NFL 2023 Week 6 Recap
Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs was the Thursday night game. The Broncos are a mess. The Chiefs are good. This was expected to be a blowout. After an opening touchback, the Broncos moved to a 4th and 3 at the Denver 38. Seam [ayton decided to go for it rather than try a 56 yard field goal. Russell Wilson was sacked. The Chiefs moved from their own 41 to a 3rd and 3 at the Denver 17. Patrick Mahomes threw incomplete. Harrison Butker hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. Wilson was intercepted as the Chiefs moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Denver 15. Mahomes then threw an interception right back. The Chiefs got it back at their own 43 to start the second quarter and moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Denver 6. Mahomes threw incomplete. Walrus Andy Reid gambled on a fake field goal. Gray took the direct snap and only gained one yard. The Chiefs had moved deep into Denver territory in consecutive possessions only to come up snake eyes.
The Chiefs got it back at their own 38. Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 13. Pacheco ran for 15. Mahomes went to Kelce for 19. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Mahomes hit Toney for the touchdown. The third straight trip to the red zone was the charm. With 4 minutes left in the half the Chiefs finally found the end zone to lead 10-0. With 28 seconds left ni the half, the Broncos had 3rd and 5 at their own 44. Wilson was then sacked. Then a shanked 29 yard punt had the Chiefs taking over at their own 39 with 14 seconds left. Mahomes hit McKinnon for 6 and ran for 13 himself. butler leveled a 60 yard field goal at the gun as the Chiefs took a 13-0 lead to the locker rooms. After a third quarter touchback it was more of the same. The Chiefs drove all the way to a 3rd and goal at the Denver 7. Mahoems threw incomplete. Butker hit from 25 to make it 16-0 Chiefs. In the fourth quarter the Broncos took over at their own 39. Wilson went to Cortland Sutton for 21. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 22, Wilson threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 11 yards. Wilson went to Sutton for an 11 yard touchdown. Williams ran in t he 2 point try. With 6 minutes left the Broncos were only down 16-8. Yet after a touchback, the Chiefs ket doing just enough to put the game out of reach. At the 2 minute warning, Butker hit from 52 to prevent any hope of a comeback. It was ugly, but the Chiefs are 5-1. At 1-5, the Broncos have it far uglier. 19-8 Chiefs
Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans was the Sunday early morning game from London. Early on it was a battle of field goals as Justin Tucker hit from 41 for the Ravens and Nick Folk answered from 26 for the Titans for a 3-3 game. After that the Ravens took over for awhile. Tucker hit from 28 to make it 6-3 Ravens after the first quarter. Tucker hit again from 23 in the second quarter to make it 9-3 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 20. Lamar Jackson hit Mark Andrews for 20. Hill gained 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 34, Edwards gained 4. Defensive unnecessary roughness dded 15. Jackson hit Zee Flowers for a 10 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Ravens led 15-3. Tucker ended the half with a 29 yard field goal to make it 18-3 Ravens.
In the third quarter the Titans tried to claw their way back into it but both teams found the red zone frustrating. Folk hit from 27 to get the Titans within 18-6. An interception of Jackson set up the Titans at the Baltimore 25. Derrick Henry ran for a 15 yard touchdown to get the Titans within 18-13. The Titans got the ball back with a chance to take the lead. On the first play of the fourth quarter on 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 48, Ryan Tannehill went deep and was intercepted. The 24 yard return by Stone set up the Ravens at their own 44. The Ravens moved to a 3rd and goal at the 3, but Jackson only gained on yard. John Harbaugh played it safe all day, and did so again. Tucker hit his fifth field goal from 20 to make it 21-13 Ravens with 13 minutes left in regulation. The Ravens got it back at their own 10 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Tennessee 19. A wildcat run out of the shotgun came up inches short. With Tucker as a safety valve, Harbaugh was going ultra-conservative. Tucker hit his sixth field goal from 36 with 4:16 to play to salt it away. Needing 2 scores, the Titans reached the Baltimore one yard line before consecutive sacks of tannehill killed the drive. Folk hit a 38 yard field goal with 38 seconds left but the onside kick failed. The Ravens have a history of winning ugly with running and defense. With the best kicker in the game, the Ravens stayed true to this formula. 24-16 Ravens
Washington Commanders at Atlanta Falcons — A pair of uninspiring teams played an uninspiring game. After an opening touchback, the Commanders moved to a 4th and 6 at the Atlanta 19. Joey Slye hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Commanders. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27. Desmond Ridder hit Kenny Pitts for 9, London for 20, and Mack Hollins for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Washington 26, Ridder hit London for 11. Ridder went to Pitts for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Falcons. The Commanders got a jolt when Crowder returned a punt 61 yards to the Atlanta 11. Sam Howell hit Antonio Gibson for a one yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Commanders. After a touchback, the Falcons moved to a 4th and 3 at the Washington 48. Arthur Hill went for it and Ridder threw incomplete. Riverboat Ron Rivera in turn went for it on 4th and 1 from the Washington 43. Howell gained 4. Gibson ran for 9. Howell went to Terry McLaurin for 18. Howell hit Curtis Samuel for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Commanders.
