NFL Game Recaps: Week 7, 2023

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

Jaguars 31, Saints 24

It was unclear if Trevor Lawrence would play in this game, as the Jaguars called him a game-time decision. So, imagine everyone’s surprise when Lawrence, sporting a knee brace, took off on a scramble on an early drive. This eventually led to a Travis Etienne touchdown to give Jacksonville the lead.

The Jaguars seemed to try to sabotage their own victory after that. Christian Kirk lost a fumble, then Jacksonville muffed a punt when two players ran into each other. Despite this, the Saints couldn’t take advantage of these opportunities because of their continued red zone incompetence. The Jaguars, conversely, had all the luck and success after they stopped giving the ball away. They converted a fake punt in the 2-minute drill and had an interception overturned by replay review. They then pick-sixed Derek Carr off a deflection, going up 24-9.

The Saints eventually scored a touchdown to trim the margin to within eight. Jacksonville was tasked with milking the clock, but Etienne was stuffed on a fourth-and-1. In what was a rare sight, the Saints quickly scored a touchdown on a three-play drive to tie the score at 24. Jacksonville’s offense had gone cold in the second half, but Lawrence sparked the team with a 26-yard scramble and then an intermediate pass to Kirk. The slot receiver did the rest, scoring on the 44-yard play. The Saints had one more chance and appeared to tie when Carr hit Foster Moreau in the end zone, but the usually reliable tight end dropped the pass. Carr’s next throw fell incomplete to seal the victory for Jacksonville.

Lawrence looked completely healthy and unbothered by his knee brace. Not only did he go 20-of-29 for 204 yards and a touchdown; he also scrambled eight times for 59 rushing yards. He even outgained Etienne, who had a monster fantasy night. Etienne rushed for only 53 yards on 14 carries, but scored twice. Etienne also caught three passes for 24 yards.

Aside from Lawrence, Kirk was the hero for the Jaguars. Kirk was on pace for a big game at halftime, but did nothing in the second half until that 44-yard receiving touchdown. Kirk finished with six catches, 90 yards and a score. Evan Engram (5-45) was next on the stat sheet. Conversely, Calvin Ridley had a miserable night, as most No. 1 receivers do against the Saints. He caught only one pass for five yards.

Speaking of No. 1 receivers, Chris Olave didn’t have the best game either. He caught seven passes for 57 yards, but stopped short on one deep route, drawing the ire of Carr. Olave had a chance for a touchdown at the end, but a Jacksonville corner broke up the pass. Michael Thomas (3-42) snatched Carr’s sole touchdown.

As for Carr, he went 33-of-55 for 301 yards, one touchdown and the pick-six. He was as woeful as ever in the red zone, prompting me to wonder when Jameis Winston would replace him. Taysom Hill did so on a fourth-down attempt at the goal line. Hill scored a touchdown and also functioned as a receiving tight end again, catching four balls for 50 yards.

New Orleans’ leading receiver was Alvin Kamara. In addition to rushing for 62 yards on 17 carries, he caught 12 of his 14 targets for 91 receiving yards.

Browns 39, Colts 38

A common belief in the wake of Anthony Richardson’s season-ending shoulder injury was that the Colts would be in good hands with Gardner Minshew. That certainly has not been the case, as the backup has struggled in the two starts following Richardson’s injury. He gave away a potential victory at Jacksonville with three interceptions, and he once again sabotaged his team’s chances in this game.

The Colts outgained both the Jaguars and Browns in the past two weeks, but have lost because of Minshew turnovers. It began when the Colts had a 14-7 lead, but that quickly changed when Minshew lost a fumble on a strip-sack, setting up a touchdown for the Browns. Minshew then had a sequence deep in his own territory when he took sacks on consecutive plays, with the second sack resulting in a lost fumble in the end zone. Minshew then threw an interception late across his body. These turnovers, as well as a blocked field goal by Myles Garrett – who also forced the strip-sack in the end zone – allowed the Browns to have a chance to win this game.

Despite all of this, Cleveland was still down by five in the final minutes. The Colts seemed to seal the victory with a strip-sack of Phillip Walker, but the officials called a very shaky penalty on illegal contact. On the following play, Indianapolis was flagged for pass interference even though the ball wasn’t close to being catchable. The Browns then scored a touchdown, but failed on the two-point conversion on a very uninspired play where Pierre Strong ran up the middle for a 1-yard loss. There was no better way to ensure that Cleveland would win this game by fewer than three points.

