THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2014 Week 16 Prequel

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eric

NFL 2014 Week 15 Recap

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Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams — San Francisco and Seattle get all the attention but the entire NFC West is about nasty, physical defenses. Bruce Arians and Jeff Fisher both bought the heat in the Thursday night game, resulting in an old-school bare-fisted slobberknocker without a touchdown. Greg Zuerlein hit a 24 yard field goal to give the Rams a 3-0 lead after the first quarter. Chandler Catanzaro hit from 23 and 44 in the second quarter, from 51 in the third quarter, and from 46 in the fourth quarter.

With six minutes left in the game, the Rams trailed 12-3 and faced fourth and goal at the one. Fisher decided to kick the field goal and trust his defense. Zuerlein hit from 19 to make it a one score game. With 90 seconds left the Rams faced fourth and three at the Arizona 43. Shaun Hill threw incomplete. The Rams got it back with 18 seconds left but Hill was intercepted on the final play by Patrick Peterson. While the Cardinals maintained the top record in the NFC, they lost Drew Stanton and are now down to their third string quarterback. 12-6 Cardinals

Pittsburgh Steelers at Atlanta Falcons — Shawn Suisham kicked a pair of 38 yard first quarter field goals and William Gay returned an interception of Matt Ryan 52 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter as the Steelers jumped to a 13-0 lead they never relinquished. After Devon Hester caught a 17 yard touchdown pass from Matt Ryan, LeVeon Bell score from the one to make it 20-7 Steelers at halftime. Matt Bryant hit field goals of 28 and 22 in the third quarter, but Bell’s second touchdown from 13 yards out put the Steelers up 27-13 in the fourth quarter. Ryan hit Roddy White for a 4-yard touchdown with 10 1/2 minutes remaining, but after that the Pittsburgh defense clamped down. Ben Roethlisberger finished 27 of 35 with 360 yards passing as the Steelers remained in contention for the AFC North Crown. 27-20 Steelers

Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens — A blocked punt returned 11 yards for a touchdown got the Ravens on the board first, but four Josh Scobee field goals had Jacksonville up 12-10 at halftime. Scobee hit from 53 and 45 in the first quarter and from the exact same distance in the second quarter sandwiched around a 22 yard kick from Justin Tucker. Once again the Jaguars played tough, but could not mount offense in the second half. Joe Flacco threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Owen Daniels in the third quarter and Justin Tucker tacked on a 33 yard field goal with 1:15 to play. Down by 8 and facing fourth and 19 from the Jacksonville 23, Blake Bortles was intercepted as the Ravens got to 9-5 in the ultra-competitive AFC North. 20-12 Ravens

Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills — Mason Crosby hit a 45 yard field goal to get the Packers on the board. Thigpen then returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown and a 7-3 Bills lead. In the second quarter Eddie Lacy ran it in from one yard out to make it 10-7 Packers. After that, Dan Carpenter took over. He hit from 27 to tie the game 10-10 at the half. He hit from 51 and 35 in the third quarter and hit his fourth field goal from 48 in the fourth quarter to make it 19-10 Bills. Crosby hit from 34 to get the Packers within one score. Down by 6, the Packers saw the game slip away when Aaron Rodgers was sacked and fumbled in the end zone for a safety. Buffalo at 8-6 stayed alive in the playoff race while the Packers at 10-4 fell one game back in the race for home field advantage. 21-13 Bills

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers — With Cam Newton nursing injuries sustained in a car crash, Derek Anderson filled in well in going 25 of 40 for 277 yards and one touchdown pass. Graham Gano hit from 29 to get the Panthers on the board first. Josh McCown hit Mike Evans from 8 yards out to make it 7-3 Buccaneers. Yano then hit from 49 and in the second quarter from 38 to make it 9-7 Panthers. Murray hit from 48 to put Tampa Bay back on top.Trailing 10-9 at halftime, Anderson’s two-yard touchdown pass to Jerricho Cotchery and Graham Gano’s fourth field goal were enough for the win. The Buccaneers got within a deuce with three minutes to play when McCown scrambled for a 16 yard touchdown. The Buccaneers got the ball back at their own 10 with only 23 seconds left. Josh McCown was intercepted. 19-17 Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns — Bryan Hoyer got the Browns to a 7-4 start, but consecutive losses led to Mike Pettine risking the entire season by allowing Johnny Manziel to start. Manuel was miserable, throwing for only 80 yards with two interceptions. The Bengals asked the Browns defense for 244 yards rushing. The star rookie in this game was Jeremy Hill, who rushed for 148 yards and a pair of first half touchdowns in a game that was over by halftime. Hill scored from 2 yards out in the first quarter and from 16 yards out in the second quarter. Both of his scores were followed by a 44 yard Mike Nugent field goal to make it 20-0 Bengals. Nugget hit from 34 in the third quarter and Bulkhead ran it in from 10 yards in the fourth quarter as the Bengals moved one step closer to clinching their division while the Browns are on the brink of elimination. 30-0 Bengals

