NFL 2024 Week 14 Prequel

December 3rd, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 14 Prequel

Thursday, December 5, 2024, 8pm

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (-3 1/2) — This is why we watch football. The Packers are 9-3. The Lions are 11-1. A few weeks ago the Lions went into Green Bay and beat them up. The Packers are a good team. The Lions are a great team. Their offense is virtually unstoppable. Jared Goff has a pinball offense. At home in the dome, the Lions will continue to roll. Lions cover

Sunday, December 8, 1pm

New Orleans Saints (-5) at New York Giants — Despite losing last week, the Saints have improved since Darren Rizzi took over as interim coach. The Giants are just dreadful. Derek Carr does have options, but Taysom Hill is not one of them. Hill suffered a season ending knee injury last week. The Saints should win, but the spread is high for a road team with a losing record. Saints win but fail to cover

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6 1/2) — Two weeks ago the Browns shocked the Steelers in the snow in Cleveland. Yet the Browns are coming off a short week. Jameis Winston throws too many interceptions. The Steelers can run the ball. The Browns have improved since Winston took over. He might be able to keep it close, but the Steelers should be able to grind out a win. Steelers win but fail to cover 

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (-5 1/2) — The Falcons have lost three straight to drop to 6-6. The Vikings overcame a double digit second half deficit to eke out a win last week to get to 10-2. Kirk Cousins sis facing his old team, but he does not have enough weapons. The Vikings have all world Justin Jefferson to stretch the defense. Vikings cover

Las Vegas Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6 1/2) — Twenty years after the Buccaneers shellacked the Raiders in the Super Bowl, the Raiders still have not recovered. Now the Raiders have lost eight straight. The Buccaneers t 6-6 are tied atop their division. The Raiders took Kansas City to the limit. The Raiders defense is competent. The Buccaneers have far more talent on offense. Buccaneers win but fail to cover

Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles (-12 1/2) — The Eagles usually win close games, but their road win at Baltimore was very impressive. The Panthers have played much better football in the last three weeks than the rest of the season. The Eagles will win, but a garbage touchdown to beat the spread is very possible. Eagles win but fail to cover

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (-3 1/2) — Both teas are awful. Trevor Lawrence suffered a concussion last week on a brutal hit. Without Lawrence, the Jaguars have zero chance. Go with the home field against a depleted team. Titans cover

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-6 1/2 ) — The Dolphins are nothing special but the Jets are pathetic. Other bad teams have far less talent and are still competing. The Jets have talented players but never gelled as a team. The worst thing to say about a team as that they quit. The Jets seem to have quit. Tua Tagovailoa is healthy for the moment. Dolphins cover

4pm

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (-2 1/2) — The 7-5 Seahawks and 6-6 Cardinals are fighting for the division lead. The Cardinals blew a double digit second half lead on the road last week. Home field matters very little in this series. Geno Smith is competent. Kyler Murray is exciting but has less help than Smith.If James Conner can run the ball, the Cardinals can shorten the game. Cardinals win but fail to cover

Buffalo Bills(-4 1/2) at Los Angeles Rams — The Rams started 1-4 but Sean McVay held the team together to get them to 6-6. Yet the 10-2 Bills are in Super Bowl mode. The Rams have enough offensive talent to make this a close game, but go with the better team. Josh Allen is a dual threat quarterback. The Bills have the better defense. Bills win but fail to cover

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (-3 1/2) — 40 years ago, this game mattered greatly. The Bears finally fired Matt Eberflus. The 49ers are 5-7, one game better than the Bears. Yet the 49ers are only two games back in their division. The 49ers lost Christian McCaffrey for the rest of the year to injury. Brock Purdy still has more weapons than Caleb Williams. The Bears find ways to lose. 49ers cover

8pm

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (-4) — The Chief are the better team but they win close games. The Chargers tend to play the Chiefs tough, and with Jim Harbaugh at the helm, the Chargers defense has improved. Yet the Chiefs are still 11-1. Chiefs cover

Monday, December 9, 8pm

Cincinnati Bengals (-5 1/2) at Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys have won two straight with Cooper Rush. The Bengals are doing badly despite Joe Burrow leading the league in touchdown passes. As for why the Bengals are favored at all is a mystery. Go with the trend. Upset special, Cowboys win outright

NFL 2024 Week 13 Thanksgiving Recap

November 30th, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 13 Recap

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Thursday morning game. The Bears came in having lost 5 straight. The Lions came in having won 9 straight and seriously thinking Super Bowl. Yet the Lions also came in having lost 8 straight Thanksgiving Day games, all of them at home. However, these are not the same old Lions. Sometimes a losing road team can go on the road and shock a great team in an upset for the ages. This was not that game early on. In the first half Goliath beat up David and stole his lunch money with little difficulty. 

After an opening touchback, the Lions moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Chicago 12. Jared Goff threw incomplete twice. Bates hit the 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 10. On 3rd and 2, Goff went to Am-ra St. Brown for 29. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 18, 13 and 11. Goff went to Sam LaPorta for a 3 yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter to cap the 10 play, 90 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 10-0 Lions. Bates tacked on second quarter field goals of 36 and 48. The Lions scored the first 4 times they had the ball for a 16-0 lead. A desperate Matt Eberflus gambled on 4th and 3 from his own 37. Caleb Williams threw incomplete. The Lions were on the verge of putting the game away by halftime, but they fumbled the ball away at the Chicago 6 yard line with one minute left in the half. Yet by halftime, the Lions led in time of possession 23 minutes to 7 minutes, in first downs 18-2, in yards 279-53, in plays 47-19, and most importantly on the scoreboard. 

Yet in the third quarter the Bears showed signs of life. Deandre Swift ran for 4, 5, and on 3rd and 1 from his own 35, 5 more. On 3rd and 14 form his own 36, Williams found Allen for 18. Williams went deep to Allen for a 31 yard touchdown. Matt Eberflus decided not to try and chase points with a 2 point conversion attempt. The Bears were within 16-7. The Lions took over at their own 22. Goff went to David Montgomery for 19. On 3rd and 8 from their own 43, a completion gained only 4 yards. However, a defensive horse collar tackle penalty added 15 more. Montgomery ran for 9 and Williams added 15. Montgomery ran for 3 and 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 5, Goff got the yard. Goff hit LaPorta for a one yard touchdown to make it 23-7 Lions. Yet the Bears were not done.

After a touchback, Williams went to Odunze for 19 and to Swift for 29. The fourth quarter began with the Bears facing 3rd and 6 at the Detroit 15. Williams went to Odunze for just enough. Williams found Allen for a 9 yard touchdown. This time Matt Eberflus did go for 2 and Williams threw incomplete. The Bears were down 23-13. The Bears got it back and had to punt on 4th and 18 at their own 7. The Lions receive gift field position at midfield. Yet with 9 minutes left, Bates missed a 45 yard field goal try. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 41. Williams went to Cole Kmet for 5. Williams hit DJ Moore for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 31, Williams went deep to Moore for the touchdown. Now the Bears were only down by 3 points with a full 5 1/2 minutes left. The Lions went 3 and out but a great punt pinned the Bears at their own one. 

On 3rd and 7 from their 4, Williams went to Moore for 25. On 3rd and 1 from their 38, Swift gained 12. With 1:04 to play, the Bears were down to 4th and 4. Williams went to Moore for 21. Yet offensive pass interference instead meant 4th and 14. These are the Bears. Williams threw deep incomplete but this time it was defensive pass interference that meant a 29 yard gain. In past years we would say that these are the Lions, but that would no longer be fair. Nevertheless, the Bears had 1st and 10 at the Detroit 25. A full 46 seconds remained. The Bears still had 2 timeouts. They were easily in field goal range. Now they had a chance at the upset win. Williams threw incomplete. The Bears then wasted their 2nd timeout because they could not get organized with the clock stopped. These are the Bears. Williams then went to Allen for 12, but offensive illegal use of hands meant 2nd and 20. These are the Bears. Yet 43 seconds still remained. A field goal would still be a makable 53 yards. The Bears still had a timeout left. There was plenty of time.  What happened next left both teams and fans everywhere in shock and disbelief.

Williams got belted down hard for a 6 yard loss. At this point 36 seconds remained. A field goal try would be 59 yards, difficult but not impossible. Yet it was 3rd and 26. There was plenty of time to run another play, gain 5-15 yards, call the last timeout, and set up the field goal. Heck, even without a timeout there was ages of time. Yet the Bears took their sweet time getting to the line of scrimmage. Then at the line they just let precious seconds tick away. Matt Eberflus did nothing. By the time Williams snapped the ball, only 6 seconds remained. At that point he could have quickly thrown it out of bounds. Instead he threw a deep ball that fell incomplete. Fans thought that there must have been time for another play. Yet the clock showed zeroes. The game was over. From 43 seconds to 36 seconds to zeroes. These are the Bears. Everyone from the perpetual Eberflustered to the players should be fired. The Lions got to 11-1, but mainly because the Bears fell to 4-8. The Bears find creative ways to lose. This is absolutely NOT why they play the games. 23-20 Lions

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon game. Both teams are bad but the Giants are far worse. The Cowboys with Cooper Rush at the helm finally snapped a 5 game losing streak. The Giants got rid of Daniel Jones, only to see Tommy “Cutlets” Devito get buried at home last week. This week it was 3rd stringer Drew Lock starting for the Giants. After an opening touchback, the Cowboys moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Giants 5. Rush threw incomplete twice. Brandon Aubrey hit a 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. After a touchback, Devin Singletary ran for 4 and 7. On 4th and 1 from midfield Brian Daboll decided to go for it. Tracy gained 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 35, Singletary gained 2. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 29, Lock scrambled for 28 down to the one. Tracy got the yard to cap the 13 play, 70 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive for a 7-3 Giants lead after the first quarter.

After a touchback, the Cowboys moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Dallas 15 in the second quarter. Rush threw incomplete. Aubrey hit again from 33 to have the Cowboys within 7-6. A strong kickoff return had the Giants taking over at their own 15. One play and 15 seconds later, Lock found Overshown. Problem: Overshown plays defense for Dallas. Overshown returned the interception for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Cowboys. A field position game pinned the Cowboys at their own one yard line. they punted from their 2 and a 22 yard punt return had the Giants taking over at the Dallas 29. Yet they wasted the field position. Graham Gano hit a 46 yard field goal to have the Giants within 13-10. 

The Cowboys quickly broke the game open in the third quarter. On the third play from scrimmage on 3rd and 2 from their own 38, Lock was sacked and fumbled. The Cowboys recovered at the same spot. On 3rd and 10, Rush went to Kevontae Turpin for 30. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Rush hit Cooks for the touchdown to make it 20-10 Cowboys. The Cowboys got it back after a touchback and faced 3rd and 6 at their own 34. Rush threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 10 yards. On 3rd and 5 just shy of midfield, Rush went to Tolbert for 36. On 3rd and 11 from the Giants 16, Rush threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the 8. Dowdle ran for 4 and then for a 4 yard touchdown to have the Cowboys cruising up 27-10 after three quarters.

The Giants needed 3 scores. After a touchback the Giants moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Dallas 25 to start the fourth quarter. Lock was sacked followed bay a delay of game. Gano hit a 47 yard field goal to get the Giants within 27-13. With 4 1/2 minutes left the Giants took over at their own 20. Lock ran for an 8 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 7 points with 2:18 to play. Brian Daboll decided to kick it deep and trust his defense rather than go onside kick. Everything came down to the Cowboys facing 3rd and 2 at their own 38 at the 2 minute warning. Rush hit Cooks for 3 and then took a couple of knees. The Giants became the first team in 2024 to reach double digit losses in the quest for the 2025 top Draft pick. 27-20 Cowboys

Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers was the Thanksgiving Thursday night game. This was simply a good team at home beating up an inferior team. In the first quarter the Dolphins fumbled a punt and the Packers recovered at the Miami 9. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Jordan Love went to reed for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Packers got it back at their own 24. Love went to Kraft for 9. On 3rd and 3 from their own 42, Love went to Kraft for 17. Jacobs ran for 11. On 3rd and 4 from the Miami 22, Wilson ran for 15. Jacobs ran for 6 and then for the one yard touchdown to have the Packers up 14-0. The Dolphins managed a second quarter field goal but this game was never a contest. The Packers took over at their own 38 with 3 minutes left in the half. Love went to Wicks for 8. Brooks ran for 18. On 1st and 15 from the Miami 41, Love went to Watson for 21. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 12, Love went to Reed for the touchdown to make it 21-3 Packers. With 27 seconds left in the half Mike McDaniel gambled on 4th and 5 from the Green Bay 38. Tua Tagovailoa threw incomplete. The field position was enough for Brandon McManus to hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 24-3 Packers at the half. The Packers coasted in the second half. They kicked a third quarter field goal followed by a Miami garbage touchdown. In the fourth quarter it was the same as the Packers kicked another field goal before eventually giving up one more garbage touchdown. The Packers are 9-3 on the year. 30-17 Packers 

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs was the Black Friday afternoon game. Last December 25th, the Raiders went into Arrowhead and smacked the Chiefs around. The Raiders ruined Christmas for an irate Travis Kelce and his whiny girlfriend. Aidan O’Connell did not complete a single pass after the first quarter. Yet 2 defensive touchdowns late in the second quarter had the Raiders up 20-7 before winning 20-14. This year the Raiders have lost 7 straight and are in contention for the top NFL 2025 Draft pick. The Chiefs are marching toward their third straight Super Bowl in a chance to make permanent NFL history. The Chiefs began at their own 27 and easily moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Raiders 7. Yet Patrick Mahomes threw incomplete. Wright hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. The Raiders moved from their own 8 to a 1st and goal at the 4 early in the second quarter. Then came a false start. Then O’Connell was sacked. Daniel Carlson hit the 27 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. The Raiders got it back at their own 45 and moved to a 2n and 3 at the Kansa city 37. Then came an offensive penalty for an ineligible man downfield. On 3rd and 4, O’Connell threw incomplete. Carlson came in for a 56 yard field goal try to give the Raiders the lead. Carlson’s kick was dead center but short no good.

The Chiefs took over with excellent field position at their own 47. Mahomes quickly went to Noah Gray for 26. On 3rd and 10 from the Raiders 27, Walrus Andy Reid went to his bag of tricks with a hook and lateral. Mahomes went to Kelce, who then lateraled to Samaji Perine for a gain of 15 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 6, Mahomes floated a ball to the end zone just before getting belted. Somehow, Watson came down with it for the game’s first touchdown and a 10-3 Chiefs lead with 2:14 left in the half. The Chiefs got the ball back at their own 21 with one minute left. Wright’s 59 yard field goal try to extend the lead on the last play of the half was no good. The Raiders came in the worst rushing team in the league, yet ran the ball modestly effectively in the first half. The Raiders run defense was stout, giving up only 10 yards. Yet the Chiefs led on the scoreboard.

The Raiders began the third quarter at their own 25 and moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Kansas City 35. O’Connell threw into double coverage and was lucky to escape with an incompletion. A perfectly executed draw play on 3rd and 5 saw Amirr Abdullah get the first down. Officials declared it 4th and 1. Antonio Pierce  went for it. The Raiders were disorganized, as they have been all season. Abdullah got the carry and of course got stopped short. This inability to run the ball in short yardage and goal line situations has doomed the Raiders all season. From their own 31 the Chiefs moved to a 2nd and 9 from the Raiders 13, Mahomes got taken down for a 21 yard loss. Wright hit the 42 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Chiefs. 

The Raiders moved from their own 30 to a 2nd and 7 at the Kansas City 22. O’Connell threw incomplete. Given how awful the Raiders offense is, fans could be forgiven for wanting them to take a knee on 3rd down. Instead, O’Connell was sacked for a 15 yard loss. A 40 yard field goal try was now 55 yards. Carlson’s kick was wide no good. The Chiefs took over at their own 45 and moved to a 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 17, The Raiders brought the entire house and Mahomes got belted after throwing an incompletion. Wright hit from 35 to have the Chiefs up 16-3 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter.  

The Raiders defense had done all it could possibly do. To have any chance whatsoever, the Raiders had to find some offense. The Raiders got a jolt when Abdullah returned the ensuing kickoff 69 yards to the Kansas City 26. On 2nd and 7, instead of trying to run the ball, the Raiders went with 5 wide receivers and an empty backfield. The result was inevitable. Offense holding. On the verge of being out of reasonable field goal range yet again, it was now 2nd and 17. Yet this time, the Raiders did not collapse. O’Connell went deep to rookie phenom Brock Bowers. The tight end caught it for the touchdown. On the verge of a blowout, the Raiders were now only down 16-10. This was an AFC West street fight. If the Raiders wanted the shocking upset, their defense had to get another stop. Even another Kansas City field goal would probably put the game out of reach. 

After a touchback on 3rd and 10, Mahomes had Crosby all over him. As Mahomes was falling to the ground, he somehow through a perfect pass to Hollins past the first down marker. Yet Hopkins just dropped it. The Raiders got a very lucky break. The defense forced a 3 and out. The Raiders took over at their own 31 with a chance to take the lead. Sincere McCormick bounced to the outside and got around the end for an 11 yard gain as the third quarter ended. On the first play of the fourth quarter with a man in his face, O’Connell went bombs away. Tre Tucker caught it for a 68 yard touchdown. In front of a stunned home crowd, the Raiders led 17-16. Somewhere in football heaven, Al Davis was smiling. Yet now the Raiders defense had to contend with a 25th century Buck Rodgers freak of nature in Mahomes. It was going to be a long fourth quarter.

After a touchback the Chiefs moved to a 3rd and goal at the 5. Mahomes was sacked. Wright hit the 23 yard field goal to put the Chiefs back up 19-17 with 10 minutes left in regulation. A penalty on the ensuing kickoff had the Raiders backed up t their own 13 yard line. After picking up a first down on the ground, the Raiders again abandoned the run. Putting the ball in O’Connell’s hands meant incompletions and a punt. The Chiefs took over at their own 25 with 6:45 to play. The Raiders defense desperately needed a stop, but giving up a touchdown would put the game out of reach. The 2-9 team had taken the 10-1 team to the limit, but at this point it wasn’t enough.

On 3rd and 8 under pressure, Mahomes completed a pass for only 5 yards. Now the defense and done everything it could possibly do. The Raiders took over at their own 33. They had a full 51:15 to work with. They needed only a field goal. There was plenty of time to run the ball. The Raiders ran the ball well, reaching a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 39. Another run lost a yard. It didn’t matter. The Raiders had to keep running the ball. They only needed a few yards. Instead they put the ball in O’Connell’s hands. He had 2 straight passes batted down. After initially deciding to punt, the Raiders took timeout. Carlson came in for a 58 yard try. His kick was a low knuckleball that was wide no good. 3 times Carlson was no good, all from 55 yards out or more. 

The Raiders took their timeouts on defense. On 3rd and 2 from the Raiders 44, Walrus Andy Reid got greedy. Rather than run it safe, he had Mahoems go for it all. The bomb was incomplete. The Raiders defense had worked miracle after miracle. The Raiders got the ball back with 1:56 to play. Yet now it was too late to run the ball. It was all up to O’Connell. The Raiders were backed up to their own 8 yard line. Again, they only needed a field goal. O’Connell moved the Raiders to a 3rd and 3 at the Kansas City 31. 15 seconds still remained. A field goal would be 49 yards. All the Raiders had to do was give Carlson a chance to redeem himself. There was no reason to run another play.

Carlson never got the chance. Everything that is wrong with the Raiders came to a head. They were lined up in the shotgun. That was mistake number one. They set up a pass play. That was mistake number 2. O’Connell was never ready for the snap. That was mistake number 3. In a game with no turnovers, the Chiefs recovered the fumble. The Raiders lost their 8th straight to fall to 2-10. There are no moral victories in football. The Raiders need a quarterback, an offensive line, and a running back. To be passing in that situation is unforgivable. Chicago fired Matt Eberflus earlier in the day. Mark Davis needs to resist the temptation to fire the entire Raiders offensive staff. Bad teams find ways to lose. The 11-1 Chiefs clinched a playoff spot, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 19-17 Chiefs  

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots — Twenty years ago, this game was often for all the AFC marbles. Now it means a lot less. The Patriots began at their own 24 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the 5. Drake Maye was sacked. Joey Slye hit the 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots. The Colts took over at their own 29. Anthony Richardson hit Pittman for 7. Jonathan Taylor ran for 9 and Richardson added 11. Richardson went to Alex Ogletree for 22. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 13, Taylor gained 6. Richardson went to Taylor for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Colts. The Patriots after a touchback moved to a 1st and goal at the 2. Raimondre Stevenson ran it in but offensive holding nullified the score and killed the drive. Slye hit from 31 to get the Patriots within 7-6. Richardson immediately went deep and was intercepted on the last play of the first quarter. The Patriots began the second quarter at the Indianapolis 42. On 3rd and 1, Stevenson got the carry and lost 3 yards. Slye hit from 54 to have the Patriots up 9-7. 

After a touchback the Colts faced 3rd and 1 at their own 39. Richardson got around the end for 13. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant 29 more yards. On 3rd and 2 at the New England 7, Taylor gained 4. Richardson ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-9 Colts. The Patriots after a touchback the Patriots soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 39. Maye went to Douglas for 5 and to Stevenson for 13. Gibson ran for 13 and 11. Maye went to Austin Hooper for a 16 yard touchdown to have the Patriots up 16-14 with 4 minutes left in the half. The Patriots got it back at their own 42 with 3 minutes left and moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Indianapolis 3 with 27 seconds left. Maye was sacked. Yet to end the half, Slye only needed to make a 25 yard field goal to extend the lead. His kick was wide no good. 

