THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2016 Week 16 Recap

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles was the Thursday night game. The Eagles were done for the year, but relished a chance to play spoiler against a Giants team coming off big wins against Dallas and Detroit. Early on it was all Eagles. They moved 78 yards quickly as Darren Sproles ran for a 25 yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Eagles. Eli Manning then completed a perfect pass to Malcolm Jenkins, who plays defense for Philadelphia. Jenkins returned the interception 34 yards for another touchdown to make it 14-0 Eagles. The Giants tried to get back in the game but twice bogged down in the red zone. Robbie Gould hit a pair of 35 yard field goals, one in the first quarter and one in the second quarter to get the Giants within 14-6. Yet the Eagles scored touchdowns as 75 yards was capped off by a 40 yard touchdown pass from Carson Wentz to Nelson Agholor to make it 21-6 Eagles.

The Giants tried to mount a comeback. A 12 play, 84 yard drive saw Manning throw a 13 yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard to get the Giants within 21-13. In the third quarter the Giants faced a 3rd and 11 at their own 32. Manning went deep to O’Dell Beckham for a 27 yard gain. Despite 2nd and 9 at the Philly 11, Manning threw incomplete twice. Gould hit from 29 to get the Giants within 21-16. The Eagles took over after a touchback. On 3rd and 14 from the Giants 38, Wentz threw incomplete but benefitted from roughing the passer. The Eagles kept the ball but Wentz was injured on the play. Chase Daniels came in at quarterback and the Eagles soon faced 2nd and goal at the one. Ryan Matthews got the carry and lost 2 yards. On 3rd and goal he got the 2 yards back to set up 4th and goal at the one. Doug Pederson decided to go for it with just over one minute left in the third quarter. Matthews got the carry and ran into a Big Blue brick wall.

The goal line stand had the Giants fired up, but with 12 minutes left in regulation they hurt themselves again on offense. On 3rd and 5 from their own 37, Manning went deep and was intercepted. The Eagles moved from their 44 to a critical 4th and 1 at the Giants 23 with 8 1/2 minutes left in regulation. This time Pederson took no chances. Caleb Sturgis hit from 41 to give the Eagles a 24-16 lead. The Giants moved from their 25 to a 4th and 5 at the Philly 45. Ben McAdoo decided to go for it and Manning hit Beckham for 10 yards. On 4th and 3 from the Philly 18 with 5 1/2 minutes left, this time McAdoo opted for the field goal. After a false start, Gould hit his fourth field goal from 41 yards. The Giants were within 5 points and needed a defensive stop.

The Eagles went 3 and out and the Giants got it back at their one 27 with 4:15 to play. With 2:19 to play, the Giants faced 3rd and 4 at the Philadelphia 35. Manning found Beckham at the sticks, and the referees called it a first down. replay showed Beckham was clearly short, and Doug Pederson challenged the spot. The call was reversed, and at the 2 minute warning the Giants had 4th and inches at the Philadelphia 32. The Giants again suffered a false start, and this one was a killer. On 4th and 6, Manning threw incomplete. The Giants again held on defense and got the ball back at their own 15 with 90 seconds to play and one timeout. The Giants took their last timeout with 25 seconds left and facing 1st and 10 at the Philly 34. Manning went deep incomplete, and on second down fired to the end zone. He had Beckham open but overthrew him. With 14 seconds left, on 3rd and 10, looking for the win, Manning went deep and was intercepted by Brooks at the 5 yard line.

Wentz finished only 13 of 24 for 152 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Manning threw a franchise record 63 passes, completing 38 of them for 356 yards and one touchdown. Yet Manning also suffered 3 killer interceptions, including the one that sealed the Giants fate at the end of the game. Despite the loss, the 10-5 Giants clinched a playoff spot two days later due to action in other games. They cannot win the division, and will be a wild card. 24-19 Eagles

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills — The 9-5 Dolphins have the inside track on the playoffs while the 7-7 Bills needed a miracle. early on the Dolphins moved 72 yards and Jay Ajayi ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. After a touchback the Bills moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Miami 30. A costly delay of game penalty killed the drive. Dan Carpenter’s 46 yard field goal try was no good. The second quarter began with the Dolphins in excellent field position. From the Buffalo 45, Drake took a handoff up the middle, got nowhere, spun all the way to the sideline, got some blocks, and made it to the end zone to make it 14-0 Dolphins. After doing nothing for the first 20 minutes or so, the Bills finally got going, moving 79 yards. Tyrod Taylor went deep to Sammy Watkins for a 38 yard touchdown. With 5 minutes left in the half the Bills were only down 14-7.

The Dolphins quickly struck in the third quarter as Matt Moore went deep to Parker for a 56 yard touchdown to make it 21-7 Dolphins. The Bills came back 77 yards in 10 play and 5 1/2 minutes. LeSean Shady McCoy ran for a 19 yard touchdown to get the Bills back within 21-14. Miami quickly struck again 75 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Miami 32, a short pass from Moore to Williams followed by several awful tackling attempts meant a 44 yard gain. Moore found Kenny Stills for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 28-14 Dolphins. From their own 22, the Bills came right back as neither team was interested in tackling. Taylor went deep to Watkins for a 53 yard gain. From the 18, Taylor fired to Clay at the goal line. Clay bounced off two defenders and spun into the end zone to get the Bills back within 28-21. The Dolphins kept moving but with 10 minutes left in regulation a 46 yard field goal try by Andrew Franks doinked off the upright no good.

From their own 36, Taylor ran for 13 yards and hit Goodwin for 16 more. On 4th and 1 from the 16 midway through the fourth quarter, Rex Ryan lined up to go for it. The Dolphins had 12 men on the defense. Yet on 2nd and 3 from the 4, Taylor was sacked for a 6 yard loss and then threw incomplete. With 6 minutes left down by 7, Rex Ryan opted for the field goal. Dan Carpenter hit from 28 to get the Bills within 28-24. Grant returned the ensuing kickoff to give Miami the ball at their own 46. Yet they did nothing with it and punted. The Bills took over at their own 11 with exactly 4 minutes left.

On 3rd and 1 from their 20, Mike Gillislee gained 25 yards. From the Miami 41 at the 2 minute warning, Taylor went deep to Woods for a 34 yard gain. With 1:25 to play, the Bills took their first timeout as they faced 4th and goal at the 7. Taylor fired to Clay for the touchdown and the Bills led 31-28. Never bet against a Rex Ryan team when Rex is about to be fired. The guy is Lazarus. Nobody circles the wagons like Rex Ryan.

Yet the game was not over as Drake took the ensuing kickoff at the goal line and brought it to the Miami 39. Moore hit Stills for 17 yards. With 46 seconds left, on 3r and 10 from the Buffalo 44, Moore threw to Williams near the sideline for a 7 yard gain. Williams inexplicably did not go out of bounds. The clock ticked down with the Dolphins out of timeouts. The Dolphins brought Franks out to try a 55 yard field goal to tie the game. As the clock ticked down Rex Ryan tried to call timeout but the referee never saw him. With 6 seconds left, Franks snuck  the kick just over the crossbar and inside the right upright good. At 31-31, this game was going to overtime.

The Bills won the toss and took over after a touchback. Gillislee broke free for a 35 yard gain. The Bills had 1st and 10 at the Miami 17 and were in total control. A touchdown would end the game but a field goal would give Miami one chance with the ball. A run by McCoy lost a couple yards. A run by Reggie Bush was a disaster, losing 8 more yards. After an incompletion, Dan Carpenter came in for a 45 yard field goal to give the Bills the lead. Carpenter was no good in front of a shocked home crowd. The Dolphins moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Buffalo 45, but Moore threw incomplete. Perfect punt coverage pinned the Bills back at their own 4 yard line. On 3rd and 8 from the Buffalo 17, Taylor hit Clay for 16 yards. Yet on 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 41, Taylor threw incomplete. The Dolphins took over at their own 15 with 4 minutes left in overtime.

Jay AJayi got the carry and ran for a 57 yard gain. Moore took a knee on 1st and goal at the 7 just to center the ball. Adam Gase called for the field goal on 2nd and goal from the 8. From 27 yards out, Franks was good. After starting 1-4, the Dolphins have gone 9-1 to get to 10-5 overall. With a win next week or a loss by Denver, he Dolphins would clinch a playoff spot as a wildcard. At 7-8 and out of the playoffs, Rex Ryan just went from circling the wagons to circling the drain. We leatherheads love Sexy Rexy but he may be done as an NFL head coach. 34-31 Dolphins, OT

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers — The Falcons were trying to win the NFC South and punch their ticket to the playoffs. They quickly moved 75 yards and Matt Ryan threw a 26 yard touchdown pass to Perkins to begin the scoring. An interception of Cam Newton gave the Falcons a short field at the Carolina 44. Matt Bryant hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Falcons. Atlanta got it back and Bryant tacked on a 48 yard field goal for a 13-0 Falcons lead. The Panthers finally got on the boar din the second quarter when Graham Gano hit a 31 yard field goal. After a touchback the Falcons soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Ryan went to Mohammed Sanu for a 22 yard gain and again for 28 more yards. On 3rd and 4 from the 12, Matty Ice hit Freeman for 7 yards. On 3rd and goal at the one, Ryan hit Tialavea for the score. Do not confuse Tialavea with actress Tea Leoni. Either way, the Falcons led 20-3.

In the third quarter Gano hit from 40 for the Panthers, but Bryant responded from 29 to make it 23-6 Falcons. Newton threw a 26 yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin to get Carolina to within 23-13 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Falcons turned out the lights. A 55 yard punt return for a touchdown by Tevin Coleman made it 30-13 Falcons. Needing three scores, all Carolina could muster was a 31 yard Gano field goal. Bryant countered from 50 to end any suspense. By getting to 10-5, Dan Quinn saw the Falcons clinch the NFC South. If Atlanta wins next week, they get a first round bye. 33-16 Falcons

Washington Redskins at Chicago Bears — Washington severely damaged their playoff hopes last week with a home loss that dropped the redskins to 7-6. The Redskins started out by moving 65 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the Chicago 7, Chris Thompson ran for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Redskins. The Bears moved from their 15 to a 2nd and goal at the 4. Matt Barkley threw incomplete twice. Connor Barth lined up for a 22 yard field goal. The kick was blocked. Kirk Cousins then threw a short pass to DeSean Jackson that went for a 57 yard gain. On 3rd and 9 from the Chicago 17, Cousins went to Thompson for the touchdown to make it 14-0 Redskins. In the second quarter after an interception at their own one yard line, the Redskins moved 88 yards. They settled for a 29 yard Dustin Hopkins field goal to lead 17-0.

The Bears soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 28. Barkley found Alshon Jeffery for 9 yards. On 3rd and 8 from the Washington 33, Barkley went deep to Meredith for a 32 yard gain down to the one. Langford got in on the next play to get the Bears within 17-7. The Redskins came back 91 yards. On 3rd and 10 from their own 9, Cousins went deep to Jackson for a 29 yard gain. On 3rd and 11 from their 37, Cousins threw incomplete but defensive pass interference gave the Redskins 28 more yards.  and Cousins ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Redskins. Yet after a touchback with only 1:41 left in the half, Barkley went to work. From the Chicago 37, Barkley was sacked but illegal use of hands moved the ball to the 42. Barkley then went deep to Jeffery for 37 yards and then to Meredith for a 21 yard touchdown as the Bears only trailed 24-14 at the break.

The Bears had momentum in the third quarter and John Fox called a fake punt with Chicago acing 4th and 1 at their own 48. Prosinksi got 2 yards. Yet 2 plays later Barkley was intercepted, Giving the Redskins the ball at their own 45. On 3rd and 5 from the Chicago 28, Cousins hit Vernon Davis for 13 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the 7 Robert Kelley got stopped but defensive illegal use of hands meant 1st and goal at the 3. Cousins got in from the one to make it 31-14 Redskins. In the fourth quarter Barkley threw his fourth interception. On 4th and goal at the one, Jay Gruden played it safe and padded the lead. Hopkins hit from 20 to turn a close game into a 34-14 Redskins rout. Barkley did lead the Bears 85 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes, throwing a 3 yard touchdown to Thompson to get the Bears within 34-21. Yet Brown then raced for a 61 yard touchdown to ice the game for the Redskins. At 8-6 the Redskins are most likely out of the playoffs, but they have an outside shot. 41-21 Redskins

San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns — Neither team is going to the playoffs so the only storyline is whether the 0-14 Browns can avoid infamy. The Chargers moved 75 yards and Philip Rivers hit Antonio Gates for a one yard touchdown and a 7-0 Chargers lead. The Browns came back 72 yards and Isaiah Crowell ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Chargers responded with a 43 yard Josh Lambo field goal to lead 10-7. In the second quarter the Browns moved 75 yards in 10 plays. Crowell scored again from 4 yards out for a 14-10 Browns lead. An interception of Rivers led to a 49 yard Cody Parker field goal and a 17-10 Browns advantage.

In the third quarter the Browns moved 57 yards into the red zone. The drive stalled at the 10 but Parkey hit the 27 yard field goal as the Browns led 20-10. The Chargers moved 75 yards and Rivers hit Williams for a one yard touchdown to get within 20-17. For the first time since Week 4, the Browns led entering the fourth quarter. The Browns had to collapse. The only question was when. Robert Griffin III was knocked out of the game and had to be replaced by Cody Kessler. With 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Browns punted on 4th and 18 from their own 3. The Chargers took over at the Cleveland 33 and Rivers hit Gates for 20 yards. Yet despite 1st and 10 from the 13, a run lost a yard and Rivers threw incomplete twice. Lambo came in for a 32 yard field goal try to tie the game. The kick was blocked. The Browns still led with 3:45 to play.

The Chargers held on defense and got it back at their own 22 with 1:46 to play and 0 timeouts. With 1:06 left, after 3 straight Rivers incompletions, the Chargers faced 4th and 10 at their own 40. One stop and the Browns had the win. Rivers found Gates for 25 yards. After spiking the ball, Rivers then fumbled the snap but the Chargers retained possess. On 3rd and 13 from the Cleveland 38, Rivers hit Gates for 11 yards but the clock kept ticking down. The Chargers rushed Lambo on to the field for a 45 yard field goal try to tie the game. The kick was no good!

Santa Claus and Hanukkah Harry exist! The Cleveland Browns won! Congratulations, Cleveland Browns fans. The Dawg Pound are among the best fans in sports. Football fans everywhere understand their pain. Oakland started 0-10 two years ago. It takes time to change a losing culture. Hue Jackson will turn them around. For now, Cleveland Browns fans are thrilled they did not go 0-16. 1-15 is a bad team that will be forgotten about in a few years. 0-16 is forever. Well done, Browns. Plenty of heart on this day. For Mike McCoy, he may get more than a lump of coal on NFL Black Monday. 20-17 Browns

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers — The Packers started out 4-6 and Aaron Rodgers said they could run the table. They are now 8-6 and one game back in the NFC North. Minnesota started 5-0 but collapsed to 7-7 and now need a miracle to make the playoffs. The Packers quickly moved 61 yards and Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Vikings came back 65 yards but on 3rd and goal at the 4 Sam Bradford threw incomplete. Kai Forbath hit the 22 yard field goal to get the Vikings within 7-3. From the Green Bay 26, Rodgers went deep to Nelson for a 48 yard gain. on 3rd and 4 from the Minnesota 20, Rodgers went deep to Devonta Adams for the touchdown to make it 14-3 Packers. In the second quarter the Vikings again moved into the red zone and again came up short. On 3rd and 6 from the 12, a delay of game penalty killed the drive. On 4th and 2 from the 8, Mike Zimmer played it safe and took the points. Forbath hit from 26 to get the Vikings within 14-6.

