THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

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NFL 2019 Week 15 Recap

New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens is the Thursday night game. Sometimes a below average team can go on the road and shock a great team in an upset for the ages. This was not that game as the 11-2 Ravens handled business easily. Baltimore took over at their own 16. Lamar Jackson hit Hurst for 19 and ran for 20 himself. Jackson hit Snead for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Jets 16, Mark Ingram gained 5. Ingram ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. The Jets moved from their 36 to a 1st and 10 at the Baltimore 32. A run gained one yard, Sam Darnold threw incomplete twice, and Sam Ficken missed a 49 yard field goal try. From their own 39, Ingram ran for 29, Jackson added 25, and Jackson hit Boykin for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Ravens. The extra point was no good. The Jets tried to make a game of it, taking over at their own 37. On 3rd and 9 from midfield to start the second quarter, Darnold went deep to Jamison Crowder for a 41 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Darnold hit Crowder for the touchdown. The Jets were only down 13-7, but after that Baltimore took over.

After a touchback, Ingram ran for 7, Jackson added 12, and Edwards added 4. A defensive pass interference penalty on a bomb went for a 43 yard gain down to the one. It took 5 tries due to penalties on both teams, but Jackson hit Mark Andrews for the one yard touchdown and Ingram ran in the 2 point conversion to make it 21-7 Ravens. The Jets moved from their own 26 on a 13 play, 67 yard, 8 minute drive. At the 2 minute warning, Adam tase went for it on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 7. Darnold threw incomplete. The Jets got it back at the Baltimore 41 with one minute left in the half. From the Baltimore 25, Darnold went deep and the last chance for the Jets to make a game of it ended with an interception at the 5 yard line. Midway through the third quarter the Jets took over at their own 15. On 3rd and 8 from their own 35, Darnold was sacked and fumbled. The Ravens recovered at the Jets 24. Jackson went deep to Brown for the 24 yard touchdown to make it 28-7 Ravens. Baltimore got it back and a possibly overconfident John Harbaugh went for it on 4th and 1 from his own 29. Out of the shotgun, Jackson went deep to Andrews for a 36 yard gain. On 2nd and 20 from the Jets 33, Jackson went deep to Seth Roberts for the touchdown and a 35-7 Ravens lead. The Jets did get a s special teams touchdown in the fourth quarter on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, but the onside kick failed and a short field led to a 10 yard touchdown pass to Ingram to make it 42-13 Ravens. The Jets got one more garbage touchdown. After his third game this year with 5 touchdown passes, Jackson took a seat and backup Robert Griffin III took some snaps. The 12-2 Ravens as of now are still the top AFC seed and can win home field throughout the playoffs with one more win in their final two games. 42-21 Ravens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions — Jameis Winston continues to complete passes to both teams. Early on he was intercepted, but the Buccaneers held on defense. The Bucs took over at their own 21 and Winston hit Brate for 9, Brad Perriman for 22, and Watson for 5. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 36, Winston gained 2 and then went deep to Perriman for a 34 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got it back at their own one yard line. On 3rd and 6 from their 5, Winton went to Miller for 11, deep to Godwin for 51, and then deep to Miller for the 33 yard touchdown. 99 yards the easy away made it 14-0 Buccaneers. In the second quarter the Buccaneers took over at their own 33. From their own 44, Winston hit Ogunbowale for 13 and Godwin for 20. On 3rd and 15 from the Detroit 25, Winston went to Perriman for the touchdown to make it 21-0 Buccaneers as Matt Patricia contemplated where he’d be applying for work next year. 

The Lions tried to make a game of it. Matt Parater hit a 44 yard field goal with just over 3 minutes left in the half to get the Lions on the board. Matt Gay answered form 46 early in the third quarter to make it 24-3 Buccaneers. After a touchback, Blough hit James for 11 and 13 and Kenny Golladay for 5. On 3rd and 10 from their own 48, Blough went deep to Danny Amendola for a 46 yard gain. On 3rd and goal from the one, Hills got in to get the Lions within 24-10. The Lions got it back and faced 3rd and 1 at their own 22. Blough went deep to Golladay for 26 and deep again to Lacy for a 48 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, Hills got in again on the first play of the fourth quarter to get the Lions within 24-17. Midway through the fourth quarter, Gay missed a 54 yard field goal that would have given the Buccaneers some breathing room. The Lions moved from their 44 to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 32 looking to tie the game. Blough was sacked for a 3 yard loss. With 5 minutes remaining on 2nd and 13, Blough was intercepted by Bunting, who returned it 70 yards the other way to put the game on ice with the Buccaneers up 31-17. After the Lions turned it over on downs at their own 46, Winston on 3rd and 7 threw a 25 yard touchdown pass to Perriman to complete the blowout. The Lions added one more fumble for good measure. Winston has his critics, but on this day his 458 yards and 4 touchdowns did not come during garbage time. His only interception came early in the game. He played well. 38-17 Buccaneers. 

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins — The 6-7 Eagles came in actually tied for the NFC Least lead. In the first quarter the Eagles moved from their own 5 yard line on a staggering 16 play, 88 yard drive that took over 7 1/2 minutes. Despite 2nd and goal at the 7, Carson Wentz threw incomplete twice. Elliott hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. 12 seconds later the Redskins had the lead. After a touchback, a short pass from Dwayne Haskins to McLaurin went for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Redskins. The Eagles got it back and faced 2nd and 8 at their own 27. Wentz threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 yards. Wentz went to Dallas Goedert for 16 yards. Penalties had the Eagles facing 2nd and 22 from the Washington 26. Wentz threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant 15 yards and another first down. Another offensive penalty had the Eagles facing 1st and 20 at the Washington 31. On 2nd and 12 from the Washington 23, Wentz hit Goedert for 9 and on 3rd and 3 went to Ward for 6. Sanders ran for 7 and then for the one yard touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive and make it 10-7 Eagles. Again after a touchback Washington responded. Defensive pass interference added 14 yards. Haskins went to Sims for 19. Adrian Peterson ran for 13. A sack was wiped away by defensive holding. Peterson ran for 14 more. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Haskins hit Sims for the score to make it 14-10 Redskins midway through the second quarter. 

The Eagles in the third quarter faced 2nd and 8 from their own 36. Wentz threw incomplete, but yet another roughing the passer penalty added 15 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Washington 48, Wentz hit Zach Ertz for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Washington 29, Scott gained 3. On 3rd and 5 at the Washington 21, Wentz hit Scott for 5, Goedert for 6, and after a false start, Sanders for the 15 yard touchdown to put the Eagles back in front 17-14. The 12 play, 66 yard drive took 6 minutes off the clock. The Redskins after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Peterson gained 10. On 3rd and 1 from the Philly 37, Haskins got around the end for 23 yards. Peterson ran for 4 and then for the 10 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 21-17 Redskins. The Eagles soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Sanders got around the end for a 56 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Wentz hit Ertz for the score as the Eagles led 24-21 with 10 minutes left in regulation. Sims returned the ensuing kickoff 41 yards to the Washington 45. Haskins hit McLaurin for 22. Hopkins drilled a 53 yard field goal for a 24-24 game midway through the fourth quarter. 

The Eagles took over and soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33 with 6 1/2 minutes left. Wentz was sacked and fumbled. The Redskins took over at the Philly 34. On 4th and 1 from the Philly 25 with 5 minutes left, Bill Callahan was not in a gambling mood. Hopkins hit the 43 yard field goal to make it 27-24 Redskins. After a touchback came the thrilling finish. On 3rd and 5 from their on 30, Wentz hit Ward for 13. Scott caught a pass for 6 and ran for 6 more. Wentz went to Goedert for 20 and Ward for 13 and 10. With 30 seconds left in the game, the Eagles had 1st and goal at the 4. Wentz hit Ward for the touchdown as the Eagles led 31-27. Sims returned the ensuing kickoff 30 yards to the Washington 31 with 18 seconds left. Haskins hit Harmon for 17 and Thompson for 10. With 13 seconds left the Redskins had 1st and 10 at the Philly 42, well in Hail Mary Range. Yet a shotgun snap was fumbled at midfield. Bradham picked it up and returned it 47 yards for a defensive touchdown exclamation point. The 7-7 Eagles are very much alive in the NFC Least as they find ways to win ugly in the final moments. 37-27 Eagles

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers — The 10-3 Packers came in one game up in the NFC North but one game back in the overall NFC. Early on the Bears punted on 4th and 19 from their own 16. A short punt followed by a catcher interference penalty on Chicago had the Packers starting at the Chicago 35. On 4th and 4 from the 29, Matt Lafleur decided to go for it rather than try a 47 yard field goal. Aaron Rodgers went deep to Devontae Adams for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Bears managed a 30 yard Eddie Pineiro field goal just past the 2 minute warning, but this was a game about the Green Bay defense. In the third quarter the Packers took over at their own 27. Rodgers went to Adams for 34 yards and ran for 17 more himself. Aaron Jones then ran for a 21 yard touchdown as the Packers led 14-3. The Bears after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Green Bay 32. Mitchell Trubisky was sacked for a 2 yard loss and Matt Nagy went for it on 4th and 6. Trubisky threw incomplete. The Packers faced 3rd and 4 at their own 40. Rodgers went deep to Kumerow for 49 yard and Adams for 9 more. Jones ran for the 2 yard touchdown as the Packers were safely ahead 21-3.  

The Bears tried to make a game of it in the fourth quarter. They moved from their own 16 to a 3rd and 6 at the Green Bay 9. Trubisky threw incomplete. Needing 3 scores, on the first play of the fourth quarter Matt Nagy opted for the field goal. Pineiro hit from 27 to get the Bears within 21-6. Chicago got it back at their own 33. Trubisky hit Robinson for 9 and Anthony Miller for 17. On 3rd and 15 from the Green Bay 41, Trubisky only gained 8 but defensive holding meant an automatic first down. On 3rd and 7 from the Packers 25, Trubisky hit Robinson for 15. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Trubisky hit Miller for the score. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Bears were only down by 8. They had 3 more chances with the ball. With 6:40 to play, Trubisky was intercepted to set up the Packers at the Chicago 33. With 5 minutes left the Packers had 3rd and 4 at the Chicago 27, in easy field goal range for the clinching field goal try. Rodgers was sacked for an 11 yard loss and the Packers punted. The Bears mood from their own 5 yard line to a 1st and 10 just past midfield. Trubisky then threw 4 straight incompletions with 1:51 left. Chicago’s defense held again and the Bears got it back at their own 22 with 36 seconds left. With 9 seconds left from the Green Bay 34, Trubisky threw a Hail Mary. It bounced off the fingers of the defenders and then bounced off the fingers of the receiver in the back of the end zone. The Bears almost had it. One second still remained. This time the Bears went for the hook and laterals. It was working. Trubisky hit Cohen for 13, back to Trubisky for 5 more, then to Horsted for 9 all the way to the Green Bay 7. Then big man with football coughed it up and a scramble ensued. The Packers recovered at their own one yard line. It was typical ugly NFC North Black and Blue football, but the 11-3 Packers got the win. 21-13 Packers. 

New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals— The Patriots do cheat, but does anyone think they could possibly gain a competitive advantage by spying on the Bengals? What could they possibly learn? After a touchback, Tom Brady immediately went to James White for 22 yards. Sony Michel gained 8 and 12. Harry gained 10. Brady went to White to make it 7-0 Patriots barely 3 minutes into the game. After a touchback, the Bengals rammed it on the ground. Joe Mixon ran for 2, 7, 3 on 3rd and 1, 2, and then 29. Bernard ran for 17, 4 and 3. On 3rd and 3 from the 8, Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw his first pass of the entire drive. He hit Carter for the touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Bengals got it back at their 35. Mixon gained 13 and 5 and Dalton hit Tyler Eifert for 19. Despite 1st and 10 at the New England 17, a false start ended the drive. Bullock hit the 34 yard field goal as the Bengals had the surprising 10-7 lead after the first quarter. Then reality set in. 

In the seconds quarter the Patriots moved from their own 25 to a 4th and 4 at the Cincy 35. Bill Belichick decided to go for it rather than try a 53 yard field goal. Brady threw incomplete. The Bengals moved from their own 35 to a 4th and 1 at the Patriots 30. The Bengals also went for it and Mixon got stuffed. The Patriots then moved from their own 31 to a 4th and 4 at the Cincy 22. This time Belichick opted for the field goal. Nick Folk hit from 40 for a 10-10 deadlock with 4 minutes left in the half. With 90 seconds left in the half, the Bengals fumbled a punt and the Patriots recovered at the Cincinnati 23. These are the plays that cause the Patriots to win games and the Bengals to lose games. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the Cincy 21, Brady was sacked for a 7 yard loss. Folk drilled the 46 yard field goal with 5 seconds left in the half to make it 13-10 Patriots. The third quarter began with the Bengals facing 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Dalton was intercepted at his own 43. Brady hit LaCosse for 6, Sony Michel for 14, and on 3rd and goal, Harry for the 7 yard touchdown in the back of the end zone to make it 20-10 Patriots. The Bengals moved from their own 12 to 1st and 10 at the Patriots 36. Dalton hit Mixon for 6 more, but an ineligible man downfield instead made it 1st and 15 from the Patriots 41. On the next play a short sideline pass saw Stephan Gilmore jump the route  and glide 64 yards the other way. The defensive touchdown had the Patriots comfortably ahead 27-10. The Bengals did manage a field goal but the onsides kick failed and the short field gave the Patriots another touchdown. At 11-3 the Patriots are one step closer to a first round bye but still trail in the race for home field advantage throughout. 34-13 Patriots. 

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans — These 8-5 teams came in tied for the AFC South lead and play each other twice in the last 3 weeks. Early on the Texans moved from their 26 to a 2nd and 7 at the Titans 20. Deshaun Watson went to the end zone and was intercepted. The Titans moved from their own one yard line to a 2nd and 7 at the Houston 27. Ryan Tannehill threw incomplete twice. Ryan Succop’s 45 yard field goal try was blocked. In the second quarter the Titans moved from their own 24 to a 1st and goal at the 5. Tannehill was intercepted by Mercilus at the 2 yard line. Mercilus was merciless, returning the interception 86 yards to the Tennessee 12. Watson then went to Kenny Stills for the touchdown as the Texans led 7-0. The Texans got it back at their own 28. From the Titans 45, a 6 yard completion saw a 15 yard facemark call added on. On 3rd and 2 from the Titans 16, Watson went to Stills for the score as the Texans led 14-0 with just over 3 minutes left in the half. 

The Titans began the third quarter facing 3rd and 5 at their own 29. Tannehill hit AJ Brown for 9 yards. On 3rd and 3 from their own 45, Tannehill hit Smith for 11. On 3rd and goal at the one, Henry got stopped. Mike Vrabel decided to go for it. After 15 plays, 76 yards and 9 1/2 minutes, it came down to 4th and goal at the one. Tannehill got around the end and got in to get the Titans within 14-7. The Titans moved from their own 36 to 2nd and goal at the 4. In a game of big defensive stops, Watson went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The Titans began the fourth quarter facing 2nd and 3 at their own 27. Smith got around the end for a 57 yard gain. Tannehill went to Brown for a 5 yard touchdown. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the game was tied 14-14.

The Texans took over at their 25. From their 36, Watson went to Deandre Hopkins for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Titans 27, Watson gained 12, with defensive holding adding 5 more. Carlos Hyde ran for the 10 yard touchdown to put the Texans back in from 21-14 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Houston got it back at their own 9 yard line. On 3rd and 1 from their 18, Hyde gained 2. Watson then went deep to hopkins for 35 yards.  and again for 25 more. Kaimi Fairbairn hit a 29 yard field goal with 3 1/2 minutes left to give the Texans some breathing room up 24-14. After a touchback, Tannehill did what he could. He hit Smith for a pair of 5 yard gains and then for 23, Sharpe for 12, Davis for 19 and Lewis for the 11 yard touchdown. The Titans were within a field goal at the 2 minute warning. Tennessee got it back with 17 seconds left at their own 12. Tannehill was sacked to end the game. Houston’s big road win put them at 9-5 and dropped Tennessee to 8-6. The rematch is in 2 weeks in the season finale in Houston. 24-21 Texans

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers — The 10-3 Seahawks came in one game back in the NFC West. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Chris Carson gained 23 yards. Russell Wilson hit Tyler Lockett for and CJ Prosise for a pair of 10 yard gains. Carson ran for 6 and then for the 16 yard touchdown to make it 6-0 Seahawks. The extra point dunked off the upright no good. Seattle got it back at their own 20. From their 30, Wilson went deep to Lockett for 44 yards and to DK Metcalf for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 13-0 Seahawks. 

After that the Panthers finally got going. On 2nd and 11 from their 24, Kyle Allen hit Samuel for 12 and Christian McCaffrey ran for a pair of 13 yard gains and then 5 and 4. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 29, Moore gained 10. On 3rd and goal from the one, McCaffrey got in to get the Panthers within 13-7 only one minute into the second quarter. Yet Seattle kept rolling. On 2nd and 18 from their own 17, Wilson went deep to Josh Gordon for 58 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Carolina 19, Wilson was sacked and fumbled. However, defensive offsides kept the drive going. On 2nd and 15 from the Carolina 19, Wilson went to Lockett for the touchdown to make it 20-7 Seahawks. A hideous third quarter saw the Panthers kick a field goal to get within 20-10. 

