THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

 NFL 2025 Week 17 Prequel

Christmas Thursday December 25, 2025, 1pm

Dallas Cowboys (-7) at Washington Commanders — Both teams are bad. It is time to stop making excuses for the Cowboys because their potential means nothing. The spread is too high for a road team that plays down. Cowboys win but fail to cover

4:30pm

Detroit Lions (-7 1/2) at Minnesota Vikings — Las year the Lions were 15-2 and the Vikings were 14-3. he Lions lost Ben Johnson and the Vikings lost Sam Darnold. This is not the same Lions team. They can still score in bunches but not consistently. The Lions are the better team but the spread is too high for a road team not playing that well. The Lions are desperate while the Vikings are done. Go with the desperate team. Lions win but fail to cover

8pm

Denver Broncos (-3 1/2) at Kansas City Chiefs — The 12-3 Broncos lost at home last week to Jacksonville but still sit atop the conference and the division by one game. For the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, the Chiefs have a losing record. Mahomes is out injured and the Chiefs are down to their third string quarterback. The Chiefs are wounded. Yet this might be Travis Kelce’s final home game before retirement. The Chiefs will play hard. Broncos win but fail to cover

Sunday, December 28, 1pm

Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers (-1 1/2) — he 10-5 Texans and 11-4 Chargers are both one game back in their respective divisions, with the Chargers being one game back in the conference as well. Both teams have great quarterbacks and stout defenses. Home field means little. The Texans barely survived the Raiders. This could go down to the final play. Chargers cover

Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers (-3) — The 7-8 ravens are on the brink of playoff elimination while the 9-5 Packers are 1 1/2 games back in their division thanks to a shocking loss at Chicago where they dominated for 59 minutes and gave the game away. Lamar Jackson has battled injuries all year. Expect the Packers to be angry at home and handle business. Packers cover

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) at Cleveland Browns — The Steelers can lock up the division with a win. The Browns are done for the year. Expect the big brother to beat up on the little brother for the billionth time. Steelers cover

New England Patriots (-13 1/2) at New York Jets — The Patriots are only one game up in their division and one game back in the conference. The Jets were done weeks ago. Yet the spread is too high for a road team, especially since a garbage touchdown at home is reasonable. Patriots win b ut fail to cover

New Orleans Saints (-2 1/2) at Tennessee Titans — Neither team is any good but they both won last week. The Saints are improved under Tyler Shough. That should be just enough to eke out a win. Saints cover

Jacksonville Jaguars (-6 1/2) at Indianapolis Colts — The 11-4 Jaguars can officially knock the 8-7 olds out of the playoffs. Old Man Phillip Rivers has played well, but The Jaguars are just flat out good. The Jaguars are one game up in their division and one game back  in the conference. Trevor Lawrence is playing well. The spread is too high for a road team playing a team fighting for its life. Jaguars win but fail to cover

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5 1/2) at Miami Dolphins — The 7-8 Buccaneers are in utter free fall but are only one game back in their division. The Dolphins are done. Go with the team that has everything to play for, especially given how lifeless the Dolphins looked at home last week against Cincinnati. Baker Mayfield should be able to spread the ball around. Tua Tagovailoa is benched. Buccaneers cover. 

Seattle Seahawks (-7) at Carolina Panthers — 10 years ago this was the NFC Title Game. Now it is a battle between a great 12-3 Seahawks team and an improving 8-7 Panthers squad. The Seahawks seized control of their division, leading the division and the conference by one game. The Panthers lead their division by one game as well. Go with the great team and the great defense. Seahawks cover

Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals (-7) — Both teams are done but the Bengals are a much better team with a healthy Joe Burrow. after watching him lead 5 straight scoring drives last week at Miami, he should be unstoppable against the Cardinals. Bengals cover

4pm

New York Giants (-1 1/2) at Las Vegas Raiders — This is the Stupor Bowl. Both teams are 2-13. The loser is almost guaranteed the top pick in the Draft. One team seems desperate to win this game and the other does not. The Giants brought Tommy Cutlets DeVito back to back up Jaxson Dart. The Raiders shut down Brock Bowers for the year. Go with the team that seems to care. Giants cover

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills (-1 1/2) — The 10-5 Eagles are at the 11-4 Bills. The Eagles have clinched the NFC East, but home field advantage throughout the playoffs seems out of reach. The Bills are one game back in their division but the conference and home field for them is also pretty much out of reach. The Bills have an explosive offense while the Eagles offense has struggled. At home, go with the Bills Mafia and the better offense. Bills cover

8pm

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (-3) — From 1984 through 1990, these teams battled for NFC supremacy. Then the Bears took 35 years off. Yet now both teams are 11-4. The Bears are 1 1/2 games up in their division and can lock up the NFC North with a win. The 49ers are one game back in their division. Both teams are one game back in the conference. Both teams have good quarterbacks and good defenses. Both Ben Johnson and Kyle Shanahan are innovative offensive minds. Go with the team with more experience and more offensive weapons. 49ers cover

Monday, December 29, 8pm

Los Angles Rams (-7 1/2) at Atlanta Falcons — After a brutally tough loss at Seattle last week, the Rams will be an angry bunch. at 11-4, they are one game back in their division and the conference. The Falcons are done. The spread is still high for a road team playing against a division rival that has some offensive talent. Rams win but fail to cover

NFL 2025 Week 16 Recap

Los Angele Rams at Seattle Seahawks was the Thursday night game. This is why we watch football. A pair of 11-3 teams faced off for the inside track on the division and the conference. The Rams moved from their own 20 to a 4th and 1 at the Seattle 39. Sean McVay went for it and Kyren Williams got stuffed for no gain.  Sam Darnold went to Kenneth Walker for a 46 yard gain. Zac Charbonnet ran for a 4 yard touchdown run and a 7-0 Seahawks lead. The Rams moved from their own 24 to a 4th and goal at the one. Matthew Stafford hit Ferguson for the touchdown, but an ineligible man downfield nullified the score. Harrison Mevis hit a 23 yard field goal. The Rams got it back and in the second quarter moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Seattle 5. Stafford threw incomplete. This time McVay was not in a gambling mood. Mevis hit from 28 as the Rams now trailed 7-6. 

The Rams took over t their own 38. Corum ran for 9, 4 and 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 41, Williams gained 4. Corum gained 9 and 3. Stafford hit Mumpfield for 11. Stafford went to Ferguson for a 3 yard touchdown to have the Rams up 13-7. Late in the half the Seahawks moved to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 34. Darnold went to former Rams ace Cooper Kupp for a 17 yard gain, but Kupp was sandwiched between 3 defenders and fumbled. The ball was blasted out of his hands. After a scramble, the Rams recovered in their own end zone for a touchback. The Seahawks began the third quarter at their own 35. On 3rd and 1, Barner got the yard. Walker broke free and raced for a 55 yard touchdown. Just like that, this time the Seahawks were back on top 14-13. 

The Rams took over at their own 27. On 3rd and 9, Stafford went deep to Smith for a 48 yard gain. Mevis hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 16-14 Rams. A key play in the game came with the Seahawks facing 3rd and 8 at the Rams 48. Darnold was intercepted. Wallace returned the interception 56 yards to the Rams one yard line. On the next play Corum got the ball just over the pylon for the touchdown and a 23-14 Rams lead. The Rams got the ball back at their own 15. On 3rd and 3, Stafford went to Smith for 9. On the last play of the third quarter on 3rd and 3 from their own 38, Stafford went deep to Puka Nacua for a 58 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one to start the fourth quarter, Stafford hit Nacua for the touchdown. Now the Rams had a 30-14 lead. The Seahawks rapidly moved to a 3rd and goal at the 6. Darnold fired over the middle and was intercepted by Turner. 

Just when it seemed the game was over, the Seahawks got major special teams jolt. Shaheed returned a punt 58 yards for a touchdown. Mike McDonald went for 2 and Darnold hit Kupp successfully. The Seahawks were back in it down 30-22 midway through the fourth quarter. The Seahawks forced a 3 and out and got the ball back at their own 43. Shaheed ran for a 31 yard gain. Darnold went deep to Barnard for a 26 yard touchdown. A 2 point try would tie the game but this time the try failed. The Seahawks were within 30-28 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Yet then came another twist as the officials reversed themselves and declared the attempt successful. This was now a 30-30 ballgame. 

The Rams moved in position for Mevis to try a 48 yard field goal just before the 2 minute warning to give the Rams the lead. This time Mevis was no good wide right. Both teams had opportunities in the final 2 minutes but both defenses dug in. If ever a game deserved overtime, this was it. The Rams in overtime had the ball at their own 20. Stafford went to Nacua for 9 and to Corum for 13. On 3rd and 6 just past midfield, Stafford hit Nacua for 7. On the next play Stafford hit Nacua on a perfect deep crossing route. Nacua split the seams and raced to the end zone to have the Rams back on top by 7. The Seahawks took over at their own 35 with 6 1/2 minutes left in overtime. Darnold went to Jaxon Smith-Nigba for 17. Darnold found Kupp for 21. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 9, Charbonnet gained 5. Darnold went to Smith-Nigba for the touchdown. Mike McDonald went for 2 as fans everywhere begged him to kick the extra point. With everything on the line for both teams, Darnold fired over the middle to Saubert successfully as the home crowd erupted in celebration. The Seahawks are 12-3. The Rams are 11-4. The teams split the season series as the Seahawks overcame a 16 point fourth quarter deficit. This was Ali-Frazier as the Seahawks win a fine, fine football game! 38-37 Seahawks

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders was the Saturday afternoon game. The Eagles were seeking to wrap up the NFC East while the Commanders are done for the year. The Eagles fumbled the opening kickoff to give the Commanders a golden opportunity. On 2nd and goal at the 2, Marcus Mariota threw incomplete twice. Dan Quinn was not in a gambling mood. Jake Moody hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Commanders. The Eagles took over at their own 37. Jalen Hurts hit Devonta Smith for 16. Hurts ran for 14. Hurts went to AJ Brown for 15 and again for 16. Hurts went to Smith for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Eagles. In the second quarter Jake Elliott missed a 43 yard field goal that would have extended the lead. The Commander took over at their own 33. Mariots went deep to Terry McLaurin for 40. Mariots found Deebo Samuel for 14. On 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 2, Dan Quinn went for it. Rodriguez got the tough yard. Croskey-Merritt got the last yard to make it 10-7 Commanders. From 52 yards out, Elliott missed again as the half ended. 

The Eagles took over in the third quarter at their own 17. Hurts went to Smith for 7, to Dallas Goedert for 8, to Dotson for 6, and to Smith for 9. Nick Sirianni gambled on 4th and 7 from the Washington 38. Hurts threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 1 from the the Washington 24, Saquon Barkley gained 2. Defensive pass interference added 19 down to the one. On 3rd and goal at the 15, Hurts went to Goedert for the touchdown. The mind-numbing 17 play, 83 yard drive consumed over 10 1/2 minutes off the clock and had the Eagles up 14-10. The third quarter ended with an interception of Mariota. Cooper DeJean returned the pick 111 yards to the Washington 37. On 3rd and 3 Hurts ran for 4. On 3rd and 4 from the Washington 20, Barkley ran for 8 and then for the 12 yard touchdown. The Eagles led 21-10 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Eagles took over at their own 20. Barkley ran for 6 and then broke off a 48 yard yard gain. Bigsby ran for a 22 yard touchdown to ice the game with 5:15 left. The Commanders got one more garbage touchdown. The 10-5 Eagles clinched the NFC East with 3 weeks left. 29-18 Eagles.

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears was the Saturday night game. Two weeks ago the Packers defeated the Bears 28-21 in Green Bay. The rematch came with the Bears half a game ahead in the NFC North. This one will be talked about for a very long time. A hideous first half saw both teams turn it over on downs to start the game. Twice the Packers drove deep into Chicago territory in the second quarter only to settle for Brandon McManus field goals of 26 and 22. Making matters worse, Jordan Love got knocked out with a concussion. Malik Willis played the second half. Cairo Santos hit from 46 in the third quarter to get the Bears within 6-3. The Packers for a third time moved inside the Chicago 5. This time they fumbled the ball away. The Packers got it back at their own 36. Wilson ran for 12. Watson added 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 33, Willis went deep to Romeo Doubs for the touchdown. After three quarters, the Packers led 13-3. In the fourth quarter Santos hit from 51 but McManus answered from 28. 4 times the Packers reached the Chicago 10 yard line only to settle for 3 field goals and a fumble. Yet the Packers still led 16-6 with 5 minutes left in regulation.

With only 2 minutes left, Santos came in for a 43 yard field goal try. The Bears needed a field goal and an onside kick and a touchdown. Santos hit the field goal. The Bears trailed 16-9. For the Packers, this was Failure to Close Out 1. The onside kick was perfect, as Blackwell recovered for the Bears at their own 47. For the Packers, this was FCO2. with 24 seconds left, the Bears were facing 4th and 4 at the Green Bay 6. With everything on the line, Caleb Williams hit Walker for the touchdown. This was the Packers FCO3. Ben Johnson was not in a gambling mood. FCO4 came when the extra point was good. After being totally dominated, the Bears somehow tied the game 16-16. The Packers began in overtime and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Chicago 36. A field goal try would be 54 yards. Instead, Matt LaFleur went for it. Willis fumbled and the Packers ended up short of the first down. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 42. Monangai gained 11. Williams then went deep to Moore for a 46 yard touchdown. In an absolute shocker the Bears split the season series. The Bears are 1 1/2 games up in the division with 2 games left. 22-16 Bears, OT

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers — Both teams came in 7-7 and tied for the NFC South lead. The Buccaneers were reeling after a 1-5 start while the Panthers were rising after a terrible start. Riley Fitzgerald began with an early 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Panthers. The Buccaneers took over at their own 47. Baker Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 12. On 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 26, Mayfield went to McMillan for 10. Irving ran for 12. Mayfield went to Evans for the one yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Buccaneers. In the second quarter Chase McLaughlin hit from 23 and Fitzgerald hit from 41 to make it 10-6 Buccaneers. 

The Panthers took over at their own 37. Bryce Young went to McMillan for 8 and to Leggett for 12. Young went to McMillan for a 22 yard touchdown as the Panthers took a 13-10 lead to the locker rooms. In the third quarter the Panthers faced 3rd and 7 at their own 37. Mayfield ran for 23. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 31, Irving gained 2. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 23, Mayfield hit Chris Godwin for 5. On 3rd and  6 from the Carolina 14, Mayfield found White for 13. Tucker ran for a one yard touchdown to have the Buccaneers back up 17-13. The Panthers took over at their own 35. Young ran for 8. Chuba Hubbard added 10. Young went to Evans for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 33, Young went to McMillan for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Tampa Bay 6, Young went to Sanders for the touchdown. The fourth lead change had the Panthers up 20-17 after three quarters.

 Early in the fourth quarter, the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 23. Looking for the lead, Mayfield was sacked. McLaughlin hit from 50 to tie the game 20-20. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 33. Young went deep to Coker for 34. Fitzgerald came in for a 49 yard field goal try with 2:20 left to give the Panthers the 3 point lead again. His kick was good. The Buccaneers moved from their own 10 to a 2nd and 9 at the Carolina 42 with 49 seconds left. On the verge of tying field goal range, Mayfield was then intercepted. The Panthers have come out of nowhere to take a one game lead in the division with 2 games left. The loss has the Buccaneers on the brink of elimination and Todd Bowles on the hot seat. 23-20 Panthers

Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns — The Bills came in offer a tough road win at New England. They still were one game back in their division. They only needed to see pace by defeating a terrible Browns team that had a good defense. The Browns began facing 3rd and 1 at their own 40. Judkins gained 5. Shedeurs went to Fannin for 27. Sanders went to Fannin for 13 too make it 7-0 Browns. The Bills began at their own 20. Josh Allen ran for 7 and James Cook added 8 and 15. Cook then ran for a 44 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. 

An interception of Sanders had the Bills starting the second quarter at their own 39. Allen went to Davis for 14 and Hawes for 18. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 20, Allen gained 4. Johnson ran for 9, 5, and the 2 yard touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright no good but the Bills led 13-7. The Browns moved to a 1st and goal at the 4. A run went nowhere, Sanders threw incomplete, and another run lost 2 yards. Szmyt hit a 24 yard field goal to get the Browns within 13-10. The Bills took over at their own 32. Allen went to Shakir for 18. Cook added 13. Allen went to Shavers for 21. Cook ran for 8 and then for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Bills. A third quarter interception of Sanders led to a Mike Badgley field goal to have the Bills up 23-10. 

The Browns slo faced 3rd and 1 at their own 42. Sanders gained 9. Corley gained 12. On 3rd and 16 from the Buffalo 43, a completion gained only 4 yards but a defensive tripping penalty gifted the Browns 15 yards. Sanders ran for 14, 8 and 3. Fannin got the lsat yard as the Browns only trailed 23-17 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Bills faced 4th and 4 at the Cleveland 33. A 51 yard field goal would make it 26-20. Instead, Sean McDermott gambled and Allen threw incomplete. Szmyt hit a 41 yard field goal to have the Browns within 3 points with 9 minutes left. The Browns faced 4th and 2 at their own 44 with 5 minutes left. Kevin Stefanski went for it and Sanders was sacked. The Bills faced 4th and 1 from the Cleveland 11 with 3 minutes left. Again, McDermott passed up the field goal. Again, Allen threw incomplete. With 1:49 left the Browns faced 4th and 32 from their own one. Stefanski had to punt. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 40, Allen gained 2 yards and then took a couple knees. It was far from pretty but the 11-4 Bills survived. 23-20 Bills

Los Angeles Chargers at Callas Cowboys — The Chargers came in barreling toward the playoffs while the Cowboys were on the brink of elimination. The Cowboys began at their own 21. Dak Prescott hit George Pickens for 14 and CeeDee Lamb for 13. Brian Schottenheimer gambled on 4th and 2 from the Chargers 39. Prescott hit Pickens for 28. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 5, Prescott went to Flournoy for a 5 yard touchdown to make it7-0 Cowboys. The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 41. Justin Herbert found Harris for 23 and again for 11. Herbert went to Johnston for a 23 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. 

The Cowboys mounted a lengthy 16 play, 7 1/2 minute drive that gained 56 yards. The Cowboys settled for a 33 yard Brandon Aubrey field goal and a 10-7 Cowboys lead. The Chargers began at their own 13. Hampton gained 18 and 5. Herbert went to Ladd McConkey for 10 and Will Dissly for 15. Herbert then went to McConkey for a 25 yard touchdown to have the Chargers up 14-10. The Cowboys took over at their own 20. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. Prescott went deep to Pickens for a 38 yard touchdown. The Cowboys led 17-14. The first half was a track meet. The second half one side took over. 

Midway through the second quarter, the Chargers took over at their own 19.  On 3rd and 9 from their own 32, Herbert went to Lambert-Smith for 10. Hampton ran for 6 and 12, and then for 8 and 3. On 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 13, Herbert went to Keenan Allen for 12. Herbert got the last yard with 19 seconds left in the half as the Chargers led 21-17. Dicker hit from 37 in the third quarter and from 27 to have the Chargers up 27-17. The Cowboys turned it over on downs twice. The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 9 from the Dallas 46. Herbert went to Johnston for 25. Hampton ran for 10, 5, and the 5 yard touchdown to ice the game with 5 minutes left. 20 unanswered points eliminated the Cowboys from playoff contention. The 11-4 Chargers are built Jim Harbaugh tough and are one game back in the division and conference lead. 34-17 Chargers

New York Jets at New Orleans Saints — Both teams are terrible and long eliminated from playoff contention. An early Saints fumble led to a 29 yard Nick Folk field goal for the Jets. Smyth answered from 35 for the Saints. In the second quarter Smyth hit from 49 and Folk answered from 36 for a 6-6 ballgame. Smyth hit from 36 with 90 seconds left in the half and missed from 61 to end the half as the saints took a 9-6 lead to the locker rooms. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, the Saints took over at their own 7. Taysom Hill gained 8 and 4. Tyler Shough hit Tipton for 9, Estime for 12, and Chris Olave for 18. On 3rd and 5 from the Jets 23, Shough went deep to Olave for the touchdown to make it 16-6 Saints. Smyth hit fourth quarter field goals of 50 and 32, both set up by Jets turnovers. The Jets then turned it over on downs when a 14 yard sack gave the Saints the ball at the Jets 44. Hill went deep to Olave for a 38 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. 29-6 Saints

Minnesota Viking at New York Giants — Both teams are done for the year while the Giants have the inside track for the top pick in the 2026 Draft. A hideously ugly game had Will Reicgard hit a 43 yard first quarter field goal to make it 3-0 Vikings. In the second quarter Sauls hit a 27 yard field goal an Reichard responded from 31 to make it 6-3 Vikings. An interception of Jaxson Dart was returned 15 yards to set up the Vikings at the Giants 16. JJ McCarthy ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 13-3 Vikings. With 17 seconds left in the half, all the Vikings had to do was take a knee. Instead, McCarthy was sacked and fumbled. Nubin returned the fumble 27 yards for a touchdown to have the Giants right back in it down 13-10. Sauls hit a 39 yard field goal with 11 minutes left in regulation to tie the game. Reichard hit from 30 with 4:15 left to put the Vikings back up by 3. Just before the 2 minute warning on 4th and 3 from his own 47, Dart threw incomplete. League officials should burn the tape of this game. The Giants are 2-13 and still on track for the top Draft pick. 16-13 Vikings

Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans — The Titans have an outside shot at the number one Draft pick. After 9 years of dominating the AFC West, the Chiefs this year fell apart. 2 weeks ago, the 3 time defending AFC Champions and multiple super Bowl winning Chiefs were eliminated from winning their division a 10th straight time. Last week they were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. Yet the Chiefs could still win out and have a winning season. Mahoems was out injured the rest of the year and backup Gardenr  Minshew got the start. After a scoreless first quarter, the Chiefs in the second quarter pinned at their own 2 yard line. Jeffrey Simmons forced a safety for a 2-0 Titans lead. Harrison Butker eventually hit a 54 yard field goal to make it 3-2 Chiefs. The Titans took over at their own 11 yard line. Cam Ward went to Spears for 34 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Kansas City 45, Spears gained 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Kansas City 25, Chestnut got the yard. Spears gained 15. Ward went to Okonkwo for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 9-3 Titans with 1:37 left in the half. Butker hit from 41 to have the Chiefs down 9-6 at halftime,

The Titans began the third quarter facing 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Ward went to Ayomanor for 25 and to Dike for 30. On 3rd and 6 from the Kansas City 8, Ward hit Spears for 7 and Dike for the one yard touchdown to make it 16-6 Titans. Minshew also went out injured in the first half. The third string quarterback was Oladokun, and the Tennessee defense teed off. Butker missed a 51 yard field goal but later in the third quarter hit from 27 to get the Chiefs within 16-9. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 42. Ward threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact kept the drive going. Ward ran for 10. On 3rd and 10 from the Kansas City 28, Ward went deep to Ayonamor for 24. Spears ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 23-9 Titans early in the fourth quarter. Joey Slye tacked on a 27 yard field goal to complete the scoring. For the first time in the Mahomes era, the Chiefs have a losing record. This makes Andy Reid a most unhappy Walrus indeed. Despite Reid coming down chimneys and bringing presents to their fans for many years, this year he was given a lump of coal. 26-9 Titans

Cincinnati Bengals at Maimi Dolphins — Both teams were eliminated. Despite paying Tua Tagovailoa 212 million dollars, Mike McDaniel benched him and the team is expected to trade him after the season. By the end of this game, the Dolphins may or may not have realized that Tagovailoa was not the problem. Quinn Ewers started for the Dolphins. The Bengals began at their own 9. Joe Burrow went to Tee Higgins for 35. Burrow went to Samaji Perine for 8 and JaMarr Chase for 11 and 22. Burrow hit Higgins for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. The Dolphins took over at their own 35. Ewers hit Jalen Waddle for 16. devon Achane ran for a 48 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. In the second quarter evan McPherson hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Bengals. The Dolphins took over at their own 32. Ewers hit Waller for 11. Ewers found Waddle for 21. Washington ran for a 9 yard touchdown.. The Dolphins led 14-10 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, but reality soon set in.

