THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

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NFL 2020 Week 7 Recap

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles was the Thursday night game. Sometimes a pair of horrendously bad teams can come together and play a game for the ages. This was not that game, but it was a good enough game. After a touchback to start the game DeSean Jackson ran for 12 yards and caught a 10 yard pass from Carson Wentz. Scott ran for 5 and 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 31, Wentz got stopped. Doug Pederson decided to go for it. On 4th and 1, Wentz gained 3. On 1st and 15 from the Giants 33, Wents hit Jackson for 9 and Rodgers for 18 down to the one. Wentz snuck for the yard to cap the 11 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive to make it 7-0 Eagles. Later in the first quarter the Eagles punted on 4th and 17 from their own 4. Jabril Peppers returned it 14 yards to give the Giants a short field at the Philadelphia 39. One play and 7 seconds was enough for Daniel Jones to find Golden Tate for the touchdown and a 7-7 game.

The game slowed down considerably after the first quarter. In the second quarter the Eagles drove 57 yards in 13 plays. They began at their own 30 but an intentional grounding penalty had them facing 2nd and 26 from their own 30. Wentz hit Rodgers for 16. The second quarter began with the Eagles facing 3rd and 10 at the Giants 30. Wentz hit Ward for 14. On 2nd and 7 from the Giants 13, Wentz threw incomplete twice. Jake Elliott hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Eagles. The teams traded interceptions, the Giants fumbled, and the Eagles moved from their own 42 to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 11 with 30 seconds left in the half. Went threw 3 incompletions and Elliott missed a 29 yard field goal.

In the third quitter the Giants took over at their own 12 yard line. Jones actually ran for an 80 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Jones threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Wayne Gallman got in to make it 14-10 Giants. The Giants got it back early in the fourth quarter at their own 3 yard line. Jones hit Slayton for 11. On 3rd and 3 from their own 34, defensive pass interference meant a 22 yard gain. Jones hit Gallman for 12. On 3rd and 9 from the the Philly 12, Jones went to Sterling Shepard for just enough. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Jones went to Shepard for the touchdown. The 15 play, 97 yard, 8 minute drive had the Giants up 21-10 with 6:17 left in regulation.

The Eagles took over at their own 22. A sack of Wentz was negated by illegal contact. Wentz then went to Hightower for 59 yards. Wentz threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to Ward with 4 1/2 minutes remaining. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Eagles were within 21-16. The Eagles got it back at their own 29 at the 2 minute warning with 2 timeouts left. Wentz hit Rodgers for 11 and again for a 30 yard gain. Defensive pass interference added 9. Boston Scott added 12 and 4 as the Giants took their remaining timeouts on defense. With one minute left, the Eagles faced 3rd and goal at the 5. Wentz threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the 3. A run went nowhere and an offensive facemask moved the Eagles all the way back to the 18 with 40 seconds left. It didn’t matter. Wentz went to Scott for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Eagles had the one point lead. With 30 seconds left on 2nd and 12 form his own 23, Jones did what he does. He was sacked and fumbled. The Giants blew another double digit fourth quarter lead. 22-21 Eagles

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets — The Jets took over at their own 22 and Frank Gore ran for 8 and 11. Sam Darnold hit Brad Perriman for 19 and Perine for 7. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 11, Darnold threw incomplete. Castillo hit the 29 yard field goal to cap the 11 play, 67 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 3-0 Jets. Tyler Bass missed a 45 yard field goal that would have tied the game, but he would more than redeem himself later on. The Bills would then fumble the ball away. In the second quarter the Jets took over at their own 20. Perine gained 20. Defensive pass interference added 15 more. Darnold hit Mims for 16 and 11. Defensive pass interference added 13. Perine ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Jets. The rest of the game belonged to Tyler Bass and the Buffalo defense. Bass connected on 53 and 48 in the second quarter. He hit from 46 and 37 in the third quarter. He missed from 37 in the fourth quarter but then hit from 29 and again from 40 to give the Bills an 8 point lead with 1:56 to play. After a touchback the Jets soon faced 2nd and 22 at their own 20 with 1:16 left. Darnold was intercepted. The Jets fought hard, but remained winless. Adam Gase remained employed. Just End The Season. 18-10 Bills

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals — The Bengals began at their own 28 and marched 70 yards in 10 plays and nearly 6 minutes. Yet on 1st and goal from the 2, Joe Burrow went to the end zone and was intercepted. The Browns took over on their own 4 yard line. 2 plays later Baker Mayfield went deep and was intercepted. Phillips returned the interception 21 yards to the Cleveland 24. Even worse, Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham and offensive tackle Tretter were both injured on the play. Burrow hit Boyd for 13. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 10 more down to the one. Burrow snuck up the middle for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals.

The Bengals got it back and moved from their own 25 to the Cleveland 42. Burrow was sacked and fumbled and the Browns recovered all the way at the Cincinnati 33. The was enough for Cody Parkey to hit a 43 yard field goal for the Browns. The Bengals moved from their own 19 to a 2nd and 7 at the Browns 11. After an incompletion, Burrow was sacked. Randy Bullock hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Bengals. After a touchback, Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 28. Karim Hunt ran for 15. On 3rd and  5 from the Cincy 30, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincy 16, Landry gained 5. On 3rd and 2 from the Cincy 3, Mayfield hit Bryant for the score. The 11 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the game tied 10-10 with 3 1/2 minute left in the half.

After a touchback, Burrow hit Higgins for gains of 7 and 27. On 2nd and 5 from the Cleveland 31, Burrow hit AJ Green for 13 and Boyd for 9. With 15 seconds left in the half, Burrow hit Boyd for an 11 yard touchdown as the Bengals took a  17-10 lead to the locker rooms. After a touchback to start the third quarter, Mayfield hit Bryant for 35 yards. Mayfield hit Landry for 8 and Njoku for 4. On 3rd and 6 from the Cincy 25, Mayfield hit Bryant for 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincy 6, Mayfield hit Bryant for the score and a 17-17 deadlock.

The Bengals after a touchback went 71 yard in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Burrow threw a fade to the end zone that was broken up at the last minute incomplete. Bullock hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 20-17 Bengals with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. The teams combined for 37 points in the first there quarters but this game was just beginning as they combined for 34 points in a crazy fourth quarter alone.The Browns faced 3rd and 3 at their own 28. Mayfield threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 4 from their own 39, Mayfield went Higgins for a pair of 21 yard gains. Mayfield hit Njoku for a 16 yard touchdown with 13 minutes in regulation to put the Browns up 24-20. It was their first lead of the game.

The Bengals took over at their own 20. Burrow hit Green for 6, Higgins for 9 and Sample for 14 and 16. Burrow ran for 12. Burrow went to Higgins for a 16 yard touchdown as the Bengals retook the lead 27-24 with 8:45 to play. After a touchback, Mayfield hit Higgins for 20. Karim Hunt ran for 11. Kevin Stefanski then went to the bag of tricks with a halfback option pass. Mayfield lateraled to Landry, who went deep to Peoples-Jones for a 19 yard gain. Mayfield then went to Hunt for 12 and back to Hunt for an 8 yard touchdown. The third lead change of the fourth quarter had the Browns up 31-27 with 5 minutes left. The action was not even close to being over.

After a touchback, Burrow hit Higgins for 12, Boyd for 15 and Thomas for 25. On 3rd and 11 from the Cleveland 24, Burrow gained 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Cleveland 5, Bernard gained 2. With 1:08 to play, the Bengals took their second timeout. It all came down to 4th and 1 at the 3. Burrow found Bernard for the touchdown. The fourth lead change of the fourth quarter had the Bengals up 34-31. After a touchback, Mayfield hit Peoples-Jones for 13, Higgins for 8, and Higgins again for a 30 yard gain. Mayfield spiked the ball to stop the clock as the Bengals took their final timeout on defense with 16 seconds remaining. Mayfield went to the end zone and Peoples-Jones somehow got both feet down inbounds for the touchdown. The fifth lead change of the fourth quarter had the Browns up by a field goal. The extra point was no good. Bernard returned the short kickoff 24 yards to the Cincinnati 42. With 4 seconds remaining, there was time for one Hail Mary. Burrow had all the time in the world and unleashed a good one. It was batted in the air but fell incomplete. In a division long dominated by Pittsburgh and Baltimore, this could finally be the game where the Bengals and Browns become relevant. Burrow was 35 of 47 for 406 yards and 3 touchdown passes. Mayfield was 22 of 28 for 297 yards and  touchdown passes. Each quarterback was intercepted once. 37-34 Browns

Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans — The Packers started facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Aaron Rodgers was sacked but illegal use of hands kept the drive going. On 2nd and 5 from their own 43, Rodgers hit Williams for 17 with 15 more tacked on for lowering the head to initiate contact. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 16, Rodgers hit Devontae Adams for 8. Rodgers hit Adams for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Packers got it back at their own 12. On 3rd and 9 from their own 23, Rodgers hit Adams for 28 and again for 36. Rodgers hit Jace Sternberger for a 3 yard touchdown 90 seconds into the second quarter to make it 14-0 Packers. After Kaimi Fairbairn missed a 41 yard field goal for the Texans, the Packers took over at their own 31. Rodgers hit Adams for 15. On 3rd and 10 from their own 46, Rodgers hit Adams for 16. Williams caught a pass for 6, ran for 9, caught another pass for 15, and ran for 7 down to the one with 18 seconds left in the half. Rodgers went to Taylor for the touchdown as the Packers were dominating 21-0.

The Texans began the third quarter marching 75 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. Deshaun Watson went to David Johnson for the 3 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 21-7. Yet the Packers came right back 75 yards. On 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Rodgers hit Adams for 9. On 3rd and 4 from the houston 45, Rodgers went deep to Adams for the touchdown and a 28-7 Packers lead. The Texans moved from their own 33 to a 3rd and 3 a the Green Bay 8. Watson was sacked, and Romeo Crennel with his team down by 21 curiously opted for the field goal. It was good. The Texans then blocked a punt and took over at the Green Bay 22. On 1st and goal at the 8, Watson threw incomplete twice and then completed a pass for a 3 yard loss. Romeo Crennel opted for another field goal. it was good again but the Texans were still down by 28-13 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Texans got it back and midway through the fourth quarter faced 4th and 1 at their own 47. Crennel this time opted to go for it. Watson faked the pitch, kept it, fooled nobody, and got blown up in the backfield for a 4 yard loss. With a short field, the Packers quickly put the game away. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 30, Rodgers hit Adams for 16. Williams ran for 13 and then got the last yard himself as the Packers easily rebounded from their first loss on the season. The Texans got a garbage touchdown. 35-20 Packers

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Debate Moderators — After a touchback to start the game, the non-Redskins moved 74 yards 11 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 2, a touchdown pass from Kyle Allen to Terry McLaurin was reversed to 4th and goal at the one. Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it and Allen got stopped. Despite the goal line stand, the Cowboys gave it right back. On 3rd and 8 from their own 16, Red Rifle Andy Dalton got sacked and fumbled. The Cowboys recovered in their own end zone for a safety and a 2-0 No-Names lead. The Identity Crisis took the free kick and began at their own 37. On 3rd and 6 from their own 41, Allen hit McKissic for 9 to midfield. Allen went to McLaurin for 5 and Thomas for 26. McKissic ran for 7 and Gibson ran for the 12 yard touchdown to make it 9-0 Deficits.

The Cowboys got a break when Pollard returned the ensuing kickoff 67 yards to the Washington 34. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the 28, an end around by Cee Dee Lamb gained only one yard. Greg Zuerlein hit a 45 yard field goal to get the Cowboys on the board. That concluded anything resembling a Cowboys highlight. The Cowboys began the second quarter moving from their own 14 to a 4th and 1 at the Washington 45. Mike McCarthy decided to go for it and Dalton threw incomplete. Two plays later Allen went deep to McLaurin for a 52 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion failed but it was 15-3 No-Names. A short 32 yard punt gave the Deficits the ball back at their own 40. On 3rd and 5 from their own 45, Allen threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 9 from the Dallas 49, Allen gained 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 15, Allen hit Logan Thomas for the touchdown to make it 22-3 No-Names. The second half was pointless. Dustin Hopkins hit a fourth quarter field goal and missed another one. Dalton was knocked out of the game. The Cowboys third string quarterback is a rookie named Ben DiNucci. Mike McCarthy’s offense is lifeless and he is running out of quarterbacks. 25-3 non-Redskins

Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons — The Lions began at their own 29. Matthew Stafford hit TJ Hockensen for 16.  On 3rd and 9 from their own 46, Stafford hit Jones for 23. D’Andre Swift ran for 8, 13 and 3. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Stafford got belted and raced. Somehow, what seemed like a textbook legal hit was called roughing the passer and 1st and goal at the 3. Swift got in to make it 7-0 Lions. In the second quarter the Falcons took over at their own 11. Matt Ryan went to Hurst for 16 and Julio Jones for 8. Ryan then fired to Calvin Ridley, and the ball deflected off of his hands in the air and was caught by Hurst for a 7 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from just past midfield, Ryan threw incomplete. Raheem Morris decided to go for it. Ryan hit Zaccheaus for 8 yards and then found Ridley for 19. On 2nd and 20 from he Detroit 27, Ryan found Todd Gurley for 11. On 3rd and 9, Ryan threw incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. On 3rd and goal at the one, Gurley got in for a 7-7 ballgame.

The Lions moved from their own 21 to a 4th and 2 at the Atlanta 3. Matt Patricia decided to go for it and Adrian Peterson go stopped cold. On 3rd and 8 from their own 4, Ry went to Ridley for 27, Hill for 11, and Hurst for 17 at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 31, Ryan went to Jones for a pair of 13 yard gains. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Ryan went to Ridley for the touchdown. With only 30 seconds left in the half, the Falcons led 14-7 after the 14 play, 98 yard, 6 minute drive. Yet they could not get to the half with that lead. After a touchback, Stafford hit Hockensen for 10, Kenny Golladay for 18 and Jones for 20. Matt Prater drilled a 50 yard field goal to end the half with the Lions only down 14-10. In the third quarter the Lions moved from their own 14 on an 11 play, 53 yard dive that took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock. Yet on 3rd and  from the Atlanta 24, Stafford was sacked. Prater drilled a 51 yard field goal as the Lions were within 14-13 midway through the third quarter.

Late in the third quarter the Falcons took over at their own 6 yard line and embarked on a 13 play, 81 yard, 7 minute drive. With 12 minutes left in regulation the Falcons faced 4th and 5 at the Detroit 13. In a mind-numbing decision, Raheem Morris decided to go for it rather than kick a field goal and have a 4 point lead. Ryan threw incomplete. The Lions moved from their own 13 to a 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 27 midway through the fourth quarter. Matt Patricia decided o go for the field goal and the lead. From 45 yards out, Prater was no good. The Falcons took over at their own 36. On 3rd and 10 from their own 48, Ryan was sacked and fumbled. Trey Flowers recovered for the Lions at the Atlanta 32. With 3:16 to play, Prater came in again to try and give the Lions the lead. From 49 yards out, this time Prater was good as the Lions led 16-14 with 5 1/2 minutes left. While most of the second half was ugly, the end of the game was beautiful.

The Falcons took over at their own 24. Ryan hit Gage for 6 and 9, Gurley for 8 at the 2 minute warning, and Gage for a pair of 16 yard gains. Gurley ran for 8, one, and on 3rd and 1 from the 12, 2. Gurley then ran for a 10 yard touchdown. Ryan hit Ridley for the 2 point conversion. With 1:04 to play, the Falcons led 22-16. Yet 30 seconds was enough time for the Lions in the first half. In the second half they had 60 seconds. The Falcons have blown so many fourth quarter leads. After a touchback, Stafford hit Hockensen for 13 and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 34 seconds left. Stafford then hit Danny Amendola and spiked the ball again with 19 seconds left. Stafford found Golladay for 29 yards and spiked the ball again with 3 seconds remaining. It all came down to one play from the Atlanta 11. Stafford went to Hockensen for the touchdown as a penalty flag came out. It was unsportsmanlike conduct on the offense after the play. The touchdown stood but Prater would be attempting a 48 yard extra point. It was good but another flaw came out. Would it be a 53 yard extra point try? No. It was an illegal formation on the defense. The extra point was good and the game was over. 23-22 Lions

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints — The Saints dominated at the outset. Drew Bees hit Carr for 6 and Callaway for 9. On 3rd and 1 from their own 44, Alvin Kamara got the yard. Kamara ran for 18 more and caught a pass for 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolin 19, Latavius Murray got the yard and then gained 7 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Carolina 10, Taysom Hill came in. Hill gained 6. Brees hit Jared Cook for a 4 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 75 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Saints. After a touchback, the panthers soon faced 3rd and 8 just shy of midfield. Teddy Bridgewater hit Samuel for 22. Joey Slye hit a 43 yard field goal to get the Panthers on the board. The Saints got it back at their own 22 and Brees hit Callway for gains of 15 and 8. Murray ran for a 25 yard gain as the Saints began the second quarter at the Carolina 30. Brees hit Callaway for 14 and 10. On 3rd and goal from the one, Brees leapt over the top. Replay showed that the ball did not break the plane of the goal, but the touchdown stood and the Saints led 14-3.

3 plays later after a touchback the Saints were right back in it. On 2nd and 14 from their own 26, Bridgewater went deep to Moore for a 74 yard touchdown to get the Panthers within 14-10. The Saints moved from their own 16 to the Carolina 25. Brees got sacked and fumbled and the Panthers recovered at their own 35. On 3rd and 3 from their own 42, Teddy Bridgewater hit Samuel for 11, Robbie Anderson for 19, found Davis for 8 and hit Zylstra for 4 at the 2 minute warning. Bridgewater then went to Davis for 8 and DJ Moore for the 7 yard touchdown. With 90 seconds left in the half the Panthers had the 17-14 lead.

That was plenty of time for the pinball wizard. After a touchback, Brees went to Kamara for 3 and Harris for gains of 18 and 7.Brees found Cook for 22 yards as the Saints took their last timeout with 24 seconds left. From the Carolina 21, Brees hit Kamara for 17 and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 5 seconds left. Brees hit Deonte Harris for the 4 yard touchdown as the Saints led 21-17 at the break. In the third quarter he Saints took over at their own 19. On 3rd and 4 at their own 25, Brees hi Kamara for 16. On 3rd and 14 from their own 37, Brees went to Kamara for just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 40, Brees hit Smith for 23. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 11, Brees went to Callaway for the touchdown. Yet offensive pass interference nullified he score. Wil Lutz hit a 41 yard field goal as the Saints led 24-17 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. After a touchback, Bridgewater went to Anderson for 26 with 15 more tacked on for defensive unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and 1 from the Saints 25, Armah got the yard. On third and 2 from the Saints 16, Bridgewater hit Thomas for 11. Samuel ran for the 5 yard touchdown on the last play of the third quarter. After three quarters, the game was tied 24-24.

The Saints began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Brees hit Callaway for 7. On 3rd and 8 from their own 39, Brees hit Smith for 20. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 37, Brees hit Kamara for 8. On 3rd and 13 from the Carolina 32, Brees hit Callaway for only 7. Lutz came in for a 43 yard field goal try to give the Saints the lead. The kick was good and the Saints led 27-24 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback, Bridgwater hit Davis for 7, Anderson for 6 and Moore for 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Saints 43, Bridgewater ran for 5. With 2:25 to play, the Panthers faced 3rd and 11 at the Saints 39. Bridgewater had played all day, but when it mattered most he made a horrendous mistake, taking a sack for an 8 yard loss. The clock hit the 2 minute warning. Matt Rhule is a rookie coach, and he made a decision for the ages. Rather than try a Hail Mary, Rhule brought in kicker Slye for a 65…yes, 65…yard field goal attempt. The NFL record is 64, held by Matt Prater. This was for NFL history and to send the game into overtime. Slye hit the ball dead center…and just barely short of the crossbar. It would have been good from 63 and maybe even from 64, but not from 65. A rematch would be well worth watching. 27-24 Saints

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans — The last 2 unbeaten teams in the AFC faced off. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Ben Roethlisberger moved the Steelers with a 14 yard completion to Johnson. Roethlisberger then hit Juju Smith-Schuster for 6 and McCloud for 9. On 3rd and 11 from the Titans 40, Big Ben hit Johnson for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Titans 17, James Conner gained 6. On 3rd and 1 from the 2, Bennie Snell got the yard. On 2nd and goal from the 11, Roethlisberger hit Johnson for the touchdown. The staggering 16 play, 75 yard drive took nearly 9 1/2 minutes and had the Steelers up 7-0. The Steelers got it back and soon faced 3rd and 14 from their own 35. Roethliberger went to Eric Ebron for a 22 yard gain.On 3rd and 1 from the Titans 34, Conner gained 3. On 3rd and 12 from the Titans 33, Roethlisbger hit Smith-Schuster for 21. Conner ran for 9 and 2 and Snell got the last yard. The 13 play, 61 yard, 7 minute drive had the Steelers up 14-0 in the second quarter.

After a touchback, Derrick Henry ran for 14 and 6. Ryan Tannehill hit AJ Brown for 13. On 3rd and 9 from the Pittsburgh 41, Tannehill went deep to Humphries for 19 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 13, the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Tannehill hit Corey Davis for the touchdown to get the Titans within 14-7 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half. After a touchback, Conner ran for 24 yards. Roethlisberger then hit Conner for 18 yards. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the Titans 20, Roethlisberger threw incomplete twice. Chris Boswell hit the 38 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Steelers with 2:50 left in the half. With 1:50 left in the half, the Titans punted on 4th and 5 from their own 15. McCloud returned the punt 57 yards to the Titans 17. On 3rd and 2, Roethlisberger went to Diontae Johnson for the touchdown as the Steelers led 24-7. With 21 seconds left in the half, the Titans had to punt on 4th and 3 from their own 32. The snap was fumbled and an attempted pass was incomplete. The Titans dodged any further pain when Roethlisberger ended the half with a deep interception rather than set up for a long field goal try. Yet in the third quarter the Steelers moved from their own 34 to a 2nd and 4 at the Titans 9. Conner lost 3 yards and Big Ben threw incomplete. Chris Boswell hit a 30 yard field goal as the Steelers were dominating 27-7.

