2015 C4P3 Paris Report
eric
2015 C4P3 Paris Report
eric
NFL 2015 Week 12 Recap
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving morning game. Two Thanksgiving traditions have been The Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving day and the Detroit Lions being a bad team headed into that game. After making the playoffs last year, the lions started this season 1-7. Then came a front office housecleaning, which seems to have woken the team up as the Lions came into this game having won two straight. As for the Eagles, the Chip Kelly era reached a low point in seeing the team get blasted at home by 28 points to Tampa Bay. With the teams trending in opposite directions, this game accelerated those movements.
Matthew Stafford was red hot in the first half, going 17 of 25 for 201 yards passing, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. An 8 yard touchdown pass to Theo Riddick had the Lions up 7-0 after the first quarter. In the second quarter Mark Sanchez moved the Eagles 80 yards and threw a 2 yard touchdown to Captain Morgan Brent Celek. Although the game was tied 7-7, the rest of the half was all Detroit.
Stafford led a 12 play, 80 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate to make it 14-7 Lions. Matt Prater tacked on a 48 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Lions. Late in the half Stafford moved the Lions 88 yards. A 25 yard touchdown pass to Megatron Calvin Johnson had the Lions up 24-7 at halftime. Jim Caldwell was so pleased, he almost made a facial expression. Meanwhile, Chip Kelly pondered what college coaching job to take in 2016.
In the third quarter the Lions put the game away. Stafford led a 12 play, 80 yard drive that consumed 8 minutes off the clock. Stafford threw a 4 yard touchdown pass to Johnson for his fourth touchdown pass as the Lions led 31-7. Sanchez was then stripped of the ball, and the Lions recovered the fumble at the Philly 14. Stafford’s fifth touchdown pass was Johnson’s third touchdown catch, a 3 yarder for a 38-7 Lions lead.
The fourth quarter saw the Stafford throw a simple screen pass from the Philly 40. bell took it all the way to the one, inches from Stafford’s sixth touchdown pass. Instead, Bell got the carry and leapt over the top on the next play to make it 45-7 Eagles. A garbage touchdown for the Eagles completed the scoring as Matthew Stafford earned this year’s Turducken. 45-14 Lions
Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving afternoon game. The unbeaten Panthers were somehow listed earlier this week as underdogs against the 3-7 Cowboys just because Dallas was 3-0 with Tony Romo. This game was a dose of reality for both teams. Romo completed three first half passes to the Carolina defense, two of which were returned for touchdowns. One minute into the game, Coleman returned an interception 36 yards for the opening touchdown for a 7-0 Panthers lead. Carolina got it back and Graham Gano hit a 49 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Panthers. Romo moved the Cowboys deep into the red zone but they got no further than the Carolina 3 yard line. Dan Bailey hit the 21 yard field goal. The Cowboys trailed 10-3 after the first quarter, but that is as close as they would get.
With 3 1/2 minutes left in the half, Gano hit again from 43 as the Panthers led 13-3. Two plays later the game was broken wide open when Luke Kuechly returned an interception of Romo 32 yards for another Carolina touchdown. Kuechly then intercepted Romo again, setting up Carolina at the dallas 29 with 2:23 left in the half. With 16 seconds left the Panthers had 1st and goal at the 2, but Newton threw 3 straight incompletions. Garo hit the 25 yard field goal as the Panthers took the 23-3 lead into the locker rooms.
The second half was a formality. The Panthers bungled their way to a 4th and 40 at their own 2, yet all Dallas could muster with the field position was another field goal. On the next Carolina series they went forward 80 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Newton got the last 4 yards himself to have the Panthers up 30-6 after three quarters. Romo reinsured his collarbone late in the third quarter and is now out for the season. In the fourth quarter after Gano’s fourth field goal from 50 yards out, backup Matt Cassel threw a garbage touchdown to complete the scoring. Dallas really does deserve to be 3-8, and the Panthers at 11-0 will not be underdogs to losing teams again this year. 33-14 Panthers
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers was the Thanksgiving night game. On a cold rainy night, the improving Bears faced a tall order in knocking off a Packers team that went on the road last week and throttled Minnesota. At halftime, emotions would overflow along with the rain as Brett Favre had his number retired by the Packers. First, there was a football game to play. Chicago was far more resilient than expected.
A field position game saw the Packers take over just past midfield midway through the first quarter. Aaron Rodgers threw a pass to Eddie Lacy that went for a 25 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Packers lead. in the second quarter Lacy fumbled and the Bears took over at the Green Bay 34. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Jay Cutler hit Zach Miller for the score to tie the game 7-7. Janis returned the ensuing kickoff 64 yards to the Chicago 33. The Packers moved to the Chicago 5 yard line, but Rodgers threw incomplete on 3rd and goal. Mason Crosby hit the 22 yard field goal as the Packers led 10-7.
Thompson returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to the Chicago 42, but only 1:51 remained. Cutler worked the 2 minute drill perfectly. From the Green Bay 20, Cutler found Wilson for 19 yards. Langford got the last yard as the Bears led 14-10. Yet Chicago scored too early. Green Bay took over at their own 32 with 27 seconds left. With 14 seconds left from the Green Bay 45, Rodgers fired to Randall Cobb for 23 yards. Crosby hit the 50 yarder as the Packers closed the half down 14-13.
Halftime was emotional. Favre played 20 seasons, 16 with Green Bay. He started in 321 straight games including the playoffs. Football is a game, and he made the game fun. On this Thanksgiving night, many people were thankful that they got to watch Favre play. With his number retired, he now truly is the 4-Ever Man. The rain was not the only reason there was not a dry eye in Lambeau Field. on the sideline, Favre hugged Bart Starr and Mrs. Starr. Bart Starr is an elderly man who moves slowly, but he got up to greet Favre.
After all the emotion, it was time to get back to the action on the field. After a Chicago punt in the third quarter, the Packers moved from their 22 to a 3rd and 5 at the Chicago 21. Rodgers scrambled for 11 yards, but instead of 1st and goal at the 10, offensive holding means 3rd and 15, Out of the shotgun, a bad snap went past Rodgers. Rodgers fell on it, but it was now 4th and 29 all the way back at the Green Bay 45. A potential touchdown instead had the Packers out of field goal range.
From the Chicago 14, the Bears moved 83 yards in 15 plays, taking 7 1/2 minutes to do it. Yet on 2nd and goal from the one, Matt Forte got the carry and lot 2 yards. On 3rd and goal Cutler threw incomplete. with 12 minutes left in regulation, Robbie Gould hit the 21 yard field goal to put the Bears up by four points.
With 9 minutes left, again the league saw a controversial call by the officials, although this one was not as obvious. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 37, Rodgers barked out a hard count and the Bears jumped offsides. Knowing he had a free play, Rodgers went deep and threw a perfect pass to a wide open receiver. The ball was caught and it looks like the Packers had the lead. Yet the officials blew the play dead before the throw.
Encroachment stops a play. So does a player unabated to the quarterback. Neither of those situations occurred. Mere offsides or neutral zone infractions do not stop a play. Yet the whistle was blown. All Green Bay got was a 5 yard gain and 1st and 10 at their 42. A pair of incompletions followed by a sack saw the Packers punting again. Rolls were reversed when the Bears were on the move with 3rd and 11. A bad snap got away from Cutler. He fell on it but the bears had to punt. With 4 minutes left, the Packers took over at their own 10. With Favre and Starr in the stadium, it was up to Rodgers to try and be the hero.
A pair of scrambles and a completion quickly had the Packers at midfield. Then Rodgers threw a short pass that was intercepted. The Packers still had all of their timeouts, but with 3:19 left, the Bears from their own 45 tried to run out the clock. An offensive holding penalty hurt the Bears. The Packers took their second timeout as the Bears faced 3rd and 14 with 3 minutes left. Langford got the carry and gained 13 yards as the crowd held their breath. The Packers took their final timeout as the Bears punted on 4th and 2 from the Green Bay 46. After a touchback, 2:46 still remained. The defense bailed out Rodgers. Now it was up to the former Super Bowl MVP and NFL MVP to deliver.
A couple of short passes and a run had the Packers with 1st and 10 at midfield at the 2 minute warning. A completion to Cobb went for a 31 yard gain. With 1:47 left, time was no longer a factor. The Packers were already at the Chicago 19. On 3rd and 7, Rodgers fired over the middle to Devonta Adams for 1st and goal at the 8. A pair of incompletions meant 3rd and goal with 36 seconds left. Rodgers went back, somehow avoided a sack, and fired to James Jones in the end zone. Tracy Porter was defending, but Jones had it and dropped it.
On 4th and goal from the 8 with 27 seconds left, Rodgers again avoided a sack, and fired to Devonta Adams. Adams was well covered by Bryce Callahan. The throw was high but catchable. It bounced off of Adams’s fingertips out the back of the end zone incomplete. John Fox and his much maligned quarterback Jay Cutler got to 5-6 while Mike McCarthy has seen his Packers lose 4 of 5 after a 6-0 start to fall out of the division lead. Rodgers does have a Super Bowl ring, but losing at home with Favre and Starr in attendance has to sting. 17-13 Bears
New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans — Drew Brees will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. Bryan Hoyer will not be. Yet early on it was all Hoyer. An 11 play 70 yard, 6 minute drive saw Hoyer hit Griffin for a 10 yard touchdown on 3rd and 3 for a 7-0 Texans lead. The texans got it back at midfield. Hoyer threw a 3 yard touchdown to Cecil Shorts to make it 14-0 Texans. In the second quarter Kai Forbath hit a 30 yard field goal as the Saints trailed 14-3. Forbath then hit a 57 yarder to send the Saints to the locker rooms down 14-6.
In the third quarter the Texans moved 80 yards. Alfred Blue ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 21-6 Texans. Nick Novak tacked on a 34 yard field goal as the Texans defense did the rest. JJ Watt and company shut down Brees as the Texans won their fourth straight game on the strength remained very much alive in the woeful AFC South with a 6-5 record. 24-6 Texans
Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons — Minnesota moved 78 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Adrian Peterson got in from the one to make it 7-0 Vikings. An 31 yard Shane graham field goal in the second quarter had the Falcons within 7-3. The Falcons in the third quarter moved inside the Minnesota 10, but on 3rd and goal Matt Ryan was intercepted in the end zone. Blair Walsh hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Vikings. The Vikings then chewed up 8 1/2 minutes of clock. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Walsh snuck a 39 yard field goal try just inside the right upright for a 13-3 Vikings lead.
With 4 1/2 minutes left the Falcons faced 4th and 1 at their own 48. Mike Zimmer’s defense closed the door as Ryan was sacked and fumbled, and the Vikings recovered. Adrian Peterson then ran for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 20-3 Vikings. Peterson finished with 158 yards on 29 carries. Atlanta finally scored a garbage touchdown but Dan Quinn’s squad has lost 5 of 6 after a 5-0 start. Meanwhile, the Vikings at 8-3 are back in sole possession of first place in the NFC North. 20-10 Vikings
St. Louis Rams at Cincinnati Bengals — An 8-0 start was followed by consecutive losses, but this was the day the Bengals looked to right the ship. Red Rifle Andy Dalton found AJ Green for a 10 yard touchdown to quickly make it 7-0 Bengals. In the second quarter Dalton threw incomplete on 3rd and goal at the 3. Mike Nugent hit a 21 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Bengals. Jeff Fisher then went to the bag of trips. A direct snap to Todd Gurley was handed to Tavon Austin, who got around the end for a 60 yard gain. Austin got around the end again for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Rams within 10-7. Dalton brought the Bengals back 80 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. A 22 yard touchdown pass to Tyler Eifert made it 17-7 Bengals.
The Bengals put the game away in the third quarter. 72 yards required only 90 seconds and 3 plays, as an 18 yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Green made it 24-7 Bengals. Nick Foles was then intercepted by Hall, who returned it 19 yards to complete the scoring. The Rams at 4-7 are all but done while the 9-2 Bengals are very much alive for a 1st round playoff bye. 31-7 Bengals
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts — Jameis Winston may or may not have been alive when old man Matt Masselbeck and dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Yet Hasselbeck has played well as Andrew Luck remains out injured. Both teams moved the ball but could not reach the end zone early on. Adam Vinatieri hit a 49 yard field goal for the Colts and Connor Barth answered with a 38 yarder for a 3-3 game after the first quarter. In the second quarter Vinatieri hit from 27 and Barth answered from 30 to make it a 6-6 game. The end zone was finally cracked when Winston threw a 20 yard touchdown pass to Brate. The extra point failed but the Buccaneers led 12-6 at break time.
In the third quarter Vinatieri hit a 26 yarder to get the Colts within 12-9. A 20 yard punt return had the Colts taking over at the Tampa 46. Hasselbeck threw a 19 yard touchdown pass to TY Hilton. The Colts finally cracked the end zone for a 16-12 lead. The Buccaneers moved in position for Barth to try a 54 yard field goal, but the kick was no good. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the play had the Cotls starting at the Bucs 41. Vinatieri hit from 44 to make it 19-12 Colts with 1 minute left in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was about old man Hasselbeck. He led a 15 play, 76 yard drive that ate up 7 1/2 minutes off the clock. Hasselbeck hit Hilton for the 3 yard clinching touchdown as the Colts at 6-5 stayed in a first place tie for the AFC South lead. The Buccaneers at 5-6 are still alive in the NFC. 25-12 Colts
New York Giants at Washington Redskins — A hideous NFC Least game saw Dustin Hopkins hit a 41 yard field goal in the second quarter to make it 3-0 Redskins. The next time the Redskins got the ball, they needed one play and 11 seconds. Kirk Cousins found Desean Jackson for a 63 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Redskins. The Redskins got it back and moved 80 yards. Cousins got the last yard to make it 17-0 Redskins at halftime. An even uglier second half saw Hopkins hit again from 33 to make it 20-0 Redskins.
