THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

Top 5 choices to be the next Raiders defensive coordinator. 

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/five-potential-raiders-replacements-for-paul-guenther-134787/

NFL 2020 Week 14 Recap

December football. This is when the big dogs come out. 

New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams was the Thursday night game. The Patriots began their dynasty by shocking the Rams in the 2001 Super Bowl. Bill Belichick won a slugfest over Sean McVay as the Patriots topped the Rams in the 2018 Super Bowl. This regular season game had the 6-6 Patriots trying to survive against the 8-4 Rams. After a touchback Jared Goff hit Tyler Higbee for 25. Cam Akers ran for 35. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 3. Sean McVay went for it on 4th and goal at the one. Goff took the quarterback sneak over the top and got the ball over the plane of the goal for a 7-0 Rams lead. The Rams quickly got it back at their own 23 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Patriots 25. Intentional grounding led to 3rd and 18. Goff hit Akers for 16. This time McVay did not gamble on 4th and 2 from the 17. Matt Gay hit the 35 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Rams. The Rams got it back at their own 13 and soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 29. Goff was intercepted by Bryant. The Patriots took over at the rams 32. On the first play of the second quarter from the Rams 19, Cam Newton was intercepted. Kenny Young returned it 79 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 17-0 Rams lead. The Rams defense did the rest. New England managed only a second quarter field goal. In the third quarter the Rams moved on a back breaking 16 play, 90 yard drive that took nearly 10 minutes. Goff hit Kupp for a 2 yard touchdown. The fourth quarter was scoreless. The Patriots had won at least 10 games for 17 straight seasons. That streak is now broken. The Patriots are barely alive at 6-7 and the Rams at 9-4 got a small measure of revenge. 24-3 Rams. 

Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Buccaneer started 6-2 but came in losing 3 of their last four. The Vikings started 1-5 but have gone 5-1 since. Midway through the first quarter the Vikings took over at their own 16. Kirk Cousins hit Adam Thielen for 15. Dalvin Cook ran for 8 and 2. Cousins hit Thielen for 15. On 3rd and 7 from the Tampa Bay 36, the defense jumped. On 3rd and 2, Cook gained 3. Cook ran for 9 and 4. The Vikings began the second quarter with 1st and goal at the 5. Cook ran for 4 and then for the one yard touchdown. The 14 play, 84 yard drive took 8:15 off the clock. The Vikings led 6-0 after Dan Bailey missed the extra point. The Vikings missed a chance to extend the lead when Bailey, also missed a 36 yard field goal try. After that the Buccaneers took over the game.

The Buccaneers took over at their own 26. On 3rd and 4 from the Minnesota 48, Tom Brady with all kinds of time went bombs away to Scottie Miller for the touchdown and the 7-6 Buccaneers lead. With 4:42 left in the half, Bailey’s nightmarish day continued when he missed another field goal from 54 yards out that would have given the Vikings the lead. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Buccaneers took over at their own 44. Brady hit Chris Godwin for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 28, Ronald Jones gained 3. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 21,  Brady hit McCoy for only 3 but a defensive personal foul for lowering the head to initiate contact meant 1st and goal at the 9. On 2nd and goal from the 7, Brady was intercepted at the one yard line. Yet defensive pass interference instead meant 1st and goal at the one. With 44 seconds left in the half, the Buccaneers led 14-6. 

The Vikings went 3 and out and Bruce Arians took his timeouts on defense. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 28 with 21 seconds left. Brady hit Cameron Brate for 9 and Antonio Brown for 16. Brady spiked the ball to stop the clock with one second left. From the Minnesota 47, Brady threw the Hail Mary. Officials never call defensive pass interference on the Hail Mary, but Tom Brady gets every single call. Defensive pass interference on the Hail Mary meant 1st and goal at the one with one untimed down. This time the ultra-aggressive Bruce Arians went conservative and opted for the field goal. Ryan Succop hit the 18 yard field goal for a 17-6 Buccaneers lead at the half. The Buccaneers faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33 to start the third quarter. McCoy gained 10, 5, 3, and on 3rd and 2 just past midfield, 14 more. Brady went deep to Mike Evans for 29. Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for a 2 yard touchdown to break open a close game and make it 23-6 Buccaneers. The extra point was no good.

The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 29. Cousins went to Conklin for 14 and Ham for 8. On 3rd and 2 from just shy of midfield, Cousins hit Ham for 9 and 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 31, Ham got stopped. Mike Zimmer went for it and Cook got the yard. On 4th and 6 from the Tampa 26, Cousins hit Conklin for 7. Cousins hit Smith for a 14 yard touchdown. Zimmer inexplicably went for 2, perhaps out of disgust with his kicker. Cousins hit Justin Jefferson for the 2 point conversion. The 15 play, 75 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive was great ball control, but killing the clock is not good when you’re losing. The Vikings trailed 23-14 after three quarters. With 9 minutes left in regulation and needing 2 scores, the worst and perhaps final game of Dan Bailey’s career in Minnesota saw him miss his third field goal from 46 yards out. Bailey missed 10 points, and the Vikings were losing by 9 points. Succop hit a 48 yard field goal to extend the lead with 5 minutes left. After a touchback the Vikings quickly moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Tampa 38. Cousins was sacked for a loss of 10, then threw incomplete, and on 4th and 13 was sacked again with 2:14 left to extinguish any hopes. The Buccaneers are 8-5 and the Vikings at 6-7 are still mathematically alive. 26-14 Buccaneers

Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants — The 66 Cardinals came in losing 3 straight. The 5-7 Giants came in winning 4 straight and tied for the NFC Least lead. Daniel Jones fumbles a lot. From midfield, Jones got blown up and fumbled. Golden got the trifecta with the hit, the fumble recovery, and the runback 30 yards to the Giants 9 yard line. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, Kenyan Drake got stopped. Kliff Kingsbury went for it. On 4th and goal from the one, Kyler Murray faked the handoff to both running backs, rolled to his right, and threw high and incomplete. The goal line stand was wasted as the Giants went 3 and out and the Cardinals returned the punt 24 yards to the Giants 38. Mike Nugent hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cardinals. In the second quarter the Cardinals again had excellent field position at their own 47. On 4th and 1 from the Giants 44, Kliff Kingsbury went for it. Drake gained 3. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 34, Murray hit Arnold for 20. A false start killed the drive but Nugent hit again from 37 to make it 6-0 Cardinals. 