After a touchback the Falcons moved to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 26. An intentional grounding penalty on Ridder killed the drive. Younghoe Koo hit the 47 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 17-10 at the intermission. After a touchback, the Falcons soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 45. Ridder was intercepted by Kyle Fuller, who returned the pick 23 yards to the Atlanta 27. Two plays later, Howell went to Robinson for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Commanders. The Falcons tool over at their own 19. Ridder ran for 13. Ridder hit Smith for 13 and 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 30, defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 9. The fourth quarter began with the Falcons facing 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 12. Robinson lost 3 yards. On 4th and 4, Arthur Hill went for it and Ridder hit Hollins for 7. Ridder hit Jonnu Smith for a 2 yard touchdown. A pointless 2 point conversion try failed and the Falcons were down 8 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Falcons got it back and moved from their own 11 to a 2nd and goal at the 2 with a golden opportunity to tie the game. After an incompletion and a delay of game, Ridder went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The Falcons got it back and soon faced 4th and 9 at their own 44 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Ridder threw incomplete. The Falcons took their timeouts on defense as only 30 seconds came off the clock. They got the ball back at their own 7 yard line with 2mmintues left. The Falcons quickly moved all the way to a 3rd and 1 at the Washington 34. Ridder was then intercepted as the third and final chance to tie the game was snuffed out. 24-16 Commanders
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears — A pair of bad NFC North teams started the game with field goals. Greg Joseph hit from 53 for the Vikings. Cairo santos answered from 22 in the second quarter for the bears. Jospeh hit again from 51 and Santos answered again from 53 for a 6-6 game. An interception of Justin Fields gave the Vikings the ball at their own 23 with 1:47 left in the half. Kirk Cousins hit Powell for 9 and TJ Hockenson for 21. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 34, Cousins went to Hockenson for 12. With 12 seconds left in the half, Cousins found Jordan Addison for the touchdown and the 12-6 Vikings lead. The extra point was blocked. In the third quarter Fields was sacked and injured. Bagent came in,, was hit, and fumbled. Hicks picked it up and raced 43 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 19-6 Vikings. In the fourth quarter the bears got the ball at their own 23. Bagent went to Moore for 18 and again for 24. Bagent ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Bears within 6 points. The Bears got the ball back at their own 24 and calmly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 35 with 1:51 left and a chance to win. Bagent went deep and was intercepted by Murphy. 19-13 Vikings
Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals — After an opening touchback, Geno Smith hit Tyler Lockett for 10. Smith went to Kenneth Walker III for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincinnati 32, Smith hit Smith-Nigba for 12.Walker ran for a one yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Bengals soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 35. Joe Burrow hit Joe Mixon for 11. On 4th and 2 from the Seattle 46, Zac Taylor gambled. The Seahawks jumped into the neutral zone. Burrow went to Tyler Boyd for 9 and 5, Tee Higgins for 9, and Boyd again for an 8 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 69 yard, 6 minute drive made it 7-7. The Bengals got the ball back at their own 27. Burrow went deep to JaMarr Chase for 31 to end the first quarter and again to Chase for 23 more to start the second quarter. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 7, Mixon ran for 4. Burrow hit Iosivas for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bengals. All of a sudden, the game turned from a track meet to a street fight. The final 48 minutes would not see a touchdown. Josh Myers hit from 55 late in the half and from 23 in the third quarter to get the Seahawks within 14-13. With 12 minutes left in regulation, an interception of Smith was returned by Taylor-Britt 24 yards to the Seattle 34. Evan McPherson hit a 52 yard field goal to put the Bengals back up by 4. The Seahawks moved from their own 36 to a 4th and goal at the 6 with 2:08 to play. Going for the win, Smith was sacked. The Seahawks got it back again at their own 40 and moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Cincy 9 with 44 seconds left. Smith threw incomplete twice as the Cincinnati defense came up big. 17-13 Bengals
San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns — The Browns have a good defense but the 49ers are the complete team. Dispatching the Browns would keep alive their undefeated season. The 49ers took over at their own 16 and made it look easy on the ground. Deebo Samuel gained 8 and Christian McCaffrey ran for 24 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Brock Purdy hit McCaffrey for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers less than 3 minutes into the game. PJ Walker was in for an injured Deshaun Watson, and Walker was intercepted by Fred Warner. Warner returned the pick 32 yards to the Cleveland 26. It appeared the rout was on but the 49ers then went backward and Moody missed a 54 yard field goal. Dustin Hopkins also missed a 47 yard try for the Browns. In the second quarter the 49ers moved 65 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes from their own 17 to a 4th and 3 at the Cleveland 7. Moody hit from 25 to make it 10-0 49ers.Then the game changed.
