NFL 2023 Week 9 Recap
Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Thursday night game. Both teams came in uneven, but Will Levis was sensational in his rookie debut with Ryan Tannehill injured. Levis got the start again. The Steelers began facing 3rd and 6 at their own 26. Kenny Pickett went to Robinson for 10 and Warren for 9. pickett went to Hayward for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 29, Pickett went to Johnson for 19. Najee Harris ran for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Steelers. The Titans moved from their own 10 to a 3rd and 5 at the Pittsburgh 10. After an incompletion, Levis was sacked. Nick Folk hit the 36 yard field goal to make io get the Titans within 7-3. The Titans got it back at their own 27 in the second quarter. Levis hit Deandre Hopkins for 17. On 3rd and 13 from their own 41, Levis went to Westbrook-Ikhine for 23. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 29, Levis hit Hopkins for 5. Derrick Henry ran for 15 and 5. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Henry got in to cap the 11 play, 73 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 10-7 Titans.
After that it became a battle of the kickers. Chris Boswell hit a 29 yard field goal to tie the game 10-10 with 1:16 left in the half. Nick Folk hit from 36 to put the Titans up 13-10 as the half ended. Boswell hit from 30 in the third quarter to again tie the game 13-13. Folk hit from 48 to make it 16-13 Titans after three quarters. With 9 minutes left in regulation the Steelers took over at their own 8 yard line. Harris gained 7 and 4. On 3rd and 1 from their own 28, Warren gained 13. On 3rd and 6 from their own 45, Pickett went deep to Johnson for 32. Warren gained 22. Pickett threw a 3 yard touchdown to Johnson. The 11 play, 92 yard, 5 minute drive had the Steelers up by 4 points with 4 minutes left in regulation. The Titans got an immediate spark when a short kickoff was returned 29 yards to set up the Titans at their own 48. On 3rd and 4, a run went nowhere. On 4th and 4, Levis threw incomplete. The Titans got it back at their own 15 with 1:44 left. They moved all the way to a 3rd and 5 at the Pittsburgh 19 with 6 seconds left. With everything on the line, Levis went to the end zone and was intercepted in the end zone for a touchdown. It was harrowing, but the Steelers survived. 20-16 Steelers
Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs was the Sunday early morning game from Germany. A pair of very good 6-2 teams faced off in a potential AFC Title Game preview. After a touchback, Patrick Mahomes immediately went to Marques Valdes-Scantling for 21.On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 46, Mahomes hit Moore for 10, Gray for 25, and Watson for an 11 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Chiefs lead. In the second quarter the Chiefs took over at their own 5 yard line. On 3rd and 5, Mahomes hit Rice for 6. Run and short passes led to a 2nd and 12 from the Miami 47. Mahomes went to Moore for 23. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 17, Mahomes went to McKinnon for the touchdown. The 11 play, 95 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive made it 14-0 Chiefs. After a touchback the Dolphins moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Kansas City 30. A swing pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill was blown up for an 8 yard loss and resulted in a fumble. Edwards picked it up for the defense, lateraled it to Cook, and cook took it 59 yards for another touchdown and a 21-0 Chiefs lead.
