NFL 2021 Week 2 Recap
New York Giants at Washington Identity Crisis was the Thursday night game. Sometimes a pair of unspectacular teams can come together for a spectacular game. This actually was that game. After the No-Names went 3 and out, The Giants took over at their own 21. Daniel Jones hit Kyle Rudolph for 12 and Kenny Golladay for 18. On 3rd and 10 from the Washington 46, Jones hit Sterling Shepard for 13. Jones then ran for 15. On 2nd and 12 from the Washington 16, Jones threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 8. Jones ran for a 6 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 7-0 Giants. The Giants got it back at their own 24 and Saquon Barkley broke off a 41 yard run. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the Washington 27, a false start made it 3rd and 7. Then Jones, who makes far too many mistakes, was sacked for a 6 yard loss. Joe Judge decided to punt rather than try a 56 yard field goal. Graham Gano has the leg, but it was still a terrible decision by Jones that cost the Giants a chance to expand their lead.
Late in the first quarter the Burgundy Arrow people took over at their own 10. Taylor Heinicke hit Brown for 22 and Terry McLaurin for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 39 to start the second quarter, Gibson got stopped. Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it rather than try a 57 yard field goal. Heinicke took the quarterback sneak 2 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 28, Gibson got the yard. Heinicke hit McLaurin for 16 and again for the 11 yard touchdown to culminate the 13 play, 90 yard, 7 minute drive and make it a 7-7 ballgame.
Midway through the second quarter the Giants faced 3rd and 1 from their own 31. Penny gained 3. Yet despite moving from their own 22 to a 2nd and 8 at the Washington 11, Saquon Barkley got stopped and Jons hit Shepard for only 6 yards. On 4th and 2 from the Washington 5, Joe judge opted for the field goal. Gano hit from 23 to make it 10-7 Giants. The 10 play, 73 yard drive would be one of many on the night where the Giants did not reach the end zone and settled for a field goal.
The No-bames took over at their own 16 with 4 minutes left in the half. Gibson gained 10. Heinicke then hit Logan Thomas for 24 and Humphries for 12 and again for 7 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 27, JD McKissic gained 2. Heinicke hit McLaurin for 10. With 21 seconds left in the half and both teams out of timeouts, the No-Names faced 3rd and 1 from the Giants 2. McKissic ran it in for the touchdown as the Washington Riveras led 14-10 at the half. The first half was fairly quiet. The second half was far from quiet.
After a touchback to start the second half, Jones hit Shepard for 17. On 2nd and 2 from midfield, Jones gained 9. On 3rd and 7 from the Washington 38, a completion gained only 5 yards. Yet defensive holding meant an automatic first down. On 1st and 10 from the Washington 33, Barkley got trapped in the backfield for a 6 yard loss to kill the drive. Gano hit a 47 yard field goal. The Giants were within 14-13, but again they bogged down when it mattered. The Giants got it back but soon faced 3rd and 13 from their own 32. Jones threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 13 yards and a 1st down. On 3rd and 7 from the Giants 48, Jones found Shepard for 19. Jones then went to Darius Slayton for a 33 yard touchdown. With 4:40 left in the third quarter, Joe Judge opted against the 2 point conversion. It was the right call, as the extra point put the Giants up 20-14.
The game then turned into a battle of field goals. Dustin Hopkins hit from 49 in the third quarter to get Washington within 20-17. Gano hit from 52 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter to put the Giants up 23-17. Hopkins hit from 37 with 9 minutes left to get The Burgundy Arrow team within 23-20. After a touchback, the Giants soon faced 1st and 10 from the Washington 43. Jones went bombs away and Slayton had his man beat. Slayton was wide open. The throw was there. It bounced off of Slayton’s fingertips incomplete. He just dropped it. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 38, the Giants were called for consecutive false starts. On 3rd and 15, Jones ran for 11. With 4:50 to play, Gano came in for a 55 yard field try. Gano drilled it. His 4th field goal on the day put the Giants up 26-20. Yet again, the Giants did not finish a drive. 30-20 might have put the game out of reach. 26-20 did not, making for a thrilling finish.
One play after a touchback, Heinicke went deep to McKissic for a 56 yard gain. One play after that, Heinicke went to Ricky Seals-Jones for a 19 yard touchdown. The No-Names now had the 27-26 lead with 4 1/2 minutes to play after needing only 17 seconds to score. Again, Joe Judge’s decision not to go for 2 was the right call. Chasing points usually backfires. The real problem was too many field goals and too few touchdowns, with Slayton’s drop looming large. The Giants appeared in trouble when they went 3 and out, but a good punt pinned the No-Names back at their own 8 yard line.
With 3:13 left to play, Gibson ripped off an 11 yard gain. Gibson ran for 3 more and the Giants called their 1st timeout with 2:22 left. With washington facing 2nd and 7 at their own 22, it was obvious they were going to keep running the ball. Ron Rivera is a good coach and Heinicke had played a mistake-free game. That was about to end. Rivera called a pass play even though you do not throw the ball in this situation. You certainly do not throw the ball over the middle of the field where there is traffic. It never ends well. Just ask Marshawn Lynch. In a stunning turn of events, Heinicke was intercepted by Bradberry. One minute the Giants were on the ropes. All of a sudden, they were in the driver’s seat.
The Giants took over at the Washington 20 with 2:16 left. Yet if Rivera was too aggressive, Joe Judge was far too conservative. He had Barkley run the ball twice for a total of 3 yards. Then on 3rd and 7, Jones threw incomplete. Gano hit his 5th field goal on the night from 35 yards out. The Giants had the 29-27 lead at the 2 minute warning. Yet 2 minutes still remained. The Giants again settled for a field goal, again failed to close the door, and left way too much time on the clock.
After a touchback, Washington took over with one timeout left. On 3rd and 8 from their own 27, Heinicke hit McKissic for only 7. With 1:16 to play on 4th and 1 from the Washington 34, McKissic gained 4 to keep the drive alive. Again, the Giants failed to close the door. On 2nd and 1 from their own 47, the Giants jumped into the neutral zone. The Giants took their 2nd timeout with 39 seconds left. With 28 seconds left, both teams took their final timeout as the No-Names faced 3rd and 5 at the Giants 43. Heinicke hit Humphries for 7. Again, the Giants failed to close the door. Heinicke then hit McLaurin for 6 and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 5 seconds left. Hopkins came in for a 48 yard field goal to give the Washington Identity Crisis the win. The kick was no good, wide right. The Giants celebrated, which was a mistake on a night filled with them. The Giants jumped offside. Hopkins would get another shot from 5 yards closer. From 43 yards out, Hopkins tried to miss it again but snuck it inside the right upright good. The game was a thriller, but the Giants are 0-2 for obvious reasons. This game was played on Yom Kippur. The Giants players, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, should atone and apologize for blowing this game. 30-29 No-Names Identity Crisis
New England Patriots at New York Jets — Even with rookie Mac Jones, Evil Hoodie sought to beat the Jets for the billionth time. Rookie Zach Wilson was quickly intercepted, setting up the Patriots at the Jets 35. The defense held as nick Folk hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots. Wilson was then intercepted again on a deep ball as the Patriots took over at their own 28. Jones hit White for 28 yards and then went to Smith for 19 more. White ran for 7 and then another 7 for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Patriots. In the second quarter the Jets moved from their own 38 to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Johnson got the carry and lost yard. Ammendola hit a 21 yard field goal to get the Jets on the board. With 2:09 left in the half the Patriots took over at their own 31. They moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Jets 21 with 22 seconds left in the half. An intentional grounding call killed the drive. Folk nailed a 49 yard field goal as the Patriots took a 13-3 lead to the locker rooms.
