Archive for October, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 6 Recap

Sunday, October 13th, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 6 Recap

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks was the Thursday night game. Both teams looked to right the ship after embarrassing home losses to inferior teams. The Seahawks moved at the start from their own 36 to a 3rd and 5 at the San Francisco 25. Geno Smith went deep and was intercepted. The 49res took over at their own 3 yard line and moved 90 yards in 13 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and goal at the 7, Brock Purdy threw incomplete twice. Wright hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 49ers. The 49ers took over in the second quarter at their own 24 and needed only one play and 12 seconds to break the game open. Purdy went deep to Deebo Samuel for a 76 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 49ers The Seahawks fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the 49ers recovered at the San Francisco 29. On 3rd and 4, Purdy threw incomplete. Wright hit from 51 to make it 13-0 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 6 yard line and moved 77 yards in 14 plays, taking nearly 8 minutes off the clock. Wright hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 16-0 49ers.The Seahawks managed a field goal before the half ended, but this game was not a contest. After a touchback, Purdy went deep to George Kittle for 29 Guerendo ripped off a pair of 6 yard gains. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 10, Purdy went to Kittle for the touchdown to make it 23-3 49ers.

The game appeared over, but then Shenault returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a Seahawks touchdown. Just like that, the Seahawks were within 23-10. The Seahawks got the ball back at their own 6 yard line. Smith hit Barner for 13. On 3rd and 8 from their own 21, Smith hit Tyler Lockett for 37.. Smith went to Fant for 12 and Kenneth Walker for 8. On 3rd and 3 from the San Francisco 19, Smith went to DK Metcalf for 8. Walker got the last yard to get the Seahawks within 23-17 after three quarters. The Seahawks got the ball back midway through the fourth quarter with all the momentum and a chance to take the lead. Yet on 1st and 20 from their own 15, Smith was intercepted. Green returned the interception 20 yards to the Seattle 15. On 3rd and 4, Purdy went to Kittle for the 9 yard touchdown with 6:20 left. The 2 point try failed but the 49ers led 29-17. After a touchback, Smith hit Fant for 12. On 3rd and 10 from his own 43, Smith went to Bobo for 11. On 3rd and 7 from the San Francisco 43, Smith hit Walker for 11 and Lockett for 13. On 4th and goal at the 9, Smith went to Lockett for the touchdown. The Seahawks were within 29-24 with 1:44 to play. The Seahawks had all 3 timeouts so Mike Macdonald decided to kick it deep rather than go onside. The 49ers took over at their own 19 yard line. Guerendo quickly broke the back of the defense with a 76 yard run. Guerendo ran for a 6 yard touchdown to put the game on ice.. Both teams are 3-3, with the Seahawks having lost 3 straight. 36-24 49ers

Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears was the Sunday early morning game in London. It has been tough to gauge the Bears because they have played bad teams, but at some point it may just be that top overall draft pick Caleb Williams is good. The Jaguars finally got a win last week. In the first quarter the Jaguars had a solid 14 play, 67 yard, 8 minute drive from their own 21 that reached 1st and goal at the 8. A false start killed the drive. Chase Little hit a 30 yard field goal for a 3-0 Jaguars lead. In the second quarter the Bears took over at their own 19. Deandre Swift ran for 12. Williams ran for 10. on 3rd and 6 at their own 48, Williams went to Johnson for 17 and to Cole Kmet for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bears. Williams would throw an interception but the Bears defense held and the Bears got it back at their own 15 with 3 minutes left in the half. Swift ran for 10. Williams added 23. Williams hit Odunze for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the Jacksonville 34, Williams went to Allen for 10. Williams ran for 19. Williams hit Kmet for a 2 yard touchdown with 13 seconds left in the half to make it 14-3 Bears. On the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter from their own 34, Trevor Lawrence hit Evan Engram for 24 yards. Yet Engram fumbled and the Hicks returned it 19 yards for the Bears to the Jacksonville 41. On 3rd and 8, Williams went to Allen for 11. Williams hit Swift for 19. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Williams hit Allen for a touchdown to make it 21-3 Bears.

The Jaguars tried to make a game of it as Lawrence led a 70 yard drive. A 21 yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to Davis got the Jaguars within 21-10. It didn’t matter. After a touchback on 3rd and 8 from their own 42, the defense got penalized for 12 men on the field. Then on 3rd and 3 Williams threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a first down. Swift ran for 17. On 3rd and 10 from the Jacksonville 31, a completion gained only one yard but defensive holding meant another first down. The Jaguars were killing themselves with defensive penalties. Swift ran for 19 and 4. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Williams hit Allen for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 28-10 Bears. 3 plays after a touchback on 3rd and 13 from his own 32, Lawrence was intercepted. Blackwell returned the pick 10 yards to the Jacksonville 36. Williams hit Kmet for 27. Swift ran for a 1 yard touchdown to make it 35-10 Bears. The Jaguars got a garbage touchdown but nothing else. The 4-2 Bears may be good. Caleb Williams was sensational, completing 23 of 29 with 4 touchdown passes and running for another 56 yards on 14 carries. 35-16 Bears

Houston Texans at New England Patriots — The Texans are a good team. The Patriots are a bad team. Yet the Patriots replaced Jacoby Brissett with their rookie draft pick Drake Maye. CJ Stroud went right to work from his own 35, hitting Dalton Schultz for 8, Tank Dell for 20 and Stuff Diggs for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the New England 18, Stroud hit Diggs for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Stroud threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant now downs; Stroud hit Dell for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans. A 19 yard punt return gave the Texans a short field at the New England 45. On 3rd and 6, Stroud went to Dell for 12. Joe Mixon ran for 25. Stroud added 8. On 3rd and 9 from the New England 16, Stroud threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 6 yards and an automatic first down. On the next play Stroud hit Mixon for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Texans.

An ugly second quarter saw both quarterbacks intercepted and the Texans miss a field goal. With 53 seconds left in the half the Patriots took over at their own 16. Maye went to Douglas for 22. Defensive pass interference added 13. Maye went deep to Boutte for a 40 yard touchdown with 11 seconds left. Just like that after being dominated for 29 minutes, the Patriots were right back in it down 14-7. It was Maye’s first ever NFL touchdown pass. Yet the Patriots on the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter from their own 22 saw Maye get sacked and fumble. The Texans recovered at the New England 10. Two plays later Stroud hit Diggs for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Texans. Field goal of 39 and 45 yards by Kaimi Fairbairn sandwiched around a New England fumble had the Texans cruising up 27-7.

The Patriots moved 70 yards and Maye found Hunter Henry for a 6 yard touchdown to get within 27-14. Yet in the fourth quarter the Texans turned out the lights. May was intercepted to set up the Texans at the New England 26. Mixon ran for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 34-14 Texans. May threw a 35 yard touchdown pass to Douglas to get the Patriots within 34-21, but they would get no closer. On 3rd and 5 from their own 35, Stroud hit Dell for 11. Dameon Pierce rushed for a 54 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. The Texans have very quietly gotten to 5-1 while the Patriots are 1-5 after 5 straight losses, having not won since opening day. 41-21 Texans

 

Washington Commanders at Baltimore Ravens — The Commanders have turned around under Dan Quinn and his rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Yet they would have a very tough test on the road against a good Ravens team. An early interception of Lamar Jackson was returned 35 yards by Sainristil just past midfield. The Commanders reached a 3rd and 7 at the Baltimore 13, but Daniels was sacked. Austin Seibert hit the 42 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Commanders. The Ravens after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Washington 23. Yet a fumbled shotgun snap lost yards. Justin Tucker hit the 45 yard field goal to tie the game 3-3.

In the second quarter the Ravens took over at their own 7 yard line. On 3rd and 5, Jackson hit Bateman for big gains of 13 and 23. Derrick Henry gained 15. Jackson hit Bay Flowers for 23. On 3rd and 10 from the Washington 14, Jackson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 11 yards. Henry ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Ravens. After a touchback, Daniels hit Brown for 15. On 3rd and 6 just shy of midfield, Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for 8. Daniels hit Austin Ekeler for 25 and Brown for 11. Daniels went to McLaurin for a 10-10 tie with 4 minutes left in the half.

The Ravens took over at their own 22. Jackson went to Flowers for 10. Jackson went back to Flowers for 13 and to Nelson Agholor for 25. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 30, Jackson hit Flowers for 15. On 3rd and 8 from the Washington 13, Jackson went to Mark Andrews for the touchdown. With one minute left in the half, the Ravens led 17-10. Seibert missed a 52 yard field goal for the Commanders to end the half, but he hit from 55 early in the third quarter to get the Commanders within 17-13. Tucker answered back from 32 to make it 20-13 Ravens. The Ravens got the ball back at their own 6 yard line. Henry ran for 2 and 12. Jackson hit Andrews for 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 40, Jackson threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 10 yards and a first down. Jackson went deep to Andrews for 38. Henry ran for 5 and then for the 7 yard touchdown to have the Ravens up comfortably 27-13 after three quarters.

After a touchback, Daniels hit Zac Ertz for 11 and again fo 24 as the third quarter ended. The Commanders began the fourth quarter at the Baltimore 27. Daniels hit McLaurin for 14. On 3rd and 10 from the Baltimore 13, Daniels went to Ertz for 12. A failed run, an illegal formation and a pair of incompletions turned 1st and goal at the one to 4th and goal at the 6. Daniels hit McLaurin for the touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Commanders were very much alive down 27-20. The Ravens moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 2 at the Washington 21. With 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation, John Harbaugh was not in a gambling mood. Tucker hit from 39 to give the Ravens breathing room up 30-20. After a touchback, the Commanders moved to a 4th and 5 at the Baltimore 30 with 2:48 to play. Needing 2 scores, Dan Quinn played it safe as well. Seibert hit from 49 to get the Commanders within 7. Now the Commanders needed a defensive stop. After a touchback, Henry ripped off a 27 yard gain. Everything came down to 3rd and 1 from the Washington 32 when the Commanders took their last timeout on defense. Jackson gained 2 and took a pair of knees. Both teams are 4-2, and the Ravens have won 4 straight. 30-23 Ravens

 

Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles — The struggling Eagles were expected to easily get a win over the inept Browns. Instead, a hideously ugly first quarter ended scoreless. Early in the second quarter, Jake Elliott hit a 49 yard field goal to get the Eagles on the board. The Eagles got it back at their own 16. Hurts went to Calcaterra for 34. Hurts then hit AJ Brown for 16. On 4th and 1 from the Cleveland 26, Nick Sirianni gambled. Hurts did the Philadelphia tush push and got the yard. On 3rd and 7 from the Cleveland 22, Hurts went to Brown for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Eagles. The Browns after a touchback finally showed signs of life at the 2 minute warning with a 43 yard Dustin Hopkins field goal. The Eagles moved from their own 28 to a 3rd and 1 at the Cleveland 31 with 30 seconds left in the half. Hurts was sacked. Now a 49 yard field goal try would be 57 yards. Elliott came in to try and extend the lead. Instead, insanity broke out in front of a shellshocked home crowd at Lincoln Financial Field. Myles Garrett pulled the Bobby Wagner move and jumped over the offensive line on the field goal try. The rule is now that if you make contact, it’s a personal foul and another try 15 yards closer for the offense. Yet Garrett cleared the line cleanly, stuck the landing perfectly, and blocked the field goal. McLeod picked it up and raced 50 yards the other way. Instead of being down 13-3, the Browns had tied the game 10-10 at the half. The second half was even uglier.

