NFL 2018 Week 9 Recap

NFL 2018 Week 9 Recap

Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers — Forget the past. The 1-6 Raiders took on the 1-7 49ers in what should be called, in a tribute to Chris Berman, the Bay of Pigs. The 49ers were starting third string quarterback Nick Mullens, who had never started an NFL game before. Yet the Raiders have no defense, no offensive line, and nothing resembling a football team outside of their quarterback. They are also on their fourth kicker of the year. Early on the Raiders moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 13. A sack and an offensive holding penalty killed the drive. Carlson hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders, concluding anything positive to be said about this team.

Mullins’s 1st NFL pass was an 11 yard completion. Then Matt Breida ran for 18 yards and master added 14 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 24, Mullens threw his first NFL touchdown pass to Pierre Gardon to make it 7-3 49ers. The 49ers got it back at faced 3rd and 4 from their 40. Mullins hit Garcon for 7 yards. Mullens then hit Garcon for 25 yards. The second quarter began with the 49ers facing 3rd and 1 at the Oakland 3. Breida got the carry and got caught in the backfield. It didn’t matter. Breida shook the tackle and got the yard. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Mullens hit Bourne for the score to make it 14-3 49ers.

With the 49ers facing 2nd and 4 at their own 26, a run lost 2 yards. Rather than let the clock wind down, the Raiders chose to take a timeout on defense. The theory was to get a stop and get a chance on offense. What about the Raiders defense gave their coaching staff the idea that a stop was possible? On 3rd and 4, Mullins found James for a 53 yard gain. Robbie Gould hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 17-3 49ers at halftime.

The 49ers actually fumbled their first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, but held on the the ball. On 2nd and 12 from their own 23, a pass from Mullens to Greg Kittle went for a 71 yard gain against the lifeless Raiders. Mullens threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Kittle to make it 24-3 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 32. From their 48, a run followed by bumbling keystone cops trying to tackle meant a 52 yard touchdown for Mostert. The 49ers led 31-3 after three quarters.

The Raiders lost to the 1-5 Colts and 1-6 49ers in successive weeks. They are awful in every phase of the game. In this game Carr was sacked 6 times. He was benched in the fourth quarter for his own safety. AJ McCarron played the final 12 minutes. On 4th and inches from their own 29, Jon Gruden decided to go for it. McCarron got stopped on the quarterback sneak. Gould hit the 31 yard field goal to wrap up the scoring. 34-3 49ers

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings — Trading away Golden Tate did not help the Lions. Matthew Stafford had bigger problems as his offensive line was overwhelmed by Mike Zimmer’s defense. Stafford was sacked 10 times. A very short opening kickoff was returned 15 yards to the Minnesota 35. On 4th and 2 from the Detroit 37, Mike Zimmer decided to go for it. Kirk Cousins hit Beebe for 13 yards and Latavius Murray for 16 more. Murray then gained 7 and finally got the last yard to make it 7-0 Vikings.

The Lions had a 14 play drive and held the ball for nearly 8 1/2 minutes. They began the second quarter with 1st and goal at the 4. After a false start on 3rd and goal at the 8, Stafford was sacked. Matt Prater hit the 35 yard field goal to get the Lions within 7-3. An interception of Cousins had the Lions starting at the Minnesota 44. Despite 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 12, a pair of sacks killed the drive. Prater again hit from 35 to get the Lions within 7-6. They’d get no closer.

After a touchback, Cook took a handle and raced 70 yards. Cousins hit Adam Thielen for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Vikings. Minnesota got it back at their own 48 with 39 seconds left in the half. Cousins hit Laquon Treadwell for 22 yards. Dan Bailey hit a 39 yard field goal to end the half with the Vikings up 17-6. Zimmer’s defense clamped down in the second half. With 10 minutes left in regulation. A Detroit fumble was returned 32 yards for a Minnesota touchdown to make it 24-6 Vikings. The Lions countered with a mind-numbing 17 play, 69 yard drive that ate up 6 minutes. All they got was another field goal. 24-9 Vikings

Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills — After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears exploded in the second quarter and put the game away by halftime. An unnecessary roughness call on a punt had the Bears taking over at the Buffalo 37. On 3rd and 15, Mitchell Trubisky hit Burton for 26 yards. Jordan Howard ran for a one yard touchdown to start the deluge. Midway through the second quarter the Bills faced 3rd and 9 at the Chicago 34. Buffalo, fumbled, and Eddie Jackson returned it 65 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-0 Bears.

