NFL 2017 Week 13 Recap
Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys was the Thursday night game. Both teams came in fighting for survival at 5-6. Washington dominated early statistically but turnovers kept the game scoreless after the first quarter. After tat it was all Dallas. In the second quarter an 11 play, 59 yard, 6 minute drive culminated in Dat Prescott hitting Jason Witten for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. On 3rd and 4 from their own 24, Kirk Cousins was sacked and fumbled to give Dallas the ball at the Washington 19. Dan Bailey hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Cowboys. Special teams came in big again as Switzer returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown to make it 17-0 Cowboys.
Washington tried to make a game of it. They moved 75 yards at the end of the half and Cousins hit Grant for a 20 yard touchdown to get the Redskins within 17-7. After a scoreless third quarter, the Cowboys pretty much put the game away. An 11 play, 71 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Cowboys facing 3rd and 5 at the Washington 13 to start the fourth quarter. Prescott hit Dez Bryant for the touchdown to make it 24-7 Cowboys. Washington came back 87 yards and Cousins hit Josh Doctson for a 14 yard touchdown to get the Redskins within 24-14 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Yet Dallas came back with a 10 play, 75 yard 6 1/2 minute drive to slam the door shut. On 3rd and 10 from the washington 17, Prescott went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Alfred Morris got in on the next play to make it 31-14 Cowboys with 5 minutes left. With Washington facing 4th and 10 at their own 25, Cousins was intercepted to put Dallas at the Washington 11. On 3rd and goal from the one Smith got in to complete the blowout. 38-14 Cowboys
Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons — The Atlanta offense matched up against the Minnesota defense as these elite teams jockeyed for position. For three quarters this was a defensive bonelock. The Falcons had a 16 play, 58 yard, 7 1/2 minute first quarter drive but settled for a 38 yard Matt Bryant field goal to lead 3-0. In the second quarter the vikings moved 53 yards in 5 minutes and Case Keenum hit McKinnon for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Vikings. Bryant hit from 36 and in the third quarter from 47 to make it 9-7 Falcons. The Vikings moved 89 yards in 15 plays and took almost 8 1/2 minutes to do it. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Keenum hit Kyle Rudolph for a 6 yard touchdown to put the Vikings up by 5. With 9 1/2 minutes left the Falcons took over at their own 29 and moved to a 4th and 4 at the Minnesota 27. Dan Quinn decided to kick the field goal trust his defense. The normally reliable Bryant was no good from 45. With 4 minutes left and the Falcons out of timeouts, the Vikings faced 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 43. Keenum hit Adam Thielen for a 22 yard gain and Minnesota ran out the clock. Atlanta dropped to 7-5 and Mike Zimmer now has a 10-2 squad winning with capable quarterback play and ferocious defense. 14-9 Vikings
Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens — A pair of teams fighting for their playoff lives at 6-5 met in a game that only one team showed up for on time. Justin Tucker hit a 38 yard field goal to open the scoring for the Ravens. In the second quarter Baltimore exploded. From the Baltimore 33, Joe Flacco went deep for a 66 yard bomb to Watson. On the next play Flacco hit Watson for the one yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Ravens. The Lions then faced 3rd and 7 at the Baltimore 41. Matthew Stafford was sacked and fumbled, and the Ravens took over at the Detroit 36. Flacco went dee to Mike Wallace for a 23 yard gain and hit Ricard for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 17-Ravens. Tucker tacked on a 46 yard field goal to have the Ravens up 20-0 at halftime.
