NFL - NEWS & NOTES

Monday Night Football: Patriots throw just three passes, beat Bills 14-10 in blustery Buffalo



The Patriots attempted just three passes and ran the ball 46 times in blustery conditions in Buffalo as the Patriots picked up a 14-10 victory over the Bills on Monday night.

The three passes thrown by the Patriots are the second-fewest in the Super Bowl era behind only the two passes attempted by the 1974 Bills in a game against the New York Jets. The Bills had no completions in their 16-12 win over the Jets that day.


Damien Harris rushed for 111 yards with a touchdown on 10 carries, Rhamondre Stevenson had 78 yards on 24 carries and the Patriots rushed for a total of 222 yards on the night. It’s the most rushing yards for the Patriots since rushing for 250 yards last season against the Las Vegas Raiders.

While Mac Jones attempted just three passes, his counterpart, Josh Allen of the Bills, threw it 30 times for Buffalo with 19 completions for 145 yards and a touchdown.

The Bills had their final three possessions all break into the Patriots red zone and they tried to overcome the four-point deficit. However, the Bills ended up with only one made field goal, a missed field goal, and a turnover on downs to thwart their comeback efforts.

A 21-yard scramble from Allen and a horse-collar tackle of Zach Moss by Donta Hightower helped move the Bills to the Patriots 6-yard line with nine minutes left to play. But a sack of Allen by Matthew Judon moved the Bills into fringe field goal territory given they were heading into the wind for the fourth quarter.

Tyler Bass had his 33-yard attempt blown wide right to maintain the Patriots four point lead.

Buffalo took over with 5:47 left to play with Allen immediately hitting Diggs for a 26-yard gain and a beautiful back-shoulder throw up the left sideline.

The drive marched into sight of the end zone once again before stalling out again in the Patriots red zone. A false start on Dawson Knox helped put Buffalo in a third-and-14 position from the Patriots 18-yard line. Incomplete passes to Knox and Gabriel Davis turned the Bills away again.

A fumbled hand-off from Allen to Matt Breida led to a turnover as Lawrence Guy helped spark the Patriots first scoring drive of the game. Two plays after the turnover, Damien Harris broke through the line of scrimmage on third-and-five and raced 64 yards to the end zone. Brandon Bolden scored to convert the two-point attempt as the Patriots took an 8-0 lead.

A muffed punt catch from N'Keal Harry then set up the Bills’ first score of the night. It was Harry’s first career punt return, and the ball glanced off his facemask after he tried to get out of the way. Siran Neal recovered for the Bills at the New England 14. The Bills kicked the extra point after Davis scored to make it an 8-7 game.

Patriots kicker Nick Folk kicked a 41-yard field goal downwind on the next possession to extend the lead to 11-7, which carried into halftime.

Bass converted a 35-yard attempt downwind that cut the lead to 11-10 with 6:35 left in the third quarter. After changing ends, Folk added a 34-yard kick downwind in the fourth quarter to make it a 14-10 lead with 13:01 left to play.

Jonnu Smith had a 12-yard catch and Brandon Bolden a 7-yard catch as the only passing offense of the night for New England.

PFT

 

Cardinals, Packers, Bucs can clinch playoff spots this weekend



It’s the time of the year when thoughts begin to turn toward the playoffs and three NFC teams will have an opportunity to book spots in the postseason tournament this weekend.

The most straightforward scenario belongs to the team that’s currently the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Cardinals will be in the playoffs if they beat the Rams next Monday night. The win won’t make them NFC West champs, but it would give them a sweep of the Rams and a commanding lead with four weeks left to play.


Arizona could also back into the playoffs this weekend. They would also get in via a Vikings loss or tie and a 49ers loss; a Vikings loss or tie with a Saints loss or tie and a Panthers loss or tie; or with a 49ers loss paired with a Saints loss or tie and a Falcons-Panthers tie.

