NFL 2021 Week 11 Recap
New England Patriots at Atlanta Falcons is the Thursday night game. Five years ago the Falcons blew a 28-3 third quarter lead over the Patriots in the Super Bowl and have been in a tailspin ever since. Early on it was a close game, The only score in the first quarter was a 32 yard Nick Folk field goal for the Patriots. The Patriots got it back at their own 24 and Damien Harris ripped off gains of 14 and 17. The second quarter began with Mac Jones hitting Harris for 9 and Nelson Agholor for a 19 yard touchdown and a 10-0 Patriots lead. The Falcons missed a field goal late in the half, and Folk hit again from 44 as the Patriots led 13-0 at the break. The second half of this game was even worse for the Falcons than the second half of that Super Bowl. The Falcons managed 4 interceptions in the final 12 minutes on 4 consecutive possessions with 3 different quarterbacks. The first 2 interceptions courtesy of Matty Ice led to field goals of 53 and 33 to make it 19-0 Patriots. With 1:40 left, Josh Rosen came in for mop up. He threw one completion, one incompletion, and one interception that was returned 35 yards by Kyle Van Not for a defensive touchdown. Rosen lasted 23 seconds. Feleipe Franks came in for 4 seconds and one play, an interception.. Rather than blow a 25 point lead, this time the Falcons fell behind by 25 and stayed there for their first home shutout loss since 1988. Their 3 quarterbacks threw 3 interceptions in a 4 minute span. The Patriots have won 5 straight games and at 7-4 are making a playoff push. 25-0 Patriots.
Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings — Mason Crosby hit a 54 yard field goal for the Vikings and Greg Joseph responded from 51 for a 3-3 game. The Vikings eventually faced 3rd and 4 at their own 22. Kirk Cousins went to Adam Thielen for 18 and then went deep to Justin Jefferson for 56 yards down to the one. Dalvin Cook walked in up the middle for the touchdown. Greg Joseph missed the extra point as the Vikings led 9-3. After a touchback, the Packers moved in the second quarter 81 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 9 from the Minnesota 14, , Aaron Rodgers threw incomplete twice. Mason Crosby’s 32 yard field goal try doinked off the upright no good. The Vikings took over at their own 22. Cousins hit Conklin for 15. Defensive pass interference added 37 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 19, Cousins was intercepted. Yet roughing the passer nullified the interception and gave the Vikings 10 more yards. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Cousins hit Thielen for the touchdown to make it 16-3 Vikings.
The Packers took over at their own 26 with 4:18 left in the half. Rodgers hit St. Brown for 17. On 3rd and 8 from their own 45, Rodgers hit Randall Cobb for 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Minnesota 25, Rodgers went to Josiah Deguara for the touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half to get the Packers within 16-10. After a touchback to start the third quarter, Cousins hit Conklin for 15. Cook ran for 7 and 4. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 40, Cook gained 5. Cook then gained 13 and caught a pass for 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 13, Cook gained 4. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Cousins hit Justin Jefferson for the touchdown to culminate the 14 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 23-10 Vikings.
The Packers soon faced 1st and 20 from their own 15. Rodgers hit Dillon for 13 and Davante Adams for 12 and 17. Rodgers then ran for 18. St. Brown gained 11. Rodgers hit Adams for the 10 yard touchdown to get the Packers within 23-17 late in the third quarter. The Packers got it back to start the fourth quarter at their own 6 yard line. Dillon gained 7 and 6. On 3rd and 6 from their own 23, Rodgers hit Adams for 13 and St. Brown for 25. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 29, Dillon gained 7. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 18, Rodgers went to Adams for the touchdown. The Packers now led 24-23 after the 12 play, 94 yard, 7 minute drive thanks to the earlier Minnesota missed extra point.
The Vikings took over at their own 21 midway through the fourth quarter. Cousins went to Osborn for 19. Runs and short passes led to a 3rd and 3 at the Green Bay 33. Cousins hit Thielen for just enough. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 23, Cousins went to Jefferson for the touchdown to finish the 12 play, 79 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Mike Zimmer went for 2 and Cook ran it in to have the Vikings up 31-24 with 2:17 to play. One play and 9 seconds after a touchback, the game was tied again. Rodgers went bombs away to Marques Valdes-Scantling for a 75 yard touchdown and a 31-31 game. On 1st and 5 from their own 30, Cousins went deep and was immediately intercepted. Savage returned the interception 26 yards to the Minnesota 37. Before the Packers could celebrate, officials reversed the call and ruled the ball hit the ground for an incompletion. The Vikings dodged a bullet. Cousins then hit Jefferson for 6, Cook for 19, and Thielen for 26. Cook ran for 12 as the Packers took their second timeout on defense. On 1st and goal at the 7, Cousins took a couple knees to take the clock down to 2 seconds. Joseph came in for a 29 yard field goal try for the win. Joseph was good and the Packers fell tom 8-3 while the Vikings at 5-6 are still alive. 34-31 Vikings
Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns — The Lions did not lose their last game. They tied. Now Tim Boyle gets his first start in place of an injured Jared Goff. Early on Baker Mayfield and Boyle traded interceptions as the Browns took over at their own 16. Nick Chubb caught a pass from Mayfield for 9 and ran for 12. Mayfield hit Njoku for 21 and Austin Hooper for 20. On the first play of the second quarter, Jarvis Landry took the direct snap and weaved his way up the middle through traffic for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Browns missed a chance to extend the lead when a 46 yard Chase McLaughlin field goal try was no good. The Browns got it back at their own 24 and soon faced 3rd and 13 at their own 29. Mayfield went to Higgins for 17. On 3rd and 2 from just past midfield, Felton got stopped. Kevin Stefanski went for it and on 4th and 2 Mayfield threw incomplete again. Yet defensive illegal use of hands kept the drive going. Mayfield then hit Hooper for 20. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 14, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 9 yard gain. Chubb ran for a 5 yard touchdown with one minute left in the half. The extra point try was blocked as the Browns led 13-0.
