NFL 2021 Week 3 Recap
Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans was the Thursday night game. The Panthers were 2-0 after defeating a pair of weak teams. The Texans had Deshaun Watson inactive due to his personal legal issues and Tyrod Taylor out injured. David Mills was starting his very first NFL game, and the Carolina defense took advantage. The Panthers began their second drive at their own 12. Christian McCaffrey got the drive started with a 9 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from their own 21, Sam Darnold gained 3 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 25, Darnold went deep to DJ Moore for 29, to Marshall for 12, and to Moore for 26 more. Darnold ran for the 5 yard touchdown himself to cap the 10 play, 88 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 7-0 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 14 and moved 81 yards in 14 plays and 8 minutes. Yet on 4th and 1 from the Houston 5, the Panthers missed a chance to extend the lead. Matt rule went for it and Hubbard carried the ball for no gain. Despite dominating the game, the Panthers still only led 7-0.
The Texans did nothing for the first 28 minutes. With 1:37 left in the half the Texans took over at their own 36. At this point Mills had only 16 total yards passing. Yet in the 2 minute drill Mills hit Brandin Cooks for gains of 8 and 30. Mills then went to Akins for 10 and Cooks for 11 down to the one. The Texans took their last timeout with a full 30 seconds remaining. Mills hit Anthony Miller for a one yard touchdown. The extra point was no good, but after being dominated the entire half, the Texans went to the half only down 7-6.
In the third quarter the Panthers took over at their own 9. Darnold went to Moore for 10. Two plays later a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty added 15. Darnold then went to Moore for 16. Freeman gained 13. Darnold hit Erickson for 25. Tommy Tremble ran for a 7 yard touchdown to finish the 91 yard drive and make it 14-6 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 41 and moved 56 yards in 10 plays, taking another 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Panthers faced 4th and 1 at the Houston 3. This time on the road, Matt rule went with the field goal to make it a 2 score game. Zane Gonzalez hit from 21 to make it 17-6 Panthers.
After a touchback, the Texans moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Carolina 31. Mills was sacked for a 4 yard loss. With 9 minutes left and needing 2 scores, David Culley brought in Joey Slye for a 53 yard field goal try. Slye was good and the Texans were within 17-9. Yet the Panthers kept grinding down the clock with a 12 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive. On 3rd and 10 just shy of midfield, Darnold hit Arnold for 11 and Marshall for 23. Hubbard ran for 14. On 3rd and goal at the one, Darnold got in himself with to complete the scoring with 4 minutes left. Darnold finished 23 of 34 for 304 yards without a touchdown or interception. Yet Darnold also ran for 2 touchdowns. The Panthers became the first 3-0 team this year. 24-9 Panthers
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans — Carson Wentz did start as imbecilic owner Jim Irsay blamed Wentz’s injuries over the years to went being unvaccinated. Remember, Irsay has done drugs in his life and may still be hallucinating. Early on the Titans had the advantage. On 3rd and 3 from their own 36, Ryan Tannehill gained 17. On 3rd and 4 from the Indy 41, Tannehill threw incomplete. Mike Vrabel decided to go for it. Tannehill hit Julio Jones for 15. Derrick Henry rumbled for 19. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Tannehill hit Chester Rogers for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 26 and moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Indianapolis 45 as the first quarter ended. Tannehill was then intercepted as the Colts took over at their own 47. On 3rd and 3 from the Titans 46, Wentz hit Taylor for 8 and Pittman for 8 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 29, Taylor gained 2. Wentz hit Pittman for 12. Nyheim Hines ran for a 9 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.
After a touchback, Tannehill went deep to Julio Jones for 25. Derrick Henry ran for 4 and 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Indy 26, Henry gained 8. Tannehill hit Westbrook for an 18 yard touchdown to put the Titans back up 14-7 with 6 minutes left in the half. The Titans got it back at their own 17 and moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Indy 26 with 49 seconds left in the half. Tannehill was intercepted by Moore, who returned it 32 yards to the Titans 47. Wentz was sacked and then threw incomplete, but illegal contact on the defense kept the drive going. Went then went to Pittman for 18. Rodrigo Blankenship hit a 43 yard field goal to end the half with the Colts trailing 14-10. After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Colts moved on a mind-numbing 17 play, 68 yard drive that consumed 8 1/2 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Titans 41, mike Vrabel went for it and Taylor gained 5. On 4th and 1 from the Titans 15, Vrabel gambled again. Taylor gained 6. Yet on 1st and goal at the 9 and the running game working, Wentz threw 3 straight incompletions. Blankenshuo hit from 28 to get the Colts within 14-13.
The Titans moved from their own 18 to a 1st and 10 at the Indy 19. Tannehill hit Westbrook for 13, but Westbrook fumbled and the Colts recovered. The Titans got it back at their own 41 as the third quarter ended. Henry ran for 10 and 9. Tannehill went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and goal from the 10, Tannehill hit Jeremy McNichols for the touchdown. Mike Vrabel for some reason got aggressive and went for an unnecessary 2 point conversion. Henry ran it in and the Titans had a 2 score lead up 22-13. The Colts moved after a touchback to a 3rd and goal at the 5. Wentz threw incomplete. Needing 2 scores and with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Frank Reich opted for the field goal. Blankenship hit from 24 to get the Colts within 22-16.
The Titans played smash mouth on a 14 play, 87 yard drive that took 7 1/2 minutes. They moved from their own 19 to a 1st and 10 at the Indy 17. yet Henry then got stopped, Tannehill threw incomplete, and a 3rd and 10 completion gained only 3 yards. With 3 minutes left, Randy Bullock came in for a 32 yard field goal to put the Titans back up by 9 and make it a 2 score game. Bullock was good. In desperation mode after a touchback, the Colts moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Tennessee 33. Wentz threw incomplete twice. With one minute left and needing 2 scores, Frank Reich opted for the field goal. From 51 yards out, Blankenship was no good. The Colts fell to 0-3 while the Titans have won 2 straight after their awful opener. Give credit to Mike Vrabel. His 2 point conversion call put the game out of reach. 25-16 Titans
Atlanta Falcons at New York Giants — Daniel Jones fumbles a lot but throws a great deep ball. The Giants took over at their own 20. On 3rd and 4 from their own 40, Jones went deep to Board for 38 yards. Yet on 2nd and goal from the 8, Jones was sacked for an 11 yard loss. Graham Gano hit a 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Giants. In the second quarter the Giants embarked on a typical Giants drive. 15 plays, 73 yards and 7 1/2 minutes led to 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 17. Jones then fumbled again, resulting in an 11 yard loss. Gano hit a 31 yard field goal as the Giants led 6-0.
The Giants on their next series punted on 4th and 9 from their own 4. The Falcons took over with a short field at the Giants 44 with 2:09 left in the half. Matt Ryan hit Davis for 12 and Zaccheaus for 14 with unnecessary roughness adding 8 more. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Ryan hit Zaccheaus for the touchdown as the Falcons led 7-6 in a game virtually nobody cared about. The Giants could not even get to the half without more bungling. On 2nd and 10 from their own 25, Jones hit Evan Engram for 14 but Engram fumbled and the Falcons recovered at the Giants 36 with one minute left. Luckily for them Ryan was sacked and fumbled the ball back. For some reason, league rules prohibited the second half from being canceled.
