NFL 2019 Week 5 Recap
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks was the Thursday night game. The Seahawks quickly faced 2nd and 18 at their own 17. The Seahawks then fumbled and the Rams took over on the Seattle 33. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein hit the 47 yard field goal. Zuerlein tacked on a 32 yarder for a 6-0 Rams lead. After a touchback the Seahawks faced 2nd and 11 just shy of midfield. Russell Wilson went deep to Dissly for 38 yards and to Tyler Lockett for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 7-6 Seahawks. In the second quarter the Seahawks took over at their own 27. Wilson hit Lockett for 17 and then went DK Metcalf for a 40 yard touchdown and a 14-6 Seahawks lead. The Rams fumbled, but the Seahawks missed a field goal. The Rams got it back at their own 38 with with 1:33 left in the half. Jared Goff hit Woods for 9, Everett for 6, Woods again for 8 and Cooper Kupp for 15. On 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 24, Goff threw incomplete but roughing the passer moved the ball to the 12. With 6 seconds left in the half, the Rams faced 2nd and 6 from the Seattle 9. Goff hit Kupp for the touchdown as the Rams trailed 14-13 at the break.
After a touchback to start the third quarter, Goff went to Everett for a 30 yard gain. Goff then went to Higbee for gains of 15 and 20. Todd Gurley ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 20-14 Rams. Seattle punted, pinning the Rams back at their own one yard line. Seattle got it back at the Rams 47. Wilson hit David Moore for a 10 yard touchdown and a 21-20 Seahawks lead. After a touchback Cooks ran for a 27 yard gain. Goff hit Higbee for 12 and Everett for 32 yards down to the one. Gurley got in for the touchdown. Sean McVay went for the 2 point conversion but it failed, as the Rams led 26-21 after three quarters.
The Seahawks after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Rams 14 to start the fourth quarter. Offensive holding followed by an incompletion meant a 42 yard Jason Myers field goal. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Seahawks were within 26-24. The Rams faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27. Goff went to Cooks for 29 yards. On 3rd and 13 from the Seattle 47, Goff went to Kupp for 26 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 18, Goff threw incomplete. With 9:15 left in regulation, Zuerleing hit from 36 to make it 29-24 Rams.
After a touchback, Wilson hit Lockett for 12 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 43, Chris Carson gained 3 yards. Roughing the passer on the next play added 15 yards. Carson ran for 14. With 2 1/2 minutes left, it came down to 4th and goal at the 5. Wilson hit Carson for the touchdown. The Seahawks were back up 30-29, but the Rams had timeAfter a touchback, the Rams quickly faced 3rd and 10 at their own 36. Goff was intercepted and the Seahawks thought they had the win. However, the Rams still had their timeouts and the 2 minute warning. With 1:57 left on 3rd and 2 at the Rams 43, one first down would end the game. Pete Carroll went to his bag of tricks and called for Lockett to run an end around. Lockett was tackled for an 8 yard loss as the Rams still had life. The Rams took over at their own 7 yard line with 1:50 to play and 0 timeouts. Goff hit Everett for 9, Woods for 11, Kupp for gains of 9 and 11, and Everett for 28 yards. With 30 seconds left, the Rams had 1st and 10 at the Seattle 30. With 15 seconds left, Zuerlein came in for the 44 yard try. With everything on the line and having already made 3 of 3 field goals, Zuerlein’s kick was…no good! He hit it wide as the Seahawks survived a thrilling game with multiple lead changes. At 4-1, the Seahawks sit atop the NFC West as the Rams have lost two straight after a 3-0 start. 30-29 Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers — The years go by, but this AFC North rivalry is a constant. Forget the records. Bitter hatred combined with mutual respect makes for a tough, physical close game where home field is nonexistent. These teams set the expectations so high, and they kept being met. Early on Baltimore took over at their own 41. Justin Tucker hit a 27 yard field goal for a 3-0 Ravens lead. Pittsburgh got the ball back at their own 12. Mason Rudolph was the quarterback but Mike Tomlin called a wildcat snap to Samuels, who was quickly intercepted. Baltimore took over at the Pittsburgh 15 and Mark Ingram ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Ravens. The Steelers soon faced 2nd and 5 at their own 30. Rudolph hit Washington for 21 yards and then threw a 35 yard touchdown pass to Juju Smith-Schuster to get the Steelers within 10-7.
Baltimore soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Edwards got 2 yards. On 3rd and 2 from their own 44 out of the shotgun, Edwards gained 6 yards to midfield as the second quarter began. On 3rd and 9 from the Pittsburgh 35, Jackson went to Andrews for 24 yards and to Marquise Brown for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Ravens. Baltimore got it back and faced 3rd and 11 at their own 11. Jackson was intercepted, setting up the Steelers at the Baltimore 16. Yet on 2nd and 1 from the 7, another wildcat snap to Samuels lost 5 yards. The Rudolph was sacked for an 11 yard loss. Chris Boswell hit the 41 yard field goal to get the Steelers within 17-10 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. With 33 seconds left in the half and the Ravens facing 2nd and 13 at their own 19, Jackson was intercepted again. The Steelers took over at the Baltimore 25. With 7 seconds left and 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 11, Rudolph threw incomplete. Boswell hit the 29 yard field goal as the Steelers trailed 17-13 at halftime.
