NFL 2019 Week 7 Recap
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos was the Thursday night game. The Chiefs started 4-0 and lost 2 straight, both at home. The Broncos started 0-4 but won 2 straight, one of them on the road. The Broncos marched 75 yards wit the opening kickoff. Royce Freeman ran for a one yard touchdown. Vic Fangio inexplicably went for a 2 point conversion that failed. The Broncos led 6-0, concluding all Broncos highlights for the night. The Chiefs came back 75 yards easily. LeSean Shady McCoy ran for gains of 7 and 19. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 21, Patrick Mahomes went to Mecole Hardman for the touchdown and the 7-6 Chiefs lead. Hardman then returned a punt 36 yards to the Denver 21. Harrison Butker hit the 33 yard field goal to make it 10-6 Chiefs. Fangio then tried a fake punt on 4th and 4 from his own 46 that failed. Taking over at the Denver 38, the Chiefs moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Denver 5. Williams got stopped and Walrus Lite Andy Reid decided to go for it. Mahomes took the quarterback sneak and gained 2 yards, but at a heavy price. Mahomes injured his leg on the play. He was down on the ground for several minutes. Matt Moore played the rest of the way. On 4th and goal at the one, Reid opted for the field goal. Butler hit from 20 to make it 13-6 Broncos. Joe Flacco was then sacked and fumbled, and Ragland returned it 5 yards for a touchdown to make it 20-6 Chiefs at halftime. The second half was uneventful. Moore hit Tyreek Hill for a 57 yard third quarter touchdown. Butker tacked on one more fourth quarter field goal. Despite the big win, the grim news was that Mahomes would be out 3 weeks. 30-6 Chiefs
San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins — The unbeaten 49ers took on the pathetic Redskins. A driving rain meant a scoreless first half in which both teams missed a field goal Robbie Gould hit field goals of 28 in the third quarter and 22 and 29 in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring. For the sake of football fans everywhere, tape of this game should be burned. 9-0 49ers.
Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants — A pair of bad teams played. The Cardinals moved 75 yards in 13 plays and nearly 7 minutes. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 46, Kyler Murray hit Clay for 12 yards. On 4th and 3 from the Giants 35, Kliff Kingsbury decided to go for it. Murray hit Sherfield for 4 yards. Edmonds ran for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. Daniel Jones was quickly intercepted, setting up the Cardinals at the Giants 32. Edmonds ran for one, 11, and then the 20 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Cardinals. In the second quarter Zane Gonzalez hit a 47 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Cardinals. Then the game changed.
The Giants took over at their own 21. Jones hit Evan Engram for 6 and Saquon Barkley ran for 20. From the Arizona 48, Jones hit Golden Tate for 20 yards and Ellison for the 28 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 17-7. The Cardinals then punted on 4th and 20 from their own 4. The punt was blocked and recovered in the end zone by the Giants for another touchdown to get them within 17-14 at halftime. The Giants got it back and faced 2nd and 8 at the Arizona 37. Jones was sacked and fumbled, and the Cardinals recovered just shy of midfield. After a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty, Edmonds ran for a 22 yard touchdown to put the Cardinals up 24-14. Aldrick Rosas missed a 37 yard field goal for the Giants, but Big Blue got it back at their own 18. Jones hit Latimer for 10, Barkley ran for 11, and Jones hit Slayton for 20. Barkley ran for 6 more, and Jones hit Latimer for 13, Fowler for 6, and ran for 9 more himself. Barkley ran for the 7 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 24-21 with over 8 minutes left. With 2 1/2 minutes Pat Shurmur decided to go for it with the Giants facing 4th and 15 at their own 33. Jones was sacked and fumbled and the Cardinals recovered at the Giants 17. The defense held and took their timeouts. Gonzalez hit the 35 yard field goal. The Giants got it back at their own 12 yard line with 2:09 left. Jones was sacked again and fumbled again. On 4th and 29 from their own 4 with 41 seconds left, Jones threw incomplete again. 27-21 Cardinals
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts — The Colts took over at their own 6 yard line. Jacoby Brissett went to Hines for 13 and Zac Pascal for 20 more. On 3rd and 10 from their own 39, Brissett hit Rogers for 19. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 35, Brissett went to Doyle for 19. On 3rd and 5 from the Houston 11, Brissett hit Pascal for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. Early in the second quarter the Colts were stopped on 3rd and 1 at their own 45. Frank Reich decided to go for it and on 4t and 1 Marlon Mack got stopped. The field position led to a 47 yard field goal by Kaimi Fairbairn to get the Texans on the board. Facing 3rd and 14 at their own 16, Jacoby Brissett fumbled and the Texans recovered to have 1st and goal at the 4. Yet on 3rd and goal, Deshaun Watson was sacked. Fairbairn hit again from 31 to get the Texans within 7-6.