In the third quarter the Colts moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 6 at the New England 7. A run went nowhere and Richardson threw incomplete. Matt Gay also had a chip shot 25 yard field goal try. His was good. Instead of the Patriots leading 19-14, the Colts led 17-16 on the game’s 5th lead change. The Patriots moved from their own 26 to a 2nd and 3 at the Indianapolis 7. Maye went to the goal line and was intercepted as the Patriots continued to squander chances. The Patriots got the ball back ton start the fourth quarter at their own 46. From the Indianapolis 43, Maye went to Bourne for 18. On 3rd and 3 from the Indianapolis 18, Maye went to Hooper for 7. Gibson ran for an 11 yard touchdown. Jerod Mayo went for 2 and Maye hit Bouette for the conversion. The 6th lead change of the game had the Patriots up 24-17 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

Richardson was then intercepted, giving the Patriots a chance from their own 48 to lock up the win. Instead they went 3 and out. The Colts took over at their own 20 with 5 1/2 minutes left. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Colts were down to their last gasp on 4th and 3 from their own 40. Richardson went to Mo Alie-Cox for 11. This was the Patriots first Failure to Close Out the game FCO1. With 1:57 left the Colts were again down to their last play facing 4th and 2 at the New England 41. Richardson ran for 6. This was FCO2. On 3rd and 9 from the New England 34, Richardson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 14 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 11, Taylor gained 3. With 17 seconds left in regulation, everything came down to 4th and goal at the 3. Richardson hit pierce for the touchdown. This was FCO3. Yet rather than kick the extra point and go to overtime, Shane Steichen risked it all on the road. It was 2 point conversion time. Richard ran it in successfully. For the Patriots, it was FCO4. For the game, it was the 7th lead change. For the Colts, it was a one point lead. Yet after a touchback, the Patriots still had 12 seconds to try and pull off a miracle. With one second left and the ball at midfield, Jerod Mayo had to decide between a Hail Mary or the hook and laterals. Instead, he brought out Slye for the win and NFL history. Justin Tucker holds the record for a 66 yard field goal. Slye would be trying from 68. Slye’s kick was short. He could be forgiven from missing from 68, but his earlier miss from 25 was the killer. 25-24 Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals — The Steelers were leading the division while the Bengals were sinking. Yet rather than the typical AFC North street fight, this game was a shootout. In the first quarter, Russell Wilson was intercepted by Taylor-Britt. Taylor-Britt returned the pick 51 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 7-0 Bengals lead. After that the offenses took over. After a touchback, on 3rd and 2 from their own 38, Wilson went to Najee Harris for 25, Wilson went to George Pickens for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Bengals soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Joe Burrow went to Tee Higgins for 13. Brown gained 13, then another 40 yard run down to the one, and finally the last yard to make it 14-7 Bengals. After a touchback the Steelers faced 3rd and 8 at their own 32. Wilson went to Pickens for 21. Wilson found Washington for 10. Wilson hit Cordarelle Patterson for gains of 8 and 9. On the first play of the second quarter, Wilson went to Austin for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 14-14. After a touchback, Herbert ran for 14. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 36, Burrow went to Brown for 6. Burrow found Mike Gesicki for 18. Burrow hit JaMarr Chase for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Bengals. The Steelers got it back at their own 32. Wilson found Patterson for 20. A defensive facemark added 15. Harris ran for a 10 yard touchdown. 6 straight touchdowns saw the Bengals thrice take the lead and the Steelers thrice answer for a 21-21 game that was only midway through the second quarter. 

The Bengals moved from their own 38 to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 33. Yet there would not be a 7th consecutive touchdown. Burrow was sacked and fumbled. The Steelers took over at their own 39. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 32. Wilson threw 3 straight incompletions. Chris Boswell hit a 50 yard field goal to give the Steelers their first lead up 24-21. The Steelers got the ball back at their own 19 with 1:56 left in the half. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 16 with 3 seconds left. Boswell hit from 34 to have the Steelers up 27-21. After a third quarter touchback, the Steelers had a chance to extend the lead. Yet from 42 yards out, this time Boswell’s field goal try was blocked. The Bengals moved from their own 32 to a 3rd and 6 at the Pittsburgh 11. Burrow was sacked. Evan McPherson hit the 38 yard field goal try. Instead of trailing 30-21, the Bengals were only down 27-24.  

The Steelers after a touchback took over at their own 20. Harris ran for 20. Wilson went to Skowronek for 23. Wilson went to Pat Freiermuth for a 25 yard touchdown to have the Steelers up 34-24 after three quartersIn the fourth quarter the Bengals moved from their own 33 to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 35. After a false start, Burrow was intercepted. The Bengals got it back at their own 11. On 3rd and 8 from their own 29, the Bengals turned it over again. This time a fumble was returned 21 yards the other way for a touchdown by Payton Wilson. With 11 minutes left, the Steelers now had a comfortable lead up 41-24. 

After a touchback, Burrow in desperation mode kept firing. Burrow hit Higgins for 8, Brown for 20 and Iosivas for 17, On 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 25, Burrow went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 1st and goal at the one. Burrow went to Higgins for the touchdown. With 8 1/2 minutes left the Bengals were within 41-31. The Steelers took over at their own 16 and moved to a 2nd and goal at the 3. Yet a run lost a yard and Wilson was sacked. Boswell hit the 50 yard field goal o make it 44-31 Steelers with 4 minutes left. The Bengals took over at their own 36. Burrow went deep to Chase for a 49 yard gain. Burrow went to Iosivas for a 3 yard touchdown. With 2:40 to play, the Bengals were within 6 points. The onside kick failed. Everything came down to Pittsburgh facing 3rd and 4 at the Cincinnati 40. Justin Fields came in and ran for 7 to lock up the win. Wilson came back in and took 2 knees. The Steelers are 9-3 while the Bengals are 48. The Steelers have now had 21 straight non-losing seasons, the last 18 of those under Mike Tomlin. 44-38 Steelers

Los Angeles Chargers at Atlanta Falcons — Both teams have a legitimate shot at the playoffs, but the Falcons are helped along by playing in the woeful NFC South. The Falcons squandered plenty of chances. Early on Younghoe Koo missed a chip shot 35 yard field goal. The Chargers then fumbled the ball to set up the Falcons at the Chargers 29. Robinson ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. The Chargers would not reach the end zone in the first half but they did get Cameron Dicker field goals of 45 in the first quarter and 51 and 34 in the second quarter for a 9-7 Chargers lead. Neither offense reached the end zone in the second half. Koo hit from 41 to have the Falcons up 10-9 midway through the third quarter. The key play of the game came with 1:40 left in the third quarter. Raheem Morris gambled on 4th and 5 from the Chargers 40 rather than try a 58 yard field goal. Kirk Cousins was intercepted by Still, who returned the pick 61 yards the other way. Justin Herbert went to Palmer for the 2 point conversion to make it 17-10 Chargers. At the end of the third quarter the Falcons had 2nd and goal at the 8. Cousins threw incomplete twice. Koo hit from 26 to have the Falcons within 4 points after three quarters. Cousins was intercepted twice in the fourth quarter and 4 times overall. On 4th and 12 from the Charger 35 with 47 seconds left, Cousins’s 4th and final interception of the day sealed his team’s fate. It was ugly, but the Chargers are 8-4 and the Falcons 6-6. 17-13 Chargers

Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets — Good coaches and players who go to the Jets tend to fail. Players and coaches who escape the Jets tend to have success elsewhere. Geno Smith was a bust with the Jets but has had modest success with the Seahawks. Now he was to face his former team. Midway through the first quarter the Jets faced 3rd and 2 at their own 28. Aaron Rodgers went deep to Davantae Adams for 24 and to Allen for 6 and 10. On 3rd and 13 from the Seattle 35, Rodgers was sacked but a defensive facemark meant 15 yards and a first down. Rodgers went to Adams for an 8 yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Jets led 6-0. The Seahawks fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Jets recovered at the Seattle 27. Rodgers went to Davis for a 4 yard touchdown. Breece Hall ran in the 2 point conversion to have the Jets up 14-0 after the first quarter. The Jets offense took the final three quarters off to rest for their next meaningless game. 

The Seahawks took over at their own 12. From their 20, Smith went deep to non-relative Jackson Smith-Nigba for 25. The Seahawks began the third quarter facing 3rd and 9 at their own 46. Smith went to Smith-Nigba for 25 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 20, Charbonnet gained 7. Smith went to Brner for a 12 yard touchdown to cap he 10 play, 88 yard, 6 minute drive and get the Seahawks within 14-7. Yet 13 seconds later, the Jets were in the end zone again. Nwangwu returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. The Jets led 21-7. On the next kickoff, the Seahawks fumbled it. The Jets recovered at the Seattle 38. Midway through the second quarter, the Jets had 2nd and 7 at the Seattle 9. While it was still relatively early, the Jets had a chance to all but put the game away. At the very least, they could have built a 3 score lead with only a field goal.

Instead after an incompletion, Rodgers completed a pass to Williams. Problem: Williams plays defense for the Seahawks. The big man rumbled and stumbled his way to a 92 yard touchdown for the Seahawks. The extra point was blocked, but the Seahawks were within 21-13. A strong kickoff return had the Jets at their own 44. Yet on 3rd and 2, Rodgers threw incomplete. Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich gambled and went for it. Rather than just move the chain, Rodgers went deep incomplete. The Seahawks took over at their own 48. Jason Myers hit a 54 yard field goal to have the Seahawks within 21-16. In the third quarter the Seahawks had 1st and goal at the one. A run went nowhere and Smith threw incomplete twice. Mike MacDonald gambled. On 4th and goal at the one, Smith was sacked for a 15 yard loss. The Jets defense had an inspired goal line stand. The Jets offense rewarded their defense by fumbling the ball back. The Seahawks took advantage as Myers hit a 43 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 21-19 with 13 minutes left in regulation. 

The Seahawks got the ball back and faced 4th and 6 at their own 33. Mike MacDonald lined up to go for it and out of the shotgun the ball was quickly snapped. The Jets defense got called for having 12 men on the field. Now it was 4th and 1. MacDonald gambled again. Smith threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 20 yard gain. These are the Jets. On 4th and 1 from the Jets 33 midway through the fourth quarter, MacDonald passed up a 51 yard field goal try for the lead. He gambled again. Charbonney lost a yard. Yet the defense was called for a horse collar tackle penalty, giving the Seahawks 15 yards. These are the Jets. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 13, Smith was sacked and fumbled and the fumble was returned by the defense 50 yards. Yet on further review, it was an incomplete pass. Worse, the defense jumped offsides. These are the Jets. On 3rd and 1, Charbonnet ran for an 8 yard touchdown. 19 unanswered points had the Seahawks up by 5 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The Jets moved from their own 28 to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 29 at the 2 minute warning. Rodgers threw incomplete and then completed a pass for no gain. Then he was sacked. On 4th and 15 with 38 seconds left, Rodgers went deep incomplete. 

These are the Jets. The Seahawks at 7-5 are in first place in the weak NFC West. The 3-9 Jets brought back the paper bags from the 1980s as J-E-T-S again stood for Just End The Season. Aaron Rodgers won MVP awards. Then he came to the Jets. Geno Smith had fumbleitis and was on the verge of being a bust. Then he escaped the Jets. Somewhere in retirement, Pete Carroll had to be smiling. The Jets fired him after one season. He then went on to win a Super Bowl with Seattle. 26-21 Seahawks. 

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Texans came in leading the woeful AFC South. The Jaguars came in one of the worst teams in football. After a scoreless first quarter, the Texans in the second quarter got field goals of 53 and 30 from Kaimi Fairfairn for a 6-0 Texans lead. Late in the first half Lawrence ran and slid near the first down marker. He was immediately hit in the head by the defender. Whether or not the defender could have stopped in time is debatable. Lawrence laid on the ground as a fight between the teams broke out. One player on each team was ejected, including defender Al-Shaair who made the hit. Lawrence had a concussion and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher. Mac Jones played the rest of the game. Jones completed that last drive of the first half by moving the Jaguars into position for a 33 yard Chase Little field goal. Little was good. In the third quarter Little was good again from 30 as the game was knotted up 6-6. 

After a touchback CJ Stroud went to Nico Collins for 22 and to Schultz for 11. Joe Mixon ran for 30 and again for a 7 yard touchdown. The first touchdown of the game had the Texans up 13-6 midway through the third quarter. A relatively short punt gave the Texans the ball back just shy of midfield. On 2nd and 7 from the Jacksonville 13, Stroud threw incomplete. Then he completed a pass for only 3. Fairbairn hit from 28 to make it 16-6 Texans. Early in the fourth quarter a 55 yard field goal try by Little to close the gap was no good. The Texans took over at their own 45. Stroud went to Tank Dell for 23. Mixon ran for 10. On 3rd and 10 from the Jacksonville 22, Stroud went to schultz for the touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Texans were firmly in command up 23-6.

The Jaguars took over at their own 28. Jones went to Evan Engram for 16. Tyler Bigsby ran for 19. On 4th and 2 from the Houston 29 and needing 3 scores, Doug Pederson went for it. Jones hit Devin Duverbay for 5. On 4th and 8 from the Houston 17, Pederson again went for it. Jones went to Washington for the touchdown. A pointless 2 point conversion try failed but the Jaguars were within 23-12. The Jaguars for the ball back at their own 16 with 6 minutes left. Jones went to Washington for 21. On 3rd and 5 from their own 42, Jones went to Engram for 8. Jones hit Washington for 15, Thomas for 10, and Duvernay for 18. Jones went to Thomas for a 6 yard touchdown. Jones hit Washington for the 2 point try. With 3 1/2 minutes left, the Jaguars needed only a field goal to tie the game. After a touchback, Mixon ran for 14. At the 2 minute warning, everything came down to the Texans facing 3rd and 4 at midfield. Mixon got around the end for an 8 yard gain to seal it. Stroud took a couple of knees. The Jaguars were game, but at 2-10 they are still tied for the worst record in the NFL. the Texans are 8-5 and on track for their division and the playoffs. 23-20 Texans

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings — The Cardinals still have a chance to win the awful NFC West while the Vikings are cruising toward the playoffs but one game back in their division. The first half was an ugly battle of field goals. In the first quarter Ryland hit from 32 for the Cardinals and Romo answered from 44 for the Vikings for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter Ryland missed from 45 but hit from 31. Romo nailed a 55 yarder with 1:12 left in the half for a 6-6 game. Ryland hit from 24 to end the half. In the third quarter, Romo’s 43 yard try to tie the game was no good. Ryland hit again from 40 to have the Cardinals up 12-6. The Cardinals got it back at their own 27. Kyler Murray went to Marvin Harrison Jr for 16. On 3rd and 9 at the Arizona 47, Murray went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 38 yard gain. Murray went to Harrison for a 15 yard touchdown. The game’s first trip to the end zone had the Cardinals up 19-6 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

After a touchback, Sam Darnold went to Nailor for 18. Cam Akers ran for 18 more. Darnold hit Justin Jefferson for 15. Darnold went to TJ Hockenson for 11 and to Mundt for a 4 yard touchdown. The Vikings were back in it down 19-13. After a touchback, the Cardinals began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 7 at their own 45. Murray was intercepted. The Vikings moved from their own 32 to a 1st and 10 at the Arizona 13. Darnold threw 3 straight incompletions. Romo hit from 31 to have the Vikings within 19-16 with 11 minutes left. After a touchback the Cardinals mounted  staggering 16 play, 68 yard drive that ate up nearly 8 minutes. With 4 minutes left the Cardinals had 1st and goal at the 4. A touchdown would most likely lock up the win. A false start and an intentional grounding penalty killed the drive. Ryland hit from 23. The Cardinals led 22-16 with 3:20 left, but they did not close the door. After a touchback, Darnold went to Jefferson for 6 and to Jordan Addison for 26. With 2:10 left, the Vikings faced 4th and 5 at the Arizona 33. One stop would end things. Darnold went to Jefferson for 12. Darnold hit Aaron Jones for a 5 yard touchdown. With 1:13 left, the Vikings had their first lead of the game up one point. After a touchback and needing only a field goal to win, Murray on 4th and 10 from his own 30 went deep and was intercepted. The 6-6 Cardinals are one game back in their division while the 10-2 Vikings are one game back in their but cruising toward the playoffs. 23-22 Vikings

Tennessee Titans at Washington Commanders — Sometimes a really bad team can go on the road and shock a good team in a major upset. This was not that game. In the first quarter the Commanders took over at their own 41. Jayden Daniels went to Terry McLaurin for 10 and Brown for 9. Robinson broke off a 40 yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Commanders. The Commanders got it back and soon faced 3rd and 1 a their own 29. Daniels went to McLaurin for 9. On 3rd and 1 from their own 47, Robinson gained 16. Daniels went to McLaurin for 11. McNichols ran for 12 and 6. Daniels ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Commanders. The Titans fumbled the ball back at the Commanders took over at the Tennessee 24. On 3rd and 2, Daniels went to McLaurin for a 16 yard touchdown. The Commanders led 21-0. The Titans fumbled the ensuing kickoff to give the Commanders another short field at the Tennessee 34 as the first quarter ended. The second quarter had the Commanders facing 3rd and 3 at the Tennessee 27. Daniels threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 12 from the Tennessee 14, a completion gained only 4 but roughing the passer meant another automatic first down. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Daniels went to McLaurin for the touchdown. The Commanders led 28-0. League rules prevented the final 41 minutes from being canceled. The Titans managed a second quarter touchdown and a pair of third quarter field goals, but this game was over. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 4 to start the fourth quarter, Daniels finished a 72 yard drive with a touchdown pass to Zac Ertz to make it 35-13 Commanders. The Commanders missed a field goal and the Titans managed one more touchdown, but the Commanders scored once more as well. A 71 yard drive finished with Rodriguez run for a 7 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. 42-19 Commanders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers — The Buccaneers had the better record but they had struggled in recent weeks while the Panthers gradually began improving. In the first quarter the Buccaneers took over at their own 37. White ran for 11. Baker Mayfield went to Shepard for 21. Irving ran for 11. On 4th and 1 from the Carolina 11, Todd Bowles went for it. White gained 2. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Panthers after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Tampa Bay 29. Dave Canales chose not to gamble. Eddie Pineiro hit the 47 yard field goal to get the Panthers on the board. in the second quarter Pineiro missed from 38. A shanked 22 yard punt gave the Panthers the ball back with a short field at the Tampa Bay 36. Chuba Hubbard ran for 8 with 14 more tacked on for a defensive low block penalty. On 3rd and 6 from the Tampa Bay 10, Bryce Young scrambled for the touchdown. Previously benched, Young has improved greatly in recent weeks since his return to the lineup. The Panthers led 10-7. After a touchback the Buccaneers moved to a 2nd and goal at the 4. After an incompletion and a false start, Mayfield threw incomplete again. Chase McLaughlin hit from 27 for a 10-10 game. 

The final 3 1/2 minutes of the half were ugly. Pineiro missed again from 45. Yet Mayfield was then intercepted. The Panthers took over at their own 43 with 43 seconds left. They moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Tampa Bay 8 yard line with 11 seconds left. Young threw incomplete. Pineiro hit from 27 to make it 13-10 Panthers. A third quarter interception of Mayfield had the Panthers at their own 20. They moved to a 2nd and goal at the 4. A run went nowhere and Young then threw incomplete. Pineiro hit from 22 to have the Panthers up 16-10 after three quarters. The Buccaneers began the fourth quarter facing 2nd and 6 at their own 35. Irving ran for 6, 5, and 7 and then caught a pass from Mayfield for 12. Irving then ran for 10. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 18, Mayfield went to Shepard for 12. Irving ran for a 6 yard touchdown. The Buccaneers led 17-16 with 9 minutes left in regulation. 

The Buccaneers got it back at their own 25 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Carolina 2. Rather than play smash mouth, the Buccaneers tried to run laterally. White’s end around was blown up for a 6 yard loss. McLaughlin hit form 26 to have the Buccaneers up 20-16 with 3 minutes left in the game. A penalty on the kickoff had the Panthers taking over at their own 40. On 3rd and 3 at the 2 minute warning Hubbard got just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 41, Hubbard gained 2. Young went to Tremble for 14. Young then went deep to Adam Thielen for a 25 yard touchdown. With 30 seconds left to play, the Panthers had a 23-20 lead. 

After a touchback, Mayfield went to Evans for 17 and ran for 10. With 3 seconds left, McLaughlin came in for a 51 yard try. McLaughlin was good. This game was headed to overtime. The Buccaneers got the ball first in overtime and moved from their own 34 to a 2nd and 6 at the Carolina 36. Mayfield was sacked. Todd Bowles gambled on a 55 yard field goal try. This time McLaughlin was no good. The Panthers had excellent field position at their own 45 needing only a field goal to win. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Tampa 34. They were already in field goal range. Yet on the next play Hubbard fumbled and the Buccaneers recovered at their own 29. Mayfield went to Evans for 21. White got around the end for 38. On 1st and goal at the 10, Todd Bowles was taking on chances. Mayfield took a knee just to center the ball. McLaughlin came in on 2nd down for a 30 yard chip shot try to win it. McLaughlin got his redemption, which meant Pineiro and Hubbard did not. The Panthers were game. They were 30 seconds from victory but the 6-6 Buccaneers got the win and are tied atop their terrible division. 26-23 Buccaneers, OT

Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints — Both of these teams have had a rough year. A defensive first half saw Blake Grupe hit a pair of field goals of 54, one in each quarter, for a 6-0 Saints halftime lead. Grupe also missed in the second quarter from 36. After a third quarter touchback, the Rams faced 3rd and 5 at their own 35. Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua for 18. On 3rd and 6 from the New Orleans 18, Stafford went to Nacua for 8. Williams ran for 6 and then for the 4 yard touchdown as the Rams led 7-6 after three quarters. Late in the third quarter the Rams took over at their own 18. Stafford went to Tutu Atwell for 19. Williams ran for 14. Stafford went to Robinson for 46 to end the third quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Stafford went to Robinson for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Rams. After a touchback, Alvin Kamara ran for 7 and 9. Derek Carr hit Johnson for 21. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 28, Carr went to Marques Valdes-Scantling for the touchdown. Carr hit Bettis for the 2 point conversion to make it 14-14 with 12 minutes left in regulation. A strong kickoff return had the Rams at their own 44. Stafford went to Atwell for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the New Orleans 27, Stafford gained 2. On 3rd and 10 from the New Orleans 25, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 5, Stafford threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 13 more yards. Stafford went to Nacua for a 7 yard touchdown to have the Rams up by 7 with 9 minutes left in the game. After a touchback, the Saints milked most of the remaining clock and moved to a 4th and 3 at the Rams 9 with 1:13 to play. With everything on the line, Carr had his arm hit just as he threw for an incompletion. After consecutive wins, interim coach Darren Rizzi lost his first game. After starting 1-4, Sean McVay has a 6-6 team only one game back in their soft division. 21-14 Rams.  

Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens — A pair of good football teams faced off in the battle for playoff positioning. In the first quarter the Ravens moved from their own 33 to a 2nd and 6 at the Philadelphia 13. A run lost 3 yards and Lamar Jackson threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 3-0n Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 18. Derrick Henry ran for 6, caught a pass from Jackson for 16, and ran for 4 more. Jackson went to Bay Flowers for 20. Henry ran for 19. Jackson went to Mark Andrews for a 14 yard touchdown and a 9-0 Ravens lead. For years Tucker has been the best kicker in the history of the game, but he has struggled this year. His extra point attempt doinked off the upright no good. 

The game changed in the second quarter when a great punt pinned the Ravens at their own one. They punted from their 6. The Eagles took over just past midfield. On 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 43, Saquon Barkley ran for 9. Jalen Hurts ran for 8. Hurts went to AJ Brown for 9 and to Dallas Goedert for a 17 yard touchdown. The Eagles were within 9-7. he Eagles got it back at their own 32. Hurts went to Brown for a pair of 15 yard gains and again for 14. Hurts went to Goedert for 9. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 10, Hurts ran for 9. Then it was tush push time as Hurts got the yard. At the 2 minute warning, the Eagles led 14-9.

A strong kickoff return had the Ravens taking over at their own 41. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Philadelphia 19 with 30 seconds left in the half. An intentional grounding penalty on Jackson killed the drive. Tucker hit from 50 to have the Ravens within 14-12. After a third quarter touchback, the Ravens moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Philadelphia 15. With a golden chance to retake the lead, Jackson was sacked. Then Tucker’s 47 yard try was no good. The Ravens got it back at their own 18 and moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Philadelphia 35. Jackson threw incomplete. Tucker came in for redemption with a 53 yard try. This is the man who hit from 66 to hold the NFL record. Again, Tucker was no good. His 2 missed field goals and one missed extra point were the difference. 

In the fourth quarter the Eagles took over at their own 29. On 3rd and 7 from their own 41, Hurts went to Goedert for 9. Barkley then gashed the defense for 14, 11, and finally the 25 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Eagles led 21-12. Jake Elliott tacked on a 35 yard field goal with one minute left. The Ravens got a garbage touchdown with 3 seconds left to make the score look closer than it was. The Ravens are 8-5, while the Eagles are 10-2 and cruising toward their division crown. After winning too many close games, this was a statement win for the Eagles. 24-19 Eagles 

San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills was the Sunday night game. A heavy snowstorm belted Western New York as snow came down during the entire game. The 49ers have struggled all year, and now they had to play in Buffalo weather against a Bills team barreling toward the playoffs. The 49ers kicked an early field goal, but after that they were buried by the twin avalanches of Buffalo weather and the Bills offense. The Bills faced 3rd and 9 from their own 31. Josh Allen threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Allen gained 3. Allen hit Morris for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 18, Davis gained 13 and then ran for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bills. In the second quarter the 49ers missed a field goal and then disappeared. One play and 10 seconds later, a 65 yard touchdown run by Cook had the Bills up 14-3. The Bills got it back at their own 3 yard line. Allenwent deep to Dawson Knox for 39. Cook ran for 18 and 10. Allen went to Amari Cooper for 7 and to Cook for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Allen went t Mack Hollins for the touchdown to have the Bills cruising 21-3 at halftime. The half ended with another missed san Francisco field goal. The second half was pointless. A field position game had the Bills at the San Francisco 44. Davis gained 11. Sean McDermott went for it on 4th and 2 from the San Francisco 25. Allen went to Shakir for 18. From the Frisco 7, it became a circus. Allen threw a short pass to Cooper, who then lateraled the ball back to Allen, who ran for the touchdown. The play seemed more sandlot than scripted. The Bills led 28-3. The 49ers managed a third quarter touchdown, but they fumbled on their next 2 drives in the fourth quarter. Allen ran for an 8 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. The defending NFC Champion 49ers are 5-7 while the 10-2 Bills clinched their division for the 5th straight year. 35-10 Bills

Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos was the Monday night game. The Broncos are in position to make the playoffs. The Browns are not, but they did get an impressive home win in the snow last week against Pittsburgh. Early on the Browns missed a chance to score first when Dustin Hopkins missed a 47 yard field goal try. The Broncos took over at their own 37. McLaughlin ran for 12. On 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 47, Bo Nix went to Courtland Sutton for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 25, Nix went to Sutton for 7. Nix went to Vele for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Williams got in to make it 7-0 Broncos. After a touchback Jameis Winston went to David Njoku for 11. On 3rd and 3 from their own 48, Winston went deep to Moore for 44. Winston hit Njoku for the 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. In the second quarter a pass by Nix was batted high in the air and intercepted. The Browns moved from their own 31 to a 3rd and 5 at the Cleveland 27. Winston threw incomplete. Hopkins hit from 45 to make it 10-7 Browns. 

The Broncos eventually faced 3rd and 2 at their own 41. Nix went to Sutton for 19, to Adkins for 16, and to Franklin for 23. Burton banged in from the one to have the Broncos up 14-10 with 4 minutes left in the half. After a touchback, the Browns moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 29. Winston threw a short pass and Bonitto jumped the route and was off to the races the other way. The 71 yard interception return touchdown had the Broncos up 21-10 with 1:38 left in the half. Yet these Browns proved resilient. After a touchback on 3rd and 4 from their own 36, Winston went to former Denver player Jerry Jeudy for 13 and to Moore for 13 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Denver 17, 13 continued to be the lucky number as Winston hit Woods. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Winston hit Njoku for the touchdown with exactly 13 seconds left in the half to get the Browns within 21-17.

In the third quarter a field position game had the Broncos backed up and facing 3rd and 11 from their own 7. Sean Payton went for all the marbles. Nix went bombs away to Mims, who was well defended. The throw was a perfect dime just beyond the fingertips of the defender. Mims juggled the ball, caught it in stride, and galloped for a 93 yard touchdown to have the Broncos up 28-17. Yet one play and 11 seconds after a touchback, the Browns were right back in it. Winston delivered his own bomb and Jeudy hauled it in for a 70 yard touchdown. Kevin Stefanski went for 2. Winston went to Jeudy, who stretched the ball past the pylon successfully to have the Browns within 28-25. The Broncos maintained a long drive form their own 4 to a 3rd and 2 at the Cleveland 13. Nix threw incomplete. Sean Payton lined up to go for it but it was a bluff. The Cleveland defense didn’t bite. After a delay of game penalty, Lutz hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 31-25 Broncos after three quarters. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Nix went for the deep kill shot and was intercepted. The Browns took over at their own 28. Winston immediately went to Jeudy for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Denver 35, Winston went to Woods for 14. On 3rd and 15 from the Denver 26, Winston went to Jeudy for 17. Winston hit Nick Chubb for a 5 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left in regulation the Browns led 32-31. After a touchback, the Broncos moved to a 4th and 1 at the Cleveland 9. Sean Payton initially lined up to go for it. With 3 minutes left in regulation, Payton called a timeout. He changed his mind and went for the field goal. Lutz hit from 27 for a 34-32 Broncos lead. After a touchback, all the Browns needed was a field goal. On 1st and 10 from his own 42, Winston went to the sideline and it was deja vu all over again. McMillan jumped the route and made a leaping interception. Realizing he was not touched, McMillan got back up and raced for a 46 yard touchdown. The extra point locked up the win. 

Jameis has a history of completing a ton of passes to both teams. In the final minute, Winston led the Browns to a 1st and goal at the 2. They needed the touchdown and a successful onside kick to have a shot at a winning field goal. Instead, Winston was intercepted yet again. He was lucky this was also not a pick 6 as the defender was caught from behind after a 56 yard runback. Despite being in his 10th year in the league, the former top overall pick somehow remains raw. He throws plenty of touchdowns, but not all of them are too his own team. On the one hand he was a spectacular 34 of 58 for 497 yards and 4 touchdowns. Yet he also threw 3 killer interceptions, 2 of which were returned by Denver for touchdowns. The Browns now have another losing season while the 8-5 Broncos are in the playoff chase. 41-32 Broncos

NFL 2024 Week 13 Thanksgiving Prequel

November 27th, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 13 Prequel

Thanksgiving Thursday, November 25, 12:30pm

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (-10 1/2) — The Bears have lost five straight. The Lions have won nine straight and are in Super Bowl mode. This game could be over by halftime. The Lions offense is off the charts. Yes, great upsets happen on any given Sunday. Not this game. Not this Sunday. Expect a blowout. Lions cover

4pm

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-3 1/2) — The Cowboys finally won a game, snapping their five game losing streak. The Giants are a mess, and Tommy “Cutlets” Devito is not the answer. The Giants have no offense. The Cowboys with Cooper Rush are nothing special, but the Giants are atrocious. Cowboys cover

8pm

Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers (-3) — The Packers are the better team and they are at home. The Dolphins are overmatched. Jordan Love has better receivers than Tua Tagovailoa and a revitalized running back in Josh Jacobs. Packers cover 

Black Friday, November 26, 3pm

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-12 1/2) — Last year on Christmas Day the Raiders went into Kansas City and smacked the Chiefs around. Yet this year the Raiders are a mess, having lost seven straight. Aidan O’Connell returns from injury as Gardner Minshew is out for the year. The Raiders have no offensive line and no running game. No, the spread is not too high. This game could be over by halftime. The Chiefs win close games, but hatred of the Raiders and revenge will make this one ugly. Chiefs cover

Sunday, November 28, 1pm

Indianapolis Colts (-2 1/2) at New England Patriots — The Colts are the better team but they are nothing special. Both teams can run the ball. Anthony Richardson is feast or famine depending on his health. Drake Maye had an ugly game last week but is slowly improving. Go with the home field. Upset special, Patriots win outright

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (-2 1/2) — The Bengals are simply not as good as in recent past years. The Steelers stumbled last week at Cleveland and should rebound. Home field rarely matters in any of these AFC North street fights. The Steelers are winning the Mike Tomlin way, with running and defense. Go with the better team angry after a loss. Upset special, Steelers win outright

Los Angeles Chargers (-1 1/2) at Atlanta Falcons — Both of these teams had preseason hype but are far from special. The Chargers have more overall talent. Justin Herbert and Kirk Cousins can both sling it. Jim Harbaugh will be angry coming off of a Harbowl loss to his big brother. Chargers cover

Seattle Seahawks (-2) at New York Jets — The Seahawks are inconsistent and the Jets are bad. A few weeks after firing their coach, they axed their general manager. Nothing is ever Aaron Rodgers’s fault, but for whatever reason this team has failed to gel. At home against an average Seattle team, this is the last chance for the Jets to show they are worth anything. Upset special, Jets win outright

Houston Texans (-5) at Jacksonville Jaguars  — The Texans suffered a stunning loss at lowly Tennessee. Yet the Jaguars are just awful. A team with Doug Pederson and Trevor Lawrence should be better but for some reason just aren’t. Meanwhile, CJ Stroud has blossomed and Demeco Ryans has a good defense. The Texans will be ticked off and will rebound, but the spread is high for a road team against a desperate team. Texans win but fail to cover

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings (-3 1/2) — Dennis Green coached both of these teams, but neither of these teams is who we thought they were. The Vikings have blown several big leads but hung on while the Cardinals missed a chance to create some distance atop their woeful division. The Vikings have a great air attack. Kyler Murray is exciting, but he has less help than Sam Darnold does. Justin Jefferson is simply ridiculous, a true playmaker. Vikings cover

Tennessee Titans at Washington Commanders (-5 1/2) — The Titans are horrendous but somehow won last week. The Commanders are good but suffered a thrilling but excruciating home loss to Dallas last week. The Commanders will rebound. Dan Quinn’s defense will beat up Will Levis, who even in victory was sacked a ton of times. Commanders cover

4pm

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6) at Carolina Panthers — The Panthers have quietly improved in recent weeks, winning two and taking Kansas City to the final play before falling. The Buccaneers finally won again, but beating the Giants should not count. The Panthers are awful but they fight hard. The spread is too high for a road team given that the Panthers have been competitive as of late. They might even win this one. Buccaneers win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Rams (-3) at New Orleans Saints — Neither team is anything special but the coaching change seems to have revitalized the Saints. The Rams lost badly at home to a good Philadelphia team. Matthew Stafford has his weapons and the game is indoors. Rams cover

Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens (-3) — These are two good quality football teams. The Ravens had a short week after smacking around the Chargers on Monday night. The Eagles blasted the Rams. The Eagles normally win close games, but the Ravens are a better team than what the Eagles are used to. Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson are both superstars, but Jackson has more weapons to throw to. This is one game to just take the home field. Ravens cover

8pm

San Francisco 49ers at Buffalo Bills (-7) — The 49ers have looked terrible all season and got obliterated at Green Bay last week. Now they are at a Buffalo team that ended Kansas City’s unbeaten season. The Bills are thinking Super Bowl. The 49ers for some reason have not put together a complete game all year. This will not be the week they do. The 49ers have enough talent to keep this close or get a garbage touchdown. Bills win but fail to cover

Monday, November 29, 8pm

Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos (-5 1/2) — The Browns at home shocked Pittsburgh, which is their Super Bowl. Now they can have a letdown and return to being a bad team. Plus, the Broncos are a good team that are starting to gel at the right time. Bo Nix is improving and Sean Payton remains a wizard. The Broncos have a good defense. This game is a mismatch and will play out that way. Broncos cover

NFL 2024 Week 12 Recap

November 25th, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 12 Recap

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns was the Thursday night game. All the 8-2 Steelers had to do is steamroll over the pathetic 2-8 Browns. After a big emotional win at Baltimore last week, the Steelers just had to avoid a letdown. For the first time all year, the NFL had a game played in snow. Chris Boswell was the hero last week by making 6 field goals in a gutty 18-16 win at Baltimore. Yet perhaps it was too much for Mike Tomlin to ask of Boswell to make a 58 yard try in bad weather. Boswell missed. Later in the first quarter Tomlin decided against a 56 yard try. So he gambled on 4th and 2 from the Cleveland 38. Out of the shotgun, Fields got the carry and lost 2 yards. In the second quarter from 48 yards out, Boswell was good and the Steelers had a 3-0 lead. 

After a touchback, Jameis Winston hit Jerry Jeudy for big gains of 16, 8 and 15. Ford ran for 9. On 4th and 1 from the Pittsburgh 16, Kevin Stefanski went for it. Nick Chubb gained 5. Chubb ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 80 yard, 7 minute drive had the Browns up 7-3 with 4 minutes left in the half. Two plays after a touchback Russell Wilson was sacked and fumbled. The Browns recovered at the Pittsburgh 31. The drive stalled in the red zone. Dustin Hopkins hit from 34 as the Browns took a 10-3 lead to the locker rooms. After a third quarter touchback, the Browns fumbled on the third play from scrimmage. Yet Mike Tomlin went for it on 4th and 1 from his own 46. Jalen Warren lost a yard. Yet the Browns gained only 6 yards. On 4th and 4 from the Pittsburgh 39, Stefanski did not want to try a 57 yard field goal in bad weather. The Browns punted.

The Steelers moved from their own 20 to a 4th and 2 at the Cleveland 6. With points difficulty to come by, Mike Tomlin played it safe. Boswell hit from 24 as the only points of the third quarter had the Steelers within 10-6. The Browns took over at their own 35. Winston went to Whiteheart for a white hot 29 yard gain. The Browns began the fourth quarter facing 4th and 1 at the Pittsburgh 27. This time Kevin Stefanski gambled. Chubb gained 4. Winston then hit Akins for 18. On 4th and goal at the 2 with 12 minutes left in regulation, Stefanski gambled again. Winston got in the end zone. Stefanski then went for one of his pointless 2 point conversion tries. Winston hit David Njoku successfully as the Browns built an 18-6 lead.Yet teams do not start 2-8 for no reason.

The Steelers took over at their own 31. Fields got around the end for a 30 yard gain. Fields threw deep incomplete but roughing the passer added 15 yards. Wilson hit Najee Harris for 10. Warren ran for a 3 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Steelers were within 18-13. Two plays later, Winston was sacked and fumbled. The Steelers recovered at the Cleveland 27. On 3rd and 6, Wilson went to Austin for the 23 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed bu the Steelers now led 19-18 with 6:15 to play. These are the Browns. The Browns moved from their own 33 to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 38 needing only a field goal to take the lead. After two incompletions, Winston’s 3rd and 10 pass was intercepted. These are the Browns.

Yet Cleveland held on defense. A special teams nightmare came in the form of a shanked 15 yard punt. With a full 3 1/2 minutes to go and 2 timeouts, the Browns had a short field at the Pittsburgh 45. The Steelers were giving the game away. The Browns had to just take it. Again, the Brown only needed a field goal. With 2 1/2 minutes left it came down to 4th and 3 from the Pittsburgh 38. A 56 yard field goal try in bad weather was not in the cards. Kevin Stefanski rolled the dice and went for it. Winston hit Jeudy for 5. With 1:55 left on 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 29, Winston went to Jeudy for 15 with another 5 tacked on for a defensive delay of game. The Browns tried to milk the clock but the Steelers just let Chubb score. From 2 yards out, he did. The 2 point try failed. The Browns led by 5 but the Steelers got the ball back at their own 36 with 50 seconds, perhaps enough time to pull off a win. With 6 seconds left on 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 35, Wilson went for the Hail Mary. It fell incomplete and the Browns had the shocking upset win. Far from a blowout, this was a typical brutal AFC North street fight. As ESPN Uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” 24-19 Browns

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants — The Daniel Jones era is over. The Giants released him and now have Tommy “Cutlets” Devito starting. After an opening touchback on 3rd and 3 from their own 37, Baker Mayfield went to McMillan for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 44, White gained 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 28, Tucker got stopped. Todd Bowles went for it on 4th and 1. This time Tucker gained 3. Mayfield went to Irving for 14 down to the one. Tucker got the last yard to cap the 14 play, 70 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Buccaneers.  Brian Daboll decided to gamble on 4th and 1 from his own 37. Robinson got tackled for no gain as Daboll prepared for being an ex-coach. The Buccaneers in the second quarter took the short field and moved to a 3rd and goal at the one. Tucker got the carry and fumbled, but Mayfield saved the day by diving on it for a 3 yard loss rather than a turnover. Chase McLaughlin hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Buccaneers. 

The Buccaneers got it back at their own 18. Mayfield went to Durham for 26. On 3rd and 4 from midfield, Mayfield gained 9. Mayfield went to Cade Otton for 30. Irving ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 14 with 3 minutes left in the half. Mayfield went to Irving for 32. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 47, Mayfield went to Palmer for 18. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 25, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. Mayfield went to White for 10. Mayfield ran for a 10 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Buccaneers led 23-0 at the intermission. For some reason, league rules prevented the second half from being canceled. After a third quarter touchback, the Giants moved to a 1st and goal at the 5. Out of the shotgun, Tracy got the carry and fumbled the ball away. On 3rd nd 8 from their own 7, Mayfield scrambled near his own goal line and gained 10. On 3rd and 11 from his own 16, Mayfield went to Miller for 14. Mayfield went to Jarrett for 30 and to Mike Evans for 15. On 3rd and 9 from the Giants 22, defensive pass interference meant a 21 yard gain down to the one. White got the yard to have the Buccaneers up 30-0. The Giants managed a fourth quarter touchdown to avoid the shutout. 30-7 Buccaneers

 

Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers — The Chiefs may be the best team in the NFL. The Panthers might be the worst. Perine returned the opening kickoff 56 yards to the Carolina 41. On the third play from scrimmage Patrick Mahomes found a wide open Travis Kelce for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Panthers after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Kansas City 7. A false start was followed by Bryce Young throwing incomplete. Eddie Pineiro hit a 30 yard field goal to get the Panthers on the board. The Chiefs moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 4 at the Carolina 7. A run lost a yard and a Mahomes managed to run for only one yard. With Harrison Butker injured for a month, Spencer Schrader hit a 25 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Chiefs after the first quarter.  After a touchback the Panthers began the second quarter with a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 13. Young threw 3 straight incompletions. Pineiro hit from 32 to get the Panthers within 10-6.

The Chiefs after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 1 at the Carolina 5. Hunt gained 2 but offensive holding nullified the gain and killed the drive. Shrader hit a 41 yard field goal to put the Chiefs up 13-6. The Chiefs got it back at their own 8 with 5 minutes left in the half. Mahomes hit Deandre Hopkins for 8 and Watson fro 15. On 3rd and 13 from the Carolina 43, Mahomes ran for just enough. Mahomes went to Perine for 13. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 11, Mahomes went to Noah Gray for the touchdown. With 44 seconds left in the half, the Chiefs led 20-6.

After a touchback, the Panthers rapidly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 11 with 20 seconds left. Young threw 3 straight incompletions. Pineiro hit from 29 to get the Panthers within 20-9. After a touchback on 2nd and 12, Young went to Moore for 13 and Leggett for 10. Chuba Hubbard gained 13. On 3rd and 10 from the Kansas City 36, Young went to Moore for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 2, Young got stopped for no gain. David Canales went for it on 4th and 1. Hubbard with a great second effort barely got the tough yard. Young went to Moore for the one yard touchdown to culminate the 15 play, 70 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive and get the Panthers within 20-16.

The Chiefs took over at their own 25. A defensive facemark gave the Chiefs 15 yards. Mahomes went to Xavier Worthy for 19. On 4th and 1 from the Carolina 25, Walrus Andy Reid went for it. Karim Hunt gained 13. Mahomes went tp Hopkins for a 3 yard touchdown to have the Chiefs up 27-16. After a touchback the Panthers moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Kansas City 15. A false start was a killer. Needing 10, a completion gained only 5. needing 2 scores with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Dave Canales played it safe. Pineiro hit the 33 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 27-19. 

