NFL 2022 Week 12 Recap
Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Thursday morning game. The Lions early on faced 3rd and 6 at their own 43. The Bills jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 1, Jamaal Williams gained 6. Jared Goff hit DJ Chark for 15. On 3rd and 8 at the Buffalo 26, Goff hit St. Brown for 12. On 4th and 1 at the 5, it was time for a Dan Campbell gamble. The Bills jumped offside again. Williams ran for a 2 yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 81 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive to make it 7-0 Lions. After a touchback, Josh Allen hit Greg Davis for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 47, Singletary gained 3. Allen ran for 21. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 19, Allen went to Isaiah McKenzie for the touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, nearly 5 minute drive and make it 7-7.
In the second quarter the Lions fumbled and the Bills took over at their own 42. Allen hit Jared Cook and Stefan Diggs for a pair of 8 yard gains. Singletary ran for 19. On 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 3, Allen fumbled the shotgun snap, picked it up at the 8, and ran for the touchdown the hard way to cap the 10 play, 58 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 14-7 Bills. The Lions soon faced 4th and 1 at their own 33, time for another Dan Campbell gamble. This was not a bluff to get the defense to jump. Campbell went for it and Williams gained 2. Goff hit Raymond for 13 and Mitchell for 22. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 9, Deandre Swift gained 7. On 4th and goal at the one with 1:52 left in the half, of course Campbell was going for it again. Goff hit St. Brown for the touchdown as the high risk, high reward approach tied the game 14-14.
After a touchback, Allen hit McKenzie for 27. The Bills moved to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 20 with 20 seconds left. Allen threw incomplete twice and was sacked. Tyler Bass hit a 47 yard field goal to end the half with the Bills up 17-14. After a third quarter touchback, the Bills moved to a 1st and goal at the 10. Allen was then intercepted at the 8. On 3rd and 15 from his own 3, Goff was sacked in his own end zone for a safety to make it 19-14 Bills. The Bills failed to take advantage of the free kick as the Lions moved from their own 14 to a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 11. The drive died there and Mike Badly missed a 29 yard field goal indoors. A 41 yard punt return had the Lions getting the ball back at the Buffalo 35. Defensive pass interference added 13 yards. Jackson ran for 11. One minute into the fourth quarter on 3rd and goal at the one, Goff hit Chark for the touchdown. Dan Campbell went for 2 and Swift got in to make it 22-19 Lions
The Bills took over at their own 10 with 9 minutes left in regulation. Allen ran for 8 and hit Diggs for gains of 8 and 4. Allen hit Dawson Knox for 15. Allen ran for 9 and hit Diggs for 12. Singletary gained 8 and 4. On 2nd and 10 from the Detroit 15, Allen threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant an 8 yard gain and 1st and goal at the 7. Allen hit Diggs for a 5 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 90 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Bills up 25-22 with 2:40 to play. Yet Bass missed the critical extra point. The Lions needed only a field goal to tie the game. After a touchback Goff hit Swift for 14. The Lions moved to a 4th and 1 just past midfield with 1:15 left. St. Brown gained 7. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 33, Goff threw deep incomplete. 32 seconds remained and the Lions had to burn their 1st timeout. Dan Campbell opted for the field goal and Badly delivered from 51 for a 25-25 tie.
After a touchback, the Bills had only 23 seconds to work with. That was enough time for Allen to go deep to Diggs for 36 yards. The Bills took their 1st timeout with 16 seconds left. Allen ran for 3 yards and the Bills toko their 2nd timeout with 13 seconds left. Allen then scrambled for a key 9 yard gain as the Bills took their last timeout with 5 seconds left. Now Bass had a chance to win it, and his kick would be from 45 rather than from 54. Bass was good as the Bills escaped with the win to get to 8-3 on the year. 28-25 Bills
New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon game. Both teams came in 7-3 but the Giants suffered an embarrassing home loss to Detroit while the Cowboys went on the road and blasted Minnesota 40-3. Early on Mike McCarthy gambled on 4th and 2 from his own 40. Ezekiel Elliott only gained one yard. From that spot, Daniel Jones went to Myarick for 23 yards. Yet 1st and 10 from the Dallas 17 saw a sack of Jones. Then a 24 yard touchdown pass from Jones to Hodgins was nullified by an ineligible man downfield. Then came intentional grounding. On 4th and 32, Brian Daboll gave Graham Gano a shot at a 57 yard field goal try to salvage something out of the drive. Gano delivered and the Giants led 3-0. Dak Prescott was then intercepted bu the Giants did not capitalize.
The Cowboys got it back at their own 7. On 3rd and 4, Prescott went to Michael Gallup for 10. On 3rd and 3 from their own 30, Prescott went to Gallup for 9. Elliott ran for 3 and 22. Prescott went to CeeDee Lamb for a 25 yard touchdown. Elliott ran for a 6 yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter to cap the 11 play, 93 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 7-3 Cowboys. The Giants soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Saquon Barkley got stopped cold but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 3 from their own 45, Jones went to James for 4. Jones went deep to Darrius Slayton for 44 down to the one. Barkley got the last yard to make it 10-7 Giants. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 30. On 3rd and 15 at the 2 minute warning, Prescott was intercepted. The Giants quickly moved from their own 27 to the Dallas 29. Gano hit a 47 yard field goal as the Giants led 13-7 at the intermission.
