NFL 2016 Week 4 Recap
Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals was the Thursday night game. A pair of boring teams can sometimes produce an incredibly exciting game. This was not that game. Mike Nugent hit a 42 yard field goal to open the scoring for the Bengals. Ryan Tannehill then hooked up with Kenny Stills for a 74 yard touchdown. It was the first, last, and only Dolphins highlight of the night as they led 7-3. Red Rifle Andy Dalton moved the Bengals 90 yards and hit AJ Green for a 7 yard touchdown as the Bengals led 10-7 after the first quarter. After that, everybody except Bengals kicker Nugent took the night off. Nugent hit from 22 and 43 in the second quarter, from 22 again in the third quarter, and from 47 in the fourth quarter of a game that deserves no more description than that. 22-7 Bengals
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts — Live from London, a pair of bad teams actually did play a half-way good game. Andrew Luck was intercepted, setting the Jaguars up at the Oakland 24. Blake Bortles hit Alex Robinson for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. Adam Vinatieri hit field goals of 53 in the first quarter and 49 in the second quarter to get the Colts within 7-6. Bortles responded with a 75 yard drive and got in the final yard himself to make it 14-6 Jaguars. Jacksonville got it back at their own 20 with 1:06 left in the half. Bortles moved the Jaguars to the Indy 8 with 7 seconds left. However, a pass to Lee only gained 3 yards. Josh Myers hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 17-6 Jaguars at halftime.
Myers added 46 and 49 yard field goals to make it 23-6 Jaguars. On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Colts faced 2nd and 14 at the Jacksonville 36. Andrew Luck went to the end zone and defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Frank Gore got in to have the Colts within 23-13. The Colts got it back at their own 22 and moved to a critical 3rd and goal at the 2 midway through the third quarter. Luck hit TY Hilton for the touchdown as the Colts only trailed 23-20.
This time the Jaguars struck back quickly. Bortles connected with Alex Hurns for a 42 yard touchdown to make it 30-20 Jaguars with 5 minutes left. With 3 minutes left, the Colts faced 3rd and 10 at their own 36. Luck went bombs away to Dorsett for a 64 yard touchdown. A 17 point deficit was now only 3 points. Jacksonville went 3 and out and the Colts got it back with 2 1/2 minutes left and 2 timeouts. With 1:42 left, on 4th and 1 from just past midfield, Luck threw incomplete. The Colts got it back at their own 18 with 26 seconds left. Luck inexplicably threw a 2 yard pass as the clock ticked down to nothing. The Jaguars won overseas and will now try going forward to win in the United States. 30-27 Jaguars
Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins — Kirk Cousins came out on fire. He led drives of 75 and 80 yards and threw touchdowns of 8 and 9 yards to Reed for a 14-0 Redskins lead. Yet Hue Jackson’s browns, despite being winless, have plenty of fight. In the second quarter, third string quarterback Cody Kessler moved the team 81 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. Isaiah Crowell got in from 2 yards out to get the Browns on the board. Kirk Cousins was intercepted by Taylor, who returned it 29 yards to the Washington 12. On 3rd and 7, Kessler found Terrell Pryor for the touchdown and a 14-14 game.
