NFL Game Recaps: Week 17, 2021

NFL Game Recaps of previous weeks and seasons can be found via links at the bottom of the page.

Bills 29, Falcons 15
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: I must really thank Charlie Campbell for doing all the recaps this week. This was amazing for me because I’m at the hospital for the birth of my son, so doing recaps would have been challenging. I will be watching all the games via NFL.com’s Game Pass, but my recaps would have been late and a bit brief.

Josh Allen wasn’t sharp in this contest, throwing three interceptions, but the Buffalo defense came up with clutch stops and a second-half shutout. The Bills produced four rushing touchdowns, with Devin Singletary running all over Atlanta in the final two quarters. This loss was a death blow to Atlanta’s remote playoff hopes. With this win, Buffalo clinched a playoff spot for the third straight year.

The scoring started with Atlanta getting a safety. The Bills fumbled a punt return around the 10-yard line and recovered the loose ball in the end zone to limit the Falcons to a two-pointer instead of a touchdown. After forcing a punt, Allen moved the ball down the field before he finished the drive himself with a one-yard touchdown run. On the ensuing Falcons possession, Gregory Rousseau strip-sacked Matt Ryan, and Harrison Phillips recovered at the Falcons’ 18. A few plays later, Allen ran into the end zone.

Ryan bounced back to lead a field goal drive to cut the Bills lead to 14-5. Duron Harmon picked off Allen in the end zone, and the Falcons took advantage with Ryan, finding Kyle Pitts for a 61-yard completion. The drive ended with a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Mike Davis. A.J. Terrell picked off Allen, and that gifted the Falcons a field goal to put Atlanta up 15-14 at the half.

Foye Oluokon intercepted Allen early in the third quarter, but this time, the Buffalo defense came up with a big stop. The Bills started running well with Singletary, who led them down the field before scoring a 6-yard touchdown run. Allen completed a two-point conversion to Cole Beasley to go up 22-15. After a punt, the Bills finished off the win with another drive that resulted in the second touchdown run from Singletary.

Allen was 11-of-26 for 120 yards and three interceptions. He also rushed for two touchdowns.

Singletary ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.

Stefon Diggs had 52 yards on five receptions.

Ryan was 13-of-23 for 197 yards.

Cordarrelle Patterson ran for 28 yards on nine carries.

Kyle Pitts had only two catches for 69 yards.

Bears 29, Giants 3
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: The only reason I didn’t bet the Bears this week is because I was worried about laying lots of points with Andy Dalton. I guess I should’ve factored in that Mike Glennon would automatically give Chicago double-digit points.

This game had no importance aside from draft position for the Giants. One of their first-round picks could move up and the other down because they have Chicago’s first-rounder from the Justin Fields trade. Giants quarterback Mike Glennon was inept, and Andy Dalton led the Bears to their sixth win of the season, so the Giants’ high first-rounder is protected while their second selection will drop somewhat.

At the start of the first quarter, Tashaun Gipson strip-sacked Glennon. Bilal Nichols recovered the fumble and returned it 12 yards to the two before David Montgomery promptly plunged into the end zone. The next New York drive saw Gipson intercept Glennon and return the pick 31 yards to the Giants 24. A few plays later, Dalton hit Darnell Mooney for a four-yard touchdown. After that, a series of punts went back forth before each team produced a field goal drive. The Giants had a drive start deep in their own territory but went backward, with Devontae Booker getting stopped in the end zone for a safety. Chicago turned the ensuing field position into a 44-yard Cairo Santos field goal to go up 22-3 at the half.

Dalton led another drive down the field in the third quarter, which resulted in another short touchdown run for Montgomery. Neither team scored in fourth-quarter garbage time.

Dalton completed 18-of-35 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

David Montgomery ran for only 64 yards on 22 carries, but he scored two touchdowns.

Darnell Mooney caught seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown

Glennon completed 4-of-11 passes for 24 yards and two interceptions.

Saquon Barkley ran for 102 yards on 21 carries.

Bengals 34, Chiefs 31
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: When the Chiefs were 3-4 earlier in the season, I thought my over 12.5 wins bet was toast. Then, they won eight in a row to improve to 11-4. All they needed to do was beat the Bengals and Broncos to get over 12.5 wins, and with the latter victory being a certainty, beating Cincinnati was all that mattered. When the Chiefs were up double digits, I thought the over 12.5 win was in the bag, and yet, it turned out to be a loser.

The Chiefs were in position to clinch the No. 1 seed, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage in the playoffs with a win in Cincinnati and a Titans loss to Miami. The opposite happened, however, with the Bengals pulling off a huge comeback win to upset Kansas City in Cincinnati and the Titans demolishing the Dolphins. Cincinnati’s electrifying win, led by Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, clinched the AFC North title for the franchise. This is the team’s first playoff berth, division title, and season of double-digit wins since 2015.

