NFL 2022 Week 9 Recap
Philadelphia Eagles at Houston Texans was the Thursday night game. The Eagles were supposed to be the best team in the league. The Texans were supposed to be the worst. Then the game kicked off. After an opening touchback, the Texans went right to work. Damien Pierce gained 11, 5 and 3. On 3rd and 5 from the Philadelphia 46, Davis Mills went to Rex Burkhead for 6. Mills then went deep to Philip Dorsett for 34. Mills went to Teagan Quitoriano for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans. The Eagles then began a mind-numbing drive from their own 9 yard line. Defensive pass interference added 8 yards. On 3rd and 6 from their own 21, Jalen Hurts went to Watkins for 23. On 3rd and 8 from their own 46, Hurts went to AJ Brown for 9, Kenneth Gainwell for 8, and Still for 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Houston 20, Hurts went to Dallas Goedert for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Miles Sanders only gained one. Kevin Sirianni gambled on 4th and goal at the 2. This time Sanders got in to cap the 18 play, 91 yard, 8 minute drive and tie the game 7-7.
In the second quarter the Eagles took over at their own 21. Sanders ran for big gains of 13 and 25. Hurts went to Boston Scott for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 12, Hurts gained 2. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Gainwell got in to finish the 10 play, 79 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 14-7 Eagles. The Texans soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Pierce gained 3. On the next play Pierce broke free for a 36 yard gain. Mills went to Chris Moore for a 13 yard touchdown. With 37 seconds left in the half, the game was tied 14-14. After a touchback, the Eagles moved to the Houston 36 with 3 seconds left. Jake Elliott’s 54 yard field goal try was no good.
midway through the third quarter on 3rd and 6 from his own 24, Mills was intercepted. Gardner-Johnson returned the interception 25 yards to the Houston 17. Two plays later on 2nd and 10, Hurts went to Brown for the touchdown to make it 21-14 Eagles. The Texans after a touchback moved 63 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. On 3rd and 9 from the Philly 12, Mills threw incomplete. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 30 yard field goal. The Texans only trailed 21-17 after three quarters. After a touchback, the Eagles began the fourth quarter with 2nd and 4 form their own 43. Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for gains of 17, 10 and 10. Sanders then ran for 12. Hurts hit Goedert for the touchdown. Kevin Sirianni pointlessly went for 2 and Hurts ran it in to give the Eagles breathing room up 12. The Texans moved from their own 38 to a 2nd and 10 at the Philadelphia 12 with 3 minutes left. mills was sacked. On 3rd and 19 Mills was intercepted. It was much tougher than expected, but the Eagles remained unbeaten at the midpoint of their season. 29-17 Eagles
Los Angeles Chargers at Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons actually led the NFC South. After a touchback, Mariota went to Cordarelle Patterson for 9. Patterson ran for 7 more. Tyler Allgeier ripped off a 44 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Patterson got in to make it 7-0 Falcons. The Falcons got it back at their own 19 to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 12. A run lost a yard and a 3rd and 11 pass gained only 2. The 14 play, 73 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive ended with Younghoe Koo hitting a 29 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Falcons.
In the second quarter the Chargers faced 3rd and 15 from their own 12. Just in Herbert went deep to Palmer for 25. On 3rd and 6 from their own 41, Herbert hit Pamler for 10 and Austin Ekeler for 13. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 35, Herbert hit Everett for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Atlanta 15, Herbert hit Bandy for 4. Ekeler ran for 9 and then for the 2 yard touchdown. The 15 play, 83 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive had the Chargers within 10-7. The Chargers got it back at their own 37 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. On 3rd and 1, Ekeler gained 3. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 46, Herbert hit Carter for 23. Sony Michel gained 12. Herbert hit Carter for 10 down to the one. Herbert hit Ekeler for the touchdown to put the Chargers up 14-10.
In the third quarter the Falcons moved from their 32 to a 2nd and 2 at the Chargers 11. Mariota hit London for 5, but London fumbled. Khalil Mack pick up the fumble for the Chargers defense and retuned it 44 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 8, Herbert was intercepted to give the Falcons the ball back at their own 47. Patterson had gains of 7, 6, 3, and on 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 28, 2. Huntley then tacked on gains of 9, 8 and 6. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Patterson got in as the Falcons led 17-14 after three quarters.