The Cowboys began the third quarter facing 3rd and 4 from their own 31. Elliott gained 16. Tony Pollard added 13. On 3rd and 7 from the Giants 37, Prescott went deep incomplete. Yet defensive holding meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 12 from the Giants 24, Prescott hit Lamb for 14. On 3rd and goal from the 15, Prescott went to Dalton Schultz for the touchdown and the 14-13 Cowboys lead. After a touchback, the Giants soon aced 4th and 1 from their own 45. Brian Daboll went for it and Jones’s pass to Barkley was dropped. Prescott went to Lamb for 14 and again for 21. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Prescott went to Schultz for the touchdown to make it 21-13 Cowboys. The Cowboys got it back at their own 20. Prescott went to Lamb for 15 and Ferguson for 30. On 3rd and 11 from the Giants 25, Prescott went to Lamb for 23. Hendershot got in for the 2 yard touchdown. Several Cowboys players jumped into the Salvation Army big red bucket as a close game was now a blowout. 21 unanswered point son 3 straight touchdown drives made it 28-13 Cowboys with 9 minutes left in regulation. The Giants finally got a garbage touchdown with 8 seconds remaining to make the score look respectable. The onside kick failed. 28-20 Cowboys
New England Patriots at Minnesota Vikings is the Thanksgiving Thursday night game. The Patriots broke a 3-3 tie last week with a punt return touchdown with 5 seconds left. The Vikings were 8-1 before getting obliterated at home 40-3. The Vikings began at their own 20. Kirk Cousins hit Mundt for 13, Justin Jefferson for 7, and Adam Thielen for gains of 16 and 11. On 3rd and 2 from the New England 6, Cousins went to Jefferson for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings. After a touchback, Mac Jones went to Jakobi Meyers for 26. Jones went deep again to Nelson Agholor for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.
An interception of Cousins by Jones was returned 55 yards to the Minnesota 17. Yet the defense held and the Patriots settled for a 34 yard Nick Folk field goal and a 10-7 lead. In the second quarter the Vikings took over at their own 16 and moved 72 yards in 14 plays and 8 minutes. The Vikings reached 3rd and 5 from the New England 9, but offensive holding killed the drive. Greg Joseph hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 10-10. A 46 y are kickoff return gave the Patriots the ball just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 3 from the Minnesota 30, a completion gained only 2 yards. Bill Belochick decided not to gamble on 4th and 1. Folk hit from 46 to put the Patriots back on top 13-10.
The Vikings faced 3rd and 12 from their own 23. The defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 7, Cousins went deep to Jefferson for a 37 yard gain. Cousins went back to Jefferson for 17 more and to TJ Hockenson for 10. On 3rd and goal at the one with 90 seconds left in the half, Cousins hit Hockenson for the touchdown. Joseph missed a critical extra point as the Vikings led 16-13. After a touchback, the Patriots moved to a 2nd and goal at the 5 with 9 seconds left. Jones threw incomplete, leaving only 3 seconds. Bill Belichick again was not taking any chances. Folk hit from 23 as the game was tied for the third time in the half at 16-16.
The Patriots began the third quarter facing 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Jones hit Parker for 10. On 3rd and 4 from midfield, Jones hit Meyers or 13. Jones then connected with Hunter Henry for a 37 yard touchdown to make it 23-16 Patriots. 13 seconds later the game was tied for the fourth time. Kene Nwangwu took the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and a 23-23 game. The Patriots after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 6. Jones hit Henry for the touchdown, but on further review the play was reversed to an incompletion. Folk hit from 25 to make it 26-23 Patriots. The Vikings took over at their own 17 and moved 65 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 8 from the New England 9, Cousins was sacked to kill the drive. Joseph hit from 36 as the 5th tie of the game had things at 26-26 one minute into the fourth quarter.
The Vikings got the ball back and faced 4th and 3 from their own 36 with 11 minutes left. Kevin O’Connell opted to punt, but a running into the kicker penalty gave the Vikings 5 yards and a new set of downs. Cousins then went to Dalvin Cook for 8 and deep to Jefferson for 26 more. Cousins went to Thielen for a 15 yard touchdown to put the Vikings back up by 7 with 9 1/2 minutes left. The Patriots looked to tie the game for the 6th time. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Jones threw incomplete. With over 8 minutes still left, Bill Belichick opted to punt. The Patriots got the ball back at their own 13 with 4:20 left. They moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Minnesota 30 with 3 minutes left. A completion gained 0 yards and wasted 45 seconds. Then a sack took the clock to to the 2 minute warning. On 4th and 16 from the Minnesota 39, Jones threw deep incomplete. The Patriots got the ball back again at their own 11 with 53 seconds left. A sack of Jones was a killer. The clock ran out with the Patriots at their own 42 before Jones could launch a Hail Mary. The Vikings moved on from last week’s debacle to get to 9-2 on the season. 33-26 Vikings
Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers — These teams met in Super Bowl 50. They have not been good since. Baker Mayfield was benched as Sam Darnold got the start. Both teams came in with only 3 wins on the year. Nearly 10 minutes into a scoreless game, the Panthers lined up to punt on 4th and 1 from their own 38. Steve Wilks gambled on a fake punt. Shawn Chandler took the direct snap and gained 2. Darnold then went to DJ Moore for 26. Foreman gained 15. Darnold went to Moore for a 5 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 71 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 7-0 Panthers. Early in the second quarter the Panthers fumbled a punt and the Broncos recovered at the Carolina 27. Kendall Hinton took an end around 13 yards. Yet on 3rd and 2 from Carolina 6, Latavius Murray got blown up in the backfield for a 3 yard loss. Brandon McManus hit the 27 yard field goal to get within 7-3. The Panthers after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Denver 23. A run lost a yard nd Darnold then threw incomplete. Eddie Pineiro hit from 42 to make it 10-3 Panthers. On the last play of the half, McManus from 56 yards out was wide no good.
