NFL 2017 Week 8 Recap
Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens was the Thursday night game. Sometimes a pair of boring teams can come together for a thrilling game. This was not that game. A short punt had the Ravens starting at the Miami 40. On 3rd and 4, Joe Flacco went deep to Jeremy Maclin for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. In the second quarter Justin Tucker blasted long field goals of 55 and 48 yards to make it 13-0 Bills. A 50 yard Miami field goal try was no good, and the Ravens were rolling. With 4 minutes left in the half, Baltimore had 3rd and 10 at the Miami 20. Flacco scrambled for 9 yards and then gave himself up. Kiki Alonso hit Flacco late and in the head. Flacco was knocked out of the game with a concussion. The Ravens thought it was a cheap shot. Ryan Mallett played the rest of the way. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mallett hit Watson for the score and the 20-0 Ravens lead at the half.
The second half was unnecessary. After a scoreless third quarter, Miami needed three touchdowns from Matt Moore to win the game. Moore delivered ouchdowns in the fourth quarter, but they went to the Baltimore defense. Mosley returned an interception 63 yards for a touchdown. Then from the Miami one, Mallett fumbled, but Moore recovered it in the end zone for a gift Baltimore touchdown. Moore was then intercepted by Smith, who returned it 50 yards for another defense touchdown to complete the blowout. John Harbaugh was glad to take the win but is more concerned about Flacco, who will miss at least one game. 40-0 Ravens
Minnesota Vikings at Cleveland Browns in London. An early interception of Case Keenum had the Browns at the minnesota 37, Isaiah Crowell ran for a 26 yard touchdown to make it 6-0 Browns after the failed extra point. The Browns then fumbled a punt, giving the Vikings the ball at the Cleveland 46. Kai Forbath hit a 35 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 6-3. A field position game had the Vikings taking over at their own 40 with 6 minutes left in the half. Keenum threw an 18 yard touchdown pass to Adam Thielen to make it 9-6 Vikings in a game where nobody wanted to make an extra point.
At the 2 minute warning, the Browns faced 3rd and 12 at their own 16. DeShaun Kizer went deep to Louis for a 37 yard gain and then hit Crowell for a 38 yard gain down to the 6. On 3rd and goal at the one, Kizer got in to make it 13-9 Browns with only 34 seconds left in the half. From the Minnesota 22, Keenum hit McKinnon for gains of 20 and 16 yards. With 8 seconds left from the Cleveland 37, Keenum hit Treadwell for 21 yards. Forbath hit the 34 yard field goal as the Vikings were only down 13-12 at the break.
On the opening play of the third quarter, Crowell fumbled and the Vikings took over at the Cleveland 30. The defense held and Forbath hit from 43 to make it 15-13 Vikings. After an exchange of punts, the Browns took over at their own 40. They moved to a 1st and goal at the 6, but a one yard run was followed by Kizer throwing incomplete. Gonzalez hit from 23. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the winless Browns had a 16-15 lead. They were winless in the United States, but this was England. Could the Browns finally get Hue Jackson a win this year?
After a touchback, the Vikings got going. From their own 42, Keenum went to Thielen for 25 yards. From the Cleveland 15, defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. McKinnon got in and also ran in the 2 point conversion to make it 23-16 Vikings after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Vikings moved 84 yards. On 3rd and 10 from their own 27, Keenum hit Thielen for 16 yards, with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On the next play, defensive pass interference meant 30 more yards. Keenum hit Kyle Rudolph for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 30-16 Vikings with 10 minutes left in regulation. After that Mike Zimmer’s defense clamped down. Forbath added a 51 yard field goal with 1:15 left, as the Browns dropped to 0-8 at the halfway mark. 33-16 Vikings
Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints — Both of these teams are improved. The Saints moved 81 yards in the first quarter and Kamara ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. In the second quarter the Bears moved 67 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. They settled for a 27 yard Conor Barth field goal to trail 7-3, but they kept the game a slugfest. The Saints would move 80 yards and Mark Ingram scored on a one yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Saints at halftime.