The Packers will clinch the NFC North with a win and a Vikings loss or tie or with a tie and a Vikings loss. They can secure at least a Wild Card by pairing a win with a Saints loss or tie and a 49ers loss or by pairing the first two results with a Rams loss and a 49ers tie.

The Buccaneers can win the NFC South if they win while the Saints and Panthers lose or tie. They can also get in the playoffs without winning the division, but it would take pairing a tie with a Panthers loss, a Saints loss, a Vikings loss, a 49ers loss or tie, and a Washington loss or tie.

PFT

 

Joe Haden out again for Steelers



Steelers cornerback Joe Haden is going to miss his fourth straight game.

Haden has been ruled out of Thursday night’s matchup with the Vikings because of a foot injury that has also kept him out of practice the last two weeks. Ahkello Witherspoon got the start in place of Haden in last Sunday’s win over the Ravens.


Left guard B.J. Finney has also been ruled out. He hurt his back against Baltimore and John Leglue came in to replace him. Joe Haeg remains on the COVID-19 reserve list, so that may be the plan for Thursday night as well.

Linebacker Robert Spillane (knee) and defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs (ankle) have also been ruled out for the Steelers this week.

 

I rant a lot about players caring more about celebrating routine stuff than they do about playing the game. Steelers fans just saw a great example of why it matters, and it cost them a shot at sending the game to overtime.

The recap: Pittsburgh has 4th and 1 with less than a minute to go, down by 8 with no time outs remaining. Ben throws the short slant route to convert the first down and keep hope alive.

But then... the receiver stops to pose and celebrate the first down - still holding the ball, and with the clock still running (37 seconds left, and counting...).

A teammate runs up to him try to get the ball to the ref, but between them they fumble the ball. Pittsburgh finally kills the clock at 24 seconds. Even though everybody was right there at the line, it took them 13 seconds to run the stop-clock play. If Chumpzilla immediately gives the ball to the ref and lines up quickly, it takes them at most five seconds.

The game ended on an incomplete pass in the end zone - which would have stopped the clock. If they had those eight or nine extra seconds back that they had lost from the moron's posing, they would have had at least one and probably two more snaps to get the touchdown.


But no... showing the TV cameras you're a badass who can catch a simple slant pass is FAR more important than saving time on the clock to help your team get that game-tying score.

 

Thursday Night Football: Vikings withstand furious Steelers rally in 36-28 victory



The Minnesota Vikings just can’t do anything easy.

After jumping out to a 29-0 lead over the Pittsburgh Steelers, it took a Harrison Smith pass breakup of a throw into the end zone to Pat Freiermuth on the final play of regulation to ultimately seal away a 36-28 victory on Thursday night.


Dalvin Cook rushed for 205 yards and two touchdowns to help Minnesota jump out to their massive lead. The Vikings out-gained the Steelers by a 300-66 margin in the first half in building their 23-0 advantage at the break.

Pittsburgh didn’t get on the board until four minutes were left in the third quarter on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Najee Harris. But the Steelers would score three touchdowns in a five-minute span — including a rushing touchdown from Harris and a 30-yard strike from Roethlisberger to James Washington — to trim the lead to 29-20 with 12:11 left to play.

Harris finished the game with 94 yards rushing with a touchdown and three catches for 10 yards and a touchdown.

A 62-yard touchdown strike from Kirk Cousins to K.J. Osborn then seemingly provided the knockout blow for the Vikings as the lead was extended to 36-20 with just under 11 minutes left to play. However, Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted Cousins for a second time to set up another Steelers touchdown, a 15-yard connection from Roethlisberger to Freiermuth, to make it an eight-point game with just over four minutes left to play.

Cook came through again catching a 17-yard pass from Cousins on third-and-8 with 2:38 left to allow Minnesota to force Pittsburgh to expend its allotment of timeouts. Pittsburgh took over with 2:16 left needing to go 96 yards for the tying touchdown and two-point conversion.

