THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2018 Week 13 Prequel

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NFL 2018 Week 12 Recap

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Day morning game. Mitchell Trubisky was injured, so Chase Daniel got his first start since 2016 and his third NFL start in his entire career. After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears began the second quarter facing 3rd and 3 at the Detroit 42. Daniel hit Burton for 4 yards, but Burton fumbled and the Lions returned the fumble 20 yards to the Chicago 40. On 4th and 1 at the Chicago 16, Matt Patricia decided to go for it. Matthew Stafford hit Bellmore for 5 yards. LeGarrette Blount ran for a 4 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Lions lead.

Chicago responded after a touchback and moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Detroit 22. Daniel threw incomplete. Cody Parkey hit a 40 yard field goal to get the Bears within 7-3. Chicago got it back at their own 35 with 2:10 left in the half. . Daniel hit Taylor Gabriel for gains of 11 and 7, Anthony Miller for 26 yards, Mizzell for 11 yards, and Mizzell again for the 10 yard touchdown with 40 seconds to spare. For some odd reason Matt Nagy decided on an unnecessary 2 point conversion. The try failed and the Bears led 9-7 at halftime.

With 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Lions took over at their own 20. From their 28, Stafford went deep to Kenny Golladay for a 43 yard gain and Theo Riddick for 21 more yards. Blount ran for the 4 yard touchdown. This time Detroit went for 2 and didn’t get it as the Lions led 13-9 after three quarter.

The Bears took over at their own 18. Daniel hit Tarik Cohen for 9 yards with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On the last play of the third quarter with the Bears facing 3rd and 3 just shy of midfield, Daniel hit Gabriel for 8 yards. Daniel began the fourth quarter hitting Cohen for 7 yards, with 15 more tacked on for a facemark. Daniel then hit Cohen for the 14 yard touchdown to put the Bears up 16-13 only 80 seconds into the fourth quarter.

After a touchback, the Lions moved 73 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. Stafford hit Golladay for 11 yards. On 3rd and 3 from their own 44, Stafford hit Golladay again for 23 yards. Midway through the fourth quarter, on 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 2, rather than play smash mouth, Matt Patricia opted to pass. Stafford threw incomplete. On 4th and 1 form the 2, Patricia decided not to go for the win. Matt Prater came on for the 20 yard field and tied the game 16-16. Down the stretch, Lions fans had to feel good. The Bears had a guy who never played. The Lions had their veteran quarterback.

The Lions got it with 6 minutes left at their own 41. Stafford then threw a perfect pass to Eddie Jackson. Problem: Jackson plays defense for Chicago. In front of a stunned home crowd, Jackson returned the interception 41 yards for the touchdown to put the Bears up by 7. The Lions got it back after a touchback and moved 64 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. With 1:11 left on the clock, the Lions faced 3rd and 9 at the Chicago 11. Stafford went to the end zone and found Kyle Fuller. Problem: Fuller plays defense for Chicago. The Lions fell to 4-7 while the Bears climbed to 8-3 atop the NFC North. 23-16 Bears

Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving Day afternoon game. The Cowboys made it look easy early on, going 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Dan Prescott hit Amari Cooper for 7 yards and Olawale for 10 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Washington 47, Prescott hit Cooper for 11 yards. From the Washington 23, Ezekiel Elliott ran for 7 and then the 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. A field position game saw the Redskins take over midway through the second quarter at their own 47. With Alex Smith out for the year, Colt McCoy got the start. McCoy went to Vernon Davis for a 53 yard touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame.

The Cowboys came back 65 yards in 14 plays in 5 1/2 minutes. With 1:48 left in the half they had 1st and goal at the 4. After an incompletion, Prescott was sacked for a 13 yard loss. Brett Maher hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Cowboys at halftime.In the third quarter, a field position game was broken open when Trey Quinn returned a punt 30 yards to have the Redskins starting at the Dallas 25. McCoy hit Quinn for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 13-10 Redskins. The extra point was no good. After that, the Cowboys took over.

After a touchback they quickly moved 75 yards. Prescott hit Cooper for 11 yards. Elliott ran for gains of 16 and 8. Prescott then went to Cooper for a 40 yard touchdown and a 17-13 Cowboys lead. Dallas got it back at their own 9 yard line and delivered a backbreaker. Prescott found Cooper on the sideline, and he broke a tackle and outraced everyone for a 91 yard touchdown and a 24-13 Cowboys lead. McCoy as then quickly intercepted, setting up the Cowboys at the Washington 17 with 90 seconds left in the third quarter. The Cowboys began the fourth quarter with 3rd and goal at the 5. Prescott ran it in himself to have the Cowboys comfortably in front 31-13.

The Redskins tried to make a game of it and got a spark when a very short kickoff was returned 44 yards to the Dallas 44. McCoy hit Josh Doctson for 17 yards and ran for 11 yards itself. Kapri Bibbs got the last yard to get the Redskins within 31-20 with a full 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Dallas moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 1 at the Dallas 33 with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. Jason Garrett decided to go for it, but Elliott was stopped cold. The Redskins moved from their 33 to the Dallas 36, but McCoy went deep and was intercepted at the Dallas 14 with 4 1/2 minutes left.

With 4 minutes left and the Cowboys facing 3rd and 10 at their own 14, Jason Garrett surprisingly called a pass play. Prescott threw incomplete, allowing the Redskins to preserve the last timeout. The Redskins took over at their own 46 with 3:50 to play. They drove to a 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 13 with 1:22 to play. McCoy threw incomplete. Needing 2 scores, Jay Gruden went for the field goal. Dustin Hopkins hit the 31 yarder to get the Redskins within 8 points. The onside kick failed and that was it. Both teams are 6-5 but moving in opposite directions. Washington has lost 2 straight while Dallas has won 3 straight. They turned it around by realizing who their best player was and feeding him the d@mn ball. Running the football has the Cowboys tied with the Redskins atop the NFC Least. 31-23 Cowboys

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints was the Thanksgiving night game. This is normally a great rivalry game, but for whatever reason the Falcons are totally out of sync and the Saints are clicking on all cylinders. The stats were very misleading. Matt Ryan finished 35 of 47 for 377 yards. Brees had a very pedestrian game by his standards, finishing only 15 of 22 for 171 yards. Yet Brees now has a running game. In a mind-numbing decision, the Falcons won the coin toss and Dan Quinn deferred. Who in their right mind lets Brees touch the football first at home? After a touchback to start the game, Alvin Kamara ran for 18 yards. Brees hit Darnold for 9 and Kamara ran for 9 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Atlanta 36, Brees hit Thomas for 8 yards and Tommy Lee Lewis for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints.

The Falcons fumbled, but the Saints gave it right back when Brees was intercepted. The Falcons took over at the Saints 39 yard line. Yet on 2nd and 6 from the Saint 7, Ryan was sacked for a 7 yard loss. The Falcons settled for a 32 yard Matt Bryant field goal to get on the board, but that was not going to beat the Saints. The Saints moved 71 yards in 15 plays and 8 1/2 minutes. With 9 minutes left in the half the Saints had moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Atlanta 4 yard line. Brees threw incomplete and Sean Payton decided not to go for it. Wil Lutz hit the 22 yarder to make it 10-3 Saints.

Midway through the second quarter, the Saints got it back at their own 42. From the Atlanta 42, a defensive pass interference penalty moved them 16 yards closer. On 3rd and 4 from the Atlanta 20, Kamara ran for 8 yards and Brees hit Austin Carr for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Saints. The Falcons moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Saints 32 with 26 seconds left in the half. Ryan hit Julio Jones for 15 yards, but Jones fumbled and the Saints recovered. The Falcons got a break to start the third quarter with a kickoff return to their own 40. Yet on 4th and 2 from their own 48, Dan Quinn in an act of desperation decided to go for it even though there were 28 minutes of football left. Ryan threw incomplete.

The Saints took over after an exchange of punts at their own 30. Kamara gained 2 and 9 and Brees went to Watson for a 20 yard gain. Kamara ran for 9 more and Mark Ingram added another 5. Brees went to Dan Arnold for a 25 yard touchdown to make it 24-3 Saints. The Falcons came back 79 yards in 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. They had to go for it on 4th and 2 from their own 47, and this time Ryan hit Hooper for 4 yards. Despite 1st and goal at the 2, Ryan threw incomplete twice and Smith got stopped for no gain. Dan Quinn again had to go for it and this time Ryan hit Calvin Ridley for the touchdown. The Falcons were within 24-10 after three quarters, but there would be no comeback.

An interception of Ryan early in the fourth quarter set up the Saints at the Atlanta 22. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Brees hit Keith  Kirkwood for the touchdown. With 9 1/2 minutes left, the Saints were cruising up 31-10. On the next Atlanta drive, they moved 58 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 12 from just shy of midfield, Ryan hit Jones for 21 yards. On 4th and 10 from the Saints 30, Ryan hit Ridley for 27 yards. Yet Ridley fumbled and the Saints recovered with 4 minutes left. Atlanta eventually got a garbage touchdown, but they fell to 4-7 while the Saints are sky high at 10-1. Ryan was sacked 6 times, Brees only once. Each quarterback was intercepted once, but Ryan threw for 2 touchdowns while Breezes added 4 of his own. The Saints added 150 yards on the ground. They are a complete team. 31-17 Saints

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals — Baker Mayfield went right to work from the Cleveland 22 and hit Nick Chubb for  23 yard gain. From the Cincinnati 42, Mayfield hit Johnson for 23 and Callaway for 9. From the 10, Chubb gained 2, 7 and the one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Bengals had a field goal blocked, setting up the Browns at their own 44. Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 14 yards, Higgins for 24, and Callaway for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Browns.

The Browns began the second quarter at their own 4 yard line. On 3rd and 3 from their own 11, Mayfield hit Landry for 9 yards. On 3rd and 11 from their own 19, Mayfield went to Callaway for 21 yards. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Mayfield went to Njoku for 24 yards, again for 21, and a third time for a 6 yard touchdown as the Browns led 21-0 in front of a shellshocked crowd in Cincinnati. An interception of Red Rifle Andy Dalton had the Browns taking over at their own 41. Chubb ran for 4, 7 and a loss of 2. On 2nd and 12 from midfield, Mayfield hit Calloway for 19 and Njoku for 9. From the Cleveland 22, Chubb got stopped on 2nd and 1 and 3rd and 1. Gregg Williams decided to go for it. On 4th and 1, Chubb got the yard. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincy 14, Mayfield hit Chubb for the touchdown as the Browns were up 28-0.

With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Bengals finally got going from their own 25. On 2nd and 20 from their own 37, Dalton scrambled for 21 yards. Joe Mixon ran for 32 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5 Dalton threw incomplete but defensive offsides gave the Bengals another chance. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Dalton hit John Ross as the Bengals trailed 28-7. On the third play of the third quarter, the Bengals faced 1st and 20 at their own 34 after a tripping penalty. Out of the shotgun, the ball sailed past Dalton and the Browns recovered 27 yards later to have 1st and goal at the 7. Mayfield hit Fells for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 35-7 Browns.

from just shy of midfield, Ryan hit Jones for 21 yards. On 4th and 10 from the Saints 30, Ryan hit Ridley for 27 yards. Yet Ridley fumbled and the Saints recovered with 4 minutes left. Atlanta eventually got a garbage touchdown, but they fell to 4-7 while the Saints are sky high at 10-1. Ryan was sacked 6 times, Brees only once. Each quarterback was intercepted once, but Ryan threw for 2 touchdowns while Breezes added 4 of his own. The Saints added 150 yards on the ground. They are a complete team. 31-17 Saints

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals — Baker Mayfield went right to work from the Cleveland 22 and hit Nick Chubb for  23 yard gain. From the Cincinnati 42, Mayfield hit Johnson for 23 and Callaway for 9. From the 10, Chubb gained 2, 7 and the one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Bengals had a field goal blocked, setting up the Browns at their own 44. Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 14 yards, Higgins for 24, and Callaway for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Browns.

The Browns began the second quarter at their own 4 yard line. On 3rd and 3 from their own 11, Mayfield hit Landry for 9 yards. On 3rd and 11 from their own 19, Mayfield went to Callaway for 21 yards. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Mayfield went to Njoku for 24 yards, again for 21, and a third time for a 6 yard touchdown as the Browns led 21-0 in front of a shellshocked crowd in Cincinnati. An interception of Red Rifle Andy Dalton had the Browns taking over at their own 41. Chubb ran for 4, 7 and a loss of 2. On 2nd and 12 from midfield, Mayfield hit Calloway for 19 and Njoku for 9. From the Cleveland 22, Chubb got stopped on 2nd and 1 and 3rd and 1. Gregg Williams decided to go for it. On 4th and 1, Chubb got the yard. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincy 14, Mayfield hit Chubb for the touchdown as the Browns were up 28-0.

With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Bengals finally got going from their own 25. On 2nd and 20 from their own 37, Dalton scrambled for 21 yards. Joe Mixon ran for 32 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5 Dalton threw incomplete but defensive offsides gave the Bengals another chance. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Dalton hit John Ross as the Bengals trailed 28-7. On the third play of the third quarter, the Bengals faced 1st and 20 at their own 34 after a tripping penalty. Out of the shotgun, the ball sailed past Dalton and the Browns recovered 27 yards later to have 1st and goal at the 7. Mayfield hit Fells for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 35-7 Browns.

The Bengals tried to make a game of it, scoring two touchdowns with one missed extra point to trail by 15 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. On their next 2 possessions they turned it over on downs. Hue Jackson had a miserable run as the Browns head coach. After recently being fired, he returned to his former job as the offensive coordinator of the Bengals. On this day, he would not get his revenge. The Browns snapped their streak of 25 straight road losses, one shy of the NFL record. 35-20 Browns

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers — The defenses dominated early on. The Panthers moved to a 4th and 2 at the Seattle 5. Riverboat Ron Rivera decided to go for it. Can Newton took the snap and are up inches short. Carolina got it back and again moved from a 3rd and 2 at the Seattle 4. Christian McCaffrey got the carry and lost 3 yards. This time Ron Rivera opted for the field goal. Graham Gano hit from 26 to make it 3-0 Panthers. In the second quarter the Seahawks moved 60 yards in 12 plays. On 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 15, Russell Wilson threw incomplete. Sebastian Janikowski hit the 33 yarder for a 3-3 game.

A field position slog had the Panthers taking over at their own 47. Newton went to McCaffrey for 14 yards. Samuel ran for a 25 yard gain. Moore ran for 7 and Newton hit Samuel for a 7 yard touchdown as the Panthers led 10-3. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for a 27 yard gain and Madden for 28 more down to the Carolina one. Carson banged his way over the plane of the goal for the score as the game was deadlocked 10-10.

The Panthers took over at their own 33 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 10 with 90 seconds left in the half. A completion lost 3 yards, and on 3rd and 10 a short pass gained only 3 yards. Gano hit from 25 to make it 13-10 Panthers at halftime. In the third quarter the Panthers moved from their 28 to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 18. Newton went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. From their own 20, Carson gained 15. On 3rd and 12 from their own 33, Wilson went deep to DJ Moore for a 54 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the Carolina 12, Wilson went to Lockett for the touchdown to make it 17-13 Seahawks.

After a touchback, Newton hit Samuel for 10 and Moore for 13 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 44, Newton ran for  9 yards. Newton then hit McCaffrey for 23 yards down to the Seattle 12. The Panthers fumbled but retained possession. On 2nd and 10 Newton threw incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. McCaffrey got in as the Panthers led 20-17 after three quarters. Seattle came back with a 14 play, 63 yard drive that consumed 7:15 off the clock. On 4th and 1 from the Carolina 13, Pete Carroll decided to go for it. Carson got the yard. On 3rd and 10 Wilson threw incomplete. Seabass hit the 30 yard field goal. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, a pair of teams fighting for their playoff lives were tied 20-20.

After a touchback, McCaffrey gained every single yard on the next Carolina drive. He ran for a 59 yard gain on then ran for 15 more. On 1st and goal at the one, he tried to go over the top and was hit and fumbled. Luckily for Carolina, Greg Olsen fell on it at the two. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Newton hit McCaffrey for the touchdown. With 7 minutes left, the Panthers led 27-20.

After a touchback, Seattle had their turn. Wilson hit Lockett for 13, Dickson for 9 and Doug Baldwin for 11. With 3 1/2 minutes left, it all came down to 4th and 3 at the Carolina 35. One stop and the game was over. Instead, Wilson went for it all and hit Moore for the touchdown. In front of a stunned Carolina crowd, for the fourth time the game was tied 27-27.

Carolina moved from their 21 to a 3rd and 7 at the Seattle 37 with 1:50 to play. Newton hit Moore, but only for a 3 yard gain. Seattle took their last timeout. Ron Rivera decided to go with the 52 yard field goal try, knowing a miss would give Seattle good field position and enough time. Gano came in, and his kick was no good, just wide by a hair. Seattle took over with 1:40 left at their own 42.

With 1:07 left, Seattle faced 3rd and 5 from their own 47. One defensive stop would give Carolina another chance. Wilson rolled out, and a defensive breakdown left an open Lockett. Captain Munnerlyn begged for help that did not arrive as Lockett caught the bomb for a 43 yard gain down to the Carolina 10. Pete Carroll had Wilson take a couple knees to take the clock down to 4 seconds. Seabass came in for the 31 yarder as Gano looked on helplessly. Janikowski drilled it dead center. McCaffrey finished with 237 total yards, all for naught. Newton was a white hot 25 of 30 for 256 yards, 2 touchdowns and one interception. Wilson was 22 of 31 for 339 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Both teams are 6-5 and out of reach for their respective division crowns, down by 4 games with 5 left. Seattle would hold a playoff wildcard tie-breaker. 30-27 Seahawks

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills — One year after making the playoffs, Doug Marrone and Sean McDermott both entered this game with 3-7 teams. The Bills began at their own 25. From their 36, Josh Allen went to Kelvin Benjamin for a 32 yard gain and to Croom for 11 more. McKenzie ran for a 6 yard touchdown to cap the 75 yard drive and put the Bills up 7-0. Buffalo got it back at their own 14. From their 25, Josh Allen went bombs away to Foster for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Bills.

The game changed in the second quarter as the Jaguars moved 74 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes, mostly on the ground. Leonard Fournette gained 7 yards, Carlos Hyde ran for 6 and 10. From the Buffalo 39, Fournette ran for 16 and Hyde added 11 more. On 3rd and 3 from the 5, Fournette ran for the touchdown to get the Bills within 14-7. Jacksonville got it back and faced 1st and 15 at their own 21. Fournette gained 14 and Westbrook ran for a 43 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Fournette got in again for a 14-14 game.

In the third quarter the Jaguars took over at the Buffalo 47 and soon faced 3rd and 10. Blake Bortles was sacked but defensive holding kept the drive going. From the Buffalo 30, Bortles went deep to Dante Moncrief for what at first was ruled a touchdown. Officials ruled the ball down at the one as a brawl broke out. Buffalo’s Lawson was ejected. So was Jacksonville’s Fournette. After a false start, Bortles threw a 7 yard touchdown to Westbrook. Again the touchdown was nullified, this time by offensive holding. Bortles was sacked again and this time it stuck. On 4th and goal from the 24, Josh Lambo came in for a 42 yard field goal try. It was no good.

Momentum quickly swung back the other way as the Bills took over at their own 32 with 35 seconds left in the third quarter. A 5 yard completion was followed by a 15 yard facemark penalty tacked on. On the last play of the third quarter, Allen went to Foster for 19 yards with another personal foul for unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. 30 penalty yards killed the defense. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Allen ran up the middle himself for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Bills.

