NFL 2015 Week 5 Recap
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans was the Thursday night game. The game looked over early when Adam Vinatieri kicked a 48 yard field and Matt Hasselbeck hit Andre Johnson for a 4-yard touchdown. Vinatieri tacked on a 42 yard field goal in the second quarter to make it 13-0 Colts. Even without injured Andrew Luck, the Colts were rolling. The Texans got on the board when Nick Novak hit a 36 yarder. Then at the very end of the half Bryan Hoyer moved the Texans 95 yards. A 42 yard touchdown pass to Strong had the Texans only down 13-10 at halftime.
In the third quarter Frank Gore ran it in from 3 yards out for a 20-10 Texans lead. Hoyer led a 10 play, 90 yard, 5 minute drive and hit Strong again for an 11 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 20-17. Yet Andre Johnson wanted revenge against his old team, and he got it. In the fourth quarter Hasselbeck led a 14 play, 80 yard drive that took 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. Hasselbeck hit Johnson for the 2 yard touchdown on 3rd and goal to make it 27-17 Colts with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
With 6 minutes left Novak hit a 49 yard field goal to get the Texans within 7. The Texans held on defense and got it back with 3 1//2 minutes left at their own 36. At the 2 minute warning, the Texans faced 3rd and 2 at the Indy 38. In a well-played game, it was decided by a mistake. Hoyer went deep for all the marbles and was intercepted as the Colts quietly won their third straight against winless Houston. 27-20 Colts
Chicago Bears at Kansas City Chiefs — Alex Smith is derided as a dink and dunk West Coast Offense game manager, while Jay Cutler has a rocket arm but can’t stop giving points to the opposing team. In the first quarter Cutler was sacked in the end zone and fumbled. The Chiefs recovered for the gift touchdown and the 7-0 lead. The Bears then held the ball for 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes, yet settled for a 44 yard Robbie Gould field goal to trail 7-3. In the second quarter Smith hit Thomas for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Chiefs. Cairo Santos hit a 35 yard field goal to close out the half as the Chiefs led 17-3.
The Chiefs began the third quarter at their 20 and moved to the Chicago 9 yard line looking to put the game away. Alex Smith incompletions meant a 27 yard field goal try. The kick was blocked, and the Bears clung to life. Late in the third quarter Gould hit a 30 yard field goal to get the Bears within 17-6.
Midway through the fourth quarter the Bears took over at their own 12. Cutler led them down the field. On 3rd and 6 from the Chiefs 22, Cutler found Wilson for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed as the Bears were down 17-12 with only 3 minutes left. The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 24. With 2:15 left, rater than run and force the Bears to take their last timeout, Smith threw incomplete. The Bears got it back at their own 33 with 2:04 to play.
With one minute left the Bears faced 3rd and 10 from the Chiefs 37. Cutler went deep and drew a defensive pass interference call at the 13. With 23 seconds left from the Chiefs 7, the drama began. Cutler fumbled the snap. He somehow picked it up and was able to hit Matt Forte for the touchdown. The 2 point conversion failed but the bears led by a point. One completion put the Chiefs in position for a Hail Mary, but since Alex Smith does not like to throw more than 4 yards, Walrus Lite Andy Reid had Cairo Santos come in for a 66 yard field goal try. The NFL record was 64 yards and still is as Santos was no good. The Chiefs fell to 1-4 and may have lost Jamal Charles for the season with an injury. 18-17 Bears
Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals — Red Rifle Andy Dalton quickly moved the Bengals 86 yards as a 14 yard touchdown pass to Eifert made it 7-0 Bengals. Russell Wilson came right back 80 yards as a 30 yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Kearse tied the game. The pinball machine then came to a virtual stop. Steve Hauschka hit a 24 yard field goal on the last play of the half to make it 10-7 Seahawks. In the third quarter Rawls took a handoff and raced for a 69 yard touchdown for a 17-7 Seahawks lead. Bobby Wagner then returned a fumble for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Seahawks after three quarters.
With Seattle in total control, the Bengals got a spark with a 35 yard punt return to the Seahawks 33. Dalton hit Tyler Eifert for a 10 yard touchdown to get the Bengals within 24-14 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Bengals held on defense and got it back at their own 29 with 9 1/2 minutes left. Dalton ran for a 5 yard touchdown as the Bengals only trailed 24-21 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Seattle again could not run out the clock as the Bengals got it back at their own 18 with 2:17 to play and 0 timeouts.
