NFL 2025 Week 1 Recap
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles was the season opening Thursday night game. The 2025 NFL season got underway with what seemed like a mismatch on paper. The Defending champion Eagles had the core of their team intact. The Cowboys had a rookie head coach in Brian Schottenheimer and just traded away defensive standout Micah Parsons to Green Bay. The Cowboys got the ball first. 6 seconds into the game, the opening kickoff, saw Eagles player Van Sumeren crumple to the ground injured. He was taken off on the stretcher. Eagles defensive player Jalen Carter on the opening kickoff for some reason after the play spit in Dak Prescott’s face and was ejected. All of this was before a single offensive play from scrimmage.
The Cowboys began the season at their own 47 and began playing smash mouth straight up the gut. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 33, a perfectly executed play action pass saw Prescott go deep to CeeDee Lamb for 32 down to the one. Javontae Williams easily crashed up the middle into the end zone for the season’s first score to make it 7-0 Cowboys.
The Eagles began on offense with an illegal motion penalty but quickly settled down. Saquon Barkley ran for 16. Jalen Hurts hit Shipley for 19. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Hurts scrambled around, couldn’t find anyone, and tucked the ball and ran up the middle for the touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame
On the next kickoff, a scuffle broke out. This was now a typical NFC East street brawl as one Cowboys player had his helmet ripped off. Yet somehow rather than the typical offsetting penalties, both personal fouls on the play were against the Cowboys. Yet from their own 12, the Cowboys offense kept rolling. Prescot went to Lamb for 18. On 3rd and 2 from his own 41, Prescott found Lamb again for 26. On 2nd and 23 from his own 46, defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant a 34 yard gain. Williams picked up 11 more down to the one as the first quarter ended. On the first play of the second quarter, Williams crashed in for the touchdown to make it 14-7 Cowboys.
Touchbacks now have the receiving team starting at their own 35, which is what the Eagles did. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 46, Hurts found Dallas Goedert for 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 24, Hurts scrambled around, evaded tacklers, and gained 15. wo plays later Hurts scrambled around, took off, and got to the corner pylon for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-14.
The Cowboys moved from their own 31 to a 1st and 10 at the Philadelphia 23, aided by a defensive taunting penalty that wiped out a run for a loss. Prescott then there 3 straight incompletions. A game of touchdowns now had its first field goal as Brandon Aubrey hit from 41 to make it 17-14 Cowboys with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 23. Hurts uncorked a perfectly thrown bomb to Dotson. Despite solid single coverage, Dotson hauled it in for a 61 yard gain. Barkley ripped off a 10 yard touchdown run to give the Eagles their first lead 21-17 with 50 seconds left in the half.
That was enough time for the Cowboys, who took over at their own 12 with 44 seconds left. A roughing the passer penalty gifted the Cowboys 15 yards. On 3rd and 5 from his own 46, Prescott hit newly acquired George Pickens for 9 and then found Lamb for 10. Aubrey drilled a 53 yard field goal to end the half with the Cowboys within 21-20.
The Eagles began the third quarter at their own 28 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 36. Hurts was sacked for an 8 yard loss. Nick Sirianni brought in Jake Elliott for a 58 yard field goal try. Elliott was good and the Eagles led 24-20. The Cowboys took over at their own 29. From their own 40, Miles Sanders got around the end for a 49 yard gain. An offensive penalty for unnecessary roughness had the Cowboys facing 3rd and 22 from the Philly 23. Prescott went deep over the middle to Ferguson in the end zone. For a moment it appeared Ferguson had a touchdown, but he got blasted by Rod Blankenship for an incompletion.
Blankenship was flagged for defensive unnecessary roughness for a blow to the head, but it turned out to be a good penalty. Without the hit, Ferguson has a definite touchdown. Instead the Cowboys had 1st and 10 at the Philadelphia 11. Because it was unnecessary roughness rather than defensive pass interference, the ball was on the 11 instead of 1st and goal at the one. The Cowboys scored all 4 times they had the ball in the first half and were well within short field goal range, but this time the Philadelphia defense came up big. Sanders got the carry and had the ball punched out. he Eagles recovered the fumble and took over at their own 16 with exactly 4:44 left in the third quarter. At this point a crazy game got even crazier as the NFL suspended play due to a lightning storm in the area.
The Buffalo Wild Wings in Kansas where I was watching the game put on a baseball game in the meantime. Going from football to baseball is like going from a rock concert to elevator music. Please God, end this storm. Bring back football. After an hour delay, the game returned. To be fair, the bar returned to the football game before play resumed, because even watching football announcers talk about nothing during a delay is more interesting than baseball.
Play resumed with the Eagles facing 1st and 10 at their own 16. They went 3 and out. The Cowboys took over at their own 26 and faced a 3rd and 10 just shy of midfield as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with Prescott throwing a ball over the middle that should have been caught for a first down. Instead it bounced off of the receiver’s hands, then off his helmet, and straight up into the air. The Cowboys were lucky to escape with an incompletion as they punted. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 22. It was time for the first tush push of the season. Hurts got the yard. On 3rd and 1 from their own 32, it was tush push time again. The whole world including the Dallas defense knew what was coming, but they couldn’t stop it as Hurts gained 2 yards. The rest of the league wants to ban the play, but a better approach would be just stopping it on defense.
Despite taking 7 minutes off the clock, the Eagles faced 4th and 5 from midfield midway through the fourth quarter. The Eagles lined up to go for it, but it was a head fake to try and get the Cowboys defense to jump offsides. The defense didn’t bite and the Eagles punted. Yet the Cowboys again went 3 and out as a game of all offense was now a game of all defense. The Eagles took over at their own 24 with 4:43 to play in regulation hoping to grind down the clock and close out the game. yet another 3 and out gave the Cowboys another chance to pull off the road upset. The Cowboys took over at their own 18 with 3 minutes left.