Minshew posted amazing numbers, going 15-of-23 for 305 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed in two scores on three scrambles for 29 yards on the ground. However, the pick and the two fumbles crushed the Colts’ chances.

It seemed like the Browns would have a better chance of winning this game because they had their starting quarterback under center, prompting the spread to move from -2.5 to -3.5. That didn’t last very long, however. Watson threw an interception and then appeared to heave another. The second pick was overturned by replay review, but Watson left the game to enter concussion protocol. Curiously, he cleared concussion protocol, but never re-entered the game. Watson would end up going just 1-of-5 for five yards and a pick.

Watson gave way to Walker, who failed to complete half of his passes. Walker went just 15-of-32 for 178 yards and an interception. Walker ended up leading a game-winning drive, but needed lots of help from the officials to make it happen.

Aside from big plays from Garrett and bogus calls from the refs, the Browns can attribute this win to the running game. James Ford had a 69-yard touchdown run early in the contest, but finished with 74 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts. Kareem Hunt scored twice on his 10 carries for 31 yards.

With Walker and Watson struggling, Amari Cooper couldn’t produce much, catching just two of his eight targets for 22 yards. Elijah Moore led the Browns with four grabs for 59 yards, followed by David Njoku (5-54).

The top receiver in this game wasn’t Cooper or Michael Pittman Jr., though the latter was close, thanks to a 75-yard touchdown bomb. Pittman made just two catches for 83 yards and a score. He could have scored twice, but he dropped the ball in the end zone. He was topped only by rookie Josh Downs, who made five grabs for 125 yards and a touchdown.

The Colts had four great fantasy producers in this game. In addition to Minshew, Downs, and Pittman, there was also Jonathan Taylor, who had just as many carries (18) as Zack Moss. Taylor outgained Moss, 75-57, and scored a touchdown.

Bears 30, Raiders 12

The Bears beat the Raiders by 18 points, which may have surprised many because of Chicago’s quarterbacking situation. Justin Fields was sidelined after being injured last week, giving way for Division II product Tyson Bagent.

Bagent, however, was the best quarterback in this game, and it wasn’t even close. From film study, Bagent looked like a quarterback who released the ball quickly with plus accuracy and mobility, and we saw that in this game. Bagent had no issues navigating through the Raiders’ poor defense. Bagent completed most of his passes, going 21-of-29 for 162 yards and a touchdown. He also scrambled three times for 24 rushing yards. Bagent nearly threw a second touchdown, but D.J. Moore was guilty of an uncharacteristic drop in the end zone.

It helped Bagent’s cause that Chicago had a great performance out of its running game as well. D’Onta Foreman was a monster, rushiing for 89 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries to go along with three catches, 31 receiving yards and a third touchdown. Darrynton Evans chipped in with 48 rushing yards, so Chicago was able to accumulate 181 yards on the ground against the Raiders’ defense, which had no chance.

It’s unclear whether or not the Raiders’ offense or defense was worse in this game. The team had no chance to score with Brian Hoyer at the helm. Hoyer barely completed half of his passes, going 17-of-32 for 129 yards and two interceptions. One of the picks went back for a touchdown on a desperation heave. Hoyer was then benched for Aidan O’Connell, who threw a touchdown in garbage time.

As bad as Hoyer was, he could have done better if his teammates hadn’t disappointed him. Josh Jacobs appeared to score a receiving touchdown at one point, but he couldn’t get both feet inbounds. Davante Adams then dropped a ball in the end zone. This was all while the game was in doubt, so the Raiders would have been more competitive if these blunders weren’t made.

Speaking of Jacobs and Adams, one was a huge disappointment in this game. Many played Jacobs in DFS, but the Raider back mustered only 35 yards on 11 carries, and he also caught only one pass. Adams, meanwhile, led the Raiders in receiving, but had just 57 yards on five catches.

Elsewhere in the receiving corps, Jakobi Meyers (7-50) caught O’Connell’s touchdown in garbage time. Michael Mayer (2-13) was also a disappointment after last week’s strong performance.

