NFL 2023 Week 10 Recap
Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears was the Thursday night game. Two of the worst teams in football played a game that will be forgotten by…it already has. The one truly exciting play in the first quarter came when Smith-Marsette returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0 panthers. Then came a bunch of field goals. Cairo Santos hit from 54 to get the Bears on the board. In the second quarter, Eddie Pineiro hit from 33 to make it 10-3 Panthers. Santos hit from 36 with 3 minutes left in the half and again from 39 to end the half with the Bears only down 10-9. In the third quarter the Panthers punted on 4th and 15 from their own 4 to give the Bears excellent field position at the Carolina 38. Bagent hit Moore for 9 and D’Onta Foreman ran for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the 5, Cole Kmet took the direct snap and got the yard. Foreman ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 16-10 Bears with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Pineiro hit a 39 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 3. The Panthers got the ball back midway through the fourth quarter at their own 9 yard line. They converted twice on 4th down to set up 1st and 10 at the Chicago 41 at the 2 minute warning. Bryce Young threw 3 straight incompletions. From 59 yards out to tie the game with 1:40 left, Pineiro’s kick was short no good. 16-13 Bears
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots was the Sunday early morning game in Germany. The Colts are improving while the Patriots are collapsing. The Patriots moved from their own 20 on their opening drive to a 3rd and 6 at the New England 14. Mac Jones was sacked. Ryland hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 6 form their own 29. Gardner Minshew hit McKenzie for 30. Jonathan Taylor ran for 10, 5, 4, and on 3rd and 1 from the New England 22, 2. Taylor then ran for 6, 3, and on 3rd and one from the New England 11, just enough. After 8 straight Taylor carries, Minshew hit Pittman for 10. Minshew got stopped on 3rd and goal at the one. Shane Steichen went for it. Taylor got in to cap the 14 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive to make it 7-3 Colts. The second and third quarters were scoreless and deserve no mention. The Patriots moved from their own 6 yard line on a 15 play, 89 yard, 8 minute drive. On 2nd and goal at the 5, Ezekiel Elliott got stopped for no gain and Jones then threw incomplete. Ryland hit a 24 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 7-6 with 13 minutes left in regulation. A 42 yard kickoff return had the Colts at their own 47. Matt Gay hit a 51 yard field goal to put the Colts up by 4 again with 9 minutes left. The Patriots after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Indianapolis 13. A run lost a couple yards. Jones was then intercepted with 4 1/2 minutes left. A disgusted Bill Belichick benched Jones for Bailey Zappe when the Patriots got it back at their own 14 with 1:52. They moved to a 1st and 10 at their own 40 with 36 seconds left. Zappe went deep and was intercepted. The Patriots are 2-8 as rumors swirl around evil Hoodie Belichick. 10-6 Colts
Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals — The Texans are much improved but the Bengals came in having won 4 straight in impressive fashion. After an opening touchback and a roughing the passer call, the Bengals soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 42. Joe Burrow went to Hudson for 13 and 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 36, a run lost 2 yards. Zac Taylor gambled on 4th and 3. Burrow hit Hudson for just enough. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 32, Burrow went deep to Irwin for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. Yet in the second quarter, the game completely changed.
The Texans took over at their own 34. Dell ran for 13. CJ Stroud hit Dell for 17. Stroud hit Noah Brown for 9 with a facemark adding 6. Stroud went to Dell for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. Late in the half the Texans moved from their own 12 to the Cincinnati 27. With Kaimi Fairbairn injured, newly acquired Matt Amendola hit the 45 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Texans at the half. After a third quarter touchback, the Texans moved 72 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and goal at the 3, Stroud threw incomplete twice. Amendola hit from 22 to make it 13-7 Texans. A field position game had the Texans get it back at their own 41. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball added 42 yards. Stroud hit Singletary for 11. Singletary ran for a 6 yard touchdown as 20 unanswered points made it 20-7 Texans midway through the third quarter.
After a touchback, the Bengals moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Houston 24. Burrow was sacked. Evan McPherson hit from 50 to get the Bengals within 20-10. The Bengals got it back at their own 27. On 2nd and 12 from their own 36, Burrow went bombs away to JaMarr Chase for a 64 yard touchdown. The Bengals only trailed 20-17 after three quarters. After a touchback to start the fourth quarter, Stroud went deep to Brown for 34. Hutchinson ran for 17. Singletary gained 11. Stroud ran for an 8 yard touchdown to give the Texans some breathing room up 27-17 with 13 minutes left in regulation. Burrow was then intercepted on 2 consecutive possessions as the Bengals fate appeared sealed with 4 minutes left in the game.