Allen was intercepted, then Wilson was intercepted, and then Allen was intercepted again. The Seahawks managed the answering field goal to lead 23-10 after three quarters. The Seahawks began the fourth quarter at their own 18. Carson ran fro 15 and Wilson hit Lockett for 20. On 3rd and 9 from the Carolina 46, Wilson went to Metcalf for 17 and Brown for 9. On 4th and 1 from the Carolina 6 midway through the fourth quarter, Pete Carroll went for the kill shot. Carson got in to make it 30-10 Seahawks. After a touchback, Allen mounted a furious rally. He hit McCaffrey for 4, Moore for 9, Thomas for 11, Hogan for 13, and Moore for 15. McCaffrey ran for a 15 yard touchdown to get the Panthers within 30-17 with 5 minutes left. 30 seconds later the Panthers got it back at their own 16 after taking their timeouts on defense. Allen Moore for a pair of 22 yard gains and then for 17 more, McCaffrey for 18, and on 3rd and goal, Curtis Samuel for the 5 yard touchdown. The Panthers were within 6 with 3:14 to play. With 2:21 left on 3rd and 11 from their own 24, Wilson hit Lockett for 14 yards. At the 2 minute warning on 2nd and 9 from the Seattle 39, Carson gained 10 and Wilson took a couple knees. It was scary at the end, but with the win the Seahawks moved to 11-3 but still in the wild card slot. 30-24 Seahawks

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs — The Chiefs made it look easily early on in a game with snow falling at Arrowhead. From their own 21, a roughing the passer penalty added 15 yards. Patrick Mahomes then hit Sammy Watkins for 10, Robinson for 13, and Tyreek Hill for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 6-0 Chiefs. Due to miserable weather conditions, the extra point snap was fumbled and the try never got off the ground. The Chiefs mounted two long drives in the second quarter that bogged down inside the Denver 10 yard line. Harrison Butker kicked field goals of 23 and 24 yards for a 12-0 Chiefs lead. Denver did move after a touchback to a 4th and 1 at the Chiefs 48. Needing a spark Vic Fangio went for it. Rather than ram it up the gut, Drew Lock went for it all and hit Nick Fans for a 43 yard gain to set up 1st and goal at the 9. Yet a run lost 5 yards and Lock threw incomplete twice. Brandon McManus hit the 32 yard field goal to get the Broncos on the board, but the Chiefs came back again. From their own 21, Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 12, 17, and 39. Despite 1st and 10 at the Denver 21 with 37 seconds left, Mahomes threw incomplete twice and on 3rd and 10 was sacked for a 5 yard loss. With 2 seconds left Butker came in for a 44 yard try. The kick was good as the Chiefs led 15-3 at the break. The Chiefs looked to quickly put the game away in the third quarter from their 25. Mahomes went to Kelce for 9 and Hill for 7. On 3rd and 4 from their own 43, Mahomes went to Hill for 12, Kelce for 16, Bell for 11, Kelce for 10, and Hill for the 5 yard touchdown. Mahomes went to Watkins for the 2 point conversion to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive. In heavy snow, the final 21 minutes were scoreless. At 10-4, the Chiefs still have an outside shot at a 1st round bye, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. 23-3 Chiefs

Miami Dolphins at New York Giants — The 3-10 Dolphins faced the 2-11 Giants in a game that league officials said would not be canceled. In the second quarter, the Dolphins moved from their own 11 to a 2nd and 9 at the Giants 47. Ryan Fitzpatrick went to Gesicki for 6, to Wilson on 3rd and 3 for 21, and to Parker for the 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The Giants responded quickly. On 3rd and 10 from their own 25, a defensive pass interference call on an incomplete pass added 24 yards. Eli Manning then went deep to Golden Tate for a 51 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. With 90 seconds left in the half, an interception of Manning set up the Dolphins at the Giants 28. Yet on 4th and 1 from the Giants 6 with 47 seconds left, Brian Flores took no chances. Sanders hit the 24 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Dolphins. The third quarter began with the Giants at their own 30. Manning went to Slayton for 26, to Saquon Barkley for 6, to Latimer for 21, and to Slayton for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Giants. A hideous third quarter saw the Dolphins facing 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Fitzpatrick gained 5 but fumbled the ball away at their own 33. On 3rd and 1 from the Miami 24, Manning was intercepted by Baker, who returned it 34 yards just shy of midfield. Despite 2nd and 6 from the Giants 29, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete twice. Sanders hit the 47 yard field goal to get the Dolphins within 14-13. 

Miami got it back but a good punt pinned them at their own 3. A false start meant 1st and 11 from their 2. Laird was tackled in the end zone for a safety to make it 16-13 Giants. That was the turning point in the game. Scott returned the free kick 34 yards to the Miami 40. Manning went to Shepard for 15 and 24 down to the one. Barkley got in for the score to make it 23-13 Giants. The Giants got it back at their own 34. Barkley gained 6 and 4. Manning went to Shepard for 24 yards. Barkley ran for 8, 7 and the 10 yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it 30-13 Giants. With 6:40 left and the Dolphins having to go for it on 4th and 12 from their own 44, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. Javorious Allen ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 36-13 Giants as 22 straight points turned a close game into a blowout. Nobody piles up garbage yards and points like Ryan Fitzpatrick, as the Dolphins got a garbage touchdown. With the win, Giants fans will complain that they blew it by losing a spot in the 2020 NFL Draft. 36-20 Giants

Jacksonville Jaguars at Oakland Raiders — The final Raiders home game in the history of Oakland had the team emotional. At 6-7 after a 3 game losing streak, they needed a miracle to make the playoffs. Yet winning their final ever game in the Black Hole had to happen. The Jaguars were a total mess, and they had the 30th ranked rushing defense. The Raiders had Josh Jacobs back from a one game injury. If ever there was a game the Raiders could win, this was it. With Raiders legends past and present on hand, the Raiders did what they could. In the first half Derek Carr was 14 of 23 for 221 yards passing and one touchdown. Gardner Minshew was 3 of 10 for 69 yards, with most of that coming on one play. The Jaguars had one first down in the entire first half. The Jaguars had 10 total yards rushing and 75 total yards. The Raiders had early 300 yards of total offense. The Raiders had the ball for over 21 minutes compared to less than 9 minutes for the Jaguars. The Raiders had only one penalty for 5 yards. It was total Silver and Black domination everywhere except where it mattered…on the scoreboard.  

After a touchback to start the game, John Gruden pounded the rock. Jacobs ran for 8, 1, and on 3rd and 1, 6. Derek Carr hit Deandre Washington for 9 and Darren Waller for 10. On 2nd and 9 from the Jacksonville 40, Carr found Tyrell Williams, who blasted through a would-be tackler and coasted in for the touchdown. The Raiders led 7-0 only 3 1/2 minutes into the game, but all their yards would not get them in the end zone the rest of the half. The Jaguars soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Gardner Minshew went deep to Cole for a 55 yard bomb. That one play was more than 2/3 of what would be the entire yards Jacksonville would gain in the first half. On 3rd and 9 from the Oakland 13, Minshew only gained 3. Josh Lambo hit the 28 yard field goal to get the Jaguars within 7-3. They would not have another first down the entire rest of the half. Daniel Carlson hit field goals of 33 in the first quarter and 34 and 27 in the second quarter, the last one coming to end the half. The Raiders led 16-3 at halftime, but missed opportunities in the red zone prevented this from being a blowout. The end result was inevitable.

The Jaguars in the third quarter held the ball for 8 1/2 minutes on a 14 play, 59 yard drive. From their own 16, they moved to a 4th and 1 at the Oakland 36. Doug Marrone went for it and the Raiders had 12 men on the defense. On 3rd and 9 from the Oakland 32, Minshew hit Conley for 18. On 3rd and 9 from the Oakland 13, Minshew was sacked for a 12 yard loss. Lambo hit a 43 yard field goal to get the Jaguars within 16-6. The Raiders punted on 4th and 21 from their own 35 with 11 minutes left. The Jaguars took over at their own 21. Minshew hit Devalve for 11. On 3rd and 8 from the Jacksonville 34, Minshew only gained 6 but the Raiders jumped offsides. On 4th and 1 from their own 41, Doug Marrone had to go for it. One defensive stop would end it. Leonard Fournette was hit in the backfield but gutted ahead. He still appeared short but was given a first down by half a football length. The spot was not challenged. With 5:15 to play, Minshew hit Conley for the touchdown. The Jaguars only trailed 16-13. The entire world knew what was going to happen to the Raiders, but the way it happened was still shocking.

They moved from their own 30 to the Jacksonville 43. Carr ran for a 12 yard gain and pumped his fist. The clock should have ticked down to the 2 minute warning. Then the refs who have hated the Raiders since the arrival of Al Davis struck again. The Tuck Rule was bad. This was a knife in the heart. Officials ruled that Carr slid out of bounds, even though replay clearly showed his knee inbounds. John Gruden was not allowed to challenge the call. tHE raiders were also charged with a delay of game. So instead of 2:00 left and 1st and 10, it was 2:05 and 1st and 15. Jacksonville was gifted an extra timeout on this horrendous all. With 1:52 left the Raiders had 3rd and 11 from the Jags 32. The Raiders had to run the ball. Instead Carr threw incomplete. Carlson came in for a 50 yard field goal try to make it a 6 point game. He was no good, but the Raiders got a gift when Jacksonville ran into the kicker. Given another chance from 45 yards out, Carlson was no good again. The end of this game was inevitable.

From the Jacksonville 35, Minshew hit Board for 8 and ran for 8. Minshew hot Fournette for 11 and Conley for 21. An incompelte pass was nullified by a very questionable roughing the passer penalty. With 34 seconds left, it came down to 3rd and goal at the 4. Did anyone think the heartless Raiders defense would get a stop? Gardner hit Minshew for the score and the collapse was complete. With 13 seconds left from their own 17, a defensive pass interference call put the ball at midfield for a 33 yard gain. With 8 seconds left from the Jags 40, Carr’s Hail Mary was knocked down. With 2 seconds left, the final Hail Mary was also knocked down incomplete. Oakland finished with a heartless effort in the most meaningful Raiders game since Al Davis died in 2010. Jon Gruden must fire defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. Gruden and Mike Mayock must fix the pass defense, especially the secondary. To the refs who hate the guts of the #RaiderNation, we hate your guts too. It’s not a conspiracy when it’s actually happening. The Raiders had the game stolen from them, but they can blame themselves for being 6-8 and out of the playoffs. 20-16 Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers — The 9-4 Vikings came in one game back of Green Bay in the NFC North. Minnesota began facing 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Kirk Cousins hit Kyle Rudolph for 5 yards and again for 21 more. Cousins hit Stephan Diggs for another 10. On 3rd and 6 from the Chargers 16, Cousins threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. On the next play Cousins hit Smith for the touchdown to make it 6-0 Vikings. The extra point was no good. The Chargers moved from their own 15 to a 2nd and 4 at the Minnesota 23. A run went nowhere and Philip Rivers then threw incomplete. Mike Badgley hit the 41 yard field goal to get the Chargers within 6-3. The Chargers got the ball back at their own 4 yard line. From their 11, Melvin Gordon fumbled and the Vikings took over at the same spot. The Chargers held Minnesota to a 26 yard dan Bailey field goal and a 9-3 Vikings lead on the first play of the second quarter. The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 28. Rivers went to Keenan Allen for 19. A sack of Rivers had the Chargers facing 2nd and 19 at their own 38. Rivers hit Williams for 11 and on 3rd and 8 Allen for 14. Rivers then went to Austin Ekeler for 27 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Rivers went to Williams for the touchdown. The Chargers led 10-9 but after that Mike Zimmer’s defense pounded the Chargers into the ground.

The Vikings moved from their 25. On 3rd and 7 from their own 42, Cousins went to Adam Thielen for 13 yards and Dalvin Cook for 11 more. On 3rd and 7 from the Chargers 26, Cousins threw incomplete. Bailey hit from 44 to make it 12-10 Vikings. The teams traded interceptions and the Chargers moved from their 43 to a 2nd and 2 at the Minnesota 26 with 23 seconds left in the half. Even a field goal would give the Chargers the lead. Rivers was sacked for a 10 yard loss and fumbled. Odenigbo picked it up and rumbled 56 yards for a defensive touchdown as the Vikings led 19-10 at the intermission. in the third quarter a Chargers fumble led to a Bailey field goal of 38 yards. Bailey hit again from 27 to have the Vikings up 25-10. The Chargers moved from their own 23 to a 4th and 2 at the Minnesota 35. Anthony Lynn went for it and Rivers went to Hunter Henry for 24 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 7, Rivers was sacked for a 3 yard loss as the third quarter ended. Then came a false start. Then Rivers threw incomplete. The Vikings began the fourth quarter at their own 15. Cousins went to Rudolph for 22. on 3rd and 14 from their own 46, Cousins went deep to Diggs for 46 yards. On the next play Boone ran for the 8 yard touchdown. with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Vikings led 32-10. One play after a touchback, a short completion was fumbled and the Vikings recovered at the Chargers 10 yard line. Boone ran for 3, 5, and on 3rd and goal got the 2 yard touchdown to make it 39-10 Vikings. 

Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals — The Cardinals began at their own 10. Kenyon Drake ran for 16 and 13 sandwiched around a Kyler Murray completion to Drake for 9. Murray then went to Larry Fitzgerald for a pair of 16 yard gains and then for 10 more. Drake ran for the 5 yard touchdown as the 10 play, 90 yard  5 minute drive had the Cardinals up 7-0. The Browns moved to the Arizona 20 but Baker Mayfield went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. The Cardinals began the second quarter facing 1st and 10 at their own 33. Murray got around the end for a 35 yard gain. On 3rd and 14 from the Cleveland 36, Murray hit Cooper for 17 and Clay for 18 down to the one. Drake got in to make it 14-0 Cardinals. 

The Browns took over and after a delay of game faced 2nd and 15 at their own 12. Mayfield went to O’Dell Beckham for 17 and Ratley for 12. Nick Chubb did the rest, running for 6, 17, 3, and then the 33 yard touchdown to get the Browns within 14-7. A quick interception of Murray had the Browns taking over at the Arizona 28. On 3rd and 2 form the Arizona 20, a truck play of laterals lost 6 yards. Austin Seibert hit the 44 yard field goal to get the Browns within 14-10. The Cardinals got it back at their own 13. Murray and Byrd combined on a 51 yard gain. On 4th and 1 from the Cleveland 26, Klff Kingsbury went for it. Drake gained 3 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 14, Murray gained 7. Murray hit Arnold for the 6 yard touchdown with 30 seconds left in the half. The 11 play, 87 yard drive had the Cardinals up 21-10. After a touchback to start the third quarter, the Browns faced 3rd and 4 at their own 36. Mayfield went to Karim Hunt for just enough. Chubb then ran for 12 and 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 41, Mayfield ran for 4 with defensive holding adding 5 more. Chubb then ran for 29 down to the 3. Mayfield hit Seals-Jones for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Browns within 21-17. 

The Cardinals took over at their own 39 and Murray hit Byrd for 17, Kirk for 15, and Byrd for 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Cleveland 22, Murray threw incomplete. Arizona challenged the call, and it was reversed to defensive pass interference and 1st and goal at the one. On the next play Drake ran it in to make it 28-17 Cardinals after three quarters. The Browns moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 3 at the Arizona 27 with 12 minutes left in regulation. Needing 2 scores, Freddie Kitchens opted for the 45 yard field goal try. It was no good. After that the Cardinals turned out the lights. The Cardinals took over at their own 35. From their 38, Murray hit Byrd for 7. Drake ran for 12 and 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Cleveland 36, Murray went to Kirk for 10. Drake ran for 9 and then the 17 yard touchdown to make it 35-17 Cardinals. One play after a touchback, Mayfield went to Seals-Jones for 26 yards but Seals-Jones fumbled and the Cardinals recovered. Zane Gonzalez hit a 21 yard field goal to make it 38-17 Cardinals. The Browns did get a garbage touchdown on a 91 yard drive, but needed 19 plays to do it. 38-24 Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers — The 11-2 49ers entered one game ahead of Seattle, Green Bay and New Orleans in the NFC, and Green Bay and Seattle won earlier in the day. In the first quarter the 49ers took over at their own 12 yard line. On 3rd and 1 from their own 21, Mostert ran for 7 and 8, Matt Breida added 9, and Samuel gained 8 more. On 4th and 1 from the Atlanta 36, Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Greg Kittle for 5 yards. On 3rd and 19 from the Atlanta 40, Garoppolo threw incomplete but a roughing the passer call meant 15 more yards and more downs. The second quarter began with the 49ers facing 3rd and 1 at the Atlanta 16. Garoppolo gained 3. On 3rd and 4 from the Atlanta 7, Garoppolo hit Kittle for 5. Mostert ran for the 2 yard touchdown to cap what may be the drive of the year. 21 plays. Yes, 21 plays. 88 yards. Nearly 11 minutes. The 49ers led 7-0 but the Falcons finally got moving. On 3rd and 4 from their own 36, Matt Ryan hit Julio Jones for 28 yards and again for 9. On 3rd and 2 from the Frisco 23, Ryan hit Austin Hooper for 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Frisco 11, Matty Ice went to Jones for 6 and then again for the 5 yard touchdown as Jones made a gorgeous toe-tap in the end zone to make it 7-7. The rest of the half was a slugfest. Koo hit a 43 yard field goal for the 49ers. With one minute left in the half the Falcons had 2nd and goal at the 3. A run lost a yard and Ryan threw incomplete. Robbie Gould hit from 22 as the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked 10-10.  

