THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2016 Week 5 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl-2016-week-5-preview-and-bettors-guide-72168/

NFL 2016 Week 4 Recap

Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals was the Thursday night game. A pair of boring teams can sometimes produce an incredibly exciting game. This was not that game. Mike Nugent hit a 42 yard field goal to open the scoring for the Bengals. Ryan Tannehill then hooked up with Kenny Stills for a 74 yard touchdown. It was the first, last, and only Dolphins highlight of the night as they led 7-3. Red Rifle Andy Dalton moved the Bengals 90 yards and hit AJ Green for a 7 yard touchdown as the Bengals led 10-7 after the first quarter. After that, everybody except Bengals kicker Nugent took the night off. Nugent hit from 22 and 43 in the second quarter, from 22 again in the third quarter, and from 47 in the fourth quarter of a game that deserves no more description than that. 22-7 Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts — Live from London, a pair of bad teams actually did play a half-way good game. Andrew Luck was intercepted, setting the Jaguars up at the Oakland 24. Blake Bortles hit Alex Robinson for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. Adam Vinatieri hit field goals of 53 in the first quarter and 49 in the second quarter to get the Colts within 7-6. Bortles responded with a 75 yard drive and got in the final yard himself to make it 14-6 Jaguars. Jacksonville got it back at their own 20 with 1:06 left in the half. Bortles moved the Jaguars to the Indy 8 with 7 seconds left. However, a pass to Lee only gained 3 yards. Josh Myers hit the 22 yard field goal to make it 17-6 Jaguars at halftime.

Myers added 46 and 49 yard field goals to make it 23-6 Jaguars. On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Colts faced 2nd and 14 at the Jacksonville 36. Andrew Luck went to the end zone and defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. Frank Gore got in to have the Colts within 23-13. The Colts got it back at their own 22 and moved to a critical 3rd and goal at the 2 midway through the third quarter. Luck hit TY Hilton for the touchdown as the Colts only trailed 23-20.

This time the Jaguars struck back quickly. Bortles connected with Alex Hurns for a 42 yard touchdown to make it 30-20 Jaguars with 5 minutes left. With 3 minutes left, the Colts faced 3rd and 10 at their own 36. Luck went bombs away to Dorsett for a 64 yard touchdown. A 17 point deficit was now only 3 points. Jacksonville went 3 and out and the Colts got it back with 2 1/2 minutes left and 2 timeouts. With 1:42 left, on 4th and 1 from just past midfield, Luck threw incomplete. The Colts got it back at their own 18 with 26 seconds left. Luck inexplicably threw a 2 yard pass as the clock ticked down to nothing. The Jaguars won overseas and will now try going forward to win in the United States. 30-27 Jaguars

Cleveland Browns at Washington Redskins — Kirk Cousins came out on fire. He led drives of 75 and 80 yards and threw touchdowns of 8 and 9 yards to Reed for a 14-0 Redskins lead. Yet Hue Jackson’s browns, despite being winless, have plenty of fight. In the second quarter, third string quarterback Cody Kessler moved the team 81 yards in 12 plays and 6 minutes. Isaiah Crowell got in from 2 yards out to get the Browns on the board. Kirk Cousins was intercepted by Taylor, who returned it 29 yards to the Washington 12. On 3rd and 7, Kessler found Terrell Pryor for the touchdown and a 14-14 game.

The Redskins took over at their own 37 and moved into the red zone. Yet a critical offensive holding penalty killed the drive. Dustin Hopkins hit a 49 yard field goal to put the Redskins back in front 17-14. Cody Parkey answered with a 51 yarder to end the half with the teams deadlocked 17-17. The defenses tightened in the second half. Parker hit from 45 in the third quarter to put the Browns in front 20-17. In the fourth quarter the Redskins moved 91 yards in 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 16 from the Washington 44, an incompletion was nullified by defensive pass interference. Cousins hit Thompson for the 5 yard touchdown as the Redskins led 24-20 with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

The Browns soon faced 2nd and 2 at midfield. Johnson gained 5 yards and then fumbled the ball away. The Browns got it back at their own 2 yard line. From the 10, Kessler was intercepted by Josh Norman, giving the Redskins a short field at the Cleveland 39. Cousins hit Pierre Garcon for 32 yards and Jones ran for 16 more down to the one. On the next play Jones got the yard as the Redskins salted the game away and left Cleveland winless. 31-20 Redskins

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — Third string quarterback Jacoby Brissett got the start despite having a bad thumb. Wide receiver Julian Edelman was the backup quarterback. Early on it was Tyrod Taylor leading a 12 play, 65 yard, 7 minute drive. Taylor hit LeSean McCoy for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Bills on the board first. Dan Carpenter tacked on 34 and 43 yard field goals in the second quarter and a 44 yarder in the third quarter as Rex Ryan’s defense clamped down. Whenever Rex Ryan beats Belichick, he acts like his team won the Super Bowl when 2 weeks ago he was about to be fired. Next week reality sets in as an angry you-know-who returns to quarterback the Patriots. 16-0 Bills

Seattle Seahawks at New York Jets — Both teams have solid defenses and offenses in need of much improvement. Last week Ryan Fitzpatrick was intercepted 6 times. Now he had to face the Legion of Boom. This time the Jets began by moving 62 yards in 14 plays, and taking 8 1/2 minutes to do it. Yet the drive died in the red zone and the Jets settled for a 34 yard Nick Folk field goal to lead 3-0. The Seahawks finally got going in the second quarter, A 92 yard drive was capped off by Russell Wilson hitting CJ Spiller for an 8 yard touchdown. Seattle got it back and easily moved 85 yards as a 42 yard touchdown to McEvoy made it 14-3 Seahawks.

The Jets moved 75 yards last in the half. Fitzpatrick threw a 17 yard touchdown to Brandon Marshall as the Jets only trailed 14-10 at halftime. Steve Hauschka hit a 33 yard field goal as the Seahawks clung to a 17-10 lead after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Seahawks put the game away. After Fitzpatrick was intercepted, Wilson hit Michael for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 24-10 Seahawks. The Jets got it back at their own 9 and Fitzpatrick was quickly intercepted again. Hauschka hit a 53 yard field goal for a 27-10 Seahawks lead with 4 minutes left in regulation. The Jets scored on a bizarre return of one of their own fumbles, but it was too late. 27-17 Seahawks

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons — After torching New Orleans last week, Matty Ice stayed red hot early on in the dome. 71 yards came quickly as Matt Ryan hit Jacob Tame for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Falcons. A punt pinned the Falcons at their own 2 yard line. Ryan made 98 yards come quickly, as a 43 yard bomb to Julio Jones was followed by Devonta Freeman running for 19 yards and then a 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Falcons. Another punt had the Falcons pinned back at their own 1. This time the Falcons got aggressive and paid for it. Ryan was intercepted by Coleman, who returned it 8 yards for a score to get the Panthers within 14-7.

The Falcons came back and moved to the red zone. They stalled there but Matt Bryant hit a 28 yard field goal to take a 17-7 lead. The Panthers managed to get a 54 yard Graham Gano field goal to trail 17-10 at the half. In the third quarter the Falcons poured it on. Again they were pinned at their one, and 99 yards came without much difficulty. A 42 yard touchdown pass to Hooper made it 24-10 Falcons. Deja vu all over again saw the Falcons pinned at their own 8. 92 more yards of offense came as Ryan hit Robinson for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 31-10 Falcons. In the fourth quarter Matt Bryant nailed a 53 yard field goal for a 34-10 Falcons lead. Last year Carolina went 15-1, and are 1-3 this year. This is no mirage. The Falcons are much better and the Panthers are much worse.

Yet the Panthers are still the defending NFC champs, and they launched a fourth quarter blitz. Newton found Kelvin Benjamin for a 6 yard touchdown and ran the 2 point try himself to get the Panthers within 34-18. Yet Newton was hurt on the play and exited the game. The Panthers got it back and backup Derek Anderson needed 5 1/2 minutes to move 94 yards. Anderson hit Greg Olsen for the 14 yard touchdown and the 2 point conversion as the Panthers were within 34-26 with 4 minutes left in regulation.

Rather than try and run out the clock, Atlanta stayed aggressive. On the first play from scrimmage, Ryan found Julio Jones, who outraced everyone for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 41-26 Falcons. Anderson brought the Panthers back. After a pair of incompletions, the Panthers faced 4th and 2 at the Atlanta 16 at the 2 minute warning. Anderson went to Brown for the touchdown as the Panthers were back within 41-33. Atlanta went 3 and out and the Panthers got it back at their own 24 with 1:25 to play and 0 timeouts. This time Carolina’s luck ran out. Anderson was intercepted by Alford, who returned it 30 yards for the clinching touchdown. Matt Ryan made an early case for league MVP, going a lights out 28 of 37 for 503 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. 48-33 Falcons

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears — The battle for the bottom of the NFC North saw Bryan Hoyer early on lead a 10 play, 83 yard, 5 minute drive. Hoyer hit Eddie Royal for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bears. Matt Prater hit a 50 yard field goal in the second quarter and a 21 yard chip shot in the third quarter to get the Lions within 7-6. The inability to crack the end zone proved costly as Hoyer came back with a 75 yard drive. A 6 yard touchdown pass to Zach Miller had the Bears up 14-6. In the fourth quarter the Bears moved 73 yards in 11 plays and 6 minutes. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Connor Barth hit a 25 yard field goal for a 17-6 Bears lead. The Lions moved from their own 25 to the Chicago 23 in 6 minutes, but Stafford was intercepted with 4 minutes left. The Lions got a spark of life when Roberts returned a punt 85 yards for a touchdown. The 2 point conversion failed as both teams are 1-3 on the season. 17-14 Bears

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans — Brock Osweiler came out firing. He hit Fiedorowicz for a 14 yard touchdown and then threw a 45 yard completion down to the Titans 5. Osweiler then hit Fuller for the score to make it 14-0 Texans early on. The anemic Tennessee offense finally got on the board with a 48 yard Ryan Succop field goal to trail 14-3. Nick Novak responded from 53 in the second quarter for a 17-3 Texans lead.

The Titans fought back in the second quarter by shifting to the ground game. DeMarco had touchdown runs of 2 and one yard to tie the game 17-17. The latter score was set up by an interception of Osweiler. With 46 seconds left in the half, a field position game had the Texans at the Titans 44. Nick Novak hit from 45 as the Texans took a 20-17 lead into the locker rooms.

The defenses slowed the game down drastically in the second half. The Titans held the ball for the first 8 minutes of the third quarter and moved 59 yards in 13 plays. However, they settled for a 26 yard Succop field goal to tie the game 20-20. After Osweiler was intercepted again, the key play of the game came with one minute left in the third quarter. The Titans punted, and Fuller returned it 67 yards for the touchdown. Despite having the whole fourth quarter, the Titans did nothing. With 2 minutes left and facing 2nd and 6 from the Houston 28, Marcus Mariota threw 3 straight incompletions. The Titans got it back with 4 seconds left at their own 25, and the hook and laterals failed. 27-20 Texans
Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens — Both offenses self-destructed early on under a hail of penalties. Marquette King twice pinned Baltimore inside their own 10. A field position game led to Jalen Richard returning a punt 47yards to the Baltimore 6. One play later Derek Carr hit Seth Roberts for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Raiders. Devon Hester returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards to the Oakland 47. Despite reaching 2nd and 4 from the 5, Joe Flacco threw incomplete twice and the Raiders held on defense. Justin Tucker hit a 24 yard field goal to get the Ravens within 7-3 early in the second quarter.

Midway through the second quarter the Raiders moved 80 yards. From the Baltimore 33, Washington ran for 28 yards. On the next play Carr hit Michael Crabtree for the touchdown and the 14-3 Raiders lead with 4 minutes left in the half. With 1:10 left in the half the Ravens were backed up to 3rd and 7 at their own 15. Flacco found Perriman for 15 yards and Steve Smith for 20 more. Tucker hit from 43 to end the half with the Ravens down 14-6. This was the year Raiders fans would find out if the team knew how to win games.

The Ravens moved late in the third quarter from their 28 to a 1st and goal at the 2. on 3rd and goal at the 2, a pass came up just short of the goal line. John Harbaugh decided to go for it. Flacco took the quarterback sneak and got in to cap the 13 play, 7 minute drive. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Ravens were within 14-12 after three quarters.