The third quarter was scoreless as both teams remained winless and worthless. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter the Giants took over at their own 29. Jones ran for 11. Squon Barkley ran for 4 and caught passes for 12 and 3. Jones hit Johnson for 7 as the Giants began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 5 at the Atlanta 29. Jones hit Johnson for just enough and then hit kenny Golladay for 16. Defensive pass interference on the next play meant 7 more yards down to the one. Barkley got in for the touchdown. Joe judge went for the 2 post conversion and Jones got in. With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Giants had a 14-7 lead after the 10 play, 71 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive.
The Falcons took over and soon faced 3rd and 8 form their own 30. Ryan hit Pitts for 10. Ryan then went to Cordarelle Patterson for 25. on 3rd and 4 from the Giants 25, Ryan hit Sharpe for 5. On 2nd and 16 after a sack of Ryan, he hit Zaccheaus for 14. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 11, Ryan hit Calvin Ridley for 4. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Ryan threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 5 yards and 1st and goal at the one. Ryan hit Lee Smith for the touchdown. The 10 play, 72 yard drive took over 8 1/2 minutes off the clock and had the game tied 14-14 with 4 minutes left. The Stupor Bowl would come down to who wanted it least.
The Giants punted and the Falcons took over at their own 20 with 1:50 left. A short pass from Ryan to Patterson gained 28. Ryan then hit Pitts for 25. With 9 seconds left on 3rd and 6 from the Giants 21, Matty Ice took a knee to center the ball. With 3 seconds left, Younghoe Koo came in for a 40 yard field goal try to win it. If ever a game did not deserve overtime, this one was it. Koo spared us all and made the kick to make the Giants the worst team in the league. Giants fans will insist they are better than the Jets. 17-14 Falcons
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs took over at their own 5 yard line and easily moved 83 yards in 10 plays. Yet on 2nd and 6 from the Chargers 29, a pass from Patrick Mahomes bounced off the receiver’s hands and was intercepted by Asante Samuel at the Chargers 3 yard line. The Chiefs got it back at midfield and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 21. A sack of Mahomes lost a yard. Then a completion to Tyreek Hill gained 8 yards but Hill fumbled. The Chargers Davis returned the fumble 20 yards, with 15 more yards added due to an illegal block penalty on the Chiefs. The Chargers took over just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 1 from the Chiefs 42, Justin Herbert gained 2. Herbert hit Williams for 11 and began the second quarter by hitting Parham for 19. Herbert hit Keenan Allen for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chargers.
The Chiefs after a touchback moved to a 1st an 10 at the Chargers 36. Carl Edwards-Helaire was the goat last week in fumbling the ball alway and costing the Chiefs a win. He was also guilty of the earlier illegal block penalty in this game. His struggles continued when he gained 7 yards and then fumbled the ball away again. Again it was Davis, returning it 14 yards to his own 47. Walrus Andy Reid vowed never to run the ball ever again. Herbert hit Williams for 20 and 8 and Keenan Allen for 6. On 2nd and 12 from the Chiefs 16, herbert found a wide open Austin Ekeler in the flat. With no defender anywhere near him, Ekeler easily raced for the 16 yard touchdown. The Chargers had the 14-0 lead in front of a stunned Arrowhead home crowd thanks to 3 straight Kansas City turnovers.
Then reality set in. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Chiefs took over at their own 14 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Chargers 17 with 41 seconds left. A false start followed by incompletions killed the drive. After 11 plays and 75 yards, the end zone was elusive. Harrison Butker hit from 34 as the Chiefs trailed 14-3 at the half. The Chiefs went right to work after a third quarter touchback. Mahomes hit Robinson for 11 and Edwards-Helaire for 10. On 3rd and 6 from midfield, Mahomes hit Hill for 12, Travis Kelce for 8 and Mecole Hardman for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Mahomes hit Fortson for the touchdown. This time the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive was finished as the Chiefs were within 14-10.
The Chiefs got it back at their own 30. On 3rd and 10 from their own 40, Mahomes hit Kelce for 23. On the next play, defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 more. On 1st and 10 from the Chargers 20, Mahomes raced for 18 yards down to the 2 but fumbled the ball. The Chiefs recovered to avoid their 4th turnover. However, offensive holding meant 1st and 20 from the Chargers 30. Mahomes quickly hit Hill for 18 and Edwards-Helaire for the 10 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 70 yard drive had the Chiefs up 17-14 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.
This time rather than fold, the Chargers proved resilient. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Herbert hit Cook for 21 and Allen for 11. On 3rd and 4 from the Chiefs 28, Herbert hit Allen for no gain. as the third quarter ended. Brandon Staley began the fourth quarter by deciding to go for it. Herbert hit Allen for 9 and Williams for the 20 yard touchdown to put the Chargers back in front 21-17 after the 11 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive. From their own 28 the Chiefs came back. Edwards-Helaire had gains of 12 and 7. Williams had a pair of 5 yard gains followed by gains of 7 and 4. Mahomes went to Hill for 11 and Hardman for the 8 yard touchdown. The 12 play, 75 yard, 7 minute drive had the Chiefs back on top 24-21 with 6:43 to play.
After a touchback, the Chargers moved to a 1st and goal at the one with 3:19 to play. After a run got stopped, Herbert hit Nabers for the touchdown. Yet an illegal shift nullified the score. From the 6, Herbert threw incomplete twice. Tristan Vizcaino came in for a 24 yard field goal try to tie the game. With 2:14 left, Vizcaino was good and the game was tied 24-24. Yet the Chiefs had Mahomes. The ending was inevitable. He would drive the Chiefs down the field and Butker would kick the winning field goal.
Not this time. On 3rd and 8 from his own 27 under heavy pressure, Mahomes went deep and was intercepted. With 1:55 left the Chargers took over at their own 41. On 3rd and 2 just shy of midfield, Herbert hit Allen for 15 and Cook for 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Chiefs 30, Herbert threw incomplete. A field goal for the lead with 51 seconds left would be 48 yards, certainly makeable. After a timeout, Brandon Staley decided to go for it. His logic was that Mahomes would tie the game, but you have to kick the field goal in this situation. After all of that, a false start made it 4th and 9 and now a 53 yard try. Staley decided again to go for it. This was an insane risk, but he wanted to leave no time for Mahomes. If the Chargers didn’t make it, Mahomes would be in prime field position. It was all or nothing. Herbert threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant a 15 yard gain. Herbert then hit Williams for 16 down to the 4 yard line. staley still would not kick a field goal by taking the clock down. Herbert hit Williams for the 4 yard touchdown with 32 seconds left. Vizcaino made things interesting by missing his second extra point of the day, as the Chargers led by 6 instead of 7.