In the third quarter the 49ers took over at their own 37.  Garoppolo was sacked but roughing the passer added 15 yards. Robbie Gould hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 13-10 49ers. With 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Falcons fumbled a punt and the 49ers recovered at the Atlanta 2 yard line. Garoppolo hit Juszczyk for the touchdown. The extra point was no good as the 49ers led 19-10. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Ryan hit Jones for just enough. On 3rd and 5 from the Atlanta 40, Ryan hit Jones for 15. From the Frisco 33, Ryan threw deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 32 yard gain and 1st and goal at the one. Ollison got in to get the Falcons within 19-17 with 5:15 to play. The 49ers after a touchback tried to run out the clock. At the 2 minute warning, the 49ers faced 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 28. Garoppolo hit Kittle, who fumbled but retained possession for a 3 yard gain. On 4th and 1 at the Atlanta 25 with 1:52 to play, Kyle Shanahan opted for the field goal. Gould hit from 43 but the 49ers only led 22-17. 

Now it was time for a finish that would scramble the entire NFC upside down. From the Atlanta 30 with 1:42 left, Ryan hit Freeman for 13, Gage for 8, and Jones for 25. Ryan ran for 9. With 30 seconds left on 3rd and 1 from the Frisco 15, Ryan went to Jones for 10. With 8 seconds left and 2nd and goal at the 5, Ryan went to Hooper for the touchdown. The Falcons celebrated but on further review, the call was reversed incomplete. Unlike Oakland, San Francisco gets every single call. With 5 seconds left, Ryan hit Jones at the goal line. Officials ruled Jones was short, but replay clearly showed that Jones broke the plane of the goal. On further review, the call was reversed. For the first time in decades, San Francisco did not get the call. With 2 seconds left, the Falcons led 23-22. On the ensign kickoff, the hook and laterals were fumbled and returned for another touchdown. An Absolute shocker dropped the 49ers to 11-3. Just like that, they are no longer the top seed. They are tied with Seattle but Seattle has the tie-breaker. The 49ers if the playoffs ended today would be a wildcard and have to win on the road. In 1995, the defending champion 49ers needed a win over lowly Atlanta to secure home field throughout the playoffs. They led 21-6 and somehow lost 28-27. They lost home field and were knocked out in the wildcard round. 24 years later we shall see if history repeats itself. 29-22 Falcons

Los Angeles Rams at Dallas Cowboys — Despite the Rams being 8-5 and the Cowboys being 6-7, Dallas was actually in a better playoff position because of the woeful NFC Least. Midway through the first quarter the Cowboys faced 3rd and 3 at their own 17. Ezekiel Elliott gained 4 yards. On 3rd and 9 from their own 34, an interception of Dak Prescott was wiped away by offsetting penalties. On the next play Prescott went Amari Cooper for 19 and Jason Witten for 9. Elliott ran for 9 and Pollard added 8. On 3rd and 10 from the Rams 19, Prescott went to Witten for the touchdown. The 15 play, 90 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive had the Cowboys up 7-0. The Rams soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Jared Goff hit Robert Woods for 5 yards and then went to Reynolds for 28 more as the first quarter ended. On the first play of the second quarter, Goff went to Tyler higgle for 26 more. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Goff hit Todd Gurley for the score to make it 7-7. After that Dallas took over the game.

After a touchback, Elliot ran for 15 and Prescott went deep to Teryl Austin for a 59 yard touchdown to put the Cowboys up 14-7. Dallas got the ball back at their own 3 yard line and then delivered a backbreaking drive. On 3rd and 4 from their own 9, Prescott went to Jarwin for 20. Elliott gained 8 and 2. Pollard ran for 25 and Prescott hit Jarwin for 20. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 7, Jason Garrett decided to go for it. Prescott gained 2. On 3rd and goal at the one at the 2 minute warning, Elliott got in to make it 21-7 Cowboys. The Rams soon faced 2nd and 15 at their own 20. Goff was intercepted by Sean Lee, who returned it 25 yards to the Rams 9. With 30 seconds left in the half on 3rd and goal at the 7, Prescott threw incomplete but defensive illegal use of hands meant 1st and goal at the 3. On the next play Elliott got in to have the Cowboys up 28-7 at halftime. A pointless second half saw Kai Forbath hit field goals of 50 in the third quarter and a pair of 42 yarders in the fourth quarter to put the Cowboys up 37-7. The Rams got a pair of garbage touchdowns sandwiched around another Cowboys touchdown. Jason Garrett is the new Wayne Fontes. Every time he is about to get fired, he wins. 44-21 Cowboys 

Buffalo Bills at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday night game. The 9-4 Bills took on the 9-5 Steelers in a game that had playoff implications for both of them. This was an old-school barefisted slobberknocker. A shanked 22 yard punt had the Bills taking over at the Pittsburgh 40. On 4th and 6 from the Pittsburgh 36, Sean McDermott decided to go for it rather than try a 54 yard field goal. Josh Allen hit Brown for 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 18, Singletary ran for 3 and then 14 down to the one as the first quarter ended. The second quarter began with Allen getting the last yard to make it 7-0 Bills. The Steelers moved from their 28 to the Buffalo 28, but a run lost 3 yards and Devlin “Duck” Hodges threw incomplete twice. Chris Boswell hit a 49 yard field goal to get the Steelers within 7-3. The Steelers began the third quarter at their own 31. Hodges went to Johnson for a 29 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 31, Hodges hit Gentry for 4. James Conner ran for 17 and caught an 11 yard touchdown pass from Hodges as the Steelers took the 10-7 lead. Late in the third quarter on 1st and 10 from the Buffalo 43, Hodges was intercepted by White, who returned it 49 yards to the Pittsburgh 18. The fourth quarter began with the Bills facing 3rd and 2 at the Pittsburgh 10. Allen got just enough. Despite 1st and goal at the 8, three straight runs all went for losses. Steve Hauschka hit the 36 yard field goal with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation for a 10-10 tie. 

With 10 minutes left the Bills took over at their own 30. Allen went deep to Brown for a 40 yard gain. Singletary gained 15. The Bills fumbled but retained possession. On 3rd and 9 from the Pittsburgh 14, Allen went to Kroft for the touchdown as the Bills led by 7 midway through the fourth quarter. With 5:13 to play Pittsburgh took over at their own 19. Hodges hit Johnson for 4 and 10 and Vannett for 7. With 3:10 to play on 3rd and 1 from the Pittsburgh 42, out of the shotgun Hodges went deep to Washington for a 32 yard gain. On 3rd and 20 from the Buffalo 36, Hodges hit Vannett for 13 yards. It all came down to 4th and 7 from the Buffalo 23 at the 2 minute warning. Hodges went to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. Pittsburgh took their timeouts on defense and a short 31 yard punt gave the Steelers the ball back at their own 43 with 90 seconds left. A mindless offensive holding penalty on Buffalo before the punt stopped the clock and preserved 40 seconds for the Steelers. Two defensive penalties on Buffalo including a facemark gave Pittsburgh 20 free yards and kept stopping the clock. With 39 seconds left the Steelers had 1st and 10 at the Buffalo 26. Yet on the next play Hodges was sacked for an 8 yard loss. The clock kept ticking down to less than 15 seconds. From the Buffalo 34, a desperate Hodges again went into the end zone, again found double coverage, and again was intercepted for a touchback with 6 seconds left. The Bills got to 10-4 and clinched a playoff birth but remain one game back of New England in the AFC East. The Bills have a showdown at New England in 6 days on a special edition of Saturday Night Football. The 8-6 Steelers can still make the playoffs with a win in either of their final two games, but both will be on the road. This was the biggest win for Buffalo in some time. 17-10 Bills

Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints was the Monday night game. The Colts at 6-7 are collapsing, and they played like it. The 10-3 Saints are in Super Bowl or bust mode and they played like it. This game was over by halftime. In the first quarter the Colts punted on 4th and 19 at their own 39. It was partially blocked to set up the Saints at the Indy 33. Wil Lutz hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 10. Drew Brees went to Michael Thomas for 23 and Latavius Murray for 10. The second quarter began with the Saints facing 3rd and 2 at the Indy 37. Brees threw incomplete but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 11 from the Indy 33, Brees went to Jared Cook for 18 and to Thomas for the 15 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Saints. The Saints followed up the 12 play, 90 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive with a 10 play, 85 yard, 6 minute drive. On 3rd and 1 from their own 24, Line got the yard. Brees then went to Thomas for 24 and Murray for 10. Brees threw a 21 yard touchdown pass to Treyquon Smith to make it 17-0 Saints. The Saints then moved 80 yards in 10 plays at the end of the half. They went from their own 12 to 1st and goal at the 6 until the Colts defense finally got a stop. Lutz hit from 26 to end the half with the Saints up 20-0. The second half was pointless. In the third quarter the Saints went 75 yards in 12 plays and 8 minutes. Brees hit Josh Hill for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 27-0 Saints. The Saints got it back at their own 49 and Brees threw a 28 yard touchdown pass to Taysom Hill to make it 34-0 Saints. Brees had a game for the ages. He completed 29 of 30 passes. You read that correctly. One incompletion. 307 yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. The 11-3 Saints are one of four teams tied for the top record in the NFC. The Colts got a fourth quarter garbage touchdown to avoid the shutout. 34-7 Saints

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/oakland-farewell-nfl-2019-week-15-preview-and-bettors-guide-125224/

This is when the big dogs come out!

NFL 2019 Week 14 Recap

Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears was the Thursday night game. A pair of 6-6 teams fighting for their playoff lives fought it out, but only one team really showed up. The Cowboys began the game with a mind-numbing 17 play, 75 yard drive that took 9 minutes. Runs and short passes led to a 3rd and 11 at the Chicago 26. Dan Prescott hit Jarwin for 12 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Chicago 12, Prescott hit Michael Gallup for 9. Ezekiel Elliott ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The Cowboys led 7-0, but in the second quarter the Bears took over.

A field position game in the second quarter led to a punt that pinned the Cowboys at their own one. They punted from their 6 and the Bears took over just shy of midfield. On 3rd and 9 from midfield, Mitchell Trubisky threw incomplete but the defense jumped offsides. On 3rd and 4, Trubisky went to Tariq Cohen for 6 yards and then the Holtz for a 30 yard gain. Trubisky hit Allen Robinson for the 5 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. The Bears got it back again in excellent field position at their own 46 yard line. Montgomery ran for 11 and 20. Eddie Pineiro hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Bears. A key play in the game came with 5 minutes left in the half when Brett Maher missed a 42 yard field goal that would have tied the game. With the Bears facing 3rd and 6 at their own 36, Trubisky gained 7 yards. On 3rd and 2 just past midfield, the Cowboys jumped into the neutral zone. On 1st and 15 from the Dallas 29, Trubisky hit Miller for 21. With 10 seconds left in the half, the Bears faced 3rd and goal at the 8. Trubisky hit Robinson for the touchdown to make it 17-7 Bears. The 14 play, 68 yard nearly 5 minute drive was enhanced when the Bears in the third quarter marched 84 yards in 11 plays and over 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 2 from their own 24, Trubisk ran for 9. On 3rd and 9 from their own 34, Trubisky went to Cordarelle Patterson for 33 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Dallas 19, Trubisky threw incomplete, but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On the next play Trubisky hit Miller for the 14 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Bears.

The Cowboys tried to mount a fourth quarter rally. A Chicago fumble led to the Cowboys facing 4th and 3 at the Chicago 47 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. Prescott hit Gallup for 21 and 15. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Dallas faced 4th and 1 at the Chicago 2. Elliott got the first down and the touchdown to get the Cowboys within 24-14. However, the ensuing kickoff went out of bounds to put the Bears at their own 40. From the Dallas 45, Trubisky went to Robinson for 22 and then ran for a 23 yard touchdown himself to quickly make it 31-14 Bears. The Cowboys did move from their own 7 to a 4th and 4 at the Chicago 48, where Prescott threw incomplete. Midway through the fourth quarter the Cowboys took over at their own 15. Prescott went to Gallup for 24 and again for 26. Prescott went to Amari Cooper for a 19 yard touchdown to get the Cowboys within 31-21. However, the 10 play 85 yard drive left only 4 1/2 minutes in the game. With 1:50 left and needing 2 scores, The Cowboys took over at their own 10 yard line. With 20 seconds left, they reached the Chicago 48. Prescott went to Randall Cobb for 35 yards, but only 8 seconds remained. Maher hit the 31 yard field goal, but the onside kick failed. Roger Staubach is long retired. There would be no Hail Mary. The Bears at 7-6 alive while the Cowboys at 6-7 are still atop the horrendous NFC Least. Jerry Jones is getting angry, and no one in Dallas is going to be spared Jerrah’s wrath unless his boys turn it around fast. 31-24 Bears

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons — After nearly a decade, the Panthers took the field without the recently fired Ron Rivera. From their own 26, Matt Ryan moved the Falcons by hitting Gage for 14. On 2nd and 21 from the Carolina 46, Ryan hit Calvin Ridley for 11. On 3rd and 10, Ryan hit Devontae Freeman for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Carolina 19, Ryan threw incomplete. Koo hit form 37 to make it 3-0 Falcons. Joey Slye answered from 46 in the second quarter for a 3-3 game. From the Atlanta 26, Ryan hit Hooper for 18 and Julio Jones for a 38 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Carolina 15, Ryan hit Ridley for the touchdown to make it 10-3 Falcons with 5 minutes left in the half. The Panthers took over at their own 13 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. Kyle Allen hit Christian McCaffrey for 10 and Moore for 39 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Atlanta 30, McCaffrey gained 6. Allen hit Wright for 15 and Thomas for a one yard touchdown for a 10-10 game with one minute left in the half. 

After a touchback, that was enough time for Ryan to hit Ridley for a pair of 16 yard gains and Hardy for 19. Koo hit a 35 yard field goal to put the Falcons up 13-10 at the break. The Panthers fumbled a punt in the third quarter to set up the Falcons at the Carolina 46. Ryan went to Julio Jones for 15 and 7. Freeman ran for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Falcons. The play of the game came when the Falcons got it back at their own 5. On 3rd and 8 from their own 7, Matty Ice went for it all and found Zaccheus for a 93 yard touchdown that lit up the home crowd and put the Falcons up 27-10. A Panthers fumble then led to Koo hitting from 29. An interception of Allen led to Koo hitting from 50 to turn a close game into a blowout with the Falcons leading 33-10 after three quarters. Carolina did manage another field goal in the fourth quarter, but a failed onsides kick set up the Falcons at the Carolina 42. Hill ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it a carpet-bombing with the Falcons up 40-13. Carolina got a garbage touchdown. 40-20 Falcons

Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The 6-6 Colts still have a shot at the playoffs. The Buccaneers took over at their own 25. From their 35, Jameis Winston was intercepted by Leonard, setting up the Colts at midfield. On 3rd and 6, Jacoby Brissett went deep to Johnson for a 46 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 30. On 3rd and 11 from their own 40, Jameis Winston went to Ogunbowale for 8 yards, but Ogunbowale fumbled and the Colts recovered at the Bucs 48. Newly acquired Chase McLaughlin hit the 50 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Colts.

After 2 consecutive turnovers, the Buccaneers settled down. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Pierre Barber gained 2. On 3rd and 6 from the Indy 45, Winston hit Brad Perriman for 31 yards and Brate for 13 down to the one. Winston got in himself to complete the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive to get the Buccaneers within 10-7. 30 seconds later the Buccaneers got it back at their own 39. Only 9 seconds after that, the Buccaneers had the 14-10 lead as Winston went deep to Mike Evans for the 61 yard 

touchdown.

The second quarter was even wilder. A 19 yard punt return had the Colts at the Tampa 47. On 3rd and 1 from the Tamps 38, Jacoby Brissett ran for 6. On 4th and 1 from the Tampa 11, Frank Reich decided to go for it. Brissett gained 9 and Marlon Mack ran for the 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-14 Colts. Winston moved the Buccaneers from their 25 to a 3rd and 10 at the Colts 23. Winston was intercepted by Leonard, who returned it 80 yards the other way for a defensive touchdown and a 24-14 Colts lead with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half.

The Bucs faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34 when Winston hit Howard for 8 at the 2 minute warning. Winston then went to Ogunbowale for 6 and 17, and to Brate and Watson for a pair of 11 yard gains. On 3rd and 10 from the Indy 13, Winston hit Watson for just enough. Winston then hit Brate for the 3 yard touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 24-21 with 38 seconds left in the half. After a touchback, Brissett went deep to Johnson for 50 yards with roughing the passer adding 13 more. With 13 seconds left on 4th and 1 from the Tampa Bay 3, Frank Reich decided to go for it with 13 seconds left in the half. Brissett gained 2 but by the time the Colts called timeout, only 3 seconds remained. On 1st and goal at the one, the aggressive Reich went conservative McLaughlin hit the 19 yard field goal as the Colts led 27-21 at the intermission. In the third quarter the Colts took over at their own 24. Mack ran for 13 with defensive unnecessary roughness adding 15 more. On 3rd and 12 from midfield, Brissett hit Zach Pascal for 37 yards. On 3rd and 9 at the Tampa Bay 12, Brissett went to Pascal for the touchdown and again for the 2 point conversion to make it 35-21 Colts. 

