NFL 2023 Week 8 Recap
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills was the Thursday night game. The Bills moved from their own 4 yard line to a 3rd and 5 at the Tampa Bay 19. A completion went for no gain. Tyler Bass hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bills. The Buccaneers missed a chance to tie the game when Chase McLaughlin’s kick from 50 yards out was no good. The Bills moved from their own 40 to a 3rd and goal at the one. Latavius Murray got stopped for no gain. Sean McDermott gambled. On 4th and goal from the one to start the second quarter, Allen threw incomplete. The goal line stand was all for naught as the Bills returned a punt 24 yards right back to the Tampa Bay 23. On 3rd and 1, Allen gained 3. Allen ran for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Bills.
After a touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Buffalo 39. Baker Mayfield threw incomplete but McLaughlin drilled a 57 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers on the board. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Allen was intercepted to set up the Buccaneers at the Buffalo 23. Mayfield went to White for 20. Mayfield went to Chris Godwin for a 3 yard touchdown and a 10-10 deadlock.
After a touchback, Cook ran for 18. Allen then went to Davis for 14. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa Bay 36, Cook gained 4. Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 12. On 3rd and 12 from the Tampa Bay 22, Allen went to Kincaid for the touchdown to put the Bills back up 17-10. After a third quarter touchback, Allen went to Kincaid for 18 and Shakir for 9. Allen ran for 8 with defensive holding adding 5 more. Allen went to Davis for 11 and Diggs for 3 and 14. Allen went to Davis for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Bills.
With a 10 minutes left in regulation, the Buccaneers faced 2nd and 14 at their own 4. Mayfield went to White for 20. On 3rd and 4 from their own 30, Mayfield went to White for 9, Jarrett for 9 more, Cade Otton for 6, and Palmer for 7. On 4th and 10 from the Buffalo 46, Mayfield threw incomplete with 4 minutes left. Yet the Buccaneers were rescued by an illegal contact penalty on the defense. Given a new set of downs, the Buccaneers were soon down to their last gasp again. On 4th and 8 from the Buffalo 39, Mayfield was sacked. Yet the Buccaneers were saved again due to a defensive facemask penalty. The Buccaneers faced a third do or die scenario on 4th and 10 from the Buffalo 24. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for the touchdown. Another defensive penalty on the play meant a 2 point try from the one. Mayfield hit Otton and the Buccaneers were within 6 points with 2:44 left. Yet by the time the Buccaneers got the ball back at their own 20, only 21 seconds remained. From his own 45 with 4 seconds left, Mayfield’s Hail Mary was a good one. Godwin had a legitimate shot at it but never saw the ball go right by him, falling incomplete. The Bills made it harder on themselves than necessary. The Buccaneers gave them a scare but fell short. 24-18 Bills
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins — The Patriots re a bad team, but enjoyed a win over Buffalo last week. When the Patriots were a dynasty, they still struggled in Miami no matter how bad the Dolphins were. These Dolphins are very good. An early interception of Tua Tagovailoa had the Patriots at the Miami 30. Three plays later on 3rd and 4, Mac Jones went to Kendrick Bourne for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots. After that, reality set in. After a touchback, Tagovailoa went to Jalen waddle for 9. Wilson ran for 11. Tagovailoa went deep to Tyreek Hill for a 42 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Dolphins got it back in the second quarter at their own 47. On 4th and 4 from the New England 42, Mike McDaniel decided to go for it. Tagovailoa gained 8. Tagovailoa hit Hill for 14. On 4th and 1 from the New England 8, McDaniel gambled again. Tagovailoa hit Hill for 2. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Tagovailoa threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Tagovailoa hit Wilson for the touchdown to cap the 14 play, 53 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and make it 14-7 Dolphins. An interception of Mac Jones set up the Dolphins at the New England 40. Jason Sanders hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Dolphins.
