Hanukkah Night 1.
NFL 2025 Week 15 Recap.
This is when the big dogs come out.
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the Thursday night game. The Buccaneers have struggled in recent weeks but only needed to bear the 4-9 Falcons to stay atop the woeful NFC South. In the first quarter the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 3 at their own 24. Baker Mayfield was sacked, but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. White ran for 20. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 12. On 3rd and 15 from the Atlanta 43, Mayfield went to Egbuka for 23 and to McMillan for 19 down to the one. Tucker got in for a 7-0 Buccaneers lead. After a touchback Kirk Cousins went to Pitts for 26. The second quarter began with the Falcons facing 3rd and 5 at their own 34. Cousins went to Sills for 10. On 4th and 4 from the Tampa Bay 13, Zane Gonzalez hit the 31 yard field goal. Yet the defense jumped offside. Raheem Morris took the points off the board. On the next play Cousins went to Pitts for the 8 yard touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame.
Chase McLaughlin hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Buccaneers. After a touchback, Cousins went to Pitts for 36 and again for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Falcons with 38 seconds left in the half. McLaughlin hit from 52 to end the half with the Buccaneers within 14-13. In the third quarter the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 2 at their own 18. Irving gained 5. Mayfield went deep to Evans for 45. On 3rd and goal at the 13, Mayfield threw incomplete. Yet defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. Mayfield went to Culp for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 20-14 Buccaneers. The Falcons then fumbled deep inside their own territory to set up the Buccaneers at the Atlanta 25 to start the fourth quarter. Mayfield went to Evans for 10. Defensive pass interference added 10. Mayfield found Chris Godwin for a 3 yard touchdown. Todd Bowles went for 2. Mayfield went to Godwin again as the Buccaneers had a 28-14 lead 90 seconds into the fourth quarter.
The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 42. Cousins went to Bijan Robinson for 6. On 3rd and 2 from the Tampa Bay 44, Cousins went to Pitts for 18. and to Sills for 20. Robinson ran for a 6 yard touchdown. Raheem Morris went for a totally unnecessary 2 point try, the annoying attempt to cut a 14 point lead down to 6. The attempt failed and the Falcons trailed 28-20 with 9 1/2 minutes left. Mayfield was then intercepted to set up the Falcons at their own 33. Robinson ran for 14. On 3rd and 7 from midfield,Cousins hit Pitts for 10. Tyler Allgeier ran for 15. Cousins hit Mooney for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Cousins went to Pitts for the touchdown. Yet now Morris had to chase points. Had the Falcons not gone for 2 the first time, they would not beed to go for 2 the second time. Again the try failed. Instead of a tie game, the Falcons trailed 28-26 with 3 1/2 minutes left. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 14 at their own 35. A first down would end the game. Instead, Mayfield was taken down for no gain.
The Falcons were in dire straits facing 3rd and 28 at their own 29 with 1:20 left. Cousins went to Pitts for 14. On 4th and 14 with only 49 seconds left, Cousins went deep to Sills for 21. Gonzalez came in for a 43 yard field goal try on the final play of the game. With everything on the line, Gonzalez was good. It was a spectacular collapse for the Buccaneers, blowing a 14 point fourth quarter lead at home. After starting 6-2, the Buccaneers have gone 1-5 since to fall to 7-7 on the year. 29-28 Falcons
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — The Patriots won the AFC East for all but one of 19 straight years. Then the Bills won it for 5 straight years. Now the 9-4 Bills were at the 11-2 Patriots. The Patriots began at their own 27. Raimondre Stevenson ran for 15. On 3rd and 7 from their own 45, Drake Maye went to Boutte for 30. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 16, Stevenson gained 8. Maye ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots. A field position game had the Patriots taking over at midfield. Maye ran for 17. Maye hit Mack Hollins for 14. Maye ran for a 7 yard touchdown for a 14-0 Patriots lead. The Patriots got the ball back in the second quarter at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 1, Stevenson gained 7. Henderson added 9 and 5. Henderson exploded for a 52 yard touchdown run to make it 21-0 Patriots. A strong kickoff return and a defensive facemask set up the Bills at the New England 24. James Cook ran for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the New England 26, Josh AllAllen went to Dawson Knox for 19. Allen went to Cook for a 5 yard touchdown at the 2 minute warning. That was enough time for Monangai to hit a 36 yard field goal for a 24-7 Patriots halftime lead.
