2023-24 NFL Wrap Up, where I discuss everything I learned this season…

Prediction: Chiefs > Niners 31-24
Outcome: Chiefs > Niners 25-22 in overtime

What I learned in the Super Bowl…
– This Super Bowl will go down as a top ten all-timer, maybe even top five. You had Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, and Jauan Jennings all proving they can hang in the big game when it matters. You had both defenses making incredible stops throughout the first half. You had the miracle maker performing two clutch drives: one to help the Chiefs get into overtime, and one to get Kansas City their fourth Lombardi trophy. People will remember this one for a long time, regardless of who their team is.

Kansas City really spent nearly 5 decades with only one ring, and in the span of five seasons, are now only behind Dallas, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, and New England.
– For San Francisco, this one has to hurt harder than their loss to KC four years ago. The 49ers really had the perfect team going into this game; their only flaw was that they had to play the Chiefs. This is probably how Charles Barkley, Shawn Kemp, and John Stockton felt when they had to play Michael Jordan in the NBA finals; they were great athletes that just happened to play an invincible team led by an even more invincible leader.

I’ll say it like this though: San Francisco has every reason to get back here next season. They’ve now appeared in three straight NFC title games (one with Jimmy Garoppolo at that) and they were one drive away from winning their sixth ring. Seriously, just manage to keep the same team, or as much as you can from it, and run the table next year.
– The flaws that San Francisco had in this game were minimal. Of course there was the missed PAT and McCaffrey’s fumble. There was also the lack of defense in Kansas City’s game-winning drive, as Mahomes knew they were tired (and possibly clueless about how the new overtime rules work) and carved them up for the win.
– Which reminds me, here was the chain of events since January 2019…
1) Kansas City loses AFC title game in overtime, with Mahomes not getting a possession
2) Idea of both teams getting a single possession becomes discussed
3) Idea gets rejected
4) Kansas City wins AFC Divisional Round game in overtime, with Josh Allen not getting a possession
5) Idea of both teams getting a single possession once again becomes discussed
6) Idea gets approved
7) Kansas City wins first overtime game under the new rule anyway
– On another note, there’s a very bitter irony about Broncos legend John Elway handing the Lombardi trophy to the Kansas City Chiefs, who passed the Broncos in Super Bowl wins this season. There’s even more irony that all this happened in the Raiders’ stadium in Las Vegas. Finally, in this statement, the Chargers are nowhere to be found in this equation, just like in real life.

Such is the story of the AFC West division.
– With the win this year, Patrick Mahomes is now in a deeper class of his own, becoming the fifth quarterback in history with at least three rings*.
(* – As a starting quarterback; sorry, Steve Young and Earl Morall.)

The other four? Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Aikman. Mahomes is already better than Aikman and Bradshaw, and he might be better than Joe as well. Brady is not safe anymore.
– History of Super Bowl MVPs as picked by me in these writeups:
Super Bowl XLVI: Eli Manning
Super Bowl XLVII: Jacoby Jones
Super Bowl XLVIII: Malcolm Smith
Super Bowl XLIX: Malcolm Butler
Super Bowl 50: Von Miller
Super Bowl LI: Tom Brady
Super Bowl LII: Nick Foles
Super Bowl LIII: Sony Michel
Super Bowl LIV: Damien Williams
Super Bowl LV: Tom Brady
Super Bowl LVI: Aaron Donald
Super Bowl LVII: Patrick Mahomes
Super Bowl LVIII: Patrick Mahomes goes back to back here as well. Honorable mention to Travis Kelce after he opened it up in the second half.

– History of Super Bowl Duds since I started writing these:
Super Bowl XLVI: Bill Belichick for throwing a challenge flag right in front of a legit Mario Manningham catch and costing New England a timeout.
Super Bowl XLVII: The officials who didn’t call defensive pass interference on Jimmy Smith in the end zone, effectively giving Baltimore the win.
Super Bowl XLVIII: Literally everyone that wore a Broncos jersey in this game.
Super Bowl XLIX: Pete Carroll. We all know why, especially Marshawn Lynch.
Super Bowl 50: Cam Newton. This one still hurts 😦
Super Bowl LI: Kyle Shanahan for making calls that eventually led to a 25-point lead being blown
Super Bowl LII: Cris Collinsworth for not knowing how football moves work
Super Bowl LIII: Brandon Cooks for missing not one, but two wide open touchdown passes
Super Bowl LIV: Kyle Shanahan for making calls that eventually led to a 10-point lead being blown
Super Bowl LV: The entire Chiefs offensive line for causing Patrick Mahomes to run for 481 yards that night, except it was left and right, not up and down the field
Super Bowl LVI: Eli Apple for getting burned repeatedly by Cooper Kupp and other Rams players
Super Bowl LVII: Jonathan Gannon, the Eagles defensive coordinator
Super Bowl LVIII Dud: Kyle Shanahan has now made calls for teams that have led by a combined 45 points in the Super Bowl and lost every single time. This, along with his team not knowing the new overtime rules, nets him a record-setting third Super Bowl Dud. Dishonorable mention to Jake Moody for the missed extra point that would eventually butterfly effect the Chiefs getting into overtime and winning the game.
– Is it just me, or have Super Bowl commercials gotten worse over the years? We’ve advanced so far over the past couple decades that ever since we got a demographic that’s solely there to watch the Super Bowl only for the commercials, numerous companies are basically trying too hard and are in our faces more than usual.

Either that or I’m just getting older, who knows?
– More importantly, however, the new Deadpool film is a day one watch.
– Based on his numbers and success, Lamar Jackson was a good call for MVP, even if I felt McCaffrey should have won it. CMC getting Offensive Player of the Year was a nice touch, however, and well-deserved.
– Myles Garrett should not have won Defensive Player of the Year when there was a perfectly good TJ Watt standing there with numbers better than Garrett all season. The Steelers do not make the playoffs if Watt doesn’t play.
– Houston got both the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year awards. Hopefully the team continues to ascend next year, unlike the last team who won both awards last season (the Jets, for those who forgot).
– My pick for Coach of the Year was DeMeco Ryans, but Stefanski getting the Browns to the playoffs without Chubb and starting five quarterbacks is a monumental achievement in itself, so the award was still well-deserved.
– Finally, Joe Flacco had Comeback Player of the Year wrapped up by December. The man came off the couch and played his heart out, and you couldn’t have asked for anything better than that.
– You knew it was coming…

Halftime Shows ever since I started watching them…
1) Prince (41)
2) U2 (36)
3) Bruce Springsteen (43)
4) Paul McCartney (39)
5) Shakira and Jennifer Lopez (54)
6) Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent (56)
7) Lady Gaga (51)
8) Beyonce and two vocalists not named Beyonce (47)
9) Usher, Alicia Keys, Lil Jon, Ludacris, and will.I.am (58)
10) The Weeknd (55)
11) Tom Petty (42)
12) Bruno Mars and Red Hot Chili Peppers (48)
13) Aerosmith, N’SYNC, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, and Nelly (35)
14) The Who (44)
—–EVERYTHING BELOW WAS NOT GOOD—–
15) Coldplay, Bruno Mars, and Beyonce (50)
16) Katy Perry, Missy Elliott, and Lenny Kravitz (49)
17) Rihanna (57)
18) Justin Timberlake and hologram Prince (52)
19) Sting, Shania Twain, and No Doubt (37)
20) The Rolling Stones (40)
21) Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, Nelly, Diddy, and Kid Rock (38)
22) Adam Levine and friends, half of Outkast, Travis Scott, and false advertising of Sweet Victory (53)
23) The Black Eyed Peas, Slash, and Usher (45)
24) Madonna, LMFAO, Nicki Minaj, M.I.A., and Cee-Lo Green (46)

My only gripe with Usher’s show was the songs seemed shorter than they already were by Super Bowl Halftime show standards. I get that the objective is to put as many hits as possible in a short time span, but it seemed even more excessive than usual this time around. With that being said, we got Usher on rollerskates, we got Alicia Keys still looking incredible nearly two decades after her prime, and we got the reunion among Usher, Lil Jon, and Ludacris that everyone hoped would happen. On top of that, because why not, will.I.am shows up so that he can pretend his first halftime show appearance never happened. Or something.

Finally, above all else, Usher still got the sauce at 45. Join us next season when they announce another Top 40 musician for halftime and I continue to laugh at Facebook comments asking “WhErE’s MeTaLLiCa?”

Five Hot Takes for Next Season (I will go back to this at the end of Super Bowl LIX and see how I did!)
1) Carolina finishes ahead of Atlanta in the NFC South for third place
2) The Las Vegas Raiders make the playoffs under head coach Antonio Pierce
3) Cincinnati returns to the top of the AFC North
4) Aaron Rodgers plays the entire year and still doesn’t get the Jets to the playoffs
5) San Francisco beats Kansas City in Super Bowl LIX

So what did I learn this season?
– I learned from my dad that my niece is a Chiefs fan. I had to correct him and say my niece is a Swiftie. However, if Taylor Swift got my niece into watching football, much like she did countless others, then it was a small victory.

It was also pretty humorous seeing people get uptight about seeing Swift on their televisions for 10 seconds a game. Look, if you didn’t want to see Swift on your television, maybe you should have talked her into dating someone on the Panthers, because they’re not getting a prime time game outside Amazon for at least five more years.
– Dan Campbell is the real deal in Detroit, as is Jared Goff. The Lions are gonna be good once again next season, and if I have to see a cat team succeed since the Panthers won’t do it, might as well be these guys.
– It was extremely short-lived, but the two weeks that Joshua Dobbs balled all over the Falcons and Saints might have legit been my favorite two weeks of the season. Hats off to the Passtronaut.
– Sometimes you have to wear enemy colors and walk into their territory to finally attend a football game. Even better, I attended it at my job’s expense and got to watch Dobbs ball on the Falcons.
– The Panthers are doomed in what has basically become Part 9 of their rebuilding era. Their coach has revived the careers of Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield, but he has his hands full next season.
– Hats off to Eddy Pinero; if it wasn’t for him, the Panthers would be 0-17.
– CJ Stroud was the right QB pick, and Houston has a bright future ahead of them.
– The Cowboys still can’t win when it matters in January
– Despite the draft pick placement, Brock Purdy is definitely anything but irrelevant
– Daniel Jones was in fact overpaid
– The Chargers are really about to waste the careers of not one, not two, but three top tier quarterbacks; all of which are either already in the Hall of Fame or has potential to be in the Hall of Fame. They’re the Detroit Lions of the AFC.
– I was 15 the last time New England played this badly, and if anything was great about this season, seeing the Patriots in last place in the AFC was quite the delight.
– Baltimore did everything right all the way up to the AFC title game and then made their only mistake by sacrificing the run game.
– The Dolphins buckle in cold weather (except in Massachusetts and New Jersey)
– The Jets had to use Zach Wilson, Trevor Siemian, and Tim Boyle and somehow finished 7-10. That defense did wonders for them, which proves that Zach Wilson is Great Value Trent Dilfer.
– It took a year of soul searching, but Baker finally found his home in Florida. The South will once again be between New Orleans and Tampa Bay next season, to the surprise of no one.
– The Bills are still cursed. Join us next season when they somehow manage to fumble a kneel down and Kansas City runs it back for the game-winning touchdown in the AFC title game.
– The Broncos are still a mess. Join us next season when Jarrett Stidham proves that Sean Taylor was the problem, not Russell Wilson.

The most important thing I learned this season?
Like it or not, Tom Brady’s days on top are numbered. Patrick Mahomes is coming for the crown and nothing will stop him.

Finally, with the season over, here’s the updated list of cities with championships over the last ten seasons across all four major American sports!

San Francisco – 5 (Warriors x4, Giants x1)
Los Angeles – 4 (Kings, Dodgers, Lakers, Rams)
Kansas City – 4 (Chiefs x3, Royals x1)
Boston – 4 (Patriots x3, Red Sox x1)
Tampa Bay – 3 (Lightning x2, Buccaneers x1)
Denver – 3 (Broncos, Avalanche, Nuggets)
Pittsburgh – 2 (Penguins x2)
Washington D.C. – 2 (Capitols, Nationals)
Chicago – 2 (Blackhawks, Cubs)
Houston – 2 (Astros x2)
One and done – San Antonio, Cleveland, Toronto, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Dallas (kinda. It’s the Rangers, but they play in Arlington, so there you go)

With San Francisco, Boston, and LA all winning championships in their respective 2014 seasons, Kansas City is one step closer to becoming the new title town. It might be a little taxing to listen to Chiefs fans gloat for another 7 months, but this is nothing new after decades of Niners, Cowboys, Steelers, and Patriot fans doing the same. The bandwagons are now located in the midwest, something we never saw coming.

