NFL 2017 Week 9 Recap
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets was the Thursday night game. The 5-2 Bills appeared to have the edge on talent, but the Jets at 3-4 have overachieved in long stretches this year. Both defenses showed up to play. A sack of Tyrod Taylor had the Bills punting on 4th and 22 at their own 4. The Jets took over at their own 46. On 3rd and 3, Josh McCown ran for 6 yards and hit Anderson for 13 more. Matt Forte ran for 13 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Buffalo 10, McCown scrambled again for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Jets. Later in the quarter field position changed and the Jets punted from their own 12. The Bills took over at their own 38. On 3rd and 6, Taylor threw incomplete but the Jets jumped offside. On 3rd and 1 Taylor ran for 18 yards. From the Jets 23, Taylor hit Jones for 12 yards and LeSean Shady McCoy ran for 10 yards down to the one. The second quarter began with the Bills facing 3rd and 9 at the Jets 10. Taylor hit Jones for the touchdown and a 7-7 game.
After that, the Jets took over from their own 21 and took over the game. McCown hit Kearse for 18 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 41, McCown hit Austin Sefarian Jenkins for 18 yards, with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 20, a touchdown pass to Sefarian-Jenkins was nullified by offensive pass interference on Forte. The Jets settled for a 45 yard Chandler Catanzaro field goal to lead 10-7 at halftime. The Bills did move from their own 25 to a 3rd and 7 at the Jets 37 with one minute left in the half. Taylor hit Matthews for 6 yards, but he fumbled the ball away.
In the third quarter the Jets moved from their own own 26 to the Buffalo 20. On 2nd and 15 from the 25, McCown went deep to Anderson for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter the Jets took over at their own 39. Powell ran for a 51 yard gain and Forte ran for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Jets. The Bills took over at their own 34. On 3rd and 10 at their 46, Taylor hit O’Leary for a 20 yard gain, but then came the mistake. O’Leary got up without being touched. Thinking the play was over, he stood still but no whistle had blown. The Jets then stripped the ball away for another turnover. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Bills faced 3rd and 10 at their own 20. Taylor was sacked and fumbled. The Jets recovered at the Buffalo 5 yard line. One play later Forte barreled up the gut to make it 31-7 Jets. Catanzaro added a 32 yard field goal for a 34-7 Jets blowout. Buffalo did manage a couple garbage touchdowns to make the score respectable but this was Gang Green dominance. 34-21 Jets
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers — Matt Bryant nailed a 53 yard field goal for a 3-0 Falcons lead. Atlanta got it back at their own 39. Matt Ryan hit Hooper for 13 yards and on 3rd and 5 from the carolina 22 found Mohammed San for 7 yards. Ryan hit San for a 6 yard touchdown and a 10-0 Falcons lead. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Falcons were in total control of the game. Dan Quinn decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Carolina 35. Devontae Freeman got the carry and ran into a Carolina blue brick wall. Making matters worse, an illegal crackajack penalty on Atlanta had the Panthers taking over at midfield. Momentum quickly changed.
On 2nd and 14 from their own 46, Cam Newton hit Devon Funchess for 24 yards, with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and 5 from the 10, Newton hit McCaffrey for 6 yards at the 2 minute warning. On the next play McCaffrey got around the end for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Panthers within 10-7. After a touchback, Matt Ryan went deep to Julio Jones for a 26 yard gain. Yet on the next play, Ryan went deep and was intercepted by Mike Adams, who returned it 40 yards to the Atlanta 31 with 75 seconds left in the half. McCaffrey ran for a 17 yard gain. With 30 seconds left in the half the Panthers faced 3rd and 5 at the Atlanta 9. Newton scrambled and leapt in the air and tried to stretch the ball over the goal line. It was knocked out, but officials ruled Newton did break the plane of the goal. Either way, an offensive player recovered it in the end zone as the Panthers were dominated for 28 minutes yet took a 14-10 lead to the locker rooms.
