NFL 2017 Week 5 Recap
New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the Thursday night game. The Patriots may not be the same team as in past years, but did anyone really expect them to roll over and drop to 2-3? In the first quarter Tom Brady shook off an early interception to move the Patriots from their own 2 to a 3rd and 5 at the Tampa Bay 9. Brady threw incomplete but Stephen Gostkowski hit the 27 yard field goal for a 3-0 Patriots lead. 13 plays, 89 yards and 7 minutes came up short of the end zone.
I the second quarter the Buccaneers moved 68 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. Muscle Hamster Doug Martin got in from the one to make it 7-3 Buccaneers. The Patriots came back 75 yards and Brady hit Chris Hogan for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Patriots. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half Danny Amendola returned a punt 40 yards, with 15 more tacked on due to unsportsmanlike conduct against the Buccaneers. The Patriots took over at the Tampa Bay 27. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Brady only gained one yard. Gostkowski hit from 23 to make it 13-7 Buccaneers at the intermission. From the Tampa 22 with only 35 seconds left, Jameis Winston did enough to give Nick Folk a 56 yard field goal try to close out the half, but it was no good.
In the third quarter the Patriots moved from their own 6 to a 2nd and 4 at the Tampa 27. Brady threw incomplete twice but Gostkowski hit his third field goal from 45 yards out to make it 16-7 Buccaneers. Much of the second half was hideous and unwatchable. Yet the Buccaneers moved in the fourth quarter from their own 3 yard line to a 3rd and goal at the 3. Winston ran for the touchdown but it was nullified by offensive holding. With 5 1/2 minutes left and needing 2 scores, the home crowd was shocked when Folk missed a 31 yard field goal.
New England quickly went 3 and out and the Bucs got it back at their own 26. On 3rd and 15 from the New England 47, Winston hit DeSean Jackson for 29 yards and Chris Brate for the 18 yard touchdown. With only 2:09 left, the Buccaneers were within 16-14. The onside kick failed, and the Patriots took over at the Tampa 37. The Buccaneers only had one timeout plus the 2 minute warning, but they held on defense. Gostkowki hit the 48 yard field goal. The Patriots led by 5 with 1:10 to play after a touchback, but the Buccaneers had a chance to pull off the upset.
Winston quickly went to Jackson for 24 yards. On 2nd and 15 from their own 44, Winston hit Humphries for 20 nd Brate for 17 more. Winston spiked the ball as 3 seconds remained with the Buccaneers at the New England 19. With everything on the line, Winston threw over the middle into traffic at the goal line. The ball was well defended and fell incomplete. Winston finished 26 of 46 for 334 yards and one touchdown without being intercepted. Brady finished 30 of 40 for 303 yards, one touchdown, and 0 interceptions. With the win, Brady tied Peyton Manning and Brett Favre for most regular season wins of all time. 19-14 Patriots
Los Angeles Chargers at New York Giants — In 2004, Eli Manning refused to play for the Chargers. This was a desperate attempt to create a story line for anyone to care about. A pair of winless, witless teams played as the San Diego Orange County Chargers of Los Angeles played the New York Giants in New Jersey. In the first quarter with the Chargers facing 3rd and 7 from their own 7, A fumbled shotgun snap went out of the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Giants lead. Later in the quarter the Giants moved 64 yards. Darkwa ran to daylight for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 9-0 Giants. In the second quarter the Chargers moved 77 yards. Philip Rivers hit Melvin Gordon for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Chargers within 9-7.
Late in the half Rivers threw a bomb to a wide open receiver, who dropped the ball in the end zone. After a couple more dropped touchdown passes, a field goal was tried. South Korea phenom Koo is gone, and Nick Novak returned to his former team. Novak hit from 20 to make it 10-9 Chargers at halftime in the Stupor Bowl. In the third quarter the Chargers moved down the field. Rivers went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The Giants came back 80 yards. Eli Manning threw a 29 yard touchdown to Lewis for a 16-10 Giants lead.
The Chargers came back 92 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. Rivers hooked up with Henry for a 25 yard touchdown. Novak doinked the extra point off the upright but it went through good to make it 17-16 Chargers after three quarters. The Giants quickly came back 75 yards. Early in the fourth quarter Manning went to O’Dell Beckham Jr. for a 48 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Giants led 22-17.
