NFL 2019 Week 9 Recap
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals was the Thursday night game. The Arizona Cardinals gave the unbeaten 49ers all they could handle. On the first play from scrimmage from their own 29, Kenyan Drake ran for a 36 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the San Francisco 34, Kyler Murray was sacked. However, a horse collar tackle kept the drive going. Drake ran for a 4 yard touchdown as the Cardinals led 7-0 less than 3 minutes into the game. Then reality set in.
A field position game had the 49ers taking over at their own 41. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 30, Jimmy Garoppolo went to George Kittle for the touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame. In the second quarter the 49ers got it back at their own 24. Garoppolo went to Emanuel Sanders for gains of 20, 32 and 12 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 7, Garoppolo hit Bourne for the touchdown to make it 14-7 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their 20 and Matt Breida ran for 5 yards and then broke off a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 40, Garoppolo hit Kittle for 7 yards. Breida ran for 19 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 10, Garoppolo threw incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the 5. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Garoppolo hit Kittle for 8 yards. With 4 seconds left in the half, on 4th and goal at the one, Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it. Garoppolo hit Sanders for the score as the 49ers took a 21-7 lead to the locker rooms.
The Cardinals took over at their own 17 in the third quarter. Murray went to Larry Fitzgerald for 20 yards and ran for 9 more himself. Drake tacked on another 8 yards and caught passes from Murray for gains of 21 and 17. Murray threw a 9 yard touchdown pass to Johnson to get the Cardinals within 21-14. After a touchback, Garoppolo went to Kittle for 23 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 46, Garoppolo hit Sanders for 22 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 21, Garoppolo hit Dante Pettis for the touchdown. After three quarters, the 49ers had a 28-14 lead. Arizona mounted a fourth quarter rally.
Taking over at their own 7, Murray ran for 21 yards. Kirk and Drake ran for a pair of 8 yard gains. Drake caught a pass for 7 and ran for 11 more. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation and needing 2 scores, Zane Gonzalez hit a 36 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 28-17. With 5 minutes left, the Cardinals faced 2nd and 8 at their own 12. Murray went to Andy Isabella for an 88 yard touchdown that electrified the home crowd in the desert. Murray hit Drake for the 2 point conversion. All of a sudden, the Cardinals were within a field goal. Cliff Kingsbury decided to kick it deep. With 4 1/2 minutes left, the 49ers faced 3rd and 11 at their own 25. Garoppolo hit Sanders for 16 yards. Wit 2 1/2 minutes left the 49ers faced 3rd and 3 at their own 48. Coleman got just enough. Kingsbury challenged the spot and lost, burning a crucial timeout. At the 2 minute warning with the Cardinals out of timeouts, the 49ers faced 3rd and 9 at the Arizona 48. The entire football world knows you run the ball in this situation. Every. Single. Time. You do not even think of throwing the ball since an incompletion saved 40 seconds. Shanahan went for it all. Garoppolo hit Dwelley for 11 yards and the nail in coffin. That is why Shanahan is the coach and the rest of us are not. The Cardinals were game, but the 49ers did just enough to remain unbeaten. 28-25 49ers
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars in London was the Sunday early morning game. The first half belonged to the defenses. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 52 yard field goal in the first quarter or the Texans. In the second quarter the Texans embarked on a 14 play, 80 yard drive that consumed 8:14 off the clock. From the Houston 20, Deshaun Watson ran for 5 and hit Kenny Stills for 13 more. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 45, Watson hit Johnson for 8 yards. On 4th and 2 from the Jacksonville 39, Bill O’Brien decided to go for it. Watson hit Akins for 12 yards. Darren Fells ran for a one yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Texans led 9-0. The Jaguars did manage a field goal before the half, but the second half was all Houston. Fairbairn hit a 42 yard field goal in the third quarter. Later on Carlos Hyde ran for a 48 yard gain followed by a 21 yard pass from Watson to Deandre Hopkins. Duke Johnson ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 19-3 Texans. An interception of Gardner Minshew in the fourth quarter set up 1st and goal at the 3. Watson went to Hopkins for a one yard touchdown to complete the blowout. 26-3 Texans
Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills — The horrendous Redskins went up against the very good Bills with no surprises. In the first quarter the Bills faced 3rd and 3 at the Washington 47.Josh Allen hit McKenzie for gains of 11 and 9. Singletary ran for 17 and 2 and Allen hit Cole Beasley for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. Steve Hauschka hit from 42 to extend the lead and Dustin Hopkins answered from 29 in the second quarter to get the Redskins within 10-3. A 66 yard kickoff return by Roberts had the Bills taking over at the Washington 39. Singletary ran for 9, Frank Gore added 4, Singletary tacked on 4 and 7, and Gore added another 6. On 3rd and 4 from the 9, Allen hit Knox for 8 yards. 3 times from the one, Frank Gore got stopped. Sean McDermott went for it on 4th and goal at the one, and Allen got in to make it 17-3 Bills. The Redskins hung tough as Hopkins hit field goals of 33 in the second quarter and 39 in the third quarter to get the Redskins within 17-9. They would get no closer. A short punt on 4th and 19 from their own 4 had the Bills taking over with a short field at the Washington 46. Allen hit Brown for 17 yards. On 3rd and 18 from the Washington 37, Allen went to Brown again for 23 yards. Singletary ran for a 2 yard touchdown as the Bills got another win with just enough offense and a throttling defense. 24-9 Bills
Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers — An ugly first half saw the Titans miss a field goal and the Panthers throw an interception that led to nothing. Joey Slye hit a 35 yard field goal for the Panthers in the second quarter, followed by a Titans fumble that led to nothing. Then came the Titans Ryan Tannehill throwing an interception, setting up the Panthers at the Titans 15. On 4th and 2 from the 7, Riverboat Ron Rivera decided to go for it. Kyle Allen hit Christian McCaffrey for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Panthers.The Panthers midway through the second quarter took over at their own 10. Allen went to Samuel for 20, Moore for 13, and Greg Olsen for 6. On 3rd and 1 from their own 47, Allen hit McCaffrey for 3 yards. On 3rd and 14 from the Titans 37, Allen hit Moore for 18 yards. Allen went to Samuel for the 12 yard touchdown with one minute left in the half. the Titans missed another field goal as the Panthers led 17-0 at halftime.