On 3rd and 5 from their own 23, Prescott went to Pickens for 15. Prescott fired a beautiful deep rainbow over the middle to Lamb, who just dropped it. At the 2 minute warning the Cowboys had 4th and 3 from their own 44. Rather than just move the chains, Prescott went deep to Lamb. The ball was slightly overthrown but catchable. Lamb dove for it. It went right through his hands. He dropped it again. The Eagles again could close out the game but the Cowboys had timeouts on defense. Two stops and 2 timeouts had the Eagles facing 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 38 with 1:45 left. Hurts went back to pass, found nobody, and escaped up the middle for a key first down.
The Cowboys were game, but the defending champions escaped with a brutally tough win in a fantastic start to the 2025 NFL Season. The rematch in Dallas will be highly anticipated. 24-20 Eagles
Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers was the Friday night game from Brazil. The Chiefs may have gotten blasted in the Super Bowl, but they are still the 3 time defending AFC Champions who have won the AFC West 8 straight years. The Chargers have never won anything since the merger. Yet with Jim Harbaugh as coach, the Chargers were either going to finally win a big game or be a sad sack franchise for eternity. The Chiefs win, the Chargers lose, and that is how it is. The Chiefs entered having beaten the Chargers 7 straight times. For those who have no interest in whether any of the players are engaged to any pop stars, good. Pop culture has nothing to do with football, and this was an excellent football game.
Things started crazy on the third play of the game. The Chiefs faced 3rd and 6 a their own 32. Patrick Mahomes went back to pass and threw incomplete. yet the 3 and out was less significant than a friendly fire incident. Travis Kelce threw a devastating block on Xavier Worthy, which would be great of they were not teammates. The friendly fire accident ended the night for Worthy, who suffered an injured shoulder. imm will tell how bad this injury is.
The Chargers took over at their own 32 and Justin Herbert quickly found Johnston for a 33 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Kansas City 10, Herbert threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 3, Herbert went to Johnston for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers. The second quarter was a battle of field goals. Cameron Dicker hit from 39 early in the second quarter to make it 10-0 Chargers. The Chiefs held the ball for 16 plays and 9 minutes, but on 3rd and goal at the 9, Mahomes was sacked. Harrison Butker hit from 35 to get the Chiefs on the board. Dicker hit from 36 to have the Chargers up 13-3 with only 45 seconds left in the half. The Chiefs took over at their own 29. A pair of false starts had the Chiefs facing 3rd and 20 at the Chargers 43 with 17 seconds left. Mahomes hit Gray for only 3 yards and Gray failed to get out of bounds. Because it was 4th down, the Chiefs could not spike the ball. They had 0 timeouts. Under heavy pressure with the clock running, Butker calmly drilled a 59 yarder at the gun to have the Chiefs within 13-6 at the half.
A war of attrition and field goals turned into a track meet in the third quarter. The Chiefs took over at their own 20 and Mahomes ran for 11. On 3rd and 2 from their 39, Mahomes hit Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 13. On 3rd and 8 from the chargers 46, Mahomes ran for 15. Mahomes ran for an 11 yard touchdown. Yet midway through the third quarter of what should have been a tie game, the normally reliable Butker missed the extra point wide right. The Chiefs were within 13-12. but that miss would prove costly.
Jim Harbaugh showed balls of steel by gambling on 4th and 1 from his own 35. Hampton gained 4 yards. Herbert then went to Keenan Allen for 15 and to Ladd McConkey for 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Kansas City 11, Herbert went to Allen for the touchdown as the Chargers led 20-12 after three quarters. The Chiefs began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Mahomes went to Juju Smith-Schuster for 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 42, Mahomes gained 5. Mahomes then went to Kelce, who sprinted for a 37 yard touchdown. Because of the earlier missed extra point, Walrus Andy Reid went for 2 to try and tie the game. Mahomes threw incomplete and the Chiefs trailed 20-18 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Chasing points is bad. You don’t go for 2 until you absolutely have to.
The Chargers took over at their own 26. On 3rd and 7 from their 40, Herbert went to Allen for 9 and Harris for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 25, Conklin took the direct snap and gained 2.Herbert then went deep to Johnston for a 33 yard touchdown. The Chargers led 27-18 with 5 minutes left in regulation. The missed extra point and failed 2 point conversion meant the Chiefs needed 2 scores, not one.