In the third quarter the Lions finally got on the board when a 4 yard touchdown run by Theo Riddick capped a 75 yard drive. Detroit got it back and again moved 75 yards. Green ran for a 6 yard score. Matt Prater, who had already missed a field goal, missed the extra point as the Lions trailed 20-13. In the fourth quarter the Ravens moved 74 yards. Collins ran for a 7 yard touchdown and the Ravens had a 27-13 lead. Yet the Lions quickly came back 75 yards. Stafford went deep to Marvin Jones for a 46 yard gain and to Roberts for 23 yards down to the one. Stafford hit Bellmore for the one yard touchdown as the Lions were within 27-20 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
There would be no comeback. A 29 yard kickoff return had the Ravens taking over at their own 44. With 7 minutes left Tucker drilled a key 51 yard field goal to make it 30-30 Ravens. From the Detroit 28, disaster quickly struck the Lions. First Stafford was sacked for an 8 yard loss. On the next play he was intercepted.by Humphrey, who returned it 18 yards to the Detroit 31. Stafford injured his hand on the play. Meanwhile, Collins ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 37-20 Ravens. Stafford’s back is Rudock, and with 2 1/2 minutes left he had an interception returned 45 yards for the touchdown exclamation point. The Lions are 6-6 and in deep trouble while the 7-5 Ravens are very much alive in the weaker AFC. 44-0 Ravens
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills — The 6-5 Bills were going to knock off the 9-2 Patriots and finally end the NFL’s longest playoff drought. Then reality set in and the game started. In the first quarter the Patriots moved 59 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes but settled for a 50 yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal to lead 3-0. In the second quarter the defensive struggle continued. Gostkowski hit field goals of 31 and 39 surrounding a 49 yard Stephen Hauschka kick as the Patriots took a 9-3 lead to the locker rooms. In the third quarter the Patriots moved 70 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. Rex Burkhead ran it in from the one to make it 16-3 Patriots. New England got it back and moved 78 yards. Burkhead ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it a Patriots blowout. New England is 10-2, Buffalo is 6-6, and Tyrod Taylor was knocked out and replaced with Nathan Peterman. Peterman had 5 interceptions in one half of football a couple weeks ago. This week he did no harm or help. 23-3 Patriots
San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears — In the 1980s this game was for the right to go to the Super Bowl. Now it is the Stupor Bowl. The 49ers held the ball for 14 plays, moving 60 yards in 7 minutes. They settled for a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 49ers. The bears came back 59 yards and Mitchell Trubisky hit Dontrell Inman for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bears. In the second quarter the 49ers moved 66 yards but again stalled in the red zone. Gould hit from 28 to get the 49ers within 7-6. Special teams got the Bears in the end zone again as Cohen returned a punt 61 yards to the house to make it 14-6 Bears. The 49ers moved the ball all game but kept bogging down in the red zone. An 11 play, 58 yard drive took 5 1/2 minutes. Gould hit from 35. A staggering 16 play, 70 yard drive took 8 1/2 minutes in the third quarter. Gould hit again from 34 as the 49ers were within 14-12. With 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation the 49ers took over at their own 8 yard line. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Goodwin for 13 yards. On 3rd and 9 just shy of midfield, Garoppolo hit Taylor for 33 yards. With 8 seconds left in regulation, Gould came in for the 24 yarder to win it and get revenge against his former team Gould was good, and this was as big as Joe Montana going 92 yards in the Super Bowl. No, not really. 15-14 49ers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers — The Bay of Pigs has returned, and so has Jameis Winston from injury. Early on the buccaneers moved 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Winston hit Brate for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Packers held the ball for 7 1/2 minutes and moved 61 yards in 14 plays but settled for a 37 yard Mason Crosby field goal to trail 7-3. With 10 minutes left in the half the Buccaneers punted from their own 45. The punt was blocked and the Packers took over at that spot. Williams ran for a 25 yard gain and Brett Hundley added 14 more. On 3rd and goal from the 1, Williams got in to give the Packers the 10-7 lead. The Packers after a touchback quickly moved the Green Bay 30. Winston was then sacked and fumbled, and Lwry returned it 62 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 17-7 Packers.
The Buccaneers held it for long stretches but a pair of drive died in the red zone as Murray hit from 36 before the half ended and from 30 in the fourth quarter to get the Buccaneers within 17-13. The Bucs got it back and moved 78 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. This time they finished the drive as Winston hit Brate for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 20-17 Buccaneers with 6 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, the Packers faced 3rd and 2 at their own 44. Hundley ran for a 14 yard gain. On the next play he hit Devontae Adams for 14 with roughing the passer adding 14 more. Yet on 3rd and 1 at the Tampa Bay 5, pass-happy Mike McCarthy refused to run the ball. Hundley threw incomplete. McCarthy at home decided not to gamble. Crosby hit the 22 yard field goal for a 20-20 tie at the 2 minute warning. The game went to overtime and the Packers won the toss and soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 34. Hundley ran for 7 yards and then ran for 18 more. From the Tampa Bay 20, Jones got around the end and ran for the touchdown as the Bucs never got the ball. Green Bay is 6-6 and still alive. 26-20 Packers, OT
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars — Sometimes a bad team goes on the road and shocks a good team for a major upset. This was not that game. In the first quarter the Jaguars moved 80 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Blake Bortles hit Marques Lee for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. In the second quarter Jacksonville moved 57 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2minutes. They settled for a 30 yard Josh Lambo field goal to make it 10-0 Jaguars. The Colts had their turn to move 69 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. A 27 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal got the Colts on the board. Yet the jaguars came back 75 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. Bortles hit Cole for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Jaguars. In the third quarter the Jaguars moved 67 yards and Leonard Fournette ran for a 5 yard touchdown as the Jaguars led 24-3 in a laugher.