From the Cincy 28, a defensive pass interference penalty went for 27 yards and Dalton found Eifert for 25 more. Mike Nugent hit a 31 yard field goal as the game went into overtime tied 24-24. In overtime, Seattle punted twice and the Bengals did once as Cincinnati got it back midway through overtime at their own 43. With only 3:42 left in overtime, Nugent came in for a 42 yarder to win it. He was good, and 20 unanswered points moved the Bengals to 5-0 and shocked Seattle. This Cincinnati team beat the Legion of Boom. The Bengals are for real. 27-24 Bengals, OT
Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons — After a scoreless first quarter, Kirk Cousins moved the Redskins 67 yards in 12 plays , taking nearly 7 minutes off the clock. A 7 yard touchdown pass to Carrier had the Redskins up 7-0. The Falcons answered with a 42 yard Matt Bryant field goal to get within 7-3. On the last play of the half Bryant doinked a 38 yard field goal off the right upright no good. Then in the third quarter he doinked a 48 yard try off the left upright no good. Bryant tried again from 28, and this time he was good as the Falcons trailed 7-6 entering the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter the Falcons got it back at their own 9 and needed 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes to move 91 yards. From the Washington 3, Devonta Freeman got the carry and fumbled at the one yard line. With everything going wrong for Atlanta, they got a break as Julio Jones recovered in the end zone for an Atlanta touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Falcons led 12-7.
This time Washington came right back. Crowder ran for 10 and caught a pass for 26 more. A 42 yard defensive pass interference penalty was followed by Jones running it in from 2 yards out. The 2 point try failed but the Redskins led 13-12 midway through the fourth quarter.
Matt Ryan was intercepted, setting up the Redskins at the Atlanta 21 with less than 6 minutes to play. On 3rd and goal from the 6, A cousins completion lost 4 yards. Dustin Hopkins hit the 28 yard field goal, but the Redskins had failed to put the game away. With 2 1/2 minutes to play after a touchback, the Redskins led 16-12 but the craziness of this game was just beginning.
Ryan moved the Falcons down the field, and with one minute left the Falcons faced 3rd and 2 at the Atlanta 13. Ryan found Freeman for a touchdown, but another controversial official decision ruled that the catch was not really a catch. On 4th and 2, Ryan found Roddy White for 7. On the next play Freeman got in from 6 yards out. Only 24 seconds remained and this time the score counted. The Falcons had the lead. They could not hold it.
Cousins quickly found Carrier for 20, Pierre Garcon for 19, and Crowder for 7 more. With 5 seconds left, Hopkins came in for a 52 yard try to tie things. The kick was good and the teams went to overtime tied 19-19. The Redskins won the toss and moved from their 20 to midfield. Cousins then threw a short pass that was intercepted by Robert Alford, who raced 59 yards for the winning touchdown. Just like that the game was over as Dan Quinn’s Falcons are a mess and Jay Gruden’s Redskins remain a mess. 25-19 Falcons, OT
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — After missing too many field goals, Kyle Brindza was cut and Connor Barth returned to Tampa Bay. Barth hit a 35 yard field goal for a 3-0 Buccaneers lead as Florida football fans wished they were watching college football instead. In the second quarter Blake Bortles led the Jaguars 78 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes as a 12 yard touchdown pass to Hurns made it 7-3 Jaguars. Barth then hit from 45 to get the Bucs within 7-6.
A 58 yard punt return gave the Buccaneers the ball back at the Jacksonville 17. On 3rd and 3 Jameis Winston hit Doug Martin for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Buccaneers. An interception of Bortles set up another short field for the Bucs at the Jags 41. Martin got in from the one to make it 20-7 Buccaneers. Yet with only 2:20 to work with from their own 22, Bortles rapidly redeemed himself. A 13 yard touchdown pass to Robinson with just over 30 seconds left in the half got the Jaguars within 20-14.
