THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

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NFL 2020-2021 Wildcard Recap

Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills was the Saturday morning game. The 11-5 Colts were a Wildcard taking on the 13-3 AFC East champion Bills. In the first quarter the Colts faced 3rd and 6 from their own 40. Philip Rivers hit TY Hilton for 23 and Pittman for 22. On 3rd and 7 from the Buffalo 12, a completion gained nothing. Rodrigo Blankenship hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. The Bills took over at their own 15. Josh Allen gained 12. Allen then went to Stefan Diggs for 36, Davis for 16, Devon Singletary for 5, Moss for 7, and Knox for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bills. In the second quarter the Colts took over at their own 35. Jonathan Taylor gained 10 and 8. On 3rd and 4 just past midfield, Rivers hit Taylor for 6, Pittman for 32, Jacob Doyle for 2, and Nyheim Hines for 8 down to the one. Jacoby Brissett came in at quarterback for one play and took the quarterback sneak for the touchdown and the 10-7 Colts lead. The turning point in the game came when the Colts moved from their own 41 to a 3rd and goal at the one at the 2 minute warning. Taylor got the carry and got blown up for a 3 yard loss. Frank Reich inexplicably went for it on 4th and goal at the 4 rather than kick the 22 yard field goal. Rivers went to the end zone and the ball was just barely overthrown, bouncing off of Pittman’s outstretched fingerprints incomplete. 

The Bills were at their own 4 yard line with 1:46 to play against a good defense that was smelling upset. Allen went deep to Davis for a 37 yard gain. Allen then went to Cole Beasley for 7 and back to Davis for 19. Sean McDermott decided to go for it on 4th and 3 from the Indianapolis 26 with 37 seconds left. Allen went to the end zone and was intercepted by Rodgers. Yet defensive offside nullified the turnover. From the 21, Allen went to the end zone again and was intercepted by Rodgers again. Although everyone thought Rodgers was down, no whistle blew. He got up and raced 104 yards for a defensive touchdown. Officials ruled that Rodgers was down by contact in his own end zone for a touchback. Then on further review, Rodgers dropped the ball. After all of that, it was only an incompletion. Allen then ran for 16 and again for the 5 yard touchdown. With 14 seconds left in the half, the 10 play, 96 yard drive had the Bills up 14-10. 

The Bills began the third quarter facing 3rd and 8 from their own 30. Allen went to Beasley for 10 and 13 and Diggs for 16. On 3rd and 2 from the Indy 23, Allen was sacked for a 5 yard loss. Tyler Bass hit the 46 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Bills. After a touchback the Colts moved 60 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Yet on 2nd and 7 from the Buffalo 15, Rivers threw incomplete twice. Blankenship doinked the 33 yard field goal try off the upright no good. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 32. Allen hit Diggs for 3, Moss for 10, Beasley for 4, and Moss for 7. Allen then went to Diggs for a 35 yard touchdown as the Bills now led 24-10 only one minute into the fourth quarter.

After a touchback, Hines ran for 29 and Taylor gained 20. Rivers went to Zach Pascal for 11 and Mo Alie-Cox for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 9, Rivers went to Pascal for the touchdown. Frank Reich inexplicably went for a 2 point conversion. Taylor got stopped. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Colts were within 24-16. After a touchback, Allen hit Diggs and Beasley for 16 each. On 3rd and 6 from the Indy 36, Allen threw incomplete. After pretending to go for it and failing to get the Colts to jump, Sean McDermott opted for a 54 yard field goal try. Bass delivered and the Bills had breathing room up 27-16 midway through the fourth quarter. Needing 2 scores, the Colts struck quickly. On 3rd and 7 from their own 27, Rivers hit Burton for 13. Hines ripped off a 33 yard gain. Rivers went deep to Doyle for a 27 yard touchdown. This time the 2 point conversion was good. With 6:13 to play, the Colts were right back in it down by a field goal. 

Rather than run the ball, the Bills stayed aggressive. They moved from their own 24 to a 1st and 10 at the Indy 34 with 4 minutes left. A touchdown would ice the game. Then disaster struck the Bills. Allen was about to be sacked. He somehow escaped but was then sacked again for an even bigger loss. Even worse, he fumbled. A mad scramble ensued as the ball was batted backward. The Colts were hoping to pick it up and return it for a touchdown. The Bills were saved when big offensive lineman Williams recovered it. Nevertheless, it was a 23 yard loss. The Bills punted and the Colts got the ball back at their own 14 without a timeout but with a full 2 1/2 minutes left. With 50 seconds left after 3 incompletions, the Colts faced 4th and 10 at their own 37. Then chaos ensued. Rivers hit Pascal for 17, but Pascal then got up without being touched and had the ball stripped away. The Bills recovered, but after a very lengthy review, Pascal was ruled down by contact. The officials blew the call. Pascal was not down. With 28 seconds remaining on 1st and 10 from the Buffalo 45, Rivers threw a completion that lost a yard followed by 2 more incompletions. With 4 seconds left, a 65 yard field goal try was too much to ask. The Hail Mary was knocked down incomplete and the Bills survived. 27-24 Bills

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks was the Saturday afternoon game. 2 weeks ago these teams were playing a 6-6 third quarter slugfest in Seattle before the Seahawks eventually won 20-9. Jared Goff injured his thumb in that game and missed the regular season finale. Sean McVay went with backup John Wolford to start this game for the 10-6 Rams against the 12-4 NFC West champion Seahawks. The Rams moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 20. Wolford gained 2 and was then hit in the head. He left the game injured. Goff had to play the rest of the game with an injured thumb in a gutty performance. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 15, Goff was sacked. Matt Gay hit a 40 yard field goal to cap the 12 play, 58 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 3-0 Rams. A field position game in the second quarter had the Seahawks taking over just shy of midfield. On 2nd and 6 from the Rams 37, an incompletion was followed by Russell Wilson gaining only 5. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 32, Pete Carroll decided not to gamble. Jason Myers hit the 50 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. After a touchback, Goff went deep to Cooper Kupp for a 44 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 20, a run lost a yard. Gay hit from 39 to make it 6-3 Rams midway through the second quarter.

After a touchback, the Seahawks soon faced 2nd and 7 from their own 47. Wilson threw a short swing pass, and Williams jumped the route. The cornerback intercepted the ball and strutted 42 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 13-3 Rams lead. From his own 26, Wilson quickly rebounded. From his own 36, Wilson gained 17. On 2nd and 14 just shy of midfield, Wilson rolled out and went bombs away to DK Metcalf for a 51 yard touchdown. With 3:43 left in the half the Seahawks were within 13-10. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Goff connected with Akers, who escaped to the sideline, somehow stayed inbounds, and gained 44 yards. Akers then ran for 20 and again for the 5 yard touchdown. Just past the 2 minute warning, the Rams had the 20-10 lead.

The Seahawks got a jolt when they returned the second half kickoff 58 yards to the Rams 41. Yet on 3rd and 3, Wilson went deep incomplete. Myers drilled the 52 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 20-13. The Rams returned the ensuing kickoff 37 yards to their own 41. Yet on 3rd and 6, Goff was sacked. The defenses dug in and the Rams took over late in the third quarter at their own 30. Goff hit Robert Woods for 20 to midfield. The Rams moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Seattle 19. A run gained the first down, but Sean McVay called a timeout before the play because the play clock was about to expire. The mistake was costly as Malcolm Brown got the carry on the do-over and only gained one yard. This time McVay took no chances on the road on 4th and 1. Gay drilled the 36 yard field goal to give the Rams breathing room up 23-13 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Chris Carson got stopped cold. Pete Carroll gambled on 4th and 1, but a false start killed the try. On 4th and 6 Carroll punted with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

The Rams faced 3rd and 1 from their own 29. Brown got stopped and Sean McVay immediately deep in his own territory opted to punt. Johnny Hekker had a short punt that kept rolling and bouncing and DJ Reed should have let it go. Instead Reed fielded it and had it stripped. The Rams fell on it at the Seattle 36 with a chance midway through the fourth quarter to deliver the knockout blow. Goff up to this point had only thrown 17 passes all game, completing 7 of them for far less than 100 yards. Rather than just grind down clock, McVay got aggressive. Goff hit Brown for 9. Brown ran for a pair of 6 yard gains. Goff then executed a perfect play action pass and found a wide open Woods for a 15 yard touchdown. With 4:46 left in regulation the Rams had a commanding 30-13 lead. 

Needing 3 scores from their own 24, Wilson quickly moved the Seahawks 76 yards Wilson hit DK Metcalf for a 12 yard touchdown to get the Seahawks within 10 with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Seahawks still had all 3 timeouts plus the 2 minute warning. The onside kick failed. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 43, Brown got the carry and appeared just short of the sticks. A very generous spot gave him a first down by the nose of the ball, effectively ending the game. A desperate Pete Carroll challenged the spot and won, making it 4th and inches. An attempt to draw the Seahawks offside failed and the clock hit the 2 minute warning to give the Rams time to think it over. McVay again gambled and Goff’s quarterback sneak appeared bottled up. The Seahawks were barely alive with 1:55 left. They still had one timeout left. From their own 40, Wilson was immediately sacked as the Seahawks took their last timeout. A throw past the marker was dropped. A deep ball was well defended incomplete. On 4th and 15 from their own 35, Wilson was sacked again. Goff was only 9 of 19 for 155 yards with one touchdown, but with zero interceptions in a gutty effort with an injured thumb. Wilson was an awful 11 of 27 for 174 yards, most of it with the game out of reach. Wilson had 2 touchdowns and one killer interception. Wilson was sacked 5 times. 30-20 Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Washington 7-9ers was the Saturday night game. With Dwayne Haskins cut and Alex Smith injured, Taylor Heinecke got the start. Tom Brady after 19 straight playoff trips with New England took the 11-5 Buccaneers to the playoffs in his first season with them. The Non-Redskins were 7-9, which was good enough to win the NFC Least. The Buccaneers easily moved from their own 19 to a 3rd and 3 at the Washington 11. Brady threw incomplete. Ryan Succop hit a 29 yard field goal for a 3-0 Buccaneers lead. The No-Names moved from their 14 to their 47. Heinecke was intercepted to give the Buccaneers the ball at their own 42. On 3rd and 10, Brady went to Miller for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the washington 36, Brady went deep to Antonio Brown for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Buccaneers led 9-0.

After a touchback, the Non-Redskins tried to make a game of it. Heinecke hit Logan Thomas for 24 and Terry McLaurin for 18. Heinecke ran for 10. The No-Names faced 3rd and 8 at the Tampa 19 to start the second quarter. Heinecke went to Sims for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 2, McKissic got in to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and get the No-Names within 9-7 early in the second quarter. Riverboat Ron Rivera tried a surprise onside kick that was more of a squib kick. It was recovered by the Buccaneers at their own 39. Brown took an end around 22 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 27, Brady hit Leonard Fournette for 5 and then went to Chris Godwin for the 27 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Buccaneers led 15-7. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 13 and moved easily. Brady hit Fournette for 22 and Cameron Brate for 19 and 24. At the 2 minute warning, the Buccaneers had 2nd and goal at the 5. Brady threw incomplete twice. Succop hit from 23 to make it 18-7 Buccaneers.

The No-Names tried to make a game of it from their own 30 in the third quarter. Heinecke hit McLaurin for 12 and Thomas for 29. On 3rd and 4 from the Tampa 18, Heinecke threw incomplete. Dustin Hopkins hit the 36 yard field goal to get the Non-Redskins within 18-10. The Buccaneers moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Washington 44. Vaughn gained 6 but had the ball punched out. The 7-9ers recovered at their own 39. Heinecke ran for 13. On the next play a defensive horse collar tackle added 15. On 2nd and 4 from the Tampa 7, a run lost a yard. On 3rd and 5, Heinecke scrambled, got around the end, and from the 4 yard line dove all the way in the air as the ball hit the pylon for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the 7-9ers were only down 18-16 late in the third quarter.

The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Brady went to Brate for 23 and mike Evans for 17 as the Buccaneers began the fourth quarter facing 1st and 10 at the Washington 23. On 2nd and 2 from the Washington 15, Brady was sacked. On 3rd and 7 he threw incomplete. Succop hit from 38 to put the Buccaneers up 21-16 only 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Buccaneers quickly got it back at their own 31. Brady hit Evans for 20. Fournette ran for 7 and Miller added 8. Brady went to Evans for 19. Fournette ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 28-16 Buccaneers with 9 minutes remaining. After a touchback, Heinecke hit Sprinkle for 8 and Sims for 23. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa 33, Heinecke hit Thomas for 5 and McLaurin for 16. On 3rd and 10 from the Tampa 11, Heinecke threw a perfect fade to Sims for the touchdown. With 5 minutes left in regulation, the No-Names were within 28-23. 

The Buccaneers took over at their own 23. Brady went deep to Evans for 35. Fournette gained 13. The No-Names took their timeouts on defense. On 2nd and 9 from the Washington 26, Brady was sacked for a 9 yard loss. On 3rd and 18, Brady hit Godwin for 16. Bruce Arians took no chances on 4th and 2. Succop hit the 37 yard field goal to put the Buccaneers up by 8 with 2:50 to play. The No-Names were very much alive. After a touchback, Heinecke went to McLaurin for 16 and Sims for 10. On both plays the Buccaneers committed defensive holding, which was declined. The penalties kept stopping the clock. On 2nd and 10, a pass was caught and fumbled out of bounds. Yet officials called it an incomplete pass. The No-Names were out of timeouts so Ron Rivera could not challenge the call. On 3rd and 10, the pocket collapsed and Hence was sacked for an 11 yard loss. At the 2 minute warning the No-Names faced 4th and 21 from their own 40. Heniecke escaped the pressure, backpedaled, and threw a Hail Mary that fell incomplete. The 4th string quarterback took the 6 time Super Bowl champion to the limit, but Brady won his first playoff game with the Buccaneers. 31-23 Buccaneers 

Baltimore Ravens at Tennessee Titans was the Sunday morning game. Both teams were 11-5 but the Ravens were a Wildcard and the Titans were the AFC South champions. Last year in the playoffs the 10-6 Titans shocked the 14-2 Ravens. This year the Titans beat the Ravens again. Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Eddie George and Steve McNair brought America smashmouth playoff games, and now that tradition has returned. The first quarter belonged to the Titans. On 3rd and 3 from their own 37, Ryan Tannehill went deep to AJ Brown for 28. On 2nd and 11 from the Baltimore 36, Tannehill went to Brown for 14. On 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 16, Tannehill hit Anthony Firkser for 9. Tannehill went to Brown for the 10 yard touchdown as the officials missed offensive pass interference. The 10 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive made it 7-0 Titans. 3 plays later Lamar Jackson went deep and was intercepted. The Titans took over at their own 28. On 3rd and 1 from their own 37 and everyone expecting Derrick Henry, Tannehill connected with Firkser for a 35 yard gain. On 2nd and  9 from the Baltimore 27, a completion gained nothing followed by an incompletion. Stephen Gostkowski hit the 45 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Titans.

Then momentum shifted. The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Jackson went deep to Andrews for 17 as the first quarter ended. The Ravens moved all the way to a 3rd and 6 at the Tennessee 10. Jackson was sacked. Justin Tucker hit the 33 yard field goal to cap the 12 play, 60 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and get the Ravens within 10-3 with 10 minutes left in the half. The Ravens got it back at their own 18. Jackson hit Brown for 9 and Edwards ran for 8. Brown ran for 15. On 3rd and 9 from the Tennessee 48, Jackson scrambled through and around everyone. He dove for the pylon and got the touchdown for a 10-10 deadlock with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Ravens began the third quarter at their own 23. Jackson hit Ricard for 11 and Andrews for 4. Jackson ran for 10 and JK Dobbins added 9. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 44, Jackson ran for 23. On 3rd and 2 from the Titans 13, Jackson hit Ricard for 9. Dobbins ran for the 4 yard touchdown as the 10 play, 77 yard, 6 minute drive gave the Ravens their first lead up 17-10.