The Kansas City offense was on fire in the first half, ripping up the Cincinnati defense. Patrick Mahomes got started early in the first quarter with a 29-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson. After getting the ball back, Mahomes connected with Travis Kelce (5-25-1) for another touchdown. Cincinnati cut the Chiefs lead in half when Joe Burrow hit Ja’Marr Chase on a 15-yard out and he raced away from the Kansas City defense for a 72-yard touchdown.

Chiefs running back Darrel Williams capped another quick drive with a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Burrow and Chase connected again for an 18-yard touchdown to make it 21-14 Kansas City. Williams added his second 1-yard touchdown run, and the Bengals responded with a field goal to make it 28-17 Chiefs at the half.

Early in the third quarter, Burrow hit Chase wide open along the sideline, and Chase cruised for a 69-yard touchdown to cut the Chiefs lead to 28-24. The Bengals defense did a phenomenal job of adjusting, as they held the Chiefs to only three points over the final two quarters.

Cincinnati took the lead midway through the second half with a drive that ended with a short scoring strike to Tyler Boyd (3-62). The Chiefs produced a field goal drive to tie the game at 31 with six minutes remaining. Burrow had a few short completions before hitting a 35-yarder to Chase. A sack pushed Cincinnati back, but Burrow hit Chase for a 30-yard completion to the Chiefs’ 11. The Bengals then ran the ball to the 1-yard line before running out the clock and setting up the game-winning 20-yard field goal from Evan McPherson on the final play.

Burrow completed 30-of-39 passes for 446 yards and four touchdowns.

Joe Mixon ran for 46 yards on 12 carries.

Chase dominated Kansas City with 11 receptions for 266 yards and three touchdowns.

Mahomes completed 26-of-35 for 259 yards and two touchdowns.

Darrell Williams ran for 88 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries.

Tyreek Hill logged six receptions for 40 yards.

Titans 34, Dolphins 3
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: So much for that seven-game winning streak. I thought the Dolphins would at least be competitive in this game, but they got destroyed despite the Titans missing Derrick Henry and Julio Jones. Tua Tagovailoa was dreadful, but perhaps he’ll be better with blocking help.

The Dolphins entered this game the hottest team in the NFL, having won seven in the row, but the rainy conditions in Tennessee cooled down Miami. With the Colts losing to the Raiders, the Titans clinched the AFC South. Tennessee also still has a shot at the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage because the Chiefs lost to Cincinnati.

Miami opened the game with a promising drive that ended thanks to a Denico Autry sack, and that set the tone for the game. Late in the first quarter, the Titans put a drive together featuring D’Onta Foreman. He had a 14-yard run to set up a 1-yard touchdown by Geoff Swaim, and that was all the scoring Tennessee really needed. On the next drive, the rainy wet ball came back to bite Tua Tagovailoa, who dropped the ball while reaching back to pass, and the Titans recovered at the Dolphins’ 14. Tennessee settled for a field goal from there. Miami’s offense got going with Duke Johnson running well and Tagovailoa converting a fourth down with a 15-yard pass to Durham Smythe. That got a field goal for the Dolphins, but that was all they could muster offensively all day. Tannehill led a drive and then Foreman ripped off a 21-yard touchdown run. That gave the Titans a 17-3 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, the Dolphins missed a long field goal. Miami finally got star rookie Jaylen Waddle (3-47) the ball with a 45-yard completion to the Tennessee 26. The Titans stopped a fourth-and-11 with an incompletion to protect their lead, and that basically ended any comeback hopes for Miami. To put the game away, Foreman ripped off a big run and Tannehill finished the possession with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Firkser to go up 24-3 midway through the fourth quarter. In garbage time, Dontrell Hilliard raced for a 39-yard touchdown.

Tannehill completed 13-of-18 for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Foreman ran for 132 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries.

A.J. Brown had two receptions for 41 yards.

Tagovailoa completed 18-of-38 passes for 205 yards and an interception.

Duke Johnson generated 49 yards on seven carries.

Mike Gesicki led Miami through the air with four receptions for 51 yards.

Raiders 23, Colts 20
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s hard to believe the Colts were favored by so much. It was an overreaction to their two Saturday victories everyone saw on national TV. If you think about it, this game wasn’t even as close as this score indicates because of the lucky T.Y. Hilton touchdown that could have easily been an interception.

