NFL 2016 Week 10 Recap
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens was the Thursday night game. Justin Tucker hit a 25 yard field goal to get the Ravens on the board first. Cody Kessler then threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to DeValve as the winless Browns had the 7-3 lead. Cleveland’s defense hung tough but the offense gave them no more help. Tucker hit from 40 as the Ravens trailed 7-6 at halftime. The second half was all Baltimore. How Flacco threw touchdown passes of 4 yards to Waller and 11 yards to Steve Smith in the third quarter and 27 yards to Brandon Perriman in the fourth quarter to turn a slugfest into a blowout. Hue Jackson still lacks his first win as the Browns head coach. 28-7 Ravens.
Kansas City Chiefs at Carolina Panthers — Early on it was all Carolina. Graham Gano hit a 42 yard field goal in the first quarter for the Panthers. In the second quarter Cam Newton led drives of 80 and 87 yards against the normally stingy Chiefs defense. Newton ran for a 4 yard touchdown and threw a 38 yard touchdown pass to Devon Funchess for a 17-0 Panthers lead. Kansas City finally got on the board before the half when Cairo Santos hit a 42 yard field goal. Despite 1st and 10 at the Carolina 18, Alex Smith threw 3 straight incompletions. Santos hit from 36 with 12 minutes left in regulation to get the Chiefs within 17-6.
Carolina was still in total control, but late turnovers killed them. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 29, Newton was intercepted by Eric Berry, who returned it 42 yards for a touchdown. Smith hit Kelce for the 2 point conversion as the Chiefs were only down 17-14 with a full 11 minutes left. Midway through the fourth quarter, Hill returned a punt 21 yards just past midfield. The Chiefs moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Carolina 14, where Smith threw incomplete. Santos hit from 33 to tie the game 17-17 with 4 1/2 minutes to play. With 30 seconds left in regulation, the Panthers took over after a punt at their own 20. One kneel down would take the game to overtime. Instead, Riverboat Ron Rivera went aggressive. Newton hit Kelvin Benjamin for a 14 yard gain, but Benjamin had the ball ripped out of his hands. In front of a shellshocked home crowd, The Chiefs took over at the Carolina 29. With 3 seconds left, Santos came in for the 37 yarder to win it. The kick was good, and 20 unanswered points had the Chiefs at 7-2 tied atop the AFC West, making Andy Reid one happy Walrus Lite. 20-17 Chiefs
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars — Jacksonville has made mistakes all year, and this game began with Blake Bortles being intercepted by Jackson for a 42 yard touchdown return and a 7-0 Texans lead. Bortles brought the Jaguars back 75 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Bortles hit Julius Thomas from 5 yards out for a 7-7 game. Brock Osweiler brought the Texans back 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. A one yard touchdown pass to griffin made it 14-7 Texans. In the second quarter Jared Myers nailed a 54 yard field goal for a 14-10 Jaguars deficit at the half.
With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, Ervin returned a punt 57 yards to the Jacksonville 7. Oseweiler then hit Anderson for the touchdown as the texans led 21-10 after three quarters. On the first play of the fourth quarter, facing 4th and 1 at the Houston 26, Gus Bradley opted for the field goal. Jared Myers hit from 44 to get the Jaguars within 21-13. Nick Novak countered from 51 yards to make it 24-13 Texans. This is when Bortles piles up garbage time yards and touchdowns to create the illusion the Jaguars are any good at anything. Jacksonville moved 92 yards and hit Robinson for a 14 yard touchdown pass and the 2 point conversion. Within a field goal, Jacksonville needed the ball back. At the 2 minute warning with Jacksonville out of timeouts, the Texans faced 3rd and 5 at their own 13. A safe run was not in the card as Bill O’Brien went big and bold. An incompletion would stop the lock, but Osweiler hit Deandre Hopkins for 10 yards as Houston ran out the clock. Osweiler had only 99 yards passing all game to 265 for Bortles, but Houston is 5-3 while Jacksonville is 2-6 and sinking. 24-21 Texans
Denver Broncos at New Orleans Saints — Pinball wizard Drew Brees brought his offense against Von Miller and the Denver defense. Early on Denver had the advantage. A 13 play, 85 yard drive took over 7 minutes. Trevor Siemian hit Taylor for a 14 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Broncos lead. After a Saints turnover in the second quarter, Brandon McManus hit a 50 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Broncos. Will lutz hit a 30 yard field goal just before the half as the Saints trailed 10-3. In the third quarter the Saints moved 90 yards. Brees hit Willie Snead for a 3 yard touchdown and a 10-10 tie. Siemian’s second interception gave New Orleans a short field at the Denver 38. Brees hit Snead again for a 5 yard touchdown and a 17-10 Saints lead.
