NFL 2022 Week 11 Recap
Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers was the Thursday night game. The Packers snapped their five game losing streak last week but the Titans are winning games with pure smash mouth football. The Titans started out facing 3rd and 7 at their own 20, Ryan Tannehill went deep to Burks for 43 yards. Derrick Henry ran for 9 and 3. Tannehill went to Austin Hooper for 8 and to Dontrell Hilliard for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. The Packers took over at their own 22, Aaron Jones gained 9 and 4. Aaron Rodgers went to Randal Cobb for 24. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 32, Jones gained 4, fumbled, and recovered his own fumble for 3 more. Rodgers went to Robert Tonyan for 10. On 3rd and 9 from the Tennessee 14, Rodgers went to Christian Watson for the touchdown to cap the 11 play, 87 yard, 7 minute drive. Mason Crosby’s extra point was blocked as the Packers trailed 7-6.
The Titans began the second quarter at their own 33 and embarked on a mind-numbing drive. 18 plays. 61 yards. 10 minutes off the clock. Mike Vrabel went for it on 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 4. Henry got the carry and got tackled for a 2 yard loss as the Titans came up empty. Despite the goal line stand, the Packers went 3 and out and gave the ball back to the Titans for a short field at the Green Bay 41. On 3rd and 7 from the Green Bay 26, Tannehill hit Robert Woods for 9. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 10, Tannehill hit Burks for 6. Henry ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Titans.
In the third quarter the Packers took over at their own 28. They moved 51 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 7 from the Tennessee 17, Jones lost 4 yards. Rodgers threw incomplete. Crosby hit from 39 to get the Packers within 14-9. The Titans took over at their own 9. Tannehill went deep to Okonkwo for 31 and to Henry for 42 more. On 2nd and goal at the 3, Mike Vrabel went to the bag of tricks. Derrick Henry took the handoff and threw the halfback option pass to Hooper for the touchdown. Josh Lambo’s extra point try doinked off the upright no good but the Titans led 20-9.
The Packers took over at their own 31. Rodgers went to Cobb for 28. On 3rd and 3 from the Tennessee 31, Rodgers went to Allen Lazard for 23. Rodgers went to Watson for an 8 yard touchdown. Rodgers went to Jones for the 2 point conversion as the Packers only trailed 20-17 late in the third quarter. The Titans took over at their own 37. Tannehill went to Woods for 32 and Westbrook-Ikhine for 9. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Tannehill went to Hooper for a 16 yard touchdown to give the Titans breathing room up 10. Midway through the fourth quarter the Packers had 4th and 3 at the Titans 37. Needing 2 scores, Matt LaFleur opted to go for it rather than try a 55 yard field goal. Rodgers threw incomplete. With 2:12 to play, the Packers faced 4th and 1 at the Tennessee 44. Jones got the carry and got stopped cold by the Tennessee defense. The Titans are 7-3 on the year and winning with pure power football. 27-17 Titans
Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons began facing 3rd and 1 at their own 34. The Bears jumped into the neutral zone. Marcus Mariota then went to Pitts for 16. Tyler Allgeier gained 13. Mariota hit Hodge for 13. Mariota threw a 2 yard touchdown to London to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Falcons. A 55 yard kickoff return had the Bears starting at the Atlanta 44. Justin Fields hit David Montgomery for 9. Montgomery then ran for a pair of 4 yard gains. Fields ran for 9. Fields went to Darnell Mooney, who made a leaping catch in the end zone corner for a 16 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game.
In the second quarter the Bears moved from their own 30 to a 3rd and 5 at the Atlanta 22. Fields lost a yard. Cairo Santos hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Bears. A Cordarelle Patterson fumble set the Bears up at the Atlanta 29. On 3rd and 6, Fields went to St. Brown for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 6, Fields gained 2 and then ran for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Bears. 13 seconds later, the game was close again as Patterson atoned in the biggest way possible. He took the ensuing kickoff straight up the middle and outraced everyone for a 103 yard return touchdown to get the Falcons within 17-14. With 1:14 left in the half, Santos, who had been perfect all year, missed a 56 yard field goal try. The ensuing great field position allowed Younghoe Koo to hit a 40 yard field goal for a 17-17 tie at the half.
