NFL - Week Eight Review

The Los Angeles Rams (8-0) stayed undefeated with an exciting 29-27 win over the visiting Green Bay Packers.
Kicker Greg Zuerlein nailed a 34-yard field goal with 2:05 remaining to make the difference in the outcome. Packers kick returner Ty Montgomery fumbled away the ensuing kickoff and the Rams ran

Rams win a thriller over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers

out the clock.
Rams quarterback Jared Goff passed for 295 yards and three touchdown passes in the win. Green Bay had gone ahead midway through the fourth quarter, 27-26 when Packers QB Aaron Rodgers connected with Marquez Valdes-Scantling for a 40-yard scoring pass.
The New Orleans Saints (6-1) battled back with solid defense (getting two big turnovers, including a 32-yard interception return for TD by P.J. Williams) to beat the host Minnesota Vikings, 30-20 in the Sunday night game.
Minnesota led 13-10 with under a minute to go in the first half when wide receiver Adam Thielen fumbled deep in Saints territory. The Saints took advantage with a one-yard scoring run by running back Alvin Kamara (two TD in the game) to lead 17-13 at halftime. In the second half, the Saints eventually built up a 30-13 lead to pave the way for their sixth straight win.
The Kansas City Chiefs (7-1) beat the Denver Broncos for the second time this season, winning 30-23 as QB Patrick Mahomes had four more TD passes to lead the way. Two of the scoring passes were to WR Sammy Watkins, who had eight receptions in the game.
The Houston Texans throttled the visiting Miami Dolphins, 42-23 last Thursday night as QB Deshaun Watson, the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week, had five TD passes while RB Lamar Miller rushed for 133 yards and a score. DeAndre Hopkins and Jordan Thomas each had two touchdown receptions in the easy win, which was the fifth in a row for the Texans.
Carolina QB Cam Newton had two scoring passes and a 12-yard rushing touchdown as the host Panthers (5-2) beat the Baltimore Ravens, 36-21 to keep pace with the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South. The Ravens turned the ball over three times, including QB Joe Flacco getting intercepted twice.


                                              Elsewhere Around the NFL  . . . . . . .  


The Chicago Bears stopped a two-game skid with a methodical 24-10 home win against the New York Jets. The big play was a 70-yard TD screen pass from Mitch Trubisky to Tarik Cohen . . .  The Seattle Seahawks knocked off the Detroit Lions, 28-14 as QB Russell Wilson had three TD passes while the 'Hawks defense got three turnovers . . .   The Cincinnati Bengals won a wild one at home against Tampa Bay, 37-34 as kicker Randy Bullock drilled a 44-yard field goal as time expired. The Buccaneers stormed back with 18 fourth quarter points, led by backup QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (two TD passes) who replaced Jameis Winston, who threw four interceptions, one of which was a "pick six" 21-yard score by Jesse Bates. Bengals QB Andy Dalton had two TD passes . . .  The Washington Redskins knocked off the listless New York Giants, 20-13 as RB Adrian Peterson (149 rushing yards) scored two times, including a 64-yard romp to help seal the win . . .  The Pittsburgh Steelers buried the Cleveland Browns, 33-18 behind two TD passes from Ben Roethlisberger and two touchdowns by RB James Conner, who ran for 146 yards. Cleveland fired Head Coach Hue Jackson following this latest loss . . .  Over in London, the Philadelphia Eagles (4-4) beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, 24-18 as QB Carson Wentz had three TD passes to hand the Jags their fourth straight defeat . . .  The Indianapolis Colts won in Oakland, 42-28 as QB Andrew Luck had three TD tosses and RB Marlon Mack ran for 132 yards and a pair of TD runs. Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri set the new NFL record for scoring, eclipsing Morten Andersen's record of 2,544 career points. Raiders QB Derek Carr had three scoring passes and a rushing TD in the loss.  . . . The Arizona Cardinals scored two times in the fourth quarter on TD passes from Josh Rosen to beat the San Francisco 49ers, 18-15 . . .  In the Monday Night Football game, the New England Patriots beat the host Buffalo Bills, 25-6 for their fifth straight victory. Patriots running back James White scored on a one-yard run and Devin McCourty took an interception back 84 yards for another touchdown.


WEEK EIGHT RESULTS
Houston 42, Miami 23
Philadelphia 24, Jacksonville 18
Chicago 24, NY Jets 10
Washington 20, NY Giants 13
Kansas City 30, Denver 23
Cincinnati 37, Tampa Bay 34
Pittsburgh 33, Cleveland 18
Carolina 36, Baltimore 21
Seattle 28, Detroit 14
LA Rams 29, Green Bay 27
Arizona 18, San Francisco 15
Indianapolis 42, Oakland 28
New Orleans 30, Minnesota 20
New England 25, Buffalo 6

Boston Red Sox Win World Series

The Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1 to wrap up the 2018 World Series in five games as first baseman Steve Pearce hit two home runs and was named the Most Valuable Player for the World Series.
It was Boston's fourth title since the 2004 season as they won four games to one with David Price getting the win in the deciding game. The Red Sox also won titles in the 2004, 2007 and 2013 seasons.
After steam rolling the New York Yankees (3 games to 1) in the Division Series, they blasted the Houston Astros four games to one in the ALCS to advance to the 2018 World Series
The Red Sox had baseball's best record (108-54) in the regular season, which was Alex Cora's first as manager.



CONGRATULATIONS TO BOSTON RED SOX - 2018 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS !

College Football Top Ten

Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten                (Week ending October 28)      


1.  Alabama (8-0)
2.  Clemson (8-0)
3.  Notre Dame (8-0)
4.  LSU (7-1)
5.  Georgia (7-1)
6.  Michigan (7-1)
7.  Ohio State (7-1)
8.  UCF  (7-0)
9.  Oklahoma (7-1)
10.  West Virginia (6-1)

NFL - Week Eight Preview

There are some pretty good looking games this weekend, highlighted by the New Orleans playing the
Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football. The last time the Saints played at U.S. Bank Stadium last January, the Vikings were getting a miracle play as the clock ran out and the Saints were eliminated from the NFC playoffs.
However, this season Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been on a mission and the team has ripped off five wins a row following the opening game loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Minnesota (4-2-1) has won three straight after stumbling out of the gate.
The Philadelphia Eagles take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, England. Both of these teams have been big time under achievers this season, sporting 3-4 records. The Jags defense has been getting shredded in recent weeks and their starting quarterback Blake Bortles was benched during last week's loss at home to the Houston Texans.
The Eagles lost again last week (at home) against the Carolina Panthers, 21-17 as they blew a 17-0 lead after three quarters were in the books.
Speaking of the Carolina Panthers, they will be hosting the Baltimore Ravens this weekend. The Ravens are coming off a very tough home loss to the Saints (24-23) as kicker Justin Tucker missed a potential game-tying extra point in the final seconds last week. It was the first time in his career that Tucker missed a PAT kick.
The Denver Broncos travel to play the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs (6-1) and QB Patrick Mahomes, who leads the NFL with 22 touchdown passes. This is a huge game for Denver as they trail the Chiefs by three games in the AFC West race. They lost to the Chiefs in Week Four by a 27-23 count.
The suddenly resurgent Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1) face the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field in the Steel City. The last time these two teams played in Cleveland in the season opener, the game ended in a tie. The Browns have lost two straight games while the Steelers have won two in a row.
The Green Bay Packers (3-2-1) go out west to face the unbeaten Los Angeles Rams (7-0) in what could very well be a shootout between two of the better quarterbacks in the game. Aaron Rodgers has tossed 12 TD passes with just one interceptions so far this season while Rams QB Jared Goff has a 112.7 passer rating to go with his 14 TD passes and five interceptions.
Some really good looking games on tap for sure and the rest of the action is previewed in capsule style as well as the Heftyinfo predictions for Week Eight.

Philadelphia (3-4) at Jacksonville (3-4) (in London, England) - Two under achievers go at it halfway across the globe. Toss up in this one.

Baltimore (4-3) at Carolina (4-2) - This game could come down to the last possession. Panthers pull it out.

NY Jets (3-4) at Chicago (3-3) - Banged up Bears defense needs to rebound after being lit up for 30-plus points in successive weeks.

Tampa Bay (3-3) at Cincinnati (4-3) - The Bengals have been reeling after a hot start this season. Bucs snapped a three-game losing streak last week in OT win against the Browns.

Seattle (3-3) at Detroit (3-3) - Two .500 teams battle it out to get back into the NFC playoff race.

Denver (3-4) at Kansas City (6-1) - The Chiefs struggled in Denver for a victory last month . . . not this time.

Washington (4-2) at NY Giants (1-5) - Will the Giants start the season at 1-7?  Possibly.

Cleveland (2-4-1) at Pittsburgh (3-2-1) - Here we go Steelers, here we go.

Indianapolis (2-5) at Oakland (1-5) -  Who cares?

San Francisco (1-6) at Arizona (1-6) - See above comment.

Green Bay (3-2-1) at LA Rams (7-0) - This game should be a shoot out with the Rams remaining undefeated.

New Orleans (5-1) at Minnesota (4-2-1) - The game of the week without a doubt. Can it live up to the hype? You bet it will.

New England (5-2) at Buffalo (2-5) - Two teams going in opposite directions . . . Patriots roll in this one on Monday Night Football.


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

Houston over Miami
Philadelphia over Jacksonville (London, England) 
Carolina over Baltimore
Chicago over NY Jets
Cincinnati over Tampa Bay
Detroit over Seattle
Kansas City over Denver
NY Giants over Washington
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
Oakland over Indianapolis
San Francisco over Arizona 
LA Rams over Green Bay
Minnesota over New Orleans
NEW ENGLAND over Buffalo 

Last Week's Record -  10-4

SEASON RECORD -  71-34-2

Lock of the Week Record -  5-2 

NFL - Week Seven Review

The Los Angeles Rams (7-0) remained the NFL's only undefeated team as they dismantled the San Francisco 49ers, 39-10 as running back Todd Gurley had three touchdowns (two rushing, one receiving) while their defense forced four turnovers.
The New England Patriots (5-2) won a wild game on the road against the Chicago Bears, 38-31 as quarterback Tom Brady had three touchdown passes and the special teams scored twice, including a 95-yard kickoff return by Cordarrelle Patterson after Chicago had taken a 17-7 lead.
The Patriots opened up a 14-point lead (38-24) in the fourth quarter on the second TD pass from Brady to running back James White. Bears QB Mitch Trubisky had 333 passing yards with two TD and two interceptions as well as a scoring run in the loss.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had another big game.

The Kansas City Chiefs (6-1) crushed the visiting Cincinnati Bengals, 45-10 in the Sunday night game as QB Patrick Mahomes, the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week, had four touchdown passes, giving him a league leading 22 this season.
Mahomes also passed for 358 yards while Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt scored three touchdowns to help lead the rout. The Kansas City defense limited the Bengals to only 65 yards rushing as they built a huge lead entering the final quarter.


