NFL 2019 Week 3 Recap
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars was the Thursday night game. The Jaguars were supposed to be a dumpster fire. Nick Foles is out injured for half the season. Jalen Ramsey wants to be traded. Doug Marrone has supposedly lost the locker room. Then the game started. Less than 2 minutes into the game, the Titans fumbled a punt and the Jaguars recovered at the Tennessee 7 yard line. One play later Gardner Minshew threw the touchdown pass to James O’Shaughnessy to make it 7-0 Jaguars. Jacksonville got it back at their own 38. From just shy of midfield, Minshew hit Westbrook for 28 yards and DJ Chark for the 22 yard touchdown. After less than 9 minutes, the Jaguars led 14-0. From there, the defense just clamped down. Josh Lambo added a 40 yard field goal in the third quarter. Tennessee did avoid the shutout when derrick Henry reached the end zone with 12 minutes left in regulation. It was too little, too late. Lambo tacked on a 48 yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter to complete the scoring. 20-7 Jaguars
Denver Broncos at Green Bay Packers — John Elway was the hero when these teams met in 1997 in the Super Bowl. Now he is the president of a terrible Broncos team. 75 yards came easy as Aaron Rodgers went deep to Valdes-Scandling for a 40 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers less than 3 minutes into the game. In the second quarter the Broncos mounted a 15 play, 77 yard drive that consumed 8 1/2 minutes. Joe Flacco kicked tings off from the Denver 23 with a 16 yard completion to Chris Sutton. On 3rd and 3 from their own 46, Patrick Lindsey ran for 8, 9, 2, and caught a pass for 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 28, Flacco got just enough. From the Green Bay 4, Lindsay began the second quarter by running for 3 and then the final yard for a 7-7 game. Mason Crosby hit a 42 yard field goal to put the Packers in front again and Brandon McManus answered from 30 to tie it again 10-10. That came when Denver had a 15 play, 63 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. However, on 3rd and goal at the 2, Flacco was sacked for a 10 yard loss.
With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, a key play came when the Broncos faced 1st and 10 at their own 18. Flacco was sacked and fumbled, and the Packers recovered at the Denver 5 yard line. Jones lost a couple yards but then ran for the 7 yard touchdown to put the Packers up 17-10 at the break. The Broncos began the third quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. A 4 yard completion was fumbled and the Packers took over at the Denver 37. Rodgers went to Valdes-Scantling for 9 and then deep to Vitale for a 27 yard gain down to the one. Jones got in for a 24-10 Packers lead.
The Broncos embarked on another long drive of 12 plays, 75 yards and 6 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the one, Flacco threw incomplete. Vic Fangio decided to go for it and Lindsay got in. McManus doinked the extra point off the upright no good as the Broncos trailed 24-16. Denver got it back and moved from their own 3 to a 2nd and 7 at the Green Bay 38. Flacco was then intercepted. In the fourth quarter the Packers moved 51 yards in 11 plays but took 7:40 off the clock. Crosby hit the 41 yard field goal to lock up the win with 6 minutes left. The Packers are 3-0, and for the third straight week Aaron Rodgers did not have to carry the team. As he keeps smiling and reminding us, the Packers have a defense. 27-16 Packers
Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles — The Eagles were supposed to easily at home dispatch a woeful Detroit team. Then the game started. Early on the the Eagles moved from their 24 to a 3rd and 6 at the Detroit 7. Carson Wentz threw incomplete. Elliott hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. 14 seconds later the Lions had a 7-3 lead when Agnew returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. After a touchback, Wentz hit Zac Ertz for 23 yards. Howard ran for 11, 6 and 2. On 3rd and 2 at the Detroit 33, Sanders ran for 9. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 20, Wentz scrambled for 19 yards. Howard got the last yard to make it 10-7 Eagles after the first quarter. Momentum completely shifted in the second quarter.
After a touchback, the Lions embarked on a 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Johnson gained 2. On 3rd and 10 from their own 44, Matthew Stafford hit Kenny Golladay for just enough. On 3rd and goal at the one, Stafford threw incomplete but the defense jumped offsides. One minute into the second quarter, Johnson got the yard for the score to make it 14-10 Lions. With 5 minutes left in the half the Eagles fumbled and the Lions took over just shy of midfield. Mckissic got around the end for a 44 yard gain. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 7, Johnson gained nothing and Stafford threw incomplete twice. Matt Prater hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Lions. At the 2 minute warning the Eagles fumbled again, and Slay returned it 38 yards to the Philly 22. Prater hit a 33 yard field goal as the Lions took a 20-10 lead to the locker rooms.