Late in the third quarter the Titans took over at their own 42. Tannehill hit Brown for 18 with 15 more added on for roughing the passer. Tannehill hit Westbrook for 12. On 3rd and goal at the 5, a pass from Tannehill to Henry lost 2 yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Gostkowski hit from 25 to get the Titans within 17-13. After a touchback the Raven moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Titans 34. Jackson threw incomplete twice. From 52 yards out, Tucker was no good. The Titans moved from their own 42 to a 2nd and 2 at the Baltimore 40. Tannehill threw incomplete twice. Mike Vrabel opted to punt. The Ravens took over at their own 15. Dobbins ran for 12. Jackson hit Brown for 9 and Andrews for 17. Jackson ran for 14. On 3rd and 6 from the Titans 31, Edwards only gained 4. John Harbaugh gambled on 4th and 2. Jackson hit Dobbins for 3 but offensive pass interference instead meant 4th and 12. This time Tucker hit from 51 as the Ravens led 20-13 with 4 1/2 minutes left. 

The Titans on 3rd and 1 from their own 30 gave it to Henry and he got stopped. On 4th and 1, Tannehill took the quarterback sneak for 2. At the 2 minute warning, the Titans had 2nd and 5 at their own 37. Tannehill then went deep over the middle and was intercepted. Marcus Peters returned it 13 yards to the Titans 47, but a taunting penalty on the Ravens after the play backed them up to their own 38. With 1:50 left, the Titans still had all 3 timeouts. Rather than run the ball, the Ravens inexplicably passed on 1st down, an incompletion that stopped the clock. On 2nd and 10, Jackson broke free, gained 33 yards, and smartly gave himself up inbounds to force the Titans to take their 1st timeout. The Titans took their final timeout with the Ravens facing 3rd and 1 at the Tennessee 20 with 1:25 left. Gus Edwards got the carry and bulldozed over the Tennessee defense for 5 yards. Jackson took a knee to end it. After losing 2 playoff games at home, Jackson silenced the critics by getting his first playoff win on the road. Jackson’s critics have been tough on him, but he left the field without shaking hands with anyone. Perhaps realizing his error, he returned to the field. This was a tough, physical win typical of a game between Baltimore and Tennessee. 20-13 Ravens

Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints was the Sunday afternoon game. The 8-8 Bears staggered into the playoffs and took on the 12-4 NFC South champion Saints who had all their top talent back on the field from injury and COVID. In a bizarre new TV venture, the game was simulcast on Nickelodeon. The Saints took over at their own 45. Drew Brees hit Harris for 9. On 3rd and 8 from the Chicago 39, Brees hit Harris for 17. Brees hit Michael Thomas for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. The Bears took over at their own 20. Mitchell Trubisky hit Kmet for 9. Trubisky then went deep to Sims for a 28 yard gain. On the next play Matt Nagy went to the bag of tricks. Trubisky lateraled to Montgomery, who lateraled it to Cordarelle Patterson, who pitched it back to Trubisky, who went bombs away to Wims for what should have been a 40 yard touchdown. Wims dropped it. It was right in his hands. He just dropped it. On 4th and 4 from the Saints 34, Matt Nagy went for it rather than try a 52 yard field goal. Trubisky scramble around the end but only gained 2 yards. The second quarter began with Wil Lutz missing a 50 yard field goal that would have extended the lead. 

The Saints got it back at their own 16. From his own 27, Brees went for the bomb and had the ball stripped just as he threw it. It was plucked out of the air by big man John Jenkins at the Saints 24. On 2nd and 6 from the Saints 10, a completion gained only one yard. Then a killer unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the late had the Bears facing 3rd and 20. It was a bad call. Kmet flipped the ball to the referee, but since the defender was in the area, it was treated as throwing the ball at the defender. After a false start, Cairo Santos hit the 36 yard field goal to get within 7-3 midway through the second quarter. The defenses dug in. In the third quarter the Saints faced 3rd and 4 from their own 21. Brees went to Thomas for a 38 yard gain. Brees then went to Cook, who broke through tackles for a 10 yard gain. A false start had the Saints facing 3rd and 14 from the Chicago 24. Brees went to Cook for 12. Sean Payton gambled on 4th and 2 rather than try an easy 30 yard field goal. The Bears bit on the hard count and jumped into the neutral zone. It was a killer penalty as Brees hit Latavius Murray for a 6 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 85 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Saints up 14-3 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. 

The Saints got it back and soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 40. Brees hit Kamara for 10. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 44, Brees hit Harris for 5. On 3rd and 11 from the Chicago 40, Brees hit Humphrey, who juked out defenders for a 14 yard gain. Brees then hit Cook for 12. On 2nd and goal at the 5, Brees was sacked for a 14 yard loss. Yet defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the 2. On 2nd and goal at the 2, Hill threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. After a loss, Kamara ran for a 3 yard touchdown. The Bears defense hung tough for most of the game, but the Saints finally broke them with a 15 play, 64 yard drive that consumed nearly 9 minutes. With 9 minutes left in regulation the Saints finally broke the defense to lead 21-3. The Saints got it back at their own 32. and moved to a 4th and goal at the one. Brees did not get in, but the goal line stand came with only 2 1/2 minutes left. Chicago finally got a garbage touchdown on the final play of the game. The Saints will host Tampa in the divisional round. 21-9 Saints

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday night game. The 11-5 Wildcard Browns took on the 12-4 AFC North champion Steelers. The Browns last made the playoffs in 2002 and last won a playoff game in 1994. The Steelers started 11-0 before going 1-4 down the stretch, although their loss to Cleveland in the regular season finale came with backups. The Browns would have to win this game without a coach, as Kevin Stefanski was out with COVID. The Steelers were supposed to easily win. On the very first play of the game after a touchback, the Steelers lined up in the shotgun. Perennial Pro Bowler Maurice Pouncey snapped the ball high over Ben Roethlisberger’s head. A wild scramble ensued. The Browns recovered in the end zone for a 7-0 Browns lead only 14 seconds into the game. After a touchback the Steelers moved to a 1st and 10 at their own 48. Roethlisberger went back to pass and under heavy pressure threw a high pass over the middle that was intercepted by MJ Stewart. The Browns took over at the Pittsburgh 46. On 3rd and 4 Baker Mayfield fired over the middle to Jarvis Landry, who broke a couple bad attempts at tackles for a 40 yard touchdown as the Browns had the shocking 14-0 lead. 

The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 35. Derek Watt got the carry and got stopped cold. The Browns got it back at their own 35 and Nick Chubb gashed the Pittsburgh defense for gains of 17 and 20. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 23, Mayfield hit Higgins for 12. Karim Hunt took it up the gut and smacked right into and over Pittsburgh defenders for an 11 yard touchdown and a 21-0 Browns lead. After a touchback and an offensive holding penalty, the Steelers faced 2nd and 20 from their own 26. Roethlisberger threw a high pass that was deflected and intercepted by Redwine. Redwine weaved through traffic and returned the interception 30 yards to the Pittsburgh 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 8 out of the shotgun, Hunt went off tackle and found a seam and got in the end zone. In an absolute shocker, the Browns led 28-0 and there were still 2 minutes left in the first quarter. 

The 28 points were the most points in an NFL playoff game opening quarter by one team in league history. 

In the second quarter the Steelers got the ball back at their own 46. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 46, Big Ben had a pass deflected high in the air. Gustin made a diving interception as the Browns took over at their own 47. On 2nd and 11 Mayfield somehow escaped a sack and hit Austin Hooper for 16. However, offensive holding nullified the play and instead meant 2nd and 21. A pass close to the sticks to Hooper was dropped. Hunt gained 13. On 4th and 8, a field goal try would be 53 yards. After failing to get the defense to jump offside, the Browns punted. 

The Steelers got it back at their own 11. On 3rd and 1 from their 20, Bennie Snell gained 2 the hard way. Roethlisberger hit Washington for big gains of 17, 10 and 27, James Conner for 7, Diontae Johnson for 6, Washington for 4 and Eric Ebron for 5 to set up 3rd and 1 at the Cleveland 2. Roethlisberger threw high and incomplete as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 4th and 1 from the 2 out of the shotgun, Conner got the carry up the middle and appeared stopped short. A very generous spot for some reason was not reviewed. On the next play Conner got in off-tackle as the Steelers trailed 28-7 with 1:44 left in the half. Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 33 yards to his own 36. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, Mayfield scrambled for just enough. Mayfield then went to Chubb for 21 and Hooper for 8. Chubb ran for 12. On 1st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 12, Mayfield hit Hooper for 5 as the Browns took their last timeout with 37 seconds left. Mayfield went again to a wide open Hooper for a 7 yard touchdown as the Browns had a 35-7 lead over the shellshocked Steelers fans watching at home. 

The Browns defense relaxed too early as the Steelers took over at their own 32 with 34 seconds left. Snell gained 11. Big Ben hit Johnson for 11 and 15. It appeared Claypool was tackled inbounds but the refs ruled he got to the sideline. Chris Boswell drilled a 49 yard field goal as the Steelers trailed 35-10 at the half. In the third quarter the Steelers took over at their own 16. Roethlisberger hit Chase Claypool for 7, Eric Ebron for 9, Juju Smith-Schuster for 10, Johnson for 12, Conner for 4, Ebron for 10, Johnson for 15, and Ebron for a 17 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Steelers were within 35-16 midway through the third quarter. Roethlisberger was 8 for 8 on the drive. Browns fans got a big collective lump in their throats after going 3 and out. The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 33. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 15 and Smith-Schuster for 27. On 3rd and 10 from the Cleveland 20, Roethlisberger hit Smith-Schuster for 15. Big Ben then threw 3 straight incompletions. On 4th and goal at the 5, Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. Roethlisberger hit Smith-Schuster for the touchdown. The Steelers were within 35-23 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Browns went 3 and out again as the Steelers got it back at their own 37. On 3rd and 8 Roethlisberger hit Smith-Schuster for only 7 as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with the Steelers facing 4th and 1 from their own 46. Lined up in punt formation and making motions for a fake punt, attempts to draw the defense offside failed. Despite having all the momentum, the Steelers took a delay of game penalty and then punted. The Browns faced 3rd and 2 at their own 28. Mayfield threw a short pass to Landry, who got around the edge for a 17 yard gain and a key first down to give their defense a rest. Mayfield went back to Landry for 15 more. On 2nd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 40, the Steelers blitzed and a perfectly executed screen pass beat it. Chubb broke tackles and raced to the end zone for a touchdown. The Browns now had breathing room up 42-23 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

The Steelers struck back very quickly from their own 24. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 7 and 15, Smith-Schuster for 25, and Claypool for a 29 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Steelers were within 42-29 with 11 minutes left in regulation. A 30 yard kickoff return by Johnson had the Browns starting at their own 35. Chubb ran for 9 and one. Rather than grind down clock, the Browns stayed aggressive. Mayfield hit Hunt for 13 and Landry for 17. On 3rd and goal at the 6, a pass to the end zone was dropped. Cody Parkey hit the 45 yard field goal to put the Browns up 45-29. Yet because of the incompletion, 4 1/2 minutes remained rather than 3:45. After a touchback, the Steelers soon faced 1st and 10 from their own 40. Roethlisberger was intercepted by Takitaki, who returned it 23 yards to the Pittsburgh 25 with 3:16 to play. It was Pittsburgh’s 5th turnover including 4 interceptions of Roethlisberger. Parkey hit a 37 yard field goal to ice the game and make it 48-29 Browns with 2:50 to play.

The Steelers took over at their own 23. On 4th and 10 from the Cleveland 40, Roethlisberger hit Smith-Schuster for 33 and Claypool for the 7 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion got the Steelers within 11 with 1:09 to play. The onside kick failed and he Browns finally survived. Roethlisberger threw 68 passes, completing 47 of them for 501 yards. He had 4 touchdown passes to go with the 4 interceptions. Mayfield was 21 of 34 for 263 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The Browns were missing more than head coach Kevin Stefanski. They were also without offensive line coach Bill Callahan. They had more than one offensive lineman go down during the game. For those wondering, special teams coach Mike Priefer was the interim head coach in this game. He was once interim coach for another team a few years ago, a loss. His first win was a sweet one as David stunned Goliath. After 26 years, the playoff drought is over. After 16 straight years losing in Pittsburgh, that drought is over as well. The Browns won a playoff game and will travel to Kansas City in the Divisional round. 48-37 Browns

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NFL 2020 Week 17 Recap

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Falcons were done for the year while the 10-5 Buccaneers had already clinched a Wildcard spot. Anything higher was out of reach. The Buccaneers went right to work from their own 32. Tom Brady went to Mike Evans for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 47, Brady gained 2. Brady hit Rob Gronkowski for 11 and Chris Godwin for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Falcons from their own 27 moved 70 yards in 13 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Yet on 1st and goal the 4, two runs gained only one total yard and then Matt Ryan threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit a 22 yard field goal to get the Falcons within 7-3. The Buccaneers from their own 27 moved to a 1t and 10 at the Atlanta 11. Brady threw 3 incompletions. Ryan Succop hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers began the second quarter at their own 43. Ronald Jones ran for 16, 7 and 9. On 3rd and 10 from the Atlanta 25, Brady went to Antonio Brown for the touchdown to make it 17-3 Buccaneers. The Falcons then fumbled and the Buccaneers had a short field at the Altanta 39. Succop hit a 38 yard field goal as the Buccaneers were up big 20-3.

After a touchback the Falcons soon faced 2nd and 9 from midfield. Ryan hit Russell Gage for 7 with roughing the passer adding 15 more. On 4th and 4 from the Atlanta 10 after an incompletion, Raheem Morris decided to go for it. Ryan hit Hurst of 9. Ryan got the last yard to get the Falcons within 20-10. After a touchback, consecutive defensive pass interference calls gave the Buccaneers gains of 10 and 13. With 8 seconds left in the half the Buccaneers had 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 7. Brady threw incomplete. Succop hit from 25 as the Buccaneers led 23-10. After a touchback to start the second half, Ryan went to Gage for gains of 7, 5 and 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Tampa 40, Ryan went to Gurley for 17 and Treadwell for 11. On 3rd and 17 from the Tampa 19, Ryan went to Gage for the touchdown. The 11 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the Falcons within 23-17. After a touchback Brady went to Godwin for 46. Yet on 3rd and 10 from the Atlanta 29, Brady was intercepted. The Falcons took over at their own 18 and moved 79 yards in 15 plays and 7 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 3, Ryan threw incomplete. Again the Falcons settled for a 21 yard Koo field goal to trail 23-20 after three quarters, 

Jones began the fourth quarter after a touchback running for 4, 9 and 8. Brady went to Brown for 8 and 12. Defensive pass interference added 10 more. Brady hit Brown for 14. Jones ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 30-20 Buccaneers. After a touchback, Hill ran for 9 and then broke off a 62 yard run. On 4th and goal at the one midway through the fourth quarter, Raheem Morris went for it. Ryan hit Hurst for the touchdown as the Buccaneers were within 30-27.

After a touchback, Brady hit Gronk for 18. On 3rd and 12 from their own 46, Brady went deep to Godwin for 47. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Brady hit Godwin for the score. The Buccaneers were up 37-27 with 4 minutes left. The Falcons took over at their own 31. From their own 42, a short completion was fumbled and the Buccaneers took over at the Atlanta 38. On 3rd and 2 Brady went to Brown for the 30 yard touchdown to put the game away. Again, Matty Ice went ice cold against Tom Brady in the fourth quarter. The 11-5 Buccaneers will travel to play the NFC East champion in the Wildcard round. Brady finished this game with 399 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. 

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants — Despite the Cowboys being 6-9 and the Giants 5-10, both teams were alive to make the playoffs as NFC Least champion. The loser of this game would be eliminated from the playoffs. The winner would get in if Washington also lost their game. The Cowboys came in riding a 3 game win streak. The Giants went right to work from their own 22. Daniel Jones hit Evan Engram for 14. Wayne Gallman ran for 8 and 10. Jones hit Smith for 16 and ran for 7. Sterling Sherpard ran for a 23 yard touchdown and the Giants had the 6-0 lead. The extra point was no good. 

