THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2023 Week 7 Recap

Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints was the Thursday night game. After an opening touchback the Jaguars went right to work. Trevor Lawrence hit Evan Engram for 21 and Travis Etienne for 15. Lawrence ran for 9. On 3rd and 7 from the New Orleans 23, Lawrence hit Christian Kirk for 7 and Agnew for 14. Etienne ran in the 2 yard touchdown to complete the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 7-0 Saints. After a touchback, the Saints moved to the Jacksonville 32. They failed to get on the board when Grupe missed a 51 yard field goal try. The Saints got another break when the Jaguars fumbled a punt and the Saints recovered at the Jacksonville 17. On 2nd and goal at the 5, Derek Carr threw incomplete twice.  Grupe hit a 23 yard field goal to get the Saints within 7-3. The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Lawrence hit Kirk for 9 to end the first quarter and to Agnew for 9 to start the second quarter. Lawrence ran for 28 with defensive holding adding 5 more. Etienne got around the end for a 17 yard touchdown run to make it 14-3 Jaguars. 

A field position game in the second quarter gave the Saints a short field at the Jacksonville 46. Yet on 2nd and 8 from the Jacksonville 20, Carr’s incompletion was followed by him running for only 3. Grupe hit from 35 to get the Saints within 14-6 at the 2 minute warning. That was enough time for the Jaguars after a touchback to move to a 3rd and 2 at the New Orleans 25. Lawrence through incomplete but Brandon McManus hit from 43 to make it 17-6 Jaguars with 30 seconds left. The Saints after a third quarter touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 23. Yet offensive holding killed the drive. Grupe hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Saints within 17-9. Things got ugly for the Saints when they got the ball back and faced 3rd and 10 from their own 13. Carr was intercepted by Oluokun, who returned the pick 24 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 24-9 Jaguars. 

The Saints got it back after a touchback and finally began to show signs of life. Carr went to Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara for a pair of 8 yard gains. Carr went to Shaheed for 12 and to Taysom Hill and Olave for 7 apiece. On 4th and 2 from the Jacksonville 25, Kamara got around the end for a 10 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Jacksonville 8, out of the shotgun Hill gained 4. The fourth quarter began with the Saints facing 4th and goal at the one. Hill got in for the touchdown. The 16 pay, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Saints within 24-16. midway through the fourth quarter Doug Peterson gambled on 4th and 1 from the New Orleans 47. Etienne got stuffed for no gain. The Saints struck quickly as Carr hit Thomas for 17, Hill for 19, and Thomas again for the 17 yard touchdown. Carr hit Kamara for the 2 point conversion. With 6 1/2 minutes left the game was tied 24-24 and the Saints had all the momentum.

A field position game set up by a short 39 yard punt gave the Jaguars gift field position at the New Orleans 46 with 3:45 to play. Two plays later, Lawrence connected with Christian Kirk for a 44 yard touchdown. The Jaguars had the lead with 3 minutes left. After a touchback, the Saints calmly moved down the field to a 1st and goal at the 6 with 40 seconds to play. The Saints had all 3 timeouts. They could run any plays they wanted. They had 4 shots at the end zone. Carr threw 4 straight incompletions. The third down throw was a perfect pass to a wide open Foster Moreau, who just dropped it. The Saints are underwater at 3-4 while the Jaguars escaped to get to 5-2 on the year. 31-24 Jaguars

Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens —This was supposed to be a battle between two very good teams, but only one of them showed up. After an opening touchback, Lamar Jackson went to Odell Beckham for 11 and to Zee Flowers for 46. On 4th and 1 from the Detroit 7, John Harbaugh gambled. Jackson got the first down and the touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. The Ravens got it back and soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 35. Jackson went to Batemen for gains of 16 and 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 22, Jackson gained 3. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 12, Jackson went to Nelson Agholor for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 8. Jackson went to Beckham for 20. On 3rd and 11, Jackson went to Flowers for 22. On the first play of the second quarter, Jackson went to Ricard for 28, Mitchell for 9, Flowers for 3, and Mark Andrews for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 20. Jackson gained 9. Edwards added 20. Hill gained 27. Jackson hit Andrews for 22. Edwards got the last  2 yards. 4 drives meant 4 touchdowns  and a 28-0 Ravens lead. The second half was pointless. In the third quarter the Ravens took over at their own 6. Jackson connected with Edwards for an 80 yard gain and with Andrews for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 35-0 Ravens. The Lions got a fourth quarter touchdown to avoid the shutout. Justin Tucker tacked on a field goal for the Ravens to complete the scoring. 38-6 Ravens

Las Vegas Raiders at Chicago Bears — Everyone outside of Josh McDaniels’s own family knew that the 3-3 Raiders were frauds. They had won 2 straight, but their wins came against 3 of the worst teams in the league. Before a brutal stretch of games against good teams, the Raiders had won more easy game. They just needed to beat the worst team in the league. They call themselves the Chicago Bears, but they had playing like the Bad News Bears. The Raiders had a chance to get their third straight win and get to 4-3. Matt Eberflus is uber-flustered against everyone else. Without Justin Fields, The Bears started a quarterback named Bagent who had never started NFL game before. Until last week, he had never played in an NFL game. This was the game for the Raiders to win. Instead, the Raiders made the Bad News Bears look like the 1985 Bears. 

Josh McDaniels gets plenty of things wrong, but he started out doing two things right. With Jimmy Garoppolo out injured again, McDaniels resisted the urge to start rookie Aidan O’Connell. Bryan Hoyer is a veteran with a stronger arm than Garoppolo. McDaniels also went with a heavy run-first offense with Josh Jacobs. McDaniels has been fairly criticized for 2 years for not doing this. On this day, he did. It is not McDaniels’s fault that Jacobs got no help from his blockers. The offensive line was awful. Hoyer had little time to throw. When he did, he was uncharacteristically off the mark on too many throws. The Raiders had plenty of chances early. The Bears quickly went 3 and out when they dropped an easy third down pass. An 18 yard punt return had the Raiders starting at their own 43. They moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Chicago 23. Hoyer threw incomplete. Normally reliable kicker Daniel Carlson missed a 41 yard field goal try. None of this was McDaniels’s fault.

The Bars soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 40. Donta Foreman gained 4. Bagent hit Scott for 13. Foreman gained 13 more. Bagent ran for 10. Foreman gained 9. Foreman ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 69 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Bears. In the second quarter Hoyer was intercepted to set up the Bears at the Raiders 34. On 3rd and 1, Scott gained 6. Bagent hit Marcedes Lewis for 16. Foreman ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Bears. After a touchback, the Raiders moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Chicago 21 at the 2 minute warning. Hoyer threw incomplete twice. Carlson hit a 40 yard field goal to get the Raiders on the board. In the third quarter the Raiders offense kept malfunctioning. The Bears faced 1st and 15 at their own 7, but then moved forward. Foreman ran for 14 and 9. Bagent ran for 12. Bagent hit Foreman for 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Raiders 25, Bagent hit Evans for just enough. Bagent hit Foreman for 9. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Bagent hit Foreman for the touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the Bears were dominating 21-3. This was not Jim McMahon and Walter Payton. This was a 1-5 team gashing the pathetic Raiders defense for big gains on almost every play. 

After a touchback, the Raiders moved 60yards in 15 plays and nearly 7 minutes. The fourth quarter began with the Raiders facing 2nd and 4 at the Chicago 9. Rather than feed Jacobs, it was Zamir White getting the carry and getting nothing. Then on 3rd and 4 Hoyer appeared to hit Jaocbs for the touchdown. Yet on further review it was reversed to an incompletion. Since most of the entire fourth quarter remained, a field goal decision would have been justified. Yet the normally ultra-conservative McDaniels decided to go for it. It was the right decision. Hoyer hit Davante Adams for just enough. On 1st and goal at the 5, an ill-advised pitchout to Jacobs lost 5 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Hoyer had an open Adams in the end zone. Adams just dropped it.It bounced right off his fingertips. Now with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, going for it was the right call. Why bother going for it before only to give up now? Yet McDaniels makes gutless decisions, and again he surrendered. It was a horrendous uninspiring decision. He has no confidence in his offense down by the goal line. Yes, the offense is inept. Yet it’s his offense. Carlson hit the 25 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 21-6, but that was it. 

The Beats from their own 27 at cup 7 minutes of clock on a 12 play drive against the pathetic Raiders defense. Cairo Santos hit a 54 yard field goal with 6 minutes left to put the game out of reach. On the very next play from scrimmage, Hoyer was intercepted by Jaylon Johnson, who returned it 39 yards for a defensive touchdown. The extra point was blocked, but the Bears were winning a 30-6 beatdown. with the gan out of reach, Hoyer was benched and O’Connell was thrown to the wolves. He was then also intercepted by Johnson. The Raiders did get a 9 yard garbage time touchdown pass from O’Connell to Jakobi Meyers with one minute left, but this game was an embarrassment. Somehow, Josh McDaniels was not fired after the game. Any chance of the Raiders being a playoff team are done, and the season is not even half over. McDaniels’s job is to prepare his team. They were woefully unprepared, and it obviously showed. 30-12 Bears

Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts — This game became an instant classic. On the third play of the game on 3rd and 2 from their own 31, Ford ran for a 69 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Colts came right back. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Gardner Minshew went to Downs for 6. On 3rd and 7 from their own 41, Minshew went deep to Downs for a 59 yard touchdown for a 7-7 game. The Colts got it back at their own 43. Minshew went to Jonathan Taylor for 18. Minshew ran for 8 with defensive holding adding 5 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 17, Minshew ran for the first down and the touchdown to make it 14-7 Colts.The Colts got it back but Minshew was sacked and fumbled. The Browns took over at the Indianapolis 36. Kareem Hunt gained 11 and 5. Goodwin ran for 17. The second quarter began with Hunt running for one and then the 2 yard touchdown for a 14-14 game. 

Deshaun Watson was injured in the second quarter. PJ Walker finished the game. After a touchback the Colts moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Cleveland 26. Minshew gained 7 but offensive holding wiped out the gain. A short pass then lost 6 yards. Shane Steichen decided to have Matt Gay try a 60 yard field goal, a ridiculous decision at this point in the game. The kick was blocked. The Browns took over at the Indianapolis 26 and went nowhere. Dustin Hopkins hit a 44 yard field goal for a 17-14 Browns lead. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27. Minshew went to Downs for 34 yards. Taylor ran for 24. On 3rd and 7 from the Cleveland 12, Minshew hit Pittman for 8. Minshew ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 21-17 Colts. 

The Colts got it back at their own 11. Minshew was sacked. On 2nd and 15 from their own 6, Minshew was sacked again, this time forcing a fumble. The Browns recovered in the end zone for a defensive touchdown to make it 24-21 Browns. The Browns got it back at their own 30 with 1:17 left in the half. Walker hit Ford for 8, David Njoku for 5, Moore for 9, and Ford again for 12. Hopkins ended the half with a 54 yard field goal for a 27-21 Browns lead. In the third quarter on 3rd and 2 from his own 41, Minshew was intercepted. Ward returned the pick 20 yards to the Indianapolis 42. Hopkins hit another 54 yard field goal for a 30-21 Browns advantage.

After a touchback, Minshew hit Downs for 20. Minshew hit Pittman for 7 with defensive holding adding 5. Taylor gained 9 and 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 35, Taylor gained just enough. Minshew hit Taylor for 20. Taylor gained 6 and then ran for the 5 yard touchdown to get the Colts within 30-28.  The Browns after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 2 from the Indy 41. A pair of runs went nowhere. Kevin Stefanski went for it. On 4th and 2, Walker fumbled and the Colts took over at midfield. Gay hit a 27 yard field goal one minute into the fourth quarter to put the Colts back up 31-30. A deep ball by Walker was intercepted but it pinned the Colts at their own 2. The defense held and the Browns got it back at their own 43. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Stefanski gave Hopkins a shot at a 58 yard field goal try to put the Browns back in front. Hopkins delivered for a 33-31 Browns lead. 

Two plays after a touchback, Minshew connected with Pittman for a 75 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Colts led 38-33. With 2 1/2 minutes left, the Browns faced 3rd and 10 from their own 20. Walker went deep to Moore for 30. Strong gained 13. Walker hit Donovan Peoples-Jones for 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Indy 13 with 47 seconds left, chaos ensued. Walker was sacked and fumbled. He tried to argue that his arm was going forward but it was clearly the empty hand rule. It was definitely a fumble. The Colts recovered all the way back at their own 39 and began celebrating. Yet it was all for naught as illegal contact on the defense meant 5 yards, an automatic first down, and 1st and goal at the 8. Walker threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 7 yards and 1st and goal at the one. 3 straight Walker passes were all incomplete. It all came down to 4th and goal at the one with 15 seconds left. Hunt got the carry and was stopped right at the goal line. Both sides celebrated, thinking they had won. It was close, but officials got the call right. Hunt barely got the nose of the ball across the plane of the goal. That is all that is required. The touchdown gave the Browns the one point lead. The 2 point try failed but the Colts needed a miracle. Minshew was sacked and fumbled to end the game. Brian Sipe and the 1980 Browns are long retired, but this was a Cardiac Kids classic. 39-38 Browns

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — The Bills are a very good team. The Patriots are awful. Rumors have been swirling that Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick’s 24th season in New England would result in his being fired after the season. The Patriots were 1-5 and getting worse. The Bills could put the final nail in the coffin of their hated rivals. After an opening touchback, the Patriots moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Buffalo 14. A run out of the shotgun gained only 2 yards. Belichick decided not to gamble on 4th and 2. Ryland hit the 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots. On the very next Buffalo play from scrimmage, Josh Allen was intercepted to give the Patriots a short field at the Buffalo 45. Mac Jones hit Buffalo for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 26, Jones went to Douglas for 16. Ezekiel Elliott gained 8 and then the 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Patriots. After a touchback, the Bills moved to a 3rd and 7 at the New England 8. On the last play of the first quarter, a touchdown pass from Allen to Dawson Knox was nullified by offensive pass interference. The second quarter began with Allen throwing incomplete. Tyler Bass hit a 36 yard field goal to get the Bills on the board. Ryland answered with a 24 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Patriots. The Bills missed a chance to get closer when Bass missed from 42. 

The Bills began the third quarter facing 2nd and 12 at their own 17. Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 17, Kincaid for 8, and Harty for 10. Roughing the passer on an incompletion added 15 more. James Cook ran for 20. Allen hit Knox for 10. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Allen hit Cook for the touchdown. The 10 play, 81 yard, 5 minute drive got the Bills within 13-10. The Patriots after a touchback moved to the Buffalo 25. A completion lost 2 yards and Jones was sacked to ill the drive. Ryland hit from 49 to make it 16-10 Patriots.The Bills after a touchback moved to a 4th and 2 at the New England 33. Sean McDermott gambled on a 4th and 1 earlier in the drive, which the Bills converted. He went for it again. This time Allen threw incomplete. Jones quickly went to Brown for 26. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 33, jones was sacked and fumbled. Yet defensive illegal contact gave the Patriots a new set of downs. Elliott lost one, gained 10, and on 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 29, got the tough yard. Jones went to Douglas for 19. Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for a 4 yard touchdown The 2 point conversion try failed but the Patriots were winning a shocker up 22-10 midway through the fourth quarter.

After a touchback, Allen went to Kincaid for 12 and Diggs for 7. Roughing the passer added 15 more. Allen went to Sherfield for 5, Shakir for 11, and Diggs for a 25 yard touchdown to get the Bills within 22-17. The Patriots quickly faced 2nd and 15 from their own 20. Jones hit Bourne for 9 but Bourne fumbled and the Bills recovered at the New England 29. Allen hit Shakir for 13. On 4th and 2 from the New England 8 with 2:40 to play, the Bills could have kicked a field goal and played defense. That is gutless football. Either you trust your offense to make 2 yards by the goal line or you don’t. Sean McDermott trusts his players. Allen hit Kincaid for 4. On 3rd and goal at the one, Allen got in. Allen hit Knox for the 2 point conversion. At the 2 minute warning, the Bills had stormed back for a 25-22 lead. New England put up a fight, but they were about to go to 1-6 on the year. 

After a touchback, a short completion from Jones to Raimondre Stevenson went for 34 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Buffalo 39, Jones went to Hunter Henry for 14. Jones hit Parker for 8, Stevenson for 10, and Douglas for 6 down to the Buffalo one yard line. 15 seconds remained. After an incompletion, Jones hit Mike Gesicki for the touchdown. With 12 seconds left, the Patriots had the miracle 4 point lead. After a touchback, Allen ran for 7 yards but then fumbled the ball away as the clock hit double zeroes. In thrilling fashion, Bill Belichick won his 300th regular season game and 331st overall win. Belichick is 16 games behind the late Don Shula for most overall wins. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” 29-25 Patriots 

Washington Commanders at New York Giants — Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. Early on Graham Gano missed a 42 yard field goal for the Giants. In the second quarter, Tyrod Taylor hit Robinson and Darrius Slayton for a pair of 22 yard gains. Taylor hit Darren Waller for 13. Taylor ran for 20. On 3rd and goal at thE 15 to start the second quarter, Taylor hit Waller for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Giants. An interception of Sam Howell gave the Giants a short field at the Washington 48. Taylor hit Waller for 16 and Saquon Barkley for a 32 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Giants. The Giants were in total control in the third quarter until they fumbled a punt. The Commanders recovered at the Giants 21. On 4th and 1 from the Giants 12, Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it. Howell went to Dotson for 8. Robinson ran for a 4 yard touchdown. The Commanders were down by 7 and had a full 25 minutes left in the game to tie it. Early in the fourth quarter, Rivera decided not to go for it on 4th and 3 from the Giants 9. Joey Slye’s 27 yard field goal try was blocked. The Giants moved from their own 20 to a 1st and goal at the 10. Barkley gained 3 and then fumbled the ball away. This was the Stop or Bowl. The Commanders from their own 8 embarked on a 17 play drive. On 3rd and 5 from the Giants 7 with one minute to play, Howell threw incomplete twice. May the tape of this game be burned. It was a battle of who wanted it least. 14-7 Giants

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Early on Todd Bowles gambled on 4th and 5 from the Atlanta 41. Baker Mayfield threw incomplete. Desmond Ridder quickly hit Hodge for 19, Smith for 7, and Smith again for 18. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Ridder got in to make it 7-0 Falcons. The Buccaneers took over at their own 33. Mayfield hit Cade Otton for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 42, Mayfield gained 2. Mayfield then went deep to Mike Evans for a 40 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. Each team scored a touchdown in the first quarter. Each team failed to reach the end zone in the final three quarters. In the second quarter, Younghoe Koo hit a 24 yard field goal for the Falcons. Chase McLaughlin answered for the Buccaneers from 24. When not exchanging field goals, the teams exchanged turnovers twice. Koo hit from 41 late in the third quarter. Mclaughlin hit from 36 with 45 seconds remaining in regulation. The game was tied 7-7 after one, 10-10 at the half, and 13-13 in the final minute. After a touchback, Ridder went deep to Pitts for a 39 yard gain. With 4 seconds left, Koo came in for a 51 yard field goal try for the win. If ever a game did not deserve overtime, this was it. Koo spared the viewers. His kick was good. 16-13 Falcons

Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Rams — The first quarter was a scoreless defensive bonelock. Brett Maher’s 53 yard field goal try for the Rams doinked off the upright no good. The second quarter began with Chris Boswell hitting his 53 yard field goal try to make it 3-0 Steelers. Maher did hit a 41 yarder for a 3-3 game. The Rams faced 3rd and 3 from their own 19 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. Matthew Stafford went to Nacua for 36. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 36, Darrell Henderson went for 5. Stafford went to Tutu Atwell for a 31 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Rams led 9-3 with 17 seconds left in the half. Yet on the first play of the third quarter from his own 26, Stafford was intercepted by TJ Watt. He returned the pick 24 yards to the Rams 7. On 3rd and goal at the one, Kenny Pickett got in for a 10-9 Steelers lead. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32. The defense jumped offside. Stafford went deep to Nacua for 32. On 3rd and 7 from the Pittsburgh 28, Stafford went to Nacua for 20. On 3rd and goal at the one, Henderson got in. Sean McVay went for the 2 point conversion and Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp for a 17-10 Rams lead after three quarters.

Late in the third quarter the Rams had a chance to go up 20-10, but from 51 yards out Maher missed again. The Steelers began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 8 from their own 43. Pickett went to Johnson for 39. Warren ran for 5 and then for the 13 yard touchdown for a 17-17 tie. The Steelers got it back and faced 3rd and 1 from their own 32. Pickett gained 2. Pickett hit George Pickens for 21. Harris gained 10. Pickett hit Johnson for 11 and Hayward for 11 more. Harris ran for the 3 yard touchdown to put the Steelers up by 7 midway through the fourth quarter. The Steelers got the ball back at their own 14 with 5 1/2 minutes left. On 3rd and 3, Pickett went deep to Pickens for 31. Everything came down to the Steelers facing 4th and 1 at the Rams 39 with the Rams out of timeouts. Mike Tomlin went for it. Pickett got the yard and then took 3 knees. This was shrouded in controversy as Pickett appeared short of the first down. He was given a very generous spot by the officials. Sean McVay could not challenge the spot because the Rams were out of timeouts. Just like the 1979 season when these teams met in the Super bowl, the Rams led after three quarters but the Steelers won the fourth quarter 14-0 and the game. By next week, that statistic will be useless and this game will be forgotten. 24-17 Steelers

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks — In the first quarter from their own 39, the Seahawks made it look easy. Geno Smith hit Tyler Lockett for 8. Kenneth Walker III ran for 25. Smith hit his non-relative Smith-Nigba for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Seahawks soon fumbled a punt and the Cardinals recovered at the Seattle 30. On 3rd and 6, Joshua Dobbs threw incomplete. Matt Prater hit a 44 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 7-3. The Cardinals got it back at their own 20. From their 33, Demercado gained 18. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 46, Dobbs hit Wilson for 11. Moore gained 15. An interception of Dobbs was wiped out by roughing the passer. Dobbs ran for a 25 yard touchdown to have the Cardinals up 10-7 in the second quarter. The Seahawks took over at their own 24. Smith hit non-relative Smith-Nigba for gains of 12 and 13. On 3rd and 10 from the Arizona 46, Smith hit Lockett for 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 26, Smith went to Lockett for 8 and to Jake Bobo for an 18 yard touchdown to put the Seahawks up 14-10. After a touchback, the Cardinals reached 2nd and 2 at the Seattle 27 with 37 seconds left in the half. Offensive holding and a sack pushed them out of field goal range. The second half was an unwatchable slog. Jake Myers hit field goals of 21 in the third quarter and 48 late in the fourth quarter to lock up the win. The Cardinals missed a third quarter field goal and turned the ball over twice on downs on the fourth quarter. The Cardinals are a 1-6 mess. 20-10 Seahawks 

Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos — Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. Again, this was not that game. However, it was interesting late. Wil Lutz hit field goals of 32 in the first quarter and 29 and 35 in the second quarter to give the Broncos a 9-0 halftime lead in a game deserving no further elaboration. Anders Carlson missed from 43 late in the half to set up Lutz’s last kick. Carlson did hit from 29 in the third quarter. After a touchback, Russell Wilson went to Jerry Jeudy for 18. Williams ran for 21 and 9. On 3rd and 4 from the Green Bay 18, Wilson went to Cortland Sutton for the touchdown. with 6 minutes left in the third quarter, the Broncos had a comfortable 16-3 lead. 

After a touchback, Jordan Love went deep to Watson for 23. On 3rd and 6 from the Denver 48, Love threw incomplete but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 40, Love went to Reed for 12. Aaron Jones gained 11. Love went to Romeo Doubs for a 16 yard touchdown to get the Packers within 16-10. The Packers got it back at their own 24 to start the fourth quarter. Love went to Musgrave for18 with a defensive personal foul resulting in a disqualification and 15 more yards. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 29, Matt LaFleur went for it. Love went to Sims for 2. AJ Dillon gained 15. Love gained 10. With 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Packers faced 4th and 2 from the Denver 4. LaFleur went for it again. Love hit Reed for the touchdown to put the Packers up 17-16. After a touchback, the Broncos moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Green Bay 34. Wilson threw incomplete and got tackled for no gain. Lutz hit a key 52 yard field goal to put the Broncos up by 2 with 4 minutes left. After a touchback, the Packers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 44 with 2:22 left. A few more yards would mean long field goal range and a shot at the lead. Offensive holding was a killer. On 4th and 20, Love went deep and was intercepted. 19-17 Broncos

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs moved from their own 17 to a 3rd and 7 at the Chargers 17. Patrick Mahomes threw incomplete. Harrison Butker hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. After a touchback the Chargers moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Kansas City 24. Justin Herbert was sacked to kill the drive. Cameron Dicker nailed a 55 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter the game turned into a track meet. 

After a touchback, Mahomes went to Toney for 13. The second quarter began with the Chiefs facing 3rd and 3 at their own 45. Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 9 and deep to Marques Valdes-Scantling for a 46 yard touchdown and a 10-3 Chiefs lead. The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27, Herbert went to Donald Parham for 9. Kelley ripped off a 49 yard touchdown for a 10-10 game. The Chiefs came right back. On 2nd and 7 from their own 28, Mahoems went to Kelce for 13 and again for 53. Mahomes went to Rice for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Chiefs. After a touchback the Chargers struck back just as fast. Herbert went deep to Palmer for a 60 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Herbert hit Everett for a touchdown and a 17-17 deadlock. 