In the third quarter, Hopkins came in for a 52 yard field goal try to give the Browns the lead. His kick was wide right no good. Elliott came in for a 44 yard try that was good. From 49 yards out with 10 minutes left in regulation, Hopkins was good as the game was tied for the third time at 13-13. After a touchback, one play changed the game. From his own 43, Hurts hit Brown for 12. Then a short pass from Hurts to Devonta Smith somehow turned into a 45 yard touchdown. One defensive breakdown had the eagles up 20-13 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback, the Browns moved to a 3rd and goal at the 3 with 4 minutes left. Then came a false start followed by Deshaun Watson throwing incomplete. Then came another false start. Kevin Stefanski decided on 4th and goal at the 13 to kick a field goal and trust his defense. Hopkins hit from 31. The Eagles faced 3rd and 2 from their ow 32 with 3 minutes left. Hurts gained 6. On 2nd and 9 from his own 39, Hurts hit Doctson for 10. Then at the 2 minute warning on 2nd and 11 from his own 48, one play made the difference. Instead of a safe run, Hurts went bombs away to Brown for a 40 yard gain. Hurts took 3 knees as the Eagles escaped. 20-16 Eagles

Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers — A field position game early had the Cardinals punting from their own 9 and the Packers taking over with a short field at the Arizona 44. Josh Jacobs ran for 14 and Melton added 16. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Jordan Love hit Jalen Reed for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Packers got it back at their own 20 and Love hit Romeo Doubs and to Wilson for a pair of 19 yard gains. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 35, Love hit Wicks for 9. On 3rd and 10 from the Arizona 15, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On the first play of the second quarter on 3rd and 5, Love hit Doubts for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Packers. The Packers got it back at their own 10 and moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Arizona 18. Love threw incomplete. Narveson hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Packers. A 39 yard punt return again had the Packers starting at the Arizona 44. One play and 7 seconds waa enough for Love to go deep to Watson for the score. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter, the Packers were dominating 24-0. They coasted the rest of the way. The Cardinals did manage a touchdown and a field goal before the half and another third quarter field goal to get within 24-13, but this game was over. The Packers after a touchback saw Love on 3rd and 5 run for 6. Love hit Jacobs for 14 and Sims for 10. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 20, Love went to Doubs for another touchdown to make it 31-13 Packers. The Cardinals fumbled 3 times in the fourth quarter alone. Narveson tacked on a 41 yard field goal to complete the blowout. 34-13 Packers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints — With the devastation of Hurricane Milton in the background, the Buccaneers were fortunate to be playing a road game. Many of the players had to evacuate from their homes. Football was a welcome respite from the pain. This game was insane. With Derek Carr our injured, Spencer Rattler got his first NFL start. The Buccaneers started at their own 26. Baker Mayfield hit Mike Evans for 12. On 3rd and 5 from their own 43, Mayfield hit Chris Godwin for 7, Shepard for 9, and Evans for 22. Irving ran for 15. Mayfield hit Godwin for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. After a touchback Rattler quickly got rattled. After completing a 27 yard pass, he fumbled a snap. On the next play the Saints fumbled, and Antoine Winfield returned the fumble 58 yards to paydirt. The defensive touchdown had the Buccaneers up 14-0. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 21 and moved to a 3rd and 3 at the New Orleans 8 yard line. Mayfield threw incomplete. Chase Mclaughlin hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Buccaneers. The game was shaping up to be a blowout. The second quarter was ridiculous.

The Saints got the ball at their own 20 and moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Tampa Bay 25. A run only gained one yard. Dennis Allen decided not to gamble. Blake Grupe hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Saints on the board. The Buccaneers went backward and had to punt on 4th and 27 from their own 7. Rashad Shaheed returned the punt 54 yards for a touchdown to get the Saints within 17-10. The Buccaneers went backward again. On 2nd and 17 from their own 18, Mayfield was intercepted. Adebo returned the pick 20 yards to set up the Saints at the Tampa Bay 28. On 3rd and 7 from the Tampa Bay 11, Rattler was taken down for no gain. Grupe hit a 29 yard field goal to have the Saints within 17-13. Two plays later from his own 28, Mayfield was intercepted. Jonathan Abram returned the pick 30 yards to the Tampa Bay 10 yard line. One play and 4 seconds later, Rattler hit Means for Rattler’s first NFL touchdown pass. 20 unanswered points had the Saints up 20-17. 8 1/2 minutes still remained in the half, and the second quarter got crazier.

The Buccaneers soon faced 2nd and 13 at their own 21. Mayfield connected with Miller for a 39 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the New Orleans 36, Mayfield went to Sean Tucker for the touchdown. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Buccaneers retook the lead 24-20. After a touchback the Saints soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 35. Rattler hit Means for 14. Rattler then went deep to Foster Moreau for a 41 yard gain. Alvin Kamara did the rest, running for 3 and then for the 4 yard touchdown. With 3 minutes left in the half, the Saints were back in front 27-24. Mayfield threw his third interception of the half. After failing to score in the first quarter, the Saints put 27 point on the board in the second quarter alone.

In the third quarter the Buccaneers began a drive at their own 8 yard line. Runs and short passes had the Buccaneers facing 2nd and 5 from their own 45. Mayfield connected with Godwin for a 55 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the 92 yard drive brought the fourth lead change of the game as the Buccaneers led again 31-27. Yet while the game had moved from a blowout to a shootout, by the end it would again turn out to be a blowout.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Rattler was intercepted to set up the Buccaneers at their own 42. Irving got around the end for a 31 yard gain. Tucker got around the end for 18 more. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Mayfield hit Cade Otton for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Buccaneers led 37-27 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 29. Shepard got around the end for 24. Tucker added gains of 13 and 8. On 3rd and 16 from the New Orleans 26, Mayfield hit Irving for 18. Irving ran for 7 and then for the one yard touchdown to make it 44-27 Buccaneers. Another interception of Rattler had the Buccaneers at their own 36. Tucker ran for a 36 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the New Orleans 25, Tucker gained 12. Tucker ran for the 5 yard touchdown just past the 2 minute warning to complete the scoring. Despite 27 second quarter points, the Saints were shut out in the other three quarters. After looking unstoppable the first 2 weeks, the Saints have lost 4 straight. Meanwhile the Buccaneers are 4-2. Todd Bowles is known for defense, but apparently he learned a lot from Bruce Arians about offense. Dennis Allen is known for defense, but right now his defense is awful. 51-27 Buccaneers

 

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans — Joe Flacco started again in place of injured Anthony Richardson as the Colts took on a woeful Titans team. After an opening touchback, the Colts faced 3rd and 1 at their own 39. Sermon gained 4. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, Sermon gained 5. On 3rd and 10 from the Tennessee 44, Flacco went deep to Mo Alie-Cox for 22. Flacco then went deep to Downs for the other 22 and the touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. On his next series, Flacco was intercepted. Hooker returned the pick 30 yards to the Indianapolis 27. Will Levis hit Boyd for 8 and Tony Pollard ran for 10. Levis hit Nate Westbrook-Ikhine for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. A quiet second quarter saw Nick Folk hit a 44 yard field goal for the Titans and Matt Gay answer from 26 with 19 seconds left in the half for a 10-10 deadlock.

After a third quarter touchback, Pollard ran for 6 and 5. On 3rd and 9 from the Tennessee 47, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 4, Levis hit Okonkwo for 5. On 4th and 1 from the Indianapolis 34, Brian Callahan passed up a52 yard field goal try and gambled. Levis hit Burks for 10. Ridley added 9. On 3rd and 19 from the Indianapolis 23, a give up run by Pollard went all the way for a touchdown and a 17-10 Titans lead. After a touchback, the Colts moved to a 2nd and goal at the 2 with a chance to tie the game. Sermon got stopped for no gain and then on 3rd and goal got blown up for a 2 yard loss. With the entire fourth quarter to play, Shane Steichen decided not to gamble. Gay hit the 22 yard field goal to get the Colts within 17-13. The Colts got it back and faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Flacco hit Downs for just enough.
Flacco hit Downs again for 11. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 33 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Tennessee 10, Flacco hit Pittman for the touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Titans led by a field goal. With 5 minutes left, Levis was intercepted. With 2 1/2 minutes left, the Titans punted on 4th and 7 from their own 25. The Titans got it back at their own 3 yard line with 12 seconds left. Needing 97 yards, the hook and laterals came up 87 yards short. 20-17 Colts

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos — In the first quarter an interception of Bo Nix had the Chargers at their own 31. They moved to a 4th and goal at the 2. Jim Harbaugh decided not to gamble on the road. Cameron Dicker hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chargers. The Chargers got it back and soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 18. Justin Herbert hit Palmer for 24. JK Dobbins ran for gains of 8 and 12. Herbert went to Vidal for a 38 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Chargers. In the second quarter the Chargers from their own 9 embarked on the drive of the year. 20…yes, 20…plays. 78 yards. They took 10 1/2 minutes off the clock. yet on 1st and goal at the 7, a run lost a yard. Then after an incompletion, Herbert was sacked. Dicker hit the 33 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Chargers. The Broncos then fumbled the ball away to set up the Chargers at their own 44. On 3rd and 9, Herbert hit McConkey for 12. Herbert hit Will Dissly for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the Denver 14, Dobbins gained 2. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 4, Dobbins got in to make it 20-0 Chargers. 4 scores on 4 drives had the Chargers dominating. The the third quarter the Chargers moved from their own 9 yard line to the Denver 29. Dicker hit from 46 as the Chargers were winning a laugher up 23-0 after three quarters.