Back in 2006 in the Tony Dungy Bowl, his new team the Colts trialed his old team the Buccaneers 35-14 with 5 minutes left in regulation. Peyton Manning led a miracle comeback for a 38-35 Colts victory. Dungy is long retired, but this time it was the Buccaneers trying mount a comeback down by 14. At least they had 21 minutes to work with. After a touchback,Winston hit Jones for 9, Howard for 33, Godwin for 11, and Watson for a 17 yard touchdown. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter the Buccaneers were within 35-28. With the Colts facing 4th and 1 at their own 34, Frank Reich was not taking any chances. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 19. On 3rd and 6 from their own 23, Winston hit Watson for 13 as the third quarter ended. A 27 yard completion to Howard gave the Buccaneers 1st and 10 at the Indy 26. Winston then threw 3 straight incompletions. Matt Gay hit the 44 yard field goal to get the Buccaneers within 35-31 with 13 minutes left in regulation. 

The fourth quarter became a blunder bowl. The Colts moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 6 at the Tampa Bay 21, aided by a 45 yard defensive pass interference call. Brissett hit Hines for 5 yards, but Hines then fumbled and the Buccaneers took over at their own 13. Two plays later Winston was intercepted again, and Hooker returned it 13 yards to the Bucs 25. Mack was blown up in the backfield for a 5 yard loss. On 3rd and 15, a completion gained only one yard. Adam Vinatieri was out injured this game, so it was up to McLaughlin to hit the 47 yard field goal to put the Colts up by 7. The kick was no good. The Buccaneers took over at their own 37 and Winston went to Perriman for a 27 yard gain. With 5 minutes left on 3rd and 1 from the indy 15, Barber costa yard. On 4th and 2 from the 16, Winston hit Ogunbowale for 4 and Perriman for the 12 yard touchdown. 17 straight points had the Buccaneers up by 3 with 3:50 to play. After a touchback, it all came down to 4th and 2 at midfield with 1:56 left. Brissett threw incomplete. Barber ran for an 11 yard gain as Winston took 3 knees to end it. The once 5-2 Colts are now 6-7 and in dire straits. As for Bruce Arians and his 6-7 Buccaneers, you get the best and worst of Winston all in the same game. Winston was 33 of 45 for a ridiculous 456 yards and 4 touchdowns, but also with 3 interceptions. Yet Winston led them to a win, and the NFL is a bottom line business. This game was the exact same score of the 2006 Dungy Bowl, only in reverse. 38-35 Buccaneers

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets — The Dolphins embarked on a  mind-numbing 16 play, 92 yard drive that took over 8 minutes. Yet they came up 4 yards short of the end zone. Sanders hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. The Jets took over at their own 26. Powell gained 11 and 8. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 45, Sam Darnold hit Robbie Anderson for 8 yards as the first quarter ended. Darnold went back to Anderson for a 26 yard touchdown to make it 6-3 Jets. The extra point was no good. A quick interception of Fitzpatrick set up the jets at the Miami 44. Sam Ficken hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 9-3 Jets. Miami again moved the ball well on a 10 play, 67 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Again the drive bogged down deep as Fitzpatrick threw incomplete on 3rd and 4 from the Jets 6. Sanders hit the 25 yard field goal to get the Dolphins within 9-6. The Jets soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 22. Darnold went deep to Anderson for 39 yards and to Crowder for 17 more. Darnold then went to Thomas for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 16-6 Jets with 1:55 left in the half. 

Fitzpatrick then had a pass intercepted by Burgess, who returned it 49 yards for a defensive touchdown. However, defensive holding on Burgess nullified the score. The Dolphins moved from their 25 to a 2nd and 4 from the Jets 10 with 30 seconds left in the half. For the third time the Dolphins came up short as Fitzpatrick threw incomplete twice. Sanders hit the 28 yard field goal as the Dolphins trailed 16-9 at the half. In the third quarter the Dolphins moved into the red zone again. For the fourth time, they settled for a 31 yard Sanders field goal as the Dolphins trailed 16-12. An interception of Darnold gave the Dolphins gift field position at the Jets 23. On 3rd and 3 from the 16, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. 5 red zone trips meant 5 field goal tries. This time from 34, Sanders was no good. The Jets moved from their 20 to a 2nd and 1 at the Miami 14. Montgomery got stopped and Darnold threw incomplete. Adam Gase went for it on 4th and 1 and Powell got stopped. In the fourth quarter Sanders kicked field goals of 53 and 47 as the Dolphins led 18-16 on the strength of 4 straight field goals and 6 of 7 field goals overall from Sanders. 

Yet with 4 minutes left Ficken hit a 42 yard field goal to put the Jets back up 19-18. After a touchback, Fitzpatrick went to Ford for 16, Hurns for 6, and Ford for 12. On 1st and 20 just shy of midfield, Fitzpatrick hit Hurns for 15 at the 2 minute warning and then hit Laird for 21. Like every other Miami drive on the day, this one stalled. With 1:33 to play, Sanders came in for a 37 yard field goal try. For the 7th time in 8 tries, Sanders was good to give the Dolphins BlackJack and a 21-19 lead the hard way. After a touchback, a short pass from Darnold to Smith went for 37 yards. With 47 seconds left, the play of the game came with the Jets facing 3rd and 18 at the Miami 46. Darnold threw incomplete, and pass interference on the defense was not called. Yet the officials reviewed the play under the new rule, and it was reversed to defensive pass interference and an 8 yard gain and an automatic first down. Brian Flores exploded in anger but was helpless to stop the inevitable. Darnold hit Montgomery for 12 more yards. With 4 seconds left, Ficken came in for a 44 yard field goal try. with everything on the line, Ficken was good. Sanders’s career day was wasted as Flores kept screaming at the officials after the game. 22-21 Jets

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints — A battle of 10-2 teams saw the Saints go right to work from their own 27. Drew Brees hit Alvin Kamala for 9 yards and Latavius Murray run for 8 more. On 3rd and 2 from their own 45, Brees hit Michael Thomas for 5. From midfield, Brees went to Taysom Hill for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Frisco 38, Brees went deep to Jared Cook, who broke a tackle and completed the 38 yard touchdown to put the Saints up 7-0 only 3 1/2 minutes into the game. After a touchback, Jimmy Garoppolo went to Emanuel Sanders for 19 yards and again for 31 more. Garoppolo then found Deebo Samuel for 25. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Garoppolo fired over the middle to Kevin Bourne for the touchdown for a 7-7 game.  

Harris returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the Saints 46. On 3rd and 9 from the Saints 47, Brees hit Ted Ginn for 12. From the San Francisco 26, Brees went to Cook, who made a leaping catch in the end zone for the touchdown. A personal foul for a hit to Cook’s head and neck area caused Sean Payton to try for a 2 point conversion instead of kicking. A run by Hill fooled nobody has the Saints led 13-7. A sack of Garoppolo had the 49ers punting on 4th and 21 from their own 14. Harris got a crack of daylight and returned it 25 yards to the San Francisco 29. On the first play of the second quarter, Brees found a wide open Hill in the flat for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 20-7 Saints. 

14 seconds later the 49ers were right back in it. After a touchback, Garoppolo went bombs away to Sanders, who caught it at the Saints 25 yard line. Sanders quickly realized that he had not been touched, so he got up and made it to the end zone for a 75 yard touchdown. Just like that, the 49ers were down 20-14. The Saints took over at their own 16. Brees went to Thomas for 7 and Murray ran for 6. Brees hit Ginn for 10 and Kamara added 17 more on the ground. A short pass from Brees to Murray saw Murray tightrope the sideline while ignoring tacklers for a 30 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Kamara only gained one yard. Sean Payton decided to go for it on 4th and goal at the one. Brees took the quarterback sneak over the top for the touchdown. The 49ers entered with the league’s top defense, but it was the Saints who led 27-14. 

Only 3 plays after a touchback, the 49ers were in the end zone again. Garoppolo went to Samuel for 21. Mostert ran for 19. Kyle Shanahan went to the bag of tricks. Garoppolo handed off to sanders, who lateraled the ball to Sanders. As Sanders was falling down, he threw a duck to a wide open Mostert, who strolled in for a 35 yard touchdown to get the 49ers with 27-21 with 6 minutes left in a wild first half. The Saints faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34 but a run by Hill lost 6 yards. The 49ers defense finally got a stop and got it back at their own 20. On 3rd and 10 Garoppolo went to Greg Kittle for 20. Matt Breida ran for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the 23, Garoppolo handed to Juszczyk, who just before getting belted lateraled the ball to Mostert, who ran for 18 yards. After a false start, Mostert ran for a 10 yard touchdown as the 49ers had their first lead of the game up 28-27 due to the failed 2 point try. 

In the third quarter an interception of Garoppolo set up the Saints at the Frisco 40. the defense held but Wil Lutz drilled a 55 yard field goal to make it 30-28 Saints. On their next series Kamala fumbled and the 49ers took over at the Saints 20. Garoppolo went to Juszczyk for 16 and to Kittle for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 35-30 49ers. The Saints moved from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the 49ers 41. Sean Payton went for it and Hill gained 5 yards. Yet on 2nd and 4, Brees threw incomplete twice. Lutz hit from 48 as the Saints were within 35-33. With one minute left in the third quarter the Saints prepared to punt on 4th and 18 from the Frisco 45. Sean Payton called a fake punt and it didn’t work as Hill threw incomplete. On 3rd and 7 from their own 48 Garoppolo was sacked but defensive holding kept the drive going. On 3rd and 6 from the Saints 43, Garoppolo went to Bourne for just enough. On 3rd and 5 from the Saints 32, Garoppolo went to Sanders for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Saints 14, a completion only gained 2 yards but defensive unnecessary roughness meant 1st and goal at the 6. Garoppolo hit Bourne for the touchdown. With 9 minutes left in the game, the 49ers turned 13 deficit into a 9 point lead up 42-33. They had out-scored the Saints 28-6 during that stretch.

Needing 2 scores and facing 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Brees was sacked. Yet defensive holding on Richard Sherman kept the drive going. Brees then went deep to Thomas for 49 yards. On 2nd and 15 from the Frisco 21, Brees went to Thomas for the score. With 6 minutes left the Saints were within 42-40. The 49ers after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Saints 19 with 2 1/2 minutes left. Kyle Shanahan did what Kyle Shanghai does: He loves pass plays when you’re supposed to run the ball. It’s how he lost the Super Bowl with Atlanta. Garoppolo was sacked for an 11 yard loss. Gould hit the 41 yard field goal to put the 49ers up 45-40, but 2:23 still remained as the Pinball Wizard Brees took over at his own 24. This instant classic for the ages was far from over.

From his own 24, Brees went to Smith for 11, Thomas for 11 more, Ginn for 25, and Thomas for 5. On 3rd and 5 from the Frisco 24, Brees threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant 6 yards and a new set of downs. On the next play Brees went to Tre-Quan Smith for the 18 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion throw was incomplete but the Saints led 46-45 with 53 seconds left. With 39 seconds left, the 49ers faced 4th and 2 at their own 33. The fate of both teams hung on one play. Garoppolo completed a short pass to Kittle, who dragged defenders down the sideline for a 39 yard gain. A defensive facemark added 14 more yards. With 2 seconds left, on 3rd and 8 from the Saints 12, Gould came in for a 30 yard field goal try. The kick was good. The 11-2 49ers regained their place atop the NFC for the moment, while the 10-3 Saints saw their Super Bowl or Bust season take a hit. 48-46 Saints

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings — The 8-4 Vikings entered one game back in the NFC North. From the Minnesota 18, Kirk Cousins hit Conklin for 11. Dalvin Cook gained 9 and 4. From the Detroit 46, Cousins hit Stefan Diggs for 14 and Cook for 10. Cousins hit Johnson for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Vikings. In the second quarter the Vikings moved from their 35 to a 3rd and 1 at the Detroit 4. Ham got stopped. Mike Zimmer went for it, but a false start killed that try. Dan Bailey hit the 27 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Vikings. With 1:10 left in the half, Matt Prater missed a 45 yard field goal that would have gotten the Lions on the board. With 40 seconds left in the half the Vikings faced 3rd and 2 at their own 43. Cousins hit Diggs for 10 and then went deep to Diggs for a 44 yard gain. Cook got the final 3 yards as the Vikings took a 17-0 lead to the locker rooms. The uneventful second half saw the Vikings tack on a fourth quarter field and the Lions get a garbage touchdown just before the two minute warning to avoid the shutout. The Vikings are Mike Zimmer tough, winning with running and hard-nosed defense. 20-7 Vikings

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans — Drew Lock won his first NFL start last week but now faced off against the 8-4 Texans who led the AFC South by one game. The Broncos took over at their own 8 yard line and Lock connected with Nick Fans for a 48 yard line and Beck for 29 more. On 3rd and 12 from the Houston 14, Lock went to Fant for the touchdown and the 7-0 Broncos lead. The Texans moved from their own 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 37. Deshaun Watson went to Coutee for 8 yards, but Coutee fumbled and Attaochu recovered for Denver. Attaochi lateraled to Jackson, who raced 70 yards the other way for a defensive touchdown and a 14-0 Broncos advantage. Denver got it back at the start of the second quarter facing 3rd and 9 at their own 21. Lock went deep to Patrick for 37 yards and to Booker for 25 more. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 8, lock went to Heuerman for the touchdown as the Broncos led 21-0 in front of a shell-shocked home crowd in Houston. 

Kaimi Fairbairn finally got the Texans on the board with a 54 yard field goal, but the Broncos kept rolling. Brandon McManus hit a 36 yarder to make it 24-3 Broncos. At the 2 minute warning, Bill O’Brien gambled with the Texans facing 4th and 1 at their own 34. Watson threw incomplete. Lock hit Cortland Sutton for 11. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 7, Lock threw incomplete but defensive holding meant 1st and goal at the 3. Lock hit Freeman for the touchdown as the Broncos led 31-3. A 33 yard kickoff return with 5 more tacked on had the Broncos starting the third quarter at their own 43. On 3rd and 6 from the Houston 48, Lock went to Fant for 23 and Sutton for 10. Lock hit Sutton for 8 yards down to the one and Philip Lindsay got the last yard as the Broncos were winning a laugher 38-3. Lock finished a lights out 22 of 27 for 309 yards and 3 touchdowns with one interception. The Texans piled up a ton of garbage time yards and points, but 3 touchdowns were still not enough when they needed 5 of them. The final score looked almost respectable but the game was a blowout. Either Drew Lock is the second coming of John Elway or the Texans were hung over after their emotional win over New England last week. Bill O’Brien’s press conference will be a contentious one. 38-24 Broncos

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills — The 10-2 Ravens took on the 9-3 Bills in a potential battle for the top spot in the AFC. Buffalo was only one game back in the AFC East as well. A short 35 yard punt had the Ravens taking over at the Buffalo 45. John Harbaugh pounded the rock down Buffalo’s throat, but on 2nd and 4 from the Buffalo 12, Hill lost 6 yards. Jackson’s only pass on the drive on 3rd and 10 was incomplete. Justin Tucker hit the 36 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Ravens. In the second quarter the Bills faced 3rd and 8 at their own 33. Josh Allen was sacked and fumbled and the Ravens took over at the Buffalo 24. Again the Ravens kept it on the ground. A 13 yard run by Jackson led to a 3rd and goal at the 3. The only pass on the drive was Jackson hitting Boyle for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Ravens. The Bills tried to make a game of it as Steve Hauschka hit field goals of 36 and 47 to get the Bills within 10-6 at the half. After a touchback to start the third quarter the Ravens struck quickly. Jackson went deep to Hurst for a 61 yard touchdown to make it 17-6 Ravens. Hauschka hit a third field goal from 47 to get the Bills within 17-9. 

The fourth quarter began with a shanked 29 yard punt giving the Ravens the ball just shy of midfield. Jackson ran for 10. A roughing the passer call a couple plays later added 15 more. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 7 out of the wildcat, Ingram took the direct snap 3 yards. Jackson hit Willie Snead for a 4 yard touchdown to put the Ravens comfortably in front 24-9 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Bills took over at their own 22. Allen went deep to Knox for a 37 yard gain. Singletary then broke free for a 38 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Allen hit Cole Beasley for the score to get the Ravens within 7 points midway through the fourth. Buffalo held on defense and got the ball back at their 28 with 5 1/2 minutes left. With 2:49 to play the Bills had 3rd and 4 at the Baltimore 32. Allen was sacked for a 12 yard loss. On 4th and 16 Allen threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference meant a 26 yard gain at the 2 minute warning. After a pair of incompletions, the Bills were down to 4th and 8 from the Baltimore 16 with one minute left. Allen threw incomplete again. Jackson did not have his best game statistically against Buffalo’s tough defense. He was 16 of 25 for 145 yards with 40 more on the ground. Yet he also threw for 3 touchdowns with one interception. Buffalo at 9-4 is still in strong playoff position as a wildcard while the 11-2 Ravens are still as of now the top seed in the AFC. 24-17 Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns — The Bengals got their first win last week while the 5-7 Browns needed to win out to have a shot at the playoffs. From their own 25, Red Rifle nay Dalton hit Boyd for 21 and 14. On 3rd and 3 from the Cleveland 6, Dalton threw incomplete and got called for intentional grounding. Bullock hit the 34 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bengals. Baker Mayfield was then intercepted, but the Bengals soon faced 3rd and 23 from their own 48. Dalton gave it right back with an interception by Ward, who returned it 61 yards for a defensive touchdown. The Dawg Pound was rocking as the Browns led 7-3. The Bengals responded and moved from their 24 to a 3rd and 7 at the Cleveland 18. Yet a sack of Dalton ended that drive. Bullock hit from 44 to get the Bengals within 7-6. Mayfield was intercepted again as the Bengals began the second quarter at their own 43. From the Cleveland 46, Dalton hit a 29 yard completion and then found Boyd for 16 down to the one. Joe Mixon got in to make it 13-7 Bengals.