The Jets misery continued in the third quarter. On 2nd and 28 from his own 24, Wilson was intercepted for the 3rd time. Devin McCourty returned the interception 22 yards to the Jets 35. Two plays later Harris ran for a 26 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Patriots led 19-3. The Jets tried to get back in it, but a 10 play, 55 yard, 6 minute drive ended when Ammendola missed a 53 yard field goal. From their own 43, the Patriots easily moved into the red zone. They settled for a 32 yard Folk field goal to lead 22-3 over the hapless Jets. For those looking for inspiration, look elsewhere. The Jets tacked on one more fourth quarter field goal and the Patriots added one more of their own. 25-6 Patriots
Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars — Denver’s defense is back into form and the Jaguars have a rookie quarterback and coach. Yet early on from their own 17, it was the Jaguars going right to work. On 3rd and 2 from their own 25, Trevor Lawrence hit J O’Shaughnessy for 24 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Denver 47, Lawrence threw incomplete but illegal contact on the defense meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 13 from the Denver 25, Lawrence hit Jones for the first down and the touchdown as the Jaguars led 7-0. After a touchback the Broncos moved to a 2nd and 8 from the Jacksonville 10. Teddy Bridgewater was then sacked for a 16 yard loss to kill the drive. Brandon McManus hit the 32 yard field goal to get the Broncos within 7-3. Yet the 13 play, 61 yard, 9 minute drive could not reach the end zone.
Midway through the second quarter, the Jaguars missed a chance to extend the lead when Josh Lambo missed a 52 yard field goal. With 6 minutes left in the half, a sack of Teddy Bridgewater had the Broncos facing 2nd and 16 from their own 14. Bridgewater hit Williams for 10 and on 3rd and 6 hit Sutton for 16. Bridgewater went deep to Sutton for 33 yards and Hinton for 15 more. With 1:54 left in the half, Bridgewater went to Patrick for the 12 yard touchdown for the 10-7 Broncos lead. The Jaguars moved after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 30 with 39 seconds left in the half. Lawrence then threw 3 straight incompletions. From 48 yards out to tie the game, Lambo was again no good. Only 19 seconds remained, and with 2 seconds left the Broncos faced 4th and 1 from their own 47. Rather than try the Hail Mary, Vic Fangio opted for the hook and laterals. Bridgewater found Melvin Gordon for 30 yards, but no more.
The Broncos made it look easy to start the third quarter. Bridgewater went deep to Sutton for a 55 yard gain. Bridgewater then went to Fast for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Broncos. In the third quarter an interception of Lawrence set up a 46 yard McManus field goal to make it 20-7 Broncos. In the fourth quarter another interception of Lawrence led to another McManus field goal from 40 to make it 23-7 Broncos with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. Jamal Agnew returned the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for the Jaguars only touchdown on the day. The 2 point try was no good and the Broncos ran the final 5 1/2 minutes off of the clock. The Broncos may have beaten a pair of very bad teams, but their 2-0 record still counts in the standings. 23-13 Broncos
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins — Despite a brutal home loss to Pittsburgh, the Bills came out and took it to the Dolphins in Miami. A 20 yard punt return had the Bills taking over at the Miami 46. Singletary then ran for a 46 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. The Dolphins moved from their own 25 to a 4th and 2 at the Buffalo 48. Brian Flores decided to go for it and Tua Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Tagovailoa was injured on the play. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 47, Josh Allen ran for 6 yards. Allen then went deep to Sanders for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Allen hit Stefan Diggs for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Bills.
With Tagovailoa injured and Ryan Fitzpatrick and his magic furry beard being shipped to Washington, it was up to Jacoby Brissett to lead the Dolphins. The Bills defense smothered him. First Brissett was intercepted. Then on the next Dolphins drive they moved from their own 21 to a 3rd and 6 at the Buffalo 11. Brissett threw incomplete. On 3rd and 6 Brissett hit Grant for 5, but Grant fumbled and the Bills recovered. Josh Allen was intercepted to set up the Dolphins at the Buffalo 24. On 4th and 2 from the Buffalo 16, Brian Flores went for it and Brown only gained one yard. Tyler Bass missed a 53 yard field goal that would have extended the Buffalo lead. The Bills had chance after chance to blow the game wide open and didn’t do it. Yet in the second half, they did.
After a touchback to start the third quarter, Allen hit Cole beasley for 22 and Emanuel Sanders for 13. Allen went to Singletary for 6 with a defensive facemask adding 15 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 15, Allen hit Diggs for 7. Allen hit Dawson Knox for the 8 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Bills. From their own 20, the Dolphins soon had 2nd and 2 from their own 41. Brissett threw incomplete twice yet Brian Flores went for it. On 4th and 2, Brissett threw incomplete again. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 33, moss gained 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 19, Gilliam got stopped. Sean McDermott went for it. On 4th and 1 Allen gained 2. After a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty set up 1st and goal from the 7, Zack Moss ran it in from the air for another score and a 28-0 Bills lead early in the fourth quarter. The Bills got it back at their own 38 and Allen went deep to Diggs for a 41 yard gain. Moss ran for a one yard touchdown to complete the blowout. After getting smacked around at home, Buffalo went on the road and humiliated the Dolphins. The Dolphins are one fluke fumble recovery away from being an 0-2 team. 35-0 Bills
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles — The Eagles moved from their own 21 to a 3rd and 3 at the San Francisco 26. Jalen Hurts threw incomplete. Jake Elliott his the 45 yard field goal to put the Eagles up 3-0. The Eagles got it back at their own 17 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the San Francisco 27. On the first play of the second quarter, Sanders got the carry and lost 2 yards. Elliott came in for a 45 yard field goal try to extend the lead, but the kick was blocked. After that momentum changed and the 49ers defense clamped down.
The game then became a defensive slugfest. With 4:20 left in the half the 49ers took over at their own 3 yard line. On 3rd and 3 from their own 10, Jimmy Garoppolo hit Deebo Samuel for 5. Runs and short passes had the 49ers facing 3rd and 1 at their own 45 with 28 seconds left in the half. Garoppolo gained 4 and the 49ers took their 2nd timeout. The Philadelphia defense had been stout for 29 1/2 minutes. Then they had one meltdown. A short pass from Garoppolo to Samuel to get in field goal range instead went for a 40 yard gain. On the next play Garoppolo hit Jennings for the 11 yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in the half. The 49ers led 7-3 at the break.
With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the 49ers took over at their own 8. Garoppolo hit Samuel for 6 and mitchell gained 10 and 2. On 3rd and 2 from their own 32, Garoppolo hit Brad Aiyuk for 6. The fourth quarter began with the 49ers facing 3rd and 7 at their own 41. Garoppolo hit Samuel for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Philly 35, Garoppolo gained 4. Hasty then ran for 21. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Garoppolo threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Garoppolo snuck in for the score as the 49ers had the 14-3 lead with 11 minutes left in regulation. The staggering 16 play, 92 yard drive consumed 9 minutes and seemed to finally break the tough Philadelphia defense for good.