The Panthers took over at their own 28 in the third quarter. Darnold hit Shenault for 14. Chuba Hubbard gained 12. Darnold went to Moore for 20. Foreman gained 9 and 3. The Panthers fumbled but Darnold picked it up and made it one yard to the end zone for a touchdown the hard way. The 10 play, 72 yard, 6 minute drive made it 17-3 Panthers. Pineiro hit a 26 yard fourth quarter field goal and after a Broncos fumble hit again from 36 as the Panthers led 23-3 with 9 minutes left in regulation. The Broncos managed a garbage touchdown with 3:20 to play and even recovered the onside kick, but nothing more. 23-10 Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cleveland Browns — The Browns began at their own 22. Jacoby Brissett went to Donovan Peoples-Jones for 7, Amari Cooper for 12, and Peoples-Jones again for 9. On 3rd and 2 from the Tampa 46, Nick Chubb ran for 15. Kevin Stefanski then went to the bag of tricks. Brissett pitched it to Kareem Hunt, who lateraled it to Anthony Schwartz. The Zoom Schwartz double lateral reverse play went for a 31 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Browns lead. After a touchback, Roddy White ripped off a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 21, Vaughn ran for 6. On 3rd and 5 from the Cleveland 10, Tom Brady fired over the middle to Chris Godwin, who while being tackled stretched the ball just over the pylon to make it a 7-7 ballgame. After a touchback, the Browns moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Tampa 33. Brissett threw incomplete twice. Cade York hit a 51 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Browns. With 4 minutes left in the half, York missed from 39. The Buccaneers moved from their own 29 to a 4th and 4 at the Cleveland 24. Ryan Succop hit from 42 to make it 10-10 at the half.
The Buccaneers took over at their own 20 in the third quarter and Brady went to Mike Evans for 28. Jones gained 15. Brady went to Godwin for 22. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 5, Brady went to Kieft for the touchdown and the 17-10 Buccaneers lead. The defenses dug in as the Buccaneers punted on 4th and 20 from their own 10 with 2:20 left in regulation. A 12 yard return gave the Browns a short field at the Tampa 46. Chubb ran for gains go 6 and 28. With 32 seconds left the Browns were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 10 from the Tampa Bay 12. Brissett fired over the middle and David Njoku made a leaping one-handed touchdown catch as the teams went to overtime tied 17-17. After an overtime touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Cleveland 47. Brady hit White for 10 and long field goal range, but it was all for naught. An offensive penalty for illegal use of hands killed the drive. The Browns took over at their own 29 with 2:45 left in overtime. Brissett hit Cooper for 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Tampa 48, a defensive breakdown had Brissett go bombs away to a wide open Cooper for a 45 yard gain down to the 3 yard line. With hard rain coming down, even a chip shot field goal was not a guarantee. Chubb took the handoff, appeared stopped, and somehow willed the ball just past the plane of the goal for the touchdown to end the game with only 19 seconds remaining in overtime. 23-17 Browns, OT
Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Game was delayed 25 minutes by lightning. In the first quarter the Ravens moved the ball fairly easily but bogged down in the red zone. Justin Tucker hit field goals of 27 and 29 yards t make it 6-0 Ravens. In the second quarter the Jaguars recovered a Baltimore fumble at midfield. Trevor Lawrence hit Zee Jones for 12. Hasty ran for 13. Lawrence went deep to Hasty for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 7-6 Jaguars. After a touchback, the Ravens moved to a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 37. The drive died there but Justin Tucker leveled a 55 yard field goal to make it 9-7 Ravens. The Jaguars moved after a touchback to a 2nd and goal at the 2. Hasty lost 2 yards as the clock ticked down to 18 seconds. Lawrence threw incomplete. Riley Patterson hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 10-9 Jaguars.
The Ravens began the third quarter at their own 20 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the 5. Jackson got taken down for a one yard loss. Tucker hit from 24 to make it 12-10 Ravens. A Jacksonville fumble gave the Ravens the ball at the Jags 25. Jackson ran for 12 as the third quarter ended. After three quarters of a grind, the fourth quarter was wild. On 3rd and 3 from the Jags 6, Jackson gained 5. Edwards ran for a one yard touchdown as the Ravens led 19-10 with 13 minutes left in regulation. The Jaguars faced 2nd and 15 from their own 20. Lawrence hit Agnew for 17. On 3rd and 2 from their own 45, Lawrence hit Jones for 8. On 4th and 8 from the Baltimore 45, Doug Pedersond decided to go for it. Lawrence went deep to Jones for 27. Lawrence hit Agnew for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Baltimore 10, Lawrence hit Hasty for 9. Lawrence hit Agnew for the one yard touchdown to get the Jaguars within 19-17 with 6 minutes left. The Ravens quickly fumbled, and the Jaguars took over at the Baltimore 16. On 3rd and 10, a completion gained only 5 yards. Patterson hit from 29 to put the Jaguars up 20-19 with 4:19 to play.
The Ravens soon faced 2nd and 20 from their own 15 after offensive holding. Jackson went deep to his non-relative Jackson for a 62 yard gain. With 2:02 to play, Jackson hit Oliver for the touchdown. John Harbaugh went for 2 and Jackson hit Mark Andrews for the conversion to make it 27-20 Ravens. With 1:51 left after a sack of Lawrence, the Jaguars faced 3rd and 21 from their own 14. Lawrence hit Christian Kirk for 16 to set up 4th and 5. ;Lawrence went to Jones for 10. Lawrence went to Kirk for 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Baltimore 39, Lawrence went deep to Jones for 29. Lawrence then fired to Jones for the touchdown with 14 seconds left. An extra point would tie the game. Doug Pederson decided to go for 2 and the win. This was not a bluff. Lawrence went to Jones for the successful conversion. The Jaguars led by one point.