Late in the third quarter the Lions took over at their own 22. Swift ran for 19 and then gashed the defense for a 57 yard touchdown run. Just like that, the Lions were within 13-7. Mayfield played the whole game injured, and it showed. The Browns had to rely on the Dawg Pound and the defense. On 3rd and 10 from his own 15, Mayfield was intercepted. The Lions took over at the Cleveland 34 with 11 minutes left in regulation. On 3rd and 2, Swift only gained one. With 9 minutes left, Dan Campbell decided not to gamble on 4th and 1. Aldrick Rosas hit the 43 yard field goal to get the Lions within 3 points. The Lions got it back at their own 16. On 4th and 9 from their own 41 with 2 1/2 minutes left, Campbell decided again to punt and trust his defense. At the 2 minute warning, the Browns faced 3rd and 3 at their own 27. Chubb gained 11 and then 15 more. With 90 seconds left the Browns faced 3rd and 2 at the Detroit 39. Chubb gutted out 3 yards and Mayfield took a pair of knees for the brutal win. 13-10 Browns
Baltimore Ravens at Chicago Bears — Lamar Jackson was out with an illness that was not Covid. Tyler Huntley saw his very first NFL start in a defensive slugfest that saw nearly 28 minutes of scoreless football. Cairo Santos missed a 40 yard field goal for the Bears early on. Justin Tucker hit a 35 yard field goal just before the 2 minute warning to make it 3-0 Ravens. The Bears could not even get to the half, giving the Ravens the ball back at their own 36 with 1:05 left. Tucker hit again from 27 to end the half with the Bears up 6-0. Early in the third quarter while scrambling, Fields was hit and injured. When the Bears got it back at their own 17, Red Rifle Andy Dalton was in the game. He had immediate success, hitting Jimmy Graham for 23 and then going bombs away to Darnell Mooney for a 60 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Bears led 7-6.
Early in the fourth quarter Matt Nagy gambled on 4th and 1 just shy of midfield. Out of the shotgun, Montgomery took the direct snap and got stopped cold. The Ravens moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chicago 22 in easy field goal range to take the lead. Yet Huntley was intercepted at the Chicago 14. The Bears then went 3 and out and a shanked 28 yard punt gave the Ravens a short field at the Chicago 45. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 36, Latavius Murray got the yard. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 30, Freeman only gained 2. Tucker came in for a 46 yard field goal try with 3:41 to play. The most accurate kicker in NFL history was good and the Ravens led 9-7.
After a touchback, Dalton hit Ket for 12. With 2:41 to play the Bears were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 1 at their own 46. Dalton hit Mooney for 6. With 1:48 left it was do or die again as the Bears faced 4th and 11 just past midfield. Dalton went for it all and found a wide open Marquise Goodwin for a miracle 49 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Bears led 13-9. The Ravens took over at their own 28 with 1:33 to play. Huntley threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 21 yard gain. Huntley then went deep to Duvernay for 21 more. With 35 seconds left, the Ravens faced 3rd and 2 at the Chicago 22. Huntley threw incomplete and the Ravens were also called for offensive holding. Matt Nagy took the yardage. So rather than 4th and 2, the Ravens faced 3rd and 12 from the Chicago 32. Huntley then went deep to Sammy Watkins for 29 yards. Devonta Freeman ran in the 3 yard touchdown to put the Ravens up by 3 with 22 seconds left. After a touchback, a completion gained 23 and left 3 seconds. Dalton’s Hail Mary from his own 48 never happened as he was sacked for an 18 yard loss. Huntley won his first NFL game as the Ravens got to 7-3 and the Bears fell to 3-7 on the year. 16-13 Ravens
Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills — The Bills entered the game atop the AFC East but struggled today in a game played in hard rain. The Colts got the ball first and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 43. Jonathan Taylor gained 3 and 10. On 2nd and 14 from the Buffalo 40, Carson Wentz hit pittman for 18. Taylor did the rest, running for 6, 10, 3, and finally the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Bills moved after a touchback to the Indianapolis 35. Josh Allen was then intercepted to set up the Colts at their own 43. Taylor ran for 11. Wentz hit Jacob Doyle for 18, Pittman for 5, and Taylor for a 23 yard touchdown as the Colts had the surprising 14-0 lead.
