THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2025 Week 4 Recap

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals was the Thursday night game. Chad Ryland managed a 33 yard first quarter field goal, but after that the Seahawks took over. The Seahawks began at their own 23. Sam Darnold went to Arroyo for 12. Kenneth Walker ripped off big gains of 9, 21 and 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Arizona 27, Darnold went to Cooper Kupp for 11. Darnold found Barner for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Seahawks. The defenses dug in and the Seahawks took over at their own 10 with 3:45 left in the half. Darnold went deep to Arroyo for 32. Darnold ran for 24 and Charbonnet added 15 more. On 3rd and goal at the one, Charbonnet got in for have the Seahawks up 14-3. In the third quarter Jason Myers added a 44 yard field goal to make it 17-3 Seahawks. Ryland leveled a 57 yarder, but Myers answered from 31 to have the Seahawks comfortably ahead 20-6 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Cardinals took over at their own 27. After nearly 3 1/2 quarters of offensive misery, they came alive. Kyler Murray ran for 29. On 3rd and 8 from the Seattle 39, Murray went to Terry mcBride for 9. Defensive pass interference added 15 more. Murray went to Marvin Harrison Jr for a 16 yard touchdown. With 5:50 to play in regulation, the Cardinals were within 20-13. The Seahawks had a chance to ice the game with 3:20 to play. From 53 yards out, Myers’s field goal try was no good. For the Seahawks, this was failure to close out (FCO) 1. The Cardinals took over at their own 43. On 4th and 4 just shy of midfield, Murray went to Wilson for 5. This was FCO2. On 3rd and 9 from the Seattle 45, Murray found Dortch for 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 25, Murray hit Harrison for 18. Murray found Demercado for a 7 yard touchdown. FCO3 meant that instead of being down 23-13, the Cardinals tied the game 20-20. The extra point could have been FCO4, but Bobby Wagner is no longer on the Seahawks to block kicks. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, they scored too early. Ryland hit the ensuing kickoff short of the landing zone to set the Seahawks up at their own 40 with 28 seconds left. Darnold went to Smith-Nigba for 22. Myers came in with 4 seconds left for a try at redemption and the win from 52 yards out. His kick was good. 23-20 Seahawks

Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday early morning game from Dublin, Ireland. Will Reichard hit a 41 yard first quarter field goal fir a 3-0 Vikings lead, but after that the Steelers took over. The Steelers began at their own 29. Kenneth Gainwell ran for 9. Aaron Rodgers hit DK Metcalf for 14. On 3rd and 2 from the Minnesota 35, Rodgers found DK Metcalf for 17 and 11. Gainwell ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Steelers. In the second quarter the Steelers took over at their own 20. They needed only one play and 12 seconds to strike again. Rodgers connected with Metcalf for an 80 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Seahawks. With 1:47 left in the half, a 30 yard field goal try by Chris Boswell to extend the lead was blocked. That allowed Richard to end the half with a 28 yarder. Instead of trailing 17-3, the Vikings were within 14-6. Yet a third quarter interception of Carson Wentz was returned 13 yards by TJ Watt to give the Steelers a short field at the Minnesota 35. Anderson ran for a 4 yard touchdown to have the Steelers up 21-6. Boswell tacked on a 33 yard field goal to have the Steelers cruising up 24-6 with 11 minutes left in regulation.

The Vikings took over at their own 30 and mounted a furious rally. Wentz found Justin Jefferson for 18 and TJ Hockenson for 12. Wentz hit Scott for a 16 yard touchdown. Kevin O’Connell went for 2 and Wentz found Naylor to cut the Vikings deficit to 24-14. The Steelers moved to a 4th and goal at the 3 with 4:14 to play. Mike Tomlin gambled and went for it. Gainwell only picked up 2 yards. The Vikings took over at their own one yard line. Wentz hit Jefferson for 11. Wentz then went bombs away and connected with Addison for an 81 yard gain down to the one. On 4th and goal at the 2, Wentz hit Naylor for the touchdown. With 2:08 to play, the 99 yard drive changed the game. Instead of being down 31-14, the Vikings were right back in it down by 3 points. The Minnesota defense forced a 3 and out and the Vikings got the ball back at their own 20 needing only a field goal to force overtime. Yet with 14 seconds left on 4th and 17 from his own 32, Wentz threw deep incomplete. It was not pretty, but the Steelers survived. Up in heaven, the Irish eyes of former Steelers owner and Ambassador to Ireland Dan Rooney were smiling. 24-21 Steelers

Los Angeles Chargers at New York Giants — The Chargers were unbeaten. All they had to do to remain unbeaten was to beat a hapless and winless Giants team with a rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart making his very first NFL start. The Giants defense forced a 3 and out to start and Dart began his NFL starting career at his own 11. Defensive pass interference added 14 yards. On 3rd and 1 from their own 39, Skattebo gained 4. Skattebo gained another 16 and Dart added 9. Dart hit Nabers for 13 and then ran for a 15 yard touchdown himself. The Big Blue home faithful erupted in cheers as the Giants led 7-0. The first quarter ended with Justin Herbert being intercepted by Lawrence. Lawrencee returned the interception 37 yards as the Giants began the second quarter with 1st and goal at the 3. The Giants immediately began with a false start. On 3rd and goal at the 3, a run lost a yard. McAtamney hit the 22 yard field goal to have the Giants up 10-0. Cameron Dicker did hit a 43 yard field goal for the Chargers, but McAtamney countered from 31 to make it 13-3 Giants. Yet they bogged down twice in the red zone to keep the game from being a blowout.

With 1:46 left in the half, the Chargers took over at their own 25. Herbert hit Johnston for 11. On 3rd and 5 from his own 41, Herbert went to Keenan Allen for 10. With 38 seconds left in the half, Jim Harbaugh went for it on 4th and 2 at the Giants 41. A terrible play saw a shotgun snap handoff fumbled. Herbert recovered it and then threw an interception. Yet after all of that, the Chargers got a reprieve when the entire play was nullified by the defense being offsides. It was a costly mistake. On the next play Herbert went deep to Johnston for a 36 yard touchdown. Despite being totally outplayed, the Chargers only trailed 13-10 at the break.

With 4 minutes left in the third quarter the Chargers faced 3rd and 6 at their own 45. Herbert was intercepted, and this time it stood. Phillips returned the interception 56 yards to the Chargers 3 yard line. This time the Giants finished the drive as Dart found Johnson for the 3 yard touchdown. Defensive unnecessary roughness on the touchdown had Brian Daboll going for a 2 point conversion try from the one. Skattebo got in to have the Giants up 21-10. This time the Chargers came right back. From their own 34, Herbert went to Gadsden for 11. Hampton ripped off a 54 yard touchdown run. Jim Harbaugh went for 2 and Herbert got in. After three quarters, the Chargers were back within 3 points. Yet the Chargers 3 fourth quarter possessions met a Big Blue brick wall. From his own 16 with 13 seconds left, a completion by Harbaugh came up 62 yards short of the end zone. In a shocker, the Chargers got knocked from the unbeaten ranks and the Giants got a win. This was definitely a game to reference ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman. “THAT’S why they PLAY the GAMES!” This is why we watch the games. Welcome to the NFL, Jaxson Dart. 21-18 Giants

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans — Both teams came in winless, but the Texans on paper were the much better team expected to take their frustrations out on Tennessee. Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. This was definitely not that game. The first quarter saw Joey Slye miss a 41 yard field goal for the Titans. Kaimi Fairbairn hit from 47 for the Texans. In the second quarter Fairbairn hit from 43 while Slye missed again from 43. In the third quarter, Fairbairn missed from 54. The texans led 6-0 after three quarters as league officials refused to give those in attendance refunds. The fourth quarter saw actual offense as the Texans marched 82 yards in 13 plays and 8 minutes. CJ Stroud threw a 12 yard touchdown pass to Marks for a 12-0 Texans lead. Cam Ward was intercepted by Stingley, who returned the pick 20 yards to the Tennessee 44. Stroud threw a 24 yard touchdown to Higgins to make it 19-0 Texans. Forced to go for it on 4th and 1 from their own 31, Ward threw incomplete. Another short field led to Marks running for an 18 yard touchdown to close out the scoring. A 20 point, 3 touchdown fourth quarter turned a close game into a blowout. The Texans finally won, and the Titans are still a mess. 26-0 Texans

Washington Commanders at Atlanta Falcons — Marcus Mariota again got the start in place of the injured Jayden Daniels. John Parker Romo hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Falcons early on. The Falcons took over at their own 27. Bijan robinson ran for 9 and 3. Michael Penix went to London for gains of 9 and 15. Raheem Morris went for it on 4th and 2 from the Washington 25. After getting stuffed on 3rd and 2, Tyler Allgeier gained 3. Penix hit McCloud for 7 and London for 14. Penix returned to London for a 5 yard touchdown to cap the 14 play, 73 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive and make it 10-0 Falcons.

The Commanders faced 2nd and 7 at their own 33 and desperately needing a spark. They got one as Rodriguez ripped off a 48 yard run to end the first quarter. Dan Quinn gambled on 4th and 1 from the Atlanta 10 in the second quarter. After a run failed on 3rd and 1, this time Mariota hit Deebo Samuel for 4. Mariota went to McCaffrey for the 5 yard touchdown to get the Commanders within 10-7. The Falcons after a sack soon faced 2nd and 16 from their own 31. Penix went deep to London for a 43 yard gain. On 2nd and 13 from the Washington 29, Penix went to Mooney for 15. Robinson ran for a 14 yard touchdown to have the Falcons up 17-7.

A 58 yard kickoff return had the Commanders starting at the Atlanta 41. Yet the Commanders settled for a 43 yard Matt Gay field goal. Gay also connected from 52 in the third quarter to have the Commanders within 17-13. Yet the Falcons quickly struck again. From their own 24, Penix and Robinson combined for a 69 yard gain. Penix then went to Pitts for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 24-13 Falcons. The teams traded interceptions to give the Commanders another short field at the Atlanta 25. Yet again they settled for a 41 yard Gay field goal. The Commanders were within 24-16, but they were kicking field goals while the Falcons were scoring touchdowns.

The Falcons took over at their own 28. Penix went to Washington for 19. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 43, Penix went to Robinson for 17. Robinson ran for 11. Allgeier ran for a 15 yard touchdown to have the Falcons up 31-16 after three quarters. The Commanders began the fourth quarter at their own 24. On 2nd and 12 from their own 39, Mariota went to Martin for 14. Moore ran for 9 and Croskey-Merritt went for 7. Moore went to Croskey-Merritt for 13. Forced to go for it on 4th and 3 from the Atlanta 24, Mariota went for it all and hit Samuel for the touchdown. Dan Quinn went for 2 and Mariota hit Zac Ertz successfully. The Commanders were within 31-24 with 9 minutes left in regulation. The Falcons took over at their own 23 and embarked on a 14 play, 69 yard, 7 minute drive. Romo hit a 26 yard field goal to have the Falcons up 34-24 at the 2 minute warning. Needing 2 scores in desperation mode, Dan Quinn opted for a 42 yard field goal try on 2nd down with 1:42 left. The kick was good but the onside kick failed. 34-27 Falcons

New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills — The unbeaten Bills were supposed to smash the winless New Orleans Saints. The Bills began at their own 21. Josh Allen went to Palmer for 14. On 3rd and 5 from their own 43, Allen went to Samuel for 9. Allen went to Shakir for a 43 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. The Saints took over at their own 31. On 3rd and 7, Spencer Rattler gained 9. Rattler ran for another 15. Rattler hit Johnson for 17. Miller ran for an 18 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Bills took over at their own 34. Allen went to Coleman for big gains of 17 and 20. Cook did the rest, running for 7, 9, 7, and the one yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bills after the first quarter. Yet the expected track meet stopped in the second quarter. The only second quarter score came from a 54 yard Blake Grupe field goal as the Saints only trailed 14-10 at the midpoint.

In the third quarter Cook kept gashing the defense for gains fo 10 and 15. On 3rd and 8 from their own 47, Allen went to Shakir for 17. Cook ran for 11. Allen hit Hawes for 15. Allen ran for a 5 yard touchdown. The Bills led 21-10, but the Saints would not go away. The Saints took over at their own 35. Rattler ran for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 35. Miller gained 3. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Rattler hit Chris Olave for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Saints were within 21-16. Early in the fourth quarter Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and 1 just past midfield. A completion lost a yard. With the short field, Grupe hit from 35 to have the Saints within 21-19 with 9 minutes left in regulation. The Saints were one field goal from the upset of the year.

Yet the ensuing kickoff failed to reach the landing zone, setting up the Bills at their own 40. On 3rd and 5, Allen ran for 27. Allen then went deep to Dalton Kincaid for a 28 yard touchdown to give the Bills breathing room up 28-19 midway through the fourth quarter. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Saints had to go for it on 4th and 3 from the Buffalo 43. A completion gained only 2 yards. Matt Prater hit a 35 yard field goal to complete the scoring. On 4th and 6 from his own 39 with 1:51 left, Rattler was sacked and fumbled the ball away. It was competitive, but the Bills remained unbeaten and the Saints remained winless. 31-19 Bills

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — This, to quote Brent Musberger, was a dandy of a game. A pair of 3-0 teams went at it. Early on the Buccaneers punted on 4th and 5 from their own 48. Blocked! Late got the block and Brown picked it up and raced 35 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Eagles lead 2 minutes into the game. The Eagles got it back at their own 27. Jalen Hurts went to Saquon Barkley for 12. On 3rd and 5 from their own 41, Hurts went to D event Smith for 9. Dillon gained 11. Hurts scrambled for 29 yards. Hurts went to Dallas Goedert for a 14-0 Eagles lead. The Buccaneers managed a first quarter field goal, but the Eagles kept rolling. In the second quarter, The Eagles took over at their own 33. Hurts went to Goedert for 22 and to Calcaterra for 16. On 3rd and 6 from the Tampa Bay 25, Hurts hit Smith for 20. Hurts went to Goedert for a 5 yard touchdown. The Eagles were up 21-3. Jake Elliott tacked on a 39 yard field goal with one minute left in the half. The Eagles led 24-3 and were making it look easy.

The Buccaneers got a major spark to end the half when Chase McLaughlin nailed a 65 yard field goal try, one yard short of the NFL record. The Buccaneers trailed 24-6 but got an emotional lift. In the third quarter the Buccaneers took over at their own 23. One pass fro Baker Mayfield to Egbuka went for a 77 yard touchdown to have the Buccaneers within 24-13. Yet the next time the Buccaneers got the ball back, they fumbled the ball away. The Eagles took over at the Tampa Bay 25. On 3rd and 5, Hurts gained just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 6, Barkley ran for the touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the Eagles still had a comfortable 31-13 lead.

The Buccaneers took over at their own 14. Mayfield went to White for 11. Mayfield then went bombs away to Irvin for a 72 yard touchdown. After three quarters, the Buccaneers were within 31-20. In the fourth quarter the Buccaneers moved from their 31 to the Philadelphia 38. An offensive holding penalty killed the drive. but McLaughlin leveled a 58 yard field goal to have the Buccaneers within 31-23 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers had 1st and 10 at the Philadelphia 11 and a golden chance to tie the game. Mayfield was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. With one minute left on 4th and 9 from the Philly 37, a completion picked up only 2 yards. With 6 seconds left in regulation, the Eagles lined up to punt on 4th and 11 at their own 34. Nick Sirianni was not taking any chances on a blocked punt. The punter ran backward and took an intentional safety as the clock ran out. The Buccaneers lost their first while the Eagles remained unbeaten. 31-25 Eagles

Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions — The Browns have a decent defense but no offense. The Lions are back to having an unstoppable offense. The Browns rook over at their own 12. Joe Flacco went to Jerry Jeudy for 11. Judkins gained 10. On 3rd and 4 from their own 39, Flacco went to Bond for 16. Flacco went deep to Jeudy for 33. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 7, Flacco hit Tillman for 6. On 4th and goal at the one, Kevin Stefanski gambled. Judkins got in as the 13 play, 68 yard, 7 minute drive had the Browns up 7-0. Then reality set in.

The Lions took over at their own 35,. On 3rd and 5, Jared Goff went to Amra St. Brown for 25. Gibbs gained 8 with a defensive tripping penalty adding 14 more. Gibbs ran for an 8 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. An interception of Flacco had the Lions taking over at the Cleveland 46 to start the second quarter. Jake Bates hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Lions. Another interception of Flacco saw Reed return the pick 34 yards to the Cleveland 5. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Goff went to St Brown for the touchdown and the 17-7 Lions advantage. Bates drilled a 58 yard field goal to end the half with the Lions up 20-7.

The Browns managed a third quarter field goal but nothing else. A field goal try from 56 yards out to get the Browns within 7 points was no good. Early in the fourth quarter special teams delivered the backbreaker. The Browns punted and Raymond took the punt back 65 yards for another Lions touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter Flacco was sacked and fumbled. The Lions took over at the Cleveland 20. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Goff went to St Brown to turn a somewhat close game into another Detroit offensive blowout. 34-10 Lions

Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots — 23 years ago these teams met in the Super Bowl. This game was a pair of bad teams, but by the end of the day one of them would show much improvement. The Panthers took over at their own 24. Moore gained 12. Bryce Young went to Tremayne for 9 and to Mike Evans and McMillan for a pair of 16 yard gains. Young found Tommy Tremble for a 7 yard touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright no good, but the Panthers led 6-0. After that, the roof caved in. It started with special teams as the Panthers punted and Jones returned the punt 87 yards for a touchdown. The Patriots led 7-6 after the first quarter and never looked back.

The Patriots took over at their own 20. Drake Maye went to Austin Hooper for 24. Gibson added 21. Raimondre Stevenson gained 22. Mate ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 Patriots. A 55 yard field goal try for Carolina was no good short. The Patriots took over at their own 45. Maye went to Stefan Diggs for 33. Henderson ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 21-6 Patriots. Special teams killed the Panthers again, and again it was Jones. He returned the punt 61 yards to the Carolina 14. Gibson ran for a one yard touchdown at the 2 minute warning to make it 28-6 Patriots. The second half was pointless. The Patriots began the third quarter at their own 22. Maye went to Boutte for 18. On 3rd and 15 from their own 35, Maye went to Diggs for 22. Henderson ran for 11. Maye found Hunter Henry for a 31 yard touchdown as the Patriots led 35-6. A 19 yard punt return by Jones to end the third quarter had the Patriots starting the fourth quarter at t he Carolina 41. Mike Vrabel went for it on 4th and 3 at the Carolina 34. Maye went deep to Diggs for 30. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Maye went to Mack Hollins for the touchdown. 42 unanswered points made it 42-6 Patriots. The Panthers got a garbage touchdown in a mostly garbage season. 42-13 Patriots

Jacksonville Jaguars at San Francisco 49ers — Mac Jones filled in heroically in leading the 49ers to a thrilling road overtime win at the Rams last week. The 49ers were expected to get a lift with the return of Brock Purdy. Eddie Pineiro hit a 25 yard field goal early on to make it 3-0 49ers. Yet an early second quarter fumble gave the Jaguars a short field at the San Francisco 48. One play and 9 seconds was enough for Travis Etienne to run for the 48 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Jaguars. An interception of Purdy on a deep ball gave the Jaguars the ball at their own 11. On 3rd and 15 from their own 6, Trevor Lawrence went to Hunter for 28. On 3rd and 6 from midfield, Lawrence hit Strange for 11. Lawrence went to Long for 11 and again to Long for a 4 yard touchdown to cap the 13 play, 89 yard, 8 minute drive as the Jaguars led 14-3. Pineiro hit a 23 yard field goal with 40 seconds left in the half, but Cam Little answered from 26 as the Jaguars took a 17-6 lead to the locker rooms.

In the third quarter the 49ers took over at their own 27. Purdy went to Tonges for 23. On 3rd and 5 form their own 40, Purdy went to Jennings for 14. Purdy went to McCaffrey for an 8 yard touchdown. Kyle Shanahan went for 2 and Purdy hit Jennings successfully to get the 49ers within 17-14. Yet the 49ers got it back and Purdy was immediately intercepted. The Jaguars took over at the San Francisco 28. They settled for a 44 yard little field goal for a 20-14 Jaguars lead. Late in the third quarter, the 49ers punted and Washington returned the punt 87 yards for a special teams touchdown. Liam Cohen went for 2 unsuccessfully but the Jaguars led 26-14 after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter Kyle Shanahan gambled on 4th and 2 from the Jacksonville 26. Purdy threw incomplete.

The 49ers got it back with 11 minutes left at their own 8 yard line. On 3rd and 1, Purdy went to McCaffrey for 29. On 3rd and 5 just past midfield, Purdy went to bourne for 17 and to Kyle jUszczyk for 11. Purdy connected with Tonges for a 21 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the 49ers were within 5 points. With 3 1/2 minutes left, a 47 yard field goal try by Little to make it 29-21 Jaguars was no good. The 49ers now had a chance to win it. Yet 2 plays later Purdy was sacked and fumbled the ball away. His miserable performance was the difference as the Jaguars got a big road win. 26-21 Jaguars

Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Rams — A pair of very good teams faced off in a potential Super Bowl preview. The Colts came in unbeaten, led by a revitalized Daniel Jones. An early interception of Jones led to the Rams marching from their own 20 to a 3rd and 8 at the Indianapolis 23. Matthew Stafford threw incomplete. Joshua Karty hit a 42 yard field goal for a 3-0 Rams lead. A 38 yard kickoff return by Gould had the Colts taking over at their own 48. Schrader answered from 52 for a 3-3 game. Sean McVay then gambled on a 4th and 1 from his own 45. Stafford kept it and was stopped short. From that spot, Jones went to Jonathan Taylor for 10 and to Downs for 5 and 6. Taylor ran for 12. Early in the second quarter Shane Steichen gambled on 4th and 1 from the Rams 2. Warren got the first down and the touchdown as the Colts led 10-3.

