Sunday, December 13, 2020

By The Pigskin of Our Teeth, Week 13: Roadkilled

Signal Finder: CLE @ TEN, NO @ ATL, PHI @ GB

Big pass to Rashard Higgins, who had all kinds of room in the zone. Peoples-Jones drops a touchdown. Flags everywhere. That's on the Browns. They call a five-yard pass play on 3rd and 10 for some reason. Field goal is good. Did the Titans just try to throw to a backup offensive lineman on 3rd and 1? Yes, because they're going for it on fourth down. The Browns had it covered, even. Henry probably gets it? They say no! Browns ball. Titans challenge the spot. Call STANDS. Wide receiver pass from Landry to Mayfield! It's still roughing the passer even if the passer isn't the quarterback. Touchdown Landry. Henry FUMBLES! Browns driving again. Browns run the SAME tackle eligible pass play and they get a touchdown!


17-0 Browns to start the second quarter. Titans stop running and Tannehill finds Brown for 40. Touchdown Davis! Great leaping catch. A.J. Brown is down. Replay shows him losing his footing. He walks off and the extra point is good. Peoples-Jones set this poor guy on fire. Touchdown!


Third time to Higgins becomes the charm. Mayfield slides under a tackle attempt and gets a first down. Touchdown on a perfect throw to Higgins. 31-7. Browns are cutting the Titans' pass defense to pieces. That's another touchdown. My God. 38-7 Browns at halftime.


Titans run a play fake and get an easy flip to MyCole Pruitt for a touchdown. That was FAST. Two-point play fails. The Browns have held Henry in check today. Davis with his second big catch on this drive. Whoa! Brown gets hit at the 1, fumbles, but Pruitt picks it up and he scores! 38-21 and now it's getting weird. Chubb breaks one off. Browns add three more. Interception by Sendejo?! There's a flag, though. And of course it won't count because of an unsportsmanlike conduct call on the Browns. Henry with a couple of decent runs. Tannehill sacked on 3rd and 5. They go for it on 4th and 12 and the Browns get caught holding. Don't know why we're involving Batson at this stage of the game. Vrabel throws the challenge flag. This is debatable. Call REVERSED. It's a catch. Pass hits Humphries in the face, he can't control the ball, and it ends up in the Browns' hands. This is solid no-huddle offense by the Titans. Tannehill's doing a good job spreading the ball around. Why is McNichols in on this series? Especially after that holding penalty that'll turn fourth and 1 into fourth and 11? Davis! Touchdown McNichols! 1:23 left. Onside kick doesn't work because why would you trust Gostkowski to pull one off at this point? FUMBLE. BROWNS NO. And Mayfield had the first down, too. Still, there's only 57 seconds left and that probably isn't enough time. Touchdown to Batson. Second onside kick also doesn't work. Thank God. That would have been a devastating loss. (Browns 41, Titans 35)


Dear Lord. (Lions 34, Bears 30)

Taysom is hit on this throw that's almost intercepted, and Grady Jarrett gets flagged for hitting him low. Then he gets sacked. THEN he takes off for 43! He finds Tra'Quan Smith for a score. Falcons getting Jones involved early. Smart. Falcons on the board with three. Hill's starting to heat up, but then he throws a ball short for Thomas that almost gets picked off. Pitch bounces off Kamara's helmet, somehow, and he loses four as the first quarter ends. Lutz MISSES. Ryan goes deep to Ridley, but there's a penalty on the back end. The refs pick up the flag, which would have been for DPI. Vilma and Pereira disagree on that (Vilma would have called it.) Meanwhile, Lutz grabbed his leg after that missed kick and is going to the locker room. Saints force a punt. Taysom misses Lewis deep. Saints going for it on 4th and 7. Kenny Albert notes that Lutz is back on the Saints' sideline. Why would they try to draw them offsides on fourth and 7, Vilma? Pass to Cook is incomplete. Jones again. Io Smith takes it on 3rd and 2 and gets 10 to the Saints' 11. Falcons end up settling for another field goal. A wide-open Sanders falls down in the zone for a first down catch. Two minute warning. Touchdown Cook. That's Hill's second touchdown pass. Ridiculous one-handed catch by Ridley with Lattimore all over him. This is being reviewed and it sounds like it's getting changed to an incompletion, as it bounces when he hits the ground. I'm not so sure he doesn't still have control, though. Call STANDS. Ryan takes a bad sack. That's never happened before. Another field goal. 14-9 Saints at halftime. I'm actually not surprised they're letting Taysom pass so much — the Falcons' defense has been their biggest problem since the Super Bowl and is why Quinn got fired. Kamara scoots in for a touchdown. Lot of punting now. OOPS. Saints challenge this incompletion, and the refs rule it's actually a fumble. Six plays later Hill gets sacked and appears to fumble. Falcons recover. Hill is saying his arm was going forward. I don't think it was. Russell Gage and C.J. Gardner-Johnson get into it and Gardner-Johnson gets the penalty. It does look like he started whatever it was. Ryan overthrows Ridley but there's another flag, and this one won't get picked up. Gage beats his man and dives into the end zone. That's the first touchdown the Falcons have scored against the Saints this year. And they're gonna get the ball back with five minutes left. Ridley with another catch over Lattimore, who he's been working over all game. Jones makes a diving catch over the middle for another first down. Falcons snap the ball at 2:01 and Gurley gets six. Gurley loses yards on this third down run. Fourth and 9. Ryan throws for Jones in the end zone but the pass goes off his hands. I don't get that throw. Hill fumbles and the ball rolls backwards out of bounds. That's about a six-yard loss. Ridley spins away from Lattimore but wastes two seconds before getting out of bounds. Nine seconds left. Hail Mary falls to the turf. Is there a second left? Nope. And thanks to that debacle in Chicago, the Saints are in the playoffs. (Saints 21, Falcons 16)

This Week It Sucks To Be: 1. Trevor Lawrence; 2-7. The Jets' secondary




Seriously, some absolute fuckery leaguewide in these last 15 minutes. (Raiders 31, Jets 28)

How was nothing flexed this week? Broncos-Chiefs won't be any good and this is going to be a massacre. I don't let Wentz throw a pass on any down less than five yards. Oh, well. Ertz back?


Wentz looks for Scott on 3rd and 10, and Scott might have had his arm grabbed? No call, and Elliott is on for a 52-yarder. It's GOOD. Jones can't handle the pitch. Hargrave sacks Rodgers. End around to Reagor. Jordan Howard back, for some reason. Back-to-back sacks and the Eagles are out of field goal range. Rodgers 5 for 5 to start. Rodgers slings one past Singleton to Adams, who is called down at the half-yard line. Slay breaks this one up, but Adams outfights him for the next one. Touchdown Packers. Eagles pick up a first down on a penalty. Wentz sacked again.


Marcedes Lewis takes this one for 36, which is disgraceful. Tonyan gets away from the coverage and fair-catches this touchdown. Wentz finds Goedert for nine and calls time. Another sack. This goes nowhere and we'll go to halftime. YOU'RE calling the plays, Doug. MVS can't hang on. Adams pulls one down between two defenders. Lazard with another big catch. Jones with a nice run. Adams fights past Slay for a touchdown. Hurts is in. Reagor! That's 35 yards. Nate Herbig on for Peters at right guard. Let's make that change permanent. Hurts picks up two yards. Offensive holding call on Semualo kills the momentum, if you believe in such things. Packers being deliberate here. Good defense by Maddox on this ball to Adams in the end zone. No, I'm serious; he got his arm between Adams's hands and broke it up. Now he's down on the sideline as Crosby kicks a field goal. And the big question gets answered: Hurts comes back out for the Eagles' next series.


Hurts to Goedert, then Ertz. Third down throw is too high for Ward and takes him out of bounds. Then Jeffery pushes off on 4th and 9 and gets called for it. Hurts rolls right and Ward gets open for a touchdown. Uh-oh. Reagor drops the punt. He picks it up and... gets some blocks? He's going down the sideline?? TOUCHDOWN??? When's the last time they got one of those? Hurts's next drive only goes five plays.


Jones finds a hole and... uh-oh. He's STILL going. Great tackling, Eagles. That's a 77-yard touchdown. Darnell Savage picks off Hurts.



