THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2019 Week 16 Recap

Houston Texans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the Saturday morning game. The 9-5 Texans came in knowing a win would clinch the AFC South. The Buccaneers are out, as Jameis Winston is resembling Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get. Not since Brett Favre has a quarterback played with such reckless abandon. Winston became the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 450 yards in 2 consecutive weeks. He piles up yards, touchdowns…and interceptions. He is often good for a touchdown pass to both teams. Bruce Arians tells him to keep firing. Winston was playing with a fractured thumb and his counterpart Deshaun Watson had a banged up leg. Yet from the opening kickoff, this game was ridiculous.

On the second play from scrimmage from his own 17, Winston completed a pass to Bradley Roby. problem: Roby plays defense for the Texans. Roby returned the interception 27 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans only 40 seconds into the game. 3 plays later on 3rd and 6 from his own 16, Winston completed a pass to Reid. Problem: Reid plays defense for the Texans. Reid returned it 27 yards for another defense touchdown less than 2 minutes into the game. This time an illegal blindside block on the return nullified the touchdown. Despite taking over at the Bucs 24, Houston’s offense could not capitalize. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Texans. The Buccaneers took over at their own 15 and Ronald Jones escaped multiple tacklers for a 49 yard gain. On 4th and 2 from the Houston 28, Bruce Arians decided to go for it. Pierre Barber took a pitchout 17 yards, but offensive holding nullified the run and made it 4th and 10 from Tampa Bay 36. Matt Gay came on for a 54 yard field goal try. The kick was blocked. Houston moved from their own 49 to a 4th and 7 at the Tampa Bay 36. Fairbairn came in for a 54 yard field goal try, but Bill O’Brien called a fake and punted instead. 

The Buccaneers took over at their own 10. On 2nd and 6 from their 14, Winston went to Perriman for 27 yards. On 2nd and 15 from their 36, Winston went to Howard for 13 and on 3rd and 3 hit Ogunbowale for 19. Yet despite 1st and 10 from the Houston 32, Winston kept going to the end zone and overthrowing open receivers. 3 incompletions later, Gay came on for a 50 yard field goal try. This time Gay was good as the Buccaneers trailed 10-3 after a wild first quarter. The second quarter was just as crazy. After a touchback, the Texans soon faced 1st and 10 at their own 40. Johnson got the carry and fumbled. The Buccaneers took over with a short field at the Houston 31 yard line. One play later, Winston went deep and found Jonathan Joseph. Problem: Joseph plays defense for the Texans. Houston took over at their own 14 yard line. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 30. One play later Barber ran for 7 yards and then fumbled the ball away. It was Reid again for the defense as the Texans took over at the Tampa Bay 42. Watson hit Darren Fells for 17. Carlos Hyde ran for 5, 6 and 3. On 3rd and 7 from the Bucs 11, Watson hit Fells for 10. Hyde got the last yard for the score. Thanks to 4 Buccaneers turnovers in the first 18 minutes, the Texans led 17-3. 

With 5 minutes left in the half, the Buccaneers took over at their own 19. Howard gained 15. On 3rd and 10 from his own 34, Winston hit Watson for 12. A 32 yard completion to Perriman was successfully challenged by Bill O’Brien and reversed too incomplete. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 47, Winston went to Perriman for 13 and then deep to McElroy for 30 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 4 at the 2 minute warning. On the next play Jones ran it in to get the Buccaneers within 17-10. With one minute left in the half, a sack of Watson had the Texans facing 2nd and 17 at their own 28. Watson went deep and found Dean. Problem: Dean plays defense for the Buccaneers. Dean weaved through traffic and returned the interception 31 yards to the Houston 39. Winston went deep to Hyman for 31 yards. With 13 seconds left in the half it came down to 3rd and goal at the 8. Winston fired to Watson for the touchdown. The Buccaneers had outgained the Texans 281-84 in yards. 6 turnovers, 4 of them by the Bucs, led to most of the points as the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 17-17.

The game calmed down in the third quarter. The Texans took over at their own 25. Watson hit Kenny stills for 12, Deandre Hopkins for 7, and back to Stills for 21. On 4th and 1 from the Tampa Bay 26, Bill O’Brien decided to go for it. Watson faked a handoff and kept it himself. He evaded a defender and lunged past the marker after initially appearing stopped. On 3rd and 15 from the Bucs 29, a clearly hobbled Watson somehow scrambled for a 19 yard gain. Yet despite 2nd and goal at the 7, Watson threw incomplete twice. After a 14 play, 63 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive, the Texans settled for a 25 yard Fairbairn field goal to lead 20-17. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 22. Winston hit Cameron Brate for 12. On 3rd and 13 from their own 31, Winston somehow scrambled for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 46, Jones got the tough yard. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 38, Winston hit Ogunbowale for 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 23, Jones got stuffed. Bruce Arians is a gambler, but he took no chances on this 4th and 1. Gay hit the 41 yard field goal as the game was still tied 20-20 after three quarters. 

In the fourth quarter the Texans took over at their own 12. Hyde ran for 4 and caught a pass for 10. On 3rd and 6 from their 30, Watson went to Carter for a 39 yard gain. On 2nd and 9 from the Bucs 19, Watson threw incomplete twice. Fairfairn hit from 37 as the Texans had the lead again midway through the fourth quarter. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 23. Winston went to Watson for 7, Jones for 23, and Perriman for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 38, an off-tackle run got blown up in the backfield for a 2 yard loss. With 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Bruce Arians went for it on 4th and 3 from the Houston 40. Winston hit a wide open Brate over the middle past the first down marker, and Brate just dropped it. Tampa’s defense had kept them in the game the whole day, and now they needed to do it again. Meanwhile, rather than try to run out the clock, Bill O’Brien went for a pass on first down. Watson was sacked for a 7 yard loss. Watson went to throw again and hit Stills for 11. On the critical 3rd and 6 from their own 44, Watson threw again and hit Carter for 5 yards. With 2 1/2 minutes left, it all came down to 4th and 1 from their own 49. The Buccaneers inexplicably took their second timeout before the play started. Bill O’Brien changed his mind about going for it and punted. 

A great punt had the Buccaneers pinned at their own 10 yard line with 2:15 to play. Winston went to Perriman for 19 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. With 90 seconds left, the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 1 from their own 38. Winston fired a completion to Jalil Addae. Problem: Addai plays defense for the Texans. From the Tampa Bay 37, the Texans could have run out the clock. All they had to do was take a knee. Instead out of the shotgun, a run led to an offensive holding penalty. That stopped the clock and preserved a precious 40 seconds. The Texans still had to punt the ball with 28 seconds left. In a game of mistakes, the Buccaneers made yet another mistake when the punt returner called for a fair catch at his own 3 yard line. With 21 seconds left and 0 timeouts, the Buccaneers needed a miracle. A meaningless short pass was followed by a hook and laterals attempt that never happened when the original pass was dropped for an incompletion. Had Houston lost this game, a loss next week at Tennessee would have knocked them out of the playoffs altogether. Instead the Texans clinched the AFC South and may even be getting JJ Watt back from injured reserve for the playoffs. A first round bye is out of reach, so Bill O’Brien may decide to bench his starters in the regular season finale to get everyone healthy. 23-20 Texans   

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots was the Saturday afternoon game. The 10-4 Bills came in one game behind the 11-3 Patriots. A Buffalo win would give them a shot at finally break the New England stranglehold in the AFC East. A New England loss would put them in danger of losing a first round bye and the division all in one. Tom Brady came in 31-3 in his career against Buffalo. Earlier this year in Buffalo the Patriots won 16-10 but their only touchdown came on a blocked punt. Both Bill Belichick and Sean McDermott have very good defenses. The Patriots took over at their own 21 to start the game. From their own 35, Brady found Rex Burkhead for an 18 yard gain, but Burkhead fumbled. Micah Hyde recovered for the Bills at the New England 31. On 2nd and 7 from the New England 17, a run went nowhere and Josh Allen threw incomplete. Steve Hauschka hit the 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bills. After a touchback, the running backs did the bulk of the work. From the New England 31, Burkhead ran for 6 and caught a pass for 5. Sony Michel ran for 7, 12, 6 and 2. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 31, Brady hit Harry for 9 and Watson for 7. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 14, Brady hit Watson for 6 and LaCosse for an 8 yard touchdown as the Patriots led 7-3. The 11 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive was  just the beginning.

In the second quarter the Patriots took over at their own one yard line and led a mind-numbing 17 play, 81 yard drive that consumed 9 minutes. On 3rd and 4 form their own 7, Brady went to Julian Edelman for 17 yards and Mohammed San for 10 more. On 3rd and 2 from their own 42, James White gained 4. Harry gained 18 and caught a pass for 12. On 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 27, Bill Belichcik decided to go for it. Michel got the hard yard. Yet on 3rd and 14 from the Buffalo 30, Brady’s completion to Edelman only gained 12. On 4th and 2 from the Buffalo 18, Belichick opted for the field goal. Nick Folk hit the 36 yard field goal as the Patriots led 10-3 with 5 minutes left in the half. A defensive bonelock had the Patriots going for it on 4th and 1 at the Buffalo 41 with 33 seconds left in the half. Harry got the carry and got stopped cold.  It was a big momentum shift as Allen ran for 16 and went to Cole Beasley for 9 yards. From the New England 34 Allen went deep to Knox for 33 yards down to the one. With the clock ticking, Allen went to Dawkins for the touchdown as the clock hit double zeroes. In front of a stunned home crowd in New England, the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 10-10.

In the third quarter the Patriots took over at their own 23. Michel ran for 7 and 4. Brady went to Burkhead for a 31 yard gain. On 2nd and 8 from the Buffalo 33, Brady went to Watson for the touchdown. However, offensive pass interference on Julian Edelman nullified the score. On 3rd and 18, Brady went to san for 10 yards. Nick Folk drilled the 51 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Patriots. Roberts returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to the Buffalo 36. From the Buffalo 47, Allen went bombs away and found John Brown for a 53 yard touchdown. A disbelieving home crowd saw the Bills up 17-13 midway through the third quarter. This was no New England cakewalk. It was a real street fight. Late in the third quarter the Patriots took over at their own 21. Michel ran for 25 and Brady hit Meyers for 15 and Burkhead for 23. On 3rd and 5 from the Buffalo 10, Brady went to Burkhead for just enough. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Brady could not find a receiver and tried to run to the end zone. He took a stutter step and for once showed himself to be older, which he is. Buffalo’s defense is better than most of what Brady has seen most of the year. Brady gained only 3 yards. On 4th and goal from the 2 with 10:45 left in regulation, Bill Belichick was not taking any chances again the stout Buffalo defense. After 11 plays, 77 yards and 6:40, the Patriots settled for a 20 yard Nick Folk field goal and still trailed 17-16. 

New England got it back at their own 41 and Brady hit Edelman for 30 yards. Michel gained 8, 7 and 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 5, Brady gained 3 yards. On 1st and goal at the one, Burkhead got the carry and was stopped in the backfield. Somehow he broke through a tackle and bulldozed his way into the end zone. Brady went to Edelman for the 2 point conversion. With 5 minutes left in regulation, the Patriots were up by 7. After a touchback, Allen went to Beasley for 13 and 12 to midfield. Allen ran for 11. With 3 minutes left, Sean McDermott decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the New England 30. Allen tried to go over the top and was stopped cold. Yet Allen landed on his feet, faked a handoff, and lunged forward again off-tackle for a gutty 2 yard gain. On 1st and 15 from the New England 33, Allen went to Beasley for 25 yards. The Patriots took a timeout on defense with 2:21 left as the Bills had 1st and goal at the 8. A pair of sacks surrounding an incompletion set up 4th and goal from the 15 with one minute left. Under heavy pressure, Allen threw off his back foot to the end zone and the defense knocked the ball down incomplete. The Bills were game, but at 10-5 will have to settle for being a wildcard. The 12-3 Patriots clinched the AFC East for the 11th straight year, extending their own record. They finished atop or tied for the AFC East lead for the 19th straight year. They are one game ahead of Kansas City in the race for a first round bye but have not locked it up yet. They still have an outside shot at the top seed and home field throughout the playoffs, but that is less likely. 24-17 Patriots

Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers was the Saturday night game. The 11-3 49ers were one of 4 teams trying to get home field throughout the playoffs, including NFC West rival Seattle. The 8-6 Rams needed to win out and have Minnesota lose out to make the playoffs. The 49ers thumped the Rams 20-7 in Los Angeles, and were expected to steamroll over them in San Francisco. The Rams were desperate, and they gave the 49ers all they could handle. After a touchback to start the game for the Rams, Jared Goff hit Robert Woods for 12 and Reynolds for 24 more. Goff hit Cooks for a 10 yard touchdown as the Rams led 7-0 only 4 minutes into the game. James returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards to the Rams 18. Yet despite the spectacular field position, the 49ers settled for a 26 yard Robbie Gould field goal and trailed 7-3. The first quarter was relatively quiet. The second quarter was a pinball machine. 

With the 49ers facing 1st and 10 at the Rams 47 with 4 minutes left in the first quarter, Jimmy Garoppolo went deep and was intercepted by Jalen Ramsey, who returned it 13 yards to the Rams 37. On 3rd and 12 form their own 35, Goff went to Woods for 29 yards and Cooper Kupp for 8 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Frisco 13, Goff gained 2 with unnecessary roughness adding 6 more. The Rams began the second quarter facing 1st and goal at the 5. Todd Gurley got in to make it 14-3 Rams. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Garoppolo gained 2 with 4 more yards added for the defense having 12 men on the field. Garoppolo then went to Samuel for 18 and Juszczyk for 23. Samuel got around the end for a 19 yard touchdown run to get the 49ers within 14-10. The Rams soon faced 2nd and 6 at their own 40. Goff hit Tyler Higgle for 11. Woods caught a pass for 14 and ran for 6 more. Goff hit Kupp for 12 and Higbee for 9 down to the one. Gurley got in as the Rams led 21-10 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter. 

After a touchback, Garoppolo hit Kittle for 13, Sanders for 12, Kittle for 15, Emanuel Sanders for 3, and Kevin Bourne for 11. Raheem Mostert ran for a 16 yard touchdown to get the 49ers within 21-17 with 2:21 left in the half. After a touchback, The Rams had 2nd and 10 at their own 48 with 46 seconds left in the half. Goff threw a sideline pass and Fred Warner made a heaping catch to jump the route for the interception. Warner kept his balance and raced 46 yards the other way for a defensive touchdown. Just like that, the 49ers had their first lead of the game up 24-21 at halftime. In the third quarter a Garoppolo pass was batted up in the air. After several players on both teams played the tip drill, it was eventually intercepted by Darius Williams. The Rams took over at the Frisco 25. Yet on 3rd and 9, Goff was called for a killer intentional grounding penalty and a 10 yard loss. Greg Zuerlein came in for a 52 yard field goal try to tie the game one minute into the third quarter. The kick was wide no good. The 49ers moved from their 42 to a 3rd and 6 at the Rams 40. A completion only gained 2 yards. On 4th and 4, Kyle Shanahan opted against going for it or trying a 56 yard field goal. The 49ers punted and the Rams took over at their own 3 yard line.

Midway through the third quarter the Rams took over at their own 32. Goff hit Woods for 11 and again for 26. On 2nd and 15 from the Frisco 31, Goff went to Higbee for 9 and Kupp for the 22 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Rams led 28-24. With 9 minutes left in regulation, the 49ers took over at their own 9 yard line. Garoppolo connected with Kittle for a 36 yard gain. Coleman ran for 12. Garoppolo went to Dwelley for 25. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Garoppolo hit Kittle for the touchdown. With 6 minutes left in regulation, the 49ers had the 31-28 lead. With the Rams facing 3rd and 8 at their own 27, Goff hit Cooks for 16 and Higbee for 19. On 2nd and 10 from the 49ers 38 yard line, Goff threw a high pass over the middle that should have been intercepted. The defender just dropped it. With 2 1/2 minutes left, Zuerlein came in for a 52 yard field goal try to tie it. Zuerlein snuck it inside the right upright as the game was tied 31-31. 

After a touchback, Garoppolo got blasted by Aaron Donald and Dante Fowler for a 6 yard loss. On 3rd and 16 from their own 19, Garoppolo fired over the middle to Bourne for an 18 yard gain. On 2nd and 9 from their own 38, Garoppolo was sacked again to set up another 3rd and 16 from the San Francisco 38. With a man in his face, Garoppolo went for it all and hit Sanders on a 46 yard bomb. The Rams took their final timeout on defense with 35 seconds left, but they were helpless. The 49ers ran one play and Coleman gained 9. The 49ers then took their 2nd timeout with 17 seconds left. Garoppolo took a knee after centering the ball. With 3 seconds left, Gould came in for a 33 yard chip shot field goal try. Gould nailed it. The Rams were eliminated from playoff contention while the 49ers got to 12-3. The 49ers have a major showdown next week at Seattle. If the 49ers win, they get the top seed and home field throughout the playoffs. 34-31 49ers

Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons — Owner Shad Khan fired President Tom Coughlin and is expected to fire everyone else after the season. After starting 1-7, the Falcons have gone 4-2 since although Dan Quinn could be fired after the season as well. On 2nd and 6 from the Atlanta 22, Matt Ryan hit Julio Jones for 11, Devontae Feeman for 16 and Austin Hooper for 25. Freeman got around the end to make it -0 Falcons. The Jaguars fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Falcons recovered at the Jacksonville 25. On 3rd and 6 from the Jags 8, Ryan hit Freeman for the score to make it 14-0 Falcons. Josh Lambo did manage a 40 yard field goal for the Jaguars in the second quarter, but Koo hit a 23 yarder to end the half with the Falcons up 17-3. An uneventful second half saw the Jaguars kick a third quarter field goal. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter Qadree Ollison capped an 87 yard drive with a 3 yard touchdown run to make it 24-6 Falcons. Nobody piles up garbage yards and touchdowns like the Jaguars, and they got one in this game as well. 24-12 Falcons

New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans — The 11-3 Saints were one of four teams tied for the top record in the NFC and trying to get home field throughout the playoffs. The 8-6 Titans would clinch a playoff spot with 2 wins but would be in danger of being knocked out with a loss. They were playing without star running back Derrick Henry. The Titans took over at their own 27. Ryan Tannehill hit Davis for 12, Lewis for 19, and Smith for a 41 yard touchdown as Smith split the seams for a 7-0 Titans lead. The Saints punted on 4th and 25 from their own 28 and the Titans took over at their own 30. Tannehill hit Smith for 15. Lewis ran for 6. Then AJ Brown took a pitchout and raced 49 yards for another touchdown and a 14-0 Titans lead. 