In the fourth quarter the Saints self-destructed. The Saints faced 2nd and 2 at their own 40. Brees found Thomas for 12 yards, but Thomas fumbled. Stewart returned the fumble 28 yards to the Saints 27. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Siemian hit Denarius Thomas for the touchdown as the game was tied 17-17 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. New Orleans went 3 and out after a sack of Brees, and a 17 yard punt return put Denver at their own 47. Denver settled for a 28 yard McManus field goal but the Broncos led 20-17 with 3 1/2 minutes left. From their own 13, the Saints quickly fumbled and the Broncos recovered at the Saints 20. The defense held, but with 2:50 to play McManus hit from 37. The Broncos led 23-17, but they had not closed the door. After a touchback came the shocking conclusion that will be talked about in both cities for awhile.
Brees found Brandon Cooks for 29 yards and then again for a 32 yard touchdown. With 90 seconds to play, the game was tied. The extra point would give the Saints the lead. The kick was blocked by Simmons. Parks picked up the ball and raced all the way the other way. Rather than a 24-23 Saints lead, it was Denver that was up by 2 points in front of a shellshocked home crowd. The Saints now needed an onside kick, and it failed. Denver is now 7-3 in the hyper-competitive AFC West. 25-23 Broncos.
Los Angeles Rams at New York Jets — Todd Bowles has had enough of bad quarterback play. Ryan Fitzpatrick was benched, and with Geno Smith injured, Brice Petty got his first NFL start. In the first quarter the Rams moved 73 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Yet on 1st and goal at the one, a run lost a yard and Case Keenum threw incomplete twice. Jeff Fisher opted for the field goal and Greg Zuerlein hit the 20 yarder to make it 3-0 Rams. In the second quarter, pinned at their own one, Petty led a 99 yard against Jeff Fisher’s defense. A 4 yard touchdown pass to Brad Powell made it 6-3 Jets. The extra point failed, but Gang Green led at the half. In the third quarter the Jets held the ball for over 8 minutes and 15 plays, yet settled for a 38 yard Zuerlein field goal and a 6-6 game. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Rams got it back at their own 48. Zuerlein hit a 34 yard field goal to put the Rams back in front. At the 2 minute warning, with the Jets at their own 42, Petty was intercepted. Jeff Fisher has no offense and a stifling defense, and on this day that was enough. In a game only Fisher’s former mentor Buddy Ryan could love, the Rams got it done. 9-6 Rams
Atlanta Falcons at Philadelphia Eagles — Early on the Eagles moved 81 yards in 12 plays in over 7 minutes. Ryan Mathews ran it in from 4 yards out for a 7-0 Eagles lead. After that the field goal kickers took over. Matt Bryant hit from 38 and 43 in the second quarter as the Falcons trailed 7-6 at halftime. In the third quarter Caleb Surges hit from 29 and Bryant countered from 46 as the Falcons still trailed 10-9. In the fourth quarter Sturgis hit from 25 to make it 13-9 Eagles. Finally, the logjam was broken when Many Ryan went deep to Tyler Gabriel for a 76 yard touchdown. In a game of field goals, the extra point was no good as the Falcons led 15-13 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. The ensuing kickoff was returned 52 yards to the Atlanta 45. Yet from the Atlanta 31, a delay of penalty was a killer. Doug Pederson had Sturgis try a 55 yard field goal for the lead, but with a full 11 minutes remaining, Sturgis was no good.