Nathan Peterman, who is not Jewish, is not the worst quarterback to ever play football. However, he is making a case to be in the discussion. After throwing one interception that Chicago did not convert into points, his next interception was returned 19 yards for a score by Leonard Floyd to make it 21-0 Bears. With 1:46 left in the half, the Bills punted on 4th and 22 from their own 13. Cohen returned it 36 yards to the Buffalo 23. Howard ran for an 18 yard touchdown and a 28-0 Bears lead at intermission. League rules prevented the second half from being canceled. Peterman did add a third interception. 41-9 Bears

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers — Jameis Winston is not the answer, but Ryan Fitzpatrick plays better in relief than as a starter. An interception of Fitzpatrick by Eric Reid was returned 39 yards to the Tampa 10 yard line. Alex Armah ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. Carolina got it back at their own 12. From their 29, Cam Newton hit Christian McCaffrey for 32 yards and Moore ran for 32 more. McCaffrey ran it in from 3 yards out to make it 14-0 Panthers. In the second quarter the Bucs moved 75 yards. Fitzpatrick hit OJ Howard for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 14-7.

After that Carolina blasted the Bucs to pieces. After a touchback, Newton hit Devon Funchess for 16 yards and Greg Olsen for 23 more. Curtis Samuel ran for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Panthers. The Bucs punted on 4th and 24 from their own 6 and the Panthers got it back at the Tampa 42. McCaffrey ran for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, McCaffrey got in to make it 28-7 Panthers. Dirk Koetter tried a fake punt on 4th and 9 at his own 26. It failed. Newton went deep to Funchess for 23 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 17, Newton hit Olsen for the score as the Panthers led 35-7.

Fitzpatrick led a furious rally. After a touchback he moved the Bucs to a 4th and goal at the 3 with 15 seconds left in the half. Fitzpatrick hit Howard for the score to get the Buccaneers within 35-14. In the third quarter Fitzpatrick led a 10 play, 84 yard drive helped along by a 19 yard defensive pass interference call. Fitzpatrick hit Humphries for the 5 yard score to get the Buccaneers within 35-21. Tampa got it back and soon faced 3rd and 17 at their own 14. Fitzpatrick hit Chris Godwin for 25 yards, Howard for 31 more, Humphries for the 30 yard touchdown less than one minute into the fourth quarter. 3 straight touchdowns by Carolina were answered by 3 straight touchdowns by Tampa as the Buccaneers only trailed 35-28.

For the second week in a row, the Tampa miracle comeback fell short. After sleepwalking through the second half, Carolina finally woke up. On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Newton hit McCaffrey and Olsen for a pair of 20 yard gains. On 2nd and 15 from the Tampa 19, Newton hit Curtis Samuel for the clinching touchdown. An interception of Fitzpatrick with 3:45 left sealed it. Fitzpatrick finished 24 of 40 for 243 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Newton was 19 of 25 for 247 yards with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as Carolina got to 6-2 and only one game back of the NFC South lead. 42-28 Panthers

Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns — Hue Jackson and Todd Haley were fired, cheating Haley out of a chance to lose to the previous team that fired him. The Chiefs got the ball at their own 5 yard line. From their own 29, Patrick Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 21 yards and to Kareem Hunt for a 50 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. After a touchback the Browns moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Chiefs 24. Baker Mayfield was sacked. Joseph hit the 51 yard field goal as the Browns trailed 7-3. Both offenses moved fairly well in the second quarter.

After a touchback, the Chiefs would faced 3rd and 19 at their own 46. Patrick Mahomes found ware for a 25 yard gain to end the first quarter. Mahomes hit Kelce for an 11 yard score to make it 14-3 Chiefs. After a touchback, the Browns moved to a 4th and 2 at the Chiefs 43. Interim coach Gregg williams decided to go for it. Mayfield hit Johnson for a 23 yard gain. Nick Chubb did the rest, catching a pass for 5, running for 12, and running for the 3 yard score. Williams also decided to chase points and go for the 2 point conversion. It failed as the Browns were down 14-9.