The Redskins took over at their own 37 and moved into the red zone. Yet a critical offensive holding penalty killed the drive. Dustin Hopkins hit a 49 yard field goal to put the Redskins back in front 17-14. Cody Parkey answered with a 51 yarder to end the half with the teams deadlocked 17-17. The defenses tightened in the second half. Parker hit from 45 in the third quarter to put the Browns in front 20-17. In the fourth quarter the Redskins moved 91 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 16 from the Washington 44, an incompletion was nullified by defensive pass interference. Cousins hit Thompson for the 5 yard touchdown as the Redskins led 24-20 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Browns soon faced 2nd and 2 at midfield. Johnson gained 5 yards and then fumbled the ball away. The Browns got it back at their own 2 yard line. From the 10, Kessler was intercepted by Josh Norman, giving the Redskins a short field at the Cleveland 39. Cousins hit Pierre Garcon for 32 yards and Jones ran for 16 more down to the one. On the next play Jones got the yard as the Redskins salted the game away and left Cleveland winless. 31-20 Redskins
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — Third string quarterback Jacoby Brissett got the start despite having a bad thumb. Wide receiver Julian Edelman was the backup quarterback. Early on it was Tyrod Taylor leading a 12 play, 65 yard, 7 minute drive. Taylor hit LeSean McCoy for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Bills on the board first. Dan Carpenter tacked on 34 and 43 yard field goals in the second quarter and a 44 yarder in the third quarter as Rex Ryan’s defense clamped down. Whenever Rex Ryan beats Belichick, he acts like his team won the Super Bowl when 2 weeks ago he was about to be fired. Next week reality sets in as an angry you-know-who returns to quarterback the Patriots. 16-0 Bills
Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets — Both teams have solid defenses and offenses in need of much improvement. Last week Ryan Fitzpatrick was intercepted 6 times. Now he had to face the Legion of Boom. This time the Jets began by moving 62 yards in 14 plays, and taking 8 1/2 minutes to do it. Yet the drive died in the red zone and the Jets settled for a 34 yard Nick Folk field goal to lead 3-0. The Seahawks finally got going in the second quarter, A 92 yard drive was capped off by Russell Wilson hitting CJ Spiller for an 8 yard touchdown. Seattle got it back and easily moved 85 yards as a 42 yard touchdown to McEvoy made it 14-3 Seahawks.
The Jets moved 75 yards last in the half. Fitzpatrick threw a 17 yard touchdown to Brandon Marshall as the Jets only trailed 14-10 at halftime. Steve Hauschka hit a 33 yard field goal as the Seahawks clung to a 17-10 lead after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Seahawks put the game away. After Fitzpatrick was intercepted, Wilson hit Michael for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Seahawks. The Jets got it back at their own 9 and Fitzpatrick was quickly intercepted again. Hauschka hit a 53 yard field goal for a 27-10 Seahawks lead with 4 minutes left in regulation. The Jets scored on a bizarre return of one of their own fumbles, but it was too late. 27-17 Seahawks
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons — After torching New Orleans last week, Matty Ice stayed red hot early on in the dome. 71 yards came quickly as Matt Ryan hit Jacob Tame for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. A punt pinned the Falcons at their own 2 yard line. Ryan made 98 yards come quickly, as a 43 yard bomb to Julio Jones was followed by Devonta Freeman running for 19 yards and then a 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Falcons. Another punt had the Falcons pinned back at their own 1. This time the Falcons got aggressive and paid for it. Ryan was intercepted by Coleman, who returned it 8 yards for a score to get the Panthers within 14-7.
The Falcons came back and moved to the red zone. They stalled there but Matt Bryant hit a 28 yard field goal to take a 17-7 lead. The Panthers managed to get a 54 yard Graham Gano field goal to trail 17-10 at the half. In the third quarter the Falcons poured it on. Again they were pinned at their one, and 99 yards came without much difficulty. A 42 yard touchdown pass to Hooper made it 24-10 Falcons. Deja vu all over again saw the Falcons pinned at their own 8. 92 more yards of offense came as Ryan hit Robinson for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 31-10 Falcons. In the fourth quarter Matt Bryant nailed a 53 yard field goal for a 34-10 Falcons lead. Last year Carolina went 15-1, and are 1-3 this year. This is no mirage. The Falcons are much better and the Panthers are much worse.
Yet the Panthers are still the defending NFC champs, and they launched a fourth quarter blitz. Newton found Kelvin Benjamin for a 6 yard touchdown and ran the 2 point try himself to get the Panthers within 34-18. Yet Newton was hurt on the play and exited the game. The Panthers got it back and backup Derek Anderson needed 5 1/2 minutes to move 94 yards. Anderson hit Greg Olsen for the 14 yard touchdown and the 2 point conversion as the Panthers were within 34-26 with 4 minutes left in regulation.
