NFL - Week Twelve Recap

Let's start with the three games played on Thanksgiving Day. 

The Buffalo Bills (8-3) survived a scare in Detroit and beat the Lions, 28-25 when Tyler Bass kicked a game winning 45-yard field goal with two seconds left. The Lions (4-7) had just tied the game at 25-25 with 23 seconds remaining when Mike Badgley kicked a 51-yarder. Both quarterbacks (Josh Allen for Bills and Jared Goff for Lions) had two touchdown passes in the game. Allen also had a TD run to help make the difference. 

The Dallas Cowboys (8-3) played host to the New York Giants (7-4) and won, 28-20 with QB Dak Prescott throwing for two touchdowns (both to tight end Dalton Schultz) and Ezekiel Elliott adding a six-yard scoring run along with Peyton Hendershot scoring on a two-yard run. Giants RB Saquon Barkley had a TD run and QB Daniel Jones had a TD pass in defeat, which was the third time in four games for New York. 

The night game in Minnesota went to the host Vikings, 33-26 against the New England Patriots (6-5) as QB Kirk Cousins (299 yards passing) had three TD passes, which included the game winner to wide receiver Adam Thielen (15 yards) with 9:34 remaining in the fourth quarter. New England QB Mac Jones passed for two scores along with 382 yards in the loss. The Vikings improved to 9-2 with the victory, which was their eighth in the last nine games. 

Onto the Sunday action and the prime time Sunday Night Football game didn't disappoint as the host Philadelphia Eagles (10-1) topped the Green Bay Packers, 40-33 as QB Jalen Hurts (pictured left) had two TD passes along with a game high 157 rushing yards. In addition, Philly RB Miles Sanders ran for 143 yards and scored a touchdown as the Eagles amassed 363 yards rushing and 500 total yards in offense against the Packers, who lost QB Aaron Rodgers to a rib injury after he threw for two scores along with two interceptions in the see saw battle. Backup QB Jordan Love came in and threw for a score, but it wasn't enough as they dropped to 4-8 this season.

 

The New York Jets throttled the visiting Chicago Bears, 31-10 as reserve QB Mike White started and had a huge game, going 22-for-28 for 315 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Jets improve to 7-4 this season. The Bears (3-9) were without starting QB Justin Fields and briefly had a 10-7 lead in the second quarter following a TD pass by QB Trevor Siemian, but it was all Jets from there. 

The Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) just keep on rolling as they knocked off the visiting Los Angeles Rams, 26-10 for their fifth straight win. Meanwhile, it was the fifth straight defeat for the defending champion Rams (3-8) as they gained just 198 yards in total offense while turning the ball over twice. The Chiefs got four field goals by kicker Harrison Butker and rookie Isaiah Pacheco scored a rushing touchdown along with a 39-yard TD pass from Patrick Mahomes to tight end Travis Kelce to pace the easy win. 

The Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) surprised the host Tennessee Titans, 20-16 as the defense limited Titans running back Derrick Henry to 38 yards rushing while QB Joe Burrow had a TD pass and RB Samaje Perine had a seven-yard TD run. The Titans (7-4) lost for just the second time in their last nine games. 

 

 

The Jaguars celebrate their win over the Ravens.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7) pulled out a dramatic 28-27 win against the visiting Baltimore Ravens (7-4) when QB Trevor Lawrence (321 passing yards, three TD) connected with WR Marvin Jones on a ten-yard scoring pass with 14 seconds left and then hit WR Zay Jones (11 receptions for 145 yards) for the game winning two-point conversion. The Ravens had gone ahead 27-20 on a 12-yard TD pass from QB Lamar Jackson to TE Josh Oliver with two minutes remaining in the game. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker just missed on a 67-yard field goal try as time expired. 

 

The Miami Dolphins won their fifth straight game and improved to 8-3 with a 30-15 decision at home against the hapless Houston Texans (1-9-1). The Dolphins led 30-0 at the half with the defense scoring on a 16-yard fumble return by Xavien Howard along with a TD pass from QB Tua Tagovailoa and a scoring run by RB Jeff Wilson. 

The host Washington Commanders (7-5) beat the Atlanta Falcons, 19-13 as the defense came up big with an interception at the goal line in the final minute by Kendall Fuller to preserve the win. Washington QB Taylor Heinicke threw for two scores to offset a TD pass by Atlanta QB Marcus Mariota. The Falcons dropped to 5-7 with the loss. 

The Cleveland Browns (4-7) stunned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6) by scoring with 32 second left in regulation on a 12-yard pass from QB Jacoby Brissett to TE David Njoku and then scored with 19 seconds left in overtime on a three-yard scoring run by RB Nick Chubb (116 rushing yards) to get a 23-17 win. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady had two TD passes in the loss. 

The Los Angeles Chargers (6-5) might have saved their season with a 25-24 win at Arizona (4-8) as QB Justin Herbert (274 passing yards and three TD) threw a one-yard scoring pass to RB Austin Ekeler and then connected with TE Gerald Everett for the game winning two-point conversion with just 15 seconds left. The Cardinals took a 24-17 lead following a six -yard TD pass from QB Kyler Murray to RB James Conner (120 rushing yards) with 13:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. 

The Las Vegas Raiders (4-7) outlasted the host Seattle Seahawks, 40-34 in overtime as RB Josh Jacobs raced 86 yards for the winning score. Jacobs totaled 303 total yards (229 rushing, 74 receiving) and also scored on a 30-yard run. The Seahawks (6-5) were torched for 576 yards in total offense by the Raiders as the teams went back and forth in the second half. Raiders QB Derek Carr passed for three scores and 295 yards in the win while Seattle QB Geno Smith had 328 passing yards and two TD passes in the loss. 

The San Francisco 49ers shut out the visiting New Orleans Saints, 13-0 to improve to 7-4 as QB Jimmy Garoppolo had a TD pass and the defense came up with two fumble recoveries in dealing the Saints (4-8) their first shut out since the 2001 season when it was also the 49ers who performed the feat. 