After a touchback, Brissett went to TY Hilton for 23 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 44, Brissett went to Pascal and Hilton for a pair of 12 yard gains. Brissett then went to Eric Ebron for 17 yards and back to Hilton for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Colts. After a touchback, the Texans had 1:49 to work with. The Texans did have 1st and goal at the 10 with 41 seconds left, but a pointless short pass gained 2 yards. After 2 more incompletions, the Texans settled for a 26 yard Fairbairn field goal to trail 14-9.
On the first play of the third quarter from their own 26, Brissett went to Pascal for a 34 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Houston 40, Brissett went to Ebron for 16 yards and Hilton for 11 more. On 3rd and 1 from the 4, Brissett went to Ebron for the touchdown to make it 21-9 Colts. After a touchback, Watson went to Deandre Hopkins for 14 yards. Carlos Hyde ran for 5 and 7. Watson went deep to Kenny Stills for a 45 yard gain. On the next play Keke Coutee ran for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 21-16.
The Colts soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 24. Brissett threw incomplete but defensive holding was a killer penalty. On 3rd and 6 from their own 33, Brissett went deep to Ebron for 33 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 31, Brissett went to Hilton for 25 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 12, Brissett threw incomplete but an unnecessary roughness penalty meant 1st and goal at the 6. Brissett hit Pascal for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 28-16 Colts. The fourth quarter began with Bill O’Brien going for it on 4th and 1 from his own 35. Watson hit Stills for 4 yards. Yet O’Brien went for it again on 4th and 1 from his own 48 and Watson threw incomplete. The next time the Texans got the ball, Watson was intercepted. With 8:41 left the Texans got it back again at their own 21. Watson went deep to Stills for 41 yards. Watson then hit Fells for 8 and Johnson ran for 11. Watson hit Hopkins for a 4 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the game, the Texans were again right back in it down 28-23. Houston’s defense kept them in the game, but a perfect punt had the Texans pinned at their own 4 yard line with 4 minutes left. On 4th and 9, Pascal was tackled in the end zone for a safety to give the Colts a 7 point lead with 2:41 to play. The Texans got it back at their own 36 with 1:41 left. With 26 seconds left from the Houston 48, Watson went deep and was intercepted. 30-23 Colts
Oakland Raiders at Green Bay Packers — The Raiders got the ball first and Jon Gruden immediately pounded the rock. Josh Jacobs ran for 9, 2, and then a 42 yard gain. Daniel Carlson hit a 45 yard field goal for a 3-0 Raiders lead. The Packers quickly faced 2nd and 3 at their own 32. Jones ran for 15 yards. On 3rd and 7 from midfield, Aaron Rodgers went to Graham for 29 yards and to Jones for the 21 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Packers. In the second quarter the Raiders took over at their own 14. On 3rd and 6 from their 18, Carr went to Davis for 10. On 3rd and 11 from the Oakland 41, Carr went to Keylan Doss for 31 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Packers 21, Carr went to Hunter Renfrow for 4 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the 10, Carr went to Moreau for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Raiders.
The Packers soon faced 2nd and 6 at their own 22. Rodgers went to Vitale for 21 yards. On 2nd and 17 from their own 46, Rodgers hit Williams for 9 and on 3rd and 8 hit Greg Allison for 15 more. From the Oakland 25, defensive pass interference meant a 22 yard gain. Rodgers hit Williams for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Packers. The Raiders moved after a touchback with ease. Deandre Washington gained 8. Carr went to Darren Waller for 16 yards and then on a deep route for a 48 yard gain. On 2nd and goal at the one, the Raiders showed why they lose gains. Rather than run up the gut, Carr scrambled around the end and made the exact same mistake he has made in past years. He tried to stretch the ball past the pylon and ended up fumbling it through the end zone for a touchback. On 3rd and 3 from their own 27, Rodgers threw incomplete but a terrible roughing the passer call on Mayowa kept the drive going. Mayowa dove and grabbed Rodgers by the ankles, but it was a totally clean play. On 3rd and 5 from the Packers 47, Rodgers went to Allison for 9. Rodgers then went deep to Kumerow for a 37 yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in the half. Rather than a 17-14 Raiders lead, the 14 point swing had the Packers up 21-10. On the first play of the third quarter, the Packers moved to turn out the lights. From their own 22, Rodgers went deep to Valdes-Scantling for a 59 yard gain. Rodgers ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 28-10 Packers.