The defenses dug in and with 5 minutes left a great punt had the Jaguars pinned at their own 2 yard line. Bortles was intercepted by Poyer at the Jacksonville 18 yard line. On 3rd and goal at the 3, a run lost a yard. Steve Hauschka hit the 22 yard field goal as the Bills led 24-14 with only 3 minutes left. Bortles rallied the Jaguars 70 yards, throwing a 13 yard touchdown to Westbrook with 1:20 to play. The onside kick failed and the Jaguars were done, with the earlier missed field goal the difference. Jacksonville has lost 7 straight games. 24-21 Bills

Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens — After finally getting another win last week, Oakland was supposed to get blasted by Baltimore. Lamar jackson got the start for an injured Joe Flacco. The Raiders began at their own 19. From their 21, Derek Carr hit Seth Roberts for 10 yards. Roberts thaen took a reverse around the end for 11 more yards. Carr then hit Smith for 9 yards. On 3rd and 1 at the Baltimore 37, Muscle Hamster Doug Martin got the carry and got stopped. Jon Gruden decided to go for it on 4th and 1. A play action pass allowed Carr to hit a wide open Smith for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and goal from the one, Martin got the carry, went airborne, and confusion ensued. The Ravens came up with the ball and thought they had a fumble and a touchback. After that initial ruling, on further review it was clear Martin broke the plane of the goal before losing the ball. The touchdown put the Raiders up 7-0.

The Raiders frequently score on their first drive and then do nothing the rest of the game. The Ravens moved from their 31to a 3rd and 7 at the Oakland 29. Jackson threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit the 47 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 7-3. Rather than run the ball and try to establish an identity, Gruden kept passing and Carr threw 3 straight incompletions. The Ravens moved from their 27 to the Oakland 47, but on 3rd and 8 Jackson threw incomplete. 

In the second quarter the Raiders got it back at their own 9 yard line. A 34 yard completion to Seth Roberts was nullified by offensive pass interference on Roberts. The offense was doing nothing, the defense was hanging on, so it was time for an Oakland special teams breakdown. Jones took a punt straight down the sideline 70 yards for a touchdown to put the Ravens up 10-7.

The Ravens got it back at their own 14. From their own 19, Jackson went deep to a wide open Andrew for a 74 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 7. A delay of game was followed by a defensive stand. Tucker hit the 28 yard field goal. The Ravens led 13-7.

Baltimore got it back at their own 30. On 3rd and 10, Jackson threw a pass and the tip drill came into play. 3 Raiders tipped it in the air before a 4th Raider, safety Reggie Nelson, finally intercepted. Despite starting at the Baltimore 43, the Raiders could not take the lead. Carr hit Jared Cook for 16 yards. Carr went to Cook again for a 24 yard gain down to the Baltimore 3 yard line, but offensive pass interference wiped out the gain. Daniel Carlson did hit a 42 yard field goal as the Raiders only trailed 13-10 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Ravens went down the field again and Jackson went for it all. A well defended ball was deflected in the air by the defender and intercepted in the end zone by Gilchrist for a touchback.

In the third quarter the Ravens sought to put the game away. They moved 75 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Runs and short passes had the Ravens facing 3rd and 3 at the Oakland 20. Montgomery ran for a 15 yard gain and Jackson ran for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Raiders. Oakland lacked the talent to come back. This game was over.

On 2nd and 7 from the Oakland 28, Carr nearly had the ball knocked out of his hand. He stayed in the pocket, went deep, and with help from a fallen defender hit Seth Roberts for a 44 yard gain. From the Baltimore 16, Carr under pressure threw a prayer to Cook, who while falling down somehow kept his foot off the chalk and made a one-handed acrobatic catch for the touchdown. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Raiders were only down 20-17. However, these are the Raiders.

First came the defensive meltdown. Baltimore took over at their own 29. Jackson hit Boyle for 10 yards and Montgomery for 6 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Oakland 43, Montgomery ran for 6. On 3rd and 5 from the Oakland 32, Jackson hit Hurst for just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Oakland 18, the defense jumped offsides. On 3rd and goal at the 8, with the defense needing one stop to keep it a one score game, Jackson hit former Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree for the touchdown. Crabtree was traded before the season started. He is one of many ex-Raiders burning their old team in the Jon Gruden 2.0 era as the Ravens led 27-17 with 11 minutes left in regulation.

Then came the offensive meltdown. The Raiders took over at their own 20 and had to go for it on 4th and 8 from their own 38, Carr was sacked and fumbled. The ball was actually fumbled forward five yards, and Terrell Suggs picked it up for the defense at the Oakland 43 in the middle of the field. The Raiders must have fallen asleep because Suggs got all the way to the sideline and practically crawled down the field for the clinching touchdown. The Raiders fell to 2-9 with another fourth quarter meltdown while the Ravens at 6-5 are still alive in the playoff hunt. 34-17 Ravens

San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Ryan Fitzpatrick is back on the bench as Dirk Koetter turned to Jameis Winston. Tampa took over at their own 27. On 3rd and 8 from their own 40, Winston went deep to Mike Evans for a 42 yard gain. Winston hit Chris Brate for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. In the second quarter the 49ers moved 79 yards in 5 1/2 minutes. Nick Mullens hit Matt Breida for 9 yards. Greg Kittle ran for 10 and caught a pass for 11 more. Breida ran for gains of 11 and 21. Mullens hit Pettis for a 13 yard touchdown. Robbie Gould doinked the extra point off the upright no good as the 49ers trailed 7-6.

The Buccaneers moved 53 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the San Francisco 22, Winston threw incomplete. Cairo Santos hit the 40 yard field goal to make it 10-6 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 41 with 1:37 left in the half. With 9 seconds left and the Buccaneers facing 3rd and 7 at the Frisco 21, Dirk Koetter decided not to take a shot at the end zone. Santos hit the 39 yard field goal to make it 13-6 Buccaneers at halftime.

In the third quarter the 49ers moved from their own 16 to a 2nd and goal at the one. Breida got the carry and got stopped. On 3rd and goal inches short of the goal line, Mullens took the quarterback sneak and again got stopped. Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it. On 4th and goal at the one, a false start killed the try. Gould hit the 23 yard field goal as the 49ers trailed 13-9. After a touchback, Winston hit Evans for 34 yards. Defensive pass interference added 23 more. Barber ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The 49ers missed their chance to tie the game and the Buccaneers now led 20-9.

The Bucs got it back at their own 15. Winston hit Chris Godwin for 15 yards, Auclair for 8 more, Humphries for 6, Desean Jackson for 14, and Godwin for 11 on the last play of the third quarter. The fourth quarter began with Winston hitting Humphries for a 28 yard touchdown to turn a close game into a blowout. 27-9 Buccaneers.

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles — The Giants began the game facing 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Eli Manning hit Ellison for 10 yards and O’Dell Beckham for 10 more. From midfield, sequin Barkley ripped off a 26 yard gain. Manning hit Barkley for a 13 yard touchdown. Pat Shurmur inexplicably went for a 2 point conversion that failed as the Giants led 6-0. The Eagles took over at their own 29. Adams ran for a 52 yard touchdown that was called back due to a holding call. The Giants got it back at their own 6 yard line and moved all the way to a 1st and goal at the 10. Yet on 3rd and goal from the 7, Manning threw incomplete. Aldrick Rosas hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 9-0 Giants. Rosas hit from 51 in the second quarter as the Giants led 12-0 in front of an angry home crowd.

The Eagles finally got going and moved from their 30 to a 3rd and 2 at the Giants 23. Carson Wentz kept it and lost a yard. Josh Elliott hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Eagles on the board down 12-3. The Giants struck back quickly after a touchback. Manning went to Ellison for 20. Barkley ran for 4 and then ripped off a 51 yard touchdown to make it 19-3 Giants.

This time after a touchback the Eagles finally made a game of it. From their 30, Wentz hit Zac Ertz for 24 yards and Alshon Jeffery for gains of 9 and 11. Defensive pass interference tacked on 13 more yards. Wentz hit Ertz for the 15 yard touchdown. Clement ran in the 2 point conversion as the Eagles only trailed 19-11 at halftime.

In the third quarter the Giants went backward as far as 3rd and 18 tab their own 2. They punted from their 6 and the Eagles took over at the Giants 47. The eagles moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Giants 5, but a false start killed the drive. Elliott hit the 28 yard field goal to get the Eagles within 19-14 after three quarters. The Eagles for it back to start the fourth quarter at their own 39. Wentz went to Clement for a 23 yard gain. Adams did the rest, running for 15, 11, 3 and the one yard touchdown. Adams ran for the 2 point conversion. With 10 minutes left in regulation, 19 unanswered points had the Eagles up 22-19.

The Giants finally got going, moving from their 22 to a 2nd and 5 at the Philly 12. Barkley gained one yard and Manning threw incomplete. Rosas hit the 29 yard field goal with just under 7 minutes left for a 22-22 tie game. The Eagles responded after a touchback. Wentz hit Jeffery for 21 yards, Ertz for 10 more, Nelson Agholor for 12 to the Giants 30 at the 2 minute warning. Doug Pederson played it very safe with 3 straight runs that took the clock down to 22 seconds. Elliott came in for the 43 yard field goal try. The kick was good. The Giants took over at their own 34 with 16 seconds left. With 5 seconds left from their 38, Manning did not have the arm for the Hail Mary. The hook and lateral had no chance as the Eagles beat the Giants for the 5th straight time. Philadelphia is still clinging to life with a 5-6 record. 25-22 Eagles

New England Patriots at New York Jets — The Jets began at their own 20 after an exchange of punts. Jose McCown hit Herndon for a 19 yard gain and Isaiah Crowell for 19 more. On 3rd and 7 from the New England 41, a completion only gained 3 yards but roughing the passer added 15 more. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 16, McCown hit Jermaine Kearse for the touchdown as the Jets had the surprising 7-0 lead. The Patriots came right back after a touchback. Tom Brady went to Josh Gordon for 23 yards, Chris Hogan for 20 more, and on 3rd and 12, to Rob Gronkowski for a 34 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.

After that the defenses dug in. In the second quarter Stephen Gostkowski hit a 34 yard field goal for the Patriots. Josh Myers drilled a 55 yarder at the end of the half for a 10-10 ballgame. In the third quarter the Patriots moved from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Jets 11 Bill Belichick decided to go for it and Cordarelle Patterson gained 2 yards. After that Brady threw 3 straight incompletions. Gostkowski hit the 32 yarder to make it 13-10 Patriots. The Jets moved from their 25 to a 2nd and 6 at the New England 20. McCown threw incomplete twice. Myers hit from 38 for a 13-13 game with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.

After a touchback, the Patriots struck quickly. Brady hit Chris Hogan for 27 yards. James White ran for 27 more. Brady hit Julian Edelman for the touchdown as the Patriots led 20-13 after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter, the Patriots took over at their own 20. Michel ran for a 33 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 47, Brady found Gordon for 17 yards and Edelman for 16 more to set up 1st and goal at the one. On 3rd and goal from the one, Michel got in. With 9 minutes left the Patriots had a comfortable two touchdown lead. At the 2 minute warning, the Jets faced 3rd and 2 at the New England 4. They need a score and an onside kick recovery. McCown threw incomplete twice and the Jets were done. After a 3 quarter street fight, the fourth quarter was the cold dose of reality. 27-13 Patriots

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Chargers — Last week both of these teams lost by a field goal on the final play of the game at home. The Chargers were undone by a relatively weak Denver team while Arizona was stunned by Oakland. Nevertheless, Arizona came in 2-8 with the Chargers at 7-3. Arizona began facing 3rd and 3 at their own 31. Josh Rosen hit Seals-Jones for 5 yards Kirk for 17 more. David Johnson ran for 11 and on 3rd and 1 from Chargers 27, gained 2. Rosen then went deep to Larry Fitzgerald for a 25 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Cardinals lead. A 26 yard punt return had the cardinals getting it back at the Chargers 44. On 3rd and 5 from the Chargers 12, Rosen threw incomplete. Phil Dawson hit the 30 yard field goal as the Cardinals had the surprising 10-0 lead.

King returned the ensuing kickoff 40 yards to the Chargers 42 yard line. Philip rivers went deep to Travis Benjamin for a 27 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 9 to start the second quarter, Rivers hit Williams for the touchdown to get the Chargers within 10-7. The Chargers fumbled on their next series, setting up the Cardinals at the Chargers 35. Arizona got nothing when Dawson missed a 46 yard field goal. The Chargers after a sack of Rivers faced 2nd and 17 at their own 29. Rivers hit Antonio Gates for 18 yards with 15 more tacked on for a facemask. Rivers hit Keenan Allen for 11 yards and Melvin Gordon ran for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Chargers.

Rosen was quickly intercepted, setting the Chargers up at the Arizona 31. On 1st and 20 from the Arizona 29, Rivers hit Culkin for 24 yards. Gordon ran for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 21-10 Chargers. The Chargers got it back at their 20 with 1:45 left in the half. Rivers hit Allen for 8, Ekeler for gains of 9 and 11, Williams for gains of 4 and 10, Ekeleer for gains of 3 and 5, and Allen for a 20 yard gain on 3rd and 2 down to the Arizona 2 yard line with 8 seconds left in the half. Rivers then hit Williams for the dagger as 4 touchdowns in the second quarter had the Chargers up 28-10.

The Chargers sought to immediately put the game away in the third quarter. From their 23, Gordon gained 5 and Rivers hit Allen for 16. Gordon ran for gains of 7 and 4. A busted play set up 2nd and 20 at the Chargers 45. Rivers hit Ekeler for 14 and again for 8 to convert 3rd and 6. Jackson ran for gains of 19 and 5. Rivers hit Benjamin for 5 yards and Allen for the 4 yard touchdown as the Chargers led comfortably 35-10. The Chargers got it back at their 27 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Arizona 15. Anthony Lynn showed no mercy. Ekeler took a pitchout 13 yards and then got the last 2 yards himself to make it 42-10 Chargers.

Rivers in less than three quarters was a ridiculous 28 of 29. That’s right, only one incompletion. He threw for 259 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. To keep him healthy, Anthony Lynn gave him a clipboard. With the Chargers up by 32 points, Geno Smith came in to finish the game and the Chargers tacked on a fourth quarter field goal. The Chargers got to 8-3, one game back of Kansas City in the AFC West.   45-10 Chargers

Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts — Both teams came in 5-5, but it was the Colts winning 4 straight and the Dolphins reeling. Ryan Tannehill returned after being injured for 5 games, replacing Brock Osweiler. From the Miami 25 to start the game, Frank Gore ran for 7 yards. Tannehill hit Smythe for 21 yards and Danny Amendola for 13 more. Tannehill went to Drake for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. After a touchback the Colts struck back. Marlin Mack ran for gains of 16 and 7. Andrew Luck hit TY Hilton for 21 yards, Wilkins for 17 more, and Eric Ebron for the 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

With 6 minutes left in the half, the Colts faced 3rd and 4 at their own 33. Luck ran for it and slid short of the sticks but a questionable unnecessary roughness penalty kept the drive going. On 4th and 1 at the Miami 39, Frank Reich decided to go for it. He opened up the bag of tricks as backup Jacoby Brissett threw a 4 yard pass to Luck the quarterback turned wide receiver. Luck quickly returned to playing quarterback and hit Hilton for a 24 yard gain down to the one. Luck on the play-action pass fired over the middle to Doyle for the touchdown and the 14-7 Colts lead with 1:44 left in the half.

After a touchback, Miami struck immediately. Tannehill went deep to Carroo. The defender had position but somehow missed the ball. Carroo broke free and raced for a 74 yard touchdown and a 14-14 game with one minute left in the half. The final minute was ridiculous. Luck was intercepted. Miami fumbled it back. Luck went deep, and was intercepted again all in a 17 second span. 

In the third quarter the Dolphins partially blocked a punt, setting themselves up at the Indy 42. On 3rd and 3 from the Indy 11, Tannehill threw incomplete. Jay Sanders hit the 29 yard field goal to make it 17-14 Dolphins. The Colts moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Miami 20. Luck was sacked and fumbled. The Colts retained possession but with a 10 yard loss. Adam Vinatieri came in for the tying field goal that was now 48 yards instead of 38 yards. The kick was blocked.

The Dolphins took over at their own 38. Frank Gore ran for gains of 10 and 5. The fourth quarter began with the Dolphins facing 2nd and 4 at the Indy 34. Gore ran for a 23 yard gain and after a loss, Drake went straight up the gut for a 14 yard touchdown. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Dolphins led 24-14. The colts moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 8 at the Miami 28. Luck threw incomplete. With 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Vinatieri hit a 46 yarder to get the Colts within 24-17.

The Colts got it back midway through the fourth quarter at their own 11 yard line. Luck hit Hines, who looked like he was going out of bounds, stayed inbounds, and raced back to the middle of the field for a 19 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from their own 39, Luck connected with Hilton for a 36 yard gain. From the Miami 25, Hines gained 9 and 4 and Luck hit Eric Ebron for the score. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the game, it was tied 24-24.

Unnecessary roughness on Miami on the touchdown and holding on the kickoff return had the Dolphins pinned at their own 6 yard line. The Colts got the ball back at their own 42 with 2 1/2 minutes to play. At the 2 minute warning it all came down to 3rd and 9 from the Indy 43. Andrew Luck was about to be sacked by two defenders as the pocket collapsed. He ducked under the sack, stepped up, and found  a wide open for a gain. Hines then ripped off a 14 yard gain. With 3 seconds left, Vinatieri came in for a 32 yard try to win it. The most clutch kicker of all time was good, as the Colts win their 5th straight to get above .500 and send Miami below it. 27-24 Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos — The Steelers moved the ball but made uncharacteristic mistakes. First, Chris Boswell missed a 48 yard field goal try. The resulting field position allowed Brandon McManus to make a 41 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Broncos. The Steelers then moved from their 25 to the Denver 24. On the first play of the second quarter, Ben Roethlisberger hit Xavier Grimble for a 23 yard gain. Grimble fumbled at the one out of the end zone for a touchback. With 6 minutes left in the half, the Steelers finally got on the board when Boswell hit a 41 yard field goal for a 3-3 game.

After a touchback and a neutral zone infraction, Pittsburgh had 1st and 5 at their 30. Lindsay ran for a 32 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 at the Pittsburgh 33, Case Keenum hit Booker for 6, LaCosse for 17, and Lacosse again for the 10 yard touchdown as the Broncos led 10-3 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. After a touchback the Steelers moved to a 2nd and goal at the 2 with 30 seconds left in the half. Big Ben threw incomplete and then completed a pass to Juju Smith-Schuster for not gain. On 4th and goal at the 2 with 3 seconds left, Mike Tomlin opted for the field goal as the Denver crowd celebrated the defensive stand. They would not be celebrating for long. Tomlin called a fake, the snap went directly to Boswell, and he threw a perfect pass to a wide open Villaneuva for the tackle eligible and a 10-10 halftime game.

Roethlisberger had over 200 yards passing in the first half yet the only touchdown came from their kicker. On the first play of the third quarter, Big Ben went bombs away to Smith-Schuster. Yet the ball was overthrown and bounced off Smith-Schuster’s outstretched fingers incomplete. A great punt then pinned the Steelers back at their own 3 yard line. Roethlisberger went bombs away again and this time Smith-Schuster caught the ball, split the defenders, and stunned the Denver home crowd with a 97 yard touchdown as the Steelers led 17-10.

The Steelers got it back at their own 23 and moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Denver 47. They had all the momentum, but it was very fleeting. Roethlisberger was intercepted by Chris Harris, who returned 15 yards to the Pittsburgh 43. Keenum went deep to Emanuel Sanders for a 38 yard gain and then again for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 17-17 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. After an exchange of punts, the Steelers moved from their 37 to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 40. Roethlisberger was sacked for a 6 yard loss. On 2nd and 16, Big Ben hit James Conner, who twisted and weaved through the defense for a 23 yard gain. Yet he had the ball punched out, and the Broncos recovered the fumble as the third quarter ended.