From his own 17, Walker went deep to Amari Cooper for a 58 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 16, Karim Hunt took the direct snap all the way for the touchdown. The Browns were only down 10-7 at the half. Hopkins hit field goals of 42 and 46 as the Browns led 13–10 after three quarters and were smelling upset. Early in the fourth quarter Walker was intercepted by Lenoir, who returned the pick 28 yards to the Cleveland 8 yard line. One play later, Jordan Mason ran it in for the touchdown to make it 17-13 49ers. The Browns got within 17-16 when Hopkins hit a 50 yard field goal with 3:20 to play. If there is one weakness in Kyle Shanahan’s coaching, it’s his stubborn refusal to run the ball with a lead late. He is a West Coast Offense worshipper, which prefers finesse over smash mouth. 3 straight passes lost one yard. The Browns moved from their own 26 to the Cleveland 11. Hopkins hit from 29 to give the Browns a 2 point lead, but the 49ers still had 1:40 to work with. After a touchback, they calmly moved to the Cleveland 23 with 9 seconds left. Shanahan opted to kick the field goal on 3rd down. From 41 yards out, Moody’s kick was wide right no good. in an absolute stunner, the 49ers undefeated season was gone. 19-17 Browns
New Orleans Saints at Houston Texans — The Saints missed a chance to get on the board first when Grupe missed a 52 yard field goal try. CJ Stroud has been an impressive rookie who had not thrown an interception at all. His very first interception proved harmless as the Saints fumbled the ball back on the return to give the Texans the ball near to where they started at their own 41. Singletary ran for 3 and 17. Stroud went deep to Brown for 34. Stroud hit Dalton Schultz for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans. After a touchback from their own 35, Derek Carr hit Michael Thomas for 16 and 8. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 34, Carr went to Shaheed for the touchdown to make it 7-7 after the first quarter.
After a touchback, the Texans moved to a 3rd and 3 at the New Orleans 5. Stroud threw incomplete. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 107 Texans. The texans got the ball back at their own 35. Stroud went to Collins for 28. Singletary ran for 11, 7, 2, and on 3rd and one from the New Orleans 17, 3. Singletary added 4 more. On 3rd and goal from the 6,, Stroud hit Robert Woods for the touchdown to make it 17-7 Texans with 3 minutes left in the half. Grupe hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Saints within 17-10, but this game belonged to the Houston defense. Fairbairn hit from 22 in the third quarter to make it 20-10 Texans. Grupe answered from 45. Yet in the fourth quarter group missed a 29 yard try, deflating the Saints. The Saints got it back and moved from their 14 to a 3rd and 3 at the Houston 14. Alvin Kamara lost a yard. On 4th and 4 with 4 1/2 minutes left, Carr completed a pass to Kamara for only 2 yards. Dennis Allen loves his West Coast Offense dink and dunk passes. The saints got it back at their own 15 an moved to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 24 with 35 seconds left. The Saints and plenty of time to tie or win. Carr threw 3 incompletions. On 4th and 10 he went for it all and was intercepted. 20-13 Texans
Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars — After an opening touchback, the Colts moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Jacksonville 10. Gardner Minshew threw incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit a 28 yard field goal for a 3-0 Colts lead. In the second quarter the Jaguars exploded. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Bigsby gained 2. Doug Pederson gambled on 4th and 1 from their own 45. Travis Etienne got around the end for a 7 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Indianapolis 42, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. Trevor Lawrence hit Strange for 17. Etienne ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Jaguars. On the next play from scrimmage after a touchback, Minshew was sacked and fumbled. The Jaguars took over at the Indianapolis 22. One play later, Etienne took the direct snap for the touchdown to make it 14-3 Jaguars. An interception of Minshew had the Jaguars soon facing 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Etienne got the yard. On 3rd and 6 from the Indy 36, Lawrence hit Calvin Riddley for 7. Lawrence went deep to Christian Kirk to a 29 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Jaguars with 1:40 left in the half. The Colts managed another field goal before the half, but tis game was over.
