NFL - Week Eight Recap

Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (right) and A.J. Brown celebrate big efforts in  win.

The Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles continue to dominate as the NFL season reaches the halfway point. The Eagles won at home, 35-13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6) to remain unbeaten (7-0 record) this year. Quarterback Jalen Hurts had four touchdown passes, with three of them going to wide receiver A.J. Brown (six receptions for 156 yards) while the Eagles defense had six sacks and forced two turnovers in the rout. 

 

 

The Bills (6-1) blasted the Green Bay Packers, 27-17 on the Sunday night game with QB Josh Allen passing for two scores and running back Isaiah McKenzie scoring on a seven-yard run to lead the way. The Packers (3-5) dropped their fourth straight game even with QB Aaron Rodgers throwing two TD passes. 

Last Thursday night, the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) knocked off the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-22 as QB Lamar Jackson had a pair of scoring passes while racking up 453 yards in total offense with a balanced attack (231 rushing, 222 passing yards) to remain atop the AFC North divison. The Bucs (3-5) had a scoring run from Leonard Fournette and a TD pass from Tom Brady, but dropped their third straight game. 

In an exciting game in Atlanta, the Falcons (4-4) won 37-34 in overtime against the Carolina Panthers (2-6) to take over first place in the NFC South. The Panthers got a miracle 62-yard TD pass from QB P.J. Walker to WR D.J. Moore with 12 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, 34-34. However, Moore removed his helmet in celebration and the Panthers were penalized 15 yards for that and the extra point (from 48 yards) was no good, forcing the OT session. Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro missed a 32-yard field goal in the OT, but Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo made a 41-yarder to win it. Falcons QB Marcus Mariota had three TD passes in the win while Panthers RB D'Onta Foreman had three rushing scores and 118 rushing yards in defeat. 

The Seattle Seahawks (5-3) won at home, 27-13 to cool off the New York Giants (6-2), who saw their four-game winning streak snapped. Seattle QB Geno Smith had a pair of scoring passes and RB Kenneth Walker scored on a 16-yard run with 5:22 left to ice the game. Giants RB Saquon Barkley scored the lone New York touchdown (one-yard run) as his team was held to just 225 yards in total offense. The Seahawks defense had five sacks and two fumble recoveries to help out in the win. 

The Minnesota Vikings improved to 6-1 with a 34-26 win at home against the Arizona Cardinals (3-5) with QB Kirk Cousins throwing two TD passes and running for another score to go with rushing touchdowns by Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison. The Cardinals had three TD passes from QB Kyler Murray in the loss. 

In Detroit, the Miami Dolphins (5-3) won, 31-27 as QB Tua Tagovailoa had three TD passes and 382 passing yards to pace the offense, which accumulated 476 yards. The Lions (1-6) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on the first of two rushing scores by RB Jamaal Williams and a TD pass from QB Jared Goff to RB D'Andre Swift. Dolphins wide receivers Jaylen Waddle (eight receptions for 106 yards, two TD) and Tyreek Hill (12 for 188 yards) torched the weak Lions defense, sending the hosts to their fifth consecutive loss. 

Tennessee (5-2) won again, 17-10 on the road against the Houston Texans (1-5-1) with RB Derrick Henry scoring twice on the ground while amassing 219 rushing yards on 32 carries. The Texans were limited to a paltry 161 yards in total offense. The Titans have a three-game cushion in the AFC South division race. 

Over in London, England, the Denver Broncos (3-5) beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, 21-17, handing the Jags (2-6) their fifth consecutive defeat. Trailing 10-0, the Broncos got a TD pass from QB Russell Wilson and a one-yard scoring run from RB Melvin Gordon to go ahead, 14-10. Jags RBTravis Etienne (156 rushing yards) scored on a one-yard run with 3:54 remaining in the fourth quarter for a 17-14 lead, but then Latavius Murray scored a two-yard rushing touchdown with 1:43 to go to clinch the win for the Broncos. 