After a touchback, Mahomes quickly scrambled for 21 yards with defensive holding adding 5 more and stopping the clock. With 13 seconds left the Chiefs had 1st and 10 just past midfield. A pair of incompletions left 5 seconds. Then came the Hail Mary, and it also fell incomplete. In an absolute shocker, the Chargers are the 2-1 team while the back to back AFC Champion Chiefs are a head-scratching 1-2. This makes Andy Walrus a most concerned Walrus indeed. On a more serious note, Reid was physically ill after the game and had to be taken to the hospital. Thankfully he seems to be ok and is in stable condition. Meanwhile, Brandon Staley is off to a very impressive beginning in his rookie season. 30-24 Chargers
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers — Joe Burrow threw into triple coverage and was intercepted. Ben Roethlisberger threw a duck as he was being sacked that was also intercepted. The Bengals had a short field and soon faced 3rd and 8 at the Pittsburgh 40. Burrow hit Chase for 15. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 17, Burrow hit Tyler Boyd for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Bengals. In the second quarter the Steelers took over at their own 14. On 3rd and 2 from their own 22, Roethlisberger hit Freiermuth for 3. On 2nd and 15 from their own 20, Roethlisberger hit Juju Smith-Schuster for 16. On 1st and 17 from their own 29, Harris ran for 20. Roethlisberger hit Chase Claypool for 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincinnati 33, Roethlisberger hit Harris for 6 at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincy 22, Roethlisberger hit Harris for 18. Big Ben then hit Freiermuth for the 4 yard touchdown. The 15 play, 86 yard drive took 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. With one minute left in the half, the game was tied 7-7. Then came the shocks.
After a touchback, Burrow hit Boyd for 7. On the next play roughing the passer added 15. Burrow then hit Thomas for 19. Burrow then went deep to Jamarr Chase for a 34 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Bengals led 14-7 at the half. The Bengals began the third quarter at their own 20. They moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Pittsburgh 20 when offensive holding killed the drive. Yet Evan McPherson hit a 43 yard field goal to cap the 10 play, 55 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 17-7 Bengals. 3 plays later on 3rd and 4 from his own 34, Roethlisberger was intercepted. Wilson returned it 13 yards to the Pittsburgh 19. Burrow hit Chase for a 9 yard touchdown as the Bengals led 24-7 after three quarters in front of a shellshocked home crowd at Heinz Field.
Things got worse for the Steelers. They moved from their own 24 to the Cincy 24. Yet 3 straight Roethoisberger incompletions was followed by Chris Boswell missing a 42 yard field goal try. The Steelers got it back and moved from their own 4 yard line to a 1st and goal at the 3. The drive of the year lasted 18 plays, went 88 yards, and took 9 minutes off the clock. Yet ball control is not good when down by three scores. Worse, offensive holding made it all for naught. Boswell hit a 26 yard field goal but the Steelers still trailed by 14 midway through the fourth quarter. The Steelers had the experience, so it was up to the youthful Bengals to see if they could finish off a big road win.
The Steelers got it back with 6 1/2 minutes left and soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 15. Roethlisberger hit White for 11, Claypool for 17, Harris for 5, Claypool for 29, and Harris for 9 and 3,. Yet with 4 minutes left in the game on 1st and 10 from the Cincy 11, Roethlisberger was sacked for an 8 yard loss. On 3rd and 10, Roethlisberger threw incomplete. With 3 minutes left on 4th and 10, one of the worst calls in steelers history took place. Mike Tomlin is a great coach, but why on 4th and 10 would Roethlisberger throw a dump off pass in the flat that lost a yard? The home crowd booed, as they should have. The Steelers got the ball back again with 1:54 left at their own 27 and both teams out of timeouts. On 4th and 2 from their own 35, Roethlisberger threw incomplete. After starting last year 11-0, the Steelers this year are 1-2 with consecutive home losses. This was a big win for the Bengals and especially for Burrow. 24-10 Bengals
Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns — Early on the Browns gambled on 4th and 5 from the Chicago 38 as Matt Nagy passed up a 56 yard field goal try. Baker Mayfield was sacked. The Bears took over at their own 47. On 3rd and 2 from the Cleveland 29, David Montgomery was stopped. Cairo Santos hit from 47 to make it 3-0 Bears. The Browns after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Chicago 20. Again Kevin Stefanski went for it. Again Mayfield was sacked. The Bears did not capitalize. After that the Browns took over. The Browns began at their own 23. Mayfield went to Karim Hunt for gains of 3 and 18. The Browns moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Chicago 29. Hunt gained 7 but offensive holding killed the drive. Stefanski brought in Chase McLaughlin to try a 57 yard field goal. It was good and the game was tied 3-3 early in the second quarter.
With 3 minutes left in the half the Browns took over at their own 11. On 3rd and 5 from their own 16 at the 2 minute warning, Mayfield hit Donovan Peoples-Jones for 18. Hunt ran for 11 and caught a pass for 17. With 36 seconds left in the half the Browns had 3rd and 1 at the Chicago 19. Chubb ran for 6 and Mayfield spiked the ball with 23 seconds left. Mayfield then went to Austin Hooper for the 13 yard touchdown as the Browns led 10-3 at the intermission. A 23 yard punt return in the third quarter had the Browns taking over at the Chicago 44. On 3rd and 7 from the Chicago 41, Mayfield hit O’Dell Beckham Jr. for 26. Yet offensive holding followed by a sack had the Browns backed up to 3rd and 30. A safe completion gained 12 yards, allowing McLaughlin to hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Browns.
The Bears took over and moved from their own 31 to a 2nd and 5 at the Cleveland 7. Justin Field was sacked for an 8 yard loss. On 3rd and 13 from the Chicago 15, Fields hit Montgomery for 11. Matt Nagy decided not to gamble on 4th and 2 from the 4 on the road needing 2 scores. Santos hit the 22 yard field goal as the Bears only trailed 13-6 after three quarters. After a touchback, the Browns turned out the lights. Mayfield hit Beckham for 16 and Hunt for 23. The fourth quarter began with the Browns facing 3rd and 3 at the Chicago 29. Hunt broke free all the way fo the touchdown to make it 20-6 Browns. The Bears anemic offense had no answers. Fields finished the day completing only 6 of 20 passes for 68 yards. McLaughlin tacked on field goals of 52 and 28 as Cleveland’s defense did the rest and kept the Dawg Pound rocking. 26-6 Browns
Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions — In 1970, the Lions had a 17-16 lead with seconds remaining and time for one more play. New Orleans brought in kicker Tom Dempsey to try a 63 yard field goal, which would be an NFL record. Despite having only half a foot on his kicking foot, Dempsey made the field goal for a 19-17 win over the Lions. Dempsey’s record was tied by a few kickers and finally broken in 2013 when Matt Prater connected from 64. By the time this game was over, the Lions would again be part of history. Again, it would be painful for the Detroit faithful.
Justin Tucker had made 27 straight field goals on the road. In the first quarter of this game, the streak ended as Tucker missed from 49. As Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network reminds us, there is no such thing as a broadcaster jinx. In the second quarter Tucker did hit from 39 for a 3-0 Ravens lead in a game that was far more difficult than they expected. The Ravens got it back at their own 35. Lamar Jackson ran for 8 and Latavius murray added 8 more. Jackson went deep to Brown for 37. On 3rd and 18 from the Detroit 19, Jackson hit Devin Duvernay for the touchdown as the Ravens led 10-0 at the half. They would have led by more except Marquise Hollywood Brown dropped 3 passes, including 2 bombs that would have been touchdowns. After a touchback, the Ravens in the third quarter moved to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 32. Jackson threw a pair of incompletions sandwiched around a run that gained nothing. Tucker hit from 50 as the Ravens were dominating up 13-0.