Rather than try and run out the clock, Atlanta stayed aggressive. On the first play from scrimmage, Ryan found Julio Jones, who outraced everyone for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 41-26 Falcons. Anderson brought the Panthers back. After a pair of incompletions, the Panthers faced 4th and 2 at the Atlanta 16 at the 2 minute warning. Anderson went to Brown for the touchdown as the Panthers were back within 41-33. Atlanta went 3 and out and the Panthers got it back at their own 24 with 1:25 to play and 0 timeouts. This time Carolina’s luck ran out. Anderson was intercepted by Alford, who returned it 30 yards for the clinching touchdown. Matt Ryan made an early case for league MVP, going a lights out 28 of 37 for 503 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. 48-33 Falcons
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears — The battle for the bottom of the NFC North saw Bryan Hoyer early on lead a 10 play, 83 yard, 5 minute drive. Hoyer hit Eddie Royal for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. Matt Prater hit a 50 yard field goal in the second quarter and a 21 yard chip shot in the third quarter to get the Lions within 7-6. The inability to crack the end zone proved costly as Hoyer came back with a 75 yard drive. A 6 yard touchdown pass to Zach Miller had the Bears up 14-6. In the fourth quarter the Bears moved 73 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Connor Barth hit a 25 yard field goal for a 17-6 Bears lead. The Lions moved from their own 25 to the Chicago 23 in 6 minutes, but Stafford was intercepted with 4 minutes left. The Lions got a spark of life when Roberts returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown. The 2 point conversion failed as both teams are 1-3 on the season. 17-14 Bears
Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans — Brock Osweiler came out firing. He hit Fiedorowicz for a 14 yard touchdown and then threw a 45 yard completion down to the Titans 5. Osweiler then hit Fuller for the score to make it 14-0 Texans early on. The anemic Tennessee offense finally got on the board with a 48 yard Ryan Succop field goal to trail 14-3. Nick Novak responded from 53 in the second quarter for a 17-3 Texans lead.
The Titans fought back in the second quarter by shifting to the ground game. DeMarco had touchdown runs of 2 and one yard to tie the game 17-17. The latter score was set up by an interception of Osweiler. With 46 seconds left in the half, a field position game had the Texans at the Titans 44. Nick Novak hit from 45 as the Texans took a 20-17 lead into the locker rooms.
The defenses slowed the game down drastically in the second half. The Titans held the ball for the first 8 minutes of the third quarter and moved 59 yards in 13 plays. However, they settled for a 26 yard Succop field goal to tie the game 20-20. After Osweiler was intercepted again, the key play of the game came with one minute left in the third quarter. The Titans punted, and Fuller returned it 67 yards for the touchdown. Despite having the whole fourth quarter, the Titans did nothing. With 2 minutes left and facing 2nd and 6 from the Houston 28, Marcus Mariota threw 3 straight incompletions. The Titans got it back with 4 seconds left at their own 25, and the hook and laterals failed. 27-20 Texans
Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens — Both offenses self-destructed early on under a hail of penalties. Marquette King twice pinned Baltimore inside their own 10. A field position game led to Jalen Richard returning a punt 47yards to the Baltimore 6. One play later Derek Carr hit Seth Roberts for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Raiders. Devon Hester returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards to the Oakland 47. Despite reaching 2nd and 4 from the 5, Joe Flacco threw incomplete twice and the Raiders held on defense. Justin Tucker hit a 24 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 7-3 early in the second quarter.
Midway through the second quarter the Raiders moved 80 yards. From the Baltimore 33, Washington ran for 28 yards. On the next play Carr hit Michael Crabtree for the touchdown and the 14-3 Raiders lead with 4 minutes left in the half. With 1:10 left in the half the Ravens were backed up to 3rd and 7 at their own 15. Flacco found Perriman for 15 yards and Steve Smith for 20 more. Tucker hit from 43 to end the half with the Ravens down 14-6. This was the year Raiders fans would find out if the team knew how to win games.
The Ravens moved late in the third quarter from their 28 to a 1st and goal at the 2. on 3rd and goal at the 2, a pass came up just short of the goal line. John Harbaugh decided to go for it. Flacco took the quarterback sneak and got in to cap the 13 play, 7 minute drive. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Ravens were within 14-12 after three quarters.
