NFL 2023 Week 16 Recap
New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams was the Thursday night game. Both teams came in 7-7 and fighting for playoff survival. The Rams took over in the first quarter at their own 5 yard line. Matthew Stafford went to Tyler Higbee for 22. On 3rd and 6 from their own 38, Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for 17, Robinson for 15, and Kupp again for 12. On 3rd and 8 from the New Orleans 11, Stafford threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 6 yards and an automatic first down On 3rd and goal at the 2, Stafford threw incomplete. Sean McVay gambled. On 4th and goal at the 2, Stafford hit Puka Nacua for the touchdown. The 14 play, 95 yard, 8 minute drive had the Rams up 7-0. After a touchback, the Saints moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Rams 39. Derek Carr threw incomplete. Rather than punt or try a 57 yard field goal, Dennis Allen went for it. Carr was sacked. The Rams took over in the second quarter at their own 48 and again moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Again Stafford threw incomplete. This time, McVay played it conservative. Havrisik hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Rams. Later on in the quarter Havrisik missed from 47 yards out.
The Saints took over at their own 37 and struck quickly. Carr went to Johnson for 20 and Shaheed for a 45 yard touchdown. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Saints were within 10-7 despite being totally outplayed. The Saints got it back at their own 35 and moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Rams 42. Again Carr threw incomplete. Again Dennis Allen went for it and again on 4th and 5 Carr threw incomplete. The Rams had 56 seconds to work with and that was enough time. Stafford went to Robinson for 32. Stafford hit Nacua for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the New Orleans 4, Stafford went to Robinson for the touchdown. With 20 seconds left, the Saints led 17-7. After a third quarter touchback, the Rams moved to a 3rd and 2 at the New orleans 3 yard line. Again, Stafford threw incomplete. Again,Sean McVay went conservative at home with the lead. Havrisik hit the 22 yarder to make it 20-7 Saints. After a touchback, the Saints moved to a 3rd and 6 at their own 46. Carr was intercepted by Fuller, who returned the pick 21 yards to the New Orleans 41. Nacua ran for 7. Williams ran for 10, 7, and the 10 yard touchdown to make it 27-7 Rams. After a touchback, the Saints moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Rams 34. Carr threw incomplete twice. Allen went for it and Carr threw a 3rd straight incompletion. The Rams moved to a 4th and 2 at the New Orleans 13. Yet again, McVay refused to gamble. Havriisk hit from 31 to make it 30-7 Rams early in the fourth quarter.
The story of this game was that Sean McVay kept settling for field goals but Dennis Allen kept turning it over on downs to give the Rams great field position, stressing out the New Orleans defense. Was Allen to aggressive or was McVay too conservative? The end of the game would tell. The Saints mounted a furious rally. After a touchback, Carr hit Alvin Kamara for 9 and Chris Olave for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 41, Williams gained 4. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 33, Carr hit Johnson for 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Rams 5, this time Carr hit Johnson for the touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left to play, the Saints were within 30-14. The Saints got it back in a big way thanks to a partially blocked punt at the Rams 35. From that spot on 2nd and 10, Car went to Perry for the 35 yard touchdown. Carr went to Olave for the 2 point conversion. With a full 4 minutes left, the Saints were right back in it down by 8 points. The onside kick failed. Williams ran for 5 and Nacua added 9. With the Rams facing 3rd and 5 at the New Orleans 25, the Saints jumped into the neutral zone, extinguishing their final hopes for a comeback. Stafford took a couple of knees to ice it. After starting 3-6 and appearing all but dead, the Rams have quietly gone 5-1 down the stretch to get to 8-7 on the year. 30-22 Rams.
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Saturday afternoon game. The 8-6 Bengals have seen Jake Browning play brilliantly in place of the injured Joe Burrow. On the flip side, the Steelers have lost 3 straight dropping to 7-7 because Mitchell Trubisky has been awful in place of the injured Kenny Pickett. Mike Tomlin had seen enough. For this game, Trubisky was benched and replaced with longtime Steelers backup Mason Rudolph. It made sense to start Rudolph just in time for Christmas. The Steelers took over at their own 8 yard line. On their second play from scrimmage, Rudolph fired over the middle to George Pickens, who split the seams and outraced everyone for an 86 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Steelers. After a touchback, the Bengals moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Pittsburgh 16. After an incompletion, Browning went to the end zone and was intercepted by Patrick Peterson for a touchback. The Steelers moved easily. Harris gained 8. Rudolph went to Robinson for 12. On 3rd and 5 from their own 45, Rudolph went to Warren for 18 and Robinson for 14. Harris gained 13. The second quarter began with Austin running around the end for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Steelers. Browning was intercepted again by Rowe, who returned it 25 yards to the Cincinnati 14. Harris ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Steelers. Chris Boswell tacked on a 50 yard field goal to end the half with the Steelers up 24-0. In the third quarter, Browning did connect with Tee Higgins for an 80 yard touchdown, but this game was never a contest. After a touchback, the Steelers put the game away. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Rudolph went to Pickens for a 66 yard touchdown to make it 31-8 Steelers. The Bengals managed a field goal on the last play of the third quarter, but Browning’s third interception in the fourth quarter led to a 30 yard Boswell field goal to complete the scoring. Both teams are 8-7 on the year. 34-11 Steelers
Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers is the Saturday night game. The Chargers got blasted last week, giving up 63 points. Brandon Staley was finally fired. The interim coach is Giff Smith. Nobody loses close games like the Chargers. The 8-6 Bills were looking to continue staying alive in the playoff race. Early on the Chargers took over at their own 8 and moved 90 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Eason Stick threw incomplete. Cameron Dicker hit the 20 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chargers. The Bills then fumbled a punt and the Chargers recovered at the Buffalo 27 to start the second quarter. Stick went to Everett for 15, 2, and 9. Stick got the last yard himself to make it 10-0 Chargers.
A field position game had the Bills taking over at their own 43. One play and 10 seconds later the Bills were within 10-7 as Josh Allen went deep to Gabriel Davis for the touchdown. The Bills got it back at their own 37 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. Allen hit Dawson Knox for 9 and Davis for 20. Cook ran for 8. Leonard Fournette added 5 and 9. Allen ran for a 2 yard touchdown with 38 seconds left in the half to make it 14-10 Bills. A third quarter interception of Allen gave the Chargers the ball at their own 42. They moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Buffalo 16. Stick was sacked. Dicker hit from 40 to get the Chargers within 14-13. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 4. On 3rd and 4 from their own 42, Allen hit Shakir for 16. and Davis deep for 36. On 3rd and goal at the one, Allen got in to make it 21-13 Bills after three quarters.