The Giants immediately fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Cardinals had another short field at the Giants 21. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Murray fred high to the end zone and Arnold hauled it in for the touchdown and the 13-0 Cardinals lead. The Cardinals began the third quarter facing 3rd and 1 at their own 32. Murray hit Deandre Hopkins for 4. On 3rd and 3 from their own 43, Murray gained 5. Drake their ripped off a 36 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 9, Murray hit Williams for 8. Drake leapt over the top and broke the plane of the goal for the one yard touchdown. The 11 play, 77 yard, 6 minute drive made it 20-0 Cardinals. The Giants did reach the end zone once but the Cardinals added a pair of fourth quarter field goals to cap off the decisive win. The Cardinals are 7-6 and the Giants are 5-8, with both teams being alive for a playoff spot. 26-7 Cardinals

Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins — The 11-1 Chiefs came in tied for the best record in the AFC while the Dolphins at 8-4 were one game back in the AFC East. Patrick Mahomes had a pass deflected by a defender and intercepted. The Dolphins failed to capitalize, missing a field goal. The Chiefs got the ball back at their own 35 and had one of the worst drives in NFL history. Out of the shotgun, a bad snap meant a 6 yard loss. On 3rd and 12, Mahomes scrambled and was eventually tackled for a 30…yes, 30…yard loss. The Chiefs on 4th and 42…yes, 4th and 42…from their own 3…punted. The Dolphins took over with a short field at the Chiefs 44. On 3rd and 11, Tua Tagovailoa hit Mike Gesicki for 14. On 3rd and 5, Tagovailoa hit Grant for 19 and then fired over the middle to Gesicki for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. After a touchback the Chiefs faced 1st and 10 at their own 38. Mahomes threw a high pass that bounced off a receiver’s hands and was intercepted again. It was the first game all year where the Chiefs had multiple turnovers. Rowe returned the interception 22 yards to the Chiefs 47. On 3rd and 6 from the Chiefs 13, Tagovailoa through a high pass to the end zone just out of reach as the receiver could not haul it in. Sanders hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Dolphins. Then reality set in.

After a touchback, the Chiefs finally got going in a big way. Mahomes hit Kelce for 21 and 9 and Robinson for 13. Tyreek Hill raced for a 32 yard touchdown to get the Chiefs within 10-7. The Dolphins got it back at their own 22 and soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 37. Tagovailoa threw a deep ball that should have been caught. Instead the defender was able to bat it up in the air, where it was intercepted. With 3 minutes left in the half the Chiefs took over at their own 26. Mahomes went to Kelce for 16 with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 34, Leveon Bell gained 8. Mahomes went to Sammy Watkins for 15 and to Kelce for a 6 yard touchdown as the Chiefs led 14-10 with 1:37 left in the half. The Chiefs had taken the Dolphins best punch and were in the lead. The rest was inevitable. After a touchback, Mahomes went to Carl Edwards-Helaire for 26 and then went deep to Tyreek Hill for a 44 yard touchdown and a 21-10 Chiefs lead. One minute later the Dolphins punted and MeCole Hardman followed a perfect wall of blockers. Hardman got to the sideline and weaved his way through traffic for a 67 yard punt return touchdown and a 28-10 Chiefs lead. The Chiefs would fumble away another scoring chance but it didn’t matter. Tagovailoa was sacked in the end zone for a safety as the Chiefs led 30-10. Mahomes would throw another interception for a touchback. Despite 4 turnovers including uncharacteristic 3 interceptions by Mahomes, the Chiefs were still winning easily. They really are that good. 

Momentum shifted after the Chiefs failed to put the dagger in. From their own 20 Tagovailoa hit Gesicki for 13, Perry for 5, Hollins for 23, Shaheen for 10 and Gesicki for a 29 yard touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation the Dolphins were within 30-17. The Dolphins got it back with 10 minutes left at their own 25. From their 36, Tagovailoa hit Hollins for 6, Bowden for 9 and Smith for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 40, Laird gained 3. Tagovailoa hit Hollins for 18. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 10, Tagovailoa gained 2. Three defensive penalties meant 1st and goal at the one. Tagovailoa got in. The 14 plat, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the Dolphins within 30-24 with 4 minutes left. 

After a touchback, Mahomes hit Edwards-Helaire for 11 with 15 more added on for a defensive facemask. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 40, Edwards-Helaire got stopped. A 58 yard field goal try would lock up the win, but that was too risky. Andy Reid decided to go for it, knowing that failing to convert could cost the Chiefs the game. Andy Reid hates running the ball, and the pass-happy coach let Mahomes hit Hill for a 22 yard gain. Reid finally did run the ball, and Edwards-Helaire lost 3 yards and then lost 8 yards. Reid vowed never to run the ball again. With just over one minute left, a short field goal try was now a 46 yarder. A miss would again give the Dolphins a golden chance to win. Butker’s kick was good and the Chiefs led 33-24. Needing 2 scores after a touchback, Tagovailoa rallied the Dolphins to the Chiefs 26. Sanders hit a 44 yard field goal with 16 seconds left but the onside kick failed. The Dolphins dropped to 8-5 but still in the playoff picture. It wasn’t pretty, but the Chiefs at 12-1 locked up the AFC West for the 5th straight year, making Andy Reid a most happy walrus indeed. 33-27 Chiefs

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars — The 8-4 Titans came in tied atop the AFC South against the 1-11 Jaguars. Aldrick Rosas came in for a 53 yard field goal to give the Jaguars the lead, but the kick was blocked. On 2nd and 3 from midfield, Tannehill hit Swaim for 13 and then went deep to AJ Brown for a 37 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. In the second quarter the Titans fumbled to set up the Jaguars at the Titans 40. On 3rd and 5 Mike Glennon threw incomplete, but Rosas hit a 53 yard field goal to get the Jaguars on the board. After a touchback, Derrick Henry did everything. He ran for 8, 22, 5, 4, and on 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 36, all the way for the touchdown. With 40 seconds left in the half, the Titans led 14-3. That was enough time for the Jaguars to self destruct. They ran 3 plays, lost 15 yards, and the Titans took their timeouts on defense. The Titans got it back at their own 37 with 9 seconds left. Ryan Tannehill went to Davis for 19 and Smith for 9 with 2 seconds left. Stephen Gostkowski drilled a 53 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Titans. 