A strong kickoff return had the Bengals at their own 44. Burrow went to Chase for 11. On 3rd and 10 from the Miami 38, Burrow hit Sample for 27. Perine ran for a 4 yard touchdown to have the Bengals up 17-14 at the midpoint. A Dolphins fumble early in the third quarter set up the Bengals at the Miami 34. Zac Taylor gambled on 4th and 1. Burrow got the yard. Burrow hit Chase for 15 and Brown for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 24-14 Bengals. Ewers was quickly intercepted by Carter, who returned the pick 16 yards to the Miami 35. Burrow went to Brown for 23. Brown ran for a 12 yard touchdown to have the Bengals up 31-14. On 4th and 1 from the Miami 47, Ewers kept it and got stoned for no gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 48, Burrow went deep to Chase for 36. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 5, Burrow went to Brown for the touchdown to make it 38-14 Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 48. Brown ran for 12. Perine added 7 and 6. Om 3rd and 6 from the Miami 17, Burrow went to Mike Gesicki for the touchdown. Gesicki got revenge against his former team. Not counting the first half kneel down, the Bengals scored touchdowns on 5 straight possessions.  The Dolphins got one garbage time touchdown. 45-21 Bengals 

Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals — Both teams are done for the year. The Falcons are bad and the Cardinals are much worse. Ryland hit a 50 yard first quarter field goal to make it 3-0 Cardinals. An interception of Kirk Cousins was returned 16 yards to have the cardinals at their own 45. Carter ran for 22. On 3rd and 6 from the Atlanta 32, Jacoby Brissett went deep to Wilson for a touchdown to make it 10-0 Cardinals. Zane Gonzalez hit a 49 yard field goal to get the Falcons on the board and Rylund answered from 51 in the second quarter to make it 13-3 Cardinals. 

The Falcons took over at their own 35. Cousins connected with Bijan Robinson for a 41 yard gain. Robinson ran for 11. Cousins went back to Robinson for a 13 yard touchdown to have the Falcons within 13-10. Ryland hit from 25 to make it 16-10 Cardinals. Despite making 3 field goals, the rest of the game was rough for Ryalnd. He hit the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to have the Falcons at their own 40. Robinson ran for 12. Tyler Allgeier added 11 and 7. Raheem Morris gambled on 4th and 1 from the Arizona 28. Cousisn gained 2. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 23, Cousins went to Pitts for 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 5, Cousins went to Pitts for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked as the game remained tied 16-16 at the half.

Ryland ended the half by doinking a 50 yard field goal try off the right upright no good. In the third quarter Gonzalez hit from 40 to give the Falcons the 19-16 lead. From 44 yards out, Ryland missed again. The Falcons took over at their own 34. Cousins hit Robinson for 9. Robinson then ran for 29. Allgeier gained 6, 3, and on 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 19, got the yard. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Cousins ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 26-16 Falcons. A double digit deficit was now a double digit lead. Midway through the fourth quarter trying to lock up the win, Cousins fumbled and the Cardinals recovered at their own 47. Ryland hit a 34 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 7 points with 4 1/2 minutes left. The Falcons turned it over on downs and the Cardinals moved to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 42 with 90 seconds left. Brissett was intercepted. 26-19 Falcons 

Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos — The 10-4 Jaguars took on the 12-2 Broncos in a battle between division leaders. The Broncos were looking to move one step closer to locking up home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Broncos saw a 44 yard first quarter field goal try by Brandon McManus go wide right no good. The Jaguars faced 3rd and 9 at their own 35. Trevor Lawrence went to Washington for 21. On 3rd and 10 from the Denver 44, defensive unnecessary roughness gifted the Jaguars 15 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Denver 12, Lawrence went to Washington for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. The Broncos began the second quarter at their own 35. Bo Nix went deep to Evan Engram for 33. Nix gained 12. On 3rd and 5 from the Jacksonville 15, Nix went to Sutton for the touchdown to make it 7-7.

Wil Lutz hit  54 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Broncos. A strong kickoff return had the Jaguars at their own 41. On 3rd and 1, Lawrence got the yard up the middle. Travis Etienne ran for a 24 yard gain. Lawrence went to Strange for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Jaguars. Little tacked on a 47 yard field to end the half with the Jaguars up 17-10. The Broncos took over at their own 27. A pair of defensive penalties gifted the Broncos 20 yards. Harvey ran for a 38 yard touchdown to again tie the game 17-17. 

The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Lawrence gained 6. Roughing the passer added 15. Om 3rd and 9 from the Denver 44, Lawrence went  to Washington for 20 and to Patrick for 11. Defensive pass interference added 11 more. Lawrence got the last yard to make it 24-17 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back and soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 27. Lawrence connected with Washington for a 63 yard gain. Lawrence then went to Etienne for a 10 yard touchdown to have the Jaguars up 31-17. The Broncos then fumbled, leading to a 25 yard Little field goal and a 34-17 Jaguars lead in front of a disbelieving home crowd. Needing 3 scores, the Broncos managed a field goal but followed that up with a Nix interception of nix and a  turnover on downs. The Jaguars are 11-4 and only one game back of the 12-3 Broncos in the conference race. The Broncos are also now only one game up in their division. 34-20 Jaguars

Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions — Both teams came in 8-6 and struggling. This game will be talked about forever. It might be the most controversial finish these teams have ever had, and that includes the overtime debacle involving Jerome Bettis, Phil Luckett and the coin toss. In the first quarter Chris boswell leveled a 59 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Steelers. The Lions moved to a 4th and goal at the 3. Rather than just tie the game, Dan Campbell did what he does. Jared Goff threw incomplete and again the gamble came up snake eyes. JAKE bates hit a 36 yard field gaol in the second quarter for a 3-3 game. The Lions got it back at their own 38. Goff went to TeSlaa for 14 and to Jahmyr Gibbs for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 26, Gibbs gained 6. Goff went to TeSlaa for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Lions with 1:55 left in the half. 

On 3rd and 10 from their own 20, Aaron Rodgers went to Pat Freiermuth for 11 and 6. On 3rd and 11 from their own 30, Rodgers went to Adam Thielen for 12. On 3rd and 10 from their own 42, Rodgers went to Thielen for 13. Then the King of the Hail Mary did it again. Rodgers threw a 60+ yard bomb in this same Detroit stadium when he was with Green Bay, as Green Bay overcame a 20-0 deficit to win 27-23 on the final play. This time Rodgers uncorked a relatively smaller 46 yard bomb that was caught by Kenneth Gainwell for the touchdown to end the half tied 10-10. The play clearly deflated the Lions. In the third quarter the Steelers drove deep but fumbled the ball away. The Lions were at their own 3 yard line. On 3rd and 8 Goff was sacked for a safety to make it 12-10 Steelers. The free kick led to a mind-numbing 17 play, 64 yard drive that took nearly 10 minutes. The Steelers settled for a 23 yard Boswell field goal to lead 15-10. in the fourth quarter. The Steelers got the ball back at their own 39. Jalen Warren raced for a 45 yard touchdown run  as 19 straight points had the Steelers up 22-10. 

The Lions soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 32. Goff hit Raymond for 8 and again for 14. On 4th and 2 from the Pittsburgh 27, the Lions pretty much had to go for it. Goff connected with Raymond, who took it all the way for the touchdown. With 8 1/2 minutes left, the Lions were back in it down 22-17. The Steelers soon faced 1st and 20 at their own 35. Rodgers went to DK Metcalf for 20. On the next play, it was deja vul all over again. Warren ran for another 45 yard touchdown to make it 29-17 with just over 6 1/2 minutes left. Needing 2 scores, the Lions faced 3rd and 10 at their own 32. Goff went to Williams for gains of 21 and 16 and to Gibbs for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Goff went to Gibbs for the touchdown. The Lions were back within 5 points but only 4 minutes remained. Just before the 2 minute warning Boswell came in for a 37 yard try to put the Steelers back up by 8 points. Despite his earlier 59 yarder, his 37 yard try doinked off the right upright no good. The Lions took over at their own 27 with exactly 2:05 left. The Lions quickly moved to a 1st and goal at the one with 25 seconds left. The Lions were one yard away. Then came one of the craziest endings in NFL history. 

Rather than ram it up the gut, Dan Campbell decided to pass the ball. Apparently he did not watch the Super Bowl where Marshawn Lynch did not get the ball. Goff went to Amra St. Brown for the touchdown as the Lions celebrated. Yet the celebration was all for naught as offensive pass interference nullified the score. A false start then had the Lions facing 1st and goal at the 16. On 2nd and goal at the 9, Goff threw incomplete twice. On 4th and goal at the 9 with 8 second left, choose ensued. Goff threw a pass to St. Brown at the goal line. desperately trying to get the ball across the plain, 2 defender pushed St. Brown back. Although forward progress may have been stopped, St Brown as he was going down somehow lateraled the ball back to Goff. Goff went straight up the middle and leapt over a defender into the end zone as the clock struck zeroes. The Lions were celebrating but again there was a flag on the play. The officials took several minutes as both teams stood around having no idea what the officials were discussing and who won the game. The fans had no idea either. This was total chaos. The officials finally sorted it all out.

St. Brown did not get the ball across the goal line. He was stopped short. The officials properly got that right. While forward progress most certainly appeared stopped, there was no whistle. The officials let the players play, which was also right. St. Brown clearly pitched the ball to Goff before he hit the ground. The toss was clearly a lateral ad not a forward pass, and therefore legal. Goff clearly and legally dove in the air into the end zone. All of that was legitimate. The officials did signal a touchdown. However…the penalty on the play was again offensive pass interference. A game cannot end on a defensive penalty. A defensive penalty results in one untimed down. Yet a game can and does end on an offensive penalty. The touchdown was again nullified. There was no time left. The game was over. A shellshocked him crowd so the Lions fall to 8-7 despite one of the craziest endings since the Holy Roller by Oakland. This would have been a touchdown for the ages, but it didn’t count. The 9-6 Steelers are on the verge of clinching the AFC North. One year after going 15-2, the Lions are on the verge of playoff elimination. This one was insane. 29-24 Steelers

Las Vegas Raiders at Houston Texans — The 2-12 Raiders have a legitimate shot at the first overall Draft pick. thE raiders have no offensive line. The Texans have the best defense in the NFL. This game had blowout all over it. In the first quarter Geno Smith was intercepted by Stingley, who raced 31 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 7-0 Texans lead. Yet the Raiders defense hung tough despite their worthless offense. In the second quarter the Raiders took over at their own 39. Smith went to Bech for a 37 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Houston 7, Smith went to Brock Bowers for the touchdown. The Raiders had shockingly tied the game 7-7. Kaimi Fairbairn drilled a 55 yard field goal and then hit again from 50 as the Texans led 13-7 at the intermission. The Raiders took over at their own 15 in the third quarter. On 3rd and 2, smith went to Bowers for 13. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, Smith found a wide open Ashton Jeanty for a 60 yard touchdown. In a shocking turn of events, the Raiders led 14-13 with 10 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Raiders got another stop on defense and had a chance to open a bigger lead. Yet Smith was sacked for a 13 yard loss. Then a shanked 31 yard punt gave the Texans gift field position at their own 47. Fairbairn hit from 49 to put the Texans back on top 16-14. The Raiders moved to a 4th and 3 at the Houston 46 early in the fourth quarter. Pete Carroll decided to punt and play field position. The Texans were pinned at their own 12. On 3rd and 4, CJ Stroud hitStover for 5. On 3rd and 8 from the Raiders 25, Stroud went deep incomplete. Yet a mindless and unnecessary defensive pass interference call on Johnson meant a 23 yard gain. Stroud hit Dalton Schultz for a one yard touchdown. The 10 play, 88 yard, 6 minute drive now had the Texans up 23-14 midway through the fourth quarter. 

The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 13 from their own 32. Smith hit Tucker for 14. Jeanty then took a handoff up the gut and broke through everyone for a 51 yard touchdown tun. With 5 1/2 minutes left, the Raiders were only down by 2 points. One defensive stop and one upset would win the game for a shocking upset. It was 15 years ago that the Raiders survived a road win at Houston one day after Al Davis died. They needed his spirit. The Texans took over at their own 17. Stroud immediately fumbled. The Texans retained possession but the Texans faced 2nd and 21 from their own 6. On 3rd and 20, Stroud threw incomplete. Yet another completely dumb unnecessary defensive pass interference call on Porter gave the Texans 21 yards. On 3rd and 5 from their own 33, Stroud hit Higgins for 17. Jordan ran for 11. At the 2 minute warning, the Texans faced 3rd and 8 from the Raiders 37. One defensive stop was all the Raider Nation asked for. Stroud threw deep to Collins for 24. Yet Collins landed out of bounds. The Raiders appeared to have life. In a miserable season gone wrong, this time it was the officials who kicked the Raiders in the head. Collins was awarded the catch despite clearly landing out of bounds. The 10-5 Texans are one game back in their division while the 2-13 Raiders play the Stupor Bowl next week against the 2-13 Giants. The loser in the battle of losers almost certainly gets the top Draft pick. This one was a gut punch though. 23-21 Texans

New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens was the Sunday night game. The 11-3 Patriots missed a chance last week to lock up their division with a home loss to Buffalo. The Ravens were just trying to survive and avoid elimination. The Ravens began at their own 35. Lamar Jackson went to Zay Flowers for 19. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 39, Jackson went to Flowers for 18. Derrick Henry ran for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. The teams exchanged turnovers and the Patriots took over at their own 32. The Patriots in the second quarter faced 3rd and 2 just past midfield Drake Maye went to Hunter Henry for 5. On 3rd and 13 from the Baltimore 47, Maye went to Mack Hollins for 20 and to Austin Hooper for 26  down to the one. Maye hit Henry for the touchdown to tie the game 7-7. Borregales hit a 45 yard field goal for the Patriots and Tyler Loop answered from 6 as the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 10-10. In the third quarter loop’s 56 yard try was short. Justin Tucker is unemployed despite hitting from 66. Loop has been good though. Borregales hit from 41 to have the Patriots up 13-10 midway through the third quarter.

Making matters worse, Jackson got injured and backup Tyler Huntley played the second half. The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Huntley went to Deandre Hopkins for 16. Flowers took an end around for an 18 yard touchdown and a 17-13 Ravens lead. Mike Vrabel gambled on a fake punt on 4th and 10 from his own 44. The play was blown up and the Ravens took over at that spot. Huntley hit Flowers for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 35, Mark Andrews took the wildcat snap for a 3 yard gain. Derrick Henry began the fourth quarter by barreling for 4, 22, 4, and then the 2 yard touchdown. with 13 minutes left in regulation, the Ravens led 24-13. 

The Patriots took over at their own 27. Maye hit Henry for 6 and 5 and Williams and Stefan Diggs for 9 apiece. Maye went to Williams for a 17 yard touchdown. Mike Vrabel went for 2 and Maye hit Stevenson successfully to get the Patriots within 24-21 with 9 minutes left. On 4th and 4 just shy of midfield, John Harbaugh lined up to go for it or at least draw the defense offsides. Instead it was a false start on the offense and the Ravens punted. The Patriots took over at their own 11 with 5 minutes left. Maye went to Hollins for 20 and to Diggs for 9. With 3 minutes left the Patriots decided to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Baltimore 48. Maye went to Diggs for 21. Raimondre Stevenson then ripped off a 21 yard touchdown run. The Patriots now had a 4 point lead. The Ravens took over at their own 32 with 2:03 to play, plenty of time. Yet Huntley first completion lost 5 yards and his second completion was fumbled away. The 12-3 Patriots are still one game up in their division and one game back in the conference. The 7-8 Ravens are on the brink of playoff elimination. 28-24 Patriots  

San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts was the Monday night game. Old Man Phillip Rivers nearly led a comeback at very tough Seattle last week. This week the 8-6 Colts and their 44 year old grandpa signal caller were home against the 10-4 49ers. Much of this game was a track meet. The Colts began at their own 28. On 3rd and 8, Rivers went to Jonathan Taylor for 19 and to downs for 18. On 3rd and 13 from eh san Francisco 36, Rivers went to Downs for exactly 13. Rivers went to Pierce for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The 49ers took over at their own 31. Brock Purdy went to George Kittle for 26. McCaffrey gained 9 and 2. Purdy went to Robinson for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.  

The Colts fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the 49ers recovered at the Indianapolis 26. Purdy went to Kittle for 12. Purdy hit McCaffrey for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 49ers. The Colts took over at their own 34. Rivers hit Downs for 8 and Alex Ogletree for 11. Rivers went to Pierce for 17 and to Downs for 12. On 3rd and goal from the 16 to start the second quarter, Rivers went to Pierce for the touchdown and a 14-14 game. The 49ers took over at their own 31. McCaffrey gained 12. Kyle Shanahan gambled on 4th and 1 from the Indianapolis 48. Purdy gained 2. McCaffrey added 18. Purdy hit McCaffrey for 10. Purdy went to Kittle for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 21-14 49ers. Eddie Pineiro hit a 25 yard field goal to extend the lead but Blake group answered from 39 to have the Colts within 24-17 with 37 seconds left in the half.Pineiro missed from 64 to end the half. 

In the third quarter the 49ers began at their own 36. Purdy hit Kittle for 15. On 3rd and 8 from the Indianapolis 47, Purdy hit Jennings for 21 and Kittle for 22. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Purdy went to Jennings for the touchdown to make it 31-17 49ers. Grupe hit a 51 yard field goal and Pineiro responded to make it 34-20 49ers. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 43. Rivers went to Amir Abdullah for 4. On 3rd and 3 from the San Francisco 46, Jonathan Taylor got just enough. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Rivers went to Warren for 19. Taylor ran for a one yard touchdown. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Colts were down 34-27.

The 49ers took over at their own 30. Purdy went to Jennings for 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Indy 44, McCaffrey broke free for a 24 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the Indy 19, Purdy hit Jennings for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Purdy went to McCaffrey for the touchdown and a 41-27 49ers lead midway through t he fourth quarter. The 49ers got it back but Purdy was intercepted. Yet one play after a 33 yard completion, Rivers was intercepted. Winters brought the darkness with a 74 yard interception return touchdown to put the game on winter ice. The Colts were game, but their second half season slide had them fall to 8-7 and the brink of playoff elimination. The 11-4 49ers are one game back in the NFC West and in the overall conference.

NFL 2025 Week 16 Prequel

Happy Hanukkah. Put the women in children to bed and go looking for dinner. College football is done. Now it is all NFL. This is when the big dogs come out. 