In the third quarter the Dolphins finally got going from their own 20. Tagovailoa hit Wilson for 12, SMythe for 6 and Hill for 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Kansas City 47, Tagovailoa hit Smythe for 6. Tagovialoa went deep to Wilson for a 31 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 21-7. The Chiefs then fumbled to give the Dolphins gift field position at the Kansas City 27. On 3rd and 20, Tagovialoa went to Wilson for only 10, but defensive unnecessary roughness added 14 more and an automatic first down. On the next play Raheem Mostert ran for a 13 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 7 points. The defenses dug in for the rest of the game. In the finally 2 1/2 minutes the Dolphins moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 31. Tagovialoa threw 3 straight incompletions. With one minute left on 4th and 10, a shot gun snap was fumbled for a loss, killing the comeback and making Andy Reid a most Happy Walrus indeed. 21-14 Chiefs
Seattle Seahawks at Baltimore Ravens — The Seahawks are a good team, but the Ravens are a very good team. The first quarter was scoreless, but the second quarter was a different story. The Ravens late in the first quarter took over at their own 19. Lamar Jackson hit Likely for 17. On 3rd and 5 from their own 46, Jackson went to O’Dell Beckham for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 17, Hill gained 5. The Ravens began the second quarter at the Seattle 32. Jackson ran for 10, hit Mark Andrews for 9, and ran for 9 more. Edwards ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. The Ravens after an exchange of turnovers and a punt got the ball back at their own 16. Mitchell ran for 11. Jackson went to Beckham for 13. Mitchell ran for a pair of 9 yard gains. Jackson ran for 12. Mitchell ran for 8. Jackson hit Zee Flowers for 11. Edwards ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Ravens with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Seahawks managed a field goal with one minute left in the half, but this game was over. Justin Tucker hit a 37 yard field goal to end the half and connected from 45 and 31 in the third quarter to make it 23-3 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 40 and struck quickly. Jackson hit Bateman for 15. Mitchell ran for 5 and then ripped off a 40 yard touchdown run to make it 30-3 Ravens. In the fourth quarter Jackson sat down so Tyler Huntley could get some mop up work. The Ravens moved 78 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Huntley hit Beckham for the touchdown as the Ravens got to 7-2 on the year. 37-3 Ravens
Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns — The Browns are an above average team with a good defense. The Cardinals are a mess. They traded away Joshua Dobbs at the trade deadline. With Kyler Murray still not recovered, they went with rookie third stringer Tune. Despite a scoreless first quarter, this game was a blowout. In the second quarter, the Browns took over at their own 28. Deshaun Watson went deep to Amari Cooper for 59yards. Dustin Hopkins hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. The Browns got it back just past midfield. On 4th and 1 from the Arizona 40, Kevin Stefanski went for it and Kareem Hunt gained 2. Watson ran for 10 and Hunt added 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 15, Hunt gained 3. Watson went to Cooper for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Browns. Hopkins tacked on a 45 yard field goal to end the half. A third quarter sack of Tune forced a fumble to set up the Browns at the Arizona 11. Watson hit David Njoku for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 20-0 Browns. In the fourth quarter the Browns faced 3rd and 6 at their own 48, Johnson went deep to Cooper for 49. Hunt ran for a 3 yard touchdown to complete the scoring as the defense pitched a shutout. 27-0 Browns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans — A pair of 3-4 teams put together an instant classic. The Texans fumbled on the third play from scrimmage, giving the Buccaneers a short field at the Houston 42. Baker Mayfield quickly hit Cade Otton for 24. Chase McLaughlin hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. After a touchback, CJ Stroud hit Schultz for 21 and Dell for 15. On 3rd and 9 from the Tampa 35, Stroud went to Brown for 6 with roughing the passer adding 15 more. Stroud went to Collins for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Texans. After a touchback, Mayfield went to White for 33. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 34, Mayfield went to Evans for 10. On 3rd and 8 from the Houston 22, Mayfield was sacked but defensive unnecessary roughness added 14. On 4th and 1 from the Houston 4, Todd Bowles went for it. White gained 3. Mayfield hit Otton for a 3 yard touchdown to cap the 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 10-7 Buccaneers. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on a punt return in the second quarter gave the Buccaneers another short field at the Houston 40. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 16. White gained 11. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 10, Mayfield hit Rashaad White for 9. White got the last yard as the Buccaneers built a 17-7 lead.
Kaimi Fairbairn managed a 50 yard field goal to get the Texans within 17-10 at the half. Yet an injury to Fairbairn left him unable to kick in the second half. The Texans would go for 2 point conversions after touchdowns. Running back Dare Ogunbowale handled kickoffs. McLaughlin responded from 49 in the third quarter to have the Buccaneers up 20-10. Then the Texans offense exploded. After a touchback, Stroud went to Noah Brown for a 75 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Texans were within 20-16. McLaughlin hit a 55 yard field goal to make it 23-16 Buccaneers. The Texans took over from their own 22. Stroud went to Collins for 22. On 3rd and 11 from the Houston 45, Stroud went to Schultz for 26 and to Tank Dell for a 29 yard touchdown. The 2 point try again failed but the Texans were within 23-22. The Texans got the ball back at their own 48. Stroud went to Schultz for 13. Hutchinson ran for 15. Stroud hit Schultz for 11. The fourth quarter began with the Texans facing 4th and goal at the 9.