With 2:48 left in the half, the Chiefs were pinned at their own 4 yard line. Rather than run the ball, Walrus Andy Reid went big and bold. Mahomes connected with Rice for 37 and Kelce for 15 and 5. Mahomes went to Valdes-Scantling for 28. On 2nd and 23 from the Chargers 24, Mahomes went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one with 15 seconds left in the half. Mahoems hit kielce for the touchdown as the Chiefs led 21-14 at the intermission. After a second quarter explosion, the second half was all defense. One play made the difference. With 6 minutes left in regulation, a 60 yard punt return gave the Chiefs a short field at the Chargers 35. Mahomes went to Rice for 12. On 3rd and 6 from the Chargers 14, Mahomes hit newly reacquired Mecole Hardman for just enough. Mahomes went to Pacheco for an 8 yard touchdown with 3 1/2 minutes left to lock up the win. The Chiefs are 6-1 and already running away with the AFC West for the 8th straight year, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 31-17 Chiefs. 

Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles was the Sunday night game. A potential Super Bowl matchup between a pair of 5-1 teams offered a good football game. The Eagles took over at their own 23 and moved 71 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. On 1st and goal at the 6, a sack and a pair of failed runs ended the drive. Jake Elliott hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. The eagles got it back and faced 3rd and 8 from their own 33. Jalen Hurts was sacked and fumbled. The Dolphins recovered at the Philadelphia 23. On 2nd and goal at the 7, a swing pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill lost 5 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 12, a touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to Hill was nullified by offensive holding. After an incompletion, Sanders hit a 40 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. 

The Eagles took over at their own 39. The second quarter saw the Eagles get stopped on 3rd and 1 at the Miami 37. Nick Sirianni went for it on 4th and 1. Hurts gained 2. Roughing the passer on an incompletion added 15. Hurts went to Dallas Goedert for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 20. Hurts went to AJ Brown for 10. On 3rd and 4 from their own 36, Hurts gained 5 with defensive holding adding 5 more. Hurts hit Smith for 13. On 4th and 3 from the Miami 33, Nick Sirianni gambled. Rather than just move the chains, Hurts went deep tp Brown for a 32 yard gain down to the one. Hurts got in as the Eagles led 17-3 with 3 minutes left in the half.

The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 18 from their own 20. Tagovailoa went deep to Wilson for 29 and Hill for 15. On 3rd and 8 from the Philadelphia 27, Tagovailoa went deep to Hill for the touchdown. With 40 seconds left in the half the Dolphins were within 17-10. In the third quarter the Dolphins moved from their own 36 to a 4th and 3 at the Philadelphia 21. Mike McDaniel passed up a 39 yard field goal try and went for it. Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Yet on the very next play, Hurts was intercepted by Baker. Baker returned the pick 22 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 17-17 game.

After a touchback, Hurts kept going. He ran for 12 and went deep to Smith for 25. On 3rd and 7 from the Miami 24, Hurts went to Goedert for 10. Hurts went to Brown for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 24-17 Eagles after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Dolphins moved from their own 31 to a 3rd and 8 at the Philly 24. Tagovailoa went for it all to tie the game and was intercepted by Darrius Slay at the one yard line. Slay returned the interception 16 yards to his own 17. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Nick Sirianni appeared to lose his mind. He went for it on 4th and 1 from his own 26. Everyone from Barry Switzer to Brandon Staley to even Bill Belichick have been roasted for this. Yet nobody does the tush push like Hurts, and he gained 2. Midway through the fourth quarter Sirianni played with fire again, gambling on 4th and 1 from his own 37. Another tush push by Hurts gained 2. On 3Hurts then went deep to Brown for 42. rd and 4 from his own 45, the defensive jumped offside. Kenneth Gainwell ran for 5 and then the 3 yard touchdown to put the game out of reach with 5 minutes left. 31-17 Eagles

San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings was the Monday night game. The 49ers were knocked from the unbeaten ranks last week but were expected to steamroll the faltering Vikings. The Vikings got the ball first. On the third play from scrimmage, Kirk Cousins threw an interception. The 49ers moved from the Minnesota 48 to the Minnesota 15. Christian McCaffrey got the carry and fumbled the ball back to the Vikings. The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 12 from their own 9. Cousins hit TJ Hockenson for 16 and Jordan Addison for 11. From midfield, Cousins went to Hockenson for 22. On 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 20, Cousins went to Addison for the touchdown. The 10 play, 89 yard, 6 minute drive made it 7-0 Vikings. After a touchback, the 49ers moved 53 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 2nd and 5 from the Minnesota 22, a pair of plays went nowhere. The second quarter began with Moody missing a 40 yard field goal try. The Vikings from their own 30 moved 67 yards in 13 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 1st and goal at the 2, Mattison lost a yard and Cousins threw incomplete twice. Greg Joseph hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Vikings.

THE 49ers soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Brock Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk for 25. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 38, McCaffrey gained 3. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 26 at the 2 minute warning, McCaffrey gained 8. Purdy hit Dwelley for 12. McCaffrey ran for 3 and then for the 3 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the 49ers right back in it down 10-7 with one minute left in the half. After a touchback, the Vikings faced 3rd and 6 at their own 40 with 17 seconds left. What came next was not the Minneapolis Miracle, but it still had Paul Allen and Skol fans going crazy. Forget the field goal. Cousins went to Addison for a 60 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Vikings led 16-7 at halftime in front of an electrified home crowd. Despite a relatively low score, neither team punted in the first half. The 49ers began the third quarter with their first and only punt of the game. The Vikings from their own 21 moved 77 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. Despite 1st and goal at the one, a run got stopped followed by a false start. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Cousins threw incomplete. Kevin O’Connell was not in a gambling mood. Joseph hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 19-7 Vikings. 

After a touchback, the 49ers struck quickly. Purdy hit McCaffrey for 12, George Kittle for 28, and McCaffrey again for a 35 yard touchdown. The 49ers were right back in it down 19-14. The Vikings took over at their own 14 and moved 50 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Joseph nailed a 54 yard field goal to put the Vikings up 22-14 after three quarters. The 49ers began the fourth quarter quickly moving from their own 32 to the Minnesota 37. Yet on 2nd and 6, Purdy threw incomplete twice. Kyle Shanahan decided not to go for it, trusting Moody with a 56 yard field goal try. Moody delivered to get the 49ers within 5 points. The Vikings took over at their own 28 and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the San Francisco 42. Cousins threw incomplete. Kevin O’Connell was not in a gambling mood in going for it or trying a 60 yard field goal. For the first and only time all game, the Vikings punted. The 49ers moved from their own 20 to just past midfield. Purdy went deep and was intercepted at the Minnesota 30. The Vikings moved to a 4th and 6 at the Minnesota 32 with 1:16 to play. Jospeh came in for a 50 yard field goal try to make it an 8 point game. His kick was no good. The 49ers took over at their own 40 needing a touchdown to win. From the Minnesota 40 with 30 seconds left, Purdy went deep and was intercepted again. The 49ers lost their second straight. 22-17 Vikings 

NFL 2023 Week 7 Prequel

Thursday, October 19, 2023, 8pm

Jacksonville Jaguars at New Orleans Saints (-1 1/2) — Both teams have good defenses, solid running backs, and very competent quarterbacks. Doug Pederson has a coaching advantage over Dennis Allen. Both teams have been less than consistent. In an evenly matched game, go with the more imaginative coach. Upset special, Jaguars win outright

Sunday, October 21, 1pm

Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens (-2 1/2) — Two very good football teams that are well coached face off. Lamar Jackson is better than Jared Goff. dustin Tucker made NFL history in Detroit with a record 66 yard field as time expired. The Lions are for real, but the Ravens at home are a tough team to beat. Ravens cover

Las Vegas Raiders (-3) at Chicago Bears — The Bears are horrendous, but the Raiders are not nearly as good as their 3-3 record. They try to lose games but sometimes get bailed out by a more inept opponent. As bad as Josh McDaniels is, Matt Eberflus may be worse. Bryan Hoyer has a stronger arm than Jimmy Garoppolo. Justin Fields gets little help. In a close game, Daniel Carlson could be the difference. It’s hard to trust a Raiders team that excites nobody, but the Bears are that bad. Raiders cover

Cleveland Browns (-2) at Indianapolis Colts — The Colts are young and improving but the Browns have a serious defense. They shocked previously unbeaten San Fransisco even without Deshaun Watson. The Browns do not have much offensive firepower, but the Colts do not either. The Brown could face a major letdown after such an emotional win, but give them one chance to show last week was not a fluke. Browns cover

Buffalo Bills (-8 1/2) at New England Patriots — The Bills are very good and the Patriots are horrendous. The Bills have far more talent on both sides of the ball. The home field will not matter. Yet the Bills barely survived a bad Giants team at home. The spread is too high for a Bills team that plays down to the level of their competition. Bills win but fail to cover

Washington Commanders (-2) at New York Giants — The Commanders are worse than their 3-3 record would indicate. The Giants are awful but nearly pulled off a shocker at Buffalo. Three tries to gain one yard on three separate drives was too much to ask. Tyrod Taylor filled in admirably for the injured Daniel Jones. The Giants defense was stout last week. This is the week the Giants finally get another win. Upset special, Giants win outright

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2 1/2) — Despite being kept out of the end zone last week at home against Detroit, the Buccaneers are an improved team. Baker Mayfield is no scrub. Expect the Buccaneers to rebound against an Atlanta team still finding its way. Buccaneers cover

4pm

Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Rams (-3 1/2) — Both teams are up and down. They are both well coached. Sean McVay knows his team is rebuilding, while nobody gets more out of less than Mike Tomlin. Matthew Stafford is better than Kenny Pickett, but Pickett is good enough. The Steelers run the ball hard. After the impressive road win at Baltimore, trusting the Steelers at an average Rams team is reasonable. Upset special, Steelers win outright 

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks (-8) — The Cardinals are awful. The Seahawks are punching above their weight limit. Pete Carroll is ageless. He has worked wonders with Geno Smith. After a solid first half, the Cardinals looked listless in the second half at the Rams. The Seahawks are slightly better than the Rams. Seahawks cover

Green Bay Packers (-1) at Denver Broncos — The Packers are bad but the Broncos are worse. Jordan Love has not played well. Russell Wilson is having a nightmarish season. The Broncos are on the verge of blowing it all up before the trade deadline and starting over. Love throws too many interceptions to trust him though. This is the week the Broncos finally get relief from their pain. Upset special, Broncos win outright

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (-5 1/2) — Nobody loses close games like the Chargers. The Chiefs are winning, but not by wide margins they are used to. The Chargers have an offense to keep pace with the Chiefs. The biggest gap is coaching. Andy Reid is among the best. Brandon Staley is among the worst. The Chiefs are not blowing anyone out, making the spread a concern. Chiefs win but fail to cover

8pm

Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles (-2 1/2) — Both teas are 5-1 and thinking Super Bowl. The Eagles suffered a shocking loss at the Jets to knock them from the unbeaten ranks. The Eagles will be angry at home. Tua Tagovailoa is firing to Tyreek Hill and others at will, The Dolphins are a legitimate contender, but go with the home field and an angry team looking to rebound. Jalen Hurts will correct himself and get it done. Eagles cover

Monday, October 22, 8pm

San Francisco 49ers (-7) at Minnesota Vikings — The 49ers suffered  stunning loss at Cleveland to knock them from the undefeated ranks. The Vikings have just not been playing week. Trading away Dalvin Cook looks like a dumber move by the week. The 48ers have a suffocating defense. The spread is high for a road team, and the Vikings are desperate enough to make it a closer game than oddsmakers believe. 49ers win but fail to cover

NFL 2023 Week 6 Recap

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs was the Thursday night game. The Broncos are a mess. The Chiefs are good. This was expected to be a blowout. After an opening touchback, the Broncos moved to a 4th and 3 at the Denver 38. Seam [ayton decided to go for it rather than try a 56 yard field goal. Russell Wilson was sacked. The Chiefs moved from their own 41 to a 3rd and 3 at the Denver 17. Patrick Mahomes threw incomplete. Harrison Butker hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. Wilson was intercepted as the Chiefs moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Denver 15. Mahomes then threw an interception right back. The Chiefs got it back at their own 43 to start the second quarter and moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Denver 6. Mahomes threw incomplete. Walrus Andy Reid gambled on a fake field goal. Gray took the direct snap and only gained one yard. The Chiefs had moved deep into Denver territory in consecutive possessions only to come up snake eyes.

The Chiefs got it back at their own 38. Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 13. Pacheco ran for 15. Mahomes went to Kelce for 19. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Mahomes hit Toney for the touchdown. The third straight trip to the red zone was the charm. With 4 minutes left in the half the Chiefs finally found the end zone to lead 10-0. With 28 seconds left ni the half, the Broncos had 3rd and 5 at their own 44. Wilson was then sacked. Then a shanked 29 yard punt had the Chiefs taking over at their own 39 with 14 seconds left. Mahomes hit McKinnon for 6 and ran for 13 himself. butler leveled a 60 yard field goal at the gun as the Chiefs took a 13-0 lead to the locker rooms. After a third quarter touchback it was more of the same. The Chiefs drove all the way to a 3rd and goal at the Denver 7. Mahoems threw incomplete. Butker hit from 25 to make it 16-0 Chiefs. In the fourth quarter the Broncos took over at their own 39. Wilson went to Cortland Sutton for 21. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 22, Wilson threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 11 yards. Wilson went to Sutton for an 11 yard touchdown. Williams ran in t he 2 point try. With 6 minutes left the Broncos were only down 16-8. Yet after a touchback, the Chiefs ket doing just enough to put the game out of reach. At the 2 minute warning, Butker hit from 52 to prevent any hope of a comeback. It was ugly, but the Chiefs are 5-1. At 1-5, the Broncos have it far uglier. 19-8 Chiefs

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans was the Sunday early morning game from London. Early on it was a battle of field goals as Justin Tucker hit from 41 for the Ravens and Nick Folk answered from 26 for the Titans for a 3-3 game. After that the Ravens took over for awhile. Tucker hit from 28 to make it 6-3 Ravens after the first quarter. Tucker hit again from 23 in the second quarter to make it 9-3 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 20. Lamar Jackson hit Mark Andrews for 20. Hill gained 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 34, Edwards gained 4. Defensive unnecessary roughness dded 15. Jackson hit Zee Flowers for a 10 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Ravens led 15-3. Tucker ended the half with a 29 yard field goal to make it 18-3 Ravens.

In the third quarter the Titans tried to claw their way back into it but both teams found the red zone frustrating. Folk hit from 27 to get the Titans within 18-6. An interception of Jackson set up the Titans at the Baltimore 25. Derrick Henry ran for a 15 yard touchdown to get the Titans within 18-13. The Titans got the ball back with a chance to take the lead. On the first play of the fourth quarter on 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 48, Ryan Tannehill went deep and was intercepted. The 24 yard return by Stone set up the Ravens at their own 44. The Ravens moved to a 3rd and goal at the 3, but Jackson only gained on yard. John Harbaugh played it safe all day, and did so again. Tucker hit his fifth field goal from 20 to make it 21-13 Ravens with 13 minutes left in regulation. The Ravens got it back at their own 10 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Tennessee 19. A wildcat run out of the shotgun came up inches short. With Tucker as a safety valve, Harbaugh was going ultra-conservative. Tucker hit his sixth field goal from 36 with 4:16 to play to salt it away. Needing 2 scores, the Titans reached the Baltimore one yard line before consecutive sacks of tannehill killed the drive. Folk hit a 38 yard field goal with 38 seconds left but the onside kick failed. The Ravens have a history of winning ugly with running and defense. With the best kicker in the game, the Ravens stayed true to this formula. 24-16 Ravens

Washington Commanders at Atlanta Falcons — A pair of uninspiring teams played an uninspiring game. After an opening touchback, the Commanders moved to a 4th and 6 at the Atlanta 19. Joey Slye hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Commanders. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27. Desmond Ridder hit Kenny Pitts for 9, London for 20, and Mack Hollins for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Washington 26, Ridder hit London for 11. Ridder went to Pitts for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Falcons. The Commanders got a jolt when Crowder returned a punt 61 yards to the Atlanta 11. Sam Howell hit Antonio Gibson for a one yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Commanders. After a touchback, the Falcons moved to a 4th and 3 at the Washington 48. Arthur Hill went for it and Ridder threw incomplete. Riverboat Ron Rivera in turn went for it on 4th and 1 from the Washington 43. Howell gained 4. Gibson ran for 9. Howell went to Terry McLaurin for 18. Howell hit Curtis Samuel for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Commanders.

After a touchback the Falcons moved to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 26. An intentional grounding penalty on Ridder killed the drive. Younghoe Koo hit the 47 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 17-10 at the intermission. After a touchback, the Falcons soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 45. Ridder was intercepted by Kyle Fuller, who returned the pick 23 yards to the Atlanta 27. Two plays later, Howell went to Robinson for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Commanders. The Falcons tool over at their own 19. Ridder ran for 13. Ridder hit Smith for 13 and 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 30, defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 9. The fourth quarter began with the Falcons facing 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 12. Robinson lost 3 yards. On 4th and 4, Arthur Hill went for it and Ridder hit Hollins for 7. Ridder hit Jonnu Smith for a 2 yard touchdown. A pointless 2 point conversion try failed and the Falcons were down 8 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

The Falcons got it back and moved from their own 11 to a 2nd and goal at the 2 with a golden opportunity to tie the game. After an incompletion and a delay of game, Ridder went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The Falcons got it back and soon faced 4th and 9 at their own 44 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Ridder threw incomplete. The Falcons took their timeouts on defense as only 30 seconds came off the clock. They got the ball back at their own 7 yard line with 2mmintues left. The Falcons quickly moved all the way to a 3rd and 1 at the Washington 34. Ridder was then intercepted as the third and final chance to tie the game was snuffed out. 24-16 Commanders

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears — A pair of bad NFC North teams started the game with field goals. Greg Joseph hit from 53 for the Vikings. Cairo santos answered from 22 in the second quarter for the bears. Jospeh hit again from 51 and Santos answered again from 53 for a 6-6 game. An interception of Justin Fields gave the Vikings the ball at their own 23 with 1:47 left in the half. Kirk Cousins hit Powell for 9 and TJ Hockenson for 21. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 34, Cousins went to Hockenson for 12. With 12 seconds left in the half, Cousins found Jordan Addison for the touchdown and the 12-6 Vikings lead. The extra point was blocked. In the third quarter Fields was sacked and injured. Bagent came in,, was hit, and fumbled. Hicks picked it up and raced 43 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 19-6 Vikings. In the fourth quarter the bears got the ball at their own 23. Bagent went to Moore for 18 and again for 24. Bagent ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Bears within 6 points. The Bears got the ball back at their own 24 and calmly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 35 with 1:51 left and a chance to win. Bagent went deep and was intercepted by Murphy. 19-13 Vikings

Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals — After an opening touchback, Geno Smith hit Tyler Lockett for 10. Smith went to Kenneth Walker III for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincinnati 32, Smith hit Smith-Nigba for 12.Walker ran for a one yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Bengals soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 35. Joe Burrow hit Joe Mixon for 11. On 4th and 2 from the Seattle 46, Zac Taylor gambled. The Seahawks jumped into the neutral zone. Burrow went to Tyler Boyd for 9 and 5, Tee Higgins for 9, and Boyd again for an 8 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 69 yard, 6 minute drive made it 7-7. The Bengals got the ball back at their own 27. Burrow went deep to JaMarr Chase for 31 to end the first quarter and again to Chase for 23 more to start the second quarter. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 7, Mixon ran for 4. Burrow hit Iosivas for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bengals. All of a sudden, the game turned from a track meet to a street fight. The final 48 minutes would not see a touchdown. Josh Myers hit from 55 late in the half and from 23 in the third quarter to get the Seahawks within 14-13. With 12 minutes left in regulation, an interception of Smith was returned by Taylor-Britt 24 yards to the Seattle 34. Evan McPherson hit a 52 yard field goal to put the Bengals back up by 4. The Seahawks moved from their own 36 to a 4th and goal at the 6 with 2:08 to play. Going for the win, Smith was sacked. The Seahawks got it back again at their own 40 and moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Cincy 9 with 44 seconds left. Smith threw incomplete twice as the Cincinnati defense came up big. 17-13 Bengals

San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns — The Browns have a good defense but the 49ers are the complete team. Dispatching the Browns would keep alive their undefeated season. The 49ers took over at their own 16 and made it look easy on the ground. Deebo Samuel gained 8 and Christian McCaffrey ran for 24 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Brock Purdy hit McCaffrey for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers less than 3 minutes into the game. PJ Walker was in for an injured Deshaun Watson, and Walker was intercepted by Fred Warner. Warner returned the pick 32 yards to the Cleveland 26. It appeared the rout was on but the 49ers then went backward and Moody missed a 54 yard field goal. Dustin Hopkins also missed a 47 yard try for the Browns. In the second quarter the 49ers moved 65 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes from their own 17 to a 4th and 3 at the Cleveland 7. Moody hit from 25 to make it 10-0 49ers.Then the game changed.

From his own 17, Walker went deep to Amari Cooper for a 58 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 16, Karim Hunt took the direct snap all the way for the touchdown. The Browns were only down 10-7 at the half. Hopkins hit field goals of 42 and 46 as the Browns led 13–10 after three quarters and were smelling upset. Early in the fourth quarter Walker was intercepted by Lenoir, who returned the pick 28 yards to the Cleveland 8 yard line. One play later, Jordan Mason ran it in for the touchdown to make it 17-13 49ers. The Browns got within 17-16 when Hopkins hit a 50 yard field goal with 3:20 to play. If there is one weakness in Kyle Shanahan’s coaching, it’s his stubborn refusal to run the ball with a lead late. He is a West Coast Offense worshipper, which prefers finesse over smash mouth. 3 straight passes lost one yard. The Browns moved from their own 26 to the Cleveland 11. Hopkins hit from 29 to give the Browns a 2 point lead, but the 49ers still had 1:40 to work with. After a touchback, they calmly moved to the Cleveland 23 with 9 seconds left. Shanahan opted to kick the field goal on 3rd down. From 41 yards out, Moody’s kick was wide right no good. in an absolute stunner, the 49ers undefeated season was gone. 19-17 Browns

New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans — The Saints missed a chance to get on the board first when Grupe missed a 52 yard field goal try. CJ Stroud has been an impressive rookie who had not thrown an interception at all. His very first interception proved harmless as the Saints fumbled the ball back on the return to give the Texans the ball near to where they started at their own 41. Singletary ran for 3 and 17. Stroud went deep to Brown for 34. Stroud hit Dalton Schultz for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans. After a touchback from their own 35, Derek Carr hit Michael Thomas for 16 and 8. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 34, Carr went to Shaheed for the touchdown to make it 7-7 after the first quarter.

After a touchback, the Texans moved to a 3rd and 3 at the New Orleans 5. Stroud threw incomplete. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 107 Texans. The texans got the ball back at their own 35. Stroud went to Collins for 28. Singletary ran for 11, 7, 2, and on 3rd and one from the New Orleans 17, 3. Singletary added 4 more. On 3rd and goal from the 6,, Stroud hit Robert Woods for the touchdown to make it 17-7 Texans with 3 minutes left in the half. Grupe hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Saints within 17-10, but this game belonged to the Houston defense. Fairbairn hit from 22 in the third quarter to make it 20-10 Texans. Grupe answered from 45. Yet in the fourth quarter group missed a 29 yard try, deflating the Saints. The Saints got it back and moved from their 14 to a  3rd and 3 at the Houston 14. Alvin Kamara lost a yard. On 4th and 4 with 4 1/2 minutes left, Carr completed a pass to Kamara for only 2 yards. Dennis Allen loves his West Coast Offense dink and dunk passes. The saints got it back at their own 15 an moved to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 24 with 35 seconds left. The Saints and plenty of time to tie or win. Carr threw 3 incompletions. On 4th and 10 he went for it all and was intercepted. 20-13 Texans

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars — After an opening touchback, the Colts moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Jacksonville 10. Gardner Minshew threw incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit a 28 yard field goal for a 3-0 Colts lead. In the second quarter the Jaguars exploded. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Bigsby gained 2. Doug Pederson gambled on 4th and 1 from their own 45. Travis Etienne got around the end for a 7 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Indianapolis 42, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. Trevor Lawrence hit Strange for 17. Etienne ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Jaguars. On the next play from scrimmage after a touchback, Minshew was sacked and fumbled. The Jaguars took over at the Indianapolis 22. One play later, Etienne took the direct snap for the touchdown to make it 14-3 Jaguars. An interception of Minshew had the Jaguars soon facing 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Etienne got the yard. On 3rd and 6 from the Indy 36, Lawrence hit Calvin Riddley for 7. Lawrence went deep to Christian Kirk to a 29 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Jaguars with 1:40 left in the half. The Colts managed another field goal before the half, but tis game was over.

A third quarter interception of Minshew led to a 48 yard Brandon McManus field goal to make it 24-6 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back and faced 3rd and 1 at their own 40. Defensive pass interference eon an incompletion meant a 4 yard gain. Johnson gained 19. Defensive pass interference again added 14 more. Lawrence hit Kirk for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Lawrence went to Strange for the touchdown to make it 31-6 Jaguars. The Colts managed a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to get within 11 points, but the Jaguars added a pair of field goals to salt away a game that was not competitive. 37-20 Jaguars

Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins — The winless Panthers were at a high-flying Dolphins team. Sometimes a really bad team can go on the road and shock a good team in an upset for the ages. tHE panthers in the first quarter took over at their own 36. Bryce Young went to Adam Thielen for 27. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 33, Young hit Thielen for 7. Chuba ran for 19 and then for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 26. Young hit Tommy Tremble for 21 and Thielen for 11. Blackshear gained 9 and Hubbard added 4, 7 and 4. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 13, the Miami defense was caught with too many men on the field, gifting the Panthers a first down. Young hit Thielen for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Panthers. Then in the second quarter reality set in.

