Well, this weekend's NFL games were surprisingly exciting. There was an NFL record 11 games decided by 5 points or less, something that had never happened in the history of the league before.
The Broncos surprised many and kept their still fairly slim playoff hopes alive by going on the road and stunning the Chargers. The Cowboys won again, and their take down of the Falcons likely realistically ends Atlanta's playoff hopes. The defending champion Eagles look like they are completely unraveling, and it would take a fairly miraculous turnaround for them to manage to qualify for the postseason at this point. Washington lost to Houston, who remained hot. But with the loss, Washington's once comfortable lead looks in danger, as they now visit Dallas for a Thanksgiving showdown, with at least share of first place in the NFC East on the line. Minnesota lost, and now, they might be in trouble, down a game and a half to the team that bested them last night, the Chicago Bears.
The Broncos surprised many and kept their still fairly slim playoff hopes alive by going on the road and stunning the Chargers. The Cowboys won again, and their take down of the Falcons likely realistically ends Atlanta's playoff hopes. The defending champion Eagles look like they are completely unraveling, and it would take a fairly miraculous turnaround for them to manage to qualify for the postseason at this point. Washington lost to Houston, who remained hot. But with the loss, Washington's once comfortable lead looks in danger, as they now visit Dallas for a Thanksgiving showdown, with at least share of first place in the NFC East on the line. Minnesota lost, and now, they might be in trouble, down a game and a half to the team that bested them last night, the Chicago Bears.
Meanwhile, the Saints stayed hot, embarrassing Philadelphia, as they now prepare for a divisional game against the Falcons on Thanksgiving. Indy also stayed hot, completely dismantling and blowing out the Titans, who just cannot seem to beat the Colts since Andrew Luck came to town. The Giants won their second straight, and their offense suddenly has kicked things into gear. The Ravens knocked off the Bengals to stay alive in the playoff race. Pittsburgh came back against Jax, and the Raiders earned their second win of the season at Arizona.
Let's take a closer look at yesterday's games:
N.Y. Giants 38, Tampa Bay 35 - The Giants managed to earn a second straight win, and scored 38 points in the process, which is the G-Men's highest total offensive output in something like three years! They did it behind another great day by Eli Manning, who completed 17 of 18 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Saquon Barkley added a strong ground presence, as he picked up 142 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. In a losing effort for Tampa Bay, Jameis Winston completed 12 of 16 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns, with one INT. Peyton Barber added 18 CAR, 106 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries on the ground for the Bucs. One thing that was slightly unsettling for Big Blue fans is how the Giants were unable to close the game out when they seemed to have the Buccaneers beaten. They had a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, yet kept allowing Tampa Bay to get back into the game. Eventually, they did hang on to secure the win, but that lack of a killer instinct probably underscores why this team started off the season at 1-7. My pick: Accurate
Houston 23, Washington 21 - Houston QB Deshaun Watson completed 16 of 24 for 208 yards, with one touchdown and two INT's. Lamar Miller added 86 yards on the ground on 20 carries. It was not explosive offense for Houston, but it was enough for them to win a tough, physical showdown at Washington. One freaky thing that happened was an injury to Washington quarterback Alex Smith. Smith suffered a horrible injury, breaking his tibia and fibula. These was an eerily similar injury to the one that former Washington great Joe Theismann suffered, and this one took place exactly 33 years ago to the day. The two games even ended with the same score, and Theismann was at this game, as well. Needless to say, the injury ended Smith's season, and may even prove to threaten to end his career. Prior to the injury, Smith had completed 12 of 27 passes for 135 yards, with two interceptions. Running back Adrain Peterson added 51 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. With the win, Houston continues their hot streak, extending their winning streak to seven, and in the process, also extending their AFC South divisional lead to a fairly comfortable two games over Indianapolis and Tennessee, the two teams tied for second. For Washington, however, this loss was costly. They lost their starting quarterback and, at least for the moment, do not even have a back-up to the new starter, Colt McCoy. Plus, they lost the game, and their fairly comfortable lead entering this weekend suddenly tightened up in a hurry with Dallas beating Atlanta, and with a date looming on Thanksgiving in Big D against a team that has now won two straight and looks hot during a shortened week, Washington's NFC East lead may be in serious jeopardy. My pick: Accurate
Pittsburgh 20, Jacksonville 16 - The Jaguars were playing surprisingly well through most of this game, building up a surprising 16-0 lead well into the third quarter. Then, quite predictably, they collapsed, while Pittsburgh rallied to win, scoring a touchdown in the final five seconds to finally win. That qualifies as a choke by the Jaguars, who are paying big time now for the incredible success that they enjoyed last season. It was the sixth straight win for the Steelers, and the sixth straight loss for the Jaguars. Another predictable outcome, even if it was wrapped in an unpredictable manner. Yawn. Moving on... My pick: Accurate
Detroit 20, Carolina 19 - Just three seasons ago, the Panthers looked for most of the season like one of the best teams of all-time. And just three weeks or so ago, the Panthers also still looked like they might be an elite team this season, too. Now, however, it all seems to be unraveling, much like their super season in 2015 unraveled against that Broncos defense in the Super Bowl. Cam Newton had a solid day, completing 25 of 37 passes for 357 yards, with three touchdowns and 1 INT. His counterpart in Detroit, Matthew Stafford, completed 23 of 37 passes for 220 yards and one touchdown. DJ Moore had 157 yards and one touchdown on seven receptions for Carolina, while 7 Kenny Golladay picked up 113 yards and one touchdown on eight receptions for the Lions. Detroit now waits to host the Chicago Bears on their traditional Thanksgiving Day game, while the Panthers will surely be watching the Saints and Falcons on Turkey Day, to see their division rivals clash. My pick: Inaccurate