In the third quarter Myers hit a 31 yard field goal to get the Jaguars within 20-17. Jacksonville got it back and Bortles hit Yeldon for a 4 yard touchdown as the Jaguars now led 24-20. The Buccaneers came back again as Barth hit from 47 to get Tampa Bay within 24-23. After a touchback, disaster struck the Jaguars. Grant tried an end around that lost 9 yards before Grant fumbled. Smith recovered it for the Buccaneers and returned it 3 yards for a touchdown. The 2 point conversion meant a 31-24 Buccaneers lead after three quarters.
The Jaguars began the fourth quarter going 3 and out as a 25 yard punt return had the Bucs starting at the Jacksonville 40. Martin got in from one yard out as the Buccaneers led 38-24 with 8 1/2 minutes left. After an exchange of punts, the Jaguars took over at their own 14 with 2:50 to play. With 1:22 left, the Jaguars faced 4th and 18 at their own 36. Needing a miracle, Bortles went deep to Hurns for a 59 yard gain. On the next play Bortles hit Robinson for the 5 yard touchdown to get the Jaguars within 7. The onside kick failed. Despite 4 touchdown passes from Bortles, the Jaguars were out of miracles. 38-31 Buccaneers
New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles — A pair of once good teams on the verge of imploding saw Drew Brees quickly move the Saints 80 yards as a 6 yard touchdown pass to Watson made it 7-0 Saints. Sam Bradford rapidly moved the Eagles 81 yards as a 41 yard touchdown pass to Huff tied the game 7-7. With one minute left in the half Brees was sacked and fumbled, giving the Eagles a short field. Caleb Sturgis hit a 39 yard field goal for a 10-7 Eagles lead at the break.
In the third quarter Zack Hocker hit a 21 yard field goal to tie the game 10-10. The Eagles came back and moved 80 yards as a 2 yard Ryan Mathews run made it 17-10 Eagles. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Brees was sacked again and he fumbled again, giving the ball to the Eagles at the Saints 13. One play later Bradford hit Captain Morgan Brent Celek for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Eagles led 23-10.
After that the Eagles clamped down on defense and Sturgis kicked a 29 third quarter field goal and fourth quarter field goals of 26 and 41 to make it 32-10 Eagles. An interception of Brees was then returned 44 yards to the Saints 4. One play later DeMarco Murray got in to make it 39-10 Eagles. The Saints did get a garbage touchdown, but if Brees does not get some offensive line help he may not survive the season. 39-17 Eagles
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens — Joe Flacco moved the Ravens 61 yards and got the final yard himself for a 7-0 Ravens lead. The Browns did get on the board with a 43 yard Coons field goal, but Flacco quickly brought the Ravens back 73 yards as an 8 yard touchdown pass to Jusczyk made it 14-3 Ravens early. In the second quarter Coons hit from 43 and 37 to get the Browns within 14-9. In the third quarter Flacco led a 90 yard drive and got the last yard himself for a 21-9 Ravens lead. The Browns looked lifeless on offense. By the time the game was over their offense would be in the record books.
McCown led a 13 play, 6 1/2 minute, 75 yard drive that ended with him scrambling for a 10 yard touchdown. Cleveland trailed 21-16 after three quarters. The Browns quickly got it back at their own 21. Mccowen went deep to Gabriel for 56 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 18, McCown went to Gary Barnidge for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Browns led 22-21 with 12 1/2 minutes left. This game was just getting warmed up.
A field position game had the Ravens taking over at the Cleveland 43 with Justin Forsett ran it in from one yard out. The 2 point try failed but the Ravens led 27-22 with 6 minutes left. After a touchback, McCown carved the Baltimore defense to piece. A 22 yard touchdown pass to Ian Crowell followed by a successful 2 point conversion put the Browns up 30-27 with 3 minutes to play. Last week the Browns defense melted down in the final moments. This week it looked like they would again.
With the Ravens facing 3rd and 6 at their own 24 with 2 1/2 minutes left, Flacco threw incomplete. However, defensive pass interference made it 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 39. With 40 seconds left, the Ravens faced 2nd and goal at the 4 as the Browns prepared for another agonizing loss. Instead, a run lost a yard and Flacco threw incomplete. Baltimore settled for a 23 yard Justin Tucker field goal. The game was going into overtime tied 30-30.
