Sunday, November 22, 2020

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 10: Count It Out

Play action! All of it, Titans. All of it all the time. Big play from A.J. Brown. Tannehill flicks it to D'onta Foreman for an easy score. Rivers passes Marino for fifth all-time in passing yards with that first-down completion to Jonathan Taylor. T.Y. Hilton back? Colts already going for a fourth and 1 on their 45, and Taylor's second effort picks it up. Rivers calls an audible and Jordan Wilkins carries for five.


They go for fourth and 1 again, passing on a 47-yard field goal, and this time it doesn't work. Clowney made the stop. Tannehill looks for Brown down the near sideline, but Brown can't hold on to it. Trey Burton back! First-down catch by Zach Pascal for 18 to the Titans' 11. Good slow-mo replay of Rivers' weird as hell delivery. Quick slant is too quick for Wilkins, who stops short and drops it. Colts settle for three. Is that Henry's first carry? The first quarter ends without a whistle and with the Tannehill still doing a snap count. They HIKE THE BALL. The Colts' defense is all "What?" This play can't count. And it doesn't, as we turn over to the second. Pass to Henry for a first down. Gostkowski HITS from 50, which is a coin flip this season. Rivers to Nyiem Hines for 11, then he finds Pittman for 30. Touchdown Hines, who had three or four catches on this drive. I can't tell if his knee actually hits the ground. Call CONFIRMED and we're tied at 10.


I assume that's a Doug Flutie shout-out. That's an easy interference call on Rock Ya-Sin, and even then it almost didn't prevent the catch. Henry gets stonewalled. Another Colts penalty gives the Titans new downs. Touchdown RUN by tight end Jonnu Smith on a jet sweep. Rivers overthrows Hilton in the end zone. Then he gets sacked. They spike it with one second left, and they wouldn't have had that second if they hadn't gotten their last time out called. After a false start, Blankenship makes the kick from 49 yards. Halftime. Rivers throws to a well-covered Marcus Johnson, and Malcom Butler catches it out of bounds. Mo Alie-Cox comes up two yards short. Colts go for it and Rivers finds Pascal for a first down. Pass to Pascal gets to the goal line. He's called short. Third down run by Taylor goes nowhere. They run it again and get stopped AGAIN! Maybe try something else next time. Three Henry carries get the Titans out to the 20. Tannehill goes down and the Titans punt. That's AWFUL. Seventeen yards? Really, dude? Where's Brett Kern? Touchdown Hines. Colts lead. Punt is BLOCKED! Touchdown Colts!


Tannehill scrambles out of bounds and Darius Leonard gets a penalty for shoving him after the fact. Everyone rushes over and harsh words are exchanged. It looked more like he just didn't let go once they were out of bounds. Gostkowski MISSES. They gotta cut him, right? This can't go on anymore. Pittman gets free in space for the Colts. Then he gets drilled at the Titans' 2 but still hangs on. Brissett is in on 3rd and 1 for some reason. Sneak? Touchdown! 34-17. Derrick Henry not getting these carries. Diving catch by Corey Davis. Titans go for it from 4th and 3 from the Colts' 14 and the pass is incomplete. Someone just got thrown out. Oh, yeah. Can't be out here throwing punches. (Colts 34, Titans 17)

Signal Finder: PHI @ NYG, BUF @ AZ, JAX @ GB (end), WSH @ DET (end), CIN @ PIT

Lewis can't get the kickoff return back to the 15. First play is a sack by Barnett. Slatyon makes a 17-yard catch and immediately grabs his hand and walks off the field. Big run by Gallman. Shovel pass to Engram on 3rd and 3 gets the Giants another first down. Jones outruns everyone for a 34-yard touchdown.


Alshon back, but Wentz's first pass to him is a little too high. As is this third-down pass for Goedert. Eagles going for it, and a quick screen to Reagor picks it up. Wentz to Fulgham for a first down. For some reason the nearest defender to him was a defensive lineman. Bradberry knocks down a third-down pass intended for Reagor. Elliott is good from 40. Eagles aren't anywhere near any Giant catching a pass. Gallman hits a big hole on the second level and is at the Eagles' 9. Fullback dive (really?) comes up short on third down. Giants go for it. Gallman leaps over the line and scores. Laura Okmin reports the Meadowlands winds are back. Wentz to Rodgers for 22. Again for 19. Wentz trips and loses four yards on 3rd and 1. Hard count on 4th and 5 almost works, but doesn't, and they punt. Eagles get a stop! Big punt is downed at the 5. Wentz's throws have been oddly high all day so far. Late flag for DPI comes in, giving the Eagles a first down. Announcers recap the Giants' cornerback troubles but don't mention DeAndre Baker. Left side of the line collapses and Wentz does well to get rid of it.


Punt is downed at the Giants' 2. Lewis makes a difficult catch on the sideline for a first down. Pass to Shepard is stopped short. Giants call time facing 4th and 1. They line up to go for it from the Eagles' 44. They can't draw them offsides and they punt. Wentz throws low, then fumbles the snap. Lot of rust out there. Then Fulgham moves early. Now it's 3rd and 14. Reagor is double-covered and the pass is incomplete. Jones throws high for Tate and Robey-Coleman misses an interception.


At least they got a stop before halftime.


Penalty on the second-half kickoff return. Sanders with a solid run. Scott escapes from a pile, speeds down the sideline... and scores! 56 yards! They're looking at a spot on the sideline. I don't think there's enough to make this not a touchdown. Call STANDS. They go for two. They give it to Sanders and he gets in. 14-11.


Jones with two good throws to Shepard and Tate, and the Giants have first and goal already. Gallman to the 2, and he only didn't score because Maddox got his shoe. They go to Gallman again and I thought he got in. Apparently not. This time he does.




I mean, whatever works. Wentz to Ward to the Giants' 24. Sanders turns the corner and goes out of bounds at the 6. They give it to Clement and he scores. They review this, too, for some reason. They go for two again and this time Wentz gets sacked. I don't get that at all. Eagles force a three and out but they've not had good starting field position today. Hurts runs into the line and gets nothing. Then they throw a one-yard route on 3rd and 8. Pederson hasn't coached a good game all season. Third quarter ends. Slayton drops a third-down pass that would have been a big play. And again the Giants give the eagles bad field position. ANOTHER bad snap? WTF, Kelce? Peppers returns this punt to the Eagles' 40. More Eagles penalties. Jones takes it in for another touchdown, but it's called back because of offensive holding. That ends up costing them four points as Gano kicks the field goal. Haven't seen Rodgers since the first quarter. Sanders drops a swing pass. Fulgham can't hold on. Eagles going for it because there's 4:56 left. He goes to Reagor but Bradberry knocks it away.


Slayton catches a deep pass on the sideline at the Eagles' 24 and that might be a wrap. Yep, they pick up the flag. This one's over.


Gano's kick comes back left and goes through. Wind might have affected it. Wentz is sacked for the third time. They're 0/9 on third down today. Pass to Scott comes up well short. This was always going to end, and I would have preferred it ended when the Giants got good again. (Giants 27, Eagles 17)

This Week's Game That Shouldn't Have Been This Close: Tough, tough catch by Adams for the touchdown. Luton escapes the initial sack but stumbles and goes down. Luton runs around for about an hour before throwing incomplete on 4th and 26. (Packers 24, Jaguars 20)

Scorigami! (Buccaneers 46, Panthers 23)


WE HAVE A TOUCHDOWN IN CLEVELAND. And there's another one, even. But this will NOT be another one, as Chubb runs out of bounds at the 1. (Browns 10, Texans 7)

Prater from 59. IT'S GOOD!!! The Lions ALWAYS lose this game. Nothing makes sense.


It's a compelling case. (Lions 30, Washington 27)

BATTLE IN GLENDALE. Let's not. Josh Norman tested positive on Saturday, and close contact has the Bills down three DBs. Cardinals get the ball first. Murray takes off and gets the first down. Kenyan Drake back and he gets inside the Bills' 10. Pass to Hopkins is broken up. He wants a flag, but both guys were fighting on that one. Field goal is good. Screen to John Brown and he's got a convoy. Dre Fitzpatrick runs him down from behind. Wide receiver pass back to Allen! Touchdown Bills!


Cardinals go three and out. Snap is high and Allen goes down. Is there something in the air today? (Besides COVID.) Kick CLANGS through the uprights. 10-3 Bills early. Big play from Murray to Hopkins across midfield. Back-to-back penalties because they're still the Cardinals. But they right the ship with the help of an offsides call that makes it 3rd and 8, and they get nine. Bills do well to only give up three there. Good run by Singletary for a Bills running game that's struggled this season. Baker breaks up a pass intended for McKenzie. 55-yarder is good. Cardinals keep it on the ground this time. But again, they can't cash in and kick another field goal. 13-9. The Colts have won the AFC East more recently than the Bills (1999 vs. 1995) and the Colts left the division in 2001. That's what they're dealing with up there. Bills try a 58-yarder at halftime. It's GOOD! Who is this kid? Cardinals get a stop, but then Drake fumbles and the Bills get it. Touchdown Beasley! The Bills have not been able to stop Hopkins from getting into open space. Lot of holding on this play, apparently. Chase Edmonds helps bail them out. Murray fakes the handoff and that's too easy. Touchdown Cardinals. "Sweet Caroline?" Keep that shit in Fenway. Another field goal for the Cardinals. Peterson picks off Allen! Murray goes down the sideline inside the Bills' 30. Touchdown Murray! That's the same play as the other one. Cardinals lead. Singletary bails Allen out and the Bills lose three yards instead of 13. Whoa! A rare miscue by Larry Fitzgerald and Jordan Poyer comes up with the deflection. Did that hit the ground? I couldn't overturn it. Call STANDS. Nothing comes of it and the Bills punt it back. Murray takes it outside on 3rd and 1 but Micah Hyde is not having it. Cardinals punt. Allen throws another interception, this one to Kirkpatrick. Bills get the ball back with 3:35 left. Bills content to throw short and let the clock run, though they probably should have crossed midfield before the two-minute warning. Bills not huddling. Allen finds Beasley over the middle for 17. Allen throws to the end zone and Diggs is there for the touchdown! That's a great route.


Thirty-nine seconds and two time outs for the Cardinals. Murray hits Andy Isabella for 14. Time out. Murray to Hopkins for another first down. Time out. Fitzgerald gets out of bounds for a first down. Time out Bills. Hm. Eleven seconds. Murray rolls left. Here it goes. TOUCHDOWN HOPKINS!! Wow! He out-jumped three guys!








And all the Cardinals had to give up was a second-rounder and David Johnson (who's hurt again!). That's why Bill O'Brien was fired. Cards line up to go for two (and take the possibility of a blocked kick off the board) but take a knee. They squib kick it and that's over. Both these teams needed to figure out how to win a game like this, and that's a big win for the Cardinals and a tough loss for the Bills. (Cardinals 32, Bills 30)

I understand why, but this game on this channel at this time is just weird. The wind in Cleveland has moved to Pittsburgh, and it's forecasted to get worse later. (It's also headed here.) Bengals muff the punt and the Steelers recover. Don't quite get running a one-yard route on 3rd and 2 but do you, Steelers. Field goal is good. Ebron can't be asked to block. Throw into the end zone is just a bit too far for Ebron. Field goal is good and it's 6-0 Steelers. Big pass play to Dionte Johnson. Johnson again for the touchdown! Two-point try fails. Burrow finds Boyd downfield for the Bengals' first first down. Tee Higgins fumbles and the Steelers have it. This is their SIXTH possession already? How? Burrow goes deep to Higgins, who hangs on to this one. Touchdown Higgins. Bengals on the board. Juju with a leaping catch at the Bengals' 45. That's interference. First and goal from the 5. Touchdown Juju! Burrow gets sacked. Ben throws for Johnson but it's short and Bates almost picks it off. Field goal is good. T.J. Watt brings Burrow down. 22-7 Steelers at halftime. Apparently Burrow hurt his ankle on a hit by Bud Dupree that may have been out of bounds. Bengals challenge this incompletion, for some reason. They lose and punt. Ebron converts a third down. Juju gets 12 on 3rd and 10. Claypool touchdown makes it 22-7 and this feels like what Bengals-Steelers usually feels like. (Steelers 36, Bengals 10)

No fans AT ALL at Foxborough. But a good amount of weather, though. Why are the Pro Football Focus rankings larger than the jersey numbers? Ravens getting Duvernay into the offense early after both teams open with short drives. First quarter ends with side-by-sides of Lamar and Cam as Heisman winners, Rookies of the Year and MVPs. Jet sweep to Snead and he scores, capping a 94-yard drive. Cam finds Byrd for a first down. Burkhead picks up another one on a run. Swing pass to Burkhead and he scores. That was quick. I did not know Mark Andrews was diabetic. Edwards turns a short pass into a 31-yard pickup. Throw to Andrews in the end zone is too low. Field goal is good. Damien Harris needs more carries. See? Cam laterals to Meyers, and he throws to Burkhead for a touchdown!


Extra point gets blown left. Someone found high school footage of Meyers as a quarterback. Jackson gets sacked. Pass to Duvernay but he stays inbounds. Deep ball is intercepted by J.C. Jackson and we go to halftime. Tough running from Damien Harris. Cam finds Meyers downfield, and Peters gets flagged for hitting him out of bounds. Newton skips into the end zone. Mark Ingram back? The Ravens went for it on fourth down with a direct snap that got away from Ingram, and the Patriots will take over. Pass is too low for Meyers and the Pats settle for three. Apparently Belichick still can't tell the McCourtys apart. I think Jason might be taller? Nick Boyle gets blasted and the Patriots wave to the sideline. Edwards gets 11 on fourth and 1. Ball comes out after an Edwards carry but the refs rule forward progress was stopped. Also, he was down anyway. Ricky throw by Lamar but Snead jumps in and catches it for a touchdown. Rain is REALLY coming down now and has been for a while. Another bad snap for the Ravens. Didn't they have this problem last week in a dome? Lamar throws a pass right to Devin McCourty that he drops. I'm not sure where that was headed. Cam finds Byrd for a first down. 3:25 left. Punt goes out of bounds with 1:06 left. The cameras are soaked in rain. 30 seconds left and we can barely see the field. Dobbins drops the pass on fourth down and the Patriots stay off the list. And five minutes later, the rain stops. (Patriots 23, Ravens 17)

Vikings are down four corners, while the Bears won't have David Montgomery tonight. Dalvin Cook and Akeim Hicks have an exchange. I think Rudolph's down here. Call says it's a fumble and Bears ball. Call STANDS. Yeah, I still don't know about that one. Then two plays later, Harrison Smith gets an interception off a tipped pass. Throw was high but that hurts. Cousins flings one to a tightly covered Thielen, who makes a one-handed catch for the touchdown. Foles finds Robinson downfield in traffic for 24. Vikings have no pass rushers with Danielle Hunter out for the season, Everson Griffen gone, and Anthony Barr wherever he is. (He's not playing tonight.) Patterson catches a pass? OK then. Bears end up settling for a field goal.


Apparently Trubisky is inactive tonight? Vikings blitz and Foles can't get away. I don't think I like Bedlam (Oklahoma-Oklahoma State) being so early now. Cousins finds Thielen in space for a first down inside the Bears' 35. KHALIL MACK picks off Cousins? What? He took it out of Thielen's hands! Christ. Foles hits Miller for 21. Foles throws into more traffic on 3rd and 10 but gets less lucky than last time. At least they got three out of it. Halftime. Patterson brings this one out of the end zone. Uh-oh. UH-OH. HE GONE. 104 yards!




Then the Bears muff this punt and the Vikings have it! Riddick says the Bears signed Dwayne Harris to field punts and improve their field position, but he didn't do it there. Pass to Thielen is broken up in the end zone. Field goal is good. Footage of the time that Patterson brought one back 105 here... when he was a Viking. Then the Vikings almost muff this punt. What is going on down there? Smith and Trevathan get to Cousins. Dalvin Cook's done nothing tonight. Until NOW, that is. Oh, look, a flag. it comes back. Jefferson! 53 yards and no flag on this one. This pass to Jefferson is well short of the first. Field goal is good and we're tied. The Bears offense has died. Third quarter ends.


The "Kirk Cousins is 0-9 on Monday Night Football" graphic is given an Office Space homage. First big Cook run of the night that will actually count. First and 20 and Cousins finds Rudolph, who drags Trevathan and picks up 22. Cousins to Jefferson for 16. Touchdown Thielen. Bad snap on the extra point attempt and that'll fall apart. 19-13 with 10 minutes left. Bears having less than no success running the ball tonight. Foles gets hit in the head and nothing is called. Fourth straight three-and-out for the Bears. Cousins takes off for 15 but it'll come back. Miller fields this punt, comes across the field, and gets 27 yards. Foles to Patterson for the first Bears first down of the second half. Third-down pass gets one yard after Foles has to bail out. Bears go for it... and Foles overthrows Miller. Bears get the ball back. Foles is down. What?


The cart's out. Tyler Bray is the backup, and there's 37 seconds left. Bray overthrows Robinson on third down. Eight seconds left. That throw isn't near anyone.


Cousins wins! These teams are absolutely going in opposite directions. (Vikings 19, Bears 13)

RANKINGS:.
TOP 4:
1. Pittsburgh (9-0) — Return to normalcy
2. Kansas City (8-1) — Still some things to figure out
3. Green Bay (7-2) — May have been a little hung over
4. New Orleans (7-2) — More Brees-free time?

BOTTOM 4:
29. Washington (2-7) — That's a terrible loss
30. Dallas (2-7) — Will they get Dalton back? Will it help?
31. Jacksonville (1-8) — Can't squander opportunities like that
32. N.Y. Jets (0-9) — I'm sure something bad happened there this week

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Saturday, November 14, 2020

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 9: Shark Tanks

Or, more accurately, what's left of the Packers and 49ers. Joe and Troy note that this isn't Nick Mullens' first rodeo, and it was about two years ago that Thursday Night Football was  his first career start. Packers get the ball first. Aaron Jones is playing, and he catches the first pass of the game. Four straight touches for Jones and the Packers are at the 49ers' 37. Long ball to Adams in the end zone... this one's gonna be close. The elbow's borderline. The knee is out. It's called a touchdown on the field. Call STANDS. Touchdown! Niners have so few wide receivers that return specialist Richie James is starting. Not much comes of it, at least not on this drive. Rodgers badly overthrows a wide-open Adams. Mosley knocks down a ball intended for Adams on third and 5. James gets free for a big gain into Packers territory. Someone named Hasty gets stopped short on 2nd and 1 for the 49ers. McKinnon spins and gets to the 9. Mullens throws up a lob into the end zone and... this looks like he got both feet in, but does he keep control? This man's name is River Cracraft. Shouldn't he be playing lacrosse? (Mind you, it's not unlikely that he did.) Ruling is incomplete pass. Field goal is good. Buck thinks there's a part of Kyle Shanahan that relishes the challenge of being so badly undermanned. MVS drops a third-down pass at the marker. Punt JUST gets off. Holding brings back a nice run by Hasty. Mullens gets pressured and throws up a duck that gets intercepted. This pass to Tyler Ervin (the Packers' only other RB that I'm aware of) looks short, but the refs give him the first down. 49ers challenge the spot. Call REVERSED. I was right! Packers keep the offense on the field at the 49ers' 17. Rodgers, a master of getting opposing defenses to jump offside, can't do it here. They try again and Rodgers finds Adams, who breaks a tackle but stumbles out of bounds. He might be a little mad because he's have an easy touchdown if he'd stayed inbounds. Adams is interfered with in the end zone on third down. Play action fools EVERYONE and Marcedes Lewis is all alone to catch this touchdown pass. Jaire Alexander heads to the locker room for concussion evaluation. Mullens throws a bad pass that somehow doesn't get intercepted. Dexter Williams is your third Packers RB tonight. Rodgers scrambles for seven yards and a first down. Touchdown Valdes-Scantling! That'll get him back in Rodgers' good graces. MVS torched his defender and this is just pitch and catch. Rodgers is sacked to end the half. 21-3 Packers. 49ers' first drive of the second half ends with a punt into the end zone. "What A Fool Believes" into the break, for some reason.


Rodgers finds Adams down the sideline. He smoked Verrett, but can't stay inbounds. Still gets 49 yards.


Rodgers rolls right and finds MVS in the back of the end zone. Mullens is hit and fumbles. Packers ball. Trent Williams is also out for the 49ers, and that's the Packers' third sack also. Ervin makes a catch in space and gets to the 20. 49ers hold a goal-line stand and Crosby makes it 31-3. Big gain for James! That's why he's their return man. James gets nine on a screen on 3rd and 10. Niners hurry up and Mullens sneaks it... and doesn't get it! Rodgers with a great throw to Adams down the far sideline.


Buck wonders why Aaron Jones is still playing with this lead and coming off a calf injury. Crosby good from 53. Late touchdown catch by Richie James, who's probably been their best player tonight. Rodgers to the bench with five minutes left. Tim Boyle is his name. Not sure why Jon Lovitz's name came up. Mullens gets plastered but stays in. What was the point spread here? Cause the Niners are acting like there's a backdoor cover in play. Buck: "There are some people interested to see if the 49ers can get into the end zone." Somewhere, Al Michaels just sat bolt upright in bed. Touchdown McKinnon!! This may be more of an over/under situation, now that I think about it. (Packers 34, 49ers 17)

Signal Finder: BAL @ IND, NYG @ WSH, HOU @ JAX (end), DEN@ ATL (end), PIT @ DAL

Calais Campbell already out with a calf injury. That's a bad break for the Ravens, who are already scrambling on defense after having to isolate several players during the week. Touchdown Jonathan Taylor. How does "Rodrigo Blankenship" as a name happen? Bad snap just sits on the turf for a moment until Nick Boyle dives on it and ends up gaining a yard. This snap ALSO comes out low, but Jackson is able to find Brown on the sideline. Dez Bryant back! It's a running play, but it's also been almost two years since he tore his Achilles during Saints practice. Taylor fumbles! Clark's got it. Poor Philip Rivers. He fell on the pursuit, landed on his back and kind of helplessly waved in Clark's direction as Clark ran past him. Touchdown Ravens and we're tied.


Rivers throws this one behind Marcus Johnson, and he can't catch it. Fortunately, neither can the defender the ball deflected to. Evan Washburn comes in with a report that the Ravens center has a cut on his hand, which could explain the low snaps earlier. Jackson tries to spin away but Mohammad tracks him down. Third and 25! SPLENDID. Punt pins the Colts inside  their own 5. Rivers is hit on an incomplete pass, but the second hit from McPhee is flagged for roughing, getting the Colts out of their own end zone. Completion to Johnson, who Eagle calls a former Eagle. (He was actually acquired from the Seahawks after the 2017 preseason after they got him from the Eagles for Michael Bennett the previous offseason. So he's technically correct, as Johnson never played a regular-season game for the Seahawks.) Field goal is good and the Colts lead with 45 seconds left in the half. Ravens come out throwing to start the second half. Down the field to Nick Boyle for 21. Lamar runs to the Colts' 3 for a first down. Edwards fumbles! Colts recover after a scrum. Marcus Peters drops an interception. Ravens challenge. REVERSED. Wow! I'm not sure about that one because I'm not sure he ever actually had possession. Charles Davis agrees. He didn't. What the hell? How is that a pick? I should also note that that was the Colts' first play after recovering the fumble. Lamar to Hollywood for 20. Touchdown Edwards. Ravens line up to go for it on 4th and 3 from the Colts' 44, but have to call time out. The go for it anyway and get it. Third quarter ends. Jackson scrambles for nine. Fake handoff to Edwards, Jackson rolls left and he'll score. These pass routes need to be a little longer, Colts. Colts go for it on fourth down with less than six minutes left, and Judon hits Rivers' arm, knocking the pass down incomplete. (Ravens 24, Colts 10)

McCaffrey back. Reid and Rhule both using face shields. Is this the first two face shield game this year? Five seconds left. Panthers throw it short and it's knocked down. But there are still two seconds left. Now they bring Joey Slye on for a 67-yard attempt. He barely missed from 65 against the Saints last week and he's got a slight breeze behind him, we're told. EXTREMELY wide right. (Chiefs 33, Panthers 31)

Washington dropping everything, including this punt. Giants have it back and they're at the Washington 16. Let's see how they screw it up. They don't! Jones finds Austin Mack, who dives into the end zone. But of course, he's ruled down at the 1 and Gallman has to clean it up. 10-0 Giants. Kyle Allen down again. And he's not getting up.


Cart's out and Alex Smith is in. Two offensive holding penalties in the next three plays lead to a Hopkins 48-yard field goal try. It's good. Shepard gets free for 21. Giants finish it off with another field goal. This guy's name is "Board"? Jones damn near almost overthrew Engram, but he catches it with his fingertips for a touchdown. Smith to Logan Thomas to midfield. Smith to Cam Sims for 32. Intercepted! Blake Martinez usually just tackles people. Halftime. Smith finds Cam Sims down the sideline for 45. McKissick skips down the other sideline and appears to score but is ruled out of bounds at the 18. Washington does NOT challenge. Touchdown Gibson. Giants kick another field goal. Sims dodges Giants tacklers and picks up 33 yards. Washington only gets three when they needed seven there. Again, there's really no need for Alfred Morris to be getting important carries in 2020. Smith finds McLaurin in traffic. he makes a guy miss, takes off, and scores! 68 yards! 23-20. That's Smith's first touchdown pass in almost two years. Are the Giants about to blow another lead? Washington driving again. They're at midfield with 3:14 left. Why is Vilma talking about Washington kicking a field goal? They're not looking to tie this game. Smith is rushed, throws, and it's tipped and intercepted by Peppers! That was Daniel Jones-esque. Jones gets sacked but doesn't fumble.


Unfortunately, that drive only took 18 seconds. Giants punt. Smith throws ANOTHER interception, directly to Logan Ryan. And that's it. Five turnovers for Washington today. You're not beating anyone doing that. And on the replay you could see him grimace as Ryan closed it on it. He knew. (Giants 23, Washington 20)

Jaguars are starting sixth-round rookie Jake Luton for an injured Minshew. Wait, Tyler Eifert's a Jag? Luton spins away from a tackle and he'll score! His name banner on the back of his jersey is loose. They go for two and the pass is low and incomplete. (Texans 37, Jaguars 35)

Beating the Patriots last week was more important. But this one is bigger. (Bills 44, Seahawks 34)

This Week's Game That Shouldn't Have Been This Close: Roof is OPEN. Garrett Gilbert to start for the Cowboys this week. Elliott apparently already hobbled. But the Steelers will get the ball first. Cowboys blitz and Roethlisberger takes off and slides for a first down. Claypool and Jourdan Lewis get tied up and there's no flag. Pollard with a big run down to the Steelers' 14. Gilbert is sacked on 3rd and 10. Field goal is good. Ah, yes, the AAF. Cowboys looking at fourth and inches from their own 31 and they haven't done anything yet. The offense stays out, tries to draw the Steelers offside... and the quarter ends. Cowboys decide to punt. Snell is stopped on third and short. This isn't even close. Steelers also line up to go for it, and the Cowboys call time. They give it to Snell again and he did not get there. Poor blocking up front on that one. Gilbert escapes the pocket and runs to midfield. The Steelers didn't bite on the play fake and had downfield covered, but Gilbert took off on his own. Gilbert with another run. Gilbert to Schultz for 15. Touchdown Gilbert to Lamb! Steelers aren't playing well right now. They punt. Wilson laterals it back to C.J. Goodwin... and is this gonna work? He's inside the Steelers' 10! But there's a flag. Illegal block puts the ball at the Steelers' 31. Cooper stumbles on third down and turns 15 yards into six. Zuerlein hits from 44 and it's 13-0. Roethlisberger goes deep for Claypool but they can't connect. Complete to Ebron for a first down out of bounds. Play action! Pump fake! Washington catches the touchdown. Boswell MISSES the extra point. Roethlisberger heading to the locker room. Masters next weekend! (And CBS will have three 4 o'clock games afterwards.) Lamb fumbles — the ball gets punched out of his hands — and Minkah Fitzpatrick has it! He reverses field for some reason and loses yards on the return. But now Mason Rudolph has to come in because Ben's in the locker room. Another tip drill and Juju ends up with the ball. But there's a flag. It's offsetting penalties, and there are seven seconds left. Incompletion. Boswell misses from 54 but there's a flag. False start, and the Steelers have to try it again because the Cowboys can't decline this because it's a dead ball penalty. Now it's from 59. Steelers call time out and I think they might change their minds here. They don't. IT'S GOOD. That's gotta be a career long for Boswell, right? It is, by six yards. It's also the longest in Steelers history. 13-9 Cowboys at halftime. Roethlisberger got sandwiched right before the touchdown pass, but he's coming out for the second half. It's been mostly Pollard running the ball for the Cowboys, and he gets 20 here. Field goal makes it 16-9. Elliott gets to the marker. I think he made it. He didn't. Field goal is good. McCarthy getting conservative again. Pass goes right through Claypool's hands. Juju converts, and that's the guy they gotta get back into the offense. Ben finds him over the middle, and he fights through tacklers for a touchdown! Extra point is BLOCKED! Tyrone Crawford got it (and he almost blocked the field goal at the end of the first half.) So it's 19-15. Big kickoff return now! 64 yards! Steelers' special teams have been terrible today. Second and goal pass gets knocked down. Gilbert's hit as he throws on third down and Fitzpatrick picks it off. Why'd he run it out of the end zone? Penalty was post-pick so it's still Steelers ball. Roethlisberger is sacked and fumbles! Cowboys pick it up and return it to the Steelers' 21... but there's a flag, and it's illegal contact. None of it will count. Then Vander Esch gets flagged for unnecessary roughness, which makes three straight Cowboys penalties. Steelers kick it after DeMarcus Lawrence knocks down a third-down pass. Cowboys punt again. Jaylon Smith gets called for roughing the passer. The rule's clear: You can't hit the quarterback in the head. Diontae Johnson with a 42-yard catch. How do the Steelers have five guys who are fast and can get open downfield? Touchdown Ebron! Steelers take the lead. They go for two but it's broken up. Craig Heyward's son sacks Gale Gilbert's son on fourth and 8. Steelers take over. Steelers do NOT try the field goal here at fourth and 1 with 43 seconds left, going for it instead. They don't get it. Conner lost four yards, even. Romo theorizes that they've had one kick blocked already and two more that could have been and Tomlin didn't feel like risking it. Plus, who are you betting on here: Garrett Gilbert, or the Steelers defense? Cowboys take over. Great sideline catch by Lamb at midfield. It stands upon review. Gilbert to Gallup for 20. Cowboys spike it. Cedrick Wilson gets out of bounds. Four seconds left. Gilbert goes to the end zone... and Fitzpatrick breaks it up. Because of course he does. (Steelers 24, Cowboys 19)


Bucs get the ball first. Three and out. Al calls Brees "the youthful one." Brees already 3 for 3 on this drive. TAYSOM HILL PACKAGE. He passes to Jared Cook for 20 yards. There's a big circle on the replay that says "NO COVERAGE." Tra'Quan Smith is WIDE open in the end zone. Can he stay inbounds? He can! Touchdown Saints. Bucs having trouble in coverage. Harris sits in the middle of the zone and jumps to make this catch. I thought it was going to be overthrown. We're halfway through the first quarter and Brees has already hit seven different receivers. Saints have a fullback? This fourth and 1 seemed like an ideal Taysom play. They get it anyway. Arians challenges but loses. Cook takes this catch to the 2, but he fumbles! Buccaneers have it. It's reviewed, of course, and there's nothing here to overturn this. Brady throws incomplete to Brown, then Gronk drops a pass on the sideline. Bucs don't have a first down yet. Kamara gets into the red zone. Touchdown... Adam Trautman? Who are these people? The Buccaneers still don't have a first down and we're into the second quarter. Brees goes downfield to Taysom for 21. He follows up with a hard seven yards. Brees to Sanders for a touchdown! He's the 11th Saint to catch a pass tonight. That's almost impossible. Brady gets picked off! Taysom is stunting on the Buccaneers right now.


Touchdown Kamara. This is wild. Good catch by Chris Godwin. First down Buccaneers! No, seriously. That's Brown's first catch as a Buc. Bucs go for it on 4th and 6, but Brady overthrows Gronkowski. He's never been down by this much. They hold the Saints to three. WE CAN BUILD ON THIS! Evans gets a first down. Brady picked off again, this time by Marcus Williams. (The Saints' two Williams safeties have not have good years.) It's halftime. NBC plays the Jeopardy theme over the Steelers-Cowboys highlights and Tirico's feeding Tony Dungy answers.


Shaq Barrett gets to Brees. It's called a fumble, and his hand's not coming forward. Buccaneers ball at the Saints' 21. Evans makes a sliding catch for a first down and hobbles off the field. DPI puts the ball at the 1. Gronk DROPS a third-down pass. Bucs go for it. End zone fade is incomplete to Evans!


Brees to Thomas for a first down. Latavius Murray finds a hole and rushes for 17. Buccaneers force a punt. Brady gets sacked again. He throws up a prayer on fourth down and that has "intercepted by Malcolm Jenkins" written all over it. Taysom carries for a first down. Brees to Josh Hill for another touchdown. Why is Brady still in this game? SAD FIELD GOAL. Ensuing kickoff goes out of bounds. Jameis! That's a wrap. (Saints 38, Buccaneers 3)

Is Darnold hurt again? Why is Flacco starting? Apparently it's his shoulder again, Lisa Salters reports. There's no reason 56-year-old Frank Gore should be getting any carries for a winless team. Denzel Mims with a catch for 20. Flacco throws too far for Perriman and he can't stay in the end zone. Field goal is good. Jets... lead? J-E-T-S chant piped in, for some reason. Cam finds Jakobi Meyers on play action for 33. Cam rolls right and they give him the touchdown. That's the Patriots' first first-quarter offensive touchdown of the season, in case you were wondering why things are the way they are. Extra point CLANGS through. 7-3. Cam throws short to James White on third down, and they get called for holding. Jets have now lost DT Quinnen Williams as well as LT Mekhi Becton to injury. Flacco goes deep to Perriman and he beats J.C. Jackson for a touchdown! That 50-yarder puts him ahead of... JOE MONTANA on the all-time passing yards list.


Pats are 11-11 on fourth down conversions this season. Make it 11 for 12 as White fumbles. Patriots recover but it doesn't matter. Your Jets kicker tonight is Sergio Castillo. Field goal is good.


On the other hand, Cam's 10-for-10 tonight. He gets flattened and there's a roughing the passer call. Cam to Meyers for 19. Folk hits from 45 with 1:03 left in the half. Flacco throws deep to Perriman and draws a close interference flag on Jason McCourty. Flacco just overthrows Crowder in the end zone. Oh, wait, that's a touchdown. 20-10 Jets at halftime. Pats on the move. They give it to Burkhead on 3rd and 4 and he gets there. Damien Harris is knocked out of bounds at the 1. Touchdown Burkhead. Jets on the move again. The Patriots' defense also hasn't been good this year. Perriman heads to the sideline after this third-down conversion. He's back, and the Patriots didn't see him, because he's got an easy touchdown catch in the far corner. Jackson's having a rough night. He just fell down on that play.


One thing I've noticed is that these Patriots receivers are getting open on these short outside routes. Cam scrambles in the pocket, avoids two sacks, and somehow finds Meyers for a first down. Newton loses his footing and gets tackled for a four-yard loss. The field goal team comes out. What? The Jets had 12 men on the field, because of course they did. Cam slips in the same spot again on third down. Folk makes this one from 29. Flacco goes deep for Mims but Jackson picks it off! Now Cam goes deep for Meyers but it's too far. This 1st and 20 pass to Meyers is incomplete. The Jets realize this, challenge, and win. Meyers gets 19 on 3rd and 20. Newton sneaks it on 4th and 1 and he gets it easily. Byrd catches a hitch, comes across the field, and is forced out at the Jets' 3! Cam keeps it himself but only gets two. Third down sneak gets it! Extra point is good. Flacco is sacked. If Belichick isn't going to call time out, don't snap the ball with 18 seconds left on the play clock. Pats force a PUNT. 47 seconds left. Another sneak for a first down. CALL TIME OUT, BELICHICK. CHRIST. Eight seconds left. Cam finds Meyers at the Jets' 32! Pats call their last time out. Folk from 51. IT'S GOOD!


When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way. (Patriots 30, Jets 27)

RANKINGS:
TOP 4:
1. Pittsburgh (8-0) — Gotta win games like this
2. Kansas City (8-1) — Same as above
3. Green Bay (6-2) — The trip west was probably the toughest part
4. New Orleans (6-2) — To be the man, etc.

BOTTOM 4:
29. N.Y. Giants (2-7) — Almost blew another one
30. Dallas (2-7) — Held on longer than they had any business doing
31. Jacksonville (1-7) — Marrone's getting fired finally, right?
32. N.Y. Jets (0-9) — It's extremely possible

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Saturday, November 7, 2020

By The Pigskin of Our Teeth, Week 8: Treat You Wrong

No Christian McCaffrey tonight, as he's not all the way recovered from his ankle sprain. There was a chance he might be. You'd be less surprised if these teams' records were switched. Julio Jones IS back and he catches the first two passes, the second for 27 yards. Gurley gets stopped at the Panthers' 2, and the Falcons call time out. They send Koo out to kick the field goal and it's good. Aikman's surprised they didn't go for it on fourth and a very short 1. Bridgewater throws a block to help Mike Davis turn the corner and get to the Falcons' 12. Curtis Samuel lines up at running back, gets the ball, and breaks some tackles to get a touchdown. Ridley gets open on 3rd and 18 and Ryan finds him pretty easily, as the Panthers can't close in in time. Brian Hill rushes for 12. Lot of old quarterbacks in this division as talk turns to the Falcons' immediate future. I don't see Ryan or Jones being traded during the season. (And Ryan's got a $41+ million cap hit if he is.) Ryan overthrows Jones in the end zone, then Jones tries to make a catch over a defender but can't. Ryan is sacked on third down. Field goal is good. Buck's not sure what sport he was covering the last time the Fox DJ played the Eurythmics' "Here Comes The Rain Again." It's been a long week.


Blitz takes down Bridgewater. Ryan gets picked off. Flea-flicker! Samuel catches a touchdown PASS. That's a great throw. If they unlock that guy, this offense becomes dangerous. Good catch by Hayden Hurst, turning around and pulling the ball up off the grass. Panthers challenge. I think it's a catch — it does hit the ground, but he doesn't lose control of it when it does. Call STANDS. Russell Gage sighting. Ryan bootleg? Touchdown!


Panthers go for it on 4th and 1. It's a fake and Bridgewater keeps it, and loses two yards.




Back to back denials from the Falcons' defense and they'll take over at their own 35. That's a hell of a pass breakup by Sam Franklin, who got called for holding on the play that gave the Falcons this first down. Field goal is good and the Falcons lead 16-14 at halftime. Fumble? It's called a fumble and Falcons ball. Call REVERSED to an... incomplete pass? O...K. Anderson gets tripped up short of the sticks. Panthers go for it on 4th and 2... and don't get it! Falcons also can't convert third down, but Koo kicks it through. 19-14 Falcons. FAKE PUNT. Up man Jeremy Chinn takes the snap and goes 28 yards! Mind you, this was AFTER a delay of game call on the Panthers that made it 4th and 9. If I were a man of conspiracies, I'd ask if that was done intentionally. Bridgewater is sacked. Flags fly and there's a scuffle. Bridgewater's still down. Oh, this was a lot: Dante Fowler tripped Bridgewater by kicking him in the leg, then Bridgewater took a shot to his head on his way down.


Bridgewater jogs off. Two fouls on the Falcons: Fowler for the trip, and Charles Harris for the hit to the head, which they say was after the play. Harris is ejected. XFL 2 hero P.J. Walker in at quarterback. He goes deep to Robby Anderson but the ball goes off his fingers. Two guys Rhule coached at Temple almost hooking up there. Anderson then salvages a pass to Samuel that would have lost yards if Samuel hadn't lateraled the ball to him. Drive stalls, but they can try a field goal. It's good. Rain has picked up considerably. Buck thinks if this turns into a run-based game that it favors the Panthers. But he didn't account for FLYIN' MATT RYAN, who rumbles for nine yards and a first down.


Gurley's been getting some good blocking on this drive. Touchdown! Extra point is wide right! 11:01 left. Bridgewater comes back in on second down, for some reason. Panthers get stopped again on third down and this time they'll punt. It's been mostly Hill at running back for the Falcons on this drive. Strange. The Panthers needed that sack about four minutes ago. Falcons can't pick up 3rd and 14, but the punt puts the Panthers inside their own 10 with three minutes to go. D.J. Moore's first catch of the night, which isn't ideal. Fowler jumps offside. Aikman would also like to see the Panthers try to go deep. But we soon see why they haven't — the Falcons' blitzes are forcing Bridgewater to rush things. Moore with a leaping catch on 3rd and 17! Bridgewater gets intercepted! The Falcons don't blow it! Stop the presses. (Falcons 25, Panthers 17)

Signal Finder: PIT @ BAL, MIN @ GB, NO @ CHI

Nantz notes that the Steelers, who won the toss and deferred, won the toss last week and took the ball first. Pick six on third down! Lamar rushed that throw. That's somehow his first first-quarter interception in the regular season. Lamar flicks a pass to Snead, who turns on the jets and takes it 39 yards to the Steelers' 9. Lamar runs for five, then finds Miles Boykin in the far corner for a touchdown. Claypool fumbles after the catch! Big scrum and the Ravens get it! Dobbins takes off for a 28-yard gain to the Steelers' 9. Now Jackson fumbles and the Steelers recover! And that one took points off the board. Steelers don't get far before punting. Lamar gets sacked and left tackle Ronnie Stanley is still down. That's an air cast. And he's a guy they cannot lose. Ravens start the second quarter by punting. Weird sequence where Roethlisberger seems to drop the snap, then picks the ball up and finds Claypool for seven. Big run by Gus Edwards. Mark Ingram won't be back for a couple more weeks, probably. Lamar keeps it and goes left for 14. He goes up the middle... is he in? Nope. Touchdown Edwards. on the next play. Wouldn't be Steelers-Ravens without a fight, and of course Marcus Peters is involved. And Matthew Judon just got tossed for hitting an official! That... was not intentional, but letter of the law and all that. Roethlisberger runs out of time, gets hit and fumbles, but recovers it, saving the possession and letting the Steelers punt. Lamar drops the ball on a run but picks it back up. He makes a bad read and Joe Haden appears to intercept it. They'll look at it. They change it to an incomplete pass. Jackson, Edwards AND J.K. Dobbins have over 50 yards rushing this half. Dobbins gets 12 and tries to get to the sideline, but the refs rule his forward progress was stopped. Ravens rush to the line and spike it with three seconds left. Tucker from 51 and it's good. 17-7 Ravens at halftime. Steelers get another interception and they're set up at the Ravens' 22. No one covers Eric Ebron and he makes an easy touchdown catch. I think the closest Raven was in Owings Mills. Roethlisberger sacked. He later finds Conner for 13 and Juju for 7. Touchdown Conner and the Steelers regain the lead. This Jackson run... that's incredible. Too bad it's coming back. Lamar finds Snead for a first down at the Steelers' 5. Pass is just too far for Brown. Ravens challenge. Where's his right knee? Is it inbounds? Call STANDS. Ravens score anyway (and it's a touchdown pass to Brown to boot.) Steelers feasting with short passes on this drive. Roethlisberger to Claypool for a touchdown! Is he becoming their No. 1 receiver? 28-24 Steelers with 7:29 left. Ravens are committed to running the ball here, clock be damned. It helps that it's working. Dobbins picks up a big first down. Fourth and 3 with two minutes left. Jackson keeps it and appears to lose his footing! He didn't make it! Oh, the lineman came off his block and got his legs. Also, he fumbled. Steelers take over. Conner loses a yard on 3rd and 2. Refs decide he doesn't, and it's 4th and 2. Steelers punt beats the Ravens' rush, and it's a fair catch at the 37. Fifty-two seconds left. Jackson finds Snead downfield! 33 yards! They rush to spike it but Cam Heyward's down injured (again) back at the 40. Jackson is hit as he throws and it's incomplete. It only took three seconds, leaving five on the clock. Into the end zone for Snead... it's broken up! Minkah Fitzpatrick saves the day. Say it, Tony. SAY IT. (Steelers 28, Ravens 24)

I'm not sure starting Tua against the Rams' defense is wise. SEE?


And there's his first touchdown pass, to Davante Parker, who got clotheslined in the process.


(For the record, that's two wide receivers, a safety, and a guy who never played in an NFL game after that one.) Is this the Rams' last trip east? I know it's how the schedule fell but it seems like every other Rams game so far has been a 1 p.m. east coast start. Goff might be dead. This is a long fumble return. Touchdown Dolphins! Punt return touchdown? Those are still allowed? (Dolphins 28, Rams 17)

Good thing nobody's freezing in the stands. Packers on the move. Swing pass to Williams on 3rd and 2, but he doesn't get there. Packers go for it, and Rodgers rolls out and hits Sternberger, who takes it to the Vikings' 11. Touchdown Adams. Vikings get Dalvin Cook back. Cousins to Rudolph for 12. Cook puts the ball on the ground, but he's ruled down, and replay shows his elbow hit the ground before the ball comes loose. Nice catch and run by Cook. Big hole opens up and Cook scores. This first quarter has been ridiculously fast. Play stops as Vikings rookie Cameron Dantzler took a shot to the head from his own teammate. It's starting to precipitate. Cart is out. Packers rookie A.J. Dillon tightropes the sideline. Rodgers finds Adams across the middle and they're going to feast on the Vikings' young, overhauled cornerbacks at this rate. Rodgers goes to the end zone but it's just out of Adams' reach. DPI on first down means another first down. Packers run play action and it's an easy touchdown to Adams.


Irv Smith Jr. sighting. Cousins gets sacked. Thielen looks like he wasn't expecting the ball, but he catches it. But he's short of the first down. Two minute warning. They go for it and get it. Touchdown Cook. There have been four drives in this half, two for each team. I'm not sure why it is, but empty Lambeau looks and feels like this game is being shot on a movie set. Vikings get the ball to start the second half. First and goal Vikings at the 1 after interference by the Packers for the second time on this drive. Cook scores on second down and the Vikings lead. Rodgers with a 45-yard bomb to Tonyan. He may have walked into the end zone with a slightly better throw. Equaminious St. Brown drops a 3rd and 10 pass. Packers going for it? Why? Pass goes into the end zone but gets knocked away from St. Brown. I don't get that at all. Back from break, we're shown footage of both kickers pregame really struggling with the wind. It would have been a 54-yadrder for Crosby. Cook catches a short pass from Cousins and he's got a convoy. Touchdown! He's got four! St. Brown comes back with a clutch grab on third down, but the drive dies after back-to-back offensive holding penalties. 28-14 Vikings after three. Packers facing fourth and 9. Pass to Tonyan is incomplete but Anthony Harris was all over him. They pick the flag up, it's Vikings' ball, and that might actually be it. Cook plasters Adrian Amos and then has to be gang-tackled to keep from getting a first down. As it is, it's 3rd and 1. Packers hold. Rodgers fumbles and the Packers are lucky to recover it. Meanwhile, the Vikings are challenging that they had 12 men on the field, which would give the Packers a first down if it stands. It does. Another Vikings DB is down. It's Chris Boyd, who fell trying to tackle Taylor on his catch. Touchdown Adams! That's his THIRD. Packers going for two here? They haven't stopped the Vikings at all today. They RUN it... and don't make it. But the officials are discussing it. They give it to him! 28-22. Vikings keep giving Cook the ball. That's a first down. Two minute warning and the Packers have to start using their time outs. Packers hold and get the ball back with 47 seconds left. Rodgers is hit and... fumbles? Yeah, that's a fumble.


And this is an upset. (Vikings 28, Packers 22)

But not as big as THIS. (Bengals 31, Titans 20)

I will not cross the Patriots off. I refuse. But at the same time, where's the path to improvement for this team? (Bills 24, Patriots 21)

This Week's Game That Shouldn't Have Been This Close: Meanwhile, the Chargers need to either join the Falcons' support group or create their own, because this is untenable. (Broncos 31, Chargers 30)

No Michael Thomas again, and also no Emmanuel Sanders. Tight end Josh Hill slips on the turf, which Buck tells us Payton was worried about before the game. Kamara bounces it outside and takes it 20 yards. Field goal is good. Hey, did you know Brees and Foles went to the same high school? Montgomery drops a pass and somehow it's Saints ball. This'll be reviewed. I'm sorry, are they doing a 9 a.m. kickoff Saturday for ARIZONA STATE-USC? Call REVERSED.


Even Buck's mocking how badly that was botched. Good route by Anthony Miller, who needs to get more involved in this offense. TRUBISKY? He keeps it and runs for two, then goes back to the bench. They run it on 3rd and 8 and Montgomery breaks a tackle and picks it up. Foles gets sacked. Field goal is good. Brees finds Kamara over the middle and there's no one there. He gets 48 as the first quarter ends. Short pass to Murray on third down as the Bears' defense tightens up. Another field goal try CLANGS off the right upright and it's NO GOOD from 27. That was LOUD. Maybe the loudest I've heard. Foles finds Mooney for a big 50-yard catch. Then Robinson makes a diving catch for a touchdown. Montgomery takes off for 38. Demario Davis just misses him. Sheldon Rankins walks off, and apparently what happened to him looked so bad Fox won't replay it. A few plays later, backup right tackle Jason Spriggs goes down. He was replacing Bobby Massie, who got hurt in the first quarter. Is it me or is almost every team getting wrecked by injuries this year? Field goal is good and it's 13-3 with 1:39 left in the half. Brees fumbles as Ryan Ramczyk gets pushed into him. Kamara takes a toss on 4th and 1 and gets seven. That's a good block. Cook drops the ball in the end zone. Brees goes back to him on the next play and he catches it for a touchdown. Halftime!


Bad delay of game penalty on Foles ends up killing the Bears' opening drive. Big punt return by Dionte Harris, which Buck sort of predicted. Saints set up at the Bears' 16. Field goal is good. Now we got a fight and Javon Wims is ejected.




Foles underthrows the next play and it gets picked off by Lattimore. Saints go for it on 4th and 6 from the Bears' 35. Payton clearly smelling blood here. Caught by Harris for eight. Brees can't connect with Kamara on third and 4, and the Saints eventually send Lutz out to kick. They get the ball snapped and it's good. Brief Sid Luckman montage serves as an unsubtle reminder that Bears quarterbacks have mostly sucked. The Bears are flatlining. They run it on 3rd and 5 and get four, then line up to go for it but all they do is try and draw the Saints offside.  Someone on the field actually says, "That ain't gonna work" and the Bears punt. Both teams go for it on subsequent fourth downs and both fail, leaving the Saints with the ball at their own 34. Kamara works hard for six yards. Brees to Taysom Hill for a touchdown. Bears feed Montgomery to start this drive. Foles to Robinson for 23 in front of Lattimore. Pass to Jimmy Graham puts the Bears in the red zone. They get Demario Davis for DPI, putting the ball at the 1. Montgomery gets stopped twice. Touchdown Mooney! Saints go three and out, giving the Bears a final chance. Kmet fumbles! Saints recover! Wait, the officials change it and say that his forward progress was stopped. Um, OK.


Any run right now is a waste of a play. Cameron Jordan sacks Foles.


Foles to Miller only gets 17 on 3rd and 19, but Miller does get out of bounds. Cairo Santos on for a 51-yard try. He hits it... but the Saints called time out. He tries it again and hits it again. Overtime! Which is amazing considering how poorly called the Bears' offensive game plan has been. Saints win the toss. Kamara gets free in the secondary. Brees makes a risky throw that Roquan Smith almost intercepts. Cook was playing defense. Brees to Taysom Hill for 10 on 3rd and 12. Too far for a field goal. They punt. Foles gets sacked AGAIN. Robinson keeps his eyes up and brings in this catch on 3rd and 15. On the subsequent 3rd and 10, Foles has nowhere to go.


Cam Jordan's been living in the Bears' backfield. Aikman notes that the more mobile Trubisky maybe could have done something with that. Bears punt with four minutes left. Brees scramble is... unwise but effective. Kamara on a sweep gets to the 12 and out of bounds. The Saints want to kick it right now with 1:40 left. The refs throw a flag for delay of game, but Payton successfully argues that they were waiting for the kicking ball. The Bears call time out and Aikman momentarily wonders if Payton's re-thinking his strategy, as that was the Bears' second and last time out. Lutz hits it. Weird ending. (Saints 26, Bears 23, OT)

Are the Cowboys tanking? In the last week they've traded Everson Griffen and released Dontari Poe and Daryl Worley. Opening narration by Doctor J. Cowboys get the ball first. Is this a TRIPLE reverse? Lamb gets 15. Direct snap to Elliott gets two. McCarthy pulling out all the stops already. Complete to Lamb for a first down. Curry buries DiNucci back at midfield. Pass to Gallup gets them in field goal range. Zeurlein hits from 49. Boston Scott starts with a 20-yard run. DeMarcus Lawrence sacks Wentz. Wentz gets sacked again and this time he fumbles! Cowboys ball. Trying to do too much again. Elliott to the 5. DiNucci gets sacked and HE fumbles. Eagles ball.


Scott with another good run. Wentz gets five on a keeper. Scott AGAIN. Collinsworth is stunned by how bad the Cowboys have been against the run. Fulgham! To the 5. Was he really with the Packers for four days? Heh. Hurts in the gun, but he takes too long to get the ball snapped. Play action to Reagor, who breaks the plane for a touchdown. First quarter is over. DiNucci spent three years at Pitt before transferring to James Madison, which he led to the FCS title game. McCarthy's late brother Joe coached him in high school basketball. Wentz has time and finds Fulgham at midfield. Eagles going for it on 4th and 3, as is their wont. Wentz sacked and fumbles AGAIN and the Cowboys recover.


Gallup gets nine and a first down. Receiver Cedrick Wilson takes the snap and hands off to Elliott.


DiNucci misses Gallup on third down. Field goal is good. That one's just out of Hightower's reach. They wanted to run a wide receiver pass with Ward, but nobody was free. Eagles punt. Sweep to Tony Pollard. DiNucci tries to sidearm one and not get buried by Cox.




Good punt return by Greg Ward. Wentz overthrows Goedert but Randy Gregory hits him low. Wentz throws for the end zone, but it's too far for Hightower and Diggs appears to pick it off. It's called an interception and I think that has to stand.


If anything else happens here, Garrett Gilbert is the Cowboys' backup. Cowboys punt. Wentz manages to find Ward on 3rd and 7, but he only gets six. Eagles are at the Cowboys' 44. Pass to Fulgham falls short. DiNucci finds Gallup on the sideline for 12. Elliott drops a pass. Cowboys bring the field goal unit in. This is 59 into the wind. He LINE DRIVES IT THROUGH. 9-7 Cowboys at halftime. Fulgham draws a pass interference penalty, which has been the eagles' best offensive play tonight. Wentz throws deep to Hightower, but Diggs picks THIS one off too and returns it to the 30. Cowboys have run it six straight times. Seven. Eight, but this is a reverse that goes nowhere. Zuerlein MISSES. Eagles pick up a first down on defensive holding. Hurts to Fulgham for nine yards. Goedert! Wentz to Fulgham for a touchdown! They go for two and Wentz, falling backwards, slings it to Reagor. DiNucci run is wiped out by offensive holding. Cowboys face fourth and inches as the fourth quarter begins. Quarterback sneak! Collinsworth isn't sure DiNucci made it. They JUST got it. Darius Slay's fighting an ankle injury. DiNucci beats the blitz but Schultz is stopped after eight yards. Cowboys go for it again. DiNucci's forced out of the pocket and throws incomplete. Hargrave may have gotten a piece of the throw. Eagles take over. Wentz pass is too high for Ward. Elliott turns the corner and just gets a first down. Pollard gets to midfield. He's been better than Zeke tonight. Someone named Michael Jacquet is down for the Eagles. DiNucci sacked on third down. Is this a fumble? What's going on? McLeod has picked it up and scored. I DO think it's a fumble unless I didn't hear the whistle. Yeah, Curry recovers the fumble but he was touched down. Did they make a call?


I guess it's a touchdown because while Al and Cris are talking to Terry McAuley about it, the Eagles are lining up to go for two again. Hurts keeps it but can't get the edge. 21-9. OK THEN. Replay of the fumble. Announcers still think Curry had possession but admit that in real time, it's hard to say.




5:11 left. Cowboys going backwards, and then they take a delay of game penalty on the punt. Did that snap just go out of the end zone? Did they do that shit on PURPOSE? THEY'RE TANKING.


Zeurlein on for the free kick and they're gonna try something here. Big high bounce between the two lines of Eagles coverage. Who's got it? WHO'S GOT IT? The Eagles' offense is out on the field. Jerome Boger never announced it. Eagles ball at the Cowboys' 45, I guess.


Clement picks up a first down. Wentz slides inbounds. Ward comes up short of a first down and they'll run the clock to the two-minute warning. Elliott takes a screen for a first down but there's only 46 seconds left and the Cowboys are out of time outs. Why are they taking so long? Not that I'm upset by this. A touchdown now would be Significant To Some. Al even shouted out Scott Van Pelt! That's that. This game SUCKED. (Eagles 23, Cowboys 9)

No Antonio Brown tonight because he's not ready yet. The Bucs DO have their starting offensive line for the second straight week, which is a bonus. Scottie Miller wide open across the Giants' 45. Ronald Jones falls forward for five. Snaps have been low, and Brady is forced to throw this one away. Field goal is good.


Engram catches THIS one. Big run by Gallman is canceled out by holding. So they try another play and Gallman gets 15. Giants forced to punt. Ronald Jones catches this pass on his knees. Ball's out! Giants have it! If he hadn't stood up it would still be Bucs ball, as he'd be down by contact.


Touchdown Dion Lewis! I don't know how he caught that or how Devin White didn't get even a finger on it. The black cat game was a year ago? Wow. Time means nothing. Brady misses Mickens long. Bucs jump offsides. Alfred Morris? Seriously?


Engram gets a first down off an end around. Daniel Jones overthrows Slayton in the end zone. Bucs come up the middle and sack Jones for a 10-yard loss. Antonio Brown talk. He's still facing a December court date, by the way. Brady finds Evans for 14 on third and 8. There are four former Steelers assistants who were there when Brown was there on Arians' staff. Brady goes deep to Evans on the sideline but Bradberry gets in the way and breaks it up. That is CLEAN. Giants run a stunt and Leonard Williams gets Brady on third and 9. Giants send 10 after this punt, but don't get to it. Slayton! Slayton again! Engram flattens Jordan Whitehead but can't get to the pylon. Touchdown Gallman. Bucs driving. Brady to Evans, but Logan Ryan is there to make the stop. He didn't get there. Succop kicks it through. Halftime. Carlton Davis picks off Jones. Bucs go for it on 4th and 2 from the Giants' 40. Giants only rush three, Brady wanted Evans, but double-pumps and finds Mickens to convert. Brady gets rushed and throws low to Miller. That hit the ground, yes. Incomplete and they have to kick. It's good. The NFL is OFF tomorrow for Election Day. Brady finds Gronk down the seam for 17, his second catch tonight. Touchdown Gronk! Ball gets knocked out of his hands but too late for it to not count. That pass was tipped, also. Buccaneers go for two but Evans can't bring it in. Still, they lead 15-14. JPP trips up Sterling Shepard, possibly saving a touchdown. Jones finds Engram on 3rd and 1. Engram beats his man downfield and this time makes the catch. Giants go back in front on a field goal. Patriots-Jets next Monday night! Fuck me. Fourth quarter starts NOW... with a coverage sack on Brady. Do the Giants just not use a punt returner? That's the second time tonight they've had no one back to receive one. Tate with his first catch of the night. Jones is intercepted AGAIN! He threw it as he was going down.


Tyler Johnson gets popped but holds on for the catch and a first down. The clock operator is STRUGGLING. Riddick jokingly blames Levy. The game clock is STOPPED. Something might actually be wrong.


Brady to Cameron Brate for 24, and add half the distance for a helmet hit. John Parry and Riddick, a former NFL safety, disagree with the call. Mike Evans with a diving fingertip touchdown catch! Bucs retake the lead, 22-17. Buccaneers force a three-and-out. Brady finds Gronk for 18 as the Giants again only rush three. Bradberry gets flagged for interference on Evans. Levy calls Tampa Bay "New England." Fournette gets stopped on 3rd and 1. Some things never change. Arians sends the field goal team out with 3:44 left, a decision I agree with. As Griese says, Arians trusts his defense and Jones hasn't proven he can lead a downfield drive. The Giants are already out of time outs? It's good. Jones throws off his back foot on 4th and 5, and he gets lucky that Slayton catches this, and Slayton gets lucky that he broke a tackle and got the first down. Jones scrambles for 15 and a first down. Two minutes left. Jones, on the run, finds Shepard on fourth down at the Bucs' 30. TATE! Did he get both feet down? Yep. Touchdown Giants. Bucs call time before the two-point try. It's knocked away from Lewis by Winfield, but there's a flag. The officials discuss it... and they pick it up! The ball hit Winfield just as he ran into Lewis. Griese's not sold. Judge is LIVID. And, as Riddick points out, a better throw from Jones and it's not an issue.


(Buccaneers 25, Giants 23)

RANKINGS:
TOP 4:
1. Pittsburgh (7-0) — A historic run
2. Kansas City (7-1) — That was easy enough
3. Seattle (6-1) — Rebounding nicely
4. Tampa Bay (6-2) — Guess we know where the power truly was

BOTTOM 4:
29. Dallas (2-6) — It really shouldn't be this bad
30. Jacksonville (1-6) — Stadium Stampede appears to be this city's 2020 highlight
31. N.Y. Giants (1-7) — At least it looks like they're trying
32. N.Y. Jets (0-8) — I'm already out of things to say
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