Thursday, December 18, 2025, 8pm

Los Angele Rams at Seattle Seahawks (-1 1/2) — This is why we watch football. Both teams are 11-3. The Rams won in Los Angeles. The winner has the inside track for the Division and the Conference. The Rams have the offense and the Seahawks have the defense. Go with the defense and the home field. Seahawks cover

Saturday, December 20, 5pm

Philadelphia Eagles (-6 1/2) at Washington Commanders — The Eagles snapped a 3 game losing streak to get to 9-5. The Commanders snapped an 8 game losing streak. The eagles have everything to play for. The spread is high for a road offense struggling. Eagles win but fail to cover 

8pm

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears (-1 1/2) — This is why we watch football. The Bears are 10-4 and the Packers are 9-4-1. The Packers won at home two weeks ago. This is most likely for the division. On paper, the Packers are the better team. Home field does not matter in this series. Jordan Love has more weapons than Caleb Williams. Upset special, Packers win outright 

Sunday, December 21, 1pm

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3) at Carolina Panthers — Both teams are 7-7 and tied for the division lead. Baker Mayfield has more experience and more weapons than Bryce Young, but the Buccaneers have gone 1-5 since a 6-2 start. Home field should not matter. This is the last time to give the Buccaneers the benefit of the doubt. The Buccaneers barely survived at home in the earlier match. Buccaneers win but fail to cover

Buffalo Bills (-10 1/2) at Cleveland Browns — The 10-4 Bills got a big win at New England last week. The Browns are terrible despite having a decent defense. The Bills are on a mission. The AFC East crown is still within reach. The spread is high for a road team that might have an emotional letdown against a good defense. Bills win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Chargers at Callas Cowboys (-2 1/2) — The 10-4 Cowboys have gotten quality wins the past two weeks against Philadelphia and Kansas City, the last two Super Bowl champions and both 2024 conference champions. Now they take on a beaten down Dallas team with no defense. The Cowboys have the offense. The Chargers have the defense. Jim Harbaugh has the Chargers playing tough playoff football. Upset special, Chargers win outright

New York Jets at New Orleans Saints (-4 1/2) — Both teams are awful but Tyler Shough has given the Saints a spark in recent weeks. The Saints did get a good home win last week against Carolina. The Jets are not competitive. Saints cover

Minnesota Viking (-3) at New York Giants — Both teams are done for the year. The Vikings got a good quality win at Dallas, The Giants are wretched. jj McCarthy and Jaxson Dart have both shown flashes but not enough. Expect the Vikings to have a letdown after last week. Upset special, Giants win outright

Kansas City Chiefs (-3) at Tennessee Titans — For the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, the Chiefs will not be going to the playoffs. The Titans are among the worst teams in football. The Chiefs were the best, but fell off a cliff this season. Mahomes tore his ACL and has a long offseason rehab to be ready for next season. The Chiefs are psychologically battered, but they should still be able to beat the terrible Titans. Chiefs cover

Cincinnati Bengals (-4 1/2) at Miami Dolphins — Both teams are done for the year. Tua Tagovailoa has been benched. With Joe Burrow back in the saddle, the Bengals are a better team than they were for most of the year. The spread is still too high for a road team that is not very good overall. Bengals win but fail to cover

4pm

Atlanta Falcons (-3) at Arizona Cardinals — Both teams are awful but somehow the 5-9 Falcons have not been eliminated from winning their pathetic division. They have something ti play for, and Kirk Cousins and Bijan Robinson will rise to the occasion. Falcons cover

Jacksonville Jaguars at Denver Broncos (-3) — The 10-4 Jaguars take on the 12-2 Broncos. Both teams can move one step closer to clinching their respective divisions while the Broncos can get very close to clinching the conference. Trevor Lawrence and Bo Nix can both sling it, but the Broncos have the home field and the better defense. Broncos cover

Pittsburgh Steelers at Detroit Lions (-7) — Both teams are 8-6 and desperate, although the Steelers have a one game lead in their division while the Lions are two games back in theirs. The Lions are home and indoors. The Steelers like to run the ball, but if the Lions grab an early lead it could force the Steelers to abandon the run. The Lions at their best can score at will. Lions cover 

Las Vegas Raiders at Houston Texans (-14 1/2) — The Raiders are awful, having lost 8 straight including a 31 point shutout drubbing last week at Philadelphia. Even without Geno Smith, the Raiders were bad. The Texans have the league’s top defense. The spread is high but the Raiders are lifeless. Texans cover

8pm

New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens (-3) — The 11-3 Patriots missed a golden chance at home to deliver the knockout blown in a loss to Buffalo. The Ravens are 7-7 and desperate, one game out of the division lead. Drake Maye is playing well. Lamar Jackson is still all world and Derrick Henry is still great. John Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel have physical teams. As great as the Patriots are, go with the desperate team looking to make the playoffs. The Ravens are 6-2 since a 1-5 start. Ravens cover

Monday, December 22, 8pm

San Francisco 49ers (-6 1/2) at Indianapolis Colts  — The 10-4 49ers are looking to keep pace in their division. They are healthy. The Colts are an injured mess. 44 year old Philip Rivers came out of retirement after 5 years away. The Colts lsat a heartbreaker last week at Seattle to fall to 8-6. Their division may be out of reach but the playoffs are not. Yet the 49ers have the better defense. 49ers win but fail to cover 

Hanukkah Night 1. 

NFL 2025 Week 15 Recap.

This is when the big dogs come out.

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the Thursday night game. The Buccaneers have struggled in recent weeks but only needed to bear the 4-9 Falcons to stay atop the woeful NFC South. In the first quarter the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 3 at their own 24. Baker Mayfield was sacked, but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. White ran for 20. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 12. On 3rd and 15 from the Atlanta 43, Mayfield went to Egbuka for 23 and to McMillan for 19 down to the one. Tucker got in for a 7-0 Buccaneers lead. After a touchback Kirk Cousins went to Pitts for 26. The second quarter began with the Falcons facing 3rd and 5 at their own 34. Cousins went to Sills for 10. On 4th and 4 from the Tampa Bay 13, Zane Gonzalez hit the 31 yard field goal. Yet the defense jumped offside. Raheem Morris took the points off the board. On the next play Cousins went to Pitts for the 8 yard touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame.

Chase McLaughlin hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Buccaneers. After a touchback, Cousins went to Pitts for 36 and again for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Falcons with 38 seconds left in the half. McLaughlin hit from 52 to end the half with the Buccaneers within 14-13. In the third quarter the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 2 at their own 18. Irving gained 5. Mayfield went deep to Evans for 45. On 3rd and goal at the 13, Mayfield threw incomplete. Yet defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. Mayfield went to Culp for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 20-14 Buccaneers. The Falcons then fumbled deep inside their own territory to set up the Buccaneers at the Atlanta 25 to start the fourth quarter. Mayfield went to Evans for 10. Defensive pass interference added 10. Mayfield found Chris Godwin for a 3 yard touchdown. Todd Bowles went for 2. Mayfield went to Godwin again as the Buccaneers had a 28-14 lead 90 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 42. Cousins went to Bijan Robinson for 6. On 3rd and 2 from the Tampa Bay 44, Cousins went to Pitts for 18. and to Sills for 20. Robinson ran for a 6 yard touchdown. Raheem Morris went for a totally unnecessary 2 point try, the annoying attempt to cut a 14 point lead down to 6. The attempt failed and the Falcons trailed 28-20 with 9 1/2 minutes left. Mayfield was then intercepted to set up the Falcons at their own 33. Robinson ran for 14. On 3rd and 7 from midfield,Cousins hit Pitts for 10. Tyler Allgeier ran for 15. Cousins hit Mooney for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Cousins went to Pitts for the touchdown. Yet now Morris had to chase points. Had the Falcons not gone for 2 the first time, they would not beed to go for 2 the second time. Again the try failed. Instead of a tie game, the Falcons trailed 28-26 with 3 1/2 minutes left. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 14 at their own 35. A first down would end the game. Instead, Mayfield was taken down for no gain.

The Falcons were in dire straits facing 3rd and 28 at their own 29 with 1:20 left. Cousins went to Pitts for 14. On 4th and 14 with only 49 seconds left, Cousins went deep to Sills for 21. Gonzalez came in for a 43 yard field goal try on the final play of the game. With everything on the line, Gonzalez was good. It was a spectacular collapse for the Buccaneers, blowing a 14 point fourth quarter lead at home. After starting 6-2, the Buccaneers have gone 1-5 since to fall to 7-7 on the year. 29-28 Falcons

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — The Patriots won the AFC East for all but one of 19 straight years. Then the Bills won it for 5 straight years. Now the 9-4 Bills were at the 11-2 Patriots. The Patriots began at their own 27. Raimondre Stevenson ran for 15. On 3rd and 7 from their own 45, Drake Maye went to Boutte for 30. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 16, Stevenson gained 8. Maye ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots. A field position game had the Patriots taking over at midfield. Maye ran for 17. Maye hit Mack Hollins for 14. Maye ran for a 7 yard touchdown for a 14-0 Patriots lead. The Patriots got the ball back in the second quarter at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 1, Stevenson gained 7. Henderson added 9 and 5. Henderson exploded for a 52 yard touchdown run to make it 21-0 Patriots. A strong kickoff return and a defensive facemask set up the Bills at the New England 24. James Cook ran for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the New England 26, Josh AllAllen went to Dawson Knox for 19. Allen went to Cook for a 5 yard touchdown at the 2 minute warning. That was enough time for Monangai to hit a 36 yard field goal for a 24-7 Patriots halftime lead.

A 58 yard second half kickoff return had the Bills taking over at the New England 44. Cook ran for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 26, Allen ran for 20. Allen found Knox for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Bills within 24-14. The Bills took over at their own 30. Allen went to Palmer for 16. Cook ran for 6 and 8. Allen hit Davis for 13. On 3rd and 5 from the New England 13, Allen threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the 8. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Cook got in as the Bills were right back in it down 24-21. The Patriots moved from their own 19 to the Buffalo 43. Yet on 3rd and 25 from their own 42, Maye was intercepted. The Bills took over at their own 9 yard line. On 3rd and 7 Allen went to Kincaid for 24 on the last play of the third quarter.. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Allen gained 3. On 4th and 3 from the New England 45 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Sean McDermott went for it. Rather than just move the chains, Allen went high risk and found Shakir deep for 37 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 14 after a penalty wiped out a touchdown, Allen went to Knox for the touchdown. With 10 minutes left, 21 unanswered points had the Bills storming back to take a 28-24 lead.

One play and 14 seconds after a touchback, the Patriots were in the lead again. Henderson raced for a 65 yard touchdown for a 31-28 Patriots lead. From their own 35, Allen went to Johnson for 12. On 3rd and 4 from the New England 47, defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 15 yards. Allen went to Shakir for 12. Cook ran for an 11 yard touchdown. The Bills scored touchdowns on 5 straight possessions to retake a 4 point lead midway through the fourth quarter. The Patriots began their last drive at their own 17 with 2:43 left. On 4th and 5 with 1:54, Maye threw incomplete. A Patriots win would have locked up the division. Instead of a 3 game lead and a sweep of the season series, the 11-3 Patriots now lead the 10-4 Bills by only one game. 35-31 Bills

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals — Two weeks ago the Bengals went into Baltimore and thumped the ravens 32-14. The 6-7 Ravens desperately need a win to stay in the playoff hunt. Early on the quarterbacks traded interceptions. Midway through the second quarter of a scoreless game, the Ravens took over at their own 21. Lamar Jackson ran for 14. Jackson went to Deandre Hopkins for 32. On 3rd and 7 from the Cincinnati 30, Jackson went to Ali for the touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Ravens led 7-0. The Ravens got it back at their own 20. Jackson went to Zay Flowers for 26. Jackson ran for 12. Jackson hit Mark Andrews for 14 and went to Bay Flowers for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Ravens. Tyler Loop hit a 27 yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 17-0 Ravens. In the fourth quarter the Bengals moved 80 yards in 16 plays and 8 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 7, Joe Burrow was intercepted by Aloni Gilman. The interception was returned by Gilman for an 43 yard touchdown dagger. The teams split the season series with both road teams winning. The 7-7 Ravens are still alive while the Bengals were officially eliminated. 24-0 Ravens

New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jets are awful. The Jaguars are good. The Jaguars began at their own 28. Trevor Lawrence went to Jakobi Meyers for 15, to Thomas for 16, and to Meyers for 10. Lawrence through a 4 yard touchdown pass to Thomas to make it 7-0 Jaguars. Aaron Glenn gambled with the Jets facing 4th and 1 from their own 44. Breece Hall fred to go laterally and lost 6 yards. From the Jets 38, Lawrence went to Meyers for 21. On 3rd and 13 from the Jets 15, Lawrence ran all over the place and finally ran it in for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Jaguars. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Cook went to Williams for 25. Hall ran for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 13, Davis out of the shotgun gained 4. Cook went to Mitchell for an 8 yard touchdown to have the Jets within 14-7. A strong kickoff return had the Jaguars at their own 45. Lawrence went to Meyers for 19. Early in the second quarter Lawrence went to Tuten for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Jaguars.

The Jets managed a second quarter field goal but Little answered from 33 for a 24-10 Jaguars lead. Cook was then intercepted to set the Jaguars up at their own 47. Lawrence went to Washington for 12 and to Travis Etienne for a 20 yard touchdown. The Jaguars were cruising 31-10 at the break. The second half was pointless. The Jets kicked a third quarter field goal. The Jaguars moved 72 yards and Lawrence hit Etienne for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 38-13 Jaguars. The Jets turned it over on downs and Little hit from 22 to have the Jaguars up 41-13 after three quarters. The Jets managed a fourth quarter touchdown but Lawrence found Etienne for a 45 yard touchdown to complete the carpet-bombing. The 10-4 Jaguars remained atop the AFC South. 48-20 Jaguars

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs — The 9-4 Chargers are trying to show that they are an elite team. The 6-7 Chiefs are the 3 time defending aFC Champions on the brink. Last week their spectacular run of 9 straight AFC West crowns came to an end. Now they were just trying to make the playoffs. The Chiefs began at their own 32. a defensive penalty for a low block added 15 yards. On 3rd and 11 form the Chargers 38, Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 17. Mahomes ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. Cameron Dicker hit a 49 yard field goal for the Chargers but Harrison Butker hit from 27 and 47 for a 13-3 Chiefs lead. The Chargers took over at their own 40. Justin Herbert went to Harris for 37. On 3rd and 3 from the Kansas City 16, Herbert went to Lambert-Smith for the touchdown. The Chargers were within 13-10 at the half. The second half was all defense. Dicker hit third quarter field goals of 23 and 49 for a 3 point Chargers lead. Early in the fourth quarter the Chiefs moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 15. On 3rd and 12, Mahomes was intercepted at the one yard line. The Chiefs got it back at their own 8 with 5 1/2 minutes left. At the 2 minute warning on 1st and 10 from the Chargers 46, Mahomes threw incomplete and went down in pain. He injured his knee. In a season gone wrong, this was as bad as it gets. Gardner Minshew came in and the Chiefs reached long field goal range. With 20 seconds left, Minshew was intercepted. The 10-4 Chargers survived. The 6-8 Chiefs are officially out of the playoffs for the first time in the Mahomes era. 16-13 Chargers

Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans — The Cardinals are awful. The Texans are good. On the second play from scrimmage, CJ Stroud connected with Nico Collins for a 57 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Texans. The Cardinals fumbled the ensuing kickoff. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Texans. A shanked 34 yard punt gave the Texans a short field just past midfield. On 3rd and 1 from the Arizona 28, Stroud gained 3. Defensive pass interference meant a 24 yard gain. From the one, Marks dove in to make it 17-0 Texans. The Cardinals managed a 2 yard touchdown in the second quarter but the Texans just poured it on. fairbairn hit from 56 and 22 and had a 52 yard try blocked as the Texans led 23-7 at the intermission. The texans took over at their own 20 in the third quarter. Stroud hit Jordan for 14. Jordan ran for 50. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 12, Stroud found Ogunbowale for 8. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Stroud went to Dalton Schultz to have the Texans rolling 30-7. After another Arizona touchdown, Fairbairn hit from 33 to have the Texans comfortably up 33-14 in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals managed one more touchdown but so did the Texans. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Stroud hit Collins for the final score. After starting 0-3, the Texans are now 9-5 on the year. 40-20 Texans

Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears — The Browns are awful. The Bears lost a tough one at Green Bay last week and at 9-4 are 1/2 game out of the division lead. An 18 yard punt return had the Bears taking over at the Cleveland 42. Deandre swift ran for 10. Caleb Williams went to Loveland for 11. Swift ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. he Bears got it back at their own 20. Williams went to Loveland for 24 and deep to Burden for 40. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Williams went to Moore for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Bears. A field goal try by Cairo santos in the second quarter to extend the lead was no good. The Browns managed a third quarter field goal for their only score. Two interceptions of Shedeur Sanders led to 2 consectuve touchdown drives. Williams threw a 22 yard touchdown pass to Moore and capped an 80 yard drive with a 17 yard touchdown pass to Cole Kmet to make it 28-3 Bears. Cairo Santos hit a 41 yard field goal for the only score of the fourth quarter. The Bears are 10-4 on the year and by the end of the day would regain the NFC North lead by half a game. 31-3 Bears

Washington Commanders at New York Giants — This was the Stupor Bowl as the 3-10 Commanders took on the 2-11 Giants. Jake Moody hit a 46 yard first quarter field goal to make it 3-0 Commanders. Younghoe Koo missed from 52 for the Giants. A 20 yard punt return had the Commanders starting the second quarter at the Giants 47. Marcus Mariota went to Deebo Samuel for 14. Croskey-Merritt gained 11 and then ran for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Commanders. Moody tacked on a 36 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Commanders.

The Giants soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Tracy gained 2. Jaxson Dart gained 29. Tracy ran for a 12 yard touchdown to get the Giants on the board. Yet with one minute left in the half, the Giants collapsed. Lane returned a punt 63 yards for touchdown to make it 19-7 Commanders after the missed extra point. An interception of Dart was returned 56 yards to the Giants 24 with seconds left in the half. Moody hit from 42 to make it 22-7 Commanders.

The Giants began the third quarter at their own 18. Tracy ran for 11. Dart hit Johnson for 24. Dart hit Robinson for 12. Dart found Tracy for an 18 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 22-14. Early in the fourth quarter Younghoe Koo missed a 51 yard field goal try for the Giants. The Commanders took over at their own 41. Mariota went to Samuel for 18. Mariota went deep to Terry McLaurin for a 51 yard touchdown. One minute into the fourth quarter, the Commanders led 29-14.

The Commanders had every chance to put the game away. wit 6 minutes left, the Commanders fumbled and the Giants returned the fumble 23 yards to the Washington 21. On 4th and 5, Dart went to Robinson for the touchdown. The Giants were within 8 with 3:43 left. The Commanders fumbled the ball away again and the Giants recovered just shy of midfield with 2:43 left. With 1:43 left on 4th and 8 from the Washington 38, Dart threw incomplete. It was ugly but the Commanders ended their 8 game losing streak while the Giants have lost 8 straight themselves. 29-21 Commanders

Las Vegas Raiders at Philadelphia Eagles — The Eagles came in having lost 3 straight but were still 8-5. The Raiders came in having lost 7 straight to be an awful 2-11. The Raiders thought they had a ray of hope with Kenny Pickett starting in place of the injured and incompetent Geno Smith. Yet it was the same offensive line. The Eagles began facing 3rd and 3 at their own 40.. Jalen Hurts threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 20 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 34, Hurts gained 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 16, Hurts gained 2. On 3rd and 6 from the Raiders 10, Hurts found Devonta Smith for just enough. Hurts went to Dallas Goedert for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles. The Raiders moved to a 4th and 6 at the Philadelphia 33. Rather than try a 51 yard field goal with light snow flurries coming down, Pete Carroll went for it and Pickett threw incomplete. The Raiders dodged a bullet when a wide open Goedert dropped an easy touchdown pass. Jake Elliott hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 30. Hurts went to Goedert for 12 and 14. On 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 10, Hurt ran for 8. Saquon Barkley ran for a 2 yard touchdown to have the Raiders up 17-0 at the midpoint. The second half was a waste of time. A third quarter interception led to Hurts hitting Goedert for a 4 yard touchdown. Hurts capped a 60 yard drive with a 27 yard touchdown pass to AJ Brown on the first play of the fourth quarter. The 9-5 Eagles are alive. The 2-12 Raiders are a mess. 31-0 Eagles

Indianapolis Colts at Seattle Seahawks — With Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones out for the year, the Colts took drastic action. Philip Rivers has not throw a pass in 5 years. He is 44 and a grandfather. Yet rather than just enter the Hall of Fame in a year or two, Rivers decided to delay his enshrinement at least 5 more years. he started for the Colts against a ferocious Seattle defense. In the first quarter Blake Grupe hit from 42 for the Colts and Jason Myers hit from 47 for a 3-3 game. In the second quarter Grupe hit from 54 to make it 6-3 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 42. On 3rd and 3 Rivers hit Amir Abdullah for 9. Rivers went to Warren for 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 8, Rivers went to Downs for the score. It was Rivers’s first touchdown pass in 5 years. With the Colts up 13-3, it was also the only touchdown of the game off either team. 90 seconds still remained in the half. The rest of the game belonged to Myers. He hit from 52 to end the half, from 46 early in the third quarter, from 32 early in the fourth quarter, and from 30 with 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation to make it 15-13 Seahawks. With 47 seconds left, Grupe came in for a 60 yard field goal try. The kick was good! The Colts led 16-15. Yet they left too much time. With 18 seconds left, Myers came in for a 55 yard try. Good! The Colts had 11 seconds to work with but Rivers was quickly intercepted. The Colts were game but fell to 8-6. The Seahawks on 6 field goals got to 11-3 the hard way. 18-16 Seahawks

Green Bay Packers at Denver Broncos — This was a battle of first place teams. Brandon McManus hit field goals of 53 in the first quarter and 26 in the second quarter, the first one setup by a Denver fumble. The Packers led 6-0. The Broncos soon faced 1st and 20 from their own 20. Bo Nix hit Tony Franklin for 9 with defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. On 3rd and 7 from the green Bay 42, Nix went to Humphrey for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 20, Nix went to Bandy for the touchdown to make it 7-6 Broncos.

