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