NFL 2020, Week 8

Tonight, we kick off week 8 of the 2020 NFL regular season, and I am back again with another round of game picks.

I managed to go 7-6 last week (leaving out Thursday's game). Looking to do better this week. Here goes...

Atlanta at Carolina... First game of the slate takes place tonight. If the Atlanta Falcons have any chance of turning their season around, it has to begin tonight... and even then, they may have to run the table. While they most likely won't win out, I do like their chances tonight to avoid being swept by their division rival in Carolina. Atlanta wins, 31-28.

Indianapolis at Detroit... The Detroit Lions escaped with a close win last week and are now sitting on a 3-3 record. They look pretty average to me. Detroit wins another close one, 24-23.

Minnesota at Green Bay... Running back Dalvin Cook is expected to return after missing some time due to injury, giving the Vikings another key offensive weapon for this game in Lambeau. This should help them keep this game closer than the first meeting between these two in week one. Green Bay wins, 38-34.

New England at Buffalo... Sadly, I think the Patriots are done. Buffalo wins, 23-20.

Tennessee at Cincinnati... The Bengals have been hanging around in games and eventually they're going to catch someone sleeping. In my upset pick of the week, Titans kicker Stephen Gostkowski misses a game-tying extra point after a late touchdown drive and Cincinnati wins, 28-27.

Las Vegas at Cleveland... Expect a high scoring affair here and Las Vegas wins, 48-40.

NY Jets at Kansas City... I'm picking the Jets to win this football game. Sike! Kansas City wins, 45-7.

L.A. Rams at Miami... It's Tua time in Miami! Too bad he has to go against the Rams defense in his very first NFL start. Los Angeles wins, 27-17.

Pittsburgh at Baltimore... The Steelers are now the only undefeated team remaining, after narrowly escaping Tennessee with a win last week. Now, they get the Ravens in Baltimore. One of the best rivalries in football, this could be a preview of the AFC Championship game. Baltimore wins, 27-24.

L.A. Chargers at Denver... I think Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense come back down to earth Sunday in Denver. First of two meetings between these division rivals, I'm giving the edge to the home team in this one. Denver wins, 20-19.

New Orleans at Chicago... The Bears have a great defense but they can't get it going on offense. They'll have a tough time against the Saints this week, especially with their top receiver banged up. I think the Saints go marching into Soldier Field and easily take this one. New Orleans wins, 27-14.

San Francisco at Seattle... After a disappointing loss to the Cardinals last week (their first of the year), look for Seattle to get back on track at home against a banged up 49ers squad. Seattle wins, 30-26.

Dallas at Philadelphia... Sunday night game. Primetime. I don't think it's going to go very well for Dallas in this one... or any of their remaining games, for that matter. Philadelphia wins, 38-7.

Tampa Bay at NY Giants... Finally, the last one of the slate. Monday night at the Meadowlands. The Giants have been known to give Tom Brady fits in the past... and though they're not winning games, they have been competing. I wouldn't be surprised if the Giants keep this one close, but ultimately the Bucs are the better team and will prevail. Tampa Bay wins, 31-24.

That's it for this week. Enjoy the games!

NFL 2020, Week 7

 It's been a while since I've done this. Having had an illness which has kept me out from work all this week... I've had some time to think about, and come up with, some projections for this week's slate of NFL games. Minus Thursday's game (since it's already past), in which Daniel Jones and the Giants stumbled their way to a double digit fourth quarter lead before Carson Wentz and the Eagles came flying back to win a surprisingly fun game to watch, 22-21.

I'll go through each of the remaining 13 games on the slate, pick the winner and score, tossing in a few insights as well.

Buffalo at NY Jets... I expect this one to be over well before halftime. The Jets are bad, and this is a good "get right" spot for Buffalo following two tough losses. Buffalo wins, 40-17.

Pittsburgh at Tennessee... The Steelers and Titans both come in to this game with a perfect 5-0 record. The matchup features Pittsburgh's defense (2nd in the league) against Tennessee's offense (likewise rated the league's 2nd in its category). The Steelers run defense in particular is very good, and I think they can contain Derrick Henry in this one. Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense can move the ball as well against the Titans defense, and they can win the battle of the undefeated in a close one on the road. Pittsburgh wins, 31-27.