In the third quarter the Ravens moved from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Pittsburgh 44. John Harbaugh decided to go for it. Jackson fumbled the snap but somehow recovered it and got the yard. It was all for naught as Jackson went deep on the next play and was intercepted for the third time by Devon Bush at the Pittsburgh 13. The Steelers faced 3rd and 11 at their own 12. Rudolph found Washington for a 26 yard gain, but at a heavy cost. Although 15 more yards were tacked on for roughing the passer, Rudolph was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Hodges was the third string quarterback. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 32, Hodges hit Johnson for 13 yards. Mike Tomlin then went to the bag of tricks. Another wildcat snap to Samuels saw him lateral the ball to Johnny Holton. All the trickery gained 4 yards. Hodges then went the traditional route and completed a pass to Vance McDonald for a 14 yard gain down to the one. James Conner got in the end zone as the Steelers led 20-17 after three quarters.
After a touchback, the Ravens soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 44. Jackson hit Will Snead for 9 yards and again for 23 more as the fourth quarter began. Offensive holding in the red zone meant 3r and 12 from the Pittsburgh 14. Jackson hit Edwards for only 6 yards. Tucker hit the 26 yard field goal for a 20-20 game with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. A field position game favored Pittsburgh when Baltimore had to punt on 4th and 10 at their own one yard line. Pittsburgh took over at the Baltimore 45. Hodges ran for 21 yards with defensive holding adding 5 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 13, a pass from Hodges to Samuels lost 2 yards. Boswell hit the 33 yard field goal as the Steelers had the 23-20 lead with 2 1/2 minutes remaining.
Baltimore on 2nd and 8 from their own 27 saw Jackson complete a pass for no gain. Yet roughing the passer meant 15 more yards for Baltimore. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 35, Jackson gained 5 yards. With 20 seconds left the Ravens faced 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 30. Jackson went deep incomplete. With 10 seconds left, all eyes were on Tucker as he came in for a 48 yard field goal try to tie the game. The best kicker in the game did his job. It was only fitting that these teams again went to overtime.
The Steelers won the coin toss, but Mike Tomlin made a very odd decision. He became the first coach in NFL history to intentionally win the overtime coin toss and defer rather than take the ball. Tomlin’s reasoning was that the defenses had outplayed the offenses most of the game. Had Baltimore won on the first drive, Tomlin would have been pilloried. His decision appeared vindicated when the Ravens ran 3 plays and lost 4 yards. The Steelers got the ball back at their own 32 with a chance to win outright. Yet on 2nd and 7 from their 35, a 10 yard completion from Hodges to Smith-Schuster saw disaster when Smith-Schuster fumbled. The Ravens recovered at the Pittsburgh 34. After 3 safe runs, Tucker came in for a 46 yard try to win it. Again Tucker was good, as the Ravens remained atop the AFC North. 26-23 Ravens, OT
Chicago Bears at Oakland Raiders in London — On the same day Jon Gruden was hired to coach the Raiders, there was another hiring with zero fanfare. Gruden was given a press conference worthy of a presidential press conference. Meanwhile, some nondescript bald white guy named Matt Nagy was hired to coach the Bears. Yet it was the Bears who went 12-4 with coach of the year Nagy while the Raiders fell to 4-12 under Gruden. This was the game where Khalil Mack would get revenge against his old team. Even with Chase Daniel filling in for an injured Mitchell Trubisky, The Bears defense would obliterate the Raiders offense. Cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman: “THAT’s why the PLAY the games!”
The Raiders moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Chicago 28 with runs and short passes. A run went nowhere and Carr then threw incomplete. On 3rd and 10, Derek Carr hit Jalen Richard for 7 yards. Yet an idiotic unnecessary roughness penalty against Richie Incognito led an angry Jon Gruden to punt rather than try a 54 yard field goal. The Raiders got the ball back at their own 10 yard line. Josh Jacobs ran for 3, caught a pass for 6, and on 3rd and 1 broke free for 21 yard gain. Carr hit Deandre Washington for 10 more yards to midfield. On 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 46, Carr hit Carrier for 20 yards. On the first play of the second quarter, Jacobs ran for the 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Raiders. On 3rd and 5 from their own 29, Daniel was intercepted and the Raiders took over at the Chicago 24. Washington ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Raiders. The Raiders got the ball back at their own 49 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chicago 19. Jacobs lost a yard, but the real killer was again Incognito. His second mindless penalty was for a chop block, as the Raider Nation wondered why he was on their team. Daniel Carlson hit a 41 yard field goal. The Raiders had a 17-0 halftime lead, which shocked pretty much everyone who had seen these two teams last year.
