Some Week 2021 Week 2 Series Trivia

 What a week! It started with a great game between the Cowboys and Bucs and ended with another great game between the Ravens and Raiders. I really  enjoyed the Saints' beatdown of Green Bay, though I hoped they would preserve the shutout. But remember, the season is only one game old There are no conclusions to draw at this time. Now that Week 1 is in the books, let's take a look at Week 2.

New York Giants vs Washington: The Giants lead the series 105-69-4 and have won their last 5 meetings dating back to 2018. The Giants also lead the series at Washington 48-39-2. The postseason series is tied 1-1. Ironically, both games were shutouts, but not the last time each team has shut out the other. They first met in a Divisional Playoff game in 1943, where Washington blanked the Giants 28-0. Their last postseason meeting was in the 1986 NFC Championship game, when the eventual Super Bowl Champion Giants won 17-0. The overtime series is 2-2-1, with the Giants winning the last one 41-35 in 2019. The last time the Giants shut out Washington was 36-0 in 2005. The last time New York shut out the Team was 27-0 in 1979. Their last tie was the overtime tie, 7-7 in 1997.

Cincinnati vs Chicago: The Bengals lead the series 6-5, winning the last two meetings dating back to 2013. The Bears trail the series at home 2-4 and are 1-2 at Soldier Field since 1992. They have never met in the postseason. Cincy leads the overtime series 2-0, last beating the Bears 31-28 in 1992. The last time Chicago shut out the Bengals was 24-0 in 2001. Cincy has never shut out the Bears.

Houston vs Cleveland: The Texans lead the series 7-4 and are 5-1 against Cleveland since 2008. The Browns lead the series at home 3-2, but are 1-2 there since 2008. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Los Angeles Rams vs Indianapolis: The Colts lead the series 23-20-2, but the series is 2-2 since 2013. Indy leads the series at home 14-6-2, but again, the series there is tied at 2-2 since 1986. Though the series started in 1953, they have never met in the postseason. They have also never gone to overtime. There is only one shutout in the series, a Rams beatdown of the then Baltimore Colts 48-0. Their last tie was 24-24 in 1967.

Buffalo vs Miami: The Dolphins lead the series 61-52-1, but the Bills are 7-1 since 2017. Miami also leads the series at home 35-21-1 but are 2-3 there since 2016. Buffalo leads the postseason series 3-1, their last meeting a 24-14 Dolphins win in the 1999 AFC Wildcard round. The Bills are 2-1 in overtime, losing their last overtime game 34-31 in 2016. The last time Buffalo shut out the Dolphins was 19-0 in 2013. The last time Miami shut out the Bills was 28-0 in 1985. Their only tie was 14-14 in 1968.

New England vs New York Jets: The Patriots lead the series 69-54-1 and have won the last 10 meetings. The Jets trail the series at home 32-29 and are 2-6 there since 2013. New England leads the postseason series 2-1, but the Jets won their last meeting in the 2011 AFC Divisional Round 28-21. New York is 4-2 when games in the series go to overtime, winning the last two times. The last time New England just out the Jets was 33-0 in 2019. The last time New York shut out the Patriots was 6-0 in 1993. Their only tie was 24-24 in 1966.

San Francisco vs Philadelphia: The Niners lead the series 19-14-1, but the series is 2-2 since 2011. San Francisca leads the series in Philadelphia 10-5-1 and is 3-1 there since 2005. They met only once in the postseason, a 14-0 Niners win in 1996. This is also the last time San Francisco shut out the Eagles. They are 1-1 going into overtime.The Niners won the last overtime game 31-28 in 2003. Philly has never shut out the Niners. Their only tie was 10-10 in 1956.

Las Vegas vs Pittsburgh: The Raiders lead the series 16-13 and is 3-1 since 2012. Pittsburgh leads the series at home 8-5 and is 4-1 there since 2003. The postseason series it tied 3-3 and is one of the greatest postseason rivalries out there. The Raiders won the last two postseason meetings dating back to the 1976 AFC Championship game. They never went to overtime. There is only one shutout in the series. In 1974, the then Oakland Raiders blanked the Steelers 17-0.

New Orleans vs Carolina: The Saints lead the series 28-25 and is 9-2 against Carolina since 2016. New Orleans also leads the series at Carolina 14-12, winning the last four meetings. The Saints lead the postseason series 1-0, winning at home in the NFC Wildcard game 31-26 in 2018. Carolina leads the overtime series 1-0, winning 23-20 in 2003. The last time Carolina shut out the Saints was 13-0 in 1997. New Orleans has never shut out the Panthers.

Denver vs Jacksonville: The Jaguars lead the series 7-6 and is 4-2 against the Broncos since 2007. Jacksonville leads the series at home 3-2, but trails Denver 2-1 since 2005. The postseason series is tied 1-1, with the Broncos winning in the 1997 Wild Card game 42-17. They never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Minnesota vs Arizona: The Vikings lead the series 17-11 and is 5-1 against the Cardinals since 2010. This is also their first ever meeting in September. Arizona leads the series at home 7-6 and is 3-1 there since 2003. Minnesota leads the postseason series 2-0, both games in the Divisional Round. The Vikings won their last postseason meeting 41-21 in 1998. Minnesota won their only overtime game 30-24 in 1995. The only time Minnesota shut out the Cardinals was 28-0 in 1991. Arizona has never shut out the Vikings.

Atlanta vs Tampa Bay: The Falcons lead the series 28-27, but Tampa Bay is 3-1 in the series since 2019. The Bucs lead the series at home 15-14, but is 2-4 there since 2015. They never met in the postseason. The Falcons lead the overtime series 3-2, winning the last time 28-22 in 2019. The last time Tampa Bay shut out the Falcons was 27-0 in 2004. The last time Atlanta shut out the Bucs was 17-0 in their first ever meeting in 1977.

Dallas vs Los Angeles Chargers: The Cowboys lead the series 6-5 and is 4-1 since 2003. Los Angeles trails the series at home 2-4 and is 2-3 there since 1983. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other. They first met in 1972 when Dallas won 34-28.

Tennessee vs Seattle: The Seahawks lead the series 10-7 and is 6-2 since 1994. Seattle also leads the series at home 7-2, but the series is tied 1-1 since 2010. Their only postseason meeting was in the AFC Wildcard game in the strike shortened season of 1987. Houston won in overtime 23-20. They are 1-1 in overtime, with the Seahawks winning the last time 13-10 in 1990. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Kansas City vs Baltimore: The Chiefs lead the series 7-4, but Baltimore won their last four meetings dating back to 2015. Kansas City also leads the series at home 5-1, winning their last two games there. The Ravens won their only postseason meeting in the 2010 AFC Wildcard game 30-7. Their only game that went to overtime was in 2018, when the Chiefs won 27-24. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Detroit vs Green Bay: The Packers lead the series 104-72-7, winning their last four meetings.Green Bay also leads the series at home 61-27-4, but the series is 2-2 there since 2017. The Packers also lead the postseason series 2-0, both games in the Wildcard Round. Green Bay won their last postseason meeting 16-12 in 1994. The overtime series is 2-2, the last time being a 16-13 Packer win in 2005. The last time Detroit shut out the Packers was 31-0 in 2018. The last time Green Bay shut out the Lions 26-0 in 2009. There were shutouts early in the series, including when the Lions had another team name. In 1933, Green Bay shut out the then Portsmouth Spartans 17-0. In their first meeting as the Detroit Lions, they shut out the Packers 3-0 in 1934. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1973.

Here are some historical scores on this week's matchups on September 19:

 

1982  New York Jets 31 - New England 7 

1982  Houston Oilers 23 - Seattle 21 

1999  Detroit 23 - Green Bay 15

2004  Jacksonville 7 - Denver 6

2010  New York Jets 28 - New England 14

Have a great day!!

Some 2021 Week 1 NFL Series Trivia

 It's been a while since I posted anything. After living through Hurricane Ida, it feels good to have the time (at least for now) to post again. Let's rock & roll!

Dallas vs Tampa Bay: The Cowboys lead the series 15-4, including the postseason. Dallas won the last two games dating back to 2016. The series is tied in Tampa Bay with the Bucs winning 10-6 in 2015. Dallas leads the postseason series 2-0. Their last playoff game was in the 1982 Wild Card, a 30-17 Cowboys win. The Cowboys lead the overtime series 1-0, when they won 27-24 in 1983. The last time Dallas shut out the Bucs was 16-0 in 2003. Tampa Bay has never shut out the Cowboys. 

Philadelphia vs Atlanta: Philadelphia leads the series 20-15-1, with the Falcons winning three of the last four meetings. Atlanta leads the series at home 9-8, winning the last three meetings there since 2011. The Eagles lead the postseason series 3-1, the last one was a 15-10 Divisional Round win from the 2017 season. There is only one overtime game in the series, a 23-17 win for the Eagles in 1985. The last time Philly shut out the Falcons was 16-0 in 1986. Atlanta has never shut out the Eagles. In fact, the only time the Falcons ever held Philly to a single digit score was a 27-3 win in 1969. Their only tie was 13-13 in 1970.

Pittsburgh vs Buffalo: The Steelers are 16-11 in the series, but Buffalo won the last two meeting dating back to 2019. The Bills lead the series 8-6 at home, but the Steelers are 4-2 there since 1999. Pittsburgh leads the postseason series 2-1, winning their last meeting in the 1995 Divisional Round 40-21. They only went to overtime once, in 2010, and the Steelers won 19-16. The last time Pittsburgh shut out the Bills was 23-0 in 1993. The last time Buffalo shut out the Steelers was 13-0 in 1982.

Minnesota vs Cincinnati: The Vikings lead the series 7-6, but they are 3-3 since 1995. Cincy leads the series at home 6-1 and are 3-0 there since 1995. They never met in the postseason or went to overtime. The last time Cincinnati shut out the Vikings was 14-0 in 1980. Minnesota never shut out the Bengals.

San Francisco vs Detroit: The 49ers lead the series 38-28-1, going 10-1 since 1996. Detroit leads the series at home 18-14 and is 5-3 there since 1984. The postseason series is tied 1-1. They last met in the postseason in 1983, when the Niners won 24-23. They never went to overtime. The last time San Francisco shut out the Lions was 49-0 in 1961. The last time Detroit shut out the 49ers was 24-0 in 1960. Their only tie was 20-20 in 1961.

Arizona vs Tennessee: The Cardinals lead the series 7-4, winning the last two meetings dating back to 2013. Surprisingly, Arizona leads the series at the Titans/Houston Oilers 4-2, winning two of the last three meetings dating back to 1994. They never met in the postseason. They went to overtime once, with the Cardinals winning 37-34 in 2013. There is only one shutout in the series. In their first ever meeting in 1970, the St. Louis Cardinals spanked the Houston Oilers 44-0.