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts — Every week Andrew Luck seems to get off to a slow start. This week he had a first quarter interception returned 27 yards by Lewis for a Houston touchdown. Luck rebounded in the second quarter with a pair of touchdown passes. He hit Hakeem Nicks for a 26 yard score and threw a 3 yard touchdown to Allen. With the Colts leading 14-7 at halftime, the second half was a defensive slog. Randy Bullock hit a 53 yard field goal and Adam Vinatieri answered from 29. With 90 seconds left, Houston’s third string quarterback was intercepted as the Colts hung on for another ugly win to get to 10-4 and win the AFC South Crown. 17-10 Colts

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs Thomas returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown early. In the second quarter Carlo Santon hit from 41 to make it 10-0 Chiefs. Sebastian Janikowski hit from 53 in the second quarter and from 33 in the third quarter as the Raiders only trailed 10-6 in the third quarter. The second field goal came when the Raiders returned a fumble to the Chiefs 15 and the offense wasted the opportunity. As with so many Raiders games, the defense played well, the offense did nothing, and the defense finally broke.

Kenneth Davis ran it in from 3 yards out for the Chiefs. Then after a fumbled snap gave the Chiefs a short field, Alex Smith threw a 20 yard touchdown pass to Kelce. Smith then went to Davis for a 70 yard touchdown in a 21-point third quarter that turned a close game into a 31-6 Chiefs blowout. Derek Carr threw 56 passes, completing only 27 for 222 yards and the late garbage touchdown the team normally gets. The Chiefs at 8-6 kept their playoff hopes alive. 31-13 Chiefs

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots — Miami actually outplayed New England in the first half but two breakdowns killed them. Caleb Sturgis had a field goal blocked and returned 62 yards by Kyle Arrington for a touchdown and a 7-0 Patriots lead. Sturgis hit from 24 to get the Dolphins on the board. An interception of Ryan Tannehill in the second quarter was returned 60 yards to the Miami 8. Shane Vereen got in from 3 yards out to make it 14-3 Patriots. Sturgis hit from 53 to get the Dolphins with 14-6. A New England breakdown saw Landry return a punt 32 yards to the Patriots 32 with 11 seconds left in the half. One play as enough for Tannehill to go deep to Mike Wallace for a touchdown as the Dolphins only trailed 14-13 at halftime.

The Patriots exploded with 24 points in the third quarter. LeGuarrette Blount ran it in from 3 yards out and Stephen Gostkowski hit from 35 to make it 24-13 Patriots. Tom Brady then threw a pair of touchdown passes, hitting Rob Gronkowski for a 27 yard score and Julian Edelman for a six yard strike as the Patriots led 38-13. Gostkowski added a 36 yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The Patriots at 11-3 are on track for home field throughout the playoffs while the Dolphins at 7-7 are all but eliminated in what could be the end of the Joe Philbin era. 41-13 Patriots

Washington Redskins at New York Giants — Colt McCoy got injured early on and Robert Griffin III played the rest. Griffin was not bad, going 18 for 27 for 236 yards and one touchdown pass without an interception. Kai Forbath hit a 35 yard field goal to get the Redskins on the board first. Eli Manning threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to O’Dell Beckham for a 7-3 Giants lead. In the second quarter Griffin hit Thompson for a 9 yard touchdown pass to put Washington back in front. However. Griffin’s one mistake killed the Redskins. On third and goal from the 8 with the Redskins leading 10-7, RGIII scrambled on the last play of the half and initially appeared to score a touchdown. On further review it was ruled that RGIII fumbled at the one out of the end zone for a touchback.