The Carolina Panthers (4-8) knocked off the Denver Broncos (3-8) for a 23-10 home victory with QB Sam Darnold leading the way with a TD pass and also a scoring run. The Broncos managed just 246 yards in total offense and had two turnovers while losing for the seventh time in their last eight games. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the host Indianapolis Colts, 24-17 on Monday Night Football to improve to 4-7 this season. Running backs Najee Harris and Benny Snell, Jr. each had rushing touchdowns for the Steelers and kicker Matthew Wright made three field goals to pace the win. The Colts (4-7-1) trailed 16-3 at the half, but took a 17-16 lead after three quarters thanks to a two-yard TD run by RB Jonathan Taylor and a six-yard TD pass from QB Matt Ryan to WR Michael Pittman. After getting the lead in the fourth quarter, the Steelers defense held the Colts off on the final drive to seal the win. 

WEEK TWELVE RESULTS 

Buffalo 28, Detroit 25 

Dallas 28, N.Y. Giants 20

Minnesota 33, New England 26 

Washington 19, Atlanta 13 

N.Y. Jets 31, Chicago 10 

Cleveland 23, Tampa Bay 17 (OT)

Jacksonville 28, Baltimore 27 

Cincinnati 20, Tennessee 16 

Miami 30, Houston 15 

Carolina 23, Denver 10 

San Francisco 13, New Orleans 0

L.A. Chargers 25, Arizona 24

Kansas City 26, L.A. Rams 10

Las Vegas 40, Seattle 34 (OT)

Philadelphia 40, Green Bay 33 

Pittsburgh 24, Indianapolis 17

 

College Football Top Ten

 

The Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten 

 (Week ending November 27)

 

1. Georgia (12-0)

2. Michigan (12-0)

3. TCU (12-0) 

4. USC (11-1)

5. Alabama (10-2)

6. Ohio State (11-1)

7. Tennessee (10-2)

8. Penn State (10-2)

9. Clemson (10-2)

10. Washington (10-2)

 

NFL - Week Twelve Preview

After the Thanksgiving Day football games, it's on to the rest of the action around the NFL for Week Twelve.  (Note - Heftyinfo went 3-0 on the Turkey Day picks) 

The Tennessee Titans (7-3) host the Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) in what should be a good one. The Titans play the run first style of offense and their defense has been above average this year. The Bengals like to air it out with quarterback Joe Burrow and have put up 30-plus points in four of their last five games. 

The Kansas City Chiefs are 8-2 and tops in the AFC race and have been rolling with four consecutive wins and this week host the Los Angeles Rams (3-7), who have been reeling with four straight losses and are missing several key players on offense. The Chiefs should roll again in this one with QB Patrick Mahomes (28 TD passes to lead the league along with an NFL best 3,265 passing yards) leading the way.

The Sunday night game features the Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) hosting the Green Bay Packers (4-7) in what could be a shootout type of game. The Eagles have QB Jalen Hurts and his many targets in the passing game along with Miles Sanders in the backfield. The Packers have struggled this season (losing six of their last seven games) and QB Aaron Rodgers (19 TD and seven INT) has been playing with a broken thumb, which is not the best way to have success on the football field. 

The rest of the games for this weekend are featured in the capsule style previews and the Heftyinfo picks for the games follows up. 

Tampa Bay (5-5) at Cleveland (3-7) - Can Tom Brady and the Bucs make it three in a row? 

Houston (1-8-1) at Miami (7-3) - The Dolphins should roll in this game. 

Chicago (3-8) at N.Y. Jets (6-4) - The Jets are making a switch at starting quarterback while the Bears are hoping to have their starting QB for this one. Toss up. 

Atlanta (5-6) at Washington (6-5) - The Commanders have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL the last six weeks while Falcons are looking to stay in contention in the NFC South race. 

Denver (3-7) at Carolina (3-8) - Who cares? 

Baltimore (7-3) at Jacksonville (3-7) - The Ravens defense is getting stronger each week and the Jaguars have been in a big funk since their 2-1 start to the season. 

L.A. Chargers (5-5) at Arizona (4-7) - Cardinals are looking to get starting QB Kyler Murray back for this one. The Chargers lost another nail biter last Sunday night. Toss up here in this game. 

Las Vegas (3-7) at Seattle (6-4) - Two teams that are on opposite ends of the spectrum this season. The Seahawks rate the edge at home for this game. 

New Orleans (4-7) at San Francisco (6-4) - Take the 49ers. 

Pittsburgh (3-7) at Indianapolis (4-6-1) - The Monday night game between two also rans. 

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

 

Tampa Bay over Cleveland 

Tennessee over Cincinnati 

Miami over Houston 

Chicago over N.Y. Jets 

Washington over Atlanta 

Carolina over Denver

Baltimore over Jacksonville 

L.A. Chargers over Arizona 

Seattle over Las Vegas 

Kansas City over L.A. Rams 

SAN FRANCISCO over New Orleans 

Philadelphia over Green Bay 

Indianapolis over Pittsburgh 

 

Last Week's Record - 10-4

SEASON RECORD - 99-64-1

Lock of the Week Record - 9-2

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

NFL - Week Twelve Preview (Thanksgiving Day Games)

 

The traditional Thanksgiving Day football games will be happening once again and as always (at least since the 1978 NFL season going forward), it will be the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys hosting games. 

The Lions (4-6) will be hosting the Buffalo Bills (7-3) and this time the Lions might not be jive turkeys in this game. Detroit has won three straight games, including a 31-18 thumping against the New York Giants last Sunday. 

Meanwhile, the Bills have struggled, losing two of their last three games but did get the win against Cleveland (in Detroit) last week as the game was moved due to the record setting snow storm in the Buffalo area. Look for a high scoring game with the Bills edging out the host Lions.

In Dallas, the Cowboys (7-3) have a huge game against the New York Giants (7-3) with second place in the ultra competitive NFC East division on the line. The Cowboys beat the Giants earlier in the season on Monday Night Football. Both teams have been playing good defense through the first ten games but Dallas rates the edge on offense and that should be the difference in this one.

The night cap game will be in Minnesota between the Vikings (8-2) and the New England Patriots (6-4) and anything is possible here. The Patriots won their game against the New York Jets last Sunday in an improbable way as Marcus Jones took a punt back 84 yards for a touchdown in the closing seconds while their defense dominated, limiting the Jets to 103 total yards in offense, including allowing only two yards the entire second half. 

That won't be the case against the Vikings offense, although the Dallas Cowboys dominated Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins and the rest of the offense by holding them under 200 yards in a 40-3 rout. The Vikings will be angry heading into this one and should get the win. But again, anything is possible. 

