NFL 2019 Week 12 Recap
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans was the Thursday night game. These 6-4 teams fought for the AFC South lead and played like it. Late in the first quarter the Texans faced 3rd and 6 at midfield. Deshaun Watson hit Deandre Hopkins for just enough. On the last play of the first quarter the Texans faced 3rd and 13 at the Indy 47. Watson went deep to Fells for 24 yards. The second quarter began with the Texans facing 3rd and 4 at the indy 17. Watson threw incomplete. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. Yet the next time the Texans got the ball back at their own 35, Watson was immediately intercepted to give the Colts a short field at the Houston 42. Frank Reich went straight to the ground game and Williams gained 5, 2 and on 3rd and 3, 7. Hines gained 18 and 6 and Jacoby Brissett ran for the 5 yard touchdown. Without a single pass, the Colts took the 7-3 lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half.
After a touchback, it was Bill O’Brien on 2nd and 5 from his own 30 going to the ground game. Johnson ran for gains of 19 and 4. Watson hit Fuller for 15. On 2nd and 13 from the Indy 35, Watson went bombs away and hit Hopkins for the touchdown. With 1:53 left in the half, the Texans led 10-7. The Colts took over at their own 24. Brissett hit TY Hilton for 8 and 5, to Eric Ebron for 14, to Hines for 5, and to Ebron again for 14 on 3rd and 5. With 20 seconds left on 2nd and 10 from the Houston 30, Brissett hit Doyle for 12 yards. However, with only one timeout left the Colts let the clock run down to 2 seconds before taking it rather than running another play. Adam Vinatieri hit the 36 yard field goal as the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 10-10.
The Texans in the third quarter moved after a touchback to a 4th and 3 at the Indy 34. Bill O’Brien went for it rather than try a 52 yard field goal. Watson threw incomplete. Frank Reich kept the ground going and Williams ran for 12, 5 and 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 46, Brissett hit Doyle for 7. Hines then ran for 5, 8, 2, 7, and on 3rd and 1 form the Houston 17, 2. Williams did the rest, running for 2 and then the 13 yard touchdown. A drive with only one pass had the Colts up 17-10 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. After a touchback, Watson went deep to Fuller for a 51 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 12 from the Indy 26, Watson’s completion to Johnson only gained 8 yards. Fairbairn hit the 36 yard field goal but the Texans trailed 17-13 after three quarters.
The Texans got it back at their own 14. Watson went to Hopkins for 11 yards as the third quarter ended. Hyde then ran for a 33 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 at the Indy 33, Johnson gained 3. Watson then went deep to Hopkins again for a 30 yard touchdown. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Texans were back up by a field goal. Midway through the fourth quarter, with 3 minutes left in regulation, the Colts faced 4th and 7 at the Houston 47. Brissett scrambled right near the sticks but came up inches short. At the 2 minute warning, the Texans faced 3rd and 4 at the Houston 47. Watson went to Fuller for 11 yards as the Colts took their second timeout. On 2nd and 9 from the Indy 41 with the Colts out of timeouts and 1:48 left, Watson ran for 6 yards but then fumbled. The Colts thought they had their miracle but somehow Watson got the ball back. With 3 seconds left the Texans faced 4th and 3 at the Indy 35. Bill O’Brien was not going to risk a blocked punt or field goal try. Watson scrambled and threw the ball out of bounds to end the game. These teams deserve a playoff rematch. 20-17 Texans
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles — A shanked 27 yard punt had the Eagles starting at the Seattle 43. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Seattle 11, a run gained one yard and Carson Wentz threw incomplete twice. Elliott hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. The Seahawks after a touchback struck quickly. Russell Wilson went to Hollister for 21, DK Metcalf for 17, and Michael Turner for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Seahawks. Early in the second quarter an interception of Wentz had the Seahawks at their own 17. On 3rd and 6 from their own 21. Wilson went deep o Moore for a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Philly 45, Wilson hit Josh Gordon for 10 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Wilson threw incomplete. Myers hit the 24 yard field goal as the Seahawks led 10-3 midway through the second quarter. After that the Seattle defense clamped down. Late in the third quarter the Seahawks took over at their own 12. The fourth quarter began with them facing 3rd and 1 at their own 21. Chris Carson ran for 6 yards. On 3rd and 11 from their own 26, Wilson threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 1st and 20 from their own 42, Penny ran for a 58 yard touchdown with 12 minutes left in regulation to put the game away. The Eagles finally reached the end zone with 20 seconds left. The insides kick failed. 17-9 Seahawks
Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns — League rules prevented this game from being canceled. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Baker Mayfield hit Nick Chubb for a 32 yard gain. 2 plays later Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 18 more. On 3rd and 8 from the Miami 18, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 3 yards and a new set of downs. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 7, mayfield went to Landry for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. Cleveland got it back at their own 40. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 40, the Dolphins entered the neutral zone. On the next play Mayfield went deep to O’Dell Beckham for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Browns. In the second quarter after Brian Flores called a fake punt that didn’t work on 4th and 7 from his own 42, the Browns took over at the Miami 44. On 2nd and 14 from the Miami 25, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 20 yard gain. On the next play Mayfield hit Landry for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Browns. Ryan Fitzpatrick was then intercepted and the Browns took over at their own 27. On 3rd and 3 from their own 34, Mayfield hit Landry for 9 and Beckham for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Miami 37, Mayfield hit Beckham for 15. Then came a 16 yard defensive pass interference penalty. Kareem Hunt ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 28-0 Browns with one minute left in the half.