From the Denver 21 to start the fourth quarter, Lindsay ran for 9 and Freeman added gains of 5 and 4. On 3rd and 5 from the Denver 40, Keenum hit Hamilton for 13 yards. Lindsay ran for 18. Keenum hit Heuerman for 15 and Sanders for 14 more. Lindsay ran for the 2 yard touchdown as the Broncos retook the lead by 7 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

After an exchange of punts, Pittsburgh began their last possession with 4 1/2 minutes left at their own 44. They moved to a 1st and goal at the 3 at the 2 minute warning. With one minute left, it all came down to 3rd and goal at the 2. Roethlisberger faked the handoff, and fired to the middle end zone into traffic where nothing good ever happens. The ball was intercepted, as the Broncos hung on for the shocking win. 2 straight wins have them still barely alive at 5-6 while Pittsburgh fell to 7-3 with the loss. 24-17 Broncos

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings was the Sunday night game. In the first quarter the Packers moved from their own 32. Adam Jones ran for 11 yards. On the next play, defensive pass interference added 26 more yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 22, Jones gained 4 yards. Rodgers threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Devonta Adams to make it 7-0 Packers. After a touchback, Cook gained 9 and Kirk Cousins hit Kyle Rudolph for 9 more. From midfield, Cousins hit Stefan Diggs for 24 yards and Cook for the 26 yard touchdown and a 7-7 tie after the first quarter.

After a touchback, Rodgers hit Brown for 15, Kendricks for 8, and St. Brown for 23 yards. Jones gained 9 and Rodgers hit Adams for 6 to end the first quarter. The Packers began the second quarter at the Minnesota 14. Rodgers hit Jones for 8 and Jones ran for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Packers. After a touchback Minnesota came back again. Cousins hit Rudolph for 17 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Minnesota 45, Cousins hit Rudolph for 10. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 40, Cousins hit Diggs for 10 and again for the 30 yard touchdown. With 11 minutes left in the half it was 14-14.

The defenses stiffened and the Vikings missed a couple chances to take the lead before halftime. With 5 1/2 minutes left before halftime, the Vikings faced 3rd and 1 at the Green Bay 29. Latavius Murray got the carry and lost a yard. Dan Bailey missed the 48 yard field goal try. With 3 seconds left in the half, Bailey made a 51 yard field goal. However, a false start forced Bailey to try again from 56. This time he was no good. Earlier in the year these teams were tied after four quarters of regulation and still tied after overtime. Now they were tied after one quarter and tied at the half.

A key play in the game came midway through the third quarter. The normally overly cautious has been stung in the media for being overly cautious. He decided to gamble on 4th and 1 from his own 44. The pass-happy McCarthy even ran the ball. Jones got stopped for no gain. The short field allowed the Vikings to move to a 3rd and 7 at the Green Bay 10. Cousins was sacked, but this time Bailey made the 35 yard field goal to make it 17-14 Vikings. A sack of Rodgers had the Packers punting on 4th and 22 from their own 13. A 20 yard punt return with 5 more tacked on for a kicking team illegal formation had the Vikings starting at the Green Bay 31. Diggs took an end around 12 yards, so Mike Zimmer called the same play again. Cook took an end around 5 yards. Cousins hit Adam Thielen for the 14 yard touchdown as the Vikings led 24-14 after three quarters.

The Vikings got the ball back at their own 7 yard line and held the ball for 7 minutes. On 3rd and 5 at the Green Bay 29, Cousins was sacked for an 8 yard loss. With Bailey having already missed twice, Mike Zimmer was not going to try a 55 yard field goal. Zimmer punted, the Packers fumbled it, and the Vikings recovered at the Green Bay 15. On 4th and 2 from the 7, Zimmer decided to go for it since a touchdown with 5 minutes left would put the game away. Cousins had his pass batted down.

From the 10, Rodgers hit Jimmy Graham for 25 yards and again for 9 more. A sack of Rodgers set up 3rd and 10 from the Green Bay 35. Rodgers went deep to Adams for 36 yards and again for 9 more. Yet on 2nd and 1 from the Minnesota 20, pass-happy Mike McCarthy would not run the ball. Rodgers threw a West Coast Offense dink and dunk sideways pass incomplete. Then on 3rd and 1 Rodgers went for it all, had a wide open receiver, and overthrew him as the ball was juggled and dropped. Needing 2 scores, on 4th and 1, McCarthy went for the field goal. Mason Crosby hit the 38 yarder to get the Packers within 7.

The onside kick failed and the Packers took over at the Green Bay 41 with 2:19 to play. On 3rd and 6 at the 2 minute warning and the Packers out of timeouts, Mike Zimmer opted against a safe run which could have meant a 50+ yard field goal try. Zimmer went with a pass knowing an incompletion would stop the clock. Cousins fired a laser over the middle for the first down and then took a couple knees. Cousins finished with 334 yards passing to 198 for Rodgers. The Vikings are 6-4 and very much alive while the Packers are 4-6 and on the brink of elimination. After 13 years in Green Bay, fairly or not, Mike McCarthy’s hot seat is scorching. 24-17 Vikings

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans was the Monday night game. The Texans entered the game with heavy hearts due to the death of team owner Bob McNair on Saturday. He founded the team that began play in 2002 and was the only owner the team has ever had. He brought football back to Houston when Bud Adams moved the Houston Oilers to Tennessee and changed their name to the Tennessee Titans. Those teams played on this night.

The Titans moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 9 at the Houston 20. Marcus Mariota hit Firks but only for 7 yards. On 4th and 2 from the 13, Mike Vrabel decided not to gamble. Ryan Succop hit the 31 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 31 and struck quickly. Derrick Henry ran for 8 yards. Mariota then went deep to Smith for a 61 yard touchdown. The Titans led 10-0, but after that the game changed.

The Texans took over from their 38 after nearly fumbling away the kickoff. Lamar Miller ran for 21 yards. After gaining one yard, Miller then ripped off gains of 15 and 12. Deshaun Watson then threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Thomas to get the Texans within 10-7. A 25 yard punt return allowed the Texans to get it back at their own 40. Watson went deep to DeAndre Hopkins for a 28 yard gain. Watson then hit Thomas for 12 yards. On the first play of the second quarter, Watson then ran for the 15 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Texans.

Tennessee moved the ball from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Houston 3 yard line. This time Mike Vrabel decided to go for it. Stocker got the carry and got stopped stone cold. One play later the game completely changed. Miller got the handoff, broke a couple tackles near the line of scrimmage, got to the sideline, and was off to the races for a 97 yard touchdown. The 14 point swing had the Texans up 21-10 rather than down 17-14.

With 55 seconds left in the half, a miserable drive had the Titans punting on 4th and 34 from their own 9. The Texans took over with 45 seconds left at their own 38. Watson hit Akins for 8 and then went deep to Hopkins for 24 more yards. Watson scrambled up the middle for 5 yards but the final 18 seconds of the clock kept ticking. Watson rushed everyone up to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock with one second left. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 43 yard field goal as the Texans took a 24-10 lead to the locker rooms.

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans was the Monday night game. The Texans entered the game with heavy hearts due to the death of team owner Bob McNair on Saturday. He founded the team that began play in 2002 and was the only owner the team has ever had. He brought football back to Houston when Bud Adams moved the Houston Oilers to Tennessee and changed their name to the Tennessee Titans. Those teams played on this night.

The Titans moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 9 at the Houston 20. Marcus Mariota hit Firks but only for 7 yards. On 4th and 2 from the 13, Mike Vrabel decided not to gamble. Ryan Succop hit the 31 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 31 and struck quickly. Derrick Henry ran for 8 yards. Mariota then went deep to Smith for a 61 yard touchdown. The Titans led 10-0, but after that the game changed.

The Texans took over from their 38 after nearly fumbling away the kickoff. Lamar Miller ran for 21 yards. After gaining one yard, Miller then ripped off gains of 15 and 12. Deshaun Watson then threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Thomas to get the Texans within 10-7. A 25 yard punt return allowed the Texans to get it back at their own 40. Watson went deep to DeAndre Hopkins for a 28 yard gain. Watson then hit Thomas for 12 yards. On the first play of the second quarter, Watson then ran for the 15 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Texans.

Tennessee moved the ball from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Houston 3 yard line. This time Mike Vrabel decided to go for it. Stocker got the carry and got stopped stone cold. One play later the game completely changed. Miller got the handoff, broke a couple tackles near the line of scrimmage, got to the sideline, and was off to the races for a 97 yard touchdown. The 14 point swing had the Texans up 21-10 rather than down 17-14.

With 55 seconds left in the half, a miserable drive had the Titans punting on 4th and 34 from their own 9. The Texans took over with 45 seconds left at their own 38. Watson hit Akins for 8 and then went deep to Hopkins for 24 more yards. Watson scrambled up the middle for 5 yards but the final 18 seconds of the clock kept ticking. Watson rushed everyone up to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock with one second left. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 43 yard field goal as the Texans took a 24-10 lead to the locker rooms.

The Texans moved from their own 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Titans 43. Bill O’Brien decided to go for it and Watson hit Hopkins for 5 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Houston 29, O’Brien decided not to go for it. A field goal would make it a 3 score game, and Fairbairn delivered from 47 yards out to make it 27-10 Texans.

With 2 minutes left in the third quarter a 16 yard punt return had the Titans starting just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 48, Mariota went deep to Davis for the touchdown as the Titans trailed 27-17 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Texans took over at their own 40. From the Tennessee 46, Watson scrambled for 34 yards and then threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Thomas to salt the game away. Houston won their 8th straight game as Bob McNair smiled from heaven. 34-17 Texans 

NFL 2018 Week 12 Thanksgiving Prequel

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/happy-thanksgiving-nfl-2018-week-12-preview-and-bettors-guide-109318/

 

NFL 2018 Week 11 Recap

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks was the Thursday night game. From the Fail Mary to Matt Hasselbeck’s ill-fated prediction to the crazy onside kick in the NFC Title Game, these teams have produced some thrillers. They again produced a fine football game. Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson both completed 21 passes, with Rodgers throwing 30 passes for 332 yards and Wilson 225. Both signal callers threw 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions.

On the first play from scrimmage, the Seahawks fumbled and the Packers took over at the Seattle 29. Aaron Jones ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Packers missed a chance to extend the lead when Mason Crosby missed a 47 yard field goal. The momentum swing led to Sebastian Janikowski hitting a 39 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 7-3. Packers struck again quickly after a touchback. Rodgers went to Robert Tonyan for a 54 yard touchdown as the Packers led 14-3 after the first quarter.

The second quarter began at their own 38. Wilson hit Doug Baldwin for 14 yards and Tyler Lockett for 13 more. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Wilson hit Baldwin for the score to get the Seahawks within 14-10. Seattle got it back at their own 30. Wilson went deep and drew a 48 yard defensive pass interference penalty. Wilson then hit Vannett for 17 yards down to the one. Chris Carson got the yard and the Seahawks led 17-14 with less than 3 1/2 minutes in the half.

After a touchback, Rodgers hit Jones for 15 yards and again for 22 more. Rodgers went to Devontae Adams for 11 yards. From the Seattle 24 with 44 seconds left in the half, Rodgers hit Jones with a perfect strike to put the Packers up 21-17. Seattle got it back at their own 17. With 2 seconds left in the half on 4th and 1 from their own 43, Wilson for some reason threw a 15 yard pass rather than a Hail Mary.

In a scoreless third quarter, the Seahawks moved from their own 3 yard line all the way to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 19. Wilson was sacked, and a false start had Seattle facing 3rd and 26. A give up run made the field goal try easier and Janikowski hit a 43 yarder to get the Seahawks within 21-20 with 12 minutes left in regulation.

The Packers soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Rodgers went deep to Adams for 57 yards. The key play of the game and the Packers facing 3rd and 5 at the Seattle 12. A touchdown would give the breathing room. Rodgers was sacked. Crosby hit the 36 yard field goal as the Packers led 24-20 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

Seattle soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Wilson hit Lockett for 18 yards and then went deep to him again for 34 more yards. It came down to 3rd and 9 at the Green Bay 15. Wilson hit Ed Dickson for the touchdown. With 5 minutes left, the Seahawks reclaimed the 3 point lead, with Crosby’s earlier miss being the difference.

On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Rodgers threw incomplete. With 4:20 still to play, Mike McCarthy decided to punt and trust his defense. Wilson ran for 8 yards to gain a key first down. Davis ran up the middle to get the final first down as the Packers never got the ball back. Pete Carroll saw his squad get above .500 while McCarthy’s squad is below it. 27-24 Seahawks

Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions — Carolina started out going 90 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 5 from their own 15, Cam Newton hit Wright for 14 yards, Moore for 13 more, Devon Funchess for 23 more, and back to Moore for another 29 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Newton hit Greg Olsen for the score to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Lions came back 72 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Matthew Stafford hit Kenny Golladay for 9 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Carolina 34, Stafford went back to Golladay for 13 yards. From the Carolina 21, Johnson ran for one, 12 and then the 8 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. 

With 4 minutes left in the half the Lions took over at their own 16. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Carolina 36. Stafford threw 3 straight incompletions. Matt Prater drilled a 54 yard field goal to lead 10-7. In the third quarter Newton went to DJ Moore, who made an acrobatic catch at the sideline, evaded tacklers, got back to the middle of the field, and gained 82 yards inside the Detroit 10. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the 4, Newton was sacked for a 10 yard loss. Then Graham Gano, who had made 28 in a row, doinked a 34 yarder off the upright no good.

The Lions moved from their 24 to a 3rd and 7 at the Carolina 14. Stafford threw incomplete but Prater hit from 32 to make it 13-7 Lions. The Panthers began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 9 at their own 9 yard line. Newton hit Funchess for 16, Samuel for 17, Olsen for 8, Moore for 10, McCaffrey for 9, Samuel for 13, and again to Samuel, who made an acrobatic catch for a 12 yard touchdown. With 9 1/2 minutes left the game was tied 13-13. Gano missed the extra point.

The Lions soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Stafford hit Theo Riddick for 17 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 15 from the Detroit 45, Stafford went deep to Golladay for 36 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Carolina 19, Stafford went back to Golladay for the touchdown. With 5 minutes left in regulation, the Lions led 20-13.

With 2:44 left after an exchange of punts, the Panthers took over at their own 25. Newton immediately went deep to Christian McCaffrey for 34 yards and to Samuel for 12 more. Newton then hit Wright for 21 yards and Moore for the 8 yard touchdown. With 1:07 to play, the Panthers were about to tie the game. Then Riverboat Ron Rivera decided otherwise.

Yes, Gano, had missed a 28 yard field goal and an extra point. However, this seemed more a statement of boldness than a lack of confidence in the kicker. Rivera is bold, but this was big time. He went for the 2 point conversion with the game on the line. Newton dropped back, had all kinds of time, and misfired. He had the receiver, but the throw was off incomplete. The onside kick failed. As is his nature, Rivera took the heat for the call. 20-19 Lions

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens — Baltimore moved 75 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. With Joe Flacco out, Lamar Jackson got his first NFL start. Jackson ran for 12 yards to start. On 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 45, Jackson ran for 21 more. Alex Collins ran for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. A field position game had the Bengals beginning the second quarter at their own 43. On 3rd and 7 from their own 46, Red Rifle Andy Dalton hit Boyd for 29 yards and Joe Mixon for 21 more. Mixon got in from the one to make it 7-7.

Justin Tucker hit a 28 yard field goal and then drilled a 56 yarder to end the half with the Ravens up 13-7. In the third quarter Jackson had a pass intercepted and returned 22 yards to the Baltimore 32. Dalton hit Mixon for 11 and Uzomah for 16 more. Dalton hit Lengel for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-13 Bengals.

Baltimore then faced 4th and 1 at their own 45. Jackson took it himself and hit a brick wall. The Bengals took over and soon faced 3rd and 4 at the Baltimore 39. Dalton hit Boyd for 5 and threw a jump ball to the end zone that appeared intercepted but was caught by John Ross for the 22 yard touchdown to make it 21-13 Bengals.

A sack of Jackson had the Ravens facing 2nd and 17 at their own 13. Jackson hit Willie Snead for just enough. On 3rd and 2 from the Baltimore 38, Edwards gained 17 yards. Jackson hit Moore for 14 yards and ran for 7 more himself. Edwards ran for an 11 yard touchdown and also for the 2 point conversion. The third quarter ended with the game tied 21-21.

The Ravens began the fourth quarter at their own 39. On 3rd and 7 from their 42, Jackson hit Andrews for 19 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincy 34, Edwards gained 15 yards. Yet on 3rd and goal from the 4, Jackson lost 2 yards. Tucker hit the 24 yard field goal to give the Ravens the 3 point lead with 8 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, the Bengals faced 3rd and 12 at their own 33. Dalton went to Boyd for 32 yards. With 4 minutes left, Randy Bullock came in for a 52 yard field goal to tie the game. The kick was no good. The Bengals got back at their own 10 with 2:45 left. Dalton hit Uzomah for 20. With 1:46 left, on 4th and 3 from their own 47, Dalton threw incomplete as both teams are 5-5 in the standings. 24-21 Ravens

Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons — A pair of overrated underachievers met. In the first quarter the Cowboys moved 85 yards in 15 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Dan Prescott threw incomplete. Maher hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. Atlanta in the second quarter moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Dallas 23. Matt Ryan threw incomplete. Matt Bryant hit the 41 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. Bryant hit again from 45 late in the half and Maher answered from 50 in the third quarter for a 6-6 ballgame. Yet a third field goal from Bryant from 53 yards had the Falcons up 9-6 after three quarters. After 45 minutes of field goals, the fourth quarter plenty of action.

On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 34, Elliott got 2 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 45, Elliott fumbled but Collins recovered for a 2 yard gain. From the Atlanta 41, Prescott hit Amari Cooper for 17 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Atlanta 21, Prescott hit Cole Beasley for 17 more. Prescott took it himself for the 4 yard touchdown to cap the 14 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive. The extra point was no good but the Cowboys led 12-9 only 40 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Falcons moved from the quarter mark to the mid stripe when Ryan was intercepted by Vander Esch, who returned it 28 yards to the Atlanta 31. Elliott ran for 8 yards and then burst free for the 23 yard touchdown to make it 19-9 Cowboys with 12 1/2 minutes left.

After a touchback, the Falcons moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Dallas 3. Ryan threw incomplete. Bryant hit the 21 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 19-12 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Atlanta got it back at their 32 with 4 minutes left. Coleman gained 13. On 3rd and 9 from their own 46, Ryan hit Mohammed Sanu for 11 yards. Ryan then went deep to Julio Jones for a 34 yard touchdown and a 19-19 game with 1:52 to play.

After a touchback, the Cowboys faced 3rd and 5 from their 30. Prescott went to Gallup for 10 and Elliott for 11 more. Prescott then went to Cole Beasley for 19 yards to the Atlanta 30. With 3 seconds left, Maher came in for a 42 yard try to win it. Maher was good, Jerrah celebrated, the Cowboys got to 5-5, and the Falcons fell to 4-6 under Dan Quinn. 22-19 Cowboys

Houston Texans at Washington Redskins — Houston came in riding a 6 game win streak. The texans moved 68 yards in 10 plays, but on 3rd and 3 from the Washington 5, DeShaun Watson threw incomplete. Fairbairn hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. Houston got it back at their own 31. Watson hit Deandre Hopkins for 16 yards. Miller added 15 more on the ground. Watson hit Hopkins for the 16 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Texans.

In the second quarter Washington took o er at their 25. Alex Smith went to Reed for 24 yards and Harris for 13 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Houston 34, Smith was sacked by JJ Watt and fumbled. However, defensive holding kept the drive going. The second quarter began with Adrian Peterson running for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Redskins within 10-7.

Alex Smith has been derided as a West Coast Offense dink and dunk game manager, but on the upside he does not make mistakes. On this day, one too many short passes bit him. Looking for a touchdown, he was intercepted at the goal line and saw it go 100 yards the other way. The Texans led 17-7 and would have led by more if not for a missed field goal. Things got worse for Smith. Midway through the third quarter, the Redskins faced 3rd and 9 from the Houston 24. Smith was sacked for a 13 yard loss and was injured on the play. He was carted off the field with a serious ankle injury.The sack pushed the Redskins out of field goal range.

The Texans got it back at their own 13 and disaster struck. Watson was intercepted to set up the Redskins at that spot. There was a Colt McCoy sighting. Apparently he is the redskins backup quarterback. He ran for 4 yards and threw a 9 yard touchdown pass to Hopkins to get the Redskins within 17-14. After a touchback, a short pass from Watson to Coutee went for a 40 yard gain. Despite 1st and goal at the 6, Watson was sacked and threw incomplete twice. Fairbairn hit the 33 yard field goal to put the Texans up 20-14 after three quarters.

