NFL 2017 Week 14 Recap
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons was the Thursday night game. The 9-3 Saints had a chance to expand on their one game division lead while all but wrecking things for the 7-5 Falcons. These teams are evenly matched, and this game went down to the wire as expected. In the first quarter Will Lutz hit a 34 yard field goal for the Saints and Matt Bryant answered from 28 for the Falcons for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter the Falcons moved 90 yards in 15 plays and 8 1/2 minutes. Devontae Freeman got in from the one to make it 10-3 Falcons. Yet the Saints came back 66 yards and Drew Brees hit Lewis for a 26 yard touchdown and a 10-10 deadlock at the 2 minute warning. With 14 seconds left in the half and the Falcons at the Saints 42, Matt Ryan was intercepted by Lattimore, who returned it 33 yards to the Atlanta 29. With 4 seconds left, the Saints lined up for a 47 yard field goal try for the lead. Yet an illegal formation penalty on the Saints meant a 10 second runoff and ended the half. That mistake would come back to bite the Saints.
On the first play of the third quarter from the Atlanta 24, Ryan was quickly intercepted. The Saints took over at the Atlanta 29. Brees hit Mark Ingram for 21 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Brees hit Thomas for the touchdown to make it 17-10 less than 2 minutes into the third quarter. The Falcons moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 6 at the Saints 9. Ryan threw his third interception. With 2 minutes left in the third quarter, Atlanta took over at their own 31 and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Saints 8 with 10 minutes left in regulation. This time Ryan hit Mohammed Sanu for the touchdown and again the game was tied 17-17 after the 11 play, 7 minute, 69 yard drive.
Atlanta got it back at their own 28 and Ryan hit Sanu for 22 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 7 at the Saints 47, Ryan hit Julio Jones for 14 yards. Bryant drilled a 52 yard field goal to give the Falcons the lead with 3:45 to play. The Saints moved from their 20 to a 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 24 with 1:55 left. Brees gained the 2 yards. with 90 seconds to play the Saints were at the Atlanta 11. They had plenty of time to go for the win and even a field goal would tie the game. Brees went to the end zone and was intercepted by Hill for a touchback. The Falcons almost fumbled the ball back trying to run out the clock, but were lucky enough to retain possession. Ryan took a couple knees as the Falcons got to within one game of the Saints in the topsy-turvy NFC South. 20-17 Falcons
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills — The Bills are 6-6 and fighting for playoff survival. They were at home for the game and with the elements as snow came down hard. Tyrod Taylor was out injured and in came Nathan Peterman, whose only start a few weeks ago saw him throw 5 interceptions in one half of football. For those who love the Canadian Football League, this game resembled the Grey Cup given the blizzard. Twice the Bills faced 4th down the Indy 38 but trying a 56 yard field goal in these conditions was impossible. Joe Webb came in at quarterback for one play and threw incomplete. Nathan Peterman threw incomplete on the other try. Adam Vinatieri knows hot to make big kicks in the snow, but he missed a 33 yarder in this game. On 4th and 5 from the Buffalo 32, the Colts punted. With 1:36 left in the half the Bills took over at their own 20. LeSean McCoy gained 23 yards and then ran for 25 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Indy 29, Peterman went deep to Kelvin Benjamin for a 21 yard gain. With 30 seconds left in the half, Peterman went to Benjamin for an 8 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Bills lead.
Neither team could do anything in the snow. The fourth quarter began with the Colts facing 3rd and 2 at the Colts 30. Brissett threw incomplete and Chuck Pagano decided to go for it with field goal conditions impossible. Brissett threw incomplete again.
The Colts got it back at their own 23 with 11 minutes left and had the drive of the year. On 3rd and 8, Frank Gore gained 9. On 3rd and 10 from their own 34, Brissett hit TY Hilton for just enough. On 4th and 4 from midfield, Brissett hit Hilton for 10. On 4th and 6 from the Buffalo 36, Brissett scrambled for 8 yards. The Colts held the ball for 19 plays. They moved 77 yards. They took 10 minutes off the clock. Brissett threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to Doyle. With 1:16 to play the Colts were down 7-6 and Chuck Pagano decided to go for 2. Brissett hit Doyle and the Colts erupted with an 8-7 lead. Yet it was all for naught as offensive pass interference nullified the try. Now Pagano had Adam Vinatieri try a 43 yard extra point to tie the game. Vinatieri is the king of pressure-packed kicks, winning 2 Super Bowls on the final play. He is known as the guy who hit the 45 yard field goal in the Tuck Rule blizzard game 15 years ago. This extra point try was knuckleball that started out wide and somehow curved back inside the uprights. The game was tied 7-7.
The crowd was in a state of shock, and they would get even more shocked after a touchback. Joe Webb was quickly intercepted by Clay. The Colts took over at the Buffalo 28 with 52 seconds left. A run took the clock all the way down and with 6 seconds left Vinatieri had another 43 yard try. This field goal for the win started inside and hooked outside no good. The Blizzard Bowl would be going into overtime. In the extra session the Bills moved from their own 24 to a 4th and 1 at the Indy 41, taking nearly 6 minutes to do it. Sean McVay angered the home crowd by deciding to punt and play field position. The defense held and the Bills got it back with 2:25 left. At the 2 minute warning the Bills faced 3rd and 6 at their own 39. In the snow, Webb went deep to Thompson, who somehow caught it for a 34 yard gain. With 1:39 left in overtime and Steve Hauschka warming up on the sideline, the Bills faced 3rd and 4 at the Indy 21. A 39 yard field goal try was iffy at best. Hauschka never had to find out. LeSean Shady McCoy got the carry up the middle, and with help from a great pancake block by Richie Incognito, raced to the end zone. The Bills did snow angels in the end zone as they survived to get to 7-6. It was another gut-wrenching loss for the 3-10 Colts but a thrilling winter wonderland classic football game for fans everywhere else. 13-7 Bills
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants — Eli Manning received a standing ovation by the fans, which is rare on a 2-10 team. He returned to his starting job without the fired Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese. On the first play from scrimmage the Giants fumbled, but retained possession. The Cowboys would lead a staggering 16 play, 73 yard drive that took nearly 8 minutes. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 4, a pair of Dark Prescott incompletions ended the drive. Dan Bailey returned from injury and hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. The Giants then countered with an even more mind-numbing drive. New York Giants football has always been 3 yards and a cloud of dust. They moved 62 yards in a whopping 17 plays and took 9 1/2 minutes to do it. After all of that they settled for a 39 yard Aldrick Rosas field goal for a 3-3 game. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the half the Giants took over at their own 32. From their own 44, Manning went deep to Evan Engram for a 35 yard gain. Manning threw a one yard touchdown pass to Ellison to make it 10-3 Giants just before the 2 minute warning. After a touchback, Prescott went to Terrence Williams for 10 and to Dez Bryant for 11 more. From midfield, a short pass from Prescott to Bryant went for a 50 yard touchdown as the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 10-10.