The Falcons got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Chargers 30. A run lost 2 yards and Mariota threw incomplete. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Koo’s 50 yard field goal try to extend the lead for the Falcons was wide no good. The Chargers from their own 40 held the ball for 14 plays and nearly 7 minutes. On 4th and 4 from the Atlanta 38, Brandon Staley went for it and Herbert hit Carter for 6. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 6, a completion lost 7 yards to kill the drive. Dicker hit from 31 to tie the game 17-17 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Chargers quickly forced a 3 and out and got it back at their own 32 with 4 1/2 minutes left. With 46 seconds left in the game, the Chargers had 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 22. Then came the bizarre play of the year. Ekeler gained 2 yards and fumbled. Graham picked it up for the defense at the Altanta 17 and returned the fumble 19 yards to the Atlanta 36. Yet just when it looked like overtime was on the horizon, Graham fumbled the ball back on the return and Feller fell on it for the Chargers at the Altanta 43. After all of that, the Chargers retained possession. Herbert then went to Palmer for 22. With 3 seconds left, Dicker came in for the 37 yard field goal try to win it for the Chargers. The kick was good. 20-17 Chargers
Miami Dolphins at Chicago Bears — The Bears after a touchback quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Miami 20. A run went nowhere followed by an incompletion. A 3rd and 10 completion gained only 6. Cairo Santos hit the 32 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bears. The Dolphins on 2nd and 8 from their own 27 saw Tua Tagovailoa hit Jalen Waddle for 17. On 3rd and 5 just shy of midfield, Tagovailoa went to Sherfield for 18. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion meant a 32 yard gain down to the one. Raheem Mostert got in to make it 7-3 Dolphins.
The Bears soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Ket took the direct snap and got the yard. Justin Fields went to newly acquired Chase Claypool for 12. On 3rd and 8 just shy of midfield, Fields ran for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 31, David Montgomery gained 3. On 3rd and 10 from the Miami 28, Fields went to Mooney for 10. On the first play of the second quarter, Fields went to Ket for a 18 yard touchdown. The staggering 16 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive put the Bears up 10-7. The Dolphins soon faced 1st and 15 from their own 20, Tagovailoa went to Tyreek Hill for 25. Tagovailoa then went to Waddle for 26 and Wilson for 14. Tagovailoa went to Hill for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Dolphins.
The Bears punted on 4th and 5 from their own 40 and the Dolphins blocked it. Van Ginkel picked up the blocked punt and raced 25 yards for a special teams touchdown to make it 21-10 Dolphins. After a touchback, Fields ran for 17 and again for 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 36, Fields gained 2. On 3rd and 8 from the Miami 16, Fields went to Mooney for the touchdown. The Bears were only down 21-17. A key play occurred to end the half when Jason Sanders missed a 29 yard field goal try for the Dolphins.
After a third quarter touchback, the Dolphins struck quickly. Tagovailoa went to Hill for 22. Wilson ran for 28 and 7. Tagovailoa hit Waddle for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 28-17 Dolphins. 3 plays later on 3rd and 5 from their own 39, Fields ran for a 61 yard touchdown. Matt Ebeflus went for 2 and Fields hit Wesco for the success fun conversion. Just like that, the Bears were back in it down 28-25.
The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Tagovailoa hit Waddle for 12 and Hill for 20. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 31, Tagovailoa hit Hill for 18. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 10, Tagovailoa hit Jeff Wilson for the touchdown. The 11 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive put the Dolphins up 35-25 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. The Dolphins got it back at their own 45 and looked to put the game away. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 31, Tagovailoa fumbled the shotgun snap but retained possession for a 4 yard loss. Rather than try a 53 yard field goal, the kid coaching the Dolphins, Mike McDaniel, went for it. On 4th and 6, Tagovailoa threw incomplete.
The Bears got it back and started the fourth quarter with a critical 4th and 1 from their own 44. Matt Eberflus went for it and Fields gained 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 45, Fields gained 14. Fields went to Cole Kmet for 10. Fields ran for 17 more. Fields hit Kmet for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Bears back within 3 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Dolphins moved from their own 18 to a 4th and 1 at the Chicago 14 midway through the fourth quarter. Again, the kid mIKE mcDaniel got greedy and went for it. Tagovailoa threw incomplete and the Dolphins came up empty. The Bears got it back at their own 28 with 2 1/2 minutes left. On 2nd and 8 from their own 44, Fields was sacked for a 2 yard loss. Fields threw incomplete on 3rd and 10 to leave 90 seconds. On 4th and 10, Fields threw incomplete again as the Dolphins hung on to get to 6-3 on the year. 35-32 Dolphins
Carolina Panthers at Cincinnati Bengals — The Bengals began with 3rd and 2 at their own 18. Joe Burrow hit Hurst for 5, Tee Higgins for 9, Tyler Boyd for 15, and Joe Mixon for 35. Perine ran for 9. Mixon ran for 7 and then for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 29. Burrow hit Higgins for 11. On 2nd and 6 from the Carolina 43, Mixon gained 29. Taylor added 9 more. The second quarter began with Burrow running for a one yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Bengals.