The second half was pointless. After a touchback, Tannehill hit Brown for 13 and Brown for 9. Henry took it up the gut for a 47 yard gain. Tannehill went to Swaim for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 24-3 Titans. Glennon was quickly intercepted to set up the Titans at the Jags 48. On 2nd and 17 from their own 45, Tannehill hit Brown for the exact amount  with 15 more added for a defensive facemask. Tannehill hit Swaim for 16 down to the one and Henry ran it in for make it 31-3 Titans. At 9-4 the Titans were in a good position for a playoff run while the 1-12 Jaguars saw their season of misery continue. Doug Marrone will most likely not be fired before the end of the season, but Black Monday will be brutal for the normally patient Shad Khan. Jacksonville got a garbage touchdown in a garbage season. 31-10 Titans  

Dallas Cowboys at Cincinnati Bengals — Neither team is going to the playoffs. Word has leaked that Jerry Jones will not be firing Mike McCarthy, in his first season with the Cowboys. However, changes to their dead last defense will be coming. The Bengals began by fumbling, setting up the Cowboys at the Cincinnati 32. That led to a 34 yard Greg Zuerlein field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. The Bengals moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 3 at the Dallas 20. Williams got the carry and fumbled. Smith picked it up and rumbled 78 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 10-0 Cowboys lead. The Bengals moved from their own 25 on a 13 play, 60 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 15, Perine got stopped. Zac Taylor decided to go for it to start the second quarter. Erickson got the carry and got stopped and fumbled. The Cowboys took over at their own 12. On 3rd and 1 from their own 21, Ezekiel Elliott gained 3. On 3rd and 14 from their own 20, Red Rifle Andy Dalton hit Amari Cooper for 20. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 45, Dalton hit Cooper for 13. On 3rd and 6 from the Cincy 38, Dalton hit CeeDee Lamb for 14, Michael Gallup for 12, and Cooper for an 11 yard touchdown. The 15 play, 88 yard drive took more than 8 minutes off the clock and had the Cowboys up 17-0. The Bengals managed a touchdown before the half but nothing else. The Cowboys added a field goal in each of the final 2 quarters and a 7 yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Pollard after the 2 minute warning. 30-7 Cowboys 

Houston Texans at Chicago Bears — Neither team is going to the playoffs. On their first offensive play from scrimmage, David Montgomery broke through the line and raced for an 80 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The Bears got it back at their own 21. Mitchell Trubisky hit Allen Robinson for 14, Jimmy Graham for 12 and Robinson for 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 46, Trubisky hit Robison for 9, Kmet for a pair of 7 yard gains and Mooney for 10. The Bears began the second quarter facing 1st and 10 at the Chicago 13. Trubisky hit Graham for a 5 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 79 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive made it 14-0 Bears. 

The Texans soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 22, Deshaun Watson ran for gains of 4 and 7. On 3rd and 3 from their own 33, Watson connected with Johnson for a 48 yard gain. Watson ran for 14 and hit Coutee for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 14-7. They would get no closer.

The Texans got the ball back at their own 19 and disaster struck. Watson was sacked for a 10 yard loss. Then he was sacked again in the end zone by Khalil Mack for a safety and a 16-7 Bears advantage. The Bears took the free kick at their own 34. Montgomery ran for 13 with 15 more tacked on for defensive unnecessary roughness. Trubisky hit Miller for 6, Robinson for 9, Montgomery for 11, Mooney for a 12 yard touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the half the Bears were dominating 23-7. The Bears got it back with 1:45 left in the half. On 3rd and 6 from their own 27, Trubisky hit Robinson for 8 and again for 22. On 2nd and 18 just shy of midfield, Trubisky hit Kmet for 16. On 3rd and 2, Montgomery gained 11. Trubisky hit Robinson for 16. With 11 seconds left the Bears 3 yards away. Trubisky hit Robinson for the touchdown to make it a 30-7 Bears landslide at the intermission. A useless second half saw the Bears kick a field goal in each of the final two quarters to end their 6 game losing streak. 36-7 Bears

Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers — Neither team is going to the playoffs. The Panthers punted on 4th and 4 from their own 27. Spencer got it, made it to the sideline, and outraced everyone for an 83 yard punt return touchdown and a 6-0 Broncos lead. The extra point was no good. In the second quarter the Broncos moved from their own 10 to a 2nd and 9 at the Carolina 32. Jeremy Chinn has been a one man wrecking crew this season. He belted Drew Lock, who fumbled. Obada recovered it and rumbled 54 yards to the Denver 3. Davis ran in the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-6 Panthers. The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Lock hit Fumagalli for a 4 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Denver 38, Lock threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. Lock went deep to Jerry Jeudy for 31 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 12 out of the shotgun, Melvin Gordon gained 9. On 2nd and goal at the 4, Gordon got stopped but a mindless defensive penalty for taunting meant 1st and goal at the 2. Lock hit Vannett for the touchdown. The 12 play, 75 yard drive had the Broncos up 13-7 with 1:37 left in the half.  

The Broncos took over in the third quarter. From their own 37, Lock hit Jeudy for 11. Gordon gained 15. Lock went deep to Hamler for a 37 yard touchdown. The extra point was again no good as the Broncos led 19-7. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Teddy Bridgewater hit Robbie Anderson for 10. On 3rd and 3 from their own 45, Bridgewater hit Anderson for 21. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the Denver 17, Bridgewater threw incomplete twice. Joey Slye hit the 35 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 19-10 midway through the third quarter. The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Lock hit Fumagalli for 14 and then went deep to Patrick for 32. On 2nd and 14 from the Carolina 31, Lock connected with Fumagalli for a 29 yard gain. Lock hit Patrick for the touchdown. Vic Fangio went for a 2 point conversion to make it a 3 score game, but Lock threw incomplete. The Broncos led 25-10 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

After a touchback Bridgewater hit Pierre Cooper for 12 and Smith for 9. On 3rd and 1 from their own 46, Smith gained 6. Bridgewater went to Samuel for big gains of 19 and 17. On 3rd and 5 from the 7, Bridgewater out of the shotgun took the draw up the middle for the touchdown. Only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Panthers were within 25-17. The Panthers took over at their own 18. Bridgewater hit Curtis Samuel for 14, Anderson for 8 and 23, and Samuel again for 16. Samuel ran for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 7, the Panthers suffered a costly delay of game penalty. Then a short completion gained only 4 yards. With 5:15 to play, Matt Rhule decided to play it safe. Slye hit the 26 yard field goal. The 10 play, 74 yard, 5 minute drive had the Panthers within 25-20. 