A field position game in the third quarter had the Eagles taking over at the Detroit 47. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 20, Wentz hit Agholor for the touchdown to get the Eagles within 20-17. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Stafford went deep to Jones for 27 yards. On 2nd and 15 from the Philly 34, Stafford hit Danny Amendola for 22 yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Stafford hit Jones for the 12 yard touchdown to give the Lions some breathing room up 27-17. With 11 minutes left in regulation on 2nd and 8 from their own 22, Wentz went deep to Sanders for 33 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Detroit 23, Wentz threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 12 yards and a new set of downs. These are the Lions. On 3rd and goal from the 2, Wentz hit Agholor for the score. With 7 minutes left, the Eagles were within a field goal.
With 2:25 left, the Eagles were down to what should have been their last gasp on 4th and 8 from their own 22. Wentz scrambled but only gained 6 yards. Detroit celebrated and took over at the Philly 28 with 2:18 left. On 3rd and 10, Stafford threw incomplete. The Eagles preserved 2 of their timeouts. These are the Lions. Prater came in for the 46 yard field goal try with 1:53 left to extend the lead. The kick was blocked. The Eagles took over at midfield with 1:39 to play needing only a field goal. These are the Lions. On 4th and 5 from the Detroit 45, Wentz went deep to Agholor for a 25 yard gain in field goal range. Yet offensive pass interference on Darren Sproles nullified the catch. With 50 seconds left, on 4th and 15 from the Philly 45, Detroit needed one stop. Wentz went for it all and had Arcega-Whiteside in the end zone with a well thrown ball. These are the Lions. Arcega-Whiteside dropped it! He had the defender beat and just dropped it. Better to be lucky than good sometimes. 27-24 Lions
Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs — The only hope to stop the Chiefs pinball offense was the Ravens top notch defense. The Ravens moved with a 14 play, 84 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. On 4th and 3 from the Chiefs 9, John Harbaugh decided to go for it. Lamar Jackson gained 7 yards. Mark Ingram got the last 2 yards for the score. John Harbaugh went for the 2 point conversion but didn’t get it. The Ravens led 6-0 after the first quarter. Last week the Chiefs trailed 10-0 after one quarter and exploded for 28 second quarter points. This week the second quarter was deja vu all over again.
From their 25, LeSean Shady McCoy ran for 12 yards. Then Patrick Mahomes began the bombing campaign with a 21 yard completion to Travis Kelce. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Mahomes threw incomplete. However, a horse collar tackle penalty meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and goal at the one, McCoy began the second quarter by getting in the end zone for a 7-6 Chiefs lead. Knowing he would need points, John Harbaugh gambled on 4th and 2 from his own 47. Jackson threw incomplete. Mahomes quickly hit Hardman for 14 and then threw an 18 yard touchdown to Robinson for a 14-6 Chiefs lead. The Chiefs got it back at their own 4 yard line. From their own 17, Mahomes went bombs away to Hardman for an 83 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Chiefs led 20-6 with 3 minutes left in the half. The Chiefs got it back at their same spot at their own 17 with 1:18 left in the half. On 3rd and 2 from their own 25, Mahomes hit Kelce for 6 and Robinson for 18. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 46, Mahomes hit Kelce for 19 yards. Harrison Butler hit the 42 yard field goal as the Chiefs led 23-6 at the break. Last week the Chiefs coasted in the second half. This week they did again, but Baltimore did not.
After a touchback to start the second half, Baltimore ran it down Kansas City’s throat. Ingram gained 9 and 4 and Edwards gained 15 and 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Chiefs 27, Jackson gained 8. After all those runs, Ingram ran for the 19 yard touchdown. Only one pass was attempted, and it was incomplete. The Ravens were within 23-13. Later on walrus Lite Andy Reid went for it on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 41. Out of the shotgun, the snap was fumbled and the Ravens took over on downs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 20 and Mahomes went to Sammy Watkins for 36 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Baltimore 28, Mahomes was intercepted but defensive pass interference meant 1st and 10 from the Baltimore 15. Mahomes hit McCoy for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 30-13 Chiefs after three quarters.
The Ravens moved 75 yards in 13 plays trying to make a game of it. On 2nd and 22 from their own 28, Jackson hit Boyle for 11 and Brown for 18 on 3rd and 11. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, on 4th and 5 from the Chiefs 27, Jackson went deep to Roberts for 25 yards. Ingram ran for the one yard touchdown. The 2 point try was unnecessary but John Harbaugh tried it again and it failed again as the Ravens trailed 30-19 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Justin Tucker hit a 39 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 30-22 with 6 1/2 minutes left, but Butker answered from 36 with 4 1/2 minutes left to make it 33-22 Chiefs. Baltimore got it back at their 30 and Jackson led a furious rally. Jackson ran for a 9 yard touchdown with 2:01 to play. Again the 2 point try failed. Instead of being down 33-31 and needing only a field goal to win, the 3 failed 2 point tries had the Ravens down by 5. It did not matter. With 1:51 left and Baltimore out of timeouts, it all came down to the Chiefs facing 3rd and 9 from their own 37. In this case you run the ball every single time. Every. Single. Time. Yet pass-happy Walrus Lite Andy Reid has a superhuman at quarterback, and Mahomes hit Williams for the 16 yard completion to seal the win. The Chiefs at 3-0 have already pretty much locked up the AFC West, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. 33-28 Chiefs
Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills — In the 1980s, this game mattered. The Bills moved from their 27 as Josh Allen hit Frank Gore for 13 and Brown for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Cincy 45, Allen hit Jones for 23 yards with 11 more tacked on for roughing the passer. Allen hit Knox for the one yard touchdown. Sean McDermott went for 2 and Allen hit Cole Beasley for the conversion to make it 8-0 Bills. Steve Hauschka hit second quarter field goals of 34 and 45yards as the Bill took a 14-0 lead to the locker rooms. Hauschka did miss from 62 on the last play of the half.
