THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2017 Week 13 Prequel

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NFL 2017 Week 12 Recap

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving morning game. The Lions had the Thanksgiving Day tradition and the star quarterback, but Minnesota had the better record and a tough defense. Case Keenum has been far more than a game manager, and again he came out smoking. The Vikings moved 80 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. Keenum hit Kyle Rudolph for a one yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Vikings led 6-0. Two plays later Matthew Stafford fumbled and the Vikings took over at the Detroit 39. Keenum completed a short pass to McKinnon that went for a 31 yard gain. At the Detroit 9, McKinnon fumbled it, Adam Thielen picked it up at the 3, and took it in for another Minnesota touchdown. Officials reversed the call and moved the ball back to the 9, but it didn’t matter. On the next play Keenum ran it in to make it 13-0 Vikings.

The Lions finally got going in the second quarter, moving from their own 17 to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 14. Stafford then threw 4 straight incompletions, including a do-over on 3rd and 10 due to offsetting penalties. The Lions settled for a 32 yard Matt Prater field goal to get on the board down 13-3. Minnesota moved from their own 8 to 1st and 10 at the Detroit 27. A pair of runs actually lost 8 yards. Kai Forbath came in for a 53 yard field goal, but the snap was awkward and another kick was blocked. Detroit went 3 and out and Minnesota took over at their own 26 at the 2 minute warning. Keenum connected with Kyle Rudolph for a 34 yard gain. A completion to Wright gained 14 with 5 more tacked on for defensive delay of game. Keenum then went deep to Rudolph for a 22 yard touchdown as the Vikings took a commanding 20-3 lead.

After a touchback the Lions had 37 seconds to work with. Stafford went deep to Kenny Golladay for a 41 yard gain.. On the next play defensive pass interference added 22 more yards. On the next play a facemark added 6 more yards. Stafford then hit Marvin Jones for the 6 yard touchdown with 10 seconds left in the half as the Lions were only down 20-10 at halftime. After a touchback to start the third quarter, Latavius Murray raced for a 46 yard gain. McKinnon added runs of 16 and 11 and Murray scored the 2 yard touchdown. Only 2 minutes into the second half, the Vikings were back up 27-10 without Keenum having to throw a pass.

After a touchback the Lions moved to a 3rd and 9 at midfield. Stafford found Jones for 16 yards. Despite 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 14, a run went nowhere and Stafford threw incomplete. On 3rd and 10 Stafford went to Darren Fells for the touchdown. Yet on further review, the call was reversed to an incomplete pass. Prater again hit from 32 as the Lions were down 27-13. Detroit got it back at their own 28 and moved to a 2nd and 2 at the Minnesota 27. Yet Stafford threw incomplete and then was sacked. This time Prater was good from 50 as the Lions trailed 27-16 after three quarters.

The fourth quarter began with a sack of Keenum followed by a very questionable taunting penalty against Keenum. He threw the ball in disgust after the sack while he was on the ground, and it inadvertently hit a defender, resulting in unsportsmanlike conduct. The Vikings punted on 4th and 27 from their own 8. Jones returned the punt 17 yards to set up Detroit at the Minnesota 39. On 3rd and 14 from the 43, Stafford went deep and threw into double coverage. Jones came down with it for the spectacular touchdown. The Lions were only down 27-23, but Stafford was down. His knee got rolled into on the play. It was clearly an accident, as the defender was pushed into Stafford by an offensive lineman. Stafford walked to the sideline limping.

Minnesota moved from their own 21 to a 2nd and 7 at the Detroit 34. A run lost 3 yards and Keenum threw incomplete. Mike Zimmer decided against a 55 yard field goal try given 2 earlier blocked kicks. He punted and the Lions took over at their own 9 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Stafford stayed in the game. On 3rd and 3 Stafford hit Golden Tate at the sticks, but Tate made a mistake. Rather than go to the ground, He tried to make a move to gain more yards. He ended up giving up the first down, and on 4th and 1 from their own 18, the Lions had to punt with 6 1/2 minutes left.

Minnesota soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 40. Keenum hit Diggs, who stretched and dove for the first down marker as he was being tackled and made it by the nose of the football. On 2nd and 14 from the Minnesota 43, Keenum went to Diggs for a 37 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 18, Keenum threw incomplete. Forbath hit from 36 to make it 30-23 Vikings. Yet the Lions were very much alive after a touchback with 3:42 to play and one timeout. On 4th and 8 from their own 27, Jim Caldwell decided to go for it with 3 minutes left. Stafford threw high and the ball was deflected and intercepted by Xavier Rhodes. Rhodes returned it 21 yards to the Detroit 16.

At the 2 minute warning the Lions faced 3rd and 4 at the Detroit 10 with the Lions out of timeouts. A first down would end the game while even a field goal would lock up the win. Mike Zimmer took no chances, and Murray gained 2 yards as the clock ticked down. Forbath came in with 1:15 left for a 26 yard try to win it. It was a Thanksgiving miracle! The kick was blocked and returned for a touchdown as the home crowd went wild! Except there would be no miracle. The reason this kick was blocked was because the defender jumped offside by a mile. That gave Minnesota a first down to run out the clock. Mike Zimmer has more than just a 9-2 football team. Minnesota has a stranglehold on the NFC North, up 3 games on Detroit. Plus, Minnesota in a span of 5 days had quality wins over good teams. The Lions fell to 6-5 with the loss. 30-23 Vikings

Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving afternoon game. Early on the Chargers dominated statistically but not on the scoreboard. The Chargers moved from their own 13 to a 4th and 3 at the Dallas 17 after a Philip Rivers incompletion. Nick Novak missed the 35 yard field goal, and injured himself on the play. 70 yards meant 0 points for the Chargers. The Chargers got it back at their own 7 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 13 as the first quarter ended. The second half began with a low snap getting past Rivers in the shotgun for an 11 yard loss. On 4th and 13 from the Dallas 16, Anthony Lynn did not have a kicker. The punter on the sideline was practicing field goals and missed the net from 3 yards out. That was enough for Lynn to opt against a field goal and go for it. Rivers hit Austin Ekeler, but Ekeler came up one yard short. This time it was an 89 yard drive and 0 points.

The Chargers got it back at their own 30 and held the ball for 7 minutes. On 4th and inches from the Dallas 39 out of the shotgun, Rivers threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 29, Rivers found Henry for 22 yards. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 9, a completion to Ekeler gained only 5 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Novak came back out to try a 22 yard field goal. The kick was good and the Chargers led 3-0, but he Novak was still in obvious pain. Meanwhile, the Chargers defense was suffocating the Dallas offense. In the third quarter the Chargers again moved the ball well from their own 23, holding it for 6 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 3, this time the Chargers finished the drive. Rivers hit Henry for the touchdown. Novak missed the extra point and crumpled to the ground in agony. The Chargers led 9-0 but knew they could not rely on the kicking game.

From the Dallas 34, the Cowboys finally got some offense going.  Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 34, one mistake killed them. A perfectly executed fake handoff saw Dat Prescott take the quarterback keeper and race untouched all the way to the end zone. The cameraman and everyone else was fooled. Yet offensive holding nullified the score and pushed the Cowboys out of field goal range. They ended up punting. The Chargers moved from their own 8 easily. Melvin Gordon ran for 6 and caught a pass for 16 more. Rivers connected to Williams for 31 yards. Rivers hit Allen for 13 and then went to Williams for a 27 yard touchdown. The punter made the extra point as the Chargers had a commanding 16-0 lead after three quarters.

On the last play of the third quarter, with the Cowboys facing 3rd and 2 at their own 27, Smith gained 3 yards. Two plays later, a 34 yard defensive pass interference call had the Cowboys in scoring position. On 3rd and 6 from the Charges 26, Prescott hit Dez Bryant for 18 yards. Smith got the last 2 yards as the Cowboys finally were on the board. The 2 point try failed as the Cowboys were down 16-6 with 13 minutes left in regulation. 2 minutes later, Dallas was cooked. After a touchback, the Chargers soon faced 3rd and 6 at the Dallas 42. Rivers went to Allen, who evaded several pathetic attempts at tackling. By the time he reached the end zone, the only drama was the extra point. The punter missed it but the Chargers led 22-6.

On 2nd and 3 from the Dallas 32, Prescott went deep to Williams, who split the seams for a 38 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 21, Prescott rolled out and hit Jason Witten for 8 yards. On the next play, Prescott went for Cole Beasley but Desmond King jumped the slant route. King faked out Prescott and raced or a 90 yard defensive touchdown. The Cowboys were now cooked and stuffed. Yes, the punter missed another extra point. No, it did not matter. Midway through the fourth quarter the Chargers led 28-6. On the next series Prescott was intercepted again. The Cowboys have lost 3 straight and the Chargers have won two straight. Both teams sit at 5-6, but that only matters in the AFC. In the NFC, that is far out of the playoff picture. One year after going 13-3, Jerry Jones may launch a military war against the NFL for the loss of his suspended running back Ezekiel Elliot. Of course, Elliot does not play defense. On this day, neither does anyone on Dallas, as Rivers went a lights out 27 of 33 for 434 yards and 3 touchdowns without an interception. Prescott was 20 of 27, but for only 179 yards, 0 touchdowns, and the two killer interceptions. 28-6 Chargers

New York Giants at Washington Redskins was the Thanksgiving night game. Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and produce a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. After nearly 26 minutes of nearly wretched scoreless football, Aldrick Rosas hit a 30 yard field goal for the Giants. With 13 seconds left in the half Nick Rose answered from 28 for a 3-3 game. League rules prevented the second half from being canceled. In the third quarter the Redskins began a drive from midfield. On 3rd and goal from the 15, Kirk Cousins hit Crowder for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Redskins. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, the Redskins faced 3rd and 18 at their own 47. Cousins completed a pass to Janoris Jenkins, who plays defense for the Giants. Jenkins returned the interception 53 yards for a score. With Cousins throwing one touchdown pass to each team, the game was deadlocked 10-10 after three quarters.

With 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Washington took over at their own 40. On 3rd and 3, Cousins was sacked. However, defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 33, Cousins hit Crowder for 17 yards. With 3 1/2 minutes left, Cousins completed the 5 minute drive by hitting Josh Doctson for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Redskins. With 2:19 to play the Giants had to go for it on 4th and 3 at their own 32. Eli Manning was sacked and fumbled, and the Redskins recovered at the Giants 19 yard line. 3 straight Perine runs was followed by Rose hitting a 33 yard field goal to lock up the win. Manning tossed in a late interception for good measure in a game that nobody outside of Washington should be thankful for. 20-10 Redskins

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons — Atlanta seems to be finding its groove just in time. Yet early on the game was a defensive struggle. Patrick Murray hit a 36 yard field goal for the Buccaneers and Matt Bryant responded from 49 for a 3-3 game after the first quarter. In the second quarter Dan Quinn went to his bag of tricks to spark the offense. Rather than Matt Ryan, it was wide receiver Mohammed Sanu going deep to Julio Jones for a 51 yard touchdown bomb off the gadget play to make it 10-3 Falcons. Atlanta got it back and 72 yards came easily. This time it was Ryan throwing a 25 yard touchdown pass to Jones for a 17-3 Falcons lead. Patrick Murray hit a 27 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers within 17-6 with 1:37 left in the half. That was plenty of time for Matty Ice, and Bryant hit a 36 yard field goal to have the Falcons cruising 20-6 at intermission. The Falcons kept rolling in the third quarter, moving 78 yards. Tevin Coleman ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 27-6 Falcons.

The Buccaneers finally cracked the end zone by going 75 yards in 10 plays. Barber ran it in from 2 yards out but the Buccaneers were still down 27-13. The Bucs finally held on defense and the offense moved 80 yards. One minute into the fourth quarter, Barber got in from the one and the Buccaneers were only down 27-20. From the Atlanta 22, Ryan went deep to Jones for a 24 yard gain. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Tampa 23, disaster struck. Ward gained 10 yards, fumbled the ball, and Brent Grimes returned it 37 yards to the Tampa Bay 42. Rather than put the game out of reach, the Falcons were on their heels with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Bucs moved to a 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 18 midway through the fourth quarter. Dirk Koetter decided to go for it and Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. The Bucs needed a stop on defense and could not get one. On 3rd and 8 from their own 36, MatT ryan hit Jones for 24 yards. With 3 1/2 minutes left and the Buccaneers out of timeouts, the Falcons faced 3rd and 1 at the Tampa 31. Ward gained 14 yards and Coleman ran for a 14 yard touchdown to lock up the win. The Falcons got to 7-4 as Jones had a whopping 253 yards receiving. 34-20 Falcons

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals — Cincinnati came in one of six 4-6 AFC teams. They had to beat winless Cleveland to maintain a realistic shot at the playoffs. Early on the Browns moved 66 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. A 27 yard Zane Gonzalez field goal made it 3-0 Browns. The Bengals came back 75 yards and Red Rifle Andy Dalton hit Boyd for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bengals. In the second quarter the Bengals moved the ball at will but settled for Randy Bullock field goals. Bullock hit from 31, 49 and 21 to make it 16-3 Bengals. An illegal block in the back nullified a punt return touchdown by Adam Pacman Jones that would have extended the lead. Cleveland moved deep but settled for a 21 yard Gonzalez field goal to get within 16-6. Cleveland’s misery continued in the second half. The Bengals moved 78 yards in 10 plays and Dalton hit Kroft for a one yard touchdown to make it 23-6 Bengals.

The Browns have fought hard all year and came back in this one as well. They held the ball for 6 minutes and moved 59 yards in 10 plays. Yet a perfectly thrown ball to the end zone was dropped, which is what happens to winless teams. Gonzalez hit the 39 yard field goal as the Browns trailed 23-9. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Browns took over at their own 11. On 3rd and 10 from their own 28, DeShone Kizer went deep to Kenny Britt for 38 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Cincy 25, Hue Jackson knew the Browns had to go for it. Isaiah Crowell gained 2. On 4th and goal at the 3, Kizer executed the quarterback draw perfectly and got in. With 7 minutes left the Browns were still alive down 23-16. Yet the defense could not get a stop when it mattered most. 75 yards came easily and Joe Mixon ran for an 11 yard touchdown to get the Bengals to 5-6 and keep the Browns winless. 30-16 Bengals

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts — Tennessee came in 6-4 and one game out of the AFC South lead. All they had to do was get past the woeful Colts. Early on the end zone was elusive. Ryan Succop hit field goals of 29 and 45 yards to make it 6-0 Titans. In the second quarter Adam Vinatieri hit from 26 and 28 for a 6-6 game. An interception of Marcus Mariota game the ball back to the Colts at the Tennessee 34. Frank Gore ran for a 14 yard touchdown straight up the middle to make it 13-6 Colts at the half. In the third quarter the Colts held the ball for 7 minutes and moved 55 yards in 13 plays. They settled for a for a 42 yard field goal and a 16-6 Colts lead. Yet bad teams find a way to lose, and the Colts are a bad team.

From their own 17 late in the third quarter, a pitchout was fumbled by Marlin Mack and recovered by the Titans at the Colts 4 yard line. Mariota threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Delanie Walker to get the Titans right back in it down 16-13. From the Tennessee 23, Derrick Henry caught a pass for 10 yards and ran for 10 more. Mariota hit Davis for a 19 yard gain. Henry ran for gains of 14, 9 and 2. DeMarco Murray got the last yard to complete the 77 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. With 6 minutes left in the game the Titans led by 4. The Colts went 3 and out and the Titans got it back with 4 minutes left at their own 28. With 2:49 left everything came down to the Titans facing 3rd and 5 at the Colts 36. Mariota hit Murray for 8 yards and the Titans ran out the clock. At 7-4, Mike Mularkey has his team in strong playoff contention in the weak AFC. 20-16 Titans

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs — The Bills started 5-2 and then lost 3 straight, including the Nathan Peterman experiment that produced 5 interceptions in one half of football. Tyrod Taylor started this game against the reeling Chiefs, who have lost four of five since a 5-0 start. Buffalo moved 58 yards and Taylor hit Jones for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. Early in the second quarter Steve Hauschka tacked on a 34 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Bills. Later on Hauschka would miss from 52. Harrison Butker made his 45 yard field goal try. Despite not getting a first down or crossing midfield for more than 27 minutes, the Chiefs were only down 10-3. With 9 seconds left in the half, Hauschka came in to try a 56 yarder. He drilled this one as the Bills took a 13-3 lead into the locker rooms as the home crowd booed.

The Chiefs began the third quarter at their own 15 after mustering only 57 yards in the first half. They faced 3rd and 16 at their own 19 and Alex Smith threw deep incomplete. Yet defensive offsides meant 3rd and 11. Smith went deep to Travis Kelce for a 25 yard gain. Momentum shifted as Tyreeq Hill ran for 16 yards and Smith hit Wilson for a 19 yard touchdown to get the Chiefs right back in it down 13-10. After a touchback, Taylor connected with Clay for a 33 yard gain with 15 more tacked on for a facemeask. The Bills then went backward but Hauschka bailed them out with a 49 yard field goal to put the Bills up by 6. The fourth quarter was a defensive war of attrition. With 3 minutes left on 4th and 4 from the Buffalo 46, Smith threw incomplete. The Chiefs held on defense and with 1:25 to play had 3rd and 8 at the Buffalo 36. Neither quarterback had 200 yards passing but neither one was intercepted. Then when it mattered most, Smith was. White returned the interception 63 yards to the Chiefs 10 to lock up the win. Both teams are 6-5 as andy Reid tries to figure out what has gone wrong with this season. 16-10 Bills

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots — Sometimes a bad team can go on the road and shock a good team in an upset for the ages. This was not that game. The Dolphins came in as one of six 4-6 AFC teams, and they were overmatched from the start. The Patriots made it look easy from the start. A 75 yard drive culminated in a 2 yard Ronnie Burkhead run to start the deluge. The Patriots got it back and moved 88 yards. Tom Brady hit Rob Gronkowski from 5 yards out to make it 14-0 Patriots after the opening quarter. The Dolphins got a break in the second quarter when a shotgun snap sailed past Tom Brady and was picked by Jones for a 14 yard fumble return and a defensive touchdown. The Dolphins were right back in down 14-7, but the Patriots quickly got rolling again. 78 yards came easily as Burkhead ran over defenders. He ran it in fro the one to make it 21-7 Patriots. The Dolphins did get a 28 yard Cody Parkey field goal to get within 21-10 and had a chance to cut the deficit further when they intercepted Tom Brady. Yet despite moving down the field, Matt Moore went to the end zone and the ball was intercepted back.