“But Hickman, wouldn’t you do the same if the Panthers started winning Super Bowls?”

Please, they can’t even get back-to-back seasons with a winning record. Super Bowls are the least of Charlotte’s concern.

As always, it’s an absolute pleasure to write about football as I cap off my thirteenth year doing so. Be good to yourselves and to each other. See you next season!

Hickman’s Super Bowl LVIII prediction, where I discuss when building a dynasty comes full circle…

Conference championship performance: 0-2
Yeah, sometimes there’s days like this.

What I learned last weekend…

“You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

Such is the case of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.  In 2017, Mahomes was drafted to KC but spent his rookie season on the bench as Alex Smith continued to put in solid work in his final year with the team.  Once 2018 hit, all bets were off as Mahomes easily secured the regular season MVP and the rest was history.  While Mahomes Dee Ford’s offside penalty and the Chiefs’ defense came up short in 2019, there was no denying that Patrick Mahomes was the next head of the table.

Fast forward to 2024, where Patrick Mahomes now has two regular season MVPs, two Super Bowl MVPs, six straight AFC Championship appearances, soon to be four Super Bowl appearances in a span of five years, and single-handedly vanquished the Madden Curse in 2020.  Obviously, he didn’t do it alone; Mahomes has had solid people surrounding him, including the likes of Andy Reid, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, Isaiah Pacheco, and more.  Unfortunately, winning has a price.  It happened to the Steelers in the 70s, the Niners in the 80s, the Cowboys in the 90s, and the Patriots in the last two decades; Kansas City is the new dynasty that people outside the Midwest either love to hate or love to bandwagon.

For the second consecutive week, Patrick Mahomes has performed at an exceptional level, whether it’s keeping up with Josh Allen in a shootout or doing just enough to contain Baltimore in the midst of their mistakes.  Before this season, the only playoff road games Mahomes ever played were in the Super Bowl, where he rocks a record of
2-1.  Now he’s won back-to-back road games in enemy territory and is en route to Las Vegas. While there were notable missed calls (two, honestly) that might have benefited the Chiefs, rest assured that Baltimore made plenty of more mistakes that cost themselves the AFC Championship, and we’ll get to that shortly.

The Chiefs faced more media scrutiny than ever this season due to the relationship between Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift.  At first it was whatever, until it eventually led to two groups of oversensitive individuals:

A) Those complaining about seeing Taylor Swift at a football game for less than
10 seconds.
B) Those complaining about those complaining about seeing Taylor Swift at a
football game for less than 10 seconds

Some people act like this has never happened in football before.  Remember when Jessica Simpson hooked up with Tony Romo and watched her man get absolutely washed by the Eagles?  Pepperidge Farm (probably) remembers.  The fact of the matter is, people have too much time on their hands if they’re getting worked up over Taylor Swift appearing at games to support her boyfriend; if you combine all the Swift appearances and add up the time in every shot she appears, I guarantee you it will be less time than you’ll see Usher at halftime next week.

“But Hickman, weren’t you complaining about this around Week 8 or so?”

That was different.  I was wanting Travis Kelce to score more touchdowns in order for the Drills Mafia to win the Gridiron Throne; if he’d have done that all season, Kelce and Swift could have done post-game interviews together for all I care.  With all that being said, there’s people that claim the NFL is rigged because Swift and Kelce are dating and coincidentally the Chiefs are in the Super Bowl.
The Kansas City Chiefs. The same Chiefs who now have four Super Bowl appearances in the last five seasons. Surely it’s not because their quarterback is a two time MVP and two time Super Bowl MVP.If the NFL really wanted to test the waters with a crazy script, they’d have set Taylor Swift up with the Carolina Panthers tight end, whose name I don’t care to look up because they haven’t had a relevant one since Greg Olsen.  The point is, I’m 99% positive the NFL didn’t rig the Chiefs to make it to the Super Bowl.

If the Chiefs win and Kelce proposes to Swift on the spot, however?  I might be convinced.  Might be.

Now back to our regularly scheduled rant that probably 15 of you read.
– It’s easy to blame the Baltimore loss on poor officiating (which there was hardly much of in the first place), but the reality of it all is that Baltimore beat themselves before Kansas City did.

You don’t throw two interceptions in the end zone and expect to win a game.
You don’t fumble the ball into the end zone and expect to win a game.
You don’t give up your impeccable rushing game at the most important point of the season and expect to win a game.

Baltimore had 229 rushing yards against the Texans, which should have given them the hint on what to do against Kansas City.  The Chiefs had just got done allowing Buffalo run for 182 yards against them.  With Baltimore’s potential MVP and OPOY candidate at the helm, it should have been a walk in the park.

The outcome?  Baltimore only had 81 rushing yards at home against the Chiefs.  To show you how bad that is, Miami ran for 76 yards against KC at Arrowhead when it was -4 degrees at the game; everybody knows Miami forgets how to play football once it drops below 50, except against the following teams:

A) NY Jets, who forgot how to play football once Aaron Rodgers got hurt.
B) New England, who forgot how to play football once Tom Brady left in 2020.

Ultimately, it’s not a skill issue with the Ravens, it’s a discipline issue.  The key taunting penalty, the picks, the fumble, and ditching the run game at the worst possible moment to try something different eventually adds up, and that’s why Baltimore is not in the Super Bowl this season.  And it sucks because with the road ahead, I feel that this was the Ravens’ best, and arguably only, opportunity to go all the way.  Baltimore just lost their defensive coordinator to Seattle, as Mike MacDonald picks up where Pete Carroll left off.  Add to that the following in the AFC North:

1) Cincinnati went 9-8 despite not having Joe Burrow for half the season.  He’ll be back next year and the Bengals will be in the big picture once again.
2) Cleveland managed to make the playoffs, despite losing Nick Chubb early in the year and having four different starting quarterbacks.
3) Pittsburgh, who has now gone two decades without a season below .500 and
made the playoffs with Mason Rudolph as their starting quarterback.  They also went undefeated against Baltimore this year.

By no means am I saying the Ravens are screwed next season because they’ll still be a good team; but the road isn’t going to be as easy.
– After years of me dunking on Kyle Shanahan for blowing leads, his team responds by orchestrating not one, but two come-from-behind wins in the postseason.  San Francisco overcame small bits of struggle throughout the year, whether it was a rough 3-game losing streak, getting blown out by Baltimore, or trailing against Green Bay and Detroit in the playoffs.  They’ve proven they belong in the Super Bowl however, as they’re the only team this year to beat all six of the other NFC teams in the playoffs.  A win next week would solidify Brock Purdy as Mr. Relevant.
– As for Detroit, they were in a hard situation last week.  Dan Campbell opted to go for it on fourth down on two separate occasions and as a result, left six points off the board, which we now know could have potentially took them to the Super Bowl.  There’s two different scenarios here:

1) Detroit kicks the field goals on 4^th down but still loses.
Media: “Dan Campbell was out of his element.”
2) Detroit fails the fourth down conversions and ends up losing (which actually happened)
Media: “Dan Campbell should have just taken the points.” (which they actually said)

Ultimately, Detroit was danged if they did and danged if they didn’t.  One thing can’t be denied though: the Lions had an incredible season.  Some delusional fans are saying Campbell shouldn’t be the Lions coach next year, but here’s the thing: stop it.

Campbell only needed three years to do a complete 180 in Detroit, as the Lions went from being 3-13-1 to nearly making the Super Bowl in a span of three seasons.  On top of that, Dan Campbell now has two postseason wins with the Lions as their head coach.

Last time I checked, that is more postseason wins than every Lions coach in the Super Bowl era combined.  Not only is Campbell’s job secure, but he’s probably less than three seasons away from having a bronze statue of him in front of Ford Field.
– With the season definitely over for the Panthers, I think it’s time to finally figure out where their two starting quarterbacks go on the all-time list for the franchise…

1) Cam Newton
2) Jake Delhomme
3) Kerry Collins
4) Steve Beuerlein
5) Teddy Bridgewater
6) Kyle Allen
7) Vinny Testaverde
8) Rodney Peete
9) Matt Moore
10) Sam Darnold
11) Derek Anderson
12) David Carr
13) Chris Weinke
14) PJ Walker
15) Andy Dalton
16) Taylor Heinicke
17) Baker Mayfield
18) Bryce Young
19) Jimmy Clausen
20) Frank Reich
21) Brian St. Pierre
22) Matt Lytle
23) Will Grier
24) Randy Fasani

Only adjustment outside the new guys: Switched Sam Darnold and Derek Anderson.  In the final weeks of the 2022 season, Darnold did just enough to barely enter the top ten, which is better than nothing.  Andy Dalton only started one game this year, which was a loss to Seattle; in said loss, he still accumulated 350 passing yards and three touchdowns.  Bryce Young… well… he has next year to prove
that he isn’t a bust; he statistically had one good game this season out of 16 starts, but that’s also what happens when your franchise is a dumpster fire.
– Conference Championship MVP: Patrick Mahomes did just enough to secure last weekend’s award.  Honorable mention to Christian McCaffrey and Travis Kelce.
– Conference Championship Dud: If Zay Flowers doesn’t fumble at the goal line, it would have been a different kind of ball game.  Dishonorable mention to Lamar Jackson

Super Bowl LVIII: Kansas City Chiefs (14-6) vs San Francisco 49ers (14-5)

This one’s tougher to think about than their last meeting four years ago. Nothing much has changed with Kansas City, except for the fact that Tyreek Hill isn’t on the team anymore; despite that, KC’s now made back-to-back Super Bowl appearances without him. On the other hand, this is almost a completely different 49ers team with a new offense that could potentially match up to Mahomes and friends. In the battle of quarterbacks, Mahomes will always win over Purdy; while Mahomes can make a star out of anyone, Purdy struggles if either Deebo or CMC aren’t open. That alone, however, will give the 49ers a chance they can win this, as their weapons surrounding Purdy are better than those surrounding Mahomes. San Francisco has a tight defense capable of stopping anyone at the right time, but we haven’t seen much from them this postseason. Kansas City’s defense did wonders against the nearly-unanimous MVP in the conference title game though, and the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator should be commended in some way, shape, or form after what they’ve done this season. Finally, Kelce lowballed everyone all season and waited until the playoffs to truly ball out. If it was his mission to pretend to suck until the end of the road because he knew Mahomes was going to be the miracle maker, then it was a mission well accomplished.

Here’s the thing. I want the Niners to win. The idea of Brock Purdy getting a ring in his second year is the stuff they turn into a movie. The idea of Steve Wilks and Christian McCaffrey getting rings is the ultimate last laugh against David Tepper. While we’re at it, Deebo Samuel deserves a ring in his career as well.

And with that, I hope with every fiber of my being that I’m absolutely wrong here. San Francisco let the Packers and Lions build up huge leads. Kansas City is capable of doing the same thing; the only difference is they don’t get complacent when they have a huge lead.
My pick: Kansas City over San Francisco 31-24

See you guys next week!

Hickman’s NFL Conference Championship picks, where I discuss how cursed Buffalo truly is…

Divisional round performance: 4-0! YEAHHHHH BOI!

What I learned this past weekend…
– Time to break out the ol’ list again from two years ago and add to it.  Ever since the 90s…

1) Wide right
2) Getting pasted by Washington and Dallas in three Super Bowls
3) Music City Miracle
4) Playing a must-win game in Week 17 against Tommy Maddox in 2004 and losing, missing the playoffs as a result
5) Starting Nathan Peterman in 2017
6) Finally making the playoffs in 2017 after an 18-year hiatus only to not score a touchdown against Jacksonville
7) Making a hype video for Nathan Peterman in 2018
8) Starting Nathan Peterman in 2018 when you have a perfectly good rookie Josh Allen
9) Blowing a 2-touchdown lead to Houston in the playoffs
10) 13 seconds against Kansas City
11) Losing the top seed when Damar Hamlin’s huge scare with death canceled an entire game
12) And finally, Wide Right Part II: The Musical

There’s no doubt in my mind now: the Buffalo Bills are cursed.  Josh Allen had another performance that will go down as one of the best of his career, only to have it dashed by his wide receivers having no hands and Patrick Mahomes.

This is where I’d say the refs helped Kansas City in that win, but the only poor call I recall seeing was when Buffalo got penalized for pass interference before Mahomes even released the ball.  On top of that, the Chiefs didn’t get anything out of that drive.