The Redskins fumbled the second half kickoff, setting up the Giants at the Washington 17. Josh Brown hit a 32 yard field goal to tie the game. Forth answered from 38 to make it 13-10 Redskins. Eli Manning went 23 of 34 for 250 yards without an interception. Manning and Beckham were the difference, as a 35 yard touchdown connection put the Giants in the lead in the third quarter. Their third touchdown hookup from 6 yards out in the fourth quarter turned out the lights. 24-13 Giants

Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers — Twice in the first half Denver moved to the San Diego one yard line. A third time they got to the eight. All three times they settled for Connor Barth field goals and a 9-0 lead. Late in the half San Diego began a drive at the Denver 17 after a 58 yard punt return and settled for a Nick Novak field goal. Novak had another kick blocked as the Chargers trailed 9-3 at halftime. In the third quarter Novak dunked another kick off the upright no good.

The Broncos finally capitalized as Peyton Manning threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to Denarius Thomas to make it 16-3 Broncos. Philip Rivers found Antonio Gates for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Chargers within 16-10 with 10 minutes left in regulation. Barth hit his fourth field goal from 49 yards out with five minutes left to put the game out of reach. One minute later Barth added his fifth field goal from 50 yards out. Denver at 11-3 won its fourth straight AFC West division title and still has a shot at home field throughout the playoffs. The Chargers are now 8-6 as consecutive home losses to New England and Denver shows the Chargers to be playoff tomato cans if they even get in. 22-10 Broncos

New York Jets at Tennessee Titans — A pair of 2-11 teams played because league ruled would not allow this hideous offering to be canceled. Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehorse were awful while Geno Smith gave up a safety after an exchange of field goals. Tennessee led 5-3 at the half of a game that should never be viewed again. Ryan Succor hit two more field goals in the third quarter sandwiched around Smith throwing a 9 yard touchdown pass to Connor. The Titans led 11-10 after three quarters of the stupor bowl. Chris Ivory ran it in from one yard out with 3:15 to play to give the Jets the win. 16-11 Jets

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions — Minnesota jumped to a 14-0 lead on a 2 yard touchdown run by Asiata in the first quarter and an 8 yard second quarter touchdown pass from Teddy Bridgewater to Greg Jennings. Two critical interceptions by Teddy Bridgewater wrecked the Vikings. The first was returned 56 yards to the Minnesota 11, setting up a 7 yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Golden Tate. and led 14-10 at the half. The second one set up Detroit at the Minnesota 32. Matt Prater hit from 29 as the Lions only trailed 14-10 at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter Prater hit from 30 to get the Lions within 14-13. Midway through the fourth quarter Blair Walsh had a 26 yard try blocked. With 3:45 to play Prater hit from 33 to give the Lions the lead. Just before the 2 minute warning Minnesota faced 3rd and 4 at the Detroit 45. Bridgewater threw incomplete twice. Minnesota got it back at their own 30 with 45 seconds to play. From midfield, Mike Zimmer decided to bring Walsh in for a 68 yard field goal try rather than go with the Hail Mary. An ending to be talked about forever did not happen as the kick was no good. The Lions at 10-4 are tied for the NFC North lead. 16-14 Lions

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks — This was the game where the Seahawks would either permanently wreck the 49ers or San Francisco would rise from the ashes. The defenses were as nasty as ever. Stephen Hauscka hit a 38 yard first quarter field goal and smash mouth runner Frank Gore got in from 10 yards out in the second quarter as the 49ers led 7-3 at halftime. In the second half the Legion of Boom shut down the 49ers. Marshawn Lynch ran for a five-yard touchdown in the third quarter and Russell Wilson threw a ten-yard fourth quarter touchdown to drop the 49ers to 7-7 and perhaps end the Jim Harbaugh era in San Francisco. Seattle at 10-4 is still one game back in the brutal NFC West. 17-7 Seahawks

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles was the Sunday night game. On Thanksgiving, the Eagles went into Dallas and walloped the Cowboys 33-10. The Sunday night game rematch between these 9-4 teams was a wild one that brought action from the opening kickoff. A short kick was fielded by nobody, allowing Dallas to fall on it at the Philadelphia 17. DeMarco Murray scored from one yard out to quickly make it 7-0 Cowboys. Dallas got it back and Romo led a staggering 16 ply, 88 yard drive that consumed nearly 8 1/2 minutes. A 4 yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant made it 14-0. On their next drive Romo hit Bryant for a 26 yard touchdown as the Cowboys led 21-0 in the second quarter.