A 58 yard second half kickoff return had the Bills taking over at the New England 44. Cook ran for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 26, Allen ran for 20. Allen found Knox for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Bills within 24-14. The Bills took over at their own 30. Allen went to Palmer for 16. Cook ran for 6 and 8. Allen hit Davis for 13. On 3rd and 5 from the New England 13, Allen threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the 8. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Cook got in as the Bills were right back in it down 24-21. The Patriots moved from their own 19 to the Buffalo 43. Yet on 3rd and 25 from their own 42, Maye was intercepted. The Bills took over at their own 9 yard line. On 3rd and 7 Allen went to Kincaid for 24 on the last play of the third quarter.. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Allen gained 3. On 4th and 3 from the New England 45 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Sean McDermott went for it. Rather than just move the chains, Allen went high risk and found Shakir deep for 37 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 14 after a penalty wiped out a touchdown, Allen went to Knox for the touchdown. With 10 minutes left, 21 unanswered points had the Bills storming back to take a 28-24 lead.
One play and 14 seconds after a touchback, the Patriots were in the lead again. Henderson raced for a 65 yard touchdown for a 31-28 Patriots lead. From their own 35, Allen went to Johnson for 12. On 3rd and 4 from the New England 47, defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 15 yards. Allen went to Shakir for 12. Cook ran for an 11 yard touchdown. The Bills scored touchdowns on 5 straight possessions to retake a 4 point lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Patriots began their last drive at their own 17 with 2:43 left. On 4th and 5 with 1:54, Maye threw incomplete. A Patriots win would have locked up the division. Instead of a 3 game lead and a sweep of the season series, the 11-3 Patriots now lead the 10-4 Bills by only one game. 35-31 Bills
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals — Two weeks ago the Bengals went into Baltimore and thumped the ravens 32-14. The 6-7 Ravens desperately need a win to stay in the playoff hunt. Early on the quarterbacks traded interceptions. Midway through the second quarter of a scoreless game, the Ravens took over at their own 21. Lamar Jackson ran for 14. Jackson went to Deandre Hopkins for 32. On 3rd and 7 from the Cincinnati 30, Jackson went to Ali for the touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Ravens led 7-0. The Ravens got it back at their own 20. Jackson went to Zay Flowers for 26. Jackson ran for 12. Jackson hit Mark Andrews for 14 and went to Bay Flowers for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Ravens. Tyler Loop hit a 27 yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 17-0 Ravens. In the fourth quarter the Bengals moved 80 yards in 16 plays and 8 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 7, Joe Burrow was intercepted by Aloni Gilman. The interception was returned by Gilman for an 43 yard touchdown dagger. The teams split the season series with both road teams winning. The 7-7 Ravens are still alive while the Bengals were officially eliminated. 24-0 Ravens
New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jets are awful. The Jaguars are good. The Jaguars began at their own 28. Trevor Lawrence went to Jakobi Meyers for 15, to Thomas for 16, and to Meyers for 10. Lawrence through a 4 yard touchdown pass to Thomas to make it 7-0 Jaguars. Aaron Glenn gambled with the Jets facing 4th and 1 from their own 44. Breece Hall fred to go laterally and lost 6 yards. From the Jets 38, Lawrence went to Meyers for 21. On 3rd and 13 from the Jets 15, Lawrence ran all over the place and finally ran it in for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Jaguars. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Cook went to Williams for 25. Hall ran for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 13, Davis out of the shotgun gained 4. Cook went to Mitchell for an 8 yard touchdown to have the Jets within 14-7. A strong kickoff return had the Jaguars at their own 45. Lawrence went to Meyers for 19. Early in the second quarter Lawrence went to Tuten for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Jaguars.
