THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2015 Wrapup — Lessons learned and not learned

The 1972 Miami Dolphins may be getting nervous. The only perfect team in NFL history has had some close calls. The 1985 Chicago Bears made it to 13-0 before losing on Monday Night Football to of all teams, the Dolphins. The 2007 New England Patriots made it to the Super Bowl unbeaten before losing in the final moments. Every year when the last unbeaten NFL team loses, several players from the 1972 Dolphins get together and pop champagne corks.

(In an amusing take on this, ESPN’s Chris Berman plays the sound of a popping champagne cork when the last winless team wins, a tribute to the winless 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.)

In 2014, the corks were popped as early as ever. Not one team made it to 4-0. In 2015, there are four teams at 5-0 and two more at 4-0. Since none of these teams play each other next week, the 1972 Dolphins could be facing a significantly delayed champagne ceremony.

For those who mistake the NFL’s obsession with competitive balance for parity, calm down. Even with six unbeaten teams, there is still the chance of exciting upsets on any given Sunday. With that, here are the NFL 2015 Week 5 lessons learned and not learned.

Indianapolis Colts 27, Houston Texans 20 — With Andrew Luck still injured, old man Matt Hasselbeck pushed the Colts to a 13-0 lead they never relinquished. With the Texans trailing by seven, they faced third and two at the Indianapolis 38 at the two-minute warning. Bryan Hoyer went deep and was intercepted. While good teams find a way to win, more often than not bad teams just find ways to lose. The winless Texans are a bad team.

Chicago Bears 18,  Kansas City Chiefs 17 — With the Chiefs leading 17-3 in the third quarter, a 27-yard field goal try by Cairo Santos was blocked. With 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Chiefs still led 17-6. Clinging to a 17-12 lead with 2:15 to play, they chose to have Alex Smith throw on third and four rather than run the ball and force the Bears to use their last timeout. The Bears got it back with 2:04 to play, in effect giving them an extra timeout. Jay Cutler threw incomplete on third and ten, but defensive pass interference kept the Bears in business. Cutler has led the Bears to consecutive late game wins, but the Chiefs are 1-4 because they keep blowing games late.

Cincinnati Bengals 27, Seattle Seahawks 24, OT — When Michael Bennett returned a fumble 22 yards for a touchdown, the Seahawks led by the Legion of Boom took a 24-7 lead into the fourth quarter. The fact that the Bengals came back and tied the game and then won it in overtime only leads to one conclusion. The Bengals really are at the next level. They have had a good offense for several years but on this day the defense shut down Seattle in the fourth quarter. The winning field goal was set up by the special teams when Adam “Pacman” Jones returned a punt 19 yards to the Cincinnati 43. Two first downs was all the Bengals needed for the comeback win.

Atlanta Falcons 25, Washington Redskins 19, OT — Washington is the epitome of bad teams finding ways to lose. The Atlanta offense was out of sync most of the day, with two missed field goals keeping them down 7-3 in the third quarter and 7-6 after three quarters. The best teams are complete teams, and on this day the Atlanta defense carried the offense rather than the reverse. Trailing 13-12 and turning the ball over deep in their own territory, the defense held Washington to a field goal. Despite giving up the tying field goal only 24 seconds after retaking the lead, the Falcons got defensive redemption when Rob Alford returned the winning interception 59 yards for the score. The 5-0 Falcons have the elite offense, but on this day the defense bailed the team out.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38, Jacksonville Jaguars 31 — All three Florida teams are closer to the 1976 Buccaneers than the 1972 Dolphins. This game was a battle to be the fourth best football team in Florida behind the Gators, Seminoles and Hurricanes. The Buccaneers blew a 20-7 second quarter lead and trailed 24-20 in the third quarter. Blake Bortles threw four touchdown passes, but cannot do everything himself. With Jacksonville leading 24-23, a simple running play after a touchback was pure Jaguars ineptitude. A simple run around the end started as a nine yard loss before turning into a fumble that was picked up at the three and run in for the 31-24 Buccaneers lead. A 25-yard punt return gave the Buccaneers a short field to set up the clinching touchdown. Nothing can fix these teams but more drafts.

Philadelphia Eagles 39, New Orleans Saints 17 — Both of these teams are a mess but the main saints problem is that Drew Brees is getting killed behind a patchwork offensive line. With one minute left in the half of a tie game, Brees was sacked. The resulting fumble led to a field goal and a 10-7 Eagles lead. After the Eagles took a 17-10 lead in the third quarter, Brees was again sacked. this time the fumble was recovered at the Saints 13. One play later the Eagles had a 23-10 lead and never looked back. A short pass by Brees led to another fumble that turned into more Eagles points. An interception of Brees was returned to the Saints four yard line as the Eagles led 39-10. Brees is the one turning the ball over, but he is running for his life as the Saints lose the battle in the trenches.

Cleveland Browns 33, Baltimore Ravens OT — The Dawg Pound are some of the NFL’s best fans, but they have been clamoring for Josh McCown to be benched. Yet McCown is not why the team is losing. The Browns defense has been awful. Last week the Browns put up 27 points and tied the game late only for the defense to surrender the winning field goal at the gun. This week, trailing 21-9 in the third quarter, McCown was unleashed. McCown finished 36 of 51 for a franchise record 457 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. The defense was a sieve, but McCown twice rallied the Browns from fourth quarter deficits. By the time he led the winning overtime drive, he had thrown more yards in a game than Bernie Kosar, Brian Sipe, and even Otto Graham. McCown also did not have Jim Brown or even Kevin Mack and Ernest Byner. McCown deserves to stay the starter.