On the first play from scrimmage after a third quarter touchback, Tagovailoa out of the shotgun fumbled and the Patriots recovered at the Miami 19. The Patriots went backward but Ryland hit a 38 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 17-10. The Dolphins took over at their own 23. Tagovailoa went to Hill for 22. On 3rd and 9 from their own 46, Tagovailoa went to Waddle for 23 and Chase Claypool for 15. Raheem Mostert ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Dolphins. The Patriots took over at their own 19 in the fourth quarter. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 5 and 17. Runs and short passes had the Patriots facing 1st and goal at the 3. Jones threw a pair of incompletions wrapped around a run that went nowhere. Bill Belichick had to go for it, and on 4th and goal Jones hit Juju Smith-Shuster for the touchdown. The Patriots were within 24-17 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Mostert ran for 10. On 3rd and 9 from their own 41, Tagovailoa hit Hill for just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 31, Tagovailoa went deep to Waddle for the touchdown to ice the game. 31-17 Dolphins
New York Jets at New York Giants — The Giants are allowed to go 1-15 as long as they don’t lose to their little brothers, the Jets. This was not the worst game ever played, but it was so bad that the loser of this game should be downgraded from New York to New Jersey. The Jets fumbled early on. The Giants took over at the Jets 19. They settled for a 31 yard Graham Gano field goal to make it 3-0 Giants. The Jets took over at midfield late in the first quarter. Zach Wilson went to Breece Hall for a 50 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Jets. In the second quarter Gano missed a 47 yard field goal try. After a scoreless second quarter and a third quarter touchback, Saquon Barkley ran for gains of 6 and 34. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 16, Barkley got the 6. On 3rd and goal at the 10, a run gained nothing but defensive unnecessary roughness meant 1st and goal at the 5. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Devito ran it in to make it 10-7 Giants. 21 minutes still remained, but most of it was unwatchable.
With 90 seconds to play, the Jets were down to their last gasp with 4th and 10 at their own 41. Wilson was sacked for a 15 yard loss. The Giants had 1:26 to kill and 1st and 10 at the Jets 26. On 3rd and 3 from the Jets 19, Barkley only gained 2. With 28 seconds remaining, the Giants had 4th and 1 at the Jets 17. A first down would end the game. Brian Daboll inexplicably decided on a field goal try. Even a 13-7 game would still give the Jets a chance at a long kickoff return and a win. Things got worse when Gano missed the 35 yard chip shot. The Jets took over at their own 25 with only 24 seconds left and no timeouts. Wilson went to non-relative Greg Wilson for 29 with 5 more tacked on for the defense jumping offside. The penalty was a gift, stopping the clock. Wilson went deep to Allen Lazard for 29 more. The Jets furiously raced to the line and Wilson spiked the ball to stop the clock with one second left. Greg Zuerlein hit the 35 yard field goal. If ever a game did not deserve overtime, this was it. Yet at 10-10, that’s where it went. The Giants went 3 and out in overtime. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 11 from their own 39. Wilson went to non-relative Wilson for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Giants 45, Wilson went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 30 yard gain. Robert Saleh went for the field goal on 1st down, and Zuerlein’s kick from 33 was good. The Giants are now New Jersey. 13-10 Jets
Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers — The 5-2 Jaguars took on the 4-2 Steelers. The first half belonged to the kickers and the defenses. Brandon McManus hit from 50 and 51 in the first quarter to make it 6-0 Jaguars. The Jaguars had a chance to do much more int eh second quarter, but on 1st and goal at the 6, Trevor Lawrence was intercepted in the end zone. The Steelers moved from their own 2 to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Kenny Pickett completed a pass for no gain and then threw incomplete. Chris Boswell hit from 22 to get the Steelers within 6-3. McManus answered from 38 with one minute left in the half to make it 9-3 Jaguars. Boswell’s attempt from 61 to end the half was no good.Worse for the Steelers, Pickett was injured late in the half. Mitch Trubisky played the second half. One play broke open the game with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. From his own 44, Lawrence went deep to Travis Etienne for a 56 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Jaguars after Etienne rushed in the 2 point conversion. After a touchback, Trubisky hit Johnson for gains of 11 and 12. Trubisky went to George Pickens for a 22 yard touchdown to get the Steelers within 17-10 after three quarters. Yet in the fourth quarter, an interception of Trubisky allowed McManus to hit a 37 yard field goal with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation to lock up the win. Trubisky threw in one more interception for a good measure. 20-10 Jaguars
Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans — After nearly 30 years, the Houston Oilers finally played football again. The “Luv ya blue” crowd saw the Tennessee Titans break out the retro Oilers uniforms complete with the helmets. They even painted Oilers on their home field. Somewhere in heaven, Bum Phillips had to be smiling. The only things missing were Earl Campbell running and Billy White Shoes Johnson doing the funky chicken. With Ryan Tannehill out with an injured ankle, Will Levis started his first game. On the 4th play from scrimmage, Malik Willis came in for Levis and fumbled a shotgun snap. The Falcons took over at the Tennessee 28 and moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Tennessee 7. Desmond Ridder threw incomplete and then was sacked. Younghoe Koo hit from 29 to make it 3-0 Falcons. The Titans got it back late in the first quarter and faced 3rd and 1 from their own 48. Levis Hit Derrick Henry for 5. Levis then went deep to Deandre Hopkins for a 47 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Titans. With 6 minutes left in the half, a sack of Ridder forced a fumble. The Titans recovered at the Atlanta 33. Levis went to Hopkins for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Titans.