The Saints embarked on a 13 play drive that took over 6 minutes. On 3rd and 8 from the Titans 20, Brees was buried for a 9 yard loss. Wil Lutz hit the 47 yard field goal as the Saints trailed 14-3 early in the second quarter. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Saints took over at their own 39. Brees went deep to Jared Cook for a 61 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Saints were within 14-10. The Saints struck just as quickly in the third quarter from their 39. Defensive pass interference added 17 yards and Kamara ripped off a 40 yard touchdown run to make it 17-14 Saints. The Saints got it back and faced 3rd and 12 at their own 28. Brees went to Thomas for 26, Smith for 13, Kamala for 14 and Thomas for 10. Kamara ran for 3 and then the one yard touchdown. 24 straight points had the Saints up 24-14 midway through the third quarter.

After a touchback, Lewis ran for 8. Tannehill hit Davis for 22 and Pruitt for 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Saints 36, Tannehill found a wide open Sharpe, who coasted in for a touchdown to get the Titans within 24-21 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Harris returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to the Saints 48. On 3rd and 1 from from the Titans 43, Hill gained 4. Brees then went to Hill for 23 and to Cook for the 16 yard touchdown as the Saints led 31-21 after three quarters. A field position game in the fourth quarter had the Saints facing 3rd and 10 from their own 9. Brees was sacked and the Titans celebrated a safety. However, officials ruled that Brees was sacked just outside the end zone inside his own one yard line. A 12 yard punt return had the Titans at the Saints 42. Dawkins ran for 14, 9 and 4. On 3rd and 2 from the Saints 7, Tannehill went to Sharpe for the touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Titans were within 31-28.

The Saints went from their own 28 to a 2nd and 7 at the Titans 38. Brees threw incomplete twice. Sean Payton did not want to try a 56 yard field goal. With 4 1/2 minutes left, he opted to punt. Except the coach with “big balls” who called an onsides kick in the Super Bowl decided on a fake punt with the game on the line. Hill took the snap and fired a perfect pass to Hardee past the first down marker. Hardee dropped it. From their own 38 the Titans needed only a field goal to tie it. Tannehill went to Raymond for a 23 yard gain, but Raymond got blasted by 2 defenders and fumbled. Gardner-Johnson picked it up for the Saints and raced 37 yards to the Tennessee 25. Latavius Murray ran for 5 and Brees hit Kamara for 5 more. Brees went to Thomas for 13 yards down to the one. On 2nd and goal at the 2, Brees hit Thomas for the touchdown. With 2:10 to play the Saints led by 10. After a touchback, Tannehill hit Brown for 34 yards. Despite 1st and 10 at the Saints 41, Tannehill threw 4 straight incompletions. The Saints at 12-3 still have a shot at home field throughout the playoffs. The 8-7 Titans still control their own destiny. They make the playoffs as a wildcard next week with a win at Houston. If they lose, they will need a ton of help to still get in. Last week Brees broke Peyton Manning’s record for most NFL touchdowns, but Tom Brady is breathing down his neck. This week Michael Thomas broke Marvin Harrison’s record for most catches in a season. Harrison had 143 and Thomas still has a game to go. 38-28 Saints

New York Giants at Washington Redskins — Sometimes a pair of awful teams can come together and produce a thrilling game. This actually was that game. A pair of 3-11 teams was not even the worst game of the day. Eli Manning was back on the bench and Daniel Jones was starting for Big Blue. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Wilson hit Shepard for 43, Scott for 11, and Shepard again for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Giants only 2 1/2 minutes into the game. The Giants needed only 3 plays. So did the Redskins. After a touchback, Thompson ran for 60 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 10, Dwayne Haskins hit Sims for the touchdown to make it 7-7. The Giants needed only 2 plays to take the lead again. After a touchback, Saquon Barkley ran for 8 and then broke free for a 67 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Giants. The Redskins soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25 when Haskins hit Sims for just enough and then hit Harmon for 13. On the first play of the second quarter, Haskins hit Hentges for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-14. 

The Giants took over at their own 17. On 3rd and  5 from their 30, Jones only gained 4 but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 46, Jones went to Shepard for 5. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 41, Jones went to Golden Tate for 8 and deep to Barkley for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Giants. The Giants finally got a stop on defense and took over at their own 27. Barkley ran for 7 and 4. On 2nd and 10 from his own 38, Jones was sacked. However, unnecessary roughness on the defense meant a new set of downs. Jones then went deep to Tate for 31 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 15, Jones hit Tate for 5 and then found Latimer for a 10 yard touchdown. With 38 seconds left in the half, the Giants led 28-14. 

In the third quarter the Redskins took over at their own 40. Case Keenum was in for an injured Haskins. Keenum hit McLaurin for 9 and Harmon for 22. Bill Callahan went with an option pass and the bag of tricks had Harmon finding Thompson for 11. Keenum hit Sims for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Redskins within 28-21. The Giants took over at their own 27. On 2nd and 7 from their 35, Jones went to Barkley for a 51 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 9, Jones went to Smith for the touchdown as the Giants led 35-21.  

The fourth quarter began with the Giants punting on 4th and 15 from their own 28. Dixon’s punt was blocked by Orchard. The Redskins took over at the Giants 17. Defensive pass interference moved the ball down to the one. Adrian Peterson got in as the Redskins only trailed 35-28. The Giants moved from their 25 to a 4th and 4 at the Washington 35 With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Aldrich Rosas came in for a 53 yard field goal try to give the Giants some breathing room. The kick was no good. With 6 1/2 minutes left the Redskins were pinned at their own one yard line. On 3rd and 9 from their 2, Keenum went deep to Sims for 32 yards. On 3rd and 5 from their 39, Keenum hit Hentges for 22 yards and McLaurin for 15 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 15, Keenum hit McLaurin for 5. With 41 seconds left the Redskins were facing 4th and goal at the 3. Keenum threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. with 30 seconds left, Keenum got in himself. Despite this being an exciting game, nobody wants overtime between 3-11 teams. Bill Callahan took no mercy on the fans and opted for the extra point and the tie rather than go for the 2 point conversion. The kick was good. The Giants after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 45 with 2 seconds left. Rosas wanted to try a 63 yard field goal but that was not happening. Jones threw the Hail Mary near the end zone and it was knocked down incomplete. Overtime it would be tied 35-35.

The Giants got the ball in overtime andScott returned it 35 yards to the Giants 34. On 3rd and 7 from the Giants 37, Jones went deep to Shepard for 23 yards. Barkley ran for 8 and 3. Jones hit Shepard for 9. Barkley ran for 6 and 12 to set up 1st and goal at the 2. With 4:15 left in overtime, it came down to 3rd and goal at the . A field goal would give the Redskins a chance with the ball. They never got that chance. Jones hit Smith for the touchdown. Forget Draft position. There is no tanking in football. These teams wanted to win, and beleaguered Pat Shurmur got the win. Jones was 28 of 42 for 352 yards, 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. 41-35 Giants, OT

Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets — The 8-6 Steelers would make the playoffs if they won out but could be knocked out with a loss. Sam darn old came out firing after a touchback. He hit Leveon Bell for 7 and Smith for 8. On 3rd and 3 from their own 46, Darnold threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 14 yards. Arnold then hit Ty Montgomery for 17 and Robbie Anderson for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jets. An interception of Devlin “Duck” Hodges led to a field position game that had the Jets taking over at their own 41. On 3rd and 2 from their own 49, Montgomery ran for 7 On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 36, Bell got stopped. Adam Gase brought in Sam Ficken for a 54 yard field goal try to start the second quarter. Ficken was good and the Jets led 10-0. The Steelers moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 3 at the Jets 19. Hodges went to the end zone and was intercepted by Maye for a touchback. 

Mike Tomlin had seen enough. Hodges was benched, and Mason Rudolph started with 4 minutes left in the first quarter. The Steelers took over at their own 14. Rudolph hit Washington for 13, Johnson for 9 and Samuels for 27. A sack had the Steelers facing 3rd and 19 from the Jets 39. Rudolph hit Johnson for 8 and Boswell hit the 49 yard field goal to get the Steelers on the board with 1:22 left in the half. The Jets took over at their own 15. With 36 seconds left in the half the Jets had 1st and 10 just shy of midfield. Darnold was sacked and fumbled. The Steelers took over at the Jets 41 with 28 seconds left. On 3rd and 3 from the Jets 34 with 14 seconds left, Rudolph went deep incomplete but illegal contact meant 1st and 10 from the Jets 29 with 4 seconds left. Rudolph went deep to Johnson for the touchdown. Gregg Williams’s unit had a meltdown at the worst possible time. Despite Gang Green dominating the game, the teams were tied 10-10 at halftime. 

A brutal second half saw Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey leave injured. In the third quarter the Jets moved from their 19 to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 19. A run gained one yard, Darnold threw incomplete, and on 3rd and 9 Darnold was sacked. Ficken hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Jets with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Rudolph got knocked out of the game and Hodges came back in to play the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter the Jets moved from their 39 to a 2nd and 7 at the Jets 29, in field goal range. Hodges was sacked for a 9 yard loss. On 3rd and 16 a horrendous snap out of the shotgun was covered by Hodges for another 8 yard loss. The Steelers had to punt. The Jets took over at their own 22. Darnold hit Smith for 14 and Crowder for 20. Bell ran for 3, 2, and on 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 39 with the Steelers smelling pass, ran for 7 more. On 1st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 32, Darnold fumbled the snap out of the shotgun and covered it up for a 3 yard loss. On 3rd and 13, Adam Gase called a safe draw play. Bell gained 11. On 4th and 2 from the Pittsburgh 24, Gase took no chances. Ficken hit the 42 yard field goal. The Jets led by 6 with 3:11 to play. 

At the 2 minute warning the Steelers faced 4th and 14 at their own 21. Mike Tomlin opted to punt and trust his defense. Adam tase ran 3 straight times and took only 20 seconds off the clock. A horrendous 28 yard punt had the Steelers at their own 40 with 1:27 to play. Hodges hit Cain for 16. On 3rd and 7 from the Pittsburgh 44, Hodges went for it all and found single coverage in the end zone. The defender made a spectacular play to pry the ball away incomplete. With 38 seconds left on 4th and 7, Hodges threw a ball that was well-defended and went through the receiver’s hands. Gregg Williams’s defense got it done as the Steelers playoff hopes took a blow. They are still alive but do not control their own destiny. 16-10 Jets

Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins — In the worst game of the year, the 1-13 Bengals could secure the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft with a loss to the 3-11 Dolphins. Sometimes a pair of miserable teams can produce a thrilling game. shockingly, this actually also was that game. The Dolphins marched 75 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Alex Hurns for 14. On 3rd and  3 from th Miami 48, Fitzpatrick hit Albert Wilson for 12. On 2nd and 19 from the Cincy 49, Fitzpatrick hit Hurns for 27 yards, and Wilson for gains of 14 and 7 down to the one. Fitzpatrick hit big man Wilkins at the goal line. Wilkins fumbled and recovered his own fumble in the en zone for a touchdown and a 7-0 Dolphins lead the hard way. Miami got it back and faced 3rd and 12 at their own 23. Fitzpatrick went deep to Parker for 19 and then deep again for a 51 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Fitzpatrick hit Parker for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Dolphins as the Bengals began leaving early for the Draft. 

In the second quarter the Bengals moved from their 20 to a 3rd and goal at the one. Joe Mixon got the carry and got hit for a one yard loss. Bullock hit the 20 yard field goal, but the last chance for the Bengals to make a game of it evaporated. The Dolphins took over at their own 13. Fitzpatrick ran for 15, hit Wilson for 35, hit Ford for 4, and then went deep to Matt Gesicki for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Dolphins. The Bengals did get a 57 yard field goal to end the half, but the Dolphins shut the door in the third quarter. From their own 17, Fitzpatrick went to Parker for 22. On 3rd and 10 from their own 39, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. On 3rd and 13 from the Cincy 49, Fitzpatrick went to Ford for 15, Walford for 15 more, and Gesicki for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 28-6 Dolphins. 

The Bengals soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 24. Red Rifle Andy Dalton went to Erickson for 19 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 44, Dalton hit John Ross for 15. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter and down by 22, The Bengals went for it on 4th and 3 from the Miami 34. One stop would end the game. Instead Dalton went deep to Boyd for the touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Bengals were within 28-12. An interception of Fitzpatrick set up the Bengals at their own 40. Yet on 3rd and 10 from the Miami 43, Dalton was sacked and fumbled. The dolphins took over at the Cincinnati 45. The fourth quarter began with the Dolphins facing 3rd and 6 at the Cincy 41. Fitzpatrick threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 7 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincy 14, Gaskin gained 3. Wilson ran for 9 and Gaskin got the final 2 yards. With 11 minutes left in regulation the Dolphins were wining a laugher 35-12. They would not be laughing much longer. 

From their own 28, Dalton hit Mixon for 17, Tyler Eifert for 16, and Boyd for 13. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 19, Dalton hit Erickson for 7. On 1st and 15 from the Miami 17, Dalton hit Bernard for 9 and Uzomah for the 8 yard touchdown. The Bengals were within 35-19, but only 6 minutes remained. The Dolphins moved from their own 14 to a 3rd and 1 at the Miami 27. This game was just about over. Then gaskin lost 2 yards. Sanders came in for the 47 yard field goal try to ice it. The kick was no good. The Bengals were still down by 16 with 3 minutes left. The Bengals took over at their own 37 and at the 2 minute warning were down to their last gasp at 4th and 10 from the Miami 32. One defensive stop would end the game. Dalton went deep and was intercepted by defensive holding gave the Bengals life. With 30 seconds left in the game, the Bengals faced 4th and goal at the 3. They needed a touchdown, a 2 point conversion, a successful onsides kick, another touchdown, and another 2 point conversion. They had 30 seconds to do it. 

Dalton hit Boyd for the touchdown. Dalton hit Eifert for the 2 point conversion got the Bengals within 35-27. A perfectly executed onsides kick had the Bengals taking over at their own 46. Dalton went deep to Boyd for 29 yards. Dalton raced up to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 4 seconds left. It all came down to one play from the Miami 25. Dalton went to Eifert for the touchdown. Are you kidding me!!!??!! After all of that it would mean nothing without the 2 point conversion. Dalton scrambled, got around the end, and got in the end zone. Are? You? Kidding? Me!!!???!!! 16 points in 30 seconds and 23 points in 3 minutes meant a 35-35 game and overtime. 

Unlike other sports, there is no tanking in NFL football. The worst teams still badly want to win. They don’t want the top Draft pick. They want to win. Both teams tuned twice in overtime and the Dolphins took over with 3:19 left in overtime. On 3rd and 10 from their own 30, Fitzpatrick hit Ford for 15 and Gesicki for 14. At the 2 minute warning from the Cincinnati 42, Fitzpatrick went to Ford for a 28 yard gain. From the Cincy 14 with the Bengals out of timeouts, Fitzpatrick took 3 knees to center the ball and take the clock down to 4 seconds. Sanders came in for the 37 yard field goal try to win it. The kick was good. The Bengals were game, but they will have the top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. These may be bad teams, but this was great football. Dalton was 33 of 56 for 396 yards. Fitzpatrick and his beard was 31 of 52 for 419 yards. Both quarterbacks threw 4 touchdown passes. Fitzpatrick had one interception, Dalton none. That’s why they play every game. That’s why we watch the games. 38-35 Dolphins, OT 

Carolina Panthers at Indianapolis Colts — Both teams are out of the playoffs. Nyheim Hines returned a punt 40 yards to set up the Colts at the Carolina 36. Jacoby Brissett hit Doyle for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 13, Marlon Mck was tackled for a 5 yard loss. However, the defense jumped offsides to keep the drive going. On 4th and goal at the one, Frank Reich decided to go for it. Brissett got in to make it 7-0 Colts. The next time Hines was even more deadly as he returned the next punt 84 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-0 Colts. The Panthers moved from their 30 to a 2nd and 6 at the Indy 9. Will Grier threw incomplete twice and the Panthers settled for a 27 yard Joey Slye field goal to trail 14-3. After a touchback, Marlon Mack ran for a pair of 6 yard gains. On 3rd and 4 at the Carolina 47, Brissett ran for a 24 yard gain and hit Alie-Cox for 21 more down to the 2 yard line. Mack ran it in from there as the Colts led 21-3 with 5 minutes left in the half. The second half was pointless. The Colts kicked a third quarter field goal to make it 24-3. The Panthers also kicked one to finish their offensive output. The only excitement in this game was Hines. For one game, he turned into the second coming of Devon Hester. In the fourth quarter he took another punt 71 yards to the house to make it 31-6 Colts. Jordan Wilkins added one more Colts score from one yards out to complete the blowout and the Colts defense got 2 more interceptions. Hines had 195 punt return yards on only 3 punt returns. Deion Sanders, call the man! 38-6 Colts

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns — Baltimore came in 12-2 and needing only one win in its final 2 games to clinch home field throughout the playoffs. A win today would give them the option of resting everyone in Week 17. The Dawg Pound is always jacked up for their hated rival. Early on john Harbaugh went for it on 4th and 3 at the Cleveland 41. Lamar Jackson threw incomplete. On their next series Jackson fumbled and the Browns took over at the Cleveland 45. On 4th and 2 from the Baltimore 37, Freddie Kitchen went for it rather than try a 55 yard field goal. Baker Mayfield went deep and was intercepted, but defensive holding nullified the pick and kept the drive going. Kitchens gambled again on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 23. The defense committed encroachment. On 3rd and 6 from the Baltimore 13, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 12 yards and 1st and goal at the one. Mayfield hit Harris for the touchdown and the extra point was no good as the Browns led 6-0. 