The third quarter was scoreless as the inspired Giants were smelling upset. With 8 minutes left in regulation the game was still tied as the Cowboys were facing 3rd and 2 at their own 26. Then came the play that changed the game. Prescott threw a short pass to Cole Beasley that went for a 54 yard gain. On the next play Prescott went to Jason Witten for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Cowboys. After a touchback the Giants moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Dallas 46. Manning threw incomplete and with 4:42 to play, whoever the Giants interim coach is decided to punt and trust his defense. With 4:20 to play the Cowboys were facing 3rd and 3 at their own 19. Prescott threw a short pass to Smith, who split the seams and raced for an 81 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Cowboys led 23-10. Manning was quickly intercepted, setting up Dallas at the Giants 21. On 3rd and 4 from the 15, Smith ran for the touchdown. 20 unanswered points in less than 5 minutes turned a slugfest into a blowout. The 7-6 Cowboys are still alive as Prescott finished 20 of 30 for 332 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interception. Manning finished 31 of 46 for 228 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. He will not be getting a standing ovation next week. 30-10 Cowboys
Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The 6-6 Lions faced 3rd and 3 at their own 33 after an exchange of punts. Matthew Stafford hit Theo Riddick for 27 yards, Eric Ebron for 10, and Darren Fells for 23 more down to the 2 yard line. Theo Riddick got in to make it 7-0 Lions. The Buccaneers came back 75 yards in 14 plays and 5 minutes. Muscle Hamster Doug Martin got in from the one to make it 7-7. In the second quarter Jameis Winston was intercepted, setting up the Lions at the Tampa Bay 46. On 3rd and 4, Stafford hit Ebron for 7. On 2nd and 20 from the Tampa baY 43, Stafford went deep to Marvin Jones for a 38 yard gain. On the next play Stafford hit Golden Tate for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Lions. In the third quarter Winston was intercepted, but the defense held. On the next series Winston was sacked and fumbled. setting up the Lions just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 11, Stafford went to Jones for 17 yards. On 2nd and 8 from the Tampa 33, Stafford threw incomplete but roughing the passer moved the ball forward. On the next play Riddick ran for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Lions.
The Buccaneers moved 75 yards in 10 plays. One minute into the fourth quarter on 3rd and goal at the 2, Winston threw
a touchdown pass to OJ Howard to get the Buccaneers within 21-14. The Bucs got it back at their own 28 with 10 minutes left and moved quickly. On 3rd and 10 from their own 42, Winston went deep incomplete but a defensive pass interference call meant a 40 yard gain. Barber ran for a 16 yard gain down to the 2. On the next play Winston hit Wester for the touchdown. with 8 minutes to play the Buccaneers had come back to tie the game 21-21. Each team held on defense and the Lions took over at their own 23 with 3 minutes left. Stafford hit Ebron for 9 and Riddick for 18 to midfield at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 2 from the Tampa 42, Stafford hit Kenny Golladay for 6. After a false start pushed them out of field goal range, Stafford hit Golden Tate for 14 yards. With 25 seconds left Matt Prater came in for a 46 yard field goal try to win it for the Lions. The kick was good as Detroit got to 7-6 to keep their playoff hopes alive while the Buccaneers and to eat another loss. Winston was 26 of 38 for 285 yards and 2 touchdowns while Stafford was 36 of 44 for 381 yards and one touchdown. Each quarterback was intercepted twice. Jim Caldwell was so pleased with the win that he almost made a facial expression. 24-21 Lions
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs — This showdown of 6-6 teams was fir first place in the AFC West. Things could not have started worse for the Raiders as they went 3 and out and a terrible punt had the Chiefs taking over at their own 42. That was enough for Harrison Butker to hit a 53 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. After a touchback, Marshawn Lynch banged over defenders for a 27 yard run. Yet on 3rd and 4 at the Chiefs 41, Derek Carr threw deep to nobody and the Raiders punted. the Chiefs took over at their own 14 and the Oakland defense returned to its inept ways. The entire world knows Alex Smith will throw short passes but the defense lost interest in making tackles. A short pass to Harris gained 25 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 1 from the Oakland 41, Smith gained 2 yards. On 3rd and 16 from the Oakland 45, Smith hit Tyreeq Hill for 18 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Oakland 28, Smith only gained 6 but defensive holding on Navarro Bowman kept the drive going. A short pass from Smith to Travis Kelce followed by terrible attempts at tackling went for a 16 yard touchdown on the last play of the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter out of the shotgun, Kareem Hunt ran for a one yard touchdown and a 10-0 Chiefs lead to cap the 14 play, 86 yard, 7 minute drive.
