NFL Game Recaps: Week 14, 2023

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

Patriots 21, Steelers 18

This game had the lowest betting total (30) of any NFL game since 1991 when the Saints and Eagles engaged in a 13-6 affair. No offense was expected in a matchup between Bailey Zappe and Mitchell Trubisky. The Patriots were especially expected to struggle, given that they scored zero points the prior week against a pedestrian Chargers defense missing Joey Bosa. Zappe versus Pittsburgh’s defense seemed like a great mismatch.

Instead, the Patriots scored 21 points in the first half, as this game went over the total prior to intermission. Zappe was incredibly sharp, going 14-of-21 for 196 yards and three touchdowns in the opening half alone. It helped that T.J. Watt was in and out of the lineup, and it’s not like Zappe was throwing bombs downfield, or anything, but he was making accurate throws to the correct receivers.

The Steelers, conversely, weren’t accomplishing much, and it didn’t take the crowd to chant, “MA-SON RU-DOLPH!” The fans were validated in their desire to see the backup because Trubisky was abysmal. While Zappe was sharp in the first half, Trubisky was just 6-of-11 for 61 yards, one touchdown and an interception in the same time frame. Trubisky’s half could have been even worse because a potential second interception of his was dropped. The fans got even angrier when Trubisky sailed a pass toward an open Dionate Johnson out of bounds. It was a miserable half, and things weren’t better in the third quarter when Trubisky threw a 1-yard pass on a third-and-6 and then another 1-yard pass on fourth-and-2.

This was a 21-10 affair for a while, as New England’s offense cooled down after its hot start. The Steelers eventually got into the end zone again after blocking a punt, with Trubisky scoring on a sneak. With the two-point conversion, the Steelers needed a field goal to tie. However, their offense stalled on two drives. The first possession featured a big mistake by the officials, who missed a defensive offside on a punt. The second concluded when Trubisky foolishly fired a weak downfield pass toward a covered Johnson. The Patriots took over and effectively ran out the clock to pull the upset.

Trubisky finished 22-of-35 for 190 yards, one touchdown and an interception where Bill Belichick confused him with his scheme. Trubisky played better in the second half, but he was still the primary reason Pittsburgh lost this game. I’m sure Steeler fans will have a greater appreciation for Kenny Pickett after this miserable performance.

Zappe, conversely, completed just five passes in the second half, as Pittsburgh’s defense finally showed up to play after intermission. By then, however, it was too little, too late. Zappe finished 19-of-28 for 240 yards, three touchdowns and a pick.

Ezekiel Elliott was the big fantasy performer for the Patriots. He had a mediocre rushing output – 22 carries, 68 yards – but he caught seven passes for 72 receiving yards and a touchdown. His only mistake was a dropped pass.

Pittsburgh’s two running backs failed to match Elliott’s rushing total. Najee Harris, who was banged up heading into the game, had 12 carries compared to seven for Jaylen Warren. Harris outgained Warren, 29-11, but Warren had 29 receiving yards (4 catches) compared to Harris’ 19 receiving yards (3 catches).

Shockingly, JuJu Smith-Schuster was the top receiver in this game with four grabs for 90 yards. Hunter Henry (3-40) scored two of Zappe’s touchdowns.

As for Pittsburgh’s receiving corps, Johnson led the way with 57 yards on three grabs, with a touchdown. George Pickens had a very disappointing night with five receptions for only 19 yards.

Buccaneers 29, Falcons 25

The Falcons have struggled in the red zone all year, so it’s only fitting that their stranglehold on the NFC South lead would end there. They had a chance to score the game-winning touchdown on a pass from Desmond Ridder on the Tampa Bay 31-yard line during the final play of the game. Ridder completed the pass to Drake London, but the receiver was tackled at the 3-yard line to end the game.

Atlanta had its chances to prevail earlier, but made too many mistakes. For example, a field goal could have won the game in that situation had Ridder not taken a safety as a result of holding the ball too long in his own end zone. And speaking of field goals, Younghoe Koo missed two of them. He whiffed from 52 and 50, but he’s someone who often connects from that distance, especially in Atlanta’s dome. Ridder also gave the Buccaneers points outside of the safety with an interception deep in his own territory when he threw a lazy pass in the flat, allowing Carlton Davis to jump the route.

Ridder ended up going 26-of-40 for 347 yards, one touchdown and an interception to go along with a rushing score. The stats look good, and Ridder was able to consistently move the chains in between the 20s, but he once again made too many mistakes to ruin Atlanta’s chances of keeping its divisional lead.

The Buccaneers were able to prevail despite Baker Mayfield failing to complete half of his passes. He went 14-of-29 for 144 yards, but threw two touchdowns and scored another via a sneak. He inexplicably failed to connect with Mike Evans more than once. Evans caught a single catch for eight yards, as the other five targets were just way off the mark for the most part. Evans had a chance for a touchdown, but his hand landed out of bounds just before his second foot landed in the field of play.

