NFL 2019 Week 8 Recap
Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings was the Thursday night game. The Vikings were 16 point favorites against the hapless Redskins as Kirk Cousins and Adrian Peterson each hoped for revenge against their respective old team. Firs the teams exchanged fumbles. Then they exchanged field goals. In the first quarter Dan Bailey hit from 50 for the Vikings. In the second quarter Dustin Hopkins hit from 21 to tie the game. Bailey then hit from 29 and Hopkins answered from 30 for a 6-6 game at the 2 minute warning. After a touchback, Cousins went to Dalvin Cook for gains of 5 and 15, Johnson for 16, and Cook again for 31 yards. With 7 seconds left in the half, the Vikings faced 3rd and goal at the 4. The Vikings had 2 timeouts remaining, giving Mike Zimmer plenty of flexibility. With everyone expecting a pass, Zimmer called a run up the middle. Cook got to the goal line and just barley broke the plane of the goal for a 13-6 Vikings lead at the half. The second half was all defense and field goals. In the third quarter Bailey hit from 27 and Hopkins answered from 43 to get it back to a7 point game. Bailey hit again from 40 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation to lock up the win as Mike Zimmer’s defense did the rest. 19-9 Vikings
New York Giants at Detroit Lions — Daniel Jones fumbles a lot. This time in the first quarter he was hit and fumbled. Dennis Kennard returned the fumble for a touchdown and a 7-0 Lions lead. The Lions got it back and soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 31. Matthew stafford went deep to Danny Amendola for 25 yards and then went bombs away to Marvin Hall for a 49 yard touchdown and a 14-0 Lions lead. The Giants got it back at their own 12 yard line. On 3rd and 3 from their 19, Saquon Barkley got just enough. Jones then went to Evan Engram for 18 yards. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Jones went to Golden Tate for 18 yards early in the second quarter. Barkley ran for 9 and 5 and Jones went to Slayton for a 22 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 14-7.
The Lions missed a chance to extend the lead when a 53 yard field goal try by Matt Prater was no good. The Giants took over at their own 43. Jones hit Fowler for 12 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 34, Penny gained 3 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the 28, Jones went deep to Slayton for the touchdown. Aldrick Rosas missed the extra point as the Giants trailed 14-13. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Stafford found Kenny Golladay for a 16 yard gain. On 3rd and 17 from their own 35, Stafford found Johnson for 13. At the 2 minute warning, the Lions punted on 4th and 4 from their own 48. Yet a running into the kicker penalty meant a 5 yard gain and a 1st down. Prater nailed a 52 yard field goal for a 17-13 Lions lead at the half.
The Lions took the second half kickoff and right to work after a touchback. Stafford hit Amendola for 15 yards. On 3rd and 8 from their own 44, Stafford went deep to Golladay for 25 yards and Amendola for 12 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 9, Stafford again went to Golladay for the touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the Lions up 24-13. The Giants quickly faced 2nd and 8 at their own 24. Jones went to Barkley for 38 yards. Jones then went to Tate for 13 yards, and unnecessary roughness on the defense on the next play added 10 more yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Detroit 10, Jones threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive alive. On 3rd and goal from the 2, Jones hit Evan Engram for the score. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Giants were within 24-19.
The fourth quarter began with the Lions at their own 20. Stafford went to Jones for 6 yards and Johnson gained 14 more. Stafford went to Golladay for a 41 yard touchdown to give the Lions some breathing room up 31-19 with 12 minutes left in the game. The Giants moved from their own 9 yard line to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 43. Jones was sacked and again fumbled. The Giants retained possession but it was a 10 yard loss. Jones was then sacked again. On 3rd and 26 from his own 41, Jones hit Gallman for 20 yards. With 6 1/2 minutes remaining, Pat Shurmur opted against a 57 yard field goal try and decided to go for it. Jones threw incomplete. Now it was the Lions moving backward due to consecutive sacks of Stafford. On 3rd and 25 from their own 24, Stafford found Golladay for 14 yards but Golladay fumbled. with 5 minutes left the Giants took over at the Detroit 38. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Giants faced the and 11 from the Detroit 14. Again Shurmur passed up a field goal try and Jones threw incomplete. By the time the Giants did reach the end zone, only 1:19 remained. The onsides kick failed. 31-26 Lions
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tennessee Titans — The Buccaneers immediately moved to a 1st and goal from the 4. A run went nowhere and Jameis Winston threw incomplete twice. Gay hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. Yet on their next series Winston fumbled and the Titans recovered at the Tampa Bay 10 yard line. One play later Ryan Tannehill went to Smith for the touchdown and the 7-3 Titans lead. Winston was then intercepted by Malcolm Butler, who returned it 23 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 6. On 3rd and goal, Tannehill went to Sharpe for the touchdown to make it 14-3 Titans. Then the game changed in the second quarter.