The Browns soon faced 3rd and 19 at their own 16. Mayfield went to Landry for 20 and to Hunt for another 29. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Mayfield ran for the touchdown himself as the Browns took a 14-13 lead to the locker rooms. In the third quarter the Browns soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Nick Chubb gained 7 and then ripped off a 57 yard gain. Karim Hunt ran for the 3 yard touchdown as the Browns led 21-13.  The Bengals then embarked on a staggering 16 play, 76 yard drive that took 7 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 4th and 1 from the 3, the Bengals went for it and Mixon got the yard. Yet on 1st and goal at the 2, a sack of Dalton and a pair of incompletions had the Bengals settling for a 28 yard Bullock field goal to trail 21-16. Austin Seibert answered from 53 to put the Browns up 24-16. 

The Bengals began the fourth quarter from their own 24 and had a 16 play, 74 yard drive that ate up 8 minutes. On 3rd and goal from the 4, Dalton threw incomplete. The Bengals went for it and on 4th and goal Dalton only gained 2 yards. A game of long drives saw the Browns then move 85 yards in 14 plays and 6 minutes. They took over at their own 2 yard line. On 3rd and 5 from their own 18, Mayfield was intercepted. On further review, the call was reversed to defensive pass interference with 5 minutes left. On 3rd and 10 from the Cleveland 47, Mayfield went to Landry for 34 yards. The Browns settled for a 31 yard Seibert field goal but led 27-16 with one minute left. Needing 2 scores, the Bengals got a 46 yard field goal from Bullock with 12 seconds left. he onside kick failed. For some reason backup quarterback Gilbert took the final kneel down rather than Mayfield. Nevertheless the 6-7 Browns are actually clinging to playoff life. 27-19 Browns

Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers — The 9-3 Packers entered one game ahead in the AFC North and one game back of the NFC leaders. The Redskins punted on 4th and 20 from their own 15 and the Packers took over at midfield. Aaron Rodgers went to Jimmy Graham for 20 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Washington 26, Rodgers ran for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Washington 4, Aaron Jones took it in to make it 7-0 Packers. Green Bay got it back at their own 43. Rodgers went to Graham for 25. Jones ran for 4 and 16. Rodgers hit Tonysn for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Packers. The Redskins actually hung tough in this game. From their own 5 Derrius Guice gained 7, 7, and 4. Adrian Peterson gained 11 and Guice added 23. Peterson ran for 1, 13. On 3rd and 13 from the Green Bay 32, Dwayne Haskins went to Harmon for 30. Peterson got the final 2 yards. The extra point was no good but the 11 play, 95 yard, 6 minute drive had the Redskins within 14-6. In the third quarter Mason Crosby hit a 32 yard field goal to help the Packers extend the lead but Dustin Hopkins hit from 52 to get the Redskins back within 17-9. The Packers in the fourth quarter faced 3rd and 14 at their own 7. Rodgers went to Jones for 25 yards. A 14 play, 74 yard drive ate up 7 1/2 minutes. Crosby hit the 33 yard field goal to lock up the win with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Redskins did get a garbage touchdown with 1:17 to play, but the 2 point try and the onsides kick failed. The 10-3 Packers remained one game up in the NFC North and one game back in the overall NFC. 20-15 Packers

Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars — A pair of underachieving teams battled to see who wanted it less. The Jaguars started with a 14 play, 74 yard drive that ate up 7 1/2 minutes. Despite 1st and 10 at the Chargers 12, the Jaguars settled for a 26 yard Josh Lambo field goal and a 3-0 lead. After that the Chargers blasted them. From their own 21, Austin Ekeler ran for 27 yards. Philip Rivers went to Keenan Allen for a 45 yard gain. Melvin Gordon ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Chargers. In the second quarter the Chargers after a touchback saw Gordon run for 10. On 2nd and 4 from the Jags 48, Ekeler ran for 23. Rivers hit Gordon for 19. Watt got the last yard to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 14-3 Chargers. Next time the Chargers struck quickly. From their own 20, Ekeler ran for 35 yards with a facemask adding 15 more and Rivers hit Henry for a 30 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Chargers. With 1:10 left in the half the Chargers got it back at their own 26. Rivers hit Henry for 9 and Ekeler for 8 with a horsecollar tackle adding 15 more. Mike Badgley hit a 40 yard field goal to end the half with the Chargers up 24-3. league rules prevented the second half from being canceled. The Chargers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 10 from their own 16. Rivers went to Ekeler and a short pass became an 84 yard touchdown to make it 31-3 Chargers. Doug Marrone contemplated retirement but decided to coach the rest of the game. The Jaguars did get a third quarter touchdown, but the Chargers kept rolling. On 3rd and 16 from the Jaguars 44, Rivers went deep to Williams for another touchdown. The Jaguars went for it on 4th and 1 at their own 39 and got stopped. Anthony Lynn let Rivers call it a day and backup Tyrod Taylor got some playing time. Taylor hit Green for a 14 yard touchdown. After not cleaning house last year, Shad Khan probably will do so this year. The only question will be if Captain Grumpy Tom Coughlin goes down with Marrone. 45-10 Chargers 

Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals — 10 years after a Super Bowl for the ages, Larry Fitzgerald is still doing it. Sadly he has a young team and little help. The Steelers after an 0-3 start are 7-5 in what might be Mike Tomlin’s best coaching job. The Steelers took over at their own 22 and third string quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges hit Samuels for 18 yards. Whyte ran for 13 to midfield. On 3rd and 13 from their own 47, Hodges hit Edmunds for only 7 but defensive unnecessary roughness added 15 more. Chris Boswell hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Steelers. Special teams got the Steelers a touchdown when Johnson returned a punt 85 yards for a score to make it 10-0 Steelers. In the second quarter a Pittsburgh fumble set up the Cardinals at the Pittsburgh 34. Despite 1st and goal at the 3, a completion by Murray gained nothing and then he lost a yard. After that he was sacked. Zane Gonzalez hit the 30 yard field goal to get the Cardinals on the board. Arizona soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 23. Kyler Murray hit Byrd for 10, Cooper for 5 and Drake for 18. Drake added 10 more on the ground. On 3rd and 4 from the Pittsburgh 5, Murray went to Clay for the touchdown for a 10-10 game with 1:51 left in the half. 

After a touchback, Hodges went to Washington for 12 and ran for 22 himself. Hodges hit Johnson for 18. Boswell hit from 37 to end the half with the Steelers up 13-10.  In the third quarter the Cardinals moved had to punt on 4th and 8 from their own 41. Cliff Kingsbury called a fake punt and Edmonds gained 9 yards. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 26, Murray was intercepted by Joe Haden. The Steelers took over at their own 27. Hodges hit Whyte for 9 and ran fro 9 himself. On 2nd and 6 from the Arizona 31, Hodges threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 15 yard gain. Hodges went to Johnson for 14 down to the 2 yard line. Hodges hit Johnson for the touchdown as the Steelers led 20-10. The Cardinals after a touchback moved to a 4th and 2 at the Pittsburgh 6 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Needing 2 scores, Cliff Kingsbury opted to go for it rather than kick the field goal. Murray threw to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. 

The Steelers had to punt on 4th and 8 from their own 40, and Mike Tomlin called for a fake. It failed miserably as the direct snap went for an 8 yard loss. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 24, Murray went deep to Johnson for the touchdown. With 6:44 to play the Cardinals were within 20-17. The Steelers moved from moved from their own 16. From their 29, defensive pass interference added 24 yards. On 3rd and 13 from the Arizona 26, Hodges hit Johnson for 17. The defense finally held. Boswell hit a 25 yard field goal. The Steelers led by 6 with 1:46 left but Arizona had life. With 47 seconds left, on 4th and 7 from their own 18, Murray went deep and was intercepted. Pittsburgh is 8-2 in their last 10 games and in strong position for a wildcard. 23-17 Steelers

Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders — The Titans started 2-4 but went 5-1 since for a 7-5 record as Ryan Tannehill has been playing well. The Raiders were 6-4 but got blown out in consecutive 31 point road losses to drop to 6-6. They were at home, but would be without Josh Jacobs, who had a bum shoulder. Worse, the Raiders defense was playing as awful as ever. The Titans as expected moved easily from their own 27. The 12 play, 54 yard, 6 minute drive had the Titans facing 3rd and 8 at the Oakland 19. The defense needed a miracle and they got one. A short pass was deflected and intercepted by big man Hurst. Anyone but a Big Man with football has a touchdown the other way. Nevertheless, Big Man with football rumbled 55 yards to the Oakland 24 before being tackled by, of all people, Tannehill. Deandre Washington ran for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Raiders. Then reality set in.

The Titans soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 35. Derrick Henry gained 12 and 6. Tannehill went to Blasingame for 24 and Smith for 10. Henry ran for an easy 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Raiders in the second quarter moved from their 25 to a 2nd and 4 at the Titans 46. A run lost 2 yards. On 3rd and 6, a completion came up just short but offensive holding instead killed the drive. A good punt pinned the Titans at their own 9 yard line. 12 seconds later the Titans had the lead. Tannehill was hit as soon as he threw it, but it was caught by Brown, who easily broke through a pathetic attempt at a tackle and went for a 91 yard touchdown. Just like that the Titans led 14-7. The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Jalen Richard ran for 10 and 4. On 3rd and 2 from the Tennessee 49, Carr found a wide open Gafford for the touchdown and  14-14 game.

The Titans took over at their own 23 and again made it look easy against a horrendous Oakland defense. Tannehill hit Brown for 22 yards, ran for 10, and hit Davis for 24 and Henry for 6. On 3rd and 3 from the Oakland 6, a touchdown pass was nullified by offensive holding. On 3rd and 13 from the Oakland 16, Tannehill hit Brown for the touchdown. The Titans led 21-14 against the heartless Oakland defense. The Raiders took over at their own 29. Carr hit Washington for 9 and 4. On 3rd and 8 from the Titans 48, Carr hit Darren Waller for 11. Carr went to Waller again for 25 yards down to the one. A run lost a yard and Carr threw incomplete. However, defensive pass interference again meant 1st and goal at the one. Carr hit Moreau for the touchdown. With 24 seconds left in the half, the game was tied 21-21. 24 seconds was enough time for the Raiders defense to collapse. From their own 30 with 12 seconds left, Tannehill went to Firkser for a 39 yard gain. Ryan Succop’s 42 yard field goal try to end the half doinked off the upright no good. Despite giving up 352…yes, 352 yards in the first half, the Raiders were lucky to be tied 21-21 at halftime. However, the second half was inevitable. 

The Raiders moved from their own 17 to a 3rd and 2 at the Titans 39. With no Jacobs in to play smashmouth, Carr was sacked for a 4 yard loss. The defense actually got a stop and got the ball back at their own 47. They did nothing with the ball and gave it back to the Titans, who took over at their own 11. Tannehill hit Blasingame for 23, Davis for 10 and Pruitt for 42. Henry ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 28-21 Titans. As expected, Tennessee finally figured out Oakland’s offense while Oakland’s defense continued to play like a high school rejects.  On 3rd and 4 from their own 22, Tannehill hit Sharpe for 8. Henry ran for 24. Lewis added 6. On 3rd and 4 from the Oakland 40, Tannehill hit Raymond for 11, Brown for 12, and Smith for the 17 yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter. The Titans led 35-21, and the only thing left for the Raiders to do was self-destruct so the game would be a blowout loss. After a touchback, the Raiders moved to a 1st and 10 at their own 45. Carr hit Waller for 3 yards, but Waller fumbled. Brown picked it up right near the sideline and raced 46 yards for a defensive touchdown. Although 13 minutes remained the game, this one was over, as was the final season the Raiders played in Oakland. They overachieved for much of the year, but there is zero talent in the secondary and the rest of the NFL knows that. The Raiders final indignity came when they moved to a 1st and goal a the 2 with 5 minutes left and with 4 tries couldn’t get in the end zone. Tannehill was 21 of 27 for 391 yards, 3 touchdowns, and the one fluke interception. Henry added 103 yards on the ground. The 8-5 Titans are alive and the 6-7 Raiders are all but dead. 42-21 Titans

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots — The 8-4 Chiefs comfortably led the AFC West but had their long-awaited AFC Title Game rematch. The 10-2 Patriots took a beating last week at Houston and have lingering questions about their offense. Kansas City’s defense gives up gobs of yards but not points as they force turnovers. On 3rd and 7 their own 20 to start the game, Tom Brady threw incomplete. However, defensive pass interference meant an 8 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from their own 32, Brady again threw incomplete. Again, defensive pass interference this time meant a 31 yard gain. On the next play Brady went deep to Julian Edelman for a 37 yard touchdown. Less then 2 1/2 minutes into the game, the Patriots led 7-0. Yet in a shocker to the home crowd in New England, the Chiefs after that hit the Patriots in the mouth.

On 3rd and 10 from their own 17, Patrick Mahomes hit Sammy Watkins for 23 yards. and Pringle for 14 more. Offensive holding ended the drive as Mahomes threw incomplete on 3rd and 2 from the Patriots 30. Harrison Butker hit the 48 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 7-3. The Patriots moved from their own 22 on a 13 play, 55 yard drive that took 5 minutes. On 3rd and 3 from the Chiefs 23, Brady threw incomplete. Nick Folk is the fourth Patriots kicker to kick for them this year. He was briefly on injured from an appendectomy but was back in the lineup. His 41 yard field goal try was blocked. The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 2 at midfield. Mahomes was sacked, but defensive holding kept the drive going. A sack of Mahomes to begin the second quarter had the Chiefs facing 3rd and 19 at their own 46. Mahomes went deep to Tyreek Hill for 21 yards. After an offensive penalty meant 2nd and 25 at the New England 48, Mahomes went deep again to Harman for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Chiefs. 

One play after a touchback, Brady was intercepted to set up the Chiefs at the Patriots 35. On 3rd and 5 from the Patriots 24, Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 20. On 3rd and goal from the 4, A wildcat snap to Kelce went for the touchdown as the Chiefs led 17-7. The Patriots moved from their 31 to a 2nd and 7 at the Chiefs 27. Brady threw incomplete and Bill Belichick went for it on 4th and 7 rather than try a 45 yard field goal. Brady threw incomplete again. With 2:48 left in the half the Chiefs took over at their own 13. Mahomes went to Thompson for 19, Kelce for 12, and roughing the passer added 15 more. Mahomes hit Hill for 16 and 8 and Thompson for a pair of 7 yard gains. On 2nd and 3 from the Patriots 13, Mahomes threw incomplete twice. Butker hit the 31 yard field goal as the Chiefs led 20-7 at halftime. In the third quarter the Chiefs moved from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Patriots 33. Walrus Lite Andy Reid went for it and ware gained 2 yards. Butker hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 23-7 Chiefs. Then the game changed again.

The Patriots couldn’t get anything going on offense, and with 5 minutes left in the this quarter it was their special teams that got them back in it. The Chiefs punted on 4th and 19 from their own 35. Dustin Colquitt’s punt was blocked, and the Patriots took over at the Chiefs 19. Bolden ran for a 10 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Patriots were within 23-13. The Chiefs moved from their own 29 to a 3rd and 2 at the Patriots 37. A short completion was fumbled by Kelce and the Patriots recovered at their own 43. The Patriots moved to a 1st and goal at the 3. White lost 2 yards, and on 3rd and goal at the 5, Brady was sacked. Folk hit the 29 yard field goal to get the Patriots within 23-16 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. The Patriots got it back at their own 32 with 5 minutes left. Bill Belichick went his bag of tricks. Brady handed to White, who threw the option pass to Meyers for a 35 yard gain. With 3 1/2 minutes left, it came down to 4th and 6 at the Chiefs 29. Brady scrambled for 17 yards. With 90 seconds left, the Patriots faced 4th and 3 at the Chiefs 5. Andy Reid brought the House and a well defended pass to the end zone was knocked away incomplete. The Chiefs at 9-4 clinched the AFC West, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus Lite indeed. The Patriots have lost 2 straight to fall to 10-3. They are still one game up in the AFC East but are one game back in the overall AFC. 23-16 Chiefs

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams was the Sunday night game. The 10-2 Seahawks took on the 7-5 Rams, who were clinging to playoff life. The Seahawks moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 3 at the Rams 15. Russell Wilson was sacked for a 6 yard loss. Jason Myers hit the 39 yard field goal to get the Seahawks on the board. After that the Rams dominated. On 3rd and 4 from their own 31, Jared Goff hit Robert Woods for 19 yards to midfield and again for 15. On 3rd and 9 from the Seattle 34, Goff went to Tyler Higbee for 33 yards down to the one. Brown got it to make it 7-3 Rams. The Rams got it back and faced 2nd and 4 from their 21. Goff hit Woods for 14 and 12. Reynolds ran for 12. Goff hit Higbee for 11. The second quarter began with the Rams at the Seattle 30. Todd Gurley ran for 7, 4 and 2. On 3rd and 1 at the Seattle 10, Goff hit Cooper Kupp for 3. Goff hit Woods for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Rams. The Seahawks went from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Rams 24. Pete Carroll decided to go for it and Wilson threw incomplete. With 4 minutes left in the half the Rams took over at their own 28. Gurley ran for 6 and Goff hit Higbee for 22. On 2nd and 14 from their own 48, Goff went to Kupp for 21. Gurley ran for 7, 2, and on 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 18, 2 more. On 3rd and 4 from the Seattle 10, Goff hit Kupp for the touchdown to make it 21-3 Rams.

