THE TYGRRRR EXPRESS

NFL 2023 Week 14 Recap

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers was the Thursday night game. The Patriots came in 2-10, but their last 3 losses all saw the defense give up 10 points or less. The Patriots were without anyone at quarterback or injured running back Raimondre Stevenson. The Steelers lost last week at home to lowly Arizona after Mitchell Trubisky replaced the injured Kenny Pickett. After an opening touchback, Bailey Zappe hit Ezekiel Elliott for 12 and Juju Smith-Schuster for 25. On 3rd and 9 from the Pittsburgh 25, Zappe ran for 11. Zappe hit Elliott for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Patriots.The Steelers moved from their own 31 to a 3rd and 8 at the New England 37. Trubisky was sacked for a slight loss. Chris Boswell hit a 56 yard field goal to get the Steelers within 7-3.

The Steelers got it back at their own1 15 and began the second quarter facing 3rd and 10 at their own 27. Trubisky was intercepted by Jabrill Peppers, who returned the pick 32 yards to the Pittsburgh 11. Two plays later Zappe hit Hunter Hen ry for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Patriots. A short 34 yard punt gave the Patriots the ball back at their own 41. On 3rd and 3, Zappe went to Smith-Schuster for 28 and to Henry for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 Patriots.

After a touchback, Trubisky went to Warren for 12. Austin ran for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the New England 42, Trubisky gained 2. Trubisky went to Johnson for a 25 yard touchdown to get the Steelers within 21-10 with 3 minutes left in the half. The defenses dug in. After a scoreless third quarter, a shanked 11 yard punt early in the fourth quarter gave the Steelers gift field position at the New England 26. Trubisky hit Washington for 12. Defensive pass interference added 7 down to the one. Trubisky got in. Mike Tomlin went for 2 and Trubisky hit Pat Freiermuth successfully. The Steelers were within 3 points with 12 minutes left in regulation. With 2:44 left the Steelers took over at their own 27. On 3rd and 2 just shy of midfield just before the 2 minute warning, Trubisky threw incomplete twice. The Steelers took their final timeout on defense with 1:51 left. The Patriots faced 3rd and 1 at the Pittsburgh 39. Zappe got stopped short. The Patriots punted and the Steelers got the ball back at their own 13 with 15 seconds left. The Steelers needed to go 87 yards. A  pair of long completions got the Steelers to the New England 41, but the clock hit zeroes before the Patriots could try a 59 yard field goal or a Hail Mary. 21-18 Patriots

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons — After an opening touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 39. Baker Mayfield gained only 2. Chase McLaughlin nailed a 55 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. The Falcons after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. Desmond Ridder threw incomplete. Younghoe Koo hit from 20 to make it 3-3. An interception of Ridder gave the Buccaneers gift field position at the Atlanta 8 yard lien to start the seance quarter. Mayfield ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Buccaneers. The Falcons soon faced 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Brian Robinson gained 8. Ridder then went to London for 22. Ridder went to Pitts for a 36 yard touchdown to make it 10-10. 

A 50 yard field goal try by Koo to give the Buccaneers the lead doinked off the upright no good. With 2 1/2 minutes left in the half, the Falconstook over at their own 8 yard line. Ridder was sacked in the end zone and fumbled. The Falcons fell on it but the safety put the Buccaneers up 12-10. The Falcons missed a chance to take the lead on the last play of the half but Koo missed again from 52. Koo entered the game with a 90% make rate, the highest in NFL history. The Buccaneers in the third quarter faced 3rd and 1 at their own 43. White gained 12. On 3rd and 5 at the Atlanta 40, Mayfield went to Evans for 8. On 3rd and 9 from the Atlanta 31, Mayfield went to White for the touchdown and the 19-10 Buccaneers lead. The Falcons faced 3rd and 7 from their own 36. Defensive pass interference on a Ridder incompletion added 11 yards. On 3rd and 4 from the Tampa Bay 36, Ridder went to Robinson for 33. Robinson ran for a 3 yard touchdown to get the Falcons within 19-17 with 11 minutes left in regulation. 

 After a touchback the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Atlanta 20. Mayfield threw deep incomplete. McLaughlin hit from 38 to make it 22-17 Buccaneers with 6 minutes left. After a touchback, Ridder went deep to London for 45 yards. Tyler Allgeier ran for 9, 9 and 6. Ridder ran for a 6 yard touchdown. Ridder hit London for the 2 point conversion. With 3 1/2 minutes left, the Falcons led 25-22. After a touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 4th and 1 at their own 45 at the 2 minute warning. White got just enough, fumbled the ball, but kept possession of it. The key play came on 3rd and 10 from the Atlanta 47 with 1:16 left. Mayfield went to Chris Godwin for 32. Mayfield hit Cade Otton for an 11 yard touchdown with 30 seconds left. After a touchback, the Falcons quickly moved to the Tampa 31 with 4 seconds remaining. Ridder went deep to London for a 28 yard gain but London got tackled at the Atlanta 3 yard win as the clock ran out. Both teams are 6-7 in the division nobody wants to win. 29-25 Buccaneers.

Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals — The Colts came in having won 4 straight to get to 7-5 against the 6-6 Bengals. The Bengals took over at their own 8 yard line. Jake Browning was sensational in his debut last week and this week started with a 17 yard completion to Boyd. Browning hit JaMarr Chase for 14. A short dum-off pass from Browning to Brown went for a 54 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Bengals lead. The Colts failed to get on the board when Matt Gay’s 38 yard field goal try doinked off the upright no good. After a touchback, the Bengals began the second quarter facing 3d and 2 at their own 36. Browning hit Sample for 3. Browning threw a short pass to Joe Mixon that went for a 45 yard gain. On 4th and 9 from the Indianapolis 15, Evan McPherson hit a 33 yard field goal. Yet a defensive personal foul for leverage on the kick led Zac Taylor to take the points off the board. On 3rd and goal at the one to start the second quarter, Mixon appeared stopped but with a great second effort got in the end zone for a 14-0 Bengals advantage. 

The Colts soon faced 3rd and 14 at their own 17. Gardner Minshew hit Granson for only 9 but a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty kept the drive going. Minshew went to Mallory for 16. On 3rd and 11 from the Cincinnati 44, Minshew went to Pierce for 12. On 3rd and 6 from the Cincinnati 28, Minshew gained just enough. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincy 13, Moss gained 2. On 3rd and 1 at the Cincinnati 2, a run up the middle got stopped stone cold for no gain as the clock hit the 2 minute warning. Minshew went play action pass and lofted a high pass to Mo Alie-Cox that was caught for the touchdown. Gay missed the extra point as the Colts trailed 14-6. The Bengals quickly faced 2nd and 4 at their own 31. Browning was intercepted by Harrison who returned the pick 36 yards for a defensive touchdown Minshew went to Pittman for the 2 point conversion for a 14-14 game with 90 seconds left in the half. 

After a touchback, Browning quickly went to Tee Higgins for 26 and to Chase for 14 more. Browning went to Hudson for an 11 yard touchdown as the Bengals reclaimed the lead up 21-14. The Bengals got it back at their own 29. Browning went deep to Higgins for 46 yards. On 3rd and 9 from he Indy 23, Browning went to Hudson for 10. Zac Taylor gambled on 4th and 1 from the indy 4. Mixon gained 3. Browning got the last yard to make it 28-14 Bengals. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Browning left the game injured The 3rd string quarterback was the starter briefly a few years ago. That’s right, Miss Alabama’s husband AJ McCarron is back. The Bengals failed to move the ball but the Colts fumbled the punt. The Bengals took over at the indy 12, lost yards, saw a touchdown nullified by offensive pass interference, and settled for a 32 yard McPherson field goal for a 31-14 Bengals lead with 11 minutes left in regulation. McPherson connected again from 35 at the 2 minute warning to finish the scoring. Both teams are 7-6 on the year. 34-14 Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns — Only 6 days after suffering a high ankle sprain, Trevor Lawrence started for the 8-4 Jaguars against the 7-5 Browns. After an opening touchback, Ford ran for 8 and caught a pass form Joe Flacco for 10. Flacco went to Tillman for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 34, Flacco found a wide open David Njoku for an easy touchdown and a 7-0 Browns lead. The Browns began the second quarter at their own 28. Flacco went to Amari Cooper for 17, to Moore for 20, and to Njoku for a 35 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Browns. The Browns had all the momentum until  Cooper fumble was returned 12 yards to set up the Jaguars at the Cleveland 12. Lawrence hit Evan Engram for a 10 yard touchdown to get the Jaguars within 14-7. 

The Jaguars began the third quarter facing 3rd and 21 at their own 14. A short completion was fumbled and the Browns took over at the Jacksonville 22. After Kareem Hunt got stopped on 3rd and 1 from the Jags 13, Kevin Stefanski went for it. On 4th and 1, Flacco gained 2. On 3rd and 3 from the Jags 4, Hunt took the direct snap and banged it in with some help to make it 21-7 Browns. A Browns fumble prevented them from putting the game away and gave the Jaguars gift field position at the Cleveland 25. Lawrence hit Engram for 10. On 3rd and 12 from the Cleveland 17, Lawrence hit Calvin Ridley for 16 down to the one. Travis Etienne stretched the ball of the plane of the goal to get the Jaguars within 21-14 .

Early in the fourth quarter an interception of Lawrence gave the Browns a short field at the Jacksonville 48. On 4th and 3, Kevin Stefanski opted not to punt or try a 59 yard field goal. He went for it. Doug Pederson’ defense brought the house and Flacco fired over the middle to a wide open Bell. Bell coasted for a 41 yard touchdown to make it 28-14 Browns with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback and defensive unnecessary roughness, the Jaguars faced 3rd and 4 at the Cleveland 48. Lawrence went to Ridley for 9 and 12. On 3rd and 6 from the Cleveland 19, Lawrence went to Parker Washington for the touchdown. With 9 minutes left, the Jaguars were within 28-21. The Jaguars got it back and with 3 1/2 minutes left went for it on 4th and 3 at their own 38. Lawrence threw incomplete. 20 seconds later Dustin Hopkins leveled a 55 yard field goal to give the Browns breathing room up 31-21. The Jaguars quickly came back 75 yards and Lawrence hit Engram for a 2 yard touchdown with 90 seconds left. A pointless 2 point conversion try failed, and so did the onside kick. Both teams are 8-5 on the year. 31-27 Browns

Houston Texans at New York Jets — The scoreless first half need never be discussed. After being benched a few weeks ago, Zach Wilson finally produced some offense after a third quarter touchback. Wilson hit Ruckert for 7 and non-relative Wilson for 14 and 16. On 3rd and 12 form the Houston 40, Wilson went deep to non-relative Wilson for 25. Wilson went to Randall Cobb for a 15 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Jets lead. The Jets got it back and faced 3rd and 9 at their own 32. Wilson went to Conklin for 24. Roughing the passer added 15. On 3rd and 1 at the Houston 20, Wilson went to non-relative Wilson for 11. Gipson ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Jets. The Jets were on the move again about to put the game away when Wilson fumbled and the Texans recovered at their own 43. CJ Stroud went to Beck for 26 and to Jordan for 23. Defensive pass interference added 7 yards down to the one. Singletary got in. Matt Amendola missed the extra point but rather than trail 21-0 or even 17-0, the Texans were within 14-6.  The Jets soon faced 3rd and 3 at their own 32. Wilson went to Breece Hall for 6 and again for 27. Hall ran for 15. After a sack, Wilson went to Ruckert for 19. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Wilson went to Hall for the touchdown and the 21-6 Jets lead. Stroud left the game in the fourth quarter with a possible concussion as the Jets tacked on three more field goals. This was a statement by Robert Saleh’s defense and a very brief reprieve for Wilson. 30-6 Jets

Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens — 9 straight runs out of the gate moved the Rams from their own 24 to a 1st and goal at the 9. Matthew Stafford then threw 3 straight incompletions. Havrisik hit a 27 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Rams. Late in the first quarter, the Ravens took over at their own 34. After Mitchell ran for a pair of 6 yard gains, Lamar Jackson went deep to Isaiah Likely for a 54 yard touchdown for a 7-3 Ravens lead. After a touchback, the Rams began the second quarter facing 3rd and 2 and 2 at their own 33. Stafford went to Robinson for 22 with defensive unnecessary roughness for 15. Stafford went to Cooper Kupp for 27. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Stafford went to Kupp for the touchdown to make it 10-7 Rams. After a touchback, Jackson scrambled for 11. On 3rd and 7 from their own 39, Jackson hit Zee Flowers for 15. Jackson then found a wide open O’Dell Beckham Jr, who made a diving catch for a touchdown and a 14-10 Ravens lead. 

The Rams punted on 4th and 5 at their own 30. Yet the defense jumped offside and the Rams kept the ball. On 3rd and 4 from their own 41, Stafford connected with Nacua for 34. Defensive pass interference added 15 more. Stafford went to Allen for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 17-14 Rams with 5 minutes left in the half. Jackson was immediately intercepted on a deep ball that was intercepted and returned 17 yards to set the Rams up just shy of midfield. Hvrisik hit from 51 to make it 20-14 Rams with 1:45 left n the half. After a touchback, the Ravens quickly moved to a 3rd and 9 at the Rams 17 with 12 seconds left in the half. A completion gained only 4 yards. Justin Tucker hit from 31 to get the Ravens within 20-17. In the third quarter the Ravens moved from their own 23 to a 3rd and 2 at the Rams 28. Jackson threw incomplete. Tucker hit from 47 for a 20-20 game. 

The Ravens got the ball back at their own 10. On 3rd and 5, a shotgun snap went horribly wrong. The Ravens ended up fumbling the ball out of the back of their own end zone for a safety and a 22-20 Rams lead.The Ravens got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 2nd and 7 at the Rams 20. After an incompletion, Jackson gained only 5. John Harbaugh decided not to gamble on 4th and 2. Tucker hit from 33 for a 23-22 Ravens lead with 11 minutes left in regulation. The Rams took over at their own 15. Williams ran for 7 and 14. Stafford went to Allen for 21 and Nacua for 23. Stafford hit Kupp for 12. Stafford hit Robinson for a 5 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Rams led 28-23 with 4:40 to play.