After a touchback, the Broncos truck quickly. Rather than grind down clock, Lock ran for 6, hit Gordon for 20, and went deep to Hamler for a 49 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left th Broncos had breathing room up 32-20. After a touchback the Panthers needed only 30 seconds to strike back. Bridgewater hit Davis for 20. Defensive pass interference added 13 more. Bridgewater then went to Cooper for 32. Davis out of the shotgun ran for a 10 yard touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Panthers were back within 5. Matt Rhule opted to trust his defense rather than go with an onside kick. A low line drive squib kick was headed toward the end zone and died just short of it. The Broncos were backed up at their own 7 yard line. The Panthers got it back at their own 27 with a full 2:48 to play. Yet on 3rd and 8, Bridgewater threw incomplete twice with 1:50 left. The Panthers were out of timeouts, and Lock took 3 knees. 32-27 Broncos

New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks — The 8-4 Seahawks came in tied atop the NFC West while the 0-12 Jets suffered a crushing last second defeat last week and fired their defensive coordinator. The Jets after a touchback moved to the Seattle 27 and then bogged down. Castillo hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. Then reality set in. After a touchback, Russell Wilson hit DK Metcalf for 14. Moore ran for 9, Chris Carson added 10 and Hart gained 19. Wilson hit Swain, for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Seahawks. Wilson on his next series threw an interception but the Seahawks got it back at their own 30. Wilson went to Tyler Lockett for 10. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Wilson hit Lockett for 15. Carlos Hyde ripped off gained of 15 and 18. On the first play of the second quarter, Wilson went to Metcalf for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Seahawks. On the very next Jets play from scrimmage, Frank Gore fumbled and Bobby Wagner recovered for the Seahawks at the Jets 32. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 24, Carson only gained one. Pete Carroll decided not to gamble on 4th and 1. Jason Myers hit the 41 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Seahawks. 

Castillo missed a 37 yard field goal try with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. From their own 31, Wilson hit Metcalf for 8 and 6, Carson for 9 and 4, and Hollister for 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 14, Wilson hit Metcalf for 9. With 30 seconds left in the half, Carson ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 23-3 Seahawks. The extra point was no good. Castillo then missed a 41 yard field goal try. For some reason the second half was played. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32 to start the third quarter, Wilson hit Lockett for just enough. On 3rd and 8 from their own 37, Wilson threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. These are the Jets. On 3rd and 7 from their own 45, Wilson was sacked but illegal contact on the defense kept the drive going. These are the Jets. From midfield, Carson ran for 4, 28 and 8. Wilson hit Dissly for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 30-3 Seahawks. The Jets then punted on 4th and 16 from their own 4. The Seahawks took over at the Jets 40. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Wilson hit Moore for a touchdown to make it 37-3 Seahawks. The Seahawks added a fourth quarter field goal to lead 40-3. The Jets fell to 0-13 as Just End The Season had the Jets 3 games from 0-16. Adam Gase is somehow still employed. The Seahawks at 9-4 are in a strong playoff position.  

Indianapolis Colts at Las Vegas Raiders — The Raiders needed a miracle over the winless Jets to get to 7-5 while the 8-4 Colts were in a good playoff position. This was the first of 3 straight Raiders home games, and they got back Josh Jacobs, Jonathan Abram and big Trent Brown from the injury list. However, Paul Guenther’s defense remained awful as Philip Rivers completed passes with ease. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, the Raiders committed a defensive pass interference penalty for a 4 yard Chargers gain. Taylor gashed the Raiders for a pair of 13 yard gains. Rivers hit Taylor for 20. Taylor then ran for 18. On 3rd and goal at the 6, a false start was followed by a pass that gained only 4 yards. Rodrigo Blankship hit the 25 yard field goal. The 10 play, 68 yard, 6 minute drive made it 3-0 Colts. The Raiders ran 3 plays and gained only 2 yards. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 31. Rivers went to Michael Pittman for 19 yards to midfield. Nyheim Hines gained 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Raiders 35, Rovers went to TY Hilton for 17. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Rivers fired to Hilton for the touchdown. The 11 play, 72 yard, 5 minute drive gave the Colts a 10-0 lead.

The Raiders finally woke up. From their own 24, Jacobs ran for 7. Carr hit Henry Ruggs for 6 and Darren Waller for 4. Jacobs ran for 12. Carr then went deep to Foster Moreau, who juked a defender for a 47 yard touchdown to end the first quarter with the Raiders down 10-7. The Raiders got it back to start the second quarter at their own 17. On 3rd and 3 from their own 35, Carr went deep to Nelson Agholor for a 36 yard gain. Carr hit Jacobs for 8 and then went deep to Agholor for a 21 yard touchdown and a 14-10 Raiders lead.

Yet the Raiders defense remains awful. From their own 32 the Colts made it look easy. Rivers went deep to Pittman for 23 and deep again to Hilton for a 41 yard touchdown. Just like that the Colts were back on top 17-14. The Raiders then spent much of the second and third quarters moving the ball well and not finishing drives. After a touchback the Raiders moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Colts 13. Carr threw a fade to Waller in the end zone, but Kenny Moore made a leaping one handed interception for a touchback with 3 12 minutes left in the half. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 15 from their own 15. Rivers threw incomplete but defensive holding on…who else, Trayvon Mullen…meant an automatic first down. The Raider gave the Colts another first down with encroachment. On 3rd and 6 from their own 29, Rivers went to Zach Pascal for 27 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Raiders 34 with the defense smelling pass, Taylor gained 15. With 6 seconds left the Colts faced 3rd and 4 at the Raiders 13 with one timeout. The Raiders again expected pass and Hines carried the ball and appeared headed to the end zone. He was upended at the 2 yard line but the Colts got the timeout with one second remaining. Blankenship hit the 20 yard field goal as the 13 play, 78 yard drive put the Colts up 20-14 at the half.

The Raiders began the third quarter facing 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Carr found Hunter Renfrow, who leapt in the air over 2 defenders to get just enough for the first down. Carr went to Waller for 15. Jacobs gained 6 and Carr added 5. From the Colts 38, Jon Gruden went to the bag of tricks. Carr threw a backward pass to Zee Jones, who threw a halfback option pass to Agholor for a 29 yard gain. Yet the offense again could not finish the drive. On 2nd and goal from the 7, Carr threw incomplete twice. Daniel Carlson hit the 25 yard field goal to cap the 13 play, 68 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and get the Raiders within 20-17. The Raiders defense remained horrendous. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Wilkins gained 3. Taylor then raced through a wide open hole for an easy 62 yard touchdown. The Raiders were kicking field goals and the Colts were scoring touchdowns as the Colts led 27-17 midway through the third quarter.