The Colts tried to make a game of it. 75 yards came easier this time as Jacoby Brissett went to TY Hilton for a 40 yard touchdown to get the Colts within 24-10. Yet the Jaguars kept milking the clock, going 81 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. The settled for a 23 yard Lambo field goal but the Jaguars had a comfortable 27-10 lead after three quarters. lamb tacked on a 39 yard field goal in the fourth quarter as Jacksonville got to 8-4 with the win. Bortles was 26 of 35 for 309 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Captain Grumpy Tom Coughlin was so pleased with the win that he almost smiled. 30-10 Jaguars
Denver Broncos at Miami Dolphins — Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. In the first quarter the Broncos faced 3rd and 10 at their own 5. Out of the shotgun, a fumble on the snap went out of bounds in the end zone for a safety to make it 2-0 Dolphins. In the second quarter Brandon McManus hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 3-2 Broncos. After that Miami blew the game open. Miami moved 75 yards and Jay Cutler hit Julius Thomas for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 9-3 Dolphins. Trevor Siemian was then intercepted by Howard, who returned it 30 yards for another touchdown to make it 16-3 Dolphins at the half. In the third quarter Cody Parkey tacked on a 37 yard field goal to make it 19-3 Dolphins.
Miami was in total control, but Jay Cutler was then intercepted by Simmons. Simmons took it 65 yards for a defensive touchdown. The 2 point try failed as the Broncos trailed 19-9 in a game where each quarterback threw a touchdown pass to the opposing team. Miami came back 61 yards and Kenyon Drake ran for a 42 yard touchdown to make it 26-9 Dolphins. Miami blocked a punt but did not capitalize. However, Trevor Siemian was intercepted on a short pass to set the Dolphins up at the Denver 23. One play later Cutler went deep to Kenny Stills for another touchdown to make it 33-9 Dolphins. Adam Gase then showed he is determined to be the least classy coach in the league since Greg Schiano’s reign of error in Tampa. Up 24 in the fourth quarter, he called an onside kick just to run up the score on his former team. A fumbled punt gave Miami a safety to complete the blowout. Meanwhile, Denver is a mess. 8 straight losses gave them a 3-9 record while Miami at 5-7 is barely alive. 35-9 Dolphins
Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jets — The Chiefs came in reeling at 6-5 after a 5-0 start while the Jets were 4-7 and hanging by a thread. Yet the Jets have fought hard all season and today was no exception. The first quarter was a track meet that reminded people of the old AFL. first the Chiefs moved 75 yards. Alex Smith threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Jets punted and Tyreeq Hill returned it 24 yards to the Jets 36. One play later Smith went deep to Kelce for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Chiefs.
The Jets came back 75 yards and Powell ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Jets within 14-7. The Jets got it back and moved 68 yards. Josh McCown got the last yard as the game was tied 14-14 after a wild opening quarter. In the second quarter the Chiefs moved 68 yards. Harrison Butker hit a 36 yard field goal in a game with little defense as the Chiefs led 17-14. The Jets rapidly came back 75 yards in 10 plays. McCown hit Matt Forte for an 11 yard touchdown as the Jets led 21-17 at halftime. In the third quarter the Jets led a mind-numbing 18 play drive that went 72 yards and took 9 1/2 minutes off the clock. Yet despite 2nd and 3 at the Chiefs 9, McCown threw incomplete twice. Chandler Catanzaro hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 24-17 Jets. Yet despite a 24-3 run, momentum would change again.