After Baltimore went 3 and out by gaining 0 yards, Cleveland took over at their own 35. On 3rd and 1, a pass to Gary Barnidge went for 19 yards to the Baltimore 37. On 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 14 with 6:48 left in overtime, Mike Pettine took no chances. Coons came in for the 32 yarder to win it. The kick was good and the 2015 version of the Cardiac Kids this time were on the winning side. This week the Dawg Pound fans were demanding McCown return to the bench. He completed 36 of 51 passes for a team record 457 yards passing with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Baltimore fell to 1-4 for the first time in the John Harbaugh era. 33-30 Browns, OT
St. Louis Rams at Green Bay Packers — Aaron Rodgers began the game playing lights out football as a quick strike to Montgomery went for a 31 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Packers lead. As the first quarter was ending, Nick Foles threw a bad pass under pressure. Rollins made the interception and raced 45 yards for the touchdown and the 14-0 Packers lead.
In the second quarter Foles went deep and drew a defensive pass interference call. He then threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Tavon Austin to get the Rams within 14-7. Greg Zuerlein hit a 42 yard field goal with 1:40 left in the half as the Rams trailed 14-10. In the third quarter Rodgers hooked up with James Jones, who outraced everybody. He was caught near the goal line but made a diving leap past the pileon for the 65 yard touchdown and the 21-10 Packers lead. Mason Crosby tacked on a 35 yard fourth quarter field goal to complete the scoring.
The Packers are 5-0 and Aaron Rodgers is a superstar, but the last couple weeks the Packers have been winning with tough defense. The Packers intercepted Foles 4 times and held him to a miserable 141 yards passing as he completed on 11 of 30 passes. 24-10 Packers
Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans — A defensive slugfest early on finally saw the Titans get on the board in the second quarter with a 21 yard Ryan Succor field goal to lead 3-0. A fumbled punt in the third quarter gave the Titans a short field. Andrews got in from the one to make it 10-0 Titans. The Bills finally got on the board when Tyrod Taylor capped off an 80 yard drive by running for a 22 yard touchdown. In the fourth quarter Succop hit from 41 to make it 13-7 Titans.
One play changed the game. With 8:17 to ply, the Bills appeared all but dead facing 3rd and 23 at their own 7. Taylor scrambled for a 24 yard gain, with another 15 yards tacked on for a horse collar tackle. From the Buffalo 47, Taylor went deep to Hogan for a 46 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Taylor found Hogan for the touchdown. The extra point put the Bills up by one with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Titans punted with 3 minutes left, got it back at their 31 with 1:41 to play, and saw Marcus Mariota throw his only interception. Taylor threw only 17 passes, completing only 10 of them for a paltry 109 yards. For Rex Ryan, this hideously ugly win was sheer beauty. 14-13 Bills
Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions — Last year these teams were both flying high when they played a slugfest in the desert won by Arizona 14-6. This year the Lions have hit the skids while the Cardinals suffered a stunning home loss last week. The Lions suffered turnovers on their first two drives but the defense held. Matthew Stafford hit Theo Riddick for a 6 yard touchdown as the Lions led 7-0 after the first quarter. Then the roof caved in.
On the first play of the second quarter, Carson Palmer threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Fells to tie the game. Stafford was then intercepted again by Redding, who returned it 30 yards to the Detroit 4. one play later David Johnson got it to make it 14-7 Cardinals. The Cardinals got it back pinned at their own 1 yard line. Bruce Arians plays aggressive football in the great tradition of Sid Gillman, Don “Air” Coryell and Al Davis. Palmer went deep to Brown for a 49 yard box to midfield. Chris Johnson ran for 8 and then 40 more. David Johnson got the final deuce as 99 yards put the Cardinals up 21-7.
Stafford was then intercepted again as the Cardinals took over at the Detroit 22. On 3rd and 6, Palmer hit Brown for the 18 yard touchdown and a 28-7 Cardinals lead at the half. In the third quarter Jim Caldwell decided to go for it on 4th and 3 at the Arizona 45. Stafford went deep and was intercepted again. Patrick Peterson returned the interception 40 yards to the Detroit 32. Palmer found Larry Fitzgerald for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 35-7 Cardinals.