Green Bay Packers 24, St. Louis Rams 10 — The Green Bay Packers are another unbeaten team that is a complete team. Yes, they have Aaron Rodgers, but the offense has not been stellar the last couple weeks. The defense won a tough 17-3 victory last week. This week, after taking an early 14-10 lead but only leading 14-10 at halftime the Green Bay defense pitched a second half shutout. One pitch and catch between Rodgers and James Jones went for a 65-yard touchdown, but it was the defense that stopped the same Rams offense that last week went on the road and shocked Arizona.

Buffalo Bills 14, Tennessee Titans 13 — The worst offense to ever win a Super Bowl was the 2000 Baltimore team that went five straight games without an offensive touchdown. The defensive line coach for that team was Rex Ryan, son of defensive mastermind Buddy Ryan. Rex Ryan loves to ground and pound. He took the Jets to two AFC Title Games with an average quarterback at best. The Bills trailed in this game 10-0 in the third quarter. Tyron Taylor finished 10 of 17 for 109 yards. Yet Taylor ran for a 22-yard third quarter touchdown and threw the winning touchdown pass with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation, capping off an 80-yard drive. As for the Titans, they are young and will learn how to finish games at some point. This was hideously ugly football, but for Rex Ryan it remains beautiful.

Arizona Cardinals 42, Detroit Lions 17 — Despite losing a stunner at home last week, the Cardinals are every bit as good as the unbeaten teams. The Lions are a winless mess. After trailing 7-0 after the first quarter, the Cardinals blasted the Lions for a 28-7 halftime lead that reached 35-7 after three quarters. Both of these teams on this day came down to quarterback play. Carson Palmer was only 11 of 14 for 161 yards, but he had three touchdown passes without an interception. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford threw three interceptions and was benched in favor of Dan Orlovsky. Orlovsky. The 2008 Lions team that went 0-16 was quarterbacked by Orlovsky. Stafford and Orlovsky combined to complete 41 of 60 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns, but four killer interceptions. The Cardinals have won their four games by an average of over 25 points. They are good in every phase of the game and the Lions are awful as everything. Matt Millen can no longer be blamed.

New England Patriots 30, Dallas Cowboys 6 — Tom Brady is beating healthy teams. Putting him up against an injury-ravaged Dallas squad is just cruel. Brandon Weeden has lost his last 11 starts. A 3-3 second quarter tie was broken open when Brady snuck in from one yard out and Stephen Gostkowski drilled a 57-yard field goal to end the half. Brady marched the Patriots 80 yards for another touchdown and a 20-3 third quarter lead. Good teams win games. Great teams blow out bad teams early. After barely more than one half of football, this game was over. The Patriots are a great team. They are playing like it is 2007 all over again.   

Denver Broncos 16, Oakland Raiders 10 — The Broncos do not have the same offense, but they now have a ferocious defense. They are also a very experienced team. The Raiders are an improving but young team. Youth means stupid, dumb things in football and life. The Denver offense failed to score a touchdown. Peyton Manning was intercepted twice by Charles Woodson. Last week the Oakland offense grabbed the lead with two minutes left and the defense melted down. This week the defense was magnificent and the other parts broke down. With Oakland leading 7-3 in the third quarter, Derek Carr was sacked and fumbled, leading to a Denver field goal. Sebastian Janikowski had a 38-yard field goal blocked in the first quarter and just missed a 40-yarder that would have given the Raiders the lead early in the fourth quarter. Rather than leading 13-9, the Raiders still trailed 9-7. This led to the critical third and five at the Denver 31 midway through the fourth quarter. Already in field goal range, Carr threw the interception that Chris Harris returned 74 yards for the clinching touchdown.

New York Giants 30, San Francisco 49ers 27 — The New York Giants have had a double-digit lead in every game this year. In their losses, they blew those leads in the fourth quarter. The 49ers overcame deficits of 13-3 and 20-13 to tie the game as Colin Kaepernick silenced his critics. This game came down to Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning, who have won two Super Bowls together. With the game tied 20-20 and the Giants facing fourth and one at the San Francisco five, Coughlin made the crowd-angering decision to kick the field goal. It was the right decision, but Coughlin would have been pummeled had the Giants lost. With 1:41 to play, the Giants found themselves down 27-23 when Carlos Hyde scored from two yards out. The Giants were 82 yards away but had saved all three timeouts. That is the coaching part. As for Manning, he finished a ridiculous 41 of 54 for a team high 441 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Courage helps, and an injured O’Dell Beckham returning with 45 seconds left despite incredible pain is courage. Luck also helps, and Larry Donnell picked a great time with 26 seconds left to become the reincarnation of David Tyree. Donnell’s winning touchdown catch despite double coverage came with his hands pressing the ball against his helmet.