In the third quarter the Bears had the ball at their own 3 yard line. JoJo Howard ran for a 44 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from their own 47, Mitchell Trubisky found McBride for 22 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the saints 25, Trubisky went deep to Zach Miller for the touchdown. The officials reviewed the play and called it an incomplete pass. Miller was injured on the play. Barth hit a 44 yard field goal to get the Bears within 14-6 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. A field position game had the Saints taking over in the fourth quarter at their own 47. Drew Brees found Thomas for a 22 yard gain. Will Lutz hit a 45 yard field goal with 13 minutes left in regulation to put the Saints up 17-6.
The Saints moved from their 24 to the Chicago 19 with a chance to put the game away. A pass to Ingram lost 6 yards. On the next play Ingram fumbled, and the Bears took over at their own 28. On 3rd and 10, Trubisky came up short but offsetting penalties gave the Bears another chance. This time Trubisky ran for a 26 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Saints 23, Trubisky hit wright for 10 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the saints 10, Trubisky hit Sims for the first down with a facemark putting the ball on the one. Cohen got in. The 2 point try failed but the Bears were only down by 5 with 4 minutes left.
At the 2 minute warning, the Bears faced 3rd and 1 at their own 39. Trubisky threw incomplete and the Bears had to go for it. Trubisky threw incomplete again on 4th and 1. The Bears held on defense but Lutz hit a 49 yard field goal to put the Saints up by 8 with 90 seconds left. The Bears got a major break when they returned the ensuing kickoff 46 yards with a horse collar tackle adding 15 more. Despite taking over at the Saints 43, there would be no comeback. Trubisky was intercepted as Sean Payton saw his squad win 5 straight games after an 0-2 start. Brees was 23 of 28 for 299 yards in the win. 20-12 Saints.
Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets — Atlanta is not the same team as last year. Their offense is sputtering. In the first quarter the Jets moved 75 yards and Josh McCown threw a 20 yard touchdown to Tomlinson for a 7-0 Jets lead. The Falcons came back 64 yards. Matt Ryan hit Hooper for a one yard score and a 7-7 ballgame. Late in the first quarter the Falcons took over at their own 6 yard line. From their own 18, Ryan fumbled and the Jets recovered at the Atlanta 20. The Atlanta defense held to start the second quarter, but Chandler Catanzaro hit a 43 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Jets. The Falcons moved 70 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes but could not close the deal. Matt Bryant hit from 23 to make it 10-10.
A field position game and a short punt had the Jets taking over at the Atlanta 43. On 3rd and 4 from the Atlanta 24, Josh McCown went deep to Anderson for the touchdown to make it 17-10 Jets. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. From the Atlanta 20, the Falcons moved to a 1st and 10 at the Jets 19 with 28 seconds left in the half. Ryan threw incomplete twice and was sacked for an 8 yard loss. Bryant hit the 45 yard field goal as the half ended with the Falcons trailing 17-13.
The Falcons quickly moved 61 yards in the third quarter but again bogged down in the red zone. Bryant hit from 37 to get the Falcons within 17-16. The fourth quarter began with Cantazaro trying a 48 yard field goal. The kick was no good, and the Falcons took over at their own 38. Coleman broke free for a 52 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Ryan hit Mohammed Sanu for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Falcons led 22-17 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Jets took over at their own 20. From their own 31, a short pass from McCown to Anderson gained 24 yards, with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. Catanzaro hit from 46 to get the Jets within 22-20 with 8 1/2 minutes to play.