With 3 1/2 minutes left, the Chiefs punted on 4th and 19 from their own1 6. A 10 yard return plus a 5 yard penalty on Kansas City gave the Panthers the ball jut past midfield. On 4th and 3, Young kept the Panthers alive by hitting Adam Thielen for 13. Young then threw deep incomplete and drew a 28 yard defensive pass interference call to put the ball on the one. Hubbard banged it in. The Panthers were a 2 point conversion away from tying the game. Young threw incomplete but a defensive penalty gave the Panthers another try from the one. Hubbard got the carry and willed his way into the end zone. 

The game was tied 27-27, but the Panthers scored too early. They left 1:46 on the clock, a lifetime for Mahomes. On 3rd and 2, Mahomes went to Hopkins for 7. On the next play Mahomes escaped and scrambled for a 33 yard gain. The Chiefs took the clock down to 2 seconds. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 13, Schrader came in for a 31 yard chip shot for the win. There would be no overtime. Schrader was good. It was tougher than expected, but the Chiefs got to 10-1 the hard way, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 30-27 Chiefs

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders — The Cowboys came in having lost 5 straight while Dan Quinn sought a win against his former team. The Cowboys had a chance to score first but Brandon Aubrey’s 35 yard field goal try was blocked. Austin Seibert hit  41 yarder to have the Commanders up 3-0. Aubrey had another chance from 42. His kick was nearly blocked again, and he doinked it off the upright no good. With 46 seconds left in the half the Cowboys took over at their own 14. From their 23, Cooper Rush was intercepted by Igbinoghene, yet Ighbinogene fumbled the ball right back on the return rather than just go down. Big man with football lost football. The Cowboys now had the ball at their own 31 but only 14 seconds remained. Rush went deep to Brooks for a 41 yard gain. Aubrey came in for a 46 y yard try to end this hideously ugly first half. This time Aubrey was good for a 3-3 deadlock.

The second half kickoff was short of the landing zone, setting up the Commanders at their own 40. On 3rd and 1, Austin Ekeler gained 2. Jaden Daniels went to Brown for 14. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 17, Daniels ran for the game’s first touchdown. Yet the extra point was no good as the Commanders only led 9-3. The Cowboys took over at their own 20. Rush went to Tolbert for 16 and Spann-Ford for 18. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 27, defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant a 24 yard gain. Rush went to Tolbert for a 6 yard touchdown to give the Cowboys the 10-9 lead. The first three quarters saw a combined 19 points scored. The fourth quarter was pure insanity. 

A short 39 yard punt gave the Cowboys the ball at midfield with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 35, a 17 yard completion from Rush to CeeDee Lamb was wiped out by an offensive illegal formation. Aubrey hit the 48 yard field goal to have the Cowboys up 13-9 midway through the fourth quarter. One play after a touchback, Daniels hit Bates for 13 but Bates fumbled and the Cowboys recovered at the Washington 44. Rico Dowdle had gains of 9 and 7 sandwiched around a Rush completion to Lamb for 9. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 22, Rush went to Schoonmaker for the touchdown. With just over 5 minutes to play, the Cowboys had a 20-9 lead. 

The Commanders took over at their own 31 in desperation mode needing 2 scores. Daniels went to Brown for 11 and again for 19. On 2nd and 16 from the Dallas 45 after a sack, Daniels went to Brown for 20. Daniels went to McCaffrey for 8 and Zac hertz for 7. Daniels hit Ertz for a 4 yard touchdown. Daniels ran in the 2 point conversion. With 3 minutes left the Commanders were within 20-17. Dan Quinn decided to kick it deep and trust his defense rather than go onside kick. Kevontae Turpin fumbled the ensuing kickoff and finally picked it up just beyond his own goal line. The speedster headed for a wall, put on a brutal 360 degree spin move, and raced for a 99 yard touchdown in front of a shellshocked home crowd. The Cowboys led 27-17 and again appeared to ice the game.

The Commanders after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 33. Daniels spiked the ball to stop the clock with 1:45 left. Again needing 2 scores, Dan Quinn opted to immediately go for the field goal. Seibert hit from 51 to get the Commanders within 27-20. By the time the Commanders got the ball back at their own 14 yard line, only 40 seconds remained. Their only hope was a completion near midfield to set up the Hail Mary. They needed a miracle. Daniels went deep to Terry McLaurin. Yet instead of going out of bounds, McLaurin weaved around people. By the time he was done, McLaurin was on the receiving end of an 86 yard touchdown. Are? You? Kidding? Me????? 

The touchdown counted. There were no flags on the field. Dan Quinn was in no mood to try a 2 point conversion for the win. The Commanders got their miracle, so Quinn went with the extra point and overtime. The snap was low, the hold was late, and the extra point was no good! Again, Are? You? Kidding? Me????? Instead of overtime, the Commanders trailed 27-26 with 21 seconds left. Now it was time for an onside kick. 

The onside kick was picked up by Thomas, who returned it 43 yards for another touchdown. For the third time in about 30 seconds, the question again was Are? You? Kidding? Me????? The Cowboys led by 8 points but Thomas would have been better off not scoring. Going to the ground short of the goal would have ended things. By scoring, the Commanders would get the ball back again. Only 14 seconds remained. A strong kickoff return had the Commanders at their own 36 with 9 seconds left. A 6 yard completion left 4 seconds. Daniels won on a miracle Hail Mary a few weeks ago. This time his Hail Mary was short of the goal line and intercepted. 19 points in 3 quarters was followed by 41 points in the fourth quarter, including a ridiculous 31 points in the final 3 minutes. 34-26 Cowboys 

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins — The Dolphins are nothing special but the Patriots are worse. Tua Tagovailoa entered this game having never lost to the Patriots, a perfect 6-0. The Patriots missed a chance early on when Joey Slye’s 45 yard field goal try doinked off the upright no good. The Dolphins took over at their own 35. Tagovailoa hit Smith for 12, Jalen Waddle for 24 and Tyreek Hill for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 12, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. The second quarter began with the Dolphins facing 3rd and goal at the 7. Tagovailoa hit Smith for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back at their own 34. Devon Achane had gains of 7 and 5 sandwiched around Tagovailoa hitting Smith for 13. Tagovailoa then found Waddle for 17. On 3rd and 9 from the New England 23, Tagovailoa went to Waddle for 14. Tagovailoa hit Achane for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Dolphins. 

The Dolphins got it back with 6 minutes left in the half. On 3rd and 8 from their own 22, Tagovailoa went to Waddle for 15. Wright gained 10. Tagovailoa went to Waddle for 19 and Smith for 14. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 11, Tagovailoa went to Achane for the touchdown to make it 21-0 Dolphins with 1:50 left. The Dolphins got it back at their own 41 only 20 seconds later and moved to a 2nd and goal at the 3 with 14 seconds left. Tagovialoa threw incomplete twice. Jason Sanders hit from 21 to have the Dolphins up 24-0 to end the half. League rules prevented the second half from being canceled. In the third quarter the Patriots faced 3rd and 3 from midfield. Drake Maye was sacked and fumbled. Brook recovered for the defense and returned the fumble 12 yards to the New England 25. Tagovailoa went to Waddle for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 31-0 Dolphins. After Mike McDaniel pulled his starters, the Patriots managed a couple fourth quarter garbage touchdowns. The Dolphins managed one more field goal. 34-15 Dolphins

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans — The Titans are awful. The Texans lead the AFC South. Damien pierce returned the opening kickoff 80 yards. On the first play from scrimmage, CJ Stroud went to Cade Stover for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans  only 18 seconds into the game. The Titans took over at their own 39 and moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Houston 31. Will Levis was sacked. Nick Folk hit the 51 yard field goal to get the Titans within 7-3. The Titans got it back at their own 11. Levis went to Calvin ridley for 6 and 9. Tony Pollard ran for 10 and 4. On 4th and 1 from the Houston 44, Brian Callahan went for it. Levis gained 6. On the next play Levis went deep to Westbrook-Ikhine for a 38 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 89 yard, 6 minute drive to make it 10-7 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 5 yard line to start the second quarter. Pollard ran for 17. On 3rd and 11 from their own 21, Levis went deep to Ridley for a 63 yard gain. Pollard ran for a 10 yard touchdown as the Titans had the surprising 17-7 lead. 

The Texans took over at their own 22. On 3rd and 1, Stroud went to Woods for 8. Stroud then went deep to Tank Dell for 39. On 3rd and 11 from the Tennessee 23, Stroud only gained 6 but defensive illegal contact meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 3 from the Tennessee 5, Stroud out of the shotgun went high to the end zone and found Nico Collins for the touchdown to get the Texans within 17-14. The Titans after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 32. Out of the shotgun Levis fumbled and the Texans recovered at their own 35. Stroud went to Collins for a 56 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 10, Stroud threw incomplete. Fairbairn hit from 28 for a 17-17 games with 1:47 left in the half. 

The Texans got it back at their own 14 with 48 seconds left and Demeco Ryans decided to get aggressive. Stroud was intercepted to gift the Titans the ball at the Houston 20. Yet consecutive sacks of Levis had the Titans facing 4th and 28. On the last play of the half, Folk drilled a 56 yard field goal. Despite Levis being sacked 7 times in the first half, the Titans somehow led 20-17 at the break. In the third quarter the Titans moved from their own 27 to a 3rd and 7 at the Houston 29. Out of the shotgun Levis fumbled the snap and recovered it for a 3 yard loss, which counted as his 8th sack. Yet Folk again bailed Levis out with a 51 yard field goal to make it 23-17 Titans. Things got worse for the Texans late in the third quarter when an interception of Stroud set up the Titans at the Houston 39.

Yet on the last play of the third quarter, momentum shifted in the biggest way possible. On 3rd and 11 from the Houston 40 needing only a field goal to make it a two score game, Levis was intercepted by Ward. Ward was off to the races the other way for a 65 yard defensive touchdown. Just like that, the Texans led 24-23. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Titans fumbled a punt and the Texans recovered for a short field at the Tennessee 43. On 3rd and 3, Stroud threw incomplete. Fairbairn nailed a 54 yard field goal for a 27-23 Texans lead.

Yet one play and 11 seconds after a touchback, momentum swing again. Levis went to Okonkwo, who split the seams and raced for a 70 yard touchdown. With 9 1/2 minutes left, the Titans were on the verge of a stunning upset up 30-27. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Titans had to punt on 4th and 14 from their own 2. A shanked punt had the Texans taking over just past midfield. Stroud went to Dalton Schultz for 16 and then connected with Collins for a 33 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Texans were back on top…except they aren’t.  An offensive illegal shift penalty nullified the score. At the 2 minute warning, the Texans faced 3rd and 9 at the Tennessee 10. Stroud threw incomplete, but all Fairbairn had to do was knock through a 28 yard chip shot to tie the game. No good! Fairbairn missed it.

The Houston defense held but a great punt pinned the Texans at their own 8 yard line with 90 seconds to play and one timeout. A sack of Stroud nearly forced a safety. The Texans took their final timeout as they faced 3rd and 17 from their own one yard line. On the next play, Stroud was sacked again, and this time it was a safety. The Texans needed to treat the free kick as an onside kick, but it went out of bounds. Levis took a couple knees. Cue ESPN uber-announcer Christ Berman: “THAT’s why they PLAY than GAMES!” 32-27 Titans

Detroit Lions at Indianapolis Colts — The Lions are Super Bowl favorites for the first time in their entire franchise history. The Colts have shown sparks under Anthony Richardson. After a touchback the Colts drove to a 2nd and 2 at the Detroit 4. A run went nowhere, and an ineligible man down field was followed by Richardson throwing incomplete. Matt Gay hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. On the last play of the first quarter from their own 40, Jared Goff went deep to Patrick for 27. The second quieter began with the Lions facing 3rd and 8 from the Indianapolis 31. Jahmyr Gibbs gained 17. Gibbs ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Lions. The Colts moved from their own 24 to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 11. A run went nowhere and Richardson threw incomplete twice. Gay hit from 29 to get the Colts within 7-6. 

After a touchback, David Montgomery ran for 8. Goff hit Patrick for 10, Wright for 8 and Williams for 21. On 3rd and 6 from the Indianapolis 19, a perfectly executed draw play saw Montgomery gained 13. Montgomery then ran for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Lions. The Lions in the third quarter took over at their own 21. Goff went to Williams for 15 and Am-ra St. Brown for 12. On 3rd and 9 just shy of midfield, Goff went to St. Brown for 12 and David Montgomery for 14. Gibbs gained 16. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Gibbs got in for the touchdown to make it 21-6 Lions. Bates nailed a 56 yard fourth quarter field goal for the Lions and their defense did the rest. 24-6 Lions

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears — The Bears came in having lost 4 straight, including one game on a Hail Mary and last week to Green Bay when Cairo Santos’s winning field goal try was blocked. The Vikings moved from their own 26 to a 2nd and goal at the one. Aaron Jones got the carry and fumbled. The Bears recovered at their own 2 yard line. Later on the Bears took over at their own 21. Calen Williams went deep to Allen for 40 and to Swift for 30 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 2, Johnson got the yard. On the next play Johnson got the other yard for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The Vikings took over at their own 33. Cam Akers gained 15. Darnold went bombs away to Jordan Addison for a 45 yard gain. On the first play of the second quarter, Darnold went to Addison for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Bears after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Minnesota 30. Williams went deep to Allen for 24, but Kevin O’Connell threw the challenge flag. On further review, Allen’s toe was on the white chalk as the pass was reversed to an incompletion. Things got worse for the Bears when Santos’s 48 yard field goal try was blocked, his second blocked field goal in a row. 

The Vikings took over at their own 47. On 3rd and 1, Darnold got the yard. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion meant a 35 yard gain. Darnold went to Nailor for a 5 yard gain to make it 14-7 Vikings. The Bears took over at their own 20 and moved to a 4th and 6 at the Minnesota 31 with 3 seconds left in the half. Santos hit from 49 to have the Bears within 14-10. The Vikings began the third quarter at their own 23. On the first play from scrimmage, Darnold went deep to Jordan Addison for a 69 yard gain. A run lost 5 yards and Darnold was then sacked. Romo hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Vikings. The Bears after a touchback moved to a 4th and 4 at the Minnesota 27. Matt Eberflus went for it and Williams threw incomplete. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter the Bears fumbled a punt and the Vikings recovered at the Chicago 15. On 3rd and 5, Darnold went to Addison for 7. Jones ran for a 2 yard touchdown to have the Bears up 24-10 after three quarters.

The Vikings began the fourth quarter at their own 35. They moved to a 4th and 1 at the Chicago 36. A 54 yard field goal would all but wrap up the game. Yet Kevin O’Connell gambled. Darnold threw incomplete. This was Failure to Close Out 1, FCO1. Williams ran for 10 and hit Cole Kmet for 20. On 4th and 4 from the Minnesota 20 with 8 1/2 minutes left, the Bears were down to their last gasp. Williams gained 7. This was FCO2. Williams hit Moore for a 10 yard touchdown. Matt Eberflus went for an utterly pointless 2 point try. Williams threw incomplete and the Bears trailed 24-16. After a touchback the Vikings moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Chicago 7. Jones got stopped. 2 1/2 minutes remained. This time O’Connell went conservative. Romo hit the 26 yard field goal to have the Vikings up 27-16. This was FCO3. 

Only 1:56 remained. The Bears needed 2 scores. They needed a miracle. They got the first step with a 56 yard kickoff return to the Minnesota 40. With 90 seconds left, the Bears were down to 4th and 3. Williams went to Odunze for 14. This was FCO4. On 3rd and 2 from the Minnesota 11, Williams went to Johnson for 10. Williams went to Allen for a one yard touchdown. Williams went to Moore for the 2 point conversion. Only 22 seconds remained. Now the Bears needed an onside kick. They got it. This was FCO 5. 

The Bears took over at their own 43. Williams went deep to Moore for 27. Williams spiked the ball to stop the clock with 4 seconds left. Santos came in for a 48 yard try. With everything on the line, Santos was good. This game was headed to overtime. The Bears got the ball first but Williams was sacked. The Vikings moved from their own 21 to the Chicago 38. Darnold went deep to TJ Hockenson for a 29 yard gain. With 2 minutes left in overtime on 2nd and goal from the 11, Kevin O’Connell was not taking any chances. Romo came in for the 29 yarder to win it. There would be no FCO 6. Romo was good. The Bears were game, but it was another gut-wreching loss for their 5th straight. The Vikings survived to get to 9-2 on the year. 30-27 Vikings, OT 

Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders — The Raiders came in having lost 6 straight. Every Raiders game is the same. The Raiders score one early touchdown. Then they try to win the rest of the game only with field goals and defense. Their exhausted defense eventually breaks in the fourth quarter. The Raiders fall behind by 2 scores and the offense in desperation mode occasionally gets a garbage touchdown in a  garbage season. They have no quarterback, no offensive line and no running game. Zamir White was injured, leaving what little running game to players nobody has ever heard of. The Raiders after an opening touchback actually moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Denver 42. Gardner Minshew threw incomplete. Antonio Pierce decided to punt.

The Broncos began at their own 33. McLaughlin gained 11. On 1st and 20 from their own 34 after offensive holding, Bo Nix went to Franklin for 26. Nix hit Burton for 8. McLaughlin gained 18. On 2nd and 7 from the Raiders 11, a run lost 4 yards followed by a false start to kill the drive. Wil Lutz hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Broncos. The Raiders got a major jolt when Laube returned the ensuing kickoff 59 yard to the Denver 40. Sincere McCormick ran for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Denver 22, Amir Abdullah gained just enough as the first quarter ended. On the first play of the second quarter from the Denver 19, Minshew went to Mayer for 9. Abdullah ran for 4 and caught a 6 yard touchdown pass from Minshew. The Raiders led 7-3. They had their touchdown for the day and were expected to kick field goals the rest of the way.

The rest of the half did belong to the field goal kickers. Lutz hit from 53. Despite 1st and 10 from the Denver 11, offensive holding killed the Raiders. Daniel Carlson hit from 34 to make it 10-6 Raiders. Lutz hit from 54 with 53 second left in the half. That was enough time for Carlson to hit again from 34 as the Raiders took a 13-9 lead to the locker rooms. The Raiders were hanging tough, but given that they only score one touchdown per game, they had to play perfectly. Any mistakes would cause them to fall behind, which for them meant a loss. The Raiders had a chance unless they just gave away the game.

The Raiders defense forced  three and out to start the third quarter. The Raiders offense took over at their own 22 with the lead and all the momentum. If the Raiders could build a two score lead, they had a real chance. On 2nd and 14 from their own 34, Minshew threw a terrible pass right to Jones, who plays defense for Denver. Jones returned the interception 37 yards to the Raiders 18. From that spot, Nix went to Cortland Sutton for the touchdown. Now the Broncos led 16-13. After a touchback the Raiders moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Denver 43. One more first down or even a few more yards would mean long field goal range to tie the game. Minshew threw incomplete and the Raiders punted. 

The Broncos moved from their own 48 to a 1st and 10 at the Raiders 21. Yet a pair of plays lsat yardage. Lutz hit a 45 yard field goal. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Broncos led 19-13. After a touchback, the Raiders moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 35. Yet offensive pass interference killed the drive. Carlson nailed a 53 yard field goal. With 9 minutes left, the Raiders were within 19-16. 

 After a touchback, McLaughlin gained 8 and 7. Nix went to Vele for 11. With 6 1/2 minutes left the Broncos faced 3rd and 6 from the Raiders 39. One defensive stop was too much to ask for. Nix went to Mims for 37. Nix went to Sutton for the 2 yard touchdown. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Broncos led 26-16. Now it was a 2 score game. Once again, the Raiders had fallen apart. In desperation mode after a touchback, the Raiders moved to a 1st and goal at the 4. Yet the utter inability of the Raiders to run the football continues to be their undoing. They didn’t even try. Minshew threw 3 straight incompletions. Antonio Pierce had no confidence in his offense to gain 4 yards. Who could blame him? Carlson hit from 22. The Raiders were within 26-19 with a full 3:40 to play. They needed a defensive stop. 

They got one in a big way. Rather than grind down clock, the Broncos after a touchback inexplicably went to the air. Nix threw incomplete twice. On 3rd and 10, a completion gained only 8. The Raiders got the ball back at their own 24 with a full 3:12 left. They had every chance to tie or win the game. Minshew was sacked hard as the defender came down on his shoulder. Minshew left the game and did not return. With Aidan O’Connell already out with an injured thumb, it was up to 3rd string quarterback Desmond Ridder, fresh off of the Jets practice squad, to try and be the hero.

On 3rd and 12, Ridder was sacked and fumbled. The Broncos recovered at the Raiders 17. The defense held. Lutz hit a 33 yard field goal. Again the Broncos were up by 10. After a touchback the Raiders had 1:58 to work with and 2 timeouts. The smart move would be to get in field goal range, cut the lead to 7, and then try to get the onside kick. Yet the Raiders are dumb. From the Denver 48, Ridder found Tucker for a big gain in field goal range. Yet Tucker refused to go out of bounds. He gained 24 yards but forced the Raiders to burn another timeout. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 11, Ridder went to Tucker for 10. Tucker was inches short of the goal line. Now the Raiders had only 20 seconds left and had to take their final timeout. Rather than kick a field goal, Ridder threw incomplete. Then he was sacked. The clock ran out. 

The Raiders lost their 7th straight because they keep making the same dumb mistakes every week and learning nothing from it. Making matters worse, Minshew suffered a broken collarbone on that fourth quarter hit and will be out for the rest of the season. Now Ridder will be the starter going forward. The Raiders are a mess. Once again, they tried to beat a good team with one early touchdown and field goals the rest of the way. It doesn’t work. Onside kicks rarely succeed, but had the Raiders just kicked a 5th Carlson field goal, at least they would have had a chance. If they would have just run the ball, the worst that would have likely happened is punting. Yet by refusing to run and relying on an average quarterback behind a patchwork offensive line, the Raiders kept throwing when everyone knew they would throw. They had the lead and gave the game away. Again. 29-19 Broncos

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers — The 49ers have owned the Packers in recent years but this year the 49ers do not scare anyone. Brock Purdy missed this game with an injury, and backup Allen did not move the 49ers offense at all. The Packers began at their own 33. Josh Jacobs ran for 18 and 10. On 3rd and 4 from the San Francisco 31, Jordan Love hit Reed for 7. On 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 15, Wilson got the yard. Love went to Kraft for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Packers got it back at their own 19 and moved to a 2nd and 9 at the San Francisco 32. Love threw incomplete twice. Brandon McManus hit a 51 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Packers. 

