NFL - Week Nine Recap

 

Jordan Love (10) and Christian Watson (9) helped dominate big win over the Patriots. 

Too much Jordan Love and Christian Watson on Sunday as the Green Bay Packers (6-3) went on the road and destroyed the New England Patriots, 45-27 with Love passing for 372 yards and three touchdowns and he also opened the scoring in the game with a 13-yard TD run. Meanwhile (wide receiver) Watson caught seven passes for 171 yards and one touchdown to help lead the rout. The Packers defense forced four turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble) and had four sacks while the offense gained 478 total yards. New England (5-4) fell behind 17-0 before closing to within 24-14 at halftime on a pair of TD passes from Drake Maye, who finished the game with 299 passing yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. 

The Cincinnati Bengals doubled up the Atlanta Falcons, 34-17 in Madrid, Spain on Sunday as quarterback Joe Burrow passed for 271 yards with three touchdown passes and a scoring run as well to lead the way. Bengals wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase (ten receptions for 155 yards, one touchdown) and Tee Higgins (two touchdown receptions) contributed as Cincinnati (6-2) piled up 388 yards in total offense. The Falcons (3-6) had a 10-7 after the first quarter as Michael Penix, Jr. (162 passing yards, one TD, one interception) threw a one-yard scoring pass to Charlie Woerner. The Bengals led 24-10 at the half and coasted in the second half after the Falcons closed to within 24-17 when running back Bijan Robinson (19 carries for 100 yards) scored from one yard out. 

The Denver Broncos (7-2) made it five straight wins as they bested the host Carolina Panthers, 26-21 behind solid defense (three sacks, two turnovers) which included a game sealing strip sack by linebacker Nik Bonitto. Broncos QB Bo Nix had a pair of scoring passes and one interception to go with 237 passing yards and RB Jonah Coleman scored a rushing touchdown to lead the offense. Even with QB Bryce Young (276 passing yards, three TD, one INT) getting the three scoring passes, the Panthers (3-5) dropped their third straight game and fell into a first place tie with New Orleans in the NFC South.

The Detroit Lions (6-2) won a yawner against the host Miami Dolphins, 19-9 as RB Jahmyr Gibbs had an eight yard scoring run for the only touchdown in the game. Lions kicker Jake Bates made four field goals and the Dolphins (1-7) managed three field goals from Zane Gonzalez for their only points. 

In New Orleans, the Cleveland Browns (5-4) rolled the dice and came up craps in overtime as they lost, 23-22 to the Saints by failing on the two-point conversion attempt with one minute remaining. The Saints (3-5) took a 23-16 lead when QB Tyler Shough (265 passing yards) threw a 15 yard TD pass to Juwan Johnson with 4:17 left in the OT session. New Orleans took a 16-13 lead when Audric Estime scored on a two yard run with 58 seconds left. The Browns got a tying 51-yard field goal by Andre Szmyt to force the overtime. Browns QB Shedeur Sanders made his first start (in place of injured Deshaun Watson) this season and had 297 passing yards with two touchdowns in defeat. 

The San Francisco 49ers (7-1) blasted the visiting Las Vegas Raiders, 38-17 as their defense intercepted three passes, which included a "pick six" 35 yard touchdown return by linebacker Jaden Dugger. 49ers QB Brock Purdy (232 passing yards, two TD, one INT and one rushing TD) connected with Jordan Watkins on a 37 yard TD strike for a 35-17 lead late in the third quarter as they gained 414 total yards in offense in the easy win. The Raiders (4-5) were limited to just 24 rushing yards and QB Kirk Cousins rushed for a touchdown and had 216 passing yards with one TD and the three interceptions in the loss. 

The Seattle Seahawks (5-4) toppled the visiting Arizona Cardinals, 17-3 as the defense shut down the Cardinals (3-6) on offense, allowing just 198 yards and getting three sacks. Seahawks tight end AJ Barner had a scoring run and reception from QB Drew Lock in the win.  