A third quarter interception of Minshew led to a 48 yard Brandon McManus field goal to make it 24-6 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back and faced 3rd and 1 at their own 40. Defensive pass interference eon an incompletion meant a 4 yard gain. Johnson gained 19. Defensive pass interference again added 14 more. Lawrence hit Kirk for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Lawrence went to Strange for the touchdown to make it 31-6 Jaguars. The Colts managed a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns to get within 11 points, but the Jaguars added a pair of field goals to salt away a game that was not competitive. 37-20 Jaguars
Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins — The winless Panthers were at a high-flying Dolphins team. Sometimes a really bad team can go on the road and shock a good team in an upset for the ages. tHE panthers in the first quarter took over at their own 36. Bryce Young went to Adam Thielen for 27. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 33, Young hit Thielen for 7. Chuba ran for 19 and then for the 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 26. Young hit Tommy Tremble for 21 and Thielen for 11. Blackshear gained 9 and Hubbard added 4, 7 and 4. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 13, the Miami defense was caught with too many men on the field, gifting the Panthers a first down. Young hit Thielen for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Panthers. Then in the second quarter reality set in.
After a touchback, Tua Tagovailoa went to Tyreek Hill for 27 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Carolina 41, Tagovailoa hit Braxton Berrios for 10 and Hill for 11. Tagovailoa went to Jalen Waddle for 14 and to raheem Mostert for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 14-7. After a touchback, Frank Reich gambled on a fake punt on 4th and 8 just shy of midfield. Punter Johnny Hekker has quarterback experience, and he completed a pass to Shenault for 7 yards, but Shenault came up one yard short. From their own 43, Miami struck quickly. Mostert ran for 49 yards. Tagovailoa hit Waddle for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-14. The Dolphins got it back and soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 28. Tagovailoa found Waddle for 17. On 3rd and 8 from their own 47, Tagovailoa hit Mostert for just enough. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 41, Tagovailoa went deep to Hill for the touchdown and the 21-14 Dolphins lead. The Panthers ended the half deflated when Eddie Pineiro missed a 43 yard field goal try.
The Dolphins took over in the third quarter at their own 9 yard line. Mostert gained 9 and 4. On 2nd and 5 from their own 27, Tagovailoa went deep to Hill for 47 yards. Tagovailoa hit Waddle and Ahmed for a pair of 9 yard gains. Mostert ran for 4 and then for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 28-14 Dolphins. The Panthers after a touchback moved to a 4th and 2 at the Miami 24. Frank Reich went for it and Young threw incomplete. The Dolphins got it back at their own 24. Tagovailoa went deep to Hill for 24. On 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 43, Tagovailoa hit Berrios for 10. Mostert ran for 11, 13 and 8. On 3rd and goal at the one, Mostert got in to cap the 12 play, 76 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 35-14 Dolphins. With 5 minutes left in regulation Tagovailoa was taken out for his own safety. Mike White came in and immediately threw a 61 yard touchdown to the Carolina defense. Yet after the onside kick failed, the Dolphins had a short field at the Carolina 37. While did not have to even lift his arm. Brooks ran for 28. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Ahmed got in to complete the blowout. 42-21 Dolphins
New England Patriots at Las Vegas Raiders — These teams have played some heart-stopping games, from the 1976 Sugar Bear Hamilton controversy to the 2001 Tuck Rule game. The 2022 game in Las Vegas was insane. On the last play of a tie game, the Patriots inexplicably went for the hook and laterals rather than just go to overtime. Chandler Jones flattened Mac Jones on his way to scoring a touchdown that featured everything but the marching band. One year later, Derek Carr is gone and Chandler Jones is facing jail after suffering a mental breakdown. Bill Belichick and his mini-me opposition Josh McDaniels are still there. Jimmy Garoppolo and Mac Jones are both dink and dunk West Coast Offense game managers with little to no arm strength. Yet Belichick at least prefers to run the ball and play defense. He gets bold on fourth down. McDaniels plays gutless finesse football and refuses to take fourth down chances even near the goal line. Yet the Patriots came in with the most horrendous team since Belichick took over in 2000. They had been outscored 72-3 in their past two games. Yet if anyone can make a bad team look average or even good, it’s the Raiders led by McDaniels. This game was no exception.