Pittsburgh Steelers 24, San Diego Chargers 20 — How many coaches play not to lose? How many coaches go for the win and get criticized when the gamble fails? Welcome to Mike Tomlin and his cojones of steel. After the Chargers took a 20-17 lead on a 54-yard field goal with 2 1/2 minutes left, Michael Vick moved the Steelers down the field for a wild finish. The ball was inches from the goal line. Five 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 shotgun. Vick handed off to LeVeon Bell, who took it all the way back at the seven 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.

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

eric

NFL 2015 Week 5 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-2015-week-5-preview-and-bettors-guide-49620/

eric

NFL 2015 Week 4 Recap

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-2015-week-4-lessons-learned-and-not-learned-49576/

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Thursday night game. One of the NFL’s great rivalries has been minimized this year as the Ravens lost Terrell Suggs for the year and the Steelers had Michael Vick starting in place of the injured Ben Roethlisberger. Josh Scobee got the Steelers on the board first with a 45 yard field goal. Joe Flacco then led a 12 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. A 9 yard touchdown to Campanaro had the Ravens up 7-3. In the second quarter LeVeon Bell ran it in from 11 yards out to make it 10-7 Steelers. A Baltimore turnover late in the half allowed Scobee to hit from 36 yards out to have the Steelers up 13-7 at halftime.

In the third quarter Flacco was hit and fumbled, setting up the Steelers at the Baltimore 26. On 3rd and 5 from the 9, Vick hit Darrius Heyward-Bey for the touchdown. The Steelers had the 20-7 lead, but Steelers-Ravens games are usually decided very late. This game was no exception. Flacco brought the Ravens right back, and a 15 year touchdown pass to Aiken had Baltimore within 20-14.

Consecutive sacks of Vick had the Steelers punting on 4th and 23 from their own 7. A 14 yard punt return with a defensive penalty tacked on had the Ravens starting at the Pittsburgh 28. On 4th and 2 from the 20, John Harbaugh decided to try a fake field goal. It was blown up in the backfield for a 3 yard loss.

The Ravens got it back and on the last play of the third quarter, John Harbaugh decided to go for it on 4th and 1 just shy of midfield. A pass to Noble appeared to go nowhere, but Noble broke a tackle and gained 7 yards. Baltimore reached the Pittsburgh 20 when a fumbled snap out of the shotgun turned into a 12 yard loss. Justin Tucker hit a 40 yard field goal but the Ravens still trailed 20-17 with 10 minutes left in regulation.

The Ravens got it back at their own 12 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Pittsburgh 43. A run came up short and with 4:20 to play Harbaugh decided to go for it. Flacco took the quarterback sneak and hit a brick wall. The Steelers took their first timeout with 2 1/2 minutes left when they faced a critical 3rd and 5 at the Baltimore 31. A well thrown ball was also well defended incomplete. Mike Tomlin opted for the 49 yard field goal try. Scobee was no good, and the Ravens had 2:24, one timeout and the 2 minute warning to try and tie or win the game.

While neither of these teams have the defenses of years past, they still have heart. The Pittsburgh defense pressured Flacco into three straight incompletions. On 4th and 10 Flacco was sacked with 2:04 to play. The Steelers played it very safe, running into the line three straight times. With the Ravens out of timeouts, the Steelers took their last timeout with just over one minute to play. Scobee came in for a 41 yarder and he missed again.

Flacco fired one completion to the Baltimore 48. On 3rd and 10, Flacco fired to the sideline complete at the Pittsburgh 32 with 23 seconds left. A gutsy Harbaugh called a running play, and Forsett gained 8 yards as Flacco quickly but calmly led everyone to the line to spike the ball. From 42 yards out, Tucker was good and the Ravens and Steelers were going to overtime tied 20-20.

The Steelers got the ball first and moved in overtime to a 4th and 2 at the Baltimore 39. After taking a timeout, Tomlin decided to go for it. Vick ran on a designed carry and got belted nowhere near the first down marker. On 3rd and 8 Flacco went deep but Pittsburgh was ready with double coverage to break up the play incomplete. Antonio Brown fumbled the kickoff at the Pittsburgh 10 but picked it up and quickly raced to the Pittsburgh 41. Vick then hit Brown for a 17 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 at the Baltimore 32, A completion under pressure came up one yard short.

On 4th and 1 Mike Tomlin was not going to give his kicker a chance for redemption. He called another timeout. Scobee had missed from 49 and 41, and this one was from 50. The offense stayed on the field and Vick threw high and incomplete. Eventually the Ravens after failing to convert on 3rd and 1 had to make a field goal decision of their own. From 52 yards out with 5 minutes left in overtime, John Harbaugh did trust his kicker. Tucker delivered, and the Ravens had another tough win. Baltimore got their first win of the year. The Ravens have never lost four straight games under Harbaugh. Joe Flacco called it the “typically ugly game you play in Pittsburgh.” For the fans, it was beautiful. For Scobee, it was the unemployment line as Tomlin cut him the next day. 23-20 Ravens, OT   

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins in London was the Sunday super early morning game. Miami Dolphins coach is so Caucasian and boring that he could be mistaken for an Englishman. His team was as inspired as British food. 3 plays and less than 90 seconds into the game Chris Ivory was in the end zone as the Jets took the 7-0 lead. Nick Folk added a 22 yard first quarter field goal and a 48 yard second quarter field goal to make it 13-0 Jets and the route was on. The Dolphins looked like they had a ray of hope when they needed only 3 plays to move 88 yards. Ryan Tannehill hit Stoneburner for an 8 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 13-7.