With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Falcons took over at their own 39. Mariota went to Pruitt for 17. Zaccheaus gained 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Chicago 29, Mariota threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 more yards. Mariota ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 24-17 Falcons. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Fields hit Chase Claypool for 6. The Bears began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 3 at their own 45. Fields hit Cole Kmet for 5. Fields went deep to Montgomery for 32. On 3rd and 12 from the Atlanta 20, Fields went to St. Brown for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Fields threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the 2. David Montgomery got in to culminate the 13 play, 75 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive and tie the game 24-24 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback, the Falcons moved 40 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 2 from the Chicago 44 with 3 1/2 minutes left, Arthur Smith went big and bold and went for it. Patterson gained 6. With 1:47 left, Koo came in for a 53 yard field goal try to give the Falcons the lead. Koo was good. 3 plays later on 3rd and 5 from his own 30, Fields was intercepted. 27-24 Falcons
Carolina Panthers at Baltimore Ravens — a boring game with wind conditions saw Justin Tucker hit a 32 yard field goal on the last play of the half for the Ravens. Eddie Pineiro hit from 32 in the third quarter for a 3-3 game. The fourth quarter began with the Ravens at their own 14. The moved 67 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Tucker hit from 37 to make it 6-3 Ravens with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Two plays after a touchback, the key play was a fumble by the Panthers that the Ravens recovered at the Carolina 31. Kenyan Drake ran for 29. Lamar Jackson got the last yard to lock up the win and get the Ravens to 7-3 on the year. Baker Mayfield threw 2 late interceptions for good measure. 13-3 Ravens
Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills — A snowstorm in Buffalo used to make for winter wonderland football conditions and magical games. Now the sissies in charge of the NFL decided to earn their No Fun League reputation by moving the game to Detroit inside a dome. After an oping touchback Jacoby Brissett went to Nick Chubb for 17. On 3rd and 11 from their own 41, Brissett scrambled for a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and 11 from the Buffalo 38, Brissett went to Amari cooper for 16. Brissett went to the corner of the end zone for Cooper, who made the catch for the 25 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. A 28 yard punt return had the Bills eventually taking over at the Cleveland 32. On 2nd and 2, a run went nowhere and Josh Allen then threw incomplete. Tyler Bass hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Bills within 7-3. The Browns moved from their own 35 to a 1st and goal at the 8 to start the second quarter. Chubb took the direct snap and was tackled for a 6 yard loss. Brissett threw incomplete twice. Cade York hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Browns.
The Browns got it back at their own 10 and moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Buffalo 47. Brissett fumbled the snap and the Bills recovered as momentum changed.
The Bills moved from their own 48 to a 1st and 10 at the Cleveland 14. Devin Singletary gained 13 down to the one, but offensive holding killed the drive. Bass hit from 36 to get the Bills within 10-6. The Bills got it back at their own 22 with 1:54 left in the half. Allen hit Knox for 9 and 7 and Greg Davis for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 7, Singletary gained 2. With 14 seconds left in the half, Allen hit Stefan Diggs for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 13-10 Bills. In the third quarter the Bills moved from their own 26 to a 2nd and 4 at the Cleveland 26. An end around was blown up for an 8 yard loss. Bass nailed a 56 yarder to make it 16-10 Bills After a touchback, the Browns moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Buffalo 27. Brissett kept it up the middle and got stopped for no gain. Kevin Stefanski gambled on 4th and 1. Brissett kept it again and ran into a Buffalo brick wall again for no gain. Allen went to Davis for 17 and Knox for 23. Singletary gained 13 and then ran for the 5 yard touchdown The 2 point try failed but the Bills led 22-10. After the Browns missed a field goal, Bass hit fourth quarter field goals of 49 and 28 as 25 unanswered points put the Bills up 28-10 with 6:45 to play. The Browns managed another touchdown with 4 minutes left. The Bills tacked on a field goal. By the time the Browns got their last garbage touchdown with only 19 seconds left to make the score look far more respectable than it was. The onside kick failed. The Bills got to 7-3 on the year. 31-23 Bills
Washington Commanders at Houston Texans — The Commanders started 1-4 but are now 5-5 after going on the road and shocking previously unbeaten Philadelphia. After beating the best team in the league, now they had to avoid a hangover at the worst team in the league. 2 minutes into the game, Davis Mills completed a pass to Kyle Fuller, who plays defense for the Commanders. Fuller returned the interception 37 yards to the house for a 7-0 Commanders lead. The Commanders got it back at their own 15 and Robinson ran for 14 and 5. Taylor Heinecke hit Dotson for 13. The second quarter began with Antonio Gibson running for 9, Curtis Samuel adding 8, and Gibson getting 5 more. Heinecke went to Logan Thomas for 16. Samuel ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Commanders. Joey Slye tacked on field goals of 25 and 24 as the Commanders took a 20-0 lead to the locker rooms. For some reason, the second half was played. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 29 yard third quarter field goal for the Texans. Slye answered from 44 in the fourth quarter to make it 23-3 Commanders. The Texans managed a garbage touchdown with 3 minutes left as the Commanders have gone 5-1 in their last 6 games. 23-10 Texans