The Raiders had no interest in making a competitive game out of it as they quickly went 3 and out. From their own 37, Smith went deep to Wilson for a 36 yard gain. Despite 2nd and 5 at the Oakland 11, a pair of Smith incompletions meant a 29 yard Butker field goal to make it 13-0 Chiefs. After a touchback the Raiders moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Chiefs 33. A pitchout to Deandre Washington gained 9 yards, but Amari cooper had his leg rolled on and was taken off the field injured in a cart. On the next play Carr got drilled as he threw and the duck was intercepted. On 3rd and 1 from their own 33, Smith hit Kelce for 8 yards and then went deep to Hill for a 44 yard gain. A 10 yard touchdown pass to Kelce was nullified by an ineligible man downfield. Butker hit a 33 yard field goal as the Chiefs led 16-0 at halftime.
In the third quarter the Chiefs after a touchback saw Smith hit Kelce for 20. Butker hit his fourth field goal from 40 yards out as the Chiefs led 19-0 in a game that should have been cancelled at that point. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, Smith threw incomplete on 3rd and 5 and the Chiefs finally had to punt for the first time. On the first play from scrimmage the Raiders fumbled the ball away. On the next play from scrimmage Alex Smith threw it right back for an interception. It didn’t matter as the Raiders punted on 4th and 14 at their own 5. Hill returned the punt 13 yards and the Chiefs took over at the Oakland 38. Hunt ran for 7 and 17 and West ran for a 13 yard touchdown as the Chiefs took a 26-0 lead with smith not even raising his arm to throw a pass.
After over 3 quarters of miserable football, the Raiders tried to make the finals core look respectable. They moved 67 yards and got a garbage touchdown with a 22 yard run up the middle by Lynch in a garbage season to avoid the shutout with 9 minutes left. They even recovered the onside kick at the Chiefs 43. On 4th and 7 from the Chiefs 29, Carr went deep to Jared Cook for the touchdown. Carr hit Crabtree for the 2 point conversion as the Raiders were within 11 points midway through the fourth quarter. The even got a stop on defense and got the ball back at their own 12 with 2:12 to play and one timeout plus the 2 minute warning. With 46 seconds left the Raiders had 2nd and 5 at the Chiefs 38. Needing 2 scores, a 56 yard field goal try was not the wisest move. Carr went to the end zone for Crabtree. In a season gone wrong, it bounced off of his hands and was intercepted. The Chiefs got to 7-6 and the Raiders dropped to 6-7. The Raiders lose virtually every tie-breaker in the AFC and are all but done from a playoff standpoint. The Chiefs came into this game 1-6 in their previous 7 games, but were lucky enough to be playing the Raiders, who cannot seem to beat anyone except the league’s worst teams with backup quarterbacks, and only at home. 26-15 Chiefs
San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans — Fairbairn drilled a 55 yard field goal to give the Texans the 3-0 lead. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the half Robbie Gould hit a 52 yarder to tie the game 3-3. After that both offense picked up. The 49ers got it back at their own 32. Jimmy Garoppollo went deep to Juszczyk for a 29 yard gain and back to Juszczyk for 31 more yards. Carlos Hyde got the last 2 yards to make it 10-3 49ers with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. At the 2 minutes warning the Texans faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. TJ Yates was in for Tom Savage, and Yates gained 15 yards. On /3rd and 10 from the Houston 46, Yates hit Deandre Hopkins for 15 yards. From the Frisco 32, Yates hit Hopkins for a 25 yard gain and then again for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 10-9 with one minute left. The extra point was no good. From the frisco 21, Hyde ran for a 31 yard gain and Garoppollo hit Robinson for 18 more. Gould hit a 35 yarder to end the half as the 49ers took a 13-9 lead into the locker rooms.
In the third quarter the Texans moved 75 yards quickly as Yates threw a 29 yard touchdown pass to Hopkins to make it 16-13 Texans. After a touchback, the 49ers moved to a 1st and goal at the 7. Groppollo threw 3 incompletions and the 49ers settled for a 25 yard Gould field goal for a 16-16 tie. The 49ers got it back and soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 19. A short pass from Garoppollo to Greg Celek went for 61 yards. On 1st and 20 from the Houston 24, Garoppollo went to Bourne for 18 and to Celek for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 23-16 49ers with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. With 6 minutes left from the Houston 21, a short completion from Yates to Hopkins was fumbled and the 49ers recovered at the Houston 32. With 4 minutes left Gould came in for a 41 yard try to put the game away. He was the hero last week with 5 field goals and this week he made 4 more. The kick was good and the 49ers are slowly building something. 26-16 Texans
Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns — The 6-6 Packers are trying to survive until Aaron Rodgers returns. Playing the winless Browns helps. The Packers took over at their own 26. They lined up to punt on 4th and 2 from their own 46, but Mike McCarthy alley a fake. Whitehead gained 7 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 38, Brett Hundley threw incomplete. McCarthy went for it and this time Hundley hit Randall Cobb for 8 yards. Hundley then threw a 30 yard touchdown pass to Williams to make it 7-0 Packers. The Browns finally got Josh Brown back after a 4 year suspension last week. From the Cleveland 16, DeShone Kizer went deep to Gordon for a 38 yard gain and again for an 18 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. In the second quarter the Browns faced 2nd and 18 at their own 22. Kizer found Coleman for 20 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 37, Kizer hit Gordon for 13 yards. On 3rd and 11 from the Green Bay 25, Kizer went to Coleman for 18 and to Johnson for the 7 yard touchdown as the Browns led 14-7 at halftime.
In the third quarter the Packers moved from their 19 to a 3rd and 1 at the Cleveland 10. A run got stopped and Mike McCarthy went for it. On 4th and 1 Hundley kept it himself and got stopped. From the cleveland 12, Isaiah Crowell ran for an 18 yard gain. Kozer hit Johnson for 15 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Packers 43, Crowell ran for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Kizer Coleman for the touchdown. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, the Browns had a 21-7 lead. The Cleveland Browns led 21-7 after 3 quarters. To describe the ending would be sickening for those who root for underdogs.