The Packers took over at their own 25. On 3rd and 3 Jordan Love went to Jalen Reed for 29. Josh Jacobs ran for 8 and 11. Love went to Reed for 11. On 3rd and goal from the 14, Love went to Jacobs for the touchdown and the 13-7 Packers lead. The Broncos took over at their own 28. Nix went to Cortland Sutton for a 42 yard gain. Nix found Franklin for 10. Nix found Humphrey for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-13 Broncos. McManus hit a 36 yard field goal to end the half with the Packers up 16–14. The Packers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 4 at their own 35. Love threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 25 yards. Jacobs then ripped off a 40 yard touchdown run for a 23-14 Packers lead.

The Broncos took over at their own 29. Nix went to Humphrey for 22 and to Franklin for 18. Nix went to Sutton for a 14 yard touchdown to get the Broncos within 23-21. The Broncos got the ball back and late in the third quarter Sean Payton gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 39. Nix gained 2. Nix found Franklin for 16. Nix went to Marvin Mims for 11. Nix went bak to Franklin for a 23 y yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Broncos led 27-23 early in the fourth quarter. McManus hit a 37 yard field goal to ge the Packers within 27-26 with 11 minutes left.

The Broncos took over at their own 35. Nix went to Sutton for 16. Sean Payton gambled again on 4th and 2 from the Green Bay 41, Rather than just move the chains, Nix went deep to Sutton for 26. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 8, Nix threw incomplete. Yet the defense jumped offside in what was a killer mistake. On the next play Harvey ran for a 4 yard touchdown. The Broncos led by 8 points midway through the fourth quarter. Love was then intercepted. Then both teams turned it over on downs twice. With 50 seconds left on 4th and 15 from his own 33, Love’s final incompletion doomed the Packers. They fell to 9-4, a half a game out of the division lead. Meanwhile, the 12-2 Broncos are two games up in their division and one game up in the conference. With the win, the Broncos became the first AFC team to clinch a playoff birth. 34-26 Broncos

Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers — For the 49ers to keep pace in the NFC West, they had to beat the pathetic Titans. The 49ers began at their own 30. Brock Purdy came out firing, hitting Pearsall for 8, George Kittle for 9, and Kittle again for 23. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 23, Purdy gained 3. On 3rd and 5 from the Tennessee 13, Purdy hit Robinson for 6. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Purdy hit Jennings for the touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. Joey Slye hit a 25 yard field goal for the Titans. In the second quarter the 49ers began facing 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Purdy went deep to Robinson for 30. Purdy hit Kittle for 24. Christian McCaffrey ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 14-3 49ers. The Titans took over at their own 32. On 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Mulings gained 3. Cam Ward went to Okonkwo for 17 and 10. Ward went deep to Helm for a 34 yard touchdown. Midway through the second quarter, the Titans were only down 14-10.

Eddie Pineiro hit a 33 yard field goal with one minute left in the half to make it 17-10 49ers. On the last play of the half, Slye’s 50 yard try was no good. The 49ers began the third quarter at their own 33. Purdy went to McCaffrey for 14 and to Pearsall for 38. Purdy went to Jennings for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 5 yard line. Purdy ran for a 26 yard gain. Kyle Shanahan gambled on 4th and 1 from the Tennessee 33. Purdy gained 2. Purdy went to Kittle for 13. Purdy hit Kittle for a one yard touchdown to have the 49ers comfortably ahead 31-10 after three quarters. In a garbage time fourth quarter, the Titans managed 2 touchdowns, but each time the 49ers answered with a field goal to keep the game out of reach. Pineiro hit from 37 and 40 to seal the win. The 49ers are 10-4 on the year. 37-24 49ers

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints — The Panthers with a win would move into sole possession of first place in the NFC South. The Panthers began facing 3rd and 2 at their own 34. Chuba Hubbard gained 4. On 3rd and 5 from their own 43, Bryce Young gained 15. Young went to Coker for 15. On 3rd and 4 from the New Orleans 17, Hubbard gained 5. Rico Dowdle ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Saints began the second quarter at their own 5 yard line. On 3rd and 13 from their own 14, Tyler Shough went to Vele for 16 with roughing the passer adding 15. Shough went to Vele for 10. Neal ran for 15. Kellen Moore gambled on 4th and 1 from the Carolina 6. Shough gained 2. Neal ran for a 4 yard touchdown to cap the mind-numbing 17 play, 95 yard drive that took a whopping 11 1/2 minutes off the clock. The game was tied 7-7.

Riley Fitzgerald hit a 40 yard field goal to have the Panthers up 10-7 at the half. The Panthers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 7 at their own 33. Young went to Leggett for 34. On 2nd and 21 from the New Orleans 32, Young went deep to Coker for the touchdown. The Panthers had a 17-7 lead, but after that the New Orleans defense dug in.

Smyth hit a 42 yard field goal to have the Saints within 17-10 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter both teams turned it over on downs. With 4 1/2 minutes left the Saints took over at their own 22. Shough went to Austin for 11 and to Chris Olave for big gains of 17, 16 and 16. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 12, Shough went to Olave for the touchdown to tie the game 17-17 with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Saints got the ball back at their own 9 yard line with 52 seconds left. Shough put on a clinic, going to Estime for 19 and 9 and to Olave for 15. Smyth came in for the winning field goal try from 47 yards out. Good! thE panthers had 2 seconds left but the kickoff return was fumbled away. The Panthers are 7-7 while the Saints despite being 4-10 swept the season series. 20-17 Saints

Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams — This is the battle of the blockbuster trade that sent Jared Goff to the Lions and Matthew Stafford to the Rams. The Rams won it all in 2021 while the Lions came very close in 2023 and 2024. Both teams have high-powered offenses. This game was expected to be a shootout and it was. Early on Jake Bates missed a 43 yard field goal try for the Lions. The Rams moved to the Detroit 20, Stafford was intercepted by Aidan Hutchinson, who returned the pick 56 yards to the Rams 17. One play and 5 seconds later, Goff hit Amra St Brown to make it 7-0 Lions. The Rams took over at their own 28. Stafford went to Puka Nacua for 10. On 4th and 4 from the Detroit 45, Sean McVay gambled. Stafford hit Nacua for 6. On 4th and 8 from the Detroit 37, McVay gambled again. Stafford hit Nacua for 10. Stafford went to Colby Parkinson for 23. Kyren Williams ran for a 4 yard touchdown for a 7-7 game.

The Lions moved to a 3rd and goal at the 6. Goff threw incomplete. Bates hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Lions. The Rams took over at their own 31.Williams ran for 19. Stafford went to Nacua for 36. Stafford then hit Parkinson for 11. Williams ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Rams. The Lions took over at their own 35. Goff went deep to St. Brown for 52. On 3rd and 5 from the Rams 8, Goff went to St. Brown for the touchdown to make it 17-14 Lions. The Lions got it back and faced 4th and 1 at their own 29. Dan Campbell sometimes crosses the line from big and bold to crazy and reckless. He is who he is. He gambled and Goff hit St Brown for 14. On 3rd and 8 from their own 45, Goff went to Williams for 14 and again for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 24-14 Lions.

The Rams kept coming. Mevis hit field goals of 37 to end the half and 44 early in the third quarter to have the Rams within 24-20. The Rams got it back and faced 3rd and 1 from their own 21. Stafford hit Parkinson for 4. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 32, Stafford found Davantae Adms for 15. Stafford went to Adams for 21 and to Parkinson for a 26 yard touchdown to have the Rams up 27-24. The Lions punted on 4th and 22 from their own 10 and the Rams took over at midfield. Stafford went to Nacua for 39. Corum ran for an 11 yard touchdown. 20 straight points had a 10 point deficit became a 10 point 34-24 Rams lead after three quarters.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Bates hit a 48 yard field goal to have the Lions within 34-27. The Rams took over at their own 32. Corum ran for 6 and 24. Stafford went to Nacua for 12 and to Parkinson for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 41-27 Rams with 5 minutes left in regulation. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 35. Goff hit Jahmyr Gibbs for 15 and Williams for 17 and 16. On 4th and goal at the 4, Goff threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Montgomery got the yard to get the Lions within 7 points with 2:42 to play. The Lions did get the ball back at their own 20, but only 13 seconds remained. The hook and laterals gained 21 yards but came up 59 yards short. The Lions fell to 8-6 and on the playoff bubble. The 11-3 Rams are tied for the NFC West and overall NFC lead. 41-34 Rams

Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys was the Sunday night game. The Vikings are done for the year while the Cowboys are on the brink of elimination. JJ McCarthy began the game by throwing an interception. The Cowboys took over at the Minnesota 35. They needed 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes just to go 1/2 of the field. Brian schottenheimer went with a fake field goal try on 4th and 4. Aubrey ran for 6. Dak Prescott went to Flournoy for 10. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 2, Schottenheimer gambled. Williams got the yard and then got the one yard touchdown for a 7-0 Cowboys lead. A field position game had the Vikings take over at their own 47. McCarthy went to Aaron Jones for 18 and to Nailor for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.

The Cowboys took over at their own 27. Prescott went to Flournoy for 19 and to CeeDee Lamb for 30. A defensive facemask added 12. Davis ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Cowboys. The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Mason gained 2. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 38, McCarthy went deep to Jordan Addison for a 58 yard gain. Kevin O’Connell went for it on 4th and goal at the one. McCarthy got around the end for the touchdown and a 14-14 game. Aubrey missed a 51 yard field goal that would have given the Cowboys the lead. Will Reichard hit a 29 yard field goal and Aubrey responded from 37 to end the half. For the third time, the game was deadlocked 17-17.

Aubrey hit third quarter field goals of 27 and 41 to have the Cowboys up 23-17. he Vikings took over at their own 27. McCarthy hit TJ Hockenson for 29. On 4th and 3 from the Dallas 37, Kevin O’Connell passed up a 55 yard field goal try and went for it. McCarthy hit Nailor for 23. McCarthy hit Justin Jefferson for 10. Ham ran for a one yard touchdown. The game was tied for the fourth time but then the extra point had the Vikings up 24-23. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Aubrey came in for a 59 yard field goal try to give the Cowboys the lead. His kick was no good. The Vikings took over just shy of midfield. McCarthy found Hockenson for 18 and Nailor for a 4 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left the Vikings led 31-23. The Cowboys moved to a 4th and 7 at the Minnesota 45 with 5 1/2 minutes left. Prescott hit Davis for 6, coming up one yard short. Reichard hit a 53 yard field goal to have the Vikings up 34-23 with 1:08 to play. Needing 2 scores, Aubrey hit from 41 with 19 seconds left. The onside kick failed as the Cowboys dropped to 6-7 and in dire straits. 34-26 Vikings

Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Monday night game. The 6-7 Dolphins took on the 7-6 Steelers in a battle for survival. The first half was all defense. After 25 minutes of scoreless fiootball, Riley Patterson hit a 54 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. The ensuing kickoff was short of the landing zone, setting up the Steelers at their own 40. Aaron Rodgers hit Smith for 10, Washington for 13, and Kenneth Gainwell for 10. Mike Tomlin gambled on 4th and 1 from the Miami 15. Hayward got the yard. Rodgers hit Gainwell for 10. On 3rd and goal at the one with 17 seconds left in the half, Hayward busted in up he gut to make it 7-3 Steelers. The Steelers began the third quarter at their own 29. On 3rd and 1, Warren gained 2. Gainwell then busted through the line for a 38 yard gain. Rodgers found a wide open Marques Valdes-Scantling for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Steelers.The Steelers got the ball back at their own 23. On 3rd and 3 Rodgers threw incomplete but the defense had 12 men on the field. Gainwell had a pair of 9 yard tuns. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 42, Rodgers went to Pat Freiermuth for 16. On 3rd and 12 from the Miami 28, Rodgers zipped a pass over the middle to DK Metcalf, who bounced off of tacklers and weaved his way into the end zone for a 21-3 Steelers lead with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. The Steelers got it back and faced 3rd and 8 at their own 21. Rodgers hit Freiermuth for 7 but a defensive taunting penalty added 15. Rodgers went to Freiermuth again for 22. Rodgers hit Warren for 10. Anderson ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 28-3 Steelers early in the fourth quarter. The Dolphins got a couple of garbage touchdowns to make the score look close. The 8-6 Steelers still lead the AFC North while the 6-8 Dolphins are done. 28-15 Steelers.

NFL 2025 Week 15 Prequel

In September, all 32 NFL teams are like little puppies with dreams in their eyes. This is December. Put the NFL puppies to bed. December brings the words of John Randle and Mike Singletary that ring as true as a quarterback getting his bell rung.

“This is when the big dogs come out.”

You can yap and yelp in September. You better be snarling mad dog mean to win in the National Football League in December.

This is when the big dogs come out.

There is room for finesse in September. The weather is colder in December. The bodies are bruised, beaten, battered and bloodied. The best of these men will refuse to stay down. Talking does not win Super Bowls. The Lombardi Trophy is not hoisted by engaging in words. Winning teams in December bring their battering rams. December is smash-mouth offense, bone-crunching defense, and brutal, blustery football weather.

This is when the big dogs come out.

September brings sunshine and ease at moving the ball. December is a war of attrition where every yard is contested. Fourth and goal at the one is not so easy when the men in the trenches are fighting the elements of rain, snow, and cold as well as each other. Every loss brings a team closer to the season’s end short of the goal. In December, only the very strongest of the strong survive. The very strongest of those men thrive.

This is December football. These are the big dogs. This is when the big dogs come out.

Thursday, December 11, 2025, 8pm

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4 1/2) — The Falcons are bad. The Buccaneers are better. Baker Mayfield has more weapons than Kirk Cousins has. The Buccaneers are trying to win their division and will be ready. Buccaneers cover

Sunday, December 14,, 1pm 

Buffalo Bills (-1 1/2) at New England Patriots — The Patriots are 11-2 yet home underdogs. On paper, Josh Allen is better than Drake Maye and the Bills do have a high-powered offense. The Bills have dominated the AFC East for the last 5 years. The Patriots would love to deliver the knockout blow but champions do not go down easy. This could be the closing of the Bills window, so expect them to bring everything they have. Bills cover

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (-2 1/2) — Two weeks ago Joe Burrow returned and he Bengals went into Baltimore and belted the Ravens. The Ravens went from winning 5 straight to losing 2 straight at home. Home field does not matter in this series. John Harbaugh is a better coach than Zac Taylor. If Derrick Henry can get going, the desperate Ravens will get revenge against a Bengals team with nothing to play for. Upset special, Ravens win outright

New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3 1/2) — The Jets are awful. The Jaguars are now clicking on all cylinders. Trevor Lawrence guided the Jaguars to first place in the AFC South. Go with the better team with everything to play for. Jaguars cover

Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (-5 1/2) — The Chiefs are on the brink of elimination. The Chargers got a big overtime win against Philadelphia and might be exhausted. The Chargers could finish off the Chiefs for good but Justin Herbert is playing with an injured hand. This is another case of a champion fighting to the bitter end. Chiefs win but fail to cover

Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans (-9 1/2) — The Cardinals are awful. The Texans have a tough defense. The spread is too high given that the Texans offense does not do that much. The Texans got a big emotional win at Kansas City and may start out sluggish. Texans win but fail to cover

Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears (-7 1/2) — The Browns have a defense but no offense. The Bears in the last couple of weeks have gone from a team seen as frauds to a tea that is for real. Losing at Green Bay was a bump in the road. Bears cover

Washington Commanders at New York Giants (-2 1/2) — League rules required that this game be played and not get canceled. In the Jayden vs Jaxson roller coaster, Jaxson Dart is back from injury while Jayden Daniels is out injured. Go with a healthy Dart at home. Giants cover

Las Vegas Raiders at Philadelphia Eagles (-11 1/2) — The Eagles have lost 3 straight including an overtime heartbreaker last week. They have a lights out defense but their offense is malfunctioning. The Raiders have lost 7 straight because they only have a very good defense and a completely non-functioning offense. The spread is high and the Raiders lose close games. A garbage touchdown is possible, especially with Kenny Pickett starting in place of the injured and inept Geno Smith. Eagles win but fail to cover

4pm

Indianapolis Colts at Seattle Seahawks (-14) — With a gruesome injury finishing Daniel Jones for the year and anthony Richardson already on injured reserve, the Colts brought in retired 44 year Old Man Philip Rivers, who just keeps rolling along. The Seahawks are a whopping 14 point favorites. The Seahawks are playing great football and have won several blowouts. Their defense could batter Rivers back into retirement. As great as Rivers was, he has not thrown a pass in three years. Seahawks cover

Green Bay Packers (-2 1/2) at Denver Broncos — The Packers have won four straight while the Broncos have won 10 straight. Somehow the Broncos are home underdogs. This makes zero sense. The Broncos defense is playing spectacular football. Jordan Love and Bo Nix are both very good, so go with the home tea and the better defense. Upset special, Broncos win outright

Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers (-12 1/2) — The Titans were the worst team in football but somehow got their second win of the year last week. They even won on the road. Now back to reality. The 49ers are a good team that is getting healthy at the right time. This game could be over by halftime 49ers cover

Carolina Panthers (-2 1/2) at New Orleans Saints — The Saints got a road win last week but the Panthers are fighting for a playoff spot. Tyler Shough has shown competence and has been an upgrade over Spencer Rattler. The Panthers have been too inconsistent to trust against a bad but improving Saints squad. Upset special, Saints win outright

Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams (-6) — This is why we watch football. Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford again face off against their former teams. Both high-powered offenses could make this a great shootout. The Lions defense still has not fixed the problems that doomed them last year. The spread is too high given that the Lions at their best can score at will. So can the Rams. Rams win but fail to cover

8pm

Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys (-5 1/2) — Both teams have fallen far below expectations. The Cowboys have the better offense and the worse defense. Dak Prescott can still spread the ball around. The Cowboys are clinging to playoff life and will not see their postseason dreams dashed at home by an inferior team. Cowboys cover

Monday, December 15, 8pm

Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) — Every time the Steelers are about to be counted out, Mike Tomlin gets a big win. Going on the road and taking down Baltimore matters. The Dolphins are not eliminated but the Steelers at home in cold weather should be able to run the ball and get the job done. Steelers cover

NFL 2025 Week 14 Prequel

Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions (-3) — The cowboys have won 2 straight but this week the Lions right the ship. Both teams have plenty of  talent on offense, Go with the home field. Lions cover

Seattle Seahawks (-7) at Atlanta Falcons — The Seahawks are a good team. The Falcons are not. The spread is high for a road team. If the Falcons can get Bijan Robinson going, they can defeat the spread. Seahawks win but fail to cover. 

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (-6) — Both teams are in desperation mode. The Steelers got crushed at home by Buffalo to fall to 6-6. The ravens suffered an embarrassing home loss to Cincinnati. These teams play close games. Go with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. Ravens win but fail to cover

Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns (-4) — Both teams are bad. The Browns have a defense, with myles Garrett playing with abandon. The Titans are hopeless. Browns cover

Indianapolis Colts (-1 1/2) at Jacksonville Jaguars — Both teams are 8-4. Jonathan Taylor and Travis Etienne both run wild. Trevor Lawrence is playing like the top overall pick he was. Daniel Jones is playing injured. Upset special,, Jaguars win outright

Washington Commanders at Minnesota Vikings (-2) — Both teams were very good last year and very bad this year. The Commanders let a heartbreaker last week against Denver. This is one to go with the home field. Vikings cover.

Miami Dolphins (-3) at New York Jets — Both teams are terrible. The Jets got a win last week and are at home again. Go with the home field. Jets cover

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-8 1/2) — The Saints are awful and the Buccaneers stopped a three game losing streak. Baker Mayfield has plenty of weapons. Buccaneers cover

Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills (-5 1/2) — The Bills went into Pittsburgh and smacked around Baltimore. The Bengals did the same at Baltimore. The return of Joe Burrow clearly sparked the Bengals. Home field will not matter. The Bengals have won this matchup in recent years. Bills win but fail to cover 

Denver Broncos (-7 1/2) at Las Vegas Raiders — The Broncos are one of the best teams in the league. The Raiders may not beat a high school team. Yet the Raiders took the Broncos to the limit in Denver. The spread is high for a road team and Denver tends to play close games. The issue is that the Raiders offensive line is a mess. The Broncos have a defense. The Broncos barely survived Washington last week. Broncos win but fail to dover

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (-6 1/2) The Bears silenced a ton of critics last week by going into Philadelphia and smacking them around. The Bears have the best record in the conference, but asking them to then win at Green Bay is a lot to ask. The Bears have finally earned the benefit of the doubt, but Jordan love at home should be able to trains running. Packers win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Rams (-8 1/2) at Arizona Cardinals — The Rams will be angry after stumbling at Carolina. The Cardinals are awful. A garbage touchdown in the desert is possible, but the Rams will right the ship without too much trouble. Rams win but fail to cover

Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs (-3 1/2) — The Chiefs at 6-6 are on the brink. The Texans have a great defense but Patrick Mahomes at home should keep the Chiefs alive. The Chiefs play close games and the Texans do not blow teams out. Chiefs win but fail to cover

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Los Angeles Chargers — The Eagles will be angry after losing at home to Chicago. The Chargers are playing well but the Eagles have a good defense. Eagles cover

NFL 2025 Week 13 Recap

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Thursday morning game. Two good football teams battled in the NFC North. The Packers got a 45 yard field goal from Brandon McManus for an early 3-0 lead. The Packers got it back and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 31. Josh Jacobs ripped off a 29 yard run. On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 34, the defense jumped offsides. The second quarter began with the Packers facing 4th and 3 at the Detroit 22. Matt LaFleur passed up a 40 yard field goal try and went for it. Rather than just move the chains, Jordan Love went deep to Dontavion Wicks for the touchdown. Replay showed that Wicks did not get both feet down. His second foot landed on the chalk. The officials just blew the call. Yet the touchdown stood and the Packers led 10-0.