The Rams took over on their own 24 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Indianapolis 13. Offensive holding killed the drive. Karty hit from 37 to get the Rams within 10-6. The Rams got it back at their own 4 yard line with 2:14 left in the half. From their 15, Stafford went to Puka nacho for 23. On 3rd and 10 from their own 38, Stafford went to Davantae Adams for 16, to Nacua for 9, and to Tyler Higbee for 16. On 2nd and 16 from the Indianapolis 27 after a sack, Stafford went to Nacua for 17. Stafford hit Adams for a 10 yard touchdown with 7 seconds left in the half for a 13-10 Rams lead.

In the third quarter it was the Colts taking over at their own 18. On 3rd and 4 from their own 24, Jones went bombs away to mitchell for what should have been a 76 yard touchdown. Yet Mitchell pulled a version of Leon Lett. Mitchell voluntarily toss the ball out of his hands because he thought he had a touchdown. He actually let go of the ball just short of the end zone. In the books it went down as a 75 yard completion and a fumble inside the one yard line that went for a touchback. The Colts just gave up 7 points in what was a scoreless third quarter.

In the fourth quarter the Colts took over at their own 10. Taylor ran for 6, 8 and 6. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 37, Jones went to Dulin for 11. Jones hit Warren for 23. Jones hit Pittman for a 2 yard touchdown to have the Colts up 17-13 with 11 1.2 minutes left in regulation. The rams quickly fumbled the ball away to set up the Colts at the Rams 17. Yet a 12 yard completion to the 5 yard line was wiped away by offensive pass interference, killing the drive. Schrader hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 20-13 Colts with 9 minutes left.

The Rams took over at their own 17. Stafford found Kyren Williams and Nacua for a pair of 10 yard gains. Stafford hit Parkinson for gains of 8 and 9. On 2nd and 14 from midfield, Stafford went to Adams for 25. With 3:20 to play, the Rams faced 4th and 2 at the Indy 9. Stafford went to Nacua for the touchdown for a 20-20 tie. The Rams got it back with 1:33 to play at their own 12. Rather than position for the winning field goal, the Rams needed one play and 11 seconds to grab the lead. Stafford went deep to Tutu Atwell for the 88 yard touchdown. The Colts had a chance to tie the game, but Jones was intercepted to knock the Colts from the unbeaten ranks. The difference in the game was one careless fumble that should have been a touchdown. 27-20 Rams

Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs always seem to beat the Ravens as Lamar Jackson has had his toughest losses against the Chiefs. The Ravens began at their own 30. From their own 42, Derrick Henry ran for 14. Jackson went to Bay Flowers for 21. On 3rd and 2 from the Kansas City 15, Justice Hill gained 4. Jackson went to Hill for an 11 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Ravens lead. Yet the rest of the game was all Chiefs. Harrison Butker hit field goals of 38 in the first quarter and 23 in the second quarter, the latter set up by an interception of Jackson. The Chiefs were within 7-6.

A field position game had the Chiefs taking over at their own 44. Xavier Worthy got around the end for a 35 yard gain. Patrick Mahoems went to Travis Kelce for 12. Mahomes went to Juju Smith-Schuster for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Chiefs. John Harbaugh went for it on 4th and 1 from his own 41. Jackson threw incomplete. Mahomes went to Kelce for 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Baltimore 21, Mahomes went to Karim Hunt for 13. Mahomes hit Isaiah Pacheco for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 20-7 Chiefs with 1:40 left in the half.

Butker missed a field goal late in the half, allowing Tyler Loop to hit from 43 to get the Ravens within 20-10. Yet in the third quarter the Chiefs kept rolling. The Chiefs began at their own 35. From their 45, Pacheco gained 12. Mahomes hit Worthy for 28. Mahoems hit Thornton for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 27-10 Chiefs. Loop hit from 32 but Butler answered from 31 to make it 30-13 Chiefs after three quarters. Jackson left the game injured and backup Cooper Rush took over. On 4th and 2 from his own 24, Rush threw incomplete. Mahomes went to Malcolm Hollywood Brown for a 15 yard touchdown and a 37-13 Chiefs lead in the fourth quarter. The Ravens got one garbage touchdown, but the perennial Super Bowl contenders fell to 1-4 on the year. Worse, now they had lost Jackson fora t least one week. 37-20 Chiefs

Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders — A pair of bad teams came together and played a game that went down to the final play. Both teams tried to lose, but one team tried harder. Early on Geno Smith was intercepted by Byard, who returned the pick 25 yards to the Raiders 24. Cairo Santos hit a 46 yard field goal. Ashton Jeanty then fumbled. giving the Bears another short field at the Raiders 20. On 3rd and goal from the 13, Caleb Williams saw his pass batted up in the air by Maxx crosby, who also made the interception and returned it 19 yards to the Raiders 34. The Raiders should have been down 14-0, but thanks to their defense the Bears only led 3-0.

The Raiders took over at their own 34. Smith gained 9. Jeanty ripped off gains of 7 and 11. Smith ran for 20. Smith hit Jeanty for na 8 yard touchdown for a 7-3 Raiders lead after the first quarter. Smith then threw another interception for yet another short field for the Bears at the Raiders 24. Yet again the defense held. Santa hit the 43 yard field goal. Despite 3 Raiders turnovers, the Bears trailed 7-5. The Raiders then exploded on the next play from scrimmage. Jeanty ripped off a 64 yard touchdown run. Just like that, the Raiders led 14-6. Yet this is a young team that cannot handle prosperity.

Santos nailed a 52 yard field goal to get the Bears within 14-9. Yet there was still nearly one minute left on the clock. A penalty on the ensuing kickoff followed by conservative dinking and dunking wasted the rest of the half nowhere near field goal range. On the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Smith’s 3rd interception and the 4th overall Raiders turnover gave the Bears their 4th short field at the Raiders 40. On 3rd and 5, Williams went to Odunze for 10. On 3rd and 12 from the Raiders 27, the defense that bent all game finally broke. Williams went deep to Odunze for the touchdown. The Bears led 16-14. Luckily for the Raiders, the Bears are also young and stupid.

From their own 20, Jeanty ran for 12, 5 and 5. Smith went to Brock Bowers for 19. Smith hit Jakobi Meyers for 10. Raheem Mostert ran for 10. Smith went to Jeanty for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 21-16 Raiders. A field position game had the Raiders punting from their own one and a 19 yard punt return giving the Bears their 5th short field just past midfield. The Bears moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Raiders 14. Looking for the lead, a wild shotgun snap went way past Williams for a 19 yard loss. Santo buried a 51 yard field goal to have the Bears within 21-19 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Raiders moved from their own 26 to a 1st and goal at the 7. A touchdown and an extra point would make it 28-19 and pretty much lock up the win.

Instead, a pair of conservative runs lost yards, followed b Smith throwing incompletion. Daniel Carlson hit the 29 yard field goal. The Raiders led 24-19, but with 6:45 left this was definitely the first failure to close, FCO1. The Bears took over at their own 31. Wiliams went to Moore for 13. Williams ran for 12. Williams hit Odunze for 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 7, a run by Swift straight up the middle gained 5. Swift ran for the 2 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed, but with 1:34 to play the Bears led by one point. This was FCO2. A strong kickoff return had the Raiders taking over at their own 42. With 43 seconds left, the Raiders faced 3rd and 2 at the Chicago 35. A first down would let the Raiders take the clock down to near zeroes and let Carlson win it on a field goal. Instead, a predictable run up the middle lsat a yard. The offense didn’t make it easy, but 53 yards was within Carlson’s range. He came in to win it and save the Raiders from themselves.

Blocked! Carlson’s kick was partially blocked. FCO3 was the dagger. The Raiders ran the ball for 240 yards on 31 carries, nearly 8 yards per carry. It didn’t matter. Turnovers killed the Raiders. Bill Callahan once called his Raiders the dumbest team in America that gives games away. The 2025 Raiders certainly are. 25-24 Bears

Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys was the Sunday night game. Two years ago the Packers went into Dallas and shocked the heavily favored Cowboys in the playoffs. That game established Jordan Love as a real quarterback and all but ended the Mike McCarthy era in Dallas. Now it was Brian Schottenheimer coaching the Cowboys in a truly crazy game. Making things even crazier was the trade of defensive standout Micah Parsons from the Cowboys to the Packers a few weeks earlier. This was not the Ice Bowl or the championship the year before the Ice Bowl, but it wad a thrilling game and instant classic.

Early on it looked like a blowout. The Packers began the second quarter facing 3rd and 9 at their own 32. Love went deep to Golden for a 46 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 17, Love hit Kraft for 16 down to the one. Love hit Doubs for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. Late in the first quarter the Packers took over at their own 32. Love went to Wilson for 25. On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 37, Love was intercepted. Yet the defense had 12 men on the field, nullifying the pick. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 25, Josh Jacobs gained 5. On 2nd and 19 from the Dallas 29, Love went to Jacobs for 28 down to the one. Love went to Doubs for the touchdown. The Packers were an extra point from leading 14-0 and winning a blowout.

Blocked! The extra point was blocked. Marquese Bell returned the blocked extra point all the way for a 2 point score the other way. The Cowboys were still down 13-2, but it was a momentum shift. The Cowboys took over at their own 5 yard line. Dak Prescott went to George Pickens for 14 and to Miles Sanders for 9. Prescott went to Flournoy for 11. Prescott hit Pickens for 11 and 28. Prescott ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The Cowboys were within 13-9 with 40 seconds left in the half. With 20 seconds left in the half, the Packers faced 1st and 15 from their own 27. A conservative run would get them to the half. Instead, Matt LaFleur got aggressive and it backfired. Love was sacked and fumbled. Houston recovered and returned the fumble 15 yards for a defensive touchdown. Despite being outplayed for much of the first half, the Cowboys went to the midpoint with 16 unanswered points and a 16-13 lead.

The Packers took over early in the third quarter at their own 24. Love went to Jacobs for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 47, a sack of Love was wiped out by a defensive facemask penalty. Jacobs ran for 19. Love went to Kraft for 14. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jacobs got in to make it 20-16 Packers. The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 24, Prescott went to Turpin for 15 and again for 10. Flournoy ran for 12. Prescott went to Ferguson for 11, to Williams for 9, and to Ferguson for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 23-20 Cowboys. The fourth quarter was simply psychotic as both offenses went wild.

The Packers soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 38. Love gained 25. Jacobs ran for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 27-23 Packers. The Cowboys took over and faced 3rd and 3 at their own 30. Prescott went to Turpin for 5. Brian Schottenheimer went for it on 4th and 2 from his own 43. Prescott went to Pickens for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 40, a completion gained only 3 but a defensive facemark added 15. Javonte Williams did the rest, running for 6, 13, 2, and the one yard touchdown. With 4:50 to play, the Cowboys were back on top 30-27. The final 5 minutes were just ridiculous. Could either Cowboys get a defensive stop?

No. The Packers quickly faced 3rd and 8 at their own 22. Love went to Doubs for 18. Love hit Wilson for 13. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. Jacobs ran for 14. On 3rd and 10 from the Dallas 15. Love went to Doubs for the touchdown. With 1:45 left, the Packers led 34-30. Could the Packers get a defensive stop? No. A strong kickoff return had the Cowboys at their own 46. On 3rd and 3, Prescott went to Tolbert for 19. Prescott went to Pickens for a 28 yard touchdown. The Cowboys led 37-34, but 43 seconds still remained. Could either team get a defensive stop? No. The Packers moved from their own 26 to the Dallas 35. From 53 yards out, Brandon McManus came in for a 53 yard field goal try. Despite having his extra point blocked earlier, his field goal was perfect. For the second time on the season, the Cowboys were headed to overtime tied 37-37. The first 4 quarters had 7 lead changes, with 6 of them in the second half. 4 lead changes happened in the fourth quarter alone, in which the teams combined for 31 points on the board.

The Cowboys began overtime at their own 20. They moved 76 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and gol at the 4, Prescott was taken down for no gain. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Prescott threw incomplete. After much deliberation, Brian Schottenhemier opted not to go for it. Brandon Aubrey hit a 22 yard field goal to give the cowboys the 40-37 lead. The Packers from their own 20 and moved 64 yards in 13 plays. With 32 seconds left in overtime, the Packers had 1st and 10 at the Dallas 12 with a golden chance to win. A pair of West Coast Offense dink and dunk passes actually lost yards. It’s called the forward pass, but the West Coast Offense dink and dunkers love sideways passes. On 3rd and 14 with 7 seconds left, the Packers nearly blew the game. They were way too cavalier with the next step, and were beyond lucky that the clock did not run out on them.

The slow developing incompletion left one second on the clock. Love realized only after the play how close he came to throwing the game away. McManus came in for the 34 yard try to tie the game. His kick was good. William Tecumseh Sherman and Mike Gundy were the most famous people associated with 40, followed by North Dallas 40. This North Dallas 40 featured the Cowboys instead of the Bulls and Jerry Jones instead of Steve Forrest. Meanwhile, Green Bay also got their 40 as well in the one of the greatest tie games ever played. 40-40, OT tie

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins was the early Monday night game. Both teams entered the game winless, witless and worthless. Sometimes a pair of bad teams can come together and play an epic game for the ages. This was not that game, but it was not that terrible game either. Riley Patterson hit a 47 yard first quarter field goal for a 3-0 Dolphins lead. The Jets took over at their own 14 and moved 82 yards in 12 plays and 8 minutes. On 2nd and goal from the 6, Mitchell gained 5 down to the one and then fumbled the ball away. The Dolphins recovered at their own 4 yard line. Tua Tagovailoa went to Tyreek Hill for 9. Achane gained 10. Tagovailoa went to Hill for big gains of 11 and 28. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 46, Tagovailoa went to Waddle for 25. On 4th and goal at the 4, Mike Mcdaniel passed up an easy field goal and went for it. Tagovailoa hit Darren Waller for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Dolphins.

The Jets fumbled the ball away again but got it back. On the last play of the half, Nick Folk drilled a 58 yard field goal to get the Jets within 10-3. The Jets began the third quarter by taking the ensuing kickoff and fumbling the ball away yet again. The Dolphins took over at the Jets 36, On 3rd and 8, Tagovailoa went to Hill for 10. Achane ran for 11 and 4. Tagovailoa went to Waller for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Dolphins.

A strong kickoff return had the Jets taking over at their own 43. Aaron Glenn gambled on 4th and 1 from the Miami 43. Justin Fields scrambled around the end all the way for the touchdown. Just like that, the Jets were within 17-10. The Dolphins took over at their own 32. Defensive pass interference added 10. Tagovailoa went to Waddle for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Jets 40, Tagovailoa only gained 5 but defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. Achane ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Dolphins. Folk hit from 50 early in the froth quarter but Patterson countered from 36 to make it 27-13 Dolphins.

The Jets took over in desperation mode at their own 39 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Fields went to Davis for 14 and to Ruckert for 12. Fields hit Greg Wilson for a 23 yard touchdown. Aaron Glenn went for a pointless 2 point try and Fields ran it in to have the Jets within 6. with 1:49 left. By the time the Jets got the ball back at their own 11, only 2 seconds remained. Needing 89 yards, the hook and laterals came up 71 yards short. 27-21 Dolphins

Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos was the late Monday night game. This could have been a battle of good teams. Without Joe Burrow, it was a mismatch. The Bengals managed a first quarter 26 yard field goal and took the remaining 54 minutes off. Late in the first quarter the Broncos faced 3rd and 7 at their own 39. Bo Nix went to Cortland Sutton for 12 and to Adam Trautman for 26. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincinnati 6, Nix ran for the touchdown tome it 7-3 Broncos. The Broncos got it back at their own 20. Nix hit Marvin Mims for 11. On 3rd and 4 from their own 37, Nix went to Sutton for 19. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincinnati 38, Nix went to Sutton for 22. Mims got around the end for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Broncos. The Broncos got it back again at their own 20 with just over one minute left in the half. Nix went to Franklin for 11. On 3rd and 10 from their own 33, Nix went to Mims for 28. Nix hit Badle for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Cincy 20, Nix went to Sutton for the touchdown and the 21-3 Broncos lead. A pointless second half saw Nix hit Harvey for a 12 yard touchdown late in the game o complete the blowout. 28-3 Broncos

NFL 2025 Week 4 Prequel

Thursday, September 25, 2025, 8pm

Seattle Seahawks (-1 1/2) at Arizona Cardinals — The Cardinals find ways to lose games they have all but won. The Seahawks have been improving. The Cardinals have no home field advantage. Sam Darnold proved himself last year. Kyler Murray has flashes but not consistency. Go with the more consistent quarterback. Seahawks cover

Sunday, September 28, 9:30am

Minnesota Vikings (-2 1/2) at Pittsburgh Steelers — The Vikings looked horrendous against Atlanta but then blasted Cincinnati. The Steelers have been up and down. Carson Wentz provided a spark for the Vikings while Aaron Rodgers can still sling it. Kevin O’Connell and Mike Tomlin both like hard nosed football. As well as Wentz played last week, this is one to just take the home field before jumping on the Wentz bandwagon. Upset special, Steelers win outright

1pm

Los Angeles Chargers (-6 1/2) at New York Giants — The Chargers are very good. The Giants are very bad. Russell wilson has been benched, and rookie Jaxson Dart starts his very first NFL game. The Chargers have a very solid defense built Jim Harbaugh tough. The spread is too high for a warm weather West Coast road team traveling to the East Coast to play a desperate team. Chargers win but fail to cover

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (-6 1/2) — Both teams are winless but the Texans have suffered brutally close losses. This is the week that the Texans take all of their frustrations out. They are the better team. Cam Ward is still learning while CJ Stroud has the experience. Go with the experience and the better defense. Texans cover

Washington Commanders (-2 1/2) at Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons went on the road and throttled Minnesota yet somehow got blanked by Carolina. The Commanders did not skip a beat with Jayden Daniels out because Marcus Mariota can play. Home field means little in this game. The Falcons still have not earned the benefit of the doubt. The Commanders have. Dan Quinn has a solid defense. Commanders cover

New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills (-15 1/2) — For the second straight week, the Bills get to feast a home on a terrible team. The saints are awful. Yet the Bills last week only beat Miami by 10 in what was a close gamer three quarters. The spread is high, and a garbage touchdown is possible. These are not the 1990s Bills blowing teams out. Josh Allen is a superstar, but the spread is too much. Bills win but fail to cover 

Philadelphia Eagles (-3 1/2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Both teams are unbeaten and winning in crazy ways. Blocked field goals played a major role in their games last week. Both teams were on the verge of defeat last year before pulling out miracle finishes. These teams win ugly and they win close. So while the Eagles are the more physical team, this one should be tight. Go with the Eagles by a tush. Eagles win but fail to cover

Cleveland Browns at Detroit Lions (-8 1/2) — The Browns got a shocking win at home last week against Green Bay, but read nothing into it. Green Bay gave the game away. The Lions looked like their old dominant offense in an impressive road win at Baltimore. This is one game where the spread seems low. It could be over by halftime, especially if the Browns are giddy over last week. Lions cover

Carolina Panthers at New England Patriots (-5 1/2)  — The Panthers blanked Atlanta in a stunning home win. The Patriots lost at home to Pittsburgh. Overall, the Patriots have more talent. Mike Vrabel is a proven winner who will instill toughness in his team. Expect the Panthers to have a letdown after their emotional high from last week. Yet the Patriots are not good enough yet to justify the high spread. Patriots win but fail to cover

4pm

Jacksonville Jaguars at San Francisco 49ers (-3 1/2) — The 49ers needed a ton of luck to remain undefeated, Mac Jones is competent, but the return of Brock Purdy will only help the 49ers. The Jaguars can beat bad teams, but there is no evidence they can go on the road and beat a good team. Purdy has more weapons than Trevor Lawrence does. 49ers cover

Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Rams (-3 1/2) — Daniel Jones has been revitalized, but this will be his first major test this year. The Rams will be an angry bunch, having blown a 19 point second half lead at Philadelphia.Home field will not be an issue, but the Rams will rebound. Sean McVay has the pulse of his team as well as any coach in the league. The Colts are good, but the Rams are good and angry. Rams cover

Baltimore Ravens (-2 1/2) at Kansas City Chiefs — The Ravens always seem to lose to the Chiefs. Bth of these teams are a surprising 1-2. The Chiefs offense has struggled. Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are still superstars. John Harbaugh and Walrus Andy Reid are still rock star coaches. Both teams are expected to make deep playoff runs. Yet until Jackson defeats Kansas City, he does not get the benefit of the doubt against them. The Chiefs defense will frustrate him again. Being rare home underdogs will provide rocket fuel for the Chiefs. Upset special, Chiefs win outright

Chicago Bears (-1 1/2) at Las Vegas Raiders — Neither team is good, but the Bears got a nice home win against an overrated Dallas team. The raiders fell apart against a far superior Washington squad. The raiders have no home field advantage. The Raiders offensive line is awful, but the Bears defense is hardly 1985. In a game where neither team deserves the benefit of the doubt, go with the experienced coach in Pete Carroll as long as Ashton Jeanty can get going. Upset special, Raiders win outright

8pm

Green Bay Packers (-6 1/2) at Dallas Cowboys — The Packers gave away an easy win over Cleveland. Dallas perpetually underachieves. The Cowboys have not been the same since Jordan Love throttled them in the playoffs in Dallas two years ago. The Cowboys have talented weapons, especially on offense. Yet Micah Parsons going up against his old team is a revenge he wishes to serve up cold. The spread is too high for a road team that looked listless last week. The Cowboys are desperate and will play like it. Upset special, Cowboys win outright

Monday, September 29, 8pm

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-2 1/2) — Both teams are awful, but the Jets showed a ton of heart and grit in coming back against Tampa Bay before falling short in the final seconds. The Dolphins hung tough at Buffalo before washing out in the fourth quarter. This season has aged Mike McDaniel, who how looks 15 instead of 12. Aaron Glenn did the duck walk last week. Yet dancing does not win football games. This is the very last chance to give the dolphins any semblance of respect. Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill are out of excuses. Dolphins cover 

9pm

Cincinnati Bengals at Denver Broncos (-7 1/2) — The Bengla shave no Joe Burrow and therefore no chance. The Broncos give games away, but they will be a hostile bunch at home against a wounded opponent. The spread is high, but Bo Nix can play, Sean Payton can coach, and the Denver defense will overwhelm the struggling Cincinnati offense. Broncos cover

NFL 2025 Week 3 Recap

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills was the Thursday night game. The Bills were expected to roll over the hapless Dolphins. Yet early on, the Dolphins hit the Bills in the mouth. The opening kickoff was returned 54 yards by Eskridge to the Buffalo 47. On 3rd and 4, Tua Tagvailoa went to Tyreek Hill for 5. Tagovailoa then went to Achane for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 12, Gordon gained 8. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Gordon took it straight up the middle for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. A penalty on the ensuing kickoff backed the Bills up to their own 15. Yet defensive pass interference gave the Bills 20 yards. Cook gashed the defense for gains of 16, 11 and 3. Josh Allen went to Kincaid for 9 and again for a 20 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.