The 49ers tacked on a field goal with 5 minutes left in regulation to lead 17-3. After a touchback, Jalen Hurts went into desperation mode. He hit Gainwell for 9, and then ran for gains of 9 and 27, with 15 more tacked on for defensive unnecessary roughness. Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 14 and ran in the last yard himself. For some strange reason the Eagles went for 2 and Gainwell ran it in. The Eagles needed only one minute to score, getting them within 6 with 4 minutes still remaining. The 49ers took over at their own 14 and the Eagles were out of timeouts. With 2 1/2 minutes left, everything came down to the 49ers facing 3rd and 1 from their own 23. Garoppolo went p the middle for 3 yards and then took 3 knees to seal the win. The 49ers got to 2-0 with both wins on the road. 17-11 49ers
Los Angeles Rams at Indianapolis Colts — The Colts got shipped at home by Seattle and now faced a Rams team with Super Bowl aspirations. The Colts started out hot and moved from their own 41 to a 1st and goal at the one. Taylor went up the middle 3 times, and 3 times the Rams defense stopped him. Frank Reichd decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. Reich called a pass play and Carson went was sacked for a 10 yard loss. After the goal line stand, Matthew Stafford went to Robert Woods for 16, Darrell Henderson for 23, Jefferson for 14. Cooper Kupp for 13, and Kupp again for a 16 yard touchdown. Stafford’s passing clinic had the Rams up 7-0.
After a touchback the Colts moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Rams 30. On the first play of the second quarter, Wentz threw incomplete. Rodgrigo Blankenship hit the 48 yard field goal to get the Colts within 7-3. The Rams took over at their own 22 and Stafford was quickly intercepted to set up the Colts at the Rams 42. The Colts moved to a 2nd and goal at the 3. Taylor got stopped for no gain. On 3rd and goal Wentz was intercepted. Two goal line stands had the Rams defense fired up. The Rams took over at their own 5. Stafford led a staggering 16 play, 79 yard drive that took nearly 8 1/2 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 9 from the Indy 16 at the 2 minute warning, Stafford threw incomplete. Matt Gay hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Rams.
The Colts took over at their own 17 with1:51 left in the half. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 28 with 16 seconds left. Wentz went deep incomplete twice. On 3rd and 10 with 7 seconds left, Frank Reich settled for the field goal. Blankenship hit from 46 as the Colts trailed 10-6 at the intermission. The Rams began the third quarter at their own 26. Stafford immediately went deep to Kupp for a 43 yard gain. Woods gained 9 and Henderson did the rest, gaining 10, 6, 4, and the 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Rams.
The Colts fought back from their own 26. Wentz scrambled for 14. On 3rd and 2 from their own 48, Wentz hit Jacob Doyle for 12 and Pittman for 23 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 8, the Rams jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Wentz hit Zach Pascal for the touchdown. The 11 play, 74 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive followed by a successful 2 point conversion had the Colts within 17-14 less than one minute into the fourth quarter. The Rams began the fourth quarter pinned at their own 7 yard line. On 4th and 6 and attempting to punt, disaster struck the Rams. Ashton Dulin recovered the ball in the end zone for a Colts touchdown and a 21-17 Colts lead.
From their own 30, the Rams quickly came right back. Stafford hit Woods for 11 and then went deep to Cupp for a 44 yard gain. Stafford went back to Kupp for the 10 yard touchdown. With 13 minutes left in regulation the Rams had retaken the lead 24-21. After a touchback the Colts methodically moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Rams 17. Wentz threw incomplete but Blankenship hit the 35 yard field goal. midway through the fourth quarter the game was tied 24-24. After another touchback Stafford hit Woods for 14. On 3rd and 1 from their own 48, Stafford hit Kupp for 3. Sony Michel then gashed the Indy defense for gains of 10, 5, 11, 6 and 2. On 3rd and 2 from the Indy 15, Kupp got taken down for a 5 yard loss. Gay came in for a 38 yard field goal try to give the Rams the lead. The kick was good and the Rams led 27-24 with 2:23 left. Two plays after a touchback Wentz was quickly intercepted. The Colts got it back at their own 10 with 24 seconds left and 0 timeouts. From their own 20 with 13 seconds left, the hook and laterals reached the Indy 35 and no further. The Colts may be a very good 0-2 team, but they’re still 0-2. Meanwhile, the rams are 2-0 and looking like it. 27-24 Rams
Las Vegas Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers — After an emotional overtime win over Baltimore, the Raiders were expected to come out flat on the road for an early game at the Steelers. Making matters worse, the Raiders were without Josh Jacobs. Yet the Raiders held on defense to start the game. A good punt had the Steelers beginning their second drive at their own 8 yard line. On 3rd and 10 from his own 22, Ben Roethlisberger went deep and was intercepted by Trayvon Mullin, who returned it 15 yards to the Pittsburgh 39. From the Pittsburgh 28, the drive collapsed. On 1st and 10, Carr was sacked and fumbled but the Raiders retained possession for a 4 yard loss. Then Carr fumbled the snap but fell on it for another short loss. Then came a false start. Daniel Carlson bailed the offense out for a 46 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders.
The Steelers moved from their own 22 to a 3rd and 4 at the Raiders 38. Roethlisberger went deep for Chase Claypool in the end zone, but at the last minute it was broken up by Hayward incomplete. Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. On 4th and 4 under heavy pressure, Big Ben threw incomplete right before getting belted by Maxx Crosby. On 2nd and 6 from their own 42, Carr scrambled for 5 but defensive unnecessary roughness on a helmet to helmet hit added 15 more. The Raiders actually had 1st and 5 at the Pittsburgh 18 but could not finish the drive. On 3rd and 2 from the 15, Carr threw incomplete. Carlson hit the 33 yard field goal to make its 6-0 Raiders, but again they did not finish.
After a touchback, Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 13. Najee Harris ran for 14. On 3rd and 8 from the Raiders 48, Big Ben went deep to Diontae Johnson for a 41 yard gain. Juju Smith-Schuster took a handoff 3 yards for an easy touchdown. The Steelers led 7-6 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Raiders were kicking field goals. The Steelers got a touchdown. The Steelers finished their drive. The Raiders did not.
After a touchback, Carr hit Henry rugs for 13, Hunter Renfrow for 10 and Foster Moreau for 25. On 3rd and 4 from the pittsburgh 21, Carr hit renfrow for just enough at the sticks. On 3rd and 9 from the Pittsburgh 16, Carr hit Darren Waller for 8. Tired of the field goals, Jon Gruden decided to go for it with 1:38 left in the half. Without Josh Jacobs, Carr kept it on 4th and 1 from the Pittsburgh 8 and the quarterback sneak gained 2 yards. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 2 with 22 seconds left, a false start pushed the Raiders back. They took their 2nd timeout to avoid a 10 second runoff. Carr fired over the middle to the back of the end zone and found Bryan Edwards for the touchdown. Yet offensive holding negated the score. Again, the Raiders were self-destructing. After a deep incompletion, 2nd and goal at the 2 was now 3rd and goal at the 17 with 12 seconds left. A short give up completion couldn’t even be done right. An illegal man downfield pushed the Raiders back to 3rd and goal at the 22 with 6 seconds left. Carlson came in for a 41 yard field goal try. The kick was good as the Raiders led 9-7 at the half. Yet the Raiders offense had plenty to be frustrated out.
After an exchange of punts to start the third quarter, the Raiders took over at their own 18. Carr hit Edwards for 18 and Kenyan Drake for 9. Yet on 2nd and 1 from their own 45, the Raiders did not even try to run the ball. With Ajcobs out the running game was dead and both teams knew it. Carr was sacked for an 8 yard loss. On 3rd and 9 from their own 37, Carr fired over the middle to Renfrow for a 23 yard gain. Carr then went deep to Henry Ruggs for 30 more. Carr then fired to Foster Moreau for the 9 yard touchdown. This time the Raiders finished the drive as they led 16-7 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter.