Around that same part of the game, Buffalo opted to attempt a fake punt with Damar Hamlin and put the Chiefs in great territory to score.  Then, almost immediately, Mekole Hardman fumbles the ball into the end zone and was a potential candidate for the weekend dud award.  A few moments later, Josh Allen fumbles the ball and Kansas City’s attempt to scoop up the ball failed (moral of the story: just dive on it!).

Make no mistake about it, both teams did their fair share of screwups in this game.  However, never underestimate Buffalo’s ability to Buffalo themselves out of the playoffs.  As a result, Patrick Mahomes will play in his sixth consecutive AFC Championship game, needing only two to match Tom Brady’s record set between 2011 and 2018.
– Baker Mayfield comes up short again in his second postseason appearance, losing by one possession in a divisional round for the second time in four seasons.  However, there are a few silver linings to this:

1) Mayfield becomes only the fifth quarterback in NFL history to win a postseason game on two different teams.
2) Last season, Mayfield’s career was in questionable status after rough stints in both Carolina and Los Angeles.  This year, he achieved career highs across the board.

Baker may feel gutted over the loss to Detroit, but there’s no shame in losing to a motivated Lions team, nor is there shame in his playoff exit considering the season he had.  He was the best quarterback in his division by a mile and that can’t be taken away from him.

If Flacco doesn’t win Comeback Player of the Year, Baker should be highly considered instead.
– I don’t know if it was Green Bay’s attempt at being Cinderella or San Francisco regressing after a week off, but the Niners did not look good last Saturday.  Deebo Samuel got hurt midway through the game, the defense was getting exposed on occasions, and it took a late drive by Purdy and McCaffrey to get the 49ers to the NFC Championship, their fourth appearance in the last five seasons.  However, if the Niners had their hands full with the Packers…
– …then they are going to have their hands full with the newly reinvigorated Goffense from Detroit.  For the first time since the 1991-92 season, the Lions are in the NFC Championship after three decades of absolute struggle.  To put it even further into perspective, Detroit in 8 days has won twice as many playoff games as they have in the last 65 years.  The culture has changed immensely, and a team with a ton of motivation behind them can do crazy things when traveling on the road against an advertised juggernaut of an opponent.

Just ask Carolina in 2003 or Cincinnati in 2021.
– A handful of teams have found their coaches for the 2024 season.  My thoughts on the confirmed hirings…

1) Carolina – Dave Canales, Tampa Bay offensive coordinator.  Reports say Carolina hired Dave due to his ability to work with Baker Mayfield this past season.  While Baker Mayfield and Bryce Young being completely different types of quarterbacks, this is quite the hiring.  I still think they should have counted their losses and called Steve Wilks, but that’s just me.  They also hired Dan Morgan to be the new General Manager.  While I always hope for the best, we all saw what happened the last time a Carolina pro sports team got one of their alumni to work in a huge managerial position; Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time and still can’t get the Hornets a successful season of any kind.

2) New England – Jerod Mayo, New England inside linebackers coach.  Mayo has the history with New England, which includes winning Super Bowl XLIX with them and then working as a coach for five years with the franchise.  He’s young and knows a thing or two about defense.  Potentially a good hire, but they have to figure out who’s going to be their quarterback next season.

3) Tennessee – Brian Callahan, Cincinnati offensive coordinator.  It took three seasons, but Callahan was able to get the Bengals’ offense rollin’ starting in 2021.  He also has a Super Bowl ring thanks to his time as an Offensive Assistant for the Broncos in 2015, so he’s no stranger to success.  The Titans, however, seem like they’re about to implode so next season might be a rebuilding phase.

4) Las Vegas – Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas linebackers coach.  After Josh McDaniels made a complete mess out of the franchise, Pierce was given a chance to do something with the Raiders and made good on his promise to turn things around.  It wasn’t a complete success, as Vegas finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs, but his 5-4 with the Raiders was better than McDaniels’ 3-5; plus the players competed with more heart under Pierce, and sometimes that’s all that matters.

5) Los Angeles Chargers – Jim Harbaugh, Michigan head coach.  The Chargers swung for the fences and landed on a huge acquisition.  Harbaugh rejoins the NFL after a nine year absence and after leading the Wolverines to the CFP National Championship.  His previous stint in the NFL was helping the 49ers become relevant again, leading the team to three consecutive NFC championship games (one of which they won) and winning the NFL Coach of the Year award in 2011.  The crazy part is he did that with Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick; Justin Herbert is better than both of those QBs and under the right coach, the Chargers could be dangerous for the first time since the Schottenheimer era.
– Divisional Round MVP: Lamar Jackson was red hot in his first postseason game in three years to take last weekend’s award. Honorable mentions to Travis Kelce and Jared Goff.
– Divisional Round Dud: This one’s a hard-earned win for Sean McDermott for that fake punt attempt in Buffalo’s own territory.

AFC Championship: Kansas City Chiefs (13-6) @ Baltimore Ravens (14-4)
No one should sell the Chiefs short in this game, but I don’t see any miracles from Mahomes and crew this time around.  Kansas City’s two wins in the playoffs were against a depleted Dolphins team and a Bills team that, despite Josh Allen’s best efforts, still struggled in multiple games during their winning streak. Now, the Chiefs are traveling once again, except this time they play a team with an actual defense, plus an MVP candidate leading the offense. Lamar is playing with a level of determination we haven’t seen in him before and that’s going to be enough to get the Ravens to their third Super Bowl.
Pick: Baltimore

NFC Championship: Detroit Lions (14-5) @ San Francisco 49ers (13-5)
With the recent announcement that the Niners will be without Deebo Samuel, the perfect storm is further into place for Detroit to do the unthinkable. They’re playing with a ton of momentum on their side, along with the fact that San Francisco didn’t look so hot in their playoff opener. At this rate, all the Lions have to do is find a way to contain Christian McCaffrey and this game is not as hard as some think it will be. Brace yourselves, folks: we might see Detroit in the Super Bowl. If this happens, Dan Campbell is the NFL Coach of the Ever.
Pick: Detroit

At one point, I said Dak Prescott was the most successful quarterback from 2016. While Dak’s career has been nice, there’s no shame in being wrong because it’s looking more and more like Goff was the right answer over a series of seasons. Also, that Lions/Rams trade may end up being a win for both franchises after all.

Hickman’s NFL Divisional Round picks, where I discuss how everything went last weekend…

Wild Card predictions: 4-2
Wrong picks: Dallas, Cleveland

What I learned last weekend…
– I’m very surprised Mike McCarthy still has a job in Dallas next season.  Making the playoffs three times in a five year run is impressive, but failing to do much of anything relevant in the postseason is usually grounds for firing coaches down in Dallas.  Wade Phillips had three straight winning seasons, two of which Dallas won their division, and still got fired the moment Dallas began to be horrible.  With Jerry Jones’ ability to act like the owner, general manager, and head coach on occasion, firing McCarthy wouldn’t have surprised me.

At the end of the day, McCarthy doesn’t forget where he came from.  Once a Packer, always a Packer.
– With the Cowboys losing, Dak Prescott’s stock drops as well.  He can put up good numbers all day, but folds like a wet blanket come playoff time, rocking a postseason record of 2-5; to top it off, his only two playoff wins are against a Seahawks team with no kicker and an aging Tom Brady in the final game of his career.

Only time will tell if Dallas pulls the trigger with moving on from Dak, but if they do, who replaces him? I honestly think Dak doesn’t go anywhere… yet.
– On top of having the offensive rookie of the year and coach of the year, Houston has a defense that has potential to be scary against the right team.  Joe Flacco found that out the hard way as Cleveland’s Cinderella story came to an abrupt end after back-to-back picks returned for touchdowns.  No word on whether or not Flacco returns to play football next season, but if this is indeed the end, it was a good run Joe.  Enjoy your potential Comeback Player of the Year award and ride off into the sunset.
– Everyone had their doubts, but I think they can be put to rest now: Jordan Love is the answer in Green Bay.  Love responded to critics and analysts by playing arguably the best game of his career against a highly-favored Cowboys team.  The previous two quarterbacks in Green Bay brought one Lombardi each and cemented their status as all-time legends.

Basically the bar is both high and not high at the same time for Jordan Love.
– Buffalo was never in danger of losing to Pittsburgh, as it should be.
– Kansas City was never in danger of losing to Miami, as it should be.
– Tampa Bay sent Jason Kelce out with a huge L and was never in danger of losing to Philadelphia.  Which brings us to the best moment of the entire weekend…
– …Detroit ends the drought.  When the Lions last won a postseason game, I was in first grade, the Dallas Cowboys only had two Super Bowl championships, and George H.W. Bush was President of the United States.  We witnessed three decades of heartbreak, whether it was having a top 10 all-time wide receiver and a top 1 running back get zero rings, multiple playoff appearances only to mostly be blown out, or the infamous years of 4-12, 2-14, and of course, 0-16.

In a game where the story needed no explanation, Detroit held off the Rams to survive by a single point, winning their first playoff game in 32 years.  Matthew Stafford, you may not be in a Lions jersey anymore, but your lack of getting the job done still means you contributed to the win!  Once a Lion, always a Lion! >_>
– The new leader of the playoff drought now goes all the way back to December 30, 2000, when the Miami Dolphins won an OT playoff game against Indianapolis.  Ever since then, the Dolphins have made the playoffs five times between 2001 and 2023, have only won the division once in that span (then again, playing in the same division as Tom Brady will do that to you.  Also, that division title was during Brady’s year spent on Injured Reserve.).  At the very least, they’ll always have 1972 and Dan Marino, even if both of those legendary moments are over 20 years old at minimum.

The new five-longest runs without a playoff win
1) Miami Dolphins – December 2000
2) Las Vegas Raiders – January 2003
3) Washington Commanders – January 2005
4) Chicago Bears – January 2011
5) New York Jets – January 2011

As for this year’s Dolphins, they showed a lot of potential, but I think Tua’s time on the team is going to be in question this offseason.
– Wild Card MVP: With a near perfect rating on the road, Jordan Love pulls off the big upset and earns the first postseason MVP of this year’s playoffs. Honorable mention to Baker Mayfield
– Wild Card Dud: Joe Flacco regressed hard and fell apart at the worst moment. Dishonorable mention to Dak Prescott and the officiating in the Buffalo/Pittsburgh game.

Houston Texans (11-7) @ Baltimore Ravens (13-4)
With Cleveland out of the way, Baltimore’s path to the Super Bowl just got slightly easier. That being said, Houston shouldn’t be sold short here; their defense is sharp against the right quarterback and CJ Stroud is having a fantastic rookie season. However, prior to resting for the playoffs, Lamar Jackson was playing his best football since his MVP year. Baltimore is well-rested (hopefully not too rested) and should break off the Texans with ease.
Pick: Baltimore

Kansas City Chiefs (12-6) @ Buffalo Bills (12-6)
A very dangerous game to look at. When I think about these two teams, it’s no secret that Buffalo is better this season. However, I look at several factors going into this…
1) Buffalo’s defense is banged up compared to what they had in their last meeting with KC
2) In Buffalo’s recent winning streak, some of those were near-losses to unnecessary teams. Stomping the Cowboys is impressive. Nearly losing to the Chargers without Justin Herbert is not. They even let Pittsburgh come within one possession at one point last weekend after being up 21-0 to start the game.
3) This is Kansas City, led by the miracle maker Patrick Mahomes. Even in their struggles, I think they somehow manage to win this by one possession when Buffalo finds a way to Buffalo themselves out of the playoffs.

I needed one upset, and this one fits the bill.
Pick: Kansas City

Green Bay Packers (10-8) @ San Francisco 49ers (12-5)
What Jordan Love and crew has done in the past month has been very remarkable, and if nothing else, the Packers have their quarterback for the next several years. San Francisco, however, is still the better team and their defense should do more than enough to seal this game in the bag.
Pick: San Francisco

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-8) @ Detroit Lions (13-5)
In an unexpected turn of events, Detroit went from hosting their first playoff game in 30 years to hosting two playoff games in the same season. The culture has changed a ton in this season for the Lions and their fans, and that will come to play in this game coming up. Tampa Bay’s season has gone better than many expected, and Baker Mayfield has a strong case for winning Comeback Player of the Year after what he went through last season. The only difference is that last week, the Bucs were playing an Eagles team with depleted morale and finished 1-6 to end the season. This weekend, Tampa plays a team that has gone 5-2 in that same 7-game stretch and has a lot more motivation than the Eagles did. Sometimes, that’s all it takes for a team to make their first conference championship in 32 years.
Pick: Detroit

Enjoy retirement Jason Kelce, definitely one of the best centers to ever step on the field.