After a touchback the Packers moved 75 yards in 13 plays and 5 minutes. After getting stopped twice, on 3rd and goal at the one Williams got in the end zone. The Packers were within 21-14 with 13 minutes left in regulation. Cleveland took over at their own 20 and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 43. Crowell only got one yard and the Browns punted. The Browns held on defense and after a touchback soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 37. The Packers only had one timeout left. A first down would move the Browns ultra-close to that first win. Kizer fired to Njoku for a 7 yard gain and the Dawg Pound erupted in celebration. Mike McCarthy challenged the catch, risking his last timeout and all but guaranteeing a Cleveland win if the challenge failed. Yet officials reversed the call to an incompletion, and the Browns had to punt.
Dustin Colquitt boomed 53 yard punt to the Green Bay 10, but Davis returned it 65 yards to the Cleveland 25. These are the Browns. At the 2 minute warning on 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 16, HUndley gained 2. With 36 seconds left the Packers faced 3rd and 2 at the 6. Hundley gained 5 yards to the one. The rest was inevitable as Hundley hit Devontae Adams for the touchdown. Mike McCarthy took no chances and went with the extra point. The kick as good. For over 59 1/2 minutes the Browns had the lead. Now the game was going into overtime tied 21-21. Cleveland got the ball first in overtime and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Kizer went back to pass, retreating further and further back. He then made the boneheaded decision to try and throw across his body with a guy bearing down on him. He got hit as he threw and the ball went straight up into the air, the shortest Hail Mary in years. It was intercepted as the Packers took over at the Cleveland 42. On 3rd and 2, Hundley hit Adams for 8 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 25, a short pass from Hundley to Adams went all the way for the touchdown. 20 unanswered points got the Packers to 7-6 and sent the Browns reeling to 0-13 one year after starting 0-14. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam fired Sashi Brown after last week’s loss but insisted Hue Jackson would be returning in 2018. John McKay’s Bucs started 0-26 but then won 2 straight. So Hue Jackson going 1-27 before this game was worse. Now he is 1-28, even worse than the last 2 seasons of the Jets under Rich Kotite. For the second straight week, the Packers won on an overtime touchdown. 27-21 Packers, OT
Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals — The 5-7 Bengals are a bunch of undisciplined head cases, and they began with a punt and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to set up Chicago just shy of midfield. Howard ran for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 6-0 Bears. The extra point doinked of the upright no good. The Bengals came back 72 yard and Red Rifle Andy Dalton hit Brandon LaFell for a 14 yard touchdown and a 7-6 Bengals lead. The Bears moved 73 yards in 10 plays. A 15 yard touchdown pass by Mitchell Trubisky was nullified by an illegal block on the offense. The Bears settled for a 34 yard Mike Nugent field goal in the second quarter made it 9-7 Bears. Chicago got it back at their own 5, moved back to their 3, and Trubisky hit Shaheen for an 18 yard gain. Chicago held the ball for over 8 minutes and moved 86 yards in 15 plays. Despite 2nd and 1 at the Cincy 9, a run went nowhere and Trubisky then threw incomplete. On 4th and 1 on the road with nothing to lose, John Fox went with the field goal. Nugent hit from 27 to make it 12-7 Bears.
In the third quarter The Bears took over at their own 24. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincy 42, Trubisky hit Wright for 9 and Sims for 19 more. Trubisky ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 19-7 Bears. The Bengals then faced 3rd and 7 at their own 36. Dalton was intercepted, setting up the Bears at the Cincy 43. Howard gained 14, 4, and 14 again. On 3rd and 1 at the Cincy 2 to start the fourth quarter, Trubisky threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Trubisky hit Shaeen for the score to make it 26-7 Bears. Chicago got it back and moved 80 yards. Howard ran for an 8 yard touchdown as a close first half turned into a blowout. John Fox has seen his team improve and may keep his job in 2018. Marvin Lewis may be at the end of the line after 16 seasons in Cincinnati as the Bengals fell to 5-8 and cannot stop getting killer defensive penalties. Trubiski was a solid 25 of 32 for 271 yards without an interception. Dalton was a horrendous 14 of 29 for 141 yards and one interception. Each quarterback threw one touchdown pass. 33-7 Bears
Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers — The 10-2 Vikings took on the 8-4 Panthers. Case Keenum went deep and was intercepted. Stewart then ran for a 60 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Vikings came back 75 yards in 10 plays and Keenum hit Kyle Rudolph for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. Carolina came back 89 yards in 14 plays and over 7 minutes of clock. Facing 3rd and 16 at their own 23, a short pass only gained 5 yards but a defensive facemask kept the drive going. On 2nd and 6 from the Minnesota 27, Cam Newton went deep to Devon Funchess for a 22 yard gain. The second quarter began with the Panthers facing 3rd and goal t the one. Stewart got in to make it 14-7 Panthers. Minnesota would move from their 26 to a 3rd and 7 at the Carolina 16. A short pass from Keenum to Adam Thielen only gained 4 yards. Kai Forbath hit the 30 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 14-10 with 5 minutes left in the half. Minnesota got it back at their own 32 with 2 1/2 minutes left and moved to a 1st and goal at the 4 with 25 seconds left. After a pair of incompletions, Keenum went to Thielen for the touchdown. Yet on further review, officials reversed that to an incompletion as well. Forbath hit the 22 yarder to get the Vikings within 14-13 at the break.
In the third quarter the Panthers moved 75 yards in 10 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Newton hit Funchess for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 21-13 Panthers. Disaster immediately struck after a touchback. Keenum was hit and fumbled and Mike Adams recovered to set up the Panthers at the Minnesota 31. The defense held but Graham Gano hit a critical 41 yard field goal to make it 24-13 Panthers midway through the third quarter. A punt would pin the Panthers back at their own 2 yard line, and a 29 yard punt return had the Vikings starting the fourth quarter at the Carolina 30. Yet a sack of Keenum meant 4th and 16. Mike dimmer had Forbath try a 54 yard field goal, and the kick was no good. Minnesota got it back and moved from their 13 to a 2nd and 7 at the CAROLINA 26. keen was then intercepted with 9 minutes left.