The Chargers kept moving the ball in the fourth quarter but could not penetrate the end zone. Yet Dicker hit field goals of 47, 45 and 53 to make it 22-21 Chargers with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The last of Dicker’s 5 field goals came after a Buffalo fumble. After a touchback, the Bills moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Chargers 28. Allen went to Shakir, who spun away and went in for the touchdown. Yet the officials ruled Shakir was down by contact after a 15 yard gain. The decision actually helped the Bills, because the Chargers were out of timeouts. Sean McDermott took no chances, calling 3 very safe runs up the middle to take the clock down. From 29 yards out, Tyler Bass was good to give the Bills the 2 point lead with 28 seconds remaining. From his own 30 with 0 timeouts, Stick was sacked. The hook and laterals ended up about 70 yards shy of the end zone. The 9-6 Bills survived as the Chargers lost another heartbreaker as they tend to do. 24-22 Bills
Cleveland Browns at Houston Texans — The 9-5 Browns took on the 8-6 Texans, who were without the injured J Stroud. The Browns exploded right out of the gate. A 36 yard kickoff return had the Browns starting at their own 41. Joe Flacco then went bombs away to Amari Cooper for a 53 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Ford took the direct snap and got in the end zone for a 7-0 Browns lead. The Browns got the ball back in the second quarter at their own 10 and made it look easy. Ford ran for 5 and 10. Flacco then went bombs away again to Cooper for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Browns. Yet 13 seconds later, the Texans were on the board in a big way as Damion Pierce returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown to get the Texans within 14-7.
A 34 yard punt would set up the Browns at midfield. On 3rd and 10, Flacco went to Moore for 18, Akins for 13, and David Njoku for a 21 yard touchdown. Kicker Dustin Hopkins left the game in the second quarter injured. For the rest of the game, Kevin Stefanski would go for 2 point conversions and fourth down conversions rather than field goals. On this 2 point try, Dorian Thompson-Robinson got in to make it 22-7 Browns. The Browns took over in the third quarter at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 1, Flacco hit Cooper for 8. On 3rd and 3 from his own 42, Flacco hit Kareem Hunt for 6 and Cooper for 19. On 4th and 8 from the Houston 30, Kevin Stefanski went for it Flacco hit Cooper for 13. Flacco hit Cooper for a 7 yard touchdown. The mind-numbing 19 play, 94 yard drive took 9 1/2 minutes off the clock. Another 2 point try failed but the Browns led 28-7. An interception of Case Keenum set up the Browns in the fourth quarter just shy of midfield. Flacco went to Cooper for 21. On 4th and 5 from the Houston 25, Flacco hit Tillman for 7. On 4th and 5 from the Houston 13, Flacco hit Cooper for 11. Hunt got in and Flacco hit Cooper for the 2 point conversion as the Browns led 36-7. The Texans got a couple of garbage touchdowns long after the game was decided. The Browns got to 10-5 and are in very strong playoff position. The 8-7 Texans are still alive. 36-22 Browns
Washington Commanders at New York Jets — Robert Saleh was given the dreaded vote of confidence from Jets owner Woody Johnson that he would be back next year. Meanwhile, Ron Rivera will most likely be fired. Neither of these coaches have a good quarterback to develop. In a battle of bad teams after a touchback, on the second play from scrimmage Sam Howell was intercepted. The Jets took over at the Washington 24. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Trevor Siemian threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jets. The Commanders then punted on 4th and 25 from their own 10 and the Jets blocked the punt. The Jets took over at the Washington 9. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Siemiean went to Brownlee for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Jets. A short 36 yard punt gave the jets a short field at the Washington 42. Two plays later Breece Hall ran for a 36 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Jets less than 6 minutes into the game. In the second quarter the Commanders fumbled a punt return and the Jets took over at their own 47. The Jets moved to a 1st and goal at the 4 before a false start and 3 straight Siemian incompletions. Zuerlein hit from 27 to make it 20-0 Jets.
The Commanders finally showed some life on defense. Siemian was sacked and fumbled to give the commanders gift field position at the Jets 12. One play later carlos Rodriguez ran it in to get the Commanders on the board. The Commanders forced a 3 and out but kept self-destructing. With the Jets punting on 4th and 3 from their own 36, the defense encroached and the Jets kept the ball. Siemian then went to Garrett Wilson for 15. and again for 9. Abanikanda ran for 4 and 7. Siemian went to Breece Hall for 15. Hall then made an acrobatic pivot as he was being forced out of bounds by 3 defenders, shifting the ball into his other hand and breaking the plane of the goal before his body landed out of bunds. The 11 play, 71 yard, 5 minute drive had the Jets up 27-7 with 1:35 left in the half. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, an interception of Howell had the Jets at the Washington 22. One play later, the Jets had 1st and goal at the 6. Whether a touchdown and 34-7 or a field goal and 30-7, this game should have been over.
Rather than grind out clock, Siemian was intercepted by Barton, who returned the pic 52 yards to the Jets 44. A horse collar tackle on the return added 15 yards to the Jets 29. This was the Jets Failure to Close Out, FC1. Sam Howell was on the bench and Jacoby Brissett was quarterbacking the Commanders the rest of the way. On 3rd and 4, Brissett hit Jahan Dotson for 10. On 3rd and 12 from the Jets 15, Brissett hit Thomas for the touchdown to get the Commanders within 27-14. The Commanders got the ball back and faced 4th and 1 at their own 32. Curtis Samuel gained 6. That was FCO 2. Brissett went to McLaurin for 29 and to Bates for 11. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 21 down to the one. Rodgriguez got the last yard to get the Commanders within 27-21 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Commanders got it back at their own 17. Defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 20 yards. Rodriguez gained 11 and 16. Brissett went to Dotson for 21 with a defensive facemask adding 9. Gibson gained 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 2, Gibson got in for the touchdown. 21 unanswered points had the Commanders up 28-27.