Washington got it back at their own 33. McCoy hit Doctson for 12 yards and Reed for 7 more. The fourth quarter began with the Redskins facing 3rd and 1 at the Houston 46. McCoy threw incomplete. Despite the entire quarter to play, Jay Gruden decided to go for it. McCoy gained 5 yards. From the Houston 22, McCoy ran for 15 yards. Peterson ran for the 7 yard touchdown and the Redskins had the 21-20 lead with 12 minutes left in regulation.

The Texans took over at their own 27. Watson hit Coutee for 4 and Hopkins for 10 more. Alfred Blue ran for 6 and another 16. On 3rd and 20 from the Washington 47, Watson hit Thomas for 11 yards. Midway through the fourth quarter, Fairbairn came in for a 54 yard field goal try to give the Texans the lead. The kick was good and the Texans led 23-21.

A sack of McCoy had the Redskins punting, and a short 31 yard punt had the Texans starting at their own 42 with 4 1/2 minutes left. With 1:41 to play, the Texans faced a critical 3rd and 7 at the Washington 29. The Redskins were out of timeouts. A first down would end the game. Bill O’Brien played it safe rather than risk an incompletion to stop the clock. Miller gained 2 yards. With 56 seconds left, Fairbairn came in for a 45 yard field goal try to extend the lead. The kick was no good. Now the Redskins needed only a field goal to win.

With 52 seconds left from their own 35, McCoy scrambled for 9, spiked the ball to stop the clock, and on 3rd and 1 hit Quinn for 11 yards. After spiking the ball again, McCoy threw incomplete twice. With 8 seconds left and 0 timeouts, on 4th and 10 from the Houston 45, Jay Gruden had a major decision to make. He could try a sideline pass for the first down, throw a Hail Mary, or try a 63 yard field goal. He opted for the field goal and brought in Hopkins. Fairbairn looked on helplessly. Hopkins hit it dead center but well short as the Texans survived to win their 7th straight game after an 0-3 start. 23-21 Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars — Jacksonville throttled Pittsburgh twice last year, including in the playoffs. Yet this Jaguars team came in losers of 5 straight. The first half belonged to the defense. In the second quarter Josh Lambo hit field goals of 48, 38 and 43 for a 9-0 Jaguars lead. In the third quarter the Steelers moved from their 45 to a 1st and 10 at the Jags 11. Ben Roethlisberger went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback.

From their 20, Leonard Fournette ripped off a 26 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 just shy of midfield, Blake Bortles hit Chark for 10 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 34, Bortles scrambled for 10 yards and hit Fournette for 20 more. From the 4, Fournette got half and then the other half. With 2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Jaguars were dominating 16-0. For the third straight game they were going to thrash Pittsburgh. To paraphrase Chris Berman, “That’s why they play the ENTIRE game.”

The Steelers quickly faced 2nd and 9 from their own 22. Roethlisberger connected with Antonio Brown for a 78 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed, but the Steelers were within 16-6 after three quarters. Jacksonville’s offense went into a shell in the fourth quarter, relying on the defense. Pittsburgh moved from their 29 to a 4th and 6 at the Jags 43 with less than 7 minutes left. Big Ben threw incomplete.

Pittsburgh got it back at their own 20 with 5 minutes left and needing 2 scores. On 2nd and 5, a short pass came up one yard short but a facemark penalty on Jalen Ramsey moved Pittsburgh to their own 44. While neither Roethlisberger or Juju Smith-Schuster are Jewish, they connected on 3 straight passes for gains of 9, 21, and 9 again. With 2 1/2 minutes to play, Roethlisberger hit Vance McDonald for an 11 yard touchdown. The Steelers were still alive down 16-13.

After a touchback, Doug Marrone played it very safe. He ran the ball 3 straight times. Bortles was in more than game manager mode. He was not even allowed to throw it at all. He threw the ball only 18 times all game, completing 10 for an anemic 104 yards without a touchdown or interception. On 3rd and 5, Marrone ran it in for only a one yard gain. A short 37 yard punt gave the Steelers the ball back at their own 32 with 1:50 to play and one timeout.

Big Ben hit James Conner for 6 yard and then connected again with Smith-Schuster for a 35 yard gain to the Jags 27. The Steelers were well within field goal range but wanted more. Roethlisberger went to Brown for a 25 yard gain. On 1st and goal at the 2, Roethlisberger spiked the ball to stop the clock with 22 seconds left. He then went to the end zone and was intercepted again. The Jaguars and their home crowd celebrated. They shouldn’t have. A facemask penalty nullified the interception and gave the Steelers 1st and goal at the one with 15 seconds left. Roethlisberger threw incomplete, but defensive holding meant first down again. Roethlisberger took matters into his own hands. He rolled out with a defender waiting. Roethlisberger made a move and dove for the end zone. Just before his knee came down, he stretched the ball barely over the plane of the goal.

With 5 seconds left, Roethlisberger pulled out a miracle with 20 unanswered points in front of a shellshocked home crowd. Last year at home Roethlisberger was intercepted by the Jaguars 5 times. Many football fans thought he was washed up. Today the Jaguars again intercepted him 5 times, although 2 of them were called back by penalty. Roethlisberger finished 27 of 47 for 314 yards, with 248 of those yards coming in the fourth quarter. He also threw the 2 touchdowns. The bitter 6th straight loss had the Jaguars at 3-7 while the Steelers are 7-2. This was a tough win. This was a Roethlisberger tough win. This was a Mike Tomlin tough win. This was a Pittsburgh tough win. 20-16 Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants — Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together for an exciting game. This actually was that game. The Giants got their second win of the season with an inspiring Monday night win and hosted the reeling Buccaneers. The Giants began at their own 37. From their own 48, Eli Manning went deep to O’Dell Beckham for 41 yards. Manning hit Saquon Barkley for a 6 yard score to make it 7-0 Giants. The Giants got it back at their own 5 yard line. Barkley ran for gains of 9 and 10. Manning hit Ellison for 12 and Fowler for 10. Beckham took an end around 11 yards and Manning hit Gallman for 21 more. Early in the second quarter, Barkley ran for a 6 yard touchdown to cap a 12 play, 95 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive to make it 14-0 Giants.

The Buccaneers got it back at their own 36 and Ryan Fitzpatrick hit mike Evans for 24 yards. Pierre Barber gained 9 and Fitzpatrick hit OJ Howard for 20 more. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Barber only got half of it. Dirk Koetter decided to go for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Fitzpatrick rolled out and got in himself to get the Buccaneers within 14-7.

Fitzpatrick ended the half with an interception and began the third quarter with another one. The latter one proved costly as Alex Ogletree returned it 15 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 21-7 Giants. From the Giants 32, Fitzpatrick went to the end zone and was intercepted again by Riley, who returned it 40 yards to the Giants 40. Aldrick Rosas hit a 52 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Giants.

A desperate Dirk Koetter benched Fitzpatrick and brought in Jameis Winston. To the surprise of everyone, he played well. It helped that from the Tampa 26, Peyton Barber ran for 9 and then broke off a 28 yard run. Winston hit Chris Godwin for 17 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Giants 18, Winston went to Evans for 10 yards. Then came some dumb luck. From the 6, the Buccaneers fumbled. Yet Evans recovered in the end zone for a touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 24-14 just like they drew it up on the playground sandlot.

The Giants took over at their own 29. Manning went deep to Beckham for a 27 yard gain. Barkley had gains of 14 and 13 as the fourth quarter began. On 3rd and 5 from the 8, Manning went to Beckham for the touchdown. With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Giants had 31-14.

Winston led a furious comeback from the Tampa 23, hitting howard for 24 yards. Barber ran for 12 and Winston hit Godwin for 19 more. Unsportsmanlike conduct on the defense meant 1st and goal at the 5. Barber ran it in to get the Buccaneers within 31-21 with less than 10 minutes left to play. The Giants went 3 and out and the Bucs got it back at their own 30 midway through the fourth quarter. Winston hit Evans for 25 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 39, Winston hit Desean Jackson for 7 yards and Howard for 24 more. Winston then found Adam Humphries for an 8 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left the Buccaneers were within 31-28.

Yet the problem with the Buccaneers is they have no defense. On 2nd and 8 from their own 35, Manning fired to Evan Engram, who split the middle seams for a 54 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the 2, Barkley got in. The Giants led 38-28 with 4 minutes left, but unsportsmanlike conduct on the Giants had the Buccaneers taking over at their own 34.

Winston hit Humphries for 13 yards. on 3rd and 1 from the Giants 44, Winston gained 3. Winston then went deep to Evans for a 41 yard touchdown. With 2:22 to play, the Bucs were back within a field goal. With both teams out of timeouts, Dirk Koetter had to try an onside kick. It failed and the Giants took over at their own 44. Tampa Bay got it back at their own 20 with 23 seconds left. Winston went deep and was intercepted. Fitzpatrick was 13 of 21 for 167 yards, 0 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Winston was 12 of 16 for 199 yards, 2 touchdowns, and the interception at the end. Manning was sensational, throwing only 18 passes and completing 17 of them for 231 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Manning was told he was washed up. He’s led the Giants to two straight wins in fine form. 38-35 Giants

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts — Both teams got off to slow starts and improved. Tennessee thrashed New England and Dallas in successive weeks. The 1-5 Colts won three straight entering this game. This game was all Colts. In the first quarter Carlos Rogers returned a punt 74 yards but it was nullified by an illegal block late. The Colts still took over at the Tennessee 33. On 3rd and 7 form the 30, Andrew Luck hit Doyle for 7 yards and Pascal for 11 more. On 3rd and 1 from the 3, the defense jumped offside. Marlin Mack got the last yard to make it 7-0 Colts.

The second quarter began with an interception of Marcus Mariota that set up the Colts at their own 6. They moved to a 2nd and goal at the 4, but Luck threw incomplete twice. Adam Vinatieri hit the 22 yard field goal to make its 10-0 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 13 and soon faced 3rd and 3 from their 20. Luck hit Inman for 12 and then went bombs away to TY Hilton for a 68 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Colts. Indy got it back at their own 15. Defensive pass interference moved the ball 35 yards to midfield. From the Titans 38, Luck hit Hines for 20 and Wilkins got around the end for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 24-0 Colts.

The Titans got a field goal before the half, but it did not stop the beating. Mariota was injured at the end of the half. With Blaine Gabbert playing the second half, this game was over. In the third quarter and interception of Gabbert had the Colts at theTitans 21. On 3rd and 3, Luck hit Hilton for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 31-3 Colts. In the fourth quarter Luck threw a 7 yard touchdown to Inman to cap a 13 play, 85 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and make it 38-3 Colts. The Titans got a garbage touchdown but it was the Colts winning their 4th straight as both teams are 5-5 in the weak AFC South. 38-10 Colts

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers — The Broncos are a bad team at 3-6. The Chargers are a good team at 7-2 with 6 straight wins. In the first quarter the Chargers moved the ball well but could not crack the end zone. Badgley hit field goals of 46 and 45 yards to make it 6-0 Chargers.

An unnecessary roughness penalty on the ensuing kickoff moved the Broncos up to their own 30. To start the second quarter, on 4th and 5 from the Denver 47, Vance Joseph gambled on a fake punt. Wadman hit Janovich for a 12 yard gain. On the next play Lindsay raced for a 41 yard touchdown to put the Broncos up 7-6. Rivers was then intercepted to set up Denver at the Chargers 46. Yet on 4th and 1 from the Chargers 14, Vance Joseph decided to go for it. Lindsey got stopped.

From their own 16, Philip Rivers hit Keenan Allen for 10 yards. On 3rd and 7 from their 29, Rivers went to Melvin Gordon for a 32 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 33, Rivers went to Williams for 29 yards. Rivers hit Allen for the 4 yard touchdown as the Chargers took a 13-7 lead to the locker rooms. After a touchback to start the second half, Rivers went to Williams for 19 yards. From the Denver 45, Ekeler got around the end for a 17 yard gain. Rivers hit Antonio Gates for a 6 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Chargers led 19-7

Denver hung tough. The Chargers moved from their 22 to a 3rd and 9 at the Denver 35. Rivers was intercepted by Von Miller, who returned it 42 yards to the Chargers 18. Lindsay ran for 8 and Freeman ran for 7 and then the 3 yard touchdown to get the Broncos within 19-14. In the fourth quarter the Broncos took over at their own 27. A facemark penalty on the defense tacked on 15 yards. From the Denver 46, Case Keenum hit Chris Sutton for a 39 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the 8, Keenum hit Lindsay for 6. On the next play a wildcat snap to Lindsay got the 2 yard touchdown. The point try failed but the Broncos led 20-19 with 12:20 to play in the game.

The Chargers came back from their own 28 and moved to a 3rd and 15 at the Denver 26. Rivers hit Gordon for 14 yards. With 6:47 to play, Anthony Lynn had a big decision to make. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 12, he played it safe and went with the field goal. Badgley hit from 30. The Chargers led 22-20, but Denver had life. Their offense went nowhere but at the 2 minute warning, the Chargers had a chance to put the game away. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 48, Rivers threw incomplete. Denver still had life.

The Broncos took over with 1:51 to play at their own 8 yard line. Case keen hit Heuerman for 5 yards and then to Emanuel Sanders for a 38 yard gain. With 20 seconds to play, the Broncos faced 3rd and 7 at the Chargers 46. This was it. Keenum went deep to Chris Sutton for a 30 yard gain as the Broncos raced to beat the clock. It ticked down and Keenum spiked the ball with 2 seconds left. Brandon McManus only needed to make a 34 yard field goal for the shocking upset. He did. As Chris Berman says, “THAT’s why they PLAY the games.” 23-22 Broncos

Oakland Raiders at Arizona Cardinals — Both teams are horrible, but the Raiders are worse. They are bad at everything, and on the occasions they lead, they collapse when it matters most. On the second play of the game, Josh Rosen was intercepted by Gareon Conley, who returned it 28 yards to the Arizona 33. Muscle Hamster Doug Martin gained 9 yards. Derek Carr went deep to Jared Cook for a 23 yard touchdown. The Raider sled 7-0, but they frequently look good on their first drive before going downhill.

A 32 yard kickoff return had the Cardinals at their own 36. David Johnson gained 5, 4, 4, and 3. Edmonds ran for 8 and 6. On 3rd and 7 from the Oakland 18, Rosen went to Larry Fitzgerald for the touchdown to tie the game 7-7. As for the first quarter was ending, the Cardinals faced 3rd and 5 at their own 41. A short pass from Rosen to Kirk could have been stopped well short of the sticks. Yet a mistackle in this year of ineptitude meant a 59 yard touchdown and a 14-7 Cardinals lead.

The Cardinals got the ball back and quickly faced 2nd and 8 at their own 39. Rosen went deep and had a ball deflected into the air and intercepted by Karl Joseph. The secondary is the worst part of the Raiders, yet in this game Paul Guenther’s secondary had 2 interceptions in the first half. The Raiders took over at midfield. Jon Gruden used to win games by pounding the rock. This year he has just not run the ball enough. In this game he played power football.

Martin ran for 11, 7 and 10. Then Deandre Washington ran for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 5, Carr hit Brandon LaFell in the front corner of the end zone for the touchdown for a 14-14 game.

In the third quarter the Raiders kept running the ball. After a touchback, Jalen Richard ripped off a 24 yard gain, then ran for 4 more yards, and caught a pass for 16 yards. Yet the Raiders lose games because of stupid mistakes. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 22, a false start was followed by a sack of Carr. Dan Carlson bailed the Raiders out with a 49 yard field goal for a 17-14 Raiders lead.

The Raiders got the ball back and soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 41. Carr went to LaFell for a 24 yard gain. An unnecessary roughness penalty on the defense moved the ball to the Arizona 12. On 3rd and 1 from the 3, Washington got the yard. Rookie left tackle Kolton Miller was injured on the play. However, if the Raiders could just finish a drive, they’d be up 24-14. They couldn’t. On 1st and goal at the 2, they had a false start. On 3rd and goal at the one, Washington got the carry. Rather than leap over the top, he went straight into a brick wall and lost a yard. After 12 plays, 63 yards, and 7 1/2 minutes, Carlson hit the 21 yard field goal as the Raiders led 20-14. Arizona had only 13 total yards in the third quarter, yet the Raiders as they always do left the door open.

Then came the inevitable fourth quarter. From the Arizona 20, Johnson gained 10 yards. On the next play up the gut he ripped off a 53 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Oakland 17, the Raiders needed one stop. They couldn’t get it. Rosen hit Kirk for 12 and Fitzgerald for the 5 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left in regulation, the Cardinals led 21-20. The Raiders had blown it AGAIN.

Naturally, the Raiders malfunctioned on offense. Two runs gained a combined one yard, allowing the Raiders to help run out the clock while they ere losing. After a deep incompletion, the Raiders punted with 3:50 to go. All they needed to do now was collapse on defense and the game would be over. It didn’t happen. The Cardinals on 3rd and 9 from their own 41 saw Rosen throw incomplete, stopping the clock. 3:16 still remained. The Raiders had life. Then a perfect pinned the Raiders at their own 3 yard line.

Carr threw 3 straight incompletions, including a third down pass that should have been intercepted but was dropped. With 2:50 to play and 2 timeouts plus the 2 minute warning, Jon Gruden chose to punt and trust his beleaguered defense. Asking them to get stops on consecutive possessions was too much to ask. The Cardinals took over at the Oakland 44.

Yet if the Raiders re the dumbest team in the league in terms of ability to self-destruct, the Cardinals might be second. Johnson lost 2 yards. Then he gained 4 yards, but a mind-numbingly stupid unnecessary roughness penalty on the offense after the play was over had the Cardinals facing 3rd and 23. Also, it stopped the clock. On the next play, Johnson broke free for a 57 yard touchdown. The collapse was complete. The Raiders had blown it again.

Not this time. Offensive holding wiped away the score. Now it was 3rd and 26 again. A give up run gained only one yard and took the clock to the 2 minute warning. At least this time the Raiders took over at their own 20 with 1:53 left and 0 timeouts. There was no time to run the ball. Carr had to do what he did 2 years ago with regularity: win games with heroics.

Carr hit Atman for 9 yards and Jared Cook for 2 more. He then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 1:07 left. Dinking and dunking was not going to get it done. The Raiders needed what Jon Gruden calls chunk plays. Carr went deep to Atman for 32 yards to the Arizona 37. On 3rd and 10, it was now a 55 yard field goal try with a 4th string kicker. The Raiders needed more yards but a sack would kill them. With everything on the line, Carr found Seth Roberts for 20 yards as the clocked ticked down. Carr raced up to the line as the clock kept ticking. He spiked the ball with 2 seconds left. Carlson came in to try a 35 yard field goal.

The Raiders were 1-8. The Cardinals were 2-7. In 2006, the Raiders went 2-14 but beat the Cardinals. In 2010 the Raiders went 8-8 and missed 9-7 because they lost to the Cardinals went Sebastian Janikowski missed a 32 yard field goal on the final play.

Carr finished 19 of 31 for 192 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. More importantly, the Raiders ran for 152 yards. Rosen was an awful 9 of 20 for 136 yards, but he had 3 touchdowns and 2 touchdowns. There is tanking in other sports. For a pair of bad teams, they certainly played all out for this win.

There is no tanking in football. Sure, the Raiders could purposely lose to guarantee the top draft pick. That dishonors everything about football. The Raiders are awful, but they had not quit. Jon Gruden and Derek Carr now needed this kicker to do his job, stop the bleeding, and avoid another gut punch. The kick was good. Carr and Gruden hugged. This was a long time coming. To the Raider Nation who never gave up and still watch every week, you are the true fans. This win was for you. There will be more wins in the future. Savor this one. 23-21 Raiders 

Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints — The Eagles are the defending champions, but this year it’s the Saints looking like Super Bowl contenders. It was never a contest. The Saints moved from their 23 to a 3rd and 4 at the Philly 22. A short pass only gained 2 yards, but Wil Lutz hit the 38 yard field goal to start the deluge. The Saints got it back and moved 86 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 9 from their own 15, Drew Brees hit Kirkwood for 10, Hill for 16, Thomas for 30, Kirkwood for 19, and Carr for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Saints after the first quarter.