This was a huge game for both teams for trying to get a wild-card spot, and each team entered this contest in control of its destiny. The Las Vegas coaching staff did a phenomenal job, with the Raiders producing clutch stops on defense, and Derek Carr hitting some huge passes despite being without Darren Waller for the fifth straight game. Las Vegas got a huge road win to stay in the thick of the AFC playoff race despite a season of extraordinary adversity. With their ninth victory of the year, the Raiders have only their second winning season in the last 20 years.

The Raiders took the opening drive down the field, eating up over seven minutes thanks to Josh Jacobs ripping off yards in chunks, including a short touchdown run. After getting the ball back, Derek Carr took a deep shot to DeSean Jackson, but Isaiah Rodgers came down with the pass for an interception. The Colts were forced into a punt thanks to Maxx Crosby and Quinton Jefferson, but Hunter Renfrow returned the punt 41 yards to set up Las Vegas at the Colts 35. The drive stalled, but Daniel Carlson continued his phenomenal season by drilling a 47-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 10-0 lead.

The Colts got moving with Jonathan Taylor ripping off two chunk runs for about 50 yards, and that got them on the board with a field goal. Las Vegas responded with a nice drive, including a fourth-and-1 conversion by Marcus Mariota, but a Kwity Paye sack forced a field goal to leave the Raiders with a 13-3 lead. Carson Wentz had only one completion entering the final drive of the first half, but he started to move the ball with some short completions and got the Colts to the one with 13 seconds remaining. On third-and-goal, Taylor dove over goal line to cut the Las Vegas lead to 13-10 at the half.

To open the third quarter, Taylor started running well and Wentz converted a fourth-and-1. From midfield, Wentz threw the pass into a crowd, and it deflected off of two Raiders defensive backs and a Colts receiver before T.Y. Hilton caught the loose ball behind the scrum for a 45-yard touchdown. Up 17-13, Darius Leonard made a phenomenal play, intercepting Carr to get the Colts close to midfield.

The Las Vegas defense came through with a stop, and after trading some punts, Carr hit Zay Jones (8-120) for a 42-yard gain to the Colts 20. On fourth-and-2, the Raiders took a chance, with Carr rolling out to find Renfrow for a 12-yard touchdown. That put Las Vegas up 20-17 early in the fourth quarter.

The Colts had a drive to midfield, and a horrible pass interference call on the Raiders gifted the Colts a critical third-down conversion. Indianapolis tied the game at 20 with two minutes remaining. Carr soon laced passes to different receivers to move across midfield. On third-and-10, Carr laid out a beauty and Renfrow made a reaching catch before sliding into the turf. Renfrow got up at the 24 and ran into the end zone. The review blew the call and said Renfrow was down at the 24, but Las Vegas turned it into an advantage by running the clock out. On the final play of the game, Carlson drilled a 33-yard field goal to get a huge road win for Las Vegas.

Carr was 24-of-31 for 255 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Jacobs ran for 63 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Renfrow caught seven passes for 76 yards and a touchdown.

Wentz was 16-of-27 for 148 yards and a touchdown.

Taylor ran for 108 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries .

Michael Pittman had six catches for 47 yards.

Patriots 50, Jaguars 10
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: The sensation didn’t last very long, but I once thought that the Patriots’ -15.5 line was too big. I ended up betting New England, so I’m glad I came to my senses.

As one could expect, the Patriots cruised over the pathetic Jaguars, blowing them out in Foxboro. Bill Belichick has dominated rookie quarterbacks during his New England tenure, and Trevor Lawrence proved no exception. On the positive side for the Jaguars, this loss locked them into the first- or second-overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Patriots’ first two possessions were long drives that resulted in a pair of Damien Harris (9-35-2) touchdown runs. Lawrence produced a field goal drive in between those scores. Lawrence was also picked off by Myles Bryant to set up a short field, which Mac Jones turned into a 6-yard score to Kristian Wilkerson. Lawrence threw another interception to J.C. Jackson to set up Jones at the Jaguars’ 43. Jones turned that possession into a touchdown toss to Jakobi Myers and a 28-3 lead at halftime.

New England opened the third quarter with a 77-yard drive, including Jones hitting Wilkerson for a 20-yard score. Kyle Dugger joined the interception parade, and his pick of Lawrence set up a 1-yard touchdown run for Rhamondre Stevenson. That gave New England a 41-3 lead entering the fourth quarter. In garbage time, Stevenson added a second short touchdown run and Lawrence threw a pass to running back Dare Ogunbowale that was turned into a 28-yard touchdown.

Jones completed 22-of-30 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns.

Stevenson led the Patriots on the ground with 19 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

Meyers had eight catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.

Lawrence completed 17-of-27 passes for 193 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.

Ogunbowale ran for 36 yards on nine carries and took two receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown.