The problem with the Raiders is they never finish a game. They do not play a complete game. They played a fantastic first half, and were two Incognito penalties away from possible leading 24-0 or even 28-0. Yet the inevitable collapse was predictable. The only surprise was how severe it was. The Raiders usually lose these games in the final moments. This time they fell apart immediately after halftime. On 2nd and 4 from their own 31, Carr fumbled and Mack recovered at the Oakland 14. Defensive pass interference on the next play moved the ball to the 5. David Montgomery ran it in from the one to get the Bears within 17-7. The bears got it back at their own 11. On 2nd and 8, Daniel hit Miller for 10 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 24, Daniel hit Burton for 11 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 41, Daniel went deep to Miller for 32 yards. Daniel hit Allen Robinson for a 4 yard touchdown as the Bears were within 17-14. The Raiders punted again, and Tarik Cohen returned it 71 yards to the Oakland 16. Daniel then hit Robinson for the touchdown. The Raiders had failed in all 3 phases of football as the Bears led 21-17 after three quarters.
Despite the complete meltdown, the good news for the Raiders was that they had the entire fourth quarter to play. A 52 yard kickoff return by Davis with 5 more added on for Chicago being offsides on the kickoff had the Raiders taking over at the Chicago 35. Only one minute into the fourth quarter, the Raiders had 1st and goal at the 3. Carr hit Davis for 2 yards. Davis then fumbled at the one yard line and the bears recovered at that spot. These are the Raiders. On 3rd and 8 from their own 3, one stop would give the Raiders great field position. Instead, Daniel went to Robinson for 32 yards. By the time the defense held, the Raiders got the ball back midway through the fourth quarter at their own 3 yard line.
Jacobs ran for a 15 yard gain, but on 3rd and 8 from the Oakland 20, a pass from Carr to Carrier gained only 2 yards. On 4th and 6, Jon Gruden opted to punt. Yet a running into the kicker penalty made it 4th and 1 from the Oakland 27. With 6 minutes still to play, going for it was not an option. Instead Gruden called a fake punt. Harris gained 4 yards. He did fumble and the Bears recovered, but before the Raider Nation could spit pirate blood, the call was overturned to down by contact. The Raiders kept the ball. On 3rd and 1 from the Oakland 40, Carr went to Moreau for 23 yards. Carr then found Hunter Renfrow for 12 more yards. Carr went back to Moreau for 16 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning with the Raiders facing 1st and goal at the 2. This time Gruden didn’t outthink himself. He went basic smash mouth, and his bell cow Jacobs got it in for the touchdown. The Raiders had the 3 point lead.
After a touchback, the Bears moved to a 1st and 10 at the Oakland 47 with 90 seconds to play. One more first down would mean long field goal range. Not this time. Not on this day. After an incompletion, Daniel went deep and was intercepted by Gareon Conley. From the Oakland 26, Jacobs got 3 straight carries to force the Bears to burn their timeouts but only gained 9 yards. With 21 seconds left, the Raiders punted on 4th and 1 from their own 35. The Bears took over at their own 20 with 13 seconds left. With 3 seconds left, on 3rd and 3 from their own 27, Daniel was sacked for a 9 yard loss. This could have been a fluke win, but Jon Gruden turned the Raiders around the first time he coached them. 5 years from now this game could prove to be a turning point. Attack the Raiders all you want, but they are a 3-2 football team. At this moment, they are winners of 2 straight games, neither of which we’re in their home stadium. 24-21 Raiders
Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals — Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and play an exciting game. For three quarters this was not that game. By the end of the game, this was that game. In the first quarter the Bengals moved from their own 30 to 2nd and goal at the 4. A run lost a yard and then Red Rile Andy Dalton threw incomplete. Randy Bullock hit the 23 yard field goal for a 3-0 Bengals lead. The Cardinals took over at their own 32 and moved to a 4th and 2 at the Cincy 6 yard line. Cliff Kingsbury decided to go for it. Kyler Murray ran for the touchdown as the Cardinals had the 7-3 lead after after the first quarter. Then came endless field goal attempts. In the second quarter Zan Gonzalez missed from 37 but then hit from 23 to make it 10-3 Cardinals. Randy Bullock hit from 48 to get the Bengals within 10-6. The Cardinals moved to a 1st and goal at the 2 with 13 seconds left in the half. Murray threw to Larry Fitzgerald for no gain and then had to spike the ball with one second left. On 3rd and goal Kingsbury played it safe and Gonzalez hit from 20 to make it 13-6 Cardinals. In the third quarter the Bengals moved to a 3rd and goal at the 5, but Dalton threw incomplete. Bullock hit from 23 to get the Bengals within 13-9. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, Gonzalez hit from 22. In a game where both offenses bogged down near the goal line, it was the Cardinals with the 16-9 lead.
