NFL 2020 Week 12 Recap
Houston Texans at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Thursday morning game. In the first quarter the Lions faced 3rd and 9 from their own 16. Matthew Stafford went to TJ Hockensen for 10. On 2nd and 4 from their own 32, Stafford went deep to Hockensen for 51 yards. Defensive pass interference on the next play meant 15 more yards down to the 2. Adrian Peterson ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions. After that the Lions self-destructed. From their own 25, Stafford was intercepted by JJ Watt, who returned it 19 yards for a defensive touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Texans were within 7-6. The Lions got it back at their own 23 and immediately fumbled. The Texans took over at the Detroit 30. Deshaun Watson hit Johnson for 14. Defensive pass interference on the next playa dded 15 more. Watson hit DJ Prosise for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Texans.
The Lions then moved from their own 22 to a 2nd and 3 from the Houston 27 to start the second quarter. Yet for the 3rd consecutive possession, they turned the ball over. This time it was a fumble that the Texans recovered at their own 21. The Lions dodged a bullet when the Texans immediately fumbled the ball back. The Lions took over at the Houston 26. Stafford hit Johnson for 14. Peterson ran for a one yard touchdown to put the Lions up 14-13. Yet the Lions were just delaying the inevitable.
The ensuing kickoff was kicked out of bounds to set up the Texans at their own 40. Defensive pass interference added 15. Watson ran for 11. Johnson gained 5, 4, and on 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 25, a critical 2. One play after a touchdown was nullified, on 1st and 20 from the Detroit 33, Watson went to Johnson for the touchdown anyway as the Texans led 20-14. The Texans got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Detroit 9 with 2:10 left in the half. Watson went to Fuller for 4, but offensive pass interference killed the drive. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 42 yard field goal to make it 23-14 Texans. In the third quarter the Lions moved 68 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. From their own 21, the Lions moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Houston 11. Stafford threw incomplete. Matt Prater hit a 29 yard field goal to get the Lions within 23-17. Midway through the third quarter, the game was still manageable. It would not end up that way.
After a touchback the Texans moved to a 1st and goal at the 9. A run gained one yard and Stafford threw incomplete twice. Fairbairn hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 26-17 Texans. In the fourth quarter the Texans took over at their own 15. Watson went to Cooks for gains of 19 and 18 and to Coutee for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 39, Akins gained 4. On 1st and 15 from the Detroit 40, Watson went to Will Fuller for the touchdown. Romeo Crennel went for the 2 point conversion to try and put the game out of reach. Watson hit Coutee and the Texans led 34-17 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Lions soon faced 4th and 1 from their own 34 with 10 1/2 minutes left. Matt Patricia went for it Cabinda got stuffed for no gain. One play and 7 seconds later the Texans scored again as Watson went to Fuller for a 34 yard touchdown. The Texans led 41-17. The Lions got a garbage touchdown, but the damage was done. Matt Patricia inherited a 9-7 team and turned it into nearly three seasons of losing. Martha Ford finally lost patience and fired Matricia and the Lions general manager on Saturday. 41-25 Texans
Washington Giblet Stuffings at Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon game. Although both teams came in 3-7, the winner of this game would actually lead the NFC Least. For three quarters this was a good football game. The Cowboys took over at their own 28 and moved 57 yards in 11 plays. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 15, Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. The Non-Redskins soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Pierre Barber gained 2. Ron Rivera then went to the bag of tricks. Alex Smith pitched to Logan Thomas, and he threw the halfback option to Terry McLaurin for 28 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 30, Smith threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 5 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 20, Smith threw incomplete but illegal contact again meant 5 yards. Antonio Gibson ran for a 5 yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive to make it 7-3 Non-Redskins.
After a touchback, Dalton hit Amari Cooper for 10. The second quarter began with the Cowboys facing 3rd and 1 from their own 44. Pollard gained 2. On the next play Dalton went to Amari Cooper for a 54 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Cowboys. The No-Names took over at their own 28 and moved 67 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 5, Smith threw incomplete and this time there was no defensive penalty to bail him out. Dustin Hopkins hit the 23 yard field goal for a 10-10 deadlock. The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Dalton completed a pass to Cee Dee Lamb for no gain. Mike McCarthy then decided to lose his mind and go for it. Yes, from his own 34 in a tie game with 5 minutes left in the half, he gambled from his own 34. Dalton threw incomplete. Adding insult to injury was an unnecessary roughness penalty on the Cowboys after the play. The No-names took over at the Dallas 19. On 3rd and 9 from the Dallas 18, Smith hit McKissic for 12 and Thomas for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Giblet Stuffings.
After a touchback, the Cowboys had 2 1/2 minutes to work with. On 4th and 1 from midfield, McCarthy gambled again. Dalton gained 2 yards. On the next play defensive pass interference meant a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 15 with 30 seconds left, a completion gained only one yard. Zuerlein hit a 32 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 17-13. The Cowboys began the third quarter facing 2nd and 4 at their own 31. Ezekiel Elliott fumbled and the Identity Crisis recovered at the Dallas 33. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 13, Smith was sacked for a 5 yard loss. Hopkins hit from 36 to put the Giblet Stuffings up 20-13. The Giblet Stuffings got it back at their own 5 yard line and moved to a 3rd and 10 at midfield. Smith threw one of his west Coast Offense swing passes, and Jason Smith made an acrobatic play to bat the ball, recover it in the air for an interception, and race 43 yards down to the Dallas 4 yard line. Terry McLaurin chased down Smith and saved the tying touchdown. The Cowboys self-destructed, went backward, and on 3rd and goal at the 10, Dalton threw incomplete. Zuerlein hit from 28. The Cowboys were within 20-16 after three quarters, but the fourth quarter will be talked about in Dallas for some time.
With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Cowboys set up to punt on 4th and 10 from their own 24. Mike McCarthy made a call that made his earlier call seem sensible. McCarthy actually in this situation called a fake punt. It was blown up for a one yard loss. The No-Names needed only one play and 6 seconds to put the dagger in. Gibson raced for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 27-16 No-names. The Non-Redskins got it back at their own 24 and moved 76 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Dallas 43, Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it and Barber got the yard. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 37, Gibson ran for the touchdown to make it 34-16 Non-Redskins. One play after a touchback, Smith tried to throw another West Coast Offense pass and again he was intercepted. Montez Sweat ran it back for a 15 yard touchdown to make the game a blowout. In 1995, Barry Switzer gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 29 and cost the Cowboys the game. At least Switzer won a Super Bowl that year. Mike McCarthy is in the first year of a five year contract, so he will not be fired. However, Jerry Jones may decide to blow up his Metropolis stadium for the insurance money. 41-16 Giblet stuffings
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets — The Dolphins were 6-4 and the Jets were 0-10, but the return of Sam Darnold gave Gang Green hope. Meanwhile, it was Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard starting the game and not Tua Tagovailoa due to a thumb injury. After a touchback, Darnold hit Crowder for 15. Frank Gore ripped off a pair of 5 yard gains. On 3rd and 9 from their own 45, Darnold went deep to Perriman for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 11, Darnold was sacked. Casillo hit the 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. Late in the first quarter the Dolphins faced 3rd and 2 from their own 37. Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for 22 yards. On 2nd and 5 from the Jets 36, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete twice. Jason Sanders nailed a 54 yard field goal for a 3-3 game.