The Lions took over at their own 35. Jared Goff went to Williams for 22. On 2nd and 15 from the Green Bay 47, Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 18. On 3rd and 13 from the Green Bay 32, Goff hit Kennedy for 23. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Montgomery took the direct snap and got in to have the Lions within 10-7. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Love went to Watson for 4. On 3rd and 5 from their own 46, Love went to Wicks for 18. Love then went to Musgrave for 23. On 4th and 1 from the Detroit 2, Matt LaFleur gambled again. Love found Romeo Doubs for the touchdown to cap the 12 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive to have the Packers up 17-7 with 2:12 left in the half.

The Lions faced 3rd and 1 at their own 44 with 1:19 left. Montgomery gained 2. Goff then went to Williams for 25. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 22, Goff with all the time in the world found Williams for the touchdown. The Lions were back within 17-14 as each team scored touchdowns on their last two drives. In the third quarter the Lions faced 4th and 3 at the Green Bay 47. Looking for the lead, Dan Campbell went for it. After losing a yard on 3rd and 2, Gibbs carried again and this time lost 2 yards. Two plays later Love went bombs away to Watson for a 51 yard touchdown and a 24-14 Packers lead.

The Lions took over at their own 29. Goff ran for 24 yards. Goff went to Montgomery for 13. Montgomery then ran for 14. Goff went to TeSlaa for a 17 yard touchdown to have the Lions back within 24-21 midway through the third quarter. The Packers took over at their own 28. Melton got around the end for 14. Love went deep to Wicks for 30. The Packers avoided disaster when they fumbled but the ball bounced straight to a big offensive lineman with rare good hands. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 6, Love threw incomplete but a defensive facemask penalty meant 1st and goal at the 3. Love found Wicks in the corner and Wicks barely got the ball over the plane of the goal for a one yard touchdown. For the fourth time on the day, the Lions were within 3 points only to see the Packers go up by 10 points. The Packers led 31-21 after three quarters. 

The Lions moved from their own 26 and moved to a 4th and 3 at the Green Bay 21 with 11 minutes left in regulation. Rather than kick a 39 yard field goal, Dan Campbell went for it again. Got had a wife open Williams in the flat. Williams just dropped it. It was right in his chest, and he blew it. Campbell became a hero for constantly going for it, but his team has gone 0 for 7 on 4th down conversions the last 2 weeks. The Lions got a rare defensive stop when the officials missed a clear defensive pass interference penalty on the 3rd down incompletion. The Lions got the ball back at their own 20. and moved to a 1st and goal at the 4. After a pair of incompletions, Goff was drilled on 3rd down for a sack. Jake Bates hit the 31 yard field goal to get the Lions within 7 points. Yet only 3  minutes remained. The Detroit defense needed another stop.

The Packers took over and soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Love went to Watson for 8. The Lions took their final timeout with 2:38 left and the Packers facing 2nd and 7 just past midfield. Everything came down to the Packers facing 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 45 at the 2 minute warning. One first down would end the game. In this situation, the entire football world knows that you run the ball every single time. Every. Single. Time. Instead, Matt LaFleur gambled on a pass play. Love’s pass was well defended and fell incomplete to stop the clock. LaFleur then went even crazier and decided to go for it on 4th and 3 instead of punt the ball. After taking a timeout, LaFleur was not bluffing. Love snapped the ball out of the shotgun and went deep to Wicks over the middle. Wicks lost his sneaker but hung on to the ball for a 16 yard gain. Love took a couple knees to seal the win. Love had 4 touchdown passes with 0 interceptions. The Packers got to 8-3-1 while the Lions fell to 7-5. More importantly, the Packers swept the season series. 31-24 Packers

Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon game. Both the three time defending AFC Champion Chiefs and the Cowboys were in desperate shape regarding the playoffs. The Chiefs were only 6-5 while the Cowboys were 5-5-1. On the third play from scrimmage Dak Prescott was intercepted. The Chiefs took over at the Dallas 37. Patrick Mahomes quickly went to Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 10 and to Rasheed Rice for a 27 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Cowboys took over at their own 25. On 3rd and 7 from their own 43 Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for 10. On 3rd and 9 from the Kansas City 46, Prescott hit Lamb for 17. Prescott then found Williams for 14. On 3rd and 10 from the Kansas City 35, Prescott connected with Lamb to cap the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive for the touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Chiefs took over at their own 28. Karim Hunt ran for 14 and 7 and Xavier Worthy added 17. Isaiah Pacheco added 9. On 3rd and 14 from the Dallas 25, Mahomes ran for 16. On 4th and goal at the 2, Walrus Andy Reid went for it. Mahomes fired over the middle to Travis Kelce for the touchdown to culminate the 12 play, 72 yard, 6 minutes drive and make it a 14-7 Chiefs lead after the first quarter. 

The Cowboys began the second quarter and moved to a 4th and 3 at the Kansas City 31. Brian Schottenheimer decided not to gamble. Brandon Aubrey hit the 49 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 14-10. The Cowboys got it back and soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 18. Prescott found Ferguson for 11. On 3rd and 3 from their own 36, Prescott found George Pickens for 12. Davis then ripped off a 43 yard touchdown run as the Cowboys took the 17-14 lead to the locker rooms.  A third quarter punt had the Cowboys pinned at their own 4 yard line. They moved all the way to a 4th and 3 at the Kansas City 13. Brian Schottenheimer lined up to go for it but it was just gamesmanship. The Chiefs defense didn’t bite as the Cowboys took the delay of game. Aubrey hit the 36 yard field goal to have the Cowboys up 20-14.

The Chiefs took over at their own 20. Mahomes went deep to Rice for 28. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 44, Mahomes hit Hunt for 22. Mahomes went to Rice for 13. On 4th and goal at the 3 to start the fourth quarter, Walrus Andy Reid gambled. Mahomes found Rice for the touchdown to have the Chiefs up 21-20. The Cowboys took over at their own 32. Defensive pas interference added 10. Williams ran for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Kansas City 45, Prescott went to Pickens for 39. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Prescott scrambled for his life and at the very last moment flipped it to Williams for the touchdown. Schottenheimer then went for 2. Prescott again waited until the last moment and fired to Pickens in the front corner. With no room to spare, Pickens came down with it. The Cowboys retook the lead 28-21 with 11 minutes left in regulation. 

The Cowboys got it back at their own 10. Prescott immediately went bombs away to Lamb for 51. Needing only a field goal to tighten the screws, the Cowboys did everything possible to screw themselves. Prescott threw a pass into traffic that somehow fell incomplete. On the next play the Cowboys fumbled but were able to retain possession. Aubrey hit the 26 yard field goal to give the Cowboys breathing room up 31-21 with 5:16 to play. 

The Chiefs took over needing 2 scores and Mahomes was immediately sacked. On 3rd and 5 form his own 38, Mahomes was all but sacked on the next play. Somehow the magician did it again, escaping, rolling out, and finding Worthy deep for a 42 yard gain. Mahomes then ran for 10. Mahomes fired high and over the middle to Hollywood Brown, who made a leaping grab and got both feet down in the back of the end zone inbounds for the touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Chiefs were right back in it down by 3 points. 

The only way to beat Mahomes is to keep him off the field. The Cowboys took over at their own 32. A pair of defensive pass interference calls kept the drive alive. Everything came down to the Cowboys facing 3rd and 2 at the Kansas City 40 just before the 2 minute warning. The Chiefs were out of timeouts. A run made sense, but Schottenheimer went big. An incompletion would even give the Chiefs an extra timeout. Yet Prescott fired over the middle to Pickens for a 13 yard gain. Prescott then took 3 knees for he upset. The Cowboys somehow got to 6-5-1. The Chiefs are now an even more desperate 6-6, making Andy Reid a most concerned Walrus indeed. 31-28 Cowboys

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens was the Thanksgiving Thursday night game. Both teams have suffered key injuries this year. The Ravens started 1-5 but when Lamar Jackson returned from injury the Ravens ripped off 5 straight wins. The Bengals have been a disaster with Joe Burrow out most of the season. Yet Burrow was back, so we would see if he would provide the lift that Jackson did on the other side. The Bengals began with a 31 yard Evan McPherson field goal for a 3-0 Bengals lead. The Ravens took over at their own 31. Jackson went to Kolar for 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 43, Derrick Henry gained 4. Jackson ran for 11. Henry ripped off a 28 yard touchdown run for a 7-3 Ravens lead. The Ravens fumbled deep in their own territory and the Bengals were gifted 1st and goal at the 2. Burrow threw incomplete twice sandwiched around a run that went nowhere. Zac Taylor gambled. On 4th and goal at the 2, Burrow threw incomplete again as the Bengals wasted the opportunity.

McPherson hit a 42 yard field goal in the second quarter to get the Bengals within 7-6.

The Ravens moved easily from their own 31 to the Cincinnati 44. Then came the key play in the game. Jackson hooked up with Isaiah Likely, who weaved through traffic and made it all the way to the end zone. The Ravens were on their way to a 14-6 lead and an easy win. Then came the review. Likely had the ball knocked out of his hands inches before he broke the plane of the goal. While the Ravens were celebrating a touchdown, the officials reversed it and properly called it a touchback. Replay clearly showed Likely lost the ball before breaking the plane, and then the ball rolled out of the end zone. The Ravens moved all the way to a 3rd and goal at the 6. Burrow threw incomplete. McPherson hit from 24. Despite not reaching the end zone, the Bengals led 9-7 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Ravens again fumbled deep in their own territory as Jackson was strip sacked. The Bengals took over at the Baltimore 19 with 28 seconds left. On 2nd and 6, Burrow threw incomplete twice. McPherson hit his 4th field goal from 33 to have the Bengals up 12-7 at the break.

The Bengals took over in the third quarter at their own 39. On 3rd and 4 Burrow hit Chase for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 43, defensive pass interference added 17 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 14, Burrow went to Hudson for the touchdown to make it 19-7 Bengals. The Ravens took over at there own 32. Jackson went to Mark Andrews for 19. Henry ran for 8, 7 and 7. Jackson ran for 9. Mitchell got around the end for an 18 yard touchdown to get the Ravens within 19-14. The Bengals took over at their own 32. Burrow went to Brown for 9. Samaji Perine gained 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 44, Burrow went to Chase for 14. On 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 29, Burrow went deep to Iosivas for the touchdown to make it 26-14 Bengals. Trying to make a comeback, the Ravens moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Cincinnati 15. Jackson was intercepted and Knight returned it 39 yards to his own 47. McPherson’s 5th field goal from 52 made it 29-14 Bengals. The Ravens 4th fumble and 5th overall turnover led to McPherson’s 6th field goal from 41 to complete the scoring. The Ravens dropped to 6-6 on the year. 32-14 Bengals

Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles was the Black Friday game. Both teams came in 8-3, but the eagles were expected to easily win tis game. They were angry at home after blowing a 21-0 lead last week. The Bears finally last week at home beat a team with a winning record. The Bears were frauds and everyone knew it. The critics would not be silenced until they won a big game. Early in the game Ben Johnson gambled on 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 25. Monangai got stopped cold. The Bears got the ball back at their own 22. Monangai gained 17, 5 and 5. Swift gained 23. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 14, Monangai gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 3. Swift ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. In the second quarter Jake Elliott hit a 44 yard field goal for the Eagles while Cairo Santos answered from 30 to have the Bears up 10-3 at the half. 

The Eagles offense misfired most of the day but in the third quarter they got the ball back at their own 8. Jalen Hurts went to AJ Brown for 16. Roughing the passer added 15. Hurts ran for 23. Hurts went deep to Brown for a 33 yard touchdown. Yet elation turned to deflation when Elliott missed the extra point wide left. It was a heavily windy day, as the Eagles trailed 10-9. Caleb Williams was then intercepted to give the Eagles a golden chance to take the lead at the Chicago 36. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 12, it was tush push time. Yet this time Hurt had the ball chopped out of hi hands. The Bears recovered the fumble at their own 13. 

From that spot, Monangai immediately ripped off a 31 yard run. followed by runs of 5 and 9. On 4th and 5 from the Philadelphia 37, it was too windy for a 55 yard field goal try. Ben Johnson went for it. Williams went to Loveland for 7. Monangai ran for 9 and 5 to start the fourth quarter. Monangair ran for the 4 yard touchdown to have the Bears up 17-9 with 13 minutes left in regulation. The Bears got it back and faced 3rd and 4 at their own 43. Williams went to Moore for 11. On 3rd and 4 from th Philadelphia 40, Williams went to Zaccheaus for 10. Williams went deep to Cole Kmet for a 28 yard touchdown to have the Bears up 24-9 with 6 1/2 minutes left.

The Eagles took over at their own 20 in desperation mode. Hurts went to Brown for 13. On 3rd and 9 from their own 34, Hurts found Devonta Smith for 12 and to Dotson for 12 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 42, Hurts found Brown for 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 21, Hurts again went to Brown for 17. Hurts went to Brown one more time for a 4 yard touchdown. With 3:10 to play, an extra point would have the Eagles within one score. Yet Nick Sirianni made the horrendous decision to go for 2. In this situation, you kick the extra point…every…single..time. Give your team a ray of hope. Instead Hurts threw incomplete and the Eagles were still down 9.

This meant the Eagles had to go onside kick rather than kick it deep. The onside kick failed. With 1:15 left on 4th and 4 from the Philly 30, Johnson opted against a 48 yard field goal try. Williams threw incomplete. Because of the missed extra point and the failed attempt at chasing points, the Eagles needed 2 scores. With 13 seconds left, Elliott came in for a 52 yard field goal try. The Eagles needed a field goal, an onside kick recovery, and a Hail Mary. The other two never happened as Elliott’s field goal was no good. It looked dead center but a gust of wind at the last moment sent it wide left. The Eagles have lost 2 straight but are still 8-4. The 9-3 Bears finally silenced the critics. This was not finesse. They just hit the Eagles in the mouth. Ben Johnson played smash mouth, running the ball a whopping 47 times for an insane 281 yards, 6 yards per carry. 24-15 Bears

San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns — The 49ers are a good team who are better with quarterback Brock Purdy back from injury. The Browns got a rare win last week. Shedeur Sanders had is first home start. A 66 yard punt return in the first quarter had the 49ers taking over at the Cleveland 16. On 3rd and 8 Purdy went to Christian McCaffrey for 12. On 3rd and goal at the one, McCaffrey got in. In the second quarter the Browns took over at their own 10. Judkins ran for 8, 3 and 7. Sampson added 7 and 8. 9 straight runs had the Browns at the san Francisco 34. Sanders went deep to Fannni. Kevin Stefanski likes to go for unnecessary 2 point conversions. This time it worked as Judkins got in to make it 8-7 Browns. The Browns offense took the remaining 26 minutes off. 

With time running out in the half Purdy went deep to George Kittle for 33. The 49ers had 1st and goal at the 7 but only 4 seconds remained. Kyle Shanahan was not in a gambling mood. Matt Gay hit the 25 yard field goal to put the 49ers up 10-8. The key play of the game came midway through the third quarter. Kevin Stefanski lost his mind and gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 33. The Browns fumbled and the 49ers took over at the Cleveland 32. McCaffrey gained 7, one, and on 3rd and 2, 4. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 18, Purdy went to Kittle for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 2, purdy got in to make it 17-8 49ers. Early in the fourth quarter the Browns fumbled a punt and the 49ers took over at the Cleveland 18. On 3rd and 5 Purdy went to McCaffrey for 8. On 3rd and goal at the 7 Purdy went to Jennings for the touchdown to make it 23-8 49ers. Matt Gay tacked on a 31 yard field goal to complete the scoring. The 9-4 49ers are in a strong playoff position. 26-8 49ers

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans — The Jaguars are better than average but inconsistent. The Titans are the worst team in football and are consistently bad. The Titans got an early Joey Slye field goal for a 3-0 lead and then took the rest of the game off. The Jaguars faced 3rd and 8 at their own 16. Trevor Lawrence went deep to Washington for 26 and even deeper to Jakobi Meyers for 50. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Lawrence went to Meyers for the touchdown to make it 7-3 Jaguars. The Titans fumbled the ensuing kickoff to set up the Jaguars at the Tennessee 35. Lawrence hit Patrick for 11. On the first play of the second quarter Lawrence went to Strange for a 21 yard touchdown. Liam Cohen went for a useless 2 point conversion and Lawrence got in to make it 15-3 Jaguars. With one second left in the half, the Jaguars were not in field goal range. Lawrence was unable to get the Hail Mary off. Yet a completely unnecessary late hit on Lawrence after the play gave the Jaguars 15 yards and one untimed down. Now they were in field goal range. Little hit from 45 to have the Jaguars up 18-3 at the half. These are the Titans. The second half was pointless. In the third quarter the Jaguars punted on 4th and 20 from their own 19. Yet the Titans engaged in roughing the punter to gift the Jaguars 15 yards and a new set of downs. These are the Titans. On 3rd and 10 from their own 34, Lawrence went to Thomas for 17. Lawrence found Meyers for 7 and Morris for 14. Liam Cohen went for it on 4th and 1 from the Tennessee 4. Lawrence gained 2. Tuten ran for a 2 yard touchdown to finish the game 25 minutes early. The 8-4 Jaguars are tied atop the AFC South. 25-3 Jaguars

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts — The Colts are a good team but Daniel Jones has been playing with a break in his fibula. The texans have a very good defense while the Colts bring the offense. Davis Mills was 3-0 in relief of CJ Stroud, who returned from injury. Early on the Texans moved from their own 32 to a 3rd and goal at the 4. Stroud threw incomplete. Kaimi Fairbairn hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. On their next series in the second quarter, Stroud was quickly intercepted to set up the Colts at the Houston 42. Jone went to Pierce for 19 and again for the 19 yard touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright no good as the Colts led 6-3. The Colts took over at their own 33. Stroud went to Nico Collins for 15. Marks ran for 16. Stroud went to Collins for 22. Nich Chubb ran for the 4 yard touchdown as the Texans took a 10-6 lead to the locker rooms. Fairbairn tacked on a 43 yard field goal in the third quarter for a 13-6 Texans lead. 

The Colts soon faced 3d and 11 at their own 20. Jones went deep to Downs for a 34 yard gain. On 3rd and 19 from his own 35, Jones threw deep incomplete but a 32 yard defensive pass interference call kept the drive going. Jones went to Warren for a 12 yard touchdown for a 13-13 tie after three quarters. The Texans took over at their own 35. Stroud went to Higgins for 19. On 3rd and 6 from the Indianapolis 42, Stroud went to Higgins for 12. The fourth quarter began with the Texans facing 3rd and 15 at the Indianapolis 25. Stroud threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 8 yards and a new set of downs. On 3rd and 1 from the Indy 8, Stover got the yard. Collins ran for the 7 yard touchdown to have the Texans up 20-13 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Mike Badgley hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Colts within 4 with 8 1/2 minutes. The Colts got it back and moved to a 2nd and 9 from the Houston 31 at the 2 minute warning. Down by 4, a field goal would do no good. Jones threw 3 straight incompletions. The Colts fell to 8-4 while the Texans climbed to 7-5. 20-16 Texans

New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins — Sometimes a pair of terrible teams can come together and play a thrilling game for the ages. This was not that game, but it was not a bad game either. The Dolphins began at their own 31. Devon Achane and Wrightt each gained 8 yards On 3rd and 5 from the New Orleans 48, Tua Tagovailoa went to Washington for 19. Achae ran for a 19 yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The second quarter belonged to Riley Patterson. He hit field goals of 39, 25 and 48 to have the Dolphins dominating 16-0 at halftme. 

The Saints began the third quarter facing 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Though gained 2. Though went to Vele for 14. Though fold Chris Olave for a 17 yard touchdown. Shough got in for the 2 point conversion to have the Saints within 16-8. Patterson’s  33 yard field goal gave the Dolphins breathing room, up 19-8 with 9 1/2 minutes.Smyth nailed a 56 yarder to have theSaints within 19-11 with 6 minute left in regulation. 

Mike McDaniel gambled on 4th and 1 from the New Orleans 48. A run lost a yard. From their own 48, Shough hit Vele for 12. Though found Oneal for 10, Olave fro 16, Vele for 8, and Vele for the 15 yard touchdown. With 1:17 left, a 2 point conversion would tie the game. Then things went crazy. Though went to the flat and Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted the ball at the goal line. Fitzpatrick had a clear path and raced 100 yards the other way for a defensive score. Instead of 19-19, the Dolphins led 21-17. Now the Saints had to go onside kick. It was a good one and the Saints recovered at their own 34. Yet because of the previous 2 point interception return, a field goal was not good enough. On 2n and 1 from the Miami 36, Though threw incomplete twice. On 4th and 1 with 35 seconds left, Shuogh kept it himself up the middle and got stopped stone cold short. 21-17 Dolphins

Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets — Another pair of terrible teams played a very good game. After a scoreless first quarter, the second quarter began with the Falcons fumbling a punt and the Jets recovering at the Atlanta 2 yard line. One play and 2 seconds later Breece Hall was in the end zone for a 7-0 Jets lead. With 3:10 left in the half the Falcons took over at their own 38. Bijan Robinson ran for 16. On 3rd and 4 from the Jets 40, Kirk Cousins went to Pitts for 10. With 9 seconds left Tyler Allgeier ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-7. 

