THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2022 Week 8 Recap

Baltimore Ravens at Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the Thursday night game. Tom Brady has not forgotten how to play football. No, this is not about his marital woes. He is on a team that simply is not that good, and he can’t carry them. Also, most of the Buccaneers troubles are on offense. Bruce Arians was an offensive mind. Todd Bowles comes from the defensive side. Bowles has never proven his abilities as a head coach.Making matters worse for Brady, the one coach who has always schemed well against him is John Harbaugh. Early on the Buccaneers fumbled a punt and the Ravens recovered at the Tampa 6 yard line. Yet the Tampa Bay defense came up big. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Lamar Jackson threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Ravens, but this was a psychological win for the Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers soon aced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Leonard Fournette gained 5. Brady hit Kieft for 9 and then found Chris Godwin for a 44 yard gain. On 2nd and goal at the 10, Brady threw incomplete but defensive holding meant new downs. Fournette ran for the one yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 37 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 11. A completion lost 2 yards and Brady threw a pair of incompletions. Ryan Succop hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Buccaneers after the first quarter. A scoreless second quarter saw the Ravens drive from their own 40 to a 4th and 2 at the Tampa 9 at the 2 minute warning. John Harbaugh gambled and Jackson threw incomplete. The Ravens got it back and on the last play of the half, Tucker came in for a 61 yard field goal try. He holds the NFL record of 66, but this kick was blocked.

The game drastically changed in the third quarter. The Ravens took over at their own 23. Jackson ran for 25. Gus Edwards ran for 2, 7, and on 3rd and 1 from the Tampa 43, 11 more. Jackson hit Devin Duvernay for 13 and 7 and then Kenyan Drake for a 5 yard touchdown and a 10-10 game. The Ravens got it back at their own 20. Duvernay gained 18. On 3rd and 5 from their own 43, Jackson hit Isaiah Likely for 17. Hill ran for 12. On 3rd and 9 from the Tampa 28, Jackson hit Robinson for 15. Jackson went to Likely for a 10 yard touchdown. The 11 play, 80 yard, 7 minute drive had the Ravens up 17-10 after three quarters.

After a touchback to end the third quarter, the Buccaneers in the fourth quarter moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 13. After a pair of incompletions, Brady on 3rd and 10 gained one yard. With 12 1/2 minutes still left in regulation, Succop hit from 30 to get the Buccaneers within 17-13. The Ravens took over at their own 17. Edwards gained 22 and Jackson hit Likely for 16. Drake gained 7 and 3. Jackson hit Duvernay for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 15, Duvernay ran for the touchdown as the 83 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Ravens up 24-13 midway through the fourth quarter.

The Buccaneers after a touchback moved to a 2nd and goal at the 6. After an incompletion, Brady on 3rd and goal hit Otton for the touchdown. Yet offensive holding killed the drive. Todd Bowles was still prepared to go for it on 4th and goal at the 3, but a false start killed that as well. Succop came in and hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers within 24-16 with 5 minutes left. A short kickoff was returned 33 yards by Duvernay to set the Ravens up at their own 39. Drake ran for a 40 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa 12, Drake got stopped. With 2:12 left, John Harbaugh was not taking any chances on 4th and 1. The best kicker in the game needed to make a 30 yard field goal to make it a 2 score game. Tucker did, and the Ravens led 27-16. Brady did rapidly lead the Buccaneers 75 yards in 11 plays and throw and 8 yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones with 49 seconds left. The 2 point conversion try failed. More importantly, so did the onside kick. The Buccaneers are 3-5 and playing like it. 27-22 Ravens

Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars was the Sunday early morning London game. A pair of 2-5 teams traveled to London to avoid Americans having to be subjected to them. Russell Wilson was back from his hamstring injury. He was quickly intercepted to set up the Jaguar at the Denver 37. On 3rd and 6 from the Denver 22, Trevor Lawrence went to Evan Engram for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. In the second quarter the Jaguars took over at their own 27. Travis Etienne got around the end for a 49 yard gain. Riley Patterson hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Jaguars.

After a touchback, Wilson hit Cortland Sutton for 13 and Jerry Jeudy for 8. Melvin Gordon ran for 9, 3 and 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 38, Latavius Murray got stopped. Nathaniel Hackett went for it on 4th and 1 and Wilson gained 2. On 3rd and 7 from the Jacksonville 31, Wilson went to Jeudy for 25 and again for the 6 yard touchdown to get the Broncos within 10-7. In the third quarter the Broncos took over at their own 2 yard line. Wilson went to Dulcich for big gains 18, 22 and 38 down to the one. Gordon for in for a 14-10 Broncos lead with 5 minutes left in the third quarter.

A field position game had the Jaguars taking over at the Denver 47 midway through the fourth quarter. Lawrence hit Christian Kirk for 25. Etienne ran for 11. Etienne ran for the one yard touchdown to give the Jaguars the 17-14 lead with 4 minutes left in regulation The Broncos took over at their own 20. Wilson immediately went deep to Hamler for 47 yards, Wilson then ran for 10. Hamler added 9. Murray ran for 7 and then for the 2 yard touchdown. With 1:43 to play, the Broncos retook the 4 point lead. After a touchback, Lawrence was quickly intercepted. The Jaguars took their timeouts on defense as the Broncos faced 4th and 1 at the Jags 26 with 36 seconds to play. Wilson kept it and after an official review barely got the yard. 21-17 Broncos

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons — This was a wild and woolly football game. One week after shocking Tampa, the Panthers wanted to get Steve Wilks to 2-0 as interim coach. A 22 yard punt return set up the Panthers at the Atlanta 37. Eddie Pineiro hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Panthers. The second quarter began with the Falcons facing 3rd and 3 at their own 38. Marcus Mariota hit Williams for 8, Hesse for 9, and Kyle Pitts for 26. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 7, Huntley gained 5. Mariota hit Pitts for the 2 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 69 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 7-3 Falcons.

The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 31. PJ Walker hit Marshall for 27. On 2nd and 14 from the Atlanta 36, Walker hit DJ Moore for 19. Donta Foreman ran for 8 and 4. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Foreman got in to make it 10-7 Panthers. With 41 seconds let in the half the Panthers and moved from their own 10 to their 37. Walker had been managing the game well, but one bad pass changed the game. A dangerous throw over the middle was intercepted by Carter, who returned it 28 yards for a score. The defensive touchdown had the Falcons up 14-10 at the half. 3 lead changes in the first half was just the beginning as a relatively defensive game turned into a second half offensive shootout.

The Panthers after a third quarter touchback soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 29. Walker hit Sullivan for 33 yards. The Panthers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 24. Walker threw 3 straight incompletions. Pineiro hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 14-13. The Falcons took over at their own 38. Runs and short passes moved the Falcons to a 3rd and 4 at the Carolina 32. Mariota hit London for 7 and then went to Allgeier for a 25 yard touchdown. After three quarters, the Falcons led 21-13. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Walker hit Moore for 29 on the last play of the third quarter and for 15 more on the first play of a crazy fourth quarter. Brown gained 7 and Foreman added 11. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Foreman gained 4. Steve Wilks went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Foreman got in. Wilks went for the 2 point conversion and Foreman got in again. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the game was tied 21-21. Both teams were far from done.

The Falcons took over at their own 20. Huntley ran for 30 to midfield. Mariota hit Pitts for 33 more. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 12, Mariota threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit the 30 yard field goal to make it 24-21 Falcons midway through the fourth quarter. Somehow the Falcons managed to commit an unnecessary roughness penalty on a touchback, setting up the Panthers up at their own 40. On 3rd and 13, Walker hit Moore for 21. On 2nd and 18 from midfield, Walker hit Marshall for 39. Foreman ran for a 12 yard touchdown. With 3 minutes left in the game, the fourth lead change had the Panthers up 28-24.

After a touchback, the Falcons struck quickly. Mariota hit Allgeier for 16, London for 17, and Damiere Byrd for a 47 yard touchdown. The fifth lead change of the game had the Falcons up 31-28 with 2:14 to play. With 1:45 left, the Panthers had to go for it on 4th and 17 from their own 18. Walker threw incomplete. A touchdown would ice the game for the Falcons, but the Panthers took their timeouts on defense. On 3rd and 5, Allgeier gained only 2. Koo hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 34-28 Falcons. The Falcons had not slammed the door shut. The Panthers had life. They also after a touchback only had 36 seconds to work with and 0 timeouts. They needed a miracle.

They got one. Walker hit Marshall for 13. Then came the play of the year. The only thing a defense has t do in this situation is make sure nobody gets behind them. The free safety has to be deeper than everyone else. Walker went deep to Moore, who got past everyone, for a 62 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Panthers were an extra point away from a shocking comeback victory. This is how defensive coordinators get fired. Moore had a monster game, with 152 yards on 6 catches. Yet he went from hero to goat in a matter of seconds. Moore ripped off his helmet in celebration. The touchdown still counted, but the removal of the helmet was a 15 yard penalty to be assessed on the extra point. Instead of having to hit a 33 yarder, Pineiro would have to hit from 48. Pineiro’s kick was wide no good. This thriller was going to overtime.

The Falcons began the overtime session at their own 14. Mariota had also been playing well, but at the worst possible time, he blundered. From his own 27, he threw a deep bomb that was intercepted. Normally this would be seen as a punt, but Henderson returned the interception 54 yards to the Atlanta 20. Steve Wilks played it very safe, running into the line three times for 6 total yards. Pineiro came in for a chance at redemption for him and Moore. This time the kick would only be 32 yards. Again, Pineiro was no good. The Falcons took over at their own 22. Mariota hit Zaccheaus for 10. On 3rd and 1 from their own 46, Mariota scrambled for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 with 1:55 left in overtime, Arthur Smith decided not to wait. Koo came in for a 41 yard try to win it as Pineiro and Moore prayed for one more shot. Koo was good, and the Falcons won this fine, fine football game. 37-34 Falcons, OT

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys — The Bears won a stunning romp at New England on Monday night Football, but now had a short week to go at Dallas with Dak Prescott back in the saddle. Ezekiel Elliott was out, but Tony Pollard is a very capable backup. The Cowboys began facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Pollard gained 9. On 3rd and 6 from their own 46, Prescott hit michael Gallup for 11. Pollard ran for 17 and caught a pass from Prescott for 16. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 7, Prescott ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. The Cowboys got it back at their own 31. Prescott hit Hendershot for 11, Schultz for 8 and 7, and Michael Gallup for 17. On 3rd and 9 from the Chicago 21, Prescott went to CeeDee Lamb for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Cowboys.

After a touchback, Jones ran for 18. Justin Fields ran for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 32, Fields ran for 14. The second quarter began with the Bears facing 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 10. David Montgomery gained 4. Fields ran for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Bears within 14-7. After a touchback, pollard gained 6 and Prescott hit Galup for 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 43, Prescott scrambled for 25. Pollard ran for an 18 yard touchdown and a 21-7 Cowboys lead. The Cowboys got it back at their own 46. On 3rd and 8, Prescott hit Lamb for 15 and again for 22. Prescott went to Davis for 10 down to the one. Prescott hit Ferguson for the touchdown to make it 28-7 Cowboys.

The Bears tried to make a game of it. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, the defense jumped offside. On 4th and 2 from their own 45, Matt Eberflus went for it. Montgomery got just enough. On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 47, Fields ran for 9. Fields went deep and was intercepted, but roughing the passer bailed the Bears out. On the next play N’Keal Harry ran for a 17 yard touchdown to get the Bears within 28-14 with 40 seconds left in the half. One play after a touchback, Prescott was quickly intercepted to set the Bears up at the Dallas 24. Yet on 3rd and 4, a completion gained only one yard. Cairo Santos hit the 36 yard field goal to get the Bears within 28-17 at halftime. The Bears took over at their own 38 in the third quarter. Fields went deep to Mooney for 36. Khalil Herbert ran for 7 and then for the 12 yard touchdown. Eberflus went for an early 2 point conversion that didn’t work, but a blowout was now a close game with the Bears within 28-23.

The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Prescott went deep to Schultz for 30 and again for 14. Turpin gained 11. Prescott hit Lamb for 12. Pollard ran for the 7 yard touchdown to make it 35-23 Cowboys. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 16 from their own 19. They then fumbled the ball, and Micah Parsons returned the fumble 38 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 42-23 Cowboys. The close game was now a blowout again. The Bears managed one more touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the Cowboys added one more of their own as well to get to 6-2 on the year. 49-29 Cowboys

Miami Dolphins at Detroit Lions — The Lions score a ton of points but can’t stop anybody, leading to losses. After a touchback, Jared Goff hit Williams for 25 to midfield. Goff went to Raymond for 27 and to Mitchell for 14. Jamaal Williams ran for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions. The Dolphins after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 35. Tua Tagovailoa went to Sanders for 13, but Sanders fumbled and the Lions recovered. The Lions son faced 3rd and 2 from their own 30. Goff went deep to TJ Hockensen for 58 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 7, Goff hit D’Andre Swift for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Lions.

The Dolphins took over at their own 20. Tagovailoa went deep to Tyreek Hill for 24. On 3rd and 13 from his own 41, Tagovailoa again went deep to Hill for 36 more yards. Tagovailoa then went to Jalen Waddle for 12. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Tagovailoa threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. On the next play, Tagovailoa hit Waddle for the touchdown to get the Dolphins within 14-7. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Goff hit St. Brown for 21 to end the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Goff went deep to Raymond for 43 more yards. Williams ran for 4 and then for the one yard touchdown. The offense propelled the Lions to a 21-7 lead, but the defense again could not hold up its end of the bargain.

After a touchback, Tagovailoa went deep to Hill for 42. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 29, Tagovailoa hit Waddle for the touchdown. Just like that, the Dolphins were within 21-14. The rest of the half belonged to the field goal kickers. Mike Badly hit from 42 to make it 24-14 Lions. Jason Sanders connected from 45 to get the Dolphins within 24-17. With 1:49 left in the half on 4th and 2 from his own 33, dan Campbell called a fake punt. Moore gained 13. With 6 seconds left the Lions faced 2nd and 2 sat the Miami 8. Goff threw incomplete. There was not time for another offensive snap. Badly hit the 26 yard field goal to put the Lions up 27-17 at the half. Putting up 54 points would usually win a game, but the second half belonged to the Miami defense.

After a third quarter touchback, Tagovailoa hit Mike gesicki for 20 and hill for 17 and 4. Raheem Mostert gained 13. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 12, Tagoviloa hit Sherfield for 11. Alec Ingold got the last yard to get the Dolphins within 27-24. The Dolphins got it back at their own 33. Tagovailoa hit Waddle for 16. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 47, Tagovailoa ran for 18. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 11, Tagovailoa hit Gesicki for the touchdown. the double digit Detroit lead had evaporated as the Dolphins led by 4 points after three quarters. Midway through the fourth quarter the Lions moved from their own 12 to a 4th and 1 at the Miami 35 with 3 minutes left in regulation. Goff threw incomplete. Dan Campbell failed to beat the first team that fired him. The Lions had another loss in a losing culture since the 1957 Bobby Layne trade. 31-27 Lions

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings — The Vikings began facing 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Kirk Cousins gained 3. Cousins went deep to Justin Jefferson for 28. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 17, Cousins ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings. After a touchback, the Cardinals moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Minnesota 26. Murray threw incomplete. Matt Prater hit from 44 to get the Cardinals on the board. The Vikings after a touchback moved to a 4th and 2 at the Arizona 38. Kevin O’Connnell went for it and Cousins threw incomplete. The Vikings got it back at their own 17. Dalvin Cook ran for 19 and 11. Cousins hit Thielen for 7 and 16. Mattison ran for 15. Cousins hit Cook for the 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Vikings in the second quarter.

The Cardinals took over at their own 28. Murray ran for 8 and Benjamin added 7. Murray hit Deandre Hopkins for gains of 16 and 13. On 3rd and 2 from the Minnesota 6, Murray h9ti Hopkins for the touchdown to get the Cardinals within 14-10 with 47 seconds left in the half. Greg Jospeh missed a 55 yard field goal try at the end of the half that would have extended the Vikings lead. A field position game had the Cardinals taking over at their own 48. Murray hit Hopkins for 10 and 33 and Zach Ertz for an 8 yard touchdown to put the Cardinals up 17-14.

After a touchback, momentum swing again. Cousins hit Cook for 11. On 3rd and 5 from his own 41, Cousins hit Jefferson for 29 and Thielen for 18. Alexander Mattison ran for a 7 yard touchdown to put the Vikings back on top 21-17. The Cardinals took over at their own 9 yard line. Murray immediately went deep and was intercepted by Smith, who returned the interception 15 yards to the Arizona 31. Cousins hit Jefferson for 6 and 17. Cook ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 28-17 Vikings with 4 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Cardinals from their own 30 struck quickly. Murray hit Rondale Moore for 27 and again for a 38 yard touchdown. Kliff Kingsbury went for the 2 point conversion way too early and it failed. The Cardinals were within 28-23. The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Cousins was sacked and fumbled. Simmons recovered at the Minnesota 23 as the Cardinals had a golden chance to retake the lead. On 2nd and 8 from the Minnesota 11, Murray threw incomplete. On 3rd and 8 he fumbled the snap and recovered it for no gain. Prater hit a 34 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 28-26 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals held on defense and had another golden chance to take the lead. Yet they fumbled the punt and the Vikings fell on it at the Arizona 25. Cook ran for 12 and oasis hit Smith for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 5, Cousins hit KJ Osborn for the touchdown. Joseph missed the critical extra point to keep it an 8 point Vikings lead with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the Cardinals moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Minnesota 44.murray was then intercepted. The Cardinals got it back at their own 19 with 4 1/2 minutes left and moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Minnesota 44. Murray threw 3 straight incompletions. The Cardinals got it back one last time at their own 13 with 1:52 left and 0 timeouts. This time they moved to the Minnesota 37 with 27 seconds left. There would be no Hail Mary has the Vikings defense closed out the game with consecutive sacks of Murray. Kevin O’Connell has a 6-1 Vikings squad with a huge NFC North lead. 34-26 Vikings

Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints — The Raiders entered what was supposed to be the easier part of their schedule, but the Saints have quite a good defense. On the Raiders second drive on 3rd and 10 from their own 32, Josh Jacobs barreled ahead for a 16 yard gain. Yet the Raiders then went backward.The Saints soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 20. Red rifle Andy Dalton went to Taysom Hill for 11. On 1st and 10 from their own 46, Dalton went deep to Shaheed for 30. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 15, Hill came in and gained 7 and then 5 more. Alvin Kamara ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. The Raiders after a touchback faced 3rd and 1 from their own 45 to start the second quarter. Rather than just hand the ball to Jacobs up the gut, an end around to Davante Adams lost a yard. On 4th and 2, Josh McDaniels called for a fake punt. The platy lost 3 yards, with 15 more tacked on due to an illegal chop block on the kicking team. The Saints took over at the Raiders 27. On 4th and 1 from the 18 in a tough defensive battle, Dennis Allen decided not to gamble. Wil Lutz hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Saints.

3 plays later on 3rd and 2 from his own 30, Carr was intercepted by Mathieu to give the Saints another short field at the Raiders 45. Kamara caught a pass from Dalton for 3 and ran for 7. Hill ran for 11. Dalton went to Kamara for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Saints midway through the second quarter. This game was all about the defense. After a third quarter touchback, Hill ran for 10. On 3rd and 9 from their own 37, Dalton threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 14. Dalton went to Kmart for a 36 yard touchdown. The last 26 minutes were scoreless. The Raiders did not cross midfield until 3 minutes remained. With 7 seconds left, the Raiders just wanted to avoid the shutout. It was 1st and goal at the 6, time for a couple plays. Josh McDaniels called a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass that gained 2 yards as the clock ran out. The win was sweet vindication for dennis Allen against the team that fired him, but the Raiders were right to do so. He is a great defensive coordinator but not a head coach. The Saints are only 3-5 on the year. Josh McDaniels also should have stayed an assistant. He supposedly knows offense. The Raiders are 2-5 and suffered their first shutout since Carr’s rookie year in 2014. After finally committing to Jacobs up the gut last week, McDaniels again abandoned the power running game in key situations, reverting back to his too cute by half gimmick approach that keeps failing. 24-0 Saints

New England Patriots at New York Jets  — The Jets came in winners of 5 straight games. However, the Patriots came in having beaten the Jets in 12 straight games including 6 straight in New York. Bill Belichick loves to humiliate the Jets for reasons still unknown. The Jets moved from their own 8 yard line to a 2nd and 8 at the Patriots 10 yard line. Zach Wilson threw incomplete twice. Greg Zuerlein hit from 28 to make it 3-0 Jets. The Patriots after a touchback moved 62 yards in 10 plays and took over 8 minutes off the clock. On the last play of the first quarter, Nick Folk hit a 31 yard field goal for a 3-3 game.

After a touchback to start the second quarter, Wilson hit non-relative Wilson for gains of 23 and 10. Wilson went to Carter for 17 with defensive unnecessary roughness on Jabril Peppers adding 13 more. On 3rd and 5 from the New England 8, Wilson hit Tyler Conklin for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Jets. After that the defenses dug in. Jones threw a deep ball that was intercepted. The Patriots got it back and moved from their own 9 to a 4th and 1 at the Jets 21. Bill Belichick went for it at the 2 minute warning and Jones threw incomplete. A few plays later, Wilson was intercepted. The Patriots took over at the Jets 40 with 42 seconds left in the half.

Folk hit a 43 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 10-6 at the intermission. The Patriots began the third quarter at their own 38. Raimondre stevenson ran for a 27 yard gain. Jones went to Thornton for 13. On 2nd and 1 from the Jets 5, a run got stopped and Jones threw incomplete. Bill Belichick again gambled on 4th and 1. Jones hit Jakobi Meyers for the 5 yard touchdown to put the Patriots up 13-10. The Jets after a touchback moved to 1st and 10 at the New England 26. A run lost a yard and Wilson threw incomplete twice. Zuerlein was brought in for a 45 yard field goal try to tie the game. his kick was wide no good. The Patriots moved from their 35 to a 3rd and 4 at the Jets 21. Jones was sacked. Folk hit a 49 yard field goal to put the Patriots up 16-10. A 33 yard punt return gave the Patriots the ball back at the Jets 27. Folk hit from 45 to make it 19-10 Patriots. Wilson threw 2 more interceptions, the latter leading to Folk hitting from 52 to make it 22-10 Patriots. The Jets got a garbage touchdown with 1:51 left, but the onside kick failed. Evil Hoodie Bill Belichcik’s Patriots beat the Jets for the 13th straight time. 22-17 Patriots.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles — Mike Tomlin’s first season without Big Ben Roethlisberger is his worst season. Meanwhile, the Eagles entered the NFL’s lone unbeaten. The Eagles began with 3rd and 1 at their own 41. Miles Sanders ran for 7. On 4th and 2 from the Pittsburgh 44, Kevin Siranni made an early statement by going for it. Jalen Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 5. Hurts then went to AJ Brown for a 39 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Eagles advantage. A touchback and a defensive penalty had the Steelers at their own 35. Kenny Pickett went to Johnson for 14 and Chase Claypool for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 44, Pickett gained 3. Pickett went to Pat Freiermuth for 21. Pickett ran for 11. On 4th and goal at the 2, Mike Tomlin opted for the field goal. Yet a defensive delay of game penalty pushed the ball to the one. Tomlin opted to go for it and went to the bag of tricks. The halfback option pass saw Claypool complete it to DJ Watt of all people for the touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive tied the game 7-7.

The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 29. Kenneth Gainwell gained 3. On 3rd and 1 from their own 41, Hurts kept it and got stopped short. Yet the defense jumped offside to give the Eagles a first down as the first quarter ended. The second quarter had the Eagles facing 3rd and 1 at the Pittsburgh 45. Hurts hit Goedert for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Pittsburgh 27, Hurts hit AJ Brown for the touchdown to make it 14-7 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 40 and moved quickly. Hurts hit Goedert for 17, Smith for 14, and Brown for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Eagles. The Steelers managed a field goal late in the half, but the second half belonged to the Eagles defense. After a third quarter touchback, Sanders gained 21. Hurt hit Smith hit 10. Sanders gained 10. Hurts hit Zach Pascal for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 28-10 Eagles. The Steelers managed one more field goal but then fumbled a ball away to give the Eagles the ball at their own 46. Hurts hit Brown for 43. Sanders ran for the 11 yard exclamation point score as the Steelers fell to 2-6 and the Eagles at 7-0 remained perfect. 35-13 Eagles

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans —After an 0-2 start, the Titans have 4 straight the Mike Vrabel way, the stone age way. Smash mouth, dust clouds, and defense. After a scoreless first quarter, an interception of Ryan Tannehill set the Texans up at the Titans 11. On 3rd and 10, Davis Mills was sacked. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 43 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. A 16 yard punt return set up the Titans at the Houston 37. On 3rd and 2, Derrick Henry ran for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Titans. In the third quarter from their own 35, Hilliard ran for 21. On 3rd and 6 from the Houston 39, Hilliard gained 30. On 4th and goal at the one with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, Mike Vrabel went for it. Everyone knew Henry was getting the ball. It didn’t matter. That’s power football. He imposed his will and got in to make it 14-3 Titans. Randy Bullock tacked on a fourth quarter field goal for the Titans. By the time the Texans reached the end zone, only 17 seconds remained. The onside kick failed as the Titans got to 5-2 winning beautifully ugly. 17-10 Titans

Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts — Carson Wentz would not get revenge against his old team. He was out injured. Matt Ryan was benched. This was a battle between Taylor Heinecke and Sam Ehlinger. After a scoreless first quarter, the second quarter began with Chase McLaughlin hitting a 46 yard field goal for the Colts. After a touchback and pair of 7 yard runs bu Robinson, Heinecke went deep to Terry mcLaurin for a 42 yard gain. Heinecke hit Antonio Gibson for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Commanders. In the third quarter Riverboat Ron Rivera gambled on 4th and 1 just past midfield. Robinson got blasted for a one yard loss. The Colts moved from midfield to 3rd and 3 at the Washington 21. Jonathan Taylor got stopped cold. McLaughlin hit again from 39 as the Colts trailed 7-6 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Colts moved from their own 38 to a 3rd and goal at the one. Again Taylor got the carry, and again he got rocked for a one yard loss in a game where defenses fought for every inch. McLaughlin hit the 20 yard field goal for a 9-7 Colts lead.

One play after a touchback, Heinecke was intercepted by Lewis, who returned the pick 15 yards to the Washington 24. On 2nd and 22 after offensive holding, Ehlinger went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 30 yard gain and 1st and goal at the 6. On the next play Nyheim Hines ran for a 6 yard touchdown as the Colts had a seemingly insurmountable 16-7 lead with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Commanders took over at their own 8 yard line and moved82 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Indy 10, Heinecke threw incomplete. Needing 2 scores with 5 minutes left, Ron Rivera smartly opted for the field goal. Joey Slye hit from 28 to get the Commanders within 16-10. The Commanders got it back at their own 11 with 2:40 to play and faced 4th and 1 from their own 20 with 1:35 left. Heinecke hit Samuel for 12. Heinecke then ran for 9. Heinecke went deep to Sims for 21. Heinecke then went deep to McLaurin for a 33 yard gain down to the one. Giving up a deep ball in that situation is a total defensive breakdown. The free safety has to be the deepest player on the field. The mistake decided the game. Heinecke got the last yard himself with 22 seconds left. The Colts last gasp on 3rd and 2 from their own 33 gained 5 yards, not the 67 yards needed. This was an old-school brawl. 17-16 Commanders

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams — The 49ers came in having beaten the Rams 6 straight times in the regular season. It was the Rams who won the NFC Title game, but the 49ers came in acting like they owned the Rams. In the first quarter the Rams moved from their own 12. Matthew Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for 20. On 2nd and 6 from their own 46, Stafford went to Tyler Higbee for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the San Francisco 37, Stafford went to Kupp for just enough. On 3rd and 9 from the San Francisco 33, Stafford went to Robinson for 23. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Stafford threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and goal at the one, Stafford got in himself. The mind-numbing 17 play, 88 yard, 9 1/2 minute drive put the Rams up 7-0.

