THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2016 Week 16 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-week-16-christmas-hanukkah-games-preview-and-bettors-guide-75646/

NFL 2016 Week 15 Recap

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks was the Thursday night game. Jeff Fisher was fired on Monday, and John Fassel took over as interim coach. His first task was to keep his rookie quarterback from getting killed by a Legion of Boom angry at losing last week. Early on this game was all defense. In the second quarter the Seahawks moved 93 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 13, Pete Carroll went for it. Russell Wilson threw incomplete but defensive holding killed the Rams. On the next play Wilson hit non-relative Willson for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. After a potential tying touchdown bomb was dropped, the rams tried a fake punt that failed. Steve Hauschka hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Seahawks. Although the Rams did get a second quarter field goal, Pete Carroll’s defense turned out the lights in the second half. Wilson hit Doug Baldwin for a one yard touchdown in the third quarter. The knockout blow in the fourth quarter saw Wilson go bombs away for a 57 yard touchdown to Tyler Lockett. For good measure Richard Sherman lit up Jared Goff and knocked him out of the game. Pete Carroll called a successful fake punt late that nearly got his own punter decapitated. Meanwhile, the Seahawks clinched the NFC West. 24-3 Seahawks

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets was the Saturday night game. Rookie Brice Petty faced off against Miami team that would have to rely on backup Matt Moore to make the playoffs. Despite being eliminated from contention, the Jets dominated early on. Petty threw a 40 yard touchdown pass to Anderson for a 7-0 Jets lead. Gang Green got it back at their own 46 and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Miami 14. The home crowd was smelling upset. They should have known better. Petty was sacked and fumbled the ball away. In the second quarter the game changed. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 48, Moore hit Parker for 17, Landry for 11 and Gray for 19 down to the one. On 3rd and goal Moore hit Sims for the touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Dolphins trailed 7-6. The Jets moved from their 25 to the Miami 27, but Petty was then intercepted for another wasted chance. With 2:06 left in the half the Jets still had the lead as Miami faced 3rd and 9 at their own 48. Moore went deep to Kenny Stills for a 52 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Dolphins. Although the Jets got a 48 yard field goal from Nick Folk just before the half, they were only delaying the inevitable. The Jets trailed 13-10 at the break, but the roof caved in after that.

Early in the third quarter the Jets intercepted Moore. Yet after failing to move the ball, from their own 41, the Jets had a punt blocked. Aikens blocked it, picked it up at the Jets 11, and took it the rest of the way for the touchdown and the 20-10 Dolphins lead. The Jets took over at their own 19 and Petty was quickly intercepted again to give the Dolphins a short field at their own 40. Moore quickly hit Landry for 31 yards and Sims for 28 more down to the one. Again, on 3rd and goal Moore hit Sims for the score to make it 27-10 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back at their own 34. One play and 10 seconds later a short pass from Moore to Landry went for a 66 yard touchdown. A close game at the half was now a 34-10 Dolphins blowout. Petty finished 20 of 36 for 235 yards, one touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Things were so bad that Ryan Fitzpatrick came in, going 5 for 10 for 31 yards, 0 touchdowns, and an interception. Moore only threw 18 passes, completing 12 of them for 236 yards, 4 touchdown passes, and one interception. The 9-5 Dolphins have the inside track on the final playoff spot for Adam Gase while Todd Bowles has a mess. Despite a fourth quarter field goal for the Jets, their fans are still chanting Just End The Season. 34-13 Dolphins.

Detroit Lions at New York Giants — A pair of 9-4 teams met for a big game. The Giants early on went 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Eli Manning threw a fade to the end zone and sterling Shepard out-jumped the defenders for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Giants. In the second quarter the Lions got a 48 yard Matt Prater field goal to get within 7-3. The Lions got it back at their own 22. Matthew Stafford went deep to Golden Tate for a 67 yard gain. Yet on the next play Zenner fumbled at the 4 yard line and the Giants recovered in the end zone for a touchback. Big Blue held the ball for 6 minutes and Robbie Gould hit a 47 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Giants at halftime. In the third quarter the Lions took 12 plays and held the ball for 7 1/2 minutes. Yet in the red zone Stafford was sacked. Prater hit from 33 as the Lions trailed 10-6.

Midway through the fourth quarter of a game that was all defense, the Giants faced 3rd and 10 at their own 39. Manning went deep to O’Dell Beckham for a 36 yard gain and to Sterling Shepard for 23 more. On 3rd and 1 from the 4, Manning fired to the sideline and Beckham made a spectacular one-handed grab for the touchdown as the Giants had breathing room with 6 minutes left. Beckham also returned a punt for a touchdown but that was nullified by a penalty. Stafford has been Captain Comeback, but this time he threw to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. Ben McAdoo has a 10-4 team while the Lions at 9-5 still lead the NFC North by one game. 17-6 Giants

Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens — An interception of Carson Wentz set up Baltimore at the Philly 36 early. Joe Flacco hit Kamar Aiken for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. A field position game had the Eagles taking over at the Baltimore 43. That was enough for Caleb Sturgis to hit a 45 yard field goal to get the Eagles within 7-3. Justin Tucker answered with a 53 yard field goal in the cold weather that was dead center to make it 10-3 Ravens. The second quarter began with the Ravens facing 3rd and 7 at their own 13. Flake was sacked and fumbled and the Eagles recovered at the Baltimore 8. Mathews ran for a 4 yard touchdown. With the Eagles having long snapper problems, Doug Pederson decided to go for 2. Matthews got the carry, leapt from the 5, met a couple defenders in the air at the goal line, and spun over them to get in and make it 11-10 Eagles.

The Ravens came back 10 plays and 5 minutes, as a 47 yard Tucker field goal made it 13-11 Ravens.  The Eagles countered with a staggering 17 play drive that consumed over 7 1/2 minutes. They settled for a 34 yard Sturgis kick for a 14-13 Eagles lead the hard way. In the 2 minute drill from their own 35, the ravens truck quickly. A deep ball from Flacco to Steve Smith was a 34 yard touchdown as the Ravens led 20-14 at halftime. The Eagles moved 79 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes, but had to settle for a 27 yard Sturgis field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to trail 20-17. The Ravens came back 69 yards and Kenneth Dixon ran for a 16 yard touchdown to give the Ravens some space up 27-17. Midway through the fourth quarter Doug Pederson decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 34. He called a pitchout and for the second time in the game, Pederson’s fourth down gamble failed.

The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 35. A completion from Flacco to Mike Wallace went for a 54 yard gain to the 11 yard line. Yet on the verge of putting the game away, Flacco was intercepted by hicks at the six, and Hicks returned it 34 yards to the Philadelphia 40. Needing 2 scores with 6 minutes left, the Eagles drove to a 1st and goal at the 7 with 3 minutes left. A pair of incompletions sandwiched around a run that lost 4 yards had the Eagles settling for a 29 yard Sturgis field goal. The Eagles were within 27-20, but they needed the ball back. With all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning, Pederson decided to kick it deep and trust his defense rather than go onside.

The Ravens took over at their own 12 and went nowhere. The Eagles got it back with excellent field position at their own 41 with one timeout and 1:39 to play. From the Baltimore 41, Wentz went deep to Zac Ertz for 24 yards. With 12 seconds left, from the 4 yard line, without a timeout, Wentz scrambled and got in the end zone himself. Pederson decided on the road to go for the 2 point conversion. To try this against one of the league’s best defenses is sky high risk. Wentz fired to the end zone incomplete. With 4 seconds left, the onside kick failed. The Eagles dropped to 5-8 and officially eliminated from the playoffs. The Ravens survived to get to 8-6, one game back in the AFC North. Next week John Harbaugh’s squad has a division showdown with Pittsburgh. 27-26 Ravens

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears — 10 degrees below zero with the wind chill. In football heaven, Vince Lombardi and George Halas were happily scowling. Early on the Packers went 73 yards and Ty Montgomery ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. In the second quarter the Bears moved 64 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes but settled for a 26 yard Conor Barth field goal to trail 7-3. The Bears got it back at their own 45. Matt Barkley hit Bellamy for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Bears. The Packers worked the 2 minute drill well as Mason Crosby hit from 34 and the teams took a 10-10 tie into the locker rooms.

On the first play after a touchback to start the second half, Matt Barkley was sacked by Julius Peppers and fumbled. Peppers got the recovery as well at the Chicago 17. On 2nd and goal at the 16, bad calf and all in the cold, consecutive runs by Rodgers set up 4th and goal at the one. Mike McCarthy took no chance on the road. Crosby hit the 18 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Packers. Chicago soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 42. Barkley was intercepted by Haha Clinton-Dix. The Packers took over at their own 42. Ty Montgomery broke off a 26 yard run and then ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Packers. History repeated itself as Barkley was again intercepted by Clinton-Dix. Christian Michael ran for a 42 yard touchdown as the Packers had broken open a close game to lead 27-10 with one minute left into the third quarter. The fourth quarter can best be described as shocking.

The Bears moved 75 yards quickly. Barkley threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery to get the Bears within 27-17. A sack of Rodgers led to the Bears getting the ball back at their own 22. Barkley kept firing, and a roughing the passer penalty made it 1st and goal at the 9. Howard ran for the score as the Bears were within 27-24 midway through the fourth quarter. Chicago got it back again at their own 21 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 16 at the 2 minute warning. Howard ran for 13 to set up 1st and goal at the 3. The Packers took all 3 timeouts on defense just in case the defense surrendered the lead. With 1:27 to play, on 3rd and goal at the 4, Barkley threw incomplete. Despite being 2-11, John Fox decided to go for the tie rather than the win. Coaches across the league were going for it, but he had Barth kick the 22 yard field goal. The game was tied 27-27 with 1:19 left. With 30 seconds left, the Packers faced 3rd and 11 from their own 26. Rodgers then did what he does.

Rodgers threw a deep bomb to Jordy Nelson on a day when several receivers dropped passes in the cold weather. This one was hauled by Nelson for a 60 yard gain to the Chicago 14. Rodgers spiked the ball to stop the clock with 3 seconds left. Crosby came in for the 32 yarder to win it. Crosby was good, and Mike McCarthy’s squad escaped. Rodgers finished 19 of 31 for 252 yards without a touchdown or interception. Barkley was 30 of 43 for 362 yards and 2 touchdowns, but 3 costly interceptions. Despite being 4-6 at one point, Rodgers said the Packers had the talent to run the table. Four straight wins have them at 8-6 and one game back in the NFC North with a showdown against Detroit still to come. As Rodgers would say, relax. 30-27 Packers

Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings — Adrian Peterson returned after 14 weeks of injury in a game where both teams were fighting for their playoff lives. Only one team played like it. Early on Adam Vinatieri hit a 48 yard field goal for a 3-0 Colts lead. The Colts got it back, and on 1st and goal at the 3, Andrew Luck threw 3 straight incompletions. Yet a defensive leverage penalty on the field goal try meant automatic 1st and goal as Chuck Pagano took the points off the board. Robert Turbin crashed in for the score to make it 10-0 Colts. In the second quarter Mike Zimmer’s heralded defense melted. Luck led drives of 92 and 91 yards that each took 5 1/2 minutes. Luck threw a 27 yard touchdown pass to Swoope and Turbin ran for a 6 yard score to make it 24-0 Colts in front of a shellshocked home crows. With 28 seconds left in the half from the Minnesota 23, rather than take a knee, Sam Bradford was intercepted. Vinatieri hit a 50 yard field goal to end the half with the Colts leading 27-0. The uneventful second half saw Luck throw a touchdown bomb on the first play of the fourth quarter and a pair of Minnesota field goals avoid the shutout. Both teams are 7-7 and clinging to playoff life. 34-6 Colts

Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills — Buffalo needed a win to keep slim playoff hopes alive while Cleveland just needed a win anywhere. Early on from midfield, LeSean Shady McCoy had gains of 20 and 24. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 5, Tyrod Taylor only gained 2 yards. Dan Carpenter hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bills. The Browns moved from their 20 to a 1st and goal at the 5. Yet a run lost 2 yards and back to back sacks of Robert Griffin III had the Browns settling for a 35 yard Cody Parker field goal and a 3-3 tie. Buffalo took over at their 26. From the Cleveland 42,  wildcat snap to Mike Gillislee saw him pitch it to Brandon Tate for a 30 yard gain. Gillislee ran for a 3 yard touchdown on the last play of the first quarter to make it 10-3 Bills. Buffalo in the second quarter moved 91 yards in 13 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Taylor hit Clay for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Bills over the hapless Browns.

The Browns moved 80 yards to start the third quarter. RGIII showed some of the flash that electrified the league before injuries derailed his career. He ran for an 18 yard touchdown as the Browns were only down 17-10. Yet after a touchback the Bills came back, aided along by a roughing the passer call. From the Cleveland 31, Taylor scrambled for 28 yards. McCoy got the last 3 yards to make it 24-10 Bills. The Browns came back again but settled for a 40 yard field goal to trail 24-13. Yet the Bill salted it away early in the fourth quarter. A 75 yard drive saw McCoy run for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 30-13 Bills. Buffalo tacked on one more field goal to complete the blowout. With the win, Rex Ryan’s Bills are 7-7 and still technically alive in the playoff race. Meanwhile, Hue Jackson has an 0-14 Browns team that has 2 weeks left to avoid permanent NFL infamy. 33-13 Bills

Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs — Tyreeq Hill raced for a 68 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Chiefs lead in a game between playoff contenders. The Titans then moved from their 26 to a 3rd and 5 at the Chiefs 40. Marcus Mariota went deep to Ryan Matthews for a 35 yard gain, but Matthews was stripped of the ball at the 5 yard line by Eric Berry. Sorensen picked it up 8 yards deep in the end zone and returned it 55 yards to the Chiefs 47. Alex Smith went deep to Jeremy Maclin for a 44 yard gain and on 3rd and goal from the 10 Smith ran for the score. Instead of a 7-7 game, it was 14-0 Chiefs, who continue to win with their defense forcing turnovers.