Philadelphia Eagles at Indianapolis Colts — The Eagles lost their first game last week. Now they had to face off against Jeff Saturday, who has never lost an NFL game as a coach. The Colts began facing 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Matt Ryan went to Pittman for 24. Jonathan Taylor gashed the defense for gains of 28 and 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 10, Ryan got the yard. Taylor did the rest, gaining 6, 2, and on 3rd and goal at the one, the last yard to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Colts. In the second quarter a field position game had the Eagles taking over at their own 42. They moved to a 1st and goal at the 2. After an incompletion, Hurts fumbled the shotgun snap for an 8 yard loss. the 15 play, 54 yard, 7 minute drive had the Eagles settling for a 22 yard Jake Elliott field goal to get within 7-3. With 1:43 left in the half, a 17 yard punt return by Coutee led to a 51 yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin to make it 10-3 Colts. On the first play of the third quarter, Hurts was sacked and fumbled. The Colts took over at the Philadelphia 22, but the defense held them to a 36 yard Chase McLaughlin field goal and a 13-3 Colts lead.
Trying to spark his team, Kevin Sirianni went for it on 4th and 10 at the Indianapolis 47. Hurts was sacked. The Colts missed a chance to extend the lead when McLaughlin missed a 50 yard field goal try. The Eagles began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield when the defense jumped offsides. Hurts then ran for 23 and threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to Quez Watkins. The Eagles were now only down 13-10. The Colts fumbled the ball away but the Eagles fumbled it back to set the Colts up at their own 34. They moved to a 1st and goal at the 5 with a chance to ice the game. Taylor got stopped and Ryan threw incomplete. Ryan was then sacked. McLaughlin hit from 37. The Colts led 16-10 with 4 1/2 minutes left, but they did not slam the door shut.
The Eagles faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Hurts threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 39 yard gain. Miles Sanders gained 6 and 5. At the 2 minute warning, everything came down to 4th and 2 at the Indy 9. Out of the shotgun, a perfectly executed quarterback draw let Hurts gain 3. On 3rd and goal at the 7, it was the exact same play as Hurts took the draw up the middle for the touchdown. With 1:20 left, the Eagles had the one point lead. After a touchback, the Colts needed only a field goal. Yet a sack of Ryan and a false start meant 4th and 21 for the Colts from their own 28 with 30 seconds left. Ryan completed a 5 yard pass as the Eagles survived to end the Jeff Saturday juggernaut. 17-16 Eagles
New York Jets at New England Patriots — A brutal game in cold weather saw a scoreless first quarter. The second quarter began with the Patriots having moved from 20 to a 4th and 1 at the Jets 6. Bill Belichick decided not to gamble. Nick Folk capped the 14 play, 74 yard, 8 minute drive with a 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots. Greg Zuerlein answered with a 45 yarder for the Jets and a 3-3 game. Folk then missed a 44 yarder. In a scoreless third quarter, Folk missed again from 43. On the last play of the third quarter the Patriots had 4th and 3 at the Jets 36. A 54 yard field goal try was out of the question in these winds. Bill Belichick went for it and Raimondre Stevenson got stopped for no gain. With 32 seconds left the Jets faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. A completion lost 2 yards. 26 seconds remained. The Jets would punt, and this slugfest was expected to go to overtime. Instead, Jones took the punt, got to the sideline, weaved back toward the middle, and raced 84 yards for the game’s only touchdown with 5 seconds remaining. These are the Jets. Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick’s deal with the devil lives on as the Patriots defeated the Jets for the 14th straight time. 10-3 Patriots
Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints — A field position game had the Saints taking over at their own 41. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 13. Red Rifle Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill were alternating every play at quarterback to start. After an incompletion by Hill, Dalton was sacked and then Hill was sacked. Wil Lutz hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Saints. One play and 14 seconds later, the Rams had the lead. Matthew Stafford was back after missing last week with a concussion. He went deep to Atwell for a 62 yard touchdown bomb and a 7-3 Rams lead. A field position game had the Saints beginning the second quarter just past midfield. Alvin Kamara gained 11. Hill ran for 12. Dalton hit Kamara for 15 Dalton went to Johnson for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Saints. with 3 minutes left in the half the Rams took over at their own 13. On 3rd and 1 from their own 22, Stafford went to Robinson for 9 and Van Jefferson for gains of 16 and 20. Stafford hit Tyler Higbee for 3, Williams for 8, Powell for 8, Higbee for 18, and Robinson for the 6 yard touchdown with 19 seconds left in the half. 9 straight passes capped the 11 play, 87 yard drive and had the Rams up 14-10 at the break.