After a touchback the Chiefs kept rolling. Mahomes hit Sammy Watkins for 19 yards and Tyreek Hill for a 40 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 10, Hunt gained 9 and then got the last yard to make it 21-9 Chiefs. Again the Browns answered. From their own 21, Cleveland moved to a 4th and 1 just past midfield. Again Gregg Williams decided to go for it. The Chiefs jumped and committed encroachment. Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 17 yards and Duke Johnson for the 19 yard touchdown. Again Williams decided to chase points and again the 2 point try failed as the Browns were down 21-15 at halftime.

In the second half the Chiefs put the game away. They took the kickoff and marched 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 4 just past midfield, Mahomes hit Ware for 21 yards. On 3rd and 11 from the Cleveland 29,Mahomes hit Kelce for 16 yards and again for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 28-15 Chiefs. The backbreaker came when the Browns punted and the Chiefs blocked it to take over at the Cleveland 21. Hunt ran for 11 and then the 10 yard score to make it 34-15 Chiefs after the extra point doinked off the upright no good.

The fourth quarter was uneventful as the Chiefs coasted. Mayfield would throw one touchdown followed by a third failed 2 point try. The Chiefs tacked on one more field goal and intercepted Mayfield to seal it. The Chiefs are 8-1 and still atop the AFC, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. 37-21 Chiefs

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins — Sometimes a pair of boring teams can come together and produce a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. Neither team scored an offensive touchdown. After a scoreless first quarter, Sanders hit second quarter field goals of 43 and 27 to make it 6-0 Dolphins. Jason Myers hit from 48 to end the half with the Jets down 6-3. In the scoreless third quarter, Myers missed from 50. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Sam Darnold had a pass intercepted and returned 25 yards for a touchdown by Jerome Baker to make it 13-3 Dolphins. Myers nailed a 56 yard field goal with 6 minutes left to get the Jets within 7, but Darnold was intercepted two more times in the final 4 1/2 minutes in a game where even the winning team should burn the tape. 13-6 Dolphins

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens — These teams play hard hitting defensive games and this one was true to form. In the first quarter the Ravens moved 66 yards in 10 plays. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Joe Flacco threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Ravens. Ryan Switzer returned the ensuing kickoff 31 yards to the Pittsburgh 39. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 7, Ben Roethlisberger hit James Conner for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Steelers.

In the second quarter the Steelers moved 75 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 41, Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. Big Ben hit Juju Smith-Schuster for a 6 yard gain. Conner ran for 12 and caught a pass for 17 more. Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Steelers. Baltimore moved from their 37 to a 3rd and 2 at the Pittsburgh 4. Lamar Jackson came in, but lost a yard. Tucker again hit from 23 but Baltimore was kicking field goals while the Steelers were scoring touchdowns. That was the difference as the Ravens trailed 14-6 at the break,

In the third quarter the Steelers appeared to break the game open by going 75 yards in 15 plays and consuming over 8 minutes. Roethlisberger converted three third downs and got the last yard himself. Boswell missed the extra point but the Steelers led 20-6. This time the Ravens answered, moving 75 yards in 11 plays. On 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 17, Flacco threw incomplete. This time defensive pass interference bailed out Baltimore. From the one, Alex Collins got in as the Ravens only trailed 20-13 after three quarters.

The fourth quarter began with the Steelers at their own 15. An 11 play, 74 yard drive took nearly 6 minutes. On 3rd and goal from the 11, Roethlisberger threw incomplete. Boswell hit the critical 29 yard field goal to put the Steelers up 23-13 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Ravens moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Pittsburgh 18. Flacco completed a pass for a one yard loss. Needing 2 scores, the field goal was the only sensible decision. Tucker hit from 37 to get the Ravens within 7 with 5 1/2 minutes left. By the time the Ravens got the ball back at their 24, only 44 seconds remained. They went backward as each team won on the opposing team’s field. Baltimore fell to 4-4 looking up at Pittsburgh. Red zone inefficiencies were the difference. 23-16 Steelers

Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins — The Redskins came in at 5-2 but faced an Atlanta team that had finally begun to find its stride. In the first quarter the Falcons faced 3rd and 7 at their own 22. Matt Ryan hit Mohammed San for 12 yards. On 3rd and 6 from their own 38, Matty Ice hit Hooper for 23 yards and Tevin Coleman for a 39 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons.