The Raiders tried to make a game of it. After a touchback, they moved 75 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 2 from the Packers 7, Carr hit Waller for the touchdown to get the Raiders within 28-17. Yet the depleted secondary had no answers for Rodgers. From their own 15, Rodgers went to Shepherd for 25 yards. On 3rd and 8 from their own 42, Rodgers went to Kumerow for 17 yards. From the Oakland 29, Rodgers went to Lazard for 26 yards and Jimmy Graham for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 35-17 Packers after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Raiders moved 74 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. On 4th and goal at the one, Jacobs got stopped. The Raiders got it back at their own 42 and Carr hit Marcel Atman for a 36 yard gain. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Green Bay 15, Carr went to the end zone and his pass was deflected and intercepted for a touchback. Three times the Raiders moved into the red zone. Two of those times they were one yard away. They came up with nothing all three times. Rodgers on 3rd and 4 from his own 26 put the dagger in with a pass to Valdez-Scantling that went for a 74 yard touchdown. Oakland got a late garbage touchdown to pad the stats. Carr was 22 of 28 for 293 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also a killer fumble and interception in the red zone. It wasted a great da for Jacobs, who had 124 yards on 21 carries for nearly 6 yards per carry. Yet he got stopped from the one. Rodgers was a lights out 25 of 31 for 429 yards, 5 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a perfect 158.3 quarterback rating that nobody understands. 42-24 Packers
Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions — The Lions took over at their own 23 and quickly benefitted from a 31 yard defensive pass interference call. On 3rd and 9 from the Minnesota 28, Matthew Stafford went to Danny Amendola for 12 yards and Jones for the 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions. The vikings took over at their own 27. Dalvin Cook ran for 15 and Kirk Cousins went to Smith for a 28 yard gain and Adam Thielen for a 25 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Stafford hit Jones for 4 yards and then connected with Amendola for a 36 yard gain. Stafford capped the drive with a 3 yard touchdown pass to Jones for a 14-7 Lions lead. The first quarter ended with Abdullah returning the ensuing kickoff 38 yards to the Detroit 39. On 3rd and 10, Cousins went to Stefan Diggs for 27 yards. Cook ran for gains of 10 and 14. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Cousins was intercepted for a touchback, but defensive pass interference instead meant 1st and goal at the one. Cousins hit Johnson for the touchdown to make it 14-14 early in the second quarter.
The Vikings got the ball back at their own 3 yard line. On 3rd and 2 from their 11, Cousins hit kyle Rudolph for 15 yards. From their 30, Cousins went to Diggs for 10 yards. Diggs fumbled but the Vikings retained possession. On 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 28, Cousins hit Rudolph for 9. Mattison ran for 9 and Cook ran for 2 and for the 8 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Vikings with 1/2 minutes left in the half. The 15 play, 97 yard drive took nearly 7 1/2 minutes off the clock. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. McKissic got around the end for 14 yards.. Stafford hit Jones for 9, Amendola for 5, and Kenny Golladay for 21 yards. With 27 seconds left, on 2nd and 20 from the Minnesota 24, Stafford threw incomplete. Yet roughing the passer put the ball on the 12. On 3rd and 8 from the 10, Stafford hit Jones for the touchdown with 2 seconds left in the half for a 21-21 game.
The Vikings took the second half kickoff and marched down the field as this shootout kept going. On 3rd and 11 from the Minnesota 35, Cousins hit Diggs for 14 yards and Johnson for 19 yards. From the Detroit 25, Cook ran for 12 and Cousins hit Smith for 10. Cousins hit CJ Ham for the 5 yard touchdown as the Vikings took the 28-21 lead. The Lions soon faced 2nd and 12 at their own 10. Stafford went to Amendola for 13 yards and deep to Hall for a 47 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 8 at the Minnesota 28, Stafford threw incomplete. Matt Prater hit the 46 yard field goal to get the Lions within 28-24. Early in the fourth quarter Dan Bailey missed a 45 yard field goal that would have gotten Minnesota’s lead back up to 7 points. The Lions moved from their 35 to a 4th and 2 at the Minnesota 41. Matt Patricia decided to go for it and Stafford threw incomplete.