The Titans began the third quarter at their own 33. Derrick Henry ran for 9, 7, 2, 12, and 2. On 2nd and 13 from the Carolin 40, Tannehill scrambled for 25 yards. From the Carolina 15, Henry ran for 7 and then the 8 yard touchdown to get the Titans on the board. The Tennessee defense held and the Panthers set up to punt on 4th and 4 from their own 36. Ron Rivera called a fake punt and Jones gained 5 yards for a key first down. From the Tennessee 33, Allen went to Moore for 32 yards. McCaffrey got the last yard as the Panthers led 24-7. The Titans tried to make a game of it from their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 2 from their 14, Tannehill hit Humphries for 25 yards and Brown on 3rd and 7 from their own 42 for 35 more yards. Tannehill went to Henry for the 23 yard touchdown as the 94 yard drive had the Titans within 24-14 less than one minute into the fourth quarter.
The Panthers took over at their own 17. McCaffrey ran for 3 and caught a pass for 10. On 3rd and 12 from their own 28, Allen hit Moore for 14 yards. On the next play McCaffrey broke free for a 58 yard touchdown run to have the Panthers up 30-14 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. A quick interception of Tannehill led to a missed field goal that would have locked up the win. Instead the desperate Titans marched 61 yards in 10 plays. Tannehill ran for a 10 yard touchdown with 2:49 to play to get the Titans within 10 points. The critical 2 point conversion try failed. The Titans took their timeouts on defense and got the ball back only 20 seconds later. They moved from their 14 to a 3rd and 3 at the Carolina 26 with 52 seconds left. Needing 2 scores, Mike Vrabel brought out Ryan Succop for the 44 yard field goal try. For the third time on the day, Succop was no good as he dunked it off the upright. Remember Paul Maguire. “I hate kickers. They should be paid $50 a game.” Time will tell if Ryan Succop will be a Titan next week. 30-20 Panthers
Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles — Cody Parkey double-doinked away a playoff win, and now the Bears wanted revenge. They would not get it. Elliott hit 28 yard field goals in the first and second quarter for a 6-0 Eagles lead. The Eagles got it back at their own 42 and made it look easy. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 42, the Bears jumped in the neutral zone. On 4th and 1 from the 38, Doug Peterson decided to go for it. Carson Wentz threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. Wentz hit Zac Ertz for 25 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Eagles led 12-0. The Eagles began the third quarter at their own 16. Wentz went to Alshon Jeffery for 11 yards and Howard added 17 more on the ground. On 3rd and 6 from their own 48, Went found Ertz for 9 yards. On 2nd and 8 from the Chicago 41, Wentz hit Ertz for 14 with unnecessary roughness adding 14 more. On the next play Howard ran for the 13 yard touchdown. The Eagles were comfortably in front 19-0, but that comfort would not last.
After a touchback, Montgomery ran for 7, 4 and 2. Mitchell Trubisky then went deep to Gabriel for a 53 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Montgomery got in to get the Bears within 19-7. The Bears began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 8 at their own 44. Trubisky hit Gabriel for 13 yards, Montgomery for 30 more, and Cordarelle Patterson for another 5. Montgomery got the last yard as the Bears were within 19-14 with 13 minutes left in regulation. After an exchange of punts, the Eagles took over with 8:39 to play at their own 11. On 3rd and 3 from their 18, Wentz hit Jeffery for 13 yards. On 3rd and 12 from their own 29, Wentz hit Sanders for 15 yards. On 3rd and 3 just past midfield, Wentz hit Ertz for 4 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Chicago 44, Wentz hit Dallas Goedert for 16 yards. 16 plays and 69 yards bled over 8 minutes off the clock. By the time Jake Elliott hit the 38 yard field goal to extend the lead to 8, only 25 seconds remained. The short ensuing kickoff was fumbled by the Bears and recovered by the Eagles. 22-14 Eagles
Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs — Hank Stram was not around to tell Len Dawson to keep matriculating the ball down the field. Instead it was Walrus Lite Andy Reid guiding back up Matt Moore. On 3rd and 5 from the Chiefs 38, Moore went to Travis Kelce for 7 yards. Moore then went deep to Tyreek Hill for a 40 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Vikings answered with a 12 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Kirk Cousins threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 7 from their own 40, Cousins went to Laquon Treadwell for 26 yards. On 3rd and 11 from the Chiefs 21, Cousins hit Treadwell for 13 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Cousins hit Johnson for the score to make it 7-7. In the second quarter the Chiefs mounted a staggering 17 play, 85 yard drive that consumed 9 minutes. Yet the Chiefs settled for a 24 yard Harrison Butker field goal to lead 10-7 with 1:42 left in the half. Minnesota took over at their own 32 and moved to a 2nd and 1 at the Chiefs 15 with 40 seconds left in the half. Cousins threw incomplete twice and Mike Zimmer gambled on 4th and 1. Cousins hit Smith for 4 yards. Yet 3 straight incompletions by Cousins had the Vikings settling for a 29 yard Dan Bailey field goal and a 10-10 tie at the break.
