NFL 2020 Week 13 Recap
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears — The Lions fired Matt Patricia while the Bears came in on a 5 game losing streak after a 5-1 start. The Bears got a jolt to start the game when Cordarelle Patterson returned the opening kickoff to his own 46. Mitchell Trubisky hit Robinson for 16. On 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 26, Montgomery lost a yard. Cairo Santos hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bears. The Lions moved from their own 20 to a 4th and 1 at the Chicago 29. Interim coach Darrell Bevell went for it and a completion gained nothing. Trubisky hit Robinson for 17 and Patterson took a pair of end arounds for 12 and 13. Montgomery ran for 8 and then for the 13 yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Bears led 9-0.
The Lions soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 28. Stafford went to Jones for 15 and Cephus for 14. Adrian Peterson ran for 15, 4 and 2. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 18, Stafford hit TJ Hockenson for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Peterson ran it in. Offensive holding on the extra point meant a second try from 43 yards out. Matt Prater doinked it off the upright no good as the Lions trailed 9-6 after the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 29 to start the second quarter. Trubisky went to Robinson for 21 and Mooney for 10. Trubisky hit Sims for 13. Montgomery gained 4 and 10. Patterson ran for the 5 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 16-6 Bears.
The Lions soon faced 3rd and 12 from their own 26. Stafford went deep to Jones for 25 and then deep again to Quintez Cephus for a 49 yard touchdown to get the Lions within 16-13. The Bears took over at their own 32. Trubisky hit Robinson for 10 and Miller for 15 at the 2 minute warning. Trubisky went to Miller again for 19 and 9. Montgomery ran for a 4 yard touchdown as the Bears led 23-13 at halftime. In the third quarter the Lions took over at their own 34. Stafford went to Jones for 12 and 7. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 44, Stafford hit Hockensen for only 9. On 4th and 1 Darrell Bevell went for it and Stafford got the yard. Stafford went deep to Hockensen for 24 and to James for a 9 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 66 yard, 5 minute drive had the lions within 23-20 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. The Bears took over at their own 28. Patterson ran for 13. On 3rd and 6 from their own 45, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 1, Trubisky gained 2. The fourth quarter began with the Bears facing 3rd and 7 at the Detroit 45. Trubisky went to Mooney for 21. On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 18, Trubisky went to Patterson for just enough. Trubisky went to Kmet for the 11 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Bears up 30-20 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
With 4 1/2 minutes left the Lions got the ball back at their own 4 yard line with 4 1/2 minutes left. Stafford went to Hockensen for 14, to Danny Amendola for gains of 22 and 17, to Jones for 5, to Hockensen for 13, and to Jones for a 25 yard touchdown. 96 yards came quickly as the Lions were within 30-27 with a full 2:18 to play. The Bears got it back at their own 11. On 3rd and 4, Trubisky was sacked and fumbled. The Lions recovered the gift at the Chicago 7 yard line. Peterson did the rest, running for 2 and then for the 5 yard touchdown. The Lions had the 4 point lead with 1:37 to play. After a touchback it was up to Trubisky to try and redeem himself. Trubisky hit Montgomery for 16 with a horse collar tackle penalty adding 15 more. Trubisky went to Montgomery for 14 and Kmet for 5. With 22 seconds left on 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 24, Trubisky hit Robinson for 4. Only 16 seconds remained. The Bears had timeouts so they could run the ball. On 4th and 1 from the Detroit 20, Matt Nagy called a run and Montgomery got stopped. The Bears have lost 6 straight. The calls for Trubisky’s head will become deafening. As for Darrell Bevell, history will always remember him as the guy who did not hand the ball to Marshawn Lynch. This time he did hand the ball to Adrian Peterson and got his first win as an NFL head coach. 34-30 Lions
Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins — Ryan Fitzpatrick and his magic beard were back on the bench as Tua Tagovailoa returned to the lineup. Meanwhile, Late in the first quarter the Bengals faced 3rd and 2 from their own 28. Backup quarterback Brandon Allen connected with Trevor Boyd, who outraced everyone for a 72 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Bengals lead. The Bengals defense stymied the Dolphins for most of the first half. Jason Sanders hit a 25 yard field goal to get the Dolphins on the board. With one minute left, Randy Bullock missed a 53 yard field goal try. That gave the Dolphins good enough field position for Sanders to hit a 48 yard field goal to end the half with the Dolphins only down 7-6. In the third quarter after a touchback, Tagovailoa hit Gesicki for 17, Parker for 14 and Gaskin for 35 yards down to the 5. Tagovailoa hit Gesicki for the 5 yard touchdown to put the Dolphins up 13-7. Sanders hit chip shot field goals of 23 yards in the third quarter and 19 yards in the fourth quarter. Brian Flores’s defense did the rest. It was far from pretty, but the Dolphins are 8-4 with a shot at the AFC East for the first time since the 2008 season. 19-7 Dolphins
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans — The Colts took over at their own 33. Philip Rives hit TY Hilton for 18. Taylor ran for 12 and Rivers went to Doyle for 12 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Houston 21, Rivers went to Hilton for the score to make it 7-0 Colts. The Texans soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Deshaun Watson went deep to Coutee for a 64 yard gain. On the next play Watson ran for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Texans got it back at their own 40 and Watson hit Brandon Cooks for 11. Johnson gained 7 and 3. On 2nd and 7 from the Indy 34, Watson threw incomplete twice. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 52 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Texans.
The Colts soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 29. Rivers threw incomplete, but Frank Reich challenged the call and it was reversed to a 21 yard gain to Hilton. On 2nd and 5 from from the Houston 45, a defensive facemask added 15. Rivers then hit Zach Pascal for 11 and Hilton for 13 more. Hines ran for a 5 yard touchdown as the Colts led 14-10 after a wild first quarter. The Texans missed a chance to close the gap when Fairbairn missed from 53. Taking over at their own 43, Rivers went to Hilton for 10 and Hines for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 36, a run lost 3 yards. Rather than try a 57 yard field goal, Frank Reich opted to go for it. On 4th and 4, Rivers hit Taylor for the first down and the 39 yard touchdown as the Colts led 21-10.
The Texans soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Watson went deep to Hansen for 28 yards and to Cook for 13 more. On 3rd and 12 from Indy 15, Watson only gained 11. Yet defensive holding on the play meant 1st and goal at the 6 rather than 4th and 1. On the next play David Johnson ran it in to get the Texans within 21-17. Rodrigo Blankenship hit a 42 yard field goal with 1:12 left in the half to make it 24-17 Colts. Fairbairn answered from 34 to get the Texans within 24-20 at halftime. The first half was all offense. The second half was all defense. With 6 minutes left in regulation the Texans faced 3rd and 11 from their own 4. Watson went back to pass and was sacked in the end zone by Justin Houston for a safety. The Colts led by 6 but could not take advantage after the free kick. The Texans got it back at their own 20 and moved right down the field. With 90 seconds to play the Texans faced 2nd and goal at the 2. Romeo Crennel decided to have Watson operate out of the shotgun rather than go smashmouth. The snap was fumbled and the Colts recovered. The Texans had it. They choked it away. The Colts got to 8-4 and Frank Reich’s team still has a good shot to win the AFC South. 26-20 Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars at Minnesota Vikings — The Jaguars came in losers of 10 straight but started hot against a Minnesota team that had won 4 of their last 5 games. After a touchback, Mike Glennon hit O’Shaughnessy for 24 and Robinson for 8. Robinson then ran for 9 and 6. Glennon went deep to Shenault for a 28 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Jaguars led 6-0. The Jaguars got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 6. A completion gained a yard and a run gained only one more. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Glennong threw incomplete. McLaughlin hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 9-0 Jaguars. In the second quarter the Jaguars moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 21. The Jaguars had all the momentum, but then came a false start. Then Glennon was intercepted by Danzler.