 

The Heftyinfo picks for the Turkey Day games  . . . . . . (Home teams listed in bold) 

Buffalo over Detroit 

Dallas over N.Y. Giants 

Minnesota over New England 

Last Week's Record - 10-4 

SEASON RECORD - 99-64-1 

Lock of the Week Record - 9-2

 

NFL - Week Eleven Recap

The Buffalo Bills (7-3) snapped out of it with a "home" win in Detroit as they topped the Cleveland Browns, 31-23. The game was moved to Detroit's Ford Field as a result of the record six-plus feet of snow that fell in Buffalo over the weekend. 

The Bill snapped a two-game losing streak as they had a balanced offense, rushing for 171 yards and amassing 357 total yards while getting six field goals from kicker Tyler Bass along with a TD pass from quarterback Josh Allen and a five-yard scoring run from running back Devin Singletary. The Browns (3-7) had a 7-0 lead when QB Jacoby Brissett (324 passing yards with three TD) threw the first of his two TD passes to wide receiver Amari Cooper. But Buffalo built up a 28-10 lead early in the fourth quarter and coasted to the win. 

 

How about them Cowboys? 

The Dallas Cowboys (7-3) absolutely dominated the host Minnesota Vikings, 40-3 with the defense getting seven QB sacks and limiting the Vikings (8-2) to just 183 yards in total offense. Running backs Tony Pollard (pictured left) and Ezekiel Elliott each scored two touchdowns with Pollard (six receptions for 109 yards and 80 yards rushing) catching two scoring passes from QB Dak Prescott, who was 22-for-25 passing for 276 yards in the rout.

 

In a strange game, the New England Patriots (6-4) topped the visiting New York Jets (6-4) on a 84-yard punt return TD by Marcus Jones with five seconds left in the game for a 10-3 decision. The Pats defense held the Jets to a ridiculous total of 103 yards in total offense and only six first downs. In addition, the Jets gained just TWO YARDS in the entire second half.

The Sunday night game went to the Kansas City Chiefs, 30-27 against the host Los Angeles Chargers (5-5), who had just taken a 27-23 lead with 1:46 remaining on QB Justin Herbert's second TD pass to WR Josh Palmer. But Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (six receptions for 115 yards) hauled in his third TD pass in the game from QB Patrick Mahomes (329 yards passing with three TD) with 31 seconds left in the game. The win improved the Chiefs to an AFC best 8-2 record and all but locked up the AFC West division. 

Surprise, surprise, surprise . . . The Detroit Lions (4-6) won their third straight game as they pounded the host New York Giants, 31-18 with RB Jamaal Williams scoring three rushing touchdowns as the Lions gained 325 total yards with good balance (160 rushing, 165 passing) while the defense intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble. The Giants (7-3) were limited to 89 rushing yards with QB Daniel Jones scoring a rushing TD and passing for one score in the loss. 

The Atlanta Falcons (5-6) outlasted the visiting Chicago Bears, 27-24 thanks to a Younghoe Koo 53-yard field goal with 1:47 left in the game. Falcons QB Marcus Mariota had a scoring run and pass and Cordarrelle Patterson set a new NFL record with his ninth career TD on a kickoff return, which he took back 102 yards in this game. The Bears (3-8) lost their fourth consecutive game while QB Justin Fields scored a rushing touchdown and also had a TD pass in defeat. 

The Philadelphia Eagles (9-1) rebounded from their first loss with a 17-16 squeaker at Indianapolis thanks to a seven-yard scoring run by QB Jalen Hurts, who also threw for a score and had 86 yards rushing in the game. The Colts (4-6-1) blew a ten-point lead in this one as RB Jonathan Taylor scored their only touchdown.  

Baltimore improved to 7-3 with a hard fought 13-3 victory at home against the Carolina Panthers (3-8), who had three turnovers in the loss. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson scored on a one-yard run to help seal the win midway through the fourth quarter. 

Washington won for the fifth time in their last six games by beating the Houston Texans, 23-10 on the road. The Commanders (6-5) scored first when Kendall Fuller took an interception back 37 yards and then built a 20-0 halftime lead to cruise past the Texans (1-8-1). 

The Cincinnati Bengals (6-4) rolled over the host Pittsburgh Steelers (3-7) for a 37-30 road win to keep pace with the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North race. Bengals QB Joe Burrow had four TD passes in the win with three of them going to backup RB Samaje Perine. Pittsburgh held a 20-17 halftime lead as RB Najee Harris (two TD) scored on a 19-yard run and rookie QB Kenny Pickett threw a scoring pass, but the Bengals eventually took over in the fourth quarter. 

Last Thursday night, the Tennessee Titans (7-3) smashed the host Green Bay Packers, 27-17 behind two TD passes from QB Ryan Tannehill (333 passing yards) and a rushing score by RB Derrick Henry. The Packers (4-7) lost for the sixth time in their last seven games even though QB Aaron Rodgers had two TD passes.

The New Orleans Saints won at home, 27-20 against the listless Los Angeles Rams (3-7) as QB Andy Dalton had three TD passes to help them improve to 4-7 this season. Rams QB Matthew Stafford threw for two scores but had to leave the game in the second half due to concussion. 

In Denver, the Las Vegas Raiders (3-7) won, 22-16 in overtime when QB Derek Carr hooked up with WR Davante Adams for the game winning 35-yard score. The game was tied 10-10 in the fourth as the Broncos (3-7) twice took a three-point lead with field goals, but the Raiders forced the OT session when Daniel Carlson made a 25-yard boot with 16 seconds remaining. 

The Monday Night Football game in Mexico City was a fiesta for the San Francisco 49ers (6-4) as they walloped the Arizona Cardinals, 38-10. 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo had four TD passes (two each to TE George Kittle and WR Brandon Aiyuk) and Deebo Samuel had a 39-yard scoring run to lead the way. James Conner had the lone touchdown for Arizona (4-7) and QB Colt McCoy was intercepted twice in the blowout loss.

