THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

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NFL 2021 Week 7 Recap

Denver Broncos at Cleveland Browns was the Thursday night game. Both teams were 3-3 and reeling in different ways. The Broncos 3-0 start was a mirage and Teddy Bridgewater was playing injured. Baker Mayfield was out and Case Keenum started. The Browns dominated at the start. From their own 25, Keenum hit Jarvis Landry for 7 and Austin Hooper for 34. Johnson did the rest, running for 20, 10, and the 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns right away. The Browns got it back at their own 23 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 34. Offensive holding stalled the drive. Chase Mclaughlin hit a 52 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Browns. In the second quarter the Browns missed a chance to extend the lead when McLaughlin’s 41 yard try was blocked. The Browns dominated the entire half but only led 10-0.

The Broncos had no offense in the first half, but came alive in the third quarter from their own 21. Bridgewater hit Noah Fant for 9 and Cortland Sutton for 12 and 13. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 34, Bridgwater hit Kendall Hinton for 4 and 11 and Fant for 9. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Bridgewater hit Melvin Gordon for the touchdown. midway through the third quarter, the 13 play, 79 yard, 7 minute drive had the Browns within 10-7. After a touchback, Keenum hit O’Dell Beckham for 17, Schwartz for 16 and Johnson for 18. On 3rd and 1 from the Denver 14, Keenum got the yard. On 3rd and 3 from the Denver 6, Keenum threw incomplete. Kevin Stefanski went very big and bold and gambled on 4th and 3 rather than kick the field goal. Keenum stretched past tacklers for 5 tough yards. Keenum then hit Stanton for the one yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive had the Browns up 17-7 after three quarters.

With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Browns faced 3rd and 7 from their own 38. Keenum hit Landry for 15. Vic Fangio, challenged the catch, and on further review it was ruled incomplete. Landry let it hit the ground. The Browns punted and the Broncos took over at their own 20. A defensive facemask was controversial because it appeared there was an offensive facemask on the play that was not called. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Bridgewater gained 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 40, Bridgewater hit Sutton for 10, Saubert for 3, and Patrick for 7. On 3rd and 10 from the Cleveland 20, Bridgewater hit Fant for 9. On 4th and inches and needing 2 scores, Fangio decided to go for it knowing a stop would all but end the game. Bridgewater barely got the few inches needed. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Bridgewater threw a short pass to Williams, who somehow evaded everyone for the touchdown. The staggering 17 play, 80 yard, 6 minute drive had the Broncos back within a field goal with 5:17 to play.

After a touchback, Keenum hit Hooper for 8 and Johnson ran for 20 and 8 as the clock kept moving. Keenum hit Landry for 7 and another first down. On 2nd and 7 from the Denver 30, Johnson gained just enough. With 1:13 to play and the Broncos out of timeouts, the Browns faced 3rd and 2 at the Denver 15. Johnson gained 9 but an illegal motion penalty stopped the clock with 1:09 left. Now it was 3rd and 7. A stop would keep the Broncos alive, barely. Johnson ran for 8 more and Denver was done. Keenum took a knee as the Broncos lost for the 4th straight game. The Broncos were game but the Dawg Pound got the hard fought win. 17-14 Browns

  

 

Carolina Panthers at New York Giants — The Panthers won 3 straight and then lost 3 straight while the Giants remain a mess. The Panthers began with a 13 play, 6 1/2 min ute drive. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the Giants 48, a completion gained only one yard. Zane Gonzalez hit the 46 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Panthers. The Panthers got it back and punted, but a short 28 yard punt gave the Giants a short field at the Carolina 41. On 1st and goal at the 2, Daniel Jones threw a touchdown to Kyle Rudolph. Yet on further review it was reversed to a one yard gain short of the goal. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jones got stopped. Joe Judge decided to go for it. On 4th and goal from the one, Booker got blown up for a one yard loss. 

Despite the goal line stand, the Panthers offense blundered. On 3rd and 9 from his own 3 under heavy pressure to start the second quarter, Sam Darnold threw a low ball that bounced off his own offensive lineman’s head incomplete. Officials ruled intentional grounding and a safety as the Giants only trailed 3-2. Don’t do the stupid baseball score joke. It’s never funny. The Giants took the free kick at their own 37 and moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Carolina 31. Jones threw incomplete twice. Graham Gano hit the 49 yard field goal early in the second quarter to make it 5-3 Giants. The baseball joke still isn’t funny. 

After a touchback to start the third quarter, Jones hit Slayton for 15. On 3rd and 12 from his own 38, Jones hit Booker for 14. Joe Judge then went to the bag of tricks. Jones lateraled to Pettis, who threw it forward to Jones. The quarterback became a receiver and gained 16. Booker gained 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Carolina 5, Jones went to Pettis for the touchdown. The 11 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Giants up 12-3 after three quarters. The Giants blew the game open in the fourth quarter. Matt Rhule benched Darnold in favor of XFL player PJ Walker. Gano hit field goals of 53 and 44. With 5 minutes left Matt Rhule had to go for it on 4th and 16 from his own 19. Walker threw incomplete. Booker ran for the 19 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. The Panthers have lost 4 straight since their 3-0 start. 25-3 Giants

New York Jets at New England Patriots — Bill Belichick never misses an opportunity to humiliate the Jets. The Patriots began at their own 35. Harris gained 12 yards with defensive holding adding 5. On 2nd and 15 from their own 47, Mac Jones threw a 28 yard completion to Jonnu Smith. Belichick then went to the bag of tricks. Jones lateraled to Kendrick Bourne, who threw the halfback option pass Nelson Agholor for the 25 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots barely 2 minutes into the game. A 17 yard punt return had the patriots get the ball back at their own 47. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 44, Jones gained 2. Harris did the rest, casing the Jets for 32, for 5, and then for the one yard touchdown and the 14-0 Patriots lead. The Jets had a 12 play drive that took 5 1/2 minutes off the clock. The result was a 48 yard field goal try that was no good. The Patriots moved from their own 38 to a 3rd and 6 from the Jets 21. Jones threw incomplete. Nick Folk hit a 39 yard field goal one minute into the second quarter for a 17-0 Patriots advantage. League rules prevented the final three quarters from being canceled.

The Jets soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 37. Zach Wilson hit Griffin for 15. From the New England 48, Zach Wilson went bombs away and got blasted as soon as the ball left his hand. The good news for the Jets was a defensive pass interference call and a 46 yard gain down to the 2. The bad news was that Wilson left the game injured. Mike White came in for Wilson. On 3rd and goal at the 3, White hit Davis for the touchdown to get the Jets within 17-7. The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 27. Jones went to Meyers for 19 yards. Harris ripped off a pair of 10 yard gains. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 31, Jones scrambled for 13. On 3rd and 7 from the Jets 15, Jones hit Brandon Bolden for the touchdown. The 12 play, 73 yard, 5 minute drive had the Patriots dominating 24-7 with 5 minutes left in the half. 

The Jets after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the New England 28 with 1:55 left in the half. Robert Saleh went for it and Johnson got stuffed for no gain. From his own 28, Jones went to Bolden for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 35, a flea flicker resulted in an complete pass. Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick went for it on 4th and 1. Jones hit Meyers for 3. Jones went back to Meyers for 11 more. With 35 seconds left on 3rd and 3 from the Jets 5, Jones threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Jones fired over the middle to the back of the end zone and Hunter Henry came down with it as the Patriots were blasting their hapless foe to pieces 31-7. 

The Jets began the third quarter facing 3rd and 4 from their own 29. White hit Davis for 17, Johnson for 21, and Crowder for 8. On 3rd and 5 from the New England 28, White threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 19 yard gain. Moore then got around the end for a 19 yard touchdown. Robert sales went for 2 and the try failed.The Jets were within 31-13. After a touchback the Patriots moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Jets 24. Jones was sacked to end the drive. Folk hit from 50 to have the Patriots comfortably ahead 34-13 midway through the third quarter. In the fourth quarter the Patriots turned the game from a blowout to an annihilation.

An interception of White gave the Patriots a short field at the Jets 43. Harris ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 41-13 Patriots. The Jets turned it over on downs and the Patriots took over at their own 47. Jones went deep to Bourne for 46 down to the one. JJ Taylor got in. The extra point failed but the Patriots led 47-13. With 6 1/2 minutes left Jones took a seat and Brian Hoyer finished up. Yet the usually classless Bill Belichick kept throwing. Hoyer went to Olszewski for 22, Johnson for 29 and Harry for 28 down to the one. Taylor got in to complete the carpet-bombing. The Jets offered up another fumble for good measure. 54-13 Patriots

Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans — The Chiefs appeared to right the ship last week while the Titans had a thrilling emotional home win over Buffalo. After a touchback, Ryan Tannehill hit AJ Brown for 10 and Julio Jones fo 18. Defensive pass interference added 18 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Chiefs 12, the defense jumped into the neutral zone but were still short. On 3rd and inches, Derrick Henry gained 3. Mike Vrabel then went into his bag of tricks. Henry took the snap, faked a run up the middle, and threw the halfback option pass to Mike Pruitt for the 5 yard touchdown and the 7-0 Titans lead. 

A sack of Mahomes forced a fumble, leading the Chiefs to have to punt. The Titans got it back, but they were pinned at their own 3 yard line. On 3rd and 9, Tannehill hit Mcnichols for 10. On 1st and 10 from his own 14, Tannehill went bombs away to AJ Brown. It was ruled incomplete, but Mike Vrabel challenged the call. Replay clearly showed Brown caught it, took three steps, and only had the ball come out after he hit the ground. The call was reversed to a 46 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Chiefs 24, Tannehill went deep to Brown again for the touchdown and the 14-0 Titans lead. The Titans began the second quarter at their own 24 and mounted a 12 play, 60 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and 6 from the Chiefs 16, Tannehill threw incomplete. Randy Bullock hit a 34 yard field goal for a 17-0 Chiefs lead.

One play after a touchback, Mahomes went deep and was intercepted to give the Titans a short field at the Kansas City 46. On 3rd and 8, Tannehill threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. Henry ran for 11 and one. Tannehill hit Julio Jones for 20. On 3rd and goal from the 2, Tannehill got in for a 24-0 Titans lead. After a touchback, the Chiefs soon faced 2nd and 10 at their own 35. Mahomes ran for 13 but had the ball chopped out. The Titans took over just shy of midfield with 1:47 left in the half. Tannehill hit Brown for 12 and Anthony Firkser for 9. On 1st and 10 from the Chiefs 24 with 24 seconds left in the half, Tannehill got buried for a 9 yard loss. Bullock hit a 51 yard field goal to end the half with the Titans winning big 27-0. 

Football fans have been accustomed to seeing the Chiefs overcome big deficits the last 2 years with an offense that can score at will. Yet the Chiefs have not been the same since losing both starting tackles in last year’s AFC Title Game. After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Chiefs moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Tennessee 24. Mahomes threw incomplete twice. Down by 27 but with plenty of time left, Walrus Andy Reid opted for the field goal. Harrison Butker hit from 42 to get the Chiefs on the board. They would get no closer. An interception of Tannehill led to another Butker field goal try from 57, but it was no good. In the fourth quarter the Chiefs faced 4th and 18 from their own 25. Mahomes got sandwiched between 2 defenders high and low and fumbled. The Titans recovered. Worse for the Chiefs, Mahomes left the game injured. Chade Henne played the rest of the game. Henne led a 17 play, 91 yard drive. Yet Mecole Hardman fumbled inside the 5 to kill the drive. The Titans on a short week won consecutive games at home to get to 5-2 in impressive fashion. The Chiefs fell to 3-4, but Walrus Andy Reid’s bigger concern is the health of Mahomes. 27-3 Titans 

Washington Refugees at Green Bay Packers — After a touchback to start the game, Aaron Rodgers hit Devontae Adams for 15. On 3rd and 4 from his own 46, Rodgers hit Aaron Jones for just enough. Rodgers went to Lewis for 12. On 3rd and 11 from the Washington 39, Rodgers hit Washington for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 17, Rodgers hit Jones for no gain. Matt LaFleur went for it rather than take the field goal. Rodgers rolled all the way out to his right, then threw back cross the middle of the field. He found Adams, who did the rest for the touchdown and the 7-0 Packers lead. The Non-Redskins soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 26. Taylor Heinicke gained 8 yards. On 3rd and 1 from their own 43, Heinicke hit Gibson for 5. Heinicke hit Terry McLaurin for 12 and then went bombs away to McLaurin for a 48 yard touchdown and a 7-7 deadlock. 

The second quarter featured malfunctions. The No-Names went for a 42 yard field goal try that was blocked. The Packers went for a 34 yard field goal try that was also blocked. From his own 28, Heinicke scrambled for a 38 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 27, Heinicke threw incomplete. Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it on 4th and 3, and Heinicke threw incomplete again. The Packers took over at their own 28 with 3 minutes left in the half. Rodgers hit Lazard for 11. On 3rd and 2 from his own 47, Rodgers hit Lazard for 13, Robert Tonyan for 5, Lazard for 19, Adams for 5, and Randall Cobb for 8 as the Packers took their last timeout with 15 seconds left in the half. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 10, Rodgers fired over the middle to Lazard for the touchdown as the Packers led 14-7 at the intermission. 

The third quarter began with the No-Names facing 2nd and 4 from their own 29. Heinicke was sacked and fumbled. The Packers recovered at the Washington 27. On 3rd and 3, Rodgers hit Tonyan for the 20 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Packers. The Refugees took over at their own 23. Heinicke hit Seals-Jones for 14. On 2nd and 16 from his own 31, Heinicke hit Humphries for 17 and McLaurin for 28. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Heinicke rolled out and dove over the pylon for the touchdown. The 10 play, 77 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the No-Names within 21-14.  Yet a very questionable call had the officials take the touchdown off the board and place it inside the one. Officials ruled that Heinicke gave himself up when he slid in the end zone untouched. Heinicke dove head first, which apparently no longer matters. Ron Rivera went for it on 4th and goal at the one, and more controversy ensued. Heinicke tried the sneak, fumbled, recovered his own fumble, and stretched the ball over the plane of the goal for the touchdown. Officials ruled he was short. The replay clearly showed that while Heinicke was initially stopped, he was never down. He was on top of bodies, meaning the play was still alive since no whistle had blown. Officials blew the call, and a touchdown instead became a goal line stand for the defense. 

The No-Names got it back at their own 41 and Rivera called back to back trick plays. Carter got around the end for a 27 yard gain and Heinicke added 12. Gibson gained 6 and fumbled, but the No-Names retained possession. On 3rd and 2 from the green Bay 3, Heinicke threw incomplete. Ron Rivera went for it again and Heinicke threw incomplete again. 2 goal line stands in the third quarter kept the Packers up 21-7. The Packers got it back at their own 4 yard line. On 1st and 17 from their own 7, Rodgers hit Adams for 25 as the third quarter ended. On 3rd and 4 from their own 39, Rodgers went to Tonyan for 25. Defensive pass interference added 25 more Yet on 3rd and 10 from the Washington 11, offensive illegal use of hands killed the drive. Mason Crosby hit a 39 yard field goal for a 24-7 Packers lead with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Washington managed a field goal with 3 minutes left, but no more as the Packers got to 6-1 on the year. 24-10 Packers  

Atlanta Falcons at Miami Dolphins — A pair of bad teams played. The Dolphins began facing 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Tua Tagovailoa hit Jalen waddle for 9. On 3rd and 4 from the Miami 43, Tagovailoa hit Waddle for 17. On 3rd and 3 from the Atlanta 22, Tagovailoa hit Mike Gesicki for 10. On 3rd and 8 from the Atlanta 10, Tagovailoa hit Ford for the touchdown. The 14 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive had the Dolphins up 7-0. The Falcons moved from their own 17 to a 1st and 10 at the Miami 19. A sack of Matt Ryan killed the drive. Younghoe Koo hit a 33 yard field to start the second quarter to get the Falcons within 7-3. After a touchback the Dolphins moved to a 2nd and 3 at the Atlanta 31. Tagovailoa threw incomplete twice. Then Jason Sanders had his 49 yard field goal try blocked.

The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 40. Ryan hit Cordarelle Patterson for 12, Smith for 6, Zaccheaus for 13, and Hurst for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 5, Ryan hit Calvin Ridley for the touchdown to cap the 10 play, 61 yard, 5 minute drive and put the Falcons up 10-7 with 5 minutes left in the half. After a touchback, the Dolphins moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Atlanta 14. Tagovailoa went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. From their own 20 with 2 timeouts, the Falcons only had 36 seconds to work with. Arthur Smith went aggressive. Ryan went deep to Pitts for 39 yards. Koo hit a 36 yard field goal to end the half with the Falcons maintaining the 13-7 lead. The Falcons struck lightning quick in the third quarter. From his own 23, Matt Ryan went deep to Pitts for 26 and deep again to Gage for a 49 yard touchdown. The Falcons comfortably led 20-7.

A field position game had the Dolphins taking over at their own 42. Gaskin gained 16. Tagovailoa hit Waddle for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Atlanta 14, Ahmed gained 6. Tagovailoa hit Gesicki for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Dolphins within 20-14. The fourth quarter began with the Falcons facing 3rd and 8 at their own 24. Ryan was intercepted to set up the Dolphins at the Atlanta 32. On the very next play with a chance to take the lead, Instead Tagovailoa gave the interception right back and Oluokun returned it 56 yards to the Miami 14. Patterson ran for a 3 yard touchdown to put the Falcons up 27-14 with 13 minutes left in regulation. 

The Dolphins took over at their own 10. Tagovailoa went to Smythe for 18 and Gesicki for gains of 27 and 9. Tagovailoa hit Waddle for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Atlanta 16, Tagovailoa ran for 9. Tagovailoa then hit Myles Gaskin for the 7 yard touchdown. The Dolphins were within 27-21 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Falcons took over at their own 9. On 3rd and 8 from his own 33, Matty Ice went ice cold. He ran for 2 yards and fumbled. With 6 minutes left in a battle of who wanted it least, the Dolphins had a short field at the Atlanta 40. On 1st and 19 after a penalty, Tagovailoa hit Ahmed for 17. Gaskin ran for 10. On 3rd and 15 from the Atlanta 24, Tagovailoa hit Gesicki for 16. Tagovailoa hit Hollins for a 4 yard touchdown. With 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Dolphins led 28-27.

After a touchback, Ryan hit Pitts for 23 and again for 28. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 16, Patterson gained 3. The Dolphins were now out of timeouts. They would not get the ball back as Ryan took the clock down to 3 seconds. Koo came in for the 31 yard field goal for the win. A false start made it a 36 yard try. Koo was dead center as the Dolphins lost their 6th straight game. 30-28 Falcons 

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens — The Bengals are for real but the Ravens would be a very tough test. A field position game had the Bengals taking over at their own 43. Zac Taylor gambled on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 48. Joe Burrow hit Jamarr Chase for 9. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 34, Burrow threw incomplete. Evan McPherson hit the 52 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bengals. The Ravens eventually moved from their own 23 to a 3rd and 11 at the Cincinnati 26. Lamar Jackson threw incomplete. Justin Tucker hit a 45 yard field goal one minute into the second quarter for a 3-3 game.

Midway through the second quarter, the Bengals took over at their own 20 in a  game that was all defense. Burrow hit Tee Higgins for 9 with roughing the passer adding 15 more. Burrow then went deep to CJ Uzomah, who threw a defender away with a stiff-arm for a 55 yard touchdown and a 10-3 Bengals lead. After a touchback, Lamar Jackson hit Bateman for 20. On 3rd and 7 from their own 48, Jackson hit Brown for 18 and then 7 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Cincinnati 19, Jackson scrambled for 15 at the 2 minute warning. Devonta Freeman got the last yard for a 10-10 deadlock.  

The Bengals took over at their own 25 with 1:51 left in the half. Burrow hit Higgins for 7, Uzomah for 4, and Chase for 6 and 13. Burrow went deep to Chase for 25. With 10 seconds left in the half the Bengals had 3rd and 3 at the Baltimore 12. Burrow threw incomplete. McPherson hit the 30 yard field goal as the Bengals took a 13-10 lead to the locker rooms. The Ravens made it look easy after a touchback to start the third quarter. Jackson went deep to Bateman for 35 and then deep again to Hollywood Brown for a 39 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Ravens led 17-13. Yet just like that, the game changed drastically and very unexpectedly.

After a touchback, Burrow hit Chase for 17 and 21. Burrow then went deep to Uzomah for a 32 yard touchdown. The Bengals led 20-17. The Bengals got it back and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 18. Burrow threw a short pass to Chase, who literally spun around 3 separate defenders 3 different times and raced up the middle for an 82 yard touchdown and a 27-17 Bengals advantage. The Bengals got it back at their own 15 and moved to a 1st and goal at the 9 to start the fourth quarter. Burrow was sacked. On 3rd and goal at the 16, Burrow was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. The Ravens moved from their 20 to a 2nd and 7 at their own 38. Jackson threw incomplete twice. Needing 2 scores, John Harbaugh went for it rather than try a 56 yard field goal. Jackson threw incomplete again. 

With a short field, Mixon ran for 10 and then for the 21 yard touchdown to have the Bengals up big 34-17. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Ravens were forced to go for it again on 4th and 5 from their own 43. Consecutive false starts made it 4th and 15. Jackson hit Williams for only 11. With another short field, Perine ran for a 46 yard touchdown in front of a shellshocked home crowd. Burrow threw for 416 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Ravens had their 5 game win streak snapped. It is way too early to tell if this is a changing of the guard, but for the Bengals it was a statement win. The Bengals went on the road and hit the Ravens in the mouth as both teams are 5-2 on the year. 41-17 Bengals

Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams — These teams swapped quarterbacks in the offseason. Matthew Stafford had the Rams clicking at 5-1 while the Lions were a winless mess under Jared Goff. Yet early on it looked like Goff would get revenge on Sean McVay for getting rid of him. The Lions began facing 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Goff hit Swift for 4. On 3rd and 9 from his own 37, a short completion from Goff saw Swift weave through bad tackles for a 63 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Lions lead. Dan Campbell called a surprise onside kick that the Lions recovered at their own 47. On 4th and 7 from midfield after a pair of Goff incompletions, Campbell decided to gamble on a fake punt. It worked as Fox hit Price for 17. On 3rd and 8 from the Rams 18, Goff threw incomplete. Austin Siebert hit a 37 yard field goal as the Lions and the surprising 10-0 lead. The Rams moved from their own 18 to a 3rd and 4 at the Detroit 15. Stafford threw incomplete but Gay hit a 33 yard field goal to get the Rams on the board. After a touchback the Lions moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Rams 33. Offensive holding killed the drive but Seibert hit from 47 to make it 13-3 Lions early in the second quarter.

The Rams finally woke up. Facing 3rd and 5 from their own 21, Stafford went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 32 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 42, the defense jumped into the neutral zone for another first down. Darrell Henderson gained 10 and Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for 11. On 3rd and 7 from the Detroit 11, Stafford hit Van Jefferson for the touchdown. The 11 play, 84 yard,  6 minute drive had the Rams within 13-10. The Rams got it back at their own 26 midway through the second quarter. Stafford went deep to Kupp for 27. On 3rd and 6 from the Detroit 43, Stafford went to Robert Woods for 22On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 15, Stafford hit Woods for just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 2, Stafford hit Kupp for the touchdown. With 1:23 left in the half, the Rams led 17-13. 

After a touchback, Goff hit Raymond for 15, Swift for 8, and Raymond for big gains of 20 and 14. With 18 seconds left in the half on 2nd and 10 from the Rams 18, a delay of game penalty followed by a pair of Goff incompletions left 4 seconds. Seibert hit from 41 to get the Lions within 17-16 at the break. In the third quarter the Lions took over at their own 21 and moved 61 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 18, Swift got stopped. Dan Campbell went for it and on 4th and 1 Swift got stopped again. The Rams moved from their own 18 to a 3rd and 1 at the Detroit 46. Sony Michel got stopped and Sean McVay went for it. On 4th and 1, Stafford threw incomplete. From his own 46, Goff went to Raymond for a 37 yard gain. On 2nd and 7 from the Rams 13, Goff threw incomplete twice. Seibert hit a 31 yard field goal as the Lions had the 19-17 lead after three quarters and were smelling upset.