After 28 minutes, the Browns defense was dominating. With 1:50 left in the half, the Ravens took over at their own 37. Jackson went deep to Mark Ingram for 24 yards and deep again to Andrews for a 39 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Ravens led 7-6. Cleveland went 3 and out and the Ravens got it back t their own 25 with one minute left. Jackson went too Andrews for 24. With 30 seconds left on 3rd and 10 just shy of midfield, Jackson went to Hill for 14 and Seth Roberts for 12 and 11. With 9 seconds left in the half from the Cleveland 14, Jackson avoided the rush, stayed in the pocket, and fired high in the end zone. Andrews made a leaping catch near the back of the end zone as the Ravens led 14-6 over the heartbroken home fans in the Dawg Pound. The Ravens began the third quarter facing 3rd and 10 at their own 31. Jackson scrambled for 15 yards. On 3rd and 5 just past midfield, Jackson hit Andrews for 7. On 2nd and 10 from the Cleveland 42, Jackson ran for 18 more yards. Jackson hit Boyle for 8 and ran for 8 more. Jackson hit Ingram for the 12 yard touchdown as the 13 play, 69 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive put the Ravens up 21-6. 

The Browns did manage another field goal, but in the fourth quarter Justin Tucker hit one for Baltimore as the Ravens led 24-9 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Browns moved 75 yards and Mayfield hit O’Dell Beckham for a 3 yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. Freddie Kitchens made the decision to go for 2 rather than kick and make it an 8 point game. Mayfield threw incomplete and the Browns still trailed 24-15. Baltimore took over at their own 16. Edwards ran for 7 and 9. Jackson gained 6 and Edwards added 10. Jackson added 8 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 43 Edwards gained 10 and unsportsmanlike conduct on the defense added 15 more. On the next play Justice Hill ran for the 18 yard touchdown to put the game away. The Brows were officially eliminated from the playoffs while the 12-3 Ravens clinched home field throughout the playoffs. 31-15 Ravens

Detroit Lions at Denver Broncos — Both teams are eliminated form playoff contention. Matt Patricia was assured he would be back in 2020 to coach the Lions. The Lions moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 6 at the Denver 7. Blough threw incomplete. Matt Prater hit the 26 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Lions. In the second quarter the Broncos punted on 4th and 15 form their own 15. Agnew lugged it back 64 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-0 Lions. The Broncos woke up after a touchback. Lindsay ran for 6, 3 and 14 with defensive holding adding 5 more. From the Detroit 47, Drew Lock hit Hamilton for 13 and Cortland Sutton for 15. Lock hit Patrick for 10 yards down the one. Freeman got in to get the broncos within 10-7. Brandon McManus hit a 34 yard field goal near the end of the half to tie the game and again from 26 in the third quarter to give the Broncos the 13-10 lead.

After a touchback Johnson ran for 8 and Scarborough added 18. On 3rd and 9 from the Denver 48, Blough went to Danny Amendola for 12. Johnson gained 6 and 8. Blough hit Kenny Golladay for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 3, Blough hit Golladay for the score. The 11 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Lions up 17-13 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. Denver moved from their 25 to a 4th and 1 just shy of midfield with one minute left in the third quarter. Vic Fangio decided to go for it and went to the bag of tricks. It was Beck rather thAN drew Lock who hit Lindsay for 6 yards. Lock then went to Sutton for 13 and Patrick for 12. Lindsay ran for 13. With 13 minutes left in regulation, Lock hit Hamilton for the touchdown to make it 20-17 Broncos. The 11 play, 75 yard drive took 6 minutes off the clock. The Broncos got it back and faced 3rd and 3 at their own 46. Lock hit Patrick for 5 yards, Heuerman for 6, and Patrick for 16. Lindsay then raced up the middle for a 27 yard touchdown to lock up the win with 6:40 to play. 27-17 Broncos

Oakland Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers — Despite losing 4 straight to drop to 6-8, the Raiders needed a Hanukah miracle to even have a shot at the playoffs. They got it when, Pittsburgh Tennessee and Cleveland all lost before their game started. The Raiders needs d2 road wins and other help, but they were still barely alive. The game in Los Angeles felt like a home game for the Raiders. They had a shot, but would have to win without Josh Jacobs. Just like last week, they started out red hot. From their own 29, Derek Carr hit Darren Waller for 11 yards. On 3rd and 6 from their own 44, Carr fired over the middle to Hunter Renfrow, who split the seams and raced for a 56 yard touchdown. 4 minutes into the game, the Raiders led 7-0. Just like last week, they then went into an offensive shell and put way too much on their defense. With 5 minute left in the half the Chargers faced 3rd and 9 at their own 23. The Raiders defense had stopped them for 25 minutes but finally bent. Rivers threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 17 yard gain. Rivers then went to Hunter henry for 17 more and Keenan Allen for another 10. Rivers hit Williams for 10 down to the one at the 2 minute warning. Melvin Gordon got the yard as the game was tied 7-7. 

It looked like another Oakland collapse. This time after a touchback, Carr worked the 2 minute drill to perfection. Carr hit Waller for 5, Williams for 20, Jones for 3 and Williams for 6. On 3rd and 1 at the Chargers 41, Jalen Richard lost a yard. With one minute left, Jon Gruden gambled on 4th and 2. This seemed like a suicide mission and the reason the Raiders lose so many games. Yet Carr rolled out and found Richard for 10 yards, Jones for 7 more, and Renfrow for 13 and 9. With 8 seconds left in the half the Raiders faced 3rd and 1 at the Chargers 3. The Raiders still had one timeout left. Carr faked the handoff, rolled out, and headed for the pylon. He has had disastrous experiences diving for pylons in the past, but this time he got there as the Raiders led 14-7 at halftime. The Raiders got the ball to start the third quarter after a touchback and Jon Gruden went full-on smashmouth. Deandre Washington gained 4, 6 and 4. Carr went to Waller for 20 and Carrier for 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 32, Washington gained 5 and then 6 more. Richard gained 5, 2 and 3. On 3rd and 5 from the Chargers 11, Carr hit Richard for 6. Washington then ran for the 5 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard drive took nearly 9 minutes off the clock. The Raiders led 21-7. Now the defense had a chance to put the game away.

From their own 17, Rivers hit Gordon for 5, Henry for 10, and Allen for 14. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 46, Rivers threw incomplete. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, Anthony Lynn decided to go for it. One defensive stop would all but end it. Gordon gained 10 yards. The Raiders do not close out games. Rivers hit Austin Ekeler for 17 and Allen for 18 down to the one. Gordon got in from there. With one minute left in the third quarter the Charger were right back in it down 21-14 after the 10 play, 83 yard, 5 minute rive. Again, the Raiders do not close out games. Yet the offense remained resilient. From their own 23, Washington ran for 4, caught a pass for 13, and ran for 4 more. On 3rd and 5 from their own 45, Carr hit Renfrwo for 6. On 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 42, Carr hit Renfrow for 5. On 3rd and 2 from the Chargers 29, Washington got stopped. Daniel Carlson came in for a 48 yard field goal try to give the Raiders some breathing room. Last week Carlson was the goat who blew the game. This week he was good as the Raiders led 24-14 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The 12 play drive took another 7 1/2 minutes off the clock.

After a touchback, the Chargers faced 2nd and 6 from just shy of midfield. Rivers was buried for a 14 yard loss on a sack and the Chargers had to punt. the Raiders got it back at their own 32 with 6:40 to play. On 2nd and 12 from their 30, Washington gained 12. Yet on 3rd and 6 from their own 46, Richard only gained 4. On 4th and 2 from midfield, Jon Gruden took no chances. A good punt had the Chargers pinned at their own 10 with 3 1/2 minutes left and one timeout plus the 2 minute warning. Again, the Raiders had not closed out a game. Rivers hit Williams for 23, Henry for 4, Williams for 12 and 6 and Allen for 9. Despite clearly being tackled inbounds, for the second straight week the officials ruled a catch against the Raiders out of bounds to stop the clock. On the next play Rivers hit Green for 4 and Patton for 10 to the Oakland 22. Trayvon Mullen was injured on defense, stopping the clock with 2:05. The Raiders were doing everything they could to give the Chargers more time. Mullin was taken out by his own man and stayed down. The stretcher came out but Mullin was moving his arms and legs. 

After a lengthy delay, Rivers hit Ekeler for 8. Then the defense jumped offsides. With 1:51 left the Chargers faced 1st and goal at the 9. 24-21 seemed inevitable. Then the Raiders defense that completely broke last week bent but refused to break this week. Rivers threw 3 straight incompletions under heavy pressure. Needing 2 scores, Anthony Lynn went with the field goal. Mike Badgley hit from 27 to get the Chargers within 7. Now it came down to the onsides kick. Waller mishandled it but quickly fell on it foe the Raiders. On 3rd and 10 from the Chargers 49, Washington broke through the middle for a 13 yard gain as the clock hit double zeroes. The Oakland Raiders at 7-8 are still alive for a playoff spot. They will need another miracle, but they got one today. They have enough oil to last 8 days, and on the 8th night of Hanukkah they will know their fate. One week after their most heartless effort in years, they showed a ton of heart and character in getting the win. Rivers finished 27 of 39 for 279 yards without a touchdown pass. Carr was a lights out 26 of 30 for 291 yards and one touchdown pass. Neither quarterback was intercepted in a clean game without a turnover. 24-17 Raiders

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles — Both teams came in 7-7 tied atop the NFC Least in a do or die game. This was a street fight. The Eagles on their opening drive moved after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 24. After an incompletion, a run was blown up for a 5 yard loss. Jake Elliott hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 37. Sanders gained 6 , 4 and 8. Carson Wentz hit Sanders for 29 and Dallas Goedert for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Eagles. The game tightened in the second quarter. Kai Forbath hit a 49 yard field goal to get Dallas on the board. The Eagles faced 4th and 1 at the Dallas 33 and Doug Pedersen decided to go for it. Wentz threw incomplete. With 33 seconds left in the half the Eagles faced the and 6 at the Dallas 35. Pedersen opted for the 53 yard field goal try. The kick was no good. From their own 43 with 30 seconds left, Dan Prescott hit Michael Gallup for 16, Amari cooper for 6, Gallup again for 13, and Jason Witten for 8. On 2nd and 2 from the Philly 14, only 6 seconds remained. Jason Garrett decided not to get greedy. Forbath hit from 32 as the Cowboys trailed 10-6 at the intermission.

The second half was just as brutal. The Cowboys moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 1 at the Philly 25. Pollard got the carry and fumbled and the Eagles recovered. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter the Eagles took over at their own 20. Wentz hit Scott for 6, Zac Ertz for 5 and 7, and Ward deep for a 38 yard gain. Wentz ran for 7 and hit Ertz for 6. On 3rd and goal at the one on the last play of the third quarter, Sanders got in up the gut as the Eagles led 17-6. With 11 minutes left in regulation Doug Peterson gambled on a 55 yard field goal try to extend the lead. Elliott was no good. With 9 minutes left in the game the Cowboys were down to their last gasp as they faced 4th and 9 at their own 46. Prescott hit Randall Cobb for 17 yards. That was enough for Forbath to hit from 49 as the Cowboys trailed by 8 midway through the fourth quarter. Dallas got it back at their own 12 with 4 1/2 minutes left. Prescott hit Cobb for big gains of 13, 21 and 18, Austin for 5, and Cooper for a pair of 6 yard gains. On 2nd and 4 from the Philly 19 with 1:54 left, Prescott was sacked. On 3rd and 8 he threw incomplete. On 4th and 8, a well thrown ball to the end zone was perfectly defended incomplete. With 1:15 left, the Cowboys still had all 3 timeouts. With 52 seconds left and the Cowboys out of timeouts, it came down to the Eagles facing 3rd and 2 at the Dallas 42. Sanders got the carry, broke free, and was racing toward the end zone when he unselfishly slid to the ground inbounds so the Eagles could run out the clock. The 8-7 Eagles can lock up the NFC Least with a win next week or a Dallas loss. If the Eagles lose next week and the Cowboys win, Dallas wins the division. 17-9 Eagles

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks — The 11-3 Seahawks entered one of four teams tied atop the NFC with a shot at home field throughout the playoffs. All they had to do was beat the woeful Cardinals at home. Cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman. “THAT’s why they PLAY the games!” The Seahawks made it look easy from their own 11. Chris Carson ran for 10. Russell Wilson hit Hollister for 20. Carson gained 16 and Moore added 19. Wilson went to Turner for 23 and to Bellore for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. Then came the inexplicable. 

17 seconds later the game was tied. Kenyon Drake raced for an 80 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. A field position game had the Cardinals taking over at their own 46. Kyler Murray scrambled for 10 and 17. Murray threw a 21 yard touchdown pass to Lary Fitzgerald. With 5 minutes left in the half the Cardinals led 14-7. With 2 1/2 minutes left the Cardinals got it back at their own 45. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 46 at the 2 minute warning, Murray lost a yard. Cliff Kingsbury went for it on 4th and 2. Murray hit Cooper for 14 yards and Fitzgerald for 11 more. With 27 seconds left on 3rd and goal at the 4, Murray went to Fitzgerald for the touchdown.On further review it was reversed incompelte. Zane Gonzalez hit the 22 yard field goal as the Cardinals led 17-7 at the break in front of a stunned Pacific Northwest home crowd. The third quarter began with the Seahawks facing 3rd and 10 at their own 34. Wilson hit Moore for 21 yards, but Moore fumbled and the Cardinals took over at their own 36. Murray hit Arnold for 20 and Drake ran for 15. Gonzalez hit a 46 yard field goal as the Cardinals led 20-7. However, Murray was injured on the drive and did not return. The Cardinals had to go the rest of the way with Hundley.

The Cardinals were dominating the game and in position for the upset as they drove again from their 28 to a 2nd and 5 at the Seattle 26. Hundley threw incomplete twice. With 1:20 left in the third quarter, Gonzalez came in for a 45 yard field goal try to make it 23-7 Cardinals. Instead it was blocked and returned by Blair 46 yards to the Arizona 16. Yet the Arizona defense brought it today. on 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 9, Homer got the carry and lost 3 yards. On the first play o h fourth quarter, Myers hit a 30 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 20-10. Seattle got it back at their 25 and Wilson went to Tyler Lockett for 12 yards with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and 11 just past midfield, Wilson hit Hollister for 16. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Arizona 33, Wilson threw 3 straight incompletions. Myers nailed a 51 yard field goal as the Seahawks crept within 20-13 with 10 minutes left in regulation. From their own 22, Hundley hit Williams for 28 to midfield. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 42, Hundley ran for 14, 6 and 12. Drake ran for the 3 yard touchdown as the Cardinals were winning a shocker up 14 with 4:18 to play. With 3  minutes left the Seahawks faced a desperate 4th and 22 from their own 35. Wilson went deep but there were no miracles as he threw incomplete. The stunning upset dropped the Seahawks to 11-4. Next week they have a showdown at home against San Francisco. If they win, they win the NFC West. If they lose, they are a wildcard and have to play all their playoff games on the road. Home field advantage throughout the playoffs seems unlikely with 3 teams all one game ahead of them. 27-13 Cardinals.

Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears was the Sunday night game. The 10-4 Chiefs still had an outside chance at a first round bye but with a loss would have to settle for hosting a playoff game on wildcard weekend. The Bears punted on 4th and 21 from their own 39. The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 18. Patrick Mahomes hit Sammy Watkins for 17, Robinson for 13, Bell for 10 and Ware for 4. A sack of Mahomes meant 3rd and 18 from their own 47. Mahomes went to Tyreeq Hill for 19 and again for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 22, the Bears entered the neutral zone. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 12, Mahomes ran for the touchdown to cap the 15 play, 82 yard, 8 minute drive and make it 7-0 Chiefs.The Chiefs began the second quarter at their own 30 and moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Chicago 39. Mahomes threw incomplete twice but Harrison Butker leveled a 56 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 5 and had 2nd and 28 from their own 33. A pair of 12 yard completions had the Chiefs punting on 4th and 4 from the Chicago 43 at the 2 minute warning. The Bears ran into the kicker and the Chiefs kept the ball. That penalty was a killer as Mahomes from the Chicago 19 hit Travis Kelce for 13 and again for the 6 yard touchdown to finish the 13 play, 95 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 17-0 Chiefs. The second half was pointless. The Bear in the third quarter moved from their own 13 on a 15 play, 83 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. On 4th and goal at the 4, Matt Nagy went for it and Mitchell Trubisky threw incomplete. The Bears did get a field goal on the last play of the third quarter to avoid the shutout. In the fourth quarter Mahomes on 3rd and 8 hit Damien Williams for a 14 yard touchdown and Butker tacked on a 32 yard field goal to complete the scoring. The 11-4 Chiefs need a win next week and a New England loss to get a 1st round bye. Another win has Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. 26-3 Chiefs 

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings was the Monday night game. A major NFC North showdown took place as the 11-3 Green Bay Packers took on the 10-4 Minnesota Vikings. Both teams are in the playoffs. A Packers win would clinch the NFC North and give them a shot at a first round bye and even home field throughout the playoffs. The Vikings would be a Wildcard. A Vikings win and a win next week combined with another Green Bay loss would give Minnesota the NFC North crown and a shot at a first round bye although home field throughout the playoffs is out of reach. The Packers would be a Wildcard. On 3rd and 5 from their own 30 on the third play of the game, a short completion from Aaron Rodgers to Aaron Jones gained 3 yards. Then Jones had the ball chopped out of his hands. Kendricks returned the fumble 10 yards to set up the Vikings at the Green Bay 24. Despite 2nd and goal at the 5, Kirk Cousins threw incomplete. Dan Bailey hit from 23 to put the Vikings up 3-0 less than 2 minutes into the game. The Packers rebounded and moved from their own 27 to a 2nd and 3 at the Minnesota 24. Rodgers threw incomplete twice. Mason Crosby hit a 42 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. 

The second quarter began with the Packers facing 2nd and 18 at their own 28. Rodgers was intercepted by Harris, who returned it 10 yards to the Green Bay 26. On 3rd and 5, Cousins went to the end zone and Stefan Diggs made a catch in the back of the end zone and got both feet down for the touchdown and the 10-3 Vikings lead. The Packers responded from their 25 and again drove to the red zone with a 2nd and 5 at the Minnesota 15. Again Rodgers threw incomplete twice. Again Mason Crosby hit from 33 as the Packers still trailed 10-6. A third Green Bay turnover on a fumble had the Vikings taking over at the Green Bay 48. On 3rd and 4 from the Packers 42, Mike Zimmer called a double reverse with a pass to Cousins. The ball was slightly overthrown incomplete. Zimmer decided to go for it on 4th and 4 and Cousins threw deep incomplete. With 55 seconds left the Packers took over at their own 45. Rodgers went to Graham for 18, Williams for 11, Devonta Adams for 13 and 6 and Williams for 8 to set up 1st and goal at the one with 7 seconds left. Rodgers fired to Adams in the end zone, and Adams just dropped it. 3 seconds remained. Matt LaFleur decided not to gamble. Mason Crosby hit the 19 yard field goal as the Packers trailed 10-9 at halftime despite holding the Vikings to 26 yards passing.  

