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The Top 10 News Stories of 2023

Thursday, December 28th, 2023

Top 10 News Stories of 2023

This list of the top 10 news stories of 2023 is about what matters. This is list of hard news stories that are important whether or not they are popular. Wars matter more than pop culture. Sports and pop culture only make the list of they involve history, because history matters. Life and death matters. Unprecedented life and death events matter most.

For these reasons, Taylor Swift did not make the list. Pipe down, Swifties. She’s a singer. She became a billionaire. She has screaming fans. She is the new Beatlemania. She almost made the cut but came in at #11. There were 10 events more important than her. Deal with it.

The Southern border did not make the list. Fentanyl deaths did not make the list. Both of these have been problems for several years now. The war between Russia and Ukraine was the top story of 2022, but did not make the list this year. The reason is because at this moment, there is stalemate. A resolution one way or the other would instantly put this situation at or near the top of the list.

The 2024 presidential race did not make the list. There have been zero surprises on either side. The frontrunners have been entrenched for some time now. While the general election will most likely top the 2024 list, the primaries will not make the list unless something notable happens. Former president Trump’s many indictments did not make the list because there has been no resolution either way. President Biden did not make the list because he has been largely irrelevant.

COVID waned, removing it from the list. Inflation remains stubbornly high, but has receded from the peak. It is not a new story for 2024.

Matthew Perry’s death did not make the list. When someone dies at a young age, it is tragic. Yet Perry had a history of drug use. He died with a prescription drug in his system. Famous people die. He made the world a better place during his brief time here, but drug deaths have been happening for decades.

The Nashville school shooting by radical trans activist Audrey Hale can very close to making the iist, but the horrific story is incomplete. Portions of Hale’s manifesto have been released, but until the entire manifesto is released, this story will not get the attention it deserves.

With that, here are the Top 10 News Stories of 2023.

10.) House of Representatives recriminations: This was a year where members of the House tore each other to pieces. Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected Speaker after a record 15 ballots. He had to agree to a provision where one member could call for a vote to remove him. Matt Gaetz called that vote, and McCarthy went down. Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan tried to replace him, but neither one had the votes. Mike Rogers ended up being the consensus GOP candidate. He seems to have stopped the fratricide for now. After being ousted, McCarty announced he would leave Congress altogether at the end of this calendar year. Democrats saw several of their members face censures on the House Floor. Censure is a very rare rebuke. Adam Schiff was censured for his role in prolonging the Russia hoax. He was also stripped of one committee assignment. Rashida Tlaib was censured for antisemitic comments promoting anti-Jewish genocide. Ilhan Omar was stripped of one committee assignment for her antisemitic comments. Eric Swalwell was stripped of one committee assignment for his being compromised due to a sexual affair with a Chinese spy. For only the fifth time in House history, a member was expelled. There was bipartisan support to expel Republican George Santos, a gay Hispanic who pretended to be Jewish and allegedly engaged in repeated financial campaign misdeeds. He almost finished out his first term. This would have all ranked higher except that most people’s lives are unaffected by inside baseball described as palace intrigue.

9.) Detroit sports teams: Sports usually are not the top news stories. Sports are games. Yet two Detroit sports teams made history, and history matters. For Decades, the Lions have been a punching bag. In 2008, they became the first NFL team to ever go 0-16. Yet after 30 years, they are finally NFC North Division Champions again. They are 11-4 and have legitimate chance of making the Super Bowl. Coach Dan Campbell is fiery, and his team backs up his tough talk with tougher play. These Lions are no longer laughingstocks. They are hungry. On the flips side, the Pistons have made the worst kind of history. On December 26th, they lost their 27th straight game. That is an NBA record for most consecutive losses in a single season. The most consecutive losses is 28, but that was spread out over two seasons. This column will be updated to see how long the losing streak goes. The Pistons actually started 2-1 before the roof caved in. This would rank higher, but again, real life hard news events were far more serious.

8.) Colorado bans Trump: In a stunning and controversial ruling, the Colorado Supreme Court voted 4-3 to ban former President Donald Trump from appearing on the 2024 Colorado state presidential ballot. The frontrunner for a major political party has for the very first time been banned from appearing on a state ballot. The Colorado justices declared that Trump is ineligible under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution for his role in starting an insurrection against the United States on January 6th, 2021. This would rank higher except that the United States Supreme Court is expected to overturn the Colorado ruling. Every other state faced with this issue has rejected demands to remove Trump from the ballot. A key issue is that while Trump has repeatedly been accused by his political opponents of fomenting an insurrection, he has never formally been charged, much less convicted, with insurrection. To ban him from the ballot without due process of law sets a dangerous precedent. Republican governors across America are now debating whether to remove President Joe Biden from their state ballots due to allegations of bribery, money-laundering, and influence peddling. President Biden has not been formally charged with any crimes, but Colorado trying to lower that standard could have far-reaching consequences for all elected officials going forward.

UPDATE: On December 28, 2023, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, unilaterally banned Trump from the Maine state ballot. She is not a judge, and no judge in Maine ruled either way before she made her arbitrary decision. She cited the 14th Amendment and insurrection. Again, Trump has not been charged with insurrection.

7.) Stock market hits all time high: The previous stock market intraday high of 36,952 set on January 5th, 2022 was followed by a sharp retreat. The stock market dropped several thousand points. Yet happy days are here again on Wall Street. On December 13th of this year, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new all-time high and broke 37,000 for the very first time. On December 27th, the DJIA hit a new intraday all time high of 37,683. On this same day, the Nasdaq hit an intraday high for the year of 15,114. Even by traditional Santa Clause rallies, 2023 has been generous. Storm clouds may be on the horizon. Much of the stock market has been powered by seven stocks known as the “Magnificent Seven.” Many stocks are not keeping pace with the overall market itself.

6.) Damar Hamlin: Sports is normally not life and death, but this was. On January 2nd of this year, The Buffalo Bills were at the Cincinnati Bengals in a key Monday Night Football matchup. Both teams were legitimate Super Bowl contenders, but that soon became irrelevant in the moment. In the first quarter with the Bengals leading 7-3, Bills safety Damar Hamlin made what looked like a routine tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. After the tackle, Hamlin got up, walked around, and then collapsed on the field. He was unconscious for nine minutes. Players and coaches prayed and cried together. Players have gotten injured in games before, but this was different. Hamlin was in cardiac arrest and at risk of dying. This was an unprecedented situation. Both coaches consulted with the league and decided to cancel the rest of the game. It was never replayed. The outpouring of love for Hamlin contributed to a miracle. After nearly dying, he was able to go home after nine days in the hospital. His charity to buy toys for children raised over seven million dollars in the days following his heart scare. He has now become an advocate for everyone learning CPR, since CPR saved his life. Hamlin even came full circle, playing full contact tackle football for the Bills in their October matchup this year against the rival Miami Dolphins. Thanks to God’s grace and top rate medical on the field, no NFL player has ever died on the field during a game (Korey stringer died during practice and Chuck Hughes collapsed on the field but died later at the hospital).

5.) Bud Light scandal, Harvard plagiarism: It takes a lifetime to build a reputation, but it can all be destroyed at the speed of (Bud) light. 2023 was the year where two of the most respected institutions in America destroyed their once platinum reputations. Anheiser Busch was one of the best companies in the history of American business. They did everything right. They wrapped themselves in the American flag. Their Super Bowl ads made us laugh with frogs and lizards and tugged at our patriotic heartstrings with noble Clydesdale horses and fire rescue dogs. Budweiser was America, the King of beers. Then a political activist named Alissa Heinerscheid joined the Anheiser Busch marketing department in a senior role. She came up with the worst marketing campaign in advertising history. She hired transgender social media personality Dylan Mulvaney to be a spokesperson for Bud Light. The backlash was swift and severe. Making matters worse, Heinerscheid attacked her company’s own customer base as “fratty” and “out of touch.” Sales plummeted as customers flocked to Miller and other beer companies. Anheiser Busch dropped as low as 14th, and has yet to recover. On the education front, Harvard was the top of the top. Then they socially promoted an unqualified woman named Claudine Gay to the elite institution’s presidency solely because she is a black woman and hardcore activist for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion movement. Gay came under fire during a disastrous House committee hearing where she refused to condemn calls on her campus for genocide against Jews. Matters got worse for her when it was discovered that she is a serial plagiarizer She has been in open violation of rules that would get her own students expelled. Harvard’s Board of Trustees cannot fire her because that would require admitting that they were duped by the twin frauds of DEI and Ms. Gay herself. 20 years after the New York Times was humiliated for socially promoting Jason Blair, Harvard has learned nothing. For the first time in school history, students are rejecting early entry into the school.

4.) Ivy League professors antisemitism: Claudine Gay is one of far too many professors who range from openly tolerating antisemitic to openly being antisemitic. Just before Hanukkah and only two months after a terrorist attack against Israel, Ivy League university presidents imploded at a House committee hearing. Congresswoamn Elise Stefanik asked three university presidents what should have been an easy question. Would calling for the genocide of Jews be against the rules and laws of their universities? Harvard President Claudine Gay, University of Pennsylvania President Liz Magill, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology President Sally Kornbluth all tried to whitewash antisemitic calls for genocide. They babbled about how such remarks had to be taken “in context,” as if there was ever was a justifiable context. Large donors immediately began canceling planned future gifts. Prestigious law firms and other companies vowed to no longer hire graduating students from these institutions. Three days after her disastrous congressional testimony, Magill resigned under pressure of being fired. The other two have survived for now. Former President Barack Obama personally lobbied behind the scenes to protect Gay, given their shared status as DEI cheerleaders and token hires under DEI themselves.

3.) Ecological disasters from East Palestine to Maui: Ecological disasters are not new, but 2023 brought a pair that were truly heartbreaking. In February of this year, A train crash in East Plestine, Ohio released toxic chemicals into the air. This small town of three square miles and less than 5,000 people has been irreversibly harmed. Many of the town’s residents are suffering from respiratory ailments. The largely Republican residents in this small town have claimed to be abandoned by a Democrat President unconcerned with Trump voters. In August of this year, wildfires devastated the Hawaiian Island of Maui. Over 100 people died in Maui. The gorgeous town of Lahaina was practically wiped off of the map and rendered uninhabitable. Over 1% of all of Maui burned. This was a avoidable disaster. Hawaii’s electric utility admitted that its own flawed power lines started the fires. This was the deadliest wildfire in over a century. Hawaii also rarely gets attention in a presidential election, leaving the residents begging federal officials for desperately needed relief.

2.) Pogroms in America: After the Holocaust, it was taken for granted that America was the one place besides Israel where Jews could feel comfortable. When the most recent war between Israel and her Arab neighbors broke out, carefully organized anti-Israel protests broke out all over America. Virulent antisemitism bubbling below the surface exploded out into the open on college campuses. America’s most “progressive” cities held rallies where people chanted genocidal claims such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Even New York and Los Angeles, home to the largest Jewish populations outside of Israel, felt the wrath of violent anti-Jewish mobs. These were not free speech rallies. They were pogroms. In Los Angeles, an Arab man assaulted and killed a Jewish man named Paul Kessler in broad daylight. The Arab killer is being tried for a lesser homicide charge but not murder. Pictures of Jewish hostages are being ripped down by anti-Jewish mobs. Jews are having their stores vandalized with Nazi symbols. Chants of “Go back to the ovens,” once unthinkable in America, are openly being said without consequences. The antisemitic mobs are claiming the right to free speech, but there is no constitutional right to violently riot. Jews are taking extra safety measures. The federal government has issued meaningless platitudes condemning all forms of hate including Islamophobia. Yet Jews are the ones explicitly being attacked, often with impunity. Despite efforts to blame everything on “MAGA,” this antisemitism os clearly coming from the left. Many of the rioters have rioted for other leftist causes including radical climate action and radical gay and transgender actions. “Queers for Palestine” marches loudly and proudly without a hint of self-awareness. Many young people on TikTok are openly supporting Hamas and even Osama bin Laden. Jews are attempting to fight back, but the battle is an uphill one.

This brings us to the obvious top news story of 2023.

1.) The October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel: For decades, Israel has had a far superior military advantage over her enemies. Perhaps complacency set in. In a shockingly brutal and effective surprise attack, Hamas crossed into Israel and murdered over 1,200 Israeli Jews. Several Americans were among the murdered. Hamas also seized 240 hostages. Many of the victims were people partying at an Israeli music festival. Innocent women and children were raped, tortured and even beheaded by Hamas terrorists. October 7th became Israel’s September 11th. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added opposition parties to his conservative government to form a unity wartime government. Unlike past wars, Prime Minister Netanyahu said this one would be vastly different. Israel was no longer seeking to minimize the threat for a few years. The Israeli Defense Forces were preparing to completely eradicate Hamas. The IDF was preparing once and for all to “finish the job.” while the IDF performed as effectively as expected, Israel faced a ticking clock from word bodies drowning in antisemitism. Calls for an immediate ceasefire were calls for Jews to disarm and let Hamas murder them. Israelis have never mastered the public relations game. Displaced Egyptians and Jordanians calling themselves “Palestinians” claimed that they suffered over 20,000 deaths. Yet those numbers come from the Gaza Health Ministry, an Islamist agency run by Hamas. The GHM does not distinguish civilian deaths from terrorist deaths, nor does it distinguish those dying from Israeli fire from those being killed by their own government. Israel’s operation revealed that Hamas used schools, hospitals and mosques as bases for terror operations, eliminating the protected status of these institutions during wartime. Israel has started flooding Hamas’s underground tunnels with seawater to flush the terrorists above ground. Hezbollah has also gotten involved in the fight. Israel has vowed to defeat them as well. Houthi rebels in Yemen have been firing rockets at Israel but also on over 100 American military bases. Most of these attacks on American bases have gone unpunished. In the past, American Democrats have bullied Israel into “restraint” that has often come back to harm Israel. This time seems different. Israel is at war, and they are determined to remove any and all threats to their security, from “Palestinians” to other Islamists.

These are the Top 10 News Stories of 2023.

eric

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NFL 2023 Week 17 Prequel

Wednesday, December 27th, 2023

NFL 2023 Week 17 Prequel

This is when the big dogs come out.

Thursday, December 28, 2023, 8pm

New York Jets at Cleveland Browns (-7) — The 10-5 Browns have a serious defense. Joe Flacco is playing well enough. As bad as the Jets have been, their defense still shows up. The spread is a bit high given that factor and because the Browns do not blow teams out. Browns win but fail to cover

Saturday, December 30, 8pm

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys (-6) — The 11-4 Lions take on the 10-5 Cowboys. Both teams are in the playoffs. Both teams are good at home and fairly ordinary on the road. Both offenses can move the ball. This is one where you should just take the home field. Cowboys win but fail to cover

Sunday, December 31, 1pm

Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens (-3) — The 11-4 Dolphins are at the 12-3 Ravens. The stakes are very simple. If the Ravens win, they get home field throughout the AFC playoffs and the coveted first round bye as the top seed. If the Dolphins win and then win next week, then they get the top seed and home field. Both Tua Tagovailoa are playing lights out. The Ravens have the better defense. As good as the Dolphins are, watching Baltimore go on the road and tear apart San Francisco tells the story. The Ravens are in Super Bowl mode. Ravens cover

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (-12) — The Bills at 9-6 are fighting to make the playoffs. Yet the Patriots despite their awful record have a good defense. The Patriots just went on the road and shocked Denver. They will not do the same to Buffalo, but the spread is too high given that New England for the most part has been losing close games. Bills win but fail to cover

Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears (-3) — Neither of these teams are good, but the Falcons are only one game back in the wretched NFC South. Losing to awful Carolina was a killer for them. The Bears have played a little better in recent weeks. With neither of these teams offering anything compelling, just take the home field. The Falcons have everything to play for, but they don’t seem to play like it. Bears cover

Las Vegas Raiders at Indianapolis Colts (-3) — The Raiders are 7-8 and the Colts are 8-7. The Raiders went on the road and shocked Kansas City to keep their season alive. They even have a very slight chance of winning their division. The Colts are tied for their division lead but do not hold the tie-breaker. The Raiders defense has vasty improved. Antonio Pierce is the real deal. Forget the home field advantage. Both teams can pound the rock. Josh Jacobs, Zamir White and Jonathan Taylor are all beasts. The Raiders are playing inspired football at the right time. Gardner Minshew is far better than Aidan O’Connell. Go with the better defense. Upset special, Raiders win outright

Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars (-6 1/2) — The Jaguars have lost 4 straight but at 8-7 they hold their division tie-breaker. The Panthers are awful. This game is just the tonic the Jaguars need. The Carolina defense is not that bad, but the Jaguars should finally get their frustrations out. Jaguars cover

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (-3 1/2) — The 8-7 Texans are tied for their division lead but they do not hold the tie-breaker. The Titans finally got Ryan Tannehill back last week after he missed most of the season injured. The Titans still have Derrick Henry and a tough defense. CJ Stroud is back at practice and should clear concussion protocol in time for the game He will make the difference. Texans win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Rams (-6 1/2) at New York Giants — The Rams started 3-6 but have gone 5-1 since to get to 8-7. The Giants went to Philadelphia and gave them all they could handle in a loss. The Tommy Devito story seems to have peaked, given that he was benched for Tyrod Taylor. As well as the Rams are playing, the spread is too high for a road team given that the Giants have been fighting hard and competing. Rams win but fail to cover

Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles (-9 1/2) — The 11-4 Eagles barely survived the lowly Giants at home after taking an early 17 point lead. They snapped their three game losing streak the hard way. Yet the Cardinals are awful. Yes, Kyler Murray can still play. He doesn’t have enough help to make this game competitive. The spread is high but the Philadelphia defense should handle things. If they win out, they win the NFC East. They are tied atop the conference but do not hold that tie-breaker. Nevertheless, with a possible stop seed in reach, they will be focused. Eagles cover

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3) — The 7-8 Saints take on the 8-7 Buccaneers. If the Buccaneers win, they win the NFC South for the third straight year. If the Saints win their final two games and the Buccaneers lose both games, the Saints win the division. The Buccaneers started 4-7 but have won four straight games since. The Saints have the better defense. Derek Carr has been uneven while Baker Mayfield has come on this past month. The Saints have talent but have underachieved all year. Go with the hot team. Buccaneers cover

San Francisco 49ers (-13 1/2) at Washington Commanders — The 11-4 49ers will be an angry bunch after getting humiliated at home against Baltimore. Now they get to take out their frustrations on the lowly Commanders. Ron Rivera may be fired at the end of the year. He has just benched Sam Howell in favor of Jacoby Brissett. Brissett is a competent backup. If the 49ers win their last two games, they win the top seed in the conference with the first round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The 49ers are far superior but the spread is sky high. A garbage touchdown to beat the spread is possible. 49ers win but fail to cover

4pm

Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks (-3 1/2) — Both teams are 8-7 and fighting for their playoff lives. A loss would be close to fatal for both teams. The Seahawks showed heart and guts in marching 92 yards in the final two minutes to shock Philadelphia last week. The Steelers have lost three of four since Kenny Pickett went down. Mitchell Trubisky was awful, but when he was benched in favor of Mason Rudolph, the Steelers went into Cincinnati and surprisingly beat them up. Yet the Seahawks have the home field, and Geno Smith is no slouch. Neither is his backup Drew Lock if Smith goes down again. The Seahawks have more weapons at wide receiver. Go with the home field in a close one between two great coaches. Seahawks win but fail to cover

Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (-7 1/2) — For the last two years, this has been the AFC Title Game. Now it is a battle for survival as the 9-6 Chiefs take on the 8-7 Bengals. The Chiefs were shocked at home last week by the Raiders. The Chiefs offense has been out of sync and Patrick Mahomes has not been getting help. The Bengals were humiliated at home by Pittsburgh, another surprise. With one more win, the Chiefs win the AFC West for the eighth straight year. Jake Browning has played well in place of the injured Joe Burrow. Both teams are wounded. Go with an angry Chiefs team at home, but it will not be a cakewalk. Chiefs win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos (-5 1/2) — The 7-8 Broncos lost a stunner at home to New England last week. The Broncos went on the road and easily beat up the Chargers. They should easily beat them again. If the Broncos win out and Kansas City loses their final two games, the Broncos would even win their division. Yet for some reason, with everything to play for, Sean Payton has benched Russell Wilson for the final two games. This would seem to signal the end of the Wilson experiment in Denver after one year. This seems to be the same suicide strategy the Raiders used last year with Derek Carr that destroyed their team. The Broncos will win this game without difficulty, and their backup quarterback is Jarrett Stidham, who ironically took over for the Raiders last year. Stidham is competent and the Chargers with their backup quarterback Eason stick are hopeless. Broncos cover

8pm

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (-2) — Both teams are 7-8 and fighting for their playoff lives. A loss would knock out either team. Both teams are one game back in the playoff race and need a win and some help. Nick Mullens had a rough game at home in a loss to Detroit, but Mullens is still better than Joshua Dobbs. Jordan Love is nothing special but he is not awful either. Mullens is better. The Vikings have Justin Jefferson, among the best wide receivers in the game. The Vikings have the home field, and over the decade that has matter a lot in this series. Vikings cover

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NFL 2023 Week 16 Recap

Sunday, December 24th, 2023

NFL 2023 Week 16 Recap

New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams was the Thursday night game. Both teams came in 7-7 and fighting for playoff survival. The Rams took over in the first quarter at their own 5 yard line. Matthew Stafford went to Tyler Higbee for 22. On 3rd and 6 from their own 38, Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for 17, Robinson for 15, and Kupp again for 12. On 3rd and 8 from the New Orleans 11, Stafford threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 6 yards and an automatic first down On 3rd and goal at the 2, Stafford threw incomplete. Sean McVay gambled. On 4th and goal at the 2, Stafford hit Puka Nacua for the touchdown. The 14 play, 95 yard, 8 minute drive had the Rams up 7-0. After a touchback, the Saints moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Rams 39. Derek Carr threw incomplete. Rather than punt or try a 57 yard field goal, Dennis Allen went for it. Carr was sacked. The Rams took over in the second quarter at their own 48 and again moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Again Stafford threw incomplete. This time, McVay played it conservative. Havrisik hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Rams. Later on in the quarter Havrisik missed from 47 yards out.

The Saints took over at their own 37 and struck quickly. Carr went to Johnson for 20 and Shaheed for a 45 yard touchdown. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Saints were within 10-7 despite being totally outplayed. The Saints got it back at their own 35 and moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Rams 42. Again Carr threw incomplete. Again Dennis Allen went for it and again on 4th and 5 Carr threw incomplete. The Rams had 56 seconds to work with and that was enough time. Stafford went to Robinson for 32. Stafford hit Nacua for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the New Orleans 4, Stafford went to Robinson for the touchdown. With 20 seconds left, the Saints led 17-7. After a third quarter touchback, the Rams moved to a 3rd and 2 at the New orleans 3 yard line. Again, Stafford threw incomplete. Again,Sean McVay went conservative at home with the lead. Havrisik hit the 22 yarder to make it 20-7 Saints. After a touchback, the Saints moved to a 3rd and 6 at their own 46. Carr was intercepted by Fuller, who returned the pick 21 yards to the New Orleans 41. Nacua ran for 7. Williams ran for 10, 7, and the 10 yard touchdown to make it 27-7 Rams. After a touchback, the Saints moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Rams 34. Carr threw incomplete twice. Allen went for it and Carr threw a 3rd straight incompletion. The Rams moved to a 4th and 2 at the New Orleans 13. Yet again, McVay refused to gamble. Havriisk hit from 31 to make it 30-7 Rams early in the fourth quarter.