Gay hit field goals of 48 and 24 to get the Buccaneers within 14-9. A strong kickoff return had the Titans at their own 45. On 3rd and 7 from the Tampa Bay 26, Tannehill was sacked for a 6 yard loss. Cody Parkey did hit the 51 yard field goal to make it 17-9 Titans with 1:15 left in the half, but it was temporary relief. Winston hit Evans for gains of 13 and 14. On 3rd and 17 from their own 45, Winston went deep to Evans for a 46 yard gain. With 15 seconds left in the half, the Bucs had 3rd and goal at the 9. Winston again went to Evans for the touchdown. The 2 point conversion failed but the Buccaneers were right back in it down 17-15. In the third quarter Derrick Henry fumbled and the Buccaneers recovered at their own 44. Winston went deep to Evans for a 43 yard gain. Winston threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Evans. This time the 2 point try succeeded as Winston hit Chris Godwin for the conversion to make it 23-17 Buccaneers.
With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Titans took over at their own 8 yard line. on 3rd and 11 from their own 25, Tannehill was intercepted. However, defensive pass interference meant a 17 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Tampa Bay 24, Tannehill threw incomplete. Parkey hit from 42 to get the Titans within 23-20 after three quarters. The Titans got it back one minute into the fourth quarter at their own 10 yard line. Tannehill hit Smith for 17 yards and Humphries and Davis for a pair of 8 yard gains. On 3rd and 4 from the Tampa Bay 47, Tannehill hit Sharpe for 5 yards. Henry ran for 15 and Tannehill hit Humphries for 13 more. On 3rd and goal from the 8 Tannehill hit Brown for the touchdown. The 12 play, 90 yard, 7 minute drive had the Titans up by 4 midway through the fourth quarter. Winston was sacked and fumbled again and the Titans recovered at the Tampa 36. with 3:45 left, on 4th and 2 from the Bucs 28, Mike Vrabel called for a fake field goal. It was a bold call that didn’t work as Kern got stopped for no gain. The Bucs moved to a 4th and 1 at the Tennessee 32 at the 2 minute warning. Pierre Barber got the carry and got stopped cold. The Bucs got it back at their own 24 with 42 seconds left and 0 timeouts. From their 36, Winston went deep and was intercepted. 27-23 Titans
Los Angeles Chargers at Chicago Bears — The Bears moved the ball at will against the Chargers but could not crack the end zone in the first half. First Eddie Pineiro brought back nightmares of Cody Parkey for bears fans when Pieniro doinked a 33 yard chip shot off the upright no good. In the second quarter Pineiro would connect from 22 and 25 to give the Bears a 6-0 lead. After a touchback, Philip Rivers hit Green for 10 yards and went deep to Williams for a 43 yard gain. Melvin Gordon ran for a 19 yard touchdown. After trailing the entire half, the Chargers led 7-6 just before the 2 minute warning. Two plays after the ensuing kickoff, on 2nd and 3 from their own 30, Montgomery broke free for a 55 yard gain. Chicago tried to give the drive away but the Charges kept committing defensive penalties. 30 seconds still remained in the half and the Bears had 1st and goal at the one after a very questionable defensive pass interference penalty since the ball could not have been caught. Trubisky threw incomplete. The Bears had no timeouts but 25 seconds. On 2nd and goal, Montgomery got stopped. By the time Trubisky spiked the ball to stop the clock, one second remained. On 4th and goal at the one, Matt Nagy opted for the field goal. Pineiro hit the 19 yarder. Even with the Bears leading 9-7 at halftime, the hometown crowd booed the inept Chicago offense.
The Bears took the second half kickoff and atoned for their earlier failures. Montgomery carried 5 straight times for gains of 8, 5, 5, 3, and a tough 2 on 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 46. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 43, a run got stopped. Matt Nagy decided to go for i and Trubisky hit Miller for 8 yards and then went deep to Robinson for 31 yards. Montgomery finished the 11 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive with a 4 yard touchdown run for a 16-7 Bears lead. After a touchback, it was the Chargers embarking on a 14 play, 73 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. Yet the same Chargers who couldn’t gain one yard last week couldn’t convert 2nd and goal at the 2 into a touchdown. Rivers threw incomplete and then Austin Ekeler got stopped. Anthony Lynn decided not to gamble. McLaughlin hit the 20 yard field goal to get the Chargers within 16-10. An interception of Trubisky was returned by Hayward 37 yards to the Chicago 20. Yet the Chargers went backward. On 3rd and 14, Rivers went to the end zone and Keenan Allen dropped the potential game leading touchdown pass. It was well defended. McLaughlin then missed a 42 yard field goal with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Bears were trying to give the game away and the Chargers would not take it.
The Bears took over at their own 32 and disaster struck again. From their 42, Trubisky was sacked and fumbled. The Chargers again had gift field position at the Chicago 26. On 2nd and 10 a completion only gained 3 yards but a defensive facemask aded 12 yards. On the next play Rivers went to Ekeler for an 11 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Chargers led by one point. The Bears embarked on an 11 play drive that took 6 minutes. From their own 16, they moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Chargers 37. In long field goal range for the led, Montgomery lost 3 yards. Then on 3rd and 10 Trubisky took a sack. With 2:04 left the Chargers got the ball back at their own 46. Running the ball is how you run out the clock. That is why it is called running out the clock. Instead Rivers was sacked for a 6 yard loss. On 3rd and 12 from their own 13 Rivers found Hunter Henry near the sticks. Perfect textbook tackling kept Henry inches from the first down as the Chargers had to punt.