The Dolphins tried to make a game of it. The got on the board with a 36 yard field goal on the last play of the half. In the third quarter an interception of Mayfield set up the Dolphins at the Cleveland 46. On 3rd and 3 from the Cleveland 39, Kenny Ballage got just enough. on 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 32, Ryan Fitzpatrick went to Parker for 21 yards and Mike Gesicki for the 11 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 28-10. After a touchback the Browns reached a 1st and 10 at the Miami 21. Yet on 3rd and 9 Mayfield was sacked for a 7 yard loss. Austin Siebert then missed a 46 yard field goal. The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 36. On 3rd and 10 a completion gained one yard, but unnecessary roughness on the defense kept the drive going. Fitzpatrick then hit Parker for gains of 10 and 15. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Fitzpatrick ran it in himself. The third quarter ended with the Dolphins only down 28-17 and thinking miracle comeback.
The fourth quarter brought the reality check. A pair of long drives brought field goals of 40 and 26 by Siebert to put the Browns up 34-17. An interception of Fitzpatrick set up the Browns at the Miami 38. Nick Chubb ran for 17 yards. Mayfield had an interception returned 58 yards, but unnecessary roughness on the defense instead meant 1st and goal at the 8. Chubb ran for 3 and then the 5 yard touchdown to make it 41-17 Browns with 3 1/2 minutes left. Miami got a garbage touchdown to continue their garbage season. 41-24 Browns
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills — The Bills racked up huge yards, including a 17 play, 9 minute drive and an 11 play, 6 minute drive. Yet the Bills settled for field goals from Steve Hauschka of 29 yards in the first quarter and 23 yards in the second quarter for a 6-0 lead. The second half kickoff was short and returned 25 yards to set up the Bills at their own 41. On 3rd and 11 from their own 40, Josh Allen went to Foster for a 24 yard gain. Singletary ran for 8 and 10. On 3rd and 10 from the Denver 18, Allen went to Cole Beasley for the touchdown to make it 13-0 Bills. The Broncos did manage a field goal in the third quarter, but the Buffalo defense did the rest. The Broncos in the fourth quarter punted on 4th and 19 from their own 2 yard line. A 12 yard punt return with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness had the Bills taking over at the Denver 31. On 2nd ad 13, Allen went deep to John Brown for the 34 yard touchdown to lock up the win. 20-3 Bills
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals — The winless Bengals fought hard against their division opponent. A field position game in the second quarter had the Steelers taking over at the Cincy 48. On 2nd and 21 from their own 41 after a holding call, Mason Rudolph went to Cain for a 35 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the Cincy 8, Rudolph threw incomplete. Chris Boswell hit the 26 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Steelers with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Bengals took over at their own 31 and struck quickly. Finley ran for 7 yards. Finley then went deep for a 47 yard gain at the 2 minute warning. Finley then went to Boyd for the 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bengals. In the third quarter the Steelers took over at their own 17 and struck quickly. Rudolph was out and third string quarterback Hodges was in. Hodges hit Samuels for 11. On 2nd and 17 from their own 21, Hodges went deep to Washington for a 79 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Steelers. The Bengals took over at their own 23 and Joe Mixon ran for 9 and 14. On 2nd and 7 from the Pittsburgh 12, an offensive holding call killed the drive. Randy Bullock hit the 27 yard field goal for a 10-10 deadlock after three quarters.