After a touchback, Lackson went to Hill for 12. Jackson ran for 9. Jackson went to Flowers for 4 and 11. Jackson went to Beckham for 14. On 3rd and 4 from the Rams 19, Jackson hit Nelson Agholor for 5. On 3rd and 17 from the Rams 21, Jackson went to Flowers for the touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard drive was followed by Jackson hitting Flowers for the 2 point conversion. With 1:15 left, the Ravens led 31-28.  After a touchback the Rams quickly went to a 2nd and 6 at the Baltimore 18 with 22 seconds left. Stafford threw inoomplete twice. Havrisik hit a 36 yard field goal for a 31-31 game. Yet in a game with a lot of offense and little defense, former special teams coach John Harbaugh saw special teams be the difference. Inovertime, each team got the ball once and went nowhere. Yet Wallace took a punt at his own 24 and returned it 76 yards for the touchdown to end the game barely more than 2 minutes into overtime. The Rams saw their 3 game win streak snapped to fall to 6-7 while the Ravens got to 10-3 the hard way. 37-31 Ravens, OT

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears — The Bears outplayed the Lions a few weeks ago but collapsed against Detroit in the final minutes. The Bears began facing 3rd and 3 at their own 38. Justin Fields ran for 13 and again for 11. A wildcat snap to Moore went for a 16 yard touchdown as the Bears led 7-0. The Bears got it back at their own 9 yard line and moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Detroit 15. Fields threw incomplete and then was sacked. Cairo Santos hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 10-0 Bears. The Lions took over in the second quarter at their own 39. David Montgomery gained 13 and 7. Dan Campbell gambled on 4th and 3 from the Detroit 38. Goff hit Donovan Peoples-Jones for 17. On 3rd and 1 from the Chicago 12, Gibbs ran for the touchdown to get the Lions within 10-6. Riley Patterson missed the extra point. A short punt gave the Lions the ball back just past midfield. On 3rd and 2, Jared Goff hit Sam LaPorta for 10. On 3rd and 3 from the Chicago 28 at the 2 minute warning, Gibbs got just enough. On 3rd and 4 from the Chicago 19, Goff hit Gibbs for 6. Goff hit Reynolds for an 8 yard touchdown. The Lions led 13-10 with 26 seconds left. In the third quarter the Bears moved from their own 28 to a 1st and goal at the 7. Khalil Herbert got stopped for nothing and Fields threw incomplete twice. Santos hit from 25 to make it a 13-13 game. 

A field position game had the Bears taking over midfield. On 3rd and 3, Fields hit Cole Kmet for 8. On 4th and 13 from the Detroit 38, Matt Eberflus had nothing to lose. Rather than punt or try a 56 yard field goal, he went for it. Fields went deep to Moore for the touchdown. The extra point was blocked but the Bears led 19-13. Goff then fumbled and the Bears recovered at the Detroit 29. Fields went to Donta Foreman for 16. On 3rd and goal at the 11, Fields ran it in. The 2 point try failed but the Bears led 25-13. Last time a 12 point lead late in the fourth quarter collapsed. Not this time. Dan Campbell gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 34. Gibbs got blasted for a 4 yard loss. Santos hit a 28 yard field goal with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation to complete the scoring. Chicago’s defense did the rest. The Lions are still 9-4, but this game was a stumble. 28-13 Bears 

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints — Derek Carr cleared concussion protocol but played tis game with a rib injury. Blake Grupe shanked a 29 yard field goal try as the Saints came up empty on their opening drive. Bryce Young got belted as he tried to throw and the ball was plucked out of the air for an interception. The Saints took over at the Carolina 36. The Saints squandered the opportunity when Carr was called for intentional grounding but soon got the ball back at the Carolina 44. Kamara ran for a pair of 7 yard gains. Williams added 12. On the first play of the second quarter, Kamara ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Saints. Eddie Pineiro responded with a 47 yard field goal to get the Panthers on the board. 

bedlam ensued when the Panthers punted from their own 26. Sewell blocked the punt and Jackson returned it 8 yards for a special team touchdown. Every time the Saints block a punt for a touchdown, Steve Gleason God willing gets to live another few years. Meanwhile, the Saints led 14-3. In the third quarter the Panthers moved from their own 14 to a 1st and goal at the one. Yet the worst team in the league saw a run lose a yard and Young then get sacked. Pineiro hit a 29 yard field goal to get the Panthers within 14-6. The Panthers got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 3rd and 8 at the New Orleans 17. Young was sacked and Pineiro’s 41 yard field goal try doinked off the upright no good 90 seconds into the fourth quarter. The Panthers got it back at their own 24 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the New Orleans 36. Young threw incomplete. 

Carr then quickly moved to put the game away. A deep ball to Perry gained 43 yards. On 3rd and 9 from the Carolina 19, Carr went to Jimmy Graham for 12 and Chris Olave for the 7 yard touchdown to ice things at 21-6 Saints. The Panthers turned it over on downs at their own 24 and Carr hit Graham for a 4 yard touchdown. Dennis Allen’s defense was tenacious all game. 28-6 Saints

Minnesota Vikings at Las Vegas Raiders — This was not the very worst game ever played. After 58 minutes, the game was still 0-0. Greg Joseph missed a first half field goal for the Vikings. The Raiders reached the red zone and fumbled the ball away. After 51 minutes, Joshua Dobbs was replaced with Nick Mullens. At the 2 minute warning, Joseph came in again for a 36 yard try. This time he was good. Aidan O’Connell had a chance to be the hero and immediately completed a pass to Pace, who plays defense for the Vikings. The Raiders lost their 3rd straight to fall to 5-8 and pretty much end their season. League officials burned the tape of this game. 3-0 Vikings

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers looked to pretty much put away the NFC West. On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Christian McCaffrey broke free for a 72 yard run. On the next play Mason got the last 3 yards to make it 7-0 49ers. After a touchback, Drew Lock started in place of the injured Geno Smith. Lock hit Smith-Nigba for 7 and DK Metcalf for gains of 21 and 7. On 3rd and 6 from the San Francisco 40, Lock hit Tyler Lockett for 9. Lock then went deep to Metcalf for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. The Seahawks got it back at their own 29 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 14. A run lost yards and a false start killed the drive. Jason Myers hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 10-7 Seahawks. Brock Purdy was intercepted, but the Seahawks failed to capitalize. 

The 49ers took over in the second quarter at their own 17. Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk for 10. McCaffrey out of the shotgun ran for 20. On 3rd and 11 from his own 46, Purdy went deep to Deebo Samuel for a 54 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 49ers. The defenses dug in and with 6 minutes left in the third quarter the 49ers took over at their own 25. Purdy went deep to Aiyuk for 45 yards. McCaffrey ran for 12. On 3rd and 6 from the Seattle 14, Purdy hit Samuel for 13 down to the one. Samuel got the last yard to make it 21-10 49ers. The Seahawks came back rapidly from their own 22. Lock hit Walker for 27, Fant for 26, and Colby Parkinson for a 25 yard touchdown. The 2 point conversion try failed but the Seahawks were within 21-16 after three quarters. Yet after a touchback, the 49ers quickly struck again to start the fourth quarter. Purdy went to Samuel for 30 and to George Kittle for a 44 yard touchdown one minute into the fourth quarter. The 49ers defense clamped down the rest of the way, interception Lock twice. The 49ers got to 10-3 on the year. 28-16 49ers 

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs — The 6-6 Bills came in fighting for their playoff lives against the 8—4 Chiefs. After an opening touchback, the Chiefs moved to the Buffalo 30. Patrick Mahomes was intercepted. The Bills took over at their own 47. Josh Allen ran for 4 and 8 sandwiched around an 11 yard completion to Dawson Knox. Allen went to Cook for a 25 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Bills. The Bills got it back at their own 27. Cook ran for 12. Johnson gained 5 and 6. From midfield, Allen went to Cook for 27 and the Bills began the second quarter at the Kansas City 23. On 4th and 1 from the Kansas City 14, Sean McDermott went for it. Allen went to Kincaid for 4. Cook ran for a 6 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Bills. 

The Bills got it back and moved from their own 7 yard line to the Kansas City 48. The Bills had all the momentum with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half but Allen was then intercepted at that spot. Mahomes went to Toney for 8 and Travis Kelce for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 17, Mahomes hit James for 4. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 7 and everyone expecting a pass, Walrus Andy Reid called a run. Jerock McKinnon ran it in for the touchdown to get the Chiefs within 14-7. The Bills after a second half touchback moved 67 yards in 15 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 8 from the Kansas City 14, Allen gained only one yard. Tyler Bass hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 17-7 Bills. 

After a touchback, Mahomes hit Mrques Valdes-Scantling for 15 and Kelce for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Buffalo 40, McKinnon gained 7. Mahomes hit Kelce for 22. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 4, Mahomes hit Rice for the touchdown. With 3 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Chiefs were within 17=14. The Chiefs fumbled on their next series but the Bills did not capitalize. A 25 yard punt return gave the Chiefs the ball back at their own 41 to start the fourth quarter. They moved to a 2nd and 8 at the Buffalo 10. After an incompletion, Mahomes was sacked and fumbled and the Bills recovered. Yet on further review it was just another incomplete pass. Harrison Butker hit a 27 yard field goal for a 17-17 game with 11 1/2 minutes left regulation. 

Midway through the fourth quarter the Bills took over at their own 31. They moved to a 3rd and 10 at the Kansas City 22 just before the 2 minute warning. A completion gained only one yard. Bass hit a 39 yard field goal. The Bills led by 3, but the Chiefs had the ball. In the playoff a few years ago, the Chiefs trailed by 3 with only 13 seconds left and pulled out a miracle. This time they have 1:54 left, an eternity. After a touchback, came absolute craziness. On 2nd and 10 just past midfield, Mahomes went to Kelce for 25, and Kelce lateraled the ball to Toney who took it the other 24 yards for a spectacular 49 yard touchdown miracle with 1:12 to play. Yet officials ruled that the offense had lineup offside, negating the score. An enraged Mahomes had to be physically restrained by his teammates from going after the officials Instead of the lead, the Chiefs had 2nd and 15. Mahomes threw 3 straight incompletions. The Bills are alive with the sound of music at 7-6. The Chiefs are 8-5, but have lost 3 of 4 and 4 of their last 6, making Andy Reid a most concerned Walrus indeed. 20-17 Bills

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers — The Broncos saw their 5 game win streak snapped last week. This week their defense unleashed on the hapless Chargers. An early interception of Russell Wilson gave the Chargers gift field position at the Denver 13 yard line. On 4th and 3 from the 6 after an incompletion, Brandon Staley did his best to finally get fired by going for it rather than taking the 24 yard field goal. Justin Herbert threw incomplete again. Herbert was then intercepted on his next series to give the Broncos the ball at the Chargers 3 yard line. Williams ran it in on the next play to make it 7-0 Broncos. Stalet gambled again on 4th and 2 from the Denver 29 and Herbert threw incomplete again. The Broncos moved from their own 30 to a 1st and goal at the 5. Wilson threw 3 straight incompletions. Unlike Staley, Sean Payton is sane. Wil Lutz hit the 23 yard second quarter field goal to make it 10-0 Broncos. In the third quarter with a backup quarterback replacing the injured Herbert, Staley gambled again on 4th and 1 from the Denver 40. A run went nowhere. On 3rd and 2, Wilson hit Williams for 6. Wilson went deep to Cortland Sutton for a 46 yard touchdown to make it 17-0 Broncos. The Chargers avoided the shutout with a fourth quarter touchdown, but Wilson hit Adam Trautman for a 10 yard touchdown to complete the scoring. The Broncos at 7-6 have gone 6-1 in their last 7 games. 24-7 Broncos

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys is the Sunday night game. Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie is Jewish. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is not. If the Eagles score first, expect the UN and the Squad to demand an immediate ceasefire until the Cowboys catch up. The Eagles barely survived at home 28-23 against the Cowboys a few weeks ago. Last week the Eagles were throttled at home against San Francisco. The 10-2 Eagles and the 9-3 Cowboys were playing for the NFC East lead. The Cowboys began facing 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Kevontae Turpin ran for 22. Tony Pollard added 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Philadelphia 24, Dak Prescott gained 3. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 13, Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for the touchdown to cp the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 7-0 Cowboys. The Eagles after a touchback moved to the Dallas 21. A 14 yard completion from Jalen Hurts to Dallas Goedert was nullified by offensive pass interference on AJ Brown. Instead of 1st and goal at the 7, it was 1st and 20. Hurts then gained 11 but fumbled the ball away. The Cowboys moved from their own 21 to a 1st and 10 at the Philadelphia 32. Offensive holding appeared to kill the drive but mike McCarthy went big and bold. He had his appendix removed on Wednesday and was already on the sideline for this game. Rather than punt on 4th and 20, he had rookie kicker Aubrey try a 60 yard field goal. Aubrey nailed it to make it 10-0 Cowboys.

Jake Elliott hit a 52 yard field goal early in the second quarter to get the Eagles on the board. After a touchback, Prescott went to Ferguson for 27. Dowdle ran for 4, caught a pass from Prescott for 6, and ran for 9. Prescott hit Lamb for 10. On 3rd and 2 from the Philadelphia 8, Prescott gained 4. On 3rd and goal at the one, Dowdle got the carry and ran into a brick wall. Yet Mike McCarthy challenged the spot. After a review, officials somehow saw between all of the bodies to rule that Edrogan broke the plane of the goal. instead of 4th and goal at the one, it was 17-3 Cowboys with 6 minutes left in the half. The Eagles moved after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 18. A run lost a yard and Hurts was sacked. Elliott hit from 44 to get the Eagles within 17-6 with 1:48 left in the half. That was more than enough time for the Cowboys. After a touchback, On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, the Eagles committed 2 defensive penalties on one lay. Defensive pass interference added 10 yards and a facemark added another 15. Prescott went deep to Cooks for 30 down to the one. Prescott rifled a pass to Michael Gallup for the touchdown with 20 seconds left to make it 24-6 Cowboys. 

The Eagles got a break in the third quarter. On 3rd and 10 from his own 45, Prescott was sacked and fumbled. Carter returned the fumble 42 yards for a defensive touchdown to get the Eagles within 24-13. It didn’t matter. Mike McCarthy brought out Aubrey again for a 59 yard field goal and in the fourth quarter for a more normal 45 yarder and finally a 50 yarder with just over one minute to play. Both teams are 10-3 on the year tied atop the division and the conference. The Eagles have lost 2 straight. 33-13 Cowboys

Green Bay Packers at New York Giants was one of two Monday night games. Randy Bullock missed a 48 yard field goal that would have given the Giants the lead. The Packers soon faced 4th and 1 at their own 47. Matt LaFleur went for it and Jordan Love hit Wicks for barely just enough. Love then went to AJ Dillon for 35 yards. Reed ran for a 16 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Packers. The Giants soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Tommy Devito hit Saquon Barkley for 5. Devito went to Hodgins for 14. Devito ran for 10. Robinson took a direct snap 32 yards. Barkley ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 7-7. 

The Packers turned it over twice but the Giants did not capitalize. The Packers got it back at their own 17 with 2:45 left in the half and moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Giants 18 with 20 seconds left. Love threw incomplete. Anders Carlson hit a 36 yard field goal as the Packers took a 10-7 lead to the locker rooms. Early in the third quarter the Packers fumbled a punt and the Giants recovered at the Green Bay 31. Devito ran for 26 yards down to the one. Barkley got the last yard to put the Giants back on top 14-10. Then the Giants fumbled a punt and the Packers recovered at the Giants 14. A sack of Love killed the drive. Carlson hit a 32 yard field goal to get the Packers within 14-13. The Giants soon faced 3rd and 9 at their own 26. Devito hit Bellinger for just enough. Devito ran for 13. Matt Breida ran for 7 and 9. Devito hit Robinson for 25. On 3rd and 7 from the Green Bay 8, Devito hit Hodgins for the touchdown to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 21-13 Giants after three quarters. 