In the game played over in London, England, the Los Angeles Chargers held off the Tennessee Titans, 20-19 as their defense thwarted a two-point conversion try by the Titans with 31 seconds left to play. Chargers QB Philip Rivers had two long scoring passes (75 and 55 yards) to lead the offense.
The New Orleans Saints won a thriller at Baltimore, 24-23 as QB Drew Brees (two TD passes) threw his 500th career TD pass. The Ravens scored on a 14-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco to wide receiver John Brown with only 24 seconds remaining. However, kicker Justin Tucker missed the PAT kick, the first time in his career after making 222 consecutive kicks and that was the difference in the outcome.


                                                        Elsewhere Around the NFL  . . . . . . . 


The Washington Redskins (4-2) outlasted the Dallas Cowboys, 20-17 as 'Pokes kicker Brett Maher missed a 52-yard field goal as time expired . . .  The Carolina Panthers overcame a 17-0 deficit with a huge fourth quarter to gain a 21-17 victory over the host Philadelphia Eagles, who dropped to 3-4 with the loss. Panthers QB Cam Newton had two TD passes, including the game winner to tight end Greg Olsen with just over one minute remaining . . .  The Houston Texans (4-3) took over first place in the AFC South with a 20-7 victory over Jacksonville, sending the Jaguars to their third straight defeat. Jags QB Blake Bortles was benched in the loss . . .  The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (despite four turnovers) halted a three-game losing streak with a 26-23 win in OT against the visiting Cleveland Browns when kicker Chandler Cantanzaro hit a 59-yard field goal after he missed a 40-yarder at the end of regulation . . .  The Detroit Lions beat the host Miami Dolphins, 32-21 as they rushed for 248 yards, which included Kerryon Johnson rushing for 158 yards. Lions kicker Matt Prater made four field goals to help make the difference . . .   Minnesota rolled past the host New York Jets, 37-17 as RB Latavius Murray had two rushing touchdowns and QB Kirk Cousins threw two TD passes while the Vikings defense forced four turnovers, including three interceptions . . .  The Indianapolis Colts manhandled the Buffalo Bills, 37-5 as QB Andrew Luck threw four scoring passes and the Indy defense gathered five turnovers . . .  In the Thursday night game, the Denver Broncos routed the host Arizona Cardinals, 45-10 behind solid defense (five turnovers including three picks, two for touchdowns and six QB sacks) and a balanced offense (178 passing yards, 131 rushing yards and four touchdowns) to snap a four-game losing streak . . .  The Atlanta Falcons won a close game, 23-20 against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. Falcons QB Matt Ryan passed for 379 yards with a TD pass while Giants QB Eli Manning also had a TD pass along with 399 yards through the air.


WEEK SEVEN RESULTS
Denver 45, Arizona 10
LA Chargers 20, Tennessee 19
New England 38, Chicago 31
Tampa Bay 26, Cleveland 23 (OT)
Houston 20, Jacksonville 7
Detroit 32, Miami 21
Indianapolis 37, Buffalo 5
Minnesota 37, NY Jets 17
Carolina 21, Philadelphia 17
LA Rams 39, San Francisco 10
Washington 20, Dallas 17
New Orleans 24, Baltimore 23
Kansas City 45, Cincinnati 10
Atlanta 23, NY Giants 20 

College Football Top Ten

Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten           (Week ending October 21)         

1.  Alabama (8-0)
2.  Clemson (7-0)
3.  Notre Dame (7-0)
4.  LSU (7-1)
5.  Georgia (6-1)
6.  Michigan (7-1)
7.  Ohio State (7-1)
8.  UCF  (7-0)
9.  Texas (6-1)
10.  Oklahoma (6-1)

2018 WORLD SERIES

It will be the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 World Series.
Boston had the best record in the majors this season while the Dodgers finally got it going after the All Star break and are in their second consecutive Fall Classic.







PREDICTION -- Boston Red Sox over Los Angeles Dodgers in SIX GAMES 

NFL - Week Seven Preview

Another installment of the London football games takes place this weekend when the Tennessee Titans (3-3) face the Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) in what should be a competitive game.
The Titans have lost two in a row while the Chargers have won three straight games. Both teams have pretty solid defenses, but the Titans have struggled on offense recently. Last week, they were shut out by the Baltimore Ravens, 21-0 and quarterback Marcus Mariota was sacked eleven times.
The Chargers have been averaging 29 points per game and QB Philip Rivers is enjoying a solid season to this point, throwing 15 touchdown passes while only being intercepted three times.
Another game that looks to be a good one is the Baltimore Ravens (4-2) hosting the New Orleans Saints (4-1), who have been on a four-game roll after dropping the season opener. Saints QB Drew Brees will be a tough challenge for the Ravens defense, which has allowed only 77 points through six games. The Saints have the third highest scoring offense in the NFL, and are averaging 36 points per game.
The Chicago Bears host the New England Patriots (4-2), winners of three straight games and coming off a thrilling 43-40 win over Kansas City last Sunday night. The Bears (3-2) got some humble pie last week in Miami, losing 31-28 in overtime. Their defense was torched for 541 yards by a backup quarterback (Brock Osweiler) who also lit up the Chicago secondary.
Now the Bears are facing the great Tom Brady, who has a lot of weapons in the Patriots offensive scheme. In fact, the Pats have scored 119 points in their last three games, which is just under 40 points per game.
The Sunday night game was flexed as the Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) face the Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
Both teams have been solid through the first six weeks, especially the Chiefs high scoring offense, which leads the league in scoring with 215 points, an average of 35.1 points per game. Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes has 18 TD passes along with four interceptions while Bengals QB Andy Dalton has 14 scoring passes along with seven picks thrown.
Once again, it looks like another exciting week of NFL games as the season already heads toward the midway point.