The Jets managed a second quarter field goal but Little answered from 33 for a 24-10 Jaguars lead. Cook was then intercepted to set the Jaguars up at their own 47. Lawrence went to Washington for 12 and to Travis Etienne for a 20 yard touchdown. The Jaguars were cruising 31-10 at the break. The second half was pointless. The Jets kicked a third quarter field goal. The Jaguars moved 72 yards and Lawrence hit Etienne for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 38-13 Jaguars. The Jets turned it over on downs and Little hit from 22 to have the Jaguars up 41-13 after three quarters. The Jets managed a fourth quarter touchdown but Lawrence found Etienne for a 45 yard touchdown to complete the carpet-bombing. The 10-4 Jaguars remained atop the AFC South. 48-20 Jaguars
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs — The 9-4 Chargers are trying to show that they are an elite team. The 6-7 Chiefs are the 3 time defending aFC Champions on the brink. Last week their spectacular run of 9 straight AFC West crowns came to an end. Now they were just trying to make the playoffs. The Chiefs began at their own 32. a defensive penalty for a low block added 15 yards. On 3rd and 11 form the Chargers 38, Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 17. Mahomes ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. Cameron Dicker hit a 49 yard field goal for the Chargers but Harrison Butker hit from 27 and 47 for a 13-3 Chiefs lead. The Chargers took over at their own 40. Justin Herbert went to Harris for 37. On 3rd and 3 from the Kansas City 16, Herbert went to Lambert-Smith for the touchdown. The Chargers were within 13-10 at the half. The second half was all defense. Dicker hit third quarter field goals of 23 and 49 for a 3 point Chargers lead. Early in the fourth quarter the Chiefs moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 15. On 3rd and 12, Mahomes was intercepted at the one yard line. The Chiefs got it back at their own 8 with 5 1/2 minutes left. At the 2 minute warning on 1st and 10 from the Chargers 46, Mahomes threw incomplete and went down in pain. He injured his knee. In a season gone wrong, this was as bad as it gets. Gardner Minshew came in and the Chiefs reached long field goal range. With 20 seconds left, Minshew was intercepted. The 10-4 Chargers survived. The 6-8 Chiefs are officially out of the playoffs for the first time in the Mahomes era. 16-13 Chargers
Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans — The Cardinals are awful. The Texans are good. On the second play from scrimmage, CJ Stroud connected with Nico Collins for a 57 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans. The Cardinals fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Texans. A shanked 34 yard punt gave the Texans a short field just past midfield. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 28, Stroud gained 3. Defensive pass interference meant a 24 yard gain. From the one, Marks dove in to make it 17-0 Texans. The Cardinals managed a 2 yard touchdown in the second quarter but the Texans just poured it on. fairbairn hit from 56 and 22 and had a 52 yard try blocked as the Texans led 23-7 at the intermission. The texans took over at their own 20 in the third quarter. Stroud hit Jordan for 14. Jordan ran for 50. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 12, Stroud found Ogunbowale for 8. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Stroud went to Dalton Schultz to have the Texans rolling 30-7. After another Arizona touchdown, Fairbairn hit from 33 to have the Texans comfortably up 33-14 in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals managed one more touchdown but so did the Texans. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Stroud hit Collins for the final score. After starting 0-3, the Texans are now 9-5 on the year. 40-20 Texans
Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears — The Browns are awful. The Bears lost a tough one at Green Bay last week and at 9-4 are 1/2 game out of the division lead. An 18 yard punt return had the Bears taking over at the Cleveland 42. Deandre swift ran for 10. Caleb Williams went to Loveland for 11. Swift ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. he Bears got it back at their own 20. Williams went to Loveland for 24 and deep to Burden for 40. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Williams went to Moore for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Bears. A field goal try by Cairo santos in the second quarter to extend the lead was no good. The Browns managed a third quarter field goal for their only score. Two interceptions of Shedeur Sanders led to 2 consectuve touchdown drives. Williams threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to Moore and capped an 80 yard drive with a 17 yard touchdown pass to Cole Kmet to make it 28-3 Bears. Cairo Santos hit a 41 yard field goal for the only score of the fourth quarter. The Bears are 10-4 on the year and by the end of the day would regain the NFC North lead by half a game. 31-3 Bears
Washington Commanders at New York Giants — This was the Stupor Bowl as the 3-10 Commanders took on the 2-11 Giants. Jake Moody hit a 46 yard first quarter field goal to make it 3-0 Commanders. Younghoe Koo missed from 52 for the Giants. A 20 yard punt return had the Commanders starting the second quarter at the Giants 47. Marcus Mariota went to Deebo Samuel for 14. Croskey-Merritt gained 11 and then ran for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Commanders. Moody tacked on a 36 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Commanders.