Zimmer’s defense again held and the Vikings got it back at their own 27 midway through the fourth quarter. From the Minnesota 48, a short pass from Keenum to Adam Thielen saw Thielen get through everybody for a 52 yard touchdown. Keenum hit Bell for the 2 point try. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Vikings were only down 24-21. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. A short pass by Newton was intercepted by Sandejo, who returned it 34 yards to the Carolina 6 yard line. It looked like Newton had totally blown the game. This time it was Ron Rivera’s defense that came up big. A run went nowhere and after a Keenum incompletion, he was sacked. Forbath hit the 27 yard field goal. With 3 minutes left the game was tied 24-24.
Newton was the goat of the moment, but at the very same spot he became the hero. On 2nd and 5 from the Carolina 30, a perfectly executed fake handoff so Newton himself run for a 62 yard gain to the Carolina 8. On 3rd and goal at the one, Stewart got in to put the Panthers back up by 7. Minnesota took over at their own 22 with 1:41 left. Keenum was sacked, and then threw 3 straight incompletions. Minnesota fell to 10-3 but is still firmly in command of the NFC North. The loss stopped their streak of 8 straight wins. The Panthers got to 9-4 and again tied for the NFC South lead. A rematch of this game in the playoffs would be well worth the price of admission. 31-24 Panthers
Washington Redskins at Los Angeles Chargers — The Chargers entered the day 6-6 in a 3 way tie atop the AFC Worst division. The Chargers started out moving 60 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. They settled for a 33 yard Travis Coons field goal to lead 3-0. The Chargers got it back at their own 8 yard line and moved 92 yards in 10 plays. Philip Rivers hit Henry for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Chargers. After a touchback, Kirk Cousins was immediately intercepted to set up the Chargers at the Washington 29. On 3rd and goal at the 3 Rivers threw incomplete, but Coons hit the 21 yarder to make it 13-0 Chargers. In the second quarter the Redskins moved 77 yards. Cousins hit Vernon Davis for a 23 yard touchdown. The extra point failed but the Redskins were only down 13-6. After that reality set in. On the very next play after a touchback, Rivers went to Williams for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 20-6 only 11 seconds after the Redskins scored. Coons would add a 36 yard field goal as the Chargers were winning a laugher 23-6 at the break. The second half was a formality. A 55 yard third quarter drive ended with Melvin Gordon running for a one yard touchdown to make it 30-6 Chargers. In the fourth quarter Rivers did have a pass intercepted and returned 96 yards for a touchdown by Breeland, but a 17 point loss is not much better than a 31 point loss. After starting 0-4 the Chargers have rocketed upward going 7-2 since to be tied atop the AFC West. 30-13 Chargers
New York Jets at Denver Broncos — The Jets came in a desperate 5-7 while the Broncos had lost 8 straight and were eliminated weeks ago. It was all Denver. They moved 62 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. Brandon McManus hit a 31 yard field goal to start the scoring.The Jets quickly faced 3rd and 11 at their own 24. Josh McCown was sacked and fumbled, the set the Broncos up at the Jets 20. Trevor Siemian went deep to Denarius Thomas for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Broncos. Denver added a 53 yard McManus field goal in the second quarter to lead 13-0 at the break. In the third quarter Denver moved 68 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Janovich got the final yard to make it 20-0 Broncos. McManus added a 40 yard field goal in the fourth quarter to complete the shutout as Denver finally got a win and knocked the Jets to the brink of playoff elimination. They also knocked out McCown with a broken hand as Bryce Petty finished the game. 23-0 Broncos
Tennessee Titans at Arizona Cardinals — Tennessee came in 8-4 against a Cardinals team not going anywhere but home. Yet Arizona hung tough for much of the game. After a scoreless first quarter, a short 33 yard Arizona punt had the Titans starting at midfield. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 41, Derrick Henry got the yard. On 3rd and 9 from the Arizona 25, Marcus Mariota hit Eric Decker for 11 yards. Henry ran for the 6 yard touchdown as the Titans led 7-0 at halftime. In the third quarter Phil Dawson hit a 47 yard field goal as the Cardinals only trailed 7-3. Midway through the third quarter Mike Mularkey gambled on a fake punt with the Titans facing 4th and 1 at their own 35. Seems to the direct snap and got nailed. Initially it was called a first down but Bruce Arians challenged the spot and it was reversed to a turnover on downs. The Cardinals had 3rd and 1 at the Tennessee 3, but a run up the middle lost 2 yards. Dawson hit the 23 yarder as the Cardinals trailed 7-6. The Titans moved from their own 28 to the Arizona 27. Mariota went over the middle and was intercepted by Williams. The Cardinals moved from their own 16 to a 3rd and 4 at the Tennessee 22. After Blaine Gabbert threw incomplete, old reliable Dawson came in for the 40 yarder to give the Cardinals the lead with 12 minutes left in regulation. This time Dawson was no good.
It was deja vu all over again as the Cardinals got it back at their own 15 and moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Tennessee 14. A run went nowhere and Gabbert threw incomplete. This time from 32 yards, Dawson was good and the Cardinals led 9-7 with 6 minutes left in the game. On the next play after a touchback, Mariota was quickly intercepted again. with unnecessary roughness tacked on, the Cardinals had 1st and goal at the 7 with a golden opportunity to slam the door shut. The only thing that got slammed was Gabbert for a sack. Dawson hit the 35 yard field goal as the Cardinals led by 5 with 3:50 to play. A sack of Mariota left the Titans facing 4th and 18 at their own 29 with 2:11 to play. Mike Mularkey decided to punt and trust his defense since Tennessee had all 3 timeouts. On 3rd and 8 from their own 27, Gabbert was sacked. The Titans got it back at their own 22 with 0 timeouts. Mariota threw 4 straight incompletions and the Titans were done. The loss dropped them to 8-5, in strong position for a wildcard but one game out of the division lead. The 6-7 Cardinals are still mathematically alive. 12-7 Cardinals
Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams — Division leaders came in for a key NFC battle as the 10-2 Eagles took on the 9-3 Rams. It was the first meeting between the top 2 picks in the 2016 Draft, as Jared Goff went one spot before Carson Wentz. On the 3rd play of the game with the Eagles facing 3rd and 5 at their own 30, Wentz was intercepted by Webster to set the Rams up at the Philly 37. Todd Gurley ran for a 30 yard gain and then a 2 yard touchdown as the Rams led 7-0 less than 2 minutes into the game. After that the Eagles exploded. After a touchback, Wentz hit Clement for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Rams 40, Jay Ajayi gained 9. Wentz hit Alshon Jeffery for 15 more. Wentz hit Captain Morgan Brent Celek for a 5 yard touchdown to make it a 7-7 ballgame. The Eagles got it back at their own 12 and moved 88 yards in 11 plays. Wentz hit Burton for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Eagles. In the second quarter it was deja vu all over again as the Eagles moved 80 yards in 11 plays. Wentz went to Burton on 3rd and 8 for an 11 yard score as 21 unanswered points had the Eagles up 21-7. That drive was helped along by Doug Peterson deciding to go for it on 4th and 1 at the Rams 31. Wentz hit Nelson Agholor for 18 yards.
