NFL 2019 Week 6 Recap

NFL 2019 Week 6 Recap

New York Giants at New England Patriots was the Thursday night game. In two Super Bowls, the heavily favored Patriots were shocked by the underdog Giants. Tom Brady is still playing, and last week passed Brett Favre to become third in all time passing yards. In the first 40 seconds of this game, he passed Peyton Manning to move into second place. He still trails Drew Brees by 3,000 yards. The two Super Bowls involved Eli Manning miracles. In this contest, Manning was on the bench. Daniel Jones is now the Giants quarterback. For over three quarters, this was actually a competitive game. Then reality set in. 

The Patriots moved from their own 28 to a 3rd and 1 at the Giants 19. Sony Michel got the carry and got stopped. Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick decided to go for it and Michel got stopped again. The teams traded punts and then traded interceptions. Late in the first quarter, the Giants punted from their own 19. The punt was blocked by Bolen and recovered by Winovich, who returned it 6 yards for a special teams touchdown and a 7-0 Patriots. In the second quarter the Giants took over at their own 25. At their 35, Jones was intercepted by Harmon, who returned it 27 yards to the Giants 20. On 2nd and 15 from the 25, Brady went to Meyers for 23 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Brandon Bolden got in to make it 14-0 Patriots. 

After a touchback, the Giants struck quickly. From their 36, Daniel Jones went to Golden Tate for a 64 yard gain. After another touchback, the Patriots quickly faced 2nd and 12 at the Giants 48. Brady was sacked and fumbled, and Golden returned the fumble 42 yard. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the game was tied 14-14. 

Sony Michel ran the ball 4 straight times, and the Patriots faced 3rd and 6 at their own 41. Brady went to James White for 8 yards, Meyers for 23 more, Julian Edelman for 4, White for 7, White again for 5, and White one final tie for 11 yards down to the one. With 30 seconds left in the half, Nugent got the last yard foe the score to make it 21-14 Patriots. In the third quarter another interception of Jones led to a missed field goal. The Patriots on their next series turned it over on downs. It was a close game as the Giants faced 3rd and 9 at their own 33 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Giants fumbled and Kyle Van Noy returned it 22 yards for a score to make it 28-14 Patriots.  The Patriots got it back at their own 37 and Michel quickly ran for 13 and 4 yards. From the Giants 39, Brady went deep to Edelman for a 36 yard gain. Brady ran for the last yard himself to complete the scoring. 35-14 Patriots

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers in London was the Sunday early morning game. On the first offensive play from scrimmage, Jameis Winston was intercepted, setting up a 49 yard Joey Slye field goal to make it 3-0 Panthers. A punt would pin the Panthers at their own one yard line. On 3rd and 4 from their 7, Kyle Allen hit Moore for 6 and Greg Olsen for 16. A defensive facemask added 15 and Allen hit Curtis Samuel for 21 and Moore for 23. On 3rd and goal at the one, Allen got stopped. Riverboat Ron Rivera gambled on 4tha nd goal at the one and Christian McCaffrey got in for a 10-0 Panthers lead. The second quarter began with the Panthers fumbling a punt and the Buccaneers recovering at the Carolina 37. Winston went to Howard for 30 yards and Ronald Jones ran for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 10-7. Yet an interception of Winston set up the Panthers at the Tampa Bay 36. On 3rd and 6 from the 32, Allen hit Moore for 7 and McCaffrey for a 25 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Panthers. Despite Slye missing a 60 yard field goal try to end the half, the Panthers were in command. 