The Chiefs moved from their 26 to a 1st and goal at the 9. Yet Mahomes then threw 3 straight incompletions. Butker hit the 27 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 6 with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Chiefs had all 3 timeouts left. If the Chargers punted, the Chiefs could win the game 28-27 and everyone would say it was the same Chiefs and the same Chargers. Rather than try to run the ball, Jim Harbaugh went super aggressive. Herbert hit Dissly for 18 yards. Everything came down to the Chargers facing 3rd and 14 at their own 34 with 2:14 left as the Chiefs took their last timeout. One more stop would give Mahomes the ball back. Herbert scrambled, found an open lane down the sideline, and sprinted for a 19 yard gain before sliding down in bounds. The game was over. The upset was complete. The Chargers were in sole possession of first place for at least 2 days, The Chiefs were in the cellar. The Chargers finally won a big one and are built Harbaugh tough. As for the 0-1 Chiefs, Andy Reid is a most concerned Walrus indeed. 27-21 Chargers
Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts — The first game of the post-Jim Irsay era saw Daniel Jones try to rescue his career after being a bust with the Giants. The Dolphins have been plagued by internal strife and a talented quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa who has not been able to stay healthy. Jones looked solid all day in a game that was never competitive. Schrader got the Colts on the board first with a 24 yard first quarter field goal. Tagovailoa was quickly intercepted. On the first play of the second quarter on 2nd and 20, Jones hit Pittman for a 27 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Colts. Tagovailoa was then sacked and fumbled to give the Colts another short field at the Miami 42. Jones went to Mitchell for 18 and Mo Alie-Cox for 20. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jones got in to make it 17-0 Colts. Schrader ended the half with a 35 yard field goal and hit again from 28 early in the third quarter after another Tagovailoa interception. After the Dolphins turned it over on downs, the Colts marched 69 yards. Jones got the last yard in the fourth quarter for a 30-0 Colts lead. The Dolphins reached the end zone once to avoid the shutout and Shrader tacked on a fourth field goal to complete the blowout. 33-8 Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets — This was a battle between a Jets team that gave up on Aaron Rodgers and a Pittsburgh team that was the only team in the league not to give up on Rodgers. To be fair, neither Brett Favre or anyone else who succeeds elsewhere seems to win much with the Jets either. On the flip side, Justin Fields was on the Steelers last year and is now starting for the Jets. The Jets have a new coach in Aaron Glenn who is a Bill Parcells disciple. Yet on this day there was very little defense on either side for most of the game. The Jets began at their own 35and moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Pittsburgh 18. On 3rd and 11, a surprise run gained only 3 yards. Nick Folk hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 29. Rodgers went to Pat Freiermuth for 11. On 3rd and 10 from his own 40, Rodgers went to DK Metcalf for 23. Rodgers then found Brent Skowronek for a 22 yard touchdown. Rodgers’s first touchdown in black and gold put the Steelers up 7-3.
A 40 yard kickoff return by Gibson had the Jets taking over at their own 45. Runs and short passes led to a 3rd and 2 at the Pittsburgh 37. Breece Hall gained 4. Fields then went deep to Greg Wilson for a 33 yard touchdown. Glenn in his very first gam as an NFL head coach decided to go for a pointless 2 point conversion try. The try failed and the Jets led 9-7. Chris Boswell began the second quarter by drilling a 56 yard field goal to put the Steelers up 10-9. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 38. Fields went to Ruckert for just enough. Fields connected with Ruckert for a 33 yard gain. Fields ran for 15. Allen ran for the 8 yard touchdown to put the Jets up 16-10. The Jets got it back at their own 26 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Pittsburgh 29. Fields tried to get around the end but lost 4 yards. Folk hit a 51 yard field goal as the Jets led 19-10 with 3 minutes left in the half.
The Steelers took over at their own 35. Rodgers went deep to Austin for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 27, Rodgers went to Smith for 3. Rodgers went to Austin for 21. Rodgers hit Smith for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Steelers within 19-17. In the third quarter the Jets faced 3rd and 5 at their own 37. Fields went to Ruckert for 12. Hall the gained 17. Fields found Wilson for 21 down to the 2. Fields got the last deuce himself to make it 26-17 Jets. The Steelers took over at their own 32. Defensive unnecessary roughness gifted the Steelers 15 yards. Rodgers went to Warren for 17 and Metcalf for 18 more. Rodgers hit Warren for a 5 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to get the Steelers within 26-24. A key play in the game came when the Jets fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Steelers recovered at the Jets 22. Two plays later Rodgers went to Warren for an 18 yard touchdown to have the Steelers up 31-26.
The Jets took over at their own 33. Hall ran for 12. Fields went to Reynolds for 13 more. Fields hit Taylor for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 14, Fields gained 4. Midway through the fourth quarter, Aaron Glenn decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. Fields got in. The Jets had the lead, but the earlier failed 2 point conversion had the Jets going for 2 again. Chasing points often fails. It did again but the Jets did lead 32-31. With 3:13 to play the Steelers took over at their own 19. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Jets 40. A completion lost a couple yards and Rodgers on 3rd and 11 threw incomplete. With one minute left, Mike Tomlin had a major decision to make.He brought in Boswell to try a 60 yard field goal in hostile environment with the game on the line.
Boswell blasted the daylights out of it. The Steelers had the 2 point lead. With 30 seconds left, everything came down to the Jets facing 4th and 3 at their own 38. They were a couple first downs from long field goal range for the win. Fields found a wide open Wilson in the flat past the first down marker. The ball was right in his hands. Then Wilson got blasted to pieces by Jalen Ramsey. The ball fell to the ground for an incompletion and a turnover on downs. It was a hit Aaron Glenn could have delivered in his playing days. Yet it was also a Mike Tomlin Steelers hit. As for his kicker, Tomlin glowingly referred to him after the game as a serial killer. The supposedly washed up Rodgers was 22 of 30 for 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. 34-32 Steelers
Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars — Both of these teams joined the NFL in 1995, played in that year’s Hall of Fame Game, and reached their Conference Title Game in 1996. After 30 years, they spent last year looking like expansion teams. In the first quarter Cam Little hit a 35 yard field goal for the Jaguars and Fitzgerald answered from 48 for a 3-3 game. Early in the second quarter an interception of Bryce Young gave the Jaguars a short field at the Carolina 35. Lawrence hit Long for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back at their own 8 and 92 yards came easily. Travis Etienne ripped off a 71 yard run. Thomas got around the end for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Jaguars. A Carolina fumble led to a 47 yard Little field goal to have the Jaguars up 20-3 at the break. A scoreless third quarter saw the Panthers finally reach the end zone in the fourth quarter, with two more Little field goals sandwiched around them to complete the lopsided win. 26-10 Jaguars
Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints — The Cardinals entered with low expectations for the season, but the Saints are a dumpster fire with even lower expectations. Sometimes bad teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game, although it was somewhat competitive. The Cardinals in the first quarter moved from their own 34 to a 3rd and 7 at the New Orleans 19. A delay of game and an incompletion ended the drive. Ryland hit the 24 yard field goal to get the Cardinals on the board first. The Saints took over at their own 25. Spencer Rattler hit Johnson for 11 and Chris Olave for 13. Miller gained 10. Rattler ran for 9 and hit Brandin Cooks for 12 as the Saints began the second quarter at the Arizona 25. Alvin Kamara caught a pass from Rattler for 7 and ran for an 18 yard touchdown to give the Saints the 7-3 lead.