After a touchback, the Lions finally woke up. Jared Goff hit TJ Hockensen for 5, Raymond for 12 and D’Andre Swift for 11. On 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Swift gained 2. Goff then hit Swift for 14 and 19 and Hidge for 9. Swift ran for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Lions within 13-7. The Ravens after a touchback moved 61 yards in 10 plays. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 14, Jackson threw incomplete. Tucker hit the 32 yard field goal. The Ravens had a comfortable 16-7 lead after three quarters, but by the end of the game they were anything but comfortable.
On 2nd and 13 from his own 22, Goff threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 28 yard gain to midfield. On 3rd and 7 from the Baltimore 47, Goff hit Raymond for 11. Williams ran for 12 and 4. On 3rd and 6 from the Baltimore 20, Goff hit Swift for 9. swift then ran for 4 and caught another pass for 6 down to the one. Jamaal Williams got in for the touchdown as the Lions were only down 16-14 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback, the Ravens moved to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 45. Yet on 3rd and 10, Jackson went deep and was intercepted.
With 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Lions took over at their own 21. Goff hit Fells for 24, Raymond for 19 and Raymond again for 22. At the 2 minute warning, the Lions had 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 14. The Lions were completely in the driver’s seat. Yet the Ravens had all 3 of their timeouts. Dan Campbell went ultraconservative, running the ball 3 straight times. The Ravens took their timeouts on defense. Santos hit the 35 yard field goal to give the Lions the 17-16 lead, but they left one minute on the clock.
With 26 seconds left, the Ravens were down to their last gasp. They were facing 4th and 19 at their own 16 with 0 timeouts. They needed a miracle. Jackson went deep to Sammy Watkins for a 36 yard gain. Jackson then spiked the ball to stop the clock with 7 seconds left. Jackson then threw incomplete, leaving 3 seconds. John Harbaugh could have gone for the Hail Mary, but instead he opted to trust the most accurate kicker in NFL history. Justin Tucker is phenomenal, but this would be a 66 yard field goal try. It would be more than just a kick for a win. It would be NFL history. From 65 yards out, the kick would have easily been good. From 67 yards out, Tucker would have been short. His 66 yard kick was dead center and hit the crossbar. Then it made it over. it was good. Are? You? Kidding? Me!!!!!!! A 66 yard field goal. once again, the Lions were on the losing end of a 19-17 game that saw a kicker make NFL history. The Lions are 0-3, but this game was about Tucker. He is now immortalized in NFL history. 19-17 Ravens
New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots — Drew Brees is retired and Tom Brady is in Tampa. The Saints took over at their own 31. On 3rd and 10 from their own 45, Jameis Winston hit Harris for 12 and Kenny Stills for 17. On 3rd and 7 from the New England 11, Winston hit Alvin Kamara for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. The Saints got it back and moved 51 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Yet they came up empty when Aldrick Rosas missed a 52 yard field goal. In the second quarter the Patriots punted from midfield and Bailey had his punt blocked. The Saints took over just past midfield. Yet Rosas missed again from 36. The Patriots moved from their 26 to a 3rd and 10 at the New Orleans 44. Under heavy pressure as he was being hit, Jones through a wounded duck that was intercepted by Williams, who returned it 46 yards to the New England 9 yard line. On 3rd and goal, Winston hit Callaway for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Saints.
After a touchback, the Patriots had only 1:44 left to work with. From their own 25, they moved to a 3rd and 1 from the Saints 22 with 1:08 left. Bolden got stopped for no gain. Bill Belichick decided to go for it on 4th and 1 but a false start killed that notion. Nick Folk hit a 45 yard field goal to get the Patriots on the board. Yet on the first play of the third quarter after a touchback, Jones had a pass bounce off a receiver’s hands for another interception. Malcolm Jenkins returned the interception 34 yards for a touchdown for a 21-3 Saints advantage.
The Patriots then embarked on a mind-numbing drive. 16 plays and 72 yards took 9 minutes off the clock. They moved from their own 20 to a 1st and 10 at the Saints 11. Yet a pair of runs went nowhere. On 3rd and 11, Jones completed a 4 yard pass. With 90 seconds left in the half and down by 18, Bill Belichick opted for a field goal. Folk hit from 26 to get the Patriots within 21-6. A field position game in the third quarter gave the Patriots a short field at the Saints 44. On 2nd and 10 Jones threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference meant a 10 yard gain. Jones then ran for 12 and went to Kendrick Bourne for a 22 yard touchdown. The Patriots were back in it down 21-13 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
The Saints then slammed the door shut. On 3rd and 7 from their own 28, Winston hit Harris for 12. Kamara ran for 11 and 3. Winston hit Harris for 7. Taysom Hill came in for a direct snap and Sean Payton’s wild card ran for 14 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 16, Winston gained 2. with 2:50 to play, Hill came in for consecutive plays. On 2nd and 5 from the 9, Hill gained 5. On the next play he ran for the 4 yard touchdown to put the game on ice. The Saints got to 2-1 while the Patriots are 1-2 on the year. 28-13 Saints
Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars — A 27 yard punt return had the Cardinals taking over at their own 44. Kyler Murray hit Mike Williams for 7, ran for 5, and hit kirk for 28. Murray hit Kirk for 9 and ran for the one yard touchdown himself to make it 7-0 Cardinals. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Jaguars took over at their own 26. Trevor Lawrence hit Shenault for 7 and 9 as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Carlos Hyde ran for 18. On 2nd and 16 from the Arizona 42, Lawrence hit Shenault for 12 and on 3rd and 4 found Jones for 13. With only 26 seconds left in the half, Lawrence hit DJ Chark for a 12 yard touchdown. The game was tied 7-7, but there was plenty of excitement before the end of the half. After a touchback, the Cardinals moved to midfield with 2 seconds left. Kliff Kingsbury brought in Josh Lambo to try and NFL record 68 yard field goal. Lambo’s kick was dead center but short. Jamal Agnew was back deep for that very scenario. Last week he returned a kickoff for a touchdown. This week he returned the missed field goal, escaped some tacklers, got to the sideline, and strutted in for an NFL record-tying 109 yard missed field goal return touchdown. After trailing for 29 1/2 minutes, the Jaguars somehow led 13-7 at the half. The extra point was no good.
In the third quarter the Cardinals moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 43. Murray went for it all deep and was intercepted. The Cardinals got it back at their own 16. Murray went deep to AJ Green for 34 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Jacksonville 26, Murray threw incomplete. Kliff Kingsbury decided to go for it. On 4th and 2, Murray hit Kirk for 3 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Jags 23, Murray hit Edmonds for 7. On 4th and 3, Kingsbury decided not to gamble. Matt Prater hit a 34 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 13-10. After a touchback, Robinson gashed the Arizona defense for gains of 17, 8, 10, 21, 6, and finally the 4 yard touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Jaguars had the stunning 19-10 lead. Lambo missed his second extra point on the day.