With just over 10 minutes left in regulation, the Redskins had a chance to slam the door shut as the Giants faced 4th and 16 at the Washington 40. Eli Manning went deep to Reuben Randle for the touchdown to get the Giants within 20-7. Big Blue got it back at their own 23. With 5 minutes left the Giants faced 3rd and 2 at the Washington 21. Manning went deep to O’Dell Beckham, and the phenom just did what he does. Another great catch in the end zone had the Giants within 6 points. The Redskins ground down the clock. By the time the Giants got the ball back at their own 16, only 19 seconds remained. With 7 seconds left after a couple of West Coast Offense dink and dunk passes, the Giants tried the hook and laterals from their own 32. It failed as both teams are now 5-6 and tied atop the pathetic NFC Least. 20-14 Redskins
Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans — Three straight losses have the 4-6 Raiders on the brink. A loss to 3-7 Tennessee would end their season. Despite having the field position advantage, the Raiders did not capitalize. Each team punted twice. The Titans then took over at their own 12. Mariota went deep to Melanie Walker for a 36 yard gain. A personal foul on the defense had Tennessee at the Oakland 20. Mariota went deep to Steven, who made a juggling catch for a 6-0 Titans lead. The extra point was blocked and returned all the way the other way. Under the new NFL rules, that would be 2 points for the Raiders. Yet one of the laterals was an illegal forward pass as the score stayed 6-0.
From the Oakland 23, the Raiders finally got going. Derek Carr found Seth Roberts for a 38 yard gain. After a sack of Carr, a short pass to Latavius Murray gained 23 yards. Carr threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree for a 7-6 Raiders lead. The Titans went 3 and out and the Raiders for the third time in the game started just shy of their own 40 yard line. The second quarter began as the Raiders quickly faced 3rd and 2 at the Tennessee 36. A pass was dropped, one of several drops early on. Jack Del Rio decided to go for it on 4th and 2 rather than try a 54 yard field goal. The snap out of the shot gun was bad, and Carr ended up throwing a wild deep ball out of bounds as the Raiders again squandered a golden opportunity.
The Titans went 3 and out, and punted on 4th and 5 from the Oakland 47. A roughing the punter penalty gave the Titans new life with a 1st and 10 at the Oakland 32. In field goal range, the Titans went to the bag of tricks. A double reverse fooled nobody and lost 4 yards. On 3rd and 9, Mariota was sacked to push the Titans out of field goal range. Again the Raiders were flagged on the punt, but at least time this time they got to keep the ball. Oakland started way back at their own 3 yard line.
On 3rd and 3, Carr went deep to Amari Cooper, who out jumped a defender for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 48, out of the shotgun, Latavius Murray took a handoff 6 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Tennessee 22, Carr fired over the middle to Seth Roberts for a 17 yard gain at the 2 minute warning. Despite 1st and goal at the 5, the drive bogged down. Sebastian Janikowski hit the 24 yard field goal. Despite the Raiders dominating the game and Carr throwing for nearly 200 yards in the first half, Oakland only led 10-6. A 16 play, 90 yard, 8 minute drive meant only a field goal. With one minute left in the half, the Titans took over at their own 26.
As expected, the sad Oakland secondary gave up big yards on 2 straight completions. With 17 seconds left in the half, the Titans faced 3rd and 2 at the Oakland 44. This time Mariota threw incomplete. The Titans decided to go for it. The 4th and 2 pass was broken up incomplete. Now the Raiders had 10 seconds to try something. With 2 seconds left from the Titans 47, Seabass pleaded to try a 65 yard field goal. Jack Del Rio told the Polish Cannon no. Rather than try the Hail Mary, Del Rio opted for the hook and ladder. Del Rio coached a game in Jacksonville where a bunch of laterals by the other team meant a touchdown on the final play. This time the Raiders got close before a bunch of laterals had them moving backward. By the time the ball was lateraled back to Carr, he was back at the Oakland 46. To avoid risking a turnover and a touchdown the other way, Carr smartly went to the ground to end the half.
Rain came down to start the second half. From the Oakland 31, four straight runs by Murray meant 3rd and 5 at the Oakland 47. Carr then went deep to Cooper for a 41 yard bomb down to the 12. On 3rd and 8 from the 10, Carr fired a short pass to Roberts in the flat. The defender went for the hit rather than the tackle, and Roberts bounced off the hit, somehow maintained his footing, and leapt into the end zone for a 17-6 Raiders lead. With the rain coming down harder, it was up to the Oakland defense to protect the lead.
On 2nd and 10 from the Titans 20, Mariota threw incomplete. Defensive pass interference on Carrie kept the drive going. On 3rd and 5 from the Tennessee 39, Mariota threw incomplete. Defensive holding on Carrie kept the drive going. From the Oakland 13, Mariota threw a touchdown pass to Douglas. Defensive pass interference was just insult to injury. Mariota found Green-Beckham for the 2 point conversion in the back of the end zone. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Titans were right back in it down 17-14. The Oakland defense as expected failed to close out the game. Now it was up to the offense in the rain to prevent another total collapse.
These are the Raiders. If there is one thing they know how to do, it is self-destruct. Trying to fight for one more yard on the kickoff return meant the game’s first turnover as the Titans took over at the Oakland 18. A sack of Mariota had the Titans facing 3rd and 10. Mariota completed a pass over the middle for what seems like 1st and goal, but this time it was Tennessee getting called for offensive pass interference. On 3rd and 20, Mariota threw a duck that was intercepted at the Oakland 21 by Amerson. The Raiders tried to give the game away but the Titans wouldn’t take it. The much maligned secondary dodged a bullet and came up big.
Both teams punted twice. The Raiders took over at their own 23 and gained a couple first downs on the ground to the Oakland 46. Disaster then struck as Carr fumbled the quarterback center exchange and the Titans recovered at the Oakland 43 with 9 minutes left ins regulation. On 3rd and 11, Mariota found Andrew over the middle for a 14 yard gain. Now the Titans were in field goal range. On 3rd and 1 from the 20, the Titans got the yard. Even worse, unnecessary roughness on Khalil Mack meant 1st and goal at the 10. With 6 minutes left the Raiders were again just giving away a game. on 3rd and goal, the Raiders again had a chance to get one stop. Mariota threw incomplete out the back of the end zone. Yet defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal. The Raiders are just too dumb. The ball could not have been caught, but the Raiders got what they deserved. Mariota threw a one yard touchdown pass to Fowler. Now the Titans led 21-17. Once again the Raiders had blown a fourth quarter lead. 13 years of idiocy continued.
The Raiders took over at their own 10 with 4 1/2 minutes to go after yet another penalty on the Raiders, this time on the kickoff. It takes all 3 phases of a team to lose a game, and yet the Raiders still had a chance to win. Carr found Cooper for 16 and Roberts for 31 more. A helmet to helmet flag on the defense was inexplicably picked up. The replay clearly showed helmet to helmet, but there was not call. On 2nd and 8 from the Tennessee 36, Carr threw incomplete twice as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 4th and 8, Carr went for all the marbles. A bomb thrown into double coverage was bobbled and fell incomplete. The Raiders were done.
Then came the penalty flag, and this time it was on the Titans. Defensive holding meant 1st and 10 at the Tennessee 31. The Raiders had life. Carr went to Mychel Rivera for 19 yards. Then as he was being hit, he fired to seth Roberts in the end zone for a 12 yard touchdown. With 80 seconds left, the Raiders led 24-21. Tennessee took over after a touchback. Now the defense needed to do their jobs.
On 3rd and 10, Mariota went deep to Walker for a 27 yard gain. Tennessee was one more completion from long field goal range with 50 seconds left. Mariota went deep again and was intercepted by Allen at the Oakland 31. It was hideously ugly, but the Raiders got the win. For a few days, the python was removed from the necks of the Raider Nation. Mariota finished 17 of 37 for 218 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Carr was a magnificent 24 of 37 for 330 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He came through when the Raiders needed it most. Cooper and Roberts both finished with over 100 yard receiving as the Raiders racked up over 400 yards of offense. Yet as Al Davis always said, “Just win baby.” This time, they did. 24-21 Raiders
Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs — A pair of 5-5 teams fighting for a playoff spot saw Tyrod Taylor go deep to Sammy Watkins for a 48 yard gain. Yet on 2nd and 4 from the 9, Taylor threw incomplete twice. Dan Carpenter hit the 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bills. The Bills came back and Taylor threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to Watkins for a 10-0 lead. In the second quarter the Chiefs moved 80 yards as a 3 yard touchdown run by Ware got the Chiefs within 10-7. The Bills came back 75 yards as a 21 yard touchdown pass from Tyler to Watkins made it 16-7 Bills after the failed extra point. The Chiefs needed only 2 plays to come back 80 yards as Alex Smith and Jeremy Maclin connected on a 41 yard touchdown to get the Chiefs within 16-14.
In the third quarter the Chiefs moved 64 yards. A 15 yard touchdown pass from Smith to Kelce now had the Chiefs up 21-16. Taylor was then sacked and fumbled on 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 39. The Chiefs took over at the Buffalo 34 but did little. Cairo Santos hit the 49 yard field goal to make it 24-16 Chiefs. The Bills moved 70 yards and Taylor threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to LeSean McCoy. Rex Ryan decided to go for 2 to tie the game even though it was only the third quarter. Taylor scrambled around and was eventually sacked back at the 20 yard line as the Bills trailed 24-22.
The Chiefs moved from their 21 to the Buffalo 20 before stalling. Santos hit from 38 as the Chiefs led 27-22 with 13 minutes left in regulation. The Chiefs got it back and Smith played the much derided game manager role well. The Chiefs moved from their own 11 to the Buffalo 12 before a penalty killed the drive. 11 plays chewed up 6 1/2 minutes of clock. santos hit from 37 as the Chiefs were back up by 8. With 2:16 to play, Buffalo faced 4th and 9 at their own 21. Taylor fumbled the ball, picked it up, and raced to what the Bills insisted was a first down. The referees said taylor was short of the marker. Rex Ryan challenged the call, lost, and saw his team lose their last timeout. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 22, Ware’s third straight carry gained 4 yards as the Chiefs ran out the clock. The bILLS AT 5-6 are still alive, but looking up at the 6-5 Chiefs. 5 straight wins after a 1-5 start has made Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. 30-22 Chiefs.
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets — A pair of AFC East teams fighting for a playoff spot saw the Jets early on go 72 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a 17 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall to make it 7-0 Jets. An ugly rest of the half finally saw some action when the Jets got it back at their own 8 with less than 3 minutes left. Fitzpatrick moved Gang Green 92 yards in 11 plays. A 16 yard touchdown pass to Smith with 8 seconds left in the half made it 14-0 Jets. In the third quarter Justin Kerley returned a punt 58 yards to the Miami 25. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Fitzpatrick hit Eric Decker for the touchdown and the 21-0 Jets lead.
The Dolphins finally got on the board when Ryan Tannehill hit Landry for a 5 yard touchdown as Miami trailed 21-7. In the fourth quarter the Jets put the game away. Fitzpatrick led a 10 play, 79 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive that culminated in a 3 yard touchdown pass to Marshall. Chris ivory then broke off a 31 yard touchdown run to make it 35-7 Jets. Tannehill finished 33 of 58 for 351 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception, but most of that including the last two touchdowns were during garbage time and sandwiched around a Jets field goal. Fitzpatrick and his beard finished 22 of 37 of 277 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as the Jets got to 6-5 in the wildcard race. 38-20 Jets
San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jaguars are actually in the playoff race. They began this game by marching inside the red zone but settling for a 22 yard Myers field goal to lead 3-0. Myers tacked on a 51 yarder to make it 6-0 Jaguars. In the second quarter the Chargers moved 63 yards. Philip Rivers hit Inman for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-6 Chargers. The Jaguars again moved deep but could not finish the drive as illegal motion nullified a touchdown pass. Myers hit his third field goal from 27 yards out. The Jaguars led 9-7, but after that Rivers got going.
The Chargers moved 83 yards in 13 plays and 5 minutes. A 9 yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates made it 14-9 Chargers. Blake Bortles was the intercepted with one minute left in the half, setting up the Chargers at the Jacksonville 22. Rivers hit Gates for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 21-9 Chargers. In the third quarter the Jaguars again drove deep and again bogged down in the red zone. myers hit his fourth field goal from 28. Meanwhile Josh Lambo hit a 28 yarder of his own to make it 24-12 Chargers.
A 12 play, 80 yard, 5 minute drive finally saw the Jaguars reach the end zone. Blake Bortles hit Julius Thomas for a 21 yard touchdown to get the Jaguars within 24-19 with 11 minutes left in regulation. Rivers then led a 14 play, 80 yard, 6 minute drive. A 5 yard touchdown pass from Rivers to Johnson had the Chargers up 31-19 with 5 minutes left. After a touchback, Bortles rallied the Jaguars. With 2:10 left, the Jaguars faced 4th and 11 at the San Diego 29. A Bortles completion came up 2 yards short of the sticks as the Chargers took over at their own 20 with 2:01 left.