Mike Hardman took the second half kickoff for the Chiefs at the goal line and returned it 34 yards but then fumbled it away as the Vikings took over at the Chiefs 38. On 1st and 20 from the Chiefs 32, Cousins hit Kyle Rudolph for 15 and on 3rd and 4 went to Abdullah for the 16 yard touchdown to make it 16-10 Vikings. The extra point was no good. The Chiefs took over at their own 3 yard line. From their 9, Damien Williams broke free for a 91 yard touchdown. The home crowd erupted in celebration as the Chiefs led 17-16. The Chiefs got it back at their own 34. From their 45, Moore went to Sammy Watkins for 30 yards. Yet the drive stalled after that. Butker hit from 45 yards out to put the Chiefs up 20-16 after three quarters. After a touchback to start the fourth quarter, Cousins hit Smith for 15. Dalvin Cook ran for gains of 12 and 7 and Stefan Diggs added 12 more. Cousisn hit Cook for 22 yards and Rudolph for the 3 yard touchdown as the Vikings reclaimed the lead 23-20 with 11 minutes left in regulation.
With 5 1/2 minutes left the Chiefs faced 3rd and 7 at their own 29. Moore found hill for 11 yards and then went deep to Hill again for a 41 yard gain. Then the Chiefs self-destructed. Williams lost 3 yards. On 3rd and 13 from the Minnesota 22, Moore was sacked and fumbled. The Chiefs retained possession after a 14 yard loss. with 2 1/2 minutes left, Andy Reid brought in Butker for a 54 yard field goal try. The kick was good and the game was tied 23-23. The Chiefs defense sacked Cousins as the Vikings went 3 and out. On 4th and 17 from their own 18, a disastrous punt by Colquitt went only 27 yards. The shank had the Chiefs taking over at the Minnesota 45 with 1:55 to play. Again Moore was sacked. Again he fumbled. Again the Chiefs retained possession but with an 11 yard loss. On 2nd and 21 from their own 44, Moore found Kelce for 17 yards. On 3rd and 4, Moore found Hill for 13 more and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 3 seconds left. Butker came in again for a 44 yard try to win it. Butker was good, and nobody was more relieved than Matt Moore. The Chiefs are still atop the AFC West, making Andy Reid a most relieved Walrus Lite indeed. 26-23 Chiefs
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins — The one win Jets took on the winless Dolphins. The Jets initially faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Sam Darnold hit Crowder for 18 yards. The Jets went for it on 4th and 2 from the Miami 32. Darnold hit Denarius Thomas for 15 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 12, Darnold hit Crowder for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Jets. In the second quarter the Dolphins exploded. Miami took over and faced 2nd and 7 at their own 42. Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Williams for 17, 26, and on 3rd and 10 from the Jets 12, for the touchdown to make it 7-7. The Dolphins got it back and faced 2nd and 18 at their own 8 yard line. Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for 17 and on 3rd and 1 found Alex Hurns for 8 yards. On 3rd and 8 from their own 45, Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for 12. Unnecessary roughness on the next play added another 15. Fitzpatrick went to Parker for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Dolphins. Miami got it back at their own 44. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 48, Fitzpatrick went to Gesicki for 34 yards. Fitzpatrick hit Williams for a 5 yard touchdown. 3 straight touchdown drives had the Dolphins up 21-7 with 1:51 left in the half.