The Bengals got it back at their own 41. Mixon ran for 13. burrow hit Irwin for 14. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 20, Burrow was sacked but the defense jumped offside. Mixon caught a pass from Burro for 8, ran for 4, and ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Bengals. PJ Walker was quickly intercepted to give the Bengals another short field at the Carolina 42. Burrow hit Boyd for 14. Mixon ran for 20. On 3rd and goal at the one, Mixon got in to make it 28-0 Bengals with 3:45 left in the half. Another interception of Walker meant another short field for the Bengals at the Carolina 23 with 1:09 left. With 17 seconds left on 3rd and 15 from the Carolina 17, Burrow threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 10, Burrow hit Mixon for the 12 yard touchdown as the Bengals were mauling their opponent up 35-0. Baker Mayfield replaced PJ Walker at halftime, but there would be no comeback. Each team scored a third quarter touchdown and the Panthers got a couple of garbage touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Steve Wilks fired several assistants after the game. 42-21 Bengals
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions — The Packers came in having lost 4 straight while the Lions lose games every year. This year the Lions score a ton of points but cannot stop anyone. The Lions moved from their own 38 to a 4th and 1 at the Green Bay 7. Dan Campbell went for it and Jared Goff threw incomplete. The Packers moved 88 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 1st and goal at the 5, Rodgers went to the end zone and was intercepted. The Packers got it back with a short field at the Detroit 48. On 3rd and 10, Rodgers went deep to Allen Lazard for 47 down to the one. Dillon got stopped, Rodgers threw incomplete, and Dillon got stopped again. Th second quarter began with Matt LaFleur going for it on 4th and goal at the one. Rodgers went to the end zone and again was intercepted for a touchback. The Packers got it back at their own one yard line and moved 61 yards in 12 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. LaFleur again went for it on 4th and 3 from the Detroit 38. Rodgers went deep to Lazard for 26, but Campbell challenged the catch. It was reversed to incomplete and another turnover on downs with 2 1/2 minutes left in a scoreless first half.
From his own 39, Goff hit Kennedy for 16 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Jamaal Williams ran for 5, 6, 5 and one. On 3rd and 4 from the Green Bay 13, Goff hit Dandre Swift for 12. Goff hit Shane Zylstra for a one yard touchdown with 15 seconds left. Dan Campbell went for a pointless 2 point conversion. Williams got in as the Lions led 8-0. The quarterbacks traded third quarter interceptions. The Packers took over at their own 46. Rodgers went to Lazard for 12. On 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 39, Rodgers only gained 7. Yet defensive illegal use of hands tacked on 5 more for a first down. Rodgers went to Lazard for a 20 yard touchdown. The 2 point try to tie the game failed as the Packers trailed 8-6.
The Lions soon faced 3rd and 15 from their own 25. Goff went deep incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. Williams gained 3, 6, and on 3rd and 1 form his own 39, 2 more. Williams carried it again for gains of 14, one and 3. On 3rd and 6 from the Green Bay 41, Goff went to St. Brown for 25. The fourth quarter began with the Lions facing 3rd and goal at the 3. Goff went to Mitchell for the touchdown to cap the 13 play, 70 yard, 5 minute drive as the Lions led 15-6. After a touchback, the Packers moved 68 yards in 14 plays and nearly 8 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 7, Rodgers threw incomplete. Needing 2 scores with 6 1/2 minutes left, Matt LaFleur opted for the field goal. Crosby hit from 25 to get the Packers within 6.
The Lions from their own 23 moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Green Bay 41. Williams lost 2 and Dan Campbell decided to gamble the entire game by going for it on 4th and 3. Goff threw incomplete as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. The Packers were only 57 yards away from a win. On 4th and 5, Rodgers went deep to Toure for a 32 yard gain. 3 straight Rodgers incompletions meant 4th and 10 at the Detroit 17 with 42 seconds to play. Rodgers threw a 4th straight incompletion as the Lions finally won a game with defense and the Packers lost their 5th straigtfor the first time since the 2008 season. 15-9 Lions
Las Vegas Raiders at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Raiders were coming off a humiliating shutout loss. Rather than establish the run, the Raiders came out throwing and quickly went 3 and out. The Jaguars easily moved from their 30 to a 3rd and 5 at the Raiders 26. A pitchout was fumbled and Maxx Crosby recovered for the Raiders. The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 30. Derek Carr went to Davante Adams for 11. On 1st and 20 from their own 31 after offensive holding, Carr went to Adams for 21. On 3rd and 20 from their own 42 after another offensive holding call and a pair of incompletions, Carr went to Adams for 16. On 4th and 4 from the Jacksonville 42, Josh McDaniels decided to go for it. Carr hit Adams for 11. Carr then went to Adams for a 25 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 71 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Raiders.