The second quarter began with the 49ers facing 3rd and 7 at their own 32. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Christian McCaffrey for 9 and George Kittle for 23. Kyle Shanahan then went to the bag of tricks. Out of the shotgun, it was Christian McCaffrey who threw the option pass to Brandon Aiyuk for a 34 yard touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Stafford hi Skowronek for 10, Darrell Henderson for 7, Kupp for 23 and 5, and Rivers for 4. On 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 17, River got the yard. Stafford then went to Kupp for the 16 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Rams led 14-7. Their offense was done for the night as the 49ers defense cracked down completely.

The 49ers from their own 36 went on an 11 play, 52 yard drive that took 5 1/2 minutes. At the 2 minute warning the 49ers had 1st and goal at the 8. An incompletion and a sack killed the drive. Robbie Gould hit a 29 yard field goal to get the 49ers within 14-10. In the third quarter the 49ers took over at their own 12. Garoppolo went to Kroft for 6, Aiyuk for 11, McCaffrey for 14, Wilson for 12, and Aiyuk again for 11. Wilson ran for 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 9, Garoppolo went to McCaffrey for the touchdown. The 11 play, 88 yard, 6 minute drive had the 49ers up 17-14 after three quarters. The 49ers got it back at their own 42. Garoppolo hit McCaffrey for 7 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more to end the third quarter. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 27, Wilson gained 2. McCaffrey ran for 24 downs the one and then got the yard to make it 24-14 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The 49ers got it back at their own 27. Garoppollo went deep to Dwelley for a 56 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 7, Garoppolo hit Kittle for the touchdown. 3 straight touchdown drives and tough defense gave the 49ers their 7th straight regular season win over the Rams. 31-14 49ers

New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks — The Giants somehow came in 6-1 and the Seahawks somehow came in 4-3 and leading the NFC West. Late in the first quarter, the Seahawks took over at their own 31. Geno Smith went to Marquise Goodwin for 16. On 3rd and 14 from his own 43 after a sack, Smith went to DK Metcalf for 15. A defensive facemask added 15. The second quarter began with the Seahawks facing 3rd and 1 at the Giants 18. Smith threw incomplete. Pete Carroll went for it and Smith went to Lockett for 4. On 4th and 2 from the Giants 6, Carroll gambled again. Smith hit Will Dissly for 3. Smith hit Metcalf for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the half, a field position game had the Seahawks pinned at their own 2 yard line. Smith hit Lockett for 2 yards, but Lockett quickly fumbled and the Giants recovered at the Seattle 2. Saquon Barkley gained one and then got the last yard for the touchdown and a 7-7 game.

After that, the defenses and field goal kickers took over for a long stretch. The Giants fumbled a punt and the Seahawks recovered at the Giants 19 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. The defense held but Jason Myers hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Seahawks. The Giants began the third quarter at their own 8 and moved 79 yards in 14 plays and 9 minutes. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 13, Daniel Jones threw incomplete. Graham Gano hit from 31 to tie the game 10-10. After a touchback, the Seahawks moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Giants 33. Smith threw incomplete. Myers nailed a 51 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Seahawks. The Giants mounted another long drive of 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Gano hit from 45 ton tie the game 13-13 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

A defensive slugfest quickly changed after a touchback. Smith went to Metcalf for 11, Goodwin for 6, Lockett for 12, Metcalf for 13, and Lockett for a 33 yard touchdown. With 9 1/2 minutes left, the Seahawks led 20-13. With 6 minutes left, the Giants fumbled another punt and the Seahawks recovered at the Giants 32. Smith hit Fant for 16. Kenneth Walker ran for a 16 yard touchdown to ice the game. This was a tough street fight, but 2 fumbled punts were the difference. 27-13 Seahawks

Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills was the Sunday night game. The Packers are simply a bad team. The Bills are a very good team in Super Bowl mode. The Packers went from their own 28 to a 4th and 3 at the Buffalo 38. Matt LaFleur went for it rather than try a 56 yard field goal on a Buffalo night. Rodgers threw incomplete. The Bills took over and Singletary ripped off gains of 5 and 30. On 3rd and 14 from the Green Bay 21, Josh Allen ran for 20. Allen hit Dawson Knox for the one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. A 17 yard punt return gave the Bills the ball back just shy of midfield. Allen went to Singletary for 16 and Stefan Diggs for 9. On the first play of the second quarter, Allen went to Diggs for a 26 yard touchdown to make it a 14-0 Bills advantage.

The Packers for the last 30 years been a West Coast Offense team. Yet cold weather requires ground and pound. From their own 20, Jones gained 7. Dillon gained 7 more. Jones gained 5, 4, and on 3rd and 1 from their own 43, 3 key yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 45, Dillon got the tough yard. A sack of Rodgers was wiped away by defensive illegal use of hands. Jones ran for 9 and 13. Rodgers went to Romeo Doubs for a 19 yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 80 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive and get the Packers within 14-7. The Bills from their own 20 had too much firepower. Allen hit Knox for 9. Cook ran for 17. A 7 yard run bu Cook ended in a 15 yard penalty and a disqualification against defensive player Walker. Allen gained 8 and 6. Isaiah McKenzie ran for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Bills with 1:54 left in the half.

The game was effectively over. The Bills got it back at their own 20 with 53 seconds left. Allen went deep to Diggs for 53. On 3rd and 7 from the Green Bay 24 only 3 seconds remained. Tyler Bass hit the 42 yard field goal to have the Bills up 24-7. The second half was a formality. The Buffalo offense coasted and the defense protected the lead. The Packers in the third quarter moved from their own 8 to a 3rd and 3 at the Buffalo 10. Rodgers went to Robert Tonyan for the touchdown, but offensive pass interference on Tonyan nullified the score and killed the drive. Mason Crosby hit from 38 to get the Packers within 24-10. Yet Bass answered with a 38 yard field goal to put the Bills up safely 27-10. The Packers moved after a touchback to a 4th and 1 at the Buffalo 26 to start the fourth quarter. Jones got the carry and got blasted for a one yard loss. Rodgers did throw a 37 yard touchdown pass to Samon Toure with 6 1/2 minutes left to get the Packers within 27-17. Yet needing 2 scores with only 38 seconds left, the Packers final hopes died when Crosby missed a desperation 55 yard field goal try. The Packers are 3-5. The Bills are 6-1 and winning the Sean McDermott way, with very tough defense and a smart mobile quarterback. 27-17 Bills

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns was the Monday night game. The Bengals had won 4 of 5 after an 0-2 start, but the Battle of Ohio was one-sided. A scoreless game saw the Browns facing 3rd and 5 at their own 27 in the second quarter. Jacoby Brissett went deep to Amari Cooper for 29. Nick Chubb gained 6 and 4. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincinnati 26, Brissett went to Cooper for 18. Chubb ran for a 3 yard touchdown. Kevin Stefanski went for a 2 point conversion for no particular reason and Chubb got in again to make it 8-0 Browns. After an exchange of fumbles and a missed field goal by the Bengals, Chase York nailed a 55 yard field goal on the last play of the half to make it 11-0 Browns. After a third quarter touchback, On 3rd and 1 from his own 34, Brissett gained 3. On 3rd and 7 from his own 40, Brissett hit Peoples-Jones for 26. On 3rd and 6 from the Cincinnati 30, Chubb gained 21 and 6. Brissett ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 18-0 Browns. The Browns got it back at their own 40. Brissett hit Peoples-Jones for 12, Kareem Hunt ran for 15. Brissett hit Cooper for 27. Brissett hit Cooper for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 25-0 Browns after three quarters. The Browns coasted in the fourth quarter, giving up 2 touchdowns sandwiched around another touchdown of their own. 32-13 Browns

NFL 2022 Week 8 Prequel

Thursday, October 27, 2022, 8pm

Baltimore Ravens (-1 1/2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Counting Tom Brady out would be foolish, even after a horrendous loss at Carolina. Yet the one coach who has always schemed well against Brady is John Harbaugh. Brady doesn’t play defense, so he can’t stop Lamar Jackson. If the Ravens can run the ball well, they will win. Ravens cover

Sunday, October 30, 1pm

Denver Broncos at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3.5) in London — The Broncos have a good defense and no offense. The Jaguars are wildly inconsistent but are making strides. The Broncos defense can pressure Trevor Lawrence into mistakes, but the Broncos anemic offense will be the difference. Jaguars win but fail to cover

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (-6 1/2) — The Panthers are coming off a major emotional upset win against Tampa Bay. This game has letdown all over it, especially since the Falcons are the better team at home coming off an embarrassing road loss. Falcons cover

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys (-10 1/2) — Forget the Bears big road win at New England. They are not that good. The Cowboys looked awful for three quarters at home against Detroit. The spread is too high given the lack of offensive production from the Cowboys. Cowboys win but fail to cover

Miami Dolphins (-3) at Detroit Lions — Dan Campbell faces off against his old team. He will make fiery speeches. The Lions have a good offense and the Dolphins have a good defense. Tua Tagovailoa is back, and he should shred the awful Detroit defense. Dolphins cover

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings (-3 1/2) — The Dennis Green Bowl. The Vikings have very quietly gotten to 5-1 and lead the NFC North. The Cardinals are too inconsistent to trust. Vikings cover

Las Vegas Raiders (-2) at New Orleans Saints — The Raiders offense has finally become smash mouth behind Josh Jacobs. Derek Carr is playing well. Yet the Saints have a good defense and Dennis Allen would love to beat the team that fired him. The Raiders simply aren’t good enough to string together consecutive wins until they prove it. Upset special, Saints win outright.

New England Patriots (-2 1/2) at New York Jets — The Jets have won five games in a row but still cannot get any respect from oddsmakers even after New England suffered an embarrassing 19 point home loss and are playing on a short week. Part of this is Bill Belichick’s constant need to humiliate the Jets until the end of time. Logic says take the Jets. Evidence and the past says take the Patriots. If the Jets win, they may finally get some respect. Go with the Lord of the Rings. Patriots cover

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles (-11) — The Eagles are the NFL’s lone unbeaten and they had two weeks to prepare for this game. Forget the high spread. This is the worst team Mike Tomlin has had in his 16 years at the helm. Kenny Pickett is being thrown to the wolves. The Eagles are rested and ready. Eagles cover

4pm

Tennessee Titans (-2) at Houston Texans — The Titans have run the table with four straight wins since their 0-2 start. The Texans are a mess. The Titans can run Derrick Henry down the Texans throats. The Titans have the better defense. Titans cover

Washington Commanders at Indianapolis Colts (-4) — Carson Wentz will not get revenge against his old team since he is out injured. Matt Ryan has been benched for the rest of the season. Taylor Heinecke faces off against Sam Ehlinger, who has never started an NFL game. The Commanders looked good in beating Green Bay. Give them the nod against the new quarterback. Upset special, Commanders win outright

San Francisco 49ers (-2) at Los Angeles Rams — Yes, the Rams beat the 49ers in the NFC Title Game. More accurately, they survived and the 49ers blew it. Outside that game, the 49ers own the Rams, having beaten them six straight times in the regular season. The 49ers have gotten better with the acquisition of Christian McCaffrey. The Rams are not nearly as good as last year. Home field means nothing in this series. The 49ers are living rent free in the Rams heads. 49ers cover

New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks (-3) — Geno Smith faces off against his old team in a game between two teams that are surprisingly good. The Giants are 6-1 and the Seahawks are 4-3. This is one of those games where home field really does provide a significant advantage. The Seahawks can run the ball. Their defense is improving. Saquon Barkley is running lights out, but at some point Daniel Jones has to regress to the mean. This is the week he does. Seahawks cover

8pm

Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills (-10 1/2) — Forget the past few seasons. The 2022 Packers are surprisingly bad. Their offense is out of sync. The Bills are clicking on all cylinders. At home, in prime time in front of a raucous crowd, will be rocket fuel for them. The spread is high, but the Packers just can’t seem to do much right this year. Josh Allen will do what he does. So will the Buffalo defense. Bills cover

Monday, October 31, 8pm

Cincinnati Bengals (-3) at Cleveland Browns — After an 0-2 start, the Bengals have gone 4-1 since. The Browns find creative ways to lose heartbreakers on a weekly basis. This should be a slugfest, but go with Joe Burrow and his bevy of playmakers to give the Browns another agonizingly close loss. Bengals cover

NFL 2022 Week 7 Recap

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals was the Thursday night game. Neither of these teams have been that exciting this year, but they combined for a ton of points on this night. After a touchback, Red Rifle Andy Dalton went right to work. Alvin Kamara ran for 17. Dalton then threw a 53 yard touchdown pass to Shaheed for a 7-0 Saints lead. After a touchback the Cardinals moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Saints 32. Kyler Murray threw incomplete. Rod Blankenship hit a 50 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 7-3. After another touchback the Saints moved on a 15 play, 65 yard drive that took nearly 9 minutes off the clock. On 2nd and 6 from the Arizona 8, Kamara lost a couple yards. On 3rd and 8, Dalton went to the back of the end one and was intercepted for a touchback. The Cardinals then moved to a 1st and goal at the 7. A run lost 3 yards and Murray threw incomplete twice. Blankenship hit from 28 to get the Cardinals within 7-6 early in the second quarter. The Saints soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Dalton went to White for a 64 yard gain. Dalton then went to Taysom Hill for a 3 yard touchdown. The Saints led 14-6. Then the Cardinals exploded.

After a touchback, Murray hit Keaontay Ingram for 24 and Deandre Hopkins for 18. On 3rd and 10 from the New Orleans 30, Murray was sacked but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 4th and 1 from the New Orleans 4, Kliff Kingsbury went for it. Murray gained 2. Ingram ran for the 2 yard touchdown. Benjamin rushed in the 2 point conversion for a 14-14 game. 2 plays later, Dalton completed a pass to Wilson. Problem: Wilson plays defense for the Cardinals. Wilson returned the interception 38 yards for a touchdown and a 20-14 Cardinals lead with 1:50 left in the half. The extra point was no good. 5 plays later Dalton completed a pass to Simmons. Problem: Simmons plays defense for the Cardinals. Simmons returned his interception 56 yards for another defensive touchdown to turn a close game into a 28-14 Cardinals lead at the half.

In the third quarter the Saints moved from their own 39 to a 3rd and goal at the 7. Dalton threw incomplete. Wil Lutz hit from 25 to get the Saints within 28-17. The Cardinals would face 2nd and 13 from their own 12. Murray hit Zac Ertz for 15. On 2nd and 15 from their own 22, Murray hit Hopkins for 17. On 3rd and 3 from their own 46, Murray went to Benjamin for 16 and Hopkins for gains of 9 and 17. Murray then ran for 11. On 1st and goal at the one, Murray fumbled but the Cardinals were lucky to retain possession. Murray then hit Dortch for a 5 yard touchdown to have the Cardinals up 35-17 after three quarters.

Early in the fourth quarter a 14 yard punt return had the Saints starting at the Arizona 46. Dalton hit Kamara for 11 and 5, Smith for 7, Kamara for 6, and Johnson for a 17 yard touchdown. With 11 minutes still remaining, the Saints were within 35-24. The Cardinals took over at their own 36. Murray ran for 4 and 14. Benjamin ran for 9 with a defensive facemask adding 15 more. On 3rd and 8 from the New Orleans 20, Benjamin gained 15 and then ran for the 5 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left, the Cardinals had a large 42-24 lead. 

The saints mounted a furious rally. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Dalton threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. Dalton went to Smith for 17, Olave for 13, and Ingram for 11. On 4th and 3 from the Arizona 15, Dalton hit Callaway for 12. Dalton hit Johnson for a one yard touchdown to get the Saints within 42-31 with 3 minutes left. The Saints took their timeouts on defense and forced a 3 and out. The Saints got it back at their own 20 with 2:40 left. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Arizona 30 with 1:05 left. An incompletion and a false start killed the drive. Needing 2 scores, the field goal was the right choice. Lutz hit from 45 to get the Saints within 8 with 43 seconds left. Yet the onside kick failed as the Saints comeback fell short. 42-34 Cardinals

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens — The Ravens have blown double digit second half leads in multiple games this year. The Browns went right to work after an opening touchback. Nick Chubb ran for 5 and caught a pass from Jacoby Brissett for 14. Brissett went to Bryant for 14 and David Njoku for 22. On 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 9, Kevin Stefanski decided to go for it. Brissett got the yard on the sneak up the gut. Chubb ran for 6 and then for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Ravens after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Cleveland 14. Lamar Jackson threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit from 32 to get the Ravens within 7-3. After a touchback, the Browns drove to a 3rd and 5 at the Baltimore 15. Brissett was sacked. York hit from 41 to put the Browns up 10-3. 

In the second quarter a 46 yard punt return set up the Ravens at the Cleveland 21. On 2nd and 5, a run went nowhere and Jackson then threw incomplete. Tucker hit from 34 to get the Ravens within 10-6. The Ravens got it back and faced 3rd and 11 from their own 19. Jackson went to Bateman for 26. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 47, Jackson ran for 10. Jackson hit Likely for 16. Jackson ran for 10 and Gus Edwards ran for a 7 yard touchdown to put the Ravens up 13-10. In the third quarter a Cleveland fumble gave the Ravens another short field at the Cleveland 25. On 3rd and 7, Jackson threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 4th and goal at the one, John Harbaugh decided to go for it. Edwards got in. Midway through the third quarter, the Ravens had another second half double digit lead up 20-10.

After a touchback the Browns moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Baltimore 22. Brissett threw incomplete and then completed a pass for only 3 yards. York hit from 37 to have the Browns within 20-13. The Ravens after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 1 just past midfield. Ricard got stopped and John Harbaugh gambled. Mark Andrews took the direct snap, pitched it to Jackson, and Jackson gained 11. The drive stallsd but Tucker nailed a 55 yard field goal to put the Ravens up 23-13 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Again, they had a double digit fourth quarter lead. 

After a touchback, Brissett gained 10 and Chubb added a pair of 12 yard gains. Brissett hit Amari Cooper for 11. Chubb ran for 22. Kareem Hunt ran for 6 and then for the 2 yard touchdown to get the Browns right back in it down 3 with 9 minutes left. The home crowd at the Big Crabcake had seen this over and over again all season. The Ravens after a touchback took down the clock and moved to a 2nd and 11 at the Cleveland 24. A touchdown would ice the game. Hill gained 4 and then fumbled. The Browns recovered at their own 16 with 3:20 to play and needing only a field goal to tie the game. 

The Browns moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Baltimore 34. Brissett went deep to Cooper for the touchdown. The Ravens had melted down again. Except this time the touchdown was nullified for offensive pass interference on Cooper. With 2:09 left, York lined up for a 55 yard field goal to tie the game. Then came a false start. Kevin Stefanski decided to give York a shot from 60. The kick was blocked as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. The Browns got the ball back at their own 20 but only 16 seconds remained. Needing a lot of yards, Brissett completed a 3 yard pass. Brissett then completed a 19 yard pass but the ball was fumbled away. This time the Ravens survived. 23-20 Ravens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers — The Buccaneers have been struggling, especially on offense. Tom Brady has been uncharacteristically angry all season. Luckily for the Buccaneers, they faced a Carolina Panthers team conducting a fire sale. They traded away Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey. This was the easy victory the Buccaneers needed to right the pirate ship. Brady threw a perfect bomb to a wide open Mike Evans, who beat the defender deep by over 10 yards. Evans bobbled it and dropped it incomplete. This has been the 2022 Buccaneers. A hideous first half saw the Panthers take over at their own 20 with 3 minutes left in the half. PJ Walker went to DJ Moore for 21, Foreman for 12, Marshall for 11, and back to Moore for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. In the third quarter the Buccaneers moved from their own 30 to a 3rd and 1 at the Carolina 25. Leonard Fournette got the carry and got stopped. Todd Bowles went for it and Fournette got stopped again. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter from their own 23, Foreman broke free for a 60 yard gain. Chuba Hubbard then ran for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Panthers. The Buccaneers managed a 14 play, 67 yard drive that reached 1st and goal at the 8. Brady threw 3 straight incompletions. Ryan Succop hit a 27 yard field goal to help the Buccaneers avoid the shutout. The Panthers then slammed the door shut. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Hubbard ran for 13 and Foremana dded 27. Walker hit Tommy Tremble for a 29 yard touchdown. This was the most embarrassing Buccaneers loss since the Orange Creamsicle Winging Pirates switched to Pewter. 21-3 Panthers 

Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals — Both teams had been playing decent ball in recent weeks, but one of them took this game off. The Bengals took over at their own 16. Joe Burrow went to Tyler Boyd for 11.Two minutes into the game, Burrow hit Boyd for a 60 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 29. Burrow hit Hurst for 11, Joe Mixon for 22, JaMarr Chase for 15, and Boyd for 14 down to the one. On 3rd and goal at the one, Mixon got in to make it 14-0 Bengals. The Bengals got it back and faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Burrow went to Chase for 11, Boyd for 20, and Tee Higgins for 12. On the first play of the second quarter, Burrow went to Chase for a 32 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Bengals. 

The Falcons after a touchback managed a mind-numbing drive that took 16 plays, 75 yards, and 10 minutes off the clock. It was beautiful ball control, but ball control is not the solution when down by 21. On 3rd and goal at the one, Tyler Allgeier got in, but this game was never competitive. The Bengals took over at their own 15. Burrow hit Boyd for 13. On 2nd and 17 from their own 34, Burrow went to Higgins for 25 and to Chase for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 28-7 Bengals with only 49 seconds left in the half. The Falcons made a couple big plays before the half. One play and 10 seconds after a touchback, Marcus Mariota went to Damiere Byrd for a 75 yard touchdown to get the Falcons within 28-14. The Bengals tried to punt just to end the half, but a 56 yard punt return by Williams to the Cincy 25 still left 3 seconds. Younghoe Koo hit from 43 to get the Falcons within 28-17. They got no closer as the Bengals defense clamped down in the second half. Midway through the third quarter the Bengals faced 3rd and 1 at their own 47. Burrow was intercepted, but the defense jumped offside. Burrow then went to Boyd for 24 and Higgins for 22 down to the one. Burrow got the last yard to ice the game. The fourth quarter was scoreless as the Bengals have gone 4-1 since their 0-2 start. 35-17 Bengals

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys — Cooper Rush performed quite well as a backup, but this week Dak Prescott returned. A hideous first half saw Mike Badly hit a 40 yard first quarter field goal for the Lions. Brett Maher hit from 22 early in the second quarter to tie the game. Badly hit from 53 to put the Lions up 6-3 at the intermission. Late in the half the Cowboys fumbled the ball away at the Detroit 3 yard line. On the third play of the third quarter, Jared Goff was intercepted at the Dallas 18. Prescott hit Ceedee Lamb for 10. Elliott ran for 18.Tony Pollard ran for 28. Defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Elliott got in to make it 10-6 Cowboys. The Lions moved to a 1st and goal at the one early in the fourth quarter. Williams fumbled the ball away. On the next Detroit series, Goff was intercepted to set up the Cowboys at their own 46. On 3rd and 4, Prescott threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 41, Prescott hit Lamb for 15 and Brown for 15 more. Elliott ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Cowboys. The Lions fumbled again to give the Cowboys another short field at the Detroit 24. Prescott hit Peyton Hendershot for a 2 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. The Lions offered one more fumble to fall to 1-5 in their typical fumbling bumbling fashion. 24-6 Cowboys 

New York Giants at Jacksonville Jaguars — The 5-1 Giants are vastly improved but had to avoid losing a trap game against a Jaguars team still a year away. After an opening touchback the Giants went right to work. Daniel Jones hit Darrius Slayton for 12. On 3rd and 3 from their own 44, Jones ran for 14. On 3rd and 5 from the Jacksonville 37, Jones hit Saquon Barkley for 9. Jones then went to Slayton for a 32 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Giants lead. The Jaguars took over at their own 30. Trevor Lawrence hit Evan Engram for 13. Zee Jones ran for 14. Lawrence hit Christian Kirk for 11 and Arnold for 24. Travis Etienne ran for a 7 yard touchdown. For some reason, Doug Pederson went for a 2 point conversion. Etienne ran it in to put the Jaguars up 8-7. 

The Jaguars for it back at their own 21 and moved 70 yards and 12 plays in 6 minutes. Yet 1st and 10 from the Giants 14 led to Lawrence throwing incomplete twice and on 3rd and 10 only completing a pass for 5 yards. Riley Patterson hit from 27 to make it 11-7 Jaguars in the second quarter. The Giants after a touchback went 60 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Jacksonville 23, a run lost 3 yards and offensive pass interference killed the drive. On 4th and 2 from the Jacksonville 15, Brian Daboll was not in a gambling mood. Graham Gano hit from 33 to get the Giants within 11-10. The Jaguars moved from their own 19 to a 2nd and 10 at the Giants 17. Etienne gained 12 but then fumbled the ball. The Giants recovered in their own end zone for a touchback. The Giants moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Jags 15 late in the half. Jones threw incomplete. Gano hit from 33 to make it 13-11 Giants. 

The Jaguars began the third quarter at their own 27. Etienne immediately got around the end for a 49 yard gain. Lawrence hit Jones for 6 with roughing the passer adding 7 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 2, Lawrence got the yard. Then Lawrence got the other yard for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Jaguars led 17-13. The Giants after a touchback drove 72 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 2 from the Jags 3, Barkley got stopped and Jones threw incomplete. Brian Daboll gambled and Jones threw incomplete again. After an exchange of punts, the Jaguars took over at their own 20 and moved 60 yards in 12  plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 20, Etienne got stopped. Doug Pederson gambled, and Lawrence got stopped as each team turned it over on downs in the red zone.

In the fourth quarter the Giants took over at their own 22. Barkley gained 8 and Matt Breida added 6. Jones ran for big gains of 24 and 9. On 3rd nd 2 from the Jacksonville 32, Barkley gained 3 and then 18 more. Defensive pass interference added 10 down to the one. Jones got in to cap 10 play, 79 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 20-17 Giants with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Giants got it back at their own 23 with 4 1/2 minutes left. Barkley ripped off big gains of 13, 7 and 20 as the clock ticked down. With 1:11 left on the clock and the Jaguars out of timeouts, all the Giants had to do was stay in bounds to take the clock down to less than 30 seconds. Then Barkley messed up. He gained 4 yards, but went out of bounds. Gano hit the 34 yard field goal to put the Giants up by 6, but the Jaguars got the ball back after a touchback with a full 1:04 to play rather than 20 seconds.

Barkley’s blunder sparked the Jaguars. On 3rd and 10 from his own 25, Lawrence hit kirk for just enough. A sack of Lawrence was nullified by defensive holding, which also stopped the clock. Lawrence was the  intercepted, but defensive illegal use of hands wiped away that pick as the Giants were messing up on both sides of the ball. With 22 seconds left, the Jaguars were down to their last gasp, 4th and 15 at their own 40. Lawrence went deep over the middle for 28. More importantly, roughing the passer added 15 more and again stopped the clock. With 12 seconds left, the Jaguars had 1st and 10 at the Giants 17. Lawrence threw incomplete twice to leave 5 seconds. Barkley could only helplessly watch as everything came down to the final play. Lawrence went deep over the middle to Kirk, who caught the ball for a 16 yard gain. Yet McKinney and Love made the game saving tackle at the one yard line. The Tom Coughlin Bowl was a dandy, with one yard the difference as the Giants got to 6-1 on the year. They barely avoided the trap, which good teams do. 23-17 Giants 

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans — The Titans have dominated their division rival the last couple of years. The first half belonged to the Tennessee defense. The Titans in the first quarter moved from their own 28 to a 3rd and 8 at the Indianapolis 10. Ryan Tannehill threw incomplete. Randy Bullock hit from 27 to make it 3-0 Titans. In the second quarter the Colts moved from their own 23 to a 2nd and 12 at the Tennessee 28. Matt Ryan was intercepted by Adams, who returned it 76 yards for a touchdown and a 10-0 Titans lead. Ryan was then intercepted again to set up the Titans at their own 38. The Titans moved to a 4th and 2 at the Indianapolis 5 at the 2 minute warning. Mike Vrabel decided to go for it but a false start killed the chance. Bullock hit a 28 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Titans at the half. 