Gang Green then clamped down on defense. Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Eric Decker for a 10 yard touchdown to put the Jets up 20-7 at halftime. Zac Stacy got in from 2 yards out to have the Jets cruising 27-7 in the third quarter. The Dolphins scored once more in the fourth quarter as their third straight loss had the Joe Philbin death watch reaching a fever pitch. Jets fans then went to the local British pub to feast on Dolphins and chips. 27-14 Jets

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts — Andrew Luck was out injured for the first time in his career. Matt Hasselbeck was told that he could play while simultaneously collecting social security, so he started against the lowly Jaguars. Adam Vinatieri kicked a 54 yard field goal for the Colts and Myers responded with a 20 yarder for a 3-3 snoozefest after the opening quarter.

In the second quarter the Colts fumbled to give the Jaguars a short field at the Indy 44. Blake Bortles hit Hurns for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Jaguars. Hasselbeck led a 13 play, 80 yard drive and threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Coby Fleener to tie the game 10-10 with 6 minutes left in the half. Myers would kick a 32 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Jaguars. A hideous second half saw Adam Vinatieri tie the game on a 32 yarder with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

With 8 1/2 minutes left and the Colts driving for the lead, Frank Gore fumbled at the one. With 6 seconds left, Myers came in for a 53 yard field goal try to give the Jaguars the win. The kick was no good wide right. midway through overtime, Myers had a chance to redeem himself from 48 yards out. Again, he was no good. With 4 1/2 minutes left in overtime, Vinatieri had his chance from 27 yards out. He was good and the Colts had the ugly win to get to 2-2. Paul Maguire once said, “I hate kickers. They should be paid $50 a game.” If Gus Bradley is interested, Josh Scobee is available after missing two kicks Thursday night and getting cut Friday. 16-13 Colts, OT

Houston Texans at Atlanta Falcons — The unbeaten Atlanta Falcons are back to where they were when their pinball offense had them on top of the NFC. Devonta Freeman had a 16 yard touchdown run in the first quarter and a 23 yard touchdown run in the second quarter for a 14-0 Falcons lead. Truant then returned a fumble 24 yards for another touchdown as the Falcons were cruising 21-0. Matt Ryan then led an 11 play, 82 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and threw a 3 yard touchdown to Hankers for a 28-0 Falcons lead.

The Falcons poured it on early in the third quarter as 68 yards came rapidly and Freeman got in again from 6 yards out for a 35-0 Falcons lead. Ward would get in from 8 yards out to make it 42-0 Falcons. The Texan dominated the fourth quarter by scoring three touchdowns. In politics, egomaniacs spike the football after closing a 42 point deficit. In football, it’s the overall result that counts. On the last play of the game after a fourth Texans touchdown was reversed, Houston faced 4th and goal at the 17. Bryan Hoyer threw a 1 yard pass. The ball was fumbled and returned 84 yards for one more Atlanta touchdown. 48-21 Falcons

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The 2014 and 2015 Buccaneers are not as bad as the squads from 1976 and 1977, but they are a few losses away from returning to the orange creamsicle days. They began by fumbling in the red zone, leading to a 24 yard Graham Gano field goal. Then Jameis Winston was intercepted by Norman, who returned it 46 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 Panthers lead. The Bucs finally got on the board with a 42 yard Brindza field goal to trail 10-3 after the first quarter.

Another interception of Winston in the second quarter had the Panthers with a short field at the Tampa 45. On 3rd and goal from the 7, Cam Newton threw incomplete, but the call was reversed for a  touchdown to Ted Ginn and a 17-3 Panthers lead. Winston responded with a 13 play, 80 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. Doug Martin got in from 5 yards out as the Buccaneers were within 17-10.

On the first play of the third quarter after a touchback, Cam Newton fumbled. The Buccaneers responded by gaining 0 yards and missing a field goal. Then on the next Carolina play from scrimmage from their own 33, they fumbled again. This time the ball bounced forward in the air straight to Carolina player Ed Dickson, who grabbed it mid-air and raced for a 57 yard offensive touchdown just like Ron Rivera drew it up in the sandlot to make it 24-10 Panthers.

With the Bucs facing 3rd and 8 just past midfield, Winston was interested again by Norman, who raced 34 yards to the Tampa 33. on 3rd and 3 from the 12, Newton found Ginn for another touchdown to make it 31-10 Panthers. Winston would lead an 80 yard drive and hit Sims for a 10 yard touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 31-17. It was too little, too late. Gano hit a pair of 27 yard field goals in the fourth quarter to make it 37-17 Panthers. Tampa added another garbage touchdown as Carolina remained unbeaten at the quarter mark. 37-23 Panthers

New York Giants at Buffalo Bills — 25 years after Bill Parcells, Marv Levy and Scott Norwood, the Bills and Giants played in a less meaningful game. Then again, when Rex Ryan plays Tom Coughlin, the blood feud is out. Josh Brown hit a 47 yard field goal for the Giants and Dan Carpenter answered with a 51 yarder for a 3-3 game. After an interception of Tyrod Taylor, Eli Manning hit Harris for a 21 yard touchdown. The extra point dunked off the upright no good as the Giants led 9-3.