This was an epic Jets collapse, but the Jets still had 5 minutes left in regulation. They went nowhere, but their defense got a key stop and the Jets got the ball back at their own 33 with 1:41 to play and one timeout needing only a field goal. On 3rd and 1, Hall gained 5. Siemian went to Hall for 14. With 5 seconds left, it was up to Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein. From 54 yards out, Zuerlein was good. In a season gone wrong, this was a rare bright spot for the Jets. As for the Commanders, that bright spot did not come. 30-28 Jets
Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans — The 7-7 Seahawks were fighting for playoff survival. Geno Smith was back from injury, sending Drew Lock back to the bench. After being out most of the year injured, Ryan Tannehill was finally back under center, sending backup Will Levis back to the bench. A field position game had the Seahawks punting from their own 5 and the Titans taking over at their own 43. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 34, Spears gained 7. The second quarter began with the Titans at the Seattle 25. Tannehill went to Deandre Hopkins for 13. Mike Vrabel then went to the bag of tricks. Out of the shotgun, Derrick Henry threw the halfback option pass to Okonkwo for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. The Seahawks moved from their own 30 to a 3rd and 4 at the Tennessee 10. Geno Smith threw incomplete. Jason Myers hit a 28 yard field goal to get the Seahawks on the board. After a touchback the Titans moved to a 4th and 8 at the Seattle 15. Nick Folk hit the 33 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Titans at the half. The Seahawks began the third quarter with excellent field position at their own 45 and moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Tennessee 9. Smith threw incomplete twice. Myers hit from 27 to get the Seahawks within 10-6.
Late in the third quarter the Seahawks got the ball back at their own 4 yard line. Smith went to Smith-Nigba for 20. On 2nd and 14 a completion only gained 4 but defensive illegal contact meant 5 yards and an automatic first down. Defensive unnecessary roughness added 15. Smith went to Tyler Lockett for 21 as the fourth quarter began with the Seahawks facing 3rd and 3 at the Tennessee 24. Smith went to DK Metcalf for 12. Smith went back to Metcalf for an 11 yard touchdown to culminate the 10 play, 96 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 13-10 Seahawks with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Tannehill went to Spears for 4. Tannehill hit Burs for 13 and Spears for 11. On 4th and 1 from the Seattle 27, Mike Vrabel went for it and Spears gained 2. On 3rd and 11 from the Seattle 26, Tannehill threw incomplete but defensive passes interference added 15 yards. Derrick Hery ran for 6 and then for a 2 yard touchdown. With 3:20 to play, the Titans led 17-13. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Smith went to Lockett for 7. On 3rd and 14 from their own 32 at the 2 minute warning, Smith went to Smith-Nigba for 18. Smith went to Lockett for 12. Defensive pass interference added 22 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Smith went to Parkinson for the touchdown with one minute left. After a touchback the Titans got to midfield with 30 seconds left needing only a field goal to force overtime. Tannehill was sacked. Tannehill then inexplicably threw a 3 yard sideline pass that turned disastrous when the receiver didn’t get out of bounds as the clock ran out. For 2 straight weeks, the Seahawks overcame a 17-13 deficit late to pull out a heroic win. The Seahawks are 8-7 and alive in the playoff chase. 20-17 Seahawks.
Indianapolis Colts at Atlanta Falcons — The 8-6 Colts and 6-8 Falcons were both alive for the playoffs because both teams play in a bad division. The Colts began facing 3rd and 11 at their own 24. Gardner Minshew went to Mallory for 18, to pierce for 7, and to Malory for 12. Jonathan Taylor ran for 6, 13 and 2. On 3rd and 8 from the Atlanta 14, defensive pass interference meant 13 yards. on 3rd and goal at the one, Taylor banged in for the touchdown to cap the 13 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Colts. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29 and struck quickly. Taylor Heinecke went to Milelr for 15. Robinson ran for 32. Heinecke went to Pitts for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. In the second quarter Younghoe Koo doinked a 49 yard field goal try off the upright no good. Yet a defensive penalty gave the Falcons a new set of downs. Koo hit from 23 and again from 47 to end the half with the Falcons up 13-7. After a third quarter touchback, Heinecke went to Robinson for 14. Cordarelle Patterson ran for 11, 6 and 6. Tyler Allgeier took a pitcher around the end for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 20-7 Falcons. 20 unanswered points had the Falcons in command. The Colts managed a third quarter field goal but nothing more. Koo hit fourth quarter field goals of 46, 35 and 25 to complete the scoring. The 7-8 Falcons and 8-7 Colts are alive for a playoff spot and even their division. 29-10 Falcons
Green Bay Packers at Carolina Panthers — The 6-8 Packers clung to playoff life against a Panthers team that last week won their second game of the year. From his own 20, Aaron Jones ran fro 10, 13, and 3 and then caught an 8 yard pass from Jordan Love. Love connected with Kraft for a 27 yard gain. Jones ran for 12. AJ Dillon got the last yard to make it 7-0 Packers. The Panthers moved from their own 31 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 34. Bryce Young threw incomplete thrice. Eddie Pineiro hit a 52 yard field goal to get the Panthers on the board. The Packers got it back at their own 21. Jones ran for 29. Love went to Melton for 17. Melton ran for 7 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Carolina 10, Love hit Kraft hit for 8. On 3rd and goal at the one to start the second quarter, Love got in. The extra point was no good but the Packers led 13-3.
The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 26. Young went to DJ Shark for 19. On 3rd and 5 from midfield, Young went to Adam Thielen for 17. Chuba Hubbard ran for 13. Smith-Marsette ran for a 20 yard touchdown to have the Panthers right back in it down 13-10. After a touchback the Packers moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Carolina 35. Love threw incomplete twice. Anders Carlson hit from 53 to make it 16-10 Packers. The Panthers rater a touchback moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Green Bay 38. Chuba Hubbard got stopped and interim coach Chris Tabor went for it. On 4th and 2, Hubbard got blasted for a 2 yard loss. Love went to Melton for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Carolina 37, Jones gained 3. On 3rd and 10 from the Carolina 34, Love went to Melton for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Carolina 21, Love went to Wicks for the touchdown to make it 23-10 Packers with 49 seconds left in the half.
Early in the third quarter the Panthers faced 3rd and 1 at their own 37. Hubbard gained 3. On 4th and 1 from the Green Bay 38, Young gained 2. Roughing the passer 2 plays later added 15 more. Young ran for 9. Hubbard ran for 6, 1, and the 4 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Panthers trailed 23-16. The Packers took over at their own 34. Love went to Romeo Doubs for 25. Jones ran for 10, 4, 4, and on 3rd and 2 from the Carolina 13, 6. The fourth quarter began with the Packers facing 3rd and goal at the 5. Love went to Doubs for the touchdown. The Packers led 30-16 and appeared to have put the game away.