The fourth quarter had the Steelers facing 3rd and 8 at their own 31. Hodges threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 8 yards. On the next play defensive pass interference meant 26 more yards. With 12 minutes left in regulation, Boswell hit a 47 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Steelers. After a touchback toe Bengals moved to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 30. Finley hit Boyd for a 22 yard gain, but Boyd fumbled. Minkah Fitzpatrick recovered at his own 6 yard line and returned it 36 yards for the Steelers. Pittsburgh punted but got it back at the Cincy 43. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincy 34, Snell ran for a 21 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincy 8, Hodges threw incomplete. Boswell hit the 26 yard field goal to put the Steelers up by 6 with 3:15 left. The Bengals soon faced 2nd and 2 at their own 29. Finley was sacked and fumbled and the Steelers recovered at the Cincy 21 with 2:47 left. At the 2 minute warning with the Steelers facing 2nd and 6 at the Cincinnati 17 and the Bengals out of timeouts, Snell ran for 13 yards to put the game away. The Bengals were game, but they remained winless. Meanwhile the Steelers, who began 0-3, have willed themselves with a third string quarterback to a 6-5 record. They are Mike Tomlin resilient. 16-10 Steelers
New York Giants at Chicago Bears — After a scoreless first quarter, in the second quarter the Bears punted on 4th and 18 from their own 8. The Giants took over at the Chicago 42. Sterling Shepard ran for a 22 yard gain. Daniel Jones hit Smith for a 3 yard touchdown for a 7-0 Giants lead. The Giants had plenty of attempts to expand the lead. Jabril Peppers returned a punt 40 yards to the Chicago 29. On 2nd and 5, Jones threw incomplete twice. Aldrick Rosas missed a 42 yard field goal. Then a shanked Bears punt went only 13 yards, setting up the Giants at the Chicago 48. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 21, Saquon Barkley lost 4 yards. Then at the 2 minute warning Rosas missed again from 43 yards out. After 28 minutes of lifelessness, the Bears got going from their own 33. Mitchell Trubisky hit Anthony Miller for 16 yards. Tarik Cohen ran for 13. Trubisky hit Miller for 14. With 16 seconds left in the half, on 3rd and 5 from the Giants 8, Trubisky threw incomplete. Eddie Pineiro hit the 26 yard field goal as the Bears trailed 7-3 at the half.
Rosas’s struggles continued as he kicked the second half kickoff out of bounds to set up the Bears at their own 40. Trubisky went to Robinson for 23 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Giants 37, Trubisky was sacked but defensive holding kept the drive going. On the next play Trubisky went to Allen Robinson for a 32 yard touchdown to put the Bears up 10-7. The Bears got it back at their own 6 yard line. Trubisky went deep to Robinson for 49 yards and Miller for 22 more. Yet despite 2nd and goal at the 6, Trubisky threw incomplete twice. Pineiro hit from 24 to make it 13-7 Bears. Then Jones did for the Giants what he does. From the Giants 23, he was sacked and fumbled. The Bears took over at the Giants 3 yard line. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Trubisky got in. The extra point was no good but the Bears led 19-7. An interception of Trubisky had the Giants starting out the fourth quarter at midfield. On 4th and 4 from the Giants 44, Pat Shurmur went for it and Jones threw incomplete.
With 9 minutes left the Giants took over at their own 3 yard line. Jones hit Golden Tate for 6 and Shepard for 5. Jones ran for a 26 yard gain. Jones then hit Slayton for a 19 yard gain. Barkley ran for 22 more. With just over 4 minutes left the Giants faced 4th and 18 from the Chicago 23. One defensive stop would end it. Instead Jones went to Tate for the touchdown as the Giants only trailed by 5 points. The Giants took their timeouts on defense. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34 the Bears tried to put the game away. Montgomery lost a yard. The Giants got it back at their own 6 yard line with 3 1/2 minutes left. On 4th and 4 from their own 12, Jones went to Slayton for 17 yards. On 4th and 4 from their own 35 with 1:43 left, Jones threw incomplete. It was ugly, but the Bears got the win. 19-14 Bears
Oakland Raiders at New York Jets — The Raiders offense moved well at the start, knowing they had a chance to tie for the AFC West lead. On 3rd and 11 from their own 24, Derek Carr hit Jalen Richard for 18 yards and Hunter Renfrow for 11 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 43, Carr avoided a sack, stepped up in the pocket, and fired over the middle to Tyrell Williams for 12 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Jets 29, Carr found Renfrow, but he just dropped it. On a cold, rainy, windy day at the Meadowlands, Daniel Carlson hit the 48 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders. This concluded anything resembling a Raiders highlight. After a touchback the Jets made it look easy. Sam Darnold went to Leveon Bell for a 23 yard gain and to Robbie Anderson for 24 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 16, Darnold hit Denarius Thomas for 8 and then again to a wide open Thomas for the 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Jets. Except it wasn’t. Offensive pass interference negated the score. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Darnold rolled out fired to the end zone low and incomplete. Sam Ficken hit the 24 yard field goal for a 3-3 game.