The Giants went 3 and out and the Chargers got it back with 9 minutes left at their own 39. Melvin Gordon ran for 16 yards. With 6 minutes left on 3rd and 10 from the Giants 23, Rivers hit Keenan Allen for 15 yards. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 8, Rivers threw 3 incompletions. With 5 minutes left, Anthony Lynn decided not to go for it. He went for the field goal and decided to trust his defense. After a false start Novak hit from 31 to get the Chargers within 22-20.
With 4 minutes left the Giants faced 3rd and 7 at their own 23. All the Giants had to do was not give the game away. In the Stupor Bowl, they did exactly that. Manning was sacked and fumbled. The Chargers took over and quickly faced 3rd and 9 from the Giants 10. Rivers hit Gordon for the touchdown. anthony Lynn surprisingly decided not to go for the 2 point conversion as the Chargers led by 5 with 3 minutes left. The Giants moved from their 24 to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 48. On 4th and 10 with 49 seconds left, Manning was intercepted. The Chargers finally have a win while Bob McAdoo has an 0-5 squad. To add insult, O’Dell Beckham Jr. was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a severe leg injury. 27-22 Chargers
Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals — Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw a 77 yard touchdown pass to AJ Green for a 7-0 Bengals lead. Steve Hauschka then hit a 31 yard field goal to get the Bills on the board. Randy Bullock countered from 30 in the second quarter to make it 10-3 Bengals. With 5 minutes left in the half, Dalton was intercepted by Micah Hyde, who returned it 13 yards to the Cincy 23. On 3rd and 10 from the 12, Tyrod Taylor hit Brandon Tate for the touchdown and a 10-10 ballgame. In the third quarter the Bengals dodged an interception of Dalton but not a fumble by Green in the red zone. The Bills moved from their 29 in position for a 38 yard Hauschka field goal and a 13-10 Bills lead.
The Bengals came back 75 yards and Joe Mixon ran for a 5 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 17-13 Bengals. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Brandon Tate returned a punt 40 yard to the Cincy 24. Unsportsmanlike conduct on the Bengals had the Bills starting on the Cincinnati 12 yard line. The Cincinnati defense had an inspired stand, holding the Bills to a 28 yard Huaschka field goal as the Bills still trailed 17-16 with 9 minutes left. The Bengals moved 59 yard in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Bullock hit from 29 to put the Bengals up by 4 with 3 1/2 minutes left. On 3rd and 15 from the Buffalo 20, Taylor was intercepted to get Marvin Lewis and the Bengals a desperately needed win. 20-16 Bills
New York Jets at Cleveland Browns — On the last play of the half, Chandler Catanzaro nailed a 57 yard field goal for a 3-0 Jets lead in a game that deserved no further explanation. NFL rules required the second half be played. Hue Jackson benched Shawn Kizer for Kevin Hogan, who led a 75 yard third quarter drive. Hogan threw a 21 yard touchdown pass to Njoku for a 7-3 Browns lead. The Browns got it back at their own 21, but the momentum they had quickly shifted when Hogan was intercepted. The Jets took over at the Cleveland 13. Josh McCown threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Sefarian-Jenkins for a 10-7 Jets lead.
The Browns again moved the ball and had a 4th and 2 at the Jets 4 with 13 minutes left in regulation. Hue Jackson decided to go for it. Isaiah Crowell got the carry and gained only one yard. The Jets then moved 97 yards. McCown hit Jermaine Kearse for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Jets in a game that should be forgotten forever. The Browns moved 86 yards and struck quickly when Johnson took a screen 41 yards for a touchdown with 1:49 left. The Browns were out of timeouts, and when the onside kick failed the Browns dropped to 0-5. Meanwhile, the Jets who were supposed to go 0-16, won their third straight to get to 3-2 under Todd Bowles. 17-14 Jets
Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers — Despite being a preseason Super Bowl contender, the Steelers have struggled against inferior teams this year. The inconsistent Jaguars should have been a tuneup. Chris Boswell hit a 29 yard field goal for the steelers in the first quarter, but Jacksonville’s defense toughened up. Late in the first quarter an interception of Ben Roethlisberger was returned 15 yards to the Pittsburgh 47. In the second quarter Leonard Fournette ran for a 2 yard score to make it 7-3 Jaguars. Boswell hit a 34 yard field goal in the second quarter as the Steelers surprisingly trailed 7-6 at break time. In the third quarter the Steelers moved 73 yards in 14 plays and 6 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 2, Big Ben threw incomplete. Boswell hit from 20 as the Steelers led 9-7. Yet the rest of the game produced a shocker.