After a touchback, Tua Tagovailoa went to Tyreek Hill for 27 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Carolina 41, Tagovailoa hit Braxton Berrios for 10 and Hill for 11. Tagovailoa went to Jalen Waddle for 14 and to raheem Mostert for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 14-7. After a touchback, Frank Reich gambled on a fake punt on 4th and 8 just shy of midfield. Punter Johnny Hekker has quarterback experience, and he completed a pass to Shenault for 7 yards, but Shenault came up one yard short. From their own 43, Miami struck quickly. Mostert ran for 49 yards. Tagovailoa hit Waddle for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-14. The Dolphins got it back and soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 28. Tagovailoa found Waddle for 17. On 3rd and 8 from their own 47, Tagovailoa hit Mostert for just enough. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 41, Tagovailoa went deep to Hill for the touchdown and the 21-14 Dolphins lead. The Panthers ended the half deflated when Eddie Pineiro missed a 43 yard field goal try.

The Dolphins took over in the third quarter at their own 9 yard line. Mostert gained 9 and 4. On 2nd and 5 from their own 27, Tagovailoa went deep to Hill for 47 yards. Tagovailoa hit Waddle and Ahmed for a pair of 9 yard gains. Mostert ran for 4 and then for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 28-14 Dolphins. The Panthers after a touchback moved to a 4th and 2 at the Miami 24. Frank Reich went for it and Young threw incomplete. The Dolphins got it back at their own 24. Tagovailoa went deep to Hill for 24. On 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 43, Tagovailoa hit Berrios for 10. Mostert ran for 11, 13 and 8. On 3rd and goal at the one, Mostert got in to cap the 12 play, 76 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 35-14 Dolphins. With 5 minutes left in regulation Tagovailoa was taken out for his own safety. Mike White came in and immediately threw a 61 yard touchdown to the Carolina defense. Yet after the onside kick failed, the Dolphins had a short field at the Carolina 37. While did not have to even lift his arm. Brooks ran for 28. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Ahmed got in to complete the blowout. 42-21 Dolphins 

New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders — These teams have played some heart-stopping games, from the 1976 Sugar Bear Hamilton controversy to the 2001 Tuck Rule game. The 2022 game in Las Vegas was insane. On the last play of a tie game, the Patriots inexplicably went for the hook and laterals rather than just go to overtime. Chandler Jones flattened Mac Jones on his way to scoring a touchdown that featured everything but the marching band. One year later, Derek Carr is gone and Chandler Jones is facing jail after suffering a mental breakdown. Bill Belichick and his mini-me opposition Josh McDaniels are still there. Jimmy Garoppolo and Mac Jones are both dink and dunk West Coast Offense game managers with little to no arm strength. Yet Belichick at least prefers to run the ball and play defense. He gets bold on fourth down. McDaniels plays gutless finesse football and refuses to take fourth down chances even near the goal line. Yet the Patriots came in with the most horrendous team since Belichick took over in 2000. They had been outscored 72-3 in their past two games. Yet if anyone can make a bad team look average or even good, it’s the Raiders led by McDaniels. This game was no exception.

After an opening touchback, the Raiders moved 69 yards in 10 plays and 8 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the New England 6, Garoppolo threw incomplete. Daniel Carlson hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders. A short 34 yard punt gave the Raiders the ball back at their own 40. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the New England 19. Yet after a run gained only one yard, Josh McDaniels did what he always does…he abandoned the run. On 2nd and 9, Garoppolo threw a pass to Davante Adams that looked like a reception. Yet Adams got blasted and the ball popped in the air and was intercepted. The Raiders had 2 trips to the red zone and came away with a total of 3 points. Yet the Patriot offense has been pathetic, and a sack of Jones had them punting on 4th and 18 from their own 6. The Raiders faced 3rd and 6 from their own 45. Garoppolo went to Mayer for 32 yards. The second quarter saw the Raiders facing 3rd and 5 at the New England 18. Garoppolo hit Jakobi Meyers fo 6. Garoppolo went back to Meyers for a 12 yard touchdown. The Raiders had the 10-0 lead and all the momentum. Yet the Raiders never win easily. 

The Patriots moved from their own 19 to a 3rd and 5 at the Raiders 24. Jones threw incomplete. Ryland hit the 43 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 10-3. Rather than establish the run, Josh mcDaniels insisted on more dinking and dunking. On 3rd and 5 from his own 30, Garoppolo threw incomplete. The Patriots moved from their own 27 to a 2nd and 5 at the Raiders 30. Jones was the intercepted by Terry Moehrig who returned the pick 22 yards to his own 34. This was becoming a battle of who wanted it least. The Raiders moved from their own 34 tp a 4th and 4 at the New England 19 with 10 seconds left in the half. Carlson hit the 37 yard field goal. The Raiders led 13-3 at the midpoint. Again, they had all the momentum. They were up against a team that had not seen the end zone in ages.

After a third quarter touchback, the inevitable happened. Raimondre Stevenson broke off a 15 yard run. Ezekiel Elliott added 8. Jones hit Brown for 15. Elliott gained 6. The 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive featured pure smash mouth running. Elliott took a direct snap for a 2 yard touchdown. The Patriots were right back in it down 13-10. The Raiders did not immediately fold. They also got a break that was supposed to be a disaster but was not. Garoppolo was injured in the second quarter and did not play in the second half. Bryan Hoyer took his place. Hoyer is a better quarterback. He has a stronger arm. On 3trd and 4 from their own 31, Hoyer went bombs away to Tucker for a 48 yard gain. Garoppolo does not do that. The Raiders moved moved 63 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Yet on 1st and 10 from the New England 11, offensive holding killed the drive. Carlson hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 16-10 Raiders. The Raiders got it back at their own 35 and Hoyer immediately went deep to Adams for 21. Early in the fourth quarter the Raiders had 3rd and goal at the 6. Hoyer threw incomplete. The Raiders moved the ball all game but could not convert in the red zone. Carlson hit from 24. With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders led 19-10. Again the anemic offense of the Patriots, this game should have been over. The Raiders don’t finish games.

After a touchback, the Patriots embarked on a 17 play, 75 yard drive that took 9 1/2 minute off he clock. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Kendrick Bourne gained 4. On 3rd and 1 from their own 47, Stevenson gained 7. Ib 3rd and 6 from the Raiders 42, Jones threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 9 from the Raiders 36, Jones hit Bourne for 15 and again for 4. Jones went t Ty Montgomery for 8. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Jones hit Bourne for only 4 but a very questionable roughing the passer call on Maxx Crosby killed the Raiders. The Patriots needed 2 scores. On 4th and goal at the 3, Bill Belichick might have kicked the field goal. Instead, it was 1st and goal at the one. Stevenson got in. The Patriots were within 19-17. There was still 3 1/2 minutes left. The Raiders were collapsing again.

After a touchback, the Raiders tried to run out the clock and were even aided by an 11 yard defensive pas interference call. With 2 1/2 minutes left, the Raiders faced 3rd and 2 at their own 46. One more first down would pretty much end the game. Josh McDaniels actually made the right call. Yet Josh Jacobs got belted for a one yard loss. Punter AJ Cole hit a beauty that pinned the Patriots at their own 9 yard line. They had 2 1/2 minutes left and needed only a field goal to win. On 2nd and 4, Stevenson gained 5 but offensive holding instead meant 2nd and 11. Jones then went deep to Davante Parker with a perfectly thrown bomb that beat the double coverage. The Patriots would have been in field goal range. The Raiders blew it again. Yet the Raiders were saved from their own ineptness when Parker dropp the ball. It just bounced off his fingertips.

A delay of game penalty after an incompletion had the Patriots facing 3rd and 15 at their own 4. Then came the play of the game and major redemption. Crosby atoned for his earlier mistake by leveling Jones in the end zone for a sack and a safety. For the first time all year, the Raiders had more than 20 points. They also took the free kick, which New England tried to turn into an onside kick but failed. Hoyer took 3 knees. It was hideously ugly, but the Raiders played a team dumber than they were. Nevertheless, they have won 2 straight and are 3-3. They are far from good but the defense is slowly and slightly improving. The red zone offense is still awful, but Bryan Hoyer deserves serious consideration to be the starter. When the Raiders get away from dinking and dunking, their offense actually looks pretty good. 21-17 Raiders 

Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Lions are for real, but the Buccaneers are playing better than expected under Baker Mayfield. An early interception of Mayfield gave the Lions gift field position at the Tampa Bay 12. Yet on 3rd and 8, a surprise run out of the shotgun fooled nobody and lost 2 yards. Riley Patterson hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Lions. A field position game saw the Buccaneers take over at their own 42 in the second quarter. They moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Detroit 15, but Mayfield threw incomplete twice. Chase McLaughlin hit from 33 for a 3-3 game.  After a touchback, Jared Goff hit David Montgomery for 19 and Reynolds for 21. On 3rd and 13 from the Tampa Bay 27, Goff went to St. Brown for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Lions. After Patterson missed a 52 yard third quarter field goal try, the good field position allowed McLaughlin to hit from 36 to get  the Buccaneers within 10-6. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 33. Goff hit St. Brown for 11. On 3rd and 11 from their own 43, Goff hit Raymond for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Tampa 45, Goff went deep to Williams for the touchdown. The Lions led 17-6. They are known for having a high-powered offense, but this game was about their defense. The Lions tacked on a fourth quarter 36 yard Patterson field goal and the defense did the rest. 20-6 Lions

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams — The Rams are average at best while the Cardinals are a mess. The first half was a hideous battle of field goals. in the first quarter Matt Prater hit from 55 for the Cardinals. Brett Maher answered from 29 for a 3-3 game. Prater hit from 32 and 27 in the second quarter with a fumbled punt setting up the first one to give the Cardinals the 9-3 lead. Maher hit from 35 to end the half with the rams within 9-6. After a third quarter touchback, Williams gashed the Arizona defense for gains of 17, 6, 14 and 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 20, Williams gained 6. On 3rd and 9 from the Arizona 13 after 9 straight runs, Matthew Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for the touchdown to make it 13-9 Rams. Maher added on a 25 yard field goal to make it 16-9 Rams. After a touchback, the Cardinals began the fourth quarter facing 1st and 10 at the rams 12 looking to tie the game. Joshua Dobbs was intercepted. On 3rd and 3 from his own 19, Stafford hit nacho for 6. On 3rd and 9 from his own 26, Stafford hit Kupp for 21. Karen Williams ran for 27, 4, and then the 5 yard touchdown to make it 23-9 Rams. An Arizona fumble gave the Rams a short field. Maher hit from 43 to turn a tight game at halftime into a blowout. 26-9 Rams 

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets — The Jets have a decent enough defense, but the Eagles are a complete team. Their undefeated season would continue once they plowed through the Jets. The Eagles began at their own 9 yard line and embarked on a 19…yes, 19…play drive. They gobbled up 91 yards and bled nearly 10 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 8 from their own 11, Jalen Hurts hit AJ Brown for 10. On 3rd and 7 from their own 24, Hurts hit Deandre Swift for 8 and Smith for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 38, Hurts hit Boston Scott for 14, Swift for 6 and Dallas Goedert for 6. On 4th and goal at the 3, Nick Sirianni made the surprising decision to go for it. Hurts got in as the Eagles led 7-0. The Jets after a touchback also mounted a long drive. On 3rd and 8 from the Philadelphia 20, a false start and an incompletion by Zach Wilson killed the drive. Greg Zuerlein hit from 41 to get the Jets within 7-3. Hurts was intercepted, but when Robert Saleh gambled on 4th and 5 from the Philly 40, Wilson completed a 4 yard pass, coming up one yard short. The Eagles took over at their own 36. Hurts went to swift for 11. A short pass from Hurts to AJ Brown went for 49 yards. Hurts went to Swift for a 9 yard touchdown to give the Eagles a comfortable 14-3 lead.

The Eagles would not be comfortable for long. The Jets offense was unable to reach the end zone, but Zuerlein kept them in the game. He hit from 42 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. After a Philadelphia fumble, Zuerlein hit from 35 to end the half. He hit again from 39 as the third quarter was ending to have the Jets right back in it down 14-12. The Eagles could not finish it off in the fourth quarter. Hurts was intercepted, but the Jets did not capitalize. The Eagles then moved from their own 18 to a 3rd and 6 at the Jets 15. Hurts was sacked. Jake Elliott’s 37 yard field goal try was no good. The eagles got it back and moved from their own 20 to a 3rd and 9 at their own 46. Only 1:50 remained. One more first down would ice the game. Even a give up run followed by a punt would leave the Jets maybe 45 seconds left. Since the Jets needed only a field goal, Nick Sirianni went big and bold, knowing an incomplete pass would save the Jets 45 seconds of precious clock. Then came the shock. Hurts’s short pass was intercepted by Adams, who returned it 45 yards to the Philly 8 yard line. On the next play Bre Hall ran it up the middle for the touchdown. Wilson hit Randall Cobb for the 2 point conversion to put the Jets up by 6 points. After a touchback, the eagles still had 1:46 left to work with. On 4th and 8, Hurts threw deep incomplete. 17 unanswered points allowed the Jets to deliver a stunner and knock the Eagles from the ranks of the unbeaten. 20-14 Jets

New York Giants at Buffalo Bills was the Sunday night game. The Bills are very good. The Giants are awful. With Daniel Jones out with an injured neck, Tyord Taylor started for the Giants. The first three quarters were a defensive boneblack. Neither team had anything resembling offense. A Buffalo fumble in the first quarter led to a 29 yard Graham Gano field goal for the Giants. Tyler Bass missed from 52 in the second quarter, giving the Giants great field position. That led to Gano hitting again from 43. Instead of 3-3, the Giants led 6-0. An interception of Josh Allen allowed the Giants to move from their own 41 to a 1st and goal at the one with 14 seconds left in the half. The Giants were out of timeouts, but they had time for 3 or maybe even 4 pass attempts. Then came a critical blunder. Brian Daboll decided on a running play despite not having a timeout. Saquon Barkley got stopped cold and the clock ran out. Daboll seemed angry at Taylor, but this was failure all around. Instead of a 9-0 lead, the Giants came up with nothing on the last play. The third quarter was scoreless as the Giants defense preserved the 6-0 lead.

The Bills took over in the third quarter at their own 11. After defensive holding, Jared Cook ran for 5 and 10. Allen went to Dawson Knox for 10. On 3rd and 2 from just past midfield, Allen hit Shakir for 13. On 3rd and 6 at the Giants 32, Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 7. Latavius Murray ran for 12 and 5. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 5, Murray gained 3. On the first play of the fourth quarter, on 3rd and goal at the 3, Allen hit Deorte for the touchdown. The staggering 17 play, 89 yard drive took 10 minutes off the clock and gave the Bills the 7-6 lead. The Giants fought back and moved from their own 10 to a 3rd and 1 at the Buffalo 11. This time Brian Daboll went with a pass play rather than try banging it with Barkley. Taylor threw incomplete. On 4th and 1, Daboll had a major decision to make. On the road against a hostile crowd, Daboll played it safe. Gano hit the 29 yard field goal to put the Giants up 9-7 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation.  

The Bills soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 28. Allen gained 6 but defensive holding added 5 more and an automatic first down. Allen went to Diggs for 14 and 5 interspersed with Cook runs of 6, 5 and 4. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 24, Allen hit Diggs for 5. Allen went to Morris for a 15 yard touchdown. With 3:48 to play, the Bills had a 5 point lead. Yet the game was far form over. After a touchback, the Giants faced 4th and 8 from their own 38. Taylor threw incomplete. Only 1:45 remained. Sean McDermott took no chances, playing it ultra-conservatively. 3 straight runs gained a total of one yard. Bass came in for a 53 yard field goal to try and make it a 17-9 game. His kick was wide right no good. The Giants were very much alive at their own 43 with 1:24 left. Taylor took the right down the field. On 4th and 5 from the Buffalo 27 with 22 seconds left, Taylor hit Hyatt for 12. 

With 2 seconds left, the Giants had one chance on 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 9. Taylor threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one and one untimed down. For the third time in the game, the Giants needed one yard. at the end of the first half, Barkley was stopped stone cold. So this time Brian Daboll called a pass. Taylor fired over the middle of the end zone where Darren Waller and Taron Bernard jostled for position. Waller had his hands on it but Bernard won the battle, knocking it away incomplete. The Giants howled that there was defensive holding on Bernard. There was. The officials this time did not call it. Three tries to gain one yard came up snake eyes. It was a bitter defeat for the Giants as the Bills breathed a sigh of relief after surviving. 14-9 Bills

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers is the Monday night game. This was the battle of perpetually overhyped teams. The Cowboys are overhyped every year by owner Jerry Jones. The Chargers are overhyped every year by the media. The Cowboys are often overrated. The Chargers just perpetually underachieve. The Cowboys got blasted last week at San Francisco. Nobody loses close games like the Chargers, especially with Brandon Staley making miserable fourth quarter decisions. A 26 yard punt return gave the Chargers the ball at the Dallas 42. Justin Herbert went to Greg Everett for 15 and Austin Ekeler for 28. On 3rd and goal at the one, Gerbert went to Keenan Allen for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers. After a touchback, Dak Prescott went to CeeDee Lamb for gains of 11 and 23. On 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 34, Tony Pollard gained 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Chargers 22, Prescott gained only 4. Mike McCarthy gambled on 4th and 1. Prescott kept it and got the first down and the 18 yard touchdown to make it a 7-7 ballgame after the first quarter.

The next two quarters were a defensive slog. In the second quarter the Cowboys moved from their own 22 to a 3rd and 3 at the Chargers 15. Prescott hit Pollard for only 2. Mike McCarthy gambled on 4th and 1 again. This time Prescott kept it and got stopped cold for no gain. The Cowboys got the ball back at their own 29 with one minute left in the half. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 17 with 14 seconds left. A pass gained only 3 yards and for some reason the Cowboys let the clock tick down from 8 or 9 seconds to only 3 seconds before calling timeout. It was a wasted opportunity. Brandon Aubrey hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Cowboys. After a third quarter touchback, the Chargers moved 68 yards in 13 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Dallas 7, Brandon Staley went for it rather than settle for a tie game. Herbert threw incomplete. Yet the Cowboys punted it back on 4th and 12 from their own 5 and the Chargers took over just past midfield. The Chargers need 10 plays and 5 minutes to go only 43 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Herbert threw incomplete. Cameron Dicker hit the 24 yard field goal for a 10-10 deadlock after three quarters.

The Cowboys began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 11 at their own 24. A short pass from Prescott to Pollard went for a 60 yard gain. On 2nd and 12 from the Chargers 18, Prescott hit Lamb for 15. Prescott went to Brandon Cooks for a 2 yard touchdown. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Cowboys led 17-10. The Chargers under a hail of offensive penalties punted on 4th and 10 from their own 30. The Cowboys fumbled the punt and the Chargers recovered at the Dallas 20. Defensive pass interference added 15 more. yards. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Herbert hit Ekeler for only 2 yards. Midway through the fourth quarter, it was totally appropriate for Brandon Staley to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. Herbert hit Everett for the touchdown and the 17-17 tie. After a touchback, the Cowboys moved on a brilliant 14 play drive that bled 5 minutes off the clock. On 1st and 10 from the Dallas 21, a pair of runs gained nothing. With 2 1/2 minutes left and the Chargers out of timeouts, a run would take the clock down to the 2 minute warning. Yet that would still be plenty of time for Herbert. Mike mcCarthy went for it all, but Prescott’s throw to the end zone was just overthrown incomplete. Aubrey hit the 39 yard field goal. The Cowboys had the 3 point lead. After a touchback, the Chargers had 2:20 to work with. Herbert was protected well all game. Yet on 2nd and 2, he was belted to the ground for an 8 yard loss. On 3rd and 10 he threw over the middle just before getting belted again. He was intercepted. The Chargers had another agonizing loss. 20-17 Cowboys

NFL 2023 Week 6 Prequel

Thursday, October 12, 2023, 8pm

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (-10 1/2) — The Broncos are awful. The Chiefs have been winning but not blowing anyone out. On paper, this should be a blowout. Given that the Broncos lost by 50 point at Miami and by 10 points at home to the Jets, trust the better team. Chiefs cover

Sunday, October 15, 9:30am

Baltimore Ravens (-3 1/2) at Tennessee Titans — The Titans are just too inconsistent to trust. Yet the Ravens losing at Pittsburgh was a surprise. Both of these teams play physical defenses. Lamar Jackson is better than Ryan Tannehill, but the Titans could put up a fight if derrick Henry gets going. Ravens win but fail to cover

1pm

Washington Commanders at Atlanta Falcons (-2 1/2) — The Commanders are playing bad football. The Falcons are average. Getting blown out by previously winless Chicago is not ok. Falcons cover

Minnesota Vikings (-3) at Chicago Bears — The Bears finally got a win, but the emotion of losing legend Dick Butkus played a factor. The Vikings have more talent but have been underachieving. Trust Kirk Cousins over Justin Fields. Vikings cover

Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals (-3) — Pete carroll finds ways to get the most out of his players. Despite winning at lowly Arizona, it is too soon to say the Bengals are back on track. Joe Burrow is better than Geno Smith, but Smith is playing better than his days before Seattle and Burrow still does not look completely healthy. Upset special, Seahawks win outright

San Francisco 49ers (-4 1/2) at Cleveland Browns — The Browns are not terrible, but the 49ers look like the most complete team in football. Their defense is nasty. They are in Super bowl mode. 49ers cover

New Orleans Saints (-2 1/2) at Houston Texans — After a pair of big road wins, the Texans lost at Atlanta. The Saints went on the road and throttled New England 34-0. Dennis Allen’s defense is playing lights out and Derek Carr is in a groove. Saints cover

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (-5) – Anthony Richardson is out again. Gardner Minshew is a very capable backup. After two weeks in London, the Jaguars actually play in Jacksonville. The Jaguars got a big win over Buffalo, but do not expect a letdown at home. Minshew is competent enough to keep it close. Jaguars win but fail to cover

Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins (-14) — The Dolphins are awesome and the Panthers are awful. Sometimes it really is that simple. The Dolphins beat Denver by 50. They can beat hapless Carolina by 14. Dolphins cover

4pm

New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders (-3) — These teams have played insane games from Sugar Bear Hamilton to the Tuck Rule. Yet last year’s Stanford Marching Band gone wrong game was one for the ages. Chandler Jones was the hero. Now he has been cut by the Raiders. Derek Carr led the comeback, and he is gone. These are not the same Patriots. Mac Jones has regressed. It’s hard to trust Josh McDaniels on anything, but he seems to only coach well against his former teams. Raiders cover

Detroit Lions (-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The hype around the Lions is real. The Buccaneers are decent enough, and Baker Mayfield is playing well. Yet Dan Campbell has the Lions jacked up to another level. These Lions are hungry, and their offense is explosive. Lions cover

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams (-6) — The Rams are below average but the Cardinals are awful. Yet it is hard to trust the Rams given their inconsistency. These division rivals play each other tough, so a garbage touchdown is certainly possible. Rams win but fail to cover

Philadelphia Eagles  (-6 1/2) at New York Jets — Beating lowly Denver does not make the Jets a good team. The Eagles are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Yet the Eagles are winning close games, not blowing teams out. Eagles win bu fail to cover

8pm

New York Giants at Buffalo Bills (-14 1/2) — The Bills are the far superior team. They will be angry coming off a loss in London to Jacksonville. The Giants are horrendous. This could get ugly early. The Giants lost at home to Dallas 40-0 in the opener. Daniel Jones could give the Bills a defensive touchdown. Bills cover

Monday, October 16, 8pm

Dallas Cowboys (-2) at Los Angeles Chargers — The Cowboys will be angry after being humiliated at san Francisco by 32 points. The Chargers hav won two straight over bad teams despite trying hard to lose them. Brandon Staley makes boneheaded decisions. The Chargers are not as good as the preseason hype, but they are certainly better than the Chargers. Cowboys cover

NFL 2023 Week 5 Recap

Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders was the Thursday night game. Sometimes a football game is bigger than football. The New York Giants played inspired after 9/11. The New Orleans Saints rocked the Superdome in their first home game back after Hurricane Katrina. The Raiders came together the day after Al Davis died. On November 7th, 1999, the Bears were expected to get blown out on the road against the heavily favored Green Bay Packers. Yet there were larger forces at work. Earlier that week, legendary Bears running back Walter Payton had died at age 45 of cancer. It was the biggest gut punch the franchise since Brian Piccolo. Late in the fourth quarter, the inspired Bears led 14-13. Yet the Packers led by Brett Favre stormed down the field in the final moments. The Packers only needed to make a chip shot 28 yard field goal. Ryan Longwell’s kick was blocked by defensive lineman Bryan Robinson, and the Bears had the stunning upset. After the game, Robinson refused to be the hero. In answering a reporter’s question, Robinson agreed that an angel named Walter lifted him up to block the kick. As Robinson humbly insisted, “I can’t jump that high.” 

24 years later, the focus of the Bears was supposed to be on the worst team in football blowing a 21 point lead late at home last week to the second worst team. The winless Bears were expected to get blown out on the road against an average Washington Commanders team. They were supposed to be worse than the Bad News Bears. Yet only hours before the game, legendary Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus died. This was no longer just a football game for the Bears. It was a rallying cry to win one for one of the greatest men to ever play for Papa Bear George Halas. This was bigger than football. 

The Bears began facing 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Justin Fields went deep to Moore for 58 yards. On 3rd and 14 from the Washington 20, Fields went deep to Moore again for the touchdown. 3 minutes into the game, the Bears led 7-0. The Bears got it back and moved from their own 26 to a 4th and 1 at the Washington 4. Matt Eberflus was not in a gambling mood. Cairo Santos hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Bears. The Bears got it back at their own 31. Fields went to Moore for 39 yards. Johnson ran for 5 and 10. The second quarter began with Fields hit Moore for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 in front of a stunned home crowd in DC. 