The fourth quarter began with the Ravens facing 3rd and 6 at their own 38. Flacco was sacked and fumbled, and Autry recovered for the Raiders at the Baltimore 29. On 3rd and 1, a pitchout to Latavius Murray lost 5 yards. Yet an offensive personal foul for unnecessary roughness left John Harbaugh with a decision. Rather than make it 4th and 6, he took the decision and made it 3rd and 16 in an attempt to push Sebastian Janikowski out of field goal range. The strategy backfired. On 3rd and 17, Carr found Amari Cooper inches short of the first down marker. Jack Del Rio went for it. Carr executed the hard count and the Ravens jumped offsides. On 3rd and 8 from the 13, Carr fired a laser to crabtree for the touchdown. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Raiders led 21-12. The question would be if they could finish a game.

With 6 1/2 minutes left, Hester returned a punt 20 yards to the Baltimore 48. One play later Flacco threw a short pass to Steve Smith. The old man nicknamed Senior broke a terrible tackle attempt and outraced everyone for a 52 yard touchdown. Now the Ravens were within 21-19. Three plays later the Raiders faced 2nd and 18 at their 17. Washington fumbled the ball and Young recovered it for the Ravens at the Oakland 17 with 5 1/2 minutes left. West got in from 3 yards out and Flacco hit Mike Wallace for the 2 point conversion. With 3 1/2 minutes left the Ravens now led 27-21. It looked like the Raiders had blown another game.

These Raiders have Derek Carr. From the Oakland 34, Carr hit Crabtree for gains of 15 and 11, Clive Walford for 17, and Crabtree for a perfectly thrown 23 yard touchdown. With 2:12 to play, the Raiders had one the one point lead. The questions as whether the defense could get it right and not waste Carr’s heroics. Baltimore took over at their own 21. With 1:08 to play they faced 3rd and 4 at their own 45. Flacco found Smith for 5 at the midfield stripe. After that the Raiders defense did what they had not in past years. They clamped down. Flacco was harassed as defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. brought the house. Flacco threw 4 straight incompletions.

Jack Del Rio has the Raiders at 3-1 for the first time since 2002. All 3 wins have come on the road. The home loss to Atlanta all of a sudden does not look so bad. Baltimore fell from the unbeaten ranks. Flacco ws 35 of 52 for 298 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Yet he could not get one more first down on the last drive. Carr was magnificent. He was 25 of 35 for only 199 yards, but he threw 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. 28-27 Raiders

Denver Broncos at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — On the third play of the game, Jameis Winston was intercepted to set up the Broncos at the Bucs 11. One play later Trevor Siemian hit Denarius Thomas for the 7-0 Broncos lead. Winston rebounded and led the Buccaneers 75 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. Winton ran for the last 7 yards himself as the game was deadlocked 7-7. Early in the second quarter facing 3rd and 10 at their own 28, Winston was intercepted again. After taking over at the Tampa Bay 27, defensive pass interference put the ball on the one. CJ Anderson got in for a 14-7 Broncos lead.

The Buccaneers took over at midfield in a field position game and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 25. Sims got the carry and fumbled the ball away. The Broncos took over at their own 34. On the very next play Siemian was sacked and had to be carted off the field with an injured non-throwing shoulder. Denver fans sat in shock in front of their tv sets. Rookie Paxton Lynch came in for the first time. Denver got it back at their own 33. On 3rd and 10 from the Tampa 47, Lynch hit Emanuel Sanders for 18. Lynch threw incomplete on 3rd and 1 from t he 20, but brandon McManus hit the 38 yard field goal to end the half with the Broncos up 17-7.

In the third quarter the Broncos held the ball for 8 minutes and took 16 plays to move 79 yards. They settled for a 24 yard McManus field goal, but with their defense the 20-7 Broncos lead looked commanding. In the fourth quarter the Broncos moved 80 yards. From the 5 yard line, Lynch rolled out and found a wide open Sanders for the touchdown as the Broncos had a 27-7 stranglehold with 9 minutes left in regulation. For the second week in a row, a Buccaneers game was suspended for lightning in the fourth quarter. However, this time the delay was only of the inevitable. The Broncos remain unbeaten, and Wade Phillips’s defense will need to carry the team as it has the last 20 regular season games. 27-7 Broncos

Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco — Nobody would mistake these teams for the great ones of decades past. Early on, with Dallas expecting to be the better team, it was all San Francisco. Blaine Gabbert hit Kerley for a 33 yard touchdown in the first quarter. In the second quarter the 49ers moved 80 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. Carlos Hyde ran for a 3 yard score to make it 14-0 49ers. Dak Prescott hit Terrence Williams for a 20 yard touchdown to get the Cowboys within 14-7. The Cowboys got it back at their own 42 with 1:50 left in the half. With 15 seconds left, from the Frisco 4, Prescott hit Brice Butler for the touchdown and a 14-14 game at the intermission.

The 49ers began the third quarter after a touchback with Hyde running for a 32 yard gain and Blaine gabbers hitting Celek for 29 more down to the Dallas 14. The drive died but Phil Dawson hit a 36 yard field goal for a 17-14 49ers lead. The Cowboys moved 78 yards in 10 plays and 6 minutes. From the 49ers 18, Ezekiel Elliott ran 17 yards and then plunged in for the last yard as the Cowboys led 21-17 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter the Cowboys moved inside the Frisco 5 but a well thrown ball on 3rd and goal could not be hauled in. Dan Bailey, who missed from 47 earlier, hit the 21 yarder for a 24-17 Cowboys lead with 4 minutes left in the game. With 1:56 left, the 49ers faced 4th and 6 at the Dallas 35. In the great 49ers West Coast Offense dink and dunk tradition, Gabbert completed a pass short of marker and the 49ers turned it over on downs. With Dallas facing 2nd and 13 and the 49ers out of timeouts, Prescott hooked up with Cole Beasley for a 47 yard gain as the Cowboys ran out the clock. 24-17 Cowboys

New Orleans Saints at San Diego Chargers — Drew Brees and Philip Rivers can still sling it. Early on the saints moved 75 yards as Mark Ingram got the last yard to put the Rams up 7-0. The Chargers came back 62 yards and rivers hit Henry for a 20 yard touchdown for a 7-7 game. In the second quarter the saints moved 75 yards in 14 plays and 7 minutes. Brees hit John Kuhn for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Saints. Philip Rivers came back with a 57 yard touchdown to Dontrelle Inman for a 14-14 game midway through the second quarter. Brees was quickly intercepted, giving the Chargers a short field at the Saints 41. Josh Lambo hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 17-14 Chargers with 5 minutes left in the half. A field position game had the chargers taking over at the Saints 47 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half. On 3rd and 12 from the Saints 24, Rivers hit Mevin Gordon for just enough. On 3rd and 8 from the 10, the Saints jumped offsides. Then Gordon gained 4 and got the last yard with seconds on the clock for a 24-14 Chargers halftime lead.

A field position game early in the third quarter had the Saints taking over at the Chargers 48. Brees converted a pair of third downs and Kuhn got in from the one to have the Saints within 24-21. In the fourth quarter the Chargers then moved 74 yards in 14 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Gordon got in from 1 yard out to make it 31-21 Chargers with 12 minutes left. Brees was quickly intercepted, giving the Chargers the ball at the Saints 26. On 3rd and goal at the 9, Rivers was sacked and fumbled. San Diego retained possession but an offensive personal foul pushed them back. Rambo hit the 47 yarder to make it 34-21 Chargers with 9 minutes left.

With 6:40 to play and the Chargers in total control, Melvin Ingram fumbled and the Saints recovered at the San Diego 13. On 4th and 2 from the 5, Brees found Michael Thomas for the touchdown as the Saints were within 34-28 with 4 1/2 minutes to play. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, a short completion to Benjamin was fumbled. The Saints had another short field at the San Diego 31 as the Chargers were literally giving the game away. On 3rd and 1 from the 4, Brees hit Kuhn for three yards and Kuhn got the last yard himself on the ground. at the 2 minute warning, the Saints now had a one point lead. There was plenty of time to drive for the winning field goal, but instead after a fumbled snap set up 4th and 22 at their own 13, Rivers went deep and was intercepted. 3 turnovers in the final 7 minutes allowed the saints to get their first win of the season. The Chargers have led in the fourth quarter of every game but are only 1-3. That is why Mike McCoy may not survive the season. 35-34 Saints

Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals — The Rams have Jeff Fisher’s defense and the Cardinals have Bruce Arians’s offense. The Rams play division opponents tough at home, but at Arizona was a tough test. Early on it was all defense as one play made the difference. Case Keenum found Quick for a 65 yard touchdown to cap a 90 yard drive for a 7-0 Rams lead. All the Cardinals could muster was a 25 yard Chandler Catanzaro field goal in the second quarter. Greg Zuerlein responded from 29 to make it 10-3 Rams. After doing nothing most of the whole half, the Cardinals took over at their 20 with 1:48 left. On 3rd and 4 from their 26, Carson Palmer hit John Brown for gains of 20, 15 and 18. Palmer threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd with 24 seconds left in the half for a 10-10 game at the midpoint.

In the third quarter the Cardinals moved 72 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. After an earlier drive in the red zone was thwarted by a fumble, this one ran into a brick wall defense inside the 5. Catanzaro hit from 21 on the last play of the third quarter to make it 13-10 Cardinals. The Rams moved to a 4th and 5 at the Arizona 37 and Jeff Fisher decided to go for it. A well thrown ball by Case Keenum was equally well defended by Patrick Peterson for an incompletion.

With 5 1/2 minutes left the Cardinals faced 3rd and 6 at their own 39. Palmer was sacked, and although he walked off the field under his power, he was taken to the locker room for concussion protocol. Things got worse for the Cardinals as Tavon Austin returned the punt 51 yards, with a defensive facemark adding 15 more to the Arizona 19. On 3rd and 8 Keenum hit Todd Gurley, who will his way to just enough for a first down. Keenum hit Brian Quick for the 4 yard touchdown as the Rams led 17-13 with 2 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Drew Stanton came in for Palmer and was intercepted by Mark Barron with 90 seconds left and again with 0 seconds left in the end zone as the Rams got the big road win. The Rams at 3-1 are in first place in the NFC West. 17-13 Rams

Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Sunday night game. It was over by the end of the first quarter. After losing by 31 on the road last week, an angry Steelers team with Super Bowl aspirations returned to form. Alex Smith is the king of the dink and dunk West Coast Offense, which requires 4 yard passes all the time. Then when the game is out of reach, Smith is finally allowed to throw the ball beyond the marker when it no longer matters. Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter. All three came with a short field and combined took 6 plays and barely more than two minutes. A fumble by Ware set up the Steelers at the Chiefs 32. On 3rd and 9, Big Ben found Darrius Hayward-Bey for the 31 yard touchdown and Wheaton for the 2 point conversion. An interception of Smith was returned 20 yards by Jones to the Chiefs 4 yard line. Big Ben hit Antonio Brown for the touchdown. A 23 yard shanked punt had the Steelers at the Kansas City 40. Roethlisberger hit Antonio Brown for a 38 yard touchdown as the Steelers led 22-0 after the first quarter. Roethlisberger hit James for a 9 yard touchdown in the second quarter and Wheaton for a 30 yard touchdown in the third quarter as the Steelers led 36-0 after three quarters. The entire fourth quarter was garbage time, where Smith padded his stats with a pair of meaningless touchdown passes with one more Pittsburgh touchdown sandwiched between them. Big Ben was spectacular, going 22 of 27 for 300 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Despite this game being played on Rosh Hashanah, Roethlisberger is not Jewish. He was cleared to play. 43-14 Steelers