In the fourth quarter Anders missed a 45 yard field goal but hit one from 48 to get the Packers within 21-16 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 4 minutes left one play brought a major momentum swing. From his own 48, Barkley ripped off a a 33 yard gain to the Green Bay 19 but then fumbled the ball. Valentine picked it up at his own 14 and returned it the other way 50 yards to the Giants 36. At the 2 minute warning the Packers were in prime position to win with a 2nd and 4 at the Giants 16. On 3rd and 4, Love hit Reed for 8. The Giants began taking their timeouts on defense. On 3rd and goal at the 6, Love went to Heath for the touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Packers had the one point lead with 90 seconds left. After a touchback, Danny Devito’s cousin Tommy tried to be the hero. Devito hit Robinson for 5, Barkley for 7, Darrius Slayton for 9, and Robinson again for a 32 yard gain. At this point the Packers began taking their timeouts on defense. thE giants took the clock down to 2 seconds and Bullock came in for the 37 yard try to win it. Bullock was good. 24-22 Giants

Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins was one of two Monday night games. The Titans played the game with heavy hearts after hearing about the death of Music City Miracle Hero Frank Wychek at age 52. The Dolphins fumbled the ball away early but the Titans soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 6. Will Levis was intercepted by Sieler, who returned the interception 5 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 7-0 Dolphins lead. Yet the Titans defense clamped down the entire first half. In the second quarter the Titans took over at their own 14. The Titans soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 38. Levis hit Spears for 10 and Moore for 22. On 3rd and 10 from the Miami 30, Levis only gained 5 but a mindless defensive unsportsmanlike conduct penalty meant 15 more yards and a first down. Levis gained 11 down to the one. Derrick Henry got the last yard to cap the 14 play, 68 yard, 7 minute drive and make it 7-7.

 At the 2 minute warning, Jason Sanders had a 44 yard field gal try to give the Dolphins the lead. His kick was blocked. The Titans took over at their own 21 with 28 seconds left. Levis went to Deandre Hopkins for 24 and again for 45. The Titans had 1st and goal at the 10 with 10 seconds left. Levis threw incomplete twice. Nick Folk hit from 28 to put the Titans up 10-7 at the midpoint. In the third quarter the Dolphins moved from their own 21 on an 11 play, 77 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Tua Tagovailoa threw incomplete. Sanders hit the 20 yarder for a 10-10 deadlock. The Titans took over at their own 35 and moved to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Levis threw incomplete twice, including a 3rd down pass that was initially ruled a touchdown and then reversed. Folk hit from 23 to make it 13-10 Titans. The Dolphins moved from their own 28 to a 2nd and goal at the 3. Tagovailoa threw incomplete and then was sacked as both defenses came up big in the red zone. Sanders hit from 31 as the game was tied for the third time 13-13 with 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation. 

A key play in this hard fought game came with 6 minutes left. The Dolphins punted and the Titans fumbled the punt. The Dolphins recovered with gift field position at the Tennessee 7 yard line. Raheem Mostert  ran for 4 and then for the 3 yard touchdown to put the Dolphins up 20-13 with 5 1/2 minutes left. One play after a touchback, Levis fumbled the shotgun snap. The Dolphins recovered at the Tennessee 12. Mostert ran for 3 and then for the 5 yard touchdown to make it 27-13 Dolphins. For 54 minutes, this was a brutally tough game. Then the Titans just self-destructed. Yet this game was not over.

The Titans tried to rally. On 3rd and 4 from their own 31, Levis hit Okonkwo for 7 and Spears for 12. On 2nd and 15 from their own 45, Levis went to Spears for 21 and 8 and Westbrook-Ikhine for 23. Levis hit Hopkins for a 3 yard touchdown. Mike Vrabel went for a 2 point conversion and Levis hit Westbrook-Ikhine. With 2:40 to play, Vrabel opted to kick it deep and trust his defense rather than go onside kick. The Titans took a pair of timeouts on defense. On 3rd and 6 from his own 29, Tagovailoa only gained 4. Offensive holding stopped the clock and allowed the Titans to save their last timeout. The Titans took over at their own 36 with 2:15 left.  Levis went deep to Hopkins for 36 and to Okonkwo for 15. At the 2 minute warning, the Titans already had 1st and 10 at the Miami 13. Henry ran for a 4 yard touchdown. Now it was the Dolphins who self-destructed as the Titans led by one point. Yet 1:49 still remained, plenty of time for the Dolphins. On 4th and 1 from his own 44, Tagovailoa stumbled and was taken down for a loss with 20 seconds left.In an absolute shocker, the Titans went on the road and out-muscled one of the best teams in the league to drop the Dolphins to 9-4 on the year. 28-27 Titans

eric  

NFL 2023 Week 14 Prequel

Thursday, December 7, 2023, 8pm

New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers (-5 1/2) — Do not be fooled by the Patriots 2-10 record. They made NFL history by becoming the first team in several decades to lose 3 straight games while giving up 10 points or less. Kenny Pickett is out and Mitch Trubisky looked miserable at home against lowly Arizona. Steelers win but fail to cover

Sunday, December 10, 1pm

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons (-2 1/2) — Neither of these teams are remotely interesting, and the Buccaneers consistently underachieve. Go with the home field. Falcons cover

Indianapolis Colts (-1) at Cincinnati Bengals — Jake Browning looked sensational in his first start at Jacksonville. No, he is not Joe Burrow, but he has waned the benefit of the doubt at home. Gardner Minshew has not played poorly, but in a game that could go either way, go with the home field. Upset special, Bengals win outright

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns (-2) — The Jaguars were cruising until Trevor Lawrence went down with an ankle injury. The Brows are down to third string quarterback Joe Flacco. It’s hard to see the Jaguars doing much without Lawrence. The Browns have a very defense. Browns cover

Houston Texans (-6 1/2) at New York Jets — CJ Stroud is the rookie of the year. Both teams have a decent defense but the Jets do not have a quarterback. The spread is too high given the quality of the Jets defense. Texans win but fail to cover

Los Angeles Rams at Baltimore Ravens (-7) — The Rams are struggling. The Ravens are very good. The spread is high, and the Ravens tend to win ugly with hard running and defense. A garbage touchdown to beat the spread is possible. Ravens win but fail to cover

Detroit Lions (-3) at Chicago Bears — The Bears outplayed the Lions before blowing a 12 point fourth quarter lead late. Yet the Lions will not take the Bears too lightly. The Lions have more offensive weapons and should be able to handle business. Lions cover

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints (-5 1/2) — As awful as the Panthers are, the Saints have been wildly inconsistent. Derek Carr and Taysom Hill are both beaten up. The Panthers lack the talent to win but could make it close. Saints win but fail to cover

4pm

Minnesota Vikings (-3) at Las Vegas Raiders — After hot starts, Joshua Dobbs and Antonio Pierce both came down to earth. Pierce is determined to pound the rock, and the Minnesota defense is nothing special. If Josh Jacobs can keep pounding, the Raiders should be able to grind out a win. Upset special, Raiders win outright

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (-10 1/2) — The 49ers went on the road and belted top-ranked Philadelphia. The Seahawks are scrappy but the 49ers are just better. The 49ers have more offensive weapons and a nasty defense. The 49ers won in Seattle and should get the sweep without too much difficulty. 49ers cover

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (-2 1/2) — This was initially thought to be an AFC Title Game preview, but the Bills have underachieved all year. The Chiefs have lost two straight games, but at home should take care of business. Buffalo has a good defense, but Josh Allen has been making more mistakes than in years past. This could be a very close game, but go with Patrick Mahomes and the raucous home crowd at Arrowhead. Chiefs cover

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers (-3) — Nobody loses close games like the Chargers, but last week they won a hideous game. The Broncos saw their five game winning streak snapped, but they should be able to shut down the Chargers. The Broncos have the better defense. Upset special, Broncos win outright

8pm

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-3 1/2) — The Eagles got obliterated at home last week against San Francisco. The Cowboys were underachievers earlier in the year but now appear to be clicking on offense. The Eagles barely beat the Cowboys in Philadelphia. In Dallas, the Cowboys get revenge. Jalen Hurts is better than Dak Prescott, but Tony Pollard runs hard and could be the difference. Cowboys win but fail to cover

Monday, December 11, 8pm

Green Bay Packers (-6 1/2) at New York Giants — The Packers did get a quality home win against Kansas City, while the Giants are awful. Yet the Giants have a decent defense. The spread is way too high for a Packers team on the road that is not that special. If Saquon Barkley can get going, the Giants should be able to win ugly. Upset special, Giants win outright

Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins (-14) The Titans are bad. The Dolphins are very good. The Dolphins have so much speed on offense that this game could be over by halftime. Tua Tagovailoa will go to Tyreek Hill often. Dolphins cover

NFL 2023 Week 13 Recap

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys was the Thursday night game. This game was a thrilling shootout that featured 0 punts. After an opening touchback, the Cowboys moved 63 yards in 14 plays and 6 minutes. On 2nd and goal at the 3, Dak Prescott threw incomplete and was then was sacked. Aubrey hit a 30 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Cowboys. The Seahawks soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 27. Geno Smith went deep to DK Metcalf for a 7-3 Seahawks lead. The Cowboys soon faced 3rd and 16 from their own 19. Prescott went to Ferguson for 17. Defensive pass interference a deep ball meant a 47 yard gain. Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Cowboys. After a touchback, the Seahawks moved to a 3rd and 5 at the Dallas 18. Smith threw incomplete followed by a  delay of game. Josh Myers missed a 42 yard field goal try that would have tied the game. The Cowboys took over at their own 32. Prescott hit Schoonmaker for 12. The second quarter began with the Cowboys facing 4th and 1 from the Seattle 47. Mike McCarthy went for it. Tony Pollard gained 11. Prescott hit Pollard for 12. On 3rd and 2 from the Seattle 16, Prescott hit Lamb for 14. Prescott hit Bandin Cooks for a 7 yard touchdown and a 17-7 Cowboys lead.

After a touchback, Smith hit Fant for 10. On 3rd and 5 from their own 40, Smith hit Smith-Njigba for 11. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball added 40 yards. On 3rd and goal at the 14, defensive pass interference on an incompletion added 13 more yards. Charbonnet got the last yard to get the Seahawks within 17-14. After a touchback, the Cowboys went on a staggering 16 play, 62 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive. On 4th and goal at the 3, Mike McCarthy went for it. Prescott got in for the touchdown but offensive holding nullified the score and killed the drive. Aubrey hit a 31 yard field goal to make it 20-14 Cowboys with 90 seconds left in the half. The Seahawks faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32 with 46 seconds left. Smith went to Smith-Nigba for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Dallas 39, Smith went to Tyler Lockett for 9. Defensive pass interference on a deep ball meant a 29 yard gain and 1st and goal at the one with 7 seconds left. Smith went to Metcalf for the touchdown as the Seahawks took a 21-20 lead to the locker rooms.

The third quarter began with the Seahawks facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Smith went to Metcalf for 13. Charbonnet gained 14 and 7 with 15 added on for a defensive facemark. Smith went to Metcalf for 10. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Smith ran it in to make it 28-20 Seahawks. After a touchback and defensive holding, Pollard gained 6 and 5. Prescott went to Ferguson for 15. An interception of Prescott was wiped out by the defense jumping offside. Then came defensive holding. Prescott hit Lamb for 9. On 2nd and 13 from the Seattle 22, Prescott threw incomplete but defensive illegal contact meant a new set of downs. Prescott went to Ferguson for 14. Pollard ran for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Cowboys within 28-27. An interception of Smith led to the Cowboys having a short field. Yet on 4th and 2 from the Seattle 30, Mike McCarthy gambled and Prescott threw incomplete. Smith then went to Fant for 25 and Charbonnet for 39. Smith began the fourth quarter by throwing a 3 yard touchdown pass to Metcalf to make it 35-27 Seahawks.

After a touchback, the Cowboys moved to a 1st and 10 at the Seattle 17. A pair of runs lost yards and Prescott threw incomplete. Aubrey hit a 38 yard field goal to get the Cowboys within 35-30. The Seahawks after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Dallas 46 midway through the fourth quarter. Pete Carroll went for it and Charbonnet got stopped for no gain. Prescott went to Lamb for 10. Pollard gained 16. On 3rd and 3 from the Seattle 21, Prescott went to Lamb for 6. Prescott gained 8. Prescott went to Ferguson for a 12 yard touchdown. Mike McCarthy went for 2 and Prescott hit Cooks for a 38-35 Cowboys lead with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation. After a touchback, the Seahakw moved to a 2nd and 4 just shy of midfield. Smith threw 3 straight incompletions with 3:11 left. The Cowboys moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Seattle 14. Prescott threw incomplete. Aubrey hit a 32 yard field goal. The Cowboys led by 6 with 1:46 to play but the Seahawks had a shot at the win. After a touchback, the Seahawks quickly moved to a 2nd and 2 at midfield. Smith again threw 3 straight incompletions as the Cowboys survived a wild one to get to 9-3 on the year. Consecutive losses have the Seaahawks at 6-6 and fighting for survival. 41-35 Cowboys

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots — Nobody loses close games like the Chargers, but the Patriots have lost almost every game. Cameron Dicker hit a pair of 38 yard field goals in the second quarter to complete the scoring in a game unworthy of further elaboration. League officials hopefully burned the tape of this game so it will never be seen again. 6-0 Chargers

Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers — The 7-4 Steelers were expected to make quick work of the 2-10 Cardinals. Both teams brought their defense. The Steelers moved from their own 24 to a 2nd and 5 at the Arizona 11. Kenny Pickett threw incomplete twice. Chris Boswell hit from 29 to make it 3-0 Steelers. Matt Prater answered from 51 for a 3-3 game. The Steelers in the second quarter moved from their own 20 to a 4th and goal at the one, taking 8 minutes off the clock. Mike Tomlin went for it and Najee Harris ran into an Arizona stone wall as the goal line stand kept the game tied with 5 minutes left in the half. 

On 3rd and 3 from their own 8, Kyler Murray hit Higgins for 21. On 3rd and 6 from their own 33, Carter ran for 19. On 3rd and 6 from the Pittsburgh 44, Murray went to McBride for 17. On 3rd and 5 from the Pittsburgh 22, Murray hit McBride again for 15.  On 3rd and goal at the 5 with 15 seconds left in the half, Murray went to McBride again for the touchdown. The 15 play, 99 yard drive made it 10-3 Cardinals. A lightning storm caused a 20 minute delay to start the second half. When the teams came out, Pickett stayed in the locker room. He had an ankle injury and mitch Trubisky took over. Trubisky fumbled and the Cardinals took over at the Pittsburgh 21. On 3rd and 1, James Conner gained 3. On 3rd and goal at the 8, defensive pass interference on an incompletion meant 7 yards. Conner got the last yard to make it 17–3 Cardinals midway through the third quarter. 