Laquon Treadwell (6-87) was Jacksonville’s leading receiver.

Buccaneers 28, Jets 24
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Buccaneers really needed Antonio Brown. Assuming they really do kick him off the team, I don’t see how they win the Super Bowl with just Mike Evans at receiver.

Tampa Bay was outplayed for a lot of this game, but once again, Tom Brady led a comeback to keep the Buccaneers alive in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Buccaneers are not entering the playoffs red hot like they were last year, however, and they suffered another blow to their receiving corps with an Antonio Brown meltdown. In a bizarre display during the third quarter, Brown took off his jersey and pads on the sideline. He walked to the locker room, throwing his shirt and gloves into the stands on the way. After the game, head coach Bruce Arians said Brown was no longer a member of the team and that was probably the end of his NFL career. After losing Chris Godwin to injury, Tampa Bay enters the playoffs without two of its top three receivers. The team will need some of its young depth to step up quickly.

Overall, this loss was the best possible outcome for the Jets, as their young players gained confidence by playing tough against the defending champions, but they also protected the positioning of their high first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

On the opening drive of the game, Michael Carter ripped off a 55-yard run to get to the Buccaneers’ 12-yard line. To end the drive, a handoff to Braxton Berrios resulted in a 1-yard touchdown run. Tampa Bay responded with Brady leading his team down the field before he connected with Mike Evans (4-47-1) for a short touchdown pass. The Jets kept moving the ball, with Wilson hitting some short completions to move the chains before connecting with Berrios for a nine-yard touchdown. Tampa Bay answered with a field goal to make it 14-10. Late in the first half, Brady threw an interception to Brandin Echols, and the Jets turned that into a field goal for a 17-10 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, Wilson led a 66-yard, 10-play drive that ended with Ty Johnson plunging into the end zone. Brady responded by leading the Bucs down the field and hitting Cameron Brate on a 4-yard touchdown to make it 24-17. In the fourth quarter, Brady produced a field goal drive.

The Jets drove down the field after that, but they decided to pass on a field goal and went for a fourth-and-2 from the Bucs’ seven. Wilson was stopped for no gain, and that gave Brady the ball with just over two minutes remaining. He moved the ball down the field before lofting in a 33-yard touchdown to Cyril Grayson (6-81-1) with just seconds remaining on the clock.

Brady completed 34-of-50 passes for 410 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.

Ke’Shawn Vaughn (8-31) and Ronald Joens (10-26) were not effective on the ground.

Rob Gronkowski led Tampa Bay with seven receptions for 115 yards.

Wilson completed 19-of-33 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown.

Michael Carter had three carries for 54 yards before leaving with a concussion.

Berrios led the Jets with eight catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.

Eagles 20, Redskins 16
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: The sportsbooks got cooked on this game with a middle. The people who bet the Eagles at their lowest (-3.5) won, and those who bet the Redskins at the highest (+6) all won. The books usually know what they’re doing, so it’s unusual that they lose big like this.

The Eagles maintained wild-card status with a comeback road win in Washington. The Redskins are out of the playoff picture, so at this point, losing was better for them to potentially move up in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Taylor Heinicke spread the ball around on the opening drive of the game to move down the field and set up an 11-yard touchdown run for Jaret Patterson. Washington added a field goal drive on its next possession. Jalen Hurts led a drive at the end of the first quarter with completions to DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Boston Scott to get downfield, with Scott running into the end zone from a few yards out. Washington produced two field goal drives in the second quarter to go up 16-7 at intermission, but after that, the Eagles pitched a shutout in the second half.

Philadelphia put together a long drive in the third quarter, going 80 yards on 17 plays. The key play was a 27-yard pass to Greg Ward, and shortly later, Scott had another short touchdown run. The Eagles then added a field goal drive to grab the lead at 17-16. Taylor Heinicke threw incomplete on a fourth-and-4 at midfield, and that good field position set up a short field goal drive to pad the Philadelphia lead to 20-16. Washington’s last gasp ended when Rodney McLeod picked off Heinicke in the end zone to clinch the win for the Eagles.

Hurts completed 17-of-26 passes for 214 yards. He ran for 44 yards.

Scott ran for 47 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. He had four receptions for 39 yards as well.

Goedert caught six passes for 71 yards.

Heinicke completed 27-of-36 passes for 247 yards and an interception.

Patterson ran for 57 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. He also caught five passes for 41 yards.

Terry McLaurin caught seven passes for 61 yards.

Rams 20, Ravens 19
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m glad the Rams won outright because that’ll give us a golden opportunity to continue to fade them. Matthew Stafford is definitely not himself; he’s been a shell of his former self ever since hurting his back.