The Falcons tried to get back in the game but could not reach the end zone. Ridder sat after halftime and Taylor Heinecke came in. Arthur Hill after the game insisted it was an injured issue with Ridder and not a benching. Koo hit third quarter field goals of 49 and 39 to get the Falcons within 14-9. After a touchback, Henry ran for 14. Levis then went deep to Hopkins for a 61 yard touchdown to make it 21-9 Titans. After a touchback, Heinecke hit Hodge for a 52 yard gain. The fourth quarter began with Brian Robinson running for a 13 yard touchdown to get the Falcons within 21-16. The Titans would face 3rd and 4 at their own 21. Levis hit Olonkwo for 10. Spears ran for 23. Levis went to Westbrook-Ikhine for a 23 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Titans led 28-16. The Falcons soon had to go for it on 4th and 1 from their own 34. Heinecke ran for 11. Tyler Allgier ran for 9. Heinecke hit Mack Hollins for 29. Heinecke went to Miller for an 8 yard touchdown. With 3:46 to play, the Falcons were back within 5 points. The Falcons got it back but on 4th and 1 from their own 22 with 90 seconds left, Heinecke threw incomplete. As for Ryan Tannehill, an unwritten law says players do not lose their jobs to injury. Drew Bledsoe would disagree with how that was applied. So might Tannehill. Levis threw 4 touchdown passes with 0 interceptions. The Oilers looked and played great even without an Ernest Givens Electric Slide, while the history books will count this as a win for the Titans. 28-23 Titans
Houston Texans at Carolina Panthers — Last week was supposed to be the inaugural match between Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson, but Richardson was injured. This week Bryce Young did play for the first time against CJ Stroud as the winless Panthers looked to finally get a victory. The Texans began a rive at their own 8. Stroud hit Collins for 15. On 3rd and 7 from their own 26, Stroud hit Boone for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Carolina 42, Stroud hit Collins for 8. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 28, Stroud hit Brown for 4. The second quarter began with the Texans facing 3rd and 10 at the Carolina 24. Stroud hit Brown for 22. Beck ran for a one yard touchdown. The staggering 17 play, 92 yard drive took nearly 9 1/2 minutes off the clock and made it 7-0 Texans. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 40. Young was sacked but defensive holding meant 5 yards and an automatic first down. Young went to Sullivan for 13, DJ Shark for 20, and Marshall for 9. On 3rd and goal at the one, Tommy Tremble got in. Eddie Pineiro missed the extra point as the Panthers trailed 7-6.
In the third quarter Pineiro hit field goals of 46 and 37, the latter set up by a Texans fumble. The Panthers led 12-7. The Texans soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27. Stroud went to Schultz for 9. Damien pierce ran for 16. Stroud went to Brown for 31. Singletary ran for 9 and 7. On 2nd and goal at the one, a pair of runs got stopped short. Demeco Ryans went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Stroud got in. The 2 point try failed but the Texans led 13-12 after three quarters. The defenses dug in. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Panthers took over at their own 9 yard line. Young hit Chuba Hubbard for 12. Defensive offside and pass interference on consecutive plays added 14. On 4th and 2 from the Houston 47, Young hit Adam Thielen for 3 and Hubbard for 14. With 3 seconds left, Pineiro came in for redemption from 38 yards out. His missed extra point was why the Panthers were losing. Consecutive defensive penalties in a desperate attempt to block the kick failed and turned his attempt into a 23 yard try. The mind-numbing 19 play, 88 yard drive took all 6 1/2 minutes left off the clock. Pieniro was good, as Young got his first NFL victory and the Panthers got their first win of the season. 15-13 Panthers
Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys began facing 3rd and 11 from their own 24. Dak Prescott was sacked, but illegal contact on the defense meant a new set of downs. After another sack, Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for 17 and 5 and Michael Gallup for 14. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 37, Prescott hit Cooks for 19 and Jake Ferguson for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. The Rams did get a 33 yard field goal from Havrisik, but this game was never a contest. Aubrey leveled a 58 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Cowboys. One play after a touchback, Matthew Stafford was intercepted by Dalton Bland. Bland returned the pick 30 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 17-3 Cowboys. The Rams began the second quarter punting on 4th and 12 from their own 23. Williams blocked the punt out the back of the end zone for a safety and a 19-3 Cowboys lead. Turpin took the free kick and raced 63 yards to the Rams 13. Two plays laterPrescott hit Lamb for a touchdown and a 26-3 Cowboys lead. The Cowboys got it back at their own 37. Prescott went to Schoonmaker for 13 and Lamb for 26. On 3rd and 8 from the Rams 22, Prescott went to Lamb for the touchdown. The Cowboys were winning a mauling 33-3. The Rams managed a touchdown before the half and another one to start the third quarter, but this game was over. The Cowboys tacked on a third quarter field goal and another fourth quarter touchdown for a 43-17 lead. The Rams added a meaningless field goal as the Cowboys got to 5-2 on the year. 43-20 Cowboys
Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers — Early on Greg Joseph missed a 42 yard field goal try for the Vikings. The Vikings got the ball back at their own 23. Cam Akers gained 9 and 2. Defensive unnecessary roughness on the next play added 15. Roughing the passer on the very next play added 15 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 27, Cousins went to TJ Hockenson for 23. Akers after a false start ran for 3 and then the 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings. The Vikings soon moved from their own 20 to a 4th and 3 at the Green Bay 7. Jopseh hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Vikings. The Packers managed a field goal to end the half, but the Vikings quickly put the game away in the third quarter. On 3rd and 9 from their own 26, Cousins hit KJ Osborn for 32, 8, and on 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 33, 12 and 8 more. On 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 12, Kevin O’Connell went for it. Cousins gained 2. On 3rd and goal at the 2, cousins hit Hockenson for the touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 17-3 Vikings. Metelius then intercepted a Jordan Love pass and took it 43 yards to the Green Bay 20. One play later Cousins went to Addison for the touchdown. The Vikings were cruising 24-3 but Cousins kept getting hit. The Packers scored one more touchdown and even blocked a field goal, but the fourth quarter was scoreless. Yet it was a hollow victory for the Vikings. In the fourth quarter Cousins went down and the worst scenario developed. He ruptured his ankle and is out the rest of the season. The Vikings in an act of desperation traded for Arizona’s quarterback Joshua Dobbs. 24-10 Vikings
New Orleans Saints at Indianapolis Colts — Jonathan Taylor got things going from his own 19 by gashing the defense with runs of 6, 14 and 42. On 4th and 6 from the New Orleans 15, Shane Steichen opted for a 33 yard field goal. The kick was good, but an illegal formation penalty on the defense instead meant 4th and 1. Steichen gambled by taking the points off the board and going for it on 4th and 1 from the 10. Gardner Minshew hit Pittman for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Saints soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 29. Derek Carr went deep to Michael Thomas for 31. On 3rd and 1 from the Indianapolis 31, Taysom Hill gained 13. Carr then hit Alvin Kamara for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. After a touchback, the Colts moved to a 2nd and 1 at the New Orleans 2 as the first quarter ended. Jonathan Taylor got stopped and Minshew threw incomplete to start the second quarter. On 4th and 1 from the 2, Steichen was not in a gambling mood. Matt Gay hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Colts. A sack of Carr then forced a fumble to set yo the Colts at the New Orleans 30. On 3rd and 9, Minshew hit Downs for 12. On 2nd and 5 from the New Orleans 12, a run lost yards but a defensive facemark meant 1st and goal at the 6. Zack Moss ran for 5 and then the one yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Colts.
After a touchback, Carr hit Michael Thomas for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Indianapolis 48, Williams gained 5. Carr hit Chris Olave for 15. Hill ran for a 20 yard touchdown to get the Saints within 17-14. The Saints got it back at their own 37 and struck quickly. Carr went deep to Shaheed for a 58 yard touchdown and a 21-17 Saints lead. The Colts managed a field goal before the half but the Saints offense kept rolling in the third quarter. An interception of Minshew by Adebo was returned 27 yards to set up the Santa at their own 29. Carr hit Olave for 9, Hill for 14 and Kamara for 25. Kamara ran for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 28-20 Saints. The saints got it back at their own 24. Kamara ran for 6 and 11. Hill went deep to Shaheed for 44. Hill ran for 12. Hill got the last yard as a 28-3 run made it 35-20 Saints with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Colts soon faced 2nd and 13 at their own 22. Minshew hit Pierce for 15. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 15. Minshew went to Downs for 13 and to Alex Ogletree for a 33 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter the Colts were within 35-27. With 4 minutes left the Saints began at their own 33 and moved to a 2nd and goal at the 9. Rather than try and score a touchdown, the Saints bled the clock. Grupe hit a 27 yard field goal with 24 seconds left to lock up the win. 38-27 Saints
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders — The Eagles barely escaped with a 34-31 overtime win over the Commanders, and the rematch in Washington was just as harrowing. The Commanders took over at their own 38. Sam Howell hit Samuel for 7. Robinson ran for 29. Howell went to Terry McLaurin for a 26 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Commanders. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 35. Jalen Hurts threw a pair of incompletions and on 3rd and 10 completed a pass for only 2 yards. Jake Elliott hit a 51 yard field goal to get the Eagles on the board. After a touchback, Howell hit McLaurin for 9, Logan Thomas for 8 and Robinson for 11. The second quarter began with the Commanders facing 3rd and 4 at the Philadephia 41. Howell went to Thomas for 16 and Gibson for 10. On 2nd and 16 from the Philadelphia 21, Howell went to Dotson for the touchdown to make it 14-3 Commanders early in the second quarter. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 1st and goal at the 3, but Kenneth Gainwell coughed it up and the Commanders recovered the fumble.