Then came a second lightning delay. The Steelers would miss a field goal in a game that was surprisingly not competitive. A facemark penalty on a punt gave the Cardinals the ball at the Pittsburgh 33. Murray hit McBride for 16. On 3rd and 2 from the Pittsburgh 9, Conner ran it in to make it 24-3 Cardinals. The Steeles managed one garbage touchdown with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation, but Mike Tomlin surprisingly did not even try an onside kick. The Cardinals are improved with Murray but this was still an upset. As ESPN uber-announcer Chris Berman reminds us, “THAT’s why they PLAY the GAMES!” 24-10 Cardinals

Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans — The Colts came in a surprising 6-5 against a Titans team that has struggled all year. The Titans began at their own 36. Will Levis went deep to Okonkwo for 39. Derrick Henry ran for a 22 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Titans. A 36 yard kickoff return gave the Colts the ball at their own 44. A 15 yard defensive penalty for taunting was followed by Gardner Minshew hitting Pierce for a 36 yard touchdown and a 7-7 game. The Titans moved from their own 30 and after an exchange of fumbles on the same play, eventually reached 3rd and goal at the 6. Levis threw incomplete. Nick Folk hit from 24 to make it 10-7 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 23. Levis hit Hopkins for 18. On 3rd and 1 at midfield, Henry gained 2. Levis went to Hopkins for 27. Henry ran for a 5 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Titans.

The Colts after a touchback moved to a 2nd and goal at the 5. Minshew threw incomplete twice. Matt Gay hit from 23 to get the Colts within 17-10. The Colts got it back with gift field position after a punt at the Tennessee 44 with 42 seconds left in the half. Gay hit from 46 to end the half with the Colts only down 17-13. The Colts began the third quarter after a touchback with a mind-numbing 19 play, 70 yard, 10 minute drive. Yet on 3rd and goal at the 6, a completion gained only one yard. Gay hit again from 23 to get the Colts within 17-16 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. Then came a pair of big special teams plays. The Titans punted on 4th and 4 from their own 36. Cross blocked the punt and Stuard picked it up and raced 18 yards for the touchdown. The Colts then went for a 2 point conversion. Hooker intercepted Minshew at the goal line and raced 100 yards the other way for a defensive 2 point conversion. Instead of trailed 24-17, the Titans were only down 22-19. The Titans punted again and Stonehouse had his punt blocked again for the second straight time. The Colts had 1st and goal at the 7. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, Minshew was sacked. Gay hit his 4th field goal from 28 to make it 25-19 Colts. 

The Titans soon faced 3rd and 1 at their own 34. Levis hit Whyle for 16 and Westbrook-Ikhine for 28. On 3rd and 6 from the Indianapolis 11, Levis went to Tony Spears for 7. Levis hit Deandre Hopkins for a 3 yard touchdown. Folk’s extra point to give the Titans the lead was no good. Benched quarterback Ryan Tannehill was the holder on the miss as the game remained tied 25-25 with 5 1/2 minutes left in regulation. With 40 seconds the Titans had the ball at the Indy 46. One more first down would set up a field goal try for the win. Instead, Levis was sacked and this game went into overtime. After a touchback to start overtime, the Titans moved to a 1st and 10 at the Indy 26. A pair of incompletions sandwiched a run that lost a yard. Folk hit a 46 yard field goal to make it 28-25 Titans, but the Colts would get one chance with the ball. After a touchback, Minshew hit Pittman for 9. A sack of Minshew was negated by defensive illegal contact. Minshew then went deep to Pierce for a 55 yard gain. With 2 1/2 minutes left in overtime, Minshew hit Pittman for the touchdown to win the game. 31-28 Colts, OT

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans — Both teams came in 6-5 with the Broncos having won 5 straight. Early on it was all Texans. A shanked 22 yard punt gave the Texans a short field at the Denver 47. On 2nd and 1 from the Denver 11, a run went nowhere and CJ Stroud threw incomplete. Demeco Ryans decided not to gamble on 4th and 1 against the stout Denver defense. Matt Amendola hit the 29 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Texans. The Texans got it back at their own 22 and CJ Stroud went deep to Collins for a 52 yard gain. On 4th and 1 from the Denver 17, this time Ryans went for it. Stroud gained 2. Ryans gambled again on 4th and 2 from the Denver 7. A false start should have ended the try but a mindless defensive unnecessary roughness penalty meant 1st and goal at the 3. Damion Pierce ran it in to make it 10-0 Texans. The Texans in the second quarter moved from their own 11 to a 4th and 4 at the Denver 20;. Ammendola hit from 38 to make it 13-0 Texans. The Broncos managed a 34 yard Wil Lutz field goal late in the half to get on the board. Yet Ammendola responded from 38 in the third quarter to make it 16-3 Texans. 

A field position game had the Broncos take over at their own 42. Russell Wilson went deep to Cortland for a 45 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Broncos were within 16-10. The Broncos got it back and Wilson was immediately intercepted. The Texans took over at the Denver 21. Stroud hit Jordan for 13. stroud hit Nico Collins for the 3 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Texans led 22-10. After a touchback, the fourth quarter began with a defensive unnecessary roughness penalty. Wilson went deep to Jerry Jeudy for 41 down to the one. Wilson got in to have the Broncos within 5 points with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Broncos got it back and Wilson threw a bomb that initially appeared to be the go-ahead touchdown. Yet Derek Stingley made a leaping interception, his second of the day against Wilson. The Broncos got it back and moved down the field in the final couple minutes. The Broncos converted a pair of 4th down conversions. On 3rd and goal from the 8, Wilson went to the end zone and was intercepted by Ward for a touchback with 9 seconds left. Ina  game between two very good defenses, a big defensive stand ended this solid game. 22-17 Texans

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints — The Lions jumped all over the Saints right out of the gate. On 3rd and 7 from their own 23, Montgomery ran for 9. Goff hit Williams for 11 with roughing the passer adding 15. Gibbs ran for 36 down to the New Orleans 2. Montgomery got the last 2 yards to make it 7-0 Lions. One play after a touchback, Derek Carr was intercepted by Branch, who returned the pick 13 yards to the Saints 17. On 3rd and 6, Goff hit Sam LaPorta for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 14-0 Lions. The Lions got it back at their own 46. Goff went to LaPorta for 25 and to Amra St. Brown for a 29 yard touchdown to make it 21-0 Lions. 

The Saints tried to make a game of it in the second quarter. From their own 16, Alvin Kamara ran for 7 and 4. On 3rd and 4 from their own 33, Carr hit Kamara for 9. On 3rd and 16 from their own 30, Carr went to Williams for 30. On 3rd and 9 from the Detroit 33, Carr went to Chris Olave for 24. Carr hit Jimmy Graham for a 6 yard touchdown to get the Saints on the board. Yet the Lions from their own 30 ground down the Saints defense, reaching a 2nd and 7 at the New Orleans 8. Goff threw incomplete twice. Riley Patterson ended the half with a 26 yard field goal to make it 24-7 Lions. 

After a third quarter touchback, the Saints clawed back. Carr went to Kamara for 12 and to Hill for 18. On 3rd and 12 from the Detroit 35, Carr went to Olave for 33. Kamara got the last 2 yards to cap the 10 play, 75 yard, 5 minute drive and get the Saints within 24-14. The Saints got it back at their own 38 and Carr went to Olave for 28 and Foster Moreau for 19. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 6, Hill gained 5. A run up the gut from the one appeared stopped but Hill stretched the ball past the plane of the goal for the touchdown. With 4 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, the Saints were right back in it down 24-21. 

The Lions moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 4 at the New Orleans 8. A bluff to go for it fooled nobody and the Lions took a delay of game. Patterson hit from 32 to make it 27-21 Lions. On the first play of the fourth quarter after a touchback, Carr fumbled the snap and the Lions recovered at the New Orleans 26. Two plays later williams ran for a 19 yard touchdown. The 2 point try failed but the Lions led 33-21. After a touchback, the Saints soon faced 3rd and 17 from their own 48. Carr got blasted for a sack and left injured. Yet a defensive penalty for piledriving Carr into the ground kept the drive going. Jameis Winston came in. On 3rd and 13 from the Detroit 32, Winston went deep t OLave for 30. Kamara ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Saints within 5 points midway through the third quarter. With 6 minutes left in regulation the Saints took over at their own 18. They moved to a 2nd and 6 at the Detroit 40 with 3 minutes left. Winston threw 3 straight incompletions as the Lions hung on to get to 9-3 on the year. 33-28 Lions

Atlanta Falcons at New York Jets — Despite being 5-6, the Falcons were in a strong position to win the awful NFC South. The Jets have no quarterback. A puntfest early had the Falcons pinned at their own one yard line. Desmond Ridder was sacked in his own end zone for a safety and a 2-0 Jets lead. A fumble in the second quarter gave the Falcons a short field at the Jets 47. Ridder went to Pitts for 13. Ridder hit Pruitt for a 20 yard touchdown to make it 7-2 Falcons. The Jets after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 5 a the Atlanta 9. Tim Boyle threw incomplete. Greg Zuerlein hit from 27 to get the Jets within 7-5. A field poison game gave the Jets the ball at their own 44 with 1:13 left in the half. The Jets reached a 1st and goal at the 4 with 7 seconds left. After a Boyle incompletion, Younghoe Koo hit a 22 yard field goal to put the Falcons up 10-5 at the half. Zuerlein hit again from 46 in the third quarter to get the Jets within 10-8. After a touchback, a 14 play, 51 yard, 7 minute drive set up a 42 yard Koo field goal to put the Falcons up by 5 points again. Tim Boyle, who started in place of the benched Zach Wilson, was awful. Robert Saleh benched Boyle for the fourth quarter and brought in Trevor Siemian. With one minute left on 4th and 17 from his own 30 after a sack, Siemian was sacked again. 13-8 Falcons

Miami Dolphins at Washington Commanders – The Dolphins are very good. The Commanders are not. This was not 1972, but the Dolphins were close to perfect early on in obliterating the Commanders. On the third play from scrimmage on 3rd and 2 from their own 22, Tua Tagovailoa went bombs away to Tyreek Hill for a 78 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back at their own 30 and moved to a 4th and 5 at the Washington 31. Jason Sanders hit from 49 to make it 10-0 Dolphins. Sam Howell was then intercepted by Van Ginkel who returned the pick 33 yards for a defense touchdown and a 17-0 Dolphins lead.

The Commanders came back after a touchback and on 3rd and goal at the one, Howell got in to get the Commanders on the board. Yet the Dolphins kept carpet-bombing the Commanders. After a touchback on 3rd and 7 from their own 40, Tagovailoa went bombs away again to Hill for a 60 yard touchdown to make it 24-7 Dolphins. The Dolphins got it back with 6 minutes left in the half at their own 24 and used up most of the clock. Raheem Mostert ran for 9 and 6. On 3rd and 6 from their own 43, Tagovailoa went to Hill for 20. Defensive pass interference added 16 more. On 3rd and 12 from the Washington 20, Tagovailoa went to Jalen Waddle for 16. Mostert ran for 3 and then the one yard touchdown with 20 seconds left in the half for a 31-7 Dolphins advantage. 

For some reason, league rules required the second half be played. On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Tagovailoa went to Hill for 5. Tagovailoa went to Devon Achane for 21, to Cracraft for 13, and to Hill for 18. Achane ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 38-7 Dolphins.  The Commanders managed one late garbage touchdown but the Dolphins added one more touchdown to complete the blowout. 45-15 Dolphins

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — The 1-10 Panthers fired Frank Reich. Yet the Buccaneers are nothing special. Early on the Buccaneers faced 3rd and 4 just past midfield. Baker Mayfield went to Palmer for 6. On 3rd and 10 from the Carolina 45, Mayfield went deep to Mike Evans for 40. White ran for a one yard touchdown made it 7-0 Buccaneers. The Panthers after a touchback moved 70 yards in 12 okays and 7 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 1 from the Tampa Bay 2, Bryce Young threw incomplete. On 3rd and 1, Chuba Hubbard lost 3 yards. Eddie Pineiro hit a 23 yard field goal early in the second quarter to get the Panthers within 7-3. In the third quarter the Panthers faced 3rd and 9 from their own 36.Young hit Sullivan for 16. Young went deep to Mingo for 31. Hubbard ran for 8 and then for the one yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Panthers. Yet one play and 9 seconds after a touchback, the Buccaneers had the lead again. Mayfield went to Evans for a 75 yard touchdown to make it 14-10 Buccaneers. 

The Buccaneers got it back to start the fourth quarter at their own 33. Mayfield went to White for 20. On 3rd and 6 from the Carolina 43, Mayfield got taken down for no gain but defensive illegal use of hands kept the drive going. White ran for 11. On 3rd and 2 from the Carolina 19, Chris Godwin go around the end for a touchdown to make it 21-10 Buccaneers. After a touchback, the Panthers soon faced 3rd and 3 from their own 43. Young went to Bingo for 12. On 4th and 6 from the Tampa 38, Young went deep to DJ Shark for 30. Hubbard ran for a one yard touchdown. Young ran in the 2 point conversion. With 5 minutes to go, the Panthers were a field goal from tying the game. The Panthers got it back and faced 4th and 1 at their own 40 with 2:20 to play. Young was intercepted as the Carolina season of misery continued. 21-18 Buccaneers

San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles — It seemed odd that the 10-1 Eagles were underdogs at home, but the oddsmakers felt the 8-3 49ers were the better team. The 49ers have a nasty defense. After an opening touchback, the Eagles moved 67 yards in 12 plays and 5 minutes. On 3rd and 7 from the San Francisco 8, Jalen Hurts threw incomplete. Jake Elliott hit a 26 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Eagles. The Eagles got it back at their own 26. They moved 53 yards in 12 plays and 7 minutes. On 2nd and 6 from the San Francisco 14, Hurts was sacked for a 15 yard loss. Elliott connected again from 39. The Eagles led 6-0 after the first quarter, but after that the game drastically changed.

In the second quarter the 49ers faced 3rd and 3 at their own 22. Brock Purdy went to George Kittle for just enough. On 3rd and 1 from their own 34, Purdy went to Deebo Samuel for 13. Christian McCaffrey for 11. Purdy went to Kittle for 32. On 3rd and goal at the 4, Purdy threw incomplete but the defense jumped offside. Given another chance on 3rd and goal at the 2, Purdy hit Brandon Aiyuk for the touchdown. The 11 play, 85 yard, 7 minute drive gave the 49ers their first lead 7-6. The 49ers got the ball back at their own 10. Purdy went to Samuel for 9. McCaffrey ran for 7. Purdy went to Kittle for 25. McCaffrey ran for 9. Purdy hit Aiyuk for 13. Samuel ran for 14. With 38 seconds left in the half, McCaffrey ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 90 yard drive had the 49ers up 14-6. The 49ers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Purdy went to Jennings for 18. On 3rd and 3 from the Philadelphia 45, Purdy went to McCaffrey for 33. Samuel ran for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 21-6 49ers.