Adams was barely the top receiver in this game, outgaining Moore by three yards. Moore’s 54 yards were on eight catches. As mentioned, he should have scored a touchdown. Moore was the only Chicago player with more than 32 receiving yards.

Giants 14, Redskins 7

The prevailing question entering this game was how the Giants would block the Redskins, given that Washington’s defensive front had an obvious edge over the Giants’ injury-ravaged offensive line. What should have been asked was how the Redskins would block New York’s defensive front.

This was a disaster of a performance for Sam Howell and the Redskins offensive line. The blocking unit surrendered four sacks in the opening half alone and was guilty of some holding penalties. Howell, constantly under duress, was guilty of an interception when he underthrew a soft pass off his back foot.

Howell was ultimately sacked six times, yet he still had a chance to win at the very end in a 14-7 affair. Howell had a fourth down in the red zone, but threw behind Jahan Dotson on what would have given the Redskins a first-and-goal inside the Giants’ 5-yard line. Instead, New York turned the ball over on downs to give themselves the victory.

Howell sabotaged a potential victory for the Redskins in this game. He barely completed half of his passes, going 22-of-42 for 249 yards and the aforementioned interception. He was also very fortunate that he wasn’t pick-sixed, as a second-half pass of his fluttered to Kayvon Thibodeaux, who inexplicably let the ball fall through his hands. Howell has had some positive moments this year, but if he has more performances like this, Ron Rivera will have to consider making the switch to Jacoby Brissett.

Despite Howell’s poor performance, Terry McLaurin was still able to post a quality stat line with six catches for 90 yards. Logan Thomas was next with four grabs for 51 yards, followed by Dotson (5-43).

The Redskins struggled to run the ball, with Brian Robinson mustering only 23 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Chris Rodriguez actually outgained him with 31 yards on seven attempts.

Saquon Barkley more than doubled anyone else in this game in rushing. He tallied 77 yards on 21 carries to go along with three catches for 41 receiving yards and a touchdown. Barkley appeared to be injured early with his arm dangling, but he didn’t miss much action.

Tyrod Taylor did a solid job of managing the game and not making any mistakes. In fact, the only real blunder the Giants made in this game was a muffed punt by Sterling Shepard that set up Washington’s only touchdown. Taylor went 18-of-29 for 279 yards and two scores.

Taylor’s two touchdowns were thrown to Barkley and Darren Waller, who had a massive game with seven catches for 98 yards and a score. Jalin Hyatt (2-75) continued the tradition of opposing receivers making big plays against Washington’s secondary.

Falcons 16, Buccaneers 13

It’s become routine for Younghoe Koo to drill game-winning field goals for the Falcons, but it never should have come to that in this game. The Falcons dominated the Buccaneers in yardage, outgaining them by about 80 yards and averaged 1.2 more yards per play. The reason this game was a 13-13 affair in the final seconds was that Atlanta repeatedly shot itself in the foot deep in Tampa territory.

The Falcons had an odd sequence in the second quarter when a red zone trip saw them call a run for Cordarrelle Patterson, throw a pass to fullback Keith Smith and then lose a fumble on a strip-sack. The trouble continued following halftime when Ridder botched a snap at the Tampa Bay 1-yard line, allowing a Buccaneer defender to pounce on the ball. Ridder then lost yet another fumble at the 1-yard line, this time coughing up the ball prior to reaching the goal line. What appeared to be a touchdown was turned into a lost fumble.

Thanks to all of these blunders, the Buccaneers had chances to win this game, but they began making errors in the fourth quarter. Baker Mayfield threw a hideous interception after completing a 33-yard pass to Chris Godwin. He then took a sack on third down on the ensuing drive because he held on to the ball too long. The Buccaneers salvaged a field goal to tie the game at 13, but a 39-yard reception by Kyle Pitts put the Falcons in position for Koo’s kick.

If you strip away all the turnovers in the red zone, Ridder actually had a decent game. He was tremendous at moving the chains in between the 20s. He misfired on just six occasions, going 19-of-25 for 250 yards. He just needs to do a better job of taking care of the football.