In the third quarter the Falcons faced 2nd and 11 from their own 4 yard line. Allgeier gained 12. Cousins connected with Robinson for a 42 yard gain with 15 more tacked on for roughing the passer. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 5, Robinson for ti cap the 95 yard drive and put the Falcons up 14-7. 2 plays later the game was tied again. Tyrod Taylor hit Hall for 13 and then went deep to Mitchell for a 52 yard touchdown for a 14-14 game. Zane Gonzalez missed a 50 yard field goal try for the Falcons and Folk then missed from 55. It was Folk’s first miss of a field goal or extra point this entire season. Gonzalez did hit from 52 for the Falcons to end the half. Williams then returned the second half kickoff 83 yards for the Jets to the Atlanta 125. Yet on 3rd and 4, Taylor threw incomplete. Folk hit from 32 for a 17-17 game.

The Falcons took over at their own 26. Robinson caught a pass from Cousins for 7 and ran for 13. Cousins went to Pitts for 11 and to Allgeier for 31. On 3rd and goal from the 9, Cousins went to Sills for the touchdown. The Falcons led 24-17 with 8 1/2 minutes left. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Hall gained 9. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 46, Taylor went to Allen Lazard for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 29, Taylor gained 9. On 4th and 1 from the Atlanta 11, Taylor gained 2. Taylor ran for a 10 yard touchdown. With 1:53 left, the game was tied for the 4th time 24-24. With 35 seconds left the Jets got the ball back at their own 43. Taylor ran for 14. With 4 seconds left Folk came in for a 56 yard attempt to try and win it. It was a low line drive knuckleball that somehow snuck just over the crossbar and inside the left upright good. Aaron Glenn and every right to do the duck walk on that one. 27-24 Jets

Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers — The 9-2 Rams came in with sole possession in the conference. They just needed to get past a Carolina team that has been improved in recent weeks. A strong kickoff return plus a personal foul on the kicking team had the Rams starting the game at the Carolina 35. Matthew Stafford went to Puka Nacua for 10 and to Colby Parkinson for 10 more. Stafford hit Devontae Adams for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 34. Bryce Young went to Coker for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Rams 44, Chuba Hubbard gained 7. On 3rd and 8 from the Rams 35, Young went to Hubbard for the touchdown for a 7-7 game. Stafford then threw a pair of interceptions, the latter of which was returned 48 yards by Jackson for a defensive touchdown and a 14-7 Panthers lead. The Rams took over at their own 36. Stafford went to Smith for 27. Corum ran for 14. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 7, Stafford went to Adams for the touchdown and a 14-14 game in the second quarter..

Fitzgerald hit a 33 yard field goal make it 17-14 Panthers. The Rams took over at their own 20. Stafford went deep to Smith for 51. Corum ran for a 2 yard touchdown to have the Rams back up 21-17. The Panthers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 3 at their own 36. Hubbard gained just enough. On 3rd and 5 at their own 44, Young went to Coker for 16. On 4th and 3 from the Rams 33, Young went deep to Coker for the touchdown.  The third lead change of he game had the Panthers up 24-21 after three quarters. The Rams took over in the fourth quarter at their own 11. Corum ran for 34 and then 6 more. Williams ran for 12. Stafford went deep to Nacua for 31. Williams ran for a 7 yard touchdown. The 4th lead change had the Rams up 28-24 with 10 minutes left. 

The Panthers took over at their own 35. Young went to Rico Dowdle for 13. On 4th and 2 from the Rams 43 with 6 1/2 minutes left, Young went deep to McMillan for the touchdown. The 5th lead change had the Panthers back on top by a field goal. The Rams moved from their own 22 to a 3rd and 5 at the Carolina 17, well within tying field goal range. With 2 1/2 minutes left and going for the win, a delay of game meant 3rd and 10. hen Stafford got belted and fumbled. The Rams took their timeouts on defense. Everything came down to the Panthers facing 3rd and 5 at their own 39 with 2:17 left and the Rams out of timeouts. Young went to Coker for 10 and then took 3 knees. In a very good football, the Panthers got to 7-6 to keep their playoff hopes alive. 31-28 Panthers                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Cardinals are a bad team. The Buccaneers started 6-2 but had lost 3 straight against some very good teams. After a scoreless first quarter, Chase McLaughlin hit a 25 yard second quarter field goal for a 3-0 Buccaneers lead. The Buccaneers got the ball back at midfield. On 3rd and 3, Baker Mayfield ran for 21. On 4th and 2 from the Arizona 14, Todd Bowles went for it. Mayfield went to Shepard for 5. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mayfield went to Wirfs for the touchdown. The Buccaneers led 10-0 with 1:36 left in the half. Ryland hit a 52 yard field goal for the Cardinals to end the half. In the third quarter the Cardinals began by fumbling the ball away. They got the ball back but Ryland missed a 43 yard field goal try. 

The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 35. Mayfield went to Egbuka for 23. Mayfield then hit Godwin for 22. Irving ran for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Buccaneers. The Cardinals took over at their own 28. Jacoby Brissett hit Marvin Harrison Jr. for 17 and McBride for 18. Knight ran for 9. Brissett hit Knight for 7 and then for the 15 yard touchdown to get the Cardinals within 17-10 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter Jonathan Gannon gambled with the Cardinals facing 4th and 1 at their own 39. Knight got stopped cold for no gain. McLaughlin nailed a 57 yard field goal for a 20-10 Buccaneers lead with 9 minutes left. The Cardinals took over at their own 27. Brissett went to McBride for 20 and to Wilson for 10. Brissett went to McBride for a 15 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left, the Cardinals were within a field goal. The Cardinals got the ball back at their own 9 yard line with 1:49 left. On 4th and 2, Brissett threw incomplete as the 7-5 Buccaneers stayed in the hunt. 20-10 Buccaneers

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks — The Seahawks are a very good team. The Vikings are not. With Sam Darnold shipped out of town, Carson Wentz out for the season, and JJ McCarthy out for one week, this game was the very first start for Max Brosmer. After a scoreless first quarter, Jason Myers hit a 33 yard second quarter field goal to make it 3-0 Seahawks. The key play in the game came with 3 minutes left in the half of a brutally tough game. The Vikings had 4th and 1 at the Seattle 4. Kevin O’Connell went for the lead rather than the tie. Under pressure, Brosmer was intercepted by Jones, who returned the pick 85 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 10-0 Seahawks lead. Myers hit field goals of 56 to end the half and from 56 and 40 in the third quarter to have the Seakawks up 19-0. The last kick was set up by a Minnesota fumble. Brosmer then threw 3 consecutive interceptions on 3 straight drives to bring his total to 4 on the day. One of them led to a short 32 yard field. A 17 yard touchdown run by Zack Charbonnet in the fourth quarter completed the scoring. 6 turnovers did the Vikings in as the Seahawks got to 9-3 on the year. 26-0 Seahawks

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers — One week after firing Chip Kelly, the Raiders offense hoped to finally show signs of life against the Chargers. From their own 26, the Chargers made it look easy on their opening drive. On 3rd and 3 Justin Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 35, Vidal gained 3 and caught a pass from Herbert for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Raiders 16, Herbert went to Allen for just enough. Herbert hit Johnston for the touchdown to cap the 14 play, 74 yard drive that took 9 minutes off the clock and make it 7-0 Chargers. After that both defenses dug in. With 5 minutes left in the half the raiders faced 3rd and 2 from their own 26. Geno Smith went to Bech for 16. Ashton Jeanty ran for 9, 5 and 2. Defensive pass interference added 13. Smith went to Brock Bowers for 24. Smith went to Bowers for a 6 yard touchdown. The game was actually tied 7-7 at the half. The Raiders were competing. 

The Chargers began the third quarter at their own 33 and needed only 3 plays. On 3rd and 2, Vidal broke free for a 59 yard touchdown run to make it 14-7 Chargers. The Chargers got it back at their own 40. On 3rd and 5, Herbert hit Harris for 16. Patterson ran for 22. On 3rd and 2 from the Raiders 7, Herbert hit Ladd McConkey for the touchdown to have the Chargers up 21-7. Pete Carroll gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 43. Jeanty got stopped cold for no gain. The short field allowed Cameron Dicker to start the fourth quarter with a 56 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Chargers. The Raiders did manage one more touchdown midway through the firth quarter, but the Chargers then ground the exhausted defense into dust with a 13 play, 68 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Patterson ran for a 2 yard touchdown with 1:55 left as the Chargers got to 8-4 on the year. The Raiders fell to 2-10. They are bad at everything, especially their offensive line. 31-14 Chargers

Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers — A pair of good teams that have struggled in recent weeks faced off in a must win for both of them. After a scoreless first quarter, a second quarter Bills fumble gave the Steelers a short field at the Buffalo 39. Aaron Rodgers went to DK Metcalf for 14 and Kenneth Gainwell for 17. On 3rd and goal at the one, Warren got in. Midway through the second quarter, the Steelers led 7-0. Their offense then took the remaining 38 minutes off. Matt Prater hit a 27 yard field goal for the Bills with 50 seconds left in the half. Yet the key play came on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter. The Steelers took over at their own 26. Rodgers got belted by Joey Bosa and fumbled. Benford picked up the fumble and went for a 17 yard defensive touchdown. Without their offense reaching the end zone so far, the Bills led 10-7.

Rodgers got knocked out of the game from a tough hit and Mason Rudolph entered in the third quarter. Rudolph was intercepted to set up the Bills playing at their own 44. James Cook ripped off a 31 yard gain. Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and goal at the one. Allen went to Coleman for the touchdown and the 16-7 Bills lead. After that the Bills just pounded the Steelers in the trenches on both sides of the ball. From their own 17, the Bills marched 83 yards in 15 plays and over 8 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Allen got in to make it 23-7 Bills early in the fourth quarter. The Bills got it back at their own 9 and moved 72 yards in 14 plays and over 9 minutes. Prater hit a 37 yard field goal to complete the scoring. The Bills got to 8-4 while the Steelers fell to 6-6 on the year. 26-7 Bills

Denver Broncos at Washington Commanders was the Sunday night game. The Broncos are very good and the Commanders are terrible. The Commanders were also again starting Marcus Mariota in place of the injured Jayden Daniels. Wil Lutz hit field goals of 33 in each of the first two quarters for a 6-0 Broncos lead. The latter kick was set up by an interception of Mariota. The Commanders took over at their own 29. Croskey-Merritt gained 12. On 3rd and 12 from their own 45, Mariota ran for just enough. Mariota went deep to Zac Ertz for 21 and to McLaurin for 11. Rodriguez ran for an 8 yard touchdown to have the Commanders up 7-6 with 2:21 left in the half.

The Broncos took over at their own 36. On 3rd and 3 Bo Nix hit Marvin Mims for 6. Nix went to Evan Engram for 13, to Cortland Sutton for 12, and to Engram again for 8 and 7, and back to Sutton for an 11 yard touchdown. With 23 seconds left in the half, the Broncos led 13-7. The Commanders began the third quarter at their own 28. Mariota hit Ertz for 18 and 12 and ran for 19 himself. On 3rd and 9 from the Denver 16, Mariota found McLaurin for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Mariots went to Burks for the touchdown. The 10 play, 72 yard, 5 minute drive had the Commanders back in front 14-13. The Broncos soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 30. Nix ran for 11. On 3rd and 11 from their own 40, Nix went deep to Sutton for 31. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 24, Nix found Bryant for 21. Harvey got in from the one to have the Broncos up 20-14 after three quarters.

The fourth quarter began with an interception of Nix to give the Commanders a short field at the Denver 36. Jake Moody hit a 38 yard field goal to have the Commanders within 20-17 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 3 minutes left, the Commanders began their last stand at their own 15. They moved 71 and needed a whopping 18 plays to do it. With 12 seconds left and 0 timeouts, the Commanders had 1st and 10 at the Denver 14 with a chance for the win. A couple of dangerous pass plays were incomplete, leaving one second. Moody hit the 32 yard field goal try to send the game to overtime 20-20. His kick was good. For the Broncos, this was FCO1. 

The Broncos overtime began at their own 24. Nix hit Harvey for 12 and Adam Trautman for 12 more. Nix then connected with Engram for a 41 yard gain. Harvey ran for a 5 yard touchdown. With 7 minutes left in overtime the Broncos led 27-20. The Commanders took over at their own 35. They were down to their last gasp on 4th and 6 from their own 41. Mariota was intercepted, but it was wiped away by defensive pass interference and a 5 yard gain with an automatic first down. This was FCO2 for the Broncos. On 3rd and 14 from the Denver 40, MAriots went deep to Deebo Samuel for a 38 yard gain. On 4th and goal at the 3 with less than 3 minutes left in overtime, Mariota went to McLaurin for the touchdown. For the Broncos, this was FCO3. Dan Quinn then decided to go for the win as many football fans of all stripes begged him to take the tie and live to fight another day. In a season gone wrong, Mariota’s pass was batted down. There would be no FCO4. The Broncos got to 10-2 on the year with another heart-stopping win by one point in a season of them. 27-26 Broncos

New York Giants at New England Patriots is the Monday night game. Sometimes a really awful team can go on the road and shock a really great team in an upset for the ages. The Giants did that to the Patriots in 2 Super Bowls, but Eli Manning is long retired. Goliath beat up David and stole his lunch money and his girlfriend. An early 22 yard Borrelages field goal had the Patriot up 3-0. The Giants then punted, and Marcus Jones returned the punt 94 yards for a special teams touchdown and a 10-0 Patriots lead. The Patriots got it back at their own 39. Drake Maye hit Bouette for 10. Maye went deep to Hunter Henry for 36. Maye hit Boutte for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Patriots after the first quarter. While the Giants managed a second quarter touchdown, this game was over. After the Giants turned it over n downs, the Patriots took over at their own 42. Henderson ran for 13 and 11. On 3rd and 9 from the Giants 33, Maye went deep to Williams for the touchdown to make it 24-7 Patriots. The Giants fumbled the ensuing kickoff, leading to a 30 yard Borrelages field goal. Borrelages hit again from 28 to close the half with the Patriots up 30-7. League ruled provided the second half had to be shown. Both teams slept through it. The Giants managed one fourth quarter touchdown and Borregales hit again from 23 to complete the blowout. The Giants fell to 2-11 while the Patriots at 11-2 have the best record in the NFL. 33-15 Patriots

NFL 2025 Week 13 Recap

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Thursday morning game. Two good football teams battled in the NFC North. The Packers got a 45 yard field goal from Brandon McManus for an early 3-0 lead. The Packers got it back and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 31. Josh Jacobs ripped off a 29 yard run. On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 34, the defense jumped offsides. The second quarter began with the Packers facing 4th and 3 at the Detroit 22. Matt LaFleur passed up a 40 yard field goal try and went for it. Rather than just move the chains, Jordan Love went deep to Dontavion Wicks for the touchdown. Replay showed that Wicks did not get both feet down. His second foot landed on the chalk. The officials just blew the call. Yet the touchdown stood and the Packers led 10-0.

The Lions took over at their own 35. Jared Goff went to Williams for 22. On 2nd and 15 from the Green Bay 47, Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 18. On 3rd and 13 from the Green Bay 32, Goff hit Kennedy for 23. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Montgomery took the direct snap and got in to have the Lions within 10-7. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 37. Love went to Watson for 4. On 3rd and 5 from their own 46, Love went to Wicks for 18. Love then went to Musgrave for 23. On 4th and 1 from the Detroit 2, Matt LaFleur gambled again. Love found Romeo Doubs for the touchdown to cap the 12 play, 70 yard, 6 minute drive to have the Packers up 17-7 with 2:12 left in the half.

The Lions faced 3rd and 1 at their own 44 with 1:19 left. Montgomery gained 2. Goff then went to Williams for 25. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 22, Goff with all the time in the world found Williams for the touchdown. The Lions were back within 17-14 as each team scored touchdowns on their last two drives. In the third quarter the Lions faced 4th and 3 at the Green Bay 47. Looking for the lead, Dan Campbell went for it. After losing a yard on 3rd and 2, Gibbs carried again and this time lost 2 yards. Two plays later Love went bombs away to Watson for a 51 yard touchdown and a 24-14 Packers lead.

The Lions took over at their own 29. Goff ran for 24 yards. Goff went to Montgomery for 13. Montgomery then ran for 14. Goff went to TeSlaa for a 17 yard touchdown to have the Lions back within 24-21 midway through the third quarter. The Packers took over at their own 28. Melton got around the end for 14. Love went deep to Wicks for 30. The Packers avoided disaster when they fumbled but the ball bounced straight to a big offensive lineman with rare good hands. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 6, Love threw incomplete but a defensive facemask penalty meant 1st and goal at the 3. Love found Wicks in the corner and Wicks barely got the ball over the plane of the goal for a one yard touchdown. For the fourth time on the day, the Lions were within 3 points only to see the Packers go up by 10 points. The Packers led 31-21 after three quarters. 

The Lions moved from their own 26 and moved to a 4th and 3 at the Green Bay 21 with 11 minutes left in regulation. Rather than kick a 39 yard field goal, Dan Campbell went for it again. Got had a wife open Williams in the flat. Williams just dropped it. It was right in his chest, and he blew it. Campbell became a hero for constantly going for it, but his team has gone 0 for 7 on 4th down conversions the last 2 weeks. The Lions got a rare defensive stop when the officials missed a clear defensive pass interference penalty on the 3rd down incompletion. The Lions got the ball back at their own 20. and moved to a 1st and goal at the 4. After a pair of incompletions, Goff was drilled on 3rd down for a sack. Jake Bates hit the 31 yard field goal to get the Lions within 7 points. Yet only 3  minutes remained. The Detroit defense needed another stop.

The Packers took over and soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Love went to Watson for 8. The Lions took their final timeout with 2:38 left and the Packers facing 2nd and 7 just past midfield. Everything came down to the Packers facing 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 45 at the 2 minute warning. One first down would end the game. In this situation, the entire football world knows that you run the ball every single time. Every. Single. Time. Instead, Matt LaFleur gambled on a pass play. Love’s pass was well defended and fell incomplete to stop the clock. LaFleur then went even crazier and decided to go for it on 4th and 3 instead of punt the ball. After taking a timeout, LaFleur was not bluffing. Love snapped the ball out of the shotgun and went deep to Wicks over the middle. Wicks lost his sneaker but hung on to the ball for a 16 yard gain. Love took a couple knees to seal the win. Love had 4 touchdown passes with 0 interceptions. The Packers got to 8-3-1 while the Lions fell to 7-5. More importantly, the Packers swept the season series. 31-24 Packers

Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon game. Both the three time defending AFC Champion Chiefs and the Cowboys were in desperate shape regarding the playoffs. The Chiefs were only 6-5 while the Cowboys were 5-5-1. On the third play from scrimmage Dak Prescott was intercepted. The Chiefs took over at the Dallas 37. Patrick Mahomes quickly went to Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 10 and to Rasheed Rice for a 27 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Cowboys took over at their own 25. On 3rd and 7 from their own 43 Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for 10. On 3rd and 9 from the Kansas City 46, Prescott hit Lamb for 17. Prescott then found Williams for 14. On 3rd and 10 from the Kansas City 35, Prescott connected with Lamb to cap the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive for the touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Chiefs took over at their own 28. Karim Hunt ran for 14 and 7 and Xavier Worthy added 17. Isaiah Pacheco added 9. On 3rd and 14 from the Dallas 25, Mahomes ran for 16. On 4th and goal at the 2, Walrus Andy Reid went for it. Mahomes fired over the middle to Travis Kelce for the touchdown to culminate the 12 play, 72 yard, 6 minutes drive and make it a 14-7 Chiefs lead after the first quarter. 

The Cowboys began the second quarter and moved to a 4th and 3 at the Kansas City 31. Brian Schottenheimer decided not to gamble. Brandon Aubrey hit the 49 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 14-10. The Cowboys got it back and soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 18. Prescott found Ferguson for 11. On 3rd and 3 from their own 36, Prescott found George Pickens for 12. Davis then ripped off a 43 yard touchdown run as the Cowboys took the 17-14 lead to the locker rooms.  A third quarter punt had the Cowboys pinned at their own 4 yard line. They moved all the way to a 4th and 3 at the Kansas City 13. Brian Schottenheimer lined up to go for it but it was just gamesmanship. The Chiefs defense didn’t bite as the Cowboys took the delay of game. Aubrey hit the 36 yard field goal to have the Cowboys up 20-14.

The Chiefs took over at their own 20. Mahomes went deep to Rice for 28. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 44, Mahomes hit Hunt for 22. Mahomes went to Rice for 13. On 4th and goal at the 3 to start the fourth quarter, Walrus Andy Reid gambled. Mahomes found Rice for the touchdown to have the Chiefs up 21-20. The Cowboys took over at their own 32. Defensive pas interference added 10. Williams ran for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Kansas City 45, Prescott went to Pickens for 39. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Prescott scrambled for his life and at the very last moment flipped it to Williams for the touchdown. Schottenheimer then went for 2. Prescott again waited until the last moment and fired to Pickens in the front corner. With no room to spare, Pickens came down with it. The Cowboys retook the lead 28-21 with 11 minutes left in regulation. 