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings was the Monday night game. Mike Zimmer’s squad is winning with hard-nosed defense and special teams. Sam Bradford has played well and the 2016 version of the Purple People Eaters have done the rest. The Giants fumbled a punt early on, setting up the Vikings at the Giants 41. Asiata got in from the one to have the Vikings up 7-0 after the first quarter. In the second quarter Sam Bradford moved Minnesota 65 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 7, Bradford hit Kyle Rudolph for the score to make it 14-0 Vikings. Josh Brown kicked a 40 yard field goal to end the half with the Giants down 14-3, but Minnesota’s defense carried the team. In the third quarter after Blair Walsh missed a 46 yard field goal, Eli Manning was intercepted. Given another chance from 44 yards out, Walsh was good for a 17-3 Vikings lead. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a short pass from Manning to Perkins went for 67 yards to the Minnesota 4. Darkwa got in from the one as the Giants only trailed 17-10. Bradford soon turned out the lights. After converting a pair of third down conversions, from the Giants 44, Bradford went deep to Johnson for a 40 yard gain. On the next play McKinnon ran it in to lock up the win and keep the Vikings the NFC’s only unbeaten team. 24-10 Vikings

NFL 2016 Week 4 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-2016-week-4-preview-and-bettors-guide-71730/

NFL 2016 Week 3 Recap

Houston Texans at New England Patriots was the Thursday night game. The Patriots were down to their third string quarterback. It did not matter. Evil Hoodie Bill Belichick again proved that only chowderhead oddsmakers would go against New England at home. Jacoby Brissett was the epitome of a game manager, going 11 of 19 for 103 yards. Yet he did not make a mistake. With a strong running game, Brissett did all he was asked to do. Stephen Gostkowski hit a 24 yard first quarter field goal. Then Brissett showed his scrambling ability by running for a 27 yard touchdown for a 10-0 Patriots lead after one. In the third quarterGostkowski hit from 25 and Laguarrette Blount banged in from one yard out for a 20-0 Patriots lead. Blount would break off a 41 yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to complete the shutout. Brisket sprained his thumb, but does it really matter if the Patriots go to their fourth string quarterback? That would be wide receiver Julian Edelman. In Week 5, you know who returns from suspension. The league should already be scared. 27-0 Patriots

Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals — Early on Cincinnati controlled both sides of the ball. After forcing a Denver punt, they moved easily against Denver’s vaunted defense. Jeremy Hill raced for a 50 yard run and on the next play banged in from 3 yards out for a 7-0 Bengals lead. The Broncos moved 73 yards in 14 plays and took 7 minutes off the clock. Yet an incompletion 3rd and goal from the 2, an incompletion had Gary Kubiak opt for the field goal. Brandon McManus hit the 20 yarder to get the Broncos within 7-3. A Cincinnati fumble gave the Broncos a short field. Trevor Siemian then went bombs away, hitting Emanuel Sanders for a 41 yard touchdown and a 10-7 Broncos lead.

With both defenses playing well, the Bengals moved from their own 38 to a critical 3rd and 9 at the Denver 37. Red Rifle Andy Dalton hit Uzomah for a 22 yard gain. Hill got in from 4 yards out to put the Bengals up 14-10 with 5 minutes left in the half. A strong kickoff return by Latimer had the Broncos taking over at their own 45. on 3rd and 2 Siemian was sacked but defensive holding gave the Broncos new life. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincy 28 at the 2 minute warning, Siemian hit Latimer for 10. On 3rd and 1 from the 9, Siemian hit Sanders for 2 and again for the 7 yard touchdown to make it 16-14 Broncos at the half. The extra point was blocked.

A scoreless third quarter saw the Bengals move 60 yards in 15 plays, taking almost 8 1/2 minutes. Mike Nugent hit the 34 yard field goal to start the fourth quarter as the Bengals retook the lead 17-16. Siemian then came back with a 13 play, 82 yard drive that took 8 minutes off the clock. However, Denver finished their drive. Phillips got the tough one yard to put Denver ahead. The 2 point conversion failed but the Broncos led 22-17 midway through the fourth quarter. The Broncos held on defense. Rather than grind out a win on the ground, Gary Kubiak stayed aggressive. On 3rd and 11 from the Denver 45 with 4 1/2 minutes left, Siemian went deep for a 55 yard touchdown to Denarius Thomas. Dalton was then intercepted. Cinco got it back and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Denver 11 with just over 90 seconds to play. A pair of sacks and an incompletion of Dalton dropped the Bengals to 1-2 and kept Denver unbeaten. Future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning saw his successor go 23 of 35 for 312 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. 29-17 Broncos

Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans — The Raiders won the coin toss and Jack Del Rio stunningly decided to defer. Del Rio has been rewarded with bold gambles, but the Raiders have the league’s worst defense. The Raiders were in their black uniforms in 90 degree Nashville heatTennessee anemic offense went right to work against the even worse Oakland defense. A false start in the red zone killed the drive. Succop hit the 34 yard field goal for a 3-0 Titans lead.

Succop hit the kickoff out of bounds and the Raiders took over at their own 40. Derek Carr came out firing, hitting Amari Cooper for a 25 yard gain. A perfect pass to seth Roberts was dropped, and the Raiders faced 3rd and 10. These are not the same old Raiders on offense. On 3rd and 10 Carr found Jalen Richard for 13 yards. The first running play was Latavius Murray straight up the middle for a 22 yard touchdown and a 7-3 Raiders lead.

Oakland dodged a bullet on defense when a possible defensive pass interference call was not called. Yet Jalen Richard fair caught the punt at the Oakland 6. after converting one third down, a pair of offensive holding penalties meant an Oakland punt. The Oakland defense had their best series of the year in the second quarter. Consecutive Tennessee plays saw their players get belted for losses. On 3rd and 19 Mariota fumbled and the Raiders took over at the Tennessee 24. On the first play from scrimmage Derek Carr went straight to the end zone to Clive Walford. Yet before the Raiders could celebrate, offensive holding on left tackle Donald Penn nullified the score. The Raiders settled for a 52 yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski to make it 10-3 Raiders. Seabags’s 53rd field goal from 50+ yards is now an NFL record.

Another fair catch had the Raiders backed up at their own 8. A false start moved them back to the 4. On 3rd and 6 from the 13, Carr hit Michael Crabtree for 17 yards. Deandre Washington ran for a 30 yard gain to the Tennessee 38. on the next play Washington gained 14 more yards. Carr then fired to Seth Roberts, who atoned for his earlier drop by shaking a tackle at the sideline and racing for a 19 yard touchdown. The 91 yard drive had the Raiders up 17-3 with less than one minute left in the half. Confusion reigned at the end of the half.

With 8 seconds left, Mariota threw a dangerous pass over the middle that was tipped and intercepted by David Amerson at the Titans 45. Emerson returned the ball all the way to the Oakland 19, but the clock had run out. The referees then  ruled that Amerson stepped out of bounds and put three seconds back on the clock. This would have allowed a long field goal try. Replay showed Amerson may not have been out of bounds, but the refs blew the whistle anyway. Before the field goal attempt, the refs ruled that the clock operator was slow starting the clock, and that the play clock had run out. The Raiders were up 17-3 at the half, but they were denied a chance to extend the lead.

Holding on the second half kickoff again had the Raiders in a hole, 92 yards away in 92 degree heat. They also had to burn a timeout less than one minute into the second half. #4 will always be Brett Favre, but boy does Derek Carr have some #4 in him. After pulling a Houdini escaping a couple tacklers, Carr threw across his body for a 30 yard completion to Crabtree at midfield. However, on 3rd and 2 from the Titans 42, Olawale got stopped for nothing. Jack Del rio is a gambler, but this time he rightly called a punt. Marquette King pinned the Titans. This time it was Tennessee starting at their own 7.

It didn’t matter. Demarco Murray ripped off a 36 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Oakland 45, it was Mariota who turned into Houdini. He escaped a sack and heaved a wounded duck down the field. Somehow Amaro came down with it for a 26 yard gain at the Oakland 19. The Raiders then burned their second timeout. From the 5, Murray got stopped inside, bounced to the outside, and dove just past the corner pylon. With 6 minutes left in the third quarter, the Titans were within 17-10. The Raiders never put teams away, and if they were going to get to the next level they had to respond.

Things got more confusing on the next Oakland series. Under heavy pressure, Carr threw a 14 yard completion. Mike Mularkey challenged the catch. Officials then called the pass incomplete without Mularkey challenging it. This was strange given that they only looked at it after he threw the challenge flag. On 3rd and 7 Carr scrambled forever and threw a laser that was dropped. The Raiders punted again. Carr is not one to scream at his teammates, but somebody needs to teach his receivers to catch perfectly thrown passes. Meanwhile, The Titans on 3rd and 5 saw Mariota avoid a sack but miss a receiver wide open at the sideline. A 62 yard punt had Oakland again pinned back at their own 15 yard line. After one first down, a sack of Carr ended the drive. Marquette king boomed a 72 year punt, as the Titans were backed up at their own 10.

The fourth quarter began with Mariota throwing over the middle and being intercepted by Sean Smith. The Raiders had the ball at their own 48. One play after completing a 13 yard pass to Crabtree, Carr went for all the marbles deep to Cooper but overthrew him. On the next play it was Carr throwing over middle. the ball was deflected high in the air and intercepted by Williamson as the Titans took it right back at their own 26. The defense finally held, and the Raiders had yet another chance to put the game away. On 3rd and 5 from the Titans 45, Cooper threw a perfect pass over the middle to Cooper, who dropped it. Again the Raiders failed in a critical situation. King punted another good one, pinning the Titans at their own 8. The defense held again when a 3rd and 10 pass was well defended, catchable, but dropped. with 4:18 to play, the Raiders took over at their own 25 with yet another chance to win the game.

With 3:12 left and facing 3rd and 9 at their own 38, Carr found Crabtree for an 11 yard gain. Yet on 3rd and 5 at the Tennessee 46 and needing only one more first down, Murray came up a yard short. The clock hit the 2 minute warning and Jack Del Rio had another critical 4th and 1 decision to make. Normally punting is the sane decision. Del Rio has received much praise for his gambling in critical situations, but this time he decided to take the ball out of Carr’s hands and trust his defense. Once again, the defense melted.

From the Titans 20, Mariota quickly hit Ryan Mathews for 10, Douglas for 25, and Sharpe for 23 to the Oakland 22 with one minute left. The Raiders were in full collapse mode. They were giving the game away. Now it was time for the Texans to refuse to take it. Mariota hit Sharpe again for an 18 yard gain down to the Oakland 3 yard line, but a mind-bogglingly dumb offensive personal foul by left tackle Lewan moved the Titans back 15 yards to the 18. On 3rd and 5, Mariota threw to the end zone to a wide open Andre Johnson. The future first ballot Hall of Famer got so wide open by committing offensive pass interference. Instead of a tie game, it was 3rd and 15. A pass to Murray gained 11 yards as the Titans called their final timeout with 16 seconds left. Everything came down to 4th and 4 at the 12.

Mariota fired to the end zone incomplete. The Titans demanded defensive pass interference but the referees had been letting both sides play the whole game. This was mild contact at best, solid defense. The Raiders had survived to get to 2-1. It was ugly, but as Al Davis used to say, Just Win Baby. Despite being shut out in the second half, the Raiders hung on. As Jack Del rio said 2 weeks ago, the Raiders are finally learning how to win games they had lost in years past. 17-10 Raiders

Arizona Cardinals at Buffalo Bills — Last week Buffalo offensive coordinator Greg Roman was sacked as the winless Bills had to now face the league’s best offense. Early on the Bills moved 77 yards, and faced a critical 4th and goal at the one. In a move that did not inspire the home crowd, Rex Ryan opted for the 19 yard Dan Carpenter field goal and a 3-0 Bills lead. The Bills got it back and LeSean McCoy raced for a 24 yard touchdown for a surprising 10-0 Bills lead. In the second quarter McCoy ran it in from 5 yards out as the Bills had the shocking 17-0 lead. The Cardinals quick strike offense was not striking, so Bruce Arians slowed things down. Carson Palmer led a staggering 17 play, 84 yard drive that consumed almost 9 1/2 minutes. David Johnson ran it in from 4 yards out as the Cardinals trailed 17-7 at the intermission.