The Dolphins got it back in the second quarter at their own 12. Fitzpatrick hit Parker for 11 and Hollins for 7. on 2nd and 3 from his own 33, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete but illegal contact meant 5 yards. Fitzpatrick then went to Washington for 6 and 5 and to Parker for 19. On 3rd and 8 from the Jets 13, Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for the touchdown. The 10 play, 88 yard, 5 minute drive made it 10-3 Dolphins. Sanders tacked on a 51 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Dolphins. The Jets on the last play of the half saw Castillo miss a 29 yard chip shot. Fitzpatrick threw a 7 yard touchdown pass midway through the fourth quarter to complete the scoring. Brian Flores has a 7-4 team while the 0-11 Jets remain winless, witless and worthless. Somehow, Adam Gase is still employed. 20-3 Dolphins
Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots — On the third play from scrimmage the Patriots faced 3rd and 6 from their own 29. Cam Newton got hit as he threw and the ball was intercepted by Jordan Hicks. The Cardinals took over at the Patriots 23. Kyler Murray hit Andy Isabella for 19 yards. Kenyan Drake ran for 3 and then the one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. The Cardinals got the ball back at their own 3 yard line. Drake ran for 14. Murray hit Williams for 4, Christian Kirk for 8 and Edmonds for 5. On 1st and 5 from the Arizona 46, Murray went to Deandre Hopkins for 16 and 9. On 1st and 10 from the Patriots 27, a run lost a couple yards and Murray threw incomplete twice. Zan Gonzalez hit the 47 yard field goal to cap the 12 play, 68 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 10-0 Cardinals.
The Patriots got a spark when Moncrief returned the ensuing kickoff 53 yards to the Arizona 46. On 2nd and 7 Newton hit Meyers for 13 with 15 more tacked on for the defender lowering the head to initiate contact. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 8 to start the second quarter, a run gained only one yard. Bill Belichick went for it. On 4th and 2 from the 7, James White got the first down and the touchdown to get the Patriots within 10-7. The Cardinals got it back at their own 28 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the 8. Murray hit Johnson for the touchdown, but it was reversed to a 7 yard gain and 4th and goal at the one with 3 seconds left in the half. Kliff Kingsbury went for it. Drake got the carry and got stopped. The Cardinals insisted he broke the plane of the goal, but the goal line stand stood. The 15 play, 71 yard, 7 minute drive came up snake eyes.
Early in the third quarter Olzewski returned a punt 82 yards for a Patriots touchdown. Yet a horrendous illegal blindside block penalty on the Patriots nullified the score. The block was clearly legal, but the Patriots took over at the Arizona 39. Despite 2nd and goal at the 4, a run went nowhere and Newton threw incomplete. The game was tied 10-10. The Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Murray was intercepted and the Patriots took over with another short field at the Arizona 31. Harris gained 18 and 6 and Newton added 6. On 3rd and goal at the one, White got around the end and in as the Patriots led 17-10 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Cardinals bean the fourth quarter facing 2nd and 5 from their own 25. Murray hit Hopkins for 8. On 3rd and 3 from their own 40, Murray gained 4 and then 15. Drake ran for 4, caught a pass for 6, and ran for 13 and 6. On 2nd and 4 from the New England 12, Drake threw incomplete twice. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Kliff Kingsbury decided to go for it. Murray threw incomplete again but defensive holding meant a 5 yard gain. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Murray threw incomplete but defensive holding again meant 1st and goal at the 2. Drake gained one and then one more for the touchdown and a 17-17 midway through the fourth quarter.
After a touchback the Patriots moved to a 1st and 10 at the Arizona 42. Then came a false start and a failed run. Newton was intercepted by Kirkpatrick, who returned it 13 yards to the New England 47 with 4 1/2 minutes left. At the 2 minutes warning the Cardinals faced 3rd and 2 at the New England 28. Drake only gained one as the Patriots took their final timeout on defense with 1:52 left. Kliff Kingsbury took no chances. Gonzalez came in for the 45 yard field goal to give the Cardinals the lead. It was no good. From their own 35, the Patriots went backward on successive plays. However, Kliff Kingsbury gambled big and lost. With the Patriots facing 3rd and 13 from their own 32, Kingsbury took his final timeout on defense rather than let the clock run down. Newton ran for a 14 yard gain with 15 more tacked on for defensive unnecessary roughness. With 3 seconds left Folk came in for a 50 yard field goal try for the Patriots. The kick was good. 20-17 Patriots.
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts — Both teams came in 7-3 in this AFC South battle for the division lead. A few weeks ago the Colts went into Tennessee and thrashed the Titans 34-17. After a touchback, Derrick Henry gained 6. Ryan Tannehill hit Davis for 12. Henry ran for 9, caught a pass for 4, and ran for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Colts 20, Tannehill hit Swain for 8. Henry ran for a 12 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the Titans up 7-0. The Colts responded after a touchback. Philip Rivers went to Hyheim Hines for 12. On 3rd and 3 from their own 46, Wilkins only gained 2. Frank Reich Gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 48. Jacoby Brissett gained 2. Rivers went to Wilkins for 21 and Burton for 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Titans 11, Rivers went to Burton for the touchdown. The 12 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive made it 7-7.
After a touchback, the Titans struck quickly. On 1st and 15 from their own 31, Tannehill went to AJ Brown, who split the seams and outraced everyone for a 69 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Titans. After a touchback Rivers hit Burton for 19, Hines for 19 and 10, and Pittman for 14. Defensive pass interference meant 9 yards and put the ball on the one. Brissett got in for the score. Each team had the ball twice and scored a touchdown twice. The game was 14-14 early in the second quarter, but by halftime this shoot out would be a blowout.
The Titans took over at their own 35. Tannehill hit Swaim for 12. Henry gained 10 and 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Indy 38, Tannehill threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 13 yards. Tannehill went to Davis for 21. On 3rd and goal at the 3, , Tannehill was sacked but illegal use of hands meant 1st and goal at the one. Henry got in to make it 21-14 Titans with 6 minutes left in the half. The Titans got it back with 4 1/2 minutes left at their own 14 and Henry gashed them for gains of 31, 8 and 5. With 1:52 left in the half the Titans faced 3rd and 1 at the Indy 16. Watson took the direct snap and gained 5. The Colts kept taking timeouts on defense to preserve time for their offense. The strategy blew up on them. Henry ran for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 28-14 Titans. The Colts went backward and punted on 4th and 19 from their own 16. A disqualification penalty against the Colts on the return gave the Titans the ball back again less than 30 seconds later, taking over at the Indy 44 with 1:13 left. On 3rd and 4 from the Indy 38, Tannehill threw incomplete. Mike Vrabel went for it rather than try a 56 yard field goal. On 4th and 4, Tannehill went deep to Davis for a 37 yard gain down to the one and took their last timeout with 22 seconds left. Tannehill got in as the Titans led 35-14 at the break.