The Broncos mounted a furious fourth quarter rally. They took over at their own 5 yard line. Nix hit Humphrey for 8. Estime gained 11. Nix hit Franklin for 29. On 4th and 2 from the Chargers 39, Nix connected with Vele for a 37 yard gain. Nix hit Franklin for the 2 yard touchdown. The Broncos were still down 23-7 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Broncos got it back at their own 36. Nix hit Cortland Sutton for 20 and Vele for 17. On 4th and 5 from the Chargers 21, Nix gained 6. Nix hit Sutton for a 15 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Broncos were within 23-13 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Broncos got it back at their own 4 yard line with 2 1/2 minutes left and quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 22 yard line. Yet only one minute remained and the Broncos needed 2 scores. Sean Payton decided to kick the field goal immediately. Wil Lutz hit from 40 as the Broncos were within 7 points. The onside kick failed. The Broncos were game, and the Chargers blew several chances to close out the game early. Yet it was the Chargers with the tough road win against a division rival. 23-16 Chargers

Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders — Gardner Minshew was benched and Aidan O’Connell replaced him. This was already a white flag of surrender before the game started. O’Connell is immobile, and a terrible offensive line and lack of a running game hurt matters. Davante Adams and Zamir White were both injured, giving o’Connell nobody to run or throw to. It didn’t matter since the people in front of him don’t block very well. Chris Boswell got the Steelers on the board first with a 52 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Steelers. After a touchback, short runs and safe conservative short passes moved the Raiders to the Pittsburgh 21. O’Connell then went to Mattison for 19. Mattison ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Raiders. Last week the Raiders looked good on one offensive drive and then called it a day. Today was more of the same. They seem to think that the first team to 7 points wins.

In the second quarter Boswell hit again from 49 to get the Steelers within 7-6. With less than 3 minutes left in the half, the Raiders defense was keeping them in the lead. The offense was doing nothing but if they did not give the game away, they had a puncher’s chance. On 2nd and 7 from their own 30, Laube fumbled the ball. The Steelers recovered at the same spot. With 40 seconds left in the half, the Steelers faced 4th and 1 at the Raiders3 yard line. Of course Mike Tomlin went for it. He knew the Raiders defense would break at some point. That point was now. Fields ran for the touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Steelers led 12-7. In the third quarter the Raiders punted on 4th and 17 from their own 34. AJ Cole is one of the best punters in the league, but his punt was blocked. The Steelers had 1st and goal at the 9. The Raiders defense got a great stand and held the Steelers to a third Boswell field goal. The Steelers did get a touchdown pass from Fields but it was nullified buy a penalty on Fields for an illegal forward pass. The Steelers led 15-7.

The Steelers got the ball back at their own 20. Najee Harris ran for 26. On 3rd and 18 from their own 38, a completion gained only 6 but roughing the passer meant 15 yards and an automatic first down. Harris then ran for a 36 yard touchdown as the Steelers were winning a laugher up 22-7. After a touchback, the Raiders tried to make a game of it. The third quarter ended with an O’Connell touchdown pass being nullified by an offensive penalty for an illegal man downfield. The fourth quarter began with Amir Abdullah running for 10 to set up 3rd and goal at the one. This is where the Raiders are at their most terrible. They cannot run in short yardage situations. Abdullah got blown up and fumbled the ball away. The Raiders got the ball back and O’Connell was sacked to set up 3rd and 19 from their own 4. O’Connell was intercepted to give the Steelers 1st and goal at the 7. Fields again needed one play to run it in to have the Steelers up big. 26 unanswered points made it 29-7 Steelers. As expected, the Raiders got one garbage touchdown before surrendering Boswell’s fourth field goal.

Everything that is wrong with the Raiders over the last 2 decades was summed up in this one game today. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Every Raider game is the same. The offense gets one early touchdown. Then they kick field goals the rest of the game and put all the pressure on their defense. The exhausted defense cracks and finally breaks. Sometimes the Raiders get a garbage touchdown long after the game is out of hand.

The Raiders will never win consistently until:
1) They get a real quarterback. They had one in Derek Carr. They got rid of him. He was never the problem.
2) We need an offensive line. We had one. We gutted it. To save a few bucks.
3) We need a bruising running back, a battering ram. On 3rd and one when the defense knows you’re going to run, you run at them anyway straight up the gut to send a message. We had that running back. Josh Jacobs. We lost him to free agency rather than pay him what an elite player deserves.

The Raiders had a playoff team in 2021. That team was gutted by a coach who should never have been hired. Now his replacement is trying to win games with scrubs. Throw in an untested coach and a city with no real home field advantage, and the results are as terrible as they are expected. 32-13 Raiders

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys have gotten blown out at home more than once this season, while the Lions will not be able to sneak up on anyone after last year. This game sent a message to the league by both teams. After a touchback, the Cowboys moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Detroit 16. Dak Prescott threw incomplete twice. Brandon Aubrey hit a 34 yard field goal. The Cowboys led 3-0, but after that the roof caved in. After a touchback, the Lions faced 3rd and 5 at their own 35. Jared Goff went to Patrick for 42. David Montgomery did the rest, running for 7 and then for the 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Lions. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Detroit 7. Looking for the lead, Prescott was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. The Lions from their own 20 moved to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 22. The drive died there but Bates hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Lions in the second quarter. The Lions got it back at their own 37 and struck quickly. Goff went to Amra St. Brown for 11 and then went deep to Sam LaPorta for a 52 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 31 and moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Dallas 22. Goff threw incomplete and then was sacked. Bates hit from 48 to make it 20-3 Lions. In an act of desperation, Mike McCarthy gambled on 4th and 2 at his own 38. Prescott threw incomplete. Goff hit Patrick for 18. Montgomery ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 27-3 Lions in a laugher. Jerry Jones was ready to blow up Jerrahworld stadium for the insurance money.

The Cowboys managed a field goal before the half, but the Lions kept rolling. After a third quarter touchback, Gibbs ran for 11. Goff went to Gibbs for 20. On 3rd and 8 from the Dallas 37, Goff went deep to Williams for another touchdown to make it 34-6 Lions. Aubrey hit a 50 yard field goal, but Bates hit from 33 in the third quarter and again from 33 in the fourth quarter, the latter set up by a Dallas fumble. With the Lions up 40-9, Prescott was intercepted again and benched. Branch returned the interception 47 yards to the Dallas 4 yard line. One play later Goff hit St. Brown for the touchdown. Cooper Rush came in for mop up work and was intercepted. Then on his next drive the Cowboys tossed in another fumble for good measure. It was a costly victory for the Lions. Superstar defender Aidan Hutchinson suffered a broken leg in the third quarter. He fractured his tibia and fibula and will be out several weeks. Nevertheless, the Lions are a tough football team built in the image of their hard-nosed coach Dan Campbell. As for the Cowboys, Mike McCarthy’s seat is now white hot. Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are the highest paid players at their position, with Prescott being the highest paid player in the league. Jerrah knows he is not getting his money’s worth. The Lions are 4-1. The Cowboys have suffered multiple embarrassing blowout losses at home. 47-9 Lions

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers — The Falcons are an improved team. The Panthers are awful. In the first quarter the Panthers faced 3rd and 1 at their own 42. Chuba Hubbard gained 3. On 2nd and 12 from their own 43, Red rifle Andy Dalton went to Johnson for 17 and again for 19. On 3rd and 7 from the Atlanta 18, dalton was intercepted but the defense jumped offside to nullify the pick. On 3rd and 2, Sanders got just enough. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 10, Dalton went to Johnson for the touchdown to cap the 12 play, 67 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Panthers. After a touchback the Falcons faced 3rd and 9 at their own 31. Kirk Cousins went to Mooney for 12. On 3rd and 5 from their own 48, Cousins threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 14 yard gain. Tyler Allgeier gained 7, 9, 9 again, and one. On 3rd and 3 from the California 5, Robinson got in for the touchdown. The 13 play, 70 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 7-7.

An Atlanta fumble in the second quarter gave the Panthers a short field at the Atlanta 41. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Dalton threw incomplete. Eddie Pineiro hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Panthers. The Falcons took over at their own 24. On 2nd and 6 from their own 41, Cousins went deep to Pitts for a 52 yard gain. Robinson ran for a 7 yard touchdown. A defensive penalty for low block moved the extra point to the one yard line, allowing for a 2 point conversion try. Allgeier got in to make it 15-10 Falcons. A shanked 15 yard punt by Johnny Hekker gave the Falcons gift field position at the Carolina 27. Cousins hit London for 15. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Cousins hit London for the touchdown to make it 22-10 Falcons with 1:42 left in the half.

From their own 24, the Panthers fought back. Dalton went to Coker for 15 and Sanders for 21. Dalton ran for 18. Dalton hit Leggett for a 7 yard touchdown with 7 seconds left in the half to get the Panthers within 22-17. The third quarter belonged to the field goal kickers. Younghoe Koo hit from 21 for the Falcons. Pineiro answered from 40 for the Panthers to get them within 25-20. Koo hit again from 31 to make it 28-20 Falcons after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Panthers moved from their own 12 to a 2nd and 9 at the Atlanta 32. Dalton was then intercepted. The Falcons took over at their own 16. Allgeier gained 18 and 3. Cousins hit Pitts for 14. Robinson gained 15 and 7. Allgeier added 5, 20, and finally the 2 yard touchdown to make it 35-20 Falcons with 5 1/2 minutes left in the game. Koo added a 35 yard field goal just before the 2 minute warning to complete the scoring. The Falcons are 4-2 on the year. 38-20 Falcons

Cincinnati Bengals at New York Giants was the Sunday night game. Both of these teams are bad but so many people believe the Bengals are better than their record. As former Giants coach Bill Parcells said, you are what your record says you are. Sometimes bad teams can come together and play a seat game for the ages. This was not that game. The Bengals began facing 3rd and 6 at their own 35. Joe Burrow ran for 10. Burrow hit Tee Higgins for 11. On 3rd and 18 from the Giants 47, Burrow got around the end and ran all the way for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. Both offenses then took the remaining 26 1/2 minutes of the first half off. A Cincinnati fumble gave the Giants the ball at their own 21 in the third quarter. On 3rd and 1, Daniel Jones gained 2. On 4th and 2 from his own 40, Brian Daboll went for it. Tracy gained 4. On 4th and 1 from the Cincinnati 35, Daboll gambled again and Tracy gained 5. Defensive pass interference meant an 18 yard gain down to the one. Tracy got the yard for a 7-7 game. After a touchback, the Bengals moved to 3rd and goal at the one. A touchdown run was nullified by offensive holding. Then Burrow was sacked. Evan McPherson hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Bengals. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, a 47 yard field goal try by Greg Joseph to tie the game was no good. The Giants got it back and with 3 minutes left faced 4th and 2 at the Cincy 36. Daboll passed up a 54 yard field goal try to tie the game and went for it. Jones threw incomplete. On 3rd and 12 from their own 34, Burrow went deep to Iosivas for 29. Chase Brown then ran for a 30 yard touchdown to lock up the win with 1:52 left. For good measure, with one minute left and needing 2 scores, Joseph missed again from 45 yards out to end this hideous effort. 17-7 Bengals

 

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets was the Monday night game. The underachieving Jets fired Robert Saleh. This was interim coach Jeff Ulbrich’s first game as an NFL head coach. After an opening touchback, the Jets moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Buffalo 16. Aaron Rodgers threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. After a touchback, Johnson gained 12. Josh Allen hit Kincaid for 14. Davis gashed the defense for big gains of 14, 6, 5, and 15, and 5 down to the one. Josh Allen got the last yard to make it 7-3 Bills. After another touchback, Rodgers went to Breece Hall for 21 and Ruckert for 8. Hall ran for 24. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Rodgers went to Garrett Wilson for the touchdown to have the Jets up 10-7 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter the Bills took over at their own 10 yard line. Allen went deep to Davis for 42. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 29, Allen hit Shakir for 9. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 10 more. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Allen went to Mack Hollins for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Bills led 13-10. The Bills got it back at their own 20. Davis caught a pass from Allen for 8 and ran for 8 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 45, Allen gained 2. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 23. Allen hit Kincaid for 9 and another defensive pass interference penalty added 8. On 3rd and 11 from the Jets 12, Allen went to Dawson Knox for the touchdown as the Bills led 20-10 with only 21 seconds left in the half.