Green Bay at Houston... Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are favored to bounce back from last week's blowout loss and win this game in Houston... and clearly they are the better team. But... couple things give me reason to believe this game can be the upset of the week, especially if it turns into a shoot-out. The Houston Texans are at home, and have been playing much better these last couple weeks since making their coaching change... and Deshaun Watson is a pretty good quarterback too, who can pass and run. Green Bay's defense can give up yards and points, and there's a possibility they may be without one of their best offensive weapons too on Sunday, with running back Aaron Jones being added to the injury list late in the week. I think the Packers keep it closer than the Tampa Bay game, but Houston wins 31-30.

Cleveland at Cincinnati... Ugh. I don't like this game. Cincinnati wins, 23-17.

Carolina at New Orleans... Some people will probably look at this game and give the Carolina Panthers a fighting chance to pull off the upset. I'm going the other way... I think this game will be the most one-sided of the week. Saints quarterback Drew Brees has certainly been less then stellar this year, but he really doesn't need to do much here except protect the ball... I expect the run game and defense to dominate and New Orleans wins, 24-0.

Detroit at Atlanta... Bold prediction, the final combined score will be under 100. Maybe not by much though. The quarterbacks are Matt Ryan and Matthew Stafford. Playing in a dome. Neither the Lions nor Falcons play any defense. Atlanta wins, 48-37.

Dallas at Washington... I'd really like to pick Washington but, well... (cue Stephen A Smith here).... THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A NAME!!! Anyway, I think Dallas can find a way to get back on track despite all their issues. Andy Dalton has a proven record as a starting quarterback (in the regular season anyway) and Ezekiel Elliott isn't going to keep fumbling the ball away. Dallas wins, 31-23.

Tampa Bay at Las Vegas... The Raiders entire offensive line is out. Yes... all 5 starters! Out? Out! That's probably not going to be good for Derek Carr. That's probably not going to be good for anyone. Well, except for the Bucs that is. Tampa Bay wins, 31-7.

Jacksonville at L.A. Chargers... The Jaguars are bad. The Chargers are, well... not quite as bad. And they're coming off a bye too, not to mention... playing at home. Los Angeles wins, 31-14.

Kansas City at Denver... The Denver Broncos are trending upwards, and coming off a big win. Last week, they went into Foxboro and kicked 6 field goals, outscoring and sending the mighty New England Patriots 20 year long dynasty crumbling to the ground! (well, for one week anyway!) But I digress. This Sunday, they're facing the Chiefs at home in what is forecasted to be the first snow game of the season. The Broncos do have a couple things going for them... an under-rated defense and a talented pair of running backs which should have success against the Chief's run defense, especially in the type of weather conditions expected. Though I think Denver keeps it close for 3 quarters, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs can be expected to pull away in the 4th. Kansas City wins, 28-13.

San Francisco at New England... They're my two favorite teams in the NFL. This is a must-win game for both the 49ers and the Patriots. The Patriots, because they can't afford to fall to 2-4... and the 49ers, because it would put them further behind in the most competitive division in the league. Expect a low-scoring and close game. New England wins, 20-16.

Seattle at Arizona... The Cardinals have been playing over their heads a little bit to start the year, but the Seahawks will give them a real good test. It should be a fun one to watch. Seattle wins 27-24.

Chicago at L.A. Rams... Finally we get to the last one. It's the Monday night football match-up this week, and I anticipate a strong defensive showing from both sides... with the advantage going to the home team. Los Angeles wins, 24-19.

That's it. Enjoy the games!

Fire and Rain

 "I've seen fire and I've seen rain. I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end. I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend. But I always thought that I'd see you again."

In 1970, songwriter and musician James Taylor wrote and then recorded this song, "Fire and Rain", as a tribute to a friend he had not seen in many years... after learning of her passing away unexpectedly.

Early last week, I thought about my brother in Christ and long time friend, Tim Miller. It's been about 3 years since I last saw him, but we have kept in touch quite often through the social media channel known as Facebook. He came to mind, quite out of the blue, as I was driving down the I-4 on Tuesday heading towards an early morning delivery in Lakeland Florida. I noticed I had not seen him on facebook in quite some time and I made a mental note to myself that I would check in on him by the end of the week once I had some downtime.