The Commanders did manage a 51 yard Joey Slye field goal, but the Bears kept coming. After a touchback, a 13 play, 57 yard, 6 minute drive moved them to a 3rd and 4 at the Washington 18. Fields threw incomplete but santos hit from 36 to make it 20-3 Bears. One play after a touchback, Sam Howell was intercepted. The Bears took over at the Washington 36. On 3rd and 7, Khalil Herbert ran for 16 and 4. Fields ran for 9. With 24 seconds left in the half, Fields hit Cole Kmet for a 4 yard touchdown. The Bears were winning 27-3 at the half. Last week the Bears blew a 21 point second half lead at home. This time they were up by 24 points on the road. 

After a third quarter touchback, the Commanders struck fairly quickly. Howell hit Robinson for 24 and 7, Logan Thomas for 5, and Gibson for 12. Defensive pass interference added 25 yards. Howell hit Thomas for a 2 yard touchdown. Howell ran in the 2 point conversion to get the Commanders within 27-11. The Commanders got it back at their own 17 and moved to a 4th and 2 at the Chicago 13. Riverboat Ron Rivera was not in a gambling mood. Slye hit from 32 to get the Commanders within 27-14. 

The Bears after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Washington 25. Fields threw incomplete. Santos hit from 43 to start the fourth quarter to put the Bears up 30-14. After a touchback, Howell ran for 5 and hit Terry McLaurin and Byron Pringle for a pair of 10 yard gains. Howell hit Crowder for 11. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 39, Howell hit Brown for 11 and Curtis Samuel for 25. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Howell hit Samuel for the touchdown. With 11 minutes left, a 2 point conversion would make it a one score game. Yet this time, Howell was sacked. The Bears were within 30-20. The Commanders got it bak again at their own 20 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chicago 23. A pair of incompletions were sandwiched around a swing pass that lost 5 yards. With 5 minutes left and needing 2 scores, Slye came in for a 46 yard field goal. There was plenty of time for the Bears to collapse. Yet Slye’s kick was no good.

The Bears soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 44. 4 minutes remained. Matt Eberflus has taken plenty of flack this year, but he won’t going to play it safe. Not in the game. He wanted it. The whole team needed this win. He went after it. Fields went to Moore for a first down and the 56 yard touchdown. The extra point had the Bears up 37-20 to put the game on ice. Santos hit a 37 yard field goal right after the 2 minute warning to complete the scoring. This was not the 1940 Monsters of the Midway Bears beating Washington 73-0, but this game mattered. This game was bigger than football. On this night, with Halas, Payton and Butkus watching in heaven, the Bears got it done. 40-20 Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills was the Sunday early morning game in London. Although the Bills were technically the home game, London is the home away from home for the Jaguars, who were playing their second straight game there. Early on the Jaguars took over at their own 27. Calvin Ridley ran for 11. Trevor Lawrence went deep to Christian Kirk for 30. Travis Etienne ran for a pair of 9 yard gains. On 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 10, Lawrence threw incomplete but defensive illegal use of hands meant a new set of downs On 3rd and goal at the 6, Lawrence went to Zee Jones for the touchdown. Doug Pederson arbitrarily decided on a 2 point conversion try. Etienne got in to make it 8-0 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Buffalo 25. A run lost a yard. Brandon McManus hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 11-0 Jaguars.

With 5 minutes left in the half the Bills faced 3rd and 6 at their own 18. Josh Allen went to Hardy for 19 and Jared Cook for 18. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 36, Allen gained 5. On 3rd and 4 from the Jacksonville 25, Allen went to Gabriel Davis for 10 and to Stefan Diggs for a 15 yard touchdown. The Bills trailed 11-7 at the half. The third quarter was scoreless. Early in the fourth quarter an interception of Allen on a deep ball had the Jaguars taking over at their own 7 yard line. 

Lawrence went to Ridley for 20. On 3rd and 5 from their own 32, Lawrence went to Etienne for 10. Defensive pass interference added 26. On 3rd and 5 from the Buffalo 27, Etienne ran for 10, 11, and a 6 yard touchdown to make 18-7 midway through the fourth quarter. On 1st and 20 from their own 15, Allen went deep to Gabriel for 24. Allen ran for 9 and hit Dawson Knox for 11, Cook for 7, and Diggs for 8. Roughing the passer added 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 18, a sack of Allen was wiped out by another roughing the passer. On 2nd and goal from the Jacksonville 19, Allen hit Davis for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Bills were within 18-13 with 4 minutes left in regulation. 

The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Lawrence were deep to Ridley for 32. After the Bills took their final timeout with 3 minutes left, Etienne broke the defense with a 35 yard touchdown run to make it 25-13 Jaguars. After a touchback, the Bills struck quickly. Allen went to Harty for 43 and to Davis for 29. Allen ran for a 3 yard touchdown. With 2:11 to play, the Bills were back within 5 points. By the time the Bills got the ball back at their own 6 yard line, only 30 seconds remained. The hook and laterals failed. One week after a big win over Miami, the Bills had lost again. 25-20 Jaguars 

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts — Both of these teams have been uneven. The Titans moved from their own 16 on a tough 16 play, 75 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the Indianapolis 9, Ryan Tannehill threw incomplete. Nick Folk hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Titans. After a touchback, the Colts soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 44. Zack Moss did the rest, running up the middle for a 56 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Colts. Matt Gay hit a 43 yard second quarter field goal to extend the lead for the Colts, but Nick Folk hit again from 53 to get the Titans within 10-6 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter. On the first play after a touchback, Anthony Richardson ran for 4 yards and again left the game injured. Gardner Minshew played the rest of the way. Minshew moved the Colts to a 4th and 1 at the Tennessee 5 with 15 seconds left. Shane Steichen went for it, but the Colts were out of timeouts. Minshew’s pass fell incomplete.

After a third quarter touchback, the Titans struck quickly. Tannehill went to Deandre Hopkins for 16 and again for 36. Spears ran for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 13-10 Titans. After a touchback, Minshew went to Mo Alie-Cox for 17. Moss ran for 11. Defensive pass interference added 22. Moss ran for 3, 6, and on 3rd and 1 from Tennessee 9, 3 more. Moss then ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Colts. It was back to the kickers as Folk hit from 34 to get the Titans within 17-16 after three quarters. Gay hit from 35 early in the fourth quarter to put the Colts up 20-16. After a touchback, the Titans moved to a 4th and 1 at the Indianapolis 5 midway through the fourth quarter. Mike Vrabel went for it and Derrick Henry got stopped cold. The Colts then moved 84 yards in 14 plays, taking 7 minutes off the clock. With one minute left on 4th and 2 from the Tennessee 10, Shane Steichen decided not to gamble. Gay hit the 28 yard field goal to put the Colts up by 7. After a touchback, the Titans soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 40 with 30 seconds left. Tannehill went deep and was intercepted. 23-16 Colts 

New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots — Derek Carr and the Saints suffered a humiliating home loss last week to Tampa Bay, but the once proud Patriots are now a bad football team. Midway through the first quarter, the Patriots faced 3rd and 6 at their own 24. Mac Jones was intercepted by Terrence Mathieu, who returned the pick 27 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Saints lead. The closest the Patriots came to any offense was an early missed field goal. The Saints soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 37. Carr went deep to Michael Thomas for 26. and to Shaheed for 25. The second quarter began with the saints facing 3rd and goal at the 2. Alvin Kamara got in to make it 14-0 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 41. Carr went to Miller for 33. Taysom Hill ran for 12. Carr hit Chris Olave for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Saints. The Patriots fumbled on their first series of the third quarter. Grupe hit a 54 yard field goal to make it 24-0 Saints. An interception of Jones gave the Saints defense a short field at the New England 31. Carr hit Kamara for 12 and Foster Moreau for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 31-0 Saints. Bill  Belichick benched Jones in favor of Bailey Zappe. Grupe hit one more field goal from 53 to complete the scoring. Dennis Allen’s defense pitched a shutout, leaving the Evil Hoodie searching for answers. Carr with the Raiders beat the Patriots in a wild one last year. This time, with a great defense helping him, his squad won easily. 34-0 Saints

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers — This was a typical AFC North head-knocker between these hated rivals. A field position game early on had the Ravens taking over at their own 41. Lamar Jackson hit Nelson Agholor for gains of 12 and 14. Edwards ran for 6 and 11. Hill ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 32 and moved 64 yards in 15 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 1st and goal at the 4, Jackson completed a pass for no gain and then threw incomplete twice. Justin Tucker hit a 23 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Ravens early in the second quarter. The Ravens had all the momentum but fumbled the ball away with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half. Chris Boswell hit a 43 yard field goal to get the Steelers within 10-3. After a touchback, the Ravens moved to a 4th and 2 at the Pittsburgh 23 with 13 seconds left in the half. The choice seemed simple. Tucker can make a 41 yard field goal in his sleep with 20 yards to spare. John Harbaugh inexplicably went for it and Jackson threw deep incomplete. 

The defense dominated and the third quarter was scoreless. Neither team had any offense going but one break on special teams changed the game. With 11 minutes left the the Ravens punted on 4th and 16 from their own 14. The punt was blocked by Killebrew out the back of the end zone for a safety. Down 10-5, the Steelers returned the free kick 24  yards to their own 44. They moved to a 1st and goal at the 5. A run lost 2 yards and Kenny Pickett threw incomplete twice. Boswell hit from 25 to get the Steelers within 10-8. The Ravens got a major break when the Steelers fumbled a punt with 5 1/2 minutes left and the Ravens recovered at the Pittsburgh 7 yard line. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 5, Jackson went to the end zone and was intercepted. On 3rd and 9 from their own 21, Pickett went to Robinson for 10. On 3rd and 4 from their own 37, Pickett went to George Pickens for 21. Pickett then went deep to Pickens for a 41 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed, but with only 1:17 to play, the Steelers led 14-10. Two plays after a touchback, Jackson was sacked and fumbled the ball away. The Baltimore defense held but Boswell hit a 42 yard field goal to put the Steelers up by 7 with 49 seconds left. With 15 seconds left on 4th and 7 from his own 28, Jackson was sacked again. This was a slobber-knocker, and Mike Tomlin’s defense gutted out a win. 17-10 Steelers

Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons started out 2-0 but then lost two straight to return to earth. The Texans started 0-2 but then won big games against Jacksonville and Pittsburgh. A field position game had the Texans with a short field at the Atlanta 47. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 19, Damien Pierce got stopped for no gain. Demeco Ryans decided not to gamble. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. After a touchback, Desmond Ridder hit Smith for 13. Then London threw a pass to Smith for 22. Robinson gained 13. Ridder went to Pitts for 16. Ridder ran for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Falcons. The next two quarters belonged to Fairbairn. He hit from 43 early in the second quarter, from 28 to end the half, and from 42 in the third quarter as the Texans led 12-7. 

Late in the third quarter from their own 26, Ridder hit Pitts for 13. On 3rd and 6 from their own 46, Ridder hit London for 8. The fourth quarter began with the Falcons facing 3rd and 1 at the Houston 37. Tyler Allgeier gained 3. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 27, Ridder hit Pruitt for 22. Ridder hit Robinson for a 6 yard touchdown. Ridder went to Allgeier for the 2 point conversion to make it 15-12 Falcons. The Falcons got it back and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 13. A run lost a yard and Ridder threw incomplete twice. Younghoe Koo hit from 33 to make it 18-12 Falcons midway through the fourth quarter. 

After a touchback, Pierce ran for 13 CJ Stroud hit Pierce for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 36, Stroud gained 2. Stroud hit Woods for 12. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 18, Stroud hit Dalton Schultz for the touchdown. With 1:49 to play, the 11 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive had the Texans up 19-18. After a touchback, Ridder hit Robinson for 6, London for 5, London again for 6, and Pitts for 4. Ridder then went to London for 23 yards. The Falcons took the clock all the way down to 2 seconds left. Koo came in for the 37 yard try to win it. His kick was good. 21-19 Falcons

Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions — The Panthers came in winless while the Lions are playing good football. Sometimes a bad team goes on the road and shocks a good team in a major upset. This was not that game. The Lions took over at their own 19. Jared Goff went to Raymond for 23 and to Marvin Jones for 16. David Montgomery ran for a 42 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions. Bryce Young was soon intercepted to set up the Lions at the Carolina 20. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Goff went to Sam LaPorta for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Lions. 

The Panthers tried to make a game of it. On 3rd and 4 from their own 31, Young went to Adam Thielen for 8. Young went back to Thielen for gains of 6 and 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 20, Dalton got the yard. Shenault gained 11. On 3rd and goal at the one, Young hit Tommy Tremble for the touchdown to get the Panthers within 14-7. The Panthers got it back at their own 37 but quickly fumbled the ball away. The Lions had another short field at the Carolina 38. On 4th and 1 from the Carolina 29, Dan Campbell went for it. Montgomery gained 3. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 22, Goff hit Montgomery for 11 and Raymond for 10 down to the one. Goff hit Reynolds for the touchdown to make it 21-7 Lions. On the next play from scrimmage, Young was intercepted. The Lions had another short field at the Carolina 31. One play and 8 seconds later, Goff hit Laporta for the touchdown to make it 28-7 Lions. 

The Panthers managed a field goal before the half but this game was over. The third quarter was scoreless. The Lions got the ball back just shy of midfield. Goff hit Reynolds for 21.On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 14, Montgomery ran for 10 and 3. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Goff snuck in to make it 35-10 Lions. Young did manage a 15 yard touchdown pass to DJ Shark but this game was over. After a touchback, the Lions kept coming. Goff hit Reynolds for 27. Reynolds ran for big gains of 17, 7, 19, and the 5 yard touchdown to make it 42-17 Lions. The Panthers managed one more garbage touchdown after the 2 minute warning but this game was never competitive. 42-24 Lions

New York Giants at Miami Dolphins — Again, sometimes a bad team can go on the road and shock a good team. Again, this was not that game. Goliath beat up David and took his lunch money. The Dolphins took over at their own 11. Achane ran for 24. Tua Tagovailoa hit Tyreek Hill for 6, Jalen Waddle for 20, Wilson for 23, Raheem Mostert for 5, Hill for 9, and Waddle for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The Giants missed a chance to get on the board when Graham Gano missed a 55 yard field goal try on the first play of the second quarter. The Dolphins got the ball back at their own 6 yard line and made it look easy. Tagovailoa hit Hill for 18. Achane raced for a 76 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Dolphins.

After a touchback, the Giants moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Miami 25. Daniel Jones was sacked. Gano hit a 49 yard field goal to get the Giants on the board. After a touchback, the Dolphins moved to a 3rd and goal at the 4. With 1:40 left in the half, the Dolphins had a chance to go up 21-3 and put the game away. Instead Tagovailoa was intercepted by Pinnock, who returned it 102 yards for a spectacular defensive touchdown. The Giants were only down 14-10. 

Yet despite the 14 point swing, there was no change in momentum. The Dolphins quickly moved from their own 28 to the Giants 9 yard line with 4 seconds left. Jason Sanders hit the 40 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Dolphins at the half. The Dolphins quickly struck in the third quarter. On 3rd and 4 at their own 31, Tagovailoa went deep to Hill for a 69 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Dolphins. After a third quarter field goal by the Giants, the Dolphins after a touchback moved to ice the game. Achane ran for 8 and caught a pass for 14 from Tagovailoa. Mostert ran for 11 and 23. Achane added 6 and 5. Mostert ran for 6 and then for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 31-13 Dolphins after three quarters. The Giants managed another field goal in the fourth quarter but nothing more. 31-16 Dolphins

Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals — Both of these teams came in with 1-3 records, but the Bengals were supposed to be good. The Bengals took over at their own 36. Joe Burrow hit Irwin for 9, JaMarr Chase for 13, Chase for 13, and Joe Mixon for 8. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Burrow went to Chase for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. A 28 yard punt return gave the Bengals the ball back with a short field at the Arizona 48. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Burrow was sacked. Evan McPherson hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Bengals.

After a touchback, Joshua Dobbs hit McBride for 13. On the first play of the second quarter, Dobbs went to Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 18 and to Swaim for 11. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincinnati 25, Dobbs went to Brown for the touchdown to get the Cardinals within 10-7. A defensive penalty on a punt return gave the Cardinals the ball back just past midfield. James Conner ran for 35. Dobbs hit Swaim for 11 and Zac Ertz for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Cardinals. Late in the half the Bengals moved from their own 29 to a 3rd and goal at the one. Mixon got stuffed. Zach Taylor went for it. On 4th and goal from the one, Mixon got stuffed again for no gain. 

The Arizona defense had an inspired goal line stand, but their offense made it meaningless. Dobbs was quickly intercepted by Taylor-Britt, who returned it 11 yards for a touchdown to put the Bengals back up 17–14. The Bengals struck quickly in the third quarter after a touchback. On the third play from scrimmage, Burrow went bombs away to Chase for a 63 yard touchdown to make it 24-14 Bengals. 

The Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Dobbs gained 2. On 3rd and 4 from their own 42, Dobbs went to Moore for 19 and Brown for 10. Demercado gashed the defense for 8, 9, and the 11 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Cardinals were within 24-20. An interception of Burrow allowed the Cardinals move from their own 34 to a 4th and 1 at the Cincinnati 16 late in the third quarter. Jonathan Gannon went for it and Dobbs got blasted for a one yard loss. 

Mixon gained 7 and 4 and Burrow added 10 and 4. On 3rd and 3 from their own 45, Burrow hit Chase for 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 41, Williams gained 5. On 2nd and 13 from the Arizona 26, Burrow hit Chase for 14. Defensive pass interference added 11 down to the one. After a loss, Burrow hit Chase for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 31-20 Bengals midway through the fourth quarter. One play after a touchback, Dobbs was sacked and fumbled. McPherson tacked on a 40 yard field goal to complete the scoring. Dobbs threw in one more interception for good measure. 34-20 Bengals

Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams — The two most recent NFC champions squared off, but only the Eagles have Super Bowl aspirations. After an opening touchback, Jalen Hurts hit Quez Watkins for 5 and Dallas Goedert for 12 and 19. Hurts went to AJ Brown for 7 and Goedert for 8. Hurts ran for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Hurts went to Goedert for the touchdown to wrap up the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Eagles. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31 Matthew Stafford went to Cooper Kupp for 17. On 3rd and 8 from the Philadelphia 39, Stafford hit Kupp for just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 22, Stafford threw incomplete. Sean McVay went for it on 4th and 1. Stafford hit Kupp for 12. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Stafford hit Atwell for the touchdown. The 14 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive made it 7-7. 

In the second quarter the Eagles moved from their own 28 to a 3rd and 2 at the Rms 15. A completion lost a yard. Jake Elliott hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Eagles. After a touchback, Stafford hit Tyler Higbee for 8, Nacua for 6, and Kupp for 39. On 3rd and 10 from the Philadelphia 22, Stafford went to Nacua for the touchdown. With only 32 seconds left in the half, the Rams led 14-10. With 17 seconds left, the Eagles faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Hurts went deep to Brown for 38 with 14more tacked on for a horse collar tackle. Defensive pass interference added 13 more down to the one. 2 seconds remained, time for one play. Nick Sirianni went for it all. Hurts took the quarterback sneak for the touchdown. The eagles led 17-14 at the half. The second half was all defense. Elliott hit a pair of 26 yard field goals in the fourth quarter to salt away the victory. 23-14 Eagles 

New York Jets at Denver Broncos — Last week the Broncos overcame a 21 point second half deficit to finally get the first win in the Sean Payton era. Early on the Broncos fumbled a punt and the Jets took over at the Denver 20. The defense held. Greg Zuerlein hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets.The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27. Russell Wilson ran for 16. McLaughlin got around the end for a 38 yard gain. On 1st and 20, illegal contact on an incompletion meant an automatic first down. On the next play, Wilson went to McLaughlin for the 22 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Broncos. The Broncos got it back at their own 6 yard line and disaster immediately struck. Wilson was called for intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety. The Jets got within 7-5 but self-destructed after the free kick.

The Jets punted on 4th and 34 from their own 9. The Broncos got it back at their own 43 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 5. A pass lost 2 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Wilson was tackled for no gain. Wil Lutz hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 10-5 Broncos. After a touchback, the Jets moved to a 3rd and goal at the 8. Zach Wilson threw incomplete. Zuerlein hit from 28 to get the Jets within 10-8. After a touchback, consecutive defensive penalties gifted the Broncos offense 20 yards. McLaughlin ran for 21. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 5, a run lost 3 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 8, a completion gained only 4. Lutz hit from 22 to make it 13-8 Broncos.

Early in the third quarter the Jets took over at their own 28. One play and 10 seconds later the Jets had the 15-13 lead as Breece Hall ran for a 72 yard touchdown. The Jets got the ball back just past midfield. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Wilson was sacked. Zuerlein hit the 27 yard field goal to make it 18-13 Jets. The Jets fumbled a punt and the Broncos recovered, but two plays later the Broncos fumbled the ball right back. The Jets took over just shy of midfield. They settled for a 22 yard Zuerlein field goal to make it 21-13 Jets with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Jets got it back and moved from their own 28 to a 4th and 1 at the Denver 31. Robert Saleh was not in a gambling mood. Zuerlein hit the 49 yard field goal as 16 unanswered points had the Jets up 24-13 midway through the fourth quarter. 

The ending became a battle of who wanted it least. The Broncos faced 3rd and 11 from their own 24. Wilson went deep to Jerry Jeudy for 23 with roughing the passer adding 15 more. Wilson then went to Perine for 29. Wilson hit Adam Trautman for a 3 yard touchdown. Sean Payton went for 2 and Burton ran it in. With 4:44 to play, the Broncos were within 24-21. After a touchback the Jets moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Denver 27. Wilson went deep and was intercepted by Patrick Surtain. With 2:14 to play, the Broncos were pinned at their own 3 yard line but needed only a field goal to tie the game. The Broncos moved to their own 41 with 30 seconds to play. Wilson was sacked and fumbled and Bay Hall returned it 39 yards for a defensive touchdown to ice the game. 31-21 Jets

Kansas City Chiefs at Minnesota Vikings — The Chiefs have been winning while the Vikings finally got their first win last week, but both of these teams have been playing close games. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, the Vikings fumbled the ball away and the Chiefs began with a short field. On 3rd and 2 at the Minnesota 37, Pacheco gained 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 12, Pacheco gained 11. Pacheco then got the last yard to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The kickers then got into the act as Greg Joseph hit from 40 to get the Vikings on the board. In the second quarter Harrison Butker hit from 38 for the 10-3 Chiefs advantage. 

Joseph answered from 29 as the Vikings were within 10-6 midway through the second quarter. Fair catch interference on a punt gave the Vikings great field position at their own 44. On 4th and 2, Kevin O’Connell gambled on a fake punt. Metelius took the direct snap, handed it to Chandler, and saw Chandler get around the end for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 24, , Cousins gained 2. Cousins hit Addison for 15. Cousins hit Addison for a 5 yard touchdown. With 1:39 left in the half, the Vikings led 13-10.  

After a touchback, the Chiefs quickly moved to the Minnesota 22. Butker hit from 40 for a 13-13 deadlock at the  break. The Chiefs began the third quarter with a sack of Mahoems and 3rd and 18 at their own 17. Mahomes went to Watson for 33, Rice for 13, Ross for 8, and Marques Valdez-Scantling for 12, On 3rd and goal at the 8, Mahomes hit Rice for the touchdown to make it 20-13 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back and faced 3rd and 7 at their own 29. Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 48, Pacheco got stopped. Walrus Andy Reid went for it on 4th and 1. Mahomes threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 15, Mahomes went to Kelce for 11 and again to Kelce for a 4 yard touchdown. Late in the third quarter, the Chiefs led 27-13.

After a touchback, Cousins went to KJ Osborn for 11 and TJ Hockenson for 19. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 35, Cousins gained 2 as the third quarter ended. On 3rd and 1 at the Kansas City 24, Cousins got the yard. On 4th and 6 from the Kansas City 19, Cousins hit Addison for 10 and Mattison for the 9 yard touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Vikings were within 7 points. The Vikings got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 4th and 7 at the Kansas City 19 with 5 minutes left. After a delay of game, on 4th and 12 Cousins threw incomplete. The Vikings got it back at their own 19 with 1:07 left. With 5 seconds left, the vikings had one Hail Mary chance form the Kansas City 38. Cousins was sacked. 27-20 Chiefs

Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers was the Sunday night game. The 49ers are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Cowboys are repeatedly overhyped but were exposed as pretenders in an embarrassing loss at Arizona. This would be a real measuring stick. After an opening touchback, the Cowboys immediately committed a defensive facemark penalty. Brock Purdy went to Brandon Aiyuk for 9 and 11. Purdy went to George Kittle for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. Early in the second quarter the Cowboys punted on 4th and 8 from their own 4. A 14 yard return had the 49ers at the Dallas 38. One play and 10 seconds later, Purdy went to Kittle for the touchdown to make it 14-0 49ers.

The Cow boys did manage an 11 play, 78 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and a 26 yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott to Turpin. After that the 49ers blasted them to pieces. After a touchback, Purdy went to Aiyuk for 15. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Purdy threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness kept the drive going. On 2nd and 12 from the Dallas 41, Purdy went to McCaffrey for 19. Mason ran for 8 and 4.. Purdy went to Deebo Samuel for 9 down to the one. McCaffrey got in to make it 21-7 49ers. The Cowboys managed a third quarter field goal but nothing else. 

On 1st and 15 from their own 20, Brady went to Aiyuk for 23. On 3rd and 33 from their own 40, Purdy went to Samuel for 42. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 10, Purdy went to Kittle for the touchdown to make it 28-10 Cowboys. An interception of Prescott set up the 49ers at their own 38. A 12 play, 62 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive led to Purdy hitting Kyle Juszczyk from one yard out to start the fourth quarter. Another Prescott interception was followed one play later by a 26 yard touchdown run by Mason to complete the blowout. Prescott then threw his third interception on his third consecutive drive. The Cowboys may be better than average, but the 49ers are the real deal. 42-10 49ers

Green Bay Packers at Las Vegas Raiders is the Monday night game. The Raiders lose games because Josh McDaniels has no confidence in his own offense. In the loss to Pittsburgh, he settled for a field goal late rather than try and make 4 yards in the red zone. This game exposed two teams trying to lose. The packers at least tried to run the ball. The Raiders kept setting for West Coast Offense dink and dunk passes. In the first quarter the Packers moved from their own 7 to a 3rd and 8 at the Raiders 18. Jordan Love threw incomplete but Anders Carlson hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Packers. 