Matt Ryan quickly threw 3 incompletions as the Eagles got it back at their own 24. The Eagles moved 76 yards and Mathews scored again from 5 yards out. Mathews ran in the 2 point conversion as the Eagles retook the lead 21-15 midway through the fourth quarter. With 2:24 to play and the Falcons facing 4th and 5 at their own 40, Ryan threw incomplete. That was enough for Sturgis to try a 48 yarder to lock up the game. This time Sturgis was good. The Falcons had one last chance from their own 25 with 1:55 to play. Matty Ice went ice cold as he was intercepted by Leodis McKelvin to end the threat. 24-15 Eagles
Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Jay Cutler can always be counted on to throw touchdown passes. The issue is which team he will throw them to. Early on he threw a 20 yard touchdown pass to Conte, who plays defense for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The pick had the Bucs up 7-0. Conor Barth hit a 54 yard field goal to get the Bears on the board. The Bears turned the ball over four times in the first half, and the Bucs made them pay. A short field at the Chicago 29 led to Jameis Winston hitting Brate for a 10 yard score to make it 14-3 Buccaneers. Roberto Aguayo hit a 30 yard field foal to make it 17-3 Buccaneers.
With the Buccaneers in total control, the Bears needed a miracle and got one. On the last play of the half from midfield, cutler unloaded the Hail Mary and Meredith came down with the deflected ball in the back of the end zone. Despite awful play all half, the Bears only trailed 17-10 at halftime. After that, reality returned. In the third quarter Winston threw a 43 yard touchdown pass to Martino for a 24-10 Buccaneers lead. Aguayo tacked on a 27 yard field goal for a 27-10 Buccaneers lead. Cutler was then sacked in the end zone, resulting in a fumble and a safety. Doug Martin ran it in from one yard out to complete the blowout. At least Chicago has the Cubs. 36-10 Buccaneers
Green Bay Packers at Tennessee Titans — This game was just a shocker. Although Tennessee’s offense has been putting up points, their defense has regressed. Green Bay was supposed to steamroll over them. As ESPN user-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they play the games.” 11 seconds was enough time for DeMarco Murray to run for a 75 yard touchdown. The next two times the titans got the ball they moved 85 and 71 yards in addition to their opening 80 yard drive. mike Mularkey went to his bag of tricks and had Murray throw a halfback option pass. It went for a 10 yard touchdown pass to Delanie Walker. It may have been the first time in NFL history of a touchdown connection between a Delanie and a DeMarco. Meanwhile, a more traditional 9 yard touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to Anthony Fasano had the Titans up 21-0 after the first quarter.
The Packers did move 75 yards in the second quarter, and Aaron Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson for a 1 yard touchdown. Yet there was no momentum shift. Tennessee rapidly came back 75 yards again as a 32 yard touchdown pass from Mariota to Matthews made it 28-7 Titans. The Packers drove to the red zone but settled for a 29 yard Mason Crosby to get within 28-10. Green Bay finally held on defense, but then they fumbled the punt. The Titans took over at the Packers 12. On 3rd and 4, Mariota hit Kenny Wright for the 6 yard touchdown and a shocking 35-10 Titans lead. Rodgers would work the 2 minute drill to perfection, moving 75 yards in barely more than one minute. Rodgers hit James Starks for a 13 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Packers trailed 35-16 at halftime.