The Giants got it back and Jones did what he does. He fumbled again and the Cowboys recovered at the Giants 27. Yet on 3rd and  8 from the Giants 14, Red Rifle Andy Dalton was sacked. Greg Zuerlein hit from 38 to get the Cowboys within 6-3. In the second quarter the Giants took over at their own 35 and defensive unnecessary roughness had the Giants at the Dallas 45. Jones hit Shepard for 21, Toilolo for 10 and Shepard for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 13-3 Giants. The Cowboys moved from their own 28 to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 32. A sack of Dalton killed the drive but Zuerlein hit the 46 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 13-6 with 2:13 left in the half. After a touchback, the Giants faced 1st and 10 at their own 41 with 90 seconds left. Jones hit Shepard for 18. Defensive pass interference added 8. Jones went to Dante Pettis for a 33 yard touchdown. With 45 seconds left in the half the Giants were up big 20-6. 

The Cowboys took over at their own 27. Dalton hit CeeDee Lamb for 14, Schultz for 9, Lamb for 6 and Schultz for 11. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein earned his nickname by leveling a 57 yard field goal to end the half and get the Cowboys within 20-9. The Cowboys began the third quarter at their own 38 after an interception of Jones. On 3rd and 1 from their own 47, Dalton gained 2. Dalton went to Lamb for 21, Elliott for 7 and Schultz for 10. On 2nd and 13 from the Giants 16, Dalton threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a first down. Ezekiel Elliott ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Cowboys within 20-16. The Cowboys got it back at their own 20 and moved 62 yards in 13 plays and 5 minutes. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Giants 11, a run lost 2 yards. On the first play of the fourth quarter on 3rd and 9, Dalton was sacked. Zuerlein hit his 4th field goal from 36 as the Cowboys were within 20-19. 

From their own 20, Jones hit Shepard for gains of 9, 21 and 13. On 2nd and 6 from the Dallas 32, Jones was sacked for a 10 yard loss. Gano nailed a 50 yard field goal to put the Giants up by 4 with 6 1/2 minutes left. The Cowboys mounted a staggering 17 play drive that took over 5 minutes and moved the Cowboys 58 yards. With 1:53 left, the Cowboys had 1st and goal at the 7. Dalton was sacked for a 10 yard loss. Then came an incompletion. On 3rd and goal from the 17, Dalton went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. Gallman ran for 5 and 8 as Jones took 3 knees. Both teams were 6-10. The Cowboys were out. The Giants waited to find out of they would be the worst team to ever win their division. Either way, they began the season 1-7 under Joe Judge and then rallied to go 5-3 down the stretch. 23-19 Giants  

New York Jets at New England Patriots — The 6-9 Patriots have their first losing season in 20 years. The Jets began 0-13 before winning 2 straight. This was expected to be Adam Gase’s final game. The Patriots began facing 1st and 15 from their own 11. Cam Newton went to Sony Michel for 17 and Michel ran for 13 more. Newton then ran for a 49 yard gain, a franchise record. Newton hit James White for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots. With 6 minutes left in an ugly first half, the Jets took over at their own 20. On 3rd and 1 from their own 29, Sam Darnold gained 3. On 3rd and 9 from their own 33, Darnold hit Brown for 18, Johnson for 15, Crownder for 12 and Herndon for a 21 yard touchdown. The game was tied 7-7 at the half. After a touchback to start the third quarter, Josh Adams ran for 10. Darnold went deep to Perriman for 53 and to Crowder for 10 down to the one. Adams got the yard as the Jets led 14-7. Could Gang Green pull off the upset? Could the Jets win 3 in a row? Is Adam Gase better than Bill Belichick? No, no, and good lord no.

Midway through the third quarter the Patriots faced 3rd and 3 just shy of midfield. Newton gained 4. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 43, Newton hit Olszewski for 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Jets 24, Newton gained 5. Newton hit Jacob Meyers for a 19 yard touchdown and a 14-14 game. After a touchback the Jets faced 2nd and 5 from their 40. Darnold was intercepted by Jackson, who returned it 17 yards to the Jets 45. One minute into the fourth quarter, Newton hit Devin Asiasi for a 26 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Patriots. The Patriots got it back at their own 43. Newton hit meyers for 11 with roughing the passer adding 15 more. Newton went to Michel for a 31 yard touchdown. The Jets embarked on a staggering 16 play, 65 yard, 8 minute drive, but ball control is not good when you’re losing. On 3rd and 7 from the Patriots 15, Darnold went to the end zone and was intercepted. Adam Gase did not have to wait until Black Monday to learn his fate. He was fired Sunday night. 28-14 Patriots

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions — Sometimes a pair of bad teams with nothing to play for can play a very exciting game. This actually was that game. The Lions took over at their own 10. Matthew Stafford went to TJ Hockenson for 9 and Marvin Jones for 23. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 46, Mohammed Sanu gained 3. Stafford went to Jones for a 43 yard touchdown to make it 6-0. The extra point was no good. The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 36. Kirk Cousins went to Justin Jefferson for 13 and Mattison for 15. On 3rd and 13 from the Detroit 39, Cousins went to Jefferson for 9. Jefferson fumbled but the Vikings retained possession after an 11 yard gain. Mike Zimmer gambled on 4th and 2 from the Detroit 28. Cousins went to Mattison for the touchdown and the 7-6 Vikings lead. 

In the second quarter after a touchback, Adrian Peterson went up the gut for a 38 yard gain. Stafford went to Hockensen for 15 and to Quintez Cephus for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Lions. The Vikings took over at their own 21. Cousins went to Smith for 25, Conklin for 11 and 19, and Adam Thielen for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Cousins hit Ameer Abdullah for the touchdown and the 14-13 Vikings lead. After a touchback, Stafford hit Jones for 38 yards. Then the drive died. Matt Prater nailed a 54 yard field goal to make it 16-14 Lions. Dan Bailey missed a 46 yard field goal try that would have given the Vikings the lead again. With 55 seconds left in the half the Vikings again took over at their own 21. Cousins went to Jefferson for 8, Chad Beebe for 4, Thielen for 14 and Conklin for 10. With 14 seconds left in the half, the Vikings had 1st and 10 at the Detroit 45. Cousins threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside. That left 4 seconds. Cousins threw the Hail Mary, and Beebe caught it for the 40 yard touchdown and the 21-16 Vikings halftime lead.

The second half was just as exciting and it started with a bang when Agnew returned the kickoff 70 yards to the Detroit 33. Two plays later Stafford went to Jones for a 26 yard touchdown. The 6th lead change of the game made it 23-21 Lions. The Vikings took over at their own 31. Cousins went to Jefferson for 15 and again for 38 with roughing the passer adding 7 more. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mattison ran it in. The 7th led change had the Vikings up 28-23. Stafford was quickly intercepted to set up the Vikings at the Detroit 23. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Cousins threw incomplete. Bailey hit from 23 to make it 31-23 Vikings midway through the fourth quarter. 

The Lions soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Stafford hit Danny Amendola for 6. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, Stafford went to Cephus for 31. Swift ran for 6 and caught a pass from Stafford for 18. Peterson ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try to tie the game was no good as Stafford threw incomplete and the Lions trailed 31-29. The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Mattison gained 4. Defensive pass interference added 18. Cousins hit Conklin for 14. On 1st and 20 from the Detroit 30, Boone ran for 19, 5 and 4. On 3rd and goal at the one, Boone got stopped. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Mike Zimmer went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Cousins was sacked. Yet a roughing the passer call killed the Lions and made it 1st and goal at the one again. Cousins got in. Bailey missed the extra point that would have made it a 2 score game. Instead the 14 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Vikings only up 37-29 with 10 1/2 minutes left.

The Lions also mounted a 14 play, 75 yard drive that took 6 minutes. On 1st and 20 from their own 15, Stafford hit Jones for 21. Swift ran for 13 and 8. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 42 midway through the fourth quarter, Darrel Bevell went for it. Peterson gained 4. On 3rd and 11 from the Minnesota 39, Stafford went to Jones for 16. Stafford hit Sanu for 6, ran for 5, and hit Jones for 10. Swift ran for a 2 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left, the Lions again had a chance for a 2 point try to tie the game. Again, Stafford threw incomplete. After a touchback, the Vikings took the clock down to 2 1/2 minutes as the Lions took their final timeout on defense. Everything came down to the Vikings facing 4th and 1 at the Detroit 25. A 43 yard field goal would not put the game away, so Zimmer went for it. Mattison gained 16 yards and Cousins took 3 knees. 37-35 Vikings   

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns — The 12-3 Steelers had clinched the AFC North and Mike Tomlin rested Ben Roethlisberger. Mason Rudolph got the start against the 10-5 Browns, who would be in the playoffs with a win. A loss would require the Browns to get help. The Dawg Pound was ready. The Browns took over at their own 15. Nick Chubb ran for 11 and 3. Baker Mayfield hit Jarvis Landry for 14 and Austin Hooper for 10. Chubb ran for a 47 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Browns began the second quarter facing 1st and 15 from their own 20. Chubb gained 13 and Mayfield went deep to Higgins for 42. Despite 1st and goal at the 4, a pair of incompletions were sandwiched around a run that lost a yard. Cody Parkey hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Browns. 

The Steelers began moving the ball but could not reach the end zone. Matthew Wright hit field goals of 28 and 46 in the second quarter and again from 46 in the third quarter as the Steelers were right back in it down 10-9. The Browns got it back at their own 24. Mayfield hit Higgins for 13. On 3rd and 5 from their 42, Mayfield hit nook for 14 and then ran for a 28 yard gain himself. Mayfield hit Hodge for 10 and Austin Hooper for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-9 Browns. An interception of Rudolph gave the Browns great field position at the Pittsburgh 20. On 3rd and 8, Mayfield hit Hodge for 15. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Landry ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 24-9 Browns.

The Steelers after a touchback fought back. Rudolph hit McDonald for 14. James Conner gained 7 and 4. Rudolph went o Chase Claypool for 10. On 4th and 6 from the Cleveland 36, Rudolph hit Johnson for 8. On 4th and 10 from the Cleveland 28, Rudolph went to Claypool for the touchdown. Twice the Browns were one stop away from ending it. Instead, the Steelers were within 24-16 with 10 minutes left. The Browns from their own 27 went on a 10 play drive that took 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 31, Mayfield was sacked for a 4 yard loss. A 53 yard field goal with 3 1/2 minutes left would ice the game, but Kevin Stefanski decided against trying it. He went for it and on 4th and 7 and Mayfield through incomplete.

The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 35. Rudolph hit Juju Smith-Schuster for 13 and then went deep to Diontae Johnson for 47. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Rudolph hit Smith-Schuster for the touchdown. With 1:23 left, a 2 point conversion would tie the game. Rudolph threw incomplete. The onside kick failed. The Steelers took their timeouts on defense. With 1:10 to play, it came down to the Browns facing 3rd and 2 at the Pittsburgh 42. Mayfield rolled out, saw an opening, ran for 3, purposely went down inbounds, and pumped his fists. For the first time since 2002, the Browns are going to the playoffs. These 2 teams will play again next week in the Wildcard round. Yet that game will be in Pittsburgh, and Roethlisberger will be back. 24-22 Browns 

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals — The Bengals were done for the year but had won 2 straight. The Ravens came in winning 4 straight and at 10-5 were guaranteed a Wildcard spot with a win. A loss would require the Ravens get help elsewhere. This game was over early. The Ravens pounded the Bengals for over 400 yards rushing. After a touchback the Ravens moved 59 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. The Ravens settled for a 34 yard Justin Tucker field goal to lead 3-0. The Ravens took over at their own 31. Lamar Jackson ran for 12 and threw a 43 yard touchdown pass to Miles Boykin to make it 10-0 Ravens. In the second quarter the Ravens mounted a mind-numbing 17 play, 93 yard drive that consumed over 8 1/2 minutes. Jackson threw an 18 yard touchdown pass to Marquise Brown for make it 17-0 Ravens. The Bengals avoided a shutout with a field goal late in the half, but this game was never close. In the third quarter the Ravens marched 70 yards and JK Dobbins ran for a 5 yard touchdown. The Ravens got it back at midfield and Jackson hit Brown for a 9 yard touchdown. An interception gave to back to the Ravens at their own 20. Dobbins ran for 8 and then raced for a 72 yard touchdown. Dobbins had 160 yards rushing and  the fourth quarter was scoreless. John Harbaugh has an 11-5 squad that can pound the rock. 38-3 Ravens

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills — The 12-3 Bills clinched the AFC East for the first time in 25 years. The 10-5 Dolphins needed a miracle from Ryan Fitzpatrick’s beard last week, but he was out injured. Tua Tagovailoa has been benched a couple times, but it was up to him to go on the road and get the win. Sean McDermott played his starters despite the top seed being out of reach. With a win, the Dolphins were in the playoffs. They could still get in with a loss but would need help. An early interception of Josh Allen led to a field goal and a 3-0 Dolphins lead after the first quarter. The Bills exploded in the second quarter and put the game away.

The Bills began the second quarter at midfield. Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 5, Singletary for 6, and Diggs for 8 and 18. On 3rd and 4 from the Miami 7, Allen hit Isaiah McKenzie for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Bills. The Bills got it back at their own 12. Allen hit Diggs for 8, Knox for 10, Diggs for 16 and McKenzie for 19. On 3rd and 4 from the Miami 14. Allen went to McKenzie for the touchdown to make it 14-3 Bills. McKenzie then killed Miami on special teams by returning a punt 84 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-3 Bills. Miami got another field goal with 1:44 left in the half, but the Bills kept rolling. After a touchback, Allen went to Diggs for 16, to John Brown for 27, and to Brown again for a 32 yard touchdown. The Bills led 28-6 at halftime. 

The second half was a formality. The Dolphins did manage a third quarter touchdown, but Tagovailoa was then intercepted by Josh Norman for a 16 yard defensive touchdown to have the Bills up 35-13 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Bills carpet-bombed the Dolphins. Two more interceptions of Tagovailoa led to two more Bills touchdowns to put them up 49-13. After a Miami touchdown, Allen retired for the day and Matt Barkley came in. Barkley’s first pass was a deep ball to Davis for a 56 yard touchdown and a 56-19 Bills lead. The Dolphins added one more garbage touchdown. The Bills are 13-3 and will host a Wildcard game. The 10-6 Dolphins could still make the playoffs if any one of four other teams lost. All four of those teams won and the Dolphins were the odd team out of the playoffs. 56-26 Bills

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers were done for the year but were expected to put up a fight against their hated NFC West rival. The 11-4 Seahawks clinched the division and had an outside shot at the top seed. The first three quarters was a brutal slog. Jason Myers hit field goals of 36 in the first quarter and 30 in the second quarter to make it 6-0 Seahawks. Tristan Vizcaino was in for an injured Robbie Gould. Vizcaino hit from 36 to end the half and from 47 and 36 in the third quarter to have the 49ers up 9-6 after three quarters. The 49ers took over with 5 minutes left in the third quarter and soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 29. CJ Beathard hit Kendrick Bourne for 27. On 4th and 3 from the Seattle 37, Kyle Shanahan passed up a 55 yard field goal try and went for it. Beathard hit Bourne for 11 and Dwlley for 13. The fourth quarter began with the game’s first touchdown as Jeff Wilson ran it in from 7 yards out to make it 16-6 49ers.