The Vikings got the ball back but a fumble gave Green Bay a short field at the Minnesota 42. Rodgers went deep to Nelson for a 33 yard gain and then threw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Nelson in the back of the end zone for a 21-6 Packers lead. This time the Vikings responded quickly. Bradford went deep to a wide open Adam Thielen for a 71 yard touchdown to get the Vikings within 21-13. With one minute left in the half and the Vikings with 2nd and 1 at the Green Bay 41, Bradford was sacked and fumbled. Green Bay took over at their own 46. Rodgers went deep to Allison for a 32 yard gain. Rodgers then ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 28-13 Packers at the half. Aaron Rodgers and Sam Bradford threw for a combined 500 yards and it was only halftime. So much for NFC North smashmouth. Bradford was 13 of 20 for 231 yards and one touchdown. Rodgers was a lights out 19 of 22 for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns. Neither quarterback was intercepted.

The first half belonged to the offenses and the second half belonged to the defenses. A field position game and a short punt had the Packers taking over at the Minnesota 44. On the first play of the fourth quarter Crosby hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 31-13 Packers. Another short punt had the Packers starting at their own 47. On 3rd and 7 from the Minnesota 18, the Vikings entered the neutral zone. On 3rd and 2, Rodgers hit his non-relative Richard Rodgers for the 13 yard touchdown to turn a shootout into a blowout at 38-13 Packers. Minnesota reached the end zone a couple times but that was it. The Vikings at 7-8 are done while the Packers at 9-6 have a showdown next week against Detroit for the NFC North title. 38-25 Packers

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars — After shocking wins over Denver and Kansas City, all the 8-6 Titans had to dow as beat the 2-12 Jaguars, who just fired Gus Bradley. Easier said than done. Early on the Jaguars moved 75 yards and Blake Bortles found Marquis Lee for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. Jacksonville got it back and moved to the red zone again before settling for a 29 yard Jason Myers field goal to make it 10-0 Jaguars. In the second quarter the Titans finally got going and moved 69 yards in 10 plays. On 3rd and 12 from their own 48, Marcus Mariota found Sharpe for a 13 yard gain. Roughing the passer on the next play moved the Titans closer. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Mariota hit Rashad Matthews for the touchdown to get the Titans within 10-7.

The Jaguars responded by going 75 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Chris Ivory got in from the one to make it 16-7 Jaguars after the failed extra point. The Jaguars got it back and Bortles worked the 2 minute drill well. Myers hit a 48 yard field goal to end the half with the Jaguars holding a surprising 19-7 lead. In the third quarter the Jaguars took over at their own 17 and quickly fumbled the ball away. The inevitable collapse was coming. Not just yet. The Jags held on defense and the Titans settled for a 42 yard Ryan Succop field goal to trail 19-10. The Jaguars responded and got a jolt of energy when Myers nailed field goals of 56 and 50 to lead 25-10. Things got very scary for the Titans went Mariota was sacked around the ankles and had to be carted off the field He would not return as Matt Cassel played the fourth quarter for the Titans.

The Titans took over one minute into the fourth quarter at midfield. On 3rd and 8 from the Jags 14, Cassel went to Melanie Walker for the score. The Titans were within 25-17. After a touchback, the Jaguars were determined not to blow another game. For those wondering who the interim head coach of the Jaguars is, his name is Doug Marrone. He may not know who he is. Yet from the Titans 20, Marrone went to his bag of tricks. Bortles tossed a lateral to Marquis Lee. Bortles then went out as a wide receiver. Lee threw a touchdown pass to Bortles. The extra point was again no good but the Jaguars led 31-17 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Trying to make something happen, Cassel was intercepted by Jalen Ramsey, who returned it 30 yards for the clinching touchdown. Bortles finished 26 of 38 for 325 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Doug Marrone is now unbeaten as the Jaguars coach at 1-0. Mike Mularkey may be the same as Doug Marrone, but Mularkey’s team dropped to 8-7. Even worse, Mariota has a fractured fibula and is done for the year. Even worse than that, next week’s showdown with Houston is now meaningless as the Titans have been eliminated from playoff contention. 38-17 Jaguars

New York Jets at New England Patriots — The Patriots already locked up a 1st round bye and were seeking to move one step closer to home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Jets are a mess, and Todd Bowles had to be hospitalized earlier this week. He is still healthier than his team. This was expected to be easy for the Patriots, and early on it was. New England moved into the red zone and Stephen Gostkowski hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Patriots. After an interception of rookie Brice Petty, the Patriots had a short field at the Jets 47. Tom Brady hit Marcellus Bennett on 3rd and goal at the 5 for the touchdown to make it 10-0 Patriots. In the second quarter the Jets fumbled to give the Patriots another short field at the Jets 28. On 3rd and goal at the 4, a pass to the end zone was well defended. Gostkowski hit from 22 to make it 13-0 Patriots.

In the second quarter with Brice Petty knocked out of the game, Ryan Fitzpatrick and his beard returned. He led the Jets from their 21 to a 3rd and 6 at the Patriots 16. Fitzpatrick threw incomplete, Nick Folk’s 34 yard field goal try was no good, and the Jets misery continued. On the next Jets series Fitzpatrick was intercepted, giving the Patriots the ball at their own 46. Brady threw an 18 yard touchdown pass to Matt Lengel to make it 20-0 Patriots. The Patriots got it back in the 2 minute drill and quickly moved 87 yards. Brady hit White for a 25 yard touchdown. The Patriots led 27-0 at halftime as JETS again stood for Just End The Season. For some reason league rules required that the second half be played.

In the third quarter the Patriots faced 3rd and 16 at their own 31. Brady went deep to Julian Edelman for 28 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Brady was sacked. Yet defensive holding instead meant 1st and goal at the one. Laguerrette Blount got in to make it 34-0 Patriots. One more turnover meant one more sort field and one more touchdown as Blount got in from the one to make it 41-0 Patriots. Tom Brady was then benched. We all knew he was overrated. Patriots owner Bob Kraft is Jewish. The United Nations issued a resolution condemning him for disproportionate use of force against the Jets.The Patriots got to 13-2 atop the AFC. Even Bill Belichick had to be pleased, although he may have to cut someone given that the Jets kicked a field goal to avert the shutout. 41-3 Patriots

Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders — The 11-3 Raiders have already clinched a playoff spot but not their division. The 7-7 Colts were clinging to playoff life. After each team punted, Andrew Luck went deep to Swoope for a 45 yard gain. The defense held after that, and Adam Vinatieri came in on 4th and 5 from the Oakland 30 for a 48 yard field goal try. Chuck Pagano called a fake, and punter Pat McAfee as the holder was blown up. The Colts got it back after Carr threw 3 straight incompletions. From the Colts 43, Luck was intercepted by Nate Allen. The Raiders took over at their own 46. The Raiders ran 12 plays to go 54 yards and held the ball for over 7 minutes. On 3rd and 5 from just past midfield, Carr found Clive Walford for 15 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Colts 17, Carr found Michael Crabtree for 15 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Carr threw incomplete but defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. On the first play of the second quarter, Carr hit Andre Holmes for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Raiders.

The Colts came back 75 yards without much difficulty. Luck went deep to a wide open Donte Moncrief for a 7-7 ballgame. Yet on this day, the Raiders would not make things more difficult than they had to be. They had been winning close games all year, but on this day they asserted themselves. On 3rd and 8 from the Oakland 23, Carr went deep to Crabtree for a 35 yard gain. Jalen Richard ran for gains of 12, 15 and 9 yards. Carr hit Clive Walford for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Raiders with 6 minutes left in the half. Sebastian Janikowski had not missed an extra point all season, going a perfect 35 for 35. He had missed only 4 extra points in his 17 year career. Yet this one was pulled wide left no good.

The Colts moved from their 25 to the Oakland 29 with 1:21 left in the half. Luck then went deep to the end zone and was intercepted by Reggie Nelson. for a touchback. Richard then gained 19 yard and the Raiders caught a break when the Colts had to take a timeout due to a defensive injury. From the Oakland 44, Carr went deep to Amari Cooper for a 34 yard gain and then to Washington for 18 more. The Raiders took their last timeout with 25 seconds left as they faced 1st and goal at the 4. After an incompletion, Carr threw a pass in the flat to Richard. had Richard been tackled the clock would have run out. Yet Richard bulled his way in for the 4 yard touchdown catch. Seabass doinked another extra point off the upright no good but the Raiders led 19-7 at halftime.

The Raiders have been criticized for not finishing games, for not playing complete games. This game they went for the kill. They quickly faced 3rd and 7 at their own 26 to start the third quarter. Carr found Crabtree for 11. Washington ran for gains of 9 and 10. From the Indy 44, Carr went deep to Holmes for half of it and Washington ran straight up the middle for a 22 yard touchdown and a 26-7 Raiders lead. Two plays later from the Colts 26, Frank Gore fumbled and the Raiders took over at the Colts 38. it was instant replay as Washington ran for another 22 yard touchdown to have the Raiders up 33-7.

This time the Colts got going after a touchback. From the Oakland 44, Luck went deep to TY Hilton for a 39 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Luck hit Robert Turbin for the touchdown. The Colts were within 33-14 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter as Chuck Pagano decided against the 2 point conversion. After a touchback, Carr quickly hit Crabtree for 10 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Oakland 40, Jack del rio called a run and Washington gained 11 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Indy 45, Carr Carr hit Crabtree for 8 yards. Carr hit Cooper for 14 yards to give the Raiders 1st and 10 at the Colts 23. Looking for the knockout blow, the Raiders knocked themselves out with penalties. The fourth quarter began with the Raiders facing 1st and 25. A couple safe runs set up 3rd and 15 at the Indy 28.  Carr fired deep incomplete, but before the Raiders could bring out Seabass for the field goal, a stunning intentional grounding penalty was called. Carr said to referee Ed hochuli that his receiver just ran the wrong route. Carr was not even in danger of being sacked. Yet a bomb incomplete was called grounding, pushing the Raiders out of field goal range. Jack Del Rio opted against having sea bass try a 56 yarder. Marquette King got great punt coverage as the Colts were pinned at their own 4 yard line.

The Colts punted it and the Raiders fumbled, but a penalty flag immediately came out. TJ Carrie of the Raiders was hit before the ball arrived. So the Raiders took over with a short field at the Colts 44 with a little over 12 minutes left in regulation.  On 2nd and 7 from the Indy 41, again the Raiders went backward. An illegal crackajack penalty made it 2nd and 22 from the Oakland 44. On the next play disaster struck for the Raiders in the worst possible way. Carr was sacked and stayed on the ground. He had to be helped off the field by a couple teammates. The entire Raider Nation hoped it was not a season ending injury. Matt McGloin came in on 3rd and 26 and handed the ball off. A personal foul after the play had the Raiders punting on 4th and 36. The Colts took over at their own 22 with 10 1/2 minutes left.

As expected, the deflated Raiders quickly collapsed on defense. 68 yards came too easily for the Colts. On 2nd and 3 from the Oakland 18, Luck threw incomplete but a questionable defensive pass interference call put the ball on the Oakland 11. Luck went back to pass, avoided a sack, and scrambled all the way for the touchdown. Luck hit Hilton for the 2 point conversion as the Colts were down 33-22 midway through the fourth quarter. After a touchback, Jack Del Rio played it very safe with McGloin. A couple of runs set up 3rd and 6 from the Oakland 29. McGloin went back to pass, slipped, recovered, and fired to the sideline. Andre Holmes caught it and got both feet down for 10 yards and a big first down. The Colts unsuccessfully challenged the catch and lost a timeout. Now it was back to the ground game to eat the clock. On 3rd and 4 from the Oakland 45, McGloin threw a short pass high and incomplete. With 4 minutes left the Colts got the ball back after a touchback. A facemark penalty against the reeling Raiders had the Colts starting at their own 35.   

Luck immediately hit Hilton, who split the seams for a 39 yard gain. The defense finally held. On 4th and 9 and needing 2 scores, Chuck Pagano opted for the field goal. Adam Vinatieri hit the 42 yard field goal. 18 unanswered points had the Colts within 33-25 with 2 1/2 minutes to play. The Colts still had 2 timeouts and the 2 minute warning. Chuck Pagano decided against the onside kick as the deep kick went for a touchback. Derek Carr was out. Michael Crabtree was out. It was up to McGloin. A pair of runs went nowhere as the Colts took their timeouts. At this moment Jack Del Rio decided to break out his balls of steel. On 3rd and 8 from the Oakland 27 and the Colts unable to stop the clock, a run would take the game to the 2 minute warning. Del Rio put it in McGloin’s hands and called a pass play. It appeared the ball was intercepted, but McGloin’s laser was grabbed by Cooper for a 19 yard gain. McGloin pumped his fist. The Raiders defense did not have to go back on the field.

McGloin took three knees. The Raiders had survived to get to 12-3. Del Rio’s steel balls and total trust his players did it again. McGloin made the throw of his life. Cooper made the catch of the game and ripped away a potential interception. Now the entire team and Raider Nation awaited words of Derek Carr’s health. The Raiders still have not clinched the AFC West, but if Kansas loses to Denver or in it’s finale, the Raiders would be division champs. If Kansas City wins out and the Raiders lose next week at Denver, the Raiders tumble all the way to the wild card. On the flip side, if the Raiders win next week at Denver and New England loses its finale, the Raiders would have home field throughout the playoffs. For Mark Davis, Reggie McKenzie, and the rest of the Silver and Black, this was another big one. Sadly for the Raiders, there would be no Christmas or Hanukkah miracle. Carr had a broken fibula and would be out indefinitely. 33-25 Raiders

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams — This week’s futility bowl saw the 49ers face off against the team they blanked 28-0 in the opener before losing 13 straight games. On the Rams first drive, Jared Goff was intercepted by Brock, who returned it 39 yards to the Rams 17. Colin Kaepernick found Carlos Hyde on a short pass that went for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. Cooper returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards to the Rams 48. On 3rd and 11, Goff hit Tacon Austin for 11. On 4th and 2 at the San Francisco 30, the Rams decided to go for it. Goff hit Kendricks for a short pass that went for 24 yards. Todd gurney ran for a one yard touchdown to make it 7-7. Kaepernick was quickly intercepted, giving the Rams the ball at the 49ers 30. One play later Tavon Austin took an end around all the way to the end zone to make it 14-7 Rams. The teams took off the second and third quarters.

Early in the fourth quarter from the San Francisco 34, Kaepernick threw toward Hyde incomplete. Los Angeles challenged the call, and it was reversed to a completion for no gain and a fumble recovered by the Rams at the San Francisco 25. On 2nd and 10 Goff went deep incomplete bu defensive pass interference put the ball on the 9. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Goff hit Higbee for the touchdown to make it 21-7 Rams. The 49ers moved 75 yards in 13 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 10 from the Rams 13, Kaepernick scrambled for the touchdown. With 5 minutes to play the 49ers were within 21-14.

