NFL Game Recaps of previous weeks and seasons can be found via links at the bottom of the page.
Raiders 63, Chargers 21
If you ever want to point to an NFL team that gave up and put forth zero effort in a football game, just use the Chargers as an example. This was one of the most humiliating efforts we’ve seen in a long time, with it being so embarrassing that Amazon NFL analyst Richard Sherman suggested that the Chargers should make NFL history and fire Brandon Staley at halftime.
The Chargers put forth zero resistance on defense and were completely careless with the ball on offense. Everyone will point to the Raiders scoring 63 points, but they generated 378 net yards of offense.
Five touchdowns occurred as the result of turnovers. The first was a lost fumble on an Easton Stick strip-sack that set up a short field. The second was a lost fumble by Joshua Kelley, which also gave the Raiders a short field. A lost fumble on a punt return gave the Raiders – you guessed it – yet another short field. Then, when the game was out of hand, the Raiders scored two defensive touchdowns. The first was a Stick lost fumble on a strip-sack, allowing 325-pound John Jenkins to rumble for a touchdown. The next offensive play was a Stick pick-six.
Stick was a complete disaster. He scored a couple of touchdowns in garbage time to pad the stats, but he was a turnover machine. He finished 23-of-32 for 257 yards and three touchdowns in one of the most misleading stat lines in NFL history. Stick was responsible for a pick-six and two lost fumbles.
Conversely, Aidan O’Connell was mostly accurate and very decisive. He was granted short fields as a result of multiple Charger turnovers. He went 20-of-34 for 248 yards and four touchdowns.
O’Connell’s top receiver was predictably Davante Adams, who caught eight of his 12 targets for 101 yards and a touchdown, though the score came from Jakobi Meyers on a trick play. Meyers also caught a touchdown, catching two balls for 32 yards. Tre Tucker (3-59) snatched two scores, while Michael Mayer (4-39) also found the end zone.
Josh Jacobs was sidelined, yet Zamir White handled the workload well. He dashed for 69 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He also caught three passes for 16 receiving yards.
White outgained Austin Ekeler by a wide margin. The Chargers inexplicably gave Ekeler only five touches in the first half. He finished with a mere nine rushing yards on just five carries. He caught four passes for 29 receiving yards.
Only two players finished ahead of Ekeler on the receiving list. Joshua Palmer led all players in receiving with four catches for 113 yards and a touchdown, thanks to a 79-yard score in garbage time on a busted coverage. Gerald Everett secured five catches for 41 yards.
Bengals 27, Vikings 24
When the Vikings made the switch from Joshua Dobbs to Nick Mullens, they believed they were getting a quarterback who would give them a better chance of playing a safer game. That was anything but the case in this contest, as Mullens was a turnover machine against Cincinnati’s bottom 10-ranked defense.
Minnesota outplayed Cincinnati, generating about 60 more total yards and 0.8 more yards per play, but ended up losing because Mullens sabotaged a potential victory. Mullens was responsible for two interceptions in Cincinnati territory. He initially threw a red zone interception, then tossed another pick when he was trying to throw the ball away under pressure. This wasn’t it for Mullens, as he was pick-sixed in the fourth quarter. Luckily for him, the turnover was negated by an offsides penalty.
Mullens had some bright moments in this game, displaying excellent accuracy at times and coming up clutch in a late drive in regulation. Aside from the two interceptions, Mullens went 26-of-33 for 303 yards and two touchdowns. He needs to play that way without giving the game away, because he’s responsible for this defeat.
Jake Browning had a nice start to this game, completing 5-of-6 passes on the opening drive. He struggled to move the chains after that until the very end of the game when he caught fire again. He threw an interception where he stared down his receiver, but rebounded well and was even more clutch, coming through with a victory in overtime.
Browning finished 29-of-42 for 324 yards, two touchdowns and the pick. This was a huge test for Browning, who was facing the highest-ranked defense yet. He passed with flying colors, as Cincinnati helped itself greatly in the AFC playoff race.
What’s impressive about Browning’s finish was that he operated without Ja’Marr Chase (4-64), who suffered an injury. Chase then began relying on Tee Higgins, who rebounded from a rough start to the afternoon. Higgins opened the game with two drops, but ended up with as many touchdowns. He caught four balls for 61 yards and the pair of scores.
Joe Mixon and Chase Brown split touches once again. Mixon rushed for 47 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Brown tallied 23 yards on seven attempts. Brown and Mixon both caught three passes each for 28 and 14 receiving yards, respectively.
The leading rusher was Ty Chandler, and it wasn’t even close. Chandler had a monstrous performance with 132 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. He also caught three passes for 25 receiving yards. It’s evident that Alexander Mattison’s time as Minnesota’s starting back has come to an end, as a star has been born with Chandler.