In the battle of who wanted it least, the Bears would have one more shot from their own 35 with 90 seconds to play. Trubisky went to Tony Gabriel for 22 yards and to Robinson for 9 more. With 53 seconds left, from the Chargers 32, Trubisky almost tripped over his own offensive lineman. Somehow he escaped a sure sack and scrambled for an 11 yard gain. The Chargers took their final timeout on defense with 43 seconds to play. A field goal try would only be 40 yards. Rather than try and get a few yards closer, Matt Nagy made a questionable coaching decision in a game of head-scratching decisions on both sides. Nagy had Trubisky take a knee and not even try to gain more yards on the ground. With 3 seconds left, Pineiro came in for a 41 yard try to permanently erase the Ghost of Cody Parkey. The kick was no good. Anthony Lynn and Philip Rivers could not even manage a smile, offering sighs of relief in winning a game both teams deserved to lose. Quote the late Paul Maguire: “I hate kickers. They should be paid $50 a game.” 17-16 Chargers
Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons — Pete Carroll and the Seahawks had the benefit of playing a reeling Falcons team in full collapse. Matt Ryan was out injured as 16 year veteran Matt Schaub got the start for Atlanta. Schaub once had a streak of throwing an interception for a touchdown several games in a row. In the first quarter Jason Myers hit a 42 yard field goal for the Seahawks and the Falcons soon faced 4th and 1 at the Seattle 33. Dan Quinn went for the field goal and Matt Bryant missed from 51. After the miss, the Seahawks took over at their own 41 to start the second quarter. Penny ran for gains of 9 and 17. Russell Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for 14 yards. Chris Carson gained 12 and 3, and Wilson hit DK Metcalf for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Seahawks. Schaub was then intercepted by Kendricks, setting up the Seahawks at he Atlanta 46. On 3r and 3 from the 39, Carson ran for 19 yards and then added 4 more. Penny ran for gains of 12 and 3 and Carson got the last yard for a 17-0 Seahawks lead. Bryant had another field goal try from 53 yards, and he missed again to set the Seahawks up at their own 43. From the Atlanta 47, Wilson went to Locket for 20 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Atlanta 27, Wilson went back to Lockett for 20 more yards and hit Metcalf for a 2 yard touchdown with less than 30 seconds left in the half. With the Seahawks up 24-0, Dan Quinn debated whether to coach the second half or join Pete Carroll’s staff again.
The Seahawks slept through most of the second half as the Falcons mounted a furious rally. After a touchback, Schaub went to Hooper for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Seattle 36, Jadavean Clowney entered the neutral zone. On 3rd and 1, Freeman lost a yard. On 4th and 2 from the Seattle 32, Clowney jumped into the neutral zone again. Brian Hill rushed for a 23 yard touchdown. Schaub hit Ridley for the 2 point conversion as the Falcons were within 24-8. Atlanta got it back at their own 37 and moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Seattle 21. Schaub was sacked to kill the drive. Bryant hit a 47 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 24-11. Atlanta got it back at their own 14 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 8 with 13 minutes left in regulation. Schaub hit Freeman for 7 yards but at the one yard line Freeman was hit and fumbled the ball. The Seahawks took over at their own 6. From their 9, Wilson hit Lockett for gains of 19 and 12 and Moore for 23 more. On 3rd and 11 from the Atlanta 39, Wilson hit Locket for 13. However, offensive pass interference instead meant 3rd and 21. Wilson went to Hollister for 12, enough for Myers to drill a 54 yard field goal to make it 27-11 with 6 minutes left in regulation.
After a touchback, Schaub found Gage for gains of 10 and 17, Hardy for 15, and Hooper for 14. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 19, Clowney jumped offsides for the third time.On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 8, Schaub hit Jones for 7 yards. Schaub then hit Hooper for the one yard touchdown. With 3 minutes left, the 2 point try failed. The Falcons were within 27-17, but it was still a two score game. Pete Carroll played it very safe, with 3 runs up the middle to force the Falcons to take their timeouts on defense. The Falcons got it back at their own 14 with 2:36 to play. With 1:17 to play the Falcons had 1st and 10 at the Seattle 19. Needing 2 scores, Dan Quinn decided to immediately try the field goal. Bryant was good from 37 but the onsides kick failed and the Dirty Birds were cooked. Schaub was a ridiculous 39 of 52 for 460 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Wilson was only 14 of 20 for 182 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Yet it was the Seahawks who got the win after their 24-0 early lead allowed them to coast. 27-20 Seahawks
New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars — Leonard Fournette ran for a 66 yard gain and Gardner Minshew hit Cole for a 6 yard touchdown. Josh Lambo missed the extra point as the Jaguars had the 6-0 lead. The Jets then embarked on a 12 play, 93 yard drive that consumed nearly 8 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from their own 16, Sam Darnold hit Ty Montgomery for just enough. Darnold then hit Griffin for 23 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 47, Leveon Bell got stopped. Adam Gase decided to go for it and Powell went up the gut 2 yards. Darnold then hit Anderson for 13 yards and to Griffin for a 24 yard touchdown and a 7-6 Jets lead. On their next series Darnold was intercepted. 2 plays later, on 2nd and 7 from their own 30, Minshew went deep to Conley for a 70 yard touchdown and a 13-7 Jaguars advantage.