A short kickoff was returned 15 yards by Picard to set up the Ravens at their own 39 with 10 seconds left. Jackson went to Oliver for 12. Two seconds remained. The Ravens were just past midfield. Every other team would be trying a Hail Mary or the hook and laterals. John Harbaugh knows he has the best kicker in the NFL and perhaps the best kicker ever. Last year at Detroit, the Ravens were down by one. The NFL record for a field goal was 64 yards. Tucker was brought in to try a 66 yarder. The kick hit the crossbar and made it over. The ravens won and Tucker etched himself into the NFL history books. This time Tucker was being asked to set a new record from 67 yards out. Again, he is the only kicker who would be allowed to try this kick. As everyone waited, Tucker hit it cleanly. It was dead center. It was just short, no good. The Ravens for the 4th time on the year blew a fourth quarter lead. Jaguars 28-27
Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins — Sometimes a really bad team can go on the road and shock a good team in an upset for the ages. This was not that game. Goliath beat up David and stole his lunch money and his girlfriend. Davis Mills was benched in favor of Kyle Allen. The Dolphins moved from their own 34 to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 17. Offensive holding killed the drive. Jason Sanders hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back at their own 41. Tua Tagovailoa hit Sherfield for 24 and Tyreek Hill for 14. On 4th and 1 from the Houston 12, young kid Mike McDaniel went for it. Tagovailoa fired over the middle to Sherfield for 9. Tagovailoa scrambled everywhere and found Durham Smythe for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Dolphins. In the second quarter an interception of Allen by Vn Ginkel saw Van Ginkel return the pick 23 yards to the Houston 3. Wilson ran it in to make it 17-0 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back at their own 23 and moved to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Tagovailoa threw incomplete twice. Sanders hit from 23 to make it 20-0 Dolphins. 3 plays later on 3rd and 24 from their own 11, a Texans fumble was returned 16 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 27-0 Dolphins lead. Sanders tacked on a 35 yard field goal to make it 30-0 Dolphins at the half. For some reason, league rules prevented the second half from being canceled. Tagovailoa was taken out late in the third quarter for his own safety as skylar Thompson finished the game. The Dolphins just coasted to get to 8-3 on the year. 30-15 Dolphins
Chicago Bears at New York Jets — Zach Wilson was benched in favor of Mike White. Justin Fields was injured, with Trevor Siemian getting the start. After an opening touchback, White hit Wilson for 11, Conklin for 12 and 9, Knight for 16, and Wilson for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 8, White went to Wilson for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Jets. The Bears after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 4. Siemian threw incomplete. Cairo Santos hit the 22 yard field goal to get the Bears within 7-3. The Bears got it back at their own 29. Siemian hit Chas Claypool for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 42, Siemian gained 3. Siemian then went deep to Claypool for 31. The second quarter began with the Bears facing 3rd and goal at the 4. Siemian went to Byron Pringle for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Bears. After a touchback, the Jets moved to a 4th and 7 at the Jets 18. A 36 yard field goal try to tie the game went haywire when the holder fumbled the snap.
With 6 minutes left in the half the Jets faced 3rd and 2 from their own 30. White went to Johnson for 16 and then went deep to Wilson for a 54 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Jets. The Jets got it back at their own 27 and moved to a 4th and 2 at the Chicago 39 with 12 seconds left in the half. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein came in for a 57 yard field goal try. In the rain, Zuerlein delivered as the Jets led 17-10. In the third quarter, a 22 yard punt return by Braxton Berrios set up the Jets at their own 47. Knight ran for 8 and 7. Berrios added 10. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 22, White went to Moore for the touchdown and the 24-10 Jets lead. The Jets got it back at their own 21. White went to Conklin for 29 and to Knight for 14. Johnson ran for a 32 yard touchdown to turn a close game into a blowout. The fourth quarter was scoreless as the Jets got to 7-4 on the year. 31-10 Jets
Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans — This was a rematch of last year’s brutal AFC divisional playoff game where Joe Burrow was sacked 9 times but the Bengals gutted out the 19-16 road win. Both teams started 0-2 but the since then the Bengals have gone 6-2 and the Titans have gone 7-1. Last year was a street fight. So was this game. The Titans eventually took over at their own 46 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 16 to start the second quarter. A pair of Ryan Tannehill incompletions were sandwiched around a run that gained only one yard. Caleb Shudak, in his very first NFL game, hit the 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Titans. After a touchback, the Bengals moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Tennessee 28. Burrow threw incomplete twice. Evan Mcpherson hit a 47 yard field goal to make it 3-3.
One play and 15 seconds after a touchback, the Titans had the lead again on a wild play. A perfectly executed screen pass from Tannehill to Derrick Henry saw Henry rumble 69 yards. Yet Taylor-Britt tracked Henry from behind and forced a fumble. A scramble ensued and Burks recovered for a Titans touchdown the hard way and a 10-3 lead. Midway through the second quarter the Bengals took over at their own 8. Burrow went to Samaje Perine for 32. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Burrow went to Hurst for 12. Burrow then ran for 13. On 3rd and 12 from the Tennessee 31, Burrow went to Williams for 24. Perine ran for a 7 yard touchdown and a 10-10 game with 1:55 left in the half. The Titans after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Cincinnati 17 with 17 seconds left. Tannehill threw incomplete twice. With Randy Bullock out injured, Shudak came in for the 35 yard field goal try to give the Titans the lead. Shudak was wide no good.
Midway through the third quarter the Titans moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 16. An intention grounding penalty on Burrow killed the drive. McPherson hit from 38 to make it 13-10 Bengals. After a touchback, Tannehill went deep to Burks for a 51 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincy 6, Tannehill threw incomplete. Shudak hit from 24 for a 13-13 game after three quarters. After a touchback, the Bengals began the fourth quarter at their own 35. Burrow went deep to Higgins for 24. On 3rd and 12 from the Tennessee 43, Burrow went to Irwin for 16. Burrow then went to Higgins for a 27 yard touchdown. The Bengals led 20-13 one minute into the fourth quarter. The Titans after a touchback moved 55 yards in 12 plays and 7 1/2 minutes to a 4th and 5 at the Cincy 20. With 6 minutes left in regulation, Mike Vrabel decided not to gamble. Shudak hit from 38 to get the Titans within 4 points. After a touchback, the Bengals moved to a 4th and 11 at the Tennessee 13 with 1:53 to play. McPherson came in for a 31 yard field goal. Even if he was good, the Titans would still have a chance to tie or win the game. McPherson was good, but a mindless unnecessary roughness penalty on the defense meant an automatic first down. The Titans ere out of timeouts, so Burrow just took 3 knees. Both teams are 7-4. Twice in the last 12 months, the Bengals have gone into Tennessee and gutted out a brutally tough road win. 20-16 Bengals.