After a touchback, the Raiders moved to a 3rd and 8 from the Jets 34. Then came a false start to take the Raiders out of long field goal range. On 3rd and 13, Carr found a wide open Williams over the middle. Williams dropped it. A good punt pinned the Jets are at their own 4 yard line. Sam Dranold appeared to be sacked for a safety but somehow found Bell for 17 yards and Crowder for 15 more. He hit Griffin for 12. Bell then ran for 12 and caught a pass for 12. On 2nd and 5 from the Oakland 9, Darnold was sacked for an 11 yard loss. Yet a horrendous roughing the passer call instead meant 1st and goal at the 4. Maxx Crosby sacked Darnold cleanly and the flag was not on him. Another defender was flagged despite not even touching Darnold. He was trying to dive over the pile. Darnold ran for a 4 yard touchdown on the next play to make it 10-3 Jets. After a touchback and a sack of Carr, the Raiders faced 2nd and 17 from their own 18. Josh Jacobs ran for 15. On 3rd and 2 Carr hit Darren Waller for 15 and 19. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the Jets 25, a short pass from Carr to Renfrow saw Renfrow get blasted on a helmet to helmet hit. Renfrow was down for a bit, but no penalty was called. Carlson’s 43 yard field goal attempt looked dead center until the heavy wind blew it wide no good.
The Jets faced 3rd and 7 at their own 36. Darnold had trouble with a low snap out of the shotgun, yet still fired a laser between 2 receivers for a 14 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Oakland 43, Darnold went to Robbie Anderson for a 31 yard gain. Despite 1st and 10 from the Oakland 12, a run lost 3 yards and Darnold was sacked. Ficken hit the 35 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Jets. Things got worse for the Raiders when a punt was returned 26 yards with 15 more tacked on for a late hit by the punter. Yes, the punter got penalized. Despite 1st and 10 at the Oakland 25, this time the Jets went backward. A 20 yard completion from Darnold to Ty Montgomery was nullified by offensive holding. The 48 yard field goal try by Sam Ficken was barely no good. The Raiders were only down 13-3 at halftime, but in the third quarter the wheels totally came off.
The Jets took over in the third quarter at their own 19 and made it look easy. Bell ran for 6 and 5. Darnold fired over the middle to Berrios on a crossing route, and Berrios split the seams for a 69 yard gain down to the one. Darnold then found a wide open Griffin in the flat for the touchdown to make it 20-3 Jets. The Raiders got it back at their own 16. On 3rd and 2 from their own 38, Jacobs appeared to have the first down with a great second effort. Yet he was marked inches short of the first down. Jon Grudend decided not to challenge the call. On 4th and 1 Ingold got the carry and got stopped short again. This time Gruden did challenge the call even though the third down run was a much better bet. The call stood and the Jets had another short field at the Raiders 39. Adam Gase called a reverse flea flicker and Darnold went deep too Anderson for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Darnold went to Anderson for the touchdown to make it 27-3 Jets. The Raiders took over at their own 13 and disaster struck immediately. A short pass was deflected in the air. Brian Poole made a one-handed interception and returned it 15 yards to the end zone, dragging Renfrow with him. With 2 minutes left in the third quarter and down by 31, Jon Gruden had seen enough. He benched his starts Carr and Jacobs for their safety. Mike Glennon came in and fumbled the first two snaps from center. The fourth quarter was scoreless as the Raiders fell to 6-5, one game behind archival Kansas City before their showdown next week. The Jets after a 1-7 start have won 3 straight. 34-3 Jets
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints — The 8-2 Saints needed to put away a reeling 5-5 Panthers squad to maintain the pace for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Drew Brees hit Michael Thomas for 4 and again for 13. On 3rd and 11 from their own 44, pinball wizard Brees hit Ted Ginn for 30 yards. Latavius Murray ripped off a 26 yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Saints. The Panthers fumbled a punt and the Saints took over at the Carolina 27. Brees hit Smith for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Saints. After a touchback, Kyle Allen hit Greg Olsen for 13 yards. Samuel ran for 10. Allen then went for it all and hit Moore for the 51 yard touchdown to get the Panthers within 14-6. The extra point was no good. The Saints kept moving after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Carolin 19. Yet on 3rd and 9, Brees was sacked. Wil Lutz hit the 41 yard field goal to make it 17-6 Saints.