 

In Los Angeles, the Chargers stayed winless at 0-8 as the Houston Texans scored at will for a 44-22 victory as quarterback C.J. Stroud (pictured right) had five touchdown passes (and one interception) along with 384 passing yards as they gained 485 total yards. The Texans (3-5) lead 24-9 at halftime with Stroud throwing for three scores, including a 63 yard TD pass to Tank Dell. The second half was more of the same as Stroud hooked up with Kayshon Boutte for a 63 yard scoring pass to make it 38-9 early in the fourth quarter. The Houston defense recorded eight QB sacks in the rout while getting two turnovers.  The Chargers finally scored an offensive touchdown for the first time in a month as QB Justin Herbert found WR Quentin Johnston on a 58 yard scoring pass.

On Thursday night in rainy Baltimore, the Jacksonville Jaguars (6-2) dominated in a 33-10 win as QB Trevor Lawrence passed for 242 yards and one touchdown while Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez, Jr. had scoring runs to lead the way. The Ravens (4-5) lost their fourth consecutive game and the only touchdown was scored by Justice Hill on a 65 yard run in the fourth quarter. 

The Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) snapped a two game losing streak with a resounding 35-12 win at home against the New York Jets (2-7) as running back Kenneth Walker III rushed for 102 yards and one touchdown and also caught two scoring passes from Patrick Mahomes, who had 242 passing yards. The Chiefs led 14-12 at the half and shut out the Jets from there as all the scoring for the Jets came on four field goals by Jason Sanders. 

The New York Giants went into Philadelphia and came away with a hard fought 19-11 win against the Eagles (2-7) with the defense getting seven QB sacks. The Giants (5-2-1) trailed 8-6 at halftime as Eagles RB Saquon Barkley scored on a three yard run. Jameis Winston came off the bench to throw a five yard TD pass to tight end Isaiah Likely for a 13-8 lead with 2:25 left in the third quarter. Dominic Zvada made four field goals, with two of them in the fourth quarter, to help the winning effort. 

The Dallas Cowboys defense finally came up big when it mattered as they intercepted Indianapolis Colts QB Daniel Jones (180 passing yards, one TD, one INT) late in the fourth quarter to seal a 27-23 win on the road to improve to 4-5 this season. The Cowboys piled up 508 total yards in offense (329 passing, 179 rushing) and QB Dak Prescott had a pair of TD passes and 335 yards. Running back Javonte Wiliams gained 101 rushing yards (on 20 carries) and scored a TD while WR CeeDee Lamb hauled in ten receptions for 195 yards and one touchdown. The Colts (2-7) stormed back from a 20-10 deficit behind a 55 yard TD pass from Jones to Ashton Dulin and two fourth quarter field goals (59 and 50 yards) by Spencer Shrader, but it wasn't enough to keep them from losing their fifth consecutive game. 

The Los Angeles Rams improved to 5-4 with a 20-13 road win against the Washington Commanders (2-5-1) as defensive end Myles Garrett returned from the injury list and had three QB sacks and a forced fumble to lead the defense in the winning effort. The Rams trailed 10-6 at halftime but RB Blake Corum scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter and QB Matthew Stafford (228 passing yards, one TD, one INT) tossed a seven yard scoring pass to Puka Nacua (14 receptions for 150 yards) early in the fourth quarter to make the difference in the final score. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels had 274 passing yards with one touchdown in the loss. 

On Sunday night in Chicago, the Bears (7-2) squandered a 14-point lead, but eventually beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-24 thanks to a 38-yard field goal by Cairo Santos as time ran out for their fourth straight win. Bears QB Caleb Williams (279 passing yards, two TD, four INT) threw for two touchdowns in the first half as the Bears built a 17-6 against the Bucs, who dropped to 3-6 with the loss. Tampa Bay QB Baker Mayfield (243 passing yards) was intercepted twice but scored the two-point conversion to tie the game at 24-24 with 2:51 remaining following a six yard TD run by Bucky Irving, who scored twice on the ground while rushing for 97 yards. The Bears defense registered four sacks and DB Jaylon Johnson took an interception back 67 yards for a touchdown and a 24-13 lead late in the third quarter. 