A 24 yard punt return in the third quarter set up the Colts at the Tennessee 42. On 3rd and 5, Ryan went to Parris Campbell for 11. On 4th and 2 from the Tennessee  34, Frank Reich went for it. Ryan went to Michael Pittman for 14. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 12, Ryan hit Hines for 6. Ryan went to Campbell for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Colts within 13-7. After a touchback, the Titans moved 55 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Bullock hit a 38 yard field goal one minute into the fourth quarter to give the Titans breathing room up 16-7. The Titans got it back but fumbled the ball away to set up the Colts at their own 45. Chase McLaughlin hit a 50 yard field goal to get the Colts within 16-10 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Titans took over at their own 29. On 3rd and 6 from their own 44, Tannehill went deep to Derrick Henry for 19. Bullock hit his fourth field goal from 48 to lock up the Titans fifth straight win over the Colts. The Colts fumbled the ball away once more. After many successful years in Atlanta, Matty Ice has had an ice cold debut year in Indianapolis. Frank Reich after the game announced that Ryan would be benched for the rest of the year in favor of a second year backup with no playing time. The Titans are 4-0 after an 0-2 start. 19-10 Titans

Green Bay Packers at Washington Commanders — This is not the same Packers team fans are used to. Aaron Rodgers has fewer weapons. The offense is struggling. Carson Went was injured, leaving Taylor Heinecke as the Commanders quarterback. Early on a field position game had the Commanders punting on 4th and 10 from their own 3 and a 16 yard punt return giving the Packers a short field at the Washington 42. Rodgers hit Robert Tonyan for 6, Allen Lazard for 11 and 12, and Aaron Jones for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Commanders got a break when the Packers fumbled a punt and the Commanders recovered at the Green Bay 17. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 3, Heinecke threw incomplete. Joey Slye hit from 22 to get the Commanders within 7-3. In the second quarter the Commanders moved from their own 36 to a 3rd and 5 at the Green Bay 41. Heinekce was intercepted by Campbell, who returned it 63 yards for a touchdown and a 14-3 Packers lead.

The Commanders soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 26. Robinson gained 4. Antonio Gibson gained 20. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 41, Heinecke hit McLaurin for 6. Robinson then ran for 24. On 3rd and 8 from the Green Bay 9, Heinekce hit Gibson for the touchdown to get the Commanders within 14-10. The Pacekers punted on 4th and 25 from their own 10 and the Commanders took over with a short field at the Green Bay 43. Yet this time the Commanders came up empty when Joey Slye missed a 47 yard field goal try. In the third quarter the Commanders took over at their own 26. Curtis Samuel ran for 16. Heinecke hit Rogers for 9 and then went to Terry McLaurin for a 37 yard touchdown pass to make it 17-14 Commanders. The Commanders got it back at their own 15 and embarked on a staggering 16 play, 72 yard, 9 minute drive. The drive died in the red zone but Slye hit from 31 to have the Commanders up 20-14 after three quarters.

After a touchback, the Packers moved to a 4t and 1 at the Washington 37. Matt LaFleur decided to go for it rather than try a 55 yard field goal. Rodgers threw incomplete. The Commanders moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Heinecke threw incomplete. Riverboat Ron Rivera was not going to take any chances this time given that an easy field goal would make it a 2 score game. Slye hit from 19 and the Commanders led 23-14 with 6:40 to play. 20 unanswered points had them in command. After a touchback and needing 2 scores, Rodgers moved his team relatively quickly. He hit Jones for a 31 yard touchdown to get the Packers within a deuce with 3 1/2 minutes left. The Packers did get the ball back at their own 18, but with only 23 seconds left and no timeouts. Rodgers hit Sammy Watkins for 28 and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 5 seconds left. Rodgers is the king of the Hail Mary, but the call was for the hook and laterals. Things got exciting as the Packers actually reached the Washington 21 before finally fumbling the ball out of bounds. After 3 straight seasons of 13 wins, the Packers are 3-4 and need to go 10-0 to match that total. 23-21 Commanders

New York Jets at Denver Broncos — The Broncos have a defense but the offense under Russell Wilson has been awful. Now Wilson is injured and Brett Rypien got the start. The Jets came in winners of four straight. Robert Saleh has produced a real defense. In the first quarter the Jets took over at their own 27. From their 38, Breece Hall ran for a 62 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jets. The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Rypien gained 2. A pair of defensive holding calls were followed by Boone gaining 6 and 15. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 23, Rypien went to Jerry Jeudy for 17. Latavius Murray ran for 4 and then for the 2 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Broncos trailed 7-6. Each team scored once touchdown in the first quarter and would not score a touchdown the final three quarters. Everything else came down to the kickers.

In addition to the missed extra point, McManus also missed a 56 yard second quarter field goal. Yet the Broncos got it back at their own one yard line and moved 73 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. McManus did hit from 44 to put the Broncos up 9-7. The Jets responded when Greg Zuerlein hit from 45 to make it 10-9 Jets at the half. The third quarter was scoreless. An interception of Rypien stymied the Broncos. Twice the Jets moved to a 4th and 1 in Denver territory and twice Robert Saleh decided not to gamble. Zuerlein hit field goals of 33 and 40 as the Jets led by 7 with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Broncos after a touchback moved to a 4th and 3 at the Jets 25 with 1:55 left. Rypien went deep incomplete. The Broncos got at back at their own 20 with 90 seconds left. They moved to a 1st and 10 just past midfield with 53 seconds left. Rypien threw incomplete twice. On 3rd and 10, Rypien went deep and was intercepted, but on further review the call was reversed to an incompletion. On 4th and 10 with 37 seconds left, Rypien went deep for his fourth straight incompletion. The Broncos are 2-5 while the Jets have won 5 straight to get to 5-2. They are for real. 16-9 Jets

Houston Texans at Las Vegas Raiders — Two of the worst teams in the league faced off. Josh McDaniels has been plagued by his own stubborn refusal to unleash Josh Jacobs in the red zone and to close out games. From their own 24, the Raiders began with a heavy dose of Jacobs, who gained 7 off the bat. On 3rd and 7, Derek Carr found Davante Adams for 14 and again for gains of 12 and 15. On 1st and 10 from the Houston 34, Jacobs got stopped, Carr threw incomplete, and on 3rd and 10 a completion gained only 2 yards. Daniel Carlson nailed a 50 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders. After a touchback, the Texans moved easily to a 2nd and 7 at the Raiders 22. A run lost 2 yards and a 3rd nd 9 pass gained only 3. Kaimi Fairbairn missed a 39 yard field goal try. The next Raiders drive went backwards when Carr fumbled the snap and the Raiders punted on 4th and 26. The Texans took over at their own 38.

Davis Mills hit Damion Pierce for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 42, Pierce gained 4. On 3rd and 9 from the Raiders 37, Mills hit Brandon Cooks for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 17, Pierce gained 3. On 3rd and 9 from the Raiders 13, Mills went to Moore for the touchdown and the 7-3 Texans lead in the second quarter. The Texans got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 2nd and 2 at the Raiders 37. Although pierce was running well, Lovie Smith opted for passes and Mills threw incomplete twice. With 5 minutes left in the half, Fairbairn nailed a 55 yard field goal. The Texans led 10-3. Against one of the worst teams in the league, in front of their home fans, the Raiders looked lifeless. If they could not win this game, housecleaning would be in order. 

Josh McDaneils did one big thing right. He stuck to the ground game. From their own 18, Turner ripped off an 18 yard run. Jacobs ran for 4, caught a pass from Carr for 5, and on 3rd and 1 from his own 45, ran for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Houston 33 with 41 seconds left in the half, McDaneils decided to go for it rather than try a 51 yard field goal. Rather than bang Jacobs up the gut, McDaneils called a pass play. However, Jacobs was involved so all is forgiven. Carr hit Jacobs for 4 yards. Carr then went deep to Mack Hollins for a 

26 yard touchdown. Despite being outplayed the entire first half, the Raiders had tied the game 10-10.

In the third quarter the Texans easily moved from their own 16 to a 3rd and 6 at the Raiders 17. Mills threw incomplete. Fairbairn hit from 35 to make it 13-10 Texans. After a touchback, Jacobs ran for 11 and 6. On 3rd and 4 from his own 42, Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for 8. Jacobs gained 12. Carr hit Foster Moreau for 11. Jacobs banged ahead for 6 more. On 3rd and 4 from the Houston 21, Carr hit Moreau for 17. Jacobs ran for the 4 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive had the Raiders up 17-13. Yet their defense remained a sieve. From their own 26, the Texans moved easily. Mills hit Collins for 9 and Cooks for 24. Pierce ran for 13. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 25, Mills went to Phillip Dorsett for the touchdown. The Texans led 20-17. Again, this was supposed to be the easiest game the Raiders would play all year. They kept insisting they were better than their 1-4 record. Their secondary was as bad as ever, especially on third down conversions. 

The Raiders took over from their own 24. Carr hit Adams for gains of 8, 15 and 16. The fourth quarter began with Jacobs running for 12. Carr then hit Hollins for 18 more. This time Josh McDaniels got it right. Gone was the attempts to be too cute by half. He went full smash mouth. Jacobs ran it in for a 7 yard touchdown to put the Raiders up 24-20 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Texans soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 33. Pierce got stopped cold. Love Smith gambled on 4th and 1. It was high risk, but the Raiders defense had not stopped much all season. This time the defense stayed disciplined as the Texans committed the false start. At that point Smith punted. It was a big defensive stop. Now the offense that had played well in the second half had to show they could finally close out a game…with power. 

From their own 19, Jacobs gained 12. Carr then went deep to Renfrow for 27. Jacobs then gained anther 13. On 3rd and 11 from the Houston 30, Carr hit Adams for only 10. On 4th and 1 from the Houston 20 midway through the fourth quarter, a field goal try would be 38 yards and give the Raiders a 7 point lad. Josh McDaniels wanted it all. Again their was brinksmanship at the line of scrimmage and again the Raiders won the discipline battle as the Texans jumped offsides. On the next play, Jacobs ripped out the heart of the opposing defense with a 15 yard touchdown run. The Raiders now led 31-20. The Texans moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Raiders 40. The Texans were on the verge of field goal range. A successful field goal and onside kick could mean another collapse. 

Not this time. Mills was intercepted by Duron Harmon, who raced 73 yards for the exclamation point. 21 unanswered fourth quarter points lowered the boom. Yes, this was supposed to be the easier part of the schedule after a brutal opening 5 games, and yes, Davis Mills is not one of the best, but the Raiders did play without Darren Waller. Jacobs was a monster, rushing for 143 yards on 20 carries, an average of 7 yards per carry. Carr was a very efficient 21 of 27 for 241 yards, one touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Give Josh McDaniels some credit. He has rightly been lambasted for refusing to use Jacobs as a battering ram by the goal line, in short yardage, and to close out games. This time McDaniels did all 3, and Jacobs got it done. The Raiders won the right way, and may have just saved their season. 38-20 Raiders 

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers — The Seahawks with Geno Smith have been overachieving while the Chargers perpetually underachieve. An early interception of Smith gave the Chargers a short field at the Seattle 41. Brandon Staley gambled on 4th and 1 from the Seattle 32. Austin Ekeler got stopped cold. After that the Seahawks took over. An 11 yard defensive pass interference call had the Seahawks at their own 43. On 3rd and 13, another defensive pass interference call added 14 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 37, Smith hit Marquise Goodwin for 21. On 3rd and 14 from the Chargers 20, Smith went to Goodwin for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. An interception of Justin Herbert set up the Seahawks at the Chargers 43. Dallas gained 9 and 11. Roughing the passer added 11. Kenneth Walker ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Seahawks. Herbert was then sacked and fumbled to give the Seahawks the ball at the Chargers 19. This time Smith was sacked, but Myers hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Seahawks in front of a small but stunned fair-weather home crowd in Los Angeles.

In the second quarter the Chargers tried to make a game of it. After a touchback, Herbert hit Carter for 22, Ekeler for 10, Sony Michel for 8, and Mike Williams for 14. On 3rd and 6 from the Seattle 17, Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 10. Ekeler ran for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Chargers within 17-7. The Seahawks fumbled to give the Chargers the ball at the Seattle 33. On 3rd and 7, Herbert hit Williams for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 13, Herbert hit Williams for the touchdown. Just like that, the Chargers were right back in it down 17-14. 

With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Seahawks took over at their own 27. From their own 38, Smith went to Parkinson for 28. Smith ran for 9. Smith then hit Goodwin for a 23 yard touchdown to put t he Seahawks up 24-14 at the break. In the third quarter the Seahawks moved from their own 7 to a 1st and goal at the 6. Smith threw incomplete and a run went nowhere. On 3rd and goal, Smith was sacked. Myers hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 27-14 Seahawks. 

Early in the fourth quarter Walker was tackled in his own end zone for a safety to get the Chargers within 27-16. Yet they did nothing after the free kick. Instead the Seahawks moved from their own 37 to a 2nd and 8 at the Chargers 32. A completion went nowhere followed by an incompletion but myers hit again from 50 to make it 30-16 Seahawks. In desperation mode the Chargers after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Seattle 30. Herbert was sacked. On 4th and 13, a completion by Herbert only gained 12. One play later Walker delivered the knockout blow with a 74 yard touchdown run to make it 37-16 Seahawks. The Chargers managed one more touchdown but never got the ball back. Picked for dead last in the NFC West, the 4-3 Seahawks are in first place. Pete Carroll, the oldest coach in the league, gets younger by the year. 37-23 Seahawks

Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers — Three years ago these teams met in a tough Super Bowl that broke the Chiefs way when Kyle Shanahan refused to run the ball to close out a fourth quarter lead. The same players and coaches were here for this one. This time, there would be no fourth quarter drama. The 49ers after an opening touchback moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Kansas City 12. Jimmy Garoppolo threw incomplete. Robbie Gould hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 49ers. An interception of Patrick Mahomes set the 49ers up at the Kansas City 34. Garoppolo went deep to Deebo Samuel for 23. Garoppolo hit Ray-Ray McCloud for an 8 yard touchdown. The 49ers led 10-0 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the first quarter. 

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 36. Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 27 and Mecole Hardman for 18. On 3rd and 4 from the San Francisco 13, Mahomes hit Juju Smith-Schuster for 6 and Hardman for an 8 yard touchdown to get the Chiefs within 10-7. The 49ers moved from their own 22 to a 2nd and 7 at the Chiefs 24. After an incompletion, Garoppolo was sacked. Gould hit from 50 to make it 13-7 49ers. Yet field goals were not going to beat the Chiefs. 

The Chiefs took over at their own 10. Mahomes hit Fortson for 8 and Kelce for 17. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, the defense jumped offside. Mahomes hit Smith-Schuster for 6 and Gray for 10. Hardman ran for a 25 yard touchdown. The Chiefs led 14-13 and never looked back. The 49ers did get a break when they recovered a fumbled punt at the Chiefs 12. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the 5, Garoppolo was intercepted in the end zone. The 49ers received another break when Harrison Butker missed a 39 yard field goal at the end of the half. 

In the third quarter, the Chiefs returned the second half kickoff 48 yards, with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. The Chiefs needed only 3 plays from their Frisco 33. Mahomes hit Marques Valde-Scantling for 14. Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 21-13 Chiefs. The 49ers moved from their own 17 to a 2nd and 6 at the Chiefs 30. A run lost a yard and Garoppolo threw incomplete. Gould hit from 49. The 49ers only trailed 21-16, but again, field goals would not get it done. 

After a touchback, Mahomes went to Kelce for 16. On 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 43, Mahomes hit Smith-Schuster for 15. On 3rd and 20 from the San Francisco 38, Mahomes hit McKinnon for 34 and Justin Wilson for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 28-16 Chiefs. A touchback and a 14 yard defensive pass interference penalty had the 49ers at their own 42. On 1st and 20 after offensive holding, Garoppolo hit newly acquired Christian McCaffrey for 11, Jennings for 11 more, George Kittle for 19 to end the third quarter, and Brandon Aiyuk for 12 to start the fourth quarter. On 3rd and 10 from the Chiefs 15, Garoppolo hit Kittle for the touchdown. The 49ers were only down 28-23 with the entire fourth quarter to play. 

In the 2019 Super Bowl, the 49ers were outscored 21-0 down the stretch. This time the Chiefs only did so 16-0. Nevertheless, their offense was unstoppable. On 3rd and 11 from their own 19, Mahomes went deep to Valdez-Scantling for 57 yards. Mahomes then found Smith-Schuster for 20. Hardman ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 35-23 Chiefs. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 6. Garoppolo was sacked in his own end zone for a safety and a 37-23 Chiefs lead. The Chiefs took the free kick at their own 28 and turned out the lights. Pacheco ran for 6 and 27. On 2nd and 20 from their own 41, Mahomes went to Smith-Schuster for 14 and on 3rd and 6 to Smith-Schuster for a 45 yard touchdown. The 49ers turned it over 2 more times as a close game became a blowout. The 49ers are not overrated. The Chiefs are just that good. 44-23 Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins was the Sunday night game. 50 years ago the 1972 Dolphins defeated the Steelers in the AFC Title Game en route to the NFL’s only perfect season. While both of these teams have been struggling, the return of Tua Tagovailoa was expected to give the Dolphins a spark. The Dolphins began facing 2nd and 19 at their own 20. Tagovailoa hit Jalen Waddle for 20, Tyreek Hill for 17 and 9 and Mike Gesicki for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 8, Tagovailoa hit Raheem Mostert for the touchdown and the 7-0 lead. The Dolphins spent the next 56 minutes not reaching the end zone. The Dolphins did get it back at their own 35 and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Pittsburgh 6. Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Jason Sanders hit from 24 to make it 10-0 Dolphins. Two plays later Kenny Pickett was intercepted to set up the Dolphins at their own 47. On 1st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 23, Tagovailoa threw 3 straight incompletions. Sanders hit from 42 to make it 13-0 Dolphins after the first quarter.

After a touchback, the Steelers moved to a 4th and 1 at midfield early in the second quarter. Mike Tomlin went for it and Warren gained 4. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Miami 27, Pickett threw incomplete. Chris Boswell hit from 45 to get the Steelers within 13-3. The Steelers got it back and faced 2nd and 14 at their own 10. Pickett went deep to George Pickens for 30. On 3rd and 2 from their own 48, Pickett hit Johnson for 6. On 3rd and 12 from the Miami 38, Pickett scrambled for 16. Najee Harris ran for 12. Pickett went to Pickens for the 7 yard touchdown. The Steelers were within 13-10 with 1:50 left in the half. That was enough time for the Dolphins from their own 15. Tagovailoa went to Sherfield for 32 and Hill for 21. Sanders hit from 47 to have the Dolphins up by 6 at the half. The second half may not have been the no-name Defense vs the Steel Curtain, but it did both groups proud. With 3 minutes left in regulation on 3rd and 16 from the Miami 30, Pickett went deep and was intercepted. With 25 seconds left from the Miami 25, Pickett again went deep for the win and again was intercepted. The second half was scoreless. 16-10 Dolphins 

Chicago Bears at New England Patriots is the Monday night game. In 1985, this game mattered. In 2022, it did not. Mac Jones was back from injury. The Bears moved from their own 34 to a 1st and 10 at the New England 29. A fumble lost 4 yards, killing the drive. Cairo Santos hit a 42 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bears. The Bears got it back at their own 44. On 3rd and 6 Justin Fields went to St. Brown for 19and Harry for 14. Justin Fields ran for 8 and David Montgomery added 8 more. Fields ran for the 3 yard touchdown to have the Bears up 10-0 after the first quarter. The Patriots moved from their own 23 to the Chicago 36 early in the second quarter. Jones was then intercepted. Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick had seen enough. Jones was benched. Rookie sensation backup Bailey Zappe played the rest of the game. 

A field position game had Zappe come in with the Patriots taking over at their own 45. On 3rd and 5, Zappe went to Raimondre Stevenson for 20. Zappe then went to Jakobi Meyers for a 30 yard touchdown to get the Patriots within 10-7. Fields was then intercepted to give the Patriots the ball at midfield. Zappe went deep to Parker for 43. Stevenson ran for 3 and then for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Patriots with 6 minutes left in the half. It was Zappe mania. This was Tom Brady replacing Drew Bledsoe all over again. 

Now back to reality. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Fields got the yard. Khalil Herbert gained 10. Fields hit Mooney for 16. On 3rd and 5 at the New England 34, Fields gained 9. Fields hit Herbert for a 25 yard touchdown to put the Bears up 17-14. Zappe then fumbled and the Bears recovered at the New England 37. On 3rd and 14, Fields ran for 20. On 3rd and 16 from the New England 27, Fields hit Mooney for 17. Santos hit a 23 yard field goal to end the half with the Bears up 20-14. The second half did not bring the 1985 Bears defense, but it did bring very good defense. Santos hit third quarter fi eld goals of 38 and 50. A 27 yard punt return then gave the Bears a short field at the New England 39. Montgomery ran for a one yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to complete the scoring. Chicago’s defense did the rest as Zappe threw 2 more interceptions. As Bill Parcells used to say, put away the anointing oil. 33-14 Bears

NFL 2022 Week 7 Prequel

Thursday, October 20, 2022, 8pm

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals (-1 1/2) — Both of these teams have been inconsistent. The Saints have the better defense. Kyler Murray can make plays, and this week he gets Deandre Hopkins back from suspension. That will not solve everything that ails Arizona, but they are at home and Hopkins will provide a spark to the offense. Cardinals cover

Sunday, October 23, 1pm

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-6 1/2) — The Ravens have led by double digits in the second half of all of their losses. Despite multiple fourth quarter collapses, the Browns do not pose a threat. Lamar Jackson is far better than Jacoby Brissett. Yet given all the blown leads, it is hard to trust such a high spread. Ravens win but fail to cover

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-10) at Carolina Panthers — As awful as the Panthers are, the Buccaneers have been inconsistent on offense. Flip it around. As inconsistent as the Buccaneers have been on offense, the Panthers are awful. PJ Walker is not going to out-duel Tom Brady. The Panthers defense is not horrendous, and the spread is too high to trust Tampa Bay’s inability to repeat its playmaking ability of the last two seasons. Buccaneers win but fail to cover

Atlanta Falcons at Cincinnati Bengals (-6) — The Falcons have very quietly been playing decent football. The Bengals seem to have left behind their early season struggles but have not gotten anywhere near where they were last year. This is another case of the spread being too high based on the lack of firepower from a Bengals squad loaded with talent. Bengals win but fail to cover

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys (-7) — Despite losing a tough game at unbeaten Philadelphia, the Lions do not pose a problem. The Lions put points on the board but cannot stop anyone. Cooper Rush has been playing well as a backup. Given the potency of the Lions offense, a shootout is possible. Cowboys win but fail to cover

New York Giants at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3) — Now that the 5-1 Giants are finally getting some respect, they have to be careful of falling into trap games like this one. The Jaguars have potential but are a year away from contending. They could be next year where the Giants are this year. Saquon Barkley is running hard. Doug Pederson knows the Giants well. Oddsmakers still do not respect the Giants. They have earned the benefit of the doubt. They will not suffer a letdown after a tough win last week. upset special, Giants win outright

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (-2 1/2) — The Colts managed a comeback at home against Jacksonville, but the Titans have gotten back to the punishing form of last year, especially running back Derrick Henry. The Titans have a defense. Matt Ryan will throw interceptions. Titans cover

Green Bay Packers (-5) at Washington Commanders — The Packers are not as good as in past years, and their offense is out of sync. Yet the Commanders are not good at all. Carson Wentz is out for several weeks with a broken finger. Chris Heiecke is a serviceable backup. This is the last time to give the Packers the benefit of the doubt after embarrassing losses to the Giants and Jets. Packers win but fail to cover

4pm

New York Jets at Denver Broncos (-3) — The Jets are surprisingly good, and Zach Wilson is back. The Broncos are surprisingly bad, and Russell Wilson in particular is struggling. The Broncos have a good defense, and the Jets enter very high on themselves after a dominating road win at Green Bay. They are due for a letdown. The Broncos win and lose ugly, so this should be close. Broncos cover

Houston Texans at Las Vegas Raiders (-7) — The Raiders are loaded with talent yet sit at 1-4. Terrible coaching in goal line and short yardage situations has killed drives. Josh McDaniels has run Josh Jacobs more, but not with the game on the line. Yet the Raiders are at home with two weeks to prepare for an anemic Texans team. If the Raiders cannot win this one, they cannot win anything. The spread is too high for a team that plays close games. The Raiders do not close out games, so this could be closer than it should be. Raiders win but fail to cover

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Chargers (-7) — The Chargers offense has underachieved. The Seahawks offense has overachieved, with Geno Smith playing surprisingly well enough. The Seahawks even played a complete game on defense last week at home against Arizona. Now comes the return to reality. Justin Herbert has enough weapons to shred the Seattle defense. Seattle has playmakers but lacks the offensive firepower to keep up. Chargers cover

Kansas City Chiefs (-3) at San Francisco 49ers — The Chiefs may be exhausted after losing a heavyweight title bout at home against Buffalo. The 49ers suffered a surprising defeat at Atlanta. These teams met in the Super Bowl three years, ago and some things have not changed. Patrick Mahomes is still all world, and Jimmy Garoppolo is still plucky and underrated. The 49ers are not as great on defense as they were. Walrus Andy Reid out-coached Kyle Shanahan when it mattered. He will again. Chiefs cover

8pm

Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins (-7) — The Steelers got a big emotional win over Tampa Bay, while the Dolphins need someone who can be healthy enough to play quarterback. The Dolphins have the better defense. Expect the Steelers to have a letdown and the Dolphins to rally around whoever can will themselves to drag their injured body on the field to lead. This game will be too ugly for a blowout either way. Dolphins win but fail to cover

Monday, October 24, 8pm

Chicago Bears at New England Patriots (-7 1/2) — In 1985, this matchup mattered. Rookie Bailey appeared has been highly effective in place of injured Mac Jones. Nobody on the Bears impresses anyone. The Patriots can run the ball and have the better defense. Patriots cover

NFL 2022 Week 6 Recap

Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears was the Thursday night game. Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together to play a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. In the first quarter the Bears moved to a 1st and goal at the 6. Justin Fields was then intercepted. In the second quarter the Bears moved to a 4th and goal at the one. Khalil Herbert got the carry and got stuffed. With 46 seconds left in a horrid first half, Joey Slye broke the 0-0 tie by hitting a 38 yard field goal for the Commanders. In the third quarter the Bears managed to complete one drive. On 3rd and 8 from their own 8, Fields hit Jones for 10. On 3rd and 3 from their own 25, David Montgomery gained 13. On 2nd and 9 from the Washington 40, Fields went deep to Pettis for the touchdown and the 7-3 Bears lead. After a touchback, the Commanders came back with a 13 play, 65 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. They began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and goal at the 5. A false start was followed by a Carson Wentz incompletion. Slye hit from 28 to get the Commanders within 7-6.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the key play in the game came when the Bears fumbled a punt and the Commanders recovered at the Chicago 6 yard line. Brian Robinson ran for 5 and then the one yard touchdown to give the Commanders a 5 point lead midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback the Bears moved to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 42. The Bears moved backward and on 4th and 16 Fields threw incomplete. With 1:49 left, this ugly game got worse when Slye missed a 48 yard field goal for the Commanders that would have made it 15-7. The Bears took over at their own 38. On 3rd and 5, Fields hit Montgomery for 13 and ran for a 39 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 5 with 52 seconds left in regulation. A run gained one yard followed by a pair of Fields incompletions. Everything came down to 4th and goal at the 4 with 30 seconds left. Rather than throw past the end zone marker, Fields hit Mooney for a 3 yard gain. Mooney was tackled at the one yard line to end the game. 3 times the Bears were at the Washington 6 yard line or closer and came up with 0 points. League officials would not say if they burned the tape of this game. 12-7 Commanders

San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons have been playing competitive football, but the 49ers on paper were the superior team. Games are not played on paper. The Falcons started the game facing 3rd and 2 at their own 34. Marcus Mariota went to Zaccheaus for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 20, Mariota gained 5. On 3rd and 2 from the Frisco 7, Huntley got the deuce. Mariota hit MyCole Pruitt for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. Late in the first quarter, the 49ers faced 3rd and 1 at their own 20. Then came a fumble, a mad scramble, and a recovery by the Falcons in the end zone for a defensive touchdown and a 14-0 Falcons lead.

