NFL 2019 Week 13 Recap
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Thursday morning game. Cordarelle Patterson took the opening kickoff 57 yards to have the Bears starting at midfield. Mitchell Trubisky came out firing, hitting Allen Robinson for 5, Tarik Cohen for 7, Robinson for 9, and Robinson for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The Lions were down to their third string quarterback. Matthew Stafford was still injured and backup Driskel was not getting it done. David Blough struck quickly. On 3rd and 10 from his own 25, Blough went to Kenny Golladay for a 75 yard touchdown to tie the game. The Lions got it back at their own 22. From their 32, Blough went to Marvin Jones for 19 yards and Golladay for 29 more. Blough hit Jones for the 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Lions after the first quarter. In the second quarter the Lions went from their 32 on an 11 play, 61 yard, 5 minute drive. Yet despite 2nd and goal at the 7, Blough threw incomplete twice. Matt Prater hit the 25 yard field goal as the Lions led 17-7 with 3 minutes left in the half.
The Bears soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 40. Trubisky hit Anthony miller for gains of 12 and 10, Wims for 19, and Robinson for 6. With 38 seconds left in the half, on 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 13, Trubisky only gained one yard. Eddie Pineiro hit the 30 yarder as the Bears got within 17-10. In the third quarter Trubisky was intercepted but the Lions failed to capitalize. The Bears got it back at their own 20. Trubisky went to Robinson for 16, Miller for 20, and sims for 6. On 3rd and 10 from the Detroit 42, Trubisky went to Robinson for 12, Miller for 12, and Jesper Horsted for the 18 yard touchdown and a 17-17 game after three quarters. The Lions after a touchback embarked on a 15 play, 70 yard, 9 minute drive. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 5, McKissic got stopped. Matt Patricia played it safe at home. Prater hit the 24 yard field goal to put the Lions up 20-17 with 11 minutes left in regulation. With 6 minutes left, the Bears faced 1st and 15 at their own 5. Trubisky hit Miller for 11 and on 3rd and 4 went deep to Miller for 35 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 34, Trubisky went deep to Miller for 32 yards. Trubisky hit Montgomery for a 3 yard touchdown to put the Bears up by 4 with just over 2 minutes left. The Lions moved from their 17 to a 3rd and 9 at the Chicago 26 with 36 seconds remaining. Blough got buried for a loss of 13 yards. His desperation pass on 4th and 22 was intercepted by Jackson at the 10 yard line to keep Chicago’s faint playoff hopes alive. 24-20 Bears
Buffalo Bills at Dallas Cowboys is the Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon game. Jerry Jones lit into his team after their last loss. At home on Thanksgiving Day, Jerrah had nothing to be thankful for (except for being a billionaire). After a touchback to start the game, the Cowboys looked good on their opening drive. Dak Prescott hit Amari Cooper for 16 yards. Just past midfield, Prescott hit Ezekiel Elliott for20 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 22, Prescott hit Cooper for 7 with unnecessary roughness adding 8 more. Prescott hit Jason Witten for an 8 yard touchdown. Less than 4 1/2 minutes into the game, the Cowboys led 7-0. After that Buffalo’s defense dominated.
In the second quarter the Bills took over at their own 15. Josh Allen hit John Brown for 14. Singletary ran for 26 yards. on 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 26, Allen got the yard and then gained 9 more. Allen then went to Cole Beasley for a 25 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. Prescott was intercepted, but the Bills missed a field goal. The Cowboys then fumbled to set up the Bills at the Dallas 39. On 3rd and 1 fro the Dallas 30, Allen got stopped. On 4th and 1 Sean McDermott decided to go for it. Allen fumbled, recovered his own fumble, and gained 3 yards at the 2 minute warning. Steve Hauschka added to his missed field goal with a missed extra point but the Bills led 13-7. The half ended with Brett Maher missing a 35 yard field goal try for the Cowboys. In the third quarter Hauschka did hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 16-7 Bills. Maher missed again from 47. The Bills got it back at their own 37. On 3rd and 3 from their own 44, Allen hit McKenzie for 7, Knox for 5, McKenzie for 18, and Beasley for 11. Allen then ran for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 23-7 Bills. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 6. Prescott went to Michael Gallup for the score, but on further review it was reversed incomplete. Jason Garrett went for it and Prescott threw incomplete. The Bills killed the clock with a 13 play, 86 yard, 7 minute drive. Hauschka hit from 26 to make it 26-7 Bills with 8 1/2 minutes left in the game. Dallas got a garbage touchdown but at 6-6 Jerrah is denying that he is going to fire everyone, which means he might. The Bills are 9-3 and winning with tough defense. 26-15 Bills
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons was the Thanksgiving Thursday night game. Three weeks ago the then 1-7 Falcons went into New Orleans and shocked the then 7-1 Saints 26-9. The rematch was the reality check. Nothing brings up NFL history in a Saints vs Falcons game like a blocked punt. It only traveled 8 yards, and had the Saints taking over at the Atlanta 30. Drew Brees hit Michael Thomas for 14, Taysom Hill for 9, and Hill again for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. Later on the Falcons after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Saints 2. Dan Quinn went for it and Matt Ryan threw incomplete. The Falcons got it back in great field position. On 3rd and 8 from their own 47, Ryan went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 35 yard gain. On the next play, Ryan hit Jaeden Graham for the touchdown early in the second quarter. Koo missed the extra point as the Falcons trailed 7-6. The Saints moved from their 19 to a 2nd and goal at the 4. Brees threw incomplete twice. Wil Out hit from 22 to make it 10-6 Saints. Koo missed a 42 yard field goal try, setting up the Saints at their own 32. Brees immediately went to Jared Cook for 29 and Alvin Kamara for 10 to the 2 minute warning. Sean Payton brought Hill in at quarterback, which means something tricky. Hill raced for a 30 yard touchdown run to make it 17-6 Saints.
