THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2018 Week 16 Prequel

NFL 2018 Week 15 Recap

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs was the Thursday night game. This game will be talked about for the rest of the year and perhaps beyond. The 11-2 Chiefs with a win over the 10-3 Chargers would lock up the AFC West and a first round bye. This game began as expected. Philip Rivers was intercepted on the second play of the game. The Chiefs took over at the Chargers 49 yard line. 10 plays and 5 minutes later, Patrick Mahomes threw a 5 yard touchdown to DeMarcus Robinson to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at moved 80 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Mahomes began with a 32 yard completion to Darrell Williams. Mahomes capped the drive with an 11 yard touchdown pass to Williams. The Chiefs led 14-0 after the first quarter. This game was over.

After a touchback to start the second quarter, Rivers went deep to Mike Williams for a 38 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Chiefs 13, Rivers threw incomplete. Yet defensive holding kept the drive going. Rivers hit Williams for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Chargers within 14-7. The Chiefs began the third quarter facing 3rd and 6 at their own 30. Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 16 yards, Tyreek Hill for 33 more, and Kelvin Benjamin for 17 more. Williams ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The Chiefs led 21-7 with a crazed home crowd cheering them on. This game was over.

The Chargers came back 76 yards in 11 plays in over 6 1/2 minutes. Rivers hit Williams for 17 yards. From the Chiefs 30, Newsome ran for 11 and Williams ran for the 19 yard touchdown to get the Chargers within 21-14. The Chiefs began the fourth quarter facing 2nd and 15 at their own 22. Mahomes threw incomplete but a facemark on Joey Boas kept the drive going. On 3rd and 10 from their own 37, Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going as the Chargers defense kept killing themselves. On 3rd and 10 from the Chiefs 42, Mahomes hit Kelce for 15 yards and again for 16 more. An incompletion on 1st and 15 was nullified by another defensive holding penalty. On 3rd and 1 from the 2, Mahomes got the yard. Williams got the final yard for the score. With 8:15 to play in regulation, the Chiefs led 28-14. For the third time in the game, they led by 14. This game was over.

The Chargers moved 75 yards in 11 plays. Rivers hit Williams for 14 and again for 8. Rivers then went to Antonio Gates for 14, Jackson for 16, and Gates again for 10. With 4 minutes left, the Chargers faced 4th and 3 at the 6. One more defensive stop and this game truly was over. Rivers threw incomplete, but defensive holding gave the Chargers life. Jackson ran for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Chargers within 28-21. All the Chiefs had to do was let their high octane offense close out the game. Instead they went backward. Mahomes was sacked and the Chargers punted on 4th and 15 at their own 6. The Chargers took over at their own 40 with just over 2 1/2 minutes to play.

Offensive holding had the Chargers facing 1st and 20 at their own 30. Rivers went deep to Benjamin for a 31 yard gain. With 1:11 left, the Chargers faced 4th and 7 at the Chiefs 36. One defensive stop and this game was truly over. Rivers went deep to Benjamin for 26 yards. With 13 seconds left, the Chargers took their last timeout as they faced 3rd and goal at the 10. Rivers threw incomplete, but a very questionable defensive pass interference call made it 1st and goal at the one. Although the defender clearly grabbed the receiver’s arm, the ball appeared to be thrown so high that the receiver would have landed out of bounds anyway. 4 seconds remained. Rivers fired to Williams for the touchdown. Now the Chargers were an extra point away from forcing overtime. 

There would be no extra point. With everything on the line, on the road, in hostile conditions, Anthony Lynn decided to go for the 2 point conversion. Are? You? Kidding? Me? If this failed, the Chargers would drop to 9-5 and possibly even miss the playoffs. This was the entire season. Rivers faked out everybody and found a wide open Williams in the flat. The try succeeded in front of a shellshocked home crowd at Arrowhead. There would be no clinching of the division, first round bye, or possible resting of starters down the stretch. Now both teams are 11-3 and will probably have to play their starters the rest of the way. The Chiefs hold the tie-breaker, but the loss made Andy Reid a most displeased Walrus Lite indeed. As for the Chargers, they are overrated every year, a trendy pick of experts that never live up to their hype. Not this year. They are for real. Road wins at Pittsburgh and Kansas City are as big a deal as it gets. The warm weather team beat the cold weather teams. Anthony Lynn and his cojones of steel made this game an instant classic. 29-28 Chargers

Houston Texans at New York Jets  was the Saturday afternoon game. The Texans had their 9 game win streak snapped last week, but playing the woeful Jets was the tonic they needed. Early on the Jets punted on 4th and 22 at their own 13, allowing the Texans to take over at their own 41. On 3rd and 7 from the Jets 9, DeShaun Watson was sacked for a 13 yard loss. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 41 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. After a touchback, the Jets moved 67 yards in 13 plays and held the ball for 7 1/2 minutes. Yet despite 2nd and 7 from the Jets 8, Sam Darnold threw incomplete twice. Jason Myers hit the 26 yard field goal for a 3-3 game.

The Texans took over at their own 26 and moved 60 yards in 10 plays. Yet early in the second quarter, on 3rd and 7 from the Jets 14, Watson threw incomplete. Fairbairn hit from 32 to make it 6-3 Texans. The first big break in the game came when the Jets fumbled and the Texans recovered at the Jets 46. Two plays later Watson went deep to DeAndre Hopkins for a 45 yard touchdown to make it 13-3 Jets. Houston got it back at their own 31 and Watson hit Thomas for a 27 yard gain. Fairbairn drilled a 53 yard field goal to make it 16-3 Texans. A close game appeared to be becoming a blowout.

Then the game changed With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 24. Darnold ran for 10 yards and hit Chris Herndon for 16 more to midfield. From the Houston 31, Darnold went deep to Robby Anderson for 26 yards and again for a 5 yard touchdown connection with 30 seconds left in the half. In a season gone wrong for Gang Green, Myers missed the extra point and the Jets trailed 16-9 at halftime.