Yet with the Texans facing 3rd and 2 at their own 28, Stroud, who had been playing brilliantly, blundered. He was intercepted by Taylor-Britt, who returned the pick 30 yards to the Houston 4 yard line. Mixon ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Bengals within 27-24 with 3:18 to play. The Bengals held on defense and got the ball back at their own 29 with 2:10 to play. Burrow connected with Boyd for a 64 yard gain. Yet on 1st and goal at the 7, Burrow was sacked. McPherson hit a 31 yard field goal for a 27-27 tie game, but 90 seconds still remained. The Texans faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29 with 42 seconds left. Stroud went to Dalton Schultz for 25 and to Brown for 22. With 3 seconds left, Ammendola came in for the 38 yard field goal try for the win. Ammendola was good. Stroud is having a great rookie season as both teams are 5-4 on the year. 30-27 Texans
Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers — The Steelers are winning ugly and the Packers are losing ugly. After an opening touchback, Kenny Pickett went to George Pickens for 5 and to Hayward for 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 45, Pickett threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 17 yard gain. Jalen Warren ran for 12. Harris ran for 6 and then for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Steelers. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 38. Jordan Love hit Watson for 14 and Wicks for 23. Love on 3rd and 7 from the Pittsburgh 8 hit Watson for the touchdown to make it 7-7. Carlson hit the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to set up the Steelers at their own 40. On 3rd and 1, Pickett got the yard. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 41, Harris gained 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 23, Pickett hit Warren for just enough. The second quarter began with Warren running for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Steelers. The Steelers got it back and Chris Boswell hit from 42 to put the Steelers up 17-7.
The Packers took over at their own 13. Defensive pass interference added 7. On 3rd and 1 from their own 29, Aaron Jones gained 2. AJ Dillon ripped off a 40 yard gain. On 3rd and 16 from the Pittsburgh 35, Love went to Jayden Reed for the touchdown. The extra point try was blocked as the Packers trailed 17-13. The Packers in the third quarter twice moved into the red zone and twice settled for Carlson field goals of 31 and 28 yards for a 19-17 Packers lead. Boswell hit from 49 to put the Steelers up 20-19 after three quarters. Boswell hit again from 35 to put the Steelers up by 4 with 5 minutes left in regulation. The Packers after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 9 from the Pittsburgh 14 with a golden chance to take the lead. love went to the end zone and was intercepted with 3:20 left. The Packers got it back with one minute left at their own 19. With 3 seconds left, the Packers had moved all the way to the Pittsburgh 16. The missed extra point meant a field goal would not tie the game. The Packers had to go for the end zone. Love was intercepted again as the Steelers quietly got to 6-3 on the year. 23-19 Steelers
Tennessee Titans at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Titans after an opening touchback moved to a 1st and goal at the 9. A Derrick Henry run lost yards and Will Levis was sacked. Nick Folk hit a 38 yard field goal. The Titans led 3-0, but their offense took most of the rest of the game off. Folk missed a 51 yard try that would have extended the lead in the second quarter. The Buccaneers took over at their own 15. Baker Mayfield hit Mike Evans for 15. On 3rd and 1 from their own 41, Mayfield went to Evans for 15. Mayfield connected with White on a 43 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers took a 7-3 lead to the locker rooms. In the third quarter the Buccaneers moved after a touchback to a 2nd and goal at the 7. Mayfield threw incomplete twice. Chase McLaughlin hit a 25 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back and faced 3rd and 5 at their own 25. Mayfield hit Evans for 27, Chris Godwin for 17, and Palmer for 6. On 3rd and 5 from the Tennessee 22, Mayfield went to Evans, who dragged tacklers the final 5 yards into the end zone. The Buccaneers led 17-3 after three quarters. The Titans managed a fourth quarter field goal and nothing else. The Buccaneers tacked on one more field goal as well. 20-6 Buccaneers
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens — This game was ridiculous as the 5-3 Browns and their top ranked defense took on the 7-2 Ravens and the vaunted Baltimore defense. On the second play from scrimmage, Deshaun Watson had his short swing pass batted up in the air by Hamilton, who made an acrobatic interception and waltzed 18 yards for a defensive touchdown. Only 40 seconds into the game, the Baltimore defense had the Ravens up 7-0. The Ravens got it back at their own 21 and made it look easy. Lamar Jackson went to Mark Andrews for 8 and to Bateman for 18. Mitchell raced for a 39 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Ravens less than 5 minutes into the game. The remaining 55 minutes seemed pointless. The Browns did manage a 36 yard Dustin Hopkins field goal to get on the board, but Justin Tucker answered from 37. The Ravens led 17-3 after the first quarter.