The Cardinals took over at their own 35. Kyler Murray went deep to Marvin Harrison for a 45 yard gain. Murray went to Harrison for a one yard touchdown and a 10-7 Cardinals lead. Miller returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to set up the Saints at their own 45. On 3rd and 8 from the Arizona 21, Rattler completed a pass for a 3 yard gain. Blake Grupe hit from 36 for a 10-10 game. The Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 29. Murray hit McBride for 11. A defensive facemark added 15. On 3rd and 12 from the New Orleans 45, Murray went to mcBride for 25. Murray hit James Conner for a 4 yard touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half to give the Cardinals the 17-10 lead. A lifeless second half saw Ryland hit a 50 yard third quarter field goal to make it 20-10 Cardinals. Grupe missed a 37 yard field goal while Ryland missed from 46 with under 5 minutes left in regulation. Grupe hit from 28 to get the Saints within 7 points with 2:42 left. The Saints held on defense and got the ball back at their own 42 with 1:49 left. The Saints reached the Arizona 18 with 14 seconds left and a chance to tie or win the game.After spiking the ball, Rattler threw 3 incompletions as the Saints came up short. 20-13 Cardinals
New York Giants at Washington Commanders — Sometimes one of the worst teams in the league can go on the road and shock one of the best teams in the league in an upset for the ages. This was not that game. Goliath easily beat up David and stole his lunch money. The Commanders took over at their own 11 in the first quarter. Jayden Daniels went deep to Moore for a 34 yard gain and to Brown for 18 more. Daniels went to Zac Ertz for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Commanders. The Giants moved from their own 22 all the way to a 4th and goal at the 2 to start the second quarter. Brian Daboll went for it. Russell Wilson threw incomplete but defensive illegal use of hands gave the Giants a new set of downs. It didn’t matter. On 1st and goal at the one, Wilson threw incomplete, a run lost a yard, and Wilson threw incomplete again. Daboll had seen enough. Gano hit the 21 yard field goal to get the Giants on the board.
The Commanders took over at their own 42. Daniels went to newly acquired Deebo Samuel for 16. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 28, Daniels gained 11. Creskey ran for a 6 yard touchdown with 14 seconds left to have the Commanders up 14-3. Gano managed a 55 yard field goal late in the third quarter, but that was it for the lifeless Giants. Early in the fourth quarter the Commanders took over at their own 20. Daniels ran for 14 and hit Ertz for 11. Daniels ran for 12 and on 3rd and 5 from the Giants 48 hit Samuel for 19. Samuel got around the end for a 19 yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter ti put the game out of reach. 21-6 Commanders
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons — While neither of these teams are expected to do much this year, they did put on a decent game. The Falcons from their own 35 needed only 3 plays to open the scoring. Michael Penix went to Bijon Robinson on a short pass that went for a 50 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. The Buccaneers moved from their own 9 to a 3rd and 6 at the Atlanta 30. Baker Mayfield threw incomplete. Chase McLaughlin hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers on the board with 10 minutes left in the half. The Falcons gambled on 4th and 1 from the Tampa Bay 47. Robinson got stopped cold. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 11 and deep to Egbuka to give the Buccaneers their first lead at 10-7. The Falcons moved from their own 30 to a 2nd and 6 at the Tampa Bay 21. Penix completed a pass for a one yard loss and then threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit the 41 yard field goal as the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 10-10.
McLaughlin missed a 44 yard field goal in the third quarter that would have given the Buccaneers the lead. Yet the Buccaneer got it back with a 64 yard punt return that set them up at the Atlanta 32. On 3rd and 6, Mayfield ran for 20. Mayfield went to Irving for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Buccaneers. The Falcons moved from their own 29 to a 3rd and 4 at the Tampa Bay 9. Looking to tie the game, Penix was sacked. Koo hit from 36 to have the Falcons within 17-13 after three quarters.The Falcons got it back at their own 9 yard line with 11 minutes left in regulation. On 3rd and 6, Penix went to Pitts for 10. Roughing the passer added 15. On 3rd and 3 from his own 45, Penix went to Washington for 7. Another roughing the passer call added 15 more. On 4th and goal at the 4 after what seemed like a million plays within the 5 yard line, Penix got in. The Falcons had the 20-17 lead with 2:17 to play.