Carson went deep and was intercepted at the Saints 16 yard line. Alvin Kamara ran for 16 yards. Brees hit Arnold for 23 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 2 from the Philly 42, Brees hit Smith for 9 yards and again for 8 more. Mark Ingram ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Saints. The Eagles did move 75 yards. Adams ran for a 28 yard touchdown to get the Eagles within 17-7. After that it was all Saints.

The Saints got it back at their own 16 again. From their 19, Brees went to Smith for 22 yards and Thomas for 30 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Philly 24, Brees hit Smith for 9 and again for the 15 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Saints at halftime. In the third quarter the Saints moved 70 yards. Brees hit Thomas for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 31-7 Saints. Doug Peterson decided to go for it on 4th and 5 at the Philly 41. Wentz threw incomplete. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Brees threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. Ingram got the one yard touchdown as the Saints led 38-7 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter the Saints took over at their own 13. Brees went deep to Smith for 38 yards. On 4th and 7 from the Philly 38, Sean Payton decided to go for it. Brees went deep to Kamara as the Saints were delivering a carpet-bombing up 45-7. They tacked on a field goal. For some reason went was still in the game. With 30 seconds left in the ultimate of garbage time, Wentz went to the end zone and was intercepted. The Eagles are 4-6 and will have to run the table just to have a shot at the playoffs. As for the Saints, Sean Payton and Drew Brees have done this before. They are 9-1 and looking scary. 48-7 Saints

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears was the Sunday night game. This was old-time NFC North smash mouth football that would have made the Purple People Eaters and the Monsters of the Midway proud. It was also a battle for the NFC North lead. Early on the Bears moved from their own 21 to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 15. The drive stalled and Cody Parkey hit the 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bears.The Vikings then fumbled, but the Bears gave it back with an interception.

In the second quarter the bears faced 2nd and 11 at their own 17. Mitchell Trubisky hit Allen Robinson for 12 yards, Taylor Gabriel for 8 more on 3rd and 5, and scrambled himself for 6 more. Trubisky threw an 18 yard touchdown pass to Anthony Miller. He then went to Jay Bellamy for the 2 point conversion to lead 11-0. With 5 minutes left in the half the Bears moved from their 36 to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 25. The drive against stalled. Parkey hit from 41 as the Bears led 14-0 at the half the hard way.

An interception of Trubisky set up the Vikings at the Chicago 31 in the third quarter, but all they could muster was a 36 yard Dan Bailey field goal. The fourth quarter began with the bears fumbling and the Vikings again receiving gift field position at the Chicago 29. Again, they were held to another 36 yard Bailey field goal as the Vikings trailed 14-6.

The Vikings got the ball back again with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation, but this time they were at their own 11 yard line. Cousins was intercepted by Jackson, who returned it 27 yards for a touchdown. Again, Matt Nagy decided to go for the 2 point conversion. Trubisky hit Shaheen for the score as the Bears led 22-6. For those wondering why he kept going for 2, it could be because his kicker doinked 4…yes 4…kicks off the upright no good last week.

From the Minnesota 26, Cousins hit Sean Diggs for gains of 9, 6, 13, and 4. Cousins then hit Robinson for 11. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 30, Cousins threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 10 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 13, Cousins went to Robinson for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed, but roughing the passer gave the Vikings another try. This time Cousins went to Adam Thielen and the Vikings were within 22-14 with 5 minutes left. If the defense could get a stop, they had a chance.

With 4 minutes left, on 3rd and 8 from their own 27, Trubisky hit Robinson for 17 yards and a key first down. Unnecessary roughness on the defense on the next play was a killer. On 3rd and 4 from the Minnesota 30, rather than play it safe, Nagy got aggressive. A run would have forced the Vikings to use their last timeout. Trubisky threw incomplete. On 4th and 4 with 2:48 left, Nagy had to trust his shaky kicker. From 48 yards out, Parkey delivered to put the Bears up by 25-14.

Needing 2 scores, Cousins desperately moved the offense, going 75 yards in 11 plays. With 90 seconds left the Vikings had 1st and goal at the 10. They still had their last timeout. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Cousins fired to Diggs for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed as the Vikings trailed by 5. The onside kick failed as the Bears got to 7-3 while Mike Zimmer saw his Vikings fall to 5-4 with the loss. 25-20 Bears

Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Rams was the Monday night game. The 1958 NFL Championship Game was dubbed “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” 60 years from now, that label might belong to this game. This is why we watch football. The NFC Title Game Preview saw the Rams lose to the Saints 45-35. The AFC Title Game Preview saw the Chiefs lose to the Patriots 43-40. This was a legitimate Super Bowl Preview. Both teams came in 9-1, and they gave NFL fans a game for the ages. Originally scheduled for Mexico City, this game had to be moved to Los Angeles due to problematic conditions with Azteca Field.

The statistics in this game were mind-boggling. 105 total points. Both teams scored over 50 points. Quarterbacks Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes combined for 10 touchdown passes. Each of them had a passer rating over 117 and over 400 yards passing. The teams combined for 1001 yards. 35 points were scored in the fourth quarter alone. There were even 3 defensive touchdowns. Yes, at the very least, this deserves consideration as the greatest regular season ever played, or at least the most exciting. So let’s get to this full tilt pinball machine disguised as a football game.

The opening kickoff was a touchback, and it seemed like the only play where nobody scored. From the Rams 44, Goff hit Brandon Cooks for 30 yards. Goff hit Robert Woods for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 6-0 Rams after the missed extra point. The Rams got it back at their own 17. From the Rams 27, Goff hit Reynolds for 14, Higbee for 16, and Woods for 25. On 3rd and 11 from the Chiefs 19, the Chiefs jumped offsides. On 3rd and 6 Good hit Cooks for 8 yards and Josh Reynolds for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Rams.

After a touchback the Chiefs came back Kareem Hunt ran for 27 yards. Mahomes went deep to Tyreek Hill for 20 yards and again for the 25 yard touchdown to get the Chiefs within 13-7. The Rams moved from their 16 to a 1st and goal at the 6. The second quarter began with the Rams facing 3rd and goal at the 5. Goff threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Walrus Lite Andy Reid challenged the call. Penalties cannot be challenged, but what can be challenged is whether the pass was tipped. On further review, the pass was tipped, meaning pass interference does not occur. So instead, it was 4th and goal at the 5. Greg Zuerlein hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 16-7 Rams.

The Chiefs came back after a touchback and moved to a 3rd and goal at the one. Hunt went around the end but got stopped for a one yard loss. On 4th and goal at the 2, Andy Reid decided not to gamble. Harrison Butker kicked the 20 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 16-10. 3 plays later the Rams faced 3rd and 13 from their own 22. Goff was sacked by Bailey, who got the trifecta. The sack forced a fumble and Bailey recovered it at the Rams 21. One play later, Mahomes hit Hunt for the touchdown as the Chiefs had their first lead of the game up 17-16. It was the first lead change of the game.

The Chiefs got it back at their own 3 yard line. From their 22, disaster struck. Mahomes got belted and fumbled. Samson Ebukam returned it 11 yards for a defensive touchdown. The second lead change of the game had the Rams up 23-17 as both quarterbacks gave up a fumble that led to a touchdown. 1:50 still remained in the half. From the Chiefs 31, Mahomes hit Kelce for gains of 5 and 8, Conley for 5, and Kelce deep for a 37 yard gain. With 13 seconds left, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 4 at the Rams 8. Mahomes hit Conley for the score. The extra point was no good. It was only fitting that this heavyweight bout was tied 23-23 at the break. The second half was even crazier. Normally the pace slows down in these games. In this one it accelerated.

The Chiefs in the third quarter quickly moved from their 29 to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 25. Mahomes was then sacked and fumbled again. By the time the Rams recovered the ball, it was 29 yards the other way as the Rams took over at the Chiefs 46. On 3rd and 10, a completion from Goff to Reynolds gained only 9 yards. Wade Phillips is a great defensive coordinator, but this was not a game for Sean McVay to rely on the defense. Both teams needed to keep scoring, so McVay decided to go for it. Goff hit Higbee for 7 yards, Higbee fumbled it, recovered it himself, and gained 5 more yards. Goff then hit Higbee again for 15 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Goff ran for the touchdown to make it 30-23 Rams.

The Chiefs got it back at their own 36. A series of runs and short passes moved the Chiefs to the Rams 38. Mahomes then went deep to Kelce for 33 yards and again for the 4 yard touchdown. Midway through the third quarter, the game was tied 30-30. These teams were just getting warmed up. From the Rams 35, Goff hit Todd Gurley for gains of 19 and 13. On 3rd and 11 from the Chiefs 34, Goff hit Cooks for 13 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Chiefs 20, Gurley only gained 5 yards. Zuerlein hit the 33 yard field goal as the Rams led 33-30 late in the third quarter. Immediately after a touchback, Mahomes was intercepted by Ebukam, who returned it 25 yards for a defensive touchdown as the Rams led 40-30 after three quarters.

Very late in the third quarter, with the Chiefs facing 2nd and 9 at their own 25, it appeared disaster struck the Chiefs again. Mahomes was sacked again, fumbled again, and Littleton returned it 17 yards for another defensive touchdown. The Rams were an extra point away from what may have been an insurmountable 47-30 lead. Luckily for the Chiefs, officials reversed the score and ruled that Mahomes’s arm was going forward. The Chiefs punted and the Rams did likewise. The Chiefs took over 90 seconds into the fourth quarter still down 40-30 at their own 9 yard line.

Mahomes went to Kelce for 7, Hill for 11, and then went bombs away to a wide open Hill for a 73 yard touchdown. The Chiefs were within 40-37 with 12 minutes left. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 14. Goff got hit, fumbled, and Bailey grabbed it for a 2 yard touchdown. The third lead change of the game with 11 minutes left made it 44-40 Chiefs.

After a touchback, Gurley gained 5. Goff went to Reynolds for 27 yard and Woods for 36 more. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Goff went to Gerald Everett in a game where the only one who didn’t score was Jim Everett. The fourth lead change of the game with 9 1/2 minutes left had the Rams back up 47-44. Each team then went 3 and out as the Chiefs took over with 6 1/2 minutes left.

On 3rd and 9 from their own 36, Mahomes scrambled for 7 yards. On 4th and 2 from their own 43 with 4 1/2 minutes left, Andy Reid came to the same conclusion as his counterpart on the other sideline. Relying on the defense, despite some great plays on both sides, was not in the cards in this game. Reid had to go for it. Mahomes hit Kelce for 18 yards and Robinson for 14 more. A defensive penalty for lowering the head to initiate contact meant 1st and goal at the 10. Mahomes went to Conley for the touchdown. The 5th lead change of the game had the Chiefs up 51-47. There was still 2:47 left on the clock.

The Rams soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26 with 2:09 left. Goff went to Cooks for 22 yards. From midfield, Goff went to Higbee for 10. On the next play Goff went deep to Everett for a 40 yard touchdown. The 6th lead change of the game had the Rams back up by a field goal. However, the Chiefs still had 1:49 to work with in a game where neither team tried to run down clock.

On 3rd and 10 from their own 26, Mahomes went to Hill for 26 yards. On the next play, Mahomes went deep and was intercepted by his former teammate Marcus Peters. The Rams had the ball at their own 35 with 90 seconds left. However, the Chiefs had all 3 timeouts. Had the Rams run the ball 3 times, the Chiefs would have used all 3 timeouts. Despite having a potential league MVP in Gurley (to be fair many of the players on these teams could be the MVP), Sean McVay turned into Mike Martz. He did not even try to run the ball even once. Yes, with 90 seconds left, he kept passing.

With help from a false start and an incompletion that stopped the clock, the Chiefs prevented a first down. Game like these rarely mention punters, but Rams punter Johnny Hekker boomed a 68 yard punt. For the second time in the fourth quarter, Hill tried to return it from deep inside his own 10 yard line rather than allow a touchback. Trying to make something happen, the Chiefs ended up starting at their own 12 yard line with 50 seconds left. The Chiefs took their last timeout with 25 seconds left at their own 26. Mahomes went deep, and for the second time in the last 2 minutes of the game, he was intercepted again. The game no viewer wanted to end finally did end. There would be no overtime.

Mahomes went 33 of 46 and Goff finished 31 of 49. Mahomes threw for 478 yards and Goff added 413 of his own. Mahomes threw 6 touchdown passes. Yes, 6 touchdown passes and his team lost. He also had 5 turnovers, 3 interceptions and 2 fumbles. Again, the last 2 interceptions were during desperation time. Goff had 4 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions, although he did also lose 2 fumbles. Mahomes was sacked 3 times, Goff 5 times. Mahomes had the slight edge in quarterback rating 117.6 to 117.1, which nobody understands. A Super Bowl rematch would be a ratings blockbuster. Again, THIS is why we watch football. Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk led the Greatest Show on Turf, but even they had to marvel at this game in Los Angeles. 54-51 Rams   

NFL 2018 Week 11 Prequel

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-2018-azteca-stadium-109008/

NFL 2018 Week 10 Recap

Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Thursday night game. Two good football teams played, but only one of them showed up. The Panthers started out well with a 75 yard drive. On 4th and 1 from the Pittsburgh 22, Riverboat Ron Rivera decided to go for it. Christian McCaffrey gained 2 yards and on the next play caught a 20 yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton. The Panthers led 7-0, but after that the Steelers blasted Carolina into a little pieces.

One play after a touchback, Ben Roethlisberger went to Juju Smith-Schuster for a 75 yard touchdown to tie the game. Carolina got the ball back at their own 12. Newton was immediately intercepted by Vince Williams, who returned it 17 yards for a touchdown. 2 scores in less than 30 seconds had the Steelers up 14-7. Pittsburgh got it back and moved 69 yards with ease. Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for gains of 8 and 6. Smith-schuster ran for 13 yards. From the Carolina 34, James Conner did the rest. Conner ran for 3, 9, caught a pass for 8, ran for 12, and ran for the 2 yard touchdown. The Steelers led 21-7 after the first quarter and never looked back.

In the second quarter the Steelers moved from their own 8 to a 1st and 10 at the Carolina 25. A sack of Roethlisberger stopped the drive, but Chris Boswell hit a 50 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Steelers. The Panthers did come back 73 yards. Newton hit McCaffrey for a 25 yard touchdown to get the Panthers within 24-14. However, the Steelers quickly came back. On 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 29, Roethlisberger hit Ryan Switzer for 18 yards. Big Ben then went to Brown for a 53 yard touchdown as the Steelers led 31-14 at halftime.

In the third quarter the Steelers continued the carpet-bombing. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 30, Roethlisberger hit Switzer for 13 yards. Conner ran for 13 more. On 3rd and 9 from the Carolina 12, Roethlisberger hit Vance McDonald for the score to make it 38-14 Steelers. Pittsburgh got it back and moved 65 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. On 3rd and 8 from their own 37, Roethlisberger hit McDonald for 19 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 32, Roethlisberger ran for 18 yards with 7 more tacked on for a penalty that got professional anthem protester Eric Reid disqualified. Roethlisberger hit Jesse James for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 45-14 Steelers.

The Panthers then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving the Steelers the ball at the Carolina 9 yard line. On the first play of the fourth quarter. Roethlisberger hit Samuels for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 52-14 Steelers. Carolina did get in the end zone one more time, but this was a massacre. Mike Tomlin has a 6-2 football team sitting pretty in the AFC North while Carolina at 6-3 lost some ground in the very competitive NFC South. Newton finished 23 of 29 for 193 yards, 2 touchdowns and one interception. He was also sacked 5 times. Roethlisberger finished a ridiculous 22 of 25 for 328 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. He had a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3, which would be even more impressive if anyone knew how to calculate it. 52-21 Steelers

New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans — Darius Jennings returned the opening kickoff 58 yards to the New England 40. Marcus Mariota then completed a pass fro Davis for 24 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Mariota hit Smith for the touchdown and the 7-0 Titans lead. The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 13 from their own 22. Tom Brady went deep to Josh Gordon for a 44 yard gain. The drive stalled but Stephen Gostkowski hit a 52 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 7-3.

Mariota went to Cory Davis for a 23 yard touchdown as the Titans had the surprising 14-3 lead. The Titans got it back just past midfield. Mariota went to Smith for 29 yards. On 2nd and 5 from the New England 15, Mariota threw incomplete twice. Ryan Succop hit a 33 yard field goal as the Titans had a 17-3 lead after the first quarter.

After a touchback, Brady found Julian Edelman for a 29 yard game. The second quarter began with the Patriots facing 4th and 2 at the Tennessee 12. Bill Belichick decided to go for it. Brady went to white for 11 yards. Develin got the last yard up the gut to get the Patriots within 17-10. The Patriots missed a chance to get closer with Gostkowski missed a 52 yard field goal.

With 5 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Patriots punted on 4th and 6 from their own 13. The Titans fumbled the punt, recovered it, and actually gained 12 yards. A penalty on New England on the play had the Titans taking over at the new England 37. On 3rd and 14 from the New England 41, Mariota hit Davis for 20 yards. On 2nd and 14 from the New England 25, Mariota hit Smith for 12 and Firkser for 11. From the 2, Derrick Henry got a yard and then got another one as the Titans had the 24-10 lead at halftime.

Surely the Patriots would come back in the second half. Not this time. Brady was harassed all day by Tennessee’s defense. A 10 play, 78 yard, 5 minute drive led to a 31 yard Succop field goal to make it 27-10 Titans after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, on 3rd and 7 from the Titans 43, Bill Belichick tried the trick play where Brady becomes a receiver. He caught the ball but stumbled and fell one yard short. On 4th and 1, a killer false start followed by an incompletion ended the drive.

From their own 42, Mariota hit Jennings for 21 yards. From the New England 37, Henry did the rest. He ran for 2, 14, 5, 6, and on a wildcat snap, a 10 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. The Patriots had their 6 game winning streak snapped. To quote ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman, “THAT’s why they PLAY the games.” 34-10 Titans

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts — Andrew Luck went deep to Eric Ebron for a 53 yard touchdown early to make it 7-0 Colts. Blake Bortles came back with a 77 yard touchdown bomb to Dante Moncrief for a 7-7 game. The Colts took over at their own 30 and Luck went deep to TY Hilton for 35 yards and Alie-Cox for 27 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Ebron got around the end and in the end zone for a 14-7 Colts lead.

The Colts got it back at their own 14. On 3rd and 1 from their 23, Wilkins got around the end for a 53 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Jags 12, Luck went to Ebron for his third touchdown and a 21-7 Colts lead. Chark returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to the Jags 46. From the Indy 35, Bortles hit Leonard Fournette for 31 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Fournette got in to get the Jaguars within 21-13. Then things got bizarre on the extra point. Josh lamb’s kick was blocked. Walker picked it up and raced all the way the other way for what should have been a 2 point score for Indianapolis. However, a completely unnecessary illegal block at the Jacksonville 10 yard line negated the score.

The Colts came back 75 yards in 10 plays. On 3rd and 3 form their own 32, a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty moved the Colts to their own 47. Another unnecessary roughness call moved the Colts to the Jacksonville 34. Luck hit Inman for 14 and Grant for 6 more. Luck hit Mo Alie-Cox for a one yard touchdown. Marlin Mack rushed for the 2 point conversion as the Colts led 29-13 with 90 seconds left in the half. Indianapolis did nothing the rest of the game.

A 38 yard kickoff return had the Jaguars taking over at their own 40. With 21 seconds left in the half, the Jaguars had 1st and goal at the 10. Bortles threw 3 straight incompletions. Lambo hit a 28 yard field goal to end the half with the Jaguars down 29-16. In the third quarter the Jaguars mounted a staggering 17 play, 75 yard drive that consumed over 8 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 4 from the Indy 30, Doug Marrone gambled on a fake field goal. Cooke completed a pass to O’Shaugnessy for just enough. Frank Reich unsuccessfully challenged the spot and the drive continued. On 3rd and 9 from the Indy 12, Bortles hit Westbrook for 11 and Fournette for the one yard touchdown. Midway through the third quarter, the Jaguars were within 29-23.