The Browns tried to get back into the game. Hopkins hit field goals of 28 and 23 sandwiched around a 55 yard try by Tucker that was blocked. The Browns only trailed 17-9 at the half. Yet in the third quarter the Ravens from their own 22 looked to put the game away. Jackson hit Bateman for 7, ran for 9 himself, and hit Zee Flowers for 18. On 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 40, Jackson went to O’Dell Beckham for the touchdown. The Ravens had their biggest lead of the game comfortably up 24-9.
The Browns tried to claw their way back in it. On 3rd and 4 from their own 31, Watson went to Amari Cooper for 5. On 4th and 1 from their own 45, Kevin Stefanski went for it and Bryant gained 2. On 3rd and 11 from the Baltimore 44, Watson hit David Njoku for the exact amount and then for 9 more. Kareem Hunt ran for 13. On 3rd and 2 from the Baltimore 3, Hunt got in the end zone. Stefanski went for a 2 point conversion and Watson got in. The mind-numbing 17 play, 75 yard drive took 10 minute off the clock. After three quarters, the Browns trailed 24-17. The fourth quarter began after consecutive sacks of Jackson and the Ravens punting on 4th and 26 from their own 45. The Browns fumbled the punt and the Ravens recovered at the Cleveland 12. On 3rd and 9, Jackson threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Jackson was intercepted but another defensive holding call meant 1st and goal at the 5. Edwards ran for 4 and then the one yard touchdown. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Ravens had a 31-17 lead.
Yet the Browns would not go quietly. On 2nd and 15 from their own 20 after a sack, Watson went to Cooper for 25 and to Njoku for 23. Defensive pass interference added 19. Watson hit Elijah Moore for a 10 yard touchdown. The Browns were within 31-24 and 9 minutes still remained. Two plays after a touchback came a shocker. Jackson was intercepted by Greg Newsome, who returned the pick 34 yards for a defensive touchdown. Yet then Hopkins missed the extra point. Instead if a tie game, the Browns trailed 31-30. The Browns got the ball back at their own 20 with 5 minutes left. On 3rd and 1, Watson hit Ford for 2. On 3rd and 2 from their own 39, Ford gained 6. Watson ran for 16. Ford gained 12. The Browns moved 58 yards in 12 plays and used up the entire clock. The Ravens never got the ball back. With 3 seconds left, Hopkins came in for a 40 yard field goal try to redeem himself and get the win. Hopkins was good as the Browns had the shocking road win. 16 unanswered fourth quarter points was the difference between being left in the dust and being only half a game out of the division lead. Yet the victory came at a high cost. Watson suffered a severe shoulder injury and is now out for the rest of the season. 33-31 Browns
San Francisco 49ers at Jacksonville Jaguars — The 49ers after a 5-0 start lost 3 straight. Now they had to take on the 6-2 Jaguars. An expected clash of titans was never a contest. A field position game early on had the 49ers taking over at their own 43. Christian McCaffrey ran for 6. Brock Purdy hit McCaffrey for 9, George Kittle for 29, and Brandon Aiyuk for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. Moody tacked on a 39 yard first quarter field goal for the 49ers. Brandon McManus hit a 37 yard second quarter field goal for the Jaguars, but all that did was avoid the shutout. Moody hit from 35 to end the half with the 49ers up 13-3. The 49ers quickly moved to put the game away at the start of the third quarter. On the second play from scrimmage after a touchback, Purdy went deep to Kittle for a 66 yard touchdown and a 20-3 49ers lead. The Jaguars turned the ball over on the next 3 possessions with 2 interceptions sandwiched around a fumble. The fumble led to the 49ers taking over at their own 19. On 3rd and 9, Purdy went to Aiyuk for 21 and Kittle for 21 more. McCaffrey ran for 14 and Deebo Samuel ran for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 27-3 49ers. The last interception set up the 49ers at the Jacksonville 49. McCaffrey ran for 15. Purdy went to Kyle Juszczyk for a 22 yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to complete the blowout. Both teams are 6-3 but this was a stunner. 34-3 49ers
New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings — A pair of 5-4 teams jockeying for position played a quiet first quarter. Greg Joseph hit a 40 yard field goal for the Vikings. Grupe answered from 48 for the Saints in a 3-3 game. The Vikings exploded in the second quarter. After a touchback, Chandler ran for 11. An interception of Joshua Dobbs was wiped out by the defense jumping offside. The second quarter began with the Vikings facing 3rd and 1 from their own 45. Dobbs gained 11. Dobbs hit Powell for 11 more. On 3rd and 5 from the New Orleans 28, Dobbs went to TJ Hockenson for 24. Chandler ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Vikings. The Vikings got it back at their own 18. Dobbs went deep to Addison for 29. On 3rd and 6 just past midfield, Dobbs went to Hockenson for 13 and again for 21. On 3rd and 6 from the New Orleans 7, Dobbs ran for the touchdown to make it 17-3 Vikings. The Vikings got it back at their own 24 with 1:47 left in the half. Chandler ran for 13. Dobbs hit Hockenson for 13. Dobbs ran for 10. Dobbs went back to Hockenson for gains of 9, 6, and the 28 yard touchdown. With 16 seconds left in the half, the Vikings were winning a laugher up 24-3. Joseph nailed a 33 yard field goal to make it 27-3 Vikings in the third quarter.