As previously mentioned, the Falcons had an odd red zone sequence in the second quarter. One player who wasn’t involved was Bijan Robinson. In fact, Robinson wasn’t involved at all in this game. The only stat he registered was one carry for three yards. The FOX broadcast mentioned that Robinson was ill, but that begs the question, why wasn’t he on the injury report? It’s fair to wonder if Robinson actually had an illness, or if Arthur Smith just wanted an excuse to utilize Allgeier (21-59) and Patterson (10-56). Allgeier at least did well as a receiver with three catches for 53 receiving yards.

Allgeier was nearly Atlanta’s leading receiver, trailing only Drake London (6-54), who was inches away from scoring a touchdown prior to Ridder’s botched snap at the goal line. Pitts (3-47) was third in receiving.

The receiving leader in this game was Mike Evans, who caught six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown in which he torched A.J. Terrell for a 40-yard score. Godwin (6-66) wasn’t too far behind.

Mayfield had a sub par game overall, going 27-of-42 for 275 yards, one touchdown and an interception. His mistakes in the red zone proved to be very costly.

The Buccaneers once again got nothing out of their running game. Rachaad White was limited to 34 yards on 13 carries, though he was able to catch six passes for 65 receiving yards. He was nearly outgained on the ground by Mayfield (3-32).

Ravens 38, Lions 7

Everyone declared the Lions to be Super Bowl viable in the wake of their victory over the Buccaneers last week. This certainly got Baltimore’s attention, as the Ravens played with more energy in this affair in what was a statement game for them. They moved the ball with ease against Detroit’s injury-ravaged secondary, scoring touchdowns on all four of their initial offensive possessions. Detroit, on the other hand, had nothing to play for and looked lethargic as a consequence.

The Lions appeared to have the Ravens stopped on the initial possession when they forced the Ravens into a fourth down in the red zone. Given that Baltimore had struggled so much deep in opposing territory last week, the Lions may have thought they’d take over on downs. Instead, Jackson rushed into the end zone on what was his first of three opening-half touchdowns. His second went to Nelson Agholor, while his third was thrown to Mark Andrews. Jackson nearly had a fourth score when Jackson connected with Andrews and the Pro Bowl tight end was tackled at the 1-yard line. Gus Edwards rushed into the end zone on the next play to give Baltimore a 28-0 lead, which was carried into intermission.

Jackson was nearly flawless in this game, going 21-of-27 for 357 yards and three passing touchdowns. He also scrambled nine times for 36 rushing yards and a fourth score. He has put himself in MVP consideration based on his performance in this blowout victory.

Andrews caught two of Jackson’s three aerial touchdowns, as he hauled in four balls for 63 yards otherwise. He was outgained by only Gus Edwards, who had just one reception for 80 yards, and Zay Flowers, who snatched four passes for 75 yards.

In addition to his 80-yard reception, Edwards rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Justice Hill (4-46) was barely a factor.

As for the Lions’ offense, Jared Goff had no chance against Baltimore’s ferocious defense. Goff was constantly swarmed in the pocket. He needed garbage time to accumulate respectable stats, as he finished 33-of-53 for 284 yards and an interception on a desperation heave.

Thanks to garbage time, Amon-Ra St. Brown was able to accumulate a big stat line. He caught 13 of his 19 targets for 102 yards. Sam LaPorta snatched six passes for 52 yards.

Jahmyr Gibbs finally had a solid fantasy performance. He rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries. He also caught nine of his 10 targets for 58 receiving yards.

Patriots 29, Bills 25
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: Of course the Patriots beat the Bills. Of course they did. They couldn’t cover at the Raiders because of that f**king safety, but they go and beat Buffalo. Sure.

The Patriots had been one of the worst teams in the NFL entering this game, but they turned things around on both sides of the ball to come away with a home win over the first-place Bills. The Buffalo offense made a huge comeback, but the Buffalo defense struggled all day, failing to stop Mac Jones and Rhamondre Stevenson and blowing a fourth-quarter lead.

New England took the opening drive into Buffalo territory with a 14-yard run by Stevenson and a 25-yard completion to Pharaoh Brown (2-51). On the Bills’ first offensive play from scrimmage, Jabrill Peppers undercut tight end Dawson Knox for an interception to set up Jones just past midfield. After a few gains, Ezekiel Elliott (11-38-1) punched the ball into the end zone to put the Patriots up 10-0. Buffalo got moving with a 28-yard completion to James Cook, but an offensive pass interference took away a touchdown, forcing the Bills to settle for a field goal. After some traded possessions, New England got moving again with a field goal drive. Buffalo responded with two receptions to Dalton Kincaid for almost 30 yards, but a Patriots sack forced a punt, leaving the score 13-3 at the half.