The Rams rook over at their own 10. Stafford hit Kupp for 14. On 3rd and 12 from his own 22, Stafford went deep to Kupp for a 59 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Detroit 19 to start the fourth quarter, Stafford hit Tyler Higbee for 14. Stafford went to Kupp for a 5 yard touchdown. Sean McVay went for 2 and Stafford hit Woods for the conversion to put the Rams up 25-19. After a touchback, the Lions moved 63 yards in 15 plays and took over 9 minutes off the clock. With 5 minutes left in regulation, on 2nd and 12 from the Rams 12, Goff went to the end zone for the lead and was intercepted. Jalen Ramsey returned the interception 25 yards to his own 23. On 3rd and 1 from their ow 32, Stafford gained Woods for 18. On 4th and 1 from the Detroit 29, Matt Gay came in for a 47 yard field goal try to lock up the win. Gay was good and the Lions remained winless. They fought hard, but lost again. As for Goff, he threw another interception to remind Sean McVay that trading for Stafford was the right move. The Rams are 6-1 and looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender. 28-19 Rams

Philadelphia Eagles at Las Vegas Raiders — The Raiders showed last week they could win through adversity. Rich Bisaccia got his first win, and the ugliness before him was in the rear view mirror. Now the 4-2 Raiders had to show they could handle prosperity. They faced a relatively weak Eagles team at home. The Raiders were without Darren Waller. The Raiders had to guard against a letdown. The Eagles began at their own 33. The Raiders immediately committed defensive holding. On 2nd and 5 from his own 46, Jalen Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 24. Sanders ran for 9, 7 and one. Hurts hit Kenneth Gainwell for the 13 yard touchdown as the Eagles led 7-0 only 4 minutes into the game. After a touchback the Raiders moved 68 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the Philadelphia 9, Derek Carr threw a pass behind Jalen Richard that bounced off of Richard’s fingertips and was intercepted by Maddox. 

After the first quarter Raiders settled down and dominated on both sides of the ball. From his own 28, Carr hit Henry Ruggs for 2, Hunter Renfrow for 8, and Josh Jacobs for 13. Kenyan Drake gashed the defense for gains of 12, 9 and 4. Carr fired to Foster Moreau for an 18 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Raiders got the ball back at their own 4 yard line with 6 minutes left in the half. Rich Bisaccia went aggressive. Carr hit Bryan Edwards for 18, Henry Ruggs for 8, Hunter Renfrow for 10, Ruggs for 10, Jacobs for 6 and Jacobs again for 20. Jacobs ran for an 8 yard touchdown to complete the 10 play, 96 yard drive. With 1:38 left in the half, the Raiders led 14-7. One play after a touchback, disaster struck the Eagles. Gainwell did not gain well as he fumbled and the Raiders recovered at the Philly 29. Although Carr completed 21 of his first 22 passes and 16 straight, on 3rd and 1 from the Philly 10 he threw incomplete. With 7 seconds left the half, Carlson hit the 28 yard field goal to lead 17-7 at the break.

Kevin Siriani tried to spark the Eagles by calling a surprise onside kick to start the second half. Jake Elliott kicked a good one straight ahead that had a chance, but Alec Ingold fielded it cleanly in traffic. The Raiders had a short field at the Philadelphia 41 but without Jacobs, who suffered a chest injury at the end of the first half. On 2nd and 12, Carr hit Moreau for 21 and Renfrow for 7. Drake ran for 11 and then for the 4 yard touchdown. In completing 24 of his first 26 passes, a lights out Carr had the Raiders up 24-7. The Eagles punted on 4th and 20 from their own 13 and the Raiders got it back at midfield. Carr hit Richard for 9, Moreau for 10, and Edwards for 24. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Carr went to Renfrow on the sideline for 5 yards to set up 4th and goal at the one. Bisaccia went for it and Carr fired a quick pass to Edwards over the middle for the touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright no good but the Raiders were in command up 30-7.

The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 2nd and goal at the one. Hurts tried the quarterback sneak but Maxx crosby leapt over the top to stop him short. On 3rd and goal at the one out of the shotgun, Hurts fumbled the snap and the Raiders recovered at the 6 yard line. Yet the Raiders went nowhere and the Eagles got the ball back at their own 41 to start the fourth quarter. Hurts ran for 6 and 4 and then hit Goedert for 25. hurts ran for 16 more. On 3rd and goal at the one out of the shotgun again, this time Boston Scott took the handoff and got in. Elliott’s extra point doinked off the upright, but unlike Carlson, he got the favorable carom as it went through good. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Eagles were within 30-14. 

Kevin Sirianni decided against an onside kick. After a touchback, rather than stay ultraconservative, Rich Bisaccia kept his foot on the gas. Carr went deep to Alec Ingold for 29. Drake ran for a pair of 7 yard gains. On 3rd and 2 from the Philly 22, Richard only gained one. Knowing a field would lock up the game, Bisaccia took no chances on 4th and 1. Carlson delivered from 39 to have the Raiders comfortably in front 33-14. After a touchback, the Raiders defense got soft. Hurts hit Gainwell for 15 and Smith for 20. On 3rd and 10 from the Raiders 17, Hurts scrambled for his life and threw into triple coverage just before getting belted. Somehow all 3 defenders, despite not being the Pennsylvania team, played Keystone Cops and collided into each other. Jalen Reagor caught the miracle pass, bounced off the defenders, and strolled in for the touchdown. Hurts hit Goedert for the 2 point conversion. With 3 minutes left the Eagles were within 11. 

The onside kick failed and the Raiders played it very safe. With the Eagles taking their last timeout on defense, the Raiders ran 3 straight times and took the clock down. A perfect punt pinned the Eagles back at their own 9 yard line. On 1st and 10 from his own 34, Hurts threw 4 straight incompletions. Carr was lights out magnificent, finishing 31 of 34 for 323 yards and 2 touchdowns with the one fluke interception early on. The Silver and Black defense held Hurts to only 236 yards on 18 of 34 passing with 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Hurts also added 61 yards rushing on 13 carries. 30 unanswered points had the Raiders winning this game easily, with the score providing an illusion of a competitive game. The Raiders are 5-2 and have their bye week next week. For now, they lead the AFC West. Bisaccia is 2-0 as interim coach. 33-22 Raiders

Houston Texans at Arizona Cardinals — The 1-5 Texans took on the NFL’s lone unbeaten Cardinals. Sometimes a really bad team can go on the road and shock a really good team in a stunning upset for the ages. This was not that game. With 3 minutes left in the first quarter a field position game had the Cardinals pinned at their own 2 yard line. Kyler Murray was tackled in the end zone for a safety as the Texans led 2-0. The Texans took the free kick at their own 40 and Davis Mills hit Collins for 22. On the first play of the second quarter, Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 53 yard field goal to make it 5-0 Texans. The baseball score joke will never ever be funny. This concluded all Texans highlights as reality set in and the Cardinals took over. 

On 3rd and 6 from their own 29, Murray hit newly acquired Zac Ertz for 8. Murray then hit Hopkins for gains of 10 and 6. Edmonds ran for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 23, Murray threw incomplete. Kliff Kingsbury was back on the sideline after missing last week’s game due to the Covid protocol. Kingsbury was in his typical gambling mood and he went for it. Murray hit Kirk for 13. On 3rd and goal at the one, Murray hit Hopkins for the touchdown to put the Cardinals up 7-5. After a touchback, the Texans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Arizona 43. Mills was sacked and fumbled. The Cardinals had a short field just past midfield. James Conner ran for 17. On 3rd and 23 from the Houston 45 after a pair of offensive penalties, Murray went deep to AJ Green for 41 yards. That was the back-breaker as Murray hit kirk for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-5 Cardinals with 2:45 left in the half.

The Texans went 3 and out and the Cardinals took over at their own 26 with 1:37 left. Murray put on a clinic, hitting Kirk for 19, Hopkins for 15 and Moore for 16. Roughing the passer gave the Cardinals 1st and 10 at the Houston 11 with 18 seconds left. A sack of Murray followed by an incompletion left 9 seconds. On 3rd and 12 from the Houston 13 but without a timeout, Kliff Kingsbury went very conservative. Rather than risk another play, he kicked on 3rd down and settled for a 31 yard Matt Prater field goal for a 17-5 Cardinals lead at recess. The Cardinals took over at their own 12 in the third quarter. Murray hit Hopkins for 11, Green for 12, Kirk for 13, and Ertz for a 47 yard touchdown to make it 24-5 Cardinals. The fourth quarter began with he Texans going for it on 4th and 5 at the Arizona 37. Mills threw incomplete. Edmonds ran over the defense for gains of 16, 9 and 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Houston 18, Conner ran for the touchdown to have the Cardinals winning easily and remaining an unbeaten 7-0 team. 31-5 Cardinals

Chicago Bears at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Aaron Rodgers screamed last week that he owned the Bears. Tom Brady congratulated Rodgers for becoming a shareholder of the Bears. Could the lowly Bears go on the road and shock the defending champions in an upset for the ages? No. The Bears immediately went 3 and out and a 43 yard punt return by Darden had the Buccaneers starting at the Chicago 32. Defensive pass interference moved the ball to the 17. Leonard Fournette ran for 15 and then the 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 40. Justin Fields was intercepted by Delaney, who returned it 26 yards to the Chicago 40. Brady hit Godwin for 6, again for 21, and once more on 3rd and goal at the 4 for the touchdown and the 14-0 Buccaneers lead. It was deja vu all over again as the Bears had another 3rd and 5 from their own 40. Fields was sacked and fumbled. The Buccaneers had another short field at the Chicago 35. Brady hit Mike Evans for 11. Jones gained 12. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 9, Brady hit Evans for the touchdown. The Buccaneers led 21-0 after the first quarter as Matt Nagy considered resigning rather than coaching the remaining three quarters.

In the second quarter the Bears fumbled again and the Buccaneers had yet another short field at the Chicago 25. This time Brady threw 3 straight incompletions and Ryan succor missed a 43 yard field goal. The Bears even moved from their own 33 to a 1st and goal at the 10. A run went nowhere and Fields threw incomplete twice. Cairo Santos hit the 28 yard field goal to help the Bears avoid the shutout. After a touchback, the Buccaneers put the game away. Darden ran for 11. Brady hit Godwin for 10, Evans for a 46 yard gain down to the 2, and then Evans again for the touchdown to make it 28-3 Buccaneers. A desperate Matt Nagy went for it on 4th and 4 just shy of midfield. Fields was sacked. Another short field made it easy. On 4th and 1 from the Chicago 11, Bruce Arians kept his foot on the gas. Fournette gained 3. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Brady hit Evans for the touchdown as the Buccaneers led 35-3 at the half. The totally pointless second half saw Fields throw 2 more interceptions and the Buccaneers just coast. Succop added a 22 yard fourth quarter field goal to complete the blowout and get to 6-1 on the year. Brady threw 4 touchdowns and became the only quarterback in NFL history to throw 600 touchdown passes. 38-3 Buccaneers

 

Indianapolis Colts at San Francisco 49ers was the Sunday night game. The bomb cyclone hit the Bay area as this game was played in pouring rain. The 49ers began at their own 22. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Deebo Samuel and Sherfield for a pair of 9 yard gains. Mitchellgasjed the defense for big gains of 20, 14, and then the 14 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the 49ers led 6-0. One play after a touchback, the Colts fumbled and the 49ers recovered at the Colts 28. On 1st and 10 from the Colts 16, Garoppolo threw one pass for no gain and a pair of incompletions. Joey Slye hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 9-0 49ers. 

The Colts soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 24. Carson went went deep and drew a 57 yard defensive pass interference call. On 3rd and 2 from the San Francisco 11,  Wentz hit Mo Alie-Cox for the touchdown to get the Colts within 9-7. The 49ers took over at their own 24. Garoppolo connected with Samuel for 28. On 3rd and 5 from the Indy 37, Garoppolo threw deep incomplete. Kyle Shanahan decided to have Joey Slye try a 56 yard field goal in the rainstorm. Slye was dead center as the 49ers led 12-7. The Colts got it back after a touchback and moved to a 1st and goal at the 2. Taylor lost 2 yards as the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with Wentz trying to shovel pass in the rain with a man all over him. It led to disaster as Al-Shaiir intercepted Wentz and returned it 12 yards to the San Francisco 19.

With 3 minutes left in the half the 49ers faced 3rd and 12 at their own 18. Garoppolo hit Samuel for 10, but Samuel had the ball punched out. The Colts recovered the fumble at the San Francisco 28. Taylor gained 10. On 2nd and 12 from the San Francisco 20 at the 2 minute warning, Wentz threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. With one minute left in the half on 3rd and goal, Wentz fooled everybody by faking a handoff and taking a naked bootleg into the end zone. Frank Reich opted for a 2 point conversion. The try failed but the Colts led 13-12 at the half. 

The Colts held the ball for 6 1/2 minutes to start the third quarter but ended up punting. The 49ers moved from their own 10 to a 3rd and 5 at their own 41. Garoppolo was hit and fumbled and Paye recovered for the Colts at the San Francisco 33. On 1st and 20 after offensive holding, Wentz again went deep incomplete and again drew defensive pass interference. The 38 yard gain meant 1st and goal at the 5. Taylor ran it up the middle for the touchdown as the Colts led 20-12 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. The 49ers took over at their own 30 to start the fourth quarter. Garoppolo hit Samuel for 29, Woerner for 27, and Samuel for a 14 yard touchdown. Kyle Shanahan went for 2 and Garoppolo had his pass batted down as the 49ers trailed 20-18.  

The Colts soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 34. Wentz hit Pittman for 14 and Zach Pascal fo 13. On 2nd and 15 from the Frisco 44, Wentz scrambled up the middle for 17. On 3rd and 2 from the Frisco 19, Wentz gained 3. Yet offensive holding nullified the first down and killed the drive. Badgley hit from 42 to put the Colts up 23-18 midway through the fourth quarter. Thee plays later the 49ers faced 3rd and 3 at their own 38, Garoppolo threw into traffic and had the ball batted in the air and intercepted by Xavier Rhodes, who returned it 44 yards for a defensive touchdown. Officials ruled that Rhodes stepped out of bounds at the San Francisco 39, but the interception stood with 5:20 to play. On 3rd and 5, Wentz fired over the middle to Pittman. Pittman was short of the sticks while being tackled, but a second defender knocked into him and pushed him forward beyond the first down marker. Rather than run down clock, Frank Reich kept throwing. On 3rd and 10 from the San Fran 28, Wentz went for it all and Pittman out-jumped the defender for the touchdown with 2:50 left to lock up the win. Garoppolo threw an interception with 1:53 left to snuff out any hopes of a comeback. The 49ers lost their 4th straight while the Colts have won 3 of their last 4 games. 30-18 Colts

New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks was the Monday night game. With rain coming down, this game was a defensive boneblack. 5 Minutes into the game, Geno Smith went bombs away to DK Metcalf for an 84 yard touchdown. In the second quarter the Saints from their own 12 had the mind-numbing drive of the year. 19 plays. 88 yards. Nearly 10 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 2nd and goal at the one, Alvin Kamara lost a yard. Then Winston threw incomplete. A disgusted Sean Payton opted for the field goal and Brian Johnson Hit from 21 to get the Saints within 7-3. The Saints got it back at their own 15 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. Winston hit Kamara for 14. On 3rd and 4 from his own 35, Winston ran for 6. Winston hit Kamara for 31, Trautman for 15, and Kamara for a 13 yard touchdown as the Saints led 10-7 at the half. In the third quarter Jason Myers missed a 44 yard field goal that would have tied the game. A Saints fumble set up the Seahawks at the Saints 32. The offense went nowhere but Myers hit from 50 for a 10-10 deadlock after three quarters. Midway through the fourth quarter from 53 yards out to give the Seahawks the lead, Myers was no good. At the 2 minute warning, Johnson came in for a 33 yard try to give the Saints the lead.Johnson, in his very first NFL game, was good. Russel Wilson has had many 2 minute drill heroics. Geno Smith, in place for the injured Wilson, has not. For the third straight week with a chance to be a hero, Smith failed. A pair of sacks led to one last Seattle gasp on 4th and 28 from their own 7. From his own end zone, his Hail Mary was incomplete as the Seahawks fell to 2-5 on the season. 13-10 Saints

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-wk-7-preview-bettors-guide-invincible-jaguars-overseas-at-least-140830/

NFL 2021 Week 6 Recap

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Philadelphia Eagles was the Thursday night game. This game was supposed to be a mismatch, and the Buccaneers came out firing after a touchback. Tim Brady hit Antonio Brown for 9 and Chris Godwin. On 3rd and 8 from the Philadelphia 16, Brady hit Godwin for 10 and OJ Howard for a 2 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 12 from their own 23. A neutral zone infraction made it 3rd and 7. Jalen Hurts ran for 11. The Eagles then faced 3rd and 12 from their own 37. Hurts went deep to Watkins for 23. From midfield, a deep incompletion led to a 45 yard defensive pass interference penalty. Hurts then hit Zac Ertz for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. 

The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Brady hit Godwin for 8 and Leonard Fournette for 11. A 15 yard defensive penalty on the next play for lowering the head to initiate contact kept the drive going. Brady went to Jones for 9 and to Brown for a 23 yard touchdown. After the first quarter, the Buccaneers led 14-7. Midway through the second quarter, a interception of a Hurts deep ball had the Buccaneers at their own 28. brady went to Cameron Brate for 12, Brown for 14, Fournette for 18, Howard for 10 and Godwin for 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Philly 4, Fournette gained 2 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Fournette then ran for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Buccaneers.

In the third quarter the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 1 from their own 30. Fournette gained 20 to midfield. On 3rd and 1 from the Philly 41, Fournette gained 6. Brady hit Howard for 9 and 15. Fournette ran for 7 and then the one yard touchdown. The 12 play, 79 yard drive took over 7 1/2 minutes and had the Buccaneers up 28-7 with less than 6 minutes left in the third quarter. 

After a touchback, defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant a 56 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa 18, Sanders gained 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa 6, Hurts threw incomplete. Down by 3 scores and needing to go for it, on 4th and 3 Hurts ran for the touchdown. After three quarters, the Eagles were within 28-14. The Eagles got it back at their own 12 to start the fourth quarter and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Tampa 28. Hurts ran for no gain and threw incomplete twice. With 13 minutes left in regulation, Kevin Siriani opted for the field goal. From 46 yards out, Jake Elliott was no good. The Buccaneers moved from their ow 36 to a 4th and 3 at the Philly 46 with 9 minutes left. Bruce Arians decided to go for it and Brady went deep incomplete.

Sanders busted out gains of 23 and 14 and Hurts added 7. Hurts ran for a 2 yard touchdown. Kevin Siriani likes to go for random 2 point conversions for no reason. Hurts did hit Watkins for the conversion as the Eagles were within 6 with 6 minutes left. After a touchback, a taunting penalty on the Eagles defense was a killer. Brady then went to Brown for 10. On 3rd and 7 from the Philadelphia 45, Brady went deep to Brown for 27 and then to Brate for 10 as the Eagles took their last timeout with 2 1/2 minutes left. Everything came down to 3rd and 1 at the Philly 9. Brady gained 3 and then took 3 knees. The 12 play, 67 yard drive took the last 6 minutes off the clock. It was far from glamorous but the Buccaneers are 5-1 while the Eagles are 2-4 and sinking. 28-22 Buccaneers 

Miami Dolphins at Jacksonville Jaguars was the Sunday early morning London game. Two bad teams from Florida exported their miserable product to England. The Dolphins began facing 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Tua Tagovailoa was back in the lineup and he hit Jaylen Waddle for 10. On 3rd and 6 from the Jacksonville 48, Tagovailoa hit Gesicki for for 20. On 3rd and 4 from the Jags 22, Tagovailoa hit Waddle for 5 and again for a 6 yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive had the Dolphins up 7-0. The Jaguars moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 5 at the Miami 22. Trevor Lawrence threw incomplete. Matthew Wright hit a 40 yard field goal to get the Jaguars within 7-3. The Dolphins moved form their own 19 to a 1st and goal at the 10. Ahmed ran for 9 down to the one, but offensive holding killed the drive. Jason Sanders hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Dolphins less than one minute into the second quarter. A shanked 27 yard punt gave the Dolphins a short field at the Jags 38. On 4th and 2 from the Jags 30, Brian Flores went for it and Tagovailoa hit Hollins for 20. Yet on 3rd and goal from the 6, Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Sanders hit from 24 to make it 13-3 Dolphins.

The Dolphins dominated the first 28 minutes. Then the game changed. A 37 yard punt had the Jaguars taking over just past midfield with 1:45 left in the half. Lawrence hit Shenault for 10. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 35, Lawrence threw incomplete. Urban Meyer went for it and on 4th and 6, Lawrence hit Shenault for 7. Lawrence then went to Marvin Jones for a 28 yard touchdown to get the Jaguars within 13-10. After a touchback, the Dolphins had 40 seconds to work with. On the last play of the half, from 58 yards out, Sanders was no good. After a touchback to start the third quarter, Lawrence hit Manhertz for 11. On 2nd and 15 from their own 31, Lawrence hit Agnew for 29. Defensive unnecessary roughness on the next play added 15. James Robinson then ran for 24 and then for the one yard touchdown to put the Jaguars up 17-13. Ugly football followed, with a Jaguars fumble being given back by the Dolphins throwing an interception. The Jaguars moved from the Miami 39 to a 3rd and 1 at the Miami 9. Lawrence threw incomplete, Urban Meyer went for it, and on 4th and 1 Robinson got stopped. Instead of putting the game away, momentum shifted again. 

The Dolphins took over less than one minute into the fourth quarter, Tagovailoa went deep to Gesicki for gains of 32 and 20. On 3rd and 6 from the Jacksonville 35, Tagovailoa hit Wilson for 12 and Smythe for 18. Waddle ran for a 2 yard touchdown to put the Dolphins back up 20-17 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 6 1/2 minutes left the Jaguars moved from their own 20 to a 3rd and 5 at the Miami 36. Lawrence threw incomplete. Wright buried a 54 yard field goal to tie the game 20-20 with 3:40 to play. After a touchback the Dolphins moved to a 4th and 1 at their own 46 with 1:49 left. Brian Flores risked the entire game and went for it in his own territory. Brown got the carry and got stopped. The Jaguars tried to screw things up. On 3rd and 20 from their own 44, Lawrence hit Shenault for 20. With 5 seconds left, Urban Mayer had to choose between a 62 yard field goal try or going for it on 4th and 8 from the Miami 44. The Jaguars still had their timeouts. Meyer called a quick pass and Lawrence fired to Shenault for 9 as the Jaguars called timeout with one second left. Now it was a 53 yard try. Wright was good. Urban Meyer and Matthew Lawrence had their first NFL win as coach and quarterback. they had to leave America to get it, but it counts. Meanwhile, Brian Flores will be roasted in the media for his decision that backfired. 23-20 Jaguars

  

Kansas City Chiefs at Washington Porkbarrels — The Chiefs took over at their own 5 yard line. Darrell Williams gained 7 and 6. Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 30. On 3rd and 1 from their own 47, Mahomes got stopped. Walrus Andy Reid went for it and Williams gained 5. Mahomes then went deep to Tyreek Hill for 19 and Fortson for 27. Williams ran for the 2 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 95 yard, nearly 5 minute drive had the Chiefs up 7-0. After a touchback the No-Names moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Chiefs 32. Taylor Heinicke threw incomplete. Dustin Hopkins hit a 50 yard field goal to get the No-Names within 7-3. Early in the second quarter, a 29 yard punt return had the Chiefs at the Washington 41. That was enough for Harrison Butker to hit a 52 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Chiefs. 

The No-Names took over at their own 28 and moved to a 3rd and 8 at the Kansas City 27. A completion gained only 3 yards. Hopkins hit from 43 to get the No-Names within 10-6. The Non-Redskins got it back and fumbled the ball, but the Chiefs fumbled it right back to set the No-Names up at their own 33 with 5 minutes left in the half. On 3rd and 5 from their own 38. Heinicke hit Terry McLaurin for 6. On 3rd and 10 from their own 38, Heinicke hit McKissic for 16. Heinicke went deep to Seals-Jones for a 39 yard touchdown to make it 13-10 No-Names with 1:18 left in the half. The Chiefs quickly moved from their own 8 to a 3rd and 1 at the Washington 20 with 23 seconds left. Yet Mahomes, rather than take a sack, tried to throw the ball while being dragged down. The floater was intercepted. For 2 years Mahoomes and the his offense dominated the NFL by not making mistakes. This year they have been turning the ball over far more often. The No-Names missed a chance to extend the lead in the third quarter when Hopkins missed a 42 yard field goal try. After that, the Chiefs took over.