The Jaguars got it back and moved from their 39 to a 4th and 3 at the Indy 34. Lambo came in for a 52 yard field goal try. It was no good. Luck was intercepted, but the Jaguars did not capitalize. Jacksonville got it back at their own 41 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Indy 36. A run lost a yard and Bortles threw incomplete twice. Despite earlier misses, Doug Marrone had Lambo try a 55 yard field goal with 4 minutes left in regulation. Lambo drilled it and the Jaguars were within a field goal.

After a touchback, rather than run time off the clock, Frank Reich went aggressive. Luck hit Hilton for a 35 yard gain. With 3 minutes left, on 3rd and 4 from the Jacksonville 34, Luck threw incomplete. Reich decided to have Adam Vinatieri try a 52 yard field goal knowing that even if it was good, it would not close the game out. It was no good and the Jaguars were still only down by a field goal.

From their own 42, the Jaguars moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Indy 35 with 90 seconds to play. Jacksonville was in range for the tying field goal try. Bortles hit Greene for 10 yards. However disaster struck when Greene fumbled and the Colts recovered. Replay showed that Greene’s knee was down before the ball came out. However, the call stood and the Jaguars lost their 5th straight game. The Colts won their 3rd straight after a 1-5 start. 29-26 Colts

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets — Josh Allen is still injured. As for Nathan Peterman, a GoFundMe page has been set up offering him one million dollars to retire. He has one touchdown and 10 interceptions in 4 career games. Matt Barkley got the start and went deep to Foster for a long gain. LeSean Shady McCoy ran for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills.

Buffalo got it back and moved 73 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 6 from their own 47, Sean McDermott called a fake punt. Punter Logan Thomas hit Foster for a 15 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Jets 11, Barkley hit Jones for a 10 yard gain. Jones fumbled at the one yard line, but Croom recovered in the end zone for the touchdown and the 14-0 Bills lead.

In the second quarter, the Bills took over at their own 27. Barkley went deep to Jones for a 33 yard gain. On 4th and 1 from the Jets 31, McDermott decided to go for it. An illegal shift penalty made it 4th and 6. McDermott instead opted for the field goal. Steve Hauschka nailed the 54 yarder to make it 17-0 Bills.

Buffalo got it back at their own 36. On 3rd and 4 from their 42, Barkley hit Jones for 5 yards. From the Jets 29, Barkley hit Holmes for 22 yards. Barkley then threw a tackle eligible to Dion Dawkins for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 24-0 Bills.   The Jets moved from their 30 to the Buffalo 37. An 18 yard run was wiped out by offensive holding. On the next play Josh McCown was intercepted by Milano, who returned it 29 yards to the Buffalo 46. McCoy ran for gains of 5 and 23. Murphy ran for 17 and McCoy added 7 more and then on 3rd and goal got the last yard on a drive without a single pass. The Bills led 31-0 with 90 seconds left in the half.

The Jets inspired the football world with a field goal before the half and a touchdown in the third quarter. Down 31-10, they would be mounting an epic comeback for the ages. No, not really. The Bills mounted a 12 play, 65 yard, 6 minute drive. It culminated in 3rd and goal at the 8 and Barkley hitting Zay Jones for the score to make it 38-10. Buffalo tacked on a fourth quarter field goal to complete the blowout. Barkley finished 15 of 25 for 232 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. McCoy ran for 113 yards on 26 carries with 2 touchdowns. Todd Bowles is on the very hot seat as games like this are why J-E-T-S stands for Just End The Season. 41-10 Bills

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears — Khalil Mack was back from injury but it was the Bears offense that went right to work, going 75 yards. From the Detroit 38, Mitchell Trubisky went to Robinson for 35 yards. Cohen ran for the 3 yard touchdown and the Bears led 6-0 after the missed extra point. The Lions moved from their 25 to a 4th and 2 from the Chicago 40. Matt Patricia decided to go for it and Johnson gained 10 yards. Yet a sack of Matthew Stafford set up 4th and 17 at the Chicago 37. Rather than try a 55 yard field goal, after 10 plays and 6 minutes, Patricia opted to punt.

The Bears took over at their own 9. On 3rd and 4 from their 15, the defense jumped offside. Trubisky then went to Robinson for 27 yards and Braunecker for 20 more. On 3rd and 15 from the Detroit 36, Trubisky went back to Robinson for the touchdown to make it 13-0 Bears.

Trubisky was 14 of 16 for 209 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in the first half alone. He had a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3, which would be even more impressive if anyone understood what that meant. In the second quarter the Bears took over at their own 29. From their 33, Trubisky hit Cohen for 17, Burton for 5, and Miller for a 45 yard touchdown. Parkey again missed an extra point as the Bears led 19-0. Stafford was then intercepted, setting up the Bears at the Detroit 18. Trubisky ran for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 26-0 Bears.

The Lions tried to make a game of it. A 14 play, 75 yard drive consumed 7 minutes. Stafford hit Kenny Golladay for 11. On 3rd and 12 from their own 35, Stafford hit Golladay again for 13 and Jones for 14 more. On 3rd and 4 from the 11, Stafford threw incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. On 3rd and goal from the one, Kerryon Johnson got in as the Lions trailed 26-7 at halftime.

In the third quarter a 32 yard pass from Stafford to Jones led to a 52 yard Matt prater field goal to get the Lions within 26-10. The Bears missed  chance to extend the lead when Parkey missed a 41 yard field goal. Stafford immediately fumbled and the Bears took over at the Detroit 21. The Bears got nothing when Parkey’s nightmarish day continued. He missed a 34 yard field goal. In what may be an NFL first, all 4 of his misses were doinked off the upright no good. Most kickers could not purposely hit the upright if they tried, certainly not 4 times. It didn’t matter. A short punt had the Bears taking over at midfield. Trubisky hit Burton for 24 yards and Allen Robinson for a 26 yard touchdown. Trubisky hit Burton for the 2 point try to make it 34-10 Bears after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter Stafford was intercepted again but the Bears did not capitalize. The Lions got it back at midfield. Stafford hit Theo Riddick for 18 and Jones for 12 more. Roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 5. Stafford hit Golladay for the score. The 2 point try failed but the Lions were within 34-16 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

A well executed onside kick had the Lions recovering at the Chicago 38. 3 straight incompletions meant 4th and 10. Stafford went to Golladay for 25 yards and Johnson for the 13 yard touchdown. On the 2 point try, Stafford hit Golladay but Golladay was ruled short of the plane of the goal. Replay showed Golladay may have been in, but Matt Patricia unsuccessfully challenged the call. Down by 12, the Lions got it back at their own 20 with one minute left. Short passes left the Lions out of time. On a side note, outside of Angela Lansbury, the coolest women over 90 are Bears owner Virginia McCaskey and Lions owner Martha Ford. 34-22 Bears

  

New Orleans Saints  at Cincinnati Bengals — The Bengals are a good team. The Saints are a great team. After an emotional home win over the previously unbeaten Rams, the issue would be one of a letdown. Not in the era of Sean Payton and Drew Brees. The Saints started with a 15 play, 75 yard drive that consumed 8 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincy 19, Brees hit Thomas for 9 yards and again for the 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. After a touchback Red Rifle Andy Dalton hit Boyd for a 23 yard gain. Dalton capped the drive with a 2 yard touchdown pass to John Ross. The game was tied after the first quarter, but it would be over by halftime.

After a touchback, Brees hit Mark Ingram for 27 yards. Brees went back to Ingram for a 28 yard touchdown early in the second quarter to make it 14-7 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 10. Alvin Kamara ran for 14 yards and defensive pass interference added 11 more. Ingram ran for 18. Brees hit Carr for 12 and Kamara for 13 more.  Kamara ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Saints with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half.

A short punt had the Saints taking over at their own 40. On 3rd and 6 from the Cincy 43, Brees hit Kamara for 19 yards and Arnold for 23 yards down to the one. Sean Payton brought in the backup quarterback for one play. Kamara got in to make it 28-7 Saints with 90 seconds left in the half. The Bengals moved from their 23 to the Saints 34 with 24 seconds left in the half. Yet there would be no field goal try. Dalton was intercepted by Williams, who returned it 78 yards to the Cincy 17. Only 8 seconds remained in the half. That was enough time for Brees to hit Thomas for the back-breaker as the Saints took a 35-7 lead to the locker rooms.

The second half was a formality. In the third quarter, the Saints faced 3rd and 1 from the Cincy 11. Brees threw incomplete. In an act of mercy, Sean Payton opted for the field goal. Wil Lutz hit from 29 to make it 38-7 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 38 and Ingram ran for 33 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Ingram got stopped. This time there would be no mercy. Payton went for it and Brees snuck over the top for the score to make it 45-7 Saints.

In the fourth quarter Lutz tacked on field goals of 42 and 41 sandwiched around a Dalton interception to make it 51-7 Saints. Sean Payton benched Drew Brees and brought in Teddy Bridgewater. I guess Brees is not that good. The Bengals got a garbage touchdown from backup quarterback Jeff Driskel. Brees finished a white hot 22 of 25 for 265 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as the Saints got to 8-1 atop the NFC South. 51-14 Saints.

Atlanta Falcons  at Cleveland Browns — The Browns after an exchange of punts took over at their own 12. Baker Mayfield went to Perriman for a 16 yard gain and Chubb for 13 more. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 38, Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 10 yards and Higgins for the 28 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. After a touchback, the Falcons mounted a 14 play, 53 yard drive that took nearly 7 1/2 minutes. Despite one fourth down conversion, an aborted snap on a shotgun from the Cleveland 24 killed the drive. Georgio Tavecchio hit a 40 yard field goal to get the Falcons on the board in the second quarter.

An interception of Mayfield set up the Falcons at the Cleveland 45. Matt Ryan went to Julio Jones for 30 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Ryan hit Jones for the score and a 10-7 Falcons lead. The Browns took over at their 20. Mayfield went to Callaway for 25 yards. On 3rd and 1 at the Atlanta 46, Nick Chubb ran for 11, 4, and 20. Chubb then caught a 13 yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to make it 14-10 Browns. Coming into this game, the Falcons had won 3 straight while the Brows had lost several in a row. Surely the Falcons would stop toying with the Browns and dominate them in the second half. Again, cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman: “THAT’s why they PLAY the games.” 

The Falcons began the third quarter from their own 22. On 2nd and 18 from their own 37, Ryan hit Mohammed San for 4 yards. Sanu fumbled and the Browns recovered at the Atlanta 41. Mayfield was sacked and fumbled, but somehow picked up the ball and turned a loss into a 6 yard gain. Mayfield then hit Johnson for 10 and Chubb gained 10 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Atlanta 11, Mayfield hit Duke Johnson for the score to make it 21-10 Browns. The Browns got the ball back at their own 8. Chubb had the home crowd exploding by running for a 92 yard touchdown, the longest touchdown run in franchise history. Atlanta got one garbage touchdown in the fourth quarter but nothing more as Gregg Williams got his first win as Browns coach. 28-16 Browns

Arizona Cardinals at Kansas City Chiefs — On the first play from scrimmage, Patrick Mahomes went to Tyreek Hill for a 38 yard gain. On the second play Mahomes went back to Hill for a 37 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Cardinals mounted a 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive. From midfield, Josh Rosen hit Seals-Jones for 21 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Chiefs 9, Rosen hit David Boston for the score for a 7-7 game.

Steve Wilks knew it would be almost impossible to stop the Chiefs offense, so he tried a surprise onside kick. It failed and the Chiefs took over at the Arizona 38. On 3rd and 13 from the Arizona 19, Mahomes was sacked. Harrison Butker hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 18 in the second quarter and moved to a 2nd and 1 at the Arizona 18. However, Hunt lost 3 yards and Mahomes was sacked. Butker hit from 46 to make it 13-7 Chiefs.

The Chiefs got it back at their 27 and kept rolling. Hunt ran for gains of 17 and 13. From the Arizona 40, Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 10 and Conley for 22 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 14, Mahomes went to Hill for the touchdown as the Chiefs led 20-7. The Cardinals put up much more of a fight than expected. They began the third quarter at their own 39. Runs and short passes moved them to a 3rd and 8 at the Chiefs 13. Rosen threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 6. Johnson got the last yard to get the Cardinals within 20-14.

With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Cardinals took over at their own 17 with a chance for the upset of the year. Rosen hit Johnson for 23 yards. On the next play an attempt at a swing pass was intercepted by big man Justin Houston. The Chiefs took over at the Arizona 31. Hunt ran for 6. Mahomes then hit Kelce for 6 and Hunt for 16. Spencer Ware ran for the touchdown with 10 minutes left in regulation. The 2 point try failed but the Chiefs defense clamped down. Another interception of Rosen sealed Arizona’s fate. Congratulations to Larry Fitzgerald for becoming the 2nd most receiving yards leader in NFL history. Meanwhile, the Chiefs are 9-1, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. 26-14 Chiefs

Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — A hideous first half saw Dustin Hopkins hit a 43 yard first quarter field goal for the Redskins. In the second quarter Chandler Catanzaro missed a 30 yard field goal and then later on made a 33 yarder for a 3-3 ballgame. Hopkins hit from 43 again as the Redskins took a 6-3 halftime lead. In the fourth quarter the Buccaneers moved from their own 4 yard line to a 3rd and 7 at the Washington 16. Out of the shotgun, a fumbled snap meant a 14 yard loss. Chandler Catanzaro missed the 48 yard field goal that would have tied the game.

The Redskins took over at their own 38. West Coast Offense dink and dunk game manager Alex Smith threw incomplete but roughing the passer added 15 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Tampa 46, Smith hit Harris for 20 yards. Smith hit Reed for 12 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the 6, Smith hit Josh Doctson for the game’s only touchdown one minute into the fourth quarter. An interception of Ryan Fitzpatrick led to one more Washington field goal to close out the scoring. Tampa Bay fumbled the ball away two more times as the Redskins got to 6-3 atop the NFC Least. 16-3 Redskins

Los Angeles Chargers at Oakland Raiders — The 6-2 Chargers were expected to steamroll the 1-7 Raiders. It would be the same thing as every week. The Raiders would start out with promise and then collapse. The Raiders held the ball for 17 minutes to start the game, moving 80 yards in 13 plays. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Jon Gruden had Derek Carr in the shotgun. Coaches who do this should be shot with one. Doug Martin got the carry and came up one yard short. Naturally Gruden decided to go for it. Naturally on 4th and goal at the one, Gruden had Carr in the shotgun. Naturally the Raiders tried a gimmicky lateral run rather than just play smash mouth. Naturally the Raiders got stopped.

The Raiders got it back at their own 41. and moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Chargers 27. Jalen Richard got stopped. On 3rd and 4, again Carr was in the shotgun. He threw incomplete. Carlson hit the 46 yard field goal. The Raiders dominated the first quarter, running 23 plays to only 6 for the Chargers. Yet the Raiders only led 3-0. The inevitable would happen soon enough.

The Raiders got the ball back at their own 26 and moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Chargers 21. Naturally, Carr was in the shotgun. The Raiders were in short field goal range. Even a field goal would put them up 6-0. Instead Carr was sacked by Melvin Ingram for an 11 yard loss. Making matters worse, Carr fumbled. Liuget picked it up and ran 24 yards to the Oakland 40. That was the turning point in the game. Despite the offensive collapse, the defense had not completely collapsed yet. On 2nd and 6 from the 8, Rivers was sacked and then threw incomplete. Badgley hit the 27 yard field goal for a 3-3 game.

With 3 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Chargers were pinned at their own 9 yard line. Now it was time for the defensive meltdown. Rivers hit Gordon for 5 yards and Williams for 31 more. Rivers hit Antonio Gates for 18 yards. With 33 seconds left in the half the Chargers faced 3rd and 6 at the Oakland 19. One stop would keep things calm. Instead the Raiders jumped to make it 3rd and 1. Rivers hit Williams for 3 yards and then Keenan Allen for the 11 yard touchdown. The Raiders trailed 10-3 at halftime, but everyone knew they were finished.

The Chargers began the second half at their own 23. From their 34, a short pass from Rivers to Gordon went for a 66 yard touchdown. The defensive back-breaker was now complete. The Raiders trailed 17-3 with almost the entire second half to play, but this game was over. An interception of Rivers led to nothing. The Raiders moved from their 19 and began the fourth quarter with 2nd and 9 at the Chargers 12. Carr threw incomplete twice. With the entire fourth quarter to play, Jon Gruden inspired nobody by opting for a field goal. Carlson hit from 30 but the Raiders trailed 17-6.

The Chargers ran a 12 play drive that moved 57 yards and bled 7 1/2 minutes off the clock. The defense did keep the Chargers out of the end zone, but Badgley hit the 41 yarder to put the Chargers back up by 14. The Raiders moved from their 21 to a 4th and 5 at the Chargers 19. The Raiders burned a timeout to talk it over. With Carr naturally in the shotgun and no offensive line protection, Carr practically threw it in the dirt as the crowd booed relentlessly. For the second straight week, the Raiders failed to score a touchdown. 20-6 Chargers

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams — Last week the Rams were knocked from the unbeaten ranks. Seattle fought them tough. After a touchback, the Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 39. Russell Wilson threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. From the Rams 46, Tyler Lockett ran for 18 yards with 14 more tacked on for a defensive facemark. On 3rd and 4 from the Rams 8, Wilson hit Vannett for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks.

The Rams came back 86 yards in 10 plays. Jared Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 6 and Woods for 20 more. From the Seattle 30, Goff hit Todd Gurley for 20 yards and Everett for the 10 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. After a touchback, on 1st and 10 from their own 36, Penny went up the middle for a 38 yard gain. Penny then ran for an 18 yard touchdown as the Seahawks led 14-7 after the first quarter.

The Rams moved from their 39 and began the second quarter with 3rd and 8 at the Seattle 17. Goff threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit the 35 yard field goal to get the Rams within 14-10. Midway through the second quarter the Rams took over at their own 14. Gurley ran for 11 and 9. Goff hit Woods for 18 yards. Gurley ran for 10 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Seattle 34, Goff hit Cooks for 10 yards and again for 7 more. Gurley got around the end for a 17 yard touchdown as the Rams led 17-14 at halftime.

In the third quarter the Rams moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 25. A sack and a false start killed the drive. Zuerlein hit a 37 yard field goal as the 10 play, 56 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Rams up 20-14. Seattle got it back after a touchback and Wilson was quickly intercepted. However, defensive holding kept the drive going. From just past midfield, Penny gained 24 yards with 15 taken away for unsportsmanlike conduct. On 3rd and 11 from the Rams 41, Wilson threw incomplete but this time unsportsmanlike conduct kept the drive going. Wilson threw a 23 yard touchdown to Tyler Lockett as the Seahawk regained the lead 21-20 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.

After a touchback, from the Rams 37, Goff hit Cooks for 14 yards. On 3rd and 15 from the Rams 46, Goff hit Woods for 35 yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Goff hit Tyler Thigbee for the 10 yard touchdown to put the Rams back up 26-21. The 2 point try failed. The Seahawks moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 5 at the Seattle 8 yard line. Wilson was sacked. Sebastian Janikowski hit the 33 yard field goal as the Seahawks trailed 26-24 with 10 minutes left in regulation.

Pete Carroll tried a surprise onside kick, but it did not work. The Rams took over at the Seattle 46. Goff hit Woods for 22 yards and Cooks for 15 more. A pair of incompletions meant 3rd and goal at the 9. Goff hit Cooks for 7 yards. On 4th and goal at the 2, a touchdown and extra point would make it a 2 score game. Yet Sean McVay was taking no chances. Zuerlein hit the 20 yard field goal as the Rams led 29-24 midway through the fourth quarter. With 6 minutes left in regulation came the play of the game. The Seahawks faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Wilson went back to pass and had the ball chopped out of his hand by Dante Fowler. A mad scramble ensued and the Rams recovered the fumble all the way at the Seattle 9. One play later cooks got around the end for the touchdown to make it 36-24 Rams.