The Bills got it back at their own 37 and kept pounding. Cook gained 9 and Moore added 11. Allen ent to Kincaid for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 23. Cook gained 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 9, Allen went to Coleman for 4. Allen went to Hawes for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Bills. he Bills looked like they ere going to break the game open but on 3rd and 8 from the Miami 14, Allen was sacked. Matt Prater then missed a 39 yard field goal. The Dolphins soon faced 3rd nd 1 from their own 38. Gordon gained 4. Tagovailoa went to Hill for 19. On 3rd and 10 from the Buffalo 41, Tagovailoa went to Hill for 13. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 25, Tagovailoa ran for 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 10, Tagovailoa went to Hill for 7. Tagovailoa found Waddle for a 3 yard touchdown with 8 seconds left in the half to tie the game 14-14.

The Bills began the third quarter at their own 39. On 3rd and 1, Allen went to Johnson for 8 and to Shakir for 15. Cook ran for a 2 yard touchdown to have the Bills up 21-14. The dolphins ate in the third quarter took over at their own 33. Tagovailoa went to Achane for 9. Gordon ran for 16. The fourth quarter began with the Dolphins facing 4th and 4 at the Buffalo 36. Rather than try a 54 yard field goal, Mike McDaniel went for it. Tagovailoa went to Waddle for 15. Achane gained 14. Tagovailoa went to Hill for a 5 yard touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the game was tied for the third time at 21-21.

The Bills took over at their own 35. Cook ran for 11. The play of the game came with the Bills punting on 4th and just shy of midfield with 10:2o left in the game. A killer roughing the kicker penalty gave the Bill new life, and Allen made them pay. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 27, Johnson gained 7. Allen went to Shakir for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 28-21 midway through the fourth quarter. The Dolphins moved from their own 37 to a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 21 with 3 minutes left. There was plenty of time to tie the game. Yet Tagovailoa was then intercepted by Bernard, who returned the pick 24 yards. The Bills took over at their own 41. On 2nd and 16 from his own 35, Allen connected with Moore for a 30 yard gain. With 22 seconds left, Prater came in for a 48 yard field goal try to lock up the win. There would be no upset. Prater was good. The Dolphins were game, but they are 0-3 and the Bills are 3-0 no the year. 31-21 Bills

Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings — Both teams were without their starting quarterback. Jake Browning led a comeback win last week, but nobody will mistake him for Joe Burrow. JJ McCarthy suffered a mild injury last week  Getting the start was superstar turned journeyman Carson Wentz. This game was never a contest. The Vikings began at their own 36. Mason gained 10. Wentz hit Justin Jefferson for 16. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincinnati 12, Wentz hit Oliver for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings. Browning had the Vikings on the move, but then he was intercepted by Rodgers at the Minnesota 13. Rodgers took the pick 87 yards the other way. Rather than a 7-7 game, the defensive touchdown made it 14-0 Vikings and the rout was on. In the second quarter Will Reichard hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Vikings. The Bengals managed a field goal of their own, but after that the Vikings blasted them to pieces. 

A short completion by Browning was fumbled, and again it was Rodgers for the defense. Rodgers returned the fumble 34 yards for his second defensive touchdown of the half to make it 24-3 Vikings. Another completion by Browning was fumbled away to set up the Vikings at their own 48. Wentz hit Jefferson for a 36 yard gain. Wentzz found TJ Hockeson for 11. Mason ran for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 31-3 Vikings. On the very next play from scrimmage, the Bengals fumbled the ball away again. Only 20 seconds remained in the half, but that was enough time for Reichard to blast a 62 yard field goal for a 34-3 Vikings lead. A pointless second half saw Mason cap a 74 yard third quarter drive with a 4 yard touchdown tun. Browning was intercepted again. The Vikings from their own 32 made it look easy. Mason ran for 24 and Wentz hit Naylor for 22. Wentz hit Hockenson for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 48-3 Vikings after three quarters. Kevin O’Connell pulled his starters and had backups play the fourth quarter. The Bengals managed one garbage time touchdown. The Bengals are a mess without Burrow, but a revitalized Wentz may have Vikings fans be willing to let McCarthy take his time coming back. 48-10 Vikings

Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots — Mike Tomlin and Mike Vrabel both love hard nosed football with tough running and defense, but only Tomlin has the personnel right now. 90 seconds into the game on the third play from scrimmage, Raimondre Stevenson fumbled and the Steelers recovered at their own 46. Aaron Rodgers went to DK Metcalf for 15. Warren gashed the defense for gains of 9, 11, 6, 4, and 3. Kenneth Gainwell got the last yard to make it 7-0 Steelers. The Steelers got it back and faced 3rd and 6 at their own 14. Rodgers was sacked and fumbled, but defensive holding gave the Steelers a new set of downs. Gaainwell ran for 13, On 3rd and 10 just shy of midfield, Rodgers went to Smith for 21. The second quarter began with with the Steelers facing 3rd and 1 from the New England 21. Defensive holding meant another first down. Rodgers found Metcalf for a 12 yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 89 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 14-0 Steelers. 

The Patriots took over at their own 23. Gibson gained 11. Drake Maye ran for 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 47, Maye went to Hunter Henry for 9. Maye connected with Stefan Diggs for 11. On 3rd and 4 from the Pittsburgh 21, Maye threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 16 yards. Maye hit Henry for a 5 yard touchdown to get the Patriots within 14-7. The defenses dug in as the final 9 minutes of the half and he entire third quarter were scoreless. Turnovers killed the Patriots as a 17 play, 92 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive led to 3rd and goal at the 2, only to have Maye intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. An interception of Rodgers had the Patriots facing 2nd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 2. Stevenson fumbled the ball away again. On their next series the Patriots fumbled the ball away yet again. 

The Patriots got it back at their own 12. On 3rd and 1, Maye gained 3. Maye found Mack Hollins for 11. On 4th and 1 from the Pittsburgh 46, Mike Vrabel gambled and Henderson gained 2. Maye hit Henry for 15. The fourth quarter began with the Patriots facing 4th and 2 at the Pittsburgh 16. Vrabel gambled again. Maye hit Henry for the touchdown. The 15 play, 88 yard, nearly 9 minute drive had the game tied 14-14. The Patriots got it back at their own 18 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 33. Already in field goal range to take the lead, instead Maye was sacked and fumbled. The Steelers took over at their own 38. Rodgers went to Austin for 6 and to Warren for 15. On 3rd and 2 from the New England 25, Warren gained 4. Rodgers hit Gainwell for 19. On 3rd and 6 from the New England 17, Rodgers went to Austin for the touchdown/ With 2:16 to play, the Steelers had the 7 point lead. With 1:07 to play the Patriots faced 4th and 1 at the Pittsburgh 28. Maye completed a pass to Douglas, who for some inexplicable reason moved backward. Instead of picking up the first down, he juked himself into a one yard loss. Thet ineptitude including 5 turnovers doomed the Patriots. 21-14 Steelers

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans — The 2-0 Colts took on the 0-2 Titans. On the third play of the game on 3rd and 9 from his own 36, Cam Ward was intercepted by Moore. Moore returned the interception 32 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 7-0 Colts lead. Ward did shrug it off on the next drive as Joey Slye nailed a 57 yard field goal. Yet the Colts then broke the game open. Schrader hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 23. Daniel Jones went to Pierce for 17 and warren for 15. On 3rd and 7 from the Tennessee 42, Jones ran for 17. Jones hit Warren for 17 more. Jonathan Taylor got the last yard to make it 17-3 Colts after the first quarter. A hideous second quarter started with Slye hitting from 42. Slye was given a chance from 64, but that one was no good. Schrader then missed from 51. Slye was given another long chance from 62 with 42 seconds left in the half. That kick was blocked. Schrader hit from 36 to end the half with the Colts having a 20-6 lead. 

The Colts began the third quarter at their own 33. Jones went to Pierce for 19. Taylor ran for 9 and one. Jones went to Pittman for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 27-6 Colts. Ward finally got the Titans going on offense, but the Colts offense was unstoppable. Pollard ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Titans within 27-13. The Colts took over at their own 20. Jones went to Pittman for 17. On 3rd and 1 from their own 43, Jones went to Taylor for 3. Taylor broke free for a 46 yard touchdown to make it 34-13 Colts after three quarters. The Titans in the fourth quarter managed a 16 play, 77 yard, 8 minute drive, but ball control is only great when you’re winning. Down by 21, it doesn’t help. Ward threw an 8 yard touchdown to Ayomanor to get the Titans within 34-20, but nothin more. A failed onside kick and a 37 yard defensive pass interference penalty led to a one yard Taylor touchdown run to close out the scoring. Taylor had 102 yards on only 17 carries, a 6 yards per carry average. Meanwhile, Jones has been revived as the Colts are 3-0 on the year. 41-20 Colts

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Texans are a surprising 0-2 after a pair of very tough close losses. In the first quarter Kaimi Fairbairn missed a 52 yard field goal for the Texans. The Jaguars took over at their own 42. Trevor Lawrence went to Strange for 16, to Thomas for 9, to Long for7, and to Washington for 11. On 3rd and 9 from the Houston 12, Lawrence threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 11 yards and the ball on the one. Tuten gotten to make it 7-0 Jaguars. The game then turned into a defensive slog. Fairbairn hit from 27 in the second quarter and Cam Little answered from 39 in the third quarter to make it 10-3 Jaguars. Little also missed from 47. The quarterbacks traded interceptions, with Lawrence’s pick resulting in the Texans taking over at midfield. One play later CJ Stroud went deep to Nico Collins for the touchdown and a 10-10 deadlock with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

Liam Cohen gambled for the Jaguars on 4th and 2 from the Houston 47. Lawrence threw incomplete. The Texans moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Jacksonville 31. Already in position for the go ahead field goal, Stroud went to Collins for 10 but then Collins fumbled the ball away. The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 21 with 3 minutes left. Lawrence ran for 10. At the 2 minute warning, a short pass from Lawrence to Thomas went for a 46 yard gain. Travis Etienne ran for the 10 yard touchdown to have the Jaguars up by 7 with 1:48 left. The Texans moved from their own 26 to a 3rd and 1 at the Jacksonville 28 with 27 seconds left. Stroud went deep ands intercepted by Johnson to seal the game. The Texans are 0-3 on the year. 17-10 Jaguars

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers — The Falcons looked very impressive in a dominant road win over Minnesota. Now all the Falcons had to do was beat a horrendous Carolina team. The game was a blowout, but not as expected. Younghoe Koo was cut and Parker Romo took his job. Yet early on it was Romo missing a 49 yard field goal try. The Panthers took over at their own 39. Bryce Young went to Tremayne for 7 and 8. Dave Canales gambled on 4th and 3 at the Atlanta 39. Young went to McMillan for 23. Young went to Tommy Tremble for 12. Young ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. Romo had another attempt from 55 yards that was also no good. Fitzgerald nailed a 57 yarder in the second quarter to have the Panthers up 10-0. In the third quarter Michael Penix floated a pass and Smith-Wade jumped the route for an easy 11 yard interception touchdown to make it 17-0 Panthers. Fitzgerald hit from 35 to make it 20-0 panthers. Another interception of Penix had the Panthers at the Atlanta 30. Canales went for it on 4th and goal at the one early in the fourth quarter. Rico Dowdle got in to make it 27-0 Panthers. Fitzgerald tacked on one more field goal from 41 to complete the shutout. Turnovers killed the Falcons. In an absolute shocker, they got totally obliterated. 30-0 Panthers 

Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles — These teams played an epic snow playoff game last year in Philadelphia, with the Rams mounting a spirited comeback that fell just short in the final moments. The rematch was insane. An early interception of Matthew Stafford gave the Eagles a short field at the rams 38. Nick Sirianni gambled on 4th and 2 at the Rams 30. Jalen Hurts got around the end for an 18 yard gain. Sirianni went for it again on 4th and 1 at the Rams 3. With everyone expecting a tush push, Hurts threw incomplete. However, defensive pass interference was good enough for a yard. From the one, this time it was tush push time. Hurts got in to make it 7-0 Eagles. Yet after that, in front of a shocked home crowd, the Rams dominated much of the game. 

Joshua Karty hit a 51 yard field goal to get the Rams on the board. The Rams got it back at their own 46 and struck quickly. Stafford went deep to Davante Adams for a 44 yard touchdown to have the Rams up 10-7 after the first quarter. The second quarter belonged to Karty. His field goals of 28, 33 and 46 had the Rams up 19-7 at the break.  The third quarter began with Hurts getting sacked and fumbling. The Rams rook over the Philadelphia 10. One play and 6 seconds was enough for Stafford to hit Kyren Williams for the touchdown. The Rams were dominating 26-7. Then the game changed.

The Eagles took over at their own 21. On 2nd and 13 from their own 29, Hurts went deep to AJ Brown for 38. On the next play Hurts went deep again to Dallas Goedert for a 33 yard touchdown. Just like that the Eagles were within 26-14. The Eagles got it back and soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 13. Hurts went to Devonta Smith for 16. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. Saquon Barkley ripped off gains of 9 and 12. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 11, Nick Sirianni was again going for it. The entire world knew the tush push was coming but it didn’t matter. Hurts got the yard. Hurts went to Brown for a 9 yard touchdown to have the Eagles within 26-21 after three quarters. For the Rams, this was FCO1. 

The Rams had every chance under the sun to finish this game. In the fourth quarter the Rams moved from their own 30 to a 4th and 1 at the Philadelphia 46. Sean McVay went for it but no other team has been able to replicate the Philly tush push. Williams got the carry and was blown up in the backfield for a 4 yard loss. This was FCO2. The Eagles soon faced 4th and 7 at midfield. Nick Sirianni went for it but this time Hurts threw incomplete. The Rams moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Philly 18. Stafford threw incomplete. Karty had already made 4 field goals and was now trying one from 36. Blocked! The kick was blocked. This was FCO3. There was a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty but it was after the play was over. The Eagles got to keep the ball but back at their own 9 yard line.

On 3rd and 10, one more defensive stop would force the Eagles to punt. Hurts went to Brown for 25. This was FCO4. Hurts ran for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 48, Hurts went to Smith for 10. On 3rd and 10 from the Rams 38, Hurts went to Brown for 23. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 8, Barkley gained 4. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Hurts threw incomplete. Everything came down to 4th and goal at the 4 with 1:48 left. Hurts went to Smith in the corner for a touchdown. The Eagles led 27-26. For the Rams, this was FCO5. Yet the 2 point conversion try failed. The Rams could still win with a field goal. The Rams quickly moved from their own 30 to a 3rd and 3 at the Philly 26 with 3 seconds remaining. Karty came in for a 44 yard try to win it. Blocked! Again! Making things even crazier, big Jordan Davis picked up the blocked field goal for the Eagles and began running for another touchdown. The clock had already expired, but the big fella would not be denied. The late John Madden would have loved this big fat guy touchdown. For the Rams it was more than FCO6. 26 straight points were undone by the Eagles scoring 26 unanswered points of their own. The Eagles remained unbeaten. Another playoff rematch would be well worth the wait. 33-26 Eagles. 

New York Jets at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Buccaneers won their first two games in razor’s edge fashion while the Jets came in winless. A strong opening drive saw Nick Folk hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. Chase McLaughlin answered from 54 to tie the game 3-3. Folk hit from 42  to make it 6-3 Jets early in the second quarter. After that the Buccaneers took over.

From their 23, Baker mayfield hit Egbuka for 30. On 3rd and 8 from the Jets 45, Mayfield went to Shepard for 16 and again for 24. Mayfield found Mike Evans for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 10-6 Buccaneers. On 3rd and 7 from his own 41, Tyrod Taylor was sacked and fumbled. The Buccaneers recovered at the Jets 33. McLaughlin hit from 33 to have the Buccaneers up 13-6. With 17 seconds left in the half and the Jets at their own 45, Taylor found Dean, who plays defense for the Buccaneers. Dean returned the interception 56 yards for a score to have the Buccaneers up 20-6 at the half. McLaughlin hit from 28 in the third quarter to have the Buccaneers cruising. 20 unanswered points made it 23-6 Buccaneers.

From their own 20, the Jets clawed back. Taylor found Greg Wilson for 9, Breece Hall for 9, and Allen for 12. Allen ran for 9 and 8. Taylor went to Johnson for 12 and to Wilson for an 11 yard touchdown to have the Jets within 23-13, McLaughlin nailed a 55 yard field goal to have the Buccaneers up 26-13 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. Then the game got even crazier. The Jets took over at their own 27.Taylor went to his non-relative Taylor for 10. On 2nd and 17, defensive pass interference wiped away an interception and gave the Jets 15 yards. On 2nd and 19 after a sack, Taylor went to Johnson for 20, to Hall for 12, and to Wilson for 9. Taylor ran for 14. On 4th and goal at the 4, the Jets were down to their last gasp with 3:40 to play in regulation. Taylor went to Allen Lazard for the touchdown. The Jets were within 26-20. For the Buccaneers, this was FCO1. 

The Buccaneers took over at their own 35 and Mayfield immediately ripped off a 33 yard run. The Jets took their timeouts on defense and took their final timeout with the Buccaneers facing 3rd and 5 at the Jets 24. 2 1/2 minutes remained. One first down would end it. Todd Bowles played it safe. Irvin ran for 4. This was FCO2. Now it was 4th and 1 at the Jets 20 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Bowles decided to go for it. One yard would end it. Yet it was all gamesmanship, and the Jets defense didn’t bite. The delay of game penalty made it 4th and 6. This was FCO3. Yet McLaughlin came out for a 43 yard field goal try. With 1:49 left, a 9 point lead would put the game on ice. 

Blocked! McLaughlin’s kick was blocked! Will McDonald picked it up for the Jets and raced for a 50 yard touchdown. Are? You? Kidding? Me!!!!!!! This was more than FCO4. The extra point was good. Out of nowhere, the Jets led 27-26 with a chance for a major upset. A jubilant Aaron Glenn did a sideline dance that was a cross between Billy “White Shoes Johnson,” part Merton Hanks, and part Lionel Richie and Chuck Berry Duck Walk. 

Now the Jets had a chance to close out a win. The Buccaneers took over at their own 34 with 1:41 left. Mayfield went to Egbuka for 28. Mayfield found Shepard for 20. With 3 seconds left, McLaughlin came in for a 36 yard try for redemption and the win. For the Buccaneers, there would be no FCO5. For the Jets, FCO1 was the dagger. McLaughlin’s kick was good. The Jets remained winless. Aaron Glenn danced too early. The Buccaneers got their third straight razor thin margin win to stay unbeaten on the year. 29-27 Buccaneers

Las Vegas Raiders at Washington Commanders — Both teams won their opener and lost decisively last week. The Raiders lost at home. With Jayden Daniels out with a sore knee, the Raiders could have had a ray of hope. Yet his backup is former Raiders backup Marcus Mariota, who is a duel threat. Deebo Samuel took the opening kickoff 69 yards to have the Commanders starting at the Raiders 27. Rodriguez ran for 5, 14, 4 and 2. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mariots got in. Without throwing a single pass, the Commanders quickly led 7-0. The ensuing kickoff was kicked out of bounds to set the Raiders up at their own 40. On the first play, Geno Smith went deep to Jakobi Meyers for 45. Yet on 2nd and 9 from the Washington 14, a run went nowhere and Smith then threw incomplete. Daniel Carlson hit a 37 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 7-3. 

The Commanders got it back at their own 29 and moved to a 2nd and 1 just past midfield. Mariota kept it and ripped off a 27 yard gain, but he then got hit and fumbled the ball away. The Commanders got it back and moved the ball easily only to have Matt Gay miss a 37 yard field goal try. Yet the raiders offense could not capitalize. In the second quarter Gay hit a 46 yard field goal for a 10-3 Commanders lead. The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 29. Smith went to Tre Tucker for 18. Ashton Jeanty ran for 16. On 2nd and 14 from the Washington 41, Smith went to Tucker for 17. Jeanty ran for 11. Smith went to Tucker for a 10 yard touchdown. With 4:20 left in the half, the game was tied 10-10. 

Yet the Raiders could not handle prosperity. It took only 2 plays for the Commanders to regain the lead. On 2nd and 5, Mcnichols ripped off a 60 yard touchdown tun to make it 17-10 Commanders. The raiders could not even get to the half. The Commanders took over at their own 35 with 27 seconds left. On 3rd and 1 from his own 44, Mariota was sacked. Yet a mindless defensive facemark penalty instead gifted the Commanders 15 yards. Gay drilled a 56 yard field goal at the gun to make it 20-10 Commanders. The backbreaker came in the third quarter. The Raiders punted and Lane returned the punt 90 yards for a touchdown and a 27-10 Commanders lead. The Commanders got it back at their own 37 and made it look easy. On the first play Mariota went bombs away to Terry McLaurin for 56. On 3rd and goal at the one, Merritt got in to make it 34-10 Commanders. 

