Texans in Houston and both teams come in with 3-1 records. The Texans have a strong pass defense and that will be the key for them shutting down the high powered Buffalo offense, which has averaged 30.5 PPG, but was held to just ten points in a blowout loss against Baltimore last week. The Texans offense has been sputtering so far this season, averaging just 20 PPG even with quarterback C.J. Stroud throwing for 1,054 yards with six touchdowns and just two picks thrown. The Bills defense allows just under 21 PPG and has 12 sacks, but linebacker Von Miller is out after being suspended four games by the league. 

The Sunday night game in Pittsburgh looks like an interesting one with the Steelers (3-1) taking on the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) in what could be one that comes down to the final possession. The Steelers lost at Indianapolis last week while the 'Pokes halted a two-game skid with a 20-15 win against the New York Giants. Steelers QB Justin Fields has been good so far in 2024, scoring three rushing touchdowns and passing 830 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has thrown for 1,072 yards with six TD and two interceptions. The Steelers will likely pound the football as Dallas has been terrible against the run so far while also looking to contain the Cowboys air attack while on defense. 

The rest of the NFL action for Week Five is featured in the capsule style previews and the Heftyinfo picks (nice rebound last weekend) follow up. 

Baltimore Ravens (2-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) - The Ravens look to have their mojo going once again. The Bengals had a hard time, but did get their first win this season in Carolina. Take the Ravens in this one. 

Indianapolis Colts (2-2) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4) - Just going on hunch with this one and picking the Jaguars to get their first victory on Sunday. 

Miami Dolphins (1-3) at New England Patriots (1-3) - Toss up in the NFL stinker game of the week. 

Cleveland Browns (1-3) at Washington Commanders (3-1) - Everything points to Washington in this one and it should. Browns have played poorly so far while the Commanders are rolling hot. 

Carolina Panthers (1-3) at Chicago Bears (2-2) - If the Bears don't get the win at home in this one, it might be time to start panicking in the Windy City. 

Las Vegas Raiders (2-2) at Denver Broncos (2-2) - This game should be a tight one with the Broncos defense coming up big to earn a win. 

Arizona Cardinals (1-3) at San Francisco 49ers (2-2) - The 49ers looking to outscore the Cardinals in this game and they should. 

Green Bay Packers (2-2) at Los Angeles Rams (1-3) - This game could be close and don't be surprised if the Rams get the win. Packers need to get it going early in this one. 

New York Giants (1-3) at Seattle Seahawks (3-1) - Seattle looking to atone for last week's debacle in Detroit. The Giants are a team that battles their opponents for the entire game. Seahawks should get the win here. 

New Orleans Saints (2-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) - The Monday night game at Arrowhead Stadium between two teams that like to throw the ball around the field. K.C. quarterback Patrick Mahomes and company have been slow starters on offense so far, but they are unbeaten. The Saints can score, but so can their opponents. Chiefs win another thriller at home. 

The Heftyinfo picks for Week Five    . . . . . . . . . .     (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS)

Atlanta over Tampa Bay 

Minnesota over N.Y. Jets (game played in London, England) 

Baltimore over Cincinnati 

Jacksonville over Indianapolis 

New England over Miami 

Washington over Cleveland 

Houston over Buffalo 

CHICAGO over Carolina 

Denver over Las Vegas 

San Francisco over Arizona 

Green Bay over L.A. Rams 

Seattle over N.Y. Giants 

Pittsburgh over Dallas 

Kansas City over New Orleans 

Last Week's Record - 12-4 

SEASON RECORD - 38-26 

Lock of the Week Record - 1-3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Major League Baseball Post Season Preview

The 2024 Major League Baseball season is over and now it is time for the playoffs to get started. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64), led by Shohei Ohtani (the first 50/50 player in baseball history) had baseball's best overall record this year and will have the home field "advantage" throughout the post-season. In the American League, the New York Yankees, led by slugger Aaron Judge, hold that distinction after going 94-68. However, that title doesn't always matter so much, especially in recent years with so many teams making the playoffs as compared to decades ago, when just four teams made it in. 