Midway through the third quarter, Carr got rocked and left the game injured with a concussion and a messed up right shoulder. Backup Jameis Winston played the rest of the way and showed his best and his worst. Carr had moved the Saints from their own 25 to a 3rd and 1 at the Minnesota 36 when Winston entered. Winston completed a pass for no gain, but Dennis Allen had to go for it on 4th and 1. Alvin Kamara gained 2. Winston went to Chris Olave for 20 and again for a 14 yard touchdown. Kamara ran in the 2 point conversion as the Saints were within 27-11 in the third quarter. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Joseph missed a 54 yard field goal try that would have all but iced the game. The Saints took over at their own 44. On 3rd and 10, Winston threw incomplete but defensive illegal use of hands meant 5 yards and a new set of downs. On 4th and 2 from the Minnesota 43, Winston went to Olave for 26. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 15, Winston went to AT Perry for the touchdown. Kamara ran in the 2 point try as the Saints were only down 8 with 11 1/2 minutes left. Yet after leading 2 touchdown drives, Winston threw 2 interceptions in the final 3 1/2 minutes. The Saints actually got the ball back one more time with 6 seconds left at the Minnesota 48, but Winston’s Hail Mary fell incomplete. The Vikings were a preseason pick to go far but started 1-4. Since then they have won 5 straight. 27-19 Vikings
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Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals — The Cardinals came in a 1-8 dumpster fire, but with one major change. For the first time since the middle of last year, Kyler Murray was back on the football field. His return was a shot of adrenaline. Early on from his own 4 yard line, he led the Cardinals on a 15 play, 63 yard drive that took nearly 8 minutes. They reached a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 18. A pair of penalties killed the drive but Matt Prater hit a 51 yard field goal for a 3-0 Cardinals advantage. After a touchback, Taylor Heineke hit Pitts for 8. Tyler Allgeier ran for 7. On 3rd and 8 from their own 42, Heinecke threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. Brian Robinson gained 3 and 17. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 16, Allgeier gained 10. Early in the second quarter, on 3rd and goal at the 2, Heinecke went to Miller for the touchdown to cap the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-3 Falcons. After a touchback, th Cardinals drove to a 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 28. Murray threw incomplete. Prater hit from 40 to get the Cardinals within 7-6.
The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 2 at thrown 33. Cordarelle Patterson gained 5. Heinecke hit Robinson for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 34, Heinecke threw incomplete but illegal contact kept the drive going. On 3rd and 10 from the Arizona 21, Heinecke scrambled for 16. Robinson ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 with 4 minutes left in the half. After a touchback, Murray went to Moore for 12 and to Malcom Hollywood Brown for 28. James Conner gained 9 and on 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 20 gained 5 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 6, Murray ran it in with 10 seconds left in the half. Jonathan Gannon went for the 2 point conversion and Murray threw incomplete. The Cardinals trailed 14-12 at the half.
In the third quarter the Cardinals moved from their own 24 to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 30. Consecutive offensive holding penalties killed the drive but Prater drilled a 56 yard field goal to put the Cardinals back in front 15-14. The Cardinals got it back at their own 25 and Murray was immediately intercepted. Landman returned the interception 25 yards to the Arizona 14. Yet on 3rd and 6, Heinecke was sacked. Younghoe Koo hit a 36 yard field goal to give the Falcons the 17-15 lead.
