NFL 2021 Week 16 Recap
San Francisco 49ers at Tennessee Titans was the Thursday night game. The 8-6 49ers took on the 9-5 Tennessee Titans. The 49ers started out red hot from their own 25. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Brandon Aiyuk for 4 and Deebo Samuel for 10. From the Tennessee 44, Garoppolo hit Aiyuk for 17 and Samuel for 23 down to the one. Jeff Wilson got the last yard to make it 7-0 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 2nd and goal at the 8. Garoppolo went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The 49ers got it back to start the second quarter at their own 37 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Tennessee 31. Kyle Shanahan went for it and Garoppolo hit Samuel for 11. Yet from the Titans 20, an offensive facemask penalty meant 3rd and 26 from the Titans 36. Garoppolo threw a swing pass to Samuel, who should have been tackled for a loss out of field goal range. Yet Samuel somehow evaded several tacklers and willed his way to a 6 yard gain. Robbie Gould hit the 48 yard field goal to make it 10-0 49ers. The 49ers defense dominated the first half but the mistakes on offense kept it a close game.
The Titans showed signs of life to start the third quarter from their own 25. They began with a false start and soon faced 3rd and 15 from their own 20. Ryan Tannehill hit Westbrook-Ikhine for 24 and AJ Brown for 18 and 13. On 3rd and 8 from the San Francisco 20, Tannehill threw incomplete. Randy Bullock hit the 38 yard field goal to get the Titans on the board. One play and 9 seconds after a touchback, the Titans had the ball again as an interception of Garoppolo was returned by Hooker 21 yards to the San Francisco 18. McNichols ran for 5 and 10. Donta Foreman ran for a 3 yard touchdown for a 10-10 game midway through the third quarter. The 49ers after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Titans 35. Mike Vrabel passed up a 53 yard field goal try and decided to go for it. After a killer false start, Vrabel still went for it. On 4th and 6, Garoppolo threw incomplete. On the last play of the third quarter, an offensive penalty and a sack had the Titans facing 3rd and 23 from their own 28. Tannehill went deep to Brown for 42 yards. The fourth quarter began with the Titans facing 3rd and 10 from the Frisco 30. Tannehill hit Brown for 12 and again for an 18 yard touchdown as the Titans had their first lead up 17-10 with 13 minutes left.
With 5:18 to play the 49ers took over after a great punt at their own 5 yard line. Garoppolo hit Kyle Juszczyk for 15. On 3rd and 4 from their own 38, Garoppolo hit Hasty for 12. Garoppolo then found Samuel across the middle, and Samuel split the defense for a 56 yard gain. Garoppolo hit Aiyuk for a 2 yard touchdown and a 17-17 game with 2:20 left. After a touchback, the Titans soon faced 2nd and 6 at their own 40 with 1:23 left. Tannehill threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 6 yard gain. Tannehill then escaped the pressure and scrambled for a key 23 yard gain. The 49ers took all their timeouts on defense. Yet with the 49ers out of timeouts with 54 seconds left and the Titans facing 3rd and 4 from the Frisco 25, Tannehill took a knee. Bullock came in for a 44 yard try to win the game with 8 seconds left. Bullock was good. The 8-7 49ers are still alive for a playoff spot while the 10-5 Titans maintained their one game lead in the AFC South. They have an outside shot at home field throughout the playoffs. 20-17 Titans
Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers was the Saturday Christmas afternoon game. The Brows lost a gut-wrencher on the final play against the Raiders to fall to 7-7. Baker Mayfield and Kevin Stefanski were back from the Covid list. The 11-3 Packers with the best record in football had already locked up the NFC North and still had a one game lead over 4 other teams for home field throughout the playoffs. This was a dogfight. The Browns moved quickly and easily on their opening drive. On the second play from scrimmage from their own 32, Mayfield went to Nick Chubb for a 40 yard gain with a rare defensive penalty for a low block adding 14 more yards. Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 12 down to the one and Chubb got the last yard. The extra point was no good but the Browns led 6-0 barely 2 1/2 minutes into the game. The Packers faced 4th and 1 from their own 34. Matt LaFleur gambled and the Packers got the first down, but would punt a few plays later anyway.
The Browns got it back at their own 8 yard line and Mayfield immediately went bombs away and was intercepted. The Packers took over at their own 47. Aaron Rodgers went deep to Davante Adams for 33 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 11, Rodgers hit Alan Lazard for the touchdown. The Packers led 7-6 and Rodgers was in the Packers history books with his 443rd touchdown pass, surpassing Brett Favre. Favre congratulated Rodgers by video on the jumbotron and told Rodgers to go win another Super Bowl. The Browns after a touchback soon faced 4th and 1 from their own 34 and Kevin Stefanski also gambled. Mayfield hit Donovan Peoples-Jones for 5 and the Browns moved to a 1st and 10 at the Packers 15. Yet Mayfield was then sacked. On 3rd and 19 from the Green Bay 24, Mayfield threw his second interception.
The Packers took over at their own 22 to start the second quarter and Rodgers immediately went deep to Lazard for 34 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 35, Aaron Jones gained 2. Lazard got around the end for 13. Dillon gained 8 and 3. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Rodgers went to Adams for the touchdown to cap the 10 play, 78 yard, nearly 5 minute drive and make it 14-6 Packers. The Browns from their own 30 moved easily again. Johnson gained 17. Mayfield hit Austin Hooper for 11, Landry for 24 and Higgins for 14 down to the one. Mayfield hit Harrison Bryant for the one yard touchdown. Kevin Stefanski went for 2 and the conversion try failed as the Browns trailed 14-12 midway through the second quarter.
The Browns got it back and soon faced 3rd and 15 from their own 24. Mayfield fired over the middle to Higgins for 16 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Yet on the next play Mayfield threw his 3rd interception, and Douglas returned it 11 yards to the Cleveland 49. Rodgers went to Adams for 10, 9, 12 and 10. With 12 seconds left in the half, Rodgers hit Adams for a one yard touchdown to have the Packers up 21-12 at the half. The Packers took over at their own 10 to start the third quarter looking to put the game away. They moved 76 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 14, Rodgers threw incompletion. Mason Crosby hit the 32 yard field goal to make it 24-12 Packers. Their offense then took the final 24 minutes of the game off, which was not a wise move.
The Browns from their own 15 moved 68 yards in 15 plays and 8 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 8, Mayfield was sacked. Chris Naggar in his very first NFL game missed the early extra point but made the 37 yard field goal to get the Brown within 24-15. Both defenses dug in and the Browns took over at their own 24 with 6:40 left in regulation. Chubb gained 12 and 8 and caught a pass from Mayfield for 11. Mayfield hit Higgins for 10. On 3rd and 10 from the Green Bay 35 with the Packers defense smelling pass, Johnson took an end around 30 yards. Mayfield hit Anthony Schwartz for a 5 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes to play, the Browns were within 2 points with the missed extra points being the difference.