The Bills took over at their own 27. Allen went to Davis for 20 and began the second quarter by hitting Dawson Knox for 18. On 3rd and one from the Indy 13, Allen hit Cole Beasley for 13. Allen was lucky that an interception was ruled an incompletion, allowing the drive to continue. Allen hit Stefan Diggs for a 6 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 73 yard, 6 minute drive and get the Bills within 14-7. After a touchback the Colts moved 58 yards in 15 plays and 8 1/2 minutes. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Buffalo 16, a run lost a yard and Wentz threw incomplete twice. Mike Badgley hit a 36 yard field goal just before the 2 minute warning to make it 17-7 Colts. Yet 9 seconds later the Colts had the ball back as the Bills fumbled the ensuing kickoff. TJ Carrie returned the fumble 14 yards to the Buffalo 2 yard line. One play later Taylor got the carry and went airborne over the top for the score as the Colts led 24-7. On the last play of the half, Tyler Bass tried a 57 yard field goal for the Bills. It doinked off the upright no good. Midway through the third quarter from 49 yards out, Bass was again no good.
The Colts soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 47. Wenta hit Doyle for 3. Taylor then ran for 40 and again for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 31-7 Colts. An interception of Allen set up the Colts at the Buffalo 24. Taylor ran for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 15, Taylor gained 3. Taylor ran for his 5th touchdown, a one yarder to make it 38-7 Colts after three quarters. The Bills did manage a fourth quarter garbage touchdown and the Colts added one more field goal to complete the scoring. Allen threw on another interception for good measure. The 6-4 Bills are now out of the division lead since they are 1/2 game behind, of all teams, New England. The 6-5 Colts are only a game back of the division lead. The Colts started 0-3 but have gone 6-2 since, with both losses coming in overtime. 41-15 Colts
Washington Build Back Badly at Carolina Panthers — Cam Newton is back with the Panthers as they faced off against former coach Riverboat Ron Rivera. After a touchback to start the game, the Panthers soon faced 4th and 1 at midfield. Matt Rhule decided to go for it. Christian McCaffrey gained 15 with 15 more tacked on for a horse collar tackle. Newton then hit DJ Moore for 13 and again for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The second quarter began with the Non-Redskins facing 3rd and 9 at their own 35. Taylor Heinicke went deep to Terry McLaurin for 39 yards. McKissic ran for 15. Heinicke hit Sims for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.
The Panthers took over at their own 30. Newton hit Tremble for 19. A defensive facemask 2 plays later added 15 more. Newton then got around the end for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Panthers. The No-Names took over at their own 29. McKissic gained 11. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, McKissic gained 3. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 39, Patterson got stopped. Riverboat Ron Rivera gambled on 4th and 1, but then came a false start. Rivera surprisingly went for it anyway on 4th and 5. Heinicke hit Carter for 18. With 19 seconds left in the half, the No-Names faced 3rd and 9 at the Carolina 24. Heinicke hit Humphries for 12 and then went to McLaurin for the 12 yard touchdown as the teams went to the half tied 14-14.
The No-Names began the third quarter at their own 34. On 3rd and 5 from midfield, Heinicke hit Sims for 13. Antonio Gibson ran for 11 and 20. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Heinicke hit Deandre Carter for the touchdown. The 10 play, 66 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the No-Names up 21-14. The Panthers began the fourth quarter at their own 9. On 3rd and 3 from their 16, Newton gained 6. Newton then hit Moore for 10 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Newton ran for 10. Matt Rhule then went to the bag of tricks. A lateral was then lateraled back across the field to Newton, who then hit Tommy Tremble for 16. On the next play Newton went to McCaffrey for a 27 yard touchdown. With 10:44 left in regulation, the game was tied for the third time 21-21.
After a touchback, the No-Names soon faced 3rd and 21 from their own 39. Heinicke hit Humphries for 18. It was Riverboat Ron Rivera time. Midway through the fourth quarter in a tie game, Rivera gambled on 4th and 3 from the Carolina 43. Heinicke hit Bates for 6. On 2nd and 12 from the Carolina 39, Heinicke gained 14. On 2nd and 7 from the Carolina 22, Heinicke threw incomplete twice. Even though the Panthers then jumped into the neutral zone, this time Rivera decided not to gamble on 4th and 2. Joey Slye hit the 36 yard field goal to give the Non-Nomenclatured the 24-21 lead with 4:13 to play. With 3 minutes left Matt Rhule went for it on 4th and 3 from his own 32. Newton hit McCaffrey for only 2 yards. Taking over at the Carolina 34, the no-Names faced 3rd and 10 at the Carolina 18 at the 2 minute warning. Gibson only gained 7. Slye hit again from 29 to put the No-Names up by 6, but they left the door open. After a touchback, the Panthers faced 4th and 3 just past midfield with 1:11 left. Out of the shotgun, Newton was sacked. It was Ron Rivera and not Newton who would get the revenge win. 27-21 Build Back Badly
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans — The Texans came in 1-8 on the road against the 8-2 Titans. Even with Tyrod Taylor returning from injury for the Texans, this was supposed to be the blowout of the year. Again, cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman. “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” Then throw in hard rain. The Texans went 62 yards on 14 plays in 7 minutes on their opening drive. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 43 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. The Titans moved from their 20 to a 3rd and 6 at the Houston 18. Tannehill was then intercepted by Grugler-Hill, who rumbled 82 yards before running out of gas and being caught from behind at the Tennessee 6 yard line. The Texans began the second quarter there and got nothing else as Fairbairn hit from 43 to make it 6-0 Texans.