Late in the third quarter, a 49 yard punt return had the Cardinals with gift field position at the Atlanta 21. Murray hit Wilson for 15 down to the one. Tune got the yard as the Cardinals led 22-17 after three quarters. The Falcons after a touchback moved 64 yards in 15 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Early in the fourth quarter during the drive, Heinecke was injured while scrambling. Desmond Ridder, who had been benched a few weeks ago, finished the game. Midway through the fourth quarter, Arthur Hill went for it on 4th and 1 from the Atlanta 21. Ridder got stopped cold. Yet the Falcons got the ball back at their own 26 with 6 minutes left in regulation. On 3rd and 8, Ridder went to London for 11. Robinson gained 14. Defensive pass interference added 32 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 9, Ridder ran for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Falcons led 23-22 with 2 1/2 minutes left. After a touchback, Murray hit Moore for 8. Conner gained 9. On 3rd and 10 from his own 42, Murray ran for 13. Murray went deep to mcBride for a 33 yard gain. Conner gained 7. The Cardinals had 2nd and goal at the 2, but purposely did not score a touchdown. After the Falcons took their last timeout, Murray took a knee. Prater came in with 2 seconds left. His 23 yard field goal was good. The Cardinals are simply a different team with Murray in the lineup. 25-23 Cardinals
Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Chargers — Dan Campbell and Brandon Staley both take big gambles bordering on reckless. They both brought high octane offenses and no defense to this game. Picture Bobby Layne facing off against Air Coryell and Dan Fouts. The Lions moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 8 at the Chargers 10. A touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Williams was nullified by a low block penalty. Riley Patterson hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Lions. The Chargers moved after a touchback to a 3rd and 2 at the Detroit 30. Justin Herbert threw incomplete. Staley actually decided to play it safe for once. Cameron Dicker hit a 48 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. Yet after these field goals, the game quickly turned into a track meet.
After a touchback, Goff hit Amon-Ra St Brown for 7. Defensive pass interference added 16. Gibbs gashed the defense for gains of 5, 11, 35, and finally the one yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Lions. An interception of Herbert set up the Lions at the Charges 33. Yet on 2nd and goal at the one, David Montgomery got stopped twice. Dan Campbell gambled on 4th and goal at the one. Goff threw incomplete. Yet the Lions got the ball right back at their own 40. Goff went to Gibbs for 24, Williams for 13, and St. Brown for 14. On 3rd and goal at the one, Goff threw incomplete. Campbell gambled again. On 4th and goal at the one, Gibbs got in as the Lions led 17-3.
The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Justin Herbert went t Austin Ekeler for 15. On 3rd and 7 just shy of midfield, Herbert went to Keenan Allen for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 31, Herbert gained 2. Herbert then went to Keenan Allen for a 29 yard touchdown to get the Chargers within 17-10. One play and 14 seconds after a touchback, the Lions were in the end zone again. David Montgomery ripped off a 75 yard touchdown for a 24-10 Lions lead.
After a touchback, Ekeler ran for 9. Herbert went to Allen for gains of 7 and 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 39, Herbert went to Allen for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 2, Herbert threw incomplete. Brandon Staley went for it. On 4th and 1, Ekeler ran it in for the touchdown to get the chargers within 24-17 with 23 seconds left in the half. Early in the third quarter, he Chargers took over at their own 8 yard line. Defensive pass interference added 15. Herbert went to Donald Parham for 16. On 3rd and 8 just past midfield, Herbert went to Allen for 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 30, Herbert went to Allen for 12 and Guyton for an 18 yard touchdown. The 92 yard drive tied the game 24-24 midway through the third quarter.
The Lions soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Goff went to Reynolds for 7. On 3rd and 2 from their own 47, Goff went to St Brown for 33 and again for a 20 yard touchdown and a 31-24 Lions lead. The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Herbert ran for 13. On 3rd and 11 from their own 42, Herbert threw incomplete but roughing the passer kept the drive going. Defensive pass interference added 14 more. Ekeler ran for 17. Herbert went to Quez Johnston for 17. The fourth quarter began with Ekeler getting stopped cod on 3rd and goal at the one. Brandon Staley went for it. Herbert threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one again. Herbert got stopped twice and then Ekeler got stopped. After being stopped at the one on 5 consecutive plays, Staley again went for it. This time on 4th and goal from the one, Herbert hit Johnston for the touchdown. The game was tied 31-31 with 11 1/2 minutes left to play.
After a touchback, Goff went to Gibbs for 14. On 3rd and 2 from their own 47, Goff went to Sam LaPorta for 19. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 25, Goff went to Wright for the touchdown to make it 38-31 Lions midway through the fourth quarter. The Chargers took over at their own 32. Herbert hit Guyton for 11. Herbert hit Johnston for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 38, Ekeler got stopped for no gain. Brandon Staley went for it again. On 4th and 1, rather than move the chains, Herbert went for it all and hit Allen for the touchdown. The game was tied for the 4th time at 38-38 with 3 1/2 minutes left.