The second quarter began with the Titans at their own 24. Derrick Henry ran for 15 yards. On the next play Mike Mularkey went to his bag of tricks. A perfectly executed Flea Flicker saw Mariota go deep to Matthews for a 46 yard gain. Henry then ran for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Titans within 14-7. The Titans got it back and faced 3rd and 6 at their own 36. Mariota was sacked and fumbled. The Chiefs took over at the Titans 40. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, Ware did not get in. Walrus Lite Andy Reid went for it. Ware got the carry again and got stopped stone cold for a goal line stand. However, the Tennessee offense could not move the ball so the Chiefs got it back at the Tennessee 45. Cairo Santos hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Chiefs at halftime.

The third quarter was all defense. The Chiefs missed a golden chance to extend the lead when Smith was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. Ryan Succop hit a 39 yard field goal with 12 minutes left in regulation as the Titans only trailed 17-10. With 4 minutes left, the Titans had moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Chiefs 16. Mariota threw to the goal line and the well defended pass was broken up. Mike Mularkey decided to go for it. Mariota calmly fired to DeMarco Murray for a 1st and goal at the one. On the next play Derrick Henry got in the end zone. With 3:12 to play and the Titans out of timeouts, Mike Mularkey decided to go for the 2 point conversion. Jack Del Rio did it in Week 1 against a porous defense. Mularkey was testing one of the NFL’s top defense. The conversion try never had a chance as Mariota was eventually belted, maintaining the Chiefs one-point lead. In another surprising move, Mularkey opted to kick it deep rather than go onside. At the 2 minute warning, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. A first down would end things.

Smith kept the ball and got stopped cold. The Titans were alive. They got the ball at their own 25 with 1:07 left. Mariota hit Mathews for 19 yards and Delanie Walker for 6 more to midfield. Mariota hit Walker for 15 more as the Titans raced up to the line to spoke the clock. With 5 seconds left, Succop came in for a 53 yard field goal try for the win against his former team. The kick was good, but Andy Reid called timeout at the last moment. Succop tried again, and was dead center again. At 8-6 the Titans are tied atop the AFC South and hold the tiebreaker. The Chiefs at 10-4 fell out of the AFC West lead. 19-17 Titans

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans — Houston was tied atop the weak AFC North, and only had to dispatch of the 2-11 Jaguars at home. Cue ESPN user-announcer Chris Berman. “That’s why they play the games.” After a scoreless first quarter, Jason Myers hit field goals of 26 and 50 yards to make it 6-0 Jaguars. Brock Osweiler threw a pair of early interceptions, as a short field had the Jaguars at the Houston 37. Bortles got the last yard himself to make it 13-0 Jaguars. Bill O’Brien had seen enough from his 72 million dollar bust. Osweiler was benched and Tom Savage came in. Savage’s first pass went for a 32 yard gain to Wendell Williams. On 3rd and goal at the one, Miller fumbled at the goal line and the Texans recovered for a touchdown. On further review, Miller did not break the plane and only he could recover his own fumble. So instead it was 4th and goal from a foot away. Bill O’Brien went for it and had a quarterback who has never thrown an NFL touchdown pass try a fade route. The pass was broken up.

With less than 2 minutes left in the half, the Jaguars had to punt from the back of their end zone. Holding on the kick meant an automatic safety as the Texans were finally on the board. With the free kick, the Texans moved in position for Nick Novak to hit a 39 yard field goal as the Texans trailed 13-5 at the half. In the third quarter Savage stayed in the game and the Texans held the ball for 5 minutes Novak hit from 45 as the Texans were right back in it down 13-8. Yet before we could say typical Jaguars collapse, Marquis Lee returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to make it 20-8 Jaguars. Novak would hit a 43 yard field goal at the end of the third quarter to get the Texans within 20-11. Midway though the fourth quarter the Texans had moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Jaguars 10. A running play was blown up in the backfield. Novak hit from 27 to get the Texans within 20-14.

The Jaguars punted on 4th and 20 form their own 15 and the Texans took over at their own 48 with 6 minutes left. On 3rd and 7 from the Jacksonville 35 with 3:50 to play, Savage threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference instead meant 1st and 10 at the 25. On 2nd and goal from the 7 with 3 minutes left, Savage threw incomplete. Yet again defensive pass interference killed the Jaguars and meant 1st and goal at the one. Miller got the last yard as the Texans took a one point lead. With 1:58 to play, on 4th and 15 from the Jacksonville 40, Blake Bortles threw incomplete. The Jaguars held on defense and got it back at their own 7 with 1:10 left and 0 timeouts. Bortles was quickly intercepted as Gus Bradley prepared for his final 2 games as head coach. Bortles was an awful 12 of 28 for 92 yards, 0 touchdowns, and one interception when it mattered most. Savage did not throw a touchdown or interception, but he was 23 of 36 for 260 yards despite not playing the whole game. Houston is 8-6 and tied for the division lead, but they have a serious quarterback controversy. Meanwhile, the Wrath of Khan exploded in Jacksonville. Owner Shad Khan did not even wait until Monday. Gus Bradley was fired immediately after the game. 21-20 Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals — Pittsburgh came in with a one game lead in the AFC North while the Bengals are all but done. Yet Cincinnati was burning for revenge of last year’s playoff loss. The Bengals moved 70 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 5, Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw to the end zone incomplete. Mike nugget has been cut, and Randy bullock is now the Bengals kicker. Bullock hit from 23 to make it 3-0 Bengals. Pittsburgh answered with a 45 yard Chris Boswell field goal for a 3-3 game. The Bengals moved from their 36 to the Pittsburgh 40. Dalton went deep and drew a defensive pass interference penalty. It was 1st and goal at the one.

Jeremy Hill got the carry and got stopped. On 2nd and goal Hill got the ball again. He appeared to get in but was ruled short. On 3rd and goal Hill went airborne and got knocked back as Mike Tomlin pumped his fist. Marvin Lewis challenged that Hill broke the plane of the goal. He lost the challenge. On 4th and goal only inches away, Lewis went for it on the last play of the first quarter. Dalton took the quarterback sneak and got in for a 10-3 Bengals lead. In the second quarter the Bengals went 82 yards in 10 plays. Hill ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Bengals.

The Steelers moved form their 19 to a 3rd and 7 at the Cincinnati 13. Ben Roethlisberger went to Antonio Brown for the touchdown, but a chop block penalty on LeVeon Bell instead meant 3rd and 22. Big Ben was sacked as the Steelers settled for a 49 yard Boswell field goal to trail 17-6. Alex Erickson returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to the Pittsburgh 26. On 3rd and goal at the 4 Dalton threw incomplete. Bullock hit from 22 to make it 20-6 Bengals with 3 minutes left in the half. That was enough time for Bullock to hit a 49 yard field goal just before the half as the Steelers trailed 20-9.

Early in the third quarter a questionable personal foul call on Vontaze Burfect for roughing Roethlisberger kept a drive going. Burfect’s meltdown led to last year’s playoff loss, and this time his teammates made sure that did not repeat. Nevertheless, Boswell hit his fourth field goal from 40 yards out to get the Steelers within 20-12. The Steelers got it back and again moved into field goal range. Very late in the third quarter, Boswell hit his fifth field goal from 49 yards out as the Steelers were only down 20-15. The Bengals kept self-destructing as Dalton was quickly intercepted by Lawrence Timmons on the last play of the third quarter, setting up Pittsburgh at the Cincy 34. Boswell made his sixth field goal from 30 yards as the Steelers were only down 20-18 with a full 12 1/2 minutes left.

The Bengals were lifeless on offense in the second half. Pittsburgh got it back at their own 31. Just like in last year’s playoff games, the Bengals killed themselves with defensive penalties. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincy 48, the Bengals jumped offsides. on the next play there was defensive holding. On the next play came defensive unnecessary roughness. On 2nd and 16 from the Cincy 24, Big Ben went deep to Rogers for the touchdown. 18 unanswered points had the Steelers take a 4 point lead midway through the fourth quarter.

The Bengals went backward and punted. The Steelers took over with 6 minutes left at their own 16. With 3 1/2 minutes left, on 3rd and 8 from the Pittsburgh 29, Roethlisberger went deep to Green for a 28 yard gain. With 1:51 to play and the Bengals out of timeouts, the Steelers faced 2nd and 11 at their own 20. In a surprising decision, the Steelers decided to pass even though a run would take the clock down to one minute. Big Ben threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference was the final nail in the Bengals coffin. It did not appear to be a good call, but the Bengals have earned their reputation. They are now officially eliminated from playoff contention, which could be the end of Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati. Meanwhile Mike Tomlin’s Steelers at 9-5 have a one game lead in the AFC North and a tough division showdown next week with arch rival Baltimore. 24-20 Steelers

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals — This had all the hallmarks of a pinball machine, and it was. Sean Payton and Bruce Arians each have a 5-win team, but the offenses can move the ball at will when hot. Arizona struck first when Williams ran for a 49 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. The Saints would move 56 yards in 14 plays, holding the ball for 7 minutes. The Saints settled for a 37 yard Will Lutz field goal to trail 7-3. The Cardinals fumbled the ball and the saints took over at the Arizona 30. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Drew Brees hit Cadet for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Saints. Early in the second quarter the Cardinals missed a chance to tie the game when a 55 yard field goal try by Chandler Catanzaro was no good.

Midway through the second quarter the Saints faced 2nd and 20 at the Arizona 40. Brees was sacked by Golden and fumbled. Campbell picked it up and raced 53 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 13-10 Cardinals. The extra point was no good. New Orleans came right back when Brees went to Brandon Cooks for a 65 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Saints. With 2 minutes left in the half the Saints faced 3rd and 4 at the Arizona 45. A short pass from Brees to Cooks went all the way for another touchdown as the Saints led 24-13. Carson Palmer had his chance next and worked the two minute drill to perfection. After hitting Jermaine Gresham for 23, the Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 10 at the Saints 44. Palmer found John Brown for 11 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the 10, Palmer found JJ Nelson for the touchdown as the Cardinals trailed 24-20 at halftime. The teams kept firing in the second half.

In the third quarter the Saints moved 68 yards in 14 plays and held the ball for 6 minutes. Yet they settled for a 39 yard Lutz field goal to make it 27-20 Saints. The Cardinals quickly came back 62 yards. Palmer found Johnson for 25 yards and defensive pass interference moved the ball 11 yards closer to the two yard line. Johnson ran it in for a 27-27 game after three quarters. This shootout was not even close to being done. Early in the fourth quarter the Saints lined up for a field goal on 4th and 2 from the Arizona 7. Lutz hit the 25 yarder, but the Arizona defense jumped offsides. Sean Payton took the points off the board. On the next play Tim Hightower ran for a 3 yard touchdown against his former team to cap a 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 34-27 Saints. The Cardinals came back 75 yards and Johnson ran it in for a 7 yard touchdown for a 34-34 game with 9 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, the Saints struck again. From the Saints 48, a short pass from trees to Cooks went for 36 yards. Brees hit Marcellus Thomas for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 41-34 Saints. Arizona soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Palmer hit Golden for a short gain but Golden fumbled the ball and the Saints took over at the Arizona 29. Hightower got in from the 2 for a 48-34 Saints lead with 3 1/2 minutes left. Needing 2 scores, the Cardinals moved 75 yards rapidly. Palmer threw a 30 yard touchdown pass to Brown to make it a one score game with 2 1/2 minutes left. The onside kick failed. At the 2 minute warning, everything came down to the Saints facing 3rd and 3 at the Arizona 45 and both teams out of timeouts. Rather than play it safe, Sean Payton called a pass play. Brees hit Coby Fleener for 6 yards and the Saints then ran out the clock. Palmer was 28 of 40 for 318 yards and 2 touchdowns. Brees was a ridiculous 37 of 48 for 389 yards and 4 touchdowns. Neither signal caller was intercepted. 48-41 Saints

San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons — This is not why they play the games, as the expected blowout materialized in the first quarter. Eric Weems returned a punt 42 yards to have Atlanta starting at the San Francisco 47. Devonta Freeman ran for a 5 yard touchdown to begin the Atlanta deluge. 2 plays later Carlos Hyde fumbled and the Falcons took over at midfield. Matt Ryan hit Gabriel for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Falcons. The Falcons got it back at their own 45 and kept making it look easy. Ryan threw a 9 yard touchdown to Hooper to make it 21-0 Falcons after the first quarter. For some reason, league rules required the rest of the game be played.

The 49ers tried to make a game of it in the second quarter. The 49ers moved 75 yards and and Colin Kapernick threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Celek to get the 49ers on the board. From the Atlanta 25, a short pass from Ryan to Robinson gained 59 yards. On 1st and goal at the one the Falcons fumbled the ball away, the only thing preventing an even bigger blowout. The Falcons quickly came back 94 yards on their next drive. Coleman ran for a 29 yard gain and Freeman ran for 20 and then the 9 yard touchdown to make it 28-7 Falcons. Kaepernick did throw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Rod Streater before the half to get the 49ers within 28-13, but in the third quarter the Falcons closed the door.