A field position game had the Panthers taking over at their own 40 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Young went to Thielen for 15 and to Tommy Tremble for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 36, Smith-Marsette gained 13. Offensivee unnecessary roughness moved the Packers back 15 yards, but it was after the play was over so it was still 1st and 10. On 3rd and 12 from the Green Bay 40, Young went to DJ Shark for 16. with defensive unsportsmanlike conduct adding 12 more. Young went to Chark for an 11 yard touchdown. Pineiro missed his 2nd extra point on the day and the third miss between both teams as the Panthers trailed 30-22 midway through the fourth quarter. The Panthers got it back with 6 minutes left and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 38. Young went to Chark for 20 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Young then went to Thielen for 17 and Shark for a 10 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try saw Blackshear get in for a 30-30 tie with 4 minutes left.
The Packers soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Love went deep to Doubs for a 36 yard gain. The Panthers unsuccessfully challenged the call, costing them a valuable timeout. Love went to Kraft for 20. The Panthers took their timeouts on defense. With 22 seconds left, Carlson came in for a 32 yard field goal try to give the Packers the lead. Carlson was good. After a touchback, the Panthers had 19 seconds left. Young quickly went o Chark and Thielen for a pair of 22 yard gains to the Green Bay 31, in range of the tying field goal to force overtime. Young raced everybody up to the line to spike the ball and stop the clock. The Panthers insisted they had one second left. Officials ruled the clock hit zeroes. The game was over. The Packers had survived and at 7-8 are still alive in the playoff race. 33-30 Packers
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings — The 10-4 Lions looked to wrap up their first NFC North crown since 1993 while the 7-7 Vikings tried to stay alive in the playoffs. The Lions came in unabated 7-0 at home but only 3-4 on the road. Yet this game was indoors. After an opening touchback, Jared Goff went to Reynolds for 16. David Montgomery ran for 10. On 3rd and 5 from the Minnesota 43, Goff went to Amra St Brown for 14. On 3rd and 1 at the Minnesota 20, Montgomery gained 4. Goff went to Williams for 12. On 3rd and goal at the one, Montgomery ran it in to culminate a 14 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive and make it 7-0 Lions. After a touchback, Nick Mullens went to Oliver for 33 yards, KJ Osborne for 14, Justin Jefferson for 8, and Osborn again for 14 more. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Mullens threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 2 yards and an automatic first down. Chandler got in for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-7.
In the second quarter the Lions took over at their own 22. A sack and delay of game had the Lions facing 2nd and 26 at their own 34. Goff went to LaPorta for only 5 yards, but roughing the passer meant 15 yards and a new set of downs rather than 3rd and 21. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 18, a sack of Goff and fumble was reversed to an incompletion. Mike Badgley hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Lions. An interception of Mullens was returned 22 yards by Karl Joseph to the Minnesota 33. Gibbs ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Lions with 1:48 left in the half.
After a touchback, Mullens went to TJ Hockenson for 7 and Jefferson for 22. On 3rd and 19 from his own 45, Mullens went to Jefferson for 29. Mullens went deep again to Jefferson for a 26 yard touchdown. With 30 seconds left, the Vikings were within 17-14. The Vikings began the third quarter at their own 19. Mullens went deep to Hockenson for 24 and even deeper to Osborn for a 47 yard gain. Mullens went right back to Osborn for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 21-17 Vikings.
After a touchback Goff went to Raymond for 18. Gibbs ran for 6 and 7. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 34, Dan Campbell went for it and Gibbs gained 18. On 4th and 1 from the Minnesota 7, Campbell went for it again and Goff gained 2. Goff hit St Brown for a one yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the Lions up 23-21, but the extra point was blocked. The Lions got it back and faced 3rd and 4 at their own 23. Goff went to St. Brown for 25 and again for 15. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 25 early in the fourth quarter, Goff went to Donovan Peoples-Jones for 11. On 3rd and 4 from the Minnesota 8, Goff hit Gibbs for 5. Gibbs ran for a 3 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 83 yard, 7 minute drive had the Lions up 30-21 with 11 minutes left in regulation.
An interception Mullens appeared to end it, but the Minnesota defense held and got the ball back at their own 16 yard line. The Vikings moved to a 1st and goal at the 9. Mullens threw incomplete twice and on 3rd and goal gained only one yard. Greg Joseph hit the 26 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 6 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The Vikings got it back at their own 22 with 2:23 left. With 1:36 left the Vikings appeared dead facing 3rd and 27 from their own 16. Mullens threw a prayer to Jefferson between 2 defenders, and Jefferson somehow came down with a 28 yard reception. Jefferson initially appeared short, but officials did not bother to review the spot. Dan Campbell did not demand a booth review. Mullens then went to Powell for 26 yards. With one minute left the Vikings were at the Detroit 30. Mullens went for it all and was intercepted at the 6 yard line. The Vikings were game but fell to 7-8. A jubilant Campbell has an 11-4 squad. For the first time in 30 years, the Lions are NFC North Champions. 30-24 Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The 8-6 Jaguars came in having lost 3 straight as they faced the 7-7 Buccaneers. Both teams were very much alive in the postseason race due to playing in bad divisions. This game was never a contest. After an opening touchback, the Buccaneers moved 69 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Baker Mayfield threw incomplete. Chase McLaughlin hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. An interception of Trevor Lawrence had the Buccaneers taking over at their own 44. Mayfield went to Mike Evans for 5 and 19. The second quarter began with Todd Bowles deciding to gamble on 4th and 2 at the Jacksonville 18. White gained 4. On 3rd and 6 from the Jacksonville 10, Mayfield gained 7. Mayfield hit Evans for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Buccaneers. Brandon McManus missed a 52 yard field goal try for the Jaguars. The resulting good field position led to McLaughlin hitting from 31 to make it 13-0 Buccaneers with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. An interception of Lawrence gave the Buccaneers the ball back at their own 35 with 1:34 left. Mayfield went to White for 5, Chris Godwin for 6, and Evans for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Jacksonville 38, Mayfield went to Evans for 16 and again for a 22 yard touchdown with 45 seconds left to make it 20-0 Buccaneers. The Jaguars fumbled on the third play of the third quarter as the Buccaneers had a short field at the Jacksonville 37. On 3rd and 6, Mayfield went to Palmer for just enough. Mayfield went to Durham for 25. White ran for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 27-0 Buccaneers. The Jaguars turned it over on downs and McLaughlin tacked on a 51 yard field goal to make it 30-0 Buccaneers. The Jaguars avoided a shutout with a garbage touchdown in the third quarter and another one in the fourth quarter. Both teams are 8-7 and alive for the playoffs and their horrendous division crowns, but the Jaguars have lost 4 straight. 30-12 Buccaneers
Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears — The Bears are bad but the Cardinals are worse. The Bears took over at their own 26. Justin Fields went deep to Cole Kmet for a 53 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Fields was sacked but defensive holding instead meant 1st and goal at the 3. On the next play, Fields ran it in to make it 7-0 Bears. The Bears got it back at their own 10 yard line. Herbert gained 15 and Fields went to Kmet for 20. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 46, Fields went to Mooney for 6. The Bears began the second quarter facing 3rd and 4 at the Arizona 34. Fields ran for 24. Herbert ran for an 11 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 90 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 14-0 Bears. The Bears got ti back and faced 3rd and 2 at the Arizona 46. Johnson ran for 5 and 5 more. Fields went to Kmet for 29. O 3rd and goal at the one, Fields hit Marcedes Lewis for the touchdown. Midway through the second quarter, the Bears led 21-0.