The Vikings moved from their own 23 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 46. Cousins went for it all and threw into double coverage. King made the leaping interception at his own 8 yard line and returned it 39 yards to his 47. The Vikings offense never got going. The defense kept the Vikings in the game, but in the second half they finally broke. Williams ran for 8 and 4. On 3rd and 2 from the Minnesota 33, Rodgers hit Adams for 6. Jones ran for 9. Rodgers hit Valdes-Scantling for 6. Jones ran for the 12 yard touchdown. Rodgers then hit Greg Allison for the touchdown as the Packers led 17-10 late in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter the Packers faced 2nd and 9 at their own 26. Rodgers went to Adams for 18. Then Jones busted through some tackles, got to the sideline, and raced for a 56 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but with 6 minutes left in regulation the Packers led by 13. With 4 minutes left on 2nd and 14 from their own 47, Cousins went bombs away for a 53 yard touchdown. Yet offensive holding nullified the score. Two years ago with the division on the line, the Vikings went into Green Bay and hit the Packers in the mouth. Two years later it was the Packers going into Minnesota and knocking a very good Vikings team on their hides. As Aaron Rodgers reminded the league in Week 1, the Packers now have a defense. The Vikings are now locked into the six seed Wildcard. The Packers are currently the two seed with a first round bye. They could fall as low as the three seed or go as high as the top seed with home field throughout the playoffs. 23-10 Packers

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NFL 2019 Week 15 Recap

New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens is the Thursday night game. Sometimes a below average team can go on the road and shock a great team in an upset for the ages. This was not that game as the 11-2 Ravens handled business easily. Baltimore took over at their own 16. Lamar Jackson hit Hurst for 19 and ran for 20 himself. Jackson hit Snead for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 16, Mark Ingram gained 5. Ingram ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. The Jets moved from their 36 to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 32. A run gained one yard, Sam Darnold threw incomplete twice, and Sam Ficken missed a 49 yard field goal try. From their own 39, Ingram ran for 29, Jackson added 25, and Jackson hit Boykin for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Ravens. The extra point was no good. The Jets tried to make a game of it, taking over at their own 37. On 3rd and 9 from midfield to start the second quarter, Darnold went deep to Jamison Crowder for a 41 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Darnold hit Crowder for the touchdown. The Jets were only down 13-7, but after that Baltimore took over.

After a touchback, Ingram ran for 7, Jackson added 12, and Edwards added 4. A defensive pass interference penalty on a bomb went for a 43 yard gain down to the one. It took 5 tries due to penalties on both teams, but Jackson hit Mark Andrews for the one yard touchdown and Ingram ran in the 2 point conversion to make it 21-7 Ravens. The Jets moved from their own 26 on a 13 play, 67 yard, 8 minute drive. At the 2 minute warning, Adam tase went for it on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 7. Darnold threw incomplete. The Jets got it back at the Baltimore 41 with one minute left in the half. From the Baltimore 25, Darnold went deep and the last chance for the Jets to make a game of it ended with an interception at the 5 yard line. Midway through the third quarter the Jets took over at their own 15. On 3rd and 8 from their own 35, Darnold was sacked and fumbled. The Ravens recovered at the Jets 24. Jackson went deep to Brown for the 24 yard touchdown to make it 28-7 Ravens. Baltimore got it back and a possibly overconfident John Harbaugh went for it on 4th and 1 from his own 29. Out of the shotgun, Jackson went deep to Andrews for a 36 yard gain. On 2nd and 20 from the Jets 33, Jackson went deep to Seth Roberts for the touchdown and a 35-7 Ravens lead. The Jets did get a s special teams touchdown in the fourth quarter on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, but the onside kick failed and a short field led to a 10 yard touchdown pass to Ingram to make it 42-13 Ravens. The Jets got one more garbage touchdown. After his third game this year with 5 touchdown passes, Jackson took a seat and backup Robert Griffin III took some snaps. The 12-2 Ravens as of now are still the top AFC seed and can win home field throughout the playoffs with one more win in their final two games. 42-21 Ravens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions — Jameis Winston continues to complete passes to both teams. Early on he was intercepted, but the Buccaneers held on defense. The Bucs took over at their own 21 and Winston hit Brate for 9, Brad Perriman for 22, and Watson for 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 36, Winston gained 2 and then went deep to Perriman for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own one yard line. On 3rd and 6 from their 5, Winton went to Miller for 11, deep to Godwin for 51, and then deep to Miller for the 33 yard touchdown. 99 yards the easy away made it 14-0 Buccaneers. In the second quarter the Buccaneers took over at their own 33. From their own 44, Winston hit Ogunbowale for 13 and Godwin for 20. On 3rd and 15 from the Detroit 25, Winston went to Perriman for the touchdown to make it 21-0 Buccaneers as Matt Patricia contemplated where he’d be applying for work next year. 

The Lions tried to make a game of it. Matt Parater hit a 44 yard field goal with just over 3 minutes left in the half to get the Lions on the board. Matt Gay answered form 46 early in the third quarter to make it 24-3 Buccaneers. After a touchback, Blough hit James for 11 and 13 and Kenny Golladay for 5. On 3rd and 10 from their own 48, Blough went deep to Danny Amendola for a 46 yard gain. On 3rd and goal from the one, Hills got in to get the Lions within 24-10. The Lions got it back and faced 3rd and 1 at their own 22. Blough went deep to Golladay for 26 and deep again to Lacy for a 48 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Hills got in again on the first play of the fourth quarter to get the Lions within 24-17. Midway through the fourth quarter, Gay missed a 54 yard field goal that would have given the Buccaneers some breathing room. The Lions moved from their 44 to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 32 looking to tie the game. Blough was sacked for a 3 yard loss. With 5 minutes remaining on 2nd and 13, Blough was intercepted by Bunting, who returned it 70 yards the other way to put the game on ice with the Buccaneers up 31-17. After the Lions turned it over on downs at their own 46, Winston on 3rd and 7 threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Perriman to complete the blowout. The Lions added one more fumble for good measure. Winston has his critics, but on this day his 458 yards and 4 touchdowns did not come during garbage time. His only interception came early in the game. He played well. 38-17 Buccaneers. 

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins — The 6-7 Eagles came in actually tied for the NFC Least lead. In the first quarter the Eagles moved from their own 5 yard line on a staggering 16 play, 88 yard drive that took over 7 1/2 minutes. Despite 2nd and goal at the 7, Carson Wentz threw incomplete twice. Elliott hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. 12 seconds later the Redskins had the lead. After a touchback, a short pass from Dwayne Haskins to McLaurin went for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Redskins. The Eagles got it back and faced 2nd and 8 at their own 27. Wentz threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 yards. Wentz went to Dallas Goedert for 16 yards. Penalties had the Eagles facing 2nd and 22 from the Washington 26. Wentz threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 yards and another first down. Another offensive penalty had the Eagles facing 1st and 20 at the Washington 31. On 2nd and 12 from the Washington 23, Wentz hit Goedert for 9 and on 3rd and 3 went to Ward for 6. Sanders ran for 7 and then for the one yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 10-7 Eagles. Again after a touchback Washington responded. Defensive pass interference added 14 yards. Haskins went to Sims for 19. Adrian Peterson ran for 13. A sack was wiped away by defensive holding. Peterson ran for 14 more. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Haskins hit Sims for the score to make it 14-10 Redskins midway through the second quarter. 

The Eagles in the third quarter faced 2nd and 8 from their own 36. Wentz threw incomplete, but yet another roughing the passer penalty added 15 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 48, Wentz hit Zach Ertz for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 29, Scott gained 3. On 3rd and 5 at the Washington 21, Wentz hit Scott for 5, Goedert for 6, and after a false start, Sanders for the 15 yard touchdown to put the Eagles back in front 17-14. The 12 play, 66 yard drive took 6 minutes off the clock. The Redskins after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Peterson gained 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Philly 37, Haskins got around the end for 23 yards. Peterson ran for 4 and then for the 10 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 21-17 Redskins. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Sanders got around the end for a 56 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Wentz hit Ertz for the score as the Eagles led 24-21 with 10 minutes left in regulation. Sims returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to the Washington 45. Haskins hit McLaurin for 22. Hopkins drilled a 53 yard field goal for a 24-24 game midway through the fourth quarter. 

The Eagles took over and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33 with 6 1/2 minutes left. Wentz was sacked and fumbled. The Redskins took over at the Philly 34. On 4th and 1 from the Philly 25 with 5 minutes left, Bill Callahan was not in a gambling mood. Hopkins hit the 43 yard field goal to make it 27-24 Redskins. After a touchback came the thrilling finish. On 3rd and 5 from their on 30, Wentz hit Ward for 13. Scott caught a pass for 6 and ran for 6 more. Wentz went to Goedert for 20 and Ward for 13 and 10. With 30 seconds left in the game, the Eagles had 1st and goal at the 4. Wentz hit Ward for the touchdown as the Eagles led 31-27. Sims returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards to the Washington 31 with 18 seconds left. Haskins hit Harmon for 17 and Thompson for 10. With 13 seconds left the Redskins had 1st and 10 at the Philly 42, well in Hail Mary Range. Yet a shotgun snap was fumbled at midfield. Bradham picked it up and returned it 47 yards for a defensive touchdown exclamation point. The 7-7 Eagles are very much alive in the NFC Least as they find ways to win ugly in the final moments. 37-27 Eagles

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers — The 10-3 Packers came in one game up in the NFC North but one game back in the overall NFC. Early on the Bears punted on 4th and 19 from their own 16. A short punt followed by a catcher interference penalty on Chicago had the Packers starting at the Chicago 35. On 4th and 4 from the 29, Matt Lafleur decided to go for it rather than try a 47 yard field goal. Aaron Rodgers went deep to Devontae Adams for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Bears managed a 30 yard Eddie Pineiro field goal just past the 2 minute warning, but this was a game about the Green Bay defense. In the third quarter the Packers took over at their own 27. Rodgers went to Adams for 34 yards and ran for 17 more himself. Aaron Jones then ran for a 21 yard touchdown as the Packers led 14-3. The Bears after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Green Bay 32. Mitchell Trubisky was sacked for a 2 yard loss and Matt Nagy went for it on 4th and 6. Trubisky threw incomplete. The Packers faced 3rd and 4 at their own 40. Rodgers went deep to Kumerow for 49 yard and Adams for 9 more. Jones ran for the 2 yard touchdown as the Packers were safely ahead 21-3.  

The Bears tried to make a game of it in the fourth quarter. They moved from their own 16 to a 3rd and 6 at the Green Bay 9. Trubisky threw incomplete. Needing 3 scores, on the first play of the fourth quarter Matt Nagy opted for the field goal. Pineiro hit from 27 to get the Bears within 21-6. Chicago got it back at their own 33. Trubisky hit Robinson for 9 and Anthony Miller for 17. On 3rd and 15 from the Green Bay 41, Trubisky only gained 8 but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 7 from the Packers 25, Trubisky hit Robinson for 15. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Trubisky hit Miller for the score. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Bears were only down by 8. They had 3 more chances with the ball. With 6:40 to play, Trubisky was intercepted to set up the Packers at the Chicago 33. With 5 minutes left the Packers had 3rd and 4 at the Chicago 27, in easy field goal range for the clinching field goal try. Rodgers was sacked for an 11 yard loss and the Packers punted. The Bears mood from their own 5 yard line to a 1st and 10 just past midfield. Trubisky then threw 4 straight incompletions with 1:51 left. Chicago’s defense held again and the Bears got it back at their own 22 with 36 seconds left. With 9 seconds left from the Green Bay 34, Trubisky threw a Hail Mary. It bounced off the fingers of the defenders and then bounced off the fingers of the receiver in the back of the end zone. The Bears almost had it. One second still remained. This time the Bears went for the hook and laterals. It was working. Trubisky hit Cohen for 13, back to Trubisky for 5 more, then to Horsted for 9 all the way to the Green Bay 7. Then big man with football coughed it up and a scramble ensued. The Packers recovered at their own one yard line. It was typical ugly NFC North Black and Blue football, but the 11-3 Packers got the win. 21-13 Packers. 

New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals— The Patriots do cheat, but does anyone think they could possibly gain a competitive advantage by spying on the Bengals? What could they possibly learn? After a touchback, Tom Brady immediately went to James White for 22 yards. Sony Michel gained 8 and 12. Harry gained 10. Brady went to White to make it 7-0 Patriots barely 3 minutes into the game. After a touchback, the Bengals rammed it on the ground. Joe Mixon ran for 2, 7, 3 on 3rd and 1, 2, and then 29. Bernard ran for 17, 4 and 3. On 3rd and 3 from the 8, Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw his first pass of the entire drive. He hit Carter for the touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Bengals got it back at their 35. Mixon gained 13 and 5 and Dalton hit Tyler Eifert for 19. Despite 1st and 10 at the New England 17, a false start ended the drive. Bullock hit the 34 yard field goal as the Bengals had the surprising 10-7 lead after the first quarter. Then reality set in. 

In the seconds quarter the Patriots moved from their own 25 to a 4th and 4 at the Cincy 35. Bill Belichick decided to go for it rather than try a 53 yard field goal. Brady threw incomplete. The Bengals moved from their own 35 to a 4th and 1 at the Patriots 30. The Bengals also went for it and Mixon got stuffed. The Patriots then moved from their own 31 to a 4th and 4 at the Cincy 22. This time Belichick opted for the field goal. Nick Folk hit from 40 for a 10-10 deadlock with 4 minutes left in the half. With 90 seconds left in the half, the Bengals fumbled a punt and the Patriots recovered at the Cincinnati 23. These are the plays that cause the Patriots to win games and the Bengals to lose games. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the Cincy 21, Brady was sacked for a 7 yard loss. Folk drilled the 46 yard field goal with 5 seconds left in the half to make it 13-10 Patriots. The third quarter began with the Bengals facing 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Dalton was intercepted at his own 43. Brady hit LaCosse for 6, Sony Michel for 14, and on 3rd and goal, Harry for the 7 yard touchdown in the back of the end zone to make it 20-10 Patriots. The Bengals moved from their own 12 to 1st and 10 at the Patriots 36. Dalton hit Mixon for 6 more, but an ineligible man downfield instead made it 1st and 15 from the Patriots 41. On the next play a short sideline pass saw Stephan Gilmore jump the route  and glide 64 yards the other way. The defensive touchdown had the Patriots comfortably ahead 27-10. The Bengals did manage a field goal but the onsides kick failed and the short field gave the Patriots another touchdown. At 11-3 the Patriots are one step closer to a first round bye but still trail in the race for home field advantage throughout. 34-13 Patriots. 

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans — These 8-5 teams came in tied for the AFC South lead and play each other twice in the last 3 weeks. Early on the Texans moved from their 26 to a 2nd and 7 at the Titans 20. Deshaun Watson went to the end zone and was intercepted. The Titans moved from their own one yard line to a 2nd and 7 at the Houston 27. Ryan Tannehill threw incomplete twice. Ryan Succop’s 45 yard field goal try was blocked. In the second quarter the Titans moved from their own 24 to a 1st and goal at the 5. Tannehill was intercepted by Mercilus at the 2 yard line. Mercilus was merciless, returning the interception 86 yards to the Tennessee 12. Watson then went to Kenny Stills for the touchdown as the Texans led 7-0. The Texans got it back at their own 28. From the Titans 45, a 6 yard completion saw a 15 yard facemark call added on. On 3rd and 2 from the Titans 16, Watson went to Stills for the score as the Texans led 14-0 with just over 3 minutes left in the half. 

The Titans began the third quarter facing 3rd and 5 at their own 29. Tannehill hit AJ Brown for 9 yards. On 3rd and 3 from their own 45, Tannehill hit Smith for 11. On 3rd and goal at the one, Henry got stopped. Mike Vrabel decided to go for it. After 15 plays, 76 yards and 9 1/2 minutes, it came down to 4th and goal at the one. Tannehill got around the end and got in to get the Titans within 14-7. The Titans moved from their own 36 to 2nd and goal at the 4. In a game of big defensive stops, Watson went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The Titans began the fourth quarter facing 2nd and 3 at their own 27. Smith got around the end for a 57 yard gain. Tannehill went to Brown for a 5 yard touchdown. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the game was tied 14-14.

The Texans took over at their 25. From their 36, Watson went to Deandre Hopkins for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Titans 27, Watson gained 12, with defensive holding adding 5 more. Carlos Hyde ran for the 10 yard touchdown to put the Texans back in from 21-14 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Houston got it back at their own 9 yard line. On 3rd and 1 from their 18, Hyde gained 2. Watson then went deep to hopkins for 35 yards.  and again for 25 more. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 29 yard field goal with 3 1/2 minutes left to give the Texans some breathing room up 24-14. After a touchback, Tannehill did what he could. He hit Smith for a pair of 5 yard gains and then for 23, Sharpe for 12, Davis for 19 and Lewis for the 11 yard touchdown. The Titans were within a field goal at the 2 minute warning. Tennessee got it back with 17 seconds left at their own 12. Tannehill was sacked to end the game. Houston’s big road win put them at 9-5 and dropped Tennessee to 8-6. The rematch is in 2 weeks in the season finale in Houston. 24-21 Texans

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers — The 10-3 Seahawks came in one game back in the NFC West. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Chris Carson gained 23 yards. Russell Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for and CJ Prosise for a pair of 10 yard gains. Carson ran for 6 and then for the 16 yard touchdown to make it 6-0 Seahawks. The extra point dunked off the upright no good. Seattle got it back at their own 20. From their 30, Wilson went deep to Lockett for 44 yards and to DK Metcalf for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Seahawks. 

After that the Panthers finally got going. On 2nd and 11 from their 24, Kyle Allen hit Samuel for 12 and Christian McCaffrey ran for a pair of 13 yard gains and then 5 and 4. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 29, Moore gained 10. On 3rd and goal from the one, McCaffrey got in to get the Panthers within 13-7 only one minute into the second quarter. Yet Seattle kept rolling. On 2nd and 18 from their own 17, Wilson went deep to Josh Gordon for 58 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 19, Wilson was sacked and fumbled. However, defensive offsides kept the drive going. On 2nd and 15 from the Carolina 19, Wilson went to Lockett for the touchdown to make it 20-7 Seahawks. A hideous third quarter saw the Panthers kick a field goal to get within 20-10. 