After an opening touchback, the Raiders moved 69 yards in 10 plays and 8 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the New England 6, Garoppolo threw incomplete. Daniel Carlson hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders. A short 34 yard punt gave the Raiders the ball back at their own 40. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the New England 19. Yet after a run gained only one yard, Josh McDaniels did what he always does…he abandoned the run. On 2nd and 9, Garoppolo threw a pass to Davante Adams that looked like a reception. Yet Adams got blasted and the ball popped in the air and was intercepted. The Raiders had 2 trips to the red zone and came away with a total of 3 points. Yet the Patriot offense has been pathetic, and a sack of Jones had them punting on 4th and 18 from their own 6. The Raiders faced 3rd and 6 from their own 45. Garoppolo went to Mayer for 32 yards. The second quarter saw the Raiders facing 3rd and 5 at the New England 18. Garoppolo hit Jakobi Meyers fo 6. Garoppolo went back to Meyers for a 12 yard touchdown. The Raiders had the 10-0 lead and all the momentum. Yet the Raiders never win easily.
The Patriots moved from their own 19 to a 3rd and 5 at the Raiders 24. Jones threw incomplete. Ryland hit the 43 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 10-3. Rather than establish the run, Josh mcDaniels insisted on more dinking and dunking. On 3rd and 5 from his own 30, Garoppolo threw incomplete. The Patriots moved from their own 27 to a 2nd and 5 at the Raiders 30. Jones was the intercepted by Terry Moehrig who returned the pick 22 yards to his own 34. This was becoming a battle of who wanted it least. The Raiders moved from their own 34 tp a 4th and 4 at the New England 19 with 10 seconds left in the half. Carlson hit the 37 yard field goal. The Raiders led 13-3 at the midpoint. Again, they had all the momentum. They were up against a team that had not seen the end zone in ages.
After a third quarter touchback, the inevitable happened. Raimondre Stevenson broke off a 15 yard run. Ezekiel Elliott added 8. Jones hit Brown for 15. Elliott gained 6. The 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive featured pure smash mouth running. Elliott took a direct snap for a 2 yard touchdown. The Patriots were right back in it down 13-10. The Raiders did not immediately fold. They also got a break that was supposed to be a disaster but was not. Garoppolo was injured in the second quarter and did not play in the second half. Bryan Hoyer took his place. Hoyer is a better quarterback. He has a stronger arm. On 3trd and 4 from their own 31, Hoyer went bombs away to Tucker for a 48 yard gain. Garoppolo does not do that. The Raiders moved moved 63 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Yet on 1st and 10 from the New England 11, offensive holding killed the drive. Carlson hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 16-10 Raiders. The Raiders got it back at their own 35 and Hoyer immediately went deep to Adams for 21. Early in the fourth quarter the Raiders had 3rd and goal at the 6. Hoyer threw incomplete. The Raiders moved the ball all game but could not convert in the red zone. Carlson hit from 24. With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders led 19-10. Again the anemic offense of the Patriots, this game should have been over. The Raiders don’t finish games.
After a touchback, the Patriots embarked on a 17 play, 75 yard drive that took 9 1/2 minute off he clock. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Kendrick Bourne gained 4. On 3rd and 1 from their own 47, Stevenson gained 7. Ib 3rd and 6 from the Raiders 42, Jones threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 9 from the Raiders 36, Jones hit Bourne for 15 and again for 4. Jones went t Ty Montgomery for 8. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Jones hit Bourne for only 4 but a very questionable roughing the passer call on Maxx Crosby killed the Raiders. The Patriots needed 2 scores. On 4th and goal at the 3, Bill Belichick might have kicked the field goal. Instead, it was 1st and goal at the one. Stevenson got in. The Patriots were within 19-17. There was still 3 1/2 minutes left. The Raiders were collapsing again.