Hickman’s NFL Week 18 picks, where I discuss Baltimore’s only threat to a Lombardi, and it’s the last thing we ever expected when the year started…

Week 17 performance: 12-4
Wrong picks: Tampa Bay, LA Chargers, Philadelphia, Las Vegas
Overall record: 172-84
Fantasy Football: The season ends with me taking third place in the finale.  Big congrats to the Stifled Seagulls for claiming the Gridiron Throne in year 3!

What I learned in Week 17…
– Ever wonder why people are separating themselves from the Carolina Panthers, look no further than David Tepper all season.  As Carolina was getting humiliated by a Jaguars team without Trevor Lawrence, Tepper is caught on tape throwing a drink at a Jaguars fan.  On one hand, I was hoping it would be enough to send Tepper packing as the Panthers owner; on the other hand, it was arguably the most accurate pass anyone on the Panthers made all season.

The NFL responded by fining Tepper $300,000.  I’m sure that’s the default protocol for punishing an owner, but when your net worth is $20.6 billion, 300K is literally nothing.  Congratulations to the Panthers; your embarrassing performance this past Sunday is only the second worst thing you went through in recent weeks.
– Along with that, the Panthers locked up the top pick of the 2024 NFL Draft… for Chicago.

The only thing that comforts me is that Chicago might somehow find a way to screw this pick up.  They also might take Caleb Williams into consideration, with the chance of trading away Justin Fields for possible gain.  You look at the top four teams in the NFL draft, which are Chicago, Arizona, New England, and Washington.  Chicago might take a QB and trade Fields.  Arizona might take a QB and trade Murray.  New England is definitely taking a QB because Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe aren’t it.  Washington might take a QB as well, if Sam Howell’s recent weeks have told us anything.
– Last Saturday, I was watching the end of Detroit and Dallas, and immediately closed my phone after the Lions made the game-winning two point conversion, partially because I had to take trash outside.  I thought it was over, or at least thought Dallas would have time to make a drive to field goal range.  I opened it back up and they were… going for two again?!  Did Dallas throw a pick six on Dak’s potential game winning drive and Detroit was rubbing it in?

No… it turns out that game-winning two-point conversion was nullified due to an ineligible receiver penalty.  Except the receiver was perfectly eligible and reported as such.  Like many watching, I was bewildered.

Honestly, that game had bad officiating on both sides of the ball and everyone involved does not need to officiate ever again this season.  If Hutchinson doesn’t get away with tripping, Dallas keeps the ball and kneels down for a 20-13 victory.  If the refs didn’t flag Detroit for ineligible receiving, Dallas could’ve gotten within field goal range and kicked a winner, considering their kicker is drilling 60-yarders in his sleep.  I admire Campbell for trying to go for the win three times in a row, but sometimes there’s a such thing as being too aggressive.

With that being said, with the way things are being set up, we’re on the road to potentially seeing the Lions and Cowboys in the divisional round of the playoffs, barring any wacky upsets this week or next.

And nothing says ‘ratings’ like a revenge game.
– Calling it now: there’s only one team Baltimore should be scared of in the AFC playoff bracket, and that is Cleveland.  The Browns were written off by many after the season-ending injuries of Nick Chubb and Deshaun Watson.  When their current backups weren’t working out, Cleveland found Joe Flacco sitting on his couch watching football like the rest of us.  All of a sudden, not only do the Browns look like Super Bowl contenders, but Joe Flacco is the front runner for Comeback Player of the Year.

No one else should intimidate Baltimore at the rate they’ve been playing.
They already smashed the Dolphins.
The Bills are susceptible of getting caught slipping at home, possibly to the Chiefs in round 2.
The Chiefs are no longer the juggernauts they were in previous years, but are still capable enough to make it to Baltimore before getting destroyed.
Jacksonville is hurting and the league knows it, let alone Baltimore.
No one is taking the Texans, Colts, or Steelers seriously, and rightfully so because they aren’t ready.
And finally, the Ravens made two bold statements against the NFC when they wrecked the Lions and 49ers.  Lamar Jackson’s status as league MVP is up for debate, but he might be announced as the Super Bowl MVP in a month instead.

And if Cleveland flattens the AFC South champion like we all know they can do, Joe Flacco gets the chance to stun his former team on their own field*.  If the Browns don’t beat Baltimore, no one probably will.

* (This is assuming the 6 seed or 7 seed doesn’t upset Buffalo/Miami or Kansas City, which I doubt happens in the first place.  But again, any given Sunday).
– IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
AFC
1) Baltimore (AFC North Champions, locked in)
2) Miami
3) Kansas City (AFC West Champions, locked in)
4) Jacksonville
5) Cleveland (locked in)
6) Buffalo
7) Indianapolis
Go Titans!: Houston
Go Titans, Colts, and possibly Dolphins for good measure!: Pittsburgh
It was all a dream: New York, New England, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Denver

NFC
1) San Francisco (NFC West Champions, locked in)
2) Dallas
3) Detroit (NFC North Champions)
4) Tampa Bay
5) Philadelphia
6) Los Angeles
7) Green Bay
Go Bears!: Seattle
Go Panthers!: Atlanta, New Orleans
Go Bears, Cardinals, AND Falcons!: Minnesota
The End: New York, Washington, Chicago, Arizona, Carolina
– Week 17 MVP: Lamar Jackson returns to peak form with a monster performance over the Dolphins.  Honorable mention to Najee Harris and Brock Purdy.
– Week 17 Dud: Bailey Zappe seals the deal with three picks for the weekly dud.  Dishonorable mention to every member of the Carolina Panthers organization, but mostly just David Tepper.

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) @ Baltimore Ravens (13-3)
With recent announcements made by Baltimore on resting their starters, this one should be easy pickings for the Steelers on keeping their slim playoff hopes alive.  Hopefully the two weeks of rest doesn’t hurt Baltimore again.
Pick: Pittsburgh

Houston Texans (9-7) @ Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
The winner is very likely to get the seventh seed in the AFC playoffs, unless Jacksonville loses their game, in which they would instead win the AFC South!  What CJ Stroud has done this year with the Texans has been fun to watch, and with the Colts lacking consistency where it matters the most, I think we get to see Stroud play a playoff game in his rookie year.
Pick: Houston

Cleveland Browns (11-5) @ Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
With the Browns giving Joe Flacco a week off to prepare the world for Playoff Joe Flacco, the Bengals get a feel good win to end their frustrating season.  With that being said, if Joe Burrow can shake his funk off next season, look out.
Pick: Cincinnati

Minnesota Vikings (7-9) @ Detroit Lions (11-5)
With a tiny chance at the 2 seed, the Lions will probably dish out their anger on a Vikings team that is honestly ready for the season to end.  Much like the Bengals earlier, Minnesota too is wondering how things would’ve been if Kirk Cousins hadn’t got injured.
Pick: Detroit

Jacksonville Jaguars (9-7) @ Tennessee Titans (5-11)
Trevor Lawrence should be good enough to return to action, and even if he isn’t, this is the Titans we’re talking about.  They already had their feel good moment of the year against Miami, they probably won’t reciprocate that here.
Pick: Jacksonville

New York Jets (6-10) @ New England Patriots (4-12)
A lot of hard endings here.  For the Jets, it’s probably the last time we see Zach Wilson on the roster.  For the Patriots, it’s probably the last time we see Bill Belichick on the sideline.  No matter how bad the Patriots are, the Jets have been equally as bad on multiple occasions, if not worse.  Add home field advantage to this and you have the Patriots ending Bill’s run on a high note, even if that high note potentially costs them Drake Maye in April.
Pick: New England

Atlanta Falcons (7-9) @ New Orleans Saints (8-8)
The abysmal road record by the Falcons says it all; New Orleans gets to finish 9-8 for the second time in three years and secure Dennis Allen’s job just a tiny bit longer.  Falcons coach Arthur Smith, on the other hand, might not be so lucky.
Pick: New Orleans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) @ Carolina Panthers (2-14)
Mayfield gets an easy outing to ensure the Bucs win their third straight division title and a date with either Philadelphia or Dallas.

Carolina gets to finish 2-15, the worst record in the 17-game era to date, and their organization has to figure out how they’re going to rebound from this without a first round draft pick, a consistent quarterback, or targets for that quarterback to throw to.  Long story short, David Tepper set this team back at least half a decade from the looks of it.
Pick: Tampa Bay

Chicago Bears (7-9) @ Green Bay Packers (8-8)
With everything left to play for and being in Lambeau Field, Green Bay should light up the Bears to give Jordan Love his first playoff game.
Pick: Green Bay

Denver Broncos (8-8) @ Las Vegas Raiders (7-9)
The Russell Wilson experience seems to be over in Colorado, much like the Broncos season ended after being stunned by the Patriots on Christmas Eve.  With nothing to play for, Stidham and O’Connell leave everything on the field in both teams’ curtain call, and I have to side with the Raiders on this.  Antonio Pierce has them playing with a tiny bit more heart than Sean Payton has in recent weeks with Denver, and I hope he gets to keep the head coaching job in 2024.
Pick: Las Vegas

Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) @ New York Giants (5-11)
I thought this would be the game that Philly would lose in order to give Dallas the division, but Arizona beat me to it, just like they beat both Philly and Dallas this season.  With their Christmas win still fresh on their mind over these guys, the Eagles snap out of their funk and end the season on a good note.
Pick: Philadelphia

Seattle Seahawks (8-8) @ Arizona Cardinals (4-12)
This is easily a game Seattle could mess up on, and no one should ever sleep on the Cardinals in season finales (see: Minnesota, 2003).  Does lightning strike twice?  Probably not, with Seattle trying to salvage their season.
Pick: Seattle

Kansas City Chiefs (10-6) @ Los Angeles Chargers (5-11)
Even without Patrick Mahomes starting, I can’t in good conscience take the Chargers to win anything.  Kansas City takes the nod and prepares for Wild Card Weekend.
Pick: Kansas City

Los Angeles Rams (9-7) @ San Francisco 49ers (12-4)
San Francisco plans on resting nearly everyone, including potential MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey.  This is enough for me to go against the grain and give this one to the Rams, who want to look good in preparation for Stafford’s return to Detroit.
Pick: Los Angeles

Dallas Cowboys (11-5) @ Washington Commanders (4-12)
Washington is so bad this season that Dallas really could just start Cooper Rush and close this game out by halftime.  Cowboys win the division and we go 20 years without any back-to-back NFC East Champions.
Pick: Dallas

Buffalo Bills (10-6) @ Miami Dolphins (11-5)
Winner takes home the AFC East division crown and the 2 seed in the AFC playoff bracket.  Miami has regressed hard in recent weeks and no longer looks as good as they did at the beginning of the year.  Buffalo has all of a sudden turned into the team hardly anyone wants to face in the playoffs and made a bold statement when they beat Miami a week after that team scored 70 points.  What’s even worse for the Dolphins is they’re capable of getting stunned in the postseason right out the gate.  With Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Buffalo getting postseason wins recently, and Detroit poised to possibly end their playoff win drought, who is next in line without a playoff win?

1) Detroit Lions – January 5, 1992
2) Miami Dolphins – December 30, 2000

Ouch.
Pick: Buffalo

In all due seriousness, I want the Dolphins to do something in the playoffs.  If both Miami and Detroit get a postseason win this year, then the NEW playoff drought win top five would be the following…

1) Las Vegas Raiders – January 19, 2003
2) Washington Commanders – January 7, 2006
3) Chicago Bears – January 16, 2011
4) New York Jets – January 16, 2011
5) Arizona Cardinals – January 16, 2016

And you know who’s right behind the Cardinals?  Both Carolina and Denver, whose most recent playoff wins were respectively the game before Super Bowl 50 and Super Bowl 50 itself.

Hickman’s NFL Week 16 picks, where we break into the holiday spirit…

Week 15 performance: 10-6
Wrong picks: Tennessee (changed pick, augh), Atlanta, Dallas, Green Bay, NY Giants, Philadelphia
Overall record: 153-71
Fantasy Football: The planets aligned, the team ahead of me lost a must-win game, and I cap off a 4-game winning streak to secure the 4th seed at 8-7, sending the Drills Mafia to the playoffs!