After endless field goals, a boring game got crazy. From the Arizona 22, Murray hit Fitzgerald for 11. Murray ran for 12 and David Johnson added 8 more. From the Arizona 46, Murray went to Johnson for 17 yards. on the next play Chase Edmonds ran for a 37 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Cardinals had a 23-9 lead. From their own 21, Dalton hit Auden Tate for 9 and Joe Mixon for 16 more. Dalton hit Willis for 12 to the Arizona 36. Dalton then went to Boys for 13, Willis for 9, Uzomah for 8 down to the one. Dalton hit Tate for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Bengals within 23-16 within 4 minutes left. Cincy held on defense and got the ball back at their own 19 with 3:41 to play. Dalton went to Boyd for 29 yards and again for a 42 yard touchdown. At the 2 minute warning, the game was tied 23-23. The Cardinals had collapsed again, but now they have leadership. After a touchback, Johnson ran for 8 and caught a pass for 24 yards. Murray then scrambled for 24 more yards. With 2 seconds left, Gonzalez came in for the 31 yard field goal try to win it. The kick was good. 26-23 Cardinals
Jacksonville Jaguars at Carolina Panthers — Try finding a single person who thought Gardner Minshew and Kyle Allen would be starting this game. They both got 0-2 teams to 2-2 and put on an exciting game in this one. Carolina took over at their own 22. Samuel ran for 16 and a defensive facemark on the next play added 15 more. Christian McCaffrey ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. Jacksonville quickly struck back after a touchback. Minshew went to DJ Chark for 20 yards, Westbrook for 15 more, and back to Chark for a 37 yard touchdown in a 7-7 game that was just heating up. Later in the first quarter from the Jacksonville 20, Minshew fumbled and Eric Reid recovered for the Panthers at the Jacksonville 24. Allen went to McCaffrey for an 18 yard touchdown as the Panthers led 14-7 after the opening quarter. The Jaguars moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 6 at the Carolina 34 early in the second quarter. Then came another fumble, and this time Brian Burns took it all the way for a 56 yard defensive touchdown. The Panthers had a 21-7 lead, but the Jaguars would claw their way back.
From the Jacksonville 17, Minshew and O’Shaughnessy hooked up for a 35 yard gain. Minshew then went to Westbrook for 30 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Carolina 11, Minshew went to Chark for the score as the Jaguars got within 21-14. Carolina soon faced 3rd and 13 at their own 24. Allen went deep to Moore for a 52 yard gain. Yet on the next play, a fumble out of the shotgun meant a 12 yard loss. Riverboat Ron Rivera gambled on a 56 yard field goal with 3 minutes left in the half. Joey Slye’s kick was blocked. The Jaguars took over at their own 46. Josh Lambo hit a 35 yard field goal with one minute left in the half as the Jaguars only trailed 21-17. The wildness continued in the third quarter as McCaffrey broke free for an 84 yard touchdown to make it 28-17 Panthers. Yet the Jaguars kept coming back. After a touchback, Minshew hit O’Shaughnessy for 18 yards. On 2nd and 16 from the Jacksonville 37, Minshew went to Chark for a pair of 31 yard gains. Leonard Fournette crashed in from the one to get the Jaguars back within 28-24. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Jaguars took over at their own 7 yard line. Fournette ran for a 48 yard gain. Despite 1st and 10 at the Carolina 20, a run gained nothing and Minshew threw incomplete twice. With 6 minutes left, Doug Marrone decided to kick the field goal and trust his defense in a game that had little defense. Lambo hit from 28 as the Jaguars were only down 28-27.
Needing a stop, Jacksonville could not get one. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Allen hit Moore for 7 yards. On the next play Reggie Bonnafon raced for a 59 yard touchdown. Slye missed the extra point as the Panthers led by 7 with 3 1/2 minutes to play. After a touchback, Minhew quickly moved the Jaguars to a 1st and 10 at the Carolina 39 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Yet Minshew was sacked and fumbled and the Panthers took over at their own 45. Jacksonville held on defense but a great punt pinned the Jaguars at their own 5 yard line with 1:45 left. On 3rd and 10, Minshew hit Conley for 26 yards and Chark for 11 more as the Jaguars took their last timeout with one minute left. Minshew went to Chark for 13 and Westbrook for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 39, Minshew hit Lee for 5 yards. With 10 seconds left from the Carolina 34, Minshew went to the end zone for the tying touchdown and was intercepted by eric Reid. Yet defensive illegal use of hands gave the Jaguars one more untimed down from the Carolina 24. Minshew threw incomplete and the Carolina defense had survived. Minshew was 26 of 44 for 374 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also had the costly fumbled. Allen was 17 of 30 for 181 yards and one touchdown, but in a game where neither quarterback was intercepted, Allen was happy to get the win. 34-27 Panthers
Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants — The Giants have a new quarterback but not much talent around him. The Vikings have the running game and the defense, but questions swirl around quarterback Kirk Cousins. Yet the outcome of this game was never in doubt. Minnesota quickly moved after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 13. Cousins was sacked for a 9 yard loss to kill the drive. Dan Bailey hit the 31 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Vikings. Minnesota got the ball back at their own 2 yard line. On 3r and 8 from their 4, Cousins hit Adam Thielen for 10 yards, Cook for 15, Stefan Diggs for 8, and Johnson for 23. On the first play of the second quarter on 3rd and 4 from the Giants 15, Cousins went to Thielen for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Vikings.