Seattle vs Indianapolis: The Colts lead the series 7-5, going 2-2 since 2005. Indy leads the series at home 3-1, going 2-0 since 2009. They never met in the postseason, even when Seattle was in the AFC. They also never went to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Los Angeles Chargers vs Washington: The Team leads the series 7-4, but the Chargers are 4-1 since 2001. Washington leads the series at home 5-1 with the last two games since 2005 going to overtime. They never met in the postseason. They are 1-1 in overtime, the last game going to Washington in 2013, 30-24. There is only one shutout in the series. In their first ever meeting in 1973, Washington dominated the San Diego Chargers 38-0.

New York Jets vs Carolina: The Panthers lead the series 4-3, with Carolina going 3-1 since 2005. Carolina leads the series at home, 3-1. They have never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Jacksonville vs Houston: The Texans lead the series 25-13, going 12-2 since 2014. Houston also leads the series at home 14-5, going 3-0 since 2018. They are 1-1 in overtime, the last game going to the Texans 43-47 in 2012. They never met in the postseason. The last time Houston shut out the Jaguars was 21-0 in 2004.The last time Jacksonville shut out the Texans was 27-0 in 2003.

Cleveland vs Kansas City: The Chiefs lead the series 14-11-2, including the postseason, winning the last four games since 2013. Kansas City leads the series 10-3-1 at home and is 6-1 at Arrowhead since 1988. They met in the postseason for the first time last season. As most fans know, the Chiefs won that game in the Divisional Round 22-17. They only went to overtime once. In 2006, the Browns won 31-28. There is only one shutout in the series. Kansas City blanked Cleveland 34-0 in 1990. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1989.

Miami vs. New England: The Dolphins lead the series 57-54, including the postseason, but the Patriots are 6-5 against the Fins since 2016. New England leads the series at home 37-18, going 11-1 there since 2009. The Patriots lead the postseason series 2-1, the last time in 1997 in the Wildcard Round, when they won 17-3. Miami leads the overtime series 4-3, but New England won their last one 19-13 in 2003. The last time New England shut out the Dolphins was 43-0 in 2019. The last time Miami shut out the Patriots was 21-0 in 2006.

Green Bay vs New Orleans: The Packers lead the series 17-9, but New Orleans is 4-3 since 2006. The Saints also trail in the series at home 6-7, but are 3-1 since 2002. For the upcoming game, the Saints are at home in Jacksonville, FL. In another bit of trivia, the first win the Saints ever had in the Superdome was in 1975, edging the Packers 20-19. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other, but New Orleans has never held Green Bay to less than 10 points.

Denver vs New York Giants: New York leads the series 7-6, but the series is 2-2 since 2005. The Giants also lead the series at home 5-2, but the Broncos won their last visit at Giants Stadium, which was the Manning Bowl, in 2013, 41-23. They met in the postseason once, with the Giants winning Super Bowl XXI, 39-20. They never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Chicago vs Los Angeles Rams: The Bears lead the series 54-38-3 and are 6-3 versus the Rams since 2006. Los Angeles leads the series at home 24-23-1 and are 3-1 there since 2013. They are 1-1 in the postseason, their last meeting being a 24-0 spanking by the Bears over the Rams in the NFC Championship game in 1985. This was also the last time Chicago shut out the Rams. They never went to overtime. The last time Los Angeles shut out the Bears was 26-0 in 1973. Their last tie was 13-13 in 1972.

Baltimore vs Las Vegas: The Ravens lead the series 9-3, but the series in 2-2 since 2015. The Raiders trail the series at home 2-3, but they are 1-1 since 2015. Baltimore won their only meeting in the postseason, a 16-3 win in the 2000 AFC Championship game. The never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Here are a couple of historical scores of this week's games played on September 12:

2005 Atlanta 14 - Philadelphia 10

2011 New England 38 - Miami 24

I will write posts as long as time allows. At some point, I will narrate these and add the audio.

Have a great day!!

Some 2018 NFL Draft Trivia

It's been too long since my last sports post. There is a ton of stuff out there about the players and what kind of future they have, as well as a plethora of stats.

This post is a bit different. The trivia here involves the teams at their pick location as well as the university where the player selected came from. In Cleveland's case, they had the first pick in the draft before and other Oklahoma Sooners have been picked with the first selection. The players previously chosen will only have listed the year they were drafted. When featuring the university players chosen with a pick, the year and team who drafted them will be listed. Also, if a team trades a pick away, then it will be treated as if that team never had that pick. Hence, the team having the pick is the team who made the pick

This post will only cover the first round. Now let's have some fun.

1. Cleveland Browns - QB Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma  - This is the fourth time the Browns have had the first overall pick and the third where they picked a quarterback. Their previous three first overall picks were busts, QB Bobby Garrett (1954), QB Tim Couch (1999), and DE Courtney Brown (2000). Mayfield is the fourth Oklahoma Sooner to be picked first overall. The other three are Hall of Famer DE Lee Roy Selmon (1976 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers), RB Billy Sims (1980 - Detroit Lions), and QB Sam Bradford (2010 - St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams).
2. New York Giants - RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State  - This is the third time the Giants have had this pick, The first, HB Skippy Minisi (1948) played for only one season. They fared better with the second one, Hall of Famer LB Lawrence Taylor (1981). Barkley is the third Nittany Lion selected second overall. The other two were first round bust RB Blair Thomas (1990 - New York Jets) and LB LaVar Arrington (2000 - Washington Redskins).
3. New York Jets - QB Sam Darnold, USC - This is the fourth time the Jets had this pick. The first is DB and future LSU head coach Jerry Stovall (1963), but he chose the NFL and played nine season for the St. Louis Cardinals. The next two fared better, RB Matt Snell (1964), and RB Freeman McNeil (1981). Both were solid performers for the team. Darnold is the third Trojan picked third overall. The other two were AFC Central foes fared well in their careers, Hall of Famer T Anthony Munoz (1980 - Cincinnati Bengals) and LB Chip Banks (1982 - Cleveland Browns).
4. Cleveland Browns - RB Denzel Ward, Ohio State - This is only the second time they had this pick. The first is WR/P Gary Collins (1962), who played ten seasons with the team. Ward is the fourth Buckeye to be selected with this pick. The others are T Chris Ward (1978 - New York Jets), QB Art Schlichter (1982 - Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts), and current Dallas Cowboy RB Ezekiel Elliott (2016).
5. Denver Broncos - DE Bradley Chubb, North Carolina State - This the third time the Broncos have had this pick. They drafted DB Kermit Alexander (1963), but he chose the NFL to play for the San Francisco 49ers. However, they fared better the second time, drafting TE Riley Odoms in 1972. He played 11 seasons with the team. Chubb is the first Wolfpack alum to be picked with this selection.
6. Indianapolis Colts - G Quenton Nelson, Notre Dame - This is the second time the Colts have had this pick. The first time was from they were still in Baltimore, selecting LB Barry Krauss in 1979. He played ten seasons for the Colts and a season for the Miami Dolphins. Nelson is the seventh Golden Domer to be selected with this pick. The others were C Frank  Szymanski (1945 - Detroit Lions), G Jerry Groom (1951 - Chicago Cardinals), T Frank Varrichione (1955 - Pittsburgh Steelers), FB Nick Pietrosante (1959 - Detroit Lions), Hall of Fame WR Tim Brown (1988 - Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders), and current Baltimore Raven T Ronnie Stanley (2016).
7. Buffalo Bills - QB Josh Allen, Wyoming - This is the second time Buffalo had this pick. They selected TE Paul Seymour (1973), who played five seasons with the team. Allen is the first Wyoming alum to be selected with this pick.
8. Chicago Bears - LB Roquan Smith, Georgia - This is the sixth time the Bears have had this pick. Their other selections had average careers. They are E Les McDonald (1937), WR/TE Jim Dooley (1952), DT Wally Chambers (1973) T Dennis Lick (1976), and WR David Terrell (2001). Smith is the second Bulldog selected with this pick. The first was draft bust G Royce Smith (1972 - New Orleans Saints).
9. San Francisco 49ers - T Mike McGlinchey, Notre Dame - This is the sixth time the Niners have had this pick. The others had respectable or better NFL careers. They were Hall of Fame RB Hugh McIlhenny (1952), DT Charlie Krueger (1959), RB Bernie Casey (1961), DE Cedric Hardman (1970), and RB Wilbur Jackson (1974). McGlinchey is the fifth Notre Dame alum who was selected with this pick. Three of them were drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles: E John Yonakor (1946), QB Frank Tripucka (1949), and draft bust FB Neil Worden. The fourth was DT Mike Fanning (1975 - Los Angeles Rams).
10. Arizona Cardinals - QB Josh Rosen, UCLA - This is the sixth time the Cards have had this pick. They are T Bill Fischer (1949), LB Jerry Tubbs (1957), LB Eric Hill (1989), LB Jamir Miller (1994), and QB Matt Leinart (2006). Rosen is the fourth Bruin selected with this pick. The others, including the aforementioned Jamir Miller, are 49ers: DT Bill Sandifer (1974) and J.J. Stokes (1995).
11. Miami Dolphins - S Minkah Fitzpatrick, Alabama - This is the second time they had this pick. The other played defense as well, DE Bill Stanfill (1969). Fitzpatrick is the second Bama alum selected with this pick. The other is current Los Angeles Charger T D.J. Fluker (2013).
12. Tampa Bay - DT Vita Vea, Washington - This is the fourth time the Bucs have had this pick. The other three were selected in consecutive years. They are Hall of Fame DT Warren Sapp (1995), DE Regan Upshaw (1996), and RB Warrick Dunn (1997). Vea is second Huskie to be selected with this pick. The first is current Cleveland DT Danny Shelton (2015).
13. Washington Redskins - DT Da'Ron Payne, Alabama - This is the third time the Skins have had this pick. The others selected here were draft bust RB Ray McDonald and current Tennessee Titan LB Brian Orakpo. Payne is the first Bama alum to be selected with this pick.
14. New Orleans Saints - DE Marcus Davenport, Texas - San Antonio - This is the third time the Saints have had this pick. The previous two picks have had productive careers. They selected DE Renaldo Turnbull (1990) and current Saint and last year's Super Bowl Champion with the Eagles, DB Malcolm Jenkins (2009). Davenport is the first Roadrunner selected with this pick.
15. Oakland Raiders - T Kolton Miller, UCLA - This is the third time the Raiders have had this pick. They did okay with the first one, Marc Wilson (1980) but the second was a bust, T John Clay (1987). Miller is the first Bruin to be selected with this pick.
16. Buffalo Bills - LB Tremaine Edmunds, Virginia Tech - This is the fifth time the Bills have had this pick. Two of them played on the Super Bowl teams and one is a current player. The Super Bowl players are G Jim Ritcher (1980) and DB James Williams (1990). RB Ronnie Harmon played in a Super Bowl, but it was for the San Diego Chargers. The current player selected with this pick is now Oakland Raiders QB E.J. Manuel. Edmunds is the first Hokie selected with this pick.
17. Los Angeles Chargers - S Derwin James, Florida State - This is the first time the Chargers have had this pick. James is the second Seminole select the other is longtime Oakland Raider and now current Seattle Seahawk player K Sebastian Janikowski (2000).
18. Green Bay Packers - CB Jaire Alexander, Louisville - As long as the Packers have been around, this is only the second time they had this pick. The first was DE/LB Tony Bennett (1990). Alexander is the second Cardinal selected with this pick. The first is current Jacksonville Jaguar player S Calvin Pryor (2014 - New York Jets).
19. Dallas Cowboys - LB Leighton Vander Esch, Boise State - This is the first time the Cowboys have had this pick. However, this is the second time a Boise State alum has been selected with this pick. The first is current free agent DE Shea McClellan (2012 - Chicago Bears).
20. Detroit Lions - C Frank Ragnow, Arkansas - This is the sixth time the Lions have had this pick. The previous ones are draft bust TE David Lewis (1984), DT Luther Ellis (1995), DB Terry Fair (1998), draft bust T Stockar McDougle (2000), and TE Brandon Pettigrew (2009). Ragnow is the third Razorback to be selected with this pick. The other two are RB Gary Anderson (1983 - San Diego Chargers) and Denver Bronco great S Steve Atwater (1989).
21. Cincinnati Bengals - C Billy Price, Ohio State - This is the fifth time the Bengals have had this pick. Three of those picks are current NFL players and two are still on the roster. The first was WR Tim McGee (1986). TE Jermaine Gresham (2010) just finished his third season with the Arizona Cardinals. The current players are TE Tyler Eifert (2013) and T Cedric Ogbuehi (2015). Price is the third Buckeye selected with this pick. The other two, who had respectable careers, are RB Robert Smith (1993 - Minnesota Vikings) and DB Nate Clements (2001 - Buffalo Bills).
22. Tennessee Titans - LB Rashaan Evans, Alabama - This is the second time the Titans have had this pick. The first was when they were the Houston Oilers, picking RB Lorenzo White (1988), a good selection. Evans is the first Crimson Tide alum selected with this pick.
23. New England Patriots - T Isaiah Wynn, Georgia - This is the third time the Patriots have had this pick and they chose well. The first two are T Bruce Armstrong (1987) and DB Ty Law (1995). Wynn is the first Bulldog alum selected with this pick.
24. Carolina Panthers - WR D.J. Moore, Maryland - This is the first time Carolina has had this pick. Moore is the second Terrapin selected with this pick. The first was DB Chad Scott (1997 - Pittsburgh Steelers).
25.  Baltimore Ravens - TE Hayden Hurst, South Carolina - This is the first time the Ravens have had this pick. Hurst is the second Gamecock to be selected with this pick. The first was DB Rick Sanford (1979 - New England Patriots).
26. Atlanta Falcons - WR Calvin Ridley, Alabama - This is the second time the Falcons have had this pick. The first time, they selected DB Devin Bush (1995). Ridley is the first Bama alum selected with this pick.
27. Seattle Seahawks - RB Rashaad Penny, San Diego State - This is the first time the Seahawks have had this pick. Penny is also the first San Diego State alum to selected with this pick.
28. Pittsburgh Steelers - S Terrell Edmunds, Virginia Tech - This is the fourth time the Steelers have had this pick. Each previous pick was an offensive player and each was the pick of the Super Bowl Champion. They are the late TE Bennie Cunningham (1976), RB Greg Hawthorne (1979) and QB Mark Malone (1980). Like his brother twelve picks ago, Edmunds is the first Hokie to be selected with this pick.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars - DT Taven Bryan, Florida - This is the second time the Jags have had this pick. They swung and missed with draft bust WR R. Jay Soward (2000). Bryan is the second Gator to be selected with this pick. This first is current Los Angeles Ram DT Dominique Easley (2014 - New England).
30. Minnesota Vikings - CB Mike Hughes, Central Florida - This is the third time the Vikings have had this pick, but the first time with it being in the first round. The first two players were second round picks and both were cornerbacks. They are CB Willie Teal (1980) and Isaac Holt (1985). Hughes is the first Central Florida alum selected with this pick.
31. New England Patriots - RB Sony Michel, Georgia - This is the second time the Pats have had this pick. The first time, they drafted LB Chris Slade (1993). Michel is the first Bulldog to be selected with this pick.
32. Baltimore Ravens - QB Lamar Jackson, Louisville - This is the second time the Ravens have had this pick. They first selected current Raven S Matt Elam 2013). Jackson is the second Louisville alum and second Cardinal QB selected with this pick. The first is current Minnesota Viking QB Teddy Bridgewater (2014).