Justin Jefferson caught seven passes for 84 yards. He was second on the team in receiving, trailing Jordan Addison, who secured all six of his targets for 111 yards and two touchdowns.
Colts 30, Steelers 13
Though the Colts won this game by 17 points, things looked very promising for the Steelers during the early stages of the afternoon. Pittsburgh opened up 13-0 lead, while the Colts’ top two available skill players both suffered injuries. Zack Moss left the contest with an arm injury, while Michael Pittman was knocked out by a vicious hit. With no running game and no top receiver, how could Indianapolis possibly overcome the Pittsburgh defense?
Well, despite the absences of Moss and Jonathan Taylor, the Colts were able to run very effectively on Pittsburgh’s defense. The Steelers inexplicably couldn’t tackle two backs named Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson. Sermon dashed for 88 yards on 17 carries, while Goodson chipped in with 69 yards on 11 tries. The Colts were able to pound both effectively to keep the Steelers off the field. Indianapolis won the time of possession by about seven minutes overall, but had a better ratio in the second half.
Indianapolis’ rushing attack was only half of the equation. The other reason for Pittsburgh’s collapse was the abysmal quarterbacking of Mitchell Trubisky. The former No. 2 overall pick actually had a decent completion rate (16-of-23), but he destroyed his team’s chances with two horrible interceptions. Trubisky, who threw for 169 yards and a touchdown otherwise, was ultimately benched in favor of Mason Rudolph, but this was a move that should have been made earlier in the game, or even the prior week. The Steelers must now win every single game to make the playoffs, so if Kenny Pickett can’t go, Rudolph should start over Trubisky.
Trubisky’s presence made it difficult for the Steelers receivers to be productive, though Diontae Johnson at least got there with four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. George Pickens converted three of his seven targets for 47 yards.
Pittsburgh’s rushing attack didn’t help matters, as Indianapolis was better versus the run with Grover Stewart back from suspension. Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris split the workload, with Warren outgaining Harris, 40-33, despite getting two fewer carries (12-10).
Pittman was the only receiver in this game to have more yards than Johnson despite not even playing an entire half. Pittman caught four balls for 78 yards. D.J. Montgomery (2-48), Mo Alie-Cox (2-21) and Moss (3-20) caught touchdowns from Gardner Minshew.
Speaking of Minshew, he went 18-of-28 for 215 yards and three touchdowns, as he was extremely efficient despite missing his top two skill players against what is normally regarded as a top-10 defense.
Lions 42, Broncos 17
Detroit entered this game on a bit of a cold streak, losing two of its previous three games. This, however, was the perfect matchup for the Lions, as they were battling a Denver defense that can’t stop running backs or tight ends. Detroit got off to a bit of a slow start when it targeted Denver’s secondary for some reason, but it eventually attacked the weaknesses of the Broncos, which ultimately created a lopsided result.
As far as attacking Denver’s run defense, both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery had excellent runs. Gibbs was particularly stellar, dashing for an even 100 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Montgomery nearly hit the century plateau as well with 85 yards on 17 attempts.
Detroit’s top performer went against Denver’s abysmal tight end defense, as rookie Sam LaPorta continued to dominate. LaPorta caught five of his six targets for 56 yards and three touchdowns.
Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown didn’t have the best matchups, but they thrived as well. Goff went 24-of-34 for 278 yards and five touchdowns. He started slowly, but torched Denver mercilessly in the second half.
St. Brown, meanwhile, was easily the top receiver in this game. He caught seven of his nine targets for 112 yards and a touchdown.
As for the Broncos, they were victimized by bad officiating and bad coaching. An instance of both occurred when the Lions were down 28-7. Javonte Williams seemingly scored a touchdown, but the officials ruled him shy of the goal line. Sean Payton didn’t challenge for some reason, but it didn’t matter because Denver scored on the next play – except that the touchdown was nullified by a bogus offensive offsides penalty. The Broncos could have tried to score the touchdown from Detroit’s 5-yard line, but opted for the field goal instead, trimming the margin to 28-10. So, the Broncos turned a three-score game into a three-score game.
There was another instance in which Payton screwed up later in the evening. The Broncos, down 25 points in the final quarter, were faced with a fourth-and-10 around midfield. Going for it made all the sense in the world, but Payton inexplicably chose to punt.
Russell Wilson had a down performance, as most of his numbers came late in the game. He went 18-of-32 for 223 yards and a touchdown. He also scored on a sneak in garbage time.