Koo did hit a 45 yard field goal to end the half, but the second half brought turnovers by the Falcons and field goals by the Saints. Lutz hit from 47 in the third quarter. Ryan threw consecutive interceptions, the latter of which led to Lutz hitting from 42 in the fourth quarter. Ryan then fumbled, leading to Lutz hitting 45 for a 26-9 Saints lead with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. It was the exact reverse of the earlier game. After 3 consecutive turnovers, the Falcons tried to mount a comeback. Ryan threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Russell Gage. The 2 point try failed but the Falcons were within 26-15 with 3 1/2 minutes left. The onsides kick succeeded. On 4th and 14 from their own 37, Ryan hit Rudley for just enough. With 1:56 left and needing 2 scores, Dan Quinn opted for the field goal try right away. Koo delivered from 43 and the Falcons were within 8. Sean Payton watched in disbelief as the Falcons recovered another onsides kick. On 3rd and 8 from just shy of midfield, Ryan was sacked for a 14 yard loss. Yet defensive illegal use of hands meant a new set of downs. With 38 seconds left, the Falcons faced 4th and 8 at the Saints 44. They still had one timeout left. Ryan was then sacked, and this time it stood. The Superdome crowd finally exhaled. With the win, the 10-2 Saints clinched the NFC South with four games still left to play. The Saints also won the NFC South for the 3rd straight year, the first time anyone in that division has done that. Their loss to Atlanta 3 weeks ago was a blip in the road, and they are still in Super Bowl or bust mode. 26-18 Saints
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts — Both teams came in 6-5 and one game back of Houston in the AFC South. On the first plat from scrimmage after a touchback, the Titans fumbled and the Colts recovered at the Tennessee 39. On 3rd and 5 from the Titans 23, Jacoby Brissett hit Zach Pascal for 7 yards. On 1st and 15 from the Titans 21, Brissett went to Doyle for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Ryan Tannehill hit Firkser for 4 yards. On 3rd and 1 from their own 46, Derrick Henry gained 3 yards. Tannehill then went to Davis for 23 and Brown for 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Indy 13, Tannehill went to Humphries for the score and a 7-7 ballgame.
In the second quarter the story was the nightmarish season of Adam Vinatieri. The most clutch kicker of all time has been struggling. Father Time is undefeated. Vinatieri can be forgiven for barely missing a 55 yard try. It would have been 50 if not for a false start. A fumble gave the Colts the ball right back, but Vinatieri’s 53 yard try was then blocked. The Colts got it back and moved 80 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes from their own 10 to a 1st and goal at the 10. Yet a sack of Brissett killed the drive. Adam Vinatieri hit a 28 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Colts. After a touchback to start the third quarter, Brissett hit Johnson for 11 yards and Pascal for 19 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Titans 42, Brissett went deep to Pascal for 26 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Titans 16, Brissett went to Doyle for 12. Hines got in from the one to make it 17-7 Colts.
After a touchback, Henry gained 7 and then burst free for a 34 yard gain. On 1st and 20 from the Indy 44, Tannehill hit Brown for 16. Henry then ran for 6. On 4th and 1 from the Indy 13, Mike Vrabel went for it and Henry picked up the first down and the touchdown. The Titans were within 17-14 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. On the first play after a touchback, Brissett was intercepted. Despite starting at the Indy 14, the Titans settled for a 31 yard Ryan Succop field goal to tie the game 17-17. With 5 minutes left in the game, the Colts had moved from their own 10 to a 4th and 10 at the Titans 28. Vinatieri came in for a 46 yarder. For the third time on the day, the kick was no good. For the second time, it was blocked. This time, it was blocked and returned all the way for a touchdown the other way. Shades of Al Del Greco, but this time the Titans were on the winning end of it up 24-17. Two plays later, Brissett went deep and was intercepted by Ryan, who returned it 16 yards to the Indy 44. With 3 minutes left on 3rd and 6, Tannehill went to Kalif Raymond for the 40 yard touchdown to ice the game. 24 unanswered points had the Titans at 7-5 and dropped the Colts to 6-6 on the year. 31-17 Titans
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals — For three straight weeks, the Jets won by scoring 34 points. Now they had to play the winless Bengals. The benched Red Rifle Andy Dalton returned to the starting lineup. The Jets began facing 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Sam Darnold hit Robbie Anderson for 12 yards. On 3rd and 1 from midfield, Leveon Bell got the tough yard. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincy 40, Darnold went to Brown for 9 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Cincy 28, a short pass gained only 4 yards. After 13 plays, 51 yards and 6 minutes, the Jets settled for a 42 yard Sam Ficken field goal to lead 3-0. The Bengals took over at their own 38. On 3rd and 4 from the Jets 45, Dalton went to Boyd for 10, Tate for 18, and back to Boyd for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bengals.The Jets punted on 4th and 13 from their own 5 and the Bengals took over at the Jets 45 to start the second quarter. Mixon caught a pass for 9 and ran for 3 more. On 3rd and 8 from the Jets 31, Dalton went to Boyd for 17 yards. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the Jets 6, Dalton threw incomplete. The Bengals settled for 24 yard Bullock field goal to lead 10-3. The Bengals got it back at their own 9 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. Dalton hit Uzomah for 12, Tate for 19 and Uzomah for 16. A 39 yard defensive pass interference penalty made it 1st and goal at the 5. With 1:48 left in the half, Mixon got in the end zone as the Bengals had the 17-3 lead. The Jets did get a field goal before the half, but nothing more. The Bengals added a third quarter safety and field goal to complete the scoring. The Jets in 1980 lost to the 1-15 Saints. They lost in 1991 to the 1-15 Colts. In 2016 they lost to the winless Dolphins and on this day to the winless 0-11 Bengals. The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers popped the champagne corks. 22-6 Bengals
Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers — Desperate for a win at 5-6, the Panthers feasted on woeful Washington. After a touchback, Kyle Allen hit Wright for 14 with unnecessary roughness on the next play adding 15 more Christian McCaffrey ran for 12 and 8 and caught a pass for 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 4, Allen hit Samuel for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 45. Allen went to Moore for 10 and Samuel for 33 more. On 3rd and goal from the Washington 13, Allen went to Moore for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Panthers. Then the game changed.