In the third quarter the Patriots ended anything remotely resembling suspense. They moved 77 yards quickly and Brady threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski for a 28-10 Patriots lead. On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Patriots had 4th and 1 at the Miami 25. Bill Belichick went for it and Burkhead was stopped for a 2 yard loss. The Dolphins then faced 4th and 2 at their own 35 and Adam Tase had to go for it. Moore went deep to Kenny Stills for a 28 yard gain. Moore hit Drake for an 8 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 28-17 with 11 1/2 minutes left to play. Miami got it back and with 9 minutes left faced 4th and 11 at their own 38. Case went for it again and this time Moore thew incomplete. Dion Lewis on 3rd and 1 ran for a 25 yard gain and Brady hit Brandon Cooks for the clinching touchdown. Brady’s fourth touchdown pass all but ended Miami’s playoff hopes. 35-17 Patriots

Carolina Panthers at New York Jets — The 7-3 Panthers came in one game back in the NFC South while the 4-6 Jets were one of the six 4-6 teams playing survivor in the AFC. The Jets have hung tough in most of their games. Early on Graham Gano hit a 40 yard field goal for the Panthers and Chandler Catanzaro countered from 31 for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter Carolina got going and moved 86 yards. Cam Newton ran in the final yard himself to make it 9-3 Panthers. Gano missed the extra point but would hit a 33 yard field goal from the same distance to make it 12-3 Panthers. The Jets got a break. A 33 yard touchdown bomb from Josh McCown to Robbie Anderson appeared to have been juggled. By the time Anderson got control, he was out the back of the end zone with 2 defenders draped all over him. Doug Peterson unsuccessfully challenged the call and the touchdown stood to get the Jets within 12-10.

In the third quarter McCown rolled his right, directed traffic, and went bombs away to a wide open Anderson for a 54 yard touchdown and a 17-12 Jets lead. The Panthers quickly faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Newton went deep to Devon Funchess for a 35 yard gain. On 4th and 2 from the Jets 32, Ron Rivera decided to go for it rather than try a 50 yard field goal. Newton threw incomplete, but the Jets jumped offsides. On the next play Newton went to McCaffrey, who dragged tacklers for a 26 yard gain down to the one. Jonathan Stewart got in for a 2 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Panthers led 18-17 after three quarters.

The Jets moved 74 yards in 10 plays and began the fourth quarter with 1st and goal at the one. Running the ball was a foreign concept to this team, as Todd Bowles had his quarterback throw 3 straight times. On 2nd and goal the Jest thought they had a touchdown, but officials changed it to an incomplete pass. On 4th and goal at the one, Bowles decided to go for the field goal. Catanzaro hit the 19 yarder and the Jets led 20-18, but it was a killer missed opportunity. The Jets held on defense and got the ball on their own 46. They had a chance to grind out some clock and get an upset win. Then they remembered that they are the Jets. McCown was sacked and fumbled. Luke Kuechly picked it up and raced 34 yards for a defensive touchdown. Newton got in for the 2 point conversion to make it 26-20 Panthers. With 10 minutes let the Jets punted. Clay returned it 60 yards for another touchdown as the Panthers led 32-20 over the self-destructing Jets.

The Jets soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. McCown scrambled for a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Carolina 45, McCown went deep to Anderson for 28 yards and to Kearse for 14 more. McCown hit Kearse for the 3 yard touchdown. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Jets were only down 32-27. After a touchback, the Panthers faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34 with 4 minutes left. Stewart gained 2 yards. With 2:17 to play and the Jets out of timeouts, the Panthers faced 3rd and 11 at the Jest 38. Newton threw incomplete, but a mindless roughing the passer penalty kept the drive going. Gano hit a 45 yard field goal to put the Panthers up by 8. With 2 seconds left the Jets had the ball at their own 38. Rather than throw a Hail Mary, McCown opted for a 12 yard pass. These are the Jets. 35-27 Panthers

Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles — The Eagles came in with the best record in the NFL AT 9-1 while the Bears were 3-7. A shanked Chicago punt went only 34 yards and set up the Eagles at the Chicago 44. On 4th and 1 from the Chicago 35, Doug Peterson decided to go for it. Jay Ajayi gained 2 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Chicago 31, Carson Wentz hit Alshon Jeffery for 14 yards and Zac Ertz for the 17 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The game then got ugly. Mitchell Trubisky was intercepted, but the Eagles fumbled the ball back on the return. On the next Eagles series they fumbled the ball away. Cairo Santos missed a 54 yard field goal to set the Eagles up at their own 44. In the second quarter Wentz threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor to make it 14-0 Eagles.

After that Trubisky fumbled in the end zone, but the Bears were lucky enough to retain possession at their own one. On 4th and 17 from their own one, the Bears punted and the Eagles took over at the Chicago 45. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 23, Went was sacked. Elliott hit the 45 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Eagles. Late in the half Wentz led a brilliant 13 play, 69 yard drive. Wentz fired over the middle to Jeffery for an 8 yard touchdown with 9 seconds left in the half for a 24-0 Eagles romp. The Bears had 0 first downs and only 33 yards of total offense in the first half. League ruled banned the cancellation of the second half. The Bears kicked a field goal and the Eagles got one more gift touchdown when their own wide receiver fumbled the ball forward and Agholor fell on it for the Eagles in the end zone. The Eagles are 10-1 and winning in dominating fashion. 31-3 Eagles

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers — Seattle as usual had the better team but the 49ers always play them tough despite their awful record. Russell Wilson was intercepted on the first play from scrimmage. Blair Walsh missed a field goal for Seattle as the first quarter was scoreless. The second quarter saw the 49ers start at their own 20. CJ Beathard was called for intentional grounding. On 2nd and 21 from their own 9, Beathard was intercepted by Bobby Wagner, as the Seahawks took over at the Frisco 16. McKissic ran for 14 yards and Wilson ran for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. With 48 seconds left in the half, the 49ers faced 3rd and 2 at their own 41, Beathard went to Taylor for a 29 yard gain. Robbie Gould hit a 38 yard field goal to end the half with the 49ers only down 7-3. In the third quarter the 49ers moved 51 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Gould hit from 42 as the 49ers were right back in it down 7-6.

Just as quickly, the Seahawks opened up some breathing room, going 71 yards. Wilson hit Vannett for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Seahawks. The Seahawks got it back and moved 63 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Wilson hit Jimmy Graham from one yard out for a touchdown and a 21-6 Seahawks lead. Seattle’de defense did the rest. A short field starting at the Frisco 45 led to a 34 yard Blair Walsh field goal to put the game away with 3 1/2 minutes left. With just over one minute to play Beathard was knocked out of the game. Jimmy Garoppolo came in for the first time as a 49ers quarterback. Taking over at the Seattle 18, Garoppolo hit Louis Murphy for a 10 yard garbage time touchdown. Seattle remains in strong playoff position with the win. 24-13 Seahawks

New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams — The Saints came in winners of 8 straight against a Rams team that lost last week to drop to 7-3. Early on it was the Rams going 59 yards and Jared Goff hitting Sammy Watkins for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. Los Angeles got it back and moved 51 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein hit a 50 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Rams. New Orleans got back in it when Alvin Kamara ran for a 74 yard touchdown to get the Saints within 10-7. The Rams got it back at their own 14 in the second quarter. On 2nd and 11 from their own 40, Goff went deep to Cooper Kupp for a 53 yard gain. Goff hit Reynolds for the 7 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Rams and cap the 86 yard drive. Will Lutz hit a 50 yard field goal to get the Saints within 17-10. On the last play of the half, Zuerlein came in for a 63 yard field goal try. He is The Leg, but his kick was short.

In the third quarter the Rams moved 59 yards and Zuerlein came in for a much more makable 46 yard try. He was good and the Rams led 20-10. The fourth quarter began with Zuerlein hitting from 49 to make it 23-10 Rams.  Both teams moved the ball into the red zone but could not close the deal. After a touchback the Rams had to go for it on 4th and 5 from the Rams 38. Drew Brees hit Kamara for a 33 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 4, Brees only gained one yard. Sean Payton opted for the field goal and Lutz hit from 21 to get the Saints within 23-13 with 10 minutes left. Goff was then intercepted but the Saints went 3 and out. The Rams took over at their own 25. 13 plays later on 3rd and 5 from the Saints 8, Goff threw incomplete. Zuerlein hit from 26 as the Saints led 26-13 with only 2 1/2 minutes left.

Needing 2 scores after a touchback, Brees found ted Ginn Jr for 15. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Brees hit Ginn for 11 and then again for 25 more. Brees went to Kamara for a 15 yard touchdown. The Saints were within 6 with 1:45 left but they were out of timeouts. The onside kick failed and Goff took 3 knees. Sean McVay hugged Michelin Man Wade Phillips as both teams are now 8-3. A rematch of this game would be a very exciting playoff contest. The Saints saw their 8 game win streak snapped as they dropped into a tie atop the NFC South while the Rams are still one game up in the NFC West. 26-20 Rams

Jacksonville Jaguars at Arizona Cardinals — Jacksonville is 7-3 and winning with defense. The Cardinals ere down to third string quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Phil Dawson hit field goals of 34 in the first quarter and 42 in the second quarter to make it 6-0 Cardinals. The Jaguars punted in the second quarter on 4th and 24 from their own 11. Williams returned it 20 yards to the Jacksonville 41. On 3rd and 4, Gabbert hit Seals-Jones for 6 yards. Gabbert then connected with Seals-Jones for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Cardinals with 4:44 left in the half. Josh Lambo hit a 43 yard field goal to finally get the Jaguars on the board with less than 30 seconds left in the half. Early in the third quarter Dawson answered from 48 to make it 16-3 Cardinals.

Jacksonville quickly faced 2nd and 12 at their own 23. Bortles had been bottled up all game but he hit Cole for 24 yards. On the next play rouging the passer moved Jacksonville to the Arizona 38. Bortles then scrambled for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Bortles scrambled, fumbled, and recovered his own fubmle to set up 4th and goal at the one. Doug Marrone decided to go for it midway through the third quarter. Bortles scrambled and got in as the Jaguars were only down 16-10. After three quarters of routine football, the fourth quarter got crazy.

With 12:20 to play the Cardinals faced 3rd and 10 at their own 15. Gabbert was sacked and fumbled, and Calais Campbell returned the fumble 10 yards for a touchdown as the team known as Sacksonville led 17-16. After a touchback Gabbert came back. On 3rd and 4, Gabbert got just enough. From the Arizona 48, Gabbert went deep to Jeron Brown for a 52 yard touchdown. Gabbert hit Larry Fitzgerald for the 2 point conversion to make it 24-17 Cardinals with 9 minutes left. Grant returned the ensuing kickoff 66 yards to the Arizona 38. Bortles scrambled for a 17 yard touchdown and a 24-24 game midway through the fourth quarter.

Arizona moved from their own 16 to the Arizona 41. Gabbert was then intercepted at the Jacksonville 42 with 3 1/2 minutes to play. 3 plays later the Jaguars faced 3rd and 6 at the Arizona 38 in long field range with 2:47 left. Bortles then was intercepted as Arizona took over right before the teams traded interceptions at their own 41. On 3rd and 3 Gabbert threw a 2 yard pass as the Jaguars took over at their own 10 with 1:14 left. Jacksonville went 3 and out and the Cardinals got it back at their own 39 with 16 seconds left. Gabbert hit Williams for 10 and Foster for 12. Foster made an acrobatic catch to get his feet inbounds and secure the ball. Bruce Arians brought in old man Phil Dawson for a 57 yard field goal try to win it. Dawson blasted it through the uprights. One second remained but the hook and laterals ended uneventfully. It was sweet redemption for Gabbert against his old team as the Jaguars dropped to 7-4 and a first place tie in the AFC South. 27-24 Cardinals

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders — The Broncos fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy, who until last year was the Raiders offensive coordinator. Ken Norton Jr. was fired as defensive coordinator of the Raiders. The Raiders at 4-6 were hanging on for dear life in the AFC while the 3-7 Broncos had lost 6 straight. Paxton Lynch started for the Broncos in a game where temper flared early. Both teams went 3 and out to start. 3 minutes into the game with the Raiders facing 2nd and 6 at their own 24, all hell broke loose. Marshawn Lynch gained 5 yards, and a routine 3rd and 1 never happened because a fight broke out away from the play. Michael Crabtree and Aqib Talib have a personal history from last year, and they both threw punches and were ejected. Oakland also lost Gabe Jackson to ejection for bumping into an official during the right. With Chris Harris getting hurt a few plays earlier, Denver was without its 2 best cornerbacks. So on 3rd and 15 from their own 15, Derek Carr hit Seth Roberts for 20 yards. Yet on 3rd and 1 from their own 44, Lynch lost a yard. The Raiders got it back at their own 46 and a roughing the passer penalty moved them to the Denver 39. They went backward and punted.

Late in the first quarter with the Raiders at their own 29, Carr nearly got his head taken off and fumbled the ball. The Broncos recovered at the Oakland 24. On the first play of the second quarter the Broncos faced 3rd and 6 at the Oakland 20. Lynch found Booker for the touchdown and the Broncos celebrated. However, on further review Booker was ruled down at the one. On 1st and goal Booker got stopped. On 2nd and goal Lynch rolled out and had a pass bounced off two defenders before falling into the arms of defender Navarro Bowman. Bowman was laying on his back, but for the first time all season, the Raiders had an interception. 357 passes against their defense without one was an NFL record as was, making it 11 weeks without a pick. The drought was over and the Broncos squandered a golden opportunity.

The Raiders were determined to keep running the football. Deandre Washington gained 5 and 11 yards. From the Oakland 37, Carr fired over the middle to Lynch for a 20 yard gain. On the next play a defensive face mask put the ball on the Denver 24. Carr hit Smith for 12 and Jalen Richard got around the end for an 8 yard gain. Carr lobbed a fade to the corner of the end zone for Amari Cooper, who caught it for the touchdown. With 8 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Raiders led 7-0. Denver went 3 and out when on 3rd and 5 form their own 30 Lynch got belted to the ground. A short punt of 37 yards and the Raiders starting at their own 48.

Lynch had gains of 4 and 5 sandwiched around a 9 yard run by Washington. From the Denver 23, Carr fired over the middle to Cooper, who got rocked in between 2 defenders. Cooper stayed on the ground. He eventually walked off, but would be in concussion protocol and out for the rest of the game. With Cooper and Crabtree both out, it was imperative for the running game to do even more. After a pair of Carr touchdown passes were waived off, the Raiders faced 3rd and goal at the one. Lynch banged in off the left side to make it 14-0 Raiders with just under 3 minutes left in the half. The much maligned Oakland defense held again and another poor punt had the Raiders getting it back with 2:19 left in the half at their own 40. They wasted the opportunity but Marquette King pinned the Broncos back at their own one yard line to end the half. Denver had only 54 yards of total offense in the first half, with Lynch accounting for 22 yards passing.

The third quarter started ugly for Denver. Lynch was sacked and fumbled but he fell on it himself. Denver punted on 4th and 20 from their own 27 and the Raiders took over at their own 34. On 3rd and 10 from their own 47, Carr went bombs away to Johnny Holton for a 47 yard gain. On the next play Carr fired over the middle to Jalen Richard for the 6 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter the Raiders led 21-0. Denver soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 23. Lynch fired a quick pass to Emanuel Sanders. Sanders was short of the sticks. Vance Joseph challenged the spot unsuccessfully. Making matters worse, Lynch pulled a hamstring on the play and was done for the day. On 4th and inches Joseph decided to punt.

The Raiders on 3rd and 1 at their own 43 gave the ball to Lynch, and he lost a yard. The Raiders punted and the Broncos took over at their own 6 yard line. With Brock Osweiler inactive, Trevor Siemian came in the game. 3 plays and 0 yard later the Raiders had the ball back at their own 32. Carr hit Cordarelle Patterson for 12 yards A holding penalty negated an 8 yard run for a first down by Lynch as the third quarter ended with Denver having 3 first downs and 66 yards of total offense, including 12 yards in the third quarter. Marquette King was killing the Broncos with his punts, as they again took over at their own 7 yard line.

Siemian hit Green for 16 yards and went to Taylor for a 34 yard gain. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Broncos faced 4th and 7 at the Oakland 25. Anyone who has ever watched the Raiders knows they do not put teams away. Siemian went deep to Latimer for the touchdown as the Broncos were down 21-7 after the 93 yard drive. Now it was time to see if the Oakland offense would give the ball right back rather than lock up the win. Vance Joseph called a surprise onside kick and Keith McGill fell on it for the Raiders at the Denver 48. One first down would mean long field goal range. Of course, a run lost 4 yards. Yet On 3rd and 12 with rain coming down hard, Carr rolled out and found Lynch, who raced for a 26 yard gain and a key first down. Despite 1st and 10 at the Denver 14, a pair of penalties pushed the Raiders back. With 6 minutes left, Georgio Tavecchio came in for a 35 yard field goal that would lock up the win. He missed it, because the Raiders never put teams away.

Denver faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30 and Siemian hit Denarius Thomas for 6. On 3rd and 10 from the Denver 36, Siemian hit Jamal Charles for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 37, Siemian hit Latimer for 15. Siemian then went deep to Bennie Fowler for the 22 yard touchdown. As expected, the heartless Raiders found a way to let Denver get within 7 points. A short kick was misjudged and the Raiders were backed up to their own 13 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Denver had all 2 timeouts plus the 2 minute warning. Lynch then lost 3 yards, followed by a 5 yard gain. With 2:24 left and Denver out of timeouts, the Raiders faced 3rd and 8 at their own 15. Rather than run it again, new offensive coordinator Todd Downing went with a high risk pass knowing an incompletion stops the clock. Under heavy pressure, Carr lobbed a ball to Patterson, who broke tackles for a 54 yard gain. Carr took three knees. Despite a hideous effort in many areas, the Raiders at 5-6 are only one game out of the AFC West lead. Denver’s 7th straight loss dropped them to 3-8 and effectively ended their season. 21-14 Raiders

Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday night game. With Brett Hundley in place of Aaron Rodgers, the Packers have lost four of five and had no chance to go on the road and knock off the 8-2 Steelers. Martavius Bryant returned the opening kickoff 38 yards to the Pittsburgh 41. On the first play from scrimmage Ben Roethlisberger went deep to Antonio Brown for a 20 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the 14, Roethlisberger hit James for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Bryant only got half of it. On 4th and goal at the one, Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. Big Ben hit Xavier Grimble for the touchdown to make it 6-0 Steelers. Chris Boswell missed the extra point. an unnecessary roughness penalty had the Packers taking over at their own 40. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 43, Hundley was sacked and fumbled. However, defensive illegal use of hands kept the drive going. 2 plays later Hundley went deep to Randall Cobb for a 39 yard touchdown and a 7-6 Packers lead.

After a touchback the Steelers faced 3rd and 8 just shy of midfield. Roethlisberger was intercepted by Randall. 2 plays later the Packers faced 3rd and 9 at their own 46. Hundley found williams, who outraced everyone for a 54 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Packers. In the second quarter the Steelers faced 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Roethlisberger went deep to Antonio Brown for a 39 yard gain. Big Ben hit Bryant for a 17 yard touchdown. Roethlisberger hit Brown for the 2 point conversion and a 14-14 tie midway through the second quarter.