Normally this would be an easy 27 yard field goal try. Yet without a kicker, Demeco Ryans had to go for it. Stroud hit Schultz for the touchdown. Stroud ran in the 2 point conversion. The Texans led 30-23, but this wild fourth quarter was just getting started. After a touchback, Mayfield went to Otton for 9. White gained 11. Mayfield went deep to Evans for a 53 yard gain down to the one. White got in for a 30-30 tie with 12 minutes left. After a touchback, the Texans moved to a 1st and goal at the 10. The drive stalled. With 8:45 to play, Ryans had a major decision to make. On 4th and goal at the 11, he decided to let Ogunbowale try a 29 yard field goal. The kick was good and the crowd was pumped up with the Texans up 33-30.
The Buccaneers took over with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation at their own 39. With 1:13 to play the Buccaneers faced 4th and 2 at the Houston 41. Mayfield ran for 5. Mayfield went to Palmer for 15 yards but Palmer fumbled. Yet Evans saved the day for his teammates and the Buccaneers kept the ball. On the next play Mayfield went to Otton for the touchdown. With only 46 seconds left to play, The Buccaneers led 37-33. After a touchback, Stroud hit Schultz for 14 and 6 and Brown for 14. Stroud went deep to Dell for 26 with 16 seconds left. Stroud went to Dell again for the 15 yard touchdown. With 6 seconds left, the Texans had pulled off a miraculous comeback. Stroud had a game for the ages and is now in the NFL record books. He finished 30 of 42 for 470 yards, a rookie record. He threw 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. 39-37 Texans
Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints — Mike Ditka once coached both of these teams. After an opening touchback, Bagent went to Mooney for 13 and Moore for 16. On 4th and 1 from the Saints 37, Matt Eberflus went for it and Bagent gained 5. Foreman ran for 13. Bagent went to Cole Kmet for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. An interception of Bagent on the next series gave the Saints a short field at the Chicago 45. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 30, Derek Carr went to Chris Olave for 11 and Shaheed for 9. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Carr went to Olave for the touchdown and a 7-7 game. In the second quarter after a touchback, Bagent went to Moore for 18. On 3rd and 12 from the New Orleans 21, Bagent scrambled for just enough. Bagent went to Kmet for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bears. After a touchback, Carr went to Foster Moreau for 23. On 3rd and 8 from midfield, Carr went to Kamara for 13. Taysom Hill ran for 14. On 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 19, Carr hit Johnson for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Carr went to Hill for the touchdown. The 11 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive made it 14-14.