In the third quarter, Bruce Arians had field goal kicker Chandler Catanzaro punting. Catanzaro shanked a 19 yard punt, setting up Buffalo with a short field at the Arizona 47. On 3rd and 4 from the Arizona 20, Tyrod Taylor ran all the way for the score as the Bills smelled upset with a 23-7 lead. The extra point was missed. The Cardinals soon got rolling and moved to a 2nd and 1 from the Buffalo 8. Twice Johnson got the carry and got stopped. On 4th and 1, Bruce Arians decided to go for it. Out of the shotgun, Carson Palmer took a costly delay of game penalty. A disgusted Arians sent in the field goal team on 4th and 6 from the 13 for a chip shot 30 yarder. Then came the play of the day. The snap sailed over everyone’s head, and after a mad scramble, Williams picked up the ball and raced 53 yards for a Bills touchdown. Special teams had the Bills up 30-7.

The Cardinals have the offensive firepower to rally, and they did. Johnson ran for a 22 yard touchdown run. The 2 point try failed but the Cardinals were within 30-13 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter a desperate Bruce Arians had Catanzaro try a 60 yard field goal. His field goal kicking is more than three times as good as his punting, as he drilled it to get the Cardinals within 30-16. However, Palmer kept throwing interceptions. Carpenter hit a 45 yard field goal to put the game out of reach. Buffalo gave up a safety late but it did not matter. Tyron Taylor was only 12 of 25 for 119 yards, 0 touchdowns and an interception. Yet Carson Palmer, despite going 26 of 50 for 261 yards, threw 0 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Every time Rex Ryan is about to get fired, he wins a big one. Arizona was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender. Instead they and Buffalo are both 1-2 on the season. 33-18 Bills

Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars — Joe Flacco moved the Ravens 75 yards and scrambled the final 8 yards himself for a 7-0 Ravens lead. In the second quarter Justin Tucker hit a 43 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Ravens. With 6 minutes left in the half, Greene returned a punt 42 yards, setting up Jacksonville at the Baltimore 37. At the 2 minute warning, Blake Bortles hit Andre Robinson for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Jaguars within 10-7. Tucker hit from 42 at the halftime gun for a 13-7 Ravens lead. Tucker hit again from 37 in the third quarter to make it 16-7 Ravens. Bortles then led the Jaguars 78 yards in 11 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. An 11 yard touchdown pass to Andre Robinson had the Jaguars only down 16-14 after three quarters. An ugly game saw each team try to lose. With 9 minutes left, a fumbled punt gave the Jaguars the ball on the Baltimore 39. After failing to gain a first down, Josh Myers hit a 49 yard field goal to make it 17-16 Jaguars midway threw the fourth quarter. The game then got comically ugly.

With 5 1/2 minutes left Joe Flacco was intercepted, setting up the Jaguars at the Baltimore 31. On 3rd and 10, in field goal range, Blake Bortles threw an interception right back. Baltimore took over at their own 29. Two plays later, Flacco was intercepted again. The Jaguars had it at the Baltimore 29. On 3rd and 6, Bortles was sacked for a 9 yard loss. With 3 minutes left, Myers came in for a 52 yard try to extend the Jaguars lead. The kick was blocked. The Ravens took over at their own 43. With one minute left, Tucker leveled a 54 yard field goal to put the Ravens up by 2 points. With 21 seconds left, on 3rd and 21 from their own 14, Bortles was intercepted again. Bortles and Gus Bradley may soon get a phone call and face the wrath of owner Shad Khan at 0-3. Meanwhile, john Harbaugh was supposed to have a bad team, but somehow are 3-0 with plenty of dumb luck helping them. 19-17 Ravens

Cleveland Browns at Miami Dolphins — The Stupor Bowl saw Ryan Tannehill get quickly intercepted and then saw the Browns start 3rd string Cody Kessler, their 26th starting quarterback since 1999. Kessler was quickly hit and fumbled. Ryan Tannehill later on had more success, hitting Parker for a 26 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Dolphins lead. Cody Parkey missed a 41 yard field goal but began the second quarter by hitting a 46 yarder to get the Browns within 7-3. midway through the second quarter the Dolphins faced 3rd and 3 at their own 21. Tannehill was intercepted by Boddy-Calhoun, who returned it 27 yards for a touchdown and a 10-7 Browns lead. Franks hit a 37 yard field goal at the 2 minute warning for a 10-10 game. Parker hit from 48 as the Browns took a 13-10 lead into the locker rooms.

The Browns offense went dead for much of the second half. In the third quarter Tannehill connected with Landry on a 42 yard touchdown to make it 17-13 Dolphins. 30 seconds into the fourth quarter on 3rd and 1 from the Cleveland 10, Tannehill hit Williams for the touchdown and a 24-13 Dolphins lead. The Browns came back 83 yards. On 3rd and 7 from the Miami 11, Kessler was hit and fumbled. Miami recovered, but defensive offsides gave the Browns another chance. Terrelle Pryor came in for Kessler, who was hurt on the previous play. Another defensive offsides was followed by Pryor running for a 3 yard touchdown. Kessler came back in and hit Gary Barnidge for the 2 point conversion. With 10 1/2 minutes left, the Browns were within 24-21.

With 6 minutes left, the Browns took over at their own 6. Crowell ran for 25 yards and Kessler hit Pryor for a 40 yard gain. Parker hit a 38 yard field goal as the game was tied 24-24 with less than 3 1/2 minutes to play. Then came a sequence of events that fit in perfectly with the last 50 years for the Browns since Jim Brown retired. With 26 seconds left from the Miami 35, Tannehill went back to pass, was sacked and fumbled, and the Browns recovered at the Miami 27. The Dolphins had just given the game away, but remember…These are the Browns. With 20 seconds left, Hue Jackson took no chances. Kessler took a knee and the Browns called timeout with 4 seconds left. Parker came in for the 46 yarder to win it. Last year in this same position, the Browns had the winning field goal blocked and returned for a touchdown in a stunning loss. Remember, these are the Browns.

This time the kick was merely no good, wide by a mile. The Browns won the coin toss, but Jackson inexplicably decided to defer. This was his way of saying he did not trust his own offense. These are the Browns. The defense did force a punt, and the Browns took over at their own 9. After briefly moving forward, they went far backward and faced 3rd and 28 at their own 9 where they started. A run gained 4 yards. These are the Browns. A 13 yard punt return had the Dolphins starting at the Cleveland 44. Tannehill hit Landry for a 32 yard gain down to the Cleveland 11. One play later Ajayi ran it in to end the game with 9 minutes left in overtime. Adam Gase got his first win as an NFL head coach while Hue Jackson saw his Browns remain winless. These are the Browns. 30-24 Dolphins, OT

Washington Redskins at New York Giants — The Redskins fumbled a punt, setting up the Giants at the Washington 28. 3 plays later Shane Vereen got in form he one to make it 7-0 Giants. Josh Brown hit the kickoff out of bounds, setting up the Redskins at their own 40. Dustin Hopkins hit a 49 yard field goal to get Washington within 7-3. Eli Manning quickly moved the Giants 75 yards as a 23 yard touchdown pass to Shepard made it 14-3 Giants. Washington moved to the Red zone but again settled for a 33 yard Hopkins field goal to get within 14-6. Hopkins hit from 45 in the second quarter to get Washington within 14-9. While the Redskins were kicking field goals, the Giants were finishing drives. 75 yards came easily and Darkwa found light for a 2 yard score and a 21-9 Giants advantage. The Redskins finally got back in it 30 seconds later as Kirk Cousins followed a 31 yard completion to DeSean Jackson with a 44 yard touchdown bomb to Jackson. The Redskins only trailed 21-16.

In the third quarter a short pass from Cousins to Crowder allowed Crowder to split the seams with some great blocks and race for a 55 yard touchdown as the Redskins led 23-21. The rest of the game was a seesaw as each kicker made 2 field goals in alternating success. Josh Brown hit from 29 in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, helped along by a fake punt, Dustin Hopkins hit from 25. Then Brown responded from 30. With 1:51 to play, Hopkins hit from 37 as the Redskins led by 2 after the fifth lead change of the second half. With 1:09 to play from the Giants 39, with Big Blue driving for the sixth lead change, Manning was intercepted by Cravens. Ben McAdoo lost his first game as an NFL head coach and Jay Gruden finally got a win this year. For decades, the Giants have played to the level of their competition. They win tough road games and lose games at home they should win easily. 29-27 Redskins

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers — The last time these teams met, the Lions blew a 20-0 lead and Aaron Rodgers shocked the Detroit crowd with a Hail Mary for the ages. This time in Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers started hot. A 14 yard touchdown pass to Devonta Adams made it 7-0 Packers. The Lions then held the ball for 15 plays and 8 1/2 minutes, yet settled for a 42 yard Matt Prater field goal as the Lions trailed 7-3. Rodgers later in the quarter hooked up with Jordy Nelson for a 49 yard gain inside the Detroit 10. Rodgers and Nelson connected again on an 8 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Packers. On the first play of the second quarter, Rodgers went bombs away and drew a 66 yard defensive pass interference call. One play later Rodgers hit his non-relative Richard Rodgers for a 2 yard touchdown as the Packers were up 21-3 and rolling.

Things got worse for the Lions when Stafford threw what looked like a completion to Eric Ebron. Randall ripped the ball out of Ebron’s hands and picked up a convoy of blockers, returning it 44 yards to the Detroit 25. Mason Crosby hit a 36 yard field goal to make it 24-3 Packers. The Packers got it back and 67 yards came quickly and easily. Rodgers hit Nelson for a 17 yard touchdown as the Packers were blasting the Lions 31-3. The Lions finally caught a break when a mistackle by the Green Bay defense allowed a pass form Matthew Stafford to Marvin Jones to go for a 73 yard touchdown as the Lions were down 31-10 at the break.

In the third quarter the Lions moved 77 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. Matthew Stafford hit Anquon Boldin for a 2 yard touchdown as the Lions were only down 31-17. A 46 yard Mason Crosby field goal gave the Packers some breathing room up 34-17. Matt Prater responded from 50 in the fourth quarter as the Lions clung to life down 34-20. Detroit got it back and Stafford kept firing. A 35 yard deep ball to Jones had the Lions cut a 28 point deficit to within 7 points with 3 1/2 minutes left. Detroit needed the ball back. On 3rd and 8 from the Green Bay 27, Rodgers scrambled for 11 yards as the Packers ran 0out the clock to survive the scare. Stafford was 28 of 41 for 385 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Rodgers was only 15 of 24 for 205 yards, but he also had 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Meanwhile, Eddie Lacy gained 103 yards on 17 carries, as Mike McCarthy finally has Lacy running well enough to help Rodgers. 34-27 Packers

Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers — The Vikings have been devastated by injuries, and losing Adrian Peterson could be a death blow for this team. Mike Zimmer will not tolerate excuses, but going at Carolina was a lot to ask without your best players. Early on Graham Gano hit a 48 yard field goal. The Panthers got it back at their own 43. Cam Newton ran for a 3 yard touchdown to make it 10-0 Panthers. Later in the first quarter Newton went back to pass form his own end zone. He held on to the ball way too long and was sacked for a safety as the Vikings trailed 10-2. No offense? No problem. mike Sherels returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown. Blair Walsh’s kicking struggles continued with another missed extra point as the Vikings were only down 10-8 at the half.

In the third quarter Sam Bradford moved the Vikings 79 yards in 10 plays in 5 1/2 minutes. A 15 yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph was followed by McKinnon running in the 2 point conversion. On sheer grit and determination, the Vikings led 16-10. Blair Walsh hit  28 yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it 19-10 Vikings. Walsh tacked on a 31 yard field goal to complete the scoring. Newton was intercepted 3 times as the defending NFC champions fell to 1-2. Bradford managed the game without an interception. This was a Mike Zimmer win. The National Football League does not tolerate excuses. Neither does the military. Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer understands both. He is very pro-military, and demands discipline of his players. He leads a ferocious defense that rarely makes mistakes. He has no patience for excuses. He has lost his star quarterback and his star running back, yet the team is 3-0. They have won with defense and special teams. Zimmer is on his way to being coach of the year. 22-10 Vikings

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks — Despite scoring only one touchdown in 2 games, Seattle’s Legion of Boom is as solid as ever. Despite winning their opener by 28, the 49ers were exposed las week. Seattle almost always blows out San francisco in Seattle, and this game was no exception. On the third play of the game, Michael Ran for a 41 yard touchdown for the Seahawks. Seattle then moved 62 yards in 14 plays, taking 8 1/2 minutes off the clock. Michael got in again from 4 yards out as the Seahawks led 14-0 after the first quarter.