Caldwell had had enough. Stafford was benched and in came Dan Orlovsky, who was the quarterback for the 2008 Lions team that went 0-16. Orlovsky did lead the Lions to a field goal. Andre Ellington then responded with a 63 yard touchdown run for the Cardinals to make it 42-10. Orlovsky would pick up where Stafford left off, throwing an interception of his own. Orlovsky did throw a garbage touchdown pass late. Caldwell insisted that Stafford was his starting quarterback for the 0-5 Lions. Stafford and Orlovsky had similar numbers, combining to complete 41 of 60 passes for 379 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 4 killer interceptions. Palmer only threw 14 passes, completing 11 of them for 161 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Meanwhile, the 4-1 Cardinals have won their four victories by an average of over 25 points. 42-17 Cardinals
New England Patriots at Dallas Cowboys — The Patriots have been steamrolling through teams at full strength. Playing the injury riddled Cowboys was not even a fair fight. Early on the Cowboys hung tough. Stephen Goskowski kicked a 49 yard field goal for the Patriots. Dan Bailey countered with 51 yarder for a 3-3 game after the first quarter. With 6 minutes left in the half, a field position game had the Patriots starting at their own 45. Brady would score from one yard out as the Patriots led 10-3 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. With 24 seconds left in the half the Patriots after a sack of Brady faced 2nd and 18 at their own 37. Brady fired a 24 yard completion to Julian Edelman. Gostkowski then drilled a 57 yard field goal for a 13-3 Patriots lead at halftime.
In the second half the Patriots just turned out the lights against the overmatched Cowboys. Brady threw a 10 yard touchdown to Lewis to cap an 80 yard drive and make it 20-3 Patriots. Brandon Weeden led a 15 play, 75 yard drive that consumed 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. However, on 3rd and 4 from the 7, Brandon Weeden picked the worst time to throw a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass. The 2 yard completion meant 4th and 2 at the 5. Bailey hit the 23 yarder as the Cowboys trailed 20-6. In the fourth quarter Brady threw a 59 yard touchdown pass to Edelman to make it 27-6. Gostkowski tacked on one more field goal from 34 yards to complete the scoring. The Patriots got to 5-0 with ease as Brady finished 20 of 27 for 275 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. 30-6 Cowboys
Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders — In recent years the Denver Broncos have obliterated the Oakland Raiders without challenge. This might finally be the year where the Raiders grow up. Denver’s offense is not what it was in past years but they have a ferocious defense to take the pressure off of Peyton Manning. Derek Carr last week saw his offense take the lead with 2 minutes left only to watch the defense collapse. This week the defense was phenomenal. Yet the Broncos are an experienced team, and the Raiders are a young team. Early on, neither side could move the ball. Carr finally led a 7 minute drive that bogged down in the red zone. Sebastian Janikowski came in for a 38 yard field goal try, a chip shot for the Polish Cannon. The kick was blocked as the first quarter remained scoreless.
One play after the block, Manning went deep to Emanuel Sanders for a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Oakland 7, Manning threw incomplete. Brad McManus hit his 25 yard field goal for a 3-0 Broncos lead early in the second quarter. Carr moved the Raiders after a touchback on their best drive of the day. Carr found Latavius Murray for 14 yards, Amari Cooper for 21 more on 3rd and 3, and Walford for 33 yards down to the 3. Carr then hit Marcel Reece for the touchdown as the Raiders led 7-3 with 10 minutes left in the half. with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Broncos moved from their own 9 to a 3rd and 5 at the Oakland 9 with 25 seconds left. Manning fired to the end zone and was intercepted by Charles Woodson. A fired up Silver and Black crowd cheered the Raiders, who took a 7-3 lead into the locker rooms.
The crowd got even more excited when the Broncos went 3 and out to start the second half. The Raiders had all the momentum and were in position for a major upset. Then came the first very bad decision. Having a tough time running the ball against Denver’s stout defense, Musgrave kept calling for Carr to operate out of the shotgun. Yes, Manning uses the shotgun. Carr is a young quarterback. The Raiders need to have Carr line up behind the center and stick with the running game when the Raiders are deep in their own territory. From the Oakland 23 out of the shotgun, Carr never saw a blindside blitz by Von Miller. The sack resulted in a fumble as Miller just ripped the ball out of Carr’s hands. Despite taking over at the Oakland 16, again the Broncos were kept out of the end zone when Manning threw incomplete on 3rd and goal at the 2. McManus hit from 20 as the Broncos trailed 7-6.