In the second quarter The Falcons faced 3rd and 6 at their own 18. Ryan went to Julio Jones for 21 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Washington 32, Ryan went to Hooper for 20 yards. Ito Smith ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Falcons. West Coast Offense Game Manager Alex Smith dinked and dunked the Redskins to an 11 play, 80 yard, 6 minute drive. Smith hit Josh Doctson for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Redskins within 14-7. The Falcons had too much firepower. On 3rd and 10 from their own 25, Ryan hit Sanu for 16 yards. Defensive pass interference added 15 more. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 40, Ryan went to Calvin Ridley for the touchdown to make it 21-7 Falcons.

The Falcons took the second half kickoff and put the game away. Coleman ran for gains of 9, 16 and 7. Ryan hit Ridley for 10 and Jones for 11. Ryan hit Coleman for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 28-7 Falcons. Alex Smith was not going to dink and dunk his way into overcoming that. The Redskins reached the end zone once more in the third quarter but that was it. The Falcons struck the end zone again in the fourth quarter and added a field goal to complete the blowout. After a 1-4 start, the Falcons are now 4-4 and in the hunt. 38-14 Falcons

Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle Seahawks — The Seahawks took over at their 25 and went right to work. Carson ran for 15 and 5 and Davis ran for 6 more. After a bunch of runs, Russell Wilson threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Jaron Brown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Chargers responded despite starting at their own 6 yard line. Keenan Allen ran for a 28 yard gain. Philip Rivers hit Melvin Gordon for 10 yards and Tyrell Williams for 11 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 12, Rivers hit Williams for the touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Chargers trailed 7-6. Yet in the second quarter the Chargers took over.

On 3rd and 15 from their own 12, Rivers went deep to Allen for a 54 yard gain. On the next play Gordon ran for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 12-7 Chargers. The 2 point try failed. Seattle missed a chance to get closer when Sebastian Janikowski’s 51 yard field goal try dunked off the upright no good. With 2:05 left in the half, the Chargers took over at their own 35. Rivers hit Allen for gains of 12 and 23 and then threw a 30 yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams to make it 19-7 Chargers.

Janikowski did hit a 44 yard field goal to end the half with the Seahawks down 19-10, but the Chargers brought the defense in the second half. Sturgis missed a 42 yard field goal that would have extended the lead, but it didn’t matter. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Desmond King intercepted Wilson and returned it 42 yards to pay dirt. Sturgis missed another extra point, but despite his miserable day the Chargers led 25-10.

Wilson led a 14 play drive that included three 4th down conversions. On 4th and goal from the 6, Wilson hit Nick Vannett for the score. With 1:50 left the Seahawks were within 8 points. The onside kick failed, but Seattle took their timeouts on defense and San Diego took only 16 seconds off the clock. Seattle got it back at their own 22 with 1:33 to play. Wilson hit Vannett for 10 and Tyler Lockett for 9 with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. With 5 seconds to play the Seahawks faced 4th and 2 at the Chargers 20. Wilson went to the end zone incomplete but defensive pass interference meant one untimed down from the one yard line. A fable start moved the ball back to the 6. With everything on the line, Wilson threw incomplete as the Chargers got to 6-2 and one game out in the AFC West. 25-17 Chargers

Houston Texans at Denver Broncos — Houston began at their own 25. From their 36, DeShaun Watson went to Jordan Thomas for a 31 yard gain and then again for 18 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 7, Watson hit Thomas for the score to make it 7-0 Texans. Midway through the opening quarter, a facemask penalty on a punt had the Broncos taking over just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 8, Case Keenum hit Sutton for 21 yards. Brandon McManus hit a 44 yard field goal to get the Broncos within 7-3.

The Texans moved 55 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. The second quarter began with the Texans facing 4th and 1 at the Denver 19. Bill O’Brien decided to go for it and Alfred Blue got blasted for a one yard loss. Yet 4 plays later, Denver fumbled the ball right back and the Texans took over at the Denver 22. On 3rd and 4, Watson hit DeAndre Hopkins for the 16 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Texans led 13-3. Denver got it back at their own 13 and struck quickly. Keenum went to LaCrosse for 44 yards and Heuerman for 14 more. From the Denver 24, Keenum hit Heuerman for 10 and Devontae Booker ran for a 14 yard score to get the Broncos within 13-10.