Buffalo came out of the locker room and moved the ball with short completions, a 20-yard run by Cook, and a check-down pass to Cook that went for a touchdown to make things 13-10. New England responded with a failed drive, while the Buffalo offense was in a good rhythm, getting a chunk completion to Latavius Murray, but Dawson Knox couldn’t hold onto a fourth-down pass. On the next play, Jones hit Brown for a gain of 26 yard. A 19-yard completion to Demario Douglas then set up a first-and-goal for the Patriots. Jones then connected with Kendrick Bourne for a short touchdown. After failing on the two-point try, New England was up 22-10 with 7:36 remaining.

The Bills quickly moved down the field, and Stefon Diggs made a superb catch and run for a 25-yard touchdown. Down 22-17, Jordan Poyer punched the ball out of Kendrick Bourne’s hands, and Terrell Bernard recovered to set up the Bills just inside the New England 30. On third-and-goal from the one, Josh Allen plunged into the end zone on a quarterback sneak. The two-point conversion was completed to Dawson Knox, putting Buffalo ahead 25-22 with 1:58 remaining.

New England’s first play was a check-down to Stevenson that went for a 34-yard gain. On third-and-8, Jones connected with Hunter Henry for 14 yards. Another completion to Stevenson moved the ball to inside the 10, and pass interference placed the line of scrimmage at the one with 18 seconds remaining. On second-and-goal, Jones found Mike Gesicki in the back of the end zone for the game-winner.

Jones completed 25-of-30 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns.

Stevenson had nine carries for 34 yards and six receptions for 51 yards.

Kendrick Bourne caught six passes for 63 yards and a touchdown, but lost a costly fumble.

Allen completed 27-of-41 passes for 265 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also ran for 18 yards and a touchdown.

Cook ran for 56 yards on 13 carries and made three receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.

Kincaid (8-75) was Buffalo’s leading receiver, while Diggs caught six passes for 58 yards with a touchdown.

Seahawks 20, Cardinals 10
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: I’d say I can’t believe the Cardinals didn’t cover, but we’ve had so much bad luck this year that this result was par for the course. All the Cardinals needed to do to cover was hit a 34-yard field goal or not try a dumb fake punt at midfield.

After losing to the Bengals, the Seahawks needed to a win to get back on track and stay in the NFC playoff race. Geno Smith was very good in the first half against Arizona before struggling with turnovers in the final two quarters. The Seattle defense, however, shut down Cardinals quarterback Josh Dobbs and the offense. The Seahawks had some breaks go their way, but their defense stepped up and played well despite inheriting a number of short fields.

Seattle struck first with a couple of Kenneth Walker runs that set up a 28-yard touchdown strike to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Shortly later, Seahawks punt returner D.J. Dallas fumbled the ball away and the Cardinals recovered. Arizona settled for a field goal from that possession to make the score 7-3.

Following a Seattle punt, Arizona put a nice drive together, mixing in run and pass to get into Seahawks territory. Roughing the passer called on Boye Mafe rescued Josh Dobbs, who had thrown an interception to Devon Witherspoon. Dobbs would finish the drive himself, taking off a a zone-read run for a 25-yard touchdown that put the Cardinals in front 10-7. Seattle responded with Smith ripping the ball through the Arizona defense, and to cap the drive, Jake Bobo (4-61-1) made a phenomenal 18-yard touchdown catch that left the Seahawks up 14-10 at the half.

Smith opened the third quarter by hitting Colby Parkinson for 27 yards and then Noah Fant for 25 yards, but a goal-line stand from the Cardinals forced a field goal. D.J. Dallas later had a 32-yard punt return that set up the Seahawks for more points, but Smith made a poor decision, forcing a pass to a well-covered receiver. Cardinals rookie corner Garrett Williams was able to pick off the pass to keep things at 17-10 entering the fourth quarter.

Smith continued having turnovers into the last frame, fumbling a snap that was recovered by Arizona. The Cardinals turned the break into a field goal attempt, but Matt Prater shanked the 34-yard attempt to keep the score unchanged at 17-10. Late in the game, Jason Myers hit a 48-yard field to ice the victory for Seattle.