The Panthers after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the New Orleans 27. Yet on 3rd and 10, a completion only gained 4 yards. Joey Slye hit the 41 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 17-9. Carolina got it back at their own 32. On 3rd and 16 from their own 39, Allen was sacked for a 10 yard loss. Yet roughing the passer instead meant a 15 yard gain. With 8 seconds left in the half, the Panthers had 2nd and goal at the 9. Allen went to Christian McCaffrey for 8 yards as the Panthers took their last timeout with 3 seconds left. With time for one play from the one yard line, Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it. McCaffrey got in. The 2 point try failed but the Panthers were only down 17-15.
The second half was even more exciting. The Saints took over at their own 38. Brees went to Alvin Kamara for 12 yards. Unnecessary roughness on the defense on the next play added 15 more. Brees went to Jared Cook for a 20 yard touchdown to put the Saints up 24-15. After a touchback the Panthers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Saints 34. Allen threw 3 straight incompletions. Slye nailed the 52 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 24-18. After a touchback, Brees went to Kamara for 12. and 5 and Cook for 20. Kamara ran for a 30 yard gain. Brees went to Thomas for a 3 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter the Saints had a comfortable 31-18 lead. They would not be comfortable for long.
On 2nd and 11 rom their own 28, Allen went deep to Moore for a 52 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Saints 13, Allen went to Moore for 5 yards. McCaffrey ran for a 4 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Panthers were within 31-24. after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter on 3rd and 15 from their own 29, Brees was intercepted at midfield. McCaffrey ran for 7 and Samuel added 13. Defensive pass interference meant a 29 yard penalty and 1st and goal at the one. Allen threw incomplete, Armah got stopped, and on 3rd and goal McCaffrey lost a yard. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Ron Rivera went for it on 4th and goal at the 2. Allen went to DJ Moore for the touchdown for a 31-31 gain. After a touchback, the Saints moved to a 3rd and 1 at their own 45. Brees threw to Taysom Hill, but for no gain. Sean Payton gambled on 4th and 1 in his own territory. Kamara got blasted for a 2 yard loss as the Panthers had a short field with 6 1/2 minutes remaining.
With 2 1/2 minutes remaining the Panthers faced 3rd and 3 at the Saints 5. Allen threw incomplete but Ron Rivera challenged the call, insisting their was defensive pass interference. On further review Rivera won his challenge. The Panthers had 1st and goal at the 3 and were in the driver’s seat. How ironic it would be if the Saints lost a game because of a new rule added specifically to satiate their own fan base after last year’s NFC Title Game loss. McCaffrey lost a yard. Rather than keep running it to force the Saints to take their timeouts, Allen threw incomplete. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Allen was sacked for a 6 yard loss as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Slye came in for the 28 yard chip shot to give the Panthers the lead. No good! From his own 20, Brees did what he does. After a sack to set up 2nd and 16 from his own 14, Brees hit Thomas for 14 and Kamara on 3rd and 2 for 4 more. With 37 seconds left the Saints still had 3rd and 6 at their own 36. Brees went to Thomas for 24 yards. with 26 seconds left from the Carolina 40, Brees went to Kamara for 16. Kamara then ran for 9 yards. Brees spiked the ball to stop the clock with 3 seconds left. Lutz came in for his 33 yard chip shot to avoid overtime. Lutz was good where Slye was not as the Saints got to 9-2 and dropped the Panthers to 5-6 in a great divisional matchup. 34-31 Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons — The suddenly revitalized Falcons began the game after a touchback with a 53 yard bomb from Matt Ryan to Graham. Calvin Rudley then ran for 15 more. Despite 1st and goal from the 7, Ryan threw 3 straight incompletions. Koo hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Falcons. Jameis Winston threw a deep ball that was intercepted but the defense bailed him out. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 3 yard line. On 1st and 11 from their 2, Winston scrambled for 12 yards. On 2nd and 6 from their own 29, Winston went deep to Godwin for a 71 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers had the 7-3 lead. Another interception of Winston gave the Falcons the ball at the Tampa Bay 19. On 3rd and 4, Ryan ran for 8 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Ollison got in to make it 10-7 Falcons.