Elsewhere in the Tampa receiving corps, Chris Godwin led the way with five catches for 53 yards. Rachaad White (2-33) and Cade Otton (2-16) caught Mayfield’s touchdowns. Godwin and White were the only Tampa players with more than 18 receiving yards.

Tampa Bay primarily moved the ball via White. In addition to his receiving yards, White dashed for 102 yards on 25 carries. White outgained both Atlanta’s running backs combined. Arthur Smith was up to his old tricks, with Bijan Robinson getting only one more carry than Tyler Allgeier, 10-9. Allgeier outgained Robinson, 40-34, but Robinson scored a touchdown.

Speaking of Robinson, he was third on the team in receiving with five catches for 54 yards. He trailed Drake London, who had a monster game with 10 catches for 172 yards, and Kyle Pitts (3-57), who scored a touchdown.

Bengals 34, Colts 14

Was Jake Browning’s Monday night performance a fluke? Or was it a beacon of hope for the team to make a Super Bowl-type run that the Eagles enjoyed back in 2017 with Nick Foles? There was some reason for pessimism because Browning battled one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL when he took on the Jaguars. However, as the saying goes, one is an accident and two is a trend, so perhaps Browning can give Cincinnati a legitimate chance to have success in the playoffs.

Browning began the Monday night victory by completing his first 11 passes. He similarly kicked things off by being flawless, hitting his first six passes for 137 yards. He torched the Colts, who are much better versus the pass than Jacksonville. He misfired on just six occasions after having five incompletions the prior game. Browning finished 18-of-24 for 275 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, a pick-six that was off the mark toward his tight end. That was one of two negative moments for Browning, with the other being a hand injury that he somehow suffered on a scramble. It turned out that Browning merely had muscle cramps.

Browning connected most often with Ja’Marr Chase on Monday night. He utilized his running backs more often in this game. His first touchdown was a short pass to rookie Chase Brown, who did the rest with a 54-yard touchdown. Browning also connected with a 45-yard pass to Joe Mixon, who had a solid rushing performance. Mixon dashed for 79 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. He also caught three passes for 46 yards.

As for Chase, he had a disappointing showing with just three catches for 29 yards. One of Browning’s few incompletions was a shot toward Chase in the end zone, but that pass was broken up by a defender. Conversely, Tee Higgins was the top receiver not named Brown, catching two balls for 72 yards. He appeared to score a touchdown, but it was nullified by his own offensive pass interference. Tanner Hudson (2-21) scored a touchdown.

The Colts, meanwhile, had a surprisingly sluggish performance by Zack Moss. The Jonathan Taylor replacement was highly owned in DFS once again, but failed to produce for the second week in a row despite having a great matchup. Moss mustered just 28 yards on 13 carries, though he was able to catch four passes for 28 receiving yards.

Gardner Minshew was able to generate some garbage yardage, finishing 26-of-39 for 240 yards, one touchdown and an interception that came off a deflection.

Minshew had a great matchup with Josh Downs, as the Bengals struggle to cover slot receivers. However, Downs came up with only three catches for 32 yards. Michael Pittman soaked up most of the targets, hauling in eight of the 11 balls thrown his way for 95 yards.

Browns 31, Jaguars 27

Trevor Lawrence suffered such a gruesome injury on Monday night that it wouldn’t have surprised anyone if he were out for the season. It was ruled a high ankle sprain, which meant that he would surely miss this game and possibly the next. Yet, somehow, some way, Lawrence was able to take the field just six days after getting hurt.

Lawrence, however, was not quite himself, though he showed more mobility than expected. This was evident early when he launched an interception by overthrowing Zay Jones. Accuracy was a problem for Lawrence in this game. He threw two more picks and barely completed half of his passes. One of the interceptions wasn’t his fault because there was a miscommunication with Calvin Ridley, but Lawrence had a chance for a big play in the fourth quarter, but overshot another receiver, this time targeting Ridley.

The Jaguars ultimately trailed 28-14 in the final frame. Lawrence, who finished 28-of-50 for 257 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions, was able to keep things closer in garbage time, but Cleveland was able to dominate this contest for most of the afternoon, despite the slim, four-point victory.

It’s 2023, yet Lawrence was outplayed by Joe Flacco. The veteran was sharp for most of the game. He went 26-of-45 for 311 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, which was the result of his receiver colliding with a defender. Flacco constantly made big throws into Jacksonville’s anemic secondary. This includes a big play to David Bell on a fourth down to put his team up 28-14 in the final frame.