After a touchback it was deja vu all over again. The Raiders moved to a 1st and goal at the 10 but could not finish the drive. A completion gained nothing. Then came an incompletion. On 3rd and goal from the 10, Carr inexplicably threw a short pass that gained only 5 yards. For some reason throwing past the marker was not an option. For those who despise the West Coast Offense, this is how teams lose. Carlson hit the 23 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 27-20 after three quarters. The 14 play, 70 yard drive took over 7 minutes but was the third time the Raiders drove deep only to be denied a touchdown. The Raiders offense was malfunctioning near the goal line while the Raiders defense was determined to continue melting down everywhere. 

After a touchback to start the fourth quarter, Rivers hit Hilton for 14. On 3rd and 5 from from their own 44, Rivers hit Hilton for 7. Hines ripped off a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Raiders 7, the defense desperately needed a stop. Instead they jumped into the neutral zone. On the next play Taylor ran it in for a 3 yard touchdown and a 34-20 Colts lead with 9 1/2 minutes left. One play after a touchback, the Raiders collapse was complete. A West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass lost one yard and was fumbled. The Colts recovered at the Raiders 26. Blankenship hit a 35 yard field to make it 37-20 Colts. Needing 3 scores in 5 1/2 minutes, the Raiders kept the West Coast Offense dinking and dunking. The result was inevitable. A short pass from Carr bounced off of Jalen Richard’s hands and was intercepted by Willis, who returned it 49 yards for a touchdown to make the game a blowout with the Colts up 44-20.

The Raiders got a garbage touchdown to close out the scoring. The Colts at 9-4 are playing like a playoff team. The Raiders last year began 6-4 before collapsing down the stretch with a 1-5 record to go 7-9. This year the team insisted that they were not the Faders. They are. After starting 6-3 and nearly sweeping the defending champions, the Jets have gone 1-4 to fall to 7-6. Their only win in that stretch was over a winless team, and they needed a miracle to do it. The defense has not been fixed. The secondary is awful. Jon Gruden had finally had enough. After the game, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther was fired. Wade Phillips is available. So is Jeff Fisher, although the Buddy Ryan disciple probably would not settle for less than a head coaching job. Start with the Michelin Man and son of Bum Phillips. Defensive line coach Rod Marinelli will be the interim defensive coordinator for the final three regular season games. 44-27 Colts

Washington Anonymous Surnames at San Francisco 49ers — Both teams came in 5-7, but the Washington No-Names had won 3 straight including a shocking road win over previously unbeaten Pittsburgh. Playing football is illegal in Santa Clara, so the game was played in Arizona. With 5 minutes left in the opening quarter, the Non-Redskins missed a long field goal to give the 49ers great field position at their own 43.  Raheem Mostert had a pair of 9 yard gains sandwiched around a 17 yard completion from Nick Mullens to Aiyuk. Wilson ran for 11 and then for the one yard touchdown as the 49ers led 7-0 after the first quarter. After that Ron Rivera’s defense dug in.

Dustin Hopkins hit a 51 yard field goal with 6 minutes left in the half to get the No-Names on the board. The 49ers quickly fumbled on the second play from scrimmage and the No-Names recovered at the San Francisco 26. Hopkins hit a 31 yard field goal to get the No-names with 7-6. At the 2 minute warning, Alex Smith was intercepted to give the 49ers the ball at their own 38. Two plays later Mullens was hit and fumbled by Chase Young, who got the trifecta. He got the sack, the forced fumble, and the fumble recovery that he took for a 47 yard defensive touchdown to put the Washington Gridlock up 13-7. In the third quarter the Washington Deficits moved 72 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Smith threw incomplete.Hopkins hit the 21 yard field goal to put the Anonymous Surnames up 16-7. The 49ers moved from their own 8 yard line to a 2nd and 2 at the No-Names 24. The 11 play, 68 yards 5 minute drive turned disastrous on the last play of the third quarter. Mullens had a pass intercepted by Curl, who followed blockers down the sideline for a 76 yard defensive touchdown and a 23-7 lead for the Riveras. 

Despite not having an offensive touchdown, the Riveras led by 16. The 49ers faced 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Mullens hit Reed for only 5, but roughing the passer added 15 more. On 3rd and 10 from their own 46, Mullens hit James for 16 and Dwelley for 6. Mostert gained 14. Kyle Juszczyk caught a pass for 9, ran for 33, and caught a 6 yard touchdown pass from Mullens. Mullens hit Kendrick Bourne for the 2 point conversion to get the 49ers within 8 with a full 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. At the 2 minute warning, the 49ers were facing 3rd and 2 from the Washington 44. Mullens fired over the middle to Bourne for a 22 yard gain. Yet offensive holding nullified the play. An incompletion set up 4th and 12. Mullens hit Bourne, but he was able to only gain 10 yards before he was wrapped up by the defense short of the sticks. The 49ers held on defense and got the ball back at their own 25 with exactly one second left. Mullens hit Aiyuk for 19 but the hook and laterals did not reach midfield. The 6-7 Non-Redskins had a one game lead in the NFC Least while the 49ers at 5-8 play in a real division and are all but out of it. 23-15 Anonymous Surnames

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles — The 10-2 Saints took on the 3-8 Eagles in a battle of backups. Taysom Hill started his 4th game in place of Drew Brees while Jalen Hurts started his first ever NFL game over the benched Carson Wentz. The Eagles from their own 24 held the ball for 13 plays and over 8 minutes yet only moved 39 yards. On 4th and 2 from the Saints 34, Doug Pederson passed up a 52 yard field goal try and went for it. Myles Sanders was hit for a 3 yard loss. The Saints moved from their 37 to a 4th and 2 at the Philadelphia 27. Sean Payton opted for the field goal and from 45 yards out, Wil Lutz was no good. The Eagles soon aced 3rd and 7 from their own 38. Hurts hit Reagor for 39 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Saints 16, Sanders only gained one. A field goal try would only be 33 yards but Doug Pederson again went for it. Hurts went to Alshon Jeffery for the first down and the touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles early in the second quarter. 

