Thursday, October 18, 2018

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 6: Run and Bump

Lane Johnson popped up on the injury report this morning with a bad ankle but he's playing.




Giants take the opening kickoff and lose it, but the returner was down. Eli makes a terrible read (the tight end was covered) and Grugier-Hill picks off the deflection. Eagles take over at the Giants' 16. Wentz rolls right, stalls, and finds Jeffery in the end zone. Quite a few Eagles fans cheer the penalty on the Giants. Aikman still trying to explain the interception without saying "Eli threw to a receiver who wasn't open." Good blocking by a bad offensive line on Barkley's 41-yard run.




Sterling Shepard and Jones get tangled up in the end zone, forcing the Giants to settle for three. Kicker may have a bad quad? Hmm. That wasn't necessary, Tide. Wentz's pass gets tipped and it somehow not only doesn't get intercepted, but Agholor catches it and gets close to midfield. Eagles forced to punt. Bennett sacks Eli, who fumbles, but Solder falls on it at the 1. Good punt return by DeAndre Carter. Back-to-back catches by Jeffery. Big run by Clement gets to the 1. Touchdown Clement. Oh, hey, Bennett jumped offsides. Surprised it took six games. Barkley jumps over Jenkins on his way to a 9-yard gain. The Giants have not yet taken a shot downfield and the Giants fans are well aware of it.




Carter doesn't quite have the nuances of punt returning down yet. That's about the fourth Wentz pass that's been tipped tonight, and that one makes the Eagles have to punt. Beckham muffs the punt but it bounces right back to him. Barkley gets 55 yards on a screen with some good blocks and bad tackles. Bennett gets flagged for roughing and this one's closer to what the rule is. Eagles deny the Giants from the 3-yard line. Field goal is good. Did Ertz flip that pass to Jeffery? He did, for virtually no advantage. Agholor gets open and Wentz finds him for 58! Touchdown Ertz after a play fake. Destiny Vaeao gets a sack. Hmmm. Two flags on the Giants. DPI gets picked up, but roughing does not. Eagles going for 4th and 2 from the Giants; 15 with 1:34 left in the half. "Hulk Hogan" apparently means "try to draw the other team offside." Field goal is good and it's 24-6.




Aikman now getting to "should the Giants have taken a quarterback instead of Barkley" issue. (Probably, yes, they should have. What they really should have done was trade down for more picks to fix the rest of this mediocre roster.) The Giants finally go downfield to... Cody Latimer, who wins a jump ball. The Giants have failed on 15 consecutive third downs after that. 52-yard field goal is short. Eagles get some last-minute traction but Elliott misses from 54 to end the half. Eagles take a quick snap after the Ertz catch to beat a potential challenge. That looks like a catch. Wentz dives for a first down. Eagles getting good stuff in the run game as Aikman questions the Giants' effort. Quick out to Jeffery for the touchdown. Pretty sure Vaitai was at left tackle for most of that drive, as Peters may have pulled his groin or something. Beckham slips a tackle and gets a first down. Barkley! 50 yards later he's in the end zone. Then Smallwood fumbles, but the review says Smallwood recovered and was then down by contact, giving the ball back to the Eagles. Matthews picks up two first downs in a row. Ertz wide open at the Giants' 20. Johnson down as the third quarter ends. He tried to sneak back in but the refs weren't having it. Pereira cleared this up well — you have to miss at least one play after an injury time out, regardless of a change in quarters, UNLESS you were reporting as an eligible player. Semualo slid to right tackle for the third-down play, an incompletion. Field goal is good. Barnett with a sack. For all the criticism Beckham's taken for his comments about the offense last week, it's hard to say he was wrong and he's been out there trying tonight.




Carter muffed the punt and nobody noticed. Did Barkley just fall down there? Josh Sweat should get a half-sack there, the first of his career. Cox just wrecking people now. Gallman runs over Bradham to pick up 3rd and 17. Mills down. Four-down territory for the Giants and they fizzle out.




Mills got back in at some point. Just noticed Pederson's wearing glasses. I don't think I've seen that before. There's still 4:04 left.