From their own 32, Mahomes hit Damien Williams for 13 and Hill for 9. Mahomes went back to Hill for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Washington 25, Mahomes threw incomplete but the defense jumped offsides. On 3rd and 5, Mahomes hit Hill for 13. Mahomes hit Hill for a 2 yard touchdown to put the Chiefs up 17-13 with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. Mecole Hardman then returned a punt 25 yards, with 15 more tacked on for a rare low block penalty on the kicking team. This set up the Chiefs at the Washington 45. Williams gained 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Washington 25, Mahomes hit Kelce for 3. The Chiefs began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 6 at the Washington 18. Mahomes hit Kelce for 11. Williams ran for a 3 yard touchdown to put the Chiefs up 24-13 one minute into the fourth quarter. The Chiefs got it back at their own 4 and soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 10. Mahomes ran for 10. On 3rd and 5 from their own 25, Mahomes hit Byron Pringle for 21. On 3rd and 5 just past midfield. Mahomes hit Hill for just enough. On 3rd and 8 from the Washington 41, Mahomes hit Robinson for 12. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 24, Mahomes went deep to Robinson for the touchdown to put the dagger in with 3 minutes left. 21 unanswered points got the Chiefs the win, making Any Reid a most relieved Walrus indeed. 31-13 Chiefs

Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants — The Rams were expected to steamroll the Giants. The Giants began at their own 19 and Daniel Jones was immediately sacked. Yet on 3rd and 14 from his own 15, Jones hit Toney for 17. The Giants moved 73 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 7 from the Rams 8, Jones threw incomplete. Graham Gano hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Giants. That concluded all Giants highlights. In the second quarter the Rams took over at their own 34. On 2nd and 12, Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp for 28 and Tyler Higbee for 10. Sony Michel ran for 15. Stafford hit Robert Woods for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Rams. Jones fumbled again and the Rams took over at the Giants 12. On 3rd and 1 from the 3, Henderson got stopped. Sean McVay went for it and Stafford hit Kupp on 4th and 1 for the first down and the touchdown to make it 14-3 Rams. Jones then threw an interception to give the Rams the ball at the Giants 14. Henderson ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Rams.

The Rams got it back with 2:16 left in the half but at least this time they were at their own 27 rather than starting in the red zone. It did not matter. Stafford went to Kupp for 25 yards, Higbee for 9, Kupp again for 16, and Henderson for 25 as the Rams led 28-3 at the intermission. In the third quarter the Rams moved from their own 19 to a 3rd and 2 at the Giants 14. Henderson only gained one. On 4th and 1, Sean McVay opted for the field goal, perhaps out of mercy. Matt Gay hit from 27 to cap the 13 play, 68 yard drive that took over 9 minutes off the clock. Jones was intercepted as league rules prevented the NFL from canceling the rest of this game. Stafford threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Kupp early in the fourth quarter and then took the rest of the game off as Sean McVay taught Stafford how to hold a clipboard. The Giants got a garbage touchdown long after anyone cared. The Rams are 5-1 and the Giants are 1-5 and getting worse by the week. 38-11 Rams

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts — Last week Carson Wentz threw for over 400 yards but the Colts blew a 16 point fourth quarter lead in an agonizing overtime loss. With 5 minutes left in the opening quarter, the Colts were pinned at their own 8. Wentz hit Pittman for 17 and Jonathan Taylor for 13. On 3rd and 3 just shy of midfield, Wentz went deep to Campbell for a 51 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Colts got it back and faced 2nd and 8 at their own 20. Wentz went deep again to TY Hilton for a 52 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Houston 23, Wentz threw incomplete. Mike Badgley hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Colts early in the second quarter.

After a touchback, the Texans moved 62 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. On 2nd and 5 from the Indianapolis 13, a run went nowhere and Davis Mills threw an incompletion that should have been intercepted for a defensive touchdown. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 31 yard field goal to get the Texans within 10-3 with 6 minutes left in the half. The Colts blew the game open in the third quarter. A quick interception of Mills set up the Colts at the Houston 28. Wentz went to Mo Alie-Cox for the touchdown to make it 17-3 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 12 and Taylor got around the end for an 83 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Taylor ran for the touchdown to make it 24-3 Colts. This time they would not blow their big lead. A fourth quarter fumble by the Texans led to an 11 yard touchdown run by Taylor to complete the scoring. Mills threw another interception for good measure. 31-3 Colts

Cincinnati Bengals at Detroit Lions —The Bengals came in 3-2 but suffered an overtime loss due to several missed field goals. The Lions were winless after another agonizing loss on the final play. The Bengals began facing 3rd and 9 at their own 40. Joe Burrow hit Tee Higgins for 14. Joe Mixon gained 9 and 8. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 24, Burrow went to Evans for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. Later on the quarterbacks traded interceptions. The Lions in the second quarter saw Dan Campbell go for it on 4th and 4 from the Cincinnati 38. Jared Goff threw incomplete. A desperate Campbell even went for it on 4th and 1 from his own 26. Williams got the yard but the Lions would soon punt anyway. With 1:21 left in the half the Bengals took over at their own 24. Burrow moved the Bengals into position for a 38 yard Evan McPherson field goal try to end the half. McPherson shook off his miserable game last week to hit this one and put the Bengals up 10-0.

After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Bengals broke the game open. Mixon gained 14 and 4. On 3rd and 3 from their own 46, Burrow gained 5. On 3rd and 2 from the Detroit 41, , Mixon only gained one. Zac Taylor went for it. On 4th and 1, a short completion to Mixon went for a 40 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Bengals. The Bengals got it back and moved from their own 20 to a 2nd and 8  at the Detroit 22. Burrow the incomplete twice. McPherson hit from 40 to make it 20-0 Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 5 and made it look easy. Burrow hit Evans for 11 and then went deep to Jamarr Chase for a 53 yard gain. Mixon gained 18. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Burrow hit Uzomah for the touchdown to make it 27-0 Bengals early in the fourth quarter. 

Burrow took the rest of the night off and practiced his clipboard holding skills. It has been a long time since the Bengals had that luxury in a game. The Lions avoided the shutout with a field goal in the fourth quarter. Brandon Allen took over for Burrow and threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to Audun  Tate to make it 34-3 Bengals. The Lions got a garbage touchdown and are now the NFL’s only winless team. Again. 34-11 Bengals

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears — The Bears took over at their own 20. Khalil Herbert gained 9 and 2. Justin Fields hit Ket for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Green Bay 47, Fields hit Allen Robinson for 20. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 26 more. Bars got the last yard for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The bears got it back and late in the first quarter faced 3rd and 7 from the Green Bay 47, Fields went for it all and was intercepted for a touchback. Fields thought he had a free play but defensive offsides was not called. Unsportsmanlike conduct on the next play on the Chicago defense had the Packers at their own 35. On 3rd and 7 from their own 38, a completion from Aaron Rodgers to Robert Tonyan was initially ruled enough for the first down. Matt Nagy challenged the call and it was reversed to 4th and 1. Matt LaFleur gambled from his own 44 and Rodgers gained 2. Rodgers went to Devontae Adams for 32. On 3rd and goal from the one, Rodgers hit Lazard for the touchdown and the 7-7 game. 

The Packers got it back at their own 42 and Dillon gained 35. Despite 1st and goal at the 9, a run lost 6 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 15, a touchdown pass was nullified by offensive pass interference. The Packers settled for a 39 yard Mason Crosby field goal try. Despite Crosby having a miserable game last week, this kick was good and the Packers led 10-7. The Packers took over in the third quarter at their own 10. Rodgers hit Adams for 11. Aaron Jones ran for 28. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 45, defensive pass interference gave the Packers the 4 yards. Rodgers hit Lewis for 9. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 22, Rodgers hit Jones for 10 and again for a 12 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 90 yard, 7 minute drive had the Packers up 17-7.

The Bears began the fourth quarter at their own 20. On 3rd and 3 from their own 27, Fields hit Allen Robinson for 20 and Kmet for 21. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 8, Herbert gained 3. Fields then fired over the middle to Mooney for a 5 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 80 yard, 6 minute drive had the Bears within 17-14 with 9 minutes left.  After a touchback, Rodgers hit Lazard for 13. Rodgers then went deep to adams for 41. Desperately needing a stop, the Bears defense could not get one. Rodgers rolled out and ran for a 6 yard touchdown. In a classless move, Rodgers screamed at the Chicago crowd, “I own you! I still own you!” The Packers are 5-1, but Rodgers finds ways to play great and still be unlikable. 24-14 Packers 

Los Angeles Chargers at Baltimore Ravens — A pair of 4-1 teams faced off. Lamar Jackson last week racked up over 400 yards and multiple touchdowns, all after nearly three quarters had expired. The Ravens overcame a 16 point fourth quarter deficit for an electric overtime win. The Ravens remained red hot to start this game from their own 10. On 3rd and 4 from their own 31, Jackson hit Brown for just enough as Brandon Staley unsuccessfully challenged the call. Freeman then ran for 16. Duvernay ran for 11 and Latavius Murray ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 ravens after the 12 play, 90 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. The Ravens got it back at their own 26 and Jackson hit Mark Andrews for 16. On 1st and 20 from the Chargers 45, Jackson scrambled for 22 and hit Andrews for 21 down to the 2. LeVeon Bell carried it in for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Ravens only 90 seconds into the second quarter. 

The Chargers moved from their own 14 to a 4th and 3 at their own 39 after an incompletion. Brandon Staley has been gambling all year and winning, but this time he went for it and lost as Justin Herbert threw incomplete again. The short field was enough for Justin Tucker to hit a 52 yard field goal to make it 17-0 Ravens. Herbert was then intercepted, but Jackson threw an interception right back. That gave the Chargers the ball at the Baltimore 27. Herbert went to Mike Williams for 26 down to the one. Herbert then hit Jared Cook for the touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Chargers trailed 17-6 at the break. 

The Ravens blew the Chargers out in the third quarter. The second half kickoff was returned 47 yards to have the Ravens at their own 48. On 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 45, Jackson hit Bateman for 4. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 32, Murray got the yard. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 11, Jackson gained 2. Jackson hit Andrews for the 9 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 52 yard drive took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock and had the Ravens up 24-6. The Chargers took over at their own 10 and soon faced 4th and 1 from their own 19. It’s one thing to be bold, but now Brandon Staley was just recklessly stupid. He went for it and Herbert threw incomplete. The gift field position led to Tucker hitting from 39 to make it 27-6 Ravens. The Ravens got it back at their own 35 and kept running the ball. From the Chargers 42, Jackson found brown for 20. On 3rd and 10 from the Chargers 22, Jackson hit Andrews for 13. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Freeman ran for a 9 yard touchdown to complete the blowout and get the Ravens to 5-1 on the season. 34-6 Ravens

Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers — On the first play of the game after a touchback, Sam Darnold was intercepted to set up the Vikings at the Carolina 22. On 3rd and 4 from the 6, Kirk Cousins threw incomplete. Greg Jospeh hit a 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Vikings. Later in the opening quarter the Vikings fumbled and Reddick returned it 22 yards to the Minnesota 18. Darnold hit Smith for 16 and Hubbard ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Panthers. Abdullah returned the ensuing kickoff 45 yards to the Minnesota 47. The Vikings moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Carolina 10. A completion only gained 3 yards and on 4th and 2 Mike Zimmer decided not to gamble. Joseph hit again from 25 to get the Vikings within 7-6. 

The Vikings got it back in the second quarter at their own 15 and Dalvin Cook ran for 9, one and 3. Cousins went to Adam Thielen for 20 and 24 and to Osborn for 13. Cousins went to Herndon for the 2 yard touchdown. Mike Zimmer went for 2 and Cook got stopped as the Vikings led 12-7. The Panthers moved from their own 39 to a 3rd and 7 at the Minnesota 29. Darnold threw incomplete. Zane Gonzalez hit a 47 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 12-10. Midway through the third quarter the Vikings punted on 4th and 8 from their own 24. The punt was blocked and recovered by Robinson, who took it 4 yards for the special teams touchdown and the 17-12 Panthers lead.

The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 30. Ham broke free for a 30 yard gain. Cousins hit Conklin for 24. Cook then ran for a 16 yard touchdown, stretching the ball over the pylon as he was going down. The 2 point try failed but the Vikings led 18-17 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. One play after a touchback, the Panthers fumbled and the Vikings took over at the Carolina 39. Cousins went deep to Thielen for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Cousins hit Thielen again for the touchdown to have the Vikings up 25-17 after three quarters. The fourth quarter began with the Vikings facing 1st and 18 at their own 9. Cousins hit Justin Jefferson for 1 7. On 3rd and 2, Cousins hit Jefferson for 25. On 3rd and 5 from the Carolina 20, Cousins threw incomplete. Joseph hit a 38 yard field goal to put the Vikings up 28-17 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Darnold got sacked and fumbled and the Panthers took over at the Carolina 38. On 3rd and 4, Cousins threw incomplete. Joseph came in for a 50 yard field goal try for a 31-17 lead. Yet Joseph was no good.

The Panthers took over at their own 40 midway through the fourth quarter needing 2 scores. Despite 1st and goal at the 5, Darnold threw incomplete twice sandwiched around a run that went nowhere. With 4:44 to play, Matt Rhule opted for the field goal. Gonzalez hit the 23 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 28-20. After a touchback, a short completion from Cousins to Conklin gained 40 yards. Yet on 4th and 11 from the Carolina 36 with 3 minutes left, Mike Zimmer opted against a 54 yard field goal try to lock up the win. He punted and the Panthers were pinned at their own 4 yard line with 2:09 left.

3 straight incompletions had the Panthers down to their last gasp. On 4th and 10 from his own 4, Darnold went deep to Thomas for a 41 yard gain. Darnold then ran for a 13 yard gain. With 51 seconds left after an incompletion, the Panthers were again down to their last chance, facing 4th and 6 at the Minnesota 32. Darnold went deep to Moore for 25 and then hit Robby Anderson for a 7 yard touchdown with 42 seconds left. The Panthers still needed the 2 point try to tie the game, and Darnold hit Tommy Tremble for the conversion. After a touchback, Cousins quickly moved the Vikings into position for a 47 yard field goal try with 5 seconds left. Again, Joseph was no good. The Vikings won the coin toss in overtime. After a touchback, Cousins hit Thielen for 6 and Jefferson for 7. On 3rd and 3 from their own 43, Cousins hit Osborn for 13. Cook ran for gains of 4 and 16. The Panthers never saw the ball in overtime. On 2nd and 13 from the Carolina 27, Cousins went deep to Osborn, who stretched the ball over the pylon for the win. For the second straight week, the Vikings won on the final play. Both teams are 3-3 on the year. 34-28 Vikings, OT

Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns — The Cardinals at 5-0 came in the NFL’s lone unbeaten team, but they would be without Kliff Kingsbury this week. The coach tested positive for Covid. Yet the Cardinals came out red hot anyway. On 3rd and 6 from their own 30, Edmonds ran for a 40 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Cleveland 27, Kyler Murray hit Kirk for 15. On 3rd and 19 from the Cleveland 21, Murray went to Kirk for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. The Browns after a touchback moved to a 4th and 3 at the Arizona 13. Kevin Stefanski went for it and Baker Mayfield was sacked. From their own 22, James Conner gained 9 and 4. Murray hit AJ Green for 10. Defensive pass interference added 8 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 39, Murray threw deep incomplete but another defensive pass interference call meant 24 more yards. The second quarter began with the Cardinals facing 3rd and goal at the 13. Murray hit Deandre Hopkins for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Browns.

The Browns quickly fumbled to set up the Cardinals at the Cleveland 18. Yet the Cardinals gained no yards and settled for a 36 yard field goal by Matt Prater to lead 17-0. Baker Mayfield soon faced 3rd and 8 from his own 27 and was intercepted byAlford, who returned it 23 yards to the Cleveland 28. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 20, Murray was sacked for a 13 yard loss. Prater nailed the 51 yard field goal to make it 20-0 Cardinals. 

After a touchback, the Browns finally woke up. Mayfield hit Odell Beckham for 17 and Fallon for 10. Kareem Hunt ran for big gains of 17 and 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 11, Mayfield hit Donovan Peoples-Jones for the touchdown to get the Browns within 20-7 with 5 minutes left in the half. The Cardinals moved from their own 29 to a 1st and 10 at the Cleveland 11 with 90 seconds left in the half. Yet an incompletion followed by a fumbled snap and a loss and another incompletion killed the drive. Prater hit from 33 to make it 23-7 Cardinals with 45 seconds left in the half. The Browns faced 3rd and 5 from their own 30. Mayfield hit Johnson for 7 and Schwartz for 6. With 3 seconds left, the Browns were at their own 43. Mayfield threw the Hail Mary, and Peoples-Jones came down with it for a 57 yard touchdown. Despite being dominated, the Browns were only down 23-14 at the midpoint. There would be no more miracles as the Cardinals defense clamped down in the second half.  

In the third quarter the Browns moved from their own 32 to a 2nd and 13 at the Arizona 45. Mayfield was sacked and fumbled and the Cardinals took over at their own 46. On 3rd and 10, Murray went deep to Green for 34. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 11, Murray gained 4. Murray hit Hopkins for a 9 yard touchdown to put the Cardinals up 30-14 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. The Browns took over at their own 36 and soon faced 4th and 1 at their own 45. Kevin Stefanski went for it and Mayfield hit Austin Hooper for 4. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 7, Mayfield threw incomplete. Stefanski went for it again and Mayfield through incomplete. Making matters worse, Beckham left the game injured. Murray then went to Kirk for 20. On 2nd and 17 from their own 23, Murray threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 yards and a new set of downs. Murray hit Kirk for 11. James Conner gained 9, 2 and 16. Murray hit Green for a 14 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 93 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and ice the game with 5 minutes left. Even without their coach, the Cardinals got to 6-0 with a big statement road win. 37-14 Cardinals

Las Vegas Raiders at Denver Broncos — 10 years ago, the 3-2 Raiders were rocked by the death of Al Davis. The Silver and Black went out and played inspired football and got a road win decided on the final play. A decade later, the 3-2 team was rocked again by the resignation of coach Jon Gruden. Special teams coach Rich Bisaccia had to hold the team together for owner Mark Davis. Both the Raiders and Broncos started 3-0 before losing 2 straight. After a touchback, Derek Carr hit Henry Ruggs for 9. On 2nd and 6 from his own 39, Carr threw deep incomplete but illegal contact on the defense meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 48, Carr went bombs away to Ruggs, who ran away from 2 defenders for the touchdown. For the first time all season, the Raiders scored on their opening drive as they led 7-0.

The Broncos took over at their own 16, and they had not scored on their opening drive in 24 games. Teddy Bridgewater hit Patrick for 7. Melvin Gordon ran for 10. On 3rd and 12 from their own 31, Bridgewater hit Cortland Sutton for 14. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 20 more. Gordon ran for 9 and 3. Bridgewater then went to Patrick for a 23 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Carr hit Jalen Richard for 3 and then found Hunter Renfrow for a 25 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Denver 32, Carr threw incomplete. Daniel Carlson nailed a 50 yard field goal as the Raiders led 10-7. 

The Broncos moved from their own 18 to a 4th and 2 at their own 37. Vic Fangio decided to go for it but Bridgewater was intercepted. The Raiders took over at the Denver 49 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 24. Carr was tackled twice for no gain with an incompletion between those plays. Carlson’s 43 yard field goal try early in the second quarter doinked off the upright no good. The punters took over the game until the Raiders took over at their own 18 with one minute left in the half. Carr hit Kenyan Drake for 8 and Darren Waller for 10. Carr then went medieval, hitting Waller deep for 33 and Drake deep for the 31 yard touchdown. The Raiders needed only 30 seconds to score. The Raiders defense ended the half by belting Bridgewater for a sack to take a 17-7 lead to the locker rooms. The Broncos punted on their first drive of the third quarter and the Raiders took over at their own 44. Josh Jacobs ran for 5 and took a short pass from Carr another 29 yards. Drake ran for an 18 yard touchdown and the Raiders had a 24-7 lead. 

The Broncos moved from their own 22 to a 3rd and 7 at the Raiders 14. Bridgewater fired to Noah Fant in the back of the end zone, but Fant’s tow was on the white chalk out of the end zone incomplete. Vic Fangio challenged the call and lost. Needing 3 scores and with 6 1/2 minutes still remaining in the third quarter, Fangio opted for the field goal. McManus hit from 32 to get the Broncos within 24-10. The Raiders went 3 and out and the Broncos got it back at their own 13. On 1st and 10 from their own 36, Bridgewater ran for 4 but was then hit and fumbled. It was a perfect helmet on the ball as the Raiders took over at the Denver 42. The Raiders immediately fumbled the snap but Carr fell on it. On 3rd and 12 from Denver 44, Carr went bombs away to Ruggs, who made an acrobatic catch for a 40 yard gain. Jacobs ran for one and then banged in for the 3 yard touchdown. After three quarters the Raiders had the comfortable 31-10 lead.

The Broncos tried to rally in the fourth quarter against a Raiders tea that still struggles to close out games. After a touchback, Bridgewater began the fourth quarter hitting Sutton for 10. On 3rd and 4 from their own 41, Bridgewater hit Kendall Hinton for 7. Bridgewater then went deep to Fant for 26. An illegal blindside block on the offense had the Broncos facing 3rd and 20 from the Raiders 36. Bridgewater hit Fant for 12. One defensive stop would ice the game. On 4th and 8, Bridgewater found Hinton for 13, but Hinton had it ripped out of his hands but Nate Hobbs for an interception. The Raiders celebrated, but on further review it was reversed to completed catch. Hinton’s knee was down before he lost the ball. Bridgewater went to Sutton for a 12 yard touchdown. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Broncos were still alive down 31-17. 

The Raiders after a false start faced 3rd and 5 from their own 30. Carr went bombs away to Bryan Edwards for a 51 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 11, Carr threw incomplete. Carlson nailed the 30 yard field goal to make it 34-17 Raiders midway through the fourth quarter. One minute later after a touchback and the Broncos facing 3rd and 10 from their own 37, Bridgewater went deep and was intercepted again. The Broncos would eventually get a garbage touchdown with 1:10 to play and even recovered an onside kick. Yet on 4th and 10 from his own 44 with 24 seconds left, Bridgewater tossed his final interception against Jonathan Abram. Bridgewater finished 35 of 49 for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns, but also with 4 turnovers including 3 interceptions and one fumble. Carr was 18 of 27 for 341 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. 10 years ago Mark Davis got his first win as an NFL owner. A decade later he got another big win. It came on the road against a hated rival lead by Rich Bisaccia in his very first NFL game. The entire team rallied together. Carr was magnificent and the defense got the job done.The Raiders at 4-2 are tied for the AFC West lead. The controversy is in the past. This team has character, heart and guts. 34-24 Raiders

Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots — The Cowboys began at their own 12 and soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Ezekiel Elliott got stopped and Mike McCarthy decided to go for it. Elliott got stopped again. With the short field, Harris gained 21 and then ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots. After a touchback, Dak Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for 11, Schultz for 18, Amari Cooper for 17, Tony Pollard for 3, Schultz for 23, and Jarwin for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-7. After a touchback the Patriots struck quickly. Mac Jones hit Stevenson for 14 and again for 22. Defensive unnecessary roughness on the next play added 15. Jones then went to Hunter Henry for a 20 yard touchdown and a 14-7 Patriots advantage. 

After that the game slowed considerably. due to a series of blunders. After a touchback the Cowboys moved to a 3rd and 9 at the New England 16. Prescott went to the end zone and was intercepted by Duggar, who returned it 29 yards to the New England 25. The Patriots moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Dallas 25. A touchdown pass was nullified. On 2nd and 17, Jones was sacked and fumbled. The Cowboys took over at their own 48 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the New England 11. A false start and a pair of incompletions killed the drive. Greg Zuerlein hit the 30 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 14-10. The Patriots then punted on 4th and 1 from their own 35. The Cowboys blocked it to take over at the Pats 17. On 1st and goal at the one, Elliott got stopped twice. Then Prescott got stopped. With 90 seconds left in the half, Mike McCarthy went for it. On 4th and goal at the one, Prescott fumbled but was ruled to have gotten in. Yet on further review, Prescott was short of the plane of the goal when he lost the ball. 

In the third quarter the Cowboys faced 1st and 14 at their own 5. Prescott hit Elliott for 18, Brown for 27, and Schultz for 20. On 3rd and 1 from the Pats 18, Lamb gained 2. Defensive pass interference on the next play meant 15 yards down to the one. Prescott hit Lamb for the touchdown as the Cowboys finally finished a drive to lead 17-14 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. The Cowboys got it back at their own 12 and moved to a 1st and 10 t the New England 27. Prescott threw 3 straight incompletions. Zuerlein hit a 45 yard field goal to make it 20-14 Cowboys with 13 minutes left in regulation. 

After a touchback and a penalty on the defense for 12 men on the field, Jones hit Meyers for 11. On 3rd and 3 from their own 48, Jones hit Bolden for just enough. On 3rd and 9 from the Dallas 48, Jones hit Meyers for 11. Harris did the rest, running for 21, 6, and on 3rd and 4 from the 10, 6 more. Harris ran for 3 more down to the one. Remondray Stevenson for the last yard. Th 13 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive had the Patriots up 21-20 with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Cowboys took over at their own 27. Elliott ran for 21. On 3rd and 2 from the New England 44, Prescott hit Wilson for 3. On 3rd and 12 from the New England 43, Prescott ran for 10. On 4th and 2 from the New England 33 with 2:42 to play, Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein came in for a 51 yard try to give the Cowboys the lead. His kick was no good, way wide.  