After 13 years of being a West Coast Offense Dink and Dunk Game Manager, Alex Smith began this season throwing deep balls. Yet he returned to game manager mode and the Chiefs regressed. On this day he began raining bombs again. A 79 yard touchdown pass to Hill had the Chiefs tie the game 24-24 only 9 seconds after the Jets had the 7 point lead. The Jets retook the lead on a 47 yard Chandler Catanzaro field goal and extended the lead in the fourth quarter. They moved 58 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. They settled for a 38 yard Catanzaro field goal to make it 30-24 Jets. Yet the Chiefs came back 69 yards. Smith threw his fourth touchdown pass, a 40 yard bomb to Hill that made it 31-30 Chiefs with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Jets soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. McCown hit Hansen for 12 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Jets 44, McCown hit Kearse, who broke free for a 51 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 5 with 6 minutes left. On 3rd and goal at the 7, a short pass by McCown left 4th and goal at the 3 with 4 minutes left. Todd Bowles went for the field goal. Catanzaro hit the 21 yarder to make it 33-31 Jets, but the Chiefs only needed a field goal. Except, there was laundry on the field. Unnecessary roughness for an illegal hit on the center meant 1st and goal at the one. Bowles took the points off the board. On 3rd and goal at the 4, McCown threw incomplete but again the Chiefs were caught cheating. Defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the 2. The Chiefs took their last timeout on defense with 2:20 to play and the Jets facing 3rd and goal at the one. McCown got in up the middle and the Jets had the touchdown. On the 2 point conversion try McCown was chased all the way back to his 25 yard line before throwing up a prayer that fell incomplete. Yet defensive holding on Reggie Nelson gave the Chiefs another try from the one. Marcus Peters was also called for unsportsmanlike conduct for throwing the penalty flag into the stands. Given another chance, a perfectly executed pitchout to McGuire was successful as the Jets led by 7.
After a touchback, the Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 37 with 1:48 left. Smith went deep to Hill for a 40 yard gain. With one minute left the Chiefs faced 2nd and 6 at the Jets 19. Yet there would be no comeback as Smith threw 3 straight incompletions. Andy Reid has seen his team totally collapse with 6 losses in 7 games to fall to 6-6. The Jets at 5-7 actually have a shot at the playoffs as well. 38-31 Jets
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans — Houston was hanging by a thread at 4-7 while Tennessee at 7-4 was in a strong playoff position. A fumbled punt early on had the Texans taking over at the Tennessee 41. On 3rd and 9 Tom Savage hit Andre Ellington for 29 yards. On 3rd and 11 from the 12, Savage threw incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the 5. On 3rd and goal at the 5 Savage threw incomplete. The Texans settled for a 23 yard Fairbairn field goal on a day where close was not good enough. In the second quarter the Texans moved 87 yards. Savage hit Anderson for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Texans. They were smelling upset, but not for long.
Tennessee moved 75 yards in 10 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Marcus Mariota ran for a 9 yard touchdown to get the Titans within 10-7. Ryan Succop hit a 43 yard field goal as the teams were deadlocked 10-10 at halftime. In the third quarter the Texans moved from their own 26 to a 1st and goal at the 9. A run went nowhere and Savage threw incomplete twice. Fairbairn missed a 28 yard field goal, leaving the game tied and the Texans deflated. Tennessee soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 22. Mariota went to Delanie Walker for an 18 yard gain. On 4th and 1 from the Houston 27, Mike Mularkey decided to go for it. Derrick Henry gained 3 yards. On the next play Mariota went deep to Walker for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Titans on the last play of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter the Texans moved 57 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Despite 1st and 10 at the Titans 24, offensive holding and a pair of Savage incompletions left Bill O’Brien with a big decision to male. With 4:42 left on 4th and 10, O’Brien decided to try a field goal and trust his defense. Fairbairn hit from 42 to get the Texans within 4 points. The Titans went 3 and out and the Texans got it back on their own 28 with 2:47 to play. On 2nd and 5 Savage hit Sanderson for a 25 yard gain. With 1:54 left the Texans faced 4th and 4 at the Tennessee 36. Then left tackle Allen had a meltdown. 3 straight times the Texans tried to run a play and 3 straight times he was called for a false start. On 4th and 19, Savage avoided a sack and somehow found Steven Anderson for a 22 yard gain. Yet on the next play from the Titans 29, Savage went to the end zone and was intercepted. The Texans took their last timeout on defense as everything came down to the Titans facing 3rd and 5 at their own 25 with one minute left. Henry got around the end and raced all the way for the score to ice the game, get the Titans to 8-4, and effectively eliminate the 4-8 Texans. 24-13 Titans
Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Chargers — Last year the 0-14 Browns beat the Chargers for their only win of the season. This year the Browns come in 0-12 but to make lightning strike against the lightning Bolts twice would require winning on the road this time. After a scoreless opening quarter, Travis Coons hit field goals of 41 and 40 for a 6-0 Chargers lead in the second quarter. After 27 minutes of hideous football, the Browns faced 3rd and 1 at their own 44. DeShone Kizer went deep to Josh Gordon for a 28 yard gain. it was Gordon’s first NFL game action since the 2013 season after a series of suspensions. Kizer then threw a touchdown pass to Njoku as the Browns led 7-6. The Chargers got it back at their own 21 with 1:49 left in the half. Rivers was sacked and fumbled, but the Chargers retained possession. On 2nd and 19 from their own 12, Rivers threw a short pass to Benjamin that went for a 39 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 44, Rivers hit Henry for 8. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 34 with 20 seconds left, Rivers hit Melvin Gordon for 14. On 1st and goal at the 4 with 9 seconds left, Rivers threw incomplete. With 5 seconds left, Anthony Lynn played it safe. Coons hit from 22 and the Chargers led 9-7 at intermission.