After a touchback the Seahawks finally got going. Russell Wilson hit Chris Carson for 10 and Tyler Lockett for 9 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15. Wilson went to Disney for 20. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Wilson hit Lockett for the touchdown to get the Seahawks within 16-12. The extra point was no good. The Seahawks got it back at their own 15. Wilson hit DK Metcalf for 12. Carson gained 9 and 5. Wilson added 11 and then hit Lockett for 9. Wilson ran for 16. With 2:20 to play in the game, the Seahawks faced 4th and goal at the 4 after a pair of Wilson incompletions. The earlier missed extra point forced the Seahawks to go for it. Wilson hit Lockett for the touchdown to make it 19-16 Seahawks. Beathard was soon sacked and fumbled. The Seahawks recovered at the Frisco 17. Alex Collins ran for an 8 yard touchdown with 1:49 left as 20 straight points made it 26-16 Seahawks. By the time the 49ers reached the end zone, only 23 seconds remained. The onside kick failed and the Seahawks for the second straight week survived with defense. They were denied the top seed and will host a Wildcard playoff game. 26-23 Seahawks 

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams — The 8-7 Cardinals were once 6-3. The 9-6 Rams were once 9-4. Both teams with a win would be in the playoffs. The Cardinals would be out with a loss. The Rams could get in with a loss but would need help. Jared Goff was out injured. With everything on the line, backup John Wolford would start. He had never won an NFL game. These teams both have high-flying offenses, yet this game was about defense. On the first Arizona series, Kyler Murray went out injured. His backup was Chris Streveler. Wolford was quickly intercepted to set up the Cardinals at the Rams 14. Streveler threw an 11 yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Ward. The Cardinals led 7-0 after the first quarter, but the Rams defense took over after that.

The Rams mounted a 16 play, 69 yard, 8 minute drive. Despite 1st and goal at the one, consecutive false starts killed the drive. The second quarter began with Matt Gay hitting a 28 yard field goal  for the Rams. The Rams in the second quarter took over at their 18 and moved 81 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Again the Rams got down to the one. Again they did not punch it in as Cam Akers fumbled and the Cardinals recovered at the one. Yet 2 plays later the Cardinals were called for offensive holding in their own end zone. The safety got the Rams within 7-5. The Cardinals moved from their own 35 to a 2nd and 7 at the Rams 32 with 20 seconds left in the half. Then came the play of the game. Steveler was intercepted by Troy Hill, who weaved through traffic for an 84 yard defensive touchdown and a 12-7 Rams lead. The second half was all defense. Gay hit from 34 in the third quarter and from 27 in the fourth quarter. An Arizona field goal try was blocked. Murray tried to return, but it was too late. The 10-6 Rams will travel for a Wildcard game and hope to have Goff back. The 8-8 Cardinals are out. As for Wolford, his very first NFL win was a big one. 18-7 Rams

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts — The Colts were one of five 10-5 teams, but they were the only one who would automatically miss the playoffs with a loss. They were the only one who could win and still miss out if 4 other teams all won. The Jaguars won their opener and then lost 14 straight to lock up the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Yet that sole win came against the Colts. The Colts began at their own 22. Taylor ran for 11 and then for 56. On 3rd and 5 from the Jacksonville 6, Philip Rivers hit TY Hilton for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 16 and mounted a 13 play, 80 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. Rivers threw incomplete on 3rd and goal at the 4. Rodrigo Blankenship hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Colts. The Jaguars moved from their own 15 to a 3rd and 6 at their 45. Glennon was sacked and fumbled and TJ Carrie returned it 25 yards to the Jags 15. Taylor ran for one, 13, and the one yard touchdown in the second quarter to make it 17-0 Colts. The Jaguars faced 4th and 1 from their own 49. Doug Marrone gambled and Glennon threw incomplete. The short field led to a 24 yard Blankenship field goal and a 20-0 Colts lead with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half.

The Jaguars actually made a game of it after a touchback. Glennon hit Conley for 17 and 9, Cole for 8, Godwin for 5, 6 and 21, and Laviska Shenault for a 9 yard touchdown. With 27 seconds left in the half the Jaguars were within 20-7. On the last play of the half, Blankenship missed a 56 yard field goal try. Blankenship missed again from 49 early in the third quarter when his kick doinked off the upright. The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 14 from their own 35. Glennon hit Conley for 15. Ogunbowale gained 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Indy 37, Glennon hit Cole for 12 and Saubert for 9. Glennon went to Shenault for an 8 yard touchdown as the Jaguars were within 20-14 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the game, the Colts took over at midfield. Taylor ran for 5 and then broke the backs of the Jaguars with a 45 yard touchdown run. The 2 point conversion was good. The Jaguars put up a fight, but they are now on the clock as Doug Marrone awaits Black Monday. The 11-5 Colts did not win their division, and 3 of the 4 other teams also won to get to 11-5. However, one team, Miami, lost. The Colts are in the playoffs as a Wildcard. 28-14 Colts

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans — The Titans were one of five 10-5 teams. A win would clinch them the AFC South while a loss would leave them depending on other results to make the playoffs. The Texans were done for the year but they put up a fight. The first quarter saw Sam Sloman hit a 47 yard field goal for the Titans and Kaimi Fairbairn respond from 24 for a 3-3 game after the first quarter. Then the offenses got going. On 2nd and 3 from their own 32, Derrick Henry gained 8 and then broke free for a 52 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Titans. The Texans moved 51 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 2 from their own 46, Romeo Crennel called a fake punt. AJ McCarron hit Mitchell for 20. Yet the drive again stalled in the red zone. On 3rd and 10 from the Titans 18, Deshaun Watson was sacked. Fairbairn hit from 43 to get the Texans within 10-6. 

After a touchback, Ryan Tannehill ran for 10 and Henry added 16. Tannehill went to Davis for 19. Henry added 28. Tannehill hit AJ Brown for the touchdown to make it 17-6 Titans. The kickoff went out of bounds to set up the Texans at their own 40. For the 3rd time in the half, the Texans drove into the red zone. For the 3rd time they did not get in the end zone. On 3rd and 8 from the Titans 10, Watson threw incomplete. Fairbairn hit from 28 to end the half with the Texans within 17-9. In the third quarter Henry ran for 4 and 14. On 3rd and 8 from their own 45, Tannehill hit Brown for 29. On 3rd and 10 from the Houston 26, Tannehill hit Anthony Firkser for 12. Henry ran for a 6 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and put the Titans up 24-9.

After a touchback, Watson hit Brandin Cooks for 11 and Brown for 14. Defensive pass interference added 11. Watson went to Cooks for a 38 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Texans were within 24-15. The Texans took over at their own 23. Henry ran for 8, 9, 4, and then a 45 yard gain. Tannehill ran for a 5 yard touchdown as the Titans led 31-15 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.  

The Texans began at their own 35. Johnson ran for 19 and 26. Watson hit Cooks for a 20 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion was originally called good, but was reversed to short of the plane of the goal. The Titan were within 31-21. The Titans quickly fumbled after a touchback and the Texans took over at the Titans 28. Watson hit Cooks for 27 and Johnson got the last yard to get the Texans within 31-28. The Titans moved from their own 25 to a 4th and 11 at the Houston 37. Mike Vrabeld decided to go for it rather than try a 55 yard field goal. Tannehill was sacked for an 11 yard loss. The Texans took over at their own 48. Watson gained 7 with defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Titans 23, Watson hit Akins for 9, Cooks for 7 and pharaoh Brown for a 7 yard touchdown. With 10 minutes left in regulation, 20 straight points had the Texans up 35-31. They had 4 straight touchdown drives.

After a touchback the Titans had their drive of the year. 19 plays. 75 yards. 8 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 6 from their own 29, Tannehill hit Brown for 11. On 3rd and 4 from the Houston 43, Tannehill hit Brown for 5. On 3rd and 8 from the Houston 21, Tannehill hit Davis for 9. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 4, Tannehill gained 3. Tannehill ran for a 5 yard touchdown as the Titans led 38-35 with 1:40 to play. The Texnans began at their own 9 yard line. Watson went to Johnson for 32. A sack of Watson had the Texans facing 3rd and 13 from their own 38. Watson hit Keke Coutee for 29. After 3 straight incompletions, on 4th and 10 from the Titans 33, Fairbairn drilled a 51 yard field goal. With 18 seconds left the game was tied 38-38. Rather than play for overtime after a touchback, Tannehill went bombs away and found Brown for a 52 yard gain. Sloman came in for a 27 yard field goal try for the win. Sloman was good and the Titans at 11-5 won the AFC South the hard way. Henry became the 8th player in NFL history with at least 2,000 yards rushing as he bulldozed Houston for 250 yards. 41-38 Titans 

Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos — Both teams were out of the playoffs, but this situation was exactly the same as last year. The Raiders were 7-8 and the Broncos were worse. Last year the Raiders went into Denver and lost 16-15 on the final play when a 2 point conversion try failed. This year’s game was a thriller. The Broncos moves from their own 28 to a 3rd and goal at the 4. Drew Lock threw incomplete. Brandon McManus hit a 22 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Broncos. The Raiders soon faced 4th and 1 at their own 34. Jon Gruden on the road decided to go for it. Derek Carr kept it and gained 2. Carr then went deep and found Nelson Agholor for a 57 yard gain. Had Carr led Agholor more, it would have been a touchdown. Agholor had to lay out for it, so instead it was 1st and goal at the 7. Again, the Raiders struggled down close. On the next play, a touchdown pass to Agholor was nullified by offensive pass interference on Zee Jones. The Raiders settled for a 33 yard Daniel Carlson field goal for a 3-3 game.

The Broncos faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Lock went to Cleveland for 17. Freeman ran for 20. Lock hit Patrick for 29. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Lock threw incomplete. Yet defensive holding instead meant 1st and goal at the one. Lock hit Troy Fumagalli for the touchdown and the 10-3 Broncos lead after the first quarter. After a touchback, the Raiders began the second quarter with a completion from Carr to standout Darren Waller. Yet this time Waller got hit and fumbled the ball. The Broncos took over at the Raiders 39. Three plays gained a total of 2 yards. Vic Fangio brought in McManus for a 56 yard field goal try. McManus was no good. 

The Raiders took over at their own 46. Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 28, Carr went deep to Waller for the touchdown and a 10-10 game. The Broncos after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Raiders 38. After missing from 56, Fangio did not want to have McManus try from 57. Fangio went for it and Lock threw incomplete. A 21 yard punt return by Renfrow had the Raiders taking over at their own 44 with 1:39 left in the half. Carr went to Theo Riddick for 5 and 15 and Henry Ruggs for 15. With 26 seconds left in the half, the Raiders faced 3rd and 15 from the Denver 26. Carr delivered a dime to Bryan Edwards in the end zone as Edwards beat the defender for the touchdown and the 17-10 Raiders lead. With 3 seconds left in the half, Vic Fangio decided to try and make NFL history. He brought in McManus for a 70 yard field goal try. The kick was blocked. 

In the third quarter the Broncos moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 6 at the Denver 18. Lock threw incomplete twice. From 37 yards out, McManus was good and the Broncos were within 17-13. The Raiders could not handle prosperity. They spent the second half of the third quarter self-destructing. They moved from their own 5 to a 3rd and 3 at their own 30. Carr was intercepted and the Broncos took over at the Raiders 44. Yet on 3rd and 9 from the Raiders 14, Lock hit Hamilton for only 5. On 4th and 2 from the 9, Vic Fangio opted for the field goal. McManus hit from 27 and the Broncos were within 17-16. Two plays after a touchback, Ruggs fumbled and the Broncos took over at the Raiders 34. Lock hit Melvin Gordon for 13 and Noah Fant for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 12, Lock gained 2. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Gordon ran for a 10 yard touchdown. Fangio went for 2 and Lock hit Jerry Jeudy for the conversion as the Broncos led 24-17. After a touchback the Raiders soon faced 1st and 20 from their own 31. Carr was intercepted by Jackson, who returned it 13 yards to the Raiders 31. The Silver and Black had 3 straight drives end in turnovers and 4 turnovers overall. 

A field goal would put the Broncos up 27-17. They were already in range. Yet on 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 28, Lock was sacked for an 11 yard loss. It was a tremendous mistake, and Fangio was not going to try a 57 yard field goal in that situation. The Broncos punted and the Raiders took over at their own 10. On 3rd and 1 from their own 19, Josh Jacobs gained 4. Carr went to Edwards for 25 and Waller for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 43, Carr went to Waller for 15. Jacobs banged through the line and raced for a 28 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, the game was tied 24-24. The offense had finally calmed down and the defense had played reasonably well. So naturally it was time for the mother of all defensive breakdowns. The Broncos faced 3rd and 10 from their own 8. Lock fired over the middle to Jeudy, who outraced everybody for a 92 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Broncos were up 31-24 with 6 1/2 minutes left. After an exchange of punts, the Raiders were in desperation mode at their own 23 with 1:47 left.

Carr put on a clinic. He went deep to Jones for 37 and to Waller for gains of 10 and 21. With 53 seconds left in the game the Raiders had 1st and goal at the 9. Then came the red zone struggles. Carr threw incomplete twice. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Carr hit Riddick for 8 yards. With 27 seconds left, everything came down to 4th and goal at the one. angio took a timeout on defense, which actually gave the Raiders more time to try different ideas. Out of the shotgun, the handoff went to Jacobs. He banged into the line, saw a brick wall, and rammed through it into the end zone. Yet Jon Gruden was not done. For the second year in a row on the road at Denver, he was going for the win rather than the tie. There would be no overtime. Last year Carr’s pass was broken up. This year Carr fired over the middle through a microscopic window and delivered a laser to Waller. The Raiders led by a point. 

Yet this Raiders team was the defense that could not hold a lead against Miami for 19 seconds. After a touchback, Lock hit Jeudy for 25 to midfield. Then the Raiders were called for  delay of game on defense to give the Broncos 5 more yards. With 2 seconds left, McManus came in for a 63 yard field goal try. He has the leg. The Raiders were about to go down in flames 3 straight weeks on the final play. Not this time. The kick was blocked. The Raiders won. They were 8-8 the hard way. Jacobs and Waller set franchise records on offense for the season. Despite 4 turnovers and 14 penalties, the Raiders won. Lock was 25 of 41 for 339 yards and 2 touchdowns with 0 interceptions. Carr was 24 of 38 for 371 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Most importantly, Carr got the final 2 point conversion and the win. The defense needs a lot of improvement, but the Raiders have improved under Jon Gruden from 4-12 to 7-9 to 8-8. The building blocks are there. A great defensive coordinator could finally get the Raiders to the next level in 2021. For now, this was an instant classic and a sweet win to end the season. Just win baby. 32-31 Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chargers were out of contention while the 14-1 Chiefs clinched home field throughout the playoffs and rested their starters. Chad Henne started in place of Patrick Mahomes, who worked on his clipboard-holding skills. The Chiefs began the game facing 3rd and 9 at their own 45. Henne went to Thompson for a 37 yard gain. After a defensive facemask penalty, Henne hit Byron Pringle for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. After a touchback Justin Herbert hit Austin Ekeler for 3 and 7, Parham for 7, Anderson for 17, Mike Williams for 11, and Parham for an 8 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive tied the game 7-7.  The Chiefs took over at their own 28. Henne hit Robinson for 11, Yelder and Robinson for 8 each, and Mecole Hardman for 18. On 3rd and 7 from the Chargers 13, Henne hit Pringle for 12. Henne got the last yard himself. The 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive made it 14-7 Chiefs early in the second quarter. After that the Chargers took over.

The turning point came when the Chiefs fumbled a punt and the Chargers took over at the Kansas City 17. Herbert hit Ekeler for 9 and again for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-14. The Chargers got it back at their own 22 and embarked on a 15 play, 77 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. On 2nd and goal at the 2, Herbert threw incomplete twice. Anthony Lynn went for it. On 4th and goal at the 2, Herbert initially was ruled getting a touchdown. On further review, Herbert was short and the Chiefs took over at their own one yard line. The defense had an inspired goal line stand and the offense wasted it by giving up a safety to make it 16-14 Chargers. The Chargers took the free kick at their own 41. Herbert hit Hill for 7, Williams for 6 and 12 and Ekeler for 4. A defensive penalty for lowering the head to initiate contact added 15 and defensive pass interference added 21 more down to the one. Kalen Ballage got in as the Chargers took a 24-14 lead to the locker rooms.