Pittsburgh got it back and from their own 33, Roethlisberger was intercepted by Smith, who returned it 28 yards for a Jacksonville touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Jaguars led 13-9. Pittsburgh then faced 3rd and 17 at their own 34. Roethlisberger had a pass deflected and intercepted again by Church, who returned it 51 yards for another defensive score and a 20-9 Jaguars lead. The Jaguars got it bak at their own 4 yard line to start the fourth quarter. They moved 67 yards in 13 plays, and took 8 minutes off the clock. Jason Myers hit a 47 yard field goal in the rain to make it 23-9 Jaguars.
After another Roethliberger interception, the defense held and the Steelers moved from their own 14 to the Jacksonville 28 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Roethlisberger went to Antonio Brown for the touchdown, but offensive holding killed the Steelers. Two plays later Roethlisberger was intercepted at the goal line again. The Jaguars too over at their own 2 yard line. On 3rd and 2 at the 2 minute warning, Leonard Fournette raced up the middle for a 90 yard touchdown in front of a shellshocked home crowd. Mike Tomlin is not used to seeing his squad get blown out, especially at home. The win was so thorough that Captain Grumpy Tom Coughlin almost smiled. Blake Bortles threw only 14 passes, completing 8 of them for 95 yards, 0 touchdowns and one interception. Roethlisberger finished 33 of 55 for 312 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions. 30-9 Jaguars
Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins — The Dolphins barely avoided consecutive shutouts due to an anemic offense, but Tennessee gave up 57 points last week. Something had to give. DeMarco Murray fumbled to give the Dolphins the ball at the Tennessee 42. That was enough for Parkey to hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. Matt Cassel was in for an injured Marcus Mariota, and Cassel spent his time getting belted. A sack of Cassel resulted in a fumble that was returned 38 yards by Jones for a Miami touchdown. Replay showed that Cassel’s arm appeared to be going forward but the call stood for a 10-0 Dolphins lead. In the second quarter Jay Ajayi fumbled and the Titans took over at the Dolphins 24. Miami lost 3 yards and Ryan Succop hit a 45 yard field goal to get the Titans within 10-3. In the third quarter the Titans moved 69 yards. Cassel hit Supernaw for an 11 yard touchdown and a 10-10 game.
The third quarter ended with the Dolphins taking over at their own 42. On 3rd and 10 from the Titans 20, Jay Cutler hit Thomas for a 15 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Cutler hit Landry for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Dolphins led by 6 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After that the defense clamped down. With 19 seconds left the Titans took over at their own 7. Two plays left them 74 yards short of the end zone. Cassel finished 21 of 32 for 141 yards and one touchdown without an interception. Cutler was 12 of 26 for 92 yards and one touchdown and one interception. The game film was burned for the sake of football. 16-10 Dolphins
San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts — Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together for a thrilling game. This was not that game. Adam Vinatieri hit a 52 yard field goal for the Colts and Robbie Gould countered from 28 for a 3-3 game in the first quarter. In the second quarter Vinatieri hit from 23 and Gould answered from 43 for a 6-6 game at the half. For some reason, the second half was not cancelled. In the third quarter Vinatieri hit from 38 to make it 9-6 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 40 and finally the game saw a touchdown. Mack ran for a 22 yard score to make it 16-6 Colts. In the fourth quarter Gould hit his third field goal from 40 yards out, but the Colts struck again. A 75 yard drive was capped off with Jacoby Brissett running for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 23-9 Colts.
The 49ers came back 79 yards. Brian Hoyer hit Juszczyk for a 6 yard touchdown to get the 49ers within 23-16 midway through the fourth quarter. The 49ers got it back at their own 11 with 5 1/2 minutes left. Hoyer went to Kittle for a 27 yard gain. Om 3rd and 10 from their own 38, Hoyer hit Pierre Garcon for 13 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Indy 40, Carlos Hyde got stopped cold. Kyle Shanahan had to go for it with 2:47 left. Rather than run the ball, Shannon called a high risk pass play. Hoyer hit Kittle for 19 yards. With 24 seconds left, on 4th and goal at the 5, Hoyer hit Kittle for the touchdown as Chuck Pagano wondered why he wanted to bother with this Andrew Luck-less squad.