Smith completed 18-of-24 passes for 219 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. He also lost a fumble.

Walker ran for 105 yards on 26 carries. He also made two catches for six yards.

With D.K. Metcalf out, rookie wide receiver Smith-Njigba led Seattle through the air, bringing in four receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown.

Dobbs completed 19-of-33 passes for 146 yards.

Emari Demercado took 13 carries for 58 yards and made four catches for 17 yards.

Marquise Brown (3-49) led Arizona in receiving.

Steelers 24, Rams 17

This was yet another frustrating offensive showing for the Steelers, at least until the fourth quarter. They trailed at halftime, 9-3, and they were down following the third frame, 17-10. Kenny Pickett’s stats at intermission were an atrocious 6-of-13 for 78 yards. Inexplicably, he was nearly intercepted by three Rams on one play. It looked like it would take a miracle for Pittsburgh to prevail.

Pickett, however, caught fire out of nowhere in the fourth quarter. He began hitting his talented receivers with deep passes, as Diontae Johnson’s return to action was paramount. Pickett led two touchdown drives in the final frame, as well as another possession in which he milked the clock. Thanks to one of the worst spots ever made by an officiating crew, he successfully kept the ball away from the Rams in the final five minutes to improve to 4-2.

Pickett had just one incompletion in the second half. He finished 17-of-25 for 230 yards. He also scored a rushing touchdown. If Pickett can continue to perform like he did in the second half, the Steelers can beat anyone because of their stellar defense. Pickett, however, has been inconsistent, so it remains to be seen how he’ll look on a week-to-week basis.

As mentioned, Johnson’s return to action was enormous for Pickett. Johnson caught five passes for 79 yards, trailing only George Pickens, who hauled in five balls for 107 yards. No other Steeler logged more than 23 receiving yards.

The Steelers didn’t have much success running the ball in the first half, but this is something else that changed following intermission. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren both scored touchdowns, with Harris rushing for 53 yards on 14 carries, while Warren scampered for 32 yards on six attempts.

The Rams outgained the Steelers on the ground despite the loss. They split the workload between two players, with Darrell Henderson getting 18 carries compared to 12 for Royce Freeman. Freeman outgained Henderson, 66-61, but Henderson scored a touchdown. Zach Evans didn’t register a single stat.

Matthew Stafford failed to complete half of his passes after a hot start. He went 14-of-29 for 231 yards, one touchdown and an interception where he inexplicably didn’t see T.J. Watt.

Anyone who expected Cooper Kupp to have another dominant performance was sorely disappointed, as he caught only two passes for 29 yards. He was greatly outgained by Puka Nacua, who registered eight catches for 154 yards. Tutu Atwell caught one pass, but it was a 31-yard touchdown. The announcers suggested that the throw was intended for Kupp, but Atwell was able to snatch the ball out of the air and score.

Chiefs 31, Chargers 17

The Chiefs came into Week 7 as the only team ranked in the top five of both offensive and defensive EPA. We saw both units thrive in this game, as the Chiefs asserted their dominance in the AFC West.

Offensively, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce were impossible to stop for the Chargers. The Chiefs accumulated 25 first downs and 483 net yards of offense. They averaged 7.5 yards per play. This showed in the box score, with Mahomes going 32-of-42 for 424 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. The pick was one of the few times the Chargers got a stop, with the pick occurring because Mahomes was hit upon release.

Travis Kelce, meanwhile, showed out in front of the love of his life, Taylor Swift, who was in attendance. Kelce snatched 12 of his 13 targets for 179 yards and a touchdown. He also drew an interference flag in the end zone.

Defensively, the Chiefs allowed some big gains in the first half, but didn’t surrender a single point following intermission. Justin Herbert was constantly swarmed in the pocket, never having a chance to sustain drives. Herbert was just 17-of-30 for 259 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. One pick was the result of bad luck because his pass was batted in the end zone, but he also overthrew Keenan Allen for a potential touchdown.

Speaking of Allen, he had a disappointing game in which he caught four passes for 55 yards. Joshua Palmer outgained by a wide margin with five grabs for 133 yards. Gerald Everett (3-26) reeled in Herbert’s only touchdown.