The Patriots needed to run the ball to take the final 2 1/2 minutes off the clock. Bill Belichick never does things the conventional way. A false start set up 2nd and 15 for the Patriots at their own 36. Jones threw a pass and disaster struck. It bounced off of Kendrick Bourne’s fingertips and was intercepted by Trayvon Diggs. Diggs returned the interception 42 yards for a defensive touchdown. In front of a shocked home crowd, the Cowboys led 26-21. The 2 point try failed. The Patriots took over at their own 25. One play and 15 seconds later they had the lead again. Jones went deep to Bourne, who redeemed himself in a major way by catching the bomb and racing for a 75 yard touchdown. Jones hit Meyers for the 2 point conversion as the Patriots led 29-26. 

The Cowboys took over at their own 29 and at the 2 minute warning faced 3rd and 8 from their own 31. Prescott hit Cooper for 4. On 4th and 4 from their own 35 with 90 seconds left, Prescott hit Wilson for 13 and Schultz for 12. A mindless unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the offense had the Cowboys facing 3rd and 25 from their own 45 with 30 seconds left. Prescott went deep to Lamb for 24 yards as the Cowboys took a timeout. On 4th and 1 from the New England 31, Mike McCarthy opted for the field goal. From 49 yards out, this time Zuerlein delivered. The game was headed to overtime tied 29-29.  The Patriots won the coin toss for overtime but punted. The Cowboys took over at their own 20. Prescott hit Lamb for 14, Schultz for 6, Cooper for 9 and Lamb for 7. A field goal would win it but that was unnecessary. Prescott went deep to Lamb, who coasted in for the 35 yard touchdown to end the game. The Cowboys are 5-1 and showing resiliency. Prescott played like a Hall of Fame, completing 36 of 51 passes for 445 yards, 3 touchdowns and on interception. 35-29 Cowboys

Seattle Seahawks at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday night game. These teams met 16 years ago in the 2005 Super Bowl when Big Ben Roethlisberger was only in his second season. 16 years later, and he is still trying to fight off father time. Meanwhile, the Seahawks had to start Geno Smith given that Russell Wilson is out injured for a few weeks. After a scoreless opening quarter, a shanked 24 yard punt had the Steelers starting the second quarter at their own 46. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 47, Roethlisberger hit eric Hebron for 4 Johnson then got around the end for 25. Roethlisberger hit Freiermuth for 12 and Najee Harris for a 5 yard touchdown to make to 7-0 Steelers. 

Midway through the second quarter the Steeles took over at their own 16. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for gains of 6 and 5, Harris for 12, and Freiermuth for 9. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 24, Roethlisberger threw incomplete but the defense jumped offsides. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 11 at the 2 minute warning, Roethlisberger hit Chase Claypool for 5. On 3rd and goal at the one with one minute left in the half, Ebron got in to make it 14-0 Steelers. The Steelers were dominating, but the second half was a different ballgame.

After a touchback, Alex Collins gashed the Pittsburgh defense for gains of 5, 11 and 21, 7, 7, 5 and 2. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Collins got in. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive featured only one pass and got the Seahawk within 14-7. After a touchback, the Seahawks moved to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 17. An illegal block moved the Steelers back. On 3rd and 14, Roethlisberger hit freiermuth for only 12. On 4th and 2 from the 9, Mike Tomlin played it safe and took the points. Chris Boswell hit from 27 to make it 17-7 Steelers. 

A strong kickoff had the Seahawks taking over at their own 40. Smith hit Tyler Lockett for 14. Smith then went deep to Everett for a 41 yard gain. Smith hit will Dissly for a one yard touchdown. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, the Seahawks were within 17-14. A short 32 yard punt gave the Seahawks the ball back at their own 42. Collins ran for 14 and 8. On 3rd and 7 from the Pittsburgh 41, Homer ran for 26. The fourth quarter began with the Seahawks facing 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 15 and a chance to take the lead. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 7, Smith was sacked for a 15 yard loss. Jason Myers hit a 40 yard field goal to tie the game 17-17 with 13 minutes to play in the game.

The Steelers took over at their own 17. On 1st and 10 from their own 38, Roethlisberger went back to pass and lost control of the ball without being touched. Big Ben pump faked and lost the ball when he was bringing the ball back to his body. This was the Tom Brady Tuck Rule that affected NFL history and turned a fumble into an incomplete pass. This time 20 years later the officials initially ruled it an incomplete pass. Pete Carroll challenged the call. On further review, it was reversed to a fumble. The Tuck Rule no longer exists. It was repealed a year after it first stole away Charles Woodson’s forced fumble. Despite starting at the Pittsburgh 35 already in one field goal range, the Seahawks could not capitalize. A 15 yard Collins run was wiped away by offensive holding. On 3rd and 10, Smith completed a pass for a 4 yard loss. Pete Carroll opted against a 57 yard field goal try for the lead. The Seahawks punted.

The Steelers took over at their own 25 with 5:19 to play. Harris had gains of 4, 9 and 3. With 3:10 to play, the clock stopped when defensive tackle Darrell Taylor stayed on the ground. In trying to make a routine tackle, he suffered an accidental blow to his head. Play stopped for several minutes as the stretcher was brought out. Taylor was loaded on to the stretcher. When play resumed and the clock restarted, the Steelers faced 1st and 10 just shy of midfield. With 3 minutes left, Harris got another carry and gained 10 more yards. Harris gained 5 more as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 2nd and 5 from the Seattle 36 in long field goal range, offensive pass interference pushed the Steelers back. Then came an incompletion that should have been intercepted. On 3rd and 15, Roethliberger avoided a sack and hit Harris for 12. Boswell came in for a 52 yard field goal try to give the Steelers the lead as the Seahawks took a timeout with 1:35 to play. Boswell’s kick was good.

After a touchback, the Seahawk had 90 seconds and 2 timeouts. Yet they would have to tie or win the game with Smith, not Wilson. The Seahawks got back in the game by hard running from Collins. Now Smith had to throw the ball. Smith hit Dissly for 7and Dallas gained 5. Smith hit Dallas for 7 more as the Seahawks called their 2nd timeout with 52 seconds left. Smith hit Dallas for a 2 yard gain that wasted plenty of precious seconds. On 3rd and 1 from their own 47, Smith hit Metcalf for 11 and got out of bounds with 22 seconds left. Smith went to Dallas for 7 as he got hit, fumbled, and recovered the ball himself. The Seahawks called their last timeout with 18 seconds left. A field goal would now be 53 yards. The Steelers called their first timeout. Chaos then broke out.

Smith found a wide open Metcalf at the sideline. Metcalf lost his mind and decided to try and gain a few more yards rather than go out of bounds. Smith had the ball punched out. Freddie Swain recovered the fumble for the Seahawks but the clock was still running. Swain ran to give the ball to the official to set as the Seahawks furiously got up to the line. Smith spiked the ball with one second left. The Steelers thought the game was over. Then after all of that, the officials decided that the previous play was under review. After a lengthy review, officials ruled a catch and a fumble and 3 seconds remaining. Mike Tomlin was red hot, but the Seahawks were allowed to spike the ball again. 2 seconds remained. From 43 yards out, Myers was good. The game was tied 20-20 and headed for overtime. 

Russell Wilson had not missed a game in a decade. Yet he is so important to this franchise that he came out for the overtime coin toss despite being in street clothes. He called tails, and the Seahawks got the ball first in overtime at their own 27. Smith went to Lockett for 21. On 3rd and 4 from the Pittsburgh 45, Smith got buried from the blindside for a 13 yard loss. The Steelers took over at their own 20. Roethlisberger looked all around and found Freiermuth in the flat near the sticks,Trey Brown made a perfect tackle to knock Freiermuth short of the sticks. On 4th and 1 from his own 29, Mike Tomlin was not in a gambling mood. The Steelers punted. The Seahawks took over at their own 15 with 4 1/2 minutes left in overtime. Geno Smith then did what he has done his entire career. He avoided a sack and ran without tucking the ball away. TJ Watt forced the fumble and Devin Bush recovered at the Seattle 16. Mike Tomlin took no chances. He had Roethlisberger take a knee to center the ball for Boswell. Big Ben then took another knee to burn 40 more seconds off the clock. On 3rd down, Boswell came in for the 37 yard field goal try to win it. With 2:50 left in overtime, Boswell was good. 23-20 Steelers, OT

Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans was the Monday night game. This game started slow and turned into a shootout. The Bills moved from their own 21 on a drive that lasted 13 plays, went 74 yards, and took 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 3 from the Tennessee 5, Josh Allen threw incomplete. Tyler Bass hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bills. Late in the first quarter, the Bills punted and Mike Vrabel decided to take an old Buffalo wound and throw sale on it. 22 years ago the Titans defeated the Bills in an epic playoff game known as the Music City Miracle.Titans Coach Jeff fisher put in home run throwback, and Kevin Dyson returned a kickoff for a touchdown to shock the Bills. 

Bills fans insist to this day that the play was illegal because it featured a forward pass on the return. Officials ruled it a lateral and a touchdown stood. In this game 22 years later, the Bills punted on 4th and 18 from their own 13. The punt turned into the sequel of Home Run Throwback. This time a 22 yard return had the Titans at the Buffalo 42. Yet this time officials ruled that the throw across the field was a forward pass and not a lateral. This was little comfort for Bills fans haunted by the 1999 game.

Nevertheless,  the Titans took over at their own 29. On 3rd and 2 from their own 42, Ryan Tannehill went deep and was intercepted by Poyer, who returned it 17 yards to the Tennessee 48. Again the Bills drove to the 5 yard line but on 1st and goal, a touchdown was nullified by offensive holding. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Allen threw incomplete. Bass hit from 28 to make it 6-0 Bills in the second quarter. 

The Bills were dominating, but one play and 16 seconds after a touchback, The Titans had the lead. Derrick Henry took it straight up the gut and broke free for a 76 yard touchdown run to make it 7-6 Titans. The Bills took over at their own 28. A sack of Allen was nullified by defensive unnecessary roughness. Allen then went to Emanuel sanders for big gains of 21 and 19, to Singletary for 2, and to Stefan Diggs for a 14 yard touchdown. Midway though the second quarter, the Bills led 13-7. The Titans soon faced 3r and 8 at their own 23. Tannehill went deep to Julio Jones for a 48 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 25, Tannehill threw incomplete. Randy Bullock hit  43 yard field goal to get the Titans within 13-10.

One play after a touchback, the Titans struck again. Allen got hit as threw, and the ball was plucked out of the air by Byard. Byard returned the interception 16 yards to the Buffalo 11. Tannehill ran for a 4 yard touchdown to put the Titans up 17-13 with 5 minutes left in the half. After a touchback, Allen responded. On 3rd and 5 from his own 42, Allen hit Diggs for 17 at the 2 minute warning. Allen hit Diggs again for 12. With 40 seconds left on 3rd and 12 from the Tennessee 29, Allen went to Cole Beasley for the touchdown. The Bills led 20-17 at the half, and the second half was just as exciting.

The Bills began the third quarter facing 3rd and 4 from their own 24. Allen hit Diggs for 9, Dawson Knox for 11 and Beasley for 18. Yet on 2nd and 6 from the Tennessee 34, Allen ran for no gain and then threw incomplete. Bass nailed the 52 yard field goal to extend the Bills lead to 23-17. The Titans took over at their own 33 and Tannehill hit AJ Brown for 8. Henry had gains of 3 and 19. On 3rd and 10 from the Buffalo 37, Tannehill hit Brown for 8. Sean McDermott gambled on 4th and 2 from the Buffalo 29.Tannehill hit Brown for 14 and Swain for 8. Henry ran for a 3 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Titans led 24-23. 

The Bills soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 29 after a false start. Allen hit Beasley for 9 and Sanders for 15. On 3rd and 7 from the Titans 44, Allen went deep and drew a 39 yard defensive pass interference call. On 3rd and goal from the one, Allen hit Tommy Sweeney for the touchdown. For the 2 point conversion try, Sean McDermott went deep into the bag of tricks. Allen lateraled, followed by a second lateral to Knox, who then threw to a wide open Allen in the end zone. The quarterback made the reception as the Bills led 31-24 after three quarters. 

The Titans began the fourth quarter at their own 35 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Buffalo 22. Henry gained 7, but offensive holding nullified the run. On 3rd and 11, Tannehill hit Jones for only 6. With a full 10 minutes to play, Sean McDermott opted for the field goal. Bullock hit from 38 but the Titans still trailed 31-27. The Titans got the ball back at their own 30. Tannehill hit Westbrook for 14 and Brown for 22. On 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 30, Tannehill hit Westbrook for 8 and Henry for 9. Henry then ran for a 13 yard touchdown. The game’s 7th lead change had the Titans up by a field goal with 3 minutes left. 

The Bills took over at their own 18. Allen immediately hit Sanders for 31 and Moss for 12 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Both teams had all 3 timeouts, but time was not a factor for either team. Allen hit Beasley for 7 and Davis for 20 down to the Tennessee 12 as Mike Vrabel decided not to take timeouts on defense to preserve time. Both teams were content to let this last drive be the final stand. On 3rd and 6 from the 8, Allen scrambled and dove in the air by the sideline. He came up short of the sticks by a yard. 22 seconds remained. The Bills still had 2 timeouts left. Surely Sean McDermott on 4th and 1 from the 3 would kick the field goal. Instead he risked it all and went for the win. Because he had 2 timeouts, a first down would give the Bills several more cracks at the end zone. This was high risk, high reward. With everything on the line, Allen took the quarterback sneak and ran into a Tennessee brick wall named Simmons. The home crowd erupted as Simmons stopped Allen short of the first down. Both teams are now 4-2. A playoff rematch of these teams cannot come soon enough. It was not the Music City Miracle, but it was a fine, fine football game. 34-31 Titans

 

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NFL 2021 Week 5 Recap

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks was the Thursday night game. One week after getting humbled at home by Arizona, the Rams traveled to Seattle. The first half was almost all defense. Late in the first quarter, the Seahawks faced 4th and 2 from the Rams 29. Pete Carroll went for it and Collins lost a yard. Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson then traded interceptions. In the second quarter, the Seahawks took over at their own 17. Wilson hit Hart for 14. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant a 47 yard gain. Wilson then went to DK Metcalf for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. 

The Rams took over at their own 24 and moved 63 yards in 14 plays and 8 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Seattle 23, Sean McVay went for it and Sony Michel gained 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 12, Michel lost a yard. With just over one minute left in the half, this time McVay settled for the field goal. Matt Gay hit from 31 to get the Rams within 7-3. Wilson worked the final minute perfectly, but Jason Myers missed a 35 yard field goal that would have extended the Seattle lead.

The Rams owned the third quarter despite taking over at their own 4 yard line. On 3rd and 3 from their 11, Stafford hit Robert Woods for 9. On 3rd and 10 from their own 20, Stafford went deep to Desean Jackson for 68 yards. Darrell Henderson ran for 7 and then the 5 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Rams led 9-7. The Rams got it back at their own 18. Stafford hit Woods for a pair of 20 yard gains. Henderson ripped off a 29 yard gain. Stafford hit Tyler Higbee for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 16-7 Rams. 

Stafford was playing the entire game with an injured finger. After Wilson collided hands with Aaron Donald, he too had an injured finger. Yet Stafford was able to play the whole game while Wilson had to sit out the fourth quarter. Geno Smith took his place and did quite well. The Seahawks began the fourth quarter at their own 2 yard line. A defensive pass interference call gave the Seahawks 13 yards. Smith then hit Metcalf for 17 and Dissly for 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 47, Dallas gained 2. Smith went to Disney for 21 and then to Metcalf for a 23 yard touchdown. with over 9 minutes to play, the 10 play, 98 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Seahawks within 16-14. 

The Rams took over at their own 27 and stayed aggressive. Stafford went to Woods for 24 and to Cooper Kupp for 33 more. Stafford hit Kupp again for 13. Michel ran for the 2 yard touchdown to give the Rams breathing room up 23-14 with 6 minutes left. In addition to missing an extra point, Gay twice on the night kicked a kickoff out of bounds to set the Seahawks up at their own 40. With just over 3 minutes to play the Seahawks had 1st and 10 at the Rams 14. Smith threw 3 straight incompletions. Needing 2 scores, Myers hit the 32 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 23-17. The Seahawks held on defense and got the ball back at their own 16 with 2:09 left and a chance to win it. Smith was immediately intercepted. The Rams took over at the Seattle 32. With 24 seconds left, Gay came in for a 47 yard field goal try to lock up the win. A miss would give the Seahawks a chance at a miracle. Gay atoned for his earlier misses and snuck this kick inside the upright good as the Rams got to 4-1 on the year. 26-17 Rams 

New York Jets at Atlanta Falcons is the Sunday early morning London game. The NFL did not explain why it hates the British people so much that it delivered them such a terrible matchup. The Falcons were less awful than the Jets, jumping all over Gang Green from the start. The Falcons moved from their own 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Jets 40. Cordaderelle Patterson gained 12 yards. 14 plays, 62 yards and 6 minutes led to a 31 yard Younghoe Koo field goal to make it 3-0 Falcons. The Falcons got it back at their own 8 yard line. On 3rd and 1 from their own 25, Matt Ryan hit Sharpe for 14, Pitts for 18, Smith for 22, Patterson for 16, and Pitts for a 2 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 92 yard, 5 minute drive made it 10-0 Falcons. The second quarter had the Falcons starting at their own 23. Ryan hit Patterson for 13 and 5. On 3rd and 1 from their own 46, Ryan hit Pitts for 22 with roughing the passer adding 15. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 17, Ryan went to Hurst for the touchdown to make it 17-0 Falcons. 

The rest of the second quarter was pointless. Zach Wilson was intercepted but the Falcons fumbled the ball back. Ammendola hit a 31 yard field goal with 2:18 left in the half to finally get the Jets on the board. Koo hit a 52 yard field goal to end the half with the Falcons cruising 20-3. The Jets got a spark to start the third quarter when Trevor Coleman returned the second half kickoff 66 yards to the Atlanta 29. Carter gained 7 and 8. On 3rd and 4 from the Atlanta 8, Johnson gained 6, one, and then the one yard touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright no good as the Jets trailed 29. The rest of the third quarter was also pointless. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Jets took over at their own 10. Wilson hit Crowder for 7 and Cole for 23. On 1st and 20 from their own 30, Wilson hit Mims for 27. Defensive pass interference on the next play meant a 41 yard gain down to the Atlanta 2. Carter got in for the score. Robert Saleh went for 2 and Wilson hit Crowder for the conversion. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Jets were within 20-17.

After a touchback, the Falcons finally began moving again.  Ryan went deep to Pitts for 39 yards. On 3rd and 13 from the Jets 39, Ryan hit Zaccheaus for 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Jets 15, , Ryan hit Patterson for 7. Davis gained 6 and then got the 3 yard touchdown. With 2:19 to play, the Falcons led 27-17. The Jets quickly moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 14 with 30 seconds left. Wilson was sacked for a 17 yard loss. Needing 2 scores, Robert Saleh immediately went with the field goal try. Ammendola hit from 49 but the onside kick try failed. For some reason, the Jets are being allowed back to the United States despite our begging Britain to keep them. 27-20 Falcons

    

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings — The winless Lions took on a Vikings team that won once. The Lions got on the board first with a 39 yard Austin Siebert field goal. Greg Joseph responded from 38 for a 3-3 game after the first quarter. A Lions fumble led to another 38 yard Joseph field goal and a 6-3 Vikings second quarter lead. The Vikings  got it back at their own 12. Alexander Mattison ran for 11 and 3 Kirk Cousins hit Justin Jefferson for 14 and 22. Roughing the passer on the next play added 15 more. Cousins hit Mattison for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 13-3 Vikings with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. After a touchback, the Lions soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 37. Jared Goff hit Cephus for 21 and Seibert hit a 52 yard field goal as the Lions trailed 13-6 at halftime. The third quarter was scoreless as each quarterback was intercepted. The Vikings moved from their own 20 on a 10 play drive that took 5 minutes off the clock. With 4 1/2 minutes remaining, Joseph buried a 55 yard field goal to give the Vikings a 16-6 lead. The Lions moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 3 at the Minnesota 45. An 18 yard gain was wiped out by offensive holding. On 4th and 15, Goff was sacked. With 3:43 left, this game seemed completely over. 

The Vikings took over at the Detroit 34. All they had to do was run down the clock. On 3rd and 7, Cousins threw incomplete. With 3:22 left, Joseph came in for a 49 yard field goal try to extend the lead. The kick was no good. The Lions took over at their own 39. Goff hit Brown for 18 and Swift for 21. On 1st ant 10 from the Minnesota 22, Goff threw 3 straight incompletions. Needing 2 scores, Seibert came in for the 40 yard field goal try. The Lions trailed 16-9 with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Vikings took over on their own 18. The 2 minute warning came with the Vikings facing 3rd and 7 at their own 21. The Lions were out of timeouts One first down would end the game. Even a run that came up short would give the Lions the ball back with only one minute left. Mattison got the carry and fumbled. The Lions recovered at the Minnesota 20. They Lions had been given a miracle. This crazy game was about to get even crazier. 

Goff hit St. Brown for 10. Then Swift ran for a 7 yard touchdown. Rather than tie the game, Dan Campbell went for the win on the road. The Lions were winless. They had literally nothing to lose. Goff hit Hodge for the 2 point conversion. The Lions led 17-16 with only 37 seconds remaining. Now from their own 18 with 2 timeouts left, the Vikings needed a miracle of their own. Cousins went to Adam Thielen for 21, Westbrook for 6 and Thielen for 19. Cousins spiked the ball with 3 seconds left. Joseph came in for a 54 yard field goal to try and win it for the Vikings. The Lions lost at home a couple weeks ago 19-17 when Justin Tucker made a 66 yard field goal for Baltimore. Yet Joseph had missed a 36 yard field goal that cost the Vikings a win early in the season. Something had to give. Joseph was good, and the lions remained winless after another heartbreaking loss. 64 years later, the curse of Bobby Layne continues to haunt the Lions. 19-17 Vikings

New Orleans Saints at Washington Debt Ceilings — An early interception of Jameis Winston set up the N-Names at the Saints 31. Dustin Hopkins hit a 45 yard field goal for a 3-0 lead for the No-Names. 3 plays later after a touchback the Saints faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Winston went deep to Harris for a 72 yard touchdown bomb and a 7-3 Saints lead. The No-Names came back 72 yards in 12 plays and nearly 6 1/2 minutes. From their own 23, the No-Names moved to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Taylor Heinicke threw incomplete twice. Hopkins hit from 23 as the No-Names only trailed 7-6. 

Three plays later after a touchback, Winston was sacked and fumbled to give the No-Names a short field at the Saints 44. The No-Names punted on 4th and 15 but a roughing the kicker penalty gave the No-Names 1st and 10 at the Saints 34. Defensive pass interference on the next play gave the No-Names 16 more yards. A sack had the No-Names facing 2nd and 17 from the Saints 25. Henicki ran for 13. The second quarter began with the No-Names facing 3rd and 4 from the Saints 12. Heinickie hit Seals-Jones for 7. Gibson ran for the 5 yard touchdown put the N-Names up 13-7. 

After a touchback, Winston went to Taysom Hill for 11 and Callaway for 10. Winston went deep incomplete to Hill, who suffered a helmet to helmet hit. The unnecessary roughness flag gave the Saints 15 yards, but Hill was taken to the locker room on the golf cart. Winston went to Alvin Kamara for 12 and Kamara then ran for a 23 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the game was tied 13-13. The No-Names had plenty of chances but squandered them. They moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 7 at the Saints 16. Heinicke was intercepted at the 2 yard line. Washington got it back with a short field at the Saints 47. On 1st and 10 from the Saints 35, Heinicke threw 3 straight incompletions. Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it rather than try a 53 yard field goal. Henicke threw a 4th straight incompletion. With 19 seconds left in the half, the No-Names punted on 4th and 5 from their own 6. A 13 yard return by Kamara gave the Saints enough time for one play from just past midfield. Jameis Winston rolled to his right, through the Hail Mary to the end zone, and the prayer was answered by Marquez Callaway for the touchdown as the Saints took a 20-13 lead to the locker rooms. 

In the third quarter the No-Names faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Gibson gained 6 and 16. Patterson had gains of 9 and 2. Carter gained 11. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 4, Gibson lost 2 and then Heinicke threw incomplete. Hopkins hit the 24 yard field goal as the No-Names trailed 20-16 after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter the No-Names faced 3rd and 10 from their own 2 yard line. Heinicke went deep and was intercepted Williams. The Saints had a short field at the Washington 26. Winston hit Trautman for 11. On 3rd and 7 from the Washington 12, winston hit Callaway for the touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation the Saints led 27-16. 