After a third quarter touchback, Dennis Allen decided to stop rotating quarterbacks every play. Dalton went to Chris Olave for 18. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, Dalton hit Kamara for 13 and 15 and to Jarvins Landry for 18 and then the 7 yard touchdown to put the Saints up 17-14. The Saints got it back at their own 32. A sack of Dalton meant 3rd and 23 from their own 34. Dalton went to Johnson for 13. On 3rd and 10 Dalton went bombs away to Olave for a 53 yard touchdown and a 24-14 Saints lead. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, Stafford left the game and was back in concussion protocol. Perkins came in at quarterback. McVay called 7 straight running plays. The fourth quarter began with the Rams facing 2nd and 6 at the Saints 15. Perkins threw incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit a 33 yard field goal to get the Rams within 24-17. Allen decided to go back rotating quarterbacks to start the fourth quarter. Hill and Dalton after a touchback moved the Saints to a 2nd and goal at the 3. Dalton was sacked to kill the drive. Yet with 9 minutes left, Lutz hit from 25. The Saints defense did the rest. Gay hit a 58 yard field goal with 6 seconds left, but the onside kick failed. The defending Super Bowl champions are a 3-7 mess. 27-20 Saints
Detroit Lions at New York Giants — The Giants are a good team and the Lions are a bad team with a defense that cannot stop anyone. The Giants were at home. Giants fans knew that this is the exact type of game their beloved team loses. In a game with heavy wind, the Lions moved from their own 30 to a 2nd and 8 at the Giants 12. After Goff threw incomplete, on 3rd and 8 his completion gained only 6 yards. Dan Campbell decided not to gamble on 4th and 2 from the 6. Mike Badly hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Lions. After a touchback, Daniel Jones went to Darrius Slayton for 17. Brian Daboll decided to go for it on 4th and 1 just past midfield. Matt Brieda gained 5. On 3rd and 7 from the Detroit 41, Jones went to Breida for 16 and Robinson for 18. Jones ran for a 3 yard touchdown to culminate the 11 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive. Graham Gano’s extra point was blocked as the Giants led 6-3.
The turning point are with 6 minutes left in the half when Hutchinson returned an interception of Jones 20 yards to the Giants 18. Jamaal Williams ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 10-6 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 32 with 2:19 left in the half. Goff went deep to St. Brown for 32. Williams ran for 15. Goff hit St. Browns or 14. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 5, Goff hit Wright for 4. Williams ran for the one yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Lions. A 36 yard kickoff return to start the third quarter had the Lions at their own 44. On 3rd and 9, Goff went to Kennedy for 13. Jackson ran for 5 and 10. Deandre Swift gained 16. Williams ran for a one yard touchdown as 3 straight touchdown drives turned a slugfest into a blowout and a 24-6 Lions lead. The Giants managed a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but a Giants fumble meant another short field and a 4 yard swift touchdown to make it 31-12 Lions. The Giants got one more garbage touchdown. Again, this is the exact type of game the Giants lose. 31-18 Lions
Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos — Two of the dumbest teams in the league played for the division cellar. The Broncos have a great defense and no offense. The Raiders have no pass defense and a coach in Josh McDaniels who keeps abandoning the run when it is working. The Raiders moved from their own 26 to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 32. Then an offensive holding call pushed the Raiders out of field goal range. All McDaniels had to do was run the ball to get back into field goal range. Instead, he called 3 straight passes. An incompletion was followed by a completion for no gain. On 3rd and 20, a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass gained 4 yards. Daniel Carlson had made 41 straight field goals, but McDaniels decided to punt rather than let him try from 56.