The Jets got it back in the third quarter and soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 40. Darnold hit Anderson for 20 yards. Cannon ran for 8 and McGuire added gains of 14 and 4. On 3rd and 5 from the Houston 13, Darnold went to Roberts for the touchdown. Myers again missed the extra point. Instead of leading 17-16, the Jets trailed 16-15 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter the Texans took over at their own 12. Watson went to Carter for a 50 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Jets 17, Watson was sacked for a 14 yard loss. Fairbairn bailed out Houston with a 49 yard field goal to make it 19-15 Texans. The Jets came back with a 15 play, 73 yard drive that consumed nearly 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 8 from their own 41, Darnold went deep to Herndon for a 25 yard gain. On 4th and 1 from the Houston 25, midway through the fourth quarter, Todd Bowles decided to go for it. Darnold hit Anderson for 6 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Houston 19, Darnold ran for 14 yards with defensive holding moving the ball to the 2 yard line. McGuire got the deuce as the Jets led 22-19 with 5 minutes left and were smelling upset.

After a touchback, Watson hit Hopkins for 20 yards and Alfred Blue for 6 more. On 3rd and 4 just past midfield, Watson threw deep incomplete, but defensive holding kept the drive going. Watson then went to Thomas for gains of 20 and 3, Hopkins for 7, and Hopkins again for the 14 yard touchdown. With 2:15 to play, the Texans led 26-22. At the 2 minute warning, on 4th and 14 from their own 21, Darnold threw incomplete. The Jets took their timeouts on defense and Fairbairn hit his 5th field goal from 40 yards out to make it a 7 point Texans lead. with 54 seconds left. With 11 seconds left, on 4th and 18 from their own 17, Darnold hit McGuire for 16 yards, one yard short. Todd Bowles may be gone in 2 weeks while Bill O’Brien has a 10-4 squad. 29-22 Texans

Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos is the Saturday night game. The Browns always lose to the Broncos. The Drive, the Fumble, and the Blowout in 3 AFC Title Games was one reason the Browns had not beaten the Broncos since 1990. Yet while the Browns only won 3 out of 40 games under Hue Jackson, they came in winning 3 of 4 under Gregg Williams. Denver desperately needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Broncos punted on 4th and 23 at their own 12 and the Browns took over at their own 49. Baker Mayfield went to Jarvis Landry for 19 yards and to Breshad Perriman for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns.

Denver would face 2nd and 17 at their own 5 yard line. Case Keenum hit Patrick for 11 yard and on 3rd and 6 hit Patrick again for 15 more. A defensive penalty for lowering the head to initiate contact kept the drive going. On 3rd and 10 from their own 48, Keenum hit LaCosse for 11 yards. Lindsay ran for 11. Keenum then drew a 25 yard defensive pass interference call to set up 1st and goal at the 3. On 3rd and goal at the one, Keenum got the last yard for a 7-7 game after the first quarter.

The second quarter belonged to the defense. Denver moved 61 yards in 12 plays in nearly 7 minutes. From their own 13, they reached a 1st and 10 at the Cleveland 27. On 3rd and 9, Keenum threw incomplete. Brandon McManus hit the 44 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Broncos. After a touchback, the Browns moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 22.  run gained nothing and Mayfield threw incomplete twice. Greg Joseph hit the 40 yard field goal for a 10-10 game. The Broncos moved from their 34 to a 1st and 10 at the Cleveland 29. After a pair of incompletions, Keenum went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. With 47 seconds left in the half, the Browns took over at their own 45. with 18 seconds left from the Denver 30, Mayfield went deep and was intercepted at the 2 yard line. Both quarterbacks missed a chance at a field goal for the lead.

The third quarter brought more defense. The Browns from their own 17 and embarked on a 15 play drive that took over 9 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 1 from the Denver 49, Mayfield hit Callaway for 12 yards. However, a 15 yard taunting penalty on Callaway moved the Browns back. On 4th and 3 from the Denver 45, Gregg Williams in a tie game aggressively decided to go for it. Mayfield hit Njoku for 5 yards. On 2nd and 6 from the Denver 36, Mayfield was sacked and fumbled. The Broncos recovered at their own 40. After over 9 minutes, Cleveland got nothing. The football world wanted to say, “These are the Browns.” Denver moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Cleveland 24 when Keenum threw incomplete. McManus hit the 42 yarder as the Broncos led 13-10 after three quarters.

The Browns began the fourth quarter punting on 4th and 23 from their own 12. The Broncos took over at their own 20 and was quickly intercepted on a deep ball. The Browns took over at the Denver 48. Mayfield hit Landry for 12 yards and Higgins for 19 more. Mayfield threw  2 yard touchdown pass to Callaway. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Browns took a 17-13 lead.

The Broncos soon faced 2nd and 11 at their own 24. Keenum hit Patrick for 12 yards, Lindsay for 16, and Hamilton for 14. On 3rd and 9 from the Cleveland 24, Keenum hit Hamilton for only 8 yards. Vance Joseph challenged the spot and the call was reversed from 4th and 1 to a 9 yard gain and 1st and 10. Vance Joseph then went smash mouth. Lindsay gained 7 and 2 but on 3rd and 1 from the 6 got stopped for no gain. With 5 1/2 minutes left, on 4th and 1 from the 6, Joseph had a big decision to make. He angered the home crowd by opting for the field goal and trusting his defense to get the ball back. It was not a terrible decision given that the whole game had been a slugfest. After a delay of game, McManus hit the 29 yard field goal to get the Broncos within one point.

The strategy appeared to immediately backfire when after a touchback Nick Chubb raced for a 40 yard gain. Chubb kept getting the ball, going 2, 9, 3 and 1. At the 2 minute warning, the Browns faced 3rd and 6 at the Jets 15. If Denver was out of timeouts, then running the ball would be the only sensible call. However, Denver had a timeout so a pass would be fine in that situation. Mayfield hit Njoku for 5 yards. Now it was Gregg Williams who faced a major decision. On 4th and 1 at the Denver 10, he opted to go for it. A chip shot field goal would have given Cleveland a 4 point lead. Vance Joseph chose to play it safe. Gregg Williams chose to play it very aggressive. 

The original plan was to go with the hard count to try and get Denver to jump offsides. Mayfield barked, the Broncos jumped, the Browns celebrated, and it was all for naught. Williams outthought himself and got too cute by half by calling a timeout just before the snap. Cleveland would have been in the driver’s seat. Instead, it was 4th and 1 again as the the football world wanted to say “These are the Browns.” Chubb got the carry and got blasted for a 2 yard loss as the football world was screaming that “These are the Browns.” 

