NFL 2019 Week 4 Recap
Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers was the Thursday night game. The shootout began when the Packers took over at their own 11. An unnecessary roughness penalty on the defense put the ball on the 26. On 2nd and 1 from their own 35, Aaron Rodgers went deep o Devonta Adams for a 58 yard gain. Aaron Jones ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. Green Bay got it back at their own 10 and mounted a 15 play, 78 yard, 8 minute drive. The second quarter began with the Packers facing 2nd and 7 from the Philadelphia 12 yard line. Rodgers threw incomplete twice. Mason Crosby hit the 30 yard field goal for a 10-0 Packers lead. Then the game changed.
A 67 yard kickoff return had the Eagles taking over at the Green Bay 34. Carson Wentz hit Alshon Jeffery for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Eagles within 10-7. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 24. Rodgers and Adams combined on a 40 yard gain. However, on 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 13, Rodgers threw incomplete. Crosby hit from 31 to make it 13-7 Packers. Crosby hit the kickoff out of bounds to allow the Eagles to take over at their own 40. A roughing the passer penalty had the Eagles on the move. On 3rd and 2 from the Packers 26, Wentz hit Zac Ertz for 12 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the 5, Wentz ran for 2 and hit Dallas Goedert for the 3 yard touchdown to put the Eagles on top 14-13. Rodgers was then sacked and fumbled, setting up the Eagles at the Green Bay 17. Jordan Howard ran for a one yard touchdown. The Eagles led 21-13 with one minute left in the half.
Then momentum changed again. The Packers took over at their own 30. Rodgers hit Adams for 11. With 30 seconds left, the Packers faced 3rd and 6 from midfield. Rodgers went deep to Allison for 31 yards and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 9 seconds left. Rodgers the calmly went to Geronimo Allison for the 19 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Packers were within 21-20 at halftime.
The Eagles took over at their own 24 in the third quarter. Wentz hit Ertz for 9 and Hollins for 13 more. From the Green Bay 44, Wentz hit Jeffery for 16 and Howard for the 20 yard touchdown. For some bizarre reason, Doug Peterson decided to go for 2 to make it a 9 point game. Wentz threw incomplete and the Eagles led 27-20. The Packers took over at their own 28. Rodgers scrambled for 14 yards. On 3rd and 7 from their own 45, Rodgers hit Valdes-Scantling for 26 yards. Rodgers went to Graham for the 14 yard touchdown. This wild game was tied 27-27 after three quarters.
After a touchback, Sanders ran for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Green Bay 34, Wentz went to Jeffery for 16 yards. The fourth quarter began with Howard running for another 16 yards and then the 2 yard touchdown as the Eagles led by 7. The Packers moved 78 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Packers had 1st and goal at the one. Then came the Ghost of Marshawn Lynch. The entire football world knows you run the ball from the one yard line. Yet West Coast Offense dink and dunkers just cannot help themselves. The new Packers coach is a West Coast Offense dink and dunker. It does not matter that Aaron Rodgers is perhaps the best quarterback in the game. You run the d@mn ball. Instead, Rodgers threw 4 straight incompletions and the Packers got nothing. The Packers got it back with 5 minutes left at their own 11. With 30 seconds left in the game, the Packers had 2nd and goal at the 3. The Packers learned nothing. Rather than run the ball, Rodgers threw over the middle into traffic. What could possibly go wrong? The pass was deflected and intercepted. Dink, dunk, death. 34-27 Eagles
Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans — Kyle Allen threw 4 touchdowns in his first start in place of the injured Cam Newton. In this game the Panthers moved from their 14 to the Houston 24. Allen was sacked and fumbled. The Texans recovered but did not capitalize. A shanked 19 yard punt had the Panthers getting it back at the Houston 41. Despite 2nd and 5 at the Houston 30, a run went nowhere and Allen then threw incomplete. Joey Slye hit the 48 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Panthers. Kaimi Fairbairn missed a 52 yard try that would have tied the game. Fairbairn did hit from 37 in the second quarter for a 3-3 game. After an exchange of turnovers, the Panthers took over at their own 46. On 3rd and 4 from the Houston 48, Allen went deep to Wright for 27 yards and Christian McCaffrey for 18 more. McCaffrey ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Panthers with one minute left in the half. In the third quarter the Panthers fumbled and the Texans recovered at the Carolina 18. Deshaun Watson ran for a one yard touchdown and a 10-10 game after three quarters. 10 seconds into the fourth quarter, Slye drilled a 55 yard field goal for a 13-10 Panthers lead. With 4 minutes left in regulation, a Houston fumble was recovered by Carolina at the Houston 33. Slye hit a 26 yard field goal for a 6 point Panthers lead with 28 seconds left. With 4 seconds left from the Carolina 47, Watson launched the Hail Mary. It fell incomplete. 16-10 Panthers