The Rams were looking to maintain their first-place status in the NFC West, while Baltimore was trying to arrest its late season slide. Matthew Stafford tried to help the Ravens with some early interceptions, but eventually, the Rams were too much for Baltimore to get a big road win. The Ravens had too many drives settle for field goals, while the Rams conversely scored touchdowns.

The Rams had a lot of miscues early in the game, including a missed field goal on their first possession. The second Los Angeles possession saw Stafford throw an interception to Chuck Clark that was returned 17 yards for a touchdown. The next Rams possession saw Clark intercept Stafford again, this time at the Ravens 4-yard line. Baltimore turned the turnover into a field goal drive to go up 10-0. The Rams got the momentum change they needed when Tyler Huntley was picked off by Jordan Fuller, who returned the interception 34 yards. A few plays later, Stafford threw a rope to Cooper Kupp for an 18-yard touchdown. The Ravens produced a field goal to hold an 13-7 lead at the half.

The third quarter had a similar start to the game, as Stafford was strip-sacked by Tyus Bowser with Baltimore recovering. It happened in the red zone, so the turnover denied crucial points for Los Angeles. The Ravens put together a field goal drive and expanded their lead to 16-7. Late in the third quarter, Stafford hit Kupp for 21 yards, and a few other completions set up a 1-yard touchdown run for Sony Michel.

In the fourth quarter, Baltimore added a field goal to go up 19-14, but Stafford was in a groove and moved down the field on the Ravens defense. To end the drive, he connected with Odell Beckham for a seven-yard touchdown, but the two-point conversion failed. The Rams defense shut door to get the one-point road win.

Stafford completed 26-of-35 passes for 309 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Michel ran for 74 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

Kupp caught six passes for 95 yards and a touchdown.

Huntley completed 20-of-32 passes for 197 yards.

Devonta Freeman ran for 76 yards on 14 carries.

Mark Andrews led the Ravens with six catches for 89 yards.

Chargers 34, Broncos 13
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: This was so frustrating. I bet the Broncos early, but then saw all of their players get tossed on the illness list. I don’t understand why they were even tested. I also don’t understand why the Broncos couldn’t run on the Chargers.

The Chargers are in the thick of the AFC playoff race, trying to get one of the wild-card spots, while Denver has faded away after a 3-0 start to the season. With Drew Lock starting for Denver, this game went as expected with Los Angeles cruising at home.

The Chargers struck first, taking the opening kickoff down the field with some moderate gains before Austin Ekeler scored. The Broncos moved into Los Angeles territory, but Jerry Tillery sacked Lock on a fourth-and-6 to get a turnover on downs. After a series of multiple punts for each team, Los Angeles mounted a field goal drive. Denver got moving when Lock connected with Courtland Sutton for a 44-yard gain, and that set up a first-and-goal with an 18-yard completion to Noah Fant. The Chargers put up a goal-line stand, and on fourth-and-goal, they tackled Kendall Hinton at the one. In the second quarter, Los Angeles went down the field and essentially put the game away with a short touchdown pass to Keenan Allen. Denver responded with field goal to cut the Los Angeles lead to 17-3 at the half.

In the third quarter, the Chargers and Broncos tacked on field goals to make it 20-6, and then the Chargers’ Andre Roberts returned a kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown. To ice the game away, Herbert connected with Mike Williams for a 45-yard touchdown. In garbage time, Lock threw a touchdown pass to Fant.

Herbert completed 22-of-31 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

Ekeler ran for 58 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He also caught three passes for 54 yards.

Mike Williams had three receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Lock completed 18-of-25 passes for 245 yards and a touchdown.

Melvin Gordon (10-43) and Javonte Williams (14-30) were held in check in by the Chargers.

Fant (6-92-1) was Denver’s leading receiver.

49ers 23, Texans 7
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: As I said to Jacob on Twitter, the 49ers were insanely stupid to kick that covering field goal at the end: “It was the wrong move, too. The 49ers were up two scores regardless. Getting the first down on fourth-and-1 would’ve ended the game.”

Even though the 49ers were playing one of the worst teams in the NFL, this was an important game for them. They needed to hold onto a wild-card spot in the NFC and were also looking for a positive performance from rookie quarterback Trey Lance. While the 49ers had a slow start, eventually they pulled away from Houston to improve to 9-7 on the season.

Following a scoreless opening quarter, Houston struck first when Desmond King intercepted Lance. Davis Mills provided the Texans’ highlight of the game with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks. Late in the second quarter, the 49ers produced a field goal drive to make it 7-3 Texans at intermission.