The Raiders tried to punt a fourth quarter rally. They moved 70 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. Smith went to Tucker for a 10 yard touchdown. A desperation 2 point conversion try failed as the Raiders were down 34-16. On their next series on 4th and 1 from just past midfield, a run out of the shotgun fooled nobody as the Raiders turned it over on downs. The Raiders got it back at their own 17 and this time struck quickly. Smith went bombs away to Tucker for a 61 yard touchdown. This time the 2 point try was good as the Raiders were within 34-24 with 3:42. They still need a couple of breaks. They did not get them. The onside kick failed. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 43, Mariota went to McCaffrey, who took it all the way for the touchdown to ice the game. 41-24 Commanders

Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns — All the 2-0 Packers had to do to stay unbeaten was beat the pathetic and winless Browns. After a scoreless first quarter, Brandon McManus hit a 39 yard field goal. A surprisingly tough first half had the Packers up 3-0. A 14 ply 71 yard, 7 1/2 minute third quarter drive saw Jordan Love hit Josh Jacobs for a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and goal the 3, Love found Fitzpatrick for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Packers. After over 56 minutes of being shut out, the Browns finally got on the board with a 35 yard field goal. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 25. Under heavy pressure, rather than just take the sack, Love threw a terrible pass into traffic that was intercepted. Delpit returned the pick 25 yards to the Green Bay 4. Judkins ran for a one yard touchdown for a 10-10 tie with 3 minutes left. Despite his horrendous blunder, Love managed to lead the Packers in position for a winning 43 yard field goal try with 27 seconds left. McManus’s kick…blocked! The Browns blocked it. With 3 seconds left, Szmyt came in for a 55 yard try to win it for the Browns. Szmyt’s kick…good! In a shocker, the Browns stunned the Packers. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” 13-10 Packers

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers — The Chargers were unbeaten while the Broncos lost last week on a boneheaded penalty in the final seconds. A 31 yard Cameron Dicker field goal early on had the Chargers up 3-0. In the second quarter the Chargers took over at their own 46. Justin Herbert hit Johnston for 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 30, Herbert found Ladd McConkey for 3. Herbert went to Johnston for 22. Hampton ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Chargers with 1:53 left in the half.

The Broncos took over at their own 28. On 3rd and 2, Bo Nix hit Cortland Sutton for 4. With 38 seconds left, Sean Payton gambled on 4th and 2 from his own 48. Nix went deep to Sutton for a 52 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Broncos were right back in it down 10-7. The Broncos began the third quarter at their own 34. On the first play from scrimmage, JK Dobbins ripped off a 41 yard gain. Dobbins then ran for 6. Dobbins’s third straight carry was a 19 yard touchdown as the Broncos out of nowhere led 14-10. The Chargers fumbled the ensuing kickoff. The Broncos took over at the Chargers 30. The Chargers defense held. Wil Lutz hit a 42 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Broncos. The Chargers did get on the board again with a 24 yard Dicker field goal, but Lutz answered from 26 early in the fourth quarter. The Broncos led 20-13 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

With 4 1/2 minutes to play, the Chargers faced 3rd and 10 at their own 24. Herbert went to Allen for 11. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. Herbert went to Hampton for 22. Herbert then went deep to Keenan Allen for a 20 yard touchdown. With 2 1/2 minutes left, the game was tied 20-20. The Chargers took over at their own 32. Runs and short passes had the Chargers at the Denver 39 with 43 seconds left. Herbert went to McConkey for 12. With 5 seconds left, Dicker came in for a 43 yard field goal try to win it in regulation and avoid overtime. Dicker’s kick was good as the Chargers remained unbeaten and the Broncos were a head-scratching 1-2 on the year. 23-20 Chargers

New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks — The Saints are awful while the Seahawks were coming off of a big road win at Pittsburgh. Saints Coach Kellen Moore gambled early on 4th and 2 from the Seattle 45. Spencer Rattler threw incomplete. Sam Darnold then went deep to Smith-Nigba for 29. On 3rd and 8 from the New Orleans 24, Darnold threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness added 12. Darnold went to Smith-Nigba for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Saints then punted, and Horton returned the punt 95 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 Seahawks lead. Special teams killed the Saints. Their next punt was blocked, setting up the Seahawks at the New Orleans 11. Two plays later Kenneth Walker ran for a 3 yard touchdown. The Seahawks led 21-0 after the opening quarter. For some reason, the final three quarters were played due to league rules against cancelation.

The Saints managed a second quarter field goal but the Seahawks just poured it on. Again, it was special teams as a 60 yard kickoff return set up the Seahawks at the New Orleans 38. Darnold went to Barner for 23. Darnold hit Horton for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 28-3 Seahawks. The Seahawks got it back at their own 24. Darnold went deep to Smith-Nigba for 45. Darnold hit Saubert for 12 down to the one. Walker got the yard as the Seahawks led 35-3. Down by 32, the Saints missed a field goal. Jason Myers hit from 56 for a 38-3 Seahawks lead. The Saints managed another field goal before the half, but the second half was pointless. Myers hit third quarter field goals of 46 and 37 for a 44-6 Seahawks lead. The Saints managed a fourth quarter garbage touchdown in what is shaping up to be a garbage season. 44-13 Seahawks

Arizona Cardinals at Sam Francisco 49ers — Both teams came in 2-0. An early 57 yard field goal try by Chad Ryland for the Cardinals was no good. After a scoreless first quarter, Ryland did hit from 34 in the second quarter. Yet Eddie Pineiro hit from 38 and again from 51 to end the half with the 49ers up 6-3. Ryland answered from 28 in the third quarter for a 6-6 game. Early in the fourth quarter the Cardinals had to punt on 4th and 11 from their own one. The 49ers took over at the Arizona 48. Kyle Shanahan went for it on 4th and 2 from the Arizona 40. Mac Jones went to Pearsall for 34. Jones hit Kyle Juszczyk for a one yard touchdown to make it 13-6 49ers with 11 minutes left. The Cardinals took over at their own 35. Kyler murray went to Marvin Harrison Jr for 32. Defensive pass interference added 33 more. Murray went to McBride for a one yard touchdown and a 13-13 game with 9 minutes left.

With 3 1/2 minutes left the 49ers were backed up to their own 6 yard line. Jones went back to pass and offensive holding in the end zone meant a safety. The Cardinals led 15-13 and with the free kick had a golden opportunity to run out the clock. Yet on 3rd and 9 from midfield a the 2 minute warning, Murray threw incomplete. The 49ers took over at their own 20 with 1:46 left. Jones went to Tongers for 11 and Moore for 10. Jones found Kendrick Bourne for 11 and Christian McCaffrey for 20. With 3 seconds left, Pineiro came in for a 35 yard try to win it. With everything on the line for both teams, Pineiro’s kick was good. The 3-0 49ers for now are in sole possession of first place in the NFC West. 16-15 49ers

Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears — The Cowboys lost their opener and barely survived against the woeful Giants in overtime. All they had to do to right the ship was beat the winless Bears. Early on Williams ripped off a 22 yard run for the Cowboys only to fumble the ball away. The Bears took over at their own 24. Caleb williams went to Loveland for a 31 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Dallas 35, Williams went deep tp Odunze for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The Cowboys did manage a 53 yard Brandon Aubrey field goal, but 11 seconds later the Bears were in the end zone again. One play was enough for Williams to go bombs away to Burden for a 65 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Bears after the first quarter.

Brandon Aubrey managed a 33 yard second quarter field goal to get the Cowboys within 14-6. The Cowboys got it back at their own 43. From the Chicago 42, Dak Prescott went to Williams for 21. Prescott went to Pickens for a 2 yard touchdown. Brian Schottenheomer  went for 2 and Prescott hit Tolbert successfully. The game was tied 14-14 midway through the second quarter, but then the game changed again.

On 3rd and 9 from his own 36, Williams went deep to Swift for a 41 yard gain. Cairo Santos hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 17-14 Bears. The Bears got it back at their own 29. On 3rd and 2 from their own 48, Williams went to Odunze for 13 and to Burden for 29. Williams hit Cole Kmet for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 24-14 Bears after three quarters. The Bears got it back and grinded the Cowboys into dust. An unfathomable 19 plays moved the ball 76 yards and took 10 minutes off the clock. On 4th and goal at the 4, Ben Johnson went for it. Williams hit Moore for the touchdown for a 17 point Bears lead after three quarters. The Cowboys had the ball 3 times in the fourth quarter. All 3 times, Prescott was intercepted. Two of those picks came in the red zone, including one on 4th and goal at the one. The fourth quarter was scoreless as Jerrah contemplated firing everyone. Meanwhile, Johnson got his first win as Bears coach. 31-14 Bears

Kansas City Chiefs at New York Giants was the Sunday night game. The Giants were expected to be 0-2, but the Chiefs did not. For the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, they were. The Giants began with a 6 minute drive. Biran Daboll gambled on 4th and 3 from the Kansas City 28 rather than try a makable 46 yard field goal. Russell Wilson threw incomplete. Harrison Butker nailed a 54 yard field goal for a 3-0 Chiefs lead after the first quarter. Butker hit again from 48 in the second quarter to make it 6-0 Chiefs. After an interception of wilson, Butker had another try from 40 that was no good. The Giants took over at their own 30. Skattebo ran for 7 and 11. On 3rd and 8 from midfield, Wilson hit Skattebo for 16. On 3rd and 9 from the Kansas City 33, Wilson threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 yards. Skattebo ran for a 13 yard touchdown. Gillan’s extra point was blocked as the game was tied 6-6.

Another interception of Wilson gave the Chiefs the bay at their own 20 with 46 seconds left in the half. On 3rd and 10 from their own 32, Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. Then a deep incompletion meant a 52 yard defensive pass interference call. That allowed Butker to hit from 28 to have the Chiefs up 9-6 at the half. The Chiefs began the third quarter at their own 26. Mahomes went to Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 17. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 47, Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 13. Isaiah Pacheco ran for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 5, Mahomes went to Thornton for the touchdown and the 16-6 Chiefs lead after three quarters. The Giants managed a third field goal but the Chiefs then put the game away with a 77 yard drive. Mahomes went to Thornton for 21 and Brown for 10. Mahomes went deep to Thornton for the 33 yard gain. Karim Hunt ran for the one yard clinching touchdown. The extra point was no good. It was ugly and the Chiefs are hardly what they were, but the Giants are exactly as bad as expected. 22-9 Chiefs

Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens was the Monday night game. Two years ago the Ravens blasted the Lions to pieces. Both of these teams have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Both offenses exploded out of the gate. The Lions began at their own 33. Jared Goff went deep to Williams for big gains of 24 and 19. On 4th and 3 from the Baltimore 11, there would be no 29 yard field goal try. It was an early dan Campbell gamble. Goff went to Amra St Brown for 7. Gibbs ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions. The ravens took over at their own 20. Lamar Jackson went to Mark Andrews for 19. Jackson ran for 12. Derrick Henry ripped off a 28 yard touchdown to tie things 7-7. 

In the second quarter the Lions mounted the drive of the year. They started on their own 2 yard line. On 3rd and 7, Goff went to Sam LaPorta for 10 and to Montgomery for 13. On 3rd and 8 from his own 20, Goff went to LaPorta for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 47, Gibbs got the yard. Montgomery ripped off gains of 8 and 10. On 3rd and 1 form the Baltimore 10, Goff gained 2. Montgomery crashed in from the one. The back-breaking drive took 18 plays, went 98 yards, and took nearly 11 minutes off the clock to make it 14-7 Lions. A strong kickoff return had the Ravens taking over just shy of midfield. With 2:43 left in the half the Ravens moved to a 2nd and goal at the one. Henry got stopped for no gain and then for a one yard loss. John Harbaugh gambled on 4th and goal at the 2. Jackson got sacked. Yet the Baltimore defense held and the Ravens got it back just past midfield. Jackson ran for 13 and hit Deandre Hopkins for 13 more. Defensive pass interference added 16. Jackson hit Bateman for a 3 yard touchdown and a 14-14 game with 24 seconds left in the half. Jake Bates was given a chance to make NFL history with a 67 yard field goal try at the gun, but his kick was no good.

The Ravens began the third quarter at their own 27. On 3rd and 1, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 6 from their own 46, Jackson went to Bay Flowers for just enough. Jackson went to Kolar for 15 and to Mark Andrews for 19.  On 3rd and goal from the Detroit 14 after a sack, Jackson went to Andrews for the touchdown and the 21-14 Ravens lead. The ensuing kickoff failed to reach the landing zone, setting up the Lions at their own 40. Gibbs ran for 7 and 9. Goff went to St. Brown for 17 and again for an 18 yard touchdown. A game tied 7-7 after one quarter and 14-14 at the half was now tied again 21-21 after three quarters.

The Lions got it back at their own 4 yard line and again moved at will. Montgomery gained 11. Montgomery then  ripped off a 72 yard run. On 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 4, a field goal would give the lions the lead. Yet it was time for another Dan Campbell gamble. Gibbs got around the end for the touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 28-21 Lions. The Ravens moved from their own 28 to the Detroit 23. Yet a sack of Jackson killed the drive. With over 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, John Harbaugh was not about to go for it on 4th and 13. In a game of all touchdowns, Tyler Loop hit the 41 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 28-24. The Ravens got it back looking for the lead. For the third straight week, Henry ran wild most of the game. Yet for the third straight week, Henry coughed it up. The Lions recovered the fumble at the Baltimore 16. Yet an offensive facemask penalty killed the drive. Even Campbell doesn’t normally go for it on 4th and 21. Bates hit the 45 yard field goal to make it 31-24 Lions with 6 1/2minutes left in regulation.

The Lions got it back at their own 30. Gibbs ran for 7, 4 and 2. With 1:56 left, it was time for a major Dan Campbell gamble. He went for it on 4th and 2 just shy of midfield. 31 other coaches would punt the ball knowing that a short field could mean a tie game. He is not the other 31 coaches. Rather than try to smash it up the middle, A deep ball saw Goff hit Brown for 20. On the next play Montgomery ran for a 31 yard touchdown. With 1:42 left the Lions had breathing room up 38-24. In desperation mode from their own 35, a sack had the Ravens facing 3rd and 26 from their own 19. A short pass from Jackson to Justice hill went for 37. Jackson then found Bateman for 14. Jackson went to Andrews for a 27 yard touchdown. John Harbaugh went for a totally pointless 2 point conversion that failed. More importantly, the onside kick failed. A Super Bowl rematch between these teams would be well worth the price of admission. 38-30 Lions

NFL 2025 Week 3 Prequel

Thursday, September 18, 2025, 8pm

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills (-11 1/2) — The Bills are that good. The Dolphins are that bad. Forget the high spread. This game could be over by halftime. There could be big changes in Miami, especially since Dolphins owner Stephen Ross gave his coach and general manager the dreaded vote of confidence. Josh Allen will shred the Dolphins. Bills cover

Sunday, September 21, 1pm

Cincinnati Bengals at Minnesota Vikings (-2 1/2) — Despite being 2-0, the loss of Joe Burrow will wreck the Bengals. JJ McCarthy looked awful for three quarters against Chicago and looked worse against Atlanta at home for all four quarters. If the Vikings lose at home again to fall to 1-2, there will be some serious grumblings. Kevin O’Connell is a better coach than Zac Taylor. Go with the home crowd and the better coach against a wounded Bengals squad. Vikings cover

Pittsburgh Steelers (-1 1/2) at New England Patriots — Mike Vrabel got his first win as the Patriots coach, while Mike Tomlin has been doing it since Vrabel was a player. Both men like hard-nosed defense, but Tomlin has the better personnel for it. Aaron Rodgers has settled in, despite his receivers inexcusably dropping catchable balls. Drake Maye has less to work with. This is just a case of one team being more talented. Steelers cover

Indianapolis Colts (-4 1/2) at Tennessee Titans — Daniel Jones has been revitalized. Cam Ward has little to work with, but he has shown flashes of promise. Given that the Titans fight hard and do not go down easy, the spread might be a bit high for a road team. Also, the two teams the Colts beat were the bottom of the barrel. Colts win but fail to cover

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-1 1/2) — Both teams suffered gut-wrenching losses in the final seconds last week. The Texans have the better defense while both quarterbacks are solid. There is not much of a home field advantage in Jacksonville, Go with the better defense, despite last week’s meltdown. Upset special, Texans win outright

Atlanta Falcons (-5 1/2) at Carolina Panthers — Michael Penix might be the real deal, especially after Atlanta went into Minnesota and humiliated them. Carolina is not good at all, but Bryce Young is not a scrub. The spread is too high for a road team coming off of an emotional road win last week. The Falcons are not elite yet, so a garbage touchdown is very possible. Falcons win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles (-3 1/2) — The Rams have a very good defense, but the Eagles are more physical. The Eagles are coming off a big emotional win over Kansas City, but do not expect a home letdown. Last year in the snow, the Rams gave the Eagles all they could handle. Yet Matthew Stafford is a year older and the Rams offense is not as explosive as in years past. It is hard to count out Sean McVay, but nick Sirianni’s Eagles should cover at home with Saquon Barkley being key. Eagles cover

New York Jets at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6 1/2) — Baker Mayfield showed heart and guts in a stirring comeback win against Houston. The Jets need time to learn how to win. The Jets defense is not what it was in recent years. Expect Mayfield to get the job done at home, but not in a cakewalk. The Buccaneers do not win easy. Buccaneers win but fail to cover

Las Vegas Raiders at Washington Commanders (-3 1/2) — The Commander will be angry after a loss at Green Bay. They get to take out their frustrations on a Raiders team lacking quality on the offensive line. Pete Carroll and Dan Quinn both presided over the Legion of Boom, but the Raidersare a year away from being competitive. Jayden Daniels is better than Geno Smith. Commanders cover

Green Bay Packers (-7 1/2) at Cleveland Browns — The Packers are 2-0 and winning in impressive fashion. The Browns are 0-2 and looking nearly as bad as the squad that went 0-16. Joe Flacco can still sling it, but he needs help. Jordan Love has plenty of help. The spread is high for a road tea. Give the Browns the chance to get a garbage touchdown before giving up on them for good this year. Packers win but fail to cover

4pm

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers (-2 1/2) — The Chargers are 2-0, while the Broncos gave away a win last week due to a mind-numbingly boneheaded leverage penalty on a 60 yard field goal try. Bo Nix is throwing interceptions. The Charges now have a defense to complement dustin Herbert. This team is built Harbaugh tough. Trust in Harbaugh until proven otherwise. Chargers cover

New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks (-7 1/2) — The Seahawks looked very impressive in a road win at Pittsburgh. The Saints are just bad. Trust Sam Darnold over Spencer Rattler. This one could get ugly. Seahawks cover

Arizona Cardinals at Sam Francisco 49ers (-2 1/2) — Yes, the Cardinals are 2-0, but they have not beaten anyone impressive. The 49ers have more talent. Brock Purdy can still get the ball to George Kittle and Christian McCaffrey. Go with the more experienced team that has proven winners. 49ers cover

Dallas Cowboys (-1 1/2) at Chicago Bears — The Cowboys were so close to being 0-2 before winning a shootout for the ages. The Bears are 0-2 again and showing an inability to close out games. The Cowboys are not the special, but last week’s win will be a confidence boost. The Bears do not get the benefit of the doubt until they earn it. Dak Prescott has more weapons than Caleb Williams. Cowboys cover

8pm

Kansas City Chiefs (-6 1/2) at New York Giants — Both teams are 0-2, but the Giants are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL. Had they not blown their game at Dallas that might have changed. Russell Wilson was lights out in throwing for 450 yards, but it was not enough. The Chiefs are 0-2, but it is way too soon to hit the panic button.  loss to the Giants would have the entire midwest panicking. It’s tempting to say this is the week the Chiefs explode, but the spread is high  for an 0-2 road team playing another team also starving for a win. Patrick Mahomes has not forgotten how to play football. Chiefs win but fail to cover

Monday, September 22, 8pm

Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens (-4 1/2) – The Lions got blasted by the Ravens 38-6 in 2023. Both teams have very good offenses. The Lions got back to their winning ways last week while the Ravens just keep rolling along. Go with the home team, with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry taking care of business. Ravens cover

NFL 2025 Week 2 Recap

Washington Commanders at Green Bay Packers was the Thursday night game. A pair of legitimate Super Bowl contenders looked impressive in opening home wins. Green Bay dispatched Detroit while Washington rolled over the anemic Giants. Early on Matt LaFleur gambled on 4th and 3 at the Washington 33. Jordan Love threw incomplete. The Packers got it back at their own 4 yard line. Love went to Kraft for 15. Love then went deep Kraft for a 57 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 19, Love ran for 14. Love went to Romeo Doubs for a 5 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Packers lead. Early in the second quarter the Packers took over at their own 8. josh Jacobs gained 8 and on 3rd and 1 picked up 3 more. Love went deep to Heath for 37. Love went to Doubs and kraft for a pair of 17 yard gains. Jacobs ran for 5 and then for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Packers.

William Gay hit a 51 yard second quarter field goal to get the Commanders on the board, With 19 seconds left in the half, Gay missed from 56. That gave Brandon McManus a chance to extend the lead before the half, but his kick doinked off the left upright no good as well. In the third quarter from 52, Gay doinked his kick off the right upright no good. The ineptitude paused when Gay hit from 22 to have the Packers up 17-3 after three quarters. 

With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, the Commanders took over at midfield. Dan Quinn went for it on 4th and 1. Despite getting stopped on 3rd and 1, this Austin Ekeler got the yard. On 4th and 7 from the Green Bay 37, Quinn had to go for it again. A completion gained only 5 yards but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. The fourth quarter began with the Commanders at the Green Bay 32. Jayden Daniels hit Terry McLaurin for 11 and Zac Ertz for a 20 yard touchdown to get the Commanders within 17-10. 

After a touchback, Love hit Wicks for 11. Williams ripped off a 16 yard run. Love went to Kraft for a 5 yard touchdown to have the Packers up 24-10 with 9 minutes left to play. On 4th and 4 from their own 41, Dan Quinn had to go for it again. Daniels threw incomplete. McManus drilled a 56 yard field goal to have the Packers up 27-10 with 6:42 to play. The Commanders did reach the end zone one more time, but that was it. With one minute left on 4th and 10 from their own 33, Daniels’s third straight incompletion after a spike extinguished any hopes of a comeback. The Packers won both games this year at home, but against very good football teams. 27-18 Packers

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens — Both teams lost by one point last week. The Browns out at home because their kicker was terrible. The Ravens blew a 15 point lead at Buffalo with 4 minutes left. The Ravens were expected to be enraged and take it out on the hapless Browns. It was a bad week for Joe Flacco to face off against his former team. Tyler Loop hit a 43 yard field goal for the Ravens in the first quarter. A close game early in the second quarter saw the Browns punting on 4th and 8 from their own 45. The Ravens blocked the punt and recovered at the Cleveland 24. Jackson went to Wallace for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Ravens. 