The story of this game was that Sean McVay kept settling for field goals but Dennis Allen kept turning it over on downs to give the Rams great field position, stressing out the New Orleans defense. Was Allen to aggressive or was McVay too conservative? The end of the game would tell. The Saints mounted a furious rally. After a touchback, Carr hit Alvin Kamara for 9 and Chris Olave for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 41, Williams gained 4. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 33, Carr hit Johnson for 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Rams 5, this time Carr hit Johnson for the touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left to play, the Saints were within 30-14. The Saints got it back in a big way thanks to a partially blocked punt at the Rams 35. From that spot on 2nd and 10, Car went to Perry for the 35 yard touchdown. Carr went to Olave for the 2 point conversion. With a full 4 minutes left, the Saints were right back in it down by 8 points. The onside kick failed. Williams ran for 5 and Nacua added 9. With the Rams facing 3rd and 5 at the New Orleans 25, the Saints jumped into the neutral zone, extinguishing their final hopes for a comeback. Stafford took a couple of knees to ice it. After starting 3-6 and appearing all but dead, the Rams have quietly gone 5-1 down the stretch to get to 8-7 on the year. 30-22 Rams.

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Saturday afternoon game. The 8-6 Bengals have seen Jake Browning play brilliantly in place of the injured Joe Burrow. On the flip side, the Steelers have lost 3 straight dropping to 7-7 because Mitchell Trubisky has been awful in place of the injured Kenny Pickett. Mike Tomlin had seen enough. For this game, Trubisky was benched and replaced with longtime Steelers backup Mason Rudolph. It made sense to start Rudolph just in time for Christmas. The Steelers took over at their own 8 yard line. On their second play from scrimmage, Rudolph fired over the middle to George Pickens, who split the seams and outraced everyone for an 86 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Steelers. After a touchback, the Bengals moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Pittsburgh 16. After an incompletion, Browning went to the end zone and was intercepted by Patrick Peterson for a touchback. The Steelers moved easily. Harris gained 8. Rudolph went to Robinson for 12. On 3rd and 5 from their own 45, Rudolph went to Warren for 18 and Robinson for 14. Harris gained 13. The second quarter began with Austin running around the end for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Steelers. Browning was intercepted again by Rowe, who returned it 25 yards to the Cincinnati 14. Harris ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Steelers. Chris Boswell tacked on a 50 yard field goal to end the half with the Steelers up 24-0. In the third quarter, Browning did connect with Tee Higgins for an 80 yard touchdown, but this game was never a contest. After a touchback, the Steelers put the game away. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Rudolph went to Pickens for a 66 yard touchdown to make it 31-8 Steelers. The Bengals managed a field goal on the last play of the third quarter, but Browning’s third interception in the fourth quarter led to a 30 yard Boswell field goal to complete the scoring. Both teams are 8-7 on the year. 34-11 Steelers

Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers is the Saturday night game. The Chargers got blasted last week, giving up 63 points. Brandon Staley was finally fired. The interim coach is Giff Smith. Nobody loses close games like the Chargers. The 8-6 Bills were looking to continue staying alive in the playoff race. Early on the Chargers took over at their own 8 and moved 90 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Eason Stick threw incomplete. Cameron Dicker hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chargers. The Bills then fumbled a punt and the Chargers recovered at the Buffalo 27 to start the second quarter. Stick went to Everett for 15, 2, and 9. Stick got the last yard himself to make it 10-0 Chargers.

A field position game had the Bills taking over at their own 43. One play and 10 seconds later the Bills were within 10-7 as Josh Allen went deep to Gabriel Davis for the touchdown. The Bills got it back at their own 37 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. Allen hit Dawson Knox for 9 and Davis for 20. Cook ran for 8. Leonard Fournette added 5 and 9. Allen ran for a 2 yard touchdown with 38 seconds left in the half to make it 14-10 Bills. A third quarter interception of Allen gave the Chargers the ball at their own 42. They moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Buffalo 16. Stick was sacked. Dicker hit from 40 to get the Chargers within 14-13. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 4. On 3rd and 4 from their own 42, Allen hit Shakir for 16. and Davis deep for 36. On 3rd and goal at the one, Allen got in to make it 21-13 Bills after three quarters.

The Chargers kept moving the ball in the fourth quarter but could not penetrate the end zone. Yet Dicker hit field goals of 47, 45 and 53 to make it 22-21 Chargers with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The last of Dicker’s 5 field goals came after a Buffalo fumble. After a touchback, the Bills moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Chargers 28. Allen went to Shakir, who spun away and went in for the touchdown. Yet the officials ruled Shakir was down by contact after a 15 yard gain. The decision actually helped the Bills, because the Chargers were out of timeouts. Sean McDermott took no chances, calling 3 very safe runs up the middle to take the clock down. From 29 yards out, Tyler Bass was good to give the Bills the 2 point lead with 28 seconds remaining. From his own 30 with 0 timeouts, Stick was sacked. The hook and laterals ended up about 70 yards shy of the end zone. The 9-6 Bills survived as the Chargers lost another heartbreaker as they tend to do. 24-22 Bills

Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans — The 9-5 Browns took on the 8-6 Texans, who were without the injured J Stroud. The Browns exploded right out of the gate. A 36 yard kickoff return had the Browns starting at their own 41. Joe Flacco then went bombs away to Amari Cooper for a 53 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Ford took the direct snap and got in the end zone for a 7-0 Browns lead. The Browns got the ball back in the second quarter at their own 10 and made it look easy. Ford ran for 5 and 10. Flacco then went bombs away again to Cooper for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Browns. Yet 13 seconds later, the Texans were on the board in a big way as Damion Pierce returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown to get the Texans within 14-7.

A 34 yard punt would set up the Browns at midfield. On 3rd and 10, Flacco went to Moore for 18, Akins for 13, and David Njoku for a 21 yard touchdown. Kicker Dustin Hopkins left the game in the second quarter injured. For the rest of the game, Kevin Stefanski would go for 2 point conversions and fourth down conversions rather than field goals. On this 2 point try, Dorian Thompson-Robinson got in to make it 22-7 Browns. The Browns took over in the third quarter at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 1, Flacco hit Cooper for 8. On 3rd and 3 from his own 42, Flacco hit Kareem Hunt for 6 and Cooper for 19. On 4th and 8 from the Houston 30, Kevin Stefanski went for it Flacco hit Cooper for 13. Flacco hit Cooper for a 7 yard touchdown. The mind-numbing 19 play, 94 yard drive took 9 1/2 minutes off the clock. Another 2 point try failed but the Browns led 28-7. An interception of Case Keenum set up the Browns in the fourth quarter just shy of midfield. Flacco went to Cooper for 21. On 4th and 5 from the Houston 25, Flacco hit Tillman for 7. On 4th and 5 from the Houston 13, Flacco hit Cooper for 11. Hunt got in and Flacco hit Cooper for the 2 point conversion as the Browns led 36-7. The Texans got a couple of garbage touchdowns long after the game was decided. The Browns got to 10-5 and are in very strong playoff position. The 8-7 Texans are still alive. 36-22 Browns

Washington Commanders at New York Jets — Robert Saleh was given the dreaded vote of confidence from Jets owner Woody Johnson that he would be back next year. Meanwhile, Ron Rivera will most likely be fired. Neither of these coaches have a good quarterback to develop. In a battle of bad teams after a touchback, on the second play from scrimmage Sam Howell was intercepted. The Jets took over at the Washington 24. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Trevor Siemian threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. The Commanders then punted on 4th and 25 from their own 10 and the Jets blocked the punt. The Jets took over at the Washington 9. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Siemiean went to Brownlee for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Jets. A short 36 yard punt gave the jets a short field at the Washington 42. Two plays later Breece Hall ran for a 36 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Jets less than 6 minutes into the game. In the second quarter the Commanders fumbled a punt return and the Jets took over at their own 47. The Jets moved to a 1st and goal at the 4 before a false start and 3 straight Siemian incompletions. Zuerlein hit from 27 to make it 20-0 Jets.

The Commanders finally showed some life on defense. Siemian was sacked and fumbled to give the commanders gift field position at the Jets 12. One play later carlos Rodriguez ran it in to get the Commanders on the board. The Commanders forced a 3 and out but kept self-destructing. With the Jets punting on 4th and 3 from their own 36, the defense encroached and the Jets kept the ball. Siemian then went to Garrett Wilson for 15. and again for 9. Abanikanda ran for 4 and 7. Siemian went to Breece Hall for 15. Hall then made an acrobatic pivot as he was being forced out of bounds by 3 defenders, shifting the ball into his other hand and breaking the plane of the goal before his body landed out of bunds. The 11 play, 71 yard, 5 minute drive had the Jets up 27-7 with 1:35 left in the half. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, an interception of Howell had the Jets at the Washington 22. One play later, the Jets had 1st and goal at the 6. Whether a touchdown and 34-7 or a field goal and 30-7, this game should have been over.

Rather than grind out clock, Siemian was intercepted by Barton, who returned the pic 52 yards to the Jets 44. A horse collar tackle on the return added 15 yards to the Jets 29. This was the Jets Failure to Close Out, FC1. Sam Howell was on the bench and Jacoby Brissett was quarterbacking the Commanders the rest of the way. On 3rd and 4, Brissett hit Jahan Dotson for 10. On 3rd and 12 from the Jets 15, Brissett hit Thomas for the touchdown to get the Commanders within 27-14. The Commanders got the ball back and faced 4th and 1 at their own 32. Curtis Samuel gained 6. That was FCO 2. Brissett went to McLaurin for 29 and to Bates for 11. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 21 down to the one. Rodgriguez got the last yard to get the Commanders within 27-21 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Commanders got it back at their own 17. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 20 yards. Rodriguez gained 11 and 16. Brissett went to Dotson for 21 with a defensive facemask adding 9. Gibson gained 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 2, Gibson got in for the touchdown. 21 unanswered points had the Commanders up 28-27.

This was an epic Jets collapse, but the Jets still had 5 minutes left in regulation. They went nowhere, but their defense got a key stop and the Jets got the ball back at their own 33 with 1:41 to play and one timeout needing only a field goal. On 3rd and 1, Hall gained 5. Siemian went to Hall for 14. With 5 seconds left, it was up to Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein. From 54 yards out, Zuerlein was good. In a season gone wrong, this was a rare bright spot for the Jets. As for the Commanders, that bright spot did not come. 30-28 Jets

Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans — The 7-7 Seahawks were fighting for playoff survival. Geno Smith was back from injury, sending Drew Lock back to the bench. After being out most of the year injured, Ryan Tannehill was finally back under center, sending backup Will Levis back to the bench. A field position game had the Seahawks punting from their own 5 and the Titans taking over at their own 43. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 34, Spears gained 7. The second quarter began with the Titans at the Seattle 25. Tannehill went to Deandre Hopkins for 13. Mike Vrabel then went to the bag of tricks. Out of the shotgun, Derrick Henry threw the halfback option pass to Okonkwo for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. The Seahawks moved from their own 30 to a 3rd and 4 at the Tennessee 10. Geno Smith threw incomplete. Jason Myers hit a 28 yard field goal to get the Seahawks on the board. After a touchback the Titans moved to a 4th and 8 at the Seattle 15. Nick Folk hit the 33 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Titans at the half. The Seahawks began the third quarter with excellent field position at their own 45 and moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Tennessee 9. Smith threw incomplete twice. Myers hit from 27 to get the Seahawks within 10-6.

Late in the third quarter the Seahawks got the ball back at their own 4 yard line. Smith went to Smith-Nigba for 20. On 2nd and 14 a completion only gained 4 but defensive illegal contact meant 5 yards and an automatic first down. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. Smith went to Tyler Lockett for 21 as the fourth quarter began with the Seahawks facing 3rd and 3 at the Tennessee 24. Smith went to DK Metcalf for 12. Smith went back to Metcalf for an 11 yard touchdown to culminate the 10 play, 96 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 13-10 Seahawks with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Tannehill went to Spears for 4. Tannehill hit Burs for 13 and Spears for 11. On 4th and 1 from the Seattle 27, Mike Vrabel went for it and Spears gained 2. On 3rd and 11 from the Seattle 26, Tannehill threw incomplete but defensive passes interference added 15 yards. Derrick Hery ran for 6 and then for a 2 yard touchdown. With 3:20 to play, the Titans led 17-13. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Smith went to Lockett for 7. On 3rd and 14 from their own 32 at the 2 minute warning, Smith went to Smith-Nigba for 18. Smith went to Lockett for 12. Defensive pass interference added 22 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Smith went to Parkinson for the touchdown with one minute left. After a touchback the Titans got to midfield with 30 seconds left needing only a field goal to force overtime. Tannehill was sacked. Tannehill then inexplicably threw a 3 yard sideline pass that turned disastrous when the receiver didn’t get out of bounds as the clock ran out. For 2 straight weeks, the Seahawks overcame a 17-13 deficit late to pull out a heroic win. The Seahawks are 8-7 and alive in the playoff chase. 20-17 Seahawks.

Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons — The 8-6 Colts and 6-8 Falcons were both alive for the playoffs because both teams play in a bad division. The Colts began facing 3rd and 11 at their own 24. Gardner Minshew went to Mallory for 18, to pierce for 7, and to Malory for 12. Jonathan Taylor ran for 6, 13 and 2. On 3rd and 8 from the Atlanta 14, defensive pass interference meant 13 yards. on 3rd and goal at the one, Taylor banged in for the touchdown to cap the 13 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Colts. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29 and struck quickly. Taylor Heinecke went to Milelr for 15. Robinson ran for 32. Heinecke went to Pitts for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. In the second quarter Younghoe Koo doinked a 49 yard field goal try off the upright no good. Yet a defensive penalty gave the Falcons a new set of downs. Koo hit from 23 and again from 47 to end the half with the Falcons up 13-7. After a third quarter touchback, Heinecke went to Robinson for 14. Cordarelle Patterson ran for 11, 6 and 6. Tyler Allgeier took a pitcher around the end for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 20-7 Falcons. 20 unanswered points had the Falcons in command. The Colts managed a third quarter field goal but nothing more. Koo hit fourth quarter field goals of 46, 35 and 25 to complete the scoring. The 7-8 Falcons and 8-7 Colts are alive for a playoff spot and even their division. 29-10 Falcons

Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers — The 6-8 Packers clung to playoff life against a Panthers team that last week won their second game of the year. From his own 20, Aaron Jones ran fro 10, 13, and 3 and then caught an 8 yard pass from Jordan Love. Love connected with Kraft for a 27 yard gain. Jones ran for 12. AJ Dillon got the last yard to make it 7-0 Packers. The Panthers moved from their own 31 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 34. Bryce Young threw incomplete thrice. Eddie Pineiro hit a 52 yard field goal to get the Panthers on the board. The Packers got it back at their own 21. Jones ran for 29. Love went to Melton for 17. Melton ran for 7 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Carolina 10, Love hit Kraft hit for 8. On 3rd and goal at the one to start the second quarter, Love got in. The extra point was no good but the Packers led 13-3.

The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 26. Young went to DJ Shark for 19. On 3rd and 5 from midfield, Young went to Adam Thielen for 17. Chuba Hubbard ran for 13. Smith-Marsette ran for a 20 yard touchdown to have the Panthers right back in it down 13-10. After a touchback the Packers moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Carolina 35. Love threw incomplete twice. Anders Carlson hit from 53 to make it 16-10 Packers. The Panthers rater a touchback moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Green Bay 38. Chuba Hubbard got stopped and interim coach Chris Tabor went for it. On 4th and 2, Hubbard got blasted for a 2 yard loss. Love went to Melton for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 37, Jones gained 3. On 3rd and 10 from the Carolina 34, Love went to Melton for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 21, Love went to Wicks for the touchdown to make it 23-10 Packers with 49 seconds left in the half.

Early in the third quarter the Panthers faced 3rd and 1 at their own 37. Hubbard gained 3. On 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 38, Young gained 2. Roughing the passer 2 plays later added 15 more. Young ran for 9. Hubbard ran for 6, 1, and the 4 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Panthers trailed 23-16. The Packers took over at their own 34. Love went to Romeo Doubs for 25. Jones ran for 10, 4, 4, and on 3rd and 2 from the Carolina 13, 6. The fourth quarter began with the Packers facing 3rd and goal at the 5. Love went to Doubs for the touchdown. The Packers led 30-16 and appeared to have put the game away.

A field position game had the Panthers taking over at their own 40 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Young went to Thielen for 15 and to Tommy Tremble for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 36, Smith-Marsette gained 13. Offensivee unnecessary roughness moved the Packers back 15 yards, but it was after the play was over so it was still 1st and 10. On 3rd and 12 from the Green Bay 40, Young went to DJ Shark for 16. with defensive unsportsmanlike conduct adding 12 more. Young went to Chark for an 11 yard touchdown. Pineiro missed his 2nd extra point on the day and the third miss between both teams as the Panthers trailed 30-22 midway through the fourth quarter. The Panthers got it back with 6 minutes left and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 38. Young went to Chark for 20 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Young then went to Thielen for 17 and Shark for a 10 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try saw Blackshear get in for a 30-30 tie with 4 minutes left.

The Packers soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Love went deep to Doubs for a 36 yard gain. The Panthers unsuccessfully challenged the call, costing them a valuable timeout. Love went to Kraft for 20. The Panthers took their timeouts on defense. With 22 seconds left, Carlson came in for a 32 yard field goal try to give the Packers the lead. Carlson was good. After a touchback, the Panthers had 19 seconds left. Young quickly went o Chark and Thielen for a pair of 22 yard gains to the Green Bay 31, in range of the tying field goal to force overtime. Young raced everybody up to the line to spike the ball and stop the clock. The Panthers insisted they had one second left. Officials ruled the clock hit zeroes. The game was over. The Packers had survived and at 7-8 are still alive in the playoff race. 33-30 Packers

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings — The 10-4 Lions looked to wrap up their first NFC North crown since 1993 while the 7-7 Vikings tried to stay alive in the playoffs. The Lions came in unabated 7-0 at home but only 3-4 on the road. Yet this game was indoors. After an opening touchback, Jared Goff went to Reynolds for 16. David Montgomery ran for 10. On 3rd and 5 from the Minnesota 43, Goff went to Amra St Brown for 14. On 3rd and 1 at the Minnesota 20, Montgomery gained 4. Goff went to Williams for 12. On 3rd and goal at the one, Montgomery ran it in to culminate a 14 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive and make it 7-0 Lions. After a touchback, Nick Mullens went to Oliver for 33 yards, KJ Osborne for 14, Justin Jefferson for 8, and Osborn again for 14 more. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Mullens threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 2 yards and an automatic first down. Chandler got in for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

In the second quarter the Lions took over at their own 22. A sack and delay of game had the Lions facing 2nd and 26 at their own 34. Goff went to LaPorta for only 5 yards, but roughing the passer meant 15 yards and a new set of downs rather than 3rd and 21. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 18, a sack of Goff and fumble was reversed to an incompletion. Mike Badgley hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Lions. An interception of Mullens was returned 22 yards by Karl Joseph to the Minnesota 33. Gibbs ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Lions with 1:48 left in the half.

After a touchback, Mullens went to TJ Hockenson for 7 and Jefferson for 22. On 3rd and 19 from his own 45, Mullens went to Jefferson for 29. Mullens went deep again to Jefferson for a 26 yard touchdown. With 30 seconds left, the Vikings were within 17-14. The Vikings began the third quarter at their own 19. Mullens went deep to Hockenson for 24 and even deeper to Osborn for a 47 yard gain. Mullens went right back to Osborn for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 21-17 Vikings.

After a touchback Goff went to Raymond for 18. Gibbs ran for 6 and 7. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 34, Dan Campbell went for it and Gibbs gained 18. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 7, Campbell went for it again and Goff gained 2. Goff hit St Brown for a one yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Lions up 23-21, but the extra point was blocked. The Lions got it back and faced 3rd and 4 at their own 23. Goff went to St. Brown for 25 and again for 15. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 25 early in the fourth quarter, Goff went to Donovan Peoples-Jones for 11. On 3rd and 4 from the Minnesota 8, Goff hit Gibbs for 5. Gibbs ran for a 3 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 83 yard, 7 minute drive had the Lions up 30-21 with 11 minutes left in regulation.

An interception Mullens appeared to end it, but the Minnesota defense held and got the ball back at their own 16 yard line. The Vikings moved to a 1st and goal at the 9. Mullens threw incomplete twice and on 3rd and goal gained only one yard. Greg Joseph hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 6 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The Vikings got it back at their own 22 with 2:23 left. With 1:36 left the Vikings appeared dead facing 3rd and 27 from their own 16. Mullens threw a prayer to Jefferson between 2 defenders, and Jefferson somehow came down with a 28 yard reception. Jefferson initially appeared short, but officials did not bother to review the spot. Dan Campbell did not demand a booth review. Mullens then went to Powell for 26 yards. With one minute left the Vikings were at the Detroit 30. Mullens went for it all and was intercepted at the 6 yard line. The Vikings were game but fell to 7-8. A jubilant Campbell has an 11-4 squad. For the first time in 30 years, the Lions are NFC North Champions. 30-24 Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The 8-6 Jaguars came in having lost 3 straight as they faced the 7-7 Buccaneers. Both teams were very much alive in the postseason race due to playing in bad divisions. This game was never a contest. After an opening touchback, the Buccaneers moved 69 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Baker Mayfield threw incomplete. Chase McLaughlin hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. An interception of Trevor Lawrence had the Buccaneers taking over at their own 44. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 5 and 19. The second quarter began with Todd Bowles deciding to gamble on 4th and 2 at the Jacksonville 18. White gained 4. On 3rd and 6 from the Jacksonville 10, Mayfield gained 7. Mayfield hit Evans for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Buccaneers. Brandon McManus missed a 52 yard field goal try for the Jaguars. The resulting good field position led to McLaughlin hitting from 31 to make it 13-0 Buccaneers with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. An interception of Lawrence gave the Buccaneers the ball back at their own 35 with 1:34 left. Mayfield went to White for 5, Chris Godwin for 6, and Evans for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Jacksonville 38, Mayfield went to Evans for 16 and again for a 22 yard touchdown with 45 seconds left to make it 20-0 Buccaneers. The Jaguars fumbled on the third play of the third quarter as the Buccaneers had a short field at the Jacksonville 37. On 3rd and 6, Mayfield went to Palmer for just enough. Mayfield went to Durham for 25. White ran for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 27-0 Buccaneers. The Jaguars turned it over on downs and McLaughlin tacked on a 51 yard field goal to make it 30-0 Buccaneers. The Jaguars avoided a shutout with a garbage touchdown in the third quarter and another one in the fourth quarter. Both teams are 8-7 and alive for the playoffs and their horrendous division crowns, but the Jaguars have lost 4 straight. 30-12 Buccaneers

Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears — The Bears are bad but the Cardinals are worse. The Bears took over at their own 26. Justin Fields went deep to Cole Kmet for a 53 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Fields was sacked but defensive holding instead meant 1st and goal at the 3. On the next play, Fields ran it in to make it 7-0 Bears. The Bears got it back at their own 10 yard line. Herbert gained 15 and Fields went to Kmet for 20. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 46, Fields went to Mooney for 6. The Bears began the second quarter facing 3rd and 4 at the Arizona 34. Fields ran for 24. Herbert ran for an 11 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 90 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 14-0 Bears. The Bears got ti back and faced 3rd and 2 at the Arizona 46. Johnson ran for 5 and 5 more. Fields went to Kmet for 29. O 3rd and goal at the one, Fields hit Marcedes Lewis for the touchdown. Midway through the second quarter, the Bears led 21-0.