The Commanders moved from their own 7 to a 4th and 1 at the Philadelphia 35. Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it and Howell threw incomplete. The Eagles faced 3rd and 2 from their own 43. Hurts hit Gainwell for 8. Hurts went to Smith for gains of 15 and 18 and to AJ Brown for a 16 yard touchdown. With 34 seconds left in the half the Eagles were within 14-10. After a touchback, Howell hit Gibson for 2, Crowder for 8, and Dotson for 13 and 14. On the last play of the half, Joey Slye buried a 61 yard field goal to put the Commanders up by a 17-10 margin. In the third quarter after a touchback the Eagles moved to a 4th and 3 at the Washington 32. Nick Sirianni went for it. Hurts went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. The Eagles are known for their tush push, but this time Hurts kept it up the middle on the sneak and fumbled the ball away. Twice the Eagles coughed it up at the goal line to squander 14 points. Yet the Eagles held and got the ball back, soon facing 4th and 4 at the Washington 45. Sirianni went for it again. Hurts hit Smith for 17. On 3rd and 7 from the Washington 25, Hurts went to Brown for the touchdown. The game was tied 17-17 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was ridiculous.
The Commanders soon faced 3rd and 6 form their own 29. Howell hit Dotson for 9 and Crowder for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 39, Howell gained 2 as the third quarter ended. Howell began the fourth quarter by hitting Bates for 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Philly 14, Howell gained just enough. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Howell hit Thomas for the touchdown to make it 24-17 Commanders in the fourth quarter. The Eagles soon faced 2nd and 14 at their own 21. Hurts went to Brown for 17. On 3rd and 2 from their own 46, Hurts went to Dallas Goedert for 18. Hurts went to Smith for a 38 yard touchdown and a 24-24 game. Howell was then intercepted by Rod Blankenship, who returned the pic 17 yards to the Washington 15 with unnecessary roughness during the return making it 1st and goal at the 7. Hurts hit Jones for an 8 yard touchdown to give the Eagles the 31-24 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Commanders turned it over on downs, got the ball back, an soon faced 4th and 5 at their own 25 with 2:13 to play. Howell was sacked as the Commanders turned it over on downs again. From the Washington 16, Deandre Swift ran for 7, 2, and on 3rd and 1, the 7 yard touchdown. With 1:50 left, 21 straight points had the Eagles up 38-24. The Commanders needed only 30 seconds to sore again. Howell hit Crowder for 9, McLaurin for 18, Crowder for 19, and Crowder again for the 26 yard touchdown. Yet the onside kick failed as the Eagles got to 7-1 on the year with a sweep of Washington the hard way. 38-31 Eagles
Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks — Both of these teams came in a surprising 4-2 on the year and offered an exciting finish. The Seahawks early on faced 3rd and 4 at their own 26. Geno Smith went to Tyler Lockett for 13. Kenneth Walker III ripped off a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 14, Smith went to Lockett for 11. Bobo ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Browns quickly fumbled the ball away and the Seahawks took over at the Cleveland 41. Smith went to Lockett for 17 and Smith-Nigba for 19. On 3rd and goal at the 12, Smith went to Lockett for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Seahawks. After a touchback, the Browns got back in it. PJ Walker went to Kareem Hunt for 12, to Strong for 41, and to David Njoku for an 18 yard touchdown to get the Browns within 14-7. After a touchback, the Seahawks moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cleveland 12. Three plays lost a yard. Jason Myers hit a 32 yard field goal as the Seahawks led 17-7 after the first quarter.