After a touchback, the Packers soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 42. Rodgers had a wide open Adams, who dropped it. The Browns took over at their own 25 with 2:05 to play with all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning. They had plenty of time and only needed a field goal. The Browns were so confident that they even kept running the ball, especially since the Packers couldn’t stop the run. Chubb gained 4, 10 and 4 as the clock ticked down and the Browns did not even take their timeouts. On 3rd and 6 from their own 43, Mayfield hit Chubb for 17 to midfield. Mayfield threw incomplete twice, including one that should have been caught that would have put the Browns in long field goal range. On 3rd and 10, Mayfield threw over the middle to Peoples-Jones for what should have been a first down. Instead Peoples-Jones got boxed out by Douglas, who intercepted the ball. Mayfield’s 4th interception gave the Packers the ball at their own 46 with only 43 seconds left. Yet the Browns still had all 3 timeouts. Everything came down to 3rd and inches from the Cleveland 45. Aaron Rodgers yelled the hard count and the defense bit for a killer encroachment penalty as the Browns suffered another agonizing loss. Despite the Packers defense being gashed for 219 rushing yards, their 4 interceptions made the difference. The 7-8 Browns are on life support and the 12-3 Packers are one step closer to home field throughout the playoffs. 24-22 Packers
Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals is the Saturday Christmas night game. The 8-6 Colts were one game back in the AFC South while the 10-4 Cardinals had lost 2 straight including a humiliating loss at Detroit. The Cardinals came in tied atop the NFC West and one game back in the race for home field throughout the playoffs. The Cardinals started from their own 20 and moved 47 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Indianapolis 33, Murray went deep incomplete. Matt Prater missed a 51 yard field goal. From their own 41, the Colts struck immediately. On their first play, Jonathan Taylor ran up the middle for a 43 yard gain. The rookie has been red hot all year. Carson Wentz hit Pittman for 9. On 3rd and goal at the one, Wentz hit TY Hilton for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts.
The Cardinals took over at their own 10 and soon faced 3rd and 2 from their 18. Edmonds gained 10 and caught a pass from Murray for 13. Murray then executed a perfect quarterback draw for a 57 yard gain. Edmonds got the final 2 yards. Prater’s bad day continued as he missed the extra point and the Cardinals trailed 7-6. After the first quarter, the defenses dug in. The second quarter began with Mike Badgley missing a 53 yard field goal for the Colts. The Cardinals moved to a 4th and 1 at the Indianapolis 29. Kliff Kingsbury went for it but a false start was a killer. On 4th and 5m Kingsbury went for it anyway rather than try a 51 yard field goal given prater’s 2 misses. Murray threw incomplete. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half the Cardinals faced 3rd and 7 from their own 11. The shotgun snap to Murray was low and a tad outside and went by him all the way to the end zone. Murray picked it up and threw it away but was called for intentional grounding. The safety made it 96 Colts. The Colts took the free kick at their own 32 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Arizona 13 with 47 seconds left in the half. Offensive penalties killed the drive but Badgley hit from 41 to make it 12-6 Colts at the half.
In the third quarter a sack of Wentz had the Colts punting on 4th and 15 at their own 46. The punt was high, and the Cardinals return man backed inside his own 5 yard line, where punts should never be fielded. Yet this was Kliff Kingsbury pulling out all the trickeration stops. The guy backing up drew the coverage team to hi, but the ball was kicked nowhere near him. Way on the other side of the field, Murphy fielded the punt with little fanfare and raced 48 yards to the Indy 42. Murray then went to Edmonds for 11. Kingsbury kept up with the trick plays. Murray threw the ball sideways to Kirk, who lateraled it back to Murray, who faked throwing on the flea flicker and kept the ball for a 17 yard gain. On the next play Murray did things more conventionally, hitting Wesley for a 24 yard touchdown and a 13-12 Cardinals lead.
The Colts moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 3 at the Arizona 35. Taylor finally got stopped for a one yard loss. Frank Reich passed up a 54 yard field goal try and went for it on 4th and 4. Wentz threw incomplete. The Colts got it back and soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Wentz hit Mo Alie-Cox, who strolled for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 29, Wentz hit Hilton for 8. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the Arizona 19, Wentz threw incomplete. On the last play of the third quarter, Badgley hit from 37 to give the Colts the 15-13 lead. After a touchback to start the fourth quarter, Kliff Kingsbury gambled on 4th and inches from his own 34. Ward gained 3. The Cardinals moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Indianapolis 23. A run went nowhere and on 3rd and 3 Murray threw incomplete. Prater’s night of misery continued as his 41 yard field goal hit the upright dead on doinked back no good with 11 minutes left in regulation.
Offensive holding had the Colts facing 2nd and 17 from their own 24. Wentz calmly found Pittman for 20. Wentz then went deep to Hilton for 39 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Arizona 14, Wentz with all the time in the world found Desmond Patmon in the back of the end zone for the touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes to play the Cardinals had a 22-13 lead. One minute later on 4th and 6 form his own 43, Murray backpedaled to avoid the rush and had a wide open receiver over the middle. The ball was under thrown incomplete. The Cardinals took 2 timeouts on defense and got the ball back at their own 9 yard line with 4 1/2 minutes left still needing 2 scores. Murray led the Cardinals down the field but way too much time came off the clock. By the time the Cardinals had 1st and goal at the 10, only 55 seconds remained. After a pair of incompletions set up 3rd and 10 and left 46 seconds, Kliff Kingsbury brought in Prater rather than try one more play. This made no sense. What’s another 4 or 5 seconds? Prater was good as the Cardinals trailed by 6 with 42 seconds left. The onside kick failed. The 9-6 Colts are still one game back in the AFC South but in a strong position for a wildcard. The 10-5 Cardinals have lost 3 straight and are now at risk of blowing the division. Home field throughout the playoffs is pretty much gone. Despite the loss, the Cardinals did clinch a wildcard spot due to other results. 22-16 Colts
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles — The 7-7 Eagles needed a home win over the lowly Giants to improve their playoff chances. With Daniel Jones out for the year with a neck injury, Jake Fromm was quarterbacking the Giants in his very first NFL start in place of the ineffective Mike Glennon.
The first half was a slugfest. After a scoreless first quarter, Graham Gano hit a 54 yard field goal for the Giants. Jake Elliott missed a 41 yarder but then hit from 22 for a 3-3 halftime tie that deserves no further elaboration. Yet somehow the second half became a blowout. 2 plays after a third quarter touchback Fromm was intercepted by McLeod, who returned it 24 yards to the Giants 21. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Boston Scott scored to make it 10-3 Eagles. Jalean Reagor then returned a punt 39 yards to the Giants 21, leading to a 37 yard Elliott field goal and a 13-3 Eagles lead. The Eagles got it back at their own 43 and Jalen Hurts went deep to Quez Watkins for 39. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Hurts hit Devonta Smith for the touchdown and the 20-3 Eagles advantage. The fourth quarter saw the Eagles move 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Lane Johnson ran for a 5 yard touchdown to put the Eagles up 27-3. Fromm was benched and Mike Glennon came in. Glennong found Alex Singleton, who plays defense for the Eagles. The 29 yard interception return touchdown made it 34-3 Eagles. The Giants managed one garbage touchdown in a garbage season. The 8-7 Eagles are alive for a wildcard. 34-10 Eagles
Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings — The 10-4 Rams came in with a chance to seize control of the NFC West and maintaining a shot at home field throughout the playoffs. The 7-7 Vikings were fighting for survival. The Rams took over at their own 30. Sony Michel gained 8 and 2. On 3rd and 5 form their own 45, Matthew Stafford hit Tyler Higbee for just enough, but Mike Zimmer challenged the spot and it was changed to a 4 yard gain. Sean McVay gambled on 4th and 1 just shy of midfield. Out of the shotgun, Matthew Stafford gained 2. Stafford then went to Cooper Kupp for 19. Stafford ran for 7 and then hit Higbee for 11. Michel gained 6 and then got the one yard touchdown. The 12 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive had the Rams up 7-0. The rest of the half belonged to the defenses and the kickers. In the second quarter Matt Gay hit from 32 to make it 10-0 Rams. An interception of Stafford set up the Vikings at the Rams 11, but they settled for a 23 yard Greg Joseph field goal to get on the board. Gay responded from 31 as the Rams took a 13-3 lead to the locker rooms. The game opened up in the second half.