In the third quarter the teams traded interceptions as the Bengals took over at the Buffalo 22. Red Rifle Andy Dalton got in from the one to get the Bengals within 14-7 after three quarters. The Bengals got it back at their own 18. Joe Mixon ran for 14 yards. Dalton then hit Trevor Boyd for 14, John Ross for 15, and Tate for 7. The fourth quarter began with the Bengals facing 3rd and 4 at the Buffalo 33. Dalton hit Boyd for gains of 11 and 8. On 3rd and 1 at the Buffalo 13, Mixon gained 12. On 1st and goal at the one, Dalton fumbled and the Bills recovered. However, the Bills jumped offsides. Given another chance, Dalton hit Mixon for the touchdown and a 14-14 game with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Bengals got it back and soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 16. Dalton went to Boyd for 26 yards. and to Mixon for 33 more. On 3rd and 8 from the Buffalo 25, Dalton threw incomplete. Bullock hit the 43 yard field goal to make it 17-14 Bengals with 5 minutes remaining. The Bills soon faced 2nd and 3 from their own 29. Allen hit Knox for a 49 yard gain. With 1:50 to play, on 3rd and goal at the one, Gore got in to put the Bills back up by 4 points. After a touchback, Dalton quickly moved the Bengals to a 3rd and 5 at the Buffalo 28 with 12 seconds to play. Dalton went deep and had the ball tipped by the receiver and the defender before being intercepted by White at the 10 yard line. Buffalo went from a 2-0 team nobody believes in to a 3-0 team nobody believes in. 21-17 Bills
Atlanta Falcons at Indianapolis Colts — The first half was almost all Colts. Adam Vinatieri shook off the first 2 weeks and drilled a 49 yard field goal for a 3-0 Colts lead. They got it back at their own 7 yard line. Jacoby Brissett hit TY Hilton for 6 and Marlon Mack ran for 14 more. Brissett then went deep to Hilton for 26 yards with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 27, Brissett hit Eric Ebron for 9 and Zach Pascal for the 18 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Colts. Matt Ryan went for the home run ball and was intercepted. The Colts managed a 15 play, 94 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive without scoring a touchdown. They took over at their own 3 and moved to a 1st and goal at the one. Brissett threw incomplete, but defensive holding made it 1st and goal at the one again. A run lost 2 yards and Brissett threw incomplete twice. Adam Vinatieri hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Colts in the second quarter. After an Atlanta field goal with 2:20 left in the half, the Colts took over at their own 36. On 3rd and 9 from their own 37, Brissett threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 13 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 31, Brissett lost 2 yards but the Falcons had 12 men on the defense. With 9 seconds left from the Atlanta 4, Brissett hit Hilton for the touchdown as the Colts were up 20-3 at halftime.
Momentum quickly changed in the second half. On 3rd and 8 from their own 27, Ryan hit Mohammed san for 16. From the Indy 47, Ryan hit Julio Jones for 34 yards and Austin Hooper for the 13 yard touchdown to get the Falcons within 20-10. The Falcons got it back at their own 22 and Matty Ice led a staggering 16 play, 78 yard drive that took 10 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 10 from their 22, Ryan hit Jones for 15. On 3rd and 12 from their own 35, Ryan hit Jones for 21. On 3rd and 10 from the Indy 44, Ryan hit Sanu for 12 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Indy 35, Ryan hit Calvin Ridley for 6. One minute into the fourth quarter on 3rd and goal at the 2, Ryan hit Hooper for the score to get the Falcons within 20-17.