The fourth quarter began with the Ravens facing 3rd and 6 at their own 38. Flacco was sacked and fumbled, and Autry recovered for the Raiders at the Baltimore 29. On 3rd and 1, a pitchout to Latavius Murray lost 5 yards. Yet an offensive personal foul for unnecessary roughness left John Harbaugh with a decision. Rather than make it 4th and 6, he took the decision and made it 3rd and 16 in an attempt to push Sebastian Janikowski out of field goal range. The strategy backfired. On 3rd and 17, Carr found Amari Cooper inches short of the first down marker. Jack Del Rio went for it. Carr executed the hard count and the Ravens jumped offsides. On 3rd and 8 from the 13, Carr fired a laser to crabtree for the touchdown. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders led 21-12. The question would be if they could finish a game.
With 6 1/2 minutes left, Hester returned a punt 20 yards to the Baltimore 48. One play later Flacco threw a short pass to Steve Smith. The old man nicknamed Senior broke a terrible tackle attempt and outraced everyone for a 52 yard touchdown. Now the Ravens were within 21-19. Three plays later the Raiders faced 2nd and 18 at their 17. Washington fumbled the ball and Young recovered it for the Ravens at the Oakland 17 with 5 1/2 minutes left. West got in from 3 yards out and Flacco hit Mike Wallace for the 2 point conversion. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Ravens now led 27-21. It looked like the Raiders had blown another game.
These Raiders have Derek Carr. From the Oakland 34, Carr hit Crabtree for gains of 15 and 11, Clive Walford for 17, and Crabtree for a perfectly thrown 23 yard touchdown. With 2:12 to play, the Raiders had one the one point lead. The questions as whether the defense could get it right and not waste Carr’s heroics. Baltimore took over at their own 21. With 1:08 to play they faced 3rd and 4 at their own 45. Flacco found Smith for 5 at the midfield stripe. After that the Raiders defense did what they had not in past years. They clamped down. Flacco was harassed as defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. brought the house. Flacco threw 4 straight incompletions.
Jack Del Rio has the Raiders at 3-1 for the first time since 2002. All 3 wins have come on the road. The home loss to Atlanta all of a sudden does not look so bad. Baltimore fell from the unbeaten ranks. Flacco ws 35 of 52 for 298 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Yet he could not get one more first down on the last drive. Carr was magnificent. He was 25 of 35 for only 199 yards, but he threw 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. 28-27 Raiders
Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — On the third play of the game, Jameis Winston was intercepted to set up the Broncos at the Bucs 11. One play later Trevor Siemian hit Denarius Thomas for the 7-0 Broncos lead. Winston rebounded and led the Buccaneers 75 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Winton ran for the last 7 yards himself as the game was deadlocked 7-7. Early in the second quarter facing 3rd and 10 at their own 28, Winston was intercepted again. After taking over at the Tampa Bay 27, defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. CJ Anderson got in for a 14-7 Broncos lead.
The Buccaneers took over at midfield in a field position game and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 25. Sims got the carry and fumbled the ball away. The Broncos took over at their own 34. On the very next play Siemian was sacked and had to be carted off the field with an injured non-throwing shoulder. Denver fans sat in shock in front of their tv sets. Rookie Paxton Lynch came in for the first time. Denver got it back at their own 33. On 3rd and 10 from the Tampa 47, Lynch hit Emanuel Sanders for 18. Lynch threw incomplete on 3rd and 1 from t he 20, but brandon McManus hit the 38 yard field goal to end the half with the Broncos up 17-7.
In the third quarter the Broncos held the ball for 8 minutes and took 16 plays to move 79 yards. They settled for a 24 yard McManus field goal, but with their defense the 20-7 Broncos lead looked commanding. In the fourth quarter the Broncos moved 80 yards. From the 5 yard line, Lynch rolled out and found a wide open Sanders for the touchdown as the Broncos had a 27-7 stranglehold with 9 minutes left in regulation. For the second week in a row, a Buccaneers game was suspended for lightning in the fourth quarter. However, this time the delay was only of the inevitable. The Broncos remain unbeaten, and Wade Phillips’s defense will need to carry the team as it has the last 20 regular season games. 27-7 Broncos
Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco — Nobody would mistake these teams for the great ones of decades past. Early on, with Dallas expecting to be the better team, it was all San Francisco. Blaine Gabbert hit Kerley for a 33 yard touchdown in the first quarter. In the second quarter the 49ers moved 80 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. Carlos Hyde ran for a 3 yard score to make it 14-0 49ers. Dak Prescott hit Terrence Williams for a 20 yard touchdown to get the Cowboys within 14-7. The Cowboys got it back at their own 42 with 1:50 left in the half. With 15 seconds left, from the Frisco 4, Prescott hit Brice Butler for the touchdown and a 14-14 game at the intermission.