Cousins quickly hit Smith for 10. Cook gained 3, 6, and on 3rd and 1, 23 yards. Cousins hit Rudolph for a 15 yard touchdown. with 5:40 to play, the Vikings had some breathing room up 35-24. After a touchback, Stafford went to Amendola for gains of 11 and 10 and TJ Hockenson for 14 more. Stafford went to Jones for another 10. On 3rd and 10 from the Minnesota 30, Stafford hit Jones for 24 yards. Stafford went back to Jones for a 2 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed, but with 3 minutes left the Lions were within 35-30. They needed one defensive stop. In a game with no defense, a stop was not coming. On 2nd and 5 from their own 30, Mike Zimmer decided not to go conservative smash mouth. He got aggressive and went for it all. Cousins went deep to Diggs for a 66 yard gain. With 1:55 left, Cook ran for the 4 yard touchdown to put the game out of reach. An interception of Stafford with one minute left only concluded the inevitable. Both quarterbacks were sensational, with 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions until Stafford was picked off in the final minute. Cousins was 24 of 34 for 337 yards and Stafford was 30 of 45 for 364 yards. Yet it was the Vikings with the win that now have a 5-2 football team. Cousins was supposed to be the last piece. Today he played like it. 42-30 Vikings
Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals — The Jaguars took on the winless and witless Bungles. A 21 yard Josh Lambo field goal in the second quarter had the Jaguars up 3-0. With 2:14 in an ugly first half, the Bengals took over at their 20. Red Rifle Andy Dalton hit Erickson for 12 and then again deep for a 48 yard gain. On 2nd and 18 from the Jacksonville 28, Dalton went to Erickson for 27 yards. Dalton then went to Joe Mixon for a 2 yard touchdown and a 7-3 Bengals lead with 1:25 left in the half. After a touchback, Gardner Minshew went to Conley for 7 and again for 29. On 3rd and 10 from the Cincy 44, Minshew hit Westbrook for 33 yards. Yet from the 11, Minshew threw incomplete twice. Lambo hit the 29 yard field goal to end the half with the Jaguars down 7-6. The Bengals fumbled early in the third quarter, setting up the Jaguars at their own 43. Lambo hit from 37 to make it 9-7 Jaguars. The Bengals took over at their own 9 and moved to a 2nd and 1 at the Jags 19. Rather than run the ball, Dalton threw incomplete twice. Going for it was rejected. Randy Bullock hit the 38 yard field goal as the Bengals had the 10-9 lead after three quarters. Yet these are the Bengals.
Jacksonville after a touchback saw DJ Chark run for 20. Minshew then found Conley for a 47 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Minshew hit Keelan Cole for the touchdown. Doug Marrone went for 2 and Minshew hit Conley for the conversion to make it 17-10 Jaguars. Dalton then had a fourth quarter for the ages, and not in a good way. Dalton moved the Bengals 60 yards in 10 plays to a 1st and 10 at the Jags 15 with a chance to take the lead. Dalton completed a pass to Miles Jack. Problem: Jack plays defense for the Jaguars. The Bengals got it back at their 23. Three plays later, Dalton completed a pass to Yannick Ngakoue. Problem: Ngakoue plays defense for the Jaguars. His interception return of 23 yards the other way went for a defensive touchdown and a 24-10 Bengals lead with 4 1/2 minutes left. The Bengals got a ray of hope when the ensuing kickoff was returned 61 yards to the Jacksonville 41. One play later Dalton completed a pass to Harrison. Problem: Harrison plays defense for the Jaguars. The last turnover led to a 26 yard Lambo field goal just past the 2 minute warning that put the game out of reach. 3 fourth quarter interceptions and 18 straight points turned a slugfest into a 27-10 Jaguars lead. Cincinnati got a garbage touchdown with 23 seconds remaining to remain winless. 27-17 Jaguars
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills — The Bills are a good team with a very good defense. The Dolphins are a terrible team with little to no offense. In the first quarter Steve Hauschka hit field goals of 39 and 43 to make it 6-0 Dolphins. Yet Josh Rosen was benched before the game in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard. After a touchback following the second field goal, Fitzpatrick went deep to Williams for a 35 yard gain. Walton ran for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the 3, Ballage got the touchdown on the first play of the second quarter for a 7-6 Dolphins lead. In the second quarter Hauschka would hit his third field goal from 45 yards out for a 9-7 Bills lead. After a touchback, Fitzpatrick hit Williams for 13 and Wilson for 22 more. Roughing the passer on an incompletion added 15 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 12, Fitzpatrick hit DeVante Parker for the touchdown with 6 minutes left in the half. The rest of the half and the third quarter were scoreless, as the Dolphins took a 14-9 lead into the fourth quarter in front of a worried home crowd in Orchard Park. Yet these are the Dolphins. The Dolphins began the third quarter with a staggering 16 play, 63 yard drive that consumed a mind-numbing 10 minutes off the clock. The Dolphins even converted on 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 4. Yet on 1st and goal at the 2, Fitzpatrick fumbled and lost 10 yards. On the next play he was intercepted at the 2 yard line. Instead of 21-9 or even 17-9, the Bills only trailed 14-9 and they made the Dolphins pay.