The Rams were in total control and in the third quarter after a touchback moved to a 2nd and 5 at the Seattle 43. A Gurley run lost 5 yards. On 3rd and 10 under heavy pressure, Goff got rid of it just before getting belted. It was intercepted by Diggs, who pretty much strutted to the end zone for a 55 yard defensive touchdown. The Seahawks were right back in down 21-9but the extra point was no good. The Rams moved from their 26 to a 3rd and 5 at the Seattle 37. Goff went for it all and was intercepted again by Diggs at the Seattle 3 yard line. The Rams got it back at their own 48 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Seattle 19. After Gurley got stopped, Sean McVay went to the bag of tricks on 3rd and 7. Goff lateraled to Kupp, who threw the option pass to a diving Higbee in the end zone. It was just out of Higbee’s reach incomplete. Zuerlein’s 37 yard field goal try with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter was partially blocked. In the fourth quarter the Rams finally put the game away. From their own 5 yard line, Goff went to Higbee for 32 yards. Goff went to Woods for 20 and Woods ran for gains of 16 and 13. From the Seattle 7, Gurley got around the end and stiff-armed a defender out of the way en route to the clinching touchdown. With 11 minutes left in regulation. the Rams led 28-9. 

After a touchback, the Seahawks faced 3rd and 22 at their own 44. Wilson went to DK Metcalf for 35 yards. Despite 1st and 10 at the Rams 11, consecutive penalties meant 1st and 25. On 4th and 15 and needing 3 scores, Pete Carroll opted for the field goal. Myers hit from 34 to get the Seahawks within 16 midway through the fourth quarter. A sack of Wilson had the Seahawks facing 4th and 18 at their own 10. Wilson went to Josh Gordon for 23 yards. With 90 seconds left from midfield, Wilson went for it all and was intercepted in the end zone by Troy Hill for a touchback. The loss dropped the Seahawks to 10-3 and one game out in the NFC West. They are still in a strong position to make the playoffs. The 8-5 Rams are on the outside looking in by one game in the playoff chase. 28-12 Rams

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles was the Monday night game. The 2-10 Giants actually played an inspired game as Eli Manning returned to the lineup in place of the injured Daniel Jones. Meanwhile, the 5-7 Eagles could move into a tie for the NFC Least lead with a win. In pouring rain and wind after a scoreless first quarter, the Giants took the early advantage. A field position game had the Giants moving from their own 43. On the first play of the second quarter, facing 3rd and 13 at the Philly 35, Manning went for it all and found Darius Slayton for the touchdown and the 7-0 Giants lead. Both teams then had identical drives where they moved from their own 25 to a 1st and goal at the 9. The Eagles had a touchdown nullified by holding and the Giants suffered a fumbled snap. Jake Elliott and Aldrick Rosas both hit 34 yard field goals as the Giants held a 10-3 lead. With 1:46 left in the half the Giants took over at their own 16. With 27 seconds left in the half the Giants faced 3rd and 8 at their own 45. Manning went for it all again and hit Slayton for the 55 yard touchdown. The Giants led 17-3 at halftime and were smelling upset. 

In the third quarter the Eagles faced 3rd and 5 at their own 47. Carson Wentz hit Boston Scott for 10, Perkins for 6, Zach Ertz for 9, and Arcega-Whiteside for 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Giants 6, Scott gained 4 and then the 2 yard touchdown. With 90 seconds left in the third quarter, the Eagles were within 17-10. The Eagles missed a chance to get closer when Elliott missed a 47 yard field goal with 10 minutes left in regulation. On their next drive a sack of Wentz had the Eagles facing 2nd and 19 at their own 6 yard line. On 3rd and 10 Wentz threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact kept the drive going. Then Doug Peterson made a major decision. With 5 minutes left the Eagles faced 4th and 1 at their own 29. Ask Barry Switzer how going for it worked out for him. Yet Pederson gambled big and Wentz gained 2 yards. On 3rd and 4 from their own 37, Wentz hit Arcega-Whiteside for 22 yards and Dallas Goedert for 28 more. Wentz hit Ward for 12 down to the one. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Wentz hit Ertz for the touchdown. With 1:53 to play, the game was 17-17 and headed to overtime. The Eagles won the toss and took the ball. After a touchback, Wentz hit Sanders for 11. Scott ran for 25. Wentz hit Perkins for 13 and Ward for 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Giants 18, Sanders gained 10 and Scott added 6 down to the Giants 2 yard line. Wentz hit Ertz for the touchdown as the Giants never saw the ball in overtime. It was a sad ending for the Manning family watching from the luxury suite. 20 unanswered points may have saved the Eagles season. At 6-7 they own the tie-breaker over Dallas and actually lead the NFC Least. 23-17 Eagles, OT

This is when the big dogs come out!

https://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-2019-week-14-preview-and-bettors-guide-big-dogs-125050/

NFL 2019 Week 13 Recap

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Thursday morning game. Cordarelle Patterson took the opening kickoff 57 yards  to have the Bears starting at midfield. Mitchell Trubisky came out firing, hitting Allen Robinson for 5, Tarik Cohen for 7, Robinson for 9, and Robinson for the 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. The Lions were down to their third string quarterback. Matthew Stafford was still injured and backup Driskel was not getting it done. David Blough struck quickly. On 3rd and 10 from his own 25, Blough went to Kenny Golladay for a 75 yard touchdown to tie the game. The Lions got it back at their own 22. From their 32, Blough went to Marvin Jones for 19 yards and Golladay for 29 more. Blough hit Jones for the 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Lions after the first quarter. In the second quarter the Lions went from their 32 on an 11 play, 61 yard, 5 minute drive. Yet despite 2nd and goal at the 7, Blough threw incomplete twice. Matt Prater hit the 25 yard field goal as the Lions led 17-7 with 3 minutes left in the half.

The Bears soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 40. Trubisky hit Anthony miller for gains of 12 and 10, Wims for 19, and Robinson for 6. With 38 seconds left in the half, on 3rd and 4 from the Detroit 13, Trubisky only gained one yard. Eddie Pineiro hit the 30 yarder as the Bears got within 17-10. In the third quarter Trubisky was intercepted but the Lions failed to capitalize. The Bears got it back at their own 20. Trubisky went to Robinson for 16, Miller for 20, and sims for 6. On 3rd and 10 from the Detroit 42, Trubisky went to Robinson for 12, Miller for 12, and Jesper Horsted for the 18 yard touchdown and a 17-17 game after three quarters. The Lions after a touchback embarked on a 15 play, 70 yard, 9 minute drive. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 5, McKissic got stopped. Matt Patricia played it safe at home. Prater hit the 24 yard field goal to put the Lions up 20-17 with 11 minutes left in regulation. With 6 minutes left, the Bears faced 1st and 15 at their own 5. Trubisky hit Miller for 11 and on 3rd and 4 went deep to Miller for 35 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Detroit 34, Trubisky went deep to Miller for 32 yards. Trubisky hit Montgomery for a 3 yard touchdown to put the Bears up by 4 with just over 2 minutes left. The Lions moved from their 17 to a 3rd and 9 at the Chicago 26 with 36 seconds remaining. Blough got buried for a loss of 13 yards. His desperation pass on 4th and 22 was intercepted by Jackson at the 10 yard line to keep Chicago’s faint playoff hopes alive. 24-20 Bears

Buffalo Bills at Dallas Cowboys is the Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon game. Jerry Jones lit into his team after their last loss. At home on Thanksgiving Day, Jerrah had nothing to be thankful for (except for being a billionaire). After a touchback to start the game, the Cowboys looked good on their opening drive. Dak Prescott hit Amari Cooper for 16 yards. Just past midfield, Prescott hit Ezekiel Elliott for20 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 22, Prescott hit Cooper for 7 with unnecessary roughness adding 8 more. Prescott hit Jason Witten for an 8 yard touchdown. Less than 4 1/2 minutes into the game, the Cowboys led 7-0. After that Buffalo’s defense dominated.

In the second quarter the Bills took over at their own 15. Josh Allen hit John Brown for 14. Singletary ran for 26 yards. on 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 26, Allen got the yard and then gained 9 more. Allen then went to Cole Beasley for a 25 yard touchdown to tie the game 7-7. Prescott was intercepted, but the Bills missed a field goal. The Cowboys then fumbled to set up the Bills at the Dallas 39. On 3rd and 1 fro the Dallas 30, Allen got stopped. On 4th and 1 Sean McDermott decided to go for it. Allen fumbled, recovered his own fumble, and gained 3 yards at the 2 minute warning. Steve Hauschka added to his missed field goal with a missed extra point but the Bills led 13-7. The half ended with Brett Maher missing a 35 yard field goal try for the Cowboys. In the third quarter Hauschka did hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 16-7 Bills. Maher missed again from 47. The Bills got it back at their own 37. On 3rd and 3 from their own 44, Allen hit McKenzie for 7, Knox for 5, McKenzie for 18, and Beasley for 11. Allen then ran for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 23-7 Bills. The Cowboys after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 6. Prescott went to Michael Gallup for the score, but on further review it was reversed incomplete. Jason Garrett went for it and Prescott threw incomplete. The Bills killed the clock with a 13 play, 86 yard, 7 minute drive. Hauschka hit from 26 to make it 26-7 Bills with 8 1/2 minutes left in the game. Dallas got a garbage touchdown but at 6-6 Jerrah is denying that he is going to fire everyone, which means he might. The Bills are 9-3 and winning with tough defense. 26-15 Bills

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons was the Thanksgiving Thursday night game. Three weeks ago the then 1-7 Falcons went into New Orleans and shocked the then 7-1 Saints 26-9. The rematch was the reality check. Nothing brings up NFL history in a Saints vs Falcons game like a blocked punt. It only traveled 8 yards, and had the Saints taking over at the Atlanta 30. Drew Brees hit Michael Thomas for 14, Taysom Hill for 9, and Hill again for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. Later on the Falcons after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Saints 2. Dan Quinn went for it and Matt Ryan threw incomplete. The Falcons got it back in great field position. On 3rd and 8 from their own 47, Ryan went deep incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 35 yard gain. On the next play, Ryan hit Jaeden Graham for the touchdown early in the second quarter. Koo missed the extra point as the Falcons trailed 7-6. The Saints moved from their 19 to a 2nd and goal at the 4. Brees threw incomplete twice. Wil Out hit from 22 to make it 10-6 Saints. Koo missed a 42 yard field goal try, setting up the Saints at their own 32. Brees immediately went to Jared Cook for 29 and Alvin Kamara for 10 to the 2 minute warning. Sean Payton brought Hill in at quarterback, which means something tricky. Hill raced for a 30 yard touchdown run to make it 17-6 Saints. 

Koo did hit a 45 yard field goal to end the half, but the second half brought turnovers by the Falcons and field goals by the Saints. Lutz hit from 47 in the third quarter.  Ryan threw consecutive interceptions, the latter of which led to Lutz hitting from 42 in the fourth quarter. Ryan then fumbled, leading to Lutz hitting 45 for a 26-9 Saints lead with 6 1/2 minutes left in regulation. It was the exact reverse of the earlier game. After 3 consecutive turnovers, the Falcons tried to mount a comeback. Ryan threw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Russell Gage. The 2 point try failed but the Falcons were within 26-15 with 3 1/2 minutes left. The onsides kick succeeded. On 4th and 14 from their own 37, Ryan hit Rudley for just enough. With 1:56 left and needing 2 scores, Dan Quinn opted for the field goal try right away. Koo delivered from 43 and the Falcons were within 8. Sean Payton watched in disbelief as the Falcons recovered another onsides kick. On 3rd and 8 from just shy of midfield, Ryan was sacked for a 14 yard loss. Yet defensive illegal use of hands meant a new set of downs. With 38 seconds left, the Falcons faced 4th and 8 at the Saints 44. They still had one timeout left. Ryan was then sacked, and this time it stood. The Superdome crowd finally exhaled. With the win, the 10-2 Saints clinched the NFC South with four games still left to play. The Saints also won the NFC South for the 3rd straight year, the first time anyone in that division has done that. Their loss to Atlanta 3 weeks ago was a blip in the road, and they are still in Super Bowl or bust mode. 26-18 Saints 

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts — Both teams came in 6-5 and one game back of Houston in the AFC South. On the first plat from scrimmage after a touchback, the Titans fumbled and the Colts recovered at the Tennessee 39. On 3rd and 5 from the Titans 23, Jacoby Brissett hit Zach Pascal for 7 yards. On 1st and 15 from the Titans 21, Brissett went to Doyle for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Colts. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Ryan Tannehill hit Firkser for 4 yards. On 3rd and 1 from their own 46, Derrick Henry gained 3 yards. Tannehill then went to Davis for 23 and Brown for 13. On 3rd and 8 from the Indy 13, Tannehill went to Humphries for the score and a 7-7 ballgame. 

In the second quarter the story was the nightmarish season of Adam Vinatieri. The most clutch kicker of all time has been struggling. Father Time is undefeated. Vinatieri can be forgiven for barely missing a 55 yard try. It would have been 50 if not for a false start.  A fumble gave the Colts the ball right back, but Vinatieri’s 53 yard try was then blocked. The Colts got it back and moved 80 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes from their own 10 to a 1st and goal at the 10. Yet a sack of Brissett killed the drive. Adam Vinatieri hit a 28 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Colts. After a touchback to start the third quarter, Brissett hit Johnson for 11 yards and Pascal for 19 more. On 3rd and 5 from the Titans 42, Brissett went deep to Pascal for 26 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Titans 16, Brissett went to Doyle for 12. Hines got in from the one to make it 17-7 Colts. 

After a touchback, Henry gained 7 and then burst free for a 34 yard gain. On 1st and 20 from the Indy 44, Tannehill hit Brown for 16. Henry then ran for 6. On 4th and 1 from the Indy 13, Mike Vrabel went for it and Henry picked up the first down and the touchdown. The Titans were within 17-14 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter. On the first play after a touchback, Brissett was intercepted. Despite starting at the Indy 14, the Titans settled for a 31 yard Ryan Succop field goal to tie the game 17-17. With 5 minutes left in the game, the Colts had moved from their own 10 to a 4th and 10 at the Titans 28. Vinatieri came in for a 46 yarder. For the third time on the day, the kick was no good. For the second time, it was blocked. This time, it was blocked and returned all the way for a touchdown the other way. Shades of Al Del Greco, but this time the Titans were on the winning end of it up 24-17. Two plays later, Brissett went deep and was intercepted by Ryan, who returned it 16 yards to the Indy 44. With 3 minutes left on 3rd and 6, Tannehill went to Kalif Raymond for the 40 yard touchdown to ice the game. 24 unanswered points had the Titans at 7-5 and dropped the Colts to 6-6 on the year. 31-17 Titans 

New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals — For three straight weeks, the Jets won by scoring 34 points. Now they had to play the winless Bengals. The benched Red Rifle Andy Dalton returned to the starting lineup. The Jets began facing 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Sam Darnold hit Robbie Anderson for 12 yards. On 3rd and 1 from midfield, Leveon Bell got the tough yard. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincy 40, Darnold went to Brown for 9 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Cincy 28, a short pass gained only 4 yards. After 13 plays, 51 yards and 6 minutes, the Jets settled for a 42 yard Sam Ficken field goal to lead 3-0. The Bengals took over at their own 38. On 3rd and 4 from the Jets 45, Dalton went to Boyd for 10, Tate for 18, and back to Boyd for a 17 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bengals.The Jets punted on 4th and 13 from their own 5 and the Bengals took over at the Jets 45 to start the second quarter. Mixon caught a pass for 9 and ran for 3 more. On 3rd and 8 from the Jets 31, Dalton went to Boyd for 17 yards. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the Jets 6, Dalton threw incomplete. The Bengals settled for  24 yard Bullock field goal to lead 10-3. The Bengals got it back at their own 9 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. Dalton hit Uzomah for 12, Tate for 19 and Uzomah for 16. A 39 yard defensive pass interference penalty made it 1st and goal at the 5. With 1:48 left in the half, Mixon got in the end zone as the Bengals had the 17-3 lead. The Jets did get a field goal before the half, but nothing more. The Bengals added a third quarter safety and field goal to complete the scoring. The Jets in 1980 lost to the 1-15 Saints. They lost in 1991 to the 1-15 Colts. In 2016 they lost to the winless Dolphins and on this day to the winless 0-11 Bengals. The 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers popped the champagne corks. 22-6 Bengals

Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers — Desperate for a win at 5-6, the Panthers feasted on woeful Washington. After a touchback, Kyle Allen hit Wright for 14 with unnecessary roughness on the next play adding 15 more Christian McCaffrey ran for 12 and 8 and caught a pass for 12. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 4, Allen hit Samuel for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Panthers. The Panthers got it back at their own 45. Allen went to Moore for 10 and Samuel for 33 more. On 3rd and goal from the Washington 13, Allen went to Moore for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Panthers. Then the game changed. 