 

Last year, the Texas Rangers went 11-0 on the road in the post-season and won the World Series. But this year, the Rangers didn't even finish .500 and the Arizona Diamondbacks didn't make it back to the playoffs either, so that just shows the fickle nature of the game. 

As for this year, the American League playoffs (as well as the National League) will be wide open and any of the six teams can get to the World Series. 

Here's a look at each league and the predictions for the 2024 MLB Playoffs. 

 

AMERICAN LEAGUE 

Wild Card Round - Baltimore over Kansas City; Houston over Detroit 

AL Division Series - Baltimore over NY Yankees; Houston over Cleveland 

AL Championship Series - Baltimore over Houston 

 

NATIONAL LEAGUE 

Wild Card Round - Milwaukee over NY Mets; Atlanta over San Diego 

NL Division Series - Los Angeles over Atlanta; Philadelphia over Milwaukee 

NL Championship Series - Philadelphia over Los Angeles 

                                                                   WORLD SERIES

                                  Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies  (in six games) 

 

 

NFL - Week Four Recap

 

The Minnesota Vikings continue to serve notice to the rest of the NFL that they are the real deal as they beat the host Green Bay Packers, 31-29 to improve to 4-0 this season. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (pictured left) had three touchdown passes and wide receiver Jordan Addison scored twice (receiving and rushing TD) as they built up a 28-0 lead in the first half. The Packers (2-2) battled back as QB Jordan Love (389 passing yards, four TD, three interceptions) threw four scoring passes. However, two missed field goals by Packers kicker Brayden Narveson proved to be huge in the loss for Green Bay. 

 

The Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) survived a road game and came away with a 17-10 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) as the defense shut down the Chargers after L.A. built a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. The Chiefs turned the ball over twice (fumble and interception) but QB Patrick Mahomes threw a 54-yard scoring pass to WR Xavier Worthy while a field goal and a fourth quarter two-yard TD run by Samaje Perine with 6:04 remaining proved to be the difference in the outcome. Chargers QB Justin Herbert had a TD pass in defeat. 

The Washington Commanders (3-1) routed the host Arizona Cardinals, 42-14 with a balanced attack (216 rushing yards, 233 passing yards) and two rushing scores by RB Jeremy McNichols and 101 rushing yards and touchdown from Brian Robinson, Jr. while rookie QB Jayden Daniels had a TD pass and a scoring run in the easy win. The Cardinals dropped to 1-3 as QB Kyler Murray was sacked four times. 

Tampa Bay (3-1) routed the visiting Philadelphia Eagles, 33-16 with QB Baker Mayfield (347 passing yards) throwing and running for a touchdown while the Buccaneers defense limited the Eagles (2-2) to 227 yards in offense. 

The San Francisco 49ers (2-2) steam rolled the visiting New England Patriots, 30-13 as linebacker Fred Warner took an interception back 45 yards for a score and tight end George Kittle caught a 12-yard TD pass from QB Brock Purdy, who had 288 passing yards in the win. The Patriots (1-3) dropped their third straight game as QB Jacoby Brissett threw for a touchdown, but was also sacked six times while they turned the ball over three times. 

Houston improved to 3-1 with a 24-20 home win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who dropped to 0-4 this season. Texans QB C.J. Stroud (345 passing yards) threw his second TD pass (to Dare Ogunbowale) with 18 seconds remaining. Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence had two TD passes in the loss. 

Younghoe Koo made a 58-yard field goal with two seconds left in regulation as the Atlanta Falcons beat the visiting New Orleans Saints, 26-24 to improve to 2-2. Two defensive scores for the Falcons (fumble recovery and 47-yard INT return by Troy Andersen) and four field goals made the difference for the win. Taysom Hill had two rushing touchdowns along with a TD run by RB Alvin Kamara for the Saints (2-2) in the loss. 

The Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) won their first game this season on the road, beating Carolina, 34-24 behind two running scores by Chase Brown and a pair of TD passes from QB Joe Burrow to lead the way. Carolina QB Andy Dalton had two TD passes and Chuba Hubbard had a scoring run in defeat for the Panthers (1-3). 