 

 

WEEK NINE RESULTS 

Jacksonville 33, Baltimore 10 

Cincinnati 34, Atlanta 17  

Dallas 27, Indianapolis 23 

Kansas City 35, N.Y. Jets 12 

N.Y. Giants 19, Philadelphia 11

L.A. Rams 20, Washington 13 

New Orleans 23, Cleveland 22 (OT)

Detroit 19, Miami 9 

Denver 26, Carolina 21 

Green Bay 45, New England 27 

Houston 44, L.A. Chargers 22 

Seattle 17, Arizona 3 

San Francisco 38, Las Vegas 17

Chicago 27, Tampa Bay 24  

 

NFL - Week Nine Preview

 

The action around the NFL for Week Nine got started on Thursday night in Baltimore and the Jacksonville Jaguars steam rolled the Ravens, 33-10 . . . the rest of the games on Sunday and Monday night feature some good matchups as the playoff picture begins to come into focus. There are still ten weeks left to go, but each game becomes more important as the schedule winds down to January. 

 

 

The Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) and Atlanta Falcons (3-5) get it started in Madrid, Spain and then the rest of the games get going, including Green Bay (5-3) at New England (5-3) where the Packers will be looking to stay in the thick of the NFC North race, which has all four teams above .500 this season. The Patriots are one game behind the Buffalo Bills and have already beaten them once, so this is a big  game for them as well. 

The Chicago Bears (6-2) just put a beat down on the Seattle Seahawks last Monday night and will be on national television for the third straight game when they host the resurgent Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) who have won two straight games and lead the NFL in rushing, averaging  just under 169 yards per game. The Bears offense has been on fire and quarterback Caleb Williams leads the league in completion percentage while the defense got a big boost with Jeffery Simmons coming on board via trade with the Tennessee Titans. Look for the Bears to continue their winning ways on Sunday night. 

A big game for the Seattle Seahawks (4-4) looms this Sunday as they host the Arizona Cardinals (3-5), who are coming off a stunning comeback win at Dallas last week with reserve QB Gardner Minshew coming off the bench and passing for three touchdowns. Seattle has been struggling and will be without QB Sam Darnold (quad injury and cracked rib) for this one. Drew Lock will start at quarterback and the 'Hawks need to get it going on offense, especially with the running game now that Zach Charbonnet is back. The San Francisco 49ers are threatening to run away with the NFC West title, so this game is very important to keep pace. 

On Monday night, the Minnesota Vikings (6-1) host the Buffalo Bills (6-1) in what should be a good one. The Vikings lead the NFC North division by a razor thin margin while the Bills have a one game cushion in the AFC East, so both teams need a win. Carson Wentz will start at quarterback for Minnesota as Kyler Murray is out with a hamstring injury. The Vikings defense has been stellar all season and leads the NFL in scoring defense, giving up just 13.1 points per game. Meanwhile, the Bills average 33.3 PPG, which leads the league. The Vikings will look to get after Buffalo QB Josh Allen early and often and if they're successful, the Vikings could  win this one. 

The rest of the NFL games for Week Nine are featured in the capsule style previews and the Heftyinfo picks follow up.  

Cincinnati (5-2) vs. Atlanta (3-5) - (game played in Madrid, Spain) - The Bengals have been rolling and the Falcons are a mystery team this year. Take the Bengals in this one. 

Dallas (3-5) at Indianapolis (2-6) - Two teams coming off very bad losses . . . something has to give. 

Denver (6-2) at Carolina (3-4) - The Broncos keep pulling games out late and the Panthers always seem to be at their best when they slip under the .500 mark. Toss up in this one. 

N.Y. Jets (2-6) at Kansas City (5-2) - Chiefs coming off bad loss on road last week and the Jets are doing what most people expected from them. Take the Chiefs. 

Detroit (5-2) at Miami (1-6) - The Lions better be ready for this game. The Dolphins always play hard and haven't been the door mat most people thought they would be. 

Cleveland (5-3) at New Orleans (2-5) - The Browns will have Shedeur Sanders at quarterback in this game as Deshaun Watson is out with a concussion. The Saints are coming off the bye week and should be ready. Toss up here. 

N.Y. Giants (4-2-1) at Philadelphia (2-6) - Can the Eagles finally get a win? The Giants are looking to pad their lead in the NFC East division race. Yet another toss up. 

L.A. Rams (4-4) at Washington (2-4-1) - This game could very well go down to the wire. 

Houston (2-5) at L.A. Chargers (0-7) - Who cares? 

Las Vegas (4-4) at San Francisco (6-1) - 49ers should get the win, but the Raiders will battle them.  

Green Bay (5-3) at New England (5-3) - Patriots have been up and down this season and the same could be said of the Packers. Take the Pats at home in this game.  