Allen was intercepted, then Wilson was intercepted, and then Allen was intercepted again. The Seahawks managed the answering field goal to lead 23-10 after three quarters. The Seahawks began the fourth quarter at their own 18. Carson ran fro 15 and Wilson hit Lockett for 20. On 3rd and 9 from the Carolina 46, Wilson went to Metcalf for 17 and Brown for 9. On 4th and 1 from the Carolina 6 midway through the fourth quarter, Pete Carroll went for the kill shot. Carson got in to make it 30-10 Seahawks. After a touchback, Allen mounted a furious rally. He hit McCaffrey for 4, Moore for 9, Thomas for 11, Hogan for 13, and Moore for 15. McCaffrey ran for a 15 yard touchdown to get the Panthers within 30-17 with 5 minutes left. 30 seconds later the Panthers got it back at their own 16 after taking their timeouts on defense. Allen Moore for a pair of 22 yard gains and then for 17 more, McCaffrey for 18, and on 3rd and goal, Curtis Samuel for the 5 yard touchdown. The Panthers were within 6 with 3:14 to play. With 2:21 left on 3rd and 11 from their own 24, Wilson hit Lockett for 14 yards. At the 2 minute warning on 2nd and 9 from the Seattle 39, Carson gained 10 and Wilson took a couple knees. It was scary at the end, but with the win the Seahawks moved to 11-3 but still in the wild card slot. 30-24 Seahawks

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs made it look easily early on in a game with snow falling at Arrowhead. From their own 21, a roughing the passer penalty added 15 yards. Patrick Mahomes then hit Sammy Watkins for 10, Robinson for 13, and Tyreek Hill for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 6-0 Chiefs. Due to miserable weather conditions, the extra point snap was fumbled and the try never got off the ground. The Chiefs mounted two long drives in the second quarter that bogged down inside the Denver 10 yard line. Harrison Butker kicked field goals of 23 and 24 yards for a 12-0 Chiefs lead. Denver did move after a touchback to a 4th and 1 at the Chiefs 48. Needing a spark Vic Fangio went for it. Rather than ram it up the gut, Drew Lock went for it all and hit Nick Fans for a 43 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 9. Yet a run lost 5 yards and Lock threw incomplete twice. Brandon McManus hit the 32 yard field goal to get the Broncos on the board, but the Chiefs came back again. From their own 21, Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 12, 17, and 39. Despite 1st and 10 at the Denver 21 with 37 seconds left, Mahomes threw incomplete twice and on 3rd and 10 was sacked for a 5 yard loss. With 2 seconds left Butker came in for a 44 yard try. The kick was good as the Chiefs led 15-3 at the break. The Chiefs looked to quickly put the game away in the third quarter from their 25. Mahomes went to Kelce for 9 and Hill for 7. On 3rd and 4 from their own 43, Mahomes went to Hill for 12, Kelce for 16, Bell for 11, Kelce for 10, and Hill for the 5 yard touchdown. Mahomes went to Watkins for the 2 point conversion to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive. In heavy snow, the final 21 minutes were scoreless. At 10-4, the Chiefs still have an outside shot at a 1st round bye, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. 23-3 Chiefs

Miami Dolphins at New York Giants — The 3-10 Dolphins faced the 2-11 Giants in a game that league officials said would not be canceled. In the second quarter, the Dolphins moved from their own 11 to a 2nd and 9 at the Giants 47. Ryan Fitzpatrick went to Gesicki for 6, to Wilson on 3rd and 3 for 21, and to Parker for the 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The Giants responded quickly. On 3rd and 10 from their own 25, a defensive pass interference call on an incomplete pass added 24 yards. Eli Manning then went deep to Golden Tate for a 51 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. With 90 seconds left in the half, an interception of Manning set up the Dolphins at the Giants 28. Yet on 4th and 1 from the Giants 6 with 47 seconds left, Brian Flores took no chances. Sanders hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Dolphins. The third quarter began with the Giants at their own 30. Manning went to Slayton for 26, to Saquon Barkley for 6, to Latimer for 21, and to Slayton for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Giants. A hideous third quarter saw the Dolphins facing 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Fitzpatrick gained 5 but fumbled the ball away at their own 33. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 24, Manning was intercepted by Baker, who returned it 34 yards just shy of midfield. Despite 2nd and 6 from the Giants 29, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete twice. Sanders hit the 47 yard field goal to get the Dolphins within 14-13. 

Miami got it back but a good punt pinned them at their own 3. A false start meant 1st and 11 from their 2. Laird was tackled in the end zone for a safety to make it 16-13 Giants. That was the turning point in the game. Scott returned the free kick 34 yards to the Miami 40. Manning went to Shepard for 15 and 24 down to the one. Barkley got in for the score to make it 23-13 Giants. The Giants got it back at their own 34. Barkley gained 6 and 4. Manning went to Shepard for 24 yards. Barkley ran for 8, 7 and the 10 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 30-13 Giants. With 6:40 left and the Dolphins having to go for it on 4th and 12 from their own 44, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. Javorious Allen ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 36-13 Giants as 22 straight points turned a close game into a blowout. Nobody piles up garbage yards and points like Ryan Fitzpatrick, as the Dolphins got a garbage touchdown. With the win, Giants fans will complain that they blew it by losing a spot in the 2020 NFL Draft. 36-20 Giants

Jacksonville Jaguars at Oakland Raiders — The final Raiders home game in the history of Oakland had the team emotional. At 6-7 after a 3 game losing streak, they needed a miracle to make the playoffs. Yet winning their final ever game in the Black Hole had to happen. The Jaguars were a total mess, and they had the 30th ranked rushing defense. The Raiders had Josh Jacobs back from a one game injury. If ever there was a game the Raiders could win, this was it. With Raiders legends past and present on hand, the Raiders did what they could. In the first half Derek Carr was 14 of 23 for 221 yards passing and one touchdown. Gardner Minshew was 3 of 10 for 69 yards, with most of that coming on one play. The Jaguars had one first down in the entire first half. The Jaguars had 10 total yards rushing and 75 total yards. The Raiders had early 300 yards of total offense. The Raiders had the ball for over 21 minutes compared to less than 9 minutes for the Jaguars. The Raiders had only one penalty for 5 yards. It was total Silver and Black domination everywhere except where it mattered…on the scoreboard.  

After a touchback to start the game, John Gruden pounded the rock. Jacobs ran for 8, 1, and on 3rd and 1, 6. Derek Carr hit Deandre Washington for 9 and Darren Waller for 10. On 2nd and 9 from the Jacksonville 40, Carr found Tyrell Williams, who blasted through a would-be tackler and coasted in for the touchdown. The Raiders led 7-0 only 3 1/2 minutes into the game, but all their yards would not get them in the end zone the rest of the half. The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Gardner Minshew went deep to Cole for a 55 yard bomb. That one play was more than 2/3 of what would be the entire yards Jacksonville would gain in the first half. On 3rd and 9 from the Oakland 13, Minshew only gained 3. Josh Lambo hit the 28 yard field goal to get the Jaguars within 7-3. They would not have another first down the entire rest of the half. Daniel Carlson hit field goals of 33 in the first quarter and 34 and 27 in the second quarter, the last one coming to end the half. The Raiders led 16-3 at halftime, but missed opportunities in the red zone prevented this from being a blowout. The end result was inevitable.

The Jaguars in the third quarter held the ball for 8 1/2 minutes on a 14 play, 59 yard drive. From their own 16, they moved to a 4th and 1 at the Oakland 36. Doug Marrone went for it and the Raiders had 12 men on the defense. On 3rd and 9 from the Oakland 32, Minshew hit Conley for 18. On 3rd and 9 from the Oakland 13, Minshew was sacked for a 12 yard loss. Lambo hit a 43 yard field goal to get the Jaguars within 16-6. The Raiders punted on 4th and 21 from their own 35 with 11 minutes left. The Jaguars took over at their own 21. Minshew hit Devalve for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Jacksonville 34, Minshew only gained 6 but the Raiders jumped offsides. On 4th and 1 from their own 41, Doug Marrone had to go for it. One defensive stop would end it. Leonard Fournette was hit in the backfield but gutted ahead. He still appeared short but was given a first down by half a football length. The spot was not challenged. With 5:15 to play, Minshew hit Conley for the touchdown. The Jaguars only trailed 16-13. The entire world knew what was going to happen to the Raiders, but the way it happened was still shocking.

They moved from their own 30 to the Jacksonville 43. Carr ran for a 12 yard gain and pumped his fist. The clock should have ticked down to the 2 minute warning. Then the refs who have hated the Raiders since the arrival of Al Davis struck again. The Tuck Rule was bad. This was a knife in the heart. Officials ruled that Carr slid out of bounds, even though replay clearly showed his knee inbounds. John Gruden was not allowed to challenge the call. tHE raiders were also charged with a delay of game. So instead of 2:00 left and 1st and 10, it was 2:05 and 1st and 15. Jacksonville was gifted an extra timeout on this horrendous all. With 1:52 left the Raiders had 3rd and 11 from the Jags 32. The Raiders had to run the ball. Instead Carr threw incomplete. Carlson came in for a 50 yard field goal try to make it a 6 point game. He was no good, but the Raiders got a gift when Jacksonville ran into the kicker. Given another chance from 45 yards out, Carlson was no good again. The end of this game was inevitable.

From the Jacksonville 35, Minshew hit Board for 8 and ran for 8. Minshew hot Fournette for 11 and Conley for 21. An incompelte pass was nullified by a very questionable roughing the passer penalty. With 34 seconds left, it came down to 3rd and goal at the 4. Did anyone think the heartless Raiders defense would get a stop? Gardner hit Minshew for the score and the collapse was complete. With 13 seconds left from their own 17, a defensive pass interference call put the ball at midfield for a 33 yard gain. With 8 seconds left from the Jags 40, Carr’s Hail Mary was knocked down. With 2 seconds left, the final Hail Mary was also knocked down incomplete. Oakland finished with a heartless effort in the most meaningful Raiders game since Al Davis died in 2010. Jon Gruden must fire defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. Gruden and Mike Mayock must fix the pass defense, especially the secondary. To the refs who hate the guts of the #RaiderNation, we hate your guts too. It’s not a conspiracy when it’s actually happening. The Raiders had the game stolen from them, but they can blame themselves for being 6-8 and out of the playoffs. 20-16 Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers — The 9-4 Vikings came in one game back of Green Bay in the NFC North. Minnesota began facing 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Kirk Cousins hit Kyle Rudolph for 5 yards and again for 21 more. Cousins hit Stephan Diggs for another 10. On 3rd and 6 from the Chargers 16, Cousins threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. On the next play Cousins hit Smith for the touchdown to make it 6-0 Vikings. The extra point was no good. The Chargers moved from their own 15 to a 2nd and 4 at the Minnesota 23. A run went nowhere and Philip Rivers then threw incomplete. Mike Badgley hit the 41 yard field goal to get the Chargers within 6-3. The Chargers got the ball back at their own 4 yard line. From their 11, Melvin Gordon fumbled and the Vikings took over at the same spot. The Chargers held Minnesota to a 26 yard dan Bailey field goal and a 9-3 Vikings lead on the first play of the second quarter. The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 28. Rivers went to Keenan Allen for 19. A sack of Rivers had the Chargers facing 2nd and 19 at their own 38. Rivers hit Williams for 11 and on 3rd and 8 Allen for 14. Rivers then went to Austin Ekeler for 27 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Rivers went to Williams for the touchdown. The Chargers led 10-9 but after that Mike Zimmer’s defense pounded the Chargers into the ground.

The Vikings moved from their 25. On 3rd and 7 from their own 42, Cousins went to Adam Thielen for 13 yards and Dalvin Cook for 11 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Chargers 26, Cousins threw incomplete. Bailey hit from 44 to make it 12-10 Vikings. The teams traded interceptions and the Chargers moved from their 43 to a 2nd and 2 at the Minnesota 26 with 23 seconds left in the half. Even a field goal would give the Chargers the lead. Rivers was sacked for a 10 yard loss and fumbled. Odenigbo picked it up and rumbled 56 yards for a defensive touchdown as the Vikings led 19-10 at the intermission. in the third quarter a Chargers fumble led to a Bailey field goal of 38 yards. Bailey hit again from 27 to have the Vikings up 25-10. The Chargers moved from their own 23 to a 4th and 2 at the Minnesota 35. Anthony Lynn went for it and Rivers went to Hunter Henry for 24 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 7, Rivers was sacked for a 3 yard loss as the third quarter ended. Then came a false start. Then Rivers threw incomplete. The Vikings began the fourth quarter at their own 15. Cousins went to Rudolph for 22. on 3rd and 14 from their own 46, Cousins went deep to Diggs for 46 yards. On the next play Boone ran for the 8 yard touchdown. with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Vikings led 32-10. One play after a touchback, a short completion was fumbled and the Vikings recovered at the Chargers 10 yard line. Boone ran for 3, 5, and on 3rd and goal got the 2 yard touchdown to make it 39-10 Vikings. 

Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals — The Cardinals began at their own 10. Kenyon Drake ran for 16 and 13 sandwiched around a Kyler Murray completion to Drake for 9. Murray then went to Larry Fitzgerald for a pair of 16 yard gains and then for 10 more. Drake ran for the 5 yard touchdown as the 10 play, 90 yard  5 minute drive had the Cardinals up 7-0. The Browns moved to the Arizona 20 but Baker Mayfield went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The Cardinals began the second quarter facing 1st and 10 at their own 33. Murray got around the end for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and 14 from the Cleveland 36, Murray hit Cooper for 17 and Clay for 18 down to the one. Drake got in to make it 14-0 Cardinals. 

The Browns took over and after a delay of game faced 2nd and 15 at their own 12. Mayfield went to O’Dell Beckham for 17 and Ratley for 12. Nick Chubb did the rest, running for 6, 17, 3, and then the 33 yard touchdown to get the Browns within 14-7. A quick interception of Murray had the Browns taking over at the Arizona 28. On 3rd and 2 form the Arizona 20, a truck play of laterals lost 6 yards. Austin Seibert hit the 44 yard field goal to get the Browns within 14-10. The Cardinals got it back at their own 13. Murray and Byrd combined on a 51 yard gain. On 4th and 1 from the Cleveland 26, Klff Kingsbury went for it. Drake gained 3 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 14, Murray gained 7. Murray hit Arnold for the 6 yard touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half. The 11 play, 87 yard drive had the Cardinals up 21-10. After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Browns faced 3rd and 4 at their own 36. Mayfield went to Karim Hunt for just enough. Chubb then ran for 12 and 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 41, Mayfield ran for 4 with defensive holding adding 5 more. Chubb then ran for 29 down to the 3. Mayfield hit Seals-Jones for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Browns within 21-17. 

The Cardinals took over at their own 39 and Murray hit Byrd for 17, Kirk for 15, and Byrd for 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Cleveland 22, Murray threw incomplete. Arizona challenged the call, and it was reversed to defensive pass interference and 1st and goal at the one. On the next play Drake ran it in to make it 28-17 Cardinals after three quarters. The Browns moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 3 at the Arizona 27 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Needing 2 scores, Freddie Kitchens opted for the 45 yard field goal try. It was no good. After that the Cardinals turned out the lights. The Cardinals took over at their own 35. From their 38, Murray hit Byrd for 7. Drake ran for 12 and 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Cleveland 36, Murray went to Kirk for 10. Drake ran for 9 and then the 17 yard touchdown to make it 35-17 Cardinals. One play after a touchback, Mayfield went to Seals-Jones for 26 yards but Seals-Jones fumbled and the Cardinals recovered. Zane Gonzalez hit a 21 yard field goal to make it 38-17 Cardinals. The Browns did get a garbage touchdown on a 91 yard drive, but needed 19 plays to do it. 38-24 Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers — The 11-2 49ers entered one game ahead of Seattle, Green Bay and New Orleans in the NFC, and Green Bay and Seattle won earlier in the day. In the first quarter the 49ers took over at their own 12 yard line. On 3rd and 1 from their own 21, Mostert ran for 7 and 8, Matt Breida added 9, and Samuel gained 8 more. On 4th and 1 from the Atlanta 36, Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Greg Kittle for 5 yards. On 3rd and 19 from the Atlanta 40, Garoppolo threw incomplete but a roughing the passer call meant 15 more yards and more downs. The second quarter began with the 49ers facing 3rd and 1 at the Atlanta 16. Garoppolo gained 3. On 3rd and 4 from the Atlanta 7, Garoppolo hit Kittle for 5. Mostert ran for the 2 yard touchdown to cap what may be the drive of the year. 21 plays. Yes, 21 plays. 88 yards. Nearly 11 minutes. The 49ers led 7-0 but the Falcons finally got moving. On 3rd and 4 from their own 36, Matt Ryan hit Julio Jones for 28 yards and again for 9. On 3rd and 2 from the Frisco 23, Ryan hit Austin Hooper for 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Frisco 11, Matty Ice went to Jones for 6 and then again for the 5 yard touchdown as Jones made a gorgeous toe-tap in the end zone to make it 7-7. The rest of the half was a slugfest. Koo hit a 43 yard field goal for the 49ers. With one minute left in the half the Falcons had 2nd and goal at the 3. A run lost a yard and Ryan threw incomplete. Robbie Gould hit from 22 as the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 10-10.  

In the third quarter the 49ers took over at their own 37.  Garoppolo was sacked but roughing the passer added 15 yards. Robbie Gould hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 13-10 49ers. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Falcons fumbled a punt and the 49ers recovered at the Atlanta 2 yard line. Garoppolo hit Juszczyk for the touchdown. The extra point was no good as the 49ers led 19-10. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Ryan hit Jones for just enough. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 40, Ryan hit Jones for 15. From the Frisco 33, Ryan threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 32 yard gain and 1st and goal at the one. Ollison got in to get the Falcons within 19-17 with 5:15 to play. The 49ers after a touchback tried to run out the clock. At the 2 minute warning, the 49ers faced 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 28. Garoppolo hit Kittle, who fumbled but retained possession for a 3 yard gain. On 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 25 with 1:52 to play, Kyle Shanahan opted for the field goal. Gould hit from 43 but the 49ers only led 22-17. 