The Raiders got it back at their own 45. Carr went to Hunter Renfrow for 14. On 3rd and 8 from the Jacksonville 39, Carr went to Mack Hollins for 13. The second quarter began with the Raiders facing 3rd and 11 at the Jags 27. Carr hit Abdullah for 8. This time Josh McDaniels was not gambling on 4th and 3. Daniel Carlson hit from 38 to make it 10-0 Raiders. The Raiders got it back at their own 31. Carr went to Foster Moreau for 30. Carr then faked two separate handoffs, looked like he was standing still, and went bombs away to a wide open Adams for a 38 yard touchdown and a 17-0 Raiders lead. Everything looked good on the scoreboard, but the Raiders still had not established the running game.
After a touchback, Travis Etienne gained 9 and 3. Trevor Lawrence went to former Raider Zee Jones for 23. On 3rd and 8 from the Raiders 39, Lawrence ran for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 14, Etienne went straight up the gut for 13 and then for the last yard. The 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the Jaguars within 17-7. After a touchback, Carr went to Adams for 9. Jacobs got a tough yard and then banged out a 12 yard run. At the 2 minute warning from midfield, Carr went to Adams for 11. Jacobs went off-tackle for 12 more. On 3rd and 3 from the Jacksonville 20, rather than hand it to Jacobs, Carr lined up in with a no back set. Carr went to the end zone. Defensive pass interference was not called as the ball fell incomplete. Carlson hit the 38 yard field goal. The Raiders led 20-7, but 45 seconds still remained in the half. Carr had 223 yards passing in the first half.
As expected, the Jaguars got right back in the game. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Lawrence scrambled for 24. Three straight 6 yard completions were enough. Riley Patterson hit from 44 to get the Jaguars within 20-10. The Jaguars got the ball with a jolt to start the third quarter as a 52 yard kickoff return by Jamaal Agnew had the Jaguars taking over at the Raiders 45. Kirk ran for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 19, Etienne gained 5. On 1st and goal at the one, offensive holding moved the Jaguars back to the 11. It didn’t matter. Lawrence hit Kirk for a n easy 7 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Jaguars were back within 20-17. With light rain having come down at halftime, the Raiders were going to have to establish the run.
The Raiders from their 18 went to Jacobs, who banged ahead for gains of 8 and 15. Yet after Zamir White lost a yard, Josh McDaniels abandoned the run. After 4 straight scoring drives, the Raiders punted. A 17 point lead was about to completely evaporate as the Jaguars took over at their own 18. Lawrence hit Farrell for 15. On 3rd and 2 from their own 41, Lawrence hit Jones for 11. Lawrence hit Arnold for 19. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 21, Lawrence went to Kirk for 7. The fourth quarter began with the Jaguars facing 3rd and 1 at the Raiders 5. Etienne got the carry and easily got into the end zone. The Jaguars led 24-20. Once again, the Raiders had completely collapsed. Adams had 146 yard receiving by halftime but 0 yards in the third quarter. This time the Raiders still had a whole quarter to recover.
The Raiders held the ball for 5 minutes and moved from their 18 to a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 45. At that point the drive died. A good punt by AJ Cole pinned the Jaguars at their own 9 yard line. The Raiders defense got a stop and the offense got the ball back at their own 27 midway through the fourth quarter. Rather than try and establish the run, 3 straight short passes netted 3 total yards. The Raiders punted the ball away again with 6 1/2 minutes left. The Jaguars moved from their own 18 to a 3rd and 1 at the Raiders 23. Etienne got the carry and got stopped. On 4th and 1, Doug Pederson opted for the field goal. Patterson’s 41 yard try doinked off the right upright no good.
There was 3:08 to play. The Raiders were at their own 31. They had ages of time. An 8 yard completion from Carr to Renfrow meant 2nd and 2. There was plenty of time to run the ball and move the chains. Instead a pair of Carr incompletions meant 4th and 2 with 2 1/2 minutes left. From his own 39, Carr threw incomplete. Even if they got the ball back, only 20 seconds would remain. At this point the Raiders needed a miracle. They got one. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 36, Etienne gained only 6. Yet instead of the clock ticking down to 20 seconds, offensive holding stopped the clock. It was a gift. After pretending to go for it and failing to draw the defense offside, Doug Pederson opted for the field goal. Patterson hit from 48 to put the Jaguars up by 7, but the Raiders after a touchback had a full minute to work with.