The Rams went 3 and out and the 49ers got the ball back at their own 27 with 3:10 to play. Kaepernick hit Celek for 12 and Rod Streater for 11 to midfield. Unnecessary roughness on the next play against the defense moved the 49ers to the Rams 35. On 3rd and 1, dragon gained 2. Kaepernick hit Rod Streater for the touchdown. With nothing left to lose but their 14th straight game, Chip Kelly went for the 2 point conversion. Kaepernick fired to Streater and the 49ers had the one point lead with 30 seconds to play. A short kick was returned 24 yards to the Rams 42. A couple passes could mean a winning field goal try. Instead Goff was quickly intercepted at the 49ers 42 with 16 seconds left. The Rams still had all their timeouts. With 7 seconds left, the 49ers lined up to point on 4th and 14 from their own 38. It was punted out of bounds as the clock ran out. If the 49ers played the Rams every week they would be 16-0 instead of 2-13. Meanwhile, the Rams cannot blame this collapse on Jeff Fisher. 22-21 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints — The Saints at 7-7 are done while the Buccaneers at 8-6 are clinging to playoff life. In the first quarter the Saints moved 91 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Mark Ingram ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. In the second quarter a field position game had the Buccaneers taking over at the Saints 39. On 3rd and 14 from the 26, Jameis Winston threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and 10 at the 12. On the next play Winston hit Brate for the touchdown and a 7-7 ballgame. The Saints responded by moving from their 25 to a 3rd and 3 at the Tampa Bay 24. Brees threw incomplete but will Lutz snuck a 42 yard field goal just inside the upright to make it 10-7 Saints. Lutz tacked on a 34 yarder as the Saints took a 13-7 lead into the locker rooms.

The Buccaneers fumbled the second half kickoff and were lucky to retain possession at their own 4. Winston was quickly intercepted by Byrd, who returned it 24 yards to the Tampa Bay 14. One play later Mark Ingram ran for a touchdown to make it 20-7 Saints.Both offense began moving at will. The Buccaneers moved 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Jacquez Rodgers ran for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 20-14. The Saints responded 75 yards quickly. Brees hit Cadet for an 11 yard touchdown. They went for the 2 point conversion and Ingram got in to make it 28-14 Saints. The Buccaneers made 75 yards look easy again. Winston went to Mike Evans for a 34 yard touchdown as the Buccaneers were back within 28-21.

The Saints then moved 72 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 1 from the 9, a facemark on the offense instead meant 3rd and 16 from the Bucs 24. Brees fired to Marcellus Thomas for 17 yards. On 2nd and goal from the 3, Brees fired incomplete twice. Lutz hit from 21 to make it 31-21 Saints with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Bucs moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Saints 24. Yet on 3rd and 14 from the 28, Winston was intercepted. The Bucs got it back at their own 43. On2nd and 21 from the saints 47, Winston ran for 8 and on 3rd and 13 hit Shepard for 22 yards. Yet on 1st and 10 from the Saints 17, Winston threw 3 incompletions. Needing two scores, Dirk Koetter sent out Roberto Aguayo for a 35 yarder. The kick was good and the Buccaneers were within 7 with 2:05 to play. The onside kick failed. On 3rd and 1 from the Buccaneers 36, Ingram gained 10 yards as the Saints ran out the clock. The 7-8 Saints can still get to .500 next week with a win while the 8-7 Buccaneers saw their playoff hopes go down the drain. 31-24 Saints

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks — Seattle still has a shot at a first round bye while Arizona is done. This game was all defense early on. The Cardinals punted on 4th and 26 from their own 14. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 23 at their own 24. Russell Wilson fumbled and Campbell recovered for the Cardinals at the Seattle 23. David Johnson ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. In the second quarter the Cardinals had the ball at their own 9. From the 20, Carson Palmer went deep to JJ Nelson for an 80 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Cardinals. Wilson came right back after a touchback by scrambling for 15 yards and hitting Doug Baldwin for 31 more. From the Arizona 29, Wilson went to Tyler Lockett for what appeared to be a touchdown. Yet official reversed the call to 1st and goal at the one. Thomas Rawls got stopped. Then Wilson got stopped. Then Wilson threw incomplete. Pete Carroll decided to go for it with 1:15 left in the half. Wilson was sacked for a 7 yard loss.

Yet while the Cardinals defense was celebrating, the offense fumbled the ball right back. With 32 seconds left in the half the Seahawks had 1st and goal at the 9. Yet again the Arizona defense held as Wilson threw 3 incompletions. Steve Hauschka hit the 27 yard field goal as the Seahawks trailed 14-3 at the intermission. In the third quarter the Seahawks moved 66 yards in 13 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Wilson hit Jermaine Kearse for a 2 yard touchdown to get the Seahawks within 14-10. The first three quarters were all defense, just like the 6-6 tie between these teams earlier in the year. Yet in this game, the fourth quarter was a track meet as Bruce Arians and Pete Carroll saw Palmer and Wilson put on an aerial show.

The Cardinals moved 61 yards and began the fourth quarter at the Seattle 17. Palmer found Larry Fitzgerald for 16 yards. David Johnson got in to make it 21-10 Cardinals. The Seahawks came right back 75 yards. Wilson found Baldwin for a completion that went for a 4 2yard touchdown. Wilson hit Marcel Reece for the 2 point conversion to get the Seahawks within 21-18 with 9 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, Johnson ran for a 33 yard gain. A short pass from Palmer to Nelson went for 41 yards down to the one. Johnson got in as the Cardinals were back up 28-18 with less than 7 minutes to play. With 5 minutes to play the Seahawks faced 4th and 1 at their own 30. Pete Carroll decided to go for it. Wilson threw incomplete. with the short field, the Cardinals could not move the ball. Chandler Catanzaro hit the 42 yard field goal. The Cardinals led 31-18 with 4 minutes left, but they had not put the game away.

The Seahawks moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 3 at the Arizona 37 with 3 minutes to play. Wilson connected with Graham, who carried tacklers into the end zone. The Seahawks were now down 31-25. with 2 timeouts and the 2 minute warning, Pete Carroll decided to kick it deep. The Cardinals went 3 and out and penalty on the Cardinals on the punt had the Seahawks taking over at the Arizona 45 with 2:22 to play. Wilson went deep to Baldwin for a 31 yard gain. With 1:10 to play, on 3rd and 6 from the 11, Wilson found Richardson for just enough. Wilson then threw the 5 yard touchdown to Richardson. The game was tied with one minute left, and the extra point would give the Seahawks the lead. It was no good! Are you kidding me? These teams played 5 full quarters last time, and were tied 31-31 again.

After a touchback, Palmer hit Johnson for 13 and then again for 29 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Seattle 33 with 27 seconds left, Palmer hit Fitzgerald for 8 yards as the clock ticked down. The Cardinals rushed Catanzaro on the field to try the winning kick. From 43 yards out, this time the kick was good. There would be no overtime or jumping over the center to block a kick or last moment timeouts. The Seahawks at 9-5 had already clinched their division, but they fell 1/2 a game back in the race for the first round bye. They now need a win next week and help to get it back. Last time these teams combined for 12 points. This time they put up 65 points, with 41 of them in an explosive fourth quarter. 34-31 Cardinals   

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans was the Saturday night game. Houston at 8-6 came in knowing that if they won, they would clinch the AFC South while a loss would have them on the verge of missing the playoffs altogether. however, with Tom Savage making his first NFL start over benched Brock Osweiler, offense did not come easy. Houston had only 13 passing yards and 34 total yards of offense in the first half. Cincinnati was not much better until their final drive of the half. Randy Bullock hit a 43 yard field goal on the last play of the half for a 3-0 Bengals lead. Twice in the second half the Bengals had long drives of 11 and 12 plays and 68 and 71 yards that took six minutes. Both times the texans bogged down inside the 10 as Nick Novak hit field goals of 25 in the third quarter and 22 in the fourth quarter to make it 6-3 Texans. An interception of Red Rifle Andy Dalton gave the Texans 1st and 10 at the Cincy 40. They gained 0 yards and punted, pinning the Bengals at their own 9 yard line.

With 11 minutes left in regulation, on 3rd and 5 from their 14, Dalton found Brandon LaFell, who outraced everyone for an 86 yard touchdown in front of a shocked home crowd to make it 10-6 Bengals. This time after a touchback the Texans came alive.  Tom Savage hit Will Fuller for 19 yards. Savage then ran for 11 and hit Deandre Hopkins for 21 yards. Alfred Blue ran for a 24 yard touchdown to give the Texans the 12-10 lead with 8 1.2 minutes left. The extra point was blocked. The Bengals took over at their own 15 with 3:46 to play. On 3rd and 5 from the Cincy 33, Dalton hit Uzomah for 8 yards as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 4th and 3 from the Cincinnati 48, Dalton hit Uzomah again for 8 yards. With 5 seconds left, Randy Bullock came in for the winning field goal try. The kick was no good, wide right. The Texans are now AFC South champs under Bill O’Brien. Marvin Lewis now has to survive Black Monday. 12-10 Texans

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Christmas Day game. The 9-5 Steelers and 8-6 Ravens have been known for tough, hard-nosed football, and this game was no exception. Early on the Steelers moved 87 yards, taking over 5 minutes to do it. Ben Roethliseberger, who is not Jewish, fired to the end zone to Xavier Grimble. Grimble caught the ball between two defenders and somehow hung on for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Steelers. After that the defenses took over. Baltimore managed field goals from Justin Tucker of 41 yards in the first quarter and 38 yards in the second quarter as the Ravens trailed 7-6 at halftime. On the first play of the third quarter after a touchback, Roethlisberger was intercepted Zac Orr. On 3rd and 8 from the Pittsburgh 18, Joe Flacco went to Steve Smith for the touchdown. Flacco went back to Smith for the 2 point conversion to make it 14-7 Ravens. The Steelers moved 65 yards into the red zone but settled for a 36 yard Chris Boswell to get within 14-10. The Ravens held the ball for 12 plays and 8 minutes but could only muster a 46 yard Tucker field goal to extend the lead back to 17-10.

The third quarter ended just as badly as it began for the Steelers, with Ben Roethlisberger dropping back to pass from his 29 and getting intercepted again. This time Mosley returned the interception 28 yards to the Pittsburgh 11 yard line. Yet on 3rd and 3 from the 4, Flacco threw incomplete. Tucker hit the 23 yard field goal to give the Ravens some breathing room up 20-10 less than one minute into the fourth quarter. The Steelers came right back. On 2nd and 12 from their own 23, Roethlisberger hit Jesse James for 21 yards. From midfield, a deep bomb drew a 35 yard defensive pass interference call. LeVeon Bell ran for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Steelers within 20-17 with more than 11 1/2 minutes still left to play.

For the second time in the game, Boswell hit the kickoff out of bounds, giving the Ravens the ball at their own 40. Yet Flacco threw incomplete on 3rd and 3 and the Steelers got it back at their own 10. Bell quickly ran for gains of 23 and 13 yards. Big Ben found Antonio Brown for gains of 21 and 26 yards. From the Baltimore 7, Big Ben rolled to his right, fired to Bell, who appeared stopped at the one. A huge pile on moved the pile forward and got Bell into the end zone to make it 24-20 Steelers midway through the fourth quarter.

Baltimore soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. Flacco found Dennis Pitta for 11 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the baltimore 48, Dixon ran for 4 yards. After a 2nd and 10 ball was dropped by Brad Perriman, Flacco went back to Perriman on 3rd and 10 from the Pittsburgh 48. permian hauled it in for a 15 yard gain. At the 2 minute warning, Baltimore was sitting with 2nd and 4 at the Pittsburgh 13. The Ravens still had 2 timeouts. As expected, John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin saw their mirror image teams fight to the end. On 3rd and 1 from the 10, out of the shotgun, Kyle Juszczyk took the delayed handoff. Juszczyk got the first down, somehow used his hand to stay on his feet, bowled over a couple defenders, and lunged past the pile on. This was AFC North football, and the Ravens had the 3 point lead with 1:18 to play.

After a touchback, Roetholisberger went right to work. Passes to James for for 16 yards and Rogers for 20 more had the Steelers at the Baltimore 19 with 41 seconds left as Roethlisberger spiked the ball to stop the clock. A completion to Hamilton forced the Steelers to use their last timeout to stop the clock with 32 seconds left. On 3rd and 4 from the 13, Roethlisberger fired to James for a 9 yard gain and 1st and goal at the 4 as the clock ticked down. Big Ben spiked the ball again to stop the clock with 14 seconds left. Roethlisberger fired to Antonio Brown at the goal line. Brown caught the ball but was immediately met by 2 defenders. It looked like the clock was about to run out. Somehow Brown stretched the ball just past the plane of the goal line for the touchdown with 9 seconds left. With 4 seconds left from the Baltimore 41, Flacco prepared for the Hail Mary. He has a cannon of an arm, and he pulled out a miracle in 2012 that helped Baltimore win a Super Bowl. Yet this time Flacco decided to go short and try the hook and lateral. The ball was deflected and intercepted.

Al Pacino in Any Given Sunday talked about fighting for that inch. That inch was the difference in this game. For a moment, the Ravens had the game, both teams were 9-6, and Baltimore had the inside track on winning the division. Instead Brown fought for that inch. At 10-5, the Steelers clinched the division and knocked the 8-7 Ravens out of the playoffs altogether. This was AFC North football. 31-27 Steelers

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs was the Christmas night game. Due to action earlier in the day, the 10-4 Chiefs found out they had clinched a playoff spot before kickoff. Denver at 8-6 was on the outside looking in and clinging to playoff life. By the end of the first quarter, this game would be all but decided. The Chiefs quickly moved 77 yards and Alex smith ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back at their own 19 and struck quickly. Tyreeq Hill is a game changer, and he raced around the end for a 70 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Chiefs. The Chiefs got it back and faced 3rd and 9 at their own 21. Smith was intercepted by Simmons, who returned it 38 yards to the Chiefs 6. Justin Forsett got in from the one. The Broncos were within 14-7, but it was short lived. Two plays later Smith threw a short pass to Travis Kelce that went for an 80 yard touchdown as the Chiefs led 21-7 after the first quarter. Denver did manage a 52 yard field goal in the second quarter, but after that the Chiefs defense strangled the Denver offense and turned out the lights. In the fourth quarter Cairo Santos hit field goals of 27 and 39 yards to put the game out of reach. The latter field goal came after a Denver fumble, and another Denver fumble led to Andy Reid rubbing it in. A 2 yard touchdown pass from Dante Poe of all people to Harris provided the final margin. Right now the Chiefs are the wild card, but if they win next week and Oakland loses, the Chiefs win the AFC West and the first round bye. As for last year’s Super Bowl champs, they are done. 33-10 Chiefs

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys was the Monday night game. The 12-2 Cowboys came in having already locked up home field throughout the playoffs. The 9-5 Lions could clinch a playoff spot with a win in either of their final two games. The Cowboys moved 66 yards and Dak Prescott hit Brice Butler for a 21 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cowboys. The Lions came back 75 yards and Zenner ran for a 7 yard touchdown to tie the game. The Cowboys quickly came back 75 yards. Ezekiel Elliott ran for a 55 yard touchdown for a 14 -7 Cowboys lead. In the second quarter the Lions moved 58 yards in 11 plays. Matthew Stafford on 4th and goal at the one took the quarterback sneak and was initially ruled short of the goal. Yet replay showed he broke the plane and the officials reversed the call to a touchdown for a 14-14 game. The Lions got it back at their own 47. Zenner ran for another touchdown from 5 yards out to make it 21-14 Lions. The Cowboys got it back just shy of midfield. From the Detroit 25, Prescott went deep to Michael Irvin’s son Dez Bryant. The younger 88 made a juggling catch as the teams took a 21-21 tie to the locker rooms.