The Raiders took over at their own 38 in the second quarter. Josh Jacobs gained 9. On 3rd and 11 just shy of midfield, Jimmy Garoppolo hit Amir Abdullah for just enough. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 35, Garoppolo hit Jakobi Meyers for 10.on 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 16, Josh Mcdaniels refused to plow ahead with Jacobs. Meyers took an end around and got stopped cold. McDaniels was right to go for it on 4th and 1 but was wrong in not just giving Jacobs the ball. Carter got around the end for 3. Garoppolo hit Meyers for the touchdown To cap the 14 play, 62 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive. The Raiders led 7-3 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. 

One play after a touchback, Love was immediately intercepted. The Raiders had gift field position with 1st and goal at the 7. Yetafter Jacobs got stopped on first down, Josh McDaniels immediately abandoned the run. Garoppolo threw incomplete twice. Daniel Carlson hit the 26 yard field goal. The raiders led 10-3, but it was a completely wasted opportunity. he Packers went 3 and out, but McDaniels inexplicably did not take a timeout before getting the ball back. With 55 seconds left in the half, the Raiders took over at their own 24. Yet they could have had as much as 1:40. They moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Green Bay 35. Garoppolo then threw incomplete. Carlson’s 53 yard field goal try was partially blocked as the Raiders wasted another opportunity. 

After a third quarter touchback, the Raiders again refused to establish the ground game. On 2nd and 13 from their own 37, Garoppolo was intercepted by Ford at that spot. On 4th and 2 from the Raiders 29, Matt LaFleur went for it. AJ Dillon got 3 straight up the gut. These are the plays Josh McDaniels refuses to run. Dillon then gained 6, 11, 4, and the 5 yard touchdown. Pure power football had the game tied 10-10. The Packers got it back at their own 17. Love went deep to Watson for a 77 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 4, Love threw incomplete. Carlson hit the 22 yard field goal. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Packers led 13-10. 

After a touchback, this time Josh McDaniels ran the ball. Jacobs gained 24 and 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Green Bay 45, Garoppolo hit Meyers for 8. Garoppolo hit Davante Adams for 21. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 9, Garoppolo hit Adams for 7. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Jacobs busted straight up the gut for a 2 yard touchdown. The Raiders led by 4 points but refused to put the game away. The Packers rater a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Raiders 40. Love was sacked. On the next play he was intercepted. The Raiders had gift field position but squandered it by refusing to run the ball. 

With 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders took over again at their own 33. They moved to a 4th and 1 at the Green Bay 34 at the 2 minute warning. One yard would end the game. The entire football world knows that you hand the ball to Jacobs. Josh McDaniels again refused to trust his offense to even gain one yard. He brought in Carlson for a 52 yard field goal try. Even if it was good, the Packers could still win. The kick doinked off the upright no good. McDaniels gives games away. The Packers took over at their own 42 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Raiders 35. After a pair of incompletions, 44 seconds still remained. Love went for it all to the end zone and was intercepted for the third time for a touchback. Amik Robertson was the hero. The entire defense led by Maxx Crosby got a desperately needed win. The Raiders bailed out their coach, but they shouldn’t have to do that. 17-13 Raiders

NFL 2023 Week 5 Prequel

Thursday, October 5, 2023, 8pm

Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders (-6 1/2) — The Commanders fought the Eagles hard and nearly knocked them from the ranks of the defeated. The Bears blew a 21 point lead at home to previously winless Denver. The Bears are a mess at every level. Commanders cover

Sunday, October 8, 9:30am

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills (-5 1/2) — Although this is listed as a road game for the Jaguars, they are in their second hime of London for the second straight week. The Bills just beat the daylights out of high-flying Miami. The Bills are the far better team but the spread is high given that it really is a Jaguars home away from home game. Bills win but fail to cover

1pm

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts (-1) — Both of these teams are up and down. The Titans can run the ball and play defense. Anthony Richardson will grow, but he is not there yet. Mike Vrabel’s defense will punish him. Upset special, Titans win outright

New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots (-1 1/2) — It’s hard to trust a Patriots team that lost by 35 points last week, but the Saints looked dreadful in a home loss to Tampa Bay. Go with the home field and Raimondre Stevenson running the ball. Patriots cover

Baltimore Ravens (-4 1/2) at Pittsburgh Steelers — The Ravens are the better team, but these teams tend to play very close games. Home field rarely matters. In a tight one, trust Justin Tucker. Ravens win but fail to cover

Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons (-1 1/2) — The Texans have won consecutive games against Jacksonville and Pittsburgh by convincing margins. Demeco Ryans has a seriously good defense. Upset special, Texans win outright

Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions (-9) — The Lions are very good. Their only loss came in overtime. The Panthers are winless. As big as the talent gap is, the spread is too high for a Lions team coming off an emotional win at Green Bay. Lions win but fail to cover

New York Giants at Miami Dolphins (-11) — The Giants are awful. The Dolphins suffered a humiliating beatdown at Buffalo and will be angry. The Dolphins have too much speed for the Giants to handle. Daniel Jones keeps fumbling the ball. The Dolphin will not put up 70 points like they did against Denver, but they should win easily. Dolphins cover

4pm

Cincinnati Bengals (-3) at Arizona Cardinals — Both teams are 1-3 but the Bengals were supposed to be good. Joe Burrow is not healthy. After watching what Arizona did to Dallas a couple weeks ago in the desert, trust the Cardinals at home against a struggling team. Upset special, Cardinals win outright

Philadelphia Eagles (-4 1/2) at Los Angeles Rams —The Eagles are unbeaten, but they are winning close games rather than blowing teams out. The Rams play hard for Sean McVay. On the road, expect the Eagles to have a tougher time than necessary. Eagles win but fail to cover

New York Jets at Denver Broncos (-2) — The Jets showed a lot of heart in nearly knocking off Kansas City, while the Broncos rebounded from a humiliating loss where they gave up 70 points. They fell behind by 21 points but came back. To be fair, Chicago is horrendous. In a battle of embattled Wilsons, go with Russ over Zach. Broncos cover

Kansas City Chiefs (-5) at Minnesota Vikings — The Vikings found a team worse than them, getting their first win of the season last week at Carolina. Kansas City has so many weapons. Yet the Chiefs are winning closer than in past years. They barely survived the Jets. Kirk Cousins is no scrub. Chiefs win but fail to cover

8pm

Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers (-4) — For decades, these teams played meaningful games with everything on the line. They were often equally good. Yet the loss at Arizona two weeks ago showed the Cowboys to be more pretenders than contenders. The 49ers are for real. They have a nasty defense. The 49ers beat Dallas in the playoffs last year and the gap has not closed. Dak Prescott has yet to show he can win a big game. 49ers cover

Monday, October 6, 8pm

Green Bay Packers (-2) at Las Vegas Raiders — The Raiders offense has been dreadful, their defense has been dreadful and their coaching has been dreadful. The Packers were humiliated at home by Detroit. The Packers are not what they were in past seasons, but the Raiders are the same old Raiders. Love should shred their never-improving secondary. Packers cover

NFL 2023 Week 4 Recap

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers is the Thursday night game. “We’re not going to the playoffs, well there’s not going to the playoffs either!” With that pregame boast, Dan Campbell kicked off the last game of the 2022 NFL regular season. Despite having lost 28 of the last 30 times in Green Bay, the Lions backed up Campbell’s bravado. They hit the Packers in the mouth and sent Aaron Rodgers packing. The Packers came into this game thirsting for revenge against a Detroit team that has its highest expectations in 30 years. On the third play from scrimmage, Jared Goff was intercepted by Ford, who returned it 21 yards to the Detroit 16. Yet the Detroit defense held Green Bay to a 34 yard Carlson field goal and a 3-0 Packers lead.

The Lions soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Montgomery gained 2. On 3rd and 5 from their own 41, Goff hit Laporta for 35 yards and St, Brown for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Lions. The Packers punted on 4th and 21 from their own 9 and the Lions took over with excellent field position. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 48, Goff went to Reynolds for 23. Goff ran for 11 and Montgomery ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 25 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the 4. Offensive holding killed the drive but Riley Patterson hit from 33 to make it 17-3 Lions early in the second quarter. On the first play from scrimmage from his own 10, Jordan Love was intercepted by Nixon, who returned it 20 yards to the Green Bay 7. Montgomery ran for 5 and then for the 2 yard touchdown ti make it 24-3 Lions. Patterson tacked on a 37 yard field goal to end the half with the Lions up 27-3 in front of a shellshocked home crowd.

The Packers tried to make a game of it in the second half. They took over at their own 14 to start the third quarter and moved 86 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from their own 23, Love hit Romeni Doubs for 5 and watson for 24. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 more. On 4th and 9 from the Detroit 17, the Packers were down to their last gasp. Love hit Doubs for 15. Love hit Watson for a one yard touchdown and Reed for a 2 point conversion. After three quarters the Packers were still down 27-11. The Packers got it back at their own 34. Love went to Doubs for 10 and deep to Reed for 44. The fourth quarter began with the Packers at the Detroit 9 yard line. Love ran it in himself. Love tried to get around the end for the 2 point conversion, but this time he was stopped. The Packers were within 27-17.

Rather than grind down clock, Dan Campbell stayed aggressive. Goff hit Montgomery for gains of 8 and 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 45, Gibbs gained 6. Goff then went deep to Reynolds for 20. Midway through the fourth quarter the lions faced 4th and 3 at the Detroit 12. Dan Campbell played it safe and opted for the field goal. Yet a defensive penalty for leverage proved fatal, giving the Lions a new set of downs as Campbell took the field goal off the board. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Montgomery gained 6. With 6 minutes remaining, Campbell went for the jugular. On 4th and goal at the one, Montgomery got in for a 34-17 Lions lead. Love rapidly moved the Packers from their 17 to the Detroit 19, but was then intercepted.  Carlson managed a 50 yard field goal to get the Packers within 14 with 3 minutes left. The onside kick failed. With 1:11 left, Campbell gambled again on 4th and 3 from the Green Bay 24. Goff hit St. Brown for 5 and then took a knee. For the second time in 9 months, the Lions went into Green Bay and hit the Packers in the mouth. Dan Campbell is for real and the Lions are good. 34-20 Lions

Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars was the Sunday early morning game from London. The Jaguars got thumped at home by Houston, but this game in their other home of London saw them rebound. In the first quarter the Jaguars took over at their own 28. Trevor Lawrence scrambled for 22. On 4th and 1 from the Atlanta 38 after an incompletion Doug Pederson went for it. Lawrence hit Christian Kirk for 10. Lawrence went deep to Calvin Riley for a 30 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. Brandon McManus tacked on a 55 yard field goal try to open the second quarter and make it 10-0 Jaguars. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, Desmond Ridder was intercepted by Williams, who raced 61 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 17-0 Jaguars. The Falcons began the third quarter with a 75 yard drive. Ridder hit London for a 15 yard touchdown to get the Falcons on the board. They would get nothing else. McManus hit fourth quarter field goals of 43 and 38 to lock up the win. 23-7 Jaguars

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills — Last week the Dolphins put 70…yes,70…points on the board against Denver. Buffalo is not Denver. After an opening touchback, the Bills soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 45. Latavius Murray gained 3. Josh Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 17 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Allen then went to Gabriel Davis for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. The Dolphins took over at their own 23. Tua Tagovailoa went to Smythe for gains of 8 and 22, to Jalen Waddle for 11, and to Tyreek Hill for 19. Achane ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. 

The Bills soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 28. Allen hit Sherfield for 9, Dawson Knox for 12, and Kincaid for 9. Murray ran for 29. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 5, James Cook ran for 4 and then for the one yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bills. The Dolphins got it back at their own 30. Tagovailoa hit Hill for 20. The second quarter began with Tagovailoa hitting Raheem Mostert for 22. On 3rd and 8 from the Buffalo 25, Tagovailoa hit Braxton Berrios for 15. Achane ran for a 10 yard touchdown. Both teams had the ball twice and both teams had 2 touchdowns. The game was tied 14-14. Yet soon the track meet would turn into a blowout. 

From their own 21, Allen hit Diggs for 16. Defensive pass interference on a deep incompletion added 43. Allen hit Sherfield for 9. Allen hit Diggs for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Bills. With 4 minutes left in the half the Bills took over at their own 41. Allen connected with Diggs for a 55 yard touchdown to make it 28-14 Bills. The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Mostert got tackled for a 2 yard loss and fumbled. The Bills recovered at the Miami 31. Tyler Bass hit a 53 yard field goal. 17 unanswered points made it 31-14 Bills at the break. 

The Dolphins began the third quarter facing 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Tagovailoa ran for just enough. Achange gained 15 and hill added 14. Tagovailoa hit Waddle for 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 11, Tagovailoa hit Berrios for the touchdown. A questionable 2 point conversion attempt by Mike McDaniel failed as the Dolphins trailed 31-20. They would get no closer. The Bills after a touchback moved to the Miami 15 The drive died there, but Bass hit a 33  yard field goal to make it 34-20 Bills. Tagovailoa was quickly intercepted by Micah Hyde, who returned the pick 23 yards to the Miami 25. Allen hit Davis for 9, Harty for 7, and Diggs for 13 to make it 41-20 Bills. The Dolphins went for it on 4th and 1 at the Buffalo 47 late in the third quarter. Tagovailoa was sacked. Allen went deep to Davis for 34. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Allen ran for an 11 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. 48-20 Bills 

Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears — Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and play a great game. This actually was that game. The Broncos took over at their own 16. Russell Wilson hit Williams for 4, Manhertz for 10 and Jerry Jeudy for 18. On 2nd and 11 from their own 47, Wilson hit Adkins for 6 with a defensive penalty for lowering the head to initiate contact adding 15 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 23, Wilson gained 2. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 18, Wilson went to McLaughlin for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. In the second quarter, the Bears exploded. 

After a touchback, Justin Fields hit Mooney for 16. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 47, Matt Eberflus gambled. Cole Kmet took the direct snap and got the yard. Fields went to Mooney for 14. On the first play of the second quarter, Fields went deep to Moore for the touchdown to make it 7-7. A 38 yard punt gave the Bears the ball back with a short field at the Denver 44. Fields went to Moore for 24 and to Kmet for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bears. The Bears got it back at their own 15. Kenneth Herbert ran for 24. Fields went to St. Brown for 21 and to Kmet for 22. Defensive pass interference added 10. Fields hit Kmet for a 3 yard touchdown. 3 straight touchdown drives made it 21-7 Bears. In the third quarter the Bears went on a mind-numbing drive that went 66 yards in 15 plays and took 9 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Fields went to Herbert for the touchdown. 28 unanswered points had the Bears rolling 28-7 with only 4 minutes left in the third quarter.

After a touchback in desperation mode, the Broncos benefitted from a roughing the passer call. Mclaughlin then ran for 31. Wilson hit Perine for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 6, Wilson gained 2. Wilson hit Johnson for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Broncos within 28-14 after three quarters. The Broncos got it right back early in the fourth quarter at their own 34. McLaughlin ran for 12. On 3rd and 5 just past midfield, Wilson went to Jeudy for 25. On 3rd and 11 from the Chicago 25, Wilson hit Humphrey for the exact 11. On 3rd and 9 from the Chicago 13, Wilson hit Cortland Sutton for the touchdown. The Bears had plenty of chances to ice the game. Instead the Broncos were within 28-21 with 9 1/2 minutes left. After a touchback, the Bears moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 48 midway through the fourth quarter. One more first down meant long field goal range and a chance to lock up the win. Instead, Fields was sacked and fumbled. Cooper picked it up and raced 35 yards for a defensive touchdown to tie the game 28-28 in front of a disbelieving home crowd. 

The Bears after a touchback had a good sustained drive. With 2:52 to play, they faced 4th and 1 at the Denver 18. At home, the intelligent move was to kick the field goal and take the lead. Matt Eberflus did not make an intelligent decision. He gambled and lost as Herbert got stuffed for no gain. One play later, Wilson went deep to Mims for a 48 yard gain. With 1:46 left, Wil Lutz came in for a 51 yard field goal try to give the Broncos the lead instead. McManus was good. The Bears after a touchback still had time. They moved to a 1st and 10 at midfield with 44 seconds left. Fields was called for intentional grounding. On 3rd and 13, Fields was intercepted. 24 unanswered points the other way was a fitting way for the Stupor Bowl to end. One week after getting blasted by 50 in giving up 70, the Broncos got their first win. The Bears are winless and Eberflus is uber-flustered. To quote the late Dennis Green, the Bears are who we thought they were. 31-28 Broncos

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns — The Ravens are consistently better than the Browns and usually defeat them without much difficulty. Deshaun Watson was out with a shoulder injury. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson started his first NFL game, and the Ravens defense welcomed him to the NFL. In the first quarter Thompson-Robinson was intercepted by Stephens, who returned the pick 52 yards to the Cleveland 10. One play later, Lamar Jackson ran for a touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. The Browns after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 19. An end around somehow turned into a 20 yard loss. Dustin Hopkins hit a 53 yard field goal for the closest thing resembling a Cleveland highlight all day. In the second quarter the Ravens put the game away, The Ravens took over at their own 7. From their 17, Jackson connected with Mark Andrews for 36. Hill ran for 15 and 7. Melvin Gordon added 22. Jackson ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Ravens. With 2:11 left in the half, the Ravens faced 1st and 20 at their own 16. Edwards gained 16. On 3rd and 6 from his own 42, Jackson went to Gordon for 23. On 2nd and 29 from his own 46, Jackson went deep to Zee Flowers for 43. On 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 7 with 11 seconds left in the half, Jackson hit Andrews for the touchdown to make it 21-3 Ravens. The Baltimore defense suffocated Cleveland the whole game. In the fourth quarter another interception of Thompson-Robinson was returned by Stone 36 yards to the Cleveland 38. On 3rd and 5, Jackson hit Andrews for an 18 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. 28-3 Ravens

Pittsburgh Steelers at Houston Texans — The Texans won a surprising road game at Jacksonville, but now faced a Pittsburgh team that had found its footing. The Texans went to right to work from their own 31. Damion Pierce ran for 13. CJ Stroud ran for 11. Stroud hit Pierce for 27. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 5, Stroud ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans. Kaimi Fairbairn did the rest, hitting from 36 in the first quarter and from 38 and 39 in the second quarter as the Texans took a 16-0 lead to the locker rooms. The Steelers drove to the red zone twice in the third quarter but had to settle for Chris Boswell field goals of 35 and 23 to trail 16-6. The Steelers moved from their own 24 to a 4th and 1 at the Houston 33 late in the third quarter. Mike Tomlin passed up a third field goal try and went for it. Kenny Pickett was sacked. The Texans salted the game away in the fourth quarter. On 2nd and 11 from their own 41, Stroud went deep to Collins for 24. On 3rd and 11 from the Pittsburgh 36, Stroud hit Collins for 14. Singletary took a handoff and threw the halfback option pass to Schultz for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 23-6 Texans. The texans got it back at their own 14 and moved 68 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 7 from their own 48, Stroud went deep to Collins for a 52 yard touchdown. Demeco Ryans has his team playing solid defense with 2 big wins in consecutive weeks against playoff teams from last year. Stroud looks like the real deal. 30-6 Texans

Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers — This was also a Stupor Bowl battle between winless teams. Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and produce a thrilling game. This was not that game. The Vikings after an opening touchback benefitted from a 45 yard defensive pass interference penalty. On 2nd and goal at the 2, a touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Justin Jefferson was nullified by offensive pass interference. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Cousins found Franklin near the goal line. Problem: Franklin plays defense for the Carolina Panthers. Franklin raced 99 yards the other way for an interception touchdown make it 7-0 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 31 and moved 61 yards in 10 plays and 8 1/2 minutes. Despite 1st and goal at the 3, a pair of runs went nowhere and a false start was followed by an incompletion on the first play of the second quarter. Eddie Pineiro hit the 26 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Panthers.

The Vikings were doing nothing on offense, and Kevin O’Connell took a big gamble to jolt his team. The Vikings went for it on 4th and 2 from their own 44. Out of the shotgun, Cousins hit Jefferson for 5. Cousins went to TJ Hockenson for 8 and Jefferson for 22. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 4, Cousins hit Jefferson for the touchdown to get the Vikings within 10-7. The Vikings got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 1st and 10 from the Carolina 21 with 46 seconds left in the half. Cousins completed a pass to Grugier-Hill. Problem: Grugier-Hill plays defense for the Carolina Panthers. He returned the interception 31 yards to his own 44. Pineiro leveled a 56 yard field goal to end the half with the Panthers up 13-7. 

In the third quarter the Panthers moved from their own 13 to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 21. Given how the Carolina defense was playing, a field goal would put the Vikings in a deep hole. Bryce Young was on the verge of getting his first NFL win. Young hit Lance Shenault for a 13 yard gain to the Minnesota 8 yard line, but an ineligible man downfield negated the play. A run lost 2 yards. Young was then sacked and fumbled. Wonnum picked up the fumble and raced 51 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 14-13 Vikings. The Vikings got the ball back at their own 44. Cam Akers ran for 7 and 10 and caught a pass from Cousins for 9. Cousins went deep to Jefferson for a 30 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Panthers moved from their own 26 to a 1st and goal at the 9 at the 2 minute warning. After an incompletion, Young was sacked. After another incompletion left one minute to play, Young was sacked again. 5 sacks of Young were the difference, as the Panthers remained winless. 21-13 Vikings

Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts — This game was the craziest occurrence between these teams since Robert Irsay and Carroll Rosenbloom swapped franchises. Even Eric Dickerson couldn’t process this change of pace. After an opening touchback, Matthew Stafford went to phenom Nacua for 26. On 3rd and 11 from midfield, Stafford gained 6 but defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 more. Stafford went to Van Jefferson for 13. On 3rd and 4 from the Indianapolis 10, Stafford went to Nacua for 7. Williams ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. The Rams got the ball back at their own 6. Williams ran for 10 and 4. Stafford went to Nacua for 26, On 4th and 3 from the Indy 32, Sean McVay went for it. Stafford went to Jefferson for 16. Williams ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Rams. Brett Maher padded the lead with field goals of 40 and 54 in the second quarter and from 51 in the third quarter to make it 23-0 Rams midway through the third quarter. Both kickers missed in the final 2 minutes of the first half.

Then the game drastically changed. After a touchback, Moss ran for gains of 20, 7 and 13. Anthony Richardson went to Mo Aliens-Cox for a 35 yard touchdown. Shane Steichen went for the 2 point conversion and Richardson hit Moss successfully to get the Colts within 23-8. The game got ugly as Stafford was intercepted, the Colts turned it over on downs, and Maher missed a second field goal from 48 that would have all but iced the game for the Rams. The Colts soon faced 2nd and 20 from their own 28. Richardson went deep to Pierce for 38 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Richardson went to Pittman for 15. On 3rd and goal at the one, Richardson got in to get the Colts within 23-15 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Colts took over at their own 17. Moss ran for 7 and 4. Richardson went to Ogletree for big gains of 21 and 22. With 3 minutes left, the Colts faced 4th and 4 at the Rams 21. Richardson went to Granson for 17. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Richardson went to Ogletree for the touchdown. Richardson hit Pittman for the 2 point conversion. The Rams had the first 23 points. The Colts had the next 23 points. Overtime would settle this. After a touchback, Stafford went to Nacua for 20 and Williams for 13. Rivers had gains of 7 and 6. Midway through overtime on 3rd and 4 from the Indy 22, Stafford found Nacua for the touchdown. The Colts never saw the ball in overtime. 29-23 Rams  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints — Derek Carr was supposed to be out for the year. Instead, one week after getting belted to the ground and hurting his shoulder, Carr was still in the lineup. Last week the Saints blew a 17-0 second half lead once he exited the game. After an opening touchback, the Saints moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Tampa Bay 19. A swing pass lost 7 yards. The Saints settled for a 37 yard Grupe field goal to lead 3-0. In the second quarter the Buccaneers took over. Baker Mayfield hit Chris Godwin for 9. Thompins gained 11. Mayfield hit Mike Evans for 18. On 3rd and 7 from the Saints 33, Mayfield ran for just enough. On 3rd and 7 from the Saints 23, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 8 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the New Orleans 13, Mayfield hit White for 11. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Mayfield hit Cade Otton for the touchdown. The staggering 17 play, 87 yard, 9 minute drive had the Buccaneers up 7-3. The Buccaneers got the ball back and Mayfield threw a deep ball that was intercepted by the Saints at their own one yard line with 45 seconds left in the half. Yet one play later the Saints, just trying to get to the half, fumbled the ball right back. The Buccaneers had 1st and goal at the 6. Mayfield hit Palmer for a one yard touchdown with 19 seconds left to make it 14-3 Buccaneers.

The second half was a defensive slog. Grupe managed a 32 yard field goal in the final minute of the third quarter. Chase McLaughlin hit from 51 early in the fourth quarter. Grupe hit from 44 to get the Saints within 17-9 with 8 1/2 minutes to play. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Mayfield hit Thompkins for 8 and Godwin for 12. On 3rd and 7 from the New Orleans 47, Mayfield went to Godwin for 42. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Mayfield went to Thompkins for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Buccaneers led 23-9 with less than 4 minutes to play. After a touchback, 3 incompletions was followed by Carr being sacked. McLaughlin hit a 28 yard field goal with 2 1/2 minutes left for insurance. 26-9 Buccaneers

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles — The undefeated Eagles faced a stiff test from a division rival that was not supposed to be good. After an opening touchback, Sam Howell hit Terry McLaurin for 15 and 14 and Samuel for 15. On 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 15, Robinson gained 2. On 3rd and 12 from the Philly 15, Howell only gained 6 but defensive holding added 5 more and an automatic first down. Samuel ran for a one yard touchdown to cap the 14 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 7-0 Commanders. After a touchback, Jalen Hurts went to Deandre Swift for 9 and AJ Brown for 10. On 3rd and 8 from their own 46, Hurts went to Brown for 11. Hurts went to Swift for 7 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 17, Hurts went to Dallas Goedert for 8. Swift ran for 4 and then for a 5 yard touchdown to finish the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-7.