The Vikings took over at their own 22. Kirk Cousins hit Adam Thielen for 14 and Dalvin Cook for 11. Cousins ran for 10. Cousins then hit Thielen for 12 and Cook for 20. Cousins capped the 10 play, 78 yard, 5 minute drive with a 3 yard touchdown pass to Thielen. The extra point was no good as the Vikings trailed 9-6 at the break. The Vikings got a break to start the second half when the kickoff went out of bounds, setting up the Vikings at their own 40. Yet on the first play from scrimmage, Cousins was intercepted by Schobert, who returned it for a 43 yard defensive touchdown and a 16-6 Jaguars lead.
After a touchback Cousins came right back, hitting Cook for 10. On 3rd and 10 from his own 36, Cousins hit Thielen for 11. Offensive holding had the Vikings facing 1st and 20 from their own 37. Cousins went to Justin Jefferson for 11 and back to Jefferson on a deep ball for a 40 yard gain. Cousins went to Ham for a 12 yard touchdown to get the Vikings within 16-13. The Vikings got it back at their own 10 yard line. Cook gained 10. Cousins hit Thielen for 9 and ran for 2. Roughing the passer on the next play gave the Vikings 15 more yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 47, Cousins went to Thielen for 12. Defensive pass interference 2 plays later added 18. Cousins went to Jefferson for a 20 yard touchdown. Late in the third quarter, the Vikings had their first lead of the game up 19-16. Again Dan Bailey missed the extra point.
The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Glennon came up short and fumbled. The Vikings recovered at the Jags 34. The Vikings began the fourth quarter facing 1st and goal at the one and a chance to put the game out of reach. Cousins fumbled and the Jaguars recovered at their own 2. Yet on 3rd and 8 from their own 4, Glennon was sacked by Ifeadi Odenigbo for a safety as the Vikings led 21-16. The Jaguars then fumbled and the Vikings took over at the Jags 44. On 2nd and 7 from the Jacksonville 30, Cousins threw incomplete twice. Bailey hit the 48 yard field goal to make it 24-16 with 3:50 to play. After a touchback, Glennon hit Cole for 7, Robison for 4, Tyler Eifert for 10 and Conley for 9. On 3rd and 6 from midfield, Glennon hit DJ Chark for 22 at the 2 minute warning. Glennon went to Johnson for 21. Robinson ran for a one yard touchdown. With 1:08 to play, the Jaguars still needed a 2 point conversion to tie the game. Glennon hit Johnson and the game was knotted up 24-24.
The Vikings after a touchback quickly moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Jacksonville 33 with 23 seconds left. Cousins threw incomplete. It was time for Bailey, who had already missed 2 extra points, to be the hero from 51 yards out. The kick was no good. The Jaguars took over at their own 41 with 18 seconds left. With everyone expecting a pass, Doug Marrone called a run and Robinson gained 15. Glennon spiked the ball with one second left. Now it was up to Chase McLaughlin, who had missed an extra point of his own, to be the hero from 62 yards out. He was also no good as the game went into overtime. In the extra session, the Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 20. Glennon went deep and was intercepted by Smith. The Vikings had a short field at the Jacksonville 46. Cousins hit Thielen for 9 and Conklin for 10. On 3rd and 6 from the Jags 28, Cook gained 10. On 3rd and 3 from the 11, Cook gained 6. With 1:53 left in overtime, on 3rd and goal at the one, a false start moved the Vikings back to the 5. Mike Zimmer had seen enough. Bailey came in for the 23 yard field goal try. It was good and the Vikings got to 6-6 after a 1-5 start. Meanwhile the Jaguars lost their 11th straight. 27-24 Vikings, OT
Las Vegas Raiders at New York Jets — The Raiders began last year 6-4, lost to a bad Jets team 34-3, and finished 1-5 down the stretch. This year they started 6-3, lost 2 straight including a 43-6 drubbing at Atlanta, and now again travel to take on the winless Jets. The Raiders were without Josh Jacobs and Jonathan Abram. On the second play of the game, Damon Arnette collided with Frank Gore and both players went out injured. The Raiders secondary got even more depleted while the Jets lost their workhorse back.The Jets began facing 3rd and 8 from their own 28. Sam Darnold found a wide open Brad Perriman over the middle for a 22 yard gain to midfield. Johnson gained 9 and one. Darnold went to Crowder for 9 more. on 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 20, Darnold hit Mims for 17. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Darnold hit Crowder for the touchdown. The 12 play, 74 yard, 6 minute drive had the Jets up 7-0 and the Raiders looking s heartless as ever on defense. Darnold did not throw a touchdown pass since September, but the Raiders can’t stop anyone.
Last week Derek Carr had his worst game as a pro. This week after a touchback the Raiders moved to a 2nd and 1 at the Jets 32. Carr threw a short pass to Henry Ruggs. The ball bounced off of Ruggs’s hands and was intercepted by Maulet, who returned it 20 yards to his own 45. This time the Jets went 3 and out without gaining a yard. The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 28. Carr threw deep incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. Carr then went back to Ruggs, who atoned for his earlier mistake with a 28 yard gain. Carr went to Darren Waller for 28 more and back to Waller for a 9 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game after the first quarter.
The Jets got it back at their own 33 and the pathetic Raiders secondary continued to make Darnold look like a Hall of Fame. Darnold hit Crowder for 16 and Griffin for 13. Adams gained 25. On 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 6, Darnold fired to Crowder for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Jets led 13-7. The Raiders after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Jets 40. Yet Carr threw incomplete twice and the Raiders had to punt rather than try a 58 yard field goal. The Jets were pinned at their own 9 yard line but
Darnold hit Mims for 23 yards. Just when it looked like the Raiders were collapsing again, the game turned.
Darnold was sacked and fumbled and the Raiders recovered at the Jets 31. The Raiders offense wasted the opportunity as a run gained one yard and Carr threw incomplete twice. Daniel Carlson hit the 48 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 13-10. The Jets after a touchback easily moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Raiders 38. Yet a short pass resulted in Trayvon Mullen breaking inside and making a one-handed interception. The Raiders took over at their own 34. Carr went to Nelson Agholor for gains of 13 and 14. Carr then went to Waller, who broke tackles along the sideline for a 38 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Raiders with 1:12 left in the half. The Jets after a touchback began with a false start. On 2nd and 15 from their own 20, Darnold went to Berrios for gains of 25 and 8. Johnson gained 12. With 34 seconds left in the half the Jets had 1st and 10 at the Raiders 35. Yet Darnold was sacked again and fumbled again. The Raiders took over at their own 40 with 28 seconds left. Carr hit Hunter Renfrown for 18. Yet a sack of Carr took the Raiders out of field goal range. 9 seconds remained as the Raiders faced 3rd and 18 from midfield. Carr was sacked again to end the half.