Joseph’s decision seemed vindicated as the Broncos had the ball at their own 13 with 1:49 left. It seemed Williams had risked it all only to see Denver win on a late field goal. It was inevitable. With 1:12 left, after a pair of Keenum incompletions, the Broncos faced 4th and 2 at their own 35. Keenum hit Booker for 15 yards to midfield as the football world shouted “These are the Browns.”

Yet Gregg Williams kept it aggressive. He did what most coaches should do in the 2 minute drill defense but never have the guts to do. Rather than sit back, Williams brought the house. He sent everybody. On 3rd and 10 from midfield, Keenum fleet for his life and was lucky to escape with an incompletion. With 43 seconds left, it all came down to 4th and 10 from midfield. One more first down would give McManus a chance to win it. 

Keenum took the snap. He never had a chance. He got blasted by Jabril Peppers in a perfect textbook quarterback sack. Every college defender should watch the play. Peppers leveled Keenum cleanly and perfectly. Jalapeño peppers have 8 units of gut punch. Ghost chili peppers have one million units. Jabril Peppers is off the charts. The Broncos are now 6-8 and Vance Joseph may be fired at the end of the season. The Browns are now a good football team. They have leaders on both sides of the ball. Gregg Williams is only the interim coach. The interim tag needs to go. He is 4-1 and perhaps the best defensive mind in the game today not named Wade Phillips. Forget Bountygate. Williams is a great defensive mind. THESE are the Browns now. They are only 6-7, but one year after going 0-16, they are legitimate playoff contender next year. They win ugly, nasty and mean, which is absolutely beautiful for the Dawg Pound. 17-16 Browns

Dallas Cowboys at Indianapolis Colts — The Cowboys came in winning 5 straight and the Colts had won 6 of 7. Dallas moved well early from their 25 to a 2nd and 1 at the Indy 27. A run lost 3 yards and Dak Prescott threw incomplete. Maher came in for a 48 yard field goal try. The kick was blocked and the Colts took over at the Dallas 44. Andrew Luck hit Hines for 5 and TY Hilton for 6. Marlin Mack did the rest, running for 19, 6, 7, and on 3rd and goal at the one, the last yard to make it 7-0 Colts.

The Cowboys moved the ball up and down the field in the first half but could not get on the scoreboard. They moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 1 at the Indy 3. Prescott threw incomplete and Jason Garrett decided to go for it. On 4th and 1, Ezekiel Elliott lost 2 yards and fumbled the ball away. The Cowboys held the ball for 7 minutes on their next drive, moving 70 yards in 15 plays from their own 9. On 4th and 1 from the Indy 41, Jason Garrett again went for it and Elliott gained 3 yards. Yet on 3rd and 9 from the Indy 37, Prescott was sacked for a 10 yard loss out of field goal range.

The Colts got it back at their own 16 with 1:53 left. Luck went to Hilton for gains of 12 and 23. On 3rd and 10 from the Dallas 42, Luck threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. Adam Vinatieri hit a 43 yard field goal as the half expired to put the Colts up 10-0. In the third quarter after  a touchback the Colts marched down the field. Mack ran for 12 and luck ran for 11 more. On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 46, Luck hit hines for 19 yards. Mack ran for 21 and then the 6 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Colts. Baltimore’s defense did the rest as Vinatieri hit field goals of 44 in the third quarter and 23 in the fourth quarter. The defense pitched a shutout. Frank Reich’s team has won 6 straight as both teams are 8-6 and alive in the playoff chase. 23-0 Colts

Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings — Last week Miami won on a miracle. This week it was Minnesota starting from their own 24. Cook ran for 6 yards and Kirk Cousins hit Cook for a 27 yard gain. Latavius Murray gained 6 yards and Cousins hit Adam Thielen for 21 yards. Cook ran for a 26 yard gain. Cousins hit Stefan Diggs for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings. A 21 yard punt return by Sherels had the Vikings getting it back at their own 40. Cook ran for gains of 5 and 11. Cousins hit Conklin for 20 yards. Cook got around the end for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Vikings.Minnesota got it back at their own 30 and kept rolling. Cousins went to Diggs for 17 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 48, Cousins hit Diggs for 7 and Thielen for 14 more. Murray ran for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Vikings after the first quarter.

Midway through the second quarter, momentum changed. With the Vikings facing 3rd and 15 at the Miami 47, Cousins was intercepted by Minkah Fitzpatrick, who returned it 50 yards to pay dirt to get the Dolphins on the board. The Dolphins got it back at their own 32 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 7. Tannehill threw 3 straight incompletions. With 18 seconds left, Sanders hit the 25 yard field goal. After 14 plays, 61 yards and 6 minutes, the Dolphins were within 21-10. In the third quarter, the Dolphins needed only one play and 11 seconds to strike again. No laterals were involved as Ballage took a handoff and raced for a 75 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 21-17. 

Momentum changed again when the Dolphins punted on 4th and 19 from their own 29. Sherels returned it 70 yards to the Miami 22. Yet on 3rd and 6 Cousins threw incomplete. Dan Bailey hit the 36 yard field goal to make it 24-17 Vikings. In the fourth quarter the Vikings poured it on. Minnesota moved from their 27 to a 3rd and 4 at the Miami 8. Cousins was sacked but Bailey hit from 34 to make it 27-17 Vikings. Minnesota got it back at their own 45. On 3rd and 9 from the Miami 40, Cousins went to Aldrick Robinson for the touchdown to make it 34-17 Vikings. Miami had to go for it on 4th and 11 at their own 24. Tannehill was sacked. The Vikings took over at the Miami 16. After a false start, Dalvin Cook ran for a 21 yard touchdown. Minnesota is 7-6 and Miami is 7-7, as both teams are hanging on. 41-17 Vikings 

Oakland Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals — A field position game early on saw the Raiders eventually face 3rd and 9 at the Cincinnati 42. Derek Carr, who barely avoided an interception earlier in the game, was hit and fumbled. The Raiders were starting rookie guards on both sides in place of injured veterans. The blindside hit saw the Bengals recover the fumble at midfield. Driskel immediately went deep and was intercepted inside the 5 yard line. The Raiders punted and Cincinnati got it back at the Oakland 45 yard line. On 4th and 2 from the Oakland 37, Marvin Lewis decided to go for it. Driskel fired to Tyler Boyd for 7 yards and again for 21 more. On 3rd and goal from the 7, Driskel fired a strike over the middle to Boyd for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals.  