Late in the third quarter Stephen Gostkowski nailed a 49 yard field goal to make it 38-14 Titans. The Colts did manage a couple touchdowns to get within 38-26 with 2 1/2 minutes left, but AJ Brown put the dagger in by returning an onside kick attempt 42 yards for one more Titans touchdown. The Titans got to 8-3 and the AFC South lead as each of these teams won on the road of the other one. 45-26 Titans
Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings — The Vikings started out strong from their own 32 an Kirk Cousins hit Calvin Cook for 5 and 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 45, the Vikings jumped into the neutral one. on 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 31, Cook gained 6. On 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 23, Cousins gained 9. On 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 12, Cousins went to Justin Jefferson for the touchdown. The 13 play, 68 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Vikings up 7-0. The Panthers moved from their own 35 to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 11. On 3rd and 11, Teddy Bridgewater was intercepted. The Panthers got it back at their own 19 and Bridgewater went to Moore for 18 and Davis for 10. On 3rd and 2 from their own 45, a completion only gained one yard. Matt Rhule went for it on 4th and 1 and Davis gained 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 43, Davis gained 3. After 28 minutes, the Panthers had zero points.
Yet on 3rd and 11 from the Minnesota 41, a Bridgewater completion to Robbie Anderson went for a 41 yard touchdown. The 11 play, 81 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive meant a 7-7 game. After a touchback the Vikings had 1:52 to work with. Cousins hit Beebe for 9 and Cook for 7. Cousins ran for 11 and hit Kyle Rudolph for 12. A pair of false starts killed the drive but Dan Bailey buried a 53 yard field goal to end the half with the Vikings up 10-7. Yet the start of the third quarter was disastrous for the Vikings. On 3rd and 8 from their own 27, Cousins was sacked and fumbled. Jeremy Chin picked it up and raced 17 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 14-10 Panthers. One play after a touchback, it was deja vu all over again. Cook fumbled, and again Jeremy Chin recovered it and again raced 28 yards for another score. 2 defensive touchdowns by Chin in 8 seconds meant a 21-10 Panthers lead. The Panthers missed a chance to extend the lead when a 28 yard field goal try by Joey Slye was blocked with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Vikings moved 72 yards in 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. The fourth quarter began with the Vikings facing 1st and goal at the 7. A run gained one yard and Cousins threw incomplete twice. Bailey hit the 25 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 21-13. The Panthers after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 10 at the Minnesota 31. A completion from Bridgewater to Samuel gained only 9 yards. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation and facing 4th and 1 at the Minnesota 22, Matt Rhule played it safe. Slye hit the 40 yard field goal to give the Panthers some breathing room up 24-13.
After a touchback the Vikings soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Cousins went to Johnson for 17 and Rudolph for 5. Cook gained 14 and 3. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 30, Cook got stopped. The Panthers took their last timeout on defense with 6:43 to play. On 4th and 1 and down to their last gasp, Cook gained 3. Cousins then went to Johnson for 17 and Jefferson for the 10 yard touchdown. Cousins completed the 2 point conversion pass as the Vikings were within 24-21 with 5 1/2 minutes left. After a touchback, the Panthers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 47. Then a run lost 4 yards. Rather than grind down more cook, Bridgwater threw incomplete twice. With 2:18 left, the Panthers had to punt. Disaster struck the Vikings when Beebe fumbled the punt and the Panthers recovered at the Minnesota 9 yard line.
A touchdown would ice the game. The Vikings took their final timeout on defense with 1:56 to play and the Panthers facing 3rd and goal at the 3. In this situation you have to run the ball to take the clock down to about one minute. Instead, Bridgewater threw incomplete. Joey Slye hit the 21 yard field goal, but the Panthers only led 27-21. The Vikings were still alive and they had 1:51 to work with after a touchback. Cousins went to Jefferson for 15, Beebe for 6, Rudolph for 7, Beebe for 12, Rudolph for 25, and Beebe for a 10 yard touchdown. With 46 seconds left the Vikings had come all the way back to tie the game. The Panthers had a moment of celebration when the extra point was blocked. Yet the Panthers jumped offside. Given a second chance, Bailey’s kick was good and the Panthers led by a point. The Panthers took over at their own 13 with 43 seconds left. Bridgewater went deep to Samuel for 35 yards and got a tremendous break when an injury to the Vikings stopped the clock with 28 seconds left. Bridgewater hit Davis for 4 and Anderson for 12. Bridgewater spiked the ball with 6 seconds left. Slye came in for a 54 yard field goal try to win it for the Panthers. He missed it by a Carolina mile. It was a scare, but Mike Zimmer’s Vikings have won 4 of 5 to get to 5-6 on the year. 28-27 Vikings
Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars — The 7-3 Browns faced the 1-9 Jaguars. The Browns went backward and faced 3rd and 17 from their own one. They punted on 4th and 9 from their own 9 and the Jaguars got it at midfield. Mike Glennon was the starter for the Jaguars. On 3rd and 14 from the Cleveland 44, Glennon hit Tyler Eifert for 8. Aldrick Rosas nailed a 54 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jaguars. A strong kickoff return had the Browns taking over at their own 45. Baker Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 21, Carlson for 11, and back to Landry for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Browns. After a touchback the Jaguars moved to a 1st and goal at the 8. A run gained only 2 yards and the Glennon threw incomplete twice. Rosas hit from 24 to cap the 11 play, 69 yard, 5 minute drive and get the Jaguars within 7-6 in the second quarter. The Browns after a touchback answered with a 14 play, 69 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. On 1st and goal at the 5, Mayfield threw a pair of incompletions sandwiched around a run that lost a yard. Cody Parkey hit from 24 to make it 10-6 Browns.
The Jaguars got it back at their own 23. Glennon hit Kenneth Cole for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 48, Glennon gained 2 and then went deep to Johnson for a 46 yard touchdown and a 13-10 Jaguars lead with 4 1 /2 minutes left in the half. The Browns took over at their own 16 and the defense jumped offside. Nick Chubb ran for 6 and 9. Mayfield hit Landry for 23. On 3rd and 6 from the Jags 37, Mayfield hit Landry for 15. Hunt gained 13. Mayfield went to Austin Hooper for a 9 yard touchdown. With 1:10 left in the half, the Browns retook the lead 17-13. After a touchback the Jaguars moved to a 4th and 1 at the Cleveland 36 with 4 seconds left. From 54 yards out, Rosas was no good.