It didn’t matter. A pair of incompletions was followed by Carr getting sacked. The hook and laterals on 4th and 17 failed. For the third time in a single season, the Raiders had blown a lead of at least 17 points. The Jaguars snapped their 5 game losing streak. After a monster first half, Carr was anemic in the second half and Adams was practically shut out. Jacobs was not given enough opportunities. The secondary is still awful. The defense gave up 20 unanswered points. The Raiders are bad and getting worse, with Josh McDaniels being the main problem. 27-20 Jaguars
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots — This once instant classic was now just an important conference game. After a scoreless first quarter, Nick Folk hit field goals of 43 and 49 in the second quarter to make it 6-0 Patriots. Midway through the second quarter, the Colts punted and the Patriots blocked it to take over at the Indianapolis 2 yard line. Jones hit Ramondre Stevenson for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Patriots. Chase McLaughlin missed a 39 yard field goal to end an awful first half for the Colts. A Patriots fumble in the third quarter did lead to McLaughlin hitting from 40, but that was it. Folk hit from 43 in the third quarter and from 28 in the fourth quarter to make it 19-3 Patriots. Neither team reached the end zone due to their offense. Special teams gifted the Patriots their first end zone trip. New England’s defense got the last touchdown with 4 minutes left when Jones returned an interception of Sam Ehlinger 17 yards to the house. Ehlinger was sacked 9 times. In a shocking move, owner Jim Irsay fired Frank Reich the Monday after the game. An even bigger shock: Former Colts center Jeff Saturday, who has never coached a pro or college game, was named interim coach. 26-3 Patriots
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets — A big AFC East matchup saw the 6-1 Bills at the 5-3 Jets. Both teams have good defenses, and they played like it. Josh Allen shook off an early interception as the Bills got it back at their own 33. Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 13. On 3rd and 5 from the Jets 48, Allen hit Singletary for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Jets 32, Allen gained 7. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 12, Allen ran for 11. Allen got the last yard to cap the 14 play, 67 yard, 7 1/2 yard drive to make it 7-0 Bills. The Jets moved from their own 16 to a 2nd and 5 at the Buffalo 37. A run went nowhere and a completion on 3rd and 5 gained only 2. Greg Zuerlein hit a 53 yard field goal to get the Jets within 7-3. In the second quarter the Bills took over at their own 7. On 3rd and 3, Allen hit Diggs for 7 and again for gains of 14 and 17. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 36, Allen got around the end for the first down and the touchdown as the 93 yard drive had the Bills up 14-3.
The Jets soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34 and Wilson got the tough yard. Wilson then went to non-relative Wilson for 24. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 32, Robinson got stopped as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Robert Saleh went for it on 4th and 1 and Wilson hit Uzomah for 5. Carter caught a pass for 10 from Wilson and then ran for the 6 yard touchdown himself. The 13 play, 75 yard 6 minute drive had the Jets within 14-10. On the last play of the half, Tyler Bass came in for a 55 yard field goal try for the Bills. His kick was blocked. The Jets began the third quarter at their own 20 and moved 52 yards in 14 plays and 8 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 1 from his own 48, Robert Saleh gambled on a fake punt. Davis took the snap up the middle and got 2 yards. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 18, Wilson was sacked by Von Miller and fumbled. The Bills recovered at their own 29. Allen was sacked and then on 2nd and 17 was intercepted. Gardner returned the interception 16 yards to the Buffalo 19. On 3rd and 3, Wilson gained 5 and then hit Robinson for a 7 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the Jets led 17-14.
After a touchback, the Bills held the ball for 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Early in the fourth quarter on 2nd and 9 from the Jets 33, Allen threw incomplete twice. Bass nailed a 51 yard field goal for a 17-17 game. Midway through the fourth quarter the Jets were pinned at their own 4 yard line. Robinson ripped off gains of 9, 7 and 16. At the 2 minute warning, the Jets had 1st and goal at the 6. The Bills took their timeouts on defense. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Wilson was sacked. Zuerlein hit the 28 yard field goal to give the Jets the 3 point lead, but the Bills after a touchback still had 1:43 to work with. On 2nd and 2 from his own 33, Allen was sacked and fumbled. The Bills retained possession after a big loss. With 33 seconds left on 4th and 21 from their own 14, Allen went bombs away to Davis. The coverage was good but the ball was perfectly thrown. It went through Davis’s hands incomplete. The Bills are 6-2 while the Jets are 6-3 after the big division win. 20-17 Jets
Minnesota Vikings at Washington Commanders — Kirk Cousins brought a 6-1 team to DC to face off against his old team. The Vikings began facing 3rd and 5 from their own 27. Cousins went to TJ Hockensen for 19. On 3rd and 1 from the Washington 45, Cousins went to Justin Jefferson for 17, 16, and for a 9 yard touchdown. The Vikings led 7-0 off the bat, but after that the Washington defense clamped down. The Commanders had been stifled the entire first half but took over at their own 37 with 2:44 left in the half. With one minute left the Commanders had 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 26. Taylor Heinecke threw 3 straight incompletions. Joey Slye hit the 44 yard field goal. A 45 yard second half kickoff return set up the Commanders at their own 48. Two plays later Heinecke went deep to Samuel for a 49 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Commanders. Late in the third quarter the Commanders had 3rd and 2 at their own 30. Heinecke went to Samuel for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 47, Rodgers gained 24. On 3rd and 10 from the Minnesota 23, Heinecke was sacked but a defensive facemask meant a 12 yard gain. The fourth quarter began with Heniecke hitting Dax Milne for a 6 yard touchdown to have the Commanders up 17-7 and smelling upset.