Szmyt hit a 38 yard field goal before the half to get the Browns on the board, but Loop answered from 32 to make it 13-3 Ravens in the third quarter. On 3rd and 4 from his own 46, Flacco went deep and was intercepted by Wiggins. Wiggins returned the interception 61 yards to the Cleveland 5 yard line. John Harbaugh went for it on 4th and goal at the 2. Lamar Jackson hit Walker for the touchdown to make it 20-3 Ravens. The Brows did reach the end zone in the third quarter, but the Ravens in the fourth quarter blasted Cleveland to pieces. 

On 1st and 20 from their own 24, defensive holding killed the Browns. On 3rd and 13 from midfield, Jackson went to bay Flowers for 16 and again for 12. On 2nd and 14 from the Cleveland 24, Jackson went to Walker for the touchdown to make it 27-10 Ravens. The Browns moved to a 4th and 6 at the Baltimore 33. Needing to go for it, Flacco was sacked by Roquon Smith, forcing a fumble. Smith returned the fumble 68 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 34-10 Ravens lead. The Browns then turned it over on downs and the Ravens with a short field saw Jackson hit Hopkins for a 23 yard touchdown. The Ravens led 41-10. The Browns managed a garbage touchdown in what is shaping up to be another garbage season for them. 41-17 Ravens

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals — Both teams won their opening games against terrible teams, so this game would be more of a measuring stick. In both cases, these teams are finished without their respective quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow. The Jaguars began facing 3rd and 3 at their own 38. Lawrence went to Brown and Thomas for a pair of 18 yard gains. On 3rd and 7 from the Cincinnati 23, Lawrence went to Strange for 10. Lawrence hit Brown for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back at their own 28 and moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Cincinnati 8. Looking to go up 14-0, Lawrence went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. 

From their own 20, Brown gained 11. Burrow went to JaMarr Chase for 13 and to Fant for 25.  On 3rd and 4 from the Jacksonville 25, Burrow went to Chase for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Burrow went to Chase for the touchdown to make it 7-7. The Jaguars took over at their own 25. Runs and short passes had them at midfield. Travis Etienne ran for 30. Lawrence went to Tuten to have the Jaguars up 14-7 in the second quarter. Midway through the second quarter, the Bengals faced 2nd and 20 from their own 40. Burrow was sacked and stayed on the ground. It was the worst case scenario. He suffered a severe turf tow injury that will have him out at least 3 months. Backup quarterback Jake Browning finished the game. 

On their next series on 3rd and 6 from their own 17, Lawrence was intercepted. The Bengals took over at the Jacksonville 30. Evan McPherson hit a 31 yard field goal to get the Bengals within 14-10. Cam Little answered from 42 to have the Jaguars up 17-10 at the break. The Bengals began the third quarter at their own 24. Brown ran for 5 and 6. Browning went to Chase for 25 and again for 12. Browning hit Tinsley for a 13 yard touchdown to tie the game 17-17. 

An interception of Browning set up the Jaguars at their own 30. On 3rd and 4, Allen gained just enough. Lawrence went to Etienne for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 24-17 Jaguars. A 33 yard kickoff return by Perine with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness had the Bengals taking over at the Jacksonville 47. On 3rd and 5, Browning went deep to Tee Higgins for a 42 yard touchdown. After three quarters the game was tied 24-24. 

The Jaguars moved from their own 25 to a 1st and goal at the 7 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Lawrence threw 3 straight incompletions. Little hit the 25 yard field goal to put the Jaguars back in front 27-24. With 5 1/2 minutes left, Browning was intercepted. The Jaguars took over at the Cincinnati 12. The Cincinnati defense held, and with 3:47 to play the Jaguars faced 4th and 5 at the Cincy 7. The decision to kick a field goal was easy for everyone except rookie coach Liam Cohen. I get trying to salt the game away, but this was a reckless decision. Lawrence threw incomplete and the Jaguars came up snake eyes. Now the Bengals only needed a field goal to tie the game. 

The Bengals would have to do this with their backup quarterback and deep in their own territory. On 3rd and 10, Browning found Sample for 7. Browning then went to Brown for 13. The Bengals were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 5 from their own 33 with 1:54 left. Browning went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 25 yard gain. Browning went to Chase for 16 and to Mike Gesicki for 12. With 18 seconds left in regulation, both teams braced as the Bengals faced 3rd an goal at the one. Browning kept it on the quarterback sneak and got in for the touchdown as the home crowd at the Jungle erupted in celebration. The Jaguars after a touchback saw Lawrence get sacked and hen a failed hook and lateral try go nowhere. The Bengals are 2-0 but it was a costly victory. Browning led the team to a win, but he isn’t Burrow. 31-27 Bengals 

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys — While both teams lost their opener, the Giants looked lifeless. The Cowboys were expected to cruise to an easy win. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” This game was why we watch the games. Dak Prescott was a ridiculous 38 of 52 for 261 yards and 2 touchdown passes. Russell Wilson was an absolutely insane 30 of 41 for 450 yards and 3 touchdowns. Each quarterback was picked off once, but they were outstanding nonetheless. Early on the Giants went on a typical New York Giants drive to start the game. They moved 60 yards in 16 plays and took 9 minutes off the clock. They settled for a 38 yard Graham Gano field goal. Gano added a 33 yarder as the Giants led 6-0 after the first quarter. Brandon Aubrey hit a 52 yarder in the second quarter to get the Cowboys on the board.

The Giants soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Wilson went to Robinson for 9 and then again for 25. Wilson then went to Nabors for a 29 yard touchdown to have the Giants with a surprising 13-3 lead. The Cowboys took over at their own 36. Prescott went to George Pickens for 12 and to Ferguson for 19. Defensive unnecessary roughness had the Cowboys in the red zone. On 3rd and 9 from the Giants 10, Prescott went to Kevontae Turpin for the touchdown to get the Cowboys within 13-10 at the half. The third quarter saw Prescott immediately get intercepted. Yet on 4th and 3 from the Dallas 10, Brian Daboll made the odd decision to go for it rather than take the points on the road. Wilson threw incomplete. 

Turpin got the Cowboys going, running for 7 and catching a pass from Prescott for 12. Defensive pass interference a deep incompletion added 22. Williams then ran for a 30 yard touchdown to have the Cowboys up 17-13. From their own 13, Wilson went bombs away to Derrius Slayton for a 52 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 10, Wilson threw incomplete. Brian Daboll again lined up to go for it, but this time it was just gamesmanship rather than craziness. The Dallas defense didn’t bite, and after a delay of game on the offense, Gano hit a 33 yard field goal. The Giants trailed 17-16 after three quarters. Yet after a combined 33 points in three quarters, the fourth quarter saw both offenses light up the scoreboard for a combined 41 points. There was one lead change in the first three quarters. The fourth quarter had 5 lead changes alone. Brandon Aubrey started with a 44 yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to put the Cowboys up 20-16. After that, all hell broke loose.

A penalty on the ensuing kickoff had the Giants taking over at their own 40. Wilson went to Nabers for 12. Defensive pas interference added 21. Skattebo ran for 24 down to the one and then got the last yard to have the Giants up 23-20 with 12 minutes left. The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 21. Prescott went to CeeDee Lamb for 16. Prescott went back to Lamb for 25 with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On 3rd and 5 from the Giants 19, Prescott found Pickens for 9. Sanders ran for a 4 yard touchdown to have the Cowboys up 27-23 with 6:14 to play. The Giants took over at their own 37. Wilson went to Skattebo for 9, to Johnson for 13, and to Slayton for 9. On 4th and 4 from the Dallas 32, Wilson went deep to Robinson for the touchdown. With 2:44 to play, the Giants led 30-27. This game was nowhere close to finishing, and about to get much crazier.

The Cowboys soon faced 4th and 3 at their own 36. Prescott went to Tolbert for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Giants 48, Prescott hit Pickens for 14 and Lamb for 12. Williams ran for 13. Prescott hit Pickens for a 6 yard touchdown. With only 52 seconds remaining, the Cowboys led 34-30. The Giants took over at their own 37. Wilson ran for 15. 

Wilson then went bombs away to Nabers for the 48 yard touchdown. In front of a shellshocked home crowd, Jerry Jones contemplated whether to burn down Jerrahworld Metropolis for the insurance money. The Giants led 37-34 with only 25 seconds left. The Cowboys took over at their own 33 in desperation mode. Prescott hit Ferguson for 18. With 5 seconds left, Aubrey came out for a 64 yard field goal try. The home crowd prayed for a miracle and got it. Aubrey leveled it through as this instant classic went to overtime tied 37-37.

Both offense may have been exhausted from the final few minutes as the overtime period saw several punts. With 2:09 left in overtime on 2nd and 14 from his own 30, Wilson got greedy. He had played brilliant all game, but this time he threw a bomb into traffic for hi only interception of the game. The Cowboys took over at their own 30 at the 2 minute warning. Prescott went to Pickens for 27. Prescott ran for 14 as the Cowboys then took the clock down to 4 seconds. Aubrey came in again, and this time the kick was only 46 yards. Aubrey was good as the Giants saw their fantastic effort go to waste. Jerry allowed the team to play next week. 40-37 Cowboys

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions — The Bears collapsed in the fourth quarter of their opening home loss while the Lions looked listless at Green Bay. Dan Campbell needed to prove he could win after losing his offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs. His offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is now the Bears head coach. Cairo Santos kicked the opening kickoff out of bounds to set the Lions up at their own 40. Jared Goff immediately went o Amra St Brown for 34 and Sam LaPorta for 9. Jahmyr Gibbs did the rest, running for 6, 5, and the 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Lions. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 32. Caleb Williams went to Zaccheaus for 6. Swift ran for 20. Williams hit Moore for 18. On 3rd and 9 from the Detroit 28, Williams went to Odunze for the touchdown and a 7-7 game.

The Lions got the ball back at midfield. Goff went to Raymond for 14 and to St. Brown for 32 down to the one. David Montgomery got the touchdown to have the Lions up 14-7. The game then got ugly as the Bears fumbled the ball away, got it back and gambled on 4th and 1 from their own 37, and then saw Williams get stoned trying to convert. Despite the great field position, the Lions went nowhere and jake Bates missed a 55 yard field goal. The Bears then saw Williams throw an interception. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 39. St Brown gained 6.  Dan Campbell went pure smash mouth as Raymond gained 9, Montgomery added 9 and 18, and Gibbs added 11. Goff went to Wright for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Lions. 

The Bears took over at their own 29. Williams went to Odunze for 21 and 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 14, Williams gained 8. Williams went to Odnnze for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Bears within 21-14 with 1:55 left in the half. The Lions took over at their own 24. Goff went to Gibbs for 8, Laporta for 10, and St Brown for gains of 12 and 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 37, Goff went to Gibbs for 4. Goff went to Isaac TeSlaa for 29. With 4 seconds left in the half, it was time for a Dan Campbell gamble. Rather than kick an easy field goal, Campbell went for it. Goff hit st Brown for the touchdown to have the Lions up 28-14 at the intermission. 

On the first play of the third quarter from his own 24, Goff went deep to Williams for a 64 yard gain. Bates hit a 34 yard field goal to have the Lions up 31-14. The Bears went for it on 4th and 5 from their own 46 and Ben Johnson again came up snake eyes as Williams threw incomplete. Thee plays later on 3rd and 8, Goff went for the kill shot and found Williams for a 44 yard touchdown and a 38-14 Bears lead. The Lions poured it on in the fourth quarter. Goff capped off an 84 yard drive by hitting St. Brown for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 45-14 Lions. The Bears scored one more touchdown, but the Lions kept coming. Goff finished a 43 yard drive with a 4 yard touchdown pass to St. Brown. 

Goff was a lights out 23 of 28 for 334 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Talk of the death of the Lions apparently is greatly exaggerated. 52-21 Lions

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins — Neither of these teams are any good, but by the end of the day one would be seen as far worse. The Patriots began facing 3rd and 1 at their own 41. Raimondre Stevenson gained 9. Mike Vrabel gamble early on with the Patriots facing 4th and 3 at the Miami 43. Drake Maye hit Stefan Diggs for 10. Maye hit Austin Hooper for 22. Maye found Mack Hollins for an 8 yard touchdown. Borregales’s extra point doinked off the right upright no good as the Patriots led 6-0. The Patriots got it back an faced 3rd and 4 at their own 36. Maye went to Henderson for 15. On 3rd and 6 from the Maimi 45, Maye ran for 13. Maye went to Boutte for a 16 yard touchdown. Borregales again missed the extra point, this time wide right as the Patriots led 12-0 after the first quarter.

The Dolphins took over at their own 17. Achane gained 9 and Tua Tagovailoa hit Tyreek Hill for 13. Washington ran for 18. Tagovailoa went to jalen Waddle for an 18 yard touchdown in the second quarter to have the Dolphins within 12-7. The Patriots from their own 25 went on a 15 play, 71 yard drive that consumed 9 1/2 minutes off the clock. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 4 just past the 2 minute warning, Maye threw incomplete. Borregales hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 15-7 Patriots. The Dolphins took over at their own 23. Tagovailoa went to Hill for 22. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 46, Tagovailoa went to Achane for 12. Tagovailoa found Achane again for a 29 yard touchdown. Mike McDaniel decided not to chase points. The extra point had the dolphins within 15-14 at the midpoint. 

Riley Patterson hit third quarter field goals of 40 and 44 as 13 unanswered points had the Dolphins up 20-15. The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 24. Maye went deep to Stevenson for a 55 yard gain. Gibson ran for 15. Maye ran for a 6 yard touchdown. Mike Vrabel went for 2 and Stevenson ran it in to have the Patriots up 23-20. Midway through the fourth quarter, it was special teams that turned the tables. The Patriots punted and Washington returned it 74 yards for a touchdown to give the Dolphins the 27-23 lead. Yet 12 seconds later it was Gibson returning the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Back to back special teams touchdowns had the Patriots back up 30-27. With 2:21 to play on 4th and 9 from his own 48, Tagovailoa was intercepted. Borregales made a 53 yard field goal to have the Patriots up by 6. The Dolphins still had a chance to win. With 53 seconds left, on 4th and 12 from his own 28, Tagovailoa was sacked. Vrabel got his first win as Patriots head coach. 33-27 Patriots 

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints — The 49ers gutted out an opening day win at Seattle while the Saints lost at home to Arizona. Brock Purdy missed the game with a toe injury as Mac Jones started for the 49ers. The Saints misery continued when Blake Grupe missed an early 40 yard field goal try. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 23. Jones threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 10 yard gain. On 3rd and 14 from their own 29, Jones went to Pearsall for 15. Jones ran for 13. Jones went to Farrell for an 11 yard touchdown. Eddie Pineiro missed the extra point as the 49ers led 6-0. Pineiro did hit a 44 yard second quarter field goal to make it 9-0 49ers. 

The Saints took over at their own 16. Spencer Rattler went to Brandin Cooks for 20. and Johnson for 11. Alvin Kamara gained 15. On 3rd and 6 from the San Francisco 18, Rattler went to Johnson for the touchdown to get the Saints within 9-7. The 49ers took over at their own 23 with 1:14 left in the half. Jones went to Jennings for 13. On 3rd and 5 at their own 30, Jones went to Jennings for 29. Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for 8 and Tonges for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the New Orleans 7 with 7 seconds left in the half, Jones went to McCaffrey for the touchdown and the 16-7 49ers lead.

The 49ers fumbled early in the third quarter to set the Saints up at the San Francisco 47. Rattler went to Johnson for 15. Kellen Moore gambled on 4th and 1 from the San Francisco 21, Rattler gained 3. Rattler went to Shaheed for the 3 yard touchdown to get the Saints within 16-14. Pineiro tacked on a 45 yard field goal to have the 49ers up 19-14 after three quarters. The Saints quickly moved from their 35 to the san Francisco 30. Kamara fumbled and the 49ers recovered. From their own 32, Jones went to McCaffrey for 14. On 3rd and 10 from their own 46, Jones went to McCaffrey for 13. On 3rd and 11 from the New Orleans 42, Jones went deep to Jennings for the score. The 49ers led 26-14.  

The Saints soon faced 3rd and 12 from their own 27. Rattler threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. Rattler went to Chris Olave for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the San Francisco 35, Kamara gained 11 and 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Frisco 17, Rattler hit Olave for 14 and Yele for the 3 yard touchdown. The Saints were back within 5 points with 6:18 to play. With one minute left the Saints were facing 4th and 1 at their own 42. Rattler was sacked and fumbled as the 49ers got to 2-0 on the year and the Saints remained winless. 26-21 49ers

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets — The Bills are a good team. The Jets are not. The Bills early on faced 3rd and 8 at their own 21. Josh Allen scrambled for a 40 yard gain. Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and 1 at the Jets 25. Davis gained 4. On 3rd and 19 from the Jets 30, Allen threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 yards and a new set of downs. Cook ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. Justin Fields immediately fumbled, leading to a 28 yard Matt prater field goal to make it 10-0 Bills. Prater hit from 52 early in the second quarter to make it 13-0 Bills. The Bills got it back at their own 20. Allen went to Coleman for 7 and 12. Cook raced for a 44 yard touchdown to make it 20-0 Bill. For some reason the second half was played. The Jets managed a field goal before the half but thus game was over. The Bills added a third quarter field goal to make it 23-3. Moore capped off a 79 yard drive with a 4 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to make it 30-3 Bills. The Jets got one garbage touchdown. Again, the Bills are good. The Jets are not. 30-10 Bills

Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers — 20 years ago these teams met in the Super Bowl. The Seahawks began this game facing 3rd nd 6 at their own 39. Sam Darnold went to Smith-Nigba for 15. Kenneth Walker gained 13. On 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 33, Darnold went to Smith-Nigba for 12 and to Horton for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Steelers got a pair of 48 yard Chris Boswell field goals, the latter set up by an interception of Darnold to get the Steelers within 7-6. In the second quarter Jason Myers’s 36 yard field goal try doinked off the left upright no good. 

With 3:40 left in the half, Mike MacDonald decided to go for it on 4th and 1 at the Pittsburgh 25. Herbig intercepted Darnold and returned the pic 41 yards to the Seattle 21. On 3rd and 1, Warren gained 3. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Aaron Rodgers hit DK Metcalf for the touchdown. Mike Tomlin went for 2 and Rodgers hit Washington for the conversion to make it 14-7 Steelers.  at the half. The Seahawks took over at their own 20 in the third quarter. Welker ran for 9 and 15. On 3rd and 4 from midfield, Darnold hit Cooper Kupp for big gains of 17 and 16. Arnold hit Barner for a 7 yard touchdown to have the game tied 14-14 after three quarters.

The Steelers took over at their own 30 and Rodgers connected with Warren for a 65  yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Rodgers fired to the end zone to normally reliable Pat Freiermuth. The ball bounced right off of Freiermuth’s hands into the arms of a waiting Seattle defender. Instead of a touchdown, it was an interception. Myers hit a 54 yard field goal. Instead of trailing 21-14, the Seahawks led 17-14 with 13 minutes left in regulation. Things got even crazier on the ensuing kickoff. It went past the return man and sat in the end zone. Earth to football players: A punt into the end zone dies. A kickoff into the end zone is a live ball. George Holani recovered the gift in the end zone for a touchdown and a 24-14 Seahawks lead.

Boswell hit a 45 yard field goal to get the Steelers within 24-17 midway through the fourth quarter. The Seahawks quickly faced 3rd and 9 at their own 28. Darnold went to Barner for 19. Darnold went deep to Smith-Nigba for 43. On 3rd and goal at the 19, Walker got around the end for the touchdown to ice the game with 3:40 left. Rodgers threw one more interception. 31-17 Seahawks

Los Angeles Rams at Tennessee Titans — These teams played an epic Super Bowl culminating in “the tackle” 26 years ago. In this game the Rams began at their own 28. Matthew Stafford hit Tyler Higbee for 11. Sean McVay gambled on 4th and 1 from the Tennessee 45. Puka Nacua got around the end and raced for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. Joey Slye hit a 55 yard second quarter field goal for the Titans. The Rams moved to a 1st and goal at the 3. stafford threw 3 straight incompletions. Joshua Harty hit a 21 yard field goal made it 10-3 Rams. 

With 3 minutes left in the half the Titans took over at their own 44. Pollard gained 10, 6 and 3. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 37, Cam Ward got the yard. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 32, Ward went to Ayomanor for 23. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Ward went to Ayomanor for the touchdown to make it 10-10 with 38 seconds left in the half. One play after a touchback, Stafford was quickly intercepted. The Titans took over at the Rams 46. Slye hit a 37 yard field goal to have the Titans up 13-10 at the intermission. In the third quarter moved to a 3rd and goal at the 3. Stafford threw incomplete. Harty hit from 21 to tie the game 13-13. Slye answered from 57 for a 16-13 Titans lead. 