In the third quarter the Packers moved 78 yards in 10 plays. Rodgers scrambled for a 20 yard touchdown. As Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network remarked, “A Rodgers scramble sounds like an omelette.” The 2 point try failed as the Packers were within 35-22. Yet while Mike McCarthy calls the plays for the offense, he does not do the defense. Dom Capers is one of the all time great defensive coordinators, but on this day his squad was torched. 55 yards came easily as Mariota threw a 33 yard touchdown pass to Sharpe for a 41-22 Titans lead. Crosby hit a 38 yard field goal to get the Packers within 41-25 after three quarters. There would be no comeback. Ryan Succop hit field goals of 51 and 23 to complete the blowout and leave Packers fans searching for answers. Their team was expected to contend and instead is 4-5. Meanwhile, one year after being 2-14, the Titans have quietly gotten to 5-5 in the very winnable AFC South. 47-25 Titans
Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins — Early on the Redskins moved 68 yards in 10 plays as Kirk Cousins hit Crowder for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Redskins. In the second quarter the Redskins moved 91 yards. Cousins hit Vernon Davis for a 38 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Redskins. Minnesota finally got back in the game, moving on successive drives 67 and 75 yards. Matt Asiata got in for a one yard touchdown and Sam Bradford found Kyle Rudolph for a 20 yard touchdown connection for a 14-14 game. With one minute left in the half after a touchback, the Redskins fumbled and the Vikings recovered at the Washington 33. With 5 seconds left in the half, the Vikings faced 3rd and goal at the 3. Mike Zimmer decided to gamble with one more play. Sam Bradford hit Thielen for the touchdown. Blair Walsh has had a nightmarish season, and he missed another extra point. The Vikings led 20-14 at halftime.
In the second half, everybody went to sleep except Washington kicker Dustin Hopkins. He hit field goals of 30 and 37 in the third quarter to tie the game and from 50 and 28 in the fourth quarter to give the Redskins the 6 point lead. The Vikings took over with 2 1/2 minutes left at their own 25 to try and get the win. With 45 seconds left, Bradford had led the Vikings to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 21. Victory was in sight. Instead, an incompletion, a sack of Bradford, and another incompletion meant 4th and 17 from the Washington 28 with 11 seconds left. Bradford was sacked again for a 14 yard loss as Minnesota lost its fourth straight game after their 5-0 start. Mike Zimmer last week was heard screaming “I love adversity.” Well now the former military man has it. Meanwhile, Jay Gruden has quietly gotten his team to 5-3 in the NFC East. 26-20 Redskins
Miami Dolphins at San Diego Chargers — After a scoreless first quarter, the Chargers got on the board first when Josh Lambo hit a 45 yard field goal. San Diego got it back and moved 80 yards. Philip Rivers hit Antonio Gates for an 11 yard touchdown and a 10-0 Chargers lead. The Dolphins moved 74 yards before the half. Ryan Tannehill threw a 39 yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills to get the Dolphins within 10-7 at halftime. The game became a second half see-saw. The Dolphins moved 75 yards and Deangelo Williams got in from 2 yards out to make it 14-10 Dolphins. The Chargers moved 75 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Rivers hit Henry for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 17-14 Chargers. Miami came back 75 yards again and Tannehill on 3rd and 2 hit Williams for an 18 yard touchdown for a 21-17 Dolphins lead.
Early in the fourth quarter the Chargers punted and the Dolphins fumbled it. San Diego started out with 1st and goal at the 5. On 3rd and goal Rivers threw incomplete, but defensive holding gave San Diego 1st and goal at the 2. Rivers then went to the end zone and was intercepted by Lippett for a touchback. Miami quickly went 3 and out and the Chargers moved from their 12 to a 1st and 10 at the Miami 30. Rivers went deep and was intercepted again. Brandon Maxwell returned it 27 yards to the Miami 41 midway through the fourth quarter.
The Dolphins went backward and punted. On 3rd and 8 from the San Diego 44 Rivers threw incomplete. Yet defensive holding gave the Chargers another chance, and Rivers made the Dolphins pay. Rivers went bombs away to Williams for a 51 yard touchdown to make it 24-21 Chargers with 4 minutes left. Miami struck back quickly. After a touchback, Tannehill went deep to Parker for a 56 yard gain wth 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 10, a run went nowhere and Tannehill threw incomplete twice. Andrew Franks hit the 27 yard field goal to tie the game 24-24 with 3 minutes left. After a touchback, Melvin Gordon ran for 13 yards and caught a pass for a 20 yard gain. With 1:13 to play, the Chargers faced 1st and 10 at the Miami 42. A few more yards would give Novak a chance at a field goal to win it. Rivers then threw a perfect pass to Alonso. Problem: Alonso plays defense for Miami. The interception was returned 60 yards the other day for the go ahead touchdown. Down by 7, the Chargers tried to tie it. From the San Diego 37, Rivers then threw his fourth interception. These are the Chargers. 31-24 Dolphins
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals — Arizona could get to .500 by dispatching of the dumpster fire 49ers. Early on the Cardinals moved 91 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. Carson Palmer on 3rd and goal hit David Johnson for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. On the last play of the opening quarter, the 49ers fumbled a punt. The Cardinals took over at the San Francisco 44. On the first play of the second quarter, defensive pass interference meant a 38 yard gain. One play later Johnson got the carry and ran up the middle for the touchdown and a 14-0 Cardinals lead.