Jerry Jeudy edged out Courtland Sutton as the leading receiver on the Broncos. Jeudy caught three passes for 74 yards, while Sutton snatched five balls for 71 yards.
Denver predictably got nothing out of its rushing attack against a stalwart Detroit run defense. Javonte Williams mustered just 27 yards on 12 carries.
Browns 20, Bears 17
The Browns entered this game owning a 2-0 record with Joe Flacco as the starting quarterback. That perfect record appeared as though it would be in jeopardy, however, as the Bears were able to establish a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter. Flacco had gone against a couple of soft defenses, so this matchup was going to be a different animal, as Chicago ranked fifth in defensive EPA since acquiring Montez Sweat.
Sweat and company did a great job of pressuring Flacco, however, as the veteran quarterback tossed three interceptions in this game. Flacco’s first pick, which was the byproduct of a miscommunication, was nearly taken back for a touchdown, as the defender was tackled at the 1-yard line. Flacco’s second pick wasn’t his fault either, with the ball bouncing off receiver Cedric Tillman’s hands. Flacco’s third interception was telegraphed, however, and Flacco is fortunate that he didn’t commit a turnover on a strip-sack fumble, but the ball trickled out of bounds.
For most of the second half, it seemed as though the Browns would lose their first game with Flacco at quarterback, but Flacco generated some clutch scoring drives to tie the game and then take the lead with less than a minute remaining. Justin Fields drove over midfield, thanks to a long play that was the result of a miscommunication, so he was able to have a chance at a Hail Mary. The prayer was almost answered, as the ball deflected right into Darnell Mooney’s lap. Mooney, however, couldn’t hang on, and the ball bounced into the arms of a Cleveland defender for the interception.
Though Flacco had his struggles, he was the better quarterback in this matchup. He went 28-of-44 for 374 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Fields, meanwhile, failed to complete half of his passes, going 19-of-40 for 166 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The two picks both came on Hail Marys at the end of each half. Fields also should have thrown a deep touchdown to Robert Tonyan, but the tight end dropped the ball. Curiously, Fields didn’t run very much – seven scrambles, 30 rushing yards – despite going up against a man defense.
Flacco prominently went to Amari Cooper and David Njoku as he was making his comeback. Both players eclipsed the century plateau. Cooper caught four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown, while David Njoku reeled in 10 of his 14 targets for 104 yards and a score.
Chicago’s pass-catchers were disappointing by comparison. D.J. Moore made a great, 29-yard back-shoulder catch along the sideline in the opening half, but didn’t do much else aside from draw a pass interference flag. He led the Bears in receiving with four grabs for 52 yards. Cole Kmet (5-23) caught Fields’ sole touchdown.
Both teams split the backfield workload. Jerome Ford (8-20) and Kareem Hunt (7-8) couldn’t run against Chicago’s stalwart front. For the Bears, D’Onta Foreman had a bizarre stat line of six carries for minus-6 yards. Roschon Johnson was the best back with 36 yards on five carries and four catches for 24 receiving yards. He should be the primary back going forward.
Panthers 9, Falcons 7
The Falcons have been in contention for the divisional title, but many of their potential victories have been sabotaged by poor quarterbacking and even worse coaching. There were elements of both in this embarrassing loss for Atlanta, which will make an NFC South championship very difficult.
Arthur Smith was at his finest in this game, which is not a positive sentiment, given his extreme incompetence. It seemed as though Smith finally realized who Bijan Robinson was during the bye, but he has quickly forgotten that his front office spent a top-10 pick on a running back. Not only was he using Tyler Allgeier over Robinson; he had Cordarrelle Patterson take touches away from his supremely talented back.
Allgeier (14-45) ended up with double the number of carries that Robinson received, while Patterson had just two fewer touches. This is a completely irresponsible usage of personnel, and Smith should be fired immediately so the Falcons can salvage a playoff spot. Robinson had just 11 yards on seven carries, and he lost a fumble to set up a Carolina field goal, but it’s not like Robinson was used creatively or given a chance to get into any sort of rhythm.
Meanwhile, Desmond Ridder once again did a good job of moving the chains in between the 20s before self-destructing deep in opposing territory. The Falcons were up 7-6 in the fourth quarter and entered the red zone. A field goal would have forced the Panthers into a touchdown to take the lead, but Ridder somehow didn’t realize this. Ridder rolled left and threw across his body, heaving the ball right to Xavier Woods for the pick. No points on the drive allowed the Panthers to win the game on an ensuing kick.
Ridder finished 12-of-20 for 152 yards, one touchdown and the interception. Atlanta will need to obtain a new quarterback this offseason. Here are our 2024 NFL Draft Quarterback Prospect Rankings to see the options.