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

Jacksonville over Baltimore 

Cincinnati over Atlanta (game played in Madrid, Spain) 

Dallas over Indianapolis 

Carolina over Denver 

KANSAS CITY over N.Y. Jets 

Detroit over Miami 

New Orleans over Cleveland 

N.Y. Giants over Philadelphia 

L.A. Rams over Washington 

L.A. Chargers over Houston 

San Francisco over Las Vegas 

New England over Green Bay 

Seattle over Arizona 

Chicago over Tampa Bay 

Buffalo over Minnesota 

 

Last Week's Record - 11-3 

SEASON RECORD - 76-44-1

Lock of the Week Record - 5-3  

Americans Send Trump and Republicans A Huge Message

 

Vote The Bums Out

Today is the day America!

VOTE the bums out and make our country a sane place to live in once again. 

 Get the criminals currently in control of D.C. outta there and make it a repeat of the 2006 Blue Wave. 

This is our country - it belongs to all of of us, not just a handful of so called "one percenters." 

VOTE!  

 

NFL - Week Eight Recap

 

The Buffalo Bills improved to 6-1 as they crushed the Baltimore Ravens, 36-10 at home and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson injured his thumb early in the game and could be lost for significant time as surgery is likely. Bills QB Josh Allen (pictured left) had two scoring passes and a scoring run along with 289 passing yards and James Cook III had a touchdown run as well. The Bills defense forced three turnovers and knocked out both Jackson and backup QB Tyler Huntley (turf toe) from the game. Baltimore fell to 4-4 with their third straight loss and managed just Derrick Henry scoring on the ground as they gained a meager 144 total yards in offense.

Joe Burrow threw five TD passes and also ran for the eventual game winner in overtime as the Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) held on for a 43-36 win at home against the Tennessee Titans, who dropped to 1-6. Tennessee DB Amani Hooker had three interceptions in the loss as Burrow (462 passing yards, five TD, three INT) would help win the game with his nine-yard scoring run in OT. The Titans grabbed a 13-0 lead in the first quarter before Burrow went to work, with RB Tony Pollard (21 carries for 117 yards) scoring the first of his two touchdowns with a 40-yard scoring run. Titans QB Cam Ward had two TD passes and 304 yards as well as a two-point conversion run to tie the game, 21-21 midway through the third quarter. Cincinnati had 510 total yards and Tennessee gained 440 yards in the setback. 

Both the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs blew double digit leads in the fourth quarter and lost the games as Arizona (3-5) stunned the Cowboys, 33-30 in OT for the road win. Cardinals QB Gardner Minshew came off the bench and had three TD passes and RB Tyler Allgeier scored twice (including a 63-yard run) and gained 147 yards on just eleven carries in the big comeback win. The Cardinals tied the game 30-30 on Minshew's third TD strike, a 13-yard pass to Michael Wilson with six seconds left to play. But kicker Chad Ryland missed the PAT kick, forcing overtime. The Cowboys (3-5) held lead of 14-0 and 24-10 with QB Dak Prescott running and passing for touchdowns prior to the late game defensive meltdown as the Cards out gained the 'Pokes in total yardage by a 467-261 count. 

The Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) faded in the fourth quarter as the host Denver Broncos (6-2) took over first place in the AFC West division with an unlikely comeback to win, 28-24 as their defense stopped the Chiefs on fourth down from the one-yard and six-yard line following a penalty against the Chiefs in the closing seconds of the game. Denver rallied from 24-13 down as QB Bo Nix (222 passing yards, two TD) threw a scoring pass and then rookie running back Jonah Coleman scored on a five-yard run with 1:56 left for the four-point lead. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (321 passing yards) had three TD passes in the loss.

Green Bay (5-3) toppled Carolina 27-19 last Thursday night for the home victory behind three touchdown passes from QB Jordan Love, who had 288 passing yards. Running back Josh Jacobs had a TD run and the Packers defense had six sacks and forced two turnovers. The Panthers (3-4) took a 10-6 lead when RB Chuba Hubbard scored on a one-yard run. Trailing 27-13 in the fourth quarter, QB Bryce Young threw a 26-yard TD pass to WR Jalen Coker with 5:37 left, but got no closer. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) blasted the visiting Cleveland Browns, 27-6 for their fourth straight win as the defense registered eight quarterback sacks with three different players scoring rushing touchdowns. Cleveland QB Deshaun Watson passed for 324 yards in the loss as the Browns fell to 5-3 this season. 