The 49ers tried to make a game of it by going 75 yards. Colin Kaepernick hit Justin Kerley for a 17 yard touchdown to get the 49ers within 14-7. Chandler Catanzaro hit a 39 yard field goal to extend the lead for Arizona, but Phil Dawson hit from 49 to get the 49ers within 17-10 with 90 seconds left in the half. Carson Palmer rapidly moved the Cardinals from their own 18 to a 1st and goal at the one with 6 seconds left. Palmer threw incomplete. With 2 seconds left, Bruce Arians opted for the field goal. Catanzaro hit the 19 yard chip shot as the Cardinals led 20-10 at halftime. The game slowed drastically in the second half. Dawson hit a 53 yard field goal to get the 49ers within 20-13.
With 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Cardinals had 1st and 10 at midfield. Rather than put the game away, Palmer was intercepted. The 49ers took over at their own 43. Kaepernick quickly found Kerley for a 24 yard gain. At the 2 minute warning, the 49ers faced 3rd and 2 at the Arizona 4. Kaepernick got around the end and got in the end zone for a 20-20 game. From their own 15 with 1:51 left, Palmer went deep to Malcolm Floyd for a 26 yard gain, David Johnson for 8, and Larry Fitzgerald for 14 more. With one minute left the Cardinals faced 3rd and 8 at the San Francisco 35. Palmer found Johnson for 12 yards. With 3 seconds left, Catanzaro came in for the 34 yarder to win it. The kick was good, the Cardinals got to 4-4, and Chip Kelly’s 49ers lost their eighth straight game. 23-20 49ers
Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers — Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach are long since retired, but Ben Roethlisberger and Dak Prescott put on an exciting game that did both franchises proud. On the third play of the game, Prescott was sacked and fumbled and the Steelers recovered at the Dallas 38. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Roethlisberger hit LeVeon Bell for the touchdown. Mike Tomlin likes to go for 2 frequently, and this time the conversion try failed as the Steelers led 6-0. Christ Boswell hit the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, setting the Cowboys up at their own 40. They settled for a 37 yard Dan Bailey field goal to get within 6-3.
The Steelers came back 75 yards and Big Ben hit Rogers for a 3 yard touchdown. Again the 2 point try failed as the Steelers led 12-3. Yet one minute later Dallas was in the end zone. Prescott connected with Ezekiel Elliott on an 83 yard touchdown to get the Cowboys within 12-10. The second quarter was relatively quiet. Bailey hit a 53 yard field goal to put Dallas up by a point, but Chris Boswell answered from 39 as the Steelers took a 15-13 lead into the locker rooms. These teams were just getting started. In the third quarter Boswell hit a 25 yard field goal to extend Pittsburgh’s lead. Bailey answered from 46 to get the Cowboys back within 18-16. The field goal kickers were done for the day as both teams fired at will to the end zone.
From the midfield stripe, Prescott went bombs away to Dez Bryant. The extra point had the Cowboys up 23-18 after three quarters. The fourth quarter featured plenty of points but no more extra points. A 22 yard punt return had Pittsburgh starting over at the Dallas 46. Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for 12 and again for 20. Bell got in from one yard out as the Steelers led 24-23 midway though the fourth quarter. After a touchback, the Cowboys moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Pittsburgh 28. Prescott hit Jason Witten for 14 yards and then Elliott ran for the 14 yard touchdown. The Cowboys led 29-24 with only 1:55 left, but this thriller was far from over.