A 78 yard kickoff return had the Jets starting at the Miami 18. On 1st and goal at the 2, a touchdown pass was reversed incomplete. On the next play, Darnold was intercepted at the one. On the next play Fitzpatrick went nowhere and on further review lost a yard for a safety. The Jets took the free kick 25 yards to midfield. Ficken nailed a 52 yard field goal to end the half with the Jets only down 21-12. In the third quarter the Dolphins missed a field goal and Ficken connected from 40 to get the Jets within 21-15. The Dolphins from their own 24 embarked on an 11 play, 68 yard drive that took nearly 6 minutes. On 2nd and goal at the 3, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. On 3rd and goal a run lost 5 yards. Sanders hit the 26 yard field goal to give the Dolphins some breathing room up 24-15 after three quarters. With 6 1/2 minutes left, Brian Flores opted against a 57 yard field goal try on 4th and 8 at the Jets 39. A great punt had the Jets pinned at their own 7. One play later came the safety as the Dolphins led 26-15. Miami could not take advantage of the free kick but another great punt had the Jets at their own 8. A sack had them backed up to their 2 yard line. Needing 2 scores, they desperately moved down the field, gaining 8 yards on 4th and 1 from their own 17. With 35 seconds left they had 1st and 10 at the Miami 11. Darnold threw 3 straight incompletions. Ficken hit the 29 yard field goal to make it an 8 point game, but the onside kick try failed. Brian Flores finally got his first win as an NFL head coach, the same number of wins Adam Gase has with the Jets this year as J-E-T-S again stood for Just End The Season. 26-18 Dolphins
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers — Both teams early on drove deep but could not punch it in. Adam Vinatieri hit from 25 for the Colts and Chris Boswell answered from 21 for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter the Colts took over at their own 37. Jacoby Brissett hit Wilkins for 6 and Pascal for 18 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 34, Brissett hit Campbell for 27 yards. From the 12, Brissett got rolled up by his own offensive lineman and left the game injured. Brian Hoyer came in and on 3rd and goal from the 11 hit Doyle for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 35 and moved to the Pittsburgh 20. Hoyer went for it all and Micah Fitzpatrick returned it 96 yards the other way for a defensive touchdown and a 10-10 deadlock. Hoyer stayed unfazed after a touchback and the Colts moved again. Hoyer found Hines for 21, Doyle for 6, Campbell for 8, Rogers for 4, and Pascal for the 14 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Colts led 16-10. The Steelers only had 37 seconds to work with from their own 20. With 7 seconds left in the half they were still at their own 47. Rudolph went to McDonald for only 5 yards, but a mindless unnecessary roughness penalty on the defense allowed for one untimed down. Boswell nailed the 51 yard field goal as the Steelers only trailed 16-13 at intermission.
In the third quarter the Colts moved from their 35 to a 3rd and 4 at the Pittsburgh 35. After Hoyer threw incomplete, Frank Reich decided to go for it. Hoyer was blown up for an 8 yard loss and fumbled. The Steelers took over at their own 46. On 3rd and 4 from the Indy 48, Rudolph hit Samuels for 9 yards. An unnecessary roughness penalty a couple plays later had the Steelers in the red zone. On 3rd and 5 from the Indy 14, Rudolph hit Samuels for 7 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Rudolph hit McDonald for the touchdown as the Steelers led 20-16. The Steelers got it back but were pinned at their own one yard line. On 3rd and 3 from their 8, Rudolph was sacked and fumbled. A mad scramble ensued in the end zone as the Steelers fell on the ball. Nevertheless it was a safety to get the Colts within 20-18. The Colts fumbled the free kick and the Steelers recovered at the Indianapolis 17 yard line. The defense held and the Steelers settled for a 33 yard Boswell field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to lead 23-18.
The Steelers got it back and soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 28. In a game of miscues, a short completion was fumbled and the Colts took over at the Pittsburgh 30. On 4th and 2 from the Pittsburgh 4 with 8:43 to play in regulation, Frank Reich decided to go for it. Hoyer hit Carlos Rogers for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Colts led 24-23. After a touchback, Rudolph went deep to Washington for a 40 yard gain. Defensive pass interference added 24 more yards and set up 1st and goal at the 7. Rudolph threw incomplete twice sandwiched around a run that lost a yard. Boswell hit the 26 yarder to make it 26-24 Steelers, but 6 1/2 minutes still remained. With 2 1/2 minutes left, the Colts took over at their own 15. On 3rd and 10, Hoyer went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 35 yard gain to midfield. Hoyer then found Pascal for 19 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 22, Marlon Mack lost 3 yards. With 1:11 to play, Adam Vinatieri came on for a 43 yard field goal try wit everything on the line. Last week the most clutch kicker in NFL history won a game for the 29th time in his career. This week he missed as badly as a field goal can be missed. It was not totally his fault. Everyone knows the job of the holder is to make sure the laces are out. On this kick, the laces were in. Ray Finkle is Lois Einhorm. Lois Einhorn is Ray Finkle. Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin is still Mike Tomlin, willing a losing squad into a 4-4 record with his typical toughness and grit. 26-24 Steelers
Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders — After 49 days away, the Raiders finally returned home. A game that was expected to be a shootout early on played to script. The Lions easily moved after a touchback to the Oakland 27. Matthew Stafford fumbled and the Raiders recovered at their own 32. Josh Jacobs ran for 7, 4, and 17. Deandre Washington added 5 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 22, a ball that was fumbled was picked up by Derek Carr and completed to Hunter Renfrow for an 8 yard gain. Jacobs did the rest, gaining 9, 3, and then the 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Raiders. After a touchback, Johnson gained 9 and 3/ Stafford went to TJ Hockensen for 14 yards. From midfield, Stafford went deep to Jones for a 47 yard gain. On rd and goal at the 2, Stafford had a receiver wide open in the flat but threw it just too far. It bounced off the receiver’s hands incomplete. The Raiders thought they dodged a bullet but they celebrated too early. Matt Patricia decided to go for it. On 4th and goal, Stafford fired over the middle to Jones for the touchdown and the 7-7 game.