If ever a game did not deserve overtime, this one was it. The Colts began overtime and quickly faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Brissett threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 10 from the Indy 31, Brissett hit Dante Moncrief for 15 and TY Hilton for a 46 yard bomb to set up 1st and goal at the 8. Brissett was then intercepted in the end zone by Armstrong, who ran it back to the San Francisco 28 yard line. The Colts held on defense and soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 24. Brissett hit Moncrief for 7. Marlin Monster Mack broke free for a 35 yard gain. With 1:43 left in the extra session, Vinatieri came in for a 51 yard field goal try to win it. The most clutch kicker of all time was good as the 49ers remained winless. 26-23 Colts, OT
Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles — Arizona is not the same team from two years ago. They are older, creakier, and in trouble. Philadelphia jumped all over them from the start in the Carson Bowl. A 10 play, 54 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive was capped with Carson Wentz hitting Burton for a 15 yard touchdown to start the deluge. Warner then returned a punt 76 yards to the Arizona 15. On 3rd and 6, Wentz threw an 11 yard touchdown to Zac Ertz to make it 14-0 Eagles. Wentz then threw a 59 yard touchdown pass to Troy Smith to make it 21-0 Eagles.
In the second quarter the Cardinals woke up. A 10 play, 75 yard drive saw Carson Palmer throw a 13 yard pass to John Brown to get the Cardinals within 21-7. A chance to get closer saw a 51 yard field goal try by Phil Dawson blocked to end the half. The second half was a formality. Elliott hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Eagles. Wentz then hooked up with Nelson Agholor for a 72 yard touchdown and a 31-7 Eagles lead. Elliott added a 28 yard field goal as Wentz finished 21 of 30 for 304 yards and 4 touchdown passes with one interception. Doug Peterson has quietly assembled a good football team in the NFC East. 34-7 Eagles
Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions — The defenses dominated early as Matt Prater hit a 30 yard field goal for the Lions and Graham Gano answered from 21 for a 3-3 ballgame. In the second quarter the Lions moved 78 yards in 5 1/2 minutes, helped along by defensive penalties. Zenner got in from the one to make it 10-3 Lions. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34 when Cam Newton went deep to Ed Dickson for 57 yards. Newton then hit McCaffrey for a 6 yard touchdown and a 10-10 deadlock.
Carolina got it back and went 73 yards in 11 plays. Newton hit Devon Funchess for a 10 yard touchdown and a 17-10 Panthers advantage. In the third quarter the Panthers moved 75 yards as the Panthers broke the game open. Newton hit Kelvin Benjamin for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Panthers. Matthew Stafford was then sacked and fumbled, setting up Carolina at the Detroit 23. Gano hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 27-10 Panthers.
Stafford did throw a 4 yard touchdown pass to Darren Fells to cap a 69 yard drive with 6 minutes left in regulation to get the Lions within 27-17. The Lions got it back with 4 minutes left and struck quickly. On 3rd and 2 from the Carolina 45, Stafford hit Abbrederis for 25 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Carolina 20, Stafford hit Fells for the touchdown as the Lions got within 3 points. With 2 1/2 minutes left and the Lions out of timeouts, everything came down to Carolina facing 3rd and 9 at their own 24. Riverboat Ron Rivera decided not to run the ball, punt and play defense. Newton found Benjamin for a 17 yard completion to let the Panthers run out the clock. Rivera has a 4-1 football team while Jim Caldwell saw his squad drop to 3-2 with the loss. 27-24 Panthers
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams — Both teams have solid defenses and the Rams offense is much better than in past years. After a scoreless first quarter, the Rams struck in the second quarter. 79 yards in 10 plays saw Tavon Austin run for a 27 yard touchdown. The Rams fumbled a punt to set the Seahawks up at the Rams 30, but from the 15, Russell Wilson was intercepted. Johnson returned the interception 69 yards to the Seattle 19. The defense held but Greg Zuerlein hit from 35 to make it 10-0 Rams. The Seahawks then moved 75 yards in 15 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Wilson hit Jimmy Graham for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Seahawks within 10-7. Despite the ensuing kickoff going out of bounds, the Rams went nowhere from their own 40 and the Seahawks took over at their 25 with 1:34 left in the half. On 3rd and 12 from midfield, Wilson hit Thomas Rawls for 14 yards. Blair Walsh hit a 48 yard field goal to end the half in a 10-10 tie.