In the second quarter the Jaguars embarked on a mind-numbing 17 play, 84 yard drive that consumed 9 minutes off the clock. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 6, Fournette was stopped for a 5 yard loss. Lambo hit the 29 yard field goal and tacked on a 43 yarder to end the half with the Jaguars up 19-7. The Jaguars moved the ball again in the third quarter but could not reach the end zone. On 2nd and goal from the 6, Minshew threw incomplete twice. Lambo hit from 24 to make it 22-7 Jaguars. After a touchback, Darnold hit Crowder for 16 and Thomas for gains of 9, 8 and 6. The Jaguars began the fourth quarter at the Jets 33. Smith gained 13. On 2nd and 16 from the Jags 26, Darnold went to Thomas for 23 and to Ryan Griffin for the 3 yard touchdown. Darnold hit Griffin again fort he 2 point conversion as the Jets were within 22-15 with a full 13 minutes left in regulation. The Jets got it back but a killer offensive penalty had them facing 2nd and 24 at their own 9. Darnold was intercepted by Bouye, who returned it 25 yards to the Jets 24. On 3rd and 10, Minshew hit Fournette for 15. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Minshew hit DJ Chark for the touchdown to lock up the win with 4 minutes left. Another interception of Darnold sealed it. 29-15 Jaguars
Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills — Jake Elliott hit a 37 yard field goal in the first quarter for the Eagles. After a touchback the Bills faced 3rd and 8 at their own 41. Josh Allen it Brown for 9 yards with roughing the passer adding 15 more. Allen then ran for 13 yards with a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty moving the Bills close. On 3rd and goal form the 14 to start the second quarter, Josh Allen rolled out and found Cole Beasley for the touchdown and the 7-3 Bills lead. Buffalo’s stout defense was again playing well but getting little help from the offense. On 3rd and 2 from their own 28, Allen was hit and fumbled and the Eagles recovered at the Buffalo 24. On 3rd and 1 from the 15, Carson Wentz gained 2 yards. Wentz hit Dall Goedert for a 2 yard touchdown. Doug Peterson likes to go for 2 point conversions in odd situations that don’t call for it. This time his gamble paid off and the Eagles led 11-7 with 25 seconds left in the half Buffalo actually had a shot at a 53 yard field goal to end the half, but Steve Hauschka missed it.
Two plays into the third quarter, the Eagles struck again. Sanders raced for a 65 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Eagles led 17-7. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 14 at their own 21. Allen went deep to Brown for 19 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Philly 46,Allen went to Beasley for 21 yards. On 3rd and 13 from the Philly 28, Allen went to devin Singletary for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked as the Bills trailed 17-13. The Eagles took over at their own 32 and Wentz went deep to Alshon Jeffery for a 38 yard gain. On 2nd and 17 from the Buffalo 37, Wentz went to Howard for 15 and to Jeffery for 3 on 3rd and 2. Scott ran for a 4 yard touchdown for a 24-13 Eagles lead. Down by 2 scores late in the third quarter, Sean McDermott made the very questionable decision to go for it on 4th and 10 at the Philly 29 rather than try a 47 yard field goal. Allen threw incomplete. The Eagles began the fourth quarter at their own 17. The Bills have won all year with defense but in this game West Coast dink and dunker Doug Pederson went smash mouth. On 3rd and 5 from their own 22, Wentz gained 13. On 3rd and 10 from their own 35, Wentz gained 11. Howard ran for 20 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 21, Wentz hit Zac Ertz for 18 yards. Jordan Howard ran for the 3 yard touchdown. The Eagles gashed the Bills for 218 yards rushing on 41 carries. They just plain hit the Bills in the mouth. 31-13 Eagles
Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Rams in London. The winless Bengals put up a fight in a tough first half where both teams moved to the red zone but could not seal the deal. Greg Zuerlein hi from 23 yards in the first quarter to give the Rams the lead. Bullock answered from 28 at the start of the second quarter for a 3-3 game. The Rams got it back at their own 8 yard line. On 3rd and 6 from their own 12, Jared Goff went to Cooper Kupp for 32 yards and again for 23 more. Goff then went to Reynolds for a 31 yard touchdown and a 10-3 Rams lead. After a touchback, the Bengals soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 45. Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw incomplete. The decision was to go for it and Joe Mixon gained 2 yards followed by a 13 yard gain. Bernard then ran for 25 yards. Dalton hit Mixon for a one yard touchdown to tie the game 10-10 and complete the 11 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. After a touchback, the Rams struck back quickly when Sean McVay went to the bag of tricks. A double handoff reverse flea flicker led to a pass from Goff to Kupp for a 65 yard touchdown and a 17-10 Rams lead. The Rams took the third quarter kickoff and marched 75 yards in 10 plays. On 3rd and 4 from their own 31, Goff hit Kupp for 15. On 3rd and 10 from their own 46, Goff went deep to Kupp for 40 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the 5, Todd Gurley ran for 2 and then the 3 yard touchdown. The defense controlled the final 25 minutes. Michelin Man Wade Phillips had to be pleased when a garbage touchdown with 5 seconds left was overturned. 24-10 Rams
Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints — Teddy Bridgewater went 5-0 in relief, but now the pinball wizard Drew Brees was back. The Saints have been winning with defense. Arizona put up a fight in the first half. Wil Lutz missed a 47 yard field goal for the Saints early on. Zane Gonzalez connected from 31 for the Cardinals. In the second quarter Lutz hit from 26 for a 3-3 game. The Saints for it back at their own 29 and Brees and Thomas connected for gains of 28 and 16 yards. Latavius Murray did the rest, running for 7, 10, and the 8 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Saints. Gonzalez hit again from 31 yards out with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half as the Cardinals only trailed 10-6. A close game in the third quarter was undone by a horrendous coaching decision by rookie Cliff Kingsbury. He summoned his inner Barry Switzer. After an interception of Brees, Kingsbury decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from his own 30 yard line. This is not college football. This is the NFL, which Jerry Glanville reminded us stands for “Not For Long” if you make decisions like that. Edmonds got the carry and got stopped by the tough Saints defense.