The following offers a look at all the games this weekend, and of course the Heftyinfo picks for the games.

Tennessee (3-3) at LA Chargers (4-2) (in London, England) - The Chargers look to keep things rolling in a good way, but the Titans have been their nemesis in recent meetings.

New England (4-2) at Chicago (3-2) - The Patriots offense is on fire. Can the Bears defense bounce back this weekend and cool off Tom Brady and company?

Buffalo (2-4) at Indianapolis (1-5) - Two losing teams go at it in this one. Bills have a lot of injuries, including starting QB Josh Allen. Colts defense has been awful in four straight losses.

Houston (3-3) at Jacksonville (3-3) - Can the host Jaguars stop the bleeding? The Texans have won three straight. Toss up game here.

Detroit (2-3) at Miami (4-2) - The Dolphins look to surprise another NFC North team on their home field. Lions are coming off their bye week.

Minnesota (3-2-1) at NY Jets (3-3) - This game could very well go down to the wire.

Carolina (3-2) at Philadelphia (3-3) - The Eagles need a win in a bad way. Carolina's two losses were by one score.

Cleveland (2-3-1) at Tampa Bay (2-3) - The Buccaneers have lost three in a row and the Browns could make it four straight.

New Orleans (4-1) at Baltimore (4-2) - Great offense (Saints) against a great defense (Ravens) . . . Take the Ravens in a close one.

Dallas (3-3) at Washington (3-2) - The battle for first place in the NFC East between two fierce rivals.

LA Rams (6-0) at San Francisco (1-5) - Rams in a rout !

Cincinnati (4-2) at Kansas City (5-1) - Look for a high scoring game with the Chiefs winning again.

NY Giants (1-5) at Atlanta (2-4) - Falcons should win this game against one of the worst teams in the NFL so far.

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

Denver over Arizona 
LA Chargers over Tennessee (London, England)
New England over Chicago
Indianapolis over Buffalo
Jacksonville over Houston
Detroit over Miami 
Minnesota over NY Jets 
Philadelphia over Carolina
Cleveland over Tampa Bay 
Baltimore over New Orleans
Washington over Dallas
LA RAMS over San Francisco 
Kansas City over Cincinnati
Atlanta over NY Giants

Last Week's Record -  12-3

SEASON RECORD -  61-30-2

Lock of the Week Record -  4-2

NFL - Week Six Review

The Dallas Cowboys completely dominated what is supposed to be one of the best defenses in the NFL as they won 40-7 at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was the second straight week the Jags vaunted defense was lit up.
Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott ran for 106 yards and scored a touchdown while quarterback Dak Prescott had a pair of touchdown passes and a rushing score in the rout.

Mahomes and Brady put on a show on Sunday night

The New England Patriots blew a 15-point halftime lead against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs (5-1) before eventually coming away with a 43-40 victory to become the first team to beat the Chiefs this season.
Patriots QB Tom Brady led the team on the drive to the winning field goal, a 28-yard kick as time expired by Stephen Gostkowski, after Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes (352 passing yards, four TD and two interceptions) threw a 75-yard scoring pass to Tyreek Hill (three TD receptions) that tied the game at 40-40 late in the fourth quarter.  The two teams combined for 946 yards in offense.

Todd Gurley had another huge game for the unbeaten LA Rams

The Los Angeles Rams (6-0) won on the road, 23-20 against the Denver Broncos to remain undefeated as running back Todd Gurley, the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week, went off for 208 yards rushing and two touchdowns to lead the way.
The Pittsburgh Steelers scored on a 31-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver Antonio Brown with ten seconds left to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals, 28-21. Cincinnati had taken a 21-20 lead with 1:18 remaining in the fourth quarter on a four-yard scoring run by Joe Mixon.
The Baltimore Ravens crushed the host Tennessee Titans, 21-0 as their defense amassed ELEVEN quarterback sacks in the game. The Titans managed only seven first downs and gained just 106 yards in total offense.
The Miami Dolphins surprised the Chicago Bears, 31-28 in overtime as kicker Jason Sanders made a 47-yard field goal as time expired. Bears kicker Cody Parkey missed a 53-yard field goal try that could have won the game earlier in the OT session. Miami RB Kenyan Drake fumbled the ball away at the goal line on the Dolphins' first OT possession.
Dolphins backup QB Brock Osweiler had three TD passes and 380 yards passing in the win while Bears QB Mitch Trubisky had three TD passes as well. Over 1,000 yards in offense combined in this one.


                                                                 Elsewhere Around the NFL  . . . . . . . 


The Philadelphia Eagles smoked the New York Giants, 34-13 last Thursday night behind three TD passes from QB Carson Wentz  . . .  The Houston Texans beat the Buffalo Bills, 20-13 as Johnathan Joseph took an interception back 28 yards for the deciding score in the final minute of the game . . .  The Los Angeles Chargers blew away the Cleveland Browns, 38-14 as RB Melvin Gordon rushed for 132 yards and had three rushing touchdowns. The Chargers ran for 246 yards in the game for their third straight win . . .  The Seattle Seahawks smashed the Oakland Raiders, 27-3 over in  London, England as QB Russell Wilson had three TD passes and the defense limited the Raiders to only 185 yards in total offense . . .  The Atlanta Falcons held off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 34-29 home victory as Matt Ryan had three TD passes to offset four TD tosses by Bucs QB Jameis Winston . . .  The New York Jets knocked off the visiting Indianapolis Colts, 42-34 as kicker Jason Myers made seven field goals in the win. Colts QB Andrew Luck had four TD passes in the loss . . .  The Washington Redskins held on for a 23-17 home win against the Carolina Panthers after leading 17-0 in the first half . . .  The Minnesota Vikings won at home, 27-17 against the Arizona Cardinals as RB Latavius Murray (155 yards rushing) scored a TD and QB Kirk Cousins had a scoring run and scoring pass to lead the way . . .  Aaron Rodgers threw for 425 yards and two touchdowns as the Green Bay Packers rallied late in the fourth quarter to defeat the San Francisco 49ers, 33-30 on Monday Night Football. Packers kicker Mason Crosby (4-for-4 field goals made) made the game winning 27-yard field goal as time expired to atone for the miserable game he had last week when he missed four field goals. 49ers QB C.J. Beathard had two TD passes in the loss.