After a touchback, Rodgers completed a 4 yard pass that left only 14 seconds. Rodgers then hit Wilson for 14, but with 8 seconds left the Jets were still at their own 48. Then Rodgers did it again. The greatest Hail Mary tosser in NFL history heaved a bomb to the end zone and Allen lazard came down with it for a 52 yard miracle touchdown. Just like that, the Jets were within 20-17. Neither team reached the end zone again in a horrendous second half. In the third quarter Tyler Bass followed up his missed extra point with a missed 47 yard field goal try. On 4th and goal at the 2, Jeff Ulbrich at home decided not to trust his offense, an understandable decision. Zuerlein hit the 20 yarder for a 20-20 game. The jets had multiple chances to take the lead but Zuerlein missed a 32 yard chip shot late in the third quarter and a 43 yarder that doinked off the upright with 10 minutes left in regulation.

In the battle of who wanted it least, the Bills had 4th and goal at the 3 with 3:43 to play. Sean McDermott was not taking any chances. Bass hit from 22 to put the Bills up by 3. After a touchback, the Jets faced 3rd and 16 at their own 40 at the 2 minute warning. Rodgers went bombs away again and had a wide open receiver. The receiver slipped and fell but was still in position to make another miracle catch. At the last moment Johnson stepped in to grab the ball away.Johnson ripped it out of the receiver’s hands and the play was ruled an interception rather than a reception. The Bills took over at their own 18 but the Jets had all 3 timeouts. On 3rd and 4 with everything on the line, Allen scrambled and gained 6. Allen then took 3 knees as the Bills escaped to get to 4-2 on the year. 23-20 Bills

 

NFL 2024 Week 6 Prequel

Thursday, October 10th, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 6 Prequel

Thursday, October 10, 2024, 8pm

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks (-3 1/2) — For whatever reason, this is not the same 49ers team as last year. They blew a double digit lead at home to Arizona last week. The spread is too high for a Seahawks team that somehow lost at home last week to the Giants. The 49ers are the more talented team, but the Seahawks have players familiar with each other longer. In a close one, take the home field. Seahawks win but fail to cover

Sunday, October 13, 9:30am

Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears (-2 1/2) — The Jaguars finally got a win last week, while the Bears are quietly improving under rookie Caleb Williams. The game is in London, which is usually a home game for the Jaguars. Yet the Bears are just playing better. Bears cover

1pm

Houston Texans (-7) at New England Patriots — The texans are good and the Patriots are bad, but the spread is too high for a road team that is still young. Jacoby Brissett is competent enough to keep this game close, with a garbage touchdown certainly possible. Texans win but fail to cover

Washington Commanders at Baltimore Ravens (-6 1/2) — The Commanders are a good team at 4-1, but this week they face a much tougher test than previous weeks. The Ravens shook up their September rust and are now looking like the good football team the NFL expected. Jayden Daniels and Lamar Jackson are both very exciting. The Ravens do not blow teams out, and the Commanders have earned the benefit of the doubt to keep it close enough. Ravens win but fail to cover

Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles (-8 1/2) — The Eagles may not be what they were two years ago, but the Browns are just awful. Deshaun Watson has severely regressed. Eagles cover

Arizona Cardinals at Green Bay Packers (-5) — The Packers are playing good football while with the Cardinals, you never know what you will get week to week. After going on the road and upsetting San francisco, the Cardinals may have little left in the tank. Yet Kyler Murray creates plays out of nothing, which could make for an exciting game. Packers win but fail to cover

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3 1/2) at New Orleans Saints — The Saints lost Derek Carr to injury very late in last week’s loss. The Buccaneers will feast on Carr’s backup making his first NFL start. Baker Mayfield can play and he has weapons. The Saints are just a far worse team without Carr. As for the Buccaneers, they will be playing with plenty of emotion in the wake of Hurricane Milton. Buccaneers cover

Indianapolis Colts (-1) at Tennessee Titans — Joe Flacco found the fountain of youth in place of the injured Anthony Richardson. The Titans are just bad. The Colts can run the ball with Jonathan Taylor, while Flacco still has a cannon of an arm. Colts cover

 

4pm

Los Angeles Chargers (-3) at Denver Broncos — The Broncos beat up the Raiders with a tough defense and an improving Bo Nix. The Chargers had lost two straight but had a bye week last week to rest up. Go with the home field and the momentum. Upset special, Broncos win outright

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) at Las Vegas Raiders — The Raiders are a mess. Davante Adams wants out. Gardner Minshew has been benched. Aidan O’Connell is a stiff. The Raiders cannot run the ball, especially in short yardage situations. The Steelers pound the ball, which will eventually wear down the Raiders stout but overworked Raiders defense. Steelers cover

Detroit Lions (-3) at Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys gutted out a win last week at Pittsburgh, but their offense is still not where it should be. The Lions are on a mission. Home field has not helped the Cowboys at all this year.The Lions had the bye week last week. Two weeks should be enough time for Dan Campbell and Jared Goff to prepare. Lions cover

Atlanta Falcons (-6) at Carolina Panthers — The Falcons are decent enough while the Panthers are pretty bad. Kirk Cousins threw for over 500 yards last week in a thrilling comeback overtime win. While the Falcons could be due for a letdown, the Panthers lack the talent to get the job done. The spread is too high for a road team that is inconsistent. Falcons win but fail to cover

8pm

Cincinnati Bengals (-3 1/2) at New York Giants — This is the very last week to give the Bengals the benefit of the doubt. The Giants are supposed to be awful, but they went into Seattle and got a win last week. The Bengals are 1-4. They are seen as much better than their record, but Bill Parcells always said that you are what your record says you are. The spread is just too high to trust a Bengals team that has not gotten the job done all year. Bengals win but fail to cover

Monday, October 14, 8pm

Buffalo Bills (-2 1/2) at New York Jets — The Bills have lost two straight after a 3-0 start, but the Jets just fired Robert Saleh. Josh Allen is playing better than Aaron Rodgers. Allen has more to work with on offense. Bills cover

NFL 2024 Week 5 Recap

Monday, October 7th, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 5 Recap

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons was the Thursday night game. In the first half, these division rivals put up the points early and often. After an opening touchback, Kirk Cousins went deep to Pitts for 32 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Tampa Bay 33, Cousins hit London for 15. Cousins hit London again for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. The Buccaneers too over at their own 37. Baker Mayfield hit Mike Evans for 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 43, Mayfield hit Evans for 9. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 33, Mayfield went to Cade Otton for 15 and to Chris Godwin for 16. Mayfield hit Evans for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

After a touchback the Falcons moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Tampa Bay 19. Cousins was sacked. Last week’s hero Younghoe Koo missed a 41 yard field goal try that would have given the Falcons the lead. Chase Mclaughlin did hit a 53 yarder to put the Buccaneers up 10-7. After a touchback, the Falcons faced a 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Cousins hit Mooney for 7. The second quarter began with the Falcons at their own 44. defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. On 2nd and 12 from the Tampa 43, Cousins hit Hodge for 22. On 3rd and 13 from the Tampa 24, Cousins went to Mooney for the touchdown to make it 14-10 Falcons. A 53 yard kickoff return set up the Buccaneers at the Atlanta 44. Mayfield went to Otton for 22 and to Evans for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 17-14 Buccaneers. After a touchback the Falcons moved to a 4th and 6 at the Tampa Bay 36. Koo nailed a 54 yard field goal for a 17-17 tie.

The Buccaneers took over at their own 18. Irving gained 11. White then ripped off a 56 yard gain. Irving caught a pass from Mayfield for 9 and ran for 4. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Mayfield went to Shepard for a touchdown to make it 24-17 Buccaneers with 1:54 left in the half. After a touchback, the Falcons quickly moved to the Tampa Bay 31. Yet a sack of Cousins killed the drive. Raheem Morris opted against a 57 yard field goal try with 19 seconds left in the half, punting instead. In the third quarter the Falcons moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Tampa Bay 18. Consecutive sacks killed the drive. Koo hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 24-20. After a touchback the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Atlanta 7. Mayfield was sacked. McLaughlin hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 27-20 Buccaneers. 

After another touchback the Falcons soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 32 Cousins went to McCloud for 22. Robinson ran for 25. The Falcons began the fourth quarter at the Tampa 18 yard line. On 3rd and 2 from the 10, Tyler Allgeier lost 2 yards. With almost the entire fourth quarter left, a field goal on 4th and 4 would have been reasonable. Yet Raheem Morris wanted to tie the game now. He gambled, and Cousins hit Mooney for the 12 yard touchdown and a 27-27 ballgame. 

After a touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 4th and 6 at the Atlanta 35. McLaughlin nailed the 53 yard field goal to put the Buccaneers back in front 30-27 with a full 10 1/2 minutes still left in regulation. After a touchback the Falcons moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Tampa Bay 36. Cousins threw incomplete. With 6 1/2 minutes left to play, Koo came in for a 54 yard field goal try to tie the game yet again. It was not to be, as his kick was blocked.  

The Buccaneers moved from their own 44 to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 32. A touchdown would lock up the win. Instead, the Buccaneers fumbled and the Falcons recovered at their own 25 with 2:50 left. Now they had a chance to win. Yet a run lost yards and Cousins was sacked. Forced to go for it on 4th and 15 from their own 20, Cousins was intercepted. The Buccaneers took over at the Atlanta 28 with 1:44 left and a golden chance to put the game away. Instead they also went backward thanks to a failed run and offensive holding. Rather than try a 60 yard field goal, Todd Bowles punted. The Falcons took over at their own 20 with 1:15 left. Cousins quickly moved them to a 1st and 10 at the Tampa Bay 29 and spiked the ball with 2 seconds left. The Falcons then suffered a mindless delay of game penalty. Instead of a 47 yard field goal to tie the game, Koo would have to try from 52. Koo was good and this fine, fine football game was headed to overtime. 