The Cardinals tried to put up a fight after a touchback. Kyler Murray went to Higgins for 12. Murray ran for 12 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 47. Murray hit Moore for 8. James Conner gained 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 16, Murray went to Conner for the touchdown to get the Cardinals within 21-7. Matt prater nailed a 55 yard field goal early in the third quarter to get the Cardinals within 21-10. Cairo Santos responded from 49 to put the Bears up 24-10 after three quarters. The Bears had a chance to ice the game early in the fourth quarter but Fields was intercepted for a touchback. Murray then went to Conner for 20. On 4th and 2 from the Chicago 48, Murray threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a 5 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 38, Murray went to Greg Dortch for the touchdown. An unnecessary 2 point conversion try failed but the Cardinals were within 24-16 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Cardinals got it back at their own 9 with 4 1/2 minutes left and moved to a 2nd and 6 at their own 27 with 3 minutes left. Murray threw 3 straight incompletions. With one minute left, Santos hit a 29 yard field goal to lock up the win. The Bears are who we thought they were, but so are the Cardinals. 27-16 Bears

Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins — A pair of 10-4 teams put on a great game in a potential Super Bowl preview. After an opening touchback, the Cowboys moved 73 yards in 15 plays and 8 minutes. On 1st and goal at the one, Dak Prescott fumbled and the Dolphins recovered at their own 2. The Dolphins moved all the way to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 36. A pair of Tua Tagovailoa incompletions were sandwiched around a run that lost 3 yards. Mike McDaniel went bold and Jason Sanders nailed a 57 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. After a touchback, the Cowboys came back quickly. Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for 22 and went deep to Lamb for a 49 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Cowboys.

After a touchback, the Dolphins moved to a 1st and goal at the 3 in the second quarter. A pair of runs lost a couple yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Tagovailoa threw incomplete. This time McDaniel went for it rather than accept the gift 23 yard field goal try. On 4th and goal from the 5, Tagovailoa threw incomplete. The Dolphins got the ball back at their own 35 and moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Dallas 33. A run lost a yard and on 3rd and 5, Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Sanders hit another big field goal from 52 to get the Dolphins with 7-6.

The Dolphins got it back at their own 29. Tagovailoa went to Smythe for 11. Tagovailoa went to Wilson for 15. Achane ran for 9. Tagovailoa went to Smythe for gains of 8 and 10. Tagovailoa hit Tyreek Hill for 9. Roughing the passer added 5 more yards. Tagovailoa hit Raheem Mostert for a 4 yard touchdown with 17 seconds left in the half for a 13-7 Dolphins lead. The third quarter belonged to the field goal kickers. Sanders hit from 54 for the Dolphins. Aubrey hit from 43 for the Cowboys. Sanders hit from 35 for the Dolphins. Early in the fourth quarter Aubrey hit from 33 as the Cowboys trailed 19-13 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Cowboys got it back and faced 3rd and 6 at their own 35. Prescott went to Lamb for 14. On 4th and 2 from the Miami 43 with 8 1/2 minutes left, Mike McCarthy went for it and Prescott hit Lamb for 11. Prescott went tp Ferguson for 7 and Michael Gallup for 8. With 4 1/2 minutes left, the Cowboys faced 4th and goal at the 4. Kicking a field goal and playing defense would have been fine, but again McCarthy decided to go for it. Prescott threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 3 more yards and a first down. On 1st and goal at the one, Prescott was sacked. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Prescott went to Brandin Cooks for the touchdown. Aubrey hit the key extra point to culminate the staggering 17 play, 69 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and have the Cowboys up 20-19 with 3 1/2 minutes left.

After a touchback, a defensive facemask had the Dolphins on the move. At the 2 minute warning, the Dolphins had 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 33. Tagovailoa hit Hill for 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 15, Wilson gained 6. With the Cowboys out of timeouts, the Dolphins took the clock down. With 2 seconds left, Sanders came in for a 29 yard field goal try to win it. 30 years after Thanksgiving snow and Leon Lett, this final kick continued no drama. It was good. Sanders was 5 for 5. The 11-4 Dolphins lead their division by 2 games while the 10-5 Cowboys fell out of a first place tie in theirs. Both teams are in the playoffs. Both teams have an outside shot at home field throughout the playoffs. 22-20 Dolphins

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos was the Christmas Eve Sunday night game. The 7-7 Broncos were alive in the playoff race and needed only to beat the lowly New England Patriots at home. Both teams have good defenses, but Russell Wilson was not going to be outplayed by Bailey Zappe. After an opening touchback, Bailey Zappe on the very first play from scrimmage was sacked and fumbled. The Broncos recovered at the New England 6. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 2, Wilson threw incomplete. Sean Payton, On 4th and goal at the 2, a run gained only one yard. The Broncos got another break when Marvin Mims returned a punt 52 yards to set up the Broncos at the New England 25. Williams ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos.

After a touchback, the Patriots moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Denver 17. A completion gained only 3 yards. Ryland hit a 33 yard field goal to get the Patriots on the board early in the second quarter. The defenses dug in and both kickers missed a field goal late in the half. Early in the third quarter the Patriots took over at their own 30. Zappe went deep to Douglas for a 41 yard gain. Zappe went to Douglas again for 13 more. Zappe went to Ezekiel Elliott for a 15 yard touchdown. Ryland doinked the extra point off the upright no good as the Patriots led 9-7.

The Broncos eventually punted on 4th and 22 from their own 3 yard line to set the Patriots up with a short field at the Denver 42. Zappe went to savants Parker for 30. On 3rd and 9 from the Denver 11, Zappe went to Mike Gesicki for the touchdown and the 16-7 Patriots lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Mims fumbled it without being touched, picked it up, and had the ball stripped away again. The Patriots recovered in the end zone for a gift touchdown and a 23-7 Patriots lead in front of a shellshocked Denver home crowd. 23 unanswered points had the Patriots turning a slugfest into a blowout.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos took over at their own 17. Wilson went to Perine for 13. On 3rd and 1 from their own 39, Burton got stopped. In desperation mode, the Broncos had to gamble on 4th and 1. One defensive stop would end the game. Wilson gained 2. This was the Patriots FCO1. On the next play, Wilson went deep to Mims for a 47 yard gain. The ball clearly hit the ground but the issue was whether it moved. It appeared Mmis did not maintain complete control, but officials ruled it a catch and Bill Belichick lost the challenge and a timeout. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 3, Wilson went to Lucas Krull. Yet the Broncos still needed the 2 point conversion. Wilson hit Johnson successfully. With 8 1/2 minutes left, FCO2 had the Broncos within 23-15.

The Broncos got the ball back at their own 22 with 6 1/2 minutes left. Wilson went to Krull for 9 and Jerry Jeudy for 15. McLaughlin gained 11. On 3rd and 10 from the New England 04, Wilson went to Johnson for 13. On 3rd and 4 from the New England 21, Wilson went to Johnson for the touchdown. The Broncos still needed another 2 point conversion. Wilson hit William successfully. FCO3 had the game tied 23-23 with 3 minutes to play. The Broncos held on defense and got the ball with 1:42 left at their own 39 and all the momentum. A couple of first downs would give the Broncos a chance at the win.

This time, New England’s defense got the stop. The Patriots took over at their own 19, but with only one minute left. On 3rd and 3 form their own 26, Zappe went deep to Parker for 27 yards. On 2nd and 5 from the Denver 42, Zappe went to Gesicki for only 4. Making matters worse, the clock was ticking. Zappe had to spoke the ball on 3rd and 1 to stop the clock. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 38, only 2 seconds remained. A field goal try would be 56 yards. With nothing to lose, Bill Belichick went with his kicker in the cold weather. Ryland leveled it. The stunned home crowd saw the Broncos fall to 7-8 and the brink of playoff elimination. Don’t count out the Evil Hoodie just yet. 26-23 Patriots

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs is the Christmas Day Monday morning game. The 9-5 Chiefs looked to lock up the AFC West for the 8th straight year by knocking off the 6-8 Raiders. The Raiders had 11 days to prepare after scoring a franchise high 63 points in their last game. When asked what it would take for the Raiders to win, Antonio pierce replied that the Raiders have to take the Chiefs and “hit them in the mouth.” Yet without Josh Jacobs, it would be a tall order. The Raiders defense came ready to play. The Chiefs got the ball first and Patrick Mahomes was sacked on 2 of his first 3 plays. He fumbled the ball but got it back. The Chiefs punted and the Raiders fumbled it, but managed to hang on to it to avoid disaster. The Chiefs reached a 3rd and 8 at the Raiders 44, but Mahomes was sacked a third time. A great punt gave the Raiders the ball at their own 7 yard line. Zamir White ran for gains of 5 and 6 as power runs and short passes had the Raiders on a drive that lasted nearly 9 minutes. Yet the Raiders did not finish the drive. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 7, a completion by Aidan O’Connell gained only one yard. After 15 plays and 87 yards, Daniel Carlson hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders.The Chiefs had 0 first downs and negative 18…yes minus 18…total yards.

The Chiefs began the second quarter facing 3rd and 15 from their own 20. Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive holding gave the Chiefs an automatic first down. Yet the Raiders defense held again. Unfortunately for them, the offense went nowhere. Rather than run the ball, 3 straight O’Connell incompletions saw him get knocked down on every play. The Chiefs offense was bound to wake up. On 3rd and 10 from his own 26, Mahomes hit Rice for 15 yards and the first Chiefs offensive first down. After over 18 minutes, the Chiefs had positive yardage. On 3rd and 3 from their own 48, Mahoems went to Rice for 5. Homes then threw a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass to Travis Kelce that he took for a 24 yard gain. The Chiefs then lined up in the shotgun with Pacheco taking the snap instead of Mahomes. Pacheco faked the reverse and took it in himself for a 12 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 74 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Chiefs up 7-3 midway through the second quarter.

The Raiders offense did nothing, but the Raiders defense exploded in a manner that left the home crowd in shock and disbelief. It started by walrus Andy Reid getting too cute by half. He is one of the great play-callers, but in cold bad weather deep in your own territory, sometimes it makes sense to go basic. From his pwn 13, Reid tried the shotgun direct snap to Pacheco again. This time he was supposed to hand it to Mahomes instead of fake it. Mahomes fumbled the exchange from Pacheco. Brandon Nichols picked up the fumble and waltzed 8 yards into the end zone for a defensive touchdown. Normally reliable punter and holder AJ Cole fumbled the snap on the extra point. Carlson never got a chance to kick it as Cole kept it and got tackled. The Raiders led 9-7. On the next play after a touchback, Mahomes went to the sideline and Jack Jones for the second week in a row turned into Jack Squirek. Jones jumped the route and coasted 33 yards for another defensive touchdown. Jones had a pick six in 2 straight weeks and the Raiders had 2 defensive touchdowns in 7 seconds. Antonio Pierce went for a 2 point conversion and called a trick play of his own. O’Connell out of the shotgun faked like the snap went way over his head. Meanwhile the direct snap went to Brandon Bolden, who banged ahead and with a great second effort barely broke the plane of the goal for a 17-7 Raiders lead with 5 minutes left in the half.

The Chiefs after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 5 at his own 48. Mahomes threw incomplete twice. The Raiders had all the momentum, but the Chiefs quickly took it back. Walrus Andy Reid gambled on a fake punt and punter Townsend through a completion to a sliding Watson at the sideline for a 11 yard gain as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 10 from the Raiders 23, a completion gained only 5 yards. Harrison Butker came in for a 36 yard field goal try, having missed only one kick all year last week. His kick was wide no good as the home crowd booed the players. The Raiders in the third quarter had a chance to really put a dagger in, but after one first down they punted the ball. A good punt followed by a facemark penalty on the receiving team pinned the Chiefs at their own 9 yard line. On 3rd and 8, Mahomes scrambled but gained only 4 yards. Yet a horrendous defensive holding call gave the Chiefs a new set of downs. Walrus Andy Reid then decided to go for it on 4th and 1 at his own 30 after getting stopped on 3rd and 1. After taking a timeout, Reid still went for it and Mahomes gained 7. Yet on 4th and 5 from the Raiders 43 after an incompletion, Reid went for it again and Mahomes threw incomplete. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Raiders could take control of the game if they had even an ounce of offense.

They could not. After throwing his 7th straight incompletion, O’Connell was sacked. Yet the Raiders defense sacked Mahmes again and forced a 3 and out. A bad punt gave the Raiders a short field at the Kansas City 42. One first down meant long field goal range. A touchdown would be a dagger. The Raiders had to run the ball and grind the clock. There was no need to keep throwing the ball with a quarterback in O’Connell who was not completing passes. He was managing the game, and in this case that should have meant handing off the ball again and again. Antonio Pierce said at halftime that the way to finish the game was to take the Chiefs while they were down and “squeeze them by the throat.” Now he and his players had to back it up. The Raiders kept running the ball. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Kansas City 17, a run went nowhere. O’Connell then threw incomplete twice. O’Connell had 0 completions for 0 yards passing in the second and third quarters. Yet Carlson hit a 35 yard field goal as the Raiders led 20-7 after three quarters.

As long as Mahomes is under center, the Chiefs have a chance. The Raiders defense had been brilliant for three quarters. The question as always would be if they could finish a game, especially a big one against the best competitor in the league. The Raiders had not delivered the dagger, which meant Mahomes needed only 2 touchdowns to win again. Mahomes quickly moved the Chiefs from their own 24 to a 1st and 10 just past midfield. Mahomes under heavy pressure rolled out and was intercepted by Moehring. The Raiders all celebrated but the turnover was ruled incomplete. Next time a defender celebrates, he should make d@mn sure he caught the ball. On 2nd and 17 from the Raiders 41, Mahomes went to Clyde Edwards-Helaire for what should have been no gain. Instead Edwards-Helaire broke through bad tackling for a 32 yard gain. On 2nd and goal at the 7, Mahomes threw incomplete twice. Walrus Andy Reid went for it. This up until now was the play of the game. Mahomes threw a fade that was perfectly defended and incomplete. with 10 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders needed an ounce of offense to grind out some first downs and the clock. They could not afford to go 3 and out and keep giving Mahomes more chances.

On 3rd and 5 from their own 12, a perfectly executed draw play allowed Amir Abdullah to gained 7 and a key first down. Yet on 3rd and 4 from his own 25, O’Connell threw incomplete. The dagger still had not been put in. The Chiefs took over with 6 minutes left at their own 31. Before the snap, the Raiders had 12 men on the defense. On 3rd and 1, Edwards-Helaire was blown up for a one yard loss. With 5 minutes left the Chiefs were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 2 at their own 39. Mahomes scrambled for 3 yards. On 2nd and 6 from their own 46, Mahomes should have been sacked but somehow shook off 2 guys and heaved a desperation ball downfield. James caught it for a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Mahomes again appeared to be taken down when somehow he escaped the grasped and fired a touchdown to Watson. With 2:42 to play, the Chiefs were right back in it down by 6 points. The Raiders had to try and win with a quarterback unable to complete a pass.

After a touchback, White ran for 6 as the Chiefs took their 2nd timeout on defense with 2:35 left. The Raiders had been trying to pound the ball all game. Finally, at the most critical possible moment, the Kansas City defense broke. White broke through tired tacklers for a 43 yard gain. The Chiefs took their final timeout but the Raiders were now in field goal range. White then broke off another 15 yard run as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. The Chiefs were out of timeouts. This game was over. O’Connell took 3 knees. Mahomes was not getting the ball back. Nobody in silver and black cared that some billionaire pop singer had her Christmas ruined. She’ll get over it.

Mahomes was 17-0 in the month of December against AFC West rivals in his career. No more. The Chiefs had hosted the AFC Title Game 4 straight years. Not this year. Mahomes had played every playoff game at home. Not this year. The Chiefs still need only one more win to win the AFC West for the 8th straight year. If they lose their last 2 and the Raiders win their last 2, the Raiders win the division. In the first quarter, O’Connell was 9 for 11 for 62 yards. He had 0 completions on 10 attempts for 0 yards over the final three quarters. Yet he did not turn the ball over. Mahomes turned it over twice in catastrophic fashion and was also sacked 4 times. For the first time in over a decade, the Raiders have a defense. They have a real running game even without the injured Josh Jacobs. The Raiders ran the ball 29 times for 157 yards, led by White’s 145 yards on 22 carries, a 6.6 average. Running the ball and playing defense? This is called power football. This is smash mouth. This is Antonio Pierce football. Mark Davis can cancel his coaching search now. He has his man. Remove the interim tag and make pierce the full-time head coach immediately. It wasn’t pretty but it doesn’t have to be. Pierce backed up his tough talk. The Raiders hit the Chiefs in the mouth. Just win baby. 20-14 Raiders

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles was the Christmas Day Monday afternoon game. The Eagles started 10-1 but came in having lost 3 straight. With a win the eagles would still lead the NFC East by one game. Early in the game Covey returned a punt 54 yards for the Eagles to the Giants 13. Deandre Swift ran for 12. Hurts got the last yard for a one yard touchdown to Make it 7-0 Eagles. The Giants after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Philadelphia 34. Danny Devito’s cousin Tommy thew incomplete. Mason Crosby, who was sitting at home a couple of days ago, nailed a 52 yard field goal to get the Giants on the board. The Eagles moved from their own 18 to a 2nd and goal at the 3. Swift appeared to make an acrobatic play for a touchdown, but he was ruled down by contact for a 2 yard loss. Hurts then threw incomplete. Jake Elliott hit a 28 yard field goal to start the second quarter for a 10-3 Eagles lead.

The Eagles got it back at their own 48. Hurts ran for 16. Hurts then went to Devanta Smith for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Eagles. The Giants moved from their own 37 to a 4th and 1 at the Philadelphia 21. Brin Daboll went for it. sequin Barkley got the carry and got blasted for a 4 yard loss. After a touchback the Eagles moved to a 1st and goal at the 9 with 24 seconds left in the half. A sack of Hurts killed the drive. Elliott hit from 21 as the Eagles took a 20-3 lead to the locker rooms. Tyrod Taylor played the second half as Tommy Cutlets was sent to the bench.

The Giants desperately needed a break and got one when the Eagles fumbled the second half kickoff. The Giants recovered at the Philadelphia 14. Barkley ran for 5, 2, and on 3rd and 3, the 7 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 20-10. The Eagles moved from their own 6 yard line to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 18. An offensive illegal block above the waist moved the Eagles back. After an incompletion, 2nd and 20 brought disaster. On the last play of the third quarter, Hurts went to the sideline and Jackson jumped the route. Jackson returned the interception 78 yards for a defensive touchdown. A horse collar tackle on Hurts on the return allowed Brian Daboll to go for a 2 point conversion from the one yard line. Barkley got in as the Giants only trailed 20-18 after three quarters.

After a touchback to start the fourth quarter, Hurts hit AJ Brown for 11. On 3rd and 20 from their own 26 and the Giants preparing to get the ball back and take the lead, Hurts went deep to Brown for 32. Kenneth Gainwell then ran for 22. Hurts hit Brown for 12. Swift ran for a 5 yard touchdown to have the Eagles up 27-18 with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Giants after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Philadelphia 42. Taylor threw incomplete. Brian Daboll went for it and Taylor threw incomplete. The Eagles moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Giants 26. Hurts threw incomplete Elliott hit a 44 yard field goal. With 6 minutes left the Eagles led 30-18.

After a touchback, the Giants struck back right away. Taylor went deep to Darrius Slayton for a 69 yard touchdown bomb. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Giants were right back in it down 30-25. After a touchback, the Eagles moved to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 27. A pair of runs went backward and a 3rd and 15 completion got only half the necessary yardage. Elliott nailed a 43 yard field goal. The Eagles led by 8 points. After a touchback, the Giants had 1:10 to work with and 0 timeouts. A rouging the passer call had the Giants at their own 40. On 3rd and 10, Taylor went to Darren Waller for 11. Taylor spiked the ball to stop the clock with 37 seconds left. On 4th and 7 from the Philadelphia 46 with 26 seconds left, Taylor went to Waller for 20 yards. Taylor spiked the ball with 3 seconds left. From the Philadelphia 26, Taylor scrambled around and fired to the end zone. He was intercepted and Ringo was his Name-O. Ringo immediately went down for a touchback.

The Giants were game, but the Eagles with far more difficulty than anticipated snapped their losing streak to get to 11-4 on the year. The Eagles have beaten the Giants 11 straight times at home. The Eagles are one game up in the NFC East and still alive for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. 33-25 Eagles

Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers was the Christmas Day Monday night game. This was not as big as the Harbowl, but it was the game of the year with a pair of 11-3 teams trying to win their respective conferences and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. After a Ravens punt, the 49ers moved from their own 11 to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 15. Brock Purdy went to the end zone and was intercepted by Hamilton. Hamilton should have stayed in the end zone for a touchback, but instead returned it to his own 8 yard line. From his own 20, Lamar Jackson scrambled all the way back into his own end zone. He tripped over an official who was in the way. in trying to get up and get rid of the ball, Jackson was called for intentional grounding in the end zone. He pleaded his case that the official messed up the play, but the call stood and the safety had the 49ers up 2-0. The 49ers took the free kick at their own 21 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Baltimore 33. Kyle Shanahan went for it and Purdy was sacked for a 13 yard loss out of field goal range. Yet defensive holding instead gave the 49ers 5 yards and a new set of downs. That was the difference in Moody hitting a 45 yard field goal to make it 5-0 49ers.

After a touchback, the Ravens moved all the way to a 2nd and 5 at the San Francisco 9 yard line. Jackson was stopped for a 3 yard loss. Then on 3rd and 8 a completion gained only 2 yards. Justin Tucker hit a 28 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 5-3. The 49ers began the second quarter after a touchback with Purdy going to George Kittle for 20 and Deebo Samuel for 15. Yet Purdy was then intercepted for the 2nd time as the Ravens took over at their own 47. Jackson went to Bateman for 14 and Zee Flowers for gains of 6 and 10. On 3rd and 4 from the San Francisco 15, Jackson went to O’Dell Beckham Jr. for 5. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Jackson went to Isaiah Likely for 9. John Harbaugh went for it on 4th and goal at the one. Gus Edwards got in for the game’s first touchdown to make it 10-5 Ravens. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 30. Purdy was intercepted a 3rd time. Despite taking over at the San Francisco 20, the Ravens moved backward. Tucker hit from 41 to make it 13-5 Ravens. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 42. Purdy gained 2. Christian McCaffrey ripped off a 39 yard gain. McCaffrey then ran for the 9 yard touchdown. Kyle Shanahan decided not to go for a 2 point conversion. Nevertheless, the 49ers were right back in it down 13-12. They seemed to have taken the Ravens best punch and looked ready to take over the game.

Not even close. After a touchback, the Ravens moved to a 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 11 with 10 seconds left in the half. After Jackson threw incomplete, John Harbaugh took no chances. Tucker hit from 28 to put the Ravens up 16-12 at the midpoint. The 49ers went nowhere to start the third quarter. A key play came when Wallace returned the punt 23 yards to his own 41 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 yards to the San Francisco 44. A short pass from Jackson to Edwards went for 39 yards. Jackson went to Nelson Agholor for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 23-12 Ravens. One play after a touchback, Purdy quickly threw his 4th interception. Patrick Queen returned the pick 21 yards to the San Francisco 9 yard line. One play and 3 seconds later, Jackson quickly fired to Flowers for another touchdown as the Ravens led 30-12. The 49ers went nowhere and the Ravens took over at their own 5. They moved 89 yards in 11 plays and nearly 7 minutes. On 3rd and g goal at the one. Jackson got stopped fr no gain. John Harbaugh decided not to gamble. Tucker hit his 4th field goal from 24 to make it 33-12 Ravens early in the fourth quarter.