A Seattle fumble in the second quarter had the 49ers at the Seattle 30. Yet on 3rd and 4 from the 6, the 49ers called a West Coast Offense dink and dunk pass. Joe Montana and Steve Young are retired. Bill Walsh is gone. The league has caught up. Blaine Gabbert completed a 2 yard pass and Phil Dawson hit a 22 yard field goal to have the 49ers down 14-3. Seattle does not dink and dunk. On 3rd and 14 from their own 23, Russell Wilson went deep to Doug Baldwin for a 59 yard gain. Wilson hit Graham on the next play for an 18 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Seahawks. After Dawson missed a 53 yard field goal, the Seahawks moved to a 3rd and 1 at the 49ers 15 with 1:22 left in the half. Michael got stopped and Pete Carroll opted for the field goal on 4th and 1. Steve Hauschka hit from 33 to make it 24-3 Seahawks at intermission.

In the third quarter a 62 yard punt return by Tyler Lockett had the Seahawks at the 49ers 26 yard line. A Sack of Wilson had Seattle facing 3rd and 21 and possibly out of field goal range. Wilson was sacked again, but a horse collar tackle penalty instead gave Seattle an automatic first down. Hauschka hit a 33 yard field goal to make it 27-3 Seahawks. Then on 3rd and 8 from their own 27, Gabbert was intercepted. The game was such a laugher that Pete Carroll decided to give Russell Wilson and his injured ankle a rest like they do in preseason. The Seahawks started at the 49ers 20 but Trevor Boykin could not get in the end zone. Hauschka hit from 22 to make it 30-3 Seahawks. In the froth quarter on 3rd and 6 from the 16, Boykin hit Baldwin for the touchdown to make it 37-3 Seahawks. A pair of garbage time 8 yard touchdown runs by Carlos Hyde made the game a blowout instead of a complete blowout. 37-18 Seahawks

Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The Rams are 1-1 despite scoring only 3 field goals in 2 games combined. Jeff Fisher has a defense. In this game he finally saw some offense, but then the defense took some time off. Case Keenum threw a 44 yard touchdown pass to Quick for a 7-0 Rams lead. Keenan’s second touchdown pass went to Alexander, who plays defense for the Buccaneers. The 38 yard interception return had Keenum throwing one touchdown pass to each team for a 7-6 Rams lead when the extra point was no good.. Greg The Leg Zuerlein would hit a 53 yard field goal to have the Rams up 10-6 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Buccaneers moved 75 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Rams 16, Dirk Koetter decided to go for it. Jameis Winston hit Mike Evans for 2 yards. Sims got in from one yard out on 3rd and goal to put the Buccaneers up 13-10. The Buccaneers got it back with a short field after a fumble at the Los Angeles 43. Jameis Winston hit Brate for the 3 yard touchdown and a 20-10 Buccaneers advantage. With 2 1/2 minutes left from the Tampa Bay 27, Winston was intercepted, setting up the Rams at the Bucs 22. On 3rd and goal at the one with 28 seconds left in the half, Todd Gurley got the carry and got in to have the Rams down 20-17.

In the third quarter the Rams moved 69 yards and Gurley got in again from the one to make it 24-20 Rams. After that, both defenses dug in for awhile. With 12 minutes left in regulation, the Buccaneers had moved from their 34 to a 2nd and 6 at the Rams 13. After an incompletion came the play of the game on 3rd and 6. Winston was sacked, fumbled, and Westbrooks returned it for a 77 yard touchdown the other way for a 31-20 Rams lead. Winston brought the Buccaneers back 75 yards. A one yard touchdown pass to Brate with 9 minutes left had the Bucs right back in it. The 2 point try failed but the Buccaneers were only down 31-26.

Midway through the fourth quarter Keenum threw incomplete on 3rd and 17 at their own 18. Yet defensive holding gave the Rams new life. Keenum went deep to Tavon Austin for a 43 yard touchdown and a 37-26 Rams lead after the failed 2 point conversion try with 4 1/2 minutes left. Winston brought the Buccaneers back quickly 75 yards. A 7 yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans followed by a failed 2 point conversion had the Buccaneers within 5 points again with 2:15 to play. At the 2 minute warning, the Rams faced 3rd and 11 at their own 5. The game was then suspended due to a lightning storm.

After over an hour play resumed and the Rams went deep incomplete. The Buccaneers got it back at their own 44 with 1:42 left. 3 straight completions moved the ball to the Rams 27 with 54 seconds left. A 12 yard completion to Sims had the ball at the 15 with 26 seconds left. Three incompletions left 4 seconds on the clock and one play for all the marbles. Mike Dyson was not available to make the tackle. However, the Mighty Quinn was. Winston avoided a sack, scrambled, gained 10 yards but was moving slowly looking for a receiver. Quinn blasted him to the ground and ended the game 5 yards short. 37-32 Rams

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles — It was one thing for the Eagles to win a couple games against the two biggest NFL tomato cans. It was quite another to take on Pittsburgh. In the first quarter, Caleb Sturgis hit a 29 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. In the second quarter Carson Wentz led a 12 play, 82 yard, 6 minute drive. A 12 yard touchdown pass to Matthews made it 10-0 Eagles. Chris Boswell would hit a 40 yard field goal to get the Steelers on the board, but Sturgis answered from 38 to make it 13-3 Eagles at halftime. The Eagles exploded in the third quarter right at the outset. Wentz connected with Darren Sproles on a 73 yard touchdown connection to make it 20-3 Eagles. Smallwood ran it in from 8 yards out and Barner ran for an 8 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. The Eagles are 3-0, Carson Wentz looks like a veteran, and not one Philly fan has called for Doug Pederson to be fired yet. The City of Brotherly Love is feeling the love. 34-3 Eagles

New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs — After a big emotional win over archival Buffalo last week, the Jets came out flat at Kansas City. After a Jets punt, the Chiefs showed why they will never get to the next level. From their own 17, they moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Jets 30. Alex Smith was sacked for an 8 yard loss and out of field goal range. A punt had the Jets pinned at their own one yard line. On 3rd and 9 from their own 22, Fitzpatrick was intercepted. From the Jets 35, the rest came easy. Smith hit Kelce for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Chiefs after the first quarter.

In the second quarter after a Jets fumble, the Chiefs took over at their own 47 and kept playing dink and dunk West Coast Offense football. They held the ball for 7 minutes and 14 plays, yet gained one 44 yards. On 1st and goal from the 3, Smith completed a pass that lost a yard. Cairo Santos hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Chiefs. Andy Reid teams win regular season games with defense and special teams. A fumble by the jets on the ensuing kickoff was returned 27 yards by Harris for a touchdown and a 17-0 Chiefs lead. Nick Folk got the Jets on the board with a 28 yard field goal just before the 2 minute warning as the Jets trailed 17-3 at break time.

In the third quarter Smith kept drinking and dunking, but it works when the other team plays bad defense. A short pass to Kelce went for 42 yards and another short pass gained 13 yards. Ware got around the end for a 6 yard touchdown and a 24-3 Chiefs lead. However, upon further review, the touchdown was called back in a big way. The ball came loose from Ware’s hand just before it hit the Pylon. Instead of a touchdown, it was a fumble and a touchback. The Jets drove down the field but midway through the fourth quarter, a pass from the red zone to the end zone was deflected and intercepted. Interceptions on 3 consecutive drives killed Gang Green. The last one was returned by Johnson for a 55 yard clinching touchdown. When you have a solid defense forcing 8 turnovers including intercepting 6…yes, 6…Fitzpatrick passes, Alex Smith can manage the game. He does nothing spectacular but does not lose you the game either. 24-3 Chiefs

San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts — Andrew Luck and Philip Rivers are both quarterbacks who have gotten very little help in the last couple years. Early on it was all Colts. Adam Vinatieri hit a 38 yard field goal. Then Frank Gore capped off an 85 yard drive with a 6 yard touchdown run to have the Colts up 10-0 after the opening quarter. Josh Lambo hit field goals of 42 and 34 to get the Chargers within 10-6. The second one came after an interception of Luck had the Chargers with 1st and goal at the 6. Offensive holding and 3 Rivers incompletions meant a wasted chance. The Colts moved 60 yards in 11 plays and took up 7 1/2 minutes, but settled for Vinatieri from 33 to make it 13-6 Colts. With one minute left in the half, the Colts had 1st and 10 at the San Diego 23. They were in total control. Then after a false start, Luck was sacked and fumbled. Caraun Reid picked it up and rumbled 61 yards before a stunned Lucas Oil Stadium crowd. Out of nowhere the teams were tied 13-13 at the midpoint.

In the third quarter the Chargers moved 80 yards in 12 plays in 6 1/2 minutes. Melvin Gordon got in from the one. The extra point was partially blocked by Antonio Cromartie, but the Chargers led 19-13. The Colts responded by going 75 yards in 10 plays and nearly 6 minutes. Turpin got in from the one as the Colts retook the lead 20-19. Early in the fourth quarter, the Colts had the ball just past midfield. A hail of penalties wiped out a 58 yard touchdown and had the Colts facing 2nd and 40. A 3rd and 37 pass did not pick up the first down. The Chargers moved from their 18 to a 2nd and goal at the 4. Rivers then threw incomplete and was sacked. Josh Lambo hit the 27 yard field goal to put the Chargers up by 2 midway through the fourth quarter.

The Colts began their last chance at their own 17 with 2 1/2 minutes left and 2 timeouts left plus the 2 minute warning. A 3rd and 7 pass was dropped at the 2 minute warning. On 4th and 7, luck hit TY Hilton for 8. A 9 yard completion to Josh Ferguson saw Brandon Flowers stay down injured for the Chargers. This stopped the clock, a gift break for the Colts. The crowd clapped as Flowers got up and walked off under his own power. On the next play, Luck zipped a pass to Hilton, who split 2 defenders, spun one around, and outraced everyone. The home crowd erupted as the 63 yard miracle put the Colts in front by 4 points. The 2 point try failed. Because of Lambo’s earlier missed extra point, the Chargers need a touchdown to win it. Now it was the Chargers with 1:17 to play who needed to go 75 yards. They had 2 timeouts. An 18 yard completion was followed by a fumble. Mike Adams recovered for the defense as the Colts got their first win. Mike McCoy has seen his boys collapse in two of three games late. 26-22 Colts

Chicago Bears at Dallas Cowboys was the Sunday night game. It was a mismatch from the start. Bak Prescott moved the Cowboys 75 yards in plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Prescott got in from the one to make it 7-0 Cowboys. Dan Bailey nailed a 49 yard field goal for a 10-0 Cowboys lead after the first quarter. In the second quarter Dunbar got in from the one to cap a 72 yard drive and make it 17-0 Cowboys. The Bears finally got on the board when Connor Barth hit a 34 yard field goal. The Cowboys came back with a 12 play, 73 yard, 7 minute drive. Alfred Morris ran for a 3 yard touchdown to have the Cowboys cruising up 24-3 at halftime. Bryan Hoyer did throw a 2 yard touchdown pass to Bryan Hoyer in the third quarter, but the Cowboys put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. Prescott capped of a 10 play, 88 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive with his first NFL touchdown pass, a 17 yarder to Dez Bryant to make it 31-10 Cowboys. Hoyer and Miller hooked up again but it was far too little, too late as the Bears remained winless. 31-17 Cowboys

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints was the Monday night game. For those who suffered through the worst presidential debate in history, you missed a fine football game. Emotions were sky high in the Superdome. This was the 10 year anniversary of Steve Gleason’s blocked punt. Gleason was in attendance for this game, and his battle with ALS is widely documented. Drew Brees and Sean Payton were in the same role as they were a decade ago, superstar player and coach respectively. There were no blocked punts in this game like in 2006 and 2015, but it was thrilling offensive football. In a very classy display with thoughts of Hurricane Katrina and recent social unrest in the background, the players and coaches all held hands before the game. This was real unity.

Then they played football. Brees moved the Saints 75 yards in 11 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. A 2 yard touchdown pass to Coby Fleener made it 7-0 Saints. The Saints held on defense and had all the momentum, but it was fleeting. The Saints fumbled a punt and the Falcons took over on the Saints 11. On 3rd and 1 from the 2, Coleman got in to tie the game 7-7.