After a touchback and a 4 yard defensive pass interference e penalty, Heinicke went deep to Humphries for a 25 yard gain. On 4th and 14 just past midfield with 10 minutes left, ron Rivera again went for it. Heinicke went deep to Carter for 26 and then ran for 16 more. A 4 yard defensive pass interference call 2 plays later meant 1st and goal at the one. Gibson got in. The 2 point try failed but the No-Names were within 27-22 midway through the fourth quarter. The Saints soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Winston got stopped. Ron Rivera has the riverboat nickname but Sean Payton called an onside kick in the Super Bowl to start the second half. With 6:12 to play, Payton risked it all by going for it in his own territory. On 4th and 1, Winston gained 2. On the next play  Winston went deep to Trautman for 32. Kamara gained 11. Winston went to Kamara for the 19 yard touchdown with 3 minutes left to ice the game. Cody Parkey, the king of the double doink, doinked the extra point off the upright no good. 33-22 Saints

 

New England Patriots at Houston Texans — The Patriots have struggled this year but 2 plays late were the difference in them being 1-3 rather than 3-1. All they had to do was beat the Texans, who were quarterbacked by the lowest rated quarterback in the league in Davis Mills. So naturally Mills came out looking like a Hall of Famer. He began by leading the drive of the year. 18 plays. 79 yards. 10 minutes off the clock. From their own 21, Mark Ingram ran for 8, one, and on 3rd and 1 from their own 30, one more. On 3rd and 8 from their own 33, Mills threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 10 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 48, Mills gained 2. On 3rd and 5 from the New England 41, Johnson gained 2. David Culley decided to go for it rather than try a 56 yard field goal. . On 4th and 2 from the Patriots 38, Mills hit Johnson for 8 and again for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 11, Mills hit Auclair for the touchdown. The extra point was no good, which would be common in this game as the Texans had the 6-0 lead.

After missing the extra point, Kaimi Fairbairn hit the ensuing kickoff out of bounds to set up the Patriots up at their own 40. On 3rd and 2 from their own 48, Mac Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for 15. Bourne then ran for 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 18, Jones hit Nelson Agholor for 11. The second quarter began with the Patriots facing 3rd and goal from the one. Diontae Harris took the direct snap and got in. Nick Folk missed the extra point as well for a 6-6 game. 3 plays after a touchback, the Texans faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Mills went deep to Moore for a 67 yard touchdown. Fairbairn again missed the extra point but the texans led 12-6. The Patriots fumbled and the Texans took over at their own 20. On 3rd and 17 from their own 25, Mills hit Johnson for 16. David Culley gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 42. Mills hit Brandon Cooks for 6. At the 2 minute warning the Texans had 1st and goal at the 2. Then came a false start and a pair of sacks by Judon. Fairbairn hit the 33 yard field goal, which coincidentally is as long as the 2 missed extra points. The 15 play, 65 yard, 7 minute drive had the Texans up 15-6. 

The Patriots took over at their own 24 with 90 seconds left in the half. Jones hit Hunter Henry for 5, Bourne for 7, Henry again for 16, and Meyers for 9. Nick Folk buried a 52 yard field goal to end the half with the Patriots within 15-9. Yet on the second play of the third quarter on 2nd and 10 from their own 27, Jones was intercepted. The Texans had a short field from the New England 44. Two plays later Mills hit Chris Conley for a 37 yard touchdown as the Texans had the shocking 22-9 lead. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation and the Texans in total control, David Culley got too cute for his own good. On 4th and 2 from his own 36, he decided to punt. He then had his punter move up to the line and pretend like it was a fake punt. Then after all of that, Johnston was supposed to punt it anyway. The Texans outfoxed themselves as Johnston’s punt bounced off the helmet of a New England player. Technically it went in the books as a blocked punt for 0 yards. 

Houston’s defense kept them in the game as Jones’s 3rd and 10 pass gained only 3 yards. Folk again hit from 52 to get the Patriots within 22-12. The Patriots got it back at their own 39. Jones went to Henry for 21 and Agholor for 20 more. On 3rd and 12 from the Houston 18, a completion only gained 4 yards. Folk hit again from 32 as the Patriots trailed 22-15 after three quarters. The Texans moved from their own 22 to a 3rd and 7 at the Pats 41. A completion only gained 3 yards. David Culley gambled on a 56 yard field goal to give the Texans some breathing room 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. Fairbairn had already missed 2 extra points, and this kick was no good as well. The Patriots took over at their own 46. Harris gained 7. Jones hit Henry for 10. Harris gained 5 and 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Houston 13, Jones hit Henry for the touchdown. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the game was tied 22-22.

The Patriots got it back midway through the fourth quarter at their own 13. Jones hit meyer for 24. On 3rd and 18 from their own 29, Jones threw deep incomplete but a killer roughing the passer penalty kept the drive going. On 3rd and 6 from their own 48, Jones hit Henry for 10. Bolden ran for 24. Stevenson added 9. Jones gained 3 to set up 1st and goal at the 6 at the 2 minute warning. Stevenson ran for 2 yards as the Texans took their final timeout. Stevenson ran for a 4 yard touchdown but it was nullified by an illegal shift. The Texans would have been better off had he scored. Helpless to stop the clock, New England fell forward 

a couple times and took the clock down to 17 seconds. On 4th and goal from the 3, Folk came in to be the hero. Last week he had a 56 yard field goal to win it doink off the upright no good. This one was only from 21. Jones had led a 15 play, 84 yard drive that took 7 minutes off the clock. Folk was good, and the Texans collapse at home was complete. 25-22 Patriots

 

Miami Dolphins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — A battle of Florida had the Dolphins move from their own 25 to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Myles Gaskin got stopped and Brissett threw incomplete. Jason Sanders hit the 23 yard field goal. to make it 3-0 Dolphins. The Buccaneers took over at their own 20. Tom Brady hit OH Howard for 9 and Mike Evans for 26. Leonard Fournette ran for 17. Brady hit Chris Godwin for 13. On 3rd and 6 from the Miami 10, Brady hit Giovanni Benard for the touchdown and the 7-3 Buccaneers lead. After a touchback, Brissett hit Gaskin for gains of 9 and 12 and Hollins for 10. Defensive pass interference 2 plays later added 12 more yards. Brissett hit Shaheen for 5 and Gaskin for a 24 yard touchdown. The Dolphins led 10-7 after the first quarter, but in the second quarter reality set in.

The Buccaneers moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 6 at the Miami 14. Brady was sacked for a 10 yard loss. Ryan Succop hit a 42 yard field goal for a 10-10 game. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 30 and only needed 3 plays. On 3rd and 2 from their own 38, Brady connected with Antonio Brown, who split the seams for a 62 yard touchdown and a 17-10 Buccaneers lead. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 23. Brady hit Fournette for 6, Howard for 10 and Fournette for 10 and 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 10 at the 2 minute warning, Brady threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 7 yard gain. Brady hit Brown for a 4 yard touchdown to cap the 13 play, 77 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive to make it 24-10 Buccaneers.

 The Dolphins after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 2 at the Tampa 30. Brissett was sacked and fumbled and the Buccaneers took over at their own 34 with 45 seconds left. Succop missed a 60 yard field goal to end the half. In the third quarter the Dolphins took over at their own 13. Gaskin ran for 13 Brissett went to Gesicki for 23. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa 36, Brissett hit Gaskin for 2. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa 17, Brissett threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Gaskin got in as the 11 play, 87 yard, 6 minute drive had the Dolphins within 24-17 midway through the third quarter.

The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Brady hit Brown for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Maimi 42, Brady hit Godwin for 12 and Fournette for 16. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 5 to start the fourth quarter, Fournette got in to make it 31-17 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 39 and moved quickly. Brady hit Jones for 15, Brown for 7, and Mike Evans for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 38-17 Buccaneers. Brissett was soon intercepted to give the Buccaneers a short field at the Fins 41. Brady hit Evans for a 22 yard touchdown to turn a close game into a blowout. Brady was phenomenal, finishing 30 of 41 for 411 yards, 5 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. 45-17 Buccaneers

Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals — This game will be talked about for a very long time. Announcer Paul Maguire once said, “I hate kickers. They should be paid $50 a game.” This game explained why. Both teams came in 3-1, as Joe Burrow hoped to outduel Aaron Rodgers. Early on Rodgers was intercepted, leading to nothing. With 6 minutes left in the opening quarter, the Bengals took over just shy of midfield. On 4th and 3 from the Green Bay 44, Zac Taylor went for it. Burrow hit Perine for 5. Joe Mixon gained 10. Burrow hit Sample for 6, Uzomah for 7, Mixon for 2, Perine for 10 and Perine again for a 4 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 51 yard, 5 minute drive had the Bengals up 7-0 after the first quarter.

After a touchback, Rodgers hit Davante Adams for 17. On 3rd and 12 from their own 40 to start the second quarter, Rodgers went deep to Adams for 34 and to Lewis for 14. Rodgers hit Dillon for a 12 yard touchdown. Mason Crosby doinked the extra point off the upright no good as the Packers trailed 7-6. The Packers got it back at their own 38. Rodgers hit Dillon for 13 and Adams for 24. The drive stalled but Crosby hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 9-7 Packers. The Packers got it back and soon aced 3rd and 6 from their own 23. Rodgers hit Adams for 15. and Dillon for 24. At the 2 minute warning from the Cincinnati 35, Rodgers hit Adams for 22. With one minute left in the half Rodgers hit Adams for a 5 yard touchdown and a 16-7 Packers lead. 

Only 2 plays after a touchback, the Bengals were right back in it. On 2nd and 5 from their own 30, Burrow went deep to Jamarr Chase. The defender mistimed the jump, and Chase had the 70 yard touchdown as the Bengals got within 16-14. In the third quarter Burrow went deep and was intercepted at the Green Bay 18. The Packers moved to a 3rd and 9 from the Cincy 28. Rodgers hit Adams for a 2 yard gain. After 12 plays, 66 yards and 7 1/2 minutes, the Packers settled for a 44 yard Crosby field goal to lead 19-14 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. 

The Bengals moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 2 at the Green Bay 30. Burrow threw incomplete and Zac Taylor decided to go for it. On 4th and 2, Burrow gained 5 but offensive holding killed the chance. The Bengals punted. The Packers began the fourth quarter at their own 15. From their own 35, Rodgers went deep to Adams for 59 yards. Yet on 3rd and goal from the Cincy 4, Rodgers threw incomplete. Crosby hit the 22 yard field goal to put the Packers up 22-14 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

After a touchback, Perine gained 11. On 3rd and 5 from their own 40, Burrow went to Higgins for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 41, Perine lost a yard. On 4th and 2 midway through the fourth quarter, Burrow got just enough. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 36, Burrow went to Chase for 19. Perine gained 9 and Mixon ran for the 8 yard touchdown. Burrow went to Tee Higgins for the 2 point conversion. The game was tied 22-22 with 3 1/2 minutes left. The rest of this game was indescribable. 

After a touchback, Jones ripped off a 57 yard gain. A run then gained nothing and Rodgers threw incomplete twice. With 2:14 left, Crosby came in for a 36 yard field goal to give the Packers the lead. Crosby had missed an extra point earlier. Crosby’s kick was no good. The Bengals took over at their own 26. Burrow led the Bengals to a 3rd and 5 at the Green Bay 42 with 30 seconds left. A completion gained only 3 yards. McPherson came in for a 57 yard field goal try to give the Bengals the lead. The kick doinked off the upright no good. This gave the Packers gift field position at their own 47 with 21 seconds left. Rodgers hit Adams for 20 and spiked the ball to stop the clock with 4 seconds left. Crosby had a chance at redemption from 51 yards out. Again, Crosby was no good. This game was headed to overtime. 

The Bengals got the ball to start overtime. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Burrow was intercepted. Campbell returned it 13 yards to the Cincy 17. This game was all but over. 2 runs lost 5 yards and Matt LaFleur had seen enough. Despite 2 missed field goals and an extra point, Crosby came in for a 40 yard try to win it. Crosby was no good. The Bengals soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 38. Burrow went to Chase for 21. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 33, Mixon only gained one. On 4th and 1 Zac Taylor decided not to gamble. MacPherson came in for a 49 yard field goal try for his second try to win it. The kick was up, and McPherson jumped into the arms of his holder in celebration. The Bengals celebrated. Yet this was odd, since McPherson was again no good. They thought he made it. They thought wrong. 5 missed field goals in 8 minutes kept the game going. 

The Packers took over at their own 39. Rodgers hit Lewis for 20. On 3rd and 16 from the Cincy 47, Rodgers hit Randall Cobb for 15. With 1:55 left in overtime, Matt LaFleur had a big decision to make. Crosby had already missed 4 kicks, including 3 field goals and an extra point. This kick would be 49 yards. Going for it would possibly allow for a shorter kick or give the Bengals good field position. LeFleur went with his shaky kicker. Crosby was…good! It was less a celebration than a sigh of relief. Despite his miserable game, he helped his team win. 25-22 Packers, OT

Denver Broncos at Pittsburgh Steelers — The Steelers looked great in their opener and then lost 3 straight. The Broncos won 3 against teams that started 0-9 before losing badly at home last week. The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 24. Ben Roethlisberger has played poorly this season, but he hit Chase Claypool for 23. On 3rd and 7 from midfield, Big Ben went deep to Johnson for a 50 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Steelers. The Steelers got it back at their own 17 and held the ball for 6 minutes and 10 play. Yet on 2nd and 13 from just shy of midfield, Roethlisberger was sacked and fumbled. The Broncos took over at the Pittsburgh 29. Yet on 3rd and 12, a completion only gained 10. Vic Fangio decided not to gamble on 4th and 2. Brandon McManus hit from 39 to get the Broncos within 7-3. The Steelers responded from their own 25 by moving to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 27. Yet a run lost 3 yards and Roethlisberger threw incomplete twice. Early in the second quarter, Chris Boswell hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Steelers.

In the second quarter the Broncos moved from their own 40 to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Bridgewater was sacked for a 12 yard loss. On 3rd and goal from the 17, a completion gained only 6 yards McManus hit from 29 to get the Broncos within 10-6 with 6 minutes left in the half. The Steelers soon faced 2nd and 7 from their own 28. Roethlisberger connected with Claypool who weaved past defenders for a 59 yard gain. On 3rd and 16 from the Denver 18, Roethlisberger threw incomplete but defensive pass interference in the end zone meant 1st and goal at the one. Harris got in for the touchdown as the Steelers led 17-6 with 2:12 left in the half. 

In the third quarter the Steelers began at their own 14. Harris gained 5 and 18. On 2nd and 17 from their own 30, Big Ben hit Harris and Claypool for a pair of 14 yard gains. On 3rd and 2 from the Denver 34, Roethlisberger hit Freiermuth for 3. On 4th and 12 from the Denver 33, Chris Boswell made a 51 yard field goal. Yet the Denver defense was called for a leverage penalty. Mike Tomlin took the points off the board as the 15 yard penalty made it 1st and 10 from the Denver 18. On 3rd and 10, Roethlisberger went to Claypool for the touchdown. The 14 play, 86 yard, nearly 7 1/2 minute drive meant a 24-6 Steelers lead. 

After a touchback, Teddy Bridgewater went to Patrick for 19. On 3rd and 15 from their own 39, Bridgewater hit Patrick for 10 as the third quarter ended. On 4th and 5 to start the fourth quarter, Bridgewater hit Patrick for just enough. Williams gained 10. On 3rd and 11 from the Pittsburgh 37, Bridgewater hit Noah Fast for 9. On 4th and 2, Bridgewater hit Sutton for 25. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Bridgewater threw incomplete. On 4th and goal, Bridgewater went to Kendall Hinton for the touchdown. With 10 minutes left the Broncos were within 24-13 after the 14 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. The Broncos got it back at their own 28. Bridgewater went to Patrick for 15 and Cortland Sutton for 9. Bridgwater then went to Sutton for a 39 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Broncos were within 24-19 with nearly 6 minutes to play.

After a touchback, Roethlisberger went to Johnson for 22 and Claypool for 16. On 3rd and 5 from the Denver 30, Bennie Snell only gained 4. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 26 with 2 1/2 minutes left, Mike Tomlin decided not to go for it. Boswell hit from 43 to put the Steelers up by 8. After a touchback, Bridgewater hit Patrick for 23, Fant for 6, Williams for 9 and Fant for 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 32, Bridgewater went deep to Hinton for 23 yards. With one minute left the Broncos had 1st and goal at the 9. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Bridgewater threw incomplete. 22 seconds remained. The Broncos were down to their last chance. On 4th and goal, Bridgewater was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. 27-19 Steelers       

Philadelphia Eagles at Carolina Panthers — The Panthers were knocked from the unbeaten ranks last week, but the Eagles had lost 3 straight after an opening day win. Zane Gonzalez hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Panthers on the board first. On the Panthers next series, Sam Darnold was intercepted to give the Eagles golden field position with 1st and goal at the 10. On 4th and goal at the 2, Kevin Sirianni went for it. jalen Hurts hit Smith for the touchdown, but it was nullified by offensive pass interference. Jake Elliott hit the 30 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. 

The Panthers got it back at their own 38. Darnold hit Thomas for 13. Hubbard ran for 26. On 3rd and 7 from the Philadelphia 20, Darnold hit DJ Moore for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Darnold hit Tommy Tremble for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Panthers. The rest of the half was mostly defense. A shanked punt of only 16 yards had the Panthers taking over at the Philly 40 with 6 minutes left in the half. On 3rd and 10 from the Philly 18, Darnold was sacked. Gonzalez hit from 43 to make it 13-3 Panthers with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Eagles took over at their own 11 and disaster immediately struck. A shotgun snap sailed past Teddy Bridgewater and out the back of the end zone for a safety and a 15-3 Panthers lead. 

The Eagles got it back at their own 16 with 30 seconds left in the half. Hurts hit Reagor for 15 and Smith for 17. Elliott buried a 58 yard field goal to end the half with the Eagles down 15-6. A hideous third quarter saw the Eagles fumble the ball away and then throw an interception with the Panthers returning the favor with an interception of their own. Late in the third quarter the Eagles took over at their own 20. Hurts hit Smith for 13 and 5. On 3rd and 10 from their own 37, Hurts went deep to Watkins for a 53 yard gain. Defensive pass interference on the next play meant 1st and goal at the one. Hurts got in as the Eagles only trailed 15-13 after three quarters.

The fourth quarter began with the Panthers taking over after a touchback. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Hubbard gained 6 and 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Philly 30, Freeman lost a yard. Gonzalez hit a 50 yard field goal to give the Panthers an 18-13 lead with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Yet 11 lays and 6 1/2 minutes did not close the door. The Eagles moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Carolina 39. After Hurts threw incomplete, Kevin Sirianni decided to go for it with 5 1/2 minutes left. Hurts threw incomplete again. The Panthers went 3 and out and had to punt on 4th and 3 from their own 46. The punt was blocked, giving the Eagles golden field position at the Carolina 27. Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for 20 and ran for the 6 yard touchdown himself. Hurts hit Smith for the 2 point conversion to put the Eagles up by 3 with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 15 at their own 20. Darnold hit Robby Anderson for 25. Yet the next play brought offensive holding. An interception of Darnold at the 2 minute warning sealed Carolina’s fate as special teams did them in. 21-18 Eagles

 

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars — The Jaguars are an 0-4 mess and Coach Urban Meyer is now under a cloud for an off the field incident that could cause him to be fired well before his rookie season ends. On the third play from scrimmage on 3rd and 10 from their own 25, Trevor Lawrence completed a short pass that was fumbled and returned by Byard for a 30 yard touchdown. One minute into the game, the Titans led 7-0. Yet the Jaguars fought hard in this game. After a touchback, Robinson ran for 5 and then broke off a 58 yard run Carlos Hyde ran for 7 and 4 and Robinson got the last yard. The extra point doinked off the upright no good as the Jaguars trailed 7-6. 

The Titans later on faced 3rd and 6 from their own 25. Ryan Tannehill hit McNichols for 25 to midfield. On 3rd and 5 from the Jacksonville 46, Tannehill threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 8 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Jags 33, Tannehill hit Johnson for 10 and AJ Brown for 22 down to the one. On the first play of the second quarter, Derrick Henry got in to make it 14-6 Titans. The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 37. Lawrence went deep to Jones for 25, to Agnew for 7, and to Austin for 22. On 3rd and goal at the one, Robinson got stopped. With absolutely nothing left to lose, Urban Meyer went for it. Lawrence hit Hollister for the touchdown as the Jaguars were within 14-13. After that the Titans took over.

After a touchback, Tannehill went to Johnson for 22 and Reynolds for 8. Rogers ran for 9. Henry added 5 and Batson gained 11. Tannehill hit Pruitt for the 14 yard touchdown to make it 21-13 Titans. The Jaguars moved from their own 24 to a 3rd and 8 at the Titans 34. Lawrence threw incomplete. Wright came in for a 53 yard field goal try. With 2 12 minutes left, his kick was no good. The miss allowed the Titans to take over at their own 4. Tannehill hit Rogers for 26. Despite 1st and 10 from the Jags 16, a pair of incompletions sandwiched around Tannehill being taken down for no gain meant a field goal try. Randy Bullock hit from 34 to make it 24-13 Titans. The Titans began the third quarter facing 3rd and 4 from their own 31. Tannehill hit Johnson for 20. On 3rd and 4 from the Jacksonville 43, Tannehill hit Brown for 6. On 3rd and 2 from the Jaguars 29, Tannehill gained 7. Henry gained 13 and then ran for the 9 yard touchdown to have the Titans up 31-13 only 5 minutes into the second half. 

The Jaguars tried to make a game of it. From their own 20, Robinson gained 10, 8 and 9. Lawrence went to Arnold for 18. The Jaguars began the fourth quarter at the Tennessee 22. Defensive unnecessary roughness on the next play meant 1st and goal at the 10. Lawrence ran for the 4 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Jaguars were within 31-19 only one minute into the fourth quarter. The Jaguars got it back at their own 30. Lawrence went deep to Shenault for 58 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Tennessee 9, Lawrence was intercepted. Yet defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the 5. On 3rd and goal after a pair of incompletions, Lawrence ran it in. Yet on further review, Lawrence was ruled down short of the end zone. On 4th and goal at the one, Hyde got the carry and got knocked on his hide for a 3 yard loss. With less than 2 minutes to play, Henry ran for a 10 yard touchdown after the Jaguars turned it over on downs. Lawrence threw in one more interception for good measure. The Jaguars are 12 losses from 0-17, with or without Urban Meyer. 37-19 Titans 

Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Chargers — This was the game of the year as the 2 teams combined for over 1,000 yards of offense. It was as if Paul Brown and Don “Air” Coryell were coaching. The Browns took over at their own 8 and moved 75 yards in 10 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 5 from the Chargers 12, Kevin stefanski decided to go for it. Yet a false start killed the chance. The Browns settled for a 35 yard Chase McLaughlin field goal and a 3-0 lead. The Chargers came back 85 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. From their own 15, Austin Ekeler ran for 2 and 8. Justin Herbert hit Ekeler for 18 and Mike Williams for 6 and 8. Herbert ran for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 30, Herbert threw incomplete. Yet illegal contact on the defense meant an automatic first down. Herbert hit Donald Parham for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Chargers. 

The Browns took over at their own 28. Baker Mayfield hit Njoku for 31 yards. Nick Chubb ran for 7 and 5. Mayfield went to Donovan Peoples-Jones for 12 as the Browns began the second quarter at the Chargers 17 yard line. On 3rd and 10, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 9 yard gain and first down. Mayfield went to Rashard Higgins for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Browns. From their own 18, the Chargers came back quickly. Herbert ran for 10. On 3rd and 10 from their own 28, Herbert went to Williams for a 72 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Chargers led 13-10. The extra point was no good. The Browns moved from their own 20 to a 3rd and 7 at the Chargers 22. A completion gained only 5 yards. Kevin Stefanski gambled on 4th and 2 from the Chargers 17 and Mayfield threw incomplete. 

The Chargers punted on 4th and 20 from their own 7. The Browns took over at their own 47. Chubb gained 6, 2, and on 3rd and 2, 6 more. On 3rd and 4 from the Chargers 33, Kareem Hunt gained 5. Mayfield hit Higgins for 16. Chubb gained 8, one, and on 3rd and 1, nothing. On 4th and 1 from the Chargers 3, Kevin Stefanski again decided to go for it with one minute left in the half. Hunt got in for the touchdown to make it 17-13 Browns. This was the 4th lead chance of the first half. The Chargers took over at their own 15 and disaster immediately struck. Herbert went to Ekelr for 8, but Ekeler fumbled and the Browns recovered at the Chargers 22. With 9 seconds left in the half on 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 13, Mayfield threw incomplete. Kevin Stefanski this time decided not to gamble. McLaughlin hit the 31 yard field goal as the Browns led 20-13 at the intermission. The Browns struck quickly in the third quarter after a touchback. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Mayfield hit Peoples-Jones for 8. Chubb ran for 6 and then ripped off a 52 yard touchdown run. 17 unanswered points had the Browns up 27-13.