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens — Cleveland traveled to Baltimore for their annual @ss- kicking. This time the Browns moved the ball 84 yards on 11 plays and consumed 8 1/2 minute of clock. From the Cleveland 16, Baker Mayfield found Jarvis Landry for 16 yards. On 3rd and 8 from their own 42, Mayfield threw incomplete but illegal contact kept the drive going. On 1st and 25 from their own 42, Mayfield hit Brown for 18 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Baltimore 35, Mayfield hit Hilliard for 19 more. On 3rd and 3 from the Baltimore 9, out of the shotgun mayfield hit Seals-Jones for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Dawg Pound brought their defense, but with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half an interception of Mayfield set up the Ravens at their own 42. Lamar Jackson ran for 29 yards. At the 2 minute warning, Jackson hit Boykin for the 9 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. Cleveland took over at their own 13. A short pass from Mayfield to Landry went for 65 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 8, Freddie Kitchens decided to go for it. Mayfield got the yard. With 16 seconds left, on 3rd and goal from the 6, Mayfield threw incomplete. Austin Seibert hit from 24 as the Browns had the 10-7 halftime lead in front of a stunned Baltimore crowd. The crowd would be in shellshock by the end of the game. Justin Tucker hit a 41 yard field goal in the third quarter for a 10-10 game, but after that it was all Cleveland.
On 2nd and 8 from the Cleveland 27, Mayfield went deep to Seals-Jones for 59 yards. Nick Chubb ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Browns. After a touchback the Ravens moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Cleveland 32. Mark Ingram gained 6 yards but fumbled and the Browns recovered at their own 26. It was the turning point in the game. Nick Chubb ran for 17 and 5. On 3rd and 5 from their own 48, Mayfield hit seals-Jones for 14. On 2nd and 15 from the Baltimore 43, Mayfield hit Landry for 12 and on 3rd and 3 hit him again for 29 yards. Chubb ran for the 2 yard touchdown for a 24-10 Browns lead after three quarters.
Every time the Ravens came back in the fourth quarter, the Browns answered. Baltimore moved 75 yards in 14 plays and 6 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Jackson hit Mark Andrews fr the touchdown. John Harbaugh for some reason went for the 2 point conversion and Ingram ran it in to get the Ravens within 24-18. 16 seconds later the Browns were in the end zone again. On 1st and 15 from their own 12, Chubb raced for an 88 yard touchdown as the Browns led 30-18. The 2 point try failed. With 9 minutes left John Harbaugh went for it on 4th and 3 from his own 31. Jackson threw incomplete, leading to a 43 yard Siebert field goal to make it 33-18 Browns. Jackson was intercepted each of the next two series, the second of which set up the Browns at the Baltimore 39. Dontrell Hilliard ran for a one yard touchdown to put the Browns up 40-18 with just over 2 minutes left. Baltimore got a garbage touchdown, but no more. If losing badly at home in Week 1 was a statement, then winning big over their most hated rival on the road was uneven bigger one. Maybe the Brows are for real. 40-25 Browns
Washington Redskins at New York Giants — Daniel Jones won his first NFL start last week. This week the Giants moved from their own 32 and soon faced 3rd and 17 from the Washington 39. Jones hit Gallman for 15. On 4th and 2 from the Washington 24, Pat Shurmur decided to go for it. Out of the shotgun, Jones hit Shepard for 5 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 15, Jones hit Shepard for 13. Jones threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to Gallman to make it 7-0 Giants. The Giants got the ball back at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 2 from their 14, Jones hit Evan Engram for 12 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their 27, Jones was sacked but defensive holding kept the drive going. Jones then found Shepard for a 23 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 37 to start the second quarter, Jones hit Slayton for 5, Shepard for 7, and Gallman for 22. Gallman got the last yard for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Giants.