The 49ers took over at their own 21. Jimmy Garoppolo hit George Kittle for 6, Deebo Samuel, and at the beginning of the second quarter, Brandon Aiyuk for 12 and Kittle for 12. Garoppolo went to Aiyuk for Aiyuk for the 12 yard touchdown to get the 49ers within 14-7. A 35 yard punt return gave the 49ers the ball back at the Atlanta 32. Garoppolo hit Kittle for 7, Kyle Juszczyk for 10, and Aiyuk for the 15 yard touchdown to tie the game 14-14.

After a touchback, the Falcons soon faced 3rd and 12 from their own 39. Mariota scrambled for 15. Mariota then hit London for 20. Huntley ran for 16. Mariota ran for a 3 yard touchdown to give the Falcons the 21-14 lead with one minute left in the half. In the third quarter the Falcons took over at their own 35. Mariota hit Zaccheaus for 10. On 3rd and 1 from their own 46, Allgeier gained 8. Mariota ran for 20. On 3rd and 3 from the Frisco 7, Mariota hit Kyle Pitts for the touchdown. Although it was only midway through the third quarter, the Atlanta defense did the rest. 28-14 Falcons

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns — Bill Belichick loves humiliating the team that fired him over 25 years ago, but this time he would have to win with third string rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe. On the second play from scrimmage, Jacoby Brissett went deep and was intercepted to set the Patriots up at their own 35. The Patriots moved 63 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. 1st and goal at the one saw Raimondre Stevenson get stopped twice. Then Zappe threw incomplete. On 4th and goal at the one on the road Belichick had seen enough. Nick Folk hit the 19 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots. The Browns after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 4 at the New England 21. Out of the shotgun, Karim Hunt got stopped for no gain. York hit the 39 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. The Patriots fumbled on their next drive to set the Browns up at the New England 38. Yet on 4th and 1 from the New England 18, Kevin Stefanski went for it and Brissett got stopped for no gain.

Midway through the second quarter the Patriots took over at their own 13. Zappe hit Hunter Henry for 12 and Meyers for 20. Zappe went to Parker for 14 and Tyquan Thornton for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Cleveland 31 and the defense smelling pass, Stevenson ran for the first down and the touchdown to make it 10-3 Patriots. The Browns moved from their own 29 to a 2nd and 1 at the New England 29. Rather than run the ball, Kevin Stefanski called 2 passes that Brissett threw incomplete. Stefanski decided not to gamble with only 30 seconds left in the half. York hit from 48. The Browns only trailed 10-6, but the second half was never competitive.

After a third quarter touchback, the Patriots quickly moved to put the game away, On the second play from scrimmage, Zappe hit Smith for a 53 yard gain. Zappe then went to Henry for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Zappe hit Thornton for the touchdown to make it 17-6 Patriots. An interception of Brissett gave the Patriots a short field at the Cleveland 40. On 3rd and 1, Zappe went to Henry for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 24-6 Patriots after three quarters. The Browns moved from their own 19 to a 1st and 10 at the Cleveland 23. Brissett then threw incomplete twice. On the first play of the fourth quarter on 3rd and 10, Brissett was sacked. York hit from 51 to get the Browns within 24-9. After the Patriots missed a field goal, the Browns faced 4th and 2 at their own 43. Brissett went deep to Donovan Peoples-Jones for 37. On 4th and 5 from the New England 15, Brissett went to Amari Cooper for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Browns were within 24-15 with a little over 6 minutes left in regulation.

The Browns defense even forced a 3 and out and seemed to get the ball back with 4 1/2 minutes left. Yet the Browns fumbled the punt and the Patriots recovered at the Cleveland 19. One play later, Thornton ran it in to make it 31-15 Patriots. Two plays later Brissett was sacked again and fumbled again. The Patriots recovered at the Cleveland 8 yard line. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Stevenson ran it in. Turnovers killed the Browns, resulting in a blowout. 38-15 Patriots

New York Jets at Green Bay Packers — The Jets have been improving but were not expected to seriously threaten the Packers. An ugly first half saw a scoreless first quarter. The first play of the second quarter saw Mason Crosby’s 47 yard field goal try for the Packers blocked. Midway through the second quarter the Packers faced 3rd and 1 from their own 33. Out of the shotgun, Aaron Rodgers fumbled the snap and the Jets recovered at the Green Bay 34. Greg Zuerlein hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. The Packers went for it on 4th and 3 at the Jets 46. Rodgers threw deep incomplete. With 36 seconds left in the half, Zuerlein missed a 53 yard field goal try. Crosby hit from 29 to end the half with the teams tied 3-3.

The third quarter began with the Jets facing 2nd and 8 at their own 28. Zach Wilson hit Davis for 11 and then again deep for 41. Braxton Berrios ran for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Jets. The undoing of the Packers last year was their special teams. They suffered a blocked punt for a touchdown in their home playoff loss. The problems have not been fixed. This time the blocked punt was recovered by Will Parks for a Jets touchdown and a 17-3 lead.

The Packers soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Rodgers threw deep incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 44, Rodgers threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact again bailed the Packers out. Rodgers then hit Aaron Jones for 14 and Allen Lazard for a 25 yard touchdown to get the Packers within 17-10. The Jets soon faced 2nd and 9 from their own 35. Wilson hit Uzomah for 14 and Conklin for 16. On the first play of the fourth quarter Breece Hall ran for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Jets. The Packers after a touchback moved 12 plays in 5 1/2 minutes On 2nd and 7 from the Jets 30, offensive holding was a killer. On 4th and 14, Rodgers threw incomplete. On 4th and goal at the one, delay of game killed an attempt to go for it. It didn’t matter. Zuerlein hit a 23 yard field goal to lock up the win. The Packers may be overrated, but the Jets are for real. They are good. 27-10 Jets

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts — A field position game set the Jaguars up at their own 44. Robinson ran for 14. Trevor Lawrence hit Etienne for 22. Agnew ran for 19. On 3rd and goal at the one, Lawrence got in to make it 7-0 Jaguars. The Colts moved from their own 23 on a 13 play, 67 yard, 5 minute drive. The second quarter began with the Colts facing 1st and goal at the 10. Matt Ryan threw 3 straight incompletions. Chase McLaughlin hit from 28 to get the Colts within 7-3. After a touchback, the Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 39. JaMycal Hasty ran for a 61 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Jaguars.

An 18 yard punt return had the Colts taking over at their own 46. Ryan hit Jackson for gains of 22 and 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Jacksonville 17, Ryan threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 9 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Ryan hit Harris Campbell for the touchdown to get the Colts within 14-10. The Colts got it back at their own 39 with 90 seconds left in the half. They moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Jacksonville 24. Ryan threw incomplete. McLaughlin hit from 42 to get the Colts within 14-13.

After a third quarter touchback, Etienne ran for 27. On 3rd and 1 from the Indianapolis 39, Lawrence threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. Lawrence hit Farrell for 11 Jones form20. Lawrence ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 21-13 Jaguars. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Ryan hit Granson for 17. On 3rd and 12 from their own 43, Ryan threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the offense on the field. Ryan hit Pittman for 18 and 10. Deon Jackson ran for 11 and then for the 3 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try to tie the game failed but the Colts were within 21-19.

The Jaguars moved from their own 19 to a 3rd and 1 at the Indy 32. Lawrence threw incomplete and Doug Pederson decided to go for it. Etienne got the carry and lost 2 yards. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 37. Ryan hit Campbell for 15 to end the third quarter and for 12 more to start the fourth quarter. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 27, Jackson gained 2. Defensive pass interference added 15 more. Ryan hit Jelani Woods for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 26-21 Colts.

The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 12 at their own 14. Lawrence threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 7 yards and an automatic first down. On 3rd and 13 from their own 18, Lawrence went to Zee Jones for 18. On 3rd and 3 from their own 43, Lawrence gained 6. On 4th and 1 from the Indy 42, Lawrence gained 2. On 2nd and 4 from the Indy 34, a run gained only one yard but defensive holding meant another automatic first down. Lawrence ran for 13 and Etienne added 8 more. Lawrence threw a 4 yard touchdown pass to Christian Kirk.The staggering drive took 18 plays, moved 84 yards, and ate up over 10 minutes off of the clock. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Jaguars led 27-26 with 2:44 left.

The Colts soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 40. Ryan hit Pittman for just enough as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. With 49 seconds left, on 3rd and 10 from the Jags 44, Ryan hit Pittman for 15. With 23 seconds left in regulation, the Colts faced 3rd and 13 from the Jags 32. A field goal from that distance would be 50 yards. The Colts still had 2 timeouts left and could run the ball for a few yards to make the kick shorter. Instead Frank Reich aired it out. Matty Ice went to Alec Pierce for the touchdown. Philip Lindsay ran in the 2 point conversion. The Jaguars took over at their own 25 with 11 seconds left. Lawrence hit Evan engram for 16. With 3 seconds remaining, the hook and laterals from the Jacksonville 41 were fumbled away. 34-27 Colts

Minnesota Vikings at Miami Dolphins — The Dolphins have suffered at quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa was still out injured. Backup Teddy Bridgewater was injured and listed as the emergency quarterback. Rookie third string quarterback Skylar Thompson got the start. Early in the second quarter of a scoreless game, Thompson went to the locker room injured. Bridgewater played the rest of the game. With 6 minutes left in the half, Jason Sanders hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. After a touchback, Kirk Cousins hit Adam Thielen for gains of 14 and 11 and Justin Jefferson for 20. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 26, Cousins hit Jefferson for 24 . Cousins went to Smith for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Vikings. With 1:45 left in the half, Sanders missed a 52 yard field goal try. With 23 seconds left in the half, Bridgwater was intercepted to give the Vikings the ball at the Miami 41. Defensive pass interference added 20 yards. Greg Joseph hit the 34 yard field goal at the gun as the Vikings took a 10-3 lead to the locker rooms.

The Vikings late in the third quarter faced 3rd and 2 at their own 35. Ham gained 3. On the last play of the third quarter, Cousins went deep to Jefferson for 47. The fourth quarter began with Cousins hitting Thielen for a 2 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Vikings led 16-3. After a touchback, Bridgewater hit Hill for 13 and then for 28 more. Bridgewater hit Gesicki for 13. Bridgewater ran for 10. Bridgewater hit Gesicki for a 4 yard touchdown. With 10 minutes left in regulation the Dolphins were within 16-10. The Dolphins got it back at their own 20 and moved to the Minnesota 38. Offensive holding was followed by a fumble that the Vikings recovered. Dalvin Cook ran for a 53 yard touchdown. Cousins hit Thielen for the 2 point conversion. with 3:15 to play, the Vikings led 24-10. Bridgwater was then intercepted. Bridgwater did throw a 3 yard touchdown pass to Gesicki with 1:24 left, but the pointless 2 point conversion try failed. More importantly, so did the onside kick attempt as Bridgwater failed to beat his old team. 24-16 Vikings

Cincinnati Bengals at New Orleans Saints — A fumbled punt early on set the Saints up at the Cincinnati 32. Three plays later, red Rifle Andy Dalton hit TreQuan Smith for an18 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. After a touchback, runs and short passes had the Bengals facing 2nd and 10 at the New Orleans 38. Joe Burrow threw incomplete, but roughing the passer added 14 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the New Orleans Saints 17, Burrow hit JaMarr Chase for 8. On 3rd and goal from the 9, Burrow went to Joe Mixon for the touchdown to make it 7-7.

After a touchback, the Saints began the second quarter at their own 40. Mark Ingram for 14 and Rashid Shaheed ripped off a 44 yard touchdown run to make it 14-7 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 25 and Alvin Kamara ran for 24. Taysom Hill came in and out of the shotgun ran for 31 yards. On 3r and 6 from the Cincinnati 16, Dalton threw incomplete. Wil Lutz hit the 35 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Saints.

After a touchback, the Bengals soon faced 2nd and 6 from their own 42. Burrow went to Tyler Boyd for 21. On 3rd and 2 from the New Orleans 29, Burrow hit Boyd for 8. On 3rd and 8 from the New Orleans 19, Burrow rushed for the touchdown himself to get the Bengals within 17-14. After a touchback, the Saints moved 63 yards in 14 plays and 6 minutes. On 1st and 10 from the Cincinnati 16, a pair of runs lost yards. Lutz hit a 30 yard field goal to end the half with the Saints up 20-14. It was more of the same after a third quarter touchback. The Saints held the ball for 8 minutes and ran 14 plays for 56 yards. On 3rd and 25 from his own 23, a completion only gained 9 yards but roughing the passer kept the drive going. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincy 19, Dalton threw incomplete. Lutz hit the 37 yard field goal to put the Saints up 23-14 midway through the third quarter, but they were scoring too many field goals instead of touchdowns.

The Bengals finished their drives. From their own 26, Mixon ran for 10. From his own 48, Burrow went to Chase for 26. . Burrow went to Boyd for 9 and to Chase for a 15 yard touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Bengals were within 23-21. From their own 21, the Saints again embarked on a long drive. 14 plays netted 66 yards and took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock. Yet again, the red zone saw the drive bog down. 1st and 10 from the Cincinnati 14 led to an incompletion, a loss, and a very short completion nowhere near the first down marker. Lutz hit his fourth field goal from 31 yards out. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Saints led 26-21.

After a touchback, it was the Bengals who took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock on a 13 play drive. Yet 1st and 10 from the New Orleans 24 saw consecutive sacks of Burrow and 3rd and 27. With 3:42 to play, Zac Taylor opted to kick the field goal and trust his defense. McPherson hit from 52 to get the Bengals within 26-24. Their defense forced a 3 and out. Even worse for the Saints, a shanked 29 yard punt had the Bengals taking over at their own 40. With 2:10 left, they needed only a field goal to win. Yet the Bengals had other ideas. One play and 13 seconds later, a 60 yard touchdown pass from Burrow to Chase had the Bengals up by 4 points. The 2 point try failed. The Saints from their own 30 moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cincy 41. A pair of incompletions followed by a sack had the Saints facing 4th and 17 with 34 seconds left. Dalton threw incomplete as he failed to get a win against his former team. 30-26 Bengals

Baltimore Ravens at New York Giants — The Ravens have blown a pair of double digits leads late. The 4-1 Giants were trying to win over skeptics. A scoreless first quarter ended with Justin Tucker doinking a 56 yard field goal off the upright no good to keep the Ravens off the scoreboard. The Ravens began the second quarter at their own 11. Lamar Jackson ran for 14 and then hit Devin Duvernay for 14 more. Jackson went to Mark Andrews for 17. On 3rd and 8 from the Giants 38, Jackson hit Kenyan Drake for just enough. Drake then ran for a 30 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. A strong kickoff return had the Giants taking over at their own 47. On 3rd and 14, Daniel Jones went to Darrius Slayton for 18 and to Matt Breida for 15 more. On 3rd and 12 from the Baltimore 26, Jones hit Robinson for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 5, Jones hit Wandale Robinson for the touchdown to cap the 10 play, 53 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 7-7.

After a touchback, the Ravens moved to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 16. Jackson threw 3 straight incompletions. Tucker hit from 34 to put the Ravens up 10-7. In the third quarter the Ravens moved from their own 31 to a 1st and goal at the 5. John Harbaugh didn’t try a single run at that point as Jackson again threw 3 straight incompletions. Tucker hit from 23 to make it 13-7 Ravens, but their inability to finish drives cost them. The Giants after a touchback moved 59 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. This time it was the Giants who had 2nd and goal at the 5. Jones threw incomplete and then was sacked. Graham Gano hit from 34 to get the Giants within 13-10. After a touchback, Jackson ran for 25. Drake added 3 and 7. Jackson hit Likely for 11. Drake ran for 15. Jackson hit Andrews for the 12 yard touchdown. With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Ravens led 20-10. They had another fourth quarter lead. Now they needed to keep it.

The Giants soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Jones hit Johnson for 18 and Robinson for 17. Jones hit Sills for 8 and Barkley ran for 8 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 14, Jones gained 3. Jones hit Daniel Bellinger for an 8 yard touchdown. With 6 minutes left in the game, the Giants were within 20-17. After a touchback, the Ravens moved to a 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Jackson gained 2 but an illegal formation penalty pushed the Ravens back to 3rd and 5. Jackson fumbled the ball, picked it up, and instead of accepting a loss forced a dangerous pass over the middle that was intercepted. Love returned the pick 27 yards to the Baltimore 13 with 3 minutes left. At the 2 minute warning, the Giants faced 3rd and 3 at the Baltimore 6. Jones was intercepted in the end zone. He blew it. Except he didn’t. Defensive pass interference nullified the pick and meant 1st and goal at the one. Saquon Barkley got in to give the Giants a 4 point lead. The Ravens had blown another late double digit lead. After a touchback, Jackson was sacked and fumbled. The Giants are 5-1. They are not lucky or overachieving. They are good. 24-20 Giants

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers — Tom Brady usually beat the Steelers even when they were good. Mike Tomlin entered this game with a 1-4 squad, his worst. His quarterbacks are rookie Kenny Pickett who lost his first start by 35 points, and Mitchell Trubisky. The Steelers began at their own 34. Pickett hit Pickens for 8, Johnson for 5, and Chase Claypool for 14. On 3rd and 6 from the Tampa 35, Pickett threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. On 4th and 1 from the Tampa 11, Tomlin opted to go for it. Warren got the yard up the gut. Pickett hit Najee Harris for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Steelers.

The rest of the first three quarters belonged to the field goal kickers as long drives stalled short of the end zone. Ryan Succop hit from 30 in the first quarter and from 27 in the second quarter to get the Buccaneers within 7-6. The second field goal came after a run on 2nd and goal at the one lost yards followed by a sack. Chris Boswell hit from 55 with 4 minutes left in the second quarter. Succop hit from 54 to end the half and get the Buccaneers within 10-9. Sims returned the second half kickoff 89 yards to the Tampa Bay 12. Yet on 2nd and 5, Pickett threw incomplete twice. Boswell hit from 25 to put the Steelers up 13-9. The Buccaneers after a touchback moved to a 1st and goal at the 4. An ineligible man downfield was followed by a run that lost yards. Succop hit a 24 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers within 13-12 midway through the third quarter.

One play after a touchback, Pickett went deep to Johnson for a 27 yard gain. Yet Pickett got injured on the play. Trubisky played the rest of the game. The Steelers began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 13 at their own 26. Trubisky went to Pickens for 14. On 3rd and 6from their own 44, Trubisky connected with Hayward for a 45 yard gain. Trubisky hit Chase Claypool for a 6 yard touchdown to put the Steelers up 20-12 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Buccaneers took over at their own 27. Brady went to Chris Godwin for 11. On 3rd and 4 from their own 45, Brady hit Otton for 17. On 4th and 1 from the Pittsburgh 29 with 6 1/2 minutes left, Fournette gained 7. On 4th and 1 from the Pittsburgh 13 with 5 minutes left, Brady hit White for 2. Brady then hit Fournette for an 11 yard touchdown with 4 1/2 minutes left. A 2 point conversion would tie the game. Brady threw incomplete.

Yet if the defense could get Brady the ball back, the Buccaneers needed only a field goal to win. After a touchback, the Steelers faced 3rd and 15 at their own 20 with 3 minutes left. Trubisky hit Claypool for 17. With 2:15 left the Steelers faced 3rd and 11 at their own 36. Trubisky went deep to Claypool for 26 yards. Trubisky ran for 9 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 2nd and 1, Trubisky ran for 3 and then took a couple of knees. Brady screamed at his offensive line in a season of his temper tantrums. Yet don’t blame his marital woes or idiotic questions to Todd Bowles about race. The real issue is that the Buccaneers are struggling on offense. Bruce Arians was a successful offensive mind and head coach. Todd Bowles is a defensive mind who failed as a head coach in his first stint. 20-18 Steelers

Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams — The Panthers fired Matt Rhule and named Steve Wilks interim coach. The defending champion Rams have been struggling on offense. After an opening touchback, the Panthers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 22. An illegal block pushed the Panthers back. Eddie Pieniero hit a 42 yard field goal to put the Panthers up 3-0. In the second quarter, the Rams took over at their own 27. Matthew Stafford hit Allen Robinson for 13. On 3rd and 13 from their own 37, Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for 22 and again for 12 more. On 3rd and 15 from the carolina 31, Darrell Henderson gained 16. On 3rd and 7 from the Carolina 12, Stafford hit Henderson for just enough. Stafford hit Robinson for a 5 yard touchdown to put the Rms up 7-3 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Rams got it back and faced 2nd and 7 at their own 23 at the 2 minute warning. Stafford was intercepted by Donte Jackson, who returned the pick 30 yards for a defensive touchdown. In a stunner, the Panthers led 10-7 at the half.

In the third quarter the Rams moved from their own 22 to a 3rd and goal at the 3. Stafford threw incomplete. Matt Gay hit a 21 yard field goal for a 10-10 game. Late in the third quarter the Rams took over at their own 20. Stafford went to Ben Skowronek for 8. Kupp ran for 13. Stafford hit Kupp for 20 and Robinson for 22. Skowronek ran for a 17 yard touchdown as the Rams led 17-10 after three quarters. The Rams got it back at their own 39. Runs and short passes moved the ball to the Carolina 33. Stafford hit Brown for 13 and Powell for 16. Henderson ran for the 2 yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to lock up the win. Yet the Panthers were playing without Baker Mayfield. They struggled to beat a team led by PJ Walker. Sean McVay is an offensive wizard, and he knows that even in victory, his team is out of sync. 24-10 Rams

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks — Neither team is playing good football. The Cardinals moved from their own 19 to a 2nd and goal at the one. Kyler Murray lost 4 yards. Murray then threw incomplete. Matt Ammendola hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cardinals. The Seahawks moved from their 20 to a 2nd and 6 at the Arizona 15. Geno Smith threw incomplete and was then sacked. Jason Myers hit a 39 yard field goal tie the game 3-3. The Cardinals after a touchback moved 65 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. On 4th and 4 from the Seattle 20 to start the second quarter, Kliff Kingsbury passed up a 38 yard field goal try and went for it. Murray threw incomplete. Myers hit second quarter field goals of 27 and 34. The Cardinals moved to a 4th and 2 at the Seattle 27 in the third quarter. Kingsbury again passed up a reasonable field goal try and went for it. Murray again threw incomplete. Myers hit again from 32 as the Seahawks led 12-3. The Cardinals managed to block a punt for a touchdown. They missed the extra point but only trailed 12-9 after three quarters. After a touchback, Geno Smith hit Fast for 15 and Eskridge for 16 to end the third quarter and DK Metcalf for 17 to start the fourth quarter. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 21, Smith hit Tyler Lockett for 10. Kenneth Walker ran for an 11 yard touchdown. The game’s only offensive touchdown was enough. 19-9 Seahawks

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs — The Bills were only 13 seconds from the AFC Title Game, but could not stop Patrick Mahomes in Arrowhead. This was a clash of titans and a possible AFC Title Game preview. The Bills moved 60 yards after a touchback. From the Kansas City 13, Josh Allen fumbled. The Chiefs moved 80 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. 1st and goal at the 9 saw Mahomes throw an incompletion and a run go nowhere. On 3rd and goal, Mahomes went to the end zone and was intercepted. The Bills moved 59 yards in 11 plays. The second quarter began with the Bills facing 3rd and 9 at the Kansas City 21. Allen threw incomplete. Tyler Bass hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bills. The Chiefs took over at their own 21. Mahomes hit Juju Smith-Schuster for 9 and Travis Kelce for 25. On 3rd and 10 from the Buffalo 42, Mahomes went to Smith-Schuster for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Chiefs. The Chiefs after a touchback moved 72 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. On 2nd and goal at the 3, Allen threw incomplete twice. Sean McDermott passed up a 21 yard field goal try and gambled. Allen threw incomplete.

The first 28 1/2 minutes were quiet. The last 90 seconds were crazy. With 1:18 left in the half, the Bills faced 3rd and 13 from their own one yard line. Rather than a give up run and a punt, Sean McDermott went high risk. Allen hit Gabe Davis for 18 and Stefan Diggs for 30. Allen went to Shakir for 14 and back to Davis for a 34 yard touchdown. The Bills led 10-7 with only 16 seconds left in the half. The Chiefs took over at their own 28 with 12 seconds left. Yet that was only one second less than in the AFC Title Game. Again, Mahomes devoured the Buffalo defense. Mahomes hit McKinnon for 19 and Kelce for 9 and called timeout with one second left. Walrus Andy Reid brought in Harrison Butker for a 62 yard field goal try. Butker delivered as the home crowd erupted in celebration. The teams were deadlocked 10-10. Again, the Bills could not hold a lead with only 13 seconds left. Yet this time the teams still had the second half to play.

The Chiefs in the third quarter moved from their own 16 to a 3rd and 7 at the Buffalo 34. A completion gained only one yard. Butker hit from 62, but this time from 51 he missed wide no good. The Bills took over at theirnown 41. Allen went to Dawson Knox for 20 and Diggs for 13. Allen went back to Diggs for a 17 yard touchdown to put the Bills up 17-10 midway through the third quarter. The Chiefs took over at their own 17. Mahomes went to Kelce for 23 and Smith-Schuster for 41. Mahomes ran for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Mahomes found Mecole Hardman for the touchdown and a 17-17 game. This heavyweight match was tied after the first quarter, the second quarter and the third quarter.

The Bills after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 44 to start the fourth quarter. A run lost 2 yards. Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and 3 rather than punt and play field position. Allen threw incomplete. Mahomes then hit Kelce for 10. On 2nd and 13 from the Buffalo 45, Mahomes hit Kelce for 19. The Buffalo defense held after that, but Butker hit a 44 yard field goal to put the Chiefs up 20-17 with 10 minutes left in regulation. With 3:44 to play the Bills faced 4th and 1 at their own 33. McDermott again decided not to punt and rely on his defense. He trusted his quarterback and Allen gained 2. On 3rd and 2 from their own 43, Allen hit Diggs for 11. Allen went to Diggs again for 18 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Allen gained 16. Allen then went to Dawon Knox for a 14 yard touchdown. With one minute left the Bills had the 4 point lead.

Mahomes had already come back with only 13 and 12 seconds left. This time he had an entire minute. Yet those times he needed a field goal to tie the game. This time the deficit was 4 points and the Chiefs needed a touchdown. After a touchback and a defensive holding call, Mahomes was then intercepted. This time there would be no comeback. A rematch in the AFC Title Game would be epic. However, the Bills now have the inside track to play that game in Buffalo after winning this fine, fine football game. 24-20 Bills

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles was the Sunday night game. The Cowboys came in 4-1 with Cooper rush playing very well in place of Dak Prescott. The Eagles entered as the only unbeaten team. The Eagles took over midway through the first quarter at their own 20. Jalen Hurts hit Still for 21 and Dallas Goedert for 8. On 4th and 3 from the Dallas 38, Kevin Sirianni decided to go for it rather than try a 56 yard field goal. Hurts hit AJ Brown for 11. Kenneth Gainwell ran for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 18, Hurts gained 2. On 4th and 4 from the Dallas 10, Sirianni had the offense line up to go for it. Whether it was a bluff or not, it worked as the Cowboys jumped into the neutral zone.

On the first play of the second quarter, Miles Sanders ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles. One play after a touchback, Rush was intercepted to give the Eagles a short field at the Dallas 44. Sanders ran for 9, 3 and 8. Boston Scott ran for 2 and 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 15, Hurts went to Brown for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Eagles. The Cowboys soon faced 4th and 1 from their own 34. Mike McCarthy decided to go for it and Rush threw incomplete. Jake Elliott hit a 51 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Eagles. 5 plays later Rush was intercepted again. The Eagles had another short field at the Dallas 46. Elliott hit a 34 yard field goal as the Eagles led 20-0 with 1:47 left in the half. The Cowboys spent the whole rest of the game in catch up mode.