In the second half the Panthers quickly put the game away. On 4th and 1 from the Tampa 28, this time Ron Rivera played it safe. Slye hit the 46 yard field goal to make it 20-7 Panthers. Winston was quickly intercepted by Luke Kuechly, who returned it 25 yards to the Tampa 8. On the next play Samuel ran for the touchdown to make it 27-7 Panthers. After a Bucs field goal, the Panthers marched 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 4 from the Tampa 27, Allen went to Moore for 16 yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Allen hit Samuel for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 34-10 Panthers. Carolina coasted from there. The Bucs did manage to reach the end zone twice, but Slye tacked on one more field goal in a game that was not as close as the score. After an 0-2 start, Allen has led the Panthers to 4 straight wins. Winston threw for 400 yards, but that was misleading. He completed 30 of 54 passes with one touchdown and a miserable 5 interceptions. 37-26 Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens — The Ravens are good and the Bengals are awful, but Brandon Wilson returned the opening kickoff 92 yards fr a touchdown as the Bengals led 7-0 only 12 seconds into the game. After that the Ravens took over. They moved 75 yards easily. Lamar Jackson ran for a 36 yard gain and then for a 21 yard touchdown to tie the game. Baltimore got it back and went 66 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. From their 34, Jackson ran for 14 yards and then hit Mark Ingram for 11 more. On 2nd and 14 from the Cincy 45, Jackson hit Andrew for 20. After a false start, Jackson went to Boykin for 18 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Cincy 4, Edwards gained 3 and Ingram got the last yard for a 14-7 Ravens lead. After the first quarter the defenses dug in. Justin Tucker hit a 40 yard field goal to start the second quarter and put the Ravens up 17-7. Randy Bullock countered from 22 to end the half with the Bengals within 17-10. Tucker hit from 49 on the last play of the third quarter to make it 20-10 Ravens. Baltimore in the fourth quarter mounted a mind-numbing 18 play, 83 yard drive that took 9:46 off the clock. Despite 2nd and goal at the 2, the Ravens settled for a 21 yard Tucker field goal to make it 23-10 Ravens with 3:46 left in regulation. By the time Red Rifle Andy Dalton ran for a 2 yard touchdown to cap a 12 play, 75 yard drive, only 90 seconds remained. The onside kick failed and the Bengals remained winless. 23-17 Ravens

Seattle Seahawks at Cleveland Browns — The Seahawks and Browns both talk, but the Seahawks back it up. Early on the Browns looked good. Hilliard returned the opening kickoff 74 yards to the Seattle 23. Nick Chubb returned for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. After a touchback, Russell Wilson hit Willson for 5 and Bellore for 20 to midfield. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 42, Wilson went to DK Metcalf for 30 yards. On 2nd and 14 from the cleveland 16, Wilson ran it in himself. The extra point was no good as the Seahawks trailed 7-6. Cleveland took over at their own 31 and soon faced 4th and  at the Seattle 38. Freddie Kitchens decided to go for it. Baker Mayfield went deep to Jarvis Landry for 27 yards. Mayfield ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Browns. Cleveland got it back at their own 8 and needed only 3 plays to go 92 yards. Mayfield hit O’Dell Beckham for 9. Chubb ran for a 52 yard gain. On the first play of the second quarter, Mayfield went to Ricky Seals-Jones for a 31 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good, but the Browns were rolling 20-6. Then reality set in.

Jason Myers hit a 38 yard field goal. The Seahawks then blocked a punt and took over at the Cleveland 20. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Wilson threw incomplete. Pete Carroll went for the field goal and Myers hit from 20 to get the Seahawks within 20-12. Mayfield was intercepted, but the Seahawks could not capitalize. The Browns then moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Seattle 10 with 1:36 left in the half. Mayfield went to the end zone and was intercepted again. Seattle took over at their own 12. Wilson went to Chris Carson for 4 and Moore for 14. Wilson scrambled for 11 and then hit CJ Promise for 15 and Tyler Lockett for 22. With 22 seconds left in the half, the Seahawks faced 3rd and 5 at the Cleveland 17. Wilson went to Jaron Brown for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed, but instead of trailing 27-12 or even 23-12, Cleveland mistakes had he Seahawks within 20-18. The second half was inevitable.

In the third quarter, the Browns fumbled and the Seahawks recovered at their own 42. Wilson hit Willson for 11 and Carson ran for 25 more. Wilson hit Moore for 11 more. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Wilson went to Brown for the touchdown. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, the Seahawks had their first lead of the game up 25-20. The Seahawks got it back and fumbled and the Browns took over at the Seattle 45. On 4th and goal at the one with 10:44 left in regulation, Freddie Kitchens again decided to go for it. Earlier in the drive, Cleveland converted on 4th and 3 from the Seattle 23. Mayfield went to Landry, who fumbled. Chub recovered it, but short of the goal line. Seattle was penalized for having 12 men on the field. Given another chance, Kitchens went for it again. This time Chubb lost a yard. Despite the goal line stand, Seattle had to punt on 4th and 11 from their own 1. Dickson shanked a 23 yard punt. Chubb then ran for 21 yards and then for the 3 yard touchdown. Mayfield hit Harris for the 2 point conversion. With 9 minutes left the Browns led 28-25. Yet the Browns defense could not hold the lead. On 2nd and 5 from their own 26, Wilson hit Metcalf for 12. 2 defensive penalties added 20 more yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 21, Wilson hit Lockett for gains of 5 and 15. Carson got the last yard to put the Seahawks back up by 4 points with 3 1/2 minutes left. Mayfield was quickly intercepted again to end any hopes of a comeback. Seattle is 5-1 and playing Pete Carroll team ball. 32-28 Seahawks