The New Orleans Saints defense snapped out of a three-game funk and dominated in a 24-0 shutout win against the visiting Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) as they improved to 3-5 this year. Saints RB Alvin Kamara scored three touchdowns (one rushing, two receiving) while accounting for 154 total yards. The Saints sacked Raiders QB Derek Carr four times and the Raiders were shut out for the first time since the 2014 season. 

The San Francisco 49ers (4-4) dominated the host Los Angeles Rams, 31-14 (their eighth straight regular season win against the Rams) with a stiff defense that held L.A. to only 223 yards in total offense. The hero on offense was 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey, (pictured right) who scored a rushing TD, caught a touchdown pass and also threw a 34-yard TD pass to WR Brandon Aiyuk. Los Angeles QB Matthew Stafford had a scoring pass and a rushing score in the loss, which dropped the Rams to 3-4 this season. 

The Dallas Cowboys (6-2) blasted the visiting Chicago Bears, 49-29 behind a big game from RB Tony Pollard, who scored three rushing touchdowns and gained 131 yards (on just 14 carries) while QB Dak Prescott had a running TD and also threw for two more scores. Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons scored on a 36-yard fumble return to blow it open at 42-23 late in the third quarter. Chicago QB Justin Fields had a TD run and two TD passes in the loss, which dropped the Bears to 3-5 this season. 

The Washington Commanders (4-4) won their third game in a row in dramatic fashion, 17-16 as backup QB Taylor Heinecke scored on a one-yard run with 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter after he completed a 33-yard pass to WR Terry McLaurin to set up the winning score. The Commanders engineered a nine play, 89-yard drive to get the win. The Colts (3-4-1) had a 16-7 lead early in the fourth quarter when RB Nyheim Hines scored on a six-yard run, but the defense couldn't hold the lead as Washington scored the final ten points. 

The New England Patriots bounced the host New York Jets, 22-17 to improve to 4-4 this season while the Jets (5-3) saw their four-game win streak end. Pats kicker Nick Folk made five field goals to go with a TD pass by QB Mac Jones while the Jets got a pair of TD passes from QB Zach Wilson (355 passing yards), who also threw three interceptions in the loss. 

The Cleveland Browns dominated the Cincinnati Bengals (4-4) at home on Monday Night Football, getting two rushing touchdowns and 101 yards from RB Nick Chubb and a big defensive effort that included sacking Cincy QB Joe Burrow five times in a 32-13 blowout win. Browns QB Jacoby Brissett added a TD pass and a scoring run to the mix to help them improve to 3-5 this season. 

WEEK EIGHT RESULTS 

Baltimore 27, Tampa Bay 22

Denver 21, Jacksonville 17

New Orleans 24, Las Vegas 0 

Philadelphia 35, Pittsburgh 13 

New England 22, N.Y. Jets 17

Dallas 49, Chicago 29 

Minnesota 34, Arizona 26

Miami 31, Detroit 27

Atlanta 37, Carolina 34 (OT)

Tennessee 17, Houston 10

Washington 17, Indianapolis 16

San Francisco 31, L.A. Rams 14

Seattle 27, N.Y. Giants 13

Buffalo 27, Green Bay 17 

Cleveland 32, Cincinnati 13

 

College Football Top Ten

The Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten   (Week ending October 30)

1. Georgia (8-0)

2. Tennessee (8-0)

3. Ohio State (8-0)

4. Michigan (8-0)

5. Clemson (8-0)

6. Alabama (7-1) 

7. TCU (8-0)

8. Oregon (7-1) 

9. USC (7-1)

10. UCLA (7-1)

NFL - Week Eight Preview

 

The NFL has a bunch of clunker type looking games this weekend with a bunch of teams with losing records facing teams that are 4-3 or 3-4. The New York Giants (6-1) and Seattle Seahawks (4-3) are two of the bigger surprises so far this season and they square off in Seattle on Sunday afternoon. 