I first met Tim Miller in 2009. I was just coming back to church, my home church (Calvary) in Woodbridge VA, after a lengthy absence of a few years. Coincidentally, Tim was just starting his ministry as worship pastor at Calvary at that same time. That was in March of 2009.

I could tell right off the bat that Pastor Tim was a very special person. He had a heart for worship which was a great inspiration to me at the time, and also a very clever sense of humor. He was very friendly and relatable too; very easy to get to know... and we connected as friends rather quickly.

Less than a year later, Pastor Tim's ministry at Calvary came to an abrupt end as he and his family (which at the time was his wife and young daughter) moved to Oklahoma, due to some extenuating circumstances which I won't get in to here. That was in January of 2010. I was devastated when I found out that he was no longer going to be at Calvary but grateful for the time that he was there and for the impact he had on me. He was a great fit for our church's ministry... I have, and will always believe that. Tim's ministry and impact didn't end there though.

Beginning in 2013, I struggled with major clinical depression (still ongoing today) which really hit a peak in the summer and fall of 2016. Or maybe "valley" is a more fitting word in this case... either way the point is, it was at its worst during this time. Tim took it upon himself to reach out to me in 2016, writing (through Facebook messenger) a few very long notes with words of encouragement, his own testimony and struggles with depression, and some practical advice as well... all the while reminding me that God has a plan for good through it all. I've never told him this, but Tim quite literally saved my life... it was his notes, and his words of encouragement that "talked me down off the ledge."

Things improved dramatically for me over the course of the next several months. I made a coast to coast trip out to California in March of 2017, which turned out to be the most significant life changing trip I've ever made to date. I got a new job with a national trucking company while out west and in August of that year, I transferred to their eastern division, and returned back home to the east coast. I made it a point to stop in Oklahoma on the way back home and arrange to meet up with Tim.

I visited Tim at the hospital where he was working as a chaplain at the time, we went out to lunch, and he took me on a little mini-tour of Oklahoma City. That was on Friday August 18th 2017. It was the first time I'd seen him since he left VA early in 2010. He told me how proud he was of me, and that he himself was encouraged by just how far I'd come over the previous year.

Since the company I worked for at the time also had a division in Oklahoma, I knew I would be running through the area quite a lot and I assumed I'd probably see Tim a time or two again. At least, I always thought that I'd see him one more time again.

Tim Miller passed away unexpectedly this past Wednesday, September 30th. I learned of the news on Friday night.

I'm truly heartbroken over this. It may be heaven's gain, but it is the world's loss... as the world has lost one of Christ's greatest soldiers. Tim Miller had a heart of gold. He truly had a heart for the underprivileged, the homeless, the depressed and downtrodden, the very "outcasts" of society that the Pharisees and religious leaders of Jesus' time on earth would shun but that Jesus would hang out with. Most importantly he had a heart for worship and for Jesus, and I know he is with the Savior now in peace.

But I always thought I'd see him again.

I thank you for reading this long tribute. Prayer warriors, please do be in prayer for Tim's family at this time as they deal with this heartbreaking grief.

If Tomorrow Never Comes (A Poem)

I originally wrote this poem, If Tomorrow Never Comes, in July of 2013 as I was beginning my battle with major depression. I think in light of recent events, it's helpful to re-read this. God is still here, and He is still in control.

If Tomorrow Never Comes,

God will still be there.

And the Lamb who shines His light so bright,

Forever I would still be in His care.

My hope is not in this world,

For one day it will pass away.

Pain and suffering I will not recall,

And my tears and my sadness wiped away.

I will overcome my trials,

Even if tomorrow never comes.

For God is bigger than this world,

And all the evil, the dirt, and scum.

If Tomorrow Never Comes,

Yes even if tomorrow never comes,

God will still be there.

And the Lamb who shines His light so bright,

Forever I would still be in His care.

If Tomorrow Never Comes,

God will still be there.

If Tomorrow Never Comes,

I will still be in His care.