The Eagles rallied back on the ground as a 5 yard touchdowns by Chris Polk got the Eagles on the board. Chris Parkey hit a 47 yard field goal as the Eagles only trailed 21-10 at halftime. In the third quarter Mark Sanchez moved the Eagles from their own 14 to a 3rd and 12 at the Dallas 27. Sanchez went deep to Jeremy Maclin for 26 yards and Polk got the last yard on the ground to get the Eagles within 21-17. Romo was then sacked and fumbled, giving the Eagles the ball at the Dallas 14. Darren Sproles got in from the one as the Eagles had come all the way back to go up 24-21 in the third quarter. It looked like another Romo meltdown.

Then momentum swung again. Romo moved the Cowboys 78 yards as Murray scored his second rushing touchdown from the 2 to put the Cowboys up 28-24. Sanchez was then intercepted, giving the Cowboys the ball at the Philly 42. Romo then connected with Bryant for the third time for a 25 yard touchdown in powering Dallas to a 35—24 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Eagles got within eight points on a 43 yard Parkey field goal and got the ball back with a chance to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter.   

Captain Morgan Brent Celek fumbled the ball and the Cowboys recovered at the Philly 34. Dan Bailey made a critical 49-yard field goal to get the Dallas lead back to 11 points with 4 1/2 minutes left. One more Sanchez interception sealed the game as the Cowboys gutted out a tough win to lead the NFC East by one game with two left. 38-27 Cowboys

New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears was the Monday night game. The Monday night game saw the lifeless Bears play like themselves. On the first play of the second quarter after a defensive pass interference penalty, Drew Brees threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to Josh Hill to open the scoring. With 4 minutes left in the half the Saints took over at their own 5. Brees moved them 95 yards as a 9 yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston with 30 seconds left in the half made it 14-0 Saints. The Saints got the ball to start the second half and 80 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes put the game away. Bree hit Hill for the 7 yard score to make it 21-0 Saints. Jay Cutler’s second interception led to a 26 yard Shane Graham field goal as the Saints led 24-0 after three quarters.

The Bears finally got in the end zone early in the fourth quarter but then fell back into dysfunction. Mark Ingram ran for a 15 yard Saints touchdown with less than 2 minutes left. Another Chicago touchdown during garbage time completed the scoring. Brees finished 29 of 36 for 375 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Cutler completed another three passes to the opposing defense. The 6-8 Saints lead the NFC South while the Marc Trestman era may end in a couple weeks. 31-15 Saints

NFL 2014 Week 15 Prequel

This is when the  big dogs come out.

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-week-15-preview-and-bettors-guide-31323/

eric

NFL 2014 Week 14 Recap. December football. As John Randall says, “This is when the big dogs come out.”

Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears was the Thursday night game. DeMarco Murray opened the scoring with a one yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Jay Cutler threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Bennett. A 7-7 game turned into a blowout when Tony Romo threw two touchdown passes to Beasley, one right before the half and the other right after it. Romo’s third touchdown pass to Escobar and a 17 yard touchdown run by Reuben Randle had the Cowboys up 35-7 after three quarters. Dallas slept through the fourth quarter because they could. Romo finished 21 of 26 and was not intercepted. Three garbage touchdowns in the fourth quarter made the score appear closer than the game. The Bears will have the entire winter to hibernate, perhaps without Marc Trestman. 41-28 Cowboys

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals — The Cincinnati Bengals will never get respect until they start beating Baltimore and Pittsburgh, especially at home. For three quarters this was an exciting football game. After a scoreless first quarter, Ben Roethlisberger hit Heath Miller for a one yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 Steelers. Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Gresham and ran for a 20 yard score to make it 14-7 Bengals. Shawn Suisham hit a 22 yard field goal for Pittsburgh before the half ended.

Big Ben threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to LeVeon Bell in the third quarter to make it 17-14 Steelers. Dalton then went bombs away with an 81 yard touchdown pass to AJ Green. The Bengals led 21-17 but then suffered a major fourth quarter meltdown. After a 44-yard Pittsburgh field goal, Andy Dalton fumbled to set up LeVeon Bell for the go-ahead touchdown run. The fourth lead change of the game made it 28-21 after Roethlisberger hit Heath Miller for the 2 point try. Ben Roethlisberger then delivered the backbreaker, connecting with Bryant on a 94-yard touchdown pass to make it 35-21 Steelers and keep the AFC North division race wide open. Bell broke off a 22 yard touchdown run to complete the scoring. Roethlisberger finished 25 of 39 for 350 yards without an interception and Bell added 185 rushing yards on 26 carries. 42-21 Steelers

Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns — Andrew Luck got off to another rough start as he was sacked in the end zone and fumbled for a 7-0 Browns lead. In the second quarter Luck ran for an 11 yard touchdown to tie the game. Ian Crowell ran it in from 9 yards out to put the Browns up 14-7 at halftime. In the third quarter Luck was intercepted by Gilbert, who returned it 23 yards for the score the other way. The Dawg Pound was rocking as two defensive touchdowns had the Browns up 21-7 in the third quarter.