In the third quarter Stafford threw his second interception, but the Vikings did not capitalize. Stafford then threw his third interception, a leaping deflection at grab by Barr that was returned 8 yards to the Rams 2 yard line. One play later Alexander Mattison ran it in to get the Vikings within 13-10. The Vikings got it back and punted on 4th and 1 from their own 21. Brandon Powell returned the punt 61 yards for a touchdown to put the Rams back up 20-10. The Vikings took over at their own 11. They moved 83 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 4, a run lost 2 yards and Kirk Cousins then threw incomplete. Joseph hit from 24 as the Vikings were within 20-13 after three quarters. After a touchback Michel gained 10, 3 and 11. Darrell Henderson gained 17. On 3rd and 7 from the Minnesota 23, Stafford hit Higbee for 12. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 7, Stafford hit O’Dell Beckham for the touchdown to have the Rams up 27-13 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Vikings rallied after a touchback. Cousins hit Conklin for 19, Mattison for 14, nwangwu for 6, Conklin for 10, and KJ Osborn for a 6 yard touchdown. With 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Vikings were back within 27-20. After a touchback the Rams moved 69 yards in 13 plays and bled 5 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Michel got stopped. The Vikings had used all 3 timeouts on defense. Gay hit the 24 yard field goal to give the Rams breathing room up 30-20 with 2:03 left. After a touchback, a desperate Vikings team faced 4th and 5 at the Rams 42. Cousins hit Justin Jefferson for 16. Cousins immediately spiked the ball to stop the clock. with only 32 seconds remaining, Mike Zimmer brought in Joseph for a 44 yard field goal on 2nd down. Joseph was good, but the onside kick failed. The 7-8 Vikings are on life support. The Rams started 7-1, had a midseason slump and lost 3 straight, and have now since won 4 straight. At 11-4 the Rams are one game back in the race for home field throughout the playoffs. They clinched a wildcard spot and are one game up in the NFC West. 30-23 Rams
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — Last week the Buccaneers had their 6 game win streak snapped to fall to 9-5, only one game ahead of the 8-6 Bills. two weeks ago in a windy slugfest, the Patriots ran the ball 46 times and threw only 3 passes in a gutty 14-10 win at Buffalo. A Patriots win would clinch the AFC East and keep them one game back in the race for home field throughout the playoffs. A Bills win would upend everything and give the Bills the tie-breaker atop the division. This was a heavyweight street fight. The Bills took over at their own 39. Josh Allen went to Singletary for 11 and 8. On 3rd and 7 from the New England 36, Allen hit Isaiah McKenzie for 7. Allen then hit Kumerow for 13 and Singletary for 7. On 3rd and 2 from the New England 3, Allen threw incomplete. Sean McDermott decided to go for it. Allen hit McKenzie for the touchdown to culminate the 13 play, 61 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 7-0 Bills. After a touchback, Damien Harris gained 9 and 5 and Olszewski added 9. After getting stopped on 2nd and 1 and 3rd and 1, Bill Belichick gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 48. Harris gained 4. Jones hit Johnson for 9. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 29, Bolden only gained one. The second quarter began with Evil Hoodie Belichick gambling again on 4th and 1. Harris gained 12 and then the 16 yard touchdown for a 7-7 game. After that, the Bills took over in a big way.
After a touchback, the Bills moved to a 3rd and 4 at the New England 7. Allen threw incomplete and Sean McDermott was not in a crazy mood. Tyler Bass hit the 25 yard field goal to make it `10-7 Bills. Mac Jones was intercepted to set up the Bills at the New England 22. The Bills moved to a 2nd and goal at the one. Allen threw incomplete twice. This time McDermott did gamble and on 4th and goal from the one, Allen threw incomplete a 3rd time. Despite the goal line stand by the Patriot defense, their offense went 3 and out the Bills got it back with a short field at the New England 42. On 4th and 7 from the 39, Sean McDermott lined up to go for it. Whether he was just trying to get the defense to jump or not, they did. On 4th and 2 he lined up to go for it again. Allen went to Diggs for 23. On 3rd and 11 from the New England 12, Allen hit Diggs for the touchdown to make it 17-7 Bills. In the third quarter the Bills moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the New England 12. A pair of offensive penalties meant 1st and 25 and killed the drive. Bass hit the 34 yard field goal to finish the 14 play, 64 yard, 6 minute drive for a 20-7 Bills lead.
After a touchback, Harris ran for 31. On 3rd and 8 from the Buffalo 42, Jones hit Harry for 10. On 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 23, Bill Belichick went for it and Jones gained 6. On the next play Jones fumbled but Harris recovered as the Patriots retained possession. On 4th and 3 from the Buffalo 10, Belichick went for it again and Jones hit Meyers for 7. Harris ran for a one yard touchdown to finish the 14 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. The Patriots got to within 20-14 after three quarters, but every time they made it close the Bills answered. The Bills took over at their own 34. On 3rd and 2 from their own 42, Allen hit McKenzie for 5 and again deep for 28. Allen ran for 11. Allen hit Dawson Knox for 9. Singletary ran for 2 and then again for the 2 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Bills led 26-14 with 11 1/2 minutes left in the game.
After a touchback, Jones hit Hunter Henry for 9. On 2nd and 10 from their own 42, Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for 13 and Meyers for 21. Jones ran for 9 and Harris ran for 6 and then the 8 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the 10 play, 75 yard drive had the Patriots within 26-21. The Bills soon faced 3d and 10 from their own 25. Allen went to McKenzie for 17 and again for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 34, Allen got stopped. With 4:17 to play Sean McDermott passed up a 52 yard field goal try and risked it all. On 4th and inches, Allen got around the end for a key 8 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the New England 26, Allen hit Diggs for 19. With 2 1/2 minutes to play, Allen hit Knox for the touchdown to ice the game. Jones threw in one more interception for good measure. The Patriots have lost 2 straight and can forget about home field throughout the playoffs. That is gone. So is their division lead. Both teams are 9-6 and the Bills hold the tie-breaker. 33-21 Bills
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers — The 10-4 Buccaneers were humiliated last week on their home turf by New Orleans 9-0 to drop one game back in the race for home field throughout the playoffs. The Panthers were done for the year. The Panthers moved from their own 30 to a 2nd and 3 at the Tampa 4 yard line. A run lost 2 yards and then Cam Newton threw incomplete. Lirim Hajrullahuhit the 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Panthers. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Tom Brady hit Antonio Brown for 4. Brady then went to Jones for 13. KeShawn Vaughn busted through for a 55 yard touchdown run to make it 7-3 Buccaneers. An interception of Newton gave the ball back to the Buccaneers just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 13 from their own 46, Brady hit Brown for 19. On 3rd and 12 from the Carolina 25, a completion gained only 7. Ryan Succop hit the 36 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Buccaneers in the second quarter. The Panthers after a touchback saw Sam Darnold come in for Newton. Darnold went deep to Smith for a 63 yard bomb. Then on 1st and goal at the 10 Newton came in. He gained 2 and threw incomplete. On 3rd and goal at the 8 Matt Rhule went back to Darbold, who was sacked. Hajrullahu hit the 29 yard field goal. The Panthers were within 10-6 midway through the second quarter, but after that Pewter Power turned out the lights.