From their 2, DiMarco ran for 4 yards and Frank Gore added 15 more. On 3rd and 1 from their 30, Gore gained 5. Josh Allen then went deep to Williams for 23 yards and to Gore for 11 more. The fourth quarter began with the Bills facing 3rd and 7 at the Miami 28. Allen hit Cole Beasley for 8 and then John Brown for the 20 yard touchdown. Sean McDermott went for 2 and Allen got it himself for a 17-14 Bills lead one minute into the fourth quarter. With 9 minutes left, the Dolphins took over at their own 8. From their 22, a short completion was fumbled, recovered by the Bills, and returned 11 yards to the Miami 16. Allen hit Beasley for a 3 yard touchdown to put the Bills up 24-14 with 6 1/2 minutes left. With 4 minutes left, Miami took over at their own 40. On 4th and 8 from the Buffalo 43, Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for 9 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 28, Fitzpatrick went to Hurns for 17 yards and ran the final 11 yards himself.. With 1:45 left, the Dolphins were within 24-21. Yet only 7 seconds later the game was over as the onside kick was returned 45 yards by Micah Hyde for the clinching touchdown. 22 fourth quarter points got the Bills to 5-1 and left the Dolphins an 0-6 mess. 31-21 Bills
Los Angeles Rams at Atlanta Falcons — The Rams had lost 3 straight after a 3-0 start but played the woeful Falcons. The addition of Jalen Ramsey was expected to bolster the Rams defense. Both kickers Greg Zuerlein and Matt Bryant have been goats in recent weeks. This week Bryant hit from 52 while Zuerlein dunked a 40 yarder off the upright no good. Zuerlein then hit a 55 yarder for a 3-3 game. The Rams began the second quarter at their own 15. Jared Goff hit Woods for a 25 yard gain and again for 9 more. On 2nd and 10 from the Atlanta 36, Goff threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. On 3rd and 2 from the Atlanta 13, Goff hit Todd Gurley for the touchdown and the 10-3 Rams lead. Zuerlein tacked on a 25 yard field goal late in the half to make it 13-3 Rams. Bryant missed from 50 for the Falcons to end the half. In the third quarter after a touchback, the Rams soon faced 2nd and 10 from their own 39. Goff went deep to Everett for 33 yards, to Henderson for 8, to Cooper Kupp for 6, to Everett for 5, and to Everett again for an 8 yard touchdown to have the Rams comfortably ahead 20-3. An interception of Matt Ryan had the Rams at the Atlanta 16. On 3rd and goal at the one, Goff got in to make it 27-3 Rams. An Atlanta fumble led to a 15 play, 62 yard, 8 minute drive that culminated in a 20 yard Zuerlein field goal with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. 30 straight points had the Rams cruising 30-3. Atlanta got one garbage touchdown but then gave up one as the Rams defense recovered a fumble for a touchdown to close the blowout. 37-10 Rams
Los Angeles Chargers at Tennessee Titans — Sometimes a pair of bad teams can play a thrilling game for the ages. This was definitely not that game. Anthony Lynn decided to have the Chargers go for it on 4th and 2 from the Titans 31 rather than try a 49 yard field goal. Philip Rivers threw incomplete. Cody Parkey hit a 45 yard field goal for the Titans and McLaughlin answered from 29 for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter the Chargers took over at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 3 from their 13, Rivers hit Keenan Allen for 17, Austin Ekeler for 15 and 5, Hunter Henry for 7, and Allen for 15. On 3rd and goal at the one, Rivers hit Melvin Gordon for the touchdown to cap the 14 play, 94 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive to make it 10-3 Chargers. The Titans took over at their 14 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. Ryan Tannehill played in place of the benched Marcus Mariota, and he hit Brown for 16 yards and 15 more, and hit Henry for 18 yards. Henry then ran for 12 and 4. With 25 seconds left in the half, Tannehill went to Davis for the tying touchdown. A scoreless third quarter had these teams entering the fourth quarter deadlocked 10-10.