In the third quarter Stafford threw a ball into traffic that was deflected and intercepted, setting up the Cowboys at the Detroit 38. Elliott got in from the one to make it 28-21 Cowboys. Dallas got it back at their own 5 yard line and broke the Lions backs with a 95 yard drive. From the Detroit 10 yard line, Jason Garrett went to his bag of tricks. Prescott lateraled to Bryant, who threw a halfback option pass to Jason Witten for another touchdown and a 35-21 Cowboys lead. In the fourth quarter Dallas did it the more traditional way, going 63 yards. Prescott threw a 19 yard touchdown to Bryant to turn a tie game into a rout. At 13-2, Garrett needs to teach his star players how to hold a clipboard. If any of them even get a hangnail Jerry Jones will explode. For now, Jerrah is smiling and ready for all the playoff games to be in Big D. Consecutive losses have the Lions at 9-6. They host archrival Green Bay next week for the NFC North crown. If the Lions win, they are in the playoffs. If they lose, they are most likely out. 42-21 Cowboys

NFL 2016 Week 16 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-week-16-christmas-hanukkah-games-preview-and-bettors-guide-75646/

NFL 2016 Week 15 Recap

Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks was the Thursday night game. Jeff Fisher was fired on Monday, and John Fassel took over as interim coach. His first task was to keep his rookie quarterback from getting killed by a Legion of Boom angry at losing last week. Early on this game was all defense. In the second quarter the Seahawks moved 93 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 13, Pete Carroll went for it. Russell Wilson threw incomplete but defensive holding killed the Rams. On the next play Wilson hit non-relative Willson for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Seahawks. After a potential tying touchdown bomb was dropped, the rams tried a fake punt that failed. Steve Hauschka hit a 48 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Seahawks. Although the Rams did get a second quarter field goal, Pete Carroll’s defense turned out the lights in the second half. Wilson hit Doug Baldwin for a one yard touchdown in the third quarter. The knockout blow in the fourth quarter saw Wilson go bombs away for a 57 yard touchdown to Tyler Lockett. For good measure Richard Sherman lit up Jared Goff and knocked him out of the game. Pete Carroll called a successful fake punt late that nearly got his own punter decapitated. Meanwhile, the Seahawks clinched the NFC West. 24-3 Seahawks

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets was the Saturday night game. Rookie Brice Petty faced off against Miami team that would have to rely on backup Matt Moore to make the playoffs. Despite being eliminated from contention, the Jets dominated early on. Petty threw a 40 yard touchdown pass to Anderson for a 7-0 Jets lead. Gang Green got it back at their own 46 and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Miami 14. The home crowd was smelling upset. They should have known better. Petty was sacked and fumbled the ball away. In the second quarter the game changed. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 48, Moore hit Parker for 17, Landry for 11 and Gray for 19 down to the one. On 3rd and goal Moore hit Sims for the touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Dolphins trailed 7-6. The Jets moved from their 25 to the Miami 27, but Petty was then intercepted for another wasted chance. With 2:06 left in the half the Jets still had the lead as Miami faced 3rd and 9 at their own 48. Moore went deep to Kenny Stills for a 52 yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Dolphins. Although the Jets got a 48 yard field goal from Nick Folk just before the half, they were only delaying the inevitable. The Jets trailed 13-10 at the break, but the roof caved in after that.

Early in the third quarter the Jets intercepted Moore. Yet after failing to move the ball, from their own 41, the Jets had a punt blocked. Aikens blocked it, picked it up at the Jets 11, and took it the rest of the way for the touchdown and the 20-10 Dolphins lead. The Jets took over at their own 19 and Petty was quickly intercepted again to give the Dolphins a short field at their own 40. Moore quickly hit Landry for 31 yards and Sims for 28 more down to the one. Again, on 3rd and goal Moore hit Sims for the score to make it 27-10 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back at their own 34. One play and 10 seconds later a short pass from Moore to Landry went for a 66 yard touchdown. A close game at the half was now a 34-10 Dolphins blowout. Petty finished 20 of 36 for 235 yards, one touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Things were so bad that Ryan Fitzpatrick came in, going 5 for 10 for 31 yards, 0 touchdowns, and an interception. Moore only threw 18 passes, completing 12 of them for 236 yards, 4 touchdown passes, and one interception. The 9-5 Dolphins have the inside track on the final playoff spot for Adam Gase while Todd Bowles has a mess. Despite a fourth quarter field goal for the Jets, their fans are still chanting Just End The Season. 34-13 Dolphins.

Detroit Lions at New York Giants — A pair of 9-4 teams met for a big game. The Giants early on went 75 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Eli Manning threw a fade to the end zone and sterling Shepard out-jumped the defenders for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Giants. In the second quarter the Lions got a 48 yard Matt Prater field goal to get within 7-3. The Lions got it back at their own 22. Matthew Stafford went deep to Golden Tate for a 67 yard gain. Yet on the next play Zenner fumbled at the 4 yard line and the Giants recovered in the end zone for a touchback. Big Blue held the ball for 6 minutes and Robbie Gould hit a 47 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Giants at halftime. In the third quarter the Lions took 12 plays and held the ball for 7 1/2 minutes. Yet in the red zone Stafford was sacked. Prater hit from 33 as the Lions trailed 10-6.

Midway through the fourth quarter of a game that was all defense, the Giants faced 3rd and 10 at their own 39. Manning went deep to O’Dell Beckham for a 36 yard gain and to Sterling Shepard for 23 more. On 3rd and 1 from the 4, Manning fired to the sideline and Beckham made a spectacular one-handed grab for the touchdown as the Giants had breathing room with 6 minutes left. Beckham also returned a punt for a touchdown but that was nullified by a penalty. Stafford has been Captain Comeback, but this time he threw to the end zone and was intercepted for a touchback. Ben McAdoo has a 10-4 team while the Lions at 9-5 still lead the NFC North by one game. 17-6 Giants

Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens — An interception of Carson Wentz set up Baltimore at the Philly 36 early. Joe Flacco hit Kamar Aiken for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Ravens. A field position game had the Eagles taking over at the Baltimore 43. That was enough for Caleb Sturgis to hit a 45 yard field goal to get the Eagles within 7-3. Justin Tucker answered with a 53 yard field goal in the cold weather that was dead center to make it 10-3 Ravens. The second quarter began with the Ravens facing 3rd and 7 at their own 13. Flake was sacked and fumbled and the Eagles recovered at the Baltimore 8. Mathews ran for a 4 yard touchdown. With the Eagles having long snapper problems, Doug Pederson decided to go for 2. Matthews got the carry, leapt from the 5, met a couple defenders in the air at the goal line, and spun over them to get in and make it 11-10 Eagles.

The Ravens came back 10 plays and 5 minutes, as a 47 yard Tucker field goal made it 13-11 Ravens.  The Eagles countered with a staggering 17 play drive that consumed over 7 1/2 minutes. They settled for a 34 yard Sturgis kick for a 14-13 Eagles lead the hard way. In the 2 minute drill from their own 35, the ravens truck quickly. A deep ball from Flacco to Steve Smith was a 34 yard touchdown as the Ravens led 20-14 at halftime. The Eagles moved 79 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes, but had to settle for a 27 yard Sturgis field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter to trail 20-17. The Ravens came back 69 yards and Kenneth Dixon ran for a 16 yard touchdown to give the Ravens some space up 27-17. Midway through the fourth quarter Doug Pederson decided to go for it on 4th and 1 from the Baltimore 34. He called a pitchout and for the second time in the game, Pederson’s fourth down gamble failed.

The Ravens soon faced 3rd and 8 at their own 35. A completion from Flacco to Mike Wallace went for a 54 yard gain to the 11 yard line. Yet on the verge of putting the game away, Flacco was intercepted by hicks at the six, and Hicks returned it 34 yards to the Philadelphia 40. Needing 2 scores with 6 minutes left, the Eagles drove to a 1st and goal at the 7 with 3 minutes left. A pair of incompletions sandwiched around a run that lost 4 yards had the Eagles settling for a 29 yard Sturgis field goal. The Eagles were within 27-20, but they needed the ball back. With all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning, Pederson decided to kick it deep and trust his defense rather than go onside.

The Ravens took over at their own 12 and went nowhere. The Eagles got it back with excellent field position at their own 41 with one timeout and 1:39 to play. From the Baltimore 41, Wentz went deep to Zac Ertz for 24 yards. With 12 seconds left, from the 4 yard line, without a timeout, Wentz scrambled and got in the end zone himself. Pederson decided on the road to go for the 2 point conversion. To try this against one of the league’s best defenses is sky high risk. Wentz fired to the end zone incomplete. With 4 seconds left, the onside kick failed. The Eagles dropped to 5-8 and officially eliminated from the playoffs. The Ravens survived to get to 8-6, one game back in the AFC North. Next week John Harbaugh’s squad has a division showdown with Pittsburgh. 27-26 Ravens

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears — 10 degrees below zero with the wind chill. In football heaven, Vince Lombardi and George Halas were happily scowling. Early on the Packers went 73 yards and Ty Montgomery ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. In the second quarter the Bears moved 64 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes but settled for a 26 yard Conor Barth field goal to trail 7-3. The Bears got it back at their own 45. Matt Barkley hit Bellamy for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Bears. The Packers worked the 2 minute drill well as Mason Crosby hit from 34 and the teams took a 10-10 tie into the locker rooms.

On the first play after a touchback to start the second half, Matt Barkley was sacked by Julius Peppers and fumbled. Peppers got the recovery as well at the Chicago 17. On 2nd and goal at the 16, bad calf and all in the cold, consecutive runs by Rodgers set up 4th and goal at the one. Mike McCarthy took no chance on the road. Crosby hit the 18 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Packers. Chicago soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 42. Barkley was intercepted by Haha Clinton-Dix. The Packers took over at their own 42. Ty Montgomery broke off a 26 yard run and then ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 20-10 Packers. History repeated itself as Barkley was again intercepted by Clinton-Dix. Christian Michael ran for a 42 yard touchdown as the Packers had broken open a close game to lead 27-10 with one minute left into the third quarter. The fourth quarter can best be described as shocking.

The Bears moved 75 yards quickly. Barkley threw an 8 yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery to get the Bears within 27-17. A sack of Rodgers led to the Bears getting the ball back at their own 22. Barkley kept firing, and a roughing the passer penalty made it 1st and goal at the 9. Howard ran for the score as the Bears were within 27-24 midway through the fourth quarter. Chicago got it back again at their own 21 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 16 at the 2 minute warning. Howard ran for 13 to set up 1st and goal at the 3. The Packers took all 3 timeouts on defense just in case the defense surrendered the lead. With 1:27 to play, on 3rd and goal at the 4, Barkley threw incomplete. Despite being 2-11, John Fox decided to go for the tie rather than the win. Coaches across the league were going for it, but he had Barth kick the 22 yard field goal. The game was tied 27-27 with 1:19 left. With 30 seconds left, the Packers faced 3rd and 11 from their own 26. Rodgers then did what he does.

Rodgers threw a deep bomb to Jordy Nelson on a day when several receivers dropped passes in the cold weather. This one was hauled by Nelson for a 60 yard gain to the Chicago 14. Rodgers spiked the ball to stop the clock with 3 seconds left. Crosby came in for the 32 yarder to win it. Crosby was good, and Mike McCarthy’s squad escaped. Rodgers finished 19 of 31 for 252 yards without a touchdown or interception. Barkley was 30 of 43 for 362 yards and 2 touchdowns, but 3 costly interceptions. Despite being 4-6 at one point, Rodgers said the Packers had the talent to run the table. Four straight wins have them at 8-6 and one game back in the NFC North with a showdown against Detroit still to come. As Rodgers would say, relax. 30-27 Packers

Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings — Adrian Peterson returned after 14 weeks of injury in a game where both teams were fighting for their playoff lives. Only one team played like it. Early on Adam Vinatieri hit a 48 yard field goal for a 3-0 Colts lead. The Colts got it back, and on 1st and goal at the 3, Andrew Luck threw 3 straight incompletions. Yet a defensive leverage penalty on the field goal try meant automatic 1st and goal as Chuck Pagano took the points off the board. Robert Turbin crashed in for the score to make it 10-0 Colts. In the second quarter Mike Zimmer’s heralded defense melted. Luck led drives of 92 and 91 yards that each took 5 1/2 minutes. Luck threw a 27 yard touchdown pass to Swoope and Turbin ran for a 6 yard score to make it 24-0 Colts in front of a shellshocked home crows. With 28 seconds left in the half from the Minnesota 23, rather than take a knee, Sam Bradford was intercepted. Vinatieri hit a 50 yard field goal to end the half with the Colts leading 27-0. The uneventful second half saw Luck throw a touchdown bomb on the first play of the fourth quarter and a pair of Minnesota field goals avoid the shutout. Both teams are 7-7 and clinging to playoff life. 34-6 Colts

Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills — Buffalo needed a win to keep slim playoff hopes alive while Cleveland just needed a win anywhere. Early on from midfield, LeSean Shady McCoy had gains of 20 and 24. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 5, Tyrod Taylor only gained 2 yards. Dan Carpenter hit the 21 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Bills. The Browns moved from their 20 to a 1st and goal at the 5. Yet a run lost 2 yards and back to back sacks of Robert Griffin III had the Browns settling for a 35 yard Cody Parker field goal and a 3-3 tie. Buffalo took over at their 26. From the Cleveland 42,  wildcat snap to Mike Gillislee saw him pitch it to Brandon Tate for a 30 yard gain. Gillislee ran for a 3 yard touchdown on the last play of the first quarter to make it 10-3 Bills. Buffalo in the second quarter moved 91 yards in 13 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Taylor hit Clay for a 19 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Bills over the hapless Browns.

The Browns moved 80 yards to start the third quarter. RGIII showed some of the flash that electrified the league before injuries derailed his career. He ran for an 18 yard touchdown as the Browns were only down 17-10. Yet after a touchback the Bills came back, aided along by a roughing the passer call. From the Cleveland 31, Taylor scrambled for 28 yards. McCoy got the last 3 yards to make it 24-10 Bills. The Browns came back again but settled for a 40 yard field goal to trail 24-13. Yet the Bill salted it away early in the fourth quarter. A 75 yard drive saw McCoy run for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 30-13 Bills. Buffalo tacked on one more field goal to complete the blowout. With the win, Rex Ryan’s Bills are 7-7 and still technically alive in the playoff race. Meanwhile, Hue Jackson has an 0-14 Browns team that has 2 weeks left to avoid permanent NFL infamy. 33-13 Bills

Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs — Tyreeq Hill raced for a 68 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Chiefs lead in a game between playoff contenders. The Titans then moved from their 26 to a 3rd and 5 at the Chiefs 40. Marcus Mariota went deep to Ryan Matthews for a 35 yard gain, but Matthews was stripped of the ball at the 5 yard line by Eric Berry. Sorensen picked it up 8 yards deep in the end zone and returned it 55 yards to the Chiefs 47. Alex Smith went deep to Jeremy Maclin for a 44 yard gain and on 3rd and goal from the 10 Smith ran for the score. Instead of a 7-7 game, it was 14-0 Chiefs, who continue to win with their defense forcing turnovers.

The second quarter began with the Titans at their own 24. Derrick Henry ran for 15 yards. On the next play Mike Mularkey went to his bag of tricks. A perfectly executed Flea Flicker saw Mariota go deep to Matthews for a 46 yard gain. Henry then ran for a 4 yard touchdown to get the Titans within 14-7. The Titans got it back and faced 3rd and 6 at their own 36. Mariota was sacked and fumbled. The Chiefs took over at the Titans 40. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, Ware did not get in. Walrus Lite Andy Reid went for it. Ware got the carry again and got stopped stone cold for a goal line stand. However, the Tennessee offense could not move the ball so the Chiefs got it back at the Tennessee 45. Cairo Santos hit a 34 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Chiefs at halftime.