The third quarter began with the Packers at their own 24. On 3rd and 1, Williams gained 5 yards. On 3rd and 3 from their own 45, Hundley went deep to Devontae Adams for a 55 yard touchdown and a 21-14 lead. For a supposed bad quarterback, Hundley had 3 touchdown passes all at least 39 yards. Pittsburgh had 2nd and 7 at the Green Bay 41 when offensive holding pushed them back. Then Roethlisberger was intercepted again to give the Packers a short field at the Pittsburgh 45. On 1st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 31, Hundley was sacked twice. Mike McCarthy decided to have Mason Crosby try a 57 yard field goal. It was a desperation move, although maybe there was symbolism in Heinz Field and the number 57. Crosby missed the kick by a mile to give the Steelers the ball at their own 47. Roethlisberger hit LeVeon Bell for gains of 12 and 15 and to Brown for 11. Roethlisberger hit Brown for the one yard touchdown to tie the game 21-21 after three quarters.

The Steelers began the fourth quarter at their own 45. Bell gained 14 yards, but 2 plays later Bell Coughed it up and the Packers recovered at their own 34. 3 straight Hundley incompletions took only 13 seconds and the Packers punted it back. A sack of Roethlisberger had the Steelers facing 2nd and 20 at their own 22. Roethlisberger hit Bell for 14 and on 3rd and 6 hit Rogers for 11. On 2nd and 13 from their own 44, Roethlisberger hit Bell for 12 and on 3rd and 1 Bell gained 11. Big Ben then went deep to Brown for a 33 yard touchdown to give the Steelers the 28-21 lead with 9 minutes left in regulation.

The Packers took over at their own 23. Hundley found Richard Rodgers for 25 yards and Cobb for 12 more. A 12 yard completion to Adams led to a critical 3rd and 1 at the Pittsburgh 18. Hundley fired a swing pass to Nelson, who appeared stopped, He stretched the ball past the first down marker as he was going down for a key 2 yard gain. With 3 1/2 minutes to play the Packers faced 3rd and 12 at the 18. A swing pass to Cobb gained only half of it. Mike McCarthy decided to go for it. On 4th and 6 from the 12 with 3 minutes left. Mike Tomlin decided to bring the house and McCarthy had to burn Green Bay’s timeout to change the play. Hundley fired to Adams for an 8 yard gain. On 1st and goal at the 4, a draw play to Williams went for a touchdown. The Packers moved 77 yards in 12 plays and took over 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. With 2:02 to play the game was tied 28-28. It was very important that the ensuing kickoff take at least 2 seconds off the clock to avoid giving the Steelers an extra timeout at the 2 minute warning.

The kickoff went to the end zone, and the Steelers had their extra play. Roethlisberger hit Rogers for 6 and Brown for 13 more. A completion to Bell gained 10 yards to the Green Bay 46. 3 straight completions was followed by 3 straight incompletions as the Steelers had to punt. The Packers got it back at their own 18 with 80 seconds to play. Hundley got belted to the ground by TJ Watt for a 6 yard loss. On 2nd and 16 a short completion saw a blunder by Williams when he ran out of bounds. When a 3rd and 13 pass gained only 4 yards, Mike Tomlin called his last timeout as the Steelers got the ball back at their own 29 with 17 seconds left. Roethliberger went deep to Brown for a 25 yard gain. It appeared Brown did not get both feet down but the officials said he did. Another 14 yard completion to Brown went to the Green Bay 33. With 4 seconds left, Chris Boswell came in for a 53 yard field goal try to win it. Boswell was good and the home crowd erupted in celebration. Mike McCarthy beat Mike Tomlin in the Super Bowl, but on this night Tomlin got the win as the Steelers got to 9-2 on the season. Hundley was 17 of 26 for 245 yards and 3 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Roethlisberger was intercepted twice, but he was also 33 of 45 for 351 yards and 4 touchdowns. The defeat was especially bitter for much maligned Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who used to hold that job in Pittsburgh. 31-28 Steelers

Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens was the Monday night game. Both teams were fighting for playoff survival and in desperate need of their offenses helping their defenses. The Texans got the ball at their own 10 and held it for 5 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 10 from the Houston 37, Tom Savage completed a pass for only 2 yards, but unnecessary roughness for mindlessly slamming the receiver to the ground added 15 yards. On the next play Savage went deep to Andre Ellington for a 29 yard gain. On 3rd and 16 from the Baltimore 23, savage threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 19 yard gain. Miller ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans.

Baltimore could not get any offense going and in the second quarter a field position game had the Ravens starting at midfield. They had to punt on 4th and 6 at the Houston 41. John Harbaugh called  fake punt and punter Koch threw a perfect pass to Moore for a 22 yard gain. Allen ran for a 10 yard touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame. Houston took over at their own 28 and soon faced 3rd and 2 at the Baltimore 45. Savage went over the middle and was intercepted, setting Baltimore up at the Houston 46. On 4th and 1 from the Houston 37, John Harbaugh decided to go for it. Collins got the carry and gained 29 yards. On the next play out of the shotgun, Collins took it up the middle for the 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Ravens.

The Texans held the ball for 13 plays and 5 minutes, moving 68 yards after a touchback. Savage converted 3 times on 3rd and 9 or more. At the 2 minute warning the Texans faced 2nd and goal at the 4. A pass lost 3 yes and then on 3rd and goal savage threw incomplete. Fairbairn hit the 25 yard field goal and the Texans trailed 14-10. From the Baltimore 17 with 1:43 left, Danny Woodhead ran for 10 yards and Joe Flacco gained 11 more. Flacco found Watson for 16 yards and Mike Wallace for gains of 9 and 2 to set up 1st and 10 at the Houston 35 with 24 seconds left in the half. Flacco threw 3 straight incompletions, but Justin Tucker nailed the 53 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Ravens at halftime. The second half belonged to the defenses.

In the third quarter the Texans moved 65 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. From their own 17, runs and short passes got them to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 13. Yet an offensive holding penalty killed the drive. Fairbairn hit from 36 to get the Texans within 17-13 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Baltimore countered with a 10 play, 5 1/2 minute drive that started just past midfield. Yet on 3rd and 7 from the Houston 13, Flacco threw incomplete. Tucker hit from 31 to make it 20-13 Ravens with 11 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, the Texans soon faced 1st and 10 at their own 36. Savage went deep to Deandre Hopkins for a 39 yard gain. Yet despite 2nd and 4 at the Baltimore 19, Bill O’Brien decided on abandoning the run at a critical time. A pair of incomplete passes ended the drive. Fairbairn hit from 37. Again the Texans failed to reach the end zone and failed to tie the game, trailing 20-16 with 8 1/2 minutes left. Baltimore went 3 and out and the Texans took over at their own 43 with 6 1/2 minutes left. From the Baltimore 44 with 5 minutes left, Savage was sacked and fumbled. The Ravens again started just past midfield. Houston took their timeouts on defense and Tucker hit a 49 yard field goal to put the Ravens back up by 7 with 3 minutes left. After a touchback in a game where both teams kicked 2 second half field goals, Houston needed a touchdown. On 2nd and 1 from t heir own 34, Savage was intercepted again. The Ravens got to 6-5 while the Texans fell to 4-7 and the brink of playoff elimination. Houston has gone 9-7 the last 3 seasons but would need to run the table to do so again. Meanwhile, Baltimore is very much alive as a wildcard. 23-16 Ravens

NFL 2017 Week 12 Prequel

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/thankful-america-thanksgiving-football-nfl-week-12-preview-bettors-guide-96287/

NFL 2017 Week 11 Recap

Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Thursday night game. Tennessee came in 6-3, but going on the road and taking on 7-2 Pittsburgh was a tall order. Both teams like to play smashmouth, but the Steelers got aggressive early on. 75 yards came quickly as Ben Roethlisberger threw a 41 yard touchdown bomb to Antonio Brown to make it 7-0 Steelers. Tennessee quickly faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27. Mariota went deep and was intercepted by Hilton. Hilton returned it 26 yards to the Tennessee 24. Pittsburgh faced 3rd and 5 from the 8, and Big ben threw incomplete. An offensive facemark moved the Steelers back 15 years, but Chris Boswell nailed the 41 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Steelers.

Tennessee took over at their own 32. On 3rd and 6 after a delay of game, Mariota hit Ryan Mathews for 8 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Pittsburgh 22, Mariota hit Davis fro 15 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Mariota scrambled and got crunched right at the goal line. The ball broke the plane and the Titans were within 10-7. The Titans got it back in the second quarter and moved from their 33 to a 4th and 8 at the Pittsburgh 30. Ryan Succop’s 48 yard field goal try to tie the game was partially blocked.

Midway through the second quarter, the Titans moved from their own 2 yard line to a 1st and 10 at midfield. However, a short pass by Mariota was then intercepted by Chris Sensabaugh, who returned it 32 yards to the Tennessee 20. The defense held, but Boswell hit a 28 yard field goal to make it 13-7 Steelers with 90 seconds left in the half. Tennessee went 3 and out used only 20 seconds. The Steelers got it back at their own 33 with 1:11 left and one timeout. From the Pittsburgh 41, Big Ben hit Brown for a 17 yard gain. Brown had the ball jarred loose forward, and his teammate Martavius Bryant recovered it for the Steelers at the Tennessee 32. The ball should have been moved back to the spot of the fumble since it was a forward fumble in the final 2 minutes of a half. Yet the officials forgot that the Holy Roller rule had been in place for decades. The extra 10 yards was enough for Boswell to connect from 50 to make it 16-7 Steelers at halftime.

The Titans started the third quarter with a bang. On the first play from scrimmage, Mariota went deep to Matthews for a 75 yard touchdown to get the Titans within 16-14. After a touchback, Roethlisberger hit Brown for 12 yards, LeVeon Bell for 6, James for 11, and Bell for 14. On 2nd and 10 from the Titans 31, Big Ben threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the Steelers going. On 3rd and 11 from the Titans 17, Big Ben hit Juju Smith-Schuster for 12 yards. Roethlisberger then hit Brown for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 23-14 Steelers.

After a touchback, Mariota went deep to Delanie Walker for a 42 yard gain. On 1st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 17, Mariota fired to the end zone and found a wide open Delanie Walker. The normally reliable Walker dropped it. On 3rd and 4 from the 11, Mariota was sacked for a 15 yard loss. Succop nailed the 44 yard field goal, and with only 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Titans only trailed 23-17. Yet mistakes killed the Titans, and in the fourth quarter the Steelers turned a tight game into a route.

After a touchback on 3rd and 10 from their own 25, Roethlisberger hit Bryant for 20 yards and Smith-Schuster for 18 more. On the first play of the fourth quarter, on 3rd and goal at the one, Roethlisberger hit James for the touchdown to make it 30-17 Steelers. Pittsburgh got it back just shy of midfield. Roethlisberger went to Brown for 23 yards. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 13 more yards. Roethlisberger threw a 10 yard touchdown to Brown to make it 37-17 Steelers.

Mariota would throw two more interceptions, one leading to a 26 yard Boswell field goal. From the Tennessee 22, a classy Mike Tomlin took Big Ben out and brought in Landry Jones to take a knee rather than run up the score. Despite getting it back with 44 seconds left, Mike Mularkey decided not to risk any injuries on either side. He had Mariota take a knee as well. Rarely does a losing coach get a hero’s welcome, but Tennessee defensive coordinator Dick Lebeau was the longtime defensive coordinator for Pittsburgh. He is the godfather of the zone blitz that turned Pittsburgh into Blitzburgh. After the game, many Steelers players came over to give him lengthy hugs. Roethlisberger and Lebeau were overheard telling each other that they loved the other one. Lebeau’s defense had a rough night, but on this night it was just the better team winning at home. 40-17 Steelers

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears — The Bears moved 70 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. The drive stalled at the Detroit 5 yard line but Connor Barth hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bears. Matthew Stafford was then sacked and fumbled, giving the Bears the ball at their own 45. A 50 yard run by Howard made it 1st and goal at the 5. Mitchell Trubisky hit Shaheen for a one yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Bears. Early in the second quarter Trubisky fumbled and DJ Hayden picked it up and raced 27 yards for a defensive touchdown to get the Lions within 10-7.

Yet the Bears came back 78 yards in 5 1/2 minutes. Jordan Howard ran for  12 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Bears. The Lions came back 86 yards. Stafford found a wide open Marvin Jones for a 28 yard touchdown to get the Lions within 17-14. Detroit got it back and moved 72 yards easily before the half. Stafford hit Amir Abdullah for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 21-17 Lions. The third quarter was scoreless. In the fourth quarter, the Lions moved 54 yards in 12 plays and held the ball for 7 minutes. Yet a sack of Stafford had the Lions settling for a 27 yard Matt Prater field goal to lead 24-17. The Bears came back 78 yards in 5 minutes. Tarik Cohen ran for a 15 yard touchdown and a 24-24 game with 5 minutes left in regulation.

The Lions soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 31. Stafford went to Jones for a 17 yard gain. Stafford went to Eric Ebron for 22 more yards. With 1:40 to play, Prater came in for a 52 yard field goal to give the Lions the lead. Prater was dead center good. With 28 seconds to play the Bears faced 4th and 13 at their own 38. Somehow Trubisky under heavy pressure scrambled for a 19 yard gain. Trubisky then hit Inman for 15 more. With 8 seconds left Barth came in for a 46 yard field goal to tie it. The kick was no good, and John Fox saw his team lose a heartbreaker. Jim Caldwell was so excited after the win that he almost made a facial expression. 27-24 Lions

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns — The 6-3 Jaguars faced the winless Cleveland Browns. The Browns returned the opening kickoff past midfield. They wasted the opportunity. Later on Telvin Smith intercepted DeShone Kizer to set up the Jaguars at the Cleveland 33. On 3rd and 3 Blake Bortles found Marquise Lee on a swing pass for a 17 yard gain. A perfectly executed play fake led to a 10 yard touchdown pass from Bortles to Marcedes Lewis to make it 7-0 Jaguars. In the second quarter Josh Lambo hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Jaguars. The Browns came back 66 yards and Kizer hit Johnson for a 27 yard touchdown as the Browns only trailed 10-7 at halftime.

Defenses dominated the second half as snow came down. Lambo hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 13-7 Jaguars with 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 1:48 to play and the Browns facing 3rd and 10 at the Jacksonville 40, Kizer was sacked and lost the ball. Initially ruled downy contact, it was reversed to a fumble. Jacksonville took over at their own 44 but the Browns had all 3 timeouts. Cleveland’s defense played well all game and held again. The Browns got it back at their own 20 with 1:24 left. KIzer was sacked and fumbled. The Jaguars recovered in the end zone for a clinching touchdown. These are the Browns, as Hue Jackson searches for answers. Tom Coughlin was so pleased with the win he almost smiled. 19-7 Jaguars

Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers — Early on Brett Hundley threw a 33 yard completion to Devontae Adams to get the Packers in the red zone. Hundley went to the end zone and was intercepted. Later on Hundley went deep and was intercepted by Eric Weddle to set up the Ravens at their own 40. On the first play of the second quarter, Justin Tucker hit a 43 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Ravens. The Packers then fumbled the ball away to set up the Ravens at the Green Bay 42.  Tucker hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 6-0 Ravens at halftime of this ugly game.

A strong kickoff return to start the second half saw Moore bringing it 35 yards to the Baltimore 41 for the Ravens. Joe Flacco went deep to Mike Wallace for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Ravens. A fifth Green Bay turnover in the form of a fumble meant another short field and another Tucker field goal with 4 minutes remaining. With just over 2 minutes left another Hundley interception was the 6th Packers turnover, giving the Ravens the ball inside the Green Bay 5 yard line. Another touchdown completed the demolishment of a Packers team that Mike McCarthy is trying to hold together with ductape. 23-0 Ravens

Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans — After a scoreless first quarter, the Texans capped a 12 play, 89 yard, 7 minute drive with a 7 yard touchdown pass from Tom Savage to Lamar Miller to make it 7-0 Texans. Later on Savage was sacked by Buddha Baker, who also recovered the fumble to set the Cardinals up at the Houston 17. On 2nd and 13, Blaine Gabbert went to Larry Fitzgerald for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, Savage was intercepted by Patrick Peterson. who returned it 22 yards to the Houston 15. Gabbert hit Seals-Jones for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Cardinals. Fairbairn hit a 34 yard field goal to get the Texans within 14-10 at halftime.

In the third quarter the Texans moved 74 yards. On 3rd and 8 from their own 38, Savage connected with Deandre Hopkins for a 34 yard gain. On the next play Savage went to Hopkins for a 28 yard touchdown to put the Texans up 17-14. Houston got it back at their own 3 but punted it to give the Cardinals the ball at the Houston 48. On 3rd and 13 from the Houston 43, Gabbert went to Nelson for 15 yards. On the next play Gabbert went deep to Seals for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 21-17 Cardinals after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter the Texans moved 75 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 8 from the Arizona 25, Savage went deep to Anderson for a 22 yard gain. Foreman ran in a 3 yard touchdown to put the Texans back on top 24-31 with 13 minutes left in regulation. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Bruce Arians decided to go for it with the Cardinals facing 4th and 1 at his own 35. Adrian Peterson got the carry and lost a yard. One play later Foreman got around the end for a 34 yard Houston touchdown to put the game on ice. Gabbert threw an interception with 2 minutes left to extinguish all hopes. 31-21 Texans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Miami Dolphins — For some reason this game was played. Early on Damion Williams raced for a 69 yard run to have the Dolphins in business. Jay Cutler went to the end zone and was intercepted by Justin Evans. After the touchback, Ryan Fitzpatrick moved the Bucs to a 3rd and 6 at the Miami 12. Fitzpatrick threw incomplete and the Buccaneers settled for a 30 yard Patrick Murray field goal to lead 3-0. The Dolphins came back 90 yards. Cutler hit Jarvis Landry for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Dolphins. An 11 play, 59 yard, 5 minute drive led to Murray hitting from 30 to get the Buccaneers within 7-6 early in the second quarter.

On 3rd and 10 from the Miami 25, Jay Cutler was then intercepted by Juan Alexander, who returned it 20 yards to the Miami 10 yard line. A facemark moved the ball to the 5. Fitzpatrick hit Howard for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Buccaneers. On 2nd and 18 from the Miami 17, Cutler was intercepted for the third time by Rolando McClain, who returned it 6 yards to the Miami 25. On the next play Fitzpatrick went to the end zone to Howard, but the touchdown was nullified by offensive holding. A third down pass was dropped, and Murray missed the 42 yard field goal as the Dolphins dodged a bullet.

