NFL 2025 Week 13 Recap
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Thursday morning game. Two good football teams battled in the NFC North. The Packers got a 45 yard field goal from Brandon McManus for an early 3-0 lead. The Packers got it back and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 31. Josh Jacobs ripped off a 29 yard run. On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 34, the defense jumped offsides. The second quarter began with the Packers facing 4th and 3 at the Detroit 22. Matt LaFleur passed up a 40 yard field goal try and went for it. Rather than just move the chains, Jordan Love went deep to Dontavion Wicks for the touchdown. Replay showed that Wicks did not get both feet down. His second foot landed on the chalk. The officials just blew the call. Yet the touchdown stood and the Packers led 10-0.
The Lions took over at their own 35. Jared Goff went to Williams for 22. On 2nd and 15 from the Green Bay 47, Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 18. On 3rd and 13 from the Green Bay 32, Goff hit Kennedy for 23. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Montgomery took the direct snap and got in to have the Lions within 10-7. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Love went to Watson for 4. On 3rd and 5 from their own 46, Love went to Wicks for 18. Love then went to Musgrave for 23. On 4th and 1 from the Detroit 2, Matt LaFleur gambled again. Love found Romeo Doubs for the touchdown to cap the 12 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive to have the Packers up 17-7 with 2:12 left in the half.
The Lions faced 3rd and 1 at their own 44 with 1:19 left. Montgomery gained 2. Goff then went to Williams for 25. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 22, Goff with all the time in the world found Williams for the touchdown. The Lions were back within 17-14 as each team scored touchdowns on their last two drives. In the third quarter the Lions faced 4th and 3 at the Green Bay 47. Looking for the lead, Dan Campbell went for it. After losing a yard on 3rd and 2, Gibbs carried again and this time lost 2 yards. Two plays later Love went bombs away to Watson for a 51 yard touchdown and a 24-14 Packers lead.
The Lions took over at their own 29. Goff ran for 24 yards. Goff went to Montgomery for 13. Montgomery then ran for 14. Goff went to TeSlaa for a 17 yard touchdown to have the Lions back within 24-21 midway through the third quarter. The Packers took over at their own 28. Melton got around the end for 14. Love went deep to Wicks for 30. The Packers avoided disaster when they fumbled but the ball bounced straight to a big offensive lineman with rare good hands. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 6, Love threw incomplete but a defensive facemask penalty meant 1st and goal at the 3. Love found Wicks in the corner and Wicks barely got the ball over the plane of the goal for a one yard touchdown. For the fourth time on the day, the Lions were within 3 points only to see the Packers go up by 10 points. The Packers led 31-21 after three quarters.
The Lions moved from their own 26 and moved to a 4th and 3 at the Green Bay 21 with 11 minutes left in regulation. Rather than kick a 39 yard field goal, Dan Campbell went for it again. Got had a wife open Williams in the flat. Williams just dropped it. It was right in his chest, and he blew it. Campbell became a hero for constantly going for it, but his team has gone 0 for 7 on 4th down conversions the last 2 weeks. The Lions got a rare defensive stop when the officials missed a clear defensive pass interference penalty on the 3rd down incompletion. The Lions got the ball back at their own 20. and moved to a 1st and goal at the 4. After a pair of incompletions, Goff was drilled on 3rd down for a sack. Jake Bates hit the 31 yard field goal to get the Lions within 7 points. Yet only 3 minutes remained. The Detroit defense needed another stop.
The Packers took over and soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Love went to Watson for 8. The Lions took their final timeout with 2:38 left and the Packers facing 2nd and 7 just past midfield. Everything came down to the Packers facing 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 45 at the 2 minute warning. One first down would end the game. In this situation, the entire football world knows that you run the ball every single time. Every. Single. Time. Instead, Matt LaFleur gambled on a pass play. Love’s pass was well defended and fell incomplete to stop the clock. LaFleur then went even crazier and decided to go for it on 4th and 3 instead of punt the ball. After taking a timeout, LaFleur was not bluffing. Love snapped the ball out of the shotgun and went deep to Wicks over the middle. Wicks lost his sneaker but hung on to the ball for a 16 yard gain. Love took a couple knees to seal the win. Love had 4 touchdown passes with 0 interceptions. The Packers got to 8-3-1 while the Lions fell to 7-5. More importantly, the Packers swept the season series. 31-24 Packers
Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon game. Both the three time defending AFC Champion Chiefs and the Cowboys were in desperate shape regarding the playoffs. The Chiefs were only 6-5 while the Cowboys were 5-5-1. On the third play from scrimmage Dak Prescott was intercepted. The Chiefs took over at the Dallas 37. Patrick Mahomes quickly went to Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 10 and to Rasheed Rice for a 27 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Cowboys took over at their own 25. On 3rd and 7 from their own 43 Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for 10. On 3rd and 9 from the Kansas City 46, Prescott hit Lamb for 17. Prescott then found Williams for 14. On 3rd and 10 from the Kansas City 35, Prescott connected with Lamb to cap the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive for the touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Chiefs took over at their own 28. Karim Hunt ran for 14 and 7 and Xavier Worthy added 17. Isaiah Pacheco added 9. On 3rd and 14 from the Dallas 25, Mahomes ran for 16. On 4th and goal at the 2, Walrus Andy Reid went for it. Mahomes fired over the middle to Travis Kelce for the touchdown to culminate the 12 play, 72 yard, 6 minutes drive and make it a 14-7 Chiefs lead after the first quarter.