With a short field, on 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 27, Brees went to Harris or 9 yards and to Murray for the 15 yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Saints. Gonzalez would hit his third field goal from 50 yards out to get the Cardinals within 17-9, but the Saints turned out the lights in the fourth quarter. On 2nd and 9 from their own 26, Brees went deep to Ted Ginn for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 37, Brees went to Hill for 29 yards. Whenever Taysom Hill is in the game, Sean Payton is up to something. Yet this time Hill was the receiver and not the quarterback. Brees hit Hill fort he 5 yard touchdown to make it 24-9 Saints with 13 minutes left in regulation. The Saints got it back and delivered the exclamation point. From their 27, Murray gained 28 yards. Brees went deep to Hill for 36 more. Brees then hit Thomas for the 9 yard touchdown to turn a close game into a blowout. Pinball Wizard Brees was 34 of 43 for 373 yards with 3 touchdowns and one interception. 31-9 Saints
Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts — John Elway, Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck are retired. Jacoby Brissett and Joe Flacco can both throw the ball, but this was a defensive slugfest. The Broncos mounted a staggering 17 play, 86 yard drive that took 7:45 off the clock. On 1st and goal at the 3, rather than run the ball, 3 straight Flacco incompletions meant a 21 yard Brandon McManus field goal. Denver then mounted a 13 play, 73 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Yet 2nd and 4 from the Colts 9 was followed by a run that last 2 yards and an incompletion. McManus hit from 29 to make it 6-0 Broncos with one minute left in the half. From their own 20, Brissett hit Eric Hebron for 9 and Hines for 20. Old Man Adam Vinatieri on the last play of the half drilled a 55 yard field goal to get the Colts on the board. The Broncos quickly went to work in the this quarter after a touchback. Flacco went to Chris Sutton for a 25 yard gain to midfield. On 1st and 15 from the Indy 33, the defense jumped offsides. On 1st and 10, Flacco threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 24 yard gain. Royce Freeman ran for the 4 yard touchdown as the Broncos had a 13-3 lead on the road.
After a touchback, the Colts moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Denver 27. Brissett threw incomplete twice. Vinatieri hit from 45 yards out to get the Colts within 13-6. Denver went into an offensive shell, and the Colts took over at their own 32. Brissett went to Dotle for 19 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Denver 40, Brissett went back to Doyle for 16 more. On 2nd and 6 from the Denver 20, Brissett threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 10. On the next play Marlon Mack ran it in. The most accurate clutch kicker of all time, Adam Vinateri missed the extra point as the Colts trailed 13-12 after three quarters. The defenses dug in and the Colts began their final drive at their own 11 with 1:48 to play. Brissett scrambled near his own goal line and dangerously came close to being sacked for a safety. Somehow he avoided the disaster and fired deep to TY Hilton for a 35 yard gain. 2 plays later a 5 yard completion to Hines saw an extra 15 yards tacked on for a horse collar tackle. With 22 seconds left in regulation, Old Man Vinatieri came in for a 51 yard field goal try to win it. The most clutch kicker of all time kicked the game winner in 2 Super Bowls, won a game in a blizzard, kicked a 55 yarder in this game, and missed an extra point. On this kick, he was good to send Vic fang’s Broncos to another agonizing loss. 15-13 Colts
Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans — The Raiders began the decade with consecutive road wins at Houston, including one on the day after Al Davis died. This time the dearly departed was legendary cornerback Old Man Willie Brown. The players and coaches are new. Every time the Raiders took the lead, the Texans answered. Each team punted twice and the Raiders soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 35. Derek Carr fired a laser over the middle to Hunter Renfrow, who slipped through two tackles and raced for a 65 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Raiders and cap a 95 yard drive. Carlos Hyde after a touchback ran for 9 and 5. From the Houston 44, Deshaun Watson went to Darren Fells for a 23 yard gain. Watson went to Johnson for a 12 yard touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame.