The Raiders threw the ball 26 times for 210 yards and ran it only 8 times in the first half for 14 yards. Yet on the first play of the third quarter after a touchback, Davante Booker gained 14 yards. On 3rd and 7 from their own 42, Carr fired to Renfrow short of the marker. Yet Renfrow alertly rolled over a couple times for an 8 yard gain. Carr found Waller in the flat for 19 yards. Waller had 123 receiving yards in the first half and was still rolling. Booker ran for 6, 3, and on 3rd and 1 from the Jets 19, 4 more. Carr hit Waller for 9. On 2nd and goal from the 2, Carr rolled to his right, could not find anyone, and raced to the corner. He stretched the ball over the pylon just with his feet still inbounds for the touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive had the Raiders up 24-13.
The Raiders do not put games away and their defense cannot stop anyone. These two problems have been true for years. Up by 11 with 1st and 10 at their own 40, a pair of runs set up 3rd and 5. With a chance to turn out the lights, Carr threw incomplete. A great punt had the Jets pinned at their own 4 yard line. It didn’t matter Adams gashed the Raiders defense for gains of 12 and 18 to start the fourth quarter. Darnold hit Crowder for 11. Adams ran for 6, Darnold added 17, and Johnson slashed the Raiders for gains of 16, 5 and 7. Darnold ran for a 4 yard touchdown. 96 yards came easy as 85 of it came on the ground. The Jets did not face a single third down on the entire drive. On the 2 point conversion. Darnold was intercepted. Yet defensive pass interference gave the Jets another chance. This time Darnold hit Mims for the conversion. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Jets were right back in it down 24-21.
The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 34. Carr hit Ruggs for 12 but Ruggs had the ball chopped out of his hands. The Jets recovered at the Raiders 46. With 9 minutes left, it was up to the Raiders defense to completely self-destruct as Paul Guenther’s defense always does. A run gained 5 with a defensive personal foul adding 15. Darnold went to Griffin for 18. On 3rd and goal at the one, Johnson easily got in. The winless Jets were beating the heartless Raiders 28-24 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The rest of the game will be remembered forever as an epic battle of who wanted it least.
After a touchback Carr hit Jalen Richard for 6 and Agholor for 7. On 3rd and 10 from their own 38, Carr found Waller for a 29 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Jets 28, Carr threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 5 yards and a new set of downs. These are the Jets. With 2:11 left on 4th and 8 from the Jets 21, Carr threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. These are the Jets. With 1:55 left on 3rd and 3 from the Jets 9, Carr threw incomplete. On 4th and 3, Carr threw to Renfrow in the end zone for the touchdown. Yet offsetting penalties nullified the score. On 4th and 3 again, Carr went to Agholor and Agholor slipped and dropped the ball, but there was clear defensive pass interference. It was not called. These are the Raiders. They had found a way to lose to a winless team. With 1:37 left, all the Jets had to do was run out the clock. A pair of short gains followed by the Raiders taking their timeouts on defense meant 3rd and 6 for the Jets at their own 13. With 1:28 left, a first down would end the game. Rather than run straight ahead, Adam Gase called a sweep. Johnson gained one yard but was thrown out of bounds to stop the clock. These are the Jets. Yet somehow the officials declared Johnson had gone down inbounds. The entire football world saw Johnson go out of bounds, but the clock kept ticking. The Jets punted, but the Raiders got the ball back at their own 39 with 0 timeouts. Rather than have 80 seconds left, they only had 35. The Silver and Black needed a miracle.
Carr hit Waller for 15 and then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 19 seconds left. Most defensive coordinators play prevent defense and rely on stopping the Hail Mary. Gregg Williams runs an aggressive defense that relies on heavy pressure. It is feast or famine. The logic is simple. Don’t even let the ball leave the quarterback’s hands. Williams went for it all, and Carr got the throw off. The bomb went to the end zone and Agholor had beaten his man. The ball was overthrown incomplete. 13 seconds remained. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 46, Gregg Williams dialed up a zero blitz. He sent everyone at Carr. Center Rodney Hudson and the rest of the offensive line gave Carr enough time to step up and throw down the sideline. Ruggs had beaten his man. The miracle was answered. Ruggs caught the 46 yard bomb with 5 seconds left. There were no flags on the field. The touchdown counted. The Raiders were so busy celebrating their miracle win that they forgot about the final 5 seconds. An attempt to squib kick the ball backfired when the Jets fell on it at midfield. They would have time for one Hail Mary of their own. Darnold avoided a sack and somehow got the ball off. It was short of the end zone and knocked down incomplete.
This game will be shown on Raiders highlight videos forever. They were all but dead. Only a team with a defense as bad as theirs could blow an 11 point fourth quarter lead to a winless team. Calls for Paul Guether’s firing would have reached a crescendo had the Raiders lost. Only a winless team could lose this team, and the Jets did to fall to 0-12 to continue the chants of Just End The Season. Somehow Adam Gase is still employed despite being on pace to have a worse record than Rich Kotite. Needing a scapegoat, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was fired on Monday. The Jets gashed the Raiders defense for 206 yards on 34 carries. Without Jacobs, the Raiders rushed for only 72 yards on 25 carries. Yet Carr was 28 of 47 for 381 yards, 3 touchdowns, and the one early interception. Waller was magnificent, with 200 receiving yards on 13 receptions. Ruggs was the hero. As John Madden used to say, speed kills. Al Davis has been gone for nearly a decade, but Ruggs is the epitome of an Al Davis player. One play took a dead team at 6-6 and instead kept them very much alive at 7-5. This was an Al Davis Hanukkah miracle. Just win baby. 31-28 Raiders
New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons started 0-5 but are 4-2 under interim coach Raheem Morris. The 9-2 Saints looked to maintain their lead atop the NFC. The Saints faced 3rd and 7 from their own 16 when Taysom Hill threw incomplete. Yet roughing the passer kept the drive going. A sack of Hill had the Saints facing 2nd and 20 from their own 21. Hill hit Michael Thomas for 14. On 3rd and 6 from their own 35, Hill hit Cook for 7. Hill then scrambled for a 43 yard gain. Hill then went to Smith for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. The Falcons after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Saints 33. A completion lost 2 yards and on 3rd and 8 Matt Ryan threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit the 53 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 7-3. The Saints missed opportunities to extend the lead. A 15 play, 53 yard, 7 minute drive came up empty on 4th and 4 from the Atlanta 17. After a delay of game, Wil Lutz missed a 40 yard field goal. The Saints got it back at their own 32 and moved to a 4th and 7 at the Atlanta 36. Sean Payton went for it and Hill threw incomplete.