Later on the Falcons moved 74 yards in 11 plays and 5 minutes. On 4th and 1 from the Saints 33, Coleman got the yard and a horse collar tackle added 15 more yards. On the first play of the second quarter, Matt Ryan hit Freeman for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-7 Falcons. The Saints came back 75 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. Brees hit Thomas from 2 yards out for a 14-14 tie. The pinball machine kept rolling for both sides, as now the Falcons did their 11 play, 75 yard drive. Coleman got in from the 2 for a 21-14 Falcons lead.

The Falcons held on defense and got it back on their own 6 with 1:51 left in the half. On 3rd and 2 from the 14, Ryan threw incomplete. However, defensive pass interference meant a 25 yard gain. Ryan then found Hardy for 22 yards and Gabriel for 14 more. With 30 seconds left in the half, Ryan threw a 4 yard touchdown to Hardy for a 28-14 Falcons lead. After a touchback the Saints faced 3rd and 10 at their own 25. Brees hit Fleener for 32 yards. On the last play of the half Lutz nailed a 57 yard field goal to get the Saints within 28-17.

The Falcons kept rolling. On the first play of the second half after a touchback, Ryan hit Freeman for 26 yards and Coleman for 34 yards. Coleman ran it in from 6 yards out to make it 35-17. The Saints soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 28. Brees hit Thomas for 25 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 3, John Kuhn got in. Mark Ingraham converted the 2 point conversion on the ground to get the Saints within 35-25 midway through the third quarter.

The Falcons moved from their 21 when Freeman ran for a 21 yard gain. However, on 3rd and goal at the 3 Ryan threw incomplete. Matt Bryant hit the 21 yard field goal for a 38-25 Falcons lead. The Saints appeared right back in it when they moved from their 25 to 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 11 only one minute into the fourth quarter. Then came the play of the game. Brees was intercepted by Jones, who went 90 yards the other way for the dagger. Instead of only being down 38-32, the Saints trailed 45-25.

Brees quickly brought the Saints back again, tossing a 5 yard touchdown pass to Ingram with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Saints even held on defense and moved from their 14 to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 28. This came after a critical 4th and 1 conversion. Yet a sack of Brees soon found the Saints facing 4th and 21 from the Atlanta 39 with 3 minutes left. They failed to convert. Freeman burst free for a 48 yard gain to the Saints 4 yard line, but Matty Ice ended the game with the same class it began. He took a knee rather than run up the score on this proud home crowd. Ryan finished 20 of 30 for 240 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Brees was 36 of 54 for 376 yards and 3 touchdowns, but also with the one killer interception. The win had the Falcons in sole possession of first place in the NFC South. 45-32 Falcons

NFL 2016 Week 3 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-2016-week-3-preview-and-bettors-guide-71396/

eric

NFL 2016 Week 2 Recap

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills was the Thursday night game. For those who love old-school defense, this was not your game. For those who loved the American Football League pinball machine, this was your game. Forget ground and pound. This was an aerial assault.

On the third play of the game, facing 3rd and 10 at their own 25, Ryan Fitzpatrick went deep to Enunwa for a 34 yard gain. After converting four times on third down, the Jets had 3rd and 2 at the Buffalo 5. A killer false start followed by an incompletion ended the drive. Despite running 15 plays and holding the ball for nearly 8 1/2 minutes, the Jets settled for a 28 yard Nick Folk field goal and a 3-0 lead.

Three plays later the Bills faced 3rd and 12 at their own 16. Tyron Taylor went bombs away to Goodwin for an 84 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bills. The Jets took over at their own 14. On 3rd and 5 from their 30, Fitzpatrick threw incomplete but a 26 yard defensive pass interference penalty kept the drive going. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 12, a shovel pass gained only one yard. On 4th and 1, on the last play of the first quarter, a disappointed Todd Bowles settled for a 29 yard Folk field goal. Despite controlling the ball for 13 1/2 minutes in the opening quarter, the Jets trailed 7-6.

In the second quarter Buffalo went 3 and out. Taking over at their own 34, The Jets saw Fitzpatrick go deep again to Brandon Marshall for a 37 yard gain. Matt Forte ran in for a one yard touchdown to make it 13-7 Jets. The jets got it back at their own 23 and Fitzy kept going deep, hitting Enunwa for 21 yards and Marshall for 21 more. Fitzpatrick then hit Eric Decker for 18 and again for the 5 yard touchdown. With 4 minutes left in the half, the Jets offense was gashing Rex Ryan’s defense for a 20-7 Jets lead.

Taylor moved the Bills from their 25 to a critical 4th and 1 at the Jets 32 with 41 seconds left in the half. Rex Ryan pulled a switch, brought Taylor off the field, and backup EJ Manuel came in for one play. Manuel gained 2 yards and Taylor came back on. With 15 seconds left in the half, the Bills faced 3rd and 1 at the Jets 21. Taylor threw incomplete and Ryan settled for a 39 yard Dan Carpenter field as the Bills trailed 20-10 at halftime. While it appeared the Jets were in total control, this game was just warming up.

On the third play of the third quarter, the Bills faced 3rd and 6 at their own 29. History repeated itself as offensive coordinator Greg Roman went bombs away again. Taylor hit Salas for a 71 yard touchdown as the Bills were right back in it down 20-17. Five plays later, the Jets faced 2nd and 8 at their own 33. A short completion to Marshall saw several defenders swarm Marshall and punch the ball out of his hand. Robey-Coleman returned the fumble 36 yards for a touchdown. Only 3 1/2 minutes into the second half, the Bills had stormed back to take a 24-20 lead. Then things turned again.

After an exchange of punts, the Jets embarked on another long drive. 84 yards, 12 plays, and 6 1/2 minutes saw the Jets move from their own 16 to a critical 3rd and 8 at the Buffalo 46. Fitzpatrick hit Decker for 17 yards and Marshall for 16 more. Forte ran it in for a 3 yard touchdown as the Jets retook the lead 27-24 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter. A strong kickoff return had the Bills taking over at their own 47. On the first play of the fourth quarter, on 3rd and 1, OC Roman stayed aggressive rather than play it safe. Taylor went deep again, but this time was intercepted by Williams at the Jets 13.

On 3rd and 9 from their own 14, Fitzpatrick kept the aerial circus going, hitting Marshall for 27 yards and Decker for 35 more. On 3rd and 6 from the Buffalo 20, Fitzpatrick only gained 2 yards. Folk hit the 36 yard field goal to make it 30-24 Jets with 10 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Both offenses were moving at will, as Buffalo took over at their own 22. LeSean McCoy quickly gained 24 yards. On 3rd and 1 at the Jets 45, Rex Ryan again got creative. Emanuel came in at quarterback again and Taylor moved out to wide receiver. For all of that, Emanuel took the carry and got nothing. Midway through the fourth quarter, on 4th and 1, Rex Ryan decided to go for it. In a game with little to no defense, McCoy got the carry and ran into a Gang Green brick wall.

From the Jets 44, Rex Ryan saw his twin brother Rob Ryan’s defense continue to get torched. Fitzpatrick hit Decker for 27 yards and Forte scored his third rushing touchdown from 12 yards out. With 4 minutes left, the Jets now had a 37-24 lead. Yet in a game of big momentum swings, this game was not over.

Despite leaving the game earlier after taking a hit, Taylor quickly cleared concussion protocol. He showed absolutely no symptoms, and quickly returned to the game. While it was right to pull him, it was also proper to clear him. He showed absolutely no sign of a concussion, and player safety does not mean overreacting either. Taylor quickly moved the Bills 75 yards. An 18 yard touchdown pass to Gillislee gave the Bills life. Gillislee dove and stretched just past the plane of the goal after initially being ruled down at the one. On further review, a reversal properly gave him the touchdown. The Bills were within 6 points with 1:17 to play. Now it was up to the onside kick team.

The try failed but the Bills still had 2 timeouts left. On 4th and 5 from midfield, the Jets punted with 18 seconds left. A fair catch had the Bills at their own 15 with only 10 seconds left. That was enough time to complete a 25 yard pass and set up a Hail Mary. Instead the Bills went for the hook and ladder play. The completion gained 10 yards and the lateral added another 18 yards to the Buffalo 43. Yet Goodwin did not get out of bounds, and the clock ran out before the Hail Mary could even be tried.

Taylor played very well, going 18 for 30 for 297 yards, 3 touchdowns, and one interception. Fitzpatrick was 24 of 34 for 374 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. The offenses ruled this game. The defenses played miserably for long stretches despite the one Buffalo defensive touchdown. The Bills fell to 0-2, and the team is already in a state of total panic. Since Rex Ryan will not fire his own brother despite his being fired by several other locations, Ryan instead fired Greg Roman. This made no sense, give that the offense played well most of the game. The Rex Ryan death watch has officially begun. 37-31 Jets

Tennessee Titans at Detroit Lions — After winning a thrilling shootout last week on the road, the Lions had what was supposed to be a much easier game at home against Tennessee. For most of the game, it was. In the first quarter DeMarco Murray was tackled in the end zone to put the Detroit defense on the board first. After the free kick, Matthew Stafford threw a 24 yard touchdown pass to Anquon Boldin as the Lions led 9-0 after the opening quarter. The defenses then dug in. Ryan Succop hit a 46 yard field goal in the second quarter. Matt Prater responded from 42 and then in the third quarter from 27 as the Lions led 15-3 after three quarters.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Marcus Mariota threw a 30 yard touchdown to Walker. Midway through the fourth quarter the Titans took over at their own 17 yard line. Mariota led the Titans down the field, converting a pair of short third down conversions. With 1:19 to play, everything came down to the Titans facing 4th and 4 at the Detroit 9. Mariota found Andre Johnson for the touchdown. The two point try failed but the Titans led by a point. With 28 seconds left needing a field goal to win, the Lions faced 3rd and 10 at their own 45. Stafford was intercepted by Cox as Mike Mularkey got his first win as Tennessee’s head coach. Despite winning last week, the Lions have blown double digit leads in both games this season. 16-15 Titans

Kansas City at Houston Texans — In the playoffs last year in Houston, the Chiefs returned the opening kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown on their way to a 30-0 thrashing over the Texans. This time the Texans won the coin toss, preventing that repeat humiliation. The Texans moved from their own 16 to a critical 3rd and goal at the 2. Brock Osweiler was then intercepted, killing the drive. A few plays later the Chiefs faced 3rd and 6 at their own 44. Alex Smith fumbled a snap out of the shotgun and JJ Watt recovered for the Texans at the Houston 27. One play later Osweiler went deep to Hopkins for the touchdown and the 7-0 Texans lead. The rest of the game was hideously ugly, with Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos and Texans kicker Nick Novak both hitting four field goals.

On the first play of the second quarter, Cairo Santos hit a 53 yard field goal to get the Chiefs on the board. With 4 minutes left in the half, Nick Novak hit a 32 yard field goal to make it 10-3 Texans. A Chiefs fumble gave the Texans a golden opportunity at the Kansas City 14 with 1:40 left in the half. Houston again struggled offensively but Novak’s 24 yarder made it 13-3 Texans. Late in the third quarter Osweiler was intercepted. On the first play of the fourth quarter Santos hit from 43 to get the Chiefs within 13-6. The teams then traded field goals. Novak hit from 31, Santos hit from 35, and Novak hit again from 43 with 3 minutes left for a 19-9 Texans lead.

History almost repeated itself as the Chiefs returned this ensuing kickoff 105 yards for a touchdown. However, holding on the kick instead had the Chiefs start at their own 12 yard line. Santos would hit a 30 yard field goal with 49 seconds left, but the onside kick failed and Houston had the ugly win. 19-12 Texans

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots — After looking good in his first ever NFL start, Jimmy Garoppolo in his first ever home start looked like the hall of fame he is briefly replacing. Last week Miami’s defense was stellar until the final 60 seconds. This week they were awful from the opening moments. Garoppolo threw first quarter touchdown passes of 12 yards to Danny Amendola and 20 yards to Marcellus Bennett and a second quarter 10 yard touchdown pass to Amendola. Stephen Gostkowski tacked on a 34 yard field goal as the Patriots built a 24-0 lead. Garoppolo was 18 of 27 for 234 yards and 3 touchdowns with 0 interceptions, but the news was not all good. In the second quarter Garoppolo got leveled and left the game with an injured shoulder. The Patriots were down to third stringer quarterback Brissett. The Dolphins did kick a field goal before the half, but a 9 yard touchdown run by LeGuarette Blount in the third quarter had the Patriots in cruise control up 31-3.