However, another Miami turnover saw a fumble recovered by the Bucs at the Miami 37. Fitzpatrick went deep to Mike Evans for a 29 yard gain and to DeSean Jackson for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 20-7 Buccaneers at halftime. thE dolphins began the third quarter at their own 22 without Cutler, who was in concussion protocol. On 3rd and 10 from their own 32, Matt Moore went deep to Landry for a 49 yard gain. Defensive pass interference then made it 1st and goal at the one. Yet a touchdown pass to Anthony Fasano was nullified by offensive holding. On 3rd and goal at the 3, a false start was followed by an incompletion. Cody Parkey hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Dolphins within 20-10.

It was deja vu all over again as the dolphins soon faced 3rd and 13 at their own 18. Moore went deep to Kenny Stills for 45 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Tampa 35, Moore found Landry for 22 yards. Yet on 3rd and 7 from the 8, a false start followed by an incompletion meant another field goal. Parkey again hit from 31 as the Dolphins trailed 20-13. in the fourth quarter 74 yards came easy as Moore threw a 61 yard touchdown bomb to Stills for a 20-20 game with 3 minutes left in regulation. It looked like the Bucs had blown another one.

After a touchback, Fitzpatrick went to Evans for a 17 yard gain and to Godwin for gains of 14 and 24 more to the Miami 20 with one minute left. Both teams took all 3 timeouts and Murray came in for a 35 yard field goal try to win it with 7 seconds left. Murray was good, but next came the laterals and everything but the Stanford Marching Band. It was a touchdown, but not by the Dolphins. They went backwards and the Buccaneers recovered in the Miami end zone for a score that only gamblers care about. Tampa Bay has won 2 straight in hideous fashion while the Dolphins are just hideous. 30-20 Buccaneers

Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings — Both of these teams came in 7-2 as the Rams offense squared off against the tough Minnesota defense. The Rams moved 75 yards. From the Minnesota 6, Todd Gurley got the carry and barreled over defenders, muscling his way just past the plane of the goal for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. A sack of Goff would have the Rams punting on 4th and 19 from their own one. The Vikings took over at the Rams 30. Early in the second quarter the Vikings faced 3rd and 5 from the Rams 13. Case Keenum hit Kyle Rudolph for just enough. Latavius Murray ran for the 8 yard touchdown to make it a 7-7 game.

Minnesota missed a chance to get the lead when a 48 yard field goal try by Kai Forbath was no good. The Rams saw an opportunity go up in flames when Cooper Kupp caught the ball at the Minnesota one yard line and had it ripped out for a killer fumble. In the third quarter Forbath had a 39 yard field goal try doing off the upright no good. Yet Minnesota’s defense stayed strong and the Vikings offense finally finished a drive. 11 plays, 71 yards and 6 minutes saw Murray get the ball at the 2 and somehow in a crowd stretch the ball over the pylon for a touchdown and a 14-7 Vikings lead.

With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation of this defensive slugfest, the Vikings took over at their own 7. On 2nd and 7 Keenum threw incomplete, but a very controversial roughing the passer penalty on Aaron Donald moved the ball to the Minnesota 25. One play changed the game. From the Minnesota 35, a a swing pass to Adam Thielen saw Thielen spin away from a tackle and race 65 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-7 Vikings. Minnesota added one more field goal. Sean McVay will not panic with a 7-3 team, while Mike Zimmer has to be pleased with his defense. 24-7 Vikings

Kansas City Chiefs at New York Giants — Ben McAdoo had nothing to lose as the head coach of a 1-9 team that lost to previously winless San Francisco last week. In this game he called a fake punt that worked, which led to a halfback option pass that was intercepted. Yet the Giants caught a break when an Alex Smith shovel pass was mishandled and deflected into the arms of big Snacks Harrison for an interception to set up the Giants at the Chiefs 26. Despite a couple of dropped passes, defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Orleans Darkwa got in to make it 6-0 Giants. The extra point was missed.

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 34. Alex Smith scrambled for just enough. On 4th and 5 from the Giants 32 with heavy winds making field goals difficult, Walrus Lite Andy Reid decided to go for it. Smith has had his toughness questioned, but he scrambled, dove in the air, got belted by a pair of defenders, and made the first down by a yard. On 2nd and 19 from the Giants 35, Smith went to Travis Kelce for 21 yards. Yet after 15 plays, 61 yards, and over 9 minutes with the ball, the Chiefs settled for a 31 yard Harrison Butker field goal to get within 6-3. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, Butker hit from 31 again for a 6-6 game.

The Chiefs win ugly with a turnover-forcing defense and a quarterback that excited nobody but does not make mistakes. Yet with 6 1/2 minutes left, Smith was intercepted. The defense got the ball back but the Chiefs were pinned at their own 5 yard line. With 2:18 to play from the Chiefs 18, Smith went back to pass and was intercepted again. The Giants took over at the Chiefs 23 with 2:07 left. On 3rd and 6 from the 8, Eli Manning threw incomplete, allowing the Chiefs to preserve their last timeout. Rosas hit from 26 to make it 9-6 Giants.

The Chiefs took over at their own 26 with 90 seconds to play. Smith was intercepted again as the Giants celebrated. However, defensive pass interference had the Chiefs gaining 8 yards. Smith then went deep to Kelce for 32 yards. With 16 seconds left, the Chiefs had 1st and 10 at the Giants 12. Smith threw incomplete and then was forced o scramble. He gained 7 yards but the Chiefs had to call their final timeout. On 3rd and 3 from the 5 with 5 seconds left, Andy Reid took no chances. Butker hit the 23 yard field goal for a 9-9 tie. The Chiefs find ways to win ugly. The Giants find ways to lose ugly. Now came overtime, and the inevitable Giants loss and ugly Chiefs win.

The Giants held on defense and took over at their own 18. They methodically moved to a 4th and 5 at the Chiefs 36 with 2:12 left in overtime. With winds blowing and Aldrick Rosas having missed once on this day, Ben McAdoo did not want to try a 54 yard field goal. With everything on the line and yet nothing to lose on the season, McAdoo went for it all. As expected, confusion reigned. Manning went deep to Lewis. He caught the ball at the 2, and rolled into the end zone. The Giants thought they had a win. Officials ruled down by contact at the 2. The Chiefs thought the ball hit the ground incomplete. on further review, the catch stood but it was not a touchdown. From the 2, Manning took a knee to center the ball. From 23 yards out, Rosas was good and the Giants had the shocking win. After a 5-0 start, the Chiefs have lost 4 of 5 in the suddenly awful AFC West. One woman knew the Giants would win. She was the mom of one Giants player, and she preferred to remain anonymous. 12-9 Giants

Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints — Early on the Saints faced 3rd and 16 deep in their own territory when Drew Brees went deep and was intercepted by DJ Swearinger to give the Redskins a short field. Nick Rose hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Redskins. Will Lutz answered with a 52 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. After a touchback, Kirk Cousins hit Josh Doctson for 14 yards. From midfield, Perine ran for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the 16, Cousins went to Thompson for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Redskins. The Saints came back 80 yards as Mark Ingram raced for a 36 yard touchdown to make it 10-10.

After a touchback, the Redskins moved to a 4th and 6 at the Saints 39. Jay Gruden decided to go for it and Cousins threw a perfect dime to Vernon Davis for a 26 yard gain. Perine got in from the one to make it 17-10 Redskins. Washington got it back and moved from their own 8 to a 3rd and 7 at the Saints 33. Cousins was intercepted, but on further review it was incomplete. On 4th and 7, a 51 yard field goal try never happened due to a killer false start, forcing a punt. Gruden’s conservatism backfired as the Saints quickly moved 69 yards in 10 plays during the 2 minute drill. Lutz hit from 29 as the Saints trailed 17-13 at halftime.

In the third quarter the Saints held the ball for 5 1/2 minutes, including a 4th and 1 conversion at their own 44. Yet when they decided to go for it on 4th and 4 from the Washington 37, a killer delay of game penalty forced a punt. The Redskins took over at their own 6 yard line. On 4th and 1 from their own 15, Jay Gruden called a fake punt. Yes. From his own 15. It worked as the Redskins gained 5 yards and Gruden avoided becoming the second coming of Barry Switzer. On 3rd and 7 from the Saints 40, Cousins went deep to Grant for the touchdown as the Redskins had the surprising 24-13 lead after the 94 yard drive.

With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Saints got the ball back just shy of midfield. Kamara ran for a 24 yard gain. The drive immediately died but Lutz hit from 42 to get the Saints within 24-16 with 9 1/2 minutes left. The Redskins soon faced 2nd and 6 from their own 29. Cousins went deep to Davis for a 36 yard gain. Perrine then ran for gains of 9, 17 and 2. Cousins hit Sprinkle for a 7 yard touchdown. With 6 minutes left the Redskins had a commanding 31-16 lead.

The Saints still had their pinball wizard. After a touchback Drew Brees hit Coby Fleener for gains of 5 and 25. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 37, Brees found Ted Ginn Jr for 7 yards. Brees then went deep to Fleener for 24 yards and to Hill for the 3 yard touchdown. With just under 3 minutes left the Saints were within 31-23. With 2:38 left and the Saints out of timeouts, the Redskins faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. A first down would end the game. Perine got the carry and lost a yard. The Saints were still alive, but they got the ball back at their own 13 with 1:53 to play.

Brees went deep and was immediately intercepted, but illegal use of hands again kept the Saints alive. Brees then went to Thomas for 17 yards, to Ginn for 18 more, and to Fleener for 29 more to the Washington 18 with 1:11 left. Brees then went to Kamara for the touchdown. On the 2 point conversion, Kamara ran it in as the Game was tied 31-31. After a touchback, Cousins quickly moved the Redskins into long field goal range. With 30 seconds left on 1st and 10 from the Saints 34, Cousins threw incomplete. Yet intentional grounding on Cousins pushed the Redskins out of range. On the final regular season play Cousins was sacked and fumbled as the game went to overtime.

The extra session did not last long. Washington needed one minute to go 3 and out and give the Saints the ball at their own 39. Mark Ingram broke free for gains of 20 and 31 to set up 1st and goal at the 10. Sean Payton took no chances and immediately brought in Lutz. From 28, Lutz was good as the Saints won their 8th straight game in thrilling fashion. For the Redskins, it was a total collapse. 34-31 Saints, OT

Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers — The Bills have not made the playoffs since 1999. That year the team destroyed their season and subsequent seasons by benching Doug Flutie for Rob Johnson. In 2017 the Bills started 5-2 but dropped 2 straight. After getting blown out last week at home, Coach Sean McDermott made a very questionable decision. He benched Tyrod Taylor in favor of rookie Nathan Peterman, who has never started an NFL game. He played a game for the ages.

Peterman’s 1st interception was returned 59 yards for a touchdown by Toomer to make it 7-0 Chargers. On 3rd and 8 from the Buffalo 11, Peterson’s second interception by Chris Hayward had the Chargers with a short field. Nick Novak missed a 46 yard field goal. From the Buffalo 36, Peterman handed the ball off. LeSean Shady mcCoy ran for 37 yards and then for a 27 yard touchdown. The game was now 7-7, but Peterman could not hand off the ball on every play.

The Chargers moved after a touchback to a 2nd and 7 from the Buffalo 16. Philip Rivers threw incomplete twice, but Novak hit from 33 to make it 10-7 Chargers. Buffalo took over at their own 24. On 3rd and 19 from their own 40, Peterman was intercepted for the third time in the first quarter. The Chargers took over at the Buffalo 46. Early in the second quarter Rivers went deep to Keenan Allen for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Chargers. The Bills took over at their own 14 and Peterman was immediately intercepted for the fourth time. The Chargers took over at the Buffalo 15. Rivers hit Allen for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Chargers.

The Chargers got it back and moved from their 24 to a 2nd and 9 at the Buffalo 10. Rivers threw incomplete twice but Novak hit from 28 to make it 27-7 Chargers.  A shanked 29 yard punt had the Chargers taking over at their own 43. On 3rd and 9, Rivers found Allen for 17 yards. Rivers then went deep to Allen for 29 yards and Melvin Gordon ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 34-7 with just over one minute left in the half. From the Buffalo 44, that was enough time for Peterman to throw his 5th interception in the first half. The Chargers took over with 35 seconds left at their own 46. Novak hit from 39 to end the half as 30 unanswered points made it 37-7 Chargers at halftime.

In the third quarter the Chargers moved form their 25 to the Buffalo 10. Novak hit from 28 to make it 40-7 Chargers. In the least surprising move of the year, Peterman was benched at halftime as Jews prayed he was not Jewish. Tyrod Taylor came in, but the Bills needed Frank Reich. Taylor was then hit and fumbled, and Melvin Ingram returned it 39 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Chargers led 47-10, the exact score of Buffalo’s loss last week. This time Buffalo’s offense scored again, but their defense gave up a 21 yard touchdown run by Ekeler to make it 54-17 Chargers. Buffalo’s defense gave up 101 points the last 2 weeks. Nathan Peterman will forever be a Trivial Pursuit question. The Bills got one more garbage touchdown but lost their third straight and at 5-5 are barely alive in the weak AFC that includes the 4-6 Chargers. 54-24 Chargers.

Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos — Denver has lost 5 straight, and John Elway called his team soft. Early on the Bengals punted from their own 34. The punt was blocked, and the Broncos took over at the Bengals 29. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincy 4, Brock osweiler threw in the flat and was intercepted in the end zone by Kirkpatrick, who raced the other way. Kirkpatrick got tired on the runback, and without being touched, inexplicably fumbled the ball at the Denver 15. A wild scramble ensued as Kirkpatrick fell on it at the Denver one and rolled into the end zone. After a lengthy discussion by the officials, it was ruled neither a touchdown or touchback. The Bengals retained possession at the one as Kirkpatrick had a 103 yard interception return without a touchdown. These are the Bengals. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, Red Rifle Andy Dalton found Kroft for the touchdown. Ryan Bullock missed the extra point as the Bengals led 6-0.

After a touchback the Broncos faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Osweiler went deep to Latimore for 21 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Cincy 22, Vance joseph decided to go for it. CJ Anderson gained 3 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the 11, Booker gained 3 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Anderson got in the end zone to make it 7-6 Broncos. The Bengals began the second quarter facing 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Dalton went to Boyd for 5 yards and to Brandon LaFell for 29 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 29, Dalton went deep to Erickson for the touchdown to make it 13-7 Bengals. The defenses dug in, and a 61 yard field goal try by Brandon McManus to end the half was blocked.

A good punt in the third quarter pinned the Bengals at their own one. They punted it back and Denver took over at the Cincy 44. On 3rd and 7, Osweiler hit Demarius Thomas for 9 yards.. McManus hit a 45 yard field goal to get the Broncos within 13-10. In the fourth quarter the Broncos moved from their own 8 to their own 41. Anderson then fumbled, and the Bengals took over at the Denver 44 with 12 minutes left in regulation. On 3rd and 5, Dalton hit Erickson for 13 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 18, Dalton went to AJ Green for the touchdown. With 9 minutes left in regulation the Bengals had some breathing room up 20-10.

The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Osweiler hit Thomas for a 17 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Denver 47, Osweiler found Thomas for 14 more. Osweiler threw a 17 yard touchdown pass to Thomas as the Broncos were right back in it down by 3 with 5 minutes left in regulation. Cincinnati soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. A perfectly executed fake handoff saw Dalton take the naked bootleg 6 yards for a key first down. Inexplicably on 1st and 10, the Bengals came out throwing and an incompletion stopped the clock. On 3rd and 6 Dalton threw incomplete again, but the Bengals were bailed out by defensive pass interference to make it 1st and 10 at the Denver 38 with 3:10 left. The Bengals then had Joe nixon run 3 straight times for a total of negative one yard as the clock hit the 2 minute warning.

The Broncos took over after a touchback with 1:50 left and 0 timeouts. On 4th and 4 from the Denver 26, Osweiler threw a catchable ball that was dropped. The Broncos lost their 6th straight to drop to 3-7 while the Bengals at 4-6 are still alive in the woeful AFC. 20-17 Bengals

New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders in Mexico — The Raiders are a talented team with very dumb players. They drop passes, and the secondary cannot stop anyone. Derek Carr is getting no help. In Mexico, the Raiders made it easy for New England from the start. The Raiders started strong on the ground, but on 3rd and 4 from the Oakland 43, a promising drive died when a short pass was just dropped. The Patriots took over at their own 13 and Tom Brady repeatedly killed the Raiders on 3rd down conversions. On 1st and 10 from the Oakland 28, Ronny Burkhead fumbled. Despite Raiders being all around the ball, the Patriots recovered for an 8 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Oakland 24, Brady threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a fourth 3rd down conversion. Brady hit Dion Lewis for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots.

On 3rd and 11 from the their own 35, Carr went deep to Johnny Holton. The ball bounced off of bolton’s hands and was intercepted. In the second quarter the Raiders moved from their own 13 to a 3rd and 9 at the New England 42. Carr found Cooper just short of the sticks, but offensive pass interference on Cooper killed that drive. One play after a touchback, Brady went deep to Brandon Cooks for a 52 yard gain against the woeful Oakland secondary. On 3rd and 11 form the Oakland 17, Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for 14 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Brady hit Danny Amendola for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Patriots with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half.

The Raiders ground game was still running strong, and the Raiders moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the New England 15 with 44 seconds left in the half. Carr hit Seth Roberts at the 3 yard line, but rather than secure the ball Roberts tried to fight for an extra nothing and lost the fumble. The Patriots took over at their own 7 yard line with 33 seconds left, and now it was time for the defense to match the offense in lack of heart. Lewis ran for 20 yards. Brady hit Amendola for 18 and Gronkowski for 10 more. On the last ply of the half, with the high altitude, Stephen Gostkowski drilled a 62 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Patriots.

There was no need to play the second half except for league rules requiring it. Brady went deep to a wide open Cooks for an easy 64 yard touchdown to make it 24-0 Patriots. Raiders General Manager Reggie McKenzie should reach out to high schools and see if anyone can play pass defense because the Raiders secondary does not. Ken Norton Jr. is the current defensive coordinator who for some reason has not been fired. Gostkowski nailed a 50 yard field goal to make it 27-0 Patriots.

The Raider punted on 4th and 6 from their own 39. A running into the kicker penalty had the Raiders facing 4th and 1. Jack Del Rio decided to go for it. The entire world knew Olawale was getting the football, and that included the New England defense. The Patriots took over with the short field. Gostkowski hit from 40 to make it 30-0 Patriots.

In the fourth quarter the Raiders were just trying to avoid the shutout. On 4th and 6 at midfield, Carr hit Michael Crabtree for 15 yards. On 1st and 10 from the New England 30, Carr threw incomplete. A dumb unsportsmanlike penalty on Holton pushed the Raiders back 15 yards. On 3rd and 18 from the New England 38, Carr fired complete to Cordarelle Patterson for a first down, but officials called it incomplete. Jack Del Rio challenged the call, and replay clearly showed Patterson catching it cleanly. Officials reversed the call to make it 1st and 10 at the New England 16. On 3rd and 3 from the 9, Carr fired to Cooper, who stretched the ball over and hit the pylon cleanly. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders were down 30-8 after Carr hit Crabtree for the 2 point conversion.