On the next play Matty Ice went to Jones for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Saints 26, Smith gained 15. Yet from the Saints 11, a run lost a yard and Ryan threw incomplete twice. Koo hit from 30 to get the Falcons within 7-6. After a touchback Alvin Kamara ripped off a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Atlanta 36, Hill went to Emanuel sanders for 18. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 11, Hill went to Jared Cook for the touchdown to make it 14-6 Saints with 1:45 left in the half. After a touchback, Ryan went to Powell for 9 and to Calvin Ridley for 31 more. On 3rd and 9 from the Saints 24, Ryan threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 14 yards and 1st and goal at the 10 with 16 seconds left. Ryan threw incomplete, wasting 11 seconds. Another incompletion left only one second. Koo hit the 28 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 14-9 at the half.
After a touchback to start the second half, Hill went to Thomas for 18 and 10 and to Sanders for 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 40, Hill gained 4. Sean Payton gambled on 4th and 1 and Hill gained 2. On 3rd and 7 from the Atlanta 31, Hill hit Cook for 10. Kamara did the rest, running for 10 and then the 11 yard touchdown. The Falcons were kicking field goals while the Saints were scoring touchdowns as the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the Saints up 21-9. The fourth quarter began with the Falcons fumbling deep in their own territory and the Saints recovering at the Atlanta 18. One more score would put the game away. Yet on 2nd and goal from the 5, rather than play smashmouth, Hill went back to pass and was sacked. He fumbled and the Falcons got the ball back at their own 15.
The Falcons were alive and they took advantage. Ryan went to Russell Gage for 24 and 14 and to Hurst for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Saints 32, Gurley gained 2 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Ryan hit Gage for a 10 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Falcons were right back in it down 5. The Falcons got it back at their own 15 with 5 minutes left. On 3rd and 3 from their own 22, Ryan went to Ridley for 27. Gurley gained 13. On 3rd and 11 from the Saints 39, Ryan went to Jones for 18 at the 2 minute warning. With 1:49 left the Saints began taking their timeouts on defense as the Falcons faced 2nd and 2 from the Saints 13. Gurley got stopped. Then on 3rd and 2 Gurley got trapped for a 7 yard loss. On 4th and 9, Ryan threw incomplete. It was brutal, but the Saints won their 9th straight to get to 10-2 atop the NFC. With the win, the Saints became the first NFL team to clinch a playoff berth. 21-16 Saints
Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans — Both teams came in 8-3. The Browns moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 5 at the Titans 8. Yet a false start was followed by a completion that only gained 4 yards. Cody Parkey hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. The Titans moved from their own 28 to a 3rd and 1 at the Cleveland 42. Ryan Tannehill threw incomplete and Mike Vrabel went for it. On 4th and 1, Derrick Henry got stopped. Vrabel unsuccessfully challenged the call. On 1st and 15 from their own 36, Baker Mayfield went to Nick Chubb for 26. Chubb ran for 8 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Titans 30, Mayfield pitched it to Jarvis Landry, who then threw a forward pass back to Mayfield for a 6 yard gain with 12 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On 3rd and 6 from the Titans 8, Mayfield hit Higgins for 7. Mayfield fired a 2 yard touchdown pass to Landry to put the Browns up 10-0. The Titans quickly fumbled the ball and the Browns recovered at the Titans 21. Mayfield went to Higgins for 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Titans 14, Mayfield hit Landry for 7. The second quarter began with the Browns facing 3rd and goal at the one. Mayfield hit Lamm for the touchdown as the Browns had the shocking 17-0 lead.
The Titans took over at their own 26 and finally got going. Tannehill hit AJ Brown for 12 and then went deep to Brown for a 40 yard gain. Tannehill hit Davis for a 17 yard touchdown to get the Titans within 17-7. Yet 10 seconds later the Browns were in the end zone again. Mayfield on a perfect play action pass went deep to Peoples-Jones for a 75 yard touchdown as the Browns led 24-7. The Browns got it back at their own 10. Mayfield went to Hunt for 11. On 3rd and 10 from their own 21, Mayfield went deep to Higgins for 21 with 15 more tacked on for defensive unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and 3 from the Titans 36, Mayfield got just enough. Mayfield went to Landry for 12 and to Higgins for a 17 yard touchdown as the Browns were up big 31-7 after the 11 play, 90 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. The Browns got it back again at their own 35. Mayfield hit Peoples-Jones for 17 and Landry for 13. Another defensive unnecessary roughness penalty added 14 yards on the next play. On 3rd and goal at the one, Chubb got in as the Browns were obliterating Tennessee 38-7 at halftime. Yes, the Browns are for real. A few weeks ago the Browns led a road game at Dallas by 27 points, yet nearly blew the game before winning by 11. Surely this time a 31 point halftime lead would mean the game was over.
Not so fast. After a touchback to start the second half, the Titans needed barely more than one minute to get in the end zone. Derrick Henry ran for 10. Tannehill hit Davis for a 43 yard gain. Tannehill hit MyCole Priott for a 22 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Titans were within 38-13. The Titans got the ball back at their own 39. Tannehill went to Davis for 18 and again for 22. Tannehill hit Brown for an 18 yard gain down to the one, but Brown fumbled the ball. By sheer luck, Pruitt picked it up for the Titans at the 3 and took it into the end zone. The Titans got the touchdown the hard way. The freak play was followed by a 2 point conversion. Only 6 minutes into the second half, the Titans were within 38-21. The Browns soon faced 3rd and 12 from their own 23. Mayfield hit Austin Hooper for 16. Nick Chubb raced for 29 more. On 3rd and 3 from the Titans 25, Mayfield threw incomplete. Pakrey hit a 43 yard field goal. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Browns were up comfortably 41-21. The Titans took over at their own 24. Tannehill was immediately intercepted, but unsportsmanlike conduct on the defense kept the drive going. The Titans moved 59 yards in 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 12 from the Cleveland 33, Tannehill threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 4th and 4 from Cleveland 22, Tannehill threw incomplete. Mike Vrabel challenged the call and it was reversed to a completion and a 5 yard gain. Yet from the Cleveland 17, it was all for naught. Tannehill was intercepted again and this time the call stood. Down by 20 after three quarters, this game was over.
With 5:43 to play the Titans were still down by 20 and pinned at their own 9. This game was over. On 3rd and 5 from their own 14, Tannehill went to Anthony Firkser for 6, to McNichols for 4, to Firkser for gains of 14, 6 and 11, and to Jeremy McNichols for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 37, McNichols only gained one. One defensive stop would put this game on ice. On 4th and 1 rom the Cleveland 36, Tannehill went to Davis for 10 but offensive holding nullified the play. On 4th and 11, Tannehill hit Davis for 18 and 14 and Humphries for 9. McNichols ran for a one yard touchdown. The Titans were within 41-28, but only 1:23 remained. The onside kick failed. This game was over. On 3rd and 2 from the Titans 37, Karim Hunt only gained one. The Titans took their final timeout on defense with one minute left. On 4th and 1 a punt would have been fine but a first down would have ended it. Things then got bizarre Mayfield snuck across for the first down. The game was over. Except Mayfield had the ball jarred loose. Kenny Vaccaro picked it up and raced 53 yards the other way to the Cleveland 13. On 4th and 5 from the 8, Tannehill hit Cameron Watson for the touchdown. The Titans had reduced a 31 point deficit to 6 points. 28 seconds remained. The Titans needed one more miracle.