After a touchback, the Raiders tried to run out the clock and were even aided by an 11 yard defensive pas interference call. With 2 1/2 minutes left, the Raiders faced 3rd and 2 at their own 46. One more first down would pretty much end the game. Josh McDaniels actually made the right call. Yet Josh Jacobs got belted for a one yard loss. Punter AJ Cole hit a beauty that pinned the Patriots at their own 9 yard line. They had 2 1/2 minutes left and needed only a field goal to win. On 2nd and 4, Stevenson gained 5 but offensive holding instead meant 2nd and 11. Jones then went deep to Davante Parker with a perfectly thrown bomb that beat the double coverage. The Patriots would have been in field goal range. The Raiders blew it again. Yet the Raiders were saved from their own ineptness when Parker dropp the ball. It just bounced off his fingertips.
A delay of game penalty after an incompletion had the Patriots facing 3rd and 15 at their own 4. Then came the play of the game and major redemption. Crosby atoned for his earlier mistake by leveling Jones in the end zone for a sack and a safety. For the first time all year, the Raiders had more than 20 points. They also took the free kick, which New England tried to turn into an onside kick but failed. Hoyer took 3 knees. It was hideously ugly, but the Raiders played a team dumber than they were. Nevertheless, they have won 2 straight and are 3-3. They are far from good but the defense is slowly and slightly improving. The red zone offense is still awful, but Bryan Hoyer deserves serious consideration to be the starter. When the Raiders get away from dinking and dunking, their offense actually looks pretty good. 21-17 Raiders
Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Lions are for real, but the Buccaneers are playing better than expected under Baker Mayfield. An early interception of Mayfield gave the Lions gift field position at the Tampa Bay 12. Yet on 3rd and 8, a surprise run out of the shotgun fooled nobody and lost 2 yards. Riley Patterson hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Lions. A field position game saw the Buccaneers take over at their own 42 in the second quarter. They moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Detroit 15, but Mayfield threw incomplete twice. Chase McLaughlin hit from 33 for a 3-3 game. After a touchback, Jared Goff hit David Montgomery for 19 and Reynolds for 21. On 3rd and 13 from the Tampa Bay 27, Goff went to St. Brown for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Lions. After Patterson missed a 52 yard third quarter field goal try, the good field position allowed McLaughlin to hit from 36 to get the Buccaneers within 10-6. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 33. Goff hit St. Brown for 11. On 3rd and 11 from their own 43, Goff hit Raymond for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Tampa 45, Goff went deep to Williams for the touchdown. The Lions led 17-6. They are known for having a high-powered offense, but this game was about their defense. The Lions tacked on a fourth quarter 36 yard Patterson field goal and the defense did the rest. 20-6 Lions
Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams — The Rams are average at best while the Cardinals are a mess. The first half was a hideous battle of field goals. in the first quarter Matt Prater hit from 55 for the Cardinals. Brett Maher answered from 29 for a 3-3 game. Prater hit from 32 and 27 in the second quarter with a fumbled punt setting up the first one to give the Cardinals the 9-3 lead. Maher hit from 35 to end the half with the rams within 9-6. After a third quarter touchback, Williams gashed the Arizona defense for gains of 17, 6, 14 and 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 20, Williams gained 6. On 3rd and 9 from the Arizona 13 after 9 straight runs, Matthew Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for the touchdown to make it 13-9 Rams. Maher added on a 25 yard field goal to make it 16-9 Rams. After a touchback, the Cardinals began the fourth quarter facing 1st and 10 at the rams 12 looking to tie the game. Joshua Dobbs was intercepted. On 3rd and 3 from his own 19, Stafford hit nacho for 6. On 3rd and 9 from his own 26, Stafford hit Kupp for 21. Karen Williams ran for 27, 4, and then the 5 yard touchdown to make it 23-9 Rams. An Arizona fumble gave the Rams a short field. Maher hit from 43 to turn a tight game at halftime into a blowout. 26-9 Rams
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets — The Jets have a decent enough defense, but the Eagles are a complete team. Their undefeated season would continue once they plowed through the Jets. The Eagles began at their own 9 yard line and embarked on a 19…yes, 19…play drive. They gobbled up 91 yards and bled nearly 10 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 8 from their own 11, Jalen Hurts hit AJ Brown for 10. On 3rd and 7 from their own 24, Hurts hit Deandre Swift for 8 and Smith for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 38, Hurts hit Boston Scott for 14, Swift for 6 and Dallas Goedert for 6. On 4th and goal at the 3, Nick Sirianni made the surprising decision to go for it. Hurts got in as the Eagles led 7-0. The Jets after a touchback also mounted a long drive. On 3rd and 8 from the Philadelphia 20, a false start and an incompletion by Zach Wilson killed the drive. Greg Zuerlein hit from 41 to get the Jets within 7-3. Hurts was intercepted, but when Robert Saleh gambled on 4th and 5 from the Philly 40, Wilson completed a 4 yard pass, coming up one yard short. The Eagles took over at their own 36. Hurts went to swift for 11. A short pass from Hurts to AJ Brown went for 49 yards. Hurts went to Swift for a 9 yard touchdown to give the Eagles a comfortable 14-3 lead.