The Giants soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Tracy gained 2. Jaxson Dart gained 29. Tracy ran for a 12 yard touchdown to get the Giants on the board. Yet with one minute left in the half, the Giants collapsed. Lane returned a punt 63 yards for touchdown to make it 19-7 Commanders after the missed extra point. An interception of Dart was returned 56 yards to the Giants 24 with seconds left in the half. Moody hit from 42 to make it 22-7 Commanders.
The Giants began the third quarter at their own 18. Tracy ran for 11. Dart hit Johnson for 24. Dart hit Robinson for 12. Dart found Tracy for an 18 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 22-14. Early in the fourth quarter Younghoe Koo missed a 51 yard field goal try for the Giants. The Commanders took over at their own 41. Mariota went to Samuel for 18. Mariota went deep to Terry McLaurin for a 51 yard touchdown. One minute into the fourth quarter, the Commanders led 29-14.
The Commanders had every chance to put the game away. wit 6 minutes left, the Commanders fumbled and the Giants returned the fumble 23 yards to the Washington 21. On 4th and 5, Dart went to Robinson for the touchdown. The Giants were within 8 with 3:43 left. The Commanders fumbled the ball away again and the Giants recovered just shy of midfield with 2:43 left. With 1:43 left on 4th and 8 from the Washington 38, Dart threw incomplete. It was ugly but the Commanders ended their 8 game losing streak while the Giants have lost 8 straight themselves. 29-21 Commanders
Las Vegas Raiders at Philadelphia Eagles — The Eagles came in having lost 3 straight but were still 8-5. The Raiders came in having lost 7 straight to be an awful 2-11. The Raiders thought they had a ray of hope with Kenny Pickett starting in place of the injured and incompetent Geno Smith. Yet it was the same offensive line. The Eagles began facing 3rd and 3 at their own 40.. Jalen Hurts threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 20 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 34, Hurts gained 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 16, Hurts gained 2. On 3rd and 6 from the Raiders 10, Hurts found Devonta Smith for just enough. Hurts went to Dallas Goedert for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles. The Raiders moved to a 4th and 6 at the Philadelphia 33. Rather than try a 51 yard field goal with light snow flurries coming down, Pete Carroll went for it and Pickett threw incomplete. The Raiders dodged a bullet when a wide open Goedert dropped an easy touchdown pass. Jake Elliott hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 30. Hurts went to Goedert for 12 and 14. On 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 10, Hurt ran for 8. Saquon Barkley ran for a 2 yard touchdown to have the Raiders up 17-0 at the midpoint. The second half was a waste of time. A third quarter interception led to Hurts hitting Goedert for a 4 yard touchdown. Hurts capped a 60 yard drive with a 27 yard touchdown pass to AJ Brown on the first play of the fourth quarter. The 9-5 Eagles are alive. The 2-12 Raiders are a mess. 31-0 Eagles
Indianapolis Colts at Seattle Seahawks — With Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones out for the year, the Colts took drastic action. Philip Rivers has not throw a pass in 5 years. He is 44 and a grandfather. Yet rather than just enter the Hall of Fame in a year or two, Rivers decided to delay his enshrinement at least 5 more years. he started for the Colts against a ferocious Seattle defense. In the first quarter Blake Grupe hit from 42 for the Colts and Jason Myers hit from 47 for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter Grupe hit from 54 to make it 6-3 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 42. On 3rd and 3 Rivers hit Amir Abdullah for 9. Rivers went to Warren for 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 8, Rivers went to Downs for the score. It was Rivers’s first touchdown pass in 5 years. With the Colts up 13-3, it was also the only touchdown of the game off either team. 90 seconds still remained in the half. The rest of the game belonged to Myers. He hit from 52 to end the half, from 46 early in the third quarter, from 32 early in the fourth quarter, and from 30 with 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation to make it 15-13 Seahawks. With 47 seconds left, Grupe came in for a 60 yard field goal try. The kick was good! The Colts led 16-15. Yet they left too much time. With 18 seconds left, Myers came in for a 55 yard try. Good! The Colts had 11 seconds to work with but Rivers was quickly intercepted. The Colts were game but fell to 8-6. The Seahawks on 6 field goals got to 11-3 the hard way. 18-16 Seahawks
Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos — This was a battle of first place teams. Brandon McManus hit field goals of 53 in the first quarter and 26 in the second quarter, the first one setup by a Denver fumble. The Packers led 6-0. The Broncos soon faced 1st and 20 from their own 20. Bo Nix hit Tony Franklin for 9 with defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. On 3rd and 7 from the green Bay 42, Nix went to Humphrey for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 20, Nix went to Bandy for the touchdown to make it 7-6 Broncos.