In the second quarter the Giants faced 4th and 2 from the Buffalo 25. Coughlin played it safe with the field goal, which was good. However, a defensive penalty gave the Giants an automatic first down. Coughlin took the points on the board and Manning threw an 11 yard touchdown pass to Reuben Randle for a 16-3 Giants lead. In the third quarter the Bills drove 80 yards from their 10 to the Giants 10 only to use up 6 minutes and miss a 38 yard field goal. Buffalo got it back at their own 47 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2 early in the fourth quarter. Taylor only got half, and Rex Ryan decided to go for it. On 4th and goal at the one, A pass from Taylor lost a yard as the goal line stand by Big Blue kept Buffalo out of the end zone.

America then saw the best play that did not count. From his own end zone, Manning fired deep to O’Dell Beckham. Just like last year, Beckham made it a ridiculous one-handed catch. Last year it meant a touchdown and celebrity fame. This one was an incompletion since Beckham was way out of bounds. Nevertheless, Beckham remains a superstar. The Bills got it back at the Giants 43 and Taylor found Williams for a 23 yard touchdown. With 10 minutes left in regulation, the Bills were only down 16-10. The Giants have had a double digit fourth quarter lead every game this season only to collapse in two of those games.

Midway through the fourth quarter, on 3rd and 3 just shy of midfield, Manning hit Rashad Jennings on a swing pass that appeared to be short of the first down. Yet Jennings broke the tackle, raced down the sideline, stiff-armed another defender to the ground, and ended up with a 51 yard touchdown to put the game on ice. The game would continue to drag on as Buffalo had a sure reception turn into an interception. Manning would throw an interception on 3rd and goal at the 8. Buffalo would have a touchdown nullified by a chop block penalty. Eventually the game ended with both teams at 2-2 and Coughlin again besting Ryan. 24-10 Giants

Oakland Raiders at Chicago Bears — The Raiders finally got a road win last week and were starting to believe their own press clippings at 2-1. However, Jimmy Clausen was sent back to the bench as Jay Cutler returned from injury. Cutler carved up the Raiders defense on the opening drive. A 24 yard pass to Michael Bennett led to 3rd and 2 at the Oakland 45. Cutler hit Wilson for 35 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 7, Cutler hit Eddie Royal for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked as the Bears led 6-0. The Raiders began at their own 40 when Robbie Gould sent the kickoff out of bounds. 3 plays netted 0 yards and the Raiders punted. The Bears were backed up to their own 6 yard line, and the Oakland defense stiffened.

A field position game had the Raiders beginning the second quarter just shy of midfield after a 22 yard punt return. On 3rd and 3, Derek Carr found Smith for 5 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Chicago 37, Carr hit Latavius Murray for 11. Carr then went deep to Amari Cooper. Initially ruled an incomplete pass, the call was reversed for a 26 yard touchdown and a 7-6 Raiders lead.

In the second quarter the Bears fumbled in their own territory, setting up the Raiders at the Chicago 25. Carr found Amari Cooper for 16 yards and Roy Helu for a 4 yard touchdown as the Raiders led 14-6 midway through the second quarter. The Bears quickly came back 80 yards as a 5 yard touchdown from Cutler to Bennett had the Bears within 14-13 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half.

A pass by Carr in his direction was quickly intercepted by Patrick McPhee, who returned it 13 yards to the Oakland 15. On 3rd and goal from the one, Matt Forte got the carry and found a Silver and Black brick wall. On 4th and goal, John Fox angered the home crowd by going for the field goal. Gould hit the 19 yarder for a 16-14 Bears lead with 90 seconds left in the half. After a touchback, Carr was sacked for a 15 yard loss as the Raiders ended the half with frustration.

The Raiders began the third quarter the way they ended the second quarter, with a sack of Carr and lost yardage. Chicago took over on their own 46, but on their first play from scrimmage Forte fumbled and the Raiders recovered. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 39, Carr threw incomplete but defensive illegal use of hands kept the drive going. On 2nd and 4 from the Chicago 11, Carr threw incomplete twice. Sebastian Janikowski hit the 29 yarder to make it 17-16 Raiders.

The Raiders on defense could not get off the field, as they have struggled on third down all year. With the Bears backed up to 3rd and 12 from their own 18, Cutler found Bennett for 14. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 32, Cutler found Bennett again for 11. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 43, the Raiders finally held on defense and got it back at their own 25. On 3rd and 7 from the Oakland 39, Carr found Helu for 9 yards. The drive would stall when Carr threw incomplete on 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 48. A good punt backed the Bears up to their own 10.

On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 28, Cutler went deep incomplete, but defensive pass interference gave Chicago the ball at midfield as the third quarter ended. On 3rd and 14 from the Oakland 36, john Fox decided to play it safe with a run to set up a field goal. Forte got nothing. It didn’t matter. Gould leveled a 54 yarder as the Bears reclaimed the 19-17 lead. The Raiders moved after a touchback to a 2nd and 4 just past midfield. Murray gained 5 yards but fumbled, and the Bears took over at the Oakland 42.