The Cowboys began the second quarter and moved to a 4th and 3 at the Kansas City 31. Brian Schottenheimer decided not to gamble. Brandon Aubrey hit the 49 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 14-10. The Cowboys got it back and soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 18. Prescott found Ferguson for 11. On 3rd and 3 from their own 36, Prescott found George Pickens for 12. Davis then ripped off a 43 yard touchdown run as the Cowboys took the 17-14 lead to the locker rooms. A third quarter punt had the Cowboys pinned at their own 4 yard line. They moved all the way to a 4th and 3 at the Kansas City 13. Brian Schottenheimer lined up to go for it but it was just gamesmanship. The Chiefs defense didn’t bite as the Cowboys took the delay of game. Aubrey hit the 36 yard field goal to have the Cowboys up 20-14.
The Chiefs took over at their own 20. Mahomes went deep to Rice for 28. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 44, Mahomes hit Hunt for 22. Mahomes went to Rice for 13. On 4th and goal at the 3 to start the fourth quarter, Walrus Andy Reid gambled. Mahomes found Rice for the touchdown to have the Chiefs up 21-20. The Cowboys took over at their own 32. Defensive pas interference added 10. Williams ran for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Kansas City 45, Prescott went to Pickens for 39. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Prescott scrambled for his life and at the very last moment flipped it to Williams for the touchdown. Schottenheimer then went for 2. Prescott again waited until the last moment and fired to Pickens in the front corner. With no room to spare, Pickens came down with it. The Cowboys retook the lead 28-21 with 11 minutes left in regulation.
The Cowboys got it back at their own 10. Prescott immediately went bombs away to Lamb for 51. Needing only a field goal to tighten the screws, the Cowboys did everything possible to screw themselves. Prescott threw a pass into traffic that somehow fell incomplete. On the next play the Cowboys fumbled but were able to retain possession. Aubrey hit the 26 yard field goal to give the Cowboys breathing room up 31-21 with 5:16 to play.
The Chiefs took over needing 2 scores and Mahomes was immediately sacked. On 3rd and 5 form his own 38, Mahomes was all but sacked on the next play. Somehow the magician did it again, escaping, rolling out, and finding Worthy deep for a 42 yard gain. Mahomes then ran for 10. Mahomes fired high and over the middle to Hollywood Brown, who made a leaping grab and got both feet down in the back of the end zone inbounds for the touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Chiefs were right back in it down by 3 points.
The only way to beat Mahomes is to keep him off the field. The Cowboys took over at their own 32. A pair of defensive pass interference calls kept the drive alive. Everything came down to the Cowboys facing 3rd and 2 at the Kansas City 40 just before the 2 minute warning. The Chiefs were out of timeouts. A run made sense, but Schottenheimer went big. An incompletion would even give the Chiefs an extra timeout. Yet Prescott fired over the middle to Pickens for a 13 yard gain. Prescott then took 3 knees for he upset. The Cowboys somehow got to 6-5-1. The Chiefs are now an even more desperate 6-6, making Andy Reid a most concerned Walrus indeed. 31-28 Cowboys
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens was the Thanksgiving Thursday night game. Both teams have suffered key injuries this year. The Ravens started 1-5 but when Lamar Jackson returned from injury the Ravens ripped off 5 straight wins. The Bengals have been a disaster with Joe Burrow out most of the season. Yet Burrow was back, so we would see if he would provide the lift that Jackson did on the other side. The Bengals began with a 31 yard Evan McPherson field goal for a 3-0 Bengals lead. The Ravens took over at their own 31. Jackson went to Kolar for 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 43, Derrick Henry gained 4. Jackson ran for 11. Henry ripped off a 28 yard touchdown run for a 7-3 Ravens lead. The Ravens fumbled deep in their own territory and the Bengals were gifted 1st and goal at the 2. Burrow threw incomplete twice sandwiched around a run that went nowhere. Zac Taylor gambled. On 4th and goal at the 2, Burrow threw incomplete again as the Bengals wasted the opportunity.