The Jaguars used their timeouts on defense. With 1:37 to play the Chargers punted from their own 34. Mike Scifres had his punt blocked, and the Jaguars took over at the san Diego 14 with 90 seconds left. Bortles hit Robinson for an 8 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good, but it did not matter. The Jaguars were down by 6 and needed the onside kick. They did not get it and the game was over. Rivers was a fantastic 29 of 43 for 300 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as the Chargers snapped their 6 game losing streak and all but eliminated the Jaguars as well. Bortles was 30 of 49 for 329 yards, 2 touchdowns and one interception. However, the Jaguars settled for too many field goals, and that was the difference. 31-25 Chargers
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers — Arizona is one of the best teams in the league and San Francisco is one of the worst. Earlier this year the Cardinals blasted the 49ers by 40 points in the desert. Yet early on this game was a defensive struggle. With Colin Kaepernick on injured reserve and most likely never playing for the 49ers ever again, Blaine Gabbert got the start. Gabbers led the 49ers to the Arizona 29, but a 2nd and 5 run lost four yards and a sack pushed the 49ers out of field goal range. The Cardinals took over at their own 1 and soon punted, but the 49ers fumbled the punt. From the Frisco 39, the Cardinals moved to a 2nd and 3 at the San Francisco 8. Carson Palmer threw incomplete twice as the Cardinals settled for a 26 yard Chandler Catanzaro field goal and a 3-0 lead. Gabbers was then intercepted, setting up Arizona at the San Francisco 42. On 3rd and 7 from the 13, a touchdown pass was nullified by an offensive illegal touch. Catanzaro hit from 41 early in the second quarter as the Cardinals only led 6-0. The 49ers got a 53 yard field goal from Phil Dawson on the last play of the half to trail 6-3.
Arizona finally reached the end zone in the third quarter as a 76 yard drive culminated in a one yard David Johnson touchdown run for a 13-3 Cardinals lead. The 49ers soon followed with a 77 yard drive. Gabbers hit Vince McDonald for an 8 yard touchdown to get the 49ers within 13-10. The 49ers got it back after a touchback and moved in position for Dawson, who hit from 33 to tie the game 13-13.
In the fourth quarter Palmer led a 14 play, 85 yard drive that consumed 8 minutes off the clock. An offensive holding penalty to start the drive had the Cardinals facing 1st and 17 at their own 8. On 3rd and 8, Palmer found Jermaine Gresham for 9. On 3rd and 19 from their own 17 after another offensive penalty, Palmer threw deep incomplete. Yet this time unsportsmanlike conduct on the defense kept the drive going. On 2nd and 10 from the 32, Palmer was sacked, but roughing the passer kept the Cardinals going forward. On 3rd and 9 from the San Francisco 42, Palmer found Larry Fitzgerald for 11 yards. On 2nd and 14 from the 35, Palmer went deep to Nelson down to the one. After moving backward, Palmer scrambled for an 8 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good, but the Cardinals led by 6 with 2:21 to play.
The 49ers began their final drive at their own 21. Could Blaine Gabbert silence all his critics and pull off a miracle? From the Frisco 38, Gabbert found McDonald for 20 at the 2 minute warning and Anquon Boldin for 12 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Arizona 30, Gabbert was sacked. With 1:20 to play, on 4th and 20 from the Arizona 40, Gabbert found Boldin for a completion. However, the play only went for 18 yards, 2 yards short of the first down marker. It wasn’t pretty, but the Cardinals got to 9-2 and in strong position for a first round bye in the playoffs. 19-13 Cardinals
Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks — After an exchange of punts, Ben Roethlisberger moved the Steelers from their 16 to a 3rd and 5 at the Seattle 26. Big Ben threw incomplete. Chris Boswell hit the 44 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Steelers. Mike Tomlin and Pete Carroll both know defense, and these defenses ruled for much of the first half. On the last play of the first quarter, a 3rd and 6 pass from the Seattle 31 by Roetholisberger came up 2 yards short. Mike Tomlin began the second quarter by calling for a fake field goal. The Seahawks were not fooled. Landry Jones rolled to his right, threw deep left across the field, and was intercepted by Jeremy Lane. Lane returned the pick 54 yards to the Seattle 24. On 3rd and goal from the 16, Russell Wilson found Doug Baldwin for the touchdown and the 7-3 Seahawks lead.
Jacoby Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 36 yards, and a horse collar tackle call added on had Pittsburgh just past midfield. From the Seattle 11, Bryant got around the end and just made it to the pileon as the Steelers led 10-7. The Seahawks then moved 85 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for a 12 yard touchdown as the Steelers led 14-10 with just over 2 minutes left in the half. Pittsburgh moved from their own 20. From the Pittsburgh 44, Roethlisberger went deep to Wheaton for a 41 yard gain. Deangelo Williams ran it in from 6 yards out as the Steelers retook the lead with one minute left in the half. mike Tomlin likes to go for 2 at random points rather than only do so when necessary. Roethlisberger hit James for the completion as the Steelers led 18-14 at halftime. The second quarter had 29 points and 4 lead changes.
Tyler Lockett returned the second half kickoff 54 yards to the Pittsburgh 48. Yet Seattle could not capitalize, and the Steelers got the ball back at their own 15. On 3rd and 13 from the Pittsburgh 27, Big ben hit Wheaton for 15 and Bryant for a 40 yard gain to the Seattle 11. On fourth and one from the two, mike Tomlin decided to go for it. After failing to draw Seattle offsides, the Steelers drew a delay of game penalty. Boswell hit the 25 yarder to make it 21-14 Steelers with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. Pittsburgh got it back, but Roethlisberger threw a short pass that was intercepted by Rubin. From the Pittsburgh 37, Wilson went deep to Jimmy Graham down to the one. Rawls got in. Steve Hauschka had his extra point try blocked one week after missing two of them. After three quarters, the Seahawks trailed 21-20.
Early in the fourth quarter after a punt and a touchback, the Steelers quickly gave the ball back. Roethlisberger went deep, and Richard Sherman was the only person in the area. Antonio Brown fell down with some help from Sherman, as the Legion of Boom star got his first interception of the year. Quarterbacks refuse to target him. Sherman returned the pick 26 yards to the Pittsburgh 39. wilson threw a 9 yard touchdown pass to Kearse. The 2 point try failed but the Seahawks led 26-21 with a little over 12 minutes left in regulation. 3 plays and 24 seconds later, the Steelers were back in front 27-26 as Big Ben went deep to Wheaton for a 69 yard touchdown. The sixth lead change of the game had Pittsburgh up, but the 2 point try was intercepted by Sherman.
From the Seattle 27, Wilson ran for 10 and found Lockett for 16 more. Wilson found Baldwin for a 13 yard gain and then went back to Baldwin for the 30 yard touchdown. The 2 point try again failed as Rawls was stopped cold on the ground. The seventh lead change of this heavyweight fight had the Seahawks back up by 5 with 8 1/2 minutes to play.
Pittsburgh took over at their own 26. Roethlisberger found Williams for 13 and then went deep to Wheaton for a 28 yard gain to the Seattle 33. Yet Pete Carroll challenged the catch and it was properly reversed incomplete. Wheaton bobbled the ball before securing it. On 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 39, Roethlisberger threw incomplete and got belted down hard. Yet roughing the passer meant 1st and 10 at the Seattle 46. On 3rd and 12 from the Seattle 48, Roethlisberger found Williams for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Roethlisberger scrambled for 7. Mike Tomlin had a major decision to make with 3 minutes left.
On 4th and goal from the 3 in a game with plenty of scoring, Tomlin decided to kick the field goal and trust his defense. Boswell hit the 22 yarder as the Steelers trailed 32-30. Pittsburgh still had 2 timeouts left plus the 2 minute warning. After a touchback, Seattle was on their heels after nearly fumbling the ball away. On 3rd and 10 with 2:14 left, Wilson faced the pressure and zipped a pass to Baldwin. Baldwin broke free and outraced everybody for an 80 yard touchdown as the home crowd erupted. Exactly 2:01 remained. This time Hauschka made the critical extra point as Seattle led by 9 points.
Roethlisberger was 36 of 55 for a franchise record 456 yards passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. Big Ben had been playing injured. Had it been a one score game, he would have almost definitely finished the game. Yet Tomlin is not about stats. He needs his star quarterback for the playoffs, and figured he was not going to get 2 scores in the final 2 minutes. Landry Jones finished the game. Meanwhile, Wilson was phenomenal, going 21 of 30 for 345 yards passing with five touchdown passes and 0 interceptions.
Jacoby Jones made a major mistake on the ensuing kickoff return. He should have let it go out the end zone to preserve the 2 minute warning as an extra timeout. Instead he fielded it, only got to the Pittsburgh 18, and the Steelers lost that clock stoppage. Jones threw a short pass to Williams that went for a 34 yard gain. Needing two scores, Landry went deep for Bryant. The ball was batted up in the air and intercepted by Kam Chancellor at the 7 yard line. As they went to the ground, Bryant ripped it out of Chancellor’s hands. The referees let the interception stand, and it appeared the ball was ripped out after the play had ended. It was a close call.
The Steelers took their last timeout with 84 seconds left as the Seahawks faced 3rd and 1 at their own 16. Derrick Coleman got the carry and got the yard to finally put the game out of reach. 10 years ago in the Super Bowl, the Jaw Bill Cowher finally got his Super Bowl ring as the Walrus Mike Holmgren saw his Seahawks lose to the Steelers. A decade later, both of these teams are 6-5 and fighting for playoff survival. At least this time the refs did not decide the game. 39-30 Seahawks
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos is the Sunday night game. Those in a state of hysteria over Peyton Manning need to calm down. Last September everybody said Tom Brady was washed up before he went undefeated the rest of the way and won his fourth Super Bowl. Brock Osweiler is not Peyton Manning, but this Denver team was built by John Elway to win with defense anyway. Bill Bellichick and Tom Brady are still unbeaten this year, while Denver has seen it’s position atop the AFC West become more precarious.
Denver went 3 and out and a shanked 25 yard punt had the Patriots starting at the Denver 47. 3 plays were all Tom Brady needed as a 23 yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski made it 7-0 Patriots early on. Denver again went 3 and out and the Patriots started just shy of midfield. Yet this time the defense held. The Broncos finally got going, as they moved from their 12 to a critical 4th and inches at the New England 32. Gary Kubiak decided to go for it and the 6 ft 8 Osweiler did his best Tom Brady impersonation by taking the quarterback sneak ahead for 3 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the New England 21, Osweiler made a major mistake. A sack resulted in a 13 yard loss as the Broncos were now out of field goal range, wasting a 12 play drive.
Things got worse for Denver in the second quarter when Osweiler was hit as he threw. The ball popped straight up in the air and was intercepted by the Patriots at the Denver 15. On 3rd and 4, Brady found Scott Chandler for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Patriots. Meanwhile, a light snow that began before the game got heavier. midway through the second quarter the Broncos finally put together a complete drive from their own 23. From the New England 28, Ronnie Hillman gained 9 and then ran for the 19 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 77 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Bronocs only down 14-7 with 2:15 left in the half.
In the third quarter with snow really coming down and swirling winds, Denver moved from their 11 to the New England 30. Gary Kubiak decided to let Brad McManus try a 48 yard field goal. McManus had missed only once all year, but he is not Adam Vinatieri. Vinatieri’s kick was only 45 yards. McManus was no good by a Rocky Mountain mile. On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Patriots faced 3rd and 8 at their own 37. Brady went deep to Brandon Bolden, who shook off a would-be tackler and raced for a 63 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Patriots.
After a touchback Osweiler threw 3 straight incompletions, but Denver received a break when the Patriots fumbled the punt and the Broncos recovered at the New England 36. On 3rd and 6, Osweiler hooked up with Emanuel Sanders for a 22 yard gain. On the next play CJ Anderson got around the end for a 14 yard touchdown run. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Broncos were right back in it down 21-14.
A holding penalty after a touchback had the Patriots facing 1st and 20 at their own 10. On 3rd and 11, Brady went deep Martin for a 51 yard gain. Yet another offensive holding call instead meant 3rd and 20 and another incompletion. Denver fumbled the punt, but was lucky enough to retain possession at their own 45. Osweiler found Owen Daniels for 11 and CJ Anderson for 20 more to set up 1st and goal at the 10. The clock ticked down to 6:16 as the Broncos took a timeout as they faced 3rd and goal at the 3. Osweiler threw incomplete and Gary Kubiak did not hesitate to make a decision, immediately opting for the field goal. McManus hit from 22 as the Broncos trailed 21-17.
After a touchback, Gronkowski dropped a pass that was thrown behind him. On 3rd and 5, Brady found Gronk for 10, but offensive pass interference on Gronk instead meant 3rd and 15. Brady then went bombs away and got rocked as soon as he threw it. It traveled 60 yards, just beyond the fingertips of the receiver. The Broncos now had a chance to win the game with 4 1/2 minutes left and the ball at their own 37. After one incompletion, Osweiler had to burn Denver’s second timeout. A pair of very catchable balls were dropped as Osweiler got blasted on third down. Denver used only about 25 seconds of time so when the Patriots got it back at their own 25, there was still 4:12 to play.
A completion to Gronk went for 14 yards and kept the clock moving. On the next play Brady fired to Gronk incomplete. Not only did it stop the clock with 2:49 left, but Gronkowski stayed down in obvious pain. Gronkowski was helped off the field and carted off on the stretcher. In a very classy move, the Denver fans cheered Gronk and Denver defenders came over to make sure he was ok. Meanwhile, another incompletion stopped the clock again. On 3rd and 10 Brady threw again, and this time the ball was caught. Although it was 4th and 3, the Broncos took their final timeout with 2:39 left. with 2 1/2 minutes left, the Broncos took over at their own 16.
Osweiler went deep to Denarius Thomas, who at that point had 10 balls thrown to him for 0 receptions and 0 yards. His first catch was a good one, resulting in a 36 yard gain to the New England 48 at the 2 minute warning. On the next play a pass to Thomas was bobbled straight into the arms of a New England defender, who luckily for Denver also dropped it. On the next play Osweiler went deep to Sanders for 39 more yards. With time no longer a factor for Denver, New england took a timeout on defense with 90 seconds left and Denver facing 1st and goal at the 8.