In the third quarter Walsh hit a 49 yard field goal to put the Seahawks up 13-10. In the fourth quarter turnovers killed the Rams. With 6 minutes left from just past midfield, Jared Goff was intercepted. The defense held. With 3 minutes left from the Rams 43, Goff was sacked and fumbled. Sheldon Richardson returned the fumble 20 yards to the Rams 20. With 1:12 left, on 4th and 2, Pete Carroll called a timeout and then lined up to go for it rather than kick the field goal. It was a bluff, the Rams did not bite, and the false start meant a 35 yard field goal try for Walsh. The kick was good and the Seahawks led by 6.
After a touchback the Rams had one last chance. Goff went deep to Higbee for a 35 yard gain and to Woods for 20 more to the Seattle 20. Goff spiked the ball with 17 seconds left. On 3nd and 10 Goff fired to the end zone to a wide open Cooper Kupp. It bounced off of his fingertips with 8 seconds remaining. Kupp should have caught the ball as it was now 4th and 10. One play, Goff vs the Legion of Boom. Goff went to the end zone into double coverage. It was not even close as it fell incomplete. Both teams are 3-2 as the NFL learned that the improved Rams are not at the next level yet and the former champion Seahawks are not finished yet. 16-10 Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders — The Raiders without Derek Carr are an 0-16 team. He willed the Raiders to a 12-4 record last year, papering over a horrendously bad secondary and questionable schemes by Defensive Coordinator Ken Norton Jr. With EJ Manuel out in place of Carr, it was over from the start against a Baltimore team getting blown out by everyone else. On the first play from scrimmage, Joe Flacco went deep to Mike Wallace for a 52 yard gain. Mayle ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. On 1st and 10 from the Oakland 42, Manuel completed a swing pass to Jared Cook. Cook fumbled it and Smith returned the fumble 47 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 14-0 Ravens lead less than 4 minutes into the game.
The Raiders after a touchback finally got going and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 12. A run lost 2 yards and a pair of incompletions ended the drive. After 6 minutes, the Raiders settled for a 32 yard Georgio Tavecchio field goal to trail 14-3. The Ravens kept rolling, as 75 yards came easily. The Ravens began the second quarter facing 3rd and 5 at the Oakland 16. The defense expected a pass, and instead Allen rushed for just enough with help from a very generous spot. On 3rd and 1 from the 2, Allen got the yard and on the next carry got the other yard to make it 21-3 Ravens.
The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Manuel hit Cook for 17. Olawale rumbled for 11 more. Manuel went deep to michael Crabtree for a 41 yard touchdown as the Raiders were within 21-10. Yet the defense had no answers. From the Baltimore 38, Flacco went deep to Wallace again for a 54 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Flacco threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit the 22 yard field goal as the Ravens led 24-10.
This time, on 3rd and 9 from the Oakland 26, Manuel got belted for an 8 yard loss. The Ravens got it back at their own 37 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half and all 3 timeouts. With 33 seconds left in the half, Justin Tucker came in for a 61 yard field goal try as the Raiders took a timeout on defense. John Harbaugh changed his mind on 4th and 7 and decided to punt. With the Raiders pinned at their own 5 yard line, they were lucky to get to the half only down 14 points. They would get the ball to start the second half.
In the third quarter each team went 3 and out twice. The Raiders then faced 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Manuel went to Seth Roberts for a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 21, Manuel hit Crabtree, who stretched the ball just past the first down marker. On 3rd and 9 from the 13, Manuel scrambled and shook off a hit to gain 10 yards. On the next play Marshawn Lynch banged in from 3 yards out to get the Raiders within 24-17 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32, Flacco got belted but only after completing a 13 yard pass to Brad Perriman. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 47, Flacco went deep to Wallace for a 27 yard gain. At this point Wallace had 3 catches for 133 yards, because the Raiders have no secondary. One minute the crowd is back in the game and just like the, the Raiders were on their heels again to start the fourth quarter. Yet on 3rd and goal from the 3, Flacco threw high out the back of the end zone incomplete. Tucker hit from 21 to culminate the 12 play, 72 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 27-17 Ravens.