The Rams took over at their own 31. Stafford went to Nacua for big gins of 24 and 22.Corum ran for 15. Stafford hit Allen for an 8 yard touchdown pass to put the Rams up 20-16. With 11 minutes left in regulation, Ward was sacked and fumbled. The Rams recovered at the Tennessee 21. On 3rd and 5, Stafford went to Adams for the touchdown to give the Rams breathing room up 27-16. The Rams got it back at their own 34 and sought to turn out the lights. Corum gained 15. Stafford went to Whittington deep for a 40 yard gain. Corum ran for 9 and then got the last yard. The 2 point try failed but 20 unanswered points turned a tight game into a 33-16 Rams lead. The Titans got a field goal but for the second week in a row were game but not good enough. 33-19 Rams

Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals — The Panthers have a lot of problems, but the Cardinals were beatable. On the third play of the game on 3rd and 7 from his own 30, Bryce Young was sacked and fumbled. The Cardinals recovered for an easy defensive touchdown and a 7-0 Cardinals lead. On the next Panthers drive on 3rd and 12 from midfield, Young was intercepted. Ryland hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Cardinals. The Panthers managed a field goal, but in the second quarter Ryland hit again from 47 to make it 13-3 Panthers. A 29 yard punt return gave the Cardinals a short field at the Carolina 45. Kyler Murray hit Benson for 6 and McBride for 10. Murray went to Benson for 12 and to Wilson for an 11 yard touchdown with 4 seconds left in the half. The Cardinals were up 20-3 at the half. The Cardinals began the third quarter at their own 29 and kept rolling.Murray went to Higgins for big gains of 18 and 27. Murray hit Marvin Harrison Jr for 12. James Conner ran for a 2 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left in the third quarter, the Cardinals were winning a 27-3 laugher.

The Panthers took over at their own 24. On 4th and 1 from their own 43, the Panthers had to go for it. One defensive stop would have all but ended the game. Chuba Hubbard gained 14. This was FCO1. Young hit Rico Dowdle for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 11, Young went to Sanders for 7. Young hit Hunter Renfrow for a 4 yard touchdown. An unwise decision to go for 2 failed, but the Panthers were within 27-9. The Cardinals moved from their own 28 to a 3rd and 3 at the Carolina 12. Looking to put the game away, instead Murray was intercepted. This was FCO2. The Panthers on 3rd and 3 from their own 19 saw Young hit McMillan for 5. Young went to Hubbard for 16, Renfrow for 15. Treymane for 7, and Hubbard for 9. The Panthers went for it on 4th and 1 from the Arizona 5. Young hit Renfrow for the touchdown. This was FCO3. Yet Dave Canales insisted on chasing points, and another 2 point conversion failed as the Panthers trailed 27-15 with 5 minutes left in regulation. 

The Panthers took a couple of timeouts on defense as only 30 seconds elapsed. The Panthers got the ball back at their own 24 with 4 1/2 minutes left. wITH 3 1/2 minutes left the Panthers faced 4th and 16 from their own 30. Young went to Tremayne for 26. This was FCO4. Young went to McMillan for 20. Young hit Renfrow for 10 down to the one. Young hit Renfrow for the touchdown. At the 2 minute warning, the Panthers were within 5 points. Now they needed the onside kick. They got it. This was FCO5. On 4th and 5 from the Arizona 46, Young was sacked and fumbled the ball away. Yet it was all for naught as defensive holding nullified the turnover and gave the Panthers a new set of downs. This was FCO6. On 2nd and 17 Young threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 yards and another first down. This was FCO7. With 33 seconds left the Panthers had 4th and 15 at the Arizona 38. The Panthers were looking for a miracle comeback for the ages. The Cardinals ere staring at an epic collapse. Yet there would be no FCO8. This time Young was sacked as the Cardinals hung on for dear life. 27-22 Cardinals

Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts — Both teams won their openers. A revitalized Daniel Jones led the Colts from their own 28 to a 3rd and 7 at the Denver 11. Jones threw incomplete. Schrader hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. The Broncos took over at their own 36. JK Dobbins gained 18, 3 and 7. Bo Nix went to Bryant for 12. Nix went to Marvin Mims for a 23 yard touchdown for a 7-3 Broncos lead. The Colts moved from their own 33 to a 2nd and 2 at the Denver 10. Jones lost 5 yards and then threw incomplete. Schrader hit from 33 to have the Colts within 7-6. 

The second quarter was a track meet as the Colts took over at their own 15. Defensive pass interference meant a 23 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from their own 46, Jones went to Taylor for a 43 yard gain. Jones snuck across for a one yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Colts. The Broncos soon faced 2nd and 13 from their own 30. Nix went to Franklin for 42 and again for 16. Nix went to Franklin once again for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-13 Broncos. 

Shane Steichen gambled on 4th and 1 from midfield. Warren got stuffed for no gain. Franklin gained 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Indianapolis 35, Nix went to Bryant for just enough. On 3rd and 7 from the Indianapolis 26, Nix threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 6 yards and defensive unsportsmanlike conduct added 10 more. Nix went to Adam Trautman for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 21-13 Broncos with 3 minutes left in the half. The Colts took over at their own 19. On 3rd and 3 from their own 26, Jones went to Downs for 9. Jones went deep to Pierce for a 44 yard gain. Jones went to Warren for 14 and to Jonathan Taylor for a 7 yard touchdown. Steichen smartly decided not to chase points as the Colts were within 21-20 at the half.

The second half kickoff failed to reach the landing zone, setting up the Broncos at their own 40. On 3rd and 4, Nix gained 18. Nix hit Cortland Sutton for 6, Harvey for 16, and Franklin for 9. Dobbins ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 28-20 Broncos. Despite the offensive explosion, neither team would reach the end zone again in the final nearly 26 minutes of football. Schrader hit a 36 yard field goal to get the Colts within 28-23. The colts got it back and early in the fourth quarter Shane Steichen again gambled on 4th and 2 from midfield. Again he came up snake eyes as Jones threw incomplete. The Broncos then had 3rd and 3 at the Indy 28. Nix was intercepted to set up the Colts at their own 9 yard line. 

The colts moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Denver 10. Jones threw incomplete twice. Shrader hit from 28 to have the Colts within 28-26 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Broncos took over 5 minutes off the clock and moved into position for Wil Lutz to try a 42 yard field goal. His kick doinked off the right upright no good. The Colts took over at their own 32 with 3:15 to go. With 1:44 left the Colts had 1st and 10 at the Denver 43. Yet Shane Steichen then got way too conservative. 3 straight runs up the middle netted only one total yard. With 3 seconds left, Schrader came in for a 60 yard field goal try. His kick was short no good. Yet the Broncos celebrated prematurely. A defensive penalty for leverage meant a 15 yard unsportsmanlike call. Now Schrader would get a second chance, this time rom 45 yards out. This time Schrader was good. The Broncos blew it. They threw the game away. 29-28 Colts

Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs — Three years ago in an epic Super Bowl, the Chiefs won 38-35. Last year in a less compelling Super Bowl, the Eagles jumped out to a 34-0 lead en route to a 40-22 win. The Chiefs were denied their 3-peat. Additionally, the Chiefs lost their regular season opener and were desperate not to go 0-2. The Eagles barely survived their home opener. There was plenty of glamour in both Super Bowls. This game was an ugly grind. Early on Walrus Andy Reid brought in Harrison Butker to try a 58 yard field goal. Butker’s kick was no good. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 1 at the Kansas City 43. The entire world knew it was tush push time. Most of the league wants to ban the play, but if defenses hate it so much, they should just stop it. On this play, Jalen Hurts got 2 yards and a first down. Hurts went to Smith for 13. Saquon Barkley ran for a 13 yard touchdown as the Eagles led 7-0 after the opening quarter. 

In the second quarter the Eagles moved from their own 31 to a 3rd and 6 at the Philadelphia 27. Patrick Mahomes was sacked for a 13 yard loss. Butker came in again for a 56 yard field goal try. This time he was good as the Eagles trailed 7-3. The Chiefs got it back at their own 31. Mahoems went to Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 10. Karim Hunt ran for 11. Walrus Andy Reid gambled on 4th and 4 from the Philadelphia 42 rather than have Butker try  60 yarder. Mahomes found Travis Kelce for 18. Kelce’s famous pop star fiancee has nothing to do with football and will remain unmentioned. 

On 3rd and 5 from the Philly 19, Mahoems ran for 6. Mahomes then ran for a 13 yard touchdown to put the Chiefs up 10-7 with 2:44 left in the half. 

Jake Elliott drilled a 58 yard field goal to send the teams to the showers tied 10-10. Walrus Andy Reid then lost his mind and decided to gamble on 4th and 1 from his own 36. Hunt ran into a Kelly green brick wall for no gain. Despite the short field. the Eagles netted only 2 yards on 3 plays. Elliott this time hit a 51 yard field goal to have the Eagles up 13-10. The Chiefs took over at their own 20 and moved 74 yards in 14 plays and over 8 minutes. The key play of the game came on 2nd and goal at the 6 with 13 minutes left in regulation. Mahomes went to the end zone and had Kelce. The ball bounced right off of Kelce’s hands and was intercepted in the end zone by Mukuba. Mukuba returned the pick far enough for the Eagles to be starting at their own 41. Kelce had another temper tantrum meltdown, not realizing that this was his fault. 

On 3rd and 10 from the Kansas City 31, Hurts went deep to Smith for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and goal athlete one, it was tush push time. Yet this time Hurts was stopped short of the plane of the goal. Nick Sirianni bet it all on 4th and goal at the one. There would be no trickery. Everyone on both sides knew what was coming. This time on the tush push, Hurts under a maze of bones found the goal line and broke the plane. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Eagles led 20-10. With 4 minutes left and in dire straits on 3rd and 13 from their own 25, Mahomes threw incomplete. Yet those conspiracy theorists who think the game is rigged in favor of the Chiefs had more ammo as the Chiefs were bailed out with a roughing the passer call. 

On 3rd and 10 from their own 40, Mahomes went to Remigio for 21. Mahomes then went deep to Thornton for a 49 yard touchdown. With exactly 3 minutes left, the Chiefs were within a field goal. The onside kick failed. At the 2 minute warning, everything came down to 3rd and 1 at the Kansas City 32. Again, the Eagles could have tried some trickery. They were not interested in trying to fool anyone. They were the defending champions, and they were prepared to ram the ball down Kansas City’s throat. The tush push was called, and Kansa City’s defense couldn’t stop it. Hurts gained 2 yards and then took 3 knees. The defending champions are 2-0. The Chiefs have lost 3 straight games including the Super Bowl. They did not get revenge for the last Super Bowl. They are 0-2 for the first time in Andy Reid’s career, making Andy Reid a most concerned Walrus indeed. 20-17 Eagles

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings was the Sunday night game. The Falcons lost their home opener when Younghoe Koo missed a 44 yard field goal at the gun. Koo was not cut, but he was benched in favor of newly acquired Parker Romo. JJ McCarthy looked terrible for three quarters before leading a fourth quarter explosion comeback at Chicago. Yet this ugly game was one-sided affair. Romo hit first quarter field goals of 38 and 29 to make it 6-0 Falcons. The latter kick was set up by a 4th and 1 gamble that failed when McCarthy fumbled at his own 36. A Falcons fumble led the Vikings to a second quarter drive that lasted 17 plays and took 9 1/2 minutes off of the clock. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 7, consecutive sacks of McCarthy killed the drive. Will Reichard hit from 33 tog et the Vikings on the board. An interception of McCarthy meant a 33 yard field goal by Romo to make it 9-3 Falcons. Reichard hit from 51 to get the Vikings within 9-6 at the half. Romo hit from 33 late in the third quarter and from 54 early in the fourth quarter to make it 15-6 Falcons. The last kick was set up by a Minnesota fumble. Tyler Allgeier capped off an 83 yard drive with the game’s only touchdown from 5 yards out. It was a big night for the Atlanta defense. 22-6 Falcons

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans is the early Monday night game. The Buccaneers survived a scare in their opener when the tying field goal was no good. The Texans lost a defensive slugfest. The Texans began the game at their own 36. CJ Stroud went to Nick Chubb for a 27 yard gain and to Nico Collins for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 39. Baker Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 8. Mayfield went to Cade Otton for 12 and to Shepard for 15. Mayfield found Miller for a 20 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. 

The Texans moved from their own 34 to a 3rd and 9 at the Tampa Bay 17. Stroud threw incomplete. Kaimi Fairbairn hit from 35 to make it 10-7 Texans. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 31. Mayfield went to Egbuka for 3. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 31, Mayfield gained 2. Mayfield capped the 14 play, 77 yard, nearly 9 minute drive with a 15 yard touchdown pass to Egbuka for  14-10 Buccaneers lead in the second quarter. The defenses dug in as Chase Mclaughlin missed a 38 yard field goal for the Buccaneers late in a scoreless third quarter. The Texans moved 71 yards in 11 plays to a 2nd and goal at the one. Chubb got stopped and Stroud threw incomplete. Demeco Ryans went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Stroud threw incomplete. 

The Buccaneers moved out of the shadow of their own goal but had to punt from their own 45 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Texans blocked the punt and took over at the Tampa Bay 35. Yet the Texans ran 3 plays and netted 0 yards. Fairbairn finally broke the scoreless second half with a 53 yard field goal as the Texans were within 14-13 with 5 1/2 minutes left. Special teams killed the Buccaneers as they punted again. This time a 53 yard punt return by Noel set up the Texans at the Tampa Bay 26. Two plays later Chubb ran for a 25 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Texans led 19-14 with 2:10 to play.

The Buccaneers took over at their own 20. Mayfield went to Irving for 12. On 4th and 10 from their own 32, Mayfield could not find anyone. He took off running for a 15 yard gain. Mayfield then went to Otton for 8 and Irving for 22. An 11 yard pass to Evans set up 1st and goal at the 7 with 13 seconds remaining in the game. Mayfield found Otton for 5, leaving 9 seconds. With everyone on edge and the Houston defense expecting a pass, White ran it in with 6 seconds left as home crowd collapsed. The 2 point try failed but it didn’t matter. Rather than set up a Hail Mary or hook and laterals, the attempt to run the kickoff all the way back came up 67 yards short. The Buccaneers won their second gutty win in a row while the Texans are still searching for a win after two agonizing losses. 20-19 Buccaneers

Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders was the late Monday night game. Both teams won their home opener and would have sole possession of first place in the AFC West. It was also the renewal of the rivalry between Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll. they took their nasty NFC West feud to the AFC West. Geno Smith played well in the opener, but on the first play of this game he threw a ball into traffic and was intercepted. Despite starting at the Raiders 25, the Chargers went nowhere. Cameron Dicker hit a 38 yard field goal to open the scoring. The Raiders even responded by going from their own 22 to a 3rd and 7 at the Chargers 26. Yet Smith was then sacked. Daniel Carlson nailed a 54 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. 

The Chargers took over at their own 28 and Justin Herbert went to Ladd Monkey for 19. Herbert ran for 12. On 3rd and 8 from the Raiders 33, Herbert ran for 9. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 12 more yards. Herbert went to Keenan Allen for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Chargers. The Raiders in the second quarter moved from their own 35 to a 2nd and 6 at the Chargers 13. Smith threw incomplete. On 3rd and 6 a fumble was followed by a sack that lost 9 yards. Carlson hit the 40 yard field goal but the Raiders trailed 10-6. 

With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Chargers were pinned at their own 9 yard line. On 3rd and 1 with a chance for the Raiders defense to get the ball back, instead Hampton ran for 15. Herbert then went bombs away to a wide open Johnston for a 60 yard touchdown. The defense had played well most of the half but that breakdown on the 91 yard drive had the Chargers up 17-6 at the half. A hideous second half saw the Chargers kick a third quarter field goal and the Raiders kick a fourth quarter field goal. Smith threw 3 interceptions on the day. making matters worse, the Raiders had an 18 play drive that consumed over 11 minutes yet couldn’t penetrate the end zone. The Chargers got lazy in the fourth quarter and gave the Raiders multiple chances that went nowhere. It was hideous, but the Chargers are a Jim Harbaugh football team. The Raiders will become a Pete Carroll team, but they are not there yet. 20-9 Chargers

NFL 2025 Week 2 Prequel

With everything going on in the world and the specter of 9/11 in the background, Americans really need football right now. Here is the NFL 2025 Week 2 Prequel, with point spreads provided by ESPN and all times Eastern.

Thursday, September 11, 2025, 8pm

Washington Commanders at Green Bay Packers (3 1/2) — Whenever Washington plays on 9/11, there is emotion. Yet this game is in Green Bay, and some of the players were not even born when those attacks took place. This will be about two very good teams with Super Bowl aspirations facing off. The Packers made a big statement in their opening home win over Detroit. Jayden Daniels and Jordan Love have both established themselves as stars. The should be a good game, but go with the home crowd. Packers win but fail to cover

Sunday, September 14, 1pm

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-11 1/2) — The Browns lost a winnable game at home. Joe Flacco faces his original team for the first time. The Ravens will be enraged after an epic collapse that saw them blow a 15 point lead at Buffalo with 5 minutes remaining. The Ravens will punish the Browns early and often. This game could be over by halftime. Ravens cover

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals (-3 1/2) — The Jaguars easily won their home opener against a terrible Carolina team while the Bengals barely escaped at lowly Cleveland. So it is hard to gauge how good either of thee teams are. Trevor Lawrence has not had coaching stability, while Joe Burrow has suffered injuries. Yet Burrow is healthy. Go with the home crowd in a close one. Bengals win but fail to cover

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-5 1/2)  — The Cowboys began the season taking going on the road and taking defending champion Philadelphia to the limit in a close loss. The Giants are awful and showing no signs of life. he Cowboys are not as good as they were in past years and Kellen Moore is a rookie coach, but this is a game the Cowboys should win easily. Giants cover

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (-5 1/2)  — An epic collapse at home in their opener saw the Bears blow a double digit lead. Now they take on an angry Detroit team that got throttled in its road opener. The Lions looked listless without their offensive coordinator from last year, but they have the same players. The Lions have more talent, especially on offense. Give the Lions the benefit of the doubt at home. Lions cover 

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (-1 1/2) (-5 1/2) — Both of these teams looked bad in their opener, with the Dolphins in particular looking atrocious. Mike Vrabel will build a tough identity for the Patriots but it will not happen overnight. Mike McDaniel has seen his team regress as Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill fail to get on the same page. Drake Maye has potential, and Miami’s defense is unimpressive. In a battle of bad teams, at least the Patriots showed some life last week. Upset special, Patriots win outright

San Francisco 49ers (-4 1/2) at New Orleans Saints — The 49ers showed toughness and grit in getting a win at Seattle while the Saints looked terrible at home against Arizona. The 49ers have many of the same players that have been elite in recent years until injuries derailed them last year. The Saints are a shell of what they were. Trust Brock Purdy over Spencer Rattler. 49ers cover

Buffalo Bills (-6 1/2) at New York Jets — The Bills showed a ton of heart and character in overcoming a 15 point deficit at home with 5 minutes left to stun Baltimore. The Jets suffered a heartbreaking home loss to Pittsburgh un Aaron Glenn’s debut. The spread is high for a road team playing a division rival, and the Bills may suffer a hangover from last week. This may not b a cakewalk, but the Bills in the end are better from Josh Allen on down. Bills win but fail to cover

Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2 1/2) — The Seahawks blew a winnable home game against San Francisco while the Steelers gutted out a tough road win over the Jets. Aaron Rodgers may not be elite anymore, but then again he did throw four touchdowns last week. Go with the home crowd, especially with Chris Boswell kicking at home when it matters. Steelers cover

Los Angeles Rams (-5 1/2) at Tennessee Titans — 26 years ago these teams played an epic Super Bowl. This game is a battle between an experienced Rams team that gutted out a brutally tough defensive home win over Houston and a Tennessee Team with rookie quarterback Cam Ward. The Titans gave Denver a scare but ultimately lost. The Rams offense did not show much last week but Houston does have a very  good defense. The home field and Ward’s leadership could be enough for a garbage touchdown to defeat the spread. Rams win but fail to cover

4pm

Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals (-6 1/2) — 10 years ago these teams played in the NFC Title Game. Now they are a pair of bad teams, with Carolina being especially awful. The Cardinals won their opener, but defeating New Orleans does not take much. The Cardinals barely won, albeit on the road. At home, the Cardinals should be able to get a win against a team lacking in much talent. Cardinals cover

Denver Broncos (-1 1/2) at Indianapolis Colts — The Broncos offense struggled as Bo Nix threw interceptions, but their defense suffocated Tennessee in Cam Ward’s very first game. Daniel Jones was a bust with the Giants but he was practically flawless plying his first game with the Colts. The Colts blasted Miami by 25 points. This game will be a measuring stick for both teams. Despite the home field, go with the better defense and quarterback. Broncos cover

Philadelphia Eagles (-1 1/2) at Kansas City Chiefs — TheEagles got their revenge and ended the Chiefs three peat hopes in a lopsided super Bowl. Now the Chiefs try to avoid going 0-2 after losing to the Chargers in Brazil. The Eagles barely survived in their home opener against Dallas. These were the two best teams in football last year. Being a home underdog will be particularly galling to the Chiefs. Go with the home crowd thirsting for revenge. Upset special, Chiefs win outright

8pm

Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (-3 1/2) — The Falcons lost at home to an average Tampa Bay team when Younghoe Koo missed a very makable field goal at the end. The Vikings showed real heart and grit by overcoming a double digit road deficit to stun Chicago. JJ McCarthy got his first NFL win as the Vikings followed up their 14 win season the right way and the hard way. The Vikings are just better, and Kevin O’Connell is the better coach. Vikings cover

Monday, September 15, 7pm

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans (-2 1/2) — The Buccaneers escaped with a road opening win over an uninspiring Atlanta squad. The Texans had their offense throttled on the road at the Rams defense in a hard fought loss. Baker Mayfield and CJ Stroud are both superstars. The Texans have the better defense and the home field. Mayfield can’t do it all by himself. Texans cover

10pm

Los Angeles Chargers (-3 1/2) at Las Vegas Raiders — Both teams won their openers, although the Chargers going to Brazil and beating Kansas City is more impressive than the Raiders winning at lowly New England. On paper, the Chargers are the better team. Justin Herbert is a stud, although Geno Smith is competent. Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll were bitter rivals when San Francisco and Seattle faced off a decade ago. When it mattered, Carroll got the ring and Harbaugh didn’t. Ashton Jeanty showed toughness on the ground, while the Raiders defense has improved. The Raiders have not had a home field advantage since Oakland,  but if anyone can change that, Carroll can. Give the Raiders one chance to show they are much better under Carroll, and can win a big game at home. Upset special, Raiders win outright

NFL 2025 Week 1 Recap

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles was the season opening Thursday night game. The 2025 NFL season got underway with what seemed like a mismatch on paper. The Defending champion Eagles had the core of their team intact. The Cowboys had a rookie head coach in Brian Schottenheimer and just traded away defensive standout Micah Parsons to Green Bay. The Cowboys got the ball first. 6 seconds into the game, the opening kickoff, saw Eagles player Van Sumeren crumple to the ground injured. He was taken off on the stretcher. Eagles defensive player Jalen Carter on the opening kickoff for some reason after the play spit in Dak Prescott’s face and was ejected. All of this was before a single offensive play from scrimmage.