The Falcons punted, and the Jets fumbled the punt. Todd Bowles could only watch in frustration as the Falcons took over at the Jets 13. Yet gang Green had an inspired defensive stand. Bryant hit a 29 yard field goal. With 5 1/2 minutes left, the Falcons led by 5 but the Jets had life. The game appeared over when the Falcons returned a punt 80 yards for a score, but an illegal block nullified the score. By the time the Jets got the ball back, only one minute remained and the Jets were at their own 4 yard line. With 2 seconds left the Jets were at their own 38. They would never get a chance at a Hail Mary as a false start led to a 10 second runoff. These are the Jets. 25-20 Falcons
Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Both teams have been out of sync, especially on offense. In the first quarter the Panthers had a staggering 17 play, 82 yard drive that consumed over 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. Stewart got the last yard to make it 7-0 Panthers. Graham Gano tacked on a 28 yard field goal in the second quarter as the Panthers took a 10-0 lead into the locker rooms. In the third quarter Murray hit a 41 yard field goal to finally get the Buccaneers on the board. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation and facing 3rd and 7 at their own 33, Jameis Winston was intercepted. The Panthers took over at the Tampa Bay 48. On 3rd and 16 from the Tampa 25, Newton went deep to Kelvin Benjamin for the touchdown. Carolina’s defense did the rest to win this ugly game. 17-3 Panthers
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles — Doug Peterson has a 6-1 Eagles squad, while the 49ers are winless. Yet San Francisco has a defense, and most of their losses have been very close. A 40 yard field goal by Elliott had the Eagles up 3-0 in the first quarter. With 5 minutes left in the half, a short punt had the Eagles taking over at their own 44. From the Frisco 44, Carson Wentz went deep o Hollins for a 24 yard gain. On 3rd and 15 from the San Francisco 25, Wentz threw incomplete. However, defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Wentz hit Zac Ertz for the touchdown to make it 9-0 Eagles after the failed extra point. CJ Beathard was then intercepted by Jaylon Mills, who zig zagged across the entire field and eventually made his way for a 37 yard defensive touchdown. The 2 point conversion had the Eagles up 17-0 at halftime. Elliott tacked on a 51 yard third quarter field goal to make it 20-0 Eagles. Wentz made one mistake all day, an interception that gave the 49ers a short field for a touchdown. Wentz bounced right back, throwing a 53 yard touchdown to Alshon Jeffery to make it 27-7 Eagles. LaGuarette Blount ran for a 12 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to complete the blowout, make it 33-7 Eagles, and get the Eagles to 7-1, and keep the 49ers 0-8 at the halfway mark. The 49ers inspired the football world by kicking a field goal. 33-10 Eagles
Oakland Raiders at Buffalo Bills — After a thrilling win at home against Kansas City, the Raiders had 10 days to prepare for Buffalo. The temperature was 46 degrees at kickoff with light rain. The Raiders quickly faced 3rd and 6 at their own 23. Derek Carr found Amari Cooper for 13 yards. On 3rd and 12 from the Oakland 44, Carr hit Crabtree for 11. On 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 45, Jack Del Rio decided to go for it. Jamies Olawale got the first down by half the length of the football. Carr then went deep to Michael Crabtree and Smith for a pair of 21 yard gains down to the one. Olawale banged in for a 7-0 Raiders lead to complete the 13 play, 81 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive.
The Bills moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 10 at the Oakland 42. Tyrod Taylor went deep to Mathews for a 27 yard gain, but offensive pass interference killed the drive. The Raiders took over at their own 18 and Carr went deep to Crabtree for a 40 yard gain. Yet offensive holding ended that drive as the Raiders offense did little for long stretches again. In the second quarter, Buffalo faced 2nd and 5 at their own 41. Taylor went deep to Jones for a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 12, Taylor hit former Raiders receiver Andre Holmes for a 6 yard gain. Taylor went back to Holmes for the 6 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game.
At the 2 minute warning, a punt had the Raiders pinned at their own one yard line. They had a drive going and were at their own 34 when disaster struck. Carr completed a pass to Deandre Washington, who got blasted at the Oakland 40 by Johnson. This was a helmet right on the ball, and it popped straight into the arms of Matt Milano, who returned it 40 yards for a score. With only 30 seconds left in the half, the defensive touchdown had the Bills up 14-7. With 2 seconds left, the Raiders had the ball at the Buffalo 47. Rather than throw a Hail Mary, Carr completed a pass to Jalen Richard for a 15 yard gain that did nothing.
The Raiders self-destructed in the third quarter. Jalen Richard fumbled a punt, giving the Bills the ball at the Oakland 14. Offensive holding had the Bills settling for a 35 yard Steve Hauschka field goal, but the Bills led 17-7. The Raiders quickly faced 3rd and 9 at their own 21. Carr had a pass over the middle deflected by a defender and intercepted by Micah Hyde. The Bills took over at the Oakland 41. Hauschka hit a 44 yarder as the Bills led 20-7.