After a touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Carolina 25. Brady threw incomplete twice. Succop hit from 43 to make it 13-6 Buccaneers. The Panthers went 3 and out and the Buccaneers got it at their own 31 with 1:40 left in the half. Brady went bombs away to Grayson for 62 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Brady hit Cameron Brate for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Buccaneers led 19-6. The Buccaneers took over in the third quarter at their own 46. Despite 1st and goal at the 4, an incompletion was followed by a one yard run. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Brady threw incomplete. Succop hit from 21 to make it 22-6 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers and excellent field position all day and took over again at their own 43. Brady went to Brown for 11 and ran himself for 11 more. Grayson ran for 14 and caught a pass from Brady for 12 more. Ronald Jones ran for the 7 yard touchdown to make it 29-6 Buccaneers. They added a fourth quarter field goal to complete the blowout. The 11-4 Buccaneers clinched the NFC South and are one game back in the race for home field throughout the playoffs. 32-6 Buccaneers
Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Jets — League rules prevented this game from being canceled. The Jets had 20 players and Robert Saleh out with Covid. This game was the stupor bowl from beginning to end. Interim Jaguars coach Darrell Bevell began the game by gambling on a fake punt on 4th and 2 form his own 33. Wingard took the direct snap and gained 4. Yet on 4th and goal at the 2, Bevell decided to kick the field goal. The 21 yarder by Matt Wright made it 3-0 Jaguars. The Jets took over at their own 9 yard line. Carter gained 8. On 3rd and 7 from their own 24, Zach Wilson hit Keenan Cole for 19. On 3rd and 5 from their own 48, Wilson scrambled and ended up with a 52 yard touchdown to make it 6-3 Jets. The extra point was blocked.
After a touchback, Trevor Lawrence ran for 6 and hit Ogunbowale and Jacob Hollister for a pair of 9 yard gains. On 2nd and 1 from the Jets 39, Lawrence threw incomplete and then Ogunbowale was stopped. Darrell Bevell went for it on 4th and 1 and Lawrence hit Laquon Treadwell for 20 as the first quarter ended. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 11, Lawrence hit Jones for just enough. On 1st and goal at the 3, Lawrence gained 2, fumbled the ball, and was bailed out when Richardson recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown just like the Jaguars drew it up in the sandlot at recess. An inexplicable 2 point conversion attempt failed as the Jaguars led 9-6 after the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive. 11 seconds later the Jets led 13-9 as Braxton Berrios returned the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for a touchdown. After a touchback the Jaguars moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Jets 28. A completion gained only one yard. Wright hit from 45 to get the Jaguars within 13-12.
The Jets took over at their own 28 with 5 minutes left in the half and used almost all of it. The Jets moved 70 yards in 15 plays and had 2nd and goal at the 2. A run out of the shotgun gained nothing and Wilson threw incomplete on 3rd and goal. Robert Saleh went for it. On 4th and goal at the 2, Wilson threw incomplete. In the 3rd quarter the Jets moved from their own 28 to a 3rd and 11 at the Jacksonville 30. Wilson hit Cole for only 6 yards. Eddie Pineiro hit the 42 yard field goal to make it 16-12 Jets. The Jaguars moved from their own 24 to their own 47. Lawrence was then sacked for a 19 yard loss and fumbled. Blair recovered it for the Jets and returned it 6 yards to give the Jets gift field position at the Jacksonville 13. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Jags 6, Wilson was sacked for a 2 yard loss. On 4th and 5 from the 8, Robert Saleh tried a fake field goal. Coleman only gained 4 yards, coming up one yard short. Rather than lead 22-12, passing up 2 easy field goals had the Jets clinging to a 16-12 lead. The Jaguars took over at their own 4 yard line and moved 75 yards in 10 plays. A false start and a pair of incompletions meant 3rd and 15 from the Jets 32. Lawrence hit Treadwell for only 11. Wright hit the 40 yard field goal as the Jaguars only trailed 16-15 after three quarters.
The Jets began the fourth quarter at their own 20. Wilson ran for 20 and then hit Kroft for 22. Coleman gained 7 and 5. Carter added 10. Coleman ran for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Wilson hit Carter for only 2. Robert Saleh went for it on 4th and goal at the one. Wilson hit Conor Mcdermott for the touchdown to have the Jets up 23-15 with 9 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Lawrence went to Jones for 13. On 3rd and 5 from their own 43, Lawrence went to O’Shaughnessy for 22 and Treadwell for 18. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 15 yards down to the one. Dare Ogunbowale got in to get the Jaguars within 23-21 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The 2 point conversion try to tie the game saw Lawrence throw incomplete.
The Jets took over at their own 32 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the one with 1:54 left. A touchdown and extra point would ice the game. Then came a false start. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Wilson hit Kroft for 5. The Jaguars took their 2nd timeout on defense. On 4th and goal at the one with 1:47 left, after gambling all day, this time Robert Saleh shockingly opted for the field goal. Pineiro hit from 20 but the Jets only led by 5. After a touchback, Lawrence went to Austin for 17 and O’Shaughnessy for 8 and 7. Lawrence hit Jones and Ogunbowale for a pair of 6 yard gains. Lawrence ethen ran for a 26 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 5 with 32 seconds left. Lawrence hit Jones for 4 but rather than calmly set up and run a play, Jones spiked the ball to stop the clock with 12 seconds left. That spike meant it was 4th down rather than 3rd down. The Jaguars only needed one yard but would have one play to get it rather than 2. This was truly the Stupor Bowl. On 4th and goal at the one, Lawrence ran for his life and threw incomplete. Defensive pass interference would mean the Jaguars would get one untimed down, but it was not to be. The penalty was for an illegal shift on the offense. Just like that, a hideously ugly game was over. The Jaguars have the inside track for the top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by 1/2 a game over Detroit. 26-21 Jets
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Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons — The 6-8 Falcons were technically alive for a playoff spot while the Lions got their 2nd win of the year in shocking fashion over Arizona. Yet now the lions would have to start Tim Boyle since Jared Goff was out with Covid. The Lions moved from their own 38 to a 3rd and 5 at the Atlanta 8. Boyle threw incomplete. Riley Patterson hit the 26 yard field goal to cap the 13 play, 54 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and make it 3-0 Lions. A field position game had the Falcons beginning the second quarter at their own 46. Matt Ryan hit Hurst for 9, Gage for 15, Hall for 10 and Pitts for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 6. Ryan got stopped and Arthur Hill went for it. On 4th and 1 Cordarelle Patterson got around the end for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Falcons.
The Lions soon faced 1st and 15 at their own 20. Williams ran for 14. On 2nd and 12 from their own 37, Boyle hit Reynolds for 14. Dan Campbell decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Atlanta 40. Then came the false start. Campbell gambled anyway on 4th and 6 and Fox hit Hodge for 21. On 3rd and 6 from the atlanta 20, Boyle hit St. Brown for the touchdown as the Lions led 10-7. The Falcons moved from their own 22 to a 2nd and 7 at the Detroit 35. Ryan threw incomplete twice. Younghoe Koo nailed the 53 yard field goal for a 10-10 game. In the third quarter the Falcons moved from their own 11 to a 3rd and 5 at the Detroit 30. Yet Ryan threw incomplete. Koo hit from 48 to make it 13-10 Falcons. The Lions moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 13. A pair of false starts killed the drive. Patterson hit from 37 for a 13-13 ballgame.
