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