After a touchback, Gibson gained 10. The second quarter began with the Commanders facing 3rd and 4 at their own 41. Howell went to McLaurin for 24 and to Logan Thomas for 27. From the one, Robinson got stopped and fumbled. Luckily for Washington, McLaurin recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown the hard way and a 14-7 Commanders lead. The Commanders got it back at their own 26 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 10. A sack of Howell killed the drive. Joey Slye hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Commanders with 1:39 left in the half. 

With 1:05 left, Nick Sirianini took a major gamble on 4th and 1 from his own 34. Hurts gained 3. Hurts then went deep to Smith for 37. Jake Elliott hit a 41 yard field goal to end the half with the Eagles within 17-10. After a third quarter touchback, the Eagles moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Washington 30. Hurts threw incomplete. Elliott hit from 47 to get the Eagles within 17-13. The Eagles got it back at their own 26. From their own 41, Hurts went deep to Brown for a 59 yard touchdown. Roughing the passer on the play moved the extra point from the 2 to the one yard line, enabling Sirianni to try a 2 point conversion. Kenneth Gainwell ran it in to make it 21-17 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 31 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 15. The drive died there on an incompletion and a pair of failed runs. Elliott hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 24-17 Eagles.

The Commanders soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33 early in the fourth quarter. Howell went to Gibson for 7. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Howell gained just enough.  On 3rd and 6 from the Philly 31, Howell hit Samuel for 7. Robinson ran for 9 and then for a 15 yard touchdown. The 11 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the game tied 24-24 midway through the fourth quarter. A 20 yard punt return had the Eagles getting the ball back at their own 43 with 3 1/2 minutes left. On 3rd and 8, Hurts hit Zaccheaus for 11 and Brown for 10. Hurts went to Brown for a 28 yard touchdown. With 1:43 left, the Eagles led 31-24. The Commanders took over at their own 36. Howell went to Samuel for 11. With 41 seconds left on 4th and 2 from his own 45, Howell went to Brown for 16. On 3rd and 2 from the Philly 21, Howell went to McLaurin for 11. With 5 seconds to play, the Commanders had one chance from the Philly 10 yard line. 

Howell went to Dotson for the touchdown. Riverboat Ron Rivera was not in a gambling mood. Rather than a 2 point conversion, the traditional extra point was good. This thriller was going to overtime. In overtime, the Commanders got the ball first but went 3 and out. A short 29 yard punt gave the Eagles excellent field position at their own 41. On 4th and 1 from midfield, Nic Sirianni decided to risk it all. Hurts gained 2. Swift ran for 11. With 4 minutes left in overtime, Elliott came in for a 54 yard field goal to try and win it knowing a miss would give the Commanders excellent field position. The kick was good as the Eagles got to 4-0 the hard way. 34-31 Eagles, OT

Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans — Two years ago the Bengals went into Tennessee and shocked the Titans in the Divisional round in a head-knocker of a game. This year both of these teams came in at surprising 1-2. Rumors are swirling that Joe Burrow is playing injured. After an opening touchback, the Bengals moved to a 4th and goal at the 3. Evan McPherson hit a 21 yard field goal. The Bengals led 3-0, but their offense took the next 54 minutes off. After a touchback, the Titans moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Cincinnati 24. Ryan Tannehill was sacked. Nick Folk nailed a 53 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter the Titans put the game away. On 3rd and 7 from their own 35, Tannehill went deep to Deandre Hopkins for 38., Whyte for 24, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 27. Tannehill fumbled a snap but Spears picked it up and ran for 26 yards. Tannehill then found Westbrook-Ikhine for 22. Derrick Henry ran for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 20 with 1:20 left in the half. Henry ran for 16. Tannehill went deep to Moore for 44. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincy 14, Tannehill was sacked but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Henry took the direct snap and threw the halfback option to Whyte for the touchdown with 10 seconds left in the half. Folk tacked on a 35 yard field goal on the first drive of the third quarter that consumed 18 plays and 10 1/2 minutes of clock. This was Mike Vrabel football. The Bengals are a surprising 1-3 while the Titans showed the physicality that they are known for. 27-3 Titans

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers — The 2 dumbest coaches in football are Josh McDaniels and Brandon Staley. They have teams with talented players and coach them into the ground. McDaniels tries to outsmart everyone and play finesse. He refuses to play power football and run when running is the only sane move. He loves his dink and dunk West Coast offense passes. Last week the Raiders lost at home because he kicked a field goal rather than trust his offense to convert 4th and 4 from the Pittsburgh 8 yard line. Staley loses games because he repeatedly gambles on 4th down deep in his own territory rather than just punt the football. Both coaches give games away. Last week the Chargers won only because their defense came up with a deflected interception after trying to give the game away. McDaniels replaced Derek Carr with injury prone dink and dunker Jimmy Garoppolo, who lasted 3 games before being out injured. Rookie Aidan O’Connell started his first nFL game. O’Connell looked brilliant in the preseason. So did Matt McGloin. 

The Chargers took over at their own 14. On the second play from scrimmage, Davis sliced through the supposedly improved Raiders defense for a 51 yard gain. Kelley gained 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Raiders 19, Herbert was sacked but the defense jumped offside. Herbert ran for a 12 yard touchdown as the Chargers led 7-0. On O’Connell’s very first pass attempt, he was sacked. The Raiders got it back at their own 36. Josh Jacobs caught a pass from O’Connell for 7 and ran for 5. O’Connell went deep to Jakobi Meyers for 25. Defensive pass interference added 9 more. Jacobs caught a pass from O’Connell for 6, ran for 5, and caught another pass from O’Connell for 8. O’Connell got the last yard. The game was tied 7-7 after the first quarter. In every game this season, the Raiders have managed one early touchdown followed by three quarters of mostly offensive ineptitude. 

After a touchback, the Chargers began the second quarter faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. The Raiders defense had Herbert dead to rights but refused to wrap him up. Part of the problem was a fear of being called for roughing the passer. They clearly had Herbert in his grasp and just backed off. The other problems is the Raiders tackle badly. They hit guys and spin them around but do not wrap them up and finish the play. So rather than a sack, Herbert hit Johnston for 18. The Chargers moved to a 1st and goal at the 7, but this time Herbert finally was sacked. Cameron Dicker hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Chargers. The Raiders got the ball back at their own 37. Josh McDaniels could have run the ball. I stead he tried to make a hero out of a rookie quarterback who held the ball way too long and did not get effective offensive line protection. An incompletion and a short pass set up 3rd and 6. 

O’Connell was sacked and fumbled. The Chargers took over at the Raiders 36. Herbert then scrambled and was hit out of bounds by jerry Tillery. In addition to a 15 yard defensive unnecessary roughness call, Tillery was ejected. Maxx Crosby threw his hands up in disgust, knowing Tillery was guilty. On 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 7, Herbert hit Keenan Allen for the touchdown to make it 17-7 Chargers. The Raiders after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 6 at their own 48. O’Connell was sacked and fumbled again. The Chargers took over at the Raiders 35. Defensive illegal use of hands added 5 yards. Herbert hit Palmer for 19. On 3rd and goal at the one, Herbert got stopped. Brandon Staley was right to go for it on 4th and goal. Herbert got in this time as the Chargers led 24-7 at the half. 

This game should have been over, but both of these coaches are good at squandering safe leads. In the third quarter the Chargers punted on 4th and 12 from their own 3. The Raiders took over at their own 48. On 3rd and 19 from their own 39, a short give up pass from O’Connell to Jacobs gained 21. On 4th and 2 from the Chargers 32, a 50 yard field goal try would have been justified. Yet Josh McDaniels going for it was also justified. O’Connell hit Davante Adams for 12. On 3rd and goal at the 4, O’Connell threw incomplete. For the second straight week, McDaniels had zero confidence in his offense to get 4 yards. Nevertheless, kicking the 22 yard field goal was not crazy. Carlson delivered and the Raiders were within 24-10 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. 

An interception of Herbert could’ve gotten the Raiders right back in it. They moved from their own 24 to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 18. Jacobs had just run for gains of 5 and 6. The running game was working. Yet Josh McDaniels refuses to stick to it, preferring to trust a rookie quarterback with multiple turnovers in his very first game over the defending rushing champion. After an incompletion can an offensive penalty for an illegal crackajack. On 2nd and 25, O’Connell was sacked. On 3rd and 34, rather than try a deep throw or run the ball, McDaniels called one of his pointless West Coast Offense dink and dunk passes that gained 4 yards. On 4th and 30, Carson still had the left to make a 56 yard field goal. Instead, McDaniels punted. 

A sack of Herbert meant a punt and the Raiders getting the ball back midway through the fourth quarter at their own 40. Just shy of midfield, O’Connell hit Adams for 10 and Amir Abdullah for 10 more. O’Connell went back to Adams for gains of 13, 7 and 8. On 3rd and goal at the one, O’Connell got stopped. With 4 minutes left in regulation, going for it was a necessity. On 4th and goal, McDaniels actually made the right call. Jacobs banged it in. The Raiders were alive, only down by 7.

With 3 1/2 minutes left, the Chargers faced 4th and 1 at their own 34. Last week Brandon Staley nearly gave the game away by gambling in that situation, losing, and getting lucky when his defense bailed him out. Again, Staley crossed the line from boldness to idiotic recklessness. He went for it again. Herbert got stopped. The Raiders were very much alive with a short field. O’Connell went to the drastically underutilized Hunter Renfrow for 12. On 4th and 10 from the Chargers 22, O’Connell went deep to Adams for 19. With 2:38 to play, the Raiders had 1st and goal at the 3. The Chargers were trying to give the game away. All the Raiders had to do was take it. Staley was a bonehead. All Josh McDaniels had to do was not be a bigger bonehead. In this situation, the choice was obvious. 

Hand the ball to Jacobs as many times as it takes. Ram it down the throats of the defense. The top running back can get 3 yards given 4 tries. That’s less than one yard per carry. McDaniels went with his rookie mistake prone quarterback with another dink and dunk West Coast Offense pass. For those wondering why McDaniels has his most recent Super Bowl ring as an offensive coordinator, it’s because the opposing team did not hand the ball to Marshawn Lynch. This time, it was McDaniels who did not  hand the ball to Jacobs. O’Connell threw into traffic and was intercepted by Asante Samuel, who quickly went to the ground rather than risk fumbling the ball back. Again, the defense bailed out horrendous decisions by Brandon Staley. They won in spite of him. The Raiders again lost because of McDaniels. O’Connell was sacked 7 times, fumbled 3 times, lost 2 of those fumbles, and threw one interception. The Raiders are now tied for the AFC West cellar as the Raiders and Chargers players both wonder what it will take to get their coaches fired. 24-17 Chargers

New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys — Talk of a Cowboys Super Bowl looked silly when they fell flat at Arizona. After a touchback, the Cowboys moved to a 3rd and goal at the one. Tony Pollard got blasted for a 4 yard loss. Aubrey hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. The Patriots after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Dallas 6. Mac Jones threw incomplete. Bill Belichick tried to go for it on 4th and 1 but a delay of game killed the try. Ryland hit the 29 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. That included all the Patriots highlights. After a touchback, Dak Prescott went to Brandon Cooks for 11. Ceedee Lamb gained 12. Prescott hit Dowdle for 8 and Michael Gallup for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 29, Pollard gained 4. Prescott went to Lamb for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Cowboys. In the second quarter Belichick gambled on 4th and 1 from the Dallas 41. Jones got stopped cold for no gain. The Patriots got it back and faced 2nd and 12 at their own 8. Jones was sacked. Layton Vander Esch recovered it and rumbled 11 yards for a defensive touchdown. Mike McCarthy went for a 2 point conversion and Anger hit Golston  to make it 18-3 Cowboys. Aubrey tacked on a 23 yard field goal to make it 21-3. With one minute left in the half, Jones was intercepted by Bland, why raced 54 yards for another score. 2 defensive touchdowns made it 28-3 Cowboys at the half. A pointless second half saw Aubrey hit a 33 yard third quarter field goal and luepke run for a 3 yard fourth quarter touchdown. Any shred of dignity died when a New England field goal attempt with them down by 35 points was no good. Jerrah is back on the Super Bowl hype bandwagon. 38-3 Cowboys

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers — After winning a stunner over Dallas last week, the Cardinals were expected to come back to earth and get demolished at unbeaten San Francisco. In the first quarter the 49ers faced 3rd and 1 at their own 47. Christian McCaffrey for 6. Brock Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk for 16 and Christian McCaffrey for 12 and 10. McCaffrey ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. The 49ers for it back at their own 25. McCaffrey ran for 5 and 12. Purdy hit Mason for 13. On 4th and 4 from the Arizona 39, Kyle Shanahan passed up a 57 yard field goal try and went for it. Purdy went to George Kittle for 9 as the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with Purdy hitting McCaffrey for 12 and mcCaffrey out of the shotgun running for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 49ers. The ensuing kickoff went out of bounds to set up the Cardinals at their own 40. On 4th and 7 from the San Francisco 45, Jonathan Gannon went for it. Dobbs scrambled for 8. Matt Prater hit a 38 yard field goal to get the Cardinals on the board. After a touchback, Purdy hit Aiyuk for big gains of 11 and 42. Purdy went to McCloud for 14 and to McCaffrey for a 6 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left in the half, the 49ers were cruising up 21-3. 

Desperately needing to spark his team, Jonathan Gannon gambled on a fake punt on 4th and 2 from his own 21. Failure would pretty much end the game. Turner took the direct snap and barely got just enough. On 3rd and 3 from their own 44, Dobbs hit Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 6. On 3rd and 9 just past midfield, Dobbs went deep to Wilson for 33 and again for a 16 yard touchdown. With 23 seconds left in the half, the Cardinals were within 21-10. In the third quarter the Cardinals took over at their own one yard line. On 3rd and 1 from their 10, Dobbs gained 2. James Conner ran for 11. On 3rd and 1 from their own 32, Dobbs got the yard but defensive holding added 5. Dobbs went deep to Brown for 41. On 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 14, Dobbs gained 6. Dobbs went to Michael Wilson for an 8 yard touchdown. Jonathan Gannon went for 2 and Conner got stopped cold. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the Cardinals were within 21-16 and smelling a second consecutive upset. After a touchback, Purdy went deep to Aiyuk for 34. Purdy ran for 7 and McCaffrey added 10. Purdy hit McCaffrey for 13. The fourth quarter began with McCaffrey running for a 2 yard touchdown and a 28-16 49ers lead. The 49ers got it back at their own 23 and pounded the Cardinals into dust. A 14 play, 77 yard, 7 minute drive ended with Purdy running for a one yard touchdown at the 2 minute warning. The 49ers are 4-0 and legitimate Super Bowl contenders. 35-16 Cardinals

Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jets was the Sunday night game. Pop culture has nothing to do with football. Therefore this column does not discuss singers or dancing Tiktok stars, even if they are romantically linked to football players. Now on to football. After an opening touchback, the Chiefs moved to a 2nd and 2 at the Jets 17. A run lost a yard and Patrick Mahomes threw incomplete. Harrison Butker hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 31. Mahoems ran for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 48, Isiah Pacheco ran for the first down and the touchdown for a 10-0 Chiefs lead. The Chiefs got it back at their own 11. Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 8 and Pacheco for 33. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 34, Mahomes went to Noah Gray for the touchdown. The Chiefs led 17-0. This game was over, with 68-0 being a possibility. Then things got crazy.

The Jets offense was dead but a good punt pinned the Chiefs at their own 4. On 3rd and 7 from his own 7, Mahomes threw deep incomplete. Yet offensive holding int he end zone meant a safety. The Jets were on the board. The Jets took the free kick at their ow 25 and moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Kansas City 13. Zach Wilson threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit a 31 yard field goal to get the Jets within 17-5. One play after a touchback, Mahomes went deep and was intercepted. The Jets had a short field at the Kansas City 41. After a false start, a defensive horse collar tackle penalty gave the Jets 15 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 24, Wilson hit Randall Cobb for just enough. Wilson hit Uzomah for a one yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Jets were within 17-12.

After a touchback, the Chiefs moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Jets 19. Mahomes threw incomplete twice. Butker hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 20-12 Chiefs. Late in the half, Zuerlein doinked a 52 yard field goal try off the upright no good. After a third quarter touchback, Wilson went deep to Conklin for 25 and Allen Lazard for 12. Wilson hit Ruckert for 23. On 3rd and 8 from the Chiefs 10, Wilson hit Lazard for the touchdown. Robert Saleh went for 2. Wilson ran it in. With most of the second half to play, the Metlife hoe crowd was rocking as the game was tied 20-20. The defenses then dug in as both teams punted twice.

The Chiefs took over at their own 12 and moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Jets 13. Mahomes threw incomplete and then threw a short pass that only gained 5. On 4th and 4 from the Jets 8, Butker hit the 26 yarder. The Chiefs led by 3 with 11 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the Jets moved to just past midfield. Out of the shotgun, Wilson fumbled the snap and the Chiefs recovered at the Jets 47. 7 1/2 minutes still remained. With 6 1/2 minutes left, an offensive holding call had the Chiefs facing 3rd and 23 at their own 40. Mahomes broke the back of the defense with a 25 yard run and 5 more tacked on for illegal contact. With 4 4 1/2 minutes left, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 20 at the Jets 40. Mahomes was intercepted, but defensive holding was a killer. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 26, Kelce took the direct snap and handed it to Jerick McKinnon, who gained 2. At the 2 minute warning with the Jets out of timeouts, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 8 at the Jets 11. Mahomes scrambled for the first down and could have easily scored. Instead, he committed the ultimate act of unselfishness by sliding to the ground short of the goal. This was reminiscent of how the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. Mahomes took a couple knees as the Chiefs escaped. They have sole possession of first place in the AFC West, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 23-20 Chiefs

Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants was the Monday night game. The Giants after an opening touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Seattle 27. Brian Daboll went for it and Daniel Jones got stopped cold for no gain. Late in the first quarter Jones was sacked and fumbled, which he does. The Seahawks took over at the Giants 7 yard line. Geno Smith hit DK Metcalf for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Giants did manage a 55 yard second quarter field goal by Graham Gano to avoid the shutout, but nothing more. After a touchback, Geno Smith was not on the field. He suffered a knee injury on a controversial hit. Drew Lock came in. Lock gained 11. Lock hit Metcalf for 12. On 3rd and 10 from his own 48, Lock connected with Fast for 51 yards down to the one. Kenneth Walker III ran it in to make it 14-3 Seahawks at the half. In the third quarter, Smith returned.  The Seahawks turned it over on downs and missed a field goal, but it didn’t matter. The Giants moved from their own 43 to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Jones was intercepted by Witherspoon, who returned the pick 97 yards the other way for the exclamation point to make it 21-3 Seahawks. Another interception of Jones led to a 34 yard Jason Myers field goal with 5 1/2 minutes left in the game. The Seahawks are 3-1. Pete Carroll gets younger every year. 24-3 Seahawks

NFL 2023 Week 4 Prequel

Thursday, September 27, 2023, 8pm

Detroit Lions (-1 1/2) at Green Bay Packers — The Lions went into Green Bay last year and knocked Green Bay out of the playoffs. Dan Campbell has changed the culture of his team. Yet the Packers are not cellar dwellers. Go with the home field and, a Green Bay team burning for revenge, and Jordan Love yearning to win a game Aaron Rodgers lost last year. Upset special, Packers win outright

Sunday, September 30, 9:30am

Atlanta Falcons at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3) — The Jaguars lost a home stunner to Houston. The Falcons came back to earth in losing to Philadelphia. Expect the Jaguars to rebound. Trevor Lawrence is better than Desmond Ridder. London is a home game for the Jaguars. Jaguars cover

1pm

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (-2 1/2) — The Dolphins blasted Denver to pieces last week, scoring 70 points in a win for the ages. Yes, the Dolphins are very good. They have a ton of speed. The weather in Buffalo is not cold yet, muting what i often a major Buffalo advantage. Yet Buffalo is still very good. If the Dolphins win this game, the Super Bowl talk will skyrocket. Yet go with the home field anyway in a battle of very good teams. The fact that the Bills are favored at all shows that the 70 points the Dolphins scored should not alter reality. Buffalo also has a solid defense. Bills cover

Denver Broncos (-3 1/2) at Chicago Bears — This is the Stupor Bowl. The Broncos gave up a mind-bogging 70 points last week. Yet the Bears fare also horrendous. The spread is too high for a road team that lost a game by 50 points. Yet the fact the Broncos are even favored shows how bad the Bears are. Matt Eberflus has no answers. Broncos win but fail to cover. 

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns (-2) — The Ravens lost a home stunner to Indianapolis. The Browns are improving, but the Ravens tend to play well against the Browns. Weather will not be a factor. The Browns have a good defense, but the Ravens can run the ball. Trust Lamar Jackson to figure it out. Dehsaun Watson is no slouch, but he’s not Jackson. In a close game, trust Justin Tucker despite last week. Upset special, Ravens win outright

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3 1/2) at Houston Texans — Houston got a big win at Jacksonville last week and could be ripe for a letdown. Pittsburgh has returned to Mike Tomlin football of pounding the rock. Kenny Pickett has grown. Steelers cover

Minnesota Vikings (-3) at Carolina Panthers — This is Stupor Bowl II. The Panthers were expected to be winless while the Vikings have been a head-scratcher. The Vikings lost last week in heart-breaking fashion. The Panthers have a bare cupboard. This is the week the Vikings finally get out of the winless column. Kirk Cousins has more weapons than anyone leading the Panthers. Vikings cover

Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts (-1) — The Colts got a big emotional win at Jacksonville last week and could be ripe for a letdown. The Rams are simply not what they were a couple of years ago. Yet the Rams still have more playmakers on both sides of the ball than the Colts. Give the Rams one more week to show they are rebounding and not rebuilding. Upset special, Rams win outright. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints (-3) — The Buccaneers were finally exposed last week in a humiliating loss against Philadelphia. The Saints blew a 17-0lead at Green Bay when Derek Carr went down. Carr had the tea clicking. Jameis Winston is not trustworthy. Baker Mayfield is playing well. Yet the saints have a better defense, and the team may rally around Winston to be a game manager rather than a wild gunslinger. Saints cover

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (-7) — The Commanders got shellacked last week at Buffalo. Now they face the undefeated defending champions. The Eagles have the talent, the home field, the star quarterback, and a great running game. Eagles cover

Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans (-1 1/2) — The Titans are hurting. They have not been the same since Cincinnati beat them in the playoffs in Tennessee two years ago. The Bengals got their first win last week and appear to have turned the corner. Joe Burrow is better than Ryan Tannehill and has more weapons. Upset special, Bengals win outright

4pm

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (-4 1/2) — The Chargers play in Los Angeles but this often feels like a Raiders home game. Nevertheless, Justin Herbert stretches the field while Jimmy Garoppolo dinks and dunks. Garoppolo is still in concussion protocol anyway. Josh McDaniels and Brandon Staley are both dreadful coaches and terrible decision makers. Herbert is the difference maker. Chargers cover

New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys (-7) — The Patriots finally got a win, an ugly affair over the Jets. The Cowboys had their Super Bowl talk put on hold with a stunning loss at previously winless Arizona. This week reverts back to reality. The Cowboys are talented. They have enough firepower at home to take on a Patriots team with an average Mac Jones. The Patriots can run the ball, so the high spread is a concern. Cowboys win but fail to cover.

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-14) — The Cardinals won a home shocker against Dallas, but the 49ers are playing lights out football. The Cardinals are due for a letdown and a beatdown. The 49ers have Brock Purdy, plenty of weapons, and a nasty defense. Expect the 49ers to keep rolling. The spread is high, but so is the talent gap. 49ers cover

8pm

Kansas City Chiefs (-9 1/2) at New York Jets — Zach Wilson is the weak link. He did not take care of business at home against previously winless New England. Expect Patrick Mahomes to do enough to win. Robert Saleh lost to Walrus Andy Reid in the Super Bowl a few years ago. Saleh knows defense while Reid is an offensive mastermind. A garbage touchdown could keep things close enough given the high spread for a road team. Chiefs win but fail to cover

Sunday, October 1, 8pm

Seattle Seahawks (-1 1/2) at New York Giants — Neither of these teams inspire anyone. Geno Smith and Daniel Jones have both had their ups and downs and problems with fumbles, but Smith seems to have improved. Pete Carroll knows defense. In a battle of who wants it least, the Giants are more likely to commit the key turnover. Seahawks cover 

NFL 2023 Week 3 Recap

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers was the Thursday night game. The Giants showed plenty of grit in coming back from 21 down to beat Arizona, but San Francisco is a Super Bowl contender. Early on the 49ers moved 64 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Giants 11, Brock Purdy threw 3 straight incompletions. Moody hit a 28 yard field goal to make it 3-0 49ers. The Giants responded with a 12 play, 49 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive of their own. Yet on 3rd and  8 from the San Francisco 29, a completion gained only 2 yards. Graham Gano hit from 44 for a 3-3 game. 