And that's it. As the cliche` goes, the draft is one big crapshoot. These teams may have selected great franchise players, solid players, or awful draft busts. The NFL Draft is a time of hope and let's hope this draft produces a group great players.

Have a great day!!!

2017 NFL Series Trivia - Week 7

Got some good football going on today. How have these rivalries fared in the past? Note: The series records include postseason games.

Tampa Bay vs. Buffalo - The Bucs lead the series 7-3, and are 3-1 against the Bills since 2000. Buffalo last beat Tampa Bay in 2009, 33-20. Until today, that 2009 game was the only of the series ever played in Buffalo. They first met in Tampa Bay's inaugural season in 1976. Buffalo won 14-9. They never met in overtime or in the postseason. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Tennessee vs. Cleveland - Though it's hard to believe by watching them today, the Browns lead the series of these former AFC Central divisional rivals, 35-30. They first met in 1970, when Cleveland won 28-14. The series is tied 16-16 in Cleveland. Since the Browns returned in 1999, they are 5-8 against Tennessee. They met in overtime three times. Cleveland is 3-0 in the overtime series, the last one a 31-28 victory in 2002. They met in the postseason once, in 1988. Bernie Kosar and the Browns won a squeaker against Hall of Famer Warren Moon and the then Houston Oilers, 24-23. The last time Tennessee shut out Cleveland was 24-0 in 2000. The last time Cleveland shut out Tennessee was 20-0 in 1972, when the Titans were the Oilers.

New Orleans vs. Green Bay - The Packers lead the series 16-8, but the series is tied 4-4 since 2000. However, the Saints are 2-10 in the (sometimes) frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. They first met in 1968, then Green Bay won 29-7. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Though each team has scored at least 50 points on each other (Green Bay 52-3 in 2005 and New Orleans 51-29 in 2008), neither team has ever shut out the other.

Baltimore vs. Minnesota - The Ravens lead the series 3-2, but the series is tied 1-1 since 2009. They first met in 1998, when the Vikings won 38-28. Minnesota won the only game of the series at home, 33-31 in 2009. They never went to overtime nor have they met in the playoffs. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Carolina vs. Chicago - This is a game pitting Julius Peppers' first former team against his second former team. Da Bears lead the series 5-4 and is 3-1 against the Panthers since 2010. They first met in 1995, when Chicago won 31-27. The Bears lead the series at home 4-1. Though they never went to overtime, they met in the playoffs once in the 2005 season, with Carolina winning 29-21. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Jacksonville vs. Indianapolis - The Colts lead the series 22-10 and is 7-5 against Jacksonville since 2011. They first met in 1995 when Indy won 41-31. The Colts also lead the series at home 12-4. They never met in the playoffs, but they did go to overtime once. Indy won that 2015 matchup 16-13. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

New York Jets vs. Miami - The Jets lead this AFC East rivalry series 54-49-1 and is 4-3 against Miami since 2014. They first met in 1966 when the Jets won 19-14.  The Dolphins lead the series at home 25-24-1. New York leads the series in overtime 5-0-1. Their last overtime game was a 23-20 Jets win in 2012. They met in the playoffs once, in the 1982 AFC Championship Game. LSU alum A.J. Duhe and the Dolphins blanked the Jets in a rainy game 14-0. This is also the last time Miami shut out New York. The last time the Jets shut out the Dolphins was 24-0 in 2001. Their only tie was 28-28 in 1981.

Arizona vs. Los Angeles Rams - The Cardinals lead the series 38-37-2, but the series is tied 5-5 since 2012. They first met in 1937, when the Chicago Cardinals beat the Cleveland Rams 6-0. The Rams also lead the home series 21-19. They met in the playoffs once, in 1975, when Los Angeles beat the then St. Louis Cardinals 35-23. The Cardinals lead the overtime series 2-1, winning the last overtime meeting 19-13 in 2011. Their last tie was 24-24 in 1953. The last time the Rams shut out the Cardinals was 21-0 in 1979. The last time the Cardinals shut out the Rams was 7-0 in 1942.

Dallas vs. San Francisco - The series is tied 17-17-1, but the Cowboys are 4-1 against San Francisco since 2005. They first met in 1960, when the Niners won 26-14. The series is also tied in San Francisco 9-9. They met in the playoffs seven times and Dallas leads 5-2. Of those postseason games, six were in the NFC Championship game. Their last NFC Championship game was in the 1994 season, when San Francisco won 38-28 and went on to spank the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. They went ot overtime twice, with the Cowboys winning both. Their last overtime game was a 27-24 Dallas win in 2011. Their only tie was 24-24 in 1969. As much as they beat up on each other, neither team has ever shut out the other.

Seattle vs. New York Giants - New York leads the series 9-8, but trails the Seahawks 2-3 since 2008. They first met in 1976, when the Giants won 28-16. The Giants also lead the home series 6-3. They never met in the playoffs, but they did go to overtime once. Seattle won that game 24-21 in 2005. The last time the Seahawks shut out the Giants was 23-0 in 2013. The last time the Giants shut out the Seahawks was 32-0 in 1981.

Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh - The Steelers lead the series of these longtime divisional rivals 60-35, winning the last four games against Cincinnati. The Steelers also lead the series at home 31-16. They first met in 1970, when Pittsburgh won 21-10. They met in the postseason twice, both in the AFC Wildcard Game. The Steelers won both games, winning their last playoff meeting 18-16 in 2015. Pittsburge leads the overtime series 3-1, winning their last one 23-17 in 2006. The last time Pittsburgh shut out Cincinnati was 15-0 in 2000. Cincinnati has never shut out Pittsburgh.

Denver vs. Los Angeles Chargers - The Broncos lead this AFC West divisional rivalry 65-50-1 and is 11-4 against the Chargers since 2011. Los Angeles leads the series at home 33-24. They first met in 1960, when Denver won 41-33. They met in the postseason once, with the Broncos winning 24-17 in the 2013 season. The overtime series is tied 1-1, with then San Diego tying it up 16-13 in 2011. Their only tie was 17-17 in 1970. The last time Denver shut out the Chargers was 12-0 in 1988. The last time the Chargers shut out the Broncos was 23-0 in 1978.

Atlanta vs. New England - The Patriots lead the series 8-6, including their only playoff and overtime meeting, Super Bowl 51, a 34-28 Pats victory. New England's Super Bowl win increased their winning streak against the Dirty Birds to five games. The Patriots also lead the series at home 3-2. The last time New England shut out Atlanta was 34-0 in 1992. Atlanta has never shut out New England.