In the third quarter the Chargers moved 78 yards in 10 plays. this time they finished the drive as Rivers hit Keenan Allen for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 16-7 Chargers. The Chargers got it back and moved 66 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Coons hit his fourth field goal form 27 yards out as the Chargers led 19-7 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Browns moved 58 yards in 11 plays to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 17. Yet 3 incompletions later, the Browns had to settle for a 35 yard Gonzalez field goal. With 12 minutes left in regulation the Browns were down by 9 points. The Chargers wasted a 44 yard kickoff return. On 4th and 7 from the Cleveland 35, Anthony Lynn opted to punt. The Browns moved 90 yards from their own 4 to a 1st and goal at the Chargers 6 yard line. Offensive holding soon lead to 3rd and goal at the 15 with 5 minutes left. Kizer was then sacked bu Joey Bosa, who forced and recovered the resulting fumble. Kizer threw an interception with 80s seconds left as the Browns remained winless. The 6-6 Chargers started the season 0-4 but are now tied atop the AFC West. 19-10 Chargers
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints — A pair of 8-3 teams came in to battle for the NFC South lead as the Saints offense squared off against the tough Carolina defense. The Saints moved 70 yards in 11 platys and Alvin Kamara ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. The Panthers came back 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Jonathan Stewart got in from 2 yards out for a 7-7 ballgame. The Saints took over at their own 16 in the second quarter and mark Ingram raced for a 72 yard gain. Kamara added 9 more and Ingram got the 3 yard touchdown as the Saints led 14-7. The Panthers soon had to punt on 4th and 4 from their own 31. Palardy fumbled the snap and then tried to throw a pass. This was not Garo Yepremeian but it was an incompletion and a short field. On 3rd and 5 from the Carolina 26, Drew Brees completed a pass for only 2 yards. Yet unsportsmanlike conduct on Julius Peppers kept the drive going. On 3rd and 8 from the 10, Brees hit Thomas for the touchdown to make it 21-7 midway through the second quarter.
The Saints got it back and with 4 minutes left in the half faced 2nd and 2 at their own 34. Brees hit Hill for 11 yards, but Hill fumbled and the Panthers took over at the Saints 45. On 3rd and 4 from the Saints 21, Cam Newton hit Chris McCaffrey for the score as the Saints were only down 21-14 at halftime. In the third quarter the Saints moved 67 yards. Kamara ran for a 20 yard touchdown to put the Saints up 28-14. In the fourth quarter the Panthers moved from their own 28 to a 2nd and 6 at the Saints 12. Newton threw incomplete twice. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, on Rivera went for it and a swing pass gained only 5 yards. With 9 minutes left the Saints punted on 4th and 12 at their own 5. The Panthers fumbled the punt and the Saints recovered at the Carolina 47. Will Lutz hit a 31 yard field goal with 6 minutes left to lock up the win with a 31-14 Saints lead. Newton did throw a 24 yard touchdown pass to Devon Funchess with 4 minutes left, but it was too little, too late. The Saints now have the NFC South lead. 31-21 Saints
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals — Arizona came in barely alive at 5-7 while the Rams were a very healthy 8-3. Early on it was all Rams. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein drilled a 56 yard field goal to start the scoring. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Blaine Gabbert was intercepted to set up the Rams at the Arizona 23. On 3rd and 7, Jared Goff hit cooper Kupp for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 4, a completion set up 4th and goal at the one. Sean McVay decided to go for it and Goff hit Everett for the touchdown. Zuerlein missed the extra point as the rams led 9-0. With the Rams at the Arizona 30, Goff was intercepted. Yet 3 plays later with the Cardinals facing 3rd and 9 at their own 41, Gabbert had it intercepted right back by Alexander Ogletree. Ogletree returned it 41 yards for a score to make it 16-0 Rams after the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Cardinals came back. The Cardinals moved 67 yards and held the ball for 6 minutes. Penny got in from the one to get the Cardinals within 16-7. Arizona got it back and moved 70 yards. Gabbert threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Larry Fitzgerald. The extra point was blocked but the Cardinals were only down 16-13. The Rams took over at their 20 and moved to a 2nd and 2 at the Arizona 5 with 14 seconds left in the half. Todd Gurley gained only one yard. Goff gained 2 on 3rd and 1 but 1st and goal at the 2 left only 4 seconds left. Sean McVay played it safe and Zuerlein hit from 20 to make it 19-13 Rams at the break.