The Titans took over at their own 15 and Tannehill hit Sharpe for 14 yards and Humphries for 11 more. From just past midfield on 3rd and 2, Tannehill went to Firkser for 27 yards. On 3rd and 11 at the Chargers 23 to start the fourth quarter, Tannehill hit Humphries for 14 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Tannehill hit Sharpe for the touchdown. The routine extra point was made exciting by the doink king, Cody Parkey. He had a multiple doink game last year with Chicago in addition to a double doink kick that cost the Bears a one point playoff loss to Philadelphia. He doinked this extra point no good as well as the Titans led 16-10 with 13 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Rivers went to Henry for a pair of 23 yard gains. Yet the drive died after that. McLaughlin hit a 50 yard field goal as the Chargers trailed 16-13 with 11 minutes left to play.
The Titans soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Tannehill connected with Davis for a 38 yard gain. From the Chargers 22, Henry ran for 8, 3, and then the 11 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left the Titans had some breathing room up 23-13. Only 90 seconds later that breathing room was gone. Rivers after a touchback hit Williams for 11, Hunter for 11 and 13, and then Ekeler on the bomb for the 59 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left the Chargers were back within 23-20. After a touchback, the Titans m vied to a 4th and inches just past midfield. Mike Vrabel decided to go for it. Tannehill tried to sneak over the top but was ruled short of the sticks. Despite having all 3 timeouts, Vrabel for some bizarre reason did not challenge the spot. The Chargers took over with 2 1/2 minutes left. One completion for 6 yards followed by lazy lack of urgency let the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 4 from the Titans 45, Rivers hit Williams for 10. Rivers then fired to Ekeler for 19 yards to set up 1st and 10 at the Titans 16 with 49 seconds left. Vrabel had to consider using his timeouts on defense. It was a non-issue as Rivers fired over the middle to Ekeler, who banged through the defenders and crashed down over the goal for the touchdown with 37 seconds left.
On further review, the score was reversed and the ball put half a yard away from the goal. With everything on the line, the Chargers committed a false start. On the next play defensive pass interference put the ball back on the one. Then a carry was again ruled a touchdown, although it again appeared to be short of the goal as this was turning into the Burt Reynolds version of “The Longest Yard.” The ball was put back on the one. This time there was an inexplicable 10 second runoff that should not have been assessed and the Titans should have refused. 22 seconds remained in this horribly officiated game. Gordon then got the carry and tried to smash through. Complete chaos ensued. The Chargers thought Gordon scored. The Titans said they recovered a fumble in the end zone for a touchback. If Gordon was down, then the clock would run. Yet the officials were discussing another 10 second runoff which again would have been incorrect. After a lengthy discussion, the officials bungled their saying the right call. Gordon dd fumble short of the goal line, and the Titans did recover. It was a touchback. In a shocking end that was badly officiated and badly coached, Al Pacino’s Tony Montana reminds us that in football, you fight for every last inch. 23-20 Titans
Baltimore Ravens at Seattle Seahawks — A pair of well coached tam with good quarterbacks and good defenses played a solid game as expected. The Ravens moved from their own 16 to a 3rd and 2 at the Seattle 6. Edwards lost a yard and the Ravens settled for a 25 yard Justin Tucker field goal to lead 3-0. Later on the Seahawks faced 3rd and 1 at their own 26. Chris Carson gained 9 yards.