In the third quarter the Panthers held the ball for 6 minutes and moved 62 yards in 10 plays. Graham Gano hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Panthers. Carolina got it back and held the ball for 6 minutes. Gano hit from 45 as the Panthers led 20-10. In the fourth quarter Ryan went deep to a wide open Jones in the end zone. Jones dropped it. With 5 1/2 minutes left, the Falcons took over at their own 8. Ryan hit Jones for 9, Hardy for 7, and Freeman for 14. From the Atlanta 41, Ryan hit Gabriel for a 40 yard gain and then to Coleman for a 19 yard touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left, the 92 yard drive had the Falcons down by a field goal. Carolina went 3 and out and Atlanta got it back at their own 21 with 2:18 to play. On 4th and 13, Ryan threw incomplete and the Falcons were done after another loss where they controlled much of the first half. 20-17 Panthers
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans — Andrew Luck is out for the entire season, while DeShaun Watson has now joined him on injured reserve. The Colts moved 92 yards and Jacoby Brissett went deep to TY Hilton for a 45 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Colts lead. In the second quarter the Texans punted from their own 4 yard line and the Colts took over at their own 45. Marlin Mack gained 11 and Brissett went deep to Hilton for a 30 yard gain. Yet despite 2nd and goal at the 4, Brissett threw incomplete twice. Adam Vinatieri hit from 22 to make it 10-0 Colts with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half to complete the 10 play, 5 minute, 51 yard drive. With one minute left in the half and the Colts in total control, the Colts had 3rd and 5 just shy of midfield. Brissett was sacked and fumbled, and Lamar Houston returned it 34 yards for a defensive touchdown. Despite being dominated all game, the Texans were only down 10-7 at the break.
One play changed the complexion of the game in the third quarter. The Colts took over at their own 9. From their 20, Brissett went to Hilton for a big gain. Hilton juked a defender and then got up and kept running. No whistle blew and Hilton continued on for an 80 yard touchdown. The Texans were convinced Hilton was down by contact. The officials were not, and the Colts led 17-7. The Colts got it back and moved 60 yards. Vinatieri hit a 53 yard field goal to make it 20-7 Colts. After a touchback, the Texans finally got going. From the Houston 39, Tom Savage hit Miller for 15, Deandre Hopkins, for 12, and Hopkins again deep for a 34 yard touchdown. With 6 minutes left, the Texans were only down by 6 points.
Houston held on defense and got it back at their own 20. Savage hit Ellington for 13 and Miller gained 14 at the 2 minute warning. Savage hit Anderson for 16 yards. With 42 seconds left, with the Texans facing 3rd and 4 at the Indy 17, Savage hit Hopkins for 10. With 18 seconds left, the Texans had 1st and goal at the 7. After a pair of incompletions, the Colts on defense took their 3rd and final timeout with 7 seconds left. Another incompletion left 2 seconds on the clock. On 4th and goal, it all came down to one final play as Houston took their final timeout. Tom Savage then did his best TJ Yates impression. Savage was hit by Barkevious Mingo and fumbled the ball away. 20-14 Colts
Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars – Josh Lambo hit a 32 yard field goal to get the Jaguars on the board first. The Jaguars began the second quarter at their own 4 yard line. On 3rd and 4, Blake Bortles found Marques Lee for 11 yards and went to Chris Ivory for a 29 yard completion to midfield. On 3rd and 4, Bortles found Hums for 9 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincy 15, Bortles found Lee for 5 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Bortles rifled a pass to Lee for the touchdown. The 15 play, 96 yard drive took 8 minutes and put the Jaguars up 10-0. From the Cincinnati 22, Red Rifle Andy Dalton went deep to Kroft for a 59 yard gain. Joe Mixon ran for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Bengals within 10-7. After a touchback, the Jaguars faced 3rd and 8 at their own 37. Bortles hit Marcedes Lewis for just enough at the 2 minute warning. With 23 seconds left in the half, Lambo drilled a 56 yard field goal to make it 13-7 Jaguars.