Two plays later the Titans were right back in it. On 2nd and 8 from their own 27, Tannehill fired over the middle to Brown. Brown split the seam and outraced everyone for a 73 yard touchdown to get the Titans within 27-14. The Steelers took over at their own 16. From their own 30, Roethlisberger had a pass batted in the air and intercepted. Despite taking over at the Pittsburgh 30, the Titans lost 3 yards. Stephen Gostkowski hit a 51 yard field goal to have the Titans within 27-17 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. The Titans began the fourth quarter with the ball at their own 30. Henry ran for 9 and 3. On 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Tannehill got the yard. Tannehill then hit Brown for 20. Henry ran for 17 and 6 to set up 2nd and goal at the one. Tannehill threw incomplete and Henry got stopped. The Steelers took a timeout on defense. Mike Vrabel went for it on 4th and goal at the one. Tannehill threw incomplete but defensive holding meant an entire new set of downs. This time Henry got in. With 10 minutes left in regulation, 17 unanswered points had the Titans within 27-24.

A penalty on the kickoff had the Steelers taking over at their own 9. Roethlisberger led a clock killing 16 play, 72 yard drive that took up 7 1/2 minutes. With 2:45 to play, the Steelers faced 3rd and 2 at the Titans 9 as the Titans took their 2nd timeout on defense. A short completion was nullified by offensive pass interference. Even a field goal would extend the lead, but Big Ben got greedy. On 3rd and 12 he went to the end zone and threw into triple coverage. The ball was deflected and intercepted for a touchback. Tannehill hit Brown for gains of 9 and 17. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, Tannehill hit Davis for 7. On 3rd and 12 from the Pittsburgh 46, Tannehill hit Brown for 21. With one minute remaining, the Titans were at the Pittsburgh 25. Then Tannehill was called for intentional grounding. On 3rd and 13, Tannehill threw incomplete. Gostkowski came in with 24 seconds left for a 45 yard field goal try to tie the game and force overtime. Gostkowski’s kick was no good. He just missed it. Roethlisberger threw 3 interceptions, but the Steelers have nothing to apologize for. Mike Tomlin has a 6-0 football team as the Titans lost their first game. 27-24 Steelers

San Francisco 49ers at New England Patriots — This was a blowout from the start. The 49ers began facing 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Jimmy Garoppolo gained 4. Garoppolo then hit George Kittle for 7, Deebo Samuel for 23, back to Kittle for 15, and back to Samuel for 14. Wilson ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. Nick Folk did begin the second quarter with a 40 yard field goal for the Patriots, but after that the 49ers exploded. A 10 play, 56 yard, 6 minute drive led to a 41 yard Robbie Gould field goal to make it 10-3 49ers. Cam Newton was immediately intercepted, setting up the 49ers at the Patriots 38. Garoppolo hit Kittle for 8 and Wilson ran for 17 and 6. On 3rd and 1 from the 4, Kyle Juszczyk ran in the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the 49ers led 16-3. The 49ers got it back at their own 16. Garoppolo hit Aiyuk for 15. Hasty ran for 20. From the New England 38, Garoppolo hit Samuel for 9 and 13. Wilson ran for the 16 yard touchdown as the 49ers were winning 23-3 at halftime. The second half was pointless. Folk did manage another field goal for the Patriots, but the 49ers kept rolling. The 49ers moved from their own 21 to a 3rd and 4 at the Patriots 42. Garoppolo went to Aiyuk for 35 and Wilson ran for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 30-6 49ers. Another interception of Newton led to a 10 play, 56 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. Gould hit a 32 yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it 33-6 49ers

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos — With snow coming down, the Chiefs began at their own 32. Mecole Hardman ran for 13. Patrick Mahomes hit Tyreek Hill for 11 and Travis Kelce for 8. From the Denver 20, Mahomes hit Hardman for 19 and Carl Edwards-Helaire ran for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 19. Mahomes went to Keizer for 14, but Keizer fumbled and the Broncos took over at the Chiefs 37. Drew Lock hit Patrick for 27. On 3rd and goal from the 2, Lock got in. The extra point was no good as the Broncos trailed 7-6. That concluded Broncos highlights. After a touchback, Leveon Bell ran for 16. Mahomes went deep to Hardman for a 38 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 14, Mahomes was sacked. Harrison Butker hit the 32 yard field goal to make it 10-6 Chiefs. The Broncos got it back at their own one yard line to start the second quarter and moved to a 1st and 10 just shy of midfield. Lock was sacked. On 2nd and 13, Lock was intercepted by Sorensen, who returned it 46 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 17-6 Chiefs. Brandon McManus would hit a 43 yard field goal for the Broncos, but it didn’t matter. Pringle returned the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown as the Chiefs led 24-9 at halftime.

The second half was pointless. The Broncos turned it over a couple times in the third quarter and Butker tacked on a pair of field goals to make it 30-9 Chiefs. Another interception of Lock in the fourth quarter led to Mahomes hitting Hill for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 37-9 Chiefs. The Broncos did get a garbage touchdown, but even the Chiefs backups can score. Mahomes came out and backup quarterback Chad Henne led a touchdown drive. Henne got the last yard himself. The Chiefs rebounded after their only loss of the season in a big way. The season is not yet halfway over, and the Chiefs have already almost wrapped up the AFC West again, making Andy Reid a most Happy Walrus indeed. 43-16 Chiefs

Jacksonville Jaguars at Los Angeles Chargers — Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and play an exciting game. This actually was that game. The Chargers began at their own 6 yard line. Justin Herbert hit Jackson for 7 and 14 and then ran for a 31 yard gain himself. Herbert then went to Keenan Allen for 27 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Jacksonville 17, Herbert threw incomplete. Mike Badgley hit a 35 yard field goal for make it 3-0 Chargers. The Chargers got it back and faced 3rd and 8 from their own 31. Herbert hit Kelley for just enough. Herbert found Allen for another 10. On 2nd and 15 from the Jags 33, Herbert went to Allen for 26. Reed ran for a 7 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Chargers led 9-0. In the second quarter the Chargers faced 3rd and 7 from their own 41. Herbert hit Allen for 9 and Henry for 11, with 15 more tacked on for lowering the head to initiate contact. Herbert then went to parham for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 16-0 Chargers.

The Jaguars took over at their own 22. Gardner Minshew hit DJ Chark for 26 and Shenault for 36 more. Robinson ran for 8 and then for the 4 yard touchdown. Robinson ran up the middle for the 2 point conversion to get the Jaguars within 16-8. The Jaguars got it back at their own 33. Robinson ran for 14, 13 and 3. On 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 33, Robinson ran for 10. On 3rd and 9 from the Chargers 22, Minshew hit Johnson for 13. On 3rd and goal from the 9, Minshew hit Robinson for the touchdown with 17 seconds left in the half. This time the 2 point try failed but the Jaguars were within 16-14. Early in the third quarter the Chargers had to punt on 4th and 1 from their own 34. The punt was blocked by Thomas, who recovered it and took it in for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 21-16 Jaguars. After a touchback the Chargers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Jaguars 29. A run lost a yard and Herbert threw incomplete. Badgley missed the 48 yard field goal. The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 47. Robinson lost a yard. Doug Marrone went for it on 4th and 2. Minshew only gained one yard.

The game shifted again as the Chargers faced 3rd and 9 at the Jags 46. Herbert hit Allen for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Jags 31, Herbert threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 1st and 10. On the next play Herbert went deep to Green for a 26 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Chargers led 22-21 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The Jaguars took over and soon faced 2nd and 15 from their own 21. Minshew hit Cole for 12 with 15 more added on for roughing the passer. Minshew hit O’Shaughnessy for 6 with another unnecessary roughness penalty adding 15 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Chargers 28, Minshew went deep to Conley for the touchdown. Minshew hit Ellefson for the 2 point conversion as the Jaguars led 29-22 with 3 minutes left in the this quarter.

This time the Chargers struck quickly from their own 20. Herbert went t Jackson for 10. Then Herbert went deep to Guyton for a 70 yard touchdown and a 29-29 game. The Jaguars fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Chargers recovered at the Jacksonville 19. Herbert ran for a 5 yard touchdown as the Chargers regained the lead 36-29. The teams combined for 35 points in the third quarter, but the fourth quarter belonged to the defenses. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Chargers took over at their own 10. On 3rd and 3 from their own 17, Herbert ran for 14. Herbert hit Allen for 14 and Kelley for 10 and 3 with another roughing the passer call adding 15 more. With 6 1/2 minutes remaining, Badgley hit a 35 yard field goal to lock up the win. The 11 play, 73 yard drive and 17 unanswered points were the difference. The Jaguars lost their 6th straight game after an opening day win. Herbert set a Chargers record with 67 yards rushing. The Chargers have had great passers in Dan Fouts and Philip Rivers, but they were pocket passers. They were not mobile. Herbert is. Herbert also threw in 347 yards passing in his first NFL victory. 39-29 Chargers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Las Vegas Raiders — With the The 2001 Tuck Rule and the 2002 Super Bowl in the background, the real story of this game was COVID. Raiders offensive tackle Trent Brown tested positive and was inactive. Safety Jonathan Abraham was also ruled out due to contract tracing even though he tested negative. He went shopping with Brown on Tuesday. The Raiders began strong, as the defense forced a 3 and out and the offense took over at its own 30. Derek Carr made it look easy, hitting Nelson Agholor for 28, Darren Waller for 14, and back to Agholor for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Raiders.

The Patriots came back from their own 23. On 3rd and 5, Tom Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for 28 yards. Jones ran for 13 and 9. On 3rd and goal at the one, Brady snuck in himself. The 10 play, 77 yard drive made it a 7-7 ballgame. The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Carr threw incomplete and the Raiders had to punt. Jon Gruden called a fake punt and Heath got the yard. On 3rd and 4 from their own 41, Carr connected with Henry Ruggs for a 29 yard gain. The second quarter began with the Raiders facing 3rd and 4 at the Tampa 24. Carr got hit and fumbled and the Patriots recovered, but replay clearly showed Carr’s arm was going forward. The Raider Nation was having more Tuck Rule nightmares, but this time officials got the call right and reversed it to an incomplete pass. Daniel Carlson hit the 42 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Raiders.

With 9 minutes left in the half the Buccaneers took over at their own 15. Brady hit Leonard Fournette for 11 and Chris Godwin for 16. Fournette ran for 24 and 3. Brady went to Gronkowski for a 26 yard gain. Brady hit Gronkowski for a 5 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers led 14-10 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Patriots got the ball back at their own 12 with 2:19 left in the half. On 3rd and 4 from their own 18, Brady hit Godwin for 5 and again for 16. Brady went to Miler for 11 and Fournette for 7. With 43 seconds left in the half, the Patriots faced 3rd and 3 at the Raiders 41. Brady threw incomplete and it looked like Paul Guenther’s defense had held. Yet Bruce Arians decided to go for it on 4th and 3. Brady hit Godwin for 8. With 17 seconds left in the half, the Patriots faced 2nd and 10 from the Raiders 33. A field goal try would be 51 yards. Instead Brady went deep to Miller for the touchdown. It was a dagger that broke open a close game and had the Patriots up 21-10. The Patriots moved well in the third quarter from their own 20. On 2nd and 11 from their own 31, Brady threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 6 yard gain and new downs. Brady then went deep to Miller for 35 yards. The 10 play, 70 yard, nearly 5 minuet drive led to a 29 yard Ryan Succop field goal. Midway through the third quarter the Patriots led 24-10.

The Raiders fought back. From their own 29, Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for 11. On 3rd and 7 from his own 43, Carr had a free play when the defense jumped offside. He was intercepted, but it didn’t matter. On 3rd and 2, Carr was sacked but defensive holding kept the drive going. Carr then went bombs away to Nelson Agholor for a 44 yard gain down to the 3. Carr hit Waller for a one yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter the Raiders were within 24-17. Unfortunately, a scrum after the touchdown and before the extra point led to Raiders standout guard Gabe Jackson being ejected. The defense again forced a 3 and out and the Raiders took over at their own 29. Carr hit Waller for 11. On 3rd and 7 from their own 45, Carr ran for 9. Carr hit Waller and Ruggs for 10 yards each and Jason Witten for 6 more. On 2nd and 4 from the Tampa 20, a pass to Agholor was dropped. Then on 3rd and 4 a completion to Waller gained only 3 yards. With 13 minutes left in regulation, Jon Gruden made a terrible decision. On 4th and 1 from the Tampa 17 with all the momentum, Gruden decided not to go for it. Carlson hit the 36 yard field goal. The Raiders were within 24-20, but it felt like a defeat.

The Buccaneers took over at their own 33. On 3rd and 13 from their own 30, one defensive stop would give the Raiders a chance at the lead. When it mattered most, Paul Guenther’s much maligned defense could not get a stop. Brady hit Fournette for just enough. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, Brady threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference on Trayvon Mullen, who commits far too many defensive penalties, meant a 9 yard gain. Brady went to Mike Evans for 15 and to Gronk for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 16, one stop would force a field goal and keep it a one score game. Brady hit Miller for 12 and Godwin for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 31-20 Buccaneers midway through the fourth quarter. One play after a touchback, a pass bounced off of Agholor’s hands and was intercepted. 2 plays later Brady went to Godwin for a 23 yard touchdown. 2 scores in less than one minute broke open a close game and had the Patriots up 38-20. The Raiders again faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34 and Carr threw incomplete. This time Gruden went for it and Carr lost 2 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 29, Brady went to Evans for a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Johnson got in to complete the blowout. There would be no Tuck Rule revenge. 45-20 Buccaneers

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals was the Sunday night game. Both quarterbacks create video game highlights, and early on it was Russell Wilson doing that. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Wilson went deep to Tyler Lockett for a 34 yard gain. Then Wilson went to Jacob Hollister for 17, Lockett for 4 and Chris Carson for 7. Carson ran for 10 and Wilson hit Lockett for a 3 yard touchdown to quickly make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Seahawks got it back and soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 34. Wilson hit DK Metcalf for 17. Carson ran for 8. Wilson went to Moore for 18. Wilson went to Greg Olsen for a 23 yard touchdown, but it was reversed incomplete. Wilson threw 2 more incompletions. Jason Myers hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Seahawks.

After a touchback, Kyler Murray got warmed up. On 3rd and 8 from his own 27, Murray ran for 9. On 2nd and 11 from their own 35, Murray threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 8 yards and a first down. From the Seattle 43, Murray ran for 8 and then went deep to Deandre Hopkins for a 35 yard touchdown to get the Cardinals within 10-7. After a touchback from their own 41, Wilson went to Lockett for 16 and Olsen for 13. On 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 26, Wilson threw incomplete. Myers hit from 44 to have the Seahawks up 13-7 early in the second quarter.

The game then got messy as the Cardinals took over from their own 17. After a penalty had the Cardinals facing 1st and 19 at their own 31, a short completion was fumbled. The Seahawks recovered at the Arizona 31. The Seahawks soon faced 1st and goal at the 3. Wilson went to the sideline and Budda Baker jumped the route. Baker intercepted the ball at his own 2 yard line and had a clear path 98 yards the other way. He ran out of steam and DK Metcalf somehow tracked him down. Nevertheless, the 90 yard interception return gave the cardinals 1st and goal at the 8. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Murray tried to get around the end and lost a yard. In a very curious decision, Kliff Kingsbury decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the 3 rather than kick the chip shot field goal. Murray ran backward for his life and scrambled all over the place before finally heaving a prayer incomplete. So while the Seahawks did not lead 20-7, they did not trail 14-13 or lead 13-10 either. After all of that, it was still 13-7.

From their own 3, the Seahawks struck quickly. From their 14, Wilson got around the end for a 34 yard gain. Wilson then hit Dissly for 28. Carlos Hyde got around the end for a 24 yard touchdown. Just like that the Seahawks did lead 20-7. After a touchback, Murray hit Hopkins for gains of 12 and 13. From the Seattle 48, Murray went deep to Arnold for a 41 yard gain and then hit Kirk for a 7 yard touchdown. With 1:14 left in the half the Cardinals were within 20-14. That was more than enough time for Wilson. After a touchback, he ran for 22 yards. Then he hit Lockett for 16 and ran for 10 more. Then he went deep to Lockett with a perfect bomb for a 47 yard touchdown. The Seahawks needed only 30 seconds to take a 27-14 lead.

Yet 45 seconds remained in the half, and that was enough for Murray. After a touchback he hit Larry Fitzgerald for gains of 9 and 12 and Edmonds for gains of 15 and 6. With 11 seconds left in the half the Cardinals faced 3rd and 2 at the Seattle 31. Murray went deep incomplete, leaving 4 seconds. Zane Gonzalez nailed the 49 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 27-17 at the intermission. In the third quarter the Cardinals began a drive at their own 7 yard line. On 3rd and 5 from their 12, Murray threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness meant 15 yards. Murray hit Drake for 7 and Drake ran for 7 more. Murray then went to Hopkins for 18. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 36, Murray hit Edmonds for 18 and 13. Murray ran for the 5 yard touchdown, just barely stretching the ball over the plane of the goal. The 12 play, 93 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Cardinals within 27-24 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. The Seahawks got it back at their own 10 and moved 60 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 5 at the Arizona 30, Wilson went for it all and was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback by Patrick Peterson with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

On the very next play, Murray went deep and was intercepted by Quandre Diggs at the Arizona 45. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 37, Hyde got the deuce. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 27, Moore gained 4. On 2nd and 6 from the Arizona 19, Hyde gained 3 but defensive holding added 5 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 3, Wilson threw incomplete. Now it was Pete Carroll who made the curious decision to pass up the field goal and go for it. Wilson threw a fade to the end zone to Lockett. While it initially appeared that Lockett did not get both feet down inbounds, it was initially called  touchdown. Then another official came over and the call was changed to an incomplete pass. Pete Carroll challenged the incompletion and on further review, it was now a touchdown. Replay actually provided a better angle and it looked like Lockett did get both feet down inbounds. The 12 play, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Seahawks up 34-24 with 6:45 remaining.

In a very bizarre series of play calls, down by 2 scores, Kingsbury kept running the ball rather than throw it. Murray ran for 18. On 2nd and 1 from the Seattle 45, runs got stopped twice as the lock kept ticking. On 4th and 1, Drake appeared stopped but on a great second effort gained 2 yards before exiting the game injured. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 34, Edmonds gained 2. On 2nd and 12 from the Seattle 34, Murray threw incomplete twice. Needing 2 scored with 3 minutes left, Gonzalez came in for a 52 yard field goal try. The kick was good, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for leverage on the kick by Seattle meant 15 yards and an automatic first down at the Seattle 19. Murray hit Edmonds for 11 and Kirk for the 8 yard touchdown. Kirk broke a tackle at the 3 yard line, dove, and just barely broke the plane of the goal. With 2 1/2 minutes left the Cardinals were within 3 points after the 13 play, 75 yard drive. The Cardinals still had all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning.

The Seahawks took over at their own 14. Wilson scrambled for 9 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Hyde gained 3, one and 7 as the Cardinals took their last timeout with 1:42 to play. It all came down to 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 34. Hyde got the carry and got stopped for no gain. The clock ticked down and the Seahawks punted with 55 seconds left. A touchback had the Cardinals at their own 20 with 52 seconds left and no timeouts. A field goal would tie the game. Murray hit Fitzgerald for 11 and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 39 seconds left. Murray ran for 15 and spiked the ball again with 24 seconds left. Murray avoided pressure and found a wide open Kirk at the sideline for an 18 yard gain with 17 seconds left. Kliff Kingsbury is crazy. Insane. Without a timeout, he called a running play. Edmonds gained 12. After the play, Fitzgerald grabbed the ball and quickly ran it to the official as the Cardinals raced to the line of scrimmage. Murray spiked the ball with 2 seconds left. Gonzalez came in for a 44 yard field goal try to tie the game. The kick appeared no good but managed to just stay inside the upright good. This thrilling NFC West showdown was headed to overtime tied 34-34.

The Seahawks won the toss and took over after a touchback. A sack of Wilson had the Seahawks facing 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Wilson went to Moore for 18. A run was blown up for a 6 yard loss. On 3rd and 11 from their own 44, the Cardinals sent an all out blitz and Wilson was sacked for a 10 yard loss. The Cardinals took over at their own 28 with 5 1/2 minutes left in overtime. Edmonds took a delayed draw 32 yards to the Seattle 33. Edmonds took another handoff 9 yards as the Cardinals were well within field goal range. Murray faked a handoff and gained 6 more yards to the Seattle 18. On the next play Murray lost 5 yards. On 2nd and 15 from the 23, Kliff Kingsbury took no chances. Gonzalez came in for a 41 yard field goal try to win it. The kick was good, but the play clock appeared to reach zero. A delay of game would have been killer. However, Kliff Kingsbury called timeout at the last possible moment. Usually it’s the opposing coach that does this. A coach does not try to ice his own kicker. Nevertheless, that is exactly what happened. On his second try, Gonzalez was no good.

With 2:42 left, the Seahawks took over at their own 31. Wilson hit Lockett for 11. On 2nd and 14 from their own 38, Wilson Lockett for just enough. A pair of incompletions saw Wilson get drilled and set up 3rd and 10 with 1:13 left. Wilson threw a sideways pass to Metcalf, who escaped a tackle and raced all the way to the end zone for the winning touchdown. Pete Carroll had no time to celebrate. It was all for naught as offensive holding nullified the score. Now it was 3rd and 14 from the Seattle 48. Wilson went back to pass over the middle and was intercepted by Isaiah Simmons. With 54 seconds left, the Cardinals and another chance with one minute to go. Murray hit Hopkins for 9. Murray gained 3 for another first down as Murray spiked the ball with 33 seconds left. Murray hit Fitzgerald for 7 as the Cardinals took their last timeout of overtime with 25 seconds left. Rather than go for the first down, Murray went for it all and it was incomplete. With 20 seconds left Gonzalez came in again from 48 yards out.