The Eagles just keep creating their own problems, don't they? (Packers 30, Eagles 16)

Meanwhile, the Giants may have just won the NFC East. (Giants 17, Seahawks 12)

Seriously, this isn't any kind of game, either. Mathieu picks off Lock at the Chiefs' 9. Good start. Mahomes throws deep for Hill but it's off-target. Chiefs punt. AIR YARDS. Lot of short stuff for the Broncos ends up with a 53-yard field goal by McManus. It's early to see Bell, as Edwards-Helaire has been sick (not with COVID.) Robinson gets free for a 20-yard catch and run. Broncos hold the Chiefs to a field goal. Hill almost makes a jumping catch in the end zone but he can't hold on. Wait... Oh my God, the ball never hit the ground! The Chiefs don't realize it! They're punting. Wow. Michaels points out after the commercial break that Hill himself didn't think he still had it, otherwise he'd have been up immediately begging Reid to challenge. Gordon finds a hole for 63 yards! Lock rolls out and finds Fant for a first down. Gordon plows his way to the goal line. I thought he might have gotten the ball over the plane but no. Anthony Hitchens walks off for the Chiefs. Tim Patrick catches the touchdown in the back of the end zone. Hill takes a sweep for a nice gain. Mahomes takes off after seeing the left side of the field open up, and he'll get inside the 5. Direct snap to Bell, who gets stopped at the 1. Goal line stand holds and the Chiefs kick another field goal. Gordon breaks through for 12. I feel like you can throw deep on the Chiefs but the Broncos haven't really tried to so far. McManus MISSES from 57. (That's what you want to avoid.) Twenty-eight seconds is plenty of time for the Chiefs. Travis Kelce sighting! Chiefs get three to make it 10-9 at halftime. Big run by Bell. Kelce with another catch. There's Hill again. Kelce with a drop. Mahomes gets sacked on third down. Field goal is good and the Chiefs lead. Collinsworth points out that Broncos rookie Jerry Jeudy has been silent tonight.


Patrick makes the catch but is called out of bounds. Wait a second. Officials discuss it and call it a touchdown. Yeah, both feet got down. That's good. Broncos go for two up by four but Lock misfires. 16-12. I know there's like one guy in the league who can run with Hill, but you can't give him space in the open field, either. Mahomes off target for Hardman. Then he does his best Aaron Rodgers impression by turning a free play into a touchdown to Kelce. Collinsworth notes the number of players slipping on the field tonight, mostly Broncos. And there hasn't been any weather out there. Broncos punt. Edwards-Helaire hasn't played at all tonight, FYI. Mahomes throws one past a guy in his face and to Kelce between two defenders. Sammy Watkins sighting! Broncos challenge the completion. Call overturned. Hill touchdown is negated by offensive holding.



I'll call it: They won't get the ball back after that. Watkins picks up a first down. Kelce gets nine on 3rd and 12 at the two-minute warning. They try a field goal but get called for delay of game. Reid keeps Butker out there and he makes it anyway. The game ends as it began — with a Honey Badger interception. It was also a lot better than I expected. Thanks for making me look like an idiot, guys! (Chiefs 22, Broncos 16)


Yeah, it appears that this game is only going to the markets that would have carried it had it been on yesterday. Steelers get the ball first. Ebron runs a slant but it isn't long enough. Sims stretches to the marker but he's already out of bounds. "False start, everybody but the center." Well that's no good. Then Juju can't handle the subsequent pass and is NOT happy about it. Moose: "Do not block the man if you can see his name." Logan Thomas has become a good tight end. Washington can't convert 3rd and 11. They call roughing the kicker on the Steelers, giving Washington a first down. Gotta sell it to make sure. Not much else happens afterwards. Sims drops a pass. he was wide open. Everyone seems out of sorts. Washington punts and McCloud gets run into. He's saying he signaled for a fair catch, but there's a holding penalty on the back end. Wait, didn't a Washington player fall on the ball after the collision? Or did the ball not touch McCloud? Somehow it's Steelers ball. First quarter ends with an actual first down. Roethlisberger finds Johnson for 17 on 3rd and 12. Ebron with a jumping catch. Johnson touchdown is called back for an illegal man downfield. Claypool gets a first down. Johnson gets a touchdown anyway. Boswell's hurt, so Matthew Wright kicks his first extra point. Is that a foghorn? Is there a ship on the river outside? Meanwhile, Thomas tries to stretch this pass for a first down. It looks like the Sims play earlier where he was already out of bounds when he did it. That's what the refs decide after Rivera challenges. Washington goes for it, lining Thomas up under center, but the Steelers blow it up. Steelers run a pass to an eligible tackle on third down but it's broken up. They go for it on fourth down and Snell does... NOT make it! I initially thought he did. Washington can't get out of its own end and they'll have to punt. James Washington makes Fuller miss, runs away from Everett and he's GONE. Burkhardt: "James, that is, not the team." Deep pass for McLaurin is broken up. Fitzpatrick slow to get up. That's a lot of blood on Alex Smith's leg. A replay shows he might have taken a cleat to his leg there. (It's not THAT leg. Still, though.) The field goal team runs onto the field, but the ball isn't anywhere to be found. They stop the clock to get a new ball, there was a penalty on the Steelers, so it also gets moved five yards closer. Hopkins kicks it through. 14-3 at halftime. Washington gets the ball to start the second half. Two penalties later and it's 1st and 23. The Steelers can't bring down Sims. He goes for 30! Is Antonio Gibson hurt and I missed it? Haven't seen him much today. Smith goes long to Thomas, who goes down at the 1. Holding on T.J. Watt on fourth and goal gives Washington a new set of downs. Dummy. Touchdown Barber. Another drop by Ebron. Johnson converts third down. Wright field goal is good to open the fourth. Steelers decide to run the ball on 3rd and 10 from their own 10 for some reason and absolutely nothing good was going to happen there.


How have the Chiefs clinched a playoff spot before the Steelers have? McKissic is somehow left open. This has been his drive. Touchdown Thomas! We're tied. Ben with a spin move! Juju gets just enough room to get a first down. Sidearm pass to Juju is incomplete. They'll go for it on 4th and 1. Pass to McFarland? Why? Incomplete. Washington takes over. That's a great one-handed catch by Sims. But he can't bring this one in, and now Hopkins is on for a 45-yarder with 2:07 left. It's good, but there's a flag. Steelers were offsides. Roethlisberger's pass is deflected and picked off! Hopkins from 45 again and it's good!


(Washington 23, Steelers 17)

8:15 to Glendale? Bills go for it from the 49ers' 2. Allen's throwing it here? Incomplete. Mostert back for the 49ers with a big run. Mullens stumbles and throws incomplete. Aiyuk with a tough catch over the middle. Did that hit the ground? No! Nice work.


Juszczyk is called down before the ball broke the plane. Replay shows it's the right call and the ball never actually broke the plane. 49ers challenge. They'll probably lose. Call stands. They go for it and DON'T make it! Bills take over. Fumble! 49ers recover! Mullens fires one to Aiyuk for a touchdown on second down. Beasley for 35. Allen's never thrown an red zone interception. That won't change here. Touchdown Beasley. What... what is this touchdown celebration? That seemed excessive. 49ers punt. Warner intercepts Allen off a deflection but it's not going to count. Allen's sneak is stonewalled. This is a "don't run into the center of the line" kind of night. Singletary takes it outside on 4th and 1 and appears to get there. Allen to Knox for a touchdown. Jeff Wilson bounces off a Bill and gets six. Mullens throws on the run to Aiyuk. Montage of Berman picking the Bills and 49ers for the Super Bowl for about 12 straight years (it never happened once.) I like that the Jets aren't even represented in this Home Alone-inspired animation. (It's Cam and Ryan Fitzpatrick looking in the windows, while Allen sets up the paint trap.) The Bills are still looking for their first MNF win this century, which is wild since we've had two 0-16 teams this century alone. Bills don't seem to be in any hurry to do anything here with a minute left. Oh, there's a pass play. Field goal is good and it's 17-7 Bills at halftime. Wilson takes off on a run. Tevin Coleman loses nine. Mullens to Aiyuk for 20. Gould hits, because of course he does. That's roughing the passer, I suppose. Allen can hardly miss tonight. Touchdown McKenzie, who was pretty wide open. Aiyuk can't catch this ball, juggles it, and Micah Hyde ends up with it. He's got a return here. Down to the 49ers' 7. Allen is forced into about a 33-step drop by the blitz, and the pass to Beasley comes up short of the goal line. A holding penalty sets them back, and they run a draw for some reason, then kick the field goal they were likely going to kick regardless. Deebo makes a tough catch on a crossing route. Bomb to Aiyuk for 49! Juszczyk catches a short pass and this time he scores. That's the end of the third quarter. Dion Jordan's still in the league? He put tread marks on Dion Dawkins and trucked Allen, and the Bills were lucky to recover the ensuing fumble. Diggs picks up a third down. Touchdown Gabriel Davis as Sherman was frozen on the outside. That guy's not what he used to be. 34-17 Bills. 49ers driving. This is... not a touchdown. This pass to Bourne might be? Bourne rolls across the line for a touchdown. Review says he's short, and it looks like he is.