The Packers took over at their own 25. On 3rd and 3 Jordan Love went to Jalen Reed for 29. Josh Jacobs ran for 8 and 11. Love went to Reed for 11. On 3rd and goal from the 14, Love went to Jacobs for the touchdown and the 13-7 Packers lead. The Broncos took over at their own 28. Nix went to Cortland Sutton for a 42 yard gain. Nix found Franklin for 10. Nix found Humphrey for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-13 Broncos. McManus hit a 36 yard field goal to end the half with the Packers up 16–14. The Packers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 4 at their own 35. Love threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 25 yards. Jacobs then ripped off a 40 yard touchdown run for a 23-14 Packers lead.
The Broncos took over at their own 29. Nix went to Humphrey for 22 and to Franklin for 18. Nix went to Sutton for a 14 yard touchdown to get the Broncos within 23-21. The Broncos got the ball back and late in the third quarter Sean Payton gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 39. Nix gained 2. Nix found Franklin for 16. Nix went to Marvin Mims for 11. Nix went bak to Franklin for a 23 y yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Broncos led 27-23 early in the fourth quarter. McManus hit a 37 yard field goal to ge the Packers within 27-26 with 11 minutes left.
The Broncos took over at their own 35. Nix went to Sutton for 16. Sean Payton gambled again on 4th and 2 from the Green Bay 41, Rather than just move the chains, Nix went deep to Sutton for 26. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 8, Nix threw incomplete. Yet the defense jumped offside in what was a killer mistake. On the next play Harvey ran for a 4 yard touchdown. The Broncos led by 8 points midway through the fourth quarter. Love was then intercepted. Then both teams turned it over on downs twice. With 50 seconds left on 4th and 15 from his own 33, Love’s final incompletion doomed the Packers. They fell to 9-4, a half a game out of the division lead. Meanwhile, the 12-2 Broncos are two games up in their division and one game up in the conference. With the win, the Broncos became the first AFC team to clinch a playoff birth. 34-26 Broncos
Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers — For the 49ers to keep pace in the NFC West, they had to beat the pathetic Titans. The 49ers began at their own 30. Brock Purdy came out firing, hitting Pearsall for 8, George Kittle for 9, and Kittle again for 23. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 23, Purdy gained 3. On 3rd and 5 from the Tennessee 13, Purdy hit Robinson for 6. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Purdy hit Jennings for the touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. Joey Slye hit a 25 yard field goal for the Titans. In the second quarter the 49ers began facing 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Purdy went deep to Robinson for 30. Purdy hit Kittle for 24. Christian McCaffrey ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 14-3 49ers. The Titans took over at their own 32. On 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Mulings gained 3. Cam Ward went to Okonkwo for 17 and 10. Ward went deep to Helm for a 34 yard touchdown. Midway through the second quarter, the Titans were only down 14-10.
Eddie Pineiro hit a 33 yard field goal with one minute left in the half to make it 17-10 49ers. On the last play of the half, Slye’s 50 yard try was no good. The 49ers began the third quarter at their own 33. Purdy went to McCaffrey for 14 and to Pearsall for 38. Purdy went to Jennings for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 5 yard line. Purdy ran for a 26 yard gain. Kyle Shanahan gambled on 4th and 1 from the Tennessee 33. Purdy gained 2. Purdy went to Kittle for 13. Purdy hit Kittle for a one yard touchdown to have the 49ers comfortably ahead 31-10 after three quarters. In a garbage time fourth quarter, the Titans managed 2 touchdowns, but each time the 49ers answered with a field goal to keep the game out of reach. Pineiro hit from 37 and 40 to seal the win. The 49ers are 10-4 on the year. 37-24 49ers
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints — The Panthers with a win would move into sole possession of first place in the NFC South. The Panthers began facing 3rd and 2 at their own 34. Chuba Hubbard gained 4. On 3rd and 5 from their own 43, Bryce Young gained 15. Young went to Coker for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the New Orleans 17, Hubbard gained 5. Rico Dowdle ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Saints began the second quarter at their own 5 yard line. On 3rd and 13 from their own 14, Tyler Shough went to Vele for 16 with roughing the passer adding 15. Shough went to Vele for 10. Neal ran for 15. Kellen Moore gambled on 4th and 1 from the Carolina 6. Shough gained 2. Neal ran for a 4 yard touchdown to cap the mind-numbing 17 play, 95 yard drive that took a whopping 11 1/2 minutes off the clock. The game was tied 7-7.