The Colts soon faced 2nd and 15 at their own 20. Brissett hit Alie-Cox for 16. On 3rd and 5 from their own 41, Brissett ran for 6. On 3rd and 10 from the Indy 47, Brissett threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 39, a short completion to Pascal went for 35 yards. Mack ran for the 4 yard touchdown to put the Colts up 27-17 with 8:40 to play. The Falcons took over at their own 29. On 1st and 20 from their own 30, Ryan hit Sanu for 10 and Jones for 12. On 3rd and 11 just past midfield, Ryan threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 15 more yards. Ryan then went to san for 16 with roughing the passer adding 9 more. Ryan hit Jones for a 10 yard touchdown to get the Falcons within 3 with 4 minutes to play. With 1:56 to play the Falcons took their final timeout as the Colts faced 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 27. You run the ball every single time in that situation to drain the clock. Every. Single. Time. Instead Frank reich wanted to pass, and Brissett hit Doyle for 11 yards and the clinching first down. That is why Reich coaches and I do not. 27-24 Colts
Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings — After splitting their first two games at home, the Raiders began a brutal road stretch. 20 years ago, the 1999 Oakland Raiders went into Minnesota early in the season and shocked the heavily favored Vikings 22-17. Minnesota was one year removed from their 15-1 season, but Rich Gannon got the job done. Now Derek Carr, the new all time Raiders passing leader, had his chance. It was no contest. Four years ago Mike Zimmer’s defense belted the Raiders, and they did so again. On 3rd and 9 from their own 25, Cousins threw incomplete. Yet defensive holding on Gareon Conley kept the drive going. Cousins threw a 35 yard touchdown to a wide open Adam Thielen for a 7-0 Vikings lead. The Vikings then moved 79 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 18 from their own 13, Cousins hit Cook for just enough with roughing the passer adding 15 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 46, Cousins hit Stephan Diggs for 5 with a facemark adding 15 more. On the first play of the second quarter, Dalvin Cook ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Vikings. Carr was then intercepted, setting up Minnesota at the Oakland 30. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 22, Cousins hit Cook for 12. On 3rd and goal at the one, Thielen got in on the ground to make it 21-0 Vikings. NFL rules required that the rest of the game be played.
On 3rd and 11 from the Oakland 24, Carr hit Darren Waller for 30 yards. From the Minnesota 29, Carr and Josh Jacobs executed a perfect flea flicker. Carr went deep to JJ Nelson for the touchdown to get the Raiders within 21-7 midway through the second quarter. Then ended the illusion of a competitive game. The Raiders moved from their own 9 late in the half to a 3rd and 6 at the Minnesota 48. Carr threw deep incomplete. Minnesota put the game away in the third quarter with a 10 play, 92 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and 6 from their own 12, Cousins hit Thielen for 11 yards. Cousins went deep incomplete, but defensive pass interference on Karl Joseph meant 24 more yards. On 2nd and 15 from the Oakland 31, Cook gained 15 and Mattison ran for 6 and then the 10 yard touchdown to make it 28-7 Vikings. In the fourth quarter Dan Bailey hit field goals of 50 and 24 sandwiched around a 51 yard Daniel Carlson field goal try that dunked off the upright no good. That wasted a 14 play, 6 1/2 minute drive. The Raiders did get a late garbage touchdown, which reflected their overall performance. The Raiders crushed the Vikings 32-14 in the 1976 Super Bowl, which is of little consequences to the Raider Nation on this awful Sunday 43 years later. 34-14 Vikings
New York Jets at New England Patriots — The Patriots won their 2 games by a combined 73 points. The Jets lost by one point and then got blown out by 20, with both of those games at home. The Patriots were 21 point favorites. Sometimes a horrible team can go on the road and shock the world by beating a great team. This was not that game. The Patriots moved 88 yards. On 3rd and 1 from their own 42, Rom Brady went to Izzo for 41 yards. Sony Michel ran for a 5 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Patriots led 6-0. The Jets punted on 4th and 23 from their own 12 and the Patriots took over at the Jets 45. 3 play later Brady went to Phillip Dorsett for a 25 yard touchdown and a 13-0 Patriots lead. The Patriots got it back and faced 3rd and 9 at their own 42 with 2:14 left in the first quarter. Brady hit Julian Edelman for gains of 15 and 14. Brady began the second quarter hitting Meyers for 18, Rex Burkhead for 7, and on 3rd and goal at the 3, Edelman for the touchdown to make it 20-0 Patriots. NFL rules prevented the second half from being canceled. In the third quarter an interception led to a Patriots field goal. The Patriots got it back at their own 40. On 3rd and 22 at the Jets 32, Brady hit Josh Gordon for 28. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Burkhead ran it in to make it 30-0 Patriots. The only people who cared at this point were the gamblers. Yes, the Patriots got bored and the Jets got a couple garbage touchdowns, one in each quarter, to defeat the spread. At least the Jets did not commit a butt-fumble as J-E-T-S stood for Just End The Season. 30-14 Patriots
Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys — The Dolphins lost home games by 49 and 43 points. Would this be the week they lost 100-0? In the first quarter the Dolphins missed a 47 yard field goal. Brett Maher then hit a 28 yard field goal for the Cowboys. Dallas got it back and faced 3rd and 20 at their own 47. Dan Prescott hit Jason Witten for 33 yards. Prescott hit Amari Cooper for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Cowboys. The Dolphins fought hard, but despite 2nd and goal at the 3, a pair of runs yielded nothing. Jason Sanders hit the 22 yard field goal and again from 33 as the Dolphins only trailed 10-6 at halftime. They even had a chance to take the lead. With 30 seconds left and 1st and goal at the 7, they fumbled the ball away. Then reality really set in. In the third quarter the Cowboys faced 2nd and 9 at their own 26. Prescott went to Smith for 33 yards, Randall Cobb for 20, and Cooper for the 19 yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Cowboys. Dallas got it back and easily moved 76 yards. From midfield, Prescott hit Ezekiel Elliott for 12 and Cooper for 18. Prescott ran for the 8 yard touchdown to make it 24-6 Cowboys. With less than 4 minutes left Tony Pollard ran for the 16 yard exclamation point touchdown. Jerry Jones was so pleased with the win that Jerrah is letting the staff return next week. The Dolphins are 13 games from 0-16 and the Cowboys are 3-0 and 13 games away from flaming out in the playoffs. 31-6 Cowboys
New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — League rules prevented the cancellation of this game. Eli Manning was benched as the Daniel Jones era began. After a touchback, Pierre Barber gained 7 and Jameis Winston hit mike Evans for 18 to midfield. On 4th and 1 from the Giants 41, Bruce Arians decided to go for it. Barber got 3 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 21, Winston hit Evans for the touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Buccaneers led 6-0. The Giants came back 57 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes, but bogged down in the red zone. On 3rd and 8 from the Bucs 18, Jones threw incomplete. Alex Rosas hit the 36 yard field goal to get the Giants on the board. After a touchback, Winston and Jones connected on a 41 yard completion. On 3rd and 5 from the Giants 29, Winston went to Brad Perriman for 6 yards and Howard for 18 more. Winston hit Evans for the 3 yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked as the Buccaneers led 12-3.
In the second quarter the Giants moved 75 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Jones scrambled for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa Bay 42, Jones threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 10 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Tampa Bay 26, Jones hit Saquon Barkley for 19 yards and then ran the final 7 yards himself to get the Giants within 12-10. After that the Buccaneers exploded.
After a touchback, Winston went deep to Evans for a 55 yard gain. Despite being 0 for 2 on extra points, Gay nailed a 47 yard field goal. The Bucs moved on their next series from their 29 to a 3rd and 7 at the Giants 9. Winston was sacked and fumbled, but on further review it was changed to an incomplete pass. Gay hit from 27 to make it 18-10 Buccaneers. The Giants then fumbled and the Buccaneers recovered at the Giants 41. Winston threw 8 yard completions to Ogunbowale and Godwin and then went to Evans for the 20 yard touchdown to make it 25-10 Buccaneers with 86 seconds left in the half. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 20 with 36 seconds left and were just going to run out the half. Instead Jones ran for 25 yards. Winston hit Evans for 15 more. On the last play of the half, Gay drilled a 52 yard field goal to make it 28-10 Buccaneers.
The game changed again in the third quarter. One play and 12 seconds into the third quarter, a short pass from Jones to Evan Engram went for a 75 yard touchdown. Jones hit Shepard for the 2 point conversion. Just like that the Giants were within 28-18. The Giants got it back at their own 20. Shepard ran for 19 and caught a pass for 8 more. From midfield, Jones went deep to Slayton for a 46 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Jones hit Shepard for the touchdown to quickly get the Giants within 28-25. Winston has a problem with interceptions, but Jones has a problem with fumbling. The exchange of turnovers had the Buccaneers at the Giants 42. The Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Giants 5. Looking to put the game away, Barber got stopped. Gay hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 31-25 Buccaneers with 6 minutes left. The end of this game would be insane.
With 3:16 to play, the Giants took over at their own 25. On 2nd and 5, Jones found Slayton for 21 yards and Shepard for 36 more. With 1:16 to play, it all came down to the Giants facing 4th and 5 at the Bucs 7 yard line. Jones went back to pass, had a wide open lane up the middle, and raced up the gut on the quarterback draw untouched to the end zone. The extra point was good and the Giants led by a point. Perhaps they scored too early. After a touchback, Winston went to Godwin for 20 yards. Then with the entire world knowing Winston would throw deep, Winston went deep to a Evans for a 44 yard gain. Winston spiked the ball to stop the clock with 13 seconds left. A field goal would be only 29 yards. The Buccaneers took an inexplicable delay of game penalty, but with 4 seconds left it was still only a 34 yard field goal try. The snap and hold were fine. The kick was no good. Gay did not hit straight. Bruce Arians was in shock as he buried his head in his hands and wondered why he came out of retirement. Eli Manning hugged his successor with the same dignity showed him 15 years earlier by Kurt Warner. Welcome to the NFL, Daniel Jones. 32-31 Giants
Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals — Cam Newton was out with an injured foot as Kyle Allen got the start. Who the hell is Kyle Allen? By the end of the day, the entire NFL was asking that question. On Carolina’s first offensive series, on 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 15, Allen was sacked and fumbled and the Cardinals took over at their own 26. Kliff Kingsbury had to smile as Kyler Murray led a 14 play, 74 yard drive that consumed almost 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 4 from their own 32, Murray ran for 7 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Murray fired to Larry Fitzgerald for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. In the second quarter, the NFL heard a very different tale about Kyle Allen.