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs — Normally the Chiefs get off to a slow start, take the first quarter off, and then explode in the second quarter to obliterate their opponent. Last week they were knocked from the unbeaten ranks in stunning fashion at home. This game was an even bigger surprise. The Chiefs began at their own 9 yard line. On 3rd and 6 from their own 13, Patrick Mahomes and Williams connected for a 52 yard gain. Penalties had the Chiefs facing 3rd and 21 at the Houston 46. Mahomes went to Tyreek Hill for the touchdown. Ho hum, Chiefs up 7-0. The Texans fumbled and the Chiefs took over at the Houston 18. Harrison Butker hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Chiefs. The Texans did manage a 44 yard Kaimi Fairbairn field goal to get within 10-3, but the Chiefs offense kept rolling. On 3rd and 8 from their own 12, Mahomes threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant a 15 yard gain. Mahomes then hit Hill for 9 and Travis Kelce for 18 more. McCoy ran for 15 yards. Mahomes hit Hill for 11 and Damien Williams for the 14 yard touchdown. After one quarter, the Chiefs led 17-3. This game was over. 

Except it wasn’t. In the second quarter it was the Texans who exploded in front of a shocked home crowd at Arrowhead. Carlos Hyde ran for gains of 5, 9 and 11 on 3rd and 1 from the Houston 48. Deshaun Watson hit Fells for 15 yards and Duke Johnson for an 11 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Texans trailed 17-9. The Chiefs moved from their 19 to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 32. Mahomes went for it all and was intercepted for a touchback. Watson went to Coutee for 23 ya, Hyde for 14, Akins for 12, Deandre Hopkins for 6, and Coutee for 2 to set up 4th and 1 at the Chiefs 23. Bill O’Brien decided to go for it and Watson hit Hopkins for 7 and Johnson for 9. Hyde ran for the 2 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 17-16 with 3 minutes left in the half. Then there was chaos. With 1:44 left in the half, Butler missed a 50 yard field goal. With 39 seconds left on 4th and 1 from the Chiefs 40, O’Brien went for it. Watson went for it all and was intercepted for a touchback. Mahomes was then sacked and fumbled, and the Texans recovered at the Chiefs 3 yard line with 23 seconds left. Watson ran for the touchdown as a shellshocked home crowd saw the Texans leading 23-17 at halftime.

Four minutes into the third quarter, momentum swing again when Fairbairn missed a 46 yard field goal to extend the lead. Te Chiefs took over at their own 36. From the Houston 49, McCoy ran for 17 tyards and Mahomes hit Kelce for 16 more and Hardman for another 10. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Mahomes went to Hill for the score. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Chiefs had the 24-23 lead. The Texans moved from their own 23 to 1st and goal at the 8. On 3rd and goal at the 12, the third quarter ended with Watson again being intercepted for a touchback. The Texans got it back at their own 7 to start the fourth quarter. From their 16, Hyde ran for 9. Watson hit Akins for 23 and Fuller for 13. Watson ran for 7 to midfield and Johnson gained 9, 15 and 3.On 2nd and 15 from the Chiefs 19, Watson hit Fells for 18. Watson got the last yard and hit Hopkins for the 2 point try to put the Texans up by 7 with 6:17 left. The Chiefs went 3 and out and the Texans got it back with 5 minutes left at their own 37. Watson hit Hopkins for 18. With 2 1/2 minutes left and the Chiefs out of timeouts, the Texans faced 3rd and 1 at the Chiefs 25. Hyde lost 2 yards. At the 2 minute warning, on 4th and 3 from the 27, a 45 yard field goal would lock up the win. Instead Bill O’Brien put on his big boy pants and risked it all. He went high risk with a pass play. Watson hit Hopkins for 8 yards and took a couple knees. O’Brien would have been pilloried had the Chiefs tied the game. Yet it was the Chiefs losing 2 straight at home to make Andy Reid a most concerned Walrus Lite indeed. 31-24 Texans 