Flacco’s other two touchdowns both went to David Njoku, who had a monster afternoon. Njoku hauled in six of his eight targets for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Amari Cooper was next on the stat sheet, seeing 14 targets. He reeled in seven of them for 77 yards. His lone mistake was a lost fumble. Elijah Moore, meanwhile, was a disappointment with only three catches for 42 yards.

The Browns didn’t get much on the ground. Jerome Ford rushed for 51 yards on 12 carries, but about half of his production came on a 26-yard burst. Kareem Hunt was restricted to 27 yards on 10 carries, but he scored a touchdown.

Ford was somehow the leading rusher in this game, as Travis Etienne struggled to find any running room versus the Browns. He managed only 35 yards on 14 carries, but he scored a touchdown. He caught four passes for 37 receiving yards.

Evan Engram had a very difficult matchup, but somehow had a dominant performance. He snatched 11 of his 12 targets for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Parker Washington (2-27) also scored.

Elsewhere in the Jacksonville receiving corps, Ridley couldn’t get a connection going with Lawrence, reeling in only four of his 13 targets for 53 yards. Zay Jones (5-29) was also inefficient with his 14 targets.

Saints 28, Panthers 6

The Saints entered this game with an injured quarterback and numerous missing players on both sides of the ball. This was a perfect opportunity for the Panthers to win a game and give Bryce Young some confidence heading into the offseason. Instead, Carolina suffered another embarrassing loss, as the decision to fire Frank Reich looks completely irrelevant.

Young had a miserable performance against a Saints defense missing key players, including No. 1 cornerback Marshon Lattimore. He barely completed a third of his passes, showing dreadful accuracy throughout the afternoon. He had a chance for some big plays, including one where he had Jonathan Mingo wide open downfield for a touchdown, but heaved a flailing duck that wasn’t even close to being complete. Young went 13-of-36 for 137 yards and a lost fumble on a strip-sack that looked like it could be an interception.

The Saints, meanwhile, moved the chains easily on the ground versus Carolina’s horrible run defense. Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams split the workload almost evenly, which had to be frustrating for those who used the former in fantasy or DFS this week. Kamara outgained Williams, 56-43, seeing one more carry (12-11) in the process. Kamara scored a touchdown, and he was shockingly used sparingly in the passing game with three catches for 11 receiving yards.

It was shocking to see Derek Carr not target Kamara more, given his injury limitations. This, however, was a far cry from what we saw from Carr in Week 4 versus Tampa Bay. Carr was accurate, going 18-of-26 for 119 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, which was deflected by Derrick Brown at the line of scrimmage. This turnover occurred early in the game, as the crowd constantly booed the offense. Those boos disappeared in the second half once the Saints established a large lead with the help of a blocked punt returned for a touchdown.

Carr’s two touchdowns were thrown to Chris Olave (4-28) and Jimmy Graham (2-16), who made a great, leaping catch with his other reception. A.T. Perry led the Saints in receiving with his lone, 44-yard catch.

The leading receiver in this game was Adam Thielen, who took advantage against a slot-funnel matchup. Thielen reeled in five of his seven targets for 74 yards. He was the only Panther with more than 26 receiving yards, as Mingo (2-22) couldn’t do anything with his nine targets.

Carolina was able to run the ball to give themselves a chance to be competitive for a while. Chuba Hubbard dashed for 87 yards on 23 carries, while Miles Sanders (10-74) broke free for a 48-yard gain.

Jets 30, Texans 6

The Jets have embarrassed quarterbacks at home this year, beating Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts, and really frustrating Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert. C.J. Stroud, however, is the frontrunner to win Offensive Rookie the Year, so how could he possibly succumb to the same fate?

The answer was by removing all of Stroud’s top weapons. Tank Dell was already on injured reserve, but Stroud had Nico Collins at the very least. Collins, however, suffered an injury in the first half, forcing Stroud to throw to reserve receivers against the best pass defense in the NFL. The results were disastrous, as the Texans converted just one of their 12 third downs. Stroud didn’t even get a chance to mount a comeback because he suffered a head injury in the second half.

It remains to be seen how long Stroud will be sidelined. The Texans will be lost without Stroud, who went 10-of-23 for 91 yards, as the backup is the anemic Davis Mills.

The Jets, meanwhile, got a great game out of Zach Wilson, which is something that was completely unexpected, despite the positive matchup. Wilson completed 75 percent of his passes, as he went 27-of-36 for 301 yards and two touchdowns. He made some sketchy decisions, like one play where he threw late across his body while drifting to the left, but luck was on his side in this game because the pass was completed to Garrett Wilson. This helped set up the opening touchdown of the game.

Wilson continued to play well throughout the afternoon, with his only true blunder was a lost fumble during a scramble near midfield. This was very encouraging for Wilson, who has potential despite his horrid play thus far.