What I learned in Week 15…
– On top of losing to the following quarterbacks…

1) 2nd round draft pick Will Levis in his debut
2) Joshua Dobbs with no knowledge of the Vikings playbook
3) Kyler Murray after being inactive for 11 months
4) Sam Howell who couldn’t even throw for 150 yards on this team

…the Atlanta Falcons manage to outdo themselves by losing to a team led by Bryce Young, who hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass in 17 quarters. Arthur Smith needs to be joining Frank Reich, Josh McDaniels, and Brandon Staley in the unemployment line, plus we will also see Ron Rivera and Bill Belichick at the end of the season.
– Don’t punch your ticket in for the Cowboys just yet! Buffalo gave Dallas one of their worst losses all season while sending a threatening message to the rest of the AFC. The Bills still need a little help getting in, but look out if they’re able to sneak into the postseason.
– IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
AFC
1) Baltimore
2) Miami
3) Kansas City
4) Jacksonville
5) Cleveland
6) Cincinnati
7) Indianapolis
Not so fast, these teams are ALSO 8-6: Houston, Buffalo
Needs a little bit of help: Pittsburgh, Denver
Needs all the help: Las Vegas
Needs a Christmas AND New Year’s miracle: Los Angeles
And now their watch has ended: New England, New York, Tennessee

NFC
1) San Francisco
2) Dallas
3) Detroit
4) Tampa Bay
5) Philadelphia
6) Minnesota
7) Los Angeles
Not so fast, these teams are ALSO 7-7: New Orleans, Seattle
Needs some help: Green Bay
Retire this franchise forever: Atlanta
Playoff window is closing quickly: New York, Chicago
Exit, Stage Left: Carolina, Washington, Arizona
– Week 15 MVP: Baker Mayfield posts an excellent performance in Lambeau Field for this week’s award. Honorable mention to Christian McCaffrey, Jared Goff, and Brock Purdy.
– Week 15 Dud: Literally everyone who put on a Chargers jersey last Thursday night. Dishonorable mention to literally everyone in a Falcons jersey.

New Orleans Saints (7-7) @ Los Angeles Rams (7-7)
Christmas is coming and the playoffs are near
The NFC playoff race gets more severe
The Saints still try their best with the Carr
But the Rams prevail thanks to their defensive stars
Pick: Los Angeles

Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)
Pittsburgh’s offense has now become the hunted
While Mike Tomlin may finally finish under .500
Pick: Cincinnati

Buffalo Bills (8-6) @ Los Angeles Chargers (5-9)
Good thing this game’s exclusively on Peacock
So that most Chargers fans won’t watch the Bills clean their clocks
Pick: Buffalo

Indianapolis Colts (8-6) @ Atlanta Falcons (6-8)
T’was the day before Christmas and all through the field
The Falcons were finding more unique ways to yield
Pick: Indianapolis

Seattle Seahawks (7-7) @ Tennessee Titans (5-9)
Seattle’s stockings were hung by the endzone with care
In hopes that their playoff dreams still would be there
Pick: Seattle

Washington Commanders (4-10) @ New York Jets (5-9)
Both teams were nestled, all snug in their beds
While past visions of better days danced in their heads
Pick: Washington

Detroit Lions (10-4) @ Minnesota Vikings (7-7)
And Mullens in his helmet and Dobbs on the bench
Were watching the Lions win, the division they’ll clench
Pick: Detroit

Green Bay Packers (6-8) @ Carolina Panthers (2-12)
While down there in Charlotte, there arose such a clatter
Maybe 200 fans paying to watch a game that doesn’t matter
Pick: Green Bay

Cleveland Browns (9-5) @ Houston Texans (8-6)
On Watson, on Walker, on Dorian Robinson, on Flacco
Houston’s defense would give any of these guys a sacko
Pick: Houston

Jacksonville Jaguars (8-6) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
The battle for Florida’s second best team for all the right reasons
And Baker Mayfield might be at his best point of the season
Pick: Tampa Bay

Arizona Cardinals (4-10) @ Chicago Bears (5-9)
Not every game is good, take this one for example.
The Cardinals defense should give Chicago a handful
Pick: Arizona

Dallas Cowboys (10-4) @ Miami Dolphins (10-4)
The Boys need to bounce back and turn things around
While still no slouch, the Dolphins can be taken down
Pick: Dallas

New England Patriots (3-11) @ Denver Broncos (7-7)
Another prime time slot for the Patriots? You bet!
Too bad its on a channel that nobody gets
Pick: Denver

Las Vegas Raiders (6-8) @ Kansas City Chiefs (9-5)
Christmas Day starts with a few select presents
For the Chiefs, the division and Taylor Swift’s inevitable presence
Pick: Kansas City

New York Giants (5-9) @ Philadelphia Eagles (10-4)
The Eagles get gifted a well-needed win
The Giants get some more playtime for Tommy Devito in
Pick: Philadelphia

Baltimore Ravens (11-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (11-3)
And the week ends with a bang, a top tier dogfight
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Pick: San Francisco

I had to submit this one super quick since I will be traveling for the holidays. Merry Christmas everyone!

Hickman’s NFL Week 15 Picks, where I discuss the NFC’s #1 seed and that hockey game I swear I watched Vegas and Minnesota play…

Week 14 performance: 9-6
Wrong picks: Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Green Bay
Overall record: 143-65
Fantasy Football: When Derrick Henry ran in the game-winning touchdown for the Titans, he was also running it in for the Drills Mafia, winning a nailbiter and going to 7-7. The playoff hopes depend on the outcomes of three games this week!

What I learned in Week 14…
– Hey guys, did you see the way that hockey game ended between the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild?

………wait, that wasn’t a hockey game? Yeesh!

I remember the last game that ended 3-0 before this past Sunday, which was a sluggish showdown in late 2007 between the Steelers and the winless Dolphins; the only difference is that game at least had an excuse to be terrible. Rainstorms had greatly affected the playing field and nothing was landing correctly for either team; a Jeff Reed field goal in the final 3 minutes gave the Steelers a 3-0 victory.

The Raiders and Vikings were playing with their backup quarterbacks and both offenses were depleted. At one point, the Vikings brought in their third string quarterback to replace the Passtronaut. Nothing happened until the game-winning kick when (Who the heck is) Nick Mullens got Minnesota into field goal range. It’s crazy to think about where the Vikings would be with Kirk Cousins and Justin Jefferson if both stayed healthy the entire year, especially considering this team is 7-6 while using Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens.
– Carolina had the ball at the one-foot line and couldn’t punch it in. Twice.

There’s no soul left in this team.
– The debate is no longer needed. After weeks of criticism, the Cowboys finally have a convincing win over a high caliber team and they did it in dominant fashion. The defense did its part, plus Dak Prescott adds further ink to his resume for a possible MVP season. Right now, the Cowboys currently hold the #2 seed in the NFC, which is still anyone’s guess between four teams. Let’s check out their remaining games…

Dallas: Bills, Dolphins, Lions, Commanders
YIKES. This has potential to either be 4-0 or 1-3, with the Commanders feeling like the only guaranteed win in this bunch.

San Francisco: Cardinals, Ravens, Commanders, Rams
Ravens is a tough one and a Super Bowl preview. Rams could potentially play spoiler like they have before.

Detroit: Broncos, Vikings, Cowboys, Vikings
As crazy as this sounds, I think Detroit goes 3-1 here. They can beat the Broncos this Sunday; also, at the rate that Vikings offense is playing, Detroit probably sweeps them.

Philadelphia: Seahawks, Giants, Cardinals, Giants
With the Eagles no longer leading their division, they can’t afford to lose in this stretch. Best case scenario, 4-0. Worst case scenario, 3-1 with a Giants upset at least once.

My wild predictions in this four pack: the only team that sweeps here is San Francisco for the top seed at 14-3. Dallas wins the NFC East at 13-4 and grabs the #2 seed. Detroit wins the North and gets the #3 seed at 12-5. Philly finishes 13-4 and settles for traveling to the NFC South game.
– Patrick Mahomes after the defeat to the Buffalo Bills…

“There wasn’t a warning the entire game. And then you make a call like that in the final minute? Another game, we’re talking about the refs. It’s not what we want for the NFL. It’s not what we want for football.”

You guys remember when Patrick Mahomes won a second Super Bowl ring because the refs made a call on the Eagles in the final minute 10 months ago? Andy Reid doubled down on the Chiefs sour loss by saying they should have been given a warning prior to the offside call that canceled what would have been a game-winning touchdown. Here’s a quote from a referee in said Bills/Chiefs game…

“No warning is required, especially if they are lined up so far offsides where they’re actually blocking our view of the ball.”

Kansas City… stay humble. You have two Super Bowls in the last four seasons. Your quarterback is the next big thing and still one of the best in the league today. Losses are still going to happen, and the refs made the right call. These entitled comments from Mahomes and Reid are gonna turn them into the next New England.
– IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
AFC
1) Baltimore
2) Miami
3) Kansas City
4) Jacksonville
5) Cleveland
6) Pittsburgh
7) Indianapolis
Hold up, ALL these teams are also 7-6?!: Houston, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Denver
Still alive, but not likely getting in: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, Tennessee
Au Revoir: New England

NFC
1) San Francisco
2) Dallas
3) Detroit
4) Tampa Bay
5) Philadelphia
6) Minnesota
7) Green Bay
Hold up, ALL these teams are also 6-7?!: Los Angeles, New Orleans, Atlanta, Seattle
Needs a little help: Chicago, New York
Needs a lot of help: Washington
Needs the planets to align in the perfect way: Arizona
See you, Space Cowboy: Carolina
– Divisions that can be wrapped up this weekend…

NFC West: San Francisco wins division with a win or a Rams loss
– Week 14 MVP: Another career best week for Brock Purdy as the Niners continue to cruise to the postseason. Honorable mention to Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson, and Christian McCaffrey
– Week 14 Dud: Trevor Lawrence, despite his best efforts, made costly picks that send Jacksonville down a notch. Dishonorable mention to everyone involved in the Vikings/Raiders game.

Los Angeles Chargers (5-8) @ Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)
Another potential slog of a match on Amazon Prime. Vegas needs to regain themselves after their offense was an embarrassment last week, and what better way to do so than by playing the Chargers? LA might as well get comfortable sitting at home without Justin Herbert to bail this team out.
Pick: Las Vegas

Minnesota Vikings (7-6) @ Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)
With the Bengals starting a decent backup, it’s games like these that make Minnesota wish they still had Cousins. Josh Dobbs was only good against the NFC South, and Nick Mullens is equally washed. Bengals win here and complicate the AFC playoff race even further.
Pick: Cincinnati

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) @ Indianapolis Colts (7-6)
The magic number is 20, Indianapolis. You hit that on the scoreboard, and Pittsburgh can’t touch you.
Pick: Indianapolis

Denver Broncos (7-6) @ Detroit Lions (9-4)
While Denver’s run is still pretty good to watch, I think Detroit snaps out of their funk from last week and posts up multiple touchdowns to get a comfortable win here.
Pick: Detroit

Chicago Bears (5-8) @ Cleveland Browns (8-5)
Is Joe Flacco really going to luck his way back into the playoffs at his current age? This is a movie waiting to happen.
Pick: Cleveland

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7) @ Green Bay Packers (6-7)
Outside the NFC South, I can’t take the Bucs seriously, even if it’s against a Packers team that can’t decide how they want to play in the final stretch.
Pick: Green Bay

Houston Texans (7-6) @ Tennessee Titans (5-8)
I can’t lie, the comeback win by Tennessee was nice to watch, at the expense of a wrong pick. Houston needs to get their act together if they want to sneak past the Jags to win the NFC South, and I think they prove Tennessee’s recent win was a fluke.
Pick: Houston

New York Jets (5-8) @ Miami Dolphins (9-4)
Kudos to the Jets for ending their losing streak, but now they play a Dolphins team that’s angrier than they were before the Black Friday romp.
Pick: Miami

Kansas City Chiefs (8-5) @ New England Patriots (3-10)
Despite KC’s setbacks as of late, they’re still heavy favorites to win what should be an easy game.
Pick: Kansas City

New York Giants (5-8) @ New Orleans Saints (6-7)
Let’s go with the crazy pick here. The Saints are worse than their record dictates, while the Giants are benefitting from playing mediocre-to-bad teams as of late.
Pick: New York

Atlanta Falcons (6-7) @ Carolina Panthers (1-12)
These games aren’t even worth talking about anymore. We really went from “Cam Newton vs Matt Ryan” to “Bryce Young vs Desmond Ridder”. Carolina’s entire season is a lost cause and they’re playing without any heart for the remainder of the year.
Pick: Atlanta

Washington Commanders (4-9) @ Los Angeles Rams (6-7)
Last Sunday proved that the Rams have a lot left in the tank if they were able to go toe-to-toe with a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Expect that same energy when they add further reasons for Ron Rivera to continue cleaning his office out in DC.
Pick: Los Angeles

San Francisco 49ers (10-3) @ Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
All in all, this season was what I expected for Arizona. They got to upset a few teams, and they get to explore the NFL draft market with a top 3 pick incoming. Only time will tell if they waste said pick, but then again, the whole team is a mess.
Pick: San Francisco

Dallas Cowboys (10-3) @ Buffalo Bills (7-6)
A potential trap game; we just saw Buffalo stun the Chiefs in Arrowhead, but the Chiefs are worse than last year’s championship team. Dallas is firing on all cylinders right now and it’s a foolish thought to go against the grain here.
Pick: Dallas

Baltimore Ravens (10-3) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5)
Trevor isn’t out for the season, so thankfully the ankle injury wasn’t serious. Unfortunately for Jacksonville, Baltimore is playing like a legit Super Bowl team 98% of the time this year and is only a few wins away from making the AFC run through Maryland to get to the big game.
Pick: Baltimore

Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) @ Seattle Seahawks (6-7)
I highly doubt the Eagles lose three in a row, especially against a struggling Seahawks offense. Barring any miracles, I think Geno Smith “writes back” at the end of this season.
Pick: Philadelphia

Unless something crazy happens, I intend to do a writeup for Week 16. There won’t be a writeup for Week 17 as I will be with my family for Christmas.