After a touchback, Goff immediately connected with Raymond for a 41 yard gain. Things came to a head with 1:47 to play as the Lions faced 4th and 2 at the Chargers 26. A field goal try for the lead would only be from 44 yards out, very makable. Yet Dan Campbell went for it. This decision seemed insane. Turning the ball over on downs would practically guarantee a Chargers victory. Yet Campbell was telling the football world that he had no confidence in his defense. With everything on the line, Goff hit LaPorta for 6. That forced the Chargers to take their final timeout with 1:40 left. Goff then took 3 knees to get the clock down to 2 seconds. Campbell was not giving the Chargers even one play with the ball. From 41 yards out, Patterson was good. Nobody loses close games like the Chargers, but this was more about a Lions team tat is 7-2 and dominating the NFC North. Their offense is torching the league. 41-38 Lions
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys — In the season opener, the Cowboys went on the road and obliterated the Giants 40-0. The rematch saw the Giants down to their 3rd string quarterback, rookie Tommy Devito. They would have been better off with Danny Devito. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 2nd and goal at the 2. Dak Prescott threw incomplete twice. Mike mcCarthy went for it. On 4th and goal at the 2, Tony Pollard only gained one. The goal line stand only delayed the inevitable. The Giants punted on 4th and 14 from their own 2. The Cowboys took over at the Giants 46. Prescott went to Ferguson for 16. On 3rd and 6 at the Giants 26, Prescott gained 7 with defensive holding adding 5 more. CeeDee Lamb took an end around for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. The second quarter began with an interception of Prescott to set up the Giants at the Dallas 12. Brian dabble went for it on 4th and 2 from the Dallas 4. Saquon Barkley got stopped for no gain, as any chance of the Giants making this a game evaporated.
From his own 4, Prescott hit Cooks for 9, Cooks again for 25, Lamb for 30, and Brooks for 11. Pollard ran for 15. Prescott went to Ferguson for a one yard touchdown. The 96 yard drive made it 14-0 Cowboys. The Cowboys got it back at their own 46. Pollard ran for 12. Dowdle added 9 and 17. Prescott hit Cooks for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Cowboys. The Cowboys got it back at their own 15.Prescott went to Cooks for 34, Brooks for 7, Cooks for 16 and Lamb for 17. On 3rd and 9 from the Giants 10, Prescott ran for the touchdown to make it 28-0 Giants with 16 seconds left in the half. For some reason, league rules prevented the second half from being canceled. The Giants did manage a third quarter touchdown, but the Cowboys came back 86 yards. Prescott went to Michael Gallup for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 35-7 Cowboys. An interception of Devito had the Cowboys marching again. On 2nd and 14 from their own 19, Prescott went to Cooks for 37. On 3rd and 10 from the Giants 44, Prescott went to Cooks for 32. Prescott hit Lamb for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 42-7 Cowboys after three quarters. The Giants kicked a fourth quarter field goal, but the Cowboys came back 75 yards again. Dowdle scored form one yard out to make it 49-10 Cowboys. The Giants managed one more garbage touchdown in a garbage season. The Cowboys racked up over 600 yards of offense. Prescott threw for 404 yards passing and 4 touchdown passes. 49-17 Cowboys
Washington Commanders at Seattle Seahawks — The Commanders began the game at their own 35 and struck quickly. Sam Howell went to Bates for 12. Howell then connected with Brian Robinson for a 51 yard touchdown. Joey Slye missed the extra point but the Commanders led 6-0. The Seahawks after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Washington 21. Pete Carroll went for it but a delay of game penalty killed the try. Jason Myers hit a 45 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 6-3. Slye hit from 39 in the second quarter for a 9-3 Commanders lead, but Myers hit from 43 and 33 for a 9-9 deadlock at the half.
Slye hit from 47 in the third quarter for a 12-9 Commanders lead. Yet 2 lays after a touchback, the Seahawks had the lead. Geno Smith went to DK Metcalf for 11 and to Kenneth Walker III for a 64 yard touchdown and a 16-12 Seahawks lead. Myers hit from 45 early in the fourth quarter to extend the Seahawks lead to 19-12. The Commanders took over at their own 27. Robinson ran for big gains of 15 and 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 39, Howell hit Logan Thomas for 4. Howell went to Robinson for 16 and to Gibson for a 19 yard touchdown for a 19-19 game midway through the fourth quarter.
