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