Green Bay (3-4) faces the powerful Buffalo Bills (5-1), who are coming off their bye week, on Sunday Night Football. Other than those two games, the only other contest that featured two teams being highly touted was Thursday night's game in Tampa between the Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens. Neither of those teams has been overwhelming this season to say the least. 

 

So skipping the formalities this week and getting right to the capsule style previews for the games and the Heftyinfo picks for all 15 games follow up. 

 

Denver (2-5) at Jacksonville (2-5) - (Game being played in London, England) - The Jaguars are the adopted London team as they play there every year in this series. The Broncos are a team that has no direction so far. 

Carolina (2-5) at Atlanta (3-4) - This game could go either way, but the Falcons at home against a poor Panthers team bodes well. 

Chicago (3-4) at Dallas (5-2) - The Bears pulled a stunner last Monday night in New England and if they can stop the run against the Cowboys, they have a chance to make it two in a row. 

Miami (4-3) at Detroit (1-5) - Tua is back and the Dolphins look like a different team with him. Can the Lions snap their five game skid?  

Arizona (3-4) at Minnesota (5-1) - Vikings should continue their roll and make it five straight victories. 

Las Vegas (2-4) at New Orleans (2-5) - The Saints defense has been getting lit up the last three games, so they need to get it right against a mediocre Raiders team.

New England (3-4) at New York Jets (5-2) - Just a hunch here in this one, so going with the Patriots. The Jets always struggle against the Pats. 

Pittsburgh (2-5) at Philadelphia (6-0) - The Eagles defense gets after people, so the Steelers could be in for a long day. 

Tennessee (4-2) at Houston (1-4-1) - The Titans have won four straight and should make it five against the meager Texans. 

Washington (3-4) at Indianapolis (3-3-1) - This game is the definition of a coin flip. Take the Colts in what should be a tight one. 

San Francisco (3-4) at Los Angeles Rams (3-3) - Cannot see the 49ers falling to 3-5 and they have been dominant against the Rams in the last three years in regular season games. 

New York Giants (6-1) at Seattle (4-3) - The two biggest surprise teams in the NFC go at it in this one. Picking the Seahawks in a squeaker. 

Green Bay (3-4) at Buffalo (5-1) - Let's Go Buffalo! The Bills roll in the Sunday night "prime time" game. 

Cincinnati (4-3) at Cleveland (2-5) - The Browns need this game bad and the Bengals will be without their top wide receiver (Ja'Marr Chase- hip injury) but still taking the Bengals. 

 

The Heftyinfo predictions for Week Eight     . . . . . . . . . . . .   (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS) 

 

Baltimore over Tampa Bay

Jacksonville over Denver (Game being played in London, England) 

Atlanta over Carolina 

Dallas over Chicago 

Miami over Detroit 

Minnesota over Arizona 

New Orleans over Las Vegas 

New England over N.Y. Jets 

PHILADELPHIA over Pittsburgh 

Tennessee over Houston 

Indianapolis over Washington 

San Francisco over L.A. Rams 

Seattle over N.Y. Giants 

Buffalo over Green Bay 

Cincinnati over Cleveland 

 

Last Week's Record - 9-5 

SEASON RECORD - 59-48-1 

Lock of the Week Record - 5-2 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Seven Recap

Bengals QB Joe Burrow dominated in big win on Sunday.

What Super Bowl hangover? 

The Cincinnati Bengals dismantled the visiting Atlanta Falcons, 35-17 on Sunday with quarterback Joe Burrow accounting for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) along with 481 passing yards as the Bengals improved to 4-3 with their fourth win in the last five games to remain tied for first place with Baltimore in the AFC North. Two of Burrow's TD passes went to wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (eight receptions for 130 yards). The Falcons (3-4) were behind 21-0 in the second quarter before managing to cut the deficit to 28-17 at the half as QB Marcus Mariota had a 75-yard TD pass to WR Damiere Byrd, but they never got close after that. The Bengals amassed 537 yards in total offense compared to just 214 yards for the Falcons.