The Raiders had no offense and the Bills got it back at their own 18. McCoy gained 18 yards. Offensive holding had the Bills facing 2nd and 20 at their own 28. Taylor threw to Golden Tate, who avoided pathetic attempts at tackling for a 24 yard gain. On 3rd and 13 just shy of midfield, Taylor avoided another sack and went deep to a wide open Holmes for a 36 yard gain. The fourth quarter began with Sean McDermott deciding to go for it with the Bills facing 4th and goal at the one foot line. Taylor kept the ball, got rocked backward, and the Raiders celebrated a goal line stand. Their celebration lasted a few seconds as officials ruled Taylor broke the plane of the goal before getting knocked back. The touchdown had the Bills up 27-7, rendering the rest of the game irrelevant.
After doing nothing since early in the game, the Raiders tried to make the score look respectable. Operating out of the hurry up offense after a touchback, Carr hit Washington for a 4 yard touchdown. The Raiders were down 27-14 with 11 minutes left in regulation. The only thing left was for them to show a complete lack of heart on both sides of the ball. The defense let the Bills wind 6 minutes off the clock. The offense moved from their own 19 to a 2nd and 3 at their own 48. Carr then threw 3 straight incompletions. One play later McCoy raced for a 48 yard touchdown. The Raiders moved from their own 25 to the Buffalo 26, where Carr was intercepted again. Taylor was only 20 of 27 for 165 yards, 1 touchdown and 0 interceptions. Carr was 31 of 49 for 313 yards and one touchdown, but 2 interceptions. The Raiders are 3-5 and were one miracle play away from 6 straight losses. The Bills at 5-2 may finally be ready to end their league leading 18 year playoff drought. 34-14 Bills
Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals — A pair of bad teams played a bad game as both kickers managed a 29 yard field goal. Randy Bullock hit it for the Bengals in the first quarter and Adam Vinatieri responded in the second quarter for a 3-3 game. That kick was set up by a blunder. The Bengals began the second quarter by fumbling a punt, giving the Colts the ball at the Cincinnati 27. The defense held. However, the defense would not hold when the Colts got it back at their own 48. On 3rd and 8 from the Cincy 13, Jacoby Brissett hit Doyle for the touchdown and a 10-3 Colts lead. The Bengals came back 91 yards and Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to AJ Green for a 10-10 game. The Colts moved 65 yards at the end of the half and Vinatieri hit from 33 as the Colts led 13-10 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Bengals moved 77 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. Dalton found Malone for a 25 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Bengals. The Colts then moved 88 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Brissett threw a 24 yard touchdown pass to Marlin Mack to put the Colts back in front 20-17. Late in the third quarter a fumble by Joe Mixon had the Colts taking over at the Cincy 37. Vinatieri hit again from 29 with 11 1/2 minutes left to make it 23-17 Colts. Midway through the fourth quarter, Brissett completed a short pass to Dunlap, who plays defense for the Bengals. Dunlap returned the interception 16 yards for a touchdown to put the Bengals in front by a point. With 2:42 left the Colts began their final drive at their own 24. With 1:22 left the Colts faced 4th and 4 at the Cincy 48. Brissett got blasted as he threw the ball, a wounded duck that fell incomplete as Marvin Lewis defeated Chuck Pagano in the coaches hot seat bowl. 24-23 Bengals
Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots — New England is back in Super Bowl form, while the Chargers are trying to replicate the 1992 team that began 0-4 and then made the playoffs. Early on Melvin Gordon raced for an 87 yard run and a 7-0 Chargers lead against a stunned home crowd. In the second quarter the Patriots finally settled down. They moved 77 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Tom Brady threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski to tie the game 7-7. The Patriots would punt and Travis Benjamin fumbled the ball at his own 8 yard line. Trying to make something happen, Benjamin went backward and was tackled in the end zone for a safety and a 9-7 Patriots lead.
After that Stephen Gostkowski took over. The Patriots got it back and moved 51 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. Gostkowski hit a 51 yard field goal to make it 12-7 Patriots. New England then moved 73 yards late in the half and Gostkowski hit from 36 to make it 15-7 at halftime. In the third quarter the Patriots moved 52 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Gostkowski hit from 43 to make it 18-7 Patriots. With 9 1/2 minutes left in the game, this time from 43 yards out Gostkowski was no good.