In the second quarter the Falcons punted on 4th and 28 from their own 8. The Buccaneers got it back just shy of midfield. Winston went to Godwin for 22 yards. On 2nd and 21 from the Atlanta 40, Winston went deep to Godwin for 30 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Winston hit Godwin for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Buccaneers led 13-10. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 5. On 3rd and 7 from their own 8, Winston went deep to Perriman for a 44 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 47, Winston connected with Mike Evans for 17 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 29, Winston went to Godwin for 26 yards. Winston hit Vea for a one yard touchdown. Again, Gay missed the extra point but the Buccaneers led 19-10 at the break. After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Winston scrambled for 24 yards. Ogunbowale gained 12 and Jones added 25. Ronald Jones ran for a 4 yard touchdown. After missing 2 extra points, Matt Gay had this extra point try blocked. Despite Gay’s miserable day, the rest of his team was doing well as 3 straight touchdowns had the Buccaneers up 25-10.
The Falcons got the ball back at their own 44. Ryan went to Ridley for 17 yards. On 3rd and 15 from the Bucs 44, Ryan threw incomplete but defensive illegal use of hands kept the drive going. Yet a pair of offensive holding penalties had the Falcons facing 2nd and 28 at the Tampa Bay 36. The Falcons settled for a 40 yard Koo field goal to get within 25-13. The Buccaneers moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 14. Winston threw incomplete. Gay was terrible on extra points but he hit the 32 yard field goal to put the Buccaneers up 28-13 with 13 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the Falcons had to go for it on 4th and 4 at midfield. Ryan hit Gage for 5 yards. Despite 1st and 10 from the Tampa Bay 14, Ryan was sacked to kill the drive Needing 3 scores with just over 8 minutes remaining, Dan Quinn opted for the field goal. Koo hit from 38 to get the Falcons within 28-16. With 3 minutes left the Falcons had to go for it on 4th and 5 at their own 15. Ryan was sacked and fumbled. Ndamokung Suh ran for the 6 yard touchdown to ice the game. Gay even made the extra point to make it 35-16 Buccaneers. Atlanta got a garbage touchdown in a puzzling home loss after 2 weeks of big road wins. 35-22 Buccaneers
Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins — A pair of bad teams played a game nobody cared about. The Redskins fumbled to give the Lions a short field at the Washington 38. Matt Prater missed a 39 yard field goal. Dustin Hopkins did hit a 28 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Redskins. Prater answered from 24 in the second quarter for the Lions in a 3-3 game where both teams drove deep but bogged down in the red zone. 15 seconds later the game’s first touchdown came as Steve Sims returned the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for a score as the Redskins led 10-3. The Lions answered with Stafford throwing an interception and on their next series Stafford fumbling. The Redskins took over just past midfield and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 12. Consecutive false starts killed the drive. Hopkins hit the 37 yard field goal as the Redskins led 13-3 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half.
With one minute left in the half, the Lions got the ball at their own 42. Defensive pass interference added 8 yards to midfield. Prater hit a 49 yard field goal to end the half with the Lions down 13-6. After a touchback to start the third quarter, Scarbrough ran for 11, 2, and then 30. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 27, Driskel hit James for 7. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 12, Driskel went to Thomas for the touchdown for a 13-13 game. In the fourth quarter the Redskins punted on 4th and 22 at their own 9. The Lions took over at midfield. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 43, Driskel hit Jones for 8 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 20, Driskel went to Thomas for 12 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Driskel threw incomplete. Prater hit the 21 yard field goal to put the Lions up 16-13 with 12 minutes left in regulation.