With Zach Wilson back at quarterback, Garrett Wilson was able to be productive again. Wilson caught nine of his 14 targets for 108 yards. Tyler Conklin chipped in with four receptions for 57 yards.

Breece Hall also enjoyed a big performance. Hall didn’t get much on the ground – 10 carries, 40 yards – but he had a huge receiving game with eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown.

The Texans didn’t have as big of a game from their backs, but Devin Singletary did well to reclaim his job. Singletary dashed for 65 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. He didn’t catch a pass on his three targets, but he had way more work than Dameon Pierce, who was limited to four carries and nine yards.

With Dell out and Collins hurt, Brevin Jordan paced Houston in receiving with three catches for 35 yards. Collins ended up with only one reception for 13 yards.

Ravens 37, Rams 31

This game may have been a blowout had it been played several weeks ago, but these teams were trending in opposite directions. Whereas the Ravens had been worse since losing Mark Andrews; the Rams had improved with Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams being healthy in recent games.

With the two teams being even now, this was a back-and-forth game with numerous lead chances. The Ravens went up early with a deep pass to Andrews’ replacement, Isaiah Likely, then the Rams came back when Puka Nacua helped set up a score by drawing a deep pass interference on third down. The Rams then went up 22-20 when their defense notched a safety after the Ravens botched a snap. Justin Tucker kicked a field goal to go up one, but Matthew Stafford put together a great drive to ultimately hit Demarcus Robinson with a score. The Ravens, down 28-23, had a terrific answer with Lamar Jackson finding Zay Flowers for the go-ahead score. The Rams then struck back with a field goal to send this game to overtime. Both teams traded punts in the extra quarter, but the Rams’ chances ended when they punted the ball away. Tylan Wallace took the punt back 76 yards to win the game for Baltimore.

Jackson didn’t have his best game in negative weather conditions against a solid Rams defense, but he came up big in the clutch. He went 24-of-43 for 316 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. He also scrambled 11 times for 70 rushing yards.

Jackson’s three scores all went to different players. Odell Beckham was the team’s top receiver with four catches for 97 yards. Likely, who scored early, finished with five grabs for 83 yards. Flowers snatched six passes for 60 yards.

The Ravens had some nice plays from Keaton Mitchell, who gained 54 yards on nine carries. He was far better than Gus Edwards, who was limited to just 15 yards on six attempts.

Kyren Williams was easily the top rusher in this game. Williams tallied 114 yards on 25 carries. He also caught three passes, but was able to log a single receiving yard.

Stafford had a big game, going 23-of-41 for 294 yards and three touchdowns. He was lucky that he wasn’t intercepted toward the end of regulation when he heaved a horrible pass into the end zone, but he more than made up for it otherwise.

Nacua had the best matchup of the Rams receivers in this game, and he caught five passes for 84 yards. However, Cooper Kupp had the best game of all the receivers, as he logged eight receptions for 115 yards and a score.

Bears 28, Lions 13
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: Congrats if you bet the Bears along with me for the Pick of the Month!

The Lions have been living dangerously over the last month with turnovers by quarterback Jared Goff and a lack of turnover creation by their defense. Life on the edge came back to bite them on Thanksgiving versus the Packers, and again on Sunday in a road loss to the Bears. The terrible officiating that is a staple of NFL football favored Chicago, helping to produce a critical point swing for the Bears in the second half. Unlike back home, the Lions were unable to pull off a comeback win.

Chicago took the opening drive down the field almost completely on the ground with quarterback Justin Fields ripping off a few runs and then wide receiver D.J. Moore taking a Wildcat snap around the corner for a 16-yard touchdown. The Bears’ second drive started deep in their own territory, but Fields had a key third-down conversion with a 19-yard run. A 28-yard completion to Darnell Mooney led to a Cairo Santos field goal that gave them a 10-0 lead.

The Lions responded with a 36-yard run by running back Jahmyr Gibbs, but Jaylon Johnson intercepted Jared Goff on a fourth-down pass to negate the possession. On the ensuing play, Fields connected with tight end Cole Kmet for a 41-yard completion to cross midfield, but the Lions managed a tackle for a loss on a fourth-and-1. Detroit soon hit a 17-yard pass to wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones to convert a fourth down, and Gibbs scored on a 12-yard run, but they missed the extra point. Up 10-6, Detroit defensive end Aidan Hutchinson abused Bears rookie lineman Darnell Wright again for a sack that forced a punt to provide Goff with good field position. The Lions turned that possession into another scoring drive, with Goff throwing a dart to wide receiver Josh Reynolds (3-44-1) for an eight-yard strike. That gave the Lions a 13-10 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, Fields had a third-down conversion to Moore and a completion to Tyler Scott set up a first-and-goal, but the drive stalled out into a game-tying field goal. At the end of the third quarter, Detroit was screwed by the officials when Fields had an obvious intentional grounding penalty go uncalled. If the call had been made, the flag would have led to a Chicago punt, but on the very next play, the Bears got the Lions to jump offsides on a fourth-and-13. Fields took advantage of Detroit’s mistake to hit Moore for a 38-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked, leaving the Bears with a 19-13. On the ensuing Detroit possession, Goff fumbled a snap and the Bears dove on the ball to set up Fields at the Lions’ 29 yard-line. A few plays later, Fields scrambled into the end zone for a score. The two-point conversion failed, but Chicago was up 25-13 early in the fourth quarter.