WEEK ELEVEN RESULTS 

Tennessee 27, Green Bay 17 

Washington 23, Houston 10 

Atlanta 27, Chicago 24

New Orleans 27, L.A. Rams 20

Philadelphia 17, Indianapolis 16 

Detroit 31, N.Y. Giants 18 

New England 10, N.Y Jets 3 

Baltimore 13, Carolina 3 

Buffalo 31, Cleveland 23 

Las Vegas 22, Denver 16 (OT)

Dallas 40, Minnesota 3

Cincinnati 37, Pittsburgh 30

Kansas City 30, L.A. Chargers 27

San Francisco 38, Arizona 10

College Football Top Ten

The Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten                                             

(Week ending November 20)

1. Georgia (11-0)

2. Ohio State (11-0)

3. Michigan  (11-0)

4. TCU (11-0)

5. LSU (9-2) 

6. USC (10-1) 

7. Alabama (9-2) 

8. Clemson (10-1) 

9. Penn State (9-2) 

10. Oregon (9-2)

NFL - Week Eleven Preview

The Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers get things going tonight for Week Eleven around the NFL. The Titans (6-3) have been going along, just getting things done and winning football games. The one loss they've had since the 0-2 start was a 20-17 overtime defeat at Kansas City two weeks ago. 

As for the Packers (4-6), they finally snapped out of it and won last weekend (31-28 in OT against the Dallas Cowboys) to snap a five game losing streak. They need to keep it going in a positive direction and quarterback Aaron Rodgers has to step it up as he did in the win against Dallas (three TD passes) if they want to defeat the Titans. 

The Titans rely mostly on the run with Derrick Henry (923 rushing yards and nine TD this season) but QB Ryan Tannehill came back last week after missing two games with injuries and fired two TD passes in the win against the Denver Broncos. They will need to mix things up against the Packers defense and also be ready to pressure Rodgers when they go on defense. The Packers were effective running the ball last week, so Tennessee (allowing just 85 YPG rushing) needs to be ready to counter that attack.

The Sunday games feature six intriguing matches, especially the Dallas Cowboys (6-3) at the Minnesota Vikings (8-1). The Vikings have won seven in a row and show a resolve to never give up and last week overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half to beat the Buffalo Bills on the road. The offense is getting it done with Kirk Cousins throwing to WR Justin Jefferson and running back Dalvin Cook doing his thing. Dallas has to be ready for anything, especially after being roughed up by Green Bay last week. The Cowboys offense has shown it can score points in a hurry at times this season and should be able to continue that against the Vikings. This game should be a close one with lots of points on the scoreboard. 

The Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) are coming off their first loss this year and now travel to face the Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1), who won last week in interim head coach Jeff Saturday's debut. The Colts went for over 200 yards rushing in the game last Sunday and would like to do the same against a Philly defense that has struggled to stop the run this season (25th ranked against the run in 2022) allowing 108 yards per game. The Eagles offense was up and down in the Monday night loss to Washington and they turned the football over four times. This will be a game that could go either way, but the Eagles know they have to get back on track if they want to win the rugged NFC East. 

The Cleveland Browns (3-6) and Buffalo Bills (6-3) will BOTH travel to Detroit to play their game because a massive snow storm is expected to be in Buffalo this weekend. That could bode well for Buffalo and their passing attack not having to deal with possibly several feet of snow and high winds. As for Cleveland, they like to give the ball to Nick Chubb and run, run, run. The Bills have dropped two straight games and this should be a game they win, especially playing indoors. 

The New York Jets (6-3) will get another stiff test against the New England Patriots (5-4) this Sunday in Foxborough, Massachusetts. The Pats beat the Jets (22-17) just three weeks ago and will likely use the same formula to get another win in this one. If they do that, both teams would be 6-4 and tied for third place in the AFC East, which right now would send all four teams to the AFC playoffs. 

The Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) need to take care of business this Sunday against the Steelers (3-6) in Pittsburgh in order to keep pace with the first place Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North division. They are coming off the bye week and have won three of their last four games, including a 42-point effort two weeks ago when RB Joe Mixon scored five touchdowns. If the Steelers are going to beat the Bengals again (23-20 OT win in Cincy in Week One) the defense has to bring it and pressure Bengals QB Joe Burrow like they did before. The Bengals should win, but the Steelers will be ready to play. 

The Sunday night game once again features the Los Angeles Chargers (5-4), fresh off a close defeat (22-16) against San Francisco. The Chargers will be at home for this one against the Kansas City Chiefs (7-2), who could all but wrap up the AFC West with a win in this game. Kansas City has won three straight games since losing a close one last month to the Buffalo Bills. QB Patrick Mahomes has already tossed 25 touchdown passes and if he gets it going on SNF, this one could get ugly. But these teams always seem to play each other close and that will likely be the case again. L.A. could have WR Mike Williams back for this one and maybe even Keenan Allen and that would be a huge boost for the Chargers offense. 

The rest of the Week Eleven action is featured in the capsule style format and the Heftyinfo picks follow up. 

 

Chicago (3-7) at Atlanta (4-6) - The Bears have lost three in a row and the Falcons have dropped two straight. Something has to give. Take the Bears as QB Justin Fields has another big rushing game. 

L.A. Rams (3-6) at New Orleans (3-7) - The loser of this game will be done as far as playoff chances are concerned. 

Detroit (3-6) at N.Y. Giants (7-2) - On paper, this looks like all Giants. But the Lions have restored the roar in the last two games. 

Carolina (3-7) at Baltimore (6-3) - Take the Ravens. 

Washington (5-5) at Houston (1-7-1) - Can the Texans spring the upset in this one? 

Las Vegas (2-7) at Denver (3-6) - Two bottom feeders in the AFC West in this one. Toss up. 

San Francisco (5-4) at Arizona (4-6) - This Monday night game is being played in Mexico City, Mexico and the 49ers should be celebrating the fiesta when it's over with. 

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

 

Green Bay over Tennessee 

Chicago over Atlanta 

Buffalo over Cleveland (Game being played in Detroit) 

Philadelphia over Indianapolis 

New England over N.Y. Jets 

New Orleans over L.A. Rams 

Detroit over N.Y. Giants 

BALTIMORE over Carolina 

Washington over Houston 

Denver over Las Vegas 

Dallas over Minnesota 

Cincinnati over Pittsburgh 

L.A. Chargers over Kansas City 

San Francisco over Arizona (Game being played in Mexico City, Mexico) 

Last Week's Record - 9-5 

SEASON RECORD - 89-60-1 

Lock of the Week Record - 8-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Ten Recap

 

The Vikings recover the fumble for a touchdown to help get a miracle comeback win.