On 3rd and 8, Cutler found Eddie Royal for just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the 23, Cutler went deep and was intercepted by last week’s hero Charles Woodson. Oakland took over at their own 9 with 6:50 to play. Carr found Michael Crabtree for gains of 25 and 13 and Helu picked up 12 more on the ground to the Chicago 41. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 33, Helu gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 22, Jack Del Rio played it very safe. Helu got the carry for the fourth straight time, but this time he lost a yard. Seabass came in for the 41 yarder to give Oakland the lead, and he hit it. The Raiders led 20-19, the Bears still would have just over 2 minutes left against a suspect Oakland defense. The Raiders scored too early.

After a touchback, Forte gained 6 yards on first down as the clock reached the 2 minute warning. A sack of Cutler led to 4th and 5 at the Chicago 25 with 90 seconds left. Again the Oakland defense could not make a stop as Cutler found Bennett for 7. With one minute left on 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 39, Cutler found Wilson for 6. A 12 yard completion to Royal put the Bears at the Oakland 43 as the Bears took their 2nd timeout with 40 seconds left and the Raiders in full meltdown mode. with 7 seconds left, Gould came in to try a 49 yarder to win it. Gould was good and the Bears had their first win of the year. As for the Raiders at 2-2, they still have not figured out how to close out games.

In useless statistics news, this was the third time these teams came down to the final play decided by a Chicago kicker in Chicago. In 1994 Kevin Butler missed a 30 yard field goal as the Raiders hung on 17-16.  In 1996, Jeff Jaeger, who had been cut by the Raiders before the season started, kicked four field goals including the game winner for a 19-17 Bears victory. This year, it was Robbie Gould. 22-20 Bears

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins — The battle for the lead in the NFC Least saw Hopkins hit first quarter field goals of 20 and 38 yards for a 6-0 Redskins lead. While Republicans and Democrats both agreed that the government should shut this game down and impeach Jay Gruden and Chip Kelly, some action finally occurred in the second quarter. Kirk Cousins led a 10 play, 68 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive, getting the final yard himself for a 13-0 Redskins lead.

The game completely changed in the third quarter. Sam Bradford found Riley Cooper for a 62 yard touchdown. The extra point failed but the Eagles got it back and Bradford found Captain Morgan Brent Celek for a 10 yard score to tie the game 13-13. Hopkins responded with his third field goal from 33 yards out for a 16-13 Redskins lead. As the fourth quarter began, Bradford came back with a 39 yard touchdown pass to Miles Austin. Despite having dated a Kardashian, Austin caught the ball for the 20-16 Eagles lead.

With 6 minutes left the Redskins took over at their own 10. Cousins bled the clock and moved the Redskins. With 30 seconds to play, Washington faced 2nd and goal at the 4. Cousins hit Pierre Garcon, who caught it between two defenders. Despite getting blasted, Garcon hung on and the Redskins had the win. 23-20 Redskins

Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals — The Bengals offense with Red Rifle Andy Dalton are clicking on all cylinders. The Chiefs with Alex Smith are dinking and dunking. Once again the West Coast Offense traveled to an East Coast time zone and quickly got steamrolled. Hill ran it in from 8 yards out for a 7-0 Bengals lead. The Chiefs responded with a 22 yard Carlo Santos field goal. The Bengals again moved 80 yards as Bernard ran it in from 13 yards out for a 14-3 Bengals lead. In the second quarter Santos hit from 40, 51, 34 as the Chiefs trailed 14-12.

In the third quarter dalton nullified virtually all of the chiefs sinking, dunking and field goal kicking with one big play. A 55 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Tate made it 21-12 Bengals. Once again the Chiefs would have to wait until a fourth quarter deficit before Alex Smith was allowed to throw past the first down marker. Santos would kick his fifth field goal from 40 to get the Chiefs within 21-15.

The Chiefs got it back and faced 3rd and 30 at their own 17. A short completion resulted in a fumble that was returned to the Chiefs 5 yard line. Jeremy Hill ran it in and the 2 point conversion had the Bengals up 29-15 after three quarters. The Chiefs moved to the Bengals 11 where Smith threw 3 straight incompletions. Santos hit his sixth field goal from 29 to get the Chiefs within 29-18. Santos kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, and Hill would cap off a 60 yard drive with a one yard touchdown to make it 36-18 with 5 minutes left. Santos would kick a 51 yard field goal, his seventh on the day. The record in one game is eight. The onside kick failed, the Chiefs got it back at their own one, and never got to try an eight field goal as the Bengals remained unbeaten. 36-21 Bengals

Cleveland Browns at San Diego Chargers — Despite the loss last week, Josh McCown again got the start and fumbled the ball away in the first quarter. McCown stayed in and Mike Pettine decided to go for it on 4th and 2 at the San Diego 32. Despite an incompletion, defensive pass interference kept the drive going. Coons hit a 36 yarder and the Browns led 3-0. Philip Rivers came back and hit Keenan Allen for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Chargers. In the second quarter McCown would throw a 34 yard touchdown pass to Johnson for a 10-7 Browns lead.

Josh Lambo hit 46  and 45 yard field goals to make it 13-10 Chargers. Then Coons had his turn as he hit from 28 and then from 33 in the third quarter to make it 16-13 Browns. This time the Chargers came right back as Rivers found Danny Woodhead for a 61 yard gain and on the next play hit Green for a 19 yard touchdown and a 20-16 Chargers lead. With 10 minutes left in regulation Coons hit his fourth field goal as the Browns only trailed 20-19.