New Orleans Saints at Jacksonville Jaguars — This was a brutal football game. In the first quarter a short punt had the Saints taking over at the Jacksonville 37. Wil Lutz hit a 47 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Saints. In the second quarter a 66 yard, 13 play drive went no further than the 4 yard line. Josh Lambo hit a 22 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. In the third quarter, an interception of Gardner Minshew allowed the Saints to move from their 40 but no further than the Jacksonville 3 yard line. Lutz hit from 21 to make it 6-3 Saints. Jacksonville moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 2 at the Saints 10. Minshew was sacked and Lambo hit from 32 for a 6-6 deadlock after three quarters. The Saints faced 1st and 20 at their own 15. Teddy Bridgewater went to Thomas for 26 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Jacksonville 44, Taysom Hill ran for 19 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Bridgewater went to Jared Cook for the only touchdown of the game and a 7 point Saints lead with 12 minutes left. With 9 minutes left on 4th and 2 from the Saints 40, Doug Marrone went for it and Minshew threw incomplete. The Saints ran the final 6 minutes off the clock. Bridgewater was far from spectacular but he managed the game perfectly and let the defense turn out the lights. Bridgewater is 4-0 as a starter as Sean Payton has a 5-1 football team winning with defense rather than offense. 13-6 Saints

Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings — Two years ago the Eagles crushed the Vikings in the NFC Title Game. Minnesota responded by bringing in Kirk Cousins. While that has not worked out well, this game was sweet vindication for him and his team. After a touchback, the Vikings faced 3rd and 13 just past midfield. Cousins went to Adam Thielen for 20 yards. Dalvin Cook ran for 15 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Philly 7, Cook ran for one. Mike Zimmer challenged the spot and won as it was ruled a 2 yard gain and a first down. Cousin hit Thielen for a 6 yard touchdown for a 7-0 Vikings lead. The Vikings got it back at their own 44 and Dan Bailey hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Vikings. In the second quarter the Eagles did get a field goal of their own but the Vikings needed only 2 plays after a touchback to strike back. Cousins went to Minneapolis Miracle hero Stefan Diggs for a 52 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Vikings. Doug Pederson then gambled on 4th and 2 just past midfield. Carson Wentz threw incomplete. On the next play Cousins went to Stefan Diggs for a 51 yard touchdown to make it 24-3 Vikings.  

The Eagles tried to make a game of it. After a touchback, Howard ran for 9. Wentz hit Goedert for 11 and 7. Wentz ran for 16. Wentz went to Miles Sanders for a 32 yard touchdown to get the Eagles within 24-10. In the third quarter the Eagles quickly faced 2nd and 7 at their own 28. Wentz went to Nelson Agholor for 23 and Sanders for 45 more. Wentz hit Alshon Jeffery for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Eagles within 24-17. A short punt had the Eagles getting it back at their own 45. Wentz hit Jeffery for 26 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Minnesota 21, West Coast Offense guru Doug Pederson called a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass. It lost a yard. Elliott hit a 40 yard field goal to get the Eagles within 24-20. 

Close was not good enough. The Vikings soon turned out the lights. After a touchback, Cousins hit Diggs for 13 and 8 and Johnson for 16. Diggs gained 8 and Cook ran for 6 and 5. Cousins hit Thielen for 8 and Diggs for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 31-20 Vikings. The Vikings got it back at their own 12 in the fourth quarter. From their 16, Cousins went to Smith for 29 yards. Mattison ran for 35 more. Cousins hit Kyle Rudolph for 13. Cook ran for a one yard touchdown to put the game on ice. The Eagles added another fumble and an interception for good measure. Wentz was 26 of 40 for 306 yards and 2 touchdowns. Cousins was a sensational 22 of 29 for 333 yards and 4 touchdowns. Each quarterback was intercepted once. Diggs had 167 yards receiving on 7 catches with 3 touchdowns. 38-20 Vikings

Washington Redskins at Miami Dolphins — These teams played in 2 Super Bowls, but this was the Stupor Bowl. Jay Gruden was fired and Bill Callahan took over on an interim basis. After a scoreless first quarter worthy of two winless teams, the Redskins took over at their own 7 yard line. Even the field was awful as the game had to be stopped in the second quarter for turf repair. Adrian Peterson ran for gains of 5, 18, 9, 25 and 3. Case Keenum then threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin to make it 7-0 Redskins. Late in the half Sanders hit a 39 yard field goal as the Dolphins trailed 7-3. In the third quarter it was more Peterson, with gains of 5, 8 and one. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, Keenum threw incomplete. However, a defensive facemask meant 15 yards. Keenum went to McLaurin again for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Redskins. A second interception of Josh Rosen set up the Redskins at the Miami 34. On 2nd and goal at the one, Keenum fumbled but the Redskinsr retained possession at their 3. On the next play Keenum threw incomplete. Keenum threw incomplete. Dustin Hopkins hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Redskins after three quarters. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Callahan gambled on a 55 yard field goal try to all but put the game away. It was no good and the Dolphins clung to life. Brian Flores benched Rosen and brought in Duck Dynasty Chabad Rabbi Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard. 