After a touchback, Murray went to Edmonds for 9 and Kirk for 18. James Conner ran for 11. Murray then went deep to Kirk for 33. Conner ran for the 4 yard touchdown. with 80 seconds left in the third quarter, the Cardinals were within 19-17. Two plays later on 2nd and 6 from his own 25, Trevor Lawrence was intercepted by Byron Murphy. Murphy returned the interception 29 yards for a defensive touchdown. Just like that, it was the Cardinals leading 24-19 after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter the Cardinals took over at their own 35. Murray hit Green for 13. On 3rd and 9 just shy of midfield, Murray went deep to Green for 36. On 3rd and 8 from the Jags 13, Murray hit Edmonds for 7. midway through the fourth quarter, Kliff Kingsbury went for the kill shot. On 4th and 1 from the Jags 6, Murray gained 2. Conner ran for a 1 yard touchdown to put the game on ice with 6:49 left. Lawrence fumbled the ball away twice in the final 2 1/2 minutes. The Cardinals got to 3-0 while the 0-3 Jaguars have lost 18 straight games dating back to last year. Urban Meyer is a great college football coach. He still has not won a pro football game. 31-19 Cardinals
Washington Confused Unknowns at Buffalo Bills — 30 years ago these teams met in the Super Bowl back when Washington had a team name. This time the Bills scored first. On 3rd and 15 from their own 20, Josh Allen hit Davis for 23, Emanuel Sanders for 11, Stefan Diggs for 13, and Sanders for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. The Identity Crisis soon faced 3rd and 8 from their own 37. Taylor Heinicke hit Logan Thomas for 17, but in trying to get one more yard Thomas fumbled. The Bills recovered and took over at their own 48. On 3rd and 8 from midfield, Allen threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 8 yards and a first down. Allen hit Moss for 17 as the first quarter ended. Early in the second quarter on 3rd and 4 from the Washington 7, Allen hit Moss for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Bills. After a touchback on 2nd and 6 from their own 39, Heinicke was intercepted by Poyer. Moye returned it 28 yards to the Washington 17. On 3rd and 7, Allen fired to the end zone and Knox made a leaping catch for the 14 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Bills.
2 plays later the Non-Redskins were on the board. On 2nd and 8 from their own 27, a short pass from Heinicke to Alex Gibson saw Gibson split the seams and outrace terrible tackling attempts for a 73 yard touchdown. The Non-Redskins were down 21-7 and things got stranger on the ensuing kickoff. Nobody for the Bills fielded it. After it bounced around, Non-Redskins kicker Dustin Hopkins ended up falling on it at the Buffalo 24. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 18, Heinicke hit Thomas for 14.. Heinicke scrambled himself for the 4 yard touchdown as the Non-Redskins were right back in it down 21-14 midway through the second quarter.
The Bills got it back at their own 42 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. Allen went deep to Sanders for a 41 yard gain. Yet on 2rd and goal at the 3, Allen threw incomplete. Tyler Bass hit a 21 yard field goal to put the Bills up 24-14 with 1:40 left in the half. The Bills got it back at their own 20 with 25 seconds left. Allen hit Diggs for 13, Cole Beasley for 22, Diggs for 11 and Knox for 5. With 2 seconds left, Bass hit from 48 as the Bills took a 27-14 lead to the locker rooms.
In the third quarter the Bills pounded the non-Redskins into submission. From their own 7 yard line, Allen hit Beasley for 11 and Diggs for 9. On 3rd and 5 from their own 35, Allen hit Beasley for 6 and Diggs for 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 39, Allen hit Beasley for 10 and Knox for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 11, Moss gained 5. Allen hit Sanders for the 5 yard touchdown. The drive was staggering. 17 plays. 93 yards. Nearly 9 1/2 minutes off of the clock. The extra point was no good but the Bills were romping again up 33-14. An interception of Heinicke set up a 29 yard Bass field goal to make it 36-14 Bills. In the fourth quarter after the No-Names turned it over on downs at their own 22, Allen hit Knox for 19 and ran for a 2 yard touchdown himself. The Bills were carpet-bombing the No-Names 43-14. Washington got a garbage touchdown to complete the scoring as the Bills won consecutive blowouts after stumbling in their opener. 43-21 Bills
New York Jets at Denver Broncos — The Broncos began their second drive at their own 25. Runs and short passes had the Broncos facing 3rd and 9 at midfield. Teddy Bridgewater hit Hamler for 28. Melvin Gordon had gains of 4 and 11 down to the one. Javonte Williams got the last yard to make it 7-0 Broncos. In the second quarter the Broncos moved from their 36 to a 3rd and 4 at the Jets 27. Bridgewater threw incomplete but Brandon McManus hit from 45 at the start of the second quarter to make it 10-0 Broncos. With under 3 minutes left in the half the Broncos faced 3rd and 10 at their own 36. Bridgewater ran for 13. Bridgewater hit Patrick for 27 and ran for 6. On 3rd and 10 from the Jets 20, Bridgewater threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference in the end zone meant 1st and goal at the one. Gordon got in as the Broncos led 17-0 at the break. The second half was pointless. McManus hit from 47 in the third quarter and from 21 and 36 in the fourth quarter after a pair of Zach Wilson interceptions. The Broncos are 3-0 but have beat 3 teams with a combined 0-9 record. Vic Fangio’s defense is for real. 26-0 Broncos
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders — Last year the Raiders lost a gut-wrenching home game to the Dolphins 26-25. With 19 seconds left and 0 timeouts, the Dolphins were down by 2 at their own 15 yard line. Ryan Fitzpatrick completed a Hail Mary while having his helmet twisted off. That led to Jason Sanders kicking the winning field goal for the Dolphins as time expired. Fitzpatrick and his magic beard are no longer on the team, and Tua Tagovailoa was out with fractured ribs. Jacoby Brissett got the start. The Raiders were 2-0, but again a wild game against the Dolphins came down to the final play. Last year the Raiders were 6-2 on the road and 2-6 at home. This year the Raiders had fans in the stands. What they did not have was Josh Jacobs, which again had Jon Gruden stubbornly trying to run the ball to avoid being one-dimensional. Yet again at home they got off to a bad start.
The Raiders moved from their own 15 to a 2nd and 5 at the Miami 21. Under pressure Carr threw a short pass that was intercepted by Roberts, who rumbled 85 yards for a defensive touchdown. Just like that, the Dolphins led 7-0. The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. without Jacobs, it was up to Peyton Barber, who ran into the teeth of Brian Flores’s tough defense for no gain. Jon Gruden then lost his mind and decided to go for it on 4th and one. Barber again got the carry and again got blasted for no gain. The Dolphins took advantage of the short field. On 3rd and 5 from the Raiders 29, Brissett hit Waddle for just enough. Brown then raced for a 24 yard touchdown. For the second straight home game, the Raiders trailed 14-0 as the Dolphins were dominating.
Another problem the Raiders faced all game was high snaps from the center when Carr was in the shotgun. Last year the Raiders had the best center in the game in Rodney Hudson. This year before the preseason Andre James was ranked the worst starting center. Carr repeatedly had to jump to catch some high snaps. On 3rd and 10 from their own 35, Carr went to Hunter Renfrow for 25 yards. Yet on the next play a high snap over Carr’s head lead to an intentional grounding penalty and an 18 yard loss. The Raiders finally got a break when punter AJ Cole hit a 49 yard punt that was downed at the Miami one yard line.