Mullens scrambles and throws it to Wilson in the end zone, but TreDavious White takes it away from him! Riddick and Griese discuss the 49ers' inconsistencies at quarterback, even with Garoppolo healthy (and he often hasn't been.) Is this Josh Allen's best game ever? (Bills 34, 49ers 24)


DURING WARMUPS. I don't know anymore, people. Cowboys start. Wide receiver screen for no gain on 2nd and 24. Jackson and Ingram are both back for the Ravens. Jackson rolls right and picks up a first down. Pass to Brown goes off his hand and is intercepted. Dalton misses Gallup in the end zone. Field goal is good. Dobbins takes off for a big run. Bad snap! That's been a problem for the Ravens all year, regardless of who the center is. The ravens get a few yards back here. Fourth and two, Jackson keeps it, finds a gap, and that's it. He knew at the 20 he wasn't getting caught. HUGE kickoff return by Pollard inside the Ravens' 30 for 67 yards! Gallup catches this touchdown pass. Flag is on the Ravens, so this will stand. Gus Edwards takes off for 36. Dobbins takes it outside but gets cut down. What are the Ravens doing here? Getting called for a false start on a field goal try, it looks like. THEY JUST JINXED JUSTIN TUCKER. Dalton's pass is deflected and Patrick Queen has it! Miles Boykin is wide open, has to jump, makes the catch, stumbles, and scores almost untouched anyway. 14-10 Ravens. Somehow that was his first catch since Week 9. Lamb with another ineffectual catch. Zuerlein misses from 40. Dobbins takes off and gets 30 yards after DPI put the ball at midfield. Tucker makes this one. New streak starting? Refs miss a late hit on Dalton and pass interference on Lamb on the same play. That's no mean feat. Ravens call time out and Joe and Troy wonder why the Cowboys are trying a Hail Mary here, as there's no way they can get the clock stopped if they don't score. Pass goes through Lamb's hands, it looks like. Halftime. Dalton runs away from five Ravens and somehow finds Schultz. Dalton misses Gallup by a lot in the end zone. 53-yarder goes left. Still 17-10. Jackson converts another third and long on the ground, his second on this drive. Great throw to Hollywood for a touchdown. Dalton finds Noah Brown and he gets to the Ravens' 30. Pass intended for Elliott gets tipped and surprisingly not intercepted. Zuerlein misses AGAIN, this one from 52. Edwards breaks off a 20-plus yard run. Why run outside, Ravens? The middle of the Cowboys' defense literally has not stopped you yet. The fullback Ricard takes a hit after a catch. Jackson throws short for Boykin in the end zone and they settle for three. That's Elliott's best run of the night. Pass in the end zone gets broken up and almost intercepted. Chuck Clark breaks up a pass in the end zone but gets called for interference. Replay shows the pass before that may have been intercepted, as Fort's knee landed inbounds. Maybe he didn't have control? (There was no challenge.) Elliott gets stuffed twice. Make that three times. They finally throw it and Cooper somehow gets both feet down for a touchdown. Will the Ravens remember they're allowed to touch the ball on an onside kick? Yes! Touchdown Dobbins. Orlando Brown Jr.: "EASY MONEY!" FOX plugging the hell out of the MLS Cup with Michigan-Ohio State cancelled. Cowboys throw a screen to Gallup for... some reason. McCarthy's one-and-done, right? (Ravens 34, Cowboys 17)

RANKINGS:
TOP 4:
1. Kansas City (11-1) — Almost gave that one away
2. Pittsburgh (11-1) — Not in the best form right now
3. New Orleans (10-2) — Offense is starting to open back up again
4. Green Bay (9-3) — I'll have the usual

BOTTOM 4:
28. (tie) Philadelphia (3-8-1) — This could all have been avoided
28. (tie) Dallas (3-9) — Yeah, that was a white flag
30. Cincinnati (2-9-1) — It's just hard to care with Burrow not around
31. Jacksonville (1-11) — Just trying anything at this point
32. N.Y. Jets (0-12) — It's inevitable

Posted by at No comments:

Monday, December 7, 2020

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 12: Clipped Turkeys


We kind of are, in a way. Texans' first drive starts off promising but ends in a sack and a punt, their 10th on their last 11 opening drives. Stafford IS playing. He finds Hockenson wide open after a modified flea-flicker. 51 yards! And apparently Marvin Jones was also open on the other side. That's interference. Adrian Peterson gets into the end zone on his second try. For a guy who should be ring chasing at this point in his career, he's had a hell of a time landing on a contender. Watson scrambles for a first down. Neither team can run the ball this season. Texans punt again. PICK-SIX FOR J.J. WATT! He knocks down a pass, catches it, and runs into the end zone! Then the Lions fumble on the first snap of the next drive.


Texans recover at the Lions' 30. Pass to Duke Johnson gets 14. C.J. Prosise lives! And he just scored a touchdown off of play-action. 13-7 Texans. Hockenson picks that pass up off the turf (almost) and gets to midfield. Texans think this is another fumble. It sounds like the booth called for that review before the Texans could challenge it. It IS a fumble and Texans ball. Three giveaways in the last eight snaps. Go Lions.


Now Prosise fumbles and the Lions get it right back!


The second quarter just started. One more touchdown pass and Stafford ties Romo's Thanksgiving Day record of 18. Peterson to the 2. And he's in again.


Touchdown pass to Fuller is called back because of holding. On the next play, Watson finds Duke Johnson on a similar route and he's in for a touchdown. And now he's out and down the tunnel. Bo Jackson reference. 20-14 Texans. Stafford wears No. 9 in Detroit because 7 has long been retired. Fuller runs free across midfield. Cooks makes a 27-yard catch on second and 24. Penalties killing this drive for the Texans. They settle for a field goal. Big run by Kerryon Johnson but the drive dies. Halftime! Is there a concert? I haven't heard. I guess not? I know Kane Brown is playing the Cowboys game. Wait, there was a defense out there with fewer takeaways than the Eagles? DETROIT SPECIAL? That's incomplete. Lions challenge and lose. Field goal is good. Fuller gets open at the Lions 30 and takes the catch to the 20. Lot of dodging on this Watson to Coutee pass. Third and goal pass goes off Akins' fingers. Field goal is good. The Lions lost the first Thanksgiving game, 19-16 to the Bears, because of course they did. Justin Reid picks off Stafford off the deflection! Or does he? They call it incomplete (correctly) as he dropped it. Lions punt. Cooks with back-to-back catches. Fuller beats his man and Watson drops it into this hands for the score. OPI takes away a big Lions play. They get 10 of the 11 yards back, but fail to convert on 4th and 1 from their own 34.


Touchdown Texans! This time they ran the same flea-flicker variant the Lions ran in the first quarter, and Fuller didn't even have a man to beat. This is wild. The closest Lions player was in Ypsilanti. Wait, Mohamed Sanu's a Lion? He just scored a touchdown. He also catches the two-point conversion and it's 41-25 with 6:32 left. And it's gonna stay that way. (Texans 41, Lions 25)

Division title on the line. Maybe. Washington goes three and out. Dalton keeps it and dives for a first down on 3rd and 12. Left tackle Cameron Erving heads to the Cowboys locker room. Dalton finds Cooper under pressure. But he later misses him in the end zone. Now Zach Martin's down. He gets helped off as Zeurlein hits from 33. TIGHT END PASS. Logan Thomas goes downfield to McLaurin. Smith throws into traffic to McLaurin and it's broken up. Defensive holding gives Washington a first down. Illegal contact gives Washington another one. Gibson gets to the corner and scores. Second quarter starts with Pollard breaking a tackle, Dalton whiffing on a block, and Pollard getting the first down anyway. Cooper beats Darby for a touchdown! That went for 54 yards.


Peyton Barber picks up a first down.



Wait, what? I just realized that Eagles fans can't even root for a tie in this game. Gibson can't track this swing pass. Hopkins ties it at 10. Cowboys go for it on fourth and short from their own 35, and Dalton's pass is too low for Lamb. Unnecessary roughness on the Cowboys? OK then. Aikman's wondering why DPI wasn't called. Why did you pay Elliott all that money first? If Dak signs with the Colts, you know why. Washington takes over. McKissick with another catch out of the backfield, setting up first and goal. Smith to Thomas for a touchdown. Chase Young with an easy sack. Dalton finds Gallup for a questionable first down. That's a generous spot. Are they reviewing this? Yes, OK. Call reversed, and it's 4th and 1. Give Zeke the ball, you clowns. Don't overthink this. Dalton sneak and it works. They go deep and Darby interferes with Cooper (or he would have been burned for another touchdown). Cowboys end up settling for three. 17-13 Washington at halftime. The orchestra is socially distanced. It's gotta be weird playing such a physically large venue with so few people in it. Washington challenges this Elliott run, claiming he fumbled. Er, they may get this. Call REVERSED. Washington's ball! They turn it into three more points. Cowboys punt and Washington's at their own 5. Smith to McLaurin for 20. Picked off by Jaylon Smith! Is he bringing this back? NO. McLaurin was in HOT pursuit and ran him down. Lamb drops one in the end zone. Cowboys end up kicking another field goal.