The Packers got it back in the second quarter and faced 3rd and 11 at their own 28. Love went to Romeo Doubs for 29. On 3rd and 5 from the Sn Francisco 38, Love went to Doubs for 10. On 3rd and 10 from the San Francisco 28, Love found Doubs for 15. An interception of Love was negated by offsetting penalties. Jacobs ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Packers.

The 49ers took over at their own 35. Allen hit Kyle Juszczyk for 16. On 3rd and 7 from the Green Bay 48, Allen went to Christian McCaffrey for 9 and Deebo Samuel for 21. On 3rd and 6 from the Green Bay 14, Allen hit George Kittle for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Allen found Kittle for the touchdown. With one minute left in the half, the 49ers were finally on the board. Yet they got no closer. In the third quarter on 4th and 2 from the Green By 39, Kyle Shanahan gambled and Allen threw incomplete. Then on 3rd and 8 from the Green Bay 45, Allen was intercepted. McKinney returned the pick 48 yards to the San Francisco 26. On 3rd and 2, defensive pass interference meant 17 yards and the ball on the one. Jacobs got the yard to make it 24-7 Packers.

The 49ers managed a 48 yard Jake Moody field goal, but nothing more. I the fourth quarter the Packers turned the game into a rout. Allen was sacked and fumbled to set up the Packers at the San Francisco 16.  

Jacobs ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 31-10 Packers.It was deja vu all over again on the very next play from scrimmage after a touchback. Allen went to McCaffrey for 23 but McCaffrey fumbled. the Packers took over at their own 44. Love threw a 3 yard touchdown to Heath to complete the blowout. The Packers are 8-3 on the year while the defending NFC Champion 49ers are a shocking 5-6 and running out of time. 38-10 Packers

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks — The Cardinals came in to this game at 6-4, one game ahead of everyone else in the division. This was an ugly game. In the second quarter Chris Ryland nailed a 55 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cardinals. The Seahawks eventually took over at their own 39. Geno Smith went to Barner for 11. Smith connected with non-relative Jackson Smith-Nigba for 46. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Smith hit Smith-Nigba for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Seahawks at the half. In the third quarter the Cardinals moved from their own 18 to a 4th and 1 at the Seattle 40. Jonathan Gannon went for it. Kyler Murray was intercepted by Bryant, who returned the pick 69 yards to pay dirt the other way. The extra point was no good but the Seahawks led 13-3. Smith was later intercepted for a touchback, as the Cardinals moved to a 3rd and goal at the 4. Murray threw incomplete. Ryland hit from 22 to get the Cardinals within 13-6 with 10 minutes left in regulation. Jason Myers answered from 50 at the 2 minute warning to put the Seahawk back up by 10. Ryland missed from 47 with 15 seconds left to snuff out any hopes for a miracle comeback. 16-6 Seahawks

Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams was the Sunday night game. The Eagles are flying high but winning close games. The Rams are struggling but have improved since getting key players back from injury. After an opening touchback, the Rams moved to a 1st and 10 at the Philadelphia 17. Williams got the carry and fumbled. The Eagles moved from that spot to a 3rd and goal at the 4. Jalen Hurts gained only one yard. Jake Elliott hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. 

After a touchback, Matthew Stafford went to Puka Nacua for 14. Williams gained 11. Stafford hit Robinson for 13 and Nakua for 18. Williams ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Rams. The Eagles moved from their own 36 to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 13. An offensive penalty for an ineligible man downfield killed the drive. Elliott hit from 31 to get the Eagles within 7-6 in the second quarter. 

The Eagles got the ball back at their own 38. Saquon Barkley gashed the defense for gains of 9, 8 and 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 25, Hurts gained just enough. Hurts hit Barkley for 13. Hurts found AJ Brown for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Eagles. On the first play of the third quarter after a touchback, Barkley broke free for a 70 yard touchdown run to have the Eagles up 20-7. After a touchback, Williams ran for a pair of 7 yard gains. Stafford hit Nacua for 16 and Parkinson for 10. On 3rd and 16 from the Philadelphia 34, defensive pass interference meant a 31 yard gain. Stafford hit Robinson for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Rams within 20-14. They would get no closer.

After a touchback Hurts went to Brown for 12. On 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Hurts gained 5. On 3rd and 10 from the Rams 44, Hurts went to Barkley for 31. Kenneth Gainwell ran for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 27-14 Eagles. Late in the third quarter Joshua Karty missed a 47 yard field goal try to for the Rams. The Eagles from their own 37 moved to a 1st and goal at the 7. A run lost a yard and Hurts threw incomplete twice. Yet Elliott hit from 26 to have the Eagles up 30-14 in the fourth quarter. With 5 minutes left in regulation the Eagles took over at their own9. On 3rd and 6 from their own 28, Barkley ripped off a 72 yard touchdown run to make it 37-14 Eagles. The Rams got one garbage touchdown. Barkley finished with a franchise record 255 yards on 26 carries with 47 more yards on 4 receptions. The Eagles are 9-2 while the Rams are 5-6 on the year. 37-20 Eagles

Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers was the Monday night game. This was the 2024 Harbowl. While it was not a Super Bowl, both teams came in with winning records and jockeying for playoff position in tough divisions. After an opening touchback, Justin Herbert went to Ladd McConkey for 17. Edwards gained 8 and 4. JK Dobbins added 12. Herbert went to Will Dissly for 18. Herbert ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers. In the second quarter the Chargers moved from their own 36 to a 2nd and 7 at the Baltimore 24. Herbert threw incomplete twice. Cameron Dicker hit a 42 yard field goal for a 10-0 Chargers advantage. 

After a touchback, Derrick Henry ran for 19 and 14. On 3rd and 5 from the Chargers 32, Lamar Jackson went to Mark Andrews for 16. Jackson ran for a 10 yard touchdown to get the Ravens within 10-7. The Ravens got the ball back at their own 7 yard line with 4 minutes left in the half. John Harbaugh gambled on a fake punt on 4th and 1 from his own 16. It was crazy, but Andrews took the direct snap 2 yards. Jackson went to Justice Hill for 9. On 3rd and 2 from their own 26, Jackson went to Zee Flowers for 22. Defensive pass interference added 12. Jackson then went deep to Bateman for a 40 yard touchdown. With 24 seconds left in the half, the Ravens led 14-10.

After a touchback, that was enough time for Herbert. He hit Jalen Reagor for 11 and Palmer for 17. Dicker nailed a 52 yard field goal to end the half with the Chargers only down 14-13. After a third quarter touchback, the Ravens moved to a 4th and 4 at the Chargers 27. Justin Tucker hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 17-13 Ravens. After a touchback the Chargers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 33. Herbert was sacked and then threw incomplete twice. Dicker hit from 52 to have the Chargers down 17-16 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. 

After a touchback John Harbaugh decided to gamble on 4th and 1 from his own 39. Henry got the carry and burst through for a 27 yard gain. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Harbaugh gambled again on 4th and 1 from the Chargers 25. Henry gained 2. Henry added 9 and 4. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Jackson went to Andrews for the touchdown. Harbaugh then gambled again, this time on a 2 point conversion try to make it a 2 score game. Jackson thew incomplete. The Ravens led 23-16 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

The Ravens got it back and soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 37. Henry appeared stopped but bounced to the outside for 5. On 3rd and 3 just shy of midfield out of the shotgun, Justice Hill went outside, cut back inside, and outraced everyone for a 51 yard touchdown to ice the game midway through the fourth quarter. The Chargers managed a garbage touchdown with 45 seconds to play but the onside kick failed. 30-23 Ravens

Trump’s return is a blessing for politically liberal Jews

November 21st, 2024

Donald Trump’s reelection is good news for liberal Jews

 

President-elect Donald J. Trump did more than replicate Grover Cleveland. Twice in three elections, Mr. Trump caused emotional breakdowns in people before taking the oath of office. Sadly, many people suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome are Jewish. If they calmed down, politically liberal Jews would realize that Trump’s reelection is a gift.

 

Many liberal Jews grasped the big picture. Trump’s Abraham Accords remain the most significant Middle East peace agreements in decades. Trump personally is Philosemitic. He frequently expresses admiration and respect for Jewish military and business leaders who share his successful track record and strong work ethic. His daughter Ivanka is orthodox Jewish. An often-repeated joke is that unlike many of his Jewish critics, at least Trump has Jewish grandchildren. Trump does more to extend Jewish survival than many Jews.

 

Conversely, Harris was awful for Jews. Despite having a Jewish husband, Harris’s ideology mirrors the Jew-hating Squad. Harris is not an antisemite, but she tolerates antisemitism by cowardly refusing to stop it. The vice president can end antisemitic college riots. Harris stayed silent to placate Michigan’s Arab Muslim voters. Fear caused her to reject popular Jewish Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro in favor of leftist Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Harris and Walz embraced antisemitic Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

 

On policy, Harris supported former President Barack Obama’s horrendous Iran deal. Trump ended it only to have the Biden-Harris administration attempt reinstatement. Obama-Biden-Harris funding of Iran led to Iran’s newly wealthy proxies Hamas and Hezbollah committing the devastating October 7th attacks on Israel. Biden and Harris shackled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war effort, declaring Bibi’s “total victory” approach impossible. They were totally wrong. Netanyahu was proven right.

 

Many Jewish voters processed all of this and voted accordingly. Trump won a staggering 45% of the New York City Jewish vote. Jewish voters who still have not had their come to Moses moment need a reality check. Ridiculous irrational fears must be countered.

 

Trump is not a Nazi, fascist, Hitler, or any other deeply offensive label that should be reserved for real genocidal individuals. He will not bring another Holocaust or put Jews or anyone else in internment camps. He will not return slavery or take black people and “put y’all back in chains,” to quote then Vice President Biden. Trump will not round up and imprison political opponents, although those who framed him for crimes deserve to be tried and if convicted, locked up.

 

Trump’s lengthy business history and briefer government time reflect a demanding boss who promoted many minorities to top executive positions. Trump had a healthy ratio of top female executives. His campaign manager Susie Wiles will become the first female White House Chief of Staff. LGBTQers will be fine. Trump promoted openly gay Ric Grenell to acting Director of National Intelligence in 2020.

 

Many liberal Jews only care about social issues, mainly abortion. Trump is the most socially liberal Republican President since Teddy Roosevelt. Trump favors in vitro fertilization and rejects a national abortion ban. Not one woman in America seeking an abortion will be denied. Plenty of blue states codified abortion rights into their state constitutions. Women in red states can travel to blue states. Private sponsors and Hollywood celebrities delight in financing poor women unable to afford abortion travel expenses.

 

Not one legal American voter will be prohibited from voting. Not one minority will be denied employment based on minority status. Anti-discrimination laws already exist. Liberal marginalized groups may worry, but feelings are not facts.

 

Trump will deport illegal immigrants. Encouraging illegal immigration is cruelty, not compassion. Enforcing laws is not bigotry. Trump will remove Environmental and Social Governance rules that strangle businesses. He will remove the inherently anti-Jewish Critical Race Theory from public education. Trump will end the anti-Jewish equity movement and replace government’s goal from equity back to equality of opportunity.

 

Those labeling Trump a “threat to democracy” claim that without consequences. Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and “The View” ladies can excoriate Trump with impunity. Trump was never charged with insurrection. Some January 6th doofuses acted badly but were nowhere near as destructive as violent actors during 574 George Floyd riots. The real threats to democracy are the leftists and Islamists who keep trying to murder Trump. Yes, those people deserve prison.

 

The challenge for anti-Trump leftists including Jewish leftists is to find one legitimate victim of Trump’s policies. Recently deposed Democrats do not count. Voters fired them, not Trump.

 

Trump says offbeat things, but observe his deeds. He will crack down on antisemitic campus riots. He will not mandate things he agrees with or ban things just because he disagrees with them. He will not bully social media companies into censoring critical posts or force businesses to produce inferior “green” electric vehicles or lightbulbs. Until and unless one person anywhere can show how Trump hurt them because of race, religion or sexual orientation, bleating sheep must stop crying wolf.

 

Jews and non-Jews alike should give Trump a real fair chance. On January 20th of 2029, he will leave public office, guaranteed. Relax. Breathe. Everything will be fine. Jews will be fine.

NFL 2024 Week 12 Prequel

November 20th, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 12 Prequel

Thursday, November 21, 2024, 8pm

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3 1/2) at Cleveland Browns — The Steelers are very good. The Browns are very bad. Baker Mayfield will not be returning to Cleveland to give the Browns a fighting chance. The Steelers have the better quarterback and a good running game. They will power through Cleveland. Steelers cover

Sunday, November 24, 1pm

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5) at New York Giants — The Buccaneers are nothing special but the Giants are a mess. Daniel Jones has finally been benched. Bring on Tommy “Cutlets” Devito. Baker Mayfield has more weapons. The spread is high for a road team, although the Giants offense is anemic. Devito might be able to briefly spark the Giants just enough. Buccaneers win but fail to cover

Kansas City Chiefs (-11) at Carolina Panthers — The Chiefs will be angry after seeing their unbeaten season go down at Buffalo last week. They play one of the worst teams in football in Carolina. Yet the Chiefs do not win blowouts. They win close games. A garbage touchdown to defeat the spread is very realistic. Chiefs win but fail to cover

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders (-10) — The Cowboys have lost five straight. With Dak Prescott gone for the year, Cooper Rush is just not the same. There is even talk of putting in Trey Lance. The Commanders have a decent defense and Dan Quinn would love to wallop his former team. Forget the high spread. The Cowboys have been blown out several times this year. Commanders cover

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (-7) — The Dolphins are not very good but the Patriots are worse. The spread is high given how sluggish the Dolphins are on offense but the Patriots lack the ability to keep up. The Dolphins lack the explosiveness to make this a blowout. Dolphins win but fail to cover

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (-7 1/2) — The Texans are coming off a big emotional win at Dallas on Monday Night Football, but do not expect a letdown. The Titans are awful. CJ Stroud will throw the ball at will. Demeco Ryan’s defense will devour Will Levis. This could get ugly early. Texans cover

Detroit Lions (-7 1/2) at Indianapolis Colts — The Lions for their first time their entire franchise history are Super Bowl favorites. Will the press go to their heads? The Colts are not a terrible team. Anthony Richardson is back, giving the Colts a puncher’s chance. Lions win but fail to cover

Minnesota Vikings (-3 1/2) at Chicago Bears — The Vikings and the Bears have regressed in recent weeks, but Kevin O’Connell is a far better coach than Matt Eberflus. The Vikings have some serious playmakers on offense, starting with Justin Jefferson. The Bears could keep this game close but they seem to have spiraled in the last few weeks after a couple heartbreaking losses. Vikings win but fail to cover

4pm

Denver Broncos (-4) at Las Vegas Raiders — The Raiders have lost six straight games. They have no home field advantage. Their defense was their lone bright spot and it has fallen apart in the last couple of weeks. Their offense is awful. The Raiders offense will get beat up by the Broncos defense. If the Raiders defense does not fix their side of the ball, Bo Nix could pick them apart. These teams often play close games. Broncos win but fail to cover

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers (-1 1/2) — The 49ers are a shell of what they were last year. On paper they look good but on the field it is just not working. The Packers are the better team at this point. Jordan Love is playing well. Go with the better team and the home field. Packers cover

Arizona Cardinals (-1) at Seattle Seahawks — The Cardinals have very quietly gotten to 6-4, only one game ahead of the rest of the division. The days when the Seahawks 12th man tormented opponents is long gone. Kyler Murray is a playmaker. Geno Smith is competent, but he is not Murray. Cardinals cover

8pm

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Los Angeles Rams — The Eagles win close games. They do not blow teams out. Yet the Rams offense has not gelled yet despite getting their stars back from injury. The Eagles find ways to win, usually by building a big early lead and just barely not blowing it. Eagles cover

Monday, November 25, 8pm

Baltimore Ravens (-3) at Los Angeles Chargers — Welcome to the Harbowl. The Ravens are the better team. They will be angry coming off of a home loss to hated Pittsburgh. Expect the Baltimore defense and their running game to deliver another ugly win, the tradition of this franchise.The Chargers lack the meanness on defense to stop Lamar Jackson. Justin Herbert can only do so much. Ravens cover

A total and complete rejection of progressivism

November 19th, 2024

Election 2024 was a total and compelte rejection of progressivism

My newest Newsmax column.

NFL 2024 Week 11 Recap

November 18th, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 11 Recap

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles was the Thursday night game. A pair of good teams played an important NFC East rivalry game. The eagles missed an opportunity on their opening possession when Jake Elliott missed a 44 yard field goal try. A short 38 yard punt had the Commanders taking over at their own 42. Jaydon Daniels went ti Austin Ekeler for 34. Robinson ran for 18 and then got the last yard for the touchdown. The Commanders led 7-0 after the first quarter. In the second quarter, Elliott missed again from 51. The Eagles got it back at their own 10 and moved 87 yards in 15 plays to a 3rd and goal at the 3 with 30 seconds left in the half. Jalen Hurts threw incomplete. Elliott finally connected from 21. yet instead of leading 9-7 at the intermission, the Eagles trailed 7-3. The Commanders began the third quarter at their own 31 and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Philadelphia 22. Daniels threw incomplete. After a delay of game, Zane Gonzalez hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Commanders. Then the game changed.

The Eagles took over at their own 13 and moved 74 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 13, Hurts threw incomplete. Elliott hit from 31 to get the Eagles within 10-6. The Eagles got it back at their own 24. Saquon Barkley gained 9. Hurts went to AJ Brown for 17. The fourth quarter began with the Eagles facing 3rd and 7 at the Washington 45. Hurts ran for just enough. Gainwell then ran for big gains of 14, 13 and 7. Hurts ran for a one yard touchdown. Elliott missed the extra point but the Eagles led 12-10 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Commanders moved from their own 29 to a 3rd and 1 at the Philadelphia 25. Robinson got the carry and lost a yard. A 44 yard field goal would have given the Commanders the lead, so it seemed odd that Dan Quinn gambled on 4th and 2. Daniels kept it and got stopped for no gain. 

The Eagles moved quickly as Hurts went deep to Dallas Goedert for a 32 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 23, Barkley ran all the way for the touchdown to have the Eagles up 19-10 with 5 minutes left. One play after a touchback, Daniels was immediately intercepted by Rod Blankenship at the Washington 46. Barkley did the rest, running for 7 and then for the 39 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left, 23 unanswered points had the Eagles up 26-10. Yet the Eagles only seem to win close games. After a touchback, the Commanders did move 70 yards, but it took them 16 plays to do it. Daniels hit Zac Ertz for a 5 yard touchdown and again for the 2 point conversion. The Commanders were within 8 points, but only 28 seconds remained. The onside kick failed. The Eagles are 7-2 and the Commander are 7-3. A playoff rematch would be worth it. 26-18 Eagles  

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers — These bitter AFC North enemies played another defensive street fight. The 7-3 Ravens and the 7-2 Steelers are mirror images of each other. On the second play from scrimmage, Derrick Henry fumbled and the Steelers recovered at the Baltimore 42. On 2nd and 8 from the Baltimore 14, Russell Wilson threw incomplete twice. Chris Boswell hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Steelers. Justin Tucker may be the best kicker to ever play the game, but he has struggled tis year. From 47 yards out, he was wide left no good. Mike Tomlin gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 46. Najee Harris got stopped cold for no gain. Yet from 50 yards out, Tucker was wide left no good again. Boswell hit again from 52 to make it 6-0 Steelers.

The Ravens took over at there own 20 with 5 minutes left in the half. Jackson went to Bateman for 19. Henry ran for 31. Jackson went to Isaiah Likely for 18 at the 2 minute warning. Henry ran for 3 and then for the one yard touchdown. Despite being outplayed the entire half, the Ravens led 7-6 with 1:16 left. The Ravens got it back at their own 9 with 38 seconds left. Rather than just run the ball, the Ravens tried to get more. A short completion was fumbled, gifting the Steelers the ball at the Baltimore 19 with 30 seconds left. On 2nd and 5 from the Baltimore 9, Wilson threw a pair of incompletions sandwiched around a false start. Boswell hit from 32 to have the Steelers up 9-7 at the half. In the third quarter Boswell drilled a 57 yarder to have the Steelers up 12-7. 

Tucker finally got on the board with a 54 yarder. The Steelers after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Baltimore 8. Yet a run lost a yard and Wilson threw incomplete. Boswell hit from 27 to have the Steelers up 15-10 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Steelers moved from their own 32 to a 1st and goal at the 5 and a chance to put the game away. A run went nowhere, Wilson threw incomplete, and on 3rd and goal, Wilson went to the end zone and was intercepted by Marlon Humphrey. From his own 20, Jackson ran for 25 as one touchdown would give the Ravens the lead. Yet then Jackson was intercepted. The Steelers moved from their own 36 to a 2nd and 9 at the Baltimore 31. A completion lost a yard and Wilson then threw incomplete. Boswell hit his 6th field goal to have the Steelers up 18-10 with 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 31. Jackson went to Bateman and Likely for a pair of 11 yard gains. On 3rd and 9 from the Pittsburgh 46, Jackson went to Justice Hill for 22, to Wallace for 8, and to Bay Flowers for a 16 yard touchdown. Now the Ravens were a 2 point conversion from tying the game. Jackson scrambled for his life but shovel-passed the ball to nobody in particular incomplete. With only 1:06 left, John Harbaugh surprised everyone by not trying an onside kick. He decided to kick it deep since the Ravens had all 3 timeouts. On 3rd and 1 from their own 39, Harris got the carry. The pileup was big, but a final second effort allowed Harris to get the tough yard. This was a Pittsburgh-Baltimore barefisted slobberknocker, and this time Mike Tomlin power football was one yard better. The Steelers have won 5 straight and a playoff rematch cannot come soon enough. 18-16 Steelers

Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions — Sometimes a terrible team can go on the road and shock a great team in an upset for the ages. This was not that game. The 8-1 Lions were expected to easily steamroll the 2-8 Jaguars. The Jaguars got an early lift when Chase Little drilled a 59 yard field goal, but after that reality set in. After a touchback, Jared Goff went to Zylstra for 22. David Montgomery had gains of 5 and 9. Goff went to Am-ra St. Brown for 11. Montgomery did the rest, running for 5 and then for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 7 yard line. On 3rd and 3, Goff went to St. Brown for 5. Goff went back to St. Brown for 18. The second quarter began with the Lions facing 3rd and 1 at their own 46. Goff threw incomplete. Now it was time for a Dan Campbell gamble. On 4th and 1, Goff gained 3. Goff went to Williams for 24. Gibbs gained 23, then another 3, and finally the one yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Lions.  