The Redskins managed field goals from Dustin Hopkins of 25 yards in the first quarter and 42 in the second quarter to get the Redskins within 14-6. A field position game had the Panthers taking over at their own 2 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the half. From their 4, Allen was intercepted by Moreau, who returned it 10  yards to the Carolina one yard line. 3 seconds later Derrius Guice ran it in. The 2 point try failed but the Redskins were within 14-12. A 49 yard field goal try at the end of the half to give the Redskins the lead was blocked. Hopkins did hit from 36 in the third quarter to make it 15-14 Redskins. Washington got it back and faced 3rd and 2 at their own 41. Dwayne Haskins ran for 5 yards. Guice ran for a pair of 8 yard gains and then broke free for a 38 yard gain down to the one. On the next play Guice got in as the Redskins led 22-14 with 9 minutes left. Washington got it back at their own 45 and quickly put the game away. Adrian Peterson ran for 14 and 3. On 3rd and 7 from the Carolina 38, Haskins hit Harmon for 26 and Peterson ran for the 12 yard touchdown. 29 unanswered points had the Redskins up 29-14 with 4 1/2 minutes left. 

The Panthers had a ray of hope when Allen ran for a 17 yard touchdown with 1:51 left and the Panthers recovered the onsides kick at their own 48. Allen hit Moore for 17, Thomas for 6, and on 3rd and 4, hit Moore for 7. Allen went to Moore for a 21 yard gain as the Panthers took their first timeout with one minute left and facing 1st and goal at the one. Twice McCaffrey got the carry and each time he lost a yard as the Panthers took all their timeouts. An incompletion left 27 seconds and 4th and goal at the 3. Out of the shotgun, the snap sailed past Allen. By the time the scrum ended, it was a 23 yard loss. Neither of these teams are going to the playoffs, but after a 1-9 start, interim coach Bill Callahan has won 2 straight. 29-21 Redskins

San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens — The 10-1 49ers took on the 9-2 Ravens in miserable weather conditions. The 49ers began facing 3rd and 7 at their own 29. Jimmy Garoppolo hit Kevin Bourne for 30 yards. On 4th and 2 from the Baltimore 33, Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it. Garoppolo went deep to Samuel for the touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 16. On 3rd and 6 from their own 31, Garoppolo was sacked and fumbled. Garoppolo was sacked and fumbled. The Ravens recovered at the 49ers 23. Two plays later, Lamar Jackson went to Andrews for  the touchdown to make it 7-7. The Ravens got it back at their own 16. Jackson ran for gains of 11 and 8. Early in the second quarter the Ravens faced 3rd and 3 at the Frisco 27. Jackson threw incomplete but roughing the passer put the ball on the Frisco 13. Jackson ran for 11 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Jackson got in to make it 14-7 Ravens. After a touchback the 49ers moved quickly. Samuel ran for a gain of 20. Garoppolo hit Wilson for 7 and Emanuel Sanders for 8. Mostert then raced for a 40 yard touchdown to make it 14-14. 

The Ravens moved after a touchback to a 4th and 2 at the Frisco 38. John Harbaugh decided to go for it and Jackson hit Hurst for just enough. Yet on 3rd and 8 from the Frisco 12, Jackson threw incomplete. After 13 plays, 63 yards and over 7 minutes, the Ravens at the 2 minute warning settled for a 30 yard Justin Tucker field goal to lead 17-14. Robbie Gould returned from injury, but on the last play of the half his 51 yard field goal try to tie the game was blocked. In the third quarter the Ravens moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 1 at the Frisco 34. Jackson gained 14 yards but then fumbled. The 49ers took over at their own 20 and began a 14 play, 66 yard drive that took 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 1 from the Baltimore 39, Garoppolo got the yard. On 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 29, Kyle Shanahan went for it. Garoppolo threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 13 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 14, Garoppolo threw incomplete. Gould hit from 32 for a 17-17 game late in the third quarter. 

A field position game saw the key play late in the third quarter. Koch punted 62 yards and pinned the 49ers at their own one yard line. The Ravens got the ball back on their own 41 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 9 1/2 minutes left, John Harbaugh decided to go for it on 4th and 5 from the Frisco 40. Jackson threw incomplete. The 49ers moved to a 4th and 1 at the Baltimore 35 with 6 1/2 minutes left. Kyle Shanahan decided to go for it. Garoppolo threw incomplete. With 4 1/2 minutes left, Harbaugh gambled big time on 4th and 1 from his own 44. Jackson gained 3 yards. With 36 seconds left on 2nd and 13 from the Frisco 31, Harbaugh made an even more curious decision. He ran the ball, gained nothing, and did not even try to run another play.With 3 seconds left, the Ravens stopped the clock. Justin Tucker is the best in the game, but from 49 yards out in bad weather was a lot to ask. There was no time to run another play in case of a bad snap. With everything on the line, Tucker snuck it just inside the right upright good. Both teams are 10-2 and a Super Bowl rematch would be highly anticipated. 20-17 Ravens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars — The weather in Florida was beautiful, but the football was ugly. An interception of Nick Foles set up the Buccaneers at their own 31. On 3rd and 1 from their own 40, Pierre Barber gained 6. On 3rd and 9 from their own 47, a pass from Winston to Brad Perriman was initially ruled incomplete. Bruce Arians challenged the call and it was reversed to  13 hWinston then went to Howard for 25 yards. Barber ran for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Buccaneers. 10 seconds later the Buccaneers were in the end zone again. On 2nd and 10 from his own 25, Foles was sacked and fumbled. White recovered the fumbled and returned it 14 yards for another touchdown. The Jaguars jumped into the neutral zone on the extra point, so Bruce Arians went for the 2 point conversion. Pierre Barber got in to make it 15-0 Buccaneers. In the second quarter the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 7 at their own 20. Winston went to Perriman for 32 yards. Defensive pass interference added 20 more. On 1st and 10 from the Jags 28, Winston was intercepted by Payne, who returned it 26 yards. Yet on further review the call was reversed to an incompletion. On the next play Winston went to Godwin for 27 yards down to the one. Barber got in to make it 22-0 Buccaneers. The Jaguars then punted on 4th and 13 from their own 8, and the Buccaneers took over at their own 46. Winston went to Perriman for 30 yards and Godwin for 12 more. With one minute left in the half, on 3rd and 6 from the Jags 7, Winston threw incomplete. Matt Gay hit the 25 yard field goal as the Buccaneers were winning 25-0 at halftime. Nobody piles up garbage yards and points like the Jaguars, and they did it again in a useless second half. 28-11 Buccaneers

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers — Two weeks after their brawl, these teams played the rematch. Myles Garrett was suspended, as was Maurice Pouncey. Mason Rudolph was benched as third string quarterback Devlin “Duck” Hodges got the start, On 3rd and 7 from their own 28, Baker Mayfield went to Jarvis Landry for 19 yards and Carlson for 21. On 3rd and 14 from the Pittsburgh 26, Mayfield found Landry on the sideline, and Landry somehow kept his feet inbounds for a 15 yard gain. Despite 1st and 5 from the Pittsburgh 6, Nick Chubb lost a yard, Mayfield was sacked, and on 3rd and 12, Mayfield threw high and incomplete our the back of the end zone. Austin Seibert hit the 31 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Browns. The Browns got it back at their own 30 and Mayfield hit O’Dell Beckham for 4 and Landry for 11.Nick Chubb ran for gains of 9, 2, 12, 5 and 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 15, Mayfield went to Hunt for the touchdown. Midway through the first quarter, the Browns were up 10-0. Pittsburgh had only 2 yards of total offense in the first quarter. The Browns were dominating. Then the game changed.

The Steelers faced 3rd and 9 at their own 18 in a game where their offense was going nowhere. Then Hodges went deep and Washington somehow came down with a jump ball for a 31 yard gain. Johnson then gained 17 and Samuels took a pair of wildcat snaps for gains of 7 and 5 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Cleveland 21, Hodges threw incomplete. Chris Boswell hit the 39 yard field goal to get the Steelers on the board with 3 minutes left in the half. The Browns went 3 and out and the Steelers got it back with 1:48 left in the half. Hodges hit Washington for 6, and Cain for 5. From the Pittsburgh 42, Hodges went deep to Jones for a 28 yard gain and then deep to Washington for a 30 yard touchdown. Just like that, it was a 10-10 ballgame. In the third quarter the Steelers faced 1st and 15 from their own 26. Samuels caught a pass for 15 and then ran for 7 and 8. Hodges then went deep to Washington for a 44 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Cleveland 12, Hodges went to the end zone incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Snell got in to make it 17-10 Steelers. The Browns after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Pittsburgh 40. Freddie Kitchens went for it and Chubb leapt over the top for 2 yards. Yet on the next play offensive holding killed the Browns. On the play after that, Mayfield was sacked and fumbled. The Steelers took over at the Cleveland 46 and had 1st and goal at the 9 to start the fourth quarter. On 3rd and goal from the 11, Hodges was sacked and fumbled, but was lucky that the ball went out of bounds. Boswell hit the 29 yard field goal as the Steelers led 20-10. 

The Browns hung tough. From their own 23 with 10 1/2 minutes left, Mayfield hit Beckham for 19, Chubb for 21, and Harris for 23. Despite 1st and 10 from the Pittsburgh 14, Mayfield threw incomplete twice and then was sacked. Seibert hit the 34 yard field goal to get the Browns within 7 midway through the fourth quarter. 12 seconds later the Browns had the ball back as Hodges threw an airball that was intercepted by Mitchell. He returned it 28 yards to the Pittsburgh 30. Mayfield threw incomplete and then was sacked for an 8 yard loss. Going for it on 4th and 18 with 5 1/2 minutes left was not in the cards. Freddie Kitchens called for a field goal, but he faked it and actually called a punt that pinned the Steelers at their own one. The Steelers gained some key first downs, and at the 2 minute warning with the Browns out of timeouts, it all came down to 3rd and 6 at their own 47. You run the ball in this situation. Every. Single. Time. Mike Tomlin called a pass play. Under heavy pressure, rather than take a sack, Hodges threw incomplete to stop the clock. The Browns had life at their own 20 with 1:45 left. With one minute left on 2nd and 5 from their own 40, Mayfield went deep and was intercepted by his former teammate Joe Haden. Haden returned it 16 yards to the Cleveland 46 and then voluntarily went to the ground to avoid fumbling it back. The loss dropped the Browns to 5-7, still alive in the weak AFC playoff picture. The Steelers after an 0-3 start are 7-5 and very much alive. 20-13 Steelers 

Green Bay Packers at New York Giants — The Packers were supposed steamroll over the woeful Giants. From his own 28, Aaron Rodgers went to Aaron Jones for 7 and then went deep to Lazard for a 43 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Giants 20, Rodgers went to Devontae Adams for 10 and again for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Giants soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 37. Daniel Jones hit Smith for 12 yards and Slayton for 13 more. On 4th and 5 from the Green Bay 33, Pat Shurur decided to go for it. Jones hit Slayton for 8 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Packers 18, Jones went to Sterling Shepard for the touchdown to make it 7-7. The Packers soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 39. Rodgers ran for 15 and Jones added 9. Rodgers went deep to Lazard for a 37 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Packers. The Giants took over at their own 24 and began the second quarter facing 3rd and 10 just shy of midfield. Jones was intercepted, and the Packers took over at their own 47. A 16 yard completion to Valdes-Scantling on 3rd and 4 led to a 47 yard Mason Crosby field goal to make it 17-7 Packers. 

After a touchback, the Giants soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Jones hit Slayton for 11 yards. On 4th and 1 just shy of midfield, Pat Shurmur went for it. Daniel Jones gained 2 yards. On 4th and 2 from the Packers 41, Shurmur went for it again and Jones gained 2 yards. Yet despite 1st and goal at the 10, a run gained one yard and Jones threw incomplete twice. Aldrick Rosas hit the 27 yard field goal. The mind-numbing 18 play, 66 yard drive consumed 9 1/2 minutes, but the Giants trailed 17-10. In the third quarter it was another 10 plays, 52 yards, and 5 minutes. From their own 21, the Giants moved to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 27. A sack of Jones ended the drive. Rosas hit from 45 but field goals instead of touchdowns had the Giants down 17-13. 

After a touchback, Rodgers went to Devontae Adams for 25 yards to midfield. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 46, Rodgers threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant an 11 yard gain. On 4th and 10 from the Giants 35, Matt Lafleur decided to go for it. Rodgers hit Greg Allison for 15 yards. On 3rd and 2 form the Giants 12, Rodgers hit Adams for 6. On 2nd and goal from the one, Rodgers threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs as the fourth quarter began with the Packers one yard away. Jones lost 3 yards. Then a 4 yard touchdown run was nullified by offensive holding. Then a completion lost 3 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 17, one stop would give the Giants hope. Instead Rodgers delivered the kill shot too Adams for the touchdown. The Packers got their last score the hard way but put the game away to get to 9-3 in the NFC North. 31-13 Packers 

Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins — All the Eagles had to do was beat the pathetic Dolphins. As ESPN uber-announcer Chis Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the games!” On the first play of the game after a touchback, Ryan Fitzpatrick was intercepted. Darby returned the interception 16 yards to the Miami 18. On 3rd and 7, Carson Wentz threw a 15 yard touchdown pass to Sanders to make it 7-0 Eagles. A shanked 27 yard punt gave the Eagles a short field at the Miami 48. Jake Elliott hit a 48 yard field goal as the Eagles led 10-0. Yet a funny thing happened on their way to an easy victory. The Dolphins showed up to play football.

From their own 16, Fitzpatrick hit Hurns for 7 yards. Then a wildcat snap was taken by Wilson for a 28 yard gain. On 4th and 4 from the Philly 43 with the Dolphins desperately needing a spark, Brian Flores went for it. Fitzpatrick went deep to Parker for the touchdown to get the Dolphins within 10-7. The Eagles moved from their 25 to a 4th and 2 at the Miami 20. Doug Peterson went for it as well but a false start killed the chance. On 4th and 7, Elliott hit the 43 yard field goal to make it 13-7 Eagles. 12 plays, 50 yards and 7 minutes came up short. The Dolphins answered with a 13 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive of their own. Fitzpatrick went to Laird for 19. On 3rd and 13 from their own 41, Fitzpatrick went to Parker for a 42 yard gain. On 3rd and 7 from the Philly 14, Fitzpatrick went too Wilson for 9. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. The Dolphins challenged that there was defensive pass interference, and they won the challenge to set up 1st and goal at the one. On 3rd and goal at the one, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete. Brian Flores went for it again on 4th and goal at the one. Brian Flores went to the bag of tricks. A direct wildcat snap to Haack led him to throw a touchdown pass to Sanders as the Dolphins led 14-13 with 4:40 left in the half.

After a touchback, Sanders ran for 6. Wentz hit Ertz for 12 and Alshon Jeffery for 14. Sanders ran for 13 and 7 sandwiched around a Wentz completion to Dallas Goedert for 10 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Miami 12, Wentz hit Goedert for just enough. With 6 seconds left in the half, the Eagles faced 3rd and goal at the 15. Doug Pederson gambled that their was time for one more quick play since the Eagles had 2 timeouts. Wentz fired to Arcega-Whiteside for the touchdown and to Nelson Agholor for the 2 point conversion as the Eagles took a 21-14 lead to the locker rooms. Brian Flores began the second half by trying a surprise onsides kick that did not work. The Eagles took over at the Miami 47. Wentz went to Jeffery for 15. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 25, Wentz went to Goedert for 10 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Miami 10, Wentz hit Jeffery for the touchdown. The Eagles had a 28-14 lead. The game was over. Except it wasn’t.