The Cardinals tried to put up a fight after a touchback. Kyler Murray went to Higgins for 12. Murray ran for 12 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Chicago 47. Murray hit Moore for 8. James Conner gained 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 16, Murray went to Conner for the touchdown to get the Cardinals within 21-7. Matt prater nailed a 55 yard field goal early in the third quarter to get the Cardinals within 21-10. Cairo Santos responded from 49 to put the Bears up 24-10 after three quarters. The Bears had a chance to ice the game early in the fourth quarter but Fields was intercepted for a touchback. Murray then went to Conner for 20. On 4th and 2 from the Chicago 48, Murray threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a 5 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 38, Murray went to Greg Dortch for the touchdown. An unnecessary 2 point conversion try failed but the Cardinals were within 24-16 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Cardinals got it back at their own 9 with 4 1/2 minutes left and moved to a 2nd and 6 at their own 27 with 3 minutes left. Murray threw 3 straight incompletions. With one minute left, Santos hit a 29 yard field goal to lock up the win. The Bears are who we thought they were, but so are the Cardinals. 27-16 Bears
Dallas Cowboys at Miami Dolphins — A pair of 10-4 teams put on a great game in a potential Super Bowl preview. After an opening touchback, the Cowboys moved 73 yards in 15 plays and 8 minutes. On 1st and goal at the one, Dak Prescott fumbled and the Dolphins recovered at their own 2. The Dolphins moved all the way to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 36. A pair of Tua Tagovailoa incompletions were sandwiched around a run that lost 3 yards. Mike McDaniel went bold and Jason Sanders nailed a 57 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. After a touchback, the Cowboys came back quickly. Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for 22 and went deep to Lamb for a 49 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Cowboys.
After a touchback, the Dolphins moved to a 1st and goal at the 3 in the second quarter. A pair of runs lost a couple yards. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Tagovailoa threw incomplete. This time McDaniel went for it rather than accept the gift 23 yard field goal try. On 4th and goal from the 5, Tagovailoa threw incomplete. The Dolphins got the ball back at their own 35 and moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Dallas 33. A run lost a yard and on 3rd and 5, Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Sanders hit another big field goal from 52 to get the Dolphins with 7-6.
The Dolphins got it back at their own 29. Tagovailoa went to Smythe for 11. Tagovailoa went to Wilson for 15. Achane ran for 9. Tagovailoa went to Smythe for gains of 8 and 10. Tagovailoa hit Tyreek Hill for 9. Roughing the passer added 5 more yards. Tagovailoa hit Raheem Mostert for a 4 yard touchdown with 17 seconds left in the half for a 13-7 Dolphins lead. The third quarter belonged to the field goal kickers. Sanders hit from 54 for the Dolphins. Aubrey hit from 43 for the Cowboys. Sanders hit from 35 for the Dolphins. Early in the fourth quarter Aubrey hit from 33 as the Cowboys trailed 19-13 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Cowboys got it back and faced 3rd and 6 at their own 35. Prescott went to Lamb for 14. On 4th and 2 from the Miami 43 with 8 1/2 minutes left, Mike McCarthy went for it and Prescott hit Lamb for 11. Prescott went tp Ferguson for 7 and Michael Gallup for 8. With 4 1/2 minutes left, the Cowboys faced 4th and goal at the 4. Kicking a field goal and playing defense would have been fine, but again McCarthy decided to go for it. Prescott threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 3 more yards and a first down. On 1st and goal at the one, Prescott was sacked. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Prescott went to Brandin Cooks for the touchdown. Aubrey hit the key extra point to culminate the staggering 17 play, 69 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and have the Cowboys up 20-19 with 3 1/2 minutes left.
After a touchback, a defensive facemask had the Dolphins on the move. At the 2 minute warning, the Dolphins had 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 33. Tagovailoa hit Hill for 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 15, Wilson gained 6. With the Cowboys out of timeouts, the Dolphins took the clock down. With 2 seconds left, Sanders came in for a 29 yard field goal try to win it. 30 years after Thanksgiving snow and Leon Lett, this final kick continued no drama. It was good. Sanders was 5 for 5. The 11-4 Dolphins lead their division by 2 games while the 10-5 Cowboys fell out of a first place tie in theirs. Both teams are in the playoffs. Both teams have an outside shot at home field throughout the playoffs. 22-20 Dolphins
New England Patriots at Denver Broncos was the Christmas Eve Sunday night game. The 7-7 Broncos were alive in the playoff race and needed only to beat the lowly New England Patriots at home. Both teams have good defenses, but Russell Wilson was not going to be outplayed by Bailey Zappe. After an opening touchback, Bailey Zappe on the very first play from scrimmage was sacked and fumbled. The Broncos recovered at the New England 6. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 2, Wilson threw incomplete. Sean Payton, On 4th and goal at the 2, a run gained only one yard. The Broncos got another break when Marvin Mims returned a punt 52 yards to set up the Broncos at the New England 25. Williams ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos.
After a touchback, the Patriots moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Denver 17. A completion gained only 3 yards. Ryland hit a 33 yard field goal to get the Patriots on the board early in the second quarter. The defenses dug in and both kickers missed a field goal late in the half. Early in the third quarter the Patriots took over at their own 30. Zappe went deep to Douglas for a 41 yard gain. Zappe went to Douglas again for 13 more. Zappe went to Ezekiel Elliott for a 15 yard touchdown. Ryland doinked the extra point off the upright no good as the Patriots led 9-7.