Matt Bryant hit a 50 yard field goal and Freeman ran for a 34 yard touchdown to cap a 77 yard drive and make it 38-13 Falcons. Atlanta added a fourth quarter field goal to complete the carpet bombing. With the win Dan Quinn saw the Falcons get to 9-5 and in strong position for the playoffs. The 49ers dropped their 13th straight game under Chip Kelly, who has not been fired. 41-13 Falcons

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos — The rematch of last year’s AFC Title Game lacked Peyton Manning, and the difference was huge. The Patriots went three and out, but the Broncos quickly fumbled the punt to give the Patriots the ball at the Denver 31. The defense held and the Patriots settled for a 45 yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal to lead 3-0. Midway through the first quarter the Broncos moved from their 38 to the red zone, but the drive stopped at the 15. Brandon McManus hit from 33 to tie the game 3-3. On the first play of the second quarter the Broncos faced 3rd and 3 at the New England 14. Trevor Siemian was intercepted by Ryan, who returned it 46 yards to the Denver 46. Tom Brady hit Julian Edelman for gains of 15 and 12. LaGuerrette Blount ran it in from the one to make it 10-3 Patriots. Gostkowski hit a 40 yard field goal in the third quarter and a 21 yarder in the fourth quarter to close out a game dominated by the defenses. Siemian finished 25 of 40 for 282 yards, 0 touchdowns and the one killer interception. Brady was only 16 of 32 for 188 yards without an interception or touchdown, but the Patriots got to 12-2 and the inside track for home field. Denver at 8-6 is now on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. 16-3 Patriots

Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers — The Raiders came in knowing a win would put them in the playoffs. The Chargers came in knowing they had been eliminated from playoff contention one day earlier. Yet the Chargers always play the Raiders tough. Even though this game was in San Diego, it felt like a Raiders home game. The Chargers started out at their own 9 yard line. It did not matter. On 3rd and 8 from the Oakland 47, Philip Rivers went deep to Travis Benjamin for the touchdown. Just like that the Chargers led 7-0. The Raiders moved from their 29 to a 2nd and 4 at the san Diego 23. A run lot 4 yards and then Derek Carr threw incomplete. Sebastian Janikowski hit the 45 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 7-3, but nothing would come easy on this day.

The Raiders moved from the San Diego 48 to a 1st and 10 at the 14. Latavius Murray gained 4 yards and then fumbled the ball away. In the second quarter the Raiders moved from their 37 to a 3rd and 6 at the San Diego 16. Carr went over the middle and was intercepted. Turnovers were killing the Raiders. The Raiders got it back at the San Diego 48, but could not move the ball. Defense was keeping the Raiders in the game, but on 3rd and 10 from the San Diego 20, Rivers hit Antonio Gates for 11 yards. Despite 2nd and 5 at the Oakland 17, Rivers threw incomplete twice. Josh Lambo hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Chargers.

Yet they left the Raiders 90 seconds. After a touchback, Murray gained d9 and then broke free for a 33 yard gain. Dwayne Washington gained 12 more. On 3rd and 7 from the 18, Carr threw incomplete but defensive holding gave the Raiders another chance with 27 seconds left. Carr went to the end zone and Michael Crabtree caught the ball and somehow got both feet down just inbounds. Initially called incomplete, it was reversed to a touchdown. Despite playing badly the entire first half, somehow the Raiders had gotten to a 10-10 tie with the Chargers.

Lambo kicked the second half kickoff out of bounds, giving the Raiders the ball at their own 40. The Raiders moved to a 3rd and 2 at the San Diego 15, but Carr threw incomplete. Janikowski hit from 33 to make it 13-10 Raiders. From the San Diego 23, Rivers quickly hit Dontrelle Inman for 21 yards. On 3rd and 4 from midfield, Rivers hit Inman for 6 and went to him a 3rd time for 26 yards. Rivers hit Henry for a 7 yard touchdown. Lambo shanked the extra point no good but the Chargers led 16-13 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter.

A field position game had the Chargers beginning the fourth quarter at their own 5. From the San Diego 16, Farrow got the carry and fumbled the ball away. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders had the ball at the San Diego 13. Olawale gained 12 to set up 1st and goal at the one. Yet after that Murray got stopped, Carr threw incomplete, and on 3rd and goal Murray got blasted and lost a yard. Disgusted, the Raiders settled for a 21 yard Seabass field goal. The score was tied 16-16 with 8 1/2 minutes left.

The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Rivers fired to Williams, who got blasted by David Amerson short of the sticks. The Chargers punted and the Raiders took over at their own 20. Murray gained 27 yards and Carr fired to Seth Roberts for a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Chargers 29, Carr scrambled and was marked short with 4 1/2 minutes left. Initially ready to gamble on 4th and inches, instead Jack Del Rio challenged the spot. Officials reversed the call to a first down. On 3rd and 8 from the 19, Carr was sacked. Janikowski hit the 44 yard field goal to give the Raiders the lead with 2 1/2 minutes to play. The Chargers took over at their own 14. A sack of Rivers had the Chargers facing 4th and 15 at their own 9. Rivers went deep and was intercepted by Reggie Nelson. Carr took three knees and the Raiders went wild.

After 14 long, painful years, the Oakland Raiders are back in the playoffs. Congratulations to owner Mark Davis. He hired General Manager Reggie McKenzie. Congratulations to McKenzie, who drafted Khalil Mack in Derek Carr in 2014. Congratulations to Mack and Carr, who started their careers 0-10 but never gave up. McKenzie in 2015 hired Jack Del Rio. Congratulations to Del Rio, who made a major decision in Week 1 this year. With the game on the line on the road, he went for the two point conversion. Carr hit Michael Crabtree for the 35-34 win. This was the beginning of the end of the losing culture. Now at 11-3, it is official. The Oakland Raiders are no longer losers. Whatever happens the rest of the year, they are winners. To the Raider Nation, who never gave up, enjoy every minute of this. I know I bleed Silver and Black, and I know I will. As expected, this was a difficult win. With the Raiders it is never easy. Nothing worth fighting for is easy. From Al Davis to John Madden to Tom Flores to today, it was never easy. Just win baby. 19-16 Raiders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys was the Sunday night game. The Buccaneers came in winning 5 straight to get to 8-5 while Dallas had their 11 game win streak snapped last week. In the first quarter the Cowboys tried a 56 yard field goal but Dan Bailey was no good. The Bucs then moved from their 46 to a 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 7. Jameis Winston threw incomplete but Roberto Aguayo hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. The Cowboys then moved from their 26 into the red zone. Yet on the first play of the second quarter, with the Cowboys facing 4th and 3 at the 9, Bailey hit a 27 yarder for a 3-3 game. After a touchback, Winston was sacked and fumbled. The Cowboys took over at the Dallas 14. Ezekiel Elliott ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Cowboys. Dallas got it back and moved 64 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Dak Prescott ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Cowboys. With 1:52 left in the half Aguayo hit from 34 to get the Buccaneers within 17-6. At the end of the half looking to extend the lead, Bailey missed again from 52. Winston actually had a Hail Mary try as well for the Buccaneers, but he was intercepted in the end zone.

In the third quarter after a touchback the Buccaneers struck quickly. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 42, Winston rolled to his left and unleashed a slightly underthrown bomb to the end zone. After bouncing off the fingers of the defender, Humphries came down with it for the touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 17-13. The Bucs got it back and soon faced 2nd and 18 at their own 11. Winston fired to Shepard for 19 and to Brate for 17 more. On 3rd and 2 from the dallas 45, Winston found Brate again for 22 more. On 2nd and 14 from the Dallas 27, Winston hit Mike Evans for 17 and then fired a laser between defenders to Brace for the 10 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the Buccaneers led 20-17.

The Cowboys came back 58 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, Bailey hit a 40 yard field goal for a 20-20 game. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 14 at their own 21. Winston went deep and was intercepted by Heath, who returned it 19 yards to the Tampa Bay 22. Prescott threw a 20 yard touchdown to Dunbar, but it was nullified by offensive holding. the Cowboys settled for 38 yard field goal from Bailey to lead 23-20 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Dallas got to right back at their own 41. Prescott hit Jason Witten for a 4 yard gain, but Witten fumbled and the Buccaneers recovered at the Dallas 45. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 40, very close to tying field goal range, Winston threw incomplete and the Buccaneers punted.

The Cowboys took over at their own 4 yard line. Prescott hit Dez Bryant for 19. Elliott then raced for a 42 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Tampa Bay 16, Elliott came up a yard short. Jason Garrett took no chances. Bailey hit from 33 to put Dallas up by 6, but with 3 minutes left the Buccaneers still had life. Tampa Bay quickly went 3 and out, and Dirk Koetter decided to punt and trust his defense. The Bucs took their timeouts on defense. With 1:50 to play the Cowboys faced 3rd and 3 at the Tampa Bay 48. Prescott was sacked for a 3 yard loss. The Buccaneers got it back with 1:36 to play at their own 11. Yet a sack of Winston had the Buccaneers facing 4th and 12 at their own 20 with 35 seconds left. Winston went deep and was intercepted by Orlando Scandrick. The Buccaneers fell to 8-6 and will need help to make the playoffs. The 12-2 Cowboys are already in, and one step closer to home field throughout the playoffs. 26-20 Cowboys

Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins was the Monday night game. Early on the field goal kickers got into the act. Graham Gano hit from 35 to get the Panthers on the board first. Dustin Hopkins countered from 43 for a 3-3 game. The Panthers then moved 84 yards and Cam Newton hit Ted Ginn for a 30 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Panthers. Kirk Cousins was then intercepted by Coleman, who returned it 37 yards to the Washington 24 at the end of the first quarter. Gang hit from 23 in the second quarter to make it 13-3 Panthers. The Redskins moved 89 yards and R Kelly got in from 5 yards out. The extra point failed as the Redskins trailed 13-9 at halftime. On the first play of the third quarter, disaster struck the Redskins. From their own 14, Cousins was sacked and fumbled. Carolina took over at the Washington one yard line and Newton hit Mike Tolbert for the touchdown to make it 20-9 Panthers. Gano tacked on another 23 yard field goal to make it 23-9 Panthers.

After a touchback the Redskins moved to a 4th and 2 at the Carolina 18. Jay Gruden decided to go for it and Cousins hit crowder for 8 yards. Yet on 1st and goal at the 10, an unnecessary roughness penalty on the offense meant 2nd and goal at the 27 as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with the Redskins settling for a 26 yard Hopkins field goal to trail 23-12. The Panthers missed a chance to extend the lead when Gano was no good with 5 1/2 minutes left. The Redskins moved from their 28 to a 3rd and goal at the 6. An offensive penalty killed the drive. Needing two scores, the Redskins settled for a 34 yard Hopkins field goal to get within 23-15 with 3:45 left in regulation. The Panthers took over at their own 30, and Jonathan Stewart ran for a 34 yard gain. Tolbert gained another 10 yards. With 1:07 left from 41 yards out, this time Gano was good as the Panthers locked up the win. The Panthers will not be going to the playoffs, and the crushing home loss that dropped Washington to 7-6 means they will not be going either. 26-15 Panthers

NFL 2016 Week 15 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-2016-week-15-preview-and-bettors-guide-75276/

NFL 2016 Week 14 Recap

Welcome to December football. To quote John Randall, “This is when the big dogs come out!”

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs was the Thursday night game. With 1st place in the AFC West on the line, Pro football’s best blood feud took center stage. Andy Reid gave the entire town permission to take a half day at work to make it to the stadium. The Raiders received a break only 90 seconds into the game when they punted and Tyreeq Hill fumbled it. The Raiders took over at the Chiefs 38. Despite golden field position, the Raiders offense could do little against the Chiefs defense. Sebastian Janikowski hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders. The Chiefs moved from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Oakland 27. Walrus Lite Andy Reid decided to go for it. Ware got the carry and ran into a brick wall. The Oakland defense played well in the first quarter but the offense could not get anything going. Late in the first quarter the Chiefs took over at their own 30 and finally got going.

The second quarter began with the Chiefs at the Oakland 36. West Coast Offense Dink and Dunk Game Manager Alex Smith plays Captain Checkdown against everyone except the Raiders, whose awful defense makes him look like Joe Montana. Smith went deep to Hill for the touchdown and the 7-3 Chiefs lead. The Raiders soon faced 2nd and 3 at their own 32. Derek Carr threw incomplete and then scrambled but came up just short of the sticks. The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 26. Smith threw a short pass to Travis Kelce that went for a 28 yard gain. Even after holding had the Chiefs facing 1st and 20, a short pass from Smith Conley went for 31 yards. West got in from 3 yards out to make it 14-3 Chiefs.

The Raiders soon had to punt on 4th and 7 from their own 29. Marquette King hit a short punt that had the Chiefs at their own 25. Yet a penalty on the Raiders for being out of bounds on the punt had Andy Reid deciding to make Oakland kick again from 5 yards deeper. King got off a 54 yard punt, but Hill made the Raiders pay. He split the seams and went for a 78 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the half the Chiefs were leading in a laugher 21-3. Last week the raiders came back from 15 points down in the third quarter. This time they were down 18 and had no offense. Meanwhile, despite only 19 yards rushing, the Chiefs were dominating because Alex Smith had 202 yards passing in the first half alone.

To make matters worse the Raiders were backed up to their own 8 yard line. Carr hit Amari Cooper for 10 yards and the Raiders finally got going. On 3rd and 5 from their 23, Carr found Clive Walford for 18 yards. On 3rd and 1 from midfield, Latavius Murray ripped off an 11 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the 19, Murray gained 5. Defensive pass interference put the ball on the one with 17 seconds left in the half. Murray got the carry, appeared stopped, and just stretched the ball over the plane before being pushed backward. Initially ruled a stop, the officials reviewed it and gave the Raiders the touchdown. The 14 play, 92 yard, 6 minute drive had the Raiders down 21-10 at halftime.

On the second play of the second half, with the Chiefs facing 2nd and 5 at their own 23, Smith fired over the middle and was intercepted by TJ Carrie. Carrie returned the interception 14 yards to the Kansas City 18 yard line. yet despite a gift, the Raiders offense could not capitalize. On first down a lob to the end zone was dropped by Seth Roberts. On 3rd and 6 Carr threw incomplete again. Seabass hit the 33 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 21-13, but it was a moral victory for the Chiefs defense. Then for the third week in a row came the Monster Mack. Khalil Mack beat his man, strip sacked Alex Smith, and the Raiders recovered the fumble at the Chiefs 18. Murray bull rushed forward for an 11 yard gain. Yet on 1st and goal at the 7, offensive holding pushed them back. Again the Raiders squandered an opportunity. Things got even worse when King could not handle the snap on the field goal try. Despite forcing two turnovers deep in Kansas City territory, the Raiders managed only three points total and still trailed by eight.