In the third quarter, Lance hit Brandon Aiyuk for a 43-yard gain, but San Franciso got stopped on a fourth-and-1 at the Texans’ 24 to lose out on the scoring opportunity. Mills was then intercepted by Marcell Harris, which set up Lance just short of midfield. A 37-yard pass interference on the Texans moved the ball to the Houston 21, and a few plays later, Lance threw an 8-yard touchdown Elijah Mitchell. After trading some punts, the Texans had a missed field goal, and San Francisco made them pay when Lance hit a 45-yard touchdown to Deebo Samuel (3-63-1). The 49ers added two field goals in garbage time to put Houston away.

Lance completed 16-of-23 passes for 249 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Mitchell ran well for the 49ers, totaling 119 yards on 21 carries.

Brandon Aiyuk was San Francisco’s leading receiver with four receptions for 94 yards.

Mills completed 21-of-32 passes for 163 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Rex Burkhead ran for 47 yards on 16 carries.

Cooks had seven catches for 66 yards with a touchdown.

Cardinals 25, Cowboys 22
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: I guess people were too quick to write off the Cardinals, eh? Dallas’ offense has been struggling lately, but perhaps we’ll be able to bet the Cowboys at a great price soon as well once people write them off.

Arizona needed a road win and came through with a huge victory. Entering this game, Dallas had a shot at landing the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but that is gone. The loss drops the Cowboys from the No. 2 seed.

The Cardinals torched the Dallas defense on the opening drive, with Greg Dortch running for 26 yards and A.J. Green hauling in a 42-yard reception to the 1-yard line that should have gone for a touchdown, but Kyler Murray threw a little short and late. The Cowboys produced a goal-line stand to force a field goal for Arizona.

Backed up deep in his own territory, Murray converted a third down with a short flip to Chase Edmonds that went for 18 yards, and that got Arizona moving again. A few completions moved the ball across midfield before Murray found A.J. Green (3-74) for a chunk gain to get inside the 15. On fourth-and-goal, Murray found Antoine Wesley (4-30-2) in the back of the end zone to give Arizona a 10-0 lead.

Late in the second quarter, Dallas moved down the field, aided by three Cardinals penalties. Prescott laid out a back-shoulder throw to Michael Gallup for a 21-yard touchdown. Gallup, however, landed awkwardly and went out for the rest of the game. On the final play of the first half, Matt Prater drilled a 53-yard field goal to put Arizona up 13-7 at intermission.

In the third quarter, Murray connected on a corner post route to Christian Kirk for a 43-yard gain. To end the drive, Murray laid out a beauty to Wesley for a 19-yard touchdown, putting Arizona up 19-7 after an incomplete two-point conversion. The Cardinals shrugged off that miss and added a field goal to go up 15 midway through the second half.

Dallas moved down the field to begin the fourth quarter, and on third-and-goal, Cedrick Wilson got wide open for a short touchdown for Dallas to cut the deficit to 22-14. After a Cardinals punt, Prescott got a 36-yard gain to CeeDee Lamb to approach midfield, but Prescott was stripped by Isaiah Simmons and Arizona recovered at the Dallas 44. The Cardinals settled for 38-yard field goal to expand their lead to 25-14.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Cedric Wilson took a screen pass and threw back to Tony Pollard for a 31-yard gain. The next play was a strike to CeeDee Lamb to get inside the 15. The drive ended with Amari Cooper getting open in the back of the end zone for a short touchdown. The two-point attempt was completed to Wilson, and Dallas was down 25-22 with just under five minutes remaining.

Murray took off on a run to the Arizona 40, and then he connected with Zach Ertz to cross midfield. Two option runs to Edmonds produced gains and first downs. With the Cowboys out of timeouts, Murray took a run himself to get another first down, and that allowed Arizona to kill the clock with a knee.

Murray completed 26-of-38 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 44 yards.

Edmonds had 18 carries for 53 yards.

Kirk led Arizona with six catches for 79 yards.

Prescott completed 24-of-38 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns.

Ezekiel Elliott had only 16 yards on nine carries.

Dalton Schultz caught six passes for 54 yards to lead Dallas in receiving.

Saints 18, Panthers 10
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: For most of this game, I was kicking myself for not switching to the Panthers as a result of the Saints not having their offensive linemen. The Saints covered, but didn’t really deserve it.

The Panthers were eliminated from the playoffs, but the Saints are clinging to slim hopes. New Orleans has been carried by its defense this year, and that was the case again, as the defensive unit shut out Carolina in the second half to lead the Saints to their eighth win of the season.