 

The Detroit Lions (5-2) outlasted Minnesota (6-1) for a 19-15 home win as QB Jared Goff threw a seven-yard TD pass to WR Jameson Williams late in the fourth quarter and the Lions defense made the stops to help finish thew win. Vikings QB Kyler Murray threw for two scores in the loss, which was the first for Minnesota this season. Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (pictured right) rushed for 153 yards on 23 carries and had a 30-yard TD run to help the winning effort. 

Snapping their four game losing streak, the Las Vegas Raiders (4-4) squeaked past the host New York Jets, 38-33 with QB Kirk Cousins tossing three TD passes along with a one-yard scoring run and Dylan Laube taking a kickoff back 95 yards for another score to pace the win. The game was back and forth with the Jets (2-6) getting a 23-14 lead at the half thanks in part to a pair of touchdown passes from QB Geno Smith, who finished the game with 290 passing yards and one interception. Jets RB Braelon Allen (21 carries for 147 yards) scored on a 21-yard run in the third quarter for a 30-21 lead before the Raiders put up 17 points the rest of the way for the win. 

In soggy Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers (3-5) rode the rainy weather to the tune of 324 rushing yards and ZERO pass completions in a 16-0 shutout win against the Atlanta Falcons. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield attempted just three passes as they became the first team since the Buffalo Bills in 1974 to win a game with no pass completions. Three field goals and a touchdown run by Bucky Irving (170 yards on 27 carries) along with Kenneth Gainwell rushing for 140 yards on 25 carries made the difference. The Falcons (3-5) only had eight first downs and 224 yards and QB Michael Penix, Jr. was intercepted four times in defeat.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) humiliated the visiting Indianapolis Colts, 42-7 to open up a three game lead in the AFC South as QB Trevor Lawrence had three touchdown passes and RB Bhayshul Tuten (104 rushing yards) scored twice with a 39-yard rushing score along with a 25-yard reception to lead the way. The Colts (2-6) fell behind 35-0 before QB Daniel Jones threw a TD pass to WR Josh Downs in the third quarter. For the game, the Jaguars used balanced offense with 183 yards both rushing and passing.

The New England Patriots won a 24-19 tussle in Miami to get to 5-3 and stay close with first place Buffalo in the AFC East race. Pats QB Drake Maye (199 passing yards) had a two-yard scoring run along with two TD passes while the defense had five sacks. New England scored 21 unanswered points in the second half, but the Dolphins (1-6) kept things tight in this one after giving up a 13-3 halftime lead as QB Malik Willis (211 passing yards, two TD, one INT) tossed a 35-yard scoring pass to WR Kevin Coleman, Jr. with 2:04 left in the game.  

In the battle for supremacy at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the Rams (4-4) buried the winless Chargers in the second half for a 24-9 win with running backs Kyren Williams And Blake Corum combining for 130 rushing yards and each scoring a rushing touchdown. The Chargers (0-7) actually out gained the Rams (295-281) in total yardage in defeat, but two interceptions from QB Justin Herbert (257 passing yards) was too much to overcome as the 'Bolts failed to score an offensive touchdown for the second consecutive game. 

On Sunday night, the host Washington Commanders (2-4-1) overcame an early 10-0 deficit and won 27-10 against the Philadelphia Eagles (2-6), who dropped their sixth consecutive game. Playing with an injured hamstring, Eagles RB Saquon Barkley scored a three-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter and then the Commanders defense shut the door, getting five sacks and forcing two turnovers. Washington QB Jayden Daniels had a TD pass and RB Rachaad White scored on a one-yard run and kicker Drew Stevens made four field goals to help lead the way. 

The Chicago Bears (6-2) went into Seattle on Monday night and dominated the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks, 34-17 with running back D'Andre Smith scoring three times on the ground in the second half as they pulled away. Leading 13-9 at the half, the Bears limited the Seahawks (4-4) to just one touchdown in the fourth quarter to put it away. Bears QB Caleb Williams passed for 247 yards with one touchdown pass to WR Luther Burden III as they gained 363 total yards in offense. Seattle scored twice through the air with QB Sam Darnold (188 yards, two TD, one INT) connecting with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp for touchdown passes. The Bears defense had three sacks, including one by newly acquired DT Jeffery Simmons, and one interception.