The Raiders held on defense but were pinned at their own 9. They punted back and the Chiefs moved from their 38 to a 3rd and 1 at the Oakland 42. Smith threw incomplete and was lucky he was not intercepted again. On 4th and 1 Andy Reid lined up to go for it but it was a bluff. The Raiders did not take the bait, and after the delay of game the Chiefs punted. Again the Raiders had poor field position at their own 15. They managed to get to their own 40 but Carr just could not find any windows to complete passes. This time it was the Chiefs with bad field position at their own 10. Holding pushed them back to the 7, where they began the fourth quarter with 1st and 13. Once again, the Raiders had no answers when it matters most. Smith went deep to Kelce for a 34 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Chiefs 47, Smith raced to the sideline and just got the first down. On 3rd and 4 from the Oakland 41, Smith’s pass was well defended. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders again had awful field position at their own 13.

After Murray gained 12 yards on the ground, the Raiders had 2nd and 7 at their own 28. Carr fired to Roberts, who yet again dropped the ball. Roberts would have had the first down. On 3rd and 7 Carr avoided a sack and threw to a wide open Cooper. This was the tying touchdown. Yet Cooper inexplicably stopped running and the ball fell incomplete. Nothing as going right, and another short punt from King had the Chiefs taking over at midfield. Only 9 minutes remained in regulation, and the Chiefs again had a chance to deliver the knockout blow. Yet on 3rd and 10, a completion came up well short. Again the defense held. Again it was up to the offense to do something. Again the Raiders had miserable field position at their own 15 yard line midway through the fourth quarter.

A heavy dose of the running game had the Raiders facing 2rd and 2 at their own 37. Murray got the carry, appeared stopped, and bulled his way just past the first down marker. On 1st and 10, with 4:38 to play, Carr didn’t like what he saw and burned a timeout. Carr then threw a well thrown ball that again was dropped. The Raiders were bailed out by the zebras as defensive pass interference meant a 19 yard gain to the Chiefs 42. On 3rd and 4, Carr was hit as he threw for an incompletion. With 3:15 to play, under heavy pressure, Carr fired to Roberts. Roberts has his drops but he caught this one, evaded a tackler, and gained 13 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the 14, rather than run up the middle, Carr went for it all and threw incomplete with exactly 2:01 to play.

On 4th and 1, it appeared the Chiefs jumped offsides. Instead the officials called a false start. On 4th and 6, Carr went to Roberts, and the play had no chance and fell incomplete. Now the Raiders were desperate. The defense had to get a stop for them to have a prayer.  With 1:07 to play, on 3rd and 2 from their own 27, Ware got the carry. Initially it looked like he was stopped, but the officials gave very generous forward progress. It was a first down by less than half a football length. Despite forcing three turnovers and committing none, the Raiders fell into a first place tie with the Chiefs at 10-3. The Chiefs have swept the season series. The Raiders entered the game with the top seed in the AFC. With the loss, they now fall all the way to the five seed and the wildcard. 21-13 Chiefs

Denver Broncos at Tennessee Titans — The Titans have the high powered offense while the Broncos have the tough defense. Yet it was Tennessee’s defense that stole the show. In the first quarter the Titans moved 70 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. DeMarco Murray got in on 3rd and goal from the one to make it 7-0 Titans. After that it was all defense. The Broncos quickly fumbled the ball and the Titans took over at the Denver 40. The defense held but Ryan Succop nailed a 53 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Titans. In the second quarter the Titans mounted a ridiculous 19 play, 74 yard drive that took 8 minutes. Succop hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Titans. With one minute left in the third quarter, the Broncos finally made a third down conversion. The fourth quarter began with the Broncos facing 4th and goal at the 4. Gary Kubiak decided to go for it. Trevor Siemian threw incomplete.

The Tennessee offense wasted the goal line stand. The Titans punted on 4th and 13 from their own one. A personal foul on Tennessee on the return had the Broncos taking over at the Titans 26. Siemian threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Sanders. With 10 minutes left in regulation, the Broncos only trailed 13-7. A short punt had the Broncos getting the ball back at their own 45. On 3rd and 12 from the Tennessee 20, Siemian hit Denarius Thomas for 13 yards. Yet on 1st and goal from the 7, Siemian was sacked and then threw incomplete twice. McManus hit the 34 yard field goal as the Broncos were down 3 with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Denver got it back but a great punt had them pinned at their own 2 yard line with 2 1/2 minutes to play. With one minute left from the Denver 29, Siemian found AJ Derby for a 12 yard gain. Yet Derby had the ball ripped out of his hands and the Titans recovered. Siemian finished 35 of 51 for 334 yards, one touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Mariota was a miserable 6 of 20 for 88 yards without an interception or touchdown. Tennessee won by gashing Denver’s Super Bowl defense for 180 yards on the ground. The Titans got to 7-6 and dropped the Broncos to 8-5 in an absolute stunner. 13-10 Titans

San Diego Chargers at Carolina Panthers — A pair of teams on the brink of elimination tried to prevent it from being official. Graham Gano hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Panthers. Philip Rivers was sacked and fumbled, setting up Carolina at the San Diego 39. The defense held but a shanked punt gave it back to Carolina at the San Diego 35. On 3rd and goal from the one Jonathan Stewart got in to make it 10-0 Panthers. On the first play of the second quarter from the San Diego 41, Rivers was intercepted. Worley returned it 22 yards to the Carolina 42. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Cam Newton went to Devon Funchess for the touchdown and the 17-0 Panthers lead. Carolina got it back at their own 40 and Gano hit from 44 to make it 20-0 Panthers. On 3rd and 8 from the San Diego 27, Rivers was intercepted again. Gang hit from 45 to make it 23-0 Panthers with 4 minutes left in the half.

The Chargers finally mounted some offense, going 75 yards. From the san Diego 47, Rivers went deep to Williams for a 46 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 9 Rivers hit Henry to get the Chargers on the board down 23-7. In the third quarter both teams moved into the red zone but not the green zone. Gang hit from 23 to make it 26-7 Panthers. Josh Lambo hit from 32 to get the Chargers within 26-10. The Chargers got it back and quickly moved 66 yards. Rivers hit Dontrell Inman for a 19 yard touchdown. The 2 point try from Rivers to Antonio Gates was broken up at the last moment as the Chargers trailed 26-16.

With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Chargers faced 3rd and 7 at their own 29. Rivers was intercepted, giving Carolina the ball at the Chargers 24. On 1st and goal at the 4, Newton had a pass intercepted at the goal line and returned by Reed 100 yards for a touchdown. Out of nowhere it looked like the Chargers were within 26-23. However, it all came back. The interception stood, but Reed was down at his own 3 yard line. On 3rd and 9 from the 4, Rivers was sacked in the end zone for a safety. The 9 point swing had the Panthers up 12 with 10 minutes left. San Diego would get the ball back again with 5 1/2 minutes left at their own 3 yard line. On 4th and 10 from their own 21, Rivers was intercepted for the third time. 28-16 Panthers

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts — The Texas came in losing three straight as both these 6-6 teams knew that only the division winner would make the playoffs. Tennessee was also tied with them at 6-6. Adam Vinatieri hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 18 and Andrew Luck was quickly intercepted. The Texans took over at the Indy 16, but on 2nd and goal at the 3, Brock Osweiler threw incomplete twice. Nick Novak hit from 21 to make it 3-3. In the second quarter the texans took over. A 12 play, 80 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive saw Miller get in from 2 yards out to make it 10-3 Texans. Novak hit a 52 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Texans at halftime. The Colts began the third quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 35.. Luck was intercepted again, and this time Hal returned it 24 yards to the Indy 18. Again the Texans could not take advantage. On 2nd and goal from the 6, Osweiler threw incomplete twice. Novak hit from 24 to make it 16-3 Texans.

Defense was keeping the Colts in the game, and the offense finally got going after a touchback. From the Indy 41, Luck was intercepted again. This time defensive pass interference nullified the turnover and the colts took over at the Houston 18. On the next play Luck went to Frank Gore for the touchdown as the Colts only trailed 16-10. The Colts got it back and moved from their own 14 to a 3rd and goal at the 3 after a run lost a yard. Smelling the lead, instead Luck was sacked and fumbled. Jadavean Clowney blew Luck up in the backfield and the Texans recovered the ball.

The Texans moved 64 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Novak hit his fourth field goal from 41 yards as the Texans had some breathing room up 19-10 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Colts got it back and soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 23. Luck found Robert Turbin for 9 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Indy 47, Luck found TY Hilton for 14 yards. Two plays later Luck went deep to Hilton for a 35 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left to play the Colts were right back in it down 19-17.

After a touchback, Houston moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 2 at the Houston 18, taking 11 plays and nearly 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. Alfred Blue got the carry and came up short. On 4th and inches Bill O’Brien decided not to go for it. Novak hit his fifth field goal from 34, but the Texans only led by 5 points. Andrew Luck has had plenty of comebacks in his career, and he appeared primed for another one. After a touchback, with 1:24 to play, the Colts faced 4th and 1 at the Houston 42. There would be no comeback as Luck threw incomplete. If you think Donald Trump is active on Twitter, observe Colts owner Jim Irsay. Osweiler was only 14 of 24 for 147 yards, 0 touchdowns, and one interception. Luck was 24 of 45 for 276 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. The Texans are tied atop the woeful AFC South at 7-6 while the 6-7 Colts are in trouble. 22-17 Texans

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns — The Bengals are bad but the Browns are winless. Robert Griffin III returned from injury but it did not help the beleaguered Browns. The Bengals quickly moved 73 yards. Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Tyler Eifert for a 7-0 Bengals lead. Cincinnati got it back at the Cleveland 45. On 3rd and 9 from the Cleveland 30, Dalton hit Boyd for 11. Jeremy Hill got in from the one. The Extra point was blocked but the Bengals led 13-0.   Midway through the second quarter the Browns took over at their own 2 yard line. RGIII was quickly intercepted at the Cleveland 26. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Dalton hit Eifert for the touchdown as the Bengals led 20-0 at halftime. NFL regulations required that the second half not be canceled. Cleveland did reach the end zone in the third quarter and both teams kicked a field goal in the fourth quarter of a game that deserves no further description. Hue Jackson and the Browns are 0-13 and running out of chances to make the worst kind of history. 23-10 Bengals

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills — A pair of teams fighting to make the playoffs played a game with snow coming down. Early on Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted once and barely escaped a second interception. Eventually the Steelers got the ground game going. LeVeon Bell on 3rd and goal from the 3 appeared stopped but bulled his way forward into the end zone for a 7-0 Steelers. Tyrod Taylor then had a pass bounce off a receiver’s hands and intercepted and returned for another Steelers touchdown. However, defensive holding nullified the turnover as the Bills dodged a major bullet. In the second quarter the Steelers moved 61 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 40, Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for a 15 yard gain. Bell ran for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Steelers.

The Steelers got it back and Roethlisberger was intercepted by Gilman, who returned it 31 yards to the Pittsburgh 7. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Taylor went to Sammy Watkins for the touchdown to get the Bills within 14-7. Yet in the third quarter the Steelers moved 82 yards in 10 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Bell scored his third touchdown from 5 yards out to make it 21-7 Steelers. Early in the fourth quarter an interception of Taylor gave Pittsburgh a short field at the Buffalo 48. Chris Boswell hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Steelers with 10 minutes left. Buffalo got it back and soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 19. Taylor found LeSean Shady McCoy for a 41 yard gain and then went deep to Clay for a 40 yard touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright as the Bills trailed 24-13 midway through the fourth quarter.

With the Bills expecting the Steelers to run the ball, Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown on a short pass that went for 29 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 37, Big Ben hit Bell for 14 yards. Boswell hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 27-13 Steelers with 3 1 /2 minutes to play. After a touchback Taylor hit Watkins for 18 and Woods for 29 more. McCoy ran for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Bills with 7 points with 90 seconds to play. Yet the onside kick failed and Buffalo dropped to 6-7 and on the brink of playoff elimination. Despite the snow in Buffalo, Rex Ryan’s coaching seat is now red hot. He likes to play ground and pound, but it was LeVeon Bell pounding his brother Rob Ryan’s defense for 236 rushing yards. Meanwhile, the 8-5 Steelers are very much alive. 27-20 Steelers

Arizona Cardinals at Miami Dolphins — This game was played in a downpour. On 3rd and 6 just shy of midfield, Carson Palmer was intercepted to set up the Dolphins at their own 48. Ryan Tannehill went deep to Kenny Stills for a 28 yard touchdown for a 7-0 Dolphins lead. The Cardinals came right back as JJ Nelson took an end around for a 56 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Cardinals trailed 7-6. The second quarter began with the Cardinals punting on 4th and 8 from their own 3. The Dolphins took over with a short field at the Arizona 43. On 3rd and 4 from the 7, Tannehill hit Sims for the touchdown and the 14-6 Dolphins lead. With 1:49 left in the half the Dolphins punted on 4th and 34 from their own 7. This time it was the Cardinals with the short field at the Miami 38. Palmer threw 3 straight incompletions but Chandler Catanzaro leveled a 56 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 14-9.

The third quarter began with the Dolphins quickly facing 3rd and 7 at their own 26. A short pass from Tannehill to Landry went for a 71 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Tannehill hit Williams for the touchdown to make it 21-9 Dolphins after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter the Dolphins were pinned back at their own one. Palmer immediately came out throwing and hit Michael Floyd for 15 yards. It took 12 plays and 7 minutes, but on 3rd and goal at the 9, Palmer hit Golden for the touchdown. The 99 yard drive had the Cardinals within 21-15 midway through the fourth quarter. The simple extra point is no longer simple. Catanzaro’s kick was blocked by Phillips. Aikens picked it up and brought it all the way back for 2 points the other way. Now the Dolphins led 23-15.