They did not get it. The onside kick failed. Mayfield finally took a knee. The game was finally over. The Browns are 9-3 and the Titans are 8-4. Tannehill was 29 of 45 for 389 yards, 3 touchdowns and one interception. Mayfield backed up all his talk over the last 3 years. He was 25 of 33 for 334 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He was helped by a ground game that carried the ball 36 times for 118 yards. Kevin Stefanski might just win coach of the year. The Cleveland Browns are no longer losers. Whatever happens the rest of the season, they are winners. They have not been to the playoffs since 2002, but they are knocking on the door. 41-35 Browns
New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks — The Giants started 1-7 but have won 3 straight over bad teams. Yet Daniel Jones was out injured and backup Colt McCoy surprised people by still being in the league. The Giants were not going to go on the road and beat the 8-3 Seahawks. Cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman: “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES.” Throughout the decade, the Giants have won games with defense. Today was no exception. The Seahawks moved from their own 30 to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 13. Russell Wilson threw 3 straight incompletions. Jason Myers hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Seahawks, but then the Giants clamped down. With 30 seconds left in the half, the Giants had to punt on 4th and 4 from their own 11. It was blocked out of the end zone for a safety as the Seahawks clung to a 5-0 halftime lead.
In the third quarter the Giants took over at their own 20. Wayne Gallman got around the end for a 60 yard gain. Alfred Morris ran for 13 and then the 4 yard touchdown. McCoy hit Sterling Shepard for the 2 point try as the Giants led 8-5. The Seahawks soon faced 4th and 1 from their own 48. Pete Carroll went for it and Wilson threw incomplete. Gallman ran for 3, 13 and 23. McCoy hit Morris for a 6 yard touchdown as the Giants led 14-5 after three quarters. With 11/2 minutes left in regulation, Wilson was intercepted to give the Giants a short field at the Seattle 39. On 4th and 1 from the Seattle 30 with 10 minutes left, Joe Judge did not gamble. Graham Gano hit the 48 yard field goal to make it 17-5 Giants in a shocker.
The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 27. Chris Carson gained 5. On 3rd and 5 from their own 37, Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for 21 and Carson for 12. On 3rd and 15 from the Giants 33, Wilson threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. Wilson went deep to Carson for a 28 yard touchdown to get the Seahawks within 5 with 6 minutes left. The Seahawks got it back at their own 20 with 1:48 left. With one minute left the Seahawks had 1st and 10 at the Giants 46. Wilson was going to do it again. After a pair of incompletions, on 3rd and 10, Wilson was sacked. Everything came down to 4th and 18. Wilson scrambled for his life and his prayer was knocked away incomplete. The Giants have won 4 straight and lead the NFC Least while the 8-4 Seahawks can still win the NFC West. 17-12 Giants
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals — An NFC West showdown produced a wild one in the desert. The Cardinals early on faced 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Kyler Murray was sacked but a defensive facemask kept the drive going. Murray went deep to Arnold for a 59 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 22. Jared Goff hit Tyler Higbee for 4. On 2nd and 12 from their own 24, Goff hit Higbee for 16 as the first quarter ended. Goff hit Jefferson for 5, Woods for 9 and Jefferson for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 38, Goff hit Higbee for 3. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 29, Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 12 with roughing the passer adding 8 more. Cam Akers ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Rams got it back at their own 44 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 9. Akers gained 4, 3, and on 3rd and goal at the 2, only one. Sean McVay went for it and Akers lost a yard. Despite the goal line stand, the Arizona offense had to punt on 4th and 11 from their own one, giving the Rams a short field at the Arizona 45. Goff hit Robert Woods for 18 and 4. On 3rd and 10 from the Arizona 27, Goff hit Woods for 10 and 6 to the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and goal at the one with 50 seconds left in the half, Goff hit Higbee for the score to make it 14-7 Rams. On the last play of the half, Zane Gonzalez missed a 48 yard field goal for the Cardinals.
After a touchback to start th third quarter, Goff hit Darrell Henderson for 19. On 3rd and 7 from their own 47, Goff hit Malcolm Brown for 30. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 20, an 8 yard completion from Goff to Woods was nullified by offensive pass interference on Woods. Matt Gay hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Rams. After a touchback Murray hit Kenyan Drake for 8, Deandre Hopkins for 6 and 10 and Johnson for 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 42, Murray ran for 4. After a pair of incompletions, Kliff Kingsbury decided to go for it on 4th and 12 from the Rams 40. Murray hit Johnson for the precise amount. Murray ran for 7 and Edmonds gained 13 and 3. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Murray hit Hopkins for the touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the 15 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Cardinals within 17-14.
The Rams soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Goff hit Akers for 22, Everett for 6, Cupp for 13, and Jefferson for 9. On 2nd and goal at the 3 to start the fourth quarter, Goff threw incomplete but defensive holding put the ball on the one. Goff got it to make it 24-14 Rams. The Cardinals got right back in it when they punted and the Rams fumbled it. The Cardinals took over at the Rams 15. Drake ran for 11 and then for the 4 yard touchdown. With 13:20 left in regulation, the Cardinals were right back in it down 24-21.
The Rams soon faced 3rd and 11 from their own 23. Goff went to Everett for 22, Woods for 10 and Cupp for 7. The Rams got in the end zone for a 31-21 lead. The Cardinals then fumbled the ball away but dodged a bullet when a short field goal was no good. Yet 3 plays later on 3rd and 9 from their own 28, disaster struck the Cardinals. Murray was intercepted by Troy Hill, who returned it 35 yards for a defensive touchdown. with 4 1/2 minutes left, the Rams had a comfortable 38-21 lead. Needing 3 scores on 4th and goal at the 2 with 2:04 to play, Murray hit Arnold for the touchdown. Yet the Cardinals did not get the ball back. Goff was 37 of 47 for 351 yards and one touchdown without an interception. The Rams added 199 yards rushing on 31 carries. The Cardinals lost their third straight to fall to 6-6 while the Rams at 8-4 are tied for the NFC West lead and hold the tie-breaker. 38-28 Rams
Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers — Sometimes a bad team can go on the road and shock a good team. This was not that game. Jake Elliott hit a 52 yard field goal as the Eagles actually led 3-0 after the first quarter. Then reality set in. The Packers in the second quarter moved from their own 12. Rodgers hit Devonta Adams for 24, Lazard for 10, Adams for 12 and Lazard for 9. Jones ran for 6, one, and on 3rd and 3 from the Philadelphia 17, 8. On 3rd and goal from the one, Rodgers threw incomplete. Matt Lafleur decided to go for it. Rodgers hit Adams for the score as the Packers led 7-3 and never looked back. The Packers got it back at their own 18. Rodgers hit Lewis for 36, Taylor for 14, and Williams for 5. On 3rd and 4 from the Philly 25, Rodgers went deep to Tonyan for the touchdown. The Packers led 14-3 with one minute left in the half.
In the third quarter the Packers were pinned at their own one yard line. Rodgers went bombs away with a dangerous ball thrown into double coverage. Somehow Adams came down with it for a 42 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from midfield, Rodgers went to Lazard for 31 more yards. Jones gained 7 and 3. Rodgers hit Adams for a 9 yard touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright no good but the Packers were cruising up 20-3. After moving 99 yards, the Packers got it back at their own 6 and moved 72 yards in 14 plays and nearly 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 6 from the Philly 22, Mason Crosby hit a 40 yard field goal. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Packers were cruising up 23-3.