The Rams soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25 when a short pass from Goff to Cooper Kupp gained 64 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the 6, Goff hit Cupp for the touchdown as the Rams were within 21-14. Late in the half with the Rams facing 3rd and 3 at their own 25, a short Goff completion gained just enough. Doug Peterson challenged the spot and it was reversed to 4th and 1 at the 2 minute warning. The Rams punted and the Eagles took over at their own 16 with 1:49 left. On 3rd and 11 at their own 30, Wentz went deep to Smith for a 46 yard gain. with 23 seconds left the Eagles had 2nd and goal at the 4, but Wentz threw incomplete twice. Elliott hit the 22 yard field goal as the Eagles led 24-14 at break time.
In the third quarter the Rams took over at their own 29. Gurley ran for 17 and 5 and caught a pass for 20 more. Goff then went to Kupp for 23 yards. Goff threw a 1 yard touchdown pass to Watkins as the Rams got within 24-21. The Eagles quickly went 3 and out as Went threw incomplete with the Eagles facing 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Jones’s punt was blocked by Thomas and recovered by Countess, who returned it 16 yards for a touchdown as the Rams now had the 28-24 lead. After a touchback, momentum shifted again as the Eagles moved to a 3rd and 7 at their own 42. Wentz went deep to Worry Smith for a 24 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the Rams 33, Wentz threw incomplete. Yet a mindless unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the defense for taunting after the play was the difference between a 51 yard field goal try and 1st and 10 at the Rams 18. On 3rd and 3 from the 11, Wentz hit Agholor for 6 with unnecessary roughness meaning 1st and goal at the 2. A touchdown run by Wentz was nullified by offensive holding. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Wentz threw incomplete. With 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Doug Peterson went big and bold and decided to go for it. With all kinds of time, Wentz saw a man right in his face and threw a pass over the middle that was somehow snared by Jeffery for the score. Jeffery somehow got his fingertips to keep it from hitting the ground as the Eagles led 31-28 in this thrilling football game. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Wentz was knocked out of the game with a knee injury and did not play the fourth quarter.
After a touchback Gurley ran for a 21 yard gain and Goff hit Reynolds and Watkins for a pair of 15 yard completions. The fourth quarter began with Gurley running for a 4 yards, then 8 yards, and then the one yard touchdown to make it 35-31 Rams. Nick Foles was one a phenom for the Eagles. Now he is the backup. From his own 20, he fumbled his first snap, piked it up, and gained 14 yards. The Eagles moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 25, but a pair of incompletions followed by a 2 yard pass and the Eagles settling for a 41 yard field goal try. Elliott was good and the Eagles trailed 35-34 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Rams took over at their 20. from their own 35, Goff was sacked and fumbled. The Eagles took over at the Rams 25. Elliott hit a 54 yard field goal but a leverage penalty on the Rams had Doug Peterson take the points off the board. They would settle for a 33 yard Elliott field goal anyway. They Eagles led by 2 but the Rams had less than 4 minutes to work with instead of 6 minutes. With zero urgency, a pair of runs did nothing as 90 seconds ticked off the clock. Goff threw incomplete on 3rd and 10. Sean McVay decided to punt and trust his defense.
The Eagles took over at their own 21 with 2:02 to play. On 3rd and 8, Foles hit Agholor for a key 10 yard gain. The Eagles took the clock down to 7 seconds. On fourth down, Doug Peterson decided to punt from the Philly 37 rather than have Foles run around and use up the time. The Rams called a fair catch with one second left at their own 24. The hook and laterals play saw one of the laterals taken in the air by the defense and returned 20 yards for a touchdown. The Eagles got to 11-2 and the Rams fell to 9-4 but still one game up in the NFC West. Goff finished 16 of 26 for 208 yards and 2 touchdown without an interception. Wentz went 23 of 41 for 291 yards, 4 touchdowns, and the one early interception in only 3 quarters of work. A rematch between these teams with Goff and Wentz at the helm would be a fine playoff option, but it will not be happening. After the game it was announced that Wentz tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. They will have to try and win it all with Foles. 43-35 Eagles
Seattle Seahawks at Jacksonville Jaguars — Both teams came in 8-4 and are winning in opposite ways. Russell Wilson is carrying Seattle and their injury-riddled defense. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have a tough defense known as Sacksonville. The first half was all defense. Josh Lambo hit a 38 yard first quarter field goal as the Jaguars led 3-0 at halftime. Things went crazy in the third quarter. On the second play of the second half with the Seahawks facing 2nd and 20 at their own 15, Wilson was intercepted to set the Jaguars up at the Seahawks 42. Blake Bortles hit Marques Lee for 13 yards and Westbrook for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Jaguars. After a touchback the Seahawks soon faced 2nd and 12 at their own 45. Wilson went deep to Doug Baldwin for a 43 yard gain. Yet despite 2nd and 8 from the 10, Wilson threw incomplete twice. Blair Walsh hit the 28 yard field goal to get the Seahawks on the board. The Jaguars fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Seahawks recovered at the Jacksonville 25. Wilson went deep to Baldwin for a 26 yard touchdown. 2 scores in less than 60 seconds meant a 10-10 ballgame.