Ostweiler tried to run on first down but went nowhere. Even worse, he went out of bounds, allowing the Patriots to preserve timeouts. On 2nd down Osweiler got sacked for an 11 yard loss, but defensive holding instead meant 1st and goal at the 4. Osweiler then staked his case for the starting job by throwing a touchdown to Andre Caldwell. 83 yards when it counted had the Broncos up by 3, but they may have scored too early. After a touchback, Brady still had 70 seconds to work with and 2 timeouts left.
Brady hit Chandler for 22 yards and again for 9 more. An injury timeout charged to Denver led to total confusion. 24 seconds remained but the referee wound down the clock. It should have been a clock stoppage. Instead after another play only 10 seconds remained. Bellichick fumed as fans wondered if yet another game would be ruined by the refs. This time the Patriots bailed themselves and the refs out. Brady hit Lafell for 14 yards down to the Denver 29. With 4 seconds left, Gostkowski came in for a 47 yard field goal in the snow. Gostkowski’s kick was not as pressure-packed as Vinatieri’s, because this was only a regular season game. Yet with an undefeated season hanging in the balance, Gostkowski delivered. This thrilling football game went to overtime tied 24-24.
New England got the ball first in overtime. After a touchback, Von Miller sacked Brady to set up 3rd and 17. Brady was nearly sacked again as the Patriots punted and the Broncos took over at their own 42. Denver took a timeout on 3rd and 1. CJ Anderson took the toss, broke a couple tackles, and raced all the way for the 48 yard touchdown. This is not 2007, and the Patriots will not go 16-0 in the regular season. The entire AFC playoff picture just changed as 9-2 Denver is now only one game behind 10-1 New England. Let the Peyton Manning talk wait. Let Brock Osweiler enjoy his moment in the sun, or in this case the snow. He earned it. 30-24 Broncos, OT
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns is the Monday night game. The 3-7 Ravens were at the 2-8 Browns in a game that made people long for the original purpose of Monday Night Football. Joe Flacco is out injured. Both teams are a mess. Johnny Manziel has been demoted to third string. Having said that, a pair of bad teams put together a very good football game. It may not have been consequential, but it was solid football.
Early on it was all Ravens. Clay returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown. Then Justin Tucker hit a 49 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Ravens after the first quarter. In the second quarter Travis Coons hit a 31 yard field goal, but Matt Schaub found Allen for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Ravens. Yet the Browns came back. Josh McCown hit Moore for a 10 yard touchdown pass. Then Cleveland came back and had 1st and goal at the 3 with 18 seconds left in the half. McCown threw 3 straight incompletions. Coons hit a 21 yard field goal as the Browns only trailed 17-13 at halftime.
Matt Schaub was a Pro Bowl quarterback in Houston. Then out of nowhere he began throwing pick sixes on a weekly basis in an astonishing meltdown. Now he is the backup quarterback in Baltimore. In the third quarter on 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 39, Schaub was intercepted by Karlos Dansby. Dansby returned it 52 yards for a Cleveland touchdown. Schaub’s downward spiral continued as the Browns led 20-17. Yet give Schaub some credit. He shook it off and came back with a 12 play, 80 yard, 7 minute drive. A 15 yard touchdown pass to Kamar Aiken had the Ravens back on top 24-20 after three quarters.
In the fourth quarter schlub led a staggering 17 play, 82 yard, 8 minute drive. On 1st and 10 from the Cleveland 17, Schaub threw 3 straight incompletions. Tucker hit a 35 yard field goal as the Ravens led 27-20 with 9 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the Browns soon faced 2nd and 9 at their own 21. McCown threw an incompletion, but even worse, he was injured on the play. Now Mike Pettine had a choice to make. Both options were bad, and if Cleveland lost Pettine would be pilloried either way.
Johnny Football was demoted to third string for being undisciplined off the field. He betrayed his team, lost the confidence of the team, and was sent to the bench. Yet playing Austin Davis? Nobody knew anything about him. Petting was either going to be accused of standing on principle and cutting off his nose to spite his face, or being unprincipled and putting winning above everything he said to the team.
Petting went with Davis, who threw incomplete on 3rd and 9 as the crowd booed. Cleveland got the ball back at its own 29 with 4:20 to play. Again Davis came in. On 4th and 5 with 2:06 left, Mike Pettine decided to go for it rather than punt. There was just not enough time left. Davis found Brad Hardline for 8. Davis then went to Benjamin for 16. Davis then went deep to Benjamin again for a 42 yard touchdown. With 1:47 to play the game was tied 27-27. The rest of this game was even more exciting and wild.
With 90 seconds left the Ravens faced 4th and 1 from their own 29. John Harbaugh appeared to lose his mind, summoning his inner Barry Switzer to go for it. Like Switzer, who cost his team the game, Harbaugh was just trying to draw the Browns offsides. The bluff failed and after a delay of game, the Ravens punted. The Browns punted back. With 56 seconds left the Ravens took over. Schaub had a chance to be the hero.
Schaub was quickly intercepted. with 50 seconds left, the Browns took over at the Baltimore 46. Again, Davis came in. He had a chance to play hero. He threw a short pass and then scrambled for a few more yards. With 3 seconds left, Coons came in for a 51 yard field goal to win it. Pettine stuck with Davis, and Davis did his job. Now it was up to Coons. At best the Browns win. At worst, overtime.
Yet with the Browns, there is always worse than the worst. In a shocking finish, the kick was blocked by Urban. Will Hill picked it up, shredded tacklers, and raced 64 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. The Browns were stunned. So were the Ravens, as Harbaugh did the classy thing by taking a knee on the extra point try. This was supposed to be two bad teams in one of the worst games in Monday night Football history. Instead, it was a classic finish for the ages. There is nothing in this world like football. One can feel heartsick for the Browns while appreciating what a phenomenal game football is. 33-27 Ravens
Black Friday 2015 conservative books for shoppers
http://www.commdiginews.com/entertainment/list-of-conservative-books-for-black-friday-52739/
eric
Meet Renee, eharmony cyberstalker
Dear Renee from Pasadena, California,
I hope you never go on another date as long as you live. I hope you die barren and alone. You give all women a bad name.
1) Cyberstalking is lame. My life is public. If you want to ask me something about myself, just ask. I didn’t spend one minute Googling you.
2) The next time you read a quote about me, read the whole quote. I understand you’re probably ADD, but you only read 1/2 the quote.
Example: “I think we should eat healthier, set a better example for our children.”
Now read the spliced quote: “I think we should eat…children.”
Do you see how those sentences are different? Stupid b*tch.
3) The 1/2 quote you misread was from 2007. I guess you have not changed in the slightest in 8 years. I also got into fistfights in college. Perhaps that should scare you. I also stole cookies from my mom’s cookie jar. Perhaps that means I lead a life of crime.
When people ask why I prefer to date Republican women, it’s because I don’t want a hypersensitive priss who b*tches & complains about the slightest little things, especially when she has no idea what the hell she is talking about. For liberals, this is always.
Renee, you are a liberal. That is why you are a hypersensitive crybaby who lacks anything remotely resembling class. I would post your phone number and your picture but then you would get cyberstalkers, and nobody wants that. I know I don’t.
It genuinely angers me at how many low class women act badly and then wonder where all the good guys are.
Renee is a liberal. These are liberals. This is who they are. This is how they behave.
I HATE CYBERSTALKERS!
eric
NFL 2015 Week 11 Recap
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars was the Thursday night game. Sometimes two bad teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. The only thing more hideous than the play on the field were the new uniforms. Fans could be forgiven for thinking Thursday Night Football had been replaced with an episode of Teletubbies. For most of three quarters, an unwatchable game belonged to the kickers. Ryan Succop connected from 47 yards out in the first quarter for the Titans. In the second quarter Myers hit from 31, Succop from 49, and Myers again from 32. In the third quarter Myers hit from 20 to make it 9-6 Jaguars. The end zone was finally reached when Marcus Mariota ran for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 13-9 Titans after three quarters.
With under 4 minutes left in regulation, the Titans punted and the Jaguars made them pay. Greene returned the punt 63 yards to the Tennessee 5 yard line. On the next play Blake Bortles hit Julius Thomas for the touchdown as the Jaguars led 16-13 with 3 1/2 minutes to play. After a touchback, the Titans fumbled on the first play from scrimmage and the Jaguars took over at the Tennessee 28. After failing to convert on 3rd and 1, Myers kicked his fourth field goal from 36 yards out. With 2:19 to play after another touchback, the Tennessee defense that had played well the whole game kept the game within 6 points. The offense had one final chance. Mariota moved the Titans to the Jacksonville 23 and spiked the ball with 5 seconds left. The Hail Mary would not even need to be a long throw. It never happened as Mariota was sacked. 19-13 Jaguars
Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers — The unbeaten Panthers were expected to easily dispatch the inferior Redskins. Early on kirk Cousins was intercepted, setting up Washington at the Carolina 31. Cam Newton found Jermaine Stewart for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. Cousins came back and went bombs away to Desean Jackson for a 56 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. Newton moved the Panthers 78 yards in 13 plays, taking 7:45 off the clock. Newton hit Mike Tolbert for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Panthers. 14 seconds later the game was tied at 14-14 as Andre Roberts took the ensuing kickoff 99 yards to pay dirt in a high flying first quarter.
In the second quarter the Panthers took over at their own 8 yard line. A pass from Newton to Greg Olsen saw Olsen get blasted. The ball popped in the air and was returned for a defensive touchdown. Yet a defensive personal foul for a helmet to helmet hit negated the score. Newton eventually threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Ted Ginn for a 21-14 Panthers lead. The Redskins needed to play a perfect game and get every break to keep up with a perfect team. They didn’t, as a fumble set up the panthers at the Washington 24. Newton hit Olsen for the touchdown to make it 28-14 Panthers. Another Washington turnover late in the half allowed Graham Gano to end the half with a 42 yard field goal to make it 31-14 Panthers.
The opening minute of the third quarter was all Washington needed to help secure a victory for Carolina. Another turnover on a sack and fumble by Cousins meant another short field at the Washington 11. On 3rd and 4, Newton found Funchess for the 5 yard touchdown. 24 points off Washington turnovers meant Newton’s fifth touchdown pass for a 38-14 Panthers lead. The Panthers tacked on a couple late field goals and gave up an intentional safety. One week after winning 47-14, the Redskins were given an ugly dose of reality as the 10-0 Panthers keep rolling. 44-16 Panthers
Oakland Raiders at Detroit Lions — After getting off to a 4-3 start, the Raiders have looked awful in consecutive losses. Meanwhile, the woeful Lions went on the road and shocked Green Bay last week for the first time in 24 years. Early on this game was all Lions. They moved 67 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes, and then went 53 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. They settled for Matt Prater field goals of 29 and 41 yards for a 6-0 Lions lead. on their first drive the Lions reached the Oakland one yard line before offensive holding killed the drive. The Raiders killed their first drive on 3rd and 4 from their own 41 by fumbling the ball and recovering for a loss.
Three straight drives the Raiders had the ball past their own 40 either through moving the ball or good field position to start with. Three straight times they squandered the field position. The Lions began their drives at the 11, 15 and 10 with 2:40 left in the half. On 3rd and 1, Stafford hit Golden Tate for 5 yards. With 30 seconds left in the half and the Lions facing 3rd and 15 at their own 39, Stafford went deep to Calvin Megatron Johnson for a 36 yard gain. From the Oakland 25, a 10 yard intentional grounding penalty pushed the Lions back. With 11 seconds left from the Oakland 33, Stafford threw incomplete on 3rd and 18. Prater came in for a 51 yard field goal try to extend the lead. The kick was good as the Lions led 9-0 at halftime against the lifeless Raiders. Jim Caldwell was so excited he almost made a facial expression. Meanwhile, it was up to Jack Del Rio to give his team the slightest amount of passion.
Whatever Del Rio may have said in the locker room at halftime initially appeared to have worked. After a touchback, Carr immediately went deep to Seth Roberts for a 43 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 35, defensive holding kept the drive going. Carr then found Michael Crabtree for a 15 yard gain to the Detroit 15. On 3rd and 6 from the 11, Carr scrambled for 8 yards. Marcel Reece gained 2 but then got stopped on the next carry to set up 3rd and goal at the one. Latavius Murray got in as the 10 play, 80 yard drive had the Raiders right back in the game down 9-7.
A sack of Stafford ended Detroit’s opening possession of the third quarter and a short 30 yard punt with a 5 yard penalty on Detroit had the Raider at their own 48 with a golden chance to take the lead. On 3rd and 2, Carr found Michael Crabtree for a 10 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 30, Carr threw incomplete. Sebastian Janikowski came in for a 48 yard field goal. Seabass was good and the Raiders led 10-9 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Lions went 3 and out after a touchback when Stafford threw incomplete on 3rd and 5. From the Oakland 27, a defensive pass interference penalty moved the Raiders to their own 42. Carr then found Michael Rivera for a 21 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 33, Carr suffered his second delay of game penalty, appearing to push the Raiders out of field goal range after Carr threw incomplete. The Raiders had all the momentum and one penalty threw it away. Except it didn’t. Jack Del Rio gambled and brought in Seabass for a 56 yard field goal. The Polish Cannon drilled it and the Raiders led 13-9 after three quarters. They still had all the momentum. Now they had to keep it.