The Lions took over at their own 36. A hook and lateral from Goff to St. Brown to Williamson went for 11. Montgomery gashed the defense for gains of 11, 8 and 5. Goff went to St. Brown for 12. Montgomery ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 16 and made it look easy. Goff went to Gibbs for 54 and then to St. Brown for a 27 yard touchdown to make it 28-3 Lions. The Jaguars got another field goal to end the half, but the Lions kept rolling in the third quarter. The Lions began at their own 20. From their own 36, Goff found Williams, who outraced everybody for a 64 yard touchdown to make it 35-6 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 17. Goff went to St. Brown for 26. On 3rd and 9 from their own 44, Goff went t Williams for 22. On 4th and 2 from the Jacksonville 14, Dan Campbell kept his foot on the gas. Goff hit Patrick for 9 and went to Wright for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 42-6 Lions. 

In the fourth quarter the Lions intercepted Lawrence to take over at their own 4 yard line. 96 yards came easy as Goff hit St. Brown for the touchdown. The Lions scored a touchdown on their first 7 drives, absolute perfection. Goff had a perfect passer rating of 158.3 through 50 minutes, which would mean more if anyone knew what that meant. The Lions led 49-6 with a full 10 minutes left in regulation. Yet Goff’s day was done. There was no reason for Dan Campbell to risk an injury up by 43 points. Hendon Hooker came in. Hooker did not lead a touchdown drive but Bates’s 54 yard field goal meant an 8th straight scoring drive. The Lions got it back and were in field goal range for a 9th scoring drive, but Dan Campbell called off the dogs. Hooker took a couple of knees to complete the carpet-bombing. 52-6 Lions 

Los Angeles Rams at New England Patriots — These teams played in 2 Super Bowls together, but this was just a pair of bad teams trying to survive. In the first quarter the Patriots took over at their own 23. Drake Maye went to Douglas for 14. On 3rd and 7 from their own 40, Maye went to Douglas for 28 and to Austin Hooper for 19. Maye went to Kendrick Bourne for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots. In the second quarter the Rams took over at their own 20. Matthew Stafford went to Puka Nacua for 25, to Corum for 7, and to Robinson for 10. Corum gained 5, 6 and 10. Stafford hit Nacua for 12. Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for a 5 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game midway through the second quarter. 

The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 27. Maye was sacked and fumbled. The Rams took over at the New England 12 yard line. One play later, Stafford hit Nacua for the touchdown to make it 14-7 Rams. After a touchback the Patriots moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Rams 13 at the 2 minute warning. Maye threw incomplete. Joey Slye hit a 32 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 14-10. After a touchback, the Rams moved to a 1st and goal at the 8 with 11 seconds left in the half. Stafford threw incomplete twice. On 3rd and goal with 3 seconds left, Sean McVay was not taking any chances. Karty came in for the 26 yard field try. He doinked it off the right upright no good. 

Yet while the Rams went to the locker rooms deflated, they came out elated to start the third quarter. On the second play from scrimmage from their own 31, Stafford went deep to Kupp for a 69 yard touchdown. Just like that the Rams led 21-10. The Patriots after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Raimondre Stevenson got the carry and got stopped cold for no gain. After a delay of game, Slye hit the 25 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 21-13. The Rams took over at their own 28. Williams ran for gains of 12 and 9. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Stafford gained 3. Stafford then went to Tutu Atwell for 21. Stafford hit Parkinson for a 19 yard touchdown to have the Rams up big 28-13 after three quarters.

After a touchback the Patriots soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 29. A completion and fumble lost a yard, but defensive unnecessary roughness gave the Patriots 15 yards. A defensive facemark added 15 more. Maye ran for 16 as the third quarter ended. With 12:45 left in regulation, Maye hit Lowe for a 4 yard touchdown. Yet Slye’s critical extra point attempt was blocked. The Patriots still trailed 28-19. The Patriots got it back and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Rams 19 with 5 minutes left to play. Jerod Mayo went for it but a false start killed the try. Needing 2 scores, Mayo opted for the field goal. Slye hit from 42 to get the Patriots within 6. The Patriots got it back at their own 10 with 2:14 to play. On 3rd and 13 from their own 25, Mayo was intercepted. The Rams have quietly gotten to 5-5 on the year. 28-22 Rams  

Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints — Both teams are and but the Saints snapped their 7 game losing streak last week to get a win for interim coach Darren Rizzi in his very first game. After an opening touchback, Kevin Stefanski gambled on 4th and 1 just past midfield. Nick Chubb got the carry and got blown up for a 2 yard loss. With a short field Alvin Kamara ran for 13. Taysom Hill came in and hit Austin for 18. Hill got around the end for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. Late in the first quarter the Browns took over at their own 11. One play and 15 seconds was all the Browns needed as Jameis Winston went deep to Jerry Jeudy for an 89 yard touchdown. Stefanski went for a pointless 2 point try that failed as the Browns trailed 7-6. Hill was then intercepted on a deep ball, but the Browns did not capitalize. 

The Saints soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 29 in the second quarter. Derek Carr hit Marques Valdez-Scantling, who outraced everyone for a 71 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Saints. The rest of the half was ugly. Dustin Hopkins missed a 51 yard field goal try for th Browns. The Saints moved from their own 41 to a 3rd and 3 at the Cleveland 11. Carr hit Hill for 6, but Hill fumbled the ball away. The Browns moved from their own 7 to a 1st and goal at the 9 with 11 seconds left in the half. Winston threw incomplete, leaving 3 seconds. On 3rd and goal, Kevin Stefanski took no chances. Yet Hopkins missed the 27 yard field goal. In the third quarter the Browns took over at their own 8. Winston hit Tillman for 20. Chubb gashed the defense for 14, 5 and 8. Winston hit Jeudy for 11 and then went to Moore for a 30 yard touchdown, Stefanski went for 2 again. This time, Winston hit David Njoku. After 36 minutes of football the game was tied 14-14. The game would still be tied entering the fourth quarter.

Late in the third quarter the Saints faced 3rd and 13 at their own 20. Carr hit Hill for 14 and Foster Moreau for 22. Early in the fourth quarter the Saints faced 4th and 1 at the Cleveland 33. Darren Rizzi went for it and brought in Hill. Hill took the direct snap and ran all the way for the touchdown to make it 21-14 Saints. Bettis then returned a punt 53 yards to set up the Saints at the Cleveland 35. Kamara ran for 18. Hill added 6, then Kamara gained another 5. Carr threw a one yard touchdown pass to Johnson to make it 28-14 Saints with 6 minutes left. The Browns last gasp fell flat when Winston threw incomplete on 4th and 6 from the New Orleans 22 with 2:48 left. 3 plays later Hill got around the end for a 79 yard touchdown. 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter turned a close game into a blowout. Darren Rizzi is 2-0 as a head coach. 35-14 Saints 

Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets — Neither team is any good, but the Jets find new ways to ridicule those who believed they were a serious contender. In the first quarter the Colts moved from their own 20 to a 3rd and 4 at the Jets 23. Anthony Richardson threw incomplete. Matt Gay hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 34. Richardson went to Pittman for 16. On 3rd and 4 from the Jets 34, Richardson went to Mitchell for 33 down to the one. The second quarter began with Richardson getting around the end for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Colts. Jets interim coach Brian Ulbrich gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 39. Conklin took the direct snap and gained nothing. The Colts moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Jets 13. Richardson was sacked for a 16 yard loss. Gay hit a 47 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Colts. 

With 2:17 left in the half, the Jets took over at their own 24. Rodgers went to Wilson for 6, Conklin for 7, and Davante Adams for 24. On 3rd and 6 from the Indianapolis 29, Rodgers went to Breece Hall for the touchdown. With 40 seconds left in the half, the Jets were right back in it down 13-7. The third quarter began with Richardson getting sacked and fumbling. The Jets took over at the Indianapolis 25. Hall did the rest, running for 7 and then for the 18 yard touchdown to have the Jets up 14-13. The Colts moved from their own 21 to a 3rd and 9 at the Jets 39. Richardson threw incomplete. Gay nailed a 56 yard field goal to put the Colts up 16-14. Later in the third quarter the Colts punted on 4th and 16 from their own 10. A fair catch interference penalty on the kicking team gave the Jets gift field position at the Indianapolis 38. Yet the Jets ran 3 plays and lost 2 yards. Anders Carlson leveled a 58 yard field goal to have the Jets back up 17-16. 

The Jets got the bay back at their own 41. Rodgers went to Adams for 24. The fourth quarter began with the Jets facing 3rd and 2 at the Indy 27. Hall ran for 16. Rodgers went to Yeboah for an 11 yard touchdown to have the Jets up 24-16. After a touchback Richardson went to Pittman for 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 42, Richardson went to Mo Alie-Cox for 12. Richardson went to Pierce for 19 and to downs or a 10 yard touchdown. The 2 point try to tie the game failed. The Colts trailed 24-22 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Jets after a touchback moved 53 yards in 13 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 10 from the Indy 25, Rodgers hit Hall for only 8. With 2:45 to play, Jeff Ulbrich had a big decision to make. On 4th and 2 from the Indy 17, he opted for the field goal. Carlson hit from 35. The Jets led 27-22 but they did not close the door. After a touchback, Richardson went deep to Pierce for 39. Richardson went to Downs for 17. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Richardson got around the end for the touchdown. After a touchback, 46 seconds remained. The Jets needed only a field goal. On 3rd and 7 with 13 seconds left, Rodgers was sacked. The clock ran out. 28-27 Colts 

Minnesota Vikings at Tennessee Titans — The Vikings are a good team. The Titans are a bad team. An early fumble by Sam Darnold gave the Titans the ball at their own 45. They moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Minnesota 6. Will Levis was sacked. Nick Folk hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Titans. After a touchback the Vikings soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Darnold threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 16 yards. On the next play Darnold found Jordan addison, who split the seams and outraced everyone for a 47 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Vikings. The Vikings got it back and faced 3rd and 6 at their own 15. Darnold hit Sherfield for 16 as the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with the Vikings facing 3rd and 6 at their own 35. Darnold went to Justin Jefferson for 31. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 25, Darnold went to TJ Hockenson for 4. On 4th and 1 from the Tennessee 12, Kevin O’Connell went for it. Darnold got stopped but the defense jumped offside. On 2nd and goal at the one, Darnold threw incomplete and a run got stopped. O’Connell gambled again. On 4th and goal at the one, Darnold threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness meant a new set of downs. On the next play, Darnold finally got the yard to make it 13-3 Vikings. The extra point doinked off the upright no good.

Romo did hit a 40 yard field goal to have the Vikings up 16-3 at the break. In the third quarter the Titans faced 3rd and 10 at their own 2. Rather than run and punt, Levis went deep to Westbrook-Ikhine for a shocking 98 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Titans were within 16-10. The vikings took over at their own 35. Darnld went to Jefferson for 25. On 3rd and 11 from the Tennessee 41, Darnold was sacked and fumbled but defensive illegal contact meant 5 yards and an automatic first down. Darnold went to Oliver for 21. Darnold hit Jefferson for 10. Darnold went to Cam Akers for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 23-10 Vikings. The Titans managed a 43 yard field goal one minute into the fourth quarter but nothing else. With 8 1/2 minutes left, on 4th and 4 from the Minnesota 43, Levis was sacked. With 2 1/2 minutes left on 4th and 7 from the Minnesota 48, Levis threw incomplete. The Titans got it back with 1:57 left at their own 16 needing 2 scores. Levis was quickly intercepted. The Vikings got to 8-2 on the year while the Titans are a 2-8 mess. 23-13 Vikings

Las Vegas Raiders at Miami Dolphins — 1974 brought the legendary “Sea of Hands” catch by Clarence Davis as the Raiders ended the reign of the 2 time defending champion Miami Dolphins. 1984 brought Mike Haynes returning an interception of Dan Marino 97 yards for the first touchdown and Marcus Allen sealing the win with the last touchdown in the Raiders 45-34 win. 2024 brought a battle for a good Draft pick. The Dolphins are a bad team and the Raiders are worse. Early on the Dolphins faced 3rd and 7 from their own 33. Tua Tagovailoa went to Devon Achane for 17 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Tagovailoa went to Tyreek Hill for 16. A sack of Tagovailoa forced  fumble but the Dolphins retained possession. On 3rd and 20 from the Raiders 22, a completion from Tagovailoa to Mostert only gained 12 but a mindless defensive holding penalty meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 10, Tagovailoa went to Hill for 6. On 3rd and goal at the one, Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Mike McDaniel went for it. On 4th and goal, Tagovialoa went to Smith for the touchdown. The 14 play, 70 yard, 8 minute drive made it 7-0 Dolphins. 

The Raiders after a touchback went 3 and out but received a break due to a running into the kicker penalty on the punt. The Raiders moved all the way to the Miami 10 before a sack of Minshew killed the drive. Daniel Carlson hit a 27 yard field goal as the first quarter ended. Each team had one drive in the first quarter as the Dolphins led 7-3. The Dolphins took over at their own 35 and launched another staggering 16 play, 52 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Tagovailoa was sacked. Jason Sanders hit the 31 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Dolphins. The Raiders after a touchback moved to a 1st and goal at the 8. A run went nowhere and Minshew was taken down for a one yard loss. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Minshew had Mayer over the middle. An accurate throw would have been the tying touchdown. The ball was slightly overthrown. Myaer made a the diving catch but  only for a gain of 5. On 4th and goal at the 4, the decision was easy. Carlson hit the 22 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 10-6 at the intermission.  

In the third quarter the Raiders had a chance to take the lead. They punted. A great punt had the Dolphins pinned at their own 3 yard line. On 3rd and 4, Tagovailoa hit Hill for 6. Tagovailoa went to Achane for 6, to Smith for 7, to Jalen Waddle for 13, and to Hill for 11. Achane ran for 30. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Tagovailoa went to Hill for the touchdown. The 14 play, 97 yard, 8 minute drive had the Dolphins up 17-6. After a touchback the Raiders faced 4th and 1 at their own 39. Antonio Pierce went for it and Mattison banged up the middle for 6. Minshew went to Mattison for 31. On 3rd and 9 from the Miami 23, Minshew went to Brock Bowers for the touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Raiders were within 17-12 after three quarters. 

The ensuing kickoff failed to reach the landing zone, setting up the Dolphins at their own 40. On 3rd and 8, Tagovailoa went to Hill for 18. The fourth quarter had the Dolphins facing 3rd and 4 at the Raiders 34. Tagovailoa went to Smith for 13 and Hill for 17. Achane ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 24-12 Dolphins with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Raiders after a touchback soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 36. Minshew went to Bowers for 6. On 4th and 3 just shy of midfield, Antonio Pierce had to go for it midway through the fourth quarter. Minshew hit Bowers for 7. Minshew went to Tre Tucker for 22, to Amir Abdullah for 5,  and to Bowers for 6. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Minshew went t Abdullah for the touchdown. The Raiders were within 24-19 with 4 1/2 minutes left. All they needed was one defensive stop for a chance to win. 

Yet the defense failed to get a stop all game. After a touchback on 3rd and 5 from their own 35, Tagovailoa threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 9 yards. Tagovailoa then found a wide open Waddle for an easy 57 yard touchdown to make it 31-19 Dolphins with 3:20 to play. One play after a touchback, Minshew was intercepted. Sanders tacked on a 46 yard field goal with 1:55 left. The Raiders after a touchback faced a 3rd and 1 at the Miami 35 with 42 seconds left. Minshew hit Abdullah for one yard, taking 28 seconds. Minshew then completed a 4 yard pass to the Miami 28 as the final 14 seconds ticked away. The Raiders had 2 weeks to prepare for this game. They lost their 6th straight game anyway to fall to 2-8. The Dolphins scored on every single possession except at the very end of the half. The Raiders are bad at everything and getting worse. 34-19 Dolphins

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears — The Packers usually defeat the Bears, wherever the game is played. After an opening touchback, Josh Jacobs ran for 10. Jordan Love went to Romeo Doubs for 17. Jacobs ran for 8 and 6. Wilson added 13. Love went to Reed for 15 for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Bears moved from their own 31 to a 2nd and 7 at the Green Bay 32. A run lost 3 yards and Caleb Williams threw incomplete. Cairo Santos hit a 53 yard field goal to get the Bears within 7-3. In the second quarter the Packers moved from their own 24 to a 2nd and 1 at the Chicago 5. Then came an ineligible man down field penalty followed by a run that lost 5 yards. On 3rd and 11, Love was intercepted by Smith at the one. Smith returned the pick 23 yards to have the Bears at their own 24. Williams hit Cole Kmet for 11. On 3rd and 5 from their own 42, Williams gained 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 36, Williams gained 7 and 12. Williams went to Monroe for 12. On 3rd and goal at the one with 7 seconds left in the half, Johnson got in. the 13 play, 76 yard, 6 minute drive had the Bears up 10-7.

After a third quarter touchback, the Bears moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Green Bay 9. A run went nowhere and Williams threw incomplete. Santos hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 13-7 Bears. After a touchback, Love went to Jacobs for 21. Love went to Watson for 25. Jacobs ran for a 7 yard touchdown to have the Packers up 14-13. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 28. Williams went to Odunze for 8. Johnson ran for 7 and 5. On 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 43, Matt Eberflus went for it and Williams gained 4. Swift got around the end for a 39 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Bears led 19-14 after three quarters. 

In the fourth quarter the Packers moved from their own 24 to a 4th and goal at the 6. With a full 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the field goal made perfect sense. Matt LaFleur for some inexplicable reason went for it. Love only gained 5, coming up one yard short. The Bears took 7 minutes off the clock and moved from their own one to a 4th and 3 just past midfield. Matt Eberflus tried the bluff but the Packers didn’t jump. The Bears punted. The Packers took over at their own 22. Love went bombs away to Watson for a 60 yard gain. Love ran for 13 and then got the last yard himself. The 2 point try failed but the Packers again had the one point lead. After a touchback the Bear moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Green Bay 28 with 3 seconds left. Santos came in for the 46 yard field goal try to give the Bears the win. Blocked! The kick was partially blocked. The Packers survived to get to 7-3 while the 4-6 Bears again left Matt Eberflustered. 20-19 Packers

Atlanta Falcons at Denver Broncos — A pair of average teams played, but only one of them showed up. The Broncos began after a touchback facing 3rd and 9 from their own 31. Bo Nix went to Cortland Sutton for 16. Williams ran for 10 and 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 34, Burton gained 2. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. Nix went to Adkins for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. After a touchback the Falcons moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Denver 10. Robinson gained 9 down to the one, but offensive holding nullified the run and killed the drive. Younghoe Koo hit a 41 yard field goal to get the Falcons on the board. In the second quarter the Broncos took over at their own 23. On 3rd and 10 from their own 33, Nix went to Mims for 37. On 2nd and 15 from the Atlanta 35, Nix hit Williams for 15. Williams ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Broncos. Koo hit another field goal from 51 to get the Falcons within 14-6, but this game was over by halftime.

After a touchback, Nix went to Vele for 33. On 3rd and 2 from the Atlanta 26, Nixon went to Sutton for 7. On 3rd and goal from the 12, Nix went to Mims for the touchdown. With 25 seconds left in the half, the Broncos led 21-6. The second half was a formality. A 37 yard third quarter punt return gave the Broncos a short field at the Atlanta 45. On 4th and 3 from the Atlanta 38, Sean Payton went for it rather than try a 56 yard field goal. Nix hit Humphrey for 8. Williams ran for 12. On 3rd and 8 from the Atlanta 16, Nix hit Vele for 11. Nix went to Franklin for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 28-6 Broncos. Early in the fourth quarter Lutz hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 31-6 Broncos. Nix went to Humphrey for a 41 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. 38-6 Broncos

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers — This once hostile rivalry was reduced to a battle of average teams. In the first quarter the Seahawks moved from their own 22 to a 3rd and 9 at the San Francisco 27. Geno Smith was sacked. Jason Myers hit a 52 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Seahawks. The 49ers took over at their own 29. Brock Purdy ran for 9 and went to Jennings for 22. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 33, Purdy went to Jennings for just enough. Mason gained 8 and 5. Purdy ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 49ers. In the second quarter an interception of Purdy set up the Seahawks at the San Francisco 29. Smith was sacked to kill the drive. Myers buried a 57 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 7-6. 

A third quarter interception of Smith was returned 11 yards to set up the 49ers at the Seattle 27. On 1st and 10 from the Seattle 16, a pair of offensive penalties killed the drive. Jake Moody hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 10-6 49ers. After a touchback the Seahawks faced 3rd and 12 at their own  28. Smith went to DK Metcalf for 26. On 3rd and 4 from the San Francisco 40, Smith went to non-relative Smith-Nigba for 9. Smith again went to Smith-Nigba for 17.  Kenneth Walker ran for 3 and then for the one yard touchdown. The 11 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive had the Seahawks up 13-10 after three quarters. 

After a touchback, Purdy went to Jennings for 12 and to Christian Mcaffrey for 10. The fourth quarter began with the 49ers facing 3rd and 5 at the Seattle 40. McCaffrey ran for 7. On 3rd and 11 from the Seattle 34, Purdy went to Jennings for 14. On 3rd and 11 from the Seattle 21, Purdy went to Jennings for 13. Purdy went to Jennings for a 3 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 70 yard drive took 9 minutes off the clock. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the 49ers led 17-13.  