The Raiders went 3 and out as Carr threw incomplete on 3rd and 3 from their 27. Denver took over at their own 23. Manning hit Denarius Thomas for 16 and Emanuel sanders for 22 more. That was enough for McManus to drill a 52 yard field goal. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter the Broncos had the 9-7 lead. The Raiders punted, and the Broncos soon faced a critical 3rd and 8 at their own 39. Manning went deep and was intercepted again by Woodson. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, the Raiders were at their own 37. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Seabass came in for a 40 yard try to give the Raiders the lead. This time the home crowd was shellshocked as Seabass was again no good.
The Raiders again held on defense. Carr moved the offense from the Oakland 11 to a 3rd and 5 at the Denver 31 with 7 minutes to play. Despite having missed 2 field goals earlier, Seabass was ready. The 15 year veteran was about to give the Raiders the lead if the offense could not get the first down. 48 yards was well within his range. Seabass never got the chance. Carr threw a pass over the middle and never saw Denver’s Chris Harris. Harris intercepted the ball and raced 74 yards the other way for the only Denver touchdown on the day. The Broncos had the 16-7 lead.
After a touchback, aided by one fourth down conversion, the Raiders faced 4th and 19 at midfield with 2 1/2 minutes to play. Needing to go for it, surely Bill Musgrave would call for a deep throw. Carr threw a 4 yard completion and the Raiders turned it over on downs. The Raiders are young and growing, but this seemed to be another example of terrible play-calling. The defense held again and the Raiders got it back after a touchback with 1:52 to play and 1 timeout. This time Carr did go deep, drawing a 48 yard defensive pass interference penalty at the Denver 32. Jack Del Rio then made a decision that may be criticized, but it was the right call. On first down with 1:45 to play and needing 2 scores, he immediately brought in Seabass for a 50 yard field goal try. Seabass was good and the Raiders were within 6 points.
The onside kick never had a chance. The Broncos took the clock down to 8 seconds but did have to punt on 4th and 6 from the Oakland 45. A perfect punt would have gone out of bounds with a couple seconds left, but Amari Cooper tried to make something happen. He fielded it at the 2, got to the 20, and then came the laterals. There would be no Stanford Marching Band and no miracles. Peyton Manning threw 0 touchdown passes and 2 interceptions. The Denver offense did not score a touchdown the whole game. Yet this Denver team is winning with defense. The Broncos are 5-0 and the Raiders are 2-3. The Raiders are inexperienced, and inexperienced teams do dumb and stupid things. The Raiders are not the same losers of years past. They are vastly improved. They are competitive. They are still a year away from winning big games against the best teams. 16-10 Broncos
San Francisco 49ers at New York Giants was the Sunday night game. In 1990, these teams played two of the greatest defensive games of all time, a Monday Night Football thriller won by the 49ers and an epic NFC Title Game won by the Giants that ended Joe Montana’s 49ers career and made Bill Parcels a legend. In 2011, these teams played another nasty defensive NFC Title Game again won by the Giants, this time in overtime. In 2015, the Giants are an average team and the 49ers are a disaster. Yet some things never change. The defenses again came to play.
Phil Dawson kicked a 43 yard field goal and Josh Brown countered from 22 as the teams were tied 3-3 after the first quarter. In the second quarter Eli Manning led a 14 play, 81 yard drive that took 6 minutes. Shane Vereen got in from 2 yards out to make it 10-3 Giants. The Giants got it back and Brown hit a 41 yarder for a 13-3 Giants lead. Yet the 49ers were resilient on this night. They again drove inside the 5 but again had to settle for a 22 yard Dawson kick as the 49ers trailed 13-6 at halftime.
In the third quarter Colin Kaepernick led a 10 play, 88 yard, 5 minute drive. A 3 yard touchdown pass to Anquon Boldin tied the game 13-13. Manning brought the Giants back and threw a 17 yard touchdown pass to O’Dell Beckham. The Giants took a 20-13 lead after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the 49ers took a drive that began after a touchback all the way to a 1st and goal at the 2. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Kaepernick hit Celek for the touchdown and a 20-20 tie game with 12 minutes left to play.