A facemark on the ensuing kickoff set up the Eagles at their own 42. On 3rd and 7, Hurts went to AJ Brown for 13. On 1st and 20 from their own 48, Hurts went to Devonta Smith for 15 and 13. A defensive personal foul resulting in a disqualification added 12 more yards. On 3rd and 12 from the Frisco 14, Hurts went to Brown for 12. Hurts ran for a one yard touchdown to get the Eagles within 21-13. Yet the 49ers quickly slammed the door shut. On 3rd and 7 from their own 26, Purdy went to Aiyuk for 10. McCaffrey ran for 16. Purdy went to Samuel for a 48 yard touchdown to make it 28-13 49ers. The 49ers after a touchback had McCaffrey run for 5, 7 and 15 to end the third quarter. On 4th and 1 from the Philly 36 early in the fourth quarter, Kyle Shanahan went for it. McCaffrey gained 2. Mitchell added 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Philly 18, Purdy went to Jennings for the touchdown and the 35-13 49ers lead. The Eagles did score one more touchdown, but the onside kick failed. Purdy hit Samuel for a 46 yard touchdown to complete the blowout. The oddsmakers were right. The 49ers just belted the Eagles in the mouth. 42-19 49ers

Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Rams — The Browns are down to their 3rd string quarterback, Joe Flacco. Yes, that Joe Flacco. The Browns began facing 3rd and 2 at their own 33. Kareem Hunt gained 6. On 3rd and 14 from their own 35, Flacco went to Amari Cooper for 22 and Ford for 13. Flacco went to Ford for a 24 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Browns. The Rams after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Cleveland 26. Matthew Stafford threw incomplete. Havrisik hit a 44 yard field goal to get the Rams within 7-3. The Rams got it back at their own 21 and struck rapidly. Stafford hit Tutu Atwell for 9 and then went bombs away to Nacua for a 70 yard touchdown and a 10-7 Rams lead. On the first play of the second quarter, Havrisik missed a 43 yard field goal try that would have extended the lead. Dustin Hopkins tied the game on a 40 yard field goal just before the 2 minute warning. Havrisik responded from 28 to put the Rams up 13-10 at the midpoint. Hopkins hit again from 24 for a 13-13 game with 5 minutes left in the third quarter. 

After a touchback, Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for 9. Williams ran for 10. Nacua ran for 31. On 2nd and 20 from the Cleveland 40, Stafford went to Robinson for 30. Stafford went to Robinson again for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 20-13 Rams. The Browns began the fourth quarter facing 3rd and 4 at their own 31. Hunt ran for 5. The Browns then faced 3rd and 2 at their own 44. Hunt ran for 6. On 3rd and 1 from the Rams 27, Hunt ran for 6. Strong ran for 13. Flacco went to Harrison Bryant for an 8 yard touchdown. The extra point to tie the game was no good as the Browns trailed 20-19 with 9 minutes left in regulation.

The Browns got the ball back at their own 21 looking for the lead. On the first play from scrimmage, Flacco was intercepted. Johnson returned the interception 42 yards to the Cleveland 24. Stafford went to Kupp for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Stafford hit Kupp for the touchdown. The Rams led 27-19 with 4 minutes left. With 2 1/2 minutes left on 4th and 5 from their own 30, Flacco threw incomplete. Stafford hit Robinson for 15. Williams did the rest, running for 7, 5, 2, and the one yard touchdown just past the 2 minute warning. The Rams led 34-19. With 26 seconds to play, a sack of Flacco had the Browns facing 4th and 34 from their own one yard line. Flacco was sacked again for a safety. 36-19 Rams

Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers was the Sunday night game. After an opening touchback, Jordan Love hit Reed for 9 and Watson for 19. On 3rd and 2 from the Kansas City 36, AJ Dillon got just enough. Love hit Kraft for 9. On 3rd and 4 from the Kansas City 14, Love hit Wicks for 7. Love went to Sims for a one yard touchdown. The 13 play, 75 yard, 8 minute drive made it 7-0 Packers. The Chiefs took over at their own 24. They moved 60 yards in 13 plays and 7 minutes. The Chiefs had 1st and goal at the 5, but Mahomes was sacked twice to kill the drive. Harrison Butker hit the 34 yard field goal to get the Chiefs within 7-3. After a touchback to begin the second quarter, Love went to Kraft for 19 and to Wicks for 27. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 9, Love went to Watson for the touchdown as the Packers had the surprising 14-3 lead.

After a touchback, the Chiefs moved 59 yards and 14 plays and 8 1/2 minutes. On 2nd and 6 from the Green Bay 8, offensive holding was a setback. Mahomes was then sacked. Butker hit from 34 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the half as the Chiefs trailed 14-6. After a third quarter touchback, Mahomes went to Kelce for 21. On 3rd and 18 from their own 38, Mahomes went to Travis Kelce for 27. Isaiah Pacheco ran for 11. Mahomes went to Rice for 13. Pacheco ran for a one yard touchdown. Walrus Andy Reid went for 2 to tie the game, but this time Pacheco got stopped as the Chiefs trailed 14-12.

The Packers took over at their own 33. Love went to Dillon for 14. On 4th and 1 from the Kansas City 44, Matt LaFleur went for it. Under heavy pressure, a desperate Love threw a duck into triple coverage that Romeo Doubs somehow came down with for a 33 yard gain. Love went to Watson for a 12 yard touchdown to make it 21-12 Packers. The Chiefs took over at their own 34. Pacheco ran for 5 and 7. Mahomes hit James for 12. Mahomes hit Rice for 8. Pacheco ran for 8 and 13. On 3rd and goal at the 2 to begin the fourth quarter, Mahomes hit Gray for the touchdown to get the Chiefs back within 21-19. 

The Packers took over at their own 23 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 18. Love threw incomplete twice and was then sacked. Anders Carlson hit a 40 yard field goal. The Packers led 24-19 with 6 minutes left in regulation, but they did not close the door. After a touchback, the Chiefs moved to just past midfield. Mahomes was intercepted. The Packers took over at their own 35 with 5:15 to play. They moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Kansas City 20 at the 2 minute warning. With the Chiefs out of timeouts, a first down would end the game. Under heavy pressure, Love smartly went down for a sack rather than risk an incompletion that would stop the clock. Carlson hit a 48 yard field goal. The Packers led by 8 but the door was still open. The Chiefs had 1:10 to pull off a miracle and the best quarterback in the league to do it. The Chiefs moved from their own 30 to a 1st and 10 at the Green Bay 33 with 19 seconds left. Mahomes threw 3 incompletions, leaving 4th and 10 and 5 seconds. Mahomes scrambled all over the place and unleashed a Hail Mary that reached the end zone. It fell to the ground incomplete. 27-19 Packers 

Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars was the Monday night game. What was supposed to be a potential AFC Title Game preview has seen the Bengal reeling since Joe Burrow went down injured. The Bengals moved from their own 22 to a 4th and 3 at the Jacksonville 44. Zac Taylor went for it and Browning was sacked. The Jaguars took over jus shy of midfield. Trevor Lawrence went deep to Christian Kirk. Calvin Ridley gained 10. On 4th and 1 at the Cincinnati 6, Doug Pederson went for it. Lawrence gained 2. Travis Etienne ran for a 4 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Jaguars. Evan McPherson missed a 57 yard field goal try for the Bengals. The Bengals got it back at their own 8 yard line. On 3rd and 4 to start the second quarter, Browning went to Jamarr Chase for 17, to Irwin for 25, to Hudson for 24, and to Tee Higgins for 14. Joe Mixon ran for a 6 yard touchdown as the 92 yard drive made the game 7-7. After a touchback, Lawrence went to Farrell for 9. On 3rd and 6 from their own 40, the defense jumped into the neutral zone. On 3rd and 1, Lawrence got the yard. Lawrence went to Ridley for 21 and to Evan Engram for a 22 yard touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive made it 14-7 Jaguars. After a touchback, Browning went to Higgins for 11 and Wilcox for 12. On 3rd and 1 from the Jacksonville 43, Browning went to Mixon for 9. On 3rd and 5 from the Jacksonville 29, Browning went to Boyd for 10. Browning hit Sample for 11. Mixon ran for a 2 yard touchdown. The 12 play 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive tied the game 14-14 with one minute left in the half.

The Bengals struck quickly in the third quarter. On 3rd and 2 from their own 24, Browning went to deep to Chase for a 76 yard touchdown and a 21-14 Bengals lead. The Jaguars took over at their own 16. Lawrence went to Zee Jones for 23. On 3rd and 7 from their own 42, Lawrence hit Jones for 16. On 3rd and 1 from the Cincinnati 33, Jones gained 3. Lawrence went to Washington for 18. On 3rd and 9 from the Cincinnati 14, Lawrence went to Washington for the touchdown. The 12 play, 84 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive tied the game for the third time 21-21. One play after a touchback, Browning was intercepted. Allen returned the pick 8 yards to give the Jaguars 1st and goal at the 9. On 3rd and goal at the one, Etienne got stopped. Doug Pederson gambled. On 4th and goal, Lawrence got in for a 28-21 Jaguars lead. A field position game had the Jaguars punting from their own 6 yard line and the Bengals taking over with a short field at the Jacksonville 48. Browning went to Chase for 14 and Mixon for 10. On 3th and 3 from the Jags 10, Zac Taylor went for it. Browning hit Chase for 6. From the one, Browning snuck it in. For the 4th time on the day, the game was tied 28-28 with 9 minutes left in regulation.

After a touchback, the Jaguars moved to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 22. On 3rd and 11, Lawrence was sacked. He stayed down for a bit. He had an injured ankle. He slammed his helmet in frustration. Making matters worse, Brandon McManus’s field goal try from 48 yards out with 5 minutes left to give the Jaguars the lead was no good. The Bengals moved from their own 38 to a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 32. A sack had the Bengals facing 3rd and 22 and out of field goal range. Browning hit Boyd for 8 key yards, From 54 yards out, McPherson was good. With 2 1/2 minutes left, the Bengals had the 3 point lead. That would be more than enough time for Lawrence, but with the game on the line he was in the blue medical tent. Backup CJ Beathard would have to try and be the hero. After a touchback, the Jaguars moved to a 2nd and 2 at the Cincy 20. After an incompletion, Beathard was sacked. This time from 40 yards out, McManus was good. For the 5th time, this game was tied with 26 seconds left. 

This was a battle of backup quarterbacks, but in regulation both of them played well, especially when it mattered. In overtime, the Jaguars won the toss and got the ball first after a touchback. The Jaguars moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Cincinnati 45. Then came the play of the game. One more first down would certainly mean long field goal range. Instead, Beathard went for it all. His bomb between 2 defenders was caught by Ridley for a 43 yard gain at the Cincy 2 yard line. Yet it was all for naught. Offensive holding nullified the gain and pushed the Jaguars out of field goal range. The Jaguars punted and the Bengals took over at their own 28. Browning went to Chase for 17. On 3rd and 10 from their own 47, Browning went to Higgins for 11. On 3rd and 1 from the Jags 33, Mixon gained 2. With 1:50 left in overtime, McPherson came in for a 48 yard try to win it. His kick was good. This may have been a battle of backups, but both were sensational. Beathard completed 9 of his 10 passes in relief. Browning was lights out, going 32 for 37 with 354 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Now the Jaguars awaited word on Lawrence, as the Bengals celebrated winning a fine, fine football game. 34-31 Bengals

NFL 2023 Week 13 Prequel

Thursday, November 30, 2023, 8pm

Seattle Seahawks at Dallas Cowboys (-9) — The Seahawks are an up and down team. The Cowboys have been looking very good against inferior competition. The Seahawks are inferior competition. At home in prime time, the Cowboys have enough weapons on offense to put this game away. Cowboys cover

Sunday, December 3, 1pm

Los Angeles Chargers (-6) at New England Patriots — Nobody loses close games like the Chargers. Yet the Patriots are just awful. The Patriots have multiple quarterbacks who play badly. Justin Herbert has enough weapons to win this game, but the spread is high for a Chargers team that fails to inspire. Chargers win but fail to cover

Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers (-5 1/2) — The Steelers have been winning ugly, but that is AFC North football. The Cardinals are a mess and Kyler Murray has not been able to stop the losses. The Cardinals are more competitive with him, and the Steelers do no blow teams out. Steelers win but fail to cover

Indianapolis Colts (-2) at Tennessee Titans — The Colts have been playing surprisingly well, and Gardner Minshew is competent. The Titans are injury-riddled. Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry can both run the ball. Go with the momentum. Colts cover

Denver Broncos at Houston Texans (-3 1/2) — The Broncos have won five straight games. Their defense is playing fierce. Sean Payton has revitalized Russell Wilson. CJ Stroud is in the running for rookie of the year and has an outside shot at league MVP. The Texans also have a good defense. The Texans lost at home to Jacksonville, and Denver is playing lights out. Upset special, Broncos win outright

Detroit Lions (-4) at New Orleans Saints — The Lions offense has been on a tear this year despite stumbling on Thanksgiving at home. The Saints have been inconsistent. The Saints have a very good defense but their offense is not playing as well as their talent level. The Superdome indoors should allow the Lions track meet offense to stretch the field. Lions win but fail to cover

Atlanta Falcons (-2 1/2) at New York Jets — Both of these teams are afterthoughts. The Jets have a good defense but no quarterback to lead them. The Falcons do not provide such a deep challenge on offense. If the Jets can get even close to average quarterback play at home, their defense will get it done and stop the losing skid. Upset special, Jets win outright

Miami Dolphins (-9 1/2) at Washington Commanders — The Dolphins are very good. The Commanders are not. Ron Rivera’s defense is far below his usual standards. The Dolphins have Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill stretching the field. The spread is high for a road team, and a garbage touchdown from Sam Howell is possible. Dolphins win but fail to cover

4pm

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5 1/2) — The Panthers are a flaming mess who just fired he’d coach Frank Reich. The Buccaneers have talent on offense but have been playing below that talent. Yet Carolina is such a mess it may not matter. Buccaneers cover

San Francisco 49ers (-2 1/2) at Philadelphia Eagles — The rematch of the NFC Title Game will be eagerly anticipated. Last year the 49ers had four quarterbacks go down injured but discovered Mr. Irrelevnt Brock Purdy in the process. The Eagles are 10-1 and the 49ers have righted themselves to 8-3 after a three game losing streak. The 49ers are favored, which in itself is shocking. They have a nasty defense, while the Eagles tend to win very close games. The 49ers may be the better team, but the Eagles at home will send a message. Jalen Hurts is special. Upset special, Eagles win outright

Cleveland Browns at Los Angeles Rams (-4) — The Browns have lost two quarterbacks to injury and just signed Joe Flacco. Nobody knows if he can still play. The Browns have a great defense. The Rams are in rebuilding mode. it is hard to trust the Rams, but it is harder to trust Flacco. Matthew Stafford is no slouch. Rams win but fail to cover

8pm

Kansas City Chiefs (-6 1/2) at Green Bay Packers — The Chiefs seem slower than in past years but they are still very good. The Packers got a big Thanksgiving road win at Detroit, but overall are not very good. Patrick Mahomes will tear apart the Green Bay defense. Nobody calls plays like Walrus Andy Reid. The Chiefs defense will hound Jordan Love. Nevertheless, a garbage touchdown at home is realistic against a Chiefs offense that is slightly less potent than normal. Chiefs win but fail to cover

Monday, December 4, 2023, 8pm

Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars (-8 1/2) — The Bengals without Joe Burrow are finished. Yet the Jaguars are not winning easily. Trevor Lawrence is playing well, but the Bengals has enough of a defense to keep this one close. The Jaguars rarely blow teams out. Jaguars win but fail to cover

NFL 2023 Week 12 Recap

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions was the Thanksgiving Thursday morning game. For most of the last 30 years, the Packers have beaten up the Lions. Then in regular season finale last year, momentum shifted. The Lions went into Green Bay and hit the Packers in the mouth. The Lions repeated this in the season opener this year at Green Bay. This Thanksgiving, the Lions came in 8-2 while the Packers were a relatively weak team. Dan Campbell has changed the culture in Detroit. For the first time since 1991, The Lions were ready to stomp all over the 4-6 Packers on Thanksgiving. 