Cairo Santos missed a 40 yard field goal try for the Bears late in the half. In the third quarter a Chicago fumble set up the Saints at the Chicago 39. Grupe nailed a 55 yard field goal to make itn17-14 Saints. After a touchback, the Bears moved to a 3rd and 7 at the New Orleans 13. Bagent threw incomplete. Santos hit from 31 to make it 17-17. The game was deadlocked after the first quarter, the second quarter, and the third quarter. A 14 yard punt return had the Saints starting the fourth quarter at the Chicago 47. Carr went to Johnson for 6 and Shaheed for 12. Hill ran for 13 and Kamara added 13 more. Hill came in and threw a 3 yard touchdown to Johnson to put the Saints up by 7 with 11 minutes left in regulation. Bagent was intercepted, but the Saints failed to take advantage. On 4th and 1 from the Chicago 17, Dennis Allen went for it rather than go with a 35 yard field goal try and a 10 point lead. Carr got stopped. Bagent was intercepted again. With 2 1/2 minutes left, a 47 yard field goal try by Grupe to lock up the win was no good. Yet Bagent was then sacked and fumbled. 3 turnovers on his final 4 drives doomed the Bears as the Saints defense secured the win. 24-17 Saints
Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons — With Kirk Cousin now out for the rest of the year injured, the Vikings acquired Joshua Dobbs from Arizona at the trade deadline. Arizona was 1-7, but Dobbs made his debut in Minnesota memorable. The Falcons were without Desmond Ridder. Taylor Heinecke and Hall both played quarterback, with Hall getting injured and Heinecke playing most of the game. Younghoe Koo hit a 52 yard field goal for the Falcons. After a touchback, the Vikings moved to a 1st and goal at the one. A run lost 3 yards. On 3rd and goal, Hall got the 3 yards back. Yet on 4th and goal at the one, Kevin O’Connell played it safe. The home crowd didn’t like it, but Greg Joseph hit the 19 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. The second quarter began with the Vikings facing 3rd and 12 at their own 5. Dobbs was sacked in the end zone for a safety as the Falcons led 5-3. The Falcons took the free kick at their own 38 and moved to the Minnesota 25. The drive stalled but Koo hit from 43. Dobbs was then sacked and fumbled. the Falcons took over with 1st and goal at the one. On 2nd and goal, a run went nowhere. On 3rd and goal, a run lost 4 yards. Koo hit from 23 to make it 11-3 Falcons.
The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 27. Dobbs went to Osborn for 13 with defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 more. On 3rd and 11 from the Atlanta 35, Dobbs went to Addison for 22. On 3rd and 10 from the Atlanta 13, Dobbs gained 11. Dobbs hit Mattison for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Vikings within 11-10. In the third quarter another sack of Dobbs forced another fumble. The Falcons took over at the Minnesota 30 and lost yards. Koo hit his fourth field goal from 54 as the Falcons led 14-10. The Viking after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Atlanta 14. Dobbs threw incomplete. Joseph hit from 32 to get the Vikings within 14-13. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Heinecke hit Hodge for 20. Heinecke then connected with Smith for a 60 yard touchdown. The Falcons finally reached the end zone and led 21-13 midway through the third quarter.
The Falcons got the ball back at their own 18 but disaster struck immediately. Robinson ran for 14 but fumbled the ball away. The Vikings recovered at the Atlanta 40. On 3rd and 8, Dobbs went to TJ Hockenson for 9. Mattison gained 6 and 5. Dobbs ran for an 18 yard touchdown. Dobbs went to Jackson for the 2 point conversion and a 21-21 game. After a touchback, the Falcons again needed only one play from scrimmage to turn the ball over as Heinecke was intercepted. Murphy ran for the interception back 18 yards to the Atlanta 24. The Vikings settled for a 31 yard Jospeh field goal and a 24-21 lead less than one minute into the fourth quarter.
With 9 minutes left the Falcons took over at their own 21. Heinecke went to Van Jefferson for 14. Robinson gained 3, 4, and on 3rd and 3 from his own 42, 9. On 3rd and 9 from the Minnesota 48, Heinecke ran for 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Minnesota 28, Tyler Allgeier gained 9. Allgeier ran for a 5 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 79 yard, 7 minute drive had the Falcons up 28-24 with 2:08 left. The Vikings faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34 with 1:38 left. Dobbs hit Hockenson for 5. Dobbs went to Addison for 24. On 4 and 7 from the Atlanta 34, the Vikings were down to their last gasp with 51 seconds left. Dobbs ran for 22. On 3rd and 4 from the Atlanta 6, Dobbs went to Brandon Powell for the touchdown with 22 seconds left. This was not Brett Favre to Greg Lewis, but it was still good enough to make Vikings radio announcer Paul Allen go insane. Welcome to Minnesota, Dobbs. As for the Falcons, after a touchback they reached their own 41 before the Hail Mary fell incomplete. 31-28 Vikings
Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers — A pair of great teams two years ago are now bad teams. Brett Rypein started for the Rams in place of the injured Matthew Stafford. Late in the first quarter, Rypien was sacked and fumbled. The Packers had a short field at the Rams 41. Aaron Jones ran for 7 and AJ Dillon added 12. The second quarter began with the Packers facing 3rd and 3 at the Rams 8. Jones gained 5 and then ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. Late in the half Havrisik hit a 52 yard field goal for the Rams to begin and end their offensive output for the day. Carlson missed a 48 yard try for the Packers to end the half. The Packers fumbled on their first 2 drives of the third quarter with no consequences. Havrisik missed a 49 yard field goal try. Carlson hit from 26 to make it 10-3 Packers after three quarters. An interception of Rypien led to a 34 yard Carlson field goal to make it 13-3 Packers. The Packers got it back at their own 28 with 8 1/2 minutes left and turned out the lights. On 3rd and 6, Jordan Love went to Romeo Doubs for 10. On 3rd and 12 from their own 40, Love went to Watson for 37. Love went to Musgrave for a 220 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. 20-3 Packers.