Jones was intercepted twice in the second quarter. After the second one, the Redskins moved to a 1st and goal at the one. A pair of incompletions sandwiched around a run that lost 2 yards meant Dustin Hopkins was hitting a 21 yard field goal. The Giants came back and actually had 1st and goal at the 2 with 7 seconds left in the half. Jones threw incomplete followed by offensive pass interference. Alex Rosas hit a 30 yard field goal for a 17-3 Giants lead. Imagine if either team tried to run on 1st and goal. The second half was hideous. The only score was a 32 yard touchdown pass from Dwayne Haskins to Jabril Peppers, who plays defense for Big Blue. Congress after the game announced that they were beginning impeachment hearings against Daniel Snyder and Jay Gruden. 24-3 Giants
Los Angeles Chargers at Miami Dolphins — 38 years after a playoff game for the ages, these teams played a forgettable game. The Chargers were 16 point favorites over a Miami team that has improved every week from losing by 49, then by 43, and last week by 25. After a touchback the Chargers moved to a 3rd and 4 a the Miami 21. Philip Rivers threw incomplete. After a delay of game, Long hit the 44 yard field goal for a 3-0 Chargers lead. The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Out of the shotgun, Josh Rosen hit Williams for 25 yards, O’Leary for 9 more, and Parker for a 34 yard touchdown. The Dolphins up 7-3 finally had their first lead of the entire season. The Chargers on 2nd and 5 from their own 30 saw Rivers hit Watt for 21 with 15 more added on for the defender lowering the head to intimate contact. On 3rd and 4 from the Miami 28, Rivers went to Kendricks for 13 and to Pope for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Chargers.
In the second quarter Sanders hit a 30 yard field goal to tie the game 10-10, but he then missed a 50 yard try that would have given the Dolphins the lead. The Chargers moved from their 40 to a 3rd and 9 at the Miami 33. Rivers hit Patton for 15 yards and Austin Ekeler for the 18 yard touchdown with 43 seconds left in the half to make it 17-10 Chargers. On the last play of the half, Sanders from 52 missed again. The Chargers put the game away in the second half as the Dolphins had their third straight scoreless second half. A staggering 16 play, 66 yard drive consumed 10 1/2 minutes of clock and was capped with a 45 yard Long field goal for a 20-10 Chargers lead. In the fourth quarter, a one yard Ekeler plunge on 3rd and goal made it 27-10 Chargers. An interception of Rosen led to one more field goal. In four games the Dolphins have been outscored 153-26, and are 12 games from ignominy. 30-10 Chargers
Oakland Raiders at Indianapolis Colts — Derek Carr smartly led a 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive to start the game. Hard running by Josh Jacobs and short passes moved the chains. The Raiders did not have a single third down on the drive. On 1st and 10 from the Indianapolis 18, Carr fired a gorgeous floater over the defender and Moreau made the leaping catch. The defender tried to wrestle the ball away but Moreau held on to it for the touchdown and the 7-0 Raiders lead. Carr was 6 of 6 on the drive. The Colts went 3 and out when a 3rd and 11 pass was deflected away at the last possible moment. A short punt had the Raiders taking over at their own 40. One play and 10 seconds later the Raiders were in the end zone. An end around by Trevor Davis saw him burst through the hole and race for a 60 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Raiders. Jon Gruden pumped his fist. Davis only joined the team one week ago in a trade from Green Bay.
The Raiders held again on defense as the Colts went backward. Everything was going right for the Raiders, but they could not handle prosperity. Out of the shotgun, a simple handoff exchange from Carr to Jacobs was fumbled, and the Colts recovered at the Oakland 22. Marlon Mack rushed for 18 yards. Jacoby Brissett hit Doyle for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Colts within 14-7. The Raiders did not quickly fold. From their own 24, Jacobs ran for 8 yards and 3 more on 3rd and 2. Carr hit Darrel Waller for 17 yards. Jalen Richard gained 13 and Carr hit Waller for 15 more. The second quarter began with the Raiders facing 3rd and 8 from the Colts 19. Carr found Tyrell williams in single overage in the end zone and Williams came down with it for the touchdown and the 21-7 Raiders lead. Williams became the second player in Raiders history behind Swervin Mervyn Fernandez in 1989 to have a touchdown reception in his first 4 games with the team.
The Colts moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 3 at their own 47. A 9 yard run by Wilkins was wiped out by offensive holding. On 3rd and 3 again, Brissett hit Doyle for 5 yards. A late hit by talented head case Vontaze Burfect meant a 15 yard gain. Burfect was ejected, which did not help an Oakland defense that is suspect as it is. On 2nd and goal at the 5, Marlon Mack got blasted for a 4 yard loss. Adam Vinatieri hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Colts within 21-10. In a game where both teams were plagued by multiple dropped passes, the Raiders dodged a couple late bullets. An interception for a touchdown was waved off when Carr’s pass hit the ground before being picked off. The Colts moved into the red zone and then fumbled the ball away. On the last play of the half, Vinatieri barely missed a 57 yard field goal try wide.
