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