The Cowboys began the season at their own 47 and began playing smash mouth straight up the gut. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 33, a perfectly executed play action pass saw Prescott go deep to CeeDee Lamb for 32 down to the one. Javontae Williams easily crashed up the middle into the end zone for the season’s first score to make it 7-0 Cowboys. 

The Eagles began on offense with an illegal motion penalty but quickly settled down. Saquon Barkley ran for 16. Jalen Hurts hit Shipley for 19. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Hurts scrambled around, couldn’t find anyone, and tucked the ball and ran up the middle for the touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame 

On the next kickoff, a scuffle broke out. This was now a typical NFC East street brawl as one Cowboys player had his helmet ripped off. Yet somehow rather than the typical offsetting penalties, both personal fouls on the play were against the Cowboys. Yet from their own 12, the Cowboys offense kept rolling. Prescot went to Lamb for 18. On 3rd and 2 from his own 41, Prescott found Lamb again for 26. On 2nd and 23 from his own 46, defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant a 34 yard gain. Williams picked up 11 more down to the one as the first quarter ended. On the first play of the second quarter, Williams crashed in for the touchdown to make it 14-7 Cowboys.

Touchbacks now have the receiving team starting at their own 35, which is what the Eagles did. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 46, Hurts found Dallas Goedert for 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 24, Hurts scrambled around, evaded tacklers, and gained 15. wo plays later Hurts scrambled around, took off, and got to the corner pylon for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-14. 

The Cowboys moved from their own 31 to a 1st and 10 at the Philadelphia 23, aided by a defensive taunting penalty that wiped out a run for a loss. Prescott then there 3 straight incompletions. A game of touchdowns now had its first field goal as Brandon Aubrey hit from 41 to make it 17-14 Cowboys with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 23. Hurts uncorked a perfectly thrown bomb to Dotson. Despite solid single coverage, Dotson hauled it in for a 61 yard gain. Barkley ripped off a 10 yard touchdown run to give the Eagles their first lead 21-17 with 50 seconds left in the half. 

That was enough time for the Cowboys, who took over at their own 12 with 44 seconds left. A roughing the passer penalty gifted the Cowboys 15 yards. On 3rd and 5 from his own 46, Prescott hit newly acquired George Pickens for 9 and then found Lamb for 10. Aubrey drilled a 53 yard field goal to end the half with the Cowboys within 21-20. 

The Eagles began the third quarter at their own 28 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 36. Hurts was sacked for an 8 yard loss. Nick Sirianni brought in Jake Elliott for a 58 yard field goal try. Elliott was good and the Eagles led 24-20. The Cowboys took over at their own 29. From their own 40, Miles Sanders got around the end for a 49 yard gain. An offensive penalty for unnecessary roughness had the Cowboys facing 3rd and 22 from the Philly 23. Prescott went deep over the middle to Ferguson in the end zone. For a moment it appeared Ferguson had a touchdown, but he got blasted by Rod Blankenship for an incompletion.

Blankenship was flagged for defensive  unnecessary roughness for a blow to the head, but it turned out to be a good penalty. Without the hit, Ferguson has a definite touchdown. Instead the Cowboys had 1st and 10 at the Philadelphia 11. Because it was unnecessary roughness rather than defensive pass interference, the ball was on the 11 instead of 1st and goal at the one. The Cowboys scored all 4 times they had the ball in the first half and were well within short field goal range, but this time the Philadelphia defense came up big. Sanders got the carry and had the ball punched out. he Eagles recovered the fumble and took over at their own 16 with exactly 4:44 left in the third quarter. At this point a crazy game got even crazier as the NFL suspended play due to a lightning storm in the area.  

The Buffalo Wild Wings in Kansas where I was watching the game put on a baseball game in the meantime. Going from football to baseball is like going from a rock concert to elevator music. Please God, end this storm. Bring back football. After an hour delay, the game returned. To be fair, the bar returned to the football game before play resumed, because even watching football announcers talk about nothing during a delay is more interesting than baseball. 

Play resumed with the Eagles facing 1st and 10 at their own 16. They went 3 and out. The Cowboys took over at their own 26 and faced a 3rd and 10 just shy of midfield as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with Prescott throwing a ball over the middle that should have been caught for a first down. Instead it bounced off of the receiver’s hands, then off his helmet, and straight up into the air. The Cowboys were lucky to escape with an incompletion as they punted. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 22. It was time for the first tush push of the season. Hurts got the yard. On 3rd and 1 from their own 32, it was tush push time again. The whole world including the Dallas defense knew what was coming, but they couldn’t stop it as Hurts gained 2 yards. The rest of the league wants to ban the play, but a better approach would be just stopping it on defense. 

Despite taking 7 minutes off the clock, the Eagles faced 4th and 5 from midfield midway through the fourth quarter. The Eagles lined up to go for it, but it was a head fake to try and get the Cowboys defense to jump offsides. The defense didn’t bite and the Eagles punted. Yet the Cowboys again went 3 and out as a game of all offense was now a game of all defense. The Eagles took over at their own 24 with 4:43 to play in regulation hoping to grind down the clock and close out the game. yet another 3 and out gave the Cowboys another chance to pull off the road upset. The Cowboys took over at their own 18 with 3 minutes left.  

On 3rd and 5 from their own 23, Prescott went to Pickens for 15. Prescott fired a beautiful deep rainbow over the middle to Lamb, who just dropped it. At the 2 minute warning the Cowboys had 4th and 3 from their own 44. Rather than just move the chains, Prescott went deep to Lamb. The ball was slightly overthrown but catchable. Lamb dove for it. It went right through his hands. He dropped it again. The Eagles again could close out the game but the Cowboys had timeouts on defense. Two stops and 2 timeouts had the Eagles facing 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 38 with 1:45 left. Hurts went back to pass, found nobody, and escaped up the middle for a key first down. 

The Cowboys were game, but the defending champions escaped with a brutally tough win in a fantastic start to the 2025 NFL Season. The rematch in Dallas will be highly anticipated. 24-20 Eagles

Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers was the Friday night game from Brazil. The Chiefs may have gotten blasted in the Super Bowl, but they are still the 3 time defending AFC Champions who have won the AFC West 8 straight years. The Chargers have never won anything since the merger. Yet with Jim Harbaugh as coach, the Chargers were either going to finally win a big game or be a sad sack franchise for eternity. The Chiefs win, the Chargers lose, and that is how it is. The Chiefs entered having beaten the Chargers 7 straight times. For those who have no interest in whether any of the players are engaged to any pop stars, good. Pop culture has nothing to do with football, and this was an excellent football game.

Things started crazy on the third play of the game. The Chiefs faced 3rd and 6 a their own 32. Patrick Mahomes went back to pass and threw incomplete. yet the 3 and out was less significant than a friendly fire incident. Travis Kelce threw a devastating block on Xavier Worthy, which would be great of they were not teammates. The friendly fire accident ended the night for Worthy, who suffered an injured shoulder. imm will tell how bad this injury is. 

The Chargers took over at their own 32 and Justin Herbert quickly found Johnston for a 33 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Kansas City 10, Herbert threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 3, Herbert went to Johnston for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers. The second quarter was a battle of field goals. Cameron Dicker hit from 39 early in the second quarter to make it 10-0 Chargers. The Chiefs held the ball for 16 plays and 9 minutes, but on 3rd and goal at the 9, Mahomes was sacked. Harrison Butker hit from 35 to get the Chiefs on the board. Dicker hit from 36 to have the Chargers up 13-3 with only 45 seconds left in the half. The Chiefs took over at their own 29. A pair of false starts had the Chiefs facing 3rd and 20 at the Chargers 43 with 17 seconds left. Mahomes hit Gray for only 3 yards and Gray failed to get out of bounds. Because it was 4th down, the Chiefs could not spike the ball. They had 0 timeouts. Under heavy pressure with the clock running, Butker calmly drilled a 59 yarder at the gun to have the Chiefs within 13-6 at the half. 

A war of attrition and field goals turned into a track meet in the third quarter. The Chiefs took over at their own 20 and Mahomes ran for 11. On 3rd and 2 from their 39, Mahomes hit Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 13. On 3rd and 8 from the chargers 46, Mahomes ran for 15. Mahomes ran for an 11 yard touchdown. Yet midway through the third quarter of what should have been a tie game, the normally reliable Butker missed the extra point wide right. The Chiefs were within 13-12. but that miss would prove costly. 

Jim Harbaugh showed balls of steel by gambling on 4th and 1 from his own 35. Hampton gained 4 yards. Herbert then went to Keenan Allen for 15 and to Ladd McConkey for 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Kansas City 11, Herbert went to Allen for the touchdown as the Chargers led 20-12 after three quarters. The Chiefs began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Mahomes went to Juju Smith-Schuster for 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 42, Mahomes gained 5. Mahomes then went to Kelce, who sprinted for a 37 yard touchdown. Because of the earlier missed extra point, Walrus Andy Reid went for 2 to try and tie the game. Mahomes threw incomplete and the Chiefs trailed 20-18 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Chasing points is bad. You don’t go for 2 until you absolutely have to. 

The Chargers took over at their own 26. On 3rd and 7 from their 40, Herbert went to Allen for 9 and Harris for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 25, Conklin took the direct snap and gained 2.Herbert then went deep to Johnston for a 33 yard touchdown. The Chargers led 27-18 with 5 minutes left in regulation. The missed extra point and failed 2 point conversion meant the Chiefs needed 2 scores, not one. 

The Chiefs moved from their 26 to a 1st and goal at the 9. Yet Mahomes then threw 3 straight incompletions. Butker hit the 27 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 6 with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Chiefs had all 3 timeouts left. If the Chargers punted, the Chiefs could win the game 28-27 and everyone would say it was the same Chiefs and the same Chargers. Rather than try to run the ball, Jim Harbaugh went super aggressive. Herbert hit Dissly for 18 yards. Everything came down to the Chargers facing 3rd and 14 at their own 34 with 2:14 left as the Chiefs took their last timeout. One more stop would give Mahomes the ball back. Herbert scrambled, found an open lane down the sideline, and sprinted for a 19 yard gain before sliding down in bounds. The game was over. The upset was complete. The Chargers were in sole possession of first place for at least 2 days, The Chiefs were in the cellar. The Chargers finally won a big one and are built Harbaugh tough. As for the 0-1 Chiefs, Andy Reid is a most concerned Walrus indeed. 27-21 Chargers

Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts — The first game of the post-Jim Irsay era saw Daniel Jones try to rescue his career after being a bust with the Giants. The Dolphins have been plagued by internal strife and a talented quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa who has not been able to stay healthy. Jones looked solid all day in a game that was never competitive. Schrader got the Colts on the board first with a 24 yard first quarter field goal. Tagovailoa was quickly intercepted. On the first play of the second quarter on 2nd and 20, Jones hit Pittman for a 27 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Colts. Tagovailoa was then sacked and fumbled to give the Colts another short field at the Miami 42. Jones went to Mitchell for 18 and Mo Alie-Cox for 20. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jones got in to make it 17-0 Colts. Schrader ended the half with a 35 yard field goal and hit again from 28 early in the third quarter after another Tagovailoa interception. After the Dolphins turned it over on downs, the Colts marched 69 yards. Jones got the last yard in the fourth quarter for a 30-0 Colts lead. The Dolphins reached the end zone once to avoid the shutout and Shrader tacked on a fourth field goal to complete the blowout. 33-8 Colts

Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets — This was a battle between a Jets team that gave up on Aaron Rodgers and a Pittsburgh team that was the only team in the league not to give up on Rodgers. To be fair, neither Brett Favre or anyone else who succeeds elsewhere seems to win much with the Jets either. On the flip side, Justin Fields was on the Steelers last year and is now starting for the Jets. The Jets have a new coach in Aaron Glenn who is a Bill Parcells disciple. Yet on this day there was very little defense on either side for most of the game. The Jets began at their own 35and moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Pittsburgh 18. On 3rd and 11, a surprise run gained only 3 yards. Nick Folk hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 29. Rodgers went to Pat Freiermuth for 11. On 3rd and 10 from his own 40, Rodgers went to DK Metcalf for 23. Rodgers then found Brent Skowronek for a 22 yard touchdown. Rodgers’s first touchdown in black and gold put the Steelers up 7-3. 

A 40 yard kickoff return by Gibson had the Jets taking over at their own 45. Runs and short passes led to a 3rd and 2 at the Pittsburgh 37. Breece Hall gained 4. Fields then went deep to Greg Wilson for a 33 yard touchdown. Glenn in his very first gam as an NFL head coach decided to go for a pointless 2 point conversion try. The try failed and the Jets led 9-7. Chris Boswell began the second quarter by drilling a 56 yard field goal to put the Steelers up 10-9. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 38. Fields went to Ruckert for just enough. Fields connected with Ruckert for a 33 yard gain. Fields ran for 15. Allen ran for the 8 yard touchdown to put the Jets up 16-10. The Jets got it back at their own 26 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Pittsburgh 29. Fields tried to get around the end but lost 4 yards. Folk hit a 51 yard field goal as the Jets led 19-10 with 3 minutes left in the half. 

The Steelers took over at their own 35. Rodgers went deep to Austin for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 27, Rodgers went to Smith for 3. Rodgers went to Austin for 21. Rodgers hit Smith for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Steelers within 19-17. In the third quarter the Jets faced 3rd and 5 at their own 37. Fields went to Ruckert for 12. Hall the  gained 17. Fields found Wilson for 21 down to the 2. Fields got the last deuce himself to make it 26-17 Jets. The Steelers took over at their own 32. Defensive unnecessary roughness gifted the Steelers 15 yards. Rodgers went to Warren for 17 and Metcalf for 18 more. Rodgers hit Warren for a 5 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to get the Steelers within 26-24. A key play in the game came when the Jets fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Steelers recovered at the Jets 22. Two plays later Rodgers went to Warren for an 18 yard touchdown to have the Steelers up 31-26. 

The Jets took over at their own 33. Hall ran for 12. Fields went to Reynolds for 13 more. Fields hit Taylor for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 14, Fields gained 4. Midway through the fourth quarter, Aaron Glenn decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. Fields got in. The Jets had the lead, but the earlier failed 2 point conversion had the Jets going for 2 again. Chasing points often fails. It did again but the Jets did lead 32-31. With 3:13 to play the Steelers took over at their own 19. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Jets 40. A completion lost a couple yards and Rodgers on 3rd and 11 threw incomplete. With one minute left, Mike Tomlin had a major decision to make.He brought in Boswell to try a 60 yard field goal in  hostile environment with the game on the line. 

Boswell blasted the daylights out of it. The Steelers had the 2 point lead. With 30 seconds left, everything came down to the Jets facing 4th and 3 at their own 38. They were a couple first downs from long field goal range for the win. Fields found a wide open Wilson in the flat past the first down marker. The ball was right in his hands. Then Wilson got blasted to pieces by Jalen Ramsey. The ball fell to the ground for an incompletion and a turnover on downs. It was a hit Aaron Glenn could have delivered in his playing days. Yet it was also a Mike Tomlin Steelers hit. As for his kicker, Tomlin glowingly referred to him after the game as a serial killer. The supposedly washed up Rodgers was 22 of 30 for 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. 34-32 Steelers

Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars — Both of these teams joined the NFL in 1995, played in that year’s Hall of Fame Game, and reached their Conference Title Game in 1996. After 30 years, they spent last year looking like expansion teams. In the first quarter Cam Little hit a 35 yard field goal for the Jaguars and Fitzgerald answered from 48 for a 3-3 game. Early in the second quarter an interception of Bryce Young gave the Jaguars a short field at the Carolina 35. Lawrence hit Long for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back at their own 8 and 92 yards came easily. Travis Etienne ripped off a 71 yard run. Thomas got around the end for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Jaguars. A Carolina fumble led to a 47 yard Little field goal to have the Jaguars up 20-3 at the break. A scoreless third quarter saw the Panthers finally reach the end zone in the fourth quarter, with two more Little field goals sandwiched around them to complete the lopsided win. 26-10 Jaguars

Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints — The Cardinals entered with low expectations for the season, but the Saints are a dumpster fire with even lower expectations. Sometimes bad teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game, although it was somewhat competitive. The Cardinals in the first quarter moved from their own 34 to a 3rd and 7 at the New Orleans 19. A delay of game and an incompletion ended the drive. Ryland hit the 24 yard field goal to get the Cardinals on the board first. The Saints took over at their own 25. Spencer Rattler hit Johnson for 11 and Chris Olave for 13. Miller gained 10. Rattler ran for 9 and hit Brandin Cooks for 12 as the Saints began the second quarter at the Arizona 25. Alvin Kamara caught a pass from Rattler for 7 and ran for an 18 yard touchdown to give the Saints the 7-3 lead.

The Cardinals took over at their own 35. Kyler Murray went deep to Marvin Harrison for a 45 yard gain. Murray went to Harrison for a one yard touchdown and a 10-7 Cardinals lead. Miller returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to set up the Saints at their own 45. On 3rd and 8 from the Arizona 21, Rattler completed a pass for a 3 yard gain. Blake Grupe hit from 36 for a 10-10 game. The Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 29. Murray hit McBride for 11. A defensive facemark added 15. On 3rd and 12 from the New Orleans 45, Murray went to mcBride for 25. Murray hit James Conner for a 4 yard touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half to give the Cardinals the 17-10 lead. A lifeless second half saw Ryland hit a 50 yard third quarter field goal to make it 20-10 Cardinals. Grupe missed a 37 yard field goal while Ryland missed from 46 with under 5 minutes left in regulation. Grupe hit from 28 to get the Saints within 7 points with 2:42 left. The Saints held on defense and got the ball back at their own 42 with 1:49 left. The Saints reached the Arizona 18 with 14 seconds left and a chance to tie or win the game.After spiking the ball, Rattler threw 3 incompletions as the Saints came up short. 20-13 Cardinals

New York Giants at Washington Commanders — Sometimes one of the worst teams in the league can go on the road and shock one of the best teams in the league in an upset for the ages. This was not that game. Goliath easily beat up David and stole his lunch money. The Commanders took over at their own 11 in the first quarter. Jayden Daniels went deep to Moore for a 34 yard gain and to Brown for 18 more. Daniels went to Zac Ertz for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Commanders. The Giants moved from their own 22 all the way to a 4th and goal at the 2 to start the second quarter. Brian Daboll went for it. Russell Wilson threw incomplete but defensive illegal use of hands gave the Giants a new set of downs. It didn’t matter. On 1st and goal at the one, Wilson threw incomplete, a run lost a yard, and Wilson threw incomplete again. Daboll had seen enough. Gano hit the 21 yard field goal to get the Giants on the board. 

The Commanders took over at their own 42. Daniels went to newly acquired Deebo Samuel for 16. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 28, Daniels gained 11. Creskey ran for a 6 yard touchdown with 14 seconds left to have the Commanders up 14-3. Gano managed a 55 yard field goal late in the third quarter, but that was it for the lifeless Giants. Early in the fourth quarter the Commanders took over at their own 20. Daniels ran for 14 and hit Ertz for 11. Daniels ran for 12 and on 3rd and 5 from the Giants 48 hit Samuel for 19. Samuel got around the end for a 19 yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter ti put the game out of reach. 21-6 Commanders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons — While neither of these teams are expected to do much this year, they did put on a decent game. The Falcons from their own 35 needed only 3 plays to open the scoring. Michael Penix went to Bijon Robinson on a short pass that went for a 50 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. The Buccaneers moved from their own 9 to a 3rd and 6 at the Atlanta 30. Baker Mayfield threw incomplete. Chase McLaughlin hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers on the board with 10 minutes left in the half. The Falcons gambled on 4th and 1 from the Tampa Bay 47. Robinson got stopped cold. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 11 and deep to Egbuka to give the Buccaneers their first lead at 10-7. The Falcons moved from their own 30 to a 2nd and 6 at the Tampa Bay 21. Penix completed a pass for a one yard loss and then threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit the 41 yard field goal as the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 10-10.

McLaughlin missed a 44 yard field goal in the third quarter that would have given the Buccaneers the lead. Yet the Buccaneer got it back with a 64 yard punt return that set them up at the Atlanta 32. On 3rd and 6, Mayfield ran for 20. Mayfield went to Irving for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Buccaneers. The Falcons moved from their own 29 to a 3rd and 4 at the Tampa Bay 9. Looking to tie the game, Penix was sacked. Koo hit from 36 to have the Falcons within 17-13 after three quarters.The Falcons got it back at their own 9 yard line with 11 minutes left in regulation. On 3rd and 6, Penix went to Pitts for 10. Roughing the passer added 15. On 3rd and 3 from his own 45, Penix went to Washington for 7. Another roughing the passer call added 15 more. On 4th and goal at the 4 after what seemed like a million plays within the 5 yard line, Penix got in. The Falcons had the 20-17 lead with 2:17 to play.