After a touchback, the 49ers quickly moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Baltimore 38. A 14 yard gain by McCaffrey was wiped out by offensive holding. The fourth quarter began with the 49ers going for it on 4th and 11. Purdy threw incomplete. The 49ers got it back at their own 10 yard line and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 28. Purdy was sacked and left the game with a mild injury. Sam Darnold came in and finished the drive with a 12 yard touchdown to Bell. Down by 14, the 49ers got it back at their own 36 with 4 1/2 minutes left. They moved to a 3rd and goal at the one at the 2 minute warning. Darnold was then sacked for an 11 yard loss. After a false start meant 4th and goal at the 17, Darnold went to the end zone and was intercepted. The Baltimore defense had 5 interceptions on the night. This was a statement game. The 49ers fell to 11-4. They have already locked up their division but are now tied atop the conference. The hold the tie-breaker, so if they win their final 2 games they get the top NFC seed. The 12-3 Ravens with a win next week would lock up the top seed in the AFC and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. 33-19 Ravens

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NFL 2023 Week 16 Prequel

Thursday, December 21st, 2023

NFL 2023 Week 16 Prequel

This is when the big dogs come out!

Yes, I’m Jewish. Yes, my Christmas 2023 plans are set. God willing it will be a silver and black Christmas. At 10am Pacific time on December 25th, the Raiders are at the Kansas City Chiefs.

Out of respect for my fellow Christians everywhere, I am posting this today rather than on Christmas Eve or Day.

I hate the Chiefs. I hate their families. I hate their dogs and cats. My best t-shirt supplier is a Chiefs fan. Every time before the Raiders play the Chiefs, I fire him before the game and rehire him after the game. I really hate the Chiefs.
Raiders interim coach was asked what it would take for the Raiders to beat the Chiefs. His answer was perfect.

“Hit them in he mouth.”

He’s totally right. Now the players have to back it up.

This is not going to be easy. Arrowhead is one of the toughest stadiums to play in. 3 years ago, Derek Carr went blow for blow with Patrick Mahomes in Arrowhead and beat him.

I summoned up my inner Brian Billick: “The Kansas City Chiefs…the best team in football…maybe they are…but NOT TODAY!”

Last year Carr staked the Raiders to a 17-0 lead in Arrowhead. The Chiefs came back to lead 31-24. Carr drove the Raiders right down the field in the closing seconds and scored a touchdown. Sadly, the previous coach who’s name I will not mention went for the 2 point conversion rather than a tie and overtime. It was the right call but it didn’t work as the Raiders lost 31-30.

This year at home the Raiders at home led 14-0 but couldn’t finish the job. The Chiefs stormed back to win 31-17.
The Raiders have competed with the Chiefs. They are better, but we have a puncher’s chance to win. That’s what we need to do…hit them in the mouth.

If Taylor Swift steps on the field, hit her in the mouth as well.

If a priest or minister includes in his Christmas pregame prayer calls for a Chiefs victory, hit that priest or minister in the mouth as well.

In 1984, a Miami minister offered a pregame prayer where he asked God to deliver a Miami Dolphins victory over the Raiders. Retired Raiders linebacker Ted Hendricks slammed his own head into a locker and said, “That’s how you hit people! Now take no prisoners, and that goes for that minister as well!” The God Hendricks believed in didn’t give a flying fig about the Dolphins. The Dolphins went 14-2 that year. The Raiders thrashed them on that day 45-34.
Talk is cheap. Hit the Chiefs in the mouth. Win the d@mn game.

Peace on earth? Good will toward men? Not when it’s Kansas City. Not during the game. This is a big one.

(Dear nose-ringed, blue-haired Gen Z Facebook censors: In case you are too stupid to know, this is football hyperbole and not an actual call to violence. Most of you are emasculated beta males and hideous females who do not understand or appreciate football.)

Hit them in the mouth.

Thursday, December 21, 2023, 8pm

New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams (-4) — Both 7-7 teams are fighting for their playoff lives. The Rams have been better in recent weeks. They have the offense while the Saints have the defense. There really is no home field advantage in Los Angeles. Given the Rams offensive weapons, trust them to do just enough in a close game against a Saints team that has been inconsistent all years. Rams win but fail to cover

Saturday, December 23, 4:30pm

Cincinnati Bengals (-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers — The 8-6 Bengals and 7-7 Steelers are fighting for playoff survival. The Steelers have lost three straight games against inferior competition since Mitch Trubisky entered in place of the injured Kenny Pickett. Jake Browning has played well in place of the in injured Joe Burrow. The Bengals have more weapons. Home field rarely matters in AFC North street fights. This will be another barefisted slobberknocker. The Bengals have the better kicker and the better quarterback. The Steeles are spiraling downward. Bengals cover

8pm

Buffalo Bills (-12) at Los Angeles Chargers — The Bills are a good team. The Chargers went from being below average to being truly bad when Justin Herbert went out injured. The Chargers fell behind last week by 56 points, including a 42 point halftime deficit. Yet the long overdue firing of Brandon Staley could give the Chargers a temporary jolt. There is no home field advantage in Los Angeles. The Bills are better, but the spread is too high for an 8-6 road team against an angry bad team playing its first game after its worst game. Bills win but fail to cover

Sunday, December 24, 1pm

Cleveland Browns (-2 1/2) at Houston Texans — The 9-5 Browns and 8-6 Texans both have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs. Joe Flacco has found the fountain of youth, especially when throwing the deep ball. Both teams have good defenses. CJ Stroud is playing well. Yet this game is about the defenses. In a dog fight, trust the Dawg Pound in a year where the Browns are winning in 1980 Cardiac Kids style. Browns cover

Washington Commanders at New York Jets (-3) — Both teams are bad. The Jets have a good decent and an awful quarterback. In a game with no playoff implications, go with the defense and the home field. Jets cover

Seattle Seahawks (-2 1/2) at Tennessee Titans — The Seahawks won a thriller against Philadelphia on Monday night. Now they have a short week to play against a Tennessee team that is injury-riddled but plays hard. The Titans have the better defense. Drew Lock and Will Levis have played well in place of the injured Geno Smith and Ryan Tannehill. The Seahawks are primed for a letdown after such a huge emotional win. Upset special, Titans win outright

Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons (-1) — The 8-6 Colts have gotten solid play from backup Gardner Minshew. The Falcons just lost to previously one-win Carolina. Both of these teams are surprisingly very much alive in their dreadful divisions. The Falcons do not get the benefit of the doubt after last week. Jonathan Taylor, thumb injury and all, will run wild. Upset special, Colts win outright

Green Bay Packers (-4 1/2) at Carolina Panthers — In 1997, this was the NFC Title Game. Now it is a bad Packers team at 6-8 clinging to playoff life against the worst team in the NFL. The Panthers won their second game of the season last week. The spread is too high for an unimpressive road team against a bad team that competes hard. The Panthers have improved slightly since Interim Coach Chris Tabor took over for the fired Frank Reich. Upset special, Panthers win outright

Detroit Lions (-3 1/2) at Minnesota Vikings — The 10-4 Lions have all but wrapped up the NFC North division while the 7-7 Vikings are in survival mode. Yet the Lions are simply a different team on the road. The Lions are 7-0 at home and 3-4 on the road. The Vikings will be desperate. Nick Mullens is an upgrade over Joshua Dobbs. The Lions offense is unstoppable indoors. The Vikings play indoors. Go with the desperate team at home against the inconsistent road team. Upset special, Vikings win outright

4pm

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1) — Both teams are 8-6 but moving in different directions. The Jaguars have lost three straight games. Baker Mayfield has lifted the team. Trevor Lawrence has made uncharacteristic mistakes for him in recent weeks. The Buccaneers have more offensive weapons at wide receiver while the Jaguars have the edge at running back. Home field and weather are not factors. Go with the trend. Buccaneers cover

Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears (-4) — The Bears are who we thought they were. That never gets old. Yet the Cardinals are even worse. For their fans, that is very old. The Cardinals are improved since Kyler Murray returned. Justin Fields gets very little help. The Bears are not good enough to justify winning by more than a field goal. The Cardinals played San Francisco tough last week before wilting late. Bears win but fail to cover

Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins (-1 1/2) — 30 years ago last month, Leon Lett had his second blunder in nine months. His snowstorm fumble after a blocked field goal allowed the Dolphins to steal a win. This year both teams are very good. Both teams are 10-4 and legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The Dolphins have the better defense. Tua Tagovailoa throwing bombs to Tyreek Hill is virtually unstoppable. Dak Prescott has many weapons. Weather and home field will not be a factor. Go with the better defense in what could be a shootout. Dolphins cover

8pm

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos (-6 1/2) — Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are long retired. Bill Belichick is hanging by a thread. Sean Payton has turned around the Broncos, but they got blasted last week at Detroit. At 7-7, the Broncos are barely alive for a playoff spot. The Patriots have a god defense, but the Broncos are angry and at home. Russell Wilson is much better than Bailey Zappe. Broncos cover

Monday, December 25, 1pm

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-10) — The Chiefs usually beat the Raiders, but the 6-8 Raiders make it tough. The last two times, the Chiefs overcame 17-0 and 14-0 deficits to win. The Raiders scored a franchise record 63 points last week, but that was at home. Arrowhead is a different animal. Patrick Mahomes is far better than Aidan O’Connell. Antonio Pierce has infused a new attitude to the Raider, but the 9-5 Chiefs have more talent. The spread is high. If the Raiders can run the ball, they can keep it close. The Chiefs will be enraged after losing at home to Buffalo on a controversial call, but the Raiders will be in desperate fighting mode. Chiefs win but fail to cover

4:30pm

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (-12) — The Eagles started 10-1 before losing three straight. They lost last Monday night at Seattle when their defense gave up a 92 yard drive in the final two minutes. The Giants have come to life in recent weeks under backup Tommy Devito, but they reverted back to being terrible in a lifeless loss at New Orleans. The spread is too high to trust an Eagles team in free fall. The Giants will not come close to winning this game, but they could get a garbage touchdown. Eagles win but fail to cover

8pm

Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers (-5 1/2) — The 2012 season brought us the Harbowl. John Harbaugh is still coaching Baltimore while his brother Jim might be returning to the NFL. Both of these teams are 11-3. Lamar Jackson is a dual threat. The 49ers have a nasty defense. The Ravens win by running the ball and playing defense. The 49ers have plenty of offensive weapons for Brock Purdy to throw to. Christian McCaffrey is running with power and purpose. The spread is a bit high, but the 49ers have more offensive firepower. 49ers win but fail to cover

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Hanukkah 2023 Epilogue

Wednesday, December 20th, 2023

Hanukkah 2023 Epilogue

Eight Days and Nights of Good News

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NFL 2023 Week 15 Recap

Sunday, December 17th, 2023

NFL 2023 Week 15 Recap

This is when the big dogs come out!

Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders was the Thursday night game. Both teams came in 5-8 and pretty much done for the year. The Chargers won earlier this season 24-17 when Khalil Mack had 6 sacks in one game against his former team. The Raiders lost a pathetic game last week 3-0. The defense improved but the offense was horrendous. The Raiders were supposed to get swept by the Chargers, but last week Justin Herbert suffered an injured finger and is out for the rest of the year. His backup Eason Stick started this game. Josh Jacobs was also out with a sore knee. Both teams played this game without the heart and soul of their team. What transpired in this game was so unbelievable that even those who saw it had to rub their eyes in shock and disbelief.

The Raiders faced 3rd and 2 at their own 40 early in the game. Amir Abdullah gained 6. On 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 47, Abdullah gained 5. Aidan O’Connell then went to Davante Adams for 24 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Chargers 14, O’Connell hit Michael Mayer for 13 down to the one. Zamir White got the last yard to cap the 12 play, 68 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Raiders. The Chargers took over at their own 21 and moved to their own 48. Stick was sacked by Malcolm Koonce and fumbled. The Raiders took over at the Chargers 42. On 3rd and 8, O’Connell went to Mayer for 10. O’Connell then went to Tre Tucker for a 30 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Raiders. One play after a touchback, the Chargers fumbled the ball away again. The Raiders had another short field at the Chargers 31. On 3rd and 1, O’Connell went to Jakobi Meyers for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Raiders.

In the second quarter the Chargers fumbled a punt and the Raiders took over at the Chargers 14. D Turner just ripped the ball out of the return man’s hands and kept it. Two plays later O’Connell hit Mayer for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 28-0 Raiders. The Raiders got the ball back and kept rolling. On 3rd and 2 from their own 43, O’Connell went to Adams for 24 and 9. On 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 26, Bolden took the direct snap and got around the end for the first down and the touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the half, the Raiders led 35-0. After a touchback, the Chargers Austin Ekeler got stopped on 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield. Brandon Staley went for it at the 2 minute warning and Ekeler got stopped again. Another short field had O’Connell hitting Adams for 9 and White for 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 25, Abdullah gained 5. O’Connell went to Tucker for a 20 yard touchdown. The Raiders were up 42-0 and absolutely obliterating the Chargers, and there was still 30 seconds left in the first half.

After a third quarter touchback, O’Connell went to Adams for 18. White ran for 15. On 3rd and 10 from the Chargers 38, a run only gained 5. Yet a defensive facemark added 15 yards. O’Connell hit Meyers for 10. Up by 42, Antonio Pierce pulled out all the stops. O’Connell threw 4 touchdown passes in the first half. This time it was Meyers who threw the 3 yard halfback option pass to Adams for another touchdown to make it 49-0

Raiders. At this point the Raiders had outgained the Chargers 344 to 89.

One play later, the Chargers avoided the shutout. Stick went to Joshua Palmer for a 79 yard touchdown to get the Chargers on the board. The Chargers even got the ball back and moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Raiders 46. Yet Stick then got stuck, and hard. Koonce belted him, and big John Jenkins picked up the resulting fumble and with a convoy rumbled 44 yards for a defensive touchdown. The score on the last play of the third quarter had the Raiders up 56-7. Only 30 seconds later on the 3rd play of the fourth quarter, the Raiders were in the end zone again. Stick threw a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass and Jack Jones turned into Jack Squirek. Jones returned the one-handed interception 16 yards for another defensive touchdown. With most of the entire fourth quarter remaining, the Raiders led 63-7.

The most points ever scored by one team in an NFL game came in the 1940 NFL Title Game when the Chicago Bears walloped the Washington Redskins 73-0. The regular season record came in 1966 when the Redskins beat the Giants 72-41. Earlier this season, the Miami Dolphins belted the Denver Broncos 70-20. The 63 points were already a Raiders franchise record for points. Now they had a chance to make NFL history. They would fall short, as the remaining two touchdowns were garbage scores by the Chargers. 8 different Raiders scored a touchdown, a feat not seen since the 1950 Rams. 5 turnovers doomed the Chargers. The Raiders probably would have scored more, but once the United Nations found out Mark Davis is Jewish, it was inevitable that the Raiders would face demands for a ceasefire. One can be forgiven for thinking the 63 number was an inflated fiction of the Gaza Health ministry. The Raiders scored 9 touchdowns, but in defeat the Chargers got a measure of consolation. The Friday after the game, Brandon Staley was fired. He and Josh McDaniels are now both gone, ending the AFC West Nakba. 63-21 Raiders

Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals was the Saturday morning game. Both teams came in 7-6. After an opening touchback, the Bengals moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Minnesota 12. Rather than run or have Jake Browning throw a pass, it was Hudson getting the ball and losing 4 yards. Evan McPherson hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bengals. The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Nick Mullens gained 2. Mullins hit Justin Jefferson for 17.Chandler gained 7 and 4. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 17, Mullins went to Chandler for 16 down to the one. Chandler got the last yard to cap the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-3 Vikings.

The second quarter was scoreless as Mullens was intercepted twice. The Vikings bang the third quarter at their own 8 yard line. Chandler gained 24 and 3. Mullens hit Jefferson hit 12 and Jordan Addison for 10. Mullens went to Addison again for a 37 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Vikings. A third quarter interception of Browning gave the Vikings the ball at their own 33. They moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Cincinnati 21. Mullens threw incomplete. Greg Joseph hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Vikings with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Bengals after a touchback soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Browning hit Hudson for 7 and 14, Smith for 14 more, and JaMarr Chase for 16. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Browning hit Tee Higgins for a 13 yard touchdown to get the Bengals within 17-10. The Bengals got it back at their own 37, Browning went to Joe Mixon for 7. Mixon then ran for 10. Browning went to Tee Higgins for 14. On 3rd and 21 from the Minnesota 43, Browning went to 24 and to Wilcox for 10. On 3rd and goal at the one, Browning kept the ball and got stopped. On 4th and goal at the one, Mixon got in. The 11 play, 63 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive tied the game 17-17 midway through the fourth quarter.

After a touchback, Mullens went to Jefferson for 19. Mullens was intercepted by Pratt, who returned it 41 yards for a defensive touchdown. Yet the defense jumped offside and the Vikings kept the ball. Chandler gained. Mullens went to Addison for 9. Chandler ran for 4 and 30 down to the one. Mullens went to Addison for the touchdown. The Vikings led 24-17 with 4 minutes left. After a touchback, Browning went to Hudson for 13 and to Boyd for 9. Browning went to Higgins for 13 On 3rd and 2 from the Minnesota 26, Browning went to Iosivas for 5. Browning went to Higgins for a 2 1yard touchdown to tie the game 24-24 with 40 seconds left in regulation.

In overtime, the Bengals punted and the Vikings faced 3rd and 1 at the Cincinnati 42. Mullens kept it and got stopped stone cold. Kevin O’Connell went for it on 4th and inches. Mullens tried a second tush push and again got stopped. The key play came midway through overtime. The Bengals faced 3rd and 9 at their own 43. Browning went deep to Boyd, who broke a couple tackles and bulldozed his way for a 44 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 11, Zac Taylor brought in Evan McPherson for a 29 yard field goal to win the game. McPherson was good, as the Bengals beat t he Vikings by the exact same score as they did when these teams last met. 27—24 Bengals, OT

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts was the Saturday afternoon game. Both teams came in 7-6 but moving in different directions. The Colts had won 4 of their last 5 while the Steelers dropped consecutive home games to two of the worst teams in the league. Gardner Minshew has played well enough for the Colts while Mitchell Trubisky has not played well in place of the injured Kenny Pickett. Midway through the first quarter Matt Gay missed a 56 yard field goal try for the Colts. The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 3 from the Indianapolis 47. Trubisky hit Pat Freiermuth for 5. On 3rd and 6 from the Indianapolis 38, Trubisky hit George Pickens for a pair of 15 yard gains. On 3rd and goal at the one, Trubisky got stopped. Mike Tomlin went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Trubisky kept it himself again and this time got in. The extra point was no good but the Steelers led 6-0. The Colts then punted and the Steelers blocked the punt. The Steelers eventually recovered the ball at the Indy one yard line. After a loss, the Steelers began the second quarter with Trubisky hitting Johnson for a 4 yard touchdown. The Steelers led 13-0.

After a touchback, Minshew hit Pittman for 21. On 3rd and 5 just past midfield, MInshew went deep to Pittman for 42. On 2nd and goal at the 16, Minshew went to Moss for the touchdown to get the Colts within 13-7. An interception of Trubisky had the Colts moving from their own 29 to a 3rd and goal at the one. Minshew threw incomplete. Shane Steichen went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Minshew threw incomplete again. The Colts got the ball at their own 26 with 44 seconds left in the half. Steichen went aggressive and Minshew went deep to David Montgomery for 34. Defensive pass interference added 26 more. Mnishew went to Montgomery for a 14 yard touchdown. With 22 seconds left in the half, the Colts had the 14-13 lead.

The key play came early in the third quarter. The Steelers from their own 10 saw Najee Harris cough up the football. The Colts recovered at the Pittsburgh 18. One play and 6 seconds later, Minshew hit Mo Alie-Cox for the touchdown and the 21-13 Colts lead. the final 28 minutes belonged to the Colts defense and kicker Gay. He hit from 29 in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter Gay hit from 31, doinked a 43 yarder off the upright no good, and hit from 42 with 48 seconds to play. The Steelers offense was shut out for the final 44 minutes, and their second touchdown was really a special teams score. 30 unanswered points have the Colts in a string position for a playoff spot and the Steelers spiraling downward but alive. 30-13 Colts

Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions was the Saturday night game. The Lions are 9-4 but have stumbled in recent weeks. The Broncos started 1-5 but have gone 6-1 since fo a 7-6 record. Russell Wilson got belted, resulting in a fumble. Buggs was the Big man with football who should have lateraled the football. Rather than a defensive touchdown for the Lions, they only had a short field as Buggs returned the fumble 33 yards to the Denver 37. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 31, Goff took an ill-advised 8 yard sack that pushed the Lions out of field goal range. After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions exploded in the second quarter.

The Lions began the second quarter at their own 20. Montgomery ran for 6 and 5. Goff hit Sam Laporta for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Denver 47, Goff went to Laporta for 7. Goff hit Reynolds for 21 and went back to LaPorta for a 19 yard touchdown to make ti 7-0 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 39 and Goff went to LaPorta for 20. On 2nd and 17 from the Denver 27, Goff went to Williams for 18. Goff hit Jahmyr Gibbs for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 19 and kept rolling. Goff went to Amra St. Brown for 8 and 29. Montgomery gained 8, 1, and on 3rd and 1 from the Denver 33, 4. Montgomery added 11 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 15, Goff went to St. Brown for the touchdown to make it 21-0 Lions at the midpoint. The Lions led in yardage at the half 279 to 75 and had 17 first downs compared to only 4 for Denver.

The Broncos began the third quarter facing 3rd and 12 at their own 23. Defensive illegal contact on an incompletion meant a new set of downs. Wilson went to Cortland Sutton for 14. On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 11, Wilson went to Humphrey for 5. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Wilson went to Humphrey for the touchdown to get the Broncos within 21-7. After a touchback, Goff went to St. Brown for 26. On 3rd and 10 just past midfield Gibbs ran for 11 and then 34. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Goff went to LaPorta for the touchdown. 4 straight touchdown drives had the Lions up 28-7.

Down by 21, after a touchback the Broncos moved to 2nd and goal at the 9. A completion saw McLaughlin get pinball by multiple defenders at the goal line. The Broncos thought they had a touchdown, but officials ruled the ball down inches short of the goal line. A third down run appeared to show Williams just barely break the plane of the goal. Again, it was ruled just short. Sean Payton did not challenge either spot on 2nd or 3rd down. He may have lost the 2nd down challenge but the 3rd down play seemed to clearly show a touchdown. On 4th and goal from inches out, Sean Payton went for it. This time the Burton got knocked back but only after clearly breaking the plane of the goal. Yet a very questionable offside call on the offense killed the drive. Offside on the offense did not even seem to be a thing until a few weeks ago. Now it had an enraged Payton screaming at anyone within shouting distance. Wil Lutz hit the 19 yard field goal but the Broncos trailed 28-10.

After a touchback to start the fourth quarter, the Lions quickly put the game away. Goff went to Williams for 14. Montgomery ran for 4 and 9. Defensive pass interference added 16. Montgomery ran for 13. Gibbs ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 35-10 Lions. The Broncos managed one more touchdown with 6 1/2 minutes left, but the onside kick failed and the Lions took over at the Denver 44. On 4th and 2 from the Denver 10, Goff went to LaPorta for the touchdown. Goff’s 5 touchdown passes with 0 interceptions completed the blowout. 42-17 Lions

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins — After a stunning home loss last week, the 9-4 Dolphins looked to right the ship. The Dolphins became the first team in nearly 800 games to blow a 14 point lead with 3 minutes left. Zach Wilson got blasted early on by Chubb, and the Dolphins recovered at the Jets one yard line. On 3rd and goal at the one, Raheem Mostert got in to make it 7-0 Dolphins. His 19th rushing touchdown on the year is a Dolphins franchise record. On 4th and 4 from his own 42 in the second quarter, Robert Saleh gambled on a fake punt that didn’t work. The Dolphins took over at the Jets 41 and Jason Sanders hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Jets. The Dolphins got it back at their own 40 and needed one play and 9 seconds to strike again. Tua Tagovailoa went bombs away to Jalen Waddle for a 60 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back again and faced 3rd and 4 at their own 26. Tagovailoa went to Waddle for 8 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 47, Tagovailoa went to Braxton Berrios for 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Jets 32, Tagovialoa went to Waddle for 13. Mostert gained 12 and then got the last yard to make it 24-0 Dolphins with one minute left in the half. For some reason, the rest of the game was played. A hideous second half saw Sanders hit from 27 in the third quarter and from 35 in the fourth quarter. The 10-4 Dolphins are storming toward the playoffs. 30-0 Dolphins

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans — It was Luv Ya Blue as the Titans brought out the old Houston Oilers throwback uniforms. More importantly, they became the first team in nearly 800 games to trail by 14 points with 3 minutes left and gut out a shocking road win at Miami. Early on Mike Vrabel seemed to lose his mind by gambling on 4th and 1 from his own 26. Derrick Henry got the yard. Will Levis went deep to Burks for 37. On 3rd and 10 from the Houston 34, Levis went deep to Westbrook-Ikhine for 33 down to the one. Levis got the last yard himself. The extra point was no good but the Titans led 6-0. The second quarter began with the Texans facing 3rd and 10 at their own 40. Case Keenum was in for the injured CJ Stroud, and Keenum was intercepted by Elijah Molden. Molden returned the interception 45 yards to paydirt to make it 13-0 Titans.