The Redskins managed field goals from Dustin Hopkins of 25 yards in the first quarter and 42 in the second quarter to get the Redskins within 14-6. A field position game had the Panthers taking over at their own 2 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half. From their 4, Allen was intercepted by Moreau, who returned it 10 yards to the Carolina one yard line. 3 seconds later Derrius Guice ran it in. The 2 point try failed but the Redskins were within 14-12. A 49 yard field goal try at the end of the half to give the Redskins the lead was blocked. Hopkins did hit from 36 in the third quarter to make it 15-14 Redskins. Washington got it back and faced 3rd and 2 at their own 41. Dwayne Haskins ran for 5 yards. Guice ran for a pair of 8 yard gains and then broke free for a 38 yard gain down to the one. On the next play Guice got in as the Redskins led 22-14 with 9 minutes left. Washington got it back at their own 45 and quickly put the game away. Adrian Peterson ran for 14 and 3. On 3rd and 7 from the Carolina 38, Haskins hit Harmon for 26 and Peterson ran for the 12 yard touchdown. 29 unanswered points had the Redskins up 29-14 with 4 1/2 minutes left.
The Panthers had a ray of hope when Allen ran for a 17 yard touchdown with 1:51 left and the Panthers recovered the onsides kick at their own 48. Allen hit Moore for 17, Thomas for 6, and on 3rd and 4, hit Moore for 7. Allen went to Moore for a 21 yard gain as the Panthers took their first timeout with one minute left and facing 1st and goal at the one. Twice McCaffrey got the carry and each time he lost a yard as the Panthers took all their timeouts. An incompletion left 27 seconds and 4th and goal at the 3. Out of the shotgun, the snap sailed past Allen. By the time the scrum ended, it was a 23 yard loss. Neither of these teams are going to the playoffs, but after a 1-9 start, interim coach Bill Callahan has won 2 straight. 29-21 Redskins
San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens — The 10-1 49ers took on the 9-2 Ravens in miserable weather conditions. The 49ers began facing 3rd and 7 at their own 29. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Kevin Bourne for 30 yards. On 4th and 2 from the Baltimore 33, Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it. Garoppolo went deep to Samuel for the touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 16. On 3rd and 6 from their own 31, Garoppolo was sacked and fumbled. Garoppolo was sacked and fumbled. The Ravens recovered at the 49ers 23. Two plays later, Lamar Jackson went to Andrews for the touchdown to make it 7-7. The Ravens got it back at their own 16. Jackson ran for gains of 11 and 8. Early in the second quarter the Ravens faced 3rd and 3 at the Frisco 27. Jackson threw incomplete but roughing the passer put the ball on the Frisco 13. Jackson ran for 11 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jackson got in to make it 14-7 Ravens. After a touchback the 49ers moved quickly. Samuel ran for a gain of 20. Garoppolo hit Wilson for 7 and Emanuel Sanders for 8. Mostert then raced for a 40 yard touchdown to make it 14-14.
The Ravens moved after a touchback to a 4th and 2 at the Frisco 38. John Harbaugh decided to go for it and Jackson hit Hurst for just enough. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the Frisco 12, Jackson threw incomplete. After 13 plays, 63 yards and over 7 minutes, the Ravens at the 2 minute warning settled for a 30 yard Justin Tucker field goal to lead 17-14. Robbie Gould returned from injury, but on the last play of the half his 51 yard field goal try to tie the game was blocked. In the third quarter the Ravens moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 1 at the Frisco 34. Jackson gained 14 yards but then fumbled. The 49ers took over at their own 20 and began a 14 play, 66 yard drive that took 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 39, Garoppolo got the yard. On 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 29, Kyle Shanahan went for it. Garoppolo threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 13 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 14, Garoppolo threw incomplete. Gould hit from 32 for a 17-17 game late in the third quarter.