Washington vs. Philadelphia - The Redskins lead the series 86-74-5 and is 5-2 against the Eagles since 2014. Washington also leads the series at home 42-38-2. They first met in Fenway Park in 1934, when the Boston Redskins won 6-0. They met in the postseason once in the 1990 season, when the Redskins won 20-6. Washington also leads the overtime series 3-1. Their last overtime game was a 20-17 Redskins victory. Their last tie was 7-7 in 1971. The last time Washington shut out Philadelphia was 23-0 in 1991. The last time Philadelphia shut out Washington was 24-0 in 1980.

Here are some historic scores for this week's matchups on October 22:

1939  Cleveland Rams 24 - Chicago Cardinals 0
1967  New York Jets 33 - Miami 14
1967  San Diego Chargers 38 - Denver 21
1972  Cleveland 23 - Houston Oilers 17
1995  New York Jets 17 - Miami 16
2007  Indianapolis 29 - Jacksonville 7

Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 14

A few days after I posted my last entry, I realized that it was Week 13, not Week 14. I regret the error, which has now been corrected. Now let's get to the Week 14 series trivia.

Houston vs Jacksonville - In a battle for Kings of the Cellar, Houston leads the series 13-10 and is 5-1 against the Jaguars since 2011. Jacksonville leads the series at home 6-5 and is 4-2 since 2007. They first met and became divisional opponents in Houston's inaugural season in 2002. The Texans won that game 21-19. They never met in the postseason, but they have gone to overtime twice. The overtime series is tied 1-1. They last went to overtime in 2012, with Houston winning 43-37. The last time Houston shut out Jacksonville was 21-0 in 2004. The last time Jacksonville shut out Houston was 27-0 in 2003.

Oakland vs New York Jets - The Raiders lead the series 23-17-2, but the Jets are 4-2 against Oakland since 2003. New York leads the series at home 10-8-1, winning the last three home meetings. They first met in the AFL in 1960, when the Raiders beat the New York Titans 28-27. They met in the postseason four times, with the series tied 2-2. Their first postseason meeting was the 1968 AFL Championship, when the Jets won 27-23 and went on to win Super Bowl III. They played for the AFC Championship in 2002, when Oakland won 30-10 and went on to lose Super Bowl XXXVII to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They went to overtime twice and the series is tied 1-1. They last went to overtime in 2008. The Raiders won 16-13. The last time the Jets shut out the Raiders was 38-0 in 2009. The last time the Raiders shut out the Jets was in 1985, when the Los Angeles Raiders won 31-0. Their last tie was 28-28 in 1966.

Indianapolis vs Cincinnati - The Colts lead the series 17-9 and are 7-1 against the Bengals since 1998. Cincinnati trails the series at home 3-8, but is 2-1 against Indianapolis since 1996. They first met in 1970 in their only postseason meeting. The Baltimore Colts won that game 17-0 on their way to winning Super Bowl V. This was also the only shutout in the series. They went to overtime once, with the Bengals winning that game 24-21.

Detroit vs Philadelphia - The Eagles lead the series 15-13-2 and is 6-1 against Detroit since 1995. Philadelphia trails the series at home 8-9, but is 4-1 at home since 1995. They first met in 1933, when the Portsmouth Spartans won 25-0. They met in the postseason once, in 1995. Philadelphia won that game 58-37. They went to overtime twice, with the Lions leading 1-0-1. The last time they went to overtime was in 2012, when Detroit won 26-23. The last time Philadelphia shut out Detroit was 12-0 in 1968. The last time Detroit shut out Philadelphia was 21-0 in 1940. Their last tie was 23-23 in 1984.

Kansas City vs Washington - The Chiefs lead the series 7-1, winning the last five meetings. Washington trails the series at home 1-3. Their only win came in 1983, when the Skins won 27-12. They first met in 1971, when Kansas City won 27-20. They never met in the postseason. They never went to overtime, nor are there any shutouts in the series.

Minnesota vs Baltimore - The series is tied 2-2, with Minnesota winning the last meeting in 2009. Baltimore leads the series at home 2-1, winning their last two. They first met in 1998, when the Vikings won 38-28. They never met in the postseason nor did they ever go to overtime. There are no shutouts in the series.

Miami vs Pittsburgh - The Steelers lead the series 13-11, winning the last five meetings. Pittsburgh also leads the series at home, 7-3, winning their last three games against the Dolphins. They first met in 1971, when Miami won 24-21. They met in the postseason three times, with Miami leading 2-1. That includes two AFC Championship games, which is tied 1-1. The winner of every postseason meeting went on to the Super Bowl. Miami won in 1972 and 1984, moving on to winning Super Bowl VII and losing Super Bowl XVIX. The 1972 meeting was a divisional playoff game. Pittsburgh won in 1979 and went on to win Super Bowl XIV. They went to overtime once, in 1994, when the Steelers won 16-13. The last time Pittsburgh shut out Miami was 3-0 in 2007. The last time Miami shut out Pittsburgh was 21-0 in 1998.

Cleveland vs New England - The Browns lead the series 13-9, but New England is 6-2 since 1995. The series is tied in New England at 5-5, with the Patriots winning the last four. They first met in 1971 when the Browns won 27-7. They met in the postseason once, in the 1994 season, when Cleveland won 20-13. They went to overtime once in 1977. The Patriots won that game 30-27. The last time Cleveland shut out New England was 20-0 in 1991. New England has never shut out Cleveland.

Buffalo vs Tampa Bay - The Buccaneers lead the series 6-3, but the series is tied 2-2 since 1991. Tampa Bay leads the series at home 6-2, winning their last two meetings. They first met in Tampa Bay's inaugural season in 1976, when Buffalo won 14-9. They never met in the postseason. They never went to overtime nor has either team shut out the other.

Atlanta vs Green Bay - The Packers lead the series 15-13, with the series tied 2-2 since 2005. Green Bay also leads the series at home 9-5, losing two of their last three meetings at Lambeau Field. They first met in 1966, when Green Bay spanked the Falcons 56-3. They met in the postseason three times and the Packers lead that series 2-1. They last met in the postseason in 2010, when Green Bay won 48-21 on their way to a Super Bowl XLV victory. They went to overtime twice, with the series tied at 1-1. The last time they went to overtime was in 2002, when the Packers won 37-34. The last time Atlanta shut out Green Bay was 20-0 in 1988. The last time Green Bay shut out Atlanta was 23-0 in 1967.

Tennessee vs Denver - The Titans lead the series 22-16-1, but Denver is 3-1 against Tennessee since 2004. However, Denver leads the series at home 10-7-1, with Denver winning their last four meetings. They first met in 1960, when the Houston Oilers won 45-25. They met in the postseason three times, with the Broncos leading the series 2-1. They last met in the postseason in 1992, when the Broncos beat the Houston Oilers 26-24. They never met in overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

New York Giants vs San Diego - The series is tied 5-5, but the Chargers won the last two meetings. The series is also tied 2-2 in San Diego, going 1-1 in their last two meetings there. They first met in 1971 when the Giants won 35-17. They never met in the postseason nor have they ever gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

St. Louis vs Arizona - The Rams lead the series 35-33-2, winners of their last three meetings. Arizona trails the series at home 15-16-2, but is 4-2 against the Rams at home since 2007. They first met in 1937, when the Chicago Cardinals beat the Cleveland Rams 6-0. Their only postseason meeting was in 1975, when the Los Angeles Rams beat the St. Louis Cardinals 35-23. They went to overtime three times, with Arizona leading 2-1. They last went to overtime in 2011, when Arizona won 19-13. The last time the Rams shut out the Cardinals was 21-0 in 1979. The last time the Cardinals shut out the Rams was 7-0 in 1942. Their last tie was 24-24 in 1953.

Seattle vs San Francisco - The Seahawks lead the series 15-14, winning the last two meetings. San Francisco leads the series at home 7-3, winning the last four meetings at Candlestick Park. They first met in Seattle's inaugural season in 1976, when the 49ers won 37-21. They never met in the postseason, but they did go to overtime once. San Francisco won that game in 2008, 33-30. The last time Seattle shut out San Francisco was 24-0 in 2007. San Francisco has never shut out Seattle.

Carolina vs New Orleans - The Panthers lead the series 19-17 and swept the series last year. Carolina also leads the series in New Orleans 10-8. but the Saints are 3-1 in the Superdome since 2009. They first met in Carolina's inaugural season of 1995, when the Panthers won 20-3. They never met in the postseason, but they went to overtime once. Carolina won that game in 2003, 23-20. The only shutout in the series was a 13-0 Panther victory in 1997.

Dallas vs Chicago - The Cowboys lead the series 13-10, but the Bears won the last two meetings. Chicago trails the series at home 5-6, but they are 2-1 at Soldier Field since 1996. They first met in Dallas' inaugural season in 1960, when Chicago won 17-7. They met in the postseason twice, with the Cowboys winning both games. The last time they met in the postseason was a Dallas win in 1991, 17-13. They never went to overtime. The only shutout in the series was a 44-0 blowout by the Bears over Dallas in 1985.

The 2-10 Houston Texans are this week's Kings of the Cellar. Honorable mention goes to the 3-9 Washington Redskins, losers of four straight.

Here are some historical scores for this week's matchups on December 5,

1954  Philadelphia 13 - Detroit 13
1965  Los Angeles Rams 27 - St. Louis Cardinals 3
1971  Philadelphia 23 - Detroit 20
1982  Cincinnati 20 - Baltimore Colts 17
1993  Arizona 38 - Los Angeles Rams 10
2004  New England 42 - Cleveland 15
2004  Carolina 32 - New Orleans 21
2010  St. Louis 19 - Arizona 6

Have a great day!!

Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 13

Although it's Week 13, this is the first series trivia entry of the 2013 season. Let's get started.

Jacksonville vs Cleveland - The Jaguars lead the series 9-5, but Cleveland is 5-3 against Jacksonville since 2001. However, the Jags lead the series in the Dawg Pound 5-2. Jacksonville dominated the beginning of this series, going 6-0 the first three seasons they played each other. They first met in 1995. Jacksonville won 23-15. They last met in 2011, with Cleveland winning 14-10. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. The only shutout in the series was a 48-0 pasting by the Jaguars over the Browns in 2000.

Chicago vs Minnesota - The Vikings lead the series 53-50-2, but the Bears are 7-2 against Minnesota since 2009. The Vikings also lead the series at home, 32-21 and are 8-3 at home against the Bears since 2002. They first met in 1961, when Chicago won 37-13. They went to overtime four times. THe Bears trail the series 1-3, but won the last overtime game in 2009, 36-30. They met once in the postseason. The Bears won that game, 35-18. The last time Chicago shut out Minnesota was 23-0 in 1986. The last time Minnesota shut out Chicago was 17-0 in 1974. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1967.

Arizona vs Philadelphia -  In a battle of former NFC East opponents, the Cardinals lead the series 57-54-5 and are 4-1 against the Eagles, winning three straight since 2009. However, Philadelphia leads the series at home 28-27-3, going 3-2 against Arizona since 2000. They first met in 1935, when the Chicago Cardinals beat the Eagles 12-3. They first played in Philadelphia in 1937, which ended in a 6-6 tie. They went to overtime three times and have a 1-1-1 record. They last met in overtime in 1998, with Arizona winning 20-17. They met in the postseason three times, all of them deciding the NFL or NFC Championship. The Cardinals lead the postseason series 2-1 and were NFL Champions in 1947, defeating the Eagles 28-21. Arizona won the NFC Championship in 2008 and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII. The last time the Eagles shut out the Cardinals, Philadelphia shut out the St, Louis Cardinals 38-0 in 1981. The only time the Cardinals shut out the Eagles, the Chicago Cardinals shut out Philadelphia 13-0 in 1936. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1986.