The Falcons took over at their own 29. Davis ran for 9 and caught a pass from Ryan for 7. Ryan hit Gage for 13 and 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 31, Ryan hit Pitts for 19 and then Hurst for the 12 yard touchdown. With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Falcons led 20-13. The Lions took over at their own 26 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 28 midway through the fourth quarter. Dan Campbell went for it and Williams gained 2. Campbell went for it again on 4th and 1 from the Atlanta 17 and Boyle hit Raymond for 4. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the 5, Reynolds lost 3 yards. With 4th and 5 from the Atlanta 8 with 2 1/2 minutes to play, Campbell had a big decision to make. He decided to go with the field goal and trust his defense. Patterson hit from 26 and the Lions were down 4. After a touchback the Lions took a pair of timeouts on defense. With the Falcons facing 3rd and 7 at their own 28, Ryan hit Gage for 4 but Gage fumbled and the Lions recovered at the Atlanta 37. The Lions had 2:12 and one timeout plus the 2 minute warning. Campbell’s decision paid off. With 33 seconds to play, the Lions had 1st and goal at the 9. Consecutive wins were within reach. Boyle fired over the middle and was intercepted as the Lions suffered yet another heartbreaking loss. The Falcons escaped and at 7-8 are actually alive for a playoff spot. 20-16 Falcons
Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans — The 8-6 Chargers were in a strong position for a wildcard while their crushing overtime home loss to Kansas City last week pretty much knocked them out of the AFC West division race. The Texans had only won 3 games, and 2 of those were against Jacksonville. The Chargers took the opening touchback to a 3rd and 7 at the Houston 32. Justin Herbert threw incomplete. Dustin Hopkins hit the 50 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chargers. After a touchback, Rex Burkhead had gains of 9 and 3. On 3rd and 8 from their own 43, Mills went to Collins for 11. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 24. Burkhead then broke free for a 25 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Texans. The Chargers moved from their own 18 to a 3rd and 5 at the Houston 28. Herbert threw incomplete. Hopkins hit from 46 as the Chargers trailed 7-6.
The Chargers got it back to begin the second quarter at their own 30. Herbert hit Cook for 18 and Palmer for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Houston 32, Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 15. Jackson got around the end for a 17 yard touchdown. Brandon Staley went for the 2 point conversion and Jackson got stopped. The Chargers led 12-7. After a touchback, the Texans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 26. Offensive holding killed the drive but Eberle nailed a 51 yard field goal to get the Texans within 12-10. Herbert went for a deep bomb and was intercepted in the end zone. Rather than take a touchback, Owens ran it out and got tackled at his own 6 yard line. On 2nd and 14 from their own 2, a run gained only 2 yards but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. Davis Mills then went deep to Philip Dorsett for a 36 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 46, Burkhead gained 5. Mills then went deep to Conley for a 41 yard touchdown. With 30 seconds left in the half, the Texans had the surprising 17-12 lead.
After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Texans moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Chargers 33. Mills threw incomplete. A 52 yard field goal try by Eberle to extend the lead to 20-12 was no good. The Chargers took over at their own 42 and moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Houston 12. A sack of Herbert and a false start killed the drive. Hopkins hit from 35 to get the Chargers within 17-15. After a touchback, runs and short passes had the Texans facing 3rd and 6 at their own 43. Mills hit Jordan for just enough. On 3rd and 6 from the Chargers 47, Mills hit Jordan for 27. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter on 3rd and goal at the one, Burkhead got in as the 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive had the Texans up 24-15 and smelling upset. The Chargers took over at their own 32 and needed only 2 plays to fumble the ball as Jonathan Owens coughed it up. The Texans took over at the Chargers 47. On 3rd and 6 from the Chargers 7, Mills threw incomplete. Dominik Eberle hit a 25 yard field goal to have the Texans up 27-15. Yet 9 minutes still remained.
After a touchback, Herbert went to Jackson for gains of 11, 9 and 17. Jackson then ran for 7. Herbert hit Anderson for 7 and Allen for 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 9, Jackson ran for the touchdown. Brandon Staley inexplicably went for 2 and Herbert hit Cook for the conversion to get the Chargers within 27-23 with 6 minutes left. One defensive stop against a bad team would mean a Chargers comeback win. Instead on 3rd and 3 from their own 35, Burkhead gained 4 and then ripped off a 36 yard gain. Burkhead then ran for 14. With the defense expecting more runs, Mills threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins. With 2 1/2 minutes left, the texans led 34-23. With 1:49 left Tavierre Thomas intercepted Herbert rand returned it 48 yards for the exclamation point touchdown. The Texans led a shocker 41-23. The Chargers managed a garbage touchdown, but for decades they have underachieved below their talent level. Or they are overrated. Either way, the 8-7 Chargers are still alive for a wildcard spot with several teams. 41-29 Texans
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals — Both teams came in 8-6 tied atop the AFC North but the Bengals had the tie-breaker. The Bengals blasted the Ravens in Baltimore 41-17. The Ravens have lost 3 straight and again had to start third stringer quarterback Josh Johnson with Lamar Huntley out with Covid and Lamar Jackson out with an injured ankle. From his own 31, Joe Burrow came out firing. He hit Tee Higgins for big gins of 15, 18 and 20. On 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 12, Higgins threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit the 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bengals. After a touchback Johnson went to work. He hit Bateman for 11, Mark Andrews for 17, and Bateman again for 5. On 3rd and 8 from the Cincinnati 32, Johnson hit Hollywood Brown for 15. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Johnson hit Bateman for the score. The 12 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Ravens up 7-3. After that the Bengals took over.
From their own 26, Burrow hit Higgins for 11. Joe Mixon ran for 19. Burrow hit CJ Ozumah for 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Baltimore 20, Burrow went to Jamarr Chase for 17. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mixon gained one. Zac Taylor went for it and on 4th and goal at the one, Mixon got in to culminate the 10 play, 74 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 10-7 Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 29 in the second quarter and struck quickly. Burrow went deep to Trevor Boyd for a 68 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Bengals. The Bengals began t heir next drive at their own 42 and Mixon ran for 9 and one. Burrow went to Chase for 20 and Higgins for 17. Burrow hit Mixon for the 9 yard touchdown for a 24-7 Bengals lead.
The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 12 from their own 8. Johnson hit Proche for 16 and Andrews for 12 and 10. On 3rd and 13 from their own 43, Johnson hit Wallace for 18. On 3rd and 10 from the Cincinnati 39, Johnson went to Andrews for 28. Devontae Freeman ran for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Ravens within 24-14 with 90 seconds left in the half. After a touchback Burrow hit Uzomah for 11 and Chase for 15. On 3rd and 16 from their own 45, Burrow went deep to Higgins, who out-jumped the double coverage for a 52 yard gain. On 2nd and goal from the 3, Burrow was intercepted but defensive holding nullified the interception. Another incompletion was nullified by another defensive holding call. Burrow hit Higgins for the one yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in the half. The Bengals scored the first 5 times they had the ball including 4 straight touchdown drives for a 31-14 Bengals lead. The third quarter was about one drive, the Bengals drive of the year. 19…yes, 19…plays. 68 yards. 10 1/2…yes, 10 1/2 minutes off the clock. They moved from their own 14 to the Baltimore 15 before settling for a 36 yard McPherson field goal to lead 34-14 after three quarters.