The Colts got back in it when Adam Vinatieri nailed a 51 yard field goal. The Colts got it back and Luck threw a 42 yard touchdown pass to TY Hilton. The 2 point try failed but the Colts were within 21-16 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Colts edged closer when Vinatieri hit a 33 yarder. After the Colts closed to within 21-19 in the fourth quarter, another Indianapolis turnover led to a 39 yard Billy Cundiff field goal and a 5 point Browns lead.

Just like the 1980 Brian Sipe Cardiac Kids, the 2014 Bryan Hoyer Browns seem destined for heartbreak. Hoyer had another tough game, going 14 of 31 for 140 yards and a pair of interceptions. After the Browns defense sacked Luck to end one drive, the Browns faced 3rd and 7 from their own 38 with 4 minutes left. Hoyer threw a 14 yard completion to Josh Gordon, but Chuck Pagano challenged the catch. On further review the call was reversed. The Browns punted and the Colts were pinned at their 10.

On 3rd and 7 from their 13, Luck hit Dante Moncrief for a 27 yard gain. On the next play defensive pass interference meant 35 more yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Cleveland 25, Luck hit Coby Fleener for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Cleveland 3 with 44 seconds left, Herron appeared stopped cold before spinning out of trouble and getting the key first down. From the one, Andrew Luck’s 24th completion on 53 attempts was the winning touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton. The Colts wrapped up their division while dealing a severe blow to 7-6 Cleveland’s playoff chances. 25-24 Colts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions — Matthew Stafford hit Calvin Megatron Johnson for a 6 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Lions lead. Murray hit a 54 yard field goal for the Buccaneers in the second quarter. An interception of Josh McCown set up Detroit at the Tampa 34. Joquie Bell ran it in from the one to make it 14-3 Lions. Matt Prater added a 46 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Lions. Just past the 2 minute warning the Buccaneers and 1st and goal at the 8. McCown was intercepted for a touchback but the ball was fumbled back on the return. With 5 seconds left in the half, McCown hit Mike Evans for a 5 yard touchdown pass.

Detroit only led 17-10 at halftime but two of Matthew Stafford’s three touchdowns came after the intermission as Detroit put the game away before the third quarter ended. Prater hit a 23 yard field goal and Stafford hit Fauria for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 27-10 Lions. Early in the fourth quarter McCown hit Evans for a 26 yard touchdown, but the Lions defense clamped down after that. Stafford hit Bell for a 5 yard score with 5 minutes left to ice the game. The Lions got their second consecutive 34-17 win. Stafford finished 26 of 34 for 311 yards and zero interceptions. As the Lions got to 9-4 and dropped the Buccaneers to 2-11. 34-17 Lions

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars — Last week Jacksonville overcame a 21-0 deficit to earn their second win of the season on the final play. This week Blake Bortles threw a 4 yard touchdown pass to Hums for a 7-0 Jaguars lead. Randy Bullock hit a 44 yard field goal and in the second quarter Ryan Fitzpatrick ran for a 4 yard score to make it 10-7 Texans. Josh Scobee hit field goals of 33 and 37 as This week the Jaguars led 13-10 at halftime.

In the third quarter the Texans had a staggering 16 play, 84 yard drive that consumed 8 1/2 minutes. Alfred Blue got in from one yard out to make it 17-13 Texans. Bortles then threw a critical interception. 40 seconds into the fourth quarter the Texans faced fourth and goal at the one. Bill O’Brien decided to go for it and Arian Foster got in the end zone to lock up the win. Bullock added one more field goal as the Texans got to 7-6 to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. 27-13 Texans

Baltimore Ravens at Miami Dolphins — A 46 yard Caleb Sturgis field goal and a 3 yard touchdown pass from Ryan Tannehill to Brad Hardline gave Miami a 10-0 first quarter lead but then the Ravens clamped down. In the second quarter Joe Flacco moved the Ravens 97 yards in 12 plays as a one yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith got the Ravens within 10-7. In the third quarter Flacco moved the Ravens 75 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes as a 13 yard touchdown pass to Aiken made it 14-10 Ravens. Surges hit a 34 yard fourth quarter field goal to get the Dolphins within 14-13.