Midway through the second quarter, an interception of Hill had the Eagles at the Saints 32. On 3rd and 4 Hurts threw incomplete. Jake Elliott hit the 44 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Eagles. With 2:13 left in the half the Eagles were pinned at their own 4 yard line. Hurts gained 11. Sanders then broke off tackle and outran everyone for an 82 yard touchdown. With 1:35 left in the half the Eagles were winning a stunner up 17-0. The Eagles got it back at their own 23 with one minute left and moved to a 1st and goal at the 8 with 9 seconds left. Hurts threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 4. Only 2 seconds remained. Doug Pederson played it safe and Elliott came in for the chip shot 22 yard field goal. The kick was doinked off the upright no good. 

The Saints finally got going in the third quarter from their own 35. Hill hit Michael Thomas for 13 and Johnson for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Philadelphia 35, Hill hit Cook for 8. Hill hit Alvin Kamara for 11. Kamara then ran for 4 and for the 5 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 65 yard, 5 minute drive had the Saints within 17-7. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Saints 40. Doug Pederson went for it and Hurts got stopped cold. On 3rd and 9 from their own 41, Hill went to Thomas for 22 and to Emanuel Sanders for a 37 yard touchdown. The Saints were right back in it down 17-14 after three quarters.

The Saints in the fourth quarter moved from their own 5 to a 4th and 2 at the Philly 42 with 10 minutes left in regulation. Hill was sacked and fumbled and the Eagles took over at their own 47. Hurts ran for 9 and hit Ward for 14. Reagor ran for 19 and Sanders added 7. Sanders ran for a one yard touchdown as the Eagles led 24-14 with 6 1/2 minutes left and were smelling upset. After a touchback and needing 2 scores, Hill moved the Saints to a 3rd and 8 at the Philly 31. Hill was sacked. On 4th and 16, Sean Payton brought Lutz in to try a 57 yard field goal at the 2 minute warning. The kick was no good. The Eagles were in total control but in just trying to run out the clock, Hurts fumbled the ball and the Saints recovered just shy of midfield with 1:44 left. Hill went deep to Smith for 31 and to Cook for a 20 yard touchdown. This all took 20 seconds. With 1:24 left the Saints were within a field goal. The onside kick was a beauty, and it nicked off a Philadelphia player. The Saints appeared to recover but after a mad scramble the Eagles had it. Hurts took 3 knees as he won a stunning upset in his very first game. The Saints had their 9 game winning streak snapped. At 10-3 they have a near stranglehold on the NFC South. However, the loss dropped them into a tie atop the NFC and the Saints do not have the tie breaker. 24-21 Eagles

Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Chargers — Neither team is going to the playoffs. The Chargers from their own 17 saw Justin Herbert hit Austin Ekeler for 9. Ekeler ran for 9 more. On 3rd and 1 from their own 44, Kenny Ballage gained 4. Ekeler ripped off a pair of 13 yard gains. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 26, Herbert hit Johnson for just enough. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 16, Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 6 and again for a 10 yard touchdown. The 15 play, 83 yard drive took 9 1/2 minutes off the clock and had the Chargers up 7-0. After a touchback Todd Gurley for caught a pass from Matt Ryan for 8, ran for 2, caught a pass for 4, and ran for 8 and 4. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 39, Gage took the direct snap and went deep to Calvin Ridley for the touchdown and a 7-7 game.  

The Falcons got it back at their own 33. Ryan went to Gage for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 25, Ryan hit graham for 7. On 3rd and 10 from the Chargers 18, Ryan was sacked. Younghoe Koo hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Falcons. Adderly returned the ensuing kickoff 76 yards to the Atlanta 23. The Chargers wasted the field position. On 3rd and 4 Herbert threw incomplete. Mike Badgley hit a 35 yard field goal for a 10-10 deadlock. After a touchback Ryan hit Ridley for 32 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Chargers 40, Ryan went to Ridley for 19 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 12, Smith gained 3. Ryan hit Laquon Treadwell for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Falcons with 5 minutes left in the half. 

After a touchback the Chargers moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Atlanta 8 and took their final timeout with 22 seconds left. Ballage got the carry and got stopped. In a desperate attempt to hurry up the field goal, the Chargers committed an illegal shift. That meant an automatic 10 second runoff and the end of the half as the Chargers totally wasted a 16 play, 62 yard, 5 minute drive. This is why they lose games. In the third quarter the Falcons moved from their own 22 to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 43. Ryan went for it all and was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. Herbert hit Ekeler for 12. On 3rd and 3 from their own 39, Herbert hit Allen for 8 and Hunter Henry for 11. Ekeler gained 13 and caught a pass for 13 more. On 3rd and goal from the 12, Herbert hit Johnson for the touchdown. The 13 play, 80 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive tied the game 17-17 after three quarters. The fourth quarter was truly a battle of who wanted it least between two teams known for blowing close games late. 

With 9 minutes left in regulation a 20 yard punt return gave the Falcons the ball at their own 41. With 4 minutes left they faced a 2 and 7 from the Chargers 16. Then came offensive holding. Then Ryan was intercepted by Addae. The 11 play, 5 minute drive gained only 33 yards and came up empty. The Chargers moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 2 at the Atlanta 45 with one minute left. Herbert fired over the middle and was intercepted by Wreh-Wilson at the Atlanta 38. From the Chargers 45, Ryan was intercepted by Davis. A personal foul on the return against the Chargers had them taking over at their own 26 rather than their own 41 with 30 second left. On 3rd and 2 from their own 34, Herbert hit Henry for 15. Herbert then threw a perfect pass to Johnson for 25 yards with 16 seconds left. Anthony then called a safe run as the Chargers took their final timeout with 2 seconds left. Badgley came in for a 43 yard field goal try for the win. The kick was good as the Chargers finally got a bit of relief in the midst of a tough season. 20-17 Chargers

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions — The 9-3 Packers took on the 5-7 Lions. The Lions began facing 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Matthew Stafford went deep to Mohammed San for 21. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 45, Stafford hit Marvin Jones for 8. Stafford hit Sanu for 16 and Danny Amendola for 15 down to the one. Stafford hit TJ Hockenson for the touchdown. The 11 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Lions. After a touchback the Packers struck quickly. Aaron Rodgers hit Davantae Adams for 4, St. Brown for 15, and Adams again for a 58 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. 