The third quarter was all defense. The Chiefs missed a golden chance to extend the lead when Smith was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. Ryan Succop hit a 39 yard field goal with 12 minutes left in regulation as the Titans only trailed 17-10. With 4 minutes left, the Titans had moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Chiefs 16. Mariota threw to the goal line and the well defended pass was broken up. Mike Mularkey decided to go for it. Mariota calmly fired to DeMarco Murray for a 1st and goal at the one. On the next play Derrick Henry got in the end zone. With 3:12 to play and the Titans out of timeouts, Mike Mularkey decided to go for the 2 point conversion. Jack Del Rio did it in Week 1 against a porous defense. Mularkey was testing one of the NFL’s top defense. The conversion try never had a chance as Mariota was eventually belted, maintaining the Chiefs one-point lead. In another surprising move, Mularkey opted to kick it deep rather than go onside. At the 2 minute warning, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. A first down would end things.

Smith kept the ball and got stopped cold. The Titans were alive. They got the ball at their own 25 with 1:07 left. Mariota hit Mathews for 19 yards and Delanie Walker for 6 more to midfield. Mariota hit Walker for 15 more as the Titans raced up to the line to spoke the clock. With 5 seconds left, Succop came in for a 53 yard field goal try for the win against his former team. The kick was good, but Andy Reid called timeout at the last moment. Succop tried again, and was dead center again. At 8-6 the Titans are tied atop the AFC South and hold the tiebreaker. The Chiefs at 10-4 fell out of the AFC West lead. 19-17 Titans

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans — Houston was tied atop the weak AFC North, and only had to dispatch of the 2-11 Jaguars at home. Cue ESPN user-announcer Chris Berman. “That’s why they play the games.” After a scoreless first quarter, Jason Myers hit field goals of 26 and 50 yards to make it 6-0 Jaguars. Brock Osweiler threw a pair of early interceptions, as a short field had the Jaguars at the Houston 37. Bortles got the last yard himself to make it 13-0 Jaguars. Bill O’Brien had seen enough from his 72 million dollar bust. Osweiler was benched and Tom Savage came in. Savage’s first pass went for a 32 yard gain to Wendell Williams. On 3rd and goal at the one, Miller fumbled at the goal line and the Texans recovered for a touchdown. On further review, Miller did not break the plane and only he could recover his own fumble. So instead it was 4th and goal from a foot away. Bill O’Brien went for it and had a quarterback who has never thrown an NFL touchdown pass try a fade route. The pass was broken up.

With less than 2 minutes left in the half, the Jaguars had to punt from the back of their end zone. Holding on the kick meant an automatic safety as the Texans were finally on the board. With the free kick, the Texans moved in position for Nick Novak to hit a 39 yard field goal as the Texans trailed 13-5 at the half. In the third quarter Savage stayed in the game and the Texans held the ball for 5 minutes Novak hit from 45 as the Texans were right back in it down 13-8. Yet before we could say typical Jaguars collapse, Marquis Lee returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown to make it 20-8 Jaguars. Novak would hit a 43 yard field goal at the end of the third quarter to get the Texans within 20-11. Midway though the fourth quarter the Texans had moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Jaguars 10. A running play was blown up in the backfield. Novak hit from 27 to get the Texans within 20-14.

The Jaguars punted on 4th and 20 form their own 15 and the Texans took over at their own 48 with 6 minutes left. On 3rd and 7 from the Jacksonville 35 with 3:50 to play, Savage threw incomplete. Yet defensive pass interference instead meant 1st and 10 at the 25. On 2nd and goal from the 7 with 3 minutes left, Savage threw incomplete. Yet again defensive pass interference killed the Jaguars and meant 1st and goal at the one. Miller got the last yard as the Texans took a one point lead. With 1:58 to play, on 4th and 15 from the Jacksonville 40, Blake Bortles threw incomplete. The Jaguars held on defense and got it back at their own 7 with 1:10 left and 0 timeouts. Bortles was quickly intercepted as Gus Bradley prepared for his final 2 games as head coach. Bortles was an awful 12 of 28 for 92 yards, 0 touchdowns, and one interception when it mattered most. Savage did not throw a touchdown or interception, but he was 23 of 36 for 260 yards despite not playing the whole game. Houston is 8-6 and tied for the division lead, but they have a serious quarterback controversy. Meanwhile, the Wrath of Khan exploded in Jacksonville. Owner Shad Khan did not even wait until Monday. Gus Bradley was fired immediately after the game. 21-20 Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals — Pittsburgh came in with a one game lead in the AFC North while the Bengals are all but done. Yet Cincinnati was burning for revenge of last year’s playoff loss. The Bengals moved 70 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 5, Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw to the end zone incomplete. Mike nugget has been cut, and Randy bullock is now the Bengals kicker. Bullock hit from 23 to make it 3-0 Bengals. Pittsburgh answered with a 45 yard Chris Boswell field goal for a 3-3 game. The Bengals moved from their 36 to the Pittsburgh 40. Dalton went deep and drew a defensive pass interference penalty. It was 1st and goal at the one.

Jeremy Hill got the carry and got stopped. On 2nd and goal Hill got the ball again. He appeared to get in but was ruled short. On 3rd and goal Hill went airborne and got knocked back as Mike Tomlin pumped his fist. Marvin Lewis challenged that Hill broke the plane of the goal. He lost the challenge. On 4th and goal only inches away, Lewis went for it on the last play of the first quarter. Dalton took the quarterback sneak and got in for a 10-3 Bengals lead. In the second quarter the Bengals went 82 yards in 10 plays. Hill ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Bengals.

The Steelers moved form their 19 to a 3rd and 7 at the Cincinnati 13. Ben Roethlisberger went to Antonio Brown for the touchdown, but a chop block penalty on LeVeon Bell instead meant 3rd and 22. Big Ben was sacked as the Steelers settled for a 49 yard Boswell field goal to trail 17-6. Alex Erickson returned the ensuing kickoff 72 yards to the Pittsburgh 26. On 3rd and goal at the 4 Dalton threw incomplete. Bullock hit from 22 to make it 20-6 Bengals with 3 minutes left in the half. That was enough time for Bullock to hit a 49 yard field goal just before the half as the Steelers trailed 20-9.

Early in the third quarter a questionable personal foul call on Vontaze Burfect for roughing Roethlisberger kept a drive going. Burfect’s meltdown led to last year’s playoff loss, and this time his teammates made sure that did not repeat. Nevertheless, Boswell hit his fourth field goal from 40 yards out to get the Steelers within 20-12. The Steelers got it back and again moved into field goal range. Very late in the third quarter, Boswell hit his fifth field goal from 49 yards out as the Steelers were only down 20-15. The Bengals kept self-destructing as Dalton was quickly intercepted by Lawrence Timmons on the last play of the third quarter, setting up Pittsburgh at the Cincy 34. Boswell made his sixth field goal from 30 yards as the Steelers were only down 20-18 with a full 12 1/2 minutes left.

The Bengals were lifeless on offense in the second half. Pittsburgh got it back at their own 31. Just like in last year’s playoff games, the Bengals killed themselves with defensive penalties. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincy 48, the Bengals jumped offsides. on the next play there was defensive holding. On the next play came defensive unnecessary roughness. On 2nd and 16 from the Cincy 24, Big Ben went deep to Rogers for the touchdown. 18 unanswered points had the Steelers take a 4 point lead midway through the fourth quarter.

The Bengals went backward and punted. The Steelers took over with 6 minutes left at their own 16. With 3 1/2 minutes left, on 3rd and 8 from the Pittsburgh 29, Roethlisberger went deep to Green for a 28 yard gain. With 1:51 to play and the Bengals out of timeouts, the Steelers faced 2nd and 11 at their own 20. In a surprising decision, the Steelers decided to pass even though a run would take the clock down to one minute. Big Ben threw incomplete, but defensive pass interference was the final nail in the Bengals coffin. It did not appear to be a good call, but the Bengals have earned their reputation. They are now officially eliminated from playoff contention, which could be the end of Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati. Meanwhile Mike Tomlin’s Steelers at 9-5 have a one game lead in the AFC North and a tough division showdown next week with arch rival Baltimore. 24-20 Steelers

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals — This had all the hallmarks of a pinball machine, and it was. Sean Payton and Bruce Arians each have a 5-win team, but the offenses can move the ball at will when hot. Arizona struck first when Williams ran for a 49 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Cardinals. The Saints would move 56 yards in 14 plays, holding the ball for 7 minutes. The Saints settled for a 37 yard Will Lutz field goal to trail 7-3. The Cardinals fumbled the ball and the saints took over at the Arizona 30. On 3rd and goal at the 10, Drew Brees hit Cadet for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Saints. Early in the second quarter the Cardinals missed a chance to tie the game when a 55 yard field goal try by Chandler Catanzaro was no good.

Midway through the second quarter the Saints faced 2nd and 20 at the Arizona 40. Brees was sacked by Golden and fumbled. Campbell picked it up and raced 53 yards for a defensive touchdown to make it 13-10 Cardinals. The extra point was no good. New Orleans came right back when Brees went to Brandon Cooks for a 65 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Saints. With 2 minutes left in the half the Saints faced 3rd and 4 at the Arizona 45. A short pass from Brees to Cooks went all the way for another touchdown as the Saints led 24-13. Carson Palmer had his chance next and worked the two minute drill to perfection. After hitting Jermaine Gresham for 23, the Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 10 at the Saints 44. Palmer found John Brown for 11 yards. On 3rd and 2 from the 10, Palmer found JJ Nelson for the touchdown as the Cardinals trailed 24-20 at halftime. The teams kept firing in the second half.

In the third quarter the Saints moved 68 yards in 14 plays and held the ball for 6 minutes. Yet they settled for a 39 yard Lutz field goal to make it 27-20 Saints. The Cardinals quickly came back 62 yards. Palmer found Johnson for 25 yards and defensive pass interference moved the ball 11 yards closer to the two yard line. Johnson ran it in for a 27-27 game after three quarters. This shootout was not even close to being done. Early in the fourth quarter the Saints lined up for a field goal on 4th and 2 from the Arizona 7. Lutz hit the 25 yarder, but the Arizona defense jumped offsides. Sean Payton took the points off the board. On the next play Tim Hightower ran for a 3 yard touchdown against his former team to cap a 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 34-27 Saints. The Cardinals came back 75 yards and Johnson ran it in for a 7 yard touchdown for a 34-34 game with 9 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, the Saints struck again. From the Saints 48, a short pass from trees to Cooks went for 36 yards. Brees hit Marcellus Thomas for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 41-34 Saints. Arizona soon faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Palmer hit Golden for a short gain but Golden fumbled the ball and the Saints took over at the Arizona 29. Hightower got in from the 2 for a 48-34 Saints lead with 3 1/2 minutes left. Needing 2 scores, the Cardinals moved 75 yards rapidly. Palmer threw a 30 yard touchdown pass to Brown to make it a one score game with 2 1/2 minutes left. The onside kick failed. At the 2 minute warning, everything came down to the Saints facing 3rd and 3 at the Arizona 45 and both teams out of timeouts. Rather than play it safe, Sean Payton called a pass play. Brees hit Coby Fleener for 6 yards and the Saints then ran out the clock. Palmer was 28 of 40 for 318 yards and 2 touchdowns. Brees was a ridiculous 37 of 48 for 389 yards and 4 touchdowns. Neither signal caller was intercepted. 48-41 Saints

San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons — This is not why they play the games, as the expected blowout materialized in the first quarter. Eric Weems returned a punt 42 yards to have Atlanta starting at the San Francisco 47. Devonta Freeman ran for a 5 yard touchdown to begin the Atlanta deluge. 2 plays later Carlos Hyde fumbled and the Falcons took over at midfield. Matt Ryan hit Gabriel for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Falcons. The Falcons got it back at their own 45 and kept making it look easy. Ryan threw a 9 yard touchdown to Hooper to make it 21-0 Falcons after the first quarter. For some reason, league rules required the rest of the game be played.

The 49ers tried to make a game of it in the second quarter. The 49ers moved 75 yards and and Colin Kapernick threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Celek to get the 49ers on the board. From the Atlanta 25, a short pass from Ryan to Robinson gained 59 yards. On 1st and goal at the one the Falcons fumbled the ball away, the only thing preventing an even bigger blowout. The Falcons quickly came back 94 yards on their next drive. Coleman ran for a 29 yard gain and Freeman ran for 20 and then the 9 yard touchdown to make it 28-7 Falcons. Kaepernick did throw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Rod Streater before the half to get the 49ers within 28-13, but in the third quarter the Falcons closed the door.

Matt Bryant hit a 50 yard field goal and Freeman ran for a 34 yard touchdown to cap a 77 yard drive and make it 38-13 Falcons. Atlanta added a fourth quarter field goal to complete the carpet bombing. With the win Dan Quinn saw the Falcons get to 9-5 and in strong position for the playoffs. The 49ers dropped their 13th straight game under Chip Kelly, who has not been fired. 41-13 Falcons

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos — The rematch of last year’s AFC Title Game lacked Peyton Manning, and the difference was huge. The Patriots went three and out, but the Broncos quickly fumbled the punt to give the Patriots the ball at the Denver 31. The defense held and the Patriots settled for a 45 yard Stephen Gostkowski field goal to lead 3-0. Midway through the first quarter the Broncos moved from their 38 to the red zone, but the drive stopped at the 15. Brandon McManus hit from 33 to tie the game 3-3. On the first play of the second quarter the Broncos faced 3rd and 3 at the New England 14. Trevor Siemian was intercepted by Ryan, who returned it 46 yards to the Denver 46. Tom Brady hit Julian Edelman for gains of 15 and 12. LaGuerrette Blount ran it in from the one to make it 10-3 Patriots. Gostkowski hit a 40 yard field goal in the third quarter and a 21 yarder in the fourth quarter to close out a game dominated by the defenses. Siemian finished 25 of 40 for 282 yards, 0 touchdowns and the one killer interception. Brady was only 16 of 32 for 188 yards without an interception or touchdown, but the Patriots got to 12-2 and the inside track for home field. Denver at 8-6 is now on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. 16-3 Patriots

Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers — The Raiders came in knowing a win would put them in the playoffs. The Chargers came in knowing they had been eliminated from playoff contention one day earlier. Yet the Chargers always play the Raiders tough. Even though this game was in San Diego, it felt like a Raiders home game. The Chargers started out at their own 9 yard line. It did not matter. On 3rd and 8 from the Oakland 47, Philip Rivers went deep to Travis Benjamin for the touchdown. Just like that the Chargers led 7-0. The Raiders moved from their 29 to a 2nd and 4 at the san Diego 23. A run lot 4 yards and then Derek Carr threw incomplete. Sebastian Janikowski hit the 45 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 7-3, but nothing would come easy on this day.

The Raiders moved from the San Diego 48 to a 1st and 10 at the 14. Latavius Murray gained 4 yards and then fumbled the ball away. In the second quarter the Raiders moved from their 37 to a 3rd and 6 at the San Diego 16. Carr went over the middle and was intercepted. Turnovers were killing the Raiders. The Raiders got it back at the San Diego 48, but could not move the ball. Defense was keeping the Raiders in the game, but on 3rd and 10 from the San Diego 20, Rivers hit Antonio Gates for 11 yards. Despite 2nd and 5 at the Oakland 17, Rivers threw incomplete twice. Josh Lambo hit a 35 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Chargers.

Yet they left the Raiders 90 seconds. After a touchback, Murray gained d9 and then broke free for a 33 yard gain. Dwayne Washington gained 12 more. On 3rd and 7 from the 18, Carr threw incomplete but defensive holding gave the Raiders another chance with 27 seconds left. Carr went to the end zone and Michael Crabtree caught the ball and somehow got both feet down just inbounds. Initially called incomplete, it was reversed to a touchdown. Despite playing badly the entire first half, somehow the Raiders had gotten to a 10-10 tie with the Chargers.