In the third quarter the Chiefs moved from their own 8 to a 4th and 1 at the Chicago 30. Andy Reid went for it and Thomson got stopped. Herbert hit Nabers for 5, Johnson for 8, and Williams for a 48 yard touchdown as 24 unanswered points made it 31-14 Chargers after three quarters. The Chiefs began the fourth quarter at their own 26. Henne hit Robinson for 8, Dieter for 10 and Thompson for 12. On 3rd and 8 from the Chargers 42, Henne hit Pringle for 31. On 3rd and 7 from the Chargers 8, Henne hit Thompson for the touchdown to get the Chiefs within 31-21 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Chargers took over at their own 23. Ballage ran for 9, 3 and 3. Herbert went to Johnson for 27. Jackson ran for 34 yards down to the one. Ballage got the last yard to lock up the win. The Chargers began 3-9, but 4 straight wins to close out the season was not enough to save Anthony Lynn. The Chargers fired him on Monday after 4 seasons. At 14-2 the Chiefs will have next week off to get everybody healthy, making Andy Reid a most happy walrus indeed. 38-21 Chargers 

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears — The 12-3 Packers clinched the NFC North and with a win would lock up home field throughout the playoffs. The 8-7 Bears were in the playoffs with a win but would need help to get in if they lost. The Packers kicked the opening kickoff out of bounds, and wasted a challenge on that play. On Bears faced 3rd and 1 from their own 49. Montgomery gained 3. On 3rd and 1 from the Packers 41, Montgomery gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Packers 30, a run lost a yard. Matt Nagy went for it on 4th and 3 and Mitchell Trubisky hit Anthony Miller for 7. Montgomery ran for 8 and then for a 2 yard touchdown to cap the 14 play, 60 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Bears. The Packers took over at their own 20. Aaron Rodgers hit Marques Valdes-Scantling for 15 and Devonta Adams for 9. Aaron Jones ran for 10. On 3rd and 8 from the Chicago 45, Rodgers hit Jones for 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 25, Jones gained 2. Matt Lafleur decided to go for it. On 4th and 3, Rodgers threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 16 yard gain. Rodgers hit Robert Tonyan for a 3 yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. The 12 play, 80 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive made it 7-7 as each team had the ball once in the first quarter and scored a touchdown.

The Packers fumbled a punt early in the second quarter and he Bears recovered at the Green Bay 20. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the 13, a run gained only one yard. Matt Nagy played it safe and Cairo Santos hit the 30 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Bears. After that reality set in. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 28. Rodgers connected with Valdes-Scantling for a 72 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Packers. The Bears quickly fumbled the ball and the Packers recovered at the Chicago 22. On 3rd and 4, Rodgers hit Adams for 9 and Dominique Daffney for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 21-10 Packers. The Bears mounted 2 very long drives but could not put the ball in the end zone With 11 seconds left in the half they had 1st and goal at the 9. Trubisky threw incomplete and left only 3 seconds. Santos hit from 27 to get the Bears within 21-13. In the third quarter the Bears moved from their own 11 to a 3rd and goal at the 7. Trubisky completed a pass for only 5 yards. On 4th and goal at the 2, Matt Nagy again decided not to go for the potential tie. Santos hit from 20 to get the Bears within 21-16. The Bears got it back and moved from their own 24 on a 15 play, 51 yard, 8 minute drive. They twice converted on 4th and 1. Yet a third 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 25 resulted in Trubisky throwing incomplete with 11 1/2 minutes remaining in regulation.

In the fourth quarter the Packers closed the door. From their own 24, Rodgers hit Adams for 6 and 7. On 3rd and 7 from their own 40, Rodgers hit Adams for 9 and Jones for 8. On 2nd and 6 from the Chicago 36, Rodgers hit Jones for 17 and Lazard for 14. Jones ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 28-16 Packers with 4 minutes left in regulation. Trubisky was then quickly intercepted at midfield by Amos, who returned it 24 yards to the Chicago 26. Williams ran for 6 and 14. Rodgers hit Adams for a 6 yard touchdown with 3 minutes left. The Bears showed who they are with 9 seconds left and 1st and goal at the 4. Trubisky threw a 3 yard pass and the clock ran out. Even a garbage touchdown was too much to ask. Despite the loss, the 8-8 Bears backed into the playoffs because Arizona also lost. The Packers are 13-3 for the second straight year, but last year they were the 2 seed and lost the NFC Title Game on the road. This year, the Packers are the top seed with home field throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. Rodgers finished the year with 48 touchdown passes and should be the NFL MVP. 35-16 Packers

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers — The Panthers are done for the year. The 11-4 Saints clinched the NFC South and had an outside shot at the top seed and home field throughout the playoffs. The Panthers punted on 4th and 22 from their own 13. A 39 yard punt with a 10 yard return set up the Saints at the Carolina 42. Sean Payton gambled on 4th and 1 from the Carolina 21. Taysom Hill gained 3. Pinball Wizard Drew Brees hit Jared Cook for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. The Panthers later on faced 3r and 3 from their own 43. Bridgewater threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 6 yard gain. Bridgewater went to Moore for 14 and Samuel for 25. Bridgewater ran for 7 down to the one. Rodney Smith got in for a 7-7 game after the first quarter. 

The Panthers began the second quarter at their own 46. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Saints 18, Bridgwater went to the end zone and was intercepted by Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins returned the interception 48 yards to the Saints 46. After that the Saints rolled. On 3rd and 3 from the Carolina 47, Montgomery ran for 36 and Brees hit Emmanuel Sanders for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Saints. The extra point was no good. After a touchback the Panthers had another long drive including a 4th and 1 conversion. Yet on 4th and 1 from the Saints 21, Matt Rhule went for it again and a run lost a  yard. The Saints moved from their own 22 to a 2nd and 1 at the Carolina 15 with 13 seconds left in the half. Brees threw incomplete twice. Wil Lutz hit the 33 yard field goal to make it 16-7 Saints at the half.

The second half was a formality. Lutz hit a 48 yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 19-7. Bridgwater was intercepted on 2 consecutive possessions, the second of which set up the Saints at the Carolina 24. Hill ran for 6. Montgomery ran for 15 and then for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 26-7 Saints. Brees threw an 11 yard touchdown pass to Austin Carr on the first play of the fourth quarter. Bridgewater threw two more interceptions. The 12-4 Saints did not get the top seed, but they will be a force to be reckoned with. Rumors are swirling that Brees will retire at the end of the season. He has a legitimate shot to go out on top. 33-7 Saints

Washington Non-Haskinses at Philadelphia Eagles was the regular season finale Sunday night game. The Eagles were done for the year but had the chance to play spoiler. The Washington Miscellaneouses were 6-9 but had the tie-breaker advantage in the NFC Least. Even with a losing record, Washington would win the division with a win. A loss, and they were out. This game featured quarterback controversies before the game even started. Ron Rivera cut Dwayne Haskins earlier in the week. After nearly 2 seasons, the 2019 top round draft pick was turning into a bust. The last straw was when he was caught in a strip club without a mask in violation of NFL COVID rules. The Eagles deactivated Carson Wentz before the game. Jalen Hurts was playing well, but this game would be talked about long after it was over for all the wrong reasons.

The No-Names took over at their own 9. On 3rd and 1 from their own 18, Pierre Barber gained 3. On 3rd and 8 from their own 23, Alex Smith hit McKissic for 10. Sims gained 18 and Smith hit Thomas for 18 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Philadelphia 25, Smith hit Sims for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Smith hit Terry McLaurin for a touchdown to make it 7-0 No-Names. Hurts was quickly intercepted to set up the Non-Redskins at the Philly 32.  On 3rd and 7, Smith hit McLaurin for only 5. Riverboat Ron Rivera decided not to gamble on 4th and 2. Dustin Hopkins hit a 42 yard field goal as the No-Names led 10-0 after the first quarter. 

The game changed in the second quarter. After a touchback and defensive holding, the Eagles faced 3rd and 10 at their own 30. Hurts threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 21. Doug Pederson called a trick play and Ward hit Fulgham for 15. Hurts ran for 9 and one and hit Boston Scott for 9. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 20, Hurts was sacked but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. O 3rd and 1 from the 6, Hurts ran it in to get the Eagles within 10-7. The Eagles got it back at their own 35. Hurts hit Zac Ertz for 7 and 4 and Reagor for 15. On 3rd and 7 from the Washington 36, Hurts went to Arcega-Whiteside for 30. Hurts ran for a 6 yard touchdown to put the Eagles up 14-10 with 4 minutes left in the half.

A 20 yard punt return had the No-Names taking over at their own 45 with 1:24 left in the half. On 3rd and 6 just shy of midfield, Smith hit Sims for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the Philly 30, the Eagles jumped into the neutral zone. Smith hit Sims and McKissic for 6 each. With 20 seconds left in the half, the Non-Redskins faced 2nd and 10 from the Philly 13. Smith went to Logan Thomas for the touchdown. The No-Names led 17-14 at halftime. The second half was all defense. The third quarter was scoreless. Then came a series of bizarre late decisions by Doug Pederson. 

An interception of Smith gave the Eagles gift field position at the Washington 15. On 2nd and goal from the 4, Hurts threw incomplete twice. With 2 minutes left in the third quarter, a 22 yard chip shot field goal would tie the game. Doug Pederson decided to go for it. Not from the one or even the two, but from the 4. He passed up an easy field goal. Hurts threw incomplete again and the Eagles still trailed. Then things got even crazier. The Eagles got it back at their own 11 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Yet Hurts was on the bench. Doug Pederson said before the game that Nate Sudfeld would get some playing time, but sitting Hurts down in a situation like this was insane. On 3rd and 5 from his own 16. Sudfeld began his quest to be the next Curtis Painter or Nathan Pederman. He was intercepted. Smith was intercepted as well, giving Sudfeld another chance. Sudfeld quickly fumbled and the No-Names took over at the Philly 25. Offensive holding killed the drive but Hopkins hit from 42 to put the No-Names up by 6. The entire Eagles season came down to 3rd and 10 from their own 26 with 6 seconds left. Forget the Hail Mary or the hook and laterals. Sudfeld completed a 6 yard pass. 

After the game, Doug Pederson was accused of tanking, the worst thing you could say about a guy in sports. The Eagles draft position moved up from 9 to 6 with the loss. Pederson vehemently denied the tanking charges. Hurts was stoic but his teammates were angry at his being removed. Wentz says his relationship with Pederson is broken beyond repair. As for Washington, at 7-9 they are tied for the worst division champion ever. However, the two previous division winners with losing records won their opening playoff game. This was a feel-good moment for Smith, who came back from a life-threatening injury. It was also a feel-good moment for Rivera, who coached his squad to a division title while battling cancer. This team may not have a name, but they have an identity, especially on defense. Rivera is building something. 20-14 Non-Redskins 

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NFL 2020 Week 16 Recap

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints was the Christmas Friday afternoon game. The Vikings were pretty much eliminated and the 10-4 Saints were seeking to break a 2 game losing streak. On the first play of the game after a touchback, Alvin Kamara ran for 11 yards. Emanuel Sanders got around the end for 12 more. Kamara ran for a 40 yard touchdown. The Saints quickly led 7-0. After a touchback, Kirk Cousins hit Adam Thielen for 16 and Justin Jefferson for 11. Dalvin Cook ran for 15. On 3rd and 8 from the Saints 31, Cousins hit Conklin for 9 and Thielen for 7. Cook ran for a 15 yard touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame.

The Saints struck quickly from their own 34. Kamara gained 11 and caught a pass from Drew Brees for 9. Brees  went to Jared Cook for 19 and Latavius Murray for 8. Defensive pass interference meant a 5 yard gain down to the one. Kamara got in for his second rushing touchdown to make it 14-7 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 4 yard line. Brees went to Taysom Hill for 19. Murray ran for 21. Brees hit Johnson for 19. Kamara ran for 9 and Murray gained 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 12, Brees threw incomplete. Wil Lutz hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Saints early in the second quarter. The Vikings on 2nd and 8 from their own 27 saw Cousins hit Thielen for 19 and Johnson for 13. Cook gained 8, one, and on 3rd and 1 from the Saints 32, 3 more. Cousins hit Jefferson for 25. Boone ran for the 4 yard touchdown to get the Vikings within 17-14. 

The Saints moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 6 at the Minnesota 20. Brees was intercepted to kill the drive, one of the few times all day the Saints were stopped. Yet the Vikings went 3 and out and a short 34 yard punt gave the Saints a short field at the Minnesota 46 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. Brees hit Murray for 7, Callaway for 11 and Cook for 19. With 38 seconds left in the half, Kamara rushed for his third touchdown of the day from 5 yards out as the Saints took a 24-14 lead to the locker rooms. In the third quarter Brees was intercepted again to set up the Vikings at the Saints 18. Cook gained 5 and 11 and Cousins hit Irv Smith for a 2 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Vikings were within 24-20.

The Saints soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 31. Brees hit Murray for 9 and Sanders for 26. On 3rd and 2 from the Minnesota 26, Sean Payton brought Taysom Hill in. Out of the shotgun, Hill only gained one. Payton went for it on 4th and 1, and Hill gained 2. Kamara did the rest, running for 17 and then the 6 yard touchdown. Kamara’s fourth touchdown of the game had the Saints up 31-20. The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Cousins hit Smith for just enough. Cook gained 7 and Cousins hit Thielen for 24. On 3rd and 9 from the Saints 33, Cousins threw incomplete. However, roughing the passer meant 15 yards. Then came defensive pass interference and a 17 yard gain down to the one. After a loss, Cousins hit Smith for a 4 yard touchdown. After three quarters, the Vikings were within 31-27. 

The game was a shootout, but in the fourth quarter the Saints turned the lights out. On 3rd and 6 from their own 37, Brees went to Cook for a 44 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 10, Murray gained 3. Kamra ran for the 7 yard touchdown as his fifth rushing touchdown of the day had the Saints up 38-27 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Saints held on defense and a 16 yard punt return had them at their own 42. Brees went to Sanders for 23, Kamara for 7 and Callaway for 6. On 3rd and 2 from the Minnesota 13, Brees hit Trautman for 4. On 3rd and goal at the one, Hill got in. The Saints led 45-27 with 4 minutes left. The 10 play, 58 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive was the only Saints touchdown drive not capped by Kamara.

The Viking moved from their own 25 to a 1st and goal at the one, but Cousins threw 3 straight incompletions as time whittled down. On 4th and goal at the one, Cousins hit Thielen for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed as the Vikings trailed 45-33 with 2:10 left. The onside kick failed and the Saints took over at the Minnesota 48. Brees hit Trautman for 41. Kamara ran for a 3 yard touchdown with 1:50 left to put the game away. Kamara tied an NFL record set by Ernie Nevers in 1929 with 6…yes, 6…rushing touchdowns. Nevers also kicked 4 extra points, so his 40 points in a game remains a record. Meanwhile, the Vikings were officially eliminated and the Saints at 11-4 clinched the NFC South. They still have an outside shot at home field throughout the playoffs, but they need to win next week and have Green Bay lose. Pinball Wizard Brees threw for 311 yards, but he has the most balanced offense he has ever directed. Just look at Kamara for the evidence. 52-33 Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions was the Saturday morning game. The Buccaneers came in knowing the NFC South crown was out of reach but a playoff berth was still within reach. The Lions had nothing to play for and they played like it. Lions coach Darrell Bevell missed the game due to COVID, so the Lions played without their coach. They played like it. The Buccaneers faced 3rd and 9 from their own 19 when Tom Brady was sacked. Yet the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 4, Brady hit Chris Godwin for 8, mike Evans for 33, and Rob Gronkowski for a 33 yard touchdown to quickly put the Buccaneers up 6-0. The extra point was doinked off the upright no good, but it wouldn’t matter on this day. The Lions soon faced 4th and 1 from just shy of midfield. They were going to go for it until a false start meant 4th and 6 and a punt. Making matters worse, Matthew Stafford was injured on their first series and would not return. The Buccaneers took over at their own 20 and made it look easy. Brady went to Godwin for 47 and Evans for a 27 yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Buccaneers.