In the third quarter the Jaguars moved 79 yards. Lambo hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 16-7 Jaguars. Jacksonville is winning with tough defense and just enough offense, with some special teams to lock up the win. Mickens returned a punt 63 yards for the clincher. At 5-3, the Jaguars have finally turned a corner. Captain Grumpy Tom Coughlin was so pleased, he almost smiled. 23-7 Jaguars
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints — The Saints moved 58 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. Will Lutz hit a 40 yard field goal for a 3-0 Saints lead. Then came the Steve Gleason moment again. 11 years after his Hurricane Katrina heroism, this time it was Justin Hardee blocking a punt and returning it 7 yards for a touchdown and a 9-0 Saints lead. The extra point was also blocked. The Buccaneers in the second quarter did hold the ball for 6 minutes and 10 plays. The Saints began the second quarter moving from their own 12 to a 2nd and 1 at the Bucs 31. Mark Ingram got stopped. On 3rd and 1 Kamara gained 3 but fumbled the ball away to kill the drive.
From the Tampa 28, the Buccaneers moved 40 yards and Patrick Murray hit a 50 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers on the board. The Saints got it back at their own 7 with 3 minutes left in the half and kept rolling. Drew Brees hit Kamara for 17 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Saints 30, Brees found samara for 11 yards. Brees was sacked and fumbled, but the Saints held onto the ball. On 2nd and 17 from the Saints 34, Brees went to Coby Fleener for 33 yards. On the next play Brees went to Kamara for the 33 yard touchdown with one minute left in the half to make it 16-3 Saints.
The Buccaneers began the second half without Jameis Winston, who had an injured shoulder. Ryan Fitzpatrick came in and the Bucs quickly went 3 and out. The Saints got it back at their own 28. Mark Ingram quickly ran for a 32 yard gain and Kamara ran for 17 more. Kamara ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 23-3 Saints. 2 plays later from the Bucs 25, a short completion was fumbled and the Saints took over at the Tampa Bay 36. One play later Brees went deep to Ted Ginn Jr. for another touchdown as the Saints were winning a laugher 30-3. Tampa Bay got a garbage touchdown but the Drew Brees and Sean Payton pinball offense is back. The Saints won their 6th straight game and at 6-2 are for real. 30-10 Saints
Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants — The Giants quickly moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Rams 40. After a false start, Eli Manning was sacked and fumbled. The Rams took over at their own 48. Todd Gurley ran for 36 yards and then 9 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 8, Jared Goff hit Tyler Higbee for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. The Giants came back 67 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 9 from the Rams 37, Manning hit King for 14 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Manning hit King for the touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Rams came back 66 yards. The second quarter began with Greg Zuerlein hitting a 27 yard field goal for a 10-7 Rams lead.
The Giants then fumbled, setting up the Rams at midfield. After reaching the Giants 29, a pair of penalties had the Rams offense facing 3rd and 33 at their own 48. Yet a simple screen pass from Goff to Woods went for a 52 yard touchdown. In a season of disasters, Ben McAdoo saw another one as the Rams led 17-7. The Rams got it back at their own 29 and struck lightning quick. Goff hooked up with Sammy Watkins on a 67 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Rams. After a touchback, Manning hit King for 14 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 47, Manning hit Evan Engram for 21 yards. On 2nd and 9 from the Rams 31, Manning threw incomplete twice. Rosas hit the 50 yard field goal to get the Giants within 24-10 with 4 minutes left in the half.
The Giants held on defense and tried to get back in the game. Yet on 3rd and 10 from their own 14, Manning was intercepted by Johnson at the Giants 30 yard line. The Rams defense held but Zuerlein hit from 46 to make it 27-10 Rams. After a touchback the Giants moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 27 with 14 seconds left in the half. Manning threw incomplete twice. With 4 seconds left, Rosas came in for a 45 yard try. He missed it as the Giants misery continued.