Atlanta Falcons at Washington Commanders — After an opening touchback, the Falcons moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Washington 29. Cordarelle Patterson got stopped for no gain and Marcus Mariota then threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit from 47 to make it 3-0 Falcons. The Commanders took over at their own 26. Taylor heineken hit Antonio Gibson for 26. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 41, Heinecke went to Brown for 17. Heinecke went to Terry McLaurin for 6 and to Robinson for the 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Commanders. The Falcons began the second quarter at their own 23. Huntley gained 12. Mariota ran for gains of 7 and 11. Tyler alleger gained 15. Patterson added 13. Mariota went to London for 22. Patterson gained 15 more with a defensive facemask adding another 5. Mariota went to Pruitt for a 4 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 77 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 10-7 Falcons. The Commanders moved from their own 29 to a 3rd and 8 at the Atlanta 12. Heinecke threw incomplete. Joey Slye hit from 30 for a 10-10 game with 1:50 left in the half. An ugly final 30 seconds of the half saw the Falcons fail to convert on 4th and 1 from their own 47. Heinecke was then quickly intercepted. Koo then missed a 58 yard field goal try.
A field position game in the third quarter set up the Commanders at their own 40. On 4th and 1 from the Washington 40, Arthur Smith went for it. Robinson gained 3. McLaurin gained 5, Robinson added 6, and Williams tacked on 9 and one. Heinecke went to Bates for a 16 yard touchdown. The extra point was wide no good but the Commanders led 16-10. After a touchback, the Falcons moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Washington 30. Mariota threw incomplete twice. Koo hit from 48 to get the Falcons within 16-13. After a touchback, the Commanders in the fourth quarter moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Atlanta 27. Heinecke hit Logan Thomas for 7, but offensive pass interference nullified the gain and killed the drive. Slye hit from 45 to put the Commanders up by 6 with 9 minutes left in regulation. With 5 minutes left the Falcons took over at their own 16 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 2 with 1:10 left. Mariota lost 2 yards as the Commanders took their last timeout on defense. Mariota then had his pass batted up high in the air and intercepted in the end zone by Kyle Fuller for a touchback. The Falcons took their timeouts on defense. The Commanders punted on 4th and 2 from their own 28 with 44 seconds left. A killer running into the kicker penalty gave the Commanders the first down as they won for the 6th time in their last 7 games. 19-13 Commanders
Los Angeles Chargers at Arizona Cardinals — Whoever lost this battle of underachieving teams would have shot at getting Sean Payton as coach next year. The Cardinals in the first quarter faced 1st and 19 from their own 9. Murray ran for 11 and then hit Robbie Anderson for 17. James Conner ran for 8 and 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 43, Murray hit Conner for 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Chargers 33, Murray went to Deandre Hopkins for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. A 15 yard punt return gave the Cardinals the ball at their own 44. They moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Chargers 25. Murray threw incomplete twice. Matt Prater hit a 43 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Cardinals one minute into the second quarter.
The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Justin Herbert went to Palmer for 4. Herbert went to Austin Ekeler for 7, Palmer for 18, and Ekeler for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 29, Herbert got the yard. Herbert went to Kelley for 11. Herbert ran for 15. Herbert hit Keenan Allen for a 2 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and get the Chargers within 10-7. An interception of Murray set the Chargers up at their own 44. Herbert hit Allen for 10, Ekeler for 12, Spiller for 2, and Carter for a 33 yard touchdown to put the Chargers up 14-10 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half.
The Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 30. Murray went to Baccellia for 7. On 3rd and 5 from their own 42, the defense was penalized for 12 men on the field. Murray hit Hopkins for 21. On 3rd and 6 from the Chargers 28, Murray gained just enough. Murray ran for 9 more. With 12 seconds left in the half, Murray capped the 14 play, 75 yard drive by running in the 5 yard touchdown for a 17-14 Cardinals lead at the break. The Cardinals missed a chance in the third quarter to extend the lead when Prater missed a 49 yard field goal try. The Chargers took over at their own 39 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Arizona 8. Herbert threw incomplete twice. Dicker hit from 26 to cap the 14 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 17-17.
After a touchback, Murray hit Hopkins for 29 and Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 13. On 3rd and 7 from the Chargers 29, Murray hit Clement for 8. The fourth quarter began with the Cardinals facing 3rd and 1 at the Chargers 12. Conner gained 4. Murray went to Conner for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 24-17 Cardinals 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Cardinals tried to run out the clock from their own 10 with 2:19 left. Yet a decision to pass on 2nd and 10 saw Murray get sacked. At the 2 minute warning the Cardinals had to punt on 4th and 7 from their own 13. Carter returned the punt 20 yards and a penalty on the kicking team gave the Chargers gift field position at the Arizona 38. Herbert went to Everett for 10, Ekeler for 8 and 13, and Allen for 16. With 25 seconds left on 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 11, Herbert hit Ekeler for 10 down to the one as the Chargers took their last timeout with 18 seconds left. Herbert hit Ekeler for the touchdown. Because Brandon Staley is crazy, he opted to go for the 2 point conversion and the win rather than the tie and overtime. Herbert successfully hit Everett as the Chargers got the road win. 25-24 Chargers
Las Vegas Raiders at Seattle Seahawks — 35 years ago a terrible Raiders team went on the road against a far superior Seattle team and throttled the Seahawks thanks to Bo Jackson flattening Brian Bosworth. 35 years later, this Raiders team had the same awful 3-7 record and were expected to get blasted by a Seahawks team leading their division. The biggest problem facing the Raiders is the stubborn refusal of coach Josh McDaniels to run the ball, keep running the ball, and stick to the running game. The Raiders took over at their own 20. On the first play from scrimmage, rather than establish the run, Derek Carr went deep over the middle and was intercepted by Quentin Diggs. Diggs returned the interception 24 yards to the Raiders 12 yard line. Two plays later, Kenneth Walker ran for the 12 yard touchdown. Less than 30 seconds into the game, the Seahawks led 7-0.
The Raiders got it back and soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Yet rather than get blown out, the Raiders fought hard. Carr hit Ameer Abdullah for 12. Carr then went to Foster Moreau for 11. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 43, Carr went to Mack Hollins for 20. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 18, Carr went to Abdullah for the touchdown. The 11 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive tied the game 7-7.