The Broncos took over at their own 8 yard line and made it look easy. Russell Wilson hit Dulcich for 15. Defensive pass interference added 18. Wilson hit Cortland Sutton for 16. Wilson went to Kendall Hinton for 32 down to the one. Former Raider Latavius Murray got the yard as the 92 yard drive made it 7-0 Broncos. The Raiders moved from their own 15 to the Denver 27 as the second quarter began. Josh Jacobs had been running well. All Josh McDaniels had to do was keep running the ball. Instead, he had Carr line up with an empty backfield on 1st and 10. Consecutive sacks of Carr killed the drive. Carlson came in for a 46 yard field goal try. After 41 straight makes, this time he was no good wide right. The Raiders moved 57 yards in 13 plays and held the ball for 9 minutes only to come up snake eyes. The Broncos moved from their 36 to a 2rd and 8 at the Raiders 30. The Raiders got a break when a pass from Wilson to Sutton that would have been a first down was dropped. Brandon McManus hit from 48 to make it 10-0 Broncos.
The Raiders after another offensive holding penalty faced 2nd and 19 from their own 16. Carr went deep to Davante Adams for 23. Jacobs gained 4 and 7. Carr hit Mack Hollins for 8. Jacobs gained 11. Carr then went deep to Adams for a 31 yard touchdown. The Raiders were within 10-7 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Broncos took over at their own 14 and soon faced 3rd and 12 at from their own 29. Wilson only gained 8 after a give up slide. The play was over. Yet a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty for a hit on Wilson while he was on the ground gifted the Broncos a new set of downs. Maxx Crosby is a smart player and the call was a questionable one. With 34 seconds left in the half the Raiders needed a miracle and got one. The Broncos had 3rd and 1 at the Raiders 3. Melvin Gordon got the carry and got the yard, but Crosby punched the ball out of Gordon’s hands backward. The broncos retained possession, but only after a 4 yard loss. McManus’s 25 yard field goal try was blocked as this time the Broncos came up snake eyes.
In the third quarter the Raiders defense forced a 3 and out and got the ball back at their own 47. Jacobs ran for 15. On the cusp of field goal range, Josh McDaniels again went for a low percentage pass play on 1st and 10 that was incomplete. Jacobs gained 5 but on 3rd and 5 got stopped for no gain. Nevertheless, utilizing Jacobs allowed Carlson to hit a 52 yard field goal for a 10-10 deadlock. The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 36. Wilson went deep to Sutton for 23. On the last play of the third quarter with the Broncos facing 3rd and 6 at the Raiders 26, Wilson was sacked. McManus hit from 52 on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 13-10 Broncos. The Raiders went 3 and out when McDaniels again abandoned the run. Yet with the Broncos facing 3rd and 5 from their own 29, Wilson was sacked again as the Broncos also went 3 and out. The Raiders took over at their own 35. Carr hit Hollins for a pair of 5 yard gains. On 3rd and 11 from their own 44, Carr went deep incomplete but defensive holding gave the Raiders a new set of downs. Jacobs ran for 6, 7 and 4. Yet a false start killed the drive. McDaniels again abandoned the run to kill the drive. Midway through the fourth quarter, Carlson came in for a 57 yard field goal try. He nailed it for a 13-13 ballgame.
The Broncos took over at their 18 and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Raiders 30. Wilson threw incomplete. McManus nailed a 48 yard field goal to make it 16-13 Broncos with 3 1/2 minutes left. There was plenty of time to run the ball but Josh McDaniels immediately went for 3 passes that gained 4 total yards. With 3 minutes left and only 2 timeouts, he opted to punt. There was a doubt the Raiders would get the ball back. The Raiders appeared dead when Murray on 2nd and 8 ripped off a 12 yard gain. The Raiders took their timeouts on defense. Everything came down to the 2 minute warning. The Broncos faced 3rd and 10 from their own 34. Now it was Nathaniel Hackett’s turn to make a terrible coaching decision. When you have the lead at the 2 minute warning or later and the other team has 0 timeouts, you run the ball every single time. Every. Single. Time.