The Texans moved from their own 43 to a 2nd and 1 at the Tennessee 5 yard line with 30 seconds left in the half. Keenum threw incomplete and on 3rd and 1 Singletary got stopped cold for no gain. On 4th and 1, Demeco Ryans decided not to gamble. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 23 yard field goal to end the half. A third quarter interception of Levis gave the Texans the ball at their own 40. They moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Tennessee 8. A run lost yard and on 3rd down Keenum threw incomplete. Fairbairn hit form 27 to get the Texans within 13-6 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The Titans would punt on 4th and 27 from their own 8 and the Texans had a short field at the Tennessee 46. On 3rd and 4 from the Tennessee 30, Keenum went to Brown for 15. Yet offensive offside wiped away the gain. Fairbairn hit a 53 yard field goal to get the Texans within 13-9.

In the fourth quarter it was the Texans punting on 4th and 12 from their own 12 and the Titans with a short field at the Houston 46. The Titans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 15 with a chance to put the game away. Instead, Levis got belted and fumbled. The Titans retained possession, but after an 18 yard loss. Nick Folk hit a 45 yard field goal for a 16-9 Titans lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Texans took over at their own 21. Keenum went to Dalton Schultz for 19. Keenum hit Schultz for 8 and Brown for 11. Defensive pass interference added 20. Keenum went to Schultz for 15. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Keenum hit Brown for the touchdown. It took 57 minutes to reach the end zone, but the Texans tied the game 16-16. The defenses dug in for the rest of regulation and overtime. Keenum and Levis were both getting belted by the opposing defenses. With 2 minutes left in overtime, Levis got taken down hard and stayed down. With 1:43 left in overtime, the Texans began their final drive at their own 20. Keenum went deep to Singletary for a 41 yard gain. Singletary ran for a 34 yard touchdown, but it was nullified by offensive holding. With 2 seconds left, Fairbairn came in for a 54 yard field goal try for the win. Fairbairn was good as the Texans got to 8-6 the hardest of the hard ways. 19-16 Texans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers — A pair of 6-7 teams came in fighting for survival. After a touchback the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Green Bay 15. Baker Mayfield was sacked. Chase McLaughlin hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. The Packers after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Tampa Bay 3. A run lost a yard but Matt LaFleur gambled anyway. On 4th and 2 from the 4, Jordan Love threw incomplete. The goal line stand was all for naught. Baker Mayfield got belted and fumbled. The Packers recovered at the Tampa Bay 4 yard line. After a loss, Love hit Kraft for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Packers. After a touchback, White ran for 8 and 5. Mayfield hit Mike Evans for 14 and Chris Godwin for 25. On 3rd and 6 from the Green Bay 19, Mayfield hit Evans for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Buccaneers. The Packers after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Tampa Bay 22. A completion gained only 4 yards. Anders Carlson hit a 36 yard field goal for a 10-10 tie.

The Buccaneers got the ball at their own 11 with 2:13 left in the half. They moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Green Bay 28 with 10 seconds left. Mayfield threw incomplete. McLaughlin hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers in the third quarter faced 3rd and 6 at their own 38.MAyfield Evans for 18. On 3rd and 12 from the Green Bay 46, Mayfield hit Godwin for 15. Mayfield went to White for a 26 yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Buccaneers. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 30. Love went to Wicks for 22. On 3rd and 8 from the Tampa 46, Love went to Wicks for 21. On 3rd and 14 from the Tampa 17, Love fired a laser to Jayden Reed, who got both feet down for the touchdown to get the Packers within 20-17 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.

After a touchback, Mayfield went to Cade Otton for 22. On 2nd and 18 from his own 39 after a sack, Mayfield hit Godwin for 21. On 3rd and 8 from the Green Bay 38, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 11 yards. Mayfield went to Otton for 22 and to Kieft for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 27-17 Buccaneers. After a touchback to start the fourth quarter, the Packers moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Tampa 15. Love threw incomplete. Carlson hit a 33 yard field goal to get the Packers within 27-20 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Mayfield went to Godwin for 11. On 3rd and 4 from his own 48, Mayfield fired over the middle to Moore, who split the seams and raced for a 52 yard touchdown to ice the game with 6 1/2 minutes left. The 7-7 Buccaneers are actually in a realistic position to win their horrendous division. 34-20 Buccaneers

New York Giants at New Orleans Saints — Early on Randy Bullock drilled a 56 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Giants. The Saints soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 37. Derek Carr hit Shaheed for 6. Carr went to Johnson for 15. Carr hit Bowden for 17. Carr found Kirkwood for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Saints. In the second quarter the Giants moved from their own 40 to a 3rd and 2 at the Saints 21. Yet with one minute left in the half, Danny Devito’s 3rd cousin Tommy, who had led the Giants to 3 straight wins, was injured. Tyrod Taylor finished the drive. After spiking the ball to stop the clock with 6 seconds left, Gillan hit a 40 yard field goal to get the Giants within 7-6.

The Saints began the third quarter facing 3rd and 1 at their own 41. Alvin Kamara gained 2. On 3rd and 7 from his own 46, Carr threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 42, Carr went to Jimmy Graham for 8. Carr went to Shaheed for 11 and to Jimmy Graham for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 43 and moved to a 4th and 3 at the Giants 32. Blake Grupe hit a 50 yard field goal to make it 17-6 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 35. Kamara ran for 15. Carr hit Kamara for 17. The fourth quarter began with the Saints facing 3rd and 16 at the Giants 39. Carr hit Perry for 16. Kamara ran for 8 and 7. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Carr went to Perry for the touchdown with 11 minutes left in regulation to complete the scoring. The 7-7 Saints have a very real chance of winning their terrible division. 24-6 Giants

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers — While this game probably would have been terrible in good weather, it was worse in a driving rainstorm. The 6-7 Falcons still had a chance to win their horrendous division while the Panthers were headed for the top pick in the Draft. After 21 minutes of scoreless drudge, one play made the difference. From his own 37, Desmond Ridder went deep to Smith for 56 yards. Ridder hit Cordarelle Patterson for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. Eddie Pineiro hit a 34 yard field goal late in the half to get the Panthers on the board. The Panthers managed to drive to a 2nd and 1 at the Atlanta 4 to start the fourth quarter, but a run lost 3 yards and Bryce Young threw incomplete. Pineiro hit again from 25 to get the Panthers within 7-6. The Falcons moved from their own 31 to the Carolina 18. Ridder was intercepted. The Panthers took over at their own 5 yard line midway through the fourth quarter. A field goal would win it but the rain was relentless. Young went to Tommy Tremble for 19. On 3rd and 3 from their own 37, Young went to Bingo for 20 and DJ Shark for 18. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 8, Chuba Hubbard banged ahead for 6. The Falcons took their last timeout on defense with 1:41 left. From the 2 yard line, the Panthers refused to score a touchdown and give the Falcons the ball back. Young took 3 knees and took the clock down to one second. Pineiro came in for the 23 yarder to win it. The kick was good. League officials burned the tape of this game afterward. 9-7 Panthers

Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns — The Browns came in 8-5 with a tough defense but a suspect offense. After a scoreless first quarter, Joe Flacco was intercepted by Jackson, who returned the pick 27 yards to the Cleveland one yard line. On 3rd and goal from the 5 after a false start, Justin Fields scrambled all over the place and found Cole Kmet for a the touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Browns took over at their own 16. Flacco went to Ford for 3 and Tillman for 9. On 3rd and 7 from his own 31, Flacco went deep to Amari Cooper for a 42 yard gain. On 4th and 2 from the Chicago 19, Kevin Stefanski went for it. Rather than Flacco, it Was Dorian Thompson-Robinson hitting Ford for 5. Flacco came back in and hit Tillman for 13. Flacco went to David Njoku for a 2 yard touchdown for a 7-7 game.

Early in the third quarter, Flacco was intercepted by Edmunds, who returned the pick 45 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 14-7 Browns. The Bears got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Cleveland 23. Fields threw incomplete. Cairo Santos hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Bears. The Browns got a major break when the Bears fumbled a punt. The Browns squandered the opportunity when Flacco thew his third interception. The Bears took over at their own 35 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Cleveland 33 to start the fourth quarter. Looking to put the game away, Matt Eberflus decided to go for it. Fields was taken down for no gain. The Browns had life, but barely.

The Browns moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Chicago 10 yard line. Offensive holding killed the drive. Dustin Hopkins hit a 33 yard field goal to get the Browns within 17-10 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Browns took over at their own 20. On 3rd and 2 Kareem Hunt gained 3. Flacco hit Hunt for 12. With 3 minutes left, the Browns were just shy of midfield. Understand this about Flacco. He may be a shell of what he was a decade ago, but he still has a cannon of an arm. He went bombs away to Cooper for a 51 yard touchdown. Just like that, it was 17-17.

The Browns got it back at their own 21 with 1:50 left. Flacco went to Njoku for 31. On 3rd and 15 from their own 47, Flacco went to Njoku for 34. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 15, Kevin Stefanski made a very questionable decision. He had Flacco take a knee. This would make sense if the Browns were out of timeouts, but they quickly called their last timeout with 36 seconds left. Hopkins hit the 34 yard field goal to give the Browns the lead, but after a touchback the Bears still had a chance. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cleveland 45 with 15 seconds left. Fields threw incomplete twice, leaving 5 seconds. Rather than try a 63 yard field goal, Matt Eberflus opted for the Hail Mary. It was a dandy. After getting batted around, it went straight to Darryl Mooney, who was laying on his back. Mooney had the miracle in his hands. It bounced off his body back in the air and was intercepted. The Bears were that close to a miracle win. Stefanski’s conservative approach nearly backfired. Yet the Browns are 9-5 and winning like they did in 1980, in Cardiac Kid fashion. 20-17 Browns

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots — The 2 combined winningest coaches of all time faced off as Bill Belichick’s defense tried to stop Walrus Andy Reid’s offense. Early on both teams missed a field goal. The Chiefs soon faced 2nd and 4 at their own 37. Patrick Mahomes found Clyde Edwards-Helaire, who with a convoy rumbled 48 yards. Mahomes hit Rasheed Rice for 11. Jerock McKinnon took the wildcat snap and hit Rice for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Patriots in the second quarter faced 3rd and 12 at their own 37. Bailey Zappe went to Hunter Henry for 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 43, Zappe went to Parker for 19. On 4th and 2 from the Kansas City 16, Evil Hoodie Belichick went for it. Zappe hit Henry for the first down and the touchdown for a 7-7 game. Mahomes was immediately intercepted by Mapu, who returned the pick 20 yards to the Kansas City 8. A touchdown on 3rd and goal at the 3 was wiped away by offensive holding. Ryland hit a 25 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Patriots with 5 minutes left in the half. Yet Patrick Mahomes had never lost 3 straight, and the Patriots were a 3-10 team.

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27. Mahomes went to Watson for 31. On 3rd and 9 from the New England 41, Mahomes went to Rice for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 12, Clyde Edwards-Helaire gained 2 Mahomes went to McKinnon for an 8 yard touchdown with 35 seconds left in the half to make it 14-10 Chiefs. After a third quarter touchback, the Chiefs moved to a 3rd and 7 at the New England 11. Mahomes threw incomplete. Harrison Butker hit from 29 to make it 17-10 Chiefs. The Patriots took over at their own 21 and Zappe was immediately intercepted. William Gay returned the pick 24 yards to the New England 7. Mahomes hit Edwards Helaire for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Chiefs. Butker tacked on a 54 yard field goal as 20 unanswered points had the Chiefs up 27-10 after three quarters.

The Patriots managed one more touchdown but nothing more. Yet with the game out of reach, a very class move showed how much respect these coaches have of each other. Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick and Walrus Andy Reid have had some tough battles at the highest levels. Yet now Belichick has his worst team in over 25 years, and he may be unceremoniously fired at the end of the season. With 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Patriots turned the ball over on downs at their own 6 yard line. After a 2 yard run allowed the clock to hit the 2 minute warning, Reid was not going to run up the score. Reid had Mahomes take a pair of knees. On 4th and 4 from the 7, Reid had Mahomes take another knee, giving the Patriots the ball back. Belichick just handed the ball off to end the game. The Patriots put up a fight, but the Chiefs got to 9-5, a full 2 games up in the AFC West with only 3 games left. This makes Andy Reid a most happy walrus indeed. 27-17 Patriots

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals — The 10-3 49ers faced a tough challenge from the 3-10 Cardinals. After a touchback and a defensive offside, Kyler Murray went to McBride for gains of 11 and 38. Murray ran for 12. James Conner ran for 3 and then for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Christian McCaffrey gained 13. Brock Purdy hit Deebo Samuel for 11. McCaffrey ran for 4 and 26. Purdy hit Samuel for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. After a touchback, Jonathan Gannon gambled on 4th and 3 from the San Francisco 42. Murray was intercepted by Ward, who returned the pick 66 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 14-7 49ers. Matt Prater nailed second quarter field goals of 58 and 43 to get the Cardinals within 14-13.

The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Purdy went to Brandon Aiyuk for 8. Purdy hit Kyle Juszczyk for 8 with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 25, Purdy went to George Kittle for 19. Purdy hit McCaffrey for a 5 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 21-13 49ers with one minute left in the half. Early in the third quarter the 49ers faced 3rd and 11 at their own 24. Purdy went to Kittle for 35 and deep to McCaffrey for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 28-13 49ers. The Cardinals moved from their own 10 to a 1st and goal at the 5. A pair of incompletions were sandwiched around a sack of Murray. Prater hit from 28 to get the Cardinals within 28-16.They got no closer. Juszczyke returned a short kickoff 18 yards to his own 40. Purdy went to Kittle for 22. McCaffrey ran for 5, 18 and 11. McCaffrey ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 35-16 49ers after three quarters. The Cardinals managed one fourth quarter touchdown, but the 49ers kept pouring it on. Purdy hit Samuel for a 19 yard touchdown to cap a 75 yard drive and make it 42-22 49ers. An interception of Murray led to Moody hitting a 43 yard field goal to make it 45-22 49ers with 3 minutes left. The Cardinals managed one more touchdown but the 49ers are in strong position heading into the playoffs. They became the first team to clinch their division and have a shot at home field throughout the playoffs. 45-29 49ers

Washington Commanders at Los Angeles Rams — The Rams in the first quarter moved from their own 19 to a 3rd and goal at the 3. Matthew Stafford was sacked. Havrisik hit a 22 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Rams. The Rams took over at their own 47 midway through the second quarter. On 3rd and 5, Stafford went to Cooper Kupp for 8. Robinson gained 23. On 3rd and 4 from the Washington 11, Stafford went to Kupp for 9. On 3rd and goal at the one, Williams got the yard up the middle. Just before the 2 minute warning, the Rams led 10-0. With 34 seconds left, the Commanders fumbled a punt and the Rams recovered at the Washington 15. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Stafford threw incomplete with 3 seconds left. Havrisik hit from 27 to make it 13-0 Rams at the break. After a third quarter touchback, the Rams needed two plays to score. Williams ran for 13. Stafford went deep to Kupp for a 68 yard touchdown and a 20-0 Rams lead.

A 15 yard punt return gave the Commanders a short field at the Rams 48. On 4th and 3, Sam Howell went to Terry McLaurin for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 19, Howell hit Samuel for the touchdown to get the Commanders within 20-7. The Rams took over just shy of midfield to start the fourth quarter. Stafford went to Nacua for 9 and 18. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 23, Stafford went to Robinson for the touchdown. Sean McVay went for 2 and Williams ran it in to make it 28-7 Rams 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. Havrisik missed a 43 yard field goal try with 9 minutes left that would have extended the lead.

Ron Rivera benched Sam Howell for Jacoby Brissett. The Commanders from their own 33 mounted a furious comeback. Brissett ran for 9. Brissett went to Jahan Dotson for 12 and Samuel for 9. Brissett went to McLaurin for a 29 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Commanders were within 28-14. The Commanders got it back at their own 35 with 6 minutes left. Brissett went bombs away to McLaurin for a 48 yard gain down to the one. Twice a touchdown was taken off the board. Yet on 4th and goal at the 7, defensive pass interference saved the Commanders after an incompletion. On 4th and goal at the 3, Brissett hit Samuel for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked. The Commanders were within 8, but only 1:46 remained. The onside kick failed. Williams did the rest, running for 8, 4, 6, 2, and one final yard as the clock hit triple zeroes. The 7-7 Rams are still alive for a playoff spot. 28-20 Rams

Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills — The Bills got a controversial win to get to 7-6 on the year as they fight for survival. The Cowboys came in 10-3 and having clinched a playoff spot earlier in the day due to other action. This game was never a contest. The Bills began facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Josh Allen ran for 5. James Cook ripped off gains of 10 and 12. Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 18. Cook ripped off 7 and 3. On 3rd and 4 at the Dallas 6, Allen threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 3. Latavius Murray ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive made it 7-0 Bills. In the second quarter the Bills took over at their own 14. Cook gained 8, 2 and 2. On 4th and 8 from their own 26, the Bills punted. Yet roughing the passer instead gave the Bills 15 yards and new life. Allen went to Cook for 24 as the first quarter expired. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 26 in the second quarter, Johnson gained 8. Allen went to Cook for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Bills.

The Cowboys managed a field goal, but this game was over. The Bills took over at their own 24. Cook ran for 12 and 4. On 2nd and 19 from their own 38, Allen threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 yards and new downs. Allen ran for 9 and Cook added 9 more. Cook ran for 20 down to the one. Allen got the last yard as the Bills led 21-3 at the midpoint. In the third quarter the Bills from their own 30 moved 63 yards in 15 plays and 8 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Allen threw incomplete. Tyler Bass hit from 23 to make it 24-3 Bills. The Bills got it back at their own 33 to start the fourth quarter. Cook ran for 17. On 3rd and 8 from the Dallas 46, Allen hit Diggs for 17. Cook ran for a 24 yard touchdown to have the Bills cruising 31-3. Allen threw only 15 passes, completing 7 of them for 94 yards. He didn’t need to throw. The Bills ran the ball 49 times for 266 yards. Cook led the way with 179 yards on 25 carries, a whopping 7 yards per carry. The Cowboys managed a garbage touchdown. 31-10 Bills

Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars is the Sunday night game. Two good teams went at it in a defensive slugfest as the 10-3 Ravens took on the 8-5 Jaguars. Justin Tucker hit a 43 yard field goal early on to make it 3-0 Ravens. The Jaguars on consecutive possessions saw Brandon McManus miss field goal tries of 50 and 55 yards. The 50 yarder doinked off the upright no good. An interception of Lamar Jackson led to a drive to the red zone, but Trevor Lawrence inexplicably fumbled the ball away without being touched. The Ravens faced 3rd and 10 at their 40. Jackson went to Bateman for 12. On 3rd and 6 from the Jacksonville 44, Jackson went O’Dell Beckham for 14. Jackson ran for 9 and hit Kolar for 15. Jackson went to Isaiah Likely for a 16 yard touchdown. With one minute left in the half, the Ravens led 10-0. A strong kickoff return had the Jaguars at their own 41. With 30 seconds left from the Baltimore 41, Lawrence went deep to Zee Jones for a 36 yard gain and 1st and goal at the 5. The Jaguars had 11 seconds but 0 timeouts. There was plenty of time for 2 or even 3 shots at the end zone. A field gal would be a chip shot 23 yarder. Instead Lawrence inexplicably completed a one yard pass inbounds and the clock ran out. These mistakes were very uncharacteristic of Lawrence or any Doug Pederson coached team.

The Jaguars moved the ball up and down the field in the first half but did not score. Then in the third quarter it all came in one big bite. On 3rd and 2 from his own 20, Lawrence went to Evan Engram for 12. Lawrence then went bombs away to a wide open Jamal Agnew for a 65 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Jaguars were within 10-7. The Ravens after a touchback moved to a 4th and 7 at the Jacksonville 39. Tucker ran onto the field since a 57 yard try is well within his range. Yet John Harbaugh decided to go for it. It turned out just to be gamesmanship get the Jaguars to jump offside for a closer field goal try. The Jacksonville defense didn’t bite. After the delay of game, the Ravens punted. Yet a sack of Lawrence had the Jaguars punting on 4th and 19 from his own one. The Ravens got it back at their own 42. Mitchell gained 24. Jackson then nearly had his head taken off, avoided the sack and threw a deep prayer into double coverage right before getting nailed. Somehow, Likely came down with it for a 26 yard gain. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Edwards ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 24 and moved to a 2nd and goal at the 4. Jackson was sacked. Tucker hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 20-7 Ravens midway through the fourth quarter. As Lawrence was about to be sacked, he tried to throw the ball and fumbled it away instead. The Ravens took over at the Jacksonville 19. Tucker hit from 34 to finish the scoring. The 11-3 Ravens are one game up in the race for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. 23-7 Ravens

Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks was the Monday night game. The 10-3 Eagles looked to right the ship after two straight losses. Jalen Hurts battled illness during the week but played. After a touchback, Hurts ran for 13 on the first play. On 3rd and 9 from their own 39, Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 18. On 3rd and 6 from the Seattle 39, Hurts went to aJ Brown for 11. Kenneth Gainwell ran for 5 and 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 8, Gainwell gained 4. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Hurts ran for the touchdown. The 15 play, 75 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Eagles. The Eagles began the second quarter at their own 29 and moved 63 yards in 10 plays and another 8 1/2 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 3, a false start was a killer. A run on 3rd and 6 went nowhere. Jake Elliott hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Eagles. After a touchback, the Seahawks moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Philadelphia 11. A completion gained only 3 yards. Jason Myers hit a 26 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 10-3 with 1:42 left in the half. After a third quarter touchback, Drew Lock hit walker for 8 and 2. Walker ran for 7. Lock hit Walker again for 15. Charbonnet ran for 6 and 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 23, Walker broke free for the touchdown and a 10-10 game.