The Texans got it back at their own 24. Taylor hit Conley for 13. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 15. Taylor hit Cooks for 10 and David Johnson for 5, with a defensive facemask adding another 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 12, Rex Burkhead gained 2. Taylor ran for a 7 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Texans had a shocking 12-0 lead at the half. In the third quarter a Texans punt accidentally hit the foot of the return man and was recovered by the Texans at the Tennessee five yard line. On 3rd and goal, Taylor took it himself and banged through a tackler to get to the pylon for a touchdown and a 19-0 Texans lead.
The Titans soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 28. Tannehill hit AJ Brown for 11. On 3rd and 9 from their own 40, Tannehill hit Westbrook for 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 23, Tannehill threw incomplete. Mike Vrabel went for it with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Tannehill hit Hilliard for 5. Tannehill then went to Des Fitzpatrick for an 18 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Titans were on the board down 19-6. There was plenty of time left for the Texans to collapse but they refused to do it. With the Titans facing 4th and 6 at the Houston 24, Mike Vrabel went for it and Ryan Tannehill threw incomplete. The Titans got it back and moved from their own 17 to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 25. Tannehill went deep and was intercepted at the one yard line with 11 minutes left in regulation.
Yet the Texans ent nowhere on offense and a short punt had the Titans getting the ball back with 10 minutes left at the Houston 36. On 3rd and 4 from the Houston 30, Tannehill hit Fitzpatrick for 5, Westbrook for 9 and Hilliard for 9. On 1st and goal from the 7 on a day when everything went wrong, the Titans did it the hard way. They fumbled the ball but somehow Anthony Firkser recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. midway through the fourth quarter the Titans were within 19-13. The Titans got it back at their own 16. With 4 minutes left in the game on 3rd and 13 from their own 26, Tannehill was intercepted again. King returned the interception by 25 yards to the Tennessee 16. David Culley played it extra safe, and 3 conservative runs gained one total yard. Fairbairn came in with 3 1/2 minutes left for a 37 yard field goal to make it a 2 score game. Fairbairn was good. With 2:20 left on 3rd and 4 from the Houston 47, Tannehill threw one final interception. 5 turnovers including 4 interceptions of Tannehill made the difference. This was not Super Bowl III, but it was an absolute shocker. This game deserves a second dose of Chris Berman. AGAIN, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” 22-13 Texans
San Francisco 49ers at Jacksonville Jaguars — Last week the 49ers had the drive of the year, going 19 plays and eating up over 11 minutes off the cock. This week they had an even more mind-numbing drive to start the game. 20 plays. 87 yards. 13…yes, 13…minutes. Yet on 2nd and 1 from the Jacksonville 2, Jimmy Garoppolo threw incomplete. On 3rd and 1, Wilson got stopped cold. Kyle Shanahan inspired the football world on 4th and 1 by capping a 20 play drive with a 20 yard Robbie Gould field goal to make it 3-0 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 20 and Garoppolo hit Brandon Aiyuk for 34. On 3rd and 2 at the Jacksonville 38, Garoppolo gained 3. Wilson gained 11 and Deebo Samuel out of the shotgun got around the end for a 25 yard touchdown run and a 10-0 49ers lead. The Jaguars only needed one play and 8 seconds after a touchback to fumble the ball away to set up the 49ers at the Jacksonville 35. On 3rd and 2 from the Jags 27, Samuel got stopped for a one yard loss. Yet a mindless defensive penalty for throwing a punch led to a disqualification penalty and 14 yards for the offense. On the next play roughing the passer meant 7 more yards as the Jaguars were just giving yards and points away. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Garoppolo under heavy pressure fired over the middle to the back of the end zone and found Aiyuk for the touchdown to make it 17-0 49ers.
The Jaguars did move 67 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes, but settled for a 30 yard Wright field goal at the 2 minute warning. That was enough time for Gould to end the half with a 48 yard field goal for a 20-3 49ers lead. The Jaguars first drive of the third quarter lasted 3 plays and 26 seconds as the 49ers got it back at their own 23. Garoppolo hit Samuel for 15, Aiyuk for 7, and Kittle for 13. Samuel gashed the defense for gains of 11 and 21. On 3rd and goal at the one, Garoppolo threw incomplete. Kyle Shanahan went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Garoppolo hit Kittle for the touchdown to finish the 11 play, 77 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 27-3 49ers. A pointless fourth quarter saw Gould tack on a third field goal from 45 and the Jaguars finally get a garbage touchdown in a garbage game in a garbage season. 30-10 49ers
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets — The Stupor Bowl featured the 3-7 Dolphins at the 2-7 Jets, with Joe Flacco starting for Gang Green. The Dolphins took over at their own 17 to start and went right to work. Tua Tagovailoa went to Mike Gesicki for a 26 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 31, Tagovailoa hit Shaheen for 19. On 3rd and 4 from the Jets 6, Tagovailoa hit Laird for 5. Myles Gaskin got the last yard to cap the 11 play, 83 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 7-0 Dolphins. Tagovailoa was intercepted on his next series to give the Jets a short field at the Miami 40. Carter ran for 39 down to the one. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Flacco threw incomplete. With nothing to lose, Robert Saleh went for it. On 4th and goal, Flacco found a wide open Jamison Crowder in the flat for an easy touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame.