With 1:42 left in the half, the Broncos were pinned at their own 5 yard line. With less than 30 seconds left in the half, Vance Joseph had McManus try a 62 yard field goal to tie the game. It was a desperation move that backfired. The kick was no good, setting up the Texans at the Denver 48 with 18 seconds left. Watson hit Griffin for 13 and Hopkins for 7 more. With 3 seconds left, Fairbairn came in for a more manageable 46 yard field goal try. His kick was good, as the critical 6 point swing had the Texans taking a 16-10 lead to the locker rooms.

In the third quarter, the Broncos moved 81 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. Keenum hit Sutton for 22 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Denver 45, Keenum hit Sutton for 14 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 12, Keenum hit Heuerman for the score. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, the Broncos led 17-16. The Texans responded with a 13 play, 56 yard, 7 minute drive. The fourth quarter began with the Texans facing 2nd and 9 at the Denver 16. Watson threw incomplete and then was sacked. Fairbairn hit the 37 yard field goal to put the Texans back in front 19-17.

After several punts, Denver took over at their own 14 with 3 1/2 minutes to play. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 20, Keenum hit Heuerman for 11 yards. With 1:55 to play, the Broncos faced 4th and 1 at their own 40. Keenum hit Heuerman for 3 yards. Offensive penalties had Denver facing 1st and 25 at their own 28. Keenum hit Patrick for 17. On 4th and 8 from the Denver 45, Keenum hit Sanders for 18 yards. With 3 seconds left, McManus came in for a 51 yard field goal try to win it. Against Oakland, McManus kicked the winner on the final play, with a missed extra point giving Denver the one point win. Again, a missed extra point set up the same scenario. However, this time McManus was no good. Houston survived the scare to win their 6th straight game after an 0-3 start. 19-17 Texans

Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints — This game is why we watch football. The 8-0 Rams took on the 6-1 Saints. The game was expected to be a shootout, and it was everything along those lines and more. If this was an NFC Title Game Preview, that game will be a ratings blockbuster. Both teams have very good defense that were overwhelmed by their even better offenses.

The Saints started with the ball and went 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Alvin Kamara ran for gains of 5 and 12. Drew Brees hit Thomas for 12 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 37, Sean Payton decided to go for it. Both teams knew they would need a ton of points. Hill gained 9 yards. Brees then hit Thomas for 16 yards. Kamara ran for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints.The Rams began their opening drive at their 29.. Jared Goff went deep to Higbee for a 33 yard gain. Goff ran for 9 to the Saints 27. Todd Gurley did the rest, running for 5, 14, and the 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

The Saints took over at their 25 and Brees went to Smith for 19 yards.From the Rams 35, Brees hit Watson for 17 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Rams 16, Brees hit Kamara for the touchdown to make it 14-7 Saints. Then the Rams had their turn after a touchback. Goff hit Woods for 12 yards and then went deep to Cooks for a 48 yard gain. The second quarter began with Goff hitting Cooks for a 4 yard touchdown. Each team had the ball twice and reached the end zone twice. The game was tied 14-14, and there were no signs of either team slowing down.

Yet games like this do change. The Saints fumbled, and the Rams recovered at the Saints 22. On 4th and 4 from the 16, Sean McVay called a fake field goal. Punter Johnny Hekker carried the ball and was stopped short of the sticks. The Rams challenged the spot unsuccessfully. The Saints took over at their own 13. Brees hit Thomas for gains of 9 and 13 and ran himself 7 yards. From the rams 48, Brees went to Watson for 32 yards. On 3r and goal at the 4, Brees hit Tre’Quan Smith for the touchdown to make it 21-14 Saints.

The Rams after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Saints 33. Yet a swing pass from Goff to Gurley lost 6 yards. Sean McVay brought Greg Zuerlein in to try a 51 yard field goal with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. The kick was no good.  The Saints took over at their own 41 and Brees hit thomas for 19 yards. Kamara gained 12 and 4 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 24, Brees hit Kamara for 11 and Benjamin Watson for the 13 yard touchdown. With 1:06 left in the half, the Saints led 28-14.