In the second quarter the Buccaneers put the game away. From their own 49, Brady hit Godwin for 12 and Leonard Fournette for 12 and 13. Fournette ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 20-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 9 and 91 yards came easily. Brady hit Evans for 7, Hudson for 20 and Evans for 22. Vaughn ran for 14, 12 and 9. Brady hit Godwin for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 27-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back again and faced 3rd and 3 at their own 41. Brady hit Evans for 15. On 4th and 4 from the Detroit 38, Bruce Airans kept his foot on the gas and went for it. Brady hit Antonio Brown for 15, Cameron Brate for 16, and Brown for the 12 yard touchdown as the Buccaneer set a franchise record with a 34-0 halftime lead. Brady had 348 yards and 4 touchdowns, and that was only the first half. Brady took the second half off. The third quarter began with the Lions fumbling and Blaine Gabbert throwing a 25 yard touchdown pass to Gronk one play later to make it 40-0 Buccaneers. The Lions returned a punt for a touchdown to avoid the shutout while the Buccaneers added one more touchdown. The fourth quarter was scoreless as the Buccaneers got to 10-5 on the year. 47-7 Buccaneers 

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals was the Saturday afternoon game. The 49ers were out of it and the Cardinals were desperate to stay in it. The 49ers went with 3rd string quarterback CJ Beathard in place of injured backup Nick Mullens. The Cardinals from their own 17 moved to a 3rd and 8 from the San Francisco 9. Kyler Murray threw incomplete. Mike Nugent hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cardinals. The 49ers took over at their own 26 and Beathard hit Aiyuk for 15, George Kittle for 24, and Jeff Wilson for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 49ers. The defenses dug in and a field position game had the Cardinals at their own 41 with 3 minutes left in the half. On 4th and 3 from their own 48 at the 2 minute warning, Kliff Kingsbury went for it. Murray ran for 9. On 3rd and 3 from the Frisco 20 a false start was a killer. Then Murray threw incompletion. Nugent hit from 43 as the Cardinals trailed 7-6 at the half.

Robbie Gould missed a 41 yard field goal in the third quarter, but the 49ers got the ball back at their own 29. Wilson ran for 23 and Beathard hit Kittle for 27 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Arizona 19, Beathard hit McKinnon for just enough and Kyle Juszczyk for the 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-6 49ers. The Cardinals took over at their own 13 Murray hit Hopkins for 9 with 15 more tacked on for unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and 5 from their own 42, Murry threw incomplete. Kliff Kingsbury gambled again in his own territory and Murray ran for 11 yards. A sack of Murray had the Cardinals facing 2nd and 23 from their own 40. Murray went deep to Johnson for a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the San Francisco 8, Murray hit Hopkins for 5. On 3rd and goal at the one, Kenyan Drake got in. The 2 point conversion saw Murray throw incomplete. The 14 play, 87 yard, 7 minute drive had the Cardinals within 14-12 with 12 minutes left in regulation. 

With 9 minutes left in regulation Kingsbury gambled a third time in his own territory on 4th and 2 from his own 35. Murray threw incomplete. The 49ers quickly took advantage. Wilson ran for 34 yards down to the one. Beathard hit Juszczyk for the touchdown. Gould missed the extra point, so the 49ers only led by 8 with 8 1/2 minutes left. The Cardinals after a touchback moved 61 yards in 10 pays. On 4th and 1 from the Frisco 43, Murray gained 30 yards. Yet on 2nd and 11 from the San Francisco 14, Murray went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The 49ers moved in position for Gould to lock up the win with a 37 yard chip shot. Yet the normally reliable kicker who had already missed a field goal and an extra point also missed this kick. With 1:05 left, the Cardinals had life from their own 27. With 26 seconds left, the Cardinals faced 3rd and 6 from their own 44. Murray threw incomplete twice, and that was that. The Cardinals fell to 8-7 and will need a ton of help to make the playoffs. 20-12 49ers

Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders is the Saturday night game. The 9-5 Dolphins took on the 7-7 Raiders. Both teams were alive for the playoffs, but the Raiders barely so. Derek Carr injured his groin last week but was back in the saddle. Hunter Renfrow returned a punt 32 yards weaving through traffic to give the Raiders a short field at the Miami 43. Carr hit Nelson Agholor for 16 and Renfrow for 11. Josh Jacobs banged ahead for 13 and 3. From inside the one, Carr took the quarterback sneak over the top to make it 7-0 Raiders. 

The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 26. Tua Tagovailoa hit Grant for 13. Gaskin ran for 14 and 8. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 44, Tagovailoa hit Grant for only 5. Brian Flores went for it on 4th and 2 from the Raiders 39. Tagovailoa ran for 7 and defensive holding added 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 18 out of the shotgun, Ahmed got the carry and lost a yard. This time Brian Flores played it safe. Jason Sanders hit the 37 yard field goal to get the Dolphins within 7-3. The Raiders moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 8 at the Miami 33 early in the second quarter. In field goal range, Carr took a killer sack to end the drive. 

The Raiders got it back at their own 38. Jacobs barreled ahead for 15. Carr went to Agholor for 19. Jacobs ran for 10. A sack of Carr had the Raiders facing 3rd and 19 at the Miami 27. Out of the shotgun, Jalen Richard gained 18. Jon Gruden went for it on 4th and 1 from the Miami 9. Davante Booker appeared stopped but on a second effort lunged past the marker. Yet on 2nd and goal from the 5, Carr threw incomplete twice. The 12 play, 57 yard drive had the Raiders settling for a 23 yard Daniel Carlson field goal and a 10-3 lead midway through the second quarter. 

After a touchback the Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 46. Tagovailoa hit Gaskin for only 4. On 4th and 1 from midfield, Brian Flores decided to punt. Yet it was a fake punt. Fejedelem took the direct snap and appeared stopped but spun away from tacklers for a 22 yard gain. On 2nd and 1 from the Raiders 19, Gaskin got stopped for a one yard loss as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 2, Ahmed went up the middle and lost another yard. Sanders hit the 39 yard field goal as the Dolphins trailed 10-6. The Raiders took a timeout on defense as they had 1:42 to work with. 

In past games this has backfired against the Raiders. After a touchback, Carr hit Renfrow for 12. Defensive holding added 5. Carr hit Waller for 19 and Renfrow and Waller for a pair of 9 yard gains. After spiking the ball to stop the clock, a draw play gained only one yard and forced the Raiders to use their last timeout. On 3rd and 9 from the Miami 20 with 16 seconds left, Carr threw incomplete. Carlson hit the 38 yard field goal as the Raiders took a 13-6 lead to the locker rooms. 

The Dolphins began the third quarter facing 2nd and 5 from their own 30. Gaskin ran for a 24 yard gain. Tagovailoa hit Grant for gains of 6 and 14. On 2nd and 9 from the Raiders 25, a short pass gained 4 yards and was fumbled, but the Dolphins fell on it. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 20, Tagovailoa hit Ford for 8 as an offensive facemask was missed. Tagovailoa hit Gaskin, who shook off two awful attempts at tackling, for a 10 yard touchdown and a 13-13 game. After a touchback, Carr hit Agholor for 13 and Jacobs gained 8. Yet on 2nd and 2 from their own 46, Jacobs got stopped On 3rd and 2, Carr rolled out and threw incomplete. jon Gruden gambled on 4th and 2. Jacobs ran into the teeth of the Miami defense and got stopped cold to give the Dolphins a short field. Yet on 3rd and 9 from the Raiders 45, Tagovailoa was sacked. 

The Raiders got it back at their own 18. Carr went to Agholor for 22, to Edwards for 11, deep to Darren Waller for 33 and to Jason Witten for 10. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 5, Carr under pressure had to check down and hit Renfrow for only 3 yards. On 4th and goal at the 2, this time Jon Gruden was taking no chances. Carlson hit the 20 yarder as the Raiders led 16-13 late in the third quarter.  The Raiders got another sack of Tagiovailo to force a 3 and out. The Raiders faced 2nd and 7 from their own 23. Carr went deep to Waller for 22 yards as the third quarter ended. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Miami 48, Carr’s pass over the middle was batted high in the air. The Raiders were lucky to escape with an incompletion. Yet the Silver and Black were finally plying inspired defense, as a third sack of Tagovailoa ended another Miami drive. 

A 19 yard punt return by Renfrow gave the Raiders a short field at the Miami 45. On 2nd and 8 Carr went for the home run ball, but it was broken up at the last minute. On 3rd and 8 Carr threw incomplete. The Dolphins took over at their own 12 with 10 minutes left in regulation. Tagovailoa was benched and Ryan Fitzpatrick and his magic beard came in. On 3rd and 4 from their own 18, Fitzpatrick went to Ford for 13 and Hollins for 8. On 3rd and 5 from their own 48, Fitzpatrick fired over the middle to Gesicki for 17 and again for 31 down to the 4 yard line as the Dolphins took their first timeout. This was a typical Raiders game. The defense finally played well enough so the offense malfunctioned, allowing for the exhausted defense to break down as it always does. A run went nowhere. Then on 2nd and goal at the 4, a perfect pass into the receiver’s bread basket was dropped. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Fitzpatrick threw high and incomplete. The Dolphins moved 84 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes, but settled for a 22 yard Sanders field goal. The game was tied 16-16 with 4 minutes left. The defense bent but did not break. 

It was up to the offense to deliver rather than give the Dolphins the ball right back and lose the game. After 56 minutes, the Raiders were surviving a slugfest. At no time did they trail. Now it was time to see if they had heart when it mattered. The entire season was on the line. The Raiders after a touchback were immediately called for offense holding. On 1st and 20 from their own 15, Carr went for it all and found Agholor, who juked a couple defenders for an 85 yard touchdown bomb. Al Davis was smiling somewhere in heaven as the Raiders led 22-16 with 3 1/2 minutes to play. Yet in typical Raiders fashion, Carlson missed the extra point. 

After a touchback, Fitzpatrick hit Ford for 7 and the Raiders secondary saw Joyner go down in pain. Fitzpatrick hit Ford again for 9. Fitzpatrick then threw a short pass to Gesicki, who shook off a horrendous attempt at tackling, got to the sideline, and outraced everyone for a 59 yard touchdown. Typical Raiders game. The Dolphins had their first lead all game up 23-22, but there was still 2:55 to play.   

On 2nd and 6 from their own 29, Carr went bombs away again and drew a 49 yard defensive pass interference penalty. Jacobs ran for 7 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Jacobs gained 2 as the Dolphins took their 2nd timeout with 1:55 left. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 13, the Dolphins jumped offside to set up 1st and goal a the 8. Jacobs gained 2 as the Dolphins took their final timeout. Jacobs raced up the middle and slid down at the one, purposely refusing to score so the clock would wind down. It was totally unselfish and smart, and if the Raiders lost it would not be his fault. On 3rd and goal from the one, Carr took a knee as the clock ticked down to 22 seconds. Carlson had a chance to redeem himself from 23 yards out. The season was on the line. The snap was not good. The hold was good enough. Carlson snuck it inside the right upright. The Raiders had the 2 point lead with 19 seconds left. 

After a touchback, all the Raiders had to do on defense was hold on for 19 seconds. Fitzpatrick went deep to a wide open receiver. There was nobody within a mile of Hollins. He caught the ball at the sideline for a 34 yard gain. Making matters worse, a defensive facemask added 15 more yards. The Dolphins were already in field goal range. Sanders came in for a 44 yarder to win it. Naturally, the kick was good. The Dolphins at 10-5 are in the playoffs. The Raiders at 7-8 are out after losing 5 of their last 6, the last 2 in gut-wrenching fashion. The Raiders have one more game and 7 months to stew over how badly they screwed up this season. 19 seconds. They could not hold on for 19 seconds. For the 17th time in the lsat 18 years, the Raiders will not have a trip to the playoffs or a winning season. The problem is the same. The Raiders desperately need a defensive coordinator. 26-25 Dolphins

Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers — The 10-4 Colts took on a Steelers team that started 11-0 but has since lost 3 straight. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 32. Philip rivers hit Pittman for 26. Jonathan Taylor ran for 11. Rivers hit Zach Pascal for 16. Nyheim Hines ran for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 6 with the Steelers expecting a pass, Taylor ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The second quarter began with the Colts facing 1st and 10 at their own 32. Rivers was sacked and fumbled, and Hilton picked it up and ran for 14 yards to give the Steelers 1st and goal at the 4. On 3rd and goal from the one, James Conner got in for a 7-7 game.

The Colts took over at their own 15 Rivers hit Jacob Doyle for 17 and TY Hilton for 25 and 14. Taylor gained 4, 3, and on 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 21, 5. Taylor ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Colts. The Colts got it back with a 22 yard punt return with 10 more tacked on for a rare illegal block call on the kicking team rather than the receiving team. The Colts took over at the Pittsburgh 43 and struck quickly. Rivers went to Pascal for a 42 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Colts. The Colts began the third quarter at their own 25. Rivers hit Mo Alie-Cox for 20. Rivers hit Pittman for 8 and Taylor ran for 18. On 3rd and 3 from the Pittsburgh 7, Rivers was sacked. Rodrigo Blankenship hit a 28 yard field goal as the Colt led 24-7. The Steelers were on their way to a fourth straight loss. The Steelers moved from their own 20 to a 1st and goal at the one. A run lost a yard and Ben Roethlisberger threw incomplete twice. Needing 3 scores, Mike Tomlin gambled on 4th and goal at the 2 rather than kick a field goal. Big Ben threw incomplete. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the Steelers appeared dead.

Yet the Colts could not move the ball and a short punt had the Steelers getting the ball back with a short field at the Indy 39. One play and 7 seconds later Roethlisbger hit Diontae Johnson for the touchdown get the Steelers within 24-14. The Steelers got it back at their own 26. Defensive pass interference added 24 yards to midfield. Roethlisberger hit Washington for 13 Conner and Conner for 10. On the first play of the fourth quarter, defensive pass interference added 21 yards down to the 5. On the next play Roethlisberger hit Eric Ebron for the touchdown to get the Steelers within 24-21. The Steelers got it back at their own 16. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for 8, Ebron for 10 and Washington for 7. Conner ran for 12. On 2nd and 15 just pst midfield, Big Ben hit Conner for 10 and on 3rd and 5 hit Conner for 9 more. Roethlisberger then went to Juju Smith-Schuster for a 25 yard touchdown. Midway through the fourth quarter, 21 unanswered points had the Steelers up by 4.

The Colts took over at their own 30. From their own 47, Rivers went for it all and was intercepted. The Steelers took over at their own 9 with 6 minutes left. The Steelers ground down the clock. With 2 1/2 minutes left on 3rd and 2 from their own 43, a completion gained only one yard as the Colts took their final timeout with 2 1/2 minutes left. On 4th and 1 from their own 44, a first down would end it. Mike Tomlin decided not to gamble. The Colts took over at their own 15 with 2:18 left and 0 timeouts. At the 2 minute warning, the Colts faced 4th and 5 from their own 31. Rivers was intercepted, but defensive pass interference meant 9 yards. On 3rd and 6 from their own 44, Rivers hit Hilton for 21. With 90 seconds left, on 2nd and 8 from the Pittsburgh 33, Rivers threw 3 straight incompletions. The Colts fell to 10-5 and still have not clinched a playoff spot. If they win next week, they are in. If they lose, they can still get in but would need help. The 12-3 Steelers finally locked up the AFC North. The top seed in the AFC is out of reach. 28-24 Steelers  

Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs had all but locked up the top seed in the AFC. A win over lowly Atlanta would cement this. Cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman: “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” After a scoreless first quarter, the Chiefs in the second quarter moved from their own 45 to a 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 26. Andy Reid went for it and went to the bag of tricks. Rather than run the ball or have Patrick Mahomes throw it, Darrell williams took the direct snap, pitched it to Sammy Watkins, and had Watkins try to throw it to Mahomes, who went out as a receiver. The ball was intercepted at the Atlanta 2 yard line. 