The Chicago Bears (2-2) won at home, 24-18 against the Los Angeles Rams (1-3) with running backs Roschon Johnson and D'Andre Swift scoring rushing touchdowns and rookie QB Caleb Williams throwing a nine-yard TD pass to WR D.J. Moore. The Rams only scored one touchdown in the loss as kicker Joshua Karty made four field goals, but it wasn't enough. 

 

Indianapolis raced out to a 17-0 lead and then held off a furious comeback by the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) to earn a 27-24 home victory and improve to 2-2 this season. Quarterback Joe Flacco (pictured right) came in for injured Colts starter Anthony Richardson and threw for two touchdowns while RB Jonathan Taylor had a running score to pace the offense. Steelers QB Justin Fields had two scoring runs along with 312 passing yards and TD pass in defeat. 

 

On Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys (2-2) beat the host New York Giants, 20-15 as they limited the Giants (1-3) to five field goals while QB Dak Prescott (221 passing yards) threw for a pair of touchdowns, including a 55-yard strike to WR CeeDee Lamb to make the difference. 

The Sunday night game in Baltimore was all Ravens (2-2) as they crushed the Buffalo Bills, 35-10 with RB Derrick Henry (199 rushing yards on 24 carries) set the tone on the first play from scrimmage with an 87-yard TD run. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson had two TD passes and a scoring run as well and the Baltimore defense limited (NFL's top scoring offense) the Bills (3-1) to just one touchdown and 236 total yards in offense. 

The Denver Broncos (2-2) won a yawner, 10-9 against the host New York Jets (2-2) in a driving rain storm with rookie QB Bo Nix (just 60 yards passing in the win) hitting WR Courtland Sutton for an eight-yard scoring pass and a 47-yard field goal by Will Lutz to offset three field goals by Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein, who missed a potential game winner from 50 yards out in the final minute of the game. Jets QB Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times in the loss. 

The Las Vegas Raiders (2-2) came back and beat the visiting Cleveland Browns, 20-16 with a pair of field goals and scoring runs from Tre Tucker and DJ Turner. The Browns (1-3) led 10-0 after the first quarter as QB Deshaun Watson had a touchdown pass, but the Raiders defense took over from there (one interception and three sacks) and the only Browns score the rest of the game came on a 25-yard fumble return by Rodney McLeod, Jr. early in the fourth quarter. 

In Miami on Monday night, the Tennessee Titans (1-3) got their first win this season with a 31-12 trouncing of the Dolphins (1-3) as Tyjae Spears and Tony Pollard had scoring runs while kicker Nick Folk made five field goals and the defense got a safety and limited the Dolphins to just 184 yards in total offense. Tyler Huntley (Miami's third string quarterback) had a scoring run in the loss. 

The other Monday Night Football game in Detroit saw the Lions (3-1) win, 42-29 over the Seattle Seahawks (3-1) with QB Jared Goff completing all 18 pass attempts for 292 yards and two touchdowns and also scored on a seven-yard TD reception from Amon-Ra St. Brown while RB Jahmyr Gibbs scored two rushing touchdowns. The Seahawks rolled up 516 yards in total offense in defeat with RB Kenneth Walker III scoring three touchdowns and QB Geno Smith (395 passing yards, one TD, one INT) throwing a nine-yard scoring pass to AJ Barner.

WEEK FOUR RESULTS 

Dallas 20, N.Y. Giants 15 

Chicago 24, L.A. Rams 18 

Atlanta 26, New Orleans 24 

Minnesota 31, Green Bay 29

Indianapolis 27, Pittsburgh 24 

Houston 24, Jacksonville 20 

Tampa Bay 33, Philadelphia 16 

Cincinnati 34, Carolina 24 

Denver 10, N.Y. Jets 9 

Kansas City 17, L.A. Chargers 10

Washington 42, Arizona 14

San Francisco 30, New England 13 

Las Vegas 20, Cleveland 16 

Baltimore 35, Buffalo 10

Tennessee 31, Miami 12

Detroit 42, Seattle 29