In the second quarter the Bengals were pinned at their own 10 yard line. It didn’t matter. Joe Mixon ran for gains of 8, 7 and 5. Mixon then ripped off a 47 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 at the Oakland 18, Driskel ran for 15 yards. On 2nd and goal at the one, Mixon got stopped and Driskel threw incomplete. Marvin Lewis decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. Although Mixon appeared stopped, officials unpiled the bodies and ruled that Mixon crossed the plane of the goal to make it 14-0 Bengals. Jalen Richard then fumbled and the Bengals recovered at the Oakland 34. On 3rd and 4 from the Oakland 16, Driskel threw incomplete. Randy Bullock hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Bengals.

The Raiders soon faced 1st and 15 at their own 20. Carr went to Atman for 8 and Seth Roberts for 20 more. Martin ran for 7 and Carr went to Waller for a 44 yard gain down to the one. Carr found a wide open Lee Smith for the touchdown as the Raiders were on the board down 17-7. Yet a 41 yard kickoff return by Erickson with 15 more tacked on for a facemark against the kicker had the Bengals taking over at the Oakland 46. On the next play a taunting penalty on Arden Key tacked on 15 more yards. 30 yards in penalties were more than enough for Bullock to hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 20-7 Bengals at halftime.

In the third quarter the Raiders were backed up to a 2nd and 12 at their own 9. Carr hit Roberts for 7 and on 3rd and 5 hit Jared Cook for 10 yards. Martin gained 7 and Richard ripped off a 32 yard gain. On 2nd and 5 from the Cincy 30, Carr had a pass batted back to him. Instead of knocking it down, Carr caught it, quickly realized his mistake, and voluntarily went down for a 9 yard loss. Daniel Carlson bailed out the Raiders with a 50 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 20-10. 

Oakland got it back at their own 40. Carr went bombs away to Jordy Nelson for a 44 yard gain down to the Cincy 7 yard line. After a false start, Martin gained 9 yards down to the 3. Then came another false start followed by a pair of incompletions. The Raiders inability to finish drives meant a 26 yard Carlson field goal as they still trailed 20-13. 

Needing a stop after a touchback, of course the Oakland defense could not get one. On 3rd and 10 from the Cincinnati 36, Driskel escaped tacklers and strolled down the sideline for a 13 yard gain. On 2nd and 17 from the Cincy 42, Driskel hit Uzomah for 27 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Oakland 29, Driskel hit Giovanni Bernard for 22 yards. Driskell threw incomplete on 3rd and goal at the 4. Bullock hit from 23 to make it 23-13 Bengals with 10:45 left.

A short punt had the Raiders taking over at their own 48 with 7 minutes left. Carr went to Nelson for 14 and Marcel Ateman for 12. Carlson hit a 40 yard field goal and the raiders were only down 23-16 with 5 minutes left. They needed one stop. They had hope. 12 seconds later hope was gone as Erickson returned the kickoff 77 yards to the Oakland 21. Driskel ran for 6 and Mixon ran for the 15 yard touchdown to ice the game. The Bengals came in losing 5 straight and 7 of 8. However, they got to play the Raiders today, and the Raiders are now 3-11. It’s tough to win with 4 rookies on the offensive line, a defense that cannot stop anyone on 3rd and long, and special teams that cannot tackle. In every phase of the game the Raiders find ways to lose. 30-16 Bengals

Tennessee Titans at New York Giants — The Giants came in winners of 4 of their last 5. Early on it was the Titans moving the ball well. They missed a field goal on their opening drive but got it back and moved 75 yards in 15 plays and nearly 8 minutes. Derrick Henry ran for 5 yards, Marcus Mariota ran for 11, and Henry ran for gains of 7, 6 and 3. On 3rd and 9 from the Giants 45, Mariota hit Davis for 11 yards. On 3rd and 12 from the Giants 36, Mariota hit Davis for 17 yards. From the Giants 19, Henry did the rest. He gained 5 with 5 more added for defensive holding. He gained 4 and 4 more to set up 3rd and goal at the one. Mariota got stopped, and Mike Vrabel decided to go for it. Henry banged forward and broke the plane of the goal to make it 7-0 Titans.  

In the third quarter the Giants moved from their own 25 to the Titans 18. Yet an illegal use of hands penalty on the offense was followed by an interception of Eli Manning. The Giants got it back and faced 3rd and 10 at their own 17 following a pair of Manning incompletions. Manning was then sacked and fumbled, and the Titans recovered at the Giants 14. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Mariota was sacked but a defensive facemark put the ball on the one. Henry got in to make it 14-0 Giants. In the fourth quarter Ryan Succop hit a 22 yard field goal as Tennessee got to 8-6 with suffocating defense. 17-0 Titans 

Washington Redskins at Jacksonville Jaguars — Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and produce a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. A short punt had the Redskins taking over at the Jackonsville 44. Dustin Hopkins hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Redskins. In the second quarter an even shorter 30 yard punt had the Jaguars taking over at the Washington 46. Kai Forbath hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-3. The difference in the game was a 74 yard punt return for a touchdown by Westbrook to make it 10-3 Jaguars at halftime. In the third quarter the Redskins had a 16 play, 60 yard drive that consumed 7 1/2 minutes. On 1st and 10 from the Jags 15, a run went nowhere and Josh Johnson threw incomplete twice. Hopkins hit from 33 to get the Redskins within 10-6. Forbath answered from 41 to make it 13-6 Jaguars with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

Washington faced 2nd and 13 at their own 29. Johnson hit Vernon Davis for gains of 7 and 9 more on 3rd and 6. Johnson was then sacked and fumbled but the Redskins retained possession. On 3rd and 15 from the Washington 40, Johnson hit Crowder for 33 yards. Johnson hit Jeremy Sprinkle for a 6 yard touchdown. After more than 54 minutes without an offensive touchdown, the game was tied 13-13. Jacksonville moved from their 25 to a a 3rd and 6 at the Washington 35, in winning field goal range. Offensive pass interference was followed by Cody Kessler was intercepted. Blake Bortles cannot be blamed for that one as the Redskins took over at their own 45 with 2 1/2 minutes left. With 3 seconds left, Hopkins came in for a 36 yard try to win it for Washington. The kick was good as they got to 7-7 with the win. 16-13 Redskins

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons — The Cardinals took over at their own 36. Josh Rosen hit Larry Fitzgerald for 8 yards and went deep to Johnson for a 40 yard gain. On 3rd and 15 from the Atlanta 17, Rosen hit Johnson for the exact amount to set up 1st and goal at the 2. Johnson gained a yard and then got the other yard to make it 7-0 Cardinals. On the next Arizona series, Rosen was intercepted by Jones, who returned it 41 yards the other way for the tying touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame. After that Atlanta carpet-bombed Arizona.