A field position game saw the key play late in the third quarter. Koch punted 62 yards and pinned the 49ers at their own one yard line. The Ravens got the ball back on their own 41 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 9 1/2 minutes left, John Harbaugh decided to go for it on 4th and 5 from the Frisco 40. Jackson threw incomplete. The 49ers moved to a 4th and 1 at the Baltimore 35 with 6 1/2 minutes left. Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it. Garoppolo threw incomplete. With 4 1/2 minutes left, Harbaugh gambled big time on 4th and 1 from his own 44. Jackson gained 3 yards. With 36 seconds left on 2nd and 13 from the Frisco 31, Harbaugh made an even more curious decision. He ran the ball, gained nothing, and did not even try to run another play.With 3 seconds left, the Ravens stopped the clock. Justin Tucker is the best in the game, but from 49 yards out in bad weather was a lot to ask. There was no time to run another play in case of a bad snap. With everything on the line, Tucker snuck it just inside the right upright good. Both teams are 10-2 and a Super Bowl rematch would be highly anticipated. 20-17 Ravens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars — The weather in Florida was beautiful, but the football was ugly. An interception of Nick Foles set up the Buccaneers at their own 31. On 3rd and 1 from their own 40, Pierre Barber gained 6. On 3rd and 9 from their own 47, a pass from Winston to Brad Perriman was initially ruled incomplete. Bruce Arians challenged the call and it was reversed to 13 hWinston then went to Howard for 25 yards. Barber ran for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. 10 seconds later the Buccaneers were in the end zone again. On 2nd and 10 from his own 25, Foles was sacked and fumbled. White recovered the fumbled and returned it 14 yards for another touchdown. The Jaguars jumped into the neutral zone on the extra point, so Bruce Arians went for the 2 point conversion. Pierre Barber got in to make it 15-0 Buccaneers. In the second quarter the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 7 at their own 20. Winston went to Perriman for 32 yards. Defensive pass interference added 20 more. On 1st and 10 from the Jags 28, Winston was intercepted by Payne, who returned it 26 yards. Yet on further review the call was reversed to an incompletion. On the next play Winston went to Godwin for 27 yards down to the one. Barber got in to make it 22-0 Buccaneers. The Jaguars then punted on 4th and 13 from their own 8, and the Buccaneers took over at their own 46. Winston went to Perriman for 30 yards and Godwin for 12 more. With one minute left in the half, on 3rd and 6 from the Jags 7, Winston threw incomplete. Matt Gay hit the 25 yard field goal as the Buccaneers were winning 25-0 at halftime. Nobody piles up garbage yards and points like the Jaguars, and they did it again in a useless second half. 28-11 Buccaneers
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers — Two weeks after their brawl, these teams played the rematch. Myles Garrett was suspended, as was Maurice Pouncey. Mason Rudolph was benched as third string quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges got the start, On 3rd and 7 from their own 28, Baker Mayfield went to Jarvis Landry for 19 yards and Carlson for 21. On 3rd and 14 from the Pittsburgh 26, Mayfield found Landry on the sideline, and Landry somehow kept his feet inbounds for a 15 yard gain. Despite 1st and 5 from the Pittsburgh 6, Nick Chubb lost a yard, Mayfield was sacked, and on 3rd and 12, Mayfield threw high and incomplete our the back of the end zone. Austin Seibert hit the 31 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. The Browns got it back at their own 30 and Mayfield hit O’Dell Beckham for 4 and Landry for 11.Nick Chubb ran for gains of 9, 2, 12, 5 and 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 15, Mayfield went to Hunt for the touchdown. Midway through the first quarter, the Browns were up 10-0. Pittsburgh had only 2 yards of total offense in the first quarter. The Browns were dominating. Then the game changed.
The Steelers faced 3rd and 9 at their own 18 in a game where their offense was going nowhere. Then Hodges went deep and Washington somehow came down with a jump ball for a 31 yard gain. Johnson then gained 17 and Samuels took a pair of wildcat snaps for gains of 7 and 5 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Cleveland 21, Hodges threw incomplete. Chris Boswell hit the 39 yard field goal to get the Steelers on the board with 3 minutes left in the half. The Browns went 3 and out and the Steelers got it back with 1:48 left in the half. Hodges hit Washington for 6, and Cain for 5. From the Pittsburgh 42, Hodges went deep to Jones for a 28 yard gain and then deep to Washington for a 30 yard touchdown. Just like that, it was a 10-10 ballgame. In the third quarter the Steelers faced 1st and 15 from their own 26. Samuels caught a pass for 15 and then ran for 7 and 8. Hodges then went deep to Washington for a 44 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Cleveland 12, Hodges went to the end zone incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Snell got in to make it 17-10 Steelers. The Browns after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Pittsburgh 40. Freddie Kitchens went for it and Chubb leapt over the top for 2 yards. Yet on the next play offensive holding killed the Browns. On the play after that, Mayfield was sacked and fumbled. The Steelers took over at the Cleveland 46 and had 1st and goal at the 9 to start the fourth quarter. On 3rd and goal from the 11, Hodges was sacked and fumbled, but was lucky that the ball went out of bounds. Boswell hit the 29 yard field goal as the Steelers led 20-10.
The Browns hung tough. From their own 23 with 10 1/2 minutes left, Mayfield hit Beckham for 19, Chubb for 21, and Harris for 23. Despite 1st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 14, Mayfield threw incomplete twice and then was sacked. Seibert hit the 34 yard field goal to get the Browns within 7 midway through the fourth quarter. 12 seconds later the Browns had the ball back as Hodges threw an airball that was intercepted by Mitchell. He returned it 28 yards to the Pittsburgh 30. Mayfield threw incomplete and then was sacked for an 8 yard loss. Going for it on 4th and 18 with 5 1/2 minutes left was not in the cards. Freddie Kitchens called for a field goal, but he faked it and actually called a punt that pinned the Steelers at their own one. The Steelers gained some key first downs, and at the 2 minute warning with the Browns out of timeouts, it all came down to 3rd and 6 at their own 47. You run the ball in this situation. Every. Single. Time. Mike Tomlin called a pass play. Under heavy pressure, rather than take a sack, Hodges threw incomplete to stop the clock. The Browns had life at their own 20 with 1:45 left. With one minute left on 2nd and 5 from their own 40, Mayfield went deep and was intercepted by his former teammate Joe Haden. Haden returned it 16 yards to the Cleveland 46 and then voluntarily went to the ground to avoid fumbling it back. The loss dropped the Browns to 5-7, still alive in the weak AFC playoff picture. The Steelers after an 0-3 start are 7-5 and very much alive. 20-13 Steelers
Green Bay Packers at New York Giants — The Packers were supposed steamroll over the woeful Giants. From his own 28, Aaron Rodgers went to Aaron Jones for 7 and then went deep to Lazard for a 43 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Giants 20, Rodgers went to Devontae Adams for 10 and again for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Giants soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 37. Daniel Jones hit Smith for 12 yards and Slayton for 13 more. On 4th and 5 from the Green Bay 33, Pat Shurur decided to go for it. Jones hit Slayton for 8 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Packers 18, Jones went to Sterling Shepard for the touchdown to make it 7-7. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 39. Rodgers ran for 15 and Jones added 9. Rodgers went deep to Lazard for a 37 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Packers. The Giants took over at their own 24 and began the second quarter facing 3rd and 10 just shy of midfield. Jones was intercepted, and the Packers took over at their own 47. A 16 yard completion to Valdes-Scantling on 3rd and 4 led to a 47 yard Mason Crosby field goal to make it 17-7 Packers.