The New York Giants won again, this time 23-17 at Jacksonville to improve to 6-1 with QB Daniel Jones throwing for a touchdown and also rushing for one while gaining 107 rushing yards. Saquon Barkley also topped 100 yards in the game as he ran for 110 yards to help lead the way to their fourth straight victory. The Jaguars (2-5) dropped their fourth consecutive game, but did almost pull this one out, but the Giants stopped a completed pass to WR Christian Kirk at the one-yard line as time expired. 

The Kansas City Chiefs ran their record to 5-2 as they crushed the host San Francisco 49ers, 44-23 behind a big game from WR Mecole Hardman, who had two touchdown runs and also an eight-yard TD reception from QB Patrick Mahomes (423 pass yards with three TD and one INT). Jimmy Garoppolo had two TD passes in defeat for the 49ers, who fell to 3-4 this season. 

In Los Angeles, the Seattle Seahawks (4-3) blew out the Chargers, 37-23 to take over first place in the NFC West. Running back Kenneth Walker had two scoring runs (including a 74-yard TD to seal the win) along with 168 yards on 23 carries. In addition, QB Geno Smith hooked up with WR Marquise Goodwin twice for scoring passes, including just before the half after the Chargers (4-3) had cut the 17-point Seattle lead down to three (17-14) after QB Justin Herbert (293 passing yards with two TD and one INT) threw a 13-yard scoring pass to WR Mike Williams, who would later leave the game with a severe ankle injury. The 'Bolts also lost cornerback J.C. Jackson to a knee injury, which could keep him out for the rest of the season. Seahawks WR DK Metcalf also left the game with a knee injury and will likely miss some time.

For the New York Jets, it was good and bad on Sunday in Denver. They won the game, 16-9 to improve to 5-2 for the season, but lost top running back Breece Hall for the rest of the season to a knee injury. Hall had a 62-yard TD run to open the scoring in this one and from there kicker Greg Zuerlein made three field goals to help provide the difference in the outcome. The Broncos (2-5) were without starting QB Russell Wilson (hamstring injury) for the game, but did manage to outgain the Jets in total yardage in the loss. 

The Carolina Panthers traded away their top offensive player (Christian McCaffrey) to the San Francisco 49ers during the week and then went out and beat down the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 21-3 behind a pair of TD passes by backup QB P.J. Walker to improve to 2-5 this year. The Panthers defense limited the Bucs (3-4) to just 46 rushing yards and frustrated QB Tom Brady and the Tampa offense as they dropped their fourth game in the last five.

In Baltimore, the Ravens (4-3) held on for a 23-20 win against the Cleveland Browns (2-5) with RB Gus Edwards scoring two touchdowns and kicker Justin Tucker nailing three field goals. The Browns got rushing touchdowns from Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the losing effort. 

On Thursday night, the host Arizona Cardinals (3-4) outlasted the New Orleans Saints, 42-34 with the defense scoring on two "pick six" interceptions thrown by Saints QB Andy Dalton. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray had a TD pass and the Cards had two rushing scores as well. The Saints (2-5) racked up 494 yards in total offense in the setback with Dalton throwing four TD passes with three interceptions and 361 yards. 

The Tennessee Titans (4-2) opened up some space in the AFC South division chase with a 19-10 home victory against the Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1) behind a 76-yard interception return for touchdown by Andrew Adams and four field goals. It was the second win for Tennessee against Indianapolis this season. Colts QB Matt Ryan had a TD pass, but also threw two interceptions and lost the starting job after the game as Head Coach Frank Reich made the announcement. 

The Dallas Cowboys (5-2) saw Dak Prescott return as the starting QB and they won at home, 24-6 against the Detroit Lions (1-5) with Ezekiel Elliott scoring twice on the ground and Prescott throwing a TD pass leading the way. The Lions were held without a touchdown for the second straight game after leading the NFL in scoring in their first four games. 