4 years ago these teams played a 6-6 tie. This time there would be no tie. Gonzalez was good as the Seahawks were knocked from the unbeaten ranks. The Cardinals did not lead at any point in the game until the final winning play. Murray was 34 of 48 for 360 yards and Wilson was 33 of 50 for 388 yards. Both quarterbacks threw 3 touchdowns but Wilson threw 3 killer interceptions while Murray threw one. Murray also added 67 yards on 14 rushes. Wilson had 84 yards on 6 carries. The Cardinals had 159 yards rushing overall. The Seahawks had 200 yards on the ground. Lockett had 200 yards receiving on 15 carries. Each team had over 500 yards of offense with over 1,100 yards of offense combined. A rematch cannot come soon enough. For the Seahawks, they have lived on the edge too many times and this time they lost a game they thought they had won. Kliff Kingsbury may be crazy, but on this night he was a winning coach. 37-34 Cardinals, OT

Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams was the Monday night game. The 5-1 Bears have been winning ugly with defense, while the Rams have a pinball offense. This was a mismatch from the start. A 15 yard punt return had the Rams taking over at their own 48. Jared Goff went to Everett for 16 and Jefferson for 14. Goff hit Bundt for 6 and Reynolds for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The second quarter was a slog. Cairo Santos hit a 42 yard field goal for the Bears. Sam Sloman responded from 22 to as the Rams led 10-3 at the midpoint. In the third quarter a perfect punt had the Bears pinned at their own one. The Rams got it back at their own 45. On 3rd and 5 from midfield, Goff hit Reynolds for 21, Robert Woods for 6, and Cooper Kupp for 10. From the Chicago 13, Malcolm Brown appeared stopped, and somehow the pile kept moving forward without a whistle. By the time the scrum ended, Brown had a 12 yard gain down to the one. On the next play Brown bulldozed over a defender to get in to make it 17-3 Rams. The Bears moved from their own 20 to a 2nd and 4 at the Rams 9. Nick Foles went to the end zone and his pass was deflected and intercepted for a touchback. Goff went to Everett for 3 and Henderson for 11. Woods took an end around 25 yards. Goff hit Kupp for 8. Henderson ran for gains of 10 and 11. Goff hit Everett for a 12 yard touchdown as the Rams led 24-3 after three quarters.The Bears special teams in the fourth quarter did block a field goal and their defense returned a fumble for a touchdown, but their anemic offense mustered nothing. Rams punter Johnny Hekker had 5 punts that landed inside the Bears 10 yard line. 24-10 Rams

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/the-presidential-debate-vs-football-nfl-week-7-preview-and-bettors-guide-133383/

NFL 2020 Week 6 Recap

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots — With Cam Newton returning from COVID, the Patriots were expected to roll over the decimated Broncos. Cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman: “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES.” The Broncos failed to reach the end zone but Brandon McManus hit a pair of field goals in each of the first three quarters. His 6 field goals of 45, 44, 27, 52, 20 and 54 had the Broncos up 18-3 after three quarters. 3 turnovers including 2 interceptions of Newton plagued the Patriots. A second quarter 41 yard Nick Folk field goal was all the Patriots could muster until the fourth quarter. Newton ran for a one yard touchdown with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation to get the Patriots within 18-9. The 2 point try failed. Drew Lock threw 2 interceptions in the fourth quarter. The first one led to a 38 yard Folk field goal to get the Patriots within 6 points. The second one gave the Patriots the ball at their own 28 with 3:14 left and a chance to win. With one minute left, on 4th and 10 from the Denver 24, Newton threw incomplete. Vic Fangio’s defense rose to the occasion in the big upset win. 18-12 Broncos

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans — The Texans won one game this year while the Titans were unbeaten. This should have been an easy Titans win. Again, cue ESPN uber-annnouner Chris Berman: “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES.” Early on it was all Titans. From their own 20, Derrick Henry gained 18. On 3rd and 7 from their own 41, Tannehill threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 8 yard gain. Tannehill went to Brown for 18, Watson for 13 and Firkser for 10. Tannehill went to Firkser for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 29 and Henry Ripped off a 34 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 28, Henry gained 2. On 3rd and 10 from the Houston 26, Ryan Tannehill hit Henry for just enough. Tannehill hit Humphries for 8 and AJ Brown for a 6 yard touchdown as the Titans led 14-0 after the first quarter.

The Texans began the second quarter at their own 18. Deshaun Watson hit Randall Cobb for 7 and Darren Fells for 18. On 3rd and 2 from the Titans 45, Watson gained 6 and then hit Will Fuller for 17. On 3rd and goal at the one, David Johnson got stopped. Romeo Crennel decided to go for it. Watson hit Fells for the touchdown to cap the 13 play, 82 yard, 6 minute drive and get the Texans within 14-7. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 14. Tannehill went to Smith for 13. On 3rd and 5 from their own 32, Tannehill hit Firkser for just enough. Henry gained 14 and 5. Tannehill went to Raymond for 20 and to Humphries for the 22 yard touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the half the Titans had a 21-7 advantage.

Kaimi Fairbairn did manage a 38 yard field goal to end the half with the Texans trailing 21-10. In the third quarter Stephen Gostkowski came in for a 27 yard field goal try to extend the lead. Instead the kick was blocked and the Texans took over at their own 21. Watson hit Fells for 11 and then for 25 more. Defensive pass interference added another 28 down to the one. Johnson ran it in as the Texans were within 21-17. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Tannehill was sacked and fumbled. The Texans recovered all the way at the Titans 4 yard line. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Watson hit Cobb for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but 16 straight points had the Texans up 23-21.  The Titans embarked on a 10 play, 56 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Yet from 37 yards out to give the Titans the lead, Gostkowski was again no good.

Yet the excitement in this game was just getting started. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Titans got the ball back at their own 6 yard line. Henry got the carry and gashed the Houston defense for a 94 yard touchdown run. Tannehill hit Westbrook for the 2 point conversion as the Titans 29-23. Only 2 plays after a touchback, the lead changed hands again. Watson hit Brown for a 22 yard gain and then went to Fuller for a 53 yard touchdown. With 8 1/2 minutes left the Texans led 30-29. One play after a touchback, Tannehill went deep and was intercepted. The Texans took over at their own 31. Watson hit Cooks for 15. On 3rd and 7 just shy of midfield, Watson hit Cooks for 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Titans 35, Watson threw incomplete. Romeo Crennell decided to go for it rather than try a 53 yard field goal. On 4th and 1, Johnson got the yard. Watson then hit Cooks for 9. Johnson ran for 11 and Watson added 8 more down to the one. On 3rd and goal at the one with 1:57 to play, Johnson got the carry and got stopped. Mike Vrabel called a second Titans timeout on defense. On 4th and goal at the one up by one, Romeo Crennel decided to go for it. Watson hit Cooks for the touchdown to make it 36-29 Texans. Crennel then made a very controversial decision. Rather than kick the extra point and make it an 8 point game, he went for 2 to put the game out of reach. Watson threw incomplete.

The Titans took over down by 7 with 1:45 left and one timeout. Tannehill hit Humphries for 11 and 5, Raymond for 6, Firkser for 23 and 7, Humphries for 8 and McNichols for 9. The Titans faced 2nd and 1 from the Houston 7. Only 4 seconds remained. The Texans took a timeout on defense. Everything came down to one play. Tannehill hit Brown for the touchdown. Mike Vrabel was not going for 2, and Gostkowski hit the extra point as this thriller went to overtime tied 36-36. The Titans got the ball first in overtime. On 2nd and 8 from their own 20, a short pass from Tannehill to Henry went for a 53 yard gain. Mcnichols then ran for 17 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Henry ran it in. The Texans never saw the ball in overtime. Both quarterbacks were magnificent. Watson was 28 of 37 for 335 yards. Tannehill was 30 fo 41 for 364 yards. Both quarterbacks threw 4 touchdown passes. Watson was not intercepted, and Tannehill was picked off once. Yet the deciding factor was Henry, who rushed for 212 yards on 22 carries. The Texans fell to 1-5 while the Titans at 5-0 stayed unbeaten in a heart-stopper. 42-36 Titans, OT

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers — The Browns were 4-1 while the Steelers came in 4-0. This was the type of game that could finally make people believe in the Browns. Instead, this game went as expected. The Steelers moved from their 25 to a 2nd and 6 at the Pittsburgh 17. Ben Roethlisberger threw incomplete twice. Chris Boswell hit a 35 yard field goal to start the scoring. 3 plays later the Browns faced 3rd and 3 at their own 28. Baker Mayfield was intercepted by Minkah Fitzpatrick, who returned it 33 yards for a touchdown to make it 10-0 Steelers. In the second quarter the Steelers took over at their own 12. James Conner ran for 14. A facemask added 15 more. Roethlisberger hit Juju Smith-Schuster for 7, James Washington for 7 and Chase Claypool for 36. Conner ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Steelers. Another interception of Mayfield had the Steelers at midfield. Big Ben hit Washington for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 24-0 Steelers. The Browns would finally reach the end zone before the half, but it didn’t matter. The Steelers added another  touchdown in the third and fourth quarters and the defense did the rest. Mike Tomlin has a 5-0 squad. The Browns are not the losers of past seasons, but they are far from elite. 38-7 Steelers

Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles — The Ravens were expected to roll over the Eagles, and for the first three quarters they did. A field position game in the first quarter had the Ravens taking over at the Philadelphia 47. On 3rd and 10 Lamar Jackson hit Boykin for 11. On 3rd and 11 from the Philly 37, Jackson hit Duvernay for 17. Mark Ingram ran for 9 and 4. Jackson hit Nick Boyle for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. Late in the first quarter Carson Wentz fumbled and the Ravens took over at the Philly 28. On 3rd and 1 from the 7, Gus Edwards ran it in to make it 14-0 Ravens. In the second quarter the Ravens took over at their own 38. Jackson went to Will Snead for a 32 yard gain. Justin Tucker hit a 46 yard field goal as the Ravens took a 17-0 lead to the locker rooms. The Eagles threw away 2 second quarter chances when on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 20, Wentz got stopped. Elliott missed a 52 yard field goal to end the half. In the third quarter the Eagles scored in bizarre fashion. On 2nd and 5 from their own 19, Sanders ran for a 74 yard gain and then fumbled. Luckily for the Eagles, his teammate Arcega-Whiteside recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. The 2 point try failed as the Eagles trailed 17-6. Baltimore soon faced 2nd and 11 at their own 36. Jackson went to Brown for 20. Then On 3rd and 3 from the Philly 37, Jackson produced another video game highlight as he ran for the touchdown. After three quarters, the Ravens had a comfortable 24-6 lead.

The Eagles mounted a furious fourth quarter rally. On 3rd and 6 from their own 23, Wentz went deep to Hightower for 50 yards. Wentz hit Jason Croom for a 3 yard touchdown and Ward for a 2 point conversion. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Eagles were within 24-14. Tucker hit field goals of 55 and 46 to give the Ravens breathing room up 30-14 midway through the fourth quarter. Yet Wentz moved the Eagles 75 yards in 11 plays. With 3:48 to play, the Eagles were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 9 at the Baltimore 18. Wentz hit Travis Fulgham for the touchdown and Arcega-Whiteside for the 2 point conversion. Now the Eagles were within 30-22. The Eagles took 2 timeouts on defense and saved their final one when Jackson threw incomplete on 3rd and 9 from his own 26. With 3:11 left the Eagles took over at their own 29. Wentz went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 49 yard gain. Wentz then hit Rodgers for 16. With 1:55 left, Wentz snuck in for a one yard touchdown. One more two point conversion would tie the game. The Eagles tried to run it in and got stuffed. The Eagles took their final timeout on defense with 1:48 left. On 2nd and 5 from the Philly 40, Jackson ran for 21 yards to seal the win. The Eagles did run for 194 yards, but it was not enough. The Ravens rushed for 182 yards, including 108 yards on 9 carries by Jackson. 30-28 Ravens

Washington No-Names at New York Giants — This was the Stupor Bowl, as the one-win non-Redskins took on the winless Giants. The non-Redskins began with a 12 play, 6 minute drive that ended in a missed field goal. The Giants got on the board first when Graham Gano made a 33 yard field goal. Kyle Allen was intercepted by Bradberry, who returned it 19 yards to the Washington 27. On 3rd and 6, Daniel Jones went to Darius Slayton for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Giants. In the second quarter Dustin Hopkins did hit a 35 yard field goal, but Gano responded from 20 to make it 13-3 Giants.

The No-Names finally got going from their own 30. They actually had to punt on 4th and 9 from the Giants 45. Yet the Giants committed a running into the kicker penalty. On 4th and 4, Riverboat Ron Rivera decided to go for it. Allen hit Inman for 15 and McKissic for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 17,  Allen hit McLaurin for 7. Allen hit Logan Thomas for a 5 yard touchdown with 13 seconds left in the half as the No-Names only trailed 13-10. The third quarter was scoreless. The Giants from their own 20 embarked on a 14 play, 73 yard drive that took 9:14 off the clock. Yet on 1st and goal at the 7, Jones went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. Washington responded with a 14 play, 70 yard drive that took 7 minutes. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 10, Allen threw incomplete. Hopkins hit from 28 as the battle of who wanted it least was tied 13-13 with 9 minutes left in regulation.

The non-Redskins moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 9 at the Giants 45 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Allen was sacked and fumbled. Crowder recovered it and returned it 43 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Giants led 20-13. The No-Names soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Allen hit McLaurin for 18. On 3rd and 7 just past midfield, Allen hit McKissic for 13. With 36 seconds to play, Allen threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to Cam Sims. Rather than tie the game and go to overtime, Riverboat Ron Rivera went for the 2 point conversion and the win. Allen threw incomplete and the Giants avoided going 0-16 due to one failed 2 point try. 20-19 Giants

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings — The winless Falcons have an interim coach as they take on the one-win Vikings in the battle of teams that blow fourth quarter leads. This game was a blowout from the start. Kirk Cousins was intercepted on the first play of the game, setting up the Falcons at the Minnesota 29. On 3rd and 11 from the Minnesota 20, Matt Ryan hit Julio Jones for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. The Falcons got it back at their own 14 and moved 54 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Raheem Morris decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 38. Todd Gurley gained 3. Younghoe Koo hit a 50 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Falcons. In the second quarter the Falcons fumbled and the Vikings took over at their own 24. The Vikings moved to a 1st and goal at the 2. On 3rd and goal at the one, Cousins threw incomplete. Mike Zimmer decided to go for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Boone got blasted for a one yard loss.

The Vikings got it back and on 3rd and 9 from their own 33, Cousins was intercepted again. The Falcons took over at the Minnesota 40. Ryan hit Ridley for 14 and 9. On 3rd and 3 from the Minnesota 17, Ryan hit Jones for 4 and then 5. With 1:54 left in the half, Ryan hit Ridley for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Falcons. Cousins then threw his 3rd interception of the first half, giving the Falcons another short field at the Minnesota 48. With 12 seconds left in the half the Falcons had 1st and goal at the 4. Ryan threw incomplete and then a run only gained 2 yards. One second remained. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Raheem Morris played it safe. Koo hit a 21 yard field goal as the Falcons led 20-0 at halftime. Koo connected again from 47 in the third quarter to make it 23-0 Falcons.

The Vikings tried to make a game of it. After a touchback, Cousins went to Justin Jefferson for 35 yards. On 2nd and 24 just past midfield, Cousins hit Jefferson for 19 and again on 3rd and 5 for 8. On 4th and 4 from the 16, Mike Zimmer went for it. Cousins hit Smith for 5 and Jefferson for an 11 yard touchdown to get the Vikings within 23-7. The Falcons moved from their own 31 to a 3rd and 2 at the Minnesota 39. Gurley lost a yard. Raheem Morris went for it and Ryan went to Jones for a 40 yard touchdown. After three quarters, the Falcons were up 30-7. Koo tacked on another field goal from 43 yards out to make it 33-7 Falcons midway through the fourth quarter. Minnesota did manage a pair of fourth quarter garbage touchdowns sandwiched around one more Atlanta touchdown. Raheem Morris won his first game as interim Atlanta coach as the Falcons racked up 10 points in each of the four quarters. 40-23 Falcons

Detroit Lions at Jacksonville Jaguars — A pair of bad teams played an uneventful game. A shanked 29 yard punt had the Lions taking over at midfield. On 3rd and 5 Matthew Stafford was sacked but the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 7 at the Jacksonville 37, Stafford ran for 17. On 4th and 1 from the Jags 11, Matt Patricia decided to go for it. Stafford gained 2. Defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Adrian Peterson ran it in to make it 7-0 Lions. After a touchback the Lions moved 62 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. On 3rd and 7 from the Detroit 15, a completion gained only 2 yards. Jon Brown hit a 31 yard field goal to get the Jaguars within 7-3. After a touchback, D’Andre Swift ran for a 54 yard gain. Stafford hit TJ Hockensen for 16. On 3rd and goal at the one, Swift got in to make it 14-3 Lions early in the second quarter.

The game got ugly as Garner Minshew was quickly intercepted, leading to nothing as the Lions missed a field goal. The Jaguars then missed a field goal. The Lions moved 65 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. Matt Prater hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Lions. The Jaguars then fumbled the ball away. In the third quarter Stafford was intercepted. The Jaguars got nothing out of it as they turned it over on downs. The Lions took over at their own 14. From their own 27, Stafford hit Danny Amendola for 19 and then went deep to Kenny Golladay for a 48 yard gain. On 2nd and goal at the one, Stafford threw incomplete twice. Matt Patricia went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Stafford hit Hockensen for the touchdown to make it 24-3 Lions midway through the third quarter.

The Jaguars tried to make a game of it. On 3rd and 7 from their own 29, Minshew went deep to Cole for a 51 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 18, Minshew threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 5 yards and a new set of downs. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 6, Minshew ran it in as the Jaguars trailed 24-10 after three quarters. They would get no closer. After a touchback, Stafford hit Hall for 6, Golladay for 16 and Agnew for 11. The fourth quarter began with the Lions facing 3rd and 7 from the Jags 25. Stafford threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant a 13 yard gain. Swift ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 31-10 Lions 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. Prater tacked on a 41 yard field goal to make it 34-10 Lions. The Jaguars managed a garbage touchdown in a garbage season that has them at 1-5 and Doug Marrone on the verge of walking the plank. 34-16 Lions

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts — This game got off to a surprising start when the Colts fumbled on the second play from scrimmage and the Bengals took over at the Colts 43. Joe Mixon ran for 6, 9 and 2. Joe Burrow hit Boyd for 22. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Giovani Bernard ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 22 and Burrow hit Higgins and AJ Green for a pair of 12 yard gains and to Green again for 17 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Indy 34, Burrow went to Boyd for 23. On 3rd and 1 from the indy 2, Burrow threw incomplete. Zac Parsons decided to go for it. Burrow ran it in himself to make it 14-0 Bengals. The Bengals got it back and soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 31. Burrow went deep to Higgins for a 67 yard gain. The second quarter began with Mixon rushing for a 7 yard touchdown as the Bengals had the shocking 21-0 lead.

The Colts finally woke up and took over at their own 13. Philip Rivers went to Doyle for 17, Trey Burton for 15, and Johnson for a 55 yard gain down to the one. Burton got in to get the Colts within 21-7. After a touchback and a defensive penalty, Boyd raced for a 25 yard gain. On 2nd and 16 just past midfield, a short completion followed by defensive unnecessary roughness kept the drive going. The Bengals settled for a 47 yard Randy Bullock field goal, but they had a comfortable 24-7 lead midway through the second quarter.

The Colts soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Rivers went to Pascal for 22 and Taylor ran for a pair of 7 yard gains. Rivers went back to Taylor for 21 and to Burton for a 10 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half the Colts were within 24-14. The Colts got it back and with 1:55 left in the half faced 3rd and 7 from their own 31. Rivers went to Johnson for 20, Hines for 11, and back to Johnson for 20 more. With 20 seconds left in the half the Colts faced 3rd and 10 at the Cincy 17. Rivers went to Zach Pascal for the touchdown as the Colts only trailed 24-21 at the break.

The game slowed dramatically in the second half. A perfect punt pinned the Bengals at their own one yard line. On 3rd and 8 from their own 3, rather than play it safe, Burrow went deep to Green for 19. On 3rd and 3 from their own 29, Burrow went to Higgins for 13. On 3rd and 6 from their own 46, Burrow hit Green for 9. On 3rd and 9 from the Indy 44, Burrow went to Bernard for 7. Zac Parsons decided not to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Indy 37. Bullock drilled a 55 yard field goal as the 13 play, 62 yard, 6 minute drive had the Bengals up 27-21. After a touchback Rivers hit Burton for 13. Taylor ran for gains of 21 and 17. On 3rd and 2 from the Cincy 16, Taylor got just enough. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Rivers hit Jack Doyle for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 28-27 Colts.

The Bengals punted on 4th and 20 from their own 15. A shanked 28 yard punt had the Colts taking over at the Cincy 43. Yet Rivers went deep and was intercepted. The Bengals took over at their own 12. The Bengals moved 58 yards in 11 plays and nearly 5 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from the Indy 30, Perine got stopped. Needing only a field goal to take the lead, Zac Parsons decided not to go for it. Midway through the fourth quarter Bullock came in for a 48 yard try that was no good. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 40. Rivers went to TY Hilton for 11. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincy 48, Rivers went to Burton for 20. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincy 22, Rivers threw incomplete. Blankenship hit a 40 yard field goal to put the Colts up by 4 with 4 minutes left. The Bengals moved from their own 26 to a 4th and 9 just past midfield with 1:48 left. Burrow hit Green for 10. With 39 seconds left, the Bengals faced 3rd and 6 at the Indy 35. Burrow went deep and was intercepted by Blackmon at the Indy 19 yard line. The Bengals are getting sick of moral victories. Joe Burrow is tired of them. There will be better days ahead, but on this day experience won out. Burrow was 25 of 39 for 313 yards and 0 touchdowns. Rivers was 29 of 44 for 371 yards and 3 touchdowns. Each of them was intercepted once. 31-27 Colts

Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers — The Bears were a surprising 4-1 after an upset win over Tampa Bay while the Panthers had won 3 straight. A sack of Bridgewater had the Panthers beginning the game facing 3rd and 19 from their own one yard line. On the third play from scrimmage, Bridgewater was intercepted to set up the Bears at the Carolina 7 yard line. On 3rd and goal, Nick Foles hit Cole Kmet for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The Panthers after a touchback embarked on a 14 play, 72 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 6, Bridgewater only gained 3. Joey Slye hit the 21 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 7-3. The second quarter brought more field goals as Cairo Santos hit from 31 for the Bears to make it 10-3. The Panthers again mounted a 13 play, 73 yard, 6 minute drive and again could not close it out. On 3rd and goal from the 2, Bridgewater threw incomplete. Slye hit from 20 to get the Panthers within 10-6 at the 2 minute warning.