Atlanta got it back at their own 28 and Coleman raced for a 65 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 3 Matt Ryan threw incomplete. Matt Bryant hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Falcons. The Cardinals then fumbled and the Falcons took over at the Arizona 34. Ryan went to Julio Jones for a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 9, Ryan hit Smith for 8 yards. Atlanta got it back and moved from their 21 to a 3rd and 7 at the Arizona 14. Ryan threw incomplete but Bryant hit from 33 to make it 20-7 Falcons. Another interception of Rosen had the Falcons taking over at their own 29 with one minute left in the half. Ryan hit Ridley for 14 and Jones for gains of 14 and 7. Ryan ran for 15 and then threw a 21 yard touchdown pass to Jones with 13 seconds left. The 2 point try failed but the Falcons led 26-7 at the break.

The second half was a formality. In the third quarter Coleman went around the end for a 43 yard touchdown. In the fourth quarter the Falcons moved 76 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Ryan hit Hardy for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 40-7 Falcons. 40 unanswered points was followed by the inevitable Arizona garbage touchdown. 40-14 Falcons

Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills — After a scoreless first quarter, the Lions began the second quarter facing 2nd and 8 at their own 27. Matthew Stafford went deep to Kenny Golladay for 31 yards. Theo Riddick ripped off gains of 7 and 19. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Stafford hit Andy Jones for the touchdown. For some reason Matt Patricia went for the 2 point conversion which failed as the Lions led 6-0. 

The Bills quickly faced 2nd and 9 at their own 14. Allen McKenzie for 11 yards and Foster for 28 more. Defensive pass interference meant a 43 yard gain. Josh Allen ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-6 Bills. From the Detroit 23, Stafford threw 3 straight incompletions but offsetting penalties on 3rd and 10 gave the Lions another chance. Stafford then went to Golladay for 24 yards. On 3rd and 7 from midfield, Stafford went deep to Golladay for 40 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Zac Zenner got it to make it 13-7 Lions.

The second half belonged to the defense as the third quarter was scoreless. In the fourth quarter the Bills took over at their own 39. Allen went deep and drew a 23 yard defensive pass interference penalty. Allen then went deep to Foster for a 42 yard touchdown as the Bills led by one point with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Lions moved from their 25 to a 4th and 5 at the Buffalo 30 with 6 minutes left. Matt Prater came in for the 48 yard field goal try to give the Lions the lead. The kick was no good. With 2:50 left Sean McDermott got aggressive after a touchback. Rather than keep running, Allen threw a 25 yard completion to Croom to midfield.With 1:50 left on 4th and 1 at the Detroit 41, McDermott risked it all by going for it. If Buffalo does not make it, the Lions have excellent field position to again try a winning field goal. Allen gained 2 yards as the failed early 2 point try was the difference. 14-13 Bills

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears — A field position game had the Bears taking over at their own 40. Mitchell Trubisky hit Howard for 15 yards. Howard capped the drive with a 9 yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Bears. In the second quarter the Packers moved from their 39 to a 2nd and 5 at the Green Bay 19. A run lost 4 yards and Aaron Rodgers threw incomplete. Mason Crosby hit the 41 yard field goal to get the Packers within 7-3. With 1:43 left in the half the Bears took over at their own 39. Trubisky hit Burton for 9. Tariq Cohen ran for 22 yards. Trubisky hit Bellamy for for 18 yards and Cohen for the 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Bears at halftime.

In the third quarter the Packers moved 50 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. They faced 2nd and 7 at the Chicago 25, but Rodgers threw incomplete twice. Crosby hit from 43 to get the Packers within 14-6. A key play in the game came with the Bears facing 4th and 2 just past midfield. Matt Nagy went for a fake punt that didn’t work. The Packers took over at midfield. On 3rd and 8 Rodgers went deep to Devonta Adams for 28 yards and again for 10 more. Williams ran for a 10 yard touchdown and Rodgers hit Adams for the 2 point try to tie the game 14-14. The Bears moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 1 at the Green Bay 23. Rather than go smash mouth, Matt Nagy had Trubisky in the shotgun. Cohen lost 4 yards and fumbled the ball away as the third quarter ended.

With 13 minutes left in regulation a penalty on a punt had the Bears starting at the Green Bay 45. Trubisky threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Burton to make it 21-14 Bears with 10 minutes left. Cohen then broke the game open with a 44 yard punt return to the Green Bay 15. On 4th and 1 from the 6, Nagy made the safe and totally right call by opting for the field goal. Cody Parkey hit the 24 yarder to put the Bears up 24-14 with 6:43 to play. 

The Packers moved after a touchback to a 1st and goal at the 9. Rodgers threw incomplete twice and on 3rd and goal was intercepted in the end zone. Green Bay got it back and again faced 3rd and goal at the 9 with only 24 seconds left. Rodgers was sacked for an 18 yard loss. Crosby hit the 45 yard field goal to make it a 7 point game with 11 seconds left, but the onside kick failed. Rodgers always beats the Bears. Not this time. This is the type of win that shuts up critics. The Bears are 10-4 and deserve to be. 24-17 Bears

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Baltimore Ravens — A Lamar Jackson fumble had the Buccaneers taking over just shy of midfield late in the opening quarter. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 46, Jameis Winston went to Mike Evans for a 23 yard gain. In the second quarter on 3rd and goal from the 6, Winston threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On the next play Barber got in for the score. The extra point was no good as the Buccaneers led 6-0.

The Ravens came back with a staggering 16 play, 73 yard drive that consumed over 8 minutes. From their own 27, Dixon ran for 17 and 2 and Edwards gained 7 and 3. On 3rd and 15 from the Tampa 35, the defense jumped offsides. On 3rd and 10, Jackson went to Snead for 14 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the 7, Jackson got stopped. John Harbaugh decided to go for it. On 4th and 1, Jackson gained 5 yards. After a sack, Jackson threw a 5 yard touchdown to Moore to make it 7-6 Ravens with 4 minutes left in the half.