The game was far from over. A strong kickoff return had the Buccaneers a their own 37. Mayfield hit Evans for 12 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Mayfield went to Shepard for 10. This time it was roughing the passer the other way as the Buccaneers gained 15 yards. Mayfield then went to Egbuka for a 25 yard touchdown. The Buccaneers had the lead, but McLaughlin’s extra point doinked off the left upright no good. With one minute left, the Buccaneers led by 3 rather than 4 points. The Falcons took over at their own 14 with 52 seconds left. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Tampa Bay 26 with 16 seconds left. Penix took a couple of deep shots incomplete. With only 6 seconds left, Raheem Morris was not in a gambling mood. He brought in Koo on 3rd down to tie the game and force overtime. From 44 yards out, the pride of Atlanta and South Korea was no good wide right. Koo slammed his helmet in anger on the sideline. 23-20 Buccaneers
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns — Even by Ohio football standards, this was an ugly game that was total Cleveland and Cincinnati and 0% Canton. The Bengals took over at their own 32 and Joe Burrow went right to work, hitting Fast for 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 40, Burrow went to Higgins for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 18, Brown gained 5, 8, and the 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. The Browns took over at their own 33. Runs and short passes by Joe Flacco meant a staggering 16 play drive that took nearly 10 minutes off the clock. Kevin Stefanski gambled on 4th and 1 from the cincinnati 48. Sanders gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincinnati 34, Flacco threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 6 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincinnati 27, Flacco threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 4 yards and a new set of downs. From the Cincinnati 20 to start the second quarter, Flacco went to Sampson for 12 with roughing the passer adding 4 more. On 3rd and goal at the one, Sanders got stopped. Stefnaski gambled again. on 4th and goal, Sanders went to the exact same spot and this time got in for the touchdown and the 7-7 game.
A 23 yard punt return in the second quarter set up the Bengals at their own 46. Burrow went to JaMarr Chase for 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 23, Burrow went to Perine for 5. Defensive pass interference added 15. On 3rd and goal at the one, Burrow got in to make it 14-7 Bengals. The Browns then moved from heir own 22 to a 3rd and 5 at the Cincinnati 27. Flacco went deep incomplete. Before the season, the Browns cut veteran Dustin Hopkins and brought in Andre Szmyt. From 45 yards out, Szmyt was good to get the Browns within 14-10. The Browns carried that momentum into the third quarter, starting out with a 3rd and 3 at they own 38. Flacco hit Fannin for 18 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincinnati 43, Flacco went to Tillman for 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincinnati 9, Sampson got around the end for 6. Flacco went to Tillman for the 5 yard touchdown. Midway through the third quarter, the Browns had the lead.
Yet it would remain 2 points rather than 3 because Andre Szmyt missed the extra point. The Browns led 16-14. The next time the Browns got the ball, Flacco was intercepted. The Bengals took over at the Cleveland 34. On 3rd and 4 from the Cleveland 17, Flacco threw incomplete. Evan McPherson hit the 35 yard field goal to give the Bengals the one point lead. There were still 3 minutes left in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Kevin Stefanski gambled on 4th and 5 from the Cincy 39. Flacco threw incomplete. Midway through the fourth quarter, a disastrous sequence had the Bengals punting on 4th and 28 from their own 2. The Browns took over at the Cincy 42. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincy 12, Flacco was sacked. Nevertheless, the field goal try for the lead with 2 1/2 minutes left was only a 36 yard try. Szmyt came in for redemption. He didn’t get it as his kick was wide right no good. The Browns got the ball back one more time but with 90 seconds left from his own 42, Flacco was intercepted. Even by Battle of Ohio standards, this was hideous. 17-16 Bengals
Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots — From Sugar Bear Hamilton to the Tuck Rule to Chandler Jones running over Mac Jones, this series has produced some wild endings. Now former Patriots player Mike Vrabel was coaching his team for the first time. Meanwhile, the infamous Tuck rule Tom Brady was now a minority owner of the Raiders. One coach Brady beat in a Super Bowl, Pete Carroll, was now coaching his first game with the Raiders. His former Seattle quarterback Geno Smith was now his Raiders quarterback. The Raiders began at their own 34 and exploded out of the gate. Smith went to Brock Bowers for 23 yards. Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty gained 9. Smith went to Thornton for 9. On 3rd and 11 from the New England 26, Smith went deep to Tre Tucker for the touchdown and the 7-0 Raiders lead less than 3 minutes into the game.
The Raiders have had plenty of games in recent years where their offense looked great on their first drive and then did nothing for the remaining 55 minutes. The Raiders on their second drive began at their own 5 and moved all the way to the new England 40. Everything was clicking. The Raiders had all the momentum. Smith went deep and was intercepted. The Patriots took over at their own 18 and the Raiders defense immediately got called for encroachment. On 2nd and 11 from his own 27, Drake Maye went deep to Hunter Henry for 27 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Raiders 46, Maye went deep to Bouette for 24. Maye hit Hooper for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Maye hit Douglas for the touchdown to tie the game 7-7.
The Raiders offense went into hibernation for the rest of the half. They dodged a bullet when Patriots kicker Borregales missed a 40 yard field goal try, but Borregales hit from 37 at the 2 minute warning. On the last play of the half, Daniel Carlson’s 58 yard try was no good. Although the Patriots only led 10-7, it had the feel of the Raiders eventually falling behind 27-7. The Patriots began the third quarter at their own 12 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at their own 48. Then momentum swung again. Maye went deep and was intercepted by Pola-Mao.
The Raiders took over at their own 29. Smith went to Jakobi Meyers for 23 and again for 19, with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15. Out of the shotgun, hearty took a handoff 3 yards up the gut to put the Raiders back in front 14-10. Although nearly 25 minutes of football remained, neither team would reach the end zone again. The Raiders defense harassed Maye the entire second half. Carlson hit field goals of 51 late in the third quarter and 40 midway through the fourth quarter. The Raiders had a comfortable 20-10 lead, but they do not win games easily.