The Cowboys got it back at their own 10. Prescott immediately went bombs away to Lamb for 51. Needing only a field goal to tighten the screws, the Cowboys did everything possible to screw themselves. Prescott threw a pass into traffic that somehow fell incomplete. On the next play the Cowboys fumbled but were able to retain possession. Aubrey hit the 26 yard field goal to give the Cowboys breathing room up 31-21 with 5:16 to play. 

The Chiefs took over needing 2 scores and Mahomes was immediately sacked. On 3rd and 5 form his own 38, Mahomes was all but sacked on the next play. Somehow the magician did it again, escaping, rolling out, and finding Worthy deep for a 42 yard gain. Mahomes then ran for 10. Mahomes fired high and over the middle to Hollywood Brown, who made a leaping grab and got both feet down in the back of the end zone inbounds for the touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Chiefs were right back in it down by 3 points. 

The only way to beat Mahomes is to keep him off the field. The Cowboys took over at their own 32. A pair of defensive pass interference calls kept the drive alive. Everything came down to the Cowboys facing 3rd and 2 at the Kansas City 40 just before the 2 minute warning. The Chiefs were out of timeouts. A run made sense, but Schottenheimer went big. An incompletion would even give the Chiefs an extra timeout. Yet Prescott fired over the middle to Pickens for a 13 yard gain. Prescott then took 3 knees for he upset. The Cowboys somehow got to 6-5-1. The Chiefs are now an even more desperate 6-6, making Andy Reid a most concerned Walrus indeed. 31-28 Cowboys

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens was the Thanksgiving Thursday night game. Both teams have suffered key injuries this year. The Ravens started 1-5 but when Lamar Jackson returned from injury the Ravens ripped off 5 straight wins. The Bengals have been a disaster with Joe Burrow out most of the season. Yet Burrow was back, so we would see if he would provide the lift that Jackson did on the other side. The Bengals began with a 31 yard Evan McPherson field goal for a 3-0 Bengals lead. The Ravens took over at their own 31. Jackson went to Kolar for 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 43, Derrick Henry gained 4. Jackson ran for 11. Henry ripped off a 28 yard touchdown run for a 7-3 Ravens lead. The Ravens fumbled deep in their own territory and the Bengals were gifted 1st and goal at the 2. Burrow threw incomplete twice sandwiched around a run that went nowhere. Zac Taylor gambled. On 4th and goal at the 2, Burrow threw incomplete again as the Bengals wasted the opportunity.

McPherson hit a 42 yard field goal in the second quarter to get the Bengals within 7-6.

The Ravens moved easily from their own 31 to the Cincinnati 44. Then came the key play in the game. Jackson hooked up with Isaiah Likely, who weaved through traffic and made it all the way to the end zone. The Ravens were on their way to a 14-6 lead and an easy win. Then came the review. Likely had the ball knocked out of his hands inches before he broke the plane of the goal. While the Ravens were celebrating a touchdown, the officials reversed it and properly called it a touchback. Replay clearly showed Likely lost the ball before breaking the plane, and then the ball rolled out of the end zone. The Ravens moved all the way to a 3rd and goal at the 6. Burrow threw incomplete. McPherson hit from 24. Despite not reaching the end zone, the Bengals led 9-7 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Ravens again fumbled deep in their own territory as Jackson was strip sacked. The Bengals took over at the Baltimore 19 with 28 seconds left. On 2nd and 6, Burrow threw incomplete twice. McPherson hit his 4th field goal from 33 to have the Bengals up 12-7 at the break.

The Bengals took over in the third quarter at their own 39. On 3rd and 4 Burrow hit Chase for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Baltimore 43, defensive pass interference added 17 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 14, Burrow went to Hudson for the touchdown to make it 19-7 Bengals. The Ravens took over at there own 32. Jackson went to Mark Andrews for 19. Henry ran for 8, 7 and 7. Jackson ran for 9. Mitchell got around the end for an 18 yard touchdown to get the Ravens within 19-14. The Bengals took over at their own 32. Burrow went to Brown for 9. Samaji Perine gained 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 44, Burrow went to Chase for 14. On 3rd and 9 from the Baltimore 29, Burrow went deep to Iosivas for the touchdown to make it 26-14 Bengals. Trying to make a comeback, the Ravens moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Cincinnati 15. Jackson was intercepted and Knight returned it 39 yards to his own 47. McPherson’s 5th field goal from 52 made it 29-14 Bengals. The Ravens 4th fumble and 5th overall turnover led to McPherson’s 6th field goal from 41 to complete the scoring. The Ravens dropped to 6-6 on the year. 32-14 Bengals

Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles was the Black Friday game. Both teams came in 8-3, but the eagles were expected to easily win tis game. They were angry at home after blowing a 21-0 lead last week. The Bears finally last week at home beat a team with a winning record. The Bears were frauds and everyone knew it. The critics would not be silenced until they won a big game. Early in the game Ben Johnson gambled on 4th and 1 from the Philadelphia 25. Monangai got stopped cold. The Bears got the ball back at their own 22. Monangai gained 17, 5 and 5. Swift gained 23. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 14, Monangai gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 3. Swift ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. In the second quarter Jake Elliott hit a 44 yard field goal for the Eagles while Cairo Santos answered from 30 to have the Bears up 10-3 at the half. 

The Eagles offense misfired most of the day but in the third quarter they got the ball back at their own 8. Jalen Hurts went to AJ Brown for 16. Roughing the passer added 15. Hurts ran for 23. Hurts went deep to Brown for a 33 yard touchdown. Yet elation turned to deflation when Elliott missed the extra point wide left. It was a heavily windy day, as the Eagles trailed 10-9. Caleb Williams was then intercepted to give the Eagles a golden chance to take the lead at the Chicago 36. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 12, it was tush push time. Yet this time Hurt had the ball chopped out of hi hands. The Bears recovered the fumble at their own 13. 

From that spot, Monangai immediately ripped off a 31 yard run. followed by runs of 5 and 9. On 4th and 5 from the Philadelphia 37, it was too windy for a 55 yard field goal try. Ben Johnson went for it. Williams went to Loveland for 7. Monangai ran for 9 and 5 to start the fourth quarter. Monangair ran for the 4 yard touchdown to have the Bears up 17-9 with 13 minutes left in regulation. The Bears got it back and faced 3rd and 4 at their own 43. Williams went to Moore for 11. On 3rd and 4 from th Philadelphia 40, Williams went to Zaccheaus for 10. Williams went deep to Cole Kmet for a 28 yard touchdown to have the Bears up 24-9 with 6 1/2 minutes left.

The Eagles took over at their own 20 in desperation mode. Hurts went to Brown for 13. On 3rd and 9 from their own 34, Hurts found Devonta Smith for 12 and to Dotson for 12 more. On 3rd and 10 from the Chicago 42, Hurts found Brown for 17. On 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 21, Hurts again went to Brown for 17. Hurts went to Brown one more time for a 4 yard touchdown. With 3:10 to play, an extra point would have the Eagles within one score. Yet Nick Sirianni made the horrendous decision to go for 2. In this situation, you kick the extra point…every…single..time. Give your team a ray of hope. Instead Hurts threw incomplete and the Eagles were still down 9.

This meant the Eagles had to go onside kick rather than kick it deep. The onside kick failed. With 1:15 left on 4th and 4 from the Philly 30, Johnson opted against a 48 yard field goal try. Williams threw incomplete. Because of the missed extra point and the failed attempt at chasing points, the Eagles needed 2 scores. With 13 seconds left, Elliott came in for a 52 yard field goal try. The Eagles needed a field goal, an onside kick recovery, and a Hail Mary. The other two never happened as Elliott’s field goal was no good. It looked dead center but a gust of wind at the last moment sent it wide left. The Eagles have lost 2 straight but are still 8-4. The 9-3 Bears finally silenced the critics. This was not finesse. They just hit the Eagles in the mouth. Ben Johnson played smash mouth, running the ball a whopping 47 times for an insane 281 yards, 6 yards per carry. 24-15 Bears

San Francisco 49ers at Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins

Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets

Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers

Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers

Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers

Denver Broncos at Washington Commanders is the Sunday night game.

New York Giants at New England Patriots is the Monday night game. 

NFL 2025 Week 13 Prequel

Thursday, November 27, 2025, 1pm

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (-2 1/2) — Two good football teams battle in an NFC North showdown. Forget the cliche about the Lions at home on Thanksgiving Day. The real issue is that the Lions offense is virtually unstoppable at home. Jared Goff and Jordan Love can both sling it, but this is a game to just go with the home crowd. The Lions have the firepower to win if the game becomes a shootout. Jahmyr Gibbs is running insane. Lions cover

4pm

Kansas City Chiefs (-3) at Dallas Cowboys — The Chiefs may have saved their season in overcoming an 11 point second half deficit last week. The Cowboys overcame a 21-0 deficit and shocked the daylights out of Philadelphia. This one comes down to talent. The Cowboys have no defense. Patrick Mahomes is himself. Chiefs cover

8pm

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (-7) — This AFC North match is a tale of two teams that have battled injuries all year. The difference is the Bengals still do not have their starter back. The Ravens started 1-5, but have won five straight since Lamar Jackson returned. With Derrick Henry running everywhere, the healthy team with momentum should beat the injured team without it. Ravens cover

Friday, November 28, 3pm

Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles (-7) — The Eagles blew a 21-0 lead last week and will be an angry bunch at home. The Bears finally beat a team with a winning record last week. This is the week where those saying the Bears are frauds will either be validated or silenced. Go with the defending champions over the decent team that has not proven anything. Eagles cover

Sunday, November 30, 1pm

San Francisco 49ers (-4 1/2) at Cleveland Browns — The 49ers are finally healthy. Brock Purdy and George Kittle back in the lineup makes a world of defense. The Browns finally won a game last week and got 10 sacks, but it was against a team worse and dumber than they were. The 49ers are the far better team but Myles Garrett is leading an inspired Dawg Pound defense. That should keep it close. 49ers win but fail to cover

Jacksonville Jaguars (-6 1/2) at Tennessee Titans — The Jaguars have been inconsistent while the Titans are the worst team in football. Ye the Titans are fighting hard, making the spread too big for a road team that does not show up every week. A garbage touchdown is possible. Jaguars win but fail to cover

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (-4 1/2) — The Texans have the defense and the Colts have the offense. The Colts will be enraged at home after blowing an 11 point second half lead at Kansas City. Thisis one game to go with the home crowd and the Colts offense indoors. Jonathan Taylor should run all over the place. Colts cover

New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins (-6) — Both teams are terrible. The home field might make a difference only in the sense that the Saints can barely do anything at home, much less on the road. Their offense is anemic. Dolphins cover

Atlanta Falcons (-2 1/2) at New York Jets — Both teams are terrible. Kirk Cousins and Bijan Robinson should be enough to get the win. This is the last chance to give Cousins the benefit of the doubt. Falcons cover

Los Angeles Rams (-10 1/2) at Carolina Panthers — The Rams now have the best record in the conference and are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Panthers have improved in recent weeks but lack the firepower to keep up. The spread is too high for a road team given that the Panthers are not nearly as awful as they were early in the season. A garbage touchdown is realistic. Rams win but fail to cover

Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3) — The Cardinals are dreadful. They give games away. The Buccaneers started hot but have lost in recent weeks. They are a good team losing to great teams. Baker Mayfield’s shoulder blew up last week, which means Teddy Bridgewater is starting. Bridgewater is no scrub, the Buccaneers are at home, and the Cardinals are just not very good. Buccaneers cover

4pm

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks (-11 1/2) — The Seahawks are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Sam Darnold is good and the defense is solid. The Vikings have melted down this year. Darnold would love to crush his former team. At home, he will. Seahawks cover

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (-10) — The Raiders lost the benefit of the doubt after getting embarrassed at home by Cleveland. The Raiders gave up 10 sacks. Their offense is bad at everything. Their defense is good, but with no help from the offense, the defense eventually breaks. The Chargers have a stud quarterback in Justin Herbert. After losing to Pete Carroll in some big games, Ji Harbaugh would love to get revenge and kick him while he is down. Expect Harbaugh to pull out all the stops in a blowout. Chargers cover

Buffalo Bills (-3 1/2) at Pittsburgh Steelers — These are two good football teams that have both lost games they should have won. Josh Allen and Aaron Rodgers both know how to throw the ball. Allen is in his prime. Home field will not be a factor if the weather gets cold. The Bills are the better team, but this should be a close one if the Steelers can run the ball. Bills win but fail to cover 

8pm

Denver Broncos (-6 1/2) at Washington Commanders — The Commanders are an injured mess. The Broncos have a shot at the best record in the conference. Bo nix is playing well and the defense is lights out. The spread is high for a road team and the Broncos sometimes get off to slow starts. Yet the Commanders seem Mohave no fight. Broncos cover

Monday, December 1, 8pm

New York Giants at New England Patriots (-7 1/2) — The Patriots have the best record in their conference. The Giants are among one of the worst teams in football. This is not 2007 or 2011. This game could be over by halftime, especially if Jameis Winston continues to complete passes to both teams. Patriots cover

NFL 2025 Week 12 Recap

Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans was the Thursday night game. A pair of good teams played a very good game. The Bills have the offense and the Texans have the defense. Davis Mills ws starting for the 3rd straight week in for an injured CJ Stroud. Last week the Texans trailed by 19 points after three quarters. Mills led a 26 point fourth quarter that stunned Jacksonville. While the game was expected to be a defensive struggle, the first half was a shootout. The Bills began facing 4th and 1 at their own 28. Sean McDermott lost his mind and went for it. Initially thought to be a bluff, Josh Allen snapped the ball and took the quarterback sneak for 3 yards. On 3rd and 8 from their own 33, Allen went to Johnson for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 45, James Cook raced for the touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Bills led 6-0. The Texans moved from their own 41 to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Mills threw incomplete twice. Kaimi Fairbairn hit from 24 to have the Texans within 6-3. In the second quarter the Bills took over at their own 5 and went on a 13 play, 69 yard, 7 minute drive. Yet upon reaching the Houston 14, a sack of Allen killed the drive. Matt Prater hit from 44 to make it 9-3 Bills.

Th Texans took over at their own 23. Mills went to Nico Collins for 24. A defensive facemaask added 15. Demeco Ryans went for it on 4th and 1 at the Buffalo 24. Marks gained 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 4, Marks gained 2. Mills went to Kirk for the touchdown as the Texans led 10-9. On the next play from scrimmage, Allen was intercepted. The Texans settled for a 43 yard Fairbairn field goal and a 13-9 Texans lead with 1:56 left in the half. 13 seconds later, the Bills had the lead as Davis returned the ensuing kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown to make it 16-13 Bills. The Texans took over at their own 25. Mills went to Kirk for 7, to Collins for 19, to Dalton Schultz for 8 and to Kirk for 33. Mills found Higgins for an 8 yard touchdown with 5 seconds left in the half for a 20-16 Texans lead. The second half was a defensive bonelock. A third quarter Buffalo fumble led to a 26 yard Fairbairn field goal to make it 23-16 Texans. Prater answered from 38 to get the Bills back within 4 points with 6 minutes left in regulation.

The Bills got it back with 2:48 to play at their own 18. On 3rd and 1 at the 2 minute warning, Allen hit Shakir for 8. Consecutive sacks of Allen had the Bills facing a whopping 4th and 27 at their own 30 with 51 seconds left. Then came what could have been the play of the year. The Bills needed a miracle. san McDermott went into the bag of tricks and went with a hook and ladder. Allen pass over the middle to Palmer, who executed a perfect lateral to Shakir. The play had gained 33 yards. This might have been the best hook and ladder since the 1981 season when Don Strock and Dan Fouts combined for 79 points in the playoffs. With 28 seconds left the Bills faced 3rd and 1 at the Houston 17. The early missed extra point loomed large, because it meant the Bills had to go for the touchdown. Allen threw incomplete. On 4th and 1 came a killer false start. On 4th and 6, Allen went over the middle and was intercepted by Bullock. After starting 0-3, the Texans are now 6-5 while the Bills dropped to 7-4. Mills returns to the bench next week but was 3-0 as a starter in relief. A playoff rematch between these teams would be worth the watch. This was a classy performance by both teams in a fine, fine football game. 23-19 Texans 

New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens — The Ravens started 1-5 but have won 4 straight since Lamar Jackson returned from injury. The Jets started 0-7 and are still bad. Justin Fields was benched in favor f Tyrod Taylor. Both teams brought their defense as the first quarter was scoreless. The Jets faced 2nd and 12 at their own 19 in the second quarter. Taylor went to Metchie for 19. Taylor then went to Hall for 14 and to Metchie for 13. On 3rd and 10 from the Baltimore 13, Taylor went to Metchie for the touchdown. The Jets led 7-0. Their offense took most of the rest of the night off and relied on their defense to protect the lead. 

A strong kickoff return had the Ravens at their own 42. Tyler Loop hit a 31 yard field goal to get on the board. The Ravens began the third quarter at their own 26. On 3rd and 15, Jackson threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 34 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Jets 38, Jackson went to Deandre Hopkins for 9. Zay Flowers took an end around 11 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Derrick Henry got in to make it 10-7 Ravens. With 6:42 left in the third quarter, Aaron Glenn gambled on 4th and 2 at his own 42. Taylor threw incomplete. Jackson went to Henry for 19. On 3rd and 7 from the Jets 20, Jackson went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference again added 17. John Harbaugh gambled on 4th and goal at the 2. Henry got in up the gut to make it 17-7 Ravens. Nick Folk hit a 42 yard field goal for the Jets to start the fourth quarter, but Loop answered from 35 and again from 27 with less than one minute left to lock up the win. The Ravens have won 5 straight. 23-10 Ravens

Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago Bears — The 7-3 Bears came in having not beaten a team with a winning record. The 6-4 Steelers were starting backup Mason Crosby in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers. An early interception of Mason set up the Bears at their own 44. On 3rd and 1, Swift gained 4. Caleb williams hit Burden for 17. Williams found Moore for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The Steelers took over at their own 5 yard line. Jalen Warren gained 12. Rudolph went to Skowronek for 21. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 31, Rudolph went to Kenneth Gainwell for 13. DK Metcalf got around the end for a 6 yard gain. Metcalf ran for a 6 yard touchdown for a 7-7 game. 

In the second quarter Williams faced 2nd and 20 from his own 10. Williams was sacked by TJ Watt, forcing a fumble. Herbig recovered it in the Chicago end zone for a Steelers touchdown and a 14-7 Steelers lead. The Bears fumbled it away again on their next series but the Steelers turns dit over on downs. The Bears soon faced 4th and 1 at their own 39. Ben Johnson gambled. Williams ran for 8. Burden ran for 15. Williams went to Odunze for 22. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 12, Williams went to Loveland for the touchdown for a 14 -14 ballgame. 

The Steelers took over at their own 20. Warren ran for 9 and 6. Mike Tomlin gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 44 and went to his bag of tricks.  Hayward took the direct snap, handed it to Gainwell, and Gainwell got around the end for a 55 yard gain down to the one. On the next carry Gainwell got in for the touchdown to make it 21-14 Steelers with 80 seconds left in the half. That was enough time for Cairo Santos to hit a 47 yard field goal to end the half with the Bears within 21-17. 

The Bears got the ball in the third quarter at their own 40. Williams went to Odunze for big gains fo 17 and 14, to Swift for 14, and to Moore for a 25 yard touchdown to make it 24-21 Bears. The Steelers were driving and had 2nd and 12 at the Chicago 37. Rudolph was sacked and fumbled. Sweat recovered to set the Bears up at their own 46. Williams went deep to Moore for 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 26, Monangai got the 2 yards up the middle. Monangai ran for 12 and 5 to end the third quarter. The fourth quarter began with the Bears facing 3rd and goal at the 2. Monangai again took it up the guts and got in for a 31-21 Beara advantage. 

Steelers took over at their own 27. On 3rd and 6 from their own 41, Rudolph went to Austin for 19. Warren ran for 6, 3, and on 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 31, a tough 2. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 26, defensive pass interference on an incompletion meant 11 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 6, Rudolph gained 2. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Rudolph went to Pat Freiermuth for the touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left, the Steelers were within a field goal. With 90 seconds left the steelers began their last chance drive at their own 20. With 20 seconds left, the Steelers faced 4th and 6 at the Chicago 47. One first down would mean long field goal range. Rudolph threw incomplete as the Bears got to 8-3 on the year and the Steeler fell to 6-5 on the season. 31-28 Bears

New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals — The 9-2 Patriots faced off against an injury-riddled Bengal squad. Evan McPherson hit an early 54 yard field goal for the only score of the first quarter and a 3-0 Bengals lead. In the second quarter, Drake Maye was intercepted by Geno Stone, who returned it 32 yards to pay dirt for a 10-0 Bengals lead. After that the Patriots woke up. Henderson ran for 9 and one. On 3rd and 3 from their own 47, Maye ran for 5. On 3rd and 2 from the Cincinnati 40, Maye went to Hunter Henry for 12 and again for a 28 yard touchdown to get the Patriots within 10-7. Joe Flacco was then intercepted by Jones, who returned it 33 yards for the score. Each team had a defensive touchdown as the Patriots had the 14-10 lead. Borregales hit a 41 yard field goal to have the Patriots up 17-10 with 28 seconds left in the half. 