On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback to start the third quarter, Mayfield hit Bryant for 13 and Bryant fumbled the ball away. Wingard returned the fumble 17 yards to the Cleveland 30. On 4th and 1 from the Cleveland 21, Doug Marrone decided to go for it. Glennon hit Robinson for 14. Glennon hit Tyler Eifert for a 2 yard touchdown. Marrone then inexplicably went for a 2 point conversion. Glennon threw incomplete. The Jaguars led 19-17, but Marrone’s bizarre decision would prove costly. The Browns took over at their own 36. On 3rd and 16 from their own 41, Mayfield hit Higgins for 15. On 4th and 1 from the Jacksonville 44, Kevin Stefanski went for it. Mayfield hit hodge for 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Jags 26, Mayfield threw incomplete. Cody Parkey hit the 45 yard field goal and the Browns led 20-19.
The Browns got it back at their own 10. Chubb gashed Jacksonville for gains of 13 and 29. Mayfield went to Landry for 14. Hunt got around the end for 27 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Chubb got in. Less than one minute into the fourth quarter, the Browns led 27-19. The Browns got it back at their own 2 yard line and moved 76 yards in 10 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 22, Mayfield threw incomplete. A 40 yard field goal would pretty much put the game out of reach. Yet Kevin Stefanski went for it and on 4th and 1 Hunt got stopped. The Jaguars had 5:42 to mount a comeback. Glennon hit O’Shaughnessy for 10 and Johnson for 17. Robinson gained 27 yards. With 3:43 to play on 4th and 10 from the Cleveland 24, Glennon was sacked. Yet a defensive penalty for lowering the head to initiate contact instead meant a 12 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 4, James Robinson ran it in. Yet because of Doug Marron’s earlier decision, the Jaguars had to go for 2. Glennon threw incomplete.
With 2:14 left and all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning, Marrone opted to kick it deep. With 1:37 left the Browns faced 3rd and 12 from their own 35. One stop would give the Jaguars the ball back and a chance to win it. With the Jaguars out of timeouts, a safe run would take the clock down under one minute. Kevin Stefanski went high risk, and Mayfield hit Chubb for a 13 yard gain and then took 3 knees to end it. The Jaguars were game but lost their 10th straight game after an opening day win. The Browns are no longer losers. They are 8-3. They have not been to the playoffs since 2002, but they are in strong contention to end that streak. 27-25 Browns
New York Giants at Cincinnati Bengals — Joe Burrow is out for the season. The Giants took over at their own 24 and soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 43. Daniel Jones went deep to Evan Engram for a 53 yard gain. On 3rd and goal from the one, Wayne Gallman got stopped. Joe Judge decided to go for it. This time Gallman got in to make it 7-0 Giants. 11 seconds later the game was tied as Wilson returned the ensuing kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-7. Most of the rest of the game was a hideous slog that only a field goal kicker could love. Randy Bullock hit from 44 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half to make it 10-7 Bengals. Graham Gano hit from 49 with 26 seconds left in the half, from 22 in the third quarter, from 39 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, and from 32 with 4 minutes left to make it 19-10 Giants in a game requiring zero elaboration. Needing 2 scores, Allen threw a one yard touchdown to Higgins with 2 1/2 minutes left. Despite having only one timeout and the 2 minute warning, Zac Taylor chose to kick it deep. The defense held and the Bengals got the ball back at midfield with one minute left. They had plenty of time to set up for the winning field goal. Instead, Allen was sacked and fumbled and the Giants recovered to end a game that should never be watched again. 19-17 Giants
Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills — The Bills took over at their own 37. From their own 48, Josh Allen went deep and a defensive pass interference call meant a 47 yard gain down to the 5. Allen went to Knox for a 2 yard score to make it 7-0 Bills. The Chargers soon faced 2nd and 5 from their own 26. Justin Herbert hit Johnson for 8 and Keenan Allen for 11. Austin Ekeler ran for 3 and 15 and caught a pass for 9. On 3rd and 10 from the Buffalo 22, Herbert went to Ekeler for 14. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Herbert went to Allen for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Chargers were within 7-6.
In the second quarter the Bills faced 3rd and 8 from their own 26. Allen went to Singletary for 14. Roughing the passer on an incompletion added 15 more. Singletary gained 21. Sean McDemott then went to the bag of tricks. Allen lateraled to Beasley, who threw the option pass to Davis for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Bills. The Bills got it back at their own 14 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 15. On 2nd and 10, Matt Barkley came in for one play and was sacked. Tyler Bass hit a 45 yard field goal as the 12 play, 60 yard, 5 minute drive had the Bills up 17-6 at the half. A 38 yard kickoff return to start the second half had the Bills starting the third quarter at their own 43. Singletary gained 8 and 6. On 3rd and 2 from the Chargers 35, Allen gained 7. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 22, Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 8. Allen ran for 7 with a facemask adding 4 more. Allen ran for a 3 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 57 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Bills comfortably up 24-6.
The Chargers took over at their own 33 and slowly clawed back. Herbert hit Henry for 13 and 10. On 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 45, Anthony Lynn went for it and Herbert hit Williams for 4. Kelley then gained 33 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Herbert went to Ekeler for 9. On 4th and goal at the one, Anthony Lynn went for it. with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Kelley got the yard. Herbert went to Allen for the 2 point conversion and the Chargers were within 24-14. The Chargers got it back at their own 20 and and began the fourth quarter facing 4th and 1 at the Buffalo 25. Anthony Lynn went for it and this time Kelley lost a yard. The Bills took over at their own 26. From their own 37, Singletary gained 8 and fumbled the ball. The Chargers took over at the Buffalo 46. They moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Buffalo 7. Kelley lost 3 yards. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Mike Badgley hit a 27 yard field goal to get the Chargers within 24-17.