Miami did nothing with the ball and the Cardinals got it back at midfield with 5 minutes left. Palmer hit Gresham for 9 and David Johnson for 12. Bruce Arians then went to the bag of tricks, as Williams took a wildcat snap 11 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the 8, Palmer found Nelson for the touchdown with 3 minutes left. On the critical 2 point conversion try, Palmer fired over the middle to Johnson for a tie game 23-23. Tannehill was 15 of 20 for 195 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, but he left the game injured. It would be up to back up Matt Moore to try and win it in a driving rain.

Miami punted, but Arizona punted it back. A 20 yard punt return had the Dolphins taking over at the Arizona 47with 90 seconds left. On 2nd and 5, Moore found Kenny Stills for 12 and then again deep for 29 yards down to the one. . Adam Gase took the clock down. After Moore nearly fumbled a handoff, the Dolphins were lucky to stop the clock with one second left. With hard rain coming down, Andrew Franks hit the 21 yard field goal and the Dolphins got the tough win. At 8-5, Miami is in serious playoff contention. As for Arizona, the preseason Super Bowl favorite is done. 26-23 Dolphins

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions — There was no way the 3-9 Bears would go on the road and beat the 8-4 Lions. As ESPN user-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “That’s why they play the games.” The Bears move 60 yards in 12 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Yet they settled for a 38 yard Connor Barth field goal for a 3-0 Bears lead. In the second quarter it was the Lions moving 74 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Matt Prater hit a 29 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. Detroit got it back and went 81 yards in 10 plays. This time Matthew Stafford threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Anquon Boldin to make it 10-3 Lions. In the third quarter the Lions held the ball for another 6 minutes. Prater nailed a 54 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Lions.

The Bears came back 75 yards quickly. Matt Barkley hit Meredith for a 31 yard touchdown to get the Bears within 13-10. The Lions moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Chicago 9 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Stafford fired over the middle. The ball was batted up in the air and intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Lions faced 3rd and 5 from their own 14. Stafford was intercepted again by LeBlanc, who returned it 24 yards for a Chicago touchdown. In front of a stunned home crowd, the Bears led 17-13.

Yet these are not your father’s Lions, and this is not your father’s Matthew Stafford. From the Detroit 24, Stafford hit Marvin Jones for 8 and Boldin for 23 more. With 3 1/2 minutes left from the Chicago 7, Stafford went back to pass and could not find anyone. He evaded the sack, slipped several Chicago tacklers, and through sheer will bowled over his own offensive lineman to get into the end zone. Now the Lions were up by a field goal.

Chicago moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 43 with one minute left. One more first down would be long field goal range. Matt Barkley found Meredith for a 27 yard gain, but offensive holding meant 1st and 20. Barkley went deep to Braverman for 23 yards, but offensive holding again meant 1st and 30 as john Fox exploded on the sideline. On 4th and 11, with 19 seconds left, Barkley threw incomplete. For Chicago, this is your father’s Bears team and not why they play the games. Meanwhile, the 9-4 Lions have a 2 game lead in the NFC North. Jim Caldwell was so pleased he almost made a facial expression. 20-17 Lions

Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville Jaguars — Mike Zimmer was back on the sideline after missing one game due to eye surgery. Despite losing 6 of 7 following a 5-0 start, they faced the pathetic Jaguars and soon to be ex-coach Gus Bradley. The first half was unwatchable unless one loves field goals. Kai Forbath and Jason Myers both hit three of them. Forbath hit from 43 and 32 to lead 6-0 after the opening quarter. In the second quarter Myers hit from 45 and Forbath answered from 40 for a 9-3 Vikings lead. Myers then hit from 55 and from 24 as the teams took a 9-9 lead into the locker rooms. In the third quarter Forbath hit from 46 to make it 12-9 Vikings.

Finally, the end zone was discovered. The Jaguars moved 90 yards in 11 plays. Blake Bortles hit Walters for a 14 yard touchdown as the Jaguars had the surprising 16-12 lead after three quarters. Minnesota took over at their own 38. From midfield, Sam Bradford hit McKinnon for 12 and Adam Thielen for 23 more. The fourth quarter began with Matt Asiata banging in from one yard out. A false start on the extra point had Forbath trying again from 38 yards out. His second try was no good as the Vikings led 18-16.

Jacksonville went 3 and out and the Vikings got it back at their own 41. On 4th and 15 from the Jacksonville 46, Minnesota punted it back. Yet roughing the kicker kept the drive going. On 1st and goal at the one, Asiata got stopped and Bradford threw incomplete. On 3rd and goal, Asiata got the carry and fumbled the ball. Jacksonville recovered in the end zone for a touchback. With 6:19 to play the Jaguars had avoided the knockout blow and needed only a field goal to win it. Yet again they could not move the ball. Minnesota got it back at their own 46. A defensive facemark moved the Vikings to the Jags 28. On 3rd and 10, Bradford hit Cordarelle Patterson for 11 yards. Bradford threw a 3 yard touchdown to Kyle Rudolph with 2:13 to play, and the extra point put the game out of reach. At 7-6, Minnesota clings to playoff life. 25-16 Vikings

Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles — Division rivals clinging to playoff life played a close one. Caleb Surges hit a 45 yard field goal in the first quarter and a 36 yarder in the second quarter for a 6-0 Eagles lead. The Redskins finally got going, moving 69 yards in 10 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. R. Kelley ran for a 22 yard touchdown for a 7-6 Redskins lead with 4 minutes left in the half. The Eagles took their turn going 77 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Philly 41, Carson Wentz hit Burton for 16 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 36, Wentz hit Turner for 16. Wentz hit Darren Sproles for a 4 yard touchdown and a 13-7 Eagles lead at the half.

The third quarter belonged to the Redskins, as they struck in a big way. Kirk Cousins connected with DeSean Jackson on an 80 yard touchdown to give the Redskins the 14-13 lead. The Eagles moved from their own 18 to the Washington 29 before stalling. The Eagles were without a long snapper due to a [air of injuries, a severe blow to their kicking game. Captain Morgan Brent Celek was even brought in as a long snapper. A field goal try to give the Eagles the lead was fumbled, giving the Redskins the ball back at their own 46. Cousins soon hit Pierre Garcon for a 15 yard touchdown and a 21-13 Redskins lead after three quarters.

Early in the fourth quarter the Redskins faced 2nd and 6 at their own 20. Cousins was intercepted by Leodis McKelvin, who returned it 29 yards for an Eagles touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Eagles were within 21-19. Washington went 3 and out and committed a penalty on the return as the Eagles took over at their own 40. On 4th and 1 from the Washington 34, Doug Pederson decided to go for it midway through the fourth quarter. Wentz gained 2 yards. On 4th and 1 from the 23 with 5 minutes left, this time Pederson played it safe. Sturgis hit from 41 as the Eagles led 22-21.

Washington got it back at their own 23 and on 2nd and 10 Cousins threw a deep ball to Crowder that was ruled incomplete. Jay Gruden challenged the call, and it was reversed to a 33 yard gain to the Philly 44. With 3 minutes left, the Redskins faced 4th and 1 at the Philly 35 after a Cousins incompletion. Needing only a field goal for the lead, Jay burden decided to go for it. Cousins hit Garcon for 6 yards. At the 2 minute warning, Thompson ran for a 25 yard touchdown to give Washington the 5 point lead in this see-saw battle. The 2 point try failed. Wentz led a valiant rally from the Philadelphia 25 to the Washington 14 yard line with 21 seconds left. On 2nd and 10, with victory in sight, Wentz was sacked and fumbled and Washington recovered. Washington at 7-5 is still alive while the Eagles have lost 8 of 10 after a 3-0 start to kill their chances. 27-22 Redskins

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Saint shave pinball wizard Drew Brees but the Buccaneers have a very good defense. Early on it was Buc Ball. Roberto Aguayo hit a 41 yard field goal in the first quarter. In the second quarter the Buccaneers moved 75 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Muscle Hamster Doug Martin got in from the one to make it 10-0 Buccaneers. Tampa Bay got it back and Aguayo hit from 39 to make it 13-0 Buccaneers. Then the game severely tightened despite the Saints being unable to crack the end zone.

Will Lutz hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Saints on the board. The Buccaneers fumbled the ensuing kickoff and were lucky to recover at their own one. On the next play Martin got the carry and got belted backward for a safety as the Saints were within 13-5. The Saints took the free kick with 5 minutes left in the half at midfield. At the 2 minute warning, the Saints faced 4th and 1 at the Tampa Bay 14. Sean Payton decided to go for it and Brees got 2 yards himself. With 13 seconds left in the half, the Saints had 1st and goal at the one. A killer false start penalty followed by a sack of Brees meant 3rd and goal at the 15. Only 4 seconds remained so Payton took no chances. Lutz hit the 34 as the Saints trailed 13-8 at halftime.

The second half was a slog. The Saints moved from their 20 to a 3rd and 2 at the Bucs 4 yard line. Brees fired to Brandon Cooks for the touchdown, but on further review the call was reversed to incomplete. Again the Saints were denied the green zone. Lutz hit from 22 as the saints trailed 13-11. The Bucs responded by going from their own 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Saints 7. This time it was Jameis Winston throwing incomplete. With 13 minutes left in regulation Aguayo hit from 26 to give the Buccaneers a 5 point lead. With 10 minutes left, on 3rd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 47, Brees was intercepted. With 2:08 to play and facing 4th and 7 at the Saints 35, Dirk Koetter decided to punt. At the 2 minute warning the Saints took over at their own 3 yard line. With 1 minute left, on 4th and 1 from the Saints 45, Brees was intercepted again. 5 straight wins have the Bucs at 8-5 while at 5-8 the Saints are done. Three interceptions of Brees had the Bucs thinking Pewter Power. 16-11 Buccaneers

New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers — This week’s Stupor Bowl featured the 3-9 Jets at the 1-11 49ers. On the second play of the game, from the Jets 14, rookie Brice Petty was intercepted. The 49ers began at the Jets 7. One play later Colin Kaepernick hit Carlos Hyde for the touchdown. The 49ers got it back at their own 19 and moved quickly. Hyde ran for 11 and then ripped off a 47 yard run. Draughn ran the final 4 yards to make it 14-0 49ers after the opening quarter. In the second quarter Nick Folk hit a 36 yard field goal to get the Jets on the board. Phil Dawson countered from 47 to make it 17-3 49ers. The game would have been a bigger blowout but Dawson missed 2 other field goal tries. Then came the surprise.

In the third quarter the Jets moved from their 24 to a 1st and goal at the 3, holding the ball for 7 1/2 minutes and 13 plays. Yet a false start and a sack of Petty killed the drive. Folk hit from 30 but the Jets still trailed 17-6 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Jets mounted another long drive, going 66 yards in 15 plays and taking 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. Powell ran for a 5 yard touchdown and Petty ran in the 2 point conversion himself. With 5 minutes left in regulation, the Jets were within 17-14. The Jets held on defense and got the ball back with 2 1/2 minutes left and 2 timeouts at their own 35. Petty hit Enunwa and Anderson for a pair of 9 yard gains. With 43 seconds left, Folk came in for a 50 yard field goal try to tie the game. Folk was good and the teams were headed to overtime tied 17-17.

The 49ers got the ball in overtime after a touchback and moved quickly. Hyde got around the end for a 25 yard gain. Only 2 minutes into the extra session, the 49ers quickly faced 4th and 2 at the Jets 37. Rather than punt or try a 55 yard field goal for the lead, Chip Kelly decided to go for it. Hyde got the carry and ran into a Gang Green wall. A pair of runs by Powell had the Jets near midfield. Petty went deep to Anderson for 26 yards. A field goal would end the game. Folk never got the chance. On 3rd and 4 from the 19, Powell broke free all the way for the touchdown. 20 unanswered points gave the Jets a stunning comeback in an otherwise lost season. If the players quit on Todd Bowles, it did not show. Meanwhile, after winning the opener, the 49ers have lost 12 straight. 23-17 Jets, OT

Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers — The Seahawks won the Fail Mary game and the thrilling NFC Title Game miracle two years ago. The Packers won the playoff game made famous with Matt Hasselbeck being intercepted by Al Harris. On this night, it was a one sided affair dominated by Green Bay. Right off the bat Rodgers went to Devonta Adams for a 66 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Seahawks moved 64 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. They settled for a Steve Hauschka 28 yard field goal. They were only down 7-3, but in the second quarter the Packers exploded. An interception of Russell Wilson had Green Bay at the Seahawks 26. Montgomery got in from the one to make it 14-3 Packers. Green Bay got it back with another short field at the Seattle 48. Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Packers. Another interception in the third quarter meant another short field for Green Bay at the Seattle 32. Rodgers hit Nelson for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 28-3 Packers.

The fourth quarter was a formality. Mason Crosby hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 31-3 Packers. Seattle eventually got in the end zone but yet another interception of Wilson meant another short field at the Seattle 19. One play later Janis ran around the end for the final score of the game. The NFC Title Game 2 years ago saw Wilson overcome 4 interceptions in the first 55 minutes to lad a miracle comeback. This tome there would be no miracles. He finished 22 of 39 for 240 yards, one garbage time touchdown, and 5 interceptions. Rodgers was 18 of 23 for 246 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Green Bay at 7-6 needs to run the table to make the playoffs, while at 8-4 the Seahawks fell half a game out of the first round bye race. 38-10 Packers

Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams — Atlanta has the offense, but Julio Jones was out injured. It did not matter. Jeff Fisher is known for defense, but on this day his team had none. The Rams fumbled the opening kickoff and the Falcons recovered at the Los Angeles 3 yard line. One play later Matt Ryan hit Hardy for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. In the second quarter the Falcons moved 88 yards. Ryan hit Coleman for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-0. Jared Goff was then intercepted by Jones, who returned it 33 yards for a touchdown to have the Falcons cruising 21-0 at the break. The second half was just as ugly.