The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27. Manuel hit Seth Roberts for 12 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Baltimore 44, Manuel’s pass to Jared Cook was dropped. With 9 minutes left, down 2 scores, and a defense not playing well, Jack Del Rio demoralized the home crowd by punting. After a touchback, the Ravens repeatedly ran the ball up the middle against the pathetic Oakland defense. 54 yards, 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes led to a 44 yard Tucker field goal an a 13 point lead for Baltimore. The Raiders took over without a timeout and only 2 1/2 minutes left.
The Raiders will not go 0-16 because of their 2 wins to start the season. However, 3 straight losses have this team reeling at 2-3. With Carr in the lineup, the Raiders have plenty of problems. The secondary is awful, Marshawn Lynch is not getting the yards, the offensive line is not blocking well, and the receivers especially Amari Cooper drop far too many passes. Without Carr, despite Manuel playing reasonably well, the Raiders have zero chance to beat anybody. Last year people said the Raiders were no longer losers. This year, at this moment, the Raiders are losers. 30-17 Ravens
Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys — Last year Aaron Rodgers outdueled Dak Prescott in a 34-31 Green Bay playoff thriller in Dallas. The rematch saw the Cowboys drive 75 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Prescott hit Cole Beasley for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. After a touchback, the Packers came back 75 yards. Rodgers hit Devontae Adams for a 10 yard touchdown. The extra point failed as the Packers were within 7-6. In the second quarter the Cowboys moved 75 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Prescott hit Beasley again for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Cowboys. A sack of Rodgers had the Packers punting on 4th and 26 from their own 9. The Cowboys took over at their own 43. On 3rd and 5, Prescott scrambled for 21 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 20, Ezekiel Elliott got stopped Jason Garrett decided to go for it. Prescott gained 2 yards. Prescott hit Dez Bryant for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 21-6 Cowboys.
The Packers moved 75 yards in 13 plays and over 5 minutes. Jones ran for a 7 yard touchdown. The extra point failed but the Packers were within 21-12. In the third quarter after a touchback the Packers moved to a 1st and goal at the 3. Jones lost a yard and Rodgers threw incomplete twice. Mason Crosby hit the 22 yard field goal to get the Packers within 21-15. Green Bay got it back and moved 88 yards in 14 plays and nearly 8 minutes. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson for a 10 yard touchdown to put the Packers up 22-21.
Now it was time for Dallas to regroup. They moved 50 yards, and Dan Bailey hit a 43 yard field goal with 11:45 left in regulation for a 24-22 Cowboys lead. The Cowboys quickly got it back but disaster struck. On 2nd and 7 from the Dallas 15, a short pass bounced off of Terrence Williams’s hands straight into the arms of Randall. Randall returned the interception 21 yards for a touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Packers led 28-24 with 10 minutes left in regulation.
The Cowboys stayed calm and patiently played smash mouth football. With 3 minutes left in the game, the Cowboys faced 3rd and 5 at the Green Bay 24. Prescott hit Cole Beasley for what was called a first down. Mike McCarthy challenged the spot, and the call was reversed to 4th and 1 at the 20. Elliott got the carry and appeared stopped short. Yet this time Jason Garrett challenged the spot, and it was again reversed to a first down as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 11, a perfectly executed fake handoff saw Prescott keep it himself for the touchdown. The staggering 17 play, 79 yard drive took 8:45 off the clock. The Cowboys led by 3 points but the Packers had Rodgers, 1:13 left, and one timeout to work with.