Naturally, they did not. On the last play of the third quarter after a touchback, Stafford found Tate for a 21 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Detroit 41, Stafford found Theo Roddick for 16 yards. Stafford eventually ran for a 5 yard touchdown as the typical meltdown had the Raiders down 16-13 with 11 minutes left in regulation. For the second week in a row against the NFL North, the raiders fell behind early, struggled to come back and take the lead, only to fall apart on defense. This time the offense had to come back a second time. After scoring on 3 straight possessions, the Raiders offense just went backward. On 3rd and 20 from the 11, a short completion was negated by offensive pass interference as the Raiders punted with 9 1/2 minutes left.
A pair of Stafford incompletions had the Lions soon facing 3rd and 10 at their own 26. The Raiders held on defense. Penalties then killed the Raiders. A penalty on a punt return had them starting at their own 8. Offensive holding and a pair of Carr incompletions meant 3rd and 14 from the Oakland 4.
Carr completed a short pass, but this time offensive holding in the end zone on tackle Donald Penn meant a safety. The Raiders punted again, but this time it was a free kick. Marquette King boomed a 76 yard punt to the Detroit 4, but Tate returned it 26 yards to the Detroit 30. It was time for the Raiders to show what they are made of.
When it matters most, the Raiders appear to be made of garbage. Stafford moved the Lions easily. The Raiders took their last timeout with 2:53 to play. Everything came down to the Lions facing 3rd and 3 from the Oakland 19. One stop, and at least the Raiders would be on life support. Instead Bell gained 5 against the heartless Raiders and Oakland was done. On 2nd and 9 from the 13, Bell gained 11 and Stafford took a couple knees to end the game. Three weeks ago the Raiders were 4-3 and even daring to mention the playoffs. Now they are just 4-6. They remain losers. For the 13th straight year they will not be going to the playoffs or having a winning season. 18-13 Lions
Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins — After 7 straight losses, the injured Tony Romo finally returned to the field. Romo was not hot early on, going 5 for 10 for 55 yards and an interception. Yet Ryan Tannehill was ice cold. He completed only two of his first 7 passes for 3 yards. He completed one pass to each team. His second completion went to Rolando McClain, who returned the interception 12 yards for a 7-0 Cowboys lead in the second quarter. With one minute left in the half, Romo hit Terrance Williams for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Cowboys. An inexplicably short kickoff was fielded by the Dolphins at their own 40 and returned 6 yards. Tannehill found Landry for a 47 yard gain and Cameron for a 12 yard touchdown as the Dolphins only trailed 14-7 at halftime.
In the third quarter the Dolphins got the ball at their own 42. Tannehill found Kenny Stills for a 29 yard touchdown to tie the game 14-14. Romo moved the Cowboys 80 yards in 5 1/2 minutes. A 16 yard touchdown pass from Romo to Dez Bryant on the first play of the fourth quarter had the Cowboys up 21-14. A field position game led to an 18 yard punt return with 15 more tacked on for a personal foul as the Cowboys took over at the Miami 21. On 3rd and goal from the 7 one play after Cole Beasley dropped a touchdown pass, Romo was sacked. Dan Bailey hit the 30 yard field goal to put the Cowboys up by 10 with 9 minutes left in regulation. That was enough as the Cowboys remain an unbeaten 3-0 with Romo in the lineup. Jerry Jones can talk Super bowl if one does not count all the losses without Romo. 24-14 Cowboys
Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons — A pair of underachieving teams tried to right the ship. Andrew Luck was out injured and Old Man Matt Hasselbeck got the start. Matt Ryan moved the Falcons 80 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Ryan hit DiMarco for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. It was deja vu all over again as Ryan moved the Falcons 83 yards in 10 plays. A one yard touchdown pass to DiMarco made it 14-0 Falcons. In the second quarter, a 13 play, 80 yard, 7 minute drive saw Ahmad Bradshaw run for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Colts within 14-7.
In the third quarter the Falcons moved 80 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Ryan hit Hankerson for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Falcons. Hasselbeck moved the Colts 90 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. A 2 yard touchdown pass from Hasselbeck to Bradshaw had the Colts within 21-14 only seconds into the fourth quarter. The Colts got it right back, and Hasselbeck fired to the end zone for what he thought was the tying touchdown. The receiver only got one foot down and the other foot was outside the back of the end zone. One play later on 3rd and 4 from the Atlanta 15, Hasselbeck was intercepted near the goal line. It didn’t matter. After an exchange of punts the Falcons took over at their own one. Ryan was intercepted by Jackson, who scored a six yard defensive touchdown for a 21-21 tie with 10 minutes left in regulation.
With 5 minutes left the Colts took over at their own 19. Hasselbeck found Frank Gore for a 31 yard gain to midfield. On 3rd and 2, Hasselbeck found Moncrief for a 10 yard gain. With one minute left, Adam Vinatieri hit a 43 yard field goal to give the Colts the lead. The Falcons got it back at their own 18 with 48 seconds to play. With 5 seconds left from the Atlanta 36, it was time for one more Hail Mary. Instead Ryan threw a 3 yard pass. With one second left on 4th and 3 from the 39, this time Ryan actually threw it deep. The prayer was not answered as the Colts intercepted the ball and survived to get to 5-5. The Falcons saw their 5-0 start be a complete mirage under a hail of losses. They just give games away. 24-21 Colts
St. Louis Rams at Baltimore Ravens — After Justin Tucker missed a 51 yard field goal, the Rams rook over at their own 41. With Nick Foles out, Case Keenum got the start. A defensive pass interference penalty went for 49 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Todd Gurley got in to make it 7-0 Rams. On the last play of a dreadful first half, Justin Tucker hit a 25 yard field goal as the Ravens trailed 7-3. The third quarter was just as hideous. Keen fumbled, but Joe Flacco returned the favor with an interception that as returned 25 yards just past midfield. Keenum found Kendricks for a 30 yard touchdown and a 13-3 Rams lead. The extra point was blocked.
The fourth quarter began with Gurley fumbling and the Ravens taking over at the Rams 42. Flacco hit Aiken for a 3 yard touchdown. with 11 minutes left in regulation, the Ravens were only down 13-10. With 9 minutes left the Ravens took over at their own 22. A short pass from Flacco to Gillmore for a 46 yard gain to the Rams 8. On 3rd and goal from the 2, Flacco threw incomplete. With 5 minutes left, Tucker hit from 20 to tie the game 13-13. Both kickers had a chance to be a hero in the final five minutes.
The Rams moved from their 20 to a 3rd and 5 at the Baltimore 34. Keen threw incomplete. Greg “the Leg” Zuerlein came in for a 52 yard field goal try with 1:46 to play. With swirling winds, the kick was no good. The Ravens took over at their own 42, and Flacco hit Chris Givens for 20 yards. With 1:18 to play, Tucker came in for a 51 yarder. The wind was still volatile and Tucker was also no good. The Rams took over at their own 41. Keenum was sacked and fumbled. With 54 seconds to play, the Ravens had the ball at the Rams 41. Very questionable clock management after a couple runs had the Ravens settle for a 47 yard field goal try rather than try and gain more yardage. John Harbaugh was bailed out. On a miserable day for kickers, this time Tucker’s kick was barely good. If ever a game did not deserve overtime, this was it. 16-13 Ravens
New York Jets at Houston Texans — Last week the Texans had the upset of the year in going on the road and shocking previously unbeaten Cincinnati. Bryan Hoyer is injured and TJ Yates got the start. The Texans began with a staggering 16 play, 78 yard drive that consumed 8 minutes of the clock. Yet just like last week, the Texans had trouble punching it in. A 20 yard Nick Novak field goal in the second quarter made it 3-0 Texans. Bullock hit from 40 yards out to make it 3-3. The end zone was cracked as Yates found Deandre Hopkins for a 61 yard touchdown to complete the 85 yard drive and make it 10-3 Texans.
In the third quarter the Jets needed only 3 plays to go 64 yards. A 21 yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Brandon Marshall made it 10-10. The Texans came right back 80 yards. This time Cecil Shorts III found Alfred Blue for a 21 yard touchdown pass to make it 17-10 Texans. The Texans got it back and went 63 yards. A 20 yard touchdown pass from Yates to Hopkins made it 24-10 Texans. The Jets moved 73 yards, with Fitzpatrick gaining the final 6 yards. With 4 1/2 minutes left, the Jets were only down by 7. The Jets got it back at their own 41 with 3 minutes left. On 4th and 5, Fitzpatrick was intercepted. The Jets got it back one more time with 2:19 left at their own 20. 3 plays later, Fitzpatrick threw his 2nd interception of the day. After a 4-1 start, the Jets have regressed. Meanwhile, the Texans actually have shot in the woeful AFC South. 24-17 Texans
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles — Sam Bradford is injured yet again, and Marsk Sanchez got the start. The Eagles moved 86 yards and threw a 39 yard touchdown to Huff for a 7-0 Eagles lead. Doug Martin then broke off a 58 yard run to set up a 4 yard touchdown pass from Jameis Winston to Mike Evans for a 7-7 tie. In the second quarter the Buccaneers moved 59 yards. A 13 yard touchdown pass from Winston to Vincent Jackson made it 14-7 Buccaneers. The Bucs got it back at their 15 and Martin raced for an 84 yard gain down to the one. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Winston hit Shepard for the touchdown and the 21-7 Buccaneers lead. The Eagles got within 21-14 when Sanchez found Darren Proles for a 35 yard touchdown. Yet the Bucs kept rolling as Winston moved them 80 yards in 13 plays and 5 minutes. A 14 yard touchdown pass to Sims had the Buccaneers up 28-14 at halftime.
The Buccaneers just ate the Eagles alive in the third quarter. A killer 15 play, 80 yard drive took nearly 10 minutes off the clock. Winston found Brate for an 8 yard touchdown pass as the Buccaneers led 35-14. Each team tacked on a field goal in the fourth quarter, and Sanchez needed three touchdown passes to tie the game. He only threw one touchdown pass and it was to the Tampa Bay defense. David returned Sanchez’s third interception 20 yards to complete the blowout. Martin finished with 235 yards rushing on 27 carries. Winston had 5 touchdown passes. This was not the 2002 NFC Title Game, but it was a game that showed that movie Smith has the arrows pointing up and Chip Kelly’s team is collapsing. 45-17 Buccaneers
Denver Broncos at Chicago Bears — Peyton Manning is out injured. Brock Osweiler made his first NFL start. Osweiler is not the guy from the original American Pie movie. Osweiler found Denarius Thomas for a 48 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. Robbie Gould hit 46 and 37 yard second quarter field goals to get the Bears within 7-6. Brad McManus connected from 24 to end the half with the Broncos up 10-6. The only score of the third quarter was Gould connecting from 37 as the Bears trailed 10-9 entering the final quarter.
Osweiler moved the Broncos 71 yards in 10 plays. A 10 yard touchdown pass to Latimer on 3rd and 8 gave the Broncos a 17-9 lead with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Bears quickly moved after a touchback to a 2nd and goal at the 4. After Cutler threw incomplete twice, John Fox decided to go for it rather than kick the field goal. With a full 10 minutes left, it was curious decision. Cutler threw incomplete again. The Bears got it back at their own 24 and quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 33. Cutler was then intercepted with 2 1/2 minutes to play.
The Broncos could not run out the clock. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 36 with 2:12 left, Osweiler was sacked. The Bears got it back at their own 35 with 1:49 to play. For the third straight time Cutler moved the bears down the field, aided by a defensive pass interference call. With 30 seconds left, on 3rd and 1 from the 2, Langford got in for the touchdown. Now the Bears needed the 2 point conversion. Langford got the carry again and got stopped cold. The onside kick failed and the Bears were done. Cutler and Fox failed to get revenge against the team that fired them as Fox would face a bunch of questions on why he did not kick the field goal earlier. The Bears would have won. 17-15 Broncos
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings — 3 straight losses after a 6-0 start had the Packers one game back of the surprising 7-2 Vikings. Early on Mason Crosby hit a 42 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Packers. Bridgewater then connected with Kyle Rudolph on a 47 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Vikings led 6-3. Crosby connected from 47 and in the second quarter from 40 as the Packers reclaimed the 9-6 lead. Late in the half the Packers moved 80 yards as Aaron Rodgers worked the 2 minute drill to perfection. Rodgers hit Randall Cobb for the 10 yard touchdown as the Packers led 16-6 at the break.
In the third quarter Crosby hit his fourth field goal from 42 yards as the Packers built a 19-6 lead. Late in the third quarter Adrian Peterson bulled in from 6 yards out to cap a 63 yard drive and get the Vikings within 19-13. Rodgers then moved the Packers 80 yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter on 3rd and 9 from the Minnesota 27, Rodgers went to James Jones for the touchdown. Rodgers hit Jones again for the 2 point conversion to make it 27-13 Packers. The Vikings quickly moved down the field, but Peterson was hit and fumbled at the Green Bay 22 and the Packers recovered to snuff out any comeback. Crosby hit his fifth field goal from 52 yards out with 4 minutes left to officially ice the game. Both teams are now 7-3 as the Packers on this day showed they were far from ready to surrender the NFC North. 30-13 Packers
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks — The 2013 NFC Title Game seems like a lifetime ago. Now a sub-500 Seattle team hosted a wretched 49ers team led by Blaine Gabbert, with Colin Kaepernick on injured reserve. Early on Russell wilson found Lockett for a 24 yard touchdown. Then Seatt;e came back and moved 59 yards in 11 plays in 5 1/2 minutes. Rawls ran it in from 2 yards out. The extra point was no good but the Seahawks led 13-0 after the first quarter. In the second quarter Wilson led the Seahawks 91 yards in 13 plays in 7 1/2 minutes. Wilson hit Lockett for the 11 yard touchdown to make it 20-0 Seahawks.