Hickman’s NFL Week 14 picks, where I discuss THAT playoff system and a solution for the NFC South…

Week 13 performance: 10-3
Wrong picks: Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Jacksonville
Overall record: 134-59
Fantasy Football: I picked the right week to start Brock Purdy and Deebo Samuel. Those two plus Derrick Henry helped me get a huge win to move up to 6-7

What I learned in Week 12…
– On a different subject, but well worth discussing:

Florida State got hosed.

I’ve seen all the debates online, each with their own side of the story, but the fact remains that an undefeated conference champion from a power 5 conference is not playing in the College Football Playoffs. In response to all the nitpickers…

Them: “Florida State didn’t play anybody”
Rebuttal: Florida State had more wins against bowl teams than anyone ranked above them.

Them: “Florida State’s strength of schedule was 55th, Alabama’s was 5th.”
Rebuttal: Michigan’s strength of schedule was 51st and they’re #1. Contradict much?

Them: “FSU struggled against Boston College and Florida.”
Rebuttal: Alabama struggled against Arkansas, South Florida, and Auburn.

Them: “FSU only scored 16 points against Louisville.”
Rebuttal: FSU played a team that scored an average of 33 points a game and held them to only six points.

Them: “FSU wouldn’t get far in the CFB with a third string quarterback.”
Rebuttal: I guess Ohio State’s championship win in 2014 shouldn’t have happened then, considering their third stringer was playing.

Them: “Maybe FSU should’ve won 49-6 against Louisville.”
Rebuttal: Soooo defense doesn’t matter? Guess Alabama’s 2011 title win over LSU is null and void as well.

Them: “FSU was gonna get blown out by Michigan anyway.”
Rebuttal: You mean like TCU was supposed to get blown out by them last year?

To all the Florida State fans: you have every right to be frustrated. Instead of playing for a national title, your team is playing Georgia in the Orange Bowl in a battle where both teams got snubbed from the top 4 and probably don’t care one bit about this game.

One of three things happens here:
1) Florida State wins and lays claim to being the 2023 National Champions, regardless of how the CFB goes
2) Georgia wins and we never speak of this again
3) Neither team shows up to play

Next year will begin the 12-team playoff format, so hopefully this debate never happens again. This year? They could have added two games at the last minute because money talks. Texas vs Georgia in a play-in game (3 vs 6), Alabama vs FSU in a play-in game (4 vs 5). Lowest seed that advances plays Michigan, the other advancing team plays Washington.
– This is where I’d say the Panthers were more competitive under Chris Tabor due to a change in culture, but in reality, the Buccaneers are not a good team this season. In fact, no one in the NFC South is a good team this season. Let’s break it down and see who is left for each team in that division in the race for a blowout loss against either Dallas or Philadelphia…

Atlanta (6-6): Tampa Bay, Carolina, Indianapolis, Chicago, New Orleans
New Orleans (5-7): Carolina, NY Giants, LA Rams, Tampa Bay, Atlanta
Tampa Bay (5-7): Atlanta, Green Bay, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Carolina
Carolina (1-11): New Orleans, Atlanta, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay

Simply put, every team here… I mean, 75% of these teams here, are in control of their own destiny. Win out, and they’re in. Carolina, well… maybe they can play the spoiler role somewhere. Atlanta has a nice defense, but not much else. New Orleans has decent quarterbacks, and nothing else. Tampa Bay has excellent wide receivers, but no one worthwhile to throw to them. Carolina… has nice team jerseys, I guess. I’m banking on the Falcons winning this division at either 9-8 or 8-9.

At this point though, the division is such a hot mess that I’d be perfectly down with Florida State winning the NFC South division and going to the playoffs.
– While I’m not ready to call Bryce Young a bust yet, I will note that he has yet to have a game with 250 passing yards this season.

Andy Dalton had 368 passing yards and three touchdowns in his only start for Carolina. Call me crazy, but I think the Panthers win at least 4 games if they had just started him all year. Sure, 4-7 is not good, but it would still be contending in a garbage division and it’d be better than 1-11.

They had the 9th pick in this year’s draft before the trade. They could’ve easily started Dalton all year and used that pick on the offensive line and still have DJ Moore. This franchise doesn’t improve until Tepper sells it.
– I know last week I said it would take moving Heaven and Earth for the Eagles to lose again, but I definitely also went with that upset special of San Francisco over Philly, and how did that turn out?

Please click here to see an accurate description of my predicting skills.

Exactly.

San Francisco when both Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey are healthy become world beaters again. Brock Purdy played at the top of his game and made calculated moves with great results. There’s zero reason for the Eagles to be concerned; they’re still going to get in the playoffs when it’s all said and done. However, the wins have to keep coming now, because not only are the 49ers and Lions on Philadelphia’s heels for the top seed, but there’s the possibility that the Cowboys sneak up and steal the NFC East from the defending champions. Considering the rematch is in Cowboys stadium, that division is still up for grabs. Speaking of which, when is that game?

Uh oh.
– Imagine having an offense so bad that you can barely score 10 points on the Arizona Cardinals.

Your 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers, ladies and gentlemen.
– I have to admit, that was a really nice home crowd supporting the Dolphins last Sunday.

…wait, that game wasn’t in Miami? Oh boy…

The Commanders are in shambles. Ron Rivera is just as bad at calling defense as Jack Del Rio was. Sam Howell spends a lot of time running for dear life. The Riverboat just confirmed his 10th losing season in 13 years of coaching (yet somehow has 5 playoff appearances, two of which were division titles with losing records). They traded Chase Young to San Francisco, where he’s part of a world beating team and they probably got nothing in return for it. They haven’t won a playoff game since 2005 when they upset Tampa Bay (which I actually predicted correctly, soooooo let’s just put this here again! >_>) They haven’t won more than 10 games in a single season since 1991. At the end of the day, you can change the name, change the owner, and change the players, but one thing remains the same: Washington is still going to Washington their way out of playoff contention.
– I don’t know what was more sad about the Patriots game:

1) The Patriots not scoring any points
2) The Chargers not scoring any touchdowns

That was not a clean win. Fire Staley yesterday, please and thank you.
– Jacksonville’s season might be in jeopardy, pending on the status of Trevor Lawrence’s injury. Their backup QB is CJ Beathard, best known for being a waste of space in San Francisco where he had a starting record of 2-10. With that said, here is Jacksonville’s schedule in the final stretch: Cleveland, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Tennessee.

With Lawrence, they only run the risk of losing to Baltimore. With Beathard, they run the risk of only beating Carolina. Now that Jacksonville is only one game ahead of the Texans and Colts, the AFC South isn’t a lock anymore.
– IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED NOW
AFC
1) Miami
2) Baltimore
3) Kansas City
4) Jacksonville
5) Pittsburgh
6) Cleveland
7) Indianapolis
Right there: Houston
Not far behind: Buffalo, Denver, Cincinnati
Actually pretty far behind: Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Tennessee, New York
Is Belichick going to retire at the end of this season?: New England

NFC
1) Philadelphia
2) San Francisco
3) Detroit
4) Atlanta
5) Dallas
6) Minnesota
7) Green Bay
Right there: Los Angeles, Seattle
Needs help: New Orleans, Tampa Bay
Probably not happening: Chicago, New York, Washington
Definitely not happening: Arizona
Don’t hire Belichick: Carolina
– Week 13 MVP: Brock Purdy making strides towards being a legit MVP candidate with a killer performance against the Eagles. Honorable mention to Dak Prescott and Deebo Samuel.
– Week 13 Dud: Panthers interim coach Chris Tabor for having 3rd and 1 AND 4th and 1 and choosing to pass both times when Chuba Hubbard had 104 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Dishonorable mention to the College Football Playoff selection committee.

New England Patriots (2-10) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5)
Imagine a team being so bad that they use Bill Belichick instead of an actual player when advertising this game on Amazon. The Steelers might be starting Mitch Trubisky here, which is anyone’s guess at this point. However, with how bad all of New England’s offense is, this one should be any trouble when we watch the Steelers win 9-3.
Pick: Pittsburgh

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7) @ Atlanta Falcons (6-6)
Only taking the Bucs because…
1) I need an upset
2) The Falcons are a very fraudulent 6-6 and Tampa Bay’s wide receivers could have a field day here
3) I want the NFC South to continue being a mess this season
Pick: Tampa Bay

Detroit Lions (9-3) @ Chicago Bears (4-8)
With how their last game ended, it’s very possible for the Bears to be a spoiler alert, but I can’t see it. This Lions team tends to learn from their mistakes quickly, plus with Green Bay all of a sudden being good again, these guys need to keep winning if they want to host a game in January.
Pick: Detroit

Indianapolis Colts (7-5) @ Cincinnati Bengals (6-6)
Maybe the season isn’t over yet for Cincinnati. While not great, Jake Browning managed to do just enough to take advantage of a team losing their QB and get his first career win. Indianapolis has a worse defense than Jacksonville, Gardner Minshew is still only backup material, and they’re playing in Ohio? Give me the (slight) upset.
Pick: Cincinnati

Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4) @ Cleveland Browns (7-5)
If the Jaguars put their chips on the table with Beathard, they’re not beating the Browns, regardless of who starts in Cleveland.
Pick: Cleveland

Carolina Panthers (1-11) @ New Orleans Saints (5-7)
This will be a chance to see if Week 13 was just a fluke or a step in the right direction without Frank Reich. That said, the Saints are still an all-around better team and I can’t in good conscience pick Carolina to win their way out of a wet paper bag, let alone here.
Pick: New Orleans

Houston Texans (7-5) @ New York Jets (4-8)
Robert Seleh: “Zach, our team is struggling!”
Zach Wilson: “Man, that’s crazy. Good luck!”