Flacco moved the Ravens after a touchback to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Justin Forsett got in to make it 21-13 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their 21 and Forsett broke off a 44 yard run and Pierce added 24 more. Flacco snuck for the final yard to keep the Ravens alive for their division crown and jeopardize the chances of the Dolphins to make the playoffs. 28-13 Ravens

New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings — Geno Smith threw a touchdown pass to Hodges, who plays defense for the Vikings. The 27 yard interception return made it 7-0 Minnesota. Then Teddy Bridgewater was sacked for a safety as both quarterbacks were giving points to the other team. The Jets took the free kick and Smith threw a 35 yard touchdown pass to Percy Harvin. Marvin does play offense for the Jets, who led 9-7. Teddy Bridgewater threw a 56 yard touchdown pass to Johnson to make it 14-9 Vikings.

In what would become a disturbing trend for the Jets, they moved to the red zone but settled for a field goal. Nick Folk hit from 36 as the Jets trailed 14-12 after an exciting first quarter. In the second quarter the Vikings thought they had a touchdown catch, but the ball was fumbled at the one yard line. Felton recovered the ball in the end zone for the Minnesota offense as they got the 21-12 lead the unconventional way. The Jets moved from their 20 to a 2nd and 3 at the Minnesota 5. Chris Ivory fumbled at the 2 and the Minnesota defense recovered.

Then came the Folk field goal show as the Jets could not overcome red zone struggles. Folk hit from 33 in the second quarter, from 22 in the third quarter, and from 24 early in the fourth quarter to tie the game 21-21. Minnesota moved down the field but then they had to settle for a 20 yard Blair Walsh field goal and a 24-21 lead with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

Both teams went 3 and out and the Jets got it back with 3 minutes left at their own 29. Smith  moved the Jets to a 2nd and 4 at the Minnesota 26 with 40 seconds left to play. Smith’s chance to be the hero was followed by a pair of incompletions. Folk hit from 44 as the game went into overtime tied 24-24.

In overtime the Jets moved from their 20 to a 3rd and 6 at the Minnesota 43. Smith threw incomplete and Rex Ryan opted to punt. Then one lapse ended the game. From the Minnesota 13, a simple dink and dunk West Coast Offense pass followed by a couple mistackles turned into an 87-yard touchdown reception for Jarius Wright. In three more weeks Rex Ryan is put out of his misery. 30-24 Vikings

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints — Sometimes football makes no sense. The Saints were expected to easily roll over the sinking Panthers on the way to another New Orleans NFC South division title. That’s why they play the games, to quote umber-announcer Chris Berman. Cam Newton through a 9 yard touchdown pass to Benjamin to start the blowout. Grams Gano tacked on a 37 yard field goal. Newton then ran for a 2 yard touchdown as the Panthers led 17-0 after the first quarter in front of a shellshocked home crowd.

The Saints did get a 37 yard field goal from Shane Graham in the second quarter, but Newton then hit Greg Olsen for a 16 yard score to make it 24-3 Panthers at the half. In the third quarter Stewart broke free for a 69 yard touchdown run and Newton threw a 26 yard touchdown to make it 38-3 Panthers. Yano added a 41 yard fourth quarter field goal before the Saints finally got one garbage touchdown. The Saints at 5-8 are 1/2 a game ahead of the Panthers in the worst division in football. 41-10 Panthers

New York Giants at Tennessee Titans — Both teams are bad but at least the Giants are fighting hard for Tom Coughlin. Josh Brown kicked a 20 yard field goal to start the scoring for Big Blue. Eli Manning then hit Odell Beckham for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Giants. Kuhn returned a fumble 26 yards for a score as the Giants led 17-0 after the first quarter against the hapless Titans. Brown added second quarter field goals of 19 and 36 yards for a 23-0 Giants lead at the break.

In the third quarter Williams broke off a 50 yard run for another Giants touchdown. Eli Manning did throw a touchdown pass to each team, but his blunder came with the Giants already up 30-0. The interception return was the only Titans score as neither Jake Locker or Zach Mettenberger could help the lifeless Titans. Brown added his fourth field goal in the third quarter from 52 and his fifth field goal in the fourth quarter from 42 to complete the blowout. 36-7 Giants

St. Louis Rams at Washington Redskins — Congress and the White House are functional compared to the football team in the Nation’s Capitol. The Rams only led 6-0 at halftime on a 35 yard second quarter touchdown pass from Shaun Hill to Jared Cook. It was more than enough. In the third quarter Greg Zuerlein hit a 34 yard field goal and Hill went back to Cook for a 1 yard touchdown pass.