The Eagles would not be comfortable for long. The Jets offense was unable to reach the end zone, but Zuerlein kept them in the game. He hit from 42 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. After a Philadelphia fumble, Zuerlein hit from 35 to end the half. He hit again from 39 as the third quarter was ending to have the Jets right back in it down 14-12. The Eagles could not finish it off in the fourth quarter. Hurts was intercepted, but the Jets did not capitalize. The Eagles then moved from their own 18 to a 3rd and 6 at the Jets 15. Hurts was sacked. Jake Elliott’s 37 yard field goal try was no good. The eagles got it back and moved from their own 20 to a 3rd and 9 at their own 46. Only 1:50 remained. One more first down would ice the game. Even a give up run followed by a punt would leave the Jets maybe 45 seconds left. Since the Jets needed only a field goal, Nick Sirianni went big and bold, knowing an incomplete pass would save the Jets 45 seconds of precious clock. Then came the shock. Hurts’s short pass was intercepted by Adams, who returned it 45 yards to the Philly 8 yard line. On the next play Bre Hall ran it up the middle for the touchdown. Wilson hit Randall Cobb for the 2 point conversion to put the Jets up by 6 points. After a touchback, the eagles still had 1:46 left to work with. On 4th and 8, Hurts threw deep incomplete. 17 unanswered points allowed the Jets to deliver a stunner and knock the Eagles from the ranks of the unbeaten. 20-14 Jets
New York Giants at Buffalo Bills was the Sunday night game. The Bills are very good. The Giants are awful. With Daniel Jones out with an injured neck, Tyord Taylor started for the Giants. The first three quarters were a defensive boneblack. Neither team had anything resembling offense. A Buffalo fumble in the first quarter led to a 29 yard Graham Gano field goal for the Giants. Tyler Bass missed from 52 in the second quarter, giving the Giants great field position. That led to Gano hitting again from 43. Instead of 3-3, the Giants led 6-0. An interception of Josh Allen allowed the Giants to move from their own 41 to a 1st and goal at the one with 14 seconds left in the half. The Giants were out of timeouts, but they had time for 3 or maybe even 4 pass attempts. Then came a critical blunder. Brian Daboll decided on a running play despite not having a timeout. Saquon Barkley got stopped cold and the clock ran out. Daboll seemed angry at Taylor, but this was failure all around. Instead of a 9-0 lead, the Giants came up with nothing on the last play. The third quarter was scoreless as the Giants defense preserved the 6-0 lead.
The Bills took over in the third quarter at their own 11. After defensive holding, Jared Cook ran for 5 and 10. Allen went to Dawson Knox for 10. On 3rd and 2 from just past midfield, Allen hit Shakir for 13. On 3rd and 6 at the Giants 32, Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 7. Latavius Murray ran for 12 and 5. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 5, Murray gained 3. On the first play of the fourth quarter, on 3rd and goal at the 3, Allen hit Deorte for the touchdown. The staggering 17 play, 89 yard drive took 10 minutes off the clock and gave the Bills the 7-6 lead. The Giants fought back and moved from their own 10 to a 3rd and 1 at the Buffalo 11. This time Brian Daboll went with a pass play rather than try banging it with Barkley. Taylor threw incomplete. On 4th and 1, Daboll had a major decision to make. On the road against a hostile crowd, Daboll played it safe. Gano hit the 29 yard field goal to put the Giants up 9-7 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Bills soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 28. Allen gained 6 but defensive holding added 5 more and an automatic first down. Allen went to Diggs for 14 and 5 interspersed with Cook runs of 6, 5 and 4. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 24, Allen hit Diggs for 5. Allen went to Morris for a 15 yard touchdown. With 3:48 to play, the Bills had a 5 point lead. Yet the game was far form over. After a touchback, the Giants faced 4th and 8 from their own 38. Taylor threw incomplete. Only 1:45 remained. Sean McDermott took no chances, playing it ultra-conservatively. 3 straight runs gained a total of one yard. Bass came in for a 53 yard field goal to try and make it a 17-9 game. His kick was wide right no good. The Giants were very much alive at their own 43 with 1:24 left. Taylor took the right down the field. On 4th and 5 from the Buffalo 27 with 22 seconds left, Taylor hit Hyatt for 12.