After a touchback, the Giants soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Jones hit Slayton for 11 yards. On 4th and 1 just shy of midfield, Pat Shurmur went for it. Daniel Jones gained 2 yards. On 4th and 2 from the Packers 41, Shurmur went for it again and Jones gained 2 yards. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 10, a run gained one yard and Jones threw incomplete twice. Aldrick Rosas hit the 27 yard field goal. The mind-numbing 18 play, 66 yard drive consumed 9 1/2 minutes, but the Giants trailed 17-10. In the third quarter it was another 10 plays, 52 yards, and 5 minutes. From their own 21, the Giants moved to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 27. A sack of Jones ended the drive. Rosas hit from 45 but field goals instead of touchdowns had the Giants down 17-13.
After a touchback, Rodgers went to Devontae Adams for 25 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 46, Rodgers threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 11 yard gain. On 4th and 10 from the Giants 35, Matt Lafleur decided to go for it. Rodgers hit Greg Allison for 15 yards. On 3rd and 2 form the Giants 12, Rodgers hit Adams for 6. On 2nd and goal from the one, Rodgers threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs as the fourth quarter began with the Packers one yard away. Jones lost 3 yards. Then a 4 yard touchdown run was nullified by offensive holding. Then a completion lost 3 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 17, one stop would give the Giants hope. Instead Rodgers delivered the kill shot too Adams for the touchdown. The Packers got their last score the hard way but put the game away to get to 9-3 in the NFC North. 31-13 Packers
Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins — All the Eagles had to do was beat the pathetic Dolphins. As ESPN uber-announcer Chis Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the games!” On the first play of the game after a touchback, Ryan Fitzpatrick was intercepted. Darby returned the interception 16 yards to the Miami 18. On 3rd and 7, Carson Wentz threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Sanders to make it 7-0 Eagles. A shanked 27 yard punt gave the Eagles a short field at the Miami 48. Jake Elliott hit a 48 yard field goal as the Eagles led 10-0. Yet a funny thing happened on their way to an easy victory. The Dolphins showed up to play football.
From their own 16, Fitzpatrick hit Hurns for 7 yards. Then a wildcat snap was taken by Wilson for a 28 yard gain. On 4th and 4 from the Philly 43 with the Dolphins desperately needing a spark, Brian Flores went for it. Fitzpatrick went deep to Parker for the touchdown to get the Dolphins within 10-7. The Eagles moved from their 25 to a 4th and 2 at the Miami 20. Doug Peterson went for it as well but a false start killed the chance. On 4th and 7, Elliott hit the 43 yard field goal to make it 13-7 Eagles. 12 plays, 50 yards and 7 minutes came up short. The Dolphins answered with a 13 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive of their own. Fitzpatrick went to Laird for 19. On 3rd and 13 from their own 41, Fitzpatrick went to Parker for a 42 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Philly 14, Fitzpatrick went too Wilson for 9. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. The Dolphins challenged that there was defensive pass interference, and they won the challenge to set up 1st and goal at the one. On 3rd and goal at the one, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. Brian Flores went for it again on 4th and goal at the one. Brian Flores went to the bag of tricks. A direct wildcat snap to Haack led him to throw a touchdown pass to Sanders as the Dolphins led 14-13 with 4:40 left in the half.
After a touchback, Sanders ran for 6. Wentz hit Ertz for 12 and Alshon Jeffery for 14. Sanders ran for 13 and 7 sandwiched around a Wentz completion to Dallas Goedert for 10 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 12, Wentz hit Goedert for just enough. With 6 seconds left in the half, the Eagles faced 3rd and goal at the 15. Doug Pederson gambled that their was time for one more quick play since the Eagles had 2 timeouts. Wentz fired to Arcega-Whiteside for the touchdown and to Nelson Agholor for the 2 point conversion as the Eagles took a 21-14 lead to the locker rooms. Brian Flores began the second half by trying a surprise onsides kick that did not work. The Eagles took over at the Miami 47. Wentz went to Jeffery for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 25, Wentz went to Goedert for 10 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 10, Wentz hit Jeffery for the touchdown. The Eagles had a 28-14 lead. The game was over. Except it wasn’t.