McPherson hit a 42 yard field goal in the second quarter to get the Bengals within 7-6.
The Ravens moved easily from their own 31 to the Cincinnati 44. Then came the key play in the game. Jackson hooked up with Isaiah Likely, who weaved through traffic and made it all the way to the end zone. The Ravens were on their way to a 14-6 lead and an easy win. Then came the review. Likely had the ball knocked out of his hands inches before he broke the plane of the goal. While the Ravens were celebrating a touchdown, the officials reversed it and properly called it a touchback. Replay clearly showed Likely lost the ball before breaking the plane, and then the ball rolled out of the end zone. The Ravens moved all the way to a 3rd and goal at the 6. Burrow threw incomplete. McPherson hit from 24. Despite not reaching the end zone, the Bengals led 9-7 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Ravens again fumbled deep in their own territory as Jackson was strip sacked. The Bengals took over at the Baltimore 19 with 28 seconds left. On 2nd and 6, Burrow threw incomplete twice. McPherson hit his 4th field goal from 33 to have the Bengals up 12-7 at the break.
The Bengals took over in the third quarter at their own 39. On 3rd and 4 Burrow hit Chase for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 43, defensive pass interference added 17 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 14, Burrow went to Hudson for the touchdown to make it 19-7 Bengals. The Ravens took over at there own 32. Jackson went to Mark Andrews for 19. Henry ran for 8, 7 and 7. Jackson ran for 9. Mitchell got around the end for an 18 yard touchdown to get the Ravens within 19-14. The Bengals took over at their own 32. Burrow went to Brown for 9. Samaji Perine gained 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 44, Burrow went to Chase for 14. On 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 29, Burrow went deep to Iosivas for the touchdown to make it 26-14 Bengals. Trying to make a comeback, the Ravens moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Cincinnati 15. Jackson was intercepted and Knight returned it 39 yards to his own 47. McPherson’s 5th field goal from 52 made it 29-14 Bengals. The Ravens 4th fumble and 5th overall turnover led to McPherson’s 6th field goal from 41 to complete the scoring. The Ravens dropped to 6-6 on the year. 32-14 Bengals
Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles was the Black Friday game. Both teams came in 8-3, but the eagles were expected to easily win tis game. They were angry at home after blowing a 21-0 lead last week. The Bears finally last week at home beat a team with a winning record. The Bears were frauds and everyone knew it. The critics would not be silenced until they won a big game. Early in the game Ben Johnson gambled on 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 25. Monangai got stopped cold. The Bears got the ball back at their own 22. Monangai gained 17, 5 and 5. Swift gained 23. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 14, Monangai gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 3. Swift ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. In the second quarter Jake Elliott hit a 44 yard field goal for the Eagles while Cairo Santos answered from 30 to have the Bears up 10-3 at the half.
The Eagles offense misfired most of the day but in the third quarter they got the ball back at their own 8. Jalen Hurts went to AJ Brown for 16. Roughing the passer added 15. Hurts ran for 23. Hurts went deep to Brown for a 33 yard touchdown. Yet elation turned to deflation when Elliott missed the extra point wide left. It was a heavily windy day, as the Eagles trailed 10-9. Caleb Williams was then intercepted to give the Eagles a golden chance to take the lead at the Chicago 36. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 12, it was tush push time. Yet this time Hurt had the ball chopped out of hi hands. The Bears recovered the fumble at their own 13.
From that spot, Monangai immediately ripped off a 31 yard run. followed by runs of 5 and 9. On 4th and 5 from the Philadelphia 37, it was too windy for a 55 yard field goal try. Ben Johnson went for it. Williams went to Loveland for 7. Monangai ran for 9 and 5 to start the fourth quarter. Monangair ran for the 4 yard touchdown to have the Bears up 17-9 with 13 minutes left in regulation. The Bears got it back and faced 3rd and 4 at their own 43. Williams went to Moore for 11. On 3rd and 4 from th Philadelphia 40, Williams went to Zaccheaus for 10. Williams went deep to Cole Kmet for a 28 yard touchdown to have the Bears up 24-9 with 6 1/2 minutes left.
The Eagles took over at their own 20 in desperation mode. Hurts went to Brown for 13. On 3rd and 9 from their own 34, Hurts found Devonta Smith for 12 and to Dotson for 12 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 42, Hurts found Brown for 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 21, Hurts again went to Brown for 17. Hurts went to Brown one more time for a 4 yard touchdown. With 3:10 to play, an extra point would have the Eagles within one score. Yet Nick Sirianni made the horrendous decision to go for 2. In this situation, you kick the extra point…every…single..time. Give your team a ray of hope. Instead Hurts threw incomplete and the Eagles were still down 9.