The Rams began the third quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Goff hit Woods for 10 and then went deep to Cooper Kupp for 35 yards. Todd Gurley got in from the one as the Rams had a 34-10 lead. A 30 yard punt return Cooper had the Rams taking over at the Giants 45. Goff hooked up with Gurley for a 44 yard gain. Gurley lost 3 yards, but Goff hit Woods for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 41-10 Rams. The Giants then faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Manning threw incomplete and down by 31 points, Ben McAdoo decided to punt. Brad Wing had it blocked, and the Rams took over at the Rams 18. Everett ran for a 13 yard gain and Gurley got the last yard as the Rams were carpet-bombing the Giants 48-10. The Rams gave up a garbage touchdown and tacked on another field goal, but don’t look now, the Rams are 6-2. If this keeps up even fair-weather California fans will start attending their games. 51-17 Rams
Denver Broncos at Philadelphia Eagles — Brock Osweiler got the start in place of the benched Trevor Siemian. Brandon McManus hit a 52 yard field goal to get the Broncos on the board first. Yet the Eagles came back 75 yards quickly. Carson Wentz threw a 32 yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery for a 7-3 Eagles lead. Denver was pinned inside their own 10 and the Eagles got it back at their own 44. Wentz found Troy Smith for 11 yards and Captain Morgan Brent Celek for a 15 yard gain to set up Elliott for a 45 yard field goal and a 10-3 Eagles lead. After a touchback, Osweiler was quickly intercepted by Robinson, setting up the Eagles at the Denver 15. On 3rd and 10 Wentz hit Clement for the touchdown to make it 17-3 Eagles after the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Broncos got a spark when McKenzie returned a punt 44 yards to the Philly 43. On 3rd and 2 Osweiler hit Emanuel Sanders past the sticks, but the officials ruled Sanders trapped the ball. Replay seemed to show the ball hitting the ground. Further replay showed that Sanders took 2 steps before he lost the ball, which would have meant a fumble out of bounds and a first down. Vance Joseph decided not to challenge the call. McManus drilled a 53 yard field goal to get the Broncos within 17-6.
The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. After the defense jumped offside, Wentz hit Jeffery for 14 yards. A 15 yard completion to Celek put the ball on the Denver 42. Wentz then threw incomplete on a play that could have been intentional grounding. However, roughing the passer gave the Eagles 15 more yards. Wentz then went deep to Burton for a 27 yard touchdown and a 24-6 Eagles lead. The Broncos moved 69 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes, but again could not crack the end zone. McManus hit from 31 to get the Broncos within 24-9.
Yet the Broncos were kicking field goals and the Eagles were scoring touchdowns. Jay Ajayi had multiple 200 yard rushing games for Miami last year but did not have a single touchdown this year. He was traded to the Eagles just before the trade deadline, and he gashed Denver in his first game for the Eagles. After a touchback, the Eagles were at their own 35. Von Miller jumped offside. Ajayi ran for a 14 yard gain. On the next play Ajayi got around the end, raced down the sideline, and leapt for the pylon for a 46 yard touchdown. With 90 seconds left in the half the Eagles were winning a laugher 31-9.
The second half was a formality. The Eagles held the ball for 77 yards in 13 plays, taking 7 1/2 minutes to do it. Doug Peterson is supposed to be a West Coast Offense dink and dunk guy, but this was not finesse. It was power football. From the Philly 23 on the first play from scrimmage, Clement got around the end for a 28 yard gain. LaGuerrette Blount gained 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Denver 46, Wentz got the yard. Wentz hit Jeffery for 17 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Denver 10, Wentz came up on yard short. Peterson decided to go fir it. Went threw a pass to Agholor that may have been short, but officials called it a first down. The call was not challenged. On the next play Clement got around the end again for a 2 yard touchdown and a 38-9 Eagles lead.
Osweiler was the intercepted, giving the ball to the Eagles at the Denver 11. On 3rd and 3, Wentz hit Jeffery for a 4 yard touchdown. The closest thing to good news for Denver was the missed extra point, as the Eagles led 44-9 rather than 45-9. Denver’s fourth straight loss has them at 3-5 while the Eagles have an NFL best 8-1 record. 25 years after Jerome Brown died, Eagles fans are hoping this is the year they finally bring it home for Jerome. Wentz was a lights out 15 of 27 for only 199 yards, but 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Denver did get a couple garbage touchdowns in a meaningless fourth quarter, but Eagles backup and one-time starting sensation Nick Foles connected on one long bomb to get the Eagles in the end zone one more time. 51-23 Eagles
Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans — Ryan Succop hit a 48 yard field goal for the Titans. Meanwhile, a fake punt call by John Harbaugh worked perfectly and led to a 30 yard field goal by Justin Tucker for a 3-3 game. Joe Flacco was then intercepted by Yard, who returned it 33 yards to the Baltimore 46. Marcus Mariota ran for 7 yards and hit Davis for a 23 yard gain. One play later Mariota hit Ryan Mathews for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Titans. In the second quarter the Ravens moved 13 plays in 6 minutes, gaining 44 yards. Tucker hit a 49 yard field goal as the Ravens trailed 10-6. With Baltimore punting from their own 9, a shanked punt went only 17 yards. From the Baltimore 11, Derrick Henry quickly ran for gains of 10 and 5. On 3rd and 5 from the 11, Mariota threw incomplete, but unnecessary roughness meant 1st and goal at the 5. On 3rd and goal at the one, Henry got in. The extra point was no good but the Titans led 16-6.