Tavon Austin returned a punt 78 yards for another touchdown as the Rams got their second consecutive shutout. Colt McCoy played this game but got injured. After Jay Gruden supposedly benched Robert Griffin III forever, RGIII played, and did so badly. McCoy, RGIII, Kirk Cousins, Gruden and Bruce Allen may all be fired after this wretched season. 24-0 Rams

Kansas City Chiefs at Arizona Cardinals — In the first quarter Catanzaro hit a 44 yard field goal for the Cardinals and Jamal Charles answered with a 63 yard touchdown run to make it 7-3 Chiefs. The second quarter was an exact replica as Catanzaro hit from 33 and Charles caught an 18 yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith for a 14-6 Chiefs lead at intermission. In the third quarter Catanzaro hit from 39 to get Arizona within 14-9.

With 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter Smith was intercepted, setting up Arizona at the Chiefs 42. Drew Stanton went to Brown for a 26 yard touchdown and found Carlson for the 2 point conversion to put the Cardinals up by a field goal. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the game the Chiefs faced 3rd and 4 at the Arizona 41. Smith found Kelce for 19 yards, but Kelce fumbled and Arizona recovered. The Chiefs got it back with one minute left but game manager Alex Smith kept throwing West Coast Offense dink and dunk passes. The Cardinals snapped a 2 game losing streak to get to 10-3 while the Chiefs at 7-6 are dink, dunk, dead. 17-14 Cardinals

Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos — For the first time in 51 games Peyton Manning did not throw a touchdown pass. In fact, he threw only 20 passes the whole game, completing 14 of them for only 173 yards. Kyle Orton was 38 of 57 for 355 yards and one touchdown. Both quarterbacks were intercepted twice. The numbers deceive. Denver ran the ball all game.

CJ Anderson scored from 6 yards out in the first quarter to make it 7-0 Broncos. Dan Carpenter hit a 44 yard field goal in the second quarter to get Buffalo on the board. Anderson then scored from one yard out in the second quarter and from the 3 in the third quarter to make it 21-3 Broncos. Connor Barth added a 50 yard field goal. Denver got lazy in the fourth quarter as Kyle Orton hit Chris Hogan for a 14 yard touchdown and ran for a one yard score with one minute left. The onside kick failed as Denver remained ahead in the AFC West at 10-3 while Buffalo at 7-6 is in trouble. 24-17 Broncos

San Francisco 49ers at Oakland Raiders — One week after getting blasted 52-0, the Oakland Raiders shocked their hated cross-Bay rival. David Carr went 22 of 28 for 254 yards, three touchdown passes and zero interceptions. On the first play from scrimmage, Colin Kaepernick was intercepted. When penalties appeared to kill the short field drive, Tony Sparano let Sebastian Janikowski try a 57 yard field goal. Seabees drilled it for the 3-0 Raiders lead.

Kaepernick came back and threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to Miller for a 7-3 49ers lead. In the second quarter Carr led an 11 play, 74 yard, 6 minute drive and threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to Donald Penn for a 10-7 Raiders lead. Phil Dawson hit a 52 yard field goal to tie the game 10-10 at the half. Dawson hit from 20 in the third quarter for a 13-10 49ers lead.

Carr then led a pair of 80 yard drives. He threw a 9 yard touchdown pass to Marcel Reece in the third quarter and a 5 yard touchdown pass to Mychal Rivera to give the Raiders an 11 point lead. With 5 minutes left the 49ers missed a chance to get within one score when Dawson missed a field goal. The loss dropped the 49ers to 7-6 and put them in serious jeopardy of missing the playoffs. Jim Harbaugh is still the 49ers coach, although the Raiders may trade for him. 24-13 Raiders

Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles — The Chip Kelly high octane offense met the Legion of Boom defense in a battle of teams with a real shot at home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Russell Wilson and Mark Sanchez both threw two touchdown passes but Wilson threw for 263 yards and Sanchez only 96 yards. In the first quarter Pete Carroll punted rather than try a 52 yard field goal. On their next series on 4th and 1 from their own 38, the Seahawks fumbled on the punt try. The Eagles took over at the Seattle 14 and Sanchez threw a one yard touchdown to Jeremy Maclin for the 7-0 Eagles lead. In the second quarter Russell Wilson broke free for a 26 yard touchdown run to tie the game.