Washington Commanders at New England Patriots — Early on Bill Belichick went for it 4th and 3 from the Washington 39. Mac Jones threw incomplete. The resulting good field position led to a 37 yard Joey Slye field goal to make it 3-0 Commanders. The Commanders got ti back and faced 3rd and 7 at their own 23. Sam Howell went to Byron Pringle for 26 and Gibson for 10. The second quarter began with the Commanders facing 3rd and 1 at the New England 32. Gibson gained 9. Brian Robinson ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Commanders. The Commanders got it back but fumbled in their own territory to set up the Patriots at the Washington 25. Jones hit Hunter Henry for a 14 yard touchdown to get the Patriots within 10-7. The Patriots got it back at their own 16. Jones went to Juju Smith-Schuster for 20. Rhamondre Stevenson ripped off a 64 yard touchdown run as the Patriots were now on top 14-10. Ryland tacked on a 43 yard third quarter field goal to make it 17-10 Patriots.
After a touchback, Howell went to Logan Thomas for 7 and Gibson for 12. Gibson ran for 12 more. Howell went deep to Jahan Dotson for a 33 yard touchdown and a 17-17 game midway through the third quarter. The Commanders got it back at their own 24 and moved to a 2nd and 9 at the New England 11. Howell threw incomplete twice. Slye hit a 30 yard field goal to give the Commanders a three point lead after three quarters. The fourth quarter was all defense, as each team punted three times. At the 2 minute warning, the Patriots began their final drive at their own 9 yard line. They moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Washington 41 with 30 seconds left. A field goal try from that distance would be 59 yards, but they only needed a few more yards for a more realistic try to force overtime. Instead, Jones was intercepted. The 2-7 Patriots have their worst record in the 24 years under Bill Belichick. Rumors before the game had him being fired by the Patriots and coaching the Commanders. Riverboat Ron Rivera is getting more out of less than anyone in the league, including Bleichick. 20-17 Commanders
Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers — With Anthony Richardsonstill injured, Gardnew minshew got the nod against Bryce Young. The Panthers finally got their first win last week on the final play. This game was scoreless after the first quarter, but the Colts exploded in the second quarter. The Colts from their own 18 moved 75 yards in 15 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. The second quarter began with the Colts facing 2nd and goal at the one. A run lost a yard followed by a false start and an incompletion. Matt Gay hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. The Colts got it back and faced 3rd and 2 at their own 44. Jonathan Taylor gained 9. Minshew hit Alex Ogletree for 19. On 3rd and 7 from the Carolina 25, Minshew threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness added 13 yards. Minshew went to Taylor for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Colts. Eddie Pineiro hit a 35 yard field goal for the Panthers, but Gay drilled a 57 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Panthers. After a touchback, the Panthers had 1st and 10 just shy of midfield with 20 seconds left in the half. Young was intercepted by Kenny Moore, who returned the pick 49 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Colts led 20-3 at the half in front of a shellshocked home crowd. Young did throw a touchdown pass in the third quarter for the Panthers, but he then threw his second interception for a touchdown to the Colts. Again it was Moore, this time racing 66 yards the other way for a 27-10 Colts lead in the fourth quarter. The Panthers added a meaningless field goal. 27-13 Colts
New York Giants at Las Vegas Raiders — On Tuesday, Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler were fired. So was offensive coordinator Nick Lombardi. Jimmy Garoppolo was benched. Champ Kelly was promoted to interim General Manager. Antonio Pierce was promoted to interim head coach. Pierce won a Super Bowl as a player with the Giants. Rookie Aidan O’Connell was given the starting job for as long as he can keep it. The Raiders were out of excuses. The McDaniels reign of error was over. Now they had to show they were a decent team with a bad coach rather than a bad team. They were at home against the Giants, a truly bad team. Gone was the West Coast Offense dinking and dunking. Pierce was determined to pound the rock and unleash Josh Jacobs. The Raiders had not scored more than 21 points all season, and the one time they reached 21 was because of a late safety. The entire Raider Nation awaited the first game free of McDaniels.