The 49ers began the third quarter after a touchback with Hyde running for a 32 yard gain and Blaine gabbers hitting Celek for 29 more down to the Dallas 14. The drive died but Phil Dawson hit a 36 yard field goal for a 17-14 49ers lead. The Cowboys moved 78 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. From the 49ers 18, Ezekiel Elliott ran 17 yards and then plunged in for the last yard as the Cowboys led 21-17 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Cowboys moved inside the Frisco 5 but a well thrown ball on 3rd and goal could not be hauled in. Dan Bailey, who missed from 47 earlier, hit the 21 yarder for a 24-17 Cowboys lead with 4 minutes left in the game. With 1:56 left, the 49ers faced 4th and 6 at the Dallas 35. In the great 49ers West Coast Offense dink and dunk tradition, Gabbert completed a pass short of marker and the 49ers turned it over on downs. With Dallas facing 2nd and 13 and the 49ers out of timeouts, Prescott hooked up with Cole Beasley for a 47 yard gain as the Cowboys ran out the clock. 24-17 Cowboys
New Orleans Saints at San Diego Chargers — Drew Brees and Philip Rivers can still sling it. Early on the saints moved 75 yards as Mark Ingram got the last yard to put the Rams up 7-0. The Chargers came back 62 yards and rivers hit Henry for a 20 yard touchdown for a 7-7 game. In the second quarter the saints moved 75 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. Brees hit John Kuhn for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Saints. Philip Rivers came back with a 57 yard touchdown to Dontrelle Inman for a 14-14 game midway through the second quarter. Brees was quickly intercepted, giving the Chargers a short field at the Saints 41. Josh Lambo hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 17-14 Chargers with 5 minutes left in the half. A field position game had the chargers taking over at the Saints 47 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. On 3rd and 12 from the Saints 24, Rivers hit Mevin Gordon for just enough. On 3rd and 8 from the 10, the Saints jumped offsides. Then Gordon gained 4 and got the last yard with seconds on the clock for a 24-14 Chargers halftime lead.
A field position game early in the third quarter had the Saints taking over at the Chargers 48. Brees converted a pair of third downs and Kuhn got in from the one to have the Saints within 24-21. In the fourth quarter the Chargers then moved 74 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Gordon got in from 1 yard out to make it 31-21 Chargers with 12 minutes left. Brees was quickly intercepted, giving the Chargers the ball at the Saints 26. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Rivers was sacked and fumbled. San Diego retained possession but an offensive personal foul pushed them back. Rambo hit the 47 yarder to make it 34-21 Chargers with 9 minutes left.
With 6:40 to play and the Chargers in total control, Melvin Ingram fumbled and the Saints recovered at the San Diego 13. On 4th and 2 from the 5, Brees found Michael Thomas for the touchdown as the Saints were within 34-28 with 4 1/2 minutes to play. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, a short completion to Benjamin was fumbled. The Saints had another short field at the San Diego 31 as the Chargers were literally giving the game away. On 3rd and 1 from the 4, Brees hit Kuhn for three yards and Kuhn got the last yard himself on the ground. at the 2 minute warning, the Saints now had a one point lead. There was plenty of time to drive for the winning field goal, but instead after a fumbled snap set up 4th and 22 at their own 13, Rivers went deep and was intercepted. 3 turnovers in the final 7 minutes allowed the saints to get their first win of the season. The Chargers have led in the fourth quarter of every game but are only 1-3. That is why Mike McCoy may not survive the season. 35-34 Saints
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals — The Rams have Jeff Fisher’s defense and the Cardinals have Bruce Arians’s offense. The Rams play division opponents tough at home, but at Arizona was a tough test. Early on it was all defense as one play made the difference. Case Keenum found Quick for a 65 yard touchdown to cap a 90 yard drive for a 7-0 Rams lead. All the Cardinals could muster was a 25 yard Chandler Catanzaro field goal in the second quarter. Greg Zuerlein responded from 29 to make it 10-3 Rams. After doing nothing most of the whole half, the Cardinals took over at their 20 with 1:48 left. On 3rd and 4 from their 26, Carson Palmer hit John Brown for gains of 20, 15 and 18. Palmer threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd with 24 seconds left in the half for a 10-10 game at the midpoint.