FAKE PUNT. OH MY GOD. WHAT WAS THAT? A double reverse fake punt on 4th and 10? You run that shit on 4th and 2 at midfield, McCarthy, not on 4th and 10 from your own 25. This is why nobody takes you seriously.


Now Washington gives it to Gibson and he finds a hole on the left side. Touchdown! 27-16. Barber picks up 14 and a big first down. Third down run gets stopped short and Washington goes for it. They get it! Gibson goes up the middle and he won't be caught. Touchdown. Graphic shows he lit up the Cowboys in their first game, too. Montez Sweat jumps up to knock down a pass, ends up catching it, and HE'LL score.


That's almost a carbon copy of what J.J. Watt did against the Lions. It's falling apart. Fourth down pass to Lamb comes up short. That's Washington's first sweep of Dallas since 2012. (Washington 41, Cowboys 16)


And now Lamar Jackson and three more Ravens tested positive. This game's not happening Sunday, either. WEEK 18 INCOMING. Are Tirico and Dungy still doing Bears-Packers?

Signal Finder: TEN @ IND, NYG @ CIN, AZ @ NE (end), CAR @ MIN (end), KC @ TB

I've never been a huge fan of "division opponents meet twice in three weeks." Good blitz pickup by Henry on this first-down pass to Davis. Henry already having a better game against the Colts than he did last time. And that was before he scored. Lots of Hines early for the Colts. Brissett in on fourth and two and he rolls right and gets the first down. Burton goes out of bounds inside the 20. Touchdown Burton on a very similar high throw that he had to stretch to catch as last week. 7-7. Brown breaks a shoestring tackle and takes off. Touchdown! 69 yards! First quarter ends. Roof is OPEN. Hines turns on the jets for a forest down, then he squeezes through the line for another one. Brissett sneaks for a touchdown. Not a lot of defense happening right now. Henry takes a shot from Khary Willis and drops a pass. Rare to see him lose a collision. Leonard knocks down Tannehill's third-down throw. Colts go three and out. Tannehill to Davis to the 2. Pocket collapses and Tannehill goes down on third down. But Rock Ya-Sin gets caught with illegal hands to the face, giving the Titans another chance. Henry takes it outside and scores. Titans get another stop.


Henry bursts through the hole for a big gain. Titans fake it to Henry on third and 2 and Batson takes the pitch, goes in the other direction, and gets the first down. Henry scores with a juke at the 1. You forget he's got moves, too. Burton gets hit and drops the ball. Then the Titans drop an interception. Not sure what's happening here but a Colt just got ejected. Titans going for it on 4th and 4 and Davis makes a sliding catch at the 10, then gets up and picks up six more yards. Tannehill keeps it and scores! 35-14 Titans at halftime, and they'll get the ball to start the second half. Borders intercepts Rivers. He's the one who dropped what could have been a pick-six in the second quarter earlier. Gostkowski field goal is good. Hilton makes a tough catch over Borders, but he loses the ball at the end line and the Titans recover. Oh, his knee's down. Call is overturned and it's a 50-yard gain and first and goal for the Colts. Brissett with the sneak and he gets his second touchdown today. Two-point try fails. Butler takes this catch away from Pascal, but were they already down? It's getting reviewed and everyone seems to think the Colts will keep it. Charles Davis wonders what's taking so long. Colts do keep it. Colts running out of time. Touchdown Hilton but the two-point try fails. Are the Titans picking up this onside kick? Brown's gonna score! That's just mean. (Titans 45, Colts 26)

This Week's Game That Shouldn't Have Been This Close: But hang on. That was their eighth win? THEY WON'T HAVE A LOSING RECORD! IT'S MORNING AGAIN IN CLEVELAND! (Browns 27, Jaguars 25)

Who's even the Bengals backup? This could end up being a bottom-five game of the year. It's 7-7 after one and Brandon Allen (the answer to our question) throws 15 yards away from A.J. Green. Announcers argue over whether a graphic showing Jones' turnover-less play streak is a jinx. Hasn't happened yet. Engram fumbles. The ball got punched out and the Bengals have it. Pass goes through Green's hands and somehow doesn't get picked off. Bengals get three out of it and take the lead. Dion Lewis drops a pass that Jones threw behind him. Gano, just off the COVID list, sneaks it inside the right upright from 49 and we're tied again. Snapchat of him kicking into a net in a hotel room while being quarantined. 2020, everybody! Giants get the ball to start the second half. Engram with a tough downfield catch. Jones in the medical tent. Colt McCoy's still alive? Screen to Gallman loses nine yards somehow. Field goal is good. Jones back in. This has been a fast game. Five minutes left and it's 3:30 EST. Boyd draws an interference penalty in the end zone that the announcers can't see. I'm thinking he grabbed his arm. Allen backpedals and fires one to Tee Higgins for a touchdown. There's about 2:35 left and this game just slowed down a lot. McCoy back in and he gets tackled inbounds. Giants convert a third down but offensive holding nullifies it. Bengals are out of time outs. Returner Alex Erickson gets driven back inside his own 30, breaks a tackle, and gets to midfield. Allen is sacked and fumbles! Giants ball! That's such a Bengals way to lose. (Giants 19, Bengals 17)

A DUBIOUS call on Isaiah Simmons moves the ball to the Cardinals' 39. Folk on for 50. It's GOOD. (Patriots 20, Cardinals 17)


Yeah. (Falcons 43, Raiders 6)

Vikings throwing nothing but seven-yard routes. Cousins has 10 straight completions. Rudolph wide open for No. 11. Panthers playing no defense. Now it's first and goal with 53 seconds left. Touchdown Chad Beebe, who muffed the punt earlier. Extra point is BLOCKED, but the Panthers were offsides, which is why it was blocked. Second attempt is good. Samuel gets popped but hangs on to the ball at midfield. Vikings rookie Jeff Gladney went down on that hit, stopping the clock. Anderson can't get out of bounds, and the Panthers hurry to stop the clock. They spoke it with six seconds left and Bridgewater runs off grabbing his hand. 54-yard try incoming. Slye misses BADLY. Panthers blew this. (Vikings 28, Panthers 27)


So it'll be Kendall Hinton at some point, a wide receiver on the Broncos' practice squad who last played quarterback in 2017 at Wake Forest.



That Murray touchdown isn't the quarterbacks' fault. (Saints 31, Broncos 3)

We arrive with the Chiefs at the Bucs' 1 and Nantz hoping they don't score before he can welcome us. Mahomes ends up throwing it away. Reid sends the field goal team out and it's good. Hard to throw a pass too high for Evans, but he stopped for some reason. Mahomes to Hill, who slips away from Carlton Davis and will not be caught. 75 yards! Touchdown! Hill ducks between defenders for another big pickup. Kelce loses yards after that catch. Hill sets Davis on fire again for another touchdown. He has 203 yards this QUARTER? Did I see that right? Anyway it's 17-0 Chiefs.


Do the Bucs have a first down yet? (They do.) They haven't stopped the Chiefs from getting any so far. Mahomes scrambles out of the pocket on 3rd and 8 and finds Robinson on the sideline. Was he inbounds? OK. Mahomes is hit and fumbles, and the Bucs end up with it! Brady with a dart to Gronk. I'm surprised he didn't drop that. Then he finds Ronald Jones down the sideline for a touchdown. Did he stay in? Tape says yes. Bell picks up a first down. Kelce gets eight, then Bell makes a catch right at the sticks and goes out of bounds. Field goal is good and it's 20-7. That drive gives him enough pass attempts to qualify in the all-time rankings. First in yards per game and touchdown to interception ratio. Halftime! Bucs start the second half with the ball. Brady to Gronk for 48 to the Chiefs' 5! Was that a purposeful throw away? Romo thinking Gronk might have been held. Chris Jones yelling at somebody. Bucs decide to kick it and it's good. Rory McIlroy at the game for some reason. Bucs were offsides, negating this interception. Mahomes scrambles for a first down. Touchdown to Hill! Poor Carlton Davis. Good coverage but the throw was perfect and he never saw the ball.