Without a doubt, the game between the Minnesota Vikings and Buffalo Bills was easily the most exciting game so far this year. The host Bills (6-3) held a 27-10 lead in the third quarter, but never count out the Vikings (8-1) as they stormed back to eventually win this game, 33-30 in overtime. 

 

Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (10 receptions for 193 yards and one touchdown) took over and made an incredible catch on 4th-and-18 with the clock running down to keep the drive alive, but the Bills defense stuffed Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins (357 passing yards with one TD and two interceptions) at the goal line and it appeared their 27-23 lead was safe. But a fumble by Bills QB Josh Allen at the goal line resulted in a touchdown as the Vikings defense (Eric Kendricks) made the recovery and took a 30-27 lead with 41 seconds left. The Bills drove downfield and tied the game on a 29-yard field goal by Tyler Bass to send it to overtime.

In the OT, Vikes kicker Greg Joseph made a 33-yard field goal to provide the final outcome, thanks to the defense stopping the Bills on the next series as defensive back Patrick Peterson intercepted Allen at the goal line to end it, giving Minnesota a seventh consecutive win.

In this game, Allen passed for 330 yards with one TD pass and two interceptions while also rushing for 84 yards on six carries. Meanwhile, Vikings running back Dalvin Cook rushed for 119 yards and scored on an 81-yard rushing touchdown, which trimmed the Minnesota deficit to 27-17 at that time. 

 

The Miami Dolphins vaulted past the Bills into first place in the AFC East division as they crushed the visiting Cleveland Browns, 39-17 to improve to 7-3 this season with their fourth straight victory. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa passed for three touchdowns along with 285 yards while RB Jeff Wilson gained 119 yards rushing with a touchdown to lead the offense. The Browns dropped to 3-6 with the loss. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 21-16 in Munich, Germany to improve to 5-5 as Tom Brady had a pair of scoring passes along with a one-yard scoring run by RB Leonard Fournette to get them into first place in the NFC South. The Seahawks (6-4) saw their four-game win  streak snapped as QB Geno Smith had 275 passing yards along with two TD passes in the loss.

Kansas City (7-2) rolled past the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, 27-17 as QB Patrick Mahomes (331 passing yards) had four scoring passes to lead the way. The Jags dropped to 3-7 as they fell behind 20-0 in the first half. Jags QB Trevor Lawrence had two TD passes in the loss. Meanwhile, the Chiefs rolled up 486 yards in total offense and their defense had five sacks.

The New York Giants (7-2) won at home, 24-16 against the Houston Texans (1-7-1) as RB Saquon Barkley rushed for a touchdown and gained 152 yards on the ground while QB Daniel Jones passed for two more scores while the defense had four sacks and forced a pair of turnovers. The Texans had more yardage than the Giants, but two turnovers and four sacks allowed proved too much to overcome.

In Chicago, the Bears blew a 14-point lead as the Detroit Lions won, 31-30 at Soldier Field thanks to an eight play, 91-yard drive late in the fourth quarter. RB Jamaal Williams scored the winning TD on a one-yard run with 2:21 remaining. The Bears (3-7) built up a 24-10 lead as QB Justin Fields hooked up with tight end Cole Kmet twice on scoring passes and Fields also had two rushing scores to go with 147 yards rushing, which included a 67-yard touchdown sprint to give his team a 30-24 lead with 9:11 left in the fourth quarter. The Lions (3-6) had tied the game at 24-24 on a 21-yard "pick six" INT return by DB Jeff Okudah.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) won at home against the New Orleans Saints, 20-10 as the defense dominated, holding the Saints (3-7) to just 186 total yards in offense, including only 29 yards rushing while also picking off two passes. Two rushing scores for the Steelers and a pair of field goals made the difference.

The Tennessee Titans held off the Denver Broncos, 17-10 for a home victory to get to 6-3 this season. Titans QB Ryan Tannehill had two TD passes to lead the way. The Broncos (3-6) had a 10-0 lead in the second quarter as QB Russell Wilson had a touchdown pass, but the Titans defense shut them down the rest of the way, including amassing six QB sacks and getting an interception.

Dallas and Green Bay played into overtime at Lambeau Field and the Packers won, 31-28 when kicker Mason Crosby made a 28-yard field goal. The win for Green Bay (4-6) snapped their five-game losing streak. The Cowboys (6-3) blew a 14-point lead as the Packers duo of QB Aaron Rodgers and WR Christian Watson (four receptions for 107 yards) hooked up for three touchdowns to help force the OT. Dallas had built a 28-14 lead with QB Dak Prescott throwing for three touchdowns, including two to WR CeeDee Lamb (11 receptions for 150 yards) and a TD run by RB Tony Pollard, who rushed for 115 yards in the loss. The Packers used a balanced attack (207 rush yards and 208 pass yards) and RB Aaron Jones scored a TD and gained 138 yards on 24 carries.

In Los Angeles, the Arizona Cardinals (4-6) beat the Los Angeles Rams, 27-17 with backup QB Colt McCoy passing for a score and RB James Conner scoring twice on the ground. The Rams (3-6) dropped their third straight game as backup QB John Wolford had a TD pass and also an interception in defeat.

The Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1) overcame a rough week and won, 25-20 in Jeff Saturday's coaching debut on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) with Matt Ryan taking over at QB once again and passing and running for one touchdown while RB Jonathan Taylor (147 yards rushing) scored on a 66-yard run to pace the attack.  The Raiders fell behind 10-0 and eventually took a 14-13 lead on a one-yard TD run by RB Josh Jacobs in the third quarter. But the Colts came back on the Taylor TD run before Vegas QB Derek Carr threw a 48-yard TD pass to WR Davante Adams for a 20-19 lead. From there, the Colts took the lead for good on a 35-yard scoring pass from Ryan to Paris Campbell.

Last Thursday night, the host Carolina Panthers (3-7) beat the Atlanta Falcons, 25-15 with the defense getting five QB sacks and RB D'Onta Foreman rushing for 130 yards and scoring on a 12-yard run to help make the difference. The Falcons slipped to 4-6 this year as QB Marcus Mariota had two TD passes and one INT in defeat.