The Packers got it back at their own 31. Rodgers hit Marques Valdez-Scantling for 10. On 3rd and 4 from their own 47, Rodgers gained 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 39, Williams gained 2. Rodgers hit Austin for 5 and Adams for 12. Rodgers began the second quarter by hitting Valdez-Scantling for a 14 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 69 yard, 7 minute drive had the Packers up 14-7. With 5:40 left in the half the Lions faced 1st and 15 at their own 15. Stafford hit Swift for 17 and Cephus for 8. Stafford went to Adrian Peterson for 23 and Johnsonbahd Hockenson for 10 each. On 1st and 20 from the Green Bay 21, Stafford went to Hockensen for 13 but defensive holding instead meant 1st and 10 from the Green Bay 16. Stafford hit Amendola for 10. Swift ran for the 3 and then for the 3 yard touchdown. With 90 seconds left in the half the game was tied again 14-14. 

The Packers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Rodgers there incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 1st and 20 from their own 23, Rodgers hit Lazard and Valdes-Scantling for a pair of 14 yard gains. On 3rd and 14 from the Detroit 42, Rodgers went deep to Valdes-Scantling for 21. On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 15, Rodgers hit Lazard for just enough.On 3rd and goal from the 6, Rodgers got around the end and scored the touchdown. The 14 play, 75 yard drive took nearly 9 minutes and put the Packers up 21-14. The Packers got it back at their own 21. Rodgers hit Valdez-Scantling for 15. On 3rd and 3 from his own 43, Rodgers hit Tonyan for 11. Williams gained 11. Aaron Jones gained 8 to end the third quarter and 9 and 7 to start the fourth quarter. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 8, Williams gained 4. Rodgers hit Tonyan for the 4 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 79 yard, 8 minute drive put the Packers up 28-14 with 12 minutes left in regulation. 

After a touchback the Lions soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 35. Stafford hit Jones for 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Green Bay 45, Stafford threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. Stafford hit Hockensen for 13. On 3rd and 4 from the Green Bay 11, Stafford ran for 6 with defensive holding adding 3 more. Johnson ran for the 2 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Lions within 28-21 with 6 1/2 minutes left. The Packers moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 35. A run gained one yard and Rodgers threw incomplete twice. A 52 yard field goal try resulted in a false start. Matt LaFleur now had a big decision to make. With 3 1/2 minutes left, LaFleur gambled big on Mason Crosby. Now it was a 57 yard try. Crosby nailed it to to give the Packers breathing room up 31-21. 

Making matters worse for the Lions, a hit on Stafford in the first half was finally too much to bear. Chase Daniel came on in relief in a desperate situation and moved the Lions to a 3rd and goal at the 4. Daniel scrambled and scored at the 2 minute warning, but offensive holding nullified it. After an incompletion, Matt Prater hit a 32 yard field goal to get the Lions back within 7. The onside kick was a good one and it appeared that Killebrew recovered for the Lions. Yet the officials ruled that Killebrew was out of bounds. After a lengthy review, the call stood and the Packers had the ball at the Detroit 45. The Lions took their final timeout on defense. Everything came down to the Packers facing 3rd and 5 at the Detroit 40 with 1:40 left. When the other team is out of timeouts, you run the ball. Every. Single. Time. Instead Matt LaFleur trusted his future Hall of Fame quarterback. Rodgers hit Tonyan short of the sticks, but Tonyan leapt in the air over a couple defenders to get past the sticks. Rodgers took a knee to get the Packers to 10-3. The Packers clinched the NFC North and are tied atop the overall NFC. The Packers hold the tie-breaker. 31-24 Packers

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills was the Sunday night game. The 11-1 Steelers lost their first game last week but had already clinched a playoff spot. They have almost clinched the AFC North and entered the week tied atop the AFC. The 9-3 Bills came in one game ahead in the AFC East. With snow flurries coming down, this game was all about defense. A scoreless game saw its first break with 9 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Bills fumbled and the Steelers recovered at the Buffalo 30. Ben Roethlisberger hit Washington for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Steelers. The Bills moved from their 26 to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 16 at the 2 minute warning. Josh Allen threw 3 straight incompletions. Tyler Bass hit the 34 yard field goal to get the Bills within 7-3. After a touchback, the Steelers faced 2nd and 5 from their own 47 with 52 seconds left. Ben Roethlisberger threw a short pass and Johnson jumped the route. He returned the interception 51 yards for a touchdown and a 9-7 Bills lead. The extra point was no good. 

The Bills began the third quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 40. Allen found Stefan Diggs for 6 and Knox for 8. Singletary gained 14. Allen hit Diggs for 12 and again for a 19 yard touchdown and a 16-7 Bills lead. The Steelers punted on 4th and 19 from their own 16. A 21 yard punt return had the Bills at their own 43. Allen hit Diggs for big gains of 22 and 19 and then went to Davis for a 13 yard touchdown as the Bills were breaking open a close game up 23-7 midway through the third quarter.

The Steelers took over late in the third quarter at their own 19. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 5, Johnson for 6 and Eric Ebron for 17. The Steelers began the fourth quarter at the Buffalo 47. Roethlisberger hit Samuels for 8, Washington for 9, Johnson for 17, and Juju Smith-Schuster for 7. Roethlisberger threw a 3 yard touchdown to Smith-Schuster. The 2 point conversion was successful. The 10 play, 81 yard drive had the Steelers within 23-15 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Bills took over at their own 34. Josh Allen hit Cole Beasley for 9. On 3rd and 10 from their own 47, Allen hit McKenzie for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 36, Allen threw a deep ball incomplete and drew a defensive pass interference call to set up 1st and goal at the one. The Bills went backward after that, but Bass nailed a 23 yard field goal to put t he Bills up by 11 midway through the fourth quarter. Roethlsberger was then intercepted. The Bills faced 1st and 20 at their own 19, but Allen led a drive that consumed the remaining 7 minutes. On 3rd and 11 from his own 28, Allen hit Knox for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 19, Moss gained 2 to lock up the win. The 11-2 Steelers are one game back in the AFC while the Bills at 10-3 now lead the AFC East by 2 games. 26-15 Bills

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns was the Monday night game. The 9-3 Browns took on the 7-5 Ravens in a crucial AFC North battle. The Browns went right to work from their own 19. Baker Mayfield hit Njoku for 20. On 3rd and 4 from their own 45, Mayfield hit Karim Hunt for 10. Kevin Stefanski then went to the bag of tricks. Mayfield lateraled to Jarvis Landry, who threw the halfback option pass to Nick Chubb  for 12. Mayfield then went to Bryant for 4, Njoku for 11, and Higgins for 9 and 4. Chubb ran straight up the middle for a 7 yard touchdown. The 11 play, 81 yard, 6 minute drive made it 7-0 Browns. The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 31. Lamar Jackson scrambled for 7 with defensive holding adding 5 more. On 3rd and 7 from their own 46, Jackson went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 29 yard gain. Jackson ran for 13 and 6. On 3rd and 3 from the 5, Jackson ran for the touchdown. 73 yards took 6 minutes and made it a 7-7 game.