Hackett called a pass play. Wilson rolled out and under heavy pressure threw incomplete. A running play would have taken the clock down to 1:15, with a punt giving the Raiders the ball back with one minute and 0 timeouts. The Raiders after a punt got the ball back at their own 22, but instead of one minute, they had 1:43 to work with. Hackett’s blunder gave the Raiders an extra 43 seconds. Wilson is a great quarterback, and letting your franchise quarterback try to win the game is understandable. It is also wrong. In that situation, again, you run the ball every single time. The Raiders had life.
Now in the 2 minute drill Carr was in command, without McDaniels there to interfere. With Carr calling the plays and leading the offense, Carr hit Hollins for 7, Keelan Cole for 21, and Jacobs deep for a 43 yard gain. The Broncos took a timeout on defense as the Raiders now had 1st and goal at the 7 with 32 seconds left. Yet the Raiders could not get the win in regulation. Carr threw 3 straight incompletions. Carlson nailed the 25 yard field goal to tie the game 16-16. This rivalry was going to overtime.The Raiders won the coin toss and Amir Abdullah returned the kickoff 28 yards to his own 33. On 2nd and 11, Carr fired over the middle to Foster Moreau for a 33 yard gain. On the next play on a perfectly executed play action pass, Carr went bombs away to a wide open Adams for a 35 yard touchdown. Just like that, in front of a shellshocked home crowd at Mile High, the Raiders had won.
Both teams are 3-7 on the year. The Raiders have beaten Denver twice and Houston, the worst team in the league. Time will tell if the Raiders can beat anyone good. Josh McDaniels deserves plenty of criticism for abandoning the run, but this time it was Nathaniel Hackett abandoning the run that proved to be a fatal mistake. Wilson was 24 of 31 but for only 247 yards. He was sacked 3 times and did not have an interception or a touchdown pass. Carr was 23 of 37 for 307 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Neither team turned the ball over on the day. Jacobs was a bulldozer, running for 109 yards on 24 carries. Josh McDaniels beat his former team twice this year as the Raiders got the season sweep. It was far from pretty, but Al Davis would have liked that last bomb. Just win baby. 22-16 Raiders, OT
Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings — After blowing a 14 point fourth quarter lead and losing at Green Bay, the Cowboys had to travel to face the 8-1 Vikings. The Vikings fumbled on the third play of the game and the Cowboys recovered at the Minnesota 27. On 2nd and 3 from the Minnesota 9, Dak Prescott completed a pass for no gain and then threw an incompletion. Brett Maher hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. After a touchback the Vikings moved to a 2nd and 2 at the Dallas 6. Cousins threw incomplete twice. Greg Joseph hit from 25 to make it 3-3. The cowboys soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Prescott went to Michael Gallup for 14. Tony Pollard ran for 18 and 20. Prescott hit Gallup for 8 and CeeDee Lamb for 6. On 3rd and goal at the one, Ezekiel Elliott got the yard to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive to make it 10-3 Cowboys. The Cowboys took over in the second quarter at their own 17 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 32. The drive died there but Maher hit from 53 to cap the 14 play, 48 yard, 8 minute drive and make it 13-3 Cowboys.
The Cowboys got it back and soon faced 3rd and 2 just shy of midfield. Tony Pollard gained 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 35. Elliott gained 2. Prescott then went to Pollard for a 30 yard touchdown to make it 20-3 Cowboys with 1:43 left in the half. The Cowboys got it back at their own 14 with 30 seconds left. With 13 seconds left from their own 31, Prescott went to Lamb for 27. Mike McCarthy brought in Maher for a 60 yard field goal try to end the half. Maher leveled it and the cowboys led 23-3. The second half saw the Cowboys deliver a beating. After a touchback, Prescott went to Pollard for 10. On 3rd and 14 from their own 32, Prescott went deep to Pollard for a 68 yard touchdown to make it 30-3 Cowboys. A 20 yard punt return gave the Cowboys a short field at the Minnesota 41. On 3rd and 5, Prescott went to Brown for 35 down to the one. Elliott got in to make it 37-3 Cowboys. Maher hit from 50 in the fourth quarter to make it 40-3 Cowboys. In an absolute shocker, the Vikings at home were obliterated. 40-3 Cowboys
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers — The Steelers are a bad team, but they stunned the Bengals in Cincinnati early in the season and were looking for the sweep. A field position game early on had the Bengals at their own 43. That allowed Evan McPherson to hit a 45 yard field goal for the Bengals. The Steelers moved from their own 35 to a 2nd and 7 at the Cincinnati 42. Kenny Pickett threw incomplete twice. Wright hit from 42 for a 3-3 game. The Bengals soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 30. Perine got stopped but a defensive facemask meant 15 yards. Joe Burrow went to Joe Mixon for 24 and to Perine for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Steelers. A 37 yard kickoff return had the Steelers starting the second quarter facing 3rd and 7 from their own 47. Pickett went to Pat Freiermuth for 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincinnati 33, Pickett ran for 14. Harris ran for a 19 yard touchdown to make it a 10-10 ballgame.