After a touchback, Foles hit Montgomery for 7, Graham for 10 and Montgomery for 13. On the last play of the half, Santos nailed a 55 yard field goal to make it 13-6 Bears. An ugly third quarter saw the Panthers fumble, the Bears give it right back with an interception, and the Panthers miss a 54 yard field goal. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 5 just shy of midfield. Foles went to Cordarelle Patterson for 8 yards. Foles then went to Graham for 8 and Mooney for 18. Montgomery ran for 11. On 3rd and goal from the one, Foles got in as the Bears led 20-6 after three quarters.

The Panthers mounted a comeback. On 4th and 1 from their own 34 late in the third quarter, Matt rule decided to go for it. The defense had too many men on the field. On 4th and 1 from the Chicago 37, Rhule again went for it. Davis gained 3. Defensive pass interference on the next play meant 33 yards and the ball on the one. Mike Davis got in as the Panthers were within 20-13 with a full 13 minutes left. The Bears moved 62 yards in 10 plays after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Carolina 13. A run went nowhere and Foles threw incomplete twice. Santos hit a 31 yard field goal as the bears had some breathing room up 23-13 with 9 1/2 minutes left. The Panthers got it back at their own 35 and Bridgewater went to Moore for 38 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 27, Bridgewater was sacked. Slye hit the 48 yard field goal as the Panthers were back within 7 midway through the fourth quarter.

The Panthers took over with 5 minutes left and moved from their own 17 to a 4th and 2 at the Chicago 38 at the 2 minute warning. Bridgwater threw incomplete. The Panthers had all 3 timeouts and took the first 2 on defense. With the Bears facing 3rd and 2 at their own 46, a run would force the Panthers to take their last timeout. Instead Matt Nagy called a pass play. Foles threw incomplete. on 4th and 2 Nagy punted. The Panthers took over at their own 20 with 90 seconds left. 4 seconds left in was over as Bridgewater was intercepted. The Bears may be the ugliest 5-1 team in some time, but without apologies. They are winning with spotty quarterback play and a tough defense. This is Chicago. 23-16 Bears

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins — League rules prevented this game from being canceled. In the first quarter the Dolphins moved from their own 34 led by Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard. Fitzpatrick hit Gaskin for 6, Grant for 8, and Gaskin for 6. Gaskin also ran for a pair of 11 yard gains. Fitzpatrick hit Adam Shaheen for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The Dolphins began the second quarter at their own 35. Fitzpatrick hit Matt Breida and Parker for a pair of 10 yard gains. Gaskin gained 9 with a defensive facemask adding 15. Fitzpatrick then hit Gaskin for 16 and Preston Williams for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Dolphins. A 30 yard punt return and the Dolphins taking over at the Jets 48. Fitzpatrick went deep to Shaheen for 43 and to Durham Smythe for a 4 yard touchdown. The Dolphins led 21-0 at halftime. For some reason Adam Gase was not fired before, during, or even after the game. A totally useless second half saw the Dolphins facing 4th and 1 at the Jets 7. Brian Flores opted for the field goal perhaps out of sympathy. Sanders hit from 24 in the third quarter to complete the scoring. The scoreless fourth quarter saw rookie Tua Taigovailoa come in and give Fitzy a chance to rest his beard. The cancer that is the Jets truly is Gang Green, who is 10 losses from 0-16. Just End The Season. 24-0 Dolphins

Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — This was supposed to be a thriller between Aaron Rodgers and the unbeaten Packers against Tom Brady and his talented Buccaneers. Early on it was all Packers. On 3rd and 10 from their own 25, Rodgers hit Aaron Jones for 20, Devontae Adams for 8 and 12, and Valdes-Scantling for 12. On 3rd and 8 from the Tampa 21, Rodgers threw incomplete. Mason Crosby hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Packers. The Packers got it back and faced 3rd and 7 at their own 23. Rodgers went to Tonyan for 11. Williams ran for 25. On 2nd and 20 from the Tampa 23, Rodgers went to Shepherd for 16. On 3rd and 4, Rodgers gained 6 down to the one. Jones got in as the Packers led 10-0 after the first quarter. By halftime, this game was over, but not in the way everyone expected.

In the second quarter the key play of the game came with the Packers facing 3rd and 10 from their own 22. Rodgers was intercepted by Jamel Dean, who returned it 32 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Buccaneers were right back in down 10-7. It was deja vu all over again for the Packers on 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Rodgers was intercepted by Edwards, who returned it 37 yards to the Green Bay 2. Ronald Jones was in the end zone 3 seconds later as the Buccaneers led 14-10 and never looked back. The Bucs got it back at their own 35. On 3rd and 6 from the Green Bay 45, Brady went to Chris Godwin for 6 with a defensive facemask adding 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Packers 16, Brady hit McCoy for 6. On 3rd and 2 from the Packers 7, Brady hit Tyler Johnson for the touchdown to make it 21-10 Buccaneers. The Bucs got it back at their own 38. Brady hit Godwin for 8 and 25. With one minute left in the half on 3rd and 6 from the Packers 12, Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for the touchdown. After exploding for 4 second quarter touchdowns and a 28-10 lead, the Patriots quickly iced the game in the third quarter. Ryan Succop hit a 50 yard field goal. Jones added one more touchdown from one yard out to cap an 85 yard drive. The fourth quarter was scoreless as the Packers were shut out after the first quarter. Neither quarterback had 200 yards passing, but Brady threw 2 touchdowns while Rodgers threw 2 killer interceptions. Brady was helped by 158 yards from the Tampa running game. 38-10 Buccaneers

Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers is the Sunday night game. The Rams have been quite good, while the 49ers were blown out last week at home. Yet throw out the records when division rivals meet. Last week the fans were ready to burn Jimmy Garoppolo in effigy. This week he began from the 49ers 24 and went right to work. He hit Deebo Samuel for 35, Brandon Aiyuk for 10, Greg Kittle for 18, and back to Samuel for a 6 yard touchdown to quickly make it 7-0 49ers. The 49ers soon faced 1st and 16 from their own 7. Mostert gained 15 and 3 and caught a pass for 7. The second quarter began with the 49ers facing 4th and 2 at the Rams 44. Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it. A short pass from Garoppolo to Kittle went for the touchdown and a 14-0 49ers lead.

The Rams soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 37. Jared Goff scrambled for 10. Henderson ran for 18. Robert woods added 4 and 7. Henderson added 11 and 5. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Goff hit Woods for the score. The extra point was blocked as the Rams trailed 14-6. After a touchback, Mostert ran for 8, 5 and 2. On 2nd and 18 from their own 30, Garoppolo hit Kendrick Bourne for 19 and again for 25. On 3rd and 7 from the Rams 23, Garoppolo hit Taylor for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 6, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Garoppolo hit Aiyuk for the touchdown as the 49ers were cruising 21-6 at the intermission. The second half was about defense. Sam Sloman hit a 42 yard third quarter field goal for the Rams. Robbie Gould answered from 49 to make it 24-9 49ers with 5 1/2 minutes left. Goff did lead the Rams 75 yards in 10 plays. Goff hit Josh Reynolds for a 40 yard touchdown with 3 1/2 minutes left to get the Rams within 8 points. Sean McVay decried to kick it deep rather than go onside. The Rams took their final timeout with 2 1/2 minutes left. With 1:40 left, it all came down to the 49ers facing 3rd and 7 from their own 38. Garoppolo hit Samuel for 11 and the Rams never got the ball back. 24-16 49ers

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills was an extra Monday night game delayed from Thursday night due to COVID. A pair of 4-1 teams played a good football game as both teams sought to bounce back from their first loss of the season. Walrus Andy Reid has been described accurately as pass-happy, but he now has a running back. Yes, after over 2 decades of throwing, Andy Reid even with Patrick mahomet at quarterback is running the football. Early on the Bills moved from their own 32 to a 3rd and 7 at the Chiefs 30. Josh Allen threw incomplete. Tyler Bass hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bills. After a touchback, Carl Edwards-Helaire ran for a 31 yard gain. Mahomes then went to Edwards-Helaire for 5, to Robinson for 6 and 22, and to Travis Kelce for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Chiefs.

After a touchback, Singletary ran for 9, 4 and 2. On 3rd and 2 from his own 46, Allen ran for 3 and then 5 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 42, Moss got the yard. Allen ran for 13. On 3rd and 10 from the Chiefs 28, Allen went deep incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant a 24 yard gain. On the next play Allen went to Stefan Diggs for the 4 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive put the Bills up 10-7 in the second quarter. The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Mahomes went to Darrell Williams for 15 and then for 5 more. Andy Reid went back to the ground game as Edwards-Helaire gained 5, Tyreek Hill added 5 more, and Edwards-Helaire ripped off gains of 12, 14 and 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 6, Edwards-Helaire got around the end for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Chiefs led 13-10 with 5 minutes left in the half. With one minute left in the half the Chiefs took over at their own 10. With 16 seconds left from their own 32, Mahomes hit Kelce for 16 but Kelce fumbled. The Bills recovered just past midfield with 6 seconds left. Allen quickly hit Diggs for 15, leaving one second left. Bass came in for a 52 yard field goal try to tie the game. It was no good.

In the third quarter the Chiefs took over at their own 18. Mahomes hit Hill for 8. Edwards-Helaire ran for 17. On 3rd and 1 from their own 47, Edwards-Helaire gained 8. Thomas added 11 and 5. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 28, Mahomes hit Kelce for 6. On 3rd and 5 from the Buffalo 17, Mahomes scrambled, appeared trapped near the sideline, and somehow dove for a 4 yard gain. Andy Reid decided to go for it on 4th and inches from the 13. Williams got the first down and the touchdown. The 13 play, 82 yard, 8 minute drive put the Chiefs up 20-10. The Chiefs got it back to start the fourth quarter at their own 6 yard line. They moved 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 16, Williams lost 3 yards. Harrison Butker hit a 37 yard field goal to put the Chiefs up 23-10 with 9 1/2 minutes remaining in regulation.

After a touchback, Allen hit Davis for 7. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 8 yards. From the Chiefs 44, Allen hit Diggs for 14, Cole Beasley for 22, and Beasley again for an 8 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left the Bills were back in it down 23-17. The Chiefs soon faced 2nd and 8 at their own 15. Mahomes hit Kelce for 20. On the next play Edwards-Helaire lost 4 yards and fumbled and the Bills recovered at the Chiefs 31. With 5 minutes left the Bills had a chance to take the lead. Yet on further review, officials reversed the play to down by contact. On 3rd and 12 from his own 33, Mahomes went deep to Pringle for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 27, Mahomes ran for 9 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 14, Mahomes only gained 2 yards. Yet the clock ticked down to the 2 minute warning. The Bills were out of timeouts. The 12 play, 75 yard drive culminated in a 30 yard field goal try for Butker to ice the game. The kick was good. Allen threw in a desperation interception for good measure. Mahomes was 21 of 26 for 225 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Yet the real shocker was that the Chiefs ran the ball 46 times for 245 yards. Edwards-Helaire carried the ball 26 times for 161 yards. This is not your Andy Reid West Coast Offense dinking and dunking. This was smashmouth power football. It was also another Chiefs win, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 26-17 Chiefs

Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys was the Monday night game. With Dak Prescott out for the season, Red Rifle Andy Dalton got his first start for the Cowboys. Yet the real problem was that Ezekiel Elliott had his worst game as a pro. Late in the first quarter the Cowboys had moved from their own 26 to a 2nd and 9 just past midfield. Dalton hit Elliott for no gain, and Elliott fumbled. The Cardinals took over at their own 46. Buddha Baker forced the fumble on a night when he was a wild man on defense. On 3rd and 10, Murray ran for just enough. On 4th and 1 from the Dallas 18, Kliff Kingsbury decided to go for it. Murray ran for 11 and then threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk to make it 7-0 Cardinals early in the second quarter. Two plays after a touchback, Elliott fumbled again and the Cardinals recovered at the Dallas 27. On 3rd and 11, Murray hit Larry Fitzgerald for 11 and ran for 16 himself. Kenyan Drake got the last yard to make it 14-0 Cardinals. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Arizona 35. An illegal block penalty killed the drive. The Cardinals took over at their own 20. Murray threw a bomb that appeared overthrown but Kirk somehow made a fingertips catch, kept his balance, and raced for an 80 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Cardinals with 2:44 left in the half.

The rest of the game was pointless. The Cowboys did manage a field goal before the half, but it didn’t matter. The Cowboys in the third quarter moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 6 at the Arizona 42. Dalton went deep and was intercepted by Kirkpatrick. The Cardinals took over at their own 21. Drake ran for gains of 20 and 22. Edmonds added 9 and 5. Murray added 10. Defensive pass interference meant 6 yards and the ball on the one. Murray got in as the Cardinals were rolling up 28-3. A desperate Mike McCarthy had Greg Zuerlein try a 58 yard field goal that was no good. The Cowboys then moved 70 yards in 12 plays from their own 14 to a 1st and 10 at the Arizona 16. Dalton was intercepted by Baker. The Cardinals took over at their own 13. On 3rd and 2 from their own 29, Murray connected with Deandre Hopkins for a 60 yard gain. Zane Gonzalez hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 31-3 Cardinals with 9 minutes left in regulation. The Cowboys mounted a staggering 18 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive which would have been more impressive had they not been down by 4 touchdowns. The Cowboys did score a garbage touchdown with 2:48 left, but the Cowboys are a mess. On 3rd and 4 from their own 31 at the 2 minute warning, Drake ran for a 69 yard exclamation point touchdown. Jerry Jones may wish to blow up his Jerryworld Metropolis for the insurance money. The Cowboys are a miserably bad team. 38-10 Cardinals

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/ron-rivera-featured-in-this-weeks-6-nfl-preview-and-bettors-guide-133252/

NFL 2020 Week 5 Recap

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears was the Thursday night game. The Buccaneers were supposed to steamroll over the overmatched Bears. Yet the Bears brought their defense led by Khalil Mack. Early on the Buccaneers moved 54 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. They moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 6 at the Chicago 21. Tom Brady threw incomplete. Ryan Succop hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. An interception of Nick Foles was returned by Davis 34 yards to midfield. Brady hit Johnson for 35 yards. On3 rd and goal at the 2, Brady went to Mike Evans for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back and moved 73 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Bruce Arians even went psychotic, gambling on 4th and 1 from his own 19. Brady got the yard. The Buccaneers moved from their own 10 to a 3rd and 7 at the Chicago 17. Yet Brady then threw incomplete. After all of that, the Buccaneers settled for a 35 yard Succop field goal and a lead of 13-0.

Midway through the second quarter after a touchback, the Bears finally woke up. Foles hit Anthony Miller for 7 and Harris for 9. On 3rd and 12 from their own 39, the Buccaneers entered the neutral zone. On 3rd and 7, Foles found Montgomery for 12, Robinson for 13 and Cordarelle Patterson for 25 yards down to the 3 yard line at the 2 minute warning. Montgomery ran it in from there to get the Bears within 13-7. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 25. Brady went to Vaughn, who got blasted and fumbled. With 90 seconds left in the half, the Bears took over at the Tampa 27. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa 20, Foles went to Patterson for 8 and Graham for the 12 yard touchdown. Despite being dominated the entire half, the Bears actually led 14-13.

The second half was a defensive bonelock. Succop hit a 46 yard field goal in the third quarter to put the Buccaneers back in front 16-14. The Bears moved from their own 12 to a 1st and 10 at the Tampa Bay 15. Foles was sacked for a 13 yard loss. The 12 play, 59 yard drive took over 7 minutes. The Bears settled for a 47 yard Cairo Santos field goal to lead 17-16 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. From their own 27, the Patriots moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chicago 16. Brady was then sacked for a 7 yard loss. On 3rd and 17 from the Chicago 23, Brady went to Rob Gronkowski for 16. After 10 plays, 66 yards and nearly 6 minutes, Bruce Arians had a decision to make. Despite gambling on 4th and 1 from his own 19, he decided on 4th and 1 from the Chicago 7 to go for the field goal. Succop hit from 25 as the Buccaneers led 19-17 with 5 minutes left. With 2 1/2 minutes left the Buccaneers had to punt on 4th and 12 from their own 14. The Bears got it back with 2:21 to play at their own 48. On 3rd and 9, Foles hit Miller for 10. On 2nd and 11 from the Tampa 42, Foles hit Montgomery for 17. On 2nd and 9 Bruce Arians called a pass play rather than grind down the clock. It was incomplete. Santos came in for a 38 yard try to give the Bears the lead. The kick was good and the game’s 5th lead change had the Bears up by a point. After a touchback, Brady had 1:13 left needing only a field goal. With 33 seconds left on 4th and 6 from his own 41, Brady threw incomplete. A confused Brady thought it was 3rd down, not 4th down. Meanwhile, Foles beat Brady again as the Bears, and not the Buccaneers, are 4-1. Cue ESPN uber-annoucncer Chris Berman. “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES.” 20-19 Bears

Los Angeles Rams at Washington Identity Crisis — The Rams took over and soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 29. Jared Goff hit Greg Everett for 17 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Washington 34, Goff hit Everett for 23. Henderson ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 6-0 Rams. The extra point was no good. With Dwayne Haskins benched, Kyle Allen got the start for the non-Redskins. They soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 30. Allen hit McLaurin for 12. Roughing the passer two plays later added 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Rams 30, McKissic gained 3. Allen hit Gibson for 18. Allen got around the end for a 7 yard touchdown and a 7-6 No-Names lead.

The Rams began the second quarter facing 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Goff threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 15 yard gain. Goff went deep to Robert Woods for a 56 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Rams. The Rams got it back at their own 17. Henderson ran for 7 and caught a pass for 12. On 3rd and 4 from their own 42, Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 8. Goff then went to Everett for a 40 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Goff had a wide open lane and took it for the touchdown to make it 20-7 Rams. With 2:20 left in the half, the No-names faced 3rd and 1 at their own 20. Allen got tackled for no gain and was injured on the play. For the first time in 2 years, Alex Smith played a football game. Smith suffered a gruesome injury in 2018 that threatened not only his career, but his life. He had multiple surgeries and fought off an infection that occurred due to surgical complications. While Smith has been sometimes fairly (and sometimes unfairly, guilty as charged) derided as a West Coast Offense dink and sunk game manager, it was good to see him playing football again. While he could not turn this game around, even his playing is a cause for joy after everything he has endured.

Meanwhile, an interception of Goff in the final minute of the half set the No-Names up at their own 41. That was enough for Dustin Hopkins to hit a 48 yard field goal to get the No-Names within 20-10. In the third quarter the Rams moved from their own 20 to a 1st and goal at the 10. Two incompletions sandwiched around a failed run meant a 28 yard Sam Sloman field goal and a 23-10 Rams lead. In the fourth quarter the Rams put the game away. Just shy of midfield, Henderson ran for 6 and 4. Goff went to Reynolds for 29 and Henderson for the 11 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. 30-10 Rams

Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers — Midway through the first quarter the Steelers faced 3rd and 4 at their own 44. Ben Roethlisberger hit Claypool for 7. On 3rd and 6 from the Philadelphia 45, Roethlisberger hit Washington for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Philly 25, Claypool gained 3. On 2nd and 16 from the Philly 28, Big Ben threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 21 yard gain. On 2nd and goal at the 7, James Conner gained 4 but defensive unnecessary roughness meant a new set of downs. Claypool ran for a 2 yard touchdown as the 14 play, 62 yard, 7 minute drive meant it 7-0 Steelers. The Eagles came back quickly. On 3rd and 9 from their own 26, Sanders took a handoff 74 yards for a touchdown and a 7-7 game.

The Steelers began the second quarter facing 3rd and 11 at their own 24. Roethlisberger hit Claypool for 15. Conner ran for 25. On 3rd and 6 from the Philly 32, Roethlisberger connected with Claypool for a 32 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Steelers. The Eagles got it back at their own 24. Carson Wentz went to Fulgham for 13 and 7. On 3rd and 3 from their own 45, Wentz hit Fulgham for 9 with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On 3rd and 4 from the Pittsburgh 7, Wentz hit Zach Ertz for 6. Sanders got the last yard for a 14-14 ballgame.

After a touchback the Steelers took over, with defensive pass interference putting them at their own 40. Roethlisbgerger hit Conner for 11 and Eric Hebron for 17. On 3rd and 10 from the Philly 29, a completion only gained 4 yards at the 2 minute warning. Chris Boswell hit a 41 yard field goal for a 17-14 Steelers lead. The Steelers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Big Ben hit Ebron for 7. On the next play McCloud got around the end. for a 58 yard gain. Roethlisberger went to Claypool for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 24-14 Steelers. Wentz was quickly intercepted, setting up the Steelers at the Philly 23. Defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Conner got the yard to make it 31-14 Steelers.

The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 12 at their own 23. Wentz went deep to Fulgham for 31. Defensive pass interference added 26 more. Wentz hit Sanders for 11and Ward for an 8 yard touchdown. Doug Pederson for some reason went for a 2 point conversion and Wentz hit Hightower to get the Eagles within 31-22 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. The Eagles got it back late in the third quarter and faced 3rd and 8 at their own 22. Wentz hit Fulgham for 18 and 19, Rodgers for 18, Fulgham for 13, and Ward for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Wentz out of the shotgun hit Fulgham for the touchdown. The Eagles were within 31029 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Steelers moved from their own 24 to a 1st and 10 at the Philly 40. Two offensive holding penalties killed the drive and nullified a 42 yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to Claypool. On 3rd and 21 just shy of midfield, Roethlisberger hit Ebron for 12, but Ebron fumbled and the Eagles recovered at their own 45 with 6 1/2 minutes left. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 39, Wentz threw incomplete. With 3:18 to play, Elliott came in for a 57 yard field goal try to give the Eagles the lead. The kick was no good. Pittsburgh took over at their own 47 and a defensive facemask moved them to the Philly 37. On 3rd and 8 from the Philly 35, Roethlisberger went to Claypool for the touchdown to seal the win. Wentz threw in another interception for good measure. Meanwhile, the Steelers are a 4-0 football team for the first time in 40 years. 38-29 Steelers

Arizona Cardinals at New York Jets — Joe Flacco was in for Sam Darnold, keeping the Jets offense anemic. The Cardinals took over at their own 11. Kyler Murray hit Daniels for 6, Kirk for 8, ran for 16, hit Kirk for 21, and found Isabella for 6. Edmonds then ran for a 29 touchdown for a 7-0 Cardinals lead. An interception of Murray gave the Jets 1st and goal at the 10. Naturally they wasted the field position and settled for a 26 yard Sam Ficken field goal to trail 7-3. After a touchback, Murray ran for 10 and hit Larry Fitzgerald for 9. On 3rd and 15 rom their own 42, Murray went to Isabella for 24. Murray ran for a 2 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard drive and make it 14-3 Cardinals. With 53 seconds left in the half the Cardinals took over at their own 19. Murray hit Edmonds for 7, 5 and 30. Murray hit Hopkins for 10. With 8 seconds left, Zane Gonzalez hit a 47 yard field goal to put the Cardinals up 17-3. Adam Gase wondered how he would be allowed to coach the second half.