Baltimore 24, Cincinnati 21 - The Bengals won the first meeting, but the Ravens got revenge this time around. Now, the two teams are tied for second place, but both are still alive for the wildcard spot. Neither team has any realistic hopes of winning the division, however, as each are 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading Steelers, with six games left to go. There is also some talk now in Baltimore that Joe Flacco may have started his last game as the Ravens quarterback, after the amazing game enjoyed by Lamar Jackson. Jackson completed 13 of 19 passes for 150 yards, and had one interception, although he also picked up 117 additional yards on 27 carries. Surprisingly, both quarterbacks also led their teams rushing. Andy Dalton, Cincinnati's longtime quarterback, picked up 29 yards on two carries. In the air, Dalton completed 19 of 36 passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns. Both teams have been quite inconsistent this season. My pick: Inaccurate
Indianapolis 38, Tennessee 10 - The Colts jumped on top of the Titans early, and just never let them go. Tennessee was down 24-0 just before the half before they finally managed to get on the scoreboard. The Titans still are winless against the Colts with Andrew Luck as quarterback, losing all 10 games that they have played against them. Luck finished with 23 of 29 passes completed for 297 yards and three touchdowns. T.Y. Hilton grabbed nine of those receptions for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Blaine Gabbert completed 11 of 16 for 118 yards, with one touchdown and one interception for the Titans. The Colts won their fourth straight, and now move into a second-place tie with the Titans, although they will meet again later this season, at Tennessee. My pick: Inaccurate
Dallas 22, Atlanta 19 -.This was a back and forth game that, ultimately, the cowboys managed to win in the end. Cowboys placekicker Brett Maher managed to split the uprights as time expired to secure the win for Dallas, who now move ahead of Atlanta in the race for the playoffs. Dak Prescott completed 22 of 32 passes for 208 yards for Dallas, while Ezekiel Elliot really had a great day. Elliott picked up 122 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries, although he also had seven receptions for 79 yards. Atlanta's Matt Ryan completed 24 of 34 passes for 291 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Atlanta receiver Julio Jones picked up 118 yards and one touchdown on six receptions in this game. Dallas now gets a chance to take a share in the NFC East lead when they get to host Washington for the traditional Thanksgiving game tomorrow, while the Falcons will travel to New Orleans to take on the red-hot Saints. My pick: Inaccurate
Denver 23, L.A. Chargers 22 - The Broncos managed to keep this game close and, in the end, got a 34-yard field goal as time expired to beat the Chargers on the road. Denver QB Case Keenum completed 19 of 32 for 205 yards, while running back Phillip Lindsay tacked on 79 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries. For the Chargers, quarterback Philip Rivers completed 28 of 43 passes for 401 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had two INT's. Wide receiver Keenan Allen collected 89 yards and one touchdown on nine receptions. The win helps stop the bleeding a bit for the Broncos, who had lost six of seven games since starting the season at 2-0. They could have gained on the division leading Chiefs, who also lost, but this lost nullified that golden opportunity. It also keeps the Broncos admittedly slim playoff hopes alive, at least for now. My pick: Inaccurate
Oakland 23, Arizona 21 - Derek Carr completed 19 of 31 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, while Raiders running back Jalen Richard added 61 yards on 11 carries. For Arizona, Josh Rosen completed 9 of 20 passes for 136. He had three touchdown passes, although he also threw two INT's. Arizona running back David Johnson added 137 yards on 25 carries. Oakland managed only their second win on the season, while the loss reinforces the Cardinals status as one of the weakest teams in the league. Neither of these teams are seriously competing for the playoffs. My pick: Inaccurate
New Orleans 48, Philadelphia 7 - Like the Jaguars, the Eagles are really paying for all of that incredible success that they enjoyed in an amazing year last season. Unlike the Jaguars, however, the Eagles at least earned a couple of trophies, especially that coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy. You can bet that they will not be repeating this season, however. Just in case you were still in doubt, and expected Philly to somehow show some of their former intensity and strength, the embarrassing outcome in this game, which was Philly's third loss in the past four games, pretty well sealed the deal. The Saints jumped on top of the defending champs early, and never looked back. New Orleans showed just why they look like such an elite team this season, and quite possibly the best team in the league. Quarterback Drew Brees had another incredible day, completing 22 of 30 passes for 363 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Mark Ingram II added 103 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in 16 carries. Wide receiver Tre'quon Smith pulled in 10, collecting 157 yards and a touchdown. In a losing effort for Philadelphia, quarterback Carson Wentz completed 19 of 33 passes for 156 yards, with three interceptions. A very impressive showing for New Orleans, a highly forgettable game for Philly. My pick: Accurate
Sunday Night Football
Chicago 25, Minnesota 20 - The Bears took a big lead early, and then hung on to win, beating their most important division rival this season, and taking a decisive division lead, at least for the moment.. Minnesota had trailed Chicago by half a game entering Soldier Field on Sunday evening, making this a battle for first place in the division. But now, they trail Chicago by a game and a half, and their opportunities to catch up will be limited, and they clearly need help from Chicago's remaining opponents. Mitchell Trubisky completed 20 of 31 passes for 165 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Bears defense also stepped up, containing Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook to a mere 12 yards total on nine carries. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins completed 30 of 46 passes for 262 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Minnesota wide receiver Stefon Diggs had a solid game, collecting 126 yards and one touchdown on 13 receptions. Chicago QB Trubitsky suffered a right shoulder injury during the game, but he might be ready to play in tomorrow's Thanksgiving game for the Bears, when they go visit another division rival in Detroit.. My pick: Inaccurate
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