Lambo kicked the second half kickoff out of bounds, giving the Raiders the ball at their own 40. The Raiders moved to a 3rd and 2 at the San Diego 15, but Carr threw incomplete. Janikowski hit from 33 to make it 13-10 Raiders. From the San Diego 23, Rivers quickly hit Dontrelle Inman for 21 yards. On 3rd and 4 from midfield, Rivers hit Inman for 6 and went to him a 3rd time for 26 yards. Rivers hit Henry for a 7 yard touchdown. Lambo shanked the extra point no good but the Chargers led 16-13 with 6 minutes left in the third quarter.

A field position game had the Chargers beginning the fourth quarter at their own 5. From the San Diego 16, Farrow got the carry and fumbled the ball away. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders had the ball at the San Diego 13. Olawale gained 12 to set up 1st and goal at the one. Yet after that Murray got stopped, Carr threw incomplete, and on 3rd and goal Murray got blasted and lost a yard. Disgusted, the Raiders settled for a 21 yard Seabass field goal. The score was tied 16-16 with 8 1/2 minutes left.

The Chargers soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Rivers fired to Williams, who got blasted by David Amerson short of the sticks. The Chargers punted and the Raiders took over at their own 20. Murray gained 27 yards and Carr fired to Seth Roberts for a 22 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Chargers 29, Carr scrambled and was marked short with 4 1/2 minutes left. Initially ready to gamble on 4th and inches, instead Jack Del Rio challenged the spot. Officials reversed the call to a first down. On 3rd and 8 from the 19, Carr was sacked. Janikowski hit the 44 yard field goal to give the Raiders the lead with 2 1/2 minutes to play. The Chargers took over at their own 14. A sack of Rivers had the Chargers facing 4th and 15 at their own 9. Rivers went deep and was intercepted by Reggie Nelson. Carr took three knees and the Raiders went wild.

After 14 long, painful years, the Oakland Raiders are back in the playoffs. Congratulations to owner Mark Davis. He hired General Manager Reggie McKenzie. Congratulations to McKenzie, who drafted Khalil Mack in Derek Carr in 2014. Congratulations to Mack and Carr, who started their careers 0-10 but never gave up. McKenzie in 2015 hired Jack Del Rio. Congratulations to Del Rio, who made a major decision in Week 1 this year. With the game on the line on the road, he went for the two point conversion. Carr hit Michael Crabtree for the 35-34 win. This was the beginning of the end of the losing culture. Now at 11-3, it is official. The Oakland Raiders are no longer losers. Whatever happens the rest of the year, they are winners. To the Raider Nation, who never gave up, enjoy every minute of this. I know I bleed Silver and Black, and I know I will. As expected, this was a difficult win. With the Raiders it is never easy. Nothing worth fighting for is easy. From Al Davis to John Madden to Tom Flores to today, it was never easy. Just win baby. 19-16 Raiders

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys was the Sunday night game. The Buccaneers came in winning 5 straight to get to 8-5 while Dallas had their 11 game win streak snapped last week. In the first quarter the Cowboys tried a 56 yard field goal but Dan Bailey was no good. The Bucs then moved from their 46 to a 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 7. Jameis Winston threw incomplete but Roberto Aguayo hit the 25 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. The Cowboys then moved from their 26 into the red zone. Yet on the first play of the second quarter, with the Cowboys facing 4th and 3 at the 9, Bailey hit a 27 yarder for a 3-3 game. After a touchback, Winston was sacked and fumbled. The Cowboys took over at the Dallas 14. Ezekiel Elliott ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Cowboys. Dallas got it back and moved 64 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. Dak Prescott ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-3 Cowboys. With 1:52 left in the half Aguayo hit from 34 to get the Buccaneers within 17-6. At the end of the half looking to extend the lead, Bailey missed again from 52. Winston actually had a Hail Mary try as well for the Buccaneers, but he was intercepted in the end zone.

In the third quarter after a touchback the Buccaneers struck quickly. On 3rd and 1 from the Dallas 42, Winston rolled to his left and unleashed a slightly underthrown bomb to the end zone. After bouncing off the fingers of the defender, Humphries came down with it for the touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 17-13. The Bucs got it back and soon faced 2nd and 18 at their own 11. Winston fired to Shepard for 19 and to Brate for 17 more. On 3rd and 2 from the dallas 45, Winston found Brate again for 22 more. On 2nd and 14 from the Dallas 27, Winston hit Mike Evans for 17 and then fired a laser between defenders to Brace for the 10 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, the Buccaneers led 20-17.

The Cowboys came back 58 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, Bailey hit a 40 yard field goal for a 20-20 game. The Buccaneers soon faced 3rd and 14 at their own 21. Winston went deep and was intercepted by Heath, who returned it 19 yards to the Tampa Bay 22. Prescott threw a 20 yard touchdown to Dunbar, but it was nullified by offensive holding. the Cowboys settled for 38 yard field goal from Bailey to lead 23-20 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Dallas got to right back at their own 41. Prescott hit Jason Witten for a 4 yard gain, but Witten fumbled and the Buccaneers recovered at the Dallas 45. Yet on 3rd and 5 from the Dallas 40, very close to tying field goal range, Winston threw incomplete and the Buccaneers punted.

The Cowboys took over at their own 4 yard line. Prescott hit Dez Bryant for 19. Elliott then raced for a 42 yard gain. On 3rd and 2 from the Tampa Bay 16, Elliott came up a yard short. Jason Garrett took no chances. Bailey hit from 33 to put Dallas up by 6, but with 3 minutes left the Buccaneers still had life. Tampa Bay quickly went 3 and out, and Dirk Koetter decided to punt and trust his defense. The Bucs took their timeouts on defense. With 1:50 to play the Cowboys faced 3rd and 3 at the Tampa Bay 48. Prescott was sacked for a 3 yard loss. The Buccaneers got it back with 1:36 to play at their own 11. Yet a sack of Winston had the Buccaneers facing 4th and 12 at their own 20 with 35 seconds left. Winston went deep and was intercepted by Orlando Scandrick. The Buccaneers fell to 8-6 and will need help to make the playoffs. The 12-2 Cowboys are already in, and one step closer to home field throughout the playoffs. 26-20 Cowboys

Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins was the Monday night game. Early on the field goal kickers got into the act. Graham Gano hit from 35 to get the Panthers on the board first. Dustin Hopkins countered from 43 for a 3-3 game. The Panthers then moved 84 yards and Cam Newton hit Ted Ginn for a 30 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Panthers. Kirk Cousins was then intercepted by Coleman, who returned it 37 yards to the Washington 24 at the end of the first quarter. Gang hit from 23 in the second quarter to make it 13-3 Panthers. The Redskins moved 89 yards and R Kelly got in from 5 yards out. The extra point failed as the Redskins trailed 13-9 at halftime. On the first play of the third quarter, disaster struck the Redskins. From their own 14, Cousins was sacked and fumbled. Carolina took over at the Washington one yard line and Newton hit Mike Tolbert for the touchdown to make it 20-9 Panthers. Gano tacked on another 23 yard field goal to make it 23-9 Panthers.

After a touchback the Redskins moved to a 4th and 2 at the Carolina 18. Jay Gruden decided to go for it and Cousins hit crowder for 8 yards. Yet on 1st and goal at the 10, an unnecessary roughness penalty on the offense meant 2nd and goal at the 27 as the third quarter ended. The fourth quarter began with the Redskins settling for a 26 yard Hopkins field goal to trail 23-12. The Panthers missed a chance to extend the lead when Gano was no good with 5 1/2 minutes left. The Redskins moved from their 28 to a 3rd and goal at the 6. An offensive penalty killed the drive. Needing two scores, the Redskins settled for a 34 yard Hopkins field goal to get within 23-15 with 3:45 left in regulation. The Panthers took over at their own 30, and Jonathan Stewart ran for a 34 yard gain. Tolbert gained another 10 yards. With 1:07 left from 41 yards out, this time Gano was good as the Panthers locked up the win. The Panthers will not be going to the playoffs, and the crushing home loss that dropped Washington to 7-6 means they will not be going either. 26-15 Panthers

NFL 2016 Week 15 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-2016-week-15-preview-and-bettors-guide-75276/

NFL 2016 Week 14 Recap

Welcome to December football. To quote John Randall, “This is when the big dogs come out!”

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs was the Thursday night game. With 1st place in the AFC West on the line, Pro football’s best blood feud took center stage. Andy Reid gave the entire town permission to take a half day at work to make it to the stadium. The Raiders received a break only 90 seconds into the game when they punted and Tyreeq Hill fumbled it. The Raiders took over at the Chiefs 38. Despite golden field position, the Raiders offense could do little against the Chiefs defense. Sebastian Janikowski hit a 44 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Raiders. The Chiefs moved from their 25 to a 4th and 1 at the Oakland 27. Walrus Lite Andy Reid decided to go for it. Ware got the carry and ran into a brick wall. The Oakland defense played well in the first quarter but the offense could not get anything going. Late in the first quarter the Chiefs took over at their own 30 and finally got going.

The second quarter began with the Chiefs at the Oakland 36. West Coast Offense Dink and Dunk Game Manager Alex Smith plays Captain Checkdown against everyone except the Raiders, whose awful defense makes him look like Joe Montana. Smith went deep to Hill for the touchdown and the 7-3 Chiefs lead. The Raiders soon faced 2nd and 3 at their own 32. Derek Carr threw incomplete and then scrambled but came up just short of the sticks. The Chiefs soon faced 3rd and 6 at their own 26. Smith threw a short pass to Travis Kelce that went for a 28 yard gain. Even after holding had the Chiefs facing 1st and 20, a short pass from Smith Conley went for 31 yards. West got in from 3 yards out to make it 14-3 Chiefs.

The Raiders soon had to punt on 4th and 7 from their own 29. Marquette King hit a short punt that had the Chiefs at their own 25. Yet a penalty on the Raiders for being out of bounds on the punt had Andy Reid deciding to make Oakland kick again from 5 yards deeper. King got off a 54 yard punt, but Hill made the Raiders pay. He split the seams and went for a 78 yard touchdown. With 6 1/2 minutes left in the half the Chiefs were leading in a laugher 21-3. Last week the raiders came back from 15 points down in the third quarter. This time they were down 18 and had no offense. Meanwhile, despite only 19 yards rushing, the Chiefs were dominating because Alex Smith had 202 yards passing in the first half alone.

To make matters worse the Raiders were backed up to their own 8 yard line. Carr hit Amari Cooper for 10 yards and the Raiders finally got going. On 3rd and 5 from their 23, Carr found Clive Walford for 18 yards. On 3rd and 1 from midfield, Latavius Murray ripped off an 11 yard gain. On 3rd and 1 from the 19, Murray gained 5. Defensive pass interference put the ball on the one with 17 seconds left in the half. Murray got the carry, appeared stopped, and just stretched the ball over the plane before being pushed backward. Initially ruled a stop, the officials reviewed it and gave the Raiders the touchdown. The 14 play, 92 yard, 6 minute drive had the Raiders down 21-10 at halftime.

On the second play of the second half, with the Chiefs facing 2nd and 5 at their own 23, Smith fired over the middle and was intercepted by TJ Carrie. Carrie returned the interception 14 yards to the Kansas City 18 yard line. yet despite a gift, the Raiders offense could not capitalize. On first down a lob to the end zone was dropped by Seth Roberts. On 3rd and 6 Carr threw incomplete again. Seabass hit the 33 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 21-13, but it was a moral victory for the Chiefs defense. Then for the third week in a row came the Monster Mack. Khalil Mack beat his man, strip sacked Alex Smith, and the Raiders recovered the fumble at the Chiefs 18. Murray bull rushed forward for an 11 yard gain. Yet on 1st and goal at the 7, offensive holding pushed them back. Again the Raiders squandered an opportunity. Things got even worse when King could not handle the snap on the field goal try. Despite forcing two turnovers deep in Kansas City territory, the Raiders managed only three points total and still trailed by eight.

The Raiders held on defense but were pinned at their own 9. They punted back and the Chiefs moved from their 38 to a 3rd and 1 at the Oakland 42. Smith threw incomplete and was lucky he was not intercepted again. On 4th and 1 Andy Reid lined up to go for it but it was a bluff. The Raiders did not take the bait, and after the delay of game the Chiefs punted. Again the Raiders had poor field position at their own 15. They managed to get to their own 40 but Carr just could not find any windows to complete passes. This time it was the Chiefs with bad field position at their own 10. Holding pushed them back to the 7, where they began the fourth quarter with 1st and 13. Once again, the Raiders had no answers when it matters most. Smith went deep to Kelce for a 34 yard gain. On 3rd and 4 from the Chiefs 47, Smith raced to the sideline and just got the first down. On 3rd and 4 from the Oakland 41, Smith’s pass was well defended. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders again had awful field position at their own 13.

After Murray gained 12 yards on the ground, the Raiders had 2nd and 7 at their own 28. Carr fired to Roberts, who yet again dropped the ball. Roberts would have had the first down. On 3rd and 7 Carr avoided a sack and threw to a wide open Cooper. This was the tying touchdown. Yet Cooper inexplicably stopped running and the ball fell incomplete. Nothing as going right, and another short punt from King had the Chiefs taking over at midfield. Only 9 minutes remained in regulation, and the Chiefs again had a chance to deliver the knockout blow. Yet on 3rd and 10, a completion came up well short. Again the defense held. Again it was up to the offense to do something. Again the Raiders had miserable field position at their own 15 yard line midway through the fourth quarter.

A heavy dose of the running game had the Raiders facing 2rd and 2 at their own 37. Murray got the carry, appeared stopped, and bulled his way just past the first down marker. On 1st and 10, with 4:38 to play, Carr didn’t like what he saw and burned a timeout. Carr then threw a well thrown ball that again was dropped. The Raiders were bailed out by the zebras as defensive pass interference meant a 19 yard gain to the Chiefs 42. On 3rd and 4, Carr was hit as he threw for an incompletion. With 3:15 to play, under heavy pressure, Carr fired to Roberts. Roberts has his drops but he caught this one, evaded a tackler, and gained 13 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the 14, rather than run up the middle, Carr went for it all and threw incomplete with exactly 2:01 to play.

On 4th and 1, it appeared the Chiefs jumped offsides. Instead the officials called a false start. On 4th and 6, Carr went to Roberts, and the play had no chance and fell incomplete. Now the Raiders were desperate. The defense had to get a stop for them to have a prayer.  With 1:07 to play, on 3rd and 2 from their own 27, Ware got the carry. Initially it looked like he was stopped, but the officials gave very generous forward progress. It was a first down by less than half a football length. Despite forcing three turnovers and committing none, the Raiders fell into a first place tie with the Chiefs at 10-3. The Chiefs have swept the season series. The Raiders entered the game with the top seed in the AFC. With the loss, they now fall all the way to the five seed and the wildcard. 21-13 Chiefs

Denver Broncos at Tennessee Titans — The Titans have the high powered offense while the Broncos have the tough defense. Yet it was Tennessee’s defense that stole the show. In the first quarter the Titans moved 70 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. DeMarco Murray got in on 3rd and goal from the one to make it 7-0 Titans. After that it was all defense. The Broncos quickly fumbled the ball and the Titans took over at the Denver 40. The defense held but Ryan Succop nailed a 53 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Titans. In the second quarter the Titans mounted a ridiculous 19 play, 74 yard drive that took 8 minutes. Succop hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 13-0 Titans. With one minute left in the third quarter, the Broncos finally made a third down conversion. The fourth quarter began with the Broncos facing 4th and goal at the 4. Gary Kubiak decided to go for it. Trevor Siemian threw incomplete.