After a touchback, Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for gains of 11 and 21, Smythe for 6, and Wilson for 9. Gaskin gained 11. Fitzpatrick went to Parker for the 17 yard touchdown as the Dolphins trailed 28-20 with plenty of time left. The extra point was no good. After a touchback, the Eagles moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Miami 20. Even a field goal would make it a two-score game again. Wentz threw incomplete and on 3rd and 7 was sacked for a 10 yard loss. A 39 yard field goal try was now a 49 yard try, and Elliott’s kick was no good. From their own 39, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant a 15 yard gain. Fitzpatrick then went to Hurns for 12 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Philly 28, Fitzpatrick hit Hurns for 14 and Gesicki for the 14 yard touchdown. On the 2 point try to tie the game, Fitzpatrick was sacked. The Dolphin only trailed 28-26 after three quarters. The Dolphins began the fourth quarter at their own 4 yard line. On 3rd and 2 from their 12, Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for 21. On 3rd and 4 from their own 39, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 12 yards. Fitzpatrick then went deep to Parker for 34 yards and to Laird for 11 more. Laird ran for the 4 yard touchdown. This time Fitzpatrick went to Laird and the 2 point conversion succeeded as the Dolphins led 34-28 with 11 minutes left. The Eagles went 3 and out and the Dolphins got it back at their own 17. Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for 12 and Laird for 6. On 3rd and 10 from their own 40, Fitzpatrick hit Wilson for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Philly 38, Flores went for it again. Fitzpatrick hit Parker for 8 yards. With 3 1/2 minutes left, Sanders came in for a 51 yard field goal try. Sanders drilled it to lock up the win and make it 37-28 Dolphins. Needing 2 scores, the Eagles got a 37 yard Elliott field goal with 1:51 to play and got the ball back at their own 31 with 8 seconds left. Wentz hit Jeffery for 20, but his Hail Mary was intercepted in the end zone. 23 unanswered points produced a shocker that dropped the Eagles to 5-7, yet still only one game back in the woeful NFC Least. 37-31 Dolphins
St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals — The Rams have fallen to 6-5, but facing woeful Arizona was the tonic they needed. After a touchback to start the game, Jared Goff hit Woods for gains of 6, 25 and 14 and the Reynolds for 9. The Rams settled for a 27 yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein to lead 3-0, but they were just getting started. Zuerlein missed from 41 on their next series, but the offense kept rolling. From their own 19, Goff hit Woods for 19 and Tyler Higbee for 26. On 2nd and 14 from the Arizona 40, Goff hit Woods for 11 and on 3rd and 3 hit Cooper Kupp for 14 more. The second quarter began with Goff throwing incomplete on 2nd and goal from the 4, but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 2. Goff went to Higbee for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Rams. The Rams got it back at their own 18 and Todd Gurley ran for 8 and 3. Goff went to Reynolds for 20, Woods for 18, and Higbee.for 21. Gurley ran for 11 and then for the one yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Rams. The Rams got it back with 1:53 left in the half at their own 22. On 3rd and 5 from their 27, Goff went to Kupp for 27 yards On 2nd and 18 from the Arizona 40, Goff went to Kupp for the exact amount. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 15 with 4 seconds left, Sean McVay ran out of time to try one more play. Zuerlein hit from 33 as the Rams took a 20-0 lead to the locker rooms. The Rams put the game away in the third quarter with a 92 yard drive. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 10, Goff hit Kupp for the score. Murray then had a pass intercepted by Rapp, who returned it 31 yards for a touchdown to make it 34-0 Rams. The Cardinals got a garbage touchdown in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout. 34-7 Rams
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos — Drew Lock started his very first NFL game, and the Broncos came to life. On 3rd and 4 from their own 26 to start, Lock hit Hamilton for 5 yards. Lock hit Beck for 11. Lindsay ran for 15 and 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Chargers 35, Lock hit Heuerman for 7. On 3rd and 8 from the Chargers 26, Lock went to Cortland Sutton for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. On 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Philip Rivers was intercepted to set up the Broncos at the Chargers 18. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Lock hit Sutton for the score to make it 14-0 Broncos. The Chargers mounted a 14 play, 63 yard, 6 minute drive in the second quarter from their 25 to a 4th and 7 at their own 39. They punted, but roughing the punter kept the drive going. The Chargers reached a 2nd and 6 at the Denver 12. Rivers threw incomplete twice. Mike Badgley hit from 30 to get the Chargers on the board. However the Chargers then fumbled a punt, setting up Denver at the Chargers 21. Brandon McManus hit from 31 to make it 17-3 Broncos.
The Broncos defense dominated the first half but got lazy at the very end. With 52 seconds left from their own 23, Rivers went deep to Williams for 52 yards and to Austin Ekeler for a 30 yard touchdown as the Chargers only trailed 17-10 at the break. After a scoreless third quarter, the Chargers took over to start the fourth quarter at their own 38. Rivers went to Ekeler for 11 and deep to Keenan Allen for a 36 yard touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation the game was tied 17-17. Lock was quickly intercepted, giving the Chargers the ball at the Denver 38. On 3rd and 4, Rivers was sacked for a 5 yard loss. Anthony Lynn gambled on a 55 yard field goal try with 8 minutes left. Badgley doinked it off the upright no good. The Broncos took over at their own 45. On 3rd and 12 from the Chargers 34, Lock had Hamilton wide open across the middle. Hamilton dropped it. With 4 1/2 minutes left, McManus came in for a 52 yard field goal try. The kick was good and the Broncos led 20-17.
With 2:22 to play and the Chargers with all 3 timeouts, Anthony Lynn decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from his own 34. The Chargers burned one timeout to talk it over. Melvin Gordon got the first down but a false start killed the gain. On 4th and 6, the Chargers went for it again. The defense jumped offsides, but the officials called another false start. On 4th and 11, the Chargers went for it again. Rivers went for it all and Mike Williams made a spectacular catch for a 38 yard gain to the Denver 38 at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 1 from the Denver 29, Rivers completed a pass for no gain. With 52 seconds left, Anthony Lynn decided to go for it on 4th and inches rather than try the tying field goal from 46 yards out. It was an attempt to get the Broncos to jump offsides, and the Denver defense didn’t bite. With 19 seconds left, Badgley came in to try and tie it. The kick was good as these teams were tied 20-20 and headed to overtime. Only 9 seconds remained. The Broncos were at their own 28. Surely they were going to take a knee. Lock threw a bomb incomplete for the sole purpose of drawing defensive pass interference. The defense complied. The 37 yard penalty was enough for McManus to try a 53 yard field goal. His kick dunked off the upright and nobody knew if it was good or not. The play was blown dead as the Chargers called timeout. Given a second chance, McManus was good. Both teams are 4-8 and out of playoff contention. Give credit to Vic Fangio for giving rookie Lock a chance to win his very first game. 23-20 Broncos
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs — After losing by 31 points at the Jets, the Raiders were expected to get stomped on for the 8 billionth straight time at the Chiefs. This is not why they play the games. The Raiders moved from their own 14 to a 2nd and 12 at their own 36. Derek Carr was then intercepted by Mathieu, giving the Chiefs a short field at the Oakland 47. On 3rd and 1 from the Oakland 38, LeSean Shady McCoy ran for 3. On 3rd and 10 from the Oakland 24, Patrick Mahomes went to Tyreek Hill for 17 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Mahomes threw incomplete. However, the defense jumped offsides. Mahomes hit Williams for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. 7 seconds later the Chiefs had the ball again as the Raiders fumbled the ensuing kickoff. The Chiefs took over at the Oakland 24. On 3rd and 1, Williams got stopped. Walrus Lite Andy Reid went for it on 4th and 1 from the Oakland 15 and Williams got stopped again. The Raiders even moved from their own 15 to a 2nd and 3 at the Chiefs 33. Yet a false start and an incompletion had the Raiders out of field goal range. The Raiders got it back and moved from their 27 to and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Chiefs 40. Jon Gruden went for it. Rather than go up the middle, Davis went laterally and got nothing.