On 1st and 10 from the New England 39 with a chance to totally put the game away, the Raiders ran the ball 3 straight times for 0 yards. Rather than try a 57 yard field goal, Pete Carroll opted to punt. The Patriots took over at their own 20 with 1:48 left. They quickly moved to a 1st and 10 at the Raiders 26, but only 35 seconds remained. After Maye was taken down, Mike Vrabel needing 2 scores decided to kick the field goal on 3rd down. Borregales hit from 44 but the onside kick failed. made finished 30 of 46 for 287 yards while Smith was a very solid 24 of 34 for 362 yards. Both quarterbacks had one touchdown pass and were intercepted once. Both run defenses were solid, which is to be expected of teams coached by Mike Vrabel and Pete Carroll. The Patriots managed only 60 yards in 18 carries while the Raiders had 56 yards on 24 carries. 20-13 Raiders
San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks — A little over a decade ago these teams with their nasty defenses competed in the NFC Title Game. Now they are above average but not world beaters. Early on the 49ers were pinned at their own 5 yard line. On 3rd and 4 Brock Purdy went to George Kittle for 8. On 3rd and 8 from their own 21, Purdy went deep to Pearsall for 26. On 3rd and 9 from the Seattle 39, Purdy threw incomplete but roughing the passer added 15 yards. Purdy went to Kittle for 11 more. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Purdy went to Kittle for the touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. The Seahawk took over at their own 31, From their 43, newly acquired Sam Darnold went to Smith-Nigba for 21. Early in the second quarter, Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald gambled on 4th and 3 from the San Francisco 4. Darnold threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meat 1st and goal at the one. Charbonnet got in to tie the game 7-7.
The defenses then dug in. With one minute left in the half, 49ers kicker Jake moody doinked a 27 yard field goal try off the upright no good. It was Seahawks kicker Jason Myers who hit from 48 to end the half with the Seahawks up 10-7. The third quarter was ugly. Purdy was intercepted. On their next series, Moody’s 36 yard field goal try to tie the game was blocked. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a completed pass by Darnold was fumbled. This time from 42 yards out, Moody was good for a 10-10 game. Yet when the 49ers got it back looking for the lead, Purdy was intercepted again. That led to a 37 yard field goal by Myers to put the Seahawks up 13-10 with 3 1/2 minutes left to play.
The 49ers took over at their own 32. Purdy went deep to Pearsall for a 45 yard gain. With just over 90 seconds to play, the 49ers faced 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 4. Purdy rolled out to his right. With a man in his face, Purdy threw a prayer to the end zone where three defenders were that should have been intercepted. Yet Richard Sherman, Malcolm Smith and the rest of the Legion of Boom were not on the field. Instead, Tonges somehow came down with it for the touchdown. This was certainly not Montana to Clark. It was ugly, but it counted and put the 49ers up by 4 points. Yet the Seahawks needed only 30 seconds to move from their 35 to a 1st and 5 at the San Francisco 9. One minute plenty of time. Yet with the game on the line, Darnold was sacked by Nick Bosa and fumbled. Bosa recovered to seal the win. 17-13 49ers
Tennessee Titans at Denver Broncos — With Sean Payton and Bo Nix in their second year together, expectations were Mile High in Denver. The Broncos began their season against the worst team of 2024, as top draft pick Cam Ward started his first NFL game. Ward showed poise and composure in leading the Titans to a 50 yard Joey Slye field goal and a 3-0 Titans lead on their first drive. Wil Lutz answered from 39 for a 3-3 game. The defenses dug in as Nix threw an interception late in the first quarter only to have the Titans fumble the ball back early in the second quarter. Midway through the second quarter Nix was sacked and fumbled. The Titans took over at the Denver 38 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the 3. Ward was sacked. Slye hit a 33 yard field goal to give the Titans the surprising 6-3 lead.
That appeared to be how the half would end, but with 40 seconds left before the intermission the Titans had to punt on 4th and 16 from their own one. A 17 yard return had the Broncos at the Tennessee 38 with 27 seconds left. Nix threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 16 yard gain. Nix then went deep to Sutton for a 22 yard touchdown. After being bottled up the entire first half, the Broncos somehow had the 10-6 lead with 16 seconds left. Yet Dike returned the ensuing kickoff 71 yards to the Denver 24. Slye hit a 42 yard field goal for a wild ending to what had been a dull first 29 1/2 minutes. The Titans were only down 10-9.
On the second play of the third quarter, Nix was intercepted again. His third turnover had the Titans on the Denver 26. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 17, rookie coach Brian Callahan decided not to gamble. Slye hit the 35 yard field goal to put the Titans up 12-10. The Broncos moved from their own 37 to a 4th and 2 at the Denver 10. Sean Payton did line up to go for it but the Broncos took a delay of game penalty. Lutz hit from 33 to have the Broncos up 13-12 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. Then both defenses dug in again. With 9 minutes left, the Broncos took over at their own 20. Harvey broke free for a 50 yard touchdown. The Broncos led by 8, but they turned it over on downs on their next 2 possessions. With one minute left, the Titans took over at their own 36. Ward had a chance to be a hero in his first ever game. Yet he threw 3 straight incompletions. On 4th and 10 he was sacked and fumbled. The Broncos recovered to escape with a much tougher win than expected. 20-12 Broncos
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers — After having been dominated by the Packers for 30 years, the tide shifted a couple years ago as the Lions won 3 straight. Both teams made the playoffs last year but it was the 15-2 Lions who had the best record in the NFL. An injury-riddled defense denied the Lions their first trip to the Super Bowl. After the season, Dan Campbell lost both his offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs. The Packers were the model of stability. The Packers took over at their own 17 and went right to work. Jordan Love went to Romeo Doubs for 20. On 3rd and 10 Love went to Wicks for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 42, Love went to Golden for 11. Defensive unsportsmanlike conduct added 15. On 3rd and 9 from the Detroit 15, Love went to Kraft for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Packers got it back at their own 48 and moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Detroit 16. Love threw incomplete. Brandon McManus hit a 34 yard field goal for a 10-0 Packers lead after the first quarter.