Chase Claypool caught a 38-yard bomb up the right sideline from Roethlisberger despite being interfered with by Bashaud Breeland to move Pittsburgh near midfield. Claypool then cost Pittsburgh several seconds celebrating a conversion on fourth-and-1 as the clock continued to tick down. Ultimately, the Steelers got one attempt from the 12-yard line with three seconds left as Smith dislodged the ball from Freiermuth to give the Vikings the victory.

No team in NFL history had lost a regular season game when leading by 29 or more points. The Vikings sure tried to become the first. The San Francisco 49ers rallied from a 35-7 deficit to beat the New Orleans Saints 38-35 in overtime in 1980. The Buffalo Bills hold the postseason record, overcoming a 32-point lead from the Houston Oilers in January, 1993.

Justin Jefferson caught a 14-yard touchdown from Cousins to open the scoring for Minnesota. After a 38-yard field goal from Greg Joseph, Cook’s two touchdown runs made it a 23-0 lead at the half. Joseph would add kicks from 42 and 25 yards in the third quarter to extend the lead to 29-0 before the Steelers began their rally.

Roethlisberger finished with 308 yards and three touchdowns with an interception for Pittsburgh with 240 yards coming in the second half.

Cousins threw for 216 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for Minnesota.

PFT

 

Very sad... Police said it looks like a 'medical condition'... way too young.

 

100% man. That was fucking unbelievable.

To be that self-absorbed that you want to strut and pose at a time like that when your counting the clock in seconds. No question at all they would've got 1 more play in, but i agree its probably two. So 3 shots from the 12. I think there's a good chance the Steelers make one. That alone wouldn't win them the game of course, but its the fact everyone has battled their asses off and clawed their way out of a 6 foot grave and you do something like that.

Lets not forget the idiotic 15yard penalty he took early on as well for putting his finger in Breeland's grill.

Chase Claypool: Fucking douchebag.

 

Vikings may set NFL’s all-time record for one-possession games



The Vikings’ win over the Steeler on Thursday Night Football came down to the final play. As usual.

Minnesota won 36-28, making the game the 12th time this season that a Vikings game has been decided by eight or fewer points, or one possession.


With four games to go this season, the Vikings are closing in on the all-time record for one-possession games. The current record is 14 one-possession games in a season, set by the Giants in 1994 and equaled by the Ravens in 2015. If two of the Vikings’ four remaining games are decided by eight points or less, the Vikings will tie the record. If three or four of the Vikings’ remaining games are decided by eight points or less, they’ll break the record.

Thursday night was the Steelers’ ninth one-possession game of the season, which is the second-most in the NFL this season. With the Vikings and Steelers meeting, it was guaranteed to come down to the wire.

PFT

 

Report: T.J. Watt only tweaked groin, has a chance to play in Week 15



The Steelers reportedly got good news on Alex Highsmith after he suffered an injury during Thursday’s loss to Minnesota and now there’s apparently positive news on T.J. Watt.

According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Watt is believed to have suffered just a tweak to his groin. With the extra time before Pittsburgh’s next game in Week 15, the star defender has a chance to play in the Steelers matchup with the Titans.


Watt played only 36 percent of Pittsburgh’s defensive snaps on Thursday, recording a tackle and a quarterback hit.

He entered the week leading the league with 16.0 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, making him a clear frontrunner for defensive player of the year.

If the Steelers are going to get on a run to make the playoffs, they’ll need Watt to be available. After Tennessee, Pittsburgh plays Kansas City, Cleveland, and Baltimore to end the 2021 season.

PFT

 

Every week we bring you all the inactives from the 1 p.m. ET games in one post, constantly updated with the latest information.

Running back Tony Pollard has broken loose for long touchdowns each of the last two weeks, but the Cowboys won’t have him in the lineup on Sunday. Pollard is dealing with a foot injury and he is inactive against Washington after being listed as questionable on Friday. Ezekiel Elliott, who has been playing through a knee injury, will likely be in for a heavier workload as a result.