The Cowboys got a jolt when a 63 yard kickoff return set them up at the Philadelphia 41. On 1st and 10 from the Philly 12, Rush went to Brown for a touchdown. Yet on further review the call was reversed to incomplete. After 2 more Rush incompletions, the Cowboys settled for a 30 yard Brett Maher field goal to trail 20-3 at halftime. The Cowboys took over at their own 21 in the third quarter. Rush hit Ferguson for 9. Pollard gained 8 and 3. Rush went to McKeon for 10 and Ferguson for 22. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 6 and then for the 14 yard touchdown. Midway through the third quarter, the Cowboys were only down 20-10. The Cowboys got it back at their own 7. On 3rd and 2 from their own 15, Elliott ran for 6. On 3rd and 1 from their own 30, Elliott ran for 6. Rush went to Ceedee Lamb for 13, Brown for 10, and Lamb again for 16. Elliott ran for 12. The fourth quarter began with the Cowboys facing 3rd and 2 from the Philly 12. Rush hit Jake Ferguson for 4 and again for a 7 yard touchdown. The 15 play, 93 yard, 7 minute drive had the Cowboys right back in it down 20-17.

After a touchback, Sanders gained 13. On 3rd and 4 from his own 44, Hurts gained 5. On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 45, Gainwell ran for 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 31, Hurts gained 2. Hurts hit Brown for 22. Hurts then hit DeVonta Smith for a 7 yard touchdown. An unexplainable 2 point conversion try failed but the Eagles led by 9 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback, the Cowboys soon faced 2nd and 8 at their own 40. Rush was intercepted for the third time. The Cowboys got it back at their own 12 with 2 1/2 minutes left needing 2 scores. They quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Philly 41 with 1:22 left. Rush threw 3 incompletions. In desperation mode, Mike McCarthy had Maher try a 59 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 6. They would still need an onside kick. They never got the chance. Maher was no good. The Eagles got to 6-0. The Cowboys showed plenty of resilience, but so did the Eagles. The rematch will be in Dallas, and the Cowboys are expected to have Prescott back. For now, the Eagles run the NFC East. 26-17 Eagles

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers was the Monday night game. Both teams have been underachieving, with the Broncos offense especially surprisingly underwhelming. Russell Wilson in particular has been struggling. The Chargers after an opening touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 33. Yet a false start pushed them out of field goal range. The Broncos moved from their 21 to a 3rd and 1 at the Chargers 29. Wilson was sacked, but Brandon McManus hit a 51 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Broncos. The Broncos got it back at their own 16 and soon faced 3rd and 13 at their own 24. Wilson went deep to Jerry Jeudy for 37 and then to Greg Dulcich for a 39 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Broncos. That concluded the Broncos end zone experience.

In the second quarter the Chargers took over at their own 18. Justin Herbert went to Sony Michel for 3, Austin Ekeler for 8, and Donald Parham for 24. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 41, Herbert hit Palmer for 6. On 3rd and 5 from the Denver 19, Herbert hit Everett for just enough. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 6, Ekeler ran it in for the touchdown to cap the 15 play, 82 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and get the Chargers within 10-7. That concluded the Chargers end zone experience. The rest of the game belonged to the kickers. Dustin Hopkins hit from 37 to tie the game 10-10 with 53 seconds left in the half.

The Broncos managed to quickly reach 1st and goal at the 9 with 17 seconds left. Wilson threw 3 incompletions. McManus hit from 27 to put the Broncos up 13-10. In the third quarter on 3rd and 1 from the Denver 12, Herbert threw incomplete. Brandon Staley, who gambles all the time, decided to play it safe. Hopkins hit from 31 to make it 13-13. Yet on the first play of the fourth quarter facing 4th and 2 at the Denver 29, Staley gambled and Herbert threw incomplete.An interception of Herbert led to McManus hitting from 48 to put the Broncos up 16-13 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Hopkins answered from 35 to tie the game 16-16 with 4 minutes left. Midway through overtime, the key play came when the Broncos fumbled a punt and the Chargers recovered at the Denver 28. The Broncos literally gave the game away. Hopkins hit from 39 to end things. 19-16 Chargers

NFL 2022 Week 6 Prequel

Thursday, October 13, 2022, 8pm 

Washington Commanders at Chicago Bears (Pick ‘em) — A pair of nondescript teams that inspire nobody face off in a game nobody cares about. Go with the home field, and give the slightest edge to Justin Fields at home over Carson Wentz. Bears win 

Sunday, October 16, 1pm

San Francisco 49ers (-6 1/2) at Atlanta Falcons — The 49ers are the better team, but the Falcons did take Tampa to the limit last week. A controversial roughing the passer call prevented a possible upset. Jimmy Garoppolo is playing well, but Marcus Mariota is no scrub. The 49ers have the edge on defense and wide receiver. 49ers win but fail to cover

New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns (-3) Bill Belichick never passes up a chance to humiliate the team that fired him. Yet this time Belichick is starting a third string quarterback. Jacoby Brissett is a career backup, but a competent one. Nick Chubb can run the ball. If the Browns can establish the run, they should be able to get the win. Browns cover

New York Jets at Green Bay Packers (-7) — The Packers are out of sync offensively. They may be tired from their return trip from London. Yet they will be at home against a Jets team coming off one of their biggest wins in years. Expect a letdown, especially if the Jets start believing they are good. An angry Aaron Rodgers is a dangerous one. Packers cover

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts (-2) — The Jaguars are improved, but not where they should be. The Colts lack consistency. Jonathan Taylor is not lighting it up like he did last year. Matt Ryan has not shown he is the answer. Nevertheless, Trevor Lawrence is still not where he should be. Go with the home field. Colts cover

Minnesota Vikings (-3) at Miami Dolphins — Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater are still out. Skylar Thompson had three decent quarters last week as the third stringer but wilted in the fourth quarter. Kirk Cousins still has Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook. Vikings cover

Cincinnati Bengals (-1) at New Orleans Saints — The Bengals lost a heartbreaker on the final play against Baltimore. The Saints do not have great quarterback-lay right now, but they do have a tough defense. The Bengals have not fixed their offensive line. This could be a brutal beating for Joe Burrow. Plus, the Superdome is a tough place to play. Upset special, Saints win outright

Baltimore Ravens (-5.5) at New York Giants — The Giants are 4-1 and starting to believe.The Ravens nearly blew their third double digit lead at home but eked out a tough win over Cincinnati. Lamar Jackson is light years better than Daniel Jones. If Saquon Barkley runs well, this game could be close. Ravens win but fail to cover

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-8) at Pittsburgh Steelers — Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season with the Steelers, but this year they are 1-4. They lost last week by 38 points, the worst loss of his career. The Buccaneers offense has not been as high-powered since Bruce Arians retired. Now they grind out wins. Forget the nonsense about Brady’s personal life off of the field. His offense has suffered injuries on the field. They still win, but uglier. Buccaneers win but fail to cover

4pm

Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams (-10) — The Panthers fired Matt rule after a 1-4 start and Steve Wilks became the interim head coach. The Rams have been a shell of the team that won it all last year. At some point their offense will explode. The Panthers are a bad team. This will be the week that the Rams take all their frustrations out. This is the last week to give the Rams the benefit of the doubt. Rams cover

Arizona Cardinals (-2 1/2) at Seattle Seahawks — Neither team is playing good football. Geno Smith, however, seems to have put his early career fumbleitis behind him. Smith has been competent if unspectacular. Kyler Murray has been spectacular at times but not always competent. The Seahawks still have their playmakers at the wide receiver positions. Pete Carroll is still a better coach than Kliff Kingsbury. Upset special, Seahawks win outright.

Buffalo Bills (-2) at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs barely survived the Raiders on Monday night Football. The Bills are burning for revenge after being 13 seconds away from the AFC Title Game and losing. The Chiefs are at home, but the Bills defense is giving Josh Allen more help than Patrick Mahomes receives from his. Bills cover

8pm

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (-5) — Yes, Cooper Rush has won four straight in place of the injured Dak Prescott. No, this is not Rush’s team once Prescott returns. No, the unbeaten Eagles are not 1972 Miami or 1985 Chicago. Home field has often meant little in this series. This will be a statement win for whoever wins and a reality check for the losing team. The spread is too high for this bitter rivalry. Upset special, Cowboys win outright

Monday, October 17, 8pm

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers (-5.5) — The Broncos offense has yet to gel while the Chargers consistently underachieve. The Broncos have a good defense. The Broncos play ugly whether they win or lose, and home field does not mean much in this series. Chargers win but fail to cover

NFL 2022 Week 5 Recap

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos was the Thursday night game. Brandon McManus hit field goals of 33 in the first quarter and 44 in the second quarter to make it 6-0 Broncos. Chase McLaughlin hit from 52 to end the half and 51 early in the third quarter for a 6-6 game. McManus then missed from 34 but after an interception hit from 45 to make it 9-6 Broncos. With 2:13 to play the Broncos had 3rd and 4 at the Indy 13. Russell Wilson went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. Rather than close the game out, the turnover led to McLaughlin hitting from 31 on the last play of regulation to force a 9-9 tie and overtime. McLaughlin hit from 48 to give the Colts the lead. With 2 1/2 minutes left in overtime, the Broncos had 4th and 1 at the Indianapolis 5 yard line. A field goal from 23 was almost automatic, but Nathaniel Hackett went made the highly controversial decision to go for the win. Wilson threw incomplete and the game ended. No word on whether league officials will burn the tape of this game before or after watching it. 12-9 Colts 

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers was the Sunday morning game in London. Both teams came in 3-1 but the conventional wisdom had the Packers dispatching the overrated Giants with ease. The Packers moved from their own 24 at the start to a 3rd and 5 at the Giants 22. Aaron Rodgers threw incomplete and the Packers settled for a 46 yard Mason Crosby field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Packers got it back at their own 40 and Rodgers went to Doubs for 22. Defensive pass interference added 3 more. Rogers hit Allen Lazard for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Packers. The Giants moved from their own 24 to a 3rd and 7 at the Green Bay 31. Daniel Jones threw incomplete. Graham Gano hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Giants on the board. After a touchback, Rodgers hit Aaron Jones for 8 and Deguara for 12 to midfield. Rodgers hit Jones for 9 and Lazard for 5. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 19, Jones gained 8. Rodgers hit Randall Cobb for 9 and Marcedes Lewis for a 2 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive had the Packers cruising up 17-3 midway through the second quarter.

The Giants took over at their own 14 and Jones was immediately sacked and fumbled. Yet defensive holding gave the Giants new life. Saquon Barkley ripped off a 40 yard gain. Jones hit Slayton for 10 more. On 3rd and 13 from the Green Bay 31, Jones hit Hames for 15. On 3rd and 9 from the Green Bay 15, Jones hit Slayton for 10. Daniel Bellinger ran for a 2 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 86 yard, 6 minute drive and get the Giants within 17-10. After a touchback, Rodgers still had 1:15 left in the half to work with. The Packers quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 29, but a pair of incompletions and a completion that lost a yard ended the drive. Crosby hit from 48 to end the half with the Packers up 20-10. The second half was an entirely different ballgame. 

After a touchback to start the third quarter, it was deja vu all over again. Jones was sacked, but defensive holding nullified the play and kept the Giants going. The Giants moved all the way to a 3rd and 3 at the Green Bay 17. A false start killed the drive. Gano hit from 37 to culminate the 11 play, 56 yard, 7 minute drive and get the Giants within 20-13. The Packers moved from their own 12 to a 2nd and 8 at the Giants 36. A field goal from that distance would be 54. Yet Crosby never got the chance. After an incompletion, Rodgers was sacked on 3rd and 8 to push the Packers out of field goal range. 

The Giants soon faced 2nd and 11 from their own 8 yard line. Jones hit Matt Breida for 13. Jones ran for 14. On 3rd and 4 from his own 46, Jones hit Bellinger for 11 as the third quarter ended. Jones began the fourth quarter running for 3 and 8. Jones then hit Johnson for 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 7, Jones hit Sills for 5. Gary Brightwell ran for the 2 yard touchdown to tie the game 20-20 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Giants got it back at their own 40 and Barkley ripped off a 41 yard gain. Barkley ran for a 2 yard touchdown to give the Giants the surprising 27-20 lead. 

The Packers after a touchback embarked on a 14 play, 69 yard, 5 minute drive. With just over one minute left in regulation, the Packers faced 3rd and 1 at the Giants 5 yard line. Rodgers threw incomplete. On 4th and 1, Rodgers threw incomplete again. The Packers took their timeouts on defense and the Giants had to punt from their own 3 with 15 seconds left. Brian Daboll took no chances with a blocked punt. He had Jamie Gillan take an intentional safety. The Packers got it back with 7 seconds left at their own 41, easily within Rodgers’s Hail Mary Range. He never got the chance. After a false start, Rodgers was sacked and fumbled. The Giants may not be seen as a very good 4-1 team, but Bill Parcells’s maxim applies. You are what your record says you are. 27-22 Giants 

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills — Ben Roethlisberger began his playing career by going 14-0 in his first season starting. Kenny Pickett’s start was less successful. The Bills fumbled the opening kickoff and had to start at their own 2 yard line. Yet on 3rd and 10, Josh Allen unleashed a rocket bomb to Gabe Davis for a 98 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Bills lead only one minute into the game. The Steelers fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Bills recovered at the Pittsburgh 21. Yet this time the Bills came up empty when a 49 yard field goal try by Tyler Bass was blocked. The Steelers from their own 39 moved 50 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 7 at the Buffalo 10, a run lost a yard and Pickett threw incomplete. Chris Boswell hit a 29 yard field goal to get the Steelers on the board, but that was all they would get. 

Bass would hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Bills. In the second quarter, the Bills carpet-bombed the Steelers. From their own 38, Allen and Davis needed one play and 10 seconds to break the game open. This time it was a 62 yard touchdown pass to make it 17-3 Bills. The Bills got it back at their own 47 and needed only 2 plays and 33 seconds to score again. Singletary ran for 23 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Allen then hit Stefon Diggs for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 24-3 Bills. After a missed field goal attempt by the Steelers, the Bills marched 77 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 24, Allen found Khalil Shakir for the touchdown to make it 31-3 Bills. A hideous second half saw only 2 exciting plays. On the first play of the fourth quarter from his own 35, Allen hit Diggs for 41 yards. James Cook then ran for a 24 yard touchdown to cap the worst blowout loss of Mike Tomlin’s head coaching career. 38-3 Bills  

Los Angeles Chargers at Cleveland Browns — After an opening touchback, Jacoby Brissett hit Amari Cooper for 10. Nick Chubb gained 14. Brissett ran for 9. Chubb ran for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Chargers moved from their own 17 to a 3rd and 2 at the Cleveland 28. Justin Herbert threw incomplete Brandon Staley goes for it almost always. He passed up a 46 yard field goal try and gambled on 4th and 2. Herbert threw incomplete. The Brows took advantage as Brissett hit Cooper for 20. Karim Hunt added 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 14, Brissett gained 3. Brissett then hit Cooper for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Browns.

After a touchback, Austin Ekeler ripped off a 71 yard gain. Yet on 1st and goal at the 4, a run went nowhere, Herbert threw incomplete, and after a false start, Herbert threw incomplete again. Bertolet hit the 28 yard field goal to get the Chargers within 14-3. The Chargers got it back at their own 25. A defensive facemask penalty added 15 more yards. Herbert then went deep to Mike Williams for 38n more yards as the first quarter ended. Kelley ran for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Chargers within 14-10 early in the second quarter. The Chargers got it back but were pinned at their own one yard line. Herbert hit Palmer for 7 and Williams for 5. Kelley gained 12 and Ekeler added 10 and 15. Herbert went to Kelley for 22. Defensive unsportsmanlike conduct added 10 more yards. Herbert hit Ekeler for a 12 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 99 yard, 6 minute drive but the Chargers up 17-14.

After a touchback, Brosett hit David Njoku for 38 yards.  Chubb ran for 29 more. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Brissett threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 2. Chubb ran it in from there to put the Browns up 21-17 with 3 minutes left in the half. The Browns got it back at their own 28 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 27 with 30 seconds left. Brissett threw 3 straight incompletions. A 45 yard field goal try at the gun to extend the Browns lead was no good. After a third quarter touchback, the Chargers soon faced 3rd and 12 at their own 34. Herbert went to Williams for 21 and Kelley for 11. Herbert ran for 12. Ekeler ran for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 24-21 Chargers. 

Kevin Stefanski then made a bizarre decision to go for it on 4th and 1 from his own 34. Hunt got the carry and got blasted for a 4 yard loss. The Chargers moved from the Cleveland 30 to a 2nd and goal at the 4. A false start was followed by an incompletion and a 2 yard pass on 3rd and 9. Bertolet hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 27-21 Chargers. After a touchback, Brissett hit Donovan Peoples-Jones for big gains of 19, 16 and 14. On 3rd and 5 from the Chargers 11, Brissett hit Njoku for 9. Hunt ran in the 2 yard touchdown as the Browns led 28-27 after three quarters. The fourth quarter was ridiculous.

The Chargers after a touchback moved 66 yards in 13 plus and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 7 from the Cleveland 9, Herbert threw incomplete. Bertolet hit the 27 yard field goal. The 5th lead change had the Chargers up by 2 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Browns then moved from their own 18 on a 73 yard, 12 play, 7 minute drive. Yet on 3rd and 7 from the Chargers 9, Brissett was intercepted in the end zone. A field goal would have given the Browns the lead. Instead, they still trailed with 3 minutes left in regulation. The final 3 minutes became a battle of who wanted it least.

The Chargers took over at their own 17 and faced 4th and 1 at their own 46 with 1:13 to play. Brandon Staley is crazy, and he decided to go for it. Herbert threw incomplete. The Browns took over with a short field and a golden chance to pick up a few yards and try the winning field goal. Brissett hit Cooper for 10. Yet a run went nowhere and Brissett threw incomplete twice. Cade York came in for the 54 yard field goal try to win it. The kick was wide no good in front of a stunned Dawg Pound. 30-28 Chargers

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars — A horrendous first half saw Riley Patterson hit a 26 yard field goal for the Jaguars. In the second quarter Kaimi Fairbairn hit from 50 and 51 to make it 6-3 Texans. Patterson hit from 45 to end the half with a 6-6 tie. An even worse second half saw a scoreless third quarter. With 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Texans faced 3rd and 2 from their own 34. Davis Mills went to Collins for 23. On 3rd and 20 from their own 47, the Texans were bailed out due to a mindless defensive unnecessary roughness penalty. On 3rd and 10 from the Jags 38, Mills hit Akins for 11. Damien Pierce ran for 20 and then for the game’s only touchdown from one yard out with 3:11 to play. On 1st and 10 from midfield at the 2 minute warning, Trevor Lawrence threw 4 straight incompletions. The Jaguars got it back at their own 13 with 41 seconds left. From their own 47 with 3 seconds left, it was Hail Mary Time. The throw was short and intercepted. League officials won’t say whether they burned the tape of this game after it was over. 13-6 Texans 

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings — The Vikings started out at their own 14. Kirk Cousins went to Justin Jefferson for 16 and 14. On 3rd and 3 at the Chicago 41, Cousins went to Osborn for 6 and Jefferson for 16 and 9 down to the one. Dalvin Cook got in to cap the 12 play, 86 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 7-0 Vikings. The Bears moved after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 26. A run went nowhere followed by a pair of incompletions sandwiched around a false start. Cairo Santos hit from 50 to get the Bears within 7-3. After a touchback, Cousins went to Jefferson for gains of 6 and 15 and to Adam Thielen for 13. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 27, Cousins went to Thielen for 7 and Jefferson for 15. Cook ran for the 5 yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter to make it 14-3 Vikings. The Vikings got it back and faced 3rd and 2 from their own 37. Cousins hit Jefferson for 31. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 32, Jefferson went to Cook for 23. On 3rd and goal at the one, Cousins hit Jalen Reagor for the touchdown to have the Vikings up 21-3.

The Bears got a break very late in the half when a shanked 15 yard punt gave them the ball at midfield. Justin Fields went deep to Mooney for 39. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 9, David Montgomery ran it in to get the Bears within 21-10 at the half. The Vikings missed a chance to extend the lead when Greg Joseph missed a 53 yard field goal try at the gun. The Bears began the third quarter at their own 33. Fields went to St. Brown for 18. On 3rd and 10 from the Minnesota 46, Fields went to Kmet for 23. Fields hit Velus Jones for a 9 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Bears were within 21-16. A surprise onside kick failed and gave the Vikings golden field position at the Chicago 48. Yet Joseph missed again from 51. The Bears took over at their own 41 and moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Minnesota 25. Santos hit from 43 to get the Bears within 21-19. Cousins was the intercepted to set the Bears up at their own 48. Santos would hit from 51 to put the Bears up 22-21 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

After a touchback and a false start, the Vikings faced 1st and 15 from their own 20. Cousins hit Smith for 15. On 3rd and 1 from their own 44, Mattison gained 2. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 48, Cousins hit Smith for 13. Cook ran for 10. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 20, Cousins got just enough. On 3rd and 8 from the Chicago 13, Cousins hit Mattison for 11. On 3rd and goal at the one, Cousins got in. Cousins hit Jefferson for the 2 point conversion. The staggering 17 play, 75 yard drive took 7 minutes off the clock. Yet the Vikings only led by 7 and 2 1/2 minutes still remained. After a touchback, the Bears moved to a 1st and 10 at their own 46. Fields then hit Smith-Marsette for 15, but Smith-Marsette fumbled and the Vikings recovered to seal the win. 29-22 Vikings  

Detroit Lions at New England Patriots — Dan Campbell gives fiery speeches and his team loses games. Bill Belichick is dull as dishwater but wins. Early on Campbell gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 45. Williams got stopped. The short field led to Nick Folk hitting a 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots. The Lions moved after a touchback to the red zone. Goff was intercepted at the New England 3 yard line. The Patriots moved 83 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Folk hit from 32 to make it 6-0 Patriots in the second quarter. An interception set the Lions up at midfield. The moved to a 3rd and 2 at the New England 25. A run lost 7 yards. Campbell went for it on 4th and 9 in a close game rather than try a field goal. Goff was sacked and fumbled and Duggar returned 59 yards for a defensive touchdown. Instead of being up only 6-3, the Patriots led 13-0. The rest of the game was pointless. Folk ended the half with his third field goal from 44 and early in the third quarter hit his fourth field goal from 37 to make it 19-0 Patriots. The Lions had 4th and 2 at the New England 34 and a completion gained nothing. Bailey Zappe, New England’s third string quarterback, moved the Patriots 66 yards. Zappe hit Jakobi Meyers for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 26-0 Patriots. Folk hit his fifth field goal with 5 minutes left in regulation to complete the blowout. 29-0 Patriots

Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints — These teams are a shell of what they were a few years ago, but thy played an entertaining football game. The Saints took over at their own 22 and held the ball for 5 1/2 minutes on a 10 play drive. Wil Lutz leveled a 56 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Saints. After a touchback, Geno Smith went to Fant for 15. On 3rd and 5 from midfield, Smith went deep to DK Metcalf for the touchdown and the 7-3 Seahawks lead. The Seahawks got it back at their own 26 and moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Saints 37. A run lost a yard. Jason Myers hit from 56 for a 10-3 Seahawks lead. 

The Saints began the second quarter facing 3rd and 5 from their own 36. The Seahawks jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 2 just shy of midfield, Alvin Kamara gained 3. Red Rifle Andy Dalton hit Johnson for 13. Taysom Hill gained 15. Hill ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it a 10-10 game in the second quarter. With the Seahawks punting on 4th and 9 from their own 21, disaster struck as an attempted run lost 8 yards. The Saints took over at the Seattle 13. Two plays later Hill ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Saints. 

The Seahawks after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 8 at the New Orleans 13. Smith threw incomplete. Myers hit from 31 to get the Seahawks within 17-13. The Saints after a touchback reached 1st and 10 at the Seattle 39 with 35 seconds left in the half. Dalton hit Smith for 12, but an illegal block pushed the ball back to midfield. Dalton hit Kamara for 10 but Kamara fumbled and the Seahawks took over at midfield with 20 seconds left. Smith hit Tyler Lockett for 11 and Lockett again for a 35 yard touchdown. In front of a stunned home Superdome crowd, the Seahawks retook the lead 19-17. The extra point was no good.

On the first play of the third quarter, the Seahawks fumbled the ball away and the Saints took over at the Seattle 31. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 22, Hill gained 5. On 3rd and 9 from the Seattle 16, Dalton hit Chris Olave for the touchdown to make it 24-19 Saints. Late in the third quarter the Saints had 2nd and 9 from their own 22. Dalton connected with Kamara for a 54 yard gain. Taysom Hill came in and threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to Adam Trautman. After three quarters, the Saints led 31-19. Yet this ridiculous game was just getting started.

The Seahawks began the fourth quarter facing 2nd and 12 at their own 23. Defensive pass interference added 27 yards. Smith hit Lockett for 10 and again for a 40 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Seahawks were within 31-25. The Saints from their own 23 held the ball for 6 1/2 minutes and 10 plays. On 4th and 2 from the Seattle 42 they lined up to go for it but a false start killed the try and led to a punt. The Seahawks took over at their own 22. Two plays later they had the lead when Kenneth Waker ran for a 69 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the fifth lead change meant the Seahawks led 32-31. 

Three plays later came the sixth lead change. On 3rd and 1 from their own 40, Hill ran for a 60 yard touchdown. Mark Ingram ran in the 2 point conversion as the Saints led by 7. The Seahawks went backward and punted with 3 1/2 minutes left. With 3:10 left on 3rd and 4 from their own 38, Dalton hit Smith for 10. Kamara then ran for 4 and 10 to seal the win as Dalton took 3 knees. 39-32 Saints 

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets — The Jets got Zach Wilson back. Tua Tagovailoa was still out injured. Teddy Bridgewater got the start for the Dolphins. On Miami’s first offensive play, Bridgewater was called for intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Jets lead. Worse for the Dolphins, Bridgewater was knocked out on the play. Third stringer rookie Skylar Thompson played the rest of the way. Later in the first quarter the Jets moved from their own 28 to a 3rd and 4 at the Miami 16. Wilson threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit from 34 to make it 5-0 Jets. On the last play of the first quarter from their own 20, Wilson went deep to Hall for a 79 yard gain down to the one. On the first play of the second quarter, Michael Carter got in to make it 12-0 Jets. 

After a touchback, a defensive pass interference call added 27 yards for the Dolphins. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 30, Thompson hit Jalen Waddle for 7. Hill ran for 10. Raheem Mostert ran for a 12 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 12-7. The Dolphins got it back but Thompson was intercepted to give the Jets great field position at their own 47. Wilson hit his non-relative Wilson for 13. Hall ran for big gains of 7, 12, 9 and 5. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Wilson scrambled and got in to make it 19-7 Jets. At the 2 minute warning the Dolphins faced 2nd and 7 at their own 28. Mostert ran for 24 and 4. On 3rd and 7 from the Jets 33, Thompson hit Hill for 10 and 13 and Mostert for 9 down to the one with 6 seconds left. A quick completion gained nothing but still left 4 seconds. Mike McDaniel, the kid coaching the Dolphins, went to the bag of tricks. Smythe took the Wildcat snap and got in the end zone as the Dolphins only trailed 19-14 at the half. The Dolphins marched 47 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes in the third quarter. On 3rd and 7 from the Jets 28, Thompson threw incomplete. Jason Sanders hit a 47 yard field goal to get the Dolphins within 19-17. With 13 minutes left in regulation, Sanders came in for a 54 yard field goal to give the Dolphins the lead. The kick was no good. 