After a touchback, the Falcons needed only 4 plays in overtime. On 3rd and 3 from their own 37, Cousins went to London for 18. On the next play, Cousins connected with Hodge, who outraced everyone for a 45 yard touchdown. Just like that, the game was over as the Buccaneers never saw the ball in overtime. Mayfield only threw for 180 yards on 24 passes, but he completed 19 of them with 3 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions. Cousins was simply insane, a lights out 42 of 58 for 509 yards passing, 4 touchdown passes and one interception. It may seem grating when he says it, but this time he has every right to say it. You like that? Yes. The home fans did very much. 36-30 Falcons, OT

New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings was the Sunday early morning game from London. The Vikings entered the game only one of two 4-0 teams. The overhyped Jets may have Aaron Rodgers, but Minnesota beat him plenty of times when he played for Green Bay. The Vikings in the first quarter moved from their own 11 to a 3rd and 2 at the Jets 24. Sam Darnold was sacked. Will Reichard hit a 54 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Vikings. On their next drive Darnold fumbled to give the Jets a short field at the Minnesota 42. Yet 3 plays later on 3rd and 6 from his own 38, Rodgers was intercepted by Van Ginkel. Van Ginkel returned the pick 63 yards to pay dirt to make it 10-0 Vikings. In the second quarter Kevin O’Connell and Matt LaFleur both gambled on 4th and 2 and both coaches lost. From his own 26, Darnold went to Justin Jefferson for 27. Darnold hit Gaskin for 11. Two defensive pass interference added 18 and 11. Ham ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Vikings.

Last week the Vikings nearly blew a 28 point lead to survive with a 2 point win. This week the Vikings again allowed an opponent to claw back into a game. After dominating the first 28 minutes, the Viking allowed a 31 yard punt return with 1:22 left in the half. The Jets took over at the Minnesota 31. Rodgers hit Wilson for 10. On 3rd and 10 from the Minnesota 14, Rodgers hit Allen Lazard for the touchdown to get the Jets within 17-7. In the third quarter the Jets took over at their own 3 yard line and embarked on a mind-numbing 17 play, 83 yard, 7 minute drive. Yet on 2nd and 8 from the Minnesota 14, Rodgers threw incomplete twice. Greg Zuerlein hit a 32 yard field goal to get the Jets within 17-10. 

A field position game in the fourth quarter had the Jets punting on 4th and 13 from their own 4 yard line. The Vikings took over at the Jets 37. On 3rd and 8, Darnold threw incomplete. Reichard hit a 53 yard field goal to put the Vikings up 20-10 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Vikings got it back and faced 3rd and 15 from their own 12. Darnold was intercepted to give the Jets the ball at the Minnesota 42. Rodgers went to Lazard for 7 and Wilson for 10. On 3rd and 10 from the Minnesota 25, Rodgers hit Williams for 18. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Rodgers threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Rodgers hit Wilson for the touchdown. With 6 minutes left, the Jets were only down 20-17. 

The Vikings after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Jets 23. Darnold threw incomplete. Reichard hit the 41 yard field goal to put the Vikings up by 6, but they did not lose the door. The Jets after a touchback had 3 minutes to win the game, plenty of time for Rodgers. With one minute left the Jets had already moved to a 1st and 10 at the Minnesota 26. After Rodgers threw incomplete twice, his 3rd and 10 pass went for it all. Rodgers came up snake eyes as he was intercepted by Williams at the Minnesota 9 yard line. The Jets are 2-3 and Robert Saleh’s seat is getting white hot. As for the Vikings, it is way too soon to start talking about 1998, but they are really good. 23-17 Vikings

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals — Both teams were expected to be good this year. The Ravens started 0-2 before winning 2 straight while the Bengals began 0-3 before finally winning last week. After an opening touchback, the Ravens faced 3rd and 1 Cincinnati 48. Derrick Henry gained 4. On 3rd and 2 from the Cincinnati 26, Justice Hill gained 5. On 3rd and goal at the one, Henry got in to cap the 12 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive to make it 7-0 Ravens. In the second quarter the Bengals took over at their own 14. Joe Burrow went to JaMarr Chase for 9, to Moss for 14, and to Mike Gesicki for 19. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 11, Burrow went to Tee Higgins for the touchdown to finish the 10 play, 86 yard, nearly 5 minute drive to make it 7-7. A field position game gave the Ravens the ball back just shy of midfield. Lamar Jackson went to Bateman for 18. Henry ran for 5 and 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincinnati 16, Jackson went to Bateman for the touchdown to make it 14-7 Ravens. 

Momentum changed with 6 minutes left in the half when a punt pinned the Ravens back at their own 2 yard line. Henry got the carry and got tackled in the end zone for a safety to get the Bengals within 14-9. With 34 seconds left in the half, the Bengals were pinned at their own 21. Zac Taylor got aggressive. Joe Burrow hit Higgins for 11, Moss for 9, Chase for 18, and Chase again for a 41 yard touchdown. The Bengals led 15-14 and decided to go for a 2 point conversion. Burrow’s pass was intercepted but defensive pass interference gave the Bengals another try. Brown ran it in to make it 17-14 Bengals. After a third quarter touchback, the Bengals faced 3rd and 14 from their own 26. Burrow went to Higgins for 17. On 3rd and 6 from their own 47, Burrow hit Chase for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Baltimore 41, Burrow went deep to Iosivas for 39. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Burrow hit Higgins for the touchdown to wrap up the 12 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive. 17 Unanswered points had the Bengals up 24-14.

The second half was a track meet as both offenses scored at will. every time the Ravens closed the gap, the Bengals opened it up again. From his own 26, Jackson went to Bay Flowers for 15 and deep to Kolar for 56 yards. Jackson hit Isaiah Likely for a one yard touchdown to get the Ravens within 24-21. After a touchback, the Bengals faced 3rd and 1 at their own 39. Burrow hit Chase for 4. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, Burrow hit Chase for 16. On 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 30, Burrow hit Gesicki for 12. The fourth quarter began with Burrow tossing a 4 yard touchdown to Brown to cap the 12 play, 70 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and make it 31-21 Bengals.

The Ravens took over at their own 8 yard line. Rather than grind down clock, John Harbaugh went aggressive. Jackson went deep to Mark Andrews for 27 yards. Jackson then ran for 18. After offensive holding meant 1st and 20, Jackson ran for 13 and hit Flowers for 13 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 22, Hill gained 3. Jackson hit Andrews for 13. Jackson went to Kolar for a 2 yard touchdown to finish the 10 play, 92, 5 minute drive and get the Ravens back within 31-28. After a touchback, the Bengals needed 11 seconds to get back up double digits. Burrow connected with Chase, and Chase outraced everyone for a 70 yard touchdown and a 38-28 Bengals lead with 9 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, Jackson went to Andrews for 11 and to Flowers for gains of 17 and 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Cincinnati 32, Jackson hit Wallace for 12 with roughing the passer adding 10 more. Then came the play straight from the elementary school sandlot. Jackson fumbled the ball, picked it back up, stiff-armed two defenders trying to sack him, rolled all the way to his right, and just before getting knocked out of bounds, threw across his body between defenders to Likely for a 6 yard touchdown. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the game, the Ravens were back within 38-35.

6 straight touchdown drives, 3 by each offense, had this game practically on full tilt. After a touchback, the Bengals moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 28 with 3:10 to play. Another Cincinnati touchdown would pretty much lock up the win. Instead, a run and a false start was followed by Burrow getting intercepted. Now the Ravens had 3 minutes to work with from their own 28. On 3rd and 6 from the Cincy 38, Jackson threw incomplete. With 1:35 to play, it was up to the best kicker in the history of the game to tie the game. Justin Tucker holds the NFL record of 66 yards, and this one while long was at 56 well within his range. Tucker was good and the game was tied 38-38. The Bengals had 90 seconds to work with but a sack of Burrow killed the drive. This thriller was headed to overtime.

After a touchback, the Ravens moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 39. Well within Tucker’s range, this time he would not get the chance as Jackson fumbled and the Bengals recovered at the Baltimore 38. The Bengals now had a golden chance to win. The Bengals netted only 3 yards, but Evan McPherson had a chance from 53 to be the hero. McPherson was wide left no good.  The Ravens took over at their own 43. One play was enough for Henry to bust through the defense for a 51 yard run down to the Cincy 6 yard line. At this point John Harbaugh was not taking any chances. On 1st and goal, Tucker came in for the 24 yard try to win it. He was good, and with 3 1/2 minutes left in overtime, the game was finally won. Both quarterbacks were magnificent. Jackson was 26 of 42 for 348 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Burrow was 30 of 39 for 392 yards, 5 touchdown passes, and the one killer interception late. Yet the Ravens have won 3 straight while the Bengals fell to a surprising 1-4 on the season. 41-38 Ravens, OT

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Colts started Joe Flacco in place of the injured Anthony Richardson. Meanwhile, the Jaguars came as the only NFL winless team. The Colts began at their own 29 and old man Flacco went right to work. Flacco hit Downs for 13, Mo Alie-Cox for 19, and Downs again for 20. On 3rd and 6 from the Jacksonville 15, Flacco hit Downs for 10. On 2nd and goal at the one, Sermon got the carry twice and got stopped cold twice. Shane Steichen gambled. On 4th and goal at the one, Flacco hit Pittman for the touchdown. The 12 play, 71 yard, 6 minute drive made it 7-0 Colts. 

The Jaguars after a touchback moved to a 4th and 2 at the Indianapolis 26. Doug Pederson went for it and Trevor Lawrence threw incomplete. The Jaguars got it back at their own 11 and moved 84 yards in 14 plays and 8 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from the Indianapolis 4 yard line, Bigsby lost a yard. An exasperated Peterson decided not to gamble again. Little hit the 23 yard field goal to get the Jaguars on the board midway through the second quarter. The Jaguars got the ball back at their own 15 and this time needed only one play and 10 seconds to take the lead. Lawrence went deep to Thomas for an 85 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Jaguars. 

The Colts after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 12. The drive died with a run that went nowhere and a pair of Flacco incompletions. Matt Gay hit the 30 yard field goal for a 10-10 game with 1:44 left in the half. The Jaguars fumbled the ball away, but the Colts fumbled it back in a devastating way. From his own 46, Flacco was sacked and the Jaguars recovered the ball all the way back at the Indianapolis 12 yard line. Only 6 seconds remained in the half, so Doug Pederson played it safe and took the points. Little hit the 30 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Jaguars. In the third quarter the Colts were pinned at their own 2 yard line and punted from their 7. Devin Duvernay returned the punt 53 yards to the Indianapolis 19. Bigsby recovered a fumble for a 3 yard touchdown and a 20-10 Jaguars lead midway through the third quarter.