My New Favorite TV Show

I’ll be honest, these last two months have been miserable. I feel like the world is spiraling out of control, and nothing is the same. Except for my job (I’m still trucking), but even that is not the same. Trucking was a rough life before, but it’s even more brutal now. I’m no longer home every weekend; I’ve had to make some adjustments to my work-life balance in light of the current crisis we’re in… and they haven’t been for the better. I now take home time every other weekend, and sometimes even every third weekend. While most of the rest of the world gets to sit at home, I still have to work. It’s just not fair, but then again… that’s the way life is. Sadly. 

It’s been exhausting, now more than ever. And… I was sick, too! Early in April, I came under the weather with a very unusual set of symptoms. Sinus pain (the type I would normally get with a sinus infection) but also very intense fatigue and complete loss of appetite. I wrote it off as just a sinus infection, despite the seemingly unrelated symptoms. Whatever it was, it cleared up on its own and I was fine after a couple days. But I will admit… I was a little scared.

Anyway, I’ve been forced to find new ways to entertain myself with the increased amount of time I spend alone on the road. Which brings me to the point of this post. I recently discovered AppleTV, an app on my iPhone that I always knew was there but never quite got around to looking into it. In the weeks leading up to “the day the world ended” (that would be March 13th)… I’d seen promos and ads on Instagram of a new TV series getting set to debut… called “Home Before Dark” based on a true story of a young girl in Pennsylvania that investigated, and then wrote a newspaper article, on a murder that happened in her hometown several years ago. I recalled reading about it at the time, and so I put “Home Before Dark” on my “to-watch list.”

The first season of this new series was released on April 3rd (the same day I got hit with the mystery illness). Ten episodes, all ranging between 45 minutes to an hour, available at once on the AppleTV app. I finally got around to watching the first episode on April 27th, and I was hooked. I finally finished watching the season finale (episode 10) on May 11th… just a little less than a week ago. I promised my twitter followers I would post an “official” review, so here it goes. Now, I’m not going to give away every single detail of every single one of the 10 episodes… rather, I will open with a few details of the first episode or two to provide a general introduction, then share a few of my own thoughts on the series. This is my first time ever really writing a review of anything, but I hope you’ll all enjoy reading!

The story takes place in the fictional town of Erie Harbor, Washington. Matt Lisko, a journalist living in New York, loses his job and is forced to move with his family (wife and three daughters) across the country to Erie Harbor, the same town he grew up in. Right off the bat, Hilde Lisko (Matt’s middle daughter), has a very uneasy feeling about the town of Erie Harbor. In particular, as they drive through the town on their way to their new home, she can’t help but notice a woman standing outside having a yard sale… but with no customers!

Now Hilde, 9 years old, really takes after her father quite a lot… she’s very inquisitive, calls herself a journalist, and even writes news articles of her own… which she publishes on a newspaper called “Magic Hour Chronicle.”

Curious about the woman she saw and the yard sale which doesn’t appear to be raking in any profit… Hilde goes to pay her a visit. She learns that the woman’s name is Penny Gillis, and that Penny knew Hilde’s father when he was just a boy growing up in Erie Harbor. Hilde couldn’t help but notice one of the items Penny was selling… an old VCR, or “video cassette recorder”… very popular in the 80s and 90s, but not a common household item these days.

Later that night, Penny Gillis is found dead inside her house. Hilde shows up again to visit, only to find police there and the yard taped off. She confronts the sheriff, who tells her Penny’s death has been ruled “an accident”, but Hilde is not convinced. Later, the young journalist writes and publishes a story on “Magic Hour Chronicle” on Penny’s murder… which everyone at her school reads. Hilde is met with a barrage of criticism over the article, but she literally stands up (on the cafeteria table in the middle of lunch hour, no less) to her critics and lets it be known she will uncover the truth. “Because if the truth doesn’t matter, nothing ever will.”

The VCR from the yard sale is recovered from the “accident” scene, along with a video tape. The tape reveals footage of an abduction that took place in the town of Erie Harbor more than 30 years ago, and Matt is forced to relive the trauma all over again. It was his friend, Richie Fife, who was abducted right in front of him that night in 1988, and what’s even more… it’’s Penny’s brother, Sam Gillis, who is currently serving a life sentence for the abduction and subsequent murder of Richie (even though Richie’s body was never found), booked by Sheriff Briggs, the same sheriff who ruled Penny’s death “accidental.”