With 132minutes left in regulation the Steelers faced 2nd and 7 from their own 23. Big Ben went deep to Chase Claypool. aFTER claypot caught it, the defender ran by him and didn’t even bother to tap him down. Claypool got backed up and juked another defender for a 52 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Raiders 25, one defensive stop was not meant to be. A short pass from Roethlisberger to Harris followed by terrible tackling allowed Harris to get through and leap past the pylon for the touchdown. With 11 minutes left the Steelers were right back in it down 16-14. After a touchback Carr hit Derek Carrier for 4 and Darren Waller for 10. On 3rd and 10 from his own 39, Jon Gruden summoned up the ghost of Al Davis. Henry Rugs was drafted for the bomb, and that’s exactly what Carr delivered. Ruggs escaped a tackle and raced for a 61 yard touchdown. With 9 1/2 minutes left, the Raiders had slight breathing room up 23-14.
The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Roethlisberger hit Freiermuth for only 5. With 8 1/2 minutes left and the Steelers facing 4th and 1 from their own 34, Mike Tomlin ignored the angry home crowd and opted to punt and trust his defense. The Raiders took over at their own 24. Despite having no running game all day, Jon Gruden was determined to pound the rock when it mattered. Pierre Barber gained 11 yards. Drake then gained 5 and Barber added 2. Yet on 3rd and 3 from their own 42, Barber got blown up in the backfield for a 4 yard loss. With 6 minutes left, the Steelers took over at their own 32. Roethlisberger hit Freiermuth for 9, Harris for 5 and 4, and Johnson for 12. Despite 1st and 10 at the Raiders 38, a run went nowhere and Roethlisberger threw incomplete twice. He got belted after his third down throw. With 3:42 to play and needing two scores, Mike Tomlin gambled on a 56 yard field goal try. There were no swirling winds at Heinz Field on this day, and Chris Boswell delivered the longest kick in stadium history and in his career. The Steelers were within 23-17.
With 3 1/2 minutes left the Raiders took over at their own 27. On 2nd and 7 from their own 30 and the Steelers defense expecting another run, Jon Gruden gambled big and won. Carr went deep to Darren Waller for a 25 yard gain. Then it was back to pounding the rock as Barber banged through tacklers for a 13 yard gain. At the 2 minute warning, the Raiders had 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 32. Barber ran for one yard as the Steelers took their last timeout. At this point Jon Gruden played it safe as Barber banged ahead for gains of 3 and one. With 20 seconds left Carlson came in for a 45 yard field goal try to lock up the win. A miss would set up the Steelers with a chance to win it. Carlson was good.
The Raiders are 2-0 after wins over 2 of the best teams in the league. They won without Jacobs and without Richie Incognito. Gus Bradley has vastly improved the defense. Carr was magnificent, going 28 of 37 for 382 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. This was a big win. The Raiders on a short week traveled to the East Coast, played an early game, and hit a very good Pittsburgh team in the mouth. It could be a coincidence, but in Week 2 of the 2002 season, the Raiders went into Pittsburgh and beat a very good Steelers team. That year the Raiders went to the Super Bowl. 26-17 Raiders
Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears — Matt Nagy ignored the critics and stuck with Red rifle Andy Dalton. On 3rd and 8 from his own 27, Dalton hit Mooney for 10 and again for 17 more. On 3rd and 12 from the Cincinnati 48, Dalton went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 32 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincy 11, Dalton hit Robinson for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. After that the defenses clamped down. With 1:50 left in the half, Nagy finally caved. Dalton was out and rookie Justin Fields came in. Midway through the third quarter, McPherson nailed a 53 yard field goal to get the Bengals on the board. The Bengals fumbled on their next series and the Bears had a short field at the Cincy 39. On 3rd and goal at the 5, a false start ended the third quarter. A Fields incompletion began the fourth quarter. Cairo Santos hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Bears. With 10 minutes in regulation came the back-breaker. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 48, Joe Burrow was intercepted by Raquon Smith, who returned it 53 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 17-3 Bears lead. Two plays later Burrow was intercepted again. The Bears had 1st and goal at the 9 but could not punch it in. Santos hit a 22 yard field goal to have the Bears cruising 20-3 with 10 minutes left in regulation.
The game appeared over but the Bengals fought back. After a touchback, Burrow hit Trevor Boyd for 5 and Tee Higgins for 10. On 3rd and 7 from their own 43, Burrow hit Boyd for 15. Burrow then went to Ja’Marr Chase for a 42 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Bengals were within 20-10. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 23. Fields was quickly intercepted by Wilson, who returned the interception 18 yards to the Chicago 7. One and play and 4 seconds later, Burrow hit Higgins for the touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left, the Bengals were within a field goal. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Fields shook off his interception and ran for a 10 yard gain and a critical first down. On 2nd and 4 from their own 42 at the 2 minute warning, Montgomery ran for just enough. The Bengals took their last timeout but it didn’t matter. Fields took 3 knees and Nagy was allowed to keep his job for another week. 20-17 Bears
Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns — Houston rocked Jacksonville last week while Cleveland had a heartbreaking loss at Kansas City. Early on the Texans fumbled a punt and the Browns recovered at the Houston 35. Baker Mayfield went to Bryant for 29. Janovich went up the middle for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Texans took over at their own 16. Tyrod Taylor went to Collins for a 32 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 just shy of midfield, Taylor hit Cooks for 12. Taylor hit Lindsay for a 22 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. After a touchback, the Browns moved to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 42. Mayfield hit Peoples-Jones for 15, but Peoples-Jones fumbled and the Texans recovered.
The Browns got it back at their own 20 early in the second quarter and moved to a 3rd and 13 at the Houston 45. Mayfield was intercepted by Reid, who returned it 24 yards to the Cleveland 47. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 47, Taylor hit Cooks for 22. On 3rd and 9 from the Cleveland 15, Taylor ran around the end and breezed in for the touchdown as the Texans had the surprising 14-7 lead on the road. midway through the second quarter after a touchback, Nick Chubb ripped off a 21 yard run. Chubb added runs of 7, 5 and 10. Karim Hunt added runs of 8 and 5 as Kevin Stefanski went smash mouth. With 1:18 left in the half on 3rd and 4 from the Houston 5, Mayfield ran for the touchdown. The game was tied 14-14 at the intermission.
In the third quarter the Browns took over at their own 29. Mayfield hit Higgins for 13. A defensive facemask a few plays later added 15 more. On 2nd and 19 from the Houston 33, Mayfield connected with Felton, who escaped all the way for the touchdown to make it 21-14 Browns. The Texans soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 8. Mills was in for Taylor. Mills was intercepted, setting the Browns up at the Houston 18. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Houston 11, Hunt lost a yard. Chase McLaughlin hit the 30 yard field goal for a 24-14 Browns advantage. 17 unanswered points had the Brows up by 10 with 4:40 left in the third quarter.
After a touchback, Mark Ingram ran for 8 and Lindsay added 5. On 3rd and 7 from their own 41, Mills hit Akins for 17 yards and a 1st down. Yet a taunting penalty on Akins after the play moved the Texans back 15 yards. It was still 1st and 10, not 1st and 25. On 3rd and 13 from the Houston 40, Mills went to Johnson for 14. The fourth quarter began with the Texans facing 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 42. Mills went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 27 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 6, Ingram gained 3. On 3rd and goal at the 2 after a run lost a yard, Mills hit Cooks for the touchdown. The mind-numbing 16 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive had the Texans within 24-21 with 11 1/2 minutes left to play.