The cruised a bit too early. Ryan Tannehill led a furious rally, throwing a 24 yard third quarter touchdown pass to Kenny Stills. In the fourth quarter Tannehill hit Cameron for a 12 yard touchdown. After drives of 75 and 88 yards, Tannehill led a 74 yard drive that culminated in Drake running it in from 7 yards out with 6 minutes left to get the Dolphins within 7 points. Bill Belichick kept it on the ground, as the Patriots ate up the clock. With one minute left, Gostkowski came in for the 39 yarder to lock up the win. It was no good. The Dolphins took over at their own 29 with 1:04 left. With 9 seconds left, the Dolphins faced 4th and 5 at the New England 29. Tannehill went to the end zone and was intercepted by Harmon. Despite going 32 of 45 for 389 yards, Tannehill aw the Dolphins fall to 0-2 while the Patriots and their 3rd string quarterback are unbeaten. 31-24 Patriots

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns — If ever a game represented the history of the Cleveland Browns franchise since Jim Brown retired, this one was it. Despite RGIII’s Browns career likely ending after one game, veteran Josh McCown came in and played well right away. He hit Coleman for a 31 yard touchdown pass. Then Ian Crowell broke off an 85 yard touchdown run. Then McCown hit Coleman again for an 11 yard touchdown. 3 Browns touchdown had them up 20-0 in the first quarter. This game was turning into a laugher. They were an extra point away from leading 21-0. However, these are the Browns.

Last year the Browns attempted the winning field goal against the Ravens on the final play. In a shocker, the kick was blocked and returned for a touchdown and a Ravens victory. This time, the extra point was blocked and returned all the way by the Ravens the other way. This now counts for 2 points. The Ravens were on the board, but they still trailed 20-2. However, remember. These are the Borwns. With 1:15 left in the half, Joe Flacco hit Mike Wallace for a 7 yard touchdown to get within 20-9. 2 plays later McCown was intercepted. Justin Tucker hit a 52 yard field goal at the gun as the Ravens only trailed 20-12. Early in the third quarter Flacco hit Wallace for another 17 yard touchdown. Now the Ravens only trailed 20-19.

One minute into the fourth quarter, Murray came in for a 52 yard field goal try for the Browns. The kick was no good. With 11 1/2 minutes left Tucker hit from 49 as the Ravens now had the 22-20 lead. Baltimore got it back and Tucker hit again from 41. 25 unanswered points had the Ravens up by 5 with 3 minutes left. McCown moved the Browns from their 25 to the Baltimore 30 with 27 seconds. McCown hit Terrell Pryor for a 20 yard gain down to the 10. However, offsetting penalties nullified the play. McCown went deep to Pryor again and this time was intercepted at the one yard line. John Harbaugh exhaled as Hue Jackson wondered if he truly was in charge of a cursed franchise. LeBron James delivering for the Cavaliers has not helped the football team. Once this team won with Jim Brown. Ever since then, they just lose. These are the Browns. 25-20 Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers — This blood feud only got nastier since Pittsburgh escaped with an 18-16 playoff win at Cincinnati last year. As expected, this game featured plenty of hard-hitting defense. In the first quarter, Ben Roethlisberger hit Xavier Grimble for a 20 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Steelers lead. After that the defenses clamped down. Mike Nugent hit a 25 yard field goal for the Bengals. In the second quarter, Chris Boswell hit from 49 and Nugent responded from 33 as the Bengals trailed 10-6 at halftime. Their inability to turn the red zone into the green zone proved costly.

In the third quarter Big Ben hit James for a 9 yard touchdown. Again Red Rifle Andy Dalton moved the Bengals deep and again they could not crack the end zone. Nugget’s third field goal from 21 yards out had the Bengals trailing 17-9 after three quarters. In the fourth quarter Roethlisberger led a 12 play, 68 yard drive that ate 7 minutes off the clock. Big ben hit Deangelo Williams for the 4 yard touchdown with 6 1/2 minutes left to make it 24-9. Dalton finally got the Bengals to pay dirt with 3 1/2 minutes left with a 25 yard touchdown pass to Bernard. Cincinnati got it bak at their own 25 with 3 minutes left. At the 2 minute warning they were already at the Pittsburgh 39 seeking the tying touchdown. Dalton hit Boyd on a short pass, but Boyd fumbled and the Steelers recovered to lock up the tough win. Despite going 31 of 54 for for 366 yards, Dalton’s red zone troubles were the difference. Roethlisberger’s three touchdown passes were the difference. 24-16 Steelers

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins — Dak Prescott played well in his rookie debut in a one point loss where he got little help when it mattered most. Prescott was very impressive in this game as well, going 22 of 30 for 292 yards. He did not throw a touchdown or an interception. Early on he led a 13 play, 5 1/2 minute drive. Yet an incompletion 3rd and 4 means a 22 yard Dan Bailey field goal to open the scoring. Too many field goals is why Dallas lost last week. On the next series Prescott led a 94 yard drive. This time the Cowboys finished it as Ezekiel Elliott got in from the one to make it 10-0 Cowboys after the first quarter.

In the second quarter the Redskins moved 75 yards and Jones ran for a 14 yard touchdown to get the Redskins on the board. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the half Bailey hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 13-7 Cowboys. Hopkins countered from 36 with 30 seconds left to have the Redskins trailing 13-10 at the break. The Redskins got the ball to start the third quarter and moved 75 yards. Kirk Cousins hit Crowder for an 11 yard touchdown as the Redskins took the 17-13 lead. Prescott then had his turn leading a 75 yard drive that took 10 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Prescott got the last 6 yards himself for a 20-17 Cowboys advantage.

Jason Garrett then went to his bag of tricks, trying a surprise onside kick. It did not work, as the Redskins took over at the Dallas 38. On 3rd and 6 from the 11, Cousins threw incomplete. Hopkins hit from 29 to tie the game 20-20 with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. 2 plays later Elliott fumbled and the Redskins had another short field at the Dallas 34. Yet despite 2nd and goal at the 4, Cousins threw incomplete twice. Again Washington settled for a field goal. hopkins hit from 22 as the Redskins led 23-20 after three quarters.

Washington got it back at their own 21 and Cousins went deep to Doctson for a 57 yard gain. A 13 yard completion to Reed set up 1st and goal at the 6. Cousins threw incomplete twice, and on 3rd and goal he was intercepted in the end zone. With 10 1 /2 minutes left, the Redskins missed a major chance to create some distance. Prescott led the Cowboys from their 20. With 6 minutes left the Cowboys had moved to a 3rd and 11 at the Washington 24. Prescott hit Cole Beasley for 12 yards and Jason Witten for 8 more. Former Redskins running back Alfred Morris is now with the Cowboys, and his 4 yard touchdown run gave Dallas a 4 point lead with 4:45 to play.

The Redskins moved from their own 25 to a 3rd and 1 at their own 44. Thompson got the carry and gained nothing as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 4th and 1, Cousins threw incomplete. The Redskins had all 3 timeouts left and got the ball back at their own 10 with 90 seconds left. On 3rd and 10 Cousins found Thompson for a 38 yard gain. A critical false start penalty on Washington led to a 10 seconds runoff. With 4 seconds left from the Dallas 41, Cousins threw the Hail Mary. It was incomplete. Despite Cousins finishing 28 of 46 for 364 yards with one touchdown and one interception, Jay Gruden saw the Redskins fall to 0-2. Rumors of locker room frustration with Cousins were quickly shot down by Gruden. Meanwhile, Dallas has a very impressive rookie at the helm. He just got his first NFL win. 27-23 Cowboys.

New Orleans Saints at New York Giants — Last week Drew Brees threw for 423 yards as the Saints lost a pinball shootout. This week the Saints were in a defensive slugfest. Last week the defense gave up 35 points including the critical two point conversion. This week the Saints defense did not yield a single touchdown. For the second week in a row, Ben McAdoo saw Big Blue play blue collar football. After a scoreless first quarter, Saints quarterback Lutz lined up for a field goal. The kick was blocked and returned by Janoris Jenkins for a 7-0 Giants lead. Then came a slog. Lutz would make a 39 yard second quarter field goal and Josh Brown countered with a 48 yarder in the third quarter as the Giants led 10-3 entering the final quarter.

On the third play of the fourth quarter, Brees hit Snead for a 17 yard touchdown to cap a 74 yard drive and tie the game 10-10. The Giants moved from their own 25 to a 1st and goal at the one. Twice Shane Vereen got the carry, and twice he was stopped cold. On 3rd and goal, Eli Manning threw incomplete. On 4th and goal at the one, Ben McAdoo ignored the crowd and opted for the field goal. Mccadowo is not from the Bill Parcels-Tom Coughlin-Sean Payton “go big or go home” coaching tree. Josh Brown hit the 19 yard field goal to make it 13-10 Giants with 9 minutes left.

After an exchange of punts, the Saints moved from their 26 to a 2nd and 8 at the Giants 27. Brees threw incomplete twice. Lutz hit from 45 to tie the game 13-13 with 3 minutes left. Manning then had his turn, moving the Giants from their 25 to a 3rd and 8 at the Saints 36 with 1:49 left. Rather than set up for a very long field goal, Manning went deep to Victor cruz for 34 yards down to the 2. When the Giants won their last Super Bowl, they scored too early. This time they refused to score a touchdown. Manning took a knee three times and took the clock down to 2 seconds. If anything went wrong on a 23 yard field goal try, McAdoo would get pilloried. Brown made the kick and the Giants got to 2-0. After 9/11, the Giants won with inspired defense. One day after a bomb explosion injured 30 people in New York City, Big Blue again played inspired defense. Manning was a superb 32 of 41 for 368 yards without a touchdown. Neither signal caller was intercepted. Brees was 29 of 44 for 263 yards and one touchdown, but it was the Saints staying winless. 16-13 Giants

San Francisco 49ers at Carolina Panthers — Last week the 49ers won by 28 while the Panthers lost a one point heartbreaker at the gun. This week was a return to reality. Cam Newton was intercepted on the second play of the game, leading to a 29 yard Phil Dawson field goal and a 3-0 49ers lead. With 4 minutes left in the first quarter Carlos Hyde fumbled and the Panthers returned it 9 yards for a touchdown and a 7-3 Panthers lead. In the second quarter Blaine Gabbert found Torry Smith for a 28 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 49ers. One play later Newton went deep to Greg Olsen for a 78 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Panthers. With 42 seconds left in the half, a field position game had the Panthers taking over at their own 46. Graham Gano hit a 39 yard field goal as the Panthers took a 17-10 lead into the locker rooms. In the second half the Panthers exploded, and Chip Kelly had no answers.

In the third quarter Newton threw touchdown passes of 10 and 9 yards to Kelvin Benjamin to turn a close game into a 31-10 Panthers blowout. Newton fumbled early in the fourth quarter, setting up the 49ers at the Carolina 17. After 3 plays lost 4 yards, needing 3 touchdowns, Chip Kelly opted for a field goal. Ted Ginn then fumbled the ensuing kickoff, as the 49ers recovered at the Carolina one. Gabbers got in as the 49ers were now only down 31-20. Garo hit a 31 yard field goal to get it back up to 14 points, but then Gabbert threw a short pass to Vince McDonald that turned into a 75 yard touchdown pass. with 8 minutes left in regulation, the 49ers were now only down 34-27.