After that the Cleveland defense dug in. In the second quarter the Browns faced 3rd and 1 at their own 42. Walker ran for 7. On 4th and 2 from the Seattle 43, Kevin Stefanski went for it. Walker threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 6 yard gain. Walker went to Amari Cooper for 24. Hunt ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Browns within 17-14 at the break. The Browns twice moved in the third quarter inside the Seattle 10 yard line. Twice the Browns ended short of the end zone. Dustin Hopkins hit from 25 to tie the game and from 27 to put the Browns up 20-17 gayer three quarters. The Browns took over at their own 11 with 6 minutes left in regulation. With 2:04 to play, the Browns faced 3rd and 3 at their own 41. A first down would bring them closer to putting the game away. Walker had been managing the game well but at the worst possible time, he was intercepted. The Seahawks took over at their own 43. Smith went to Lockett for 7, DK Metcalf for 9, and Noah Want for 27. With 38 seconds left, Smith hit Smith-Nigba for the 9 yard touchdown to give the Seahawks a 4 point lead. After a touchback, Walker threw incomplete twice, was sacked, and on 4th and 19, threw incomplete again. 24-20 Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens at Arizona Cardinals — The Ravens are a very good team. The Cardinals are a very bad team. The Cardinals began facing 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Joshua Dobbs was sacked but illegal contact instead meant a first down. Dobbs went to Wilson for 10. Dobbs ran for 8. Dobbs hit McBride for 7. On 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 19, Dobbs threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 18 yards and first and goal at the one. Dobbs got the yard to make it 7-0 Cardinals. The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Lamar Jackson hit Mark Andrews for 10. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Edwards gained 4. Jackson ent deep to Bateman for 29. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 19. Jackson hit Andrews for a 5 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-7.
Then things got ugly. Jonathan Gannon gambled on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 44. A run got stuffed. Justin Tucker saw a 53 yard field goal try doink off the upright no good. The Cardinals then faced 4th and 1 at the Baltimore 36. Gannon gambled again and saw a run get stuffed again.In the second quarter an interception of Dobbs set up the Ravens at the Arizona 43. Jackson went to Hill for 24 and Andrews for 12. Edwards got the last yard with 20 seconds left in the half to make it 14-7 Ravens. Late in the third quarter an interception of Dobbs set up the Ravens at the Arizona 23. Jackson hit Likely for 10. Edwards ran for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Ravens after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Ravens moved from their own 33 to a 4th and 3 at the Arizona 30. Justin Tucker hit from 38 to make it 24-7 Ravens.
After a touchback, Dobbs hit Malcolm Brown for 8. On 3rd and 2 from his own 45, Ingram gained 14. Dobbs went deep to Wilson for 29. On 3rd and 15 from the Baltimore 17, Dobbs hit Trey McBride for the touchdown. Dobbs ran in the 2 point try himself to get the Cardinals within 24-15 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Edwards ran for 3. Bateman gained 18. Jackson added 13. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 17, defensive pass interference meant 16 yards down to the one. Edwards got the yard. With 2:50 left, the Ravens led 31-15. The Cardinals mounted a furious rally. They moved 75 yards and got a one yard touchdown pass from Dobbs to Marquise Brown. The 2 point conversion try failed as the Cardinals trailed 31-21 with 1:14 left. The onside kick succeeded but the Cardinals needed two scores. Matt Prater hit a 47 yard field goal with 26 seconds remaining to get the Cardinals within 7 points. Yet trying to get 2 consecutive onside kicks was too much to ask. The next one failed and the Cardinals settled for a score that was more respectable than the actual game. Dobbs was not the problem, but the 1-7 Cardinals need plenty of help. Dobbs was traded after the game. The 6-2 Ravens are playing well in all three phases of the game. 31-24 Ravens
Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos — The Chiefs had beaten the Broncos 16 straight times. While the Chiefs have not been playing spectacular football, the Broncos have been downright awful. Patrick Mahomes entered this game battling the flu, but the Chiefs still had far more talent. Two minutes into the game the Chiefs moved backward and a 31 yard punt had the Broncos starting out at the Kansas City 39. On 3rd and 6, McLaughlin gained 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 17, Russell Wilson gained 2 and 5. Wilson hit Williams for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. The Chiefs after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Denver 3. Mahomes swung a pass to Rice but it lost a yard. Harrison Butker hit a 23 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 7-3. In the second quarter the Chiefs were on the move but they fumbled the ball away. The Broncos took over at midfield. Wilson went to Jerry Jeudy for 39 and again for an 11 yard touchdown to put the Chiefs up 14-3. The Chiefs moved from their own 40 to a 3rd and 2 at the Denver 13. Yet again they bogged down as a run lost 3 yards. Butker hit from 34 to get the Chiefs within 14-6. With 9 seconds left in the half, the Broncos faced 3rd and 4 just shy of midfield. Wilson was sacked and fumbled. The Chiefs recovered at the Denver 48. Mahomes hit Jerick McKinnon for 11 and Butker leveled a 56 yard field goal to end the half. The Broncos basically gave away 3 points as the Chiefs were only down 14-9.