The Browns soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 26. Mayfield ran for 4 and then hit Felton for 18 more. Hunt ran for 5 and 6. Chubb added 14 and then ran for a 26 yard touchdown. With 6 minutes left the Brows had breathing room again up by 10. After an exchange of punts the Texans got it back at their own 12 with 3 1/2 minutes left. They quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cleveland 21 with 2 1/2 minutes left. An incompletion and a sack followed by another incompletion set up 4th and 12 from the Cleveland 23. Needing 2 scores, Texans coach David Culley brought in Joey Slye for a 41 yard field goal try with 2:03 left. The kick was no good and the Texans were toast. 31-21 Browns
New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers — After demolishing Green Bay, the Saints opened up flat against the Panthers. Not helping matters was the fact that Sean Payton lost 8 assistant coaches to a Covid outbreak. He was practically coaching the team himself. 3 minutes into the game, the Panthers took over at their own 25. Sam Darnold went to Christian McCaffrey for a 32 yard gain. Darnold then hit DJ Moore for 20 and Zylstra for the 20 yard touchdown to quickly make it 7-0 Panthers. With 5 minutes left in the opening quarter the Panthers took over at their own 34. They moved to a 3rd and goal at the one early in the second quarter. Yet McCaffrey got tackled for a one yard loss. The 15 play, 63 yard drive took 9 minutes off the clock, but Matt rule decided not to gamble. Zane Gonzalez hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Panthers. The Panthers got it back and soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 32. Darnold hit Moore for 16. McCaffrey ran for 16 more. Darnold hit Arnold for 17. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Darnold hit Moore for the touchdown. With 1:55 left in the half, the Panthers were dominating up 17-0. A 55 yard field goal try by Gonzalez to extend the lead in the third quarter was blocked.
An interception of Darnold set up the Saints at the Carolina 18. On 3rd and goal at the 8 to start the fourth quarter, Jameis Winston ran it in to get the Saints within 17-7. After that the Panthers closed the door. On 2nd and 10 from their own 47, an 8 yard loss instead became a 15 yard gain thanks to roughing the passer. On 3rd and 10 from the Saints 38, Darnold hit Marshall for 11. Darnold then hit Robby Anderson for 16. McCaffrey ran for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 23-7 Panthers with 6 minutes left. The extra point wa no good but it didn’t matter. The Saints turned it over on downs to set up Gonzalez from 42 to close out the scoring. Winston was intercepted for a second time as the Panthers got a dominant win. The Saints will hopefully for their sake have a coaching staff. 26-7 Panthers
Minnesota Vikings at Arizona Cardinals — Last week the Vikings lost a heartbreaker in overtime while the Cardinals went into Tennessee and belted them. Two plays after a touchback and the Vikings were already on the board. Dalvin Cook gained 11 and Kirk Cousins went to KJ Osborn for a 64 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Vikings lead. The Cardinals took over at their own 27. Edmonds gained 14. Kyler Murray hit Deandre Hopkins for 16. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 24, Murray gained 9. On 3rd and 10 from the Minnesota 15, Murray went to hopkins for the touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame.
After a touchback, Cook gashed the defense for gains of 16 and 14 and caught a pass from Cousins for 14 more. Cousins hit Adam Thielen for 5 and then ran for 6. Cousins threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Thielen for a 14-7 Vikings lead. The Vikings got it back to start the second quarter at their own 16. Cook gained 15. Cousins hit Conklin for 9 and then scrambled himself for a 29 yard gain. Cousins hit Justin Jefferson for a 14 yard touchdown. Greg Joseph missed the extra point but the Vikings led 20-7.
After a touchback, Murray went to Williams for a 34 yard gain. On 3rd and 16 from the Minnesota 32, Murray went to Kirk for 19. On 2nd and 2 from the 5, the Cardinals fumbled and the Vikings recovered. On further review, it was reversed and ruled that the ball went out of bounds for a 4 yard loss. On the next play Murray ran for a 12 yard touchdown. With 3:15 left in the half the Cardinals were within 20-14. With 90 seconds left in the half the Cardinals got it back at their own 23. One play and 13 seconds later they had the lead. Murray went to Rodale Moore for a 77 yard touchdown and a 21-20 Cardinals lead.
After a touchback, the Vikings moved to a 3rd and 10 at the Arizona 40 with 30 seconds left in the half. Cousins hit Osborn for only 6. Joseph nailed the 52 yard field goal try to give the Vikings the 23-21 lead. A short kickoff followed by a 14 yard return had the Cardinals at their own 34. Yet only 16 seconds remained. Murray ran for 4 yards to leave only 10 seconds. Murray then hit Moore for 18 yards. Kliff Kingsbury brought in Matt Prater to try a 62 yard field goal. Prater holds the NFL record with a 64 yard field goal. Prater levied the kick as the home crowd erupted. The Cardinals took a 24-23 lead to the locker rooms, with the missed extra point by Joseph being the difference.
On the second play of the third quarter, the Cardinals faced 2nd and 2 from their own 32. Murray was intercepted by Nick Vigil, who returned it 38 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 30-24 Vikings lead. Mike Zimmer was right to not try the 2 point conversion and chase points. After a touchback, Conner gained 9 and 3. From his own 47, Murray hit Edmonds for 13. Murray then went to Williams for 25 and AJ Green for the 9 yard touchdown. This thriller now had the Cardinals up 31-30 and there was still 9 minutes left in the third quarter.
The Cardinals got it back and moved from their own 18 to a 2nd and 9 at the Minnesota 38. Murray went deep and was intercepted at the 4 yard line by Xavier Woods, who returned it 27 yards to his own 31. The Vikings went 3 and out and punted on 4th and 7 from their own 34. A roughing the kicker penalty allowed the Vikings to retain possession. On 3rd and 10 just shy of midfield, Cousins hit Jefferson for 13. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 32 to start the fourth quarter, Cousins was sacked and fumbled but retained possession after a 4 yard loss. Joseph again nailed the 52 yard field goal to put the Vikings up 33-31 less than one minute into the fourth quarter.
After an exchange of punts the Cardinals took over at their own 36 with 9 minutes left. Murray hit Williams for 17 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Minnesota 41, Murray threw incomplete. A field goal would be 59 yards, and Prater already hit from 62. Yet with 6 minutes left to play, Kliff Kingsbury opted to go for it. Murray went to Kirk for a 35 yard gain. Despite 1st and goal at the 6, a run lost 3 yards and Murray threw incomplete twice. Prater hit the 27 yard field goal as the Cardinals retook the one point lead with 4 1/2 minutes left.
After another exchange of punts, the Vikings got it back at their own 26 with 2:09 to play. Cook gained 9 and Cousins hit Thielen for 17. On 3rd and 10 from the Arizona 48, Cousins hit Thielen for 12 and Osborn for 9 and 8. The Vikings now were in the driver’s seat with 1st and 10 at the Arizona 19. A field goal try would be only 37 yards. Although 40 seconds still remained, Mike Zimmer decided not to run another play. He let the clock tick down to 4 seconds. It was hard to argue with his logic. Greg Joseph had already hit from over 50. This was a chip shot. Now it was time to for him to redeem himself for the missed extra point that was the difference in this game. With everything on the line, Joseph’s kick was no good wide right. He just missed it as the Vikings lost a heartbreaker on the final play for the second straight week and the Cardinals lucked their way to a 2-0 record. 34-33 Cardinals
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Matt Ryan insists that playing against Tom Brady does not bring back the nightmares from 5 years ago when Ryan’s Falcons blew a 28-3 second half lead and lost the Super Bowl. Now Ryan is just the leader of a bad team while Brady is again the defending Super Bowl champion. After a touchback to start the game, the Buccaneers went right to work. Brady hit Mike Evans for gains of 20 and 25. On 3rd and 8 from the Atlanta 20, Brady went to Rob Gronkowski for the touchdown. Barely 2 1/2 minutes into the game, the Buccaneers led 7-0. Late in the first quarter the Falcons faced 4th and 1 from their own 45. Arthur Smith decided to go for it and Matt Ryan’s quarterback sneak gained nothing.