A hideous end to the half saw Ammendola miss a 55 yard field goal for the Jets and Jason Sanders doink a 32 yard try off the upright no good for the Dolphins. In the third quarter the Dolphins took over at their own 10. On 2nd and 14 from their own 6, Gaskin ripped off a 20 yard run and then 9 more. Tagovailoa then went bombs away to Hollins for a 65 yard touchdown. The defensive breakdown had the Dolphins up 14-7. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 31. Flacco hit Moore for 9 and again for 23 and then hit Griffin for 5 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. On 2nd and 4 from the Miami 11, an intentional grounding call on Flacco meant an 11 yard loss. Ammendola then missed again from 40 yards out. The Jets got it back and this time responded quickly. Flacco is old, but he still has a cannon of an arm. On 3rd and 8 from his own 38, Flacco went to Elijah Moore for a 62 yard touchdown. After three quarters, the game was tied again 14-14.
After a touchback, Tagovailoa hit Jalen Waddle for 15. On 3rd and 7 from their own 43, Tagovailoa hit Waddle for 8. The fourth quarter began with tagovailoa hitting Smythe for 18. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 18, Tagovailoa hit Hollins for 7. On 3rd and 4 from the Jets 5, , Tagovailoa threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 2. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Tagovailoa hit Gaskin for the touchdown. The 14 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive had the Dolphins up 21-14 with 10:15 left in regulation. The Dolphins got it back just shy of midfield, and bled the clock of 7 minutes on a 12 play drive. At the 2 minute warning, Brian Flores decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Jets 2. A false start killed the try, but Sanders hit a 24 yard field goal to put the Dolphins up 24-14. In desperation mode the Jets moved from their own 29 to a 1st and 10 at the Miami 17 with 23 seconds left. An incompletion left 15 seconds. Needing 2 scores, Robert Saleh went for the field goal. Ammendola hit from 35 but the onside kick failed. 24-17 Dolphins
New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles — An early interception of Trevor Siemian set up the Eagles at the Saints 39. Jalen Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for gains of 4, 16 and 14 down to the one. Hurts got the last yard himself for a 7-0 Eagles lead. The Eagles got it back at their own 42 and Miles Sanders ran for 20. Hurts ran for gains of 4 and 20. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Hurts scrambled and got past the pylon for a 14-0 Eagles lead after a drive that featured not one single pass attempt. The Eagles got it back at their own 4 yard line and immediately fumbled the ball away. The Saints took over at the Philadelphia 6 and moved backwards. On 3rd and goal at the 19, Siemian hit Trautman for the touchdown. The Saints were within 14-7 in the second quarter, but after that the Eagles turned out the lights.
Jake Elliott nailed field goals of 50 and 37 to make it 20-7 Eagles. With 30 seconds left in the half the Saints faced 3rd and 5 at their own 41. Siemian found Darrius Slay on the sideline. Problem: Slay plays defense for the Eagles. He returned the interception 51 yards for a dagger touchdown as the Eagles led 27-7 at the intermission. In the third quarter a 13 yard punt return gave the Eagles a short field at the Saints 40. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Hurts was sacked. Elliott hit again from 33 as the Eagles were dominating 30-7. Two plays after a touchback, Mark Ingram fumbled and the Eagles had another short field at the Saints 41. Elliott hit his fourth field goal from 47 to make it 33-7 Eagles. The Saints tried to make the score look respectable in the fourth quarter. They managed a pair of touchdowns and a field goal, missing out on a 2 point conversion and a regular extra point along the way. With 4 minutes left on 3rd and 6 from the Saints 24, Hurts ran for the first down and the touchdown to make it 40-22 Eagles. The Saints added one more garbage touchdown. 40-29 Eagles
Cincinnati Bengals at Las Vegas Raiders — Both teams started 5-2 and have since lost 2 straight. After a touchback to start the game, the Bengals soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 40. Joe Burrow was sacked and fumbled. Leavitt picked it up and returned it 30 yards. The Raiders started their first offensive drive with 1st and goal at the 9. Three plays netted one total yard. Daniel Carlson hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders, but their ineptness on offense was about to be matched by their ineptness on defense. After a touchback, the Bengals soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 43. Button threw incomplete. Yet an idiotic unnecessary roughness penalty on Yannick Ngakoue meant 15 yards and a new set of downs. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 36, Burrow threw incomplete. Yet instead of a punt, the dumb personal foul a few plays earlier meant a 54 yard field goal by Evan McPherson meant a 3-3 game. The Raiders were far from done making dumb errors.
The Raiders took over at their own 15 and Derek Carr hit Darren Waller for 25 yards. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the Cincinnati 44, Carr threw incomplete and the Raiders punted. The Raiders got it back and moved from their own 39 to a 3rd and 3 at the Cincinnati 29. Carr again threw incomplete. Daniel Carlson hit a 47 yard field goal and the Raiders led 6-3 in the second quarter, but the offense for the third straight week was not finishing drives. The Bengals soon faced 3rd and 13 from their own 25. Burrow hit Boyd for 14 and Jamarr Chase for 9. On 3rd and 12 from their own 47, Burrow was belted for a 13 yard loss and fumbled the ball away to the Raiders. Yet again the Raiders were too dumb on both sides of the ball to enjoy prosperity. The defense lined up in the neutral zone, nullifying the play. It was completely unconnected to the play. On 3rd and 7 Burrow hit Boyd for 14. Chase gained 10. On 3rd and 11 from the Raiders 25, Burrow hit Boyd for only 3 yards. Yet another defensive unnecessary roughness penalty meant another 11 yards and an automatic first down. The Raiders were giving the game away. Joe Mixon ran for an 11 yard touchdown to put the Bengals up 10-6.