The Tennessee offense wasted the goal line stand. The Titans punted on 4th and 13 from their own one. A personal foul on Tennessee on the return had the Broncos taking over at the Titans 26. Siemian threw a 3 yard touchdown pass to Emanuel Sanders. With 10 minutes left in regulation, the Broncos only trailed 13-7. A short punt had the Broncos getting the ball back at their own 45. On 3rd and 12 from the Tennessee 20, Siemian hit Denarius Thomas for 13 yards. Yet on 1st and goal from the 7, Siemian was sacked and then threw incomplete twice. McManus hit the 34 yard field goal as the Broncos were down 3 with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Denver got it back but a great punt had them pinned at their own 2 yard line with 2 1/2 minutes to play. With one minute left from the Denver 29, Siemian found AJ Derby for a 12 yard gain. Yet Derby had the ball ripped out of his hands and the Titans recovered. Siemian finished 35 of 51 for 334 yards, one touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Mariota was a miserable 6 of 20 for 88 yards without an interception or touchdown. Tennessee won by gashing Denver’s Super Bowl defense for 180 yards on the ground. The Titans got to 7-6 and dropped the Broncos to 8-5 in an absolute stunner. 13-10 Titans

San Diego Chargers at Carolina Panthers — A pair of teams on the brink of elimination tried to prevent it from being official. Graham Gano hit a 41 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Panthers. Philip Rivers was sacked and fumbled, setting up Carolina at the San Diego 39. The defense held but a shanked punt gave it back to Carolina at the San Diego 35. On 3rd and goal from the one Jonathan Stewart got in to make it 10-0 Panthers. On the first play of the second quarter from the San Diego 41, Rivers was intercepted. Worley returned it 22 yards to the Carolina 42. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Cam Newton went to Devon Funchess for the touchdown and the 17-0 Panthers lead. Carolina got it back at their own 40 and Gano hit from 44 to make it 20-0 Panthers. On 3rd and 8 from the San Diego 27, Rivers was intercepted again. Gang hit from 45 to make it 23-0 Panthers with 4 minutes left in the half.

The Chargers finally mounted some offense, going 75 yards. From the san Diego 47, Rivers went deep to Williams for a 46 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 9 Rivers hit Henry to get the Chargers on the board down 23-7. In the third quarter both teams moved into the red zone but not the green zone. Gang hit from 23 to make it 26-7 Panthers. Josh Lambo hit from 32 to get the Chargers within 26-10. The Chargers got it back and quickly moved 66 yards. Rivers hit Dontrell Inman for a 19 yard touchdown. The 2 point try from Rivers to Antonio Gates was broken up at the last moment as the Chargers trailed 26-16.

With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation the Chargers faced 3rd and 7 at their own 29. Rivers was intercepted, giving Carolina the ball at the Chargers 24. On 1st and goal at the 4, Newton had a pass intercepted at the goal line and returned by Reed 100 yards for a touchdown. Out of nowhere it looked like the Chargers were within 26-23. However, it all came back. The interception stood, but Reed was down at his own 3 yard line. On 3rd and 9 from the 4, Rivers was sacked in the end zone for a safety. The 9 point swing had the Panthers up 12 with 10 minutes left. San Diego would get the ball back again with 5 1/2 minutes left at their own 3 yard line. On 4th and 10 from their own 21, Rivers was intercepted for the third time. 28-16 Panthers

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts — The Texas came in losing three straight as both these 6-6 teams knew that only the division winner would make the playoffs. Tennessee was also tied with them at 6-6. Adam Vinatieri hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 18 and Andrew Luck was quickly intercepted. The Texans took over at the Indy 16, but on 2nd and goal at the 3, Brock Osweiler threw incomplete twice. Nick Novak hit from 21 to make it 3-3. In the second quarter the texans took over. A 12 play, 80 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive saw Miller get in from 2 yards out to make it 10-3 Texans. Novak hit a 52 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Texans at halftime. The Colts began the third quarter facing 3rd and 2 at their own 35.. Luck was intercepted again, and this time Hal returned it 24 yards to the Indy 18. Again the Texans could not take advantage. On 2nd and goal from the 6, Osweiler threw incomplete twice. Novak hit from 24 to make it 16-3 Texans.

Defense was keeping the Colts in the game, and the offense finally got going after a touchback. From the Indy 41, Luck was intercepted again. This time defensive pass interference nullified the turnover and the colts took over at the Houston 18. On the next play Luck went to Frank Gore for the touchdown as the Colts only trailed 16-10. The Colts got it back and moved from their own 14 to a 3rd and goal at the 3 after a run lost a yard. Smelling the lead, instead Luck was sacked and fumbled. Jadavean Clowney blew Luck up in the backfield and the Texans recovered the ball.

The Texans moved 64 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Novak hit his fourth field goal from 41 yards as the Texans had some breathing room up 19-10 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Colts got it back and soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 23. Luck found Robert Turbin for 9 yards. On 3rd and 10 from the Indy 47, Luck found TY Hilton for 14 yards. Two plays later Luck went deep to Hilton for a 35 yard touchdown. With 9 minutes left to play the Colts were right back in it down 19-17.

After a touchback, Houston moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 2 at the Houston 18, taking 11 plays and nearly 6 1/2 minutes off the clock. Alfred Blue got the carry and came up short. On 4th and inches Bill O’Brien decided not to go for it. Novak hit his fifth field goal from 34, but the Texans only led by 5 points. Andrew Luck has had plenty of comebacks in his career, and he appeared primed for another one. After a touchback, with 1:24 to play, the Colts faced 4th and 1 at the Houston 42. There would be no comeback as Luck threw incomplete. If you think Donald Trump is active on Twitter, observe Colts owner Jim Irsay. Osweiler was only 14 of 24 for 147 yards, 0 touchdowns, and one interception. Luck was 24 of 45 for 276 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. The Texans are tied atop the woeful AFC South at 7-6 while the 6-7 Colts are in trouble. 22-17 Texans

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns — The Bengals are bad but the Browns are winless. Robert Griffin III returned from injury but it did not help the beleaguered Browns. The Bengals quickly moved 73 yards. Red Rifle Andy Dalton threw a 14 yard touchdown pass to Tyler Eifert for a 7-0 Bengals lead. Cincinnati got it back at the Cleveland 45. On 3rd and 9 from the Cleveland 30, Dalton hit Boyd for 11. Jeremy Hill got in from the one. The Extra point was blocked but the Bengals led 13-0.   Midway through the second quarter the Browns took over at their own 2 yard line. RGIII was quickly intercepted at the Cleveland 26. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Dalton hit Eifert for the touchdown as the Bengals led 20-0 at halftime. NFL regulations required that the second half not be canceled. Cleveland did reach the end zone in the third quarter and both teams kicked a field goal in the fourth quarter of a game that deserves no further description. Hue Jackson and the Browns are 0-13 and running out of chances to make the worst kind of history. 23-10 Bengals

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills — A pair of teams fighting to make the playoffs played a game with snow coming down. Early on Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted once and barely escaped a second interception. Eventually the Steelers got the ground game going. LeVeon Bell on 3rd and goal from the 3 appeared stopped but bulled his way forward into the end zone for a 7-0 Steelers. Tyrod Taylor then had a pass bounce off a receiver’s hands and intercepted and returned for another Steelers touchdown. However, defensive holding nullified the turnover as the Bills dodged a major bullet. In the second quarter the Steelers moved 61 yards in 10 plays and 5 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 40, Mike Tomlin decided to go for it. Roethlisberger hit Johnson for a 15 yard gain. Bell ran for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Steelers.

The Steelers got it back and Roethlisberger was intercepted by Gilman, who returned it 31 yards to the Pittsburgh 7. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Taylor went to Sammy Watkins for the touchdown to get the Bills within 14-7. Yet in the third quarter the Steelers moved 82 yards in 10 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Bell scored his third touchdown from 5 yards out to make it 21-7 Steelers. Early in the fourth quarter an interception of Taylor gave Pittsburgh a short field at the Buffalo 48. Chris Boswell hit a 37 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Steelers with 10 minutes left. Buffalo got it back and soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 19. Taylor found LeSean Shady McCoy for a 41 yard gain and then went deep to Clay for a 40 yard touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright as the Bills trailed 24-13 midway through the fourth quarter.

With the Bills expecting the Steelers to run the ball, Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown on a short pass that went for 29 yards. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 37, Big Ben hit Bell for 14 yards. Boswell hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 27-13 Steelers with 3 1 /2 minutes to play. After a touchback Taylor hit Watkins for 18 and Woods for 29 more. McCoy ran for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Bills with 7 points with 90 seconds to play. Yet the onside kick failed and Buffalo dropped to 6-7 and on the brink of playoff elimination. Despite the snow in Buffalo, Rex Ryan’s coaching seat is now red hot. He likes to play ground and pound, but it was LeVeon Bell pounding his brother Rob Ryan’s defense for 236 rushing yards. Meanwhile, the 8-5 Steelers are very much alive. 27-20 Steelers

Arizona Cardinals at Miami Dolphins — This game was played in a downpour. On 3rd and 6 just shy of midfield, Carson Palmer was intercepted to set up the Dolphins at their own 48. Ryan Tannehill went deep to Kenny Stills for a 28 yard touchdown for a 7-0 Dolphins lead. The Cardinals came right back as JJ Nelson took an end around for a 56 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good as the Cardinals trailed 7-6. The second quarter began with the Cardinals punting on 4th and 8 from their own 3. The Dolphins took over with a short field at the Arizona 43. On 3rd and 4 from the 7, Tannehill hit Sims for the touchdown and the 14-6 Dolphins lead. With 1:49 left in the half the Dolphins punted on 4th and 34 from their own 7. This time it was the Cardinals with the short field at the Miami 38. Palmer threw 3 straight incompletions but Chandler Catanzaro leveled a 56 yard field goal to get the Cardinals within 14-9.

The third quarter began with the Dolphins quickly facing 3rd and 7 at their own 26. A short pass from Tannehill to Landry went for a 71 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Tannehill hit Williams for the touchdown to make it 21-9 Dolphins after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter the Dolphins were pinned back at their own one. Palmer immediately came out throwing and hit Michael Floyd for 15 yards. It took 12 plays and 7 minutes, but on 3rd and goal at the 9, Palmer hit Golden for the touchdown. The 99 yard drive had the Cardinals within 21-15 midway through the fourth quarter. The simple extra point is no longer simple. Catanzaro’s kick was blocked by Phillips. Aikens picked it up and brought it all the way back for 2 points the other way. Now the Dolphins led 23-15.

Miami did nothing with the ball and the Cardinals got it back at midfield with 5 minutes left. Palmer hit Gresham for 9 and David Johnson for 12. Bruce Arians then went to the bag of tricks, as Williams took a wildcat snap 11 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the 8, Palmer found Nelson for the touchdown with 3 minutes left. On the critical 2 point conversion try, Palmer fired over the middle to Johnson for a tie game 23-23. Tannehill was 15 of 20 for 195 yards, 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, but he left the game injured. It would be up to back up Matt Moore to try and win it in a driving rain.

Miami punted, but Arizona punted it back. A 20 yard punt return had the Dolphins taking over at the Arizona 47with 90 seconds left. On 2nd and 5, Moore found Kenny Stills for 12 and then again deep for 29 yards down to the one. . Adam Gase took the clock down. After Moore nearly fumbled a handoff, the Dolphins were lucky to stop the clock with one second left. With hard rain coming down, Andrew Franks hit the 21 yard field goal and the Dolphins got the tough win. At 8-5, Miami is in serious playoff contention. As for Arizona, the preseason Super Bowl favorite is done. 26-23 Dolphins

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions — There was no way the 3-9 Bears would go on the road and beat the 8-4 Lions. As ESPN user-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “That’s why they play the games.” The Bears move 60 yards in 12 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Yet they settled for a 38 yard Connor Barth field goal for a 3-0 Bears lead. In the second quarter it was the Lions moving 74 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. Matt Prater hit a 29 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. Detroit got it back and went 81 yards in 10 plays. This time Matthew Stafford threw a 16 yard touchdown pass to Anquon Boldin to make it 10-3 Lions. In the third quarter the Lions held the ball for another 6 minutes. Prater nailed a 54 yard field goal to make it 13-3 Lions.

The Bears came back 75 yards quickly. Matt Barkley hit Meredith for a 31 yard touchdown to get the Bears within 13-10. The Lions moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Chicago 9 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Stafford fired over the middle. The ball was batted up in the air and intercepted in the end zone for a touchback. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Lions faced 3rd and 5 from their own 14. Stafford was intercepted again by LeBlanc, who returned it 24 yards for a Chicago touchdown. In front of a stunned home crowd, the Bears led 17-13.

Yet these are not your father’s Lions, and this is not your father’s Matthew Stafford. From the Detroit 24, Stafford hit Marvin Jones for 8 and Boldin for 23 more. With 3 1/2 minutes left from the Chicago 7, Stafford went back to pass and could not find anyone. He evaded the sack, slipped several Chicago tacklers, and through sheer will bowled over his own offensive lineman to get into the end zone. Now the Lions were up by a field goal.

Chicago moved from their 25 to a 1st and 10 at the Detroit 43 with one minute left. One more first down would be long field goal range. Matt Barkley found Meredith for a 27 yard gain, but offensive holding meant 1st and 20. Barkley went deep to Braverman for 23 yards, but offensive holding again meant 1st and 30 as john Fox exploded on the sideline. On 4th and 11, with 19 seconds left, Barkley threw incomplete. For Chicago, this is your father’s Bears team and not why they play the games. Meanwhile, the 9-4 Lions have a 2 game lead in the NFC North. Jim Caldwell was so pleased he almost made a facial expression. 20-17 Lions

Minnesota Vikings at Jacksonville Jaguars — Mike Zimmer was back on the sideline after missing one game due to eye surgery. Despite losing 6 of 7 following a 5-0 start, they faced the pathetic Jaguars and soon to be ex-coach Gus Bradley. The first half was unwatchable unless one loves field goals. Kai Forbath and Jason Myers both hit three of them. Forbath hit from 43 and 32 to lead 6-0 after the opening quarter. In the second quarter Myers hit from 45 and Forbath answered from 40 for a 9-3 Vikings lead. Myers then hit from 55 and from 24 as the teams took a 9-9 lead into the locker rooms. In the third quarter Forbath hit from 46 to make it 12-9 Vikings.

Finally, the end zone was discovered. The Jaguars moved 90 yards in 11 plays. Blake Bortles hit Walters for a 14 yard touchdown as the Jaguars had the surprising 16-12 lead after three quarters. Minnesota took over at their own 38. From midfield, Sam Bradford hit McKinnon for 12 and Adam Thielen for 23 more. The fourth quarter began with Matt Asiata banging in from one yard out. A false start on the extra point had Forbath trying again from 38 yards out. His second try was no good as the Vikings led 18-16.

Jacksonville went 3 and out and the Vikings got it back at their own 41. On 4th and 15 from the Jacksonville 46, Minnesota punted it back. Yet roughing the kicker kept the drive going. On 1st and goal at the one, Asiata got stopped and Bradford threw incomplete. On 3rd and goal, Asiata got the carry and fumbled the ball. Jacksonville recovered in the end zone for a touchback. With 6:19 to play the Jaguars had avoided the knockout blow and needed only a field goal to win it. Yet again they could not move the ball. Minnesota got it back at their own 46. A defensive facemark moved the Vikings to the Jags 28. On 3rd and 10, Bradford hit Cordarelle Patterson for 11 yards. Bradford threw a 3 yard touchdown to Kyle Rudolph with 2:13 to play, and the extra point put the game out of reach. At 7-6, Minnesota clings to playoff life. 25-16 Vikings

Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles — Division rivals clinging to playoff life played a close one. Caleb Surges hit a 45 yard field goal in the first quarter and a 36 yarder in the second quarter for a 6-0 Eagles lead. The Redskins finally got going, moving 69 yards in 10 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. R. Kelley ran for a 22 yard touchdown for a 7-6 Redskins lead with 4 minutes left in the half. The Eagles took their turn going 77 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Philly 41, Carson Wentz hit Burton for 16 yards. On 3rd and 3 from the Washington 36, Wentz hit Turner for 16. Wentz hit Darren Sproles for a 4 yard touchdown and a 13-7 Eagles lead at the half.