With a short field, the Buccaneers began the second quarter facing 3rd and 2 at the Atlanta 38. Brady went to Chris Godwin for 8. Leonard Fournette gained 8 more. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 21 yards down to the one. Brady hit Gronk for the touchdown as the Buccaneers led 14-0. A short kickoff was returned 19 yards to the Atlanta 34 as the Falcons tried to make a game of it. Ryan hit Gage for 5, Cordarelle Patterson for 23. and Pitts for 24 more. Patterson ran for a 10 yard touchdown to get the Falcons within 14-7.
The Buccaneers took over at their own 15. Brady went deep to Godwin for 26, to Antonio Brown for 17, and to OJ Howard for 21. Brady hit Evans for a 3 yard touchdown to put the Buccaneers up 21-7. Another short kickoff was returned 14 yards to the Atlanta 35. With only 40 seconds left in the half, Ryan went to Pitts for 14. Three straight defensive penalties added 25 yards. Yet 1st and 5 from the Tampa 18 came with only 10 seconds left. Ryan threw incomplete to leave 5 seconds. Younghoe Koo hit the 36 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 21-10. The Falcons began the third quarter at their own 12. On the second play from scrimmage from their 20, Ryan was intercepted to set up the Buccaneers at their own 18. On 3rd and 2 from the Bucs 10, Brady gained 6. Brady hit Evans for a one yard touchdown to make it 28-10 Buccaneers.
The Falcons tried to make a game of it. Ryan hit Calvin Ridley for 3, Ryan Gage for 8 and Ridley again for 14. On 3rd and 6 from the Tampa 46, Ryan hit Patterson for 23. On 3rd and 8 from the Tampa Bay 21, Ryan hit Zaccheaus for 12 and Gage for 8 more. On 2nd and goal from the one, Patterson took the direct snap and fumbled. The Falcons retained possession after a 9 yard loss. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Ryan hit Pitts for 7. Arthur Smith decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the 3. Ryan hit Ridley for the touchdown as the Falcons got within 28-17 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The Buccaneers punted on 4th and 25 from their own 8 and the Falcons took over with a short field at the Tampa Bay 46. On 3rd and 7, Matty Ice hit Ridley for 22. On 2nd and 9 from the Tampa 20, a run gained 5 but a facemask on the defense added 8 more. Ryan hit Patterson for the touchdown. After three quarters, the Falcons were right back in it down 28-25. Yet the fourth quarter again brought a cold dose of reality.
The Falcons punted from their own 10 and a shanked 33 yard punt gave the Buccaneers a short field at the Atlanta 43. Brady went to Evans for 26, to Leonard Fournette for 5, and to Godwin for the 12 yard touchdown to make it 35-25 Buccaneers. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 31. Ryan found Mike Edwards, who plays defense for the Buccaneers. Edwards returned the interception 31 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 41-25 Buccaneers lead after the missed extra point. After a touchback the Falcons soon faced 4th and 1 from their own 44. They went for it and Ryan threw incomplete. The Falcons got it back at their own 34 and Ryan again found Edwards, who still plays defense for the Buccaneers. Edwards returned this interception 34 yards for a second defensive touchdown to complete the blowout. Ryan was 35 of 46 for 300 yards. He threw 2 touchdowns to each team as part of his 3 interceptions. Brady was 24 of 36 for 276 yards, 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. 5 years later, same fourth quarter meltdown or comeback depending on which angle you look at it from. 48-25 Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans at Seattle Seahawks — The Seahawks were coming off an opening week road win at Indianapolis while the Titans were humiliated by Arizona in a 25 point home loss. In the first quarter the teams exchanged field goals as Jason Myers hit from 31 for the Seahawks and Randy Bullock answered from 33 for the Titans for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter the Titans had 3rd and goal at the 5, but Ryan Tannehill was sacked. Myers hit again from 31 to make it 6-3 Titans, but the Seahawks obliterated them for most of the rest of the half.
The Seahawks took over at their own 17. Russell Wilson hit DK Metcalf for 16 and then went deep to Tyler Lockett for a 63 yard touchdown and a 10-6 Seahawks lead with 6 1/2 minutes left in the half. 2 plays later on 2nd and 8 from their own 18, Tannehill was sacked and fumbled. The Seahawks took over at the Tennessee 6. Two plays later Chris Carson ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Seahawks. The Titans moved from their own 31 to a 3rd and 5 at the Seattle 6. Tannehill hit Jones for the touchdown, but on further review it was reversed to an incomplete pass. Bullock hit his 3rd field goal from 24 yards out. With just over one minute left in the half the Titans were within 17-9. Yet they were kicking field goals. The Seahawks were scoring touchdowns. After a touchback, Wilson hit Metcalf for 11. Collins ran for 25. Defensive pass interference meant a 10 yard gain down to the one. Carson got in for the score with 17 seconds left in the half. The Seahawks were dominating 24-9. For the second straight week it appeared the Titans would get blasted.
The Titans began the third quarter at their own 20. Derrick Henry gained 11. On 3rd and 1 from their own 40, Henry gained 4. Tannehill then hit AJ Brown for 15. On 2nd and 12 from the Seattle 43, Tannehill hit Pruitt for 15 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 14 more. After the defense jumped offside, Henry ran for a 9 yard touchdown to get the Titans within 24-16. The Titans got it back at their own 5 yard line and moved 66 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 26, Tannehill threw incomplete. From 44 yards out, Bullock’s field goal try was no good wide right as the third quarter ended. The Seahawks began the fourth quarter at their own 34. On 3rd and 12 from their own 32, Wilson went to Freddie Swain for a 68 yard touchdown. With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Seahawks were in total control up 30-16. The extra point was no good, but this game appeared over. The Seahawks had too much firepower.
2 plays later after a touchback, the Titans were right back in it. Tannehill hit Brown for 15. Henry then bulldozed past everyone for a 60 yard touchdown run to get the Titans within 30-23. The Titans got it back at their own 18 and moved 53 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 4th and 2 from the Seattle 29 with 6 minutes left, mike Vrabel decided to go for it and Tannehill threw incomplete. Yet the Seahawks offense went 3 and out for a 2nd straight time. With 4:12 to play, the Titans took over at their own 32. Offensive holding meant 1st and 20 from their own 22. Tannehill hit Julio Jones for 10, Henry for gains of 14 and 4. Mcnichols caught a pass from Tannehill for 9, ran for 3, and caught another reception for 12. At the 2 minute warning the Titans had 1st and 10 at the Seattle 26. Henry gained 8 and 4 and caught a pass for 4 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 5, Henry ran for 4 and then for the one yard touchdown. With 30 seconds left, the Titans had come back to tie the game 30-30.
The Seahawks got it back at their own 28 with 24 seconds left. With 10 seconds left the Seahawks faced 3rd and 7 at their own 31. Wilson scrambled for 12 yards. 2 seconds remained. From their own 43, Wilson had the arm for a Hail Mary. Yet Pete Carroll opted for the hook and laterals instead. Wilson hit Lockett for 27 yards but no more as the game headed to overtime. The Titans got the ball first and punted. The Seahawks nearly gave the game away on a safety when Wilson was sacked dangerously close to his own goal line. The Seahawks punted on 4th and 22 from their own one. The Titans took over with a short field at the Seattle 39 and Henry did most of the rest. Henry ran for 12, 4, one, and on 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 22, 4 more. On 4th and 1 from the Seattle18 midway through overtime, Mike Vrabel took no chances. Bullock had made 3 of 4 field goals, and this one was from 36 yards out. The kick was good as the Titans stunned Seattle and the 12th man home crowd. The Seahawks dominated the game but did not slam the door shut. To paraphrase ESPN’s Swami Chris Berman, that’s why they play the ENTIRE game. 33-30 Titans, OT
Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers — The Chargers survived a win against Washington while the Cowboys lost a heartbreaker on the final play at defending champion Tampa Bay. The Cowboys started hot out of the gate. On 3rd and 3 from their own 29, Ezekiel Elliott gained 10. On 3rd and 2 from their own 47, Elliott only gained one. Mike McCarthy decided to go for it. Dak Prescott threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 4 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 39, Tony Pollard gained 5. On 2nd and 12 from the Chargers 36, Prescott hit Jarwin for 20. On 3rd and 5 from the Chargers 11, Prescott hit Amari Cooper for 7. Pollard ran for the 4 yard touchdown. the 15 play, 78 yard, 7 minute drive had the Cowboys up 7-0.