WEEK SIX RESULTS
Philadelphia 34, NY Giants 13
Miami 31, Chicago 28 (OT)
LA Chargers 38, Cleveland 14
Minnesota 27, Arizona 17
Pittsburgh 28, Cincinnati 21
Houston 20, Buffalo 13
Seattle 27, Oakland 3
Atlanta 34, Tampa Bay 29
NY Jets 42, Indianapolis 34
Washington 23, Carolina 17
Baltimore 21, Tennessee 0
LA Rams 23, Denver 20
Dallas 40, Jacksonville 7
New England 43, Kansas City 40
Green Bay 33, San Francisco 30

College Football Top Ten

Heftyinfo  College Football Top Ten               (Week ending October 14)      


1.  Alabama (7-0)
2.  Ohio State (7-0)
3.  Clemson (6-0)
4.  Notre Dame (7-0)
5.  LSU (6-1)
6.  Georgia (6-1)
7.  Michigan (6-1)
8.  UCF (6-0)
9.  Texas (6-1)
10.  Oregon (5-1)
10. (tie) Oklahoma (5-1)

NFL - Week Six Preview

About a year ago at this time, the Kansas City Chiefs were 5-0 just as they are through the first five weeks this season.
The Chiefs can one up themselves from last season if they can go into Foxborough, Massachusetts on Sunday night and defeat the New England Patriots as they did in the opening game last year. That will be no easy task, but the Chiefs have looked pretty much unstoppable on offense.
Last weekend, they upended the Jacksonville Jaguars and their top flight defense, 30-14 even though starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a pair of interceptions and no touchdown passes.
The Patriots (3-2) have won their last two games after a rough start and currently are tied for first place with the Miami Dolphins in the AFC East division. Quarterback Tom Brady is coming off a three touchdown (pass) game against Indianapolis and would like to see his team show the upstart Chiefs that the "Patriots Way" is still the role model in the AFC.
Another game that features an upstart team going against a team looking to right the ship and show they are still king of the hill in their own division is the one with the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2-1) going into Cincinnati to face the Bengals, who lead the AFC North with a 4-1 record.
The Steelers have been their own worst enemy, leading the NFL in penalties while also giving up too much on defense. The Bengals are rolling hot early on as they overcame a 17-0 deficit last week against Miami and eventually came away with a 27-17 victory.
In the first installment of "The London Games" this season, the Oakland Raiders will "host" the Seattle Seahawks. Both teams have struggled so far in the 2018 season and adding some spice to this game is Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch (also a former Seattle RB as well) going against his old team.
How about the Cleveland Browns?
They are 2-2-1 so far and are at home this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) in what should be a very good game that could go down to the wire.
Browns rookie QB Baker Mayfield has been playing well in his two starts and of course, Chargers QB Philip Rivers has been stellar through the first five games, throwing 13 touchdown passes with only two interceptions. 
The rest of the slate for Week Six has some interesting inter-conference games as well as divisional matches. For a look at all of the action, the following offers a capsule style preview along with the Heftyinfo predictions.

Tampa Bay (2-2) at Atlanta (1-4) - The Falcons have to win this game, right?

Pittsburgh (2-2-1) at Cincinnati (4-1) - This game will be a slug fest between fierce AFC North rivals. Steelers win in a squeaker.

LA Chargers (3-2) at Cleveland (2-2-1) - The last two games between these teams have been close. Browns could pull it off at home, but Bolts QB Philip Rivers has been hot.

Buffalo (2-3) at Houston (2-3) - Texans rate the edge playing at home, but don't sleep on the Bills.

Chicago (3-1) at Miami (3-2) - The Bears defense is the best in the NFL so far in 2018 and the Dolphins have lost two straight games. Take the Bears.

Arizona (1-4) at Minnesota (2-2-1) - The Vikings lost to a huge road dog three weeks ago . . . have they learned a lesson from that one?

Indianapolis (1-4) at NY Jets (2-3) - Colts have struggled and the Jets are coming off a big win at home vs. Denver last week.

Seattle (2-3) at Oakland (1-4) (in London, England) - How many touchdowns will Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch score against his former team?

Carolina (3-1) at Washington (2-2) - The Redskins were embarrassed on MNF while the Panthers won a wild one at the gun last week. Toss up in this one.

LA Rams (5-0) at Denver (2-3) - The Broncos are always tough at home, so the Rams better be ready.

Jacksonville (3-2) at Dallas (2-3) - The Jaguars should win this game, but it will not be easy.

Baltimore (3-2) at Tennessee (3-2) - Two teams coming off close defeats in the closing minutes. Flip a coin in this one.

Kansas City (5-0) at New England (3-2) - The NFL Game of the Week for sure. Patriots stop the Chiefs with a late TD drive by Brady and company.

San Francisco (1-4) at Green Bay (2-2-1) - Packers roll !