Despite all their screwups, the Raiders were only down 7-0. Yet as expected, the roof caved in. With 9 minutes left in the half on 3rd and 2 from their own 48, Mahomes hit Hill for 13 and Travis Kelce for 11. On 3rd and 11 from the Oakland 29, Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive holding on Lawson kept the drive going. Lawson had a rough game, dropping an easy interception with nobody around him. Mahomes then hit Hill for 11 and ran for the 13 yard touchdown himself to make it 14-0 Chiefs with 6 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Raiders took over at their own 26. On 2nd and 8 from their own 40, Carr threw over the middle and Thornhill jumped the route. Thornhill took it 46 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 21-0 Chiefs, officially ending the game with 3 1/2 minutes left in the first half. For good measure, with one minute left in the half, Daniel Carlson missed a 44 yard field goal by a country mile that would have put the Raiders on the board.
Oakland’s misery continued in the third quarter. The Chiefs took over at their own 34. On 3rd and 6 from their 38, Mahomes hit Hill for 8. On 3rd and 11 from their own 45, Mahomes threw incomplete. A very questionable roughing the passer call kept the drive going. Even without it, the Raiders were offsides. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 32, another Chiefs touchdown was nullified by holding. Harrison Butker hit a 50 yard field goal to make it 24-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 36 and made it look easy. Mahomes went to Kelce for a 47 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Oakland 15, Mahomes was intercepted in the end zone by Trayvon Mullin. Yet on further review, defensive pass interference on Mullin gave the Chiefs 1st and goal at the 3. McCoy ran it in easily for a 31-0 Chiefs lead. The Raiders embarked on a 13 play, 60 yard 7 minute drive. Despite 1st and 10 from the Chiefs 14, Carr threw a pair of incompletions sandwiched around a one yard loss. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Carlson hit a 34 yard field goal just to avoid the shutout.
To add to Oakland’s humiliation, the Chiefs went on a 14 play, 75 yard drive that consumed 9 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 8 from the Oakland 20, the defense again entered the neutral zone. On 3rd and 3 a run went nowhere but human penalty machine Mullin was called for unnecessary roughness. He is the new Stanford Routt, good for 1 or 2 dumb penalties per game. Thompson ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 38-3 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The Raiders did get a garbage touchdown with 45 seconds left to avoid going 2 straight games without one. For some reason the Raiders went for 2, and the Chiefs delivered the exclamation point by taking it the other way for a defensive 2 pointer of their own,
The Raiders outgained the Chiefs for most of the game. The Chiefs had less than 200 yards of total offense in the third quarter. Josh Jacobs had over 100 rushing yards in the first half until a loss put him below 100. The Chiefs defense is as deceptive as ever. They give up a ton of yards but force turnovers that prevent the yards from becoming points. The Chiefs are 8-4 and have a stranglehold on the AFC West. The 6-6 Raiders are not eliminated from playoff contention, but 2 straight games without a touchdown is not encouraging. Jon Gruden has a team that is young and dumb. They will get better. 40-9 Chiefs
New England Patriots at Houston Texans was the Sunday night game. The 10-1 Patriots have been winning with defense but Tom Brady has been frustrated with the offense. The 7-4 Texans were trying to maintain their slim AFC South lead. The Patriots moved 69 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. From their own 26, they reached 2nd and goal at the 5. Brady threw incomplete twice. Kai Forbath hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots, but after that Houston’s defense hit New England in the mouth. An interception of Brady set up the Texans at the Patriots 21. On 3rd and 3, Deshaun Watson went to Johnson for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Texans. Houston got it back and moved 88 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. From their own 21, Watson hit Fells for 10. On 3rd and 1 from their 31, Carlos Hyde gained 4. From their 45, Watson hit Akins for 19, Hopkins for 13, Johnson for 9, and Fells for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Texans in the second quarter. In the third quarter the Patriots moved from their own 7 to a 4th and inches at the Houston 42. Bill Belichick went for it and Brady threw to Mohammed Sanu, who dropped it. On 3rd and 7 from their own 45, Watson went to Kenny Stills for 20. One play after a 35 yard touchdown bomb to Fuller was reversed incomplete, Watson went bombs away again to Stills and got the 35 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Texans.
After a touchback, the Patriots soon faced 3rd and 17 at their own 28. Brady went to Watson for 23 yards. A pair of offensive penalties had the Patriots facing 1st and 30 at their own 31. Brady calmly went deep to Julian Edelman for a 44 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 at the Houston 16, James white gained 4 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Houston 12, Brady went to a wide open White in the flat for the touchdown. Kai Forbath is the fourth kicker the Patriots have had this year, after their third kicker went out with an appendectomy this past Wednesday. The extra point was no good as the Patriots trailed 21-9 after three quarters. After a touchback and a defensive holding penalty, Johnson ran for 13 and 1 and caught a pass for 8. On 3rd and 6 from their own 48 after a false start, Watson hit Hopkins for 10 and again for 27. On 1st and goal from the 6, Bill O’Brien went to the bag of tricks. A double handoff followed by an option pass from Hopkins to Watson went for the touchdown. The star quarterback now had a touchdown reception and the star receiver had a touchdown pass to make it 28-9 Texans. The 75 yard drive took nearly 5 1/2 minutes off the clock and left only 10 minutes to play.