The Lions went for a fourth-and-1 from their own 35, but rather than a conversion, it was turned into a loss. The Bears took over at the Detroit 30 and turned the short field into a field goal for a 28-13 lead. Chicago’s defense slammed the door with Montez Sweat dominating Taylor Decker, and Goff threw desperation interception that clinched the win for Chicago.

Fields completed 19-of-33 passes for 223 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 58 yards and another score. While Fields did damage on the ground, he missed a lot of open receivers with very inaccurate passes.

D’Onta Foreman ran for 50 yards on 11 carries.

Moore caught six passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 20 yards on three carries.

Goff completed 20-of-35 for 161 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He also lost a fumble.

Gibbs turned 11 carries into 66 yards and a touchdown. He also had three catches for 16 yards. David Montgomery ran for 66 yards on 10 carries and caught three balls for 19 yards. However, both backs had horrible dropped passes that would have potentially been big plays for the Detroit offense.

Amon-Ra St. Brown (3-21) had a poor game, letting some passes get away from him. Sam LaPorta (2-23) was held in check.

Vikings 3, Raiders 0
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: Let’s pour one out for the “Passtronaut,” as Joshua Dobbs’ Jermey Lin-type run appears to have come to an end.

This game was laughably pathetic in terms of offensive play. Neither team managed any points until the fourth quarter. Minnesota has an excuse with Kirk Cousins going out for the year, but the terrible Las Vegas offense is the fault of Mark Davis. Its state is the result of Davis allowing Jon Gruden to be pushed out and letting Josh McDaniels dismantle an offense that almost beat the Bengals in the playoffs the year before he took over. Davis has only himself to blame for the current state of his franchise.

Despite the Vikings sucking on offense, they got the win and remain as a wild-card team in the NFC. They briefly enjoyed Justin Jefferson coming back to the field for the first time since Week 5. After making two catches for 27 yards, Jefferson went out of the game with a chest injury that sent him to a Las Vegas hospital.

Both teams got their punters involved early and often. In the first half, Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby and the Minnesota defensive line both came up with sacks and pressures to get their defenses off the field. Greg Joseph missed a field goal for the Vikings, and that was the closest either team came to scoring in the first half.

The Raiders finally got moving in the third quarter thanks to a short completion to Hunter Renfrow. He exploded down the field with the ball for a 38-yard gain. However a couple of plays later, Renfrow fumbled the ball away and the Vikings recovered it in their red zone. Neither team could generate a decent drive, and early in the fourth quarter, Josh Dobbs was benched for Nick Mullens. Mullens couldn’t do any better, getting his punter on the field just like Dobbs did.

Late in the fourth quarter, Mullens achieved a third-down conversion with a completion to K.J. Osborn that got Minnesota close to midfield. Mullens soon connected with T.J. Hockenson to convert another third down. A few plays later, Joseph made a 36-yard field goal at the 2-minute warning. On the Raiders’ first play after the kickoff, Ivan Pace Jr. picked off Aidan O’Connell to clinch the win for Minnesota.

Mullens was 9-of-13 for 83 yards. Dobbs, meanwhile, was 10-of-23 for 63 yards.

Alexander Mattison ran for 66 yards on 10 carries.

T.J. Hockenson led the Vikings with five catches for 53 yards.

O’Connell was 20-of-31 for 142 yards and an interception.

Josh Jacobs ran for 34 yards on 13 carries.

Renfrow (3-46), Davante Adams (6-29) and Jakobi Meyers (5-25) were non-factors.

49ers 28, Seahawks 16

Geno Smith was a surprise downgrade on the injury report late in the week. He ultimately sat, giving way to Drew Lock. This seemed like a disastrous situation for the Seahawks because of Lock’s matchup against San Francisco’s defense, but the results were also quite surprising.

Lock had plenty of success throwing on the 49ers in the opening half. He hit D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett for deep passes, keeping pace with the 49ers in a 14-10 game at intermission. It seemed like the Seahawks might be able to pull the shocking upset, but reality set in, and Lock’s carriage transformed back into a pumpkin when he was guilty of some turnovers as the afternoon progressed. This included an interception that Lock tossed into double coverage.