Doug Pederson had had enough. Carson Wentz was benched and Jalen Hurts. From his own 27,, Hurts immediately ran for gains of 10 and 13. On 3rd and 4 from the Green Bay 44, Hurts hit Zach Ertz for 20 in the first NFL hurts to Ertz combination.Midway through the fourth quarter the Eagles were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 18 from the Green Bay 32. One stop would end it. Instead Hurts went deep to Ward for the touchdown. The Eagles were within 23-10. With 6 1/2 minutes left the Packers punted on 4th and 12 from their own 21. Reagor fumbled the punt, picked it up, and evaded everyone along the way for a 73 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Eagles were within 23-16. With 2:50 to play the Packers faced 2nd and 7 from their own 23 as the Eagles took their first timeout. 2 more stops would give the Eagles a chance to tie it. Instead Jones got the carry, followed his blockers perfectly, and ran for a 77 yard touchdown to put the game on ice. At 9-3 the Packers are in a strong playoff position. The 3-8 Eagles can still win the NFC Least but Doug Pederson is on the hot seat. Even worse, he now has a quarterback controversy. 30-16 Packers
New England Patriots at Los Angeles Chargers — The Patriots started 2-5 but have won 3 of 4 to cling to life in the playoff picture. The Chargers have lost a ton of close games, but nothing was close about this game. After a touchback Cam Newton hit Harris for 15. Harris ran for 7, 8 and 11. Newton added 14. On 3rd and 5 from the Chargers 15, Newton only gained 3. Bill Belichick decided to go for it. On 4th and 2 from the 12, Newton got just enough. On 3rd and goal at the one, Newton barely got in. The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive made it 7-0 Patriots. Then came the Chargers special teams. A 12 play, 45 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive came up empty when Mike Badgley missed a 46 yard field goal. In the second quarter, it was back to the Chargers special teams. They punted from their own 21. Olszewski fielded it at the sideline, broke through several awful attempts at tackling, and straddled the sideline for a 70 yard touchdown return to make it 14-0 Patriots.
Olszewski returned the next punt 14 yards to his own 46. Newton gained 9 and Harris added 12 and 3. On 3rd and 19 from the Chargers 29, Newton only gained one yard. Yet illegal use of hands on the defense kept the drive going. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 17, Moncrief got just enough. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 7, Sony Michel got just enough. Newton ran for a 2 yard touchdown. With 50 seconds left in the half, the Patriots led 21-0. It all came down to Chargers special teams. On the last play of the half Badgley lined up for a 58 yard field goal try. It was blocked and returned 44 yards for a touchdown by Devon McCourty. The Patriots led 28-0. The second half was a formality. Justin Herbert was intercepted to give the Patriots a short field at the Chargers 32. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Newton hit Harry for the score to make it 35-0 Patriots. Herbert was then intercepted again. Jarret Stidham played the fourth quarter with the Patriots up 35. More Chargers special teams saw Gunner Olszewski return a punt 61 yards to set up a field goal. Stidham threw a 38 yard touchdown pass to Olszewski to complete the blowout shutout. The Chargers fell to 3-9 as the Patriots at 6-6 are still alive. Anthony Lynn is on the red hot coaching seat after the worst loss in the 60 year history of the Chargers.
The deal that Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick made with the devil has not expired yet. 45-0 Patriots
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs was the Sunday night game. The Chiefs have all but wrapped up the AFC West at 10-1. The Broncos played an NFL game last week without a quarterback and got throttled. Drew Lock is back from COVID and will start for the Broncos. The Chiefs got a scare when 7 players tested positive for COVID, but those tests turned out to be false positives. The Chiefs came in having beaten the Broncos 10 straight times. On 3rd and 7 from their own 28 on the third play of the game, Lock went deep to Noah fant for 37 yards. Lock then went deep again and was intercepted at the 9 yard line. It was Lock’s 7th consecutive game with at least one interception. The Broncos would strike first with a 53 yard Brandon McManus field goal. Harrison Butker responded from 35 for the Chiefs for a 3-3 game.
A bizarre event occurred in the second quarter. On 3rd and 10 from the Denver 40, Patrick Mahomes went bombs away and Tyreek Hill had a step on the defender. Hill briefly had it but the defender appeared to knock it away at the last moment incomplete. The Chiefs punted, but their sideline exploded when replay showed that Hill caught the ball. Walrus Andy Reid never challenged the call. Apparently Hill did not even realize he caught it. The ball was knocked out of his hands but landed against his body without ever hitting the ground. The Chiefs gave up a touchdown once the ball was snapped to punt. 3 plays later the Broncos faced 3rd and 3 from their own 17. Melvin Gordon broke through the middle and raced for a 65 yard gain. Lock hit Fant for 10. Gordon bulldozed up the middle for 6, getting stopped inches short of the goal line. Gordon got in on the next carry but an illegal shift nullified the score. Lock then found Patrick in the flat, and he got to the corner and past the pylon in time for a 10-3 Broncos lead with 6 1/2 minutes left in the half.
After a touchback Leveon Bell gained 6 with 15 more tacked on for a horse collar tackle penalty. Hill then ripped off a 30 yard gain and Mahoems added 20 more. Yet on 2nd and goal at the one, Bell got stopped. On 3rd and goal, Mahomes lateraled to Hill, but the Denver defense strung out the play for a 5 yard loss. Butker hit from 24 but with 2:45 left in the half, the Chiefs were still down 10-6. With 33 seconds left in the half, Vic Fangio gambled on a 57 yard field goal try. McManus was long enough but wide no good. Leaving Mahomes 28 seconds from his own 47 is dangerous. Mahomes hit Mecole Hardman for 15 and Travis Kelce for 28 to set up 1st and goal at the 10. Mahomes hit Hill for 5 as 7 seconds remained. Mahomes fired over the middle and had the ball barred down with 3 seconds left. Butker hit from 23 but instead of trailing 13-6 or leading 13-10, the Chiefs trailed 10-9. In the third quarter after a touchback, Bell gained 16 and 3. Mahomes went to Kelce for 20, Hill for 12, and Keizer for 15. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 8, Mahomes was sacked. Butker hit his 4th field goal from 31 to make it 12-10 Chiefs.
The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 31. Lock went to Hamler for 8, to Patrick for 21 and to Cleveland for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 15, Lock got the yard. On 2nd and 10 from the Chiefs 14, Lock threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 4 yard gain. Lock threw a 10 yard touchdown to Patrick. Vic Fangio went for 2 but Lock threw incomplete. The 11 play, 72 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Broncos up 16-12 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. After a touchback Mahomes went deep to Hill for a 30 yard gain. Mahomes then went to Kelce for 14 and Sammy Watkins for 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Denver 26, Mahomes ran for 6. Mahomes went deep to Kelce for a 20 yard touchdown. After three quarters the Chiefs led 19-16.