After the miss, the Chargers struck quickly from their own 33. Defensive pass interference put the ball on the New England 37. Philip Rivers threw a 24 yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin. The 2 point try failed but the Chargers were only down 18-13 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With just over one minute to play, Gostkowski hit from 26 as the Patriots had an 8 point lead. The Chargers had one final chance from their own 21. With one second left, the Chargers were at the New England 23. Rivers fired to the end zone and was intercepted at the goal line by Jones. 21-13 Patriots
Houston Texans at Seattle Seahawks — During the week the attention was on comments made by Bob McNair and how the players would throw a temper tantrum protest. That has nothing to do with football. The game featured two big plays early on. DeShaun Watson threw a 59 yard touchdown pass to Fuller for a 7-0 Texans lead. Yet the Legion of Boom struck back in a big way. Watson was intercepted by Earl Thomas, who returned it 78 yards for a touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Texans were not rattled, coming back 82 yards. Miller ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Texans. The Seahawks came back 75 yards and Russell Wilson threw a 20 yard touchdown pass to Paul Richardson for a 14-14 tie after a thrilling first quarter.
In the second quarter the Texans moved 84 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. Watson went to Fuller for a 20 yard touchdown and a 21-14 Texans lead. Seattle came back again 75 yards and Wilson connected with Richardson for a 7 yard touchdown as this very exciting game was tied 21-21 at halftime. The game slowed considerably in the third quarter. Both teams drove into the red zone again but not to the end zone this time. Fairbairn hit a 31 yard field goal for the Texans and Blair Walsh responded from 21 yards as the game was tied for the fourth time 24-24. The Seahawks had 2nd and 1 from the Houston 3 but twice could not pick up the yard. Watson was then intercepted by Richard Sherman, who returned it 19 yards. Unnecessary roughness had Seattle with 1st and goal at the 8. Yet again Seattle could not convert. For the second time from the 3 yard line, Wilson threw incomplete. Walsh hit again from 21 to make it 27-24 Seahawks. In the fourth quarter the game revved back up again.
With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Texans took over at their own 29. Watson went deep to DeAndre Hopkins for a 34 yard gain and then to Fuller for a 36 yard gain down to the 2 yard line. Watson avoided a sack and fired to Miller for the touchdown to make it 31-27 Texans. After a touchback, Wilson went deep to Tyler Lockett for a 54 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the 19, Wilson went to Richardson for a 9 yard gain. On 2nd and goal from the 7, a touchdown pass from Wilson to Richardson was nullified by an offensive chop block penalty. On 2nd and goal at the 22 Wilson threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Wilson then went to Jimmy Graham for the touchdown, and this time it stood. The Seahawks had a 34-31 lead with 5 1/2 minutes to play.
Two plays later the Texans were back in front again. A short pass from Watson to Hopkins are Hopkins cut threw the middle of the field and outrace everyone for a 72 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left, the Texans led 38-34. After a touchback, Wilson went right to work. He ran for 11, and hit Vannett for an 8 yard gain. H found Richardson for a 15 yard gain and then scrambled again for a 21 yard gain to the Houston 20. On the next play, Wilson was intercepted by Mario Williams. With 2:50 left, from their own 8 yard line, the Texans tried to run out the clock and get the road win. On 3rd and 4 from the Houston 26, Bill O’Brien played it very safe. Miller only gained 2 yards and the Seahawks took their final timeout with 1:49 to play.
A 63 yard punt had the Seahawks taking over at their own 20. Rather than just move the chains, Wilson immediately went bombs away. Richardson out jumped the defender for a 48 yard gain. After a false start, Wilson went to Tyler Lockett for a 19 yard gain down to the Houston 18. On the next play, Wilson fired over the middle to a wide open Graham for the touchdown. With 21 seconds to play, the Seahawks had the 3 point lead. The Texans took over after a touchback with 2 timeouts left.