The Seahawks got soft at the end of the half, as Gabbert quickly moved the 49ers 92 yards. A 9 yard touchdown pass to McDonald got the 49ers within 20-7 at halftime. in the third quarter Phil Dawson hit a 27 yard field goal as the 49ers only trailed 20-10. Steve Hauschka countered with a 33 yard field goal for a 23-10 Seahawks lead. Dawson then hit from 25 as the 49ers trailed 23-13 after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter the Seahawks moved 80 yards. Wilson threw a 31 yard touchdown pass to Rawls to complete the scoring. Wilson finished a ridiculous 24 of 29 for 260 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as the Seahawks kept their playoff hopes alive. 29-13 Seahawks
Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers — In the first quarter the Chiefs moved 71 yards in 5 1/2 minutes. Poe got in from the one. The extra point try failed but the Chiefs led 6-0. In the second quarter Josh Lambo hit a 52 yard field goal for the Chargers and Cairo Santos answered from 28 to make it 9-3 Chiefs. Late in the half the Chiefs moved from their own 14 to the San Diego 12. Alex Smith found Kelce for the touchdown but the call was reversed incomplete. Santos hit from 24 to make it 12-3 Chiefs at halftime.
In the third quarter Philip Rivers was intercepted by Houston, who returned it 17 yards for another touchdown and a 19-3 Chiefs lead. In the fourth quarter Ware broke off a 52 yard run. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Alex Smith threw incomplete, but defensive holding gave the Chiefs another shot. Ware got in from the 3 to make it 26-3 Chiefs. On 4th and 1 from their own 24, the Chargers went for it and turned the ball over on downs. Ware had another 3 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. After a 1-5 start, the Chiefs have own four straight and are now in the thick of the playoff race. The Chargers are a miserable 2-8. At this rate, the San Diego fans may help them move to Los Angeles. 33-3 Chiefs.
Cincinnati Bengals at Arizona Cardinals was the Sunday night game. One storyline was Carson Palmer coming back to face off against his old team. Yet the real storyline is that these are both solid football teams who could see each other again in the Super Bowl. Early on Palmer had a rough night, throwing interceptions on two of Arizona’s first three possessions. The second interception set up Cincinnati at their own 36. Red Rifle Andy Dalton went to AJ Green for a 42 yard gain. on 3rd and goal at the 3 Dalton hit Tyler Eifert for the touchdown. The Bengals led 7-0.
The second quarter began after a touchback with the Cardinals facing 3rd and 8 at their own 22. Palmer found Brown for 12, with unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. On 3rd and 16 from midfield, Palmer found Nelson for 23 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the 18, Palmer found Fells for the touchdown to tie the game 7-7. After a touchback, Dalton led a 14 play, 80 yard drive that consumed over 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 19 from the Cincy 27, Dalton threw incomplete. However, defensive holding kept the drive going. From the Arizona 43, a short pass to Giovanni Bernard went for a 41 yard gain. Jeremy Hill got the final 2 yards as the Bengals led 14-7 with just over one minute left in the half. In a game between the top offense and the top defense, the first half was a slugfest. The second half was an aerial show.
Early in the third quarter, Palmer went deep to Nelson for a 64 yard touchdown bomb to tie the game 14-14. The Cardinals got it back at their own 34 and moved easily. Palmer found Brown for an 18 yard touchdown as the Cardinals now led 21-14. The Cardinals got it back just past midfield. On 3rd and 14 from their own 47, Palmer found Nelson for a 36 yard gain. Palmer then went to David Johnson for a 16 yard touchdown. 21 unanswered points now had the Cardinals up 28-14 after three quarters. Yet this game was far from done.
After a touchback, the Bengals moved until a sack of Dalton had the Bengals facing 3rd and 26 at the Arizona 38. Rather than pick up a few yards and try a field goal, Marvin Lewis and Hue Jackson went aggressive. A deep pass from Dalton to Marvin Jones gained 22 yards. On 4th and 4 from the 16, Marvin Lewis decided to go for it. Dalton found Sanu for 10. Jeremy Hill got the last yard as the Bengals were within 28-21 with 12 minutes left in regulation.
The Cardinals moved to a 3rd and 3 at their own 44 when Palmer threw incomplete. The Bengals got it back and after a couple Dalton incompletions soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 17. Dalton was sacked and fumbled. Bucannon grabbed the ball out of the air as the Cardinals took over at the Cincy 10. The Cardinals almost gave it back after a sack of Palmer caused a fumble, but the Cardinals retained possession. Chandler Catanzaro hit a 24 yard field goal to give the Cardinals a 31-21 lead with 6 1/2 minutes left to play. The Cardinals had some breathing room, but this game was just about to get white hot.
Brandon Tate took the kickoff 8 yards deep in the end zone and raced 58 yards to midfield. The ball came out, but he was down. Bruce Arians unsuccessfully challenged the call, costing the Cardinals their last timeout. A sack of dalton meant 2nd and 20, but one play later Dalton hit Bernard for 21 yards. With 3:45 to play, Dalton hit Eifert again for a 10 yard touchdown to get the Bengals within 31-28.
A game of explosive offense and thrilling special teams also saw some critical plays on defense. The Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 29. with 3 minutes left. Chris Johnson got the carry and ran into a Bengals brick wall. The Bengals got the ball back at their own 16 with 2:45 left. with 2:04 left from the Cincy 32, Dalton threw incomplete. Yet illegal use of hands meant 1st and 10 again. At the 2 minute warning, the Bengals from their own 37 saw Dalton find Bernard for a 30 yard gain. With 1:14 left, on 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 25, Dalton went for all the marbles. He threw to the end zone where AJ had single coverage. The defender had the interception, but it bounced off his shoulder pad. Green plucked it out of the air and celebrated what he thought was the go-ahead touchdown. The officials correctly ruled Green was out of bounds. The pass was incomplete. Mike Nugent came in for the 43 yard field goal to tie things. Nugget was good. The game was deadlocked 31-31, but one minute still remained. The Bengals scored too early.
Arizona took over at their own 16. Palmer found Nelson for 19 yards and Larry Fitzgerald for gains of 18 and 20 yards. The Bengals called their last timeout on defense with 20 seconds to play. From the Cincy 27, a field goal try to win it would be 45 yards. Then confusion reigned. Palmer took a knee on second down to take the clock down. Then on third down, with six seconds left, he spiked the clock. Yet penalty flags flew everywhere. Both sides pointed at each other. A false start would have meant a 10 second runoff and no field goal try. That meant overtime. It would be an incredible blunder since the Cardinals could have kept the clock running without the first spike of the ball on first down.
Yet the officials instead called a penalty on the defense for unsportsmanlike conduct. The old Neil Smith rule says that the defense cannot call out signals or make moves to try to deliberately produce a false start. The defense clearly did. This is not a five yard offsides penalty. It is a 15 yard penalty. now Catanzaro only had to try a 32 yarder to win it. He was good. Despite consecutive losses after an 8-0 start, the Bengals are still a very good team. The Cardinals are also 8-2 and equally solid. While one unbeaten team remains in each conference ahead of these teams, the NFL could do far worse than seeing these teams play a rematch in the Super Bowl. This was a fine, fine football game. Dalton finished 22 of 39 for 315 yards while Palmer had an almost identical 20 of 31 for 317 yards. Dalton had 2 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions. Palmer had the two early interceptions, but the rest of the way threw 4 touchdown passes. They were evenly matched until the final play. 34-31 Cardinals
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots was the Monday night game. Once again, Rex Ryan tried to conquer the demons haunting him in Bill Bellichick and Tom Brady. On this night, Ryan’s defense battered Tom Brady, hitting him repeatedly. Stephen Gostkowski hit a 35 yard field goal in the first quarter for the Patriots and Dan Carpenter countered from 52 in the second quarter as most of the first half was a 3-3 slugfest. With 50 seconds left in the half, Carpenter came in for a 48 yarder to give the Bills the lead. The kick doinked off one upright, then doinked off the other upright, no good. With 46 seconds left from the New England 38, the Patriots went for the kill. Brady found Danny Amendola for 18 yards and LaFell for 20 more. With 19 seconds left in the half, on 3rd and 10 from the 20, Brady threw a short pass to White. White broke a tackle and got to the end zone to put the Patriots up 10-3 at halftime.
Things got bizarre in the third quarter of a horribly officiated game. From the New England 31, Brady rolled to his right and was almost out of bounds when he found a wide open Amendola. Amendola caught the ball and had nothing in front of him but green. Yet the play was stopped due to an inadvertent whistle. The official thought Brady had gone out of bounds even though replays showed Brady was nowhere near the sideline. There is no cure for an inadvertent whistle. Instead of a 17-3 lead, the Patriots had to settle for a 54 yard Gostkowski field goal try. It was no good and the game stayed 10-3.
The Bills took over at their own 44 and moved quickly. LeSean McCoy raced for a 27 yard touchdown. All of a sudden, the game was tied 10-10. After an exchange of punts, the Patriots took over at their own 36. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 47, a short pass to Amendola went for a 41 yard gain. Brady hurried up to the line before the Bills could get back on defense. The quick snap led to a carry by White, who despite appearing stopped at the 3, bulled his way just over the goal line after laying on another player to avoid going down. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter the Patriots led 17-10. Late in the third quarter the Bills fumbled a punt and the Patriots took over at the Buffalo 30. Gostkowski hit from 35 as the Patriots led 20-10 after three quarters.
Early in the fourth quarter the Patriots went for the kill and Brady threw deep into double coverage and was intercepted. The Bills moved from their own 6 to a 2nd and 6 at the Buffalo 43. Tyrod Taylor threw a short pass to Hogan, who only had to lean forward to get the first down. Instead Hogan tried to make a spin move and was tackled inches short of the first down. One terrible decision was followed by another one. On 3rd and inches, rather than run straight ahead, a lateral run was blown up in the backfield for a one yard loss. The Bills punted, got the ball back, and moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the new England 15. On 3rd and 10, Taylor threw incomplete. Carpenter hit the 33 yard field goal to get the Bills within 7, but only 3 1/2 minutes remained.
The Patriots took over at their own 25, and on 3rd and 3, a run gained only one yard. The Bills got the ball back at their own 16 with 1:51 to play and no timeout. With 50 seconds left, on 4th and 6 from the Buffalo 32, Taylor threw a pass to Watkins. Watkins caught the ball and rolled out of bounds. Initially the refs called it incomplete, but on further review reversed the call and properly called it a catch for an 8 yard gain. With 40 seconds left, a sack of Taylor resulted in a fumble. The bills retained possession but the clock kept ticking. With 7 seconds left, on 3rd and 18 from the Buffalo 32, Taylor found Watkins near the sideline for a 16 yard gain. Watkins rolled out of bounds without being touched. It should have been 4th and 2 from the Buffalo 48 with one or two seconds left, time for a Hail Mary.
The referees messed up again. They ruled the game was over because Watkins caught the ball inbounds. Had he been touched by the defender, the clock would have kept moving. However, the defender inexplicably just watched as Watkins rolled out of bounds, again, without being touched. The clock should have stopped. Nobody in the entire stadium thought to question this. Just like that, the game was over. The Bills dropped to 5–5 while the Patriots survived to remain one of two unbeaten 10-0 teams. 20-13 Patriots
Foreign Terror Report–Paris
http://joeforamerica.com/2015/11/global-terror-report-part-ii-the-foreign-policy-paris-edition/
eric
Domestic Terror Report–Missouri
http://joeforamerica.com/2015/11/global-terror-report-part-domestic-mizzou-edition/
eric
NFL 2015 Week 10 Recap
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets was the Thursday night game. As much as these teams insisted that it was just a game between teams trying to stay alive in the playoff race, nobody in New York was swallowing that. This was all about Rex Ryan trying to stick it to his old team. Not since the Bill Parcells Tuna Bowls have revenge games been as big with the Jets. In a rare occurrence, both teams wore bright color uniforms with neither team wearing white. This was part of a Nike promotion that will, like everything else the NFL does, only get bigger. The Jets were in all green and the Bills all red.
Rex Ryan and Todd Bowles are about defense, so it was no surprise that much of the first half was a defensive slog. In the first quarter Ryan Bullock hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. Late in the half the score stood until the Jets just self-destructed. An interception of Ryan Fitzpatrick set the Bills up with a short field. Dan Carpenter hit a 47 yarder to tie the game 3-3. The Jets fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Bills recovered for a gift touchdown. Although the extra point was no good, the Bills led 9-3. Buffalo got it back and worked the 2 minute drill. A 41 yard field goal by Carpenter at the gun had the Bills up 12-3 heading into the locker rooms.
The Bills took the second half kickoff and quickly marched 80 yards. Tyron Taylor threw a 26 yard touchdown pass to Williams to make it 19-3 Bills. On the first play following a touchback, the Jets fumbled again and the Bills took over at the Jets 23. They reached the 6 but a sack of Taylor forced the Bills to settle for a 29 yard Carpenter field goal. At 22-3, the game seemed over.
It was not. After a touchback, Fitzpatrick finally got going. A 14 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall capped an 80 yard drive and had the Jets within 22-10 after three quarters. in the fourth quarter the Jets took over at their own 31. Fitzpatrick found Eric Decker for 19 yards and again for a 31 yard touchdown as the Jets only trailed by 5 midway through the fourth quarter.
Now it was the Bills in full meltdown mode as the offense had several possessions without a first down. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 29, Williams got the carry and got blasted for a one yard loss. On the punt attempt, the punter fumbled the snap and never got the punt away. The Jets took over at the Buffalo 12 with a golden chance to take the lead. This time it was the Buffalo defense blowing up a Jets runner in the backfield as everything came down to a 4th and 4 from the 8. Fitzpatrick lobbed a pass to the corner of the end zone to absolutely nobody. The pass was fine. The receiver never turned around. Instead of an easy wide open touchdown, the Bills took over with 3 minutes left in an attempt to run out the clock.