After a touchback the Seahawks moved to a 3rd and 1 at the San Francisco 37. Smith got stopped. On 4th and 1 with 5 minutes left, Mike McDonald went for it and Charbonnet also got stopped for no gain. The Seahawks got it back at their own 20 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Smith went to DK Metcalf for 11. On 3rd and 5 from their own 36, Smith went to Smith-Nigba for 8. On 3rd and 3 just past midfield, Smith went to Smith-Nigba for 15. Smith ran for 16 as the Seahawks took their 3rd and final timeout with 39 seconds left. Smith went to Smith-nigba for 8 as the clock ticked down. Smith then scrambled around the end all the way for a 13 yard touchdown. The Seahawks had the lead with only 12 seconds left. The hook and laterals after the touchback went nowhere. The Seahawks had the thrilling win. The 4th lead change of the game had both teams at 5-5 on the year. 20-17 Seahawks

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills — This is why we watch football. The game of the year had the NFL’s lone unbeaten 9-0 Chiefs at the 8-2 Bills. Last year the Chiefs went into Buffalo and got a 27-24 win when Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass missed the tying field goal on the final play of regulation. The Bills suffered their second straight home playoff exit while the Chiefs went on to win their second straight Super Bowl. This was more than a revenge game for the Bills. It was about the early edge for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. On the second play from scrimmage, Patrick Mahoems went deep and was intercepted. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 39. Josh Allen went deep to Amari Cooper for 30. Allen went to Shakir for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Kansas City 18, Allen went to Samuel for 15. Cook ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 6-0 Bills. Bass’s quest for redemption got off to a rough start when he missed the extra point.

The Chiefs took over at their own 12. On 3rd and 1 from their own 21, Karim Hunt gained 4. Mahomes went deep to Xavier Worthy for 31. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 35, Mahomes went to Caliendo for 5. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 24, Mahomes went to Worthy for 14. On the first play of the second quarter, Mahomes went to Worthy for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-6 Chiefs. After a touchback the Bills faced 3rd and 9 at their own 31. Allen hit Shakir for only 8, but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 2 from their own 44, Allen got just enough. Allen went to Dawson Knox for 24 and to Cooper for 25. Cook ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Bills. 

A 25 yard punt return had the Bills starting with a short field at the Kansas City 41 and a chance to do real damage. On 4th and 3 from the Kansas City 24, a 42 yard field goal try would make it 16-7 Bills. Yet Sean McDermott decided to go for it. Allen was intercepted by Conner, who returned the pick 29 yards to the Buffalo 40. Mahomes went to Gray for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 15, Steele gained 2. Mahomes went to Hendershot for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mahomes went to Gray for the touchdown. With 2:50 left in the half, the Chiefs led 14-13. 

The Bills took over at their own 23 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 14 with 20 seconds left in the half. Allen threw incomplete twice sandwiched around a completion that lost a yard. Bass hit a 33 yard field to goal to end the half. The fourth lead change of the half had the Bills up 16-14. The defenses dug in as each team punted twice in the third quarter. Late in the third quarter, the Bills faced 3rd and 9 from their own 18. Allen went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Allen gained 2. Allen went to Shakir for 22. The Fourth quarter began with the Bills at the Kansas City 27. Allen went to Samuel for 9 and again for a 12 yard touchdown. Bass hit the key extra point to give the Bills breathing room up 23-14 with 13 minutes left to play.

After a touchback, Mahomes hit Steele for 5 and Gray for 6. Hunt ran for 17. Mahomes went to Deandre Hopkins for 11 and to Watson for 16. Mahomes went to Gray for a one yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Chiefs were right back in it down 23-21.After a touchback, Allen hit Mack Hollins for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 47, Allen gained 2. On 3rd and 9 from the Kansas City 44, Allen went to Shakir for 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Kansas City 26, a run went nowhere. The Chiefs took their first timeout with 2 1/2 minutes left. Sean McDermott had a major decision to make. A field goal would still give the ball back to Mahomes with over 2 minutes left and a chance to win. McDermott went for the win. Allen scrambled, found an opening, and ran all the way for the touchdown. Bass hit the critical extra point to make it a 2 score game again. 

In desperation mode after a touchback, on 4th and 3 from their own 48, Mahomes gained 18. Yet offensive holding wiped out the gain and made it 4th and 13. Mahomes was then interception. The Chiefs are 9-1 and the Bills are 9-2. The Chiefs are still in a strong position for a three-peat, but another aspect of football immortality has slipped away forever. The Chiefs may still be the best team of 2024, but they will not be the best team of all time. The 1972 Miami Dolphins have lost several key cogs in recent years, but their ghosts are still popping champagne corks in heaven. The last unbeaten of 2024 has fallen. As for the Chiefs, they may not even be the best team of 2024 anymore either. Home field will be critical if these teams meet again in a rematch. The Chiefs lost, making Andy Reid a most concerned furrow-browed Walrus indeed. 30-21 Bills 

Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Chargers was the Sunday night game. Early on the Bengals moved from their own 36 to a 1st and goal at the 3. After an incompletion came an offensive illegal shift and an intentional grounding penalty. Evan McPherson hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bengals. After a touchback, Justin Herbert ran for 20. Herbert went to Fisk for 6 and to Ladd McConkey for 20. Herbert went to Will Dissly for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Chargers. The Bengals moved from their own 34 to a 3rd and 2 at the Chargers 9 early in the second quarter. Burrow threw incomplete. Zac Taylor decided not to gamble. McPherson hit from 27 to get the Bengals within 7-6.

The Chargers took over at their own 29. Herbert went to Johnston for 22 and to Dissly for 20. Herbert went back to Johnston for a 26 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Chargers. The Chargers got it back at their own 34. Herbert ran for a 30 yard gain. Herbert went to Davis for 14. On 3rd and goal at the one, Haskins got stopped cold. Jim Harbaugh gambled on 4th and goal at the one. JK Dobbins got in to make it 21-6 Chargers. The Chargers got it back at their own 21 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 5 with 14 seconds left in the half. Herbert threw incomplete 3 straight times but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one with time for only one play. With a big lead, Jim Harbaugh took no chances. Cameron Dicker hit the 19 yard field goal to have the Chargers up 24-6 at the half. In the third quarter Dicker hit from 53 to have the Chargers cruising up 27-6. 

After a touchback, the Bengals faced 3rd and 6 from their own 34. Joe Burrow went to Tee Higgins for 23. Brown gained 27. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 7, Brown gained 2. On 1st and goal at the 2, Burrow was sacked and a run lost yards. Yet on 4th and goal at the 4, Burrow went to JaMarr Chase for the touchdown to get the Bengals within 27-13. The Bengals got the ball back at midfield, and soon faced 4th and 2. Rather than move the chains, Burrow went deep to Higgins for a 42 yard touchdown to get the Bengals within 27-20. On the first play of the fourth quarter from the Cincinnati 31, Herbert scrambled and then fumbled. The Bengals took over at their own 29. Burrow went deep to Brown for 34. Brown ran for 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 31, Burrow went to Brown for 14. Burrow went to Chase for a 17 yard touchdown. With 12 1/2 minutes left to play, just like that it was 27-27. The Chargers were having another epic meltdown in their inglorious franchise history.

The Bengals got it back at their own 14 and moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Chargers 30. Burrow threw incomplete twice. McPherson came in for the 48 yard field goal try to give the Bengals the lead. McPherson was no good. The Bengals got it back at their own 21 and moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Chargers 33. Burrow threw incomplete twice. With 1:52 left, McPherson came in for the 51 yard field goal try for redemption and to give the Bengals the lead. Again, McPherson was no good. With 45 seconds left, the Chargers had the ball at their own 16 yard line. Overtime seemed certain. instead Jim Harbaugh went bold aggressive. Herbert found McConkey for 28 and again for 27. With 26 seconds left, the Chargers were now in field goal range. They never got a chance to kick. Dobbins took the handoff and broke free for a 29 yard touchdown. After a touchback, the Bengals had 18 seconds left. Burrow found Iosivas for 27 but then threw incomplete, leaving 3 seconds. Burrow’s Hail Mary reached the goal line but was batted down incomplete. 34-27 Chargers

Houston Texans at Dallas Cowboys was the Monday night game. The Texans are good. The Cowboys are bad. Cooper Rush again filled in for the injured Dak Prescott. One the first play from scrimmage, CJ Stroud went to Nico Collins for a 77 yard touchdown. It was wiped away by an offensive ineligible man downfield, but a few plays later Joe Mixon ran for a 45 yard touchdown. This time it stood and the Texans led 7-0. Mike McCarthy then gambled on a fake punt on 4th and 9 from his own 33. Anger completed a pass for 4 yards. Stroud threw an interception, but then Rush threw an interception right back. The Texans took over at their own 37. On 3rd and 3 Stroud hit Collins for 11 and Tank Dell for 26. On 4th and 1 from the Dallas 10, Demeco Ryans went for it and Mixon gained 9. Mixon got the last yard to cap the 10 play, 63 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 14-0 Texans.

The Cowboys began the second quarter facing 3rd and 10 at their own 36. Rush found Turpin for a 64 yard touchdown to get the Cowboys within 14-7. The Texans moved from their own 8 to a 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 9. A run lost a yard. After a delay of game, Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Texans. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 3rtd and 9 at the Houston 35. Rush threw incomplete. Brandon Aubrey hit a 53 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 17-10. With one minute left in the half Aubrey doinked a 40 yard try off the right upright no good. In the third quarter the Texans moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 8 at the Dallas 10. Offensive holding killed the drive and Stroud threw incomplete on 3rd and 8. Fairbairn hit from 29 to make it 20-10 Texans midway through the third quarter.

After a touchback the Cowboys moved to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 36. Offensive pass interference killed the drive. Yet on 4th and 20 Mike McCarthy brought Aubrey in to try a 64 yard field goal. Aubrey drilled it. It might have been good from 70. Yet a defensive personal foul for leverage caused McCarthy to take the points off the board and give the Cowboys 15 yards and a new set of downs. On 3rd and 15 from the Houston 21, Rush went to CeeDee Lamb for 13. McCarthy gambled on 4th and 2 from the Houston 8. Rush threw incomplete as the Cowboys came up snake eyes. In the fourth quarter Rush was sacked and fumbled. Barnett returned the fumble 28 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 27-10 Texans. The final dagger came with the Cowboys facing 4th and 16 from their own 41. Rush was sacked back at his own 35. Mixon ran for a one yard touchdown with just over 3 minutes left to complete the blowout. No word on if Jerry Jones would blow up his Jerrahworld Metropolis for the insurance money. 34-10 Texans   

NFL 2024 Week 11 Prequel

November 13th, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 11 Prequel

Thursday, November 14, 2024, 8pm

Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (-3 1.2) — These division rivals are both good football teams. The Commanders lost a tough one point game to Pittsburgh. The Eagles have the edge at home but they never seem to put teams away. They frequently break out to big leads and then barley hang on. That makes the point spread too high. Go with the home field. Eagles win but fail to cover

Sunday, November 17, 1pm

Baltimore Ravens (-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers — This is why we watch football. For years, these teams have been mirror images of each other. John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin love smash mouth football with hard running and tough defense. Home field matters little if anything. Lamar Jackson is better than Russell Wilson and has better offensive weapons. In a close one, go with the better quarterback and the better kicker. Ravens cover

Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions (-13) — Forget the high spread. This game could be over by halftime. The Lions have won 7 straight while the Jaguars are reeling. Lions cover

Los Angeles Rams (-4 1/2) at New England Patriots — These teams starred in two epic Super Bowls. Now they are just bad teams. Yet the Patriots did go into Chicago and get a big win. The Rams have the better talent, but they aren’t playing well enough to justify the spread as a road team. The Patriots may have carry-over momentum from last week. Go with the home field. Upset special, Patriots win outright

Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints (-1)  — Both teams are awful, but the Saints got a jolt with a new interim coach. Derek Carr rebounded. They beat a good Atlanta team. If they want to save their season they need to beat a Cleveland team even worse than they are at home. Saints cover

Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets (-4) — The Jets are a mess. They keep looking good on paper and playing terribly on the field. Joe Flacco is old but keeps the Colts competitive. This is the very last time to give the Jets the benefit of the doubt. If they can force Flacco into a couple of turnovers, they should be able to capitalize. Colts win but fail to cover

Minnesota Vikings (-5 1/2) at Tennessee Titans — The Titans are awful but the Vikings are eking out wins that earlier in the season came easy. The spread is too high for a road team that failed to muster one touchdown against lowly Jacksonville. Vikings win but fail to cover 

Las Vegas Raiders at Miami Dolphins (-7 1/2) — The Dolphins are better with Tua Tagovailoa back on the field, but they are still not very good. Yet the Raiders are a mess. The Dolphins have little offense but the Raiders have none. The exhausted Raiders defense eventually breaks. The Raiders usually get one early touchdown and then try and win with field goals. The spread is too high given the Dolphins lack of offense and the Raiders good defense. Dolphins win but fail to cover 

Green Bay Packers (-6) at Chicago Bears — After some promise earlier in the year, the Bears have regressed again. Losing badly at home to New England was not acceptable.The Packers have more talent. The spread is high for a road team. This is the last time to give the Bears the benefit of the doubt. Packers win but fail to cover

4pm

Atlanta Falcons at Denver Broncos (-2 1/2) — Both teams lost last week, but the Falcons lost to lowly New Orleans. The Broncos took unbeaten Kansas City to the limit, A blocked field goal on the final play prevented the upset win. Go with the home field and the better defense. Broncos cover

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (-6 1/2) — The 49ers are an average team, but the Seahawks are too inconsistent. The 49ers have the better quarterback and the better running back. Go with the home field as well. 49ers cover

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (-2 1/2) — This is also why we watch football. This is the game of the year so far as the 9-0 Chiefs take on the 8-2 Bills. Last year the Chiefs went into Buffalo in the playoffs and won when the Bills missed the tying field goal on the final play. The Bills are burning for revenge. Do not be fooled by the Chiefs undefeated season. They are barely scraping by. They needed a block blocked field goal on the final play to survive Denver at home. The Bills will get their revenge. Bills cover

8pm

Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Chargers (-1 1/2) — The Chargers have been playing decent football while the Bengals still have not overcome their regression from last year. Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert can both sling it. There is no home field advantage in Los Angeles for the Chargers. The Bengals took Baltimore to the limit before a two point conversion try for the win failed. The Bengals are desperate. Expect them to pull out all the stops to save their season. Upset special, Bengals win outright 

Monday, November 18, 8pm

Houston Texans (-7 1/2) at Dallas Cowboys 

NFL 2024 Week 10 Recap

November 12th, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 10 Recap

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens is the Thursday night game. A pair of rivals put on an exciting football game. After an opening touchback Joe Burrow hit Brown for 7 and JaMarr Chase for 6. On 3rd and 9 from their own 44, Burrow went to Chase for 26. On 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 24, Burrow went to Iosivas for 19. On 2nd and goal t the 2, Burrow threw incomplete twice. Zac Taylor gambled. on 4th and goal, Burrow threw incomplete but a killer defensive holding call made it 1st and goal at the one. Brown got in to cap the 12 play, 70 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Bengals. In the second quarter the Bengals moved from their own 10 to a 2nd and 3 at the Baltimore 41. Burrow threw incomplete and Taylor gambled again rather than try a 59 yard field goal or punt and play field position. This time Burrow went deep and threw incomplete again. Despite doing nothing for 27 minutes, the Ravens offense with the good field position finally got going. On 2nd and 11, Lamar Jackson hit Mark Andrews for 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 34, Mitchell got stopped for no gain but a defensive penalty for too many men on the field meant 5 yards and a first down. Jackson then hit Bay Flowers for 11 as the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with the Ravens facing 3rd and 4 at the Cincinnati 12. Jackson hit Justice Hill for 6 and then went to Nelson Agholor for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

With 4 minutes left in the half the Bengals took over at their own 27. Burrow went to Mike Gesicki for 13. From just past midfield at the 2 minute warning, Burrow went to Chase for 13 and to Brown for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 14, Burrow went to Burton for 11. Burrow went to Hudson for a 3 yard touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half to make it 14-7 Bengals. The Bengals struck quickly in the third quarter. On their first play from scrimmage, Burrow went deep to Chase for a 67 yard touchdown bomb to make it 21-7 Bengals. The Bengals got the ball back at their own 8 and moved to a 2nd and 5 at their own 27. Another score might put the game away. Then momentum swing the other way.

Brown fumbled and the Ravens recovered at the Cincinnati 31. Derrick Henry ran for 11 and Jackson added 10. Henry got the last yard to get the Ravens within 21-14. The Ravens got the ball back at their own 8 to begin the fourth quarter. On 3rd and 2, Jackson connected with Dylan Wallace for an 84 yard touchdown. Justin Tucker surprisingly missed the extra point as the Ravens trailed 21-20. The Bengals moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 2 at the Baltimore 34. Burrow threw incomplete. Trying to spark his team on 4th and 2, Zac Taylor gambled again. Burrow threw incomplete again. Jackson went to Wallace for 10 and Andrews for 11. Henry gained 9. Jackson added 6 and 3. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincinnati 18, Jackson went to Andrews for the touchdown. John Harbaugh went for 2 to make up for the missed extra point and Jackson ran it in himself. 21 unanswered points on 3 consecutive touchdown drives now had the Ravens up 28-21.

Yet one play and 13 seconds after a touchback, the game was tied again. Burrow again went bombs away to Chase for a 70 yard touchdown and a 28-28 game. After a touchback the Ravens soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 34. Jackson went to Bateman for 12 and Flowers for 19. Henry ran for 8 and 3.Jackson hit Bateman for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Jackson went to Bateman for the touchdown. The Ravens had the lead again 35-28 with 1:49 left to play. After a touchback, 3 straight Burrow incompletions had the Bengals down to their last gasp. On 4th and 10, Burrow went to Iosivas for exactly 10. Burrow then threw incomplete but a defensive facemark penalty added 15. Burrow then went to Chase for 21 with roughing the passer adding 15 more. The Baltimore defense was killing themselves. On 3rd and 3 from the Baltimore 5 with 38 seconds left, Burrow went to Hudson for the touchdown. The Bengals were an extra point away form tying the game and possibly forcing overtime. Instead, Zac Taylor gambled again with everything on the line. A trend in recent years is coaches going for 2 and the win on the road. This rend needs to stop. Kick the extra point and go to overtime. Taylor gambled and everyone at the Big Crabcake held their breaths. Burrow threw incomplete. Cincinnati dropped to 4-6 while the Ravens got to 7-3 the hard way. 35-34 Ravens 

New York Giants at Carolina Panthers is the Sunday early morning game from Munich, Germany. Sometimes a pair of terrible teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. The Panthers took over at their own 10 early in the first quarter. Bryce Young went to Leggett for 23. Chuba Hubbard ran for 26. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 32, Hubbard ripped off another 26 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at th 5, Young hit Sanders for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 9 and moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Giants 30. Then came a false start and Young threw incomplete. Eddie Pineiro hit a 53 yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to make it 10-0 Panthers. Graham Gano missed a 43 yard field goal for the Giants and Daniel Jones led a red zone drive that ended with him throwing an interception. The Giants began the third quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 43. Tracy gained 4. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 44, Jones got the yard.  On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 37, Jones hit Robinson for 5. Tracy ran for a 32 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 65 yard, 6 minute drive and get the Giants within 10-7. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 29. Hubbard gained 25. On 2nd and 11 from the Giants 17, Young went to Moore for 13. On 3rd and goal at the one, Hubbard got in to make it 17-7 Panthers.

The Giants began the fourth quarter at their own 4. On 3rd and 9, Jones hit Johnson for 10. Jones then found Robinson for 23 and Nabers for 19. Singletary ran for 14. On 3rd and 3 from the Carolina 21, Jones ran for 8. Ezeudu ran for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 17-14 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Panthers got the ball back at their own 8 and quickly fumbled the ball away. The Giants were given gift field position at the Carolina 22. On 3rd and 7 from the Carolina 8 and needing only a field goal to tie it, Jones was intercepted. The Giants got it back at their own 21 with 2:23 left and moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Carolina 24 with 13 seconds left. Jones threw incomplete. From 42 yards out, Gano was good with 5 seconds left. If ever a game did not deserve overtime, this was it. The Giants began overtime at their own 26. On the first play from scrimmage, Tracy fumbled. The Panthers took over at the Giants 23. Three safe carries up the gut by Hubbard led to a 36 yard try for the win. Pineiro was good as the Panthers got their second straight win. 20-17 Panthers, OT

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs — The NFL’s lone unbeaten team was at home. While the Broncos have improved, they were not expected to be a problem for the Chiefs. Then the game started, and the Broncos were a problem. Late in the first quarter the Broncos took over at their own 20. Mims gained 14. Estime gained 8 and 6. Bo Nix hit Vele for 12. On 2nd and 15 from the Kansas City 45,  Nix went to Adam Trautman for 34. After a scoreless first quarter, the second quarter began with the Broncos facing 3rd and 5 at the Kansas City 6. Nix went to Vele for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. The Chiefs after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Denver 19. Patrick Mahomes was only able to gain one yard. Harrison Butker hit a 36 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 7-3. After a touchback, Estime gained 10. Nix went to Humphrey for 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Kansas City 32, Nix went to Cortland Sutton for the touchdown to make it 14-3 

Broncos. After a touchback, Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 22, to Gray for 5, and to Deandre Hopkins for 9. On 3rd and 9 from the Denver 33, Mahomes was sacked, but a killer defensive illegal contact penalty meant a new set of downs. Mahomes went to Karim Hunt for 19. On 2nd and goal at the 2, a run went nowhere and Mahomes threw incomplete. Walrus Andy Reid gambled on 4th and goal at the 2. Mahomes went to Kelce for the touchdown to get the Chiefs within 14-10. On the last play of the half, Wil Lutz missed a 60 yard field goal try for the Broncos. The second half was a street fight. Neither team scored a touchdown. Butker hit from 28 late in the third quarter to get the Chiefs within 14-13. With 6 minutes left in regulation, the Chiefs had moved to a 4th and goal at the 2. This time Reid was not in a gambling mood. Butker hit the 20 yard field goal to have the Chiefs up by 2 points. Yet Butker’s ensuing kickoff failed to reach the landing zone, setting up the Broncos at their own 40. With one second left in regulation, Lutz came in for a 35 yard chip shot field goal try for the shocking upset win. Blocked! Lutz’s kick was blocked  as the Chiefs escaped. The 1972 Dolphins will have to put the champagne back on ice. It was harrowing, but the Chiefs are 9-0, making Andy Reid a most happy and relieved Walrus indeed. 16-14 Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Commanders — Two good football teams gave fans a good game. After an early touchback, Defensive pass interference gave the Steelers 14 yards. Najee Harris ran for 7 and 6. Jalen Warren gained 12. Roughing the passer added 15 more. Wilson went to George Pickens for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Steelers. The Steelers got it back and soon faced 4th and 15 from their own 16. Mike Tomlin is not afraid to take risks, but calling for a fake punt from that spot is just plain crazy. Killebrew threw incomplete to give the Commanders gift field position. Jayden Daniels hit Zaccheaus for 8. Austin Ekeler did the rest, gaining 6 and then the one yard touchdown for a 7-7 game. 