Conversely, Brock Purdy struggled in the early going, throwing an interception on a horrible pass toward Brandon Aiyuk. Unlike Lock, Purdy improved as the afternoon progressed, as he was able to lead his team to a 12-point victory. Purdy strengthened his MVP claim, finishing 19-of-27 for 368 yards, two touchdowns and the pick.

Deebo Samuel ripped through Seattle’s defense on Thanksgiving, and he did the same thing in this contest. He caught seven passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. He also scored a second time on an end-around after a reception of his had him land at the 1-yard line. Brandon Aiyuk also eclipsed the century mark with six grabs for 126 yards, but lost a fumble in the red zone. George Kittle (3-76) scored a touchdown on a 44-yard reception.

Christian McCaffrey broke free for a 72-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. Unfortunately for his fantasy owners, he was vultured by Jordan Mason on the next play when McCaffrey was taking a breather. McCaffrey finished with 145 yards on 16 carries, but couldn’t find the end zone. He shockingly caught only one pass.

The Seahawks predictably failed to run the ball as well as the 49ers. Kenneth Walker managed just 21 yards on eight carries, though he made a great play on a 27-yard reception to reverse field. His four receptions went for 33 yards.

Walker was fourth on Seattle in receiving. Lockett led the way with six grabs for 89 yards. Metcalf had just two receptions, but tallied 52 yards and a touchdown. Metcalf was ejected in the final minutes for a dirty hit after Lock’s second interception.

Speaking of Lock, he was 22-of-31 for 269 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions. One pick was a horrible throw into double coverage, but the second was made on a desperation fourth-down heave.

Bills 20, Chiefs 17

The 2023 NFL season has been marred by horrible officiating. It’s gotten bad enough that both Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid have lost their cool. Following a game-winning touchdown being nullified by penalty – negating an incredible play in which Travis Kelce lateraled to Kadarius Toney after catching a 25-yard pass – Mahomes slammed his helmet down on the sideline in frustration, then went on to yell at the referees. Reid then called the officiating a “disgrace” during his post-game press conference.

While the officiating has been horrible this season, this reaction from Reid and Mahomes was puzzling. The touchdown was negated because Toney lined up offside, stationed ahead of the center. While offensive offsides is rare, there’s no excuse for Toney lining up offsides. This was one of several bone-headed plays Toney made in this game, as he was up to his old tricks with horrible drops.

Toney wasn’t the only Kansas City player who screwed up in this latest loss. Other players dropped passes, including Richie James. Rashee Rice lost a fumble at midfield while down 17-14. And Mahomes had an interception that was tipped at the line of scrimmage.

Mahomes did what he could otherwise, finishing 25-of-43 for 271 yards, one touchdown and the pick. Mahomes was betrayed by his receivers once again, though it’s puzzling as to why he scrambled only once.

Josh Allen, conversely, did more running than usual. He had 10 scrambles for 32 yards and a touchdown, falling half a yard shy of his prop, thanks to a pair of kneel-downs. Allen had some accuracy issues as a passer, but he also made some big throws, including a side-armed conversion on a fourth down in the red zone. Allen finished 23-of-42 for 233 yards, one touchdown and an interception where he threw late across his body.

Allen’s touchdown went to James Cook, who led the Bills in receiving with five catches for 83 yards and the score. Cook also ran well, dashing for 58 yards on 10 attempts.

Aside from Cook, the Bills were led in receiving by Dawson Knox, who collected three receptions for 36 yards. Stefon Diggs (4-24) saw 11 targets, but was very inefficient against L’Jarius Sneed’s elite coverage. Dalton Kincaid (5-21) was also a disappointment with eight targets.

Kelce tied Cook for the game lead in receiving yards, as his 83 yards came on six catches. Of course, Kelce would have topped the century mark had Toney not lined up offside.

Kelce and Rice were the only Chiefs players who had more than 29 receiving yards. Rice caught seven of his 10 targets for 72 yards and a touchdown, though he was guilty of the aforementioned fumble.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire started in favor of the injured Isiah Pacheco. He rushed for only 39 yards on 11 carries, though he caught four balls for 29 receiving yards. He was vultured by Jerick McKinnon (4-19). McKinnon also caught three balls for 18 receiving yards.

Broncos 24, Chargers 7

The Chargers always find new and creative ways to lose. Here, Justin Herbert would suffer an injury, giving the team no chance with Easton Stick serving as a replacement. Herbert injured his finger in the second quarter in what was a tight, 10-0 game. Herbert didn’t see the field again after that, ruining the Chargers’ chances of potentially winning this game.

Then again, it’s not like Herbert was playing well to begin with. He had barely completed half of his passes – 9-of-17 for 96 yards – and he threw an ugly interception to set up a Denver touchdown.