A 52 yard kickoff return had the Giants taking over at midfield. Jones went to Darius Slayton for a 35 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 10-7. They would get no closer. Dan Bailey hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 13-7 Vikings. Minnesota then marched down the field again but the Giants caught a break when Dalvin Cook after a 19 yard run fumbled and the Giants took over at their own one yard line. Their offense then gave up a safety to make it 15-7 Vikings. The Vikings took over after the free kick and faced 1st and goal at the 2. Cousins threw incomplete, a run lost a yard, and Cousins was then sacked for an 11 yard loss. Bailey hit the 32 yard field goal. The Vikings led 18-7 at halftime, and the Giants were lucky they were not down 27-7.
In the third quarter the Giants moved from their 25 to a 1st and goal at the 6. A short pass lost 2 yards and a run lost 2 more yards. Jones then threw incomplete. Aldrich Rosas hit the 28 yard field goal, but unnecessary roughness on the defense gave the Giants a new set of downs and 1st and goal at the 5 as Pat Shurmur took the points off the board. It didn’t matter. Jones was sacked for a 10 yard loss and Rosas hit the 32 yard field goal. The Giants still trailed 18-10. Minnesota quickly turned out the lights. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Giants put the ball at midfield. Cook ran for a 41 yard gain. Cousins hit Thielen for the 9 yard touchdown to make it 25-10 Vikings. Minnesota tacked on a fourth quarter field goal to complete the scoring. 28-10 Vikings
New England Patriots at Washington Redskins — The Patriots are a great team. The Redskins are an awful team. For those looking for an upset to shock the world, look elsewhere. Steven Sims ran for a 65 yard touchdown and the Redskins actually had a 7-0 lead. Then reality set in. From the New England 25, Tom Brady went to Ryan Izzo for 29, LaCosse for 22, Sony Michel for 15 yards, and Julian Edelman for the 6 yard touchdown. Kicker Stephen Gostkowski is on injured reserve, and his replacement Mike Nugent missed the extra point. Nugent did hit second quarter field goals of 37 and 23 in a first half where Brady was intercepted twice. Despite only leading 12-7 at halftime, the Patriots turned out the lights in the second half. In the third quarter facing 3rd and 5 at their own 30, Brady hit James white for 21 yards and Brandon Bolden for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 19-7 Patriots. From their own 12, Brady went to Edelman for 15. Sony Michel ran for 25. Brady went back to Edelman for 31 more. Michel ran for the 14 yard touchdown to make it 26-7 Patriots. In the fourth quarter Brady hit Izzo for a 10 yard touchdown to complete the blowout as the 5-0 Patriots are only 11 games from another unbeaten regular season. As for Washington, Jay Gruden was fired on Monday with the Redskins an 0-5 mess. Democrats and Republicans are desperately looking for ways to begin impeachment proceedings against Daniel Snyder. 33-7 Patriots
New York Jets at Philadelphia Eagles — The Jets are awful, and no improvement seems on the horizon. The Eagles put this game away early, taking over at their own 47. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 44, Jordan Howard gained 15 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Jets 19, Carson Wentz hit Alshon Jeffery for 13 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Howard got in to make it 7-0 Eagles. On 4th and 1 from the Philly 47, the Jets went for it. A pass was intercepted and returned 51 yards for a defensive touchdown by Nathan Gerry for a 14-0 Eagles lead. In the second quarter the Jets missed a field goal and then Falk was intercepted to set the Eagles up at the Jets 42. Wentz hit Zach Ertz for an 11 yard touchdown as the Eagles led 21-0 at halftime. League ruled prevented the second half from being canceled. The Eagles added a field goal in the third quarter to lead 24-0. The fourth quarter began with the Eagles fumbling a punt, allowing the Jets one touchdown. Yet the Jets returned the favor when Orlando Scandrick returned a Jets fumble 44 yards for a defensive touchdown to complete the blowout. Again, J-E-T-S stands for just end the season. 31-6 Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints — Despite the home field and the better team even with backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, the Saints faced all they could handle from the Buccaneers. The Saints moved from their 36 to a 3rd and 6 at the Buccaneers 11 yard line. Bridgewater threw incomplete. Wil Lutz hit the 29 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Saints. The Saints got it back and faced 3rd and 8 at their own 24. Bridgewater was intercepted by Bunting, who returned it 14 yard to the Saints 20. After a sack of Winston, he responded with a 26 yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin for a 7-3 Buccaneers lead.