New England vs Houston - The Patriots lead the series 4-1, only losing to the Texans in 2010. The series is tied 1-1 in Houston. They first met in 2003, which was their only overtime game. New England won that game 23-20. They met in the postseason once, which was a 41-28 Patriot victory last year. There are no shutouts in the series.

Tennessee vs Indianapolis - The Colts lead the series 24-14 and are 9-2 against the Titans, winning the last four games. Indianapolis also leads the series at home 14-7 and are 9-1 against Tennessee since 2002. They first met in 1970, when the Baltimore Colts defeated the Houston Oilers 24-20.  They went to overtime twice and have a 1-1 record. Indy won the last OT in 2012, 19-13. They met in the postseason once, in the 1999 season when Tennessee defeated Indianapolis 19-16, on their way to becoming Super Bowl XXXIV Champions. The only shutout in the series was a 23-0 Colts victory in 2008.

Tampa Bay vs Carolina - The Panthers lead the series 15-11, but the Bucs are 4-3 against Carolina since 2010. Carolina also leads the series at home, 7-6, but that series is tied 4-4 since 2005. They first met in 1995, when Tampa Bay won 20-13. They never met in the postseason, but they did go to overtime twice and have a 1-1 record. The last time they went to overtime was in 2012, when the Buccaneers won 27-21. The only shutout in the series was a 24-0 win by Tampa Bay in 1996.

Miami vs New York Jets - New York leads the series 49-45-1, but the series is tied 3-3 since 2010. The Jets also lead the series at home 27-20, going 4-1 since 2008. They first met in 1966, when the Jets beat the Dolphins 19-14. They met in the postseason once, in the 1982 AFC Championship game. Miami won 23-0 and went on to lose Super Bowl XVII to the Washington Redskins. This was also the last time Miami shut out the Jets. They went to overtime six times. New York owns the overtime series 5-0-1. They last went to overtime in 2012, when the Jets won 23-20. The last time the Jets shut out the Dolphins, was 24-0 in 2001. Their only tie was 28-28 in 1981.

Atlanta vs Buffalo - The Falcons lead the series 6-4, winning the last three. However, Buffalo leads the series at home 3-2, but they're 1-2 against Atlanta in Rich Stadium since 1992. They first met in 1973, when the Bills won 17-6. They never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. The only shutout in the series was in 1977, when the Bills won 3-0.

St. Louis vs San Francisco - The 49ers lead the series 63-62-3, but trail the Rams 8-2-1 since 2008. The series is tied 32-32-1 in San Francisco, but the 49ers are 8-2-1 at home since 2002. They first met in 1950, when the Los Angeles Rams won 35-14. They met once in the postseason, when the 49ers won 30-3. They went to overtime three times. St. Louis leads that series 2-1. They last went to overtime in 2012, when the Rams won 16-13. The last time the 49ers shut out the Rams was 26-0 in 2011. The Rams have never shut out the 49ers.

Denver vs Kansas City - The Chiefs lead the series 56-51, but the Broncos are 9-4 since 2007, winning the last three. Kansas City also leads the series at home 36-17, but Denver is 4-2 in Arrowhead Stadium since 2007. They first met in 1960, when the Dallas Texans beat the Broncos, 17-14. They met in the postseason once, in 1997, when Denver won 14-10, and went on to win Super Bowl XXXII over the Green Bay Packers. They went to overtime five times, with the Broncos leading the series 4-1. They last went to overtime in 2006. Denver won 9-6. The last time Denver shut out Kansas City was 21-0 in 1984. The last time Kansas City shut out Denver was 16-0 in 1970.

Cincinnati vs San Diego - The Chargers lead the series 19-13, but Cincinnati won the last two meetings. San Diego also leads the series at home 10-6 and are 5-2 against the Bengals there since 1992. They first met in 1968, when the Chargers won 29-13. They met in the postseason once, in the 1981 AFC Championship game. The Bengals won 27-7 and went on to lose to San Francisco in Super Bowl XVI. They never went to overtime. The only shutout in the series was a 31-0 Bengals win in 1971.

New York Giants vs Washington - The Giants lead the series 93-65-4, but Washington is 3-1 in the last four meetings. However, Washington trails the series at home, 37-42-2, but they won the last home meetings. They first met in 1932, when the then Boston Braves beat the Giants 14-6. They met in the postseason twice and have a 1-1 record. Their last posteason game was in 1986, when the Giants won 17-0, on their way to beating the Broncos in Super Bowl XXI. They went to overtime four times, with the Redskins leading the series 2-1-1. They last went to overtime in 2003, when New York won, 24-21. The last time the Giants shut out the Redskins was 36-0 in 2005. The last time the Redskins shut out the Giants 27-0 in 1979. In a trivia twist, their only other postseason meeting, a divisional playoff game in 1943, was also a shutout, this time, with Washington winning 28-0.

New Orleans Saints vs Seattle Seahawks - The series is tied 6-6, but Seattle is 4-2 against the Saints since 2000. The Seahawks lead the series at home 4-3 and are 3-1 since 2000. They first met in 1976, when the Saints won 56-27. They never went to overtime, but they did meet in the postseason once, in 2011, when Seattle ran all over New Orleans and won 41-36. There are no shutouts in the series.

The 2-9 Houston Texans are this week's Kings of the Cellar and the 5-6-1 Green Bay Packers are the Honorable Mention until Aaron Rodgers returns.

On a different subject, I completed my NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge with a day to spare. The first draft of my second novel, Second Chance, is complete. My next goal is to finish the final draft of my novella, Rickshaw, New Mexico, and publish it before Christmas.


Here are some historical scores for this week's games played December 1,

1963   Minnesota 17 - Chicago 17
1963   Los Angeles Rams 21 - San Francisco 17
1968   New York Jets 35 - Miami 17
1994   Minnesota 33 - Chicago 27 OT
1996   Tampa Bay 24 - Carolina 0
1996   Baltimore 31 - Pittsburgh 17

Some NFL Draft First Round Trivia

Here we are again. Round 1 is in the books and we have the usual gamut of good picks, bad picks, and trades. A few teams didn't have a pick in this round, such as New England and Tampa Bay. Let's have some fun.