After a touchback, runs and short passes led to a 3rd and 4 at the Jacksonville 30. Flacco hit Downs for 6. On 3rd and 1 at the Jacksonville 15, Flacco kept it for 2 yards. The fourth quarter began with the Colts facing 3rd and 15 at the Jacksonville 18. Flacco went to Cox for the touchdown to finish the 16 play, 70 yard, 7 minute drive and get the Colts within 20-17. The Jaguars after a penalty faced 2nd and 24 from their own 16. Lawrence went deep to Christian Kirk for  61 yard gain. Lawrence went to Davis for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Lawrence found Strange for a 4 yard touchdown to put the Jaguars up 27-17.

After a touchback, the Colts moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Jacksonville 19 yard line. Flacco threw incomplete. Needing 2 scores with only 6 minutes left in the game, Shane Steichen played it safe. Gay hit the 37 yard field goal to get the Colts within 27-20. Yet 2 plays after a touchback, the Jaguars were in the end zone again. Tank Bigsby ripped off a 65 yard touchdown run to make it 34-20 Jaguars with only 5 minutes left. Yet winless teams are winless for a reason. They find ways to lose games.

After a touchback, the Colts needed barely more than 30 seconds to score again. Flacco went to Pierce for 24 and again for 46 yards down to the one. Sermon got the yard to get the Colts within 34-27. The Colts defense forced a 3 and out and their offense got the ball back at their own 23 barely more than 30 seconds after they gave it up. Again they needed only 3 plays. Sermon gained 17. Flacco then went deep to Pierce for a 65 yard touchdown to tie the game 34-34 with 2:40 left in the game. After a touchback, the Jaguars moved to the Indy 31 with 21 seconds left. Little came in for a 49 yarder to give the Jaguars their first win of the season. Little came up big. His kick was good. After a touchback, Flacco had 17 seconds to go 70 yards. Instead, he was sacked as the Jaguars finally got a win. Flacco was sensational, going 33 of 44 for 359 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, but it was not enough. Lawrence was a lights out 28 of 34 for 371 yards, 2 touchdowns and one interception. 37-34 Jaguars

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots — Sometimes a pair of boring teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game. With Tyler Huntley starting for the injured Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins began at their own 26 and moved to the New England 36. Jason Sanders hit a 54 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. An interception of Huntley then gave the Patriots a short field at the Miami 43. On 3rd and 1, Jacoby Brissett hit Raimondre Stevenson for just enough. On the next play Stevenson got around the end for a 33 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Patriots. On the last play of the first quarter, Sanders doinked a 41 yard try off the left upright no good. Then the Dolphins had a punt blocked as the Patriots took over at the Miami 23. Yet Joey Slye missed a 33 yard field goal try in this hideous game. In the third quarter Slye hit from 38 to make it 10-3 Patriots.

Sanders hit from 32 and 47 as the Dolphins only trailed 10-9 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Dolphins began with a penalty and 1st and 18 at their own 12. Huntley went to Tyreek Hill for 21. On 3rd and 5 from their own 38, Huntley went to Smith for 8. On 3rd and13 from their own 43, Huntley threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 5 yards and an automatic first down. Wright ran for 16. Mostert added 18. Alec Ingold ran for a 3 yard touchdown. The point conversion try failed but the Dolphins led by 5 points with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Patriots after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Miami 12 with 1:08 left. After an incompletion, Brissett fired to the end zone to Polk for the touchdown as the home crowd in Foxboro erupted in celebration. Yet on further review, Polk did not get both feet down in bounds. It was reversed to an incompletion. After another incompletion and a false start, it came down to 4th and 15. Brissett threw incomplete. The Patriots lost their 4th straight after an opening day win. 15-10 Dolphins

Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders — The Commanders have been surprisingly good thanks to the quality play of rookie Jayden Daniels. The Browns have been awful thanks to the terrible play of the regressing Deshaun Watson. After an opening touchback, Kevin Stefanski gambled on 4th and 1 from the Washington 47. Donta Foreman got stopped cold for no gain. Later on a punt pinned the Browns at their own one yard line. They punted from their 5 and a 15 yard return but Zaccheaus set up the Commanders at the Cleveland 34. Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for 12 On 4th and 2 from the Cleveland 14, Dan Quinn went for it. Austin Ekeler gained 10. Robinson ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Commanders. The Browns did manage a 51 yard Dustin Hopkins field goal early in the second quarter, but after that the Commanders exploded.

From their own 20, Zaccheaus ripped off a 50 yard gain, fumbled the ball, and saw his teammate recover for 7 more yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 14, Daniels gained 2. yet on 3rd and 10, a completion gained only 3 yards. Austin Seibert hit the 27 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Commanders. The Commanders got it back at their own 26. On 3rd and 10, the defense got called for too many men on the field. On 3rd and 5, Daniels hit McCaffrey for 9. Daniels then ran for a pair of 13 yard gains. On 4th and 3 from the Cleveland 40, Dan Quinn gamble again. Daniels ran for a 34 yard gain with defensive holding tacked on. Robinson ran for the one yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Commanders with 3 minutes left in the half. The Commanders got it back at their own 38 with 1:35 left in the half. On 3rd and 3, Daniels hit McLaurin for 11. Daniels went deep to Brown for a 41 yard touchdown as the Commanders were dominating 24-3.

After a third quarter touchback, the Commanders fumbled on the first play from scrimmage. Yet despite reaching 1st and goal at the 2, the Browns offenses began with a false start and bungled their chance. Hopkins hit a 31 yard field goal, but after that the Commanders turned out the lights. From their own 20, Daniels went to McLaurin for 23 and ran for 23 more himself. On 3rd and 7 from the Cleveland 27, Daniels hit Brown for 16 .On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 3, McNichols ran for the touchdown to have the Commanders dominating 31-6. A Cleveland fumble set up one more Seibert field goal from 30 to make it 34-6 Commanders. In the fourth quarter the Browns got one garbage touchdown. The Browns are 1-4 and playing like it. The Commanders are 4-1 and playing like it. 34-13 Commanders

Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans — A pair of good teams faced off as the Bills looked to rebound from being knocked from the unbeaten ranks last week. A field position game early on had the Bills taking over just past midfield. Despite 1st and goal at the 9, a run lost a yard followed by a sack of Josh Allen and a false start to kill the drive. Tyler Bass hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bills. After that, the Texans exploded. After a touchback, the Texans faced 3rd and 5 at their own 35. CJ Stroud went to Ogunbowale 28 yards and Nicol Collins for 11 more. Cam Akers ran for 11 and then for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Texans. The Texans got it back at their own 33 and needed only one play and 9 seconds to strike again. Stroud went bombs away to Collins for a 67 yard touchdown and a 14-3 Texans advantage. Kaimi Fairbairn hit field goals of 50 to end the half and 47 early in the third quarter to have the Texans cruising up 20-3.

The Bills had plenty of time to rally, and they did. After a touchback, Johnson ran for 19. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 more. Allen went to Kincaid for 26. Cook ran for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Bills within 20-10. The Bills got it back at their own 35. Cook ran for 11. On 3rd and 5 just past midfield, Allen completed a pass for no gain. Sean McDermott went for it. Allen went to Keon Coleman for the first down and the touchdown as the 49 yard connection had the Bills back in it down 20-17. There were still 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The defenses dug in and the Texans turned the ball over on their next 2 drives with an interception and a fumble. The latter gave the Bills the ball at the Houston 15. Yet a run went nowhere and Allen threw incomplete twice. Bass hit a 33 yard field goal as 17 unanswered points tied the game 20-20 with 3:18 left. 

The Texans had a chance to win it with 44 seconds left. On 3rd and 5 from the Buffalo 49, Stroud was called for intentional grounding to push the Texans out of field goal range. A great punt pinned the Bills back at their own 3 yard line with 32 seconds left. Rater than grind down clock, Sean McDermott went for it all. Allen threw deep incomplete 3 times. A 13 yard punt return gave the Texans the ball at the Buffalo 46 with 7 seconds left. Stroud hit Ogunbowale for 5 yards, leaving 2 seconds. Fairbairn came in for a 59 yard field goal try. Fairbairn leveled it for his longest kick ever. A playoff rematch between these teams would be well worth the price of admission but McDermott’s play-calling at the end of the game will be called into question. Meanwhile, Demeco Ryans has a 4-1 squad. 23-20 Texans

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears — The Bears have very quietly been winning games at home, while the Panthers have been awful. Early in the game Dave Canales gambled on 4th and 1 from the Chicago 42. Johnson gained 4. Chuba Hubbard then ripped off a 38 yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Panthers. After that, reality set in. After a touchback, Deandre Swift ran for 8 and 3. Caleb Williams hit Odunze for 11. Williams went deep to DJ Moore for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Bears got it back at their own 20.Williams went to Moore for 23 as the Bears began the second quarter at the Carolina 43. Swift gained 18. on 3rd and 5 from the Carolina 7, Swift gained 6. Johnson got the last yard to make it 14-7 Bears. A Carolina fumble set up the Bears at the Carolina 44. Williams went to Smith for 42. Swift got the last yard to make it 21-7 Bears. The Panthers turned it over on downs and the Bears took over at their own 38. On 3rd and 5 Williams went deep to Cole Kmet for 25. Williams went to Moore for a 30 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Bears were cruising up 27-7. A pointless second half saw the Bears kick a third quarter field goal and the Panthers answer with one of their own. Roschon Johnson ran in a one yard fourth quarter touchdown to end the scoring. 36-10 Bears

Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos — Although the Raiders had beaten the Broncos 8 straight times, it is tough to win without an offensive line or running game. The Raiders have tried to win games by scoring one early touchdown and tacking on enough field goals. After an opening touchback, the Raiders made it look easy. On 3rd and 8 from their own 32, Gardner Minshew scrambled for 11. Minshew then went deep to Brock Bowers, who spun away from a defender and raced for a 57 yard touchdown. Barely 2 minutes into the game, the Raiders led 7-0. The Raiders got the ball back at their own 10 yard line and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 22. A run went nowhere and a false start killed the drive. Daniel Carlson hit a 40 yard field goal. The Raiders led 10-0 after the first quarter and were in total control of the game. 

A strong kickoff return had the Broncos taking over at their own 41. The Broncos began the second quarter with 1st and 10 at the Riders 22. Offensive pass interference, a sack of Bo Nix, and an illegal shift had the Broncos facing 2nd and 38. On 3rd and 34, a short pass from Nix to Williams gained 13. That was enough for Wil Lutz to hit a 51 yard field goal to get the Broncos within 10-3. The Raiders quickly moved from their own 31 as Amir Abdullah ripped off a 40 yard gain. With 9 minutes left in the half, the Raiders had 1st and goal at the 5. This was without the injured Davante Adams and Zamir White. Although the Raiders had long runs, they could not pick up one or two yards when it mattered. Yet the Raiders still had 3 chances to smash into the line and gain the yardage. A touchdown would put the Raiders up 17-3. Again, they were in total control. 