On the first play from scrimmage after a touchback, Jordan Love went deep to Watson for a 53 yard gain. Love hit Watson again for 8 and went to Reed for a 10 yard touchdown. Less than 3 minutes in the game, the Packers led 7-0. The Lions soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 30. Jared Goff went to Williams for 13. Defensive pass interference added 16. Goff went deep to Sam LaPorta for 31 and again for a 7 yard touchdown. Riley Patterson missed the extra point as the Lions trailed 7-6.

After a touchback, love went to Heath for 16. On 3rd and 8 from the Green Bay 47, Love hit Watson for 9 and Dillon for 11. Reed ran for 15. On 3rd and 1 from the Detroit 9, Love went to Kraft for the touchdown. The 10 play, 75 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive made it 14-6 Packers. The Lions soon faced 2nd and 12 at their own 23. Goff was sacked and fumbled. Owens picked it up and ran it 27 yards for a defensive touchdown. Anders Carlson missed the extra point but the Packers led 20-6. The Lions fumbled the ball away on their next drive as well. In the second quarter, Carlson tacked on a 43 yard field goal. He also missed from 63 yards out on the last play o the half. The Packers led 23-6 in front of a stunned Ford Field home crowd. 

The Lions began the third quarter at their own 28 and immediately sought to claw their way back. Gibbs got around the end for 23. Goff went deep to Amra St Brown for 28. On 3rd and 1 from the Green Bay 12, Montgomery ran for 6 and then for the 6 yard touchdown. A curious decision by Dan Campbell to go for a 2 point conversion saw Goff barely get in. He fumbled the ball, but after he broke the plane of the goal as the Lions were within 23-14. The Lions got the ball back but a great punt pinned them very deep. Dan Campbell takes some pretty bold gambles, and they often work. Yet a fake punt on 4th and 4 from his own 23 seemed a bit much. It didn’t work as the runner was swarmed for no gain to give the Packers a very short field. 

On 3rd and 3 from the Detroit 16, Love went to Watson for the touchdown. Matt LaFleur went for a 2 point conversion to try and put the game out of reach but a double reverse was blown up for a loss as the Packers led 29-14 late in the third quarter. tHE lions overcame a double digit lead in the final minutes last week but not this time. They got a garbage touchdown with 40 seconds to play but the onside kick failed. It would be totally unfair to say “Same Packers, same Lions.” These are not the same Lions, and they still have a big division lead. They simply stumbled at home in a game they should have won. 29-22 Packers

Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys was the Thanksgiving Thursday afternoon game. The Cowboys were expected to steamroll over the overmatched Commanders. The Cowboys in the first quarter faced 1st and 15 at their own 5 yard line. Dak Prescott went deep to Ferguson for 35 yards. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for 8. On 3rd and 7 from the Washington 43, Tony Pollard ran for 14. Prescott hit Rico Dowdle for a 15 yard touchdown to cap the 11 play, 90 yard, 5 minute drive and make it 7-0 Cowboys. After a touchback, the Commanders in the second quarter moved to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 19. A swing pass by Sam Howell lost 8 yards to kill the drive. Joey Slye hit a 43 yard field goal to get the Commanders on the board. 

The Cowboys moved easily after a touchback. Prescott ran for 10. Prescott then hit Schoonmaker for 12, Lamb for 16, and Brandon Cooks for a 31 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Cowboys. After a touchback, Howell hit Logan Thomas for 13. On 3rd and 1 from his own 47, Howell threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant a 3 yard gain. On 2nd and 12 from the Dallas 41, Howell hit Terry McLaurin for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the Dallas 29, Howell hit Jahan Dotson for 15. Howell went to Curtis Samuel for 13 down to the one. Howell kept the option and dove in for the touchdown to finish the 13 play, 75 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive get the Commanders within 14-10 with 1:51 left in the half. 

That was plenty of time for the Cowboys offense to keep rolling. After a touchback, Prescott hit Cooks for 8, Brooks for 24, andTolbert for 31. Pollard ran f=for a 7 yard touchdown with 26 seconds left. The extra point doinked off the upright no good but the Cowboys had a 20-10 lead. After a scoreless third quarter, Brandon Aubrey hit a 52 yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make it 23-10 Cowboys. The Cowboys defense was stingy throughout the game. When Riverboat Ron Rivera went for it on 4th and 1 from the Dallas 39, Robinson got stopped for a 2 yard loss. When Rivera went for it again on 4th and 1 from his own 34 with 12 minutes left in regulation, Howell was sacked for a 10 yard loss. Prescott quickly went to Cooks for 8 and Lamb for a 15 yard touchdown to make it 31-10 Cowboys after a successful 2 point conversion. 

The Cowboys got it back at their own 35 and made it look too easy. Pollard ran for 27. On 3rd and 6 from the washington 34, Prescott went deep to Turpin for the touchdown to make it 38-10 Cowboys. With 4 1/2 minutes left, Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland made NFL history. He intercepted Sam Howell and returned the pick 63 yards for the final touchdown to finish the carpet bombing. It was his 5th interception for a touchdown in a single season. He stands alone, with 6 games still remaining to extend his own record. The Cowboys are 8-3 and in strong playoff position. The day after the game, Ron Rivera fired Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and another defensive coach. 45-10 Cowboys

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks was the Thanksgiving Thursday night game. First place in the NFC West was on the line as the 7-3 49ers took on the 6-4 Seahawks. The 49ers took over at their own 29. Brock Purdy went to Christian McCaffrey for 14. On 3rd and 1 from the Seattle 48, McCaffrey ran for 5 and then 27 more. Purdy went to Deebo Samuel for 10. Samuel ran for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 49ers. The Seahawks got a jolt when Eskridge returned the ensuing kickoff 66 yards to the San Francisco 33. Yet the Seahawks wasted the opportunity and settled for a 51 yard Jason Myers field goal. 

A field position game had the Seahawks backed up to their own one yard line and the 49ers getting the ball back with a short field at the Seattle 45. McCaffrey ran for 16. On 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 26, Purdy hit Jennings for 7. The 49ers began the second quarter facing 3rd and 7 from the Seattle 16. Purdy was taken down but illegal contact on the defense meant 5 yards and a new set of downs. McCaffrey caught a pass from Purdy for 5, ran for 5, and then ran for the one yard touchdown to make it 14-3 49ers. The 49ers got it back at their own 42. Purdy went to Brandon Aiyuk for 22. On 3rd and 9 from the Seattle 35, Purdy went to George Kittle for 11. On 3rd and 6 from the Seattle 20, Purdy went to Samuel for 12. McCaffrey ran for an 8 yard touchdown to make it 21-3 49ers. At the 2 minute warning the Seahawks fumbled a punt and the 49ers took over at the Seattle 22. Moody hit a 39 yard field goal to make it 24-3 49ers with 40 seconds left in the half. The Seahawks got no breaks as Myers missed a 53 yard field goal to end the half.

Early in the third quarter the 49ers were backed up to their own 4 yard line. Purdy was intercepted by Brooks, who returned hit 12 yards to pay dirt. The Defensive touchdown was followed by the Seahawks moving from their own 10 to a 2nd and goal at the 7. Yet Geno Smith threw incomplete and then was sacked. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, Pete Carroll opted for the field goal. Myers hit from 30. The Seahawks were within 24-13 after three quarters, but they would get no closer. In the fourth quarter the 49ers took over at their own 36 and turned out the lights. McCaffrey ran for 12. Mitchell ran for 9, 5 and 3. Purdy went to Aiyuk for a 25 yard touchdown to put the game away and give the 49ers a 2 game division lead. 31-13 49ers

Miami Dolphins at New York Jets was the Friday afternoon game. The 7-3 Dolphins looked to take down the 4-6 Jets, who would be starting Tim Boyle in place of the benched Zach Wilson. The first half was all defense. In the first quarter the Dolphins moved form their own 15 to a 4th and 2 at the Jets 4. Mike McDaniel went for it and Tua Tagovailoa threw incomplete. The Dolphins got it back at their own 44 and moved to a 3rd and 1 at the Jets 20. Tagovailoa threw incomplete. At this point McDaniel was not a gambling mood on 4th and 1. Jason Sanders hit a 38 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Dolphins. A 19 yard punt return gave the Dolphins the ball back at their own 40 to start the second quarter. On 3rd and 5, Tagovailoa went to Jalen Waddle for 11. On 3rd and 5 from the Jets 39, Tagovailoa went to Wilson for 7. On 3rd and 6 from the Jets 28, Tagovailoa hit Waddle for 20. Tagovailoa went to Tyreek Hill for a 7 yard touchdown. The 11 play, 60 yard, 6 minute drive made it 10-0 Dolphins. After 29 minutes of normal football, the final minute was crazy.

With one minute left in the half, the Dolphins took over at their own 27. On the first play from scrimmage, Tagovailoa hit Echols. Problem: Echols plays defense for the Jets. Echols returned the interception 30 yards for a touchdown to get the Jets within 10-6. The extra point was no good. The Dolphins got it back at their own 13 and moved to their own 45.Tagovailoa hit Reed. Problem: Reed plays defense for the Jets. Reed allowed the Jets to take over just shy of midfield with 2 seconds left. That was enough time for a Hail Mary. Boyle went bombs away and found Holland. Problem: Holland plays defense for the Dolphins. Rather than just go to the ground, Holland returned the interception 99 yards for a defensive touchdown. In front of a shellshocked Metlife Stadium home crowd, the Dolphins led 17-6.

After a third quarter touchback, the Dolphins moved to a 3rd and 4 at the Jets 30. Tagovailoa was sacked. Sanders hit from 54 to make it 20-6 Dolphins. The Dolphins got the ball back at their own 8 yard line and slowly grinded the Jets into dust. The 15 play, 92 yard drive took 9 minutes off the clock. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Raheem Mostert ran for a 13 yard touchdown to make it 27-6 Dolphins. The Jets managed a garbage touchdown with 4 1/2 minutes left. The onside kick failed and with a short field, Mostert ran for a 34 yard touchdown to complete the beating. The Dolphins got to 8-3 on the year as the Jets fell to 4-7 and sinking fast. 34-13 Dolphins

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals — With Joe Burrow out for the rest of the year, Miss Alabama’s husband AJ McCarron returned to the team from a different league he was playing in. He is the backup as Browning got the start. The Steelers moved from their own 11 to a 1st and 10 at the Cincinnati 23. Najee Harris got stopped for no gain and Kenny Pickett threw incomplete twice. Chris Boswell hit a 41 yard field goal early in the second quarter to make it 3-0 Steelers. A 46 yard kickoff return had the Bengals set up at their own 47. Browning went to Hudson for 6, Jamarr Chase off a deflection for 31, and Sample for an 11 yard touchdown to make it 7-3 Bengals. After a third quarter touchback, the Bengals moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Pittsburgh 18. Browning was intercepted as the Steelers took over at their own 21. 

Pickett hit Warren for 15. On 3rd and 5 from their own 41, Pickett hit Austin for just enough. On 3rd and 4 from the Cincinnati 48, Pickett hit Pat Freiermuth for 9 and George Pickens for 10. On 3rd and 6 from the Cincinnati 25, Pickett hit Freiermuth forn8. Warren ran fr 9 and 3 and Harris ran for the 5 yard touchdown. The 14 play, 79 yard, 8 minute drive represented a 14 point swing. Instead of trailing 14-3, the Steelers led 10-7 after three quarters. If it seems like every AFC North game is a barefisted slobberknocker, it’s because they frequently are. This game was no exception. Boswell hit fourth quarter field goals of 34 and 33 for a 16-7 Steelers lead with 2:50 to play. Evan McPherson hit from 47 to get the Bengals within 6 with 2:04 to play. With the Bengals out of timeouts, the onside kick failed and used up 4 seconds to get to the 2 minute warning. Pickett took 3 knees to end it as the Steelers gutted their way to 7-4 on the year. 16-10 Steelers

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans — The Jaguars moved from their own 13 to a 4th and 3 at the Houston 22. Brandon McManus hit a 40 yard field goal to make it 3-0 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back and faced 3rd and 1 at their own 41 early in the second quarter. Johnson gained 3. Trevor Lawrence went to Johnson for a 42 yard gain. On 3rd and goal at the 5, Lawrence threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. Lawrence got the yard to make its 10-0 Jaguars. After a touchback, CJ Stroud went to Woods for 26, ran for 8, went to Singletary for 33, and hit Dell for a 7 yard touchdown. The Texans were within 10-7. The Jaguars moved after a touchback to a 1st and 10 at the Houston 25. A run lost 6 yards to kill the drive. McManus hit form 48 to make it 13-7 Jaguars. Matt Amendola missed a 50 yard field goal try for the Texans. With 10 seconds left in the half, a 57 yard completion had the Jaguars facing 1st and goal at the one with one second left. Doug Pederson gambled and Etienne got blown up for a goal line stand to end the half. 

A third quarter interception of Lawrence was returned 14 yards to set up the Texans at the Jacksonville 46. On 3rd and 1, Stroud went to Collins for 22. Singletary ran for 14. On 3rd and goal at the one, Stroud got in to put the Texans up 14-13. After a touchback, Lawrence went deep to Ridley for a 45 yard gain. On 3rd and 3 from the Houston 23, Lawrence threw incomplete but defensive pass interference added 15 yards. On 3rd and goal from the 5, Lawrence threw incomplete but defensive pass interference meant 1st and goal at the one. On 3rd and goal at the one, Lawrence went to Ridley for the touchdown. Doug Pederson went for 2 and Lawrence hit Ridley again to make it 21-14 Jaguars. The Jaguars got it back at their own 11 and moved to a 4th and 1 at the Houston 30. Lawrence gained 2 but an illegal formation instead meant 4th and 6. McManus hit from 53 to give the Jaguars breathing room up 24-14 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Midway through the fourth quarter, McManus missed from 55. 