Midway through the third quarter the Jets took over at their own 26. Flacco went deep to Jermaine Crowder for a 52 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 16, Flaccos crumbled for 5. Flacco hit Crowder for an 11 yard touchdown as Crowder just stretched the ball over the plane of the goal to get the Jets within 17-10. The Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 39. Edmonds got stopped and Kliff Kingsbury decided to go for it. A short pass from Murray to Daniels went for a 31 yard gain. After running for 8 to set up 3rd and 3 at the Jets 23, Edmonds caught a pass for 7 more. Kenyon Drake did the rest, running for 8, 7 and the one yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Cardinals The 10 play, 70 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive ended the third quarter. In the fourth quarter from their own 4 yard line, the Cardinals put the game away. An interception of Murray was nullified by defensive holding. From his 11, Murray went deep to Hopkins for a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Jets 42, Murray went to Kirk for 10. Murray then went to Hopkins for a 37 yard touchdown. An inexplicable 2 point conversion try failed, but the Cardinals are a 3-2 team while Just End The Season cries grow louder and louder. 30-10 Cardinals

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs — On the first play of the game, the Raiders already porous secondary saw Joyner go down with an injury. Mahomes quickly threw a touchdown bomb that was nullified by offensive holding on former Raiders standout Koleche Osemele. A couple plays later Osemele went down awkwardly and had to be taken off on a cart. The defense actually got a stop but a penalty on the punt for an invalid fair catch had the Raiders starting at their own 5 yard line. Jon Gruden wanted to pound the rock and Josh Jacobs ran for 7, 3 and 6. On 3rd and 10 from their own 30, Carr went deep to rookie Henry Ruggs for a 46 yard gain. Ruggs had a defender in his face and somehow controlled it off the defender’s helmet. Ruggs was injured the last couple weeks, and his return opened up the offense. Yet a pair of false starts killed the drive. After 11 plays, 75 yards and 6 minutes, the Raiders settled for a 38 yard Daniel Carlson field goal to lead 3-0.

The Chiefs took over at their own 12. On 3rd and 4 from their 18, Patrick Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 12. Tyreek Hill ran for 6 and caught a pass from Mahomes for 26. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 35, Mahomes and Kelce connected for a 32 yard gain. Mahomes got around the end for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Chiefs. The Raiders moved from their own 9 to a 2ns and 5 at their own 33. Carr Hit Darren Waller for what appeared to be a first down, but it was called 3rd and 1 from their own 37. Rather than ram it up the gut, Carr went deep and was intercepted by Breeland. It was Carr’s first interception of the season and his first interception in over 300 pass attempts. Breeland returned the interception 28 yards to the Raiders 28. The second quarter began with Mahomes hitting Hardman for 13 and Kelce for 5. Hill got around the end for a 10 yard touchdown and a 14-3 Chiefs lead.

After a touchback the Raiders went back to the ground game. Booker came in and ran for 7, 2, and on 3rd and 1, a critical 2 after appearing stopped. On 2nd and 5 from their own 41, Carr went bombs away to Nelson Agholor for a 59 yard touchdown. The Raiders were right back in it down 14-10. After a touchback, Mahomes went to Sammy Watkins for 16 and deep to Hill for a 37 yard gain. Jon Gruden unsuccessfully challenged the catch. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Mahomes avoided a sack, rolled out, and fired to Watkins for the touchdown as the Chiefs led 21-10. After a touchback the Raiders came right back. Booker broke threw the line for a 3 yard gain. Carr hit Alec Ingold for 23 yards. Carr fired high over the middle to Waller for a 5 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the half the Raiders were only down 21-17.

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29, Mahomes found Kelce for 14. Yet offensive holding on the next play had the Chiefs facing 2nd and 20 from their own 33. Mahomes went for it all. The play was well defended by Jonathan Abram incomplete. The crowd erupted as pass interference was not called. On 3rd and 20, Mahomes scrambled, avoided a sack, went to run, decided not to run, and fired a laser over the middle that was dropped. The Raiders dodged a bullet. The Raiders got it back after a touchback and went back to the ground as Jalen Richard and Jacobs both gained 4. On 3rd and 2 from their own 28, it was Carr’s turn to go for all the marbles. He found Ruggs, who outraced everyone for a 72 yard touchdown. In front of a stunned crowd at Arrowhead, the Raiders had a 24-21 lead with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half.

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 15 at their own 23. One defensive stop and the Raiders would lead at the half. Mahomes again avoided pressure, rolled to his left, and fired across his body over the middle to Kelce for  23 yard gain at the 2 minute warning. Mahomes went to Hill for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 29, Mahomes found Pringle for a 23 yard gain. Mahomes found a wide open Edwards-Helaire in the flat for a 4 yard touchdown, but offensive pass interference on Kelce nullified the score. From the 14, Mahomes found Robinson but he was out of the back of the end zone. On 3rd and goal from the 14, Mahomes again escaped the pocket, rolled to his right, and fired to the end zone. This time the defense was all over it as a ball that should have been intercepted was dropped incomplete. Harrison Butker hit the 32 yard field goal. With 30 seconds left in the half the game was tied 24-24. Both teams had over 300 yards of offense in the first half. Both quarterbacks had nearly 250 yards passing in the first half.

The teams combined for 38 points in the second quarter alone. In a shocking turn of events, the third quarter was scoreless. Each team punted twice. The Chiefs had 22 total yards in the third quarter. Midway through the third quarter the Raiders took over at their own 29. An incompletion on 2nd and 8 was nullified by defensive holding. On 3rd and 2 from their own 44, Carr hit Alec Ingold for just enough. On 3rd and 4 from the Chiefs 25, Carr hit Waller for 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 16, Jacobs got stopped. On the last play o the third quarter, on 4th and 1 from the Chiefs 16 in a tie game, Jon Gruden decided to go for it. Carr almost never runs the quarterback sneak, but this time he did for 2 yards. Jacobs began the fourth quarter by bulldozing over the Chiefs defense for a 7 yard gain and another 7 yard run for the touchdown. Less than one minute into the fourth quarter, the Raiders led 30-24. Yet the Silver and Black faithful got lumps in their throat when Carlson missed the extra point. Nevertheless, the 13 play, 71 yard drive took 8 minutes off the clock and kept mahomet on the sideline.

After a touchback the Chiefs moved to a 3rd and 9 at their own 44. Mahomes scrambled out of the pocket like he did all game. Yet this time Maxx Crosby nailed him for a 7 yard loss. The Raiders got the ball back at their own 30. Jacobs ran for a 15 yard gain, but offensive holding wiped it out and put the Raiders in a hole. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders faced 3rd and 18 from their own 22. There would be no short pass followed by a punt. Jon Gruden was in full aggressive attack mode. Carr went deep to Hunter Renfrow for a 42 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Chiefs 28, Carr hit Jason Witten for 4. On 3rd and 11 from the Chiefs 25, Carr found himself in a world of trouble with the pocket collapsing. He had a wide open Jalen Richard only 2 yards away from him. Yet Carr overthrew Richard incomplete. Richard had an easy touchdown, but it was not to be. Carlson nailed the 43 yard field goal as the Raiders led 33-24 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Raiders were finally getting pressure on Mahomes. He was scrambling for his life but not finding open receivers. Needing 2 scores, Andy Reid decided to go for it on 4th and 7 from his own 28. Mahomes ran all over the place and threw a deep ball that was intercepted by Heath. Heath returned the interception 47 yards to the Chiefs 2 yard line. Jacobs banged it in one play later. With 5 1/2 minutes left, the Raiders led 40-24.

Yet this game was not over. With Mahomes, it never is. On 2nd and 11 from his own 24, Mahomes hit Edwards-Helaire for 20. On the next play Mahomes went to Robinson for 20 more, but offensive holding nullified that. On 3rd and 20, Mahomes found Williams for 15. With 4 1/2 minutes left, the Raiders were one defensive stop away from putting the game away. On 4th and 5 from just shy of midfield, Mahomes connected with Hardman for a 37 yard gain. On 2nd and 10 from the Raiders 14, Mahomes hit Robinson in the end zone but he could not get both feet down inbounds. A defensive facemask meant 1st and goal at the 7 anyway. Mahomes ran all over the place and found Kelce for the touchdown. On the 2 point conversion, Mahomes scrambled around forever and fired to the back of the end zone to Williams. It was good, and the Chiefs were within 8 points with 4 minutes left.

Paul Guenther’s defense could not put the game away. If the offense malfunctioned, the Raiders would be on their heels again. Mahomes could not be allowed to have the ball back. Jacobs carried 4 straight times for 4, 7, 2 and 5. The Chiefs were out of timeouts. The Raiders took their last timeout as well with 2:08 to play. The Raiders faced 3rd and 3 at the Chiefs 47. Carr hit Jones at the sticks for what appeared to be the clinching first down. Yet officials marked it short. Jon Gruden did not have a timeout to challenge the spot. On 4th and 1 from the Chiefs 45 at the 2 minute warning, the stakes were simple. If you punt, you pin the Chiefs back deep without a timeout. If you go for it and don’t make it. The Chiefs have only 55 yards to go. Mahomes is a superhuman. Jon Gruden was not punting this ball. With everything on the line, Carr again took the quarterback keeper and got the yard. Carr took three knees and it was over.

The Chiefs last week became the first team in NFL history to start 4-0 in 4 straight years. They had won 13 straight games dating back to last year. They had beaten the Raiders 7 straight times in Arrowhead. Carr had never won in Arrowhead. All of that was done. The Raiders showed that they are a different team with Henry Ruggs and Trent Brown in the lineup. They also were improved on defense with Nick Kwiatkowski. After the game Jon Gruden said that the defense is still a work in progress, but improving. Carr and Mahomes had nearly identical stats. Carr was 22 of 31 for 347 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception. Mahomes was 22 of 43 for 340 yards, 2 touchdowns and one interception. The Raiders ran for 144 yards on 35 carries. This was Jon Gruden pounding the rock. Ruggs had 118 yards receiving on only 2 catches. Carr’s touchdown passes came on bombs as he became the first quarterback since Rich Gannon in 2002 to throw for more than 300 yards at Arrowhead. The Raiders scored 40 points at Arrowhead for the first time since 2000. This was an Al Davis win. 40-32 Raiders

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans — Bill O’Brien is out and Romeo Crennel is the interim coach. The Texans embarked from their own 9 on a 17 play, 73 yard drive that ate up 7 1/2 minutes of clock. Yet a sack of Deshaun Watson in the red zone on the last play of the first quarter ended the drive. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 36 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans at the start of the second quarter. After a touchback Gardner Minshew hit Shenault for 15. On 3rd and 7 from their own 43, Minshew ran for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 37, Minshew hit Tyler Eifert for 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Houston 22, Minshew threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 6 from the Houston 13, Minshew hit Cole for the score to make it 7-3 Jaguars. The Texans after a touchback struck quickly. Watson hit Randall Cobb for 17, Will Fuller for 11, and Darren Fells for a 44 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Texans. After that the game got ugly.

The Jaguars moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and goal at the 3 at the end of the half. A short pass lost 3 yards. Then Steve Hauschka missed a 24 yard field goal. Watson then went deep and was intercepted, setting up the Jaguars at the Houston 36 with 34 seconds left. With 9 seconds left from the Houston 21, offensive holding pushed the Jaguars back. From 49 yards out, Hauschka missed again. In the third quarter the Texans moved from their 25 to a 2nd and 14 at Jags 15. A run went nowhere and on 3rd and 4 Watson threw incomplete. Fairbairn hit from 33 to make it 13-7 Texans. The Texans got it back but Watson was intercepted to set up the Jaguars at the Houston 27. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 9, Minshew completed a pass for one yard. Doug Marrone decided to go for it. On 4th and 1 from the 8, the direct snap to Robinson led to him being sacked and fumbling. JJ Watt recovered for the Texans at their own 20. Houston settled down and David Johnson got around the end for 12. Watson ran for 14. Watson hit Cooks for 22, Cobb for 5 and Cooks for 9 as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with Watson hitting Johnson for 11 and Fuller for the 19 yard touchdown to make it 20-7 Texans.

After a touchback Minshew hit DJ Chark for 11 and O’Shaughnessy for 8. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Minshew gained 2. Minshew then went deep to Conley for a 51 yard gain. On 1st and goal at the 4, Minshew threw 3 straight incompletions. With 10 1/2 minutes left on 4th and goal at the 4, Minshew hit Johnson for the touchdown to get the Jaguars within 20-14. After a touchback, Watson hit Cooks deep for a 36 yard gain. That was enough for Fairbairn to hit from 46 to make it 23-14 Texans midway through the fourth quarter. The Jaguars after a touchback faced 3rd and 15 from their own 42. Minshew was sacked and fumbled. The Texans took over at the Jags 34. On 4th and 4 from the 28, Romeo Crennel in his very first game as coach passed up a field goal and decided to go for it. A short pass from Watson to Cooks got the first down and the touchdown to lock up the win. The Texans got their first win of the season as the hot seat on Doug Marrone got hotter. 30-14 Texans

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens — on the 2nd play of the game, Duvernay ran for a 42 yard gain. That was enough for a 46 yard Justin Tucker field goal to make it 3-0 Ravens. Baltimore got it back and faced 3rd and 5 at their own 43. Lamar Jackson hit Brown for 16 and Duvernay for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 32, Edwards got the yard. On 3rd and 7 from the Cincy 28, Jackson hit Andrews for 9. On 3rd and 14 from the Cincy 23, Jackson hit Andrews for just enough. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Jackson fired over the middle to Andrews for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Ravens. An interception of Joe Burrow had the Ravens at the Cincy 31. Unnecessary roughness moved the ball to the Cincy 16. Jackson hit Andrews for 14 and on the first play of the second quarter hit Brown for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Ravens. The second half was pointless. Tucker hit a 39 yard field goal late in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter a short Bengals completion was fumbled and returned by Queen for a 53 yard touchdown to make it 27-0 Ravens. With 30 seconds left in the game, Zac Parsons called for a field goal to avoid the shutout. Randy Bullock delivered. These are not the same old Bengals, but the Ravens are as good as ever. 27-3 Ravens

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons took over at their own 8 yard line. On 3rd and 4 from their 14, Matt Ryan hit Zacceaus for 13. Todd Gurley ran for 11 and 8. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, Hill ran for 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Carolina 35, Gurley ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons and cap the 10 play, 92 yard drive. The Panthers took over at their own 16 and embarked on a 14 play, 64 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. Yet on 2nd and 3 from the Atlanta 20, a run went nowhere and Teddy Bridgewater threw incomplete on 2rd and 3. Joey Slye hit the 38 yard field goal to get the Panthers on the board. The Panthers got it back and moved from their own 21 to a 2nd and 7 at the Atlanta 24. Yet Bridgewater completed a pass for one yard and on 3rd and 6 ran for only 2 yards. Slye hit the 39 yard field goal as the Panthers trailed 7-6 in the second quarter.

The Panthers got it back at their own 12 and moved easily. Bridgewater hit Cooper for 12. Davis ran for 13 and 6. On 3rd and 4 from their own 43, Bridgewater connected with Moore for a 57 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 11 and unnecessary roughness gave them 15 yards. Bridgewater hit Robbie Anderson for 8, Moore for 12, Davis for 23 and Anderson for 22. With 23 seconds left in the half, Bridgewater went to Davis for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 20-7 Panthers.   

The second half was a defensive slog. The Falcons in the third quarter moved from their 21 to a 2nd and 9 at the Carolina 28. Matt Ryan threw incomplete twice. Younghoe Koo hit from 46 to get the Falcons within 20-10. The Falcons got it back at their own 20 and mounted a 15 play, 67 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Yet on 2nd and 8 from the 13, Matty Ice again went ice cold with 2 incompletions. Koo hit from 31 to start the fourth quarter to get the Falcons within 20-13. The Falcons got it back at their own 24 and mounted a 10 play, 71 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 5, Ryan went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback with 9 minutes left. Carolina mounted a statement drive of 14 plays, 76 yards and 7 1/2 minutes. Slye’s 22 yard field goal with 1:10 to play made it 23-13 Panthers. Needing 2 scores after a touchback, Koo hit a 54 yard field goal with 4 seconds remaining. The onside kick failed and the Falcons remained winless. Dan Quinn is still employed. Rookie Matt Rhule has seen his team win 3 straight after an 0-2 start. 23-16 Panthers

Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers are not the same team from last year, but with Jimmy Garoppolo back from injury they were expected to roll over the witless Dolphins. Cue under-announcer Chris Berman: “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES.” 90 seconds into the game, the Dolphins took over at their own 21. On their first play from scrimmage, Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard went deep to Williams for a 47 yard gain. On 3rd and 11 from the San Francisco 33, Fitzpatrick hit Ford for 15. On the next play a horsecollar tackle meant 1st and goal at the 9. Fitzpatrick hit Shaheen for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The 49ers after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Miami 44. Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it and McKinnon got stopped cold. Fitzpatrick went deep to Parker for 28 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the San Francisco 21, Fitzpatrick hit grant for 6 with roughing the passer adding 8 more. Gaskin ran for 6 and then for the one yard touchdown. The Dolphins had the surprising 14-0 lead.

In the second quarter with a short field just past midfield, Raheem Mostert ran for 37 and then 5 more. Kyle Juszczyk ran for the 7 yard touchdown to get the 49ers within 14-7. From their own 22, the Dolphins kept rolling. Fitzpatrick ran for 17 and hit Gesicki for 12 and Williams for 19. Defensive pass interference meant a 22 yard gain down to the 3 yard line. On 2nd and goal at the one, Gaskin got stopped, but a rare clipping penalty on the offensive followed by a sack meant 3rd and goal at the 22. Fitzpatrick calmly went to Parker for the touchdown as the Dolphins got to 21-7 the hard way. The Dolphins got it back and faced 2nd and 11 at their own 20. Fitzpatrick went deep to Gesicki for a 70 yard gain. On 2nd and goal at the 6, Fitzpatrick was sacked and then threw incomplete. Sanders hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Dolphins at the 2 minute warning. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Garoppolo was intercepted by McCain, who returned it 19 yards to the Miami 37. Sanders hit another field goal from 50 to make it 27-7 Dolphins with 38 seconds left in the half. With 14 seconds left in the half it was deja vu all over again. On 3rd and 10 from his own 25, Garoppolo was intercepted by Xavier Howard, who returned it 29 yards to the Frisco 19. Sanders hit a 29 yard field goal to end the half. 3 field goals in the final 2 minutes and the Dolphins winning a shocker 30-7.

The second half was pointless. Kyle Shanahan benched Garoppolo and brought in CJ Beathard. boatyard did throw a 19 yard touchdown pass to Kendrick Bourne, but Fitzpatrick responded with a 32 yard touchdown pass to Williams to make it 37-14 Dolphins. Robbie Gould hit a field goal for the 49ers, but Sanders responded with fourth quarter field goals of 31 and 49 to make it 43-17 Dolphins. The stunning blowout win was the second in a row for the Dolphins as both teams are 2-3 on the year. 43-17 Dolphins

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys have been putting up tons of yards and losing games. However, a win over the winless and talentless Giants would be a start to righting the ship. The Cowboys began facing 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Dak Prescott hit Cee Dee Lamb for 18 with unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 4, Prescott lost two and then threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit from 24 to make it 3-0 Cowboys. After a touchback, Freeman gained 9 and Jones hit Slayton for 12. On 1st and 20 from their own 36 following an offensive penalty, Jones threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 yards and new downs. Jones hit Slayton for 17 and Freeman for 18. Evan Engram ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Giants. After a touchback the Cowboys faced 2nd and 8 from their own 40. Prescott was intercepted by Fackrell, who returned it 46 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 14-3 Giants lead. The Giants got it back and faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Penny gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from their own 45, Freeman gained just enough. 90 seconds into the second quarter, Graham Gano belted a 55 yard field goal. The Giants were winning a shocker up 17-3.

The Cowboys after a touchback finally woke up and started playing football. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 9 and 5. On 3rd and 1 from their own 48, the Giants jumped offside. Elliott ran for 8 and Prescott hit Wilson for 10 and Michael Gallup for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 6, Prescott hit William for 5. Elliott got the last yard to cap the 14 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive and get the Cowboys within 17-10. After a touchback the Giants faced 1st and 10 at their own 37. Daniel Jones was sacked and fumbled. Brown returned it 29 yards as each team now had a defensive touchdown. Carlson has fumbled 22 times in 18 career starts, leading to the 17-17 tie.

With 5 minutes left in the half, the Giants took over after a touchback. On 3rd and 7 from their own 28, Jones hit Golden Tate for 21and Slayton for 16 more. With one minute left in the half, the Giants faced 4th and 4 at the Dallas 27. Rookie coach Joe Judge fired up his team with a fake field goal. Dixon went deep to Engram for a 27 yard touchdown, Sadly, an illegal shift nullified the score. The Giants settled for a 50 yard Gano field goal to lead 20-17 with only 50 seconds left in the half. That was enough time for the Giants to melt down. After a touchback, Prescott went to Lamb for 26 and 6 more. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 43, Prescott went to Lamb for 21 with unnecessary roughness adding 11 more. With 23 seconds left, Mike McCarthy went to the bag of tricks. Prescott lateraled to Elliott, who lateraled to Wilson. Wilson found a wide open Prescott in the end zone for the 11 yard touchdown as the Cowboys took the 24-20 lead to the locker rooms. After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Giants went on a 10 play, 5 1/2 minute drive. The Giants had to punt on 4th and 16 at the Dallas 41. The punt was uneventful, going for a touchback. Yet the Cowboys were penalized for having 12 men on the field. This moved the Giants close enough for a 54 yard field goal try. Gano delivered and the Giants were within 24-23.