The Cowboys will be getting two big defensive pieces back for Sunday’s game. Defensive end Randy Gregory and defensive tackle Neville Gallimore were activated from injured reserve on Saturday and they are both good to go against Dallas’ longtime NFC East rivals.

Washington’s defensive line isn’t in such good shape. Defensive ends Montez Sweat, James Smith-Williams, and Casey Toohill all went on the COVID-19 reserve list this week and will not play on Sunday.

Cowboys at Washington

Cowboys: QB Will Grier, RB Tony Pollard, DB Israel Mukuamu, DE Azur Kamara, OL Matt Farniok, WR Simi Fehoko, TE Sean McKeon

Washington: WR Dax Milne, WR Antonio Gandy-Golden, CB Corn Elder, RB J.D. McKissic, LB Jordan Kunaszyk

Saints at Jets

Saints: QB Ian Book, WR Lil'Jordan Humphrey, OL Will Clapp, CB Ken Crawley, T Ryan Ramczyk, LB Pete Werner, LB Kaden Elliss

Jets: RB Tevin Coleman, TE Trevon Wesco, OL Isaiah Williams, DE Ronnie Blair, CB Isaiah Dunn, DT Jonathan Marshall, CB Michael Carter

Seahawks at Texans

Seahawks: RB Travis Homer, QB Jacob Eason, S Nigel Warrior, CB Kyle Fuller, T Brandon Shell, DT Robert Nkemdiche

Texans: QB Deshaun Watson, S Terrence Brooks, CB Jimmy Moreland, LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, OL Cole Toner

Raiders at Chiefs

Raiders: CB Amik Robertson, LB Patrick Onwuasor, LB Denzel Perryman, OL Jermaine Eluemunor, TE Darren Waller, DE Carl Nassib, DT Kendal Vickers

Chiefs: CB Dicaprio Bootle, QB Shane Buechele, CB L’Jarius Sneed, OL Kyle Long, OL Prince Tega-Wanogho

Jaguars at Titans

Jaguars: DB Tre Herndon, TE Jacob Hollister, OL Brandon Linder, DL Jordan Smith, DL Jay Tufele

Titans: FB Khari Blasingame, LB Zach Cunningham, WR Dez Fitzpatrick, CB Janoris Jenkins, LB David Long, OL Dillon Radunz, DL Teair Tart

Falcons at Panthers

Falcons: QB Josh Rosen, S Richie Grant, OL Josh Andrews, LB Ade Ogundeji, DL Tyeler Davison, DL Jonathan Bullard

Panthers: G John Miller, G Michael Jordan, QB Matt Barkley, S Kenny Robinson, DE Darryl Johnson, LB Frankie Luvu, WR Shi Smith

Ravens at Browns

Ravens: T Patrick Mekari, CB Jimmy Smith, FB Patrick Ricard, WR Miles Boykin, TE Nick Boyle

Browns: WR Anthony Schwartz, CB Greg Newsome, S Ronnie Harrison, S Richard LeCounte, TE Harrison Bryant, DT Tommy Togiai

PFT

 

Lamar Jackson injured and carted to the locker room... Huntley is in.

Browns up, 10-0... 2nd.

 

Trevor Lawrence throws four interceptions as Titans shut out Jaguars



A day after the latest story broke about dysfunction in Jacksonville, the Jaguars looked like a team that has tuned out its head coach.

Jacksonville could do absolutely nothing on offense in Tennessee today as the Titans won 20-0.



Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the first overall pick who was supposed to be a generational talent, continues to struggle through an ugly rookie year. Lawrence threw four interceptions today and looked rattled throughout the game.

The Jaguars’ running game was awful; starting running back James Robinson had six carries for four yards, while backup Carlos Hyde had one carry for two yards.