Early on, Brian Daboll made a desperate decision to go for it on 4th and inches from his own 29. The Raiders defense stayed disciplined and a false start killed the opportunity as the Giants punted. The Raiders began at their own 33 and Jacobs pounded out runs of 5, 10 and 8. O’Connell connected with Jakobi Meyers for a 24 yard gain. Jacobs ran for 5 and Meyers took an end around 17 yards for a touchdown. The Raiders led 7-0 and made it look easy. Yet in plenty of games this season, they get one early touchdown and go to sleep on offense the rest of the game. The Giants moved from their own 28 to a 4th and inches at the Raiders 34. Brian Daboll gambled again. Daniel Jones kept it for the quarterback sneak and ran into a silver and black brick wall for no gain.
The defense was playing well but the offense did little as each team punted twice. On the first play of the second quarter, disaster struck the Giants, On 2nd and 17 from his own 46 after a sack, Jones was sacked again. He hurt his knee on the play and left the game injured. With backup Tyrod Taylor on injured reserve, the Giants had to turn to 3rd string rookie Tommy Devito. He was about as ready for the pass rush as Danny Devito. The Raiders followed up the consecutive sacks of Jones with 6 more of Devito for a total of 8 sacks.
In the second quarter, the Raiders got going again from their own 35. Jacobs ran for 2, 6, and on 3rd and 2 from their own 45, 9. Jacobs then ran for 15. On 2nd and 11 from the Giants 34, O’Connell went to Hunter Renfrow for 19 and again for 13. Jacobs banged in the last 2 yards for a 14-0 Raiders lead. Three plays after a touchback, Devito went bombs away and was intercepted by Amik Robertson at the goal line. Robertson returned the interception to his own 40. Everyone on the Raiders played hard and laid it all out for Antonio Pierce. Forget the dinking and dunking. O’Connell went bombs away to Tucker, who made a leaping diving catch for a 50 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one at the 2 minute warning, Jacobs banged it in for a 21-0 Raiders lead.
One play after a touchback, Devito was intercepted again. Nate Hobbs returned the tip drill pick 10 yards to the Giants 25. On 4th and 1 from the Giants 5, Antonio Pierce made the right call, playing it safe. Daniel Carlson hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 24-0 Raiders to end the half. After a third quarter touchback, the Raiders moved 47 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Carlson hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 27-0 Raiders. The Giants did reach the end zone on the second play of the fourth quarter, there would be no comeback. On 4th and 4 from their own 29 with 10 1/2 minutes left, Devito threw incomplete. Carlson hit a 41 yard field goal to complete the scoring. The Giants turned it over on downs on their final 3 possessions.