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


Philadelphia over NY Giants
Atlanta over Tampa Bay
Pittsburgh over Cincinnati 
LA Chargers over Cleveland 
Houston over Buffalo
Chicago over Miami 
Minnesota over Arizona
NY Jets over Indianapolis
Seattle over Oakland (London, England)
Washington over Carolina
LA Rams over Denver
Jacksonville over Dallas 
Tennessee over Baltimore
New England over Kansas City
GREEN BAY over San Francisco

Last Week's Record - 11-4 

SEASON RECORD - 49-27-2

Lock of the Week Record - 3-2





  

NFL - Week Five Review

The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams (both 5-0) remained undefeated this weekend while the Arizona Cardinals won their first game of the season, ensuring no teams will go without a victory in the 2018 NFL season.
The Chiefs knocked off the Jacksonville Jaguars, 30-14 as quarterback Patrick Mahomes (pictured left) scored a rushing touchdown to go with Chris Jones' interception return for a score and Kareem Hunt's TD run.
The Rams held off the host Seattle Seahawks, 33-31 behind three scoring runs by running back Todd Gurley (pictured right) and sealed the game away with a fourth down conversion to run out the clock.
Despite being outgained by a two-to-one margin in yardage, the Arizona Cardinals defeated the host San Francisco 49ers, 28-18 as rookie QB Josh Rosen had a 75-yard TD pass and RB David Johnson scored two times on the ground.
The New York Jets beat the visiting Denver Broncos, 34-16 behind a huge game from RB Isaiah Crowell, the Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week, who rushed for 219 yards, including a 77-yard TD run as the Jets had 323 yards on the ground. In addition, rookie QB Sam Darnold threw for three scores to help pace the offense.
The Cleveland Browns are now 2-2-1 as they toppled the visiting Baltimore Ravens, 12-9 in overtime as kicker Greg Joseph made the game winning 37-yard field goal with two seconds left to play.
Things are getting worse for the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) as they may not have running back Jay Ajayi (torn ACL) for the rest of the season. The injury occurred during a 23-21 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Vikings defensive lineman Linval Joseph rumbled 64 yards with a fumble recovery for a touchdown to put them ahead for good in the game. Eagles QB Carson Wentz had two scoring passes in defeat.
How about those Cincinnati Bengals?
They outscored the Miami Dolphins 24-0 in the fourth quarter en route to a 27-17 home win to improve to 4-1 this season. The Bengals defense scored twice (fumble return and interception return) in the final quarter to lead the way. The Dolphins blew a 17-0 lead as QB Ryan Tannehill was picked off two times.
The Detroit Lions held off the visiting Green Bay Packers, 31-23 as they nearly squandered a 24-0 first half lead.
Packers kicker Mason Crosby missed four field goal attempts and an extra point as well in the loss.
Lions RB LeGarrette Blount scored on two 1-yard runs and QB Matthew Stafford had a pair of scoring passes to offset the three TD passes from Aaron Rodgers in the second half.


                                                           Elsewhere Around the NFL  . . . . . . .   


The Los Angeles Chargers throttled the visiting Oakland Raiders, 26-10 as QB Philip Rivers had two TD passes and the defense limited the Raiders to just 41 rushing yards . . .  Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for three scores to lead the Steelers to a 41-17 rout of the visiting Atlanta Falcons, who dropped to 1-4 for the season . . .  Carolina Panthers kicker Graham Gano boomed a 63-yard field goal as time expired to lift his team to a 33-31 win against the visiting New York Giants. Panthers QB Cam Newton and Giants QB Eli Manning each had a pair of TD passes . . .  The Buffalo Bills won a 13-12 defensive struggle against the Tennessee Titans as QB Josh Allen scored the only touchdown in the game on a 14-yard run . . .   The New England Patriots (3-2) bounced the visiting Indianapolis Colts, 38-24 on Thursday night behind three TD passes from Tom Brady, who became only the third QB in NFL history with 500 career touchdown passes. Colts QB Andrew Luck had three TD passes in defeat . . .  In the Sunday Night Football game the Houston Texans outlasted the visiting Dallas Cowboys, 19-16 in OT on a 36-yard field goal by Ka'imi Fairbairn. Houston QB Deshaun Watson had a scoring pass to go with 375 yards passing while Cowboys QB Dak Prescott had a TD pass along with two interceptions . . .  The New Orleans Saints routed the visiting Washington Redskins, 43-19 on Monday Night Football. Saints QB Drew Brees, Heftyinfo NFL co-Player of the Week had three touchdown passes while throwing for 363 yards, which put him at the top of the list for most career passing yardage in NFL history, breaking Peyton Manning's record.


WEEK FIVE RESULTS
New England 38, Indianapolis 24
Pittsburgh 41, Atlanta 17
Cincinnati 27, Miami 17
Cleveland 12, Baltimore 9 (OT)
Kansas City 30, Jacksonville 14
NY Jets 34, Denver 16
Carolina 33, NY Giants 31
Buffalo 13, Tennessee 12
Detroit 31, Green Bay 23
LA Chargers 26, Oakland 10
LA Rams 33, Seattle 31
Arizona 28, San Francisco 18
Minnesota 23, Philadelphia 21
Houston 19, Dallas 16 (OT)
New Orleans 43, Washington 19 

College Football Top Ten

Heftyinfo  College Football Top Ten        (Week ending October 7)           

                       

1.  Alabama (6-0)
2.  Georgia (6-0)
3.  Ohio State (6-0)
4.  Clemson (6-0)
5.  Notre Dame (6-0)
6.  West Virginia (5-0)
7.  Washington (5-1)
8.  Penn State (4-1)
9.  Michigan (5-1)
10.  UCF (5-0)