A key play in the game came 3 plays later with the Vikings facing 3rd and 11 from their own 24. Cousins was intercepted by Juste, who returned it 38 yards for a defensive touchdown. Yet the 24-7 Commanders romp was not to be as defensive pass interference nullified the interception and gave the Vikings 14 more yards. On 3rd and 7 from his own 41, Cousins went deep to Jefferson for 47. The drive then died. Needing 2 scores, Greg Joseph hit a 25 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 17-10. The Commanders took over at their own 25. On 2nd and 11 from their own 30 midway through the fourth quarter, Heinecke was intercepted by Smith. Smith returned the interception 35 yards to the Washington 12. On 2nd and 10, Cousins went to Dalvin Cook for the touchdown. Just like that, the game was tied 17-17. The Vikings got it back with 6:12 left at their own 46 and bled most of the clock. Cousins went to Hockensen for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Washington 31, Jefferson gained 10. On 3rd and 4 from the Washington 15, Cousins hit Hockensen for 9. With 1:52 left on 4th and goal at the 4, Joseph hit the 22 yard field goal to give the Vikings the lead. Yet a completely unnecessary roughness penalty on the Commanders on the kick caused Kevin O’Connell to take the points off the board. This let the Vikings take the clock down to 12 seconds. From 28, Joseph was good again. Last week the Commanders overcame a 9 point fourth quarter deficit. This time the Commanders blew a 10 point fourth quarter lead as the Vikings got to 7-1 the hard way. 20-17 Vikings
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals — The Seahawks came in a surprising 5-3 atop the NFC West after an emotional home win over the Giants. The Seahawks moved from their own 35 to a 2nd and 6 at the Arizona 31. Kenneth Walker got stopped and Geno Smith threw incomplete on 3rd and 6. Jason Myers hit a 49 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Seahawks. The Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 22. Kyler Murray ran for 21 and Zach Ertz for 14. James Conner gained 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 22, Murray went to Deandre Hopkins for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Cardinals.
The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 28. Smith hit Fant for 12. On the first play of the second quarter, Smith went to Fant for 18 more. Walker gained 3, 15 and 8. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Smith went to DK Metcalf for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Seahawks. A field position game had the seahawks get it back with excellent position at the Arizona 44. Yet on 4th and 2 from the Arizona 36, Pete Carroll went for it and a completion by Smith lost 4 yards. In the last 3 minutes of the half, the Cardinals moved from their own 3 yard line to a 2nd and 4 at the Seattle 20. Murray threw incomplete twice. With 25 seconds left, Kliff Kingsbury went for it on 4th and 4. Murray gained 9 but fumbled and the Seahawks recovered.
In the third quarter the Seahawks began a drive at their own 40 yard line. One play later, disaster struck as Smith was intercepted by Zaven Collins, who returned the interception 30 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 14-10 Cardinals lead. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Smith went to Will Dissly for 5. On 3rd and 12 from their own 35, Smith went to Tyler Lockett for 12 with 15 more tacked on for defensive unnecessary roughness. Smith then went to DIssly for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 16, Walker gained 3. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 9, Smith hit Lockett for the touchdown. The fourth lead change of the game had the Seahawks up 17-14 late in the third quarter after the 13 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive.
The Seahawks got it back at their own 19. Smith hit Parkinson for 10. On 3rd and 1 from their own 42, Walker gained 4. On 3rd and 7 just shy of midfield, Smith ran for gains of 18 and 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 13, Walker gained 12 and then got the last yard. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Seahawks after the 13 play, 81 yard, 7 minute drive had some breathing room up 24-14. The Cardinals soon faced 3r and 2 at their own 33. Conner gained 5. Murray hit Moore for gains of 6 and 10. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 41, Conner gained 14. Murray went to Moore for 11. On 3rd and 2 at the Seattle 8, a fumbled snap out of the shotgun lost yards. Yet the Seattle defense jumped offside for an Arizona first down. Murray hit Ertz for a 6 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 75 yard drive had the Cardinals within 24-21 with 3 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Seahawk took over at their own 15 and a short pass from Smith to Fant went for 51 yards. Walker did the rest, running for 8, 4, 12 and the 5 yard touchdown with 2:14 to play to ice the game. The 6-3 Seahawks have Pete Carroll getting younger by the week. 31-21 Seahawks
Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Two years ago the Buccaneers won it all. Last year the Rams beat the Buccaneers in a playoff thriller en route to winning it all. This was supposed to be an epic matchup but instead became a battle of two sub-500 teams that can’t get their offenses on track. Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford could not get a shootout going, so the teams played a defensive slugfest. The Buccaneers early on had great field position at their own 44. They moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Rams 3. Leonard fournette got the carry and gained only one yard. Todd Bowles was not in a gambling mood. Ryan Succop hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers after the 12 play, 54 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive.