In the third quarter the Raiders took over at their own 10. Jacobs caught a pass for 9, ran for 10, and then caught another pass for 20. On 3rd and 9 from midfield, Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for 8 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Indy 42, Jon Gruden went for it and went smash mouth. Ingold got the yard.
On 3rd and 9 from the Indy 39, Carr hit Williams for 18. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Carr went to Williams in the end zone to deliver the knockout blow. Williams dropped it. It was right in his bread basket. Daniel Carlson hit the 26 yard field goal. The staggering 16 play, 82 yard drive bled over 9 minutes off the clock. The Raiders led 24-10 after three quarters, but they did not put the game away.
With 9 minutes left, Frank Reich decided to go for it with the Colts facing 4th and 2 at their own 18. One stop would end the game. Hines gained 4 yards. On 3rd and 8 from their own 38, Brissett went to Pascal for 23 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Brissett hit Chester Rogers for the touchdown. With 5 1/2 minutes left, the Colts were within 24-17. The Raiders never finish games. After a touchback, the Raiders faced 3rd and 5 at their own 41 with 3:17 to play. A false start killed the drive. The Colts got it back at their own 15 with 2 1/2 minutes left and a chance to tie things. The Raiders do not finish games. With 2:09 from their own 25, Brissett was intercepted by Erik Harris, who raced down the sideline 30 yards to pay dirt. It was Brissett’s first interception of the entire season, but it was a dagger. The Raiders led 31-17. On 2nd and 15 from their own 20, Brissett went to Pascal for 28 yards. On 4th and 6 from the Oakland 48, one stop would end the game. Brissett went to Eric Ebron for the touchdown. The Raiders do not finish games. 1:10 still remained, but the Raiders managed to recover the onside kick to preserve the road win and keep their season alive with a 2-2 record. Next week they travel to London. 31-24 Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs at Detroit Lions — The Lions started out hot. On 3nd and 5 from their own 30, Matthew Stafford found Kenny Golladay for a 33 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 2, Stafford was sacked for a 5 yard loss. Matt Prater hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Lions. Harrison Butker missed a 35 yard field goal that would have tied the game. From the Detroit 26, a defensive facemark penalty on a run put the ball at midfield. On 3rd and 9 from the Chiefs 44, Stafford went to Jones for 33 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Chiefs 5, Stafford with the pocket collapsing fired over the middle to TJ Hockensen for the touchdown and the 10-0 Lions lead. For the third straight week the Chiefs started slowly. So far that has yet to matter.
The Chiefs moved from their own 14 to a 1st and goal at the 4. Yet a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass lost 3 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Mahomes threw incomplete. Butler hit the 23 yard field goal to get the Chiefs on the board. The Chiefs got it back at their own 30 and LeSean Shady McCoy ran for 39 yards. Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Chelsea for 14 more. On 3rd and goal at the one, McCoy got it for a 10-10 deadlock with 4 minutes left in the half. The Lions moved from their own 21 to a 2nd and 1 at the Chiefs 25. Stafford threw incomplete. A run went nowhere. A 4th and 1 gamble by Matt Patricia was done in by a false start. Matt prater hit the 49 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Lions with one minute left in the half. After a touchback, that was more than enough time for Mahomes. He went deep to Sammy Watkins for 19 yards and deep again to Williams for 30 more. Butker hit the 44 yard field goal to end the half with the game tied 13-13.
The Chiefs fumbled the second half kickoff, setting the Lions up at the Chiefs 36. On 2nd and goal at the 5, a touchdown pass was reversed to an incompletion. On 3rd and goal Stafford was sacked and fumbled the ball back to the Chiefs, who took over at their own 18. From their 29, the Chiefs fumbled the ball back to the Lions again at the Chiefs 28. McKissic ran for a 26 yard gain with a facemask setting up 1st and goal at the one. Then came the play of the game. Johnson took it up the middle, fumbled the ball, and Breeland picked it up at the goal line for the Chiefs and raced 100 yards the other way. The play stood on review as it was the Chiefs with the 20-13 lead in front of a shocked home crowd, not the Lions.