In the second quarter after a touchback, the Saints faced 3rd and 7 at their own 40. Bridgewater hit Michael Thomas for 18 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Bucs 16, Alvin Kamara got just enough. Bridgewater then went back to Thomas for the 14 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Saints. The Buccaneers after a touchback moved to 2nd and 9 at the Saints 29. Winston as sacked and fumbled, but the Buccaneers retained possession with a 6 yard loss. Matt Gay hit a 42 yard field goal and the teams were deadlocked 10-10 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half.
After that Sean Payton’s offense began clicking, although dumb luck helped. On 1st and 20 from their own 15, Bridgewater threw incomplete but a defensive personal foul resulting in a disqualification kept the drive going. On 3rd and 6 from their own 34, Bridgewater hit Thomas for 8 yards and Kamara for 11 more. Taysom Hill came in at quarterback for one play and gained 11 yards. Bridgewater came back in and hit Hill for 26 yards. Bridgewater then went to Jared Cook for the 9 yard touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half for a 17-10 Saints lead. In the third quarter, the Saints quickly exploded after a touchback. Bridgewater went deep to Thomas for 42 yards and then to Ted Ginn Jr. for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Saints.
The Buccaneers went on a staggering 17 play, 75 yard drive that took over 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. Ball control is fine when you’re winning, but the Bucs were losing. On 4th and 1 from the Saints 39, Bruce Arians went for it and Winston hit Godwin for 14 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Peyton Barber got in to get the Buccaneers within 24-17. In the fourth quarter the Saints answered with a 13 play, 91 yard drive that ate up 6 1/2 minutes. Ball control is fine when you’re winning, and the saints we’re winning. On 3rd and 10 from their own 9, Bridgewater hit Thomas for 20 yards. The fourth quarter began with the Saints facing 3rd and 3 at their own 36. Bridgewater hit Kamara for 8 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 47, a halfback option pass from Kamara to Hill gained 13 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa 27, Bridgewater went to Kamara for 15 yards and to Thomas for the 15 yard touchdown to put the Saints up 31-17 With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. By the time the Buccaneers scored a garbage touchdown, only 13 seconds remained. The onside kick failed, 31-24 Saints
Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans — The Falcons took over at their own 34 and Matt Ryan hit Julio jones for 14 yards. On 3rd and 8 from midfield, Ryan went to Jones for 20 yards with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. Ryan hit Mohammed San for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. After a touchback the Texans faced 3rd and 7 at the Atlanta 47. Deshaun Watson fumbled the shotgun snap but recovered it and somehow ran for a 15 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 29, Watson hit Akins for 21 yards and Will Fuller for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.
The Falcons moved from their 26 to a 3rd and 4 at the Texans 17. Ryan threw incomplete and the second quarter began with a 35 yard Matt Bryant field goal made it 10-7 Falcons. Bryant kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to set up the Texans at their own 40. Watson went to Deandre Hopkins for 14 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 35, Carlos Hyde gained 2 yards. Watson then went to Will Fuller for a 33 yard touchdown. Kaimi Fairbairn missed the extra point but the Texans led 13-10. The Texans got it back at their own 8 yard line. On 3rd and 3 from their own 26, Watson connected with Fuller for a 36 yard gain. Fairbairn hit a 50 yard field goal for a 16-10 Texans lead with 4 minutes left in the half. Atlanta took over at their own 18. Ryan went to Jones for 8 and Ridley for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 47, a wildcat snap to Sanu led to Devontae Freeman gaining 21 yards. A facemark penalty added 15 more yards. On 3rd and 5 from the 9 with 22 seconds left in the half, Ryan went too Freeman for the touchdown. The Falcons led 17-16 at halftime, but a competitive game became a blowout in the third quarter.
In the third quarter the Texans quickly faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Watson went deep to Coutee for a 51 yard gain. Hyde ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 23-17 Texans. Houston got it back at their own 34 and Watson ran for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Atlanta 7, Watson threw incomplete. Fairbairn hit a 26 yard field goal for a 26-17 Texans lead. Houston got it back at their own 12 and a roughing the passer call moved them 15 yards. On 1st and 20 from their own 17, Watson went to Fuller for 32 yards and Hopkins for 29 more. From the Atlanta 12, Watson went to Fuller for 11 yards. After going backward, Watson hit Darren Fells for an 8 yard touchdown as the Texans led 33-17 after three quarters. Every time the Falcons tried to get closer, the Texans answered.
The fourth quarter began with the Texans fumbling a punt and the Falcons recovering at the Houston 16. On 4th and 2 from the 8, Dan Quinn had to go for it and Ryan hit Sanu for 7 yards. On 3rd and goal from the one, Matty Ice snuck it in. Ryan hit Hooper for the 2 point conversion to get the Falcons within 33-25. The Texans took over at their own 19 and Hyde ran for gains of 10 and 4. Watson went to Hopkins for gains of 20 and 10. From the Atlanta 37, Johnson gained 24. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 12, Watson hit Fells for the touchdown to make it 40-25 Texans.