With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Titans faced 3rd and 4 at their own 40 looking to put the game away. Mariota was intercepted by Eric Weddle, who returned it 22 yards to the Tennessee 42. Flacco hit Watson for 16 and Collins gained 14 more. On 3rd and 1 from the 3, Flacco hit Allen for the touchdown as the Ravens were within 16-13 with 9 minutes left. After a touchback, Tennessee bled 5 minutes off the clock. From the Tennessee 40, Mariota hit Delanie Walker for 25 yards, DeMarco Murray for 17 more, and on 3rd and 3 from the 11, a touchdown pass to Eric Decker. With 4 minutes left the Titans had breathing room up 23-13. Baltimore did get a one yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Mike Wallace with 51 seconds left, but the onside kick died after only traveling 8 yards. The Titans have quietly gotten to 5-3 with their 3rd straight win. 23-20 Titans
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers — A few years ago the 49ers swept Arizona but went 0-14 against the rest of the league. This time against the winless 49ers, Drew Stanton got the start as Carson Palmer is out for the year with a shoulder injury. Early on former 49ers kicker Phil Dawson doinked a 38 yard field goal try off the upright no good. Yet from the San Francisco 48, s short completion was fumbled. Patrick Peterson returned the fumble 47 yards to the San San Francisco 6 yard line. On 3rd and goal, Stanton threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to Brown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. The 49ers did get a 42 yard Robbie Gould field goal, but the Cardinals had more firepower. In the second quarter they moved 75 yards and Stanton hit Gresham for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Cardinals. Arizona missed a chance to blow the game open and go up 21-3 when a pass to the end zone was intercepted for a touchback. Arizona insisted it was a tie possession and a touchdown, but the touchback stood.
The 49ers have been losing mostly close games, and in the third quarter they moved 75 yards in 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. CJ Beathard got the last yard as the 49ers were only down 14-10. The Cardinals held the ball for 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes, moving 65 yards. The fourth quarter began with the Cardinals facing 3rd and 2 at the San Francisco 7. Stanton threw incomplete. Dawson hit from 25, but the Cardinals only led 17-10. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Arizona took over at their own 48. They held the ball for 7 minutes and 11 plays. On 3rd and 1 from the Frisco 11, Adrian Peterson lost 2 yards. Yet Dawson hit the critical 32 yarder to make it 20-10 Cardinals with only 5 1/2 minutes left. On 4th and 3 from midfield, a pass from Beathard was just dropped. Yet with 3 1/2 minutes left, Peterson fumbled the ball right back. A mindless personal foul on Arizona after tempers flared put the 49ers at the Arizona 34. With 2 1/2 minutes left, on 1st and goal from the 9, Beathard had a pass bounce off a helmet and get intercepted as the 49ers dropped to 0-9 with no end in sight. 20-10 Cardinals
Washington Redskins at Seahawks — Midway through the first quarter Kirk Cousins went back to pass from his own 6 yard line. He was belted in the end zone by Bobby Wagner for a safety as the Legion of Boom gave the Seahawks a 2-0 lead. After the free kick Blair Walsh missed a 44 yard field goal that would have extended the lead. In the second quarter the Seahawks moved from their 29 to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 14. After a pair of penalties killed the drive, Walsh missed again from 39. The Redskins moved 71 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. The Redskins led 7-2 after Robert Kelley got in from the one. With 45 seconds left in the half the Seahawks moved from 33 to the Washington 31. On the last play of the half, Walsh missed is third field goal from 50. In the third quarter the Redskins moved 57 yards but bogged down in the red zone. Rose hit a 28 yard field goal to make it 10-2 Redskins. The Seahawks began the fourth quarter at their own 34. Wilson ran for 6 yards and hit Thomas rawls for a 22 yard gain. Wilson hit Jimmy Graham for 15 and non-relative Willson for a 10 yard touchdown. The 2 point try with 12 minutes left in regulation was intercepted and nearly run back the other way as the Seahawks still trailed 10-8.