The Lions showed composure and drove into position for Prater to try a 53 yard field goal. Prater delivered and the Lions were within 20-16. The Chiefs then fumbled the ball away yet again and the Lions took over at the Kansas City 45 yard line. Johnson ran for 12 and Stafford added 11 more. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Stafford hit Golladay for the touchdown as the Lions had the 23-20 lead after three quarters and were smelling upset. After a touchback, Mahomes hit Kelce for 16 yards. Roughing the passer added 15 more. The fourth quarter began with the Chiefs facing 2nd and 12 at the Detroit 46. Mahomes went to Kelce for 10, and Kelce lateraled the ball to McCoy for another 23 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 9, Mahomes ran for 7. Williams ran for the one yard touchdown to put the Chiefs on top 27-23 with 12 minutes left in regulation.
The Lions took over at their own 21 with 6:42 to play. Runs and short passes had the Lions at the Chiefs 43 with 3:19 left. Stafford went deep to Hall for a 34 yard gain. Stafford hit Golladay for a 6 yard touchdown. With 2 1/2 minutes left the Lions had the 30-27 lead. All the defense and to do was stop the superhuman Mahomes. The Chiefs took over at their own 21. Mahomes went to Williams for 11. With 1:55 left the Chiefs faced 4th and 8 at their own 34. One stop would end it. Mahomes scrambled for 15 yards and then hit Kelce for 18 more. With 20 seconds left in regulation the Chiefs were one yard away. With everything on the line, Darrel Williams got in the end zone. The heartbreaking loss knocked the Lions from the unbeaten ranks. The Chiefs are 4-0 and finding new ways to win every week behind their pinball offense, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. 34-30 Chiefs
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills — Both these teams came in 3-0, but if the Bills were to be taken seriously, they had to win this game. Josh Allen was intercepted by Devin McCourty, who returned it 19 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 9, Tom Brady went to James White for 14 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Buffalo 30, Brady went to White for 26 yards. Bolden ran around the end for a 4 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Patriots led 6-0. The Bills soon had to punt on 4th and 14 from their own 33. The punt was blocked by Jackson and recovered by Slater at the 11. Slater took it the rest of the way for the touchdown and the 13-0 Patriots lead. New England got it back and sought to quickly put the game away. A 16 play, 93 yard drive consumed nearly 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Brady went to the end zone, but it would not be 20-0 Patriots. Brady was intercepted by Micah Hyde in the end zone for a touchback. The turnover changed the complexion of the game.
Steve Hauschka hit a 46 yard field goal to get the Bills on the board. On the last play of the half, a 49 yard try by Hauschka was no good. The third quarter began with a touchbackJosh Allen went to TJ Yeldon for a 23 yard gain and again for 19 more. Allen hit Cole Beasley for 16 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Frank Gore got stopped. Sean McDermott went for it. Allen got the yard himself as the Bills were within 16-10. Late in the third quarter an interception of Allen set up the Patriots at the Buffalo 42. On 3rd and 6, Brady went to Josh Gordon for 31 yards. Yet the defense stiffened. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Brady hit Dorsett for only 5 yards. Gostkowski hit the 23 yard field goal to put the Patriots up by six after three quarters. Defense dominated the fourth quarter, and the Patriots knocked Josh Allen out of the game. Backup Matt Barkley had the Bills backed up to their own 14 with 3 minutes left. With 90 seconds to play the Bills had a 3rd and 9 at the New England 39. Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick brought the house, and Barkley was hit as he threw. A floater in the air was intercepted by Jamie Collins. The Bills are for real, especially on defense, but the Evil Empire is the one that remained unbeaten. 16-10 Patriots
Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons — 3 minutes into the game, Marcus Mariota connected with Brown on a 55 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. The Falcons took over at their own 15 and were helped along by a 32 yard defensive pass interference penalty. From the tennessee 47, Matt Ryan went deep to Hooper for a 28 yard gain. Smith got the last yard on the ground for a touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame. On 3rd and 15 from their own 20, Mariota went to Davis for 16 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Atlanta 36, Mariota hit Humphries for 9 yards. Derrick Henry ran for 16 and Mariota hit Brown for the 11 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Titans. In the second quarter the Titans took over at their own 38. Mariota went deep to Brown for a 28 yard gain. Cairo Santos hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Titans. The Falcons moved from their 27 to a 4th and 1 at the Tennessee 39. Dan Quinn went for it and Devontae Freeman lost a yard. Derek Henry ran for a pair of 5 yard gains to midfield. Mariota then went to Davis for 22 yards, Henry for 8, and and back to Davis for a 23 yard touchdown and a 24-7 Titans lead. With 30 seconds left in the half, Matt Bryant missed a 32 yard field goal. Bryant did hit from 42 early in the third quarter to get the Falcons within two scores. After that the Tennessee defense clamped down. 24-10 Titans
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams — The defending NFC Champs were supposed to at home steamroll the overmatched Buccaneers. To quote ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman, “THAT’s why they PLAY the games.” The Buccaneers took over at their own 40 and Jameis Winston found Chris Godwin for 17 yards and Brate for 13 more. Winston went back to Godwin for another 18. Pierre Barber ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. Another interception of Goff early in the second quarter set the Buccaneers up at midfield. Winston found Howard for 12 and Godwin for 30 more. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Winston hit Godwin for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Buccaneers. Yet another interception of Goff gave the Buccaneers 1st and goal at the 9. One play and 7 seconds later, Winston went to Godwin for the touchdown. 3 interceptions led to 3 touchdowns and a 21-0 Buccaneers lead.