Drake ran for gains of 9 and 5. From the Washington 33, Fitzpatrick hit Walton for 18 yards. Kalen Ballag ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 17-10 with 11 minutes left in regulation. This horrendous game of almost all punts saw the Dolphins take over at their own 25 with 2:02 to play. Fitzpatrick went deep to Gesicki for 30 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 37 with one minute left, Fitzpatrick ran for 5 and hit Hurns for 11 more as the Dolphins took their final timeout with 26 seconds left. With 6 seconds left, the Dolphins were at the Washington 11. Fitzpatrick hit Devante Parker for the touchdown. The Dolphins were an extra point away from overtime. Instead Brian Flores decided to go for the 2 point conversion and the win. While it’s hard to argue with a winless team doing this, the Dolphins were at home and had all the momentum. Overtime would have been a good call. The 2 point try failed when Fitzmagic’s magic ran out and his pass was incomplete. Callahan got the win, while Flores still waits for his first win. Peterson had 118 yards on 23 carries for 5.1 yards a carry in an otherwise horrendous game. 17-16 Redskins

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams — The 49ers were unbeaten, but they had yet to face a real test. This week was supposed to be a reality check. It was, but for NFL fans around the league. The 49ers punted and the Rams took over at their own 44. Brown ran for 9, 10, 7 and 9. Robert Woods ran for 8 and Brown ran for 5 more. Woods ran for an 8 yard touchdown to put the Rams up 7-0 without a single pass attempted. The Rams offense took the final 51 minutes off. After a touchback, the 49ers faced 3rd and 8 at their own 38. Jimmy Garoppollo was sacked, but defensive offside meant 3rd and 3. Garoppolo went to Greg Kittle for 10. Matt Breida ran for 5 and caught a 17 yard pass. Garoppolo hot Pettis for 19 and Tevin Coleman ran for a 2 yard touchdown for a 7-7 game. After a scoreless second quarter, the 49ers dominated the second half with just enough offense and relentless defense. The Rams fumbled the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter. The 49ers took over at the Rams 17. On 3rd and goal at the one, Garoppolo got in the end zone to make it 14-7 49ers. Robbie Gould missed a 55 yard field goal to end the half but hit from 25 in the third quarter and  34 in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring. The defending NFC champion Rams are 3-3 under Sean McVay while Kyle Shanahan has a 5-0 football team that is for real. 20-7 49ers

Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals — A pair of bad teams can sometimes come together and play an exciting game. This actually was that game. The Falcons took over at their own 20 and Matt Ryan went to Julio Jones for 17 yards. On 3rd and 11 from their own 36, Ryan went to Hooper for 19 yards. Devonta Freeman ran for 15. On 3rd and 10 from the Arizona 30, Ryan was sacked. Yet Terrell Suggs jumped offsides. On 3rd and 5, Ryan threw incomplete. Yet Chandler Jones jumped offsides. Freeman ran for 7 and 4 and Ryan hit Calvin Ridley for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. After that the Cardinals took over.

From their own 22, Kyler Murray completed a pair of 6 yard passes On 3rd and 10 from their own 34, Murray hit Sherfiel for 38 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Atlanta 25, Murray only gained 4. Zane Gonzalez hit the 39 yard field goal to get the Cardinals on the board. The Cardinals got it back and soon faced 1st and 17 at their own 7. Chase Edmonds gained 5 and Murray hit Larry Fitzgerald for 18 more. On 3rd and 1 from their own 39, Murray gained 2. On the first play of the second quarter, Murray went deep to Byrd for a 58 yard gain down to the one. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Murray hit Edmonds for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Cardinals. The Cardinals got it back at their own 21 and struck quickly. David Johnson gained 17 yards and caught a pass for 30 more. Murray then went to Edmonds for 31 yards down to the one. Johnson got the yard for the touchdown and the 17-7 Cardinals lead. 

The Falcons did mount an 11 play, 64 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive but stalled at the Arizona 11. Matt Bryant hit the 29 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 17-10. The Cardinals quickly came back 71 yards in 15 plays. On 3rd and goal from the 4 with 4 seconds left, Kliff Kingsbury decided not to risk one more play. Gonzalez hit from 22 to make it 20-10 Cardinals at the half. The Cardinals took the second half kickoff and marched 64 yards. From their 36, Murray ran for 15 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 8 from the Atlanta 48, Murray threw incomplete but illegal contact kept the drive going. On 4th and 2 from the Atlanta 35, Cliff Kingsbury decided to go for it. Murray hit Clay for 6 yards. Murray threw a 20 yard touchdown pass to Maxx Williams to have the Cardinals up 27-10. Yet then the game changed again.