The defense even got an early stop and the Raiders got the ball back at their own 24. Yet 2 plays later on 2nd and 8, again rather than establish the run, Carr went deep. The ball bounced off of Moreau’s hands and was again intercepted by Diggs. This time Diggs returned the interception 15 yards to the Raiders 35. Smith went to Fant for 24. On 3rd and 5 from the Raiders 6, Smith went to the back of the end zone and Harmon made a leaping interception for a touchback. Yet after a lengthy review, officials ruled Harmon did not come down inbounds. The blown call meant an incompletion. That allowed Jason Myers to hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Seahawks. The Raiders went 3 and out and the Seahawks got it back at their own 37. On 3rd and 4, Smith went to DK Metcalf for big gains of 24 and 13. On 4th and 1 from the Raiders 11, Pete Carroll decided to go for it. It looked the Seahawks were about to break the game wide open. Geno Smith hit Tyler Lockett for 7 yards, but an ineligible man downfield instead made it 4th and 6. 90 seconds into the second quarter, Myers hit from 34 as the Seahawks led 13-7.
A 33 yard kickoff return by Abdullah had the Raiders taking over at their own 9. Carr went to Davante Adams for 9. On 3rd and 6 from the Seattle 44, Carr went to Adams for 8. Carr then went to Hollins for a 36 yard touchdown as the Raiders had the surprising 14-13 lead. 3 plays later Smith went deep and was intercepted by Denzel Perryman, who returned the pick 24 yards to the Seattle 30. One play and 7 seconds later, Josh Jacobs raced for the touchdown to make it 21-13 Raiders.
After a touchback, Smith hit Metcalf for 6 and 4 and Will Dissly for 12. Smith went to Walker for 13. Smith then went deep to Lockett for a 35 yard touchdown to get the Seahawks within 21-20. After a touchback, Jacobs ran for 5 and Carr scrambled for 7. On 3rd and 2 from their own 45, Carr hit Adams for 4. On 4th and 2 from the Seattle 43 with 42 seconds left in the half, Josh McDaniels made the first of several crazy decisions by going for it. Rather than punt and get to the half with the lead, he risked giving Seattle spectacular field position. Yet if you are going to go for it, you give the ball to your battering ram. Jacobs got around the end for an 8 yard gain. Carr then hit Moreau for 17. With 14 seconds left in the half, the Raiders had 2nd and 7 at the Seattle 13. The Raiders were out of timeouts, but there was enough to throw a pass or even two passes to the sidelines. This time McDaniels went ultra-conservative and immediately opted for the field goal. This may or may not have been the right call, but it was not a terrible decision. A sack or other mistake would end the half. Daniel Carlson nailed the 36 yard field goal as the Raiders had the 24-20 halftime lead.
In the third quarter the Seahawks faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Smith gained 3. Smith then went to Lockett for 28 and Goodwin for 21. Walker rushed for another 14 yard touchdown as the Seahawks led 27-24. The Raiders responded with an 11 play, 68 yard drive that ate up nearly 7 minutes. The running game was wearing out the Seattle defense. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 10, Abdullah only gained 3. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter and the Seattle defense on their heels, Josh McDaniels again made the very questionable decision to go conservative. On 4th and 1 from the Seattle 7, rather than use his battering ram, Carlson was brought in for the 25 yard field goal try. Carlson was good and the game was tied 27-27.
The Raiders defense forced a 3 and out and the Raiders got the ball back at their own 18. On 3rd and 6 from their own 45, Carr found Moreau over the middle. Moreau dropped the pass. He struggled in several key spots in the game. The Seahawks took over at their own 9 yard line and moved the ball easily as the clock clicked into the fourth quarter. On 2nd and 4 from the Raiders 23 on the verge of taking the lead, the Raiders got a giant break. Out of the shotgun, Smith failed to execute the handoff and fumbled the ball. Chandler Jones recovered for the Raiders at their own 27. They had dodged a bullet. The Raiders then faced 3rd and 1 at their own 48. Jacobs had run well all game, but this time he got stopped for no gain. With 9 1/2 minutes left, this was not the time to gamble. A good punt could pin the Seahawks deep. Yet this time Josh McDaniels made his worst decision by going for it. Then the terrible play call had Jacobs running laterally rather than plow straight ahead. Jacobs lost a yard and the Seahawks had a short field at the Raiders 47.
A sack had the Seahawks facing 2nd and 17. Yet on the next play Smiths scrambled for 18. On 3rd and 6 from the Raiders 32, Smith threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 18, Smith went to Travis Homer for the touchdown. The Seahawks led 34-27 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Carr went deep to Adams for 28 and to Jacobs for 14. Carr went back Adams for 11 and to Abdullah for 9. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Carr went to Moreau and this time Moreau made the big time catch for the touchdown. With 1:54 to play, the biggest fear would be that the Raiders would go for a 2 point conversion. Thankfully, Josh McDaniels opted for sanity and the extra point. He got this big decision right and Carlson tied the game 34-34. The only problem was that 1:54 was a lot of time for Smith against a Raiders secondary that had not really stopped anyone all season.
After a touchback, the Seahawks were at their own 35 when Smith went to Metcalf at the sideline for a 12 yard gain with one minute left. Yet after a very lengthy review, the play was reversed to an incompletion. The ball may have hit the ground, but the officials seemed to focus on Metcalf not having full control when he rolled out of bounds. After decades of watching football, nobody associated with professional football seems to know exactly how to define a catch. The enraged home crowd saw the brink of field goal range instead become 3rd and 10. This time the Raiders defense came up big as Crosby sacked Smith. The entire Raider Nation had a lump in their throats when Keelan Cole fumbled the punt inside his own 10, but he fell on it to avert total disaster. With 40 seconds left and 91 yards to go, the only sensible thing to do would be to run out the clock and head to overtime. This time Josh McDaniels got a big decision right. There would be no interceptions over the middle and no more short fields. A pair of safe runs ended regulation. The Raiders won the overtime coin toss.