Midway through the third quarter a 30 yard punt return by Cooper had the Rams starting with another short field at the Arizona 30. On 3rd and 6 Goff hit Gurley for 9 yards. Goff hit Sammy watkins for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 26-13 Rams. The Cardinals moved from their 18 to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 32. Yet a sack of Gabbert followed by 2 incompletions ended the third quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Phil Dawson nailed a 54 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 26-16. With 11 minutes left in regulation Dawson lined up for a 45 yard try to get the Cardinals within 7 points. The kick was blocked, and the Rams took over at their own 42. Goff connected with Gurley on a 33 yard completion. On 4th and 1 from the Arizona 6, Sean McVay took no chances. Zuerlein hit from 24 to put the Rams back up by 13 with 6:15 to play. Zuerlein hit one more from 41 to complete the scoring. The Rams at 9-3 still lead the NFC West. 32-16 Cardinals
New York Giants at Oakland Raiders — The Giants came in 2-9 but their only two wins came over AFC West teams. For the first time since 2004, Eli Manning was benched. After 210 straight Manning starts, Ben McAdoo decided to go with Geno Smith. The Raiders came in 5-6 and fighting for survival and without the suspended Michael Crabtree and the injured Amari Cooper. This was a battle between dumb and dumber. The Giants went 3 and out and punted. Jalen Richard fumbled the punt but the Raiders were lucky to keep the ball at their own 40. On 3rd and 1, Marshawn Lynch carried it right up the gut and broke through for a 51 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Raiders lead only 2 1/2 minutes into the game.
Late in the first quarter the Giants faced 3rd and 3 at their own 33. A neutral zone infraction gave the Giants their first 1st down of the game. On 3rd and 5 at their own 43, Smith hit Evan engram for 15 yards and again for 29 more. on 3rd and 3 at the Oakland 6, Smith hi Sam Shepard for 5 yards. As the first quarter ended, Orleans Darkwa got the last yard for a 7-7 game. The second quarter saw the Raiders soon face 3rd and 2 at the Giants 46. Lynch only gained one yard and Jack Del Rio decided to go for it. Lynch got it again and got blasted for a one yard loss. With 9 minutes left in the half the Giants faced 3rd and 5 at the Oakland 29. Smith was sacked by Bruce Irvin and fumbled. Navarro Bowman recovered it as the Silver and Black dodged a bullet on defense.
The Raiders soon faced 1st and 15 at their own 27. Carr hit Seth Roberts for an 18 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 just shy of midfield, Carr hit Cordarelle Patterson for 12 yards. On 3rd and 11 from the Giants 40, Carr hit Clive Walford for 10. Jack Del Rio again went for it on 4th and 1 and again gave it to Lynch. This time lynch banged ahead for 10 yards. Yet the drive died right there. Georgio Tavecchio hit the 39 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Raiders with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Giants went 3 and out and a perfect punt pinned the Raiders back at their own one with 1:56 left in the half. After gaining a first down, the Raiders inexplicably called a timeout rather than let the clock run down. Inside your own red zone is not the time to get aggressive and the Raiders had to punt with 49 seconds left from their own 20.
Disaster struck as Marquette King saw that his punt was about to be blocked. It was a jailbreak up the middle, and King just went down to avoid a blocked punt. The Giants took over at the Oakland 9 with 46 seconds left in the half. A neutral zone infraction moved the ball to the 4. The Raiders were trying to give the game away. Luckily for them the Giants refused to take it. Smith was sacked by Khalil Mack, who ripped the ball out of Smith’s hands for another fumble turnover. Somehow the Raiders survived to lead 10-7 at halftime.