The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 17. Herbert hit Parham for 7. Brandon Staley is very aggressive, but he seemed to lose his mind going for it on 4th and 2 from his own 24. He ignored the ghost of Barry Switzer and Ekelr gained 9. Herbert hit Williams for 7 and Kelley gained 14. On 3rd and 3 from the Cleveland 34. Defensive pass interference added 9 more yards. On 2nd and 7 from the Cleveland 22, Herbert threw incomplete twice. Staley again gambled on 4th and 7 and Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 12. Herbert ran for the 9 yard touchdown. Staley for some reason went for a 2 point conversion and Herbert hit Parham successfully. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the 12 play, 84 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Chargers within 27-21. For 3 quarters this was a fairly normal football game with 48 points total scores. The fourth quarter was a pinball machine as the teams combined for another 41 points.

The Chargers took over at their own 39 with 13 minutes left in regulation. On 3rd and 5, Herbert went to Guyton for 14 and then to Williams for a 42 yard touchdown. The 5th lead change had the Chargers up 28-27 with 11 1/2 minutes left. 2 plays later brought the 6th lead change. On 2nd and 3 from their own 29, Mayfield went to Njoku for a 71 yard touchdown. Kevin Stefanski went for 2 and mayfield hit Austin for the conversion. With 10 1/2 minutes left, the Browns led 35-28. The Chargers dodged a bullet when the Browns returned a fumble for what appeared to be a touchdown and a 42-28 lead. Yet it was ruled an incomplete pass. On 3rd and 10 from their own 25, Herbert hit Williams for just enough. On 3rd and 4 from their own 41, Herbert threw incomplete. Brandon Staley gambled yet again and on 4th and 4 Herbert threw incomplete. However, defensive pass interference meant a 33 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 24, Herbert threw incomplete. Yet for the 4th time, Staley gambled and for the 4th time, his gamble paid off. O 4th and 8, Herbert hit Allen for 20. Ekeler ran for the 2 point conversion as the game was tied 35-35 midway through the fourth quarter after the 11 play, 75 yard drive.

After a touchback, Mayfield went to Hunt for 13 with a facemask adding 15 more. Chubb an for 8 and 24. Hunt ran for 7 and then the 8 yard touchdown. With 4:45 to play the Browns led 42-35. The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 5 from their own 30. Herbert went deep to Allen for 37 and to Guyton for 21. On 2nd and 17 from the Cleveland 19, Herbert went to Ekeler for the touchdown. Yet Tristan Vizcaino missed the extra point. With 3:1 to play, the Chargers trailed 42-41. This time the Browns went 3 and out. A 12 yard punt return had the Chargers with a short field at the Cleveland 48 with 2:02 to play. Herbert went to Jared went to Cook for 29. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 11, Ekeler ran for 8 and then the 3 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the 7th lead change had the Chargers up by 5 with 90 seconds to play. The Browns faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Mayfield hit Hunt for 2 and Njoku for 10. After spiking the ball, Mayfield threw incomplete twice. With 18 seconds left, it came down to the Browns facing 4th and 10 from their own 46. Mayfield went to the end zone and the Hail Mary landed in the end zone incomplete without being touched. Everyone just missed it. Mayfield was 23 of 32 for 305 yards and 2 touchdowns. Herbert was 26 of 43 for 398 yards and 4 touchdowns. Neither quarterback was intercepted. The Browns rushed for 230 yards on 35 carries, yet somehow lost. A playoff rematch would be highly anticipated. 47-42 Chargers

Chicago Bears at Las Vegas Raiders — Despite falling from the unbeaten ranks, the Raiders had enough firepower to take down the lowly Bears, especially at home. The Bears had a good defense but no offense, and quarterback Justin Fields was starting his third game. Jon Gruden was dealing with fallout from comments he made a decade ago while working at ESPN. this overshadowed the 10 year anniversary of Al Davis’s death. Whether the Raiders were distracted or took the Bears too lightly, they played miserably all game. Early on the Bears inept offense did nothing as they punted twice and the Raiders did once. The Raiders began their second drive at their own 19. Derek Carr hit Bryan Edwards for 12. On 3rd and 9 from their own 32, Carr hit Darren Waller for 29. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 16, Kenyan Drake gained 8. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 2, a touchdown run by Josh Jacobs was nullified by offensive holding. Despite a 13 play, 69 yard, 6 minute drive, the Raiders settled for a 31 yard Daniel Carlson field goal.

The Bears were a mess, but the turning point of the game came late in the first quarter. The Bears faced 2nd and 22 from their own 16. Fields hit Robison for only 4 yards, but a mindless roughing the passer penalty on Yannick Ngakoue kept the drive going. Fields the got into a rhythm, hitting Williams for 18. Williams ran for 5 and Herbert added 11. Williams gained 14 as the second quarter began with the Bears facing 1st and goal at the 10. Then came another roughing the passer call to make it 1st and goal from the 5. Then came illegal use of hands to make it 1st and goal at the 2. Fields hit Horsted for the touchdown. The 10 play, 72 yard, 6 minute drive had the Bears up 7-3. 

The Raiders took over at their own 18. Carr went deep to Henry Ruggs for 29. Defensive pass interference added 17 more. Yet on 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 27, Carr got stopped. Jon Gruden is obsessed with running the ball but it’s tough to do behind a patchwork offensive line. Gruden gambled on 4th and 1 an Jacobs got stopped cold for no gain. The Bears soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 22. Williams gained 8. On 3rd and 1 from their own 39, Fields hit Mooney for 15. Fields was briefly knocked out of the game on the next play, and Red Rifle Andy Dalton came in. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 43, Dalton hit Goodwin for 8. Fields came back in. On 3rd and 7 from the Raiders 32, Fields hit Robinson for 12 as the Raiders could not stop either quarterback on 3rd down. Damien Williams ran for a 4 yard touchdown with 1:56 left in the half. The Bears led 14-3. They would not score a touchdown the rest of the game. They would not need to.

The Raiders offense never got going. On 3rd and 2 from their own 33 to start the third quarter, Carr went bombs away to Bryan Edwards for what would have been a 50 or 60 yard gain. Edwards just dropped it. There was nobody near him. He blew it. The Raiders got it back and faced 3rd and 4 from their own 27. A deep ball from Carr went threw Zee Jones’s hands and was intercepted. The Raiders got it back at their own 26. Carr hit Ruggs for 18. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 47, the Bears jumped into the neutral zone. Yet it was still ruled short. 

The fourth quarter Began with the Raiders facing 3rd and inches from the Chicago 43. Carr snuck for 2 yards, but he got his bell rung and left the game. Nathan peterman briefly replaced him. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 33, Peterman only gained one. With a backup quarterback and a line that struggles to run block, Jon Gruden again gambled on 4th and inches. Peterman barely got the first down as Matt Nagy unsuccessfully challenged the spot. Carr came back in and defensive unnecessary roughness added 14 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 5, Carr fired over the middle to Willie Snead for just enough. On 2nd and goal fro the 3, Carr threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness meant 1st and goal at the one. Jacobs leapt over the top. The ball came out but replay showed the ball barely crossed the plane of the goal for the touchdown. With 9 minutes left Jon Gruden went for 2 and Carr was sacked. The Raiders were within 14-9. The defense had kept the Raiders in the game. The offense finally became functional. Yet the Raiders just could not keep it together long enough.

From their own 15, Fields threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 14 yard gain. On 3rd and 12 from their own 27 midway through the fourth quarter, one stop would have given the Raiders a chance to win. Instead, Fields hit Mooney for 13 and Kmet for 14. On 3rd and 5 from the Raiders 29, Fields only gained one yard. The Raiders took their first timeout with 2:50 left. Cairo Santos hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 17-9 Bears. The Raiders had plenty of time for a comeback, but went backward due to a sack and a false start. On 3rd and 17 from their own 18, Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for 12 at the 2 minute warning. On 4th and 5 from their own 30, Carr had Edwards open and overthrew him. The Bears went nowhere but didn’t need to. Santos hit another field goal from 46 with one minute left to ice the game and send the Raiders to their 2nd straight loss. For 2 straight games, the raiders high octane offense has collapsed under their inability to run the football. Yet things got worse for the Silver and Black far beyond this game. By Monday night, in the wake of more private emails being published, Jon Gruden resigned as coach. Special teams coach Rich Bisacci was labeled the interim coach. Even in the crazy world of the Raiders, this was a gut punch. 20-9 Bears 

San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals — The 4-0 Cardinals came in the NFL’s only unbeaten team. The 49ers gave them all they could handle. Yet despite Kyle Shanahan and Kliff Kingsbury being offensive gurus, this game was all defense. Trey Lance was intercepted early on by Buddha Baker, who returned it 17 yards to his own 34. On 3rd and 1 from their own 43, James Conner gained 4. From the San Francisco 40, Kyler Murray hit AJ Green for 13. Rondale Moore gained 26 yards down to the one. Conner got in to make it 7-0 Cardinals. The 49ers after a touchback moved to a 4th and 2 at the Arizona 34. Shanahan went for it and Trey Lance only gained one. The 49ers got it back at their own 6 and moved all the way to a 3rd and goal at the one. Lance threw incomplete. Shanahan went for it again and Lance rolled to his right, headed toward the pylon, and got rocked by 2 defenders just short of the goal line. 13 plays, 93 yards and 6 minutes led to nothing. 

The Cardinals took over at their one and faced 3rd and 7 from their own 4. Murray went to Deandre Hopkins for 23. From his own 47, Murray hit Moore for 33. Yet the Cardinals managed to move 96 yards without scoring a touchdown. On 2nd and goal from the 3, Murray threw incomplete twice. Matt Prater hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Cardinals with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Cardinals got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 31 with 1:22 left in the half. Then came aa false start and a sack of Murray that lost 15 yards. Prater’s 61 yard field goal try at the gun was no good. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the 49ers took over at their own 41. On 2nd and 25 from their own 26 after a pair of penalties, the 49ers finally got a break. Lance hit Aiyuk for 28 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Lance gained 7, Mitchell added 12, and Deebo Samuel ran for a 13 yard touchdown. After three quarters, the 49ers were only down 10-7.  

In the fourth quarter the 49ers moved from their own 20 to a 4th and 1 at the Arizona 48. Again Shanahan gambled and Kyle Juszczyk took the direct snap for no gain. Yet 2 plays later the Cardinals fumbled and the 49ers took over at their own 46. Yet on 3rd and 4 Lance threw incomplete. Again Shanahan gambled and for the fourth time came up empty as Lance threw incomplete again to turn it over on downs. Murray ran for 10. Murray then hit Hopkins for 30 and again for the 9 yard touchdown. With 5:13 to play, the Cardinals led 17-7. The 49ers quickly moved after a touchback to a 2nd and 3 at the Arizona 29. Lance threw incomplete twice. needing 2 scores and having failed 4 times on 4th down, Shanahan opted for the field goal. Joey Slye hit from 47 to get the 49ers within 7 with over 4 minutes to play. On 2nd and 8 from their own 27, Kliff Kingsbury stayed aggressive. Murray hit Hopkins for 11 and Conner gained 8 as the 49ers took their final timeout. On 2nd and 2, Conner gained 4 to midfield as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. With the 49ers out of timeouts, Murray took 3 knees. The Cardinals are 5-0 for the first time since 1974 when Don “Air” Coryell coached them. 17-10 Cardinals

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys are a good team and the Giants are terrible. Sometimes a bad team can go on the road and shock a good team in an upset for the ages. This was not that game. Dad Prescott did throw an early interception, which led to the Giants missing a field goal. The Cowboys moved from their 44 to a 3rd and 7 at the Giants 12. Prescott threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit from 31 to make it 3-0 Cowboys. The Cowboys then fumbled but the Giants did not capitalize. In the second quarter the Cowboys took over at their own 35. Ezekiel Elliott gained 14. On 3rd and 8 just past midfield Prescott went deep to CeeDee Lamb for a 49 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Cowboys. 

The Giants on 3rd and 10 from their own 25 saw Daniel Jones go deep to Toney for 38 yards. Yet on 3rd and 6 from the Dallas 33, Jones threw incomplete. Graham Gano hit a 51 yard field goal to get the Giants within 10-3. The Giants got it back and faced 3rd and 4 at their own 18. Jones went to Toney for 9. Jones hit Evan engram for 18 to midfield. Booker ran for 14 and 2. On 3rd and 4 from the Dallas 20, Jones went to Toney for 28. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jones got stopped. He left the game with a concussion and did not return. Joe Judge went for it on 4th and goal at the one. Devontae Booker got in. With less than 3 minutes left in the half, the game was tied 10-10. Yet reality would soon set in for the Giants.

On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Prescott went to Amari Cooper for 21. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 39, Prescott hit Schultz for 15. Prescott then went to Amari Cooper for a 24 yard touchdown with 36 seconds left in the half for a 17-10 Cowboys lead. The Giants after a touchback to start the third quarter had Mike Glennon under center. He moved the Giants to a 3rd and 4 at the Dallas 24. Glennon could not handle the shotgun snap, resulting in a 9 yard loss. Gano hit a 51 yard field goal to get the Giants within 17-13, but they’d get no closer. After a touchback, Prescott hit Lamb for 11. O 3rd and 6 from their own 40, Prescott went deep to Schultz for 30 and Cooper for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 5, Prescott threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the 2. Prescott hit Elliott for a 4 yard touchdown as the Cowboys led 24-13 midway through the third quarter.

One play after a touchback, Glennon was intercepted on a deep ball. Diggs returned it 18 yards to the Dallas 41. Zuerlein tacked on a 38 yard field goal to make it 27-13 Cowboys. The Giants after a touchback moved 73 yards in 10 plays. Yet on 4th and goal at the 2 early in the fourth quarter, Joe Judge decided to go for it. Glennon threw incomplete. The Cowboys took over at their own 2. Elliott ran for 10 and 2. Unnecessary roughness added 15 on the next play. Mike McCarthy then went to the bag of tricks. Prescott lateraled to Wilson, who threw the halfback option pass to Brown for 22 yards. On 3rd and 1 from their own 48, Prescott went to Wilson for 35. Elliott ran for a 13 yard touchdown to have the Cowboys winning a blowout 34-13 midway through the fourth quarter. 

The Giants moved 75 yards in 11 plays and faced 4th and goal at the 3. Glennon hit Booer for the touchdown. The Giants were within 34-20, but only 3:17 remained. The onside kick failed and Zuerlein hit a 31 yard field goal with 1:53 left to put the Cowboys up 37-20 and lock up the win. Glennon threw another interception for good measure that was returned 45 yards by Anthony Brown for a defensive touchdown exclamation point. The Giants lost more than the game and Jones. Saquon Barkley also hurt his ankle and left the game. The Cowboys remain very good and the Giants remain awful. 44-20 Cowboys

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs is the Sunday night game. The Chiefs knocked off the Bills in the AFC Title Game, and the Bills would have to go into Arrowhead if they wanted revenge. The Chiefs began with a mind-numbing 17 play drive that took 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. They only moved 56 yards. On 2nd and 7 from the Buffalo 14 after multiple 3rd down conversions, a false start was followed by a pair of Patrick Mahomes incompletions. Harrison Butker hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Chiefs. The Bills soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Josh Allen ran for 22 yards. Allen then went to Dawson Knox for 23 yards. Allen ran for another 11 yards and then for the 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bills. Byron Pringle fumbled away the ensuing kickoff, but the Bills did not capitalize. The Chiefs took over at their own 20. From their 30, Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 15. On 3rd and 5 from midfield, Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. Mahomes hit newly reinstated Josh Gordon for 11, McKinnon for 9, Tyreek Hill for 7 and Mecole Hardman for 8. Mahomes hit Pringle for a 5 yard touchdown as the 12 play, 80 yard, 8 minute drive had the Chiefs up 10-7 with 10 minutes left in the half. 

The Bills took soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 8, Zack Moss for 24, and Emanuel Sanders for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Bills midway through the second quarter. The Bills got it back and faced 3rd and 8 at their own 28. Allen went deep to Diggs for a 61 yard gain. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Chiefs 11, a run lost one yard and Allen threw incomplete twice. Tyler Bass hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 17-10 Bills with 3:16 minutes left in the half. Bass kicked the ensuing kickoff out of bounds. The Chiefs moved from their own 40 to a 4th and 5 at the Buffalo 32. Walrus Andy Reid went for it and Mahomes threw deep incomplete. The Bills had 1:50 to work with from their own 32. They needed only 34 seconds and 2 plays. Allen hit Moss for 15 and went deep to Knox for a 53 yard touchdown. 17 unanswered points had the Bills up 24-10 in front of a stunned home crowd at Arrowhead.

After a touchback, Mahomes had 1:16 to work with. He hit Hardman for 6 and ran for 9 himself. Mahomes went to Hardman for 20. Butker nailed a 54 yard field goal to end the half with the Chiefs trailing 24-13. The rain began to come down hard and the second half was delayed more than an hour by a lightning storm. After an exchange of punts, the Chiefs took over at their own 8. On 3rd and 5 from their own 24, a short pass from Mahomes to Hill bounced off Hill’s fingertips right into the arms of Micah Hyde, who returned it 26 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Bills led 31-13 midway through the third quarter. The Chiefs were in desperation mode when Andy Reid decided to go for it on 4th and 3 from their own 32. Mahomes fired to Hardman, who just dropped it. Yet the Chiefs were bailed out by a roughing the passer penalty. The Chiefs moved to a 1st and goal at the 8 and were ready to get right back in the game. Mahomes had his pass batted in the air and intercepted by big defensive lineman Rousseau to kill the drive. 

Yet the Bills did nothing with the turnover and went 3 and out. A short 35 yard punt had the Chiefs with excellent field position at their own 48. Mahomes hit Damien Williams for gains of 6 and 8 and Hardman for 5. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 15. a 5 yard completion to Hill had the Chiefs starting the fourth quarter facing 2nd and 5 from the Buffalo 10. On 3rd and inches from the Buffalo 5, Williams gained 4. Mahomes took the quick snap and threw a 2 handed shovel pass to Travis Kelce for the touchdown. With heavy rain coming down again, the Chiefs were within 31-20 barely more than one minute into the fourth quarter.

The Bills soon faced 3rd and 9 from their own 16. Allen somehow escaped the pressure and raced for a 10 yard gain. Yet offensive holding nullified it. On 3rd and 17 from their own 8, many coaches would just run the ball and punt Sean McDermott stayed aggressive. Allen threw a deep ball that was intercepted at the Chiefs 41. Yet this time it was a roughing the passer call that nullified the penalty and kept the Bills on the move. The Bills took their first timeout while facing 3rd and 4 from their own 40. Allen rolled out to his left and went for the sticks on a designed quarterback run. With a defender in the way, Allen hurdled the defender cleanly and got the 4 yards. A screen pass from Allen to Moss went for 16 yards. Allen then fired over the middle and had his pass slightly deflected but somehow still caught by Gabriel Davis for 16 more. Allen then took off on another deliberate quarterback draw up the middle for 12 more yards. Allen then fired to sanders for a 9 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 85 yard drive took 8 minutes off the clock and put the Bills up by 18 with only 6 minutes remaining.

The Chiefs moved quickly from their own 23to a 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 15. A shot gun snap was mishandled by Mahomes, who then bumped into his own offensive lineman trying to pick it up. The Bills eventually recovered the ball all the way at their own 35. With 3 1/2 minutes left, the Chiefs had finally turned the ball over one too many times. The Chiefs took their timeouts on defense and were out of timeouts with 3 minutes left. On 3rd and 2 from the Chiefs 45, Moss gained 3. Allen took 3 knees to end it. The Bills are 4-1. The 2 time defending AFC champion Chiefs are a surprising 2-3 at the bottom of the AFC West, making Andy Reid a most displeased Walrus indeed. 38-20 Bills

Indianapolis Colts at Baltimore Ravens was the Monday night game. The Ravens were expected at home to dispatch with the overmatched Colts without much difficulty. 2 minutes into the game, the Colts faced 3rd and 15 from their own 24. A perfectly executed screen pass from Carson Wentz to Jonathan Taylor 

saw Taylor follow a couple of perfect blocks, split the seams, and outrace everyone for a 76 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 16 and embarked on an 11 play, 76 yard drive that ate up over 7 1/2 minutes off the clock. The Colts were in total control. On 2nd and 6 from the Baltimore 15, Wentz was sacked and fumbled. Brandon Williams recovered it for the Ravens at their own 19. The first half was all defense until late when the Ravens moved from their own 15 to a 3rd and 4 at the Indianapolis 5 with 1:45 left. Lamar Jackson threw incomplete and slammed his helmet to the ground on the sideline. Justin Tucker hit a 23 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 7-3. After a touchback, 

Wentz used the last 96 seconds wisely. Rod Blankenship hit a 37 yard field goal as the Colts led 10-3 at the intermission. The Colts struck immediately in the third quarter. From his own 27, Wentz hit Zach Pascal for 31 yards and then went deep to Pittman for  42 yard touchdown. Blankenship missed the extra point but the Colts led 16-3. The Ravens took over at their own 9 and moved 88 yards in 13 plays and nearly 7 1/2 minutes. Yet on 1st and goal at the one, Jackson fumbled and the Colts recovered. From their own 19, the Colts moved again. Wentz hit Pittman for 21. Taylor ran for 15 and 13. Wentz hit Mo Alie-Cox for 24. Taylor ran for the 4 yard touchdown. Frank Reich went for 2. Wentz was intercepted but the Colts still led 22-3 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. The Colts were on their way to a big upset in a big way.

After a touchback, Jackson came alive in a big way. He hit Mark Andrews for 15, Williams for 7, and Hollywood Brown for a 43 yard touchdown. John Harbaugh went for 2 and Jackson got stopped. Yet the Ravens were within 22-9 after three quarters. The Colts from their own 20 kept the pressure on. Marlon Mack had gains of 8 and 22 and Wentz hit Alie-Cox for 18. On 3rd and 6 from the Baltimore 25, Wentz threw incomplete. Blankenship hit the 43 yard field goal to put the Colts comfortably in front 25-9 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Ravens got it back at their own 22. Jackson went to Andrews for 27, Andrews for 18, Brown for 7, Oliver for 6, Freeman for 15, and Andrews for the 5 yard touchdown. With 9 1/2 minutes left the Ravens had to go for 2. Jackson hit Andrews for the conversion to get the Ravens within 25-17.

The Colts kept the pressure on, moving from their own 20 to a 3rd and 8 at the Baltimore 15. Taylor got the carry and lost 4 yards. As the clock ticked down to 4 1/2 minutes, Blankenship came in for a 37 yard field goal that would all but lock up the win. The kick was blocked. The Ravens had life. From their own 25, Jackson hit Brown for 17 and Freeman for 10 and 5. Jackson hit Brown for 20 and Williams for 8 as the 2 minute warning came with the Ravens facing 2nd and 2 at the Colts 5. Jackson gained 4 to set up 1st and goal at the one and then lost 3. On 2nd and goal from the 4, Jackson went to Johnson for the touchdown. The ravens still needed the 2 point conversion to tie the game. Jackson hit Andrews and the game was knotted up 25-25 with 45 seconds left.

After a touchback, the Colts still had 39 seconds and 2 timeouts. Wentz went to Campbell for 23. On 2nd and 20 from his own 38, Wentz hit Zach Pascal for only 2 yards. Yet a mindless defensive unnecessary roughness penalty on Young added 15 more yards. Only 13 seconds remained. Wentz hit Pascal for 15 as the Colts took their second timeout with 6 seconds left. Wentz took a knee to center the ball as the Colts took their last timeout with 4 seconds left. Blankenship came in for a 47 yard try to win it. The kick was no good. The Ravens won the COIN toss in overtime and never looked back.

The Ravens began the extra session from their own 32. Jackson hit Andrews for 14, Proche for 4, Brown for 11 and Oliver for 6. Halfway through the extra session, Jackson hit Brown for a 5 yard touchdown. Frank Reich has the greatest comeback in NFL history, trailing by 32 points in the third quarter of a playoff game to come back and win in overtime. This time Reich was on the losing side of a spectacular comeback. Both quarterbacks were magnificent. Wentz was 25 of 35 for 402 yards and 2 touchdowns. Problems in the kicking game when it mattered were not on Wentz. Jackson was a ridiculous 37 of 43 for 442 yards and 4 touchdowns, with all of them coming after nearly thee quarters had been played. Neither quarterback was intercepted. It was bitter loss for the Colts, who at 1-4 need another miraculous Reich comeback to give us a playoff rematch. As for the Ravens, it was another heart-stopping game decided on the final play, this time in their favor. 31-25 Ravens

NFL 2021 Week 5 Prequel

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/2021-week-5-preview-and-bettors-guide-a-silly-nfl-season-140587/

NFL 2021 Week 4 Recap

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals was the Thursday night game. Last week the Bengals went into Pittsburgh and hit them in the mouth. There was a concern of a letdown after that emotional road win. The Jaguars may be the worst team in the league. This was supposed to be easy for the Bengals. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” The Bengals moved from their own 9 to a 3rd and 8 at the Jacksonville 25. A 13 yard completion was nullified by offensive pass interference. A 43 yard field goal try was no good. The Jaguars took over at their own 33. Agnew gained 11Trevor Lawrence went to Austin for 8 and then ran for 11 himself. James Robinson ran for 12. Lawrence hit Arnold for 17. Robinson ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. 