The Panthers produced a field goal on the opening drive of the game, with Sam Darnold making a 17-yard completion to Ameer Abdullah and then hooking up with Ian Thomas for 21 yards. New Orleans responded with a field goal drive to tie the game, with a 29-yard pass to Alvin Kamara being the key play for the Saints. Carolina responded with its best drive of the game, going down the field before finishing it off with a 21-yard touchdown run from Chuba Hubbard. In the second quarter, Sam Darnold was strip-sacked, which gifted the Saints a field goal. Just before the half, Taysom Hill led a field goal drive, leaving the Panthers clinging to a 10-9 lead at intermission.

In the third quarter, the Saints put together a field goal drive to take a two-point lead. New Orleans put the game away with a fourth-quarter touchdown pass on which Hill found Kamara, who then darted into the end zone. To clinch the win, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson picked off Darnold in the final minute.

Hill completed 17-of-28 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. He ran for 45 yards on 12 carries.

Kamara ran for 32 yards on 13 carries and made five receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown.

Marquez Callaway caught six passes for 97 yards.

Darnold completed 17-of-26 passes for 132 yards.

Hubbard ran for 55 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

Ian Thomas had three catches for 33 yards. Moore (3-29) and Robby Anderson (2-10) were non-factors.

Seahawks 51, Lions 29
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: Those stupid Chicago injuries ended up costing me 16 units: eight for not betting the Bears last week, and eight for betting on the Lions this week. As I’ve said before, I can’t wait for this stupid season to end.

This game did not have meaning for the playoffs because both teams were already eliminated, but this loss locks in Detroit with a top-two pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

On their second drive of the game, the Seahawks moved down the field with Rashaad Penny running well and Wilson connecting with D.J. Metcalf. Penny ended the drive by taking a zone run up the middle of the Lions defense for a 16-yard touchdown. Seattle added a 51-yard field goal to go up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Wilson found Freddie Swain in busted coverage for a gain of 58 yards. On the next play, Penny charged into the end zone from the six.

Detroit got a good kick return to cross midfield and then to complete the drive, Amon-Ra St. Brown took a carry from the backfield and broke a few tackles en route to a 26-yard touchdown run. Seattle responded with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Metcalf to go up 24-7. After getting the ball back, Penny ripped off a 37-yard run, and Wilson hit a few completions before a shovel pass to Tyler Lockett scored from a few yards out to give Seattle a 31-7 lead at the half.

To open the third quarter, Tim Boyle had a deflected pass that was intercepted by D.J. Reed and set up the Seahawks at the Detroit 21. A few plays later, Wilson lofted in a touchdown pass to Metcalf. The Lions didn’t quit though, with Boyle hitting KhaDarel Hodge for a 42-yard completion. A few plays later, Boyle connected on a 7-yard touchdown pass to St. Brown, and St. Brown then ran in a two-point conversion to make it 38-15. Detroit recovered a surprise onside kick, and on a fourth-down attempt, Boyle hit St. Brown on the run for a 31-yard completion. The drive ended with a Boyle touchdown pass to Taylor Decker.

Seattle responded with a 13-play, 75-yard drive, using Metcalf to dominate the Lions, and he caught his third touchdown of the game. In garbage time, Jamaal Williams went behind Penei Sewell for a short touchdown run. The Seahawks would add two field goals, and D.J. Reed would intercept Boyle again.

Wilson completed 20-of-29 passes for 236 yards and four touchdowns.

Penny ran for 170 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

Metcalf caught six passes for 63 yards and three touchdowns.

Boyle completed 22-of-37 passes for 262 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Jamaal Williams had 22 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown.

St. Brown caught eight passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown with 23 yards on the ground and a two-point conversion.

Packers 37, Vikings 10

Once again, a huge thanks to Charlie Campbell for recapping all the Sunday early- and late-afternoon games. We were discharged from the hospital this evening, so I was able to watch this game live in its entirety.

Unfortunately, this was not much of a game. The Packers got off to a bit of a slow start, but dominated the middle quarters, outscoring the Vikings in the second and third frames, 27-10. It was so bad that Green Bay pulled Aaron Rodgers after an early fourth-quarter touchdown. Amid the victory, the Packers won the time-of-possession battle by 17 minutes and generated 29 first downs compared to only 11 for Minnesota. The Packers outgained the Vikings, 481-206, and averaged 6.5 yards per play, whereas Minnesota held a 4.0 figure. Regardless of which metric you want to use, the Packers dominated this one-sided affair, with this victory securing the No. 1 seed and sole bye in the NFC playoff picture.

Rodgers didn’t connect on some throws early in the contest, but caught fire as the evening progressed. In the end, he completed 29-of-38 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns. He should have thrown a third score, but backup tight end Josiah Deguara dropped a touchdown on the opening drive.