With the Raiders offense malfunctioning, the defense got them on the board. Rather than run the ball to create breathing room, Frank reich called for a West Coast Offense sideways pass. Brissett fired to Jaylen Waddle, who would have been better off dropping it. Instead he was tackled in the end zone by Casey Hayward for a safety. The Raiders trailed 14-2 after the first quarter, but Henry Ruggs returned the free kick 15 yards to the Raiders 37. On 3rd and 6 from their own 41, Carr went to Ruggs for 18. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the Miami 25, Carr was sacked for a 7 yard loss. Daniel Carlson bailed the offense out with a 50 yard field goal as the Raiders got within 14-5.
The Raiders got the ball back at their own 5 yard line. Carr hit Barber for 5 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15. Carr then went deep to Ruggs for 23 and hit Darren Waller for 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 29, Carr hit Ruggs for 21 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 4 more yards. On 1st and goal from the 4, Barber gained 2 yards, got belted, and coughed up the football. Fullback Alec Ingold recovered it and gained another yard as the Raiders avoided disaster. At the 2 minute warning, Carr hit Ingold for the quick touchdown pass as the Raiders were right back in it down 14-12. Gruden then made another bad decision by taking timeouts on defense to try and get the ball back. That strategy almost always backfires. A sack of Brissett had the Dolphins facing 2nd and 23 from their own 16. These timeouts should not be taken by the defense until 4th down. Gaskin gained 14 and the Raiders took their last timeout. On 3rd and 9, Brissett gained 10. Brissett ended up moving the Dolphins into position for Sanders to try a 48 yard field goal to end the half. Gruden’s decision backfired but the Raiders dodged a bullet as Sanders dunked the kick off the upright no good.
The Raiders began the third quarter at their own 28 and finally got rolling. Barber gained 14. On 3rd and 6 from their own 46, Carr hit Zee Jones for 15 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. Determined to keep running the ball, Ruggs gained 7 and Barber added 4. Carr hit Foster Moreau for 11, but offensive pass interference on Moreau meant 2nd and 19 from the Miami 22. Carr went to Renfrow for 10. On 3rd and 9, Carr fired to Renfrow again for the 12 yard touchdown. Midway through the third quarter the Raiders had their first lead up 19-14.
The Raiders got it back at their own 16. Barber ran for 19 and 3. Carr then went to Barber for 23 more. Barber then gained another 12. On 3rd and 13 from the Miami 42, Carr went to Waller for 23 yards. The fourth quarter began with the Raiders facing 3rd and 8 at the Miami 17. Carr went to Kenyan Drake for 16 yards down to the one. Barber got in for the touchdown. Yet in another ominous foreshadowing event, Carlson missed the extra point. Last year his missed extra point was the difference in the gut wrenching 26-25 home loss to Miami. This year the Raiders led 25-14. 25 unanswered points had the Raiders in firm control. Now they needed to close the door. The Raiders still do not know how to finish games. After all this time, they just cannot make it easy on themselves. The fourth quarter showed the Raiders at their worst.
With 13 minutes left in regulation, the Dolphins faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Gaskin gained just enough. On 2nd and 7 from the Raiders 48, Brissett scrambled for 19. On 3rd and 4 from the Raiders 23, Brissett was sacked. Sanders hit the 46 yard field goal to get the Dolphins within 25-17. The missed extra point by Carlson meant it was now a one score game again. With 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders offense could not take time off the clock. On 3rd and 3 from their own 32, Carr threw incomplete. After using only 90 seconds, the Raiders punted. The Dolphins soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 33. Brissett went deep incomplete but a mindless roughing the passer penalty by Maxx Crosby gave the Dolphins 15 yards and new life. It was an unnecessary hit well after the ball had been released. The defense redeemed themselves on this drive. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 43, Brown got stopped cold for no gain. With 4 1/2 minutes left, Frank Reich went for it. Brissett got stopped cold. The Raiders defense had come up big. Now the offense needed to close the door.
With excellent field position, the Raiders offense failed and went 3 and out for the second straight drive. Making matters worse, on 3rd and 11, Carr was sacked for a 15 yard loss. This totally shifted field position. AJ Cole again bailed the Raiders out with a 67 yard punt as the Dolphins took over at their own 18 with 3:22 to play and one timeout. With 2:18 left the Dolphins were down to their last gasp facing 4th and 8 from their own 35. One defensive stop would end the game. Instead Brissett hit Davante Parker for 15 at the 2 minute warning. Brissett then went to Matt Gesicki for gains of 10 and 9. On 2nd and 1 from the Raiders 27, Brissett went deep to the end zone into double coverage and drew a defensive pass interference call. Now it was 1st and goal at the one with 1:09 left.
The Raiders defense tried to hang tough Brown was dropped or a one yard loss. Then he was stopped again for no gain as the Dolphins called their last timeout with 35 seconds left. The Raiders were also out of timeouts. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Brissett, got stopped again after a one yard gain as the clock ticked down. On 4th and goal at the one, it was all on the line. Brissett scrambled, evaded tacklers, and made it to the end zone. Only 2 seconds remained. Now the dolphins needed the 2 point conversion to tie the game. Brissett fired to Will Fuller in the front corner of the end zone. The Raiders collapse was pretty much complete. Carlson’s missed extra point for the 2nd straight year loomed large. Yet last year it meant a 26-25 loss. This year the game was tied 25-25. The game was going to overtime.
The Raiders won the toss. After a touchback, Barber gained 6. Carr then hit Ruggs for 16 and went deep to bryan Edwards for a 32 yard gain. A touchdown would end the game. Yet on 2nd and 9 from the Miami 20, Carr threw incomplete twice. Carlson came in for a 38 yard field goal to give the Raiders the lead. Carlson was good and the Raiders led 28-25. The Dolphins would still have a chance to win. Offensive holding and incompletions again had the Dolphins down to their supposed last gasp. They faced 4th and 20 from their own 15. One defensive stop would end the game. Instead Brissett avoided the pressure and hit Gesicki for a 27 yard gain. The Raiders were on the verge of an epic collapse. On 3rd and 7 from their own 45 and the Raiders expecting a pass, Gaskin ran for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 33, a completion by Brissett only gained one yard. The defense finally got a stop, but the Dolphins were in field goal range. Sanders came in for a 50 yard try. Again, the Raiders shot themselves in the foot by failing to close the door. Sanders was good. The only consolation was that the game was tied 28-28. The Dolphins did not win.
The Raiders took over at their own 25 with 2:49 left in overtime. A false start meant 2nd and 15 from their own 20. Carr went deep to Edwards for a 34 yard gain. Barber then gashed the miami defense for gains of 27, 8, one, and on 3rd and 1 from the 10, a critical four yards. Jon Gruden’s stubborn determination to run the football finally broke the stout Miami defense. On 1st and goal at the 6 and the Dolphins out of timeouts, Carr took a knee to center the ball. The Raiders took their last timeout with 3 seconds left. Carlson’s kick would only be 22 yards. Carlson was good and the Raiders had their second straight wild overtime win. Carr was lights out for the 3rd straight game, going 26 of 43 for 386 yards, 2 touchdowns and the early interception. Also of importance is that even without Jacobs, the Raiders rushed for 140 yards. Barber carried 23 times for 111 yards.