The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Deandre Swift gained 3 with defensive illegal use of hands adding 5 more. Hurts ran for 13. On 3rd and 9 from the Seattle 44, Hurts went to Brown for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 26, Hurts went to Smith for 17. Swift ran for 8 and Hurts got the last yard. The 12 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 17-10 Eagles. In the fourth quarter the Seahawks moved from their own 30 to a 3rd and 2 at the Seattle 18. Lock was sacked. Myers hit a 43 yard field goal to cap the 11 play, 45 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and get the Seahawks within 17-13 with 10 minutes left in regulation. With 1:52 left the Seahawks took over at their own 8 yard line. Lock went to DK Metcalf for 18, to Fant for 5, and to Metcalf for 6. On 3rd and 7 from their own 37, Lock went deep to Metcalf for 34 yards. With 28 seconds left on 3rd and 10 from the Philadelphia 29, Lock went to Smith-Njigba for the touchdown. After a touchback, Hurts ran for 20 and the Eagles took their first timeout with 13 seconds left. Hurts went deep into double coverage and Love made a diving interception at his own 17. The Seahawks stopped the downward slide to get to 7-7 while the Eagles after a 10-1 start have lost three straight games. The Eagles are now one game back in the race for home field advantage throughout the conference playoffs. 20-17 Seahawks

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NFL 2023 Week 14 Recap

Sunday, December 10th, 2023

NFL 2023 Week 14 Recap

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Thursday night game. The Patriots came in 2-10, but their last 3 losses all saw the defense give up 10 points or less. The Patriots were without anyone at quarterback or injured running back Raimondre Stevenson. The Steelers lost last week at home to lowly Arizona after Mitchell Trubisky replaced the injured Kenny Pickett. After an opening touchback, Bailey Zappe hit Ezekiel Elliott for 12 and Juju Smith-Schuster for 25. On 3rd and 9 from the Pittsburgh 25, Zappe ran for 11. Zappe hit Elliott for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots.The Steelers moved from their own 31 to a 3rd and 8 at the New England 37. Trubisky was sacked for a slight loss. Chris Boswell hit a 56 yard field goal to get the Steelers within 7-3.

The Steelers got it back at their own1 15 and began the second quarter facing 3rd and 10 at their own 27. Trubisky was intercepted by Jabrill Peppers, who returned the pick 32 yards to the Pittsburgh 11. Two plays later Zappe hit Hunter Hen ry for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Patriots. A short 34 yard punt gave the Patriots the ball back at their own 41. On 3rd and 3, Zappe went to Smith-Schuster for 28 and to Henry for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Patriots.

After a touchback, Trubisky went to Warren for 12. Austin ran for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 42, Trubisky gained 2. Trubisky went to Johnson for a 25 yard touchdown to get the Steelers within 21-10 with 3 minutes left in the half. The defenses dug in. After a scoreless third quarter, a shanked 11 yard punt early in the fourth quarter gave the Steelers gift field position at the New England 26. Trubisky hit Washington for 12. Defensive pass interference added 7 down to the one. Trubisky got in. Mike Tomlin went for 2 and Trubisky hit Pat Freiermuth successfully. The Steelers were within 3 points with 12 minutes left in regulation. With 2:44 left the Steelers took over at their own 27. On 3rd and 2 just shy of midfield just before the 2 minute warning, Trubisky threw incomplete twice. The Steelers took their final timeout on defense with 1:51 left. The Patriots faced 3rd and 1 at the Pittsburgh 39. Zappe got stopped short. The Patriots punted and the Steelers got the ball back at their own 13 with 15 seconds left. The Steelers needed to go 87 yards. A pair of long completions got the Steelers to the New England 41, but the clock hit zeroes before the Patriots could try a 59 yard field goal or a Hail Mary. 21-18 Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons — After an opening touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 39. Baker Mayfield gained only 2. Chase McLaughlin nailed a 55 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. The Falcons after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Desmond Ridder threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit from 20 to make it 3-3. An interception of Ridder gave the Buccaneers gift field position at the Atlanta 8 yard lien to start the seance quarter. Mayfield ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Buccaneers. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Brian Robinson gained 8. Ridder then went to London for 22. Ridder went to Pitts for a 36 yard touchdown to make it 10-10.

A 50 yard field goal try by Koo to give the Buccaneers the lead doinked off the upright no good. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Falconstook over at their own 8 yard line. Ridder was sacked in the end zone and fumbled. The Falcons fell on it but the safety put the Buccaneers up 12-10. The Falcons missed a chance to take the lead on the last play of the half but Koo missed again from 52. Koo entered the game with a 90% make rate, the highest in NFL history. The Buccaneers in the third quarter faced 3rd and 1 at their own 43. White gained 12. On 3rd and 5 at the Atlanta 40, Mayfield went to Evans for 8. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 31, Mayfield went to White for the touchdown and the 19-10 Buccaneers lead. The Falcons faced 3rd and 7 from their own 36. Defensive pass interference on a Ridder incompletion added 11 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Tampa Bay 36, Ridder went to Robinson for 33. Robinson ran for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Falcons within 19-17 with 11 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 20. Mayfield threw deep incomplete. McLaughlin hit from 38 to make it 22-17 Buccaneers with 6 minutes left. After a touchback, Ridder went deep to London for 45 yards. Tyler Allgeier ran for 9, 9 and 6. Ridder ran for a 6 yard touchdown. Ridder hit London for the 2 point conversion. With 3 1/2 minutes left, the Falcons led 25-22. After a touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 4th and 1 at their own 45 at the 2 minute warning. White got just enough, fumbled the ball, but kept possession of it. The key play came on 3rd and 10 from the Atlanta 47 with 1:16 left. Mayfield went to Chris Godwin for 32. Mayfield hit Cade Otton for an 11 yard touchdown with 30 seconds left. After a touchback, the Falcons quickly moved to the Tampa 31 with 4 seconds remaining. Ridder went deep to London for a 28 yard gain but London got tackled at the Atlanta 3 yard win as the clock ran out. Both teams are 6-7 in the division nobody wants to win. 29-25 Buccaneers.

Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals — The Colts came in having won 4 straight to get to 7-5 against the 6-6 Bengals. The Bengals took over at their own 8 yard line. Jake Browning was sensational in his debut last week and this week started with a 17 yard completion to Boyd. Browning hit JaMarr Chase for 14. A short dum-off pass from Browning to Brown went for a 54 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Bengals lead. The Colts failed to get on the board when Matt Gay’s 38 yard field goal try doinked off the upright no good. After a touchback, the Bengals began the second quarter facing 3d and 2 at their own 36. Browning hit Sample for 3. Browning threw a short pass to Joe Mixon that went for a 45 yard gain. On 4th and 9 from the Indianapolis 15, Evan McPherson hit a 33 yard field goal. Yet a defensive personal foul for leverage on the kick led Zac Taylor to take the points off the board. On 3rd and goal at the one to start the second quarter, Mixon appeared stopped but with a great second effort got in the end zone for a 14-0 Bengals advantage.

The Colts soon faced 3rd and 14 at their own 17. Gardner Minshew hit Granson for only 9 but a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty kept the drive going. Minshew went to Mallory for 16. On 3rd and 11 from the Cincinnati 44, Minshew went to Pierce for 12. On 3rd and 6 from the Cincinnati 28, Minshew gained just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincy 13, Moss gained 2. On 3rd and 1 at the Cincinnati 2, a run up the middle got stopped stone cold for no gain as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Minshew went play action pass and lofted a high pass to Mo Alie-Cox that was caught for the touchdown. Gay missed the extra point as the Colts trailed 14-6. The Bengals quickly faced 2nd and 4 at their own 31. Browning was intercepted by Harrison who returned the pick 36 yards for a defensive touchdown Minshew went to Pittman for the 2 point conversion for a 14-14 game with 90 seconds left in the half.

After a touchback, Browning quickly went to Tee Higgins for 26 and to Chase for 14 more. Browning went to Hudson for an 11 yard touchdown as the Bengals reclaimed the lead up 21-14. The Bengals got it back at their own 29. Browning went deep to Higgins for 46 yards. On 3rd and 9 from he Indy 23, Browning went to Hudson for 10. Zac Taylor gambled on 4th and 1 from the indy 4. Mixon gained 3. Browning got the last yard to make it 28-14 Bengals. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Browning left the game injured The 3rd string quarterback was the starter briefly a few years ago. That’s right, Miss Alabama’s husband AJ McCarron is back. The Bengals failed to move the ball but the Colts fumbled the punt. The Bengals took over at the indy 12, lost yards, saw a touchdown nullified by offensive pass interference, and settled for a 32 yard McPherson field goal for a 31-14 Bengals lead with 11 minutes left in regulation. McPherson connected again from 35 at the 2 minute warning to finish the scoring. Both teams are 7-6 on the year. 34-14 Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns — Only 6 days after suffering a high ankle sprain, Trevor Lawrence started for the 8-4 Jaguars against the 7-5 Browns. After an opening touchback, Ford ran for 8 and caught a pass form Joe Flacco for 10. Flacco went to Tillman for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 34, Flacco found a wide open David Njoku for an easy touchdown and a 7-0 Browns lead. The Browns began the second quarter at their own 28. Flacco went to Amari Cooper for 17, to Moore for 20, and to Njoku for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Browns. The Browns had all the momentum until Cooper fumble was returned 12 yards to set up the Jaguars at the Cleveland 12. Lawrence hit Evan Engram for a 10 yard touchdown to get the Jaguars within 14-7.

The Jaguars began the third quarter facing 3rd and 21 at their own 14. A short completion was fumbled and the Browns took over at the Jacksonville 22. After Kareem Hunt got stopped on 3rd and 1 from the Jags 13, Kevin Stefanski went for it. On 4th and 1, Flacco gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Jags 4, Hunt took the direct snap and banged it in with some help to make it 21-7 Browns. A Browns fumble prevented them from putting the game away and gave the Jaguars gift field position at the Cleveland 25. Lawrence hit Engram for 10. On 3rd and 12 from the Cleveland 17, Lawrence hit Calvin Ridley for 16 down to the one. Travis Etienne stretched the ball of the plane of the goal to get the Jaguars within 21-14 .

Early in the fourth quarter an interception of Lawrence gave the Browns a short field at the Jacksonville 48. On 4th and 3, Kevin Stefanski opted not to punt or try a 59 yard field goal. He went for it. Doug Pederson’ defense brought the house and Flacco fired over the middle to a wide open Bell. Bell coasted for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 28-14 Browns with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback and defensive unnecessary roughness, the Jaguars faced 3rd and 4 at the Cleveland 48. Lawrence went to Ridley for 9 and 12. On 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 19, Lawrence went to Parker Washington for the touchdown. With 9 minutes left, the Jaguars were within 28-21. The Jaguars got it back and with 3 1/2 minutes left went for it on 4th and 3 at their own 38. Lawrence threw incomplete. 20 seconds later Dustin Hopkins leveled a 55 yard field goal to give the Browns breathing room up 31-21. The Jaguars quickly came back 75 yards and Lawrence hit Engram for a 2 yard touchdown with 90 seconds left. A pointless 2 point conversion try failed, and so did the onside kick. Both teams are 8-5 on the year. 31-27 Browns

Houston Texans at New York Jets — The scoreless first half need never be discussed. After being benched a few weeks ago, Zach Wilson finally produced some offense after a third quarter touchback. Wilson hit Ruckert for 7 and non-relative Wilson for 14 and 16. On 3rd and 12 form the Houston 40, Wilson went deep to non-relative Wilson for 25. Wilson went to Randall Cobb for a 15 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Jets lead. The Jets got it back and faced 3rd and 9 at their own 32. Wilson went to Conklin for 24. Roughing the passer added 15. On 3rd and 1 at the Houston 20, Wilson went to non-relative Wilson for 11. Gipson ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Jets. The Jets were on the move again about to put the game away when Wilson fumbled and the Texans recovered at their own 43. CJ Stroud went to Beck for 26 and to Jordan for 23. Defensive pass interference added 7 yards down to the one. Singletary got in. Matt Amendola missed the extra point but rather than trail 21-0 or even 17-0, the Texans were within 14-6. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Wilson went to Breece Hall for 6 and again for 27. Hall ran for 15. After a sack, Wilson went to Ruckert for 19. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Wilson went to Hall for the touchdown and the 21-6 Jets lead. Stroud left the game in the fourth quarter with a possible concussion as the Jets tacked on three more field goals. This was a statement by Robert Saleh’s defense and a very brief reprieve for Wilson. 30-6 Jets

Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens — 9 straight runs out of the gate moved the Rams from their own 24 to a 1st and goal at the 9. Matthew Stafford then threw 3 straight incompletions. Havrisik hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Rams. Late in the first quarter, the Ravens took over at their own 34. After Mitchell ran for a pair of 6 yard gains, Lamar Jackson went deep to Isaiah Likely for a 54 yard touchdown for a 7-3 Ravens lead. After a touchback, the Rams began the second quarter facing 3rd and 2 and 2 at their own 33. Stafford went to Robinson for 22 with defensive unnecessary roughness for 15. Stafford went to Cooper Kupp for 27. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Stafford went to Kupp for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Rams. After a touchback, Jackson scrambled for 11. On 3rd and 7 from their own 39, Jackson hit Zee Flowers for 15. Jackson then found a wide open O’Dell Beckham Jr, who made a diving catch for a touchdown and a 14-10 Ravens lead.

The Rams punted on 4th and 5 at their own 30. Yet the defense jumped offside and the Rams kept the ball. On 3rd and 4 from their own 41, Stafford connected with Nacua for 34. Defensive pass interference added 15 more. Stafford went to Allen for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 17-14 Rams with 5 minutes left in the half. Jackson was immediately intercepted on a deep ball that was intercepted and returned 17 yards to set the Rams up just shy of midfield. Hvrisik hit from 51 to make it 20-14 Rams with 1:45 left n the half. After a touchback, the Ravens quickly moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Rams 17 with 12 seconds left in the half. A completion gained only 4 yards. Justin Tucker hit from 31 to get the Ravens within 20-17. In the third quarter the Ravens moved from their own 23 to a 3rd and 2 at the Rams 28. Jackson threw incomplete. Tucker hit from 47 for a 20-20 game.

The Ravens got the ball back at their own 10. On 3rd and 5, a shotgun snap went horribly wrong. The Ravens ended up fumbling the ball out of the back of their own end zone for a safety and a 22-20 Rams lead.The Ravens got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Rams 20. After an incompletion, Jackson gained only 5. John Harbaugh decided not to gamble on 4th and 2. Tucker hit from 33 for a 23-22 Ravens lead with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Rams took over at their own 15. Williams ran for 7 and 14. Stafford went to Allen for 21 and Nacua for 23. Stafford hit Kupp for 12. Stafford hit Robinson for a 5 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Rams led 28-23 with 4:40 to play.

After a touchback, Lackson went to Hill for 12. Jackson ran for 9. Jackson went to Flowers for 4 and 11. Jackson went to Beckham for 14. On 3rd and 4 from the Rams 19, Jackson hit Nelson Agholor for 5. On 3rd and 17 from the Rams 21, Jackson went to Flowers for the touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard drive was followed by Jackson hitting Flowers for the 2 point conversion. With 1:15 left, the Ravens led 31-28. After a touchback the Rams quickly went to a 2nd and 6 at the Baltimore 18 with 22 seconds left. Stafford threw inoomplete twice. Havrisik hit a 36 yard field goal for a 31-31 game. Yet in a game with a lot of offense and little defense, former special teams coach John Harbaugh saw special teams be the difference. Inovertime, each team got the ball once and went nowhere. Yet Wallace took a punt at his own 24 and returned it 76 yards for the touchdown to end the game barely more than 2 minutes into overtime. The Rams saw their 3 game win streak snapped to fall to 6-7 while the Ravens got to 10-3 the hard way. 37-31 Ravens, OT

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears — The Bears outplayed the Lions a few weeks ago but collapsed against Detroit in the final minutes. The Bears began facing 3rd and 3 at their own 38. Justin Fields ran for 13 and again for 11. A wildcat snap to Moore went for a 16 yard touchdown as the Bears led 7-0. The Bears got it back at their own 9 yard line and moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Detroit 15. Fields threw incomplete and then was sacked. Cairo Santos hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Bears. The Lions took over in the second quarter at their own 39. David Montgomery gained 13 and 7. Dan Campbell gambled on 4th and 3 from the Detroit 38. Goff hit Donovan Peoples-Jones for 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 12, Gibbs ran for the touchdown to get the Lions within 10-6. Riley Patterson missed the extra point. A short punt gave the Lions the ball back just past midfield. On 3rd and 2, Jared Goff hit Sam LaPorta for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 28 at the 2 minute warning, Gibbs got just enough. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 19, Goff hit Gibbs for 6. Goff hit Reynolds for an 8 yard touchdown. The Lions led 13-10 with 26 seconds left. In the third quarter the Bears moved from their own 28 to a 1st and goal at the 7. Khalil Herbert got stopped for nothing and Fields threw incomplete twice. Santos hit from 25 to make it a 13-13 game.

A field position game had the Bears taking over midfield. On 3rd and 3, Fields hit Cole Kmet for 8. On 4th and 13 from the Detroit 38, Matt Eberflus had nothing to lose. Rather than punt or try a 56 yard field goal, he went for it. Fields went deep to Moore for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Bears led 19-13. Goff then fumbled and the Bears recovered at the Detroit 29. Fields went to Donta Foreman for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 11, Fields ran it in. The 2 point try failed but the Bears led 25-13. Last time a 12 point lead late in the fourth quarter collapsed. Not this time. Dan Campbell gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 34. Gibbs got blasted for a 4 yard loss. Santos hit a 28 yard field goal with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation to complete the scoring. Chicago’s defense did the rest. The Lions are still 9-4, but this game was a stumble. 28-13 Bears

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints — Derek Carr cleared concussion protocol but played tis game with a rib injury. Blake Grupe shanked a 29 yard field goal try as the Saints came up empty on their opening drive. Bryce Young got belted as he tried to throw and the ball was plucked out of the air for an interception. The Saints took over at the Carolina 36. The Saints squandered the opportunity when Carr was called for intentional grounding but soon got the ball back at the Carolina 44. Kamara ran for a pair of 7 yard gains. Williams added 12. On the first play of the second quarter, Kamara ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. Eddie Pineiro responded with a 47 yard field goal to get the Panthers on the board.

bedlam ensued when the Panthers punted from their own 26. Sewell blocked the punt and Jackson returned it 8 yards for a special team touchdown. Every time the Saints block a punt for a touchdown, Steve Gleason God willing gets to live another few years. Meanwhile, the Saints led 14-3. In the third quarter the Panthers moved from their own 14 to a 1st and goal at the one. Yet the worst team in the league saw a run lose a yard and Young then get sacked. Pineiro hit a 29 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 14-6. The Panthers got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 3rd and 8 at the New Orleans 17. Young was sacked and Pineiro’s 41 yard field goal try doinked off the upright no good 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Panthers got it back at their own 24 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the New Orleans 36. Young threw incomplete.

Carr then quickly moved to put the game away. A deep ball to Perry gained 43 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Carolina 19, Carr went to Jimmy Graham for 12 and Chris Olave for the 7 yard touchdown to ice things at 21-6 Saints. The Panthers turned it over on downs at their own 24 and Carr hit Graham for a 4 yard touchdown. Dennis Allen’s defense was tenacious all game. 28-6 Saints

Minnesota Vikings at Las Vegas Raiders — This was not the very worst game ever played. After 58 minutes, the game was still 0-0. Greg Joseph missed a first half field goal for the Vikings. The Raiders reached the red zone and fumbled the ball away. After 51 minutes, Joshua Dobbs was replaced with Nick Mullens. At the 2 minute warning, Joseph came in again for a 36 yard try. This time he was good. Aidan O’Connell had a chance to be the hero and immediately completed a pass to Pace, who plays defense for the Vikings. The Raiders lost their 3rd straight to fall to 5-8 and pretty much end their season. League officials burned the tape of this game. 3-0 Vikings

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers looked to pretty much put away the NFC West. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Christian McCaffrey broke free for a 72 yard run. On the next play Mason got the last 3 yards to make it 7-0 49ers. After a touchback, Drew Lock started in place of the injured Geno Smith. Lock hit Smith-Nigba for 7 and DK Metcalf for gains of 21 and 7. On 3rd and 6 from the San Francisco 40, Lock hit Tyler Lockett for 9. Lock then went deep to Metcalf for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Seahawks got it back at their own 29 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 14. A run lost yards and a false start killed the drive. Jason Myers hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Seahawks. Brock Purdy was intercepted, but the Seahawks failed to capitalize.

The 49ers took over in the second quarter at their own 17. Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk for 10. McCaffrey out of the shotgun ran for 20. On 3rd and 11 from his own 46, Purdy went deep to Deebo Samuel for a 54 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 49ers. The defenses dug in and with 6 minutes left in the third quarter the 49ers took over at their own 25. Purdy went deep to Aiyuk for 45 yards. McCaffrey ran for 12. On 3rd and 6 from the Seattle 14, Purdy hit Samuel for 13 down to the one. Samuel got the last yard to make it 21-10 49ers. The Seahawks came back rapidly from their own 22. Lock hit Walker for 27, Fant for 26, and Colby Parkinson for a 25 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Seahawks were within 21-16 after three quarters. Yet after a touchback, the 49ers quickly struck again to start the fourth quarter. Purdy went to Samuel for 30 and to George Kittle for a 44 yard touchdown one minute into the fourth quarter. The 49ers defense clamped down the rest of the way, interception Lock twice. The 49ers got to 10-3 on the year. 28-16 49ers

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs — The 6-6 Bills came in fighting for their playoff lives against the 8—4 Chiefs. After an opening touchback, the Chiefs moved to the Buffalo 30. Patrick Mahomes was intercepted. The Bills took over at their own 47. Josh Allen ran for 4 and 8 sandwiched around an 11 yard completion to Dawson Knox. Allen went to Cook for a 25 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. The Bills got it back at their own 27. Cook ran for 12. Johnson gained 5 and 6. From midfield, Allen went to Cook for 27 and the Bills began the second quarter at the Kansas City 23. On 4th and 1 from the Kansas City 14, Sean McDermott went for it. Allen went to Kincaid for 4. Cook ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Bills.

The Bills got it back and moved from their own 7 yard line to the Kansas City 48. The Bills had all the momentum with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half but Allen was then intercepted at that spot. Mahomes went to Toney for 8 and Travis Kelce for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 17, Mahomes hit James for 4. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 7 and everyone expecting a pass, Walrus Andy Reid called a run. Jerock McKinnon ran it in for the touchdown to get the Chiefs within 14-7. The Bills after a second half touchback moved 67 yards in 15 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 8 from the Kansas City 14, Allen gained only one yard. Tyler Bass hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Bills.

After a touchback, Mahomes hit Mrques Valdes-Scantling for 15 and Kelce for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 40, McKinnon gained 7. Mahomes hit Kelce for 22. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 4, Mahomes hit Rice for the touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Chiefs were within 17=14. The Chiefs fumbled on their next series but the Bills did not capitalize. A 25 yard punt return gave the Chiefs the ball back at their own 41 to start the fourth quarter. They moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Buffalo 10. After an incompletion, Mahomes was sacked and fumbled and the Bills recovered. Yet on further review it was just another incomplete pass. Harrison Butker hit a 27 yard field goal for a 17-17 game with 11 1/2 minutes left regulation.

