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