Then came the Legion of Boom. On 3rd and 15 from their 17, Cousins was sacked again for the second time in 3 plays, fumbled, and the Seahawks recovered for a defensive touchdown. On further review Cousins was down, so the Redskins escaped with a punt on 4th and 28 from their own 4. The teams exchanged punts again and the Seahawks began their last chance at their own 29 with 2:22 left. Wilson hit McKissic for 9 at the 2 minute warning. Wilson then went to graham for 21 yards. Wilson ran for 11 yards. Wilson then went deep to Doug Baldwin for a 30 yard touchdown with 90 seconds to play. For the second straight week Wilson led a miracle comeback, as Washington’s stout defense broke when it mattered most. The 2 point try failed but the Seahawks led 14-10.
Yet Cousins had magic of his own. From the Washington 30, Cousins went deep to Brandon Quick for 31 yards. He then went deep again to Josh Doctson for a 38 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the one with one minute left. Kelley got in as the Legion of Boom went bust. Yet they left too much time left. After a touchback, Seattle soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 36 with 35 seconds left. Wilson found Paul Richardson for 26 yards. Yet Wilson was sacked with 12 seconds left. After some confusion, with 4 seconds left Seattle lined up for the Hail Mary from the Washington 46. It was perfectly thrown and nearly caught, barely falling incomplete to snap Seattle’s 4 game win streak. 17-14 Redskins
Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys — Ezekiel Elliott did play today but may finally have to start serving his 6 game suspension next week. Each team punted twice and Dallas took over at their own 39. Das Prescott hit Dez Bryant for 17 yards and Terrence Williams for 8 more. On 2nd and 15 from the Chiefs 33, Prescott found Williams for 27 yards and Cole Beasley for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. In the second quarter, the Chiefs took over at their own 36. Alex Smith went to Travis Kelce for a 22 yard gain and to Robinson for 10 more. The drive died in the red zone but Harrison Butker hit a 38 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 7-3.
With 90 seconds left in the half, the Cowboys faced 3rd and 15 at their own 13. Rather than play it safe and punt, Jason Garett went bold. Prescott fired a laser to Bryant for a 21 yard gain. Then Prescott rolled to his right and found a wide open Williams for a 56 yard gain to the Chiefs 10. After a pair of incompletions, with 21 seconds left on 3rd and goal, Prescott scrambled, nearly got tripped up, somehow maintained his balance, and made it to the end zone for a 14-3 Cowboys lead. With 2 seconds left in the half, the Chiefs had one play from their own 43. Smith found Tyreeq Hill over the middle. Rather than press ahead, Hill waited for his blockers to get ahead of him. In front of a shocked home crowd, Hill followed the blockers for a 57 yard touchdown to end the half with the Chiefs only down 14-10.
The Chiefs momentum continued in the third quarter as they moved 62 yards in 6 minutes. On 2nd and 11 from their own 37, Smith threw incomplete but defensive pass interference on Orlando scandrick meant a 12 yard gain. Hunt gained 19 yards and on 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 23, Smith gained 4 on a well executed fake handoff. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Smith fired to Kelce near the Pylon for the touchdown to make it 17-14 Chiefs. After a touchback, Prescott hit Bryant for 10 and Elliott broke off runs of 7 and 11. On 3rd and 9 from the Chiefs 46, Prescott threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 17 yard gain. Prescott then got around the end for a 13 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the 9, Prescott scrambled up the middle for a 4 yard gain. Elliott banged up the gut for a 2 yard touchdown to put the Cowboys back in front 21-17.