Jake Bates hit a 30 yard second quarter field goal for the Lions but their offense never found a rhythm. The Packers took over at their own 35 and made it look easy. Love went deep to Doubs for a 48 yard gain. Love then went to Reed for a touchdown and a 17-3 Packers lead. Bates hit a 27 yard third quarter field goal but this game was never competitive. Early in the fourth quarter the Lions punted on 4th and 17 from their own one. The Packers took over at the Detroit 38 and turned out the lights. On 4th and 1 from the Detroit 10, Matt LaFleur went for it and Love gained 2. Jacobs ran for 5 and then the 3 yard touchdown. This was not West Coast Offense dink and dunk. This was smash mouth and the Packers were doing the smashing up 24-6. The Lions turned it over on downs in their own territory and McManus tacked on a 38 yarder to make it 27-6 Packers. The Lions finally managed one garbage touchdown. 27-13 Packers
Houston Texans at Los Angeles Rams — Demo Ryans knows defense and Sean McVay is a stud on offense. Yet this day belonged to both defenses. Kaimi Fairbairn managed 51 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans late in the first quarter. Fairbairn connected again from 45 to have the Texans up 6-0 with 5 minutes left in the half. After 25 minutes of listlessness, the Rams finally got going from their own 35. Matthew Stafford went to Puka Nacua for 19. Williams ran for one and 9. Stafford went to nacho for 24. On 4th and goal at the one, McVay went for it. Williams got in to have the Rams up 7-6 with 53 seconds left in the half. The Texans took over at their own 23 and quickly moved to the Rams 35. Fairbairn was good from 53 as the Texans took a 9-7 lead to the locker rooms.
The Rams began the third quarter at their own 32. Stafford went to Adams for 15. Stafford went deep to Smith for 36. Stafford went to Allen for a 13 yard touchdown. The Rams had 5 point lead only 2 1/2 minutes into the third quarter. CJ Strous was intercepted as both defenses dominated. With 4 minutes left on 1st and 10 at the Houston 12 looking to ice the game, the Rams instead fumbled the ball away. The Texans moved from their own 19 to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 25 with 1:51 to play. Stroud went to Ogunbowale for 7, but Ogunbowale fumbled and the Rams recovered. The Texans used their timeouts on defense. Everything came down to the Rams facing 3rd and 8 at their own 26 with 90 seconds left. Stafford went to Nacua for 24 and then took a couple knees. In a defensive slugfest, Houston’s defense couldn’t get one final stop. 14-9 Rams
Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills was the Sunday night game. A few months ago an epic playoff game saw the Bills survive at home 35-33 when all pro Ravens tight end Mark Andrews dropped the game-tying 2 point conversion. with expectations high between 2 teams with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations, somehow the expectations were met. This game became an instant classic, although it did not look that way for most of the game. A 41 yard return of the opening kickoff had the Bills starting at midfield. On 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 36, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 2, Johnson got around the end for 17. Josh Allen went to Kincaid for a 15 yard touchdown to put the Bills up 7-0 less than 4 minutes into the game.
The Ravens moved form their 31 to a 3rd and 7 at the Buffalo 19. Lamar Jackson was sacked for a 15 yard loss. With 13 year veteran Justin Tucker no longer on the team, rookie Tyler Loop was tasked with making a 52 yard field goal. He was good for his first professional NFL points to get the Ravens on the board. The Ravens got the ball back at their own 15. Derrick Henry ran for 11 and Jackson hit Bay Flowers for 20. The second quarter began with the Ravens facing 3rd and 3 at the Buffalo 47. Jackson got around the end for a 17 yard gain. Henry then broke free for 30 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 31. Henry busted off a 49 yard run. Jackson ran for a 10 yard touchdown. The Ravens now led 17-7.
The Bills took over at their own 30 and moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Baltimore 10. A completion gained only 3 yards. The Bills were without their regular kicker. With Tyler Bass injured, ageless veteran Matt Prater was called out of retirement. He joined the team earlier in the week. His career long field goal is 64 yards, which was an NFL record until Tucker broke it. His first kick with the Bills was only 25 yards to get the Bills within 17-10. A 41 yard kickoff return and the Ravens taking over at their own 46. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 17. A shotgun snap gone wrong resulted in a fumble and a 15 yard loss. Loop hit a 49 yard field goal to have the Ravens up 20-10. Only 30 seconds remained in the half. That was enough time for the Bills to move from their 27 to the Baltimore 25. Prater hit from 43 to get the Bills within 20-13 at the break.
The Ravens kept rolling to start the third quarter, taking over at their own 35. On 3rd and 7, Jackson went to Flowers for 39 and again for a 23 yard touchdown. The Ravens led 27-13. Their offense scored the first 5 times they had the ball. The ensuing kickoff failed to reach the landing zone, setting up the Bills at their own 40. On 3rd and 2, Josh Allen gained 5. Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and 5 from the Baltimore 31. Allen threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 27 yard gain. Jared Cook ran for a 2 yard touchdown. A defensive penalty on the play allowed the Bills to try a 2 point conversion from the one yard line. They should have kicked the extra point anyway. Pointless 2 point conversion tries often end up exactly that…pointless. This one failed and the Bills trailed 27-19.
Sean McDonough’s defense finally forced a punt but the Bills punted it back. The Ravens took over at their own 32. Jackson went to Flowers for 36. Jackson went deep to Deandre Hopkins for a 29 yard touchdown and a 34-19 Ravens lead after three quarters. The Bills took over at their own 16 and began the fourth quarter at their own 28.Allen went to Coleman for 15. On 3rd and 6 from his own 47, Allen went to Cook for 51.bAllen ran for the 2 yard touchdown. Yet because of the earlier pointless 2 point conversion, now Sean McDonough was chasing points. That also usually fails. If you don’t go for the first one, you don’t need to go for the second one. The try failed again and the Bills trailed 34-25. The Ravens took over at their own 35. On 3rd and 10, Jackson scrambled for 19. Henry then busted free for a 56 yard touchdown. Loop’s extra point doinked off the right upright no good. The Ravens led 40-25 with under 12 minutes left in regulation. Even if the Bills scored, it didn’t matter. The Buffalo defense could not stop the Baltimore offense. Henry was running a;; over them.