NFL - Week Five Preview

There are only two unbeaten teams remaining along with only one team that is still winless as Week Five in the NFL takes place this weekend.
That could very well change this week as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Jacksonville Jaguars in what will be the stiffest test their high flying offense led by wonder boy quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has 14 touchdown passes with no interceptions to this point. Jacksonville's ball hawking defense knows how to contain opposing air attacks.  In addition, the Jags have allowed a league low 56 points through four games, an average of only 14 points per game.
Meanwhile, the Rams travel to face the Seattle Seahawks, who have won two games in a row as their defense has shown improvement. However, they will be without All-Pro safety Earl Thomas, who is out for the rest of the season with a leg injury. Los Angeles has both a great offense (35 points per game average) and a solid defense, which has allowed only 67 points through four games.
The Arizona Cardinals could get their first win of the season when they face the San Francisco 49ers on the road. The Cardinals offense has been terrible so far, scoring only 37 points in their first four games for a 9.2 points per game average. The 'Niners are without QB Jimmy Garoppolo for the season with a knee injury. This game should be a close one.
The rest of the action features some divisional games and the best one could be the Green Bay Packers traveling to face the Detroit Lions in an NFC North battle. The Monday Night Football game will see the resurgent Washington Redskins facing the New Orleans Saints, winners of three straight, down in the Big Easy as QB Drew Brees looks to make passing history. Brees needs just 201 passing yards in the game to break Peyton Manning's all-time record for NFL career passing yardage.

Here is a look at the action for Week Five in capsule form along with the Heftyinfo picks for all the games.

Tennessee (3-1) at Buffalo (1-3) - The Bills could spring a surprise in this home game. The Titans continue to get it done with real grit on the field. Bills have been very erratic in their first four games.

NY Giants (1-3) at Carolina (2-1) - Cam Newton and company should win, but the Giants will not simply roll over in this game.

Miami (3-1) at Cincinnati (3-1) - Two of the NFL's bigger surprise teams through the first four games face off. Take the Bengals.

Baltimore (3-1) at Cleveland (1-2-1) - This game could go down to the wire. Ravens defense has been outstanding so far this season. 

Green Bay (2-1-1) at Detroit (1-3) - Lions are in desperation mode already in this key NFC North matchup. They could pull it off being at home vs. their big rivals.

Jacksonville (3-1) at Kansas City (4-0) - Chiefs barely escaped last week with a win at Denver while the Jaguars bounced back big time following their only loss of the season. Toss up here.

Denver (2-2) at NY Jets (1-3) - The Jets have lost three in a row following their huge win to open the season. Denver's defense always gives them a chance.

Atlanta (1-3) at Pittsburgh (1-2-1) - Some "experts" had these two teams picked to face off in the Super Bowl this season. The loser of this one will have a steep climb just to make the playoffs.

Oakland (1-3) at LA Chargers (2-2) - Chargers continue to battle the injury bug early on, but could very well be one of the best teams in the AFC. Raiders coming off their first win last week in exciting OT game.

Minnesota (1-2-1) at Philadelphia (2-2) - Rematch of last year's NFC Championship game featuring two under achieving teams.

Arizona (0-4) at San Francisco (1-3) - The stinker game of the week in the NFL.

LA Rams (4-0) at Seattle (2-2) - The Rams should win this game, but the Seahawks have shown improvement after a rough start to the season.

Dallas (2-2) at Houston (1-3) - The NFL version for the battle of Texas . . . is it really worth fighting for?

Washington (2-1) at New Orleans (3-1) - Saints are on a roll and should win big in this home game on MNF, especially with Drew Brees on the doorstep of NFL history.

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


New England over Indianapolis
Buffalo over Tennessee   
Carolina over NY Giants
Cincinnati over Miami
Baltimore over Cleveland
Detroit over Green Bay
Jacksonville over Kansas City
NY Jets over Denver
Pittsburgh over Atlanta
LA Chargers over Oakland
Philadelphia over Minnesota
San Francisco over Arizona
LA Rams over Seattle 
Houston over Dallas
NEW ORLEANS over Washington

Last Week's Record -  12-3

SEASON RECORD - 38-23-2

Lock of the Week Record - 2-2

Major League Baseball - Post-Season Preview

The 2018 Major League Baseball regular season is over and now for ten teams, it's on to the playoffs.
The Boston Red Sox ran away from the New York Yankees in the American League East and own the best record in baseball at 108-54. The Houston Astros (103-59) won the West and the Yankees (100-62) are the third team with 100 or more wins this season.
The Cleveland Indians won the American League Central, which was the worst division in the big leagues this season. The team that surprised everyone and is getting very little respect is the Oakland A's, who won 97 games and are the second wild card team. They will face the Yankees tomorrow night in The Bronx.
The National League was wide open this year and two divisional races played an extra game to decide the winners. In the NL Central, the Milwaukee Brewers won the race and the Chicago Cubs are the wild card team. Over in the West division, the Los Angeles Dodgers won their sixth consecutive division crown while the Colorado Rockies will be back as a wild card team for the second straight year. The Atlanta Braves (perhaps arriving a year earlier than anticipated?) ran away with the NL East division and will face the Dodgers in the Divisional round.
All bets are off once the post-season starts and for those who say that isn't true, just look back to the 2014 MLB post-season when TWO wild card teams faced off in the World Series. The San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals in seven games that year to win it all.
Point is, anything can happen folks, so do not be surprised if the Amazin' A's knock off the home run slugging Yankees in the one-game AL wild card playoff. Same thing is possible in the National League wild card as well. The Rockies have been a hot team while the Cubs have struggled somewhat down the stretch, coughing up a five-game lead they held over Milwaukee just one month ago.

So here goes nothing as Heftyinfo puts out the picks for the 2018 MLB playoffs and World Series.