The Jets might be starting Brett Rypien against the Texans. Houston should have this one wrapped up by the end of the first quarter.
Pick: Houston

Los Angeles Rams (6-6) @ Baltimore Ravens (9-3)
That small run was nice while it lasted for the Rams. No shame in losing to a Super Bowl contender.
Pick: Baltimore

Minnesota Vikings (6-6) @ Las Vegas Raiders (5-7)
As far as I’m guessing, this might be the Passtronaut’s last chance. Minnesota still has a formidable team, and they’re just as inconsistently consistent as their opponents, so I think there’s a chance for a Vikings W here.
Pick: Minnesota

Seattle Seahawks (6-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (9-3)
This is not the game the Seahawks wanted. Getting blown out at home is one thing. Losing your playoff position and then having to travel to the Bay area to play a team that just destroyed Philadelphia on their own field? That’s beyond rough.
Pick: San Francisco

Buffalo Bills (6-6) @ Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)
As much as I’d like to think Buffalo gets a win after being well-rested, I don’t see the Chiefs dropping two in a row, even if this year’s KC isn’t the world beaters they once were.
Pick: Kansas City

Denver Broncos (6-6) @ Los Angeles Chargers (5-7)
At the beginning of the season, this would be an easy Chargers pick. However, Los Angeles has deteriorated quickly (in typical Charger fashion) and fans are frothing at the mouth waiting for Brandon Staley to get the pink slip. Denver is 5-1 in their last six games, and honestly is just a crazy catch away from being 6-0 in that same stretch.
Pick: Denver

Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
By no means am I saying the Eagles are in trouble, but this is not the game they want after last week. The Cowboys have been firing on all cylinders since losing to the Eagles last month and Dak Prescott is even in consideration for MVP at the rate he’s been throwing. It won’t be a blowout, but I think the Cowboys break even with the Eagles this year.
Pick: Dallas

Tennessee Titans (4-8) @ Miami Dolphins (9-3)
It goes without saying that no team gets to pick their schedule, but Miami really got gifted a bunch of easy wins this season. They’re 8-0 against teams below .500 and 1-3 against teams .500 or greater. Hopefully that doesn’t bite them come playoff time, but then again, the 1972 Dolphins are immortalized in NFL lore forever and only six of those 17 wins were against teams .500 or better.
Pick: Miami

Green Bay Packers (6-6) @ New York Giants (4-8)
The Packers might get in the playoffs after all under Jordan Love, and who’d have thunk it?
Pick: Green Bay

As some of my readers know, I have two more entries left in me before the holiday break starts (and the Week 16 writeup is literally under severe crunch time, since I gotta submit it here on Monday the 18th and travel to visit family on Tuesday the 19th). Week 17 will simply be posted in the same Week 16 post on my Facebook, and then I’ll be back in time to have a full fledged Week 18 post, because…

1) All Week 18 games are on Sunday, giving me between Wednesday and Saturday to submit the article here.
2) Work put me on night shift starting January 3rd, giving me all the time in the world to type that week up. At least it’s only four nights.

Hickman’s NFL Week 12 picks, where I discuss what every team is thankful for…

Week 11 performance: 10-4
Wrong picks: Minnesota, Pittsburgh, LA Chargers, Washington
Overall record: 112-52
Fantasy Football: My opponent had every player cook this past Sunday. Drills Mafia struggles hard at 4-7

What I learned in Week 11…
– We’re not discussing the Panthers game, I knew they were getting washed.
– How does Brandon Staley still have a job? Analysts say he’s currently in the hot seat as of late.

As of late?! His seat should’ve been hot the moment his team blew a 27 point lead to Jacksonville in the playoffs. Fast forward to Week 12 of this season where the Chargers have a next generation talent QB and are in the same division as the Broncos and Raiders and are somehow in last place. Brandon Staley’s seat should literally be ashes right now.
– A loss to the Tommy Devito-led Giants might drive the nail even further for Ron Rivera’s stay in Washington. It’s hard to see because I like the guy, but the cons outweigh the pros on his resume. The ugliest part? Only three winning seasons in a span of 13 years as a head coach, despite somehow winning three consecutive division titles during his time in Charlotte.
– The last time the Detroit Lions were 8-2 to start the season? 1962

I was negative 23 years old, which I know isn’t a thing. My dad was 3. JFK was President of the United States. The Madden series wouldn’t be released for another 26 years, but electric football was runnin’ WILD for 14 years at this point. The Super Bowl wouldn’t be a thing for another four years.

I don’t know what magic Dan Campbell pulled off to get Detroit to be world beaters all of a sudden, but I’m for it. It’s him versus Ryans for Coach of the Year.
– It was only a matter of time in Pittsburgh, simply because Matt Canada couldn’t thrive off of close calls forever. A gut-wrenching 13-10 loss to a Browns team without Watson or Chubb and led by Dorian Thompson-Robinson was the final blow before the Steelers sent their offensive coordinator packing.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Steelers handle things moving forward, and they better act fast because there’s half a dozen teams nippin’ on their heels.
– It took nine months, but Philadelphia got quiet revenge on the Chiefs, taking them down in Arrowhead in what was basically a stressful game on both sides of the ball.

Kansas City has Vegas twice, Green Bay, Buffalo, New England, Cincinnati, and Los Angeles left; the worst I see them going in that stretch is honestly 6-1 (MAYBE 5-2 if Vegas catches them by surprise one time).

Philadelphia has the Giants twice, Dallas, Buffalo, San Francisco, Seattle, and Arizona; the worst I see them going in that stretch is possibly 4-3, with Dallas, San Francisco, and Buffalo potentially being problem children.
– An incredibly tough break in Cincinnati, as Joe Burrow will be on injured reserve for the first time since 2020, very likely dashing any chance the team had at a third straight playoff appearance.

In a very competitive AFC North division, someone had to be the caboose. 12 weeks later, we finally found that, it seems.
– IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED NOW
AFC
1) Baltimore
2) Kansas City
3) Jacksonville
4) Miami
5) Cleveland
6) Houston
7) Pittsburgh
Needs help: Buffalo
Needs Joe Burrow to heal in record time: Cincinnati
Needs Russ to finally COOK: Denver
Needs Gardner Minshew to learn how to throw: Indianapolis
Needs extra help: Las Vegas
Needs Aaron Rodgers: New York
Needs to fire Brandon Staley: Los Angeles
Needs to prepare for 2024: Tennessee
Needs the planets to align to have any hope of making the postseason: New England

NFC
1) Philadelphia
2) Detroit
3) San Francisco
4) New Orleans
5) Dallas
6) Seattle
7) Minnesota
Only relevant because their division is hot garbage: Atlanta, Tampa Bay
Literally two games behind the Passtronaut and Geno Smith: Washington, Green Bay, Los Angeles
If only all their games were against Washington: New York
Imagine getting two top five draft picks: Chicago
Very likely not making the playoffs this year: Arizona
Very likely not making the playoffs this year AND next year: Carolina
– Week 11 MVP: Brock Purdy has a stellar performance for this week’s honor. Honorable mention to Calvin Ridley.
– Week 11 Dud: Sam Howell watched his stock drop as a starting quarterback. Dishonorable mention to Bryce Young.

Green Bay Packers (4-6) @ Detroit Lions (8-2)
What Green Bay is thankful for: They can lose early and spend the rest of the weekend enjoying Thanksgiving!
What Detroit is thankful for: Dan Campbell. He only needed three seasons to get Detroit to be good again.
Pick: Detroit

Washington Commanders (4-7) @ Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
What Washington is thankful for: By this time next year, they might have a different coach.
What Dallas is thankful for: This easy schedule that’s allowed them to keep up with the Eagles.
Pick: Dallas

San Francisco 49ers (7-3) @ Seattle Seahawks (6-4)
What San Francisco is thankful for: When his weapons are healthy, that Brock guy is Purdy good >_>
What Seattle is thankful for: Over half of the NFC for being a trash conference this season so they can still make the playoffs, despite the struggle.
Pick: San Francisco

Miami Dolphins (7-3) @ New York Jets (5-5)
What Miami is thankful for: Josh Allen’s collapse, Aaron Rodgers’ injury, and Mac Jones’ existence, all allowing the Dolphins to finally lay waste to the East.
What the Jets are thankful for: Their defense could get them to the playoffs as a #7 seed, just in time for Aaron Rodgers to inspire a comeback playoff run.
Pick: Miami

New Orleans Saints (5-5) @ Atlanta Falcons (4-6)
What New Orleans is thankful for: Atlanta’s impressive ability to lose games to quarterbacks with either inexperience or a wide gap of time in between starts.
What Atlanta is thankful for: At the rate things are going, Arthur Smith has a maximum of 7 weeks left as the team’s coach.
Pick: New Orleans

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) @ Cincinnati Bengals (5-5)
What Pittsburgh is thankful for: They didn’t have to play the Bengals until after Joe Burrow got hurt.
What Cincinnati is thankful for: Hey, with Joe Burrow out the rest of the year, the Bengals might land a top ten pick and get a vital offensive piece to help them on their 2024 Super Bowl run! Sometimes it’s about the long game >_>
Pick: Pittsburgh

Carolina Panthers (1-8) @ Tennessee Titans (3-7)
What Chicago is thankful for: That top draft pick they’re about to receive next season.
What Carolina is thankful for: David Tepper not being immortal. Someday he will sell the team, or die.
What Tennessee is thankful for: Eventually, the season will come to a merciful end.
Pick: Carolina (always a risky pick, but the Titans might be imploding really hard and I want an upset pick)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) @ Indianapolis Colts (5-5)
What Tampa Bay is thankful for: Their opponents for having either fragile or bad quarterbacks.
What Indianapolis is thankful for: Their opponents for playing in the NFC South division.
Pick: Indianapolis

New England Patriots (2-8) @ New York Giants (3-8)
What New England is thankful for: At the rate this team is playing, we might be seeing either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye in a Patriots jersey next season, and both would be better than Mac Jones.
What the Giants are thankful for: The Washington Commanders. If the Giants only had them every week of the season, they’d potentially be 17-0.
Pick: New York

Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3) @ Houston Texans (6-4)
What Jacksonville is thankful for: The rest of the AFC South being in a constantly-rebuilding state.
What Houston is thankful for: Potential Coach of the Year candidate DeMeco Ryans, and especially Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate CJ Stroud; the dude just does not miss.
Pick: Jacksonville (a tough call, but I doubt the Texans sweep the Jags)

Cleveland Browns (7-3) @ Denver Broncos (5-5)
What Cleveland is thankful for: Their defense being able to carry a team without Deshaun Watson or Nick Chubb.
What Denver is thankful for: Their defense being able to contain inexperienced quarterbacks or catching experienced QBs off guard, in spite of their offense being an inconsistent mess.
Pick: Denver

Los Angeles Rams (4-6) @ Arizona Cardinals (2-9)
What the Rams are thankful for: Every once in awhile, they surprise analysts and win games against the grain. Also, they still got a ring two years ago, even if it means spending the next five years having a raging Super Bowl hangover.
What Arizona is thankful for: New beginnings. Something tells me they try for Williams or Maye in the draft.
What Kyler Murray is thankful for: The new team he starts on next season.
Pick: Los Angeles

Kansas City Chiefs (7-3) @ Las Vegas Raiders (5-6)
What Kansas City is thankful for: On the plus side, their only losses are against really good teams (Detroit and Philly) and that one time Denver caught Mahomes with the flu.
What Las Vegas is thankful for: They fired Josh McDaniels; as far as I’m concerned, Christmas came two months early for the Raiders.
What I’m thankful for: Look, the Taylor Swift stuff is annoying, no question about that. However, if sitting through Swift/Kelce means we see or hear absolutely nothing about the Mahomes family, I’m all for it.
Pick: Kansas City

Buffalo Bills (6-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles (9-1)
What Buffalo is thankful for: If they miss the playoffs, their fans will riot. If they make the playoffs, their fans will still riot.
What Philadelphia is thankful for: Jalen Hurts, who is a nearly-immaculate 25-3 since the beginning of last season, putting this team on his back.
Pick: Philadelphia

Baltimore Ravens (8-3) @ Los Angeles Chargers (4-6)
What Baltimore is thankful for: Cleveland losing Watson, Cincinnati losing Burrow, and Pittsburgh’s laughable offense for making Baltimore’s division title run easier than it looks.
What the Chargers are thankful for: Brandon Staley’s job being on thin ice. Having this team lose to the Packers and Titans might be the most Charger thing the Chargers have done in 11 months.
Pick: Baltimore

Chicago Bears (3-8) @ Minnesota Vikings (6-5)
What Chicago is also thankful for, besides the Carolina pick: When Justin Fields is on, he’s really on.
What Minnesota is thankful for: All the teams that delegated Josh Dobbs to either backup status or readily willing to dismiss him after half a season.
Pick: Minnesota

Wednesday traveling makes this week’s entry harder to do under such short notice, but it’s still my favorite week to write about every year. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Hickman’s NFL Week 11 picks, where I discuss The Passtronaut, Bryce Young’s beginning, and a curse returning to action…

Week 10 performance: 7-7
Wrong picks: Atlanta, Carolina, Baltimore, Cincinnati, New Orleans, NY Jets, Buffalo
Overall record: 102-48
Fantasy Football: Another one slips. Drills Mafia falls to 4-6

What I learned in Week 10…
– I’m ready to admit I was wrong. From 2017 to October of this year, Josh Dobbs was either a rarely-used backup on good teams, or a starting quarterback on bad teams. Dobbs was given a raw deal when he had to start for a Titans team that was on a wicked losing streak en route to missing the playoffs last season, and said bad luck continued when he was the starting QB for the Cardinals for 2 months. After losing his starting position to Clayton Tune, Dobbs was traded to the Vikings, a team in desperation mode without Kirk Cousins.