1. The Kansas City Chiefs chose OT Eric Fisher from Central Michigan. Fisher is the first ever Chippewa to be selected with the first pick. This is the second time Kansas City had the first overall pick. The Chiefs also had the first pick in the 1963 AFL Draft and they selected future Hall of Famer Buck Buchanan. 
2. The Jacksonville Jaguars chose OT Luke Joeckel from Texas A&M. Joeckel is the fifth Aggie chosen with this pick. Denver picked LB Von Miller with the second overall pick in 2011. A more infamous Aggie at #2, was in 1992, when Indianapolis picked LB Quentin Coryatt. This is the third time the Jaguars had the second pick. They chose OT Tony Boselli in 1995 and LB Kevin Hardy in 1996. Boselli was one of the best players Jacksonville ever had and Hardy had a respectable NFL career. 
3. The Miami Dolphins made a trade with Oakland to get this pick. The Dolphins selected LB Dion Jordan from Oregon. Jordan is the third Oregon player ever chosen with the third pick. The other two were QB Akili Smith by Cincinnati in 1999 and QB Joey Harrington by Detroit in 2002. Both were busts. This is the first time Miami has had the third pick. 
4. The Philadelphia Eagles chose OT Lane Johnson from Oklahoma. For the first time since 1968, three tackles were chosen with the first four picks. Johnson is the fourth Sooner taken with the fourth pick. Washington chose two, FB Leon Heath  in 1951 and OT Trent Williams in 2010, and RB Joe Washington by San Diego in 1976. Only Heath was a bust. The Eagles had the fourth pick, five other times. Every fourth pick Philly had was a good, except one. The exception was QB Davey O'Brien in 1939, who retired after his second season and joined the FBI. This is the same Davey O'Brien the best college quarterback award is named after. The last time Philadelphia had the fourth pick was in 1984, when they chose WR Kenny Jackson.
5. The Detroit Lions chose DE Ezekiel Ansah from BYU. Ansah is the second Cougar chosen with this pick. The other was QB Jim McMahon by Chicago. This is ironically the fifth time the Lions have had this pick. They have not had any luck with this pick. The first three times were busts (WB Jim Thomason 1941, FB Bob Westfall 1942, and C Joe Watson 1950), one chose to play in the AFL (QB Pete Beathard 1964), but their last #5 pick actually more than a couple of years for the team, DB Bryant Westbrook in 1997. To be fair, Thomason and Westfall fought in WWII before they played. Although Beathard never played a down for the Lions, he played from 1964-73. 
6. The Cleveland Browns chose DE Barkevious Mingo from LSU.  Mingo is the fourth LSU Tiger to be chosen with the #6 pick and LSU picks have fared well here. Two are still playing (DB LaRon Landry in 2007 by Washington and DB Morris Claiborne last year by Dallas) and one is in the Hall of Fame (QB Y.A. Tittle by Detroit in 1948). This is the third time Cleveland had the #6 pick. They first used this pick in 1956 to pick Hall of Fame RB Jim Brown from Syracuse. The other #6 was used in 2004 for TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. from Miami (FL).
7. The Arizona Cardinals chose G Jonathan Cooper from North Carolina. Cooper is the first Tarheel chosen at #7. This is the fifth time the Cardinals had the #7 pick.  Every pick was productive at some level. The last time Arizona had this pick was in 2000, when they picked RB Thomas Jones. He also had the longest playing career of the #7's, playing form 2000-11.
8. Buffalo traded down to get more picks and the St. Louis Rams chose WR Tavon Austin from West Virginia. Austin is the first Mountaineer chosen with this pick. This is also only the second time the Rams had this pick. They last had it in 1969, when the Los Angeles Rams chose RB Larry Smith from Florida. Smith played from 1969-74.
9. The New York Jets chose DB Dee Milliner from Alabama. Milliner is the fourth Crimson Tide player to be chosen with this pick. Only FB Butch Avinger, drafter #9 by Pittsburgh in 1953, was a bust. He played for one year. The last time an Alabama player was chosen with this pick was DB Antonio Langham by Cleveland. This the third time the Jets had this pick. Both of their previous #9's were tight ends who had productive NFL careers (Jerome Barkum in 1972 and Kyle Brady in 1995). 
10. The Tennessee Titans chose OG Chance Warmack from Alabama. Warmack is the first Crimson Tide player taken with this pick. This is also the Titans' first time with this pick, even as the Houston Oilers.
11. To round off the trio of Alabama players, the San Diego Chargers chose OT D.J. Fluker. As with Warmack, Fluker is the first Crimson Tide player ever taken with this pick. This is also San Diego's first time with the #11 pick.
12. From that trade with Miami, the Oakland Raiders picked DB DJ Hayden from Houston. Hayden is the first Cougar player picked 12th. To round out this trio of first timers, this is the Raiders' first time with this pick.
13. In a trade with Tampa Bay, the New York Jets chose DT Sheldon Richardson from Missouri. Richardson is the second Missouri Tiger chosen with this pick. Hall of Fame TE Kellen Winslow was chosen at #13 by San Diego. Richardson is the second player taken at #13 by the Jets. The last time New York had this pick, they chose DB Burgess Owens from Miami (FL). Owens played from 1973-82. 
14. The Carolina Panthers chose DT Star Lotulelei from Utah. Lotulelei is the first Ute chosen at #14. This is Carolina's second time with this pick. In 1997, they chose DE Jason Peter, who only played for a few years.
15. The New Orleans Saints selected S Kenny Vaccaro from Texas. Vaccaro is the second Longhorn choses at #15. The other was LB Derrick Johnson by Kansas City in 2005, who still plays for them. This is the Saints' first time with the 15th pick.
16. From the trade with St. Louis, the Buffalo Bills chose QB E.J. Manuel from Florida State. Manuel is the second Seminole taken with this pick. DT Travis Johnson was taken #16 by the Houston Texans in 2005. This is the fourth time Buffalo had this pick. The previous three had respectable NFL careers, most notably G Jim Ritcher (1980-95) and RB Ronnie Harmon (1986-97). The last time the Bills had this pick was in 1990, when they chose RB James E. Williams from Fresno State.
17. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected LB Jarvis Jones from Georgia. Jones is the second Bulldog chosen with this pick. Cincinnati chose LB David Pollack in 2005, who only played for a couple of seasons.This is Pittsburgh's fifth time with the #17 pick. They last picked DE Keith Gary from Oklahoma in 1981 and WR Charles Johnson from Colorado in 1994, neither one a bust. The only bust was QB/RB Billy Patterson from Baylor, chosen with this pick (in the third round) in 1939. 
18. In a trade with Dallas, the San Francisco 49ers selected S Eric Reid from LSU. Reid is the second LSU Tiger chosen with this pick. St. Louis picked WR Eddie Kennison in 1996, who played for 13 seasons in the league. This is the third time the 49ers had this pick. They chose DB Mike Holmes from Texas Southern in 1973 and DB Dana Hall from Washington in 1992. 
19. The New York Giants chose OT Justin Pugh from Syracuse. Pugh is the second Orange player chosen at #19. Indianapolis chose WR Marvin Harrison in 1996. This is New York's sixth time with this pick. The last one, DB Prince Amukamura, chosen in 2011, is still with the team. Outside of Amukamura and draft bust DB Henry Moore (1956 - Arkansas), the average career span with this group is seven seasons. 
20. The Chicago Bears selected G Kyle Long from Oregon. Kyle, the son of Hall of Fame DE Howie Long and brother of St. Louis DE Chris Long, is the first Duck chosen at #20. This is Chicago's second time at #20 in the first round. They picked DE Dave Gallagher from Michigan, who played in the league until 1979. However, they had the #20 pick five times in the second round, from 1949-63. Only two were busts, both in consecutive years and both OT's: Clyde Brock from Utah State in 1962 and Steve Barnett from Oregon in 1963.
21. The Cincinnati Bengals picked TE Tyler Eifert from Notre Dame. Eifert is the third Fighting Irish player taken with this pick. In 1997, Jacksonville chose DE Renaldo Wynn and in 2003, Cleveland picked C Jeff Faine. Both had respectable NFL careers and Faine still plays in the league and is now a teammate of Eifert with the Bengals.
22. In a trade with St. Louis, the Atlanta Falcons chose DB Desmond Trufant from Washington. Trufant is the first Huskie picked at #22. This is also the first time the Falcons had this pick.
23. The Minnesota Vikings selected DT Sharrif Floyd from Florida. He is the third Gator chosen with this pick. The Houston Oilers chose OT David W. Williams in 1989 and Oakland chose G Mo Collins in 1998. Both played for several years in the NFL. This is Minnesota's second time with #23. They last had it in 1965 and chose WR Lance Rentzel from Oklahoma, who played for nine seasons. 
24. The Indianapolis Colts, fresh of a successful first overall pick last year, chose DE Bjoern Werner from Florida State. Werner is the second Seminole selected with this pick. Pittsburgh drafted DB J.T. Thomas in 1973, who won four Super Bowls with the team. This is Indy's eighth time with the #24 pick. Their last pick, from 2003, is still playing in the league, TE Dallas Clark from Iowa. Between 1958-63, The Baltimore Colts had this pick in the second round. None of those players selected played past 1969.
25. In a trade with Seattle, the Minnesota Vikings returned to the first round and picked CB Xavier Rhodes from Florida State. Rhodes is the third Seminole player chosen at #25. Atlanta picked DB Bobby Butler in 1981 and San Francisco picked RB Dexter Carter in 1990. Both had respectable NFL careers. This is Minnesota's sixth time with this pick, the last three being on defense. They last chose DT Chris Hovan from Boston College in 2000 with this pick. All of Minnesota's #25 picks played for at least seven years.
26. The Green Bay Packers selected DE Datone Jones from UCLA. This is the first time a Bruin was picked at #26. This is Green Bay's sixth time at #26. They last chose LB Clay Matthews from USC with this pick in 2009. In fact, the last three times the Packers had this pick, they chose linebackers (Matthews, John Anderson from Michigan in 1978 and George Cumby from Oklahoma in 1980). Outside of Matthews, the average career span of Green Bay's #26 picks is eight seasons.
27. The Houston Texans chose WR DeAndre Hopkins from Clemson. Hopkins is the second player from Clemson  to be selected with this pick. Green Bay chose FB/K Fred Cone in 1951. He played for nine seasons. This is Houston's second time with this pick. They last chose LB Jason Babin from Western Michigan. Hopkins could be yet another good pick at #27 for the Texans.
28. The Denver Broncos picked DT Sylvester Williams from North Carolina. Williams is the fourth Tarheel to be chosen at #28. The last Tarheel chosen was DB Thomas Smith by Buffalo in 1993. The other two were T Brian Blados by Cincinnati in 1984 and T Glen Szafaryn by Washington in 1949. All had respectable careers. This is Denver's second time with this pick, last selecting DT Trevor Pryce from Clemson in 1997. He played from 1997-2010.
29. In a trade with New England, the Minnesota Vikings once again returned to the first round and selected WR Cordarrelle Patterson from Tennessee. Patterson is the second Volunteer to be chosen with this pick. The Chicago Cardinals chose E Al Hust in 1943. He served in WWII and played one season with the team in 1946. His career stat is one reception for nine yards. This is Minnesota's fifth time with this pick and except for two, they haven't fared very well. Their lone good pick was their first one, Hall of Fame QB Fran Tarkenton from Georgia in 1961. The other was drafted last year out of Notre Dame, FS Harrison Smith.
30. From that trade with Atlanta, the St. Louis Rams chose LB Alec Ogletree from Georgia. Ogletree is the first Georgia Bulldog ever taken with this pick.  This is St. Louis' first time with this pick in Round 1, but it's their tenth time with this pick in other rounds. They last had this pick in 1992 and the Los Angeles Rams chose DB Steve Israel. Historically, the Rams have not fared very well with this pick. Most of the players were busts and two (a 3rd rounder in 1937 and a 5th rounder in 1948) were cut before the season started. Only Israel played for more than just a few seasons, from 1992-2001.
31. In a trade with San Francisco, the Dallas Cowboys picked C Travis Frederick from Wisconsin. Frederick is Wisconsin's first ever pick at #31. This is also Dallas' first time with this pick.
32. The Baltimore Ravens finished off Round 1 by selecting S Matt Elam from Florida. Elam is the first Gator chosen with the 32nd pick. It is also Baltimore's first time with this pick. When the Ravens won Super Bowl XXXV in 2001, they had the 31st pick in 2001. The Houston Texans started drafting players in 2002.

There you have it. Again, the draft is one big crapshoot. Although this is not considered one of the more talent laden drafts, only time will tell. The NFL Draft is a time of hope and let's hope it produces some great players.

Have a great day!!!

Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 17 (Part 2)

Here is the rest of this week's series trivia for the final week of the season. All-time records include postseason games. Also, to clear up any confusion, postseason years reflect the season of the previous year, ie, "They won in the Wild Card round in 2010" is from the 2009 season.

Tampa Bay vs Atlanta: The series is tied 19-19, but Atlanta is 7-2 against the Buccaneers since 2008. The Falcons lead the series at home 10-7, winning the last four games in Atlanta. They never met in the postseason, but they did go to overtime three times. The Falcons lead that series 2-1, winning the last time they went to OT in 2008, 13-10. The last time Tampa Bay shut out Atlanta was 27-0 in 2004. The last time Atlanta shut out Tampa Bay was 17-0 in their first ever meeting in 1977.

Baltimore vs Cincinnati: Baltimore leads the series 19-14 and won their last four meetings by six points or more. The Bengals lead the series at home 9-6 and is 5-2 against the Ravens in Cincinnati since 2005. They never met in the postseason nor have they ever gone to overtime. The last time Baltimore shut out Cincinnati was 16-0 in 2001. Cincinnati has never shut out Baltimore.

Green Bay vs Minnesota: Green Bay leads the series 54-48-1, going 10-3 against the Vikings since 2006 and winning their last four meetings. The series is tied 25-25 in Minnesota, but the Packers are 4-2 in their last six meetings in Minneapolis. They met in the postseason once, in the Wild Card round in 2005, when the Vikings won 31-17. They went to overtime six times. Minnesota leads the OT series 4-1-1, but the Packers won the last time they went to OT in 2000, 26-20. The last time Green Bay shut out Minnesota was 34-0 in 2007. The last time Minnesota shut out Green Bay was 3-0 in 1971. Their only tie was 10-10 in 1978, their first overtime game in the series.

Dallas vs Washington: Dallas leads the series 62-41-2 and is 6-3 against the Redskins since 2008. The series is tied 27-27 in Washington, but the Cowboys are 3-1 against the Redskins in DC since 2008. They met in the postseason twice, both times in the NFC Championship game. The Redskins won both games, first in 1972, 26-3, moving on to lose Super Bowl VII against the undefeated Miami Dolphins 14-7 and in 1983, 31-17, moving on to defeat the not so undefeated Miami Dolphins 27-17 in Super Bowl XVII. They went to overtime three times. Dallas leads the overtime series 2-1, winning the last time they went to OT in 2011, 27-24. The last time Dallas shut out Washington was 17-0 in 2009. Washington has never shut out Dallas. Their last tie was 35-35 in 1962.