After a touchback, the Falcons moved to a 1st and 10 at the Arizona 29. However, the drive stalled and Bryant hit a 44 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 27-13. The Falcons got the ball back at their own 7. On 3rd and 1 from their 16, a wildcat snap to Mohammed Sanu and a handoff to Freeman gained 14 yards. Ryan then hit Hooper for gains of 12 and 22, Ridley for 12, Freeman for 11, Gage for 6, and on 3rd and 4 from Arizona 7, a touchdown pass to Freeman. After three quarters, the Falcons were within 27-20. The Falcons got it back at their 17 one minute into the fourth quarter. On 3rd and 2 from their 25, Ryan hit Jones for 8, Ridley for 23, and Hooper for 30. With 11 minutes left in regulation, Ryan hit Hooper for the 6 yard touchdown. The game was now tied 27-27, and about to get even more exciting.

A short 35 yard punt with 15 yards reversed for fair catch interference had the Cardinals taking over at the Atlanta 45 midway through the fourth quarter. A horse collar tackle meant 15 more yards for the Cardinals. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 14, Murray hit Johnson for the touchdown. With 5 minutes left the Cardinals led again 34-27. Now it was time for Matty Ice. After a touchback, Ryan hit Sanu for 15 and Jones for 22. Freeman gained 9 and 5. Ryan hit Sanu for 9 more. With 1:53 left from the Arizona 12, Ryan went to Freeman for the touchdown. Another coach went for 2 on this day and lost. Dan Quinn took no chances and brought in Bryant for the extra point to tie it. The kick was no good as the home crowd erupted in celebration. Bryant is a great kicker, but he just blew it. With 2 timeouts left, Quinn decided to kick it deep rather than go onsides kick. The Falcons took their last timeout on defense with 1:45 left as the Cardinals faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Murray scrambled and got just enough. Officials upheld the first down as the Falcons plummeted to 1-5 on the season. Both quarterbacks were sensational in a game where neither one was intercepted. Murray was 27 of 37 for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns and a 128.2 rating. Ryan was a lights out 30 of 36 for 356 yards and 4 touchdowns and a 144.9 rating. This game deserved overtime, but one missed extra point prevented that. 34-33 Falcons

Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets —Despite losing 2 straight after a 3-0 start, the Cowboys were supposed to roll over the winless Jets. However, the Jets played September without Sam Darnold, who was out with mononucleosis. The Jets with Darnold are a different team. The Jets took over at their 17 and benefitted from a 20 yard defensive pass interference call. On 3rd and 4 from their own 45, Darnold went to Crowder for 24 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 24, LeVeon Bell got just enough. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Darnold only gained 4 but a horse collar tackle meant 1st and goal at the 2. Bell got in for a 7-0 Jets lead. The Cowboys did get a 50 yard Brett Maher field goal in the second quarter, and had a chance to take the lead with a 3rd and 1 at the Jets 6. Ezekiel Elliott got the carry and lost a yard. Jason Garrett decided to go for it and on 4th and 2 Dak Prescott lost another yard. One play and 12 seconds later, the Jets led 14-3 when Darnold connected with Robby Anderson for a 92 yard touchdown. The Jets got it back at their own 35 at the 2 minute warning. From their 39, Darnold hit Griffin for 11 yards to midfield, Thomas for 33 yards, Griffin for 5 more, and with 27 seconds left in the half, Griffin one more time for a 5 yard touchdown. The Gang Green home crowd was rocking as the Jets had the 21-3 lead.

The Cowboys clawed back before the half even ended. With 16 seconds left on 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Prescott hit Michael Gallup for 17 and Jason Witten for 5. On the last play of the half, Maher drilled a 62 yard field goal. In the third quarter the Cowboys marched 61 yards in 14 plays and over 7 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Prescott went to Witten for the touchdown. Yet offensive pass interference away from the play nullified the score. Maher hit his third field goal from 32 to get the Cowboys within 21-9. An interception of Darnold led to a fourth field goal try from 40 yards out less than one minute into the fourth quarter. Yet this time Maher was no good. The Cowboys got it back at heir 16 and Prescott went to Tavon Austin for 16 yards with roughing the passer adding 15 more. On 3rd and 3 from the Jets 46, Prescott hit Wilson for 5 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Jets 40, Prescott hit Witten for 16 and Gallup for 11 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 5, Elliott got in to get the Cowboys within 21-16. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation, this had the makings of another Jets collapse.