After a touchback, Rodgers hit Devontae Adams for 14 yards and Martellus Bennett for 14 more. With 45 seconds left from the Dallas 47, Mike McCarthy shocked everyone by calling a draw play. Jones ran for 15 yards and got out of bounds with 39 seconds left. Now the Packers were in field goal range. Yet on 2nd and 10 McCarthy tried another running play that gained only 2 yards, forcing the Packers to take their last timeout with 30 seconds left. On 3rd and 8, Rodgers was nearly sacked, which would have pushed the Packers out of field goal range. Yet he escaped, gained 18 yards to the Dallas 12, and got out of bounds with 21 seconds left. Rodgers did it again. A perfectly thrown pass to Adams was the winning touchdown with 11 seconds left. The only thing better than this game with 5 fourth quarter lead changes would be a rematch in the playoffs. 35-31 Packers
Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans was the Sunday night game. In the first quarter the Chiefs went 64 yards in 15 plays and took 8 minutes. Butker hit a 35 yard field goal. In the second quarter the Chiefs went 65 yards in 11 plays in 6 1/2 minutes. Butker hit from 42 to make it 6-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back and moved 62 yards. On 3rd and 11 just shy of midfield, Alex Smith hit Travis Kelce for 20 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the 8, Smith hit West for the touchdown to make it 13-0 Chiefs early in the second quarter. A Houston fumble set up the Chiefs at the Houston 26. Butker hit from 41 to make it 16-0 Chiefs.
The Texans repeatedly tried to make a game of it and the Chiefs repeatedly countered. The Texans moved 75 yards and DeShaun Watson hit Deandre Hopkins for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 16-7. After a touchback, the Chiefs took over with 1:49 left in the half. From the Chiefs 44, Smith hit Kelce for a 26 yard gain with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. Smith hit West for a 4 yard touchdown as the Chiefs took a 23-7 lead into the locker rooms.
In the third quarter the Texans moved 78 yards. Watson hit Fuller for a 9 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed as the Texans trailed 23-13. In the fourth quarter the Chiefs moved 58 yards in 10 plays. Butker hit his fourth field goal from 35 yards out to make it 26-13 Chiefs. The Texans came back 70 yards. A 48 yard touchdown bomb from Watson to Fuller had the Texans only down 26-20 with 12 minutes left in regulation.
There would be no comeback as the Chiefs turned out the lights. The Chiefs moved 70 yards as Smith hit Thomas for a 10 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Chiefs led 32-20. The backbreaker came when the Texans punted and Tyreeq Hill returned it 82 yards for a touchdown to make it 39-20 Chiefs With 3 1/2 minutes left. Fuller returned the ensuing kickoff 49 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Chiefs 34, Watson went deep too Hopkins for another touchdown to get the Texans within 39-26 after the failed 2 point conversion. The onside kick failed, and the Chiefs tacked on Butker’s fifth field goal from 49 yard out to make it 42-26 with just over one minute left.
Houston did get one more touchdown on the game’s final play to make the score look close. Watson finished 16 of 31 for 261 yards and 5 touchdowns while Smith was 29 of 37 for 324 yards and 3 touchdowns. Neither signal caller was intercepted. The Chiefs remained the only unbeaten team in the NFL at 5-0, rendering Andy Reid one happy Walrus Lite. For the Texans it was misery. This game featured injuries on both sides, including to a Chiefs player on the opening kickoff. The worst injury was a broken leg to J.J. Watt, who is now out for the year. 42-34 Chiefs
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears wasthe Monday night game. Mitchell Trubiaky got his first NFL start and Sam Bradford played injured. The first half was as hideous as it gets. In the first quarter Bradford was sacked for a safety to make it 2-0 Bears. Just before the 2 minute warning with the Bears at their own 20, Trubisky fumbled the ball away. Kai Forbath hit a 26 yard field goal for a 3-2 Vikings lead at the half. For some reason, the second half was not canceled.
In the third quarter the game finally improved as Bradford was benched for Case Keenum. The Vikings moved 75 yards and Keenum threw a 13 yard touchdown to Kyle Rudolph to make it 10-2 Vikings.
The Bears needed some trickery to spark life into their team. On 4th and 6 from the Minnesota 38, John Fox called a fake punt. O’Donnell hit Cunningham for the touchdown to cap the 75 yard drive as the Bears were within 10-9.
Minnesota took over at their own 18 and struck quickly. McKinnon raced for a 58 yard touchdown to make it 17-9 Vikings after three quarters.
From their own 21 the Bears came back again. Trubisky threw a 20 yard touchdown to Zach Miller early in the fourth quarter. Trubisky rushed for the 2 point conversion himself for a 17-17 ballgame.
Late in the game from the Chicago 10, Trubisky was intercepted, giving the Vikings a short field. Forbath hit the 26 yarder to win it with only seconds left. 20-17 Vikings