The Chargers were able to score a touchdown in the first half via a 49-yard Joshua Kelly touchdown run. They did nothing else on the ground, however. Austin Ekeler couldn’t find any running room, mustering only 45 yards on 14 attempts. Shockingly, Ekeler was targeted just twice. He caught one pass for a single yard.

The Chiefs also couldn’t do anything on the ground, as the Chargers have shown an improved rush defense in recent weeks. Isiah Pacheco was limited to only 32 yards on 13 carries, but he was able to score through the air with four catches for 28 receiving yards. Mahomes nearly outgained him on four scrambles, which he turned into 29 rushing yards.

As for Kansas City’s receiving corps, Kelce, Marquez Valdes-Scantling (3-84) and Rashee Rice (5-60) all caught touchdowns. Mecole Hardman made just one catch for six yards in his return to his former team, but it was a big reception in that it went for a first down in the fourth quarter. Hardman also had a big kickoff return.

Broncos 19, Packers 17

It took a while, but the sharps finally got a Denver bet correct. The professional bettors had been obsessively betting the Broncos all year, losing with them at every turn. Things finally turned around, though they had to hold their breath in the fourth quarter.

The Broncos dominated the yardage in this game in the opening half, outgaining Green Bay, 159-86. The Packers did absolutely nothing prior to the final drive before intermission, and even that amounted to nothing because rookie kicker Anders Carlson missed a 43-yard attempt.

This final drive, however, carried over into the second half. The Packers put together multiple scoring drives and eventually took a 17-16 lead. The Broncos, who sputtered at times in the second half, were able to piece together a field goal drive to reestablish the lead. Green Bay had one more chance and were relatively close to field goal range in the thin Denver air, but “No Cookie” Jordan Love skipped a pass and then foolishly heaved a desperation interception on a third-and-20 to help Denver secure the victory.

Love was a big disappointment in what was an easy matchup. His numbers weren’t horrible, as he was 21-of-31 for 180 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but he didn’t make enough big plays and he crushed his team with the horrible interception at the very end.

Russell Wilson, conversely, didn’t light the opposing secondary on fire either. He was efficient, going 20-of-29 for 194 yards and a touchdown, but it felt like he and the rest of his team left a lot of points on the table.

Wilson’s sole touchdown was thrown to Courtland Sutton, who caught all six of his targets for 76 yards and a touchdown, which includes a great diving catch on the opening drive. Jerry Jeudy was just a bit behind him with five grabs for 64 yards.

The Broncos got some nice runs from their rushing rotation. Javonte Williams dashed for 82 yards on 15 carries, while Jaleel McLaughlin picked up 45 yards on five attempts. Williams had a touchdown negated by a hold.

Denver outgained the Packers on the ground, which was a mild surprise. It was most shocking that Aaron Jones continued to play second fiddle to A.J. Dillon. Jones tallied 35 yards on just eight carries, while Dillon rumbled for 61 yards on 15 tries. Dillon also led the Packers in receiving with two catches for 34 receiving yards.

Aside from Dillon, Romeo Doubs and Luke Musgrave were Green Bay’s top receivers; Doubs caught two balls for 30 yards and a touchdown, while Musgrave had as many yards on his four catches. Doubs nearly had two touchdowns, but the ball popped out of his hands and into the arms of Jayden Reed.

Eagles 31, Dolphins 17

Though the Eagles prevailed by two touchdowns, this was a one-score game for the majority of the evening. It was 24-17 in the final quarter, but the difference was that the Dolphins, quite simply, couldn’t get off the field on fourth down.

The Eagles converted four fourth downs in four tries. The first was in the opening half when Hurts escaped pressure and hit A.J. Brown for a deep pass, setting up a Hurts sneak into the end zone. And speaking of sneaks, Philadelphia converted three of them in the second half, including multiple attempts on a drive where the score was 24-17. This included an attempt deep inside the Eagles’ own territory, but it didn’t matter because the “Brotherly Shove” is unstoppable. The Eagles continued their drive despite numerous fourth-and-1 situations, ultimately finding the end zone when Kenneth Gainwell ran across the goal line.

Hurts was great in this game, as Miami, down its top cornerback, Xavien Howard, didn’t stand much of a chance. Hurts went 23-of-31 for 279 yards, two touchdowns and an interception off a deflection. He also scrambled 11 times for 21 rushing yards and a third score.