Roethlisberger put on a passing clinic. He hit Green for 10, Bell for 23, and James for 24 to the Dallas 15. Roethlisberger channeled his inner Dan Marino and ran the fake spike play. The Miami defense stopped playing as Big Ben fired to Brown for the touchdown. Each team tried and failed to make three 2 point conversions, but the Steelers led 30-29. After a touchback, only 42 seconds remained. Prescott hit Cole Beasley for 10 and Willten for 13 more to the Dallas 48 with 23 seconds left. A short completion to Witten gained 5 yards, and a critical defensive facemark personal foul had the Cowboys at the Pittsburgh 32 with 15 seconds left. A field goal try would be 50 yards, no sure thing. The Cowboys still had one timeout left, so Jason Garrett called a simple run up the middle. Garrett never needed to use the timeout.
Elliott raced for the 32 yard touchdown. With 9 seconds left the Steelers took over at their 25. With 2 seconds left from their 36, Big Ben hit Brown, who raced 44 yards. Yet as he reached the Dallas 20, rather than lateral the ball, he was forced out of bounds and the game was over. Prescott was 22 of 32 for 319 yards and 2 touchdowns. Roethlisberger was a lights out 37 of 46 for 408 yards and 3 touchdowns. Neither quarterback was intercepted. Elliott had over 200 combined yards rushing and receiving. The Steelers fell to 4-5 in the mediocre AFC North while the Cowboys won their eighth straight game for the first time since the 1977 team won it all. 35-30 Cowboys
Seattle Seahawks at New England Patriots was the Sunday night game. Two years ago, the entire world saw the worst play call in Super Bowl history. Two years later, both of these teams have the potential to get back to the Super Bowl. Early on the Patriots moved 75 yards, as LaGuarrette Blount got in from one yard out to make it 7-0 Patriots. Seattle twice reached the red zone but had to settle for Steve Hauschka field goals of 27 yards in the first quarter and 31 yards in the second quarter as the Seahawks trailed 7-6. In the second quarter the Seahawks moved 65 yards in 10 plays. Russell Wilson hit Doug Baldwin for a 6 yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked as the Seahawks led 12-7.
The Patriots came back 81 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. From the one, Blount ran into a brick wall, kept churning laterally, and somehow fought off most of the Seattle defense to lunge past the pylon for a 14-12 Patriots lead with one minute left in the half. That was plenty of time. On 3rd and 9 from their own 26, Wilson hit Jimmy Graham for 14 and Tyler Lockett for 24 more. A 12 yard completion to Prosise set up 1st and 10 at the New England 18 with 13 seconds left in the half. Wilson went to the end zone and found Doug Baldwin for the touchdown as the Seahawks took a 19-14 lead into the locker rooms.
In the third quarter the Patriots went 91 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Blount scored his third touchdown, running in from 13 yards out to make it 21-19 Patriots. After a touchback, the Seahawks had their turn marching down the field. Wilson went deep to Richardson for a 39 yard gain to the New England 30. Despite 2nd and goal at the 5, a sack of Wilson and an intentional grounding penalty meant 4th and goal at the 23. Hauschka hit the 41 yard field goal to make it 22-21 Seahawks later in the third quarter. The Patriots came right back after a touchback. Brady hit Martellus Bennett on a short pass that went for a 36 yard gain. After successive offensive penalties, the Patriots faced 3rd and 25 from the Seattle 42. On the last play of the third quarter, Brady went deep to Julian Edelman for a 33 yard gain. New England began the fourth quarter with 1st and goal at the 9.
On 3rd and goal at the 7, Brady was sacked. Stephen Gostkowski hit the 30 yard field goal as the Patriots regained a 24-22 lead. Lockett returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to the Seattle 37. Wilson hit Graham for a 19 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the New England 40, Wilson then went bombs away to Prosise for a 38 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 2. A run by Prosise came up inches short, and Pete Carroll challenged the call. While it appeared Prosise cracked the plane of the goal, the call stood. The Seahawks were down to one timeout. On 3rd and goal from inches away, a killer false start penalty followed by an incompletion ended the drive. Hauschka hit the 23 yard field goal for a 25-24 Seahawks lead with 9 minutes left in regulation. 7 lead changes had already taken place in this great football game.