After a touchback from their own 36, Smith went to Tyler Lockett for 20. On 4th and 5 from the Washington 39, Pete Carroll did not feel like punting or trying a 57 yard field goal. So he went for it. Smith threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 6 yards and a first down. Smith went to Lockett for 16. With 3:47 left, Smith went to Lockett for a 5 yard touchdown and a 26-19 Seahawks lead. The Commanders soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 37. Howell went to Terry McLaurin for 11. With 90 seconds left the Commanders faced 4th and 1 at the Seattle 43. Howell went to McLaurin for 8. On 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 35, Howell went to Brown for the touchdown. The game was tied 26-26, but the Commanders scored too early. After a touchback, the Seahawks still had 52 seconds to work with. On 3rd and 4, Smith hit Metcalf for 17 and again for 27. With 3 seconds left in regulation, Myers came in for a 43 yard try to win it. For the 5th time on the day, Myers was good. 29-26 Seahawks
8pm
New York Jets at Las Vegas Raiders was the Sunday night game. 55 years ago, a thrilling game between the Raiders and Jets was interrupted with 65 seconds to play because of the movie Heidi. 55 years later, the actress told the audience that NBC would show the full game on this night, and not to blame her if anything went wrong. As for the game itself, it was ugly. The Raiders smoked too many cigars after trouncing the Giants last week. Yes, it was their best game of the year. Yes, the entiire football world bid good riddance to Josh McDaniels. Yet now Antonio Pierce had to coach against a better team with a very good defense. Both defenses played well for long stretches, with quarterbacks Zach Wilson and Aidan O’Connell being the weak links. One thing Pierce got right was insisting on using Josh Jacobs as a battering ram. Yes, Robert Saleh has given the Jets a great defense. Pierce didn’t care. He was going to play smash mouth. The end zone proved elusive for 3 quarters as both kickers did their jobs. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein hit from 47 to start the scoring. Daniel Carlson answered from 41 for a 3-3 game. Zuerlein hit from 53 and again from 30 in the second quarter after an interception of O’Connell. The Jets were dominating, but only led 9-3. Carlson hit from 54 to end the half and from 40 late in the third quarter for a 9-9 bonelock after three quarters.
A field position game had the Raiders taking over at their own 47. Jacobs had been bottled up most of the game, but he finally broke off a big 40 yard run. Yet these Raiders cannot handle prosperity. Jacobs had the ball chopped out of his hands. He was lucky that the ball was fumbled out of bounds. The fourth quarter began with the Raiders facing 3rd and 4 from the Jets 7. O’Connell hit Michael Mayer for the game’s first touchdown and the 16-9 Raiders lead. Yet again the Raiders could not handle prosperity. After a touchback, Wilson hit Breece Hall for 35 and non-relative Garrett Wilson for 12. After that the defense stiffened. Zuerlein hit his 4th field goal from 45. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Jets were within 4 points. The Raiders after a touchback went into pure smash mouth mode. A 10 play, 50 yard drive took 6 minutes off the clock. With 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders faced 4th and inches at their own 44. Their defense was playing well enough, so a punt made perfect sense. Antonio Pierce went crazy and decided to go for it. The decision seemed insane given that a quarterback sneak with an untested 3rd string rookie into the teeth of the Gang Green defense was not even close to a sure thing. Yet pierce dialed up a great play call. Carter took an end around 15 yards. The Raiders were in short field goal range. The Jets defense was tired. The running game was working. Then it wasn’t. On 1st and 10 from the Jets 29, Jacobs gained 4 yards and fumbled. The Jets recovered. Again, the Raiders had blown a chance to put a game away.
The Jets from their own 24 moved the ball easily. The offense had given the ball away and now the defense was going to melt down and give the game away for good. This could not be blamed on Josh McDaniels. With 1:22 to play, the Jets faced 2nd and 8 at the Raiders 20. The Raider Nation could be forgiven for wishing Heidi would show up and cancel the rest of the game. The ending was a roller coaster. Wilson was intercepted by Robert Spillane, who retuned it 25 yards to his own 40. There were no flags on the field. The interception stood. The Raiders celebrated, but there was one problem. The Jets still had all 3 timeouts to use on defense. The Raiders needed to grind out a first down.. The defense did their job. Now the offense had to learn how to close out a game. On 3rd and 5 from his own 45, Antonio Pierce again appeared to lose his mind. Rather than run the ball, he risked a pass. Again, he does not have a Hall of Fame signal caller. He has a rookie who has barely played. Asking O’Connell to be the hero is too much to ask. O’Connell’s pass was knocked down incomplete. This stop the clock and allowed the Jets to save their last timeout. After a punt touchback, the Jets took over at their own 20 with 52 seconds left. Wilson went to Conklin for 9. On 3rd and 1 from their own 29, Wilson went to Conklin again for 27. Bad clock management had the Jets waiting until only 13 seconds remained to take their last timeout. This gave them 2 legitimate Hail Mary chances from the Raiders 44. The first one was thrown out of bounds. The last one was well thrown to the end zone. Several players had shot at it but it fell incomplete. The Raiders survived. It was ugly, but Jcobs rushing for 116 yards on 27 carries was clearly a correct change in coaching philosophy. The Raiders are 2-0 under Pierce, but now the schedule gets much tougher. Nevertheless, the silver and black have clawed their way back to 5-5. Just win baby. 16-12 Raiders.