Midway through the fourth quarter the Bills took over at their own 31. They moved to a 3rd and 10 at the Kansas City 22 just before the 2 minute warning. A completion gained only one yard. Bass hit a 39 yard field goal. The Bills led by 3, but the Chiefs had the ball. In the playoff a few years ago, the Chiefs trailed by 3 with only 13 seconds left and pulled out a miracle. This time they have 1:54 left, an eternity. After a touchback, came absolute craziness. On 2nd and 10 just past midfield, Mahomes went to Kelce for 25, and Kelce lateraled the ball to Toney who took it the other 24 yards for a spectacular 49 yard touchdown miracle with 1:12 to play. Yet officials ruled that the offense had lineup offside, negating the score. An enraged Mahomes had to be physically restrained by his teammates from going after the officials Instead of the lead, the Chiefs had 2nd and 15. Mahomes threw 3 straight incompletions. The Bills are alive with the sound of music at 7-6. The Chiefs are 8-5, but have lost 3 of 4 and 4 of their last 6, making Andy Reid a most concerned Walrus indeed. 20-17 Bills

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers — The Broncos saw their 5 game win streak snapped last week. This week their defense unleashed on the hapless Chargers. An early interception of Russell Wilson gave the Chargers gift field position at the Denver 13 yard line. On 4th and 3 from the 6 after an incompletion, Brandon Staley did his best to finally get fired by going for it rather than taking the 24 yard field goal. Justin Herbert threw incomplete again. Herbert was then intercepted on his next series to give the Broncos the ball at the Chargers 3 yard line. Williams ran it in on the next play to make it 7-0 Broncos. Stalet gambled again on 4th and 2 from the Denver 29 and Herbert threw incomplete again. The Broncos moved from their own 30 to a 1st and goal at the 5. Wilson threw 3 straight incompletions. Unlike Staley, Sean Payton is sane. Wil Lutz hit the 23 yard second quarter field goal to make it 10-0 Broncos. In the third quarter with a backup quarterback replacing the injured Herbert, Staley gambled again on 4th and 1 from the Denver 40. A run went nowhere. On 3rd and 2, Wilson hit Williams for 6. Wilson went deep to Cortland Sutton for a 46 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Broncos. The Chargers avoided the shutout with a fourth quarter touchdown, but Wilson hit Adam Trautman for a 10 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. The Broncos at 7-6 have gone 6-1 in their last 7 games. 24-7 Broncos

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys is the Sunday night game. Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is Jewish. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not. If the Eagles score first, expect the UN and the Squad to demand an immediate ceasefire until the Cowboys catch up. The Eagles barely survived at home 28-23 against the Cowboys a few weeks ago. Last week the Eagles were throttled at home against San Francisco. The 10-2 Eagles and the 9-3 Cowboys were playing for the NFC East lead. The Cowboys began facing 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Kevontae Turpin ran for 22. Tony Pollard added 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 24, Dak Prescott gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 13, Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for the touchdown to cp the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 7-0 Cowboys. The Eagles after a touchback moved to the Dallas 21. A 14 yard completion from Jalen Hurts to Dallas Goedert was nullified by offensive pass interference on AJ Brown. Instead of 1st and goal at the 7, it was 1st and 20. Hurts then gained 11 but fumbled the ball away. The Cowboys moved from their own 21 to a 1st and 10 at the Philadelphia 32. Offensive holding appeared to kill the drive but mike McCarthy went big and bold. He had his appendix removed on Wednesday and was already on the sideline for this game. Rather than punt on 4th and 20, he had rookie kicker Aubrey try a 60 yard field goal. Aubrey nailed it to make it 10-0 Cowboys.

Jake Elliott hit a 52 yard field goal early in the second quarter to get the Eagles on the board. After a touchback, Prescott went to Ferguson for 27. Dowdle ran for 4, caught a pass from Prescott for 6, and ran for 9. Prescott hit Lamb for 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 8, Prescott gained 4. On 3rd and goal at the one, Dowdle got the carry and ran into a brick wall. Yet Mike McCarthy challenged the spot. After a review, officials somehow saw between all of the bodies to rule that Edrogan broke the plane of the goal. instead of 4th and goal at the one, it was 17-3 Cowboys with 6 minutes left in the half. The Eagles moved after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 18. A run lost a yard and Hurts was sacked. Elliott hit from 44 to get the Eagles within 17-6 with 1:48 left in the half. That was more than enough time for the Cowboys. After a touchback, On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, the Eagles committed 2 defensive penalties on one lay. Defensive pass interference added 10 yards and a facemark added another 15. Prescott went deep to Cooks for 30 down to the one. Prescott rifled a pass to Michael Gallup for the touchdown with 20 seconds left to make it 24-6 Cowboys.

The Eagles got a break in the third quarter. On 3rd and 10 from his own 45, Prescott was sacked and fumbled. Carter returned the fumble 42 yards for a defensive touchdown to get the Eagles within 24-13. It didn’t matter. Mike McCarthy brought out Aubrey again for a 59 yard field goal and in the fourth quarter for a more normal 45 yarder and finally a 50 yarder with just over one minute to play. Both teams are 10-3 on the year tied atop the division and the conference. The Eagles have lost 2 straight. 33-13 Cowboys

Green Bay Packers at New York Giants was one of two Monday night games. Randy Bullock missed a 48 yard field goal that would have given the Giants the lead. The Packers soon faced 4th and 1 at their own 47. Matt LaFleur went for it and Jordan Love hit Wicks for barely just enough. Love then went to AJ Dillon for 35 yards. Reed ran for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Giants soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Tommy Devito hit Saquon Barkley for 5. Devito went to Hodgins for 14. Devito ran for 10. Robinson took a direct snap 32 yards. Barkley ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

The Packers turned it over twice but the Giants did not capitalize. The Packers got it back at their own 17 with 2:45 left in the half and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Giants 18 with 20 seconds left. Love threw incomplete. Anders Carlson hit a 36 yard field goal as the Packers took a 10-7 lead to the locker rooms. Early in the third quarter the Packers fumbled a punt and the Giants recovered at the Green Bay 31. Devito ran for 26 yards down to the one. Barkley got the last yard to put the Giants back on top 14-10. Then the Giants fumbled a punt and the Packers recovered at the Giants 14. A sack of Love killed the drive. Carlson hit a 32 yard field goal to get the Packers within 14-13. The Giants soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Devito hit Bellinger for just enough. Devito ran for 13. Matt Breida ran for 7 and 9. Devito hit Robinson for 25. On 3rd and 7 from the Green Bay 8, Devito hit Hodgins for the touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 21-13 Giants after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter Anders missed a 45 yard field goal but hit one from 48 to get the Packers within 21-16 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 4 minutes left one play brought a major momentum swing. From his own 48, Barkley ripped off a a 33 yard gain to the Green Bay 19 but then fumbled the ball. Valentine picked it up at his own 14 and returned it the other way 50 yards to the Giants 36. At the 2 minute warning the Packers were in prime position to win with a 2nd and 4 at the Giants 16. On 3rd and 4, Love hit Reed for 8. The Giants began taking their timeouts on defense. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Love went to Heath for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Packers had the one point lead with 90 seconds left. After a touchback, Danny Devito’s cousin Tommy tried to be the hero. Devito hit Robinson for 5, Barkley for 7, Darrius Slayton for 9, and Robinson again for a 32 yard gain. At this point the Packers began taking their timeouts on defense. thE giants took the clock down to 2 seconds and Bullock came in for the 37 yard try to win it. Bullock was good. 24-22 Giants

Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins was one of two Monday night games. The Titans played the game with heavy hearts after hearing about the death of Music City Miracle Hero Frank Wychek at age 52. The Dolphins fumbled the ball away early but the Titans soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 6. Will Levis was intercepted by Sieler, who returned the interception 5 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 7-0 Dolphins lead. Yet the Titans defense clamped down the entire first half. In the second quarter the Titans took over at their own 14. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 38. Levis hit Spears for 10 and Moore for 22. On 3rd and 10 from the Miami 30, Levis only gained 5 but a mindless defensive unsportsmanlike conduct penalty meant 15 more yards and a first down. Levis gained 11 down to the one. Derrick Henry got the last yard to cap the 14 play, 68 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 7-7.

At the 2 minute warning, Jason Sanders had a 44 yard field gal try to give the Dolphins the lead. His kick was blocked. The Titans took over at their own 21 with 28 seconds left. Levis went to Deandre Hopkins for 24 and again for 45. The Titans had 1st and goal at the 10 with 10 seconds left. Levis threw incomplete twice. Nick Folk hit from 28 to put the Titans up 10-7 at the midpoint. In the third quarter the Dolphins moved from their own 21 on an 11 play, 77 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Tua Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Sanders hit the 20 yarder for a 10-10 deadlock. The Titans took over at their own 35 and moved to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Levis threw incomplete twice, including a 3rd down pass that was initially ruled a touchdown and then reversed. Folk hit from 23 to make it 13-10 Titans. The Dolphins moved from their own 28 to a 2nd and goal at the 3. Tagovailoa threw incomplete and then was sacked as both defenses came up big in the red zone. Sanders hit from 31 as the game was tied for the third time 13-13 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

A key play in this hard fought game came with 6 minutes left. The Dolphins punted and the Titans fumbled the punt. The Dolphins recovered with gift field position at the Tennessee 7 yard line. Raheem Mostert ran for 4 and then for the 3 yard touchdown to put the Dolphins up 20-13 with 5 1/2 minutes left. One play after a touchback, Levis fumbled the shotgun snap. The Dolphins recovered at the Tennessee 12. Mostert ran for 3 and then for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 27-13 Dolphins. For 54 minutes, this was a brutally tough game. Then the Titans just self-destructed. Yet this game was not over.

The Titans tried to rally. On 3rd and 4 from their own 31, Levis hit Okonkwo for 7 and Spears for 12. On 2nd and 15 from their own 45, Levis went to Spears for 21 and 8 and Westbrook-Ikhine for 23. Levis hit Hopkins for a 3 yard touchdown. Mike Vrabel went for a 2 point conversion and Levis hit Westbrook-Ikhine. With 2:40 to play, Vrabel opted to kick it deep and trust his defense rather than go onside kick. The Titans took a pair of timeouts on defense. On 3rd and 6 from his own 29, Tagovailoa only gained 4. Offensive holding stopped the clock and allowed the Titans to save their last timeout. The Titans took over at their own 36 with 2:15 left. Levis went deep to Hopkins for 36 and to Okonkwo for 15. At the 2 minute warning, the Titans already had 1st and 10 at the Miami 13. Henry ran for a 4 yard touchdown. Now it was the Dolphins who self-destructed as the Titans led by one point. Yet 1:49 still remained, plenty of time for the Dolphins. On 4th and 1 from his own 44, Tagovailoa stumbled and was taken down for a loss with 20 seconds left.In an absolute shocker, the Titans went on the road and out-muscled one of the best teams in the league to drop the Dolphins to 9-4 on the year. 28-27 Titans

eric

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NFL 2023 Week 14 Prequel

Wednesday, December 6th, 2023

NFL 2023 Week 14 Prequel

Thursday, December 7, 2023, 8pm

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers (-5 1/2) — Do not be fooled by the Patriots 2-10 record. They made NFL history by becoming the first team in several decades to lose 3 straight games while giving up 10 points or less. Kenny Pickett is out and Mitch Trubisky looked miserable at home against lowly Arizona. Steelers win but fail to cover

Sunday, December 10, 1pm

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (-2 1/2) — Neither of these teams are remotely interesting, and the Buccaneers consistently underachieve. Go with the home field. Falcons cover

Indianapolis Colts (-1) at Cincinnati Bengals — Jake Browning looked sensational in his first start at Jacksonville. No, he is not Joe Burrow, but he has waned the benefit of the doubt at home. Gardner Minshew has not played poorly, but in a game that could go either way, go with the home field. Upset special, Bengals win outright

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns (-2) — The Jaguars were cruising until Trevor Lawrence went down with an ankle injury. The Brows are down to third string quarterback Joe Flacco. It’s hard to see the Jaguars doing much without Lawrence. The Browns have a very defense. Browns cover

Houston Texans (-6 1/2) at New York Jets — CJ Stroud is the rookie of the year. Both teams have a decent defense but the Jets do not have a quarterback. The spread is too high given the quality of the Jets defense. Texans win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens (-7) — The Rams are struggling. The Ravens are very good. The spread is high, and the Ravens tend to win ugly with hard running and defense. A garbage touchdown to beat the spread is possible. Ravens win but fail to cover

Detroit Lions (-3) at Chicago Bears — The Bears outplayed the Lions before blowing a 12 point fourth quarter lead late. Yet the Lions will not take the Bears too lightly. The Lions have more offensive weapons and should be able to handle business. Lions cover

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (-5 1/2) — As awful as the Panthers are, the Saints have been wildly inconsistent. Derek Carr and Taysom Hill are both beaten up. The Panthers lack the talent to win but could make it close. Saints win but fail to cover

4pm

Minnesota Vikings (-3) at Las Vegas Raiders — After hot starts, Joshua Dobbs and Antonio Pierce both came down to earth. Pierce is determined to pound the rock, and the Minnesota defense is nothing special. If Josh Jacobs can keep pounding, the Raiders should be able to grind out a win. Upset special, Raiders win outright

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (-10 1/2) — The 49ers went on the road and belted top-ranked Philadelphia. The Seahawks are scrappy but the 49ers are just better. The 49ers have more offensive weapons and a nasty defense. The 49ers won in Seattle and should get the sweep without too much difficulty. 49ers cover

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (-2 1/2) — This was initially thought to be an AFC Title Game preview, but the Bills have underachieved all year. The Chiefs have lost two straight games, but at home should take care of business. Buffalo has a good defense, but Josh Allen has been making more mistakes than in years past. This could be a very close game, but go with Patrick Mahomes and the raucous home crowd at Arrowhead. Chiefs cover

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers (-3) — Nobody loses close games like the Chargers, but last week they won a hideous game. The Broncos saw their five game winning streak snapped, but they should be able to shut down the Chargers. The Broncos have the better defense. Upset special, Broncos win outright

8pm

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-3 1/2) — The Eagles got obliterated at home last week against San Francisco. The Cowboys were underachievers earlier in the year but now appear to be clicking on offense. The Eagles barely beat the Cowboys in Philadelphia. In Dallas, the Cowboys get revenge. Jalen Hurts is better than Dak Prescott, but Tony Pollard runs hard and could be the difference. Cowboys win but fail to cover

Monday, December 11, 8pm

Green Bay Packers (-6 1/2) at New York Giants — The Packers did get a quality home win against Kansas City, while the Giants are awful. Yet the Giants have a decent defense. The spread is way too high for a Packers team on the road that is not that special. If Saquon Barkley can get going, the Giants should be able to win ugly. Upset special, Giants win outright

Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins (-14) The Titans are bad. The Dolphins are very good. The Dolphins have so much speed on offense that this game could be over by halftime. Tua Tagovailoa will go to Tyreek Hill often. Dolphins cover

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NFL 2023 Week 13 Recap

Monday, December 4th, 2023

NFL 2023 Week 13 Recap

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys was the Thursday night game. This game was a thrilling shootout that featured 0 punts. After an opening touchback, the Cowboys moved 63 yards in 14 plays and 6 minutes. On 2nd and goal at the 3, Dak Prescott threw incomplete and was then was sacked. Aubrey hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 27. Geno Smith went deep to DK Metcalf for a 7-3 Seahawks lead. The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 16 from their own 19. Prescott went to Ferguson for 17. Defensive pass interference a deep ball meant a 47 yard gain. Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Cowboys. After a touchback, the Seahawks moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Dallas 18. Smith threw incomplete followed by a delay of game. Josh Myers missed a 42 yard field goal try that would have tied the game. The Cowboys took over at their own 32. Prescott hit Schoonmaker for 12. The second quarter began with the Cowboys facing 4th and 1 from the Seattle 47. Mike McCarthy went for it. Tony Pollard gained 11. Prescott hit Pollard for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 16, Prescott hit Lamb for 14. Prescott hit Bandin Cooks for a 7 yard touchdown and a 17-7 Cowboys lead.

After a touchback, Smith hit Fant for 10. On 3rd and 5 from their own 40, Smith hit Smith-Njigba for 11. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball added 40 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 14, defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 13 more yards. Charbonnet got the last yard to get the Seahawks within 17-14. After a touchback, the Cowboys went on a staggering 16 play, 62 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. On 4th and goal at the 3, Mike McCarthy went for it. Prescott got in for the touchdown but offensive holding nullified the score and killed the drive. Aubrey hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 20-14 Cowboys with 90 seconds left in the half. The Seahawks faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32 with 46 seconds left. Smith went to Smith-Nigba for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 39, Smith went to Tyler Lockett for 9. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant a 29 yard gain and 1st and goal at the one with 7 seconds left. Smith went to Metcalf for the touchdown as the Seahawks took a 21-20 lead to the locker rooms.

The third quarter began with the Seahawks facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Smith went to Metcalf for 13. Charbonnet gained 14 and 7 with 15 added on for a defensive facemark. Smith went to Metcalf for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Smith ran it in to make it 28-20 Seahawks. After a touchback and defensive holding, Pollard gained 6 and 5. Prescott went to Ferguson for 15. An interception of Prescott was wiped out by the defense jumping offside. Then came defensive holding. Prescott hit Lamb for 9. On 2nd and 13 from the Seattle 22, Prescott threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. Prescott went to Ferguson for 14. Pollard ran for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Cowboys within 28-27. An interception of Smith led to the Cowboys having a short field. Yet on 4th and 2 from the Seattle 30, Mike McCarthy gambled and Prescott threw incomplete. Smith then went to Fant for 25 and Charbonnet for 39. Smith began the fourth quarter by throwing a 3 yard touchdown pass to Metcalf to make it 35-27 Seahawks.

After a touchback, the Cowboys moved to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 17. A pair of runs lost yards and Prescott threw incomplete. Aubrey hit a 38 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 35-30. The Seahawks after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Dallas 46 midway through the fourth quarter. Pete Carroll went for it and Charbonnet got stopped for no gain. Prescott went to Lamb for 10. Pollard gained 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 21, Prescott went to Lamb for 6. Prescott gained 8. Prescott went to Ferguson for a 12 yard touchdown. Mike McCarthy went for 2 and Prescott hit Cooks for a 38-35 Cowboys lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, the Seahakw moved to a 2nd and 4 just shy of midfield. Smith threw 3 straight incompletions with 3:11 left. The Cowboys moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Seattle 14. Prescott threw incomplete. Aubrey hit a 32 yard field goal. The Cowboys led by 6 with 1:46 to play but the Seahawks had a shot at the win. After a touchback, the Seahawks quickly moved to a 2nd and 2 at midfield. Smith again threw 3 straight incompletions as the Cowboys survived a wild one to get to 9-3 on the year. Consecutive losses have the Seaahawks at 6-6 and fighting for survival. 41-35 Cowboys

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots — Nobody loses close games like the Chargers, but the Patriots have lost almost every game. Cameron Dicker hit a pair of 38 yard field goals in the second quarter to complete the scoring in a game unworthy of further elaboration. League officials hopefully burned the tape of this game so it will never be seen again. 6-0 Chargers

Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers — The 7-4 Steelers were expected to make quick work of the 2-10 Cardinals. Both teams brought their defense. The Steelers moved from their own 24 to a 2nd and 5 at the Arizona 11. Kenny Pickett threw incomplete twice. Chris Boswell hit from 29 to make it 3-0 Steelers. Matt Prater answered from 51 for a 3-3 game. The Steelers in the second quarter moved from their own 20 to a 4th and goal at the one, taking 8 minutes off the clock. Mike Tomlin went for it and Najee Harris ran into an Arizona stone wall as the goal line stand kept the game tied with 5 minutes left in the half.

On 3rd and 3 from their own 8, Kyler Murray hit Higgins for 21. On 3rd and 6 from their own 33, Carter ran for 19. On 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 44, Murray went to McBride for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 22, Murray hit McBride again for 15. On 3rd and goal at the 5 with 15 seconds left in the half, Murray went to McBride again for the touchdown. The 15 play, 99 yard drive made it 10-3 Cardinals. A lightning storm caused a 20 minute delay to start the second half. When the teams came out, Pickett stayed in the locker room. He had an ankle injury and mitch Trubisky took over. Trubisky fumbled and the Cardinals took over at the Pittsburgh 21. On 3rd and 1, James Conner gained 3. On 3rd and goal at the 8, defensive pass interference on an incompletion meant 7 yards. Conner got the last yard to make it 17–3 Cardinals midway through the third quarter.

Then came a second lightning delay. The Steelers would miss a field goal in a game that was surprisingly not competitive. A facemark penalty on a punt gave the Cardinals the ball at the Pittsburgh 33. Murray hit McBride for 16. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 9, Conner ran it in to make it 24-3 Cardinals. The Steeles managed one garbage touchdown with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation, but Mike Tomlin surprisingly did not even try an onside kick. The Cardinals are improved with Murray but this was still an upset. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” 24-10 Cardinals

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans — The Colts came in a surprising 6-5 against a Titans team that has struggled all year. The Titans began at their own 36. Will Levis went deep to Okonkwo for 39. Derrick Henry ran for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. A 36 yard kickoff return gave the Colts the ball at their own 44. A 15 yard defensive penalty for taunting was followed by Gardner Minshew hitting Pierce for a 36 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Titans moved from their own 30 and after an exchange of fumbles on the same play, eventually reached 3rd and goal at the 6. Levis threw incomplete. Nick Folk hit from 24 to make it 10-7 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 23. Levis hit Hopkins for 18. On 3rd and 1 at midfield, Henry gained 2. Levis went to Hopkins for 27. Henry ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Titans.

The Colts after a touchback moved to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Minshew threw incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit from 23 to get the Colts within 17-10. The Colts got it back with gift field position after a punt at the Tennessee 44 with 42 seconds left in the half. Gay hit from 46 to end the half with the Colts only down 17-13. The Colts began the third quarter after a touchback with a mind-numbing 19 play, 70 yard, 10 minute drive. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 6, a completion gained only one yard. Gay hit again from 23 to get the Colts within 17-16 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Then came a pair of big special teams plays. The Titans punted on 4th and 4 from their own 36. Cross blocked the punt and Stuard picked it up and raced 18 yards for the touchdown. The Colts then went for a 2 point conversion. Hooker intercepted Minshew at the goal line and raced 100 yards the other way for a defensive 2 point conversion. Instead of trailed 24-17, the Titans were only down 22-19. The Titans punted again and Stonehouse had his punt blocked again for the second straight time. The Colts had 1st and goal at the 7. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, Minshew was sacked. Gay hit his 4th field goal from 28 to make it 25-19 Colts.

The Titans soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Levis hit Whyle for 16 and Westbrook-Ikhine for 28. On 3rd and 6 from the Indianapolis 11, Levis went to Tony Spears for 7. Levis hit Deandre Hopkins for a 3 yard touchdown. Folk’s extra point to give the Titans the lead was no good. Benched quarterback Ryan Tannehill was the holder on the miss as the game remained tied 25-25 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 40 seconds the Titans had the ball at the Indy 46. One more first down would set up a field goal try for the win. Instead, Levis was sacked and this game went into overtime. After a touchback to start overtime, the Titans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Indy 26. A pair of incompletions sandwiched a run that lost a yard. Folk hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 28-25 Titans, but the Colts would get one chance with the ball. After a touchback, Minshew hit Pittman for 9. A sack of Minshew was negated by defensive illegal contact. Minshew then went deep to Pierce for a 55 yard gain. With 2 1/2 minutes left in overtime, Minshew hit Pittman for the touchdown to win the game. 31-28 Colts, OT

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans — Both teams came in 6-5 with the Broncos having won 5 straight. Early on it was all Texans. A shanked 22 yard punt gave the Texans a short field at the Denver 47. On 2nd and 1 from the Denver 11, a run went nowhere and CJ Stroud threw incomplete. Demeco Ryans decided not to gamble on 4th and 1 against the stout Denver defense. Matt Amendola hit the 29 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. The Texans got it back at their own 22 and CJ Stroud went deep to Collins for a 52 yard gain. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 17, this time Ryans went for it. Stroud gained 2. Ryans gambled again on 4th and 2 from the Denver 7. A false start should have ended the try but a mindless defensive unnecessary roughness penalty meant 1st and goal at the 3. Damion Pierce ran it in to make it 10-0 Texans. The Texans in the second quarter moved from their own 11 to a 4th and 4 at the Denver 20;. Ammendola hit from 38 to make it 13-0 Texans. The Broncos managed a 34 yard Wil Lutz field goal late in the half to get on the board. Yet Ammendola responded from 38 in the third quarter to make it 16-3 Texans.