Atlanta quickly came back 75 yards, but by the time Ryan threw a 29 yard touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley to get the Falcons within 40-32, only 3 1/2 minutes remained. Another kickoff went out of bounds to again have the Texans at their own 40. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 44, Watson went to Fuller for the touchdown to make it 47-32 with less than 2 minutes to play. In desperation mode Ryan moved the Falcons after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 35 with 24 seconds left. Ryan was the intercepted by Tashaun Gipson, who ran the other way 79 yards for a defensive touchdown exclamation point. Falcons owner Arthur Blank after the game said that Dan Quinn was not being fired. Meanwhile, Watson was a sensational 28 of 33 for 426 yards, 5 touchdown passes, and 0 interceptions. He had a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating, which would mean more if anyone understood what that was. 53-32 Texans
Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans — This game was about defense. A field position game had the Bills taking over at their own 40 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half. Josh Allen hit Brown for 11, TJ Yeldon for 4, and on 3rd and 4 hit Williams for 11. Allen then went to Brown for 21 and Lee Smith for the 8 yard touchdown. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half the Bills led 7-0. Tennessee remained scoreless when Cairo Santos missed a 36 yard field goal try late in the half. An interception of Allen in the third quarter set up Tennessee at the Buffalo 38. On 3rd and 6 Marcus Mariota hit Humphries for 9 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Derrick Henry got stopped but the defense jumped offsides. Given another chance, Henry got in for a 7-7 game midway through the third quarter. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Titans thought they had the lead when Mariota threw a touchdown on 3rd and goal from the 11. Yet he was across the line of scrimmage. Things got worse when Santos had his field goal try from 33 yards out blocked. A sack of Allen had the Bills facing 2nd and 14 at their own 19. Allen scrambled for 6, but unnecessary roughness on the defense meant a gift first down. Allen then went to McKenzie for 46 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Titans 7, Allen hit Duke Williams to put the Bills up by 7 with 9 1/2 minutes left. With 6 1/2 minutes left on 4th and 4 from the Buffalo 35, Mike Vrabel gambled on a 53 yard field goal try. For the third time, Santos was no good. Tennessee got it back but with 4 1/2 minutes left faced 4th and 5 at their own 25. Vrabel opted to punt and trust his defense. After Yeldon gained 11, Frank Gore gashed the Titans for gains of 11, 19, 4 and 3. With 1:50 left and the Titans out of timeouts, it all came down to 3rd and 3 at the Titans 24. Allen gained 5 as the Bills gutted out another tough defensive win. 14-7 Bills
Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers — The Broncos came in winless but the Chargers play down to their competition. After a touchback, Denver jumped all over the Chargers from the very first play. Joe Flacco went to Heuerman for a 26 yard gain. Patrick Lindsay ran for 21 yards and then 12 more. Lindsay ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. Denver got it back and soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 20. Flacco went to Courtland Sutton for 12 yards. On 2nd and 12 from their own 30, Flacco connected with Sutton for a 70 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Broncos. The rest of the half was ugly. Philip Rivers was intercepted, the Broncos fumbled it back, the Chargers missed a field goal, and the Broncos Brandon McManus made a 40 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Broncos. With 6 seconds left in the half, the Chargers faced 4th and goal at the one. Anthony Lynn decided to go for it. Rivers threw a pass to Austin Ekeler, who fumbled the ball out of the end zone for a touchback.
In the third quarter the teams traded interceptions, but special teams made it a closer game. Desmond King returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown to get the Chargers on the board. Vic Fangio decided to have McManus try a 54 yard field goal, and it was no good. The resulting field position led to Chase McLaughlin hitting a 45 yard field goal. with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Chargers were within 17-10. With 3:20 left from the Denver 31, Lindsay broke free for a 32 yard gain. With 1:55 left and the Broncos facing 4th and 1 at the Chargers 28, Vic Fangio decided not to go for it. McManus came through on the 46 yard field goal for a 20-10 Broncos lead. Needing 2 scores, there was not enough time. McLaughlin hit a 32 yard field goal with less than 10 seconds left. The insides kick failed and Vic Fangio got his first win as an NFL head coach. 20-13 Broncos
Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys — America keep’s hearing about Dallas as a potential Super Bowl team, but Aaron Rodgers owns the Cowboys. An early interception of Dak Prescott had the Packers at the Dallas 47. Rodgers went to Valdes-Scantling for 18 and Aaron Jones for 11 more. Jones ran for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Packers got it back at their own 11, and Rodgers went to Jimmy Graham for 23 yards and Carson for 8 more. From just past midfield, Rodgers went to Tonyan for 23 yards. Jones ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Packers. In the second quarter the Packers added a field goal while the Cowboys missed one for a 17-0 Packers halftime lead. The third quarter was more of the same as the Packers began with a 3rd and 4 at their own 48. Rodgers went to Jones for 12 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 32, Rodgers hit Greg Allison for 22. Jones ran for a 5 yard touchdown and a 24-0 Packers lead. The Cowboys did manage a field goal, but the Packers kept rolling from their own 21. Jones took a wildcat snap 15 yards. Defensive pass interference added 39 yards. Rodgers hit Lewis for 15 and Kumerow for 9 down to the one. Jones got in from there and the Packers led 31-3 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