The Bengals took over at their own 8. On 3rd and 4, Burrow hit Higgins for 24, 6 and 13. Mixon caught a pass from Burrow for 7 and ran for 7 more. Burrow hit Perine for 6, Higgins for 12, and Perine for an 11 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 92 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 17-10 Bengals. The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 39. Pickett threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 47, Johnson got the yard. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincinnati 41, Pickett threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 16 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincinnati 24, Pickett went deep to Pickens for the touchdown to cap the 10 play, 65 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 17-17 with 1:47 left in the half.
The Bengals moved from their 24 to the Pittsburgh 47. Burrow was intercepted by Wallace to set up the Steelers at their own 44 with 30 seconds left. The Steelers moved to the Bengals 14 with 9 seconds left. Pickett completed a useless 2 yard pass to leave only 3 seconds. Wright hit from 30 to make it 20-17 Steelers at the half. The Bengal took over in the third quarter and faced 3rd and 5 at their own 46. Burrow went to Hurst for 7. Burrow went to Higgins for 33. Burrow hit Irwin for a one yard touchdown to make it 24-20 Bengals midway through the third quarter. The Bengals got it back at their own 23 and Burrow was quickly intercepted. The Steelers faced 3rd and 4 from the Cincinnati 15 and Pickett threw incomplete. Wright hit from 34 to get the Steelers within 24-23.
Williams took the ensuing kickoff at his own goal line and brought it to his own 42. The Bengals moved to the Pittsburgh 33. On 3rd and 10, Burrow was sacked for a 3 yard loss. McPherson nailed a 54 yard field goal to make it 27-23 Bengals. A field position game had the Bengals taking over at their own 7. Burrow went deep to Tyler Boyd for 27. Burrow went to Irwin for 32. Burrow went to Boyd for 15. Burrow hit Perine for a 6 yard touchdown as the 93 yard touchdown made it 34-23 Bengals with 4 1/2 minutes left. The Steelers turned it over on downs at their own 28. McPherson hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 37-23 with 3:18 left. The Steelers quickly moved 72 yards. Harris ran in a one yard touchdown to get the Steelers within 7 with 45 seconds remaining. The onside kick failed as the Bengals avenged the earlier loss. 37-30 Bengals
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers was the Sunday night game. The 7-2 Chiefs took on the 5-4 Chargers in a key AFC West matchup. After a touchback to start, the Chiefs moved 60 yards in 11 plays. Yet on 2nd and 4 from the chargers 15, Patrick Mahomes threw incomplete twice. Harrison Butker was back from injury and hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. The Chargers after a touchback struck quickly. Justin Herbert went to Keenan Allen for 17, to Carter for 8 to midfield, and deep to Palmer for a 50 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Chargers. After a touchback the Chiefs moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Chargers 34. Mahomes threw incomplete. Butker delivered from 52 to get the Chiefs within 7-6. The Chargers after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Chiefs 28. Herbert threw incomplete twice. Cameron Dicker hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 10-6 Chargers.
After an offensive penalty, the Chiefs faced 2nd and 21 from their own 14. Mahomes went to Watson for 13. On 3rd and 8, , Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 34. The Chiefs began the second quarter facing 2nd and 15 from the Chargers 44. Mahomes went deep to Fortson for a 40 yard gain. Mahomes then went to Kelce for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 13-10 Chiefs. The Chargers eventually faced 3rd and 4 from their own 36. Herbert went to Smartt for 6 Herbert went to Carter for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 26, Herbert gained 2. Spiller gained 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 4, Horvath gained 3. Austin Ekeler appeared stopped but stretched the ball over the plane of the goal for the touchdown. The 13 play, 70 yard, 7 minute drive had the Chargers up 17-13 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half.