The heartless Oakland defense gave away yards, although a roughing the passer penalty on Khalil Mack was ridiculous. Tom Brady has always gotten favorable calls. Gostkowski hit a 29 yard field goal to complete the humiliation. Several dropped passes had the Raiders facing 4th and 10 at the New England 38. Carr hit Jared Cook for just enough. On 4th and 3 from the New England 21, Carr threw incomplete and the Raiders ended as badly as they had begun. At 4-6, The Raiders are on the brink. Forget the Tuck Rule. These Raiders just suck. 33-8 Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboy was the Sunday night game. The Cowboys returned the opening kickoff 61 yards to the Philadelphia 37. That was enough for Mike Nugent to hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. After a touchback Carson Wentz spread the ball around. From the Dallas 26, Wentz went to Barner for 22 yards. Warner ran it in from the 4 to make it 7-3 Eagles. The game turned into a street fight. Mike Nugent hit from 27 to get the Cowboys within 7-6. Jake Elliott missed from 34 at the end of the first quarter. Nugent hit from 47 with one minute left in the half to make it 9-7 Cowboys.

After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Eagles faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Wentz hit Captain Morgan Brent Celek for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from Dallas 37, Wentz hit Alshon Jeffery for 18. Clement ran for 8 and then for an 11 yard touchdown. Clement ran in the 2 point try to make it 15-9 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 10. Jay Ajayi ran for a 71 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the 11, Wentz hit Smith for the touchdown. Wentz hit Jeffery for another 2 point conversion to make it 23-9 Eagles.

The Eagles got it back at their own 15. On 3rd and 1, Wentz gained 6 yards. The fourth quarter began with the Eagles facing 3rd and 2 at their own 38. Wentz hit Jeffery fro 10 yards. On 4th and 5 from the Dallas 17, Doug Pederson decided to go for it given an injury to the kicker. Wentz fired over the middle to Jeffery for a touchdown. The 2 point try was fumbled short of the goal line but with 12 minutes left the Eagles had a 29-9 stranglehold on the game. Prescott then went back to pass, fumbled, and Bradham returned it 37 yards to turn the once close game into a 35-9 Eagles blowout. Wentz hit Burton for the 2 point conversion. The Eagles are 9-1 and have a 4 game stranglehold on the division ahead of the 5-5 Cowboys. 37-9 Cowboys

Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks was the Monday night game. The Seahawks last week lost Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman for the season, but they still had the 12th man. This was just a very good football game between two very good teams. Roberts returned the opening kickoff 50 yards to have the Falcons starting at their own 48. On 3rd and 5 Matt Ryan hit Hardy for 9 yards.  From the Seattle 26, Matty Ice went deep and drew defensive pass interference in the end zone. Coleman got in from the one to make it 7-0 Falcons.

Tyler Lockett gashed the Falcons throughout the game, and he returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to the Atlanta 40. Two plays later Russell Wilson was intercepted by Trufant, who returned it 40 yards to the Seattle 38. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 16, Ryan hit Hardy for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Ryan hit Mohammed San for the touchdown. The Falcons led 14-0, but this game of big plays was just getting started.

Lockett returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to the Seattle 35. Wilson hit Paul Richardson for 10 and Lockett for 14 more. On 3rd and 14 from the Atlanta 31, Wilson hit Lockett for 10 with tripping on the defense adding 10 more. Wilson hit Jimmy Graham for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Seahawks within 14-7. The second quarter began with the Seahawks facing 2nd and 13 at their own 20. Wilson got belted and fumbled. Clayborn had 6 sacks last week, and this week he returned the fumble 10 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 21-7 Falcons.

Lockett took the kick at the goal line and returned it 39 yards. Seattle moved to a 3rd and goal at th3 2. A completion from Wilson to Graham was inches short of the goal, but offensive pass interference moved the ball back to the 12. After an incompletion, Blair Walsh hit a 30 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 21-10. Atlanta fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the Seahawks recovered at the Atlanta 11. On 3rd and 11 from the 12, wilson hit Graham for just enough. 3 straight tries from the one yielded nothing. Pete Carroll decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. Wilson took the ball, rolled out, and then raced into the end zone to get the Seahawk within 21-17 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half.

Atlanta moved from their 29 to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 25 at the 2 minute warning. However the drive died there. With just over one minute left in the half Matt Bryant hit a 44 yarder to put the Falcons up 24-17. Lockett returned the kickoff 39 yards to the Seattle 41. The Seahawks quickly moved to a 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 17 with 7 seconds left in the half. Pete Carroll decided to try a fake field goal, and it was blown up in the backfield for a 4 yard loss.

In the third quarter the Falcons moved from their 28 to the red zone. On 2nd and 4, a a sack of Wilson meant an 8 yard loss. This time from 37 yards out Walsh did try the field goal, and it was good to get the Seahawks within 24-20. The Falcons came back from their own 24. On 3rd and 8 from their own 46, Ryan scrambled around the end for a 14 yard gain. From the Seattle 25, Ryan went deep to Toilolo for a touchdown to make it 31-20 Falcons in the middle of the third quarter.

After a touchback, the Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 12 at the Atlanta 42. Wilson scrambled for a 13 yard gain. Yet from the Atlanta 16, Wilson was sacked for a 12 yard loss. Walsh hit the 46 yard field goal, but the Seahawks were kicking field goals while the Falcons were scoring touchdowns. The Seahawks trailed 31-23 after three quarters.In the fourth quarter the Falcons moved to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 37, but moved backward. On 4th and 12 Dan Quinn opted to punt rather than try a 57 yard field goal. The Seahawks faced 3rd and 1 at their own 19 and Baldwin through incomplete. Pete Carroll unsuccessfully challenged the call.

Atlanta took over at their own 38. On 3rd and 6, Ryan went deep to Julio Jones for a 29 yard gain. Ward ran for a 17 yard gain to make it 1st and goal at the 5. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Coleman got the carry and appeared to have a touchdown. However, replay showed his arm was down with the ball short of the goal line. On 4th and goal at the one, with only 4 minutes left on the road, Dan Quinn smartly opted for the field goal. Bryant hit the 19 yarder to make it 34-23 Falcons.

Needing 2 scores after a touchback, the Seahawks moved rapidly. Wilson scrambled for 16 yards and hit Graham for 11 more. An unnecessary roughness penalty on the defense moved Seattle to the Atlanta 29. Wilson went deep over the middle to a wide open Doug Baldwin for the touchdown. Wilson fired to Graham for the 2 point conversion as the Seahawks were within a field goal with a full 3 minutes left. Seattle still had one timeout plus the 2 minute warning, so Pete Carroll rightly decided to kick it deep rather than go onside. Atlanta took over at their own 15. At the 2 minute warning, everything came down to Atlanta facing 3rd and 3 at their own 28.

Ryan went back to pass and was sacked by Sheldon Richardson. The clock ticked down, but the Seahawks were still alive. They took their last timeout with 1:55 left. The Seahawks got the ball back at their own 25 with 1:45 to play. Wilson hit Graham for 11. On 3rd and 5 rom the Seattle 41, Wilson scrambled up the middle for 10 yards. A pair of shorts passes kept the clock running but the Seahawks caught a major break when a defensive injury stopped the clock with 30 seconds left. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 42, Wilson hit Richardson for 8 yards and Wilson rushed up to the line to spike with 7 seconds left.

After initially deciding to go for it, Pete Carroll brought in his struggling kicker to try and tie the game. From 52 yards out, Walsh was dead center but just short. This would be a fine playoff rematch, but Blair Walsh might not be playing in it. He missed 3 field goals a couple weeks ago and the key miss when he was with Minnesota in their playoff loss to Seattle. Atlanta nearly gave this one away like they did the Super Bowl, but luck saved them. 34-31 Falcons

NFL 2017 Week 11 Prequel

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-2017-week-11-preview-bettors-guide-winners-96054/

NFL 2017 Week 10 Recap

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals was the Thursday night game. This NFC West game came at a heavy price. In the first quarter a field position game had Seattle taking over Just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 6, Russell Wilson threw a touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham to make it 7-0 Seahawks. After a touchback, the Cardinals faced 3rd and 6 at the Seattle 46. Drew Stanton threw incomplete but defensive pass interference kept the drive going at the Seattle 40. On 3rd and 8 at the Seattle 38, Stanton threw incomplete but defensive holding again kept the drive going. On the first play of the second quarter, Stanton hit Gresham for a 14 yard touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame. After that, the Legion of Boom took over.

With 11 minutes left in the half, a punt had the Cardinals pinned at their own one yard line. Adrian Peterson, who fumbled in the first quarter, got tackled in the end zone for a safety and a 9-7 Seahawks lead. Midway through the second quarter, the Seahawks moved from their own 9 to a 3rd and 6 at the Arizona 15. At the 2 minute warning Wilson threw incomplete. Blair Walsh shook off 3 misses last week to hit the 33 yarder to make it 12-7 Seahawks. With 52 seconds left in the half, Bruce Arians decided to go for it on 4th and 9 from the Seattle 38. Stanton threw incomplete. Wilson then went deep to Paul Richardson for a 43 yard gain. Walsh hit a 43 yard field goal for a 15-7 Seahawks lead at halftime.

In the third quarter after a touchback, the Cardinals faced 3rd and 6 at their own 40. Stanton threw incomplete but illegal use of hands kept the drive going. On 3rd and 6 just shy of midfield, Stanton threw incomplete. DefensivSeattle defense gave the Cardinals an automatic first down by penalty. Phil Dawson hit a 43 yard field goal to complete the 11 play, 6 1/2 minute drive and get the Cardinals within 15-10. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Cardinals faced 3rd and 12 at their own 16. Stanton went to Brown for an 18 yard gain. Without being touched, Richard Sherman crumpled to the ground. He ruptured his achilles tendon and is now out for the rest of the season.

90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Seahawks faced 2nd and 21 at their own 44. Wilson hit Doug Baldwin on a short pass that went for a 54 yard gain. On the next play Wilson threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Graham to complete the 80 yard drive and make it 22-10 Seahawks. Arizona moved from their own 19 to a 4th and 8 at the Seattle 15, taking 5 minutes to do it. Only 4:20 remained, and Stanton threw incomplete. Arizona finally got in the end zone again on a one yard touchdown run by Andre Ellington with 20 seconds to play. After the extra point was blocked, the onside kick failed and the Cardinals were done. Arizona is pretty much don while Seattle is very much alive in the playoff chase. However, Pete Carroll was in no mood to celebrate as the team knows it will have to try and win another Super Bowl without its emotional leader Richard Sherman. 22-16 Seahawks

Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts — After a scoreless opening quarter, the second quarter began with Jacoby Brissett going bombs away to Donte Moncrieff for a 66 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. In the second quarter the Colts moved 63 yards in 13 plays and held the ball over 7 minutes. Adam Vinatieri hit a 48 yard field goal as the Colts had a surprising 10-0 lead. The Steelers did get a 41 yard Chris Boswell field goal before the half to get on the board. In the third quarter, the Colts took over at their own 25 and struck quickly. Brissett went for it all and hit Rogers for a 61 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Colts. The Steelers finally rubbed the sleep out of their eyes and got going, moving 78 yards in 5 minutes. Ben Roethlisberger hit Juju Smith-Schuster for a 7 yard touchdown. Neither player is Jewish as the Steelers trailed 17-9. The extra point was blocked and was being run back the other way for a 2 point play for the Colts. However, a saving tackle inside the Pittsburgh 5 yard line prevented the score.

The fourth quarter began with the Colts facing 3rd and 8 at their own 13 and disaster immediately struck. A short pass by Brissett bounced off the receiver’s hands and was intercepted by Shazier to set the Steelers up with 1st and goal at the Indy 10. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Roethlisberger hit McDonald for the touchdown. Roethlisberger hit Martavius Bryant for the 2 point conversion for a 17-17 tie with 12 minutes left in regulation. Indy went backward and the Steelers got it back at their own 47. With 6:20 to play Boswell came in for the 37 yarder to give the Steelers the lead. He doinked it off the upright no good.

The Steelers got it back at their own 15 with 3:10 to play. On 3rd and 2, Roethlisberger hit Rogers for just enough. Chuck Pagano unsuccessfully challenged the spot and lost the challenge and a timeout as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. LeVeon Bell was blown up in the backfield for a 7 yard loss, but on 2nd and 17 Roethlisberger hit Bell for 13 yards to set up 3rd and 4 t the Pittsburgh 31 with 53 seconds left in the game. Big Ben hit Bryant for 19 yards to midfield. On the next play a short pass from Roethisberger to Brown went for 32 yards. With 4 seconds left, Boswell came in for a 33 yarder to redeem himself and win the game. It was good, and the Steelers are now 7-2. Mike Tomlin knows good teams find a way to win games when they don’t play their best football. Bad teams find a way to lose, and that is what the 3-7 Colts did. 20-17 Steelers

Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions — Detroit got a big road win over Green Bay and was supposed to easily dispatch winless Cleveland at home. Yet 3 offensive plays all lost yards and Detroit punted on 4th and 23 from their own 12, allowing the Browns to take over at the Detroit 47. DeShaun Kizer immediately went deep to Coates for a 38 yard gain. Kizer threw incomplete on 3rd and goal at the 5, but Gonzalez hit a 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. With the Lions facing 3rd and 5 at their own 30, Matthew Stafford was intercepted, giving the Browns another short field at the Detroit 31. Kizer hit Kenny Britt for a 19 yard touchdown as the Browns had a surprising 10-0 lead.

After  touchback the Lions ran the ball easily. Amir Abdullah gained 20, Stafford picked up 10, and Theo Riddick gained 21 more. The drive then stalled and Matt Prater hit a 46 yard field goal to get the Lions on the board. In the second quarter the Lions moved 90 yards. Abdullah ran for an 8 yard touchdown and a 10-10 deadlock. With 4 minutes left in the half, from the Cleveland 34, Kizer hit Devalve for a 9 yard gain. Ye Devalve fumbled it and Lawson returned it 44 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 17-10 Lions.

17 unanswered points had everyone thinking the Browns were done, but Cleveland came to play. They moved 85 yards in the third quarter and Isaiah Crowell ran for a 6 yard touchdown to tie the game 17-17. The Browns got it back and moved 80 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. Kizer snuck in from the one as the Browns led 24-17 late in the third quarter. After a touchback the Lions immediately came back. Stafford hit Kenny Golladay for a 14 yard gain and then went deep to Golladay for 50 yards. Stafford hit Riddick for an 8 yard touchdown and a 24-24 tie. As the third quarter was ending and the Browns facing 2nd and 11 at their own 24, Kizer got belted and stayed down. He was hurt on the play and Cody Kessler came in to play the fourth quarter for the Browns.

Detroit began the fourth quarter at their own 39. On 3rd and 2 Stafford hit Golden Tate for 5 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 46, Stafford hit Washington for 10 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Cleveland 29, Stafford went deep to Eric Ebron for the touchdown as the Lions reclaimed the lead 31-24 with 11 minutes left in regulation. With 5 minutes left a 30 yard punt return had the Lions starting at the Cleveland 44. On 3rd and 6, Stafford hit Tate, who split the seams and raced all the way for the touchdown to seal the game. The Browns were game, but they are still winless as the Lions avoided the upset of the year at home. 38-24 Lions

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears — For the first time since 1991, neither Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers are quarterbacking against Chicago. The Bears have had over 20 quarterbacks during that time. In the first quarter Mason Crosby hit a 40 yard field goal for the Packers and Conor Barth answered from 45 for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter the Packers took over at their own 21. Brett Hundley threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 29 yard gain to midfield. On 2nd and 11 Hundley hit Jordy Nelson for 14 yards. Ty Montgomery then raced for a 37 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Packers. The Bears moved from their 23 to a 3rd and 13 at the Green Bay 25. Trubisky appeared to complete a 23 yard pass to Cunningham to set up 1st and goal at the 2 as Cunningham fumbled the ball out of bounds. John Fox challenged the call, thinking it was a touchdown. The challenge blew up in his face as it was reversed to a fumble out the back of the end zone for a touchback. The ball came loose just before Cunningham hit the pylon. The Bears did move from their 35 to the Green Bay 26 in the final 1:37. Barth hit from 44 to get the Bears within 10-6.

With Vince Lombardi and George Halas watching from above, these teams continued their defensive battle in the second half. Crosby hit from 24 in the third quarter and from 50 in the fourth quarter to make it 16-6 Packers. The Bears moved 70 yards and Trubisky went deep to Josh Bellamy for a 46 yard touchdown to get the Bears within 16-13 with plenty of time left. Yet the Packers came back again 75 yards. Hundley hit Devontae Adams for a 19 yard touchdown as the Packers led 23-13 with only 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Needing two scores, the Bears moved quickly from their 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 35 with 4:13 left. After a pair of incompletions, a short pass set up a critical 49 yard field goal try by Barth. He hit it and the Bears were within 7.

With 2:12 to play and the Packers out of timeouts, they faced 3rd and 10 at their own 35. Hundley went deep to Adams for a 42 yard gain. The Bears took their last timeout.  With 1:07 left, Crosby came in for a 35 yarder to put the game out of reach. The kick was way wide no good, and the Bears were alive at their own 25. With 42 seconds left, the Bears faced 4th and 10 at their own 36. A short apss gained only 5 yards and then the ball was lateraled to a lineman who did not get the first down. Hundley got his first NFL win as a starter and the Packers finally beat the Bears without a Hall of Fame caliber signal caller. 23-16 Packers

New York Jets at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — After losing 5 straight, Jameis Winston is injured as Ryan Fitzpatrick started for the Buccaneers against his old team. The Buccaneers had a staggering 17 play, 77 yard drive that consumed 8 minutes. They settled for a 29 yard Patrick Murray field goal for a 3-0 Buccaneers lead. In the second quarter the Jets needed an almost equally ridiculous 16 plays to go 51 yards in 7 1/2 minutes. They settled for a 47 yard Chandler Catanzaro field goal for a 3-3 game. For some reason the second half was played. In the third quarter Murray hit field goals of 49 and 37 yards to make it 9-3 Buccaneers. In the fourth quarter the Bucs moved 75 yards in 15 plays, taking 7 1/2 minutes. The game finally had a touchdown as Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Charles Sims for a 6 yard score as the Buccaneers led 15-3 with 6 minutes left after the failed 2 point try.