The third quarter belonged to the Redskins, as they struck in a big way. Kirk Cousins connected with DeSean Jackson on an 80 yard touchdown to give the Redskins the 14-13 lead. The Eagles moved from their own 18 to the Washington 29 before stalling. The Eagles were without a long snapper due to a [air of injuries, a severe blow to their kicking game. Captain Morgan Brent Celek was even brought in as a long snapper. A field goal try to give the Eagles the lead was fumbled, giving the Redskins the ball back at their own 46. Cousins soon hit Pierre Garcon for a 15 yard touchdown and a 21-13 Redskins lead after three quarters.

Early in the fourth quarter the Redskins faced 2nd and 6 at their own 20. Cousins was intercepted by Leodis McKelvin, who returned it 29 yards for an Eagles touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Eagles were within 21-19. Washington went 3 and out and committed a penalty on the return as the Eagles took over at their own 40. On 4th and 1 from the Washington 34, Doug Pederson decided to go for it midway through the fourth quarter. Wentz gained 2 yards. On 4th and 1 from the 23 with 5 minutes left, this time Pederson played it safe. Sturgis hit from 41 as the Eagles led 22-21.

Washington got it back at their own 23 and on 2nd and 10 Cousins threw a deep ball to Crowder that was ruled incomplete. Jay Gruden challenged the call, and it was reversed to a 33 yard gain to the Philly 44. With 3 minutes left, the Redskins faced 4th and 1 at the Philly 35 after a Cousins incompletion. Needing only a field goal for the lead, Jay burden decided to go for it. Cousins hit Garcon for 6 yards. At the 2 minute warning, Thompson ran for a 25 yard touchdown to give Washington the 5 point lead in this see-saw battle. The 2 point try failed. Wentz led a valiant rally from the Philadelphia 25 to the Washington 14 yard line with 21 seconds left. On 2nd and 10, with victory in sight, Wentz was sacked and fumbled and Washington recovered. Washington at 7-5 is still alive while the Eagles have lost 8 of 10 after a 3-0 start to kill their chances. 27-22 Redskins

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Saint shave pinball wizard Drew Brees but the Buccaneers have a very good defense. Early on it was Buc Ball. Roberto Aguayo hit a 41 yard field goal in the first quarter. In the second quarter the Buccaneers moved 75 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Muscle Hamster Doug Martin got in from the one to make it 10-0 Buccaneers. Tampa Bay got it back and Aguayo hit from 39 to make it 13-0 Buccaneers. Then the game severely tightened despite the Saints being unable to crack the end zone.

Will Lutz hit a 42 yard field goal to get the Saints on the board. The Buccaneers fumbled the ensuing kickoff and were lucky to recover at their own one. On the next play Martin got the carry and got belted backward for a safety as the Saints were within 13-5. The Saints took the free kick with 5 minutes left in the half at midfield. At the 2 minute warning, the Saints faced 4th and 1 at the Tampa Bay 14. Sean Payton decided to go for it and Brees got 2 yards himself. With 13 seconds left in the half, the Saints had 1st and goal at the one. A killer false start penalty followed by a sack of Brees meant 3rd and goal at the 15. Only 4 seconds remained so Payton took no chances. Lutz hit the 34 as the Saints trailed 13-8 at halftime.

The second half was a slog. The Saints moved from their 20 to a 3rd and 2 at the Bucs 4 yard line. Brees fired to Brandon Cooks for the touchdown, but on further review the call was reversed to incomplete. Again the Saints were denied the green zone. Lutz hit from 22 as the saints trailed 13-11. The Bucs responded by going from their own 25 to a 3rd and 4 at the Saints 7. This time it was Jameis Winston throwing incomplete. With 13 minutes left in regulation Aguayo hit from 26 to give the Buccaneers a 5 point lead. With 10 minutes left, on 3rd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 47, Brees was intercepted. With 2:08 to play and facing 4th and 7 at the Saints 35, Dirk Koetter decided to punt. At the 2 minute warning the Saints took over at their own 3 yard line. With 1 minute left, on 4th and 1 from the Saints 45, Brees was intercepted again. 5 straight wins have the Bucs at 8-5 while at 5-8 the Saints are done. Three interceptions of Brees had the Bucs thinking Pewter Power. 16-11 Buccaneers

New York Jets at San Francisco 49ers — This week’s Stupor Bowl featured the 3-9 Jets at the 1-11 49ers. On the second play of the game, from the Jets 14, rookie Brice Petty was intercepted. The 49ers began at the Jets 7. One play later Colin Kaepernick hit Carlos Hyde for the touchdown. The 49ers got it back at their own 19 and moved quickly. Hyde ran for 11 and then ripped off a 47 yard run. Draughn ran the final 4 yards to make it 14-0 49ers after the opening quarter. In the second quarter Nick Folk hit a 36 yard field goal to get the Jets on the board. Phil Dawson countered from 47 to make it 17-3 49ers. The game would have been a bigger blowout but Dawson missed 2 other field goal tries. Then came the surprise.

In the third quarter the Jets moved from their 24 to a 1st and goal at the 3, holding the ball for 7 1/2 minutes and 13 plays. Yet a false start and a sack of Petty killed the drive. Folk hit from 30 but the Jets still trailed 17-6 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Jets mounted another long drive, going 66 yards in 15 plays and taking 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. Powell ran for a 5 yard touchdown and Petty ran in the 2 point conversion himself. With 5 minutes left in regulation, the Jets were within 17-14. The Jets held on defense and got the ball back with 2 1/2 minutes left and 2 timeouts at their own 35. Petty hit Enunwa and Anderson for a pair of 9 yard gains. With 43 seconds left, Folk came in for a 50 yard field goal try to tie the game. Folk was good and the teams were headed to overtime tied 17-17.

The 49ers got the ball in overtime after a touchback and moved quickly. Hyde got around the end for a 25 yard gain. Only 2 minutes into the extra session, the 49ers quickly faced 4th and 2 at the Jets 37. Rather than punt or try a 55 yard field goal for the lead, Chip Kelly decided to go for it. Hyde got the carry and ran into a Gang Green wall. A pair of runs by Powell had the Jets near midfield. Petty went deep to Anderson for 26 yards. A field goal would end the game. Folk never got the chance. On 3rd and 4 from the 19, Powell broke free all the way for the touchdown. 20 unanswered points gave the Jets a stunning comeback in an otherwise lost season. If the players quit on Todd Bowles, it did not show. Meanwhile, after winning the opener, the 49ers have lost 12 straight. 23-17 Jets, OT

Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers — The Seahawks won the Fail Mary game and the thrilling NFC Title Game miracle two years ago. The Packers won the playoff game made famous with Matt Hasselbeck being intercepted by Al Harris. On this night, it was a one sided affair dominated by Green Bay. Right off the bat Rodgers went to Devonta Adams for a 66 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Seahawks moved 64 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. They settled for a Steve Hauschka 28 yard field goal. They were only down 7-3, but in the second quarter the Packers exploded. An interception of Russell Wilson had Green Bay at the Seahawks 26. Montgomery got in from the one to make it 14-3 Packers. Green Bay got it back with another short field at the Seattle 48. Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Packers. Another interception in the third quarter meant another short field for Green Bay at the Seattle 32. Rodgers hit Nelson for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 28-3 Packers.

The fourth quarter was a formality. Mason Crosby hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 31-3 Packers. Seattle eventually got in the end zone but yet another interception of Wilson meant another short field at the Seattle 19. One play later Janis ran around the end for the final score of the game. The NFC Title Game 2 years ago saw Wilson overcome 4 interceptions in the first 55 minutes to lad a miracle comeback. This tome there would be no miracles. He finished 22 of 39 for 240 yards, one garbage time touchdown, and 5 interceptions. Rodgers was 18 of 23 for 246 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Green Bay at 7-6 needs to run the table to make the playoffs, while at 8-4 the Seahawks fell half a game out of the first round bye race. 38-10 Packers

Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams — Atlanta has the offense, but Julio Jones was out injured. It did not matter. Jeff Fisher is known for defense, but on this day his team had none. The Rams fumbled the opening kickoff and the Falcons recovered at the Los Angeles 3 yard line. One play later Matt Ryan hit Hardy for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. In the second quarter the Falcons moved 88 yards. Ryan hit Coleman for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-0. Jared Goff was then intercepted by Jones, who returned it 33 yards for a touchdown to have the Falcons cruising 21-0 at the break. The second half was just as ugly.

In the third quarter Ryan quickly hit Gabriel for a 64 yard touchdown to make it 28-0 Falcons. Atlanta got it back and Coleman had another 6 yard touchdown run to make it 35-0 Falcons. Then Goff was sacked and fumbled, and Vic Beasley returned it 21 yards for a touchdown as the Falcons led 42-0 after three quarters. The Falcons slept through the fourth quarter and allowed a pair of garbage time touchdowns to see Dan Quinn’s squad get to 8-5. The Rams have another losing record and Jeff Fisher tied dan Reeves for all time losses as an NFL head coach. Fisher was fired the following day. 42-14 Falcons

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants was the Sunday night game. The Giants went into Dallas in the season opener and beat the Cowboys by one point. Dallas has not lost since, and a win in the rematch would clinch the NFC East. The Giants gave the Cowboys all they could handle in a game that was all defense. In the first quarter the Cowboys moved 67 yards in 10 plays and Dak Prescott hit Terrence Williams for a 31 yard touchdown pass to make it 7-0 Cowboys. On the last play of the half a 55 yard field goal try by Dan Bailey to extend the lead was no good, hitting the crossbar. In the third quarter the Giants finally got on the board when Robbie Goal hit from 39 to get the Giants within 7-3. One play changed the game. O’Dell Beckham and Eli Manning both missed chances in the first half, but in the third quarter they came together in a big way.  Manning fired over the middle to Beckham, who outraced everyone for a 61 yard touchdown and a 10-7 Giants lead after three quarters.

Dez Bryant was having a nightmarish game, with 0 catches with only 2 1/2 minutes to play. With Dallas facing 3rd and 6 at their own 28, Prescott found Bryant for a 10 yard gain. Yet his first catch soon became a fumble after Bryant was belted by Janoris Jenkins. Jenkins recovered the fumble as the Big Blue home crowd went wild. At the 2 minute warning with the Cowboys out of timeouts, everything came down to the Giants facing 3rd and 3 at the Dallas 31. Up to this point The Giants were 2 for 14 on third downs and the Cowboys were 1 for 14. A run went nowhere as the clock ticked down to 1:15 to play. Ben McAdoo decided to go for it rather than try a 50 yard field goal and risk a block. Manning barked the hard count but Dallas did not bite. After a delay of game the Giants punted. Perfect punt coverage had the Cowboys backed up to their own 2 yard line.

On 4th and 10 Prescott fired to Bryant for a 17 yard gain and then hurried up to the line. Yet just before they snapped the ball, the officials reviewed the play and reversed it to an incomplete pass. The ball clearly hit the ground, well defended again by Jenkins. Dallas saw their 11 game win streak snapped to fall to 11-2. They still have the NFL’s best record, but they have been swept by the Giants. The Giants are 9-4 and in strong position for a wild card. A third match between these teams in the playoffs would be must see television. 10-7 Giants

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots was the Monday night game. Four minutes into the game, brilliant punt coverage had the Ravens pinned at their own one yard line. Kenneth Dixon got the carry and got blown up in the end zone by Malcolm Brown for a safety and a 2-0 Patriots lead. Midway through the first quarter the Ravens faced 3rd and 6 at their own 24. Joe Flacco found Kyle Juszczyk, who shed several tackles for a 40 yard gain with 15 more tacked on for a defensive personal foul. Yet on 2nd and 5 from the 16, Flacco threw incomplete twice. Justin Tucker had not missed a field goal or extra point all season. Yet Shane McLellin timed the snap perfectly, jumped over the center, and blocked the kick. The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 33. Brady went deep to Julian Edelman for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the one, LaGuerrette Blount churned forward and got in to make it 9-0 Patriots.

In the second quarter the Ravens moved to a 2nd and 7 at the New England 41. Yet consecutive incompletions by Flacco meant another punt. The Patriots soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 17. Brady found White over the middle, and White split the seams for a 61 yard gain. On 3rd and goal from the 6, Brady fired a laser between defenders to Malcolm Mitchell for the touchdown to complete the 89 yard drive and make it 16-0 Patriots. After Flacco threw deep and was intercepted, Brady quickly moved the Patriots to a 3rd and goal at the 2 looking to put the game away. Instead Brady got belted as he threw and was intercepted in the end zone. With 11 seconds left in the half, Tucker hit a 50 yard field goal to finally get the Ravens on the board.

In the third quarter Bill Belichick went for the kill shot. With the Patriots at their own 48, a perfectly executed flea flicker went to Chris Hogan for a 28 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 19, Brady lobbed a pass to Marcellus Bennett in the end zone and Bennett ripped it away from the defender for the touchdown. With 9 minutes left in the third quarter the Patriots led 23-3. They were dominating on offense and defense, but then came some disasters on special teams.

The Patriots fumbled a punt and the Ravens recovered at the New England 3 yard line. Flacco fired over the middle to Waller for the touchdown to get the Ravens within 23-10. Then the Patriots fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Ravens recovered at the New England 22. Flacco threw an 8 yard touchdown to Dixon and the Ravens were right back in it down 23-17. In the fourth quarter the Ravens faced 1st and 20 from their own 24. Flacco went bombs away and found Perriman for a 47 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the New England 12, Flacco was sacked for an 8 yard loss. With 6 1/2 minutes remaining, Tucker hit a 38 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 23-20.

11 seconds later the Patriots had blown the game open again. From the Patriots 21, Brady went deep to Hogan, who outraced everybody for a 79 yard touchdown to make it 30-20 Patriots. Flacco led a furious rally. On 3rd and 8 from the Baltimore 21, Flacco found Mike Wallace for 20 yards. On 3rd and 5 from the Baltimore 46, Flacco went to Steve Smith for a 25 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the New England 22, Flacco fired to Dennis Pitta at the sticks. Officials ruled Pitta was short of the sticks and the clock kept running. Rather than take a timeout on 4th and inches and needing 2 scores, John Harbaugh hurried the field goal team on the field to beat the 2 minute warning. Tucker just snuck the kick inside the left upright with 2:03 left.

Down by 7, the onside kick failed. However, 2:01 remained. The Ravens would have the 2 minute warning and 2 timeouts. In a stunning move, Brady came out throwing. After an 8 yard completion. Blount barreled over defenders for the killer first down. The Patriots at 11-2 are one game ahead of everyone for home field throughout the playoffs. The Ravens at 7-6 are one game back in the AFC North, and in deep trouble of missing the playoffs. Joe Flacco was 37 of 52 for 324 yards and two touchdowns, but it was not enough. Brady was 25 of 38 for 406 yards and three touchdowns. Each quarterback was intercepted once. 30-23 Patriots.

NFL 2016 Week 14 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-2016-week-14-preview-and-bettors-guide-74860/