The Raiders did get a big win. The offense scored 30 points. O’Connell managed the game, not making any mistakes. Jacobs briefly had over 100 yards, but a loss on his last run pushed him down to 98 yards on 26 carries. The Raiders ran for 125 yards overall. The Raiders beat a horrible team playing a 3rd string rookie making his first ever NFL start. They ere at home. Yet the margin of victory was significant. Next week the Raiders are at home against a reeling Jets team. A win would get the Raiders back to .500 before the brutal part of their schedule kicks in. Time will tell if this is fools gold, but the Raiders finally have a ray of hope. Like Art Shell before him, Antonio Pierce won his first ever NFL game as a head coach, taking over in the middle of a season. Shell got his win over the Jets. Pierce has fire and passion. One win is not a season, but the very early signs are promising. 30-6 Raiders
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles — This division rivalry could be an NFC Title Game preview. The Eagles on their first drive faced 4th and 1 at their own 32. Nick Sirianni took a major gamble and Jalen Hurts took the Philadelphia tush push quarterback sneak for 2 yards. On 3rd and 6 from their own 38, Hurts went to Zaccheaus for 8. Hurts went to AJ Brown for 20. On 4th and 3 from the Dallas 27, Sirianni gambled again. Hurts went to Dallas Goedert for 15. Kenneth Gainwell ran for a 12 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 77 yard drive consumed 8 minutes and made it 7-0 Eagles. A strong kickoff return by Kevontae Turpin had the cowboys at their own 47. On 3rd and 3, Dak Prescott ran for 4. On 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 33, it was Mike McCarthy’s turn to roll the dice in a big way. Rather than just move the chains, Prescott went deep to CeeDee Lamb for a 29 yard gain. Prescott went to Ferguson for a 4 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game.
The Cowboys began the second quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 26. Prescott went deep to Ferguson for 40. On 3rd and 14 from the Philadelphia 38, Prescott went to Lamb for 20. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 10. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Prescott went to Turpin for the touchdown to make it 14-7 Cowboys. Aubrey kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to set up the Eagles at their own 40. On 3rd and 9, Hurts went to Smith for 19 and Smith for 20. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 13, Gainwell gained just enough. Defensive holding led to 3rd and goal at the one. Hurts got in for the 14-14 tie with 5 minutes left in the half.
Aubrey hit a 51 yard field goal with one minute left in the half for a 17-14 Cowboys lead, but the Eagles dominated the third quarter. A facemark on the kickoff again had the Eagles starting at their own 40. On 3rd and 2, Hurts gained 4. Swift ran for 8 and 11. Hurts went deep to Smith for a 29 yard touchdown and a 21-17 Eagles lead. The Eagles got it back and faced 3rd and 1 from their own 22. Hurts gained 2. Defensive pass interference added 17 yards. Defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the 4. Hurts went to Brown for the touchdown as the Eagles led 28-17 after three quarters.
This game was far from over. The Cowboys took over at their own 28 and in the fourth quarter moved 71 yards in 13 plays and 6 minutes. With 10 minutes left in regulation, the Cowboys faced 4th and goal at the one. Mike McCarthy went for it. Prescott went to Schoonmaker for the touchdown, but on further review officials reversed the call to short of the goal line. The goal line stand inspired the Eagles defense, but not their offense. The Cowboys got the ball back at their own 48 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. From midfield, Prescott went to Lamb for 16 and deep to Tolbert for 32. Prescott went to Robert for a 7 yard touchdown and this time the score stood. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Cowboys were within 5 points with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Eagles offense did nothing in the fourth quarter as their defense tried to hang on. The Cowboys moved from their own 26 to a 4th and 8 at the Philadelphia 29 with 1:22 left. The Eagles took their final timeout on defense. Prescott threw incomplete. Yet the Cowboys had all 3 timeouts left and used them on defense. Nick Sirianni played it ultra-conservative and 3 straight runs netted only 2 total yards. The Cowboys took over at their own 14 with 46 seconds left. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball immediately meant 36 yards and the ball at midfield. Roughing the passer on a 10 yard completion had the Cowboys at the Philly 25. With 27 seconds left fans on both sides were biting their nails as the Cowboys faced 2nd and 5vat the Philly 6 yard line. First came a false start. The Prescott was sacked. After an incompletion came a delay of game on the offense. With 5 seconds left, it was desperation as the Cowboys faced 3rd and 26 from the Philly 27. Prescott went deep to Lamb for a 23 yard gain, but Lamb was tackled by 3 Eagles defenders. 4 yards separated victory from defeat. The rematch will be eagerly anticipated, but for now the 8-1 Eagles have a big lead in the NFC East. 28-23 Eagles
Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals was the Sunday night game. One year ago on Monday Night Football, the Bengals at home led the Bills 7-3 in the first quarter. Then on a routine tackle, Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest. He was not breathing for 9 minutes. Players and coaches cried as the game was canceled. Yet Hamlin’s survival was a miracle. He is back playing football. So while this game certainly had a storyline bigger than football, there was also a football storyline. In the playoff rematch in Buffalo last year, all the emotion, home crowd and snow did not deliver a fairy tale win. The Bengals dominated 27-10. Now the game was back in Cincinnati. If the Bills are going to be a Super Bowl contender, games like this are a big deal.vThe Bengals went right to work from their own 24. Joe Burrow hit Joe Mixon for 8 and 15. on 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 45, Burrow hit Hudson for 6 and Tee Higgins for 19. Burrow went to Smith for 11 and again for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 20. Josh Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 9 and again for 34. Allen went to Shakir for 22 and Kincaid for 13. Allen ran for a 2 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game.
The Bengals took over at their own 31 and gained 15 from a roughing the passer call. Burrow hit Iosivas for 9. On 3rd and 10 from the Buffalo 42, Burrow went to Boyd for 15, Hudson for 13, and Higgins for 12. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mixon ran it in to make it 14-7 Bengals after the first quarter. The game then turned from a track meet to a defensive grind. The Bills punted on 4th and 11 from their own 8 to set up the Bengals up at the Buffalo 45. On 4th and 1, Burrow hit JaMarr Chase for 11. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 22 with 1:37 left in the half, Burrow went to Sample for the touchdown. Now the Bengals had a 21-7 lead. A brutal second half saw Tyler Bass hit a 34 yard third quarter field goal for the Bills and Evan McPherson answer from 20 midway through the fourth quarter for a 24-10 Bengals lead.
After a touchback, Allen hit Kincaid for 9, ran for 7, and hit Shakir for 9. On 3rd and 1 from midfield, Latavius Murray ran for 2. Allen ran for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 17, Allen went to Diggs for the touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes remaining in regulation, Sean McDermott made the strange decision to go for 2 unnecessarily. Coahces are starting to do things, and coaches copycat each other whether it makes sense or not. Yet Allen hit Diggs successfully to get the Bills within 6 points. After a touchback, rather than grind out clock, Zac Taylor went big and bold. Burrow went deep to Boyd for a 32 yard gain. At the 2 minute warning, everything came down to 3rd and 3 at the Buffalo 36. The Bills were out of timeouts. Mixon got around the end for a 5 yard gain. Burrow took 3 knees. For the second time in 12 months, the result was the same in both stadiums. After a 1-3 start, the Bengals have won 4 straight. 24-18 Bengals
Los Angeles Chargers at New York Jets was the Monday night game. Both of these teams are overrated and underachieving. 2 minutes into the game, Derius Davis returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers. The Jets fumbled on their next 2 possessions, with a sack of Zach Wilson forcing the second one. The Chargers took over at midfield. On 3rd and 6, Justin Herbert went to Austin Ekeler for 17. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 21, Ekeler ran for 20. Ekeler got the last yard to make it 14-0 Chargers after the first quarter. For some reason, the final three quarters were played. Greg Zuerlein kicked a 47 yard second quarter field goal for the Jets. Cameron Dicker responded from 55 to end the half with the Chargers up 17-3. Zuerlein hit from 46 for the Jets in the third quarter, but Gang Green did not reach the end zone. Dicker hit from 38 in the fourth quarter to make it 20-6 Chargers. Wilson was sacked again dn fumbled again. Gilman retuned the fumble 48 yards to the Jets 2 yard line. Ekeler ran it in one play later to complete the scoring. Both teams are 4-4 on the year. 27-6 Chargers