First came an 11 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Allen hit Samuel for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the Carolina 46, Allen hit Greg Olsen for 13. From the Arizona 40, a 6 yard completion as followed by a 15 yard horse collar tackle penalty. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Allen hit Samuel for the touchdown to tie the game 7-7 one minute into the second quarter. The Cardinals embarked on a 15 play, 53 yard drive that took 6 minutes. Yet despite 1st and 10 from the Carolina 15, the drive died. Zane Gonzalez hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Cardinals. Carolina needed only 3 plays to take the lead. On 2nd and 5 from their own 30, Allen went to Christian McCaffrey for 18 yards. With 49 seconds left in the half, Riverboat Ron Rivera went to his bag of tricks. Forget conservative offense without the star quarterback. Rivera went for it all, and Allen went deep to Moore for a 52 yard touchdown to give the Panthers the 14-10 halftime lead.
An exciting third quarter saw the Cardinals facing 2nd and 20 at their own 35. Murray went to Fitzgerald for 23 yards and to Byrd for 13 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 20, Murray ran for 17 and hit David Johnson for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 17-14 Cardinals. After a touchback, Allen went to Olsen for 20. On 2nd and 8 from the Arizona 39, Allen went to wright for 33 yards. Allen hit Olsen for the 3 yard touchdown to put the Panthers back on top 21-17. Arizona moved from their 21 to a 4th and 1 at the Carolina 37. Bruce Arians went for it and the direct snap to Johnson gained 2 yards. Yet the defense held after that. Gonzalez hit the 47 yard field goal as the Cardinals got within 21-20 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter.
Yet only 2 plays later the Panthers and struck again. From the Carolina 16, McCaffrey ran for 8 yards. Then he broke free for a 76 yard touchdown run to make it 28-20 Panthers. 2 plays later Murray was intercepted, setting up the Panthers at the Arizona 22. On 3rd and 5 from the 17, Allen hit Samuel for 14 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Allen threw his fourth touchdown pass. The touchdown to Olsen had the Panthers up 35-20 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. An interception Murray with 5 minutes left set up Carolina again at the Arizona 22. Slye hit the 36 yard field goal to put the game out of reach. Murray finished 30 ofn43 but for only 173 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Allen was 19 of 26 for 261 yards and 4 touchdowns with 0 interceptions and a passer rating of 144.4 that nobody understands. Welcome to the NFL, Kyle Allen. 38-20 Panthers
New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks — Pinball Wizard Drew Brees was out injured for several weeks and Teddy Bridgewater would be Sean Payton’s guy with Taysom Hill always available for trick plays. The Seahawks defense was expected to feast on the Saints offense. “That’s why they play the games,” says ESPN Swami Chris Berman. 3 minutes into the game, the Seahawks punted on 4th and 20 from their own 15. Harris returned it 53 yards for a special teams touchdown and a 7-0 Saints lead. The Seahawks got it back and faced 3rd and 5 at their own 41. Russell Wilson went deep to Tyler Lockett for 32 yards. Chris Carson ran for 16 more. Wilson hit Lockett for the 8 yard touchdown. The game was tied 7-7 after the first quarter, but after that, it was All Saints Day 2 months early.