Then things got even wilder. On the very next play from scrimmage after a touchback, Bortles went deep to Cole for a 75 yard touchdown. 14 seconds after the game was tied, the Jaguars were back up 17-10. Seattle quickly went 3 and out when on 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Wilson was sacked. The Seahawks had to punt, and Mickens returned it 72 yards to the Seattle one yard line. Leonard Fournette got in as the Jaguars led 24-10. Jacksonville got it back and held the ball for 7 1/2 minutes and moved 65 yards in 13 plays. Lambo drilled a 51 yard field goal as the Jaguars had a commanding 27-10 lead with 10 minutes left in regulation. Then things got wild and crazy in the other direction in this game of big plays.
16 seconds after the Jaguars upped their lead to 17 points, Wilson went deep to Paul Richardson for a 61 yard touchdown bomb to get the Seahawks within 27-17. The Jaguars moved 54 yards into the red zone. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 13, Fournette lost a yard. The Jaguars settled for a 32 yard Lambo field goal to lead 30-17 with 4 minutes left. Less than 30 seconds later Seattle was in the end zone again. On 2nd and 5 from their own 26, Wilson went bombs away to Tyler Lockett for a 74 yard touchdown. the Seahawks were within 6 points. with a full 3 1/2 minutes to play. On 3rd and 13 from their own 22 after a false start, a runny gained 3 yards. Seattle got it back at their own 42 with 2 1/2 minutes to play and 2 timeouts plus the 2 minute warning. With 2:17 left and the Seahawks facing 4th and 9 at their own 43, Pete Carroll decided to go for it. Under heavy pressure Wilson threw deep incomplete. On 3rd and 11, the Seahawks were one stop from getting the ball back. Fournette ran off tackle for a 14 yard gain and Seattle was done. The Seahawks at 8-5 are still in contention for the wildcard while Jacksonville at 9-4 is now one game up in the AFC South. Captain Grumpy Tom Coughlin was so pleased with the win that he almost smiled. 30-24 Jaguars
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday night game. The 7-5 Ravens were in the playoff hunt but had to go on the road to face the 10-2 Steelers, who were recovering from a brutal game with Cincinnati. Ryan Shazier was severely injured in that game. His spinal nerve was hit and he may never play football again. Steelers wore decals with his number 50 on it as a tribute to him. The Steelers were also without Juju Smith-Schuster, suspended one game for his hit on Vontaze Burfect. The Ravens moved from Their own 17 to a 3rd and 4 at the Pittsburgh 30. How Flacco went deep and was intercepted by Davis at the 6 yard line. Davis returned the interception 35 yards as the Steelers took over at their own 41. On 3rd and 2 just shy of midfield, LeVeon Bell gained 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 29, Bell gained 9. A short pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Bell went for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Steelers. In the second quarter the Steelers moved 90 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. On 3rd and 3 from the Baltimore 34, Big Ben went to Antonio Brown for a 28 yard gain. From the 11, defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Bell got in to make it 14-0 Steelers.
Baltimore soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 30. Alex Collins gained 9 yards. Flacco hit Allen for 20 yards. Flacco then went deep to Moore for a 30 yard touchdown to get the Ravens within 14-7. Pittsburgh quickly faced 3rd and 4 at their own 18. Big Ben hit Rogers for 8 yards. On 2nd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 30, Big Ben went deep to Brown for a 43 yard gain. A sack of Roethlisberger ended the drive but Chris Boswell hit a 52 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Steelers. Baltimore took over at their own 15. Flacco hit Mike Wallace for 18 yards and Collins for 37 more. Collins ran for an 18 yard touchdown at the 2 minute warning to get the Ravens within 17-14. Pittsburgh took over after a touchback. With 46 seconds left the Steelers faced 3rd and 15 at their own 41. Roethlisberger went to Rogers for 16 yard and to McDonald for 18 more. That was enough for Boswell to hit from 43 to end the half with the Steelers holding a 20-14 lead.
In the third quarter the Ravens faced 2nd and 8 at their own 27. Flacco went deep to Wallace for a 40 yard gain. The drive stalled but Justin Tucker hit a 47 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 20-17. Baltimore got it back at their own 40. Collins ran for 9 and Flacco went to Jeremy Maclin for 19 more. Flacco hit Allen for 12 and Collins ran for 17 yards down to the one. Allen crashed in up the middle to put the Ravens up 24-20 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Baltimore got it back at their own 26 and Collins ran for a 21 yard gain with 15 more tacked on for defensive late hit out of bounds. Flacco went deep and drew defensive pass interference for a 31 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 6. Flacco hit Ricard for the touchdown.In front of a shocked home crowd, the Ravens led 31-20 with less than 3 minutes left in the third quarter.
Pittsburgh took over at their own 14 and moved all the way to a 2nd and 5 at the Baltimore 6. Roethilsberger threw incomplete twice. Needing 2 scores, Mike Tomlin opted for the field goal. Boswell hit from 24 to get the Steelers within 31-23 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Pittsburgh got it back and quickly faced 3rd and 10 at their own 33. A short pass to Roethlisberger went for a 57 yard gain. Defensive pass interference put the ball on the one with 9 1/2 minutes left. Roethlisberger looked around, bought time, and threw across his body to Nix for the touchdown. On the 2 point try Big Ben threw a fade to the corner that was incomplete, but defensive pass interference gave the Steelers another try from the one. Bell went laterally and got stopped as the Steelers trailed 31-29.