Then came one of the worst play calls in the history of the franchise. Rather than even try and run the ball, the Raiders called a pass play. Whether the blame falls on Antonio Pierce or offensive coordinator Luke Goetzy is irrelevant. The entire football world knows that you run the ball near the goal line. Minshew threw into traffic and had his pass intercepted by Patrick Surtain II. Surtain lit up the home crowd by returning the interception 100 yards for a defensive touchdown. Instead of being down 17-3, the Broncos tied the game 10-10. The Raiders never recovered. The defense was keeping the Raiders in the game, and with 18 seconds left in the half of a tie game, the Broncos were facing 3rd and 7 at their own 39. One stop would let the Raiders get to the half and try and regroup. Instead, Nix hit Franklin for 20. At the end of the half, Lutz’s 59 yard field goal try was no good. Yet the Raiders were flagged 15 yards for a leverage penalty. From 44 yards out, Lutz was good. The Broncos only led 13-10, but this game was over. The Raiders continued to self-destruct.

In the third quarter, a 38 yard punt return set up the Broncos at midfield. Williams ran for 6 and 9. Nix hit Humphrey for 27. On 3rd and goal at the 4, the defense finally broke. Nix hit Jaleel McLaughlin for the touchdown. Midway through the third quarter, the Broncos led 20-10. After a touchback, the Raiders faced 3rd and 11 from their own 40. Minshew went deep and was intercepted. When the Raiders got the ball back, Minshew was on the bench. Aidan O’Connell was in the game, which meant the Raiders had waved the white flag of surrender. Minshew was not playing well, but it was not his fault that the offensive line and running game were awful. O’Connell is stiff, as immobile as it gets. 

The Broncos got the ball back at their own 42 to start the fourth quarter. Nix ran for 11. On 2nd and 15 from the Raiders 40, Williams gained 17. Nix hit Adam Trautman for 19. Nix ran for a one yard touchdown with 10 minutes left in regulation for a 27-10 Broncos lead. The score would have been 34-10 had a perfectly thrown bomb by Nix not been dropped in the end zone by a wide open receiver. The Raiders got it back at their own 20 and O’Connell was immediately intercepted. The Broncos took over at the Raiders 39. On 3rd and 4, Nix went to Sutton for 24. Nix hit Reynolds for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 34-10 Broncos. The Raiders got one garbage time touchdown, but they are a bad team, especially on offense. After getting rid of Derek Carr and Josh Jacobs, now Davante Adams wants out. Nobody can blame him. 34-18 Broncos 

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers were expected to easily take care of the Cardinals, but the Cardinals are a different team every week. From their own 28, Kyler Murray went to McBride for 22. Murray then ran for a 50 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals less than 2 minutes into the game. After a touchback Brock Purdy went to Brandon Aiyuk for 53 yards. Yet on 1st and goal at the 6, a run went nowhere, Purdy threw incomplete, and Purdy was then sacked. Jake Moody hit a 28 yard field goal to get the 49ers within 7-3. The 49ers got it back and faced 3rd and 6 at their own 28. Purdy went to Aiyuk for 16 and 9. On 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 30, Purdy went to Jennings for 13 and Aiyuk for 13 more. Purdy went to George Kittle for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 49ers. After a touchback the Cardinals moved to a 2nd and 7 at the San Francisco 12. Murray threw incomplete twice. Ryland hit the 30 yard field goal to make it 10-10 early in the second quarter.

The 49ers after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Purdy threw incomplete. Kyle Shanahan decided not to gamble. Moody hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 13-10 49ers. The Cardinals after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 6 at the San Francisco 27. Murray threw incomplete. Ryland came in for a 45 yard field goal try to tie the game with 5 minutes left in the half. The kick was blocked and returned 61 yards for a touchdown the other way by Deommodore Lenoir to make it 20-10 49ers. 49ers kicker Jake Moody was injured on the ensuing kickoff. The Cardinals then moved from their own 38 to a 2nd and 6 at the San Francisco 24. At the 2 minute warning, Murray was intercepted by Nick Bosa, who returned the pick 30 yards to the Arizona 40. The 49ers moved to a 1st and goal at the 7 with 16 seconds left. With a chance to all but turn out the lights, Purdy threw incomplete three times. Wishnowsky hit the 26 yard field goal to have the 49ers dominating 23-10 at the break.

The second half was a completely different game. A third quarter interception of Purdy set up the Cardinals at the San Francisco 25. 3 plays netted only one total yard but Ryland hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 23-13. After a touchback, the 49ers embarked on a 7 minute drive. They reached a 2nd and 9 at the Arizona 13, again with a chance to turn out the lights. Then came a false start followed by a sack of Purdy. On 4th and 23 from the Arizona 27 and without a kicker, Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it. There was supposedly nobody else on the roster who could kick a 45 yard field goal. Purdy threw incomplete. 

From that spot, James Conner gained 3, 8 and 10. The Cardinals began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 6 at the San Francisco 41. Murray went to Wilson for 10 and 11. Conner gained 14. Murray threw a 2 yard touchdown to Higgins. Roughing the passer moved the extra point from the two to the one, so Jonathan Gannon went for what would normally be a pointless 2 conversion try. Conner ran it in to get the Cardinals within 23-21 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback the 49ers moved to a 1st and goal at the 8. Again, a touchdown and extra point would all but ice the game with 6 1/2 minutes left. 

Mason lost 4 yards and fumbled the ball away. The Cardinals took down the clock on a 14 play, 75 yard drive. On 4th and 3 from the Frisco 16 with 1:37 left, Gannon was not taking any chances. Ryland hit the field goal to give the Cardinals the one point lead. The 49ers took over at their own 27 needing only a touchdown to win it. Purdy hit Kittle for 15 yards. Then Purdy was intercepted. In a shocker, the 49ers offense was blanked in the second half while their defense melted down in the fourth quarter. The defending NFC champions are 2-3 on the year. Shanahan has blown 3 Super Bowl double digit leads. While this was not on that level, it is still a stunning collapse. 24-23 Cardinals

Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams — Both teams made the playoffs last year, but this year the Rams are struggling. In the first quarter the Packers took over at their own 4 yard line. Josh Jacobs had runs of 4, 7 and 11. On 2nd and 10 from the Green Bay 45, Jordan Love went deep to Reed for a 53 yard gain. Jacobs ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Rams after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 4. Matthew Stafford threw incomplete. Sean McVay inexplicably decided to go for it. Stafford threw incomplete again. The Rams got it back at their own 45 and needed 13 plays and 7 minute to go 55 yards. Corum ran for 12. The second quarter began with Williams only gaining 2 yards on 3rd and 3. On 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 34, McVay gambled again. Williams gained 3. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 24, Williams gained 8. Atwell added 7 and Corum ran for 5 and 3. On 3rd and goal from the one, Williams got in for a 7-7 game in the second quarter.

At the 2 minute warning, Jordan Love blundered. On 3rd and 12 from his own 8, Love faded back and was intercepted by Jaylen McCollough, who waltzed in for a 4 yard defensive touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Rams led 13-7. After a touchback, the Packers moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Rams 19 with 37 seconds left. A sack of Love killed the drive. Narveson hit a 46 yard field goal to end the half with the Packers down 13-10. In the third quarter the Rams moved quickly from their own 29 to a 2nd and 6 at the Green Bay 27. Yet the Rams fumbled the ball away and the Packers took over at their own 30. Two plays later Love went deep to Tucker Kraft for a 66 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Packers. The Rams moved from their own 27 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 48. Stafford threw incomplete twice and then was intercepted by McKinney, who returned the pick 28 yards to his own 46. Reed gained 11. Love hit Jacobs for 21. Wilson gained 6 and 5. Love went to Kraft for a 7 yard touchdown as the Packers led 24-13 after three quarters.

The Packers began the fourth quarter at their own 7 yard line. They held the ball for over 8 minutes and ran 14 plays, yet somehow gained only 43 yards. On 1st and 10 from the Rams 36, A false start and a sack killed the drive. The Rams took over at their own 9 yard line with 6 minutes left in regulation needing 2 scores. The Rams got the 91 yard drive as Stafford hit Robinson for a one yard touchdown with 3 1/2 minutes left. The 2 point try failed but the Rams were within 5 points. The Rams got the stop on defense with only 30 seconds coming off the clock. They took over at their own 29 with a full 3 minutes left needing only a touchdown to win. With 1:05 left on 4th and 5 from the Green Bay 38, Stafford threw incomplete. The Rams fell to 1-4 as the Packers got the tough road win. 24-19 Packers 

New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks — The Seahawks were knocked from the unbeaten ranks last week, but all they needed to get back on track was win at home against a woeful Giants team. The Giants were not going to win anything with Daniel Jones, who seems to fumble the ball as often as he completes a pass. A sack of Jones forced a fumble that the Giants were lucky to retain possess of after a 15 yard loss. Yet on 2nd and 25 from their own 5, they dug their way out of it with Jones completing an 18 yard pass on 3rd and 17. After 16 plays and 79 yards, the Giants had held the ball for a whopping 10 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, Gray got stopped short. Brian Daboll went for it on 4th and goal at the one. The Giants tried to break the plane of the goal. There was a touchdown, but it would not be by the Giants. They fumbled, and Rayshawn Jenkins returned it 102 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 7-0 Seahawks lead. These are the Giants.

In the second quarter the Giants took over at their own 19. On 3rd and 1, Jones gained 3. Tracy gained 27. Jones went to Johnson for 22. Jones ran for 11. Jones hit Robinson for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Giants got it back at their own 22 and moved 58 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 20, Jones threw incomplete. Greg Joseph hit the 38 yard field goal as the Giants actually led 10-7. After a touchback, the Seahawk only had 21 seconds to work with. Mike Macdonald went aggressive. Geno Smith hit Kenneth Walker for 17 and Tyler Lockett for 28. Jason Myers hit a 43 yard field goal for a 10-10 deadlock at the half. 

In the third quarter the Seahawks quickly moved from their own 29 to a 2nd and 3 at the Giants 31. Smith went to DK Metcalf for 10, but Metcalf fumbled and the Giants recovered. The Giants took over at their own 23. Jones went to Derrius Slayton for 41 yards. Jones went to Slayton again for a 30 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Giants. The Seahawks after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Giants 29. Smith threw incomplete. Myers hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 17-13. The Giants had long drives all day that ate up clock. From their own 27, an 11 play, 80 yard, 6 minute drive led to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 12. Jones was sacked and threw incomplete on 3rd and 11. Joseph hit the 31 yard field goal to make it 20-13 Giants after three quarters. 