Monday, November 13, 8pm
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills was the Monday night game. The Bills were supposed to be the better team, but they fumbled the ball away on the first play from scrimmage. The Broncos took over at the Buffalo 28 but settled for a 40 yard Wil Lutz field goal to lead 3-0. After a touchback, the Bills moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Denver 28. Josh Allen was then intercepted. A 17 yard punt return in the second quarter had the Broncos taking over at their own 48. Defensive unnecessary roughness gifted the Broncos 15 yards. Russell Wilson went to Jerry Jeudy for 11. On 4th and 2 from the Buffalo 7, Sean Payton took a big gamble and went for it rather than just kick the field goal. Wilson went to Cortland Sutton for the touchdown. Lutz’s extra point try doinked off the upright no good but the Broncos led 9-0.
The Bills took over at their own 19. Allen hit Cook for 8. Cook then ran for 13. On 3rd and 2 from their own 48, Latavius Murray got the deuce to midfield. Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 14. Murray gained 14 more. Allen went to Kincaid for a 22 yard touchdown. The defense jumped offside, moving a 2 point conversion try from the two to the one. Allen hit Gabriel Davis successfully. Instead of trailing 10-7, the Bills were within 9-8. Yet the Bills continued to self-destruct. Lutz hit a 49 yard field goal with 45 seconds left in the half. Then Allen was intercepted again, allowing Lutz to hit again from 40 to end the half with the Broncos up 15-8. In the third quarter Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 48. Out of the shotgun, Allen went deep incomplete. Yet the Broncos did not capitalize. On 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 43, a short completion was fumbled away. The Bills took over at their own 46. Cook gained 11. Allen went to Shakir for 24. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 8, Murray gained 5 and then the 3 yard touchdown. Midway through the third quarter, the game was tied up at 15-15. The Bills got it back at their own 11 and moved to the Denver r48, but Allen fumbled a shotgun snap for the fourth Buffalo turnover on the night.
With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, a 27 yard punt return by Mims had the Broncos taking over at their own 46. On 3rd and 10 Wilson hit Jeudy for 19. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 32, Wilson hit Perine for 9. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 17, Wilson went to Sutton for just enough. Williams gained 11. Wilson went to Williams for the touchdown. The 12 play, 54 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Broncos up 21-15. Yet the hold on the extra point was fumbled, keeping the Broncos up by 6 instead of 9, 5 minutes still remained. After a touchback, Cook gained 7. Cook on his next carry fumbled the ball, got a lucky bounce right back to him, and kept running for a 38 yard gain. Cook ran again for 13. Allen ran for a 6 yard touchdown. The extra point was good. Despite 4 turnovers and getting outplayed all game, the Bills led 22-21 with 1:55 left. After a touchback, Wilson went to Perine for 18. On 3rd and 6 from his own 47, Wilson went to Perine for 8. Then came the biggest plays that would decide the game.
On 2nd and 4 from the Buffalo 39, a field goal try from that distance would be 57 yards. Sean McDermott brought the entire house. Wilson was sacked. The Broncos took their final timeout with 35 seconds left. Now a field goal try would be 63 yards. Yet it was only 3rd and 10. McDermott brought the house again. Wilson threw an underthrown ball that fell incomplete. Yet blatant defensive pass interference by Taryn Johnson meant a 28 yard gain. Judea had to come back for the ball, and Johnson did not turn around in time. Wilson took 3 straight knees to force the Bills to use their timeouts. With 4 seconds left, Lutz came in for a 41 yard field goal try to win it. With everything on the line and both teams holding their breath, Lutz’s kick was just barely wide right no good. Yet the Bills celebrated too early. On a night of miserable blunders, their last one doomed them. The Bills had 12 men on the field. Replay clearly showed that 12 men tried to stop the field goal. Lutz was given another chance from 36 yards out. He had already missed an extra point and saw a second extra point go down from a bad snap. This time the snap, hold and kick ere all good. The Bills were supposed to be a Super bowl contender. Instead they are 5-5. The Broncos started 1-5 under Sean Payton but have won 3 straight. 24-22 Broncos