On 3rd and 11 at their own 34, Russell Wilson went deep to DK Metcalf for 37 yards. The second quarter began with the Seahawks facing 3rd and 3 from the Baltimore 8. Wilson went to Tyler Lockett for the touchdown to cap the 11 play, 83 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 7-3 Seahawks. Each offense then moved into the red zone but could no cross the goal line. Despite 2nd and 8 from the Seattle 10, Lamar Jackson threw incomplete twice. Tucker hit from 28 to get the Ravens within 7-6. The Seahawks moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 16, but Wilson threw 3 incompletions. Myers hit from 34 to make it 10-6 Seahawks midway through the second quarter. A field position game had the Seahawks with a 3rd and 6 at the Baltimore 34. Yet Wilson was then intercepted by just acquired Marcus Peters. The former Kansas City cornerback returned his interception of Wilson 67 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 13-10 Ravens lead. With 5 minutes left in the half, the Seahawks moved to a 2nd and 10 at the Baltimore 13 with 12 seconds left. Wilson threw incomplete. On 3rd and 10 with 6 seconds left, Pete Carroll took no chances. Myers hit the 31 yard field goal as the teams took a 13-13 tie to the locker rooms.
In the third quarter Myers missed a 53 yard field goal try that would have given the Seahawks the lead. The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 48. Jackson hit Hurst for 10 yards. Edwards added 14 more on the ground. On 4th and 2 from the Seattle 8 very late in the third quarter, John Harbaugh made the questionable decision to go for it rather than take points on the road. Jackson got the first down and the touchdown himself as the Ravens led 20-13 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Ravens turned out the lights. A 13 play, 86 yard drive took 9 minutes off the clock. Tucker hit from 22 to make it 23-13 Ravens with 3:50 to play. One play after a touchback, Baltimore’s defense clammed the door. A fumble was returned 18 yards for a second defensive touchdown. The Seahawks are a good football team, but Baltimore made a loud statement that their defense is back and they can go anywhere on the road and win. Jackson completed only 9 passes out of 20 thrown for 143 yards. This was not Trent Dilfer game management, but it was pretty close. Needing 3 scores, Myers hit a 35 yard field goal with 1:52 left but nothing more. 30-16 Ravens
New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears — Mitchell Trubisky returned for the Bears while Teddy Bridgewater started again for the Saints. Most of this game was the Mike Ditka Bowl, as the defenses played well. 2 minutes into the game, the Saints blocked a Chicago punt through the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Saints lead. Later on a Chicago fumble had the Saints taking over at the Chicago 24. Bridgewater hit Thomas for 12 and went to Hill for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 9-0 Saints. 15 seconds later Cordarelle Patterson returned the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for a special teams touchdown. In a game with almost 0 offense, the Bears were within 9-7. The second quarter was a slog. Eddie Pineiro hit a 46 yard field goal to put the Bears in front, and Wil Lutz countered from 39 to put the Saints back on top 12–10. Lutz missed from 42 late in the half.
The third quarter belonged to the Saints. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Bridgewater got just enough. Latavius Murray gained 17 yards on the next play. Bridgewater then went deep to Ted Ginn Jr for a 45 yard gain. Murray got the last 3 yards as the Saints took a 19-10 lead. The Bears then immediately fumbled but the Saints went backward and Lutz missed again from 52. Yet the Saints got it back at their own 24. On 3rd and 1 from their 44, Taysom Hill entered and took an end around 23 yards. From the Chicago 21, Murray gained 15 and 2. Bridgewater hit Hill for the 4 yard touchdown as the Saints had a comfortable 26-10 lead after three quarters. In the fourth quarter Lutz hit from 30 and Murray ran for a 4 yard touchdown to extend the blowout. Down by 26, Chicago eventually got a pair of garbage touchdowns. Bridgewater is 5-0 as a starter. Those asking if the Saint have a quarterback controversy will expect an icy stare from Sean Payton. 36-25 Saints
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys was the Sunday night game. The first quarter was a nightmare for the Eagles. They fumbled, and the Cowboys took over at the Philly 45. On 3rd and 1 from the 36, Dan Prescott gained 8 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Philly 20, Tavon Austin got around the end for the touchdown and the 7-0 Cowboys lead. The Eagles soon fumbled again and the Cowboys recovered at the Philly 14 yard line. One play later Ezekiel Elliott ran it 13 yards. From the one, Elliott leapt over the top for the touchdown and the 14-0 Cowboys lead. Midway through the first quarter, the Eagles faced 3rd and 10 at their own 13. Carson Wentz threw incomplete, but roughing the passer gave the Eagles heir first break. Howard rushed for 16 yards, and then another unnecessary roughness penalty for a hit on a defenseless receiver added 15 more. On 2nd and 12 from the Dallas 28, Wentz went deep to Dallas Goedert for the touchdown as 87 yards came with help from 30 penalty yards. The Eagles were back in it down 14-7.