The Seahawks in the second quarter faced 2nd and 6 at their own 8. Carson ran for a 23 yard gain, but Eli Apple chopped the ball out of his hand. Bell recovered it and returned it 33 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 13-7 Saints lead. Wil Lutz missed the extra point. Late in the half with the Seahawks facing 3rd and 1 at the Saints 41, Carson got stopped. Pete Carroll went for it on 4th and 1 and this time Carson lost a yard. At the 2 minute warning, the Saints faced 3rd and 5 at their own 47. Bridgewater hit Thomas for 14, Cook for 7, Kamara for 3, and Kamara again for the 29 yard touchdown. The saints scored a touchdown in all 3 phases of the game to lead 20-7 at halftime. In the third quarter the Saints moved 75 yards in 12 plays and over 7 minutes. On 4th and 4 from the Seattle 35, Lutz missed a 53 yard field goal but an illegal formation on the defense meant 5 yards and a key first down. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 24, Bridgewater hit Thomas for 15 yards. On 2nd and goal from the one and 3rd and goal from the one, the Saints could not punch or sneak it in. Sean Payton went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Bridgewater hit Thomas for the touchdown as 20 straight points had the Saints up 27-7 after three quarters in front of a shellshocked home crowd 12th man in rainy Seattle. The Seahawks got a couple garbage touchdowns in the fourth quarter but gave up a touchdown as well. On the final play of the game from the Saints 4 yard line, the Seahawks got a third garbage touchdown to make the score look respectable. This was a blowout. The Saints hit the Seahawks in the mouth. 33-27 Saints
Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers — Early on the Texans fumbled and the Chargers started with golden field position at theHouston 15. On 3rd and 2 from the 7, Philip Rivers hit Keenan Allen for the touchdown and the 7-0 Chargers lead. The Chargers got it back at their own 13 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 6 early in the second quarter. Jackson ran for the touchdown, but before you say 14-0 Chargers, the score was nullified by offensive holding. Long hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Chargers, but it was a key play in the game. The Texans soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Deshaun Watson went deep to Kenny Stills for 38 yards. On 2nd and 12 from the Chargers 16, the snap out of the shotgun was fumbled. Watson the picked it up and went to Darren Fells for the touchdown to get the Texans within 10-7. With 1:39 left in the half, the Chargers took over at their own 11. Rivers went to Williams for 20 and defensive pass interference on the next play added 22 more yards. On 3rd and 12 from the Houston 38, Rivers hit Williams for 13 yards. Rivers went to Allen for the 12 yard touchdown with 22 seconds left in the half to make it 17-7 Chargers. Kaimi Fairbairn missed a 56 yard field goal to end the half.
Momentum changed in the second half. In the third quarter a 23 yard punt return had the Texans taking over at their own 45. On 3rd and 14 just past midfield, Watson hit Deandre Hopkins for 15 yards and Fuller for 30 more. On the next play Carlos Hyde ran for the 3 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 17-14. The Chargers moved from their 26 to a 3rd and 4 at the Houston 29. Rivers was sacked and fumbled, and the Texans took over at their own 27. A roughing the passer penalty had the Texans on the move. On 3rd and 3 just past midfield, Watson went to Hopkins for a 34 yard gain. Watson then went to Akins for a 15 yard touchdown as the Texans led 21-17 after three quarters.
The Texans got it back at their own 18. From the Houston 47, Watson hit Akins for the 53 yard touchdown with 9 1/2 minutes left. The extra point was no good but the Texans led 27-17. The Chargers moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 1 at the Houston 24. Rivers threw incomplete. On 3rd and 1, a run lost a yard. Anthony Lynn went for the field goal needing 2 scores. Long hit from 43 as the Chargers were within 7 midway through the fourth quarter. The Chargers got it back at their own 16 with 4:19 to play. With 30 seconds left the Chargers and 3rd and 4 at the Houston 24. Rivers fired to Williams for 17 yards. Yet offensive holding was a killer. With 11 seconds left, on 4th and 14 from the Houston 34, Rivers went deep incomplete. The overachieving Texans did what they do. The underachieving Chargers did what they do. 27-20 Texans
Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers — Big Ben Roethlisberger is out for the year and Mike Tomlin has to play his backup Mason Rudolph for the entire season. As Tomlin reminded everyone, nobody gets sympathy in the NFL. Jimmy Garoppolo threw a pair of first quarter interceptions that gave the Pittsburgh offense a pair of short fields. All the Steelers could muster was a pair of Chris Boswell field goals from 46 and 26 to make it 6-0 Steelers. In the seconds quarter the 49ers added 2 more fumbled that the Steelers could not capitalize on. Despite 4 turnovers by the 49ers, the Steelers only got the 6 points out of it. Robbie Gould hit a 24 yard second quarter field goal as the 49ers trailed 6-3 at halftime. NFL League rules required that even hideous games have to be played in their entirety.
In the third quarter it was Rudolph getting intercepted, and the 49ers taking over at the Pittsburgh 38. On 3rd and 8 from the Pittsburgh 25, Garoppolo hit Bourne for 22 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Wilson got in to make it 10-6 49ers. 3 plays later the Steelers had the lead again. On 3rd and 4 from their own 24, a short pass from Rudolph to Juju Smith-Schuster, who is still not Jewish, went for a 76 yard touchdown and a 13-10 steelers lead. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Garoppolo ran for 2 yards and hit Samuel for 20 yards. From the Pittsburgh 16, Garoppolo hit Pettis for for 12. Wilson ran for the 12 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 49ers after three quarters. The Steelers after an exchange of punts took over at their own 19. Conner ran for 10. Then defensive pass interference meant a 32 yard gain. Rudolph then went deep to Johnson for a 39 yard touchdown. With 10 minutes left in the game, another lead change had the Steelers up 20-17.