Late in the first quarter the Rams took over at their own 9 yard line. They began the second quarter facing 3rd and 3 at their own 27. Stafford hit Allen Robinson for 5. The Rams offense had been bottled up most of the game, but one big play changed things. On 2nd and 11 from their own 31, Stafford found Cooper Kupp, who split the seams for a 69 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Rams. With 3 minutes left in the half, Succop came in for a 52 yard field goal try. His kick was blocked. Yet the Rams went 3 and out to give the Buccaneers the ball back at their own 10 with 2 minutes left. Defensive pass interference added 32 yards. Succop hit from 38 to get the Buccaneers within 7-6.
In the third quarter the Rams took over at their own 25 and moved 67 yards in 11 plays and nearly 5 minutes. Yet on 2nd and 7 from the Tampa 8, Stafford threw incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit from 26 to make it 10-6 Rams. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter of a defensive boneblack, Todd Bowles gambled on 4th and 2 from the Rams 45. Brady was sacked. The Rams took over at the Tampa 47. Stafford hit Kupp for 34. Yet on 1st and goal at the 10, a run went nowhere and Stafford was sacked. Again the red zone proved frustrating. Gay hit from 35 as the Rams led 13-6 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Buccaneers moved from their own 38 to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 37. Brady threw incomplete twice and 3rd and 10 a completion to Otton for 9 was wiped out by offensive holding. A 3rd and 20 completion gained 15. Succop hit from 50 to get the Buccaneers within 13-9 midway through the fourth quarter.
Sean McVay is an offensive wizard, but in a game where his defense was playing lights out, he took this game back to the stone age and simply tried to run out the clock. The Rams went 3 and out and the Buccaneers took over at their own 41. McVay’s strategy appeared to backfire when the Buccaneers moved to a 2nd and goal at the 6 with 2:06 to play. Brady went to the back of the end zone and a perfectly thrown ball was dropped. Another incompletion meant 4th and goal at the 6 with 1:57 left. Brady threw incomplete and the Rams celebrated. Yet the game was not over. The Buccaneers took their timeouts on defense and McVay again ran it 3 straight times. On 3rd and 5, Henderson gained only one yard. The Buccaneers got the ball back at their own 40 with 44 seconds left.
Brady immediately went to Cade Otton over the middle for 28 yards. Brady went to Miller for 14 and again for 7. Brady threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one with 16 seconds left. The Rms defense had bent all game, and with little help from their offense, finally broke. Brady hit Otton for the touchdown with 9 seconds left. Late in the game, Brady became the first ever NFL quarterback to have over 100,000 yards passing. This total includes the regular season and the postseason. Drew Brees is a distant second place with a little over 85,000 passing yards. Both of these teams have plenty to fix on offense, but on this day, Brady did it again. 16-13 Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs was the Sunday night game. The Chiefs win with Walrus Andy Reid’s glamorous offense. The Titans win with hard running from Derrick Henry and Mike Vrabel’s brutal defense. The Chiefs took over at their own 26 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 8. Yet an incompletion allowed by offensive holding killed the drive. The 15 play, 69 yard, over 8 minute drive culminated with a 23 yard Harrison Butker field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. The Titans took over at their own 18. On their first play from scrimmage, Malik Willis hit Okonkwo for a 48 yard gain. Yet from the Chiefs 34, a false start pushed the Titans out of field goal range. The Chiefs got it back at their own 21. Patrick Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 23. On 3rd and 7 from their own 47, Mahomes went to Watson for 31. Mahomes hit Toney for 10 and Juju Smith-Schuster for 9. The second quarter began with the Chiefs facing 3rd and 5 from the Tennessee 7 after a false start. Mahomes went to Mecole Hardman for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Chiefs led 9-0.