This meant the Eagles had to go onside kick rather than kick it deep. The onside kick failed. With 1:15 left on 4th and 4 from the Philly 30, Johnson opted against a 48 yard field goal try. Williams threw incomplete. Because of the missed extra point and the failed attempt at chasing points, the Eagles needed 2 scores. With 13 seconds left, Elliott came in for a 52 yard field goal try. The Eagles needed a field goal, an onside kick recovery, and a Hail Mary. The other two never happened as Elliott’s field goal was no good. It looked dead center but a gust of wind at the last moment sent it wide left. The Eagles have lost 2 straight but are still 8-4. The 9-3 Bears finally silenced the critics. This was not finesse. They just hit the Eagles in the mouth. Ben Johnson played smash mouth, running the ball a whopping 47 times for an insane 281 yards, 6 yards per carry. 24-15 Bears
San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns — The 49ers are a good team who are better with quarterback Brock Purdy back from injury. The Browns got a rare win last week. Shedeur Sanders had is first home start. A 66 yard punt return in the first quarter had the 49ers taking over at the Cleveland 16. On 3rd and 8 Purdy went to Christian McCaffrey for 12. On 3rd and goal at the one, McCaffrey got in. In the second quarter the Browns took over at their own 10. Judkins ran for 8, 3 and 7. Sampson added 7 and 8. 9 straight runs had the Browns at the san Francisco 34. Sanders went deep to Fannni. Kevin Stefanski likes to go for unnecessary 2 point conversions. This time it worked as Judkins got in to make it 8-7 Browns. The Browns offense took the remaining 26 minutes off.
With time running out in the half Purdy went deep to George Kittle for 33. The 49ers had 1st and goal at the 7 but only 4 seconds remained. Kyle Shanahan was not in a gambling mood. Matt Gay hit the 25 yard field goal to put the 49ers up 10-8. The key play of the game came midway through the third quarter. Kevin Stefanski lost his mind and gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 33. The Browns fumbled and the 49ers took over at the Cleveland 32. McCaffrey gained 7, one, and on 3rd and 2, 4. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 18, Purdy went to Kittle for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 2, purdy got in to make it 17-8 49ers. Early in the fourth quarter the Browns fumbled a punt and the 49ers took over at the Cleveland 18. On 3rd and 5 Purdy went to McCaffrey for 8. On 3rd and goal at the 7 Purdy went to Jennings for the touchdown to make it 23-8 49ers. Matt Gay tacked on a 31 yard field goal to complete the scoring. The 9-4 49ers are in a strong playoff position. 26-8 49ers
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans — The Jaguars are better than average but inconsistent. The Titans are the worst team in football and are consistently bad. The Titans got an early Joey Slye field goal for a 3-0 lead and then took the rest of the game off. The Jaguars faced 3rd and 8 at their own 16. Trevor Lawrence went deep to Washington for 26 and even deeper to Jakobi Meyers for 50. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Lawrence went to Meyers for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Jaguars. The Titans fumbled the ensuing kickoff to set up the Jaguars at the Tennessee 35. Lawrence hit Patrick for 11. On the first play of the second quarter Lawrence went to Strange for a 21 yard touchdown. Liam Cohen went for a useless 2 point conversion and Lawrence got in to make it 15-3 Jaguars. With one second left in the half, the Jaguars were not in field goal range. Lawrence was unable to get the Hail Mary off. Yet a completely unnecessary late hit on Lawrence after the play gave the Jaguars 15 yards and one untimed down. Now they were in field goal range. Little hit from 45 to have the Jaguars up 18-3 at the half. These are the Titans. The second half was pointless. In the third quarter the Jaguars punted on 4th and 20 from their own 19. Yet the Titans engaged in roughing the punter to gift the Jaguars 15 yards and a new set of downs. These are the Titans. On 3rd and 10 from their own 34, Lawrence went to Thomas for 17. Lawrence found Meyers for 7 and Morris for 14. Liam Cohen went for it on 4th and 1 from the Tennessee 4. Lawrence gained 2. Tuten ran for a 2 yard touchdown to finish the game 25 minutes early. The 8-4 Jaguars are tied atop the AFC South. 25-3 Jaguars
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts — The Colts are a good team but Daniel Jones has been playing with a break in his fibula. The texans have a very good defense while the Colts bring the offense. Davis Mills was 3-0 in relief of CJ Stroud, who returned from injury. Early on the Texans moved from their own 32 to a 3rd and goal at the 4. Stroud threw incomplete. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. On their next series in the second quarter, Stroud was quickly intercepted to set up the Colts at the Houston 42. Jone went to Pierce for 19 and again for the 19 yard touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright no good as the Colts led 6-3. The Colts took over at their own 33. Stroud went to Nico Collins for 15. Marks ran for 16. Stroud went to Collins for 22. Nich Chubb ran for the 4 yard touchdown as the Texans took a 10-6 lead to the locker rooms. Fairbairn tacked on a 43 yard field goal in the third quarter for a 13-6 Texans lead.