The Broncos eventually punted on 4th and 22 from their own 3 yard line to set the Patriots up with a short field at the Denver 42. Zappe went to savants Parker for 30. On 3rd and 9 from the Denver 11, Zappe went to Mike Gesicki for the touchdown and the 16-7 Patriots lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Mims fumbled it without being touched, picked it up, and had the ball stripped away again. The Patriots recovered in the end zone for a gift touchdown and a 23-7 Patriots lead in front of a shellshocked Denver home crowd. 23 unanswered points had the Patriots turning a slugfest into a blowout.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Broncos took over at their own 17. Wilson went to Perine for 13. On 3rd and 1 from their own 39, Burton got stopped. In desperation mode, the Broncos had to gamble on 4th and 1. One defensive stop would end the game. Wilson gained 2. This was the Patriots FCO1. On the next play, Wilson went deep to Mims for a 47 yard gain. The ball clearly hit the ground but the issue was whether it moved. It appeared Mmis did not maintain complete control, but officials ruled it a catch and Bill Belichick lost the challenge and a timeout. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 3, Wilson went to Lucas Krull. Yet the Broncos still needed the 2 point conversion. Wilson hit Johnson successfully. With 8 1/2 minutes left, FCO2 had the Broncos within 23-15.
The Broncos got the ball back at their own 22 with 6 1/2 minutes left. Wilson went to Krull for 9 and Jerry Jeudy for 15. McLaughlin gained 11. On 3rd and 10 from the New England 04, Wilson went to Johnson for 13. On 3rd and 4 from the New England 21, Wilson went to Johnson for the touchdown. The Broncos still needed another 2 point conversion. Wilson hit William successfully. FCO3 had the game tied 23-23 with 3 minutes to play. The Broncos held on defense and got the ball with 1:42 left at their own 39 and all the momentum. A couple of first downs would give the Broncos a chance at the win.
This time, New England’s defense got the stop. The Patriots took over at their own 19, but with only one minute left. On 3rd and 3 form their own 26, Zappe went deep to Parker for 27 yards. On 2nd and 5 from the Denver 42, Zappe went to Gesicki for only 4. Making matters worse, the clock was ticking. Zappe had to spoke the ball on 3rd and 1 to stop the clock. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 38, only 2 seconds remained. A field goal try would be 56 yards. With nothing to lose, Bill Belichick went with his kicker in the cold weather. Ryland leveled it. The stunned home crowd saw the Broncos fall to 7-8 and the brink of playoff elimination. Don’t count out the Evil Hoodie just yet. 26-23 Patriots
Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs is the Christmas Day Monday morning game. The 9-5 Chiefs looked to lock up the AFC West for the 8th straight year by knocking off the 6-8 Raiders. The Raiders had 11 days to prepare after scoring a franchise high 63 points in their last game. When asked what it would take for the Raiders to win, Antonio pierce replied that the Raiders have to take the Chiefs and “hit them in the mouth.” Yet without Josh Jacobs, it would be a tall order. The Raiders defense came ready to play. The Chiefs got the ball first and Patrick Mahomes was sacked on 2 of his first 3 plays. He fumbled the ball but got it back. The Chiefs punted and the Raiders fumbled it, but managed to hang on to it to avoid disaster. The Chiefs reached a 3rd and 8 at the Raiders 44, but Mahomes was sacked a third time. A great punt gave the Raiders the ball at their own 7 yard line. Zamir White ran for gains of 5 and 6 as power runs and short passes had the Raiders on a drive that lasted nearly 9 minutes. Yet the Raiders did not finish the drive. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 7, a completion by Aidan O’Connell gained only one yard. After 15 plays and 87 yards, Daniel Carlson hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders.The Chiefs had 0 first downs and negative 18…yes minus 18…total yards.
The Chiefs began the second quarter facing 3rd and 15 from their own 20. Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive holding gave the Chiefs an automatic first down. Yet the Raiders defense held again. Unfortunately for them, the offense went nowhere. Rather than run the ball, 3 straight O’Connell incompletions saw him get knocked down on every play. The Chiefs offense was bound to wake up. On 3rd and 10 from his own 26, Mahomes hit Rice for 15 yards and the first Chiefs offensive first down. After over 18 minutes, the Chiefs had positive yardage. On 3rd and 3 from their own 48, Mahoems went to Rice for 5. Homes then threw a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass to Travis Kelce that he took for a 24 yard gain. The Chiefs then lined up in the shotgun with Pacheco taking the snap instead of Mahomes. Pacheco faked the reverse and took it in himself for a 12 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 74 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Chiefs up 7-3 midway through the second quarter.
The Raiders offense did nothing, but the Raiders defense exploded in a manner that left the home crowd in shock and disbelief. It started by walrus Andy Reid getting too cute by half. He is one of the great play-callers, but in cold bad weather deep in your own territory, sometimes it makes sense to go basic. From his pwn 13, Reid tried the shotgun direct snap to Pacheco again. This time he was supposed to hand it to Mahomes instead of fake it. Mahomes fumbled the exchange from Pacheco. Brandon Nichols picked up the fumble and waltzed 8 yards into the end zone for a defensive touchdown. Normally reliable punter and holder AJ Cole fumbled the snap on the extra point. Carlson never got a chance to kick it as Cole kept it and got tackled. The Raiders led 9-7. On the next play after a touchback, Mahomes went to the sideline and Jack Jones for the second week in a row turned into Jack Squirek. Jones jumped the route and coasted 33 yards for another defensive touchdown. Jones had a pick six in 2 straight weeks and the Raiders had 2 defensive touchdowns in 7 seconds. Antonio Pierce went for a 2 point conversion and called a trick play of his own. O’Connell out of the shotgun faked like the snap went way over his head. Meanwhile the direct snap went to Brandon Bolden, who banged ahead and with a great second effort barely broke the plane of the goal for a 17-7 Raiders lead with 5 minutes left in the half.
The Chiefs after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 5 at his own 48. Mahomes threw incomplete twice. The Raiders had all the momentum, but the Chiefs quickly took it back. Walrus Andy Reid gambled on a fake punt and punter Townsend through a completion to a sliding Watson at the sideline for a 11 yard gain as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 10 from the Raiders 23, a completion gained only 5 yards. Harrison Butker came in for a 36 yard field goal try, having missed only one kick all year last week. His kick was wide no good as the home crowd booed the players. The Raiders in the third quarter had a chance to really put a dagger in, but after one first down they punted the ball. A good punt followed by a facemark penalty on the receiving team pinned the Chiefs at their own 9 yard line. On 3rd and 8, Mahomes scrambled but gained only 4 yards. Yet a horrendous defensive holding call gave the Chiefs a new set of downs. Walrus Andy Reid then decided to go for it on 4th and 1 at his own 30 after getting stopped on 3rd and 1. After taking a timeout, Reid still went for it and Mahomes gained 7. Yet on 4th and 5 from the Raiders 43 after an incompletion, Reid went for it again and Mahomes threw incomplete. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Raiders could take control of the game if they had even an ounce of offense.