In the second quarter the Cowboys took over at their own 29. Elliott ran for 11 and Prescott hit Gallup for 8. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Prescott got stopped. Jason Garrett decided to go for it, and on 4th and 1 Prescott hit Elliott for 9 yards. Pollard ran for 11 and Prescott added 7 more. After a touchdown pass was nullified by offensive holding, the Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 4 at the Philly 25. Prescott hit Jason Witten for 8 yards, Randall Cobb for 16, and Jarwin for the one yard touchdown. The 12 play, 71 yard drive took 6:40 and had the Cowboys up 21-7. The Cowboys got it back with 2:47 left in the half and soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 21. Prescott threw incomplete but illegal use of hands was a killer penalty. On the next play Prescot went deep to Amari Cooper for a 44 yard gain. Maher hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Cowboys with 1:34 left in the half. The Cowboys got it back at their own 30 with 22 seconds left. Prescott played pitch and catch with Witten for gains of 8, 7 and 10. With 4 seconds left, Maher came in for a 63 yard field goal try, one yard short of the NFL record. Maher nailed it as the Cowboys led 27-7 at the break.
In the second quarter the Cowboys took over at their own 29. Elliott ran for 11 and Prescott hit Gallup for 8. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Prescott got stopped. Jason Garrett decided to go for it, and on 4th and 1 Prescott hit Elliott for 9 yards. Pollard ran for 11 and Prescott added 7 more. After a touchdown pass was nullified by offensive holding, the Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 4 at the Philly 25. Prescott hit Jason Witten for 8 yards, Randall Cobb for 16, and Jarwin for the one yard touchdown. The 12 play, 71 yard drive took 6:40 and had the Cowboys up 21-7. The Cowboys got it back with 2:47 left in the half and soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 21. Prescott threw incomplete but illegal use of hands was a killer penalty. On the next play Prescot went deep to Amari Cooper for a 44 yard gain. Maher hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Cowboys with 1:34 left in the half. The Cowboys got it back at their own 30 with 22 seconds left. Prescott played pitch and catch with Witten for gains of 8, 7 and 10. With 4 seconds left, Maher came in for a 63 yard field goal try, one yard short of the NFL record. Maher nailed it as the Cowboys led 27-7 at the break. The second half was a formality. The Eagles kicked a third quarter field goal and the Cowboys added a fourth quarter one. After the teams exchanged interceptions, a Wentz fumble was recovered at the Philly 16. On 3rd and 2, Prescott ran for the touchdown to complete the blowout. 37-10 Cowboys
New England Patriots at New York Jets was the Monday night game. For those looking for an upset for the ages, look elsewhere. This was he men against the boys, and it was over by the end of the first quarter. The Patriots took over at their own 22 and made it look easy. On 3rd and 7 just past midfield, Tom Brady hit Meyers for 9 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 40, Brady went to Julian Edelman for 14 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Jets 21, Brady hit Watson for 10 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 3, Sony Michel got around the end and into the end zone for a 7-0 Patriots lead. The staggering 16 play, 78 yard, 9 minute drive was just the beginning. 2 plays after a touchback, Sam Darnold was intercepted to set up the Patriots at the Jets 12. The defense held and a Mike Nugent 34 yard field goal made it 10-0 Patriots. The Patriots got it back at their own 33 and Brady went deep to Bolden for 28 yards. On 4th and 6 from the Jets 35, Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick decided to go for it. Brady hit Watson for 7 yards and then went deep to Philip Dorsett for a 26 yard touchdown. The Patriots led 17-0 after the first quarter. The second quarter began with the Jets moving from the quarter mark to the midstripe. Darnold was then hit and fumbled. Kyle Van Noy fell on it. On 3rd and goal at the one, Michel finally crashed in for the official 24-0 Patriots lead. The only thing missing was that the fumble was not a butt-fumble. League Rules prevented the final three quarters from being canceled due to the mercy rule. 73-0 is the biggest blowout in NFL history, and the Patriots were almost on pace. They got bored, but did get a third quarter safety and one more fourth quarter touchdown. 33-0 Patriots