Pittsburgh Steelers at San Diego Chargers was the Monday night game. The Giants took over at their own 21 and calmly moved Big Blue down the field. On 3rd and 7 from the San Francisco 11, Tom Coughlin took no chances. In easy field goal range for the lead, a running play came up one yard short. The crowd did not like it, but on 4th and 1 from the 5, Coughlin sent out the field goal team. Brown hit the 24 yarder and the Giants retook the lead 23-20 with 4 1/2 minutes to play. Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, and Michael Strahan are all retired. After a touchback, Kaepernick found Smith for 25 and Boldin for 26 more. Carlos Hyde gained 19 yards on the ground to set up 1st and goal at the 2. A running play lost 3 yards at the 2 minute warning but defensive holding on the next play put the ball back to the 2. Hyde then got in for the touchdown as the 49ers had the 27-23 lead with 1:41 to play. The Giants took over at their own 18 with all 3 timeouts but Beckham and Reuben Randle on the sideline injured.
Manning scrambled for 11 yards and then got belted. Somehow, he got up and found Vereen for gains of 11 and 16. From the Giants 40, Manning threw a duck under heavy pressure that appeared to be intercepted. After review, the ball hit the ground and the Giants were still alive. With 45 seconds left, Beckham, despite being injured, came back in the game. on 3rd and 10, a dump off pass to Vereen went for 25 yards down to the San Francisco 19 as the Giants took their last timeout with 30 seconds left. Manning fired to the end zone and defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the 12 with 26 ticks left.
Manning fired high and over the middle. With 2 defenders draped all over him, Larry Donnell turned into the second coming of David Tyree. Donnell needed 2 hands to pin it against his helmet, but he hung on. The Giants had the 3 point lead as the 49ers took over at their own 22 with 17 seconds left. The Giants again blew a double digit lead but this time finished in dramatic fashion. The 49ers are 1-4 despite a sold effort. Kaepernick finished 23 of 35 for 262 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions As for the 3-2 Giants, Manning was a ridiculous 41 of 54 for 441 yards, a Giants team record. Manning had 3 touchdown passes and one interception. Tom Coughlin teams never ever quit. 30-27 Giants
Pittsburgh Steelers at San Diego Chargers was the Monday night game. This was a slugfest where both defenses brought the lumber and used it. Philip Rivers quickly moved the Chargers 84 yards and found Antonio Gates for a 12 yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 Chargers lead. After that, it was all defense. In the second quarter Boswell hit a 47 yard field goal for the Steelers. In the third quarter Rivers was intercepted, and Blake returned it 70 yards for a touchdown and a 10-7 Steelers lead after three quarters.
In the fourth quarter Josh Lamb hit a 40 yard field goal to tie the game 10-10. The Chargers got it back and Rivers moved them 60 yards, hitting Antonio Gates for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Chargers with 8 minutes left in regulation. 20 seconds later the game was tied 17-17 when Michael Vick completed a 72 yard bomb to Marcus Wheaton. The Chargers regained the lead 20-17 when Lambo blasted a 54 yard field goal. After a touchback, The Steelers took over with 2 1/2 minutes left.
Vick moved the Steelers down the field for a wild finish. On 3rd and 6 from the Chargers 41, Vick scrambled up the middle for 24 yards as the clock ticked below 30 seconds. On 3rd and 10 from the 17, Vick found Heath Miller at the one yard line. Miller caught the ball between double coverage. A defensive penalty for hitting a defenseless receiver stopped the clock. The ball was inches from the goal line. 5 seconds remained. Mike Tomlin made the call of the year and decided to go for it rather than kick the tying field goal.
Making things even more insane, Tomlin decided against a quarterback sneak or a traditional run. He had Vick line up in the shot gun. Vick handed off LeVeon Bell, who took it all the way back at the 7 yard line and appeared to be stopped. Bell kept churning, and stretched the ball as his knee hit the ground. It was a photo finish, but the ball barely broke the plane of the goal. The Steelers got to 3-2 with the win thank to their coach and his cojones of steel. 24-20 Steelers
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