But something doesn’t add up… and as the series unfolds and Hilde (with Matt’s help as well as that of a couple of her classmates) continues to investigate, it becomes increasingly obvious that Sam is innocent, and the real killer may (after all these years) still be on the loose!

In closing, I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the series! I really got into the story, and it was suspenseful, and even laugh-out-loud funny at times! Each of the first nine episodes ended with a small cliffhanger, which had me eager to go on to the next one. The big cliffhanger however… the shocking revelation at the end of the season finale… has me eagerly anticipating the 2nd season! And there will be a second season too! In fact, the cast and crew were in Vancouver (and, from what I understand, are all still on location) working on the second season in March when production was suspended due to the global pandemic.

The entire cast and crew did an outstanding job on season one. “Home Before Dark” is my new favorite TV show!

Maybe The Church, Perhaps, Means A Little Bit More

Greetings, my friends and followers.

The month of March is coming to a close, and let me just say... wow, what a crazy month it has been! We are all for sure living through an unprecedented time now... with quarantines, closed schools and buildings, public events and large gatherings such as concerts and sporting events postponed or cancelled, and apparently even a very limited supply of toilet paper!

As for me, this month of March began quite normally. In fact, it began on a great note... as March 1st was on a Sunday and it just so happened to be the 22 year anniversary of my first ever visit to Calvary Baptist Church, a church family that I am still a part of today and still love dearly. And I was in church at Calvary that morning (and evening too!) and it was a fantastic all around day!

Twelve days later, on Friday the 13th (our third one of those within a six month period, a rare occurrence due to this being a leap year)... the coronavirus had just begun to take control of our worlds. The concern for containing the spread of infection (something I really didn't care to be bothered to think about up until this point) had businesses, schools, and even churches making the decision to temporarily close doors left and right.

But our church wouldn't do that, right? No, in fact at 4:00 on that Friday afternoon I received an email announcement from our pastor that Sunday activities on the 15th would continue as normal, and that they (meaning the elders) would meet early that morning of the 15th to assess the situation and determine from there whether or not to suspend services moving forward beyond the 15th.

Excellent plan, I thought! Knowing that we might not be meeting again in person for a few weeks, but at least this Sunday we were good. About four hours later, I got another email announcement. The pastor and elders had decided to get together and reschedule their Sunday morning meeting for... well, that Friday afternoon the 13th instead. And... they reversed their original decision!

I'm not proud of my initial reaction. My immediate reaction to the second email was one of shock, disbelief, and betrayal... and then anger followed, and I didn't even try to hide my feelings. I'll never be able to unsay the things I said that night, as much as I wish I could.

Never the less, I still held onto those feelings for a day or two. The devil wants those church doors closed. He knows if he can get God's people apart, he can destroy the church and its people. Or, at least... that's what he thinks anyway!

But something else happened instead on Sunday morning. And the following Sunday as well. I found ways to worship God and connect with my church family through social media. Facebook. Post the lyrics to some popular worship songs. Google hangouts. Virtual Sunday School. Calvary's website. Our pastor's blog.

The movie "The Grinch That Stole Christmas" comes to mind here now. At the end of the movie, when the grinch realizes he was unsuccessful in ruining Christmas... he reflects and says "maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store... maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."

Well, my friends, to paraphrase the grinch... maybe the church isn't just inside a building's doors. Maybe the church, perhaps, means a little bit more.

Matter of fact, when you look in the Bible... you'll find the "maybe" clause is not necessary. The church, God's Church... IS more! 1 Peter, Chapter 2 says in verses 4 through 9...

As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

We, as God's people, ARE the Church! We are a "chosen race" and a "royal priesthood" Be encouraged by this. Does the temporary closing of a church building strengthen your faith? Or does it weaken it?

Now more than ever, we need God's people to be the Church, as He has called us to be. Until we meet again, and then after we meet again too!

For the church isn't just inside a building's doors. The church, God's Church, is so much more!

Blessings,

Mike Kinnaly