In the second quarter from their own 20, Lawrence hit Arnold for 12. On 3rd and 2 from his own 40, Lawrence gained 5. Lawrence hit Jones for 10 and Robinson gained 20.  On 3rd and 2 from the Cincinnati 17, Lawrence gained 3. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincy 7, Lawrence ran it in to cap the 12 play, 80 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 14-0 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back at their own 38 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. lawrence went deep to Shenault for a 52 yard gain. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Lawrence hit Shenault for 7. With one minute left in the half, Urban Meyer decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. The Jaguars were one yard from a 21-0 lead. They didn’t get it as Lawrence got stopped. The Bengals were dominated the entire first half but were still alive.

The Bengals began the third quarter at their own 31 and quickly got back in the game. Joe Burrow went deep to Jamarr Chase for 44 yards. Burrow then went to CJ Uzomah for a 22 yard touchdown to get the Bengals within 14-7. The Bengals got it back at their own 14. Joe Nixon ran for 9 and 4. Burrow then hit Irwin for 25 and Boyd for 12. Mixon ran for 11 and 5. On 3rd and 4 from the Jacksonville 19, Burrow went to Boyd for 11. Mixon ran for  7. On 3rd and goal at the one, Mixon got in. The 12 play, 85 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the game tied 14-14 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter.

The Jaguars did not fold so quickly. On 2nd and 6 from their own 27, Lawrence went deep to Agnew for 27. on 3rd and 2 from the Cincinnati 38, Lawrence threw incomplete. Rather than try a 56 yard field goal, Urban Meyer decided to go for it. On 4th and 2, Lawrence hit Shenault for 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Cincy 26, Lawrence hit Shenault for 20. The fourth quarter began with the Jaguars facing 2nd and goal at the 8. Lawrence was sacked for a 10 yard loss but defensive holding instead meant 1st and goal at the 4. Robinson ran it in to put the Jaguars back on top 21-14 only 30 seconds into the fourth quarter to cap the 11 play, 77 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. 

After a touchback, the Bengals soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 41. Burrow hit Boyd for 8 and Chase for 12 and 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Jags 31, Burrow went to Uzomah for the touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive tied the game 21-21 with 9 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, the Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 4 at midfield. With 6 minutes left, Lawrence threw incomplete and the Jaguars punted. The Bengals from their own 10 milked the entire 5 1/2 minutes off the clock. Burrow hit Boyd for 12. On 3rd and 1 from their own 31, Burrow was sacked but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 1st and 15 from his own 31, Burrow hit Perine for just enough. With 1:09 left on 2nd and 13 from the Jacksonville 46, Burrow hit Uzomah for 25. With 4 seconds left, McPherson came in 35 yard field goal try to win it. Atoning for his earlier miss, this time McPherson was good. The Jaguars were game, but did not finish off the Bengals when they had the chance. Good teams find ways to win and bad teams find ways to lose. 24-21 Bengals

Tennessee Titans at New York Jets — The Titans dominated the winless Jets early on but could not reach the end zone. Randy Bullock hit field goals of 44 in the first quarter and from 46 and 36 in the second quarter for a 9-0 Titans lead. The last field goal was set up by an interception of Zach Wilson. The Jets finally got going on 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Wilson hit Davis for 13 and again for 30. On 3rd and 4 from the Tennessee 26, Wilson hit Johnson for 6. McCarter ran for 6 and then for the 2 yard touchdown as the Jets only trailed 9-7 at the half. Late in the third quarter the jets moved from their own 13 to a 3rd and 5 at the Tennessee 9. Wilson threw incomplete but Matt Amendola hit a 27 yard field goal. After three quarters the Jets had the shocking 10-9 lead. After three quarters of smashmouth, the game heated up significantly in the fourth quarter.

After a touchback, Ryan Tannehill hit Pruitt for 14 to start the fourth quarter. Derrick Henry ripped off gains of 18 and 9. McNichols gained 11. Henry gained 22 and then got the one yard touchdown. Mike Vrabel went for the 2 point conversion and Tannehill hit Pruitt to make it 17-10 Titans. From their own 23, the Jets responded quickly. Defensive pass interference on a deep incompletion meant a 43 yard gain. Wilson then hit Crowder for 29 yards. Wilson hit Jamison Crowder for the touchdown to tie the game 17-17. The Jets got it back at their own 47 and needed only one play and 10 seconds to take the lead. Wilson went to Corey Davis for a 53 yard touchdown to make it 24-17 Jets with 9 minutes left in regulation. The Titans moved from their own 35 to a 4th and 4 at the Jets 20 after an incompletion. Mike Vrabel went for it with 3:45 left and Tannehill threw incomplete again. With 2:09 to play, the Titans got it back at their own 26. 

With 1:49 to play after a pair of incompletions, the Titans were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 10 at their own 26. Tannehill threw incomplete again but defensive pass interference meant a 22 yard gain and new life. These are the Jets. Tannehill hit McNichols for 15 and Reynolds for 12 and 11 as the Jets took their last timeout on defense with 1:11 left. Tannehill hit Batson for a 2 yard touchdown with 16 seconds left in regulation to tie the game. These are the Jets. If ever a game did not deserve overtime, this was it. The Jets in overtime soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Coleman gained 2. On 3rd and 2 from their own 44, Wilson went to Keelan Cole for 29 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Titans 20, Wilson hit Crowder for 11. Wilson then hit Coleman for 8. Halfway through overtime, the Jets faced 3rd and goal at the one. A touchdown would end the game. One yard would give the Jets their first win. Rather than play smashmouth, an end around by Wilson was blown up for a 4 yard loss. Ammendola hit the 22 yard field goal to give the Jets the lead, but the Titans would get the ball. These are the Jets. 

The Titans soon faced 3rd and 21 from their own 14. Tannehill hit Rogers for 20. On 4th and 1 from their own 34, Henry gained 13. These are the Jets. On 3rd and 11 from their own 46, Tannehill hit Rogers for 9. On 4th and 2 from the Jets 45, Henry got banged before the marker but fell forward for the necessary 2 yards. These are the Jets. With less than 30 seconds remaining in overtime, the Titans after an incompletion faced 3rd and 5 from the Jets 26. A delay of game meant 3rd and 10. Then Tannehill threw incomplete. Bullock came in for a 49 yard field goal try. The Jets would not lose this game, and a made field goal would mean a tie. The kick was no good! Bullock hit it wide. Robert Saleh became the first Muslim to win an NFL game as a head coach. The Jets will not be 0-17. Put away those “Just End The Season” signs for now. They are a jersey juggernaut. 27-24 Jets

Kansas City Chiefs at Philadelphia Eagles — The Walrus Bowl commenced as Andy Reid took on the team dumb enough to fire him. Reid’s Chiefs were a surprising 1-2 but were expected to roll over the Eagles. After a touchback to start, Jalen Hurts hit Zac Ertz for 13, Smith for 22 and Dallas Goedert for 21. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the Kansas City 16, Hurts only gained 5. Jake Elliott hit the 29 yard field goal  to make it 3-0 Eagles. The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 32. The defense jumped offside. Patrick Mahomes then hit Carl Edwards-Helaire for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 42, Burton gained 5. Mahomes then found Tyreek Hill, who turned on the afterburner and broke the plane of the goal for a 37 yard touchdown and a 7-3 Chiefs lead.

The Eagles got it back at their own1 6. Gainwell gained 11 and Reagor added 12. Hurts hit Watkins for 12 and Sanders for 10. On 3rd and 7 from the Chiefs 25, Hurts hit Ertz for only 5. Kevin Siriani went for it and Hurts hit Gainwell for 12. Offensive holding on the next play set up 1st and goal at the 18. Hurts hit Gainwell for 15 and Goedert for the 3 yard touchdown to put the Eagles back in front 10-7. The Chiefs took over at their own 17. A sack of Mahomes was nullified by illegal contact on the defense. Consecutive offensive penalties had the Chiefs facing 3rd and 12 from their own 24. Mahoems scrambled and got just enough. Mahomes went to Mecole Hardman for 9 and Byron Pringle for 19. On 1st and 20 from the Philly 42, Mahomes went deep to Hill for 32 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Mahomes hit Hill for the touchdown to culminate the 12 play, 83 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive and make it 14-10 Chiefs in the second quarter.

The Eagles after a touchback moved 68 yards in 13 plays and 6 minutes. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 3, the Eagles could not finish. A pair of incompletions by Hurts were sandwiched around a run that lost 4 yards. Elliott hit the 25 yard field goal to get the Eagles within 14-13, but 3 1/2 minutes remained in the half. After a touchback, that was plenty of time for the Chiefs offense. Surprisingly, Andy Reid did it on the ground. Carl Edwards-Helaire ran for 15. Hardman gained 24. Edwards-Helaure ran for 17 more. On 2nd and 10 from the Philly 15, Mahomes hit Damien Williams for 9 and roughing the passer adding 3 more yards and a 1st and goal from the 3. Mahoems hit Fortson for a 2 yard touchdown to put the Chiefs up 21-13 at the intermission.

The Chiefs early in the third quarter saw Mahomes under heavy pressure throw an interception to give the Eagles a short field just past midfield. Yet after reaching 1st and goal at the 7, ineptitude took over. A delay of game penalty had the Eagles trying a 24 yard field goal. The kick was good, but the defense jumped offside. 4th and goal from the 6 was now 4th and goal at the 3. Ken Siriani decided to go for it. Hurts hit Ertz for the touchdown but offensive pass interference for a pick play nullified the score. Elliott was good again from 31 as the Eagles were within 21-16. Yet field goals were not going to beat Kansas City.  

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 2 from their own 33. Mahomes hit travis Kelce for 3 and Hill for 14 to midfield. Williams ran for 9 and 3, caught a pass for 7, and ran for 10. Mahomes then hit Kelce for 10 and Edwards-Helaire added 10 more. Williams got the last yard as the Chiefs led 28-16 with less than one minute left in the third quarter. Reagor returned the ensuing kickoff 44 yards to his own 48. Hurts hit Goedert for 4 and 14 as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with defensive unnecessary roughness. On 3rd and goal from the 7, Kenneth Gainwellran it in. With 12:42 to play, the Eagles were within 28-23.

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 1 fro their own 34, Williams gained 2. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, the defense entered the neutral zone. On 3rd and 1, Mahomes hit Hill for 5. Mahomes ran for 12 and Edwards-Helaire added runs of 9 and 16. Mahomes then hit Hill for the 12 yard touchdown to make it 35-23 Chiefs with 6:44 to play. The Eagles after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 34. Hurts went deep with 5 1/2 minutes left and Smith caught it for the touchdown. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Smith briefly stepped out of bounds before reentering the field and catching the ball. Instead of a score, it was an incompletion. On 3rd and 11, Hurts threw incomplete. With 4 1/2 minutes left on 4th and 11, Hurts threw incomplete again. 

The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 4 from their own 41. Mahomes hit Hill for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Philly 44 and the Eagles out of timeouts, a defensive stop was necessary for the Eagles to have a chance. Instead. Mahomes went to Hill for the touchdown with 2 1/2 minutes left to put the game on ice. The Chiefs led 42-23. A garbage touchdown at the end of the game completed the scoring. Hurts was very good, going 32 of 48 for 387 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Mahomes was ridiculous, going 24 of 30 for 278 yards, 5 touchdown passes and one interception. Andy Reid is 3-0 against the team that fired him. He is also the first NFL coach to win 100 games with two different franchises, making him a most happy Walrus indeed. 42-30 Chiefs

Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys — The Cowboys took over at their own 30 on their second drive and Ezekiel Elliott gained 19. On 1st and 20 from their own 39 after offensive pass interference, Dak Prescott scrambled and got the 20 yards. Elliott had gains of 8 and 7 sandwiched around an 18 yard completion from Prescott to Schultz. On 3rd and goal at the one, Elliott got in to make it 7-0 Cowboys. After a touchback Hubbard gashed the Dallas defense for gains of 14 and 13. Sam Darnold hit DJ Moore for 9 and again for 29. On 3rd and goal at the one, Darnold got in for a 7-7 ballgame.  

After a touchback, Prescott hit Schultz for 12. On 3rd and 1 from their own 46, Tony Pollard got stopped for no gain. Mike McCarthy opted to go for it. On 4th and 1, Prescott got around the end for a 21 yard gain. The second quarter began with the Cowboys at the Carolina 32. Prescott hit Amari Cooper for 14 and Brad Jarwin for the 18 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Cowboys led 13-7. The Panthers soon faced 3rd and 12 at their own 23. Darnold threw incomplete but a defensive facemask penalty kept the drive going. On 3rd and 11 from their own 35, Darnold ran for 14. Darnold hit Robby Anderson for 6, Moore for 5 and Smith for 17. Darnold ran for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 14-13 Panthers midway through the second quarter. 

Early in the third quarter zane Gonzalez came in for a 54 yard field goal try to extend the lead. The kick was no good and the Cowboys quickly moved from their own 44. Elliott gained 11, 5 and 5. Prescott then went deep to Amari Cooper for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 20-14 Cowboys. The Cowboys got the ball back at their own 34 and again moved quickly. Elliott broke free for a 47 yard gain. On the next play Prescott hit Schultz for a 6 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Cowboys led 26-14 midway through the third quarter. An interception of Darnold gave the Cowboys a short field at the Carolina 37. Prescott hit Cedric wilson for a 23 yard touchdown to make it 33-14 Cowboys. Another interception of Darnold meant another short field for the Cowboys at the Carolina 29. On 3rd and 1 from the 20, Elliott got stopped. The fourth quarter began with Mike McCarthy playing it safe. Greg Zuerlein hit the 37 yard field goal as 23 unanswered points had the Cowboys up 36-14.

The Panthers soon faced 4th and 1 from their own3 4 and had to go for it. A stop would end the game. Freeman gained 2 and the Panthers took their last timeout with 12 minutes left. Defensive unnecessary roughness on the next play added 15 yards. Darnold hit Hubbard for 11, Smith for 4 and 7, Anderson for 13, Zylstra for 8 and Moore for a 6 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left the Panthers were within 36-21. The Panthers got it back at their own 20 and with 5 minutes left faced 4th and 8 from their own 32. A short completion from Darnold to Zylstra went for a 55 yard gain. Darnold went to Moore for an 8 yard touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left the Panthers were back within 8 points. The Cowboys took over at their own 19. Pollard ran for 18 and Elliott added 8. At the 2 minute warning, everything came down to 3rd and 1 at the Carolina 41. Pollard gained 5 and Prescott took a pair of knees to end it. The Panthers lost for the first time. Prescott was only 14 of 22 for 188 yards, but he had 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. The Cowboys gashed Carolina for 245 rushing yards, with Elliott leading the way with 143 yards on 20 carries. 36-28 Cowboys. 

New York Giants at New Orleans Saints — The Saints had a difficult time with the winless Giants. The Saints turned it over on downs, the Giants missed a field goal, and the Saints missed a field goal. After 21 minutes of hideous football, one play got the Giants on the board. Daniel Jones throws a gorgeous deep ball and he found John Ross for a 52 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Giants. The Saints soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Alvin Kamara gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from their own 44, Jameis Winston hit Johnson for 5. On 3rd and 9 from the Giants 35, Winston went to Montgomery for 19. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 15, Winston went to Johnson for the touchdown with 23 seconds left in the half and the game deadlocked 7-7.

 On the first play of the third quarter after a touchback, Winston went deep to Callaway for a 58 yard gain. Two plays later Hill ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Saints. The Giants came back 70 yards in 10 plays and nearly 5 minutes, but on 2nd and goal at the 2, a run by Evan Engram lost 3 yards. Jones then threw incomplete. Graham Gano hit the 23 yard field goal to get the Giants within 14-10. Winston was then intercepted, but the Giants could not capitalize. The Saints got it back at their own 37. Winston hit Hill for 15. Kamara had a pair of 9 yard gains as the Saints began the fourth quarter after a false start facing 2nd and 6 from the Giants 23. On 3rd and 2 from the 19, Taysom Hill came in and gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 8, Sean Payton brought Hill in again, and Hill ran for the touchdown to make it 21-10 Saints with 12 minutes left in regulation.

A 26 yard punt return gave the Giants the ball at their own 46 midway through the fourth quarter. Jones went deep to Saquon Barkley for a 54 yard touchdown. Joe Judge went for the 2 point conversion and Jones ran it in to get the Giants within 21-18. The Giants got the ball back with 3 minutes left at their own 11 with 2 timeouts and the 2 minute warning. Jones hit Engram for 8 and Toney for 5. With one minute left on 3rd and 7 from their own 38, Jones hit Kenny Golladay for 28 as the Giants took their second timeout with 48 seconds left. On 3rd and 10, Barkley gained only 4. With 30 seconds left, Graham Gano came in for a 48 yard field goal to tie the game. The kick was good and the game was tied 21-21. 

The Giants got the ball in overtime after a touchback. Jones went to Ross for 17 and 8. On 2nd and 14 from their wn 48, Jones hit Barkley for 18. On 3rd and 5 from the Saints 29, Jones hit Golladay for 23. Halfway through overtime, Barkley ran it in for the 6 yard touchdown. to end the game. The Saints would never see the ball in overtime. 17 unanswered points meant a shocking upset, ruining the first game back at the Louisiana Superdome since Hurricane Ida. The Giants won their first game of the year. 27-21 Giants, OT

 

Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings — To start the game after a touchback, kirk Cousins hit Justin Jefferson for 9 and Dalvin Cook gained 11. On 3rd and 7 just shy of midfield, Cousins hit Jefferson for 11 and Adam Thielen for 22. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 10, Cook only gained one. Mike Zimmer went for it and on 4th and 1, Ham got the yard. On 3rd and goal from the 12, Cousins hit Jefferson over the middle for the touchdown. The 14 play, 75 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive made it 7-0 Vikings. The Vikings would face 4th and 6 at the Cleveland 36. Mike Zimmer went for it but Cousins threw incomplete. The Browns were shut out for over 28 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from their own 45, Karim Hunt gained 2. Mayfield hit Felton for 9 and Hunt for 8. On 3rd and 8 from the Minnesota 29, Mayfield hit Hunt for 9. The final 2 minutes of the half were chaos. 

On 3rd and goal at the 3, Nick Chubb only gained one. Kevin Stefanski went for it. On 4th and goal from the 2, Mayfield threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the one. On 3rd and goal from the one, Hunt got in. The defense had 12 men on the field, so a 2 point conversion try put the ball on the one instead of the two. Stefanski went for it and Mayfield hit Janovich. With 1:15 left in the half, the Browns led 8-7. The mind-numbing 18 play, 64 yard drive took 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. The Vikings went 3 and out and the Browns took a pair of timeouts on defense. With 35 seconds left in the half the Browns faced 3rd and 20 from their own 26. A give up run by Hunt went for 33 yards. Chase McLaughlin hit a 48 yard field goal to end the half with the Browns up 11-7. The defenses dominated the second half. With 6 minutes left in regulation, McLaughlin hit a 53 yard field goal to put the Browns up by 7. One play after a touchback, Cousins was intercepted. The Vikings last chance came on 4th and 3 from their own 33 with 90 seconds left. Cousins was threw incomplete as the Dawg Pound reveled in the ugly defensive win. 14-7 Browns

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears — Andy Dalton is out with a bad knee so Justin Fields gets to start again. The Lions are recovering from the shellshocked of losing last week on an NFL record 66 yard field goal. Early on after a touchback to start the game, Matt Nagy gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 47. David Montgomery gained 9. Fields then went deep to Mooney for 21. Williams gained 4 and 10 and Montgomery ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears and cap the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive. The Lions moved from their own 27 to a 1st and goal at the 8. Out of the shotgun, Jared Goff fumbled the snap and the Bears recovered. On 2nd and 11 from their own 10, Fields went deep to Mooney for a 64 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 20, Fields ran for 11. On the first play of the second quarter, Montgomery ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Bears. 

The Lions after a touchback moved to a 4th and goal at the 5. Rookie head coach Dan Campbell went for it and Goff threw incomplete. This act of desperation would haunt the Lions later on. The Lions got it back at their own 45 and moved to a 3rd and goal at the 3. Goff was sacked by Robert Quinn and fumbled. Khalil Mack recovered it and ran another 12 yards. For the third time in the half the Lions drove down deep and came up empty. Fields was then intercepted but the Lions did not capitalize. Early in the third quarter the Bears moved 77 yards easily. Mooney gained 10. Fields hit Alan Robinson for 28 and Mooney for 32. Williams ran for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Bears.

A penalty on a punt return had the Lions getting the ball back with a short field at the Chicago 44. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Goff hit Raymond for the touchdown to finally get the Lions on the board. After a touchback, Montgomery ran for 24 and Fields hit Robinson for 27 more. Cairo santos hit a 33 yard field gal to have the Bears comfortably ahead 24-7 after three quarters. The Lions did reach the end zone again with 11 minutes left in regulation, but nothing more. with 4:15 to play and facing 4th and 1 from the Chicago 8, Goff threw incomplete. 4 times the Lions drove deep and 4 times they came up empty to remain winless. Meanwhile, Matt Nagy will be allowed to kepis job for another week. 24-14 Bears  

Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills  — With heavy rain coming down, miscues began the game. Josh Allen was intercepted, but the Texans turned it over on downs. David Mills was then intercepted to give the Bills the ball at their own 31. Singletary ran for 4, caught  pass from Allen for 7, and ran for 3 more. On 3rd and 2 from midfield, Gilliam only gained one. Sean McDermott decided to go for it and on 4th and 1, Allen got around the end and gained 16. On 3rd and 2 from the Houston 25, Allen went to Dawson Knox for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. The Texans punted on 4th and 21 from their own 8, giving the Bills the ball back at midfield to start the second quarter. 

Allen hit Stefan Diggs for 31. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the Houston 15, Allen threw incomplete. Early in the second quarter, Tyler bass hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Bills. The Bills got it back with another short field just past midfield. Miss gained 17 and the Bills moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Houston 3. Moss tried the end around and lost 5 yards. Bass hit from 26 to make it 13-0 Bills. The Bills got it back and soon faced 4th and 3 at the Houston 40. Sean McDermott went for it but Allen threw incomplete. Yet the Texans self-destructed. On 1st and 25 from their own 25, Mills was intercepted. Despite yet another short field from the Houston 43, the drive died near the goal line. On 3rd and goal from the 2, Allen threw incomplete. McDermott again opted for the field goal and Bass hit from 21 to make it 16-0 Bills. The Texans were a mess, finishing with only 4 total rushing yards in the first half. The third quarter was more of the same. The Bills moved from their own 25 to a 1st and goal at the 10. Yet on 3rd and goal Allen threw incomplete. Bass hit his fourth field goal from 28 to make it 19-0 Bills.  

The rain poured down and the Bills poured it on. An 11 play, 84 yard, 7 minute drive in the fourth quarter ended with Allen hitting Alie-Cox for a one yard touchdown to make it 26-0 Bills. A Texans fumble put Buffalo on the Houston 27. Zack Moss ran for a 4 yard touchdown and a 33-0 Bills lead. Mills was intercepted. Allen went to the bench and mitchell Trubisky was given some map up work in relief. Trubisky moved the Bills 53 yards and ran for a 4 yard touchdown to complete the blowout shutout. Mills ended the game by throwing his fourth interception. 40-0 Bills

Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins — The Dolphins sought to forget about their heartbreaking overtime loss against the Raiders with a home stand against the winless Colts. Early on the Colts fumbled a punt and the Dolphins had a short field at the Colts 27. Jacoby Brissett got the start against his old team. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Indy 20, Brissett threw incomplete. Sanders hit the 38 yard field goal to mark it 3-0 Dolphins. The defenses took over after that. Midway through the second quarter the Colts faced 3rd and 9 from their own 21. Carson Wentz hit Campbell for 12. The Colts punted on 4th and 3 from their own 40, but the defense jumped offside. The killer mistake was followed by Wentz going deep to Mo Alie-Cox for 28. Taylor then ran for a 23 yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 80 yard, 5 minute drive and put the Colts up 7-3 with under 3 minutes left in the half. 

The Colts went right to work in the third quarter from their own 16. Taylor got around the end for a 38 yard gain. Went hit Dulin for 17 more. On 3rd and 11 from the Miami 14, the defense entered the neutral zone. On 3rd and 6, Wentz hit Pittman for 8. On 3rd and goal from the 3, Wentz hit Alie-Cox for the score. The 11 play, 84 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive made it 14-3 Colts. The Indianapolis defense shut down the Miami offense for long stretches. Rodgrigo Blankenship hit a 34 yard field goal at the end of the third quarter and a 43 yarder set up by a Miami fumble early in the fourth quarter. The Colts led 20-3. 