McPherson kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds as the Ravens took over at their own 40. This time the Ravens struck quickly. Johnson hit Proche for 17 and Andrews deep for 25 as the third quarter ended. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Johnson hit Andrews for an 18 yard touchdown to get the Ravens within 34-21. Yet the Bengals kept firing. From their own 22, Burrow hit Chase for 14, Higgins for 13, Boyd for 12, Uzomah for 4, Chase for 22, Uzomah for 3, and Higgins for the 10 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. The Bengals scored on their first 7 drives, and it would have been 8 drives had McPherson not missed a late field goal. The Bengals 9th drive was running out the clock as they finished the game without punting. Burrow was an insane 37 of 46 for 525 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Somehow that is a quarterback rating of 89.3 rather than a perfect 158.3, which nobody anywhere understands. The 9-6 Bengals lead the AFC North by one game and have swept Pittsburgh and Baltimore in the season. The 8-7 Ravens have lost 4 straight but at 8-7 still for the moment own the wildcard tie-breaker for the final spot. 41-21 Bengals
Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks — Both teams were done for the year. Instead of miserable rain, this game was played in a snowstorm. Sometimes a pair of bad teams can play an exciting football game. This actually was that game. With injuries to Justin Fields and Andy Dalton, 3rd stringer Nick Foles started for the Bears. Yes, THAT Nick Foles. The Seahawks began at their own 20. On 2nd and 11 from their 29, Rashad Penny gained 25 and 5 more. Russell Wilson found DK Metcalf for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Bears from their own 27 moved 71 yards in 15 plays and 8 1/2 minutes. Yes on 3rd and goal at the 4, Foles threw incomplete. For some bizarre reason Matt Nagy went for it rather than try a 22 yard field goal. Foles on 4th and goal threw a 2 yard completion as the first quarter ended. Yet in the second quarter the Seahawks punted on 4th and 10 from their own 2 and Newsome returned it 28 yards to the Seattle 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 10, Foles hit David Montgomery for 9. Montgomery got the last yard for a 7-7 tie game.
The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 31. Wilson hit Gerald Everett for 9 and Tyler Lockett for 8. On 3rd and 2 from their own 48, Wilson hit Everett for 9. Penny ran for 6 and Dallas added 5 and 7. Wilson hit Eskridge for 13 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 4 more down to the 3. On the next play Penny ran it in for a 14-7 Bears lead. The Seahawks got it back at their own 28 with one minute left in the half. Wilson hit Dallas for 13 and ran for10 himself. Wilson hit Everett for 26. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 20 with 28 seconds left, a completion gained only 3 yards. Jason Myers hit a 36 yard field goal to put the Seahawks up 17-7 at the break.
In the third quarter the Bears took over at their own 18. Foles went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 21 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from their own 48, Montgomery gained 4. Foles hit Montgomery for 16 and Montgomery ran for 9 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 24, Montgomery gained 2. Khalil Herbert then ripped off a 20 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 82 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Bears within 17014 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. A strong kickoff return had the Seahawks taking over at their own 39. Penny ripped off a 32 yard gain. Wilson then went to Everett for a 24 yard touchdown. The Seahawks led 24-14 after three quarters.
The Bears after a touchback moved 58 yards in 13 plays and 8 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Seattle 6, Matt Nagy went for it. Foles got the tough yard. Pete Carroll unsuccessfully challenged the spot, losing a timeout. Yet 1st and goal at the 5, saw a run lose a yard followed by a sack of Foles and then a false start. Needing 2 scores, Nagy settled for the field goal. Cairo Santos hit from 35 to get the Bears within 24-17 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Seahawks moved from their own 32 to a 3rd and 4 at the Seattle 8. Even a field goal would pretty much wrap up the win for the Seahawks, but they had a chance at a 14 point lead. Wilson was sacked for a 13 yard loss. Yet even after that, the field goal try by Myers was only 39 yards. He missed it no good. The Bears were alive.
From their own 29, the Bears after an incompletion faced 4th and 4 from their own 46 with 5 minutes left. Rather than punt and trust his defense, Matt Nagy went for it and Foles threw incomplete. With a short field, the Seahawks moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Chicago 28 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Again, even a field goal would ice the game. Instead, offensive holding and run that lost 3 yards pushed the Seahawks out of field goal range. The Seahawks punted but did not pin the Bears deep as the touchback had the Bears taking over at their own 20 with 3 full minutes left.
Foles went to Mooney for 30 and Montgomery for 10 and 14 as the Bears at the 2 minute warning were already at the Chicago 11. Foles was sacked and fumbled but the Bears retained possession. With one minute left the Bears faced 3rd and 14 from the Seattle 15. Foles went to the end zone and former Seattle receiver Jimmy Graham out-jumped 2 defenders for a miracle catch touchdown. Rather than snow overtime, Nagy went for the win on the road. Why not? The season as long gone. Foles fired over the middle to Byrd, who got jostled by multiple defenders and somehow held the ball in one hand cleanly when he hit the ground. The Bears had a one point lead over a stunned and frozen Seattle crowd. The Seahawks had an entire minute from their own 27 and needed only a field goal to win. Yet a pair of offensive holding penalties killed them. With 21 seconds left, on 4th and 5 from their own 32, Wilson threw incomplete. It was a bitter defeat for a Seahawks team in an uncharacteristically bitter season. Meanwhile, Nick Foles is seriously challenging Earl Morrall for the title of best backup quarterback in NFL history. The players have obviously not quit on Matt Nagy. 25-24 Bears
Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs — The 7-6 Steelers were fighting for a wildcard spot and entered the day only 1/2 game out of the AFC North lead. The Chiefs had won 7 straight and at 10-4 led the race for home field advantage throughout the playoffs by one game. In past years the Steelers had gone into Kansas City and beaten them with pure guts and muscle. Not this Chiefs team. Not in the Patrick Mahomes era. The Chiefs began facing 3rd and 7 from their own 30.Mahomes hit Tyreek Hill for 10, Byron Pringle for 11, Bell for 11, Hill for 9, and Damien Williams for 13. On 3rd and 11 from the Pittsburgh 13, Mahomes was intercepted but the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 6, Mahomes hit Gray for 5. Walrus Andy Reid went for it on 4th and 1 from the 3, and Burton gained 2. Clyde Edwards-Helaire got the one yard touchdown for a 7-0 Chiefs lead. One play after a touchback, Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted. The Chiefs took over just past midfield. on 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 41, Mahomes hit Pringle for 18 and Williams for 18 more. Mahomes hit Pringle for the 5 yard touchdown. The Chiefs led 14-0 after the first quarter. Although three quarters remained, this game was over.