The Jets took over at their own 44. Wilson went to Davis for 21. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 26, Wilson hit non-relative Wilson for 3. Wilson hit Hall for 21 down to the one. Carter got in to make it 26-17 Jets. On the next Dolphins play from scrimmage, Thompson was sacked and fumbled. The Jets recovered at the Miami 5 yard line. One play later Hall got in to make it 33-17 Jets. Midway through the fourth quarter Gaskin failed to convert on 3rd and 1 from his own 34. Forced to go for it, Mostert was blown up for a 4 yard loss. Hall ran for 15 and Braxton Berrios ran for the 15 yard touchdown to turn a tight game after three quarters into a blowout. Both teams are 3-2 on the year. 40-17 Jets

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Buccaneers were supposed to steamroll over the Falcons. The first quarter was scoreless. The Buccaneers did move to a 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 15, but when Todd Bowles went for it, Leonard Fournette got stuffed. The Buccaneers began the second quarter at their own 12. Tom Brady hit Otton for 7 and White for 9. On 3rd and 1 from their own 35, White gained 4. Brady hit Fournette for 5 and Otton for 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 37, Brady went to Evans for 25. After offensive holding, Brady hit Miller for 12 and Chris Godwin for 9 down to the one. Fournette got in to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back and moved 84 yards in 13 plays but on 3rd and goal at the 8, a completion only gained 5. Ryan Succop hit from 21 to make it 10-0 Buccaneers. After Younghoe Koo missed a 52 yard try for the Falcons, the Buccaneers had 20 seconds to work with from their own 42. Brady hit Fournette for 11 and 21. Succop hit from 44 to make it 13-0 Buccaneers at the break. The Buccaneers began the third quarter at their own 26 and moved 74 yards in 11 plays. On 3rd and 8 from their 28, Brady hit Fournette for 10 and 9. A 40 yard bomb from Brady to Evans put the ball on the one. Brady hit Fournette for the touchdown and Russell Gage for the 2 point conversion. The Buccaneers led 21-0 after three quarters. 

A 28 yard punt return gave the Falcons the ball at their own 43 late in the third quarter. Huntley ran for 22. The Falcons began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 3 from the Tampa 14. Allgeier gained just enough. Avery Williams ran for an 8 yard touchdown to get the Falcons within 21-7. With 10 minutes left the Falcons took over at their own 30. They moved 70 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. Marcus Mariota hit Zaccheaus for a 19 yard touchdown. For some bizarre reason, Arthur Smith went for a 2 point conversion. Mariota hit Hodge successfully to get the Falcons within 6 with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 3:18 to play the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 4 from their own 43. Brady threw incomplete but defensive holding was a killer. With 3 minutes left the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 5 at the Atlanta 47. Brady was sacked as the home crowd in Atlanta celebrated. Yet a horrendous roughing the passer call on what was barely a love tap kept the drive going. With 2:46 left the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 5 at the Atlanta 27. Brady hit Evans for 9 and then took 3 knees. After the game, the Falcons blasted the officiating and the league looked into the coddling of quarterbacks, especially Tom Brady. 21-15 Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans at Washington Commanders — A field position game in the first quarter had the Titans taking over at their own 48. On 3rd and 1 from the Washington 43, Derrick gained 3, 3 more, and then caught a pass for 24 from Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill went to Dontrell Hilliard for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. After a touchback, Carson Wentz hit Samuel for 32. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the Tennessee 30 out of the shotgun, Wentz fumbled the snap for a 2 yard loss. Joey Slye hit a 50 yard field goal to get the Commanders within 7-3. The Commanders got it back at their own 25 early in the second quarter and needed one play and 10 seconds to take the lead. Wentz went deep to Brown for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Commanders. Midway through the second quarter the Titans took over at their own 19. On 3rd and 5, Tannehill hit Hilliard for 8. Henry ran for 13. Tannehill hit Robert Woods for 12. At the 2 minute warning on 3rd and 8 from the Washington 40, a completion only gained 4 but roughing the passer added 15. With 17 seconds left in the half on 3rd and goal at the one, Henry got in to cap the 15 play, 81 yard, 7 minute drive to make it 14-10 Titans.

Midway through the third quarter the Commanders took over at their own 20. Wentz hit Gibson for 15 and 9 and Gibson ran for 3 more. Wentz hit Bates for 20 and Dyami Brown for a 30 yard touchdown to put the Commanders back up 17-14. The Titans soon faced 2nd and 8 from their own 27. Tannehill went deep to Westbrook-Ikhine for a 61 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Washington 9, Tannehill hit Austin Hooper for 7 exactly. Henry ran for a one yard touchdown to put the Titans up by 4 after three quarters and four lead changes. After several fourth quarter punts, the Commanders began their last drive at their own 11 with 4:46 left in regulation. The mind-numbing drive lasted 18 plays and moved 87 yards, taking all of the clock. With 18 seconds left, the Commanders had 1st and goal at the 2. Wentz threw incomplete twice. On 3rd and goal at the 2, the game was decided on the final play. Wentz was intercepted at the one as the Titans hung on for their third straight win after an 0-2 start. 21-17 Titans

San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers — This game was never competitive. The 49ers began facing 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Jimmy Garoppolo went to George Kittle for 20. Wilson ran for 41. Garoppolo hit Tevin Coleman for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. The 49ers fumbled on their next series but the Panthers responded with a missed field goal. The 49ers led 10-0 in the second quarter when Robbie Gould hit a 49 yard field goal. Eddie Pineiro did hit a 43 yard field goal for the Panthers, but the 49ers then pulled away. Gould did have a 43 yard field goal try blocked, but the Panthers kept self-destructing. Baker Mayfield was intercepted by Moseley, who returned it 41 yards for a touchdown and a 17-3 49ers lead. A strong second half kickoff return set up the Panthers just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 5, Mayfield hit Moore for 18. On 4th and 1 from the San Francisco 19, Matt Rhule went for it and Christian McCaffrey got in. A pointless 2 point conversion try failed and the Panthers trailed 17-9. After a touchback, the 49ers faced 4th and 3 at the Carolina 43. Kyle Shanahan went for it. Garoppolo threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 8 yard gain. Garoppolo then went to Jennings for 32. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Garoppolo hit Deebo Samuel for the touchdown to make it 24-9 49ers.

The rest of the game was more of the same. The Panthers would kick field goals and the 49ers would score touchdowns. Another strong kickoff return had the Panthers starting at midfield. All they could muster was a 37 yard field goal from Pineiro. The 49ers responded with a 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive. Jeff Wilson ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 30-12 49ers in the fourth quarter. The Panthers had a great 12 play, 5 1/2 minute drive, but ball control is useless when down by 18. On 4th and 3 from the Frisco 16, Matt Rhule opted for a field goal. The home crowd booed as Pineiro hit from 34. The Panthers got it back at their own 10. Mayfield threw 3 incompletions and was then sacked. The 49ers took over at the Carolina 3, went backward, and then had Coleman run for the 5 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. The loss dropped the Panthers to 1-4 on the year. On Monday, one day after the game, Rhule was fired. Steve Wilks was promoted to interim head coach. 37-15 49ers

Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals — The unbeaten Eagles took on the underachieving Cardinals. The Eagles from their own 36 saw Jalen Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 14 and 10 and AJ Brown for 15 and 11. On 4th and 1 from the Arizona 3, Nick Sirianni set the tone early and went for it. Hurts gained 2 and then ran for the one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles. Late in the third quarter the Eagles faced 3rd and 12 from their own 11. Hurts went to Smith for 22, to Goedert for 8, to Smith again for 20, and to Watkins for 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 32, Sanders gained 4. Hurts ran for 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 2, Hurts got the yard and on the next play got the touchdown to cap a staggering 16 play, 87 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive to make it 14-0 Eagles in the second quarter.

A field position game eventually had the Cardinals taking over at their own 43. James Conner ran for 13. Kyler Murray hit Brown for 14. Murray went to Marquise Brown for a 25 yard touchdown to get the Cardinals within 14-7. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the half the Cardinals took over at their own 7. A mind-numbing drive lasted 16 plays and moved the ball 91 yards. On 4th and 4 from his own 28, Kliff Kingsbury calle a fake punt. Williams took the direct snap and gained 7 yards. With 10 seconds left in the half, the Cardinals had 1st and goal at the 2. Murray threw incomplete twice to leave time for one more play. On 3rd and goal at the 2, this time Kingsbury went conservative. Matt Ammendola hit the 20 yard field goal as the Cardinals got within 14-10 at the intermission. 

After a third quarter touchback, the Eagles moved 51 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Arizona 15, offensive holding killed the drive. Dicker hit a 42 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Eagles. The Cardinals began the fourth quarter at their own 10. On 3rd and 5, Murray hit AJ Green for 9. On 3rd and 1 from their own 30, Benjamin gained 3. Murray went to Moore for 28 and Benjamin for 16. Murray ran for 13. Benjamin ran for an 11 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 90 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive tied the game 17-17 with 10 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, the Eagles again mounted a drive that seemed endless. 17 plays. 70 yards. 8 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 5, Hurts threw incomplete. Dicker hit the 23 yard field goal to give the eagles the 3 point lead. After a touchback, the Cardinals had 1:45 to work with. 10 plays and 50 yards came quickly. On 3rd and 1 from the Philly 25, Murray spiked the ball to stop the clock with 22 seconds despite there being enough time to run a play. The spike meant it was 4th and 1. Ammendola came in for the 43 yard try to tie the game and force overtime. His kick was no good as the Eagles remained the only NFL unbeaten. 20-17 Eagles  

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams — The Cowboys are still playing with backup Cooper Rush in place of injured Dak Prescott. The Rams played with their starters. Out of the gate, it was all Cowboys. 90 seconds into the game. the Rams fumbled and DeMarcus Lawrence returned it 19 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 6-0 Cowboys lead. Mike McCarthy called a 2 point conversion for some strange reason that failed. The Rams then had a punt blocked, leading to a 33 yard Brett Maher field goal to make it 9-0 Cowboys. The Rams finally woke up after a touchback and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 11. A run gained one yard and Matthew Stafford threw incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit the 29 yard field goal to get the Rams within 9-3. In the second quarter the Rams took over and struck quickly. On 3rd and 2 from their own 25, Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp on a 75 yard touchdown to make it 10-9 Rams. Yet the Rams offense then took the remaining 39 minutes off. Three plays after a touchback, The Cowboys had the lead. Rush hit CeeDee Lamb for 16 and Tony Pollard ran for a 57 yard touchdown. The Cowboys only led 16-10 at halftime, but the second half was all defense. Maher hit a 40 yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 19-10 Cowboys. Gay then missed from 51. Maher hit again from 36 in the fourth quarter. The Rams finished with an interception and a fumble. Rush has the Cowboys at 4-1 while the defending champions are 2-3 and struggling. 22-10 Cowboys 

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens was the Sunday night game. This was an AFC North head-knocker. The Ravens in the first quarter took over at their own 30 and moved 51 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 1st and 10 from the Cincinnati 21, Lamar Jackson threw incomplete twice and on 3rd and 10 only completed a 2 yard pass. Justin Tucker hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Ravens. A short 34 yard punt had the Ravens getting the ball back at midfield. Jackson hit Devin Duvernay for 21. The second quarter began with the Ravens facing 3rd and 2 from the Cincinnati 21. Duvernay ran for 7. On 3rd and 7 from the Cincinnati 11, Jackson hit Mark Andrews for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Ravens. The Ravens had all the momentum when Jackson went deep and was intercepted.

The Bengals took over at their own 17 and Joe Mixon ran for 9, 3 and 12. Joe Burrow went to Thomas for 33. Burrow hit Hayden Hurst for a 19 yard touchdown to get the Bengals within 10-7. The Bengals got it back at their own 16 with 1:54 left in the half and quickly moved 62 yards in 11 plays. With 13 seconds left on 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 22, Burrow threw incomplete. Evan McPherson hit from 40 as the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 10-10. McPherson hit the second half kickoff out of bounds to set up the Ravens at their own 40. Yet on 4th and 3 from the Cincinnati 41, John Harbaugh decided not to let Justin Tucker try a 59 yard field goal. Harbaugh gambled and Jackson threw deep incomplete. One play later, Burrow was intercepted. This time, Harbaugh did let Tucker try from 58. Tucker delivered and the Ravens led 13-10.

After a touchback the Bengals moved 73 yards in 15 plays and 8 minutes. On 1st and goal at the 2, rather than run the ball, Zac Taylor decided to pass. Burrow threw incomplete. Taylor then got way too cute by half and tried a trick play that blew up badly. Tyler Boyd tried the halfback option pass but was sacked for a 12 yard loss. On 3rd and goal from the 14, Burrow hit Jamarr Chase to get the 12 back. On 4th and goal at the 2, rather than cut his losses, Taylor gambled again, passed again, and Burrow threw incomplete. Next it was the Ravens from their own 2 yard line who moved 15 plays, 91 yards, and 8 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Cincy 3, it was John Harbaugh who decided to gamble. Yet he was saved from himself by a delay of game penalty. He then brought in Tucker to kick the 25 yard field goal and make it 16-10 Ravens with 10 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, the Bengals again mounted another lengthy drive. Mixon gained 7 and 10. Runs and short passes had the Bengals move to a 3rd and 5 at the Baltimore 18. Burrow hit Chase for 13. Mixon ran for 4 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Burrow got the last yard. The 13 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive had the Bengals take their first lead of the game up 17-16. The Ravens for the third time this season had blown a double digit lead at home. Yet this time they still had 1:57 left from their own 25 needing only a field goal. They had the best running quarterback in the league and perhaps the greatest kicker in the history of the NFL. They were up against the stingy defense of the reigning AFC champions. Jackson hit Andrews for gains of 7 and 8. Jackson ran for 5 and then for 19 more. With 46 seconds left on 3rd and 2 from the Cincinnati 28, Jackson gained 3. The Bengals were out of timeouts. John Harbaugh let the clock run down to 3 seconds. Although 43 yards is not an automatic field goal, Tucker does hold the NFL record for a 66 yarder. The best to ever do it did it again. Tucker was good. A rematch of this game cannot come soon enough. 19-17 Ravens

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs was the Monday night game. The Raiders have lost winnable games because Josh McDaniels refuses to pound the rock in obvious running situations. He tries to be too cute by half and call pass plays rather when the situation calls for smash mouth. Last week the Raiders finally won a game because they unleashed Josh Jacobs. The only chance they would have to beat the Chiefs in Arrowhead would be to unleash Jacobs again and unleash Derek Carr. Two yard ago the Raiders went into Arrowhead and beat the Chiefs because Carr was raining down bombs and Jacobs was running hard. Carr went blow for blow with Patrick Mahomes and beat him. Yet McDaniels was not the coach then. By the end of this game, a lot was learned about the Raiders and McDaniels. A chop block penalty on the offense on the second play from scrimmage hurt the Raiders. Yet the much maligned Raiders defense saw Maxx Crosby belt Mahomes for a 13 yard loss. Each team punted on their first drive.

The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 13 from their own 30. Carr hit Bolden for 12. Josh McDaniels decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from his own 42. It was a crazy decision. Even crazier was his decision not to give the ball to Jacobs. He picked the lowest percentage play possible. Yet McDaniels was let off the hook because Carr unleashed a perfect bomb to Davante Adams for a 58 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Chiefs lead. The Chiefs after a touchback moved 52 yards in 11 plays. The Chiefs had 1st and 10 at the Raiders 23 and seemed certain to tie the game. Then the defense forced Mahomes into 3 straight incompletions. With Harrison Butker out injured, backup kicker Wright missed a 41 yard field goal. 

The Raiders took over at their own 31 and Josh McDaniels smartly pounded the rock. Jacobs gained 5 and one. On 3rd and 4 from his own 37, Carr hit Renfrow for 5. Then it was back to Jacobs for gains of 9 and one. On the first play of the second quarter with the Raiders facing 3rd and 4 at the Chiefs 42, Carr threw deep incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant a 25 yard gain. On 2nd and 17 from the Chiefs 24, Carr again went deep incomplete and again got a defensive pass interference call for 23 yards. Jacobs banged it in from one yard out as the Raiders led 14-0. Even more surprising was that the Raiders defense again forced the vaunted Chiefs offense to go 3 and out. The Raiders took over at their own 23 and McDaniels kept it on the ground. Jacobs gashed the Chiefs for big gains of 13 and 21. McDaniels then unfortunately abandoned the run. On 3rd and 8 from the Chiefs 41, Carr hit Jacobs for only 7 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Chiefs 34, McDaniels would not go for the kill shot. Rather than pound Jacobs down the Kansas City throats. Daniel Carlson nailed the 53 yard field goal. The Raiders led 17-0 in front of a shellshocked home crowd at Arrowhead, but given how well their offense was playing, it seemed like they took their foot off the gas. 

After a touchback, the Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. At this point, reality set in. The Chiefs have a phenomenal passing offense and the Raiders have a terrible secondary. Mahomes hit Marques Valdez-Scantling for 18. On 2nd and 17 from his own 36 after a sack, McKinnon got around the end for 30 yards. McKinnon then ran for 9 and 2. Mahomes hit Valdez-Scantling for 14. On 3rd and goal at the one, Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for the touchdown. The 11 play, 75 yard drive had the Chiefs down 17-7. After a touchback, Jacobs ripped off a 9 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from his own 47, Carr went deep to Adams for 18 yards. On 3rd and 8 from his own 46, controversy ensued. Carr was sacked and fumbled by Chris Jones, who also recovered the fumble. Yet Jones was called for roughing the passer because he landed on Carr with his whole body weight. The home crowd erupted in anger. Yes, quarterbacks are coddled. However, the rule is the rule, and Jones did land on him with his entire body weight. The Raiders kept the ball with a new set of downs. With 17 seconds left in the half, Carlson nailed a 50 yard field goal to have the Raiders up 20-7. They had all the momentum. Yet they just couldn’t handle prosperity.

17 seconds for Mahomes is an eternity. He needed only 13 seconds to shock Buffalo in the playoffs last year. The Raiders blew a game two years ago when they could not handle a lead with 19 seconds left. A mindless defensive personal foul facemask did them in on that day. Some things never change. After a touchback, Mahomes hit McKinnon for 12 yards. Yet an idiotic personal foul defensive facemask that was again completely unnecessary gifted the Chiefs  15 yards. Wright nailed a 59 yard field goal at the gun. The Chiefs were still down 20-10, but every member of the Raider Nation knew what was coming. The Chiefs got the ball to start the second half. The inevitable is called that for a reason. Yet if McDaniels would keep running the ball, the Raiders still had a chance. Abandoning the run is what cost the Raiders the Arizona game when they blew a 20 point lead. This time it was a 17 point lead on the verge of slipping away.

After a third quarter touchback, the Chiefs made it look easy. Mahomes hit Valdez-Scantling for 8 and Clyde Edwards-Helaire for 10. On 3rd and 8 from his own 48, Mahomes hit Valdez-Scantling for 23. On 2nd and 6 from the Raiders 25, Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant an automatic first down. Mahomes then went to Juju Smith-Schuster for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Mahomes hit Kelce for the touchdown. Mahomes was killing the Raiders on third down. The Chiefs still trailed 20-17, but everyone knew what was coming. The run was working perfectly, but Josh McDaniels had to start passing on first down. An 11 yard completion from Carr to Jacobs was nullified by offensive pass interference on Mack Hollins away from the play. Then came a delay of game and intentional grounding and 3rd and 27. The Chiefs got the ball back at their own 43. 

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 45. Asking for a defensive stop was an impossible task as Mahomes went deep to Mycole Hardman for 28. Mahomes then ran for 9. Mahomes then hit Smith-Schuster for 13. On 1st and goal at the one, the defense got a ray of hope with a sack of Mahomes. Yet that hope was quickly dashed when Mahomes hit Kelce for an 8 yard touchdown. A defensive unnecessary roughness penalty added to the misery as the Chiefs led 24-20 with 3:20 to play. The Raiders 17-0 lead had evaporated. 

The Raiders took over at their own 16 and Carr hit Horsted for 9. Yet then it was back to the ground game. Jacobs gained 2 and then busted through the defense for monster gains of 14 and 37. The Raiders had 1st and 10 at the Chiefs 22. All they had to do was keep running the ball. Yet McDaniels kept veering away from what was working. Carr was sacked for an 11 yard loss to kill the drive and end the third quarter. Carlson hit his third field goal from 47 yards out one minute into the fourth quarter. The Raiders were within 24-23, but they were kicking field goals while the Chiefs were scoring touchdowns. 

After a touchback, Mahomes hit Valdez-Scantling for 16. Consecutive offensive penalties had the Chiefs facing 3rd and 15 at their wn 36. Yet the defense could not get a stop. Mahomes went deep to Hardman for 36. With the Chiefs facing 1st and 10 at the Raiders 14, a run lost 4 yards and Mahomes threw incomplete twice. The defense had finally done it. A 37 yard field goal try by Wright was better than giving up a touchdown. Even if it was good, the Raiders would be down by 4. Things looked even better for the silver and black when the kick was no good. Yet these are the Raiders. They can’t get out of their own way. An absolutely boneheaded defensive holding penalty on the kick meant an automatic first down. This was a gut punch the defense could not overcome. On 3rd and 2 from the Raiders 5. Mahomes hit Edwards-Helaire for 4. Mahomes hit Kelce for the one yard touchdown. Instead of a one point game, the Chiefs led 30-23 midway through the fourth quarter. Then Andy Reid got greedy. He opted to try a 2 point conversion to make it a 9 point game, effectively ending things. This time Mahomes had his pass batted down. The Raiders were should have only been down one point, but at least they were down 7 instead of 8 or 9. 

After a touchback, Carr went to Jacobs for 13 and 5. On 3rd and 5 from his own 43, Carr hit Bolden for just enough. On 3rd and 6 from the Chiefs 48, Josh McDaniels risked it all. Carr went bombs away to his best friend from Fresno State, and again Adams came up big with a 48 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation, an extra point would tie the game. Yet McDaniels was not interested in a tie. He gambled on the 2 point conversion. On the road, it was a risky but reasonable decision that could be justified. There are legitimate reasons to rake McDaniels over the coals, but this decision was not one of them. McDaniels even called the right play call. He handed the ball to his bell cow. Yet Jacobs was stopped inches short after initially appearing to barely break the plane of the goal. Jacobs had been a battering ram all night. This one time he was stopped. 

The Chiefs had scored the last 5 times they had the ball, with 4 of those drives being touchdowns. The Chiefs took over at their own 31 and it seemed that the only thing that would prevent another touchdown is if they ran out the clock. Either way, there was no way the Raiders offense would get the ball back. Carr has so many fourth quarter comebacks. The Raiders would have a chance if they could just get the ball back. Yet nobody on earth expected that to happen. Mahomes hit Moore for 8 and Edwards-Helaire gained 8. On 2nd and 3 from the Raiders 46, Edwards-Helaire got stopped for no gain. The Raiders took their 2nd timeout with 2:40 left. The Raiders were down to their last gasp on defense. On 3rd and 3, the Raiders brought the house and Mahomes threw deep incomplete. The Raiders had life. A perfect punt had the Raiders taking over at their own 7 yard line with 2 1/2 minutes left and one timeout. Yet they only needed a field goal to win and a kicker who had made 38 straight field goals. 

Jacobs banged ahead for a pair of 8 yard gains. The Chiefs defense was helpless to stop him as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for 9. On 3rd and 1 from his own 32 with 90 seconds to play, Josh McDaniels again made the right play call. Jacobs banged up the gut for 5 yards. After an incompletion, Carr hit Renfrow for 9, The Raiders took their final timeout with 51 seconds left facing 3rd and 1 at their own 46. There was only one intelligent play call for McDaniels to make. He had to hand the ball off to Jacobs. Yes, that would take 20 seconds off the clock. However, a fresh new set of downs would calmly allow Carr 4 chances. Carlson has a long leg. The Chiefs were on their heels. They were desperate. They stopped Jacobs on the 2 point conversion try but nowhere else. One handoff for one yard would be all the Raiders needed. Jacobs closed out the 2021 regular season by running down an opponent’s throats, knocking them out of the playoffs, and getting the Raiders into the playoffs. When you run the ball when the other team knows the run is coming, you impose your will. That is power football. All the Raiders needed was one yard. All McDaniels had to do was hand the ball to Jacobs.

Josh McDaniela called a pass. Carr found Adams at the sideline for a 15 yard gain. The Raiders celebrated. They were in long  field goal range. yet it was not to be. After a very lengthy review, officials reversed the call and ruled it incomplete. Replay showed that adams got both feet down inbounds, but the officials ruled otherwise. Now it was 4th and one. The only good news was that the play only took 4 seconds. 47 seconds still remained. The scenario remained exactly the same. Give the ball to Jacobs. Trust your battering ram. Once again, McDaniels had to try and be the smartest guy in the room rather than go basic. Carr went back to pass. Andy Reid brought the house. Carr went deep. The ball fell incomplete as Carr demanded defensive pass interference. Yet replay clearly showed that Darren Waller and Renfrow collided into each other and took each other out. it was a perfect metaphor for the entire Raiders season. 