In the fourth quarter the Seahawks moved from their own 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Giants 35. Mike Macdonald went for it and Smith was sacked. The Giants took over at the Seattle 27 and moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Seattle 6. Rather than play power football, Brian Daboll had Jones throw the ball.. Jones threw incomplete twice. Joseph hit the 24 yard field goal to give the Giants breathing room up 23-13 with 12 minutes left in regulation. With 6 minutes left in regulation the Seahawks took over at their own 5 yard line. Smith went to Metcalf for 22 and Walker for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 47, Smith hit Fant for 6. Smith went to Metcalf for 9 and non-relative Smith-Nigba for 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 12, Smith hit Walker for 7. Smith again went to non-relative Smith-Nigba for a 5 yard score. The 14 play, 95 yard drive had the Seahawks within 23-20 with 2:09 left to play. 

Mike Macdonald decided against an onside kick. He kicked it deep and trusted his defense. The move was paid off as the Seahawks got the ball back at their 34 with 1:40 left needing only a field goal to tie the game. Smith quickly ran for a 32 yard gain against his old team as the Seahawks got to a 2nd and 4 at the Giants 28 with 1:13 left. Smith threw incomplete twice. With 55 seconds left, Myers came in for a 46 yard try to tie the game and possibly force overtime. Instead, the Seahawks became a victim of a play that they made famous. 

Bobby Wagner was known for blocking field goals by jumping over everyone and practically ramming the ball down the kicker’s throat. The NFL likes to punish players who do great things, so they started all but banning the practice. The rule is now that if you try to jump over people but don’t completely clear them without touching them, it’s a 15 yard personal foul. Very few athletes are as gifted as Bobby Wagner in terms of cleanly hurdling the offense, sticking the landing, and smothering the kicker. Well Isaiah Simmons did just that cleanly. He blocked the kick and it was returned 60 yards for a touchdown the other way by Bryce Ford-Wheaton. In front of a shell-shocked 12th man home crowd, the Giants led by 9 points. Although it was a 2 score game, Brian Daboll knew that if the extra point was blocked and returned, it would be a 7 point game. So Daboll smartly took a knee and refused to kick the extra point as the Giants got the stunning road win. 29-20 Giants 

Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday night game. These longtime rivals with rich traditions saw their game delayed by 90 minute due to lightning. The first half was a slog. Brandon Aubrey leveled a 55 yard field goal for the Cowboys. Chris Boswell answered from 41. In the second quarter Aubrey hit from 33 as the Cowboys took a 6-3 lead to the locker rooms. In the third quarter the Steelers took over at their own 28. Justin Fields threw incomplete but roughing the passer gave the Steelers 15 yards. Rather than Fields, it was Allen who found Pat Freiermuth for a 19 yard gain. Fields hit Van Jefferson for 7 and 11. Fields went to Hayward for a 16 yard touchdown. 3 minutes into the third quarter, the Steelers led 10-6. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 4th and 9 at the Pittsburgh 20. Aubrey came in for a 38 yard field goal try, but his kick was blocked. 

Midway through the third quarter, the Cowboys took over at their own 10. On 3rd and 1, Hunter Luepke. Prescott went to Ferguson for 13. Rico Dowdle gained 13. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 48, Prescott went to Jalen Tolbert for a pair of 7 yard gains. On 3rd and 7 from the Pittsburgh 38, Prescott was sacked but defensive holding kept the drive going. The fourth quarter began with the Cowboys facing 3rd and 1 at the Pittsburgh 24. Dowdle gained 2. Prescott went to Dowdle for a 22 yard touchdown. The staggering 16 play, 90 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive had the Cowboys up 13-10. On the next Cowboys drive, Prescott was intercepted by Joey Porter, who returned it 16 yards to his own 37. 

The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 45. Fields gained just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 44, Fields threw incomplete. Mike Tomlin went for it on 4th and 1 and Najee Harris got the tough yard. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 34, Fields went to George Pickens for 21. Fields hit Freiermuth for a 6 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 63 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Steelers up 17-13 with 5 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Dowdle gained 5 and 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 48, Ezekiel Elliott got the yard. At the 2 minute warning, the Cowboys and 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 33. On 3rd and 9, Prescott found Ferguson for 10 and Luepke for 18. With 35 seconds left, the Cowboys had 2nd and goal at the one. Dowdle tried to leap over the to and got blasted by Roberts, forcing a fumble. Prescott dove on the ball a millisecond before a defender did. After an incompletion, it came down to 4th and goal at the 4. Prescott found Tolbert for the touchdown with 20 seconds left. From his own 21 with 15 seconds left, Fields threw an incompletion followed by some failed hook and laterals. It was ugly, but the Cowboys got the tough road win for beleaguered head coach Mike McCarthy. 20-17 Cowboys

New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs was the Monday night game. Derek Carr has plenty of experience battling Patrick Mahomes, but this time Carr did it with his new team. The Saints had a good opening drive going but then Carr was intercepted. he Chiefs took over at their own 22. Mahomes ran for 9. On 3rd and 3 from their own 41, Mahomes found Travis Kelce for gains of 4, 21 and 8. Mahomes found Gray for 15. Hunt ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. A field position game had the Chiefs get the ball back at their own 40. They moved to a 3rd and 5 at the New Orleans 8 early in the second quarter. Mahomes threw incomplete. Harrison Butker hit the 26 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Chiefs.

The Saints soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 30. Carr went to Alvin Kamara for 10 and Rashad Shaheed for 15. Carr went deep to Shaheed for a 43 yard touchdown to get the Saints within 10–7.  The Chiefs drove to the red zone on their next two drives. They did not reach the end zone but Butker hit field goals of 34 and 28 to put the Saints up 16-7 at the intermission. The Chiefs had chances to extend the lead in the third quarter but failed to do so. Butker’s 51 yard field goal try doinked off the right upright no good. The Chiefs then moved to a 2nd and goal at the 2 only to have Mahomes get intercepted in the end zone. Saunders returned the pick 37 yards to his own 35. Carr went to Shaheed for gains of 7 and 21 and to Kamara for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 28, Kamara gained 4. Carr hit Kamara for 14 as the Saints began the fourth quarter with 1st and goal at the 9. Carr went to Foster Moreau for a 6 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Saints only trailed 16-13.

The Chiefs took over at her own 32. Mahomes connected with Juju Smith-Schuster for a 50 yard gain. On 1st and goal at the 3, Walrus Andy Reid went to his bag of tricks. Kelce took the direct snap and handed it to Xavier Worthy, who got around the end for the touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Chiefs led 23-13. After a touchback, the Saints moved to a 4th and 8 at the Kansas City 42. Carr threw incomplete. The Chiefs took 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. Butker hit a 38 yard field goal with 3 minutes left to put the Chiefs up 13. At this point Carr was not in the game, having suffered an oblique injury on the previous drive. Jake Haener finished the game. The Saints moved from their own 20 to a 3rd and 8 at their own 48 at the 2 minute warning. Haener threw incomplete twice. The Chiefs are now 5-0, which makes Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 26-13 Chiefs  

NFL 2024 Week 5 Prequel

Tuesday, October 1st, 2024

NFL 2024 Week 5 Prequel

Thursday, October 3, 2024, 8pm

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (-1 1/2) — Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins can both sling the ball. These teams are evenly matched, and the spread reflects that. Home field is normally not a big deal in this series, but with the devastation of Hurricane Helene in the background for both teams, football will be a welcome respite. Look for the Falcons to give the home crowd a brief interval from their pain. Falcons cover 

Sunday, October 6, 9:30am

New York Jets at Minnesota Vikings (-2 1/2) — The Vikings can score at will, although they almost blew a 28 point lead last week. The Jets have underachieved all year or are just overrated to begin with. The Vikings are unbeaten for a reason. Vikings cover

 

1pm

Baltimore Ravens (-2 1/2) at Cincinnati Bengals — The Ravens got a big win against previously unbeaten Buffalo. The Bengals finally got their first win against doormat Carolina. Whatever ails the Bengals, playing a good Baltimore team is not the answer. The Ravens would love to put a dagger in their division rival early in the season. Ravens cover

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3) — The Jaguars are a winless mess but the Colts will be without injured Anthony Richardson. The Jaguars lost a heartbreaker in the final seconds last week. They have been competitive. Against a wounded Indianapolis team, look for the Jaguars to finally win. Jaguars cover

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (-1 1/2) — Without Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins are done. The Patriots have lost three straight after an opening day win. The Dolphins have more overall talent but the Patriots have the home field and can run the football. Patriots cover

Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders (-3) — Jayden Daniels has been as terrific as the Browns have been terrible. Deshaun Watson has regressed. Washington is quietly starting to believe. Go with the confident team over the demoralized one. Commanders cover

Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans (-1 1/2) — Despite being pummeled out of the ranks of the unbeaten, the Bills still have elite talent on both sides of the ball. The Texans won a thriller last week, but that was against winless Jacksonville. The Texans are a good team, but the Bills are an elite team that will be playing angry after last week. Upset special, Bills win outright,

Carolina Panthers at Chicago Bears (-4) — The Panthers have improved since Red Rifle Andy Dalton replaced Bryce Young, but they are still bad. Caleb Williams has shown some flashes, but he has little to work with as well. Go with the home crowd, but the Bears lack the talent to blow teams out, even weak ones such as Carolina. Bears win but fail to cover

4pm

Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos (-3) — The Raiders have beaten the Broncos eight straight times but expect that streak to end here. The Broncos have a defense. The Raiders have a bad offensive line and cannot run the ball. The Raiders tried to lose last week but Cleveland would not let them. The Broncos gutted out a tough win at the Jets in bad weather. Expect the Denver defense to tee off. Broncos cover

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (-7 1/2) — After an impressive start to the season, the Cardinals have regressed. The 49ers have suffered devastating injuries but still have far more talent on both sides of the ball. Even without Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers have too many weapons. This is a mismatch. Kyler Murray is exciting, but that is not the same as effective. 49ers cover

Green Bay Packers (-3 1/2) at Los Angeles Rams — The Rams are 1-3, while the Packers nearly overcame a 28 point deficit against unbeaten Minnesota. The Packers held it together when Jordan Love was out injured. Love should have success against the Rams, although they can turn it around at any moment. Packers win but fail to cover

New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks (-6 1/2) — Despite being knocked from the unbeaten ranks, the Seahawks have been playing well. Geno Smith has a rapport with his receivers. The Giants are just terrible. This game could be over by halftime. Seahawks cover

8pm

Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2 1/2) — Both of these teams are overrated. The Steelers were knocked from the unbeaten ranks. They win games by pounding the ball, grabbing a lead, and playing defense. The Cowboys offense has not delivered what its highest paid stars Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb were paid to deliver. From a pure talent standpoint, the Cowboys should have enough offense to take care of a Pittsburgh team that only seems to win ugly defensive games. Upset special, Cowboys win outright

Sunday, October 7, 8pm

New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs (-5) — The Chiefs have suffered horrific injuries but stay unbeaten under walrus Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. The Saints have cooled after a hot start, although Derek Carr has had success against Kansas City. The Chiefs do not blow teams out. They win close games. Therefore, the spread is too high against a very competent Saints offense. Chiefs win but fail to cover