The great field position at their own 45 led to Stroud hitting Hutchinson for 34. On 3rd and 6 from the Jacksonville 17, Stroud hit Collins for the touchdown. The Texans were within 3 points with 5:15 to play. The Texans got it back at their own 11 with 3 minutes left. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Jacksonville 37 with 1:18 left. Stroud took a killer sack. With 34 seconds left, Amendola came in for a 58 yard field goal try. He has never made one over 50 in his NFL career. This one was dead center and doinked off the crossbar and bounced back, no good. The first place showdown had the Jaguars walk away with a 2 game division lead. 24-21 Jaguars

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts — The Buccaneers after a touchback moved to a 1st and goal at the one. Baker Mayfield took the quarterback sneak and got stopped short. He also got injured on the play. Kyle Trask came in for Mayfield and the immediate result was a false start. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Trask threw incomplete. Chase Mclaughlin hit a 21 yard field goal to cap the 15 play, 72 yard, 7 1/2 minute drive for a 3-0 Buccaneers lead. The Colts after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Tampa Bay 19. Gardner Minshew threw incomplete twice and was then sacked. Matt Gay hit a 46 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. After that Mayfield returned. 

An interception of Mayfield gave the Colts a short field at the Tampa Bay 41. Minshew went to Pittman for 17. Jonathan Taylor ran for 17 more and then for the 4 yard touchdown to make it 10-3 Colts. In the second quarter the Colts faced 4th and 1 from their own 47. Shane Steichen went for it and Minshew hit Pittman for 24 and again for 12. Minshew hit Downs for 13. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Minshew got in to make it 17-3 Colts. An interception of Minshew gave the Buccaneers gift field position at the Indianapolis 16. Mayfield went to Durham, who made an acrobatic catch for 12. Mayfield hit Mike Evans for a one yard touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 17-10. 

Gay missed a 58 yard field goal try to end the half that would have extended the lead, Gay hit from 36 in the third quarter to make it 20-10 Colts. The Colts got it back at their own 20 and moved to a 4th and 6 at the Tampa Bay 40. Shane Steichen went for it and Minshew threw incomplete. On 3rd and 8 from their own 42, Mayfield ran for 14. On 4th and 10 from the Indy 44, Mayfield went to Chris Godwin for 19. Mayfield went to Evans for a 23 yard touchdown to get the Buccaneers within 20-17 early the fourth quarter. After a touchback, Minshew went to Pittman for 16. On 4th and 1 just past midfield, Steichen gambled again. With everyone bunched up the middle, Minshew floated a pass over the middle to a wide open Mo Alie-Cox for 30 yards. Taylor did the rest, running for 8, 10, and the one yard touchdown to give the Colts breathing room up 27-17.

After a touchback, the Buccaneers moved to a 3rd and goal at the 5  with 5 minutes left. Mayfield was sacked as the Buccaneers ket 45 seconds off the clock. Needing 2 scores, McLaughlin hit from 24 to get the Buccaneers within 7 with 4 minutes left. The Buccaneers held on defense and faced 3rd and 4 at their own 41 with 90 seconds left. Mayfield was sacked and fumbled. The Colts recovered to hang on. 27-20 Colts

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons — The Saints moved from their own 16 as Derek Carr went bombs away to Chris Olave for a 51 yard gain. On 2nd and goal at the 7, Carr threw incomplete twice. Grupe hit a 25 yard field goal for a 3-0 Saints lead. The Saints got it back at their own 32 and moved to a 3rd and 3 at the Atlanta 12. Carr went to the sideline, and Bates jumped the route in a big way. Bates returned the interception the other way for a 92 yard defensive touchdown and a 7-3 Falcons lead. After a touchback and a defensive taunting penalty, the Saints were at their own 44. They moved to a 3rd and 7 at the Atlanta 34 to start the second quarter. Carr threw incomplete. Grupe hit a 52 yard field goal to get the Saints within 7-6. The Falcons took over at their own 22. Desmond Ridder hit London for 19. Ridder ran for 15. On 3rd and 9 from the New Orleans 41, Ridder went to Pitts for 11. Ridder ran for 12. Robinson ran for a 10 yard touchdown to culminate the 10 play, 78 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive and make it 14-6 Falcons. After  touchback the Saints moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Atlanta 23. Carr threw incomplete twice. Grupe hit from 41 to get the Saints within 14-9. 

In the third quarter the Saints moved from their own 8 to a 1st and 10 at the Atlanta 15. A false start and offensive holding killed the drive. Grupe hit his 4th field goal from 45 to get the saints within 14-12. An interception of Ridder gave the Saints great field position at their own 46. On 1st and 10 form the Atlanta 19 with a chance to take the lead, Taysom Hill gained 10 but then fumbled the ball away. The Falcons took over at their own 5 yard line. Robinson gained 5 and Tyler Allgeier added 6 and 7. Ridder went to London for 3 and 15. On 3rd and 6 from their own 45, Ridder went to London for 29. Ridder went to Robinson for a 26 yard touchdown and a 21-12 Falcons lead with 10 minutes left in regulation. The Saints after a touchback moved to a 3rd and 6 at the Atlanta 21. Carr completed a pass for no gain. Needing 2 scores, Grupe hit his 5th field goal from 39 to get the Saints within 21-15. Yet after a touchback, the Falcons bled the clock. Younghoe Koo hit a field goal from 39 to put the Falcons up by 9 again with 1:47 left. In desperation mode, despite making 5 field goals, Grupe missed from 54 with 30 seconds left. 24-15 Falcons

New England Patriots at New York Giants — Sometimes a pair of awful teams can play a game for the ages. This was not that game. This game was the Stupor Bowl. The first quarter was scoreless. In the second quarter the Patriots took over at their own 8 yard line. They moved 69 yards in 12 plays and 6 1/2 minutes. On 3rd and 4 from the Giants 23, Mac Jones was intercepted by Okereke, who returned the pick 55 yards to the New England 26. On 3rd and 8, Danny Devito’s cousin Tommy hit Hyatt for 12. On 3rd and 10 from the New England 12, Devito went to Hodgins for the touchdown. After over 28 minutes of scoreless football, the Giants led 7-0. Randy Bullock hit the second half kickoff out of bounds to set up the Patriots up at their own 40. Mac Jones was benched yet again after 3 first half turnovers. Bailey Zappe came in. Rhamondre Stevenson ran for 13. On 4th and 1 from the Giants 38, Bill Belichick went for it. Stevenson took the direct snap and gained 3 yards. On 3rd and 6 from the Giants 31, Zappe hit Douglas for 9. Zappe hit Thornton for 15. Stevenson ran for a 7 yard touchdown. The 11 play, 60 yard, 7 minute drive tied the game 7-7. With 12 1/2 minutes left in regulation, an interception of Zappe gave the Giants gift field position at the New England 32. Randy Bullock hit a 42 yard field goal to give the Giants the lead. With 6 seconds left, Ryland came in for a 35 yard field goal try to tie the game. If ever a game deserved overtime, this was not it. Luckily for fans everywhere, Ryland missed. League officials burned the tape of this game. 10-7 Giants

Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans — This game was Stupor Bowl II. The Titans took over at their own 9 yard line. Mike Vrabel gambled on 4th and 1 from his own 30. Derrick Henry gained 3 yards. On 3rd and 3 from his own 40, Will Levis hit Moore for 12, While for 11, Westbrook-Ikhine for 7, and Okonkwo for 25 down to the one. Henry bulldozed his way past the plane of the goal to cap the 15 play, 81 yard, 9 1/2 minute drive and make it 7-0 Titans. The Panthers in the second quarter moved from their own 21. On 4th and 3 from the Tennessee 37, Frank Reich went for it. Bryce Young hit Sullivan for 13. Yet on the next play, offensive holding killed the drive. Eddie Pineiro hit a 50 yard field goal to get the Panthers on the board. The Panthers got it back but a sack of Young forced a fumble. The Titans took over at the Carolina 15. Henry ran for a 10 yard touchdown to make it 14-3 Titans. The Titans got it back at their own 38 with 27 seconds left in the half. Levis hit Okonkwo for 9 and Westbrook-Ikhine for 18. Nick Folk hit a 53 yard field goal as the Titans took a 17-3 lead to the locker rooms.

The Panthers began the third quarter facing 3rd and 8 at their own 35. Young threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 3rd and 4 from their own 46, Young gained 6. Defensive pass interference added 14 more. Young hit Chuba Hubbard for 25. On 3rd and 1 from the Tennessee 4, Chuba Hubbard got rocked for a one yard loss. Frank Reich gambled on 4th and 2. Hubbard banged ahead for the 5 yard touchdown to get the Panthers within 7 points. 22 minutes of football remained. After a ton of punts, the Panthers last chance came on 4th and 6 from their own 24 with 1:55 left. Young completed a pass to DJ Shark for no gain. With a 1-10 record, Reich was fired the day after the game. A pair of assistant coaches were also fired. 17-10 Titans 

Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals — A pair of bad teams played. The Rams began facing 3rd and 8 from their own 27. Matthew Stafford went deep to Tutu Atwell for 42 yards. On 4th and 1 from the Arizona 22, Sean McVay went for it. Williams gained 8. Stafford went to Cooper Kupp for 7 and Tyler Higbee for a 7 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Rams. After a touchback, the Cardinals soon faced 3rd and 7 at their own 39. Kyler Murray went to Malcolm Hollywood Brown for 17, to McBride for 12, and to Dortch for 14. James Conner ran for 14. On 3rd and goal at the 2, Kyler Murray got in. A defensive penalty on the extra point moved the ball to the one as Jonathan Gannon went for 2. Tune ran it in for an 8-7 Cardinals lead. 

The Rams got the ball back to start the second quarter just shy of midfield. Freeman ran for 14 and 3. Stafford went to Atwell for 13. Stafford hit Higbee for a 5 yard touchdown to put the Rams up 14-8. Havrisik missed a 50 yard field goal try that would have extended the lead. Jonathan Gannon gambled on 4th and 2 from his own 48 at the 2 minute warning. Murray threw incomplete. Stafford went to Higbee for 7, to Kupp for 5, to Atwell for 21, and to Williams for a 15 yard touchdown. With one minute left the Rams led 21-8. A pointless second half saw the Rams turn out the lights.

Havrisik hit a 24 yard field goal to make it 24-8 Rams. Matt Prater missed a 56 yard try for the Cardinals. From his own 46, Stafford went to Nacua for 14. On 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 35, Stafford went to Robinson for 7. On 3rd and 5 from the Arizona 23, Stafford hit Kupp for 6. The fourth quarter began with Williams running for 9 and 3. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Stafford hit Williams for the touchdown to make it 31-8 Rams. The Cardinals punted on 4th and 28 from their own 7 and the Rams took over at the Arizona 38. On 4th and 1, Sean McVay went for it and Williams gained 6. On the next play Freeman ran fora  23 yard touchdown. The extra point was no good but the Rams led 37-8. The Cardinals managed one garbage touchdown but nothing more. 37-14 Rams

Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos — Early on the Broncos faced 3rd and 1 at their own 29. Wilson got the yard. On 3rd and 10 from their own 30, Russell Wilson threw incomplete deep but defensive pass interference meant a 34 yard gain. On 3rd and 8 from the Cleveland 34, Wilson went deep to Sortland Sutton for 31. Perine ran for the 3 yard touchdown to make it 7-0 Broncos. The Broncos got it back and faced 3rd and 4 at their own 26. Perine gained 6. Perine ran for 15. The broncos began the second quarter facing 3rd and 7 at the Cleveland 45. Wilson went to Mims for 16. Wilson ran for 19. Wilson ran for a 2 yard touchdown to cap the 13 play, 80 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 14-0 Broncos. 

Dustin Hopkins hit field goals of 36 and 24 to get the Browns within 14-6 at the half. The Browns in the third quarter faced 3rd and 8 at their own 23. Dorian Thompson-Robinson hit Amari Cooper for 11. Ford ran for 13. Thompson-Robinson hit David Njoku for 16 and again for 17. On 3rd and 7 from the Denver 11, Thompson-Robinson threw incomplete but defensive unnecessary roughness meant 6 yards and a new set of downs. Ib 4th and goal at the 2, Kevin Stefanski went for it. Thompson-Robinson hit Harrison Bryant for the touchdown to cap the 13 play, 79 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. The 2 point try failed but the Browns were within 14-12. 

The Broncos after a touchback moved to a 3rd and goal at the 2. A run out of the shotgun was blown up in the backfield for a 3 yard loss. Wil Lutz hit the 23 yard field goal to make it 17-12 Broncos. The Browns then fumbled the ball away on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the Broncos gift field position at the Cleveland 20. Mims ran for 11. On 3rd and goal at the 8, Wilson hit Adam Trautman for the touchdown to make it 24-12 Broncos. The Browns have an elite defense but little to no offense with a backup quarterback. The Broncos have an elite defense and an offense. Lutz tacked on a 34 yard field goal with 4 minutes left. Just before the 2 minute warning, PJ Walker was sacked in his own end zone for a safety. The Browns are 7-5 while the 6-5 Broncos have won 5 straight after a 1-5 start. 29-12 Broncos

Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders — The Raiders have drastically improved the culture of the team under Antonio Pierce, but the Chiefs are the ultimate measuring stick. There is a difference between being improved and being good. After a touchback, Josh Jacobs ran for 7 and one. On 3rd and 2 from their own 33, Aidan O’Connell went to dDavante Adams for a 33 yard gain. Jacobs added 4 and 3. On 3rd and 3 from the Kansas City 27, O’Connell went to Jakobi Meyers for 4. On 3rd and 5 from the Kansas City 18, O’Connell went to Meyers for the touchdown to make it 7-0 Raiders. On the first Chiefs play from scrimmage after a touchback, a screen pass by Patrick Mahomes was blown up for an 11 yard loss. The Chiefs went 3 and our. The Raiders from their own 19 moved 69 yards in 14 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. As the first quarter was ending, the Raiders faced 4th and 1 from the Kansas City 12. Antonio Pierce decided to play it safe. The Raiders had all the momentum, but it seemed to evaporate when Daniel Carlson missed a 30 yard field goal try. Yet the Raiders got it back at their own 23 and quickly exploded. O’Connell hit Davante Adams for 14. On the next play Jacobs banged through the line and was off to the races for a 63 yard touchdown. The Raiders led 14-0 early in the second quarter, but at this point the inevitable happened.