Riley Fitzgerald hit a 40 yard field goal to have the Panthers up 10-7 at the half. The Panthers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 7 at their own 33. Young went to Leggett for 34. On 2nd and 21 from the New Orleans 32, Young went deep to Coker for the touchdown. The Panthers had a 17-7 lead, but after that the New Orleans defense dug in.
Smyth hit a 42 yard field goal to have the Saints within 17-10 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter both teams turned it over on downs. With 4 1/2 minutes left the Saints took over at their own 22. Shough went to Austin for 11 and to Chris Olave for big gains of 17, 16 and 16. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 12, Shough went to Olave for the touchdown to tie the game 17-17 with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Saints got the ball back at their own 9 yard line with 52 seconds left. Shough put on a clinic, going to Estime for 19 and 9 and to Olave for 15. Smyth came in for the winning field goal try from 47 yards out. Good! thE panthers had 2 seconds left but the kickoff return was fumbled away. The Panthers are 7-7 while the Saints despite being 4-10 swept the season series. 20-17 Saints
Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams — This is the battle of the blockbuster trade that sent Jared Goff to the Lions and Matthew Stafford to the Rams. The Rams won it all in 2021 while the Lions came very close in 2023 and 2024. Both teams have high-powered offenses. This game was expected to be a shootout and it was. Early on Jake Bates missed a 43 yard field goal try for the Lions. The Rams moved to the Detroit 20, Stafford was intercepted by Aidan Hutchinson, who returned the pick 56 yards to the Rams 17. One play and 5 seconds later, Goff hit Amra St Brown to make it 7-0 Lions. The Rams took over at their own 28. Stafford went to Puka Nacua for 10. On 4th and 4 from the Detroit 45, Sean McVay gambled. Stafford hit Nacua for 6. On 4th and 8 from the Detroit 37, McVay gambled again. Stafford hit Nacua for 10. Stafford went to Colby Parkinson for 23. Kyren Williams ran for a 4 yard touchdown for a 7-7 game.
The Lions moved to a 3rd and goal at the 6. Goff threw incomplete. Bates hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Lions. The Rams took over at their own 31.Williams ran for 19. Stafford went to Nacua for 36. Stafford then hit Parkinson for 11. Williams ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Rams. The Lions took over at their own 35. Goff went deep to St. Brown for 52. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 8, Goff went to St. Brown for the touchdown to make it 17-14 Lions. The Lions got it back and faced 4th and 1 at their own 29. Dan Campbell sometimes crosses the line from big and bold to crazy and reckless. He is who he is. He gambled and Goff hit St Brown for 14. On 3rd and 8 from their own 45, Goff went to Williams for 14 and again for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 24-14 Lions.
The Rams kept coming. Mevis hit field goals of 37 to end the half and 44 early in the third quarter to have the Rams within 24-20. The Rams got it back and faced 3rd and 1 from their own 21. Stafford hit Parkinson for 4. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 32, Stafford found Davantae Adms for 15. Stafford went to Adams for 21 and to Parkinson for a 26 yard touchdown to have the Rams up 27-24. The Lions punted on 4th and 22 from their own 10 and the Rams took over at midfield. Stafford went to Nacua for 39. Corum ran for an 11 yard touchdown. 20 straight points had a 10 point deficit became a 10 point 34-24 Rams lead after three quarters.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Bates hit a 48 yard field goal to have the Lions within 34-27. The Rams took over at their own 32. Corum ran for 6 and 24. Stafford went to Nacua for 12 and to Parkinson for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 41-27 Rams with 5 minutes left in regulation. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 35. Goff hit Jahmyr Gibbs for 15 and Williams for 17 and 16. On 4th and goal at the 4, Goff threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Montgomery got the yard to get the Lions within 7 points with 2:42 to play. The Lions did get the ball back at their own 20, but only 13 seconds remained. The hook and laterals gained 21 yards but came up 59 yards short. The Lions fell to 8-6 and on the playoff bubble. The 11-3 Rams are tied for the NFC West and overall NFC lead. 41-34 Rams
Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys was the Sunday night game. The Vikings are done for the year while the Cowboys are on the brink of elimination. JJ McCarthy began the game by throwing an interception. The Cowboys took over at the Minnesota 35. They needed 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes just to go 1/2 of the field. Brian schottenheimer went with a fake field goal try on 4th and 4. Aubrey ran for 6. Dak Prescott went to Flournoy for 10. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 2, Schottenheimer gambled. Williams got the yard and then got the one yard touchdown for a 7-0 Cowboys lead. A field position game had the Vikings take over at their own 47. McCarthy went to Aaron Jones for 18 and to Nailor for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.