The Cowboys moved from their own 21 to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 27. Prescott took off running and gained 9 yards. Yet at the end of the play his leg got caught awkwardly. Everybody in Dallas from Jerry Jones on down feared the worst. Prescott was down for several minutes and taken to the locker room on a cart as he cried his eyes out. The only question was whether Prescott would be out for a few weeks or the entire season. Red Rifle Andy Dalton is the backup, and on 2nd and 1 from the Giants 18, he was immediately sacked. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the 23, Dalton hit Lamb for 11 and Elliott for the 12 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 79 yard drive had the Cowboys up 31-23 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Giants got it back and a sack of Jones had the third quarter ending with the Giants facing 2nd and 16 from their own 18. Jones went to Slayton for 10. On the first play of the fourth quarter, on 3rd and 6 from his own 28, Jones went deep to Slayton for 39 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 10, Jones threw incomplete. With over 11 minutes left in regulation, Gano hit the 28 yard field goal to get the Giants within 31-26. The Cowboys took over at their own 19 and disaster struck immediately. Dalton fumbled the snap and the Giants recovered at the Dallas 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 13, Jones hit Slayton for 9. On 2nd and goal at the 4, Freeman got the carry and drove the pile into the end zone. On the 2 point conversion try, Jones found a wide open Thomas in the flat. The try was good as the Giants led 34-31 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Jerry Jones was debating whether to blow up his Jerryworld stadium for the insurance money.

After a touchback and a defensive facemask, the Cowboys were at their own 40. The Cowboys moved to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 23 with 4 minutes left. An end around to Amari Cooper lost 2 yards and Dalton was then sacked. On 3rd and 19, Dalton hit Lamb for only 10. At the 2 minute warning, Zuerlein hit the 40 yard field goal cap the 12 play, 53 yard, 7 minute drive to tie the game 34-34. The Cowboys got it back at their own 12 with 52 seconds to play. Dalton hit Cooper for 19 and Michael Gallup for 19 more. Dalton then went deep to Gallup for a 38 yard gain. Although Gallup could have been ruled out of bounds on both plays, he got the benefit of the doubt twice. The Giants can complain all they want about officiating, but their defense had a meltdown. With 3 seconds left, Zuerlein came in for a 34 yard try. The kick barely stayed inside the upright good. The Cowboys at 2-3 are in first place in the horrendous NFC Least. They are a couple of dumb luck plays away from being 0-5. Meanwhile, the Giants are the 0-5 team. Meanwhile, football fans everywhere awaited the news about Prescott. 37-34 Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns — A pair of 3-1 teams wanted to show that they were for real. The Browns moved at the start from their 25 to a 2nd and goal at the 6. Baker Mayfield threw incomplete twice. Cody Parker hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. From their own 28, Philip Rivers hit TY Hilton for 7 and Taylor for 13. On 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 48, Rivers went deep to Johnson for 36. On 3rd and 13 from the Cleveland 15, Rivers went to Hilton for 11. On 4th and 2 from the Cleveland 4, Frank Reich decided to go for it. Taylor got around the end and got in for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Colts. The Browns took over at their own 19. Mayfield hit Karim Hunt for 6 and Jarvis Landry for 18. On 3rd and 10 from their own 43, Mayfield hit Austin Hooper for 11 and Landry for 30 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Indy 6, Mayfield only gained a yard. Kevin Stefanski decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the 5. On the last play of the opening quarter, Mayfield hit O’Dell Beckham for 3. On 3rd and goal at the 2 to start the second quarter, Mayfield hit Hunt for the touchdown. The 14 play, 81 yard, 7 minute drive had the Browns up 10-7. After a touchback and defensive holding, Rivers hit Zach Pascal for 14 and Dulin for 34 more. Yet on 3rd and 3 at the Cleveland 14, Rivers threw incomplete. Blankenship hit the 32 yard field goal for a 10-10 deadlock.

The Browns soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Hunt gained 3. Mayfield went deep to Beckham for 26. On 3rd and 4 from the indy 31, Mayfield ran for 16 yards. Mayfield hit Higgins for a 15 yard touchdown as the Browns led 17-10 with 6 minutes left in the half. The Browns got it back at their own 18 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Indy 26 with 30 seconds left in the half. Mayfield threw incomplete twice and on 3rd and 10 found Landry for only 8 yards. Parkey hit the 36 yard field goal to have the Browns up 20-10 at the midpoint. The Colts in the third quarter moving from their 26 to a 3rd and 4 at their own 47. Rivers threw a sideline pass that was intercepted by Harrison and returned 47 yards for a score. The defensive touchdown had the Browns up 27-10.

15 seconds later the Colts were back in the game. Isaiah Rogers took the kickoff one yard deep in the end zone, got to the right sideline, evaded tacklers and weaved his way all the way back to the left sideline for a 101 yard kickoff return touchdown. Just like that the Colts were within 27-17. An interception of Mayfield gave the Colts a short field at the Cleveland 48. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 43, Taylor gained 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 25, Taylor ran for 2. On 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 19, Rivers threw incomplete. Blankenship hit the 37 yard field goal to get the Colts within 27-20 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Colts began the fourth quarter by getting the ball back at their own 4 yard line. Rivers went back to pass and threw the ball out of bounds with no receiver anywhere in sight. Rivers yelled at the official that the receiver ran the wrong route, but the call was intentional grounding and a safety to make it 29-20 Browns. With a chance after the free kick to put the game away, Mayfield was intercepted. The Colts moved from their 30 to a 1st and 10 at the Cleveland 11. Rivers threw incomplete twice. on 3rd and 10 Rivers bobbled the snap out of the shotgun and was able to only complete a 4 yard pass. Needing 2 scores, Frank Reich opted for the field goal. Blankenship hit from 25 to get the Colts within 29-23 with 2:50 to play. The Colts still had all 3 timeouts plus the 2 minute warning.

The Browns took over at their own 32. The Colts took 2 timeouts on defense. On 3rd and 9 from their own 43 with the Colts defense smelling pass, Johnson out of the shotgun took a handoff and broke free for a 28 yard gain. He made sure to stay inbounds as the clock ticked down to the 2 minute warning. The Browns ran the ball and took the clock down. With 25 seconds left, Parkey came in for a 46 yard field goal try to put the game on ice. Since these are the Browns, a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown would lose them the game. These are not the same Browns, but nothing comes easy for them. Parkey set a record for doinks off uprights in one game, including a double doink miss in a playoff game in Chicago. This time he doinked it off the upright but got the lucky bounce his way. The kick was good and the Browns became a 4-1 football team for the first time since the 1994 season. 32-23 Browns

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks was the Sunday night game. Russell Wilson has been torching defenses. The Vikings have no defense. Seattle is undefeated. Minnesota was winless until barely surviving another winless team. This should have been a blowout. Again, cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman: “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” The Vikings began at their own 23. Kirk Cousins went to Smith for 23 yards. On 3rd and 11 from their own 45, Cousins hit Beebe for just enough. On 4th and 2 from the Minnesota 36, Mike Zimmer decided to go for it rather than try a 54 yard field goal in the rain. Cousins hit Jefferson for 5 and Johnson for 13. Dalvin Cook ran for 10 and then for the 8 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 77 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Vikings up 7-0. The Vikings got it back at their own 2 yard line and embarked on a staggering 17 play, 64 yard drive that consumed nearly 10 1/2 minutes off the clock. Zimmer gambled again on 4th and 1 from midfield. Cook gained 3. On 1st and 10 from the Seattle 36, offensive holding effectively ended the drive. Dan Bailey nailed a 52 yard field goal in the second quarter. With 1:47 left in the half, the Vikings took over at their own 15. They moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Seattle 28 with 24 seconds left. Cousins threw incomplete twice but Bailey hit a 46 yard field goal. The non-existent Minnesota defense did the rest as the Vikings led 13-0 at the half.

The third quarter was a totally different story. Seattle took over at their own 42. Wilson went to Chris Carson for 13, Greg Olsen for 20 and Dissly for a 19 yard touchdown to get the Seahawks within 13-7. After a touchback, the Vikings faced 3rd and 17 at their own 18. Cousins got hit as he threw and the officials ruled an incomplete pass. Pete Carroll successfully challenged the call and it was reversed to a fumble. The Seahawks took over at the Minnesota 15. Two plays later Wilson hit DK Metcalf for a 13 yard touchdown to give the Seahawks the 14-13 lead. One play after a touchback, Cousins went back to pass and KJ Wright made a leaping one-handed interception. The Seahawks took over at the Minnesota 29. One play was enough for Calrson to barrel over tacklers up the middle for the touchdown. 3 touchdowns in a 2 minute span including 2 touchdowns in 10 seconds had the Seahawks up 21-13.

The Vikings got it back and offensive holding immediately had them facing 1st and 17 at their own 16. on 2nd and 14, Cousins went deep to Smith for 25 with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. Cousins went to Adam Thielen for 9 and again for 10. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle  17, Cousins hit Thielen for 14 and again for the 3 yard touchdown. Mike Zimmer went for 2 and Cousins kept it himself and got rocked trying to run up the middle. The 11 play, 77 yard drive had the Vikings within 21-19 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Seahawks moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 7 at the Minnesota 40. Wilson went bombs away to Moore, who had it in his hands but lost it when he hit the ground. With 30 seconds left in the third quarter, that was Wilson’s first incompletion of the entire game after 15 completions. On 3rd and 7 Wilson got hit right after throwing another bomb, and this one was overthrown incomplete as well. A great punt pinned the Vikings back on their own 3 yard line as the third quarter ended. On 3rd and 5 from their 8, Cousins hit Thielen for 12. Mattison ran for 20 and Boone added 7. Cousins hit Jefferson for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 35, the Seahawks jumped into the neutral zone. Mattison ran for 12 and Cousins hit Smith for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 9, Cousins gained 2 up the middle. Cousins hit Thielen for the 6 yard touchdown. The 15 play, 97 yard, 8 minute drive had the Vikings up 26-21 midway through the fourth quarter.

After a touchback, the Seahawks soon faced 2nd and 9 at their own 38. Wilson went deep and was intercepted by his non-relative Eric Wilson. With 5:45 to play the Vikings took over at midfield. Mattison ran for gains of 25, 6, 4 and 4 more. Boone ran for 5 and 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 9, Thielen took an end around and was headed for the marker when he got rocked short. At the 2 minute warning, it was 4th and 1 at the 6. A field goal would make it an 8 point game, but Mike Zimmer went for the win. Mattison got the carry and got stopped cold. The Seahawks had 1:57 and one timeout to go 94 yards.

Wilson scrambled up the middle for 17 but then threw 3 straight incompletions. With 80 seconds to play on 4th and 10 from his own 23, Wilson threw a duck that was under thrown but somehow caught by Metcalf for a 39 yard gain. Wilson then scrambled in a circle and found Lockett for a 17 yard gain with one minute left. Wilson went to Metcalf for 15 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 6. Without even needing to spike the ball, Wilson threw incomplete with 30 seconds left. Wilson went to Metcalf in the end zone. Metcalf appeared to have both feet down in the end zone before the ball was punched out. One official called it a touchdown and another official overruled the call and called it incomplete. On 3rd and goal Wilson threw incomplete. 20 seconds remained as the Seahawks took their final timeout.  On 4th and goal from the 6, Wilson fired over the middle to Metcalf, who had a defender draped all over him. A perfect throw and perfect defense somehow resulted in a perfect catch by Metcalf. With 15 seconds left, the Seahawks pulled out a miracle. The 2 point try failed.

after a touchback, the Vikings needed a miracle of their own. Cousins hit Kyle Rudolph for 10 as 10 seconds remained. Cousins then got hit as he threw. At first officials called it a fumble and an end to the game, but it looked like Cousins’s arm was going forward. What looked like an incomplete pass with 2 seconds remaining would never result in a Hail Mary. Officials upheld the fumble call and an end to the game. At 5-0 the Seahawks will take the win. At 1-4, Mike Zimmer will be second-guessed for a long time over his decision to go for it. Most of the people questioning him have never coached a winning NFL football game. 27-26 Seahawks

Los Angeles Chargers at New Orleans Saints was the Monday night game. Drew Brees took on the team that gave up on him 15 years ago. As he continues to win, the Chargers continue to find ways to lose. Although Saints receiver Michael Thomas was back from injury, the team suspended him from the game for punching a teammate during Saturday practice. The Chargers took over at their own 20. From their 31, Justin Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 12 and Jackson ran for a 36 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Saints 17, Herbert hit Allen for the touchdown to make it 6-0 Chargers. The extra point was no good. Late in the first quarter the Chargers had to punt on 4th and 21 from their own 6. The Saints took over at the Chargers 48. That was enough for Wil Lutz to hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Saints on the board. The Chargers in the second quarter had to punt on 4th and 14 from their own 21. Yet roughing the kicker kept the drive going. From the Chargers 47, Herbert went deep to Guyton for a 49 yard gain. On the next play Herbert hit Mike Williams for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 13-3 Chargers. With 6 minutes left in the half the Saints faced 3rd and 4 from their own 33. Brees was intercepted by Addely, who returned it 39 yards down to the Saints one yard line. On 3rd and goal from the 3, it was the 4H Club asHerbert hit Hunter Henry. The touchdown had the Chargers rolling up 20-3 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half.

The Chargers had to punt on 4th and 12 from their own 16 and the Saints got it back at the 2 minute warning just shy of midfield. Brees hit Alvin Kamara for 14 and Emanuel Sanders for 6 and 11. On 3rd and goal at the one, Brees snuck it in himself. With 14 seconds left in the half, the Saints were within 20-10. Midway through the third quarter the Saints moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 41. Brees threw incomplete and a run went nowhere. On 3rd and 10, a completion gained only 6 yards. Lutz drilled a 53 yard field goal to get the Saints within 20-13. The Saints got it back at their own 11. Latavius Murray gained 7 and Kamara added 4. Brees hit Sanders for 15 and 9. On 3rd and 14 from the Chargers 41, Brees went to Jared Cook for the touchdown. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the game was tied 20-20.

With 5 1/2 minutes left the Chargers took over at their own 22 and struck quickly. Herbert went to green for 14. On 3rd and 10 from their own 36, Herbert went to Williams for a 64 yard touchdown. With 3 1/2 to play, the Chargers again led 27-20. The Saints took over at their own 27. Brees hit Sanders and Kamara for a pair of 9 yard gains. Kamara ran for 10 more. Brees then went deep to Kamara for a 28 year gain. With 52 seconds to play, the Saints faced 3rd and 4 at the Chargers 9 yard line. Sean Payton has balls of steel, and with everything on the line he took Brees out for one play and brought in Taysom Hill. Hill ran for the 9 yard touchdown and the game was tied 27-27.

The Chargers took over at their own 20. With 15 seconds left, the Chargers faced 3rd and 1 from their own 39. Herbert went deep ti Williams for a 29 yard gain as the Chargers took their last timeout with 8 seconds left. After an incompletion, Badgley came in for a 50 yard field goal try to give the Chargers the win. The kick was no good and the game went to overtime. The Saints began overtime at their own 34. Brees hit Callaway and Cook for 11 each, Sanders for 5 and Murray for 13. On 3rd and 6 from the Chargers 18, Brees threw incomplete. Lutz hit the 36 yard field goal to give the Chargers the lead halfway through overtime. The Chargers would have a chance to tie the game. After a touchback, they soon faced 2nd and 6 at their own 44. Herbert threw incomplete twice. On 4th and 6, Herbert’c completion to Williams only gained 5 yards. One yard short, as the Chargers fell to 1-4 and continued their tradition of finding ways to lose games. Brees is still the pinball wizard. 30-27 Saints, OT

Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans was the Tuesday night game, delayed from Sunday due to COVID. Two undefeated teams came together under unusual circumstances. The Titans had their game last week postponed for several weeks when over 20 members of their organization tested positive for COVID. The theory was that this would have them totally out of rhythm. That theory was obliterated. On the 3rd play of the game the Bills faced 3rd and 4 at their own 26. Josh Allen was intercepted by Malcolm Butler, who returned the pick 29 yards to the Buffalo 16. Tannehill went to AJ Brown for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 33. TJ Yeldon gained 3 and Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 19. On 3rd and 13 from the Titans 48, Allen went to Davis for 15. On 3rd and 7 from the Titans 30, Allen gained just enough. On 3rd and 15 from the Titans 28 after a Buffalo touchdown was nullified, Allen went to Roberts for 16, Davis for 9, and 3 yards to Isaiah McKenzie for the touchdown to make it 7-7.

Late in the first quarter the Bills punted on 4th and 6 from their own 13. Raymond returned the punt 40 yards to set up Tennessee at the Buffalo 30. On 3rd and 20 from the Buffalo 40, Tannehill went to Raymond for just enough as the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with Tannehill hitting Brown for 16 down to the 2. Derrick Henry ran for one and then for the one yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Titans. After a touchback the Bills moved to a 33rd and 3 at the Titans 25. Allen threw incomplete. Tyler Bass hit the 43 yard field goal. The Bills only trailed 14-10, but after that the roof caved in.

With 3 minutes left in the half the Titans took over at their own 10. Henry ran for 12. Tannehill ran for 6 and then hit Smith for 9, Brown for 12, and Raymond for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 35, Tannehill threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 7 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 22, Tannehill went to Firkser for 12. With 16 seconds left in the half, Tannehill ran for the 10 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 90 yard drive made it 21-10 Titans at the half. In the third quarter the Bills took over at their own 3 yard line and embarked on a 14 play, 64 yard, 7 minute drive. Yet on 2nd and 4 from the Titans 33, Allen was intercepted again by Butler. Butler returned the interception 68 yards to the Buffalo 12. On 3rd and 6 from the 8, Tannehill threw incomplete, but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 4. On the next play Tannehill hit Jonnu Smith for the touchdown. Instead of a 21-17 game, the Titans led 28-10 after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter the Bills moved 90 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. From their own 10 yard line to start, this time they finished the drive. Allen hit Yeldon for a 22 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but with 10 minutes left in regulation the Bills were within 28-16. They would get no closer. The Titans after a touchback put the game away with an 11 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive. On 3rd and 4 from their 31, Tannehill hit Hollister for 12 and then ran for 23 himself. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 29, the Bills jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 2, McNichols gained 7. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 9, Henry got the first down and the touchdown. With 4 minutes left the Titans were cruising 35-16. The Bills then fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Titans recovered at the Buffalo 18. Tannehill hit Smith for a 7 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. The Titans remained unbeaten. The COVID experience caused the team to rally together rather than fall apart. 42-16 Titans

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots was postponed until next Sunday due to COVID.

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/get-pink-to-beat-breast-cancer-nfl-wk-5-preview-and-bettors-guide-133021/

NFL 2020 Week 4 Recap

Denver Broncos at New York Jets was the Thursday night game. Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and play a great game for the ages. This was not that game, but it was a pretty good football game. Sam Darnold looked like a Hall of Famer on the first Jets drive. On 3rd and 1 from his own 34, Darnold gained 3. On 3rd and 4 from his own 43, Darnold gained 8. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 46, Darnold did make an NFL highlight reel. He somehow avoided a sack, scrambled up the middle, and briefly looked like he would slide for the first down. At the last moment he stopped his slide, kept running, and went all the way up the middle to the end zone for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Jets.

With Drew Lock out, Vic Fangio opted to start 3rd stringer Brett Rypien, son of Super Bowl winner Mark Rypien, over backup Jeff Driskel. The Broncos took over at their own 8 yard line and moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Jets 15. Then came a false start and a pass that lost a couple yards. 10 plays, 70 yards and over 6 1/2 minutes led to a 40 yard Brandon McManus field goal as the Broncos were within 7-3. The Broncos got it back and soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Rypien threw incomplete, but roughing the passer kept the drive going. Rypien then went deep and an under thrown ball should have been intercepted. Instead the defender bobbled it, and rookie Jerry Jeudy ripped it out of his hands for a gift touchdown. Dumb luck had the Broncos up 10-7 early in the second quarter.

An interception of Rypien by Pierre Desir had the Jets taking over at their own 37. On 4th and 7 from the Denver 28, a 46 yard field goal try by Sam Ficken was no good. Yet unnecessary roughness on the defense meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 4 at the Denver 8, Darnold threw incomplete. This time Ficken was good from 26 for a 10-10 game. The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Rypien went deep to Patrick for a 40 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 28, Rypien hit Hamilton for 9. Driskel came in for one play and ran for 9 yards, with 5 more tacked on for another defensive unnecessary roughness. From the one, Melvin Gordon initially appeared stop, but reached the ball just over the plane of the goal for the score to make it 17-10 Broncos.

After a touchback, only 1:37 remained in the half. Yet Darnold hit Jermaine Crowder for 27 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Denver 44, Darnold hit Crowder again for 10. With 33 seconds left the Jets had 1st and 10 at the Denver 20. Darnold threw 3 straight incompletions. Ficken connected from 38 as the Jets trailed 17-13 at the half. Early in the third quarter the Jets took over at their own 40. Defensive pass interference meant a 38 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the Denver 14, Darnold threw incomplete. Ficken hit from 32 to get the Jets within 17-16.

The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Rypien hit Freeman for 8 yards. Gordon ran for 19. Rypien hit Nick Fant for 6 and Jeudy for 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Jets 20, Rypien hit Fant for 9. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 7, Rypien hit Patrick for the touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes in the third quarter, the 13 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Broncos leading 24-16. A 41 yard punt return had the Broncos getting it back at the Jets 44. The defense held but McManus drilled a 54 yard field goal to start the fourth quarter and put the Broncos up 27-16.