Prescott tried to lead a furious rally and a comeback for the ages. He threw a 40 yard touchdown pass to Michael Gallup with 2 minutes remaining in the third quarter to get the Cowboys within 31-10. One minute into the fourth quarter a 2 yard Ezekiel Elliott touchdown had the Cowboys within 31-17. Yet on the next series from their own 34, Prescott was quickly intercepted by King, who returned it 15 yards to the Dallas 29. At that point Green Bay coasted and a 38 yard Mason Crosby field goal put the game out of reach. Prescott added one more touchdown but it was not enough. Prescott finished 27 of 44 for 463 yards and 2 touchdowns, but 3 killer interceptions. Rodgers was 22 of 34 for 238 yards without a touchdown or interception. Aaron Jones finished with 107 yards on 19 carries with 4 touchdowns. 34-24 Packers
Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs was the Sunday night game. After getting throttled at home by Oakland, the Colts had no chance on the road at invincible Kansas City. The pinball offense would take out the weak defense. Again, the Swami Chris Berman reminds us that “THAT’s why they PLAY the games!” Harrison Butker did hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs to cap the opening drive, but the Colts defense fought hard all game. The offense then moved 70 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Runs and short passes moved the Colts to the Chiefs 36. Marlon Mack ran for a 30 yard gain. Jacoby Brissett ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Colts. After a touchback, Mahomes hit Pringle and Robinson for a pair of 12 yard gains. On 3rd and 7 from the Indy 48, Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 17 yards. On 2nd and 16 from the Colts 37, Mahomes went to Kelce again for 18 yards. The second quarter began with the Chiefs facing 3rd and 18 from the indy 27. Mahomes was not superhuman on this night, but he was on this play as he scrambled forever and found Pringle for the touchdown and the 10-7 Chiefs lead. The Colts would not reach the end zone again, but they would not need to.
Adam Vinatieri would hit a 32 yard field goal for a 10-10 tie. With 18 seconds left in the half the Colts would again be on the move with a 3rd and 1 at the Chiefs 14. Brissett threw incomplete and Frank Reich took no chance on the road on 4th and 1. Vinatieri again hit from 32 and the Colts had the surprising 13-10 halftime lead. After a scoreless third quarter, Frank reich gambled on 4th and 1 from the Chiefs 39 one minute into the fourth quarter. Mack gained 3 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Chiefs 27, reich gambled again. Brissett gained 2 yards. Yet on 2nd and 2 from the Chiefs 5, Wilkins lost 8 yards. Vinatieri hit from 31 to make it 16-10 Colts midway through the fourth quarter. With 6 minutes left the Chiefs faced 3rd and 28 from their own 7. Somehow Mahomes found Pringle for 27 yards. On 4th and 1 from their own 34 with 5 minutes left, pass happy Walrus Lite Andy Reid decided to go for it. He actually ran the ball. Williams lost a yard.Vinatieri hit his fourth field goal from 29 yards out to make it 19-10 Colts with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. The Chiefs needed 2 scores, and managed to get to 1st and goal at the 8 with 1:40 to play. Yet a pair of incompletions was followed by a 10 yard sack go Mahomes. Butker hit the 36 yard field goal, but the onside kick failed. Mahomes played on a bad ankle all game, but he made no excuses. He is human after all. The Chiefs were knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten, making Andy Reid a most displeased Walrus Lite indeed. 19-13 Colts
Cleveland Browns at San Francisco 49ers was the Monday night game. Every time the Browns demand they be given the benefit of the doubt, they remind us that they lack consistency. One play and 11 seconds were enough for Matt Breida to run for an 83 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. One more play was enough for Baker Mayfield to be intercepted. Later in the first quarter the 49ers took over at their own 26. Mostert ran for 6 and Greg Kittle added 18 more to midfield. A facemask had the 49ers on the move and Goodwin ran for 15 more. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Jimmy Garoppolo hit Breida for the touchdown to make it 14-0 49ers. The Brows did manage a field goal, but another mayfield interception set up the 49ers just past midfield. Garoppolo hit Kittle for 13 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Cleveland 27, Kyle Shanahan went for the kill. Tevin Coleman gained 8 and then ran for the 19 yard touchdown as the 49ers took a 21-3 lead to the locker rooms. A pointless second half saw the 49ers move the ball 90 yards on their first drive of the third quarter. Garoppolo went to Kittle for a 22 yard touchdown. The 49ers tacked on a fourth quarter field goal as the Browns kept wondering why they don’t get more respect. They have yet to earn it. Meanwhile, the 49ers are a very quiet 4-0, their best start in 30 years. 31-3 49ers