Justin herbert was intercepted, but then Prescott threw an interception right back, and Samuel’s 26 yard return had the Chargers at the Dallas 45. Yet on 2nd and 3 from the Dallas 27, a run lost a yard and Herbert on 3rd and 4 threw incomplete. Tristan Vizcaino hit a 46 yard field goal to get the Chargers within 7-3. After a touchback Pollard ran for gains of 16 and 6 and caught a pass from Prescott for 12 more. CeeDee Lamb ran for 13 and caught passes of 10 and 13 from Prescott. Elliott ran for a 5 yard touchdown as the Cowboys led 14-3 at the end of the first quarter.
The Chargers stayed resilient in the second quarter. After a touchback, Austin keeper ran for 16. Justin Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 14. An interception of Herbert was nullified by defensive pass interference, resulting in a 13 yard gain. On 3rd and 11 from the Dallas 48, Herbert hit Cook for 12. On 3rd and 13 from the Dallas 39, Herbert hit Mike Williams for 27 and again for the 12 yard touchdown. Brandon Staley went for the 2 point conversion and Ekeler got in to get the Chargers within 14-11. Although 10 minutes remained in the half, neither team would reach the end zone in the final 40 minutes as the defenses dug in.
The Cowboys moved from their own 23 to a 4th and 5 at the Chargers 41. Mike McCarthy went for it and Prescott threw incomplete. The Chargers moved from their own 41 to a 2nd and 3 at the Dallas 21 with 17 seconds left in the half. A false start was followed by a pair of Herbert incompletions. A 44 yard field goal try by Vizcaino to tie the game was no good. with 3 seconds left. From just shy of midfield, Mike McCarthy opted against the Hail Mary in favor of the hook and laterals. Prescott hit Lamb for a 34 yard gain down to the Chargers 17, but nothing else. In the third quarter after a touchback the Chargers moved 61 yards in 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Brandon Staley even gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 34. Herbert snuck for 3 yards. Yet on 3rd and 11 from the Dallas 14, Herbert threw incomplete. This time Trizcaino was good from 32 and the game was finally tied 14-14.
The Chargers got it back at their own 9 and moved 82 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. On the last play of the third quarter after an incompletion, the Chargers faced 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 9. A field goal would give the Chargers the lead, but Herbert was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. The Chargers began the fourth quarter at their own 20 and Pollard ran for 28. On 2nd and 9 from the Chargers 10, Prescott threw incomplete. On 3rd and 9 he was sacked and fumbled. The Cowboys were lucky to retain possession with only a 6 yard loss. Greg Zuerlein hit from 34 to put the Cowboys back up 17-14 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 64 yards and 10 plays could not reach the end zone.
After a touchback it was the Chargers turn to go 64 yards and 12 plays and eat up 6 1/2 minutes. Guyton gained 9 and Herbert hit Williams for 15. Jackson ran for gains of 7 and 4. Herbert went to Allen for a 30 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 2. Herbert hit Cook for the touchdown but an offensive illegal shift nullified the score. After an incompletion, Herbert was sacked for an 18 yard loss. On 3rd and goal at the 25, Herbert hit Ekeler for 14 as both teams faltered in the red zone. Vizcaino hit from 29 as the game was tied again 17-17 with 4 minutes left in regulation.
The Cowboys thanks to an illegal block penalty on the kickoff took over at their own 13. On 3rd and 4 from their 19, Prescott hit Elliott for 7. On 3rd and 1 from their own 35, Elliott gained 3. Prescott hit Elliott for 5 and Cooper for 12. With 33 seconds remaining on 2nd and 6 from the Chargers 41, pass-happy Mike McCarthy went ultra-conservative. Pollard ran for 3. A field goal from this distance would be 56 yards. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein could hit that, but it was 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 38. There was plenty of time for another play or even 2 or 3 if the Cowboys gained a first down. Instead McCarthy opted not to run another play. He led the clock tick down to 4 seconds as the Cowboys took their last timeout and the Chargers took their first. Zuerlein came in and leveled the kick through the uprights. Jerry Jones celebrated. Jerry will allow beleaguered Mike McCarthy to come back next week and coach. 20-17 Cowboys
Kansas City Chiefs at Baltimore Ravens was the Sunday night game. Both teams played heart-stoppers last week, with the Ravens losing in overtime at the Raiders and the Chiefs barely surviving at home against Cleveland. Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are two of the best quarterbacks in the game, winning the league MVP in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Yet their rivalry has been one-sided, with the chiefs winning the last 3 matchups. Mahomes has been to 2 Super Bowls, winning one. Jackson finally won a playoff game last year but has not reached the AFC Title Game. Nevertheless, these 2 phenoms put on a show for the ages in a thrilling football game from start to finish.
On the third play of the game, it was the defense that got the scoring going. On 3rd and 8 from his own 27, Jackson was intercepted by Tyrann Mathieu. The player nicknamed Honey Badger returned the interception 34 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs only 50 seconds into the game. After a touchback, Jackson came right back. Latavius Murray gained 6 and Williams added 5. Jackson hit Brown for 11. Williams gained 12 and Freeman ran for 31 more. Williams ran for 9 down to the one, got belted, fumbled, and the ball fortuitously popped in the air right to teammate Kevin Duvernay, who got the final 2 yards. The Ravens did it the hard way sandlot style, but the game was tied 7-7. This was a Ravens team that lost their top 3 starting running backs to injury for the season. John Harbaugh kept running.
The Chiefs took over at their own 8. Carl Edwards-Helaire ran for 9. Mahomes then hit Mecole Hardman for 6, Tyreek Hill for 7, and Hartman again for 19. On 3rd and 2 from the Baltimore 43, Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 10 and Demarcus Robinson for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Chiefs. The Ravens moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Chiefs 24. On 3rd and 14 from the chiefs 28, Jackson went to the end zone and was intercepted a second time. The game briefly settled down in the second quarter as the Chiefs punted twice and Ravens punted once. The Ravens took over at their own 28 and Jackson ran for 21. Jackson then hit Brown for 20 and Andrews for 8. On 3rd and 6 from the Chiefs 12, Jackson hit Williams for 7. Murray ran for the 5 yard touchdown. The 72 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive tied the game 14-14 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. The action was far from done.
The Chiefs took over at their own 33. Carl Edwards-Helaire ran for 9. Mahomes hit Hill for 4, Kelce for 14, and at the 2 minute warning, Bell for 20. Mahoems hit McKinnon for 14. With 52 seconds left in the half, Williams ran it in for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Chiefs. After a touchback, Jackson hit Sammy Watkins for 11. On 1st and 25 from their own 21 after consecutive penalties, Williams gained 20. Jackson hit Andrews for 12 and ran for 14. Despite 2nd and 10 from the Chiefs 33 with 26 seconds left, an 8 yard completion left only 11 seconds left. Justin Tucker is the most accurate field goal kicker in NFL history, and he hit from 43 to get the Ravens within 21-17 at halftime. This game was nowhere close to being settled.