Midway through the fourth quarter the Bills faced 2nd and 12 from their own 38. Allen was intercepted and the Chargers had golden field position at their own 44 with 6 minutes left. Yet 3 plays later on 3rd and 5 from their own 48, Herbert was intercepted. The Bills took over at their own 31. Moss gained 31 yards, but unsportsmanlike conduct on Moss wiped away half of it. Singletary gained 24. On 3rd and 9 from the Chargers 24, Allen gained 12 but offensive holding nullified the play. Bass did hit a 43 yard field goal with 3 1/2 minutes left to put the Bills up by 10. Needing 2 scores the Chargers took over at their own 12. and get the Bills to 8-3 on the year. On 4th and 2 from their own 20, Herbert hit Guyton for 11. On 4th and 17 from the Buffalo 47, Herbert completed the Hail Mary for a 46 yard gain at the one. Yet offensive pass interference nullified it. On 4th and 27 from their own 43 with one minute left, Herbert connected with Johnson for a 55 yard gain down to the 2. Yet the clock kept ticking as the Chargers raced down the field to get to the line of scrimmage. By the time they snapped the ball, only 24 seconds remained. Making matters worse, Anthony Lynn inexplicably called a running play that got stopped after one yard and the clock ticked down further. The final insult was Herbert throwing incomplete and then trying to run it in and getting stopped. There would be no onside kick try. This is why the Chargers lose the games. 27-17 Bills
Las Vegas Raiders at Atlanta Falcons — Both teams came in with a terrible pass defense. The Falcons were also without Julio Jones. The Falcons committed an offensive holding penalty on the first play and went downhill from there. The Raiders began from their own 36 and the Falcons jumped offside. Yet on 1st and 5 from their own 41, the Raiders offense was inept. A 3rd and 3 completion gained only 2 yards, reminding everyone why they should hate the West Coast Offense. Jon Gruden gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 45. Rather than run straight ahead, the pitchout to Jacobs saw him go laterally and lose a yard. On 3rd and 2 from the Raiders 37, Matt Ryan hit Calvin Ridley for 16. Yet from the Raiders 21, a run gained only a yard and Ryan threw incomplete twice. Younghoe Koo hit the 38 yard field goal. The Falcons led 3-0. The Raiders got it back at their own 26 and immediately fumbled the ball away when Derek Carr was stripped. The Falcons took over at the Raiders 21. On 2nd and 11, Ryan threw a perfect fade to a wide open receiver in the end zone. Zaccheaus dropped it. It went right through his fingers. On 3rd and 11, with all the time in the world, the receiver fell down and Ryan threw it out the back of the end zone. Koo hit the 39 yard field goal. Despite having a short field both times, the Falcons only led 6-0.
The Raiders offense continued to misfire. On 2nd and 5 from their own 30, a swing pass to Jacobs saw him bulldoze a defender at the sticks for a 9 yard gain. Instead of the first first down of the game, the Raiders were hit a 15 yard penalty on Jacobs for lowering his head to initiate contact. At least this time the Raiders were allowed to punt and the Falcons started at their own 29. On 3rd and 5 from their own 34, Ryan went to Zaccheus for 11 and Hurst for 12. The Falcons were about to make this game a blowout but the Raiders defense came up big. On 1st and 10 from the Raiders 43, Ryan went over the middle and had his pass deflected and intercepted by Jonathan Abram. Despite being dominated the entire quarter, the Raiders were only down 6-0 and starting at their own 38.
Carr fired a quick pass to Hunter Renfrow, who weaved his way for a 16 yard gain. The Raiders finally has a first down and had crossed midfield. On 2nd and 10 after dinking and dunking the entire quarter, Carr went bombs away to a wide open Darren Waller. Yet the ball was slightly under thrown incomplete. On 3rd and 10 from the Atlanta 46, a quick pass to Nelson Agholor only gained 7 yards. Jon Gruden gambled again on 4th and 3 from the Atlanta 39. Rather than throw a 2 yard pass, Carr went for the bomb. Henry Ruggs out-jumped the defender for a 36 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 3. Nothing was coming easy. An ncompletion followed by offensive holding and offensive illegals hands to the face had the Raiders collapsing and facing 2nd and goal from the 22. Jacobs then fumbled the ball and the Falcons recovered. Jacobs appeared down before the ball came out and officials reversed the call. Daniel Carlson hit a 29 yard field goal and the Raiders were within 6-3.
The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 23. Ryan hit Blake for 17 and Hurst for 12. On 1st and 10 from the Raiders 45, Ryan had another pass deflected and intercepted by Nick kwiatkowski. Yet a facemask on the Raiders instead meant 15 yards. These are the Raiders. Ryan then it Gage for 14. On 2nd and 10 from the Raiders 16, Ryan had all kinds of time but eventually was sacked by Kwiatkowski. The defense had held. Koo then missed a 40 yard field goal. Yet a roughing the kicker penalty long after the miss instead gave the Falcons 1st and goal at the 11. These are the Raiders. It appeared Leavitt was pushed into Koo, but the call stood. On 3rd and 11 from the Raiders 12, a short pass followed by several awful attempts at tackling meant an 8 yard gain. On 4th and 3 at the 4, with Koo possibly hurt, Raheem Morris kept the offense on the field. Ryan had a man in his face and fired over the middle to the back of the end zone, where Ridley caught it for the touchdown. The Falcons led 13-3 with 2:17 left in the half. These are the Raiders.
The Raiders soon faced 2nd and 9 from their own 26. Carr went to Agholor for 13 and Waller for 11 to midfield. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 45, Carr hit Edwards for 15. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Atlanta 30, Carr got belted from the blind side and fumbled again. With one minute left in the half the Falcons took over at their own 39. On 3rd and 2 from their own 37, Smith appeared short when his knee came down but officials gave him the first down. Ryan then went to Hurst for 10 as the Falcons took their last timeout with 26 seconds left in the half. after an incompletion, a mindless roughing the passer penalty long after the throw meant another 15 yards. These are the Raiders. On 3rd and 10 from the Raiders 26, Ryan went to Hurst, who hurdled a defender and got out of bounds for a 14 yard gain. Koo hit the 30 yard field goal dead center as the Falcons led 16-3 over the completely hapless Raiders.
Whatever pep talk Jon Gruden gave his team at halftime didn’t work. The Raiders went 3 and out. The Falcons had to punt it back on 4th and 5 from their own 15. The Raiders finally got a break when the punt was partially blocked and went only 20 yards. The Raiders had gift field position at the Atlanta 36. On 1st and 10 Carr had a wide open receiver in the flat and threw low and incomplete. On 2nd and 10 with a man in his face, Carr threw an off target pass that was intercepted by Jones and returned 67 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 23-3 Falcons lead. The Raiders after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 20. Carr went deep to Renfrow at the one yard line, but Renfrow got blasted and lost the ball incomplete. Carr went to Agholor for 15 yards to set up 1st and goal at the 5. Carr threw incomplete twice and then completed a pass for a one yard loss. Carlson hit the 24 yard field goal but the 12 play, 69 yard, 5 minute drive still had the Raiders far behind down 23-6.
The Raiders were failing in every phase of the game. The Falcons took over at their own 12 yard line. On 3rd and 6 from their own 16, Ryan threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 25 yard gain. Ryan went to Gage for 12 and Ridley for 11. Roughing the passer on an incompletion added 15 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 11, Ryan found a wide open Ridley in the flat for just enough. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Ryan hit Powell for the touchdown to make it a 30-6 Falcons lead. The Raiders continued to turn the ball over. From their own 10, Jacobs ran for a 16 yard gain but in fighting for another yard fumbled for the second time on the day. The Falcons recovered at the Raiders 27 and Koo hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 33-6. 3 plays after a touchback from their own 44, Carr was sacked and fumbled for the third time on the day. He actually lost the ball when he bumped into his own offensive lineman. The Falcons took over at the Raiders 35. Smith ran for 24. On 3rd and 7 from the 8, Smith ran right up the gut for the touchdown.