With 2 seconds left, the Giants had one chance on 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 9. Taylor threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one and one untimed down. For the third time in the game, the Giants needed one yard. at the end of the first half, Barkley was stopped stone cold. So this time Brian Daboll called a pass. Taylor fired over the middle of the end zone where Darren Waller and Taron Bernard jostled for position. Waller had his hands on it but Bernard won the battle, knocking it away incomplete. The Giants howled that there was defensive holding on Bernard. There was. The officials this time did not call it. Three tries to gain one yard came up snake eyes. It was a bitter defeat for the Giants as the Bills breathed a sigh of relief after surviving. 14-9 Bills
Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Chargers is the Monday night game. This was the battle of perpetually overhyped teams. The Cowboys are overhyped every year by owner Jerry Jones. The Chargers are overhyped every year by the media. The Cowboys are often overrated. The Chargers just perpetually underachieve. The Cowboys got blasted last week at San Francisco. Nobody loses close games like the Chargers, especially with Brandon Staley making miserable fourth quarter decisions. A 26 yard punt return gave the Chargers the ball at the Dallas 42. Justin Herbert went to Greg Everett for 15 and Austin Ekeler for 28. On 3rd and goal at the one, Gerbert went to Keenan Allen for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers. After a touchback, Dak Prescott went to CeeDee Lamb for gains of 11 and 23. On 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 34, Tony Pollard gained 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Chargers 22, Prescott gained only 4. Mike McCarthy gambled on 4th and 1. Prescott kept it and got the first down and the 18 yard touchdown to make it a 7-7 ballgame after the first quarter.
The next two quarters were a defensive slog. In the second quarter the Cowboys moved from their own 22 to a 3rd and 3 at the Chargers 15. Prescott hit Pollard for only 2. Mike McCarthy gambled on 4th and 1 again. This time Prescott kept it and got stopped cold for no gain. The Cowboys got the ball back at their own 29 with one minute left in the half. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 17 with 14 seconds left. A pass gained only 3 yards and for some reason the Cowboys let the clock tick down from 8 or 9 seconds to only 3 seconds before calling timeout. It was a wasted opportunity. Brandon Aubrey hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Cowboys. After a third quarter touchback, the Chargers moved 68 yards in 13 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Dallas 7, Brandon Staley went for it rather than settle for a tie game. Herbert threw incomplete. Yet the Cowboys punted it back on 4th and 12 from their own 5 and the Chargers took over just past midfield. The Chargers need 10 plays and 5 minutes to go only 43 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Herbert threw incomplete. Cameron Dicker hit the 24 yard field goal for a 10-10 deadlock after three quarters.
The Cowboys began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 11 at their own 24. A short pass from Prescott to Pollard went for a 60 yard gain. On 2nd and 12 from the Chargers 18, Prescott hit Lamb for 15. Prescott went to Brandon Cooks for a 2 yard touchdown. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Cowboys led 17-10. The Chargers under a hail of offensive penalties punted on 4th and 10 from their own 30. The Cowboys fumbled the punt and the Chargers recovered at the Dallas 20. Defensive pass interference added 15 more. yards. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Herbert hit Ekeler for only 2 yards. Midway through the fourth quarter, it was totally appropriate for Brandon Staley to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. Herbert hit Everett for the touchdown and the 17-17 tie. After a touchback, the Cowboys moved on a brilliant 14 play drive that bled 5 minutes off the clock. On 1st and 10 from the Dallas 21, a pair of runs gained nothing. With 2 1/2 minutes left and the Chargers out of timeouts, a run would take the clock down to the 2 minute warning. Yet that would still be plenty of time for Herbert. Mike mcCarthy went for it all, but Prescott’s throw to the end zone was just overthrown incomplete. Aubrey hit the 39 yard field goal. The Cowboys had the 3 point lead. After a touchback, the Chargers had 2:20 to work with. Herbert was protected well all game. Yet on 2nd and 2, he was belted to the ground for an 8 yard loss. On 3rd and 10 he threw over the middle just before getting belted again. He was intercepted. The Chargers had another agonizing loss. 20-17 Cowboys