Now it was time for a finish that would scramble the entire NFC upside down. From the Atlanta 30 with 1:42 left, Ryan hit Freeman for 13, Gage for 8, and Jones for 25. Ryan ran for 9. With 30 seconds left on 3rd and 1 from the Frisco 15, Ryan went to Jones for 10. With 8 seconds left and 2nd and goal at the 5, Ryan went to Hooper for the touchdown. The Falcons celebrated but on further review, the call was reversed incomplete. Unlike Oakland, San Francisco gets every single call. With 5 seconds left, Ryan hit Jones at the goal line. Officials ruled Jones was short, but replay clearly showed that Jones broke the plane of the goal. On further review, the call was reversed. For the first time in decades, San Francisco did not get the call. With 2 seconds left, the Falcons led 23-22. On the ensign kickoff, the hook and laterals were fumbled and returned for another touchdown. An Absolute shocker dropped the 49ers to 11-3. Just like that, they are no longer the top seed. They are tied with Seattle but Seattle has the tie-breaker. The 49ers if the playoffs ended today would be a wildcard and have to win on the road. In 1995, the defending champion 49ers needed a win over lowly Atlanta to secure home field throughout the playoffs. They led 21-6 and somehow lost 28-27. They lost home field and were knocked out in the wildcard round. 24 years later we shall see if history repeats itself. 29-22 Falcons

Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys — Despite the Rams being 8-5 and the Cowboys being 6-7, Dallas was actually in a better playoff position because of the woeful NFC Least. Midway through the first quarter the Cowboys faced 3rd and 3 at their own 17. Ezekiel Elliott gained 4 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 34, an interception of Dak Prescott was wiped away by offsetting penalties. On the next play Prescott went Amari Cooper for 19 and Jason Witten for 9. Elliott ran for 9 and Pollard added 8. On 3rd and 10 from the Rams 19, Prescott went to Witten for the touchdown. The 15 play, 90 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Cowboys up 7-0. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Jared Goff hit Robert Woods for 5 yards and then went to Reynolds for 28 more as the first quarter ended. On the first play of the second quarter, Goff went to Tyler higgle for 26 more. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Goff hit Todd Gurley for the score to make it 7-7. After that Dallas took over the game.

After a touchback, Elliot ran for 15 and Prescott went deep to Teryl Austin for a 59 yard touchdown to put the Cowboys up 14-7. Dallas got the ball back at their own 3 yard line and then delivered a backbreaking drive. On 3rd and 4 from their own 9, Prescott went to Jarwin for 20. Elliott gained 8 and 2. Pollard ran for 25 and Prescott hit Jarwin for 20. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 7, Jason Garrett decided to go for it. Prescott gained 2. On 3rd and goal at the one at the 2 minute warning, Elliott got in to make it 21-7 Cowboys. The Rams soon faced 2nd and 15 at their own 20. Goff was intercepted by Sean Lee, who returned it 25 yards to the Rams 9. With 30 seconds left in the half on 3rd and goal at the 7, Prescott threw incomplete but defensive illegal use of hands meant 1st and goal at the 3. On the next play Elliott got in to have the Cowboys up 28-7 at halftime. A pointless second half saw Kai Forbath hit field goals of 50 in the third quarter and a pair of 42 yarders in the fourth quarter to put the Cowboys up 37-7. The Rams got a pair of garbage touchdowns sandwiched around another Cowboys touchdown. Jason Garrett is the new Wayne Fontes. Every time he is about to get fired, he wins. 44-21 Cowboys 

Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday night game. The 9-4 Bills took on the 9-5 Steelers in a game that had playoff implications for both of them. This was an old-school barefisted slobberknocker. A shanked 22 yard punt had the Bills taking over at the Pittsburgh 40. On 4th and 6 from the Pittsburgh 36, Sean McDermott decided to go for it rather than try a 54 yard field goal. Josh Allen hit Brown for 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 18, Singletary ran for 3 and then 14 down to the one as the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with Allen getting the last yard to make it 7-0 Bills. The Steelers moved from their 28 to the Buffalo 28, but a run lost 3 yards and Devlin “Duck” Hodges threw incomplete twice. Chris Boswell hit a 49 yard field goal to get the Steelers within 7-3. The Steelers began the third quarter at their own 31. Hodges went to Johnson for a 29 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 31, Hodges hit Gentry for 4. James Conner ran for 17 and caught an 11 yard touchdown pass from Hodges as the Steelers took the 10-7 lead. Late in the third quarter on 1st and 10 from the Buffalo 43, Hodges was intercepted by White, who returned it 49 yards to the Pittsburgh 18. The fourth quarter began with the Bills facing 3rd and 2 at the Pittsburgh 10. Allen got just enough. Despite 1st and goal at the 8, three straight runs all went for losses. Steve Hauschka hit the 36 yard field goal with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation for a 10-10 tie. 

With 10 minutes left the Bills took over at their own 30. Allen went deep to Brown for a 40 yard gain. Singletary gained 15. The Bills fumbled but retained possession. On 3rd and 9 from the Pittsburgh 14, Allen went to Kroft for the touchdown as the Bills led by 7 midway through the fourth quarter. With 5:13 to play Pittsburgh took over at their own 19. Hodges hit Johnson for 4 and 10 and Vannett for 7. With 3:10 to play on 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 42, out of the shotgun Hodges went deep to Washington for a 32 yard gain. On 3rd and 20 from the Buffalo 36, Hodges hit Vannett for 13 yards. It all came down to 4th and 7 from the Buffalo 23 at the 2 minute warning. Hodges went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. Pittsburgh took their timeouts on defense and a short 31 yard punt gave the Steelers the ball back at their own 43 with 90 seconds left. A mindless offensive holding penalty on Buffalo before the punt stopped the clock and preserved 40 seconds for the Steelers. Two defensive penalties on Buffalo including a facemark gave Pittsburgh 20 free yards and kept stopping the clock. With 39 seconds left the Steelers had 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 26. Yet on the next play Hodges was sacked for an 8 yard loss. The clock kept ticking down to less than 15 seconds. From the Buffalo 34, a desperate Hodges again went into the end zone, again found double coverage, and again was intercepted for a touchback with 6 seconds left. The Bills got to 10-4 and clinched a playoff birth but remain one game back of New England in the AFC East. The Bills have a showdown at New England in 6 days on a special edition of Saturday Night Football. The 8-6 Steelers can still make the playoffs with a win in either of their final two games, but both will be on the road. This was the biggest win for Buffalo in some time. 17-10 Bills

Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints was the Monday night game. The Colts at 6-7 are collapsing, and they played like it. The 10-3 Saints are in Super Bowl or bust mode and they played like it. This game was over by halftime. In the first quarter the Colts punted on 4th and 19 at their own 39. It was partially blocked to set up the Saints at the Indy 33. Wil Lutz hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 10. Drew Brees went to Michael Thomas for 23 and Latavius Murray for 10. The second quarter began with the Saints facing 3rd and 2 at the Indy 37. Brees threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 11 from the Indy 33, Brees went to Jared Cook for 18 and to Thomas for the 15 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Saints. The Saints followed up the 12 play, 90 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive with a 10 play, 85 yard, 6 minute drive. On 3rd and 1 from their own 24, Line got the yard. Brees then went to Thomas for 24 and Murray for 10. Brees threw a 21 yard touchdown pass to Treyquon Smith to make it 17-0 Saints. The Saints then moved 80 yards in 10 plays at the end of the half. They went from their own 12 to 1st and goal at the 6 until the Colts defense finally got a stop. Lutz hit from 26 to end the half with the Saints up 20-0. The second half was pointless. In the third quarter the Saints went 75 yards in 12 plays and 8 minutes. Brees hit Josh Hill for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 27-0 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 49 and Brees threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to Taysom Hill to make it 34-0 Saints. Brees had a game for the ages. He completed 29 of 30 passes. You read that correctly. One incompletion. 307 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. The 11-3 Saints are one of four teams tied for the top record in the NFC. The Colts got a fourth quarter garbage touchdown to avoid the shutout. 34-7 Saints

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/oakland-farewell-nfl-2019-week-15-preview-and-bettors-guide-125224/

This is when the big dogs come out!

NFL 2019 Week 14 Recap

Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears was the Thursday night game. A pair of 6-6 teams fighting for their playoff lives fought it out, but only one team really showed up. The Cowboys began the game with a mind-numbing 17 play, 75 yard drive that took 9 minutes. Runs and short passes led to a 3rd and 11 at the Chicago 26. Dan Prescott hit Jarwin for 12 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Chicago 12, Prescott hit Michael Gallup for 9. Ezekiel Elliott ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The Cowboys led 7-0, but in the second quarter the Bears took over.

A field position game in the second quarter led to a punt that pinned the Cowboys at their own one. They punted from their 6 and the Bears took over just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 9 from midfield, Mitchell Trubisky threw incomplete but the defense jumped offsides. On 3rd and 4, Trubisky went to Tariq Cohen for 6 yards and then the Holtz for a 30 yard gain. Trubisky hit Allen Robinson for the 5 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Bears got it back again in excellent field position at their own 46 yard line. Montgomery ran for 11 and 20. Eddie Pineiro hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Bears. A key play in the game came with 5 minutes left in the half when Brett Maher missed a 42 yard field goal that would have tied the game. With the Bears facing 3rd and 6 at their own 36, Trubisky gained 7 yards. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, the Cowboys jumped into the neutral zone. On 1st and 15 from the Dallas 29, Trubisky hit Miller for 21. With 10 seconds left in the half, the Bears faced 3rd and goal at the 8. Trubisky hit Robinson for the touchdown to make it 17-7 Bears. The 14 play, 68 yard nearly 5 minute drive was enhanced when the Bears in the third quarter marched 84 yards in 11 plays and over 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 2 from their own 24, Trubisk ran for 9. On 3rd and 9 from their own 34, Trubisky went to Cordarelle Patterson for 33 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Dallas 19, Trubisky threw incomplete, but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On the next play Trubisky hit Miller for the 14 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Bears.

The Cowboys tried to mount a fourth quarter rally. A Chicago fumble led to the Cowboys facing 4th and 3 at the Chicago 47 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Prescott hit Gallup for 21 and 15. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Dallas faced 4th and 1 at the Chicago 2. Elliott got the first down and the touchdown to get the Cowboys within 24-14. However, the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds to put the Bears at their own 40. From the Dallas 45, Trubisky went to Robinson for 22 and then ran for a 23 yard touchdown himself to quickly make it 31-14 Bears. The Cowboys did move from their own 7 to a 4th and 4 at the Chicago 48, where Prescott threw incomplete. Midway through the fourth quarter the Cowboys took over at their own 15. Prescott went to Gallup for 24 and again for 26. Prescott went to Amari Cooper for a 19 yard touchdown to get the Cowboys within 31-21. However, the 10 play 85 yard drive left only 4 1/2 minutes in the game. With 1:50 left and needing 2 scores, The Cowboys took over at their own 10 yard line. With 20 seconds left, they reached the Chicago 48. Prescott went to Randall Cobb for 35 yards, but only 8 seconds remained. Maher hit the 31 yard field goal, but the onside kick failed. Roger Staubach is long retired. There would be no Hail Mary. The Bears at 7-6 alive while the Cowboys at 6-7 are still atop the horrendous NFC Least. Jerry Jones is getting angry, and no one in Dallas is going to be spared Jerrah’s wrath unless his boys turn it around fast. 31-24 Bears

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons — After nearly a decade, the Panthers took the field without the recently fired Ron Rivera. From their own 26, Matt Ryan moved the Falcons by hitting Gage for 14. On 2nd and 21 from the Carolina 46, Ryan hit Calvin Ridley for 11. On 3rd and 10, Ryan hit Devontae Freeman for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Carolina 19, Ryan threw incomplete. Koo hit form 37 to make it 3-0 Falcons. Joey Slye answered from 46 in the second quarter for a 3-3 game. From the Atlanta 26, Ryan hit Hooper for 18 and Julio Jones for a 38 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Carolina 15, Ryan hit Ridley for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Falcons with 5 minutes left in the half. The Panthers took over at their own 13 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. Kyle Allen hit Christian McCaffrey for 10 and Moore for 39 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Atlanta 30, McCaffrey gained 6. Allen hit Wright for 15 and Thomas for a one yard touchdown for a 10-10 game with one minute left in the half. 

After a touchback, that was enough time for Ryan to hit Ridley for a pair of 16 yard gains and Hardy for 19. Koo hit a 35 yard field goal to put the Falcons up 13-10 at the break. The Panthers fumbled a punt in the third quarter to set up the Falcons at the Carolina 46. Ryan went to Julio Jones for 15 and 7. Freeman ran for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Falcons. The play of the game came when the Falcons got it back at their own 5. On 3rd and 8 from their own 7, Matty Ice went for it all and found Zaccheus for a 93 yard touchdown that lit up the home crowd and put the Falcons up 27-10. A Panthers fumble then led to Koo hitting from 29. An interception of Allen led to Koo hitting from 50 to turn a close game into a blowout with the Falcons leading 33-10 after three quarters. Carolina did manage another field goal in the fourth quarter, but a failed onsides kick set up the Falcons at the Carolina 42. Hill ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it a carpet-bombing with the Falcons up 40-13. Carolina got a garbage touchdown. 40-20 Falcons

Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The 6-6 Colts still have a shot at the playoffs. The Buccaneers took over at their own 25. From their 35, Jameis Winston was intercepted by Leonard, setting up the Colts at midfield. On 3rd and 6, Jacoby Brissett went deep to Johnson for a 46 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 30. On 3rd and 11 from their own 40, Jameis Winston went to Ogunbowale for 8 yards, but Ogunbowale fumbled and the Colts recovered at the Bucs 48. Newly acquired Chase McLaughlin hit the 50 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Colts.

After 2 consecutive turnovers, the Buccaneers settled down. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Pierre Barber gained 2. On 3rd and 6 from the Indy 45, Winston hit Brad Perriman for 31 yards and Brate for 13 down to the one. Winston got in himself to complete the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive to get the Buccaneers within 10-7. 30 seconds later the Buccaneers got it back at their own 39. Only 9 seconds after that, the Buccaneers had the 14-10 lead as Winston went deep to Mike Evans for the 61 yard 

touchdown.

The second quarter was even wilder. A 19 yard punt return had the Colts at the Tampa 47. On 3rd and 1 from the Tamps 38, Jacoby Brissett ran for 6. On 4th and 1 from the Tampa 11, Frank Reich decided to go for it. Brissett gained 9 and Marlon Mack ran for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-14 Colts. Winston moved the Buccaneers from their 25 to a 3rd and 10 at the Colts 23. Winston was intercepted by Leonard, who returned it 80 yards the other way for a defensive touchdown and a 24-14 Colts lead with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half.

The Bucs faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34 when Winston hit Howard for 8 at the 2 minute warning. Winston then went to Ogunbowale for 6 and 17, and to Brate and Watson for a pair of 11 yard gains. On 3rd and 10 from the Indy 13, Winston hit Watson for just enough. Winston then hit Brate for the 3 yard touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 24-21 with 38 seconds left in the half. After a touchback, Brissett went deep to Johnson for 50 yards with roughing the passer adding 13 more. With 13 seconds left on 4th and 1 from the Tampa Bay 3, Frank Reich decided to go for it with 13 seconds left in the half. Brissett gained 2 but by the time the Colts called timeout, only 3 seconds remained. On 1st and goal at the one, the aggressive Reich went conservative McLaughlin hit the 19 yard field goal as the Colts led 27-21 at the intermission. In the third quarter the Colts took over at their own 24. Mack ran for 13 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. On 3rd and 12 from midfield, Brissett hit Zach Pascal for 37 yards. On 3rd and 9 at the Tampa Bay 12, Brissett went to Pascal for the touchdown and again for the 2 point conversion to make it 35-21 Colts. 

Back in 2006 in the Tony Dungy Bowl, his new team the Colts trialed his old team the Buccaneers 35-14 with 5 minutes left in regulation. Peyton Manning led a miracle comeback for a 38-35 Colts victory. Dungy is long retired, but this time it was the Buccaneers trying mount a comeback down by 14. At least they had 21 minutes to work with. After a touchback,Winston hit Jones for 9, Howard for 33, Godwin for 11, and Watson for a 17 yard touchdown. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter the Buccaneers were within 35-28. With the Colts facing 4th and 1 at their own 34, Frank Reich was not taking any chances. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 19. On 3rd and 6 from their own 23, Winston hit Watson for 13 as the third quarter ended. A 27 yard completion to Howard gave the Buccaneers 1st and 10 at the Indy 26. Winston then threw 3 straight incompletions. Matt Gay hit the 44 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers within 35-31 with 13 minutes left in regulation. 

The fourth quarter became a blunder bowl. The Colts moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 6 at the Tampa Bay 21, aided by a 45 yard defensive pass interference call. Brissett hit Hines for 5 yards, but Hines then fumbled and the Buccaneers took over at their own 13. Two plays later Winston was intercepted again, and Hooker returned it 13 yards to the Bucs 25. Mack was blown up in the backfield for a 5 yard loss. On 3rd and 15, a completion gained only one yard. Adam Vinatieri was out injured this game, so it was up to McLaughlin to hit the 47 yard field goal to put the Colts up by 7. The kick was no good. The Buccaneers took over at their own 37 and Winston went to Perriman for a 27 yard gain. With 5 minutes left on 3rd and 1 from the indy 15, Barber costa yard. On 4th and 2 from the 16, Winston hit Ogunbowale for 4 and Perriman for the 12 yard touchdown. 17 straight points had the Buccaneers up by 3 with 3:50 to play. After a touchback, it all came down to 4th and 2 at midfield with 1:56 left. Brissett threw incomplete. Barber ran for an 11 yard gain as Winston took 3 knees to end it. The once 5-2 Colts are now 6-7 and in dire straits. As for Bruce Arians and his 6-7 Buccaneers, you get the best and worst of Winston all in the same game. Winston was 33 of 45 for a ridiculous 456 yards and 4 touchdowns, but also with 3 interceptions. Yet Winston led them to a win, and the NFL is a bottom line business. This game was the exact same score of the 2006 Dungy Bowl, only in reverse. 38-35 Buccaneers

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets — The Dolphins embarked on a  mind-numbing 16 play, 92 yard drive that took over 8 minutes. Yet they came up 4 yards short of the end zone. Sanders hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. The Jets took over at their own 26. Powell gained 11 and 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 45, Sam Darnold hit Robbie Anderson for 8 yards as the first quarter ended. Darnold went back to Anderson for a 26 yard touchdown to make it 6-3 Jets. The extra point was no good. A quick interception of Fitzpatrick set up the jets at the Miami 44. Sam Ficken hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 9-3 Jets. Miami again moved the ball well on a 10 play, 67 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Again the drive bogged down deep as Fitzpatrick threw incomplete on 3rd and 4 from the Jets 6. Sanders hit the 25 yard field goal to get the Dolphins within 9-6. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 22. Darnold went deep to Anderson for 39 yards and to Crowder for 17 more. Darnold then went to Thomas for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 16-6 Jets with 1:55 left in the half. 