With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders were getting blasted to pieces. Jon Gruden pulled his starters to avoid any further injuries. Last year the Raiders were 6-4 and faced a road game against a 3-7 Jets team. The Raiders got destroyed 34-3 and went 1-5 down the stretch to finish 7-9. Last week the Raiders were 30 seconds left from being 7-3 before losing and ending up 6-4. They faced a 3-7 Falcons team. They got blasted again and even gave up another field goal with 5 minutes left. Koo nailed it from 54 yards out. Next week the Raiders face…the Jets. Again it will be a road game for the Raiders, and this time the Jets will be 0-11. The Raiders are now 6-5, and next week will determine if they have any desire to go to the playoffs. This week they committed 5 turnovers. Last year they showed no heart down the stretch. Jon Gruden said this team is different. After consecutive losses, next week will show if this team has heart. Carr is the leader of the team, and one of his best games as a pro was followed by his worst. The Raiders had 141 penalty yards. The Jets are winless, but teams that lose by 37 points take nothing for granted. 43-6 Falcons
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams — The 49er were 4-6, but they beat the 7-3 Rams earlier in the year. Early on the Rams fumbled and the 49ers threw an interception right back to them. Matt Gay hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Rams, but after that the 49ers took over for a long stretch of the game. On 2nd and 5 from their own 30, Nick Mullens went to Deebo Samuel for big gains of 33 and 26 yards Raheem Mostert ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 49ers. The Rams threw an interception and the 49ers fumbled the ball right back one play later. With 30 seconds left in the half, the Rams fumbled. To end the half, Robbie Gould missed a 50 yard field goal try to extend the lead. The start of the third quarter saw the Rams face 2nd and 8 from their own 27. Goff was intercepted by Kinlaw, who returned it 27 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 14-3 49ers lead. The 49ers got it back and moved from their own 17 to a 3rd and 3 at the Rams 28. Mullens threw incomplete. Gould hit a 46 yard field goal. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the 49ers were dominating up 17-3.
After a touchback, the Rams finally got going. Jared Goff hit Robert Woods for 5, Cooper Kupp for 33 and Reynolds for 14. On 3rd and 9 from the Frisco 22, Goff threw incomplete. Gay hit from 41 and the Rams were within 17-6. One play after a touchback, disaster struck the 49ers. Mostert got hit and fumbled. Hill recovered it and returned it 20 yards for the score. Both teams had a defensive touchdown as the Rams were only down 17-13. The Rams got the ball back at their own 32. Akers raced for a 61 yard gain as the third quarter ended. The Rams began the fourth quarter with 1st and goal at the 7. Akers ran for 6 and then for the one yard touchdown. 17 points in a 3 minute span had the Rams out of nowhere up 20-17.
With 8:45 to play the 49ers took over at their own 26. Mullens hit Samuel for 4, Reed for 6, Samuel for 3, Kendrick Bourne for 12 and Kyle Juszczyk for 20. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 25, Mullens threw incomplete. Gould hit the 44 yard field goal to tie the game 20-20 with 3:11 to play. After a touchback the Rams soon faced 2nd and 5 from their own 44. Yet Goff threw incomplete twice. The 4oers got it back at their own 20 with 2:10 to play. On 3rd and 2 from their own 28, Mullens hit Samuel for 24 and again for 8. The Rams took their timeouts on defense. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 39, Wilson got stopped. A 57 yard field goal try was high risk. A miss would give the Rams great field position and a chance to win. Kyle Shanahan opted to go for it. Juszczyk initially appeared stopped but somehow got 2 yards. Mullens hit Samuel for 4 and Mostert gained 4 more. With 4 seconds left Gould came in for a 47 yard try to win it. In a desperate attempt to block it, Jalen Ramsey jumped offside. Gould would now have a 42 yard try. The kick was good. The 49ers swept the season series and gave the Rams their first home loss in their new stadium. 23-20 49ers
New Orleans Saints at Denver Broncos — Kendall Hinton played wide receiver in college, but he is a wide receiver from the Broncos practice squad. He was the starting quarterback for the Broncos due to a bizarre situation where they had no active quarterbacks on the roster. Jeff Driskel tested positive for COVID. All of the other quarterbacks including Drew Lock, Blake Bortles and a practice squad emergency quarterback were all in contact with Driskel. Because this all occurred on Saturday and the Saints had already arrived in Denver, it was too late for the NFL to reschedule the game. The Broncos did not forfeit, but again, they had to play an entire game with a practice squad wide receiver at quarterback. Meanwhile, Taysom Hill was making his 2nd NFL start for the Saints. The game was actually scoreless after the first quarter, but after that the Saints took over.
Late in the first quarter the Saints faced 4th and 1 from their own 35. Sean Payton opted to go for it, a fairly insane decision. Out of the shotgun, the Saints got the Broncos to jump into the neutral zone. Sean Payton went to the ground game. Latavius Murray gained 7 and Alvin Kamara added 15. Murray gained another 4 and Kamara tacked on another 14. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 14, Hill gained 5. Murray gained 2 and 6 and on 3rd and goal at the one, Hill got in. 10 straight running plays capped a 13 play, 74 yard, 8 minute drive and made it 7-0 Saints. The Broncos were hanging tough and faced 3rd and 1 from their own 45 with 2:22 left in the half. Out of the shotgun, a horrendous snap was recovered by Alexander, who returned it 20 yards for the Saints to the Denver 13. On 3rd and 7 from the 10, Hill hit Trautman for 8. Hill ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Saints with one minute left in the half. With 12 seconds left in the half from his own 27, Hinton went deep and was intercepted by Janoris Jenkins, who returned it 14 yards to the Denver 41. Hill hit Michael Thomas for 24 yards and Wil Lutz hit a 40 yard field goal to put the Saints up 17-0.
The second half was a formality. In the third quarter Hinton was intercepted again. Hill threw an interception right back. Brandon McManus leveled a 58 yard field goal, but all that did was help the Broncos avoid the shutout. The Saints took over at their own 18. Murray ran for 3, Kamara added 11, and Murray added 8 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Saints 41, Hill gained 2. Hill hit Sanders for 17. Murray rushed for a 36 yard touchdown to make it 24-3 Saints. In the fourth quarter the saints moved 77 yards in 11 plays and 7 minutes. From the Denver 26, Murray ran for 11, 6, one, and on 3rd and 3 from the Denver 8, the touchdown to complete the scoring. The Saints got to 9-2 and remain atop the NFC. Hill completed only 16 passes all game, completing 9 of them for 78 yards and one interception. That was a juggernaut compared to Hinton, who threw 9…yes 9…passes the whole game. He completed…exactly one pass for 13 yards and 2 interceptions. Yes, 2 of his 3 completions went to the defense. Noah Fant had the lone reception. Hinton had a passer rating of 0. The Saints were powered by 229 yards on the ground, with Murray gaining 124 on 19 carries. NFL teams don’t make excuses, but if anyone had a right to it would be Vic Fangio. The Broncos never had a chance, and Hinton and Fant will one day become a trivia question. 31-3 Saints
Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Last year on his third try, the Chiefs went into New England and Patrick Mahomes finally out-dueled Tom Brady after 2 losses on the final play. Early on this game was all Chiefs. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Mahomes went to Tyreek Hill for 34 yards. Mahomes went back to Hill for 23 more. On 2nd and goal at the one, pass-happy Walrus Andy Reid kept passing and Mahomes threw incomplete twice. On 4th and goal at the one, Reid went for the field goal. Harrison Butker hit from 19 and the Chiefs led 3-0. The Chiefs got it back at their own 25 and needed one play and 10 seconds to score. Mahomes launched a rocket to Hill for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 10. Mahomes went to Hill for 19 and Travis Kelce for 14. On 3rd and 8 from the Tampa Bay 44, Mahomes went to Hill for another touchdown as the Chiefs were dominating 17-0 after the opening quarter. The game would not end up 68-0 as the Buccaneers tried to come back.