The Raiders in the second quarter took over at their own 30. Deandre Washington ran for a pair of 6 yard gains. Carr hit Renfrow for 8 yards to midfield. Josh Jacobs ran for 23 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Houston 21, Carr hit Jones for 15 yards and Darren Waller fr an 8 yard touchdown to complete to 10 play, 70 yard drive and put the Raiders up 14-7. The Texans moved from their own 21 to a 1st and 10 at the Oakland 16. Hyde was tackled for a 6 yard loss. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 33 yard field goal to get the Texans within 14-10 at halftime. After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Texans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Oakland 11. Hyde lost a yard and Watson was sacked for a 10 yard loss. Fairbairn hit from 40 and the Texans were within 14-13.
The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 28. Carr went deep to Tyrell Williams for a 23 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 46, Carr went deep to Williams for the touchdown. The Raiders led 21-13 midway through the third quarter, but this is a team that still does not know how to finish games. The Texans took over at their own 23. Watson hit Johnson for 8 and Hopkins for gains of 7 and 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Oakland 42, Watson hit Hopkins for 7. On 3rd and 6 from the Oakland 31, Watson hit Johnson for just enough. Hyde ran for 8. He then fumbled on the next carry but the Texans somehow maintained possession and faced 3rd and 1 at the Oakland 16. Watson ran for 4. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Watson hit Darren Fells for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 21-20 and cap the 15 play, 77 yard, 8 minute drive.
The Raiders after a touchback continued to move the ball well, reaching a 2nd and 6 at the Houston 24. Josh Jacobs ran well all day with a bad shoulder, but his next carry lost a yard. The Raiders burned a timeout that would loom larger later. With 11 minutes left in regulation, on the critical 3rd and 7, Carr threw incomplete. Daniel Carlson hit the 44 yard field goal to make it 24-20 Raiders, but their defense could not stop Watson the whole second half. There was zero reason to think they would when it mattered.
After a touchback Watson threw incomplete. However, a horrendous roughing the passer call on Maxx Crosby gave the Texans 15 yards. Replay showed Crosby clearly held up as he should. On 3rd and 7 from the Oakland 46, with the defense smelling a rollout by Watson, instead it was Hyde getting the carry. He had been bottled up all game but gained 10 yards on this carry. Hyde then gained another 9 yards. Watson scrambled for 10. On 1st and goal from the 9, Watson rolled out as he had done the whole second half. He appeared to be sacked, somehow escaped the sack, took a knee to his eye, spun around, and while being tackled threw a one-eyed touchdown pass to Fells. The Raiders were in shock and disbelief. With 6 1/2 minutes left, the Texans had their first lead of the game up by a field goal.
The Raiders offense plays well with a lead but is miserable when trailing. The first team to get a stop would win, and it seemed inevitable that the Raiders offense would falter when it mattered.After a touchback, Jacobs gained 8 yards and Carr hit Williams for 22 yards to the Houston 45. One more first down meant long field goal range. Jacobs ran for 12 yards, but offensive holding on Richie Incognito killed the drive. On 3rd and 16 just shy of midfield, Carr went deep to williams. Despite clear pass interference, Gruden did not throw the challenge flag for fear of losing another timeout. He opted to punt with 4 minutes left despite the fact that his defense was helpless against Watson. With 2:23 left the Raiders took their final timeout. On 2nd and 7 just shy of midfield, Watson rolled out and totally appeared corralled. Somehow he short-armed a sideways pass to Fells, who somehow hauled it in with one arm without the ball hitting the ground. Once again, the Raiders had collapsed in the fourth quarter. 27-24 Texans
Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers — Kyle Allen has been unbeaten in relief, but this week the Panthers ran into a buzzsaw at the unbeaten 49ers. Dominating from the outset, they started with 3rd and 5 from their own 30. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Greg Kittle for 7 yards. Matt Breida ran for 11. Tevin Coleman ran for 22 and Garoppolo went to bread for 15 more. Garoppolo hit newly acquired Emanuel Sanders for a 4 yard touchdown and a 7-0 49ers lead. Garoppolo was intercepted on his next series, leading to a short field and a Carolina field goal. After that, the 49ers obliterated the Panthers. On 2nd and 11 from their own 24, Garoppolo hit Kittle for 12. Unnecessary roughness 2 plays later added 15 more yards. Coleman ran for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 49ers. An interception of Allen gave the 49ers a short field at the carolina 27. Breida ran for 17 and Garoppolo hit Coleman for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 49ers early in the second quarter. With 2:15 left in the half the 49ers faced 3rd and 4 at their own 43 Garoppolo hit Sanders for just enough. After the defense jumped offsides, Coleman raced for a 48 yard touchdown. For somer eason up 27-3, Kyle Shanahan went for a 2 point conversion. That was the only thing that failed for the 49ers.