The Rams finally got going. Goff found Woods for 9 and Everett for 15. From the Tampa 37, Goff hit Everett for 14 with defensive pass interference adding 10 more yards. Todd Gurley ran for a 13 yard touchdown to get the Rams within 21-7. The Rams got it back at midfield. Goff went deep to Woods for 37 yards. Goff hit Everett for a 5 yard touchdown as the Rams were within 21-14. The Buccaneers came back 75 yards in 11 plays after a touchback. On 3rd and 7 from their own 39, Winston hit Godwin for 14 yards. Roughing the passer added 15 more. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 23, Winston hit Godwin for 11. Jones ran for a 5 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers led 28-14 with 52 seconds left in the half. The rams kept coming back. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein lived up to his namesake, drilling a 58 yard field goal to end the half. Zuerlein hit from 44 after a 14 play, 6 minute drive to get the Rams within 28-20.
Yet on this day, Bruce Arians saw his team take the biggest Tampa two step since the days of Pewter Power. Arians trusted Gay with a 58 yard field goal try of his own in the third quarter, and Gay delivered to make it 31-20 Buccaneers. Goff’s fourth interception set up the Buccaneers at their own 47. Winston found Godwin for 17. Jones ran for 10 and caught a pass for 12.On the first play of the fourth quarter, Winston hit Brate for the 13 yard touchdown. The Buccaneers led 38-20. Goff did lead a 75 yard touchdown drive as the Rams scored with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation to get within 38-27. Yet Michelin Man Wade Phillips could only watching horror as his normally stout defense got torn asunder. On 2nd and 5 from their own 33, Winston went deep to Mike Evans for a 67 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left in regulation, the Buccaneers had a commanding 45-27 lead with 11 1/2 minutes left.
Yet these are the Buccaneers. The Rams faced 2nd and 20 at their own 15. Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 10 and on 3rd and 10 went to Reynolds for 22 yards. Goff hit Gurley and Cooks for a pair of 12 yard gains. On 3rd and 10 from the Tampa Bay 29, Goff and Kupp connected on another touchdown. With 9 minutes left, the Rams were within 45-34. Three plays later after a touchback, the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 9 at their own 12. Winston threw a horrendous sideline pass that was intercepted by Marcus Peters, who returned it 32 yards for a defensive touchdown. The 2 point try failed but with over 8 minutes still remaining, the Rams were within 45-40.