Stick, however, gave the Chargers no chance, whereas the team may have been able to mount a comeback with their starter. Stick was immediately strip-sixed, though the fumble returned for a touchdown was negated by replay review. All Stick could do was dink and dunk because of his limited abilities. Stick finished 13-of-24 for 179 yards.

It would have been interesting to see if the Broncos still would have prevailed with Herbert on the other side. Denver’s defense wasn’t doing much for the most part because Russell Wilson had problems with his accuracy, especially when targeting his receivers deep downfield. For example, Wilson had Jerry Jeudy wide open for a deep score, but he completely missed him. Wilson missed enough of these for Denver to be dicouraged about their chances against tougher opponents. Wilson finished 21-of-33 for 224 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

Wilson’s touchdowns went to Courtland Sutton (3-62) and Adam Trautman (2-19). Jeudy, who missed out on the possible touchdown, was limited to just two catches for 16 yards. Jeudy appeared to score a touchdown on another occasion, but he was ruled out of bounds following replay review.

Javonte Williams had a decent game. He rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, and he caught three passes for 25 receiving yards.

Austin Ekeler had been struggling entering this contest, and there were some rumblings that he’d lose work to Joshua Kelley. That didn’t turn out to be the case, as Austin Ekeler rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. He also caught five of his seven targets for 49 receiving yards.

Ekeler finished third on the Chargers in receiving yards. He trailed Quentin Johnston (3-91) and Keenan Allen (6-68). Allen had an extremely difficult matchup against a Denver defense ranked No. 2 versus slot receivers.

Cowboys 33, Eagles 13

Great teams coming off embarrassing losses typically rebound well in their next game, so it stood to reason that the Eagles would play better than they did versus San Francisco. However, the matchup would be a factor, as Philadelphia’s miserable secondary would be tested by Dallas’ aerial assault. The Eagles already met the Cowboys earlier in the year, but Dallas plays so much better at home, especially offensively.

This was apparent right away, as the Cowboys went down the field and scored a touchdown on their opening drive. Their offense was unstoppable in this game, as the reeling Eagles continued to get torched by opposing passing attacks. This was expected, but the surprising element of this game was Dallas’ defense completely putting the clamps on Philadelphia. The Cowboys limited the Eagles offense to just six points, as the other seven came on a Dak Prescott fumble returned for a touchdown.

Prescott, by the way, played very well outside of the lost fumble. He went 24-of-39 for 271 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He nearly threw a third touchdown, but a defender grabbed Brandin Cooks’ arm before the ball arrived to him. No interference flag was thrown on the play.

A big part of the reason why Philadelphia struggled was that it constantly shot itself in the foot. The Eagles were responsible for three turnovers. Jalen Hurts committed an early fumble to set up a Dallas field goal. A.J. Brown lost a fumble over midfield in the third quarter. DeVonta Smith followed that up by losing a fumble in the red zone.

Because Hurts couldn’t finish drives as a result of these constant give-aways, he concluded his game with a horrible stat line: 18-of-27 for 197 yards and no touchdowns. He scrambled five times for 30 rushing yards.

Brown paced all players in receiving with nine catches for 94 yards. Smith was next with five grabs for 73 yards. Dallas Goedert, making his return from injury, had four grabs for 30 yards.

It wasn’t a surprise to see the Eagles struggle to run the ball. D’Andre Swift was limited to just 39 yards on 11 carries. Swift had some success in the third quarter, but the Cowboys’ excellent ground defense made sure this was not a constant phenomenon throughout the night.

Dallas had the superior rushing attack in this contest. Tony Pollard rushed for 59 yards on 16 carries, while Rico Dowdle (12-46) vultured a touchdown. Pollard was able to catch seven passes for 37 receiving yards.

Jake Ferguson led the Cowboys in receiving with five catches for 72 yards, barely edging out CeeDee Lamb’s six receptions for 71 yards and a touchdown. Michael Gallup (3-48) also scored.

Giants 24, Packers 22

After a horrible month-long stretch, “No Cookie” Jordan Love had been on fire. He looked incredible in three wins, especially against the Lions and Chiefs. It truly appeared as though he turned the corner in his young career.

This, however, was a major setback. The Packers could have taken a big step in their goal of making the playoffs with a victory over the Giants, but Love’s poor play sabotaged a potential win.

Love’s troubles began early in the game when he lost a fumble in field goal range. Of course, fumbles happen all the time, so this was excusable. Love, however, followed that up with an interception on a telegraphed throw. He stared down his receiver and floated a ball that hung in the air for an eternity, allowing the safety to snatch the interception. Love was nearly picked again in the second half on a horrible pass and then followed that up by taking a sack to set up a longer field goal, which Anders Carlson missed from 45. This whiff would end up costing the Packers, who needed those three points in this two-point defeat.