Brady loads up and launches one to Godwin for 46. The next pass gets picked off by Breeland! Bucs... get a stop? Whoa. Jones gets through a just-big-enough hole and takes off for 34. Pass is lofted, tipped, and Mathieu intercepts it. Romo puts some of the blame on Evans, as he wonders why Evans ran into a defender instead of going in the opposite direction. The Buccaneers' defense is keeping them in this game right now. Brady seems to have regained control with short passes. Touchdown Evans and we've got a game. Mahomes finds Hardman for 15 on 3rd and 2. Offensive holding? OK. Interception! Wait, there's a flag. It's roughing the passer! JPP and Arians can complain all they want, that is ALWAYS getting called. Chiefs have held their way out of this drive. Now Frank Clark gets flagged for hitting Brady late. And then again after he completes his second straight pass to Godwin. Touchdown Evans! 4:10 left and the Bucs kick off deep. They call their last time out and Mahomes runs for eight yards. Hill catches an eight-yard pass on 3rd and 7 and that'll be that. (Chiefs 27, Buccaneers 24)

I DID forget Jim McMahon backed up Favre at the end of his career. Looks like Tirico and Dungy in the booth tonight (meaning Al, Cris, Michele and Liam will likely be on Tuesday if that game even happens.) Also, welcome Kathryn Tappen to NFL sideline reporting. Are the Bears really running only two down linemen? Lazard leaps to the Bears' 38. Jones pats Trevathan (?) on the helmet after picking up another first down. Touchdown to Adams!


I thought Rodgers threw that ball before he actually did. Extra point is no good. Trubisky back. I forgot they put him in for one play after he got benched and that's when he actually hurt his shoulder. David Montgomery IS ALSO BACK. Massive run. First and goal at the 8 already. Kmet loses control of the ball and the Packers fall on it. Dungy thinks it's incomplete, and the refs change their call to that. Tirico did more play-by-play on whether or not LaFleur would throw the challenge flag than on this pass to Robinson, who can't corral the ball before being knocked out of bounds. Field goal is good. St. Brown gives the packers a first down. Adams gets to the Bears' 5. Second quarter starts with Rodgers finding Lewis in the end zone for a score. 13-3. Trubisky throws into coverage and it's picked off in the end zone.


Jet sweep to St. Brown, who's been playing a lot more these last few weeks. Rodgers gets taken down from behind on 3rd and 4. They go for it on 4th and 2, run a bunch of crossing routes, and Tonyan gets open for a first down. Rodgers almost shot-puts this pass falling backwards and Lazard works his way open, jumps, and catches a touchdown. Trubisky misses badly downfield. Fumble! Preston Smith picks it up and scores! 27-3.


Packers protest this interference call but nothing comes of it. Trubisky flips it to Robinson for the score. That's their first offensive touchdown in four weeks (including a bye). 27-10 Packers at halftime. Trubisky drops the ball after a fake handoff but recovers. Another bad Trubisky throw ends up in the hands of Darnell Savage. Feels like we're seeing an era end tonight. Touchdown Tonyan. That's how you throw that pass, Mitch. Take notes. Rodgers also passed the 50,000 yard mark. Only Roethlisberger got there in fewer pass attempts (Dungy says he never would have guessed that, and I agree with him). Lazard gets FLATTENED. A lot of talking going on during the break and we even come back to Rodgers and Kyle Fuller having a back and forth. Jamal Williams goes up the middle for 17. Touchdown Williams!


Just running over people. Dungy says the Bears have given up. I'm not saying Matt Nagy's getting fired tomorrow. I am saying that tonight has sealed his fate. This entire fourth quarter is garbage time. Touchdown Robinson. Don't know why Rodgers is still in this game.




(Packers 41, Bears 25)

And now Ravens-Steelers has been moved to WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.


Also we're getting a tripleheader next Monday because Washington-Steelers is also being moved. Or not, as Cowboys-Ravens as been moved from Thursday to NEXT Tuesday. And the 49ers have been kicked out of Santa Clara and are going to Arizona. This is chaos. Just do Week 18 and be done with it, NFL.

How is this coaching staff going to prepare two quarterbacks when they can't prepare one? Three and out as Jeffery drops the ball on third down. Chris Carson's back for the Seahawks. Metcalf converts third down on a slant. Metcalf and Slay getting into it, and there's a flag. It'll be on Slay. And there's another one on Malik Jackson, who hits Metcalf in the back for payback. Hyde gets stuffed on third down. No one's here, right? The Philadelphia outdoor gathering ban is back on. Seahawks go for it and it does not work. Don't know why they ran the ball twice when Metcalf has the Eagles rattled. Eagles' second drive is as successful as the first.



Mills is upset and wants OPI on Hollister on that incomplete pass. The Eagles are clearly sick of hearing about how they passed on Metcalf, as they've hit him hard every time he's seen the ball. Seahawks gong for it again on fourth and 2 but they run out of play clock. Seahawks try a Wilson keeper and Barnett stops HIM, too. Wentz just misses Goedert downfield as Bobby Wagner knocks the pass away. Then he gets sacked on third down. Seahawks can't seem to get plays in. They've already burned two time outs and now there's a delay of game. This is what I'm talking about with the coaching. Like, why is Hightower, who might be the fastest guy on the team, running a two-yard swing route? There's no coherency or internal logic to this game plan and there hasn't been all season. The first quarter's over. Hurts comes in — and the play gets blown dead because of a false start. Now first and 15, and Hurts completes it to Jeffery for his first catch of the season. Wentz comes back in on 3rd and 8... and gets sacked. Levy doesn't get it, asking why not leave Hurts in for a few plays if you're going to do this. Wilson completes a pass to Lockett coming over the middle. Wilson fires a deep ball to Metcalf and he has it at the 1. Touchdown Moore. Hurts in on 3rd and 2 and he hands off to Sanders, who only gets one. Duke Riley gets flagged for a horse-collar tackle on Carson. Metcalf gets open and is forced out at the 4. See, I thought Wilson committed intentional grounding two plays earlier when Slay got hit for illegal contact. Carson bulls his way into the end zone. They called that a sack? Seriously? Wentz takes off and runs for 21 and the first first down tonight. Wentz doesn't see Goedert and throws incomplete to Reagor. Sanders gets stonewalled but just gets the first down. Snap gets away from Wentz and he throws it away. Carroll wants intentional grounding but doesn't get it. He... probably has a point. The Eagles' best offense tonight has been Wentz running the ball. Clement randomly getting a carry. The Seahawks are the only team in the NFL that hasn't had a player test positive for COVID. (Yet.) Sanders converts 3rd and 4. Wentz finds Goedert for a touchdown! Elliott MISSES the extra point, his first miss of the season, and that's what this season has been. 14-6 at halftime. A semi-decent punt return from the Eagles? Wow. Wentz finds Jeffery for a first down. Lot of histrionics here and the Eagles run a quarterback sneak. Griese thinks it was just that — histrionics. Wentz to Rodgers for 17. Goedert gets open on play action for 16 yards. Jamal Adams gets Wentz on a blitz. That's NOT his fault. Elliott hits from 42. Metcalf catches a medium in route for a decent gain, but then the ball comes out. Eagles challenge. Call stands. Field goal is good and it's now... 17-9 Seahawks. But there's still more than a quarter left. Eagles go for it on 4th and 2 near midfield, but Wright knocks down the pass. Wilson throws deep to Metcalf and there's nothing Slay can do. Metcalf's murdered him tonight.


Hyde touchdown run gets called back for holding. Field goal is good, breaking the pattern. Eagles finally remember Fulgham is on the team. Wentz underthrows Goedert but it leads to pass interference. I don't like throwing the ball on second down after Wentz misses Goedert in the end zone. Wentz and Goedert get crossed up on fourth down, the pass is intercepted, and the season ends.


When's the last time the Eagles even beat the Seahawks? I know Pederson's never beaten Carroll. Announcer cutouts feature the non-Steve Levy members in their sports uniforms, and today I learned Lisa Salters played basketball at Penn State. For all the talk/worry/anticipation about Hurts, he took two snaps tonight.


Eagles end up in a 4th and 31. It goes nowhere. Garbage time Hail Mary from Wentz is knocked down by Fulgham and caught by Rodgers with 12 seconds left. Who knows, man. Also, was that Significant To Some? (Van Pelt will tell us in a few minutes.)


I do know this: Like the Bears last night, someone's fate was sealed tonight. The only difference is, we don't yet know whose.


Also, that's a terrifying prospect that never crossed my mind until just then. (Seahawks 23, Eagles 17)

It's Wednesday Afternoon Football! This is the Champions League/Belk Bowl time slot.




You know why this game's happening now? Because NBC's committed to its New York City Christmas Tree lighting special tonight. I'm not even kidding.