The Chiefs began the second quarter at their own 22 and moved 65 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. The Chiefs had 1st and goal at the 8, and ere about to go up 24-0. Yet Mahomes was sacked and fumbled, and the Buccaneers recovered at their own 14. On 3rd and 1 from their own 21, Brady hit Antonio Brown for 2. From their own 34, Brady went to Rob Gronkowski for 29 and then to Ronald Jones for a 37 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers were within 17-7. After a touchback the Chiefs moved 64 yards in 13 plays. With 36 seconds left in the half the Chiefs had 1st and 10 at the Tampa Bay 11. Mahomes threw 3 incompletions. Butker hit from 29 as the Chiefs led 20-7. The Buccaneers were lucky it was not much more. In the third quarter after a touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 2nd and goal at the 4, helped along by Brady completions to Gronk of 8 and 48. Yet a pass then lost 4 yards and Brady threw incomplete. Ryan Succop hit a 26 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers within 20-10. After a touchback, Mahomes went to Hill for 21. On 3rd and 1 from the Bucs 43, Mahomes gained 17. Mahomes went to Hill for 6 and again for a 20 yard touchdown. Brady was then intercepted on consecutive drives but the chiefs did not capitalize. However, the Chiefs led 27-10 after three quarters.
The Buccaneers began the fourth quarter facing 2nd and 4 from their own 31. Brady hit Cameron Brate for 14 and 9 and Chris Godwin for 8. On 4th and 3 from the Chiefs 31 and needing 3 scores, Bruce Arians decided to go for it. One stop would effectively end the game. Brady went to Mike Evans for the touchdown and the Buccaneers were within 27-17 with 13 minutes left in regulation. The Buccaneers got it back with 6 1/2 minutes left and soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 32. Brady went to Godwin for 7. Then came a roughing the passer penalty and 15 more yards. Brady went to Fournette for 6 and 10. On 2nd and 13 from the Chiefs 25, Brady hit Godwin for 11 with another roughing the passer penalty adding 7. Brady hit Evans for a 7 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left the Buccaneers were within a field goal.
After a touchback, on 2nd and 3 from their 32, Mahomes gained 4 for a key first down. On 2nd and 6 from his own 40, Mahomes scrambled for his life, ran for 8 yards, and slid inbounds to keep the clock rolling. At the 2 minute warning the Chiefs faced 2nd and 9 just shy of midfield. With the Buccaneers out of timeouts, the Chiefs had to run the ball to take the clock down to about 30 seconds. Pass-Happy Walrus Andy Reid refused. A pass that was almost dropped gained 2. On 3rd and 7 just past midfield, given another chance to run, another pass was called. An incompletion would stop the clock and save Brady 45 seconds. Mahomes fired to Hill for 8 yards, and Hill slid down inbounds. Brady never got the ball back. This is why Andy Reid is a Super Bowl winning Walrus and I am not. The Buccaneers dropped to 7-5. Mahomes was ridiculous, going 37 of 49 for 462 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Hill caught 13 passes for 269 and 3 touchdowns. The Chiefs are 10-1 and have all but locked up the AFC West, making Andy Reid a most happy walrus indeed. 27-24 Chiefs
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers was the Sunday night game. After starting 5-1 the Bears came in losers of 4 straight. They faced the 7-3 Packers. Nick Foles was out with a concussion, so it was back to Mitchell Trubisky. The Packers dominated from the start. After a touchback to start the game, Aaron Rodgers hit Lewis for 11. Aaron Jones ran for 14. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 47, Rodgers went to Lazard for 8. Jones ran for 9, 8 and one. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 16, Williams ran for 4. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 12, Rodgers went to Devonta Adams for the touchdown. The 14 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Packers up 6-0 after the missed extra point. The Bears soon faced 2nd and 7 from their own 35. Montgomery ripped off a 57 yard gain. Yet on 1st and goal at the 8, a run lost a yard and Trubisky threw incomplete twice. Cairo Santos hit a 27 yard field goal to get the Bears on the board.
After a touchback Rodgers hit Adams for 8 and st. Brown for 15. Roughing the passer on the next play added 15 more. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 28, Rodgers gained 10. Rodgers hit Adams for 11 on the last play of the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Rodgers hit Lewis for the touchdown to make it 13-3 Packers. The Bears moved from their own 21 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 38. Trubisky went for it all into double coverage and was intercepted for a touchback. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 28. Rodgers went to Adams for 8. Rodgers hit Adams for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 30, Rodgers only gained 2. Matt LaFleur decided to go for it. On 4th and 2 from Chicago 28, Rodgers hit Tonyan for 14. Jones gained 5 and 7. Rodgers hit Lazard for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 20-3 Packers. 3 plays after a touchback the Bears faced 3rd and 17 from their own 18. Trubisky was sacked again and fumbled. Smith returned it 14 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 27-3 Packers lead.
The Bears did get a touchdown before the half, but this game was over. In the third quarter the Bears faced 3rd and 11 from their own 25. Trubisky was intercepted and the Packers took over at their own 47. Jones ran for 4, 8 and 2. Rodgers went deep to Tonyan for a 39 yard touchdown to make it 34-10 Packers. The Packers got it back and faced 3rd and 10 from their own 34. Rodgers hit St. Brown for 24. Williams ran for 17, 4, 4 and one. On 4th and 1 from the Chicago 16, Matt Lafleur went for it again. Williams gained 3 and then ran for the 13 yard touchdown. After three quarters, the Packers led 41-10. The Bears scored a couple of further quarter garbage touchdowns to make the score look respectable, but this was a blowout. With 2:45 left the Packers faced 4th and 2 at the Chicago 39 and the Bears out of timeouts. Rodgers hit Tonyan for 8 to extinguish any last Chicago hopes. The Bears lost their 5th straight to fall to 5-6 while the Packers at 8-3 were in command of the NFC North. 41-25 Packers
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles was the Monday night game. The Seahawks came in 7-3 with a chance to take sole possession of the NFC West. The Eagles at 3-6-1 with a win would lead the horrendous NFC Least. The Seahawks dominated the first half yet kept getting stymied when it mattered. The Seahawks from their own 35 to a 4th and goal at the 2. Pete Carroll went for it and a completion was blown up for a 5 yard loss. The Seahawks got it back with a short field and soon faced 4th and 2 at the Philadelphia 37. Carroll again gambled and Russell Wilson was sacked. In the second quarter the Seahawks took over at their own 32. Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for 18. On 3rd and 13 from their own 37, Wilson went deep to DJ Metcalf for a 52 yard gain down to the one. Wilson hit Moore for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Seahawks got it back at their own 34. A horse collar tackle had the Seahawks just shy of midfield. Chris Carson ran for 7 and Carlos Hyde added 8. Wilson hit Metcalf for 17. Carson ran for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Seahawks with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half.