It was not pretty for long stretches. It was the epitome of the Al Davis mantra. Just win baby. For the first time since 2002, the Raiders are 3-0. All 3 teams they have beaten won at least 10 games last year. The last time the Raiders started 3-0, they went to the Super Bowl. It is way too early to think that way, but this is a resilient team with character, guts and heart that twice has overcome 14 point deficits to win. Nothing ever comes easy for the Raiders. They got to 3-0 the hard way, the hardest of the hard way. The wins count. 31-28 Raiders, OT
Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings — After blowing a 14 point lead in a stunning loss against Tennessee, the Seahawks looked to rebound against the winless Vikings. The Seahawks again started hot. After a touchback, Russell Wilson hit DK Metcalf for 17. On 3rd and 1 just past midfield, Chris Carson gained 4. on 3rd and 3 from the Minnesota 38, Wilson hit Metcalf for 28 and again for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. The Vikings took over at their own 30. Kirk Cousins hit Mattison for 20, Conklin for 17, and Justin Jefferson for 8 and 10. Cousins went to Conklin for a 7 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7.
The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 7 from their own 28. Wilson hit Swain for 10 and Metcalf for 12 to midfield. Carson ripped off a pair of 8 yard gains. On 2nd and 9 from the Minnesota 33, Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for 9 but an illegal block nullified the play and killed the drive. Jason Myers buried a 53 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Seahawks. The Seahawks got it back at their own 24 to start the second quarter. Swain gained 11. Wilson went to Metcalf for 21. Carson did the rest, rushing for 8, 3, 3, and then a 30 yard touchdown. The Seahawks had a 17-7 lead, but for the second straight week, a double digit lead was squandered through offensive malfunctions and defensive lapses uncharacteristic of the Pete Carroll era.
The Vikings soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 22. Cousins was sacked, but defensive holding kept the drive going. Cousins then hit Mattison for 23 to midfield. From the Seattle 38, Cousins hit Jefferson for 26 and Conklin for 7. On 3rd and 13 from the Seattle 15, Cousins hit Adam Thielen for the touchdown. With 5 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Vikings were within 17-14. The Seahawks moved from their own 21 to a 3rd and 3 at the Minnesota 26. Wilson threw incomplete. Jason Myers then missed a 44 yard field goal try. The Vikings took over at their own 34 with 3:14 left in the half. On 3rd and 1 from their own 43, Ham gained 2 at the 2 minute warning. Mattison then gained 12. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 37, Cousins hit Thielen for 7. On 3rd and 8 from the Seattle 28, Cousins hit Jefferson for 9 and Conklin for 16. With 16 seconds left in the half, Cousins hit Jefferson for the touchdown to give the Vikings the 21-17 lead.
The Vikings have won through most of Mike Zimmer’s tenure with hard-nosed defense. Last year that defense slipped, but this year they seem to have returned. They clamped down and shut out the Seahawks in the second half. Last week Greg Joseph was the goat, missing a 37 yard field goal at the gun in a heartbreaking one point loss. This week Joseph put the game on ice. He hit from 43 in the third quarter and from 34 and 20 in the fourth quarter. Both teams are 1-2 on the year, a big surprise to fans in Seattle. 30-17 Vikings
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams — The Buccaneers are the defending champs, but the Rams beat them last year. This time they met in the new SoFi stadium with Matthew Stafford at quarterback. Each team punted twice and the Rams began their 3rd drive at their own 5. On 3rd and 4 from their own 11, Stafford hit Tyler Higbee for 12, Cooper Kupp for 22, Jefferson for 11, and Higbee for 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa 35, Sony Michel gained 4. The second quarter began as the Rams faced 3rd and 3 at the Tampa 19. Stafford hit Robert Woods for 6. On 3rd and 3 from the Tampa 6, Stafford hit Higbee for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. The 14 play, 95 yard drive took 8 minutes off the clock.
The Buccaneers came back 15 plays, 76 yards and 8 minutes of ball control themselves. On 3rd and 7 from their own 27, Tom Brady hit Bernard for just enough. on 3rd and 6 from their own 38, Brady hit Chris Godwin for 7. On 2nd and 15 from their own 40, Brady hit Mike Evans for 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 34, Jones gained 3. Brady then hit Rob Gronkowski for 26 yards down to the 5. Godwin ran for a 2 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7 with 4 minutes left in the half. After a touchback, Stafford Kupp for 9. On 3rd and 4 from their own 44. Stafford hit Higbee for 11, Jefferson for 21 nd Kupp for 22 down to the 2 with 50 seconds left. Stafford hit Kupp for the touchdown as the Rams led 14-7. The Buccaneers quickly moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 8 at the Rams 37 with 3 seconds left. Ryan Succop came in for a 55 yard field goal try to end the half, but it was no good.
Sean McVay kept his foot on the gas as the Rams scored lightning quick in the third quarter. On 3rd and 10 from his own 25, Stafford went deep to Jackson for a 75 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Rams led 21-7. The Buccaneers soon faced 1st and 15 from their own 20. Brady hit Evans for 20, Gronk for 15, Evans for 11, Gronk for 6, Leonard Fournette for 7 and Cameron brace for 17 down to the one. Brady got the last yard himself to get the Buccaneers within 21-14. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25 again. Stafford went to Woods for 20. On 3rd and 5 rom midfield, Stafford went to Jackson for 40 and to Kupp for the 10 yard touchdown. Midway through the third quarter, the Rams led 28-14.
The Buccaneers then went backward and punted on 4th and 24 from their own 22. A shanked punt went only 15 yards to give the Rams a short field at the Tampa 37. On 3rd and 8 a completion only gained 5 yards. Matt Gay hit the 48 yard field goal to put the Rams up 31-14. After a touchback the Buccaneers soon faced 1st and goal at the 8. Brady threw 3 straight incompletions. Needing 3 scores, Bruce Arians opted for the field goal. Succop hit from 26 as the Buccaneers were within 31-17 after 3 quarters.
In the fourth quarter the Rams played ground and pound. A 13 play, 67 yard drive consumed 8 minutes. Sony Michel ran for 11. Stafford hit Kupp for 17 and 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Tampa 36, Michel got the yard. On 3rd and 2 from the Tampa 27, Stafford hit Jefferson for 10. On 3rd and 4 from the Tampa 11, Stafford hit Kupp for only 3. On 4th and 1 from the Tampa 8, Sean McVay put his emotions aside. A 26 yard field goal would make it a 3 score game. Gay delivered and the Rams led 34-17. The Buccaneers got a garbage touchdown with just over one minute left, no more. The Buccaneers lost their first game this year while the Rams remained 3-0 with a big statement win. Brady was a ridiculous 41 of 55 for 432 yards and one touchdown. It was the first time Brady passed for over 400 yards without an interception and still lost. Stafford was 27 of 38 for 343 yards and 4 touchdown passes. Neither quarterback was intercepted. 34-24 Rams
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers was the Sunday night game. Two years ago the Packers got belted twice in San Francisco, the latter game in the NFC Title Game. The 49ers were injured last year but were healthy this year. After having to play home games in Arizona last year due to Covid, the 49ers were back at Levi Stadium for this game. This time Aaron Rodgers got off to a hot start. The Packers quickly moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 15. then a short pass lost 4 yards and an offensive facemask lost 15 more.Then a run lost 4 more. On 3rd and 33 from the San Francisco 38, a completion only gained 2 yards. Matt LaFleur brought in Mason Crosby, who bailed out the offense with a 54 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Packers.