I mean, there are Steelers fans everywhere. Tirico and Collinsworth in the booth, as Al gets his week off after all. Still no Lamar Jackson, Ingram or Dobbins for the Ravens. Griffin fumbles! Steelers have it. Also, no James Conner, which is why Benny Snell Jr. is starting. Ben with nowhere to go, so he just throws it, and it's intercepted. Picked off by Haden! Touchdown Steelers! (Yes, the turnaround was that fast.) Boswell misses the extra point. McCloud fumbles the punt return and it's Ravens ball at the Steelers' 16! Everyone's discombobulated. Justice Hill getting some run for the shorthanded Ravens. Touchdown Edwards. Extra point is good and the Ravens take the lead. Turns out Anthony McFarland Jr. is NOT Booger's kid, or related in any way. Roethlisberger goes deep to Ebron. Two Ravens down after that play. Tramon Williams back? Roethlisberger doesn't go after him on third down and Johnson can't make the play. Field goal is good. 9-7 Steelers. Trace McSorley is warming up on the sideline, but Griffin comes back in. Nothing doing on this drive, either. Is that five straight targets for Diontae Johnson? Ben goes to Snell on third down and gets to the eight. First and goal. Two drops later and the Steelers can't get into the end zone. Cris: "It's a perfect day." Another Boswell field goal makes it 12-7. Why DO all the pro teams here have the same color scheme? And what's Pitt's excuse? Griffin cuts inside on a keeper. He's STILL going. 40 yards! He scrambles again but pulls up. He's back in after the two-minute warning.


Griffin fires for Brown but it's off his hands. T.J. Watt was on him? Justice Hill picks up 3rd and 9. Ravens are out of time outs, and this creates a dilemma — how many plays do they have left? They run it (???) and don't get it, the Steelers are slow to get up off the ball, then with four seconds left, Griffin throws to Luke Willson, who almost catches it but Minkah Fitzpatrick breaks it up. Harbaugh is furious but it's his own fault.


Tirico interviews Goodell at halftime. He says the Broncos decision was made to limit spread and because of the lack of other health issues. He also kind of passive-aggressively chastises them by mentioning that "we gave teams additional roster flexibility."

Steelers go for it on 4th and 2 from the Ravens' 37, but Claypool can't bring it in. Ravens put together a small drive but also end up punting. Watt flies in and brings down Griffin. Ravens punt. Jimmy Smith out with a groin injury. Tomlin challenges this incompletion and wins. The Steelers converted a third down! They go deep to Johnson but it's broken up. Third quarter ends.


Snell makes it first and goal at the 2. Ben finds Juju for a touchdown! That might do it. Ravens punt on 4th and 3 with 11:20 left. NOW McSorley is in. Designed run on 4th and 2 and he picks it up. Fitzpatrick drops an interception. Announcers talk about the Steelers' chances of going undefeated. It won't be easy. Hollywood catches a wheel route and takes off. He puts a move on Fitzpatrick and that's a touchdown! It's McSorley's first and the first passing first down the Ravens have today. They kick it deep with 2:58 left. Johnson fumbles out of bounds. James Washington just bailed Roethlisberger out — that pass was a bad decision on every level and he still caught it in traffic. Snell gets another first down. That's the Ravens' last time out. Snell gets seven, then two. Third and short and this looks close. Officials say he got it. I'm... not sure about that spot? Here's the problem for the Ravens: Even if it's short, it's only third down. They'd have to get another stop, and even then there would only be about 40 seconds left and they're out of time outs. Call STANDS. That's game. (Steelers 19, Ravens 14)

RANKINGS:
TOP 4:
1. Pittsburgh (11-0) — Looks like rust
2. Kansas City (10-1) — Almost gave that one away
3. New Orleans (9-2) — Taysom somehow did less than he did last week
4. Green Bay (8-3) — That's more like it

BOTTOM 4:
28. (tie) Philadelphia (3-7-1) — Who's any good?
28. (tie) Dallas (3-8) — Was that a white flag?
30. Cincinnati (2-8-1) — The usual unfortunate circumstances
31. Jacksonville (1-10) — Mike Glennon? Why?
32. N.Y. Jets (0-11) — Good thing nobody's there to see this

Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, December 2, 2020

By The Pigskin Of Our Teeth, Week 11: Tunnel's End

I expect a perfectly boring game tonight. Three-way tie at the top! Seahawks got a new rookie center (Damien Lewis) and Wilson gets sacked on the first play.


Carlos Hyde is back, but Chris Carson isn't. I do like that Fox matches the score boxes to the uniforms the teams are actually wearing. Wilson finds Lockett to pick up 3rd and 5. Wilson scrambles, steps up in the pocket, and Metcalf gets open for a touchdown. Cardinals go three and out. This stadium is now Lumen Field, apparently effective yesterday. ad snap that Moore falls on. Cardinals blitz and they eventually collapse the pocket and Wilson. Holding call on Lewis takes away a big pass play to Metcalf. Great throw and catch by Murray to Maxx Williams for 35, giving the Cardinals first and goal at the 2. Drake dives for a touchdown, but the ball comes out afterwards and a Seahawk picks it up. That's a touchdown. It'll be reviewed for so many reasons.


It was called a fumble, but the review changes it to a touchdown for Drake. Bo Scarborough, newly signed, burst through the hole for 12. Murray getting his right shoulder worked on on the sideline. Hyde gets 17 on 3rd and 3 and reaches the Cardinals' 10. Wilson finds Lockett in the far corner for a touchdown. Extra point is no good. Carlos Dunlap brings Murray down. He's wearing No. 43. Drake runs right past Tre Flowers for a first down. Trainers looking at Murray again. HE looks okay as the Cardinals take over.


Kirk finds space and gets a first down on a slightly high pass. They end up punting.


Murray slides short of the first down on second, then loses yards on third. NO idea why the Seahawks aren't throwing the ball at all here with less than a minute left. Jalen Thompson down for the Cardinals, stopping the clock. There's a bomb. Flags everywhere. They're all on the Cardinals, and the Seahawks will take the pass interference one. First and goal at the 9. Throw hits Metcalf in the helmet and he can't catch it. Field goal is good. 16-7 Seahawks at halftime. That's a late hit by Quadray Diggs on Hopkins and he got caught. Murray rolls left but his sidearm throw is out of Hopkins' reach. Pass to Hopkins on 3rd and 6 gets right to the marker. It's a first down. The Cardinals' receivers have been open a lot tonight. Even the backs are open — Chase Edmonds makes this catch at the 4. Dan Arnold reaches up and pulls down a touchdown pass. Metcalf stops his route twice, then makes the catch, spins away from Patrick Peterson and gets to midfield. Lockett gets swarmed on a third and 7 pass and only picks up five. Now we got a fight. They flag Dre Kirkpatrick for taunting, and that's 15 yards and a Seahawks first down. He's lucky he didn't get tossed. Hyde turns the corner and pops Peterson at the 2. Touchdown Hyde. Lot of penalties on this drive. Hopkins breaks a tackle for a big gain. Drake breaks through the line and gets to the Seahawks' 3. Murray tries to get the edge but can't. Murray lobs it to Edmonds for a touchdown. The Seahawks blitzed and no one was near him. Greg Olsen down. He's being helped into the tent. Jamal Adams baits Murray, who gets called for intentional grounding. Then on the next play, offensive holding is called IN THE END ZONE. That's a safety and there's that Seahawks night game weirdness. 25-12 with 9:12 left. Are we sure that was in the end zone, though? Wilson eludes a rusher and finds Will Dissly for a first down. Scarbrough's down hurt. Bad pitch to Hyde and the ball's loose. Refs say Seahawks recover. Kingsbury challenges and I don't see this working. Call STANDS and it's 3rd and 18. Wilson is forced to throw it away as the refs miss a false start AND a hit to his head. Myers is good from 41. 2:19 left. Murray finds Kirk at midfield. Screen to Fitzgerald for another first down. Cards catch the Seahawks off guard with an Edmonds run. Murray with a risky pass that Fitzgerald can't bring in. Seahawks finally covering receivers. Andy Isabella isn't tall enough to make that catch. Fourth and 10. Dunlap sacks Murray! Maybe the Cardinals should have traded for him.


(Seahawks 28, Cardinals 21)

I'm not sure what exactly happened, but FOX's studio show is down to Chris Myers (!), Charles Woodson and Reggie Bush (!!!), with others contributing remotely.