Matt Ryan hit Smith for 7 and 5 and on 3rd and 2 from his own 23, hit Todd Gurley for 8. On 2nd and 6 from his own 35, Ryan connected with Calvin Ridley for a 54 yard gain. Ryan went to Hayden Hurst for a 5 yard touchdown. The 98 yard, 5 minute drive had the Falcons up 7-0 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Chiefs took over at their own 22. Mahomes hit Leveon Bell for 9, Watkins for 9 and 5, and Travis Kelce for 11. Mahomes ran for 13 and 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 22, Mahomes hit Kelce for 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 11, Williams gained 7 as the Chiefs took a timeout with 35 seconds left. Mahomes went to Kelce for the touchdown as the game was deadlocked 7-7 at the half. The Chiefs after a touchback to star the third quarter moved 68 yards in 10 plays. On 3rd and goal from the 7, Mahomes was intercepted at the one yard line by Oluokon, who returned it 51 yards to the Chiefs 48. The Falcons did not capitalize.

Late in the third quarter, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 11 from their own 36. Mahomes hit Kelce for 26. On 3rd and 7 from the Atlanta 35 to start the fourth quarter, a completion gained nothing. Andy Reid brought in Harrison Butker for a 53 yard field goal try. Butker was good and the Chiefs led 10-7. The Falcons moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 4 at the Chiefs 20. Ryan hit Powell for 2 yards, but Powell fumbled and the Chiefs recovered. The Falcons got it back and after an offensive holding penalty faced 1st and 20 from their own 15. Ryan went deep to Ridley for 31. Hill gained 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Chiefs 31, Ryan hit Gage for 9, Hill for 17 and Laquon Treadwell for a 5 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Falcons were winning a shocker up 14-10. 

On 3rd and 10 from their own 25, Mahomes went to Kelce for a big gain. An illegal block against the Chiefs wiped out nearly half of the 36 yard gain, but it was still good for 19 yards and a first down. Mahomes went to Kelce for 16 and Mecole Hardman for 9. With 1:55 left, Mahomes threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson. After a touchback and defensive holding, Ryan hit Gage for 12 and Ridley for 21 and 9. With 54 seconds left on 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 28, Gurley gained 2. With 27 seconds to play, the Falcons had 1st and 5 at the Chiefs 21 with a real shot at the upset of the year. Matty Ice went ice cold with 3 straight incompletions. Yet Younghoe Koo only needed a 39 yard field goal to send the game to overtime. In a season gone wrong for the Falcons, Koo was no good. It was ugly, but the Chiefs at 14-1 locked up home field throughout the AFC playoffs. They can rest their starters in Week 17 if they choose, making Andy Reid a most happy and relieved walrus indeed. 17-14 Chiefs

Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jaguars won their opener and then lost 13 straight to give them the inside track at the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Bears began 5-1, lost 6 straight, and then won 2 in a row to get to 7-7 and actually have a shot at the playoffs. The Jaguars began at their own 21 and moved 71 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 8, Mike Glennon threw incomplete. Aldrick Rosas hit the 26 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jaguars. 

The Bears soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32. Mitchell Trubisky went to Allen Robinson for just enough. Trubisky went back to Robinson for 21. Montgomery ran for 26. Trubisky went to Jimmy Graham for 12 and again for the 5 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive made it 7-3 Bears. The Bears got it back at their own 35. Trubisky went to Graham for 30. On 3rd and 9 from the Jags 34, Trubisky went to Mooney for 12. Defensive pass interference meant 21 more yards and 1st and goal at the one to start the second quarter. A run lost 3 yards and on 3rd and goal at the 2, Tribusly threw incomplete. Cairo Santos hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Bears.

The Jaguars got it back at their own 30. Ogunbowale had gains of 8 and 2. Glennon hit Kenneth Cole for 14, Conley for 10, Cole for 7, and DJ Chark for a 20 yard touchdown. Midway through the second quarter, the game was tied 10-10. The Bears took over at their own 19 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. They moved 68 yards in 11 plays. With 35 seconds left in the half, on 1st and 10 from the Jags 13, Trubisky went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. Had Doug Marrone just gone to the locker room, his Jaguars would have been fired up and smelling upset. Yet in a season gone wrong, the Jaguars unraveled. 

On 2nd and 4 from their own 26, Glennon was intercepted by Smith, setting up the Bears at the Jacksonville 32 with 17 seconds left. Santos hit from 40 to put the Bears up 13-10 at the break. The Bears began the third quarter at their own 23. Trubisky hit Robinson for 12 and Montgomery for 24. On 3rd and 5 from the Jacksonville 36, Trubisky threw incomplete. Matt Nagy went for it on 4th and 5 rather than try a 54 yard field goal. Trubisky hit  Robinson for 8 and Miller for 8 more. On 3rd and 3 from the Jacksonville 21, Trubisky hit Robinson for 7. Trubisky ran for a 6 yard touchdown. The 11 play, 77 yard, 6 minute drive put the Bears up 20-10. The Jaguars committed unnecessary roughness on a punt to set the Bears up at their own 46. Montgomery ran for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Jags 34, Trubisky hit Robinson for 13. Montgomery did the rest, running for 13, 3, 12, and the 6 yard touchdown to make it 27-10 Bears. 

Two plays after a touchback, Glennon was intercepted as the Bears took over at the Jags 25. Two plays later Trubisky hit Graham for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 34-10 Bears. Another unnecessary roughness penalty against the Jaguars on a punt gave the Bears another short field at the Jags 48. On 4th and 1 from the Jags 29, Matt Nagy wanted the exclamation point. Montgomery gained 3 and then 23. Artavis Pierce ran for the 3 yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter as 31 unanswered points broke open a tie game and made it 41-10 Bears. The Jaguars got a garbage touchdown to complete the scoring. The 1-14 Jaguars secured the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 8-7 Bears control their own destiny. If they win next week, they are in the playoffs. It will be a tough one. They will be playing Green Bay, who will not be resting their starters because they need a win to lock up home field throughout. 41-17 Bears

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans — Sometimes a pair of really bad teams can come together and play a great game. This actually was that game. Bengals third string quarterback Ryan Finley was back on the bench as backup Brandon Allen returned from injury. The Bengals took over at their own 29. Allen hit Giovanni Bernard for 28 and Erickson for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 34, Perine gained 3 and caught a pass from Allen for 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 8, Allen hit Drew Sample for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. The Bengals got it back and moved from their 17 to a 4th and 2 at the Houston 43. Zac Taylor went for it and Allen threw incomplete. Deshaun Watson went to Brandon Cooks for a 50 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 3, Watson threw incomplete. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 21 yard field goal to get the Texans within 7-3. 

The Bengals after a touchback moved 44 yards in 12 plays and over 6 minutes. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the Houston 31, Allen threw incomplete twice. Austin Seibert had a 49 yard field goal try to extend the lead, but the kick was no good. The Bengals got it back at their own 9 and moved 74 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Houston 17, Allen threw incomplete. This time from 35 yards out, Seibert was good to make it 10-3 Bengals. After a touchback, Watson hit Keke Coutee for 17 and Cooks for 7. On 3rd and 3 just shy of midfield, Watson went to Cooks for 26 and again for the 25 yard touchdown just past the 2 minute warning. The game was deadlocked 10-10 at the half, but a defensive first half gave away to a shootout in the second half.

After a touchback to start the third quarter, Bernard caught a pass from Allen for 6 and ran for 11. Allen hit AJ Green for 12. Perine then raced for a 46 yard touchdown to make it 17-10 Bengals. The Texans faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Watson gained 5. Johnson gained 5 and then ran for a 38 yard gain. Watson hit Akins for 14. Johnson ran for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 17-17. The Bengals soon faced 3rd and 11 from their own 24. Allen went to AJ Green for 14, deep to Erickson for 42, and to Tee Higgins for a 20 yard touchdown and a 24-17 Bengals lead. After a touchback Watson hit Coutee for 13. Johnson broke free for a 48 yard gain. On 3rd and 13 from the Cincy 17, Watson ran and got enough. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Watson hit Johnson for the touchdown. Each team had two 75 yard touchdown drives in the third quarter as a 10-10 game became a 24-24 game after three quarters.

The Bengals took over at their own 10. Allen hit Perine for 14 and Perine ran for 7 more. Allen went to Higgins for 22 to start the fourth quarter. On 4th and 5 from the Houston 42, Zac Taylor went for it. The Texans jumped offside, but it was still 4th and 1. Taylor went for it again and Allen hit Erickson for 4. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 26, Perine only gained one. Zac Taylor gambled on 4th and 1 from the 25 and Allen got the yard, but an illegal formation nullified the play. Seibert hit a 48 yard field goal as the Bengals led 27-24 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Texans took over at their own 22. After a defensive holding penalty, Johnson gained 10. Watson went to Brown for 29. Unnecessary roughness on the offense reduced it to a 14 yard gain, but still enough for a first down. Watson then ran for 14 and hit Coutee for 13. Watson hit Darren Fells for a 22 yard touchdown as the Texans reclaimed the lead 31-27 with 6:15 to play. The Texans had 2nd and 8 from their own 27. Allen hit Higgins for 11. Bernard gained 9, 3 and 11. Allen hit Erickson for 20. Perine ran for 7, caught a pass for 4, and ran for the 5 yard touchdown. At the 2 minute warning, the Bengals had the 34-31 lead. 

After a touchback, Watson hit Akins for 15. Yet Watson was then sacked and fumbled. The Bengals recovered at the Houston 38 with 1:35 to play and a chance to close out the game. The Texans had all 3 timeouts and took them on defense. With 1:09 left and the Texans out of timeouts, The Bengals faced 3rd and 6 at the Houston 22. A first down would ice it. Zac Taylor played it safe and Allen ran for 4. The Bengals rook the clock down. Seibert hit a 36 yard field goal. Only 18 seconds remained and the Bengals were up by 6. The Texans took over at their own 18 with 14 seconds left. Watson hit Cooks for 12, leaving 9 seconds. Yet 70 yards was too far away for a Hail Mary. The Hook and laterals actually gained 30 yards to the Cincy 40, but nothing more. Both teams have lost 10 games, but they put on an exciting battle on this Sunday. The Bengals have won 2 straight, giving them something to build on. 37-31 Bengals. 

New York Giants at Baltimore Ravens — The Giants were 5-9 and the Ravens 9-5, but both teams were in the playoff race while not having clinched anything. The Ravens dominated from the start, taking over at their own 18. Lamar Jackson went to Willie Snead for 13, Boykin for 13 and Marquise Brown for 9. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 27, Duvernay gained 7. Jackson gained 8 and threw a 6 yard touchdown to Brown. The 13 play, 82 yard drive took more than 8 minutes off the clock and made it 7-0 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 35 and Jackson ran for gains of 18 and 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 38, Edwards gained 2. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 30, Jackson hit Snead for 11. JK Dobbins ran for 17. and then the 2 yard touchdown. The Ravens led 14-0 after the first quarter. There were still three quarters left, but this game was basically over. In the second quarter the Ravens had another 13 play, 60 yard drive that again took over 8 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Jackson threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit from 20 to make it 17-0 Ravens with 5 minutes left in the half. The rest of the game was pointless.

Graham Gano managed a 31 yard field goal with one minute left in the half to get the Giants on the board, but that was enough time for the Ravens to move 65 yards in 10 plays. On 2nd and goal from the 10 with 7 seconds left, Jackson threw incomplete. Tucker hit from 28 as the Ravens led 20-3 at the intermission. The Giants in the third quarter from their own 10 moved 66 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Baltimore 19, a short pass lost 5 yards. Then Daniel Jones was sacked. Gano hit another field goal from 42 to get the Giants within 20-6 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. A 23 yard kickoff return had the Ravens at their own 41. Jackson went to Edwards for 10. Dobbins ran for 25. On 3rd and 1 from the Giants 14, Edwards ran for 6. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Jackson hit Dez Bryant for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 27-6 Ravens. The Giants managed a 15 play, 76 yard, 6 minute drive for a touchdown, but ball control is not good when down by 21 points. The Giants got it back twice more and both times turned it over on downs. The 10-5 Ravens cannot win their division but are in the playoffs with a win next week. If they lose, they will need help to get in. The 5-10 Giants can actually win the NFC Least if they win next week and Washington loses. They would be the worst division winner in NFL history, but they would still host a playoff game. 27-13 Ravens

Cleveland Browns at New York Jets — The Jets finally got a win last week after 13 losses. The 10-4 Browns still had an outside shot at the AFC North but were not in the playoffs yet. The Brows were missing their wide receivers due to COVID. Yet surely they could run over the Jets. Again, cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman: “THAT’s why they PLAY the  GAMES!” A short 38 yard punt and a 10 yard return had the Browns taking over at their own 40. Baker Mayfield went deep to Austin Hooper for a 28 yard gain. Yet at the Jets 21, the drive died. Cody Parkey hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. 

Late in the first quarter the Jets took over at their own 34. Sam Darnold hit Jermaine Crowder for a pair of 9 yard gains. Adam Gase then went to the bag of tricks. Rather than Mayfield, it was Crowder throwing the halfback option pass to Braxton Berrios for a 43 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Jets. After a touchback, Mayfield hit Bryant for 13 as the Browns began the second quarter at their own 38. Mayfield was then sacked and fumbled. The Jets recovered at the Cleveland 30. Crowder gained 14 and Darnold hit Chris Herndon for an 11 yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Jets led 13-3. After a touchback to s tart the third quarter, the Jets soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 41. Darnold hit Crowder for 25. On 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 30, Darnold went to Crowder for the touchdown. For the second straight week, the Jets led 20-3 in the third quarter. For the second straight week, the finish would be a close one. 

The Jets moved from their own 37 to a 4th and 7 at the Cleveland 32. Ficken came in for a 50 yard field goal try to extend the lead. The kick was blocked and the Browns took over at their own 40. Mayfield went to Bradley for 7, Nick Chubb for 15, Bradley for 22 and Karim Hunt for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 7, Mayfield gained 4. On 2nd and goal from the 3, Mayfield threw incomplete but the defense had too many men on the field. Chubb ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Browns within 20-10. The Browns got it back at their own 17. Mayfield hit Njoku for 11 and Bradley for 8 and 17. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Chubb ran for 16. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 26, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 11 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 6, Mayfield gained 2. Hunt ran for the 4 yard touchdown. Then came the King of doinks as Parkey doinked yet another kick off the upright no good. Someone needs to check who holds the doink record, because Parkey has potential. Meanwhile, the Browns were within 20-16 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Jets stiffened after that. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Browns faced 3rd and 6 from their own 15. Mayfield was sacked and fumbled. The Jets took over at the Cleveland 17 with a chance to put the game away. Yet on 3rd and 4, Darnold threw incomplete. Ficken hit the 34 yard field goal to put the Jets up by 7 with 3 minutes left. Yet Ficken hit the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to set up the Browns at their own 40. Mayfield hit Hunt for 24 and Hooper for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 28, Hunt gained 3. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 25, Mayfield hit Hooper for 9 with 90 seconds to play. It came down to 4th and 1 from the Jets 16. Mayfield took the sneak, fumbled the ball for the third time, and saw hit teammate recover short of the sticks. Darnold took 3 knees as the Jets won 2 straight over winning teams. The Jets cannot win the top pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Browns lost out on the AFC North. With a win next week, the 10-5 Browns are in the playoffs. If they lose, they would need help to make it in. 23-16 Jets 

Carolina Panthers at Washington Lumps of Coal — The Panthers are done while the Washington Lumps of Coal at 6-8 were actually one game up in the NFC Least. Riverboat Ron Rivera was hoping for a win against his former team. Rivera stripped Dwayne Haskins of his captaincy due to his being caught in a strip club in violation of COVID rules. With Alex Smith injured, Rivera let Haskins start. Late in the first quarter the Panthers punted and the Washington return man got blasted in a perfectly timed hit that caused a fumble. Brandon Zylstra fell on it in the end zone for a touchdown and a 6-0 Panthers lead. The extra point was no good. The Panthers got it back and moved 80 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. Curtis Samuel ran for a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Mike Davis got stopped. Matt Rhule went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Davis got in to make it 13-0 Panthers. After a touchback, the No-Names faced 1st and 10 at their own 44. Haskins was intercepted and the Panthers took over at their own 45. On 3rd and 16 from their own 39, Teddy Bridgewater went to Samuel for 44. On 3rd and 7 from the Washington 14, Bridgewater went to Robby Anderson for the touchdown to make it 20-0 Panthers with 3 minutes left in the half.