An irate Adams exploded on the sideline, threw his helmet, and even shoved a cameraman out of the way to the tunnel. Adams is facing assault charges, a lawsuit, and most likely an NFL suspension.Josh McDaniels gave the usual postgame platitudes about how the Raiders were a play or two away from being a winning team. Yet at 1-4, the Bill Parcells maxim still applies. You are what your record says you are. The Raiders were competitive because McDaniels ran the ball with Jacobs early and often. The Raiders lost because McDaniels would not run the ball with Jacobs with the game on the line. The Raiders have a bye week next week. The first 5 games of the season were expected to be brutal. and they were. Now the schedule gets more favorable. In 2 weeks the Raider Nation finds out if it is too late to salvage the season. With McDaniels coaching, fans have a reason to worry. From now on, on 3rd and 1, just hand the ball to Jacobs. It’s that simple. 30-29 Chiefs  

NFL 2022 Week 5 Prequel

Thursday, October 6, 2022, 8pm

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos (-3) — Neither team is playing particularly good football. Russell Wilson has yet to gel with his offense. The Broncos were gashed on the ground last week. Matt Ryan leads an offense plagued by turnovers. Go with the home field. Broncos cover 

Sunday, October 9, 2022, 9:30am

New York Giants at Green Bay Packers (-8) in London — Does anyone really take the 3-1 Giants seriously? Aaron Rodgers out-dueled Tom Brady and defeated a pair of defensive minds in Bill Belichick and Todd Bowles. Rodgers will not fear Daniel Jones, who fumbles too often. The Packers have not been that impressive on offense, but their defense has been. The Packers have the experience. Packers cover

1pm

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (-14) — Kenny Pickett is making his first NFL start. The Steelers defense melted down at home against the Jets. The Bills have a very good defense and showed a ton of resiliency in overcoming a 17 point deficit to win at Baltimore. A garbage touchdown could beat the high spread. Bills win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Chargers (-3) at Cleveland Browns — The Chargers are perpetual underachievers. Justin Herbert is playing injured. The Browns scare nobody but Nick Chubb can run the ball. The Chargers have the better weapons at quarterback and wide receiver. Chargers cover

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-7) — The Texans might be the worst team in football. The Jaguars are vastly improved. Trevor Lawrence was awful last week, losing four fumbles and an interception. However, that was against perhaps the league’s best team, not its worst. Look for them to rebound since the Texans are talent poor. Jaguars cover

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (-7) — The Bears are nothing special. Justin Fields is not playing particularly well. The Vikings have the better quarterback in Kirk Cousins, a good runner in Dalvin Cook, a top receiver in Adam Thielen, and the confines of home field. Vikings cover

Detroit Lions at New England Patriots (-3) —The Lions have the most points in the league but are 1-3 because their defense is a sieve, The Patriots started their backup quarterback last week and were playing their third string quarterback before halftime. Jared Goff was outfoxed by Bill Belichick in the Super Bowl in 2019. Go with the home field and the Evil Hoodie provided Raimondre Stevenson runs well. Patriots cover  

Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints (-5 1/2) —The Seahawks gave up 45 points last week and still won. Yet the Saints have a much better defense that Detroit. With Jameis Winston injured, the Saints offense has been less than stellar. Geno Smith has played better than in years past, but the Saints defense has rendered better quarterbacks than smith immobile. The disparity between the teams is not that great. Saints win but fail to cover

Mimi Dolphins (-3) at New York Jets — The Jets overcame a 10 point fourth quarter deficit in a gutsy win at Pittsburgh. Zach Wilson is back. Tua Tagovailoa is still injured. The Dolphins still have a very good defense and the Jets have a long way to go. Dolphins cover

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-8 1/2) — The Falcons have been competitive the last couple of weeks. The Buccaneers have lost two straight, but to much better teams than the Falcons. Trust Tom Brady over Marcus Mariota although Mariota is not playing badly. Given the struggles of the Buccaneers on offense, a garbage touchdown by the Falcons to beat the spread is possible. Buccaneers win but fail to cover

Tennessee Titans (-2.5) at Washington Commanders — The Titans have rebounded from their tough start to the season while the Commanders are not playing well on offense or defense. Ryan Tannehill has not been a liability and Derrick Henry is running with punishing authority. Titans cover

4pm

San Francisco 49ers (-6.5) at Carolina Panthers — — The 49ers continued their regular season domination over the Rams at home. A hangover letdown after a big emotional win seems less likely given how terrible Carolina looked at home last week. Jimmy Garoppolo is back and in a groove. Deebo Samuel is a pinball wizard. The Panthers defense is not terrible. At home, give the Panthers a chance to do just enough to lose respectably. 49ers win but fail to cover 

Philadelphia Eagles (-5) at Arizona Cardinals — The Eagles are the only unbeaten team in the league. They showed grit in overcoming a 14-0 deficit to an improving Jacksonville team last week. The Cardinals had a fairly easy road win at Carolina after falling behind 10-0. Kyler Murray has talent but Kevin Siriani is coaching better than Kliff Kingsbury. Jalen Hurts is coming into his own. The spread is high for a road team against a team that shows flashes of brilliance. Eagles win but failure to cover

Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (-4 1/2) — Cooper Rush has been playing quite well in place of the injured Dak Prescott. The Rams looked listless at San Francisco. Yet at home, the Rams are the more talented team. The Cowboys have star players on both sides of the ball but still have not gelled together as a team. Matthew Stafford has plenty of weapons on offense. Sean McVay calls plays as well as anyone in the business. Rams cover  

8pm

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (-3) —The Ravens would be 4-0 but have twice at home blown leads of 17 points or more. The Bengals got off to a bad start to the season but appear to have rebounded. Nevertheless, Lamar Jackson is playing as well as ever. Meanwhile, Joe Burrow still gets sacked too often. John Harbaugh has not forgotten how to coach. Trust Jackson to run wild all over the Cincinnati defense. Ravens cover

Monday, October 10, 8pm

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-7) — Two years ago the Raiders went into Kansas City in Week 5 and beat the Chiefs. Derek Carr went blow for blow with Patrick Mahomes. Yet last year the Chiefs blasted the Raiders twice. Walrus Andy Reid is a wizard play-caller. Josh McDaniels will never win this game with West Coast Offense dinking and dunking. The only chance the Raiders have is to have bell cow Josh Jacobs be a battering ram. Long punishing ground and pound drives would keep Mahomes on the sideline. realistically, the Chiefs are better coached and at home. Chiefs cover

NFL 2022 Week 4 Recap

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals was the Thursday night game. The Dolphins were a surprising 3-0 after an emotional win over Buffalo. The defending AFC Champion Bengals were a surprising 1-2 on the season. Joe Burrow went right to work after a touchback, hitting jammer Chase for 8, Hurst for 19, and Tee Higgins for 10. Burrow then hit Hurst for 6 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 5, Joe Mixon ran it in to make it 7-0 Bengals.The Dolphins after a touchback moved 70 yards in 10 plays. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincinnati 5, Tua Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Jason Sanders hit the 23 yard field goal to get the Dolphins within 7-3. An interception of Tagovailoa had the Bengals move 10 plays to a 4th and 1 at the Miami 24. Mixon got the carry and got stuffed for no gain. Sanders hit from 48 in the second quarter to get the Dolphins within 7-6 but then tragedy struck.

From his own 42, Tagovailoa threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 yards for the Dolphins. Yet Tagovailoa was playing hurt. He had a concussion last week. The next hit was worse, On 2nd and 7 from the Cincy 40, Tagovailoa was sacked for a 10 yard loss and stayed down. He was down for over 10 minutes on the field. His body seized up in a frightening scene. He was carted off the field, but in the hospital he had use of all of his upper and lower extremities. TeddY Bridgewater came in the game with the Dolphins facing 3rd and 17 from midfield. Bridgewater calmly hit Sherfield for 16. Yet on 4th and 1 from the Cincy 34 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, Mike McDaniel was in a somber mood, not a gambling one. Sanders’s 52 yard field goal try to give the Dolphins the lead was blocked, further deflating them. 

Given great field position, the Bengals soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 41. Burrow connected with Higgins for a 59 yard touchdown and a 14-6 Bengals lead. Yet Bridgwater is no ordinary backup. He suffered a leg injury that cost him 2 years of his career. Now he was the one filling in for the injured starter. Bridgewater then received an unnecessary hit, resulting in a 15 yard defensive penalty. At the 2 minute warning from his own 46, Bridgewater hit Jalen Waddle for19 and Tyreek Hill for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincy 19, Bridgwater hit Sherfield for 12 and Chase Edmonds for the 7 yard touchdown with 9 seconds left in the half. A 2 point conversion would tie the game, but Mike McDaniel opted to play it safe. Again, it is hard to criticize his decision. Again, his kicker let him down as Sanders missed the extra point to have the Dolphins down 14-12 at the break. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, the Dolphins took over at their own 10. From their 15, Bridgwater hit Sherfield for 16 and then went bombs away to Hill for a 64 yard gain. Yet on 2nd and goal from the 2, Mostert got stopped. Bridgwater then threw incomplete. On 4th and goal at the 2, for the third time there would be no McDaniel gamble. Sanders hit from 20 to put the Dolphins up 15-14  after three quarters.

The Bengals soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 24. Zac Taylor went to the bag of tricks with the halfback option pass. Burrow got it to Boyd, who went deep to Chase for 23 yards. Burrow then went deep to Boyd for 43 more. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one with 12 minutes remaining, Zac Taylor decided not to go for it. Evan McPherson hit the 19 yard field goal to put the Bengals up 17-15, but the Dolphins now only needed a field goal to take the lead. on 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Edmonds got the carry and lost a yard. McDaniel had played it safe all night, and he opted to punt. The Bengals moved from their own 28 to a 2nd and 8 at the Miami 34. Then came an incompletion, a false start, and another incompletion. Taylor went bold and had Mcpherson try a 57 yard field goal knowing a miss would give the dolphins a golden chance for the lead. McPherson delivered to make it 20-15 with 6 minutes left in regulation. The Dolphins moved from their own 22 to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 26 with 3:17 to play. Bridgewater went for it all and was intercepted by Bell, who returned it 46 yards to the Miami 45. On 2nd and 7, rather than grind down clock, Burrow went deep to Chase for a 36 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2 with 1:52 to play, Burrow went to Hurst for the touchdown to lock up the win and knock Miami from the unbeaten ranks. Yet the loss of the game was only part of the story. The loss of Tagovailoa is a gut punch for a quarterback finally earning some respect and a team finally earning some also. The Bengals meanwhile are back to even after an 0-2 start. 27-15 Bengals 

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints from London. This may not have been as thrilling as the Minneapolis Miracle, but it was a very jolly good football game in England. Red Rifle Andy Dalton started in place of the injured Jameis Winston. The Vikings took the opening kickoff and went right to work. Kirk Cousins hit Justin Jefferson for 10. On 3rd and 7 from his own 38, Cousins hit Smith for 10 and Adam Thielen for 10 more. On 3rd and 1 from the New Orleans 33, Cousins got stopped but the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 2 from the New Orleans 14, Cousins hit Dalvin Cook for 9. A touchdown pass was nullified by offensive pass interference to set up 3rd and goal at the 15. Cousins went to Mattison for the touchdown to cap the 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive to make it 7-0 Vikings. The first quarter ended with an interception of Cousins to set up the Saints at their own 40. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 47, Dalton hit Chris Olave for 11 and Johnson for 13. On 3rd and 2 from the Minnesota 15, Ingram gained 5. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Dalton hit Olave for the touchdown to cap the 12 play, 60 yard, 6 minute drive and make it a 7-7 ballgame. 

A field position game had the Vikings taking over at their own 44 with 3:42 left in the half. On 3rd and 1 at the Saints 10, Cousins threw incomplete. Kevin O’Connell decided to play it safe. Greg Jospeh hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Vikings with one minute left. Yet one play after a touchback, Dalton was sacked and fumbled. The Vikings recovered at the Saints 20. Yet a run went nowhere followed by an incompletion and a false start. On 3rd and 15, a completion gained only 7. Joseph hit from 36 as the Vikings took a 13-7 lead to the locker rooms. Early in the third quarter the Saints fumbled a punt and the Vikings recovered at the saints 44. Cousins went deep to Jefferson for a 41 yard gain. Yet on 1st and goal at the 3, a delay of game proved costly. On 3rd and goal at the 7, a completion gained one yard. Joseph hit his third field goal from 24 to make it 16-7 Vikings.

Then the game changed as the Saints took over at their own 22. Murray had gains of 6, 10 and 6 sandwiched around Dalton hitting Callaway for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Minnesota 41, Dalton threw incomplete. Dennis Allen decided to go for it and on 4th and 4 Dalton hit hallway for 5. On 2nd and 15 from the Minnesota 41 after a false start, Dalton hit Callaway for 33. On 3rd and goal at the one, Murray got in to get the Saints within 16-14. An unnecessary roughness penalty on the Saints on the ensuing kickoff had the Vikings starting at their own 45. On 4th and 2 from his own 47, Kevin O’Connell gambled on a fake punt. Wright hit Nailor for 13. Yet on 1st and 10 from the New Orleans 23, intentional grounding and a false start killed the drive. Joseph began the fourth quarter by hitting his fourth field goal from 46 to make it 19-14 Vikings. After a touchback, Murray gained 6 and 7 and Taysom Hill dded 13 more. Dalton hit Smith for 18 and Trautman for 11. Hill ran for the 2 yard touchdown.Dalton hit Jarvis Landry for the 2 yard touchdown to give the Saints the 22-19 lead with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Cousins hit Jefferson for just enough, but defensive holding meant an automatic first down anyway. On 3rd and 4 from their own 43, Cousins hit Osborn for 6. On 3rd and 10 just shy of midfield, Cousins went deep incomplete. Yet another defensive illegal use of hands meant another automatic first down. On 3rd and 8 from the Saint 44, Cousins again went deep incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant a 41 yard gain and 1st and goal at the 3. Jefferson got around the end for the touchdown. Joseph missed the extra point but 3 defensive penalties killed the Saints. With 4:15 to play, The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive put the Vikings back on top 25-22. The Saints after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Minnesota 42. Dalton threw incomplete twice. With 1:51 to play, Dennis Allen brought in Wil Lutz to try a 60 yard field goal. Lutz nailed it for a 25-25 game. 

The Vikings took over at their own 18. Cook gained 14 and Cousins went deep to Jefferson for 39 more. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Saints 29, three runs gained a combined 0 yards. With 24 seconds left, Joseph came in for a 47 yard field goal try to give the Vikings the lead. Joseph’s 5th field goal try was good. After a touchback, the Saints had 24 seconds and 0 timeouts. They needed their own version of a miracle. Dalton went deep to Olave for a 32 yard gain. The Saints got a major break when an injury on the defense forced the Vikings to stop the clock with 12 seconds left. Dalton threw incomplete twice to leave 2 seconds on the clock. Lutz had hit from 60, and now he was brought in for a 61 yard try to tie the game and force overtime. Lutz pulled the double doink made famous by Cody Parkey. Lutz’s kick hit the left upright and then bounced off the crossbar, no good. In the first football game in the British Empire since the death of Queen Elizabeth, both teams put on a show worthy of the royal crown and the NFL. 28-25 Vikings  

Cleveland Browns at Atlanta Falcons — Sometimes a pair of boring teams can come together and play a relatively interesting game. This actually was that game. The Browns moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 1 at the Atlanta 2. Nick Chubb got the carry and lost 2 yards. Kevin Stefanski surprisingly decided to go for it on 4th and 3. Jacoby Brissett threw incomplete. The Falcons moved from their own 4 yard line on a 14 play, 84 yard, 7 minute drive. Yet on 1st and goal at the 9, a pair of runs  lost 3 yards followed by an incompletion. Younghoe Koo hit the 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Falcons. The Browns quickly fumbled the ball away and the Falcons recovered at the Cleveland 31. On 2nd and 14, Marcus Mariota went to Hesse for 22. Cordarelle Patterson got around the edge for a 13 yard touchdown as the Falcons led 10-0 after the first quarter. 

After a touchback, runs and short passes had the Browns facing 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 39. Rather than try a 57 yard field goal, Kevin Stefanski again decided to go for it. Brissett gained 2. Chubb broke off gains of 8, 5 and 4. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Brissett ran it in to get the Browns within 10-7 in the second quarter. The staggering 16 play, 75 yard drive took nearly 9 minutes off the clock. The Browns got it back at their own 20 and embarked on another long drive of 13 plays, 69 yards and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 43, Brissett went deep to Donovan Peoples-Jones for a 42 yard gain. Yet on 1st and goal at the one, Chubb did not get in. Then came a killer offensive holding call followed by a pair o incompletions. York hit the 29 yard field goal to end the half with the teams deadlocked 10-10. In the third quarter an interception of Ryan gave the Browns another short field at the Atlanta 43. The Browns settled for a 45 yard York field goal but had the 13-10 lead.

After a touchback, it was ground and pound as Huntley ran for 6, 5, 14, 9 and 4. Allgeier added 7 and 14. Then it was back to Huntley for 6, 5, and the 5 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive did not feature a single pass attempt as the Falcons led 17-13 early in the fourth quarter. After a touchback, chubb ran for 6, caught a pass from Brissett for 9, and ran for 3. Karim Hunt ran for 20 and Chubb ripped off a 28 yard touchdown run to put the Browns up 20-17 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Falcons after a touchback moved to a 2nd and goal at the 2. Rather than play smash mouth, Arthur Smith had Mariota line up in the shotgun. Mariota fumbled the snap but was lucky enough to pick it up and escape with an incompletion. Then on 3rd and goal he threw incomplete again. Smith played it safe. Koo hit from 21 for a 20-20 game midway through the fourth quarter. 

The falcons got it back at their own 9 with 3 1/2 mi minutes left. Mariota went deep to Zaccheaus for 42 with 15 more tacked on for a defensive facemask. O 3rd and 3 at the Cleveland 27, Allgeier got stopped. Koo hit from 45 as the fourth lead change of the game had the Falcons up by a field goal 2 1/2 minutes left. The Browns after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 41 with 1:36 left. They were only a few yards from long field goal range. Then came an incompletion, an ineligible man downfield penalty, and a sack of Brissett. On 3rd and 23 from their own 46 with one minute left, Brissett went deep and was intercepted. For the seance straight week, the Falcons engineered a fourth quarter comeback. 23-20 Falcons

Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens — The Bills suffered a heartbreaker at Miami and were now at a tough Baltimore squad. On the third play from scrimmage and the Bills facing 3rd and 9 from their own 26, Josh Allen was intercepted by Marlon Humphrey, who returned the pick 26 yards to set the Ravens up at the Baltimore 4 yard line. JK Dobbins ran for 3 and then caught a one yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to make it 7-0 Ravens. A 42 yard kickoff return had the Bills taking over at their own 43. Yet on 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 20, Allen threw incomplete. Tyler Bass hit from 38 to get the Bills within 7-3. The Ravens took over at their own 19. Dobbins ran for 9 and Jackson hit Devin Duvernay for 12. On 3rd and 9 from his own 45, Jackson ran for 10, hit Bateman for 13, and ran for 9 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 7, Ricard gained 3. Dobbins ran for the 4 yard touchdown up the gut to culminate the 15 play, 81 yard, 9 minute drive and put the Ravens up 14-3 after the first quarter. 

The Bills fumbled again in the second quarter to set up the Ravens with a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 36. Jackson hit Dobbins for 20. On 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 12, Jackson hit Mark Andrews for 11 down to the one. Yet offensive pass interference meant that 1st and goal at the one was instead 3rd and 16 from the 22. Jackson then lost 2 yards. Justin Tucker hit a 42 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Ravens. The Ravens got it back and moved from their own 29 to a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 29. Yet an incompletion was followed by a sack of Jackson. Tucker nailed a 51 yard field goal. With 4 minutes left in the half, the Ravens were cruising up 20-3. They blew a 21 point fourth quarter lead at home a couple weeks ago, but surely this 17 point lead at home was safe.  

The Bills took over at their own 24 with 1:47 left. Allen hit Avis for 13, McKenzie for 5, and Stefan Diggs for 17. With 28 seconds left from the Baltimore 28, Allen hit Singletary for 14, Dawson Knox for 10 and McKenzie for the 4 yard touchdown. the Bills only trailed 20-10 at the intermission. The Bills took over at their own 28 in the third quarter and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Baltimore 25. Sean McDermott went for it and Allen gained 4. Yet Allen then threw 3 straight incompletions. Bass hit from 39 to get the Bills within 20-13. The Bills got it back at their own 20. Allen hit Diggs for 23 and Singletary for 14. On 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 40, Allen hit McKenzie for 8. Allen hit Shakir for 14, ran for 7, and then ran again for the 11 yard touchdown. After three quarters the game was tied 20-20. 

Jackson was intercepted in the fourth quarter, but the Bills did not capitalize. The Ravens got it back at their own 5 yard less than 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. Hill ripped off gains of 10 and 12. On 3rd and 8 from his own 34, Jackson hit Andrews for 9. Defensive pass interference added 17 more. Hill tacked on 14. On 3rd and 12 from the Buffalo 28, Jackson scrambled for 18. On 2nd and goal at the one, Dobbins got the carry and lost 3 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Jackson gained 2. With 4:15 to play in regulation, John Harbaugh made the curious decision to go for it on 4th and goal at the 2. A field goal would have give the Ravens the lead, but Harbaugh wanted it all. Jackson went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. 14 plays, 93 yards and 9 1/2 minutes of clock amounted to nothing. 

The Bills soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 28. Allen went deep to Knox for 20. Allen ran for 7 and hit Shakir for 9. Roughing the passer added a critical 15 yards. Allen then hit Singletary for 16. The Ravens took their timeouts on defense but it was too late. On 1st and goal at the one. Allen took a couple of knees to take the clock down to 3 seconds. Bass hit the 21 yard field goal in front of a shellshocked crowd at the Big Crabcake. The Ravens should be 4-0. Instead they are 2-2 after blowing 2 home games with leads of at least 17 points. 20 unanswered points showed that the Bills are a very resilient bunch. 23-20 Bills 

Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys — The Commanders came in having never lost to the Cowboys. The Cowboys were again starting cooper Rush in place of injured Dak Prescott. The Cowboys got on the board first when Brett Maher hit a 53 yard field goal for a 3-0 Cowboys lead. Maher hit again from 45 in the second quarter for a 6-0 Cowboys lead. The Commanders took over at their own 35. From midfield, JD McKissic ran for 33. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 10, Carson Wentz hit Jahan Dotson for the touchdown to make it 7-6 Commanders. 

 The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Rush was intercepted but defensive illegal contact nullified the pick and kept the drive going. On 3rd and 8 from his own 35, Rush hit Michael Gallup for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Washington 41, Ezekiel Elliott gained 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Washington 25, Rush got the yard. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 9, Rush hit Gallup for the touchdown. The extra point try was blocked, but with one minute left in the half the 15 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive made it 12-7 Cowboys. Midway through the third quarter from his own 38, Rush went deep to Brown for 45 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Washington 15, a completion gained only 5 yards. Maher hit the 28 yard field goal to make it 15-7 Cowboys.

The Commanders soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Wentz went deep to Dotson for 31. Williams gained 23. Yet on 2nd and 8 from the Dallas 17, an intentional grounding penalty killed the drive. Slye hit from 45 to get the Commanders within 15-10 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter, the Cowboys salted the game away. A 38 yard defensive pass interference penalty led to Rush hitting Lamb for a 30 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 22-10 Cowboys. The Commanders went 3 straight drives that included turning it over on downs twice sandwiched around an interception. Maher tacked on one more field goal to close out the scoring. The Commanders have never beaten the Cowboys. 25-10 Cowboys

Seattle Seahawks at Detroit Lions — Pete Carroll won a Super Bowl with a defense known as the Legion of Boom. Dan Campbell gives fiery speeches. This game was insane. The Seahawks went right to work after a touchback. Geno Smith hit Will Dissly for 9 and Tyler Lockett for 7. On 3rd and 3 from their own 42, Smith hit Rashaad Penny for 6 and Dissly for 8. On 3rd and 7 just past midfield, Smith ran for 17. Smith hit Parkinson for 15. Smith went to Disney for a 17 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Lions got a break when the Seahawks fumbled a punt and the Lions recovered at the Seattle 32. One play and 7 seconds later, Jared Goff hit TJ Hockenson for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Rams were within 7-6.

After a touchback the Seahawks came right back. Smith hit Lockett for 13 and DK Metcalf for big gains of 23 and 21 with roughing the passer adding 9 more. Smith ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Seahawks. The Lions got another spark on special teams on a Dan Campbell gamble. On 4th and 3 from their own 35, a perfectly executed fake punt saw Fox hit Cephus for 6. Yet 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes yielded only 41 yards. On 1st and 10 from the Seattle 27, a false start was followed by a failed run and a pair of incompletions. Eberle hit the 49 yard field goal to get the Lions within 14-9 early in the second quarter. Eberle then kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to set the Seahawks up at their own 40. They moved to the Detroit 36 when a pair of offensive penalties meant 2nd and 25 just shy of midfield. Pete Carroll played it safe and Smith gained 13 of it back. Jason Myers then nailed a 56 yard field goal to put the Seahawks up 17-9. Five plays later Goff fumbled and the seahawks took over at their own 48. On 2nd and 14, Smith went deep to Metcalf for 42 yards down to the 2. Smith hit Noah Fast for the touchdown and a 24-9 Seahawks lead with 5 minutes left in the half. 

The Lions used all of it in moving 75 yards in 12 plays. On 2nd and 23 from their own 12, Goff went deep to Kennedy for 28. Goff hit Reynolds for 26 down to the one. A pair of runs went nowhere sandwiched around an incompletion. With 3 seconds left in the half, it was 4th and goal at the one. This time the Dan Campbell gamble paid off as Williams got in. Eberle’s terrible game continued as he missed his 2nd extra point. The Lions trailed 24-15 at the break. The Lions got the ball after a third quarter touchback and disaster immediately struck. Goff was intercepted by Tariq Woolen, who returned the pick 40 yards for a touchdown and a 31-15 Seahawks lead. The Seahawks got it back and had a chance to all but put the game away, but Myers missed a 39 yard field goal. 

This time the Lions struck quickly. From their own 29, Goff went to Raymond for 17. Williams raced for a 51 yard touchdown. Goff ran in the 2 point conversion try to get the Lions within 31-23. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Walker got the yard. Penny ran for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 39, Smith hit Metcalf for 9. On 3rd and 16 from the Detroit 36, a give up run went all the way for a touchdown. The defensive meltdown had the Seahawks up 38-23 after three quarters. The fourth quarter was wild.

On the last play of the third quarter, the Lions faced 1st and 20 at their own 15. A short pass from Goff to Hockensen saw him weave through traffic for an 81 yard gain. The fourth quarter began with Goff hitting Reynolds for a 3 yard touchdown. Goff hit Hockensen for the 2 point conversion as the Lions were within 38-31. Yet their defense could not get a stop. The Seahawks moved 68 yards in 10 plays. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 7, Smith threw incomplete. Yet Myers hit a 25 yard field goal to give the Seahawks breathing room up 41-31 with 9 1/2 minutes left. The Lions offense kept coming. After a touchback, Goff hit Reynolds for 15 and Hockensen for 9. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Lions faced 4th and 10 at the Seattle 48. Needing 2 scores, going for it was necessary. Goff hit Kennedy for 17 and Hockensen for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Goff hit Hockensen for the touchdown. The home crowd was elated as the Lions were within 41-38 with a full 5 1/2 minutes left. 

One defensive stop would give the Lions a chance. They could not get the stop. After a touchback, Smith hit Eskrudge for 10. On 3rd and 2 from his own 43, Smith hit Lockett for 11. On 3rd and 5 from Detroit 41 and the Lions defense smelling pass, a run by Penny went for a 41 yard touchdown and a 48-38 Seahawks lead with 2:14 to play. The Lions offense kept coming, and Goff threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Jackson to get the Lions within a field goal again with 1:06 to play. The onside kick failed. With one minute left the Seahawks faced 3rd and 5 at the Detroit 41. One defensive stop was too much to ask of the Detroit defense. Penny gained 7 and Smith kneeled twice to preserve the win. Goff was 26 of 39 for 378 yards, 4 touchdowns, and one interception. Smith was 23 of 30 for 320 yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. The Seahawks gashed the Detroit defense for 235 yards on the ground on 33 carries, led by Penny’s 151 yards on 17 carries. The Lions have the #1 offense in the NFL but are 1-3 because scoring 35 points per game doesn’t win when you give up 35.3 points per game. Pete Carroll is known for defense, but your defense can give up 520 yards and 45 points when your offense puts up 575 yards and 48 points. For fans who love offense, 1,095 yards and 93 points combined made for a great game. 48-45 Seahawks 

Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans — After suffering a humiliating home beatdown by Jacksonville, the Chargers hoped to rebound against the lowly Texans. On the third play from scrimmage on 3rd and 5 from his own 30, Davis Mills was intercepted. Adderly returned the pick 30 yards to the Houston 25. On 3rd and 8, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 3, Justin Herbert, who was playing hurt, hit Gerald Everett for the 18 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers. The Texan failed to get on the board when Kaimi Fairbairn missed a 46 yard field goal by a country mile. The Chargers took over at their own 36. On 3rd and 6, Herbert hit Carter for 14. Kelley gained 6, 5 and 5. Herbert hit Mike Williams for 15. Austin Ekeler ran for 5 and then for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Chargers early in the second quarter. The Chargers got it back and made it look east. On 2nd and 7 from their own 30, Herbert went to Williams for a 50 yard gain. Ekeler then ran for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Chargers. 

One play after a touchback, the Texans were on the board. Dameon Pierce raced for a 75 yard touchdown to get the Texans within 21-7. The Chargers from their own 18 embarked on a 10 play, 77 yard, 5 minute drive. On 1st and goal at the 6, a fumble lost 5 yards and killed the drive. Dustin Hopkins hit a 23 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Chargers. After a touchback the texans moved to a 4th and 1 at the Chargers 24. Love Smith gambled and Davis Mills was sacked. The Chargers moved from their own 32 to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 14. gain, the red zone was the end as a false start hobbled that drive. Hopkins hit again from 37 as the Chargers had a comfortable 27-7 lead at the midpoint.

Late in the third quarter the Texans took over at their own 13. On 3rd and 7 from their own 34, Mills went deep to Cooks for 20 and to Akins for 30. Mills hit Rex Burkhead for an 8 yard touchdown as the Texans only trailed 27-14 after three quarters. The Texans got it back at their own 7 and soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 11. Mills hit Burkhead for 13, Collins deep for 58, and Cooks for the 18 yard touchdown. With 10 minutes left in regulation the Texans were right back in it down 27-21. The Chargers fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Texans recovered at the Chargers 16 with a golden chance to take the lead. Yet on 2nd and 7, Mills was sacked and fumbled for a big loss. Fairbairn hit from 40 to have the Texans within 27-24 with 8 1/2 minutes left in the game.