Signal Finder: PHI @ CLE, MIA @ DEN, GB @ IND


That's it. I'm doing it. It's gonna take 10 wins in the AFC, and they can't get there. And after losing to this team, they probably don't deserve to. *crosses off Patriots* (Texans 27, Patriots 20)

A Browns helmet rolls harmlessly off to the side on second down. Slay drops an interception after Barnett jumps offside. Looks like it's raining again in Cleveland. Wentz finds Goedert for a first down. Two nice runs by Sanders. Mark Schlereth saying Pederson's play calling has sucked this year without actually saying it. Scott slips left and picks up 3rd and 2. Sanders goes wide left and takes it to the Browns' 5. Wentz hasn't thrown a pass since the Goedert completion. Sanders FUMBLES? Browns recover. Eagles blitz and Mayfield hits Hodge to get out of his end zone. Slant to Landry for another first down. Higgins makes a diving catch for 44! Mayfield misses his tight end but Maddox, who was extremely late on the coverage, interferes. Alex Singleton stops a leaping Kareem Hunt. Mayfield overthrows Austin Hooper. Hunt is stopped on third down. Now what? They go for it and this time Hunt gets it. Or does he? Announcers don't think the ball broke the plane before his elbow was down. Call REVERSED! Eagles ball. This is gonna be one of those games, isn't it? Fox runs the touchdown graphic for absolutely no reason. First quarter ends with a pass to Reagor getting the Eagles out of the goalposts. About 12,000 fans are allowed here. Downfield to Goedert, who gets to midfield. Wentz gets hit and the throw sails... and it's intercepted. Touchdown Browns. Neither Adam Amin nor Schlereth mentions that he got hit. Ah, there it is on the replay. Wentz avoids two rushers but not the third. Sacked from behind on 3rd and 3. Mayfield finds Hooper downfield. Drive stalls and the Browns punt. Three good runs for the Eagles. Kelce walking off the field now. He's the only Eagles offensive lineman who hadn't missed a game this season. Luke Juriga in the backup center. The hell was that play call? Looks like a mixup on the handoff, but an inside run on 3rd and 7? Sweat with a sack. I still can't get over how the older couple in the Vikings gear in this NFL Shop commercial looks so out of place and not wanting to be there. Wentz gets sacked. Eagles give up on 3rd and 20 and punt with 37 seconds left. Hooper drops a third down pass with four seconds left. Browns' offense stays out to avoid risking a big special teams play. Do they know who they're playing against? 7-0 Browns at halftime, and this is the first game of the season with no offensive points in the first half.



Kelce back out to start the third quarter, wearing an elbow brace that appears to be from the Barry Bonds collection. The last time the Browns beat the Eagles, Belichick was their coach. Mayfield fumbles! Singleton falls on it. Cox knocked it out. Play fake? Touchdown to Richard Rodgers! Hodge beats whatever that coverage was for a 42-yard catch and run. Field goal is good. Bad decision by Wentz to throw to Jeffrey in traffic, and it's incomplete. Browns run a jet sweep to Landry, who then laterals it back to Chubb for a few more yards. LeBlanc is down. Hunt loses four yards on third down. Punt rolls to the Eagles 2. A good team is going to miss the playoffs in the AFC. What is this audio? Is this from a different game? SAFETY. Olivier Vernon beat a double team and got to Wentz for the third time today. Peoples-Jones returns the free kick to midfield.


Mayfield rolls left and converts 3rd and 4. Chubb picks his way through some holes for another first down. Third quarter ends. 12-7 Browns. Field goal is BLOCKED. Go get it, you fools! Ah well. Looks like Barnett, who was hurt earlier, got it. Wentz throws high but Fulgham jumps to get it. Wentz finds Rodgers downfield. I didn't think he'd catch that. Wentz is pressured and forces a lob into the end zone. Refs say it was intercepted. I don't see any way to overturn this. Call REVERSED! Elliott's kick is good and that's a huge break for the Eagles. Another catch by Hodge. Chubb takes off and gets the benefit of some God-awful tackling to go 54 yards. Then the Browns get a break when Mayfield is ruled to have his forward progress stopped on a run where he fumbled. Hunt goes right and leaps over Mills for a touchdown.


Wentz throws behind Ward and is lucky that wasn't intercepted. Protection is completely braking down now. Lane Johnson went out again at some point. Now Chubb jumps over McLeod. Browns rookie Wills loses his helmet again, which Schlereth calls getting "Ichabod Craned." Parkey makes it 22-10. No idea how Reagor caught that. Amin asks Schlereth about the Eagles' offense and Schlereth basically says everything has gone wrong. Denzel Ward gets flagged for interference on Goedert and I don't know about that one. Then another bad throw on a pass intended for Jeffrey ends up in Ward's hands.


That's another fumble but Semualo falls on it. Remember, Myles Garrett didn't play in this game. Garbage time touchdown to Goedert. (Browns 22, Eagles 17)



This worked! (Saints 24, Falcons 9)

OH NO. Burrow's been getting beaten down all season and now this happens. (Washington 20, Bengals 9)


Do you know how hard it is to get shut out in an NFL game in the 21st century? Do you? (Panthers 20, Lions 0)

Tua takes two deep shots right out of the gate and misses them both. Apparently Garrett Bolles is good now? Xavien Howard picks off Lock.


Touchdown Parker! Yep, got the right toe down. This is the last Broncos game that will have fans, and 5,700 are here. Philip Lindsay finds a hole and gets 20. Nick Vannett with a 15-yard catch-and-run to the Dolphins' 1, as his stretch comes up short. Touchdown Melvin Gordon. Malik Reed sacks Tua. Lock goes downfield to Tim Patrick, who comes across the field and dodges two defenders. 39 yards! Play fake and nine to Noah Fant. McManus gives the Broncos the lead for the first time in three games. Tua having more success with intermediate routes now. Field goal is good. Lock overthrows Hamler. McManus can probably hit this from here but they give it to Gordon and he gets seven yards. It's still not a first down, so the Broncos will just let the clock run down. McManus kicks a field goal and the Broncos lead 13-10 at halftime. Kevin Harlan points out that the official who got taken out by the Dolphins turnover celebration caravan STILL hasn't returned. They measure this... and the Dolphins hold! They'll get the ball. Tua sacked for the fourth time. Broncos force their fourth three-and-out. Two penalties on the Dolphins' defense here. Gordon takes off for a 29-yard touchdown. Dolphins haven't stopped that run play yet. Dolphins facing a 3rd and 16. False start makes it 3rd and 21. Sack makes it 4th and 30. Fitzpatrick is in. Replay of the last sack shows that Tua's ankle bent some. There's Geisicki. Dolphins kick a field goal with 7:15 left. Fant's having a big game. That ball's out. What the hell? That's not a touchdown, guys.



That's more like it. Dolphins take over at their own 1. Pass to Parker gets them some room. That'll be 15 for roughing, Mr. Chubb. The Dolphins don't need to hurry hurry here. Parker finally broke out last season and got paid, but he hasn't fallen off. Good for him. Interception! Because of course. I just want to point out here that Fitzmagic always, inevitably, fizzles out. And I have to believe that the Dolphins know this, and that's one of the reasons they went to Tua when they did. Broncos throw a bomb to Patrick on 4th and 16 and he CATCHES it. How do you allow that? (Broncos 20, Dolphins 13)

Rodgers starts off by going down the sideline to Adams.


Aikman: "Yeah, at some networks." Allen Lazard back. Fumble? Fumble! Colts recover. Pascal with a catch for a first down. Mo-Alie Cox gets another first down, but the ball comes out! Packers get it back! What this is about is at the end of Packers-49ers a couple weeks ago, Rodgers called the 49ers' Fred Warner the best linebacker in the league, and Darius Leonard took exception. Rodgers to Tonyan for a 25-yard touchdown. Rivers to Pittman and the Colts strike back immediately. Three crossing routes flooded the zone and the Packers didn't have enough defenders. Packers center Corey Lindley walking off in a daze. Jon Runyan Jr. now in at guard as Elton Jenkins moves to center. Rock Ya-Sin intercepts Rodgers! It's wild in here, man.


Blankenship from 50, and it CLANGS off the crossbar and goes OUT. No good. Rodgers goes right back to Adams. St. Brown gets pushed out at the Colts' 2. Touchdown Jones. Christian Kirksey gets a pick off of a tipped pass and it's Packers ball again. Really weird game. Sternberger, the Packers' other right end, takes this pass inside the Colts' 5. Adams catches a screen and takes it into the end zone. Pascal with a good catch, then runs across the field while gaining no additional yardage. Two minutes left. Rivers with a laser that Trey Burton extends for... and somehow hangs on to for a touchdown! Ensuing kickoff bounces at the 1, freezing the return man. He picks it up and gets swarmed at his own 4. This is being looked at (!), and it looks like the ball hit the end line. It's correctly ruled a touchback. Rodgers takes off on a scramble but Buckner just trips him up from behind, preventing a first down. Ya-Sin gets called for pass interference on MVS, grabbing his arm. It prevented a touchdown, if only momentarily. Swing pass to Jamal Williams and that's a touchdown. 28-14 Packers at the half. Taylor spots a hole and cuts back for a big gain. Colts have opened the second half with five straight runs. The sixth one loses yardage. Brissett comes in and keeps it for four. Rivers drops back and a tipped screen pass still gets two yards. Rivers gets sacked. He wants a flag on Amos in the end zone but nothing doing. Blankenship hits from 35. We've lost sound. Rivers gets hit but still manages to drop it perfectly into Hilton's hands. Touchdown Hines. No? Flags? Offsetting penalties. Rivers hits Doyle for a touchdown on the next play. Colts go for two and get it, then force a three-and-out on defense. Another Blankenship field goal ties the game. Fumble on the kickoff return! Colts ball! This is nuts. Offensive holding calls back a Taylor touchdown run. Rivers misses Burton, but the Colts go ahead with another field goal. Pass to Jones gets the Packers close to midfield. Oh, that holding penalty on Marcedes Lewis hurts. Rodgers throws to Jamal Williams on 4th and 1 but he can't bring it in. Don't like having Williams in the game instead of Jones there. Also, is the roof closed? Because Crosby can make a 51-yarder. Just a not good decision. Colts take over. Six penalties during this Colts series alone. Rivers with a slant to Hines on 4th and 2. This is a ridiculous amount of holding penalties. WHY ARE THEY PASSING? This is an incompletion. Right? Yeah, this is coming back.