The Titans took over at their own 26. Willis went to Austin Hooper for 16. Willis ran for 17. Derrick Henry gained 24. On 3rd and 5 from the Chiefs 8, Willis threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 4, Henry got in for the touchdown to get the Titans within 9-7. The Titans got it back at their own 21. Henry broke free for a 56 yard gain. Willis hit Hooper for 18. Henry ran for a one yard touchdown to put the Titans up 14-9. With 1:52 left in the half, the Chiefs were pinned at their own 2 yard line. They moved to a 3rd and 1 at midfield with 34 seconds left. Mahomes was sacked. A third quarter interception of Mahomes gave the Titans a short field at the chiefs 34. Yet on 3rd and 5, Willis only gained 3. Randy Bullock hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 17-9 Titans. The Chiefs moved from their own 16 to a 2nd and 8 at the Tennessee 29. Mahomes threw incomplete twice. Butker’s 47 yard field goal try was just wide no good. After three quarters, Mahoems had thrown 40 passes, completing 27 of them. Willis had thrown only 8 passes, completing 4 of them. Yet the Titans led.
As Mahomes has shown so many times in his short career, you can only contain him for so long. With 10 minutes left in regulation the Chiefs were pinned at their own 7. Mahomes hit Smith-Schuster for 12, Hardman for 6, and Gray for 13. On 3rd and 17 from from his own 31, Mahomes was flushed out and scrambled for a 20 yard gain. Mahoems then went to Marques Valdez-Scantling for 12, Smith-Schuster for 11, and McKinnon for 11. On 3rd and 9 from the Tennessee 14, Mahomes scrambled all the way for the touchdown. The 2 point conversion try featured plenty of drama. Mahomes threw incomplete, but penalties on both teams meant a redo. Mahomes threw incomplete again, but this time a defensive holding penalty meant a 3rd try from the one. Mahomes scrambled around and got to the corner himself for the successful conversion. The 13 play, 93 yard, 7 minute drive tied the game 17-17 with 3 minutes left in regulation.
The Titans went 3 and out and the Chiefs got it back with 1:47 left at their own 36. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Burton got stopped cold. Mike Vrabel called a timeout on defense, and it almost came back to bite him. Walrus Andy Reid gambled on 4th and 1. Clyde Edwards-Helaire got a very tough 2 yards. Yet on 1st and 10 from their own 47, Mahomes threw 3 straight incompletions. The Titans got it back at their own 30 with 35 seconds left. Willis then threw 3 straight incompletions as well. A rocket punt was nearly blocked. Hardman returned it 22 years. The Chiefs had it at their own 40 but only 5 seconds remained. A quick pass over the middle was dropped incomplete, leaving 3 seconds. Mahomes went to Hardman for a 33 yard gain but the clock ran out. This fine, fine football game was headed to overtime.
The Chiefs won the coin toss. On 2nd and 11 from their own 24, Mahomes went to Kelce for 18. On 3rd and 1 just just shy of midfield, Mahomes rolled out to his right, and with a man of his face, threw a desperation pass to Noah Gray. Gray made a juggling catch for a 27 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 13, Mahomes threw incomplete. A field goal would not end the game. Andy Reid decided to go for it. Mahomes hit Smith-Schuster for a 2 yard gain. Yet 3 straight incompletions meant a field goal try. From 28 yards out Butker was good. The 13 play, 64 yard drive took 6 minutes, but the Titans would get a chance with the ball and a full 4 minutes to work with. Yet consecutive sacks of Willis had the Titans down to one last gasp facing 4th and 26 from their own 9 yard line. Willis threw incomplete. A playoff rematch would be much anticipated. 20-17 Chiefs, OT
Baltimore Ravens at New Orleans Saints was the Monday night game. In the first quarter the Ravens took over at their own 24. On 3rd and 1 from their own 33, Picard gained 2. Lamar Jackson went deep to non-relative Jackson for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Saints 47, Jackson hit Proche for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Saints 28, Jackson ran for 4, Jackson then went to Isaiah Likely for a 24 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 76 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 7-0 Ravens. In the second quarter the Ravens faced 3rd and 8 at their own 21. Jackson went to Oliver for 19. On 3rd and 2 from his own 48, Jackson ran for 16 and hit Proche for 12. Jackson went to Kenyan Drake for 11 down to the one. Drake got in to finish the 12 play, 81 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 14-0 Ravens at the 2 minute warning. after that the field goal kickers took over. Wil Lutz hit from 33 to get the Saints on the board. After a third quarter touchback, the Ravens moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Saints 14. Jackson threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit from 32 to make it 17-3 Ravens. After a touchback, the Saints moved 56 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 10, Dalton was sacked. Lutz hit from 37 to get the Saints within 17-6. Tucker hit from 41 in the fourth quarter to make it 20-6 Ravens. After a touchback, Dalton was immediately intercepted. The Ravens took over at the Saints 17. Drake ran for 9, 5, and then the 3 yard touchdown to make it 27-6 Ravens. The Saints managed one late touchdown but got no closer. 27-13 Ravens