The Washington Commanders (3-4) surprised the visiting Green Bay Packers, 23-21 as backup QB Taylor Heinicke threw two TD passes to offset two by Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. Green Bay (3-4) dropped their third consecutive game and mustered just 232 total yards in offense. 

The Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) took over in the final quarter and won at home, 38-20 against the Houston Texans (1-4-1) with RB Josh Jacobs rushing for 143 yards on 20 carries and scoring three times. Raiders QB Derek Carr had a TD pass and a 73-yard INT return for TD by Duron Harmon. Texans QB Davis Mills had a pair of scoring passes along with 302 passing yards in defeat. 

On Sunday night in Miami, the Dolphins (4-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 16-10 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) thanks to a TD pass by QB Tua Tagovailoa (returning after missing two games with a concussion) and three field goals. The Steelers hung tough, getting a TD pass from rookie QB Kenny Pickett, but were shut down in the second half while Miami's defense had three interceptions to pace the win. 

The Chicago Bears (3-4) came to play in New England on Monday Night Football, blasting the Patriots, 33-14 with a dominating defense that forced four turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble) and quarterback Justin Fields passing for a touchdown and also scoring a rushing TD while gaining 82 yards on the ground. The Bears rushed for 243 yards in the game as well. The Patriots (3-4) took a brief 14-10 lead in the second quarter on a four-yard scoring run by running back Rhamondre Stevenson. From there, it was all Chicago as they limited the Pats to just twelve first downs and 260 total yards in offense in the blowout win.

WEEK SEVEN RESULTS 

Arizona 42, New Orleans 34

Dallas 24, Detroit 6

Carolina 21, Tampa Bay 3

Washington 23, Green Bay 21

Cincinnati 35, Atlanta 17

Baltimore 23, Cleveland 20

N.Y. Giants 23, Jacksonville 17

Tennessee 19, Indianapolis 10

N.Y. Jets 16, Denver 9

Kansas City 44, San Francisco 23

Seattle 37, L.A. Chargers 23

Las Vegas 38, Houston 20  

Miami 16, Pittsburgh 10 

Chicago 33, New England 14

 

College Football Top Ten

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten     (Week ending October 23) 

1. Georgia (7-0) 

2. Tennessee (7-0) 

3. Ohio State (7-0) 

4. Michigan (7-0) 

5. Clemson (8-0) 

6. Alabama (7-1) 

7. TCU (7-0) 

8. Oregon (6-1) 

9. Oklahoma State (6-1) 

10. USC (6-1)

NFL - Week Seven Preview

Going into Week Seven, one thing is for certain . . . the Philadelphia Eagles will still be undefeated when all the games are played. That is because they have the bye week, so they cannot lose. 

Little bit of snark there to start things off as Heftyinfo had the absolute worst ever week of predicting the outcome of the NFL action last week. 

4-10 

Ouch! 

This season has produced many surprises so far, especially New York, New York as in the Giants (5-1) and Jets (4-2) having so much early season success. 

Seriously, who in the hell saw that coming?  No one did. 

But give them credit because they are getting it done with solid defense and just enough offensive power to keep winning. Reminds me of the 1981 season (yeah, I'm pretty old these days) when both the Jets and Giants came up from the ash heap and made the playoffs that magical season. Another team that was magical back then was the San Francisco 49ers and the Cincinnati Bengals as well. Both teams had been bottom feeders in recent years prior to 1981, but they were the participants in Super Bowl XVI and the 'Niners, led by the legendary Joe Montana at quarterback, won it all. 

Reason for the history lesson is that the NFL is now and always has been  . . . UNPREDICTABLE !

Picking games this season has been nearly impossible and the fact so many games have gone down to the wire (as a result of teams blowing huge leads - see Baltimore Ravens) is downright ridiculous. No consistency from teams around the league. 

But with all that, the 14 games slated for this weekend should be exciting with some first place battles in division races happening. The Indianapolis Colts (3-2-1) and Tennessee Titans (3-2) square off in Nashville for the top spot in the AFC South while the Baltimore Ravens (3-3) will host the Cleveland Browns (2-4) in the tightly contested AFC North, where all four teams are separated by one game. 