The Buccaneers moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 2 at the Baltimore 3. Winston threw incomplete and Dirk Koetter opted for the field goal. Cairo santos hit from 21 to make it 9-7 Buccaneers. Baltimore got it back at their own 31 with 1:48 left. This time it was the Ravens moving to a 3rd and 5 at the Tampa 6 with 23 seconds left in the half. Jackson threw incomplete and Justin Tucker hit from 24 as the Ravens led 10-9 at intermission.

In the third quarter the Ravens moved 78 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 7 from their own 25, Jackson hit Andrew for 17 yards. Dixon ran for 10 and Jackson added gains of 14 and 11. On 2nd and 14 from the Tampa 38, Jackson ran for 22 yards. Edwards ran for 6 and then for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 17-9 Ravens. The Buccaneers punted but the Ravens fumbled it. The Buccaneers took over at the Baltimore 14. On 3rd and 5 from the 9, Winston threw incomplete. Santos hit the 28 yarder to get the Buccaneers within 17-12.

The fourth quarter belonged to Baltimore’s NFL leading defense. Baltimore’s offense took over at their own 45 and held the ball for over 7 minutes and 15 plays. Tucker hit a 35 yard field goal 90 seconds into the fourth quarter to put the Ravens up by 8 points. Winston went deep and was quickly intercepted. The Bucs got it back and moved from their 38 to a 3rd and 1 at the Baltimore 30. A run lost 3 yards. Dirk Koetter midway through the fourth quarter decided to go for it and Winston threw incomplete. Baltimore ran another 12 play drive that moved 57 yards and took the remaining 7 minutes off the clock. The porous Tampa defense could not get a stop. With 2:18 left from the Tampa 33, Edwards gained 26. Baltimore got to 8-6 and alive for a playoff spot. 20-12 Ravens

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers — The Seahawks came in winning 5 straight while the 49ers had the inside track for the to pick in the 2019 Draft. Seattle quickly faced 3rd and 4 at their own 47. Russell Wilson Went to Tyler Lockett for 28 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Wilson hit Doug Baldwin for the touchdown. Sebastian Janikowski missed the extra point but the Seahawks led 6-0. 12 seconds later the 49ers had the lead as James took the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-6 49ers.

A good punt had the 49ers pinned back at their own one yard line. Nick Mullens was sacked and fumbled and the Seahawks recovered for a touchdown. However the defense jumped offsides to nullify the score. The 49ers moved to their own 46. Wilson then gained 14 yards but fumbled the ball away. The 49ers got it back at their own 2 yard line to start the second quarter and this time they went the distance. On 3rd and 7 from their 5, Mullens hit Taylor for 8 yards. On 3rd and 11 from their own 28, the defense jumped offsides again. On 3rd and 6 Mullens hit Pettis for 26 yards. Mullens then went deep to Greg Celek for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 49ers.

Seattle soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 23. Wilson hit Baldwin for 11 yards. Carson ran for 24 yards. Wilson went deep to Baldwin for a 35 yard touchdown to get the Seahawks within 14-13. After a touchback the 49ers moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Seattle 9. Mullens threw incomplete. Robbie Gould hit the 28 yarder to make it 17-13 49ers. Tempers flared in the third quarter. The Seahawks were called for 3 personal fouls on defense, giving the 49ers 45 free yards. Yet in the red zone, a silly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the 49ers killed the drive. After a reception, the receiver tossed the ball in the direction of the officials but accidentally hit a Seattle defender. Gould hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 20-13 49ers with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. 

After a touchback, Chris Carson took over. He ran for 21, 5 and then 26 yards. On 2nd and goal at the one, Carson lost a yard. On 3rd and goal at the 2 out of the shotgun, Carson gained one yard. On 4th and goal at the one, Pete Carroll decided to go for it. Again he opted for the shotgun, which fans everywhere should hate. Carson appeared stopped cold. He was stopped cold. Somehow he turned into a young Marshawn Lynch, bulled his way forward, and in a nearly superhuman act got the ball across the plane before his knee came down. One minute into the fourth quarter, the game was tied 20-20.

After a touchback, Mullens went to Pettis for 30 yards. With 10 minutes left, Gould nailed a 45 yard field goal to give the 49ers the 23-20 lead. After another touchback, Wilson threw incomplete but roughing the passer added 15 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 43, Wilson went to Baldwin for 26 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the San Francisco 27, Wilson was sacked for a 3 yard loss. With 5 1/2 minutes left, Seabass came in for a 48 yard field goal try to tie the game. The kick was good and the game was tied 23-23. 

Each team got the ball twice more but had to punt as the game went into overtime. Seattle won the toss and started at their own 14. The play of the game happened on 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 20. Wilson went deep to JD McKissick for a 32 yard gain. Yet offensive holding nullified the gain and killed the drive. The 49ers took over at their own 38. On 2nd and 15 from their own 44, Mullens threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 16 yard gain. Wilson ran for 16 yards. With 3 minutes left in overtime, the 49ers faced 3rd and 3 at the Seattle 18. Kyle Shanahan opted for the 36 yard field goal try on 3rd down in case of a bad snap in the hard rain. The snap, hold, and kick were gold…more like Gould…and the 49er had the upset win. Seattle still has the inside track for a wildcard 26-23 49ers, OT 

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers — The Patriots were 7 seconds and one miracle of laterals away from clinching the AFC East last week. The Steelers came in losers of 3 straight and only 1/2 a game up in the AFC North. They lost at Oakland after nearly pulling off a lateral miracle of their own. However, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick own Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin. Yet in this game it was the Steelers who started after a touchback with an 11 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. From the Pittsburgh 36, Samuels gained 6 yards and then 25 more. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Roethlisberger hit Vance McDonald for the score to make it 7-0 Steelers.

The Patriots struck back quickly. On 3rd and 1 from their own 32, Pittsburgh’s defense was called for having too many men on the field. On the next play Brady went deep to a wide open Chris Hogan for a 63 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Steelers late in the first quarter faced 2nd and 14 at their own 4. Roethlisberger went to Juju Smith-Schuster for 22 yards and again for 9 more to end the quarter. From the New England 43 in the second quarter, defensive pass interference added 26 yards. On the next play Big Ben went to Antonio Brown for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Steelers.