Love was ultimately able to put the Packers in a position to win with a go-ahead touchdown to Malik Heath. However, all the missed opportunities from earlier in the game hurt Green Bay because the Giants were able to engineer a game-winning drive that featured a deep Tommy DeVito completion to Wan’Dale Robinson. Randy Bullock drilled the decisive field goal as time expired.

Love finished 25-of-39 for 218 yards, one touchdown and an interception. As one Packer fan said in a text to me, “Love stinks.” He was great in past weeks, but this was a deflating performance from him.

On the other side of the ball, DeVito had a strong outing. He somehow misfired just four times, going 17-of-21 for 158 yards and a touchdown. He was also extremely dangerous on the ground with his 10 scrambles turning into 71 rushing yards. He has earned the right to start for the rest of the year to showcase himself as a long-term No. 2 quarterback in the NFL.

Saquon Barkley had some tough carries in the fourth quarter to help achieve the victory. Barkley dashed for 86 yards on 20 carries, and he scored twice. He also caught three passes for 15 receiving yards. The one blemish was a lost fumble at the end of a long gain where Barkley fell on his own and dropped the ball before being touched.

One Giant had more than 22 receiving yards, and that was Robinson, who caught six passes for 79 yards. Isaiah Hodgins (2-22) caught DeVito’s sole aerial score.

On the other side, the Packers were paced by Tucker Kraft in receiving, as the backup tight end caught four balls for 64 yards. Jayden Reed hauled in eight passes, but for only 27 yards. He also scored on an end-around.

The Packers once again got nothing out of A.J. Dillon. He managed just 53 yards on 15 carries. It remains to be seen when Aaron Jones will want to play again.

Titans 28, Dolphins 27

Miami has an electric offense, but anyone tuning into watch them for the first time this season may not think so after this performance. The Dolphins scored 27 points, but 21 of those points came via the defense. Miami pick-sixed Will Levis early, then scored quick touchdowns after recovering a muffed punt and a Levis fumble on a strip-sack.

The Dolphins being so offensively limited versus the Titans’ poor pass defense would have been shocking if it weren’t for some brutal injuries the team suffered in the first quarter. Jaylen Waddle looked like he would be knocked out for the game with a concussion when he took a crushing hit over the middle of the field, but he returned after missing a bit of action. Center Connor Williams then got hurt, and his absence was felt at the end of the possession when the Dolphins lost a fumble on a botched snap by the backup center.

The most impactful of the injuries occurred shortly later when Tyreek Hill hurt his ankle on an uncalled horse-collar tackle. Hill was out for the rest of the opening half. He tried to gut it out in the second half, but clearly wasn’t himself because he wasn’t even on the field for some crucial plays.

Despite the Dolphins being so limited, it appeared as though they would not only win but cover when they established a 27-13 lead after the two aforementioned Tennessee turnovers. The Titans had also struggled offensively throughout the night, but no one told Levis this. Levis engineered a touchdown drive to slice the margin to six. Following a Miami punt, Levis located DeAndre Hopkins with a 36-yard bomb, then found Chig Okonkwo for a 16-yard gain. This set up a Derrick Henry touchdown to give Tennessee a one-point advantage. The Dolphins had one more chance, but they couldn’t do anything with the offensive line ravaged by injury and Hill clearly not himself.

Tagovailoa had a very disappointing night, going 23-of-33 for 240 scoreless yards. He missed some throws he’d normally make, including a wide-open De’Von Achane for a big gain. Miami better make sure its offensive line is intact, or it won’t win many games for the rest of the season.

Levis had some very poor moments in this game, but he operated a pair of two-minute drills to perfection. He went 23-of-38 for 327 yards, one touchdown and the aforementioned pick-six. It’s tough to figure out Levis, who looks incredibly inept at times, but then can turn it on and play tremendously. Perhaps that should be expected, given that Levis is raw but has lots of talent.

Levis certainly had help from Hopkins, who posted a monstrous stat line. He caught seven of his 12 targets for 124 yards and a touchdown. Okonkwo chipped in with five grabs for 46 yards.

Many expected Hill to lead both teams in receiving, but that wasn’t possible because of the injury. Hill finished with four catches for 61 yards, trailing only Waddle (6-79) on Miami’s stat sheet.

The top rusher in this game was Raheem Mostert, who rumbled for 96 yards on 21 carries. He also scored both touchdowns following Tennessee’s dual second-half turnovers. Achane wasn’t used as often, tallying 47 yards on seven carries. He also caught five passes for 24 receiving yards.

Both Mostert and Achane outgained Henry. While he scored the game-winning touchdown, Henry was limited to 34 yards on 17 carries. He saved his fantasy owners with two touchdowns. Tyjae Spears (7-29) did a lot of work in the passing game, catching six balls for 89 receiving yards.

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

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