As you might suspect, Davante Adams was the leading receiver, catching 11 of his 14 targets for 136 yards and a touchdown. Allen Lazard (6-72) reeled in Rodgers’ other score, which was thrown under heavy pressure from Anthony Barr. Adams and Lazard were the only Packers with more than 30 receiving yards.

The Packers had success running the ball against Minnesota’s poor ground defense. Aaron Jones paced the team in rushing with 76 yards on 18 carries, but it was A.J. Dillon (14-63) who charged into the end zone, doing so twice.

As for the Vikings, it was a dreadful start for Sean Mannion, who needed garbage time to compile a semi-respectable stat line: 22-of-36, 189 yards and a touchdown. Mannion was ultimately pulled in favor of rookie Kellen Mond, who was yanked quickly after a potential pick-six of his was dropped.

The Vikings didn’t run the ball nearly enough. Dalvin Cook was given just nine carries, turning them into 13 yards. He appeared to get hurt in the second half and sat on the bench looking frustrated.

Justin Jefferson had a disappointing game, securing six of his 11 targets for 58 yards. He barely edged out K.J. Osborn (3-50) and Tyler Conklin (5-47) on the receiving list. Osborn caught a touchdown in garbage time, while Conklin got hurt on a legal hit. When this happened, the ball bounced into the arms of center Garrett Bradbury, immaculate reception style. Bradbury rumbled for a 21-yard gain. This would’ve been a great moment for the Vikings, but they were down 30-3 at the time, so they couldn’t exactly celebrate it.

Steelers 26, Browns 14

Pretend you’re an offensive-minded head coach for a second. If your quarterback is playing hurt, and your talented running back has a dream matchup, do you: A) Ram the ball down the opponent’s throat with your running back, B) Approach the game with a balanced attack, or C) Pass as much as possible?

If you’re chose A, or even B, you’re a much better coach than Kevin Stefanski. We know this because Stefanski chose C. Despite Baker Mayfield enduring a shoulder injury, and Nick Chubb matched up against one of the weakest run defenses in the NFL, Stefanski called almost nothing but pass plays. In the first half alone, which finished with a 10-0 margin in favor of Pittsburgh, Mayfield attempted 15 passes, while Chubb rushed only four times.

Perhaps Stefanski doesn’t realize it, but Mayfield was dreadful in this game. Clearly affected by his injured shoulder, Mayfield went 16-of-38 for 185 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, and yet those stats were even enhanced by garbage time. Mayfield was just 4-of-15 for 58 yards and a pick at intermission. Mayfield spent the entire night heaving inaccurate balls toward his targets. His problematic shoulder clearly had a huge impact.

Given his poor health, Mayfield should not have played in this game, especially given that he was in danger of further aggravating his injury against a dynamic Steeler pass rush. Mayfield took nine sacks in this contest, including four from T.J. Watt, who may have locked up the Defensive Player of the Year award. Watt is now up to 21.5 sacks on the year, and he can break Michael Strahan’s all-time single-season record of 22.5 next week.

As for Chubb, he was nowhere to be seen on some drives. The Browns told ESPN’s sideline reporter that this was not due to injury. Chubb rushed only 12 times, picking up 58 yards in the process. This was supposed to be a big game for him, but Stefanksi made sure that wouldn’t be the case.

Meanwhile, the Steelers enjoyed what is assumed to be Ben Roethlisberger’s final game in Pittsburgh. Roethlisberger finished with a poor stat line – 24-of-46 for 123 yards, one touchdown, one interception – but he wasn’t as bad as those numbers indicate. His receivers dropped some passes, including Chase Claypool (3-17), who let some deep throws slip through his hands. That said, the Steelers ran an anemic offense that called for many short tosses on third-and-8 or longer.

While Roethlisberger was mediocre at best, Najee Harris stole the show. He pummeled through the Browns’ defense, generating 188 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. He broke countless tackles throughout the night, picking up huge chunks of yardage in the process. His score came on a 37-yard sprint at the very end.

Roethlisberger’s sole touchdown went to Diontae Johnson, who hauled in eight of his 15 targets for 31 yards and the score. He was second on the Steelers’ receiving chart, trailing Ray-Ray McCloud (4-35).

The leading receiver in this game was Donovan Peoples-Jones, who logged three catches for 76 yards. His 39-yard reception set up Cleveland’s sole touchdown in non-garbage time. Jarvis Landry struggled to catch Mayfield’s horrible passes, reeling in four of his 10 targets for 43 yards. David Njoku (4-28) and Harrison Bryant (1-1) caught Mayfield’s touchdowns.

For more thoughts, check out my updated NFL Power Rankings, which will be posted Tuesday morning.

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