Watson was then sacked with 16 seconds left. Watson then went deep and was again intercepted by Richard Sherman. Two teams known for defense played a shootout. Watson was 19 of 30 for 402 yards. Wilson was 26 of 41 for 452 yards. Both quarterbacks threw 4 touchdown passes. Yet Wilson was intercepted only once, while Watson was picked off 3 times. 41-38 Seahawks
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins — On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Ezekiel Elliott fumbled and the Redskins recovered at the Dallas 29. The defense held and on 4th and 1, Jay Grudend decided not to gamble. Nick Rose hit the 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Redskins. The Cowboys came right back. On 1st and 15 from their own 20, Das Prescott hit Jason Witten for 16 yards and Swaim for 18 more. A deep ball to Williams gained 25 yards and Elliott atoned for his fumble with a 13 yard rumble for a touchdown and a 7-3 Cowboys lead. After a touchback the Redskins came back. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Kirk Cousins hit Grant for 5 yards with roughing the passer adding 15 more. Cousins then went deep to Jamieson Crowder for a 41 yard gain. Kelley got in from one yard out to make it 10-7 Redskins after the first quarter.
In the second quarter Mike Nugent missed a 49 yard field goal that would have tied the game. Rose hit again from 42 yards out to make it 13-7 Redskins. With 3 minutes left in the half Rose had another opportunity from 36 that would have made it 16-7 Redskins. Instead the kick was blocked by Crawford and picked up by Orlando Scandrick. Scandrick raced 86 yards to set up Dallas at the Washington 2 yard line. Elliott gained a yard and then gained another yard for the score as the Cowboys led 14-13 at halftime.
The second half was the Mike Nugent show. In the third quarter on 3rd and 9 from midfield, Cousins was sacked and fumbled. The Cowboys took over at the Washington 45. Nugent hit from 36 to make it 17-13 Cowboys. The Redskins fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Cowboys recovered at the Washington 26. Nugent hit from 48 to make it 20-13 Cowboys. Dallas got it back at their own 43. On 3rd and 6 Prescott found Switzer for 7 yards. The drive stopped at the 9 yard line but Nugent hit from 27 to make it 23-13 Cowboys after three quarters. Dallas held it for 5 minutes Nugent hit from 37 to make it 26-13 Cowboys with 8:45 to play.
Needing 2 scores, the Redskins finally had a decent second half drive. 75 yards in 14 plays led to a critical 4th and 10 at the Dallas 23 with 4:44 left. Cousins threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Cousins hit Doctson for a one yard touchdown to get the Redskins within 7 with 4 1/2 minutes left. With the rain coming down hard, the extra point was missed. With 1:49 left the Cowboys faced 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 43 and the Redskins out of timeouts. Prescott kept it himself but was stopped one yard short of the first down. Jason Garrett took no chances as the Cowboys punted. With 55 seconds left the Redskins took over at their own 12 yard line. Cousins quickly had a pass deflected high in the air and intercepted by Byron Jones. Jones raced 16 yards to the end zone to put the game away. 33-19 Cowboys
Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions was the Sunday night game. For most of the first half, the offenses were able to move the ball but not all the way to paydirt. Chris Boswell hit a 34 yard field goal for the Steelers and Matt Prater answered with a 48 yarder for a 3-3 game after the first quarter. In the second quarter Prater hit from 37 to make it 6-3 Lions. After a touchback, the Steelers faced 3rd and 9 at the Detroit 45 with 5 minutes left in the half. Ben Roethlisberger went deep to Antonio Brown for a 40 yard gain. On the next play LeVeon Bell ran it in for a 5 yard touchdown and a 10-6 steelers lead. After a touchback, Matthew Stafford went deep to TJ Jones for a 25 yard gain and to Agnew for 12 more. Prater drilled a 51 yarder to get the Lions to within 10-9 with 2:15 left in the half. The Steelers quickly moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 1 at the Detroit 23. Bell got the yard but then coughed up the football. With one minute left the Lions took over at their own 21. Stafford went deep to Marvin Jones for 18 yards, TJ Jones for 24 more, and Golden Tate for another 11 down to the Pittsburgh 16 with 30 seconds left. Three incompletions led to Prater coming in for a 34 yarder. His fourth field goal had the Lions up 12-10 at halftime.