After a touchback, Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for gains of 11 and 21, Smythe for 6, and Wilson for 9. Gaskin gained 11. Fitzpatrick went to Parker for the 17 yard touchdown as the Dolphins trailed 28-20 with plenty of time left. The extra point was no good. After a touchback, the Eagles moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Miami 20. Even a field goal would make it a two-score game again. Wentz threw incomplete and on 3rd and 7 was sacked for a 10 yard loss. A 39 yard field goal try was now a 49 yard try, and Elliott’s kick was no good. From their own 39, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete but roughing the passer meant a 15 yard gain. Fitzpatrick then went to Hurns for 12 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Philly 28, Fitzpatrick hit Hurns for 14 and Gesicki for the 14 yard touchdown. On the 2 point try to tie the game, Fitzpatrick was sacked. The Dolphin only trailed 28-26 after three quarters. The Dolphins began the fourth quarter at their own 4 yard line. On 3rd and 2 from their 12, Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for 21. On 3rd and 4 from their own 39, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 12 yards. Fitzpatrick then went deep to Parker for 34 yards and to Laird for 11 more. Laird ran for the 4 yard touchdown. This time Fitzpatrick went to Laird and the 2 point conversion succeeded as the Dolphins led 34-28 with 11 minutes left. The Eagles went 3 and out and the Dolphins got it back at their own 17. Fitzpatrick hit Gesicki for 12 and Laird for 6. On 3rd and 10 from their own 40, Fitzpatrick hit Wilson for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Philly 38, Flores went for it again. Fitzpatrick hit Parker for 8 yards. With 3 1/2 minutes left, Sanders came in for a 51 yard field goal try. Sanders drilled it to lock up the win and make it 37-28 Dolphins. Needing 2 scores, the Eagles got a 37 yard Elliott field goal with 1:51 to play and got the ball back at their own 31 with 8 seconds left. Wentz hit Jeffery for 20, but his Hail Mary was intercepted in the end zone. 23 unanswered points produced a shocker that dropped the Eagles to 5-7, yet still only one game back in the woeful NFC Least. 37-31 Dolphins  

St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals — The Rams have fallen to 6-5, but facing woeful Arizona was the tonic they needed. After a touchback to start the game, Jared Goff hit Woods for gains of 6, 25 and 14 and the Reynolds for 9. The Rams settled for a 27 yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein to lead 3-0, but they were just getting started. Zuerlein missed from 41 on their next series, but the offense kept rolling. From their own 19, Goff hit Woods for 19 and Tyler Higbee for 26. On 2nd and 14 from the Arizona 40, Goff hit Woods for 11 and on 3rd and 3 hit Cooper Kupp for 14 more. The second quarter began with Goff throwing incomplete on 2nd and goal from the 4, but roughing the passer meant 1st and goal at the 2. Goff went to Higbee for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Rams. The Rams got it back at their own 18 and Todd Gurley ran for 8 and 3. Goff went to Reynolds for 20, Woods for 18, and Higbee.for 21. Gurley ran for 11 and then for the one yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Rams. The Rams got it back with 1:53 left in the half at their own 22. On 3rd and 5 from their 27, Goff went to Kupp for 27 yards On 2nd and 18 from the Arizona 40, Goff went to Kupp for the exact amount. On 3rd and 3 from the Arizona 15 with 4 seconds left, Sean McVay ran out of time to try one more play. Zuerlein hit from 33 as the Rams took a 20-0 lead to the locker rooms. The Rams put the game away in the third quarter with a 92 yard drive. On 3rd and 7 from the Arizona 10, Goff hit Kupp for the score. Murray then had a pass intercepted by Rapp, who returned it 31 yards for a touchdown to make it 34-0 Rams. The Cardinals got a garbage touchdown in the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout. 34-7 Rams

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos — Drew Lock started his very first NFL game, and the Broncos came to life. On 3rd and 4 from their own 26 to start, Lock hit Hamilton for 5 yards. Lock hit Beck for 11. Lindsay ran for 15 and 8. On 3rd and 2 from the Chargers 35, Lock hit Heuerman for 7. On 3rd and 8 from the Chargers 26, Lock went to Cortland Sutton for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. On 3rd and 5 from their own 30, Philip Rivers was intercepted to set up the Broncos at the Chargers 18. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Lock hit Sutton for the score to make it 14-0 Broncos. The Chargers mounted a 14 play, 63 yard, 6 minute drive in the second quarter from their 25 to a 4th and 7 at their own 39. They punted, but roughing the punter kept the drive going. The Chargers reached a 2nd and 6 at the Denver 12. Rivers threw incomplete twice. Mike Badgley hit from 30 to get the Chargers on the board. However the Chargers then fumbled a punt, setting up Denver at the Chargers 21. Brandon McManus hit from 31 to make it 17-3 Broncos. 

The Broncos defense dominated the first half but got lazy at the very end. With 52 seconds left from their own 23, Rivers went deep to Williams for 52 yards and to Austin Ekeler for a 30 yard touchdown as the Chargers only trailed 17-10 at the break. After a scoreless third quarter, the Chargers took over to start the fourth quarter at their own 38. Rivers went to Ekeler for 11 and deep to Keenan Allen for a 36 yard touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation the game was tied 17-17. Lock was quickly intercepted, giving the Chargers the ball at the Denver 38. On 3rd and 4, Rivers was sacked for a 5 yard loss. Anthony Lynn gambled on a 55 yard field goal try with 8 minutes left. Badgley doinked it off the upright no good. The Broncos took over at their own 45. On 3rd and 12 from the Chargers 34, Lock had Hamilton wide open across the middle. Hamilton dropped it. With 4 1/2 minutes left, McManus came in for a 52 yard field goal try. The kick was good and the Broncos led 20-17. 

With 2:22 to play and the Chargers with all 3 timeouts, Anthony Lynn decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from his own 34. The Chargers burned one timeout to talk it over. Melvin Gordon got the first down but a false start killed the gain. On 4th and 6, the Chargers went for it again. The defense jumped offsides, but the officials called another false start. On 4th and 11, the Chargers went for it again. Rivers went for it all and Mike Williams made a spectacular catch for a 38 yard gain to the Denver 38 at the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 1 from the Denver 29, Rivers completed a pass for no gain. With 52 seconds left, Anthony Lynn decided to go for it on 4th and inches rather than try the tying field goal from 46 yards out. It was an attempt to get the Broncos to jump offsides, and the Denver defense didn’t bite. With 19 seconds left, Badgley came in to try and tie it. The kick was good as these teams were tied 20-20 and headed to overtime. Only 9 seconds remained. The Broncos were at their own 28. Surely they were going to take a knee. Lock threw a bomb incomplete for the sole purpose of drawing defensive pass interference. The defense complied. The 37 yard penalty was enough for McManus to try a 53 yard field goal. His kick dunked off the upright and nobody knew if it was good or not. The play was blown dead as the Chargers called timeout. Given a second chance, McManus was good. Both teams are 4-8 and out of playoff contention. Give credit to Vic Fangio for giving rookie Lock a chance to win his very first game. 23-20 Broncos

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs — After losing by 31 points at the Jets, the Raiders were expected to get stomped on for the 8 billionth straight time at the Chiefs. This is not why they play the games. The Raiders moved from their own 14 to a 2nd and 12 at their own 36. Derek Carr was then intercepted by Mathieu, giving the Chiefs a short field at the Oakland 47. On 3rd and 1 from the Oakland 38, LeSean Shady McCoy ran for 3. On 3rd and 10 from the Oakland 24, Patrick Mahomes went to Tyreek Hill for 17 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 7, Mahomes threw incomplete. However, the defense jumped offsides. Mahomes hit Williams for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. 7 seconds later the Chiefs had the ball again as the Raiders fumbled the ensuing kickoff. The Chiefs took over at the Oakland 24. On 3rd and 1, Williams got stopped. Walrus Lite Andy Reid went for it on 4th and 1 from the Oakland 15 and Williams got stopped again. The Raiders even moved from their own 15 to a 2nd and 3 at the Chiefs 33. Yet a false start and an incompletion had the Raiders out of field goal range. The Raiders got it back and moved from their 27 to and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Chiefs 40. Jon Gruden went for it. Rather than go up the middle, Davis went laterally and got nothing. 

Despite all their screwups, the Raiders were only down 7-0. Yet as expected, the roof caved in. With 9 minutes left in the half on 3rd and 2 from their own 48, Mahomes hit Hill for 13 and Travis Kelce for 11. On 3rd and 11 from the Oakland 29, Mahomes threw incomplete but defensive holding on Lawson kept the drive going. Lawson had a rough game, dropping an easy interception with nobody around him. Mahomes then hit Hill for 11 and ran for the 13 yard touchdown himself to make it 14-0 Chiefs with 6 1/2 minutes left in the half. The Raiders took over at their own 26. On 2nd and 8 from their own 40, Carr threw over the middle and Thornhill jumped the route. Thornhill took it 46 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 21-0 Chiefs, officially ending the game with 3 1/2 minutes left in the first half. For good measure, with one minute left in the half, Daniel Carlson missed a 44 yard field goal by a country mile that would have put the Raiders on the board. 

Oakland’s misery continued in the third quarter. The Chiefs took over at their own 34. On 3rd and 6 from their 38, Mahomes hit Hill for 8. On 3rd and 11 from their own 45, Mahomes threw incomplete. A very questionable roughing the passer call kept the drive going. Even without it, the Raiders were offsides. On 3rd and 2 from the Oakland 32, another Chiefs touchdown was nullified by holding. Harrison Butker hit a 50 yard field goal to make it 24-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 36 and made it look easy. Mahomes went to Kelce for a 47 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Oakland 15, Mahomes was intercepted in the end zone by Trayvon Mullin. Yet on further review, defensive pass interference on Mullin gave the Chiefs 1st and goal at the 3. McCoy ran it in easily for a 31-0 Chiefs lead. The Raiders embarked on a 13 play, 60 yard 7 minute drive. Despite 1st and 10 from the Chiefs 14, Carr threw a pair of incompletions sandwiched around a one yard loss. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Carlson hit a 34 yard field goal just to avoid the shutout. 

To add to Oakland’s humiliation, the Chiefs went on a 14 play, 75 yard drive that consumed 9 1/2 minutes off the clock. On 3rd and 8 from the Oakland 20, the defense again entered the neutral zone. On 3rd and 3 a run went nowhere but human penalty machine Mullin was called for unnecessary roughness. He is the new Stanford Routt, good for 1 or 2 dumb penalties per game. Thompson ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 38-3 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The Raiders did get a garbage touchdown with 45 seconds left to avoid going 2 straight games without one. For some reason the Raiders went for 2, and the Chiefs delivered the exclamation point by taking it the other way for a defensive 2 pointer of their own, 

The Raiders outgained the Chiefs for most of the game. The Chiefs had less than 200 yards of total offense in the third quarter. Josh Jacobs had over 100 rushing yards in the first half until a loss put him below 100. The Chiefs defense is as deceptive as ever. They give up a ton of yards but force turnovers that prevent the yards from becoming points. The Chiefs are 8-4 and have a stranglehold on the AFC West. The 6-6 Raiders are not eliminated from playoff contention, but 2 straight games without a touchdown is not encouraging. Jon Gruden has a team that is young and dumb. They will get better. 40-9 Chiefs

New England Patriots at Houston Texans was the Sunday night game. The 10-1 Patriots have been winning with defense but Tom Brady has been frustrated with the offense. The 7-4 Texans were trying to maintain their slim AFC South lead. The Patriots moved 69 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. From their own 26, they reached 2nd and goal at the 5. Brady threw incomplete twice. Kai Forbath hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots, but after that Houston’s defense hit New England in the mouth. An interception of Brady set up the Texans at the Patriots 21. On 3rd and 3, Deshaun Watson went to Johnson for a 14 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Texans. Houston got it back and moved 88 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. From their own 21, Watson hit Fells for 10. On 3rd and 1 from their 31, Carlos Hyde gained 4. From their 45, Watson hit Akins for 19, Hopkins for 13, Johnson for 9, and Fells for the 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Texans in the second quarter. In the third quarter the Patriots moved from their own 7 to a 4th and inches at the Houston 42. Bill Belichick went for it and Brady threw to Mohammed Sanu, who dropped it. On 3rd and 7 from their own 45, Watson went to Kenny Stills for 20. One play after a 35 yard touchdown bomb to Fuller was reversed incomplete, Watson went bombs away again to Stills and got the 35 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Texans. 

After a touchback, the Patriots soon faced 3rd and 17 at their own 28. Brady went to Watson for 23 yards. A pair of offensive penalties had the Patriots facing 1st and 30 at their own 31. Brady calmly went deep to Julian Edelman for a 44 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 at the Houston 16, James white gained 4 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Houston 12, Brady went to a wide open White in the flat for the touchdown. Kai Forbath is the fourth kicker the Patriots have had this year, after their third kicker went out with an appendectomy this past Wednesday. The extra point was no good as the Patriots trailed 21-9 after three quarters. After a touchback and a defensive holding penalty, Johnson ran for 13 and 1 and caught a pass for 8. On 3rd and 6 from their own 48 after a false start, Watson hit Hopkins for 10 and again for 27. On 1st and goal from the 6, Bill O’Brien went to the bag of tricks. A double handoff followed by an option pass from Hopkins to Watson went for the touchdown. The star quarterback now had a touchdown reception and the star receiver had a touchdown pass to make it 28-9 Texans. The 75 yard drive took nearly 5 1/2 minutes off the clock and left only 10 minutes to play. 

The Patriots moved 75 yards in 13 plays but took over 6 minutes to do it. By the time Brady hit White for an 11 yard touchdown, only 3:42 remained. The 2 point try failed as the Patriots were within 28-15. The Patriots got it back with 2 1/2 minutes left but at their own 6 yard line. James White gained 15 but then lost 3 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 13 from their own 18, Brady went to Meyers for 21. Brady found James White, who faked going out of bounds and took advantage of a lazy defensive tackling effort to gain 36 yards. Brady then went to Edelman for a 20 yard touchdown. With 50 seconds left, the Patriots were within 6 points. The onsides kick was a good one and the only person who had a shot was on New England. Holden got a hand on it for the Patriots but could not haul it in as it went out of bounds before he could secure possession. It was a scare at the end but the the Texans at 8-4 lead the AFC South by one game. Meanwhile, the 10-2 Patriots only lead the AFC East by one game. They are no longer the top AFC seed, since Baltimore owns the tie-breaker over them. 28-22 Texans

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks was the Monday night game. A pair of very good football teams played a very good game as the 8-3 Vikings took on the 9-2 Seahawks. The Vikings took over at their own 17 and Kirk Cousins hit Dalvin cook for 9 and Ham for 36 more. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 29, Stefan Diggs got around the end for 27 yards. Cook got the final 2 yards to make it 7-0 Vikings. After a touchback, Russell Wilson hit Penny for 8 and 7 and on 3rd and 4 from their own 35 hit Gordon for 10 and David Moore for 5. On 3rd and 3 from the Minnesota 20, Wilson hit DK Metcalf for 19 yards. Chris Carson got the last yard to cap the 14 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive and make it a 7-7 game. In the second quarter, the Seahawks took over at their own 7. From their 22, Wilson had a pass deflected and intercepted by Harris, who returned it 20 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 14-7 Vikings. The Seahawks rebounded from their 27 to a 2nd and 9 at the Minnesota 11 with just over one minute left in the half. Wilson threw incomplete twice and Myers hit a 29 yard field goal to get the Seahawks within 14-10. With 34 seconds left in the half the Vikings faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Cook got the yard. With 22 seconds left from their own 35, Cousins hit Cook for 15, Kyle Rudolph for 11, and Diggs for 10. Dan Bailey hit the 47 yard field goal to end the half with the Vikings up 17-10. 

In the third quarter from their own 29, Carson gained 4 and 6. On 3rd and 1 from their own 48, Wilson hit Metcalf for 8. Unnecessary roughness on the next plat added 15. Carson then ran for 25. Penny ran for 4 and then for the one yard touchdown to tie the game 17-17. Minnesota got the ball back at their 22 and Cook immediately fumbled. The Seahawks took over at the Minnesota 26. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 17, Penny gained 3 yards. On 2nd and 7 from the Minnesota 11, Wilson threw incomplete twice. Myers again hit from 29 as the Seahawks had the 20-17 lead with less than 6 minutes left in the third quarter. Seattle got it back at their own 24. Carson ran for 4 and 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Seattle 40, Wilson went for it all and found Moore for a 60 yard touchdown bomb to make it 27-17 Seahawks as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with more nightmares for Minnesota. A short pass by Cousins was bobbled by the receiver and fell right into the arms of a diving Tre Flowers. The Seahawks took over at the Minnesota 25 with a chance to deliver the kill shot. Penny gained 10 and then took a dumpoff pass up the middle for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 34-17 Seahawks. 

The Vikings responded only 41 seconds later. After a touchback, Cousins went to Mattison for 17 and then went bombs away to Laquon Treadwell for a 58 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Vikings were within 34-24. Minnesota held on defense and the Seahawks had to punt on 4th and 3 from their own 32. Pete Carroll grabbed his big steel balls and called a fake punt. Homer took it around the end for a 29 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 35, Wilson fired to Metcalf past the first down marker. Metcalf got blasted by 2 defenders and coughed up the football and the Vikings recovered. Somehow, the officials called it an incomplete pass. Mike Zimmer properly challenged the call. Metcalf clearly made a football move. It was a fumble, and the officials agreed, reversing the call with 9 1/2 minutes left. From his own 28, Cousins got leveled just as he was throwing and a duck somehow floated to Rudolph for a 17 yard gain. On 3rd and 10 from their own 45, Cousins went deep incomplete but drew a 30 yard defensive pass interference call. Mattison gained 15 yards and 8. On 2nd and goal at the 2, Mattison got blasted for a one yard loss. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Cousins threw high but Rudolph made a leaping one-handed catch in the back of the end zone. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Vikings were only down 34-30. Bailey missed the critical extra point no good.  

After a touchback, Hollister ran for 8 and Penny added 6 and 4. Although the running game was working well, Pete Carroll decided to go for another kill shot with 5 minutes. left. On 2nd and 6 from their own 43, with all kinds of time, Wilson was sacked for a 13 yard loss. On 3rd and 19, a West Coast Offense dink and dunk give-up pass gained 15 yards. Minnesota would have a shot for a comeback as they got it back at their own 16 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Cousins fired too Rudolph for 19 yards. With 2 1/2 minutes left on 4th and 3 from their own 42, Mike Zimmer decided to go for it. Cousins threw incomplete. The Vikings still had all 3 timeouts plus the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 1 from the Minnesota 33, Carson banged ahead for 11 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Minnesota only had one timeout left. Seattle could take the clock below 30 seconds left. With 1:08 to play, the Seahawks faced 3rd and 7 from the Minnesota 19. A run gained only a couple yards. The Seahawks set up a field goal try and Myers delivered from 36 with 21 seconds left. The Seahawks led by 7, but Minnesota would have one last desperate chance. The ensuing kickoff was picked up by a big man who should not be running with the football. The big man fumbled it and the Seahawks recovered at the Minnesota 31 to finally put the game away. The Vikings at 8-4 are one game back of Green Bay in the NFC North. Seattle with the win is tied at 10-2 with San Francisco, but Seattle as of now owns the tie-breaker and is the two seed in the NFC with New Orleans in the top spot. A rematch of this game would be well deserved. 37-30 Seahawks

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