The Patriots moved 75 yards in 13 plays but took over 6 minutes to do it. By the time Brady hit White for an 11 yard touchdown, only 3:42 remained. The 2 point try failed as the Patriots were within 28-15. The Patriots got it back with 2 1/2 minutes left but at their own 6 yard line. James White gained 15 but then lost 3 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 13 from their own 18, Brady went to Meyers for 21. Brady found James White, who faked going out of bounds and took advantage of a lazy defensive tackling effort to gain 36 yards. Brady then went to Edelman for a 20 yard touchdown. With 50 seconds left, the Patriots were within 6 points. The onsides kick was a good one and the only person who had a shot was on New England. Holden got a hand on it for the Patriots but could not haul it in as it went out of bounds before he could secure possession. It was a scare at the end but the the Texans at 8-4 lead the AFC South by one game. Meanwhile, the 10-2 Patriots only lead the AFC East by one game. They are no longer the top AFC seed, since Baltimore owns the tie-breaker over them. 28-22 Texans
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks was the Monday night game. A pair of very good football teams played a very good game as the 8-3 Vikings took on the 9-2 Seahawks. The Vikings took over at their own 17 and Kirk Cousins hit Dalvin cook for 9 and Ham for 36 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 29, Stefan Diggs got around the end for 27 yards. Cook got the final 2 yards to make it 7-0 Vikings. After a touchback, Russell Wilson hit Penny for 8 and 7 and on 3rd and 4 from their own 35 hit Gordon for 10 and David Moore for 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Minnesota 20, Wilson hit DK Metcalf for 19 yards. Chris Carson got the last yard to cap the 14 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive and make it a 7-7 game. In the second quarter, the Seahawks took over at their own 7. From their 22, Wilson had a pass deflected and intercepted by Harris, who returned it 20 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 14-7 Vikings. The Seahawks rebounded from their 27 to a 2nd and 9 at the Minnesota 11 with just over one minute left in the half. Wilson threw incomplete twice and Myers hit a 29 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 14-10. With 34 seconds left in the half the Vikings faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Cook got the yard. With 22 seconds left from their own 35, Cousins hit Cook for 15, Kyle Rudolph for 11, and Diggs for 10. Dan Bailey hit the 47 yard field goal to end the half with the Vikings up 17-10.
In the third quarter from their own 29, Carson gained 4 and 6. On 3rd and 1 from their own 48, Wilson hit Metcalf for 8. Unnecessary roughness on the next plat added 15. Carson then ran for 25. Penny ran for 4 and then for the one yard touchdown to tie the game 17-17. Minnesota got the ball back at their 22 and Cook immediately fumbled. The Seahawks took over at the Minnesota 26. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 17, Penny gained 3 yards. On 2nd and 7 from the Minnesota 11, Wilson threw incomplete twice. Myers again hit from 29 as the Seahawks had the 20-17 lead with less than 6 minutes left in the third quarter. Seattle got it back at their own 24. Carson ran for 4 and 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 40, Wilson went for it all and found Moore for a 60 yard touchdown bomb to make it 27-17 Seahawks as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with more nightmares for Minnesota. A short pass by Cousins was bobbled by the receiver and fell right into the arms of a diving Tre Flowers. The Seahawks took over at the Minnesota 25 with a chance to deliver the kill shot. Penny gained 10 and then took a dumpoff pass up the middle for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 34-17 Seahawks.
The Vikings responded only 41 seconds later. After a touchback, Cousins went to Mattison for 17 and then went bombs away to Laquon Treadwell for a 58 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Vikings were within 34-24. Minnesota held on defense and the Seahawks had to punt on 4th and 3 from their own 32. Pete Carroll grabbed his big steel balls and called a fake punt. Homer took it around the end for a 29 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 35, Wilson fired to Metcalf past the first down marker. Metcalf got blasted by 2 defenders and coughed up the football and the Vikings recovered. Somehow, the officials called it an incomplete pass. Mike Zimmer properly challenged the call. Metcalf clearly made a football move. It was a fumble, and the officials agreed, reversing the call with 9 1/2 minutes left. From his own 28, Cousins got leveled just as he was throwing and a duck somehow floated to Rudolph for a 17 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from their own 45, Cousins went deep incomplete but drew a 30 yard defensive pass interference call. Mattison gained 15 yards and 8. On 2nd and goal at the 2, Mattison got blasted for a one yard loss. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Cousins threw high but Rudolph made a leaping one-handed catch in the back of the end zone. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Vikings were only down 34-30. Bailey missed the critical extra point no good.
After a touchback, Hollister ran for 8 and Penny added 6 and 4. Although the running game was working well, Pete Carroll decided to go for another kill shot with 5 minutes. left. On 2nd and 6 from their own 43, with all kinds of time, Wilson was sacked for a 13 yard loss. On 3rd and 19, a West Coast Offense dink and dunk give-up pass gained 15 yards. Minnesota would have a shot for a comeback as they got it back at their own 16 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Cousins fired too Rudolph for 19 yards. With 2 1/2 minutes left on 4th and 3 from their own 42, Mike Zimmer decided to go for it. Cousins threw incomplete. The Vikings still had all 3 timeouts plus the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 33, Carson banged ahead for 11 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Minnesota only had one timeout left. Seattle could take the clock below 30 seconds left. With 1:08 to play, the Seahawks faced 3rd and 7 from the Minnesota 19. A run gained only a couple yards. The Seahawks set up a field goal try and Myers delivered from 36 with 21 seconds left. The Seahawks led by 7, but Minnesota would have one last desperate chance. The ensuing kickoff was picked up by a big man who should not be running with the football. The big man fumbled it and the Seahawks recovered at the Minnesota 31 to finally put the game away. The Vikings at 8-4 are one game back of Green Bay in the NFC North. Seattle with the win is tied at 10-2 with San Francisco, but Seattle as of now owns the tie-breaker and is the two seed in the NFC with New Orleans in the top spot. A rematch of this game would be well deserved. 37-30 Seahawks