The Colts soon faced 3d and 11 at their own 20. Jones went deep to Downs for a 34 yard gain. On 3rd and 19 from his own 35, Jones threw deep incomplete but a 32 yard defensive pass interference call kept the drive going. Jones went to Warren for a 12 yard touchdown for a 13-13 tie after three quarters. The Texans took over at their own 35. Stroud went to Higgins for 19. On 3rd and 6 from the Indianapolis 42, Stroud went to Higgins for 12. The fourth quarter began with the Texans facing 3rd and 15 at the Indianapolis 25. Stroud threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 8 yards and a new set of downs. On 3rd and 1 from the Indy 8, Stover got the yard. Collins ran for the 7 yard touchdown to have the Texans up 20-13 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Mike Badgley hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Colts within 4 with 8 1/2 minutes. The Colts got it back and moved to a 2nd and 9 from the Houston 31 at the 2 minute warning. Down by 4, a field goal would do no good. Jones threw 3 straight incompletions. The Colts fell to 8-4 while the Texans climbed to 7-5. 20-16 Texans
New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins — Sometimes a pair of terrible teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game, but it was not a bad game either. The Dolphins began at their own 31. Devon Achane and Wrightt each gained 8 yards On 3rd and 5 from the New Orleans 48, Tua Tagovailoa went to Washington for 19. Achae ran for a 19 yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The second quarter belonged to Riley Patterson. He hit field goals of 39, 25 and 48 to have the Dolphins dominating 16-0 at halftme.
The Saints began the third quarter facing 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Though gained 2. Though went to Vele for 14. Though fold Chris Olave for a 17 yard touchdown. Shough got in for the 2 point conversion to have the Saints within 16-8. Patterson’s 33 yard field goal gave the Dolphins breathing room, up 19-8 with 9 1/2 minutes.Smyth nailed a 56 yarder to have theSaints within 19-11 with 6 minute left in regulation.
Mike McDaniel gambled on 4th and 1 from the New Orleans 48. A run lost a yard. From their own 48, Shough hit Vele for 12. Though found Oneal for 10, Olave fro 16, Vele for 8, and Vele for the 15 yard touchdown. With 1:17 left, a 2 point conversion would tie the game. Then things went crazy. Though went to the flat and Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted the ball at the goal line. Fitzpatrick had a clear path and raced 100 yards the other way for a defensive score. Instead of 19-19, the Dolphins led 21-17. Now the Saints had to go onside kick. It was a good one and the Saints recovered at their own 34. Yet because of the previous 2 point interception return, a field goal was not good enough. On 2n and 1 from the Miami 36, Though threw incomplete twice. On 4th and 1 with 35 seconds left, Shuogh kept it himself up the middle and got stopped stone cold short. 21-17 Dolphins
Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets — Another pair of terrible teams played a very good game. After a scoreless first quarter, the second quarter began with the Falcons fumbling a punt and the Jets recovering at the Atlanta 2 yard line. One play and 2 seconds later Breece Hall was in the end zone for a 7-0 Jets lead. With 3:10 left in the half the Falcons took over at their own 38. Bijan Robinson ran for 16. On 3rd and 4 from the Jets 40, Kirk Cousins went to Pitts for 10. With 9 seconds left Tyler Allgeier ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-7.
In the third quarter the Falcons faced 2nd and 11 from their own 4 yard line. Allgeier gained 12. Cousins connected with Robinson for a 42 yard gain with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 5, Robinson for ti cap the 95 yard drive and put the Falcons up 14-7. 2 plays later the game was tied again. Tyrod Taylor hit Hall for 13 and then went deep to Mitchell for a 52 yard touchdown for a 14-14 game. Zane Gonzalez missed a 50 yard field goal try for the Falcons and Folk then missed from 55. It was Folk’s first miss of a field goal or extra point this entire season. Gonzalez did hit from 52 for the Falcons to end the half. Williams then returned the second half kickoff 83 yards for the Jets to the Atlanta 125. Yet on 3rd and 4, Taylor threw incomplete. Folk hit from 32 for a 17-17 game.