The Raiders got it back at their own 36 and Carr immediately went deep to Darren Waller for a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 12 from the Detroit 24, Carr threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 5 yards and an automatic first down. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 14, a disastrous snap out of the shotgun went past Carr for what could have been a 20 yard loss. Somehow he was able to throw the ball away incomplete. Daniel Carlson hit the 32 yard field goal to put the Raiders up 10-7 early in the second quarter. Yet Oakland’s defense was helpless. On 1st and 20 from their own 17, Stafford found Jones for just enough. On 1st and 20 from their own 41, Stafford went bombs away and found Kenny Golladay for a 59 yard touchdown to put the Lions up 14-10.
The Raiders moved after a touchback to a 2nd and 2 at the Detroit 34. Washington lost a yard and Carr under heavy pressure threw incomplete. Jon Gruden decided to go for it on 4th and 3 from the 35 rather than try a 53 yard field goal. Carr had a receiver but threw high and off the mark incomplete. Stafford continued to carve up the Oakland defense in moving the Lions to a 1st and 10 at the Oakland 20. Stafford went for it all and had single coverage, but Worley had the position and made the acrobatic interception for a touchback. The Raiders soon faced 1st and 18 at their own 12. Carr hit Tyrell Williams for 12 yards. On 3rd and 3 from their 27, Carr found Waller for 21 yards. On 3rd and 12 from their own 46, Carr found Williams for 14 yards. On 1st and 10 from the Detroit 40, Jacobs ripped off a 16 yard gain. On 2nd and 6 from the Detroit 20, Carr hit Renfrow for 17. Jacobs summoned his inner Marcus Allen and dove over the top, just reaching over the pylon for the score. The Raiders led 17-14 with just over one minute left in the half. With 30 seconds left in the half the Lions had 3rd and 10 at the Oakland 47. One first down would mean long field goal range. Instead the beleaguered Oakland defense sacked Stafford for a 13 yard loss. Jon Gruden decided not to stop the clock and force a punt, letting the half run out.
The Raiders began the third quarter punting on 4th and 3 from their own 38.Yet Jon Gruden called a fake punt. Carrier took the handoff 27 yards around the end. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 27, Carr went deep incomplete on a ball that was barely deflected away at the last moment. Carlson’s 45 yard field goal try was no good, although it appeared to be just inside the upright. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 13 at their own 32. Stafford fired a laser over the middle between 2 defenders for a 15 yard gain. McKissic ran for gains of 8 and 13. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Stafford threw incomplete. Matt Prater hit the 23 yard field goal to tie the game 17-17. The Raiders took over at their own 20. Carr hit Jones for 9. and Jacobs added 5 more. On 3rd and 6 from their own 38, Carr went deep to Williams for a 22 yard gain and to Marcel Atman for 34 more yards. The fourth quarter began with the Raiders facing 3rd and goal at the 3. Carr threw incomplete but offsetting penalties gave the Raiders another chance. Carr fired over the middle to Foster Moreau for the touchdown as the Raiders again led 24-17. The issue would be if they could close out a game.
The Lions moved from their 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Oakland 39. This time the defense held as Stafford threw incomplete on 3rd and 10. Matt Patricia decided against a 57 yard field goal try and punted. The Raiders got lucky when ineptness on the punt coverage meant a touchback instead of being pinned at the one. It didn’t matter. On 3rd and 7 from their own 23, Carr was sacked for a 10 yard loss. The Lions took over at their own 35 but on 3rd and 3 from their 42, Stafford threw incomplete. Yet again the Raiders could not take advantage as Carr threw incomplete on 3rd and 3 from the Oakland 34. From the Detroit 37, this time Stafford made it look easy. Stafford hit McKissic for 7 and Hockensen for 19.Stafford then went deep to a wide open McKissic for a 26 yard touchdown. With 5:16 left the game was tied 24-24.
After a touchback, Carr went deep to Jalen Richard for a 31 yard gain. Richard then ran for gains of 7 and 5. Carr then went back to Richard for 23 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Carr rolled out fired to Renfrow, who somehow got both feet inbounds and secured the ball for the touchdown. The Raiders were back up by 7 with 2:04 to play. Yet the defense had no answer for Stafford. From the Detroit 23, Stafford hit Jones and Mckissic for a pair of 7 yard gains. Then came defensive holding. On 3rd and 10 from their own 42, Stafford went deep to Golladay for 24 yards. On the next deep ball, defensive pass interference meant a 26 yard gain and 1st and goal at the 8. Stafford then tried to run it in but got crunched by two defenders at the 4 yard line. On the next play out of the shotgun, Stafford fell down, got up, and was tackled around the feet for a 10 yard loss as the Lions took their final timeout with 25 seconds left. On 3rd and goal from the 14, Stafford fired to Thomas over the middle for a 13 yard gain down to the one as the clock kept ticking. Jon Gruden took a timeout on defense even though the Lions seemed disorganized. On 4th and goal at the one, with everything on the line, Stafford fired over the middle high and incomplete. Carr lined up and then threw a pass out of bounds rather than risk a fumble at his own goal line. At one point these were the 2 highest paid quarterbacks in football, and they played like it. Stafford was 26 of 41 for 406 yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception. Carr was 20 of 31 for 289 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Jacobs finished with 120 yards on 28 carries. The Raiders never make it easy, but Al Davis said it best. Just win baby. On this day, the Silver and Black did. 31-24 Raiders
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks — A wild first quarter began immediately after the opening touchback. Jameis Winston hit Mike Evans for 17 yards. Jones gained 10 not he ground and Winston went back to Evans for 21 more yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 17, Winston threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 8. On the next play Jones ran it in to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. After a touchback, Russell Wilson hit DK Metcalf for 11 and Tyler Lockett for gains of 12 and 18. Wilson then went to Chris Carson for 13 and Lockett for the 19 yard touchdown for a 7-7 game. The Buccaneers got it back and faced 3rd and 3 at their own 38. Winston hit Evans for 6 yards and again for 12 more. Defensive pass interference added 16 yards to the Seattle 25. Winston hit Auclair for 11 yards. On 3rd and 11 from the Seattle 15, Winston went to the end zone. The ball was batted up in the air and miraculously caught by Perriman for the touchdown as the Buccaneers led 14-7. The Seahawks missed a 47 yard field goal in the second quarter, and the Bucs offense kept rolling. Defensive pass interference helped move the ball 10 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 40, Winston hit Evans for 11 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Settle 25, Winston hit Godwin for 18 yards. Winston went to Evans for the 5 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers had the 21-7 lead in front of a stunned 12th man in Seattle.