Wilson led a furious rally, taking the Seahawks 90 yards in desperation mode. Wilson threw a 3 yard touchdown to Davis  with 1:56 to play to get within 5 points. Pete Carroll brought in the punter for what was a shallow kick but not an onside kick. Seattle took all 3 timeouts on defense and got the ball back at their own 25 with 90 seconds left.

Chaos ensued on the first play from scrimmage. Wilson appeared sacked. Then he appeared to shovel pass the ball incomplete to nobody, which would have been intentional grounding. Yet the officials never blew the whistle, and it was treated like a live ball. Aaron Donald recovered the fumble for the Rams, was hit out of bounds, and then returned fire. Officials sorted it out as an incomplete pass and offsetting personal fouls. Seattle dodged the intentional grounding.

On the next play Wilson fired deep over the middle for a 29 yard gain. Wilson then scrambled for an 11 yard gain and raced up to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 37 seconds left. On 2nd and 10 Wilson went for it all and overthrew everyone incomplete as the Rams took their 2nd timeout. Under heavy pressure Wilson threw incomplete again to set up 4th and 10 with 26 seconds left. The Rams took their final timeout.

Wilson had to decide at the last moment to run or pass, and he overthrew Lockett. Sean McVay and Michelin Man Wade Philips have a 9-1 football team, and the coaches all dressed in Army gear for Veteran’s Day pumped their fists. In what was a gut-wrenching week for Los Angeles due to fires and a country bar shooting, the Rams gave Angelenos a brief respite from the pain. If anyone felt healing, then football played its proper role in society in a thrilling finish. 36-31 Rams

Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers — Green Bay was expected to roll, but Miami put up a fight. Early on the Dolphins moved from their 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 14. For some reason, Brock Osweiler was in the shotgun. Coaches who use the shotgun in the situation should be shot with one. Osweiler fumbled the snap and the Packers recovered at their own 30. Jones ran for 12 yards, Rodgers gained 7, and Jones got 15 more. From the Miami 26, Rodgers hit Jones for 19 yards and Devontae Adams for the 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers.

The Dolphins punted on 4th and 4 from their own 30, but the Packers fumbled it and the Dolphins got it back at midfield. Despite 2nd and 8 from the Green Bay 11, Osweiler threw incomplete and then was sacked. Sanders hit the 37 yard field goal, but this problem plagued the Dolphins all day.

The Packers score touchdowns. From their own 29, Jones ran for a 67 yard gain. On the first play of the second quarter, Jones ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Packers. Miami moved the ball well but did not crack the end zone. Sanders hit field goals of 25 and 47 in the second quarter. In the third quarter the Dolphins blocked a punt and took over at the Green Bay 28. Yet for the fourth time they settled for a 40 yard Sanders field goal as the Dolphins trailed 14-12.

Yet Sanders kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, setting up the Packers at their own 40. Rodgers hit Valdes-Scantling for 8 yards and Lewis for 30 more. From the Miami 22, Jones ran for 12 and then for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 21-12 Packers. Osweiler was then quickly intercepted, setting the Packers up at the Miami 12. On 2nd and 23 from the Miami 25 after an illegal crackajack penalty, Rodgers hit Adams for the touchdowns. Each team scored 4 times, but the Packers were scoring touchdowns while the Dolphins kicked field goals. The Packers tacked on a fourth quarter field goal of their own for the final margin. 31-12 Packers

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles was the Sunday night game. The first half was brutal defense. In the first quarter an interception of Carson Wentz set up Dallas at the Philly 38. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Dak Prescott threw incomplete. Maher hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. In the second quarter the Eagles faced 4th and 1 at the Dallas 20. Doug Peterson decided to go for it. Adams got the carry and got blasted for a 3 yard loss.

In the second quarter the Cowboys moved 64 yards in 14 plays and 8 minutes.Yet on 3rd and goal at the 4, Prescott got sacked for a 9 yard loss.Maher hit from 31 to make it 6-0 Cowboys. The Eagles moved from their 27 to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 38. Wentz threw 3 straight incompletions.Doug Pederson gambled on a 56 yard field goal, and Elliott delivered to get the Eagles within 6-3.

After a touchback, with one minute left in the half, the Cowboys faced 3rd and 15 at their own 15. The Eagles made a mistake by taking a timeout on defense. A simple West Coast Offense sideways give up pass from Prescott to Gallups gained 25 yards. Then Prescott hit Cole Beasley for 21 yards. Prescott then hit Hurns for 17 yards down to the one. Prescott got the yard with 15 seconds left in the half as the Cowboys led 13-3.

In the third quarter a short 34 yard punt had the Eagles taking over at their own 45. On 3rd and 7 from the Dallas 8, Wentz threw incomplete. Elliott hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Eagles within 13-6. The Cowboys after a touchback saw Elliott rip off gains of 15 and 35 yards. On 2nd and 8 from the Philly 23, Prescott threw incomplete. On 3rd and 8 out of the shotgun, a disaster on the snap almost meant a 17 yard loss until Prescott turned it into an incompletion. Maher came in for the 42 yard field goal to extend the lead, but it was no good.

The Eagles marched 68 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 11 from their own 44, Wentz hit Mathews for gains of 18 and 12. The Eagles finally got in the end zone when Wentz hit Zach Ertz for a 15 yard touchdown. After three quarters the game was tied 13-13.

After a touchback, Elliott ran for a pair of 4 yard gains and 13 more on 3rd and 2. The fourth quarter began with the Cowboys at their own 46. Elliott caught a pass for 6 yards and ran for 18 more. Prescott then hit Cole Beasley for 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Philly 7, Prescott hit Elliott for the touchdown to make it 20-13 Cowboys with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Eagles took over at their own 26. From their 41, Wentz went bombs away to Nelson Agholor for a 51 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Wentz hit Ertz for the score. Midway through the fourth quarter, the game was tied 20-20. After a touchback, Prescott went to schultz for 17 yards and Amari Cooper for 24 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Philly 32, Prescott hit Allan Hurns for 23 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Elliott got in. With 3:19 to play, the Cowboys were back on top by 7.

At the 2 minute warning, the Eagles faced 3rd and 2 at the Dallas 30. A West Coast Offense sideways pass lost 5 yards. On 4th and 7, Wentz threw a pass that was caught at the marker but was ruled short of the first down. After further review, the ruling was confirmed. The Eagles had all 3 timeouts with 1:09 to play.

A pitchout lost yards. A West Coast Offense sideways pass lost more yards. On 3rd and 15 Prescott danced around and went down. The Eagles took their timeouts as only 16 seconds left the clock. The Eagles took over at their own 32 with 40 seconds left. With 11 seconds left they were at the Dallas 32. Rather than go to the end zone, Wentz completed a pass over the middle of the field to Ertz for a 23 yard gain. Trapped at the Dallas 9 with nowhere to go, Ertz tried to lateral without success as the clock ran out.

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers was the Monday night game. These teams played what may have been the greatest game in Monday Night Football history. In 1990. The 49ers won 7-3 and the Giants won the rematch 15-13 in the most brutal NFC Title Game ever played. The rematch 28 years later featured a pair of awful teams. To be fair, they actually played a competitive game.

In the first quarter a 23 yard punt return had the 49ers taking over at their own 46. Robbie Gould nailed a 53 yard field goal for a 3-0 49ers lead. The 49ers got it back and faced 2nd and 12 at their own 6. A pass by Nick Mullins was deflected and doinked in the air and intercepted by Goodson. On 3rd and 8 from the San Francisco 12, Eli Manning hit O’Dell Beckham for the score to make it 7-3 Giants.

After a touchback the 49ers went 75 yards. Mullens hit Greg Kittle for 18 yards. The second quarter began with the 49ers at the Giants 41. Mullens hit Kittle for 22 yards. A defensive facemark on the next play added 10 yards. Matt bread ran for 6 yards and then the 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Giants.

After an exchange of punts, the Giants went 80 yards and 14 plays, taking nearly 7 minutes. The Giants took over at their own 18. A defensive facemark moved them 15 yards. Manning hit Beckham for 13 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the 49ers 45, Manning hit Saquon Barkley for 13 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the 49ers 31, Manning hit Coleman for 11 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the 49ers 20, Manning threw incomplete but defensive pass interference on Richard Sherman meat 1st and goal at the 10. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Barkley only gained one yard. On 4th and goal at the 2, Pat Shurmur took no chances. Alrdick Rosas hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 10-10 with 1:50 left in the half.

On 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Mullins hit Kittle for 18 yards. and Goodwin for 17 yards. With 18 seconds left in the half, the 49ers faced 3rd and 11 at the Giants 31. Mullens hit Goodwin for 13 yards. Robbie Gould ended the half with a 36 yard field goal for a 13-10 49ers lead.

Rosas kicked the second half kickoff out of bounds to set up the 49ers at their own 40. On 3rd and 5 at their own 45, Mullens hit Breida for 19 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Giants 11, Mullens hit Breida for the touchdown to make it 20-10 49ers midway through the third quarter.

The Giants got a spark when the ensuing kickoff was returned 51 yards to the Giants 47. Manning went deep to Beckham for 30 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the 20, Manning went deep again to Beckham for the touchdown. The Giants were right back in it down 20-17. The Giants got it back at the Frisco 47 when the 49ers were penalized for interference on the punt. Shepard got around the end for a 27 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Frisco 13, Manning threw incomplete. Rosas hit the 31 yard field goal as the game was tied 20-20 after three quarters.

On the first play if the fourth quarter form just past midfield, Mullens was intercepted. However, the Giants failed to capitalize. With 9 minutes left in regulation, the 49ers took over at their own 34. Breida ran for a 23 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Giants 41, Mullens hit Bourne for 11 yards. With 2:50 to play, on 3rd and 6 from the Giants 15, Mullens hit Bourne for only 3 yards. The Giants took a timeout to stop the clock. Gould hit the 30 yard field goal. After 11 plays, 54 yards, and 6 minutes, the 49ers retook the lead 23-20.

After a touchback, Manning went deep to Engram for 31 yards. At the 2 minute warning after a false start, the Giants faced 3rd and 12 at the Frisco 46. Manning threw incomplete, but defensive holding on Smith meant an automatic 1st and 10 at the Frisco 41. Offensive holding forced the Giants into 1st and 20, but on the next play defensive pass interference got 16 yards back. Manning then went to Barkley for 23 yards. On 1st and 10 from the 12 with 1:15 left, Manning hit Engram for 9 yards. Manning then went to Sterling Shepard for the 3 yard touchdown. With 50 seconds left, the Giants had taken the 4 point lead.

After a touchback, Mullens threw incomplete but roughing the passer moved the 49ers to their own 40. A killer false start penalty forced the 49ers to take their final timeout with 32 seconds left rather than face a 10 second runoff. A short pass over the middle gained 12 yards to the Giants 47 as Mullens spiked the ball with 18 seconds left. Mullens threw a deep ball over the middle. Unable to get out of bounds, the fans watched as it looked like the clock would run out.

Somehow Mullens got everybody set and spiked the ball with one second left at the Giants 23 yard line. Mullens went to the end zone. The ball was thrown out the back of the end zone. There was a flag on the play, and the crowd expected a defensive penalty and one more untimed down. It was offensive holding. The game was over. If ever a man had a right to be vindicated, it was Eli Manning. For a washed up guy, he sure looked heroic down the stretch. 27-23 Giants

NFL 2018 Week 10 Prequel

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/on-first-nfl-2018-week-10-preview-108652/

 

NFL 2018 Week 9 Recap

Oakland Raiders at San Francisco 49ers — Forget the past. The 1-6 Raiders took on the 1-7 49ers in what should be called, in a tribute to Chris Berman, the Bay of Pigs. The 49ers were starting third string quarterback Nick Mullens, who had never started an NFL game before. Yet the Raiders have no defense, no offensive line, and nothing resembling a football team outside of their quarterback. They are also on their fourth kicker of the year. Early on the Raiders moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 13. A sack and an offensive holding penalty killed the drive. Carlson hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders, concluding anything positive to be said about this team.

Mullins’s 1st NFL pass was an 11 yard completion. Then Matt Breida ran for 18 yards and master added 14 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 24, Mullens threw his first NFL touchdown pass to Pierre Gardon to make it 7-3 49ers. The 49ers got it back at faced 3rd and 4 from their 40. Mullins hit Garcon for 7 yards. Mullens then hit Garcon for 25 yards. The second quarter began with the 49ers facing 3rd and 1 at the Oakland 3. Breida got the carry and got caught in the backfield. It didn’t matter. Breida shook the tackle and got the yard. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Mullens hit Bourne for the score to make it 14-3 49ers.

With the 49ers facing 2nd and 4 at their own 26, a run lost 2 yards. Rather than let the clock wind down, the Raiders chose to take a timeout on defense. The theory was to get a stop and get a chance on offense. What about the Raiders defense gave their coaching staff the idea that a stop was possible? On 3rd and 4, Mullins found James for a 53 yard gain. Robbie Gould hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 17-3 49ers at halftime.

The 49ers actually fumbled their first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, but held on the the ball. On 2nd and 12 from their own 23, a pass from Mullens to Greg Kittle went for a 71 yard gain against the lifeless Raiders. Mullens threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Kittle to make it 24-3 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 32. From their 48, a run followed by bumbling keystone cops trying to tackle meant a 52 yard touchdown for Mostert. The 49ers led 31-3 after three quarters.

The Raiders lost to the 1-5 Colts and 1-6 49ers in successive weeks. They are awful in every phase of the game. In this game Carr was sacked 6 times. He was benched in the fourth quarter for his own safety. AJ McCarron played the final 12 minutes. On 4th and inches from their own 29, Jon Gruden decided to go for it. McCarron got stopped on the quarterback sneak. Gould hit the 31 yard field goal to wrap up the scoring. 34-3 49ers

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings — Trading away Golden Tate did not help the Lions. Matthew Stafford had bigger problems as his offensive line was overwhelmed by Mike Zimmer’s defense. Stafford was sacked 10 times. A very short opening kickoff was returned 15 yards to the Minnesota 35. On 4th and 2 from the Detroit 37, Mike Zimmer decided to go for it. Kirk Cousins hit Beebe for 13 yards and Latavius Murray for 16 more. Murray then gained 7 and finally got the last yard to make it 7-0 Vikings.

The Lions had a 14 play drive and held the ball for nearly 8 1/2 minutes. They began the second quarter with 1st and goal at the 4. After a false start on 3rd and goal at the 8, Stafford was sacked. Matt Prater hit the 35 yard field goal to get the Lions within 7-3. An interception of Cousins had the Lions starting at the Minnesota 44. Despite 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 12, a pair of sacks killed the drive. Prater again hit from 35 to get the Lions within 7-6. They’d get no closer.

After a touchback, Cook took a handle and raced 70 yards. Cousins hit Adam Thielen for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Vikings. Minnesota got it back at their own 48 with 39 seconds left in the half. Cousins hit Laquon Treadwell for 22 yards. Dan Bailey hit a 39 yard field goal to end the half with the Vikings up 17-6. Zimmer’s defense clamped down in the second half. With 10 minutes left in regulation. A Detroit fumble was returned 32 yards for a Minnesota touchdown to make it 24-6 Vikings. The Lions countered with a mind-numbing 17 play, 69 yard drive that ate up 6 minutes. All they got was another field goal. 24-9 Vikings

Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills — After a scoreless first quarter, the Bears exploded in the second quarter and put the game away by halftime. An unnecessary roughness call on a punt had the Bears taking over at the Buffalo 37. On 3rd and 15, Mitchell Trubisky hit Burton for 26 yards. Jordan Howard ran for a one yard touchdown to start the deluge. Midway through the second quarter the Bills faced 3rd and 9 at the Chicago 34. Buffalo, fumbled, and Eddie Jackson returned it 65 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-0 Bears.

Nathan Peterman, who is not Jewish, is not the worst quarterback to ever play football. However, he is making a case to be in the discussion. After throwing one interception that Chicago did not convert into points, his next interception was returned 19 yards for a score by Leonard Floyd to make it 21-0 Bears. With 1:46 left in the half, the Bills punted on 4th and 22 from their own 13. Cohen returned it 36 yards to the Buffalo 23. Howard ran for an 18 yard touchdown and a 28-0 Bears lead at intermission. League rules prevented the second half from being canceled. Peterman did add a third interception. 41-9 Bears

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers — Jameis Winston is not the answer, but Ryan Fitzpatrick plays better in relief than as a starter. An interception of Fitzpatrick by Eric Reid was returned 39 yards to the Tampa 10 yard line. Alex Armah ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. Carolina got it back at their own 12. From their 29, Cam Newton hit Christian McCaffrey for 32 yards and Moore ran for 32 more. McCaffrey ran it in from 3 yards out to make it 14-0 Panthers. In the second quarter the Bucs moved 75 yards. Fitzpatrick hit OJ Howard for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 14-7.

After that Carolina blasted the Bucs to pieces. After a touchback, Newton hit Devon Funchess for 16 yards and Greg Olsen for 23 more. Curtis Samuel ran for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Panthers. The Bucs punted on 4th and 24 from their own 6 and the Panthers got it back at the Tampa 42. McCaffrey ran for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, McCaffrey got in to make it 28-7 Panthers. Dirk Koetter tried a fake punt on 4th and 9 at his own 26. It failed. Newton went deep to Funchess for 23 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 17, Newton hit Olsen for the score as the Panthers led 35-7.

Fitzpatrick led a furious rally. After a touchback he moved the Bucs to a 4th and goal at the 3 with 15 seconds left in the half. Fitzpatrick hit Howard for the score to get the Buccaneers within 35-14. In the third quarter Fitzpatrick led a 10 play, 84 yard drive helped along by a 19 yard defensive pass interference call. Fitzpatrick hit Humphries for the 5 yard score to get the Buccaneers within 35-21. Tampa got it back and soon faced 3rd and 17 at their own 14. Fitzpatrick hit Chris Godwin for 25 yards, Howard for 31 more, Humphries for the 30 yard touchdown less than one minute into the fourth quarter. 3 straight touchdowns by Carolina were answered by 3 straight touchdowns by Tampa as the Buccaneers only trailed 35-28.

For the second week in a row, the Tampa miracle comeback fell short. After sleepwalking through the second half, Carolina finally woke up. On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Newton hit McCaffrey and Olsen for a pair of 20 yard gains. On 2nd and 15 from the Tampa 19, Newton hit Curtis Samuel for the clinching touchdown. An interception of Fitzpatrick with 3:45 left sealed it. Fitzpatrick finished 24 of 40 for 243 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Newton was 19 of 25 for 247 yards with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as Carolina got to 6-2 and only one game back of the NFC South lead. 42-28 Panthers

Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns — Hue Jackson and Todd Haley were fired, cheating Haley out of a chance to lose to the previous team that fired him. The Chiefs got the ball at their own 5 yard line. From their own 29, Patrick Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 21 yards and to Kareem Hunt for a 50 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. After a touchback the Browns moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Chiefs 24. Baker Mayfield was sacked. Joseph hit the 51 yard field goal as the Browns trailed 7-3. Both offenses moved fairly well in the second quarter.

After a touchback, the Chiefs would faced 3rd and 19 at their own 46. Patrick Mahomes found ware for a 25 yard gain to end the first quarter. Mahomes hit Kelce for an 11 yard score to make it 14-3 Chiefs. After a touchback, the Browns moved to a 4th and 2 at the Chiefs 43. Interim coach Gregg williams decided to go for it. Mayfield hit Johnson for a 23 yard gain. Nick Chubb did the rest, catching a pass for 5, running for 12, and running for the 3 yard score. Williams also decided to chase points and go for the 2 point conversion. It failed as the Browns were down 14-9.

After a touchback the Chiefs kept rolling. Mahomes hit Sammy Watkins for 19 yards and Tyreek Hill for a 40 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 10, Hunt gained 9 and then got the last yard to make it 21-9 Chiefs. Again the Browns answered. From their own 21, Cleveland moved to a 4th and 1 just past midfield. Again Gregg Williams decided to go for it. The Chiefs jumped and committed encroachment. Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 17 yards and Duke Johnson for the 19 yard touchdown. Again Williams decided to chase points and again the 2 point try failed as the Browns were down 21-15 at halftime.