They would get no closer. On 3rd and 10 from the Carolina 29, Newton found Benjamin for 25 yards. Garo hit a 49 yard field goal with 4 minutes left to make it 37-27 Panthers. 2 plays later Gabbert was intercepted to give Carolina a short field. On 3rd and 4 from the San Francisco 16, Newton hit Devon Funchess for the touchdown. Despite the blocked extra point, Gabbert was intercepted again and Gano added a 41 yard field goal to complete the scoring. Newton did have a couple turnovers, but he was 24 of 40 for 353 yards and 4 touchdowns. This was a complete team win for Ron Rivera. 46-27 Panthers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Arizona Cardinals — Last week the Buccaneers got a quality road win while the Cardinals did not look like a Super Bowl contender in losing their opener at home on the final play. However, after this week the Cardinals may be exactly what we thought they were. That is not good for the rest of the league and certainly not for the overmatched Bucs on this day. After a scoreless first quarter, the Cardinals blasted the Buccaneers in the second quarter. Carson Palmer threw a 4 yard touchdown to Larry Fitzgerald and Chandler Catanzaro added a 22 yard field goal. Palmer then tossed a 1 yard touchdown to Malcolm Floyd and a 51 yard touchdown to Josh Brown for a 24-0 Cardinals halftime lead.

The second half was just a formality. Jameis Winston did throw a 19 yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans, but that was it. After Catanzaro added a 40 yard field goal, the Arizona defense put a lid on the game. Cooper returned an interception 60 yards for a touchdown. In the fourth quarter Chris Johnson ran in from three yards out to complete the blowout. Palmer finished 18 of 31 for 308 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Winston was 27 of 52 for 243 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions. This is what Bruce Arians expects from a Super Bowl contender, and on this day the team delivered. 40-7 Cardinals

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams — This was the first Los Angeles Rams home game since 1994. After losing by 28 points last week on the road and scoring 0 points, the fans expected better. Meanwhile, Seattle last week did nothing for 59 minutes yet pulled out a win. Jeff Fisher and Pete Carroll both know defense, and Fisher’s Rams are always tough at home against division opponents. This game was all defense. Greg Zuerlein hit a 39 yard field goal for Rams. In the second quarter Steve Hauschka hit from 23 and Zuerlein hit from 28. In the fourth quarter Zuerlein hit his third field goal from 47. Despite trailing by 6, Seattle had a chance for the second week in a row to pull of heroics. With 57 seconds left, on 3rd and 10 from the Rams 35, A short pass by Wilson to Ogletree was fumbled. The Rams recovered. Jeff Fisher is a Buddy Ryan disciple, and Buddy was up in heaven beaming over this one. 9-3 Rams

Indianapolis Colts at Denver Broncos — This was the battle between Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and the Super Bowl Denver defense led by Von Miller. Early on Adam Vinatieri hit a 48 yard field goal for the Colts and Brandon McManus answered from 23 for a 3-3 game. in the second quarter CJ Anderson ran it in from 4 yards out for a 10-3 Broncos lead. The field goal kickers each struck again, Vinatieri from 52 and McManus from 43 as the Broncos took a 13-6 lead into the locker rooms. In the third quarter Luck led a 13 play, 79, 7 minute drive yard drive capped off by Turbin running in from 5 yards out to tie the game 13-13. Denver also moved 13 plays and 60 yards over 7 minutes but settled for a 33 yard McManus field goal. The Broncos only led 16-13 after three quarters, but the fourth quarter saw the best defense since the Orange Crush remind the league why they are the defending champions.

Aqib Talib intercepted Luck and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown to make it 23-13 Broncos. Luck then led a 12 play, 80 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. Luck hit Frank Gore for a 7 yard touchdown to get the Colts within 23-20 with 4 minutes left. The Broncos moved from their 25 to a 3rd and 1 at the Indy 17 at the 2 minute warning. Anderson failed to get the yard as the Colts took their last timeout with 1:54 remaining. Gary Kubiak on 4th and 1 decided not to go for it and put the game away, a very curious decision. McManus hit the 35 yard field goal, but the Broncos only led 26-20. From the Indy 25, Luck had 1:51 to get the win. The defense bailed out the Broncos and Kubiak. Von Miller sacked Luck and Ray returned the ensuing fumble 15 yards to put the game on ice. Chuck Pagano has an 0-2 squad while Denver remained unbeaten. 34-20 Broncos

Atlanta Falcons at Oakland Raiders — The Falcons suffered an embarrassing home loss last week while the Raiders pulled out a thrilling road win. By now the whole world knows that Jack Del rio called the 2 point conversion that won it. However, the Raiders have plenty of weakness on the defensive side of the ball, especially in the secondary. Ken Norton Jr. did not see things get any better in this game. After a scoreless first quarter, Matt Ryan began carving up the Oakland defense as Drew Brees did last week.

The Falcons moved right down the field until the Raiders finally held near the goal line. Matt Bryant opened the scoring with a 21 yard field goal. Derek Carr quickly moved the Raiders 91 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Oakland 38, Carr hit Amari Cooper for 25 yards. Defensive pass interference on the next play moved the ball 36 yards down to the one and nullified an interception. Latavius Murray got in on the next play to make it 7-3 Raiders. Ryan quickly moved the Falcons 75 yards. A 21 yard touchdown pass to Julio Jones had the Falcons up 10-7 with 5 minutes left in the half. With 1:53 left in the half, Marquette King punted a solid 55 yard shot to the Atlanta 9. Eric Weems returned it 73 yards with a horse collar tackle penalty tacked on. Despite starting at the Oakland 9, the Falcons could not get it in. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Ryan completed a one yard pass. Bryant hit the 20 yard field goal as the Falcons led 13-7 with 37 seconds left in the half. On the last play of the half, Sebastian Janikowski missed a 58 yard field goal.

The Silver and Black came out hot in the second half on offense from their own 19. They received a break when they punted on 4th and 3 from their own 36 when the Falcons had too many men on the field for the punt. Given new life, Carr threw a 31 yard touchdown pass to Clive Walford to put the Raiders back in front 14-13. Matty Ice quickly went to Hooper for a 44 yard gain and Freeman gained 18 more yards to the Oakland 11. Yet on the next play Ryan was intercepted in the end zone by David Amerson as the Raiders held the lead. It was the only mistake Ryan would make all day and the last solid play by the Oakland defense.

Atlanta got it back at their own 15 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter and moved the ball at will. Ryan hit Coleman for 24 and Hooper for 34. Ryan threw a 14 yard touchdown to Jacob Tamme. Ryan got in the 2 point conversion himself for a 21-14 Falcons lead. Carr responded with a 13 play, 75 yard, nearly 7 minute drive. Early in the fourth quarter the Raiders had 1st and goal at the 2. Murray got the carry and got nothing, and Carr threw incomplete twice. Jack Del Rio decided to gamble again on 4th and goal at the 2. Carr hit Michael Crabree for the touchdown. With 12 minutes left in regulation the game was tied 21-21 and Del Rio’s legend was growing.

Yet the defense could not get a stop as the Falcons quickly moved from their 25. A deep pass from Ryan to Jones gained 48 yards. With 9 1/2 minutes left the Falcons faced a critical 3rd and 6 at the Oakland 8. Ryan threw a ball over the middle that was deflected off an Atlanta receiver high in the air. With several defenders looking for it, Justin Hardy came down with the freak doink pass for a ridiculous touchdown and a 28-21 Falcons lead.

Midway through the first quarter with the Raiders just shy of midfield, Carr on 3rd and 2 found Amari Cooper near the sideline. Cooper split the seam and was off to the races for a 51 yard touchdown. Just like that it seemed the game would be tied 28-28. Just like that it was not. Cooper was called for an illegal touch because he accidentally stepped out of bounds and was the first player to touch the ball. Instead of a touchdown, it was an incomplete pass. Del Rio again decided to go for it on 4th and 2.

While it is nice to say that he trusts his offense, and deservedly so, the big problem is that he does not trust his defense, again deservedly so. This time Jalen Richard got the carry and only gained one yard. Del Rio was right to go for it anyway since he was right not to trust his defense. Ryan hit Jones for 20 and Coleman ran up the middle for a 13 yard touchdown. with only 4 1/2 minutes left, the Falcons led 35-21.

The Raiders offense fought back valiantly. Carr moved them 75 yards and hit Andre Holmes for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Raiders back within 7. With 2:12 to play, the Raiders had all 3 timeouts and the 2 minute warning. Del Rio decided to kick it deep and not try the onside kick. This time he decided to trust his defense, despite their poor play. The Falcons were pinned at their own 13. On 3rd and 3 with everything on the line, Ryan hit Mohammed Sanu for a 15 yard gain. The Raiders did finally hold, but they got it back at their own 20 with 2 seconds left. Carr threw over the middle to Cooper, but the hook and ladder just led to a few laterals and no miracle. Dan Quinn got his first win this year while the Raiders have to figure out what to do with a defense that is clearly not helping the offense. Del Rio is a defensive guy, but he and Ken Norton need to find answers quickly. 35-28 Falcons.

Jacksonville Jaguars at San Diego Chargers — Last week both these teams lost heartbreakers, as San Diego blew a 21 point second half lead. This game was a blowout from the start. Melvin Gordon ran for a 3 yard touchdown pass to open the scoring for the Chargers. Then came the Philip Rivers show. He tossed 4 touchdown passes. In the second quarter he hit Travis Benjamin from 6 yards out and Antonio Gates for a 2 yard score. In the third quarter Rivers threw a 44 yard touchdown to Williams and a 45 yard score to Benjamin as the Chargers led 35-0 after three quarters. Blake Bortles finished 31 of 50 for 329 yards, but most of that including his 2 touchdown passes came in garbage time. Bortles was also intercepted twice while Rivers was not picked off. Jacksonville remained winless and Gus Bradley may soon face the wrath of owner Shad Khan. 38-14 Chargers

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings was the Sunday night game. For those who love old-school black and blue football, this was it. The very first game played in the new Minnesota stadium was a bare-fisted slobber knocker. Sam Bradford started his very first game for the Vikings. He was sharp and did not make a mistake. In the first quarter Aaron Rodgers hit Jordy Nelson for a 1 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. In the second quarter Bradford found Kyle Rudolph from 8 yards out to tie the game. Blair Walsh hit a 46 yard field goal to give the Vikings the lead. In the third quarter Bradford moved the Vikings 87 yards. He hit Diggs for a 15 yard touchdown as the Vikings led 17-7 after three quarters. Early in the fourth quarter on 3rd and goal at the 10, Rodgers scrambled for the touchdown to get the Packers within 3 points. After that Mike Zimmer’s defense cracked down on Mike McCarthy’s offense. Midway through the fourth quarter Rodgers was hit and fumbled. The Packers fumbled four times, losing that one. With 1:50 left, Rodgers was intercepted to lock up the brutal Vikings win. Adrian Peterson left the game injured, so this may be a very costly win. 17-14 Vikings

Philadelphia Eagles and Chicago Bears was the Monday night game. Sometimes a pair of bad teams can combine for an NFL thriller. This was not that game. In the first quarter Caleb Sturgis hit a 25 yard field goal for the Eagles. In the second quarter the Bears cracked the end zone when Jeremy Langford got in from one yard out for a 7-3 Bears lead. Surges added field goals from 29 and 53 to have the Eagles up 9-7 at the break. Late in the third quarter the eagles reached the Chicago 3. Ryan Mathews went straight up the gut, got stopped cold, and somehow bounced off the tackles, maintained his feet, and got outside. He dove just past the pileon for a 16-7 Eagles lead. Jay Cutler then quickly did what he does. He can always be counted on for a touchdown pass, but the question is to which team. Cutler’s interception set up the Eagles at the Chicago 2. Carson Went hit Tre Burton for the touchdown. The extra point doinked off the upright but the Eagles led 22-7 after three quarters.

To add injury to insult, Cutler injured his hand on the interception. Bryan Hoyer played the fourth quarter. To add insult to injury, Langford fumbled to give the Eagles a short field. On 4th and goal at the 2, Doug Pederson decided to go for it rather than kick the field goal. Although a run up the middle was stopped short, the Bears defense was in the neutral zone. Given a second chance on 4th and goal from the one, a pitchout to Mathews saw him get to the corner before everyone else for another touchdown and a 29-7 Eagles romp. Hoyer completed his first 9 passes, but on 4th and 1 in the red zone, Hoyer retreated about 25 yards before throwing a prayer to the end zone incomplete. John Fox had no answers, but good coaches can only do so much without players. The Bears did get in the end zone again when Eddie Royal returned a punt 65 yards for the score with 5 minutes left. This is what Chicago considers offense. 29-14 Eagles

NFL 2016 Week 2 Prequel

http://www.commdiginews.com/sports/nfl/nfl-2016-week-2-preview-and-bettors-guide-70877/

eric