The Panthers tried to make a game of it in the third quarter. Jimmy Garoppolo was sacked for a safety. The free kick was returned 26 yards to just shy of midfield. Christian McCaffrey ran for a 40 yard touchdown. Allen hit Samuel for the 2 point conversion as the Panthers were within 27-13 with plenty of time left. The rest was all 49ers. After a touchback, on 2nd and 4 from their own 43, Garoppolo went to Kittle for 25 yards. Samuel caught a pass for 8 yards and then ran for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 34-13 49ers. Richard Sherman then intercepted Allen and returned it 21 yards to the Carolina 10. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Garoppolo threw incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Coleman got it in to make it 41-13 49ers. Allen was then intercepted by Nick Bosa, who returned it 46 yards to the Carolina 9. Robbie Gould hit a 20 yard field goal for a 44-13 49ers carpet-bombing.After the Panthers turned it over on downs at their own 41, the 49ers needed one play to get what former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci calls a 50-burger. Mostert got the carry and the touchdown. This 49ers team is not winning with West Coast Offense dink and dunk finesse. They are tough, physical, and winning with hard running and tenacious defense. 51-13 49ers
Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots — The Patriots still have not broken the all time blowout record of 73-0 set in 1940. At home against the Browns, it looked early on like they might. The Patriots began facing 3rd and 6 at their own 31. Tom Brady went to Philip Dorsett for 33 yards. Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick decided to go for it on 4th and 7 from the Cleveland 33 rather than try a 51 yard field goal. Brady hit Julian Edelman for 10 yards. Despite 2nd and goal at the 2, Sony Michel got stopped and Brady threw incomplete. This time Belichick opted for the field goal and Mike Nugent hit from 20 to make it 3-0 Patriots. Two plays after a touchback, Nick Chubb fumbled and Donta Hightower returned it 26 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 10-0 Patriots lead. The ensuing kick was kicked out of bounds, setting up the Browns at their own 40. One play from scrimmage saw Chubb run for a 44 yard gain to the New England 16 but fumble the ball away again. The Browns got it back at their own 21 and again it took one play for the Browns to turn it over for the third consecutive series. Baker Mayfield was intercepted by Guy, who returned it 5 yards to the Cleveland 11. Two plays later Brady hit Edelman for an 8 yard touchdown as the Patriots led 17-0 after the first quarter.
Surprisingly, the Browns hung in there and tried to make a game of it in the second quarter. From their own 46. Chubb ran for 6. Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 13 and O’Dell Beckham for 7 more. Chubb ran for 6 and 1, and Mayfield went to Harris for the 21 yard touchdown to get the Browns within 17-7. The Browns got a further jolt of energy when they blocked a 29 yard Patriots field goal attempt. In the third quarter Seibert hit a 38 yard field goal as the Browns only trailed 17-10. Could the shocking upset be possible? no. On 3rd and 10 from their own 16, Brady and James White Connected on a 59 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 16, Michel gained 2. Brady then went to Edelman for the 14 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Patriots. Midway through the fourth quarter, Nugent hit a 29 yard field goal to lock up the win and keep the Patriots unbeaten Cleveland aded one more field goal to complete the scoring as Bill Belichick got his 300th win against his old team that fired him. Belichick trails only Don Shula and Papa Bear George Halas in all time wins. 27-13 Patriots
Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs was the Sunday night game. 42 years ago brought us Vince Lombardi, Lamar Hunt, Hank Stramm, Bart Starr and Max McGee. On this night there was Aaron Rodgers but not the injured Patrick Mahomes as Matt Moore came out of retirement to start. The Packers took over at their own 33 and made it look easy at the start. On 3rd and 9 from the Chiefs 45, Rodgers went deep to Kumerow for 34 yards. On 1st and 20 from the Chiefs 21, Rodgers hit Aaron Jones for 17 and again for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Packers on their next series punted on 4th and 23 from their own 5. An 18 yard punt return had the Chiefs taking over at the Packers 30. All they did was lose a couple yards and see Harrison Butker miss a 50 yard field goal. The Packers took over at their own 40. Rodgers went deep to Jones for a 50 yard gain and then to Lazard for 9 more down to the one. Williams got the yard up the gut to make it 14-0 Packers.
Momentum changed in the second quarter. The Chiefs began at their own 11. On 3rd and 4 from their own 17, Williams gained 8 yards. Moore found Travis Kelce for 18 yards. On 3rd and 12 from their own 46, Moore hit Tyreek Hill for 14 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 31, Williams gained 2 yards. Moore then went deep to Travis Kelce for a 29 yard touchdown to get the Chiefs within 14-7. The Chiefs got it back and soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 41. Moore went to Sammy Watkins for 11, to Hill for 18, and to Hardman for a 30 yard touchdown to tie the gam 14-14. The Chiefs got it back at their own 16. From their 22, Moore went to Kelce for 7, Hill for 21, Hardman for 25, and LeSean Shady McCoy for gains of 10 and 5. Despite 2nd and 5 at the Green Bay 10, Moore threw incomplete twice. Butler hit a 28 yard field goal as the Chiefs led 17-14 at halftime. Then the game changed again.