The Jets moved from their own 10 to a 4th and 6 at the Tampa Bay 25 with 2 1/2 minutes to play. Josh McCown threw deep to Anderson, but he could not get both feet down in the back of the end zone. The Jets did get it back and McCown hit Anderson for a 38 yard touchdown, but at that point only 28 seconds remained. The onside kick never had a chance and neither did the Jets. This was Buc Ball, but even uglier. 15-10 Buccaneers

Minnesota Vikings at Washington Redskins — Washington moved 75 yards and Kirk Cousins threw a 36 yard touchdown bomb to Maurice Harris for a 7-0 Redskins lead. Harris, who was just signed off the practice squad, made a gorgeous one-handed catch. After a touchback, Case Keenum threw a 51 yard bomb to Sean Diggs down to the Minnesota 2 yard line. Latavius Murray, who had a 14 yard run on the drive, needed two more carries to get the last 2 yards for a 7-7 game. Washington then aced 3rd and 6 at their own 42. Cousins threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. On 4th and 2 at the Minnesota 35, Mike Zimmer decided to go for it. Cousins went deep to Thompson for a 27 yard gain. The drive stalled and Nick Rose hit a 28 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Redskins. In the second quarter the Vikings moved 75 yards. Keenum hit Diggs for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Vikings. The Redskins came back 60 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Cousins barely snuck across the plane of the goal on 3rd and goal from the one for the touchdown and a 17-14 Redskins lead.

After that, the Vikings exploded. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Vikings moved from their own 29. From their 40, Keenum went deep to Adam Thielen for a 38 yard gain and again to Thielen for 17 more. Keenum hit Thielen for a 7 yard touchdown as the Vikings led 21-17 with 1:50 left in the half. After a touchback, Cousins was quickly intercepted to set up Minnesota at the Washington 23. Keenum hit McKinnon for 9 and Murray ran for 14 down to the one. Keenum hit Morgan for the touchdown as 2 scores in the final 2 minutes of the half made it 28-17 Vikings. In the third quarter from their own 28, Minnesota kept moving. From the Minnesota 39, Kennum went deep to Thielen for 49 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the 7, Keenum hit Wright for the touchdown as 21 unanswered points in less than 5 minutes had the Vikings cruising 35-17. Then the game changed again.

Washington soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 33. Cousins hit Vernon Davis for 8 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Minnesota 39, Cousins went deep to Crowder for a 36 yard gain. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 3, dropped passes killed Washington. Josh Doctson dropped one and then Crowder dropped a sure touchdown. On 3rd and goal the pass was well defended but Crowder had it in his hands and could not hold on to it. Rose hit the 21 yard field goal as the Redskins trailed 35-20. Minnesota moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 8 at the Washington 39. Looking to put the game away, Keenum was hit as he threw and was intercepted by DJ Swearinger at the Washington 19. The Redskins moved from their 20 to a 4th and 6 at the Minnesota 32. Jay Gruden opted against a 50 yard field goal try and Cousins threw incomplete as the third quarter ended.

It didn’t matter as Keenum was quickly intercepted again to start the fourth quarter, again by Swearinger. Swearinger returned it 31 yards to the Minnesota 2. Swaeringer fumbled the ball out of bounds, but before the pylon soWashington retained possession. On 2nd and goal from the 2, chaos ensued. Cousins ran himself stretched the ball to the pylon, and thought he had a touchdown. He fumbled the ball, and it was picked up by Sendejo in the end zone for Minnesota. Sendejo then raced 100 yards the other way as both teams thought they had a touchdown. The whistle had not blown, so Sendejo was right to return it. However, the officials confirmed that Cousins did get the ball over the plane of the goal before losing it, so it was an offensive touchdown. Rather than a 42-20 Vikings blowout, the Redskins were within 35-27.

The Vikings then embarked on a 13 play, 7 minute drive. Midway through the fourth quarter, Kai Forbath hit a critical 53 yard field goal to give the Vikings some breathing room up 38-27. Washington moved from their 24 to a 3rd and 1 at the Minnesota 33. Thompson got the carry and got stopped. On 4th and 1, again needing 2 scores with 4:48 to play, Jay Gruden again decided to go for it rather than kick the field goal. Thompson got blown up in the backfield for a 4 yard loss. Washington got it back with 3:43 to play at their own 22 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 23 with 1:58 left. On 3rd and 10 after a pair of incompletions, Cousins got rocked for a 14 yard loss. Rose leveled the 55 yard field goal to get the Redskins within 8 with 1:20 left. Yet the onside kick failed and the Redskins were toast. Cousins finished 26 of 45 for 327 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The Vikings are 7-2 and it is Case Keenum…not Sam Bradford or Teddy Bridgewater, but Case Keenum…who was 21 of 29 for 304 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Bridgewater was finally dressed on the sideline for the first time in 2 years, but this day belonged to Keenum. 38-30 Vikings

Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars — This was not the worst game ever played, but it was a seriously unserious battle of who wanted it least. With 30 seconds left in a scoreless opening quarter, the Jaguars were punting on 4th and 7 from their own 44. Doug Marrone called a fake punt and Grant raced up the middle for a 56 yard touchdown. Former Chargers kicker Josh Lambo had his extra point try blocked as the Jaguars led 6-0. In the second quarter the Chargers moved 87 yards. Philip Rivers hit Austin Ekeler for a 28 yard touchdown as the Chargers led 7-6 at the intermission. The second half was even more hideous. In the third quarter the Chargers moved 76 yards and Rivers hit Ekeler for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Chargers. The Jaguars came back 84 yards in 11 plays. Blake Bortles hit Marques Lee for a 6 yard touchdown and again for the 2 point conversion as the game was tied 14-14 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Chargers moved from their 23 to a 4th and 6 at the Jacksonville 32. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Nick Novak hit the 50 yard field goal. The Chargers led 17-14, but with everything on the line late in the fourth quarter, both teams tried extra hard to lose.

At the 2 minute warning from the Jacksonville 47, Blake Borltes did what he does. He was intercepted and it appeared the game was over. The Chargers took over at their own 42. Then came a false start. Then a simple run up the middle was fumbled into a pile. It slid over to Gipson, who returned it 35 yards for a defensive touchdown. Just like that it seemed the Jaguars were up 21-17. These are the Chargers. Yet the referees had their say. Gipson did recover the fumble, but was ruled down by contact. The whistle never blew, and it appeared to be horrendous call. Gipson was not touched. The touchdown was taken off the board. Bortles threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant 1st and 10 at the Chargers 22 with 1:38 left. These are the Chargers. Then an incompletion saw a stupid offensive unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Marques Lee for taunting. These are the Jaguars. Now practically out of field goal range, Borltes did what he does. He threw into traffic, had the tip drill go on, and was intercepted. These are the Jaguars.

The Jaguars had all of their timeouts, and from the Chargers 10 yard line, Anthony Lynn took no chances. Melvin Gordon carried three straight times into the line, and the Jaguars took their timeouts. The Jaguars got it back at their own 48 with 58 seconds to play. These are the Chargers. On 3rd and 4, Bortles hit Mickens for 11 yards. From the Chargers 35, Bortles threw incomplete but roughing the passer on Joey Boss meant 1st and 10 at the Chargers 20 with 20 seconds left. These are the Chargers. On 3rd and 6 with 7 seconds left, Doug Marrone had seen enough. Lambo came in for a 34 yard field goal to tie it. The kick was good. If ever a game did not deserve overtime, this was it.

The Jaguars punted, and the Chargers faced 3rd and 9 at their own 11 with 5 1/2 minutes left in overtime. Rivers went deep for Travis Benjamin into double coverage. Benjamin caught it, but had it ripped out of his hands for an interception instead. These are the Chargers. AJ Bouye returned the interception 51 yards all the way to the Chargers 2 yard line. These are the Chargers yet another mindless taunting penalty on Jacksonville’s Colvin moved the ball back to the Chargers 17. Rather than just run it in, the Jaguars were further away. These are the Jaguars. This time it was Doug Marrone’s turn to play it safe before his own players could do any more damage. A pair of runs up the middle and Bortles centering the ball led to Lambo coming in for a 30 yarder to win it. Lambo was good and got revenge against his own team. Despite being 7-3, this might be the first time where team president Tom Coughlin or any other executive would consider firing his own team after a win. The Chargers fell to 3-6 by losing a game the Jaguars tried to give away but the Chargers refused to take. Different city, same Chargers. 20-17 Jaguars, OT

New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills — The 6-2 Saints have won 6 straight and have the offense while the 5-3 Bills have the defense. After an opening touchback, the Bills moved to a 1st and 10 at the Saints 19. A run gained almost nothing and a pair of incompletions by Tyrod Taylor had the Bills settling for a 37 yard Steve Hauschka fIeld goal to lead 3-0. This concluded Bills highlights as they were blasted into little pieces in front of a shellshocked home crowd. After a touchback the Saints quickly went to work. On 4th and 1 at the Buffalo 30, Sean Payton decided to go for it. Mark Ingram raced up the middle for a 25 yard gain. Ingram got the last yard to make it 7-3 Saints. The Saints got it back and moved from their 45 to the Buffalo 9 yard line but fumbled the ball away. In the second quarter the Saints took over at the Buffalo 48. On 3rd and 13, Brees fired a laser to Coleman, who split the seams for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 12, Kamara gained 9. Ingram ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Saints. Late in the half the Saints moved 75 yards in 10 plays. Will Lutz hit a 23 yard field goal as the Saints took a 17-3 lead to the locker rooms.

In the second half the Saints just carpet-bombed the Bills. A 75 yard drive was wrapped up on the ground. Ingram ran for 16 yards and Kamara ran for 19 and then ran it in from 5 yards out to make it 24-3 Saints. On 3rd and 12 from the Buffalo 23, Taylor had a pass bounce off a receiver’s hands straight into the arms of Rankins, who returned it 27 yards to the Buffalo 3. Ingram scored on the next play to make it 30-3 Saints after the missed extra point. New Orleans got it back at their own 6 and 94 yards came easily. Brees did not have to throw a single pass as the Saints ground the Bills defense into the ground. Brees himself almost threw a pass, but instead scrambled for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 37-3 Saints. In the fourth quarter Lutz tacked on a 53 yard field goal and Edmunds ran for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 47-3 Saints. The Bills have lost 2 straight to fall to 5-4 while the Saints with their 7th straight win are 7-2 and looking as scary on offense as they ever did. Buffalo was unbeaten at home but made up for it in the worst way. They did get one garbage touchdown. 47-10 Saints

Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans — The Titans moved 84 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. DeMarco Murray ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. The Bengals came back 75 yards as Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw a 37 yard touchdown to Brandon LaFell. The extra point was no good as the Bengals trailed 7-6. In the second quarter the Titans moved from their own one yard line to a 1st and 10 at the Cincy 29. On 2nd and 10 Derrick Henry gained 6 yards, but a killer offensive unnecessary roughness penalty on DeMarco Murray killed the drive. Ryan Succop missed a 48 yard field goal as 6 minutes with the ball led to nothing. Yet with the Bengals facing 3rd and 11 at their own 37, Dalton was sacked and fumbled. The Titans took over at the Cincy 27. On 2nd and goal from the 9, Mariota only gained a yard, but Bengals head case Vontaze Burfict acted like Vontaze Burfict. He was the player whose unsportsmanlike conduct penalty cost the Bengals a home playoff win a couple years ago. This time the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for bumping an official got him ejected and gave the Titans 1st and goal at the one. Murray got the yard for a 14-6 Titans lead.

The Bengals moved from their 24 to a 1st and goal at the 9 at the 2 minute warning. Dalton fumbled, and the Titans recovered at their own 13. On the next play a short pass by Mariota was intercepted as the Titans gave it right back. The Bengals took over with 1st and goal at the 3 and Joe Mixon ran it in to get the Bengals within 14-13. The Titans got it back at their own 20 with 1:37 left in the half. They moved to the Cincy 27 and Succop hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 17-13 Titans at halftime. The second half was far uglier. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter on a drive that began at their own 35, the Titans moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Cincy 20. Mariota hit Davis, who leapt for the pileon and appeared to have a touchdown for a 24-13 Titans lead. Yet on further review it was ruled that Davis lost the ball before hitting the pylon. It went out the end zone and instead was a touchback.

With 5:44 to play, the Bengals took over at their own 18. Dalton hit Giovanni Bernard for 12 yards. On the next play Dalton hit AJ Green, who got away from everyone for a 70 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left the Bengals led 20-17. The Titans took over at their own 27. From their own 40, Mariota hit Eric decker for 10 and Delanie walker for 20 more to the Cincinnati 30. On 3rd and 5, MAriota threw incomplete, but defensive holding with 1:55 left gave the Titans a new set of downs. With 42 seconds left everything came down to the Titans facing 3rd and goal at the 7. Mariota went to Murray for the touchdown and the Titans had the 4 point lead. With 36 seconds left after a touchback, the Bengals moved to their own 45 with 3 seconds left. Dalton’s Hail Mary was far short of the end zone and incomplete. The Titans are 6-3 and the Bengals are 3-6 as Marvin Lewis why he bothers coaching players like Vontaze Burfict. 24-20 Titans

Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams — Houston vs Los Angeles in a sport that is not boring. Early on the Texans faced 2nd and 8 at their own 39. Tom Savage was sacked and fumbled. The Rams began their first drive at the Houston 12. The defense held, and the Rams settled for a 27 yard Greg Zuerlein field goal to lead 3-0. Early in the second quarter a 34 yard Fairbairn field goal try to tie the game was no good. From the rams 24, a neutral zone infraction was followed by a 43 yard pass from Jared Goff to Todd Gurley. Again the Houston defense held, and Zuerlein hit from 33 to make it 6-0 Rams. The Texans soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Savage hit Anderson for 17 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Rams 26, Savage found Ellington, who raced to the end zone for a touchdown. The Texans led 7-6 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the half. With 3 1/2 minutes left, Sean McVay gambled on a fake punt with the Rams facing 4th and 7 at their own 32. Punter Johnny Hekker completed the pass to Cooper, but the rams came up one yard short. Houston took over at the Rams 38 and had 1st and 10 at the 13 at the 2 minute warning. On 2nd and 17, Savage was intercepted by Barron, who returned it 15 yards to the Rams 25 with 1:35 left. On 3rd and 2, Goff hit Woods for 7. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Goff hit Tyler Higbee for 15. Zuerlein hit from 50 to end the half with the Rams up 9-7.

Despite a moribund offense, the second half was all Rams. Savage had an interception returned 48 yards for a defensive touchdown by Alex Ogletree, and was lucky that defensive holding on Ogletree nullified the play. The reprieve was short-lived. Facing 2nd and 8 from their own 6, all of a sudden the Rams channeled their inner Mike Martz and turned into the Greatest Show on Turf. From his end zone, Goff went bombs away to Woods for a 94 yard touchdown. The Rams led 16-7, but the stout defense of the Texans had been broken. Special teams was a dagger as a 27 yard punt return by Cooper had the Rams staking over late in the third quarter at Houston 36. Goff hit Sammy Watkins for a 24 yard gain and went back to Watkins for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 23-7 Rams. On the next play after a touchback Savage was again sacked and fumbled. The Rams again took over at the Houston 12. One play later Goff hit Woods for the score to make it 30-7 Rams. Zuerlein tacked on a 33 yarder in the fourth quarter as 27 unanswered points turned a defensive struggle into a blowout. The Rams are 7-2 and McVay has a legitimate case for coach of the year so far. Houston did defeat Los Angeles in baseball, which somebody somewhere cares about. 33-7 Rams

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers — In 1990 these teams played 2 of the greatest defensive games ever played, including the most brutal NFC Title Game of all time. In 2002 they played a playoff thriller that was a shootout. In 2017, they played the Stupor Bowl as the 1-7 Giants took on the 0-9 49ers. A hideous game early on saw the 49ers sore first with a 43 yard field goal by Robbie Gould and the Giants answering with kicks of 47 and 42 from Rosas for a 6-3 Giants lead. Things actually got interested in the second quarter. After the teams exchanged fumbles, the 49ers faced 3rd and 8 at their own 17. CJ Beathard went deep to Goodwin for an 83 yard touchdown to make it 10-6 49ers. The Giants soon aced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Eli Manning went deep to Sam Shepard for a 24 yard gain. Manning hit Evan Engram for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 13-10 Giants with just over 2 minutes left in the half. After that the Giants just wilted.

From the San Francisco 24, Bethard ran the 2 minute drill went. On 3rd and 8 from their own 44, Beathard found Celek for 9 yards. On the next play, boatyard went deep to Celek for a 47 yard touchdown as the 49ers led 17-13 at halftime. A tight game after a scoreless third quarter was broken open in the fourth quarter. The 49ers held the ball for 11 plays and 6 minutes, moving 61 yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter, on 3rd and 2 from the Giants 11, Beathard ran around the end for a score to make it 24-13 49ers. The 49ers quickly got it back and faced 3rd and 5 at their own 43. Beathard found Louis Murphy for 8 yards. Breida then ran for a 33 yard touchdown to ice the game with 9 1/2 minutes left. The New York Giants may finally be asked to claim New Jersey as their home as the Santa Clara 49ers of San Francisco may have blown the top draft pick. The Giants got a garbage touchdown in a garbage game between garbage teams. 31-21 49ers

Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons — Ezekiel Elliott has finally been suspended for 6 games as the 5-3 Cowboys tackled the 4-4 Falcons. The Falcons faced 3rd and 7 at their own 13 when Matt Ryan was intercepted by Woods. The Cowboys took over at the Atlanta 21. On 3rd and 7, Prescott hit Smith for just enough. On the next play Prescott scrambled for an 11 yard touchdown. The Cowboys led 7-0, but after that the Falcons gradually dominated the game. A 50 yard Matt Bryant field goal on the last play of the opening quarter started things. In the second quarter the Falcons moved 80 yards and Coleman got the last yard for a 10-7 Falcons lead at halftime. In the third quarter the Falcons moved 75 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Ryan hit Hardy for a 3 yard touchdown. After three quarters the Falcons only led 17-7, but they put the game away in the fourth. They moved 72 yards and Ryan hot Hooper for a one yard touchdown. Bryant tacked on a 29 yard field goal. The exclamation point came from Adrian Clayborn, who had six sacks of Prescott and a forced fumble. 27-7 Falcons

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos was the Sunday night game. Two years ago Brock Osweiler led a miracle comeback against New England. That was why the AFC Title Game was played in Denver instead of New England, and the only reason Peyton Manning went on top and denied Tom Brady a sixth ring. Two years later after flaming out elsewhere, Osweiler is back and starting in place of the benched Trevor Siemian as the Broncos try to stop a 4 game slide. The Patriots went 3 and out, but the Broncos fumbled the punt return and the Patriots took over at the Denver 24. Brady quickly hit Rex Burkhead for 10 yards and Rob Gronkowski for a 7-0 Patriots lead less than 90 seconds into the game before Osweiler touched the ball.