The Eagles fought back an inch at a time. On 2nd and 16 from their own 19, Carson Wentz ran for a 20 yard gain. Wentz then hit Boston Scott for 10 and Reagor for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 43, Went hit Sanders for just enough.On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 31, Wentz gained 13. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 12, Sanders gained 6. With 12 seconds left in the half, Wentz hit Dallas Goedert for a 3 yard touchdown to cap the 15 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive. The extra point was no good but the Eagles after being dominated the entire half only trailed 14-6. In the third quarter the Eagles faced 3rd and 7 from their own 31. Wentz hit Alshon Jeffery for 9. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Wentz got the yard. Wentz then went to Rodgers for 17 and Goedert for 16. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Seattle 17, a completion gaining nothing was followed by an incompletion and a sack of Wentz. Jake Elliott hit from 42 and the Eagles after the 12 play, 48 yard, 6 minute drive only trailed 14-9.
After that the Seahawks defense clamped down. The Seahawks drove from their own 22 to a 4th and 1 at the Seattle 26. This time Pete Carroll played it safe. Jason Myers hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 17-9 Seahawks. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 4th and 2 at the Seattle 48 early in the fourth quarter. Doug Pederson went for it and Wentz threw incomplete. With a short field, Wilson hit Metcalf for 31. A 17 yard touchdown run by Hyde was wiped out by offensive holding. Myers hit from 33 with 11 minutes left to make it 20-9 Seahawks. The Eagles then moved from their own 23 to a 4th and 4 at the Seattle 15. Wentz went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. With 4 minutes left the Eagles got it back at their own 12 and moved to a 1st and 10 at their own 46. Yet a sack and an offensive holding call had the Eagles facing 3rd and 30. Doug Pederson is a West Coast Offense guy, so he called a sideways pass that lost a yard. On 4th and 31 from his own 24 with 2:20 left, this time Wentz threw a forward pass, but it was incomplete. Myers tacked on one more field goal with 1:14 left for good measure to make it 23-9 Seahawks. After failing to crack the end zone the entire game, a 40 yard kickofff return was followed by a 33 yard Hail Mary that was caught off a deflection by Scott in the end zone with 12 seconds remaining. Doug Pederson inexplicably went for a 2 point conversion, and Sanders ran it in. Yet the onside kick failed and the Seahawks finally won a game that was nowhere near as close as the score. 23-17 Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Wednesday afternoon game rescheduled from Thanksgiving Thursday night due to COVID. A massive outbreak among the Ravens delayed this game to sundae, then Tuesday, and finally Wednesday afternoon. Lamar Jackson was ineligible. His backup Robert Griffin III is a shell of the rookie sensation who dazzled the league several years ago. Yet Baltimore still has a defense. Despite the Ravens being 6-4 and the Steelers being 10-0, this was a typical AFC North bare-knuckle brawl. From his own 25, RGIII fumbled a handoff attempt and the Steelers recovered at the Baltimore 22. Yet on 4th and goal at the one, Mike Tomlin went for it and Ben Roethlisberger threw an interception in the end zone for a touchback. 3 plays later the Ravens faced 3rd and 4 from their own 12. RGIII was intercepted by Joe Haden, who returned it 14 yards for a touchdown and a 6-0 Steelers lead. The extra point was not good. The Ravens punted and the Steelers fumbled it to set up the Ravens at the Pittsburgh 16. Griffin ran for 11 and Edwards ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-6 Ravens in a game with no offense. In the second quarter the Steelers drove deep twice but could not crack the end zone. Chris Boswell hit field goals of 25 and 27 to make it 12-7 Steelers with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half.
After a touchback the Ravens moved to a 2nd and goal at the one with 26 seconds left as they took their final timeout. A run was stopped and the Steelers sat on the ball and wouldn’t let the Ravens players get up. Officials should have called a defensive delay of game, but the Steelers got away with it. By the time the Ravens snapped the ball on 3rd and goal at the one, only 3 seconds remained. Griffin fired a pass to Wilson in the end zone. Wilson had it in his hands but it was jarred loose by Minkah Fitzpatrick incomplete as the half ended. An Irate John Harbaugh had words with the officials. It was dirty pool by the Steelers defense, but they got away with it. In the third quarter the Steelers moved from their own 19 to a 4th and 2 at the Baltimore 37. Mike Tomlin gambled and Big Ben threw incomplete. The Steelers got it back at their own 39. On 3rd and 5 form their 44, Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 6 and to Chase Claypool for 10 and 8. The fourth quarter began with the Steelers facing 3rd and 3 at the Baltimore 22. Bennie Snell ran for 10. Roethlisberger hit Juju Smith-Schuster for a one yard touchdown as the Steelers led by 12 with 13:20 left in regulation.
After one more failed offensive series, John Harbaugh benched RGIII for Trace McSorley. The game appeared over as the Ravens took over in desperation mode down by 12 at their own 16 with 3 1/2 minutes left. On 1st and 10 from their own 30, McSorley went deep to Brown. The defender mistimed the jump as Brown caught it, juked out a couple defenders and raced for a 70 yard touchdown. With a full 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning, the Ravens were very much alive down by 5 with 3 minutes left. John Harbaugh opted to kick it deep rather than go onside. The Steelers took over at their own 16. The Ravens took their first timeout with the Steelers facing 3rd and 6 at their own 17 and 2:36 left. Roethlisberger threw up a prayer between several defenders and Washington grabbed it for a 16 yard gain and a key first down. Snell then ripped off a 13 yard gain as the Ravens took their final timeout with 2:16 left. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 45 with 1:20 left, Snell only gained 2. On 4th and literally an inch from the Baltimore 43, the Steelers were able to take the clock down to 34 seconds before having to snap the ball. Yet after a lengthy official conference, it was reversed to a first down. Snell was clearly short, so the call was mystifying to most fans and enraging to people in Baltimore. There was no word on whether these officials were also responsible for the Immaculate Reception or the 2020 Pennsylvania mail-in ballots. The Ravens put up a valiant effort but the Steelers remained unbeaten. 19-14 Steelers