Speaking of inept quarterbacks, Bryce Young had one of his best games yet despite generating only 167 passing yards. However, he was accurate in the pouring rain, completing 18-of-24 passes. He ran four times, but picked up only nine rushing yards.
Chuba Hubbard was the game’s leading rusher, and it wasn’t even close. Hubbard dashed for 87 yards on 22 carries. He caught two passes for 16 receiving yards.
As for the receivers in this game, Jonnu Smith led all players with two grabs for 61 yards, thanks to a 56-yard completion. Kyle Pitts chipped in with three grabs for 37 yards. Drake London (2-24) did nothing after last week’s big performance.
Carolina’s receiving group was paced by Adam Thielen, who reeled in four of his seven targets for 43 yards. Jonathan Mingo had four receptions for 32 yards.
Buccaneers 34, Packers 20
“No Cookie” Jordan Love was on fire recently, beating the Lions and Chiefs in consecutive weeks. He came crashing back down to Earth on Monday night against the Giants, but there was optimism that he would be able to rebound against a Tampa Bay secondary that has been torched by most quarterbacks this year. One of the quarterbacks was on fire in this game, but it wasn’t Love.
Baker Mayfield sliced through Green Bay’s secondary with ease. Mayfield torched the Jaire Alexander-less Packers mercilessly from start to finish. Mayfield had the most success targeting Mike Evans this year, but Chris Godwin was his weapon of choice in this game. Godwin approached the century mark rather quickly in this game, and he ultimately had 10 receptions for 155 yards.
It was mostly Godwin early, but Mayfield went to Mike Evans (4-57) and Rachaad White for his first two touchdowns, with Evans also drawing an interference flag. Mayfield’s final touchdown was a short toss to David Moore, which the receiver turned into a 52-yard gain. There was some controversy with the score because it seemed as though Moore fumbled prior to crossing the goal line, but replay review confirmed the call.
Mayfield finished 22-of-28 for 381 yards and four touchdowns. His only blemish was a lost fumble on a strip-sack. It’s unlikely that Mayfield can continue this incredible level of play, but if he can do so, the Buccaneers will have a chance to win in the playoffs.
Love also posted a quality stat line. His numbers weren’t as good as Mayfield’s, but he was still able to go 29-of-39 for 284 yards and two touchdowns. Love, however, made some mistakes. He took some horrible sacks and didn’t come through in the clutch on fourth downs. This included a fourth-and-goal near the goal line, where a pass to Jayden Reed was nowhere near the receiver.
Love’s touchdowns went to Tucker Kraft (4-57) and Jayden Reed (6-52). They were outgained one player, Dontayvion Wicks, who reeled in six of his seven targets for 97 yards.
Aaron Jones made his return, but didn’t do much against the Vita Vea-led Buccaneers defense. Jones mustered just 53 yards on 13 carries. He also caught four passes for only 16 receiving yards.
White was the leading rusher in this game. He dashed for 89 yards on 21 carries to go along with his aforementioned receiving work.
Texans 19, Titans 16
For most of this game, it seemed as though Houston’s playoff aspirations would take a huge hit. Missing C.J. Stroud, the Texans watched as his replacement, Case Keenum, threw a pick-six as he stared down his receiver. Meanwhile, the Titans converted an early touchdown when Will Levis launched a bomb to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on a free play to set up a score on a sneak.
For most of this contest, that was the only touchdown for either team, as both squads couldn’t do much to keep drives alive. The Texans and Titans combined to convert 9-of-30 third downs. It appeared as though Tennessee would prevail because of its early score.
Things changed at the end when the Texans had a stroke of luck go their way. Keenum drove his team into the red zone, but appeared to throw another interception when he fired a pass off his back foot. Titans cornerback Roger McCreary had the ball in his hands, but Dalton Schultz snatched it away. This set up a touchdown to Noah Brown, tying the game at 16.
It appeared as though the Titans would prevail in overtime when they had luck go their way, as receiver Chris Moore snatched the ball over a defensive back’s head on a pass that looked like a sure interception. Levis, however, ruined the drive by taking a sack. The same occurred on the next possession, with Levis getting hurt this time. The Texans took over and drove the length of the field, with Devin Singletary scoring a touchdown that was negated by penalty. Still, Houston was in position for the decisive field goal to win the game.
Tennessee couldn’t get anything going in this game because Derrick Henry had no running room despite the Texans missing their top two defensive players. The absences of Will Anderson and Blake Cashman had no impact on this contest, as Henry was limited to just nine yards on 16 carries. Tyjae Spears (9-30) had more success running the ball, but it’s not like he had a great game.
With no running sport, Levis struggled to keep drives alive. Levis went 17-of-26 for 199 yards and an interception. He was worse than Keenum, who went 23-of-36 for 229 yards, one touchdown and the aforementioned pick-six.
Unlike Levis, Keenum had some running support. Singletary dashed for 121 yards on 26 carries, as Dameon Pierce (1 carry, 3 yards) was nowhere to be found. Singletary also caught four passes for 49 receiving yards. He would have had a monstrous fantasy day had his overtime touchdown stood.
Noah Brown paced all receivers in yardage, as he caught eight balls for 82 yards and a touchdown. Schultz, the hero who helped send this game to overtime, made four grabs for 58 yards.
As for Tennessee’s receivers, Treylon Burks led the way with three catches for 62 yards. DeAndre Hopkins, conversely, was a big disappointment, as he hauled in two of his nine targets for 21 yards. He was guilty of a drop.
Saints 24, Giants 6
There’s been so much hype with Tommy DeVito, especially after his Monday night upset victory over the Packers. This Jeremy Lin-type of insanity came crashing to a halt rather quickly, as the Giants suffered a blowout defeat at the hands of the Saints six days later.
DeVito nearly failed to finish this game, as he took a big hit in the second quarter. The independent neurologist signaled to have DeVito checked, so Tyrod Taylor entered the game and threw four passes. Fortunately, DeVito was able to return to action. That was the good news. The bad news was that DeVito failed to score a single point after that. DeVito had some nice runs, but his offensive line betrayed him and didn’t give him much of a chance. DeVito went 20-of-34 for 177 yards. He scrambled four times for 36 rushing yards.
Derek Carr, conversely, had a terrific game despite missing Chris Olave and dealing with a rib injury. He misfired on just five occasions, torching the Giants mercilessly. He went 23-of-38 for 218 yards and three touchdowns.
Carr spread the ball around, as seven Saints caught multiple passes with Olave sidelined. Alvin Kamara led the way with five catches for 44 receiving yards. Kamara added 66 rushing yards on 16 carries. Despite leading the team in both categories, Kamara had a disappointing fantasy output, considering the missing players in New Orleans’ offense and the positive matchup against the Giants poor rush defense.
Following Kamara, Juwan Johnson was next on the receiving list, as he caught two balls for 38 yards and a touchdown. Rashid Shaheed (3-36) and A.T. Perry (2-34) were next, with Perry drawing an interference flag.
The Giants’ receiving numbers were spread around as well. Darren Waller was second on the team in that category in his return from injured reserve, catching four passes for 40 yards. He trailed only Darius Slayton (4-63).
Wan’Dale Robinson failed to build momentum from his brilliant Monday night performance. He caught four passes, but for only 25 receiving yards. Jalin Hyatt, meanwhile, failed to haul in any of his three targets.
Saquon Barkley got absolutely nothing on the ground. He was limited to just 14 yards on nine carries. He caught just two passes for 23 receiving yards.
Chiefs 27, Patriots 17
The Chiefs were double-digit favorites in this game, but that didn’t mean their offensive woes would stop persisting. Marred by countless drops and other mental mistakes all year, Kansas City continued shooting itself in the foot to begin this contest. An offensive pass interference negated a significant gain, and that was followed up an intentional grounding call on Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs then saw Mahomes throw an interception, which wasn’t his fault because a New England linebacker was able to wrestle the ball away from Blake Bell.
The Patriots were able to capitalize on all of Kansas City’s mistakes to lead 10-7 in the second quarter, but the Chiefs finally began clicking prior to halftime. Mahomes engineered a long drive which featured a deep pass to Justin Watson. This set up a touchdown pass to Jerick McKinnon to give Kansas City the lead heading into the break.
The Chiefs weren’t done making mistakes after that. They did a better job overall to establish a 27-10 lead, but Kadarius Toney had the ball bounce off his hands and into the arms of a New England defender. This set up a quick Patriots touchdown to decrease the margin to 10 with eight minutes remaining. The Chiefs, however, put together an 8-minute drive in which they converted first down after first down, milking all the time off the clock without scoring a single point.
Mahomes overcame some early adversity, as well as the No. 2 EPA defense in the NFL, to go 27-of-37 for 305 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions that weren’t his fault.
Mahomes’ top receiver was Rashee Rice once again, with Rice catching all nine of his targets for 91 yards and a touchdown. Conversely, Travis Kelce struggled once again despite his girlfriend being in attendance. He caught five passes, but for only 28 yards. He also dropped a potential touchdown and got a bit banged up in this game.
With Isiah Pacheco sidelined, Clyde Edwards-Helaire handled most of the rushing workload. He mustered only 37 yards on 13 carries, but did his best work as a receiver out of the backfield with four catches for 64 receiving yards and a touchdown, aided mostly by a 48-yard reception. Jerick McKinnon also did well, though exclusively as a receiver and a passer. He caught three passes for 19 receiving yards and a touchdown, and he also threw a 4-yard touchdown to Rice on a trick play.
Ezekiel Elliott was a disappointment as a highly owned fantasy option. He was restricted to just 25 yards on 11 carries. He caught five passes for 21 receiving yards as well.
Bailey “Ben” Zappe did not play well. He went 23-of-31 for only 180 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He was robbed of a second touchdown, as a potential score of his to Hunter Henry was negated by a penalty.
Speaking of Henry, he led the Patriots in receiving with seven catches for 66 yards and a score. Demario Douglas was a big disappointment with only three grabs for 33 yards.
Dolphins 30, Jets 0
By Charlie Campbell –
@draftcampbell
EDITOR’S NOTE: What’s the point in looking at injury reports? Seriously, it seems like a waste of time after this.
This game was pure domination from start to finish, as Miami was out to get right after an embarrassing Monday night loss to the Titans. While the Dolphins were without Tyreek Hill, it didn’t matter, as Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert dominated the New York defense. Vic Fangio’s defense destroyed the Jets, behind Bradley Chubb putting together a monster game against Mekhi Becton. The Jets didn’t stand a chance dropping to 5-9, while the Dolphins improved to 10-4.
Early in the first quarter while Zach Wilson was getting sacked by Christian Wilkins around the legs, Chubb pounded Wilson up top and caused him to fumble the ball. Zach Sieler recovered at the Jets one-yard line, and a few plays later, Raheem Mostert darted into the end zone to set the Miami franchise record with his 19th touchdown of the season. Shortly later, the Dolphins added a field goal to take a 10-point lead, and then midway through the second quarter, Tua Tagovailoa laid out a perfect deep ball to Jaylen Waddle for a 60-yard touchdown. Late in the first half, Miami padded their lead with another short rushing touchdown from Mostert to go up 24-0 before the intermission.
A head injury knocked Wilson out of the game, and he was replaced by Trevor Siemian in the second half. The results stayed the same. The Dolphins added two field goals to be up 30-0 early in the fourth quarter. Miami intercepted Siemian twice, and Chubb had a strip-sack that he recovered.
Tagovailoa completed 21-of-24 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown.
Mostert ran 15 times for 42 yards and two touchdowns.
Waddle had eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown.
Zach Wilson was 4-of-11 for 26 yards before his injury.
Breece Hall ran for 12 yards on six carries.
Garrett Wilson had three catches for 29 yards.
Rams 28, Redskins 20
By Charlie Campbell –
@draftcampbell
EDITOR’S NOTE: Our brutal luck continues. The Redskins were set up to get the back-door cover, but Ron Rivera called for the extra point instead of the two-point conversion, only to have his kicker get the extra point blocked. Has anyone run worse than us this year?
The Rams had a tough loss to the Ravens last week, but they bounced back against Washington. A few late scores made the game closer than it really was, as Los Angeles held commanding leads until very late in the fourth quarter when the Redskins scored two quick touchdowns. The Rams now remain competitive for a wild card spot and face a huge game against the Saints on Thursday night.
Early in the first quarter, Matthew Stafford led a field goal drive to grab Los Angeles a quick lead. Washington got moving with a chunk completion to Terry McLaurin, but the Rams stopped a fourth-and-1 to deny points. Later in the first half, the Rams moved down the field, with Stafford ripping the ball through the Washington defense to set up a short rushing touchdown for Kyren Williams. Just before the half, the Rams were moving inside the 40 when Benjamin St. Juste stripped Williams of the ball, which the Redskins recovered. After an Ernest Jones sack, however, the Washington long-snapper sent a ground ball to punter Tress Way, and that led to a tackle to set up the Rams at the Washington 15-yard line. Los Angeles added a field goal to go up 13-0 at the half.
To open the third quarter, Washington had busted coverage, leaving three defenders covering one receiver and nobody covering Cooper Kupp. Stafford found Kupp all alone down the deep sideline, allowing Kupp to cruis into the end zone for a 62-yard touchdown. Midway through the third quarter, Sam Howell finally got points for the Redskins after a completion to McLaurin to moved them into Rams territory. Howell then hit the 19-yard touchdown to Curtis Samuel (5-41-2).
Early in the fourth quarter, Stafford found Demarcus Robinson open in the back of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion, making the score it 28-14. Promptly, a tipped pass was intercepted by John Johnson, and after that Jacoby Brissett replaced Howell for Washington. Brissett led a scoring drive with a 29-yard scoring strike to McLaurin. After getting the ball back, Brissett lofted in a bomb to McLaurin for a 48-yard gain to the one-yard line. However, a bunch of penalties and goal attempts took over two minutes off the clock. On fourth-and-goal, Brissett hit Samuel for a touchdown, but the extra point was blocked to leave things at 28-20. The Rams recovered the ensuing onside kick to clinch the win.
Stafford completed 25-of-33 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns.
Kyrien Williams ran for 152 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, but had two fumbles.
Cooper Kupp caught eight passes for 111 yards and a touchdown, while Puka Nacua caught five for 50 yards.
Sam Howell was 11-of-26 of 102 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Jacoby Brissett was 8-of-10 for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. ran for 35 yards on 10 carries.
McLaurin caught six passes for 141 yards with a touchdown.
49ers 45, Cardinals 29
Both quarterbacks had scary moments in this game. Brock Purdy took a brutal hit in the second quarter that seemed bad enough to cause a concussion that would knock him out for a couple of weeks. Yet, Purdy missed just a handful of plays. Later in the second half, Kyler Murray suffered a leg injury on a clean hit by Clelin Ferrell. Murray had trouble getting up, and it seemed as though his season might be over, but he was able to return to action as well.
Purdy was the better quarterback in this game, which was close for a while. This changed when Murray was pick-sixed on a telegraphed throw. This put Arizona too far behind, as the Cardinals just couldn’t keep pace with San Francisco’s incredibly efficient offense. The 49ers averaged 7.5 yards per play and converted all but three of their third downs. Purdy was the engineer of this offense, as he was able to go 16-of-25 for 242 yards and four touchdowns.
San Francisco’s best player was Christian McCaffrey, who took advantage of Arizona’s abysmal run defense. McCaffrey scored three times, all while rushing for 115 yards on 18 carries and catching five passes for 72 receiving yards.
Deebo Samuel also scored multiple touchdowns. Samuel hauled in four of his seven targets for 48 yards and two scores. George Kittle (2-54) and Brandon Aiyuk (3-37) couldn’t get into the end zone.
The leading receiver in this game was actually an Arizona player. That was Trey McBride, who couldn’t be stopped against a team that is often terrific against tight ends. McBride reeled in 10 of his 11 targets for 102 yards.
Murray went 26-of-39 for 211 yards, one touchdown and a pair of interceptions, including the aforementioned pick-six. He also scrambled six times for 49 yards.
Considering his team trailed throughout the afternoon, James Conner had a strong performance. Conner rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts.
Bills 31, Cowboys 10
The Bills have been on fire since losing a Monday night home game to the Broncos in embarrassing fashion. They’ve been especially efficient since firing Ken Dorsey, and they continued to be so against another hot team.
Buffalo dominated this game on both sides of the ball from start to finish. It’s odd to say this about the Bills offense because Josh Allen completed seven passes, but he didn’t need to throw very much because James Cook ripped through Dallas’ defense. Cook, who has been utilized more since Joe Brady replaced Dorsey, dashed for 179 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. He also caught two passes for 42 yards and another score. The Cowboys had no answer for him.
Dallas also had no answer for Buffalo’s pass rush. The Bills swarmed Dak Prescott throughout the evening, which is why the Cowboys were able to achieve only 14 first downs, compared to 28 for Buffalo. A big part of the pass protection problems stemmed from the injury to Zack Martin in the opening half. Prescott often melts down when things aren’t perfect, and things certainly weren’t with the All-Pro guard out of the lineup. Prescott finished 21-of-34 for only 134 yards and an interception, and yet those stats were aided by garbage time.
Allen, as mentioned, completed just seven passes. He was 7-of-15 for 94 yards and a touchdown. It’s worth noting that of the eight incompletions, three were drops. He also scrambled eight times for 24 rushing yards and another score.
With Allen not throwing much, only three Buffalo players caught passes. In addition to Cook, they were Stefon Diggs (4-48) and Ty Johnson (1-4). Dalton Kincaid dropped two passes on the same drive.
Dallas’ receiving corps saw just two players record more than 10 receiving yards: CeeDee Lamb (7-53) and Jake Ferguson (6-44). Brandin Cooks (2-10) was a disappointment.
Tony Pollard didn’t get a chance to expose Buffalo’s run defense because of the constant deficit. He rushed for 52 yards on only 11 carries. He caught two passes, but for only five receiving yards.
Ravens 23, Jaguars 7
The Jaguars had struggled heading into this game with losses to the Bengals and Browns. However, they had a chance to right the ship against the Ravens and tighten the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Based on how they played, however, they’ll be lucky if they even win a single game in the postseason.
Jacksonville made numerous mistakes throughout this evening. It began innocently enough when Brandon McManus missed two field goals, but Trevor Lawrence was guilty of some major blunders after that. Lawrence started by losing a fumble in the red zone despite not being touched. He then was responsible for some horrible clock management at the end of the half, running out of time at the Baltimore 4-yard line because he refused to spike the ball. Lawrence wasn’t alone in making mistakes, as his receivers dropped some passes throughout the contest. This includes a potential touchdown by Calvin Ridley in the final quarter.
Meanwhile, the Ravens made the big plays. Lamar Jackson was guilty of an early interception when he threw late across his body, but he made up for it with some wicked scrambles. There was one play where he brushed off a potential sack and heaved a bomb downfield to Isaiah Likely for a gain of 26. Jackson had enough stellar moments to lead his team to victory as he went 14-of-24 for 171 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He also scrambled 12 times for 97 rushing yards.
Thanks to the deep pass he caught, Likely reeled in five balls for 70 yards and a touchdown. He and Rashod Bateman (3-39) were the only Baltimore players with more than 15 receiving yards. Zay Flowers (1-7) was a non-factor.
The dark cloud over this victory involved Keaton Mitchell, who rushed for 73 yards on nine carries. He suffered a harsh-looking knee injury in the fourth quarter, as he was unable to put any pressure on his leg. He’ll sorely be missed if he’s out for the rest of the year. Gus Edwards will handle more of the workload; he rushed for 58 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts.
As for the Jaguars, Lawrence went 25-of-43 for 264 yards and a touchdown. He was a disappointment in a big game. Something looked wrong with his arm in the fourth quarter when he underthrew some receivers.
Lawrence had no running game on which to lean. In fact, he led the team in rushing with four scrambles for 41 yards. Travis Etienne was restricted to just 31 yards on 10 attempts.
As mentioned earlier, Ridley dropped a touchdown in the final minutes. He converted just five of his 12 targets for 39 yards. He was outgained by Zay Jones (5-59).
Seahawks 20, Eagles 17
The Eagles have major problems in their secondary, but it didn’t appear as though the Seahawks recognized this. They spent much of the evening trying to establish the run. While they had some success in this regard, it didn’t seem like the coaching staff trusted Drew Lock to torch Philadelphia’s secondary, as other quarterbacks have done all year.
The Seattle coaches had no choice in the final minutes, as their team was down 17-13. With Lock unshackled for the first time all night, he completed a pair of passes to D.K. Metcalf where the All-Pro receiver made a couple of spectacular catches. The first saw him pin the ball against his leg as he was falling down, while the second was done amid tight coverage along the sideline. This second catch put the Seahawks into Eagles territory, where Lock connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the decisive touchdown with less than half a minute remaining. The Eagles had one more chance, but it wasn’t much of one with barely any time remaining. Jalen Hurts attempted a deep shot, which was promptly intercepted to seal the upset victory for Seattle.
For a while, it didn’t seem like Lock would even start this game, as Geno Smith was declared active 90 minutes prior to kickoff. Lock, however, drew the start, and he came through in the clutch to keep Seattle alive in the playoff race. Lock finished 22-of-33 for 208 yards and a touchdown. He would have enjoyed a much better statistical performance had the coaches believed in him and given him a chance earlier in the evening.
Metcalf was the star of this game. The stats don’t completely show it – five catches, 78 yards – but in addition to those two great receptions, he also drew a pair of interference flags. He and Smith-Njigba (4-48, TD) were the only Seahawks with more than 26 receiving yards. Tyler Lockett was targeted nine times, but Lock couldn’t connect with him, as Lockett reeled in just three receptions for 21 yards.
The Seahawks, as mentioned, had success with Walker. He rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. He also caught three passes for 26 receiving yards.
As for the Eagles, Hurts scored twice on the ground, but was responsible for a pair of interceptions. The second was a desperation heave, but the first hurt, as Hurts ruined a promising drive by throwing a deep ball into tight coverage. Hurts finished 17-of-31 for 143 yards and the two picks. He also scrambled 13 times for 82 rushing yards and a pair of scores. It’s worth noting that Hurts nearly missed this game with an illness, so he wasn’t 100 percent.
A.J. Brown paced the Eagles in receiving with five catches for 56 yards, barely edging out DeVonta Smith (5-50). Brown, Smith and Goedert (4-30) were the only Eagles with more than six receiving yards.
D’Andre Swift had some nice runs in this contest. He rushed for 74 yards on 18 carries, but Hurts vultured him near the goal line.