With 5 1/2 minutes left, the Redskins took over at their own 22. Dwayne Haskins hit Adrian Peterson for 22 yards and McLaurin for 15 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 32, Peterson gained 2. On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 24, Haskins threw incomplete. Hopkins hit from 42 for a 16-16 game with 1:49 left. After a touchback, the Lions faced 3rd and 9 at their own 37. Driskel was intercepted by Dunbar at the Washington 46 with 48 seconds left. With 26 seconds left on 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 38, Haskins hit McLaurin for a key 17 yard gain. The Redskins inexplicably took their final timeout with 16 seconds left rather than let the clock go down to about 4 seconds. Hopkins hit the 39 yard field goal to give the Redskins the lead with 14 seconds left. Driskel threw in another interception for good measure on the final desperation play that fell 69 yards short of the end zone. 19-16 Redskins
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans — The firs half was a slugfest. In the second quarter the Titans took over at their own 27. Derrick Henry ran for 11 and 8. On 3rd and 4 from their own 44, Ryan Tannehill hit Humphries for 6.. Tannehill went to Davis for 24 and then ran for a 21 yard touchdown himself to make it 7-0 Titans. Josh Lambo hit a 49 yard field goal for the Jaguars, who only trailed 7-3 at halftime. Yet after a tough first half, the Titans exploded in the third quarter. They started from their own 36 to start the second half. From their 47, Tannehill went to AJ Brown for 36 yards. Defensive pass interference added 16 more down to the one. Tannehill went to Dennis Kelly for the touchdown to make it 14-3 Titans. The Titans got it back at their 26 and 11 seconds later Derrick Henry had a 74 yard touchdown run to make it 21-3 Titans. The Jaguars fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Titans recovered at the Jags 7 yard line. Henry ran it in to make it 28-3 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 20. From their 35, Tannehill went to Brown for a 65 yard touchdown and a 35-3 Titans lead. 28 points in 8 minutes turned a close game into a blowout. The final 22 minutes were garbage time. The Jaguars scored a couple touchdowns but a failed onside kick led to Tannehill rushing for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 42-17 Titans with 10 minutes left. The Jaguars added a field goal for some reason as the 6-5 Titans are alive for a playoff spot. 42-20 Titans
Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots — In brutal weather with hard rain coming down, points came at a premium. The Cowboys missed an opportunity in the first quarter when Maher had a 46 yard field goal try blocked. Special teams killed the Cowboys On 4th and 12 from their own 30, the Cowboys punted and the Patriots blocked it and took over at the Dallas 12. Tom Brady hit Harry for a 10 yard score. The game’s only touchdown had the Patriots up 7-0. A quick interception of Dak Prescott gave the Patriots another short field at the Dallas 29. Nick Folk hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Patriots early in the second quarter. The rest belonged to the kickers. Maher hit from 46. Folk missed from 46. Maher hit from 27 to get the Cowboys within 10-6. Folk missed again from 48 to end the half. Folk hit from 42 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 6 minutes left on 4th and 7 from the Patriots 11, Jason Garrett opted for the field goal. Maher hit the 29 yarder to again get the Cowboys within 4 points. At the 2 minute warning the Cowboys faced 3rd and 1 at their own 35. Rather than run, a short pass was nullified by a questionable tripping penalty. On 4th and 11 Prescott fired to Amari Cooper over the middle for a 20 yard gain. Yet on further review, the ball hit the ground. The Patriots ran out the clock. 13-9 Patriots
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers was the Sunday night game. This battle of titans between the 8-2 Packers and the 9-1 49ers was a mismatch from the start. 2 minutes into the game the Packers faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Aaron Rodgers was sacked and fumbled. Nick Bosa recovered it and returned 6 yards to the Green Bay 2 yard line. Coleman got in on the next play to make it 7-0 49ers. The 49ers got it back just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 46, Garoppolo was sacked. However, illegal use of hands on the defense kept the driving. Chase McLaughlin hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 10-0 49ers. In the second quarter the Packers moved from their own 20 to a 4th and 1 at the Frisco 28. Jones got the carry and ran into a red brick wall. With 6 minutes left in the half, the 49ers took over at their own 32. Garoppolo went to Greg Kittle for gains of 18 and 22. With 3 minutes left it was still a 10-0 game, but then the 49ers exploded. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 9, Garoppolo threw incomplete. McLaughlin hit the 27 yard field goal to make it 13-0. The 49ers got it back at their own 39 with 1:49 left. On 2nd and 6 from the Green Bay 42, Garoppolo went to Samuel for the touchdown to make it 20-0 49ers with one minute left. The 49ers got it back at their own 48 with 11 seconds left. Garoppolo went to Kittle for 22 yards. McLaughlin hit from 48 to end the half with the 49ers up 23-0.