After a touchback, the Non-Redskins moved to a 1st and 10 at the Carolina 29 at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 11, Haskins threw incomplete. Dustin Hopkins hit a 48 yard field goal to get the No-Names on the board. The Panthers began the third quarter at their own 29 and moved 45 yards in 13 plays, taking 8 minutes off the clock. Yet on 2nd and 12 from the Washington 19, Bridgwater was sacked and fumbled. The No-Names recovered and faced 3rd and 2 from their own 34. Haskins hit Sims for a 50 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Carolina 8, Haskins threw incomplete. Needing 3 scores, Ron Rivers was not in a Riverboat gambler mood. Hopkins hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Non-Redskins within 20-6 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. 

In the fourth quarter the No-Names moved from their own 13 to a 4th and 2 at the Carolina 36 with 10 1/2 minutes left. Haskins was sacked. The No-Names got it back at their own 8. Haskins was benched and Heinecke came in. Heinecke led a staggering 16 play, 70 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. On 4th and 8 from the Carolina 12, Heinecke hit Logan Thomas for the touchdown. Yet offensive holding nullified the score. On 4th and 18 with 3 1/2 minutes left, Heinecke threw incomplete. Washington got it back again at their own 9 with 3 minutes left. Heinecke quickly moved them 91 yards and hit JD McKissic for a 29 yard touchdown to get the No-Names within 7 with 1:50 left. The onside kick failed and Bridgewater took 3 knees. Despite being 6-9, Washington still leads the NFC Least by one game. If they win next week against Philadelphia, they win the division with a losing record and would host a playoff game. If they lose, they are almost certainly out. They would still get in if the Giants game against Dallas ends in a tie. Barring that, a Washington loss means whoever wins the Dallas game against the Giants wins the division and Washington is out. That would truly give them Lumps of Coal. 20-13 Panthers

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers — Both teams are eliminated from the playoffs. The Chargers almost always play close games, including this one. Adderly returned the opening kickoff 53 yards to set up the Chargers at the Denver 39. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the Denver 19, Justin Herbert threw incomplete. Mike Badgley hit the 37 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chargers. The Broncos took over at their own 13 and move 71 yards in 14 plays and nearly 8 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the Chargers 16, Drew Lock went to the end zone and was intercepted in the end zone. A 15 yard punt return gave the Broncos the ball back at their own 45. Yet Brandon McManus missed a 37 yard field goal early in the second quarter. 

The Chargers faced 3rd and 2 from their own 35. Herbert went to Williams for 25 and 10 and to Johnson for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Denver 9, Herbert went to Austin Ekeler for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Chargers. The Chargers got it back at their own 35. On 3rd and 8 from their own 47, Herbert hit Guyton for 29. An illegal use of hands call on the offense on the next play meant 1st and 25 and killed the drive. Badgley hit a 43 yard field goal as the Chargers took a 13-0 lead to the locker rooms.

A 21 yard punt return in the third quarter had the Broncos taking over at their own 47. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the Chargers 12, Lock was tackled for no gain and then threw incomplete. McManus hit from 30 as the Broncos were on the board with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. After a touchback, the Chargers moved 68 yards in 11 plays and nearly 5 1/2 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 2 to start the fourth quarter, Herbert threw incomplete. Anthony Lynn played it safe with the lead. Badgley hit the 25 yard field goal to put the Chargers up 16-3. 

The Broncos moved from their own 21 to a 2nd and 7 at the Chargers 31. Lock threw incomplete twice. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Vic Fangio opted for the field goal. McManus hit from 50 to get the Broncos within 16-6. The Denver defense held on 3rd and 1 and the Broncos got it back and soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 33. Lock hit Jerry Jeudy for 10. On 4th and 7 from their own 46 and down to their last gasp, Lock hit Patrick for 27 and Hamilton for 15 down to the one. Lock got in to get the Broncos within 16-13 with 6 1/2 minutes left. The Broncos got it back in excellent field position at their own 42. Lock went to Fant for 19. Yet on 3rd and 10 from the Chargers 37, a short completion gained only 4 yards. McManus came in for a 52 yard field goal try to tie the game. It was good and another Chargers meltdown meant a 16-16 game.

Yet after a touchback, the Chargers still had 2:42 to play and all 3 timeouts. Ekeler gained 11. Herbert went to Guyton for 23. Ekeler ran for 23 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Denver 13, Herbert was sacked. With 45 seconds left, Badgley came in for a 37 yard field goal try to give the Chargers the lead. For the 4th time on the day, Badgley was good. After a touchback and 3 incompletions, it came down to 4th and 10 for the Broncos. Lock hit Hamilton for 25 to midfield and spiked the ball to stop the clock with one second left. Lock threw the Hail Mary, and it was intercepted at the one yard line. 19-16 Chargers 

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys — Both teams came in with 9 losses but were still alive for the division crown in the horrendous NFC Least. The loser of this game would be out. Early on it was all Eagles. After a touchback and defensive holding, Miles Sanders ran for 7, 5 and 3, with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15. Jalen Hurts ran for 11, 12 and 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 10, Sanders gained 6. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Sanders ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Philadelphia 8. Yet a sack of Red Rifle Andy Dalton killed the drive. Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein hit the 35 yard field goal to get the Cowboys on the board. Yet 20 seconds later the Eagles were on the board again. Hurts went bombs away to DeSean Jackson, who out jumped the defender and outraced everyone for an 81 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Eagles. After the first quarter, the game drastically changed.

The Cowboys late in the first quarter faced 3rd and 9 from their own 38. Dalton went to Michael Gallup for 14. On 3rd and 4 from the Philly 42, Tony Pollard got just enough as the first quarter ended. Dalton began the second quarter by hitting Ezekiel Elliott for 9 and 7 and Gallup for a 21 yard touchdown to get the Cowboys within 14-10. The Cowboys got it back at their own 23. From their 36, Dalton connected with Gallup for a 55 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, Dalton lost a yard. Mike McCarthy took no chances. Zuerlein hit the 20 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 14-13. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Hurts went to Ward for 17 and ran for 8 himself. Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 23. On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 20, Hurts threw incomplete. Jake Elliott hit the 38 yard field goal just before the 2 minute warning. The Eagles led 17-13, but then came the avalanche.

On 3rd and 4 from their own 31, Dalton hit Gallup for 5 and Pollard for 8. On 3rd and 2 from their own 44, Dalton hit Schultz for 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Philly 33, Dalton hit Lamb for 7, Gallup for 19, and Gallup again for a 7 yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in the half. The Cowboys only led 20-17, but it was a back-breaker. The second half was all Dallas. After a touchback to start the second half, Dalton hit Amari Cooper for 11. On 3rd and 3 from their own 48, Dalton went to CeeDee Lamb for a 52 yard touchdown to make it 27-17 Cowboys. The Cowboys got it back and faced 2nd and 5 from their own 22. Dalton connected with Cooper for a 69 yard touchdown. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Dalton threw incomplete. Zuerlein hit from 21 to make it 30-17 Cowboys. The Eagles had 3 turnovers in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys capped an 87 yard drive with Lamb running for a 19 yard touchdown. A 34-3 difference including 24 straight points gave the Cowboys their 3rd straight win after a 3-9 start. If they beat the Giants next week and Washington loses, the Cowboys win the division and are in the playoffs. If the Cowboys lose, they are out. The Eagles are out. 37-17 Cowboys

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks — The 9-5 Rams suffered a shocking home loss to the previously winless Jets to fall one game back of the 10-4 Seahawks. This showdown was for the NFC West crown. A Seahawks win, and they clinch, A Rams win would still require them to win next week. The first half was a defensive slog. Matt Gay hit a 44 yard first quarter field goal for the Rams. In the second quarter Jason Myers answers from 45 for a 3-3 game. Gay hit from 51 and Myers answered from 49 as the teams went to the half deadlocked 6-6.

The Seahawks began the third quarter facing 3rd and 8 from their own 32. Russell Wilson went deep to Moore for a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the Rams 22, Wilson went to Hyde for 18. Wilson ran for the 4 yard touchdown as the Seahawks led 13-6. The Rams moved from their own 30 and moved 69 yards in 12 plays and nearly 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the one. Jared Goff got stopped. Sean McVay went for it and on 4th and goal at the one, Malcolm Brown got stopped cold by Pete Carroll’s defense. The Rams got it back at the Seattle 44 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 16 early in the fourth quarter. Goff was sacked to kill the drive. Gay hit from 33 but the Rams trailed 13-9.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Seahawks took over at their own 20. Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for 11. Chris Carson ran for 15. Wilson hit Lockett again for 24. On 3rd and 7 from the Rams 27, Wilson hit DK Metcalf for 8. The Rams defense desperately needed to hold the Seahawks to a field goal. On 3rd and 4 from the Rams 13, Wilson hit Jacob Hollister for the clinching touchdown with 3 minutes left. The 9-6 Rams have lost 2 straight. If they win their regular season finale, they make the playoffs. They can still lose and get in, but if the Rams lose and Chicago and Arizona both win, the Rams are out. The 11-4 Seahawks clinched the NFC West. Right now they are the 3 seed. If they win their finale and New Orleans loses, the Seahawks move up to the 2 seed. If the Seahawks win and New Orleans and Green Bay both lose, the Seahawks would be the top seed in the NFC with home field throughout the playoffs and a first round bye. 20-9 Seahawks  

Tennessee Titans at Green Bay Packers was the Sunday night game. The 10-4 Titans came in tied for the AFC South lead and they held the tie-breaker. However, they had not clinched a playoff spot. The 11-3 Packers clinched the NFC North and had a one game lead in the race for home field throughout the playoffs. With snow coming down, the Packers jumped all over the Titans from the start. Stephen Gostkowski kicked the opening kickoff out of bounds to set up the Packers at their own 40. There was mild amusement as the officials had trouble finding the 40 amidst the snow. Aaron Rodgers hit Davante Adams for 7 and 8. Aaron Jones ran for 12. Rodgers hit Dafney for 13. Rodgers hit Lazard for 7 and Adams for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 6-0 Packers. The extra point was no good. 

The Packers got it back and soon faced 2nd and 9 from their own 21. Rodgers ran for 14. On 3rd and 10 from their own 35, Rodgers hit Dillon for nothing, but defensive illegal use of hands meant 5 yards and a new set of downs. From the Titans 47, Rodgers hit Robert Tonyan for 17. The second quarter began with the Packers facing 3rd and 1 from the Titans 21. Rodgers went to Equanimeous St. Brown for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Packers led 12-0. Ryan Tannehill was soon intercepted and the Packers took over at the Tennessee 34. Dillon ran for 14. On 3rd and 3 from the Titans 13, Dillon ran for 6. Rodgers hit Adams for the 7 yard touchdown to make it 19-0 Packers.

The Titans punted on 4th and 27 from their own 14 and the Packers got it back at their own 45. They moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Titans 14 and were about to blow the game open. A run lost 3 yards and Rodgers threw incomplete. Mason Crosby came in for a 35 yard field goal. It was blocked and returned 66 yards to the Green Bay 20. Yet a horrendous defensive offside call nullified the entire play and gave the Packers another shot on 4th and 3. This time Matt LaFleur went for it. Rodgers was sacked for a 17 yard loss. The Titans faced 3rd and 4 from their own 35. Tannehill hit AJ Brown for 10 and 12. Derrick Henry gained 10. On 2nd and 12 from the Packers 32, Tannehill hit Brown for 12, Jonnu Smith for 8, and Smith again for the 12 yard touchdown just before the half as the Titans were within 19-7. The Titans struck quickly in the third quarter from their own 34. Tannehill hit Brown for 9. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Tannehill faked a handoff to Henry and raced untouched up the middle for a 55 yard touchdown. The Titans were within 19-14 with plenty of time left.

Yet on the very next play from the Packers 34, the door was slammed shut. Jones tried to go up the middle, got stopped, bounced to the outside, and raced down the sideline for a 59 yard gain. Replay showed Jones may have stepped out of bounds, but officials never saw it. Mike Vrabel never saw it so he did not challenge the play. 2 plays later Rodgers hit Adams for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 26-14 Packers. The Packers got it back at their own 26. Rodgers hit Adams for 11. Dillon ran for 8 and 6. Rodgers hit Dillon for 7 and Adams for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Titans 30, Jones got stopped. Matt LaFleur gambled on 4th and 1 and Dillon got the first down and the 30 yard touchdown to make it 33-14 Packers. In the fourth quarter the Packers chewed up 6 minutes with a 91 yard touchdown drive. Dillon ran for a 7 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. The 10-5 Titans still win the AFC South with a win next week or a loss by Indianapolis. If the Titans lose and Indianapolis wins, the Titans could miss the playoffs depending on other results. The 12-3 Packers clinch the top NFC seed with a win next week. They can lose and still get the top seed only if New Orleans and Seattle both lose.  

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots is the Monday night game. The 11-3 Bills have already clinched the AFC East. The top seed was out of reach, so this was just about whether they would be the two, three or four seed. The 6-8 Patriots are done for the year. The Patriots started out strong, although they settled for a 45 yard Nick Folk field goal to lead 3-0. The Bills moved from their own 47 to a 3rd and 2 at the Patriots 3. Singletary lost a yard. Tyler Bass hit a 22 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. 

The Bills soon faced  4th and 5 from their own 35. Bill Belichick went for a punt block, leaving a wide open man on the edge. Sean McDermott called a fake punt and Johnson hit the open Neal for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Patriots 43, this time McDermott went for it. Josh Allen ran for a 22 yard gain. Moss gained 11. On 1st and goal at the 10, an interception of Allen was nullified by the defense jumping offside. Moss ran for a 5 yard touchdown to start the second quarter as the 12 play, 70 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 10-3 Bills. The Patriots got it back at their own 10. Runs and short passes had the Patriots facing 3rd and 2 from their own 39. Sony michel ran for 21 and JJ Taylor added 28 and 3. Cam Newton appeared sacked when he somehow broke free, joked out defenders, and banged in for a 9 yard touchdown. It was a brief flash of 2015 Newton. The extra point was no good but the Patriots were within 10-9. 

After that the Bills took over. After a touchback, Allen went to Knox for 24, Cole Beasley for 6 and Knox for 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Patriots 28, Allen ran for 11. Allen hit McKenzie for 13 and Smith for a 4 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive made it 17-9 Bills. The Bills got it back at their own 33 and struck quickly. Allen went to Stefan Diggs for 17 and again for a 50 yard touchdown to make it 24-9 Bills. In the third quarter after a touchback, Allen went to Knox for 15, Diggs for 11 and Beasley for 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Patriots 42, Singletary gained 4. Allen hit Davis for 10 and Diggs for 10 and then again for the 18 yard touchdown to make it 31-9 Bills. The Bills made it a humiliation with a 10 play, 95 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. Early in the fourth quarter Allen’s fourth touchdown pass went to Diggs for 8 yards. The Bills led 38-9, and Allen’s backup Matt Barkley played most of the fourth quarter. Jarrett Stidham played mop-up for Newton. The 6-9 Patriots had their streak of 19 straight non-losing seasons snapped, as did coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots were swept by a division opponent for the first time in 20 seasons. The 12-3 Bills are a legitimate contender. 38-9 Bills