The Sunday night game was decided by the San Francisco 49ers defense as they shut down the Los Angeles Chargers in the second half and won the game, 22-16 to improve to 5-4 this season. The Chargers (5-4) had a ten-point lead in the first half, thanks to a 32-yard TD pass from Justin Herbert to WR DeAndre Carter. The 'Niners scored on a one-yard sneak run by QB Jimmy Garoppolo to help cut the halftime deficit to 16-10. 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey scored on a two-yard run midway through the fourth quarter and then kicker Robbie Gould made his third field goal in the game to account for the final score. 

And then there were none . . . The Philadelphia Eagles suffered their first loss this season, losing at home, 32-21 to the Washington Commanders (5-5) on Monday Night Football. The Eagles (8-1) jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead on a one-yard TD run by quarterback Jalen Hurts following a sack and fumble recovery by the Eagles defense. 

But the rest of the way was pretty much all Washington as the Eagles had three turnovers (interception and two fumbles) that kept them behind as the Commanders built a 20-14 halftime lead, including a 58-yard field goal by kicker Joey Slye as the half ended. Washington held the football for over 40 minutes in the game and used a balanced offense (152 rushing yards, 178 passing) to keep the Eagles defense off guard. Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson each had a rushing touchdown and Slye made four field goals while Casey Toohill recovered a fumble for a score as the game ended. Hurts had a pair of TD passes along with his rushing score for Philly in the losing effort.

WEEK TEN RESULTS 

Carolina 25, Atlanta 15

Tampa Bay 21, Seattle 16 

Pittsburgh 20, New Orleans 10 

Detroit 31, Chicago 30 

Miami 39, Cleveland 17 

N.Y. Giants 24, Houston 16

Kansas City 27, Jacksonville 17 

Minnesota 33, Buffalo 30 (OT)

Tennessee 17, Denver 10 

Indianapolis 25, Las Vegas 20

Arizona 27, L.A. Rams 17

Green Bay 31, Dallas 28 (OT)

San Francisco 22, L.A. Chargers 16   

Washington 32, Philadelphia 21

 

College Football Top Ten

The Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten  

 (Week ending November 13)

 

1. Georgia (10-0)

2. Ohio State (10-0)

3. Michigan (10-0)

4. TCU (10-0)

5. Tennessee (9-1)

6. LSU (8-2)

7. USC (9-1)

8. Alabama (8-2) 

9. Clemson (9-1)

10. Utah (8-2)

10. (tie) Penn State (8-2)

NFL - Week Ten Preview

It's getting into mid-November and the NFL is right at the halfway point in the 2022 season. 

This week there are fourteen games scheduled and the top game looks to be the Minnesota Vikings (7-1) at the Buffalo Bulls (6-2) on Sunday. The Bills got ambushed last week against the New York Jets and lost that road game while the Vikings were able top overcome a ten-point deficit in the fourth quarter and get the road win at Washington. 

The Bills could be without quarterback Josh Allen in this one as he has a sore elbow on his throwing arm that could require surgery. The team is taking it up to a game time decision as to whether Allen will start and if he cannot go, then Case Keenum (who played with the Vikings a few years ago) will get the nod. Meanwhile, the Vikings are rolling hot with six straight wins and QB Kirk Cousins is feeling good about where he and the team is at. 

 

Over in Munich, Germany, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) will play the surging Seattle Seahawks (6-3), who have won four consecutive games and lead the NFC West division. A big reason why is the play of QB Geno Smith and a resurgent defense that has been very stingy the last four games, allowing just 16.5 points per game in that span. The Bucs have been struggling on offense all season long, but did manage to put together a game winning drive last week against the Los Angeles Rams. 

The Dallas Cowboys (6-2) travel to play the Green Bay Packers in what could be a rather easy one for them. The Packers (3-6) have dropped five straight games and Aaron Rodgers has looked like a shell of himself this season. The Cowboys have been rolling and coming off their bye week, they are looking strong on both sides of the football. The defense could give Rodgers and company fits in this one, but it seems whenever these two teams play each other, anything is possible. 

The Sunday night game features the San Francisco 49ers (4-4) hosting the Los Angeles Chargers (5-3), who continue to win despite the plethora of injuries they have this season. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has adjusted his passing game this year to accommodate not having his usual weapons at wide receiver as Keenan Allen (hamstring) and Mike Williams (ankle) have been out in recent weeks. The 'Niners have so many weapons on offense for QB Jimmy Garoppolo to pick from, including all purpose running back Christian McCaffrey, who had a huge game against the Rams two weeks ago. They should get the win against the injury depleted Chargers.

 

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

 

Detroit Lions (2-6) at Chicago Bears (3-6) - Bears QB Justin Fields should have a field day against a poor Lions defense. 

Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) - The Chiefs stormed back last week to get the win in OT while the Jaguars also had a big comeback win. Take the Chiefs at home in this one. 

Cleveland Browns (3-5) at Miami Dolphins (6-3) - Will it be Tua time once again for the Dolphins? The Browns can run the ball though and if they have success, they could pull this one out. 

Houston Texans (1-6-1) at New York Giants (6-2) - The Giants should get back on track in this home game against perhaps the worst team in pro football. 

New Orleans Saints (3-6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6) - Yawn. 

Denver Broncos (3-5) at Tennessee Titans (5-3) - Can the Broncos defense will this team to victory in this game? Toss up here. 

Indianapolis Colts (3-5-1) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-6) - Both of these teams are reeling right now, so something has to give. Colts interim head coach Jeff Saturday making his debut here.

Arizona Cardinals (3-6) at Los Angeles Rams (3-5) - The loser of this game could very well be out of any post-season talk the rest of the way.

Washington Commanders (4-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (8-0) - Eagles soar once again on Monday Night Football. 

 

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

Carolina over Atlanta 

Tampa Bay over Seattle (Game being played in Munich, Germany) 

Buffalo over Minnesota  (* if Josh Allen plays)

Chicago over Detroit 

KANSAS CITY over Jacksonville 

Miami over Cleveland 

N.Y. Giants over Houston 

Pittsburgh over New Orleans 

Tennessee over Denver 

Las Vegas over Indianapolis 

Dallas over Green Bay 

Arizona over L.A. Rams

San Francisco over L.A. Chargers 

Philadelphia over Washington 

Last Week's Record - 9-4 

SEASON RECORD - 80-55-1 

Lock of the Week Record - 7-2 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Nine Recap

 

Jets rookie Sauce Gardner and the defense helped beat the Buffalo Bills.