In the third quarter the Broncos held the ball for 8 1/2 minutes, moving 55 yards in 13 plays. On 3rd and 9 from the Kansas City 13, Wilson was sacked. Wil Lutz came in for a chip shot 38 yard field goal try. His kick was blocked. The Denver offense did little, but it didn’t have to. The Broncos showed up on defense and special teams. After a scoreless third quarter, the key play came with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Chiefs fumbled a punt and the Broncos recovered at the Kansas City 10 yard line. Wilson hit Cortland Sutton for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 21-9 Broncos. Mahoems was harassed all game, throwing a late interception with the outcome not in doubt. Lutz hit a 28 yard field goal with 30 seconds left as the Broncos finally got a small measure of revenge against their tormenters. The Chiefs fell to 6-2, still far ahead in the AFC West. 24-9 Broncos
Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers — The 1980s are long gone, and this was a tale of teams moving in the opposite direction. Both are legitimate Super Bowl contenders who have struggled at different points in the year. The Bengals took over at their own 15. Joe Burrow went to JaMarr Chase and Tee Higgins for a pair of 8 yard gains. On 3rd and 10 from his own 31, Burrow went to Higgins for 10. Burrow hit Chase for gains of 8 and 15. Joe Mixon ran for 20. Burrow hit Boyd for a 7 yard touchdown to make out 7-0 Bengals. After a touchback, Brock Purdy hit Christian McCaffrey for 13. On 3rd and 8 from their own 40, Purdy ran for 16. Purdy went deep to Brandon Aiyuk for 31. McCaffrey ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it a 7-7 ballgame.
A 41 yard kickoff return had the Bengals taking over at their own 42. Burrow hit Mixon for 12. Burrow went to Boyd for 22. Mixon ran for 11. Burrow hit Iosivas for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bengals. The Bengals missed a chance to extend the lead in the second quarter when Evan McPherson missed a 50 yard field goal try. The defenses dominated the next two quarters as the 49ers could only muster a 36 yard Moody field goal before the half. The Bengals managed a 56 yard McPherson field goal early in the third quarter and led 17-10 after three quarters.The 49ers moved from their own 24 to a 1st and goal at the 8 late in the third quarter. Yet Purdy was intercepted.
Early in the fourth quarter Purdy was intercepted again, with Wilson returning the pick 16 yards to the San Francisco 17. One play and 4 seconds later Burrow hit Chase for the touchdown and a 24-10 Bengals lead. After a touchback, Purdy hit McCaffrey for 9 and Aiyuk for 25. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincinnati 33, Purdy went to Aiyuk for 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Cincy 14, purdy hit Kittle for 10 and McCaffrey for a 4 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the 49ers were within 24-17. The Bengals took over at their own 22. Burrow went to Irwin for gains of 3 and 21 and to Chase for 20. Burrow ran for 10 and Mixon added 9. Mixon ran for 3 and then for the 5 yard touchdown with 3 minutes left to ice the game. After starting 1-3, the Bengals have won 3 straight. After starting 5-0, the 49ers have lost 3 straight. 31-17 Bengals
Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Chargers was the Sunday night game. Despite a rare win last week, the Bears lacked the talent to keep up with the fast-paced Chargers. Despite losing to better teams, the Chargers have enough talent to beat bad teams. The Chargers from their own 8 went to work. On 3rd and 5, Justin Herbert hit Keenan Allen for a 6 yard gain. Herbert went to Austin Ekeler for 8 and 13. Herbert went back to Ekeler for a 39 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 92 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Chargers. A fair catch interference penalty had the Chargers taking over again at their own 45. Herbert hit Palmer for 9 and then 9 more.Herbert hit Ekeler for 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 9, Herbert hit Fehoko for the touchdown as the Chargers led 14-0 after the first quarter. An interception of Bagent had the Chargers at their own 43. Cameron Dicker hit a 43 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Chargers. The Bears managed a touchdown with one minute left in the half, but this game was never competitive. After a touchback, Herbert went to Johnston for 11 and 12, Ekeler for 23, and Allen for 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 17, Herbert hit Johnston for 6. Herbert hit Donald Parham for an 11 yard touchdown with 4 seconds left int eh half to make it 24-7 Chargers. The second half was pointless. The Chargers tacked on a pair of third quarter field goals to lead 30-7. The Bears got one garbage touchdown in a garbage season. 30-13 Chargers
Las Vegas Raiders at Detroit Lions was the Monday night game. Both teams got walloped last week, but the Lions lost to a Baltimore team with Super Bowl aspirations. The Raiders lost to Chicago, who might be the worst team in the league. Chicago win with a rookie quarterback starting his very first game. The Raiders were humiliated by 18 points. They were expected to get blasted by the Lions, but the game was competitive as each team tried to give the game away. Frustration with Josh McDaniels reached a fever pitch, so on Thursday he held a meeting with the players that most likely accomplished nothing. The Lions moved easily from their own 20 to a 2nd and 8 at their own 26. A run went nowhere and on 3rd and 8 Jared Goff threw incomplete. Riley Patterson hit the 44 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders.