From their own 23, rather than grind down clock, the Jets got aggressive. Darnold went deep to Crowder for 30 yards and too Anderson for 18 more. With 3 1/2 minutes left, on 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 20, Darnold threw incomplete. Sam Ficken hit the 38 yard field goal. The Jets led by 8, but they had not closed the door. After a touchback, the Cowboys faced 3rd and 8 at their own 39 with 1:56 left. Prescott threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 13 yards. Prescott hen hit Elliott for 12. On the next play Prescott threw incomplete but another defensive pass interference call meant 24 more yards. Then it was consecutive offensive penalties that had the Cowboys facing 1st and 27 from the Jets 29. Prescott threw incomplete but another defensive pass interference meant 13 more yards and another first down. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 8, Prescot went to Elliott for 4 yards. Prescott ran for the 4 yard touchdown. With 43 seconds left, the Cowboys were a 2 point conversion away from tying the game. Prescott threw incomplete. The onsides kick failed as the Jets hung on for their first win. As for the preseason Super Bowl hype around the Cowboys, they are a 3-3 team that lost to the previously winless Jets and struggled for much of their win over winless Miami. Jerry Jones may start making everyone at Happy Valley uncomfortable again. Jerrah shelled out big bucks, and he is not getting results. Jason Garrett, beware the dreaded vote of confidence. 24-22 Jets

Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos — The previously winless Broncos finally got Vic Fangio his first win as an NFL head coach last week. Now they faced a bad Titans team. Sometimes 2 bad teams can come together and play an exciting game for the ages. This was not that game. Brandon McManus hit a 31 yard field goal in the first quarter and a 53 yarder in the second quarter as the Broncos took a 6-0 lead to the locker rooms. In the third quarter on 3rd and 9 from their own 15, Marcus Mariota was intercepted to set the Broncos up at the Tennessee 41. Joe Flacco hit Freeman for 19 and Hamilton for 13. Phillip Lindsay from 2 yards out ran for the gam’s only touchdown. With 5 minutes left in regulation McManus hit a 48 yard field goal to complete the scoring. Mike Vrabel benched Mariota and brought in Ryan Tannehill, who threw in another interception for good measure. This is not the Denver defense that won it all 4 years ago, but on this day it was suffocating. 16-0 Broncos

Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Chargers was the Sunday night game. Starter Ben Roethlisberger is out for the year. Backup Mason Rudolph was out with a concussion. Mike Tomlin was down to his third string quarterback as Devlin Hodges started his first NFL game. One week after losing at home to previously winless Denver, surely the Chargers would show up against a 1-4 wounded Pittsburgh team. No. These are the exact games the perpetually underachieving Chargers lose. 5 minutes into the game, A sack of Rivers meant a fumble and a 9 yard touchdown return by Devin Bush to make it 7-0 Steelers. 2 minutes later an interception by Bush had the Steelers at the Chargers 40. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 34, Hodges hit James Conner for 12 yards. On 3rd and from the Chargers 16, Hodges hit Conner for just enough. On the next play Conner ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Steelers. In the second quarter the Steelers moved 86 yards in 14 plays, taking over 9 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 8 from the Chargers 26, Hodges went to Conner for the touchdown as the Steelers led 21-0 in a Los Angeles soccer stadium that felt like a Pittsburgh home game. The Chargers missed a 43 yard field goal to end the half while the Steelers in the third quarter moved 73 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Despite 1s and goal at the 2, Conner got stopped twice and a shotgun snap on 3rd and goal was fumbled. The Steelers retained possession and Chris Boswell hit the 20 yard field goal. After three quarters, the Steelers led 24-0.

The Chargers went into hurry up mode with 3 minutes left in the third quarter from their own 9 yard line. The fourth quarter began with the Chargers facing 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 16. One minute later it was 4th and 14. An exasperated Anthony Lynn went with the field goal to avoid the shutout. Chase McLaughlin hit from 38. Hodges went for the kill shot from midfield and was intercepted. The Chargers took over at their own 30. Rivers led a furious rally, and midway through the fourth quarter the Chargers faced 3rd and goal at the 5. Rivers hit Hunter Henry for the score to get the Chargers within 24-10. With 4 minutes left the Chargers got it back at their own 21. With 90 seconds left Rivers threw an 11 yard touchdown pass to Hunter to get the Chargers within 7 points. The onsides kick failed and the Steelers took over at the Chargers 45. Yet on 4th and 1 from the Chargers 36, Mike Tomlin went ultra conservative. No going for it. No field goal. He punted, and a perfect punt pinned the Chargers at their own one yard line with one minute left and 0 timeouts. Rivers went deep and was intercepted. There was a  Chargers game where a 24-0 first half against the Raiders turned into a 28-24 game. Of course, it was the Chargers who blew that game. This time they just came up short after taking most of the first three quarters off. Rivers was 26 of 44 for 320 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Hodges was a game manager 15 of 20 for 132 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Hodges got his first win as both teams are 2-4. Yet 2 straight home losses exposed the Chargers for what they have been for nearly 6 decades. 24-17 Steelers