The New York Jets pulled off the stunner of the day as they beat the Buffalo Bills, 20-17 on Sunday to go to 6-3 this season. Greg Zuerlein made his second field goal (28 yards) of the game with 1:43 remaining to make the difference. The Bills (6-2) got two rushing touchdowns from quarterback Josh Allen, who also was sacked five times and threw two interceptions, but the Jets defense thwarted the final drive to preserve the win. Running backs Michael Carter and James Robinson each provided touchdowns for the Jets as they led 17-14 entering the fourth quarter. 

Minnesota (7-1) won for the sixth straight time with a fourth quarter rally to erase a 17-7 deficit to beat the host Washington Commanders, 20-17. Vikings kicker Greg Joseph nailed the game winning 28-yard field goal with twelve seconds left. The Commanders (4-5) took a ten-point lead on the second TD pass from QB Taylor Heinicke early in the fourth quarter. But the Vikes stormed back on a 12-yard TD pass from Kirk Cousins to RB Dalvin Cook and the two field goals to get the victory. 

The Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) blasted the visiting Carolina Panthers, 42-21 as RB Joe Mixon scored FIVE touchdowns (four rushing and one receiving) to lead the way. Mixon ran for 153 yards and also caught four passes for 58 yards. The Bengals defense overwhelmed the Panthers (2-7) by forcing three turnovers (including two interceptions) and holding them to just 228 total yards in offense. 

The Miami Dolphins (6-3) won on the road, 35-32 against the Chicago Bears for their third consecutive win as QB Tua Tagovailoa had three TD passes and a 25-yard scoop and score by Andrew Van Ginkel off a blocked punt helped determine the final score. The Bears (3-6) kept things close throughout thanks in big part to QB Justin Fields, who set an NFL single game record for rushing yards by a quarterback as he went for 178 yards (on 15 carries) which included a 61-yard TD romp to get the Bears to within 28-25 in the third quarter. 

Tampa Bay (4-5) snapped a three-game losing streak as QB Tom Brady threw a one-yard scoring pass to tight end Cade Otton with just nine seconds remaining to get a 16-13 win against the visiting Los Angeles Rams. Buccaneers kicker Ryan Succop made three field goals to help the effort while Rams QB Matthew Stafford connected with wide receiver Cooper Kupp on a 69-yard TD pass for an early lead, but it wasn't enough as the Rams dropped to 3-5 this season. 

Last Thursday night, the Philadelphia Eagles ran their record to a league best 8-0 as they won 29-17 on the road against the Houston Texans (1-6-1). Eagles QB Jalen Hurts had a pair of TD passes along with two rushing scores (by Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell) in the win. The Texans got two scoring passes from QB Davis Mills (along with two INT) and were tied with Philly 14-14 at the half, but could only get a field goal in the second half. 

The Seattle Seahawks got a road win, 31-21 in Arizona as QB Geno Smith threw two scoring passes and RB Kenneth Walker scored twice on the ground to help them improve to 6-3 this year. The Seattle defense registered five sacks on Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, who also had two TD passes in the loss, which put the Cards at 3-6 this season. 

The Detroit Lions (2-6) snapped a five game losing streak with a 15-9 home win against the Green Bay Packers (3-6), who dropped their fifth straight game as QB Aaron Rodgers was intercepted three times, including twice in the red zone. Lions QB Jared Goff had two TD passes in the victory.

The Los Angeles Chargers improved to 5-3 with a 20-17 road win against the Atlanta Falcons (4-5) when kicker Cameron Dicker made a 37-yard field goal as time expired. The Chargers were without their top two wide receivers and a tight end, but RB Austin Ekeler scored twice with a rushing touchdown and a one-yard scoring pass from QB Justin Herbert. The Falcons raced out to a 10-0 first quarter lead as RB Cordarrelle Patterson (two TD in game) scored on a one-yard run and Younghoe Koo drilled a 29-yard field goal, but the 'Bolts led 14-10 at the half with Ekeler scoring twice. 

 

In the Sunday night game, the Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)  outlasted the visiting Tennessee Titans, 20-17 in overtime as QB Patrick Mahomes (pictured right)  scored on a 14-yard run late in the fourth quarter and then did the same on a two-point conversion to tie it 17-17. The Titans (5-3) got two scoring runs from RB Derrick Henry (115 rush yards) to help build a 17-9 lead, but Mahomes (who went 43-for-68 with 446 passing yards and one TD, one INT in the game) did his thing as he also racked up 63 rushing yards to help keep his team atop the AFC West division. 

 

The New England Patriots (5-4) won for the second straight time as they leveled the visiting Indianapolis Colts, 26-3 with the defense scoring on a 17-yard "pick six" by Jonathan Jones and also getting a scoring pass from QB Mac Jones to go with four field goals by Nick Folk. The Colts (3-5-1) gained a paltry 121 yards in total offense in the game and allowed NINE QB sacks. Earlier today, they fired Head Coach Frank Reich and replaced him with interim coach Jeff Saturday, who played with the team for 14 seasons. 

Jacksonville (3-6) beat the visiting Las Vegas Raiders, 27-20 to end a five-game losing streak as RB Travis Etienne scored twice on the ground and rushed for 109 yards along with a TD pass from QB Trevor Lawrence to lead the way. The Raiders (2-6) led 17-0 in the second quarter when QB Derek Carr threw his second TD pass of the game, but after that it was all Jaguars as the defense shut down Las Vegas in the second half and they also used a balanced offense (403 total yards with 168 rushing and 235 passing) to get the win.

On Monday Night Football, the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) won 27-13 against the host New Orleans Saints (3-6) as RB Kenyan Drake scored two touchdowns and rushed for 93 yards while QB Lamar Jackson had a TD pass. 