Kansas City vs Denver: The former Dallas Texans leads the series 56-49 over Denver and the series is tied 3-3 since 2010. The Broncos lead the series at home 32-20 and are 9-2 against the Chiefs in Denver since 2001. They met in the postseason once, in the Divisional round in 1998. The Broncos won that game 14-10 and went on to break the NFC's 13 game winning streak in Super Bowl XXXII over the Green Bay Packers 31-24. They went to overtime five times. Denver leads the overtime series 4-1, winning the last time they went to OT, 9-6 in 2006. The last time Denver shut out Kansas City was 21-0 in 1984. The last time Kansas City shut out Denver was 16-0 in 1970.

St. Louis vs Seattle: The Seahawks lead the series 17-12 and is 13-3 against the Rams since 2005.  The Seahawks lead the series at home 10-5, winning their last seven meetings in Seattle. They met in the postseason once, in 2005, when St. Louis won in the Wild Card round 27-20. They went to overtime once, in 2004. The Rams won that game 33-27. The last time Seattle shut out St. Louis was 28-0 in 2009. The last time the Rams shut out Seattle was 24-0 in 1979, when they were the Los Angeles Rams.

Oakland vs San Diego: Oakland leads the series 58-46-2, but San Diego is 15-4 against the Raiders since 2003. Oakland leads the series 30-22-1 in San Diego, winning their last two meetings there. They met in the postseason once, in the AFC Championship game in 1981. Oakland won that game 31-27 and went on to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10 in Super Bowl XV. They went to overtime five times. The Chargers lead the overtime series 3-2, but the Raiders won the last time they went to OT in 2003, 34-31. The last time San Diego shut out Oakland was 27-0 in 2006. The last time Oakland shut out San Diego was 24-0 in 1977. Their last tie was 17-17 in 1972.

Arizona vs San Francisco: The 49ers lead the series 25-17 and are 6-1 against the Cardinals since 2009. San Francisco leads the series at home 14-8, winning their last three meetings at Candlestick Park. They never met in the postseason, but they did go to overtime six times. The 49ers lead the overtime series 4-2, winning their last meeting in OT in 2007, 37-31. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Here are some historical scores for teams facing each other this week, December 28:

1987  New England 24 - Miami 10
1997  New England 17 - Miami 3
2002  New York Giants 10 - Philadelphia 7  OT
2003  Indianapolis 20 - Houston 17
2003  San Diego 21 - Oakland 14
2008  Pittsburgh 31 - Cleveland 0
2008  Carolina 33 - New Orleans 31

Here's some lagniappe I found on YouTube, remembering the previously mentioned 1982 NFC Championship game between the Cowboys and Redskins.

Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 17

Here's some NFL series trivia for this week, featuring some rivalries going back to 1930, when Herbert Hoover was president.

Philadelphia vs New York Giants: The Giants lead the series 82-75-2, but the Eagles are 8-2 against their New York rivals since 2008. New York also leads the series at home 46-35-1, but Philadelphia is 5-0 in Giants Stadium since 2008. In the beginning of the series history, the Eagles couldn't buy a win when playing the Giants in New York. From 1933-43, the Giants were 10-0 at home versus the Eagles and shut Philly out five times during that stretch. They met in the postseason four times, twice in the Wild Card round and twice in the Divisional round. The playoff series is tied 2-2, with Philadelphia winning their last meeting in the Divisional round in January 2009, 23-11. They went to overtime seven times. New York leads the overtime series 6-1, the last time a 30-24 Giants win in 2006. The last time the Giants shut out the Eagles was 20-0 in 1998. The last time the Eagles shut out the Giants was 10-0 in 1976. Their last tie was 23-23 in 1973.

Miami vs New England: Miami leads the series 50-44, but New England won the last five meetings. The Patriots lead the series at home 28-18 and are 9-2 against the Dolphins in Foxboro since 2001. They met in the postseason three times. New England leads the playoff series 2-1, winning their last meeting in the Wild Card round in January 1997, 17-3. They met in the AFC Championship game in 1986 for a slot in Super Bowl XX. The Patriots won that game 31-14 and were then spanked by the Chicago Bears 46-10 in that Super Bowl. As with the Eagles vs Giants, the Dolphins and Patriots went to overtime seven times. Miami leads the overtime 4-3, but New England won the last time they went to OT, 19-13, in 2003. The last time Miami shut out New England was 21-0 in 2006. The last time New England shut out Miami was 12-0 in 2003.

Cleveland vs Pittsburgh: The Steelers lead the series 64-57 and are 23-5 against the Browns since their return to the NFL in 1999. The Steelers lead the series at home 40-21. They are 19-2 against the Browns in Pittsburgh since 1990 and won the last eight games at home in the series. They met in the playoffs twice, with Pittsburgh winning both of them, the last one in the Wild Card round in January 2003, 36-33. They went to overtime five times and the Steelers lead that series 4-1. They last went to OT in 2002, which the Steelers won 16-13. The last time Pittsburgh shut out Cleveland was 31-0 in 2008. The last time Cleveland shut out Pittsburgh was 51-0 in 1989.

Chicago vs Detroit: This series goes back to the days when the Chicago Bears played the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930. Chicago leads the series 95-65-5 and is 12-3 against the Lions since 2005. As the Portsmouth Spartans, the Lions trail that series 2-5-1. Detroit leads the series at home 41-39-1, but the Bears are 7-5 in the Motor City since 2000. Throughout their storied rivalry, the Bears and Lions have never met in the postseason. However, they did go to overtime five times. The Bears lead the OT series 4-1, their last overtime game against the Lions, a 19-13 win in 2005. The last time Chicago shut out Detroit was 24-0 in 2001. The last time Detroit shut out Chicago was 20-0 in 1979. Their last tie was 10-10 in 1966.

Carolina vs New Orleans: Carolina leads the series 18-14, but New Orleans is 5-2 against the Panthers since 2009.  The Saints trail the series at home 8-9, but won the last three games against Carolina in the Superdome. They never met in the postseason, but they did go to overtime once. Carolina won that game 26-23 in 2003. The only shutout in the series was a 13-0 win by Carolina in 1997.

Jacksonville vs Tennessee: The Titans lead the series 20-16, but Jacksonville is 4-3 against Tennessee since 2009. Tennessee leads the series at home 9-8, but the series is tied 4-4 in Nashville since 2004. They only met in the postseason once and that was for the 1999 AFC Championship in January 2000. Tennessee won that game 33-14 and went on to lose Super Bowl XXXIV to the St. Louis Rams 23-16. They never went to overtime nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Houston vs Indianapolis: The Colts dominate this series 17-4, with all of their wins against Houston having Peyton Manning as their quarterback. However, the Texans are 3-2 against Indy since 2010. The Colts are 10-0 at home against Houston, including a 19-16 win last season, with Dan Orlovsky as Indy's quarterback. They have never met in the postseason nor have they gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

New York Jets vs Buffalo: The Bills lead the series 54-50, but the Jets are 8-1 against Buffalo since 2008, winning the last six meetings. The Bills lead the series at home 28-23, but New York is 4-0 against Buffalo in Rich Stadium since 2008. They met in the postseason once and Buffalo won that Wild Card game in 1981, 31-27. They went to overtime three times. The Bills lead the that series 2-1, winning the last time they went to OT with the Dolphins 16-13 in 2009. The last time Buffalo shut out the Jets was 37-0 in 1989. The Jets have never shut out the Bills.

Here are some historical scores for teams facing each other this week, December 27:

1981  New York Giants 27 - Philadelphia 21
1981  Buffalo 31 - New York Jets 27
1992  Kansas City 42 - Denver 20
1992  Pittsburgh 23 - Cleveland 13
1992  Minnesota 27 - Green Bay 7
1992  Philadelphia 20 - New York Giants 10
1992  Miami 16 - New England 13 OT
1998  Dallas 23 - Washington 7
1998  New York Giants 20 - Philadelphia 10
2009  Dallas 17 - Washington 0

We also have a little lagniappe today, by observing one of the craziest endings to a game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants, the Miracle At the Meadowlands.

Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 16 (Part 2)

Here's the rest of this week's series trivia. Again, the all-time series records include postseason games.

Cincinnati vs Pittsburgh: The Steelers lead the series 53-32 and is 14-4 against the Bengals since 2004. Pittsburgh leads the series at home 28-13 and is 4-1 against Cincinnati  in Heinz Field since 2007. From 1970-79, Pittsburgh is 10-0 at home against Cincinnati. They met once in the playoffs, in the Wild Card round in 2006.  The Steelers won that game 31-17 and went on to beat the Seattle Seahawks 21-10  in Super Bowl XL. They went to overtime four times. The Steelers lead the overtime series 3-1, winning the last time they went to OT with the Bengals 23-17 in 2006. The last time Pittsburgh shut out Cincinnati was 15-0 in 2000. Cincinnati has never shut out Pittsburgh.

New Orleans vs Dallas: The Cowboys lead the series 15-9, but New Orleans is 6-1 against Dallas since 1998. Dallas leads the series at home 9-3, but the Saints won the last three games in Dallas. The Cowboys began the series with the Saints with an 11-1 record from 1967-84 and a 9-0 record at home from 1967-91. They never met in the postseason, but they went to overtime once, in 1984. Dallas won that game 30-27. The only shutout in the series was a 28-0 beating by the Saints over Dallas in head coach Jimmy Johnson's debut game with the Cowboys in 1989.

Indianapolis vs Kansas City: Indianapolis leads the series 13-8 and is 10-2 against the Chiefs since 1990.  The Colts are 7-4 in Kansas City, but the Chiefs won their last meeting in Arrowhead Stadium in 2004, 45-35. They met in the postseason three times. Indy leads the playoff series 3-0, the last time, a 23-8 win in the Wild Card Round in 2007. They never went to overtime. The only shutout in the series was a 14-0 win by Kansas City over the Baltimore Colts in 1979.

San Diego vs New York Jets: San Diego leads the series 19-14-1, but New York is 5-2 against the Chargers since 2002. San Diego leads the series in New York 7-6, but the series is tied 2-2 there since 1991. They met in the playoffs twice, both in recent years. The Jets lead the postseason series 2-0, winning their last playoff meeting 17-14 in the AFC Divisional round in 2010. They went to overtime once, in 2005. The Jets won that game 20-17. Neither team has ever shut out the other. Their only tie was 17-17 in 1964.

Cleveland vs Denver: The Broncos lead the series 21-5 and is 9-0 against the Browns since 1991.Denver is 11-3 against Cleveland at home and is 5-1 against the Browns at both Mile High stadiums since 1990. They met in the postseason three times, all in the AFC Championship game. Denver is 3-0 in those games and they went on to lose badly in Super Bowls XXI, XXII, and XXIV. The most famous of these games was the 1986 AFC Championship in January 1987. That game featured "The Drive", when late in the fourth quarter, John Elway drove the Broncos from their own two yard line to score the tying touchdown and send the game to overtime, which they won 23-20. They went to overtime three times, which the Denver leads 3-0, their last one, a 23-20 Broncos win in 2003. In fact, Denver won all three overtime games against the Browns with the same 23-20 score. The last time Denver shut out Cleveland was 12-0 in 1992. Cleveland has never shut out Denver.