Disaster quickly struck after a touchback as Goff was intercepted. The Saints took over at the Rams 34 with one minute left. On 3rd and 10, Brees ran for 11 yards. Brees then hit Thomas for 14 with 5 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. Kamara got the last yard. With 26 seconds left in the half, 3 straight touchdowns meant 21 unanswered points. A shootout was turning into a blowout as the Saints led 35-14. This game was far from over.

After a touchback, Goff hit Everett for 15 yards and Woods for 17 more. Unnecessary roughness added 15 more. With 2 seconds left, Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein came in for a 56 yard field goal try. This time he drilled it as the Rams trailed 35-17 at halftime. The Rams began the second half and soon faced 2nd and 13 at their own 20. Goff hit Woods for 19 yards and again for 10 more. Goff went to Cooks for 15 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Saints 33, Goff hit Everett for 13 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Saints 18, Goff hit Malcolm Brown for the touchdown to get the Rams within 35-24.

The Saints moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 7 at the Rams 47. A completion gained only 3 yards. On 4th and 4 from the Rams 44, rather than go for it or try a 62 yard field goal, Sean Payton decided to punt. It took nearly 40 minutes of football, but the game finally had a punt. The Rams took over at their own 16 and Gurley gained 24 yards. Goff then hit cooks for 26 yards and Higbee for 7 more. On 4th and 4 from the Saints 16, Sean McVay played it safe. Zuerlein hit the 35 yard field goal as the Rams only trailed 35-27 after three quarters.

The Saints moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 6 at their own 44. Brees threw incomplete and now the Saints had their second punt on two consecutive possessions. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Rams took over at their own 17. Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 13 yards, Gurley for 5, and Cooks for 15 to midfield. On 3rd and 1 from the Saints 41, Goff went to Kupp for the touchdown. Goff then hit Gerald Everett for the 2 point conversion. Now it was the Rams who put up 21 points and got blackjack the hard way. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the blowout was back to a shootout at 35-35.

From their own 25, Kamara ran for 17 yards. On 3rd and 10 from their own 42, Brees hit Thomas for 18 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 35, Brees threw incomplete. Sean Payton brought in Wil lutz to try a 54 yard field goal. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation in a tie game, Lutz delivered. The Saints led 38-35. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26, a completion only gained 2 yards. With 5 minutes left, for the first time all game, the Rams finally had to punt.

Three plays later, the Saints faced 3rd and 7 at their own 28. The Saints went for it all and first ballot Hall of Famer Brees delivered. He hit Thomas for a 72 yard touchdown. With less than 4 minutes left, the Saints were back up by 10. A 37 yard kickoff return had the Rams taking over at their own 42. On 4th and 2 from midfield after an incompletion, Goff threw incomplete again. In defeat, Goff finished 28 of 40 for 391 yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception. Brees was 25 of 36 for 346 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. The 1972 Dolphins popped their champagne corks as the Rams were knocked from the unbeaten ranks. They and the Saints have one loss. These teams combined for 80 points. A playoff rematch must happen. Call it the Battle of the Seans. 45-35 Saints

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots was the Sunday night game. Tom Brady insisted that Aaron Rodgers is better than him. Brady is the master of false humility. A 36 yard kickoff return with 5 more tacked on for a penalty had the Patriots starting at their own 41. From just past midfield, Brady hit White for 14 yards. White ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots. The Packers came back 62 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Despite 1st and goal at the 9, a delay of game penalty proved costly. Mason Crosby hit the 29 yard field goal got the Packers within 7-3.

In the second quarter the Patriots moved from their 12. Brady hit Josh Gordon for 29 yards and Julian Edelman for 33 yards. On 1st and goal from the Green Bay 10, a run gained nothing and Brady threw incomplete twice. Stephen Gostkowski hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Patriots. The Packers came back with a 13 play, 79 yard, nearly 7 minute drive. Jones ran for 13 yards and Rodgers hit Williams for 16 more. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Rodgers hit Devontae Adams for the touchdown. With less than 5 minutes remaining in the half, the game was deadlocked 10-10.