In the third quarter the Steelers were in total control when they moved from their own 25 to a 1st and goal at the 4. A run went nowhere. Then Big Ben was called for intentional grounding. On 3rd and goal from the 14, Roethlisberger went to the end zone to McDonald, but McDonald could not get both feet down inbounds. The air came out of the home crowd when Chris Boswell missed the 32 yard field goal try. The fourth quarter was inevitable. New England would come back and win again.

The Patriots mounted a 13 play, 63 yard drive that consumed 8:15 off the clock. Starting at their own 22, the Patriots soon faced 3rd and 16 at their own 29, Wilson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 21 yard gain to midfield. Bill Belichick went to the ground and pound game. Michel ran for 5, 5, and 2. Burkhead ran for 9, 10 and 4. On 3rd and 4 from the Pittsburgh 13, a pass from Brady to Julian Edelman only gained 3 yards. On 4th and 1 from the 10, Bill Belichick decided not to gamble. Stephen Gostkowski hit the 28 yard field goal as the Patriots trailed 14-10 after three quarters.

The Steelers began the fourth quarter at their own 25. On 3rd and 6 form midfield, Roethlisberger had a short pass riches and get intercepted. The Patriots took over at their own 41. With 9 minutes left they faced 1st and goal at the 5. The entire football world knew the Patriots would take the lead. First came offensive holding. Then on 2nd and goal from the 16 under heavy pressure, Brady went to the corner and was intercepted by Joe Haden at the 4 yard line. 2 receivers tried to remove the ball from Haden’s hands but he kept control and somehow got both feet down inbounds.

On 3rd and 7 from their own 7 with 6 minutes left, Roethlisberger hit McDonald for 8 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 26 with 3 minutes left, Roethlisberger hit Samuels for 20 yards. Samuels then ran for a 15 yard gain with 5 more tacked on for defensive holding. With 2 1/2 minutes left, Boswell came in for a 48 yard field goal try. This time Boswell was good and the Steelers led by 7. Yet Brady now had the ball.

On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, White gained 6 yards. At the 2 minute warning, on 1st and 15 from their own 35, Brady went deep to Edelman for 34 yards. Brady then hit White for gains of 9, 6 and 5. With 37 seconds to play, the Patriots had 2nd and 5 at the Pittsburgh 11. Of course they were going to tie the game. First came offensive holding. Then came a pair of deep incompletions. With 14 seconds left, it came down to 4th and 15 at the Pittsburgh 21. Brady went to the end zone and Edelman got position in front of 2 defenders at the goal line. Ye the ball was high and Edelman couldn’t corral it. The Steelers finally got the monkey off their back. The Patriots are 9-5 and have lost 2 straight. They still have not clinched the AFC East, although they almost definitely will. The Steelers are only 1/2 a game ahead of Baltimore in the AFC North. 17-10 Steelers

Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams was the Sunday night game. Last year these teams met in a thriller won 43-37 by the Eagles. They won the game but lost Carson Wentz for the rest of the season. Nick Foles replaced him and the rest is history. This year the Rams are riding high at 11-2 while the 6-7 Eagles are on the brink of elimination. Again, Wentz is out for the rest of the year and Foles fills in. The Eagles took over at their own 24. Foles hit Goedert for 10 yards. On 3rd and 4 from their own 43, Darren Sproles ran for 17 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Rams 40, a completion only gained 7 yards. Jake Elliott nailed a 51 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles.

The Rams came back 80 yards in 13 plays and nearly 7 1/2 minutes. Todd Gurley got started early, gained 6, 3, and on 3rd and 1 catching a pass from Jared Goff for 6 yards. On 1st and 20 from the Rams 35, Goff went to Gurley for 8 and Woods for 18. From the Eagles 14, Gurley caught a pass for 9 yards and then ran for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Rams after the first quarter. 

In the second quarter the Eagles faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Foles found Alshon Jeffery for a 26 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 40, Foles hit Smallwood for only 4 yards. However, unnecessary roughness added 15 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 16, Foles threw incomplete. Elliott hit the 34 yard field goal to get the Eagles within 7-6. After a touchback, Woods gained 19 yards. However, on the next play Goff was intercepted by Maddox at the Eagles 42 yard line. On a deep incompletion, Foles got blasted on a clean hit. On 3rd and 3 from their 49, Adams only gained 2. Doug Pederson decided to go for it. Adams got the carry, got stopped, and even with a good second effort came up short of the sticks. 

The Rams moved from the Philadelphia 49 to the Philly 14, but then the drive unraveled. Offensive pass interference moved them back. Then on 3rd and 11 Goff was sacked for an 8 yard loss. Greg Zuerlein hit from 41 yards out to make it 10-6 Rams with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half.

The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Foles hit Goedert for just enough. Goedert appeared stopped short of the first down, but officials gave him a favorable spot. On 3rd and 5 from the Eagles 40, Foles went deep and Jeffery made a leaping catch for a 36 yard gain. Foles went back to Jeffery for an 18 yard gain. Adams ran up the middle for the 6 yard touchdown as the Eagles reclaimed the lead 13-10 with just over one minute left in the half.

After a touchback, Goff hit Cooks for gains of 8, 12 and 5. From midfield, Goff fired to Woods, who raced for a 20 yard gain as the Rams took their final timeout with 27 seconds left. From the the Philly 18, three straight incompletions left 4 seconds. Zuerlein hit the 36 yard field goal attempt as the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 13-13.

In the third quarter the Rams punted on 4th and 6 from their own 9. The Eagles took over at their own 41. Foles went for the bomb right away and got belted as soon as he threw it. Somehow Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor both beat the defense but were in the same area. Both receivers jumped for the ball and almost knocked each other out of the way in what would have been a major Keystone Cops moment. However, Jeffery outjumped his own teammate without hitting him and hung onto the ball for a 50 yard gain. On the next play Smallwood went right up the gut and bowled over a defender while standing upright for a 9 yard touchdown and a 20-13 Eagles lead.

The Eagles got it back at their own 26. Foles hit Jeffery for 13 and Smallwood for 11 to midfield. Foles hit Golden Tate for 10 and Smallwood gained 11. Elliott hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 23-13 Eagles. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34 and disaster struck. Goff was stepped on by his own offensive lineman after he took the snap, causing him to trip and fall down. It would have only been a 3 yard loss, but Goff got up and tried to make something happen with the pocket collapsing in his fate. As he was getting hit, he threw a bizarre sideways pass that bounced off a helmet and was intercepted by Graham. Graham returned it 16 yards to the Rams 12 yard line. Smallwood ran for a 4 yard touchdown as the Eagles had the shocking 30-13 lead after three quarters.