Rex Ryan went to his beloved ground and pound, and a first down run by LeSean McCoy forced the Jets to take their last timeout with 2:26 to play. McCoy gained 8 more as the clock hit the two minute warning. One more first down would end the game. On third and 2, the Jets defense got the stop they needed. Buffalo punted, but by the time the Jets got the ball back at their own 36, only 24 seconds remained. Fitzpatrick threw a deep ball and was intercepted. Rex then repeatedly pumped his fists and hugged everybody in sight. No, this was not just another game. Rex got his revenge. 22-17 Bills
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers — Despite losing two straight to previously unbeaten teams, all the 6-2 Packers had to do to right the ship was stomp all over the 1-7 Lions. Detroit President Martha Ford fired her general manager and team president last week, but this was supposed to be another humiliating loss in the mostly awful 58 years since Bobby Layne was traded away. After all, the Lions have lost in Green Bay for 24 straight seasons. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “That’s why they play the games.”
The Packers made it look easy early on as Aaron Rodgers moved them into Detroit territory. After an incompletion on 3rd and 3, Mason Crosby hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Packers. After that the Lions defense clamped down for much of the game. Very late in the half a field position game had the Lions starting at their own 47. Matt Prater hit a 49 yard field goal as the teams took a 3-3 tie into the locker rooms.
The Lions took the second half kickoff and Abdullah entered the NFL record books with the longest kickoff return that did not go for a touchdown. He took it 5 yards deep in the end zone and raced 104 yards. However, he was caught at the one yard line. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Matthew Stafford hit Brandon Pettigrew for the touchdown. The extra point was no good, but the Lions led 9-3. The fourth quarter began with the Lions at their own 45. Prater hit a 51 yard field goal and the Lions had a 12-3 lead. They are the Lions, so the question was not if, but how they would screw up this game.
With the Packers facing 3rd and 12, Rodgers found Randall Cobb for 20, Abbrederis for 32, and non-relative Richard Rodgers for the 4 yard touchdown to get the Packers within 12-10 with 6 minutes left. The Lions stayed aggressive, and Stafford found Golden Tate for a 43 yard completion. Stafford hit Moore for the 4 yard touchdown. The game was over…except…Prater for the second time on the day missed the extra point. Detroit only led 18-10 with 1:57 to play. These are the Lions.
Rodgers moved the Packers down the field. With less than one minute left, Rodgers hit Perrillo for the 11 yard touchdown. These are the Lions. The 2 point conversion would tie the game. Yet Rodgers threw incomplete. The Lions led by 2 with 32 seconds left. All they had to do was recover the onside kick. The Packers recovered it after Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, the team’s best player, could not corral it. These are the Lions. A couple quick throws by Rodgers set up Mason Crosby from 52 yards out with 5 seconds left. A successful kick meant a 19-18 Packers miracle comeback. After all, these are the Lions.
Crosby was no good! The Lions tried to lose, but this time they failed. Instead, Mike McCarthy’s Packers at 6-3 have lost 3 straight. Rodgers threw a franchise high 61 times, completing 35 passes for 333 yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Yet after 24 years, the Lions won in Green Bay. Jim Caldwell was so elated he almost made a facial expression. 18-16 Lions
Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Cowboys are an injured mess while the Buccaneers are quietly improving under Lovie Smith. This was not the most hideous game of the season, but it was close. Dan Bailey hit a 42 yard field goal in the first quarter to make it 3-0 Cowboys. Connor Barth connected from 52 to start the second quarter to tie the game. Bailey responded from 53 as the Cowboys led 6-3 at halftime. The second half was even more hideous.
Late in the fourth quarter Matt Cassel threw incomplete on third and one. A short punt gave the Buccaneers one final chance at their own 44 with 4 minutes left. After playing stout the whole game the Dallas defense wilted. It all came down to Jameis Winston on 3rd and goal from the 4 with one minute left. Winston gained 3 yards and fumbled, with the Cowboys recovering in the end zone. Yet defensive holding instead meant 1st and goal from the one yard line. Winston got in and the Buccaneers had the lead. From the Tampa 45, Cassel went deep to the end zone and was intercepted. One year after going 2-14 and a few weeks after losing their opener at home by 28, the Buccaneers are now 4-5. The Cowboys have lost 7 straight. 10-6 Buccaneers
Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans — One week after firing their coach, the Titans had to prepare for the unbeaten Panthers. Carolina only scraped by the last couple weeks against weak teams, and Tennessee tried to put up a fight. Early on the Titans punted, Carolina marched down the field, and Stewart ran for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Titans came back. On 3rd and 5 from the Carolina 44, Marcus Mariota hit Anthony Fasano for 19 yards. Dexter McCluster then ran for a 25 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.
Early in the second quarter, Cam Newton hit Dickson for a one yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Panthers. The game turned into a defensive slugfest. Ryan Succop hit a 45 yard field goal as the Titans trailed 14-10 at halftime. At the end of the third quarter Graham Gano hit a 48 yarder as the Panthers only led 17-10.
In the fourth quarter Ted Ginn returned a punt 23 yards to the Tennessee 43. Carolina got to the Titans one yard line but twice could not get in. Riverboat Ron Rivera took no chances this time. Garo hit the 19 yard field goal to make it 20-10 Panthers. The Titans punted again and Carolina got it back at their own 36. Newton milked the clock and Carolina pounded Tennessee into the ground. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Newton got in to put the game away. Tennessee fought hard, but fell to 2-7 while the 9-0 Panthers kept rolling. 27-10 Panthers
Chicago Bears at St. Louis Rams — The Bears have been much improved. While it was expected that John Fox was bring more wins, Jay Cutler has been playing solid football. After leading a comeback win on the road last week, the Bears played the hot and cold rams who can win anywhere but also lose anywhere.
Early on Todd Gurley caught a 31 yard pass from Nick Foles and ran in for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. This concluded the Rams highlights for the day. Cutler came right back, connecting with Zach Miller on an 87 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Rams moved to a 4th and 1 at the Chicago 8. Jeff Fisher opted for the field goal and Greg Zuerlein hit from 26 to make it 10-7 Rams. The Rams got it back and fumbled the ball away inside their own 20. The Rams held on defense as the Bears settled for a 35 yard Robbie Gould field goal and a 10-10 after the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Bears broke the game open. Cutler threw a 2 yard touchdown to Miller. Then the Bears got it back and scored in one big bite as Cutler connected with Langford for an 83 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Bears at halftime. A quiet third quarter saw zuerlein hit from 38 to get the Rams within 24-13. In the fourth quarter the Bears just poured it on.
Gould hit a 37 and 36 yard field goals to make it 30-13 Bears. The Rams turned it over on downs deep in their own territory, and Langford ran for a 6 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. The Bears and Rams are both 4-5, although the Bears with consecutive road wins are clearly on the upswing. 37-13 Bears
New Orleans Saints at Washington Redskins — Some games just cannot be explained. A quarterback was firing at will, but it was not Drew Brees. Kirk Cousins threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Reed to make it 7-0 Redskins. Mark Ingram then broke off a 70 yard gain. Brees hit Cooks for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. Cousins came right back, hitting Jones for a 29 yard gain followed by an 11 yard touchdown pass to Crowder to make it 14-7 Redskins after the first quarter. In the second quarter Brees and Cooks combined on a 60 yard touchdown. The game was tied 14-14, but after that the Redskins just blasted the Saints into pieces.
Cousins and Jones connected for a 78 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Redskins. Dustin Hopkins tacked on second quarter field goals of 35 and 23 and from 40 in the third quarter to make it 30-14 Redskins. A 6 yard Alfred Morris touchdown run had the Redskins up 37-14 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter Brees had an interception returned 35 yards by Golden for another Washington touchdown. Hopkins tacked on one more field goal to complete the blowout. Kirk Cousins was a red hot 20 of 25 for 324 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Drew Brees was 19 of 28 for 209 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.The Redskins are 4-5 and the Saints are 4-6 and perhaps nearing the permanent end of the Drew Brees and Sean Payton era. It was the end of the Rob Ryan era in New Orleans. The defensive coordinator was fired after the game. 47-14 Redskins
Miami Dolphins at Philadelphia Eagles — Miami got on the board first with a 42 yard Franks field goal, but after that the Eagles exploded. From the Philly 36, Sam bradford found Captain Morgan Brent celeb for a 60 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Bradford found Huff for the touchdown and the 7-3 Eagles lead. A mistake on the kickoff had the Dolphins starting at their own 1 yard line. Ryan Tannehill was sacked, forcing a fumble out of the end zone for a safety to make it 9-3 Eagles. The Eagles took the free kick and from their own 42 moved easily. Ryan Mathews got in from the one to make it 16-3 Eagles after the first quarter. This was supposed to be an easy blowout win. It was not.
With the Eagles asleep on offense for most of the rest of the game, Franks hit a 22 yard field goal with 8 1/2 minutes left in the half to get the Dolphins within 16-6. The Dolphins then blocked a punt, taking over at the Philly 12. Tannehill found Miller for a 13 yard touchdown as the dolphins only trailed 16-13 at halftime.
Early in the third quarter the Eagles moved to a 4th and 8 at the Miami 38. Their interim coach inspired the world by deciding to punt. Late in the third quarter Bradford was injured and Mark Sanchez came in. On the last play of the third quarter with the Dolphins facing 3rd and 3 just shy of midfield, Tannehill found Matthews for a 43 yard gain. Tannehill began the fourth quarter by throwing a 4 yard touchdown pass to Landry to make it 20-16 Dolphins.
Sanchez led the Eagles from their 20 to the Miami 19. An incompletion on 3rd and 7 meant a 15 play drive resulted only in a 37 yard Caleb Sturgis field goal. The Eagles trailed by a point but 10 1/2 minutes still remained. A field position game had the Eagles taking over at midfield with 6 1/2 minutes left. Sanchez quickly moved them to the Miami 9. With 4 1/2 minutes left and in easy field goal range, Sanchez was intercepted. The Eagles got it back at their 29 with 1:40 left. From the Philly 44, Sanchez threw 3 straight incompletions. With one minute left on 4th and 10, Sanchez completed a 6 yard pass and the Eagles were done. Their were no butt-fumbles, but they fumbled this game away. 20-19 Dolphins
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers — Johnny Manziel got the start. On his first play from scrimmage, Manziel fumbled and the Steelers took over at the Cleveland 12. The defense held the Steelers to a 24 yard Chris Boswell field goal. Starter Landry Jones was injured the play before and injured Ben Roethlisberger had to play the rest of the game. Manuel moved the Browns on their next drive as a 23 yard Travis Coons field goal tied the game. Big Ben moved the Steelers to a 3rd and 2 at the Cleveland 16 before throwing incomplete. Boswell hit from 34 to make it 6-3 Steelers.
Midway through the second quarter the Steelers broke the game open. Roethlisberger led a 92 yard drive. A 4 yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown followed by them connecting again on the 2 point try made it 14-3 Steelers. A Cleveland fumble gave the Steelers a short field, but the Cleveland defense kept them in the game with a goal line stand on 4th and goal at the one. Cleveland just gave it back on a punt as the Steelers took over at the Cleveland 47. A 32 yard touchdown pass to Bryant made it 21-3 Steelers at halftime.
Boswell tacked on a 25 yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 24-3 Steelers. After the teams traded interceptions, Manziel found Barnidge for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Browns within 24-9 after the missed extra point. Big Ben quickly iced the game after that with a 56 yard touchdown pass to Brown. The extra point hit the upright no good but it didn’t matter. Manuel was 33 of 45 for 372 yards and one touchdown, while Roethlisberger in relief was 22 of 33 for 379 yards and three touchdowns. He really is injured. 30-9 Steelers
Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens — This one will be talked about for a very long time, as 2 bad teams put on a competitive game with a very controversial finish. In the first quarter Blake Bortles found Hurns for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. In the second quarter Bortles was intercepted, setting up the Ravens at the Jags 26. Joe Flacco scrambled for 16 and found Gillmore for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.
Bottles led the Jaguars on a 15 play, 77 yard, 8 minute drive that reached the Baltimore 3 yard line. Bottles threw incomplete twice and then threw a completion for no gain. Myers hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Jaguars. After a touchback, Flacco led the Ravens to a 3rd and 2 at the Jacksonville 21. Flacco went deep to Williams for the touchdown as the Ravens led 14-10 with one minute left in the half. Jacksonville went 3 and out, but on the last play of the half Justin Tucker’s 58 yard field goal try was no good.
On the first play of the third quarter of this ugly game, Flacco was intercepted. From the Baltimore 27, Bortles completed one pass for nothing and threw incomplete twice. myers hit from 45 to get the Jaguars within 14-13. On the next series from the Jacksonville 33, Flacco was sacked and fumbled and the Jaguars took over at their own 41. They moved to the Baltimore 8 where Bortles threw incomplete on 3rd and goal. Myers actually missed the 26 yard field goal late in the third quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter the Ravens fumbled a punt and the Jaguars recovered at the Baltimore 37. Did we mention this game was hideous? Bottles found Robinson for a 15 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Jaguars led 19-14. Flacco led a 10 play, 80 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Flacco hit Givens for the 14 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Ravens led 20-19 midway through the fourth quarter.