The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 29, Winston hit Evans for 12 yards. On 2nd and 6 from the Rams 48, Winston found Godwin for 18 yards. Jones then broke off a 24 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 6 with 3 1/2 minutes remaining. At this point there was no reason for Winston to even raise his arm. A couple conservative runs forced the Rams to use their timeouts on defense. A pointless West Coast Offense pass was completed far short of the end zone. Last week Matt Gay was the goat, and we do not mean greatest of all time. He missed a 34 yard kick one the final play of a one point loss at home. This week with just over 2 1/2 minutes left he had a 21 yard kick. He made it as the Buccaneers led 48-40. The Rams moved after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Bucs 36. The Bucs had the talent to screw this up. However, offensive pass interference made it 1st and 20. On the next play Goff was sacked for a 14 yard loss by Barrett and fumbled. Ndomakung Suh pucked up the fumble and rumbled 37 yards to finally put the game away. Bruce Arians does not have to go the full John McKay and oversee his team’s execution. This was hardly the stuff of Brooks, Lynch, Sapp and Barber, but it was a win. This was anything but Buc Ball. Goff threw 68 passes…yes 68…passes. He completed 45 of them for 517 yards and 2 touchdowns. However, the interceptions killed him and the fumble was the final dagger. Winston was 28 of 41 for 385 yards, 4 touchdowns, and one interception as the Rams were knocked from the unbeaten ranks in stunning fashion. 55-40 Buccaneers
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals — After a stunning blowout home loss last week, Seattle quickly rebounded and tore apart Arizona early and often. The Cardinals ddi not help matters by missing a 43 yard field goal early. Jason Myers hit a 33 yard field goal to start the blowout. Two plays later after a touchback, Tyler Murray was intercepted by Jadavean Clowney, who returned it 27 yards for a score to make it 10-0 Seahawks. In the second quarter the Cardinals drove to the red zone, but settled for a 33 yard Zane Gonzalez field goal. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Russell Wilson ent to John Brown for a 32 yard gain and then went to Tyler Lockett for 28 more. Wilson hit Dissly for the 9 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Seahawks. Gonzalez missed another field goal from 48, while Myers connected again from 24 to have the Seahawks cruising 20-3 at halftime. The second half was pointless. Murray did run for a 9 yard touchdown with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, but it was not enough. The Seahawks answered with a 15 play, 75 yard drive that took over 8 minutes. CJ Prosise ran for a 9 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. 27-10 Seahawks
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears — This was an old-style NFC North slobberknocker that would have made George Halas proud. It certainly pleased his 96 year old daughter Virginia McCaskey happy, despite the early knockout of Mitchell Trubisky. Backup Chase McDaniel led the Bears on this day. A 10 yard touchdown pass to Tarik Cohen in the first quarter was enough. The rest of the way the Bears added field goals and suffocating defense. Eddie Pineiro connected from 25 to end the half and from 38 and 30 in the third quarter for a 16-0 Bears lead. These are not the 1985 Bears since they did give up a late garbage touchdown, but they are very good. 16-6 Bears
Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos — 23 years after Jacksonville shocked Denver 30-27 in one of the great playoff upsets in NFL history, these teams played a far less consequential game. The Broncos took over at their 47 and made it look easy. Patrick Lindsay ran for 28 yards and Joe Flacco hit Nick Fant for the 25 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. The Jaguars moved 68 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Despite 2nd and 7 at the Denver 8, an incompletion as followed by a one yard pass. Josh Lambo hit the 25 yard field goal to get the Jaguars on the board. The Broncos began the second quarter facing 3rd and 7 at their own 34. Flacco hit Freeman for 15 yards and Emanuel Sanders for 39 more. Flacco hit Christ Sutton for the 7 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Broncos. Brandon McManus tacked on a 33 yard field goal for a 17-3 Broncos lead with 4:20 left in the stoned Colorado air.
With 49 seconds left in the half, the Broncos had 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 33. Another field goal would have made it 20-3 Broncos. Instead the game changed when Flacco was intercepted by Harrison, who returned it 31 yards to the Denver 43. Lambo hit from 40 to end the half with the Jaguars down 17-6. The Jaguars got it back and Gardner Minshew led a staggering 16 play, 75 yard drive that took a mind-numbing 10 1/2 minutes. Leonard Fournette ran for 13 and 8. On 3rd and 14 from the Denver 43, Minshew hot Cole for 19 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 15, Fournette gained 2 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 7, Minshew hot Armstead for the touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Jaguars were within 17-13 before Denver even touched the ball in the second half. The Jaguars got it back at their own 7. Fournette broke free for an 81 yard gain. Minshew hit O’Shaughnessy for an 18 yard touchdown to cap the 93 yard drive in only 3 plays and put the Jaguars up 20-17 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Jaguars mounted a 13 play, 78 yard drive that took 7 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 7 from the Denver 16, Minshew threw incomplete. Lambo hit from 34 to put the Jaguars up by 6 with 3 minutes left, but they left the door open.