The Chiefs took over at their own 29. Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for 12. Mahomes hit Gray for 12 and Moore for 18. On 3rd and 8 from the Raiders 16, Mahomes went to Rice for 10. On 3rd and goal at the one, Pacheco got in. The 12 play, 71 yard, 6 minute drive had the Chiefs within 14-7. The Chiefs got it back at their own 21 with 3 1/2 minutes left in the half. Mahomes went to Pacheco for 10 and Rice for 9. Mahomes went to Kelce for big gains of 27 and 23. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Mahomes went to Watson for the touchdown and a 14-14 tie with 25 seconds left in the half. After a third quarter touchback, the Chiefs kept rolling. Mahomes hit Kelce for 8 and Gray for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the Raiders 41, Pacheco gained 6. Mahomes went to Rice for 19 and Pacheco for 14 down to the one. Pacheco got in on the next play. The 10 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the Chiefs up 21-14. 

The Raiders defense finally got a stop as Maxx Crosby sacked Mahomes. The Raiders moved from their own 24 to a 2nd and 6 at the Kansas City 16. Jacobs got stopped for no gain and O’Connell on 3rd and 6 threw incomplete. Carlson hit the 34 yard field goal to get the Raiders within 21-17 with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. After a touchback, Mahomes went to Kelce for 16. Mahomes went to Pacheco for 10. The fourth quarter began with the Chiefs facing 3rd and 6 at the Raiders 39. Mahoems went to Rice, who weaved through and past everyone for a touchdown and a 28-17 Chiefs lead.

The Raiders after a touchback moved to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 44. O’Connell threw 3 straight incompletions. With 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation, Antonio Pierce decided to punt. The Raiders got the ball back at their own 10. On 4th and 1 from his own 19 with 6 1/2 minutes left, this time Pierce decided to go for it. Jacobs never had a chance. Zero attempts at blocking allowed the Kansas City defense to bury Jacobs for a 2 yard loss and set up the Chiefs at the Raiders 17. On 3rd and goal at the 13, a swing pass lost a yard. Harrison Butker hit the 32 yard field goal as a 31-3 rampage gave the Chiefs the comfortable win. Again, the Raiders are improved. The Chiefs are good. That is a big difference. 31-17 Chiefs

Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles — The Eagles after an emotional win at Kansas City came in an NFL best 9-1. The Eagles on 2nd and 12 from their own 25 saw Jalen Hurts hit Devonta Smith for 14. On 3rd and 10 from their own 39, Hurts threw incomplete but defensive holding meant a new set of downs. On 4th and 1 from the Buffalo 47, Nick sirianni went for it. With everyone expecting the tush push, the defense encroached to give the Eagles the first down. Hurts then ran for 16. Gainwell gained 23 down to the one. Hurts got in to cap the 10 play, 73 yard, 5 1/2 minute drive to make it 7-0 Eagles.

The Bills after a touchback in the second quarter moved to a 4th and 7 at the Philadelphia 30. Tyler Bass hit a 48 yard field goal to get the Bills within 7-3. An interception of Hurts set up the Bills at the Philadelphia 29. On 3rd and 9, Josh Allen went to Gabriel Davis for 19. Allen ran for a 9 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Bills. With 90 seconds left in the half, Bass missed a 34 yard field goal try that would have extended the lead. Yet 3 plays later Hurts fumbled the ball away. The Bills took over at the Philly 36 with one minute left. Allen ran for 19. On 3rd and 6 from the Philly 13, Allen went to Stefan Diggs for the touchdown. The Bills led 17-7 at the break. 

The Bills moved from their own 31 to a 1st and 10 at the Philadelphia 30. The Bills had all the momentum but Allen threw 3 straight incompletions. Bass missed a 48 yard field goal try. From their own 38, Deandre Swift ran for 36. On 3rd and 2 from the Buffalo 18, Hurts went to Still for 14. Hurts hit AJ Brown for a 3 yard touchdown. With hard rain coming down, the Eagles were within 17-14 midway through the third quarter. The Bill soon faced 3rd and 4 at their own 36. Allen gained 7. Allen hit Cook for 29. Johnson gained 8 and 4. On 3rd and 11 from the Philadelphia 16, Allen ran for the touchdown to make it 24-14 Bills.

After a touchback, Hurts went deep to Smith for 33. On 3rd and 4 from the Buffalo 32 to start the fourth quarter, Hurts ran for 12. Hurts fired over the middle to Smith for a 15 yard touchdown to get the Eagles within 24-21. Two plays after a touchback, Allen was intercepted. Three plays later on 3rd and 15 from the Buffalo 29, Hurts went deep to Zaccheaus for the touchdown. With 11 minutes left in regulation, the Eagles led 28-24. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Bills took over at their own 26. Cook ripped off a pair of 11 yard gains. Latavius Murray ran for 12 and 7. On 3rd and 3 from the Philadelphia 33, Allen hit Murray for 6. Allen hit Diggs for 14. On 3rd and 4 from the Philadelphia 7, Allen went to Davis for the touchdown. With 1:52 to play, the Bills had the 31-28 lead. After a touchback, Hurts went to Brown for 9, Gainwell for 4, Brown for 11, Gainwell for 6, and Smith for 11. On 3rd and 12 from the Buffalo 36, a second false start was a killer and pushed the Eagles out of realistic field goal range. 30 seconds remained. The Eagles were out of timeouts. A 59 yard field goal try in the rain seemed incredibly unrealistic, but that was the choice. Elliott came in to try and hit a miracle. The miracle was delivered as this thrilling game was headed to overtime.

After a touchback, the Bills moved 53 yards in 12 plays. On 3rd and 6 from the Philly 22, Allen threw incomplete. Bass hit the 40 yard field goal. With 6 minutes left in overtime, the Bills led 34-31. Yet the Eagles would get one chance with the ball. After a touchback, Hurts gained 8. Hurts went to Smith for 17. On 3rd and 3 from the Buffalo 39, Hurts hit Smith for 11. Swift ran for 16. Time was no longer a factor. With 2 1/2 minutes left, there was plenty of time for the eagles to calmly go for the win or the tie. Hurts took a perfectly executed draw play up the middle for the 12 yard touchdown as the drenched home Philadelphia crowd erupted. The Bills fell to 6-6 while the Eagles still have the best record in the NFL at 10-1 after winning this instant classic. 37-34 Eagles, OT

Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers was the Sunday night game. Nobody loses close games like the Chargers. nobody wins ugly like the Ravens. Meanwhile the Ravens sought to keep pace with the top teams in the AFC. After an opening touchback, the Chargers moved to a 2nd and 9 at the Baltimore 11. A sack of Justin Herbert killed the drive. The 12 play, 54 yard, 6 minute drive finished with Cameron Dicker hitting a 39 yard field goal. The Chargers led 3-0 but their offense took much of the rest of the night off.

The Ravens got it back after an offensive penalty and faced 1st and 20 at their own 12. Lamar Jackson hit Likely for 18, O’Dell Beckham Jr. for 11, Mitchell for 14 and Beckham for 14. On 3rd and 9 from the Chargers 26, Jackson went to Bateman for 12. Jackson ran for a 3 yard touchdown to cap the 12 play, 78 yard, 6 minute drive and make it 7-3 Ravens. Justin Tucker hit field goals of 42 in the second quarter and 48 in the third quarter for a 13-3 Ravens lead. Both field goals were set up by Chargers turnovers. The Chargers even wasted a mind-numbing 19 play drive that took 9 minutes by fumbling the ball away in the red zone. 

A 23 yard punt return gave the Chargers the ball at their own 40 with 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation. Herbert hit Keenan Allen for 7. Herbert ran for 35. On 3rd and goal at the 3, Herbert hit Everett for the touchdown. With 8 1/2 minutes left, the Chargers were right back in it down 13-10. The Ravens after a touchback moved to a 4th and 1 at the Chargers 26. a very conservative John Harbaugh decided not to gamble. In an even bigger surprise, reliable kicker Tucker missed a 44 yard field goal try. The Chargers moved from their own 34 to a 3rd and 6 at the Baltimore 46. Needing only a field goal, Herbert threw incomplete and was then sacked. With 1:36 left and the Chargers down to one timeout, everything came down to the Ravens facing 3rd and 3 from the Chargers 37. Zee Flowers took an end around for a first down and all the way for the touchdown to put the game on ice. 20-10 Ravens 

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings was the Monday night game. The Vikings had their 4 game winning streak snapped last week. This wretched game saw Cairo Santos missed a 48 yard first quarter field goal try and make a 25 yarder in the second quarter for a 3-0 Bears lead. Greg Joseph hit from 34 to end the half. Santos hit from 39 in the third quarter and from 55 to make it 9-3 Bears early in the fourth quarter. The Bears defense intercepted Joshua Dobbs 4 times, mostly off of deflected balls, and wasted the opportunities. From the Minnesota 22 with a chance to put the game away, Justin Fields fumbled the ball away. On 3rd and 3 from his own 30, Dobbs hit Powell for 18, Addison for 14, TJ Hockenson for 16, and Hockenson again for a 17 yard touchdown. The Vikings led 10-9 with 6 minutes left in regulation. Fields fumbled the ball away again with 3 1/2 minutes left. The Bears got it back at their own 22 with 2 1/2 minutes left. The key play of the game came on 3rd and 10 from midfield with one minute left. Fields went to Moore for 36 yards.  Fields took 3 knees to take the clock down. Santos hit the 30 yarder with 10 seconds left to give the Bears the win. 12-10 Bears

NFL 2023 Week 12 Prequel

Thanksgiving Thursday, November 23, 2023, 9:30am

Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (-7 1/2) — The balance of power has shifted. The Packers are bad. The Lions are very good and playing with a chip on their shoulders. The Lions have hit the Packers in the mouth twice in a row in Green Bay. At home indoors, their offense will click on all cylinders. Lions cover

1:30pm

Washington Commanders at Dallas Cowboys (-11) — The Commanders looked awful at home against the lowly Giants. The Cowboys have found their groove. They sometimes play down to the level of their competition, but that will be very hard in this case. The Cowboys have too many weapons on offense. Cowboys cover

5pm

San Francisco 49ers (-6 1/2) at Seattle Seahawks — First place in the NFC West is on the line. The Seahawks stubbed their to in blowing a 13 point second half lead last week at the Rams. The 49ers have more talent on offense and their defense is nastier. Yet the Seahawks have the home field. Seattle has not bee invincible at home in years, but the 12th man should be jacked up for this one. Nevertheless, go with the better team. 49ers win but fail to cover

Black Friday, November 24, 3pm

Miami Dolphins (-10) at New York Jets — A special edition of Friday football gives the Dolphins a chance to run away with the division. Both teams have good defenses, but the Jets finally benched Zach Wilson. Tim Boyle gets the start. He will be a deer in the headlights. The spread is a high for a road team, and again Gang Green does have a solid defense. The Dolphins have enough speed to break the Jets, but a garbage touchdown is possible. Dolphins win but fail to cover

Sunday, November 26, 1pm

Pittsburgh Steelers (-1) at Cincinnati Bengals — Both of these teams are fighting for position in a crowded AFC North. The Steelers are favored because Joe Burrow is now out for the rest of the year injured. Home field has never mattered in these matchups. The Pittsburgh offense went nowhere last week at Cleveland, and Cincinnati still has a decent defense. This one could come down to the final play. Expect the Steelers to pound d the ball. This could go down to the final play. Steelers cover

Jacksonville Jaguars (-1 1/2) at Houston Texans — Both teams are improved under Doug Pederson and Demeco Ryans, respectively. Trevor Lawrence is a generational talent and CJ Stroud has taken the league by storm. Right now Stroud has the hot hand. Go with the home field when all else seems equal. Upset special, Texans win outright

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Indianapolis Colts (-2 1/2) — The Buccaneers have talent on paper, but games are not played on paper. Gardner Minshew has filled in capably in place of the injured Anthony Richardson. Indoors at home, expect Jonathan Taylor to run well enough to make a difference. Until the Buccaneers stop underachieving, they don’t get the benefit of the doubt. Colts cover

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (Pick) — Normally the Saints would be favored, but they have been battered by injuries. Derek Carr is still in concussion protocol. Michael Thomas is out. Jameis Winston throws touchdown passes to both teams. Nevertheless, the Falcons are not that special and Dennis Allen runs a great defense. Saints win

New England Patriots (-3) at New York Giants — This is the Stupor Bowl. The Patriots are awful. So are the Giants, and starting Danny Devito’s third cousin Tommy does not help matters. Yet the Giants have a decent defense. Devito was sacked nine times last week and the Giants still won on the road. Mac Jones is playing badly. In an ugly game, go with the Giants defense. Upset special, Giants win outright

Carolina Panthers at Tennessee Titans (-3 1/2) — Both of these teams are having a miserable season. Derrick Henry should be ok at home to run over a Carolina defense that is far from great. At home, the Titans should get the win. Yet until they prove themselves against the worst team in the league, they do not get the benefit of the doubt regarding the point spread. Titans win but fail to cover

4pm

Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals (Pick) — The Cardinals are simply a different team with Kyler Murray in the lineup. The Rams gutted out a win over Seattle at home after overcoming a 13 point deficit. Yet at home, Murray knows he is playing for his future in Arizona. Expect Murray to run all over the place. Cardinals win

Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos (-2 1/2) — Both teams have really good defenses. Yet the Broncos also have Russell Wilson. With Deshaun Watson out for the rest of the year, the Browns will have to win with their defense. The Broncos have won four straight, including a victory over Minnesota, who had won five straight. The Broncos are a whole team. The Browns are half a team. Browns cover

Kansas City Chiefs (-9 1/2) at Las Vegas Raiders — The Chiefs were one dropped pass in the rain from beating Philadelphia. Dropped passes have killed the Chiefs this year. Yet while the Raiders are improved, Aidan O’Connell is no Patrick Mahomes. Interim Coach Antonio Pierce is determined to run the ball. If Josh Jacobs can get going, the Raiders can keep from getting blown out. The Raiders defense played Miami tough. The Chiefs are not blowing teams out as in years past. Chiefs win but fail to cover

Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles (-3 1/2) — The Eagles got a big emotional win over Kansas City, but do not expect a letdown. At home, the Eagles are very tough. The Bills are playing far below their talent level. The Bills did blow out the Jets, and the Jets are the only team this year to have beaten the Eagles. That was a fluke. Josh Allen is turning the ball over far too often. Eagles win but fail to cover

8pm

Baltimore Ravens (-4) at Los Angeles Chargers — Nobody loses close games like the Chargers. Lamar Jackson is playing lights out football. John Harbaugh is a far better coach than Brandon Staley. Justin Herbert is talented enough to keep the Chargers in the game, but trust the team that finds ways to win over the team that consistently underachieves when it matters. Ravens win but fail to cover

Monday, November 27, 8pm

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (-3 1/2) — Both teams blew a fourth quarter late lead last week. Yet the Vikings had their five game winning streak snapped at a Denver team that has won four straight. The Bears have been awful all year. They lack the talent to compete. The Vikings have not been blowing anyone out, and the Bears could get a garbage touchdown. Vikings win but fail to cover