They could not. After throwing his 7th straight incompletion, O’Connell was sacked. Yet the Raiders defense sacked Mahmes again and forced a 3 and out. A bad punt gave the Raiders a short field at the Kansas City 42. One first down meant long field goal range. A touchdown would be a dagger. The Raiders had to run the ball and grind the clock. There was no need to keep throwing the ball with a quarterback in O’Connell who was not completing passes. He was managing the game, and in this case that should have meant handing off the ball again and again. Antonio Pierce said at halftime that the way to finish the game was to take the Chiefs while they were down and “squeeze them by the throat.” Now he and his players had to back it up. The Raiders kept running the ball. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Kansas City 17, a run went nowhere. O’Connell then threw incomplete twice. O’Connell had 0 completions for 0 yards passing in the second and third quarters. Yet Carlson hit a 35 yard field goal as the Raiders led 20-7 after three quarters.
As long as Mahomes is under center, the Chiefs have a chance. The Raiders defense had been brilliant for three quarters. The question as always would be if they could finish a game, especially a big one against the best competitor in the league. The Raiders had not delivered the dagger, which meant Mahomes needed only 2 touchdowns to win again. Mahomes quickly moved the Chiefs from their own 24 to a 1st and 10 just past midfield. Mahomes under heavy pressure rolled out and was intercepted by Moehring. The Raiders all celebrated but the turnover was ruled incomplete. Next time a defender celebrates, he should make d@mn sure he caught the ball. On 2nd and 17 from the Raiders 41, Mahomes went to Clyde Edwards-Helaire for what should have been no gain. Instead Edwards-Helaire broke through bad tackling for a 32 yard gain. On 2nd and goal at the 7, Mahomes threw incomplete twice. Walrus Andy Reid went for it. This up until now was the play of the game. Mahomes threw a fade that was perfectly defended and incomplete. with 10 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders needed an ounce of offense to grind out some first downs and the clock. They could not afford to go 3 and out and keep giving Mahomes more chances.
On 3rd and 5 from their own 12, a perfectly executed draw play allowed Amir Abdullah to gained 7 and a key first down. Yet on 3rd and 4 from his own 25, O’Connell threw incomplete. The dagger still had not been put in. The Chiefs took over with 6 minutes left at their own 31. Before the snap, the Raiders had 12 men on the defense. On 3rd and 1, Edwards-Helaire was blown up for a one yard loss. With 5 minutes left the Chiefs were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 2 at their own 39. Mahomes scrambled for 3 yards. On 2nd and 6 from their own 46, Mahomes should have been sacked but somehow shook off 2 guys and heaved a desperation ball downfield. James caught it for a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Mahomes again appeared to be taken down when somehow he escaped the grasped and fired a touchdown to Watson. With 2:42 to play, the Chiefs were right back in it down by 6 points. The Raiders had to try and win with a quarterback unable to complete a pass.
After a touchback, White ran for 6 as the Chiefs took their 2nd timeout on defense with 2:35 left. The Raiders had been trying to pound the ball all game. Finally, at the most critical possible moment, the Kansas City defense broke. White broke through tired tacklers for a 43 yard gain. The Chiefs took their final timeout but the Raiders were now in field goal range. White then broke off another 15 yard run as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. The Chiefs were out of timeouts. This game was over. O’Connell took 3 knees. Mahomes was not getting the ball back. Nobody in silver and black cared that some billionaire pop singer had her Christmas ruined. She’ll get over it.
Mahomes was 17-0 in the month of December against AFC West rivals in his career. No more. The Chiefs had hosted the AFC Title Game 4 straight years. Not this year. Mahomes had played every playoff game at home. Not this year. The Chiefs still need only one more win to win the AFC West for the 8th straight year. If they lose their last 2 and the Raiders win their last 2, the Raiders win the division. In the first quarter, O’Connell was 9 for 11 for 62 yards. He had 0 completions on 10 attempts for 0 yards over the final three quarters. Yet he did not turn the ball over. Mahomes turned it over twice in catastrophic fashion and was also sacked 4 times. For the first time in over a decade, the Raiders have a defense. They have a real running game even without the injured Josh Jacobs. The Raiders ran the ball 29 times for 157 yards, led by White’s 145 yards on 22 carries, a 6.6 average. Running the ball and playing defense? This is called power football. This is smash mouth. This is Antonio Pierce football. Mark Davis can cancel his coaching search now. He has his man. Remove the interim tag and make pierce the full-time head coach immediately. It wasn’t pretty but it doesn’t have to be. Pierce backed up his tough talk. The Raiders hit the Chiefs in the mouth. Just win baby. 20-14 Raiders
New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles was the Christmas Day Monday afternoon game. The Eagles started 10-1 but came in having lost 3 straight. With a win the eagles would still lead the NFC East by one game. Early in the game Covey returned a punt 54 yards for the Eagles to the Giants 13. Deandre Swift ran for 12. Hurts got the last yard for a one yard touchdown to Make it 7-0 Eagles. The Giants after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Philadelphia 34. Danny Devito’s cousin Tommy thew incomplete. Mason Crosby, who was sitting at home a couple of days ago, nailed a 52 yard field goal to get the Giants on the board. The Eagles moved from their own 18 to a 2nd and goal at the 3. Swift appeared to make an acrobatic play for a touchdown, but he was ruled down by contact for a 2 yard loss. Hurts then threw incomplete. Jake Elliott hit a 28 yard field goal to start the second quarter for a 10-3 Eagles lead.
The Eagles got it back at their own 48. Hurts ran for 16. Hurts then went to Devanta Smith for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Eagles. The Giants moved from their own 37 to a 4th and 1 at the Philadelphia 21. Brin Daboll went for it. sequin Barkley got the carry and got blasted for a 4 yard loss. After a touchback the Eagles moved to a 1st and goal at the 9 with 24 seconds left in the half. A sack of Hurts killed the drive. Elliott hit from 21 as the Eagles took a 20-3 lead to the locker rooms. Tyrod Taylor played the second half as Tommy Cutlets was sent to the bench.
The Giants desperately needed a break and got one when the Eagles fumbled the second half kickoff. The Giants recovered at the Philadelphia 14. Barkley ran for 5, 2, and on 3rd and 3, the 7 yard touchdown to get the Giants within 20-10. The Eagles moved from their own 6 yard line to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 18. An offensive illegal block above the waist moved the Eagles back. After an incompletion, 2nd and 20 brought disaster. On the last play of the third quarter, Hurts went to the sideline and Jackson jumped the route. Jackson returned the interception 78 yards for a defensive touchdown. A horse collar tackle on Hurts on the return allowed Brian Daboll to go for a 2 point conversion from the one yard line. Barkley got in as the Giants only trailed 20-18 after three quarters.