The Chiefs got it back and moved from their own 26 to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 48. Mahomes hit Kence for 18 but on further review it was reversed to an incompletion. On 3rd and 10 Mahomes went for it all and found a wide open Hill for the touchdown. Yet offensive holding nullified the score and killed the drive. With 6 minutes left the Broncos after an incompletion faced 4th and 3 just shy of midfield. Vic Fangio decided not to gamble. The Chiefs got it back at their own 15. Williams gained 6 and Mahomes hit Watkins for 17. Williams gained 12 and 4. Mahomes hit Watkins for 9 and another first down at the Denver 32 as the Broncos took their final timeout on defense with 2 1/2 minutes left. At the 2 minute warning, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 12 from the Denver 34. A first down would end it, yet an incomplete pass would stop the clock. Yes, Mahomes is superhuman. In this situation you run the ball every single time. Naturally, pass-happy Walrus Andy Reid called a high risk pass play. Mahomes completed it, but for only 9 yards. Butker hit the 43 yard field goal but the Chiefs were called for delay of game. Butker tried again from 48 and again was good. With 1:04 to play the Chiefs led by 6. With 33 seconds left the Broncos faced 4th and 5 from their own 30. Lock was intercepted at midfield. The Broncos were game, but the Chiefs at 11-1 have all but locked up the AFC West, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 22-16 Chiefs
Washington Gridlock at Pittsburgh Steelers was a Monday afternoon game rescheduled from Sunday due to COVID. The unbeaten Steelers were supposed to steamroll over lowly Washington. After a scoreless first quarter, the Steelers appeared to break the game open in the second quarter. From their own 28, Ben Roethlisberger hit Eric Ebron for 13 and 4 and Johnson for 5. On 3rd and 1 from midfield, Bennie Snell gained 2. On 3rd and 12 from midfield, Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 29, Roethlisberger hit Ebron for 15 and Johnson for 8. On 3rd and 7 from the Washington 11, Big Ben hit Chase Claypool for 8 and Johnson for the 3 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 72 yard, 6 minute drive had the Steelers up 7-0. Riverboat Ron Rivera gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 34 and Mckissic got blown up for a 3 yard loss. The Steelers with a short field reached 2nd and goal Roethlisberger threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness meant 1st and goal at the one again. Snell got stopped twice and Roethlisberger on 3rd and goal threw incomplete. Mike Tomlin gambled on 4th and goal at the one and Snell got belted trying to go airborne. Despite the inspired goal line stand, the Gridlock offense punted the ball right back and the Steelers took over at midfield. One play later Roethlisberger connected with Washington for a 50 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the half the Steelers were up 14-0 and thinking blowout.
With 50 seconds left in the half, a relatively short 40 yard punt had the Non-Redskins taking over at their own 41. Alex Smith hit Sims for a 30 yard gain and McKissic for 11 more. Consecutive sacks of Smith ended the drive but Dustin Hopkins hit a 49 yard field goal to end the half with the No-Names within 14-3. The No-Names after consecutive penalties to start the third quarter faced 1st and 23 from their own 5. On 3rd and 14 from their own 14, Smith hit Wright for a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 38, Smith hit Sims for 9. On 2nd and 12 from the Pittsburgh 31, Smith went deep to Thomas for a 30 yard gain down to the one. McKissic got stopped and Smith threw incomplete twice. On 4th and goal at the one, Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it. Smith threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the one again. Pierre Barber got in. The 14 play, 82 yard, 7 minute drive had the Non-Redskins within 14-10 midway through the third quarter.
The Steelers got it back at their own 18 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. McFarland gained 9. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 14. On 3rd and 14 from their own 37, Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 16. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 39, Roethlisberger threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 14 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 24, Roethlisberger hit Ebron for only 5 yards. Wright was in place of the injured Chris Boswell, and he hit from 37 on the first play of the fourth quarter. The 11 play, 63 yard drive had the Steelers up 17-10. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Steelers had to punt on 4th and 12 from their own 8. The No-Names got it back at their own 47. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 44, Barber gained 2. McKissic caught passes from Smith for 16 and 8 sandwiched around his running for 3 yards. Smith went to Thomas for a 15 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left in regulation this supposed blowout was deadlocked 17-17.
The Steelers took over at their own 38 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Washington 28 with 5 minutes left. Roethlisberger threw incomplete. A field goal to give the Steelers the lead would be from 46 yards out. Mike Tomlin instead decided to go for it. Roethlisberger went deep incomplete. Smith hit McKissic for gains of 7 and 6. On 3rd and 4 from their own 44, Smith went deep to Sims for 29 yards. The drive died at the Pittsburgh 27. with 2:07 left, Hopkins came in for a 45 yard field goal try. It was good and the No-Names had the 20-17 lead. One play after a touchback, Roethlisberger had a short pass over the middle batted in the air and intercepted by Jeff Bostic. From the Pittsburgh 25, three safe runs took the clock down to 21 seconds. On 4th and 12 from the Pittsburgh 27, there was too much time left just to run around and kill clock. A field goal could be blocked and returned. Ron Rivera trusted his kicker and from 45 Hopkins delivered again. Down by 6 with 17 seconds left, the Steelers needed a miracle. After touchback, Roethlisberger hit Ebron for 22. However, Claypool could not get out of bounds and the clock ran out.
Washington at 5-7 is still tied atop the NFC Least. The 1972 Dolphins popped their champagne corks as the last NFL unbeaten of 2020 went down to defeat. They had the No-Name Defense who beat Washington in the Super Bowl, and the 2020 Steelers lost to the No-Name Football Team of Washington. Any Given Sunday is now Any Given Monday as well. Again, cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman: “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” 23-17 Gridlock
Buffalo Bills at San Francisco 49ers was the Monday night game. The 49ers actually play in Santa Clara near San Jose and an hour south of San Francisco. Due to a total COVID lockdown in Santa Clara, the 49ers are now playing home games in the Arizona Cardinals stadium in Glendale near Phoenix. The Bills came in 8-3 atop the AFC East and the 49ers were 5-6. The Bills started after a touchback by moving 74 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. On 4th and goal at the one, Sean Mcdermott went for it. Josh Allen threw incomplete. The 49ers moved 97 yards in 13 plays and 8 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, Kyle Juszczyk got stopped just short. Kyle Shanahan went for it. Wilson got stuffed as both teams had a goal line stand. Yet one play later out of the shotgun, the handoff exchange was fumbled. The 49ers recovered at the Buffalo 3. Raheem Mostert got stopped twice but there would be no third goal line stand in the same quarter. On 3rd and goal at the 2, a well executed play action pass over the middle from Nick Mullens to Aiyuk went for the touchdown and the 7-0 49ers lead the hard way. The Bills got it back at their own 23. Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 12, Cole Beasley for 35, Davis for 22, Smith for 7, and finally to Beasley for a 5 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game early in the second quarter.
The Bills got it back at their own 31. From their own 43, Allen had a pass deflected and intercepted. However, illegal contact instead gave the Bills a 4 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 44, Allen gained 2. Allen hit Knox for 8, McKenzie for 8 and Beasley for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the 5, Allen tried the quarterback sneak and got stopped. Sean McDermott again went for it. Singletary went around the end and just barely got past the marker. On the next play Allen rolled to his right and fired to Knox for a 4 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 69 yard, 8 minute drive put the Bills up 14-7 with 2:40 left in the half. With 1:05 left the Bills got it back at their own 10. Singletary gained 8. Allen hit Beasley for 7 but with 30 seconds left the Bills were still at their own 25. Allen hit Diggs for 18, Beasley for 20 and Davis for 18. With 4 second left, Tyler Bass came in for the 37 yard field goal try. It was good, and the Bills took a 17-7 lead to the locker rooms.