With 1:43 left in the half, the Seahawks took over at their own 40. Wilson hit Lockett for 10 yards to midfield. From the Tampa Bay 39, Wilson went deep and defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Wilson went to Hollister for the touchdown. The extra point was doinked off the upright no good but the Seahawks were within 21-13. A 50 yard field goal try by the Buccaneers was no good as the half expired. In the third quarter the Seahawks took over at their own 15. Carson raced for a 59 yard gain. Wilson then went to Hollister for 22 yards down to the one. On 2nd and goal from the 2, Wilson hit Lockett for the touchdown and Metcalf for the 2 point conversion for a 21-21 game. Then came the field goal kickers.
After a touchback the Buccaneers moved easily to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 20. Winston scrambled for the touchdown, but offensive holding nullified the score and killed the drive. Gay hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 24-21 Buccaneers. After a touchback, the Seahawks faced 2nd and 22 from their own 30. Wilson went deep to Lockett for 30 yards and to Willson for 16 more as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with Seattle facing 2nd and 5 at the Bucs 19. Wilson threw incomplete twice. Myers hit the 37 yard field goal to again tie the game 24-24. The Seahawks got the ball back but fumbled. However, the Buccaneers fumbled it right back and the Seahawks returned it 36 yards to the Tampa Bay 15. Despite 1st and goal at the 4, a run went nowhere and Wilson threw incomplete twice. Myers hit from 22 to make it 27-24 Seahawks with 8 1/2 minutes left. The Buccaneers took over at their own 29. Winston hit Evans for 25 yards. Jones ran for 15 and 4. Despite 2nd and 6 from the Seattle 27, a run went nowhere and Winston threw incomplete. Gay hit from 45 for a 27-27 game with 5 1/2 minutes left.
This time the Seahawks responded quickly. On 2nd and 7 from their own 28, Wilson went to Lockett for 19 yards. Wilson then went bombs away to Metcalf for a 53 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left, the Seahawks led 34-27. After a touchback, Winston went to Ogunbowale for 12 yards and to Evans for 23 more. At the 2 minute warning, the Buccaneers faced 4th and 5 at the Seattle 35. Winston scrambled for just enough. Winston then hit Jones for 12 and Evans for 17 down to the one. Ogunbowale got in. With 46 seconds left this thriller was tied 34-34. After a touchback, Wilson went to Metcalf for 18 and ran for 21 more himself. With 3 seconds left, on 3rd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 22, Myers came in for the 40 yard field goal try to win it. The kick was no good. This fine game was going to overtime. Seattle got the ball in overtime first. After a touchback, Wilson hit Moore for 12 and Carson for 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Tampa Bay 35, Wilson went deep to Metcalf for 29 yards. On 2nd and goal from the 10, Wilson went to Hollister, who just barely broke the plane of the goal before his knee touched down. It was a touchdown, and the Buccaneers never saw the ball in overtime. Winston was 29 of 44 for 335 yards and 2 touchdowns. Wilson was 28 of 42 for 368 yards and 4 touchdowns. Neither quarterback was intercepted in this instant NFL classic. 40-34 Seahawks, OT
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos — Early on the Broncos faced 3rd and 8 at their own 39. With Joe Flacco injured, the backup quarterback is Allen. He scrambled for gains of 11 and 9. On 3rd and 11 from the Cleveland 40, Allen found Sutton for 19 and again for the 21 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. A field position game had the Browns starting the second quarter at the Denver 40. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Denver 21, Hilliard got stopped for no gain. Seibert hit the 39 yard field goal to get the Browns within 7-3. Yet only 14 seconds after a touchback, Denver was in the end zone again. A short pass from Allen to Fant went for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Broncos. Cleveland quickly faced 2nd and 4 from their 30. A completion from Baker Mayfield to Callaway went for 41 yards. On 3rd and 14 from the Denver 33, Mayfield scrambled for 16 yards. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the Denver 12, Mayfield threw incomplete. Seibert hit again from 30 as the Browns trailed 14-6. The Broncos quickly fumbled and the Browns recovered at the Denver 18. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 4, Nick Chubb lost 5 yards and Mayfield threw incomplete twice. Seibert hit from 27 to get the Browns within 14-9. Denver took over at their own 32 and Lindsay ran for a 40 yard gain. Despite 2nd and 7 at the Cleveland 25, Allen threw incomplete twice. Brandon McManus hit the 43 yard field goal to make it 17-9 Broncos. With 1:47 left after a touchback, runs and short passes led to a 3rd and 8 at the Denver 32. Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 13 yards. Seibert hit his fourth field goal from 30 yards out to get the Browns within 17-12.