The Chiefs began the third quarter at their own 26. From their own 43, Mahomes went to Burton for 11. Mahomes went to Byron Pringle for a 40 yard touchdown and a 28-17 Chiefs lead. After a touchback, Jackson hit Brown for 27 yards. On 2nd and 24 from their own 38, Jackson hit Andrews for 20. On 3rd and 4 from the Chiefs 42, Jackson went deep to Brown for the touchdown. The Ravens were back within 28-24, but every time they got close, the Chiefs pulled away again.
After a touchback, Hill gained 15. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Mahomes only gained 3 but defensive holding meant a 5 yard gain. Mahomes then connected with Kelce for a 46 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Chiefs led 35-24 midway through the third quarter. After a touchback, the Ravens soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 35. Jackson was sacked for a 9 yard loss. Then offensive holding on the punt meant a second punt on 4th and 27. The Chiefs got it back with a short field just past midfield. Up by 11, the Chiefs had a chance to break the game wide open with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
Instead it was the Chiefs turn to blunder. On 3rd and 12 just shy of midfield, Mahomes was intercepted. The Ravens still had life at their own 44. Jackson ran for 20 and hit Watkins for 19. The fourth quarter began with the Ravens facing 2nd and 4 at the Chiefs 11. Jackson hit Oliver for 9. Jackson ran for the 2 yard touchdown himself. With most of the entire fourth quarter to play, John Harbaugh made the very questionable decision to go for the 2 point conversion. It appeared to be the wrong call, and Jackson threw incomplete. The Ravens were within 35-30, but they would be chasing points.
The Chiefs took over at their own 23. On 3rd and 9 from their own 36, Mahomes went deep incomplete. The Baltimore defense had held again. Now they finally had a chance to take the lead. They took over at their own 32. Jackson gained 8 and Murray added 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 46, , Ricard gained 2. A sack of Jackson was nullified by defensive illegal contact. Jackson hit Andrews for 10. Williams gained 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Chiefs 12, Jackson gained 9. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jackson got in for the touchdown. The 14 play, 68 yard drive took 8 minutes off the clock. Yet because of the failed 2 point try earlier, the Ravens had to go for 2 again. Jackson threw incomplete. This is the danger of chasing points. The Ravens led by one point with 3:18 to play, but a field goal would win it for the Chiefs.
After a touchback, Mahomes immediately hit Pringle for 23 and Kelce for 13 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Mahomes hit Kelce for 7 more as the clock ticked down to 90 seconds. The Ravens could only watch helplessly from the sideline. The inevitable would happen. Tucker would hit the winning field goal. Pass-Happy Walrus Andy Reid only started running the ball 2 years ago, and it got him a Super Bowl trophy. So on 2nd and 3 from the Baltimore 32, all the Chiefs had to do was run down the clock. The Ravens couldn’t stop it. Edwards-Helaire got the carry, and in a shocking turn of events, Owen forced a fumble and then recovered it for the Ravens.
The Ravens took over at their own 34, but the Chiefs had all 3 timeouts. On 3rd and 7, rather than run, Jackson passed over the middle and it was caught by Watkins for 6. The Chiefs took their last timeout with 1:05 left. The Ravens had 4th and 1 at their own 43. A first down would end it but if they didn’t make it, the Chiefs would have a short field and an all but guaranteed win. Normally this situation calls for a punt, but with Patrick Mahomes that would be foolish. 30 seconds without a timeout is one thing. An entire minute is an eternity. John Harbaugh grabbed his big balls of steel and went for it in his own territory with the entire game on the line. Everyone knew Jackson would keep the ball himself. He did, and he gained 2 yards as the Ravens sideline erupted in celebration. Jackson took a knee and ended it. The loss made Andy Reid a most displeased Walrus indeed, but this night was about John Harbaugh coaching the biggest game of his life since the Super Bowl nearly a decade ago. Jackson finally got the Kansas City Monkey off of his back in a thrilling win. 36-35 Ravens
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers was the Monday night game. Aaron Rodgers suffered the worst beating of his career last week in a 35 point loss. He skipped the entire offseason acting like a prima donna. He told the Packers fans to relax, and in the past he has been proven right. Yet a loss at home to the hapless Lions and their rookie head coach would set off plenty of panic buttons. The Lions got the ball first, and early on there was plenty of reason for the Cheeseheads to panic. On 3rd and 1 from his own 34, Jared Goff went deep to Quinton Cephus for a 46 yard gain. Goff then hit TJ Hockensen for 9 and Cephus again for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions.
For all of his whining, Rodgers still knows how to play football. Matt LaFleur also still knows how to coach, and he decided to start with the ground game. Aaron Jones ran for 3, 6, and on 3rd and 1 from his own 34, 7 more. Rodgers then hit Adams for 18. On 2nd and 12 from the detroit 37, Rodgers hit Robert Tonyan for 19. Jones ran for 9, 4 and one and then caught the 4 yard touchdown pass from Rodgers. The 11 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive had the game tied 7-7.
In the second quarter the Lions took over at their own 39. From the Green Bay 48, a defensive facemask added 15 yards.Goff hit Raymond for 10 and Hockensen for an 8 yard touchdown. Midway through the second quarter, the Lions led again 14-7. A 41 yard kickoff return by Hill had the Packers starting at their own 44. Dillon ran for 4 and Jones had gains of 8 and 6. Rodgers then hit Adams for 6 and Jones for 9. On 2nd and 6 from the Detroit 14, Rodgers hit Jones for 13 at the 2 minute warning. Rodgers went back to Jones for the one yard touchdown. The 10 play, 56 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive tied the game again 14-14 with 1:52 left in the half.
Igwebuike returned the kickoff 33 yards to the Detroit 41. Swift ripped off gains of 12 and 2. Goff hit Hockensen for 20. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Green Bay 25 with 23 seconds left, the drive died. A pass that would have been better off dropped gained one yard. Goff then went deep incomplete twice, leaving 7 seconds. Seibert hit the 43 yard field goal to give the Lions the 17-14 halftime lead. The Packers went right to work in the third quarter from their own 13. Jones caught a pass from Rodgers for 10 and ran for 8 more. A sack of Rodgers had the Packers facing 3rd and 12 from their own 24. Rodgers went deep to Adams for a 50 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 22, Rodgers went to Robert Tonyan in the end zone. Tonyan caught the ball between two defenders and hung on. The Packers had their first lead of the game up 21-17 as the rain started coming down.
The Lions kept moving the ball well, going from their own 25 to a 3rd and 8 at the Green Bay 32. Goff hit St. Brown for 7 to set up 4th and 1 at the Green Bay 25. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, Dan Campbell decided to go for it. Rather than play smash mouth, a pass play saw Goff throw incomplete. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 14 at their own 21. Rodgers went to Randall Cobb for just enough at the sticks. On 1st and 20 from their own 25 after an offensive holding penalty, Rodgers threw deep incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant a 25 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the detroit 47, Rodgers hit Cobb for 9 and Adams for gains of 5 and 22. Another offensive holding call had the Packers facing 1st and 20 from the Detroit 21, but defensive holding on the next play meant 1st and 10 from the Detroit 11. Rodgers went to Jones for the touchdown as the third quarter was ending. The 11 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the Packers up 28-17.
The rain was now coming down heavier. On the first play after the touchback before the third quarter ended, Goff fumbled the snap and the Packers recovered. The first turnover of the game had the Packers taking over at the Detroit 23. Rodgers hit Tonyan for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Rodgers threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant 4 yards and 1st and goal at the one. Jones got in as the Packers broke the game open with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The fourth quarter was pointless. Time will tell if last week’s beating at the hands of New Orleans was an aberration or this week’s beating up woeful Detroit was. 35-17 Packers.