A strong kickoff return had the Ravens starting at their own 44. On the next play a personal foul on the defense for picking up a receiver and slamming him to the ground moved the Ravens 15 yards to the Pittsburgh 41. On the next play a run lost 4 yards. On 2nd and 14, defensive pass interference added 20 yards as tempers were flaring after every play. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 17, Collins gained 9 and Allen ran for the 8 yard touchdown. The critical extra point was good as the Ravens led 38-29 wit 6:44 to play. Pittsburgh took over at their own 32. On 2nd and 5 Roethlisberger went to Brown for gains of 22 and 11 and to Bell for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 11, Bell appeared stopped but evaded tacklers and somehow made it all the way to the end zone. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Steelers were within 38-36.
The Steelers had all 3 timeouts as the Ravens faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Flacco fired over the middle on a pass that was deflected in the air incomplete. The Steelers got it back at their own 17 yard line with 2 1/2 minutes left and all 3 timeouts needing only a field goal to win it. Big Ben got sacked by Terrell Suggs for a 9 yard loss as a short pass had the Steelers facing 3rd and 14 at the 2 minute warning. Roethlisberger fired to James for a 17 yard gain. On 3rd and 5, Roethlisberger went deep to Brown for a 35 yard gain. Although Brown got out of bounds at the Baltimore 30, the Steelers were forced to take a timeout anyway with one minute left. They were already in field goal range, so after a safe run Baltimore took their second timeout on defense. Under heavy pressure Roethlisberger threw a a pair of off balance passes that Pittsburgh was lucky to see fall incomplete. With 46 seconds left, Boswell lined up for a 46 yard field goal to give the Steelers the lead. The kick was good and the Steelers were up by a point.
After a touchback Baltimore had 42 seconds, one timeout, and Justin Tucker’s cannon of a leg. Flacco threw over the middle to Maclin, and he got blasted, forcing the Ravens to take their last timeout. Flacco hit Wallace for 14 yards and then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 21 seconds left. Flacco went deep to Maclin, who could not get both feet down inbounds. On 3rd and 10 with 16 seconds left. Flacco scrambled, was hit and fumbled, and was lucky that the ball went out of bounds. With 7 seconds left, the Ravens were prepared to line up for a final 4th down Hail Mary. However, the officials ruled that the sack of Flacco kept the clock going and the game was over. This was a wild one. The Steelers clinched the AFC North at 11-2 while the Ravens at 7-6 are fighting for their playoff lives. Both quarterbacks threw 2 touchdown passes with Flacco throwing one interception and Roethlisberger one. Flacco finished 20 of 35 for 269 while Roethlisberger had a game for the ages. He set a franchise record by throwing 66 passes, completing 44 of them for a ridiculous 506 yards. Antonio Brown had 11 catches for 213 yards. The Steelers went up by 14, got outscored 31-6 to trail by 11, got within 2, trailed by 9, and scored the final 10 in a game for the ages. 39-38 Steelers
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins was the Monday night game. The Patriots are always better than the Dolphins. Almost every year the Patriots are winners and the Dolphins are losers. Yet for some reason Tom Brady frequently has his worst games at Miami. This year the Patriots came in 10-2 and AFC East champions again while the Dolphins were 5-7 and on the brink of playoff elimination again. In the first quarter the Dolphins moved 69 yards in 13 plays and 6 minutes, getting a 30 yard field goal from Cody Parkey to start the scoring. Brady was then immediately intercepted, setting the Dolphins up at their own 40. Parkey hit a 44 yard field goal as the Dolphins led 6-0 after the first quarter. In the second quarter the Patriots took over just shy of midfield. On 2nd and 7, Brady went to Dion Lewis for a 20 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 23, defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the 3. Ronny Burkhead ran it in from there to make it 7-6 Patriots with 6 1/2 minutes left in the half. Yet after that, the Dolphins took over.
From the Miami 20, Jay Cutler went to Anthony Fasano for 17 yards and deep to Kenyon Drake for a 47 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the New England 13, Cutler went to Drake for 8 yards and to Jarvis Landry for a 5 yard touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the half the Dolphins had a 13-7 lead. After a touchback the Patriots moved to a 3rd and 3 from the Miami 29 with 46 seconds left. A short pass gained only one yard, so Bill Belichick let the clock tick down to 6 seconds. Stephen Gostkowski hit the 46 yard field goal as the Patriots trailed 13-10 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Patriots quickly faced 3rd and 16 at their own 14. Brady was intercepted by Howard, who returned it 29 yards to the New England 46. On 3rd and 4 from the Patriots 40, Cutler hit Kenny Stills for 11 yards. Cutler then went deep to Grant for a 25 yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Dolphins. The Patriots faced 3rd and 1 at their own 29 and Brady threw incomplete, forcing a punt. The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 27. Cutler went deep incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant a 21 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 at the Patriots 46, Cutler hit Parker for 11 yards. Drake then got around the end for a 31 yard gain. Cutler hit Landry for the 4 yard touchdown as the Dolphins led 27-10 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
As the third quarter was ending, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Miami had the Patriots starting at their own 47. With 13 minutes left in regulation, Brady hit white for the touchdown to get the Patriots within 27-17. Yet if the Dolphins were supposed to collapse, nobody told their defense. The Patriots went 3 and out on their next 3 possessions. With 2 1/2 minutes left and still down 27-17, the Patriots took over at their own 23. Brady went deep to Cooks for a 38 yard gain. On the next play roughing the passer added 15 more yards. With 1:24 left the Patriots had 1st and goal at the one. Yet illegal motion followed by offensive holding pushed the Patriots back to 2nd and goal at the 15. Brady threw incomplete twice. Needing 2 scores, the field goal was the only option. Gostkowski hit the 33 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 7 points with 53 seconds to play.
The onside kick did not go 10 yards as again a weak Miami team knocked off mighty New England. The Patriots fell to 10-3, one game out of the race for home field in the AFC. The Dolphins are 6-7 and still mathematically alive. Jay Cutler went 25 of 38 for 263 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Tom Brady went 24 of 43 for 233 yards, one touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Football fans everywhere have no idea how this keeps happening with a Miami team that rarely beats anyone else when it matters. 27-20 Dolphins