After a touchback, the Raiders moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Seattle 37. Jacobs got the carry but got stopped for a one yard loss. Now Josh McDaniels had another major decision to make. He could punt the ball and try to pin the Seahawks, but his defense had already given up 34 points. Gambling on 4th and 2 was very high risk, and giving the Seahawks great field position was not an optimal choice. A field goal try by Calrson would be 56 yards. A miss would give the Seahawks even better field position. Yet McDaniels is one of the best kickers in the game. McDaniels made the right call. He trusted Carlson, who has come through so many times. This time Carlson did not. His kick started way wide and stayed that way. No good. The Seahawks had gift field position at their own 46 needing only a field goal to win it. Yet on 3rd and 5, under heavy pressure from Crosby, Smith threw wildly incomplete.
The much maligned Raiders defense had come through. They did their jobs. The Raiders took over at their own 14. They had 4:39 left in overtime to work with, plenty of time. The Seattle defense had to be exhausted. Jacobs had already scorched them for about 200 all purpose yards. Inside their own 20, passes were way too risky. The right thing to do was run the ball. Josh Mcdaniels made the right call and was rewarded in the biggest possible way. Jacobs took the handoff up the gut, smashed through the line, and outraced everybody for an 86 yard touchdown in front of a shellshocked 12th man home crowd in Seattle. For the first time all season, the Raiders won consecutive games, both on the road and both in overtime. They finally beat a team with a winning record. The Raiders racked up 576 yards of offense. The Raiders pounded the rock 40 times for 283 yards. Jacobs was a monster, with 229 yards on 33 carries. Jacobs also had 74 yards receiving on 6 receptions for an epic 303 all purpose yards. The Raiders defense held the Seahawks to 65 rushing yards on 23 carries. Walker had 2 touchdowns, but only gained 26 yards on 14 carries. Although no receiver had more than 74 yards receiving, the Raiders had 295 yards receiving as Carr went 25 of 36 with 3 touchdowns and the 2 early interceptions. The Raiders are only 4-7, but this was their best win of the season in a game that is now an instant classic. 35 years after Bo Jackson had a 91 yard touchdown run, Jacobs won the game with an 86 yard run of his own. 40-34 Seahawks
Los Angeles Rams at Kansas City Chiefs — In 2018 the Rams beat the Chiefs 54-51 in an epic shootout for the ages. This time the Chiefs are just as good but the Rams are a mess. Matthew Stafford was again out injured. Bryce Perkins started his first NFL game. The Chiefs took over at their own 10. Patrick Mahomes hit Moore for 18, ran for 6, hit Travis Kelce for 9, ran for 10, hit McKinnon for 11, hit Moore for 24, and hit Kelce for a 39 yard touchdown. The 90 yard drive made it 7-0 Chiefs. The Rams moved after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Chiefs 25. Runs lost yards. On the first play of the second quarter, Matt Gay hit a 47 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 7-3. The Chiefs after a touchback moved to the 1st and goal at the 9. Mahomes threw 3 straight incompletions. Harrison Butker hit from 27 to make it 10-3 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 4 and moved all the way to a 2nd and 1 at the Rams 13 yard line. Mahomes threw incomplete twice. Butker hit from 32 to make it 13-3 Chiefs with 16 seconds left in the half.
In the third quarter the Chiefs took over at their own 29. Mahomes hit Moore for 16. On 3rd and 3 from their own 47, Mahomes hit McKinnon for 8. Mahomes hit Pacheco for 17. Pacheco ran for a 3 yard touchdown to culminate the 12 play, 71 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 20-3 Chiefs. After a touchback, Perkins went to Jefferson for 16. On 3rd and 1 from midfield, Perkins hit Williams for 6. On 4th and 2 from the Chiefs 40, Perkins went to Atwell for 8. Perkins went back to Atwell for 15. The fourth quarter began with the Rams facing 4th and 2 at the Chiefs 7. Perkins went to Jefferson for the touchdown. The Rams were within 20-10. They would get no closer. The Chiefs defense intercepted Perkins twice on the next 2 drives, with both interceptions leading to 22 yard Butker field goals. The Chiefs at 9-2 still lead the AFC, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 26-10 Chiefs
New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers — This game was all defense. An early Saints fumble gave the 49ers a short field at the Saints 43. They moved to a 2nd and goal at the 5 but Jimmy Garoppolo threw incomplete twice. Robbie Gould hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 49ers. With 1:47 left in the half the 49ers took over at their own 43. On 3rd and 10, Garoppolo went to Jennings for gains of 13 and 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Saints 23, Garoppolo went to Jennings for 12 with unnecessary roughness adding 6 more yards. Garoppolo hit Jennings for the 5 yard touchdown with 13 seconds left in the half to make it 10-0 49ers. The second half was even more suffocating defense. Gould hit a 46 yard field goal and the final 25 minutes were scoreless. The Saints final 3 possessions were a missed field goal, a fumble, and turning it over on downs. The 49ers grinder out the final 6:18 off the clock. Ugly wins count. The 7-4 49ers lead their division. 13-0 49ers
Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles was the Sunday night game. The 9-1 Eagles have struggled the past couple of weeks. The Packers came in losers of 6 of their last 7 but gave the Eagles all the could handle in an entertaining shootout. The Eagles began facing 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Jalen Hurts scrambled for 24. Miles Sanders gained 5 and 8. Hurts ran for 28 more. Kenneth Gainwell ran for a 4 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard drive and make it 7-0 Eagles. Aaron Rodgers was quickly intercepted to set up the eagles at the Green Bay 29. Sanders ran for 6, Hurts added 8, and Sanders ran for a 15 yard touchdown. Jake Elliott missed the extra point but the Eagles led 13-0. Yet this was no blowout.
A 38 yard kickoff return by Nixon had the Packers at their own 41 Aaron Jones ran for 10. Rodgers then went to Jones for 30. AJ Dillon ran for a 20 yard touchdown to get the Packers within 13-7. Kevin Sirianni then made the very curious decision to gamble on 4th and 1 from his own 37 after Hurts got stopped on 3rd and 1. Hurts fumbled the snap and the Eagles turned it over on downs. On 4th and 5 from the Philadelphia 32, now it was Matt LaFleur passing up a 50 yard field goal try and going for it. Rodgers went to Watson for 21. Rodgers then went to Randall Cobb for an 11 yard touchdown. With 3 minutes still left in the first quarter, the Packers led 14-13.