Chicago vs Arizona: This series goes back to the earliest days of the NFL, in 1920, when the Chicago Cardinals played the Decatur Staleys. Chicago leads the series 55-27-6 and is 4-2 against the Cardinals since 1990. The Cardinals trail the Bears at home 16-27-1 and they trail the Bears at 2-3 at home since 1984, when they were in St. Louis and Phoenix. Many of the Cardinals' early home games were when both teams were in Chicago and the Cardinals were designated as the home team. From December 1920 until October 1929, the Staleys/Bears were 13-1-3 against the Cardinals. Every game was a shutout, including the ties. As old as this series is, they never met in the postseason and they went to overtime only once. The Bears won that game in 1994, 19-16. The last time the Bears shut out the Cardinals was 20-0 in 1943, when both teams were in Chicago. The last time the Cardinals shut out the Bears, outside of a tie, was 3-0 in 1927. Their last tie was 7-7 in 1935. The rest of their ties, from 1921, 1925, 1926, 1929, and 1932, were all 0-0 scores.

New York Giants vs Baltimore: The Ravens lead the series 3-1, but the Giants won their last meeting. Baltimore won their only meeting at home 37-14 in 2004. Although they never went to overtime, they did meet in Super Bowl XXXV, which the Ravens won easily 34-7. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

San Francisco vs Seattle: San Francisco leads the series 14-13 and won the last four meetings. The series is tied 7-7 in Seattle and is also tied 3-3 there since 2006. When the Seahawks were in the AFC from 1976-2001, the 49er led the series 4-2. They never met in the postseason, but they did go to overtime once. The Niners won that 2008 game 33-30. The last time Seattle shut out San Francisco was 24-0 in 2007. San Francisco has never shut out Seattle.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, December 20:

1970  Miami 45 - Buffalo 7
1970  Cleveland 27 - Denver 13
1992  Philadelphia 17 - Washington 13
1998  Atlanta 24 - Detroit 17
1998  Green Bay 30 - Tennessee 22
1998  Cincinnati 25 - Pittsburgh 24

Here's a little lagniappe. We talked about the great 1986 AFC Championship game between the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos, the first of the three they played. Here's a video of The Drive. I make no claims of ownership to the rights of this  video.

Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 16 (Part 1)

Here is this week's series trivia. All-time records include postseason games.

Atlanta vs Detroit: The Lions lead the series 23-11, but the Falcons are 5-3 against Detroit since 1998. Detroit leads the series at home 15-5, but Atlanta is 3-2 in Detroit since 1998. The Lions won every game in the beginning of the series, going 9-0 from 1966-76. Atlanta got its first win against Detroit in 1977 and in Detroit in 1986. The Falcons have never beaten the Lions three times in a row. Atlanta can do that for the first time with a win tomorrow, since they already won the last two meetings. They have never met in the postseason, but have gone to overtime twice. The Lions won both games, the last time in 1994, 31-28. The only shutout in the series was a 14-0 Falcons victory in 1978.

Washington vs Philadelphia: Washington leads the series 80-70-5, but Philadelphia is 5-2 against the Redskins since 2009. The Redskins also lead the series in Philadelphia 39-36-3, but the series is tied 6-6 since 2000. In fact, the Eagles were winless against the Boston/Washington Redskins at home from 1934-45, going 0-9-2. They first beat Washington at home in 1946, 27-10. They met in the postseason once, in the 1991 Wild Card round and the Redskins won 20-6. They went to overtime four time and Washington leads that series 3-1. They last went to OT in 1999. The Redskins won that game 20-17. The last time Washington shut out Philadelphia was 23-0 in 1991. The last time Philadelphia shut out Washington was 24-0 in 1980. Their last tie was 7-7 in 1971.

Buffalo vs Miami: The Dolphins lead the series 56-40-1 and is 6-3 against the Bills since 2008. Miami leads the series at home 31-16-1, but the series is tied 4-4 in Miami since 2004. Buffalo won their first ever game against the Dolphins in Miami in 1966 and then went 0-15-1 against the Dolphins from 1967-82. The Bills helped their record at Miami from 1987-94, when they went 8-1. They met in the postseason four times, at least once in every round. Buffalo leads the playoff series 3-1. They last met in the playoffs in the 1999 Wild Card round, when Miami won 24-17. They met in the AFC Championship game in 1993 for a berth in Super Bowl XXVII. The Bills won that game 29-10 and were spanked by the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl 52-17. They went to overtime twice, with Buffalo winning both games. The Bills won their last OT game against the Dolphins 34-31 in 1987. The last time Buffalo shut out Miami was 27-0 in 1987. The last time Miami shut out Buffalo was 28-0 in 1985. Their only tie was 14-14 in 1968.

Tennessee vs Green Bay: Tennessee leads the series 6-4 and went 3-0 against the Packers since 2001. The Titans are 4-1 at Green Bay and won their last meeting in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in 2004, 48-27. Okay, so the tundra wasn't frozen, since it was 52 degrees at game time. They never met in the postseason, but they did go to overtime twice. The OT series is tied 1-1 and they went to overtime in their last meeting in 2008. Tennessee won that game 19-16. Green Bay has not beaten Tennessee since 1998. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

New England vs Jacksonville: New England owns the series 8-1, winning the last five games in the series. New England owns the regular season series record 5-0. The Patriots also lead the series 2-1 in Jacksonville, winning their last meeting 34-21 in Alltel Stadium in 2006. They met in the postseason four times, playing at least once in each playoff round. New England leads the postseason series 3-1. They last met in the playoffs in the Divisional Round in 2008. The Patriots won that game 31-20 and went on to lose Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants 17-14. The Jaguars only win against New England was in the Wild Card round in 1999, 25-10. Their first playoff meeting was in the AFC Championship game in 1997. New England won that game 20-6 and went on to lose Super Bowl XXXI to the Green Bay Packers 35-21. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Oakland vs Carolina: The series is tied 2-2, with the Raiders winning their last meeting 17-6 in 2008. The series is also tied 1-1 at Carolina, with the Panthers winning their last home game against Oakland 27-24. They never met in the postseason nor has either team ever shut out the other.

St. Louis vs Tampa Bay: St. Louis leads the series 11-8, but Tampa Bay is 6-2 against the Rams since 1994. The Buccaneers lead the series at home 7-5, going 5-0 against the Rams in Tampa Bay since 1994. They met in the postseason twice, both times in the NFC Championship game. The Rams won both meetings. The Los Angeles Rams won 9-0 in 1980, They went on to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-19 in Super Bowl XIV. The St. Louis Rams beat the Bucs for the NFC crown again in 2000, 11-6. They went on to beat the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in Super Bowl XXXIV. They went to overtime once, in 1986. The Rams won that game 26-20. The last time the Rams shut out Tampa Bay was in that NFC Championship game in 1980. The only regular season shutout in the series was in their first ever meeting. The Rams won that game 31-0.

Minnesota vs Houston: Minnesota leads the series 2-0, winning their last meeting 28-21 in 2008. They went to overtime in their first meeting, with the Vikings beating the Texans 34-28.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, December 19:

1981  Miami 16 - Buffalo 6
1982  St. Louis Cardinals 10 - Chicago 7
1982  Dallas 21 - New Orleans 7
1993  Buffalo 47 - Miami 34
1994  Dallas 24 - New Orleans 16
2009  Dallas 24 - New Orleans 17
2010  Buffalo 17 - Miami 14

Some NFL Series Trivia - Week 15 (Part 1)

Here is the first of two entries for this week's NFL series trivia. The series records will include postseason games.

Cincinnati vs Philadelphia: Cincinnati leads the series 7-3-1, but Philly is 3-2-1 against the Bengals since 1991. The Eagles trail Cincinnati at home 3-4, but is 3-1 at home versus the Bengals since 1991. They went to overtime once, in 2008, their last meeting. That game ended in a 13-13 tie. The only shutout in the series happened in 1975, when Cincinnati won 31-0.

Denver vs Baltimore: Baltimore leads the series 6-3, but the series is tied 2-2 since 2005. The Ravens are 5-0 at home against the Broncos, including their last two meetings in 2009 and 2010. They never went to overtime, but they did meet once in the playoffs. Baltimore won in the 2000 Wild Card round 21-3. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Tampa Bay vs New Orleans: New Orleans leads the series 24-17, but the Bucs are 6-5 against the Saints since 2007. The Saints lead the series at home 13-10, but trail Tampa Bay 4-6 at the Superdome since 2002. They went to overtime twice, the last time in 2009, when the Bucs won 20-17. The OT series is 1-1. They never met in the playoffs nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Indianapolis vs Houston: Indianapolis dominates this series 17-3, but it's tied 2-2 since 2010. Indy leads the series in Houston 7-3, but the Texans beat the Colts the last two times at home. They have never met in the playoffs or gone to overtime. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

New York Giants vs Atlanta: New York leads the series 11-10 and has won the last four meetings. The Falcons trail the series at home 3-9 and is 0-7 against New York in Atlanta since 1981. They met only once in the playoffs, which was a 24-2 New York win in the Wild Card round this past January. They went to overtime three times, with the Giants going 3-0. Neither team has ever shut out the other.

Jacksonville vs Miami: Jacksonville leads the series 3-2, but the Dolphins are 2-1 against the Jags since 2003. There was only one game in Miami, which was a 24-10 Jacksonville victory. They met only once in the playoffs. The Jaguars put a 62-7 spanking on Miami in the Wild Card round in 2000. They have never gone to overtime, nor has either team ever shut out the other.

Green Bay vs Chicago: In the NFL's oldest rivalry, Chicago leads the series 92-87-6, but Green Bay is 8-2 against the Bears since 2008. The Bears also lead the series at home 51-43-3, but Green Bay leads the series 6-4 in Chicago since 2003. They met twice in the playoffs, both times a stepping store to a championship. In 1941, the Bears beat the Packers 33-14 to go on and win the NFL Championship. Their last playoff meeting was in 2011, when Green Bay won the NFC Championship 21-14. They went on to win Super Bowl XLV. In all those games, they only met in overtime twice, with that series at 1-1. Chicago won the last OT game in 2008 20-17. The last time Chicago shut out Green Bay was 26-0 in 2005. The last time Green Bay shut out Chicago was 21-0 in 1973. Their last tie was 21-21 in 1953.

Washington vs Cleveland: Cleveland leads the series against their former NFL East rivals 33-10-1, but Washington is 5-3 against the Browns since the merger in 1970. The Browns are 17-6 at home verses the Redskins, but Washington is 3-1 in Cleveland since 1975. They never played each other in overtime, nor have they met in the postseason. The only shutout in the series happened in 1951, the Cleveland rolled over Washington 45-0. Their only tie was 30-30 in 1957.

Part 2 will be posted tomorrow.

Here are some historical scores for teams playing each other this week, December 12:

1970  Oakland 20 - Kansas City 6
1971  Kansas City 16 - Oakland 14
1971  Green Bay 31 - Chicago 10
1982  Los Angeles Raiders 21 - Kansas City 16
1993  Detroit 21 - Phoenix Cardinals 14
2004  Indianapolis 23 - Houston 14