After a touchback, Carr hit Waller for 21 yards. Yet on 2nd and 6 from midfield, Carr threw incomplete. On 3rd and 6 a completion to Drake only gained 3 yards. Stretching the field was gone. The Raiders were back to dinking and dunking with Derek. The Raiders strategy of getting the ball at the end of the first half and the start of the second half was useless since they got nothing out of either drive. In the third quarter on 3rd and 1 from their own 31, an end around to Bryan Edwards gained nothing. The Bengals moved from their own 15 to a 3rd and 9 at the Raiders 27. Burrow was sacked for an 8 yard loss. McPherson hit a 53 yard field goal to make it 13-6 Bengals. The next Raiders drive was more of the same. After a touchback, the first play went well as Josh Jacobs gained 18. Then came the inevitable 2 yard dink and dunk pass followed by a swing pass that lost 4 yards. Carr was throwing horizontal rather than vertical passes. This falls on offensive coordinator Greg Olson. The Bengals moved from their own 21 on a 10 play drive that ate up 5 1/2 minutes. McPherson hit a 51 yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. The Bengals were leading 16-6 because they were playing power football and pounding the rock while the Raiders were throwing dink and dunk passes.
The Raiders finally decided to change their tempo after three quarters of lazy boring football. Carr began throwing deeper passes and it immediately paid off. He hit Waller for 25 and again for 31. Carr then went to Foster Moreau for a 31 yard touchdown. The Raiders were within 16-13 and a full 11 1/2 minutes remained in regulation. Yet for the second straight week, the Raiders finally woke up on offense to get within 3 points only to have the defense melt down. The Bengals took over at their own 38. Burrow hit Higgins for 9. and Thomas for 12. Mixon then gained 19. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 10, Perine got the yard. On 3rd and goal at the 6, one defensive stop would keep it a one score game. Instead, Burrow hit Chase for the touchdown as the Bengals led 22-13 with 5 minutes left. The only thing left for the Raiders to do was completely self-destruct.
Two plays after a touchback on 2nd and 3 from their own 25, Carr was intercepted by Eli Apple. Making matters worse, another defensive unnecessary roughness penalty had the Bengals taking over at the Raiders 27. It’s called unnecessary roughness for a reason. Mixon quickly ran for 7 and then the 20 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left the Bengals led 29-13. The Raiders in desperation mode moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 17 at the 2 minute warning. Then Carr was sacked for a 4 yard loss. Then he was sacked again and fumbled. The ball bounced to Hubbard, who returned it 43 yards to the Raiders 31. McPherson hit a 47 yard field goal to complete the scoring.
The Raiders have lost 3 straight. After losing at the 2-6 Giants, they got blasted by 27 points and 19 points at home. They are 5-5 and have only 4 days before their next loss at Dallas on Thanksgiving. They have no chance. The team lacks discipline, guts, and saddest of all, heart. Say what you want about Jon Gruden, but he has been the only Raiders coach in the last couple decades who got the Silver and Black to cut out the penalties. He wanted to pound the rock and unleash Carr. Yes, losing Henry Ruggs was a blow but teams lose players all the time. The Raiders offense is one-dimensional, boring and predictable. Carr has been reduced from a thoroughbred to a West Coast Offense Captain Checkdown. Gus Bradley was brought in to fix the defense. They commit too many completely unnecessary stupid penalties, especially on 3rd and long. They extend drives for the other team. The offense kicks too many field goals. The Raiders need to be far more aggressive on offense and far more disciplined on defense. If Rich Bisaccia cannot fix this, a once promising season will just end up being more of the same. In 3 weeks the Raiders have gone from the top to the bottom of the AFC West. 32-13 Raiders
Dallas Cowboy at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs went from 3-4 and the bottom of the AFC West to 6-4 and on top of the division. The Cowboys at 7-2 led the NFC East but suffered a shocking home loss to Denver 2 weeks ago. before the bye week. The Chiefs began at their own 14. Carl Edwards-Helaire ran for 6 and 8. Patrick Mahomes hit Tyreek Hill for 10. Hill ran for 33. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 20, the defense encroached. Mahomes ran for 11. Travis Kelce took the direct snap and ran for the 4 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Chiefs led 6-0. The Cowboys then fumbled and the Chiefs took over at the Dallas 22. On 2nd and 7 Mahomes threw incomplete twice. Harrison Butker hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 9-0 Chiefs. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Chiefs 10. After a false start, Dak Prescott threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit a 33 yard field goal to get the Cowboys on the board. The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 41. Mahomes hit Hill for 8 and then went deep to Byron Pringle for 37. The second quarter began with Mahomes hitting Mycole Hardman for 13 down to the one. Edwards-Helaire got the last yard as the Chiefs built a 16-3 lead.