Within moments the Chargers had struck right back as Rivers hit Dontrell Inman on a short pass that went for a 68 yard gain down to the one. Rivers hit Phillips for the touchdown as the Chargers led 27-19 midway through the fourth quarter. McCown brought the Browns back and led a 10 play, 67 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. A deep pass to Barnidge was ruled incomplete but Mike Pettine challenged the call. Barnidge did make the juggling catch and get his knee down inbounds. Pettine won the challenge and McCown fired to Barnidge again for the touchdown. Mccowen through another laser to Taylor Gabriel for the 2 point conversion as the game was tied 27-27. The Chargers got it back at their own 27 with 2:03 to play.

Rivers led the Chargers down the field. With less than ten second left, rookie Lambo came in for a 39 yarder to win it. Lambo was no good, but there would be no overtime. Cleveland jumped offsides. Given another chance from 34, Lambo was good. These are the Browns. 30-27 Chargers

Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers — The Packers dominated this series in the 1990s while the 49ers had the advantage in the 21st century. Yet now the 49ers are just a bad team. The Packers started out facing 3rd and 11 at their own 19 when Aaron Rodgers was sacked. Yet illegal contact on the defense kept the drive going and Rodgers eventually hit his non-relative Richard

Rodgers for a 9 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 80 yard, 6 minute drive made it 7-0 Packers.

The game settled into a defensive slugfest as Phil Dawson hit a 33 yard field goal in the second quarter to have the 49ers only down 7-3 at halftime. In the third quarter John Kuhn got in from one yard out as the Packers led 14-3. Green Bay got it back and Mason Crosby hit a 31 yard field goal to complete the scoring. 17-3 Packers

Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos — Brad McManus hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Broncos early on. In the second quarter Blair Walsh missed a 38 yard field goal. One play later. Ronnie Hillman broke free for a 72 yard touchdown run. Rather than 3-3, it was 10-0 Broncos. When McManus tacked on a 47 yard field goal to make it 13-0, it looked like the rout was on.

With 1:43 left in the half Walsh hit from 38 to get the Vikings within 13-3. With 30 seconds left in the half the Broncos were driving at the Minnesota 45. Manning was intercepted by Caldwell, who returned it 32 yards to the Denver 27. Teddy Bridgewater hit Wallace for a 4 yard touchdown just before the half ended as the Vikings were only down 13-10.

In the third quarter Manning led an 80 yard drive and hit Owen Daniels for a one yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Broncos. Again the game looked over and again it was not. The Vikings were pinned at their own 3 yard line but they still had Adrian Peterson. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Mike Zimmer decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Denver 48. Peterson raced for the touchdown to get the Vikings within 20-17. Minnesota got it back with an interception of Manning at their own 47. On 4th and 2 from the Denver 15, Mike Zimmer was taking no chances. Walsh hit from 33 as the game was tied 20-20 with 5 minutes left.

Gary Kubiak has installed a new offense that is mean to emphasize the run. Yet with the game on the line, this team still relies on Peyton Manning. The field general led the Broncos down the field and McManus hit a 39 yard field goal with 1:51 to play for the lead. After a touchback, Bridgewater led the Vikings to their 47 with 35 seconds left. Bridgewater was then sacked and fumbled as the Broncos recovered. Denver has been winning ugly, but they are 4-0 and in command of the AFC West. 23-20 Broncos

St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals — The Cardinals fumbled the opening kickoff, setting up the Rams at the Arizona 17. On 3rd and 5, Nick Foles found Tavon Austin for the 12 yard touchdown and the 7-0 Rams lead. Catanzaro hit a 21 yard field goal and then in the second quarter connected from 51 to get the Cardinals within 7-6. Greg Zuerlein connected from 30 for the Rams and Catanzaro answered from 42 as the Cardinals trailed 10-9 at intermission.

In the third quarter the Cardinals faced 3rd and 2 at their own 38. Carson Palmer found Larry Fitzgerald for a 22 yard gain, but Fitzgerald fumbled and the Rams recovered at their own 42. Todd Gurley ripped off gains of 23, 12 and 5 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 18, Nick Foles found Bailey in the end zone for a touchdown and a 17-9 Rams lead. The Cardinals came back and Catanzaro hit his fourth field goal from 38 yards out and his fifth field goal with 12 minutes left in regulation as Arizona trailed 17-15.

The Rams came back and Todd Gurley ran for a 52 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 12, Foles found Austin for the touchdown as the Rams led 24-15 with 8 1/2 minutes to play. After a touchback Palmer quickly moved the Cardinals 80 yards as a 23 yard touchdown pass to Johnson had Arizona within 24-22 with exactly 4:44 to play.