The game was far from over. A strong kickoff return had the Buccaneers a their own 37. Mayfield hit Evans for 12 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Mayfield went to Shepard for 10. This time it was roughing the passer the other way as the Buccaneers gained 15 yards. Mayfield then went to Egbuka for a 25 yard touchdown. The Buccaneers had the lead, but McLaughlin’s extra point doinked off the left upright no good. With one minute left, the Buccaneers led by 3 rather than 4 points. The Falcons took over at their own 14 with 52 seconds left. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Tampa Bay 26 with 16 seconds left. Penix took a couple of deep shots incomplete. With only 6 seconds left, Raheem Morris was not in a gambling mood. He brought in Koo on 3rd down to tie the game and force overtime. From 44 yards out, the pride of Atlanta and South Korea was no good wide right. Koo slammed his helmet in anger on the sideline. 23-20 Buccaneers 

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns — Even by Ohio football standards, this was an ugly game that was total Cleveland and Cincinnati and 0% Canton. The Bengals took over at their own 32 and Joe Burrow went right to work, hitting Fast for 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 40, Burrow went to Higgins for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 18, Brown gained 5, 8, and the 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. The Browns took over at their own 33. Runs and short passes by Joe Flacco meant a staggering 16 play drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock. Kevin Stefanski gambled on 4th and 1 from the cincinnati 48. Sanders gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincinnati 34, Flacco threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 6 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincinnati 27, Flacco threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 4 yards and a new set of downs. From the Cincinnati 20 to start the second quarter, Flacco went to Sampson for 12 with roughing the passer adding 4 more. On 3rd and goal at the one, Sanders got stopped. Stefnaski gambled again. on 4th and goal, Sanders went to the exact same spot and this time got in for the touchdown and the 7-7 game. 

A 23 yard punt return in the second quarter set up the Bengals at their own 46. Burrow went to JaMarr Chase for 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 23, Burrow went to Perine for 5. Defensive pass interference added 15. On 3rd and goal at the one, Burrow got in to make it 14-7 Bengals. The Browns then moved from heir own 22 to a 3rd and 5 at the Cincinnati 27. Flacco went deep incomplete. Before the season, the Browns cut veteran Dustin Hopkins and brought in Andre Szmyt. From 45 yards out, Szmyt was good to get the Browns within 14-10. The Browns carried that momentum into the third quarter, starting out with a 3rd and 3 at they own 38. Flacco hit Fannin for 18 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincinnati 43, Flacco went to Tillman for 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincinnati 9, Sampson got around the end for 6. Flacco went to Tillman for the 5 yard touchdown. Midway through the third quarter, the Browns had the lead.

Yet it would remain 2 points rather than 3 because Andre Szmyt missed the extra point. The Browns led 16-14. The next time the Browns got the ball, Flacco was intercepted. The Bengals took over at the Cleveland 34. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 17, Flacco threw incomplete. Evan McPherson hit the 35 yard field goal to give the Bengals the one point lead. There were still 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Kevin Stefanski gambled on 4th and 5 from the Cincy 39. Flacco threw incomplete. Midway through the fourth quarter, a disastrous sequence had the Bengals punting on 4th and 28 from their own 2. The Browns took over at the Cincy 42. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincy 12, Flacco was sacked. Nevertheless, the field goal try for the lead with 2 1/2 minutes left was only a 36 yard try. Szmyt came in for redemption. He didn’t get it as his kick was wide right no good. The Browns got the ball back one more time but with 90 seconds left from his own 42, Flacco was intercepted. Even by Battle of Ohio standards, this was hideous. 17-16 Bengals

Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots — From Sugar Bear Hamilton to the Tuck Rule to Chandler Jones running over Mac Jones, this series has produced some wild endings. Now former Patriots player Mike Vrabel was coaching his team for the first time. Meanwhile, the infamous Tuck rule Tom Brady was now a minority owner of the Raiders.  One coach Brady beat in a Super Bowl, Pete Carroll, was now coaching his first game with the Raiders. His former Seattle quarterback Geno Smith was now his Raiders quarterback. The Raiders began at their own 34 and exploded out of the gate. Smith went to Brock Bowers for 23 yards. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty gained 9. Smith went to Thornton for 9. On 3rd and 11 from the New England 26, Smith went deep to Tre Tucker for the touchdown and the 7-0 Raiders lead less than 3 minutes into the game. 

The Raiders have had plenty of games in recent years where their offense looked great on their first drive and then did nothing for the remaining 55 minutes. The Raiders on their second drive began at their own 5 and moved all the way to the new England 40. Everything was clicking. The Raiders had all the momentum. Smith went deep and was intercepted. The Patriots took over at their own 18 and the Raiders defense immediately got called for encroachment. On 2nd and 11 from his own 27, Drake Maye went deep to Hunter Henry for 27 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Raiders 46, Maye went deep to Bouette for 24. Maye hit Hooper for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Maye hit Douglas for the touchdown to tie the game 7-7.

The Raiders offense went into hibernation for the rest of the half. They dodged a bullet when Patriots kicker Borregales missed a 40 yard field goal try, but Borregales hit from 37 at the 2 minute warning. On the last play of the half, Daniel Carlson’s 58 yard try was no good. Although the Patriots only led 10-7, it had the feel of the Raiders eventually falling behind 27-7. The Patriots began the third quarter at their own 12 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at their own 48. Then momentum swung again. Maye went deep and was intercepted by Pola-Mao. 

The Raiders took over at their own 29. Smith went to Jakobi Meyers for 23 and again for 19, with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15. Out of the shotgun, hearty took a handoff 3 yards up the gut to put the Raiders back in front 14-10. Although nearly 25 minutes of football remained, neither team would reach the end zone again. The Raiders defense harassed Maye the entire second half. Carlson hit field goals of 51 late in the third quarter and 40 midway through the fourth quarter. The Raiders had a comfortable 20-10 lead, but they do not win games easily. 

On 1st and 10 from the New England 39 with a chance to totally put the game away, the Raiders ran the ball 3 straight times for 0 yards. Rather than try a 57 yard field goal, Pete Carroll opted to punt. The Patriots took over at their own 20 with 1:48 left. They quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Raiders 26, but only 35 seconds remained. After Maye was taken down, Mike Vrabel needing 2 scores decided to kick the field goal on 3rd down. Borregales hit from 44 but the onside kick failed. made finished 30 of 46 for 287 yards while Smith was a very solid 24 of 34 for 362 yards. Both quarterbacks had one touchdown pass and were intercepted once. Both run defenses were solid, which is to be expected of teams coached by Mike Vrabel and Pete Carroll. The Patriots managed only 60 yards in 18 carries while the Raiders had 56 yards on 24 carries. 20-13 Raiders

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks — A little over a decade ago these teams with their nasty defenses competed in the NFC Title Game. Now they are above average but not world beaters. Early on the 49ers were pinned at their own 5 yard line. On 3rd and 4 Brock Purdy went to George Kittle for 8. On 3rd and 8 from their own 21, Purdy went deep to Pearsall for 26. On 3rd and 9 from the Seattle 39, Purdy threw incomplete but roughing the passer added 15 yards. Purdy went to Kittle for 11 more. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Purdy went to Kittle for the touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. The Seahawk took over at their own 31, From their 43, newly acquired Sam Darnold went to Smith-Nigba for 21. Early in the second quarter, Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald gambled on 4th and 3 from the San Francisco 4. Darnold threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meat 1st and goal at the one. Charbonnet got in to tie the game 7-7.

The defenses then dug in. With one minute left in the half, 49ers kicker Jake moody doinked a 27 yard field goal try off the upright no good. It was Seahawks kicker Jason Myers who hit from 48 to end the half with the Seahawks up 10-7. The third quarter was ugly. Purdy was intercepted. On their next series, Moody’s 36 yard field goal try to tie the game was blocked. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a completed pass by Darnold was fumbled. This time from 42 yards out, Moody was good for a 10-10 game. Yet when the 49ers got it back looking for the lead, Purdy was intercepted again. That led to a 37 yard field goal by Myers to put the Seahawks up 13-10 with 3 1/2 minutes left to play.

The 49ers took over at their own 32. Purdy went deep to Pearsall for a 45 yard gain. With just over 90 seconds to play, the 49ers faced 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 4. Purdy rolled out to his right. With a man in his face, Purdy threw a prayer to the end zone where three defenders were that should have been intercepted. Yet Richard Sherman, Malcolm Smith and the rest of the Legion of Boom were not on the field. Instead, Tonges somehow came down with it for the touchdown. This was certainly not Montana to Clark. It was ugly, but it counted and put the 49ers up by 4 points. Yet the Seahawks needed only 30 seconds to move from their 35 to a 1st and 5 at the San Francisco 9. One minute plenty of time. Yet with the game on the line, Darnold was sacked by Nick Bosa and fumbled. Bosa recovered to seal the win. 17-13 49ers

Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos — With Sean Payton and Bo Nix in their second year together, expectations were Mile High in Denver. The Broncos began their season against the worst team of 2024, as top draft pick Cam Ward started his first NFL game. Ward showed poise and composure in leading the Titans to a 50 yard Joey Slye field goal and a 3-0 Titans lead on their first drive. Wil Lutz answered from 39 for a 3-3 game. The defenses dug in as Nix threw an interception late in the first quarter only to have the Titans fumble the ball back early in the second quarter. Midway through the second quarter Nix was sacked and fumbled. The Titans took over at the Denver 38 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the 3. Ward was sacked. Slye hit a 33 yard field goal to give the Titans the surprising 6-3 lead. 

That appeared to be how the half would end, but with 40 seconds left before the intermission the Titans had to punt on 4th and 16 from their own one. A 17 yard return had the Broncos at the Tennessee 38 with 27 seconds left. Nix threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 16 yard gain. Nix then went deep to Sutton for a 22 yard touchdown. After being bottled up the entire first half, the Broncos somehow had the 10-6 lead with 16 seconds left. Yet Dike returned the ensuing kickoff 71 yards to the Denver 24. Slye hit a 42 yard field goal for a wild ending to what had been a dull first 29 1/2 minutes. The Titans were only down 10-9.

On the second play of the third quarter, Nix was intercepted again. His third turnover had the Titans on the Denver 26. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 17,  rookie coach Brian Callahan decided not to gamble. Slye hit the 35 yard field goal to put the Titans up 12-10. The Broncos moved from their own 37 to a 4th and 2 at the Denver 10. Sean Payton did line up to go for it but the Broncos took a delay of game penalty. Lutz hit from 33 to have the Broncos up 13-12 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. Then both defenses dug in again. With 9 minutes left, the Broncos took over at their own 20. Harvey broke free for a 50 yard touchdown. The Broncos led by 8, but they turned it over on downs on their next 2 possessions. With one minute left, the Titans took over at their own 36. Ward had a chance to be a hero in his first ever game. Yet he threw 3 straight incompletions. On 4th and 10 he was sacked and fumbled. The Broncos recovered to escape with a much tougher win than expected. 20-12 Broncos 

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers — After having been dominated by the Packers for 30 years, the tide shifted a couple years ago as the Lions won 3 straight. Both teams made the playoffs last year but it was the 15-2 Lions who had the best record in the NFL. An injury-riddled defense denied the Lions their first trip to the Super Bowl. After the season, Dan Campbell lost both his offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs. The Packers were the model of stability. The Packers took over at their own 17 and went right to work. Jordan Love went to Romeo Doubs for 20. On 3rd and 10 Love went to Wicks for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 42, Love went to Golden for 11. Defensive unsportsmanlike conduct added 15. On 3rd and 9 from the Detroit 15, Love went to Kraft for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Packers got it back at their own 48 and moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Detroit 16. Love threw incomplete. Brandon McManus hit a 34 yard field goal for a 10-0 Packers lead after the first quarter.

Jake Bates hit a 30 yard second quarter field goal for the Lions but their offense never found a rhythm. The Packers took over at their own 35 and made it look easy. Love went deep to Doubs for a 48 yard gain. Love then went to Reed for a touchdown and a 17-3 Packers lead. Bates hit a 27 yard third quarter field goal but this game was never competitive. Early in the fourth quarter the Lions punted on 4th and 17 from their own one. The Packers took over at the Detroit 38 and turned out the lights. On 4th and 1 from the Detroit 10, Matt LaFleur went for it and Love gained 2. Jacobs ran for 5 and then the 3 yard touchdown. This was not West Coast Offense dink and dunk. This was smash mouth and the Packers were doing the smashing up 24-6. The Lions turned it over on downs in their own territory and McManus tacked on a 38 yarder to make it 27-6 Packers. The Lions finally managed one garbage touchdown. 27-13 Packers

Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams — Demo Ryans knows defense and Sean McVay is a stud on offense. Yet this day belonged to both defenses. Kaimi Fairbairn managed  51 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans late in the first quarter. Fairbairn connected again from 45 to have the Texans up 6-0 with 5 minutes left in the half. After 25 minutes of listlessness, the Rams finally got going from their own 35. Matthew Stafford went to Puka Nacua for 19. Williams ran for one and 9. Stafford went to nacho for 24. On 4th and goal at the one, McVay went for it. Williams got in to have the Rams up 7-6 with 53 seconds left in the half. The Texans took over at their own 23 and quickly moved to the Rams 35. Fairbairn was good from 53 as the Texans took a 9-7 lead to the locker rooms. 

The Rams began the third quarter at their own 32. Stafford went to Adams for 15. Stafford went deep to Smith for 36. Stafford went to Allen for a 13 yard touchdown. The Rams had  5 point lead only 2 1/2 minutes into the third quarter. CJ Strous was intercepted as both defenses dominated. With 4 minutes left on 1st and 10 at the Houston 12 looking to ice the game, the Rams instead fumbled the ball away. The Texans moved from their own 19 to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 25 with 1:51 to play. Stroud went to Ogunbowale for 7, but Ogunbowale fumbled and the Rams recovered. The Texans used their timeouts on defense. Everything came down to the Rams facing 3rd and 8 at their own 26 with 90 seconds left. Stafford went to Nacua for 24 and then took a couple knees. In a defensive slugfest, Houston’s defense couldn’t get one final stop. 14-9 Rams

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills was the Sunday night game. A few months ago an epic playoff game saw the Bills survive at home 35-33 when all pro Ravens tight end Mark Andrews dropped the game-tying 2 point conversion. with expectations high between 2 teams with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, somehow the expectations were met. This game became an instant classic, although it did not look that way for most of the game. A 41 yard return of the opening kickoff had the Bills starting at midfield. On 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 36, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 2, Johnson got around the end for 17. Josh Allen went to Kincaid for a 15 yard touchdown to put the Bills up 7-0 less than 4 minutes into the game.

The Ravens moved form their 31 to a 3rd and 7 at the Buffalo 19. Lamar Jackson was sacked for a 15 yard loss. With 13 year veteran Justin Tucker no longer on the team, rookie Tyler Loop was tasked with making a 52 yard field goal. He was good for his first professional NFL points to get the Ravens on the board. The Ravens got the ball back at their own 15. Derrick Henry ran for 11 and Jackson hit Bay Flowers for 20. The second quarter began with the Ravens facing 3rd and 3 at the Buffalo 47. Jackson got around the end for a 17 yard gain. Henry then broke free for  30 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 31. Henry busted off a 49 yard run. Jackson ran for a 10 yard touchdown. The Ravens now led 17-7.

The Bills took over at their own 30 and moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Baltimore 10. A completion gained only 3 yards. The Bills were without their regular kicker. With Tyler Bass injured, ageless veteran Matt Prater was called out of retirement. He joined the team earlier in the week. His career long field goal is 64 yards, which was an NFL record until Tucker broke it. His first kick with the Bills was only 25 yards to get the Bills within 17-10. A 41 yard kickoff return and the Ravens taking over at their own 46. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 17. A shotgun snap gone wrong resulted in a fumble and a 15 yard loss. Loop hit a 49 yard field goal to have the Ravens up 20-10. Only 30 seconds remained in the half. That was enough time for the Bills to move from their 27 to the Baltimore 25. Prater hit from 43 to get the Bills within 20-13 at the break.

The Ravens kept rolling to start the third quarter, taking over at their own 35. On 3rd and 7, Jackson went to Flowers for 39 and again for a 23 yard touchdown. The Ravens led 27-13. Their offense scored the first 5 times they had the ball. The ensuing kickoff failed to reach the landing zone, setting up the Bills at their own 40. On 3rd and 2, Josh Allen gained 5. Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and 5 from the Baltimore 31. Allen threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 27 yard gain. Jared Cook ran for a 2 yard touchdown. A defensive penalty on the play allowed the Bills to try a 2 point conversion from the one yard line. They should have kicked the extra point anyway. Pointless 2 point conversion tries often end up exactly that…pointless. This one failed and the Bills trailed 27-19.

Sean McDonough’s defense finally forced a punt but the Bills punted it back. The Ravens took over at their own 32. Jackson went to Flowers for 36. Jackson went deep to Deandre Hopkins for a 29 yard touchdown and a 34-19 Ravens lead after three quarters. The Bills took over at their own 16 and began the fourth quarter at their own 28.Allen went to Coleman for 15. On 3rd and 6 from his own 47, Allen went to Cook for 51.bAllen ran for the 2 yard touchdown. Yet because of the earlier pointless 2 point conversion, now Sean McDonough was chasing points. That also usually fails. If you don’t go for the first one, you don’t need to go for the second one. The try failed again and the Bills trailed 34-25. The Ravens took over at their own 35. On 3rd and 10, Jackson scrambled for 19. Henry then busted free for a 56 yard touchdown. Loop’s extra point doinked off the right upright no good. The Ravens led 40-25 with under 12 minutes left in regulation. Even if the Bills scored, it didn’t matter. The Buffalo defense could not stop the Baltimore offense. Henry was running a;; over them.

The Bills took over at their own 21. Allen went to Coleman for 21. On 3rd and 3 from the Baltimore 37, Allen threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant an 8 yard gain. Allen hit Kincaid for 11. With 4 minutes left in regulation, the Bills were down to their last gasp. They faced 4th and 2 at the Baltimore 10. One defensive stop would pretty much end things. instead, Allen went to Coleman for the touchdown. The Bills were within 40-32. This was the first failure to close out the game for Baltimore, FCO1. The Ravens got the ball back at their own 28. From their own 41, Henry got the carry. He had run roughshod over the Bills all game. Yet this time Henry got blasted and fumbled. His only mistake in an otherwise spectacular game proved costly. The Bills recovered at the Baltimore 30 with a chance to tie the game and a full 3 minutes to do it. This was FCO2. 

Allen went deep to Hawes for 29 down to the one. At the 2 minute warning the Bills had 3rd and goal at the one. Allen got the yard for the touchdown. This was FCO3. While this comeback was inspired, again, had the Bills just kicked the extra points earlier, the game would be tied 40-40 and an extra point would win it. Instead they were down 40-38 and had to go for 2 for the third time, this time to tie it. For the third time, they failed. Sean McDermott decided not to go with an onside kick. In a game with very little defense, he decided to trust his defense. The Ravens took over at their own 31 with 1:51 left. One firs down would end the game. On 3rd and 9, Jackson completed a pass to Hopkin for only 6 yards. Now it was John Harbaugh with the big decision on 4th and 2. From his own 39, he decided not to gamble. He opted to punt and trust his defense. This was FCO4. 

The Bills took over at their own 20 with 1:26 left. With 53 seconds left from his own 34, Allen went deep to Palmer for a 32 yard gain. Allen then went to Coleman for 25. The Bills forced the Ravens to take their timeouts on defense and then took the clock down to under 4 seconds. Prater came in for a 32 yard try to win it. Henry was helpless on the other sideline. Prater was true, and the Baltimore collapse and FCO5 were complete. 16 unanswered points in the final 4 minutes provided NFL fans with a shocking, epic classic for the ages. A rematch of this game in the playoffs would be off the charts. It was a second straight bitter defeat for Baltimore, the time losing a game they dominated most of. For Allen, it was a testament to his greatness. As Chris Berman has said many times, “No one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.”

Every lesson a parent would want to teach their child can be learned from football. The biggest life lessons were learned in this thrilling football game. Take nothing for granted. Never give up. 41-40 Bills

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears was the Monday night game. After going 14-3, the Minnesota Vikings jettisoned Sam Darnold and turned the reins over to JJ McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season injured. Caleb Williams showed promise in his rookie year, but the Bears need more than him. This game will be talked about for awhile. The Bears took over at their own 39. From the Minnesota 46, Williams went to Monanga.for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Minnesota 30, Williams went to Odunze for 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 9, Williams scrambled for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The second quarter belonged to the field goal kickers. Will Reichard hit from 31 to get the Vikings on the board. Cairo Santos hit from 42 to put the Bears up 10-3 with only 24 seconds left in the half. The Vikings took over at their own 31 with 19 seconds left. McCarthy found Naylor for 28 and Reichard drilled a 59 yarder to have the Vikings within 10-6 at the break. Early in the third quarter, mcCarthy was intercepted by Wright, who returned it 74 yards the other way. The defensive touchdown had the Bears up 17-6 after three quarters. The Chicago defense was completely shutting down Minnesota’s offense. 

The fourth quarter began with Santos lining up for a 50 yard field goal and a 20-6 Bears lead. Yet Santos was wide left no good. The Vikings took over at their own 40 and finally got going. Mason ran for 7 and 18. McCarthy hit Justin Jefferson for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 13, McCarthy went to Jefferson for the touchdown. Kevin O’Connell went for 2 and the try failed as the Vikings were within 17-12 with 12 minutes left in regulation. A 22 yard punt return gave the Vikings the ball back at midfield. On 3rd and 1, McCarthy threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 14 yard gain. On the next play McCarthy went deep to aaron Jones for a 27 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Vikings led 20-17 with 10 minutes left. The Vikings got it back at their own 32. Moon raan for 19. On 3rd and 1, Jones gained 2.McCarthy went to Jones for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 14, McCarthy got around the end for the touchdown. After 3 quarters of ineptitude, the Vikings exploded with 3 straight fourth quarter touchdown drives for a 27-17 lead with 3 minutes left. 

From their own 35, the Bears finally woke up from hibernation and fought back. Williams went to Cole Ket for 31. An incompletion on 3rd and 10 didn’t matter when the Minnesota defense was flagged for illegal contact. A roughing the passer penalty added 15 more. Williams ran for 13 down to the one. Williams hit Odunze for the touchdown to get the Bears within a field goal. 2:02 remained, but Kevin O’Connell made a very smart coaching decision. He made sure the ensuing kickoff was taken out of the end zone to use up the 2 seconds and get to the 2 minute warning. That denied Chicago an extra timeout. By the time the Bears got the ball back at their own 20, only 9 seconds remained. The hook and laterals failed as the Bears were left stunned by their fourth quarter collapse. It was a gritty Minnesota win and especially sweet for McCarthy in his very first NFL regular season game. 27-24 Vikings