The Titans didn’t do anything spectacular, but they didn’t need to. Ryan Tannehill completed 20 of 31 passes for 191 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions. D'Onta Foreman was their leading rusher with 47 yards on 13 carries.

The win improves the Titans’ record to 9-4 and keeps them atop the AFC South. The Jaguars fall to 2-11 and remain in contention for getting the first overall pick in the draft for a second consecutive year.

PFT

 

Final...

 

Coach John Harbaugh said afterward that Jackson suffered a sprained ankle and will undergo further testing Monday to determine the severity.

 

Justin Herbert throws three touchdowns as Chargers blow by Giants 37-21



The Chargers took care of business on Sunday, handily beating the Giants 37-21.

Though the Giants answered the Chargers’ first touchdown with one of their own in the first quarter, Los Angeles then scored 30 straight points to build a 37-7 lead in the fourth quarter.


Quarterback Justin Herbert became the first player to ever throw at least 30 touchdown passes in each of his first two seasons by throwing for 275 yards with three TDs in the contest — good for a 133.1 passer rating.

Herbert’s best throw was a 59-yard touchdown to Jalen Guyton just before halftime. The throw went about 65 yards in the air and hit Guyton in stride as he was crossing the goal line — even as Herbert got hit as he threw.

He also threw a 12-yard touchdown to Joshua Palmer and a 1-yard TD to tight end Jared Cook in the fourth quarter. Cook’s score made it 37-7 with 9:29 left in the contest.

After that, Chargers head coach Brandon Staley put in Chase Daniel to play the rest of the game.

The GIants made things a little more interesting with running back Saquon Barkley catching an 18-yard touchdown and quarterback Mike Glennon taking in a 7-yard touchdown run. And New York successfully recovered an onside kick. But Glennon was intercepted by linebacker Nick Niemann to effectively end the game.

Glennon finished 17-of-36 for 191 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception. He was also strip-sacked by Joey Bosa on a fourth down.

The Chargers could have an injury concern with running back Austin Ekeler, as he exited the contest with an ankle issue.

Now at 8-5, the Chargers will play the first-place Chiefs on Thursday for a game that could have significant postseason implications. Los Angeles defeated Kansas City earlier this season, forcing four giveaways in a 30-24 victory back in Week Three.

The Giants will head home at 4-9. New York will host Dallas next week.

PFT

 

Broncos stay alive in AFC playoff race with easy win over Lions



If the Broncos are going to make the playoffs in the very competitive AFC, they had to take care of business today. And they did.

Against an overmatched Detroit team, Denver had no trouble, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back, winning by a final score of 38-10. The win improves the Broncos’ record to 7-6 and allows them to keep pace in a crowded field in the AFC playoff race.


Denver kept it on the ground for most of the game, with Melvin Gordon gaining 111 yards and scoring two touchdowns, and Javonte Williams checking in with 73 yards and a touchdown of his own. Teddy Bridgewater wasn’t asked to do a lot but was solid, completing 18 of 25 passes for 179 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

The Lions battled a flu outbreak last week and did not look good on either side of the ball. A rare bright spot was running back Craig Reynolds, who had just one rushing attempt in his career before today but broke out for 83 yards on 11 carries.

The loss drops the Lions to 1-11-1, and keeps them in the lead for the first overall pick in the draft. The Lions got their first win of the season last week, and it may well prove to be their only win of the season.

But the Broncos have some big games ahead as they attempt to make a push for the playoffs. With remaining games against fellow AFC playoff contenders the Bengals, Raiders, Chargers and Chiefs, the Broncos can control their own path to the playoffs. But they won’t have another game as easy as today’s.

PFT

 

Brandon Aiyuk TD makes 49ers 26-23 winners in OT



The 49ers blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter, but they came up with enough plays to win the game in overtime.

After a Bengals field goal to open the extra session, Jimmy Garoppolo found tight end George Kittle three times for 41 yards and Jauan Jennings for a 25-yard gain that moved the ball to the 11-yard-line. Garoppolo then tossed a short pass to Brandon Aiyuk, who ran toward the end zone and took flight in an attempt to get the ball in for a touchdown.