After a touchback, Darnold went deep to Crowder for a 35 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the Denver 23, Darnold went back to pass and tripped over himself without anyone else around him. The 13 yard loss ended the drive but Ficken bailed the Jets out again. His 4th field goal from 54 yards out had the Jets within 27-19 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Denver soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Rypien was again intercepted by Desir, and again Desir made him pay. The 35 yard interception return got the Jets within 2 points. The 2 point conversion was no good but the Jets were only down 27-25 with plenty of time left. After another touchback, Denver soon faced 2nd and 8 at their own 39. Rypien went to the sideline and was intercepted for the third time. This time Brian Poole picked him off as the Jets took over at the Denver 44. Darnold hit Hogan for 5 and Smith for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Denver 23, Darnold hit Crowder for the first down. Yet Vic Fangio challenged the spot, and it was reversed to 4th and 1. Adam Gase decided not to go for it. Ficken hit his 5th field goal from 36 yards out. With 6 1/2 minutes left, it was now 28-27 Jets.

The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29 with 5 minutes left. Rypien got belted for a 10 yard loss. Yet a defensive facemask penalty made it all for naught and kept the Broncos offense on the field. On 2nd and 7 from the Denver 47, Rypien had a wide open receiver deep and threw the bomb. It was overthrown incomplete. On 3rd and 7 Rypien went deep again to the sideline and this time connected with Tim Patrick for a 31 yard gain. With 4 minutes left the Broncos were now in short field goal range. A dropped pass had the Broncos facing 3rd and 13 at the Jets 25. Under heavy pressure, Rypien was called for intentional grounding. On 4th and 23 with 3:13 left, McManus game in for a 53 yard field goal try. The kick was good and the Broncos led 30-28.

On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Darnold hit Crowder for 10. On 3rd and 3 from midfield, Darnold was nearly intercepted. 2:05 remained. On 4th and 3, Darnold was sacked and the Broncos took over on downs at the 2 minute warning. The Jets still had all 3 timeouts. 12 seconds later, the Broncos delivered the dagger. Gordon went up the middle and was totally stopped for what appeared to be a loss. Somehow he bounced to the outside and with a key block from Rypien, got to the end zone for a 43 yard touchdown. At this point even Adam Gase had to wonder how on earth he was still employed. The Jets are winless, witless and worthless. J-E-T-S stands for Just End The Season. 37-28 Broncos

Pittsburgh Steelers at Tennessee Titans — Postponed due to COVID.

Seattle Seahawks at Miami Dolphins — Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard threw a ball that was batted in the air and intercepted. On 2nd and 5 from their own 48, Russell Wilson went deep to DK Metcalf for a 37 yard gain. Chris Carson ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks lead. The Dolp[hins moved the ball surprisingly well against the Seattle defense but kept settling for field goals. Sanders hit from 41 to get the Dolphins on the board but Myers leveled a 55 yarder to make it 10-3 Seahawks. In the second quarter Sanders hit from 29 and 45 to get the Dolphins within 10-9.

After a touchback, only 24 seconds remained in the half. That was enough time for Wilson, who hit Greg Olsen for 11 and Moore deep for a 57 yard gain. With 6 seconds left, the Seahawks were 3 yards away and still had a timeout. Wilson hit Homer for the touchdown as the Seahawks took a 17-9 lead to the locker rooms. An interception of Wilson in the third quarter led to Sanders hitting his fourth field goal from 43. The Dolphins got it back and moved 73 yards on a staggering 17 plays, taking 8 minutes off the clock. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 9, a run lost 2 yards. For the 5th time on the day, Miami settled for a field goal. Sanders hit from 29 but the dolphins were down 17-15 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, Wilson went to Tyler Lockett for 9 and again for 30 more. Wilson found Dallas for 9 and Moore for a 17 yard touchdown. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Seahawks led 24-15. Fitzpatrick wa then intercepted, setting the Seahawks up at the Miami 33. Wilson went to DK Metcalf for 32 yards. Chris Carson got the last yard. With 4 minutes left the Seahawks led 31-15. Fitzpatrick led a furious rally. Fitzpatrick hit Ford for 11, Parker for 10, and Grand and Parker for a pair of 18 yard gains. Fitzpatrick hit Gaskin for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 10, Fitzpatrick ran it in himself. Fitzpatrick went to Williams for the 2 point conversion as he Dolphin were within 8 with 1:50 to play. The onside kick failed and the Seahawks faced 3rd and 3 at midfield with 1:42 to play. Carson gained just enough and Wilson took 3 knees to end it. The Seahawks are 4-0 as Wilson was 24 of 34 for 260 yards and 2 touchdowns with one interception. Fitzpatrick was 29 of 45 for 315 yards but 0 touchdowns and 2 killer interceptions. 31-23 Seahawks

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals — Gardner Minshew’s mustache had a ball batted up in the air and picked off. The Bengals did not capitalize. The Jaguars had a field goal attempt from Aldrick Rosas. It was no good, as they did not capitalize. Randy Bullock would hit a 35 yard field goal to put the Bengals up 3-0. A touchback and defensive pass interference meant `17 yards and the Jaguars at their own 42. On 2nd and 11, a completion gained on 7 but a defensive facemask added 15 more. Minshew hit DJ Chark for 14 and defensive unnecessary roughness added 12 more. Minshew went back to Chark for the 11 yard touchdown as the Jaguars led 7-3 after the first quarter.

The Bengals began the second quarter at their own 11. The Bengals moved 88 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. On 2nd and goal from the one, Joe Mixon got stopped. On 3rd and goal, Burrow went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The Jaguars moved 66 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. The Jaguars settled for a 32 yard Rosas field goal to lead 10-3. After a touchback, Burrow went to Sample for 23. Mixon gained 5 and Tee Higgins added 13 more. Burrow hit Bod for 14 and Sample for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Jags 11, Nixon gained 2. Burrow threw a 9 yard touchdown pass to Mixon for a 10-10 game with one minute left in the half. After a touchback, Minshew ran for 7 and hit Shenault for 22 more. Minshew hit Cole for 7 and Shenault for 28 more. With 6 seconds left in the half the Jaguars had 3rd and 1 at the Cincy 2 but minshew had to spike the ball to stop the clock. On 4th and 1 from the 2, Doug Marrone decided not to gamble. Rosas hit the 20 yard field goal as the Jaguars led 13-10 at the intermission.

The Bengals took over in the third quarter. On 2nd and 6 from their own 29, Burrow hit Mixon for 14. Giovanni Bernard ran for 11. Burrow hit Boyd for 12. Mixon raced for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 39. Burrow hit Boyd for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Jags 23, Mixon ran all the way for the touchdown again as the Bengals led 24-13. The Bengals got it back at their own 41 and Burrow hit Carter for 24. Bullock hit a 40 yard field goal as the Bengals led 27-13 after three quarters.

The Jaguars moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 7 at the Cincy 25 to start the fourth quarter. Minshew was sacked and the Jaguars settled for a 50 yard field goal to get within 27-16. The Bengals took 5 minutes off the clock and Bullock hit a 46 yard field goal. The Bengals led 30-16 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Jaguars soon faced 4th and 3 at their own 32. Minshew hit Chark for 22 and Conley for 33. Minshew hit Chark for the 2 yard touchdown and Robinson for the 2 point conversion. with 6:14 left, the Jaguars were within 30-22.

The Bengals kept grinding down the clock. A 10 play, 66 yard drive led to 3rd and 5 at the Jags 11. Mixon lost a yard but the Jaguars took their final timeout with 1:50 left. Bullock hit the 30 yard field goal to make it 33-22 Bengals. In desperation mode after a touchback, the Jaguars moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cincy 12 with 16 seconds remaining. After an incompletion and needing 2 scores, Rosas hit the 30 yard field goal to make it an 8 point game again. The onside kick failed and Burrow had his first NFL victory. 33-25 Bengals

Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans — A pair of winless teams started with punts. The Vikings took over at their own 44. Kirk Cousins went deep to Jefferson for a 29 yard gain and to Calvin Cook for 11 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 7, Cook gained 2 and then ran for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings. Late in the first quarter the Texans fumbled a punt and the Vikings recovered at the Houston 35. Early in the second quarter Dan Bailey hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Vikings. The Texans after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Minnesota 32. Deshaun Watson threw incomplete twice. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 50 yard field goal to get the texans on the board. The Vikings moved 75 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. After a touchback, Cousins went to Kyle Rudolph for 8 and Jefferson for 26. On 4th and 2 from the Houston 30, Mike Zimmer decided to go for it. Cousins gained 5 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 16, Ham gained 2. Cook ran for 7 and then at the 2 minute warning ran for a 7 yard touchdown as the Vikings led 17-3.

The Texans took over at their own 32 with 1:47 left in the half. From the Minnesota 46, Watson went to Akins for 26 with a personal foul on the defense adding 10 more and a disqualification. Despite 1st and goal at the 10 with a minute left, Watson gained nothing and then threw incomplete twice. Fairbairn hit from 28 as the Texans trailed 17-6 at the midpoint. Houston got it back in the third quarter at their own 27. Watson hit Randall Cobb for 13, Darren Fells for 7, and then ran for 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 39, Johnson gained 15. Watson went to Will Fuller for a 24 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 17-13. Midway through the third quarter, Mike Zimmer brought in Bailey for a 55 yard field goal try. The kick was no good. Houston took over at their own 45. From just shy of midfield, Watson went deep to Fuller for a 43 yard gain. Despite 1st and goal at the 8, Watson threw incomplete, a run gained one yard, and Watson threw incomplete again. Fairbairn hit from 25 and the Texan were within 17-16 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

After a touchback, Cook gained 13. On 3rd and 10 from their own 38, Cousins went to Jefferson for 23 and Kyle Rudolph for 19. Cook gained 6 and 5. Cousins hit Thielen for the 9 yard touchdown as the Vikings led 24-16 after three quarters. The Vikings began the fourth quarter getting the ball back at their own 27. On 3rd and 6 from their own 31, Cousins went to Cousins and Thielen for a pair of 25 yard gains. Cook ran for 15 and Alexander Mattison ran for the 4 yard touchdown. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Vikings led 31-16. Yet this was a game of ebb and flow.

The Texans took over at their own 23. Johnson gained 7 and Watson hit Fells for 14 and Fuller for 19. On 3rd and 23 from the Minnesota 37, Watson hit Johnson for 13. With 6 minutes left in the game, on 4th and 10 from the Minnesota 24, one defensive stop would end it. Instead, Watson went to Kenny Stills for the touchdown as the Texans were within 31-23. The Texans got it back at their own 24 with 3 minutes left in regulation. On 3rd and 4 from their own 30, Watson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 11 yard gain. Watson went to Cobb for 23, Stills for 15 and Johnson for 16. With 1:54 left, the Texans had 1st and goal at the 4. Johnson gained 3 but on 2nd and goal from the one got stopped. Rather than go smash mouth, on 3rd and goal at the one the Texans were in the shotgun. Watson fumbled but the Texans retained possession. The Vikings took their 2nd timeout on defense. With 1:15 left, it came down to 4th and goal at the 5. Watson threw to Fuller for the touchdown and the Texans prepared for the 2 point conversion to tie the game. Yet on further review, the play was reversed to an incomplete pass. The Vikings finally got a win while Bill O’Brien saw hit hot seat become an inferno for his 0-4 team. On Monday, O’Brien was fired and Romeo Crennel became interim coach. 31-23 Vikings

Cleveland Browns at Dallas Cowboys — The Browns took over at their own 31 and Nuck Chubb immediately ran for 21 yards. Baker Mayfield then went to Austin Hooper for 11. The Browns went to the bag of tricks early on with a  halfback option pass. Mayfield gave it to Jarvis Landry, who threw a 37 yard touchdown pass to O’Dell Beckham Jr to make it 7-0 Browns. The Cowboys took over at their own 12 and made it look easy. Dak Prescott hit Schultz for 25 yards and Ezekiel Elliott for 18 more. Prescott went deep to rookie Ceedee Lamb for a 43 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Cowboys got it back at their own 16 and moved the ball easily again. Prescott hit Cooper for gains of 10 and 13, Brown for 9, and Lamb for 19. On 4th and 2 from the Cleveland 20, Mike McCarthy decided to go for it. Prescott fired a laser over the middle between 2 defenders that somehow was not intercepted. Instead, Lamb caught it in stride for the touchdown and the 14-7 Cowboys lead. Then Cleveland exploded.

After a touchback, Beckham took an end around 23 yards. On 1st and 20 from their own 38, a 5 yard completion was followed by a defensive facemask for 15 more. Karim Hunt ran for 8 and Mayfield went to Beckham for 16 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 14 early in the second quarter, Mayfield hit Landry for 10. Mayfield went to Beckham for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-14. Myles Garrett hit Prescott and forced a fumble to set up the Browns at the Dallas 34. Mayfield hit Beckham for 11. Hunt added gains of 10 and 12 down to the one. Mayfield hit Hooper for the touchdown to make it 21-14 Browns.  After a touchback, Elliott ran for a 24 yard gain but had the ball ripped out of his hands and the Browns recovered just shy of midfield. Johnson ran for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Dallas 23, Mayfield hit Landry for 11. Hilliard ran for 10 and Hunt ran for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 28-14 Browns. The Browns got it back with 4 minutes left in the half and moved 71 yards in 13 plays to the red zone. Cody Parkey hit a 37 yard field goal to end the half. 24 second quarter points had the Browns blasting the Cowboys 31-14 at halftime. The Browns were not done.

The Browns began the third quarter at their own 30. Hunt ran for 6 and Mayfield hit Bryant for 14 to midfield. From just past midfield, the Browns did not need another pass. Mayfield ran for 8 and a defensive facemask added 15 more. Hilliard ran for 9 and 3 and Hunt ran for the 14 yard touchdown as the Browns were up 38-14. The Cowboys moved from their own 37 to a 4th and 3 at the Cleveland 33. Prescott threw incomplete and the Browns moved to a 4th and 4 at the Dallas 26. Parkey hit a 44 yard field goal as the Browns were obliterating Dallas 41-14 after three quarters. The Cowboys have had spectacular comebacks in recent weeks, but a 27 point deficit was not going to be overcome.

The Cowboys began the fourth quarter at their own 23. Prescott hit Cooper for 10, Elliott for 11, Cooper for 14, Elliott for 13 and Brown for 18 and 7. On 3rd and goal at the 3 out of the shotgun, Pollard took the direct snap and got in for the touchdown. Prescott hit Elliott for the 2 point conversion as the Cowboys were within 41-22 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Cowboys got it back at their own 16 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Prescott hit Pollard for 16, Cooper for 11, Bell for 12, Brown for 9, and Schultz for a 26 yard touchdown. Prescott ran for the 2 point conversion. With 6 1/2 minutes left, the Cowboys were within 41-30. The Cowboys took 2 timeouts on defense and got the ball back at their own 20 only 30 seconds later. Prescott hit Wilson for 12, Elliott for 5, Schultz for 14, Cooper for 9 and 16, and Lamb for a 5 yard touchdown. Cooper took an end around for the 2 point conversion. 24 straight points had the Cowboys within 41-38 with 3:42 to play. The Browns were on the verge of a collapse for the ages and the Cowboys, a comeback for the ages.

The onside kick failed and the Browns took over at midfield. Rather than just run up the gut, the Browns went bold. Beckham took an end around, evaded a tackle in the backfield, and got around the edge and raced for a 50 yard touchdown to make it 47-38 Browns. The extra point was blocked, but one of the Cowboys tried to pick it up in the tradition of Leon Lett. Once it was touched by Dallas it became a live ball. The Browns recovered it in the end zone for a 2 point conversion and a 49-38 lead. With 3:25 left after a touchback, the Cowboys reached a 2nd and 4 at the Cleveland 35 at the 2 minute warning. With 1:42 left the Cowboys had 1st and goal at the 8. Needing 2 scores, Prescott threw a short pass and was intercepted at the 4 yard line to finally snuff out the rally. Prescott threw 58 passes, completing 41 of them for a staggering 502 yards with 4 touchdowns. Yet his lone interception at the end was a killer. Last week Prescott threw for 472 yards. Yet the Cowboys are 1-3 and Jerry Jones is not going to be happy at Happy Valley with flashy losses. Mayfield was only 19 of 30 for 165 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 0 interceptions. Yet it is the Browns that are a surprising 3-1 team. This because the Browns ran the ball 40 times for a whopping 307 yards. 49-38 Browns

Baltimore Ravens at Washington Redskins — An early Washington fumble had the Ravens taking over at the Washington 34. Lamar Jackson went to Brown for a 33 yard gain down to the one. Mark Ingram got the yard for a 7-0 Ravens lead. The Redskins missed a long field goal and the Ravens soon faced 3rd and 4 at midfield. Human video game highlight reel Jackson ran for the 50 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Ravens.

The non-Redskins tried to get back in the game after a touchback. Dwayne Haskins hit McLaurin for 11 and Dontrelle Inman for 13 to midfield. On 3rd and 11 Haskins connected with Gibson for a 40 yard gain. Gibson then ran for 9 and then the 2 yard touchdown as the Washington Deficits had a 14-7 deficit. After a touchback the Ravens had 4:41 left in the half. Jackson went deep to Brown for a 31 yard gain. On 4th and 9 from their own 43 with 3 minutes left in the half, John Harbaugh called a fake punt. Koch hit Boykin for a 15 yard gain. Jackson went to Andrews for a 25 yard touchdown with 1:49 left in the half to make it 21-7 Ravens.

With 30 seconds left in the half, rather than just go to the half, Jackson threw from his own 23 and was intercepted. The No-Names took over at the Baltimore 37 and managed a field goal before the half. They were only down 21-10, but there would be no comeback. The Ravens immediately turned out the lights in the third quarter with a 10 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. Jackson went to Andrew for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 28-10 Ravens. The Non-Sentinels managed a 17 play, 82 yard, 8 minute drive that resulted in no points. The Ravens took over at their own 8 and moved 64 yards in 10 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Justin Tucker hit a 46 yard fourth quarter field goal and the Baltimore defense did the rest for a 31-10 Ravens lead. Out of mercy, John Harbaugh let Jackson sit down and brought in Robert Griffin III to mop up. Instead RG3 was intercepted in his own territory and the Non-Redskins got a garbage touchdown. Nevertheless, the Ravens got to 3-1 with the win. 31-17 Ravens

New Orleans Saints at Detroit Lions — The Lions immediately faced 3rd and 10 from their own 23. Matthew Stafford ran for 12. On 3rd and 9 from their own 36, Stafford connected with Danny Amendola for a 50 yard gain. Stafford hit swift for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions. Drew Brees immediately had a pass deflected and intercepted to set up the Lions at the saints 18 yard line. on 3rd and 7, Stafford went to Kenny Golladay for the touchdown as the Lions had the shocking 14-0 lead. Then came reality.

After a touchback the Saints woke up. Brees hit Callaway for 16. On 3rd and 1 from midfield, Latavius Murray gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 41, Alvin Kamara gained 5. Brees went to Emanuel Sanders for 18. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Murray got in to get the Saints within 14-7. The 13 play, 75 yard drive took nearly 7 1/2 minutes off the clock. The Saints got it back at their own 20 and Murray gained 7 and 5. Brees went to Sanders for 19 and Kamala ran for 9. On 4th and 4 from the Detroit 43, Sean Payton decided to go for it. Brees went deep to Kamala for a 29 yard gain. Taysom Hill came in and fumbled but the Saints retained possession after a 6 yard loss. Brees hit Murray for 19 and Kamala got the last yard for a 14-14 tie in the second quarter.

This time the Saints moved 80 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes.  The Lions quickly after a touchback moved to the Saints 11. Stafford went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. On 3rd and 1 from their own 29, Brees went to Sanders for 25 yards and Harris for 10 more. Murray ran for 6 and Kamara added 12, 10 and 6. Brees went to Smith for the 2 yard touchdown as the Saints led 21-14. The Saints got it back just past midfield with 1:43 left in the half. On 3rd and 9, Brees hit Smith for 18 with roughing the passer adding 15 more. Brees then went to Smith for the 20 yard touchdown. The Saints led 28-14 as another blown double digit lead had Matt Patricia wondering how and why he was still employed. The Saints kept rolling in the third quarter after a touchback. Brees hit Sanders for 15. Murray ran for 2 and 9. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 21, Brees hit Sanders for 12. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Kamala went up the middle for the score and a 35-14 Saints lead.

The Lions tried to mount a comeback. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Stafford hit Jones for 9. On 3rd and 3 from their own 48, Stafford hit TJ Hockensen for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Saints 36, Agnew gained enough. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant a 32 yard gain and 1st and goal at the 2. Stafford hit Hockensen for a 1 yard touchdown as the 11 play, 75 yard drive had the Lions within 35-21. Midway through the fourth quarter a shanked 28 yard punt allowed the Lions to take over at the Saints 43. On 4th and 2 from the Saints 35, Stafford hit Johnson for 3. On 4th and 11 from the Saints 33 with 5 minutes left, Stafford went to Golladay for 14 yards. Stafford went t the end zone and was intercepted, but illegal contact nullified the interception. On 4th and 1 from the Saints 5, Adrian Peterson ran for the touchdown. For some inexplicable reason Matt Patricia went for a 2 point conversion. Stafford hit Hockenson as the Lions were within 6 with 3:40 to play. Matt Patricia opted to kick it deep rather than go onside. The Saints took over at their own 22. On 3rd and 5 from their own 27, Brees hit Smith for 19. At the 2 minute warning on 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 47, Kamala gained 5 to seal the win. Brees took 3 knees as the Saints escaped. 35-29 Saints

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers — On 3rd and 7 from their own 37 to start the game, Teddy Bridgewater hit Robbie Anderson for 14. On 3rd and 19 from their own 42, Bridgewater hit Manhertz for 17. Matt Rhule gambled on 4th and 2 and Bridgewater ran for 6 on a naked bootleg. Bridgewater hit Moore for 12 and Davis ran for 21. Davis ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 20. Bridgewater went deep to Moore for 23 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 22, Armah gained 2. On 3rd and 8 from the Arizona 18, Bridgewater bobbed and weaved up the middle and faked out everyone for a touchdown and a 14-0 Panthers advantage.