The Dolphins moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and goal at the one. Brissett got stopped and so did Brown. Needing 3 scores, Brian Flores went for it. On 4th and goal from the one, Brissett hit Mike Gesicki for the touchdown. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Dolphins were within 20-10. The kickoff was kicked out of bounds to set up the Colts at their own 40. Wentz went deep to Zach Pascal for 41 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 13, Wentz was sacked but a defensive facemask meant 1st and goal at the 6. On 3rd and goal from the 11, Wentz hit Alie-Cox for the touchdown to make it 27-10 Colts with 6:15 to play. The Dolphins after a touchback faced 4th and 2 from the Miami 3 with 4 1/2 minutes left. Brissett hit DeVante Parker for the touchdown, but the Dolphins would not get the ball back. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Wentz went to Jacob Doyle for 24. On 3rd and 14 from the Miami 34, Wentz hit Pittman for 20 as the Colts ran out the clock to get their first win of the year. 27-17 Colts 

Washington Confusion at Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons began with a 15 play, 68 yard, 8 minute drive. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 9, a run gained only 2 yards and Matt Ryan threw incomplete twice. Younghoe Koo hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Falcons. Early in the second quarter, the No-Names faced 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 36. Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it and out of the shotgun, Gibson gained nothing. Willie Gallman gained 10 and on 1st and 15 from his own 46, Ryan hit Hurst for 12. On the next play Ryan went deep to Cordarelle Patterson for a 42 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Falcons.

The No-Names soon faced 2nd and 7 from their own 26. Taylor Heinicke hit Brown for 19 and Terry McLaurin for 21. On 3rd and 8 from the Atlanta 33, Henicki went deep to McLaurin for a 33 yard touchdown to get the Confusion within 10-7. The No-Names got the ball back at their own 37. Heinicke ran for 8 and Antonio Gibson had a pair of 6 yard gains. Heinicke hit Seals-Jones for 16 and ran for 20. Gibson ran for the 2 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the No-Names led 13-10.

The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Ryan threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Washington 40, Ryan went to Calvin Ridley for 8. On 3rd and 13 from the Washington 35 with 30 seconds left in the half, Ryan hit Ridley for 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Washington 12 with 19 seconds left in the half, Ryan went to Patterson for the touchdown as the Falcons took a 17-13 lead to the locker rooms. The No-Names were back on top 13 seconds into the third quarter when DeAndre Carter returned the second half kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. Dustin Hopkins missed his 2nd extra point of the game as the Confusion led 19-17.

The Falcons took over at their own 32. Ryan hit Zaccheaus for 15. Defensive pass interference on the next play added 27 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 18, Ryan hit Hurst for 7. On 3rd and 13 from the Washington 14, Ryan hit Patterson for the touchdown. The 2 point conversion failed but the Falcons led 23-19. After a touchback the No-Names moved 73 yards in 14 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 5 from the Atlanta 39, Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it and Heinicke hit Samuel for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Heinicke threw incomplete. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, this time Rivera decided not to gamble. Hopkins hit the 21 yard field goal to get the Confusion within 23-22. 

The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 20. Ryan went to Pitts for 14. On 3rd and 1 from their own 43. Ryan hit Ridley for 7 to midfield. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 42, Ryan threw incomplete. Arthur Smith went for it and Ryan was sacked. Yet roughing the passer meant a 15 yard gain. Patterson gained 13 and 5. The fourth quarter began with the Falcons facing 3rd and 3 at the Washington 7. Ryan hit Mike Davis for the touchdown and the 30-22 Falcons lead. 

The No-Names took over at their own 30 after an exchange of punts. On 2nd and 14, Heinicke threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact kept the drive going. Heinicke then hit Patterson for 11 and ran for 10 himself. On 2nd and 16 just shy of midfield, Heinicke hit Terry McLaurin for 28. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 27, Heinicke hit JD McKissic for 10 and McLaurin for the 17 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try to tie the game failed but the No-Names were within 30-28 with 4 minutes left. The Falcons went 3 and out and the Confusion took over at their own 24 with 1:43 to play. Heinicke went deep to Carter for 24 and Humphries for 19. On 3rd and 7 from the Atlanta 30, the Atlanta defense had a complete breakdown as Heinicke went to McKissic for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the 5th lead change of the game had the No-Names of by 4 points with 33 seconds left. After a touchback, Ryan hit Ridley for 21 and ran for 17. With one second left, Ryan had one Hail Mary chance from the Washington 37. It was well defended and knocked incomplete. 34-30 Confusion 

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers — Early on the 49ers took over at their own 29. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Kyle Juszczyk for 9, George Kittle for 8, Deebo Samuel for 21, Mohammed San for 9, Kittle for 18, and Ross Dwelley for 21. Garoppolo’s passing clinic had the 49ers up 7-0. After that the Seattle defense clamped down. The 49ers faced 3rd and 3 from their own 36, and Garoppolo was intercepted. The 49ers got it back and moved from their own 9 to a 4th and 8 at the Seattle 23. Yet Robbie Gould was injured before the game started, so all kicking duties were handled by punter Wishnowsky. His first NFL field goal try from 41 yards out was no good. 

In the second quarter the Seattle offense finally got going. From his own 20, Russell Wilson hit Alex Collins for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 43, Wilson hit DK Metcalf for another 28. Wilson went to Metcalf again for a 12 yard touchdown. Despite being blanked for 28 minutes, with 1:54 left in the half the Seahawks tied the game 7-7. In the third quarter after a few punts the Seahawks took over at their own 34. Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for 19. Chris Carson ran for 6 and 8. Wilson hit Metcalf for 9. Wilson ran for a 60 yard touchdown to put the Seahawks up 14-7 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The 49ers fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Seahawks recovered at the Frisco 14. Two plays later Wilson threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Freddie Swain to make it 21-7 Seahawks.

The 49ers took over at their own 11 without Garoppolo. He stayed in the locker room with an injured leg. Trey Lance played the second half. On 3rd and 1 from their own 20, Lance gained 4. On the next play Lance went to Samuel for a 76 yard touchdown. Wishnowsky missed the extra point as the 49ers trailed 21-13 after three quarters. The Seaahwks took over at their own 19. Wilson went to Metcalf for 16 and Collins for 6. Collins then ran for 6 and 4. On 3rd and 6 just past midfield to start the fourth quarter, the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 1, Carson gained 3. On 3rd and 10 from the Frisco 41, defensive pass interference meant a 23 yard gain. Collins ran for 4 and then for the 14 yard touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Seahawks had the 28-13 lead.

The 49ers got the ball 3 more times. The first time they punted. Then they moved from their own 20 to a 4th and 2 at their own 48. Kyle Shanahan went for it and Samuel got stopped after a one yard gain. With 4 1/2 minutes left and needing 2 scores, the 49ers took over at their own 20. They moved 80 yards in 13 plays. On 4th and 6 from the Seattle 28, Lance hit Sanu for 7. On 4th and 10 from the Seattle 21, Lance scrambled for 13 yards. Lance hit Samuel for an 8 yard touchdown to get the 49ers within 7 points. The Seattle defense failed to close out the game for Pete Carroll, but his good hands team on special teams did. The onside kick failed as Seattle got the tough road win. 28-21 Seahawks

Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams — Both teams came in 3-0, but it was the Rams who were seen as the Super Bowl contender and the Cardinals as second tier. The Rams moved from their own 25 to a 2nd and 5 at the Arizona 23. Matthew Stafford threw incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit the 42 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Rams. The Rams got it back but Stafford was intercepted on a deep ball. The Cardinals took over at their own 13. Edmonds ran for 19. Kyler Murray hit Williams for 8. On 2nd and 12 from their own 30, Murray went to Deandre Hopkins for 25. On 3rd and 6 from the Rams 41, Murray went to AJ Green for the touchdown and the 7-3 Cardinals lead. After a touchback, Darrell Henderson gained 15. On 3rd and 1 just shy of midfield, Stafford gained 2. Henderson gained 9 and 15 and Sony Michel added runs of 9 and 2. Stafford hit Van Jefferson for a 14 yard touchdown as the Rams led 10-7 after the first quarter. 

The Cardinals began the second quarter facing 3rd and 4 at their own 31. James Conner gained 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Rams 37, Murray hit Edmonds for 7. On 2nd and 13 from the Rams 14, Murray hit Maxx Williams for the touchdown and the 14-10 Cardinals lead. One play after a touchback Michel fumbled and Buddha Baker recovered for the Cardinals at the Rams 21. On 3rd and 16 from the Rams 27, Murray scrambled for 18. Conner ran for 8 and then for the one yard touchdown as the Cardinals had the surprising 21-10 lead. The Rams did move from their own 48 to a 2nd and goal at the 4, but Stafford threw incomplete twice. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the half, Gay hit from 22 to get the Rams within 21-13. After that the Arizona defense turned out the lights. 

A staggering 17 plays moved the Cardinals 70 yards. With 20 seconds left in the half the Cardinals had 1st and goal at the 5. Conner got stopped and Murray threw incomplete twice. Matt Prater hit the 23 yard field goal to put the Cardinals up 24-13 at the break. The Cardinals continued in the third quarter after a touchback, moving to a 1st and 10 at the Rams 35. On 3rd and 9, Murray was sacked for a 3 yard loss. Prater leveled a 55 yard field goal to put the Cardinals up 27-13. After a touchback the Rams moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Arizona 27. Stafford threw incomplete. Gay’s 46 yard field goal try was no good. The Cardinals took over at their own 36. On 3rd and 2 from the Rams 45, Murray hit AJ Green for 12 and Williams for 25. On 3rd and goal from the one, Conner got in to have the Cardinals winning a blowout 34-13. 

In the fourth quarter in desperation mode, the Rams moved 73 yards to a 3rd and goal at the one. Stafford took the quarterback sneak and got stopped. On 4th and goal at the one, Stafford threw incomplete. The Cardinals then broke the back of the Rams defense with a 12 play, 94 yard, 8 1/2 minute drive. They settled for a field goal, but led 37-13. The Rams got a garbage touchdown but nothing else. Sean McVay’s squad was trounced because the Cardinals hit the Rams in the mouth. The Cardinals are 4-0. They are for real. 37-20 Cardinals

Pittsburgh Steelers at Green Bay Packers — 13 years ago, Aaron Rodgers bested Ben Roethlisberger in the Super Bowl. Big Ben had already won the big game twice, while neither quarterback has been back to the Super Bowl since. Mike Tomlin is still coaching the Steelers, in his 15th season. The Steelers started out hot in this game. After a touchback, Najee Harris ran for 10. On 3rd and 1 from their own 47, Harris gained 2. On 3rd and 4 from the Green Bay 45, Ben Roethlisberger went to Diontae Johnson for a 45 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Steelers lead. The Packers faced 3rd and 3 from their own 43 and Dillon gained just enough. Aaron Rodgers went to Dillon for 16 moreOn 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 34, Rodgers hit Cobb for 8. The second quarter began with the Packers facing 3rd and 4 at the Pittsburgh 20. Rodgers hit Cobb for 12. Rodgers ran for the 4 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. 

The Steelers soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 29. Roethlisberger was sacked and fumbled, and the Packers took over at the Pittsburgh 23. On 3rd and 10, Rodgers went to Cobb for the touchdown to make it 14-7 Packers. The Steelers after a touchback held the ball for 5 minutes and 10 plays, but gained only 41 yards. Chris Boswell nailed a 52 yard field goal to get the Steelers within 14-10. The Packers from their own 16 answered with a 13 play, 76 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. With 30 seconds left in the half, the Packers had 1st and 10 at the Pittsburgh 13. Rodgers threw 3 straight incompletions. Mason Crosby came in for a 31 yard field goal try. The kick was blocked my Minkah Fitzpatrick, who thought he had the trifecta when he picked the ball up and raced 75 yards for a special teams touchdown. Yet officials ruled that the Steelers did not perfectly time the snap. They were ruled offside. The call could have got either way, but Crosby got a second chance with 8 seconds left from 5 yards closer. From 26 yards out, Crosby was good. Rather than trailing 17-14, the Packers led 17-10 at the half. 

The Packers took over in the third quarter. On 3rd and 7 from their own 28, Rodgers went to Cobb for 25. On 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 38, Dillon got the yard. Yet 1st and goal at the 5 was followed by a pair fo 3 yard losses and an incompletion. Crosby hit from 29 to finish the 12 play, 64 yard, 5 1/2 yard drive and make it 20-10 Packers. A shanked 20 yard punt gave the Packers the ball back with a short field at the Pittsburgh 40. Rodgers hit Adams hit Adams for 11. Dillon ran for 25. Rodgers hit Cobb for the one yard touchdown to make it 27-10 Packers. The Steelers moved from their own 36 to a 3rd and 4 at the Green Bay 32. Roethlisberger threw incomplete. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter and down by 17, Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. On 4th and 4, a horrendous play call saw Big Ben throw a sideways pass that went for a one yard loss. 

The Packers fumbled the ball back to give the Steelers the ball at their own 35. The Steelers moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Green Bay 37 to start the fourth quarter. Again Mike Tomlin went for it and another short pass went for no gain at all. On 4th and 4 Tomlin went for it rather than try a 56 yard field goal. Then came the false start. On 4th and 9, Tomlin opted to punt. The Steelers got it back and moved from their own 37 to a 3rd and 5 at the Green Bay 47. Big Ben threw incomplete. Again Tomlin went for it and again a head-scratching West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass went for only a 2 yard gain. Throwing the ball past the marker is a good idea. It’s called a forward pass. Walter Camp invented it 100 years ago. The Steelers would finally reach the end zone with 4 minutes left, but any hopes of a comeback were snuffed out when Roethlisberger was intercepted with 1:17 to play. The Steelers looked great in their opener but have lost 3 straight. The Packers looked dreadful in their opener but have won 3 straight. 27-17 Packers

Baltimore Ravens at Denver Broncos — The Broncos came in 3-0, but with wins against 3 teams that were a combined 0-9. A win over Baltimore would silence some of the critics. Early on both defense dominated. Late in the opening quarter the Broncos took over at their own 43. Defensive unnecessary roughness moved the broncos 15 yards. Williams broke off a 31 yard run. The second quarter began with the Broncos facing 3rd and goal at the 3. Teddy Bridgewater hit Noah Fant for the touchdown. The Broncos led 7-0, but after that Baltimore defense took over the game. After a touchback, Lamar Jackson hit Proche for 12. On 3rd and 5 from their own 46, Jackson gained 7. Jackson then went to Mark Andrews for big gains of 24 and 12. Latavius Murray ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Ravens got the ball back at their own 40. Jackson went to Sammy Watkins for 9 and then went deep to Hollywood Brown for a 49 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Ravens midway through the second quarter. The Ravens knocked Bridgewater out of the game as Drew Lock played the second half and did nothing. Justin Tucker last week hit an NFL record 66 yard field goal. This week he hit from 40 to end the half and from 46 and 20 in the fourth quarter to ice the game. This was old school John Harbaugh Ravens football, with tough running and even tougher defense. 23-7 Ravens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots was the Sunday night game. Emotions ran very high as Tom Brady and Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick squared off for the first time their divorce two years ago. Robert Kraft made sure Brady was given a classy welcome back, as the crowd cheered Brady before the game. Yet beyond the obvious main storyline, the game itself and important subplots. Pouring rain came down throughout the game, and the Buccaneers were without injured Rob Gronkowski. He would not get to face off against his old team. In the first quarter the Buccaneers moved from their own 18 to a 1st and 10 at the New England 42. To Brady went to Mike Evans for a 28 yard gain and with that pass entered the history books. Brady is now the all time NFL leader in passing yards, breaking the record set last year by Drew Brees. Yet on this drive, a pair of incompletions and the Buccaneers settling for a 29 yard Ryan Succop field goal to lead 3-0. An interception of Mac Jones gave Succop another chance from 36 to start the second quarter, but that kick was no good.

The Patriots soon faced 2nd and 19 from their own 17. Jones hit Kendrick Bourne for 16 and on 3rd and 3 hit Meyers for 15. On 3rd and 5 from the Tampa 47, Jones threw incomplete but defensive pass interference on newly acquired Richard Sherman meant a 10 yard gain. On 2nd and 20 from his own 47, Jones hit Bourne for 16 and on 3rd and 4 hit Bolden for 7. On 2nd and 10 from the Tampa 24, Jones threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant another 10 yard gain. Jones hit Hunter Henry for an 11 yard touchdown. The 11 play,74 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Patriots up 7-3. A well placed punt had the Patriots pinned at their own 5 yard line with 1:49 left in the half. Yet Bruce Arians stayed aggressive given his “no risk it, no biscuit” philosophy. Brady hit Antonio Brown for 4, Chris Godwin for big gains of 28 and 26, and Cameron Brate for 11. On 1st and 10 from the New England 26, Brady threw 3 straight incompletions. With 18 seconds left, Succop’s 44 yard field goal try was good as the Buccaneers trailed 7-6 at the midpoint. 

A field position game had the Patriots punting on 4th and 27 from their own 6 and the Buccaneers taking over at their own 48 midway through the third quarter. Brady hit Leonard Fournette for 11. Fournette ran for a pair of 7 yard gains. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 11, Jones gained 3. Jones then ran for the 8a yard touchdown. Bruce Arians wisely opted against the 2 point conversion as the Buccaneers led 13-7 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. The Patriots took over at their own 23. Jones hit Harris for 21, Nelson agholor for 13, Meyers for 5, Harry for 10, Smith for 12, and Bolden for 15 down to the one as the third quarter ended. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a perfectly executed play action pass by Jones went to Smith for the touchdown as the Patriots reclaimed the lead 14-13 only 3 seconds into the fourth quarter.

The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 31. Brady hit Antonio Brown for 7. on 3rd and 6 from his own 42, the 44 year old Brady escaped up the middle for just enough. A short pass from Brady to Fournette gained 23. On 3rd and 9 from the New England 24, Brady hit Brate over the middle for 18. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Brady threw high out the back of the end zone incomplete. Succop hit the 28 yard field goal to cap the 15 play, 68 yard, 7 minute drive and put the Buccaneers back on top 16-14 midway through the fourth quarter.

After a touchback, Jones hit Agholor for 12, Meyers for 3 and Meyers again for 21. At that point Jones had 19 straight completions, the longest stretch for a rookie in 30 years. It also tied Brady’s longest completion streak. On 1st and 10 from the Tampa 39, Bill Belichick went to the bag of tricks. Jones handed it off, and then it was lateraled to Meyers. Meyers then went deep to a wide open Agholor for a 30 yard gain and 1st and goal at the 9. Jones had been brilliant all game, but a pair of incompletions included a dropped pass by the defender that would have been an interception for a touchdown. Jones dodged a bullet. On 3rd and goal from the 9, a completion by Jones went for no gain. Folk hit the 27 yard field goal to put the Patriots back on top 17-16 with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, Brady was going to try and use up the entire clock so that the Patriots would not get the ball back. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant a 31 yard gain. Two plays later, offensive pass interference on Evans had the Buccaneers facing 2nd and 17 from the New England 41. Brady went back to Evans for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the New England 40, Brady hit Brown for 8 and a key first down that moved the Buccaneers into field goal range. On 2nd and 8 from the New England 30, Brady went for it all and Brown lost in the night sky incomplete. On 3rd and 8 Brady again went to the end zone and Brown juggled it but could not haul it in as it fell incomplete again. Succop came in for a key 48 yard field goal to give the Buccaneers the 2 point lead again. The kick was good and the Buccaneers led with 1:57 to play. 

Now it was time to see whether Brady or Belichick still had their deal with the devil intact. Jones would show as a rookie whether he could beat his legendary predecessor. The Patriots dynasty began in 2001 when Adam Vinatieri made a 45 yard field goal with 5 inches of snow coming down. Now Folk was being asked to try a 56 yard field goal in a rainstorm. It seemed like an insane decision. Folk had made 36 field goals in a row, but the conditions were miserable. There was plenty of time to throw a 3 yard completion. Belichick went with the veteran kicker over the rookie quarterback. Succop’s kick was long enough and started dead center but curved at the end. It doinked off the upright no good. As the entire media world watched afterward, Belichick gave Brady a very quick hug and then ran away without saying a word. Jones showed great poise, but Brady got the win. His critics can claim it was luck, and a successful field goal by Succop would have changed the outcome. Brady does not care. He won. He stayed around to hug many of his former teammates. Brady and Belichick have both often been classless in victory and defeat, but this time Brady did it the right way. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers are 3-1 and the Patriots are a 1-3 team. 19-17 Buccaneers 

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers is the Monday night game. The Raiders were 3-0 for the first time since their 2002 run to the super Bowl. The Chargers were technically the home team, but the Raider Nation traveled to the game en masse. Nothing ever comes easy for the Raiders, and the start of this game was delayed for over 30 minutes by a lightning storm. The Chargers got the ball first and shredded the Raiders defense. From their own 25, runs and short passes had the Chargers facing 2nd and 6 from their own 41. Justin Herbert then went to Cook for 22. Austin Ekeler ran for 18. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 14, Herbert hit Justin Jackson for 7. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Herbert fired over the middle to Donald Parham for the touchdown. The 12 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive had the Chargers up 7-0. 

The Raiders had literally zero offense in the first quarter, failing to gain a single yard. Late in the first quarter Brandon Staley gambled on a fake punt on 4th and 12 from the Raiders 41. The punter had a wide open receiver, but at the last moment Hunter Renfrow came up and blasted the ball out of the receiver’s hands for an incompletion. Yet the Raiders could not take advantage, again failing to gain a first down. Renfrow later returned a punt 17 yards, with 15 more tacked on for a facemask. The Raiders began the drive at the Chargers 44. Yet on 3rd and 2,  Josh Jacobs lost a yard. The second quarter saw the Raiders face 3rd and 5 from their own 20. Derek Carr hit Darren Waller for 21 yards. Yet despite the Raiders finally getting a first down after 21 minutes, it was all for naught. A taunting penalty on Waller after the play moved the Raiders back 15 yards. 

The Chargers took over at their own 20 midway through the second quarter. Herbert hit Williams for 11Herbert then went to Anderson for a 34 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Raiders 10, Herbert hit Jared Cook for the touchdown. With less than 4 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Chargers led 14-0. Jon Gruden wanted to get to the half without any more damage, so he tried to run the ball to eat up the clock. Jacobs ran for 5 and 4 to set the Raiders up with 3rd and 1 at their own 17. Jacobs barely got the yard, but Brandon Staley challenged the spot. The spot was overturned and the Raiders had another 4th down and another punt. The Chargers took over at their own 31, and 2:44 was more than enough time. Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 2 and Ekeler for 9. Ekeler ran for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Raiders 47, Herbert hit Allen for 7, Parham for 13, Guyton for 9, and Ekeler for a 14 yard touchdown. With 30 seconds left in the half, the Chargers were dominating 21-0. Herbert was 20 of 25 for 175 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, and that was only the first half. 

The Raiders began the third quarter at their own 22. Carr threw a sideways pass to Jacobs, who got blasted for no gain. On the next play Carr somehow avoided a sack scrambled for his life, and found Willie Snead for a 15 yard gain with another 15 tacked on found defensive unnecessary roughness. Carr hit Waller for 8 and Jacobs banged up the middle for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Chargers 14, Carr snuck through for 2 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Chargers 10, Carr fired over the middle to Renfrow for the touchdown. The 11 play, 78 yard, 6 minute drive had the Raiders within 21-7. 

The Raiders held on defense and took over at their own 19. Carr hit Jacobs sideways, who avoided a tackle for a loss and gained 9. Carr then went deep to Henry Ruggs and drew a 46 yard defensive pass interference penalty. Carr then went to Waller for 18. Jacobs ran for 6 up the gut. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Carr looked around, avoided the pressure, and threw a jump ball to Waller. Waller out jumped the defender for the touchdown as the Raiders were only down 21-14 with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. The Raiders got it back at their own 14. Carr went bombs away to rugs for a 51 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 28, Carr was sacked for a 6 yard loss. Daniel Carlson then missed the 52 yard field goal try as the Raiders wasted the opportunity. 

Once the offense folded it was inevitable the Raiders defense would cave as well. The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 2 from midfield. Herbert threw incomplete. Brandon Staley is a very aggressive coach, and he made the key play of the game in going for it. Herbert hit Cook for 13. At this point the running game just ripped the Raiders apart. Ekeler gained 6 and Roundtree added 9. Herbert scrambled 6 and Ekelr ran for an 11 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 58 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive had the Chargers up 28-14 with 5 1/2 minutes left. 

On 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Carr hit Edwards for only 4. On 4th and 1 from their own 34, Carr rolled out and hit Renfrow for 3. Carr rolled out again and went deep but overthrew Ruggs. Defensive unsportsmanlike conduct after the play had the Raiders facing 1st and 10 at the Chargers 48. Carr then fired to the sideline was intercepted. with 3:14 to play, the Raiders were knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten. 28-14 Chargers

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