In the third quarter Ryan quickly hit Gabriel for a 64 yard touchdown to make it 28-0 Falcons. Atlanta got it back and Coleman had another 6 yard touchdown run to make it 35-0 Falcons. Then Goff was sacked and fumbled, and Vic Beasley returned it 21 yards for a touchdown as the Falcons led 42-0 after three quarters. The Falcons slept through the fourth quarter and allowed a pair of garbage time touchdowns to see Dan Quinn’s squad get to 8-5. The Rams have another losing record and Jeff Fisher tied dan Reeves for all time losses as an NFL head coach. Fisher was fired the following day. 42-14 Falcons

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants was the Sunday night game. The Giants went into Dallas in the season opener and beat the Cowboys by one point. Dallas has not lost since, and a win in the rematch would clinch the NFC East. The Giants gave the Cowboys all they could handle in a game that was all defense. In the first quarter the Cowboys moved 67 yards in 10 plays and Dak Prescott hit Terrence Williams for a 31 yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 Cowboys. On the last play of the half a 55 yard field goal try by Dan Bailey to extend the lead was no good, hitting the crossbar. In the third quarter the Giants finally got on the board when Robbie Goal hit from 39 to get the Giants within 7-3. One play changed the game. O’Dell Beckham and Eli Manning both missed chances in the first half, but in the third quarter they came together in a big way.  Manning fired over the middle to Beckham, who outraced everyone for a 61 yard touchdown and a 10-7 Giants lead after three quarters.

Dez Bryant was having a nightmarish game, with 0 catches with only 2 1/2 minutes to play. With Dallas facing 3rd and 6 at their own 28, Prescott found Bryant for a 10 yard gain. Yet his first catch soon became a fumble after Bryant was belted by Janoris Jenkins. Jenkins recovered the fumble as the Big Blue home crowd went wild. At the 2 minute warning with the Cowboys out of timeouts, everything came down to the Giants facing 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 31. Up to this point The Giants were 2 for 14 on third downs and the Cowboys were 1 for 14. A run went nowhere as the clock ticked down to 1:15 to play. Ben McAdoo decided to go for it rather than try a 50 yard field goal and risk a block. Manning barked the hard count but Dallas did not bite. After a delay of game the Giants punted. Perfect punt coverage had the Cowboys backed up to their own 2 yard line.

On 4th and 10 Prescott fired to Bryant for a 17 yard gain and then hurried up to the line. Yet just before they snapped the ball, the officials reviewed the play and reversed it to an incomplete pass. The ball clearly hit the ground, well defended again by Jenkins. Dallas saw their 11 game win streak snapped to fall to 11-2. They still have the NFL’s best record, but they have been swept by the Giants. The Giants are 9-4 and in strong position for a wild card. A third match between these teams in the playoffs would be must see television. 10-7 Giants

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots was the Monday night game. Four minutes into the game, brilliant punt coverage had the Ravens pinned at their own one yard line. Kenneth Dixon got the carry and got blown up in the end zone by Malcolm Brown for a safety and a 2-0 Patriots lead. Midway through the first quarter the Ravens faced 3rd and 6 at their own 24. Joe Flacco found Kyle Juszczyk, who shed several tackles for a 40 yard gain with 15 more tacked on for a defensive personal foul. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the 16, Flacco threw incomplete twice. Justin Tucker had not missed a field goal or extra point all season. Yet Shane McLellin timed the snap perfectly, jumped over the center, and blocked the kick. The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 33. Brady went deep to Julian Edelman for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, LaGuerrette Blount churned forward and got in to make it 9-0 Patriots.

In the second quarter the Ravens moved to a 2nd and 7 at the New England 41. Yet consecutive incompletions by Flacco meant another punt. The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 17. Brady found White over the middle, and White split the seams for a 61 yard gain. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Brady fired a laser between defenders to Malcolm Mitchell for the touchdown to complete the 89 yard drive and make it 16-0 Patriots. After Flacco threw deep and was intercepted, Brady quickly moved the Patriots to a 3rd and goal at the 2 looking to put the game away. Instead Brady got belted as he threw and was intercepted in the end zone. With 11 seconds left in the half, Tucker hit a 50 yard field goal to finally get the Ravens on the board.

In the third quarter Bill Belichick went for the kill shot. With the Patriots at their own 48, a perfectly executed flea flicker went to Chris Hogan for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 19, Brady lobbed a pass to Marcellus Bennett in the end zone and Bennett ripped it away from the defender for the touchdown. With 9 minutes left in the third quarter the Patriots led 23-3. They were dominating on offense and defense, but then came some disasters on special teams.

The Patriots fumbled a punt and the Ravens recovered at the New England 3 yard line. Flacco fired over the middle to Waller for the touchdown to get the Ravens within 23-10. Then the Patriots fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Ravens recovered at the New England 22. Flacco threw an 8 yard touchdown to Dixon and the Ravens were right back in it down 23-17. In the fourth quarter the Ravens faced 1st and 20 from their own 24. Flacco went bombs away and found Perriman for a 47 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the New England 12, Flacco was sacked for an 8 yard loss. With 6 1/2 minutes remaining, Tucker hit a 38 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 23-20.

11 seconds later the Patriots had blown the game open again. From the Patriots 21, Brady went deep to Hogan, who outraced everybody for a 79 yard touchdown to make it 30-20 Patriots. Flacco led a furious rally. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 21, Flacco found Mike Wallace for 20 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 46, Flacco went to Steve Smith for a 25 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 22, Flacco fired to Dennis Pitta at the sticks. Officials ruled Pitta was short of the sticks and the clock kept running. Rather than take a timeout on 4th and inches and needing 2 scores, John Harbaugh hurried the field goal team on the field to beat the 2 minute warning. Tucker just snuck the kick inside the left upright with 2:03 left.

Down by 7, the onside kick failed. However, 2:01 remained. The Ravens would have the 2 minute warning and 2 timeouts. In a stunning move, Brady came out throwing. After an 8 yard completion. Blount barreled over defenders for the killer first down. The Patriots at 11-2 are one game ahead of everyone for home field throughout the playoffs. The Ravens at 7-6 are one game back in the AFC North, and in deep trouble of missing the playoffs. Joe Flacco was 37 of 52 for 324 yards and two touchdowns, but it was not enough. Brady was 25 of 38 for 406 yards and three touchdowns. Each quarterback was intercepted once. 30-23 Patriots.

NFL 2016 Week 14 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-2016-week-14-preview-and-bettors-guide-74860/

NFL 2016 Week 13 Recap

Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings was the Thursday night game. It was a defensive bonelock. Mike Zimmer was at home recovering from eye surgery, but the Minnesota defense summoned up his attitude. For much of the night they frustrated the tainted Dallas offense while generating little offense of their own. Kai Forbath hit a 48 yard field goal to have the Vikings up 3-0 after the first quarter. Ezekiel Elliott got the last yard of an 84 yard drive to have the Cowboys up 7-3 at halftime. Forbath hit again from 36 as the Vikings only trailed 7-6 after three quarters. Just before the third quarter ended, facing 1st and 20 at their own 25, Dak Prescott was sacked and fumbled for the second time in the game. Minnesota recovered at the Dallas 19, but again could not get in the end zone. The fourth quarter began with Forbath hitting from 33 to have the Vikings up 9-7 and smelling upset.

With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Cowboys punted on 4th and 24 from their own 40. The punt was fumbled, a killer turnover by the vikings. Dallas recovered at the Minnesota 8. One play later Prescott hit Dez Bryant on a short slant, and Bryant took it to the end zone for a 14-9 Cowboys lead. Minnesota could not move the ball, and a shanked 33 yard punt had the cowboys get it back at their own 46. Elliott then broke off a 30 yard run. After that Minnesota held. Dan Bailey hit the 39 yard field goal to put the Cowboys up 17-9. With 4:20 to play, Minnesota needed to finally reach the end zone to try and tie the game. A sack of Bradford had the Vikings facing 4th and 12 at their own 36 with 3:14 to play. With all 3 timeouts left, the decision was to punt and trust the defense.

On 2nd and 9 from the Dallas 23, Prescott appeared to run for the first down. However, Minnesota challenged the spot. Prescott clearly began his slide before the marker, and the officials properly reversed the call. On 3rd and 1, a first down would end the game. Prescott fumbled the center snap exchange, and the Cowboys were lucky to retain possession. On 4th and 4 they punted, and it was Minnesota fumbling another punt and barely escaping disaster by retaining possession. With 2:09 left, the Vikings were at their own 35. Bradford hit Adam Thielen for an 18 yard gain. From the Dallas 36, Bradford hit Diggs for a 15 yard gain. With one minute to go, another completion already had Minnesota at the Dallas 11. On 2nd and 6 from the 7, Dallas jumped offsides, stopping the clock with 30 seconds to play. Dallas then took their final timeout. Bradord then threw the 4 yard touchdown to McKinnon with 25 seconds left. Now it all came down to the 2 point conversion.

A false start moved the try back to the 7 yard line. The Vikings committed another false start and would have been better off had it been called. Officials let the play continue, and under heavy pressure, Bradford threw a mile high and out of the end zone. Bradford took a blow to the head and it was also not called. The onside kick failed. Jason Witten saw his streak of 130 games with a catch snapped, but Witten recovered the winning onside kick. Minnesota fell to 6-6 after the bitter home loss. As for Dallas, they are 11-1 with their 11th straight win. This was their ugliest win, but very good teas gut out tough road wins against good defenses. Dallas did exactly that. 17-15 Vikings

Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars — 20 years ago John Elway’s Denver Broncos had the NFL’s best record and were shocked at home by the 2nd year Jacksonville Jaguars in the playoffs. 20 years later, Denver was again expected to steamroll over Jacksonville. However, Trevor Siemian was out injured as rookie Paxton Lynch got the start. After a scoreless first quarter it was actually the Jaguars who scored first. Jared Myers hit a 30 yard field goal for the 3-0 Jacksonville lead. The Broncos finally got on the board when a 75 yard drive culminated in a 6 yard Booker run for a 7-3 Denver lead. Jacksonville’s defense hung tough the entire half until the final minute. Brandon McManus hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Broncos at halftime.

Blake Bortles can always be counted on to throw a touchdown pass to the players wearing different color jerseys. On 3rd and 4 just shy of midfield, Bradley Rob’s interception return went 51 yards for a score and the 17-3 Broncos lead. The Jaguars fought hard, coming back from their own 30. 12 plays, 70 yards, and 6 minutes led to a critical 4th and 5 at the Denver 22 less than one minute into the fourth quarter. Gus Bradley decided to go for it. Bortles scrambled up the middle all the way for the touchdown. The Jaguars were now only down by 7 with ages of time left.

Jacksonville got it back and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Denver 38 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Bortles threw incomplete. On 4th and 4 Bradley went for it and Bortles threw incomplete again. Making matters worse, unsportsmanlike conduct on Jacksonville gave Denver the ball at the Jags 47. Lynch threw incomplete on 3rd and 3 as the Jaguars got it back at their own 20. On 3rd and 10 from the Jacksonville 40, a run gained only 5 yards. With 5 1/2 minutes left, Gus Bradley decided to punt and trust his defense. Lynch came up short on 3rd and 1 and Jacksonville had another chance at their 29 with 3 minutes left. On 3rd and 10, a completion gained only 4 yards. On 4th and 6 from the Jacksonville 33, with 2:16 to play, a 2-9 Gus Bradley with nothing to lose opted to punt. The crowd jeered but the Jaguars had all their timeouts. Jacksonville held on defense and got it back with 1:41 left at their own 34. Yet Bortles was sacked and fumbled. Denver took over at the Jacksonville 29. The defense held again but McManus hit a 41 yard field goal with 30 seconds left to lift Denver to 8-4 and very much alive in the playoff race. 20-10 Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs at Atlanta Falcons — A pair of teams in strong playoff position faced off as the high octane Atlanta offense grappled with the stout Kansas City defense. Early on a 10 play, 81 yard, 5 minute drive saw Devonte Freeman get the final yard for a 7-0 Falcons lead. It was set up when Matt Ryan threw incomplete on 3rd and 11 from the 12 but defensive pass interference nullified it. The Chiefs quickly came back 77 yards. Alex Smith usually throws West Coast Offense dink and dunk passes, but Andy Reid unleashed him early. Perhaps it was because dinking and dunking would not keep pace with Atlanta. From the Chiefs 41, Smith went deep to Travis Kelce for gains of 21 and 35 yards. Ware got in from the 3 yard line for the score. The extra point was blocked as the Chiefs trailed 7-6.

After a touchback the Falcons moved easily into the red zone, but on 3rd and 3 from the 4, Matty Ice was tackled for no gain. Matt Bryant hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 10-6 Falcons. The Chiefs quickly moved to from their 23 to a 3rd and 3 at the Atlanta 39. Smith was sacked and fumbled, giving the Falcons the ball at their own 43. The second quarter began with the Falcons with 1st and goal at the 2. Yet an incompletion was followed by a run that lost 2 yards and another incompletion. Bryant hit another 22 yard field goal to make it 13-6 Falcons.

The Chiefs came back 92 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the 3, Andy Reid decided to go for it. Smith hit Ware for the touchdown for a 13-13 game. With 48 seconds left in the half, the Falcons took over at their own 25. Matt Ryan fired over the middle and was intercepted by Eric Berry. Despite having the 27th ranked offense and 28th ranked defense, the Chiefs defense wins by forcing turnovers. Berry returned the interception 37 yards for a touchdown and a 20-13 Chiefs lead. Some quick passes by Ryan allowed Bryant to come out for a 59 yard field goal try on the last play of the half. Bryant was dead center and it cleared the crossbar as the Falcons trailed 20-16 at halftime.