A shanked 19 yard punt only 90 seconds into the third quarter may have been partially blocked. The Steelers set up shop at the Detroit 48. On 3rd and 4, Roethlisberger hit Juju Smith-Schuster for 18 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 22, Roethlisberger threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness moved the ball to the 11. A 9 yard touchdown pass to Brown was nullified by offensive pass interference. Boswell hit a 38 yard field goal to put the Steelers back on top 13-12. From the Detroit 17, Stafford hit Jones for 18 with unnecessary roughness adding 15 more to midfield. A 23 yard completion to Jones meant 1st and goal at the 4. On 2nd and goal at the one, Stafford threw incomplete. On 3rd and goal Washington got stopped. Jim Caldwell decided to go for it. On 4th and goal Stafford tried the quarterback draw and lost a yard.
After the goal line stand, the Steelers soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 3 yard line. Mike Tomlin went for it all and Roethlisberger went deep to Smith-Schuster for a 97 yard touchdown in front of a stunned home crowd. Neither Roethlisberger or Juju-Smith-Schuster are Jewish. With 3 minutes left in the this quarter, the Steelers led 20-12. After a touchback, Theo Riddick ran for gains of 10 and 7 to midfield and caught a pass for 23 more yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Stafford hit Golden Tate for 17 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 4 again. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Washington only gained one yard. With 13 minutes left in regulation, on 4th and goal at the 1, this time Caldwell had seen enough. He sent in Prater to kick the 19 yard field goal as the Lions trailed 20-15.
The Steelers went 3 and out and the Lions took over at their own 29. From their 40, Stafford went deep to Tate for a 34 yard gain. Yet Tate inexplicably lost the ball without being touched. Burns recovered the fumble for the Steelers at their own 24 with 10 minutes left. The Lions got the ball back again with 5 minutes left at their own 15 yard line. On 3rd and 3, Stafford went to Eric Ebron for 14 yards. A deep ball was intercepted, but Stafford knew he had a free play since the defense jumped offsides. On 2nd and 1 from the Detroit 45, a completion to Ebron went for 44 yards with 3 minutes left. The Steelers took a timeout on defense. At this point Stafford had thrown for 418 yards without a touchdown. On 3rd and 5 from the 6, a draw play was blown up in the backfield for a 2 yard loss as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Jim Caldwell went for it. Under heavy pressure Stafford was nearly intercepted as the Lions again turned it over on downs.
The Lions still had all 3 timeouts on defense. In a surprising move, on 2nd and 6 the Steelers passed the ball. An incomplete pass stopped the clock and saved a timeout for the Lions. Another incomplete pass on 3rd and 6 had the crowd pumped, but a killer defensive pass interference penalty on the play gave the Steelers a new set of downs with 1:40 left. The Lions took their last timeout with 90 seconds left as everything came down to the Steelers facing 3rd and 1 at their own 32. Operating out of the shotgun, a perfectly executed shovel pass from Roethlisberger to Smith-Shuster gained 4 yards as the Steelers got to 6-2 with the win. 20-15 Steelers
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs was the Monday night game. Nobody wins ugly like the Kansas City Chiefs. Their offense moves the chains without mistakes. The defense gives up a ton of yards but forces turnovers. Former Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles fumbled against his old team and Marcus Peters scooped it up and raced 45 yards for a Chiefs defensive touchdown. Alex Smith the. Threw a 29 yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce to make it 14-0 Chiefs after the first quarter.
Then came the field goal kickers. In the second quarter Brandon McManus hit from 27, but Harrison Butker answered from 25. In the third quarter Butker hit from 32 to make it 20-3 Chiefs, and McManus countered from 34 to get the Broncos within 20-6.
Devontae Booker did score on an 8 yard touchdown run as the Broncos only trailed 20-13 after three quarters. However, the Chiefs clamped down in the fourth quarter. Butker hit from 43, 51 and 42 and the defense did the rest to make it 29-13 Chiefs. Denver did get a touchdown with 1:55 left but the 2 point try failed and Denver was done. Denver is 3-4 while the Chiefs at 6-2 have a stranglehold on the AFC West, making Andy Reid one happy Walrus Lite. 29-19 Chiefs