The Bills took over at their own 21. Allen went to Coleman for 21. On 3rd and 3 from the Baltimore 37, Allen threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant an 8 yard gain. Allen hit Kincaid for 11. With 4 minutes left in regulation, the Bills were down to their last gasp. They faced 4th and 2 at the Baltimore 10. One defensive stop would pretty much end things. instead, Allen went to Coleman for the touchdown. The Bills were within 40-32. This was the first failure to close out the game for Baltimore, FCO1. The Ravens got the ball back at their own 28. From their own 41, Henry got the carry. He had run roughshod over the Bills all game. Yet this time Henry got blasted and fumbled. His only mistake in an otherwise spectacular game proved costly. The Bills recovered at the Baltimore 30 with a chance to tie the game and a full 3 minutes to do it. This was FCO2.
Allen went deep to Hawes for 29 down to the one. At the 2 minute warning the Bills had 3rd and goal at the one. Allen got the yard for the touchdown. This was FCO3. While this comeback was inspired, again, had the Bills just kicked the extra points earlier, the game would be tied 40-40 and an extra point would win it. Instead they were down 40-38 and had to go for 2 for the third time, this time to tie it. For the third time, they failed. Sean McDermott decided not to go with an onside kick. In a game with very little defense, he decided to trust his defense. The Ravens took over at their own 31 with 1:51 left. One firs down would end the game. On 3rd and 9, Jackson completed a pass to Hopkin for only 6 yards. Now it was John Harbaugh with the big decision on 4th and 2. From his own 39, he decided not to gamble. He opted to punt and trust his defense. This was FCO4.
The Bills took over at their own 20 with 1:26 left. With 53 seconds left from his own 34, Allen went deep to Palmer for a 32 yard gain. Allen then went to Coleman for 25. The Bills forced the Ravens to take their timeouts on defense and then took the clock down to under 4 seconds. Prater came in for a 32 yard try to win it. Henry was helpless on the other sideline. Prater was true, and the Baltimore collapse and FCO5 were complete. 16 unanswered points in the final 4 minutes provided NFL fans with a shocking, epic classic for the ages. A rematch of this game in the playoffs would be off the charts. It was a second straight bitter defeat for Baltimore, the time losing a game they dominated most of. For Allen, it was a testament to his greatness. As Chris Berman has said many times, “No one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills.”
Every lesson a parent would want to teach their child can be learned from football. The biggest life lessons were learned in this thrilling football game. Take nothing for granted. Never give up. 41-40 Bills
Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears was the Monday night game. After going 14-3, the Minnesota Vikings jettisoned Sam Darnold and turned the reins over to JJ McCarthy, who missed his entire rookie season injured. Caleb Williams showed promise in his rookie year, but the Bears need more than him. This game will be talked about for awhile. The Bears took over at their own 39. From the Minnesota 46, Williams went to Monanga.for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Minnesota 30, Williams went to Odunze for 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 9, Williams scrambled for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The second quarter belonged to the field goal kickers. Will Reichard hit from 31 to get the Vikings on the board. Cairo Santos hit from 42 to put the Bears up 10-3 with only 24 seconds left in the half. The Vikings took over at their own 31 with 19 seconds left. McCarthy found Naylor for 28 and Reichard drilled a 59 yarder to have the Vikings within 10-6 at the break. Early in the third quarter, mcCarthy was intercepted by Wright, who returned it 74 yards the other way. The defensive touchdown had the Bears up 17-6 after three quarters. The Chicago defense was completely shutting down Minnesota’s offense.
The fourth quarter began with Santos lining up for a 50 yard field goal and a 20-6 Bears lead. Yet Santos was wide left no good. The Vikings took over at their own 40 and finally got going. Mason ran for 7 and 18. McCarthy hit Justin Jefferson for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 13, McCarthy went to Jefferson for the touchdown. Kevin O’Connell went for 2 and the try failed as the Vikings were within 17-12 with 12 minutes left in regulation. A 22 yard punt return gave the Vikings the ball back at midfield. On 3rd and 1, McCarthy threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 14 yard gain. On the next play McCarthy went deep to aaron Jones for a 27 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Vikings led 20-17 with 10 minutes left. The Vikings got it back at their own 32. Moon raan for 19. On 3rd and 1, Jones gained 2.McCarthy went to Jones for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 14, McCarthy got around the end for the touchdown. After 3 quarters of ineptitude, the Vikings exploded with 3 straight fourth quarter touchdown drives for a 27-17 lead with 3 minutes left.
From their own 35, the Bears finally woke up from hibernation and fought back. Williams went to Cole Ket for 31. An incompletion on 3rd and 10 didn’t matter when the Minnesota defense was flagged for illegal contact. A roughing the passer penalty added 15 more. Williams ran for 13 down to the one. Williams hit Odunze for the touchdown to get the Bears within a field goal. 2:02 remained, but Kevin O’Connell made a very smart coaching decision. He made sure the ensuing kickoff was taken out of the end zone to use up the 2 seconds and get to the 2 minute warning. That denied Chicago an extra timeout. By the time the Bears got the ball back at their own 20, only 9 seconds remained. The hook and laterals failed as the Bears were left stunned by their fourth quarter collapse. It was a gritty Minnesota win and especially sweet for McCarthy in his very first NFL regular season game. 27-24 Vikings