Each team punted in the third quarter and the Raiders then moved from their own 13 to a 2nd and 6 at the Giants 37. Carr threw incomplete twice. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, JaCK del rio opted against a 55 yard field goal try and against going for it. The punt inspired nobody but King pinned the Giants back at their own 4 yard line. The Raiders got it back with excellent field position and soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 43. Carr hit Seth Roberts for 7 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 44, Carr hit Johnny Holton on a perfectly thrown slant pass. Holton had a 14 yard gain but was then stripped of the ball. The Giants recovered the fumble at their own 27. The Oakland defense held again. On the last play of the third quarter, Jalen Richard fumbled a punt return for the third time but all three times the Raiders retained possession. Oakland began the fourth quarter at their own 21 yard line.
Carr hit Cordarelle Patterson for a 19 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Giants 46, Carr hit Lynch, who juked a couple defenders and dragged the pile for a 21 yard gain. Carr then went to Johnny Holton, who somehow got both toes down on both feet inbounds for a 16 yard gain. On 1st and goal at the 9, Deandre Washington ran up the middle for the touchdown. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders had a 17-7 lead. For once they needed to finish a game against weaker opponent. The Raiders never do that. The Giants faced 3rd and 1 at their own 21. Darkwa got 2 tough yards. On 2nd and 2 from their own 31, Smith threw a short pass to Shepard for a 47 yard gain to the Oakland 22. Smith threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Engram. With 5:20 to play, the Giants were right back in down 17-14. As expected, the Raiders failed to shut the door in allowing the 88 yard drive.
From the Oakland 32, a swing pass to Patterson saw him bounce to the outside and race for a 59 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Carr fired over the middle to Holton, who got blasted at the goal line and fumbled. However, Holton broke the plane of the goal before losing the ball and the officials confirmed it was a touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Raiders led 24-14. However, they never put games away. The Giants moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Oakland 36 at the 2 minute warning. A pair of incompletions followed by a neutral zone infraction left 3rd and 5. Smith was sacked. Needing 2 scores, Ben McAdoo brought in Rosas to try a 52 yard field goal. It was good and the Giants were within 7 points.
The onside kick failed, and the Raiders took over at the Giants 48 with 1:37 to play. Yet the Giants still had 2 timeouts. Everything came down to 3rd and 1 at the Giants 39 as the Giants took their last timeout. Washington got the carry and gained 2 yards to finally end things. The Giants are 2-10 and counting the days until Ben McAdoo is fired. The Raiders have won consecutive games to get to 6-6 and a 3 way tie with Kansas City and the former team from San Diego atop the AFC West. Next week the Raiders have a division showdown at Kansas City. The Raiders have been winning in hideously ugly fashion, but Al Davis’s maxim is still true. Just win baby. 24-17 Raiders
Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks was the Sunday night game. The Eagles came in with the league’s best record at 10-1, but the 7-4 Seahawks had the 12th man rocking before kickoff. Early on the Seahawks moved 53 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. Blair Walsh hit a 46 yard field goal for a 3-0 Seahawks lead. Late in the first quarter the Seahawks took over at their own 15. Russell Wilson hit Vannett for an 18 yard gain Davis for a 23 yard gain. Defensive pass interference added 19 yards to the Philadelphia 16 and defensive holding added 5 more yards. Wilson hit JimmyGraham for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Seahawks after the first quarter. In the second quarter the Eagles had a staggering 16 play, 75 yard drive that took 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 6 from the 11, a short Carson Wentz pass gained only 3 yards. Elliott hit the 26 yard field goal to get on the board.
In the third quarter after a touchback the Eagles marched down the field and soon faced 1st and goal at the 4. On 2nd and goal at the 6, Carson Wentz ran up the middle but at the one yard line got hit and fumbled the ball through the end zone for a touchback. The Eagles thought they had tied the game but the call stood. Instead the Seahawks moved to a 3rd and 10 at the Philly 48. Wilson went deep to Doug Baldwin for a 47 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for the touchdown to make it 17-3 Seahawks. The Eagles quickly moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 3 at the Seattle 25. After Wentz threw incomplete, Doug Peterson decided to go for it. Wentz threw incomplete again.
The Eagles got it back and began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 13 at their own 16. Wentz went deep to Nelson Agholor for a 51 yard gain. Then on 3rd and 14 from the Seattle 27, Wentz went deep to Agholor again for the touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation the Eagles were only down 17-10. Seattle soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 30. Wilson found Baldwin for 10 yards. On 3rd and 8 from their own 42, Wilson ran for 6, lateraled to Davis, and saw him pick up another 17 yards. Although the lateral appeared backward, Doug Peterson refused to challenge whether it was a forward lateral. Then came a flea flicker and Wilson hit Vannett for 21 yards. Wilson then hit McKissic for a 15 yard touchdown as Seattle was back up by 14 midway through the fourth quarter.