 

WEEK EIGHT RESULTS 

Green Bay 27, Carolina 19 

Detroit 19, Minnesota 15 

Jacksonville 42, Indianapolis 7 

Cincinnati 43, Tennessee 36 (OT)  

Buffalo 36, Baltimore 10 

Arizona 33, Dallas 30 (OT)

Pittsburgh 27, Cleveland 6 

Tampa Bay 16, Atlanta 0 

Las Vegas 38, N.Y. Jets 33  

L.A. Rams 24, L.A. Chargers 9

New England 24, Miami 19

Denver 28, Kansas City 24 

Washington 27, Philadelphia 10 

Chicago 34, Seattle 17  

 

 

 

NFL - Week Eight Preview

Some big games in the NFL coming up this weekend as the calendar turns to November and the Monday night game in Seattle between the Seahawks (4-3) and Chicago Bears (5-2) should be one of the better ones for sure. The Bears just traded for defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans and whether he plays in the game or not remains to be seen. 

The Seahawks just picked up eight time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Quenton Nelson from the Indianapolis Colts as they look to bolster the offense, which has been lacking in the running game through most of the season. These two teams are solid with the 'Hawks having the edge on defense as they are the top unit in the NFL, allowing only 234 yards per game. The Bears offense averages just under 26 points per game (9th in NFL) and boasts the number one rushing attack, averaging 153 yards per game. This game will be a good one and which ever team has the football last could decide the final score.

 

The Baltimore Ravens (4-3) travel to play the Buffalo Bills (5-1) on Sunday and are hopeful to have quarterback Lamar Jackson back in action after he missed the last three games with an ankle sprain injury. The Ravens have lost two straight games and the Bills (coming off the bye week) have been on a roll this season, averaging a league best 32.8 points per game, led by QB Josh Allen, who has been a force to be reckoned with in the 2026 season. 

The Ravens defense has struggled at times this year and coughed up leads while losing to Cleveland and Cincinnati the past two weeks. The key for them will be to get after Allen and limit the Bills running game, which has been solid with Allen and running back James Cook helping them average 148.8 YPG on the ground. On offense, having Jackson back will be huge as he is always a dual threat with the ball and would take some pressure off running back Derrick Henry, who has been stifled the last two games. This game will likely come down to the final possession. 

Minnesota and Detroit go at it in an NFC North battle and the Lions are coming off an exciting win against Green Bay last Sunday while the Vikings (6-0) escaped with a 16-10 win at home against the Indianapolis Colts as the defense came up big yet again. The Vikings defense has allowed only 74 points so far (12.3 PPG) and has 21 quarterback sacks in their blitz happy scheme. The Lions (4-2) average 30.7 PPG (2nd in NFL) and they have multiple weapons on offense, led by QB Jared Goff (1,788 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and no interceptions), running back Jahmyr Gibbs (620 rushing yards, 4.6 YPC, seven TD) and wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown (46 receptions, five touchdowns) and Jameson Williams, who has 23 catches for 367 yards and four touchdowns. This is yet another football game that should go right down to the final seconds. 

Two more divisional games this Sunday feature the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the Cleveland Browns with both teams tied for first place in the AFC North with 5-2 records while the Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) travel to take on the Denver Broncos (5-2), who have won three in a row. 

The Steelers have been led by a rejuvenated Aaron Rodgers at quarterback so far this season. The 42-year old has thrown for 1,699 yards in seven games with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. Pittsburgh's defense has allowed 308 YPG and 21.3 PPG and has 16 sacks. Meanwhile, the Browns have pulled off some late game finishes for wins in 2026, led by QB Deshaun Watson, who so far has proved his detractors wrong with his play on the field. Watson has passed for 1,482 passing yards with seven TD passes with three picks thrown while rushing for 215 yards (4.5 YPC average) and has one touchdown. Rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion has 30 receptions for 315 yards and teams with Denzel Boston and tight end Harold Fannin, Jr., who has three touchdowns to go with 25 receptions for 257 yards. 