With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Broncos took over at their own 5 yard line. Freeman ran for 6. Allen hit Fant for 16 more. On 3rd and 1 from their own 36, Allen hit Sutton for 10 and Fant for 24 more. On the next play Philip Lindsay raced for a 30 yard touchdown and a 24-12 Broncos lead after three quarters. The Browns responded. On 3rd and 1 from their own 33, Chubb gained 3 yards. Mayfield then went to O’Dell Beckham for 27 yards. Chubb gained 11. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 19, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the 9. Mayfield went to Landry for the touchdown as the Browns were within 5 again with 11 minutes left in regulation. Cleveland got it back at their own 12 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Denver 25. Chubb got the carry and got blasted for a 3 yard loss. Freddie Kitchens went for it on 4th and 4 rather than kick a field goal and play defense. Mayfield’s pass was broken up incomplete. From the Denver 29, a wildcat snap to Lindsay gained 16 yards. Lindsay smartly fell down inbounds so the clock would hit the 2 minute warning. With Cleveland out of timeouts, the game was over. 24-19 Broncos
Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Chargers — The Chargers were supposed to be overmatched but they started the game with a 15 play, 84 yard drive that took 8 minutes. Despite 1st and goal at the 10, the drive stalled. Badly hit the 29 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chargers. The Chargers got it back and faced 1st and 20 at their own 31. Rivers connected with Williams for a 56 yard gain. After that the Chargers moved backwards and settled for a 40 yard Badgley field goal to lead 6-0. With 4:21 left in the half the Chargers took over at their own 8 yard line. Again the Chargers moved into the red zone with a 1st and 10 at the Packers 14 with 21 seconds left. Offensive holding killed the drive. Badgley hit from 34 as the half expired with the Chargers holding the upraising 9-0 lead. In the third quarter Badgley hit his fourth field goal from 43 to make it 12-0 Chargers. Things got worse for the Packers when they punted on 4th and 16 from their own 19. The punt was partially blocked, and the Chargers took over at the Green Bay 27. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 6, Melvin Gordon gained 5 and then got the last yard for the score. After all field goals the Chargers finally had a touchdown and a stranglehold 19-0 lead. Green Bay did manage a field goal, but it didn’t matter. In the fourth quarter on fourth and goal at the one, Anthony Lynn opted for the field goal. It was good, but the defense jumped offsides. This time Lynn took the points off the board and went for it. Gordon got in to make it 26-3 Chargers. By the time the Packers reached the end zone, it mattered even less in this shocking upset. 26-11 Chargers
New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens was the Sunday night game. The Patriots came in undefeated but the one team that has given Bill Belichick and Tom Brady fits this entire decade has been the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore jumped all over New England from the start. On 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Lamar Jackson hit Brown for 6 yards. Mark Ingram ran for 13 and Jackson went back to Brown for 26 yards. On 4th and 3 from the 6, John Harbaugh decided on the field goal. The Patriots jumped into the neutral zone, resulting in 1st and goal at the 3. Jackson got in on the next play to make it 7-0 Ravens. The Patriots went 3 and out and the Ravens moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 21. The drive died at that point but Justin Tucker hit a 39 yard field goal for a 10-0 Ravens lead. New England punted again and the Ravens got it back at their own 23. From their 35, Ingram broke free for a 53 yard gain. On the next play Edwards ran for a 12 yard touchdown as the Ravens led 17-0 only one minute into the second quarter.
New England again went 3 and out and punted on 4th and 1 from their own 40. They finally got a break when the Ravens fumbled a punt and the Patriots recovered at the Baltimore 20. Brady went to James White for 16 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Brady went to Mohammed Sanu for the touchdown to get the Patriots within 17-7. After a New England fumble was reversed to down by contact, a Patriots punt had the Ravens pinned at their own 6 yard line. From their 11, Ingram gained 5 but fumbled. Again the Patriots had a short field at the Baltimore 19. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Brady went over the middle and Ear Thomas made a diving deflection at the goal line for an incompletion. Nick Folk hit from 22 to get the Patriots within 17-10. The Patriots got it back at their own 18 with 1:43 left in the half. Brady went to Ben Watson for 6 yards with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. Brady then went to James White fro 30 more. On 3rd and goal at the 6, White topped over his own lineman but was not touched and got up and wriggled for 5 yards down to the one. On 4th and goal from the one with 10 seconds left, Bill Belichick opted for the field goal. Folk hit from 19 as the Patriots were within 17-13.