A.J. Brown was a monster in this contest, as the Howard-less Dolphins secondary couldn’t do anything to stop him. He caught 10 of his 15 targets for 137 yards and a touchdown. Dallas Goedert (5-77) also scored. DeVonta Smith, by comparison, had very disappointing numbers with four catches for 49 yards.

The Eagles struggled to get their running game going. D’Andre Swift rushed for 62 yards on 15 carries, but 22 of those yards came on the final play of the game when Miami stopped trying. Gainwell (8-16) vultured a touchdown.

The Dolphins couldn’t do anything on the ground either, but that was more predictable. Raheem Mostert was limited to 45 yards on nine carries. Jeff Wilson Jr., making his return from injured reserve, had one touch.

With no help from the rushing attack, Tua Tagovailoa had to do all the work. He had the Dolphins in position to tie with possession in the red zone in a 17-17 game, but he lofted a weak toss off his back foot that was intercepted. He played well otherwise, going 23-of-32 for 216 yards, one touchdown and the pick. He missed out on a second score when Hill dropped a sure touchdown.

Tagovailoa didn’t have Jaylen Waddle at his disposal for most of the game either. Waddle was able to return to action after a lengthy absence, finishing with six catches for 63 yards. He was second on the team in receiving behind Tyreek Hill, who snatched 11 of his 15 targets for 88 yards and a touchdown. As mentioned, however, Hill missed out on a second score because of a drop.

Vikings 22, 49ers 17

With Trent Williams and Deebo Samuel sidelined, it was no surprise that the San Francisco offense didn’t perform as well as usual. The shocking element was how poorly the defense performed. San Francisco’s defense was woeful all night against the Vikings. The front didn’t lay a single finger on Kirk Cousins, who operated in a clean pocket on a sack-less evening. The linebacking corps and secondary, meanwhile, allowed big gains to Cousin’s pass-catchers throughout the game.

One exception to this was on the initial drive was when cornerback Charvarius Ward ripped the ball away from Jordan Addison, giving Cousins an undeserved interception. Addison, however, had the last laugh because he later ripped away a potential Cousins pick away from Ward on what turned out to be a 60-yard touchdown pass. Addison continued to embarrass the Vikings, catching seven of his 10 targets for 123 yards and two touchdowns. He would have scored thrice had Cousins not missed him in the end zone on one occasion. Addison also drew an interference flag at the goal line.

Cousins, meanwhile, barely missed any throws outside of that one errant pass to the rookie wideout. He went 38-of-45 for 378 yards, two touchdowns and the aforementioned interception. He wasn’t sacked on a single occasion on what was a very poor performance from San Francisco’s defensive line. Thanks to this lack of pressure, Cousins was able to keep drives alive by converting 8-of-13 third downs and winning the time-of-possession battle by nearly 10 minutes.

Despite Cousins’ heroics, San Francisco still had a chance to take the lead on a pair of drives in the fourth quarter. Brock Purdy threw an interception right to a defender on the first possession. The 49ers then had one more shot after a missed 50-yard field goal by Greg Joseph. Purdy was able to move over midfield, but then was picked again when he threw the ball late across his body.

Aside from the two interceptions, Purdy had a fairly decent night. He went 21-of-30 for 272 yards, one touchdown and the two picks. His teammates squandered opportunities for him. Christian McCaffrey lost a fumble in the red zone, while rookie kicker Jake Moody missed from 40 yards.

Speaking of McCaffrey, he continued his touchdown onslaught by scoring twice. However, he didn’t find much running room, rushing for only 45 yards on 15 carries. He did better as a receiver, catching three passes for 51 yards.

With Samuel sidelined, George Kittle was the 49ers’ top receiver with five grabs for 78 yards, followed by Brandon Aiyuk (5-57). However, all of this paled in comparison to what the Vikings produced from Addison. T.J. Hockenson also outgained everyone on San Francisco with 11 receptions for 86 yards.

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

Poise Concerns Plague Ewers

College Draft Matchup Preview – Week 13

College Football Picks: Week 12, 2024

NFL DraftKings Picks: Week 12

2025 NFL Draft Big Board

2025 NFL Mock Draft

NFL Game Recaps: Week 7, 2023

Related News