In the third quarter the Packers took over at their own 35. On 4th and 4 from the Frisco 48, Rodgers hit Williams for 15 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Frisco 9, Rodgers gained only 5 but unnecessary roughness meant 1st and goal at the 2. Rodgers hit Devontae Adams for the touchdown and Adams again for the 2 point conversion to get the Packers within 23-8. After a touchback, Garoppolo hit Kevin Bourne for 14 and then went deep to Kittle for a 61 yard touchdown as the 49ers led 30-8 after three quarters. The Packers after a touchback to a 4th and 8 to the Frisco 27. Rodgers was sacked. In the fourth quarter the 49ers took over at their own 31. On 3rd and 10 Garoppolo for 13. On 3rd and 4 from midfield, Garoppolo went to Mostert for 22 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 20, , Coleman gained 5. Mostert ran for the 15 yard exclamation point with 5 minutes left. 37-8 49ers
Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Rams was the Monday night game. The Rams were a great team last year but are only a good team this year. The Ravens were a good team last year and a great team this year. This game was over by halftime. A 20 yard punt return had the Ravens starting at their own 45. Mark Ingram broke off runs of 10 and 4. Lamar Jackson ran for 16 and 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 16, Edwards gained 4 on a drive that still had not seen a pass. On 3rd and 4 from the Rams 6, Jackson went to Brown for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. The ravens got it back at their own 39. Ingram ran for 19 and Edwards gained 10 and 3. On 4th and 1 from the rams 23, John Harbaugh ran for it. Jackson gained 5 and then hit Brown for the 18 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Ravens. The Rams went on a 15 play, 61 yard, 7 minute drive, but on 2nd and 5 from the Baltimore 7, a false start and a sack killed the drive. Greg Zuerlein hit a 32 yard field goal in the second quarter, but the Ravens kept rolling. On 3rd and 6 rom their own 29, Jackson hit Seth Roberts for 13. From the Rams 30, Jackson fumbled a shotgun snap, picked it up, and raced 35 yards down to the one. He fell down without being touched, since the only person who could stop him was him. Ingram got the last yard to make it 21-3 Rams with 5 minutes left in the half. The Rams moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 22, but on 3rd and 10 Goff was sacked. Zuerlein hit from 46 at the 2 minute warning as the Rams trailed 21-6. The Rams defense needed a stop, and they couldn’t get it.
On 2nd and 4 from their own 31, Jackson hit Andrews for 7 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15. Jackson gained 12 and Hill added 11. Jackson hit Roberts for 16 and Snead for the 7 yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in the half to make it 28-6 Ravens. Baltimore quickly put the game away in the third quarter after a touchback. On 3rd and 8 from their own 38, Jackson hit Andrews for 38 yards. Edwards gained 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 7, Jackson hit Ingram for the touchdown to make it 35-6 Ravens. The Ravens got it back and used the rest of the third quarter on a mind-numbing 17 play, 78 yard drive that took 9 minutes. They took over at their own 22. On 3rd and 9 from their own 34, Jackson hit Roberts for 10. On 2nd and 24 from their own 47, Jackson ran for 10 and then 5 more on 3rd and 14. They set up to punt on 4th and 9, but the Rams defense was flagged for too many men on the field. That made it 4th and 4 at the Rams 33. John Harbaugh decided to go for it. Jackson hit Boykin for 15 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Rams 12, Jackson hit Brown for 5 as the third quarter ended. On 3rd and goal at the 7 only 17 seconds into the fourth quarter, Jackson hit Snead for the touchdown. After barely more than three quarters, Jackson had completed only 15 of 20 passes for 169 yards, but with 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He also had 95 yards rushing, just behind 111 for Ingram but with half the carries. The Ravens as a team gashed the Rams defense for 270 yards on the ground, again in only three quarters. Robert Griffin III played the fourth quarter. Michelin Man Wade Phillips had no answers for Jackson. To be fair, nobody else seems to be able to figure out Jackson either. 45-6 Ravens
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Hamilton Tiger Cats was the Sunday Canadian Football League (CFL) 2019 Grey Cup Championship. 33-12 Blue Bombers