The 49ers fumbled the ball but the Steelers fumbled it back, setting up the 49ers at the Pittsburgh 24 with 5:20 to play in the game. At the 2 minute warning, the 49ers faced 3rd and 11 from the Pittsburgh 14. Garoppolo threw incomplete but a killer defensive holding penalty kept the drive going. Garoppolo hit Pettis for the 5 yard touchdown with 1:15 to play to put the 49ers up by 4 in this topsy turvy game. With 37 seconds left the Steelers faced 4th and 12 at their own 20. Rudolph threw incomplete and the Steelers remained winless. They fought to the end, but a loss is just that. 24-20 49ers
Los Angeles Rams at Cleveland Browns was the Sunday night game. The Rams offense was supposed to steamroll Cleveland, but the Dawg Pound came prepared for a street fight. As swami Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the games.” The first half was defense. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein hit a 53 yard first quarter field goal for the Rams. In the second quarter Siebert connected from 23 to tie the game. With 5 minutes left in the half, Zuerlein missed from 48. With 28 seconds left in the half, the Rams faced 3rd and 10 at their own 36. Jared Goff was sacked and fumbled. The Browns Schobert recovered the fumble and returned it 21 yards to the Rams 17. Siebert hit from 35 to end the half with the Browns up 6-3.
In the third quarter the Rams went 75 yards in 10 plays. From the Rams 40, Goff hit Cooks for gains of 19 and 16. From the Cleveland 20, Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 11, Goff hit Cupp for the touchdown and the 10-6 Rams lead. The Browns came back 75 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 31, Baker Mayfield hit O’Dell Beckham for 5 yards. On 3rd and 13 from the Rams 46, Michelin Man Wade Phillips sent an al out blitz. Mayfield went to Nick Chubb or 30 yards. Defensive pass interference on the next play put the ball on the one. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mayfield hit Harris for the touchdown and the 13-10 Browns lead after three quarters.
An interception of Goff led to nothing when the Rams defense forced a punt. The Rams got it back at their own 28. Goff went to Cooks for 23 yards and to Kupp for 21 more. The fourth quarter began with the Rams are the Cleveland 20. Sean McVay went to hit bag of tricks. Goff handed it to Kupp, who raced around the right end and handed it to Woods, who reversed field and went around the left end for a 17 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Goff hit Kupp for the touchdown as the Rams regained the lead 17-13 with 13 minutes left in regulation. The Browns moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 9 at the Rams 40. Mayfield through incomplete and Freddie Kitchen decided to go for it with 9:19 to play. A run…yes, a run…gained only 2 yards. The Rams from their 38 soon saw 3rd and 10 at midfield. Goff gained only 7 yards, but unnecessary roughness added 15 more. On 4th and 1 from the Cleveland 19, Sean McVay took no chances. Zuerlein hit from 37 to make it 20-13 Rams with 6:40 left.
The Browns had to punt on 4th and 18 from their own 2, but an interception of Goff gave the Browns the ball back with 2 minutes left at midfield. On 3rd and 15 from their own 45, Mayfield went to John Johnson for a 27 yard gain. Mayfield then fired to Ratley for 16 yards with roughing the passer on Aaron Donald adding 5 more. With 41 seconds left the Browns had 1st and goal at the 4. Three incompletions later had the Browns down to their last chance with 33 seconds left as the Rams took their final timeout on defense. Under heavy pressure, Mayfield threw a prayer to the end zone with a receiver and defender wrestling for it. The defender won and the Rams had the interception. The Browns were game. They went toe to toe with the defending NFC champs but fell one play short in a fine football game. 20-13 Rams
Chicago Bears at Washington Redskins was the Monday night game. After a touchback to start the game, the Bears moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Washington 36. Mitchell Trubisky was sacked for a 14 yard loss back at midfield. It was the only thing that would go wrong for Chicago on this night. While they did not win 73-0, this game was over by halftime. On Washington’s 3rd play from scrimmage on 3rd and 9 from their own 21, Case Keenum was intercepted Haha Clinton-Dix. The 37 yard interception return for a touchdown had the Bears up 7-0, and they never trailed. In the second quarter the Redskins had 2nd and 6 at the Chicago 11. On 3rd and 9 at the Chicago 14, Keenum was sacked for an 11 yard loss. The 43 yard field goal try was no good. The Bears then marched 67 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Trubisky hit Taylor Gabriel for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Bears. One play after a touchback and an illegal shift saw Keenum get sacked for an 8 yard loss and fumble. The Bears recovered at the Washington 11. Trubisky hit Gabriel for a one yard score to make it 21-0 Bears. 2 plays later after a strong kickoff return, Keenum was intercepted again. Chicago marched 63 yards the other way. On 3rd and 17 from the Washington 36, Trubisky again went to Gabriel for the touchdown and the 28-0 Bears lead with 43 seconds left in the half. The rest of the game was garbage time as the Bears coasted. Washington got a field goal before the half ended and a touchdown in each of the two final quarters. Chicago tacked on one fourth quarter field goal in a game that was never competitive thanks to 5 Washington turnovers. 31-15 Bears