That was enough time for McPherson to bury a 63 yard field goal to end the half with the Bengals within 17-13. Borregales countered from 45 to have the Patriots up 20-13 after three quarters. Midway through the fourth quarter the Patriots reached 3rd and goal at the one with a chance to ice the game. Maye got stopped for no gain. On the road with a lead, Mike Vrabel played it safe. Borregales’s 19 yard field goal had the Patriots up 23-13 with 6 minutes left in regulation. 

The Bengals took over at their own 29. Flacco went to Mike Gesicki for 13 and to Iosivas for 14. Defensive pass interference added 27 yards. Flacco went to Tinsley for a 17 yard touchdown to have the Bengals within 23-20 with 4:40 to play. The Patriots took over at their own 40. Borregales nailed a 52 yard field goal for a 6 point  Patriots lead with 1:51 left. The Bengals took over at their own 28. A 39 yard completion from Flacco to Iosivas had the Bengals facing 2nd and 10 at the New England 26 with 33 seconds left after Flacco spiked the balls to stop the clock. Looking for the upset win, Flacco threw 3 straight incompletions. The Patriots got to 10-2 on the year. 26-20 Patriots   

New York Giants at Detroit Lions — The Lions were an angry bunch at home. They were ready to take out their frustrations on a pathetic Giants team starting 3rd stringer Jameis Winston, known for completing passes to both teams. Cue ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman. “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” The Giants began the game at their own 30. Winston went to Darrius Slayton for 23. On 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 39 only 2 minutes into the game, Giants coach Mike Kafka immediately went to his bag of tricks. A perfectly executed flea flicker saw Winston go bombs away to Robinson for the touchdown and the 7-0 Giants lead. The Giants got it back and marched 87 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 3, Winston threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit the 21 yard field goal as the Giants had the surprising 10-0 lead after the first quarter. 

The Lions began the second quarter at their own 35. Jared Goff went to Wright for 20, to Montgomery for 9, and to Amon-Ra St Brown for 18. Defensive pass interference added 14. On 3rd and goal at the 11, Goff went to St. Brown for the touchdown to have the Lions within 10-7. The Giants took over at their own 31. Winston immediately connected with Tracy for 42. Singletary ran for 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Detroit 12, Winston went to Hodgins for the touchdown and the 17-7 Giants lead.

The Lions took over at their own 39 with 4 minutes left in the half. On 2n and 1, Jahmyr Gibbs hashed the defense for a 49 yard run. Goff then went to Gibbs for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Lions within 17-14. Koo hit a 44 yard field goal with 38 seconds left in the half. That was enough time for Jake Bates to hit from 37 as the Lions were within 20-17. In the third quarter the Lions moved to a 3rd and 11 at the Giants 20. Goff was intercepted as the third quarter was scoreless. The Giants took over at their own 15. On 3rd and 3 Winston found Tracy for 20. The fourth quarter began with the Giants facing 3rd and 4 at they own 48. Tracy gained 8. Kafka again went to the bag of tricks. Winston lateraled to Olszewski, then threw across the field to Winston. The quarterback turned wide receiver caught the ball, juked the defender, dragged him, and escaped him for a fantastic 33 yard touchdown. For the third time in the game, The Giants led by 10 up 27-17 with 12 minutes left in regulation. 

This time from their own 19 the Lions struck quickly. Goff went deep to St. Brown for 27. Gibbs broke free for a 49 yard touchdown to have the Lions right back in it down 27-24. Winston was then immediately intercepted but the Lions couldn’t capitalize. The Giants got the ball at their own 8 yard line and marched 86 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. Looking to turn out the lights and ice the game, a 2nd and goal at the 2 run went nowhere. On 3rd and goal a the 2, a run was blown up for a loss of 4. On 4th and goal at the 6, the only sane decision was to kick the field goal. Yet Mike Kafka turned into Dan Campbell and decided to go for it. Winston threw incomplete. Now with 3 minutes left, the Lions only needed a field goal to tie the game.

The Lions moved to a 1st and 5 at the Giants 36. Goff threw incomplete and then completed a pass that lost 5 yards. Another incompletion had the Lions with a touch decision. On 4th and 10 with 28 seconds left, Dan Campbell brought in Bates to try a 59 yard field goal. The kick was indoors but it was still long. The kick started inside, curved outside wide, and then somehow with 0 wind, found its was back just inside the right upright. It was harrowing, but this game was going to overtime tied 27-27. The Lions got the ball first in overtime and needed one play and 18 seconds to strike. Gibbs broke through and raced for a 69 yard touchdown. The lions led by 7 but the Giants had a chance with the ball at their own 30. Everything came down to 4th and 5 at the Detroit 27 with 4 1/2 minutes left in overtime. Winston was sacked. The Lions got to 7-4 the hard way. Sadly for the Giants, that’s why they play the ENTIRE game. 34-27 Lions, OT

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers — Throughout the years, the home team usually wins this game. Also, the Vikings have not been good this year. This game went as expected. Will Reichard hit an early 52 yard field goal for the Vikings, but little else. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 3 at their ow 37. Jordan Love went to Watson for 12. Defensive pass interference added 24. Love hit Wicks for 18 down to the one. Wilson got the yard to make it 7-3 Packers. In the second quarter Kevin O’Connell went for it on 4th and 1 at the Green Bay 17. Masori got blasted for a one yard loss. Brandon McManus capped off an 8 minute drive with a 32 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Packers. Reichard drilled a 59 yarder to end the half, but the Green Bay defense clamped down in the second half. A close game was broken open early in the third quarter when the Vikings fumbled a punt and the Packers recovered at the Minnesota 5. Wilson ran for 4 and then for the one yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Packers. McManus hit fourth quarter field goals of 30 and 40 to complete the scoring as McCarthy tossed a pair of late interceptions. 23-6 Packers.

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs — The 8-2 Colts were looking to put the dagger into the 3 time defending AFC Champions. The Chiefs were 5-5 and desperate. An early interception of Patrick Mahoems deep in his own territory set the Colts up at the Kansas City 3 yard line. Daniel Jones went to Pittman for a 6 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Colts lead. The Chiefs embarked on a 17 play, 64 yard drive that took 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 4, a wildcat snap to Travis Kelce saw his touchdown get wiped out by an offensive facemask penalty. Harrison Butker hit a 28 yard field to start the second quarter. The Colts soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Jones ran for 4. On 3rd and 1 from his own 47, Jones connected with Dulin for 48. Jones went to Ogletree for a 4 yard touchdown and a 14-3 Colts lead. Butker hit field goals of 30 and 22 as the Chiefs only trailed 14-9 at the half. Yet Mike Badgley hit field goals of 32 and 23 to have the Colts up 20-9 after three quarters. In the third quarter the Chiefs reached the red zone but fumbled the ball away.

Yet the Chiefs got the ball back at their own 44. On 3rd and 2 Mahomes went to Rasheed Rice for 3. On 2nd and 10 from the Indianapolis 45, Mahomes ran for 13. Mahomes found Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 10. A defensive facemask added 12. Hunt ran for a 2 yard touchdown. Walrus Andy Reid went for 2 and Mahomes found Rice successfully to have the Chiefs within 20-17 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Chiefs got the ball back at their own 6 with under 5 minutes left. On 2nd and 13 from their own 3, Mahomes and Rice connected for 47. On 4th and 3 from the Indy 43, Mahoems found Rice for 19. On 3rd and 1 from the Indy 5, Hunt gained 3. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 3 with 20 seconds and looking for the win, Mahomes was sacked. Butker hit from 25 and this game was going to overtime.

The Colts got the ball first in overtime and soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 40. Jonathan Taylor got the carry and was blown up for a 2 yard loss. The Chiefs got it back at their own 10. At the 2 minute warning, Butker’s field goal try to win it was only a 27 yard chip shot. Butker was good. The Chiefs are a vampire, and the Colts failed to drive a stake through their hearts. The Colts fell to 8-3 while he Chiefs at 6-5 are still alive. 23-20 Chiefs, OT

Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans — The Seahawks are a very good team coming off a tough road loss. The Titans are the worst team in football. League rules prevented the game from being canceled. The Titans began early with a 22 yard Joey Slye field goal but then reality set in. Jason Myers answered from 47 as the game was tied 3-3. In the second quarter the Seahawks faced 3rd and 6 at their own 37. Sam Darnold went bombs away to Jaxson Smith-Nigba for a 63 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Seahawks. Myers tacked on field goals of 30 and 36 to have the Seahawks up 16-3 at the midpoint. The Seahawks began the third quarter at their own 24. On the first play Darnold again went deep to Smith-Nigba for 56. Darnold hit Smith-Nigba for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 23-3 Seahawks. 

The Titans finally got a break on special teams when Dike returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown. Yet they were delaying the inevitable. The Seahawks took over at their own 26 and kept rolling. Kenneth walker ran for 19 and 11 and caught a pass from Arnold for 29. Charbonnet ran for 6 and then for the 5 yard touchdown to have the Seahawks cruising 30-10. The Titans managed a pair of garbage touchdowns, one in the third quarter and one with only 43 seconds left in regulation. Yet the onside kick failed. The final score looked close but this game was never a contest as the Seahawks got to 8-3 on the year. 30-24 Seahawks

Jacksonville Jaguars at Arizona Cardinals — The Jaguars have been stumbling in recent weeks but the Cardinals are a mess. Early on the Jaguars took over at their own 3 and only needed 4 plays to go 97 yards. Trevor Lawrence went deep to Strange for 30. Travis Etienne ran for 45. Lawrence hit Etienne for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back again deep in their own territory. On 3rd and 6 from their own 12, Lawrence was sacked and fumbled. The ball was plucked out of the air by Nolen, who practically stumbled his way for a 7 yard defensive touchdown and a 7-7 game. Early in the second quarter Little hit a 52 yard field goal for a 10-7 Jaguars lead. The Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 39. Jacoby Brissett threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact mean a new set of downs. Brissett went to Wilson for a pair of 11 yard gains with roughing the passer between them adding 15. Carter ran for 11. Brissett hit Carter for 9. Knight ran for a one yard touchdown as the Cardinals had the surprising 14-10 lead. It would have been bigger but their staggering 16 play, 72 yard, 6 minute drive was wasted when Ryland missed a chip shot 33 yard field goal try.

In the third quarter Lawrence was intercepted, but the Jaguars got it back after a 43 yard punt return all the way at the Arizona 27. On 3rd and 6 from the Arizona 10, Lawrence hit newly acquired Jakobi Meyers for a 10 yard touchdown to have the Jaguars up 17-14. Lawrence tossed another third quarter interception and yet another interception in the fourth quarter. The latter one set up the Cardinals at the Jacksonville 41. On 3rd and 8 Brissett hit Greg Dortch for a 39 yard touchdown to have the Cardinals back on top 21-17 midway through the fourth quarter. The Jaguars took over at their own 35. Lawrence went to Strange for 23 and to Meyers for 17. Lawrence found Strange for 10 and Washington for a 9 yard touchdown. With less than 4 minutes left, the Jaguars led 24-21. Yet the rest of this game was just crazy.

The Cardinals had to go for it on 4th and 12 from their own 28. Brissett threw incomplete at the 2 minute warning, which should have ended things. Yet the Jaguars soon faced 4th and 1 at the Arizona 19. A field goal would put the Jaguars up by 6 but Liam Cohen wanted it all. He rolled the dice and came up snake eyes as Lawrence threw incomplete. The Cardinals had 1:39 left needing only a field goal to tie the game. On 4th and 1 from their own 29, Carter gained 8. With 33 seconds left on 1st and 10 from the Jacksonville 42, insanity followed. Brissett found Wilson for a big 31 yard gain. The Cardinals were in easy field goal range but would have about 15 to 20 seconds left to go for the win. They needed to get up to the line and spike the ball to stop the clock.

Yet Wilson lost his mind. After the big catch, he started celebrating. He made a first down gesture and then spun the ball into he and zone after the play was over. He then realized what he did and went after the ball. The clock was running. His boneheaded “look at me” celebration killed any chance of the Cardinals going for the win. By the time the referees got the ball and everyone was set, only 6 seconds remained. Ryland hit the 29 yard field goal to tie the game 24-24,  but Wilson’t stupid selfish play cost his team a chance to win in regulation. The Jaguars got the ball first in overtime and moved to the Arizona 34. Little nailed the 52 yard field goal to have the Jaguars up by 3. The Cardinals took over at their own 28. On 3rd and 4 from the Jacksonville 42, Brissett threw incomplete. A field goal try to tie would be 60 yards. With 4 minutes left in overtime, Jonathan Gannon went for it. Brissett threw incomplete. Just like that, the Jaguars got to 7-4 on the year. 27-24 Jaguars, OT 

Cleveland Browns at Las Vegas Raiders — Both teams came in 2-8, but this was possibly the one remaining game the Raiders had a chance to win. Both teams had good defenses and miserable offenses. Yet the Browns were starting Shedeur Sanders, who had never started an NFL game before. Until last week, he had never even played in an NFL game. He looked awful. The Raiders defense could tee off on him, but even an average offense would be needed for a win. Every Raiders game is the same. The defense plays well, the offense does nothing, and the exhausted defense breaks. Early on, it was special teams that got the Browns going. A 44 yard punt return had the Browns taking over at the Raiders 13. Judkins ran for 5 and then for the 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. Late in the first quarter the Browns took over at their own 27. Sanders went to Fanning for 17. On 3rd and 8 from his own 46, Sanders rolled out and went bombs away to Bond for a 52 yard gain. Judkins ran for the 2 yard touchdown as the Browns led 14-0 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter Daniel Carlson missed a 48 yard field goal try. Yet after an interception of Sanders, Carlson got another try from 41. He hit that one as the Raiders trailed 14-3. Yet the Raiders pathetic offense was useless. Szmyt hit a 53 yard field goal to have the Browns up 17-3 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Raiders defense finally broke. On 3rd and 9 from their own 34, a swing pass from sanders to Sampson should have lost yards. Instead it turned into a 66 yard touchdown and a 24-3 Browns lead. The Raiders managed one garbage touchdown in a garbage season. Today truly was rock bottom. I’m not sure this Raiders squad could beat a high school team. The offensive line cannot block. Quarterback Geno Smith makes too many dumb decisions, such as holding on to the ball too long. This is one reason he was sacked 10…yes, 10…times in this game. Smith misses wide open receivers. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly stubbornly refuses to run the ball and play smash mouth despite having a stud running back in Ashton Jeanty. He insists on passing with a quarterback who can’t throw and a line that can’t block. 

Even a  great head coach like Pete Carroll cannot win with terrible players who are either too dumb or too untalented. At least Chip Kelly was fired after the game. 24-10 Browns

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys — The 8-2 Eagles needed to steamroll a Cowboys team with no defense. Brian Schotteheimer gambled early on 4th and 3 from midfield. Dak Prescott threw incomplete. Jalen Hurts went to AJ Brown for 6 and 10. Hurts found Saquon Barkley for 14. On 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 16, Hurts went to Brown for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Eagles. The Eagles got it back and punted on 4th and 10 from their own 24. Yet a roughing the kicker penalty gave the Eagles 15 yard and a new set of downs. Hurts went to Brown for 13. On 3rd and 10 from the Dallas 48, the defense jumped. In 3rd and 5 Hurts hit Brown for 22. On 3rd and 3 from the Dallas 14 Barkley gained 7. Hurts ran for the 7 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Eagles. In the second quarter the Cowboys fumbled and the Eagles recovered at their own 34. Hurts went to Barkley for 16. On 3rd and 12 from their own 48, Hurts went deep to Devonta Smith for 41 and again for 10. Hurts got the one yard tush push as touchdowns on their first 3 drives and the Eagles up 21-0. The Eagles offense took the remaining 42 minutes off but this game was over. 

Prescott was intercepted but the Cowboys got the ball back at their own 28. Prescott went to Kevontae Turpin for 48. On 2nd and 15 from the Philadelphia 18, Prescott went to Ferguson for 17. Prescott found George Pickens for the one yard touchdown to have the Cowboys within 21-7 at halftime. In the third quarter normally reliable Brandon Aubrey missed a 51 yard field goal try for the cowboys. Yet the Cowboys got the ball back at their own 11.  Williams ran for 12 and 5. On 3rd and 5 from their own 34, Prescott went deep to CeeDee Lamb for 48. Defensive pass interference added 10. Prescott hit Spann for a 4 yard touchdown to have the Cowboys within 21-14. Early in the fourth quarter the Eagles had a chance to get some breathing room but a 56 yard field goal try by Jake Elliott was no good. From their own 46, Prescott immediately went deep to Pickens for 43. Prescott ran for an 8 yard touchdown. With 11:40 still left to play, the game was now tied 21-21. 

The Eagles moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Dallas 28, certainly in field goal range to take the lead. A 16 yard gain was wiped out by a 10 yard offensive illegal use of hands penalty. Then on the next play Barkley fumbled and the Cowboys recovered. The Cowboys had to punt but disaster struck the Eagles when Gipson got blasted on the return and fumbled. The Cowboys recovered to have 1st and goal at the 7. On 3rd and goal at the one, Prescott threw incomplete. With 3:45 left, a field goal would give the Cowboys the lead. Brian Schottenheimer instead went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Prescott threw incomplete again. The Eagles moved from their own 2 to a 3rd and 2 at their own 37. A couple more first downs would mean long field goal range. Instead Hurts got belted for a 13 yard loss. The Cowboys got the ball back at their own 27 with 1:45 left. With 45 seconds left the Cowboys faced 2nd and 10 at their own 46. Hurts then connected with Pickens for a 24 yard gain. Aubrey came in for the winning field goal try from only 42 yards out. Aubrey was good and the Cowboys had the shocking walk off comeback win. For the Eagles it was a stunning choke job. 24-21 Cowboys

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints — Neither of these teams are any good. An early Shough fumble led to a 56 yard zane Gonzalez field goal to make it 3-0 Falcons. Tipton returned the ensuing kickoff 75 yards to the Atlanta 16. Yet Blake Grupe missed a 38 yard field goal try. In the second quarter the Falcons took over at their own 23. Kirk Cousins went to Pitts for 23. The Falcons began the third quarter facing 3rd and 6 from midfield. Cousins hit Mooney for 9. Bijan Robinson ran for 32. Cousins hit Sills for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Falcons. Cousins di throw an interception that was returned 49 yards for s Saints defensive touchdown, but the Saints had no offense. Gonzalez made field goals of 41 and 54 sandwiched around another miss by Grupe from 47 as the Falcons led 16-7 at halftime. Grupe finally hit a 33 yard field goal to get the Saints within 16-10 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Yet from their own 32, the Falcons turned out the lights. On 2nd and 23 from their own 19, Cousins hit Robinson for 32. Cousins then went deep to Mooney for a 49 yard touchdown to salt it away. 24-10 Falcons

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams was the Sunday night game. The Buccaneers are a good team. The Rams are a great team. Both teams have solid offenses. The Rams took over early at their own 20. On 3rd and 7, Mathew Stafford went to Davantae Adam for 13. Stafford went to Puka Nacua for 31. On 3rd and 19 from the Tampa Bay 34, Stafford found Nacua for th exact 18 and Colby Parkinson for 15 down to the one. Stafford hit Adams for a on a yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. Mayfield was then intercepted by Durant, who returned it 50 yards the other way for a defensive touchdown and a 14-0 Rams advantage. The Rams got it back in the second quarter at their own 28. On 3rd and 3 from their own 46, Stafford went to Mumpfield for 11 and to Adams for 14. Stafford found Parkinson for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 5, stafford went to Parkinson for the touchdown to make it 21-0 Rams. The Buccaneers managed one touchdown but this game was a blowout. After a touchback, Stafford hit Nacua for 24 and Adams for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 28-7 Rams. The Rams coasted from there as Mevis hit  40 yard field goal before the half and one more 52 yard fourth quart field goal to complete the scoring. More importantly for the Buccaneers, Baker Mayfield aggravated his throwing shoulder, The final play of the half was a Hail Mary that did not reach the 20 as Mayfield fell to the ground without being touched. He did not play the second half. The 9-2 Rams sit atop the conference. 34-7 Rams

Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers was the Monday night game. The Panthers have gotten much better since a slow start while the 49ers have been revitalized with Brock Purdy returning. The 49ers began the game with a 15 play, 72 yard drive that took nearly 9 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 10 from their own 28, Purdy connected with Christian McCaffrey for 11. On 3rd and 3 from their own 46, Purdy hit Pearsall for 6. On 3rd and 3 from the Carolina 41, McCaffrey ran for 6,8 and 8. Purdy found Jennings for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. The rest of the half was ugly as Purdy was intercepted 3 times and Bryce Young was once. Fitzgerald managed a 25 yard second quarter field goal for the Panthers and May  Gay answered from 47 to make it 10-7 49ers at the half. The 49ers began the third quarter at their own 20. Purdy went to McCaffrey for 12.  On 3rd and 5 from their own 37, Purdy found George Kittle for a pair of 7 yard gains. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 29, Purdy hit Jennings for 10. McCaffrey ran for a 13 yard touchdown run to cap the 13 play, 80 yard, 8 minute drive to make it 17-3 49ers. The Panthers did get a 68 yard drive with Young throwing a 29 yard touchdown pass to McMillan. Yet on the fourth quarter the 49ers defense clamped down. Matt Gay hit a 29 yard field goal to give the 49ers breathing room. Fitzgerald’s 57 yard try to make it a one score game was no good. The 49ers got to 8-4 on the year. 20-9 49ers