The Chiefs moved in the second quarter from their own 20 to a 3rd and 5 at the Pittsburgh 26. Mahoems threw incomplete but Elliott Fry hit a 44 yard field goal for a 17-0 Chiefs lead. After a touchback the Steelers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chiefs 18. Ben Roethlisberger threw incomplete twice and completed a 3rd and 10 pass for nothing. Chris Boswell then missed a 36 yard field goal. From their own 26, Mahomes hit Gore for 8 and then again deep for a 50 yard gain. Mahomes threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman. The extra point was no good but the Chiefs led 23-0. Mike Tomlin gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 34 and a run lost 3 yards. The Chiefs missed a field goal. For some reason, the second half was not canceled. The Steelers fumbled on the second play of the third quarter and the Chiefs took over just shy of midfield. Mahoems hit Robinson for 6, Hardman for 9, and Pringle for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 30-0 Chiefs. The Steelers managed a late third quarter field goal. The Chiefs responded with two fourth quarter field goals. The Steelers got one garbage touchdown. The 7-7 Steelers are still alive for a wildcard but the division is pretty much out of reach. The 11-4 Chiefs won their 8th straight game to officially lock up the AFC West for a team record 6th straight season. The Chiefs remain one game up in the race for home field throughout the playoffs, making Andy Reid a most happy walrus indeed. 36-10 Chiefs
Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders — Both teams came in 7-7. The division was out of reach but a wildcard was realistic. The loser of this game would be on life support with the winner in stronger position. In the first game interim coach Rich Bisaccia coached, the Raiders went into Denver and won easily 34-24. Yet in recent weeks, the Raiders defense has improved while the offense has regressed. The Raiders habit in recent weeks is to score one early touchdown and try to win the rest of the game with just enough field goals and defense. The Broncos rely on their defense to save their offense. The Broncos started Drew Lock in place of the injured teddy Bridgewater. The Raiders again were without Darren Waller. This was an ugly game typical of this bitter rivalry. The Raiders moved from their own 4 yard line to a 3rd and 4 at the Denver 49. Derek Carr threw incomplete and the drive was over. The first quarter was scoreless.
The Raiders got it back and soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 31. Carr scrambled for 4. On 3rd and 4 from their own 41, Carr hit Zee Jones for 6. The second quarter began with the Raiders facing 3rd and 1 at the Denver 44. Jacobs gained 3. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 38, Carr threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. Carr then hit Jones for 15. Carr threw a perfect fade to the corner of the end zone and Hunter Renfrow made a leaping catch and got one knee down inbounds for the 7-0 Raiders lead. As usual, the Raiders got their early touchdown and the offense went to sleep.
The Broncos after a touchback saw Lock go deep to Jerry Jeudy for a 40 yard gain to the Raiders 35. Yet an 11 yard completion was nullified by offensive holding. On 3rd and 20, Lock hit Jeudy for 14 to get the Broncos back in field goal range. Brandon McManus hit from 49 to get the Broncos within 7-3. With 2:09 left in the half, the Raiders were in good position with a 2nd and 3 at their own 40. The plan was to get the double up by scoring to end the half and begin the second half. Instead came disaster. The Raiders just give games away. Carr under heavy pressure somehow shot-putted a lateral to Josh Jacobs, who was all by himself. Jacobs somehow without being touched fumbled the ball away. The Broncos took over at the Raiders 41 at the 2 minute warning. The defense forced 3 and out when Lock threw incomplete on 3rd and 6. Yet Vic Fangio trusted McManus with a 55 yard field goal try, and a kick that was looking wide somehow snuck inside the right upright good. With 30 seconds left in the half, the Broncos were within 7-6.
The Raiders took over at their own 26. All they had to do was take a knee. Just to be clear, to get to the half with the lead, all they had to do was TAKE A KNEE! Instead, offensive coordinator Greg Olson called a pass play. Carr rolled out and tried to throw a screen pass. Bradley Chubb deflected the pass and somehow came down with the ball himself. Big man with football returned the interception 21 yards down to the one. With 15 seconds left Javonte Williams got in. The Broncos led 13-7 at the half. Somebody needs to show the entire Raiders offense from players to coaches a Super Bowl video of Joe Theismann and Jack Squirek. From now on, in that situation…take…a…knee. The Broncos offense had done nothing but had the lead due to the Raiders literally giving points away. The Raiders defense looked on in shock, knowing their hard work was thrown away.
Normally the Raiders offense waits un til the fourth quarter to melt down and stress out the defense. This time they did it by halftime. In a perverse way, it gave them a wake up call. Last week Carr threw an interception that nearly ended the Raiders season before rebounding and leading the heroic winning drive. This week after his worst throw, he had his best drive. It started with Jacobs atoning for his fumble by banging ahead after a third quarter touchback for 8, 7 and 3. Carr then hit DeSean Jackson for 13. Jacobs ran for 8 and then 19 more down to the Denver 17 before fumbling the ball again. Yet before fans could scream at Jacobs, replay showed he was down by contact. The Raiders kept the ball. Jacobs rammed ahead for gains of 4 and 8. On 1st and goal at the 5 with everyone looking for Jacobs, Peyton Barber got the carry and the touchdown. The Raiders led 14-13. With 20 minutes of football still left, the Raiders again reverted to their habit of putting everything on the defense and failing to handle prosperity.
The Broncos after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 8 from their own 47 before Lock threw incomplete. The Raiders took over at their own 13 and moved to a 2nd and 2 at the Denver 28. They were in field goal range but a touchdown on successive drives would really make a statement. Instead, a run by Jacobs was blown up for a 4 yard loss. On 3rd and 6 from the Denver 32 and still in field goal range, Carr was sacked for a 9 yard loss. Making matters worse, Carr fumbled and the Broncos recovered at their own 42. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 41, Lock completed a pass for only 4 yards. Yet that was just enough for Vic Fangio to send out McManus for another 55 yard field goal try to give the Broncos the lead. This time McManus was no good as the Raiders clung to their 14-13 lead after three quarters. Their entire fourth quarter was spent stressing out their defense to the limit.
The Raiders took over at their own 45 and soon faced 3rd and 1 at the Denver 46 to start the fourth quarter. Jacobs got stopped. A punt would have made sense in this defensive field position game, but Rich Bisaccia decided to go for it knowing another stop would give the Broncos gift field position for another go ahead field goal try. Carr took the quarterback sneak and barely got it, but he got it. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 37, Jacobs substituted out for a play. Jalen Richard gained 4. Jacobs came back in and gained 10. The Raiders had 3rd and 4 at the Denver 14. A touchdown would truly give the Raiders a lift, but this team just does not finish drives. Carr was sacked for a 9 yard loss. He was thinking of trying to throw it, but Carr this time smartly took the sack and held on tight to the ball. Daniel Carlson hit the 41 yard field goal. The Raiders led by 4 points midway through the fourth quarter, but again the offense did not put the game away.
An initial run by Melvin Gordon after a touchback lost 4 yards. On 2nd and 14, Lock hit Noah Fant for 8. On 3rd and 6 from their own 29, Lock scrambled and appeared to have a clear path to a first down. Yet Nixon caught him from behind after a 5 yard gain. Vic Fangio called a timeout as he decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from his own 34. Nobody would fault him for punting and relying on his defense, but he risked it all in that moment. One stop would end the game. Instead, Lock hit Sutton for 16 to midfield. After an incompletion, Lock went deep to Okwegbunam for what should have been a big gain. At the last moment the ball may have been deflected. Okwegbunam dropped it and the Raiders dodged a bullet. On 3rd and 10, the defense came up big as Lock was sacked for a 6 yard loss. With 4 minutes left, Fangio was not going for it on 4th and 16. The punt pinned the Raiders back at their own 11.