After a touchback, the Browns moved to a 4th and 4 at the Baltimore 34. Kevin Stefanski went for it. Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 11 yard gain. A false start killed the drive. On the first play of the second quarter, Cody Parkey came in for a 39 yard field goal try to give the Browns the lead. The kick was no good. The Ravens took over at their own 20. JK Dobbins gained 11. Jackson added 10 and Dobbins gained 13. Jackson hit Willie Snead for 10. Jackson ran for 20 and Edwards ran for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Ravens midway through the second quarter. The Browns soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Mayfield hit Landry for 11 and deep to Donovan Peoples-Jones for 27 yards. Chubb ran for 8 and then for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 14-14 with 4 minutes left in the half.

A short punt gave the Ravens the ball back at their own 44 with one minute left. On 3rd and 10, Jackson went deep to Andrews for a 39 yard gain. Jackson then ran for a 17 yard touchdown and a 21-14 Ravens lead. After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Ravens struck quickly. On 3rd and 3 from their own 37, Jackson broke free for a 44 yard gain. Edwards then ran for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 28-14 Ravens. 

After a touchback Mayfield hit Bryant for 9. Chubb ran for 11. Mayfield hit Njoku for 14, Chubb for 9 and Hunt for 26. Hunt ran for a 5 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Browns trailed 28-20 after the 11 play, 75 yard drive. The Browns got the ball back at their own 13. Mayfield was intercepted by Bowser, who returned it 17 yards to the Cleveland one yard line. Dobbins got in. The extra point was blocked but the Ravens led 34-20 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Browns soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Mayfield gained just enough with defensive illegal use of hands adding 5 more. On 4th and 4 from their own 46, Kevin Stefanski decided to go for it. Mayfield hit Landry for 12. Mayfield went deep incomplete, but Stefanski successfully challenged that the defense had 12 men on the field. Hunt ran for 10 to end the third quarter with the Browns facing 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 27. On 3rd and 8, Mayfield was able to only get 4. On 4th and 4 from the Baltimore 21, Stefanski went for it again and John Harbaugh had to call a timeout to avoid his defense again having 12 men on the field. Mayfield scrambled and had a running lane. Yet he also had a wide open receiver because the defender fell down. Higgins caught it for the score as the Browns were within 34-26. The 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive was capped barely more than one minute into the fourth quarter. Stefanski inexplicably went for a 2 point conversion. Mayfield hung in the pocket and fired over the middle to a receiver. It bounced right off of the receiver’s hands and by sheer luck was caught off the deflection by Peoples-Jones. The Browns were within 34-28 the hard way. 

After a touchback, it was a big surprise to see 3rd stringer Trace McSorly in at quarterback. Jackson was seen jogging to the locker room with an undisclosed problem. Backup Robert Griffin III was on injured reserve. On 3rd and 6, McSorly had a wide open Marquise Brown in the flat. McSorly was past the first down marker and he just dropped it. The Browns took over at their own 30. Mayfield hit Landry for 12. Hunt ran for 5 and 7. Mayfield hit Higgins for 8 and 10. Chubb barreled over people up the middle for 13. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Mayfield avoided a sack, rolled out, found a running lane and got in the end zone. The 12 play, 70 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive tied the game. Cody Parkey had already missed an extra point and a field goal, and a delay of game meant a 38 yard extra point try. Parkey was good and the Browns led 35-34 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

The Ravens took over at their own 21 and Jackson was still in the locker room. Reports were that he was suffering from cramping. Jackson did have COVID a couple weeks earlier. It was up to McSorly to try and win on the road with a small but hostile crowd in the Dawg Pound. On 3rd and 10, McSorly fired to Snead for a 13 yard gain.  On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 41, McSorly faked a handoff and slipped without being touched. He landed awkwardly and hurt his leg as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. The play lost 3 yards. Now the Ravens were without a quarterback on 4th and 5 from the Cleveland 44. Except they weren’t. It was something out of a movie set, but Jackson jogged back on to the field. Jackson rolled out and looked like he was going to run. Instead he found a wide open receiver. Brown caught it for the touchdown. John Harbaugh went for 2. Dobbins banged over a defender and got in. The Ravens led 42-35 but the Browns after a touchback had all 3 timeouts and 1:51 to play.   

Mayfield immediately went deep to Peoples-Jones for 28 yards. Baltimore called a timeout on defense. Mayfield hit Landry for 7, Hunt for 16, and Hunt again for a 22 yard touchdown. Hunt was tackled at the one but lunged and got the ball just past the pylon. Parkey hit the extra point. The Browns had tied the game again 42-42, but they may have scored too early. After a touchback the Ravens had 1:04 on the clock. They also had Jackson. Jackson fired to Andrews for a pair of 14 yard gains as the Ravens took their last timeout with 38 seconds left. Then the Browns took a timeout on defense. Jackson completed a pair of short passes but the clock kept running. Jackson spiked the ball with 7 seconds left. Justin Tucker came in for a 56 yard field goal try to win it. Tucker is the most accurate kicker in NFL history, but 56 yards in the cold with a slight wind is a lot to ask. Tucker snuck it over the crossbar and inside the upright with 2 seconds left. The hook and laterals took forever but went backward and resulted in a safety. The Browns could have been 10-3, one game back in the division, and sent the 7-6 Ravens to the brink of elimination. Instead the Browns are 9-4 and the Ravens are 8-5 and very much alive. The 1980 Browns were the Cardiac Kids. 40 years later, the 2020 Browns are giving us Cardiac Kids II. A playoff rematch between these teams would be a blockbuster. 47-42 Ravens

December football. This is when the big dogs come out.

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/the-big-dogs-come-out-nfl-2020-week-14-preview-and-bettors-guide-134516/

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/football-in-defense-of-new-york-jets-gregg-williams-134480/

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

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