AMERICAN LEAGUE
Wild Card Game - Oakland A's over New York Yankees

Divisional Round
Oakland A's over Boston Red Sox (five games)
Houston Astros over Cleveland Indians (four games)

ALCS - Houston Astros over Oakland A's (seven games)


NATIONAL LEAGUE
Wild Card Game - Chicago Cubs over Colorado Rockies

Divisional Round
Chicago Cubs over Milwaukee Brewers (five games)
Los Angeles Dodgers over Atlanta Braves (three games)

NLCS - Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago Cubs (five games)


                                
                   


                                                                          WORLD SERIES 

                                                                 

   Houston Astros over Los Angeles Dodgers in six games










                                                                                                                         

NFL - Week Four Review

Bears QB Mitch Trubisky had a huge game in rout of Tampa Bay.

Fantastic finishes and blowouts were the order for the NFL in this fourth weekend.
The Chicago Bears served notice they are to be taken serious this year in the NFC as they crushed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 48-10 with a suffocating defense and SIX touchdown passes from quarterback Mitch Trubisky, the Heftyinfo NFL Player of the Week. In addition to the scoring passes, Turbisky passed for 354 yards.
The Bears raced out to a 28-0 lead in the second quarter and shut down the high powered Tampa Bay offense, intercepting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick once and Jameis Winston (who took over at QB in the second half) twice while amassing four more sacks.
Another blowout game saw the New England Patriots topple the Miami Dolphins, 38-7 as QB Tom Brady had three TD passes. The Patriots defense dominated the previously unbeaten Dolphins, limiting them to just 11 first downs and 172 yards in total offense.
The Jacksonville Jaguars smashed the New York Jets, 31-12 as they totaled 503 yards in offense while their vaunted defense held the Jets to only ten first downs and 178 total yards of offense.
There were three overtime games and two were decided by field goals as the Houston Texans nipped the host Indianapolis Colts, 37-34 after squandering an 18-point lead. Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn nailed a 37-yard field goal to decide the outcome. Houston QB Deshaun Watson had two TD passes and a scoring run while Colts QB Andrew Luck threw for four scores in the loss.
The Oakland Raiders roared back to force OT and eventually beat the visiting Cleveland Browns, 45-42 for their first win this season. Oakland kicker Matt McGrane drilled the game winning 29-yarder after missing two earlier tries.
The two teams combined to gain over 1,000 yards in offense as Raiders QB Derek Carr had four TD passes along with 437 passing yards. Browns QB Baker Mayfield made his first start and had 295 yards passing and two scoring passes.
The Tennessee Titans outlasted the Philadelphia Eagles, 26-23 as QB Marcus Mariota threw a ten-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Corey Davis to win the game after Eagles' kicker Jake Elliott made a 37-yard field goal. Mariota had two TD passes and a two-yard scoring run while Philly QB Carson Wentz had two TD strikes in defeat.
The Cincinnati Bengals beat the host Atlanta Falcons, 37-36 on a 13-yard TD pass from QB Andy Dalton to WR A.J. Green with seven seconds remaining. Dalton had three TD passes and 337 yards passing to offset a huge game from Falcons QB Matt Ryan (419 yards passing with three TD).
Three other barn burners included the Los Angeles Chargers defeating the San Francisco 49ers, 29-27 as Caleb Sturgis made a 21-yard field goal to make the difference . . .  The Seattle Seahawks topped the Arizona Cardinals, 20-17 on a 52-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski as time expired. The Cardinals (0-4) are the only winless team in the NFL . . .  Dallas beat the visiting Detroit Lions, 26-24 as Cowboys kicker Brett Maher made a 38-yard field goal as time expired. Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 152 yards and also had four receptions for 88 yards, including one for a 38-yard TD to lead the offense.


                                                         Around  the  NFL . . . . . . . .  

The Los Angeles Rams (4-0) won a wild game against the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday night, winning 38-31 behind five TD passes from Jared Goff, who also passed for 465 yards. Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins threw for 433 yards with three TD passes in the loss as the teams combined for 1,002 yards in total offense . . .   The Green Bay Packers bounced back to win at home, shutting out the Buffalo Bills, 22-0. The Packers defense dominated the game, holding the Bills to 11 first downs and only 145 total yards, including a paltry 87 yards passing while also getting seven QB sacks and forcing three turnovers . . .  The New Orleans Saints won their third straight game, topping the host New York Giants, 33-18 as kicker Will Lutz made four field goals to go with three rushing touchdowns from RB Alvin Kamara, who had 134 rushing yards in the win . . .  The Baltimore Ravens started strong and then finished strong to beat the host Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-14 in the Sunday night game. Baltimore QB Joe Flacco had two scoring passes in the first half and kicker Justin Tucker connected on four field goals to provide all the scoring in the second half . . .  The Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) stayed undefeated with a 27-23 road victory against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football. Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt (121 yards rushing) scored the game winner on a four-yard run to complete a ten-point fourth quarter comeback by Kansas City.


WEEK FOUR RESULTS
LA Rams 38, Minnesota 31
Cincinnati 37, Atlanta 36
Chicago 48, Tampa Bay 10
Tennessee 26, Philadelphia 23 (OT)
Houston 37, Indianapolis 34 (OT)
Jacksonville 31, NY Jets 12
New England 38, Miami 7
Green Bay 22, Buffalo 0
Dallas 26, Detroit 24
LA Chargers 29, San Francisco 27
Oakland 45, Cleveland 42 (OT)
Seattle 20, Arizona 17
New Orleans 33, NY Giants 18
Baltimore 26, Pittsburgh 14
Kansas City 27, Denver 23