Officials ruled him out at the 1-yard-line on the field, but replays made it clear that Aiyuk never touched the ground before the ball crossed the plane. It was ruled a touchdown and the 49ers had a 26-23 win.

The victory pushes their record to 7-6 and they’ll be at home to face the Falcons in a game that has big playoff implications in the NFC. The Bengals would have moved into first place in the AFC North with a win, but they’re now out of playoff position and will have to try for a win in Denver next weekend.

Kittle’s three catches in overtime allowed him to finish the day with 13 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. Garoppolo was 27-of-41 for 296 yards and Deebo Samuel ran for his sixth touchdown of the season in the first half.

The Kittle touchdown was set up by the second muffed punt of the game by Bengals punt returner Darius Phillips. The first led to a field goal and those 10 points wound up looming very large after the Bengals got their act together in the fourth quarter. That’s when they drove for a pair of Joe Burrow-to-Ja'Marr Chase touchdowns and tied the score with just over a minute to play. Garoppolo was able to drive the 49ers for a 47-yard field goal, but Robbie Gould missed it to send the game to overtime.

Passes to Tee Higgins and C.J. Uzomah helped the Bengals move into the red zone, but Nick Bosa came up with his second sack of the day on third-and-three and the Bengals had to settle for a field goal that gave the 49ers a chance to pull out the win.

PFT

 

Breshad Perriman’s 58-yard touchdown in OT saves Bucs as they beat Bills 33-27



Breshad Perriman had only three catches in three games with the Buccaneers this season. He made the biggest catch for the Bucs on Sunday and one of the biggest of the season for them.

Perriman’s 58-yard dash to the end zone in overtime dashed the Bills’ comeback hopes.


The Bucs won 33-27 for their fourth consecutive victory to move to 10-3. The Bills lost their second game in six games to fall to 7-6.

Buffalo made it interesting, though, after trailing by 21 points at halftime. The Bills still were down by 17 in the fourth quarter but scored 17 points in the final 9:07 of regulation to force overtime.

Dawson Knox scored on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen with 9:07 remaining. After the Bucs went three-and-out, Allen led Buffalo on a nine-play, 46-yard drive. Allen hit Gabriel Davis for a 4-yard touchdown pass.

The Bills had two chances to win the game.

They got to the Tampa Bay 7-yard line with 28 seconds left, but on third-and-two, Allen threw incomplete to Stefon Diggs. The Bills wanted a flag but didn’t get it.

They settled for a 25-yard field goal by Tyler Bass with 22 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game and force overtime, a clutch 14-play, 70-yard drive.

The Bills got the ball first in overtime but went three-and-out.

The Bucs needed only six plays, and a replay ruling and penalty flag, to end the game. Leonard Fournette‘s 1-yard run on third-and-one from the Bucs 15 was reviewed but upheld.

On the next play, Tampa Bay got a questionable defensive pass interference penalty on Levi Wallace. Mike Evans, seeing that Wallace wasn’t turning around, pulled Wallace to him on an intentionally underthrown ball for a 19-yard penalty.

Three plays later, on third-and-three, Brady had touch on a throw to Perriman over the middle. Perriman was covered by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who chased Perriman all the way to the end zone.

It was Brady’s 700th touchdown pass, with 617 coming in the regular season and 83 in the postseason. Earlier in the day, he became the all-time leader in completions, breaking Drew Brees’ record.

Brady went 31-of-46 for 363 yards and two touchdowns and moved to 107-1 in all time in games when leading by 21 or more points.

Allen had 300 yards passing and 100 yards rushing, only the third time in NFL history a player has hit both of those marks. He joined Cam Newton and Russell Wilson.

It was Allen’s third career 100-yard rushing game as he went for 109 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. He completed 36 of 54 passes for 308 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

PFT