The Lions got the ball back and fumbled the ball away. The Raiders had 1st and 10 at the Detroit 26. All they had to do was run the ball. Heck, they could have taken a knee 3 times and kicked the tying field goal. Yet Josh McDaniels refuses to establish the run. He also relies too much on dink and dunker Jimmy Garoppolo’s dinking and dunking. Garoppolo has no arm strength, and everyone knows it. So rather than do the smart thing, McDaniels went for it alll. Garoppolon threw into double coverage. The ball was naturally underthrown. It was intercepted for a touchback. The defense held and the Raiders got the ball back with excellent field position at their own 41. On 3rd and 1 at midfield, McDaniels made the right call in giving the ball to Jacobs. Yet instead of going up the gut, an off-tackle run lost a yard. The Raiders offensive line doesn’t block.Knowing all of that, McDaniels gambled on 4th and 2. Garoppolo threw incomplete.
The Lions moved from just past midfield to 2nd and goal at the 6. Offensive holding killed the drive. Patterson hit from 31. The Lions only led 6-0. The Lions got it back at their own 22 and moved to a 2nd and 1 at the Raiders 7. A trick play was blown up for an 8 yard loss. Dan Campbell got too cute and it backfired. Yet Patterson hit from 33 and the Lions led 9-0.
After a touchback, the Raiders offense finally got going. Garoppolo hit Austin Hooper for 8. Jacobs ran for 9 and 4 with a defensive penalty for a low block adding 15. Garoppolo hit Hooper for 11. Jacobs ran for 7, 6, 6 and 3. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 6, Garoppolo gained 3. Jacobs ran for the 3 yard touchdown. With 3 minutes left in the half, despite being totally outplayed, the Raiders were only down 9-7. Yet now that the offense had finally done something right, the defense had to take its turn to malfunction. From their own 21, Goff went to Williams for 22 and Jahmyr Gibbs for 14. Gibbs ran for 7. Goff hit St. Brown for 6. On 3rd and 6 from the Raiders 26, Goff hit Sam Laporta for 8 and again for an 18 yard touchdown. With 27 seconds left in the half, the Lions led 16-7.
The Raiders did nothing to start the third quarter, and the Lions quickly moved from their own 44 to the Raiders 28. Goff went to the sideline and disaster struck. Marcus Peters jumped the route and took off the other way. The 75 yard interception return touchdown had the Raiders right back in it down 16-14. The Lions moved from their own 21 to a 1st and goal at the 4. After a run went nowhere, another run saw more disaster as the Lions fumbled the ball away. The Raiders took over at their own 3 yard line needing only a field goal to take the lead.
Instead they punted the ball right back to the Lions, who took over just shy of midfield and made it look easy. Gibbs gained 6. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 18. Gibbs then rushed for a 27 yard touchdown to make it 23-14 Lions. The Lions in the fourth quarter moved from their own 11 to the Raiders 34. Patterson hit a 52 yard field goal to put the Lions up 12 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Raiders muffed the ensuing kickoff, taking over at their own 2 yard line. After getting to their own 36, Garoppolo was sacked twice in a row. On 3rd and 28, Garoppolo actually completed a pass. Yet on 4th and 10, for the third time in four plays, Garoppolo was sacked. Patterson made 4 field goals but somehow missed a 26 yarder to give the Raiders a tiny ray of hope. Yet another sack of Garoppolo had the Raiders facing 4th and 18 from their own 32. Naturally, Josh McDaniels had Garoppolo throw another West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass rather than throw past the first down marker. Garoppolo added 12 yards to his stats while snuffing out any flicker of hope. The Lions are 6-2. They have a coach and a quarterback. The Raiders are 3-5. They don’t have either. 26-14 Lions