Fitzpatrick then had a pass intercepted by Burgess, who returned it 49 yards for a defensive touchdown. However, defensive holding on Burgess nullified the score. The Dolphins moved from their 25 to a 2nd and 4 from the Jets 10 with 30 seconds left in the half. For the third time the Dolphins came up short as Fitzpatrick threw incomplete twice. Sanders hit the 28 yard field goal as the Dolphins trailed 16-9 at the half. In the third quarter the Dolphins moved into the red zone again. For the fourth time, they settled for a 31 yard Sanders field goal as the Dolphins trailed 16-12. An interception of Darnold gave the Dolphins gift field position at the Jets 23. On 3rd and 3 from the 16, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. 5 red zone trips meant 5 field goal tries. This time from 34, Sanders was no good. The Jets moved from their 20 to a 2nd and 1 at the Miami 14. Montgomery got stopped and Darnold threw incomplete. Adam Gase went for it on 4th and 1 and Powell got stopped. In the fourth quarter Sanders kicked field goals of 53 and 47 as the Dolphins led 18-16 on the strength of 4 straight field goals and 6 of 7 field goals overall from Sanders. 

Yet with 4 minutes left Ficken hit a 42 yard field goal to put the Jets back up 19-18. After a touchback, Fitzpatrick went to Ford for 16, Hurns for 6, and Ford for 12. On 1st and 20 just shy of midfield, Fitzpatrick hit Hurns for 15 at the 2 minute warning and then hit Laird for 21. Like every other Miami drive on the day, this one stalled. With 1:33 to play, Sanders came in for a 37 yard field goal try. For the 7th time in 8 tries, Sanders was good to give the Dolphins BlackJack and a 21-19 lead the hard way. After a touchback, a short pass from Darnold to Smith went for 37 yards. With 47 seconds left, the play of the game came with the Jets facing 3rd and 18 at the Miami 46. Darnold threw incomplete, and pass interference on the defense was not called. Yet the officials reviewed the play under the new rule, and it was reversed to defensive pass interference and an 8 yard gain and an automatic first down. Brian Flores exploded in anger but was helpless to stop the inevitable. Darnold hit Montgomery for 12 more yards. With 4 seconds left, Ficken came in for a 44 yard field goal try. with everything on the line, Ficken was good. Sanders’s career day was wasted as Flores kept screaming at the officials after the game. 22-21 Jets

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints — A battle of 10-2 teams saw the Saints go right to work from their own 27. Drew Brees hit Alvin Kamala for 9 yards and Latavius Murray run for 8 more. On 3rd and 2 from their own 45, Brees hit Michael Thomas for 5. From midfield, Brees went to Taysom Hill for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Frisco 38, Brees went deep to Jared Cook, who broke a tackle and completed the 38 yard touchdown to put the Saints up 7-0 only 3 1/2 minutes into the game. After a touchback, Jimmy Garoppolo went to Emanuel Sanders for 19 yards and again for 31 more. Garoppolo then found Deebo Samuel for 25. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Garoppolo fired over the middle to Kevin Bourne for the touchdown for a 7-7 game.  

Harris returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the Saints 46. On 3rd and 9 from the Saints 47, Brees hit Ted Ginn for 12. From the San Francisco 26, Brees went to Cook, who made a leaping catch in the end zone for the touchdown. A personal foul for a hit to Cook’s head and neck area caused Sean Payton to try for a 2 point conversion instead of kicking. A run by Hill fooled nobody has the Saints led 13-7. A sack of Garoppolo had the 49ers punting on 4th and 21 from their own 14. Harris got a crack of daylight and returned it 25 yards to the San Francisco 29. On the first play of the second quarter, Brees found a wide open Hill in the flat for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 20-7 Saints. 

14 seconds later the 49ers were right back in it. After a touchback, Garoppolo went bombs away to Sanders, who caught it at the Saints 25 yard line. Sanders quickly realized that he had not been touched, so he got up and made it to the end zone for a 75 yard touchdown. Just like that, the 49ers were down 20-14. The Saints took over at their own 16. Brees went to Thomas for 7 and Murray ran for 6. Brees hit Ginn for 10 and Kamara added 17 more on the ground. A short pass from Brees to Murray saw Murray tightrope the sideline while ignoring tacklers for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Kamara only gained one yard. Sean Payton decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. Brees took the quarterback sneak over the top for the touchdown. The 49ers entered with the league’s top defense, but it was the Saints who led 27-14. 

Only 3 plays after a touchback, the 49ers were in the end zone again. Garoppolo went to Samuel for 21. Mostert ran for 19. Kyle Shanahan went to the bag of tricks. Garoppolo handed off to sanders, who lateraled the ball to Sanders. As Sanders was falling down, he threw a duck to a wide open Mostert, who strolled in for a 35 yard touchdown to get the 49ers with 27-21 with 6 minutes left in a wild first half. The Saints faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34 but a run by Hill lost 6 yards. The 49ers defense finally got a stop and got it back at their own 20. On 3rd and 10 Garoppolo went to Greg Kittle for 20. Matt Breida ran for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the 23, Garoppolo handed to Juszczyk, who just before getting belted lateraled the ball to Mostert, who ran for 18 yards. After a false start, Mostert ran for a 10 yard touchdown as the 49ers had their first lead of the game up 28-27 due to the failed 2 point try. 

In the third quarter an interception of Garoppolo set up the Saints at the Frisco 40. the defense held but Wil Lutz drilled a 55 yard field goal to make it 30-28 Saints. On their next series Kamala fumbled and the 49ers took over at the Saints 20. Garoppolo went to Juszczyk for 16 and to Kittle for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 35-30 49ers. The Saints moved from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the 49ers 41. Sean Payton went for it and Hill gained 5 yards. Yet on 2nd and 4, Brees threw incomplete twice. Lutz hit from 48 as the Saints were within 35-33. With one minute left in the third quarter the Saints prepared to punt on 4th and 18 from the Frisco 45. Sean Payton called a fake punt and it didn’t work as Hill threw incomplete. On 3rd and 7 from their own 48 Garoppolo was sacked but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 6 from the Saints 43, Garoppolo went to Bourne for just enough. On 3rd and 5 from the Saints 32, Garoppolo went to Sanders for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Saints 14, a completion only gained 2 yards but defensive unnecessary roughness meant 1st and goal at the 6. Garoppolo hit Bourne for the touchdown. With 9 minutes left in the game, the 49ers turned 13 deficit into a 9 point lead up 42-33. They had out-scored the Saints 28-6 during that stretch.

Needing 2 scores and facing 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Brees was sacked. Yet defensive holding on Richard Sherman kept the drive going. Brees then went deep to Thomas for 49 yards. On 2nd and 15 from the Frisco 21, Brees went to Thomas for the score. With 6 minutes left the Saints were within 42-40. The 49ers after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Saints 19 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Kyle Shanahan did what Kyle Shanghai does: He loves pass plays when you’re supposed to run the ball. It’s how he lost the Super Bowl with Atlanta. Garoppolo was sacked for an 11 yard loss. Gould hit the 41 yard field goal to put the 49ers up 45-40, but 2:23 still remained as the Pinball Wizard Brees took over at his own 24. This instant classic for the ages was far from over.

From his own 24, Brees went to Smith for 11, Thomas for 11 more, Ginn for 25, and Thomas for 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Frisco 24, Brees threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant 6 yards and a new set of downs. On the next play Brees went to Tre-Quan Smith for the 18 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion throw was incomplete but the Saints led 46-45 with 53 seconds left. With 39 seconds left, the 49ers faced 4th and 2 at their own 33. The fate of both teams hung on one play. Garoppolo completed a short pass to Kittle, who dragged defenders down the sideline for a 39 yard gain. A defensive facemark added 14 more yards. With 2 seconds left, on 3rd and 8 from the Saints 12, Gould came in for a 30 yard field goal try. The kick was good. The 11-2 49ers regained their place atop the NFC for the moment, while the 10-3 Saints saw their Super Bowl or Bust season take a hit. 48-46 Saints

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings — The 8-4 Vikings entered one game back in the NFC North. From the Minnesota 18, Kirk Cousins hit Conklin for 11. Dalvin Cook gained 9 and 4. From the Detroit 46, Cousins hit Stefan Diggs for 14 and Cook for 10. Cousins hit Johnson for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings. In the second quarter the Vikings moved from their 35 to a 3rd and 1 at the Detroit 4. Ham got stopped. Mike Zimmer went for it, but a false start killed that try. Dan Bailey hit the 27 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Vikings. With 1:10 left in the half, Matt Prater missed a 45 yard field goal that would have gotten the Lions on the board. With 40 seconds left in the half the Vikings faced 3rd and 2 at their own 43. Cousins hit Diggs for 10 and then went deep to Diggs for a 44 yard gain. Cook got the final 3 yards as the Vikings took a 17-0 lead to the locker rooms. The uneventful second half saw the Vikings tack on a fourth quarter field and the Lions get a garbage touchdown just before the two minute warning to avoid the shutout. The Vikings are Mike Zimmer tough, winning with running and hard-nosed defense. 20-7 Vikings

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans — Drew Lock won his first NFL start last week but now faced off against the 8-4 Texans who led the AFC South by one game. The Broncos took over at their own 8 yard line and Lock connected with Nick Fans for a 48 yard line and Beck for 29 more. On 3rd and 12 from the Houston 14, Lock went to Fant for the touchdown and the 7-0 Broncos lead. The Texans moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 37. Deshaun Watson went to Coutee for 8 yards, but Coutee fumbled and Attaochu recovered for Denver. Attaochi lateraled to Jackson, who raced 70 yards the other way for a defensive touchdown and a 14-0 Broncos advantage. Denver got it back at the start of the second quarter facing 3rd and 9 at their own 21. Lock went deep to Patrick for 37 yards and to Booker for 25 more. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 8, lock went to Heuerman for the touchdown as the Broncos led 21-0 in front of a shell-shocked home crowd in Houston. 

Kaimi Fairbairn finally got the Texans on the board with a 54 yard field goal, but the Broncos kept rolling. Brandon McManus hit a 36 yarder to make it 24-3 Broncos. At the 2 minute warning, Bill O’Brien gambled with the Texans facing 4th and 1 at their own 34. Watson threw incomplete. Lock hit Cortland Sutton for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 7, Lock threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the 3. Lock hit Freeman for the touchdown as the Broncos led 31-3. A 33 yard kickoff return with 5 more tacked on had the Broncos starting the third quarter at their own 43. On 3rd and 6 from the Houston 48, Lock went to Fant for 23 and Sutton for 10. Lock hit Sutton for 8 yards down to the one and Philip Lindsay got the last yard as the Broncos were winning a laugher 38-3. Lock finished a lights out 22 of 27 for 309 yards and 3 touchdowns with one interception. The Texans piled up a ton of garbage time yards and points, but 3 touchdowns were still not enough when they needed 5 of them. The final score looked almost respectable but the game was a blowout. Either Drew Lock is the second coming of John Elway or the Texans were hung over after their emotional win over New England last week. Bill O’Brien’s press conference will be a contentious one. 38-24 Broncos

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills — The 10-2 Ravens took on the 9-3 Bills in a potential battle for the top spot in the AFC. Buffalo was only one game back in the AFC East as well. A short 35 yard punt had the Ravens taking over at the Buffalo 45. John Harbaugh pounded the rock down Buffalo’s throat, but on 2nd and 4 from the Buffalo 12, Hill lost 6 yards. Jackson’s only pass on the drive on 3rd and 10 was incomplete. Justin Tucker hit the 36 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Ravens. In the second quarter the Bills faced 3rd and 8 at their own 33. Josh Allen was sacked and fumbled and the Ravens took over at the Buffalo 24. Again the Ravens kept it on the ground. A 13 yard run by Jackson led to a 3rd and goal at the 3. The only pass on the drive was Jackson hitting Boyle for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Ravens. The Bills tried to make a game of it as Steve Hauschka hit field goals of 36 and 47 to get the Bills within 10-6 at the half. After a touchback to start the third quarter the Ravens struck quickly. Jackson went deep to Hurst for a 61 yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Ravens. Hauschka hit a third field goal from 47 to get the Bills within 17-9. 

The fourth quarter began with a shanked 29 yard punt giving the Ravens the ball just shy of midfield. Jackson ran for 10. A roughing the passer call a couple plays later added 15 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 7 out of the wildcat, Ingram took the direct snap 3 yards. Jackson hit Willie Snead for a 4 yard touchdown to put the Ravens comfortably in front 24-9 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Bills took over at their own 22. Allen went deep to Knox for a 37 yard gain. Singletary then broke free for a 38 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Allen hit Cole Beasley for the score to get the Ravens within 7 points midway through the fourth. Buffalo held on defense and got the ball back at their 28 with 5 1/2 minutes left. With 2:49 to play the Bills had 3rd and 4 at the Baltimore 32. Allen was sacked for a 12 yard loss. On 4th and 16 Allen threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant a 26 yard gain at the 2 minute warning. After a pair of incompletions, the Bills were down to 4th and 8 from the Baltimore 16 with one minute left. Allen threw incomplete again. Jackson did not have his best game statistically against Buffalo’s tough defense. He was 16 of 25 for 145 yards with 40 more on the ground. Yet he also threw for 3 touchdowns with one interception. Buffalo at 9-4 is still in strong playoff position as a wildcard while the 11-2 Ravens are still as of now the top seed in the AFC. 24-17 Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns — The Bengals got their first win last week while the 5-7 Browns needed to win out to have a shot at the playoffs. From their own 25, Red Rifle nay Dalton hit Boyd for 21 and 14. On 3rd and 3 from the Cleveland 6, Dalton threw incomplete and got called for intentional grounding. Bullock hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bengals. Baker Mayfield was then intercepted, but the Bengals soon faced 3rd and 23 from their own 48. Dalton gave it right back with an interception by Ward, who returned it 61 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Dawg Pound was rocking as the Browns led 7-3. The Bengals responded and moved from their 24 to a 3rd and 7 at the Cleveland 18. Yet a sack of Dalton ended that drive. Bullock hit from 44 to get the Bengals within 7-6. Mayfield was intercepted again as the Bengals began the second quarter at their own 43. From the Cleveland 46, Dalton hit a 29 yard completion and then found Boyd for 16 down to the one. Joe Mixon got in to make it 13-7 Bengals.

The Browns soon faced 3rd and 19 at their own 16. Mayfield went to Landry for 20 and to Hunt for another 29. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Mayfield ran for the touchdown himself as the Browns took a 14-13 lead to the locker rooms. In the third quarter the Browns soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Nick Chubb gained 7 and then ripped off a 57 yard gain. Karim Hunt ran for the 3 yard touchdown as the Browns led 21-13.  The Bengals then embarked on a staggering 16 play, 76 yard drive that took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 4th and 1 from the 3, the Bengals went for it and Mixon got the yard. Yet on 1st and goal at the 2, a sack of Dalton and a pair of incompletions had the Bengals settling for a 28 yard Bullock field goal to trail 21-16. Austin Seibert answered from 53 to put the Browns up 24-16. 