The Cowboys took over at their own 27. Prescott went to Flournoy for 19 and to CeeDee Lamb for 30. A defensive facemask added 12. Davis ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Cowboys. The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Mason gained 2. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 38, McCarthy went deep to Jordan Addison for a 58 yard gain. Kevin O’Connell went for it on 4th and goal at the one. McCarthy got around the end for the touchdown and a 14-14 game. Aubrey missed a 51 yard field goal that would have given the Cowboys the lead. Will Reichard hit a 29 yard field goal and Aubrey responded from 37 to end the half. For the third time, the game was deadlocked 17-17.
Aubrey hit third quarter field goals of 27 and 41 to have the Cowboys up 23-17. he Vikings took over at their own 27. McCarthy hit TJ Hockenson for 29. On 4th and 3 from the Dallas 37, Kevin O’Connell passed up a 55 yard field goal try and went for it. McCarthy hit Nailor for 23. McCarthy hit Justin Jefferson for 10. Ham ran for a one yard touchdown. The game was tied for the fourth time but then the extra point had the Vikings up 24-23. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Aubrey came in for a 59 yard field goal try to give the Cowboys the lead. His kick was no good. The Vikings took over just shy of midfield. McCarthy found Hockenson for 18 and Nailor for a 4 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left the Vikings led 31-23. The Cowboys moved to a 4th and 7 at the Minnesota 45 with 5 1/2 minutes left. Prescott hit Davis for 6, coming up one yard short. Reichard hit a 53 yard field goal to have the Vikings up 34-23 with 1:08 to play. Needing 2 scores, Aubrey hit from 41 with 19 seconds left. The onside kick failed as the Cowboys dropped to 6-7 and in dire straits. 34-26 Vikings
Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Monday night game. The 6-7 Dolphins took on the 7-6 Steelers in a battle for survival. The first half was all defense. After 25 minutes of scoreless fiootball, Riley Patterson hit a 54 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. The ensuing kickoff was short of the landing zone, setting up the Steelers at their own 40. Aaron Rodgers hit Smith for 10, Washington for 13, and Kenneth Gainwell for 10. Mike Tomlin gambled on 4th and 1 from the Miami 15. Hayward got the yard. Rodgers hit Gainwell for 10. On 3rd and goal at the one with 17 seconds left in the half, Hayward busted in up he gut to make it 7-3 Steelers. The Steelers began the third quarter at their own 29. On 3rd and 1, Warren gained 2. Gainwell then busted through the line for a 38 yard gain. Rodgers found a wide open Marques Valdes-Scantling for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Steelers.The Steelers got the ball back at their own 23. On 3rd and 3 Rodgers threw incomplete but the defense had 12 men on the field. Gainwell had a pair of 9 yard tuns. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 42, Rodgers went to Pat Freiermuth for 16. On 3rd and 12 from the Miami 28, Rodgers zipped a pass over the middle to DK Metcalf, who bounced off of tacklers and weaved his way into the end zone for a 21-3 Steelers lead with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. The Steelers got it back and faced 3rd and 8 at their own 21. Rodgers hit Freiermuth for 7 but a defensive taunting penalty added 15. Rodgers went to Freiermuth again for 22. Rodgers hit Warren for 10. Anderson ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 28-3 Steelers early in the fourth quarter. The Dolphins got a couple of garbage touchdowns to make the score look close. The 8-6 Steelers still lead the AFC North while the 6-8 Dolphins are done. 28-15 Steelers.