The Cardinals got it back at their own 37 and at the 2 minute warning had 2nd and 2 at the Rams 43. Palmer threw incomplete three straight times as the Rams got it back with 1:50 left. The Cardinals had all of their timeouts, and took their last one with 1:17 to play and the Rams facing 3rd and 12 from the Arizona 38. Gurley is only a rookie, but he made a big veteran play. He broke through, got the first down, and was on his way to the end zone. Instead of scoring, he unselfishly laid down at the eight yard line. A touchdown with a missed extra point could have given the Cardinals a chance to tie it. By not scoring, the Rams took a knee and ran out the clock to knock the Cardinals from the ranks of the unbeaten. 24-22 Rams

Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints was the Sunday night game. Dan Bailey hit a 30 yard field goal to get the Cowboys on the board first. Drew Brees then led an 11 play, 80 yard, 6 minute drive capped off by a 3 yard touchdown pass to Hill for a 7-3 Saints lead. In the second quarter Brandon Weeden led a 10 play, 80 yard, 5 minutes drive that was finished with Randle getting in from one yard out to make it 10-7 Cowboys at halftime. At first it looked like Randle fumbled at the goal line for a turnover but on review it showed that Randle just barely broke the plane of the goal before the ball got knocked out. A 20 yard punt return had the Saints starting their first drive of the third quarter at the Dallas 38. They gained 5 yards and settled for a 51 yard Zack Hocker field goal and a 10-10 tie.

After a touchback, Weeded through incomplete on 3rd and 10. However, defensive illegal use of hands kept the drive going. Weeded then went deep to Brice Butler for a 67 yard gain down to the Saints 9. On 3rd and goal Weeded was sacked as the Cowboys settled for a 38 yard Bailey field goal and a 13-10 lead. After a touchback Brees led the Saints to a 3rd and 1 at the Dallas 39. Mark Ingram got the first down but fumbled the ball away. on further review the call was reversed and the drive continued. Hocker hit a 29 yard field goal to tie the game 13-13 with 90 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Saints got it back at their own 33 early in the fourth quarter and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Dallas 45. Sean Payton decided to go for it and Brees hit Robinson for 9 yards. From the Dallas 24, Mark Ingram ran for 15 and then 9 more inches short of the goal line. Kyree Robinson got in to make it 20-13 Saints midway through the fourth quarter.

After an exchange of punts, the Cowboys were pinned back at their own 9 yard line with 4 minutes left. Weeded calmly found Terrence Williams for 24 yards, Jason Witten for 28 more, and Cole Beasley for another 19 down to the Saints 20. At the 2 minute warning, the Cowboys faced 3rd and 7 at the Saints 17.  An incompletion set up the fourth down last chance. Before Jerry Jones could get Tony Romo out of his wheelchair and into the game, Weeden lobbed a pass to the end zone and Williams made a diving catch. Payton then tried a new kick of trying to ice the kicker on the extra point. Even with the new 33 yard extra point, this did not work. The game was tied 20-20 as 91 yards came against the forever beleaguered defensive coordinator Rob Ryan.

The Saints were out of timeouts and got the ball back after a touchback with 1:51 left. On 3rd and inches, Ingram was caught in the backfield but broke a tackle and gained 7 yards. Trees then found Snead for a 17 yard gain and went deep to Coleman for a 30 yard gain to the Dallas 17 with 30 seconds left. With 16 seconds left, Hocker came in for the 30 yard field goal to win it. Hocker doinked it off the upright no good as the stunned Superdome crowd braced themselves for overtime. The Saints won the overtime coin toss and got the ball after a touchback. On the second play from scrimmage, Brees went deep to CJ Spiller, who broke one tackle and raced for an 80 yard touchdown. Only 13 seconds into overtime, Brees’s 400th career touchdown pass got the Saints their first win of the year. 26-20 Saints, OT

Detroit Lions at Seattle Seahawks was the Monday night game. The demonstrative Pete Carroll saw his team get a win last week while the stoic Jim Caldwell’s Lions keep struggling. This game was a defensive slog. After a scoreless first quarter, Russell Wilson threw a 24 yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin for a 7-0 Seahawks lead. Matt Prater hit a 41 yard field goal for the Lions and Steve Hauschka answered with a 51 yarder to make it 10-3 Seahawks with one minute left in the half.

Hauschka hit from 52 in the third quarter for a 13-3 Seahawks lead. The Lions got a break when Tyler Lockett fumbled a punt and the Detroit recovered at the Seattle 46. They got another one when a sack of Wilson gave Detroit the ball at their own 44. It didn’t matter. Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and the rest of the Legion of Boom clamped down.

The Lions could not move on offense but the defense got them back in the game. A third Seattle turnover in the half proved lethal when Wilson got belted. The resulting fumble was returned 27 yards for a touchdown as the Lions were only down 13-10n with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Seattle went 3 and out but a booming punt pinned Detroit at their own 9 yard line with 6 1/2 minutes left.

Matthew Stafford had been stopped all game, but this time on 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 13, he found Golden Tate for 22 yards. The Lions moved all the way to a 3rd and 1 at the Seattle 11 with 1:51 to play. In easy field goal range to tie it, Detroit went for the win. Stafford found Megatron Calvin Johnson, who got the first down and was on his way in for the touchdown. Near the goal line, Johnson got hit by Earl Thomas. As Johnson lunged for the end zone, Kam Chancellor punched the ball out. The resulting fumble went through the back of the end zone. The Lions thought they had a touchdown, but it was a touchback. The Seattle defense had done it again.

The Lions used their timeouts on defense as everything came down to Seattle facing 3rd and 2 at their own 28. A run would have taken the clock down to well under one minute, but the Seahawks Darrel Bevell made the same type of high risk call that blew up in the Super Bowl. Wilson rolled to his right and found a wide open Jermaine Kearse for a 50 yard gain. Seattle then ran out the clock to get to 2-2 and keep Detroit winless. 13-10 Seahawks