Now, some of this could be credited to the fact that the NFC South is complete booty this year, but Josh Dobbs already has more wins with the Vikings than he had on all his other teams combined. The guy’s doing this without Justin Jefferson and he’s not afraid to scramble for necessary yards, as proven in the past two weeks. On top of that, his TikToks since joining the Vikings are practically second to none in terms of quality.

So this is my public apology for doubting Minnesota’s current starting quarterback, who in recent weeks has become the best story in the NFL this season. On November 5th, I did more than just swear the oath of enlistment at Mercedes Benz Stadium; I witnessed the birth of The Passtronaut as he dunked on the Falcons in the clutch.

No, the best story is not Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Kansas City’s lucky The Passtronaut wasn’t on the Vikings when they met last month >_>
– As if losing to a debuting Will Levis and Josh Dobbs with only 3 days to learn the Vikings playbook wasn’t embarrassing enough, the Atlanta Falcons outdo themselves by losing to a quarterback that hasn’t played a single snap in 11 months.

With that, I’m predicting Arthur Smith’s position is open by December at the rate the Falcons are collapsing. This team gets a week off to prepare for their first meeting with New Orleans, who may be without Derek Carr for a brief period of time. New Orleans shouldn’t have to worry, however, because this is the Falcons and they’ll find a way to lose.
– Atlanta isn’t the only NFC South team embarrassing themselves though. It goes without saying that the 2023 Carolina Panthers are one of the four worst teams in franchise history, right up there with the disastrous seasons the team had in 1998, 2001, and 2010. The icing on the cake was watching the top pick of the draft lose to a team led by an undrafted rookie quarterback from a Division II school on prime time television. With that said, I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here and discuss both sides of the sword when it comes to Bryce Young. A certain graphic has been mentioned with various quarterbacks compared to Bryce…

First 7 starts for these rookie QBs…
Matthew Stafford: 1-6
Jared Goff: 0-7
Joe Burrow: 1-5-1
Trevor Lawrence: 1-6
Bryce Young: 1-6

Now, looking at that, there’s reason to believe Bryce can rebound in 1-2 years. However, here’s what that statistic fails to mention…

1) Stafford, Burrow, and Lawrence were legitimately drafted to the worst teams in the league at the time. The Rams traded up to get Tennessee’s #1 draft pick in 2016 and the Panthers did the same to get Chicago’s in 2023.
2) The Lions, Bengals, and Jaguars were still bottom-feeding teams at the end of each rookie’s season, but they had first round picks the following year. Those teams responded by drafting Ndamukong Suh, Jamarr Chase, and Travon Walker, respectively.
3) The Rams fired Jeff Fisher before the 2016 season ended and banked on Sean McVay in 2017. Also they might just be an anomaly considering they didn’t have a first round pick in 2017 either, but found a diamond in the third round with Cooper Kupp.

The Panthers are right now in position for Chicago to get the top pick in next year’s draft, and knowing the front office’s history, there’s little hope for a quick turnaround. Above everything else, however, Bryce Young desperately needs an offensive line, which is nothing new in Carolina. Cam needed one. Delhomme needed one. Beuerlein probably needed one and still wouldn’t have benefited from it.
– My early pick for coach of the year is Demeco Ryans if the Texans make it to the playoffs this season. This kind of turnaround is mighty impressive so far. Others in the mix are Nick Sirianni, Mike McDaniel, and Antonio Pierce if the Raiders get in the playoffs.
– Imagine paying $230 million for a quarterback that hasn’t played a full season since 2020.

Deshaun Watson is ruled out for the year after sustaining injuries against Baltimore. After a few days of scans, the call was made. Now, Cleveland has to rely on their inconsistent backups and still not have Nick Chubb in the back field.

Credit where it’s due to Watson for having that dog in him against the Ravens, but his finest days are far behind him. Cleveland really should have just stuck with Baker.
– Now it’s time for Buffalo to panic. Josh Allen looks like he did back in 2018, inexperienced and clueless, and the Bills are paying for it, having dropped 3 of their last four games (two of which were to teams they had zero business losing to). To add to this, as if things couldn’t get any worse for the Bills, we watched their front office drop the ball terribly. Imagine a team whose defense gave away a game to the Broncos and a special teams unit that couldn’t properly count to 11, and the next thing you know, the offensive coordinator gets fired instead of either the defensive coordinator or the special teams coach. Buffalo replaced Ken Dorsey this past week with Joe Brady, who was a vital asset in the Panthers finishing with 5 wins two years in a row when he was their offensive coordinator.

With that, let’s mention every Madden NFL cover artist since Madden NFL 2013, and you’ll see the point I’m going to get to…

Madden NFL 2013 cover artist: Calvin Johnson, who set the single season record for most receiving yards in a year with 1964. I considered this to be the year the Madden Curse stopped being relevant.
2014 cover artist: Barry Sanders for PS3/360, Adrian Peterson for PS4/Xbox One versions. Adrian Peterson only played one game before being sidelined all season due to personal allegations.
2015: Richard Sherman, who did pretty well for himself and helped the Seahawks make it to their second-straight Super Bowl. While it’s true that they lost, their loss was in no way caused by Sherman.
2016: Odell Beckham Jr, who statistically had his best season ever in 2015-16.
2017: Rob Gronkowski, who became the first Madden cover star to win a Super Bowl ring the same year he appeared on the cover. Yes, I’m aware he got injured in this season, but he won a Super Bowl ring. That literally cancels out all effects of the curse.
2018: Tom Brady, who was the regular season MVP and threw for 500+ yards in the Super Bowl. Yes, the Patriots lost that Super Bowl, but that’s a team effort. Individually, Brady was a beast that year and that cancels out the curse.
2019: Antonio Brown, who had a career high 15 touchdowns, despite playing in only 15 games in that particular season. Yes, I’m well aware of AB’s meltdowns following this season, but the Madden Curse is only supposed to affect athletes during the season in which they appear on the cover, not afterwards.
2020: Patrick Mahomes, who won the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl MVP in the season he appeared on the cover. No, don’t try to tell me “But Mahomes got injured though”; he came back from said injury (which lasted only two weeks and the Chiefs went 1-1 in that stretch), won nine games in a row, and came back from double-digit deficits in all three of his playoff games to bring the Lombardi back to Kansas City for the first time in five decades.
2021: Lamar Jackson, who won his first career playoff game just a few months after appearing on the cover.
2022: Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, who both had outstanding seasons and were MVP candidates.
2023: John Madden; this year really doesn’t count because it was paying homage to the man himself.

Annnnnnnd we get to 2024, where the cover artist is Josh Allen. Allen currently leads the league in interceptions, his special teams unit can’t count to 11 properly, his team’s defense has allowed teams like Denver, New England, and the Jets to embarrass them, and finally, above all things, his team once again has found a way to lose a game in 13 seconds, leading to the firing of their offensive coordinator and replacing him with someone worse.

The Madden Curse is plotting a comeback after a decade of silence, and it started by messing up an entire team in the process.
IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY
AFC
1) Kansas City
2) Baltimore
3) Jacksonville
4) Miami
5) Pittsburgh
6) Cleveland
7) Houston
Right there: Cincinnati
Can’t count to 11: Buffalo
Needs a little help: Las Vegas, Indianapolis
Needs extra help: New York, Los Angeles, Denver
Might be beyond help: Tennessee
Definitely losing the bye week this Sunday: New England

NFC
1) Philadelphia
2) Detroit
3) San Francisco
4) New Orleans
5) Seattle
6) Dallas
7) Minnesota
I mean… one of these teams might win the South: Atlanta, Tampa Bay
Really needs one of teams ranked 5 through 7 to lose: Washington
Might be dead in the water anyway: Green Bay, Chicago, Los Angeles
Geeeeez this conference is terrible this year: New York, Arizona
Making sure Chicago gets that top pick: Carolina
– Week 10 MVP: Some good ones here and there, but I gotta hand it to Dak Prescott for the consistency, even if it only was the Giants he was playing. Honorable mention to Brock Purdy and Keenon Allen.
– Week 10 Dud: Yeah, this one has to go to Josh Allen unfortunately. Dishonorable mention to Jordan Love and everyone on the Titans.

Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) @ Baltimore Ravens (7-3)
If the Bengals didn’t lose on Sunday, this pick would’ve been a little easier to make. Both teams are still playing very well, the only difference is Baltimore’s been playing well all season, while Cincinnati finally started playing well two weeks ago.

This is a tough call, but with their off and on reputation, I can’t see Cincinnati breaking even with the Ravens here.
Pick: Baltimore

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) @ Cleveland Browns (6-3)
With Cleveland having to resort to their backups, both who are worse than DW, they’re going to spend Sunday getting rocked by the Steelers’ defense.
Pick: Pittsburgh

Chicago Bears (3-7) @ Detroit Lions (7-2)
Take note that the Lions are posting at least 30-40 points against multiple teams, while Chicago couldn’t even muster to break 20 against the Panthers. This one’s just a simple road stop on the Lions road to the playoffs.
Pick: Detroit

Los Angeles Chargers (4-5) @ Green Bay Packers (3-6)
The Packers won’t be so lucky this time against an LA team. The Chargers have proven to be better than the Rams on a few occasions this year and Herbert’s offensive scheme will be too much for the Packers’ offense to handle.
Pick: Los Angeles

Las Vegas Raiders (5-5) @ Miami Dolphins (6-3)
Antonio Pierce’s mentorship will truly be put to the test here. The Raiders have performed exceptionally better since he took over for McDaniels, but Miami is well-rested and ready to pick up where they left off. The Dolphins are still one of the AFC’s best teams and should have no trouble getting by Vegas.
Pick: Miami

New York Giants (2-8) @ Washington Commanders (4-6)
In their last meeting, the Giants at least had game manager Tyrod Taylor ready to upset Washington. Now, they’re utilizing Tommy Devito, who is neither A) the character from Goodfellas or B) related to Danny Devito. The Commanders win in order to keep both their playoff hopes and Rivera’s coaching job alive.
Pick: Washington

Dallas Cowboys (6-3) @ Carolina Panthers (1-8)
Honestly, I think more fans would show up if Tepper announced he was just gonna replay the Thanksgiving game from 2015 on the jumbo screens.
Pick: Dallas

Tennessee Titans (3-6) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3)
The Jaguars was expectedly stunned against a 49ers team that was determined to silence any doubters. Luckily for them, the Titans are not by any means a good team this season and are playing like they’re about to implode. Jacksonville wins and gets back in the right direction.
Pick: Jacksonville

Arizona Cardinals (2-8) @ Houston Texans (5-4)
The Cards are a different team with Kyler Murray at the helm, but remember, it was only against the Falcons. Houston is playing aggressive right now and that win over Cincinnati was a very bold statement.
Pick: Houston

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) @ San Francisco 49ers (6-3)
…you saw what the 49ers did to Jacksonville, right? And we expect Tampa Bay to match up?
Pick: San Francisco

New York Jets (4-5) @ Buffalo Bills (5-5)
We saw what the Jets did to Buffalo at the beginning of the year, but they had something to prove since Aaron Rodgers got hurt in the opening drive. Since then? New York’s offense has failed to find the end zone on multiple occasions. Meanwhile, Josh Allen is about to play like his starting position is on the line.
Pick: Buffalo

Seattle Seahawks (6-3) @ Los Angeles Rams (3-6)
As the Rams continue to figure out a solution to their offense without Stafford, the Seahawks waste no time visiting Sofi Stadium and leaving with a W.
Pick: Seattle

Minnesota Vikings (6-4) @ Denver Broncos (4-5)
Denver’s win streak has been pretty impressive, even if it was either close calls or playing a flu-stricken Mahomes. Now they get the Passtronaut to visit Mile High Stadium in what should be an interesting prime time special.
Pick: Minnesota

Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) @ Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
We end week 11 with the Super Bowl rematch, and possibly a preview of the postseason at the rate things are going. With their only hiccup being the Jets upset, the Eagles have played better all season than the Chiefs have, even if only by a slight margin. Rest assured when the clock hits zero, the Swift that will be getting publicity will be in an Eagles jersey, not the one in Arrowhead’s luxury box.
Pick: Philadelphia

I’m aware that the two wins were only against NFC South teams, but in all seriousness, I’m hoping the best for Dobbs. He’s finally gotten a chance to put in work on a good team and he somehow manages to combine being humble with having a bit of swagger like he knows what he’s been doing the whole time.