WEEK NINE RESULTS 

Philadelphia 29, Houston 17 

Miami 35, Chicago 32

Cincinnati 42, Carolina 21 

L.A. Chargers 20, Atlanta 17

Detroit 15, Green Bay 9 

Minnesota 20, Washington 17 

Jacksonville 27, Las Vegas 20

New England 26, Indianapolis 3

N. Y. Jets 20, Buffalo 17 

Seattle 31, Arizona 21

Tampa Bay 16, L.A. Rams 13

Kansas City 20, Tennessee 17 (OT) 

Baltimore 27, New Orleans 13

 

College Football Top Ten

The Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten

  (Week ending November 6) 

 

 1. Georgia (9-0)

2. Ohio State (9-0)

3. Michigan (9-0)

4. TCU (9-0)

5. Tennessee (8-1) 

6. Oregon (8-1)

7. LSU (7-2)

8. USC (8-1)

9. UCLA (8-1)

10. Clemson (8-1)

HOUSTON ASTROS WIN WORLD SERIES

The Houston Astros are the World Series Champions for the 2022 Major League Baseball season. 

The Astros won game six in Houston, 4-1 over the Philadelphia Phillies to win their second title in the last six years. And it is the first ever World Series title for Dusty Baker as a manager after coming so close 20 years ago with the San Francisco Giants. 

 

Astros outfielder Yordan Alvarez hit a go ahead three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to erase a 1-0 deficit and put his team ahead by a 3-1 count. 

From there, the Astros bullpen did the rest in relief of starter Framber Valdez, who went six innings, allowing just one run (Phillies OF Kyle Schwarber home run) to keep it close until Alavrez' bomb. The Most Valuable Player for the World Series went to Astros rookie infielder Jeremy Pena. 

 

        Congratulations to the HOUSTON ASTROS  - 2022 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS !

Just Vote

 

Never mind all the hype and scare tactics and especially the lies from shadow money groups trying to influence potential low information voters, just get your ass to the polls on Tuesday, November 8th and VOTE! 

The republican party claims they are going to dominate this election cycle and anoint Trump as the "king" of America . . . fat chance! 

When people turn out in large numbers to vote (as they did in 2018 and 2020) it always favors the Democratic party. 

Always. 

The numbers have been large again this year in early voting and people also mailing in their ballots, which is much to the chagrin of the republicans. One more thing regarding the "threats" of republicans and their thugs about getting rid of social security and medicare . . . if that were to actually happen, it will be the death of that political party because they are screwing over their very own as well as everyone else if that were to come true. We all pay into those programs and they are not entitlements. They are EARNED BENEFITS paid for by our own money. 

People supporting republicans and their extreme agenda better be careful what they wish for. They will not like it because they will be getting screwed over big time. 

So, just get out there and vote the republican bums out of office. 

It isn't difficult at all. And it is our civic duty to do so. 

VOTE!

NFL - Week Nine Preview

The unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles (7-0) take on the Houston Texans (1-5-1) tonight in Houston while the Philadelphia Phillies will host the Houston Astros in Gem Five of the World Series. So it is a double helping of Philly vs. H-Town in the sports world. 

As for the Eagles and Texans game, the obvious choice is the Eagles should roll in that game. However, in this very strange NFL season, anything is possible. But the pick here is for the Eagles to win and win big tonight against the lowly Texans. Other obvious choices to win this weekend would be the Bills (vs. Jets), Bengals (vs. Panthers) and perhaps the Baltimore Ravens (vs. the beat up New Orleans Saints) on Monday Night Football. 

 

The Sunday night game in Kansas City should be a good one as the Chiefs (5-2) face the Tennessee Titans (5-2) with quarterback Patrick Mahomes and company coming off the bye after they blasted the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago. The Titans have been rolling (five straight wins) and have a huge lead in the AFC South division, but whether they can beat Kansas City is another question. Take the Chiefs in this one in what could be a high scoring affair. 

The rest of the action is hit or miss depending on your team allegiance. The L.A. Rams (3-4) are struggling and face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5) in a road game. Both of these teams are shells of the way they were last season, especially Tampa Bay. Their offense downright sucks these days while the Rams attack has been pretty anemic as well. But look for Tom Brady and the Bucs to find a way to get the win.

The Miami Dolphins, fresh off their big trade deadline day deals, are feeling pretty confident as they head to Chicago to face the Bears (3-5), who were crushed in Dallas last week. Miami is 5-3 and have won two in a row following the return of QB Tua Tagovailoa from the concussion protocol. The Dolphins should win this one, especially with the Bears trading away two of their best defensive players in recent weeks. However, do not expect a blowout as the Bears have been scoring more in recent games and QB Justin Fields is playing well, perhaps his best football since taking over as the starter last year.

 

The rest of the games (only 13 in all this week) are featured in the capsule style format and the Heftyinfo picks follow up.  

L.A. Chargers (4-3) at Atlanta Falcons (4-4) - The Falcons are a first place team in perhaps the NFL's weakest division while the Chargers are completely banged up with injuries coming off their bye week. Toss up here. 

Carolina (2-6) at Cincinnati (4-4) - The Bengals should roll at home, but Carolina has been playing well recently and Cincy was embarrassed on Monday night in Cleveland.

Green Bay (3-5) at Detroit (1-6) - The Packers and Lions both suck this season. Toss up here. 

Las Vegas (2-5) at Jacksonville (2-6) - Two lousy teams doing battle in this one. Another toss up choice here. 

Indianapolis (3-4-1) at New England (4-4) - Patriots have been very erratic this year while the Colts seem to be without any real leadership. Take the Patriots. 

Buffalo (6-1) at N.Y. Jets (5-3) - Bills are by far the better team, but that Jets defense could keep this one close. 

Minnesota (6-1) at Washington (4-4) - Upset Alert . . . Commanders playing well and the Vikings could be due for a letdown type of game. 

Seattle (5-3) at Arizona (3-5) - Cardinals always play the Seahawks tough. So expect anything and everything is this game. 

Baltimore (5-3) at New Orleans (3-5) - The Ravens added to their defense via trade while the Saints defense is coming off a shut out win. Expect a tight game with the Ravens winning it late.

 

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

 

PHILADELPHIA over Houston 

L.A. Chargers over Atlanta 

Miami over Chicago 

Cincinnati over Carolina 

Green Bay over Detroit 

Jacksonville over Las Vegas 

New England over Indianapolis 

Buffalo over N. Y. Jets 

Washington over Minnesota 

Arizona over Seattle 

Tampa Bay over L.A. Rams 

Kansas City over Tennessee 

Baltimore over New Orleans 

 

Last Week's Record - 12-3

SEASON RECORD - 71-51-1 

Lock of the Week Record - 6-2