After a touchback to start the third quarter, , the Patriots moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 30. Brady threw a swing pass to Edelman, who got stood up ad had the ball ripped out by Onwuasor. Marlon Humphrey picked it up and strutted the whole way holding the ball up for a 70 yard defensive touchdown and a 24-13 Ravens lead. After a touchback, Rex Burkhead ran for a pair of 6 yard gains. Brady then went to Sanu for 11 yards and Watson for 18 more. White ran for gains of 7, 8, 6 and one. On 3rd and 3 from the Baltimore 12, Brady hit Edelman for 7 yards. White ran for 4 and then for the one yard touchdown to get the Patriots right back in it down 24-20. After what seemed like forever, the Baltimore offense finally took the field again.
Needing to give their defense a rest, Baltimore’s offense rose to the occasion. On 3rd and 5 from their own 24, Jackson went to Andrews for 18 yards. On 4th and 4 from the New England 38, John Harbaugh decided to go for it. Jackson hit Willie Snead for 7 yards. On 2nd and 11 from the New England 32, Jackson hit Brown for 16. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a perfectly executed fake allowed Jackson to find a wide open Nick Boyle in the flat for the touchdown. Tucker missed the extra point, but the Ravens led 30-20. The Patriots after a touchback quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 48. After a pair of incompletions, Brady on 3rd and 10 went for it all and was intercepted by Earl Thomas, who returned the interception 24 yards to the Baltimore 32.
Jackson led the best drive of his young career. On 3rd and 4 from his 38, the defense jumped offsides. On 3rd and 4 just shy of midfield, Jackson hit Ingram, who s tased inbounds and tiptoed along the sideline for 18 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the new England 30, Jackson threw incomplete but illegal use of hands on McCourty kept the drive going. Jackson hit Ingram for 11 and ran for 9 more himself. On 3rd and goal at the one out of the shotgun, Jackson tried to keep it himself up the middle. At first he was completely stopped, but his own offensive lineman Orlando Brown pulled him forward. The 6 ft 8, 345 pound wedge of beef got Jackson over the plane of the goal. The 14 play, 68 yard drive consumed over 9 1/2 minutes. With 3:12 to play, the Ravens put the dagger in. Baltimore was robbed of a win in the 2007 season where the Patriots went 16-0. Baltimore was robbed in the 2011 AFC Title Game when they lost at New England 23-20. Baltimore comfortably throttled New England 33-14 and 28-13 in the 2009 and 2012 AFC playoffs. On the same day Miami avoided going 0-16, New England saw 16-0 go up in smoke. Once again, it is the Miami team from 1972 posing champagne corks as the only perfect team in NFL history. For Baltimore, it was a statement win. 37-20 Ravens
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants was the Monday night game. As awful as the Giants are, they gave the Cowboys all they could handle. On the first play of the game, an interception of Dak Prescott gave the Giants 1st and goal at the 8. These being the Giants, they kicked a 21 yard field goal. The Cowboys responded with a 35 yard field goal of their own for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter Maher missed from 54, giving the Giants excellent field position at their own 44. Daniel Jones ran for 16 and hit Evan Engram for 12. On 3rd and 14 from the Dallas 18, Jones went to Golden Tate for 17 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jones hit Latimer for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Giants led 9-3. A Cowboys fumble gave the Giants the ball at their own 20. They moved to a 1st and 10 t the Dallas 12. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the 7, Jones threw incomplete. Aldrick Rosas hit from 25 to make it 12-3 Giants. After a touchback, Ezekiel Elliott ran for 15 and 3. Prescott went to Jarwin for a 42 yard touchdown as the Cowboys only trailed 12-10 with 52 seconds left in the half. That was enough time for Jones to throw an interception and set the Cowboys up at the Giants 39. Maher hit from 52 to make it 13-12 Cowboys at halftime. A Giants fumble in the third quarter meant another short field and a 28 yard Maher field goal to make it 16-12 Cowboys. A 41 yard kickoff return set up the Giants at their own 48. They moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Dallas 10, but a completion netted only 2 yards. Rosas hit from 26 but the Giants still trailed 16-15 after three quarters due to the missed extra point.
After a touchback, Pollard gained 10 with illegal use of hands adding 5 more. Prescott hit Randall Cobb for 10 to midfield as the third quarter ended. On 3rd and 7 from the Giants 47, the Giants entered the neutral zone. On 3rd and 2, Prescott hit Cobb for 4 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 31, Prescott gained 11 with another defensive illegal use of hands adding 5 more. Prescott then went to Michael Gallup for the 15 yard touchdown to make it 23-15 Cowboys with 12:40 left in regulation. The Giants came back quickly from their own 24. A short pass from Jones to Saquon Barkley went for a 65 yard gain to the Dallas 11. Jones then threw 3 incompletions as the Giants settled for what seemed like their billionth field goal. Rosas hit from 29 as the Giants were within 23-18. The Cowboys took over at their own 11. On 3rd and 6 from their 15, Prescott threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 26 yard gain. On 3rd and 12 from the Giants 45, one defensive stop would give the Giants a chance to win it. Instead, Prescott went deep to Amari Cooper for the touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Cowboys had pretty much put the game away. With 6 minutes left, on 4th and 16 from their own 15, the overmatched Giants surrendered and punted the ball away. The Giants got it back and with 22 seconds left faced 1st and 10 from the Dallas 24. Jones was sacked. Again. He fumbled. Again. The Cowboys Lewis recovered and raced 63 yards for the exclamation point. These are the Giants. 37-18 Cowboys