The Packers got it back at their own 20. Rodgers hit Devontae Adams for 12 and then went deep to marquis Valdes-Scantling for 47. On 3rd and 6 from the Frisco 15, Rodgers hit Adams for 14 and then again for the one yard touchdown. The Packers led 10-0 after the opening quarter. An interception of Jimmy Garoppolo gave the Packers a short field at the San Francisco 32. On 3rd and 4 from the Frisco 6, Rodgers hit Aaron Jones for only 3 yards. Matt Lafleur went for it on 4th and 1 from the 3 and Rodgers threw incomplete. The Packers got it back and soon faced 3rd and 6 from their own 17. Rodgers went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 32 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the San Francisco 44, Rodgers hit Adams for 15 at the 2 minute warning. Rodgers hit Adams for 19. On 2nd and goal at the 3, Jones ran for the touchdown. The Packers were dominating 17-0 with one minute left in the half, but they relaxed too early.
The Cannon took the ensuing kickoff at the goal line and brought it back 68 yards to the Green Bay 32. Garoppolo hit George Kittle for 10 and Mohammed San for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Green Bay 6, Garoppolo threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one with 19 seconds left. Incompletions meant 3rd and goal at the one with 7 seconds left. Kyle Shanahan took Garoppolo out and brought in Trey Lance. Lance got around the end for the one yard touchdown as the 49ers were only down 17-7. The 49ers began the third quarter at their own 17 and soon faced 3rd and 1 from their own 26. Lance came in again for one play and Kyle Juszczyk gained 2. Garoppolo then hit Deebo Samuel for 19. Sermon gained 16. On 3rd and 9 from the Green Bay 24, Garoppolo hit Samuel for 16. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Garoppolo hit Aiyuk for the touchdown as the 49ers only trailed 17-14 midway through the third quarter. The 13 play, 83 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive had the 49ers right back in it.
The Packers took over at their own 14. Rodgers hit Adams for 9, Dillon for 6, Adams for 7. Dillon gained 6 and 2. On 3rd and 2 from the Green Bay 46, Rodgers threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 24 yard gain. Jones gained 12 as the Packers began the fourth quarter at the 49ers 18 yard line. On 3rd and 4 from the Frisco 12, Rodgers hit Valdes-Scantling for the touchdown. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Packers led 24-14 after the 10 play, 86 yard, 6 minute drive. The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 14 from their own 15. Garoppolo threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 35 yard gain. Garoppolo then hit Sanu for 16. Garoppolo hit Juszczyk for 9. Lance came on 2nd and goal at the 3 and threw incomplete, but defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the one. Garoppolo came back in and Sermon got in. Midway through the fourth quarter, the 49ers were again right back in it down 24-21.
The 49ers got it back and moved from their own 26 to a 2nd and 10 at the Green Bay 44. Garoppolo went back to pas and fumbled without being touched. His arms as going forward but he threw the ball backward, so it was a fumble. The Packers took over at the Frisco 38 with a chance to ice the game. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the Frisco 20, Rodgers threw incomplete. Crosby hit the 38 yard field goal to put the Packers up 27-21, but 2:43 still remained.
The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Garoppolo hit Kittle for a 39 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from the Green Bay 36, Garoppolo hit Samuel for 12, Kittle for 12, and Juszczyk for the 12 yard touchdown. with 37 seconds left, the 49ers had the 28-27 lead. Yet 37 seconds was an eternity for Aaron Rodgers, even without a timeout. Rodgers hit Adams for 25 to midfield and then spiked the ball with 20 seconds left. On 3rd and 10 from midfield, Rodgers hit Adams for 17 and everyone raced to the line. Rodgers spiked the ball again with 3 seconds left. The 49ers took their final timeout. The Packers were already out of timeouts. Crosby came in for a 51 yard field goal try as the entire game hinged on his leg. Crosby was good. Rodgers got the monkey off his back and beat the 49ers in San Francisco. Or in Santa Clara. Either way, it was a big road win. 30-28 Packers
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys was the Monday night game. These division rivals were mismatched as the Cowboys went right to work. Dak Prescott went to Schultz and Ezekiel Elliott for a pair of 8 yard gains. Elliott also ran for 9. Prescott then went deep tp Ceedee Lamb for a 44 yard gain down to the one. Elliott got the last yard to put the Cowboys up 7-0. On the first play after a touchback, Jalen Hurts connected with Dallas Goedert for a 38 yard gain. Yet 2 plays later Hurts went deep and his under thrown ball was intercepted by Brown at the one yard line. 2 plays later Prescott was sacked in his own end zone and fumbled. Cox recovered in the end zone for a defensive touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Cowboys moved from their own 25 to a 4th and goal at the one. Mike McCarthy went for it. Rather than run a West Coast Offense play, McCathy actually did the right thing and had Prescott keep it. However, Prescott got stopped cold by the Eagles defense.
The Cowboys got the ball back at midfield and Tony Pollard ran for 6, 5 and 7. Prescott hit Schultz for 12 and again for a 19 yard touchdown. The Cowboys led 14-7 after the first quarter. The Cowboys got it back in the second quarter and faced 3rd and 7 from their own 38. The defense jumped offside. On 3rd and 2, Prescott hit Schultz for 8. Elliott ran for gains of 9 and 8. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 26, Prescott hit Jarwin for 5. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Elliott got in. The extra point was no good but the Cowboys led 20-7 after the 13 play, 85 yard, 8 minute drive. After the third quarter touchback, it was more of the same. Hurts started with a 28 yard completion to Goedert. Then he hit Diggs for a 59 yard touchdown. Problem: Diggs plays for the Dallas defense. His interception at the sideline had him practically coasting the distance as the Cowboys led 27-7.
The Eagles tried to make a game of it. On 3rd and 8 from their own 12, Hurts went deep to Watkins for 41 yards. Hurts then ran for 9 and then hit Zac Ertz for 27. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 3, Hurts hit Ertz for the touchdown . The 90 yard drive had the eagles within 27-14 midway through the third quarter. The Cowboys came back 61 yards in 12 plays and over 6 minutes to turn out the lights. From his own 39, Prescott hit Amari cooper for 13. On 3rd and 5 from the Philly 43, Prescott hit Schultz for 11. Elliott ran for gains of 4 and 8. On 3rd and goal at the 12, a completion only gained 7. However, the defense jumped offside. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Prescott gained only 5. Despite getting stopped earlier, Mike McCarthy again gambled on 4th and goal from the 2. Prescott hit Cedric Wilson for the touchdown and the 34-14 Cowboys lead with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, the Eagles moved to a 4th and 10 at their own 43. Hurts was sacked for a 12 yard loss. With a short field from the Philly 31, the Cowboys put the dagger in. On 3rd and 1, Prescott hit Schultz for the 22 yard touchdown to make it 41-14 Cowboys. The Eagles got a garbage touchdown and no more. 41-21 Cowboys