With 90 seconds left in the half the Seahawks moved from their 33 to a 4th and 1 at the Philly 26. Steve Hauschka hit the 44 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Seahawks. On the first play of the third quarter, LeSean McCoy fumbled and Seattle took over at the Philly 19. Wilson found Marshawn Lynch for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Seahawks. Sanchez came back with a 35 yard touchdown pass to Zac Ertz to get the Eagles within 17-14. Wilson then went deep to Doug Baldwin for a 23 yard touchdown as the Seahawks led by 10 with 9 minutes left in the third quarter. The Legion of Boom did the rest as both teams now have matching 9-4 records. 24-14 Seahawks

New England Patriots at San Diego Chargers was the Sunday night game. The Patriots started with a staggering 17 play, 89 yard, 8 minute drive. However they did not crack the end zone, settling for a 22 yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal. In the second quarter Philip Rivers moved the Chargers 80 yards in 11 plays. A 15 yard touchdown pass to Malcolm Floyd made it 7-3 Chargers. Stuckey  then returned a Patriots fumble 53 yards for another touchdown and a 14-3 Chargers lead. Tom Brady moved the Patriots deep again but again settled for another 22 yard Gostkowski kick as the Patriots trailed 14-6. A key play happened with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half as the Patriots blocked a Mike Scifres punt. Scifres was injured on the play. The Patriots took over at the Chargers 25 and Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for a 14 yard touchdown to get the Patriots within 14-13 at halftime.

In the third quarter a San Diego receiver got blasted, resulting in an interception that was returned for a Patriots touchdown. A terrible call by the officials ruled that the hit was a personal foul helmet to helmet, nullifying the touchdown. Replays clearly showed a clean hit of a shoulder to the chest. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation Gostkowski hit his third field goal from 38 yards out as the Patriots took the 16-14 lead. 90 seconds later the Patriots got it back at their own 31. One play and 12 seconds later, terrible tackling allowed a short pass from Brady to become a 69 yard touchdown pass to Julian Edelman for a 9 point lead that held up. The Patriots at 10-3 still have the inside track for home field throughout the playoffs while the 8-5 Chargers may not get in at all. 23-14 Patriots

Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers was the Monday night game. With snow coming down on Lambeau Field, the Monday night game saw Aaron Rodgers make his red hot case to be the league MVP. James Starks scored from 3 yards out for the Packers and Stephen Jackson ran it in from the 4 for the Falcons. A 7-7 tie game saw the Packers explode for 24 points in the second quarter as Rodgers had 190 yards passing and a pair of touchdown passes by halftime. The Packers also put up over 100 rushing yards in the first half in building a 31-7 lead. Eddie Lacy had a pair of one yard touchdown runs sandwiched around a 38 yard Mason Crosby field goal. A 10 yard touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson completed the halftime deluge.

The Falcons tried to make a game of it in the second half. A 79 yard bomb to Julio Jones led to 4th and goal at the 5. Mike Smith went for it and Matt Ryan hit Eric Weems for the touchdown. Matt Bryant added a 50 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 31-17 but Crosby answered from 33 to make it 34-17 Packers after three quarters. Ryan went to Jones again early in the fourth quarter for a 22 yard touchdown as the Falcons were only down 34-24. Rodgers kept firing as a 60 yard bomb to Nelson made it 40-24 Packers with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The extra point was blocked, giving the Falcons a ray of hope. Ryan kept working the no huddle and threw a one yard touchdown pass to Roddy White with 6 minutes remaining. The 2 point conversion saw a rush up the middle go nowhere as the Falcons trailed 40-30.

A failed onside kick led to the Packers facing 4th and 4 at the Atlanta 35. Despite the earlier blocked extra point, Mike McCarthy trusted his kicker with a 53 yard field goal try on a cold night. Crosby got it over the crossbar for a 43-30 Packers lead. Matt Ryan continued leading a furious rally as the Falcons scored on all five second half possessions. On 4th and goal at the 2, a one yard touchdown pass to Douglas got Atlanta within six points with 2:15 to play. Another onside kick failed but the Falcons had all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning.

Desperately needing a stop, the Atlanta defense could not get one. Rodgers ran for one first down and Starks broke off a 42 yard run to allow Green Bay to run out the clock.The Packers at 10-3 are very much alive for home field throughout the playoffs while the Falcons at 5-8 are amazingly well positioned to win the hideous NFC South. 43-37 Packers