From the Denver 21, Osweiler went deep to Emanuel Sanders for a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the New England 42, Osweiler found Sanders for 13 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the New England 21, Osweiler threw incomplete. Brandon McManus hit the 39 yard field goal to get the Broncos within 7-3. Only 15 seconds later the Patriots led 14-3 as Dion Lewis took the ensuing kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown. Denver soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 26. Osweiler connected with Sanders for a 38 yard gain. CJ Anderson gained 21 yards to set up 1st and 10 at the New England 15. A run went nowhere and Osweiler threw incomplete twice. McManus hit from 33 as the Broncos trailed 14-6.

After a touchback the Patriots kept rolling. 4 days ago Marcellus Bennett was cut by the Packers for failing to disclose an injury. The Patriots claimed him off waivers and he played in this game. A short pass from Brady to Bennett went for 27 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 40, Brady hit Jaleel White for 8 yards. On 3rd and 1, Brady’s quarterback sneak came up just short. On 4th and inches from the Denver 23, Bill Belichick decided to go for it. Burkhead banged off tackle for a 3 yard gain. Brady fired to Gronkowski for 12 yards. The second quarter began with defensive pass interference, setting New England up at the two.  On 3rd and goal, Brady was sacked. Gostkowski hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 17-6 Patriots.

Things got worse for Denver. They punted on 4th and 9 from their own 41, Dixon’s punt was blocked by Burkhead, setting up New England at the Denver 30. Brady hit Dorsett for 11. Brady then fired to Gronk in the end zone. Although it looked like Gronk got his hands under the ball, officials ruled it incomplete. Bill Belichick initially decided not to challenge the call. Then after taking a timeout to avoid a delay of game penalty, Belichick changed his mind and did challenge the call. The call stood. A draw  play on 3rd and 4 to White came up inches short. This time Belichick decided not to gamble. Gostkowski hit from 28 to make it 20-6 Patriots.

Denver moved from their 19 to a 3rd and 7 at the New England 20. A short pass to Derby gained only 2 yards, and offensive pass interference for a pick play would have nullified a first down anyway. McManus hit the 36 yard field goal as the Broncos trailed 20-9 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. After a touchback, New England ran the ball so well that Brady barely needed to throw. On 1st and 10 from the Denver 33, 1:11 still remained. Brady went to Gronkowski for a 22 yard gain. Brady then fired to Allen for the 11 yard touchdown with 25 seconds left in the half as the Patriots were winning a laugher 27-9.

The Broncos began the third quarter quickly facing 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Osweiler went back to pass, was hit as he threw, and saw a wounded duck helplessly float in the air. Somehow it was caught by Denarius Thomas for a 17 yard gain. In 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Janovich gained 3 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the New England 31, Osweiler hit Sanders for a 23 yard gain. Osweiler threw a 7 yard touchdown to Thomas to cap the 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive. One lucky break that could have ended the game instead had the Broncos within 27-16. Any momentum was quickly erased. On 2nd and 11 from their own 24, Brady found Gronkowski for 26 and Brandon Cooks for 25 more. From the Denver 20, Lewis did the rest, running for a pair of 6 yard gains and out of the hurry up offense an 8 yard touchdown run up the middle to make it 34-16 Patriots.

The Patriots took over at their own 6 and carved up Denver’s defense like a Thanksgiving Turkey. A staggering 16 play, 94 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive led to a 3rd and 3 at the Denver 6. Brady fired to White for the touchdown with 9 minutes left in regulation to officially make the game a blowout. Denver lost their 5th straight to drop to 3-6 and New England is now 7-2. Osweiler was a pedestrian 14 of 24 for 190 yards and one touchdown while Brady was a lights out 25 of 32 for 266 yards and 3 touchdowns. Neither quarterback was intercepted. 41-16 Patriots

Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers was the Monday night game. Sometimes a bad team can go on the road and shock a good team. This was not that game. In the first quarter Carolina got a 40 yard field goal from Graham Gano to start the scoring. In the second quarter the Panthers moved 85 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. McCaffrey rn it in from 4 yards out to make it 10-0 Panthers. The Dolphins came back 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Jay Cutler hit Thomas for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 10-7. With 47 seconds left in the half from the Miami 20, Cutler did what he does. The interception set Carolina up at the same spot. Cam Newton hit Samuel for 10. On 3rd and goal from the 7, Newton hit Dickson for the touchdown to make it 17-7 Panthers at halftime.

Carolina broke the game open in the second half. In the third quarter the Panthers moved 78 yards. Newton hit Devon Funchess on 3rd and 10 for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Panthers. On 4th and 1 just shy of midfield, Adam Game tried to go for it to spark the Dolphins. Williams got the carry and lost a yard. With a short field, Artis-Payne ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 31-7 Panthers. The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Drake broke off tackle for a 66 yard touchdown run to get the Dolphins within 31-14. Carolina took over at their own 13. Newton himself on the ground ran for a 69 yard gain. Newton hit McCaffrey for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 38-14 Panthers after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Panthers moved 83 yards in 11 plays and 7 minutes. On 3rd and 8 from the Miami 32, Newton went deep to make it 45-14. Miami added one garbage touchdown. Ron Rivera has a 7-3 Carolina team with a defense as nasty as any in the league. 45-21 Panthers

NFL 2017 Week 10 Prequel

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/midseason-national-football-league-week-10-preview-bettors-guide-95903/

NFL 2017 Week 9 Recap

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets was the Thursday night game. The 5-2 Bills appeared to have the edge on talent, but the Jets at 3-4 have overachieved in long stretches this year. Both defenses showed up to play. A sack of Tyrod Taylor had the Bills punting on 4th and 22 at their own 4. The Jets took over at their own 46. On 3rd and 3, Josh McCown ran for 6 yards and hit Anderson for 13 more. Matt Forte ran for 13 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Buffalo 10, McCown scrambled again for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Jets. Later in the quarter field position changed and the Jets punted from their own 12. The Bills took over at their own 38. On 3rd and 6, Taylor threw incomplete but the Jets jumped offside. On 3rd and 1 Taylor ran for 18 yards. From the Jets 23, Taylor hit Jones for 12 yards and LeSean Shady McCoy ran for 10 yards down to the one. The second quarter began with the Bills facing 3rd and 9 at the Jets 10. Taylor hit Jones for the touchdown and a 7-7 game.

After that, the Jets took over from their own 21 and took over the game. McCown hit Kearse for 18 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 41, McCown hit Austin Sefarian Jenkins for 18 yards, with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 20, a touchdown pass to Sefarian-Jenkins was nullified by offensive pass interference on Forte. The Jets settled for a 45 yard Chandler Catanzaro field goal to lead 10-7 at halftime. The Bills did move from their own 25 to a 3rd and 7 at the Jets 37 with one minute left in the half. Taylor hit Matthews for 6 yards, but he fumbled the ball away.

In the third quarter the Jets moved from their own own 26 to the Buffalo 20. On 2nd and 15 from the 25, McCown went deep to Anderson for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter the Jets took over at their own 39. Powell ran for a 51 yard gain and Forte ran for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Jets. The Bills took over at their own 34. On 3rd and 10 at their 46, Taylor hit O’Leary for a 20 yard gain, but then came the mistake. O’Leary got up without being touched. Thinking the play was over, he stood still but no whistle had blown. The Jets then stripped the ball away for another turnover. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Bills faced 3rd and 10 at their own 20. Taylor was sacked and fumbled. The Jets recovered at the Buffalo 5 yard line. One play later Forte barreled up the gut to make it 31-7 Jets. Catanzaro added a 32 yard field goal for a 34-7 Jets blowout. Buffalo did manage a couple garbage touchdowns to make the score respectable but this was Gang Green dominance. 34-21 Jets

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers — Matt Bryant nailed a 53 yard field goal for a 3-0 Falcons lead. Atlanta got it back at their own 39. Matt Ryan hit Hooper for 13 yards and on 3rd and 5 from the carolina 22 found Mohammed San for 7 yards. Ryan hit San for a 6 yard touchdown and a 10-0 Falcons lead. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Falcons were in total control of the game. Dan Quinn decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Carolina 35. Devontae Freeman got the carry and ran into a Carolina blue brick wall. Making matters worse, an illegal crackajack penalty on Atlanta had the Panthers taking over at midfield. Momentum quickly changed.

On 2nd and 14 from their own 46, Cam Newton hit Devon Funchess for 24 yards, with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and 5 from the 10, Newton hit McCaffrey for 6 yards at the 2 minute warning. On the next play McCaffrey got around the end for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Panthers within 10-7. After a touchback, Matt Ryan went deep to Julio Jones for a 26 yard gain. Yet on the next play, Ryan went deep and was intercepted by Mike Adams, who returned it 40 yards to the Atlanta 31 with 75 seconds left in the half. McCaffrey ran for a 17 yard gain. With 30 seconds left in the half the Panthers faced 3rd and 5 at the Atlanta 9. Newton scrambled and leapt in the air and tried to stretch the ball over the goal line. It was knocked out, but officials ruled Newton did break the plane of the goal. Either way, an offensive player recovered it in the end zone as the Panthers were dominated for 28 minutes yet took a 14-10 lead to the locker rooms.

In the third quarter the Panthers held the ball for 6 minutes and moved 62 yards in 10 plays. Graham Gano hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Panthers. Carolina got it back and held the ball for 6 minutes. Gano hit from 45 as the Panthers led 20-10. In the fourth quarter Ryan went deep to a wide open Jones in the end zone. Jones dropped it. With 5 1/2 minutes left, the Falcons took over at their own 8. Ryan hit Jones for 9, Hardy for 7, and Freeman for 14. From the Atlanta 41, Ryan hit Gabriel for a 40 yard gain and then to Coleman for a 19 yard touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left, the 92 yard drive had the Falcons down by a field goal. Carolina went 3 and out and Atlanta got it back at their own 21 with 2:18 to play. On 4th and 13, Ryan threw incomplete and the Falcons were done after another loss where they controlled much of the first half. 20-17 Panthers

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans — Andrew Luck is out for the entire season, while DeShaun Watson has now joined him on injured reserve. The Colts moved 92 yards and Jacoby Brissett went deep to TY Hilton for a 45 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Colts lead. In the second quarter the Texans punted from their own 4 yard line and the Colts took over at their own 45. Marlin Mack gained 11 and Brissett went deep to Hilton for a 30 yard gain. Yet despite 2nd and goal at the 4, Brissett threw incomplete twice. Adam Vinatieri hit from 22 to make it 10-0 Colts with 4 1/2 minutes  left in the half to complete the 10 play, 5 minute, 51 yard drive. With one minute left in the half and the Colts in total control, the Colts had 3rd and 5 just shy of midfield. Brissett was sacked and fumbled, and Lamar Houston returned it 34 yards for a defensive touchdown. Despite being dominated all game, the Texans were only down 10-7 at the break.

One play changed the complexion of the game in the third quarter. The Colts took over at their own 9. From their 20, Brissett went to Hilton for a big gain. Hilton juked a defender and then got up and kept running. No whistle blew and Hilton continued on for an 80 yard touchdown. The Texans were convinced Hilton was down by contact. The officials were not, and the Colts led 17-7. The Colts got it back and moved 60 yards. Vinatieri hit a 53 yard field goal to make it 20-7 Colts. After a touchback, the Texans finally got going. From the Houston 39, Tom Savage hit Miller for 15, Deandre Hopkins, for 12, and Hopkins again deep for a 34 yard touchdown. With 6 minutes left, the Texans were only down by 6 points.

Houston held on defense and got it back at their own 20. Savage hit Ellington for 13 and Miller gained 14 at the 2 minute warning. Savage hit Anderson for 16 yards. With 42 seconds left, with the Texans facing 3rd and 4 at the Indy 17, Savage hit Hopkins for 10. With 18 seconds left, the Texans had 1st and goal at the 7. After a pair of incompletions, the Colts on defense took their 3rd and final timeout with 7 seconds left. Another incompletion left 2 seconds on the clock. On 4th and goal, it all came down to one final play as Houston took their final timeout. Tom Savage then did his best TJ Yates impression. Savage was hit by Barkevious Mingo and fumbled the ball away. 20-14 Colts

Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars – Josh Lambo hit a 32 yard field goal to get the Jaguars on the board first. The Jaguars began the second quarter at their own 4 yard line. On 3rd and 4, Blake Bortles found Marques Lee for 11 yards and went to Chris Ivory for a 29 yard completion to midfield. On 3rd and 4, Bortles found Hums for 9 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincy 15, Bortles found Lee for 5 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Bortles rifled a pass to Lee for the touchdown. The 15 play, 96 yard drive took 8 minutes and put the Jaguars up 10-0. From the Cincinnati 22, Red Rifle Andy Dalton went deep to Kroft for a 59 yard gain. Joe Mixon ran for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Bengals within 10-7. After a touchback, the Jaguars faced 3rd and 8 at their own 37. Bortles hit Marcedes Lewis for just enough at the 2 minute warning. With 23 seconds left in the half, Lambo drilled a 56 yard field goal to make it 13-7 Jaguars.

In the third quarter the Jaguars moved 79 yards. Lambo hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 16-7 Jaguars. Jacksonville is winning with tough defense and just enough offense, with some special teams to lock up the win. Mickens returned a punt 63 yards for the clincher. At 5-3, the Jaguars have finally turned a corner. Captain Grumpy Tom Coughlin was so pleased, he almost smiled. 23-7 Jaguars

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints — The Saints moved 58 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. Will Lutz hit a 40 yard field goal for a 3-0 Saints lead. Then came the Steve Gleason moment again. 11 years after his Hurricane Katrina heroism, this time it was Justin Hardee blocking a punt and returning it 7 yards for a touchdown and a 9-0 Saints lead. The extra point was also blocked.  The Buccaneers in the second quarter did hold the ball for 6 minutes and 10 plays. The Saints began the second quarter moving from their own 12 to a 2nd and 1 at the Bucs 31. Mark Ingram got stopped. On 3rd and 1 Kamara gained 3 but fumbled the ball away to kill the drive.

From the Tampa 28, the Buccaneers moved 40 yards and Patrick Murray hit a 50 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers on the board. The Saints got it back at their own 7 with 3 minutes left in the half and kept rolling. Drew Brees hit Kamara for 17 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Saints 30, Brees found samara for 11 yards. Brees was sacked and fumbled, but the Saints held onto the ball. On 2nd and 17 from the Saints 34, Brees went to Coby Fleener for 33 yards. On the next play Brees went to Kamara for the 33 yard touchdown with one minute left in the half to make it 16-3 Saints.

The Buccaneers began the second half without Jameis Winston, who had an injured shoulder. Ryan Fitzpatrick came in and the Bucs quickly went 3 and out. The Saints got it back at their own 28. Mark Ingram quickly ran for a 32 yard gain and Kamara ran for 17 more. Kamara ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 23-3 Saints. 2 plays later from the Bucs 25, a short completion was fumbled and the Saints took over at the Tampa Bay 36. One play later Brees went deep to Ted Ginn Jr. for another touchdown as the Saints were winning a laugher 30-3. Tampa Bay got a garbage touchdown but the Drew Brees and Sean Payton pinball offense is back. The Saints won their 6th straight game and at 6-2 are for real. 30-10 Saints

Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants — The Giants quickly moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Rams 40. After a false start, Eli Manning was sacked and fumbled. The Rams took over at their own 48. Todd Gurley ran for 36 yards and then 9 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 8, Jared Goff hit Tyler Higbee for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. The Giants came back 67 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 9 from the Rams 37, Manning hit King for 14 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Manning hit King for the touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Rams came back 66 yards. The second quarter began with Greg Zuerlein hitting a 27 yard field goal for a 10-7 Rams lead.

The Giants then fumbled, setting up the Rams at midfield. After reaching the Giants 29, a pair of penalties had the Rams offense facing 3rd and 33 at their own 48. Yet a simple screen pass from Goff to Woods went for a 52 yard touchdown. In a season of disasters, Ben McAdoo saw another one as the Rams led 17-7. The Rams got it back at their own 29 and struck lightning quick. Goff hooked up with Sammy Watkins on a 67 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Rams. After a touchback, Manning hit King for 14 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 47, Manning hit Evan Engram for 21 yards. On 2nd and 9 from the Rams 31, Manning threw incomplete twice. Rosas hit the 50 yard field goal to get the Giants within 24-10 with 4 minutes left in the half.

The Giants held on defense and tried to get back in the game. Yet on 3rd and 10 from their own 14, Manning was intercepted by Johnson at the Giants 30 yard line. The Rams defense held but Zuerlein hit from 46 to make it 27-10 Rams. After a touchback the Giants moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 27 with 14 seconds left in the half. Manning threw incomplete twice. With 4 seconds left, Rosas came in for a 45 yard try. He missed it as the Giants misery continued.

The Rams began the third quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Goff hit Woods for 10 and then went deep to Cooper Kupp for 35 yards. Todd Gurley got in from the one as the Rams had a 34-10 lead. A 30 yard punt return Cooper had the Rams taking over at the Giants 45. Goff hooked up with Gurley for a 44 yard gain. Gurley lost 3 yards, but Goff hit Woods for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 41-10 Rams. The Giants then faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Manning threw incomplete and down by 31 points, Ben McAdoo decided to punt. Brad Wing had it blocked, and the Rams took over at the Rams 18. Everett ran for a 13 yard gain and Gurley got the last yard as the Rams were carpet-bombing the Giants 48-10. The Rams gave up a garbage touchdown and tacked on another field goal, but don’t look now, the Rams are 6-2. If this keeps up even fair-weather California fans will start attending their games. 51-17 Rams

Denver Broncos at Philadelphia Eagles — Brock Osweiler got the start in place of the benched Trevor Siemian. Brandon McManus hit a 52 yard field goal to get the Broncos on the board first. Yet the Eagles came back 75 yards quickly. Carson Wentz threw a 32 yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery for a 7-3 Eagles lead. Denver was pinned inside their own 10 and the Eagles got it back at their own 44. Wentz found Troy Smith for 11 yards and Captain Morgan Brent Celek for a 15 yard gain to set up Elliott for a 45 yard field goal and a 10-3 Eagles lead. After a touchback, Osweiler was quickly intercepted by Robinson, setting up the Eagles at the Denver 15. On 3rd and 10 Wentz hit Clement for the touchdown to make it 17-3 Eagles after the first quarter.

In the second quarter the Broncos got a spark when McKenzie returned a punt 44 yards to the Philly 43. On 3rd and 2 Osweiler hit Emanuel Sanders past the sticks, but the officials ruled Sanders trapped the ball. Replay seemed to show the ball hitting the ground. Further replay showed that Sanders took 2 steps before he lost the ball, which would have meant a fumble out of bounds and a first down. Vance Joseph decided not to challenge the call. McManus drilled a 53 yard field goal to get the Broncos within 17-6.