Two minutes into the third quarter, the Chiefs prepared to punt on 4th and 1 from their own 45. Andy Reid called a fake punt that worked to perfection. Alex Wilson took the direct snap straight up the middle for a 55 yard touchdown. The Chiefs led 27-16, making Andy Reid a happy Walrus Lite. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, the Falcons moved from their own 20. On the first play of the fourth quarter, on 3rd and 2 from the Chiefs 38, Freeman gained 4 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the 15, Ryan found Taylor Gabriel for 14. Freeman got the last yard. With 12 minutes left in the game and the Falcons down by 5, Dan Quinn made a very questionable decision to go for the 2 point conversion. Ryan’s pass was incomplete and the Falcons trailed 27-22.

Earth to NFL coaches: Don’t go for 2 point conversion until you have to. This Falcons-Chiefs game is ridiculous. How many times have we seen teams “chase points,” going for 2 a second time only because they didn’t get it the first time? Carolina lost to New England in the Super Bowl because of repeated failed 2 point conversions.

Atlanta got it back at their own 20 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 40, a short pass from Ryan to Toilolo gained 42 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Chiefs 17, Ryan scrambled for 12. Ryan threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Robinson. with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Falcons led 28-27. Now they had to go for two, which they would not have had to do had they not gone for it the first time. So instead of a pair of extra points and a 30-27 lead, they only led by one point. Then came a disaster and a complete shock to the home crowd. Ryan’s 2 point pass attempt was intercepted by Eric Berry. Berry went coast to coast, 100 yards. This year that is now a 2 point score. Instead of leading the Falcons now trailed by a point and had to kick off.

The Chiefs took over at their own 8. At the 2 minute warning, the Chiefs faced a critical 3rd and 6 at their own 26. Smith hit Wilson for a 10 yard gain, allowing the Chiefs to run out the clock. Atlanta fell to 7-5 while the Chiefs at 9-3 are still in strong position to win the AFC West. They have upcoming rematches against Oakland and Denver. 29-28 Chiefs

Houston Texans at Green Bay Packers — With snow coming down, the first quarter was a scoreless slog. With the Texans facing 3rd and 9 from midfield, a completed pass was fumbled away, letting Green Bay take over at the Houston 24. Yet on 3rd and 1 from the 2, Aaron Rodgers fumbled the snap and the Texans recovered. The second quarter began with Bill O’Brien deciding to go for it on 4th and 1 from midfield. Alfred Blue got the carry and got stopped cold as the Packers took over. After a 3rd and 1 run lost a yard, Mike McCarthy decided to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Houston 42. Michael gained 5 yards. Rodgers threw a 9 yard touchdown to Randall Cobb as the Packers led 7-0 midway through the second quarter. In the third quarter the Texans moved 63 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 9 from the Houston 38, Osweiler went deep to Will Fuller for a 24 yard gain. On 4th and 1 from the 6, Bill O’Brien decided to go for it. Osweiler hit Griffin for the touchdown and a 7-7 game midway through the third quarter.

A strong kickoff return had the Packers taking over at their own 44. On 4th and 2 from the Houston 48, Mike McCarthy decided to go for it. Ripowski got the carry and came up a yard short. The Texans soon faced 2nd and 5 at the Green Bay 36. Osweiler threw incomplete twice. Rather than go for it or try a 54 yard field goal in the snow, O’Brien decided to punt and play field position. Shane Lechler placed a perfect punt that pinned the Packers, which is alliteration for those who care. For those who don’t, the Packers took over at their own 2 yard line. On 3rd and 1 from the 11, Montgomery gained 13 yards. On the last play of the third quarter, on 3rd and 8 from their own 26, Rodgers found Jared Cook for 10 yards. Rodgers then found Adams for 17 and scrambled for 10. Rodgers went deep to Jordy Nelson for a 32 yard touchdown. With 13 minutes left in regulation, the 12 play, 98 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 14-7 Packers.

The Texans moved from their 15 to a 3rd and 7 at the Green Bay 44 with 9 minutes left. After Osweiler threw incomplete, O’Brien again decided to punt. The Packers were pinned at their own 11. Again, it did not matter. Rodgers hit Nelson for 21 and on 3rd and 6 from midfield hit him again for 28 more. Ripowski got the last 3 yards to make it 21-7 Packers with a little more than 4 minutes to play. The Texans did quickly move 78 yards, as Osweiler hit Hopkins for a 44 yard touchdown. The extra point failed, but the bigger problem was the onside kick also failing. Both teams are now 6-6 and in playoff survival mode. 21-13 Packers

Philadelphia Eagles at Cincinnati Bengals — Neither team is expected to make the playoffs. Mike Nugent started the scoring for Cincinnati with a 32 yard field goal. Cincinnati got it back and went 81 yards, with Jeremy Hill gaining the final 2 yards for the touchdown and the 10-0 Bengals lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter the Bengals kept rolling. Mike Nugent hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Bengals. Cincinnati got it back and quickly moved 93 yards in 12 plays. Red Rifle Andy dalton hit Tyler Eifert for a 13 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Bengals led 19-0 at the half. In the third quarter the Bengals continued the blowout as a 77 yard finished with Dalton hitting Brandon LaFell for an 8 yard score and a 26-0 Bengals lead. Nugent tacked on a 26 yard field goal for a 29-0 Bengals lead. Most of the second half was garbage time. Carson Wentz threw 60 times, completing 36 of them for 308 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. Dalton was 23 of 31 for 332 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The Eagles needed 4 touchdowns and only got 2 of them, as a late Cincy field goal ended the scoring. 32-14 Bengals

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints — Despite both teams having high octane offenses, a 27 yard Matt Prater field goal early on was the only score as the Lions led 3-0 after the opening quarter. In the second quarter the Lions moved 92 yards in 11 plays, taking 7 1/2 minutes off the clock. Matthew Stafford hit Golden Tate for a 35 yard gain and then went to Theo Riddick for the one yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Lions. After that the field goal kickers took over. A field position game had the Saints taking over with a short field at the Detroit 48. That was enough for Will Lutz to hit a 40 yard field goal to get the Saints within 10-3. Prater responded from 29 and Lutz hit again from 32 to close out the half with the Saints down 13-6. In the third quarter Prater hit from 32 and again from 27 as the Lions led 19-6. Both offense kept moving into the red zone, but it was the defenses making the end zone mostly out of reach.

In the fourth quarter the Saints got back in it. After three quarters of offensive futility, a 75 yard drive saw John Kuhn get in from one yard out. The Saints were only down 19-13. Moments later the Lions turned out the lights. Stafford went deep and found a wide open Golden Tate for a 66 yard touchdown bomb. The 2 point try failed, but the Lions led 25-13. Prater added a 52 yard field goal to complete the scoring. Prater’s 5 field goals were the difference as the first place Lions are now an 8-4 team. Jim Caldwell was so excited after the win that he almost made a facial expression. Meanwhile, the Saints are all but out of the playoff race, as Drew Brees and Sean Payton need more help on both sides of the ball, especially the defense. 28-13 Lions

San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears — Forget that the 49ers and Bears are terrible. The NFL has its first snowstorm football game of the year. This is December football. Neither quarterback completed a pass in the first quarter. It could be because Colin Kaepernick and Matt Barkley are terrible, but lets give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it is the snow coming down. Jay Cutler was thanking his stars he is injured so he can stay inside. The 49ers actually received an excessive celebration penalty on a touchdown that never happened. To be fair, San Francisco was the Hillary Clinton capital of America. Midway through the second quarter saw the game’s first completion. Meanwhile, Phil Dawson hit field goals of 31 and 28 yards in the second quarter for a 6-0 49ers lead at the 2 minute warning. Despite no offense whatsoever for 28 minutes, an 8 yard completion by Matt Barkley on 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 24 finally got the bears going. Barkley hooked up with Meredith for gains of 28 and 17 yards. From the san Francisco 12, a pass to the end zone led to defensive pass interference. From the one, Howard got in with 30 seconds left in the half to make it 7-6 Bears.

In the third quarter the Bears moved 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Howard got the last 2 yards for a 14-6 Bears lead. Chicago got it back at their own 41 and Matt Barkley somehow turned into Jim McMahon in 1985. Playing the 49ers defense 30 years after Ronnie Lott helps. Barkley hit Bellamy for 22 and again for 31. Howard ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 21-6 Bears. In the fourth quarter Connor Barth hit a 45 yard field goal to lock up the win. Chip Kelly allowed Kaepernick to throw only 5 passes the whole game. His only completion gained 4 yards. Colin Kaepernick was benched for Blaine Gabbert. So much for his channeling Fidel Castro’s ghost to a win. Gabbers was sacked for a safety. In the 1980s these teams played in the NFC Title Game twice. This was the Stupor Bowl. At least John Fox got his team to show up. 26-6 Bears

Los Angeles Rams at New England Patriots — 15 years ago Bill Belichik and Tom Brady shocked the world as the Patriots stunned the heavily favored Rams in the Super Bowl. A few years ago Belichick and Brady led Jeff Fisher’s team 59-0 after three quarters before taking a knee the entire fourth quarter. Fisher again leads a struggling team while Brady and belichick are on a Super Bowl mission. This time 80 yards ended with a 43 yard touchdown run by Laguerrette Blount as the Patriots led 7-0 after the first quarter. On the last play of the first quarter, the Rams faced 3rd and 7 at their own 32. Jared Goff threw a well thrown ball that went straight out of the receiver’s hands for an interception by Malcolm Butler. The Patriots began the second quarter at the Rams 30. Brady threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Chris Hogan for a 14-0 Patriots lead. Stephen Gostkowski tacked on a 28 yard field goal just before the half ended for a 17-0 Patriots advantage.

Who says the Rams don’t have an offense? Greg Zuerlein kicked a 44 yard field goal in the third quarter to have the Rams within 17-3. Gostkowski responded from 48, again from 45 after an interception of Goff, and again from 45 in the fourth quarter for a 26-3 Patriots lead. The Rams added a garbage touchdown, which is fitting because they have a garbage offense. Jeff Fisher received a 2 year contract extension before this game, and he is now 2 losses away from the all time NFL record of coaching losses. However, he has won plenty of games as well and now has time to develop Goff. As for Brady, with the win he passes Peyton Manning to be the all time winningest quarterback in NFL history with 201 wins. Meanwhile, the Patriots at 10-2 still have the top seed in the AFC. 26-10 Patriots.

Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens — Miami came in winning 6 straight in this key battle of teams with realistic playoff hopes and good defenses. Early on it was all Baltimore. Joe Flacco hit West for a 3 yard touchdown to cap a 79 yard drive. Then Baltimore got it back and went 63 yards as Flacco hit Dennis Pitta for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Ravens. In the second quarter after the teams traded turnovers, the Ravens mounted a staggering 18 play, 88 yard drive that consumed 9 minutes off the clock. Flacco hit Pitta again for a 9 yard touchdown as the Ravens were rolling at home 21-0. Justin Tucker capped off the half with a 55 yard field goal to have the Ravens dominating 24-0. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a Baltimore fumble gave the Dolphins the ball at the Baltimore 8. Yet after Miami scored, Flacco threw a 53 yard touchdown to Brad Perriman. A 9 yard touchdown run by West completed the blowout. Both teams are 7-5 although only Baltimore can realistically win their division. Miami is now on the outside looking in regarding the playoff race. 38-6 Ravens

Buffalo Bills at Oakland Raiders — With Kansas City and Denver winning earlier in the day, the Raiders needed to extend their five game win streak to stay atop the AFC West. Last week they got to 9-2 for their first winning season since 2002. Today they would face off against a desperate Bills team and Rex Ryan’s defense. In the first half, the Raiders were out of sync as dropped passes killed them. The Bills moved easily on their opening drive, but settled for a 27 yard Dan Carpenter field goal to lead 3-0. The Raiders came back with a 47 yard Sebastian Janikowski field goal for a 3-3 game. Buffalo in the second quarter moved 80 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. Gillislee scored from the one for a 10-3 Bills lead. The Raiders saw Michael Crabtree drop an easy touchdown pass as Oakland did everything to stay out of the end zone. Seabass hit field goals of 41 and 47 yards as the Raiders only trailed 10-9 at halftime. Despite being outplayed, the Raiders had a chance.

The Bills began the third quarter at their own 34. On the first play from scrimmage LeSean Shady McCoy raced for a 54 yard gain. On the next play, Tyrod Taylor scrambled for the 12 yard touchdown to make it 17-9 Bills. Buffalo got it back at their own 46 after Oakland punter Marquette King, normally one of the best in the game, shanked a 28 yarder. Buffalo made it look easy, converting a pair of third downs to face a critical 3rd and 1 at the Oakland 2. Gillislee got the carry and scored. Rex Ryan was playing ground and pound, and the Bills were pounding the Raiders 24-9. Oakland’s defense was awful and its offense was moribund. With 9 minutes left in the third quarter, the man who has been carrying the Silver and Black did it again. The gunslinger began firing on all cylinders, as Derek Carr led an offensive explosion that even retired Raider greats had to admire.

Carr fired to Clive Walford for an 18 yard gain that began a 75 yard march. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Carr hit Michael Crabtree for the touchdown. Crabtree was not going to miss another touchdown catch, as the Raiders trailed 24-16 with over 5 minutes left in the third quarter. The Raiders defense came alive as Buffalo’s offense went cold. A short punt and a 17 yard return by Jalen Richard had the Raiders starting at the Buffalo 38. Richard then ran for  21 yard gain. Latavius Murray got in from the one and Jack Del Rio smartly decided against the 2 point conversion. The Raiders were only down 24-23 after three quarters, but their offense was just getting started.