The 49ers began the second quarter facing 3rd and 15 at their own 23. Purdy went to Deebo Samuel for 30. Christian Mccaffrey ripped off gains of 9 and 10. Purdy hit McCaffrey for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Giants 9, Purdy hit Bell for the touchdown. The 11 play, 72 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive made it 10-3 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 27. Purdy hit Mitchel for 9. McCaffrey gained 12. Mitchell added 18. Purdy hit Bell for 15. On 3rd and 12 from the Giants 20, Purdy hit George Kittle for 11 with roughing the passer adding 5 more. McCaffrey ran up the gut for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 49ers.

The Giants after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 3 at the San Francisco 38. Daniel Jones threw incomplete twice. Gano nailed a 57 yard field goal to end the half with the Giants down 17-6. A field position game in the third quarter gifted the Giants with a short field at the San Francisco 37. Defensive pass interference added 22 more yards. Matt Breida ran for an 8 yard touchdown. Brian Daboll went for 2 but Jones was sacked as the Giants get within 17-12. 

After a touchback, the 49ers moved 72 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. On 2nd and goal at the 3, Purdy threw incomplete twice. Moody hit from 21 to make it 20-12 49ers. In the fourth quarter the 49ers moved from their own 31 to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 18. The drive died there but Moody hit from 36 to make it 23-12 49ers with 13 minutes left in regulation. The 49ers got the ball back at their own 30 and turned out the lights. Purdy hit Samuel for 19. purdy threw a 27 yard touchdown to Samuel with 6 minutes left. The 49ers are 3-0 and already in postseason form, beating inferior teams by big margins. 30-12 49ers

Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens — After only 2 weeks, Anthony Richardson was already injured and missing this game with a concussion. Gardner Minshew is more than just a capable backup. Yet Lamar Jackson leads a Ravens team that seems to be back to its usual winning ways. The Ravens went right to work on their first drive from their own 20. Jackson gained 11. On 3rd and 6 from their own 35, Jackson hit Zee Flowers for 6 and again for 8. Jackson went deep to Likely for 20. Jackson ran for an 8 yard touchdown for a 7-0 Ravens lead. Yet the Colts put up more of a fight than expected. 

In the second quarter from his own 27, Minshew hit pierce for 23. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 41, Zack Moss gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Baltimore 17, Minshew hit Moss for the touchdown and a 7-7 game. On the next play from scrimmage from his own 24, Jackson was sacked and fumbled. The Colts recovered at the Baltimore 19. Despite 2nd and goal at the 7, Minshew there incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit a 31 yard field goal as the Colts took a surprising 10-7 lead to the locker rooms. In the third quarter the Colts had great field position at their own 45. Gay nailed a 54 yard field goal for a 13-7 Colts advantage. 

The Ravens finally mounted a drive from their own 19. Jackson gained 13. On 3rd and 1 from his own 41, Edwards gained 10 and 4 more. Melvin Gordon gained 15 and caught a pass from Jackson for 11. Jackson hit Nelson Agholor for 11 to set up 3rd and 1 at the Indianapolis 10. Jackson ran it in himself. The 10 play, 81 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Ravens up 14-13. After a touchback, Moss ran for 24 as the third quarter ended. On 3rd and 6 from the Baltimore 47, Minshew hit Pittman for 8. That was enough for Gay to hit from 53 to put the Colts back up 16-14. After a touchback, the Ravens moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Indy 38. After an incompletion, Jackson hit Agholor for only 6. On 4th and 2 midway through the fourth quarter, John Harbaugh decided not to gamble. Justin Tucker nailed the 50 yard field goal to put the Ravens back in the lead 17-16. 

A field position game led to a great punt that pinned the Colts at their own 2 yard line. On 3rd and 11 from their own one with 2:03 to play, Minshew was sacked in the end zone for a safety. The Ravens led 19-16 and would get the ball back after the free kick. They just had to run out the clock. The Colts took their timeouts on defense and received a gift stoppage due to an offensive illegal block. The Ravens took only 15 seconds off the clock. The Colts got the ball back at their own 38 with 1:41 left. Minshew hit Pierce and Downs for a pair of 12 yard gains. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 29, a false start followed by an incompletion killed the drive. Gay nailed a 53 yard field goal to tie the game 19-19, but one minute still remained. That was more than enough time for the Ravens, especially with the best kicker in the history of pro football.

After a touchback the Ravens quickly moved to a 1st and 10 just shy of midfield. Yet a sack of Jackson and an incompletion meant 3rd and 20. Jackson went to Agholor for 18. The Ravens called their final timeout with 6 seconds left. Tucker holds the NFL record with a 66 yard field goal. This kick would be from 61. Tucker’s kick was dead center but a bit short. Even the best are human. In overtime the Ravens got a major break when the Colts punted and Devin Duvernay returned it 31 yards to the Indy 48. Yet on 3rd and 6, Jackson threw incomplete. This time John Harbaugh was not going to try a 62 yard field goal, opting to punt. The Colts moved from their own 11 to a 4th and 1 at the Baltimore 46. Shane Steichen gambled and lost as Moss got stopped cold. The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 3 and Jackson threw incomplete. This time Harbaugh gambled. Jackson threw incomplete again. From his own 47, Moss gained 13, 2, 3. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 35, Steichen took no chances. Moss gained nothing. Gay came in for another 53 yard try with one minute left in overtime. His kick was good, and the Colts had the upset win. 22-19 Colts  

Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns — Both of these teams have been up and down, but the Titans physical style of play under Mike Vrabel was expected total down a Browns team that has not seen Deshaun Watson play well. From their own 22, the Browns moved on a 12 play drive that took 7 minutes off the clock. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the Tennessee 30, Watson got stopped for no gain. Dustin Hopkins hit the 48 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. In the second quarter a Browns fumble gave the Titans gift field position at the Cleveland 17. The Titans went backward and nearly fumbled the ball back. Nick Folk bailed them out with a 44 yard field goal for a 3-3 game, but after that the game was one-sided.

After a touchback the Browns soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 41. Watson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 8 yards and a first down. A sack of Watson forced a fumble that led to a 16 yard loss. Yet on 2nd and 26, Watson threw a deep incompletion that drew a 37 yard defensive pass interference penalty. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 21, Bryant gained 2. Watson hit Ford for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Browns. The Browns got the ball back at their own 20 at moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Tennessee 38. Watson hit David Njoku for only 4. Hopkins hit a 52 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Browns. In the second half the Dawg Pound defense unleashed. 

In the third quarter the Browns took over at their own 15. Ford gained 9. Watson went to Donovan Peoples-Jones for 29. On 4th and 2 from the Tennessee 39 after an incompletion, Kevin Stefanski went for it rather than try a 57 yard field goal. Watson threw incomplete again, but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 5 from the Tennessee 29, Watson went to Peoples-Jones for 12. Watson gained 4 and 10. Ford ran for a 3 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 85 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 20-3 Browns.  In the fourth quarter the Browns faced 3rd and 1 at their own 45. Bryant gained 2. On 2nd and 11, Watson threw incomplete but defensive holding again kept the drive going. On 4th and 1 from the Tennessee 40, Kevin Stefanski went for the kill shot and Watson gained 2. Watson went deep to Amari Cooper for a 43 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. 27-3 Browns  

Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins — Both teams will talk about this game forever. In the 1940 NFL Championship Game, Chicago defeated Washington 73-0. That remains the highest scoring pro football game for one team. The highest combined scoring game came in 1966 when Washington defeated the Giants 72-41. 70 is a crazy number. In professional football, especially in the National Football League, it’s unfathomable. The Miami Dolphins came in undefeated with an explosive offense. The Broncos came in winless but having lost both games by a combined three points. This game was over barely after the opening touchback. Tua Tagovailoa went to Smythe for 15. Then Tagovailoa went deep to Tyreek hill for a 54 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins and start the deluge. The Dolphins got it back at their own 19. Raheem Mostert ran for 15. Achane ran for 26. Achane also had runs of 4, 3, and the 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Dolphins.

After a touchback, the Broncos managed a 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 12, Russell Wilson hit Cortland Sutton for the touchdown. The Broncos were only down 14-7 after the first quarter, but they would not get that close again. The Dolphins faced 2nd and 16 from their own 19. Tagovialoa went to Hill for 19. On the first play of the second quarter from his own 43, Mostert ran for 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 34, Tagovailoa hit Braxton Berrios for 11. Achane ran for 10 and 5 and then caught a 4 yard touchdown pass from Tagovailoa to make it 21-7 Dolphins. 

After a touchback the Broncos moved to a 3rd and goal at the 7. Wilson hit Sutton for the touchdown, but offensive pass interference nullified it. The Broncos settled for a 31 yard Wil Lutz field goal to get within 21-10. With 3 minutes left in the half, the Dolphins took over at their own 14. Tagovailoa went to Hill for 15, to Mostert for 8, to Hill again for 15, and to Cracraft for 13. Mostert ran for 9 and then for a 20 yard touchdown. With 1:49 left in the half, the Dolphins led 28-10. The Broncos quickly fumbled the ball away, and Van Dinkel returned it 29 yards to the Denver 3 yard line. One play later, Mostert ran it in to make it 35-10 Dolphins. The Broncos got another field goal before the half, but this game was over. For some crazy reason, the second half was played. 

In the third quarter, the Dolphins faced 3rd and 3 from their own 17. Tagovailoa hit Hit for 9. Mostert ran for 7. Tagovailoa hit Berrios for 22. Achane ran for 40. On 3rd and goal at the one, Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Mike McDaniel kept his foot on the gas and went for it. On 4th and goal, Mostert got in to make it 42-13 Dolphins. The Broncos fumbled the ball away again and the Dolphins tool over at their own 23. Achane ran for 7 and caught a pass from Tagovailoa for 17. Achane ran for 2 with 15 more tacked on for defensive unnecessary roughness. Achane ran for 12 more. Tagovailoa went to Hill for 7 and 19. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 19, Tagovailoa went to Mostert for the touchdown to make it 49-13 Dolphins after three quarters. They were far from done.

On the next play from scrimmage from his own 18, Wilson was intercepted. The Dolphins took over at the Denver 8. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Tagovailoa hit Achane for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 56-13. The Dolphins got it back at their own 32, but without Tagovailoa. He has a history of injuries, and Mike McDaniel was not taking any chances. He was given a clipboard as Mike White finished the game. On 3rd and 10, White went deep to Chosen for a 68 yard touchdown to make it 63-13 Dolphins. The Broncos did have a brief moment of pride when Mims returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, but that was it. Two plays after a touchback, Achane followed up an 8 yard run with a 67 yard touchdown run. 

There were still 8 minutes left to play in the game. The Dolphins got it back with 4 minutes left just trying to run out the clock. Brooks took a run up the middle for a 52 yard gain. With 33 seconds left, the Dolphins had 4th and 14 at the Denver 27. A field goal from 45 yards out would give the Dolphins 73 points. This was more than merely a victory. It was now a shot at NFL history. They could tie the record for the most points ever in an NFL game. Jason Sanders had already kicked 10 extra points, but had not tried a single field goal. He had a chance at being in the history books for the kick that would tie the NFL record. Sanders never got the chance. The home crowd didn’t like it, but Mike McDaniel did the classy honorable thing. He passed up the field goal attempt. He had White take a knee. After the game, he made it crystal clear that professionalism matters. Running up the score is not what he is about. 

The records set in this game were staggering. The Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to have 5 rushing touchdown and 5 passing touchdowns. They had 726 yards of offense, second in history only to the 735 yards the 1951 Rams achieved. Only 4 times in NFL history has a team scored at least 70 points. They were the second team in NFL history along with the 2004 Chiefs to have 2 players with at least 4 touchdowns. They were the second team since 1940 along with the 2012 49ers to have at least 300 yards rushing and 300 yards passing. They finished with 350 on the ground and 376 through the air.

The Dolphins 1,651 yards of total offense are the most in NFL history to start the first 3 weeks of an NFL season. Their 130 points over those 3 games to start a season are second by 2 points to the 1968 Cowboys. Tagovialoa completed his first 16 passes. He had 4 touchowns and only 3 incompletions. Miostert and Achane both had 4 touchdowns. Tagovailoa finished a lights out 23 of 26 for 309 yards. He was not intercepted. Achane had 203 yards rushing on only 18 carries. This was a royal beating. The Dolphins are 3-0 while the Broncos at 0-3 can only pray this is rock bottom. 70-20 Dolphins 

New England Patriots at New York Jets — In 2001, the Patriots started 0-2 including a loss to the Jets. Then Tom Brady came along and tormented the Jets for 20 years. Even without the injured Aaron Rodgers, the Jets had their best chance to finally beat Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick. As expected, Mac Jones and Zach Wilson fought to see who wanted it least. In the first quarter a field position game had the Patriots move from their own 42 to a 3rd and 3 at the Jets 29. Jones threw incomplete. Ryland hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots. Early in the second quarter Ryland missed from 48. The Patriots got the ball back early in the second quarter at their own 22. On 3rd and 5, Jones went to Douglas for 15 and deep to Brown for a 58 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Patriots.

The Jets took over at their own 33 and moved to a 3rd and 6 at the New England 38 at the 2 minute warning. Wilson hit non-relative Wilson for only 4. Robert Saleh decided not to chance it. Greg Zuerlein hit the 52 yard field goal to get the Jets within 10-3. The Patriots moved into position in the final 80 seconds for a 57 yard field goal try, but Ryland again was no good. After a third quarter touchback, the Patriots moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Jets 33. Jones threw incomplete, but this time Ryalnd was good from 51 as the Patriots led 13-3.

The Jets finally mounted a drive in the fourth quarter. On 3rd and 5 from their own 18, Wilson hit Conklin for 18. Wilson then hit Dalvin Cook for 8, non-relative Wilson for 9, Allan Lazard for 21 and 6, and Randall Cobb for 8. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Wilson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Nick Bawden got in as the 13 play, 87 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Jets right back in it down 13-10 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

The defense held, and the Jets got the ball back at their own 10. Wilson had a chance to be the hero and win over the Gang Green home crowd. On 3rd and 15 from his own 5, Wilson was sacked in the end zone by Matthew Judon for a safety. The Patriots took the free kick but the Jets took their timeouts on defense. The Jets got the ball back at their own 17 with 16 seconds left. Wilson went deep to non-relative Wilson for a 29 yard reception and quickly spiked the ball to stop the clock with one second left. From their own 46, it was Hail Mary time. Wilson’s heave reached the end zone, was batted in the air, and a Jets player on the ground got their fingertips on it. They could not haul it in as it hit the ground incomplete. Once again, the Evil Hoodie triumphed over his arch-nemesis in this one-sided rivalry, albeit by a hair. 15-10 Patriots   

Buffalo Bills at Washington Commanders — The Commanders entered this game unbeaten, but a test against Buffalo would provide a real measure of the Washington squad. This game was never a contest. After an opening touchback, the Bills drove to the Washington 18. Tyler Bass hit a 36 yard field goal for a 3-0 Bills lead. A field position game followed by a 23 yard punt with 10 yards tacked on for a penalty had the Bills with a short field at the Washington 35. One play and 6 seconds was enough for Josh Allen to go deep to Gabriel Davis for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Bills. In the second quarter the Bills moved from their own 2 yard line on a 15 play, 62 yard drive that consumed nearly 10 minutes. Bass hit a 54 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Bills with1:55 left in the half. The Commanders soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Sam Howell was intercepted to set up the Bills at the Washington 33. On 4th and 2 from the Washington 14, Sean McDermott decided not to gamble. Bass hit the 32 yard field goal as the Bills led 16-0 at the intermission.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Bills exploded in the fourth quarter. The Commanders fumbled, and the Bills took over at the Washington 31. Allen ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 23-0 Bills. Three plays after a touchback on 3rd and 5, Howell was intercepted by Epenesa. Epenesa returned the pick for another touchdown to make it 30-0 Bills. The Bills got it back at their own 36 and moved easily. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Latavius Murray ran it on to make it 37-0 Bills with 2:15 to play. With 46 seconds left and facing 4th and 19 at the Buffalo 33, Riverboat Ron Rivera was in no gambling mood. He just wanted to avoid the humiliation of a home shutout. Joey Slye hit the 51 yard field goal as the Commanders settled for humiliating home defeat but not a shutout. The Bills are every bit as good as their hype. 37-3 Bills

Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions — Despite a thrilling comeback win over Green Bay, it was still too early to take the 2-0 Falcons seriously. Meanwhile, the Lions lost at home in overtime last week as some questioned whether they were finally for real after 30+ mediocre years. In the first quarter the Lions moved from their own 34 on an 11 play, 48 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. They settled for a 37 yard Riley Patterson field goal and a 3-0 Lions lead. After a touchback the Falcons moved 45 yards in 10 plays and over 5 minutes. They settled for a 48 yard Younghoe Koo field goal and a 3-3 game in the second quarter. 

After that the Lions took over. On 3rd and 8 from their own 27, Jared Goff hit St Brown for 19. Goff then went deep to LaPorta for a 45 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 27 and moved 67 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Yet on 1st and goal at the 4, a run went nowhere and then offensive holding killed the drive. Patterson hit from 24 to make it 13-3 Lions. Midway through the third quarter Koo missed a 47 yard field goal try that would have made it closer. Early in the fourth quarter Arthur Hill passed up a 55 yard field goal try and went for it on 4th and 4 from the Detroit 37. Desmond Ridder threw incomplete. Gibbs ran for gains of 4, 12 and 21. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Goff got in to make it 20-3 Lions. The Falcons mounted a staggering 17 play drive, but it only led to a field goal. They never reached the end zone. With just over 2 minutes left, a sack of Ridder forced a fumble that was the final nail in the coffin. 20-6 Lions 

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers — The Saints came in with Derek Carr playing well and Dennis Allen’s defense playing ferociously. The Packers came in having blown a double digit fourth quarter lead at Atlanta. Early in the game Matt LaFleur gambled with the Packers facing 4th and 2 the New Orleans 44. After a fumbled snap, Jordan Love threw incomplete. Defensive unnecessary roughness on the Saints first play from scrimmage had them at the Green Bay 40. Carr hit Crhis Olave for 12. On 3rd and 6 at the Green Bay 23, Carr hit Jones for 10. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 8, Carr hit Jimmy Graham for the touchdown and the 7-0 Saints lead. In the second quarter their special teams delivered a blow as Rashid Shaheed returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-0 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 11 and moved 82 yards in 14 plays. Yet on 1st and goal at the 7, a pair of Carr incompletions were wrapped around a run that went nowhere. Blake Grupe hit the 25 yard field goal as the Saints were dominating 17-0 at halftime. On the first series of the third quarter, Love was intercepted. The Saints took over at their own 38. They were cruising toward a 3-0 start to the season. Then one play changed the game and perhaps their season. 

On 3rd and 9 from midfield, Carr went back to pass and got belted. He was absolutely drilled and stayed down. His shoulder was mauled. He went to the x-ray tent, but everyone knew he would not be playing football for the next several weeks. On came the man who keeps getting benched but somehow stays on the team. In Tampa Bay, Jameis Winston became expandable when Tom Brady arrived. In New Orleans, Winston only played when Brees was injured. Then last year Winston became the starter, got injured, and saw Red Rifle Andy Dalton take over. Even when Winston was healthy, Dennis Allen kept him out for the rest of the season as a precautionary measure so he could fully heal. With Carr out, Winston had another chance to show he could play football. All he had to do was manage the game. The Saints defense was playing stellar, as the third quarter was scoreless. On the first play of the fourth quarter, on 4th and 2 from the Saints 13, Matt LaFleur went for it and Love threw incomplete. The Saints defense was playing lights out. The Saints offense needed a couple of long drives to close out the game.

The Saints went 3 and out and punted. The Packers moved from their own 34 to a 2nd and 7 at the Saints 20. Love threw incomplete twice. Carlson hit a 38 yard field goal with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Packers had avoided the shutout but still trailed 17-3. The Saints took over at their own 19. On 3rd and 4 from their 39, instead of a short pass to move the chains, Winston went deep incomplete. The Packers took over at their own 20. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant a 45 yard gain. On the very next play defensive pass interference meant 22 more yards. On 3rd and 10 from the New Orleans 13, Love hit Reed for 11. The Saints defense stiffened. On 1st and goal at the 2, Love threw incomplete twice. On 3rd and goal, Taylor only gained one. Midway through the fourth quarter, Matt LaFleur had to go for it. One more defensive stop would pretty much ice the game. On 4th and goal at the one, Love got in. LaFleur inexplicably went for a 2 point conversion. Love hit Toure successfully and the Packers only trailed 17-11.

Winston had yet another chance to try and close out the game. Even a field goal would lock up the win. Yet on 3rd and 3 from his own 24, Winston again instead of just moving the chains went deep incomplete. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 1 from thrown 29 with 5 minutes left. AJ Dillon gained 2. Love ripped off a 24 yard gain. Love then went deep to Reed for 30. With 3 minutes left on 3rd and 3 from the New Orleans 8, Love went to Romeo Doubs for the touchdown. The extra point was good as 18 unanswered points gave the Packers a one point lead. The Saints had done nothing on offense the entire second half. Yet after a touchback they still had a chance to win. They moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Green Bay 30. After an incompletion, the Saints inexplicably took their 2nd timeout on offense. On 3rd and 8, this time Winton completed a 2 yard pass. The Packers took their 1st timeout on defense with 1:10 left. Grupe came in for the 46 yard field goal try to give the Saints the lead. The kick was wide right no good. This week rather than blow a big lead, the Packers overcame a big fourth quarter deficit. As for Winston, he must execute better rather than rely on the defense to do everything. The Saints season without Carr may have just circled the drain. 18-17 Packers 

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Texans came in a complete mess, perhaps the worst team in the league. The Jaguars despite a tough home loss to Kansas City were on the rise. The Jaguars were expected to stomp all over the Texans. This game was expected to be a blowout and it was. Early in the game Brandon McManus came on to try a 48 yard field goal to give the Jaguars the early lead. His kick was wide right no good. The Texans soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 47. Damien Pierce gained 2. CJ Stroud then went deep to Dell for a 46 yard gain. Pierce  got in from the one to make it 7-0 Texans. In the second quarter McManus liked up for another field goal from 51 yards out to get the Jaguars on the board. This time his kick was blocked. The Texans took over with a short field at the Jacksonville 41. Stroud hit Robert Woods for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Jags 19, Stroud hit Dell for 7. Stroud ran for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Jags 4 , Stroud hit Jordan for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Texans midway through the second quarter. The Jaguars then fumbled and the Texans recovered. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 28 yard field goal as the half ended with the Texans up 17-0 in front of a shellshocked home crowd in Jacksonville.

The Jaguars came out with a spark in the third quarter at their own 33. Travis Etienne ran for 11, 16 and 5. Trevor Lawrence went to Etienne for 17. On 3rd and 13 from the Houston 26, Lawrence went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Bigsby got in to get the Jaguars within 17-7. The Jaguars got the ball back at their own 32 and moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Houston 18. Lawrence gained only 3. McManus this time hit from 33 as the Jaguars were right back in it down 17-10.

The Jaguars were right back in it, and then 16 seconds later, they were not. Beck fumbled the ensuing kickoff, picked it up, and raced 85 yards for a touchdown to make it 24-10 Texans. Lawrence was then intercepted, giving the Texans the ball just past midfield. They reached a 2nd and 7 at the Jacksonville 8. A run went nowhere and Stroud threw incomplete. Fairbairn hit the 26 yard field goal to make it 27-10 Texans early in the fourth quarter. 

After a touchback, Lawrence went to Agnew for 13, Evan Engram for 9, and Calvin Ridley for 21. On 3rd and 4 from Houston 26, Lawrence went deep to Christian Kirk for the touchdown. With 10 1/2 minutes left in the game, the Jaguars were only down 27-17. Yet there would be no rally. Three plays after a touchback on 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Stroud could have just moved the chains. Instead he went deep to Dell for a 68 yard touchdown to salt the game away. Fairbairn tacked on one more 33 yard field goal to complete the stunning upset. Stroud got his first win as an NFL quarterback. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” 37-17 Texans

Los Angeles Chargers at Minnesota Vikings — This was the wasted potential bowl, with both teams being 0-2 after starting the season with perhaps unrealistically high expectations. They did both make the playoffs last year, but to be fair the Chargers consistently underachieve. If these teams ever met in the Super Bowl, they might both lose. The Chargers lose winnable games because Brandon Staley makes mind-numbingly stupid decisions with the game on the line. His arrogance causes him to cross the line from boldness to insane recklessness. he sabotages his own team. 

Early on a short 27 yard punt gave the Vikings great field position at their own 43. They moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Chargers 26. After a completion gained nothing, Cousins hit TJ Hockenson for 9 and a first down. Yet Hockenson fumbled and the Chargers recovered at their own 21. On 3rd and 5 from their own 38, Justin Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 7. Herbert ran for 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Minnesota 28, Herbert went deep to Allen for 25. Herbert hit Donald Parham for the 3 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 79 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Chargers.

After a touchback, Cousins hit Mattison for 8 and Justin Jefferson for big gains of 21 and 34. Cousins hit Josh Oliver for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Chargers then fumbled, giving the Vikings a short field at the Chargers 45. The Vikings reached 1st and goal at the 3. A run lost 2 yards and Cousins threw incomplete twice. Greg Joseph hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Vikings with 2:08 left in the half.  

After a touchback, Herbert hit Allen for 7 and 6, Everett for 13, Allen for 9, Mike Williams for 5, and Palmer for 29. On 3rd and goal at the one, Kelley got stopped. Now everyone knows Brandon Staley gambles on 4th down in insane situations. However, this time on 4th and goal at the one, Staley was justified in going for it. Herbert hit Parham for the touchdown as the Chargers led 14-10 at the midpoint. In the third quarter Cameron Dicker missed a 53 yard field goal try that would have extended the lead. The Chargers got it back at their own 20 and struck quickly. Herbert went to Allen for 25 and to Williams for a 49 yard touchdown. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter the Chargers led 21-10.