A mistake on the kickoff had the Chiefs starting at their own 6 rather than their own 40. The Chiefs went 3 and out and the Chargers got it back at their own 39 with a full 2:41 left. Herbert hit Allen for 11 to midfield. On 3rd and 7 from the Chiefs 47, Herbert gained only 5 but defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 more. Herbert then hit Palmer for 11. Ekeler got around the end for 9. On 2nd and 1 from the 2, a pitchout to Ekeler lost a yard as the Chargers took their last timeout with 23 seconds left. On 3rd and 2 from the Chiefs 3, Herbert as he was being pulled down threw a dangerous pass over the middle of the end zone that fell incomplete. Dicker hit from 21 to make it 20-13 Chargers.
In the third quarter the Chiefs moved from their own 33 to a 3rd and 1 at the Chargers 10. A run lost a yard. Butker hit the 30 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 20-16. The Chiefs got it back and a sack of Mahomes had the Chiefs facing 3rd and 17 from their own 7. Mahomes went deep to Watson for 25 and to Gray for 12. On 3rd and 7 from their own 47, Mahomes went to Moore for 15. On the first play of the fourth quarter with the Chiefs facing 3rd and 4 at the Chargers 32, Mahomes went to Kelce for the touchdown as the Chiefs took the 23-20 lead.
The Chargers after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chiefs 43. Herbert hit Allen for 13 but Allen fumbled and the Chiefs recovered at their own 22. The Chiefs moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Chargers 40 looking to put the game away. A swing pass lost 2 yards and was fumbled. The Chargers took over at their own 36. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Herbert barely got the yard. On 3rd and 18 from their own 38, Herbert went bombs away with perfectly thrown ball that Allen hauled in for a 46 yard gain. Ekeler ran for 3 and 9 to set up 1st and goal at the 4 at the 2 minute warning. Herbert went to Palmer for a 6 yard touchdown. The Chargers had the 27-23 lead, but Mahomes still had 1:46 left to work with. The Chargers did everything right but they scored too early.
After a touchback, Mahojmes went to Marques Valdes-Scantling for 18. On 3rd and 4 just shy of midfield, Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive holding gave the Chiefs a new set of downs with 1:05 left. Mahomes went to Moore for 13. Mahomes then ran for 16 and called the Chiefs 2nd timeout with 37 seconds left. Mahomes then went to Kelce on a perfect crossing route over the middle for a 17 yard touchdown. With 30 seconds left, the Chiefs led by a field goal. After a touchback, Herbert was immediately sacked for a 5 yard loss as the Chargers took their 1st timeout with 26 seconds left. Under heavy pressure, Herbert threw a deep ball off his back foot into triple coverage that was batted up in the air and intercepted. The Chiefs sweet the season series and have a 3 game lead plus the ti-breaker. This effectively means the Chiefs have a 4 game lead with 7 weeks to play. The Chiefs are cruising to their 7th straight AFC West title, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 30-27 Chiefs
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals was the Monday night game from Mexico. Colt McCoy started in place of the injured Kyler Murray. The Cardinals moved from their own 20 to a 2nd and 6 at the San Francisco 22. McCoy went deep incomplete twice. Matt Prater hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cardinals. The 49ers eventually faced 3rd and 5 at their own 23. Jimmy Garoppolo hit George Kittle for 6. A defensive facemask added 15. Garoppolo hit Deebo Samuel for 19. Christian McCaffrey ran for 20 to start the second quarter. On 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 7, Garoppolo hit Brndon Aiyuk for the touchdown to make it 7-3 49ers. An interception of McCoy gave the 49ers a short field at the Arizona 46. Three plays later on 3rd and 3, Garoppolo went deep to Kittle for a 39 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 49ers. After a touchback, the Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 40. McCoy connected with Dortch for a 47 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the San Francisco 7, McCoy went to Dortch for 5. James Conner ran for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Cardinals within 14-10.
After that the 49ers turned out the lights and turned a close game into a blowout. The 49ers after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Arizona 21. Garoppolo threw incomplete twice. Robbie Gould hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 17-10 49ers with 43 seconds left in the half. The 48ers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Garoppolo gained 3. Mitchell then gained 4, 7 and 9. Samuel got around the end for a 39 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 49ers. The 49ers got it back with a short field at the Arizona 47. Mitchell gained 9 and 19. Garoppolo hit McCaffrey for 12. Garoppolo went to Aiyuk for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 31-10 49ers after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter the Cardinals went for it on 4th and 4 from midfield and McCoy threw incomplete. Garoppolo went to Kittle for a 32 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. 38-10 49ers