A field position game had the Broncos take over at their own 42. Russell Wilson went deep to Cortland for a 45 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Broncos were within 16-10. The Broncos got it back and Wilson was immediately intercepted. The Texans took over at the Denver 21. Stroud hit Jordan for 13. stroud hit Nico Collins for the 3 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Texans led 22-10. After a touchback, the fourth quarter began with a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty. Wilson went deep to Jerry Jeudy for 41 down to the one. Wilson got in to have the Broncos within 5 points with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Broncos got it back and Wilson threw a bomb that initially appeared to be the go-ahead touchdown. Yet Derek Stingley made a leaping interception, his second of the day against Wilson. The Broncos got it back and moved down the field in the final couple minutes. The Broncos converted a pair of 4th down conversions. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Wilson went to the end zone and was intercepted by Ward for a touchback with 9 seconds left. Ina game between two very good defenses, a big defensive stand ended this solid game. 22-17 Texans

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints — The Lions jumped all over the Saints right out of the gate. On 3rd and 7 from their own 23, Montgomery ran for 9. Goff hit Williams for 11 with roughing the passer adding 15. Gibbs ran for 36 down to the New Orleans 2. Montgomery got the last 2 yards to make it 7-0 Lions. One play after a touchback, Derek Carr was intercepted by Branch, who returned the pick 13 yards to the Saints 17. On 3rd and 6, Goff hit Sam LaPorta for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 46. Goff went to LaPorta for 25 and to Amra St. Brown for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Lions.

The Saints tried to make a game of it in the second quarter. From their own 16, Alvin Kamara ran for 7 and 4. On 3rd and 4 from their own 33, Carr hit Kamara for 9. On 3rd and 16 from their own 30, Carr went to Williams for 30. On 3rd and 9 from the Detroit 33, Carr went to Chris Olave for 24. Carr hit Jimmy Graham for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Saints on the board. Yet the Lions from their own 30 ground down the Saints defense, reaching a 2nd and 7 at the New Orleans 8. Goff threw incomplete twice. Riley Patterson ended the half with a 26 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Lions.

After a third quarter touchback, the Saints clawed back. Carr went to Kamara for 12 and to Hill for 18. On 3rd and 12 from the Detroit 35, Carr went to Olave for 33. Kamara got the last 2 yards to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and get the Saints within 24-14. The Saints got it back at their own 38 and Carr went to Olave for 28 and Foster Moreau for 19. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 6, Hill gained 5. A run up the gut from the one appeared stopped but Hill stretched the ball past the plane of the goal for the touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Saints were right back in it down 24-21.

The Lions moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 4 at the New Orleans 8. A bluff to go for it fooled nobody and the Lions took a delay of game. Patterson hit from 32 to make it 27-21 Lions. On the first play of the fourth quarter after a touchback, Carr fumbled the snap and the Lions recovered at the New Orleans 26. Two plays later williams ran for a 19 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Lions led 33-21. After a touchback, the Saints soon faced 3rd and 17 from their own 48. Carr got blasted for a sack and left injured. Yet a defensive penalty for piledriving Carr into the ground kept the drive going. Jameis Winston came in. On 3rd and 13 from the Detroit 32, Winston went deep t OLave for 30. Kamara ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Saints within 5 points midway through the third quarter. With 6 minutes left in regulation the Saints took over at their own 18. They moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Detroit 40 with 3 minutes left. Winston threw 3 straight incompletions as the Lions hung on to get to 9-3 on the year. 33-28 Lions

Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets — Despite being 5-6, the Falcons were in a strong position to win the awful NFC South. The Jets have no quarterback. A puntfest early had the Falcons pinned at their own one yard line. Desmond Ridder was sacked in his own end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Jets lead. A fumble in the second quarter gave the Falcons a short field at the Jets 47. Ridder went to Pitts for 13. Ridder hit Pruitt for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-2 Falcons. The Jets after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 5 a the Atlanta 9. Tim Boyle threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit from 27 to get the Jets within 7-5. A field poison game gave the Jets the ball at their own 44 with 1:13 left in the half. The Jets reached a 1st and goal at the 4 with 7 seconds left. After a Boyle incompletion, Younghoe Koo hit a 22 yard field goal to put the Falcons up 10-5 at the half. Zuerlein hit again from 46 in the third quarter to get the Jets within 10-8. After a touchback, a 14 play, 51 yard, 7 minute drive set up a 42 yard Koo field goal to put the Falcons up by 5 points again. Tim Boyle, who started in place of the benched Zach Wilson, was awful. Robert Saleh benched Boyle for the fourth quarter and brought in Trevor Siemian. With one minute left on 4th and 17 from his own 30 after a sack, Siemian was sacked again. 13-8 Falcons

Miami Dolphins at Washington Commanders – The Dolphins are very good. The Commanders are not. This was not 1972, but the Dolphins were close to perfect early on in obliterating the Commanders. On the third play from scrimmage on 3rd and 2 from their own 22, Tua Tagovailoa went bombs away to Tyreek Hill for a 78 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 4th and 5 at the Washington 31. Jason Sanders hit from 49 to make it 10-0 Dolphins. Sam Howell was then intercepted by Van Ginkel who returned the pick 33 yards for a defense touchdown and a 17-0 Dolphins lead.

The Commanders came back after a touchback and on 3rd and goal at the one, Howell got in to get the Commanders on the board. Yet the Dolphins kept carpet-bombing the Commanders. After a touchback on 3rd and 7 from their own 40, Tagovailoa went bombs away again to Hill for a 60 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back with 6 minutes left in the half at their own 24 and used up most of the clock. Raheem Mostert ran for 9 and 6. On 3rd and 6 from their own 43, Tagovailoa went to Hill for 20. Defensive pass interference added 16 more. On 3rd and 12 from the Washington 20, Tagovailoa went to Jalen Waddle for 16. Mostert ran for 3 and then the one yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in the half for a 31-7 Dolphins advantage.

For some reason, league rules required the second half be played. On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Tagovailoa went to Hill for 5. Tagovailoa went to Devon Achane for 21, to Cracraft for 13, and to Hill for 18. Achane ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 38-7 Dolphins. The Commanders managed one late garbage touchdown but the Dolphins added one more touchdown to complete the blowout. 45-15 Dolphins

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The 1-10 Panthers fired Frank Reich. Yet the Buccaneers are nothing special. Early on the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 4 just past midfield. Baker Mayfield went to Palmer for 6. On 3rd and 10 from the Carolina 45, Mayfield went deep to Mike Evans for 40. White ran for a one yard touchdown made it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Panthers after a touchback moved 70 yards in 12 okays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 2, Bryce Young threw incomplete. On 3rd and 1, Chuba Hubbard lost 3 yards. Eddie Pineiro hit a 23 yard field goal early in the second quarter to get the Panthers within 7-3. In the third quarter the Panthers faced 3rd and 9 from their own 36.Young hit Sullivan for 16. Young went deep to Mingo for 31. Hubbard ran for 8 and then for the one yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Panthers. Yet one play and 9 seconds after a touchback, the Buccaneers had the lead again. Mayfield went to Evans for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers got it back to start the fourth quarter at their own 33. Mayfield went to White for 20. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 43, Mayfield got taken down for no gain but defensive illegal use of hands kept the drive going. White ran for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Carolina 19, Chris Godwin go around the end for a touchdown to make it 21-10 Buccaneers. After a touchback, the Panthers soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 43. Young went to Bingo for 12. On 4th and 6 from the Tampa 38, Young went deep to DJ Shark for 30. Hubbard ran for a one yard touchdown. Young ran in the 2 point conversion. With 5 minutes to go, the Panthers were a field goal from tying the game. The Panthers got it back and faced 4th and 1 at their own 40 with 2:20 to play. Young was intercepted as the Carolina season of misery continued. 21-18 Buccaneers

San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles — It seemed odd that the 10-1 Eagles were underdogs at home, but the oddsmakers felt the 8-3 49ers were the better team. The 49ers have a nasty defense. After an opening touchback, the Eagles moved 67 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 7 from the San Francisco 8, Jalen Hurts threw incomplete. Jake Elliott hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 26. They moved 53 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. On 2nd and 6 from the San Francisco 14, Hurts was sacked for a 15 yard loss. Elliott connected again from 39. The Eagles led 6-0 after the first quarter, but after that the game drastically changed.

In the second quarter the 49ers faced 3rd and 3 at their own 22. Brock Purdy went to George Kittle for just enough. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Purdy went to Deebo Samuel for 13. Christian McCaffrey for 11. Purdy went to Kittle for 32. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Purdy threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside. Given another chance on 3rd and goal at the 2, Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk for the touchdown. The 11 play, 85 yard, 7 minute drive gave the 49ers their first lead 7-6. The 49ers got the ball back at their own 10. Purdy went to Samuel for 9. McCaffrey ran for 7. Purdy went to Kittle for 25. McCaffrey ran for 9. Purdy hit Aiyuk for 13. Samuel ran for 14. With 38 seconds left in the half, McCaffrey ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 90 yard drive had the 49ers up 14-6. The 49ers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Purdy went to Jennings for 18. On 3rd and 3 from the Philadelphia 45, Purdy went to McCaffrey for 33. Samuel ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 21-6 49ers.

A facemark on the ensuing kickoff set up the Eagles at their own 42. On 3rd and 7, Hurts went to AJ Brown for 13. On 1st and 20 from their own 48, Hurts went to Devonta Smith for 15 and 13. A defensive personal foul resulting in a disqualification added 12 more yards. On 3rd and 12 from the Frisco 14, Hurts went to Brown for 12. Hurts ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Eagles within 21-13. Yet the 49ers quickly slammed the door shut. On 3rd and 7 from their own 26, Purdy went to Aiyuk for 10. McCaffrey ran for 16. Purdy went to Samuel for a 48 yard touchdown to make it 28-13 49ers. The 49ers after a touchback had McCaffrey run for 5, 7 and 15 to end the third quarter. On 4th and 1 from the Philly 36 early in the fourth quarter, Kyle Shanahan went for it. McCaffrey gained 2. Mitchell added 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Philly 18, Purdy went to Jennings for the touchdown and the 35-13 49ers lead. The Eagles did score one more touchdown, but the onside kick failed. Purdy hit Samuel for a 46 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. The oddsmakers were right. The 49ers just belted the Eagles in the mouth. 42-19 49ers

Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Rams — The Browns are down to their 3rd string quarterback, Joe Flacco. Yes, that Joe Flacco. The Browns began facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Kareem Hunt gained 6. On 3rd and 14 from their own 35, Flacco went to Amari Cooper for 22 and Ford for 13. Flacco went to Ford for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Rams after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Cleveland 26. Matthew Stafford threw incomplete. Havrisik hit a 44 yard field goal to get the Rams within 7-3. The Rams got it back at their own 21 and struck rapidly. Stafford hit Tutu Atwell for 9 and then went bombs away to Nacua for a 70 yard touchdown and a 10-7 Rams lead. On the first play of the second quarter, Havrisik missed a 43 yard field goal try that would have extended the lead. Dustin Hopkins tied the game on a 40 yard field goal just before the 2 minute warning. Havrisik responded from 28 to put the Rams up 13-10 at the midpoint. Hopkins hit again from 24 for a 13-13 game with 5 minutes left in the third quarter.

After a touchback, Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for 9. Williams ran for 10. Nacua ran for 31. On 2nd and 20 from the Cleveland 40, Stafford went to Robinson for 30. Stafford went to Robinson again for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 20-13 Rams. The Browns began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Hunt ran for 5. The Browns then faced 3rd and 2 at their own 44. Hunt ran for 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 27, Hunt ran for 6. Strong ran for 13. Flacco went to Harrison Bryant for an 8 yard touchdown. The extra point to tie the game was no good as the Browns trailed 20-19 with 9 minutes left in regulation.

The Browns got the ball back at their own 21 looking for the lead. On the first play from scrimmage, Flacco was intercepted. Johnson returned the interception 42 yards to the Cleveland 24. Stafford went to Kupp for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Stafford hit Kupp for the touchdown. The Rams led 27-19 with 4 minutes left. With 2 1/2 minutes left on 4th and 5 from their own 30, Flacco threw incomplete. Stafford hit Robinson for 15. Williams did the rest, running for 7, 5, 2, and the one yard touchdown just past the 2 minute warning. The Rams led 34-19. With 26 seconds to play, a sack of Flacco had the Browns facing 4th and 34 from their own one yard line. Flacco was sacked again for a safety. 36-19 Rams

Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers was the Sunday night game. After an opening touchback, Jordan Love hit Reed for 9 and Watson for 19. On 3rd and 2 from the Kansas City 36, AJ Dillon got just enough. Love hit Kraft for 9. On 3rd and 4 from the Kansas City 14, Love hit Wicks for 7. Love went to Sims for a one yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive made it 7-0 Packers. The Chiefs took over at their own 24. They moved 60 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. The Chiefs had 1st and goal at the 5, but Mahomes was sacked twice to kill the drive. Harrison Butker hit the 34 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 7-3. After a touchback to begin the second quarter, Love went to Kraft for 19 and to Wicks for 27. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 9, Love went to Watson for the touchdown as the Packers had the surprising 14-3 lead.

After a touchback, the Chiefs moved 59 yards and 14 plays and 8 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 6 from the Green Bay 8, offensive holding was a setback. Mahomes was then sacked. Butker hit from 34 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half as the Chiefs trailed 14-6. After a third quarter touchback, Mahomes went to Kelce for 21. On 3rd and 18 from their own 38, Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 27. Isaiah Pacheco ran for 11. Mahomes went to Rice for 13. Pacheco ran for a one yard touchdown. Walrus Andy Reid went for 2 to tie the game, but this time Pacheco got stopped as the Chiefs trailed 14-12.

The Packers took over at their own 33. Love went to Dillon for 14. On 4th and 1 from the Kansas City 44, Matt LaFleur went for it. Under heavy pressure, a desperate Love threw a duck into triple coverage that Romeo Doubs somehow came down with for a 33 yard gain. Love went to Watson for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 21-12 Packers. The Chiefs took over at their own 34. Pacheco ran for 5 and 7. Mahomes hit James for 12. Mahomes hit Rice for 8. Pacheco ran for 8 and 13. On 3rd and goal at the 2 to begin the fourth quarter, Mahomes hit Gray for the touchdown to get the Chiefs back within 21-19.

The Packers took over at their own 23 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 18. Love threw incomplete twice and was then sacked. Anders Carlson hit a 40 yard field goal. The Packers led 24-19 with 6 minutes left in regulation, but they did not close the door. After a touchback, the Chiefs moved to just past midfield. Mahomes was intercepted. The Packers took over at their own 35 with 5:15 to play. They moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Kansas City 20 at the 2 minute warning. With the Chiefs out of timeouts, a first down would end the game. Under heavy pressure, Love smartly went down for a sack rather than risk an incompletion that would stop the clock. Carlson hit a 48 yard field goal. The Packers led by 8 but the door was still open. The Chiefs had 1:10 to pull off a miracle and the best quarterback in the league to do it. The Chiefs moved from their own 30 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 33 with 19 seconds left. Mahomes threw 3 incompletions, leaving 4th and 10 and 5 seconds. Mahomes scrambled all over the place and unleashed a Hail Mary that reached the end zone. It fell to the ground incomplete. 27-19 Packers

Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars was the Monday night game. What was supposed to be a potential AFC Title Game preview has seen the Bengal reeling since Joe Burrow went down injured. The Bengals moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 3 at the Jacksonville 44. Zac Taylor went for it and Browning was sacked. The Jaguars took over jus shy of midfield. Trevor Lawrence went deep to Christian Kirk. Calvin Ridley gained 10. On 4th and 1 at the Cincinnati 6, Doug Pederson went for it. Lawrence gained 2. Travis Etienne ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. Evan McPherson missed a 57 yard field goal try for the Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 8 yard line. On 3rd and 4 to start the second quarter, Browning went to Jamarr Chase for 17, to Irwin for 25, to Hudson for 24, and to Tee Higgins for 14. Joe Mixon ran for a 6 yard touchdown as the 92 yard drive made the game 7-7. After a touchback, Lawrence went to Farrell for 9. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 1, Lawrence got the yard. Lawrence went to Ridley for 21 and to Evan Engram for a 22 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive made it 14-7 Jaguars. After a touchback, Browning went to Higgins for 11 and Wilcox for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 43, Browning went to Mixon for 9. On 3rd and 5 from the Jacksonville 29, Browning went to Boyd for 10. Browning hit Sample for 11. Mixon ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The 12 play 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive tied the game 14-14 with one minute left in the half.

The Bengals struck quickly in the third quarter. On 3rd and 2 from their own 24, Browning went to deep to Chase for a 76 yard touchdown and a 21-14 Bengals lead. The Jaguars took over at their own 16. Lawrence went to Zee Jones for 23. On 3rd and 7 from their own 42, Lawrence hit Jones for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 33, Jones gained 3. Lawrence went to Washington for 18. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincinnati 14, Lawrence went to Washington for the touchdown. The 12 play, 84 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive tied the game for the third time 21-21. One play after a touchback, Browning was intercepted. Allen returned the pick 8 yards to give the Jaguars 1st and goal at the 9. On 3rd and goal at the one, Etienne got stopped. Doug Pederson gambled. On 4th and goal, Lawrence got in for a 28-21 Jaguars lead. A field position game had the Jaguars punting from their own 6 yard line and the Bengals taking over with a short field at the Jacksonville 48. Browning went to Chase for 14 and Mixon for 10. On 3th and 3 from the Jags 10, Zac Taylor went for it. Browning hit Chase for 6. From the one, Browning snuck it in. For the 4th time on the day, the game was tied 28-28 with 9 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, the Jaguars moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 22. On 3rd and 11, Lawrence was sacked. He stayed down for a bit. He had an injured ankle. He slammed his helmet in frustration. Making matters worse, Brandon McManus’s field goal try from 48 yards out with 5 minutes left to give the Jaguars the lead was no good. The Bengals moved from their own 38 to a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 32. A sack had the Bengals facing 3rd and 22 and out of field goal range. Browning hit Boyd for 8 key yards, From 54 yards out, McPherson was good. With 2 1/2 minutes left, the Bengals had the 3 point lead. That would be more than enough time for Lawrence, but with the game on the line he was in the blue medical tent. Backup CJ Beathard would have to try and be the hero. After a touchback, the Jaguars moved to a 2nd and 2 at the Cincy 20. After an incompletion, Beathard was sacked. This time from 40 yards out, McManus was good. For the 5th time, this game was tied with 26 seconds left.

This was a battle of backup quarterbacks, but in regulation both of them played well, especially when it mattered. In overtime, the Jaguars won the toss and got the ball first after a touchback. The Jaguars moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Cincinnati 45. Then came the play of the game. One more first down would certainly mean long field goal range. Instead, Beathard went for it all. His bomb between 2 defenders was caught by Ridley for a 43 yard gain at the Cincy 2 yard line. Yet it was all for naught. Offensive holding nullified the gain and pushed the Jaguars out of field goal range. The Jaguars punted and the Bengals took over at their own 28. Browning went to Chase for 17. On 3rd and 10 from their own 47, Browning went to Higgins for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Jags 33, Mixon gained 2. With 1:50 left in overtime, McPherson came in for a 48 yard try to win it. His kick was good. This may have been a battle of backups, but both were sensational. Beathard completed 9 of his 10 passes in relief. Browning was lights out, going 32 for 37 with 354 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Now the Jaguars awaited word on Lawrence, as the Bengals celebrated winning a fine, fine football game. 34-31 Bengals

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NFL 2023 Week 13 Prequel

Wednesday, November 29th, 2023

NFL 2023 Week 13 Prequel

Thursday, November 30, 2023, 8pm

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys (-9) — The Seahawks are an up and down team. The Cowboys have been looking very good against inferior competition. The Seahawks are inferior competition. At home in prime time, the Cowboys have enough weapons on offense to put this game away. Cowboys cover

Sunday, December 3, 1pm

Los Angeles Chargers (-6) at New England Patriots — Nobody loses close games like the Chargers. Yet the Patriots are just awful. The Patriots have multiple quarterbacks who play badly. Justin Herbert has enough weapons to win this game, but the spread is high for a Chargers team that fails to inspire. Chargers win but fail to cover

Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers (-5 1/2) — The Steelers have been winning ugly, but that is AFC North football. The Cardinals are a mess and Kyler Murray has not been able to stop the losses. The Cardinals are more competitive with him, and the Steelers do no blow teams out. Steelers win but fail to cover

Indianapolis Colts (-2) at Tennessee Titans — The Colts have been playing surprisingly well, and Gardner Minshew is competent. The Titans are injury-riddled. Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry can both run the ball. Go with the momentum. Colts cover

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans (-3 1/2) — The Broncos have won five straight games. Their defense is playing fierce. Sean Payton has revitalized Russell Wilson. CJ Stroud is in the running for rookie of the year and has an outside shot at league MVP. The Texans also have a good defense. The Texans lost at home to Jacksonville, and Denver is playing lights out. Upset special, Broncos win outright

Detroit Lions (-4) at New Orleans Saints — The Lions offense has been on a tear this year despite stumbling on Thanksgiving at home. The Saints have been inconsistent. The Saints have a very good defense but their offense is not playing as well as their talent level. The Superdome indoors should allow the Lions track meet offense to stretch the field. Lions win but fail to cover

Atlanta Falcons (-2 1/2) at New York Jets — Both of these teams are afterthoughts. The Jets have a good defense but no quarterback to lead them. The Falcons do not provide such a deep challenge on offense. If the Jets can get even close to average quarterback play at home, their defense will get it done and stop the losing skid. Upset special, Jets win outright

Miami Dolphins (-9 1/2) at Washington Commanders — The Dolphins are very good. The Commanders are not. Ron Rivera’s defense is far below his usual standards. The Dolphins have Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill stretching the field. The spread is high for a road team, and a garbage touchdown from Sam Howell is possible. Dolphins win but fail to cover

4pm

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5 1/2) — The Panthers are a flaming mess who just fired he’d coach Frank Reich. The Buccaneers have talent on offense but have been playing below that talent. Yet Carolina is such a mess it may not matter. Buccaneers cover

San Francisco 49ers (-2 1/2) at Philadelphia Eagles — The rematch of the NFC Title Game will be eagerly anticipated. Last year the 49ers had four quarterbacks go down injured but discovered Mr. Irrelevnt Brock Purdy in the process. The Eagles are 10-1 and the 49ers have righted themselves to 8-3 after a three game losing streak. The 49ers are favored, which in itself is shocking. They have a nasty defense, while the Eagles tend to win very close games. The 49ers may be the better team, but the Eagles at home will send a message. Jalen Hurts is special. Upset special, Eagles win outright

Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Rams (-4) — The Browns have lost two quarterbacks to injury and just signed Joe Flacco. Nobody knows if he can still play. The Browns have a great defense. The Rams are in rebuilding mode. it is hard to trust the Rams, but it is harder to trust Flacco. Matthew Stafford is no slouch. Rams win but fail to cover

8pm

Kansas City Chiefs (-6 1/2) at Green Bay Packers — The Chiefs seem slower than in past years but they are still very good. The Packers got a big Thanksgiving road win at Detroit, but overall are not very good. Patrick Mahomes will tear apart the Green Bay defense. Nobody calls plays like Walrus Andy Reid. The Chiefs defense will hound Jordan Love. Nevertheless, a garbage touchdown at home is realistic against a Chiefs offense that is slightly less potent than normal. Chiefs win but fail to cover

Monday, December 4, 2023, 8pm

Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars (-8 1/2) — The Bengals without Joe Burrow are finished. Yet the Jaguars are not winning easily. Trevor Lawrence is playing well, but the Bengals has enough of a defense to keep this one close. The Jaguars rarely blow teams out. Jaguars win but fail to cover

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