The Packers took over in the third quarter at their own 11. Rodgers went to Lazard for 14 yards. On 3rd and 10 from their 38, Rodgers hit Graham for 11 yards. Williams then gained 14 yards on the ground. The Packers were clicking with 1st and goal at the 6 when they took a costly delay of game penalty. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Rodgers was sacked for a 10 yard loss. The 15 play, 72 yard drive took 8 1/2 minutes off the clock, but settled for a 35 yard Mason Crosby field goal and a 17-17 game. One play after a touchback, McCoy fumbled and the Packers took over at the Chiefs 27. to start the fourth quarter. Rodgers scrambled for gains of 15 and 9 and then on 3rd and 1 hit Williams for a 3 yard touchdown. Rodgers managed to float a perfect pass just before 2 defenders took him to the ground. One minute into the fourth quarter, the Packers had regained the lead 24-17.
After a touchback, Damian Williams ran for 8, caught a pass for 4, and ran for 9 more. Moore hit Hill for 8 and Watkins deep for gains of 25 and 10 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Moore threw incomplete but an illegal use of hands penalty instead meant 1st and goal at the 4. Williams ran it in on the next play to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive. With 9 minutes left in regulation, this fine football game was tied 24-24. This time the Packers struck back very quickly. On 2nd and 2 from their own 33, Rodgers threw a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass to Jones, who raced past everybody for a 67 yard touchdown to put the Packers back in the lead. The Chiefs took over at their own 22. They moved to a 3rd and 3 at their own 40. Moore threw incomplete and Andy Reid with 5:13 to play opted to a punt. A perfect punt by Dustin Colquitt pinned the Packers back to their own 2 yard line.
The Ghost of Vince Lombardi smiled as the current pass-happy Packers played smash mouth football. They actually once in awhile run the ball on Green Bay. Jones gained 6, 2, and on 3rd and 2, a critical 4 yards. Then he ran for 9 as the Chiefs took their first timeout with 2:52 to play. Jones then ran for 5 and another first down as the Chiefs burned their 2nd timeout. After 5 straight carries by Jones, Williams got the carry and gained 2 yards as the Chiefs took their final timeout with 2:41 to play. It was back to Jones for 3 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Everything came down to 3rd and 5 at the Green Bay 33. While Aaron Rodgers is one of the greatest quarterbacks of his generation, the entire football world knows you run the football in this situation. Every. Single. Time. Instead, Rodgers lined up in the shotgun with an empty backfield. An incompletion would give the Chiefs an extra 40 seconds. Instead, Rodgers threw an 8 yard completion to Jones to put the game on ice. This is why the entire football world is not a football coach. The Packers are 7-1 and a serious Super Bowl contender. Moore played well, but after a 4-0 start the Chiefs have lost 3 of their last 4 games, with all 3 losses coming at home. This makes Andy Reid a most concerned Walrus Lite indeed. 31-24 Packers
Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Monday night game. The Steelers survived with their 3rd string quarterback and this week got their backup Mason Rudolph back from a concussion. The Dolphins are on pace to be the worst team in NFL history, but have been competitive with Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard at quarterback. Early on it was all Miami and the dumbest Steelers fans were calling for Mike Tomlin’s scalp despite 0 losing seasons. Rudolph was intercepted to set up the Dolphins at the Pittsburgh 26. Fitzpatrick went to Wilson for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. Tomlin gambled on 4th and 6 from the Miami 37 and Rudolph threw incomplete. The Dolphins then marched 63 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. On 3rd and 14 from their own 43, Fitzpatrick went to Parker for 15 yards. From the Pittsburgh 25, Fitzpatrick went to Williams for 11 and to Allen Hurns for a 12 yard touchdown as the Dolphins led 14-0 after the first quarter in front of a stunned home crowd. Then came the reality check.
In the second quarter the Steelers faced 3rd and 11 at their own 5 yard line. Rudolph hit Johnson for 12 yards. James Conner ran for gains of 8 and 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 41, Rudolph went deep to Juju Smith-Schuster for 34 yards. The drive stalled after that but Chris Boswell hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Steelers on the board. An interception of Fitzpatrick with 1:13 left in the half set up the Steelers at midfield. On 3rd and 12, Rudolph went to Smith-Schuster for 17 yards. With 17 seconds left in the half, the Steelers faced 3rd and 20 from the Miami 45. Just trying to get in field goal range, a short pass from Rudolph to Johnson went for the touchdown. The gut punch had the Steelers within 14-10 at halftime, but the game was over at that point. The Steelers missed a field goal in the third quarter, but another interception of Fitzpatrick on a deep ball had the Steelers at their own 3 yard line. From their 6, Rudolph went to Smith-Schuster for 17 yards. On 2nd and 20 from their 13, Rudolph went to Washington for 21 yards. Conner gained 14 and 8. On 3rd and 8 from the Miami 38, Rudolph hit Johnson for 11 and Smith-Schuster for a 26 yard touchdown to put the Steelers up 17-14 after three quarters. At the end of the third quarter, the Dolphins went for it on 4th and 1 from the Pittsburgh 47. Fitzpatrick got the yard but Pittsburgh successfully challenged the spot and go the ball back. Rudolph went to Johnson for 13 and Conner gained 11. On 1st and 20 from the Miami 38, defensive pass interference added 25 yards. James Conner ran for a 9 yard touchdown and a 24-14 Steelers lead with 12 minutes left. Miami fumbled 2 more times and Pittsburgh tacked on one more field goal as 27 points kept the Dolphins winless. 27-14 Steelers