After an exchange of punts, the Jaguars took over at their own 20 with 1:06 to play. With 14 seconds left, the Jaguars faced 4th and 4 just past midfield. Bortles was sacked by Elvis Dumervil. The Ravens celebrated but the game was not over. Dumervil pulled Bortles down by his facemark, a completely unnecessary move. The penalty gave the Jaguars one untimed down from the Baltimore 34. Myers came in for a 53 yard field goal try. The kick was good as Dumervil joined Leon Lett and Dwayne Rudd in football ignominy. Did we mention this game was hideous? 22-20 Jaguars
Minnesota Vikings at Oakland Raiders — Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr are the future of the NFL. Adrian Peterson is as good as ever. Mike Zimmer and Jack Del Rio both know defense, but only one team has one. Bridgewater quickly marched the Vikings 80 yards. An 11 yard touchdown pass to Ellison made it 7-0 Vikings only 4 minutes into the game. The Raiders went nowhere on their first possession. A sack of Bridgewater knocked the Vikings out of field goal range, but not for long. Carr was intercepted, giving the Vikings the ball at the Oakland 41. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Bridgewater threw incomplete. Blair Walsh hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Vikings. Despite taking over at their own 40, the Raiders offense did nothing. Walsh would hit a 38 yard second quarter field goal to make it 13-0 Vikings.
The Raiders finally woke up on offense. From the Oakland 32, Carr got them going. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 10, Carr found Clive Walford for the 10 yard touchdown to get the Raiders within 13-7. The Raiders got it back at their own 26 with 3:21 left in the half and moved quickly. At the 2 minute warning on 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 34, Carr found Andre Holmes for the touchdown. The Raiders led 14-13 and had all the momentum. 13 seconds later it was gone. Cordarelle Patterson fumbled the kickoff, regrouped, and raced 93 yards for a touchdown in front of a deflated home crowd. The Vikings led 20-14 and almost extended the lead further after the Raiders fell apart on offense. Walsh missed a 53 yard field goal to end the half, but the Raiders went into a shell.
The Vikings again could not extend the lead in the third quarter when a 39 yard Walsh field goal try was blocked. Yet The Raiders had no offense. With only 4 minutes left in the game, after a 10 play, 5 1/2 minute drive, Walsh finally connected again from 34 to make it 23-14 Vikings. Needing 2 scores, Carr rapidly moved the Raiders from their 21 to the Minnesota 11. Well within field goal range, Carr threw a jump ball. Holmes and Newman fought for it as it was batted up in the air. Newman had the position and the interception. Insult to injury was the next play. Just trying to run out the clock, Peterson broke free for an 80 yard touchdown run.
The Vikings at 7-2 are in sole possession of first place in the NFC North while the Raiders lost their second straight to drop to 4-5. Carr was 29 of 43 for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns, but 2 killer interceptions. Bridgewater was only 14 of 22 for 140 yards and 1 touchdown with 0 interceptions, but that is elusive. He evaded several sacks, proving as durable as he is elusive. Meanwhile, Peterson rumbled for 203 yards on the ground. The Raiders were gashed for 273 yards on the ground only one week after giving up over 200 yards rushing to Pittsburgh. This was a complete team loss for the Raiders. 30-14 Vikings
New England Patriots at New York Giants — Tom Brady and Bill Bellichick have four Super Bowl rings, but they seem cursed against Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin. This one went down to the wire and was very controversial. Brady moved the Patriots 80 yards on the opening drive and hit Chandler for a one yard touchdown and a 7-0 Patriots lead. Eli Manning quickly found O’Dell Beckham for an 87 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. Once again, the Giants were going to give the Patriots a fight.
In the second quarter Stephen Gostkowski hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Patriots. After the Giants fumbled to end one drive, they got it back and Josh Brown hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 10-10. Big Blue got it back and very late in the half Manning found the for 31 yards down to the one. Manning found Harris for the touchdown as the Giants led 17-10 at halftime and were smelling upset.
In the third quarter the Giants took the ball and marched in position for Josh Brown to hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 20-10 Giants. The Patriots got right back in it when Danny Amendola returned a Giants punt 82 yards to the Giants 7 yard line. LeGuarrette Blount got in from the one as the Patriots were within 20-17. The Giants responded as Brown hit a 53 yarder to make it 23-17 Giants after three quarters.
The Giants had several chances to put the game away in the fourth quarter. Their first opportunity came when the Patriots fumbled, giving the Giants a short field. Manning was sacked for a 13 yard loss to push the Giants out of field goal range. A couple plays after punting, Brady found rob Gronkowski for a 76 yard touchdown as the Patriots retook the lead 24-23.
The Giants punted and Brady found Brandon LaFell for a 54 yard gain. Now it was the Patriots with a chance to put the game away. Instead, on 2nd and goal from the 5, Brady was intercepted. Manning moved the Giants again, and with just over 2 minutes to play, the Giants had 1st and goal at the 5. The Patriots had only one timeout left. The Giants could have bled some time off of the clock. Scoring a touchdown would have been fine. Manning through to Beckham in the end zone. Beckham caught the ball, got both feet down, and only then had the ball chopped out of his hands. The referees ruled it incomplete.
For several years officials have struggled to define what is a catch and what is not a catch. Players have to make at least one football move, which is also not exactly defined. Beckham got his feet down. If he had the ball at the one and dove over the goal post before having it knocked out, it would be a score. This was not the play Sterling Marlin made 4 years ago for the Patriots in the AFC Title Game against Baltimore. In that case the receiver clearly never secured the ball. Beckham had control and both feet down. Yet the incompletion stood. Manning threw incomplete again as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and goal, Manning was sacked as the Patriots took their last timeout. with 1:50 left. Brown hit his fourth field goal from 29 yards. The Giants led 26-20, but they did not close the door.
A touchback followed by 3 Brady incompletions meant 4th and 10. One more stop and the Giants had the win. Instead, Brady found Amendola for 12. The Patriots had life. A deep ball by Brady should have been intercepted but was dropped. A few completed passes later, and Gostkowski came in for a 54 yard field goal try with 4 seconds left. Gostkowski drilled it and the Patriots survived again to get to 9-0. The Giants at 5-5 are still in strong position in the woeful NFC Least, but this was the second time this year they lost a 27-26 heartbreaker in the waning moments. That is what separates an average squad from a 7-3 team. The Giants have led in the fourth quarter of every single one of their losses. The 1990 Giants team was 10-0. This team could have been, but is now far from it. 27-26 Patriots
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos — After starting 7-0, the Broncos had a close road loss last week. Playing against the woeful Chiefs, this was the week Denver was supposed to right the ship. Instead, it became a game that may end up being talked about for a long time despite the final score never being in doubt. It was the best of Peyton Manning and worst of Peyton Manning on the same Sunday. A 4 yard completion early in the first quarter gave Manning the all time NFL passing yards record previously held by Brett Favre. At some point he is expected to capture Favre’s touchdown record as well.
It was also his worst statistical day as a pro. Manning had numbers that used to belong to Tim Tebow before Manning was brought to Denver to replace him. Manning has had the perfect quarterback rating of 158.3 that nobody understands how to calculate. On this day he was 5 of 20 for 35 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions for a passer rating of 0.0.
Manning first throw was intercepted, giving the Chiefs a short field. West got in from 4 yards out to make it 7-0 Chiefs. Carlo Santos then did the rest, hitting five field goals. Santos connected from 48 in the first quarter. Manning’s second and third interceptions in the second quarter set up Santos from 49 and 34. Santos also hit a 33 yard second quarter field goal and a 50 yard third quarter field goal to make it 22-0 Chiefs. Manning then threw his fourth interception. At this point the unthinkable happened.
Gary Kubiak benched Manning. To be fair, Kubiak insisted that Manning was benched because he was injured. The only times in his career he has been benched against his will were when his teams had locked up home field throughout the playoffs. Not this time. Manning was injured, and Kubiak wanted him to heal. Manning has always been a company man. When Favre almost got benched, he just refused to come out. Manning came out and Brock Osweiler played the end of the third quarter and the entire fourth quarter.
Osweiler was 14 of 24 as Denver scored some garbage points to make the final score look like slightly less of a beating. Kubiak announced the day after the game that Manning would be out next week. Osweiler was starting, but Kubiak was emphatic that Manning was the starter when healthy. Last year Manning was injured down the stretch. The Broncos were beaten soundly in their first playoff game. Kubiak and John Elway desperately want Manning to be healthy for the stretch run, and giving him a week off with the AFC West firmly in hand is their decision. The Broncos at 7-2 are a full three games ahead of the 4-5 Chiefs and Raiders.
This could turn out to be nothing, but it could be the beginning of the end only 2 years after Manning threw 55 touchdown passes and only 10 interceptions. This year Manning has 17 interceptions and only 9 touchdown passes. Manning is finding out what Favre now knows and what Tom Brady will eventually know. The only undefeated one forever is Father Time. 29-13 Chiefs
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks was the Sunday night game. This was a strange game in every sense of the word as the Cardinals try to end Seattle’s reign atop the NFC West. The Legion of Boom is not what it was, while Bruce Arians has an offense every bit as explosive as the team that was on its way to home field last year before Carson Palmer got injured. In the previous two seasons, the only team to beat Seattle in Seattle was Arizona. After a scoreless first quarter, the Cardinals exploded in the second quarter.
Chandler Catanzaro hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cardinals. From the Seattle 12, Russell Wilson was sacked in the end zone for a safety to make it 5-0 Cardinals. The Cardinals took the free kick and began at their own 41. Palmer found Michael Floyd for a 27 yard touchdown to make it 12-0 Cardinals. The Seahawks punted and Patrick Peterson returned it 24 yards to the Seattle 45. 3 plays later Palmer went back to Floyd for a 35 yard touchdown as the Cardinals led 19-0 in front of a shellshocked home crowd in Seattle.
Wilson did throw a 1 yard touchdown pass after the 2 minute warning to Tukuafu to get the Seahawks on the board, but the Cardinals were not done. Catanzaro hit a 43 yard field goal to make it 22-7 Cardinals at the half. In the third quarter the Seahawks slowly began to chip away further. Steve Hauschka hit a 31 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 22-10. An interception of Wilson set up Catanzaro again from 43 as the Cardinals led 25-10. Late in the third quarter Wilson found Doug Baldwin for a 33 yard gain and went back to Baldwin for a 32 yard touchdown. The Seahawks only trailed 25-17 after three quarters. The fourth quarter was just plain bizarre.
The fourth quarter began with the Cardinals deep in their own territory. Palmer went back to pass and got nailed by Cliff Avril, resulting in a fumble. The Seahawks recovered at the Arizona 2 yard line. Marshawn Lynch went full Beast Mode and barreled his way into the end zone. The 2 point try to tie the game failed but the Seahawks were within 25-23. On the next Arizona series Palmer again went back to pass, and again disaster struck. Palmer was hit by KJ Wright, and another fumble occurred. Wright returned it for a touchdown. The 2 point try again failed but the Seahawks now led 29-25.
The last time the Cardinals gave up consecutive fourth quarter touchdowns in this manner was the infamous game where Matt Leonard collapsed, Kurt Warner expressed disbelief from the sideline, Devon Hester put the dagger in for Chicago, and Dennis Green exploded after the game that, “The Bears are who we thought they were” and “crown their @ss!”
At USC, it was Leinart who won consecutive championships for Pete Carroll and came seconds away from three straight college titles. In the pros, Leinart was the bust and Carson Palmer is the Pro Bowler.
Palmer moved the Cardinals 83 yards, hitting Gresham for a 14 yard touchdown pass as the Cardinals reclaimed the lead 32-29. Seattle punted. with Arizona trying to run down the clock, Andre Ellington got free on the sideline and eluded tacklers for a 48 yard touchdown run. Now the Cardinals had a 39-29 lead. Seattle needed 2 scores and had little time to do it.
Lockett returned the kickoff to the Seattle 32. A few later Hauschka hit a 46 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 7. Now they needed to recover the onside kick. They got their miracle onside kick recovery in last year’s NFC Title Game. Not this time. The Cardinals ran out the clock to get to 7-2, a full 3 games ahead of the 4-5 Seahawks in the NFC West. 39-32 Cardinals.
Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals was the Monday night game. The unbeaten Bengals at home just had to dispatch with the 3-5 Texans. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “That’s why they play the games. Marvin Lewis has seen his offense reach soaring heights with offensive coordinator Hue Jackson dialing up plays. Yet Houston defensive coordinator Romeo Crenel brought the heat. For three quarters, this game was a slugfest. Late in the first quarter Mike Nugent hit a 42 yard field goal for the Bengals. In the second quarter Nick Novak tied the game with a 22 yarder. Nugent responded in the second quarter from 39. The Bengals still led 6-3 after a scoreless third quarter.
Bryan Hoyer was knocked out of the game with a concussion late in the third quarter. In came TJ Yates from the Houston 21. On 3rd and 8 from the 23, Yates found Griffin for 15. On 3rd and 13 from the Houston 48, Yates again connected with Griffin for 15. Yates then fired a 22 yard touchdown to Deandre Hopkins, who did a spectacular job of getting his feet inbounds. 40 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Texans had the upset of the year brewing up 10-6.
After 56 minutes of play Dalton was only 16 of 30 for 131 yards passing, 0 touchdowns, and one interception. With 4 minutes left, the Bengals took over at their own 19. A sack by JJ Watt had the Bengals facing 3rd and 18. Dalton fired a completion to AJ Green for 26 yards. A completion to Giovanni Bernard for 15 more had the Bengals at the Houston 48 at the 2 minute warning. An incompletion by Dalton set up the critical 4th and 6 at the Houston 33 with 50 seconds remaining. Dalton fired to Johnson past the first down marker. Johnson caught the ball with a defender draped on him, but as he was going down a perfectly times hit by a second defender knocked it loose. The fumble was recovered by the Texans. At 4-5, Houston is actually tired for the AFC South lead. At 8-1, the Bengals will make the playoffs but they will not be perfect. THAT’s why they play the games. 10-6 Texans