After a touchback, Hurts went to Brown for 23. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 45, Hurts ran for a 42 yard gain. On the first play of the second quarter, Sanders ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 20-14 Eagles. After a touchback, the Packers moved to a 1st and 10 at the Philly 28. Rodgers was then intercepted. The Eagles moved from their own 22 to a 2nd and 8 at the Green Bay 22. After an incompletion, a completion for no gain was fumbled and picked up by Walker, who returned the fumble 63 yards for the defense down to the Philly 13. After moving backward on successive plays, Rodgers went to Jones for a 23 yard touchdown. Mason Crosby missed the extra point. The game was tied 20-20 and it was only midway through the second quarter.
With 2:16 left in the half, the Eagles took over at their own 29. On 3rd and 6, Hurts went to AJ Brown for 19 and Gainwell for 7. Hurts was sacked for an 11 yard loss. With 1:10 left in the half, the Eagles faced 3rd and 14 at their own 48. Hurts went to Smith for 13. A field goal try would be 57 yards, and with 54 seconds still remaining, a miss would give the Packers excellent field position. Kevin Sirianni went for it and Hurts gained 4. With 13 seconds left in the half, the Eagles faced 2nd and 10 at the Green Bay 30. A field goal try would be 48 yards. Sirianni went big and bold as Hurts went deep to Sammy Watkins for the touchdown and the 27-20 Eagles lead at the intermission. The Eagles began the third quarter at their own 14. Sanders gashed the defense for gains of 21, 8, 28, and 8. On 3rd and 12 from the Green Bay 19, Hurts went to Smith for 14. On 2nd and goal at the 6, Hurts hit Brown for the touchdown. The 11 play, 86 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive gave the Eagles breathing room up 34-20.
After a touchback, the Packers moved 64 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 4 from the Philadelphia 7, Jones only gained one yard. Matt LaFleur had the Packers line up to go for it, but a false start killed the chance. A disgusted Rodgers saw the Packers settle for a 29 yard Crosby field goal to trail 34-23. The Eagles from their own 26 moved 61 yards in 14 plays and 6 minutes. Despite 1st and 10 from the Green Bay 14, a pair of Hurts incompletions were sandwiched around a run that gained only one yard. Elliott hit the 31 yard field goal to put the Eagles up 37-23 with exactly 11:11 left in regulation.
This time after a touchback, Rodgers was not in the game. He had suffered a rib injury on the previous drive. Jordan Love played the rest of the way. On 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Love hit Allen Lazard for 7. On the next play Love went to Watson for a 63 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left, the Packers were within 37-30. The Eagles embarked on a 10 play drive that bled nearly 7 minutes off the clock. With 2:16 to play, the Eagles faced 4th and 3 from the Green Bay 36. Kevin Sirianni trusted Elliott with a 54 yard field goal try knowing a miss would gift the Packers fantastic field position. Elliott buried the kick to give the Eagles breathing room up 40-30.
In desperation mode, the Packers got a jolt when Nixon took the kickoff 6 yards deep in his own end zone and returned it 53 yards to his own 47. Love hit Watson for 15 and Lazard for 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Philly 15, Love threw incomplete. With only 1:13 to play and needing 2 scores, the field goal was the easy decision. Crosby hit from 33 to get the Packers within 7. The onside kick failed as the Eagles took over at the Green Bay 44. The Packers had all 3 timeouts and needed a defensive stop to get the ball back. Yet this game had little to no defense. Sanders gained 2 and 5 to set up the critical 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 37. With everything on the line, Sanders gained 4. Hurts took a knee as the Eagles escaped to get to 10-1 and maintain the best record in the NFL. 40-33 Eagles
Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts was the Monday night game. A pair of bad teams played. The Steelers after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 2 from the Indianapolis 27. Kenny Pickett threw incomplete. Wright hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Steelers. The second quarter began with Wright hitting from 52 to make it 6-0 Steelers. The Steelers got it back at their own 21. Pickett went to Pickens for 35. On 3rd and 2 from the Indianapolis 36, Benny Snell gained the deuce. Pickett hit Pat Freiermuth for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Indianapolis 9, McFarland gained 3. Najee Harris ran for a 6 yard touchdown to have the Steelers up 13-0. After a touchback, the Colts moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Pittsburgh 33. Matt Ryan threw incomplete. Chase McLaughlin hit a 51 yard field goal to get the Colts on the board. The Steelers after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 7. Pickett threw incomplete. Wright hit a 25 yard field goal to make it 16-3 Steelers with 56 seconds left in the half. McLaughlin had a chance from 59 to end the half but his attempt was blocked.
Things changed immediately in the third quarter when Flowers returned the second half kickoff 89 yards to the Pittsburgh 19. On 3rd and 1 from the 10, Ryan hit Campbell for 2. Jonathan Taylor ran for the 2 yard touchdown to get the Colts within 16-10. A field position game had the Colts getting the ball back late in the third quarter at their own 45. Ryan went to Woods for 16. On 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 35, Ryan went to Woods for 28. Ryan hit Michael Pittman for a 6 yard touchdown as the Colts led 17-16 after three quarters. The Steelers began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Pickett hit Pickens for 13 with roughing the passer adding 15. Olszewski gained 9 and Snell added 13. On 3rd and 6 from the Indy 20, Pickett hit Freiermuth for 20. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Snell got in. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Mike Tomlin went for 2. Pickett hit Pickens for the successful conversion to put the Steelers up by 7. The defenses dug in. The Colts began their last drive at their own 7 yard line with 4 minutes left. With 30 seconds left after an incompletion, the Colts faced 4th and 3 from the Pittsburgh 26. Ryan threw incomplete as the Steelers hung on. 24-17 Steelers