The Bengals began the fourth quarter from their own 24 and had a 16 play, 74 yard drive that ate up 8 minutes. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Dalton threw incomplete. The Bengals went for it and on 4th and goal Dalton only gained 2 yards. A game of long drives saw the Browns then move 85 yards in 14 plays and 6 minutes. They took over at their own 2 yard line. On 3rd and 5 from their own 18, Mayfield was intercepted. On further review, the call was reversed to defensive pass interference with 5 minutes left. On 3rd and 10 from the Cleveland 47, Mayfield went to Landry for 34 yards. The Browns settled for a 31 yard Seibert field goal but led 27-16 with one minute left. Needing 2 scores, the Bengals got a 46 yard field goal from Bullock with 12 seconds left. he onside kick failed. For some reason backup quarterback Gilbert took the final kneel down rather than Mayfield. Nevertheless the 6-7 Browns are actually clinging to playoff life. 27-19 Browns

Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers — The 9-3 Packers entered one game ahead in the AFC North and one game back of the NFC leaders. The Redskins punted on 4th and 20 from their own 15 and the Packers took over at midfield. Aaron Rodgers went to Jimmy Graham for 20 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 26, Rodgers ran for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Washington 4, Aaron Jones took it in to make it 7-0 Packers. Green Bay got it back at their own 43. Rodgers went to Graham for 25. Jones ran for 4 and 16. Rodgers hit Tonysn for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Packers. The Redskins actually hung tough in this game. From their own 5 Derrius Guice gained 7, 7, and 4. Adrian Peterson gained 11 and Guice added 23. Peterson ran for 1, 13. On 3rd and 13 from the Green Bay 32, Dwayne Haskins went to Harmon for 30. Peterson got the final 2 yards. The extra point was no good but the 11 play, 95 yard, 6 minute drive had the Redskins within 14-6. In the third quarter Mason Crosby hit a 32 yard field goal to help the Packers extend the lead but Dustin Hopkins hit from 52 to get the Redskins back within 17-9. The Packers in the fourth quarter faced 3rd and 14 at their own 7. Rodgers went to Jones for 25 yards. A 14 play, 74 yard drive ate up 7 1/2 minutes. Crosby hit the 33 yard field goal to lock up the win with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Redskins did get a garbage touchdown with 1:17 to play, but the 2 point try and the onsides kick failed. The 10-3 Packers remained one game up in the NFC North and one game back in the overall NFC. 20-15 Packers

Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars — A pair of underachieving teams battled to see who wanted it less. The Jaguars started with a 14 play, 74 yard drive that ate up 7 1/2 minutes. Despite 1st and 10 at the Chargers 12, the Jaguars settled for a 26 yard Josh Lambo field goal and a 3-0 lead. After that the Chargers blasted them. From their own 21, Austin Ekeler ran for 27 yards. Philip Rivers went to Keenan Allen for a 45 yard gain. Melvin Gordon ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Chargers. In the second quarter the Chargers after a touchback saw Gordon run for 10. On 2nd and 4 from the Jags 48, Ekeler ran for 23. Rivers hit Gordon for 19. Watt got the last yard to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 14-3 Chargers. Next time the Chargers struck quickly. From their own 20, Ekeler ran for 35 yards with a facemask adding 15 more and Rivers hit Henry for a 30 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Chargers. With 1:10 left in the half the Chargers got it back at their own 26. Rivers hit Henry for 9 and Ekeler for 8 with a horsecollar tackle adding 15 more. Mike Badgley hit a 40 yard field goal to end the half with the Chargers up 24-3. league rules prevented the second half from being canceled. The Chargers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 10 from their own 16. Rivers went to Ekeler and a short pass became an 84 yard touchdown to make it 31-3 Chargers. Doug Marrone contemplated retirement but decided to coach the rest of the game. The Jaguars did get a third quarter touchdown, but the Chargers kept rolling. On 3rd and 16 from the Jaguars 44, Rivers went deep to Williams for another touchdown. The Jaguars went for it on 4th and 1 at their own 39 and got stopped. Anthony Lynn let Rivers call it a day and backup Tyrod Taylor got some playing time. Taylor hit Green for a 14 yard touchdown. After not cleaning house last year, Shad Khan probably will do so this year. The only question will be if Captain Grumpy Tom Coughlin goes down with Marrone. 45-10 Chargers 

Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals — 10 years after a Super Bowl for the ages, Larry Fitzgerald is still doing it. Sadly he has a young team and little help. The Steelers after an 0-3 start are 7-5 in what might be Mike Tomlin’s best coaching job. The Steelers took over at their own 22 and third string quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges hit Samuels for 18 yards. Whyte ran for 13 to midfield. On 3rd and 13 from their own 47, Hodges hit Edmunds for only 7 but defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 more. Chris Boswell hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Steelers. Special teams got the Steelers a touchdown when Johnson returned a punt 85 yards for a score to make it 10-0 Steelers. In the second quarter a Pittsburgh fumble set up the Cardinals at the Pittsburgh 34. Despite 1st and goal at the 3, a completion by Murray gained nothing and then he lost a yard. After that he was sacked. Zane Gonzalez hit the 30 yard field goal to get the Cardinals on the board. Arizona soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 23. Kyler Murray hit Byrd for 10, Cooper for 5 and Drake for 18. Drake added 10 more on the ground. On 3rd and 4 from the Pittsburgh 5, Murray went to Clay for the touchdown for a 10-10 game with 1:51 left in the half. 

After a touchback, Hodges went to Washington for 12 and ran for 22 himself. Hodges hit Johnson for 18. Boswell hit from 37 to end the half with the Steelers up 13-10.  In the third quarter the Cardinals moved had to punt on 4th and 8 from their own 41. Cliff Kingsbury called a fake punt and Edmonds gained 9 yards. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 26, Murray was intercepted by Joe Haden. The Steelers took over at their own 27. Hodges hit Whyte for 9 and ran fro 9 himself. On 2nd and 6 from the Arizona 31, Hodges threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 15 yard gain. Hodges went to Johnson for 14 down to the 2 yard line. Hodges hit Johnson for the touchdown as the Steelers led 20-10. The Cardinals after a touchback moved to a 4th and 2 at the Pittsburgh 6 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Needing 2 scores, Cliff Kingsbury opted to go for it rather than kick the field goal. Murray threw to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. 

The Steelers had to punt on 4th and 8 from their own 40, and Mike Tomlin called for a fake. It failed miserably as the direct snap went for an 8 yard loss. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 24, Murray went deep to Johnson for the touchdown. With 6:44 to play the Cardinals were within 20-17. The Steelers moved from moved from their own 16. From their 29, defensive pass interference added 24 yards. On 3rd and 13 from the Arizona 26, Hodges hit Johnson for 17. The defense finally held. Boswell hit a 25 yard field goal. The Steelers led by 6 with 1:46 left but Arizona had life. With 47 seconds left, on 4th and 7 from their own 18, Murray went deep and was intercepted. Pittsburgh is 8-2 in their last 10 games and in strong position for a wildcard. 23-17 Steelers

Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders — The Titans started 2-4 but went 5-1 since for a 7-5 record as Ryan Tannehill has been playing well. The Raiders were 6-4 but got blown out in consecutive 31 point road losses to drop to 6-6. They were at home, but would be without Josh Jacobs, who had a bum shoulder. Worse, the Raiders defense was playing as awful as ever. The Titans as expected moved easily from their own 27. The 12 play, 54 yard, 6 minute drive had the Titans facing 3rd and 8 at the Oakland 19. The defense needed a miracle and they got one. A short pass was deflected and intercepted by big man Hurst. Anyone but a Big Man with football has a touchdown the other way. Nevertheless, Big Man with football rumbled 55 yards to the Oakland 24 before being tackled by, of all people, Tannehill. Deandre Washington ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Raiders. Then reality set in.

The Titans soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 35. Derrick Henry gained 12 and 6. Tannehill went to Blasingame for 24 and Smith for 10. Henry ran for an easy 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Raiders in the second quarter moved from their 25 to a 2nd and 4 at the Titans 46. A run lost 2 yards. On 3rd and 6, a completion came up just short but offensive holding instead killed the drive. A good punt pinned the Titans at their own 9 yard line. 12 seconds later the Titans had the lead. Tannehill was hit as soon as he threw it, but it was caught by Brown, who easily broke through a pathetic attempt at a tackle and went for a 91 yard touchdown. Just like that the Titans led 14-7. The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Jalen Richard ran for 10 and 4. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 49, Carr found a wide open Gafford for the touchdown and  14-14 game.

The Titans took over at their own 23 and again made it look easy against a horrendous Oakland defense. Tannehill hit Brown for 22 yards, ran for 10, and hit Davis for 24 and Henry for 6. On 3rd and 3 from the Oakland 6, a touchdown pass was nullified by offensive holding. On 3rd and 13 from the Oakland 16, Tannehill hit Brown for the touchdown. The Titans led 21-14 against the heartless Oakland defense. The Raiders took over at their own 29. Carr hit Washington for 9 and 4. On 3rd and 8 from the Titans 48, Carr hit Darren Waller for 11. Carr went to Waller again for 25 yards down to the one. A run lost a yard and Carr threw incomplete. However, defensive pass interference again meant 1st and goal at the one. Carr hit Moreau for the touchdown. With 24 seconds left in the half, the game was tied 21-21. 24 seconds was enough time for the Raiders defense to collapse. From their own 30 with 12 seconds left, Tannehill went to Firkser for a 39 yard gain. Ryan Succop’s 42 yard field goal try to end the half doinked off the upright no good. Despite giving up 352…yes, 352 yards in the first half, the Raiders were lucky to be tied 21-21 at halftime. However, the second half was inevitable. 

The Raiders moved from their own 17 to a 3rd and 2 at the Titans 39. With no Jacobs in to play smashmouth, Carr was sacked for a 4 yard loss. The defense actually got a stop and got the ball back at their own 47. They did nothing with the ball and gave it back to the Titans, who took over at their own 11. Tannehill hit Blasingame for 23, Davis for 10 and Pruitt for 42. Henry ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 28-21 Titans. As expected, Tennessee finally figured out Oakland’s offense while Oakland’s defense continued to play like a high school rejects.  On 3rd and 4 from their own 22, Tannehill hit Sharpe for 8. Henry ran for 24. Lewis added 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Oakland 40, Tannehill hit Raymond for 11, Brown for 12, and Smith for the 17 yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter. The Titans led 35-21, and the only thing left for the Raiders to do was self-destruct so the game would be a blowout loss. After a touchback, the Raiders moved to a 1st and 10 at their own 45. Carr hit Waller for 3 yards, but Waller fumbled. Brown picked it up right near the sideline and raced 46 yards for a defensive touchdown. Although 13 minutes remained the game, this one was over, as was the final season the Raiders played in Oakland. They overachieved for much of the year, but there is zero talent in the secondary and the rest of the NFL knows that. The Raiders final indignity came when they moved to a 1st and goal a the 2 with 5 minutes left and with 4 tries couldn’t get in the end zone. Tannehill was 21 of 27 for 391 yards, 3 touchdowns, and the one fluke interception. Henry added 103 yards on the ground. The 8-5 Titans are alive and the 6-7 Raiders are all but dead. 42-21 Titans

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots — The 8-4 Chiefs comfortably led the AFC West but had their long-awaited AFC Title Game rematch. The 10-2 Patriots took a beating last week at Houston and have lingering questions about their offense. Kansas City’s defense gives up gobs of yards but not points as they force turnovers. On 3rd and 7 their own 20 to start the game, Tom Brady threw incomplete. However, defensive pass interference meant an 8 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from their own 32, Brady again threw incomplete. Again, defensive pass interference this time meant a 31 yard gain. On the next play Brady went deep to Julian Edelman for a 37 yard touchdown. Less then 2 1/2 minutes into the game, the Patriots led 7-0. Yet in a shocker to the home crowd in New England, the Chiefs after that hit the Patriots in the mouth.

On 3rd and 10 from their own 17, Patrick Mahomes hit Sammy Watkins for 23 yards. and Pringle for 14 more. Offensive holding ended the drive as Mahomes threw incomplete on 3rd and 2 from the Patriots 30. Harrison Butker hit the 48 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 7-3. The Patriots moved from their own 22 on a 13 play, 55 yard drive that took 5 minutes. On 3rd and 3 from the Chiefs 23, Brady threw incomplete. Nick Folk is the fourth Patriots kicker to kick for them this year. He was briefly on injured from an appendectomy but was back in the lineup. His 41 yard field goal try was blocked. The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 2 at midfield. Mahomes was sacked, but defensive holding kept the drive going. A sack of Mahomes to begin the second quarter had the Chiefs facing 3rd and 19 at their own 46. Mahomes went deep to Tyreek Hill for 21 yards. After an offensive penalty meant 2nd and 25 at the New England 48, Mahomes went deep again to Harman for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Chiefs. 

One play after a touchback, Brady was intercepted to set up the Chiefs at the Patriots 35. On 3rd and 5 from the Patriots 24, Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 20. On 3rd and goal from the 4, A wildcat snap to Kelce went for the touchdown as the Chiefs led 17-7. The Patriots moved from their 31 to a 2nd and 7 at the Chiefs 27. Brady threw incomplete and Bill Belichick went for it on 4th and 7 rather than try a 45 yard field goal. Brady threw incomplete again. With 2:48 left in the half the Chiefs took over at their own 13. Mahomes went to Thompson for 19, Kelce for 12, and roughing the passer added 15 more. Mahomes hit Hill for 16 and 8 and Thompson for a pair of 7 yard gains. On 2nd and 3 from the Patriots 13, Mahomes threw incomplete twice. Butker hit the 31 yard field goal as the Chiefs led 20-7 at halftime. In the third quarter the Chiefs moved from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Patriots 33. Walrus Lite Andy Reid went for it and ware gained 2 yards. Butker hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 23-7 Chiefs. Then the game changed again.

The Patriots couldn’t get anything going on offense, and with 5 minutes left in the this quarter it was their special teams that got them back in it. The Chiefs punted on 4th and 19 from their own 35. Dustin Colquitt’s punt was blocked, and the Patriots took over at the Chiefs 19. Bolden ran for a 10 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Patriots were within 23-13. The Chiefs moved from their own 29 to a 3rd and 2 at the Patriots 37. A short completion was fumbled by Kelce and the Patriots recovered at their own 43. The Patriots moved to a 1st and goal at the 3. White lost 2 yards, and on 3rd and goal at the 5, Brady was sacked. Folk hit the 29 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 23-16 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Patriots got it back at their own 32 with 5 minutes left. Bill Belichick went his bag of tricks. Brady handed to White, who threw the option pass to Meyers for a 35 yard gain. With 3 1/2 minutes left, it came down to 4th and 6 at the Chiefs 29. Brady scrambled for 17 yards. With 90 seconds left, the Patriots faced 4th and 3 at the Chiefs 5. Andy Reid brought the House and a well defended pass to the end zone was knocked away incomplete. The Chiefs at 9-4 clinched the AFC West, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. The Patriots have lost 2 straight to fall to 10-3. They are still one game up in the AFC East but are one game back in the overall AFC. 23-16 Chiefs

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams was the Sunday night game. The 10-2 Seahawks took on the 7-5 Rams, who were clinging to playoff life. The Seahawks moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 3 at the Rams 15. Russell Wilson was sacked for a 6 yard loss. Jason Myers hit the 39 yard field goal to get the Seahawks on the board. After that the Rams dominated. On 3rd and 4 from their own 31, Jared Goff hit Robert Woods for 19 yards to midfield and again for 15. On 3rd and 9 from the Seattle 34, Goff went to Tyler Higbee for 33 yards down to the one. Brown got it to make it 7-3 Rams. The Rams got it back and faced 2nd and 4 from their 21. Goff hit Woods for 14 and 12. Reynolds ran for 12. Goff hit Higbee for 11. The second quarter began with the Rams at the Seattle 30. Todd Gurley ran for 7, 4 and 2. On 3rd and 1 at the Seattle 10, Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 3. Goff hit Woods for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Rams. The Seahawks went from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Rams 24. Pete Carroll decided to go for it and Wilson threw incomplete. With 4 minutes left in the half the Rams took over at their own 28. Gurley ran for 6 and Goff hit Higbee for 22. On 2nd and 14 from their own 48, Goff went to Kupp for 21. Gurley ran for 7, 2, and on 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 18, 2 more. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 10, Goff hit Kupp for the touchdown to make it 21-3 Rams.

The Rams were in total control and in the third quarter after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Seattle 43. A Gurley run lost 5 yards. On 3rd and 10 under heavy pressure, Goff got rid of it just before getting belted. It was intercepted by Diggs, who pretty much strutted to the end zone for a 55 yard defensive touchdown. The Seahawks were right back in down 21-9but the extra point was no good. The Rams moved from their 26 to a 3rd and 5 at the Seattle 37. Goff went for it all and was intercepted again by Diggs at the Seattle 3 yard line. The Rams got it back at their own 48 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Seattle 19. After Gurley got stopped, Sean McVay went to the bag of tricks on 3rd and 7. Goff lateraled to Kupp, who threw the option pass to a diving Higbee in the end zone. It was just out of Higbee’s reach incomplete. Zuerlein’s 37 yard field goal try with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter was partially blocked. In the fourth quarter the Rams finally put the game away. From their own 5 yard line, Goff went to Higbee for 32 yards. Goff went to Woods for 20 and Woods ran for gains of 16 and 13. From the Seattle 7, Gurley got around the end and stiff-armed a defender out of the way en route to the clinching touchdown. With 11 minutes left in regulation. the Rams led 28-9. 

After a touchback, the Seahawks faced 3rd and 22 at their own 44. Wilson went to DK Metcalf for 35 yards. Despite 1st and 10 at the Rams 11, consecutive penalties meant 1st and 25. On 4th and 15 and needing 3 scores, Pete Carroll opted for the field goal. Myers hit from 34 to get the Seahawks within 16 midway through the fourth quarter. A sack of Wilson had the Seahawks facing 4th and 18 at their own 10. Wilson went to Josh Gordon for 23 yards. With 90 seconds left from midfield, Wilson went for it all and was intercepted in the end zone by Troy Hill for a touchback. The loss dropped the Seahawks to 10-3 and one game out in the NFC West. They are still in a strong position to make the playoffs. The 8-5 Rams are on the outside looking in by one game in the playoff chase. 28-12 Rams

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles was the Monday night game. The 2-10 Giants actually played an inspired game as Eli Manning returned to the lineup in place of the injured Daniel Jones. Meanwhile, the 5-7 Eagles could move into a tie for the NFC Least lead with a win. In pouring rain and wind after a scoreless first quarter, the Giants took the early advantage. A field position game had the Giants moving from their own 43. On the first play of the second quarter, facing 3rd and 13 at the Philly 35, Manning went for it all and found Darius Slayton for the touchdown and the 7-0 Giants lead. Both teams then had identical drives where they moved from their own 25 to a 1st and goal at the 9. The Eagles had a touchdown nullified by holding and the Giants suffered a fumbled snap. Jake Elliott and Aldrick Rosas both hit 34 yard field goals as the Giants held a 10-3 lead. With 1:46 left in the half the Giants took over at their own 16. With 27 seconds left in the half the Giants faced 3rd and 8 at their own 45. Manning went for it all again and hit Slayton for the 55 yard touchdown. The Giants led 17-3 at halftime and were smelling upset. 

In the third quarter the Eagles faced 3rd and 5 at their own 47. Carson Wentz hit Boston Scott for 10, Perkins for 6, Zach Ertz for 9, and Arcega-Whiteside for 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 6, Scott gained 4 and then the 2 yard touchdown. With 90 seconds left in the third quarter, the Eagles were within 17-10. The Eagles missed a chance to get closer when Elliott missed a 47 yard field goal with 10 minutes left in regulation. On their next drive a sack of Wentz had the Eagles facing 2nd and 19 at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 10 Wentz threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact kept the drive going. Then Doug Peterson made a major decision. With 5 minutes left the Eagles faced 4th and 1 at their own 29. Ask Barry Switzer how going for it worked out for him. Yet Pederson gambled big and Wentz gained 2 yards. On 3rd and 4 from their own 37, Wentz hit Arcega-Whiteside for 22 yards and Dallas Goedert for 28 more. Wentz hit Ward for 12 down to the one. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Wentz hit Ertz for the touchdown. With 1:53 to play, the game was 17-17 and headed to overtime. The Eagles won the toss and took the ball. After a touchback, Wentz hit Sanders for 11. Scott ran for 25. Wentz hit Perkins for 13 and Ward for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 18, Sanders gained 10 and Scott added 6 down to the Giants 2 yard line. Wentz hit Ertz for the touchdown as the Giants never saw the ball in overtime. It was a sad ending for the Manning family watching from the luxury suite. 20 unanswered points may have saved the Eagles season. At 6-7 they own the tie-breaker over Dallas and actually lead the NFC Least. 23-17 Eagles, OT

This is when the big dogs come out!

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-2019-week-14-preview-and-bettors-guide-big-dogs-125050/