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