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers was the Monday night game. A few years ago the Lions led 20-0 and had the lead after 60 minutes. However, an untimed down and one Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary miracle later, it was the Packers with the 27-23 win. Some things never change. The Lions began a their own 23. On the first play from scrimmage, Matthew Stafford went deep to Kenny Golladay for a 66 yard gain.Yet on the next play out of the shotgun Stafford fumbled the snap for a 5 yard loss. Matt Prater hot a 28 yard field goal for a 3-0 Lions lead. TheLions got it back at their own 26. Again, on the first offensive play, Stafford went deep to Hall for a 58 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the 9, Stafford hit Golladay for 6 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Johnson got stopped. Matt Patricia went for it. On 4th and goal, Kerryon Johnson got in to make it 10-0 Lions. The Packers fumbled and the Lions took over at their own 32. On 3rd and goal at the 2, the Lions suffered a delay of game. Then on 3rd and goal at the 4, Stafford threw incomplete. Prater hit from 22 early in the second quarter as the Lions were all over the Packers 13-0. Then came reality.

The ensuing kickoff was kicked out of bounds. Despite 1st and 20 at their own 30, Rodgers hit Greg Allison for 21 yards. On 3rd and  6 from the Detroit 45, Rodgers hut Kumerow for 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 33, Rodgers threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 4th and 5 from the 13, the Packers lined up for a field goal. Yet the defense had too many men on the field, giving the Packers 1st and goal at the 8. These are the Lions. Rodgers hit Jamaal Williams for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Packers within 13-7. The Packers got it back at their own 6 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 10. Yet offensive holding killed the drive. Mason Crosby hit a 37 yard field goal to end the half with the Packers down 13-10. In the third quarter the Packers moved from their 22 to a 3rd and 2 at the Detroit 30. Rodgers threw incomplete. Crosby hit the 48 yarder to tie the game 13-13 only 2 1/2 minutes into the second half.

The Lions could not reach the end zone again. They started a drive at the Green Bay 25 but settled for a 41 yard Prater field goal to lead 16-13. Prater hit again from 51 to expand the lead. Early in the fourth quarter an interception of Rodgers gave the Lions another short field at the Green Bay 43. Again the Lions failed to get a first down. Prater hit his fifth field goal from 54 yards out for a 22-13 Lions lead with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Too many field goals, not enough touchdowns. Green Bay took over at their own 21. Jones ran for 9 and Rodgers hit Lewis for 25 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Detroit 45, Rodgers was sacked for an 11 yard loss. Yet a controversial illegal use of hands penalty on Trey Flowers meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 35, Rodgers went to Lazard for a touchdown. With 9 minutes left the Packers were within 22-20. 

The Lions after a touchback faced 2nd and 6 at their own 41. Stafford threw incomplete. Green Bay took over at their own 18 with 6:46 to play, and Rodgers used every second of it. Jones gained 5 and Rodgers hit Lazard for 12. Rodgers ran for 12 to the Green Bay 49. At the 2 minute warning, the Packers had 2nd and 8 from the Detroit 37. Rodgers went to Lazard for 15 yards. The Lions called their final timeout on defense with the Packers facing 3rd and 4 at the Detroit 16. Even if the Packers scored, the Lions would get the ball back. Except they would not. Rodgers threw incomplete but another illegal use of hands penalty on Flowers killed the Lions. The call was very questionable as Flowers somehow managed not to go crazy at the call. The automatic first down allowed the Packers to take the clock down to 2 seconds. Williams ran threw an open hole because the Lions were trying to let him score. Williams knew this and voluntarily went to the ground at the 3 yard line. Crosby came in for the 23 yard try to win it. It was a chip shot, a gift. The Lions needed a miracle. They did not get one. The kick was good. Lions fans can blame the refs, but the Packers were already in field goal range when the second call on Flowers happened. The Packers did not lead the game until the final play. The Packers are 5-1 and winning tough games. Crosby wanted to celebrate by doing the Lambeau Leap into the end zone, but he knew he was too small to make the jump. His teammate spotted him and got him over the railing into the seats where fans mobbed him. It was a sweet funny moment for the NFL and for Crosby, whose wife recently battled cancer. As for the Lions, Rodgers did it to them again. 23-2 Packers

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