The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. After the defense jumped offside, Wentz hit Jeffery for 14 yards. A 15 yard completion to Celek put the ball on the Denver 42. Wentz then threw incomplete on a play that could have been intentional grounding. However, roughing the passer gave the Eagles 15 more yards. Wentz then went deep to Burton for a 27 yard touchdown and a 24-6 Eagles lead. The Broncos moved 69 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes, but again could not crack the end zone. McManus hit from 31 to get the Broncos within 24-9.

Yet the Broncos were kicking field goals and the Eagles were scoring touchdowns. Jay Ajayi had multiple 200 yard rushing games for Miami last year but did not have a single touchdown this year. He was traded to the Eagles just before the trade deadline, and he gashed Denver in his first game for the Eagles. After a touchback, the Eagles were at their own 35. Von Miller jumped offside. Ajayi ran for a 14 yard gain. On the next play Ajayi got around the end, raced down the sideline, and leapt for the pylon for a 46 yard touchdown. With 90 seconds left in the half the Eagles were winning a laugher 31-9.

The second half was a formality. The Eagles held the ball for 77 yards in 13 plays, taking 7 1/2 minutes to do it. Doug Peterson is supposed to be a West Coast Offense dink and dunk guy, but this was not finesse. It was power football. From the Philly 23 on the first play from scrimmage, Clement got around the end for a 28 yard gain. LaGuerrette Blount gained 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Denver 46, Wentz got the yard. Wentz hit Jeffery for 17 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Denver 10, Wentz came up on yard short. Peterson decided to go fir it. Went threw a pass to Agholor that may have been short, but officials called it a first down. The call was not challenged. On the next play Clement got around the end again for a 2 yard touchdown and a 38-9 Eagles lead.

Osweiler was the intercepted, giving the ball to the Eagles at the Denver 11. On 3rd and 3, Wentz hit Jeffery for a 4 yard touchdown. The closest thing to good news for Denver was the missed extra point, as the Eagles led 44-9 rather than 45-9. Denver’s fourth straight loss has them at 3-5 while the Eagles have an NFL best 8-1 record. 25 years after Jerome Brown died, Eagles fans are hoping this is the year they finally bring it home for Jerome. Wentz was a lights out 15 of 27 for only 199 yards, but 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Denver did get a couple garbage touchdowns in a meaningless fourth quarter, but Eagles backup and one-time starting sensation Nick Foles connected on one long bomb to get the Eagles in the end zone one more time. 51-23 Eagles

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans — Ryan Succop hit a 48 yard field goal for the Titans. Meanwhile, a fake punt call by John Harbaugh worked perfectly and led to a 30 yard field goal by Justin Tucker for a 3-3 game. Joe Flacco was then intercepted by Yard, who returned it 33 yards to the Baltimore 46. Marcus Mariota ran for 7 yards and hit Davis for a 23 yard gain. One play later Mariota hit Ryan Mathews for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Titans. In the second quarter the Ravens moved 13 plays in 6 minutes, gaining 44 yards. Tucker hit a 49 yard field goal as the Ravens trailed 10-6. With Baltimore punting from their own 9, a shanked punt went only 17 yards. From the Baltimore 11, Derrick Henry quickly ran for gains of 10 and 5. On 3rd and 5 from the 11, Mariota threw incomplete, but unnecessary roughness meant 1st and goal at the 5. On 3rd and goal at the one, Henry got in. The extra point was no good but the Titans led 16-6.

With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Titans faced 3rd and 4 at their own 40 looking to put the game away. Mariota was intercepted by Eric Weddle, who returned it 22 yards to the Tennessee 42. Flacco hit Watson for 16 and Collins gained 14 more. On 3rd and 1 from the 3, Flacco hit Allen for the touchdown as the Ravens were within 16-13 with 9 minutes left. After a touchback, Tennessee bled 5 minutes off the clock. From the Tennessee 40, Mariota hit Delanie Walker for 25 yards, DeMarco Murray for 17 more, and on 3rd and 3 from the 11, a touchdown pass to Eric Decker. With 4 minutes left the Titans had breathing room up 23-13. Baltimore did get a one yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Mike Wallace with 51 seconds left, but the onside kick died after only traveling 8 yards. The Titans have quietly gotten to 5-3 with their 3rd straight win. 23-20 Titans

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers — A few years ago the 49ers swept Arizona but went 0-14 against the rest of the league. This time against the winless 49ers, Drew Stanton got the start as Carson Palmer is out for the year with a shoulder injury. Early on former 49ers kicker Phil Dawson doinked a 38 yard field goal try off the upright no good. Yet from the San Francisco 48, s short completion was fumbled. Patrick Peterson returned the fumble 47 yards to the San San Francisco 6 yard line. On 3rd and goal, Stanton threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to Brown to make it 7-0 Cardinals.  The 49ers did get a 42 yard Robbie Gould field goal, but the Cardinals had more firepower. In the second quarter they moved 75 yards and Stanton hit Gresham for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Cardinals. Arizona missed a chance to blow the game open and go up 21-3 when a pass to the end zone was intercepted for a touchback. Arizona insisted it was a tie possession and a touchdown, but the touchback stood.

The 49ers have been losing mostly close games, and in the third quarter they moved 75 yards in 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. CJ Beathard got the last yard as the 49ers were only down 14-10. The Cardinals held the ball for 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes, moving 65 yards. The fourth quarter began with the Cardinals facing 3rd and 2 at the San Francisco 7. Stanton threw incomplete. Dawson hit from 25, but the Cardinals only led 17-10. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Arizona took over at their own 48. They held the ball for 7 minutes and 11 plays. On 3rd and 1 from the Frisco 11, Adrian Peterson lost 2 yards. Yet Dawson hit the critical 32 yarder to make it 20-10 Cardinals with only 5 1/2 minutes left. On 4th and 3 from midfield, a pass from Beathard was just dropped. Yet with 3 1/2 minutes left, Peterson fumbled the ball right back. A mindless personal foul on Arizona after tempers flared put the 49ers at the Arizona 34. With 2 1/2 minutes left, on 1st and goal from the 9, Beathard had a pass bounce off a helmet and get intercepted as the 49ers dropped to 0-9 with no end in sight. 20-10 Cardinals

Washington Redskins at Seahawks — Midway through the first quarter Kirk Cousins went back to pass from his own 6 yard line. He was belted in the end zone by Bobby Wagner for a safety as the Legion of Boom gave the Seahawks a 2-0 lead. After the free kick Blair Walsh missed a 44 yard field goal that would have extended the lead. In the second quarter the Seahawks moved from their 29 to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 14. After a pair of penalties killed the drive, Walsh missed again from 39. The Redskins moved 71 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. The Redskins led 7-2 after Robert Kelley got in from the one. With 45 seconds left in the half the Seahawks moved from 33 to the Washington 31. On the last play of the half, Walsh missed is third field goal from 50. In the third quarter the Redskins moved 57 yards but bogged down in the red zone. Rose hit a 28 yard field goal to make it 10-2 Redskins. The Seahawks began the fourth quarter at their own 34. Wilson ran for 6 yards and hit Thomas rawls for a 22 yard gain. Wilson hit Jimmy Graham for 15 and non-relative Willson for a 10 yard touchdown. The 2 point try with 12 minutes left in regulation was intercepted and nearly run back the other way as the Seahawks still trailed 10-8.

Then came the Legion of Boom. On 3rd and 15 from their 17, Cousins was sacked again for the second time in 3 plays, fumbled, and the Seahawks recovered for a defensive touchdown. On further review Cousins was down, so the Redskins escaped with a punt on 4th and 28 from their own 4. The teams exchanged punts again and the Seahawks began their last chance at their own 29 with 2:22 left. Wilson hit McKissic for 9 at the 2 minute warning. Wilson then went to graham for 21 yards. Wilson ran for 11 yards. Wilson then went deep to Doug Baldwin for a 30 yard touchdown with 90 seconds to play. For the second straight week Wilson led a miracle comeback, as Washington’s stout defense broke when it mattered most. The 2 point try failed but the Seahawks led 14-10.

Yet Cousins had magic of his own. From the Washington 30, Cousins went deep to Brandon Quick for 31 yards. He then went deep again to Josh Doctson for a 38 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the one with one minute left. Kelley got in as the Legion of Boom went bust. Yet they left too much time left. After a touchback, Seattle soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 36 with 35 seconds left. Wilson found Paul Richardson for 26 yards. Yet Wilson was sacked with 12 seconds left. After some confusion, with 4 seconds left Seattle lined up for the Hail Mary from the Washington 46. It was perfectly thrown and nearly caught, barely falling incomplete to snap Seattle’s 4 game win streak. 17-14 Redskins

Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys — Ezekiel Elliott did play today but may finally have to start serving his 6 game suspension next week. Each team punted twice and Dallas took over at their own 39. Das Prescott hit Dez Bryant for 17 yards and Terrence Williams for 8 more. On 2nd and 15 from the Chiefs 33, Prescott found Williams for 27 yards and Cole Beasley for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. In the second quarter, the Chiefs took over at their own 36. Alex Smith went to Travis Kelce for a 22 yard gain and to Robinson for 10 more. The drive died in the red zone but Harrison Butker hit a 38 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 7-3.

With 90 seconds left in the half, the Cowboys faced 3rd and 15 at their own 13. Rather than play it safe and punt, Jason Garett went bold. Prescott fired a laser to Bryant for a 21 yard gain. Then Prescott rolled to his right and found a wide open Williams for a 56 yard gain to the Chiefs 10. After a pair of incompletions, with 21 seconds left on 3rd and goal, Prescott scrambled, nearly got tripped up, somehow maintained his balance, and made it to the end zone for a 14-3 Cowboys lead. With 2 seconds left in the half, the Chiefs had one play from their own 43. Smith found Tyreeq Hill over the middle. Rather than press ahead, Hill waited for his blockers to get ahead of him. In front of a shocked home crowd, Hill followed the blockers for a 57 yard touchdown to end the half with the Chiefs only down 14-10.

The Chiefs momentum continued in the third quarter as they moved 62 yards in 6 minutes. On 2nd and 11 from their own 37, Smith threw incomplete but defensive pass interference on Orlando scandrick meant a 12 yard gain. Hunt gained 19 yards and on 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 23, Smith gained 4 on a well executed fake handoff. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Smith fired to Kelce near the Pylon for the touchdown to make it 17-14 Chiefs. After a touchback, Prescott hit Bryant for 10 and Elliott broke off runs of 7 and 11. On 3rd and 9 from the Chiefs 46, Prescott threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 17 yard gain. Prescott then got around the end for a 13 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the 9, Prescott scrambled up the middle for a 4 yard gain. Elliott banged up the gut for a 2 yard touchdown to put the Cowboys back in front 21-17.

The Cowboys got it back at their own 13 and began the fourth quarter at their own 24. Prescott hit Bryant for 16 yards and Williams for 11 more. Alfred Morris gained 11 and Prescott hit Williams for another 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 9, Elliott gained 2 yards. Prescott then went to Beasley for the 7 yard touchdown as the Cowboys had some breathing room up 11 with 9 minutes left in regulation. The Chiefs quickly moved from their 22 to a 3rd and 5 at the Dallas 40. Smith was then sacked by Taco Charlton, his first sack of the season. On 4th and 8, Smith, who was perfect threw 8 games, was intercepted for the first time all season. Kansas City got it back once more, but a great Dallas punt had the Chiefs pinned at their own yard line. There would be no comeback as the Chiefs lost for the third time in four games after a 5-0 start. 28-17 Cowboys

Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins was the Sunday night game. This was a case of dumb and dumber as the Raiders lost last week by 20 points to drop to 3-5 while the Dolphins lost 40-0 and entered 4-3. Jay Cutler returned from injury in a game that was marred by over 200 penalty yards. The Raiders early on faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Derek Carr went deep to Jared Cook for 35 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Miami 38, Carr went back to Cook for 14 yards. Despite 1st and 10 at the Miami 13, the drive stalled and Georgio Tavecchio hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders. The 12 play, 53 yard drive took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock.

In the second quarter the Dolphins took over at their own 18. From their 29, Drake gained 11 and unnecessary roughness added 15 more. Offensive holding had the Dolphins with 1st and 20 at their own 45. Jay Cutler hit Drake for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Oakland 41, Cutler hit Parker for 22 yards. Cutler then hit Williams for 11 and again for the 10 yard touchdown. Cody Parkey’s extra point doinked off the upright no good but the Dolphins led 6-3. Adam Game called a surprise onside kick that was perfectly executed and recovered by Parkey himself at the Miami 48. Miami was on the way to blowing the game open. Yet on 1st and 10 at the Oakland 24, Drake gained 4 yards and fumbled the ball away.

From the Oakland 19, Carr went to cook for a 27 yard gain. Offensive penalties had the Raiders facing 1st and 25 at their own 28. Carr bailed the team out again, hitting Cook for 11. On 2nd and 14, Washington gained another 11. On 3rd and 3 from midfield, Marshawn Lunch banged ahead for 6 yards. On the next play Carr went deep to Johnny Hilton for a 44 yard touchdown and a 10-6 Raiders lead with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half.

The Dolphins faced 3rd and 4 at their own 26 when the Raiders committed encroachment at the 2 minute warning. From the Miami 36, Cutler found Williams for 10 when another dumb unnecessary roughness penalty added on another 15 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 31, Cutler threw incomplete. Parker hit the 49 yarder to get the Dolphins within 10-9. The Raiders took over at their own 23 with only 28 seconds left. Carr went deep to Amari Cooper for 26 yards. On 3rd and 10 from just past midfield with 5 seconds left, Carr rifled a 16 yard pass to Cook, who quickly dropped to the ground and called timeout with 1 second left. The Dolphins screamed the half was over, but the officials disagreed. Tavecchio nailed the 53 yarder to put the Raiders up 13-9 at halftime.

In the third quarter Miami went nowhere and punted. The Raiders took over at their own 33. Lynch gained 3 and then 14 more to midfield. Carr then went to Cooper for 20 yards. On 3rd and 2, Lynch burst up the middle for a 22 yard touchdown as the Raiders had a 20-9 lead. However, the Raiders never win easily. After a touchback, Cutler hit Drake for 10. Drake then broke free for a 42 yard gain. Cutler hit Landry for a 6 yard touchdown as the Dolphins were right back in it down 20-16.

The teams exchanged punts after going 3 and out and the Raiders got it back on their own 38. On 3rd and 4 from their own 44, Carr hit Cook for 6 yards. The fourth quarter began with the Raiders facing 3rd and 5 at the Miami 45. Carr hit Cooper for 6 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Miami 33, a killer offensive holding penalty pushed the Raiders out of field goal range. On 3rd and 14, Carr had the ball knocked out of his hand by Ndamokung Suh. Such dove in the air to knock the ball loose. Offensive lineman Newhouse recovered for the Raiders, but rather than stay down, he tried to run with it. Offensive tackles do not run for 15 yards. They get hit and fumble the ball away. After 6 1/2 minutes with the ball, the Raiders came up empty.

With 13 minutes left in regulation the Dolphins had a golden opportunity at their own 48. Yet on 3rd and 10 a short pass only gained 5 yards and Miami punted. The Raiders again went 3 and out and the Dolphins again had great field position at their own 45. Yet offensive holding and a sack pushed them back and they punted again. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Raiders took over at their own 13. Carr hit Michael Crabtree for 16 yards. With 5 minutes left and the Raiders having burned 2 timeouts, the Raiders faced 3rd and 6 at their own 35. Carr rolled to his right and fired to Seth Roberts for a 29 yard gain, with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. From the Miami 21, Carr went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference made it 1st and goal at the 3. Lynch banged up the gut for the touchdown. With 4:42 left the Raiders led 27-16. Yet with their poor secondary, games are never over.

After a touchback the Dolphins moved to a 4th and 9 at the Oakland 38 with 3 minutes left. Cutler found Thomas for 14 yards, but offensive holding meant 4th and 19. Cutler threw deep incomplete. Again it looked like the game was over. Again, it was not. A pair of Lynch runs went nowhere. On 3rd and 10, Carr went deep and had the ball bounce in the air and get intercepted. It was pretty much treated as a punt since the Dolphins took over at their own 17 with 1:54 left and only one timeout. Yet the Raiders secondary does not finish games.

Cutler went to Kenny Stills for a 14 yard gain, and a truly dumb roughing the passer call added 15 more yards. Cutler then found Parker for 12 more. Miami had moved 42 yards in only 14 seconds. From the Oakland 41, Cutler went deep to Parker. Initially ruled incomplete, officials reversed the call to a catch and a 26 yard gain to the Oakland 15. On the next play Cutler found Julius Thomas wide open over the middle for the touchdown. Drake appeared stopped on the 2 point try, but bulled his way in up the middle. With 90 seconds to play, the Dolphins were only down by 3.

With both teams out of timeouts, Parkey’s onside kick was recovered by Amari Cooper, as the Raiders survived. Cutler completed his first 16 passes and finished 34 of 42 for 311 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Carr was 21 of 30 for 300 yards, one touchdown, and the one late interception. Several dropped passes kept him from having closer to 350 yards. Miami is 4-4 and the Raiders are still alive at 4-5. With Kansas City and Denver both losing, the Raiders gained ground. It was ugly, and the Raiders have serious issues, but they got the win. Just Win Baby. 27-24 Raiders

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers was the Monday night game. With Aaron Rodgers, the Packers easily dispatch the Lions in front of the Lambeau Field home faithful. Without Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are a mess. In the first quarter, the Lions marched 71 yards in 5 minutes. Matthew Stafford threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Marvin Jones for a 7-0 Lions lead. In the second quarter the Lions held the ball for 7 minutes and moved 91 yards in 13 plays. Abdullah ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Lions. The Packers did get a 35 yard Mason Crosby field goal before the half, but in the third quarter the Lions held the ball for 6 minutes and moved 50 yards in 11 plays. Matt Prater hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Lions. In the fourth quarter the Lions held the ball another 7 minutes and moved 63 yards in 12 plays. On 4th and goal at the one, Jim Caldwell played it very safe with a lead on the road. Prater hit the 19 yarder as the Lions comfortably led 20-3.

The Packers did move 78 yards and Brett Hundley got in from the one to get the Packers within 20-10, but no closer. The Lions rapidly moved 75 yards and Stafford hit Jones for an 11 yard score to make it 27-10 Lions. Prater tacked on a 33 yard field goal to make it 30-10 Lions. Green Bay did get one more garbage touchdown, but nothing more. The Lions dominated in time of possession, holding the ball for over 36 minutes. Stafford was a lights out 26 of 33 for 361 yards and 2 touchdowns. Hundley was a respectable 26 of 38 for 245 yards without a touchdown, but much of the yards came in garbage time. Neither signal caller was intercepted. Mike McCarthy needs to find a way to rescue his team before the season washes away. Both teams are 4-4, and Jim Caldwell was so pleased by the win that he almost made a facial expression. 30-17 Lions