After a touchback, Flacco hit Emanuel Sanders for 16 and Sutton for 27 more. Flacco then went to Sanders for 27 yards. Flacco hit Sutton for the 8 yard touchdown. The critical extra point was good, and after giving up 20 straight points, the Broncos led by a point. After a touchback, 90 seconds still remained. Minshew was sacked for a 7 yard loss, but a roughing the passer penalty on Von Miller kept the drive going. Minshew was in serious pain after being hit low but refused to come out of the game. Minshew went to Westbrook, who fought through tacklers and got out of bounds for a 32 yard gain. Minshew then hit Conley for 17 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 10 with one minute left. Rather than take a couple of knees, Doug Marrone watched the worst offensive play calling since Kyle Shanahan in the Super Bowl and Chip Kelly anywhere. Minshew kept lining up in the shotgun, perhaps because of his playing injured. That would be the only explanation to avoid getting a coach fired. An offensive holding penalty turned a 28 yard field goal try into a 38 yard try into the wind. Fournette gained 5 of those yards back and Lambo came in for the 33 yard try with 4 seconds left. The kick was good as Vic fangio and Denver’s winless misery continued. 26-24 Jaguars
Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints was the Sunday night game. Last year in Dallas the Cowboys won a defensive bonelock over the Saints 13-10. This game was just as brutal. In the first quarter, an interception of Teddy Bridgewater set up the Cowboys at their own 46. Despite 2nd and 9 at the Saints 10, Dak Prescott threw incomplete. Brett Maher hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. The second quarter belonged to Wil Lutz. On the first play of the second quarter he connected from 40 to tie the game. Then he hit from 42 to give the saints the lead. With 90 seconds left in the half the Saints recovered a fumble at the Dallas 44. With 4 seconds left and the ball on the one, a quick pass was incomplete. With 2 seconds left, Sean Payton opted for the field goal. Lutz hit from 19 as the Saints led 9-3. In the third quarter the Cowboys moved 84 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 36, Prescott threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 5 yards. On 2nd and 12 from the Saints 37, Prescott went to Barwin for 35 yards. Ezekiel Elliott ran for a one yard touchdown as the Cowboys led 10-9 midway through the third quarter. The Saints responded with a 15 play, 67 yard, 9 minute drive. On 3rd and 7 from the Dallas 13, Bridgewater only gained 5 yards. On 4th and 2 from the 8, Sean Payton opted for the field goal. Lutz hit from 26 and the Saints led by 2 points only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter.
The defense clamped down. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Saints tried to run out the clock. On 3rd and 1 from their own 47, Alvin Kamara gained 9. On 3rd and 1 at the Dallas 35, Kamara gained 2 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. The Cowboys had all 3 timeouts. On 3rd and 8 from the Dallas 31, the only sensible move was to run the ball and force the Cowboys to take their last timeout. The worst possible call would be a pass play. Bridgewater went back to pass and was sacked for a 16 yard loss out of field goal range. The Cowboys took over at their own 14 with 1:45 left. The Saints faked an all out blitz. Prescott was sacked for an 11 yard loss. On 3rd and 12 from their own 12, Prescott hit Amari Cooper for 14 yards. With 17 seconds left, the Cowboys faced 3rd and 20 at their own 16. Prescott fired over the middle to Randall Cobb for a 32 yard gain and raced to the line to spike the ball and stop the clock. Two seconds remained. The Saints were expected to keep everybody back deep. Instead, they brought a corner blitz. Prescott did not have time to roll out and throw it as deep as he wanted. Instead he got blasted as soon as the Hail Mary left his hand. It was intercepted at the New Orleans 13 yard line as the Cowboys were knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten. Both teams at 3-1 lead their respective divisions. 12-10 Saints
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Monday night game. Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and produce a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. A Pittsburgh fumble set up the Bengals at the Pittsburgh 15. Randy Bullock hit a 28 yard field goal as the Bengals led 3-0 after the opening quarter. The rest was all Pittsburgh. A field position game had the Steelers taking over in the second quarter at the Cincinnati 46. On 3rd and 2 at the Cincy 21, Mason Rudolph went to James Conner for the touchdown and the 7-3 Steelers lead. After a touchback the Bengals moved to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 18. Red Rifle Andy Dalton was sacked and fumbled and the Steelers recovered. Chris Boswell hit a 29 yard field goal as the Steelers led 10-3. In the third quarter the Steelers put the game away. After a touchback, on 3rd and 5 from just past midfield, Mason Rudolph hit Samuels for 14 yards. From the Cincy 23, Mike Tomlin twice in a row called Wildcat snaps. Samuels hit Conner for 21 yards and then ran the last 2 yards himself to make it 17-3 Steelers. A shanked 29 yard Bengals punt had the Steelers at the Cincy 43. Rudolph went deep to a wide open Diontae Johnson for the touchdown. After a fourth quarter interception of Dalton, Boswell tacked on a 49 yard field goal to complete the scoring and get the Steelers their first win of the year. 27-3 Steelers