After a touchback to start the fourth quarter, Hurts hit AJ Brown for 11. On 3rd and 20 from their own 26 and the Giants preparing to get the ball back and take the lead, Hurts went deep to Brown for 32. Kenneth Gainwell then ran for 22. Hurts hit Brown for 12. Swift ran for a 5 yard touchdown to have the Eagles up 27-18 with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Giants after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Philadelphia 42. Taylor threw incomplete. Brian Daboll went for it and Taylor threw incomplete. The Eagles moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Giants 26. Hurts threw incomplete Elliott hit a 44 yard field goal. With 6 minutes left the Eagles led 30-18.
After a touchback, the Giants struck back right away. Taylor went deep to Darrius Slayton for a 69 yard touchdown bomb. With 5 1/2 minutes left the Giants were right back in it down 30-25. After a touchback, the Eagles moved to a 1st and 10 at the Giants 27. A pair of runs went backward and a 3rd and 15 completion got only half the necessary yardage. Elliott nailed a 43 yard field goal. The Eagles led by 8 points. After a touchback, the Giants had 1:10 to work with and 0 timeouts. A rouging the passer call had the Giants at their own 40. On 3rd and 10, Taylor went to Darren Waller for 11. Taylor spiked the ball to stop the clock with 37 seconds left. On 4th and 7 from the Philadelphia 46 with 26 seconds left, Taylor went to Waller for 20 yards. Taylor spiked the ball with 3 seconds left. From the Philadelphia 26, Taylor scrambled around and fired to the end zone. He was intercepted and Ringo was his Name-O. Ringo immediately went down for a touchback.
The Giants were game, but the Eagles with far more difficulty than anticipated snapped their losing streak to get to 11-4 on the year. The Eagles have beaten the Giants 11 straight times at home. The Eagles are one game up in the NFC East and still alive for home field advantage throughout the playoffs. 33-25 Eagles
Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers was the Christmas Day Monday night game. This was not as big as the Harbowl, but it was the game of the year with a pair of 11-3 teams trying to win their respective conferences and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. After a Ravens punt, the 49ers moved from their own 11 to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 15. Brock Purdy went to the end zone and was intercepted by Hamilton. Hamilton should have stayed in the end zone for a touchback, but instead returned it to his own 8 yard line. From his own 20, Lamar Jackson scrambled all the way back into his own end zone. He tripped over an official who was in the way. in trying to get up and get rid of the ball, Jackson was called for intentional grounding in the end zone. He pleaded his case that the official messed up the play, but the call stood and the safety had the 49ers up 2-0. The 49ers took the free kick at their own 21 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Baltimore 33. Kyle Shanahan went for it and Purdy was sacked for a 13 yard loss out of field goal range. Yet defensive holding instead gave the 49ers 5 yards and a new set of downs. That was the difference in Moody hitting a 45 yard field goal to make it 5-0 49ers.
After a touchback, the Ravens moved all the way to a 2nd and 5 at the San Francisco 9 yard line. Jackson was stopped for a 3 yard loss. Then on 3rd and 8 a completion gained only 2 yards. Justin Tucker hit a 28 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 5-3. The 49ers began the second quarter after a touchback with Purdy going to George Kittle for 20 and Deebo Samuel for 15. Yet Purdy was then intercepted for the 2nd time as the Ravens took over at their own 47. Jackson went to Bateman for 14 and Zee Flowers for gains of 6 and 10. On 3rd and 4 from the San Francisco 15, Jackson went to O’Dell Beckham Jr. for 5. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Jackson went to Isaiah Likely for 9. John Harbaugh went for it on 4th and goal at the one. Gus Edwards got in for the game’s first touchdown to make it 10-5 Ravens. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 30. Purdy was intercepted a 3rd time. Despite taking over at the San Francisco 20, the Ravens moved backward. Tucker hit from 41 to make it 13-5 Ravens. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 42. Purdy gained 2. Christian McCaffrey ripped off a 39 yard gain. McCaffrey then ran for the 9 yard touchdown. Kyle Shanahan decided not to go for a 2 point conversion. Nevertheless, the 49ers were right back in it down 13-12. They seemed to have taken the Ravens best punch and looked ready to take over the game.
Not even close. After a touchback, the Ravens moved to a 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 11 with 10 seconds left in the half. After Jackson threw incomplete, John Harbaugh took no chances. Tucker hit from 28 to put the Ravens up 16-12 at the midpoint. The 49ers went nowhere to start the third quarter. A key play came when Wallace returned the punt 23 yards to his own 41 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 yards to the San Francisco 44. A short pass from Jackson to Edwards went for 39 yards. Jackson went to Nelson Agholor for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 23-12 Ravens. One play after a touchback, Purdy quickly threw his 4th interception. Patrick Queen returned the pick 21 yards to the San Francisco 9 yard line. One play and 3 seconds later, Jackson quickly fired to Flowers for another touchdown as the Ravens led 30-12. The 49ers went nowhere and the Ravens took over at their own 5. They moved 89 yards in 11 plays and nearly 7 minutes. On 3rd and g goal at the one. Jackson got stopped fr no gain. John Harbaugh decided not to gamble. Tucker hit his 4th field goal from 24 to make it 33-12 Ravens early in the fourth quarter.
After a touchback, the 49ers quickly moved to a 2nd and 4 at the Baltimore 38. A 14 yard gain by McCaffrey was wiped out by offensive holding. The fourth quarter began with the 49ers going for it on 4th and 11. Purdy threw incomplete. The 49ers got it back at their own 10 yard line and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 28. Purdy was sacked and left the game with a mild injury. Sam Darnold came in and finished the drive with a 12 yard touchdown to Bell. Down by 14, the 49ers got it back at their own 36 with 4 1/2 minutes left. They moved to a 3rd and goal at the one at the 2 minute warning. Darnold was then sacked for an 11 yard loss. After a false start meant 4th and goal at the 17, Darnold went to the end zone and was intercepted. The Baltimore defense had 5 interceptions on the night. This was a statement game. The 49ers fell to 11-4. They have already locked up their division but are now tied atop the conference. The hold the tie-breaker, so if they win their final 2 games they get the top NFC seed. The 12-3 Ravens with a win next week would lock up the top seed in the AFC and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. 33-19 Ravens