Another failed Buffalo series and another relatively short punt had the Raiders taking over at their own 41. On 3rd and 10 Carr hit Mychal Rivera for 22 yards and then went deep to Amari Cooper for a 37 yard touchdown. Less than one minute into the fourth quarter, the Raiders had taken the 30-24 lead. Again, Del Rio wisely avoided going for the 2 point try. Buffalo again went 3 and out but this time the Raiders got it back at their own 15 instead of midfield due to a penalty on the return. The Raiders got to their own 41 but a pair of incompletions ended the drive. After three straight touchdown drives the Raiders had stalled. Yet the defense came through in a big way.

With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Bills were pinned at their own 4 yard line from a great punt and even better punt coverage. On the first play from scrimmage, Khalil Mack continued his stretch of terrorizing opposing quarterbacks. Mack hit Taylor just as he threw the ball, leading to a wounded duck that was plucked out of the air by Nate Allen. The Raiders had gift field position at the Buffalo 16 yard line. On 3rd and 2 from the 8, Murray gained 5 and then got the last 3 yards. this time with 8 1/2 minutes left Del Rio went for 2, and Car hit Seth Roberts. Roberts had dropped a couple passes earlier but hauled in the critical conversion as the Raiders now led by 14 points.

Buffalo was in desperation mode now and they moved from their 25 to to a 3rd and 15 at the Oakland 33. Taylor hit McCoy for 16 and now the Bills were almost certain to make it a one score game. Yet after 5 minutes of clock, it was all for naught. Mack got the trifecta. He sacked Taylor, forced a fumble, and recovered it himself. With 3 1/2 minutes left, the Raiders were in strong position. The Bills took their timeouts on defense, and with 2 1/2 minutes left from the Oakland 32, Jack Del Rio did not even think about gambling on 4th and 1. Marquette King boomed a 68 yard punt, and the Bills committed a killer roughing the kicker penalty. The Raiders retained possession and ground down almost all of the rest of the clock.

Both quarterbacks threw 35 passes, with Taylor completing 18 and Carr. 19. Carr led in passing yards 260-191. Yet Taylor had 0 touchdowns and one interception while Carr had two touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Dropped passes prevented a third touchdown pass. Buffalo at 6-6 is now on the ropes, as Rex Ryan’s hot seat in frigid Buffalo just turned up several scorching notches. The Raiders are now 10-2, one game up in the AFC West, and in position for a first round bye. They have a very tough schedule down the stretch They face all three division opponents, and all of those games are on the road. Oakland is unbeaten on the road, but these are much tougher games. Nevertheless, 29 unanswered points in the second half came because Derek Carr is playing lights out football. It was ugly for long stretches, but the end result was beautiful. Just win baby. 38-24 Raiders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Diego Chargers — A pair of teams fighting for playoff survival saw the Buccaneers come in winners of two straight, including a beating last week over heavily favored Seattle. The Chargers struck first on a  75 yard drive when Philip Rivers hit Dontrelle Inman for a 35 yard touchdown and a 7-0 San Diego lead. The Buccaneers answered on a  56 yard drive when Muscle Hamster Doug Martin ran it in from 2 yards out for a 7-7 ballgame. In the second quarter the Chargers moved 75 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. Melvin Gordon ran for a 2 yard touchdown as the Chargers led 14-7 at halftime. In the third quarter the Buccaneers moved 66 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes, but stalled in the red zone. Roberto Aguayo hit the 27 yard field goal as the Buccaneers trailed 14-10.

Philip Rovers throws touchdowns, but not always to the players wearing the same color jerseys as him. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, with the Chargers facing 1st and 10 at their own 8, Rivers was intercepted by David. David returned the pick six 15 yards to pay dirt for a 17-14 Buccaneers lead. Yet after a touchback, rivers quickly had a bounce back. A 49 yard touchdown pass to Williams, who does wear the same color jersey as Rivers, had the Chargers back on top 21-17 after three quarters.

After a touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 2 at the San Diego 16. Jameis Winston threw incomplete and again the Bucs settled for a 34 yard Aguayo field goal to trail 21-20. The Chargers moved backwards on their next drive and a short punt had the Buccaneer starting at their own 46. Winston hit Martino for 16 yards, Jacquez Rodgers for 21 more, and Brate for the 12 yard touchdown. Winston hit Mike Evans for the 2 point conversion as the Buccaneers led this topsy-turvy game by 7 with 9 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Rivers led a time consuming drive. With 3 minutes to play, the Chargers faced 3rd and 1 at the Tampa Bay 31. Rivers went deep to the end zone and was intercepted. With 2:05 to play and the Chargers out of timeouts, everything came down to the Bucs facing 3rd and 1 at their own 29. Rodgers got the carry and gained 2 yards, allowing Winston to take three knees and end it. Tampa Bay is 7-5 and alive while the Chargers are 5-7 and all but dead in what could be Mike McCoy’s last season. 28-21 Buccaneers

Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals — The improved Redskins came in 6-4 while the Cardinals are on the ropes at 4-6. Early on the Cardinals moved 75 yards in 15 plays, taking nearly 8 1/2 minutes to do it. On 3rd and 12 from the Washington 15, Carson Palmer hit Gresham for 14 yards. David Johnson got in from the one for a 7-0 Cardinals lead after the opening quarter. In the second quarter both teams moved the ball but stalled. Dustin Hopkins hit field goals of 47 and 20 while Chandler Catanzaro connected from 28 as the Cardinals took a 10-6 lead into the locker rooms. The Redskins in particular had to be frustrated when they could not convert 1st and goal at the one into a touchdown. On 4th and goal at the one it was Jay Gruden who decided not to go for it.

In the third quarter, Kirk Cousins went deep to DeSean Jackson for a 59 yard gain. Again the Redskins faced 3rd and goal at the one. This time Cousins got in as the Redskins led 13-10. The Cardinals moved from their 25 to the Washington 23. Then a run lost 2 yards, Palmer was sacked for 10 yards, and a 53 yard Catanzaro field goal try was no good. Two plays later with the Redskins at their own 45, Cousins was sacked and fumbled. Golden picked it up, and ran it back all the way to the Washington 10. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Palmer hit Michael Floyd for the score and the 17-13 Cardinals lead. The Redskins responded. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 30, Cousins found Pierre Garcon for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Washington 26, Cousins went deep to Crowder for the touchdown as the Redskins led 20-17 after three quarters.

After a touchback, the Cardinals had their turn. On 3rd and 8 from the Arizona 37, Palmer hit Gresham for 9 yards and again for 11 more. From the Washington 25, Palmer went deep to Johnson for the touchdown. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Cardinals had retaken the lead 24-20. Both teams kept moving the ball well as the Redskins advanced from their 25 to a 3rd and 9 at the Arizona 35. Cousins threw incomplete. Jay Gruden opted for a 53 yard field goal try. Hopkins delivered as the Redskins trailed 24-23 with 6 minutes to play.

The Cardinals soon faced 4th and 1 at their own 34 with 4 1/2 minutes left. Everybody knows you punt the ball so as not to end up like Barry Switzer. Yet Bruce Arians is a gambler. It looked like he was just trying to get the Redskins to jump offsides, but he actually called a play. Risking the entire game, Arians was rewarded when Johnson gained 2 yards. With 2:11 to play, on 3rd and 5 from the Washington 47, Palmer threw incomplete but defensive holding on Josh Norman meant an automatic first down. Rather than try and grind down more clock, Arians again went for it all. Palmer went deep to Nelson for a 42 yard touchdown. Down by 8 with 1:56 to play, the Redskins moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Arizona 28 with 48 seconds left. Looking for the tie, Cousins was intercepted. Palmer finished 30 of 46 for 300 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Cousins was 21 of 37 for 271 yards and one touchdown, but his lone interception was a killer that damaged Washington’s playoff hopes. 31-23 Cardinals

New York Giants at Pittsburgh Steelers — These two stories franchises saw the Giants come in a confident 8-3 while the Steelers were struggling at 6-5 but still with a chance to win their division. The Pittsburgh defense brought the lumber in this one. With 3 minutes left in the opening quarter, the Giants faced 3rd and 14 at their own 5. Eli Manning hit O’Dell Beckham for 15 yards, but offensive holding in the end zone instead meant a safety for Pittsburgh. The Steelers moved after the free kick to the Giants 24 but stalled. Ryan Bullock hit a 44 yard field goal to end the first quarter with the Steelers up 5-0. With 8 1/2 minutes left in the half, an interception of Manning gave the Steelers a short field at the Giants 44. Ben Roethlisberger went deep to Antonio Brown for a 22 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Steelers led 11-0. With 6 minutes left in the half, the Steelers got it back and used up most of the rest of the clock. 15 plays eventually led to a 34 yard field goal and a 14-0 Steelers lead at the half.

In the third quarter the Giants moved from their 40 to a 4th and 1 at the Pittsburgh 3. Ben McAdoo decided to go for it and Manning threw incomplete. Yet from the Pittsburgh 15, LeVeon Bell fumbled at the Giants took over at the Pittsburgh 17. The goal line stand was wasted as Manning threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Rashad Jennings to get Big Blue within 14-7. Pittsburgh got it back at their own 12, and Big Ben immediately went deep to Green for a 33 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 20, Roethlisberger went back to Green again for the touchdown as the Steelers led 21-7 after three quarters.

Late in the third quarter, on 2nd and 20 from the Pittsburgh 22, Roethlisberger was intercepted to give the Giants a short field at the Pittsburgh 43. After converting one third down, on 3rd and 13 from the Pittsburgh 35, Manning threw incomplete. With 11 1/2 minutes left to play, McAdoo went for it and Manning was intercepted at the 3 yard line. The Giants got it back at midfield and Manning quickly hit Beckham for 25 yards. Yet on 4th and 9 from the 24, needing to go for it again midway through the fourth quarter, Manning threw incomplete.

Pittsburgh moved from their 32 to the Giants 20, By the time Bullock hit a 38 yard field goal, only 90 seconds remained. With Pittsburgh up 24-7, the game was locked up. The Giants did get a garbage touchdown. Both Roethlisberger and Manning have won two Super Bowls. Mike Tomlin has the steelers tied atop the AFC North while the Giants despite the record at best will be a wildcard. 24-14 Steelers

Carolina Panthers at Seattle Seahawks is the Sunday night game. Last year in the playoffs the Panthers took a 31-0 halftime lead and hung on for a 31-24 win that ended Seattle’s reign as two time defending NFC champions. Now at home, Seattle came in looking for a revenge and a chance to all but eliminate Carolina. It was all Seattle in a game that was a nightmare for Carolina from the very first bizarre play. Despite being healthy, football fans everywhere were stunned to see Derek Anderson start and not Cam Newton. The explanation was that Newton was benched for the first play because of violating the team’s dress code. On the Saturday before the game, he did not wear a necktie on the team flight to Seattle. Newton’s overall postgame fashion sense at press conferences was not the issue. Anderson only came in for one play, and it was a disaster.

A short pass to Mike Tolbert bounced off Tolbert’s hands straight into the arms of Seattle’s Morgan, who returned it 14 yards to the Carolina 8. The throw was fine. Tolbert just messed up. Carolina’s defense held Seattle to a 23 yard Steve Hauschka field goal and a 3-0 Seahawks lead. Newton played the rest of the way. Seattle got it back at their own 8 and 92 yards came without much difficulty. Thomas Rawls was back and healthy, and he ran like it. His 8 yard touchdown run made it 10-0 Seahawks. Russell Wilson In the second quarter the Seahawks had 4th and 5 at the Carolina 36. Pete Carroll decided to go for it and Wilson was sacked. On the next play Carolina fumbled the ball right back. 3 plays later Wilson was intercepted. On 3rd and 17 from the Carolina 45, Newton went bombs away to Ted Ginn. Ginn caught the 55 yard touchdown. The Panthers trailed 10-7, but after that it was Seattle who was carpet bombing Carolina.

Thomas Rawls quickly broke off a 45 yard touchdown run for a 17-7 Seahawks lead. Seattle moved at will and Steve Hauschka added on field goals of 37 and 31 for a 23-7 halftime lead. On the first play of the third quarter, Tyler Lockett raced for a 75 yard touchdown and a 3-0 Seahawks blowout. The fourth quarter was a formality. A 10 play, 84 yard, 5 minute drive saw Wilson throw a 1 yard touchdown to Jimmy Graham. Seattle mounted one more 11 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive that saw Hauschka hit his fourth short field goal from 28 yards out. Wilson was 26 of 36 for 277 yards, one touchdown and one interception, as the 8-3 Seahawks are in strong position for a first round bye at 8-3. Meanwhile last year’s 15-1 Panthers fell to 4-8. They won the division 2 years ago going 7-8-1, but that will not happen this year. After 3 straight division titles, Carolina is all but dead in terms of playoff hopes. Newton finished 14 of 32 for 182 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, but his team took a beating from the 12th man and the Legion of Boom. 40-7 Seahawks

Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets was the Monday night game. It was over from the start. Andrew Luck threw touchdown passes of 7 and 21 yards to Allen before the Jets could blink as the Colts led 14-0 after the opening quarter. The Jets managed a 38 yard Nick Folk field goal before quitting the rest of the game. Adam VInatieri hit a 53 yard field goal for a 17-3 Colts lead. Luck hooked up with Allen a third time for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 24-3 Colts. An Indianapolis fumble at the Jets goal line was the only thing delaying a 31-3 game. In the third quarter the Colts moved 75 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. Luck’s fourth touchdown pass to Moncrief did get things to a 31-3 Colts lead. Vinatieri added one more field goal to make it 34-3. Todd Bowles benched Ryan Fitzpatrick and had Brice Petty play the second half. In the fourth quarter an interception of Petty set the Colts up at the Jets 6 yard line. On the first play of the fourth quarter Robert Turbin ran for a 5 yard touchdown and a 41-3 Colts lead. The Jets did get one garbage touchdown as they fell to 3-9. Chuck Pagano has a 6-6 club that can still win the woeful AFC South. 41-10 Colts

NFL 2016 Week 13 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-2016-week-13-preview-and-bettors-guide-74700/