Cyrus Jones returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards but fumbled the ball. The Patriots were lucky to retain possession at the Seattle 43. Two plays later a short pass to Edelman resulted in another fumble. The Legion of Boom got it this time as Kam chancellor ripped it out and Richard Sherman recovered it. The Seahawks took over at the New England 48. On 3rd and 4, Wilson found Prosise for 7 yards and Lockett for 12 more to the New England 22. On 3rd and 3, Wilson lobbed a pass to the end zone and Baldwin easily came down with it for the touchdown. Pete Carroll then took a bold gamble and went for a 2 point conversion. The logic was that if it succeeded, a 9 point Seattle lead would be a 2 score game. The try failed, and Seattle only led 31-24 with 4 1/2 minutes left.
That was plenty of time for Brady, as the Patriots moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 5 just past midfield. After a false start, Brady went deep on 3rd and 10 to Edelman for a 30 yard gain to the Seattle 24 as the two minute warning came. After a run lost 4 yards, Brady went deep to Rob Gronkowski for a 26 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 2. Brady took the quarterback sneak and got to the one as the Seahawks took their final timeout on defense with 37 seconds left. Blount got the carry and went airborne. Kam Chancellor pulled Blount from behind and kept Blount just short of the goal line. New England took a timeout with 19 seconds left. On 3rd and goal, Brady fumbled the snap and was lucky to recover it. With 13 seconds left, everything came down to 4th and goal at the 2. Seattle was somehow called for having 12 men on the defense, and now it was 4th and goal at the one. This was not the Super Bowl, but it certainly had the drama.
Brady through a fade to the corner of the end zone where only two people had a chance at the ball: Rob Gronkowski and Kam Chancellor. There was plenty of contact, but the officials properly did not call a penalty. New England screamed for a flag, but if anything it appeared Gronkowski shoved Chancellor to the ground. From dangerously close to their own goal line, taking a knee would have meant a safety. A couple runs up the middle could have resulted in a fumble, but there was no further drama. The Seahawks had gotten revenge in dramatic fashion as Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll hugged after the game. New England is 7-2, Seattle is 6-2, and a rematch of this game in the Super Bowl would be must-see television. 31-24 Seahawks
Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants was the Monday night game. Early on each team moved 80 yards with ease. Eli Manning threw a 10 yard touchdown to Adams to get the Giants on the board first. Andy Dalton went deep to Tyler Eifert for a 71 yard gain. Red Rifle Andy Dalton then threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to AJ Green for a 7-7 ballgame. With 10 minutes left in the half, the Giants moved to a 4th and 2 at the Cincy 37. Ben McAdoo went for it and Manning was sacked. With 5 minutes left in the half, Manning was intercepted in his own territory, giving the Bengals gift field position and 1st and goal at the 7. They gained nothing and settled for a 25 yard Mike nugget field goal and a 10-7 Bengals lead. The Giants came back 75 yards. With 1:17 left in the half, Manning hit O’Dell Beckham for a 10 yard touchdown as the Giants took a 14-10 lead into the locker rooms. Erickson returned the second half kickoff 84 yards to the Giants 13. Two plays later Jeremy Hill ran for a 9 yard touchdown and a 17-14 Bengals lead. The Bengals got it back at their own 39 and moved to the Giants 20, where Dalton threw incomplete on 3rd and 5. Nugent hit the 38 yard field goal for a 20-14 Bengals lead after three quarters. A field position game had the Giants taking over at the Cincy 47. Less than one minute into the fourth quarter, Ben McAdoo decided again to go for it on 4th and goal at the 3. The gutsy call paid off when Manning hit Sam Shepard for the touchdown. Big Blue led by a point, but there was plenty of time left. The teams traded interceptions, and the Bengals then failed to convert a 3rd and 1 run in their own territory. From the Cincinnati 30, consecutive sacks of Dalton killed another drive. With 2:50 to play, everything came down to the Giants facing 3rd and 6 at their own 45. Rashad Jennings gained 9 yards and the Giants ran out the clock to gut out another tough win. 21-20 Giants