The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 39. White gained 6 yards. From the New England 45, Cordarelle Patterson became a one man band. He gained 10 yards and a defensive penalty added 15 more yards and resulted in Whitehead getting ejected from the game. Patterson then ran for 17, 8, and finally the 5 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Patriots at halftime.The Packers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 6 at their own 28. Rodgers went deep to Valdes-scantling for a 51 yard gain. On 2nd and goal from the 15, Rodgers hit Jimmy Graham for touchdown and a 17-17 game.

For three quarters, this game was a classic. The Packers took over at their own 7. On 3rd and 1 from their 16, Rodgers went deep to Valdes-Scantling for 24 yards and again for 26 yards. The Packers began the fourth quarter with 1st and 10 at the New England 34. They were in field goal range and were primed to take the lead. Then came the play of the game. Jones got the carry, gained 6 yards, and fumbled. The Patriots recovered at their own 24.

On 3rd and 7 from their own 27, Brady went to Dorsett for 17 yards. From the Green Bay 39, Bill Belichick went to his bag of tricks. Rather than Tom Brady, it was wide receiver Julian Edelman throwing the option pass to White for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, White got in. With 10 minutes left in regulation, the Patriots led 24-17.

The Packers went 3 and out when on 3rd and 7 from their own 28, Rodgers was sacked for a 9 yard loss. New England got it back at their own 28. A time consuming drive with 8 1/2 minutes left was not in the cards. The Patriots went for the kill shot quickly and got it. Edelman ran for 17 yards. He is normally a wide receiver, but on this day he was a passer and a running back. Brady then went deep to Josh Gordon for a 55 yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

Rodgers finished 24 of 43 for 259 yards with 2 touchdowns. Brady was 22 of 35 for 294 yards and one touchdown. Neither quarterback was intercepted. Yet it is the Patriots who won their 6th straight to get to 7-2 while the Packers have a losing record. The issue is not whether Brady or Rodgers is better. The issue is that Brady has help. Rodgers doesn’t. For the second straight week a Packers fumble took the ball out of Rodgers’s hands, denying him a chance to do what he does. 31-17 Patriots

Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys was the Monday night game. The Cowboys moved from their 25 to a 2nd and 4 at the Tennessee 17. A run lost 3 yards, Dan Prescott threw incomplete, and Maher missed a 38 yard field goal. From their own 28, the Titans soon faced 3rd and 9 at their 39. Marcus Mariota was sacked and fumbled. The Cowboys took over at the Tennessee 15. Prescott hit the newest Cowboy Amari Cooper for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. The game got ugly as Tennessee fumbled the ball away again and the Cowboys threw an interception right back.

The Titans then faced 3rd and 9 at their own 21. Mariota went to Taylor for 16 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 38, Mariota went to Davis for 17 yards. The Titans began the second quarter at the Dallas 45. On 3rd and 1 at the Dallas 36, Mariota gained 12 yards and Lewis added 12 more. On 3rd and 1 from the 2, Mariota got the yard. Derrick Henry got the other yard to tie the game 7-7.

Midway through the second quarter the Titans faced 3rd and 7 at their own 34. Mariota hit Watson for 12 yards. On 3rd and 10 from their own 46, Mariota went to Jennings for 36 yards and Dion Lewis for the 18 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the half the Titans led 14-7. The Cowboys came back 78 yards in 10 plays. From the Dallas 47, Prescott hit Thompson for 15 yards, Cooper for 15 more, and Allen Hurns for a 23 yard touchdown. The game was tied 14-14 at halftime.

The second half was all Tennessee’s defense. The Cowboys moved from their 18 to a 3rd and 8 at their own 47. After a false start, Prescott was sacked and fumbled. The Titans took over at the Dallas 40. Lewis gained 9, 5 and 3. Mariota hit Jonnu Smith for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Titans with 6 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Titans missed a chance to extend the lead by missing a field goal, but it didn’t matter. In the fourth quarter from their own 33, Mariota went to Lewis for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 at the Dallas 26, Mariota hit Davis for 8 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 9, Mariota ran for the touchdown to put the game on ice. Dallas did move from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Tennessee 13. 4 straight incompletions ended things and had Jerry Jones contemplating whether to fire everything and blow up his stadium for the insurance money. 28-14 Titans

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