Sean McVay goes for fake punts more than any other coach because punter Johnny Hekker is a former quarterback. McVay gambled on 4th and 5 from his own 30 with a fake punt and Hekker threw a 7 yard completion to Hodge. Doug Pederson challenged the completion and on further review the well thrown ball went through the receiver’s hands and hit the ground incomplete. From the Rams 18, Foles went for the kill shot to Zac Ertz at the 5 yard line, but Aqib Talib jumped the rout at the last second and intercepted the ball. Talib returned the interception 30 yards to the Rams 35. The Rams were still barely alive.

On 3rd and 3 from the Philly 27, Goff threw a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass that should have been a 4 yard loss. However, woods broke a tackle and ended up gaining 11 yards. On 1st and 10 from the Philly 16, Goff had Gerald Everett wide open in the end zone and missed him. Then came offensive holding. On 3rd and 12 from the Philly 18, Goff fired to the end zone to Gurley but the throw was high incomplete. Needing 3 scores, McVay opted for the field goal. Zuerlein hit the 27 yarder as the Rams trailed 30-16 with only 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Rams got it back at their own 18 with 6:18 to play. Defensive coordinator Jim Johnson kept bringing pressure, forcing Goff to settle for underneath throws rather than go deep. Yet on 3rd and 10 from the Philly 34, Goff finally got time to throw and fired a strike to Reynolds. Initially ruled a touchdown, replay showed that Reynolds came down inches short of the plane of the goal. On 1st and goal Goff was in the shotgun and threw incomplete. On 2nd and goal the Rams decided to play normal football. Goff lined up behind center, handed it to Gurley, and he got in. The Rams were within 30-23 but only 4 minutes remained.

The Eagles took over at their own 16 and a pair of offensive penalties were followed by a ball that was almost intercepted. on On 3rd and 17 from their own 10, Foles went with the safe dump off. The Rams were going to get the ball back with one timeout and the 2 minute warning. However, disaster struck when Watson fumbled the punt without being touched. It just flew out of his hand while he was running with it. With 2:50 to play, the Eagles took over at the Rams 36 yard line. At the 2 minute warning, it all came down to 3rd and 10. 

For those who have ever watched a football game, the only sane decision in this situation is to run the ball. You don’t risk an incomplete pass. You line up behind the center and run. Instead the Eagles lined up in the shotgun. At least they ran the ball but only gained one yard. The field goal try to ice the game was 53 yards. The kick was wide, no good. The Rams had 1:08 left with 0 timeouts at their own 43 yard line, a very doable situation.

Goff fired to Reynolds for 12 yards and Everett for 6 yards as Everett got out of bounds with 45 seconds left. Goff fired to Everett a couple more times for gains of 5 and 8 as Everett got out of bounds at the Philly 26 with 20 seconds left. Goff fired to Gurley, but Gurley did not get out of bounds. Goff spiked the ball to stop the clock with 4 seconds left. It all came down to one play from the Philly 18. Goff went to the end zone incomplete and there were no flags. For the second straight year the Eagles went into Los Angeles and beat the Rams. The Eagles at 7-7 are still alive, while the Rams lost their second straight. The Rams are still 11-3, but they are now a game and a tie-breaker behind New Orleans for the top seed and only one game ahead of Chicago to avoid losing the first round bye. 30-23 Eagles

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers was the Monday night game. These teams both have star quarterbacks who have led high octane offenses over the years. This game was head-knocking defense. The Panthers began their first drive facing 3rd and 10 at their own 10. Cam Newton went deep to Samuel for 17 yards. On 3rd and 9 at their own 43, Newton hit Moore for 7. On 4th and 2 at midfield, Riverboat Ron Rivera decided to go for it and offensive coordinator Norv Turner dialed up the perfect place call. Newton pitched to Christian McCaffrey. Rather than run it, McCaffrey stopped and threw a perfect halfback option pass to a wide open Chris Manhertz for the touchdown and the 7-0 Panthers lead. All the Saints could mister was a 46 yard Wil Lutz field goal in the first quarter and a 24 yard Lutz field goal in the second quarter. The third quarter was scoreless as the Saints trailed 7-6.

A key play in the game came when the Panthers moved from their 15 to midfield. Moore got the carry and gained 22 yards. However, Moore fumbled and the Saints recovered at their own 16. On 2nd and 8 from the Saints 19, defensive pass interference was good for exactly 18 yards. The Fourth quarter began with the Saints at their own 46. Brees hit Thomas for 12. Hill gained 17 and Mark Ingram added 7. Kamara then ran for a 16 yard touchdown to put the Saints up 12-7 with 12 minutes in regulation. Chaos ensued on the 2 point conversion try.

Kicking the extra point would make it 13-7. Making the 2 pointer would be 14-7. Even missing it would be 12-7. However, Brees had his 2 point pass intercepted by Jackson, who got to the middle of the field and outraced everybody. It was a 2 pointer, but for Carolina’s defense. The Panthers were only down by one field goal. The Saints tried to run out the clock. They moved 64 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. With 1:51 left and the Panthers out of timeouts, the Saints faced 3rd and 4 at the Carolina 5. The next play was a stunner. Lewis took a pitchout and appeared to be tackled at the one yard line. Yet he made the mistake so many others have made. In trying to stretch for the pylon, he fumbled the ball. It went through the end zone for a touchback. 

Carolina had a chance to tie or win it at their own 20 with a full 1:44 to play. With 38 seconds left on 4th and 5 from their own 39, Newton threw incomplete. Despite Drew Brees not throwing a touchdown pass, the Saints got the win to get to 12-2. The Saints need only one win in their final two games to clinch home field throughout the playoffs. If they win next week, Sean Payton can rest his starters in the final week if he chooses. Despite a stellar effort by the Carolina defense, the Panthers lost their 6th straight game to pretty much be eliminated from playoff contention. These teams meet again in 2 weeks in the season finale in New Orleans. 12-9 Saints

Hanukkah 2018 Night 5: NFL2018 Week 14 Prequel

THIS IS WHEN THE BIG DOGS COME OUT!

https://www.commdiginews.com/entertainment/big-dogs-nfl-2018-week-14-110005/