In the second half the Chiefs put the game away. They took the kickoff and marched 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 4 just past midfield, Mahomes hit Ware for 21 yards. On 3rd and 11 from the Cleveland 29,Mahomes hit Kelce for 16 yards and again for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 28-15 Chiefs. The backbreaker came when the Browns punted and the Chiefs blocked it to take over at the Cleveland 21. Hunt ran for 11 and then the 10 yard score to make it 34-15 Chiefs after the extra point doinked off the upright no good.

The fourth quarter was uneventful as the Chiefs coasted. Mayfield would throw one touchdown followed by a third failed 2 point try. The Chiefs tacked on one more field goal and intercepted Mayfield to seal it. The Chiefs are 8-1 and still atop the AFC, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. 37-21 Chiefs

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins — Sometimes a pair of boring teams can come together and produce a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. Neither team scored an offensive touchdown. After a scoreless first quarter, Sanders hit second quarter field goals of 43 and 27 to make it 6-0 Dolphins. Jason Myers hit from 48 to end the half with the Jets down 6-3. In the scoreless third quarter, Myers missed from 50. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Sam Darnold had a pass intercepted and returned 25 yards for a touchdown by Jerome Baker to make it 13-3 Dolphins. Myers nailed a 56 yard field goal with 6 minutes left to get the Jets within 7, but Darnold was intercepted two more times in the final 4 1/2 minutes in a game where even the winning team should burn the tape. 13-6 Dolphins

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens — These teams play hard hitting defensive games and this one was true to form. In the first quarter the Ravens moved 66 yards in 10 plays. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Joe Flacco threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Ravens. Ryan Switzer returned the ensuing kickoff 31 yards to the Pittsburgh 39. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 7, Ben Roethlisberger hit James Conner for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Steelers.

In the second quarter the Steelers moved 75 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 41, Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. Big Ben hit Juju Smith-Schuster for a 6 yard gain. Conner ran for 12 and caught a pass for 17 more. Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Steelers. Baltimore moved from their 37 to a 3rd and 2 at the Pittsburgh 4. Lamar Jackson came in, but lost a yard. Tucker again hit from 23 but Baltimore was kicking field goals while the Steelers were scoring touchdowns. That was the difference as the Ravens trailed 14-6 at the break,

In the third quarter the Steelers appeared to break the game open by going 75 yards in 15 plays and consuming over 8 minutes. Roethlisberger converted three third downs and got the last yard himself. Boswell missed the extra point but the Steelers led 20-6. This time the Ravens answered, moving 75 yards in 11 plays. On 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 17, Flacco threw incomplete. This time defensive pass interference bailed out Baltimore. From the one, Alex Collins got in as the Ravens only trailed 20-13 after three quarters.

The fourth quarter began with the Steelers at their own 15. An 11 play, 74 yard drive took nearly 6 minutes. On 3rd and goal from the 11, Roethlisberger threw incomplete. Boswell hit the critical 29 yard field goal to put the Steelers up 23-13 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Ravens moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Pittsburgh 18. Flacco completed a pass for a one yard loss. Needing 2 scores, the field goal was the only sensible decision. Tucker hit from 37 to get the Ravens within 7 with 5 1/2 minutes left. By the time the Ravens got the ball back at their 24, only 44 seconds remained. They went backward as each team won on the opposing team’s field. Baltimore fell to 4-4 looking up at Pittsburgh. Red zone inefficiencies were the difference. 23-16 Steelers

Atlanta Falcons at Washington Redskins — The Redskins came in at 5-2 but faced an Atlanta team that had finally begun to find its stride. In the first quarter the Falcons faced 3rd and 7 at their own 22. Matt Ryan hit Mohammed San for 12 yards. On 3rd and 6 from their own 38, Matty Ice hit Hooper for 23 yards and Tevin Coleman for a 39 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons.

In the second quarter The Falcons faced 3rd and 6 at their own 18. Ryan went to Julio Jones for 21 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Washington 32, Ryan went to Hooper for 20 yards. Ito Smith ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Falcons. West Coast Offense Game Manager Alex Smith dinked and dunked the Redskins to an 11 play, 80 yard, 6 minute drive. Smith hit Josh Doctson for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Redskins within 14-7. The Falcons had too much firepower. On 3rd and 10 from their own 25, Ryan hit Sanu for 16 yards. Defensive pass interference added 15 more. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 40, Ryan went to Calvin Ridley for the touchdown to make it 21-7 Falcons.

The Falcons took the second half kickoff and put the game away. Coleman ran for gains of 9, 16 and 7. Ryan hit Ridley for 10 and Jones for 11. Ryan hit Coleman for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 28-7 Falcons. Alex Smith was not going to dink and dunk his way into overcoming that. The Redskins reached the end zone once more in the third quarter but that was it. The Falcons struck the end zone again in the fourth quarter and added a field goal to complete the blowout. After a 1-4 start, the Falcons are now 4-4 and in the hunt. 38-14 Falcons

Los Angeles Chargers at Seattle Seahawks — The Seahawks took over at their 25 and went right to work. Carson ran for 15 and 5 and Davis ran for 6 more. After a bunch of runs, Russell Wilson threw a 10 yard touchdown pass to Jaron Brown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Chargers responded despite starting at their own 6 yard line. Keenan Allen ran for a 28 yard gain. Philip Rivers hit Melvin Gordon for 10 yards and Tyrell Williams for 11 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 12, Rivers hit Williams for the touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Chargers trailed 7-6. Yet in the second quarter the Chargers took over.

On 3rd and 15 from their own 12, Rivers went deep to Allen for a 54 yard gain. On the next play Gordon ran for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 12-7 Chargers. The 2 point try failed. Seattle missed a chance to get closer when Sebastian Janikowski’s 51 yard field goal try dunked off the upright no good. With 2:05 left in the half, the Chargers took over at their own 35. Rivers hit Allen for gains of 12 and 23 and then threw a 30 yard touchdown pass to Mike Williams to make it 19-7 Chargers.

Janikowski did hit a 44 yard field goal to end the half with the Seahawks down 19-10, but the Chargers brought the defense in the second half. Sturgis missed a 42 yard field goal that would have extended the lead, but it didn’t matter. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Desmond King intercepted Wilson and returned it 42 yards to pay dirt. Sturgis missed another extra point, but despite his miserable day the Chargers led 25-10.

Wilson led a 14 play drive that included three 4th down conversions. On 4th and goal from the 6, Wilson hit Nick Vannett for the score. With 1:50 left the Seahawks were within 8 points. The onside kick failed, but Seattle took their timeouts on defense and San Diego took only 16 seconds off the clock. Seattle got it back at their own 22 with 1:33 to play. Wilson hit Vannett for 10 and Tyler Lockett for 9 with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. With 5 seconds to play the Seahawks faced 4th and 2 at the Chargers 20. Wilson went to the end zone incomplete but defensive pass interference meant one untimed down from the one yard line. A fable start moved the ball back to the 6. With everything on the line, Wilson threw incomplete as the Chargers got to 6-2 and one game out in the AFC West. 25-17 Chargers

Houston Texans at Denver Broncos — Houston began at their own 25. From their 36, DeShaun Watson went to Jordan Thomas for a 31 yard gain and then again for 18 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 7, Watson hit Thomas for the score to make it 7-0 Texans. Midway through the opening quarter, a facemask penalty on a punt had the Broncos taking over just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 8, Case Keenum hit Sutton for 21 yards. Brandon McManus hit a 44 yard field goal to get the Broncos within 7-3.

The Texans moved 55 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. The second quarter began with the Texans facing 4th and 1 at the Denver 19. Bill O’Brien decided to go for it and Alfred Blue got blasted for a one yard loss. Yet 4 plays later, Denver fumbled the ball right back and the Texans took over at the Denver 22. On 3rd and 4, Watson hit DeAndre Hopkins for the 16 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Texans led 13-3. Denver got it back at their own 13 and struck quickly. Keenum went to LaCrosse for 44 yards and Heuerman for 14 more. From the Denver 24, Keenum hit Heuerman for 10 and Devontae Booker ran for a 14 yard score to get the Broncos within 13-10.

With 1:42 left in the half, the Broncos were pinned at their own 5 yard line. With less than 30 seconds left in the half, Vance Joseph had McManus try a 62 yard field goal to tie the game. It was a desperation move that backfired. The kick was no good, setting up the Texans at the Denver 48 with 18 seconds left. Watson hit Griffin for 13 and Hopkins for 7 more. With 3 seconds left, Fairbairn came in for a more manageable 46 yard field goal try. His kick was good, as the critical 6 point swing had the Texans taking a 16-10 lead to the locker rooms.

In the third quarter, the Broncos moved 81 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. Keenum hit Sutton for 22 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Denver 45, Keenum hit Sutton for 14 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 12, Keenum hit Heuerman for the score. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, the Broncos led 17-16. The Texans responded with a 13 play, 56 yard, 7 minute drive. The fourth quarter began with the Texans facing 2nd and 9 at the Denver 16. Watson threw incomplete and then was sacked. Fairbairn hit the 37 yard field goal to put the Texans back in front 19-17.

After several punts, Denver took over at their own 14 with 3 1/2 minutes to play. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 20, Keenum hit Heuerman for 11 yards. With 1:55 to play, the Broncos faced 4th and 1 at their own 40. Keenum hit Heuerman for 3 yards. Offensive penalties had Denver facing 1st and 25 at their own 28. Keenum hit Patrick for 17. On 4th and 8 from the Denver 45, Keenum hit Sanders for 18 yards. With 3 seconds left, McManus came in for a 51 yard field goal try to win it. Against Oakland, McManus kicked the winner on the final play, with a missed extra point giving Denver the one point win. Again, a missed extra point set up the same scenario. However, this time McManus was no good. Houston survived the scare to win their 6th straight game after an 0-3 start. 19-17 Texans

Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints — This game is why we watch football. The 8-0 Rams took on the 6-1 Saints. The game was expected to be a shootout, and it was everything along those lines and more. If this was an NFC Title Game Preview, that game will be a ratings blockbuster. Both teams have very good defense that were overwhelmed by their even better offenses.

The Saints started with the ball and went 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Alvin Kamara ran for gains of 5 and 12. Drew Brees hit Thomas for 12 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 37, Sean Payton decided to go for it. Both teams knew they would need a ton of points. Hill gained 9 yards. Brees then hit Thomas for 16 yards. Kamara ran for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints.The Rams began their opening drive at their 29.. Jared Goff went deep to Higbee for a 33 yard gain. Goff ran for 9 to the Saints 27. Todd Gurley did the rest, running for 5, 14, and the 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

The Saints took over at their 25 and Brees went to Smith for 19 yards.From the Rams 35, Brees hit Watson for 17 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Rams 16, Brees hit Kamara for the touchdown to make it 14-7 Saints. Then the Rams had their turn after a touchback. Goff hit Woods for 12 yards and then went deep to Cooks for a 48 yard gain. The second quarter began with Goff hitting Cooks for a 4 yard touchdown. Each team had the ball twice and reached the end zone twice. The game was tied 14-14, and there were no signs of either team slowing down.

Yet games like this do change. The Saints fumbled, and the Rams recovered at the Saints 22. On 4th and 4 from the 16, Sean McVay called a fake field goal. Punter Johnny Hekker carried the ball and was stopped short of the sticks. The Rams challenged the spot unsuccessfully. The Saints took over at their own 13. Brees hit Thomas for gains of 9 and 13 and ran himself 7 yards. From the rams 48, Brees went to Watson for 32 yards. On 3r and goal at the 4, Brees hit Tre’Quan Smith for the touchdown to make it 21-14 Saints.

The Rams after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Saints 33. Yet a swing pass from Goff to Gurley lost 6 yards. Sean McVay brought Greg Zuerlein in to try a 51 yard field goal with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. The kick was no good.  The Saints took over at their own 41 and Brees hit thomas for 19 yards. Kamara gained 12 and 4 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 24, Brees hit Kamara for 11 and Benjamin Watson for the 13 yard touchdown. With 1:06 left in the half, the Saints led 28-14.

Disaster quickly struck after a touchback as Goff was intercepted. The Saints took over at the Rams 34 with one minute left. On 3rd and 10, Brees ran for 11 yards. Brees then hit Thomas for 14 with 5 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. Kamara got the last yard. With 26 seconds left in the half, 3 straight touchdowns meant 21 unanswered points. A shootout was turning into a blowout as the Saints led 35-14. This game was far from over.

After a touchback, Goff hit Everett for 15 yards and Woods for 17 more. Unnecessary roughness added 15 more. With 2 seconds left, Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein came in for a 56 yard field goal try. This time he drilled it as the Rams trailed 35-17 at halftime. The Rams began the second half and soon faced 2nd and 13 at their own 20. Goff hit Woods for 19 yards and again for 10 more. Goff went to Cooks for 15 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Saints 33, Goff hit Everett for 13 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Saints 18, Goff hit Malcolm Brown for the touchdown to get the Rams within 35-24.

The Saints moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 7 at the Rams 47. A completion gained only 3 yards. On 4th and 4 from the Rams 44, rather than go for it or try a 62 yard field goal, Sean Payton decided to punt. It took nearly 40 minutes of football, but the game finally had a punt. The Rams took over at their own 16 and Gurley gained 24 yards. Goff then hit cooks for 26 yards and Higbee for 7 more. On 4th and 4 from the Saints 16, Sean McVay played it safe. Zuerlein hit the 35 yard field goal as the Rams only trailed 35-27 after three quarters.

The Saints moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 6 at their own 44. Brees threw incomplete and now the Saints had their second punt on two consecutive possessions. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Rams took over at their own 17. Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 13 yards, Gurley for 5, and Cooks for 15 to midfield. On 3rd and 1 from the Saints 41, Goff went to Kupp for the touchdown. Goff then hit Gerald Everett for the 2 point conversion. Now it was the Rams who put up 21 points and got blackjack the hard way. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the blowout was back to a shootout at 35-35.

From their own 25, Kamara ran for 17 yards. On 3rd and 10 from their own 42, Brees hit Thomas for 18 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 35, Brees threw incomplete. Sean Payton brought in Wil lutz to try a 54 yard field goal. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation in a tie game, Lutz delivered. The Saints led 38-35. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26, a completion only gained 2 yards. With 5 minutes left, for the first time all game, the Rams finally had to punt.

Three plays later, the Saints faced 3rd and 7 at their own 28. The Saints went for it all and first ballot Hall of Famer Brees delivered. He hit Thomas for a 72 yard touchdown. With less than 4 minutes left, the Saints were back up by 10. A 37 yard kickoff return had the Rams taking over at their own 42. On 4th and 2 from midfield after an incompletion, Goff threw incomplete again. In defeat, Goff finished 28 of 40 for 391 yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception. Brees was 25 of 36 for 346 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. The 1972 Dolphins popped their champagne corks as the Rams were knocked from the unbeaten ranks. They and the Saints have one loss. These teams combined for 80 points. A playoff rematch must happen. Call it the Battle of the Seans. 45-35 Saints

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots was the Sunday night game. Tom Brady insisted that Aaron Rodgers is better than him. Brady is the master of false humility. A 36 yard kickoff return with 5 more tacked on for a penalty had the Patriots starting at their own 41. From just past midfield, Brady hit White for 14 yards. White ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots. The Packers came back 62 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Despite 1st and goal at the 9, a delay of game penalty proved costly. Mason Crosby hit the 29 yard field goal got the Packers within 7-3.

In the second quarter the Patriots moved from their 12. Brady hit Josh Gordon for 29 yards and Julian Edelman for 33 yards. On 1st and goal from the Green Bay 10, a run gained nothing and Brady threw incomplete twice. Stephen Gostkowski hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Patriots. The Packers came back with a 13 play, 79 yard, nearly 7 minute drive. Jones ran for 13 yards and Rodgers hit Williams for 16 more. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Rodgers hit Devontae Adams for the touchdown. With less than 5 minutes remaining in the half, the game was deadlocked 10-10.

The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 39. White gained 6 yards. From the New England 45, Cordarelle Patterson became a one man band. He gained 10 yards and a defensive penalty added 15 more yards and resulted in Whitehead getting ejected from the game. Patterson then ran for 17, 8, and finally the 5 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Patriots at halftime.The Packers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 6 at their own 28. Rodgers went deep to Valdes-scantling for a 51 yard gain. On 2nd and goal from the 15, Rodgers hit Jimmy Graham for touchdown and a 17-17 game.

For three quarters, this game was a classic. The Packers took over at their own 7. On 3rd and 1 from their 16, Rodgers went deep to Valdes-Scantling for 24 yards and again for 26 yards. The Packers began the fourth quarter with 1st and 10 at the New England 34. They were in field goal range and were primed to take the lead. Then came the play of the game. Jones got the carry, gained 6 yards, and fumbled. The Patriots recovered at their own 24.

On 3rd and 7 from their own 27, Brady went to Dorsett for 17 yards. From the Green Bay 39, Bill Belichick went to his bag of tricks. Rather than Tom Brady, it was wide receiver Julian Edelman throwing the option pass to White for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, White got in. With 10 minutes left in regulation, the Patriots led 24-17.

The Packers went 3 and out when on 3rd and 7 from their own 28, Rodgers was sacked for a 9 yard loss. New England got it back at their own 28. A time consuming drive with 8 1/2 minutes left was not in the cards. The Patriots went for the kill shot quickly and got it. Edelman ran for 17 yards. He is normally a wide receiver, but on this day he was a passer and a running back. Brady then went deep to Josh Gordon for a 55 yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

Rodgers finished 24 of 43 for 259 yards with 2 touchdowns. Brady was 22 of 35 for 294 yards and one touchdown. Neither quarterback was intercepted. Yet it is the Patriots who won their 6th straight to get to 7-2 while the Packers have a losing record. The issue is not whether Brady or Rodgers is better. The issue is that Brady has help. Rodgers doesn’t. For the second straight week a Packers fumble took the ball out of Rodgers’s hands, denying him a chance to do what he does. 31-17 Patriots

Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys was the Monday night game. The Cowboys moved from their 25 to a 2nd and 4 at the Tennessee 17. A run lost 3 yards, Dan Prescott threw incomplete, and Maher missed a 38 yard field goal. From their own 28, the Titans soon faced 3rd and 9 at their 39. Marcus Mariota was sacked and fumbled. The Cowboys took over at the Tennessee 15. Prescott hit the newest Cowboy Amari Cooper for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. The game got ugly as Tennessee fumbled the ball away again and the Cowboys threw an interception right back.

The Titans then faced 3rd and 9 at their own 21. Mariota went to Taylor for 16 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 38, Mariota went to Davis for 17 yards. The Titans began the second quarter at the Dallas 45. On 3rd and 1 at the Dallas 36, Mariota gained 12 yards and Lewis added 12 more. On 3rd and 1 from the 2, Mariota got the yard. Derrick Henry got the other yard to tie the game 7-7.

Midway through the second quarter the Titans faced 3rd and 7 at their own 34. Mariota hit Watson for 12 yards. On 3rd and 10 from their own 46, Mariota went to Jennings for 36 yards and Dion Lewis for the 18 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the half the Titans led 14-7. The Cowboys came back 78 yards in 10 plays. From the Dallas 47, Prescott hit Thompson for 15 yards, Cooper for 15 more, and Allen Hurns for a 23 yard touchdown. The game was tied 14-14 at halftime.

The second half was all Tennessee’s defense. The Cowboys moved from their 18 to a 3rd and 8 at their own 47. After a false start, Prescott was sacked and fumbled. The Titans took over at the Dallas 40. Lewis gained 9, 5 and 3. Mariota hit Jonnu Smith for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Titans with 6 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Titans missed a chance to extend the lead by missing a field goal, but it didn’t matter. In the fourth quarter from their own 33, Mariota went to Lewis for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 at the Dallas 26, Mariota hit Davis for 8 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 9, Mariota ran for the touchdown to put the game on ice. Dallas did move from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Tennessee 13. 4 straight incompletions ended things and had Jerry Jones contemplating whether to fire everything and blow up his stadium for the insurance money. 28-14 Titans