Momentum shifted after a touchback. Cousins went to Hockenson for 21. On 3rd and 11 from his own 45, Cousins only gained 10. Yet instead of 4th and 1, it was 1st and 10 due to a defensive holding penalty. After a pair of incompletions set up 4th and 6 at the Chargers 36, Kevin O’Connell decided to go for it rather than try a 54 yard field goal. A short pass from Cousins to KJ Osborn ended up being a touchdown. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter the Vikings were within 21-17. The fourth quarter began with the Vikings at their own 17. Mattison gained 14. On 3rd and 5 from their own 36, Cousins hit Addison for 6. Mattison ran for 10. On 2nd and 14 from his own 48, a short pass to Jefferson went for a 52 yard touchdown. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Vikings now led 24-21. 

The end of this game was ridiculous, a battle of who wanted it least. After a touchback, Herbert hit Allen for 21, Kelley for 5,, Everett for 6, and Allen for 23. On 3rd and 17 from midfield, Herbert hit Allen for 20. Yet midway through the fourth quarter came the craziest play up to that point. Herbert went deep to Palmer, who was well defended. The ball should have been intercepted, or at least incomplete. Somehow after bouncing around and hanging in the air, it landed to a falling Palmer in the end zone for a miracle touchdown. The Chargers led by 4. After a touchback, the Vikings moved 73 yards in 13 plays and 5 minutes. With 3:40 to play, the Vikings had 2nd and goal at the one. The lead was there and there’s for the taking. A run lost a yard and cousins threw incomplete. with 3 minutes left, Kevin O’Connell went for it, a reasonable decision. Cousins threw incomplete. 

The Chargers moved to a 4th and 1 at their own 24. The Vikings were out of timeouts. One more first down would end the game. There was 1:51 left. Yet the Chargers were up by 4. Only an idiot, an arrogant SOB, or both would go for it in this situation on 4th and 1 from his own 24. Brandon Staley is that man. It failed when the genius Bill Belichick tried it. It failed when Barry Switzer tried it. At least those men won Super Bowls, with Switzer also winning an NCAA championship as well. The call was mind-numbingly stupid, and Kelley got stopped cold for no gain. The Vikings now had gift field position to win the game and end Staley’s reign of error. 

On 3rd and 11, Cousins threw incomplete but defensive illegal use of hands meant an automatic first down. With 41 seconds left, on 4th and 5 from the Chargers 15, Cousins hit Hockenson for 9. The Vikings had 1st and goal at the 6, but rather than hurry up to the line and spike the ball, the Vikings moved like they had all the time in the world. Cousins fired over the middle to Hockenson for what should have been the winning touchdown. The ball was well thrown right in Hockenson’s bread basket. Instead it bounced off of Hockenson’s chest, was batted up in the air, and intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. The Vikings had plenty of time to run 3 or 4 plays, but for some reason tried a forced throw over the middle with 12 seconds left after wasting 30 seconds. The Vikings are 0-3. The Chargers finally have a win, but most Chargers fans want Brandon Staley fired anyway. His players bailed him out. This time. 28-24 Chargers

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks — After a big emotional overtime road win at Detroit, the Seahawks had to avoid a home letdown against lowly Carolina. Veteran Red Rifle Andy Dalton was starting in place of the injured rookie Bryce Young. The Panthers moved from their own 21 to a 2nd and 5 at the Seattle 20. Dalton was sacked to kill the drive. Eddie Pineiro hit from 47 to make it 3-0 Panthers. Jason Myers then took over, hitting from 33 in the first quarter and from 35 and 33 in the second quarter to make it 9-3 Seahawks. 

The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Dalton hit Adam Thielen for 5. Sanders gained 15. On 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 47, Dalton went deep to D Chark for the game’s first touchdown and a 10-9 Panthers lead. An interception of Smith had the Panthers at the Seattle 28. The Panthers went nowhere but Pineiro hit from 44 to make it 13-9 Panthers. The Seahawks took over at their own 27 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Carolina 19 with one minute left. Smith threw 3 straight incompletions. Myers hit from 37 to get the Seahawks within 13-12 at the half. In the third quarter the Seahawks moved from their own 24 to a 3rd and 3 at the Carolina 21. Smith threw incomplete. Myers hit from 39 to make it 15-13 Seahawks. Midway through the third quarter Pineiro lined up for a 55 yard try to give the Panthers the lead. He was wide no good.

The Seahawks took over from their own 45. Smith went to Parkinson for 14. On 1st and 21 after an illegal blindside block penalty on the offense, Smith went deep to Walker for 36. Smith hit Fant for 12. On 3rd and goal at the one, Walker got in to make it 22-13 Seahawks. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Dalton threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 12 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Carolina 46, Dalton hit Thielen for 23. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 26, Dalton hit Thielen for 25 down to the one. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Sanders got in to make it 29-20 Seahawks. With 5 minutes left the Panthers had to go for it on 4th and 2 from their own 40. Dalton hit Sanders for 14 but an illegal shift nullified it. On 4th and 7, Dalton was sacked. The Seahawks took over at the Carolina 27. Smith hit Bobo for a 5 yard touchdown and Tyler Lockett for the 2 point conversion to make it 37-20 Seahaks and put the game out of reach. The Panthers got one garbage touchdown but not the onside kick. 37-27 Seahawks

Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals — The Dallas Cowboys are constantly declaring themselves Super Bowl contenders because Jerry Jones says they are. Yet after blasting a pair of opponents by a combined 60 points, Jerrah had reason for optimism this year. Now they faced a Cardinals team that was winless, witless and worthless. This was expected to be a mismatch, and it was. On the second play from scrimmage from his own 27, Joshua Dobbs ran for 44 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 22, a completion gained only one yard. Matt Prater hit from 39 to make it 3-0 Cardinals. The Cardinals got it back at their own 18. Dobbs hit Wilson for 17. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 22. James Conner gained 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 15, Dobbs hit Conner for 10. Conner ran for a 5 yard touchdown. An inexplicable 2 point try by rookie coach Jonathan Gannon failed but the Cardinals led 9-0. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Arizona 31. Dak Prescott threw incomplete. Aubrey hit from 49 to get the Cowboys on the board. The Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Dobbs hit Hollywood Brown for 12 as the Cardinals began the second quarter at their own 43. On 3rd and 11, Dobbs threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. Moore broke free for a 45 yard touchdown run. Another 2 point try again failed but the Cardinals led 15-3 in front of an elated home crowd.

After a touchback, Tony Pollard ran for a pair of 8 yard gains. Prescott ran for 10. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 43, Prescott hit Cooks for 5. CeeDee Lamb got around the end for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 29, Pollard gained 5 and then 8 more. On 2nd and 14 from the Arizona 15, Prescott hit Dowdle for the touchdown to get the Cowboys right back in it down 15-10. After a touchback, the Cardinals moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Dallas 24. A completion lost a yard. Prater hit from 43 to make it 18-10 Cardinals with 90 seconds left in the half. The Cardinals got it back at their own 29 with 26 seconds left. Dobbs hit Brown for 14. Prater leveled a 62 yard field goal to end the half with the Cardinals up 21-10. 

After a touchback, the Cowboys moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Arizona 8. Prescott threw incomplete twice. Aubrey hit form 27 to get the Cowboys within 21-13. The Cowboys got it back and moved from their own 16 to a 4th and 3 at the Arizona 4. Mike McCarthy went for it and Prescott threw incomplete. The Cowboys got it back again to start the fourth quarter at their own 36. They moved to a 2nd and goal at the Arizona 8. A run went nowhere and Prescott then threw incomplete. Aubrey hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 21-16 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The cardinals took over at their own 24. Rather than run down some clock, they risked it all in one big bite. Dobbs went deep to Wilson for a 69 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Dobbs hit Brown for the touchdown to give the cardinals breathing room. After a touchback, the Cowboys moved to a 3rd and goal at the 6 with 3 minutes left. Prescott went to the end zone and was intercepted. In an absolute shocker, the previously winless defeated the previously undefeated. For the 28th year in a row, the Cowboys are not as great as they think they are. Again, Chris Berman’s maxim rings true. “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” 28-16 Cardinals

Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs — Pop singers have nothing to dow with football. This is a football column. Whether or not some celebrity dates a football player means nothing to me. Now back to football. The Chiefs are very good. The Bears are pathetic, perhaps the worst team in football. This had the potential to be a blowout and it was. The Chiefs took over at their own 41. Patrick Mahomes went to Taylor Swift’s future ex-boyfriend Travis Kelce for 24 and to Moore for 21. Mahomes ran for 11. Mahomes hit McKinnon for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs exploded in the second quarter to put the game away. From their own 20, Clyde Edwards-Helaire caught a pass from Mahomes for 2 and then ran for 9 and 2. The second quarter began with the Chiefs facing 3rd and 2 from their own 39. Mahomes hit Kelce for 15. Pacheco ran for 18. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 25, Mahomes hit McKinnon for 10 and Rice for 14 down to the one. Edwards-Helaire got in from there to make it 14-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 12. Mahomes went to Watson for 37. Pacheco ran for 5, 4 and 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 7, Pacheco ran for 4. Mahomes hit McKinnon for a 4 yard touchdown for a 21-0 Rams lead with 3 minutes left in the half.

That was plenty of time for the Bears to self-destruct. After a touchback, they quickly fumbled. The Chiefs took over at the  Chicago 26. This time they moved backward but Harrison Butker hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 24-0 Chiefs. Two plays after a touchback, Justin Fields was intercepted by Edwards, who returned it 16 yards to the Chicago 26. Mahomes hit rice for 12 and 13. Pacheco got the last yard to make it 31-0 Bears with one minute left in the half. The Chiefs got the ball back at their own 35 with 35 seconds left. Mahoms scrambled for 15. A touchdown bomb was nullified by an illegal formation, but a defensive facemark penalty on the next play had the Chiefs in field goal range. Butker hit from 38 to end the half with the Chiefs up 34-0. In the third quarter the Chiefs faced 3rd and 6 at their own 40. Mahomes went deep to Marques Valdes-Scantling for 37. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 16, Mahomes hit Moore for 6. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Mahomes hit Kelce for the touchdown to make it 41-0 Chiefs. Walrus Andy Reid had seen enough and benched Mahomes. Blaine Gabbert finished the game. The Bears managed a field goal and a touchdown in the fourth quarter long after anyone cared. The Chiefs are already in sole possession of first place in the AFC West en route to their 8th straight division crown, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. As for the Bears, Matt Eberflus remains uber-flustered. This is NOT why they play the games. 41-10 Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders was the Sunday night game. Last December the Raiders collapsed in the final minute in a 13-10 loss to the Steelers. The loss effectively eliminated them from postseason contention. Josh McDaniels responded by benching Derek Carr and then running him out of town. McDaniels replaced Carr with Jimmy Garoppolo, who lacks Carr’s arm strength but will obediently throw the 4 yard West Coast Offense dink and dunk passes that McDaniels loves. At home, the Raiders had a chance to show that they were better than the team that lost by 28 points at Buffalo last week. Unlike McDaniels, Mike Tomlin pounds the rock and wears down opposing defenses. In a battle between physical and finesse, of physical was going to win. Everyone except McDaniels understands this.

Mike Tomlin after a touchback came out running the ball. On 3rd and 1 from his own 34. Hayward got stopped for no gain. It was an inspiring defensive stand. The Raiders responded by going 3 and out, but then the Steelers got it back and went 3 and out a second time. The Raiders took over at their own 26. Garoppolo hit Davante Adams fir gains of 9 and 19. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 32, Garoppolo got stopped for no gain. Josh McDaniels had his first big decision. He decided to go for it. This was the right call. Yet he is still too gutless to smash the ball up the gut. He has a battering ram in Jacobs but refuses to use him when it matters. McDaniels tries to out-think people rather than just out-muscle them. This often fails. 

This time it did not fail. Garoppolo faked the handoff and used the play action pass to go deep to Adams for a 32 yard touchdown. Yes, the play worked, but it doesn’t hide glaring flaws. For one, the ball was underthrown. Adams had to come back for it. He caught it and fell into the end zone. The Raiders led 7-0 for the third straight week. For the third straight week, their offense slept for much of the rest of the game. The Raiders had all the momentum. They rapidly squandered it away. Three plays after a touchback with the Steelers facing 3rd and 7 at their own 28, Kenny Pickett went bombs away to Austin for a 72 yard touchdown. Just like that it was 7-7.

In the second quarter the Raiders moved from their own 14 to the Pittsburgh 43. Garoppolo threw an ill-advised pass over the middle into traffic that was intercepted. The Steelers moved from their own 31 to a 2nd and 4 at the Raiders 23. A run lost yards and Pickett then threw incomplete. Chris Boswell hit from 43 to make it 10-7 Steelers. The Steelers got it back and moved to a 4th and 7 at the Raiders 23. Boswell hit from 42. The Steelers led 13-7 with 1:56 left in the half. 

Yet the Raiders had a chance to double up with the last possession of the half and receiving the second half kickoff. The Raiders after a touchback in the first half moved to a 2nd and 4 at their own 48. Garoppolo threw incomplete and then was sacked. Other teams make adjustments. Josh McDaniels stubbornly sticks to his failed system. After the second half touchback, McDaniels still could have run the ball. Instead, Garoppolo threw a pair of incompletions. On 3rd and 10, rather than throw past the marker, Garoppolo completed a 7 yard pass.The Steelers moved from their own 9 to a 3rd and 7 at the Raiders 39. Pickett threw incomplete. Mike Tomlin sent in Boswell for a 57 yard try. Boswell was good and the Steelers led 16-7. Like many games under McDaniels, the game gets away very gradually but it does get away.

After a touchback the Raiders moved to the Pittsburgh 48. Garoppolo went deep and was intercepted again. The Steelers moved from their own 19. Pickett went to George Pickens for 17, to Warren for 16, and to Pat Freiermuth for 14. Harris gained 17. Pickett went to Freiermuth for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 23-7 Steelers. The Raiders after a touchback moved 53 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. Early in the fourth quarter the Raiders faced 4th and 5 at the Pittsburgh 22. There was still over 13 minutes left. Daniel Carlson can hit a 40 yard field goal in his sleep. Instead, Josh mcDaniels made a horrendous decision to go for it. Garoppolo threw incomplete. 

Yet despite 23 unanswered points, the game was somehow not over. The Raiders got it back at their own 20. Garoppolo went deep to Adams for 26 and again for 6. Carr then went to forgotten Hunter Renfrow for 10. Carr had a great rapport with Renfrow. Garoppolo rarely targets him. Jacobs banged out runs of 10, 9 and 2. A sack of Garoppolo had the Raiders facing 2nd and 16 from the Pittsburgh 23. A completion from Garoppolo to Abdullah gained 13, with defensive holding adding 5 more. Another sack of Garoppolo was wiped out by roughing the passer. On 3rd and goal at the one, Josh McDaniels still would not try to muscle the ball in. Garoppolo hit Adams for the touchdown. Garoppolo hit Mayer for the 2 point conversion. With 5:41 to play, the Raiders were within 23-15.

The Raiders defense forced a 3 and out. A 16 yard punt return had the Raiders taking over at their own 48. A full 4 1/2 minutes remained. The defense and special teams did their jobs. Now it was up to the offense, which is supposedly McDaniels’s specialty. The Raiders quickly moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Pittsburgh 27. Jacobs gained 2. Now it was 4th and 1 at the Pittsburgh 25. McDaniels decided to go for it. This was the right call. Yet then came the false start. Only 3:11 remained. Down by 8, McDaniels opted for a field goal. Given that the Raiders had all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning, the decision was justified. Either way could have been. Carlson made the 48 yard field goal, but then chaos ensued.

The Steelers were called for a 15 yard personal foul for using leverage on the kick. McDaniels properly took the field goal off the board. Now the Raiders were at the Pittsburgh 14. There was plenty of time to run the ball Instead McDnaiels kept dinking and dunking. On 2nd and 4, Garoppolo threw incomplete twice. Now it was 4th and 4 from the Pittsburgh 8. Only 2 1/2 minutes remained. This time the Raiders had to go for it. Yet McDaniels again opted for the field goal. After the game he denied having a total lack of confidence in his own offense. That would be admitting that his personal system is a failure. Yet if he was going to be gutless, he should have just taken the first field goal. Carlson hit from 26, but the Raiders still trailed by 5. All he did was waste an entire minute.  

Now the Raiders defense had to get a stop. On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Pickett hit Robinson for 6 yards and a killer first down. The Raiders eventually held, but by the time they got the ball back, only 12 seconds remained. From their own 15, they had maybe 2 or at the most 3 plays to move 85 yards with 0 timeouts. Dinking and dunking would not get it done. They had to get to midfield to have a shot at a Hail Mary. Remember, Garoppolo does not have a strong arm. There would be no Hail Mary. Garoppolo quickly threw his third interception. Dink. Dunk. Death. This is Josh McDaniels football. Mike Tomlin football is hard-nosed running up the gut to send a message. McDaniels might be French. He had a chance to win, and he surrendered. 

The Raiders are now 1-2. McDaniels is the problem. He got rid of Carr. He brought in Garoppolo. He refused to trust Garoppolo with the game on the line. A leader would have demanded a chance to win. For Jewish Raiders fans, this was a Yom Kippur debacle that the entire team should atone for. Mark Davis blew up a playoff team 2 years ago. Now he needs the courage to blow up a team heading South fast. Firing McDaniels is the answer. Until then, this season and franchise is lost. 23-18 Steelers 

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the first Monday night game. Both of these teams came in 2-0 but the Buccaneers had not faced a real test yet. The Eagles are a favorite to get back to the big game. Early on this was a defensive slugfest.  A 52 yard punt return gave the Eagles a short field at the Tampa Bay 44. The drive died at the Tampa 13 but Jake Elliott hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles.The Buccaneers began the second quarter at their own 16. They moved 69 yards in 13 plays and 6 minutes. They also hit a wall at the Philadelphia 15. Chase McLaughlin hit a 33 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. 

The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 21. Jalen Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 13 and Zaccheaus for 24. On 3rd and 10 from the Philadelphia 34, Hurts went deep to Zaccheaus for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Eagles. Baker Mayfield was then intercepted to give the Eagles another short field at the Tampa 37.  Yet Hurts threw it right back to White, who returned it 26 yards to his own 43 for the Buccaneers with only 39 seconds left in the half. Yet a short completion resulted in the ball being chopped out. The Eagles recovered the fumble at the Tampa 36 with 24 seconds left. With 3 seconds left, Elliott came in for a 38 yard try to end the half. The kick was good as the Eagles took a 13-3 lead to the intermission.  

The Eagles began the third quarter facing 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Hurt gained 4. Hurts hit AJ Brown for 11 and Goedert for 9. Deandre swift broke off runs of 26, 9 and 5. On 3rd and goal at the one, Hurts took the quarterback sneak but was stopped inches short. Nick Sirianni went for it. Hurts took the sneak again on 4th and goal and crossed the goal line for the touchdown to make it 20-3 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 13. They appeared headed for another score when Hurts went deep into double coverage and Delaney made a spectacular diving interception for the Buccaneers at his own one yard line. Yet on the next play rom scrimmage, White took the handoff and got buried ins own zone by the Eagles defense. The safety made it 22-3 Eagles. The Eagles took the free kick at their own 37 and moved 55 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Early in the fourth quarter the Eagles faced 3rd and goal at the 2. Hurts was sacked. Elliott hit the 26 yard field goal to make it 25-3 Eagles. The Buccaneers got one garbage touchdown and a two point conversion but nothing more. The Buccaneers were exposed. The Eagles are for real. 25-11 Eagles 

Los Angeles Rams at Cincinnati Bengals was the second Monday night game. These teams are not what they were two years ago. The Rams are rebuilding. The Bengals despite still being elite have started 0-2 for the second straight year. This game was almost exclusively about the kickers. The Bengals missed a chance to score first when Evan McPherson missed a 56 yard field goal try. Brett Maher hit from 30 to make it 3-0 Rams. McPherson hit from 49 to make it 3-3 in the second quarter. Maher hit from 23 to make it 6-3 Rams. McPherson drilled a 53 yarder to make it 6-6 at the half. Maher hit from 42 to make it 9-6 Rams in the third quarter. After a touchback, Joe Mixon ran for 13 and 2. Joe Burrow hit JaMarr Chase for 16. On 3rd and 10 from the Rams 44, Burrow hit Chase for 13. and tee Higgins for 13 more. Mixon ran for a 14 yard score. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive made it 13-9 Bengals. McPherson hit from 48 in the third quarter and from 54 in the fourth quarter to make it 19-9 Bengals. By the time the Rams reached the end zone, only one minute remained. The onside kick failed as the Bengals got a tiny measure of revenge for the Super Bowl by nearly the exact same score. The Bengals finally got their first win this year. 19-16 Bengals

NFL 2023 Week 3 Prequel

Thursday, September 21, 2023, 8pm

New York Giants at an Francisco 49ers (-10 1/2) — The Giants showed grit in overcoming a 21 point deficit against lowly Arizona, but the 49ers are playing on another level. This is a complete mismatch. Brock Purdy is playing well. Daniel Jones fumbles a lot. The 49ers have a defense. The math is ugly. 49ers cover

Sunday, September 24, 1pm

Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens (-7 1/2) — The Colts are a young team. The Ravens are an experienced team. Lamar Jackson will handle business. The spread is high but the Colts do not have the firepower to keep up. Ravens cover

Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns (-3 1/2) — This spread is a surprise given that Deshaun Watson is not playing well. Neither is Ryan Tannehill, but he has Derrick Henry. With Nick Chubb out, the Browns are bringing back Kareem Hunt. In a slugfest, go with Derrick Henry. Upset special, Titans win outright.

Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins (-6 1/2) — The Broncos lost twice at home while the unbeaten Dolphins are flying high. Tua Tagovailoa is on the verge of finally reaching his potential Russell Wilson has struggled in Sean Payton’s offense. The Dolphins are putting up points but not blowing teams out. Dolphins win but fail to cover

New England Patriots (-2 1/2) at New York Jets — If the Jets cannot win this game, they may never defeat the Patriots ever again. The Patriots are 0-2 for the first time since 2001. Bill Belichick loves to torment the Jets. Neither Mac Jones or Zach Wilson are anything to write home about. expect a heavy dose of Raimondre Stevenson. The Evil Hoodie may no longer get the benefit of the doubt, but the Patriots have been competitive while the Jets were listless last week. Patriots cover

Buffalo Bills (-6 1/2) at Washington Commanders — The Bills got back to their winning from last week while the Commanders survived a Hail Mary to win. Josh Allen seems back on track. The Bills have the better defense, the better quarterback, and more weapons. Yet the spread is high for a road team against another well-coached team. Bills win but fail to cover

Atlanta Falcons at Detroit Lions (-3) — The Falcons are 2-0 and starting to believe their own hype. The Lions had their bubble burst last week with an overtime loss at home. Yet it’s too early to jump on the Atlanta bandwagon or jump off the Detroit bandwagon. Jared Goff at home indoors gives the Lions the edge. Lions cover

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers (-2) — The Saints have won ugly twice while the Packers blew a fourth quarter double digit lead at Atlanta. Derek Carr and Jordan Love are both under the microscope. So are Dennis Allen and Matt LaFleur. The Saints have the better defense but their offense kicks too many field goals. At home, the Packers get back on track. Packers cover

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-9) — The Texans are bad. The Jaguars, despite a tough home loss to Kansas City, are quite good. This is a mismatch. Go with Doug Pederson, Trevor Lawrence and a good defense over the rookie coach and quarterback. Jaguars cover

Los Angeles Chargers at Minnesota Vikings (-1) — These teams are either underachieving or they were overrated to begin with. Either way, the loser is 0-3. Given that both of these teams are playing below their talent level, go with the home field. Also, Brandon Staley makes boneheaded decisions that cause close wins to become close losses. Vikings cover

1pm

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks (-6) — The Panthers are young and experiencing growing pains. The Seahawks have ageless Pete Carroll, who led an inspired squad to an upset win at Detroit last week. Geno Smith is competent enough, and the Panthers lack the talent to make this a game. Seahawks cover

Dallas Cowboys (-12) at Arizona Cardinals — The Cowboys followed up a 40 point win with a 20 point win. At this rate, they will only win this by 10. The Cardinals blew a 21 point lead last week to the same Giants team that the Cowboys crushed by 40. The spread is still too high, and the Cowboys could take the Cardinals too lightly. A garbage touchdown to defeat the spread is possible. Cowboys win but fail to cover

Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs (12 1/2) — The Chiefs have not returned to their Super Bowl form yet, but the Bears are awful. Patrick Mahomes should be able to spread the ball around with ease. Matt Nagy would love to beat the team that fired him. His replacement Matt Eberflus seems uber-flustered. Chiefs cover

8pm

Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders (-2 1/2) — These teams played a brutal match last year that saw the Raiders collapse late in a 13-10 Steelers win in Derek Carr’s final game before being benched and exiled. Neither of these teams are any good and the home field will not matter. Mike Tomlin is a far superior coach to Josh Mcdaniels. Tomlin runs the ball. McDaniels dinks and dunks. The Raiders have more talent on offense. If McDaniels can avoid his terrible play-calling instincts, the Raiders have a shot. Raiders cover

Monday, September 25, 7pm

Philadelphia Eagles (-5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Both teams are 2-0, but it’s too early to take the Buccaneers seriously. Baker Mayfield is playing well, but the Eagles are on a mission. Jalen Hurts is in midseason form. Give the Buccaneers one chance to show they are for real and make the game close. Eagles win but fail to cover

8pm

Los Angeles Rams at Cincinnati Bengals (-2 1/2) — Two years after a thrilling Super Bowl, the Rams are in rebuilding mode and the Bengal are a surprising 0-2 for the second straight year. Joe Burrow has not forgotten how to play football, but he may be more injured than he is letting on. The Rams were manhandled by San Francisco, and expecting the Bengals to go 0-3 at home is a tall order. Go with the home field given that both teams have playmakers. Bengals cover