The Cowboys got it back at their own 13 and began the fourth quarter at their own 24. Prescott hit Bryant for 16 yards and Williams for 11 more. Alfred Morris gained 11 and Prescott hit Williams for another 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 9, Elliott gained 2 yards. Prescott then went to Beasley for the 7 yard touchdown as the Cowboys had some breathing room up 11 with 9 minutes left in regulation. The Chiefs quickly moved from their 22 to a 3rd and 5 at the Dallas 40. Smith was then sacked by Taco Charlton, his first sack of the season. On 4th and 8, Smith, who was perfect threw 8 games, was intercepted for the first time all season. Kansas City got it back once more, but a great Dallas punt had the Chiefs pinned at their own yard line. There would be no comeback as the Chiefs lost for the third time in four games after a 5-0 start. 28-17 Cowboys
Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins was the Sunday night game. This was a case of dumb and dumber as the Raiders lost last week by 20 points to drop to 3-5 while the Dolphins lost 40-0 and entered 4-3. Jay Cutler returned from injury in a game that was marred by over 200 penalty yards. The Raiders early on faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Derek Carr went deep to Jared Cook for 35 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Miami 38, Carr went back to Cook for 14 yards. Despite 1st and 10 at the Miami 13, the drive stalled and Georgio Tavecchio hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders. The 12 play, 53 yard drive took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock.
In the second quarter the Dolphins took over at their own 18. From their 29, Drake gained 11 and unnecessary roughness added 15 more. Offensive holding had the Dolphins with 1st and 20 at their own 45. Jay Cutler hit Drake for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Oakland 41, Cutler hit Parker for 22 yards. Cutler then hit Williams for 11 and again for the 10 yard touchdown. Cody Parkey’s extra point doinked off the upright no good but the Dolphins led 6-3. Adam Game called a surprise onside kick that was perfectly executed and recovered by Parkey himself at the Miami 48. Miami was on the way to blowing the game open. Yet on 1st and 10 at the Oakland 24, Drake gained 4 yards and fumbled the ball away.
From the Oakland 19, Carr went to cook for a 27 yard gain. Offensive penalties had the Raiders facing 1st and 25 at their own 28. Carr bailed the team out again, hitting Cook for 11. On 2nd and 14, Washington gained another 11. On 3rd and 3 from midfield, Marshawn Lunch banged ahead for 6 yards. On the next play Carr went deep to Johnny Hilton for a 44 yard touchdown and a 10-6 Raiders lead with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half.
The Dolphins faced 3rd and 4 at their own 26 when the Raiders committed encroachment at the 2 minute warning. From the Miami 36, Cutler found Williams for 10 when another dumb unnecessary roughness penalty added on another 15 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 31, Cutler threw incomplete. Parker hit the 49 yarder to get the Dolphins within 10-9. The Raiders took over at their own 23 with only 28 seconds left. Carr went deep to Amari Cooper for 26 yards. On 3rd and 10 from just past midfield with 5 seconds left, Carr rifled a 16 yard pass to Cook, who quickly dropped to the ground and called timeout with 1 second left. The Dolphins screamed the half was over, but the officials disagreed. Tavecchio nailed the 53 yarder to put the Raiders up 13-9 at halftime.
In the third quarter Miami went nowhere and punted. The Raiders took over at their own 33. Lynch gained 3 and then 14 more to midfield. Carr then went to Cooper for 20 yards. On 3rd and 2, Lynch burst up the middle for a 22 yard touchdown as the Raiders had a 20-9 lead. However, the Raiders never win easily. After a touchback, Cutler hit Drake for 10. Drake then broke free for a 42 yard gain. Cutler hit Landry for a 6 yard touchdown as the Dolphins were right back in it down 20-16.
The teams exchanged punts after going 3 and out and the Raiders got it back on their own 38. On 3rd and 4 from their own 44, Carr hit Cook for 6 yards. The fourth quarter began with the Raiders facing 3rd and 5 at the Miami 45. Carr hit Cooper for 6 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Miami 33, a killer offensive holding penalty pushed the Raiders out of field goal range. On 3rd and 14, Carr had the ball knocked out of his hand by Ndamokung Suh. Such dove in the air to knock the ball loose. Offensive lineman Newhouse recovered for the Raiders, but rather than stay down, he tried to run with it. Offensive tackles do not run for 15 yards. They get hit and fumble the ball away. After 6 1/2 minutes with the ball, the Raiders came up empty.