The games are previewed in the capsule style format and the "predictions" follow up. Here's hoping for a much better week than last. 

Cleveland (2-4) at Baltimore (3-3) - The Ravens cannot possibly blow another fourth quarter lead, can they? 

Tampa Bay (3-3) at Carolina (1-5) - The Buccaneers have been struggling and the lowly Panthers could be just the tonic they need. 

Atlanta (3-3) at Cincinnati (3-3) -  The Falcons are yet another pleasant surprise this season. The Bengals have been stuck in neutral through the first six games, yet are tied for first place in their division. 

Detroit (1-4) at Dallas (4-2) - Dak is back! Cowboys QB returns after thumb surgery just in time for the slumping Lions, losers of four in a row. 

N.Y. Giants (5-1) at Jacksonville (2-4) - The Giants are on a roll. The Jags started out the season that way, but have lost three straight since then. 

Indianapolis (3-2-1) at Tennessee (3-2) - Both of these teams have overcome slow starts and are in their usual positions in the AFC South. 

Green Bay (3-3) at Washington (2-4) - Will the Packers drop a third consecutive game? 

N.Y. Jets (4-2) at Denver (2-4) - Two teams going in opposite directions, so it stands to reason the Broncos will win this one in this strange 2022 season. 

Houston (1-3-1) at Las Vegas (1-4) - Two bottom feeder teams go at it in this one. Take the Raiders. 

Seattle (3-3) at L.A. Chargers (4-2) - On paper, the Chargers should roll in this one, but the Seahawks are a feisty team that doesn't quit. 

Kansas City (4-2) at San Francisco (3-3) - The rematch of Super Bowl 54 . . . Take the Chiefs again. 

Pittsburgh (2-4) at Miami (3-3) - Tua Tagovailoa returns for this one for the Dolphins and the place should be rocking. Take the 'Fins. 

Chicago (2-4) at New England (3-3) - Why is Chicago on prime time games so often? They are not very good and the Patriots have been rolling with a third string QB the last two games. 

The Heftyinfo predictions for Week Seven  . . . . . . . . . . . .   (Home teams listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS) 

Arizona over New Orleans 

Baltimore over Cleveland 

Tampa Bay over Carolina 

Cincinnati over Atlanta  

DALLAS over Detroit 

Jacksonville over N.Y. Giants 

Tennessee over Indianapolis 

Green Bay over Washington 

N.Y. Jets over Denver 

Las Vegas over Houston 

L.A. Chargers over Seattle 

Kansas City over San Francisco 

Miami over Pittsburgh 

New England over Chicago 

Last Week's Record - 4-10 

SEASON RECORD - 50-43-1 

Lock of the Week Record - 4-2 

NFL - Week Six Recap

 The big game of the day was in Kansas City, where the Chiefs and Buffalo Bills went at it and the Bills got it done, 24-20 to improve to an AFC best 5-1 record while Kansas City dropped to 4-2. Bills quarterback Josh Allen (pictured left) threw for three touchdowns and had 329 passing yards in the win. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes had two TD passes, but also two interceptions, including a red zone pick in the first quarter and then another that clinched the win for Buffalo in the closing minute after the Bills went ahead on the TD pass from Allen to tight end Dawson Knox with just 1:04 left to go.  

The New York football teams continue to amaze and confound the "experts" as they just keep on winning games. This week, the Jets went into Lambeau Field in Green Bay and manhandled Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, 27-10 to improve to 4-2 this season.  The Jets broke a 3-3 halftime tie with a 20-yard rushing TD by Braxton Berrios and then got another score off a blocked punt of 20 yards by Will Parks for a 17-3 lead. The Packers (3-3) trimmed the deficit to 17-10 on a TD pass from QB Aaron Rodgers, but Jets running back Breece Hall (116 rushing yards) sealed