The Steelers defense will look to keep Watson and company in check on Sunday and the same goes for the Browns defense, which allows 20.9 PPG and 318 yards per game along with 20 sacks, led by defensive tackle Mason Graham, who has four sacks. Minimizing mistakes and protecting the football will go a long way in this game and the choice here is the Steelers come away with the victory in a squeaker. 

As for Kansas City vs. Denver in the Mile High City, expect a much closer game than what happened in the opening game in Kansas City, where the Chiefs buried the Broncos, 31-10 with QB Patrick Mahomes and the offense dominating. The Broncos defense has been rounding into form after a poor start, even with injuries taking down Patrick Surtain II, Talanoa Hufanga, Zach Allen and Jonathan Cooper, who finally played his first game in last week's 30-16 win at Arizona. 

This game is for first place in the AFC West, where the Chiefs have been since Week One. They got crushed by Seattle last Sunday night with the offense scoring only three points and not reaching the "red zone" for the first time ever in the Mahomes era. So look for Kansas City Head Coach Andy Reid to dig down deep and get the offense back on track against a very familiar opponent. This one should be back and forth and the Chiefs seem to find ways to win against Denver and barring anything unusual in the turnover category, should come out on top in this game. 

The rest of the NFL game action for Week Eight is featured in the capsule style form and the Heftyinfo picks follow up. 

Carolina (3-3) at Green Bay (4-3) - Thursday night in Lambeau Field . . . the last time this took place five weeks ago, the Packers were smashed by the Atlanta Falcons. This time they should be ready to go against a Panthers team that was blown at home by Tampa Bay last week.

Tennessee (1-6) at Cincinnati (4-2) - Bengals got things rolling again last week and QB Joe Burrow and company intend to keep it that way. The Titans got their first win last week and will be looking to prove they're better than their record. 

Arizona (2-5) at Dallas (3-4) - Will the real Dallas Cowboys team stand up? The Cardinals will battle the 'Pokes in this one in what will be a higher scoring game. 

Indianapolis (2-5) at Jacksonville (4-2) - The Jaguars have a comfortable lead in the AFC South and the defense has been solid, but they cannot take the Colts for granted, even with them trading away players ahead of the trade deadline. 

Las Vegas (3-4) at N.Y. Jets (2-5) - The Raiders have dropped four straight games and look to stop that against the Jets, who are coming off a loss at home against the Dolphins. Toss up here. 

Atlanta (3-4) at Tampa Bay (2-5) - The Bucs annihilated the Carolina Panthers last week while the Falcons surprised the San Francisco 49ers. These are two teams feeling good about themselves in this game. 

L.A. Chargers (0-6) at L.A. Rams (3-4) - Two of the biggest disappointments in the NFL go at it in this game. Take the Rams. 

New England (4-3) at Miami (1-5) - The Patriots have struggled in South Florida in years past and Miami finally got a win last week. Look for a closer game than one might think, but the Pats should get the win. 

Philadelphia (2-5) at Washington (1-4-1) - Two struggling teams on Sunday Night Football . . . usually the NFL flexes this type of game off the "prime time" schedule. Toss up in this one. 

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

Green Bay over Carolina 

Buffalo over Baltimore 

CINCINNATI over Tennessee 

Dallas over Arizona 

Detroit over Minnesota 

Jacksonville over Indianapolis 

Las Vegas over N.Y. Jets 

Pittsburgh over Cleveland 

Tampa Bay over Atlanta 

L.A. Rams over L.A. Chargers 

Kansas City over Denver 

New England over Miami 

Washington over Philadelphia  

Seattle over Chicago 

Last Week's Record - 9-5 

SEASON RECORD - 65-41-1

Lock of the Week Record - 4-3  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Milwaukee Brewers Win World Series

The Milwaukee Brewers won their first ever World Series title on Wednesday night with a 4-1 road win against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Brewers clinched the series in five games as starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski went 5 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits with one walk and two strikeouts.

It was just the second appearance in the Fall Classic for the Brewers with the only other time coming back in 1982 when they lost in seven games against the St. Louis Cardinals. But this season, the Brewers won a league best 103 games and went 11-2 in the post season behind timely hitting and a stellar bullpen. 

The Most Valuable Player award went to Brewers catcher William Contreras as he finished the five games by going 8-for-21 (.381 batting average) with four RBI, one double, one run scored, one stolen base and two walks. 

              Congratulations to the MILWAUKEE BREWERS - 2026 World Series Champions !