With 13 minutes left in regulation the Dolphins had a golden opportunity at their own 48. Yet on 3rd and 10 a short pass only gained 5 yards and Miami punted. The Raiders again went 3 and out and the Dolphins again had great field position at their own 45. Yet offensive holding and a sack pushed them back and they punted again. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Raiders took over at their own 13. Carr hit Michael Crabtree for 16 yards. With 5 minutes left and the Raiders having burned 2 timeouts, the Raiders faced 3rd and 6 at their own 35. Carr rolled to his right and fired to Seth Roberts for a 29 yard gain, with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. From the Miami 21, Carr went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference made it 1st and goal at the 3. Lynch banged up the gut for the touchdown. With 4:42 left the Raiders led 27-16. Yet with their poor secondary, games are never over.
After a touchback the Dolphins moved to a 4th and 9 at the Oakland 38 with 3 minutes left. Cutler found Thomas for 14 yards, but offensive holding meant 4th and 19. Cutler threw deep incomplete. Again it looked like the game was over. Again, it was not. A pair of Lynch runs went nowhere. On 3rd and 10, Carr went deep and had the ball bounce in the air and get intercepted. It was pretty much treated as a punt since the Dolphins took over at their own 17 with 1:54 left and only one timeout. Yet the Raiders secondary does not finish games.
Cutler went to Kenny Stills for a 14 yard gain, and a truly dumb roughing the passer call added 15 more yards. Cutler then found Parker for 12 more. Miami had moved 42 yards in only 14 seconds. From the Oakland 41, Cutler went deep to Parker. Initially ruled incomplete, officials reversed the call to a catch and a 26 yard gain to the Oakland 15. On the next play Cutler found Julius Thomas wide open over the middle for the touchdown. Drake appeared stopped on the 2 point try, but bulled his way in up the middle. With 90 seconds to play, the Dolphins were only down by 3.
With both teams out of timeouts, Parkey’s onside kick was recovered by Amari Cooper, as the Raiders survived. Cutler completed his first 16 passes and finished 34 of 42 for 311 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Carr was 21 of 30 for 300 yards, one touchdown, and the one late interception. Several dropped passes kept him from having closer to 350 yards. Miami is 4-4 and the Raiders are still alive at 4-5. With Kansas City and Denver both losing, the Raiders gained ground. It was ugly, and the Raiders have serious issues, but they got the win. Just Win Baby. 27-24 Raiders
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers was the Monday night game. With Aaron Rodgers, the Packers easily dispatch the Lions in front of the Lambeau Field home faithful. Without Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are a mess. In the first quarter, the Lions marched 71 yards in 5 minutes. Matthew Stafford threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Marvin Jones for a 7-0 Lions lead. In the second quarter the Lions held the ball for 7 minutes and moved 91 yards in 13 plays. Abdullah ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Lions. The Packers did get a 35 yard Mason Crosby field goal before the half, but in the third quarter the Lions held the ball for 6 minutes and moved 50 yards in 11 plays. Matt Prater hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Lions. In the fourth quarter the Lions held the ball another 7 minutes and moved 63 yards in 12 plays. On 4th and goal at the one, Jim Caldwell played it very safe with a lead on the road. Prater hit the 19 yarder as the Lions comfortably led 20-3.
The Packers did move 78 yards and Brett Hundley got in from the one to get the Packers within 20-10, but no closer. The Lions rapidly moved 75 yards and Stafford hit Jones for an 11 yard score to make it 27-10 Lions. Prater tacked on a 33 yard field goal to make it 30-10 Lions. Green Bay did get one more garbage touchdown, but nothing more. The Lions dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for over 36 minutes. Stafford was a lights out 26 of 33 for 361 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hundley was a respectable 26 of 38 for 245 yards without a touchdown, but much of the yards came in garbage time. Neither signal caller was intercepted. Mike McCarthy needs to find a way to rescue his team before the season washes away. Both teams are 4-4, and Jim Caldwell was so pleased by the win that he almost made a facial expression. 30-17 Lions