The Falcons took over at their own 26. Robinson caught a pass from Cousins for 7 and ran for 13. Cousins went to Pitts for 11 and to Allgeier for 31. On 3rd and goal from the 9, Cousins went to Sills for the touchdown. The Falcons led 24-17 with 8 1/2 minutes left. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Hall gained 9. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 46, Taylor went to Allen Lazard for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 29, Taylor gained 9. On 4th and 1 from the Atlanta 11, Taylor gained 2. Taylor ran for a 10 yard touchdown. With 1:53 left, the game was tied for the 4th time 24-24. With 35 seconds left the Jets got the ball back at their own 43. Taylor ran for 14. With 4 seconds left Folk came in for a 56 yard attempt to try and win it. It was a low line drive knuckleball that somehow snuck just over the crossbar and inside the left upright good. Aaron Glenn and every right to do the duck walk on that one. 27-24 Jets
Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers — The 9-2 Rams came in with sole possession in the conference. They just needed to get past a Carolina team that has been improved in recent weeks. A strong kickoff return plus a personal foul on the kicking team had the Rams starting the game at the Carolina 35. Matthew Stafford went to Puka Nacua for 10 and to Colby Parkinson for 10 more. Stafford hit Devontae Adams for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 34. Bryce Young went to Coker for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 44, Chuba Hubbard gained 7. On 3rd and 8 from the Rams 35, Young went to Hubbard for the touchdown for a 7-7 game. Stafford then threw a pair of interceptions, the latter of which was returned 48 yards by Jackson for a defensive touchdown and a 14-7 Panthers lead. The Rams took over at their own 36. Stafford went to Smith for 27. Corum ran for 14. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 7, Stafford went to Adams for the touchdown and a 14-14 game in the second quarter..
Fitzgerald hit a 33 yard field goal make it 17-14 Panthers. The Rams took over at their own 20. Stafford went deep to Smith for 51. Corum ran for a 2 yard touchdown to have the Rams back up 21-17. The Panthers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 3 at their own 36. Hubbard gained just enough. On 3rd and 5 at their own 44, Young went to Coker for 16. On 4th and 3 from the Rams 33, Young went deep to Coker for the touchdown. The third lead change of he game had the Panthers up 24-21 after three quarters. The Rams took over in the fourth quarter at their own 11. Corum ran for 34 and then 6 more. Williams ran for 12. Stafford went deep to Nacua for 31. Williams ran for a 7 yard touchdown. The 4th lead change had the Rams up 28-24 with 10 minutes left.
The Panthers took over at their own 35. Young went to Rico Dowdle for 13. On 4th and 2 from the Rams 43 with 6 1/2 minutes left, Young went deep to McMillan for the touchdown. The 5th lead change had the Panthers back on top by a field goal. The Rams moved from their own 22 to a 3rd and 5 at the Carolina 17, well within tying field goal range. With 2 1/2 minutes left and going for the win, a delay of game meant 3rd and 10. hen Stafford got belted and fumbled. The Rams took their timeouts on defense. Everything came down to the Panthers facing 3rd and 5 at their own 39 with 2:17 left and the Rams out of timeouts. Young went to Coker for 10 and then took 3 knees. In a very good football, the Panthers got to 7-6 to keep their playoff hopes alive. 31-28 Panthers
Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Cardinals are a bad team. The Buccaneers started 6-2 but had lost 3 straight against some very good teams. After a scoreless first quarter, Chase McLaughlin hit a 25 yard second quarter field goal for a 3-0 Buccaneers lead. The Buccaneers got the ball back at midfield. On 3rd and 3, Baker Mayfield ran for 21. On 4th and 2 from the Arizona 14, Todd Bowles went for it. Mayfield went to Shepard for 5. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mayfield went to Wirfs for the touchdown. The Buccaneers led 10-0 with 1:36 left in the half. Ryland hit a 52 yard field goal for the Cardinals to end the half. In the third quarter the Cardinals began by fumbling the ball away. They got the ball back but Ryland missed a 43 yard field goal try.