Oh my. (Eagles 34, Giants 13)

Signal Finder: PIT @ CIN, CAR @ WSH, CHI @ MIA (end of regulation), IND @ NYJ (end), JAX @ DAL

Dalton almost throws a bad pick to Joe Haden. Oops. Touchdown Tyler Boyd! Big run by Conner. The Steelers really may not actually need Le'Veon Bell. It's not like he's helped them beat the Patriots or anything like that. First and goal. Conner punches it in and we're tied. Bengals striking back, or trying to, at any rate. That's a good punt. Tomlin challenging this spot on a 3rd and 8 pass play, and I think he's going to lose. Call stands. That's a VERY good punt. Juju with a circus catch over Dennard. It looks like a touchdown, but he's ruled down at the 1. His body never hits the ground, but his head does. It's getting reviewed. Call STANDS. Steelers ball at the half-yard line. Conner leaps over the pile for the touchdown. Erickson returns the kickoff near midfield. Boyd embarrasses Artie Burns on that touchdown catch, his second today. Tied at 14 at halftime. This Erickson is a good kick returner from what I've seen. Fouts points out that there wasn't much Antonio Brown in the first half. There he is. Big run by Conner somehow doesn't get counted as a touchdown. It was at least worth a look, I thought. Conner gets stuffed twice. Fourth and goal. Field goal is good as Eagle wonders if they should have challenged. There it is! Brown gets open across the middle for massive yardage. Did the Bengals lose three defenders on that play? Jackson and Kirkpatrick (both corners) went out, and Carlos Dunlap was being stretched out on the sideline. Lot of dudes cramping up, Evan Washburn says. Field goal is good. 20-14 Steelers with 3:32 left. Green! Touchdown Mixon! 48 seconds left. Fouts calls Dre Kirkpatrick's hold on Brown "Good coverage." Juju with a clutch catch over the middle for 22! Brown! All by himself! TOUCHDOWN STEELERS. Good God. This should never have happened. (Steelers 28, Bengals 21)

Not good by Panthers rookie D.J. Moore on the punt return — he tried to do too much and fumbled it. Alex Smith immediately finds Vernon Davis for a touchdown. This punt is uneventful. Washington goes for it on 4th and 1 and sneak it with Smith. It works. Play action to Davis gets 22 yards. Panthers not playing good defense. Smith scampers a bit and finds Richardson alone in the back of the end zone. 14-0 already. Greg Olsen back. Cam throws up a duck under pressure and it's picked by... Josh Norman? Huh.




Moore fumbles AGAIN! Jebus. Hopkins cashes in and it's 17-0. This Funchess touchdown catch is underrated. He reaches over Dunbar with both hands and then pulls it back with one hand to secure it, oddly enough. Gano shanks the extra point.

Field goal is good. 17-9. This Washington drive has gone over six minutes and they're barely in Panthers territory. Dontari Poe jumps offside to make it 3rd and 7. Smith is hit and fumbles, and Trent Williams advances it three yards. So Hopkins is going to try from 56. He got it! Pretty close. Funchess' best chance for NFL success is probably working on that ability to make contested catches in the air, like that one. Torrey Smith with a catch (wearing No. 11, for some reason). Cam and Norman jaw at each other after Cam runs it inside the 5. Touchdown Smith. They'll go for two here. Ding! 20-17. Smith escapes from the pile then asks for a facemask call. He (rightfully) gets it. Deflected incompletion on third down leads to another Hopkins field goal. Charles Davis correctly points out that there's no need for the Panthers to hurry here. Olsen showing up again on this drive. This may get overturned. It does, but Moore comes up with a big catch for a first down. Cam throws it too far for McCaffrey. With two time outs, I'm a little surprised they didn't consider a run on 3rd down, since they're going on 4th regardless. Incomplete. Jairus Wright wanted a flag but no dice. Some more trash talk after the play. (Redskins 23, Panthers 17)

Tannehill didn't start this game, by the way. Brock Osweiler is the Dolphins' new backup.




A game you'd think would be dominated by the Bears' defense is 28-28. Stills catches the deflection off a pass intended for Amendola. GORE! GORE! GORE! Yes, he's still kicking around and just broke off a 32-yard run. Third and goal now from about the 1-foot line. Fumble? FUMBLE! Dear God. The strip didn't really have much of an effect, too. Drake just dropped it.




That's the FOURTH time that's happened today? What? Review says it was recovered in the end zone, which makes it a touchback and a huge break for the Bears. Howard runs up the middle for 21. Another strong run by Howard. Not sure why the Bears haven't gone downfield.




OT two-minute warning. Parkey on for a 53-yard attempt. This doesn't look good... and it's wide right.




Now what are the Dolphins doing? Christ. It's GOOD?




Pretty much, yeah. (Dolphins 31, Bears 28, OT)




Oh, Allen got hurt, I see. Wait, Peterman threw a touchdown to a teammate? Wild.