The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 24. Herbert hit William for 13. On 4th and 2 from their own 45, Brandon Staley made a major gamble. With the game on the line and 5 1/2 minutes left, he risked giving the Texans a short field and the chance at a tying field goal. Herbert hit Ekeler for 21. On 3rd and 6 from the Houston 30 with 3:16 left, Herbert hit Mike Williams for 11. Herbert hit Ekeler for a 14 yard touchdown with 2 1/2 minutes left to ice the game. Mills threw one more interception for good measure. 34-24 Chargers 

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts — After an emotional home win over Kansas City, the Colts came out flat at home against Tennessee. After moving from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Tennessee 45, a pair of incompletions and a false start was followed by Matt Ryan getting sacked and fumbled. The Titans took over at the Indianapolis 32. On 3rd and 6, Ryan Tannehill gained 9. Derrick Henry added 12. Tannehill hit Robert Woods for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. The Titans got it back and soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Tannehill went to Austin Hooper for 4 and Henry for 22 more. Tannehill then went to Okonkwo for 23. Henry ran for a 19 yard touchdown to put the Titans up 14-0 after the first quarter. 

The Colts after a touchback moved to a 2nd and goal at the 4 but Ryan threw incomplete twice. Chase McLaughlin hit the 27 yard field goal in the second quarter to get the Colts on the board. Randy Bullock countered from 44 to make it 17-3 Titans. Ryan was quickly intercepted to set the Titans up at the Indy 28. Tannehill hit Okonkwo for the 8 yard touchdown to make it 24-3 Titans. The Colts tried to make a comeback. Ryan hit Mo Alie-Cox for a 14 yard touchdown before the half to get the Colts within 24-10. Ryan connected with Cox again for a 7 yard touchdown as the Colts only trailed by 7 midway through the third quarter. With 8:40 left in regulation the Colts had 3rd and 1 at the Tennessee 24. Jonathan Taylor got the yard but then fumbled and the Titans recovered. With 4 minutes left the Colts had another chance with 1st and 10 at the Tennessee 22.  short pass lost 3 yards and then Ryan was sacked. On 4th and 21, a 51 yard field goal try was no good. With 1:49 left the Titans faced 3rd and 4 at their own 47. Tannehill hit Okonkwo for 7 yards and then took 3 knees. 24-17 Titans

Chicago Bears at New York Giants — Somehow both of these teams were 2-1. The bears from their own 24 mounted a 10 play, 65 yard, nearly 5 1/2minute drive. On 3rd and 7 from the Giants 11, Justin Fields threw incomplete. Mike Badly hit the 29 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bears. After a touchback, Saquon Barkley ripped off gains of 18 and 9 yards. Daniel Jones ran for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Giants. The Bears from their own 19 moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Giants 5. Khalil Herbert gained only one yard. Badly hit again from 24 as the Bears got within 7-6. In the second quarter the Bears from their own 20 moved 53 yards in 10 plays. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Giants 27, Fields was sacked and fumbled the ball away. From his own 25, Barkley ran for 29 and Jones hit Hudson for 18. On 3rd and 9 from the Chicago 27, Jones hit Barkley for 15. Jones ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Giants. The rest of the game was a slog. Badly hit from 40 late in the half and from 35 early in the third quarter to get the Bears within 14-12. Yet their inability to reach the end zone was their undoing. Graham Gano hit from 44 late in the third quarter and from 43 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation to put the Giants up by 8. Gano missed from 37 with 21 seconds left, but with 3 seconds left the Bears were still 67 yards away. The hook and laterals were fumbled away as the Giants got to 3-1 the ugly way. 20-12 Giants

Jacksonville Jaguars at Philadelphia Eagles — The Jaguars went on the road last week and gave the Chargers a beating. Now Doug Pederson faced off against his old team that was unbeaten under Kevin Siriani. Early on it was all Jaguars as it looked like they would keep rolling. Jalen Hurts had a pass intercepted by Cisco, who returned it 59 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 7-0 Jaguars lead. The Jaguars got it back and soon fced 3rd and 5 at their own 25. Trevor Lawrence went to Jamal Agnew for 24 and Arnold for 26. On 2nd and 5 from the Philadelphia 20, Robinson gained 11 and fumbled, but the Jaguars maintained possession at the Philadelphia 3 yard line. Lawrence hit Agnew for a 4 yard touchdown as the Jaguars led 14-0. Siriani gambled on 4th and 3 from the Jacksonville 40 but Hurts threw incomplete. Early in the second quarter Pederson gambled on 4th and 3 from the Philadelphia 34. Lawrence was sacked for a 14 yard loss and fumbled. The Eagles took over at their own 43, at which point momentum drastically shifted.

Hurts hit AJ Brown for 18 and Dallas Goedert for 26. On 4th and goal at the 3, Kevin Siriani again gambled. This time Hurts scrambled up the middle for the touchdown o get the Eagles within 14-7. The Eagles got it back at their own 29. Miles Sanders ripped off gains of 8, 13, 5 and 4. Sermon gained 14. Sanders ran for  10 yard touchdown to tie the game 14-14 with 4 minutes left in the half. 3 plays later with the Jaguars facing 3rd and 1 at their own 34, Lawrence fumbled again and the Eagles took over at the Jacksonville 35. Hurts hit Brown for 13 at the 2 minute warning. Sanders ran for 10. On 4th and 1 from the Jags 12 with 1:10 left, Sirianni went for it again. Hurts gained 2. Kenneth Gainwell ran for a 10 yard touchdown.  The extra point was no good but the Eagles led 20-14 at the intermission.

Turnovers kept killing the Jaguars. After moving from their own 28 to a 2nd and 7 at the Philadelphia 16, Lawrence was intercepted. The Eagles moved from their own 12 to a 3rd and 8 at the Jacksonville 10 early in the fourth quarter. Hurts threw incomplete. Elliott hit from 28 to make it 23-14 Eagles. Three plays later Lawrence was sacked and fumbled again to set up the Eagles at the Jags 24. On 3rd and 3 from the Jags 5, Sanders ran it in. 29 unanswered points had the Eagles up 29-14 with 9 minutes left in regulation. 

The Jaguars moved from their own 32 quickly. Lawrence hit Christian Kirk for 15. On 3rd and 10 from their own 47, Lawrence found Kirk deep for 45 yards. Lawrence went to Agnew for an 8 yard touchdown to get the Jaguars within 8 midway through the fourth quarter. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 4th and 3 at the Jacksonville 21 with 1:54 left in the game. . A field goal would lock up the win. This time Siriani gambled needlessly. Hurts threw incomplete. Yet it was deja vu all over again as Lawrence was sacked and fumbled again. Lawrence had a miserable game, with 4 lost fumbles and an interception. Doug Pederson failed to beat the team that fired him. Meanwhile, the Eagles at 4-0 are the only unbeaten team in the NFL. 29-21 Eagles 

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers — Zach Wilson returned. An early interception of Mitchell Trubisky set up the Jets at the Pittsburgh 36. Yet on 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 26, a completion gained only 6 yards. Greg Zuerlein hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. The Jets got it back and soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 33. Wilson hit Moore for 20. On the first play of the second quarter, Wilson went to Moore again for 28 more yards. Robert Saleh went to the bag of tricks as Wilson went from quarterback to receiver and Braxton Berrios went from receiver to quarterback. Berrios hit Wilson for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Jets. Momentum then changed.

Boswell hit a 51 yard field goal in the second quarter to get the Steelers on the board. With 20 seconds left in the half, the Jets faced 3rd and 11 from the Pittsburgh 29. A 47 yard field goal would make it 13-3 Jets, but Zuerlein never got the chance. Wilson was intercepted by Sutton, who returned the pick 26 yards to set the Steelers up at their own 30. Trubisky then hit Pat Freiermuth for 14. With 9 seconds left in the half, the Steelers were at their own 44. Then things got crazy. Trubisky went deep and was intercepted at the goal line by Whitehead. Whitehead returned the interception to his own 30 and lateraled the ball, A couple of laterals later, the Jets finally got stopped at the Pittsburgh 32. Yet all of that was for naught. A mindless roughing the passer call on the Jets gave the Steelers one untimed down from the Jets 41. Mike Tomlin went with Boswell, who leveled a 59 yard field goal at the gun to have the Steelers within 10-6. 

Despite the closeness of the game, Mike Tomlin made a major change at halftime that was inevitable. Trubisky was benched and rookie Kenny Pickett saw his first action. The normally conservative Tomlin gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 31 on Pickett’s very first drive early in the third quarter. Pickett gained 2. Pickett then threw his first NFL interception. The Jets faced 3rd and 6 at their own 30 and Wilson gave it right back. Minkah Fitzpatrick returned the interception 34 yards to the Jets 4 yard line. On 3rd and goal at the one, Pickett scored his first touchdown to make it 13-10 Steelers. The Steelers got it back at their own 18. Pickett hit Freiermuth for 14. Najee Harris ran for 16. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 48, Pickett ran for 7. On 3rd and 4 from the Jets 35, Pickett hit Pickens for 13. The fourth quarter began with the Steelers facing 3rd and 8 at the Jets 20. Pickett hit Freiermuth for 18 and then ran for the 2 yard touchdown. 20 unanswered points had the Steelers up 20-10 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Jets soon faced 3rd and 6 at the Jets 23. Wilson went to his non-relative teammate Wilson for a 35 yard gain. On 4th and 7 from the Pittsburgh 39 and down by 10, Robert Saleh decided to go for it rather than try a 57 yard field goal. Wilson hit Davis for 22. Hall ran for 16. 1st and goal at the one after consecutive offensive penalties moved the Jets back to the 11. Yet on 3rd and goal from the 5, Wilson hit Corey Davis for the touchdown. The Jets were within 20-17 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback, the Steelers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Jets 31 looking to close out the game. Pickett fumbled but the Steelers retained possession. Pickett was then intercepted to set up the Jets at their own 35 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Wilson hit Davis for 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 46 at the 2 minute warning, Wilson hit Conklin for 8. Wilson found Davis again for 17. Breece Hall ran for 7 and the Jets took their first timeout. 16 seconds remained and the Jets had 2nd and goal at the 2. Hall ran it in for the touchdown in front of a shocked home crowd at Heinz Field. After a touchback, Pickett hit Pickens for 27 yards to the Jets 48. With 8 seconds left, Pickett’s Hail Mary reached the goal line but was intercepted. Mike Tomlin after the game said he saw enough from Pickett to make him the starter going forward. Yet it was the Jets who got the very gutsy road win. 24-20 Jets

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers — Matt Rhule gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 39 and Christian McCaffrey got stopped cold. Kliff Kingsbury then gambled on4th and 1 from the Carolina 10 and Moore lost 4 yards in a scoreless first quarter. Early in the second quarter 3rd and 6 form his own 31, Murray was intercepted by Frankie Luvu. Luvu returned the pick 33 yards for a defensive touchdown and a  7-0 Panthers lead. Kingsbury then gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 42 and a run lost 13 yards and resulted in a fumble that Murray somehow managed to turn into an incompletion. The Panthers then from the Arizona 32 fumbled the ball back in this hideously bad game. Matt Prater did manage a 33 yard field goal for the Cardinals. Baker Mayfield threw an interception that led to no points. Eddie Pineiro hit a 54 yard field goal to end the half with the Panthers up 10-3. 

Early in the third quarter the Cardinals faced 3rd and 1 at their own 20. After being bottled up the entire first half, Murray gained 2 and then found Zach Ertz for 23. A defensive pass interference penalty added 37 more yards. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Murray hit Ertz for the touchdown to tie the game 10-10. The Cardinals got it back at their own 22. On the first play of the fourth quarter the Cardinals faced 1st and goal at the 10. An offensive unnecessary roughness penalty resulted in an Arizona player getting disqualified. An offensive holding call killed the drive. Matt Prater hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Cardinals. On the first play after a touchback, Mayfield was intercepted by Gardecki, who returned the pick 24 yards to the Carolina 5. Murray ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Cardinals. Matt Rhule gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 31 and Mayfield threw incomplete. On 3rd and 2, Murray hit Marquise Brown for a 23 yard touchdown as 23 unanswered points had the Cardinals up 26-10. The Panthers did score one more touchdown with 5 minutes left but the onside kick failed and the Cardinals ran out the clock. 26-16 Cardinals

New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers — 25 years ago, Desmond Howard propelled the Packers to Brett Favre’s only Super Bowl trophy as Walrus Mike Holmgren out-dueled Bill Parcells. Now it was the legendary understudies as Aaron Rodgers took on Bill Belichick. Mac Jones was out injured and Brian Hoyer got the start. After a touchback, Jones led a 10 play, 56 yard, 5 minute drive. 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 19 saw a pair of runs gain nothing and Hoyer throw incomplete. Nick Folk hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots. 10 minutes into the game, a sack of Hoyer saw him leave the game with a head injury. Rookie third string quarterback Bailey Zappe played the rest of the way. 

A field position game saw a horse collar tackle on a punt to give the Packers the ball at midfield. Aaron Jones had runs of 10 and 5. On 3rd and 2 from the New England 32 to start the second quarter, Jones ran for 7 and 10. Christian Watson ran for a 15 yard touchdown. Without a single pass on the drive, the Packers led 7-3. With one minute left in the half on 1st and 10 from the Green Bay 22, Zappe was sacked and fumbled. With 13 seconds left in the half, the Packers faced 3rd and 9 from their own 32. A run up the middle would end the half. Yet Matt LaFleur called a pass play. Jack Jones intercepted Rodgers and returned the pick 40 yards for a touchdown and a 10-7 Patriots lead in front of a stunned crowd at the Big Cheesehead. 

Rodgers rebounded to start the third quarter. On 3rd and 10 from his own 19, Rodgers went deep to Alan Lazard for 32. Jones gained 12. On 3rd and 2 from the New England 29, AJ Dillon only gained one. Matt LaFleur gambled on 4th and one. Jones gained 17. On 2nd and 19 from the New England 20 after offensive holding, Rodgers hit Robert Tonyan for the touchdown to cap the 10 play, 81 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 14-10 Packers. After a touchback, Zappe hit Kendrick Bourne for 16. A sack was eradicated by defensive unnecessary roughness. Harris gashed the defense for gains of 5, 14, 7 and 4. On 1st and 15 from the Green Bay 25, Zappe went to DeVante Parker for the touchdown. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the fourth lead change of the game had the Patriots up 17-14. The Packers moved from their own 21 to a 3rd and 4 at the New England 21. A completion gained only one yard. Mason Crosby hit a 38 yard field goal on the last play of the third quarter tied the game 17-17.

The Patriots began the fourth quarter at their own 34. This time it was Raimondre Stevenson powering over the opposing defense for gains of 12, 5, 17 and 2. Zappe then went to Nelson Agholor for 21. Damien Harris ran for 4 and then for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 24-17 with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Packers faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Rodgers went deep to Randall Cobb for 24 Dillon caught a pass from Rodgers for 11 and then ran for 13 more. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 13, Rodgers hit Romeo Doubs for the touchdown. With 6 minutes left, the game was tied again 24-24. The defenses dug in, sent the game to overtime, and saw both offenses go 3 and out on their opening overtime possession. The Packers took over at their own 10. Rodgers hit Lazard for 22.On 3rd and 1 from his own 44, Rodgers hit Cobb for 11 and Doubs for 8 and 9. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 21, Dillon gained 7. The Packers moved 77 yards in 12 plays and took all of the final 6:47 left in overtime. On the final play of overtime, Crosby came in for a 31 yard field goal try. Crosby was good as the Packers got to 3-1 and dropped the Patriots to 1-3 on the year. 27-24 Packers

Denver Broncos at Las Vegas Raiders — Last year Jon Gruden got the Raiders off to a 3-0 start. Rich Bisaccia held the team together and willed a 6-7 team to a 4-0 finish, a playoff berth, and 9 yards from a road playoff win. His reward was to be forced out in favor of Josh McDaniels, who has never won as a head coach anywhere. The Raiders went 4-0 in the preseason for the first time in their history, which meant nothing when they started 0-3 in the regular season. McDaniels faced off against the original team that fired him, the Broncos. The Raiders keep losing because McDaniels is a West Coast Offense dink and dunker who refuses to run the ball in running situations. In this game, McDaniels unleashed Josh Jacobs. Yet in key running situations, McDaniels still refused to feed Jacobs. The 3 big problems the Raiders face are abandoning power running, bogging down in the red zone due to that abandoning of the run, and a secondary that is still a sieve. This game featured all 3 of those problems. 

The Raiders took over at their own 32 and moved 60 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. Yet on 2nd and 4 from the Denver 7, Jacobs lost a yard. On 3rd and 5, Derek Carr threw incomplete. Daniel Carlson hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders, but it was another missed opportunity. On their next drive, a sack of Carr had the Raiders punting on 4th and 21 from their own 2. AJ Cole’s punt was returned 30 yards to set the Broncos up at the Raiders 34. Russell Wilson immediately went deep to Saubert for 25. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Wilson hit Cortland Sutton for the touchdown and the 7-3 Broncos lead.

After a touchback, Carr hit Jacobs for 12. Jacobs ran for 3 and Carr added 7. They took turns again as Jacobs gained 9 and Carr added 2 more. In the second quarter, Carr hit Davante Adams for 9. Jacobs was a beast, running for 4, 3, and the 10 yard touchdown to finish the 11 play, 75 yard, 6minute drive and make it 10-7 Raiders. Josh McDaniels tried a surprise onside kick that did not work, setting up the Broncos at the Raiders 48. On 3rd and 6, Wilson went deep to Jerry Jeudy for 32. An illegal shift had the Broncos going backward. Brandon McManus hit the 28 yard field goal for a 10-10 game.

A 20 yard punt return gave the Broncos the ball back at their own 48. With 4 minutes left in the half the Broncos faced 4th and 1 at the Raiders 43. Nathaniel Hackett decided to go for it and Williams gained 2. Yet craziness ensued on the next play. Melvin Gordon got the carry and got hit and fumbled. The ball bounced straight to Amik Robertson, who weaved through traffic, found a convoy of blockers, and rumbled for a 68 yard defensive touchdown. With 3:15 left in the half, the Raiders had a 16-10 lead. Yet they could not handle prosperity. Carlson missed the extra point. After a touchback, Williams ran for 9 and 13. On 2nd and 12 from his own 45, Wilson went deep to Hinton for 35 and then to Jeudy for a 20 yard touchdown. Just like that, the game was tied 16-16. McManus also missed his extra point, making it a wash. 

After a touchback, 1:24 remained in the half. Runs and short passes had the Raiders facing 1st and 10 at the Denver 41 with 17 seconds left. Carr lit up the home crowd at the Death Star as he scrambled for a 20 yard gain. Carlson nailed the 39 yard field goal as the Raiders took a 19-16 lead to the locker rooms. Midway through the third quarter the Raiders took over and moved 77 yards in 10 plays. They had 1st and goal at the one. Jacobs got the carry and lost 2 yards. Yet he should have been given the ball again. Instead, McDaniels once again abandoned the run. Carr threw incomplete twice. Carlson hit from 22 to put the Raiders up 22-16 after three quarters, but they kept missing out on chances to put the game away. A great punt had the Broncos pinned at their own one yard line to start the fourth quarter. They punted it back and the Raiders had great field position just shy of midfield. Carr hit Adams for 13 and breakout star Mack Hollins for 16. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 16, McDaniels called another one of his West Coast Offense dink and dunk passes rather than throw past the first down marker. A 3 yard completion meant 4th and 1 at the Denver 13. It was hard to argue with McDaniels opting for the field goal. Carlson hit from 30 as his fourth field goal on the day made it 25-16 Raiders early in the fourth quarter.

Yet too many field goals and not enough touchdowns appeared to bite the raiders again. The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Wilson ran for 13. With 8 1/2 minutes left, connective offensive holding calls had the Broncos facing 1st and 30 at their own 19. That should have ended things, but the Raiders do not close out games. Wilson threw incomplete, but the defense had too many men on the field. On 1st and 25, Wilson hit Sutton for 18 and then went deep to Hamler for a 55 yard gain. On the next play, Wilson got in for the 3 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Broncos were right back in it down 25-23. This was a typical Raiders game, where the offense would stop running the ball, the offense would then sputter, and the exhausted defense would break down. 

The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Carr again used his legs to gain 9. On 2nd and 13, Carr hit Adams for 17. Josh McDaniels then did what fans have been screaming at him to do. He used his bell cow Jacobs to finish things. Jacobs is a bruiser, an absolute battering ram. He ran for 11, 5 and 3. The Broncos took  a defensive timeout with 3 minutes left as the Raiders faced 3rd and 2 at the Denver 29. This time it was rookie Zamir White getting the carry and rushing for 22 yards. Then at the 2 minute warning, Jacobs barreled in for a 7 yard touchdown. 5 straight runs gave the Raiders a 9 point lead. With 1:44 left on 4th and 5 from his own 30, Wilson threw incomplete. Jacobs ran for 6 and 2 as the Broncos took their timeouts on defense. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 22, Jacobs got the carry again and gained the 2 yards. Carr took a couple knees. 

Last week the Raiders were the only 0-3 team in the NFL, a feat not achieved since Detroit in 1959 one year before the Raiders existed as a franchise. This week they finally got a win. It was revenge for Josh McDaniels agains the team that fired him, similar to his emotional win as Broncos coach over New England and his former boss Bill Belichick. That win had McDaneils at 6-0 in Denver. After that he went 5-17 and was fired after less than 2 years. McDaniels is still too reliant on dinking and dunking. He rarely ever goes for the bomb that Al Davis loved. Yet McDaniels finally pounded the rock. The Raiders ran the ball a whopping 38 times for 212 yards, led by bell cow Jacobs gaining 144 yards on 28 carries. This was power football. If McDaniels keeps doing this, the Raiders will win games. If not, they will not. 32-23 Raiders

Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the Sunday night game. This game almost had to be relocated. Hurricane Ian was supposed to make a direct hit on Tampa, but at the last moment ended up striking South of Tampa in Fort Myers, bypassing Tampa, and hitting East of Tampa in Orlando. The game went on as scheduled in Raymond James Stadium. Last week Tom Brady faced Aaron Rodgers for the last time. This week Brady battled Patrick Mahomes. Brady got the better of Mahomes in the 2018 AFC Title Game and the 2020 Super Bowl. This time, before Brady could take the field, the Buccaneers fumbled away the opening kickoff to set the Chiefs up at the Tampa Bay 21. Two plays later Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Buccaneers moved from their own 28 to a 3rd and 4 at the Kansas City 28. A completion gained only one yard. Ryan Succop hit from 45 to get the Buccaneers on the scoreboard. 

The Chiefs took over at their own 21. Mahomes hit Kelce for 12. On 3rd and 1 from their own 42, Mahomes hit Juju Smith-Schuster for 4. On 3rd and 10 from his own 46, Mahomes hit Kelce for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa 32, Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 20. Mahomes ran for 9. Edwards-Helaire ran for the 3 yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 79 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 14-3 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back and faced 1st and 15 at their own 13. Mahomes hit Smith-Schuster for 13 and Kelce for 7. The second quarter began with the Chiefs facing 3rd and 2 at their own 41. Mahoems ran for 7 and then went deep to Marques Valdez-Scantling for 36. On 3rd and 2 from the Tampa Bay 8, Mahomes hit Kelce for 6. Mahomes hit Edwards-Helaire for the 2 yard touchdown to have the Chiefs up big 21-3.

After a touchback, Brady hit White for 11, Mike Evans for 30, Cameron Brate for 11, White for 10, and Evans for a 13 yard touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 21-10. The Chiefs moved from their own 26 to a 2nd and 1 at the Tampa 34. A pair of runs went nowhere and Walrus Andy Reid went for it. On 4th and 1, Mahomes threw incomplete. Yet one play later, Brady was sacked and fumbled. The Chiefs got it back at the Tampa 20. On 3rd and 7, Mahomes ran for just enough. On 3rd and goal at the one, Noah Gray got in for a 28-10 Chiefs lead with 2:11 left in the half. 

After a touchback, Brady quickly moved the Buccaneers 75 yards in 12 plays. On 3rd and 2 from his own 33, Brady hit Brate for jus enough. On 3rd and 5 from his own 40, Brady hit Jones for 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 32, Brady hit Evans for 16. Defensive pass interference added 15 more down to the one. With 10 seconds left in the half, Brady hit Evans for the touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 28-17. After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Chiefs moved to a 3rd and 6 from the Tampa 26. Mahomes threw incomplete. Wright hit the 44 yard field goal to make it 31-17 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 35. Mahomes hit Smith-Schuster for 9 and Valdes-Scantling for 25. On 3rd and 5 from the Tampa 21, Mahomes hit Moore for 16. Mahomes hit Jody Fortson for a 10 yard touchdown and a big 38-17 Chiefs lead. 

After a touchback, Brady hit Evans for 7 and 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Kansas City 41, Brady hit Rachaad White for a pair of 9 yard gains and Kieft for 19. On 3rd and goal at the one, White got in to get the Buccaneers within 38-24 after three quarters. The ensuing kickoff was kicked out of bounds to set the Chiefs up at their own 40 as the third quarter ended. The Chiefs moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Tampa 14, Mahomes threw incomplete. Wright hit the 32 yard field goal to give the Chiefs a safe 41-24 lead with 11 minutes left in regulation. With 5 minutes left in regulation on 3rd and 5 from midfield, an interception of Mahomes was returned 33 yards to the Chiefs 34. Brady hit Leonard Fournette for a 5 yard touchdown. The Buccaneers were within 10 with 3 1/2 minutes left but would get no closer. Brady was 39 of 52 for 385 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, but most of that was playing catchup. Mahomes had pedestrian numbers by comparison with 249 passing yards, but that was because the once pass-happy Andy Reid ran the ball 37 times for 189 yards. 41-31 Chiefs  

Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers was the Monday night game. The 49ers came in having beaten the Rams 6 straight times in the regular season. Yet in last year’s NFC Title Game, the 49ers blew a 17-7 lead late as the Rams gutted out a 20-17 win en route to winning it all. This was another tough physical matchup. The Rams after a touchback held the ball for over 8 minutes. Yet 14 plays netted only 54 yards. On 2nd and 9 from the San Francisco 18, a sack of Matthew Stafford killed the drive. Matt Gay hit a 39 yard field goal for a 3-0 Rams lead. After a touchback, Jimmy Garoppolo hit Brandon Aiyuk for 15. On 3rd and 9 from his own 41, Garoppolo hit Jennings for 10. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 44. , Garoppolo hit Jennings for 12. Jeff Wilson ripped off a 32 yard touchdown run for a 7-3 49ers lead. In the second quarter the Rams moved from their own 35 to a 1st and goal at the 9. A short pass lost 2 yards and Stafford threw incomplete twice. Gay hit from 29 to get the Rams within 7-6.

The best hit of the game was delivered by the Rams Bobby Wagner, but it was not directed at any of the 49ers. A leftist animal rights zealot ran onto the field spraying a pink chemical to protest some nonsensical social cause that has nothing to do with football. Protesters are a threat to the safety of the players and everyone else, but they also provide the players with an opportunity. Football is controlled rage. Players have to stop hitting when the whistle blows. With a protester, there is no whistle and no need to control the rage. Wagner got a running start and gave laid the protester out with all the force of his legendary days leading Seattle’s vaunted Legion of Boom. Very little unites the 49ers and Rams, but players and fans of both teams appreciated Wagner blasting the daylights out of the protester. If that hit makes other protesters skip football games, it will benefit football. 

As for the game itself, it was the 49ers delivering most of the hits to the Rams players. On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Garoppolo gained 3. On 3rd and 3 from their own 43, Garoppolo hit Deebo Samuel, who went video pinball wizard all over the field for a 57 yard touchdown and a 14-6 49ers lead. In the third quarter the Rams took over at their own 18. A staggering 16 play, 75 yard drive ate up 8 minutes, but again the Rams could not finish the drive. On 1st and goal at the 7, Stafford threw 3 straight incompletions. Gay hit from 26 to get the Rams within 14-9, but that was it. The 49ers moved from their own 27 to a second and goal at the one. A run got stopped and a touchdown pass was reversed to an incompletion. On 4th and goal at the one, Kyle Shanahan ignored the crowd and played it safe. The fourth quarter began with Robbie Gould hitting a 25 yard field goal to make it 17-9 49ers. Gould would miss from 42, but it didn’t matter. Stafford was intercepted by Talanoa Hufanga, who returned the pick 52 yards for the exclamation point touchdown. At the 2 minute warning, Stafford was sacked and fumbled. Efficient offense and a relentless defense gave the 49ers their 7th straight regular season win over the Rams and revenge for the playoff loss. 24-9 Rams

eric