In the third quarter the Cardinals moved 72 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. After an earlier drive in the red zone was thwarted by a fumble, this one ran into a brick wall defense inside the 5. Catanzaro hit from 21 on the last play of the third quarter to make it 13-10 Cardinals. The Rams moved to a 4th and 5 at the Arizona 37 and Jeff Fisher decided to go for it. A well thrown ball by Case Keenum was equally well defended by Patrick Peterson for an incompletion.
With 5 1/2 minutes left the Cardinals faced 3rd and 6 at their own 39. Palmer was sacked, and although he walked off the field under his power, he was taken to the locker room for concussion protocol. Things got worse for the Cardinals as Tavon Austin returned the punt 51 yards, with a defensive facemark adding 15 more to the Arizona 19. On 3rd and 8 Keenum hit Todd Gurley, who will his way to just enough for a first down. Keenum hit Brian Quick for the 4 yard touchdown as the Rams led 17-13 with 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Drew Stanton came in for Palmer and was intercepted by Mark Barron with 90 seconds left and again with 0 seconds left in the end zone as the Rams got the big road win. The Rams at 3-1 are in first place in the NFC West. 17-13 Rams
Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday night game. It was over by the end of the first quarter. After losing by 31 on the road last week, an angry Steelers team with Super Bowl aspirations returned to form. Alex Smith is the king of the dink and dunk West Coast Offense, which requires 4 yard passes all the time. Then when the game is out of reach, Smith is finally allowed to throw the ball beyond the marker when it no longer matters. Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter. All three came with a short field and combined took 6 plays and barely more than two minutes. A fumble by Ware set up the Steelers at the Chiefs 32. On 3rd and 9, Big Ben found Darrius Hayward-Bey for the 31 yard touchdown and Wheaton for the 2 point conversion. An interception of Smith was returned 20 yards by Jones to the Chiefs 4 yard line. Big Ben hit Antonio Brown for the touchdown. A 23 yard shanked punt had the Steelers at the Kansas City 40. Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for a 38 yard touchdown as the Steelers led 22-0 after the first quarter. Roethlisberger hit James for a 9 yard touchdown in the second quarter and Wheaton for a 30 yard touchdown in the third quarter as the Steelers led 36-0 after three quarters. The entire fourth quarter was garbage time, where Smith padded his stats with a pair of meaningless touchdown passes with one more Pittsburgh touchdown sandwiched between them. Big Ben was spectacular, going 22 of 27 for 300 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Despite this game being played on Rosh Hashanah, Roethlisberger is not Jewish. He was cleared to play. 43-14 Steelers
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings was the Monday night game. Mike Zimmer’s squad is winning with hard-nosed defense and special teams. Sam Bradford has played well and the 2016 version of the Purple People Eaters have done the rest. The Giants fumbled a punt early on, setting up the Vikings at the Giants 41. Asiata got in from the one to have the Vikings up 7-0 after the first quarter. In the second quarter Sam Bradford moved Minnesota 65 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 7, Bradford hit Kyle Rudolph for the score to make it 14-0 Vikings. Josh Brown kicked a 40 yard field goal to end the half with the Giants down 14-3, but Minnesota’s defense carried the team. In the third quarter after Blair Walsh missed a 46 yard field goal, Eli Manning was intercepted. Given another chance from 44 yards out, Walsh was good for a 17-3 Vikings lead. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a short pass from Manning to Perkins went for 67 yards to the Minnesota 4. Darkwa got in from the one as the Giants only trailed 17-10. Bradford soon turned out the lights. After converting a pair of third down conversions, from the Giants 44, Bradford went deep to Johnson for a 40 yard gain. On the next play McKinnon ran it in to lock up the win and keep the Vikings the NFC’s only unbeaten team. 24-10 Vikings