Last week the Raiders defense were on the verge of losing. One first down would have doomed them. The defense prevented it and got the Raiders the ball back. This week was the reverse. The Raiders could not give the ball back again and let their exhausted defense meltdown. The defense had pretty much pitched a shutout all game. The only Broncos touchdown was the fault of the offense. So was one of the 2 Denver field goals. The defense had done everything right. They needed the offense to for once just finish a game. Jacobs ran for 4 and then for a big 13 yard gain. The Broncos took their 2nd timeout on defense with 3 minutes left. Jacobs ran for 3 more and the Broncos took their final timeout. Jacobs ran for 5 more and the clock ticked down to about 2:15. The Raiders faced 3rd and 2 from the Denver 36.
In this situation you run the ball every single time. Repeat after me for those who still do not understand situational football 101. In this situation you run the ball EVERY SINGLE TIME. You take the clock down to the 2 minute warning. An incompletion runs the risk of preserving the 2 minute warning for the other team. So with the entire world expecting a run, Greg Olson again went high risk, high reward. At the end of the first half it blew up in his face and early cost his team the game. At the end of the second half it resulted in Carr lobbing a deep ball over the middle to a wide open Foster Moreau. He caught it and hugged the ball tight as he was dragged down after a 28 yard gain. Carr took 3 knees. Carr was an efficient 20 of 25 for 201 yards, one touchdown, and one interception on a call that never should have happened. The Raiders pounded the rock, running the ball 40 times for 160 yards. Jacobs was the workhorse with 27 carries for 129 yards.
The Raiders defense did not have to risk being broken at the end. The defense pitched a virtual shutout in the first half and an actual shutout in the second half. The 7-8 Broncos are all but eliminated. They to win out and have a ton of other things happen. They lose virtually every tie-breaker scenario. The 8-7 Raiders are tied for the last wildcard spot but do not hold the tie-breaker. They are still on the outside looking in. In the Raiders favor is their having beaten most of the teams at 8-7 or 7-8, including a sweep of Denver. The Raiders have beaten the Broncos 4 straight times. The Raiders final 2 games are tough. They are at red hot 9-6 Indianapolis and conclude at home against the 8-7 Chargers, who beat them earlier this year. One more Raiders win means a winning season. Two more wins most likely means the playoffs. Never apologize for ugly wins. A hideously ugly win beats a beautiful loss any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Remember Al Davis’s maxim. Just win baby. The Raiders did. 17-13 Raiders
Washington Festivus Poles at Dallas Cowboys was the Sunday night game. The 6-8 No-Names were on life support while the 10-4 Cowboys were steamrolling toward the playoffs and still in the hunt for home field throughout the playoffs. On the Non-Redskins first play from scrimmage from their own 28, Taylor Heinicke was intercepted on a deep ball. The Cowboys took over at their own 29. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 9 and 8. Dak Prescott hit Amari Cooper for 5 and Dalton Schultz for 10. Prescott went to Cooper for 24. On 3rd and 4 from the Washington 5, Prescott hit Elliott for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. The Cowboys got it back at their own 26. Tony Pollard gained 8. Prescott hit Pollard for 7 and CeeDee Lamb for big gains of 14 and 22. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 19, Prescott hit Cooper for 10 and Schultz for the 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Cowboys. 3 plays later on 3rd and 7 from their own 43, Heinicke was intercepted by DeMarcus Lawrence for a 40 yard defensive touchdown. The Cowboys led 21-0 after the first quarter, but the final three quarters offered no signs of competitive football.
The No-names did start the second quarter with a touchdown, but the Cowboys destroyed them. On 3rd and 7 from their own 28, Prescott hit Michael Gallup for 40. Prescott ran for 13. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 11, Elliott ran it in to make it 28-7 Cowboys. The Cowboys got it back at their own 20. Prescott hit Pollard for 9, Lamb deep for 25, and Schultz for 16. Pollard ran for 9 and Prescott hit Gallup for 13. On 3rd and goal at the one, Terence Steele got in to make it 35-7 Cowboys with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Cowboys got it back at their own 11 with only 1:42 left. Prescott hit Cooper for 18. On 3rd and 10 from their own 29, Prescott hit Schultz for 11, Turner for 12, and Schultz for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 40, Prescott threw incomplete. Up by 28, Mike McCarthy kept his foot on the gas pedal. On 4th and 2, Prescott hit Schultz for 14 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 13 more. With 5 seconds left in the half, Prescott hit Cooper for the touchdown. The Cowboys led 42-7 and it was only halftime. League rules prohibited the second half from being canceled. The Cowboys scored touchdowns on 5 consecutive drives with a defensive touchdown accounting for the 6th.
Mike McCarthy took his foot off the gas in the second half so as not to humiliate the very respected Ron Rivera. Yet after scoring on offense and defense, the Cowboys in the third quarter scored on special teams. They blocked a punt and Chauncey Gholston recovered it in the Washington end zone for a 49-7 Cowboys lead. Late in the third quarter up by 42, McCarthy pulled his starters. Prescott and Elliott laughed on the sideline as Cooper Rush was given an entire fourth quarter of mop up work. On 3rd and 6 from his own 25, a short pass from rush to Malik Turner saw Turner evade almost everyone for a 61 yard gain. Rush threw a 9 yard touchdown pass to Turner to start the fourth quarter to make it 56-7 Cowboys. The No-Names managed one garbage touchdown. The No-Names are officially eliminated, and tensions boiled over when 2 members of their defense got in a physical confrontation on the sideline. The 11-4 Cowboys locked up the NFC East. The Cowboys are still one game back in the race for home field throughout the playoffs, but with 56 points on the board Jerry Jones was putting the happy in Happy Valley. Jerrah has gotten in trouble in the past for talking up his teams, but this time he may be right. They are scary good. 56-14 Cowboys
Miami Dolphins at New Orleans Saints was the Monday night game. Both teams came in 7-7 and alive for a wildcard but the Dolphins were on a 6 game win streak. The Saints were desperate for a quarterback. Drew Brees was retired. Jameis Winston is out for the year injured. Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill both have Covid. Sean Payton personally tried to get Brees and Philip Rivers to unretire. They stayed retired. The Saints were forced to start Ian Book, who had never started an NFL game before. His backup for the game was Blake Bortles. On the Saints 3rd play from scrimmage, with the Saints facing 3rd and 3 at their own 23, Book’s 2nd pass of the game was tipped, intercepted by Nick Needham, and returned 28 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Dolphins lead. The rest of the half was all defense. Jason Sanders tacked on a 48 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Dolphins. Brett Maher responded from 38 for the Saints in the second quarter. Sanders missed from 59 on the last play of the half as the Dolphins led 10-3 at the intermission. In the third quarter the Dolphins faced 3rd and 9 from their own 15. Tua Tagovailoa unleashed a bomb to Hollins for 40 and to Jalen Waddle for 24. On 3rd and 2 from the Saints 3, Tagovailoa threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the one. Tagovailoa went left and lateraled to Waddle going right for the touchdown and the 17-3 Dolphins lead. At the start of the fourth quarter, a desperate Sean Payton went for it on 4th and 1 from his own 39. Book threw incomplete. The short field led to Sanders hitting from 34 with 12 minutes left in regulation to ice the game. Book was sacked 8 times and belted on multiple other occasions. The 7-8 Saints are still alive. The Dolphins were once 1-7. Now the 8-7 Dolphins have won 7 straight. The Dolphins hold the wildcard tie-breaker among four 8-7 teams and are only one game back in the division. Ridiculous. 20-3 Dolphins