Special teams played a key role again in the second quarter as well. This time the Commanders fumbled a punt and the Steelers  recovered at the Washington 14. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Russell Wilson hit Pat Freiermuth for the touchdown to make it 14-7 Steelers. After a touchback, the Commanders moved to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 26. A pair of plays lost yards. Zane Gonzalez hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Commanders within 14-10. The Commanders got it back at their own 6 yard line with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half. A sack of Daniels was negated by a 15 yard defensive facemark penalty. On 3rd and 1 from their own 40, Ekeler gained 4. on 3rd and 4 from the Pittsburgh 38, Daniels went to McCaffrey for 23. Ekeler gained 8 and 4. Ekeler ran for the one yard touchdown to put the Commanders up 17-14 with 16 seconds left in the half. On the first play of the third quarter from their own 29, Daniels went bombs away to Terry McLaurin for 54 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 17, Daniels went to McLaurin for 16 down to the one. McNichols got the yard to have the Commanders up 24-14. 

The Steelers took over at their own 25. On 3rd and 8 from their own 38, Wilson went to Warren for 26. On 2nd and 20 from the Washington 36 after a sack, Wilson went to Pickens for 34. Harris ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Steelers within 24-21. The Steelers got it back and faced 4th and 9 from their own 8. A shanked 34 yard punt gave the Commanders gift field position from the Pittsburgh 42. Yet on 3rd and 11 from the Pittsburgh 30, a completion only gained 7 yards. Gonzalez hit the 41 yard field goal to make it 27-21 Commanders. The Steelers turned it over on their next 2 drives with an interception and a fumble, but the Commanders failed to capitalize and put the game out of reach. A great punt pinned the Commanders at their own one yard line. They punted from their three and a 17 yard return gave the Steelers a short field at the Washington 46. On 3rd and 3, Wilson went to Freiermuth for 6. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 32, Wilson went to Mike Williams for the touchdown. The Steelers had a one point lead with 2:22 left. The Commanders took over at their own 35 needing only a field goal to win. On 2nd and 9 from midfield, Daniels threw incomplete twice. With 90 seconds left on 4th and 1, Daniels completed a pass for 8 yards, one yard short. The Steelers are 7-2 and the Commanders with the loss are 7-3 on the year. Mike Tomlin and Dan Quinn should be in the running for coach of the year. A rematch of this game would be well worth it. 28-27 Steelers  

Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville Jaguars — Despite struggling the last 3 weeks after a 5-0 start, the Vikings were expected to steamroll the lowly Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence was out with an injured shoulder. Mac Jones started in his place. The Vikings did not manage a single touchdown. Early in the game Romo hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Vikings. After a touchback, Jones went to Strange for 23. Travis Etienne ran for 18. On 3rd and 4 from the Minnesota 20, Jones went to Davis for 19 down to the one. On 3rd and goal, Jones got the yard to make it 7-3 Jaguars. That was the only touchdown of the game for either team. Sam Darnold threw 3 interceptions in the next 4 drives as the second quarter was scoreless. An equally hideous second half saw the Vikings then kick field goals on 3 straight drives. Romo hit from 33 late in the fourth quarter, from 34 midway through the fourth quarter, and from 29 with 4 1/2 minutes left to put the Vikings up 5 points. The Jaguars turned the ball over on their final 3 drives, with Jones fumbling once and then throwing a pair of interceptions. His final interception at the 2 minute warning was a bomb to the end zone that went for a touchback and sealed Jacksonville’a fate. It was ugly, but the Vikings got to 7-2 on the year. 12-7 Vikings

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints — The Falcons came in having won 4 straight. The Saints entered having lost 7 straight. Dennis Allen was fired. Darren Rizzi started his very first game as interim coach of an NFL team. This had blowout written all over it. A field position game in the first quarter had the Saints taking over at their own 44. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 23. Offensive holding killed the drive. After a scoreless first quarter, Blake Grup began the second quarter with a 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Saints. Younghoe Koo missed a 53 yard field goal that would have tied the game. The Saints took over at their own 40. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 40, Derek Carr went bombs away to Marquis Valdez-Scantling for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Saints. 

The Falcons took over at their own 27. Kirk Cousins hit Mooney for 19. Tyler Allgeier ran for 9 and 7. Cousins went to Mooney for 33 down to the one. 3 times Allgeier got the carry and 3 times Allgeier got denied. Raheem Morris went for it on 4th and goal at the one. Bijan Robinson got the carry and got the yard to get the Falcons within 10-7. The Saints took over after a touchback and Carr immediately went for it all. His bomb to Valdes-Scantling went for a 67 yard gain down to the 3. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Carr went to Valdes-Scantling for the touchdown to make it 17-7 Saints. Late in the half, Koo missed again, this time from 35 yards out. 

In the third quarter Koo did connect from 27. Grupe countered from 26 to have the Saints up 20-10. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 40. Cousins went to Pitts for 23. Robinson got around the end for a 37 yard touchdown. After three quarters, the Falcons were within 20-17. The Falcons had 3 chances in the fourth quarter. With 6:43 to play, Koo’s nightmarish game continued as he doinked a 46 yard field goal off the right upright no good. With 2:07 to play from his own 44, Cousins was intercepted. The Falcons got it back with 1:35 left at their own 14. With 6 seconds left the Falcons faced 4th and 4 at the New Orleans 43. With Koo having already missed 3 field goals, letting him try a 61 yarder with the game on the line was not an option. A Hail Mary made sense, but Raheem Morris went for the hook and laterals. A short pass lost a yard. Darren Rizzi won his very first NFL start and is now unbeaten as a head coach. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminded us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” 20-17 Saints 

San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — In the first quarter the 49ers faced 3rd and 7 from their own 32. Brock Purdy threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 2nd and 5 from the Tampa 46, Purdy went to Ricky Pearsall for the touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. In the second quarter the 49ers moved from their own 13 to a 2nd and 9 at the Tampa Bay 10. Purdy threw incomplete twice. Jake Moody hit a 28 yard field goal to make it 10-0 49ers. After a touchback the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 5 at the San Francisco 9. At the 2 minute warning, a pass from Baker Mayfield lost yards. Chase McLaughlin hit a 30 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers on the board. Moody missed a 49 yard field goal try before the end of the half. In the third quarter the 49ers fumbled a punt and the Buccaneers recovered at the San Francisco 21. Mayfield hit White for a 9 yard touchdown for a 10-10 game.

After a touchback, the 49ers moved to a 1st and goal at the 9. A sack of Purdy killed the drive. Moody hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 13-10 49ers. After a touchback, on 2nd and 9 from their own 43, White caught a pass from Mayfield for 10 and ran for gains of 6 and 5. The fourth quarter began with the Buccaneers facing 3rd and 2 at the San Francisco 26. Irving gained 14 and then ran for the 12 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Buccaneers. Moody then missed a 50 yard field goal for the 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 36. Purdy went to Jennings for 11 and then went deep to Christian McCaffrey for 30. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 12. Purdy went to Kittle for an 11 yard touchdown to put the 49ers up 20-17 midway through the fourth quarter. 

With 3:13 to play Moody missed again on a 44 yard field goal try that would have extended the lead. The Buccaneers took over at their own 34 and moved to a 2nd and goal at the 5 with 53 seconds left in regulation. A run lost 3 yards and Mayfield then threw incomplete. McLaughlin hit the 26 yard field goal. The Buccaneers tied the game 20-20, but they left 40 seconds on the clock. A penalty on the kicking team on a touchback had the 49ers starting at their own 35. With 3 seconds left, Moody came in for a 44 yard try to win it. He had already missed 2 kicks. This one was good. 23-20 49ers

Buffalo Bills at Indianapolis Colts — The Bills are a potential Super Bowl team. The Colts are not. Joe Flacco again started in place of the injured Anthony Richardson. The Colts began at their own 9 yard line. On their first play from scrimmage, Flacco completed a pass to Taron Johnson. Problem: Johnson plays defense for the Bills. Johnson’s 23 yard interception return touchdown made it 7-0 Bills. On the next Colts possession, Flacco was intercepted again. The Bills took over at their own 47 and moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Indianapolis 11. Josh Allen threw incomplete. Tyler bass hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Bills.

After a touchback the Colts moved to a 1st and goal at the 9. A run went nowhere and Flacco threw incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit a 27 yard field goal to get the Colts on the board. After a touchback the Bills moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Indianapolis 28. Allen threw incomplete. A 46 yard field goal try was well within Bass’s range, but Sean McDonough decided to go for it. Allen threw incomplete again. The Colts began the second quarter facing 3rd and 7 at their own 31. Flacco went to Mitchell for 18, to Pierce for 16, and to Downs for 8. Jonathan Taylor ran for 13 and 3. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 11, Flacco threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Flacco hit Goodson for the touchdown for a 10-10 game. One play after a touchback, Allen was quickly intercepted. The Colts took over at the Buffalo 33. They settled for a 23 yard field goal and a 13-10 Colts lead with 6 1/2 minutes left in the half. 

The Colts soon faced 2nd and 16 from their own 24. Allen went to Mack Hollins for 16. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Allen went to Shakir for 6. Allen went deep to Dawson Knox for 54. Allen ran for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Bills with 2:14 left in the half. The Bills got it back at their own 11 with 1:10 left. With 18 seconds left the Bills still faced 3rd and 10 from their own 27. Allen went deep to Hollins for 44.  That was enough for Bass to hit a 47 yard field goal for a 20-13 Bills lead at the midpoint. An ugly scoreless third quarter saw Flacco get sacked and fumble only to have Allen throw an interception one play later. Shane Steichen gambled on 4th and 2 from the Buffalo 20 rather than kick a field goal. Flacco was sacked. From their own 30, the Bills moved to a 1st and goal at the 10. A pair of runs went nowhere and Allen on 3rd and 10 threw incomplete. Bass hit a 28 yard field goal to give the Bills breathing room up 23-13 with 11 minutes left in regulation. Flacco was intercepted yet again. The Bills from their own 16 moved 84 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. James Cook ran for a 2 yard touchdown as 20 unanswered points made it 30-13 Bills. The Colts got a garbage touchdown with 2 seconds left. The Bills are 8-2 and looking good. 30-20 Bills

New England Patriots at Chicago Bears — The Bears are an improving team who came in 4-0 at home. The Patriots are a bad team. This was expected to be a mismatch, though not quite on the 1985 Bears Super Bowl level. A hideously ugly game saw Joey Slye hit a 30 yard first quarter field goal for the Patriots and Cairo Santos answer from 33 midway through the second quarter for a 3-3 game. On 3rd and 3 from their own 37, Drake Maye hit Douglas for 17 and again for 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 37, Maye hit Austin Hooper for 24. Raimondre Stevenson ran for 9 and on 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 4 gained 2 more. Maye hit Polk for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Patriots with 1:46 left in the half. That was the only touchdown for either team. Slye hit a 37 yard field goal to end the half and connected on fourth quarter field goals of 25 and 33 to complete the scoring. Jerrod Mayo’s defense did the rest. 19-3 Patriots

Tennessee Titans at Los Angeles Chargers — The Chargers were expected at home to easily dispatch with the overmatched Titans. After an opening touchback, the Chargers moved to a 4th and goal at the 2. Jim Harbaugh played it safe. Cameron Dicker hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chargers. The Titans took over at their own 28. Tony Pollard ran for 7 and 4. Will Levis ran for 12. Levis hit Calvin Ridley for 11. Levis went deep to Ridley for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Titans. In the second quarter the Chargers moved from their own 38 to a 3rd and 5 at the Tennessee 19. Herbert threw incomplete. Dicker hit a 37 yard field goal to get the Chargers within 7-6. Nick Folk missed a 49 yard field goal try for the Titans. From their own 39, Herbert went deep to Palmer for 36. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 16, Haskins gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 5, a run gained only one yard at the 2 minute warning. Jim Harbaugh gambled on 4th and 1. Herbert ran for the 4 yard touchdown for a 13-7 Chargers. 

After a third quarter touchback, the Titans moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Chargers 8 with a chance to take the lead. Levis threw incomplete. Folk hit a 27 yard field goal to get the Titans within 13-10. A 56 yard kickoff return had the Chargers starting at the Tennessee 43. Herbert went to Ladd McConkey for 15. Edwards gained 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 19, Herbert got the yard. On 3rd and 8 from the Tennessee 16, Herbert went to Johnson for the touchdown to make it 20-10 Chargers. The fourth quarter began with the Chargers starting at their own 5 yard line. Herbert went to McConkey for 37. Herbert ran for 8 and Edwards added 10. Herbert ran for 8 more and JK Dobbins added 12. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 8 more. Haskins ran for a one yard touchdown to have the Chargers cruising 27-10 midway through the fourth quarter. The Titans got a garbage touchdown in the final minute to make the score look respectable. 27-17 Chargers

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys — Dak Prescott is out for the season. Cooper Rush got the start. The Eagles had a chance to put the dagger in their most hated rival. An early fumble by Rush gifted the Eagles the ball at the Dallas 17. On 3rd and 6, Jalen Hurts went to Saquon Barkley for 12. Hurts got the tush push one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles. A strong kickoff return had the Cowboys at their own 40. The Cowboys moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Dallas 28. Rush threw incomplete. Brandon Aubrey hit a 46 yard field goal. After both teams exchanged fumbles, the Cowboys took over with 1st and goal at the 6. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 3, a run lost 2 yards. The Cowboys wasted the opportunity as Aubrey hit the 23 yard field goal. The Cowboys were only down 7-6 with 1:48 left in the half, but after that the Eagles blasted the Cowboys to pieces. 

The Eagles took over at their own 16. Hurts went to AJ Brown for 14. On 3rd and 5 from their own 35, Hurts went to Brown for 18. Hurts ran for 24. Hurts hit Kenneth Gainwell for 9 and Dallas Goedert for a 14 yard touchdown for a 14-6 Eagles halftime lead. A 31 yard third quarter punt return had the Eagles starting at the Dallas 37. Barkley gained 7 and 4. Gainwell picked up 13. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Hurts went to Wilson for the touchdown to make it 21-6 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 17. Hurts went deep to Brown for 44. Barkley gained 8, 11, 2 and 9. Hurts ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 28-6 Eagles. The fourth quarter saw Trey Lance take over for Rush and turn it over on 3 straight possessions. 2 Lance fumbles led to Jake Elliott field goals of 39 and 38 to complete the scoring. Lance threw an interception for good measure. The Eagles are flying high at 7-2 while Mike McCathy’s coaching seat is red hot. No word on whether Jerry Jones will blow up his Jerrahworld metropolis for the insurance money. 34-6 Eagles

New York Jets at Arizona Cardinals — The Cardinals have been quietly improving while the overrated Jets keep getting worse. This game was never a contest. After a touchback Kyler Murray went to Marvin Harrison Jr for 18. Murray went to James Conner for 44 down to the one. Conner got the last yard to make it 7-0 Cardinals only 2 minutes into the game. After a touchback the Jets moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Arizona 7. Aaron Rodgers threw incomplete. Shrader hit a 25 yard field goal to put the Packers on the board. After a touchback Murray went to Harrison for 17. Benson ran for 13. Murray hit McBride for 18. Defensive pass interference added 15. On 3rd and goal at the one, Murray got in to make it 14-3 Cardinals. The Jets managed a 45 yard Schrader field goal in the second quarter, but nothing else. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 33, Murray went to McBride for 17 and Conner for 11. Murray hit Higgins for 11. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 22, Murray hit McBride for 13 and Harrison for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 21-6 Cardinals. Ryland tacked on a 37 yard field goal to end the half. In the second half Jonathan Gannon’s defense pitched a shutout. The Jets last chance came on their first drive of the third quarter. On 4th and goal at the 3, Rodgers was sacked and fumbled. Murray capped an 88 yard drive with a 12 yard touchdown run. The Cardinals quietly got to 6-4 while the Jets are a 3-7 mess. 31-6 Cardinals 

Detroit Lions at Houston Texans was the Sunday night game. The Lions entered 7-1 for the first time since the Bobby Layne era of the 1950s. They went into Minnesota and Green Bay and beat up very good division rivals. Now they faced off against a good 6-3 Houston team that has a good defense and was angry after a loss. Yet Dan Campbell’s Lions play angry every week. This game will be talked about for a very long time, especially because of Jared Goff. Two minutes into the game, Goff completed a pass to Ward. Problem: Ward plays defense for the Texans. The Texans began at the Detroit 33. On 3rd and 10, CJ Stroud hit Tank Dell for 13. On 3rd and 16 from the Detroit 26, Stroud went to Metchie for 16. Joe Mixon ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans. The Texans got it back at their own 43 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 3. Offensive holding killed the drive. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 34 yard field goal to have the Texans up 10-0. After a touchback the Lions faced 3rd and 16 from their own 24. Goff went to Williams for 23 to end the first quarter. The second quarter had the Lions facing 3rd and 6 just past midfield. Goff hit Williams for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 27, Goff gained 2. Goff hit Sam LaPorta for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Lions within 10-7.

After a touchback the Texans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 35. A run went nowhere and an incompletion was followed by a 3rd and 10 run that lost 3 yards. Demeco Ryans went with a 56 yard field goal try and Fairbairn delivered to make it 13-7 Texans. 2 plays after a touchback, Goff found To’Oto. Problem: They were not in Kansas anymore and To’Oto plays defense for the Texans. The Texans took over at the Detroit 36 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 11. A run went nowhere and Stroud threw incomplete twice. Fairbairn hit from 29 to make it 16-7 Texans with 4 minutes left in half. With 54 seconds left the Texans got it back at their own 34. Stroud hit Metchie for 9 and again for 25. Stroud found Dalton Schultz for 17. With 12 seconds left in the half on 3rd and 10 from the Detroit 15, Stroud went to Metchie for the touchdown. The Texans led 23-7. After a touchback, the Lions moved into position for a Hail Mary. The ball was caught by Lassiter. Problem: Lassiter plays defense for the Texans. The Texans were walloping the Lions but this Dan Campbell group gives new meaning to the word pride. 

One play after a third quarter touchback, Stroud was immediately intercepted. The Lions had great field position at the Houston 31. From the Houston 20, Goff went to the goal line and again found Lassiter. Problem: Lassiter still plays defense for the Texans. Yet pinned at their own one yard line, the Texans gained only one yard and punted. A 14 yard punt return had the Lions with a short field at the Houston 44. Goff went deep to LaPorta for 37. David Montgomery ran for a 3 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Lions were within 23-13. The Texans missed a chance to pad the lead again when Stroud went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. 2 plays later, Goff went to Bullock. Problem: Bullock plays defense for the Texans. With 8 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, Goff had already thrown 5 interceptions. Yet Dan Campbell kept him in there. 

The fourth quarter began with the Lions taking over at their own 36. Goff hit Am-ra St. Brown for 9, Williams for 17, Montgomery for 24, and St, Brown for a 9 yard touchdown. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Lions were within 23-20. The Lions got it back at their own 17 with 8 1/2 minutes left. They moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Houston 33. A run by Gibbs lost 7 yards. With 5 minutes left, Dan Campbell trusted his kicker with a 58 yard field goal try. Bates drilled it and the game was tied 23-23. After a touchback the Texans moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Detroit 40 at the 2 minute warning. Stroud threw incomplete. Demeco Ryans trusted his kicker to also make a 58 yard field goal to give the Texans the lead. Yet Fairbairn was no good. The Lions took over at their own 48. On 3rd and 6, Goff went to St. Brown for 11. With 4 seconds left Bates came in again for a 52 yard field goal try for the win. Bates was good again. 19 unanswered points had the Lions at 8-1 and winning big road games against good teams. They have won 7 straight games. The Texans lost their second straight to drop to 6-4. Yet the Texans choked, but the Lions have tough character led by Goff. He shook off 5 interceptions to lead the comeback win. 26-23 Lions 

 

Monday, November 11, 8pm.

Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Rams was the Monday night game. Neither team is good, but both teams got back injured players they needed. Tua Tagovailoa returned for the Dolphins and the Rams had Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back. After an opening touchback, Tagovailoa hit Jalen Waddle for 19. On 3rd and 13 from their own 46, Tagovailoa went to Waddle for 36. Washington ran for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The first half was hideous. An interception of Matthew Stafford led to a 50 yard Jason Sanders field goal to make it 10-0 Dolphins in the second quarter. Tagovailoa was intercepted. One play later the Rams fumbled the ball back. Four plays later Tagovailoa was sacked and fumbled the ball back. Karty did hit field goals of 34 and 55 as the Rams only trailed 10-6 at the break. In the third quarter from 57, Karty was no good.

The Dolphins took over at their own 47. Tagovailoa hit Smith for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 34, Tagovailoa went to Smith for 33 down to the one. Tagovailoa hit Tyreek Hill for the touchdown to make it 17-6 Dolphins with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was a hideous battle of field goals. Karty began the fourth quarter by hitting from 53. Sanders answered from 37. Karty hit again from 22. Sanders countered from 50. Needing 2 scores, Karty hit from 31 to get the Rams back within 8 with 39 seconds left in regulation. Yet the onside kick failed. 5 field goals and 0 touchdowns did not get the job done for the Rams at home. 23-15 Dolphins