Philadelphia moved from their own 29 to a 2nd and 6 at the Seattle 40. Wentz threw incomplete twice, and with less than 6 minutes left on 4th and 6, the Eagles went for it and Wentz threw incomplete again. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Wilson was sacked for a 12 yard loss. The Eagles got it back at with 3 1/2 minutes left. On 4th and 6 at their own 25, Wentz hit Clement for a 23 yard gain. On the next play Wentz went for it all and threw into double coverage in the end zone. He was intercepted by Byron Maxwell at the 2 minute warning to put the final nail in the coffin. Pete Carroll has an 8-4 football team only one game back in the NFC West. The Eagles at 10-2 are still 4 games up in the NFC East but are now tied atop the NFC rather than standing alone. 24-10 Seahawks
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals was the Monday night game. The 9-2 Steelers took on the 5-6 Bengals in a game where the script is always the same. The Steelers always win and the Bengals always lose. The Bengals find a way late to blow it. Always. 2 minutes into the game, Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted to set the Bengals up at the Pittsburgh 44. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 17, Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw incomplete. Randy Bullock hit the 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 15. Dalton hit Uzomah for 21 yards and the Bengals moved 85 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Dalton hit AJ Green for the touchdown as the Bengals led 10-0 after the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter the Bengals took over at their own 22. On 3rd and 16 from their own 30, Dalton hit Green for 17 yards. on 3rd and 7 from midfield, Dalton hit Boyd for 12. On 3rd and 11 from the Pittsburgh 15, Dalton hit Green for the touchdown. With only 30 seconds left in the half, the Bengals led 17-0. They would finally get the monkey off their back. Remember, these are the Bengals.
With 26 seconds to work with, the Steelers took over at their own 17. Roethlisberger hit LeVeon Bell on a short pass that picked up 33 yards. A deep ball drew a 38 yard defensive pass interference call. Chris Boswell hit a 30 yard field goal to get the Steelers within 17-3 at halftime. In the third quarter the Bengals took only one minute to go 3 and out and the Steelers took over at their own 22. Bell ran for gains of 16, 1 and 5. On 3rd and 4 at their own 44, Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for 11 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincy 39, Big Ben scrambled for just enough. 2 plays later a short pass from Big ben to Bell went for a 35 yard touchdown to get the Steelers within 17-10. Two plays after a touchback, Dalton threw a 61 yard touchdown pass to Green. Before anyone could say 24-10, offensive holding nullified the score. On 3rd and 16 from their own 33, Dalton hit LaFell for 27 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 26, a short pass from Dalton to Boyd only gained 3 yards. Bullock hit from 41. The Bengals led 20-10 after three quarters. They were finally going to exorcise the demons. Remember, these are the Bengals.
The Steelers began the fourth quarter at their own 7 yard line. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Steelers faced 4th and 1 at their own 36. Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. A stop would all but end the game. Bell gained 9 yards. On 2nd and 6 just shy of midfield, Big Ben threw deep incomplete but drew a 30 yard defensive pass interference penalty. These are the Bengals. Boswell hit from 37 as the Steelers only trailed 20-13 with 10 minutes left. Pittsburgh got it back at their own 20 with 8 minutes left. On 2nd and 5 Big Ben threw incomplete but roughing the passer added 15 yards. On 2nd and 16 from their own 34, Roethlisberger hit Brown for 24 yards and Bell for 18 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincy 19, Roethlisberger hit James for 13 yards. On the next play Roethlisberger went to Brown for a 6 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left the game was tied 20-20. The conclusion was inevitable.
The Bengals faced 3rd and 2 at their own 20. With everything on the line, Dalton was sacked for a 3 yard loss. The Steelers took their second timeout on defense. A 42 yard punt had the steelers starting at their own 41 with 2:42 to play. Bell gained 9 and 3. Roetholisberger hit Martavius Bryant for 12 and Bell for 11 more. With 4 seconds left, Boswell came in to try a 43 yard field goal to win it. The Bengals jumped offsides. Now it was only a 38 yard try. These are the Bengals. The kick was good, and the same bunch of head cases that blew the playoff game a couple years ago blew this game as well. Marvin Lewis saw his bunch of undisciplined basket cases drop to 5-7, while the Steelers at 10-2 remained tied atop the AFC. These are the Bengals. 23-20 Steelers