The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 35. Mayfield went to Egbuka for 23. Mayfield then hit Godwin for 22. Irving ran for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Buccaneers. The Cardinals took over at their own 28. Jacoby Brissett hit Marvin Harrison Jr. for 17 and McBride for 18. Knight ran for 9. Brissett hit Knight for 7 and then for the 15 yard touchdown to get the Cardinals within 17-10 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter Jonathan Gannon gambled with the Cardinals facing 4th and 1 at their own 39. Knight got stopped cold for no gain. McLaughlin nailed a 57 yard field goal for a 20-10 Buccaneers lead with 9 minutes left. The Cardinals took over at their own 27. Brissett went to McBride for 20 and to Wilson for 10. Brissett went to McBride for a 15 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left, the Cardinals were within a field goal. The Cardinals got the ball back at their own 9 yard line with 1:49 left. On 4th and 2, Brissett threw incomplete as the 7-5 Buccaneers stayed in the hunt. 20-10 Buccaneers
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks — The Seahawks are a very good team. The Vikings are not. With Sam Darnold shipped out of town, Carson Wentz out for the season, and JJ McCarthy out for one week, this game was the very first start for Max Brosmer. After a scoreless first quarter, Jason Myers hit a 33 yard second quarter field goal to make it 3-0 Seahawks. The key play in the game came with 3 minutes left in the half of a brutally tough game. The Vikings had 4th and 1 at the Seattle 4. Kevin O’Connell went for the lead rather than the tie. Under pressure, Brosmer was intercepted by Jones, who returned the pick 85 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 10-0 Seahawks lead. Myers hit field goals of 56 to end the half and from 56 and 40 in the third quarter to have the Seakawks up 19-0. The last kick was set up by a Minnesota fumble. Brosmer then threw 3 consecutive interceptions on 3 straight drives to bring his total to 4 on the day. One of them led to a short 32 yard field. A 17 yard touchdown run by Zack Charbonnet in the fourth quarter completed the scoring. 6 turnovers did the Vikings in as the Seahawks got to 9-3 on the year. 26-0 Seahawks
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers — One week after firing Chip Kelly, the Raiders offense hoped to finally show signs of life against the Chargers. From their own 26, the Chargers made it look easy on their opening drive. On 3rd and 3 Justin Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 35, Vidal gained 3 and caught a pass from Herbert for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Raiders 16, Herbert went to Allen for just enough. Herbert hit Johnston for the touchdown to cap the 14 play, 74 yard drive that took 9 minutes off the clock and make it 7-0 Chargers. After that both defenses dug in. With 5 minutes left in the half the raiders faced 3rd and 2 from their own 26. Geno Smith went to Bech for 16. Ashton Jeanty ran for 9, 5 and 2. Defensive pass interference added 13. Smith went to Brock Bowers for 24. Smith went to Bowers for a 6 yard touchdown. The game was actually tied 7-7 at the half. The Raiders were competing.
The Chargers began the third quarter at their own 33 and needed only 3 plays. On 3rd and 2, Vidal broke free for a 59 yard touchdown run to make it 14-7 Chargers. The Chargers got it back at their own 40. On 3rd and 5, Herbert hit Harris for 16. Patterson ran for 22. On 3rd and 2 from the Raiders 7, Herbert hit Ladd McConkey for the touchdown to have the Chargers up 21-7. Pete Carroll gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 43. Jeanty got stopped cold for no gain. The short field allowed Cameron Dicker to start the fourth quarter with a 56 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Chargers. The Raiders did manage one more touchdown midway through the firth quarter, but the Chargers then ground the exhausted defense into dust with a 13 play, 68 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Patterson ran for a 2 yard touchdown with 1:55 left as the Chargers got to 8-4 on the year. The Raiders fell to 2-10. They are bad at everything, especially their offensive line. 31-14 Chargers
Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers — A pair of good teams that have struggled in recent weeks faced off in a must win for both of them. After a scoreless first quarter, a second quarter Bills fumble gave the Steelers a short field at the Buffalo 39. Aaron Rodgers went to DK Metcalf for 14 and Kenneth Gainwell for 17. On 3rd and goal at the one, Warren got in. Midway through the second quarter, the Steelers led 7-0. Their offense then took the remaining 38 minutes off. Matt Prater hit a 27 yard field goal for the Bills with 50 seconds left in the half. Yet the key play came on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter. The Steelers took over at their own 26. Rodgers got belted by Joey Bosa and fumbled. Benford picked up the fumble and went for a 17 yard defensive touchdown. Without their offense reaching the end zone so far, the Bills led 10-7.