A second quarter interception of Bridgewater set up the Cardinals at the Carolina 38. On 3rd and 7 form the Carolina 13, Murray hit Edmonds for just enough. Murray hit Thomas for the 3 3rd touchdown as the 10 play drive ate up 5 1/2 minutes and got the Cardinals within 14-7. After a touchback Bridgewater hit Samuel for 11, Seth Roberts for 10, and Anderson for gains of 16 and 17. Davis ran for a pair of 9 yard gains. With 1:55 left in the half, Bridgewater hit Bonnafon for a 3 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive gave meant a 21-7 Panthers advantage. In the third quarter the Cardinals moved from their own 14 to a 3r and 2 at the Carolina 38. Murray was then sacked and fumbled and the Panthers took over at their own 26. On 3rd and 8 from their own 28, Bridgewater hit Samuel for 24. Bonnafon then ran for 14. Bridgewater hit Anderson for 20. On 2nd and 13 from the Arizona 15, Bridgwater threw incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the two. Bridgewater hit Thomas for the touchdown as the Panthers had a comfortable 28-7 lead with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

After touchback, Murray scrambled for a 48 yard gain. Murray ran for another 8. In 2nd and 13 from the Carolina 20, Murray hit Hopkins for just enough. Murray hit Kirk for a 3 yard touchdown as the Cardinals trailed 28-14 after three quarters. The Panthers ground down the clock in the fourth quarter on a killer 15 play, 73 yard drive that consumed 8 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 9, Bridgewater threw incomplete, but it didn’t matter. Joey Slye hit the 27 yard field goal to make it 31-14 Panthers midway through the fourth quarter. The Cardinals got a garbage touchdown with just over 2 minutes left, but the onside kick went out of bounds. 31-21 Panthers

Los Angeles Chargers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Tom Brady has 20 years of experience. Justin Herbert has started 2 games. After a touchback, the Buccaneers moved easily. From the Chargers 48, Brady found Mike Evans for a 24 yard gain and again for 17 more. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Brady hit Cameron Brate for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. Ho hum. Then came the inexplicable. The Chargers came right back when Herbert threw a 53 yard touchdown bomb to Tyron Johnson for a 7-7 ballgame.  The Buccaneers moved from their own 28 to the Chargers 32. Brady went to the sideline and Davis jumped the route for a 78 yard interception return touchdown and a surprising 14-7 Chargers lead. Brady was without Chris Godwin and Leonard Fournette, and Mike Evans limped off but would return.

The Chargers began the second quarter at their own 3 yard line. On 3rd and 4 from their own 9, Herbert ran for 5 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. On 3rd and 1 from their own 38, Kelley gained 3. On 3rd and 8 from their own 43, Herbert threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 20 yard gain. On 3rd and 11 from the Tampa 38, Herbert hit Kelley for 17. Herbert hit Parham for a 19 yard touchdown and the Chargers had the shocking 21-7 lead. Things got worse for the Patriots when Ryan Succop missed a 44 yard field goal with 5 minutes left in the half. The Chargers took over from their own 34. From their 48, herbert hit Keenan Allen for 17. Mike Badgley nailed a 53 yard field goal as the Chargers led 24-7 with 1:41 left in the half.

The Chargers were dominating, and got the ball back at their own 9 yard line with 47 seconds left in the half. All they had to do was get to the half. Instead, Herbert fumbled and the Buccaneers recovered at the Chargers 6 yard line. On 3rd and goal, Brady hit Evans for the 6 yard line as the Patriots only trailed 24-14 at the intermission. In the third quarter the Patriots took over at their own 31. On 3rd and 4 from their own 48, Brady hit Watson for 10 and Evans for 12. Brady went deep to OJ Howard for a 26 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Patriots were within 24-21. Things got worse for the Chargers when Badly missed a 47 yard field goal to extend the lead. Then came the inevitable. From his own 37, Brady went deep to Sam Miller for a 44 yard gain. On the next play Brady went to Miller for a 19 yard touchdown as the Patriots had the 28-24 lead after three quarters.

Just when it looked like the Chargers collapse was complete, they struck again. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Herbert went bombs away to Jalen Guyton for a 72 yard touchdown and a 31-28 Chargers lead. After a touchback, Brady went to Miller for gains of 6 and 7 and to Howard for 17. On 2nd and 20 from their own 45, Brady went deep to Evans for a 48 yard gain. Brady hit Keshawn Vaughn for a 9 yard touchdown. With 11 minutes left in regulation the Buccaneers retook the lead 35-31. The Chargers went 3 and out and the Patriots got it back at their own 21. On 3rd and 4 from their own 37, Brady hit Vaughn for 13 to midfield and Rob Gronkowski for 29. The Patriots had a chance to put the game away with 2nd and 5 from the Chargers 7. A run went nowhere. On 3rd and 5, Brady threw incomplete. Succop hit the 26 yard field goal to put the Patriots up by 7 with 2:40 to play. Herbert went deep and was intercepted. The Chargers were game, but another close loss had them at 1-3 while the Buccaneers are 3-1 on the year thanks to Brady’s 5 touchdown passes. 38-31 Buccaneers

New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams — The Rams have an offense that can score at will while the Giants are 45 players short of a team. This should have been a blowout. To quote ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman, “That’s why they play the games.” The Rams made it look easy at the start from their own 35. Jared Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 9 and Henderson for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Giants 36, Goff went to Brown for just enough. Everett ran for a 2 yard touchdown and the Rams quickly led 7-0. After that this game went to sleep. In the second quarter the Rams fumbled and Graham Gano kicked a 35 yard field goal for the Giants. The Rams mounted a 15 play drive that took over 7 minutes off the clock. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 4, a sack of Goff killed the drive. Sam Sloman hit a 32 yard field goal to put the Rams up 10-3. Gano hit again from 37 to end the half. The defenses dug in but the fourth quarter began with the Giants facing 3rd and 4 at the Rams 9. Daniel Jones threw incomplete and Gano hit from 27 as the Giants only trailed 10-9 with 10 minutes left in regulation.The Rams took over at their own 9. On 3rd and 1 from their own 18, Brown gained 4. Midway through the fourth quarter the Rams faced 3rd and 3 from their own 45. A defensive stop would give the Giants a chance at the upset of the year. Instead a short pass from Goff to Kupp went for a 55 yard touchdown. The defensive breakdown at the worst possible time had the Rams up by 8. The Giants anemic offense could not overcome a one score deficit. 17-9 Rams

Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears — Peyton Manning and Devon Hester are retired, removing interest from this game. Despite being 3-0, Mitch Trubisky was benched and Nick Foles took over. A shanked 18 yard punt gave the Colts the ball at their own 47. On 1st and 20 after offensive holding, defensive pass interference meant 8 yards and a new set of downs. On 3rd and 9 from their own 46, Philip Rivers went to Zach Pascal for 36 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 13, Rivers went to Alie-Cox for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Bears took over at their own 7 and Foles went deep to Mooney for 33 yards, Robinson for 27, and Montgomery for 17. Despite 2nd and 5 from the Colts 9, Foles ran nowhere and on 3rd and 5 threw incomplete. Cairo santos hit from 27 to get the Bears on the board in the second quarter. The Colts moved from their 30 to a 1st and goal at the 4. A run gained nothing and Rivers threw incomplete twice. Blankenship hit a 21 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Colts. With 2:05 left the Colts got it back at their own 45 and had 1st and goal at the 10 with 1:07 left. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Rivers was sacked. Blankenship hit from 30 to end the half with the Colts up 13-3 in a hideous game. An even uglier second half saw Blankenship tack on field goals of 44 at the end of the third quarter and 30 late in the game to make it 19-3 Colts. Chicago finally got a garbage touchdown to end a garbage game. 19-11 Colts

Buffalo Bills at Las Vegas Raiders — The unbeaten Bills took on the 2-1 Raiders. The Raiders were still without rookie speedster Henry Ruggs. It was a typical Raiders game. The defense stopped nothing and the offense moved at will until it reached the red zone where it bogged down. There were no punts in the first half. The Raiders won the coin toss and for the second straight week decided to defer. Given their awful pass defense, that is questionable. The Bills faced 3rd and 11 from their own 24. Maxx Crosby entered the neutral zone. On 3rd and 6, Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 21 yards to midfield. Allen went back to Diggs for 15 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 26, Allen went deep to Davis for the touchdown and the 7-0 Bills lead.

The Raiders took over at their own 16. Derek Carr hit Zee Jones for 9. Josh Jacobs gained 2 and 8. On 3rd and 2 from their own 35, Jalen Richard added 6 more. On 3rd and 11 from the Raiders 40, Carr hit Jones for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 35, Alec Ingold got blown up in the backfield for a one yard loss. Jon Gruden decided not to go for it. Daniel Carlson nailed a 54 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 7-3. The Bill soon faced 1st and 13 from their own 22. A completion gained 7 but roughing the passer added 15 more. Allen hit Diggs for 10. On 3rd and 13 from just past midfield, Allen hit McKenzie for 18 and Roberts for 6. The second quarter began with the Bills facing 3rd and 7 at the Raiders 11. Allen went to Beasley for the touchdown as the Bills led 14-3.

After a touchback the Raiders soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 42. Carr hit Darren Waller for 9. Carr then went deep to Nelson Agholor for a 49 yard touchdown. Yet illegal motion sped out the score. On 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 45, Carr went to Agholor for gains of 14 and 12. Yet despite 1st and 10 from the Buffalo 19, Jacobs lost 2 and Carr threw incomplete twice. Carlson hit from 39 and the Raiders were within 14-6. After a touchback Buffalo marched down the field. On 1st and 10 from the Raiders 24, Allen threw incomplete twice. On 3rd and 10 Allen was about to be sacked when he tried to shovel the ball. He managed an 8 yard completion but got sandwiched between 2 defenders and left the game for a bit. Bass hit the 34 yard field goal as the Bills led 17-6 with 4 minutes left in the half.

After a touchback, Carr hit Waller for 22 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 48, Carr hit Agholor for 11, Waller for 7 and Jason Witten for 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Buffalo 14, Carr hit Waller for 11 and then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 19 seconds left. From the 3 yard line, Carr hit Witten for the touchdown as the Raiders only trailed 17-13 at the half. After ending the half with 75 yards in 11 plays, the Raiders began the third quarter with 68 more yards and 11 more plays. Yet again the Raiders bogged down in the end zone. On 2nd and 8 from the Buffalo 13, Carr threw incomplete. On 3rd and 8 a completion to the sideline gained only 6 yards. On 4t and 2 from th Buffalo 7, Jon Gruden decided not to go for it. Carlson hit the 25 yard field goal, but it was a momentum killer Despite scoring the first 4 times they had the ball, the Raiders only had one touchdown and trailed 17-16.

The Raiders defense even finally got a stop, but after that the offense began malfunctioning. A 38 yard punt return had the Bills taking over at the Raiders 45. On 3rd and 6 from the Raiders 41, Allen hit Diggs for 12, Beasley for 14 and Brown for 14 down to the one as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with Allen sneaking across to make it 23-16 Bills. The extra point dunked off the upright no good but it didn’t matter. The Raiders were in full self-destruction mode. The Raiders moved quickly from their own 38 to a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 35. On 2nd and 11, a short completion to Waller led to him fumbling ant the Bills recovering at their own 40. Allen immediately went deep to Diggs for a 49 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the 2, Singletary got in to make it 30-16 Bills With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Raiders soon faced 4th and 1 from their own 34. Jon Gruden decided to go for it but for some unknown reason had Carr in the shotgun. Jacobs got the carry and got stopped cold.

The Raider appeared all but dead as the Bills took over needing only a field goal to lock up the win. Allen hit brown for 14 and the Bills had 1st and 10 at the Raiders 20. Then it was the Bills turn to self-destruct. An offensive holding penalty had the Bills facing 3rd and 18 from the Raiders 28. Allen had played flawlessly but this time he scrambled around and got belted between 2 defenders for a 14 yard loss. The mistake put the Bills out of field goal range and gave the Raiders a slim ray of hope. Carr hit Waller for 9 and Hunter Renfrow deep for 37 yards. Carr then hit Jacobs for 15, but offsetting penalties wiped out the gain. On 1st and 10 from the Buffalo 33, Carr had the ball stripped and the Bills recovered with 5 1/2 minutes left. Turnovers killed the Raiders. With 4 minutes left the Bills faced 3rd and 12 from their own 38. A conservative run was stopped and the Raiders took their first timeout with 3:47 left. They would get the ball back but still needed 2 scores.

They even fumbled on the punt return but were lucky enough to retain possession. They also had an illegal block on the return and took over at their own 20. A defensive pass interference call meant a 46 and gain. At the 2 minute warning the Raider had 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 16. The Raiders took their second timeout with 1:44 left and the Raiders facing 3rd and 1 at the Buffalo 7. Carr somehow avoided a sack, ran for his life, and threw a high pass out of the end zone incomplete. On 4th and 1, Carr was again out of the shotgun, not behind center. Carr backpedaled and threw a jump ball prayer that Agholor caught for the touchdown. With 90 seconds left the Raiders were clinging to life. The onside kick was a good one but it failed. The Bills got to 4-0 on the year. 30-23 Bills

Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers was the Sunday night game. Carson went threw an early interception but the 49ers did not capitalize. The Eagles got it back and faced 3rd and 9 at their own 23. Wentz threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 12 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from his own 43, Wentz ran for 5 with defensive holing adding 5 more. Wentz hit Sanders for a 28 yard gain and ran for an 11 yard touchdown. Doug Pederson for some reason went for a 2 point conversion. Wentz hit Zac Ertz and the Eagles led 8-0. After a touchback, Nick Mullens hit George Kittle for 17 and 7. On 3rd and 7 from the Philadelphia 38, Brandon Aiyuk took an end around for the touchdown as the 49ers got within 8-7. Aiyuk hurdled a defender at the 5 and stuck the landing for the score. The second quarter was scoreless.

The 49ers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Mullens went to Aiyuk for 4. Runs and short passes led to a 3rd and goal at the 5. Mullens hit Kittle for the touchdown. The 12 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the 49ers up 14-8. The Eagles took over at their own 21. Wentz hit Rodgers for 23 yards. On 3rd and 1 from their own 43, Wentz hit Rodgers for 3. On 4th and 1 at the San Francisco 31, Doug Pederson decided to go for it. Wentz got the yard. On 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 21, Sanders got 2. On 3rd and 8 from the Frisco 17, Wentz threw incomplete. Elliott hit the 35 yard field goal as the Eagles trailed 14-11 after three quarters.

With 10 minutes left in regulation the 49ers faced 3rd and 10 at their own 45. Mullens got sacked and fumbled. The Eagles took over at the San Francisco 42. On 4th and 4 from the Frisco 36, Doug Pederson passed up a 54 yard field goal and decided to go for it. Wentz hit Hightower for 9. On the next play an end around was blown up in the backfield for a 12 yard loss. However, on the next play Wentz hit Scott for 17 and defensive holding added 5 more. Out of the shotgun, Wentz fumbled a bad snap and it was back to 2nd and 18 from the San Francisco 42. On the next play Wentz for it all and hit Fulgham for the touchdown. with 6 minutes left the Eagles led 18-14. Only 8 seconds later, the Eagles were in the end zone again. After a touchback, Mullens went to the sideline and was intercepted by Singleton, who returned it 30 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 25-14 Eagles lead.

With 5 1/2 minutes left, Kyle Shanahan benched Mullins and brought in 3rd stringer CJ Beathard. After a touchback, Beathard hit McKinnon for 8, Kittle for 7, McKinnon for 5, kendrick Bourne for 11, Kittle for 13 and Deebo Samuel for 4 and 14. On 1st and 10 from the Philly 13, Beathard was sacked for a 9 yard loss. 2nd and 19 became 2nd and 14 after the defense jumped offside. Beathard hit Aiyuk for the required 14. On 3rd and goal from the 1, McKinnon got banged short but sheer will got the ball over the plane of the goal. The 2 point dry failed when a short pass was just dropped. The 49ers were within 5 and 2:02 remained. The 49ers had all 3 timeouts, and a kickoff out the back of the end zone would also preserve the 2 minute warning. Kyle Shanahan opted for an onside kick. The kick failed, but only one second ticked off the clock. 2:01 left still gave the 49ers that extra timeout on defense. Doug Pederson played it very safe. The Eagles punted and the 49ers took over at their own 12 with 1:40 left and one timeout. A false start moved the 49ers back to their own 7. On 1st and 15, Beathard hit Bourne for 20, Kittle for 13, McKinnon for 5, Bourne for 10, Kittle for 12, and then spike the ball to stop the clock with 17 seconds left. From the Philly 33, twice Beathard was hit as he threw, resulting in incompletions. With 7 seconds left, it came down to 4th and 10 from the Philly 33. The Hail Mary was batted around and eventually fell incomplete. The Eagles won their first game of the year, but they now actually lead the horrendous NFC Least. 25-20 Eagles

New England Patriots at Kansas City Chiefs was an extra Monday night game that was delayed from Sunday due to COVID. Two years ago these teams played an AFC Title game for the ages with a combined 68 points. This year Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick and Walrus Andy Reid matched wits with the pandemic in the background. Cam Newton tested positive and is in quarantine. Brian Hoyer started for the Patriots. Patrick Mahomes remains superhuman, but if anyone can stymie him, it’s Belichick. The Chiefs managed first quarter field goals of 23 and 39 yards from Harrison Butker to lead 6-0. The latter kick was set up by an interception of Hoyer. In the second quarter Nick Folk hit from 43 to get the Patriots on the board. The Patriots missed two golden opportunities to tie the game. With 8 seconds left in the half, the Patriots faced 3rd and 9 at the Chiefs 13. Hoyer was sacked for a 13 yard loss and called a timeout he did not have. The clock ran out as a disgusted Bill Belichick looked on. That 13 play drive was followed in the third quarter by a 13 play, 69 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and 8 from the Chiefs 10, Hoyer was sacked by Taco Charlton and fumbled. The Chiefs recovered.

Mahomes can only be contained for so long. From his own 15, Mahomes hit Treek Hill for 19 and then went deep to Travis Kelce for a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Mahomes found Hill, who dove for the pylon and hit it for the touchdown. The Chiefs led 13-3 after three quarters. Belichick benched Hoyer and brought in third string quarterback Jarrett Studham to start the fourth quarter. Harris rushed for 9 and then raced for a 41 yard gain. On 2nd and 9 from the Chiefs 24, Stidham went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. However, defensive pass interference instead meant a 16 yard gain and 1st and goal at the 8. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Stidham hit Harry for the touchdown. Only one minute into the fourth quarter, the Patriots were within 13-10.

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Mahomes threw deep incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant an 18 yard gain. Mahomes then ran for 2 yards with 15 more tacked on for defensive unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and 9 from the Patriots 39, Mahomes ran for 18. Carl Edwards-Helaire ran for 9 and then caught a 6 yard touchdown pass from Mahomes. With 9 minutes left in regulation, the Chiefs led 19-10. Butker missed the extra point. On the first play after a touchback, Stidham threw a short pass to Julian Edelman. The ball bounced right off of Edelman’s hands and into Tyrone Matheiu, who returned it 26 yards for a defensive touchdown. 2 scores in 10 seconds turned a slugfest into a 16 point Chiefs lead. After a touchback, the Patriots converted a pair of fourth downs. Another 11 play drive and another 5 1/2 minutes of clock again meant nothing. From the Chiefs 37, Stidham went to the end zone and was intercepted with 3 1/2 minutes left. For the 4th year in a row, the Chiefs are 4-0, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 26-10 Chiefs

Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers is the Monday night game. The unbeaten Packers were expected to blow out the winless Falcons. The Packers started at their own 27 and made it look easy at the start. Aaron Rodgers hit Tonyan for 27 yards and Aaron Jones for 8 more. Jones gashed the Falcons for gains of 9 and 23. Rodgers threw a 6 yard touchdown pass to Jones to make it 7-0 Packers only 5 minutes into the game. Ho hum. The Packers got it back at their own 34 and rolled to a 2nd and goal at the 3. Jones got stopped. On 3rd and goal, Rodgers hit Shepherd for only 2. Matt Lafleur decided to got for it on 4th and goal at the one. Williams got the carry and got stopped cold. The beleaguered Atlanta defense celebrated the goal line stand. The offense then led the most frustrating drive of the year. 20…Yes, 20…plays. 94 yards. 10 1/2 minutes. Yet on 1st and goal at the 5, Todd Gurley lost 3 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Matt Ryan threw incomplete. After all of that, Elliott Fry kicked his first ever NFL field goal from 23 yards out to get the Falcons on the board.

After a touchback, Rodgers hit Marques Valdes-Scantling for 17 and Ervin for 8. On 3rd and 10 from the Atlanta 47, Rodgers threw incomplete but offsetting penalties gave the Packers another shot. Rodgers hit Valdes-Scantling for 14 and Williams for 15. On 3rd and 14 from the Atlanta 19, Rodgers went to Tonyan for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Packers led 13-3 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half after the 11 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive. A 10 yard punt return had the Packers taking over at midfield with 1:37 left in the half. On 3rd and 15 from the Atlanta 41, Rodgers hit Williams for 13. Matt Lafleur decided to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Atlanta 28. Rodgers hit Taylor for 20 and then went to Tonyan for the 8 yard touchdown as the Packers were cruising 20-3.

From their own 33, Ryan went to Hurst for 18. Then he threw a pass that could have been intercepted by 4 defenders but by dumb luck was deflected and caught by Zaccheaus for 16. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 18, Gurley ran for 13 and then for the 5 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Falcons trailed 20-9. The Packers responded easily. A 34 yard kickoff return and a facemask on Atlanta had the Packers starting just shy of midfield. Rodgers went to Jones for 23. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 21, Rodgers went deep to Tonyan for a 21 yard touchdown and a 27-9 Packers lead.

The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Ryan went to Zaccheaus for 6 and Smith for 11. On 4th and 6 from just past midfield, Ryan threw deep incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going and added 15 yards. Ryan then hit Smith for 4, Zaccheaus for 16 and Hill for 4 to start the fourth quarter. Gurley, with help from a key block by Ryan, ran for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Falcons within 27-16 with 13 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the Packers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 28. A pass lost 3 yards and Rodgers was sacked for a loss of 12. On 3rd and 25, Rodgers hit Williams for 13 to get the Packers back in field goal range. Crosby hit from 48 to put the Packers up by 14 with 6 minutes left. Needing 2 scores, the Falcons moved after a touchback to a 2nd and 6 at the Green Bay 22. Ryan’s pass was dropped inside the 5 yard line. Then Ryan was sacked. On 4th and 10, with 3 1/2 minutes left, Ryan’s pass to the end zone was broken up at the last moment. The loss got the Packers to 4-0 and extended the Falcons misery to 0-4. Dan Quinn is somehow still employed. 30-16 Packers