Most of the rest of the game belonged to the defenses and the field goal kickers. A third quarter interception of Mahomes gave the Cowboys a short field at the Chiefs 36. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the Chiefs 12, Prescott threw incomplete twice. Zuerlein hit from 30 to get the Cowboys within 16-6. Butker answered from 53 to have the Chiefs up 19-6 after three quarters. Zuerlein hit from 48 to get the Cowboys within 19-9 with 13 minutes left in regulation. With 10 1/2 minutes left, Butker missed from 51. It didn’t matter. Needing 2 scores with just over one minute left, Prescott was intercepted at the Chiefs 7 yard line. A game featuring Prescott and Mahomes featured 0 touchdown passes. 19-9 Chiefs
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks — Although the Cardinals were 8-2 and the Seahawks were 3-6, this was the first home game for Russell Wilson back from injury. Last week at Green Bay he was shyt out fr the first time in his 10 year career. The Cardinals meanwhile were without Kyler Murray again as Colt McCoy started his third straight game. The Cardinals early on faced 3rd and 6 from their own 22. McCoy hit Moore for 8 and James Conner for 17. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 46, McCoy hit Benjamin for 5. On 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 41, McCoy hit Moore for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Seattle 16, McCoy threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 14 yard gain down to the 2. McCoy hit Zac Ertz for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals.
In the second quarter the Cardinals got it back and punted on 4th and 11 at their own 4. A short punt gave the Seahawks a short field at the Arizona 45. On 1st and goal at the 9, a run went nowhere and Wilson threw incomplete twice. Mason Myers hit the 27 yard field goal to get the Seahawks on the board. The Cardinals took over at their own 8 and soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 13. McCoy went deep to AJ Green for 31. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 47, James Conner got stopped. Kliff Kingsbury went for it and on 4th and 1, Conner got the yard. McCoy hit Conner for 12 and Ertz for 25 down to the one. McCoy hit Ertz for a 2 yard touchdown, The extra point was no good as the Cardinals led 13-3 at the 2 minute warning.
The Seahawks quickly moved from their 23 to a 2nd and 6 at the Arizona 9. Wilson threw incomplete twice but Myers hit another field goal to get the Seahawks within 13-6. On the last play of the half, Matt Prater surprisingly missed a 39 yard field goal try. The Seahawks kicked the second half kickoff out of bounds to set up the Cardinals at their own 40. This time Prater was good from 53 as the Cardinals led 16-6. The Cardinals got it back at their own 15 and mounted a 14 play, 67 yard drive that consumed 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 18, McCoy threw incomplete but offsetting penalties meant a do-over. McCoy threw incomplete again. Prater missed again from 36.
The Seahawks took over at their own 26 and Wilson went deep to Tyler Lockett for 48 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 17, Dallas gained 15 and then ran for the 2 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Seahawks were right back in it down 16-13. The Cardinals took over at their own 33. McCoy ran for 6 and then hit Wesley for 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 39, McCoy hit Ertz for 20. McCoy then ran for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 4, McCoy threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Conner got in with 2 1/2 minutes left to put the game on ice. At 3-7, this was the worst start to a Seahawks team in the Pete Carroll era. At 9-2, the Cardinals are 6-0 on the road and again have the best record in the NFL. 23-13 Cardinals
Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Chargers was the Sunday night game. The Steelers had their 4 game win streak snapped last week as they could barely muster a tie with winless Detroit. Yet Ben Roethlisberger was out last week due to Covid. Big Ben got clearance to play in this game the day before. After a starting touchback, The Steelers moved 57 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the Chargers 18, Big Ben threw incomplete twice. Chris Boswell hit the 36 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Steelers, but then the Chargers offense took the field. The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 14 from their own 23. Justin Herbert went deep to Mike Williams for 22, to Jared Cook for 5, to Keenan Allen for 11, and to Austin Ekeler for 6. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 31, Ekeler gained 3. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 21, Herbert hit Williams for 17. Ekeler ran for a 6 yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 73 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive to make it 7-3 Chargers.
The Steelers responded with an identical 12 play, 73 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive of their own with one difference. The Chargers had taken over at their own 27 and only needed 73 yards. The Steelers needed 75 yards. On 2nd and goal at the 2 in the second quarter, Najee Harris got stopped. On 3rd and goal Roethlisberger threw incomplete. Brandon Staley is a gambler, and he went for it again. Yet on 4th and goal from the 2, Big Ben inexplicably threw a completion over the middle for no gain. The goal line stand fired up the Chargers. From his own 2, Ekeler ran for 10. Herbert hit Allen for 5 and McKitty for 7. On 3rd and 6 from his own 28, Herbert ran for 18. Herbert then hit Donald parham for 10. Herbert then ran for 18 again and hit Allen for 18 more. Herbert hit Ekeler for a 10 yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 98 yard, 7 minute drive. With 3:42 left in a rapidly moving first half, each team only had the ball twice. Each team reached the red zone twice. The Chargers led 14-3 because they finished their drives and the Steelers did not.
The Steelers took over at their own 36. Harris ran for 12. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for gains of 22, 7, 9, and finally for the 19 yard touchdown. With 1:15 left in the half, the Steelers were within 14-10. After a touchback, Herbert quickly hit Allen for 14. Twice, Herbert was sacked. Twice, those sacks were nullified by defensive penalties. Herbert hit Cook for 10 as the Chargers took their second timeout facing 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 31 with 27 seconds left in the half. Herbert hit Guyton for 18. Herbert completed 15 of his first 16 passes, with the only incompletion being a well-thrown ball that was just dropped. With 10 seconds left, the Chargers faced 3rd and 4 from the Pittsburgh 7. Herbert fired over the middle. His receiver was well-defended but the ball was right in the receiver’s bread basket and dropped. Dustin Hopkins hit the 30 yard field goal. Each team only had the ball thrice in the first half. Each team reached the red zone thrice. The Chargers led 17-10 because of the one goal line stand.