The 49ers took over in the third quarter at their own 25. Mullen went to Dwelley for 17. On 1st and 15 from their own 37, Wilson gained 18. Mullens hit Aiyuk for 20. A sack ended the drive but Robbie Gould hit a 45 yard field goal to get the 49ers within 17-10. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Singletary gained 2. Allen hit Knox for 12, Beasley for 6 and Stefan Diggs for 11. On 2nd and 18 from the San Francisco 39, Allen threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 more yards and a first down. Allen then went deep to McKenzie for a 23 yard touchdown. The 11 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 24-10 Bills. 2 plays after a touchback things got worse for the 49ers. Mullens threw over the middle to Aiyuk, who juggled it twice. It then bounced off of a defender’s leg and was eventually intercepted by Micah Hyde. Hyde returned it 28 yards to the San Francisco 5 yard line. On the verge of being obliterated, the 49ers defense made another big stand. On 3rd and goal from the 2, a pair of offensive penalties killed the opportunity. Bass hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 27-10 Bills with 3 minutes left in the third quarter.
This time the 49ers came back fairly quickly. On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Mullens hit Samuel for 12. Mullens then went deep to Aiyuk for a 49 yard gain. Mullens then went to Kyle Juszczyk for a 6 yard touchdown. After three quarters the 49ers were back in it down 27-17. After a touchback, Singletary ran for 15. The Bills began the fourth quarter at their own 40. Allen was sacked and fumbled, but the Bills retained possession. On 2nd and 15, Allen hit Diggs for 10. On 3rd and 5, Allen went back to Diggs for 12 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Frisco 34, Zach Moss lost a yard. With 11 12 minutes left in regulation, Sean McDermott got very aggressive on 4th and 2. Allen fired over the middle to Diggs for 7. Two plays later Allen found a wide open Davis for the easiest 28 yard touchdown he will ever catch. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Bills dominating 34-17 with 10 minutes left.
After a touchback Mullens went deep to Samuel for 22, Worner for 15 and Samuel again for 9. Mostert ran for 10. Mullens hit Woerner for 18 down to the one. Coleman then got blasted for a 2 yard loss. Mullens fired to Kendrick Bourne, who as he was being tackled barely got the ball across the plane of the goal. Replay showed his knee came down before the ball crossed. On 3rd and goal, Mullens tried to quarterback sneak and got stopped. The 49ers were lucky that Mullens was called for a false start. So instead of 4th and goal at the one, it was 3rd and goal at the 5. Mullens fired to the end zone and thought he had a touchdown, but Tradavius White ripped it out of Wilson’s hands for a spectacular interception. Midway through the fourth quarter the Bills took over at their own 2 yard line. The 49ers would get a garbage touchdown with 43 seconds left but it was far too little too late. Mullens did not play badly. He went 26 of 39 for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns, but with 2 killer interceptions. Allen was a lights out 32 of 40 for 375 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The Bills at 9-3 remain one game ahead in the AFC East race. 34-24 Bills
Dallas Cowboys at Baltimore Ravens was a Tuesday night game rescheduled from last Thursday night due to COVID. The 3-8 Cowboys came in with a shot to win the NFC Least while the 6-5 Ravens were clinging to playoff life. The Ravens welcomed Lamar Jackson back after he missed last week with COVID. The Ravens took over at their own 16 and soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 33. Jackson was intercepted and the Cowboys had a short field at the Baltimore 34. On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 13, Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw incomplete. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein hit the 31 yard field goal. The Cowboys led 3-0, but most of this game would be a nightmare for Zuerlein. After a touchback, John Harbaugh went to the ground game. Edwards gained 7, Jackson added 5 and JK Dobbins gained 18. On 3rd and 14 just past midfield, Jackson hit Willson fr only 12. On 4th and 2, John Harbaugh passed up a 55 yard field goal try and decided to go for it. Jackson went up the middle and raced for a 37 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Ravens after the first quarter.
The Cowboys got a jolt when Tony Pollard returned the ensuing kickoff 66 yards to the Baltimore 28. The second quarter began with Dalton hitting CeeDee Lamb for 14 and Michael Gallup for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Cowboys. The Ravens after a touchback moved to a 4th and 4 at the Dallas 13. Justin Tucker hit the 31 yard field goal, but a false start meant he had to try again from 36. The kick was no good. The Ravens still trailed 10-7, but after that they took over with help from Dallas self-destructing.
The Cowboys took over at their own 26. From their own 37, Dalton was intercepted to give the Ravens a short field at the Dallas 38. One play and 7 seconds later the Ravens had the 14-10 lead as Jackson went deep to Boykin for the touchdown. The Cowboys after a touchback moved 53 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. On 4th and 4 from the Baltimore 17, Zuerlein came in for a 35 yard field goal try. A delay of game moved it back. From 40 yards out, Zuerlein was no good with 2:06 left in the half. The Ravens took over at their own 30. Defensive pass interference added 18 to midfield. Dobbins ran for 30. On 3rd and 7 from the Dallas 17, Jackson threw incomplete. Tucker hit from 35 to make it 17-10 Ravens with 42 seconds left in the half. The Cowboys quickly moved from their own 10 to a 4th and 6 at their own 45 with 7 second left. Mike McCarthy went with the Hail Mary and John Harbaugh became the anti-Gregg Williams. Harbaugh sent zero…yes, zero…rushers. Dalton had ages of time to throw a Hail Mary that Lamb had his hands on. Harbaugh was lucky it fell incomplete.
In the third quarter Zuerlein missed again from 53 and the Ravens took over at their own 43. On 3rd and 6 from their own 47, Jackson gained 7. Dobbins ran for 7, 5 and 5 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Dallas 34, Jackson ran for 14 and threw a 20 yard touchdown to Brown for a 24-10 Ravens lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The Cowboys took over at their own 22 and moved 44 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Yet early in the fourth quarter, Zuerlein from 51 yards out missed his third field goal of the game. That gave the Ravens the ball at their own 42. Jackson hit Ricard for 9. Edwards gained 21 and Jackson added 9 more. Ingram gained 6 and 5. On 2nd and goal at the 4, a run went nowhere and Jackson threw incomplete. Tucker hit from 22. The 11 play, 54 yard 6 minute drive had the Ravens comfortably ahead 27-10 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback the Cowboys moved to a 1st and goal at the one with 5 1/2 minutes left. Yet 3 runs by Ezekiel Elliot netted negative one yard and took 90 seconds off the clock. Dalton did hit Amari Cooper on 4th and goal at the 2 for the touchdown, but by then only 4 minute remained. The onside kick failed. With a short field, the Ravens put the game away. Dobbins ran for a 5 yard touchdown to end it. The Cowboys fell to 3-9 and 2 games back in the NFC Least. The 7-5 Ravens have playoff life. 34-17 Ravens