Rodgers got knocked out of the game from a tough hit and Mason Rudolph entered in the third quarter. Rudolph was intercepted to set up the Bills playing at their own 44. James Cook ripped off a 31 yard gain. Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and goal at the one. Allen went to Coleman for the touchdown and the 16-7 Bills lead. After that the Bills just pounded the Steelers in the trenches on both sides of the ball. From their own 17, the Bills marched 83 yards in 15 plays and over 8 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Allen got in to make it 23-7 Bills early in the fourth quarter. The Bills got it back at their own 9 and moved 72 yards in 14 plays and over 9 minutes. Prater hit a 37 yard field goal to complete the scoring. The Bills got to 8-4 while the Steelers fell to 6-6 on the year. 26-7 Bills
Denver Broncos at Washington Commanders was the Sunday night game. The Broncos are very good and the Commanders are terrible. The Commanders were also again starting Marcus Mariota in place of the injured Jayden Daniels. Wil Lutz hit field goals of 33 in each of the first two quarters for a 6-0 Broncos lead. The latter kick was set up by an interception of Mariota. The Commanders took over at their own 29. Croskey-Merritt gained 12. On 3rd and 12 from their own 45, Mariota ran for just enough. Mariota went deep to Zac Ertz for 21 and to McLaurin for 11. Rodriguez ran for an 8 yard touchdown to have the Commanders up 7-6 with 2:21 left in the half.
The Broncos took over at their own 36. On 3rd and 3 Bo Nix hit Marvin Mims for 6. Nix went to Evan Engram for 13, to Cortland Sutton for 12, and to Engram again for 8 and 7, and back to Sutton for an 11 yard touchdown. With 23 seconds left in the half, the Broncos led 13-7. The Commanders began the third quarter at their own 28. Mariota hit Ertz for 18 and 12 and ran for 19 himself. On 3rd and 9 from the Denver 16, Mariota found McLaurin for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Mariots went to Burks for the touchdown. The 10 play, 72 yard, 5 minute drive had the Commanders back in front 14-13. The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 30. Nix ran for 11. On 3rd and 11 from their own 40, Nix went deep to Sutton for 31. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 24, Nix found Bryant for 21. Harvey got in from the one to have the Broncos up 20-14 after three quarters.
The fourth quarter began with an interception of Nix to give the Commanders a short field at the Denver 36. Jake Moody hit a 38 yard field goal to have the Commanders within 20-17 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 3 minutes left, the Commanders began their last stand at their own 15. They moved 71 and needed a whopping 18 plays to do it. With 12 seconds left and 0 timeouts, the Commanders had 1st and 10 at the Denver 14 with a chance for the win. A couple of dangerous pass plays were incomplete, leaving one second. Moody hit the 32 yard field goal try to send the game to overtime 20-20. His kick was good. For the Broncos, this was FCO1.
The Broncos overtime began at their own 24. Nix hit Harvey for 12 and Adam Trautman for 12 more. Nix then connected with Engram for a 41 yard gain. Harvey ran for a 5 yard touchdown. With 7 minutes left in overtime the Broncos led 27-20. The Commanders took over at their own 35. They were down to their last gasp on 4th and 6 from their own 41. Mariota was intercepted, but it was wiped away by defensive pass interference and a 5 yard gain with an automatic first down. This was FCO2 for the Broncos. On 3rd and 14 from the Denver 40, MAriots went deep to Deebo Samuel for a 38 yard gain. On 4th and goal at the 3 with less than 3 minutes left in overtime, Mariota went to McLaurin for the touchdown. For the Broncos, this was FCO3. Dan Quinn then decided to go for the win as many football fans of all stripes begged him to take the tie and live to fight another day. In a season gone wrong, Mariota’s pass was batted down. There would be no FCO4. The Broncos got to 10-2 on the year with another heart-stopping win by one point in a season of them. 27-26 Broncos
New York Giants at New England Patriots is the Monday night game. Sometimes a really awful team can go on the road and shock a really great team in an upset for the ages. The Giants did that to the Patriots in 2 Super Bowls, but Eli Manning is long retired. Goliath beat up David and stole his lunch money and his girlfriend. An early 22 yard Borrelages field goal had the Patriot up 3-0. The Giants then punted, and Marcus Jones returned the punt 94 yards for a special teams touchdown and a 10-0 Patriots lead. The Patriots got it back at their own 39. Drake Maye hit Bouette for 10. Maye went deep to Hunter Henry for 36. Maye hit Boutte for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Patriots after the first quarter. While the Giants managed a second quarter touchdown, this game was over. After the Giants turned it over n downs, the Patriots took over at their own 42. Henderson ran for 13 and 11. On 3rd and 9 from the Giants 33, Maye went deep to Williams for the touchdown to make it 24-7 Patriots. The Giants fumbled the ensuing kickoff, leading to a 30 yard Borrelages field goal. Borrelages hit again from 28 to close the half with the Patriots up 30-7. League ruled provided the second half had to be shown. Both teams slept through it. The Giants managed one fourth quarter touchdown and Borregales hit again from 23 to complete the blowout. The Giants fell to 2-11 while the Patriots at 11-2 have the best record in the NFL. 33-15 Patriots