The Chargers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 13 at their own 27. Herbert went deep to Allen for 30 and again for 14. Ekeler ran for 12 and Herbert then went to Ekeler for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Chargers. The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Roethlisberger threw incomplete, bringing on the first punt of the game for either team. The Chargers from their own 26 went on an 11 play, 51 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 18, Herbert ran for 15. Yet offensive holding moved the Chargers back and killed the drive. Hopkins hit from 41 yards out as the Chargers led comfortably after three quarters up 27-10.
After a touchback, the Steelers moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Chargers 18 to start the fourth quarter. Roethlisberger threw incomplete. Needing 3 scores, Mike Tomlin opted for the field goal. Boswell hit from 36 to get the Steelers within 27-13. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Herbert threw incomplete. After scoring on their first 5 possessions, the Chargers in the fourth quarter finally had to punt for the first time. Disaster struck the Chargers as the Steeles blocked the punt. The Steelers took over with 1st and goal at the 3. Nothing came easy. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Roethlisberger threw incomplete. Brandon Staley went for it. On 4th and goal at the 5, Roethlisberger threw incomplete but the Steelers were bailed out by defensive pass interference. On 1st and goal at the one, Harris got in over the top. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Steelers were within 27-20.
After a touchback, Herbert hit Parham for 11 and 12. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 47, Herbert scrambled for a 36 yard gain. Ekeler then ran for a 5 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left, the Chargers led 34-20. The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Roethlisberger hit McCloud for 4. On 3rd and 5 from their own 41, Roethlisberger hit Diontae Johnson on a crossing route. Johnson turned on the afterburner for a 32 yard gain. Roethlisberger then found Eric Ebron for 18 more yards. Roethlisberger went back to Ebron for a 5 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left, the Steelers were back within 34-27.
Two plays after a touchback, the game got even crazier. Rather than run down clock, the Chargers were still passing. After an incompletion, Herbert had his pass on 2nd and 10 batted sky high in the air. It hung up there forever and was finally intercepted by a diving Sutton. The Steelers took over at the Chargers 11 yard line. On the next play, roughing the passer on Joey Bosa moved the ball to the 6. Roethlisberger fired sideways to Pat Freiermuth, and followed great blocking into the end zone for a 5 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation, 2 touchdowns in 30 seconds had the game tied 34-34. In the history of the Steelers franchise, they had never won a game when trailing by 17 points in the fourth quarter. They were a combined 0-230-1.
The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 14 at their own 21. Herbert found Cook in the flat, and Cook gained 13 yards. On 4th and inches from his own 34 yard line With 3:48 to play, Brandon Staley summoned his inner Barry Switzer and went for it. Ekeler got the carry and ran into a brick wall. The Steelers took over already in long field goal range. On 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 27, Roethlisberger threw incomplete. Boswell hit the 45 yard field goal. Now it was the Steelers who scored on 5 straight possessions. 27 fourth quarter points had the Steelers up 37-34 with 3 1/2 minutes left. After a touchback, Herbert hit Parham for 5 and Ekeler for 17. Herbert then went deep to Williams, who raced down the sideline for a 53 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Chargers led again by 4 points. After a touchback, the Steelers had 2:09 to work with. A pair of sacks, an incompletion and a delay of game on the offense had the Steelers facing 4th and 32 from their own 3 yard line with 1:20 left. Roethlisberger threw incomplete. Herbert took 3 knees to end this wild game. The Chargers got to 6-4 while the Steelers are 5-4-1 with the loss. 41-37 Chargers
New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the Monday night game. The Buccaneers took over at their own 27 and went right to work. Tom Brady hit OJ Howard for 10 and Chris Godwin for 8. Godwin ran for 7 and Mike Evans added 10. Brady hit Cameron Brate for 15 and Godwin for a 13 yard touchdown for a 7-0 Buccaneers lead. The Giants after a touchback moved 56 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 9 from the Tampa 14, a false start followed by an incompletion had the Giants settling for a field goal. Graham Gano hit from 37 to get the Giants within 7-3. The Buccaneers took over at their own 14 and embarked on a mindnumbing 18 play drive that went 79 yards and 8 minutes. On 3rd and goal from the 7 in the second quarter, Brady threw incomplete. Ryan Succop hit from 25 to make it 10-3 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 15 and Brady had a pass batted up in the air and intercepted by Jackson, who returned it 10 yards to the Tampa 5. Daniel Jones threw a 2 yard touchdown to Andrew Thomas. The game was deadlocked 10-10, but after that reality set in.
The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 36. Brady went deep to Rob Gronkowski for 35. Brady hit Brate for 12 and Ronald Jones ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Buccaneers. In the third quarter the Giants moved from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Tampa 25. Joe Judge went for it and Jones threw incomplete. On 3rd and 11 from their own 25, Brady hit Evans for 17, Perriman for 14, Leonard Fournette for 29, Gronkowski for 14, Godwin for 18, and Fournette for 4. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Brady hit Evans for the touchdown. The 10 play, 74 yard, nearly 5 minute drive made it 24-10 Buccaneers. An interception of Jones led to a Buccaneers field goal in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter it was deja vu all over again as another interception of Jones meant another field goal to complete the scoring. 30-10 Buccaneers