WELP. It's amazing to think that the Jets are the only New York team that handled its quarterback situation correctly. (Texans 20, Bills 13)

Sean Lee Is Inactive. Good catch by rookie Michael Gallup on A.J. Bouye. What was Dak doing there? Was that an intentional bounce pass to himself? Romo points out that someone (not sure who) was WIDE open in the end zone on the other side. Then he finds Gallup in the end zone, but is it a touchdown? Review says no... his right foot never hit the turf (and actually got caught on his left foot.) So Dak turns the corner and does it himself. 10-0 Cowboys. Sack takes the Jags out of field goal range. Elliott breaks one off. Dak finds Beasley. Beasley again for the touchdown. The Jaguars just don't have the offense to get out of these early holes. Westbrook drops a pass he can't drop and the Jaguars have to punt. Dak badly overthrows Austin. The Jaguars have struggled to contain him in the pocket. Zeke easily picks up 4th and 1 from the Jacksonville 37. The Jags' defense looks outmatched against what isn't a very talented offense. Touchdown Beasley! It's 24-0.




Jaguars finally force a punt. They force another one, and the returner gets hit, the ball flies 10 yards backwards, and D.J. Chark ends up with it somehow. Nantz and Romo discussing T.J. Yeldon's increased role with Fournette out. Touchdown Westbrook. Jaguars kick the extra point, which Romo disagrees with. Dak has embarrassed this defense with his legs. He throws into the end zone, but Ramsey ends up with it... but he's ruled out of bounds. Cowboys settle for three. Triple coverage? Really, Blake? Interception and Heath gets caught from behind at the Jaguars' 8. Touchdown! Oh, boy, Conor McGregor. Stick to kicking, my man. Bortles throws another pick. Touchdown Elliott. Stop the fight. Romo notes that they haven't mentioned Byron Jones' name yet, and Jones breaks up a last-chance 4th and 3 pass with 11 minutes to go. Yes, you read that right. (Cowboys 40, Jaguars 7)




LOL at Al acknowledging that they're actually nowhere near Boston. (In fact, Foxboro(ugh) is actually closer to Providence.) Josh Gordon starting tonight,and he gets the first pass on the game's first play. Nice run by Michel. Pats go for it on 4th and 3 from the Chiefs' 40 (!) but don't get it. Al and Cris figure it's as much because of the offense they're facing. Ten seconds left on the play clock when Mahomes gets this first snap, FYI. Pats out here running a 3-3-5. A couple of overthrows from the kid and the Chiefs have to settle for three. Another solid run by Michel. Pats get a late holding call on Gronk. The Chiefs' defense is the best in the league against 3rd and long, and they stop Hogan short of a first down, forcing the Pats to kick. 3-3. Bad decision by Mahomes leads to an interception by Hightower. Patriots take over at the Chiefs' 3. Touchdown Michel. Kareem Hunt's going to need to be important tonight. Mahomes keeps misfiring and the Chiefs kick another field goal.




Getting Edelman back and adding Gordon has made this offense potentially SO much better. It also means Gronk doesn't have to do as much. Edelman catches a floater for the touchdown. Marky Mark into the break. Another high throw from Mahomes but Conley goes up and gets it. Big run by Hunt. I'm with Al: How does Kelce get that wide open in that situation? And again the Chiefs can't find the end zone.




Brady goes deep to Gordon, who draws pass interference. Michel eventually punches it in. Mahomes rolls out and finds Hill on 3rd and 15. Interception in the end zone! Collinsworth does a good job of describing how Hightower held up Kelce before pressuring Mahomes. 24-9 Patriots at the half. THAT'LL WORK. Hunt got behind the defense on 3rd and 2 and Mahomes hooks him up with a 67-yard catch-and-run. James Develin hasn't played this much all year. Chiefs play the red zone well and the Patriots only add three more. They gave Hill the first down on this sweep, but I'm not sure it was. Patriots challenge and win. I think the Chiefs have to go for this.




Mahomes bootlegs right and gets it. Big run by Hunt to the Patriots' 20. There's still 3:30 left in the third quarter, so no need for the Chiefs to try to get a touchdown here yet. Butker stays perfect and it's 27-19. Brady with a week to throw, but nobody's open and he's hit and fumbles! Chiefs ball! Four plays later Mahomes hits Hill in the back of the end zone. Reid sending out the kicker down two here? Hmmm. Edelman gets open down the field. Right tackle Marcus Cannon is out. Rare James White carry gets 12 yards. Michel breaks a tackle in the backfield and picks up a first down. Brady misses White in the end zone. Field goal is good. This is NOT Tyreek Hill running back this kickoff. He's going! Devin McCourty drags him down at the 3. The PATRIOTS' 3. Don't get crazy, Andy. Mahomes drifts back, throws up a floater, and Hill comes back to it and catches it for a touchdown!




Brady airmails one to Hogan on 3rd and 1 for 45 yards. Then he hits Hogan again, putting them inside the Chiefs' 10. Brady pumps twice, then takes off (!) and scores (!!). That may be his longest touchdown run ever. Pats back in front.




Big Gronk play! Gostkowski hits from 50. 40-33, 3:15 left. OH MY GOD TYREEK HILL. You... you have to cover that dude. Yeah, he had to jump to catch it, but uncontested like that, you're not catching him from any distance. Twelve seconds later we're tied.




Gronk for 40! Al just invoked Scorigami — we've never had a 43-40 game. Until now. (Patriots 43, Chiefs 40)

So I knew that C.J. Beathard is Bobby's grandson, but I didn't know that his dad was a big-time country music songwriter. Speaking of songs, it's Florida Georgia Line (which I'd figured out) and Jason DeRulo (which I had to look up) who's doing the intro with Hank now.




49ers to receive. They're suddenly inside the 10. Who are these guys? Matt Brieda takes two hits and spins into the end zone. Graphic for Jim Taylor, who died Saturday and who I didn't realize was still with us. Who is THIS? Nice bootleg by Rodgers and Valdes-Scantling catches a 60-yarder. Touchdown Aaron Jones! Is this going to be one of those games? They review it and rule him out of bounds at the 1. Montgomery scores two plays later.




Fumble on the kickoff? Packers ball! Both Cobb and Geronimo are out for the Packers. The pocket breaks down and Rodgers overthrows Adams. Field goal is good. Jimmy Graham back? That went for 54. Not a lot of pass coverage going on right now.




On both sides, that is. Goodwin's really fast. Things are settling down. Niners snuff out what Witten thinks was a double reverse. PROTECT THE FOOTBALL. Crosby hits and it's 20-14 Packers. Raheem Mostert runs up the gut for 26. Beathard to Goodwin for a touchdown! Beathard dives across the first down line. Field goal is good and it's 24-20 49ers at halftime. Hey Packers: More Aaron Jones, less Jamal Williams. Crosby hits from 51. Beathard sets up for something big, but it's well-covered, so he has to dump it to Garcon. But Garcon makes a guy miss and picks up 18 yards. 49ers answer with a field goal of their own. Rodgers looking for room to work, and finds Graham to pick up a 3rd and 5. George Kittle only has three catches for 23 yards? (Unless that's on this drive.) He then drops a third-down pass that would have gone for big yardage, as he was OPEN. 49ers get three more. Seahawks owner/Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen died today, and he gets a remembrance also.




Rodgers scrambles but doesn't make the 1 on third down. Packers go for it... incomplete.




Packers force a punt. Adams!! TOUCHDOWN! That was a great leaping catch by Adams. Extra point is good and we're tied. Beathard goes deep and it's picked off! Goodwin beat King for a second, but King recovered and basically boxed him out. It's effectively a punt, but it happened on 3rd down so it saves a little bit of time. Montgomery with a 15-yard run. 1:01 left. Rodgers gets sacked and is slow to get up, but a penalty downfield gives the Packers a first down. Everything breaks down and Rodgers runs for 21 yards. The Packers have no time outs, by the way.




EQUANIMIOUS! (That's his name.) Well done fingertip catch by the rookie. Then Rodgers hits Adams at the 9. They're running a play? OK. Incomplete. It did take three more seconds off the clock, though. Crosby comes on. 27 yards. GOOD. And good for him.




(Packers 33, 49ers 30)

RANKINGS:
TOP 4:
1. L.A. Rams (6-0) — That's an even tougher win
2. Kansas City (5-1) — Would be a good loss in college hoops
3. New Orleans (4-1) — Brees gets time off to celebrate
4. Baltimore (4-2) — Took care of business, as you should

BOTTOM 4:
29. Indianapolis (1-5) — Luck's shoulder really getting tested
30. Arizona (1-5) — That's no good
31. San Francisco (1-5) — You can't do this like that
32. Oakland (1-5) — Somehow avoided an international incident

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