That's a good punt. Rodgers throws one up and MVS catches it! 48 yards to the Colts' 45.


Tonyan gets down inside the Colts' 20. Rodgers throws too far for Adams. Field goal is good. Tied with three seconds left. OVERTIME. Screen to Valdes-Scantling. Fumble! Colts have it! Blankenship from 39. IT'S GOOD. (Colts 34, Packers 31, OT)

UTTERLY blown coverage on Schultz. My God. Is Zimmer in trouble? (Cowboys 31, Vikings 28)

Al's finally in Vegas! Another big Raiders COVID wave? Seems like they've had a lot of those. Agholor to the Chiefs' 15. Touchdown Jacobs. This is an unusually grindy Chiefs drive. They give Pringle the first down. (Pringle? Really?)


The Raiders have the ball but the play was blown dead. Now it's being challenged? Eh. Touchdown Hill. I'm still amazed the Raiders beat the Patriots to Hunter Renfrow. Touchdown Agholor? Yep, both feet got down. 14-7 Raiders. This drive is much more Chiefs-like with bigger chunk plays. Mahomes overthrows Kelce but there's a flag. It's DPI. Edwards-Helaire uses a second and third effort to get in. Tied at 14. We have not seen Le'veon Bell yet. Apparently there were zero injuries during construction here. Good job, everyone. Devin Booker picks up a first down for the Raiders. Carr to Agholor for a first down at the Chiefs' 6.


Field goal is good. NBC steals the Price Is Right Cliffhanger music for a graphic about Reid having the best road winning percentage of all time. Raiders force a punt. Carr somehow doesn't get sacked and finds Waller for a first down. This time the Chiefs force a punt. Kelce reaches back to make the catch and then gets out of bounds. Mahomes takes off on third down, jukes inside, and gets the first down. Let's see about this flag. Defensive holding. Rookie cornerback Damon Arnette covering Kelce is... not ideal. Trayvon Mullen intercepts Mahomes at the 3! And he fell down beforehand! That shouldn't happen. Raiders up 17-14 at halftime. Raiders challenge this Robinson catch. McAuley says this is a catch since Robinson stretched his arm, a football move. Call stands. Here's Bell, who makes a first-down catch. Kelce changes direction and comes across the field to bail out Mahomes. Play 14 of this drive is a 12-yard pass to Hill. Play 15 is an Edwards-Helaire sweep for a touchdown. 21-17 Chiefs. Jacobs goes for 11. He's apparently an expert on state taxes, according to Collinsworth. Renfrow converts an important third down. Fourth quarter begins with a touchdown pass to Waller. Carr goes to Agholor on the sideline but he can't bring it down. Would've been difficult anyway. Toss to Hill goes nowhere. Mahomes beats the blitz and Robinson makes a juggling catch. Bell takes the toss and scores. Musberger's doing radio for the Raiders! We've heard the Raiders use "James Harden" and "Chris Mullin" as audible calls. Jacobs hobbles off. Carr finds Agholor over the middle and he gets to midfield. Ruggs almost eats a spinebuster. Jacobs back in and he picks up second and 5. Less than three minutes left as they call him short. Handoff gets blown up in the backfield — because the Chiefs were offsides. First down Raiders. Agholor thinks he caught a touchdown — he didn't — but there's another flag. That one came out late. Refs are talking about it. They get Mathieu for unsportsmanlike conduct, which will move the ball about two inches. False start on the Raiders now. 2:05 left. Jacobs loses two. Pass To Waller gets to the 1. Play action. Carr can't find anyone. He fires to Witten for a touchdown! 1:43 left. Mahomes to Hill. Again. Mahomes hits Hardman on a slant on 3rd and 1. They still have a time out left, miraculously. They call it here with 34 seconds left. Kelce WIDE open in the end zone for a touchdown! Seven passes in 1:15. It's criminal how easy that was.


Sorenson picks off Carr and that's it. Oh, that's right... the Chiefs were off last week. (Chiefs 35, Raiders 31)

We have the first-ever all-African-American officiating crew tonight. Did they not show the kickoff? Bucs left tackle Donovan Smith already down after the first play. About 15,000 people in the house tonight. Goff finds Kupp, who breaks a couple of tackles and gets 38 yards to the Bucs' 12. Darrell Henderson gets drilled in the backfield on first and goal at the 2 after a penalty. Goff drops back, waits, and eventually flips the ball to Woods in the back corner of the end zone. Touchdown Rams. Donovan Smith back for Tampa. Gronk slides out and Brady finds him at the Rams' 18. Brady's beaten the Rams in two Super Bowls. Evans catches a screen but gets put on his back. Another pass to Evans, who keeps fighting through tackles and scores! Brady goes deep to Evans but the throw is off target. Is that another DPI on the Rams? Geez. Fournette bulls through the pile for a touchdown. Kupp puts a move on and spins down inside the Bucs' 20. Not the greatest tackling game so far. Goff calls an audible, as he saw the blitz coming, and a screen to Kupp gets six. Why is the hype message on the Bucs' Tron text on top of a test pattern? LOL McVay was trying to call time out when Shaq Barrett jumped offside. Goff to... Van Jefferson for his first NFL touchdown catch. Tied at 14. Bucs heating up Antonio Brown on this drive. Two minute warning. Rams get a stop and will get the ball back. Goff with a screen to Woods. He's got space, but he's not gonna score. Rams rush to the line and spike it with one second left. Matt Gay, the Bucs' kicker last year, comes on and makes a field goal. 17-14 Rams at halftime. JPP Picks off Goff! Brady throws for Gronk but he can't stay inbounds. Succop hits from 28 and we're tied again. In keeping with the theme tonight, all three of the Buccaneers' coordinators are black. Robert Woods is so good in this offense. Gay MISSES. Brady gets intercepted by Jordan Fuller and he looks dejected.



Goff finds Josh Reynolds in the middle of the field, and he gets to the Rams' 6. Cam Akers comes out of the backfield and catches a touchdown pass. Darious Williams punches the ball out of Antonio Brown's hands. Brady goes deep to Brown but it's just out of reach. Ekuban gets to Brady. He gets taken down again and the ball comes out. It's ruled an incompletion. McVay's got the challenge flag in his hand... and out it comes. Call stands. OK then. Bucs punt.


Brady throws a third-down pass, it gets knocked right back to him, and then he tries to throw another one. That's against the rules. Bucs punt, then force a three-and-out. Rams punt it away and it gets touched by several people. The Rams think it's their ball but the refs rule one of their players touched it first. Brady's pass to Brown comes up a yard short. They go for it on fourth down but Brady and Godwin can't connect. Goff drops the snap, then can't beat the play clock for a delay of game penalty. The announcers note that the Rams have cut that close a few times tonight. Jordan Whitehead with an interception! Godwin goes airborne and into the end zone. Replay shows Brown drawing the double team and Godwin catching the pass with no one near him. Goff to Woods for 17, then to Kupp for 18. Why run the ball on 3rd and 10? Gay hits from 40. 2:36 left. They may regret that.


Brady overthrows Brate and Fuller picks it off! Bucs use their last time out. Rams run the clock down to nine seconds and punt. Why did dude try to return it? That's gonna run the clock out. (Rams 27, Buccaneers 24)

RANKINGS:.
TOP 4:
1. Pittsburgh (10-0) — Good job avoiding the trap
2. Kansas City (9-1) — That'll make things easier
3. New Orleans (8-2) — That went well enough, I guess
4. Green Bay (7-3) — What a strange loss

BOTTOM 4:
29. Atlanta (3-7) — Reality check time
30. Cincinnati (2-7-1) — Inept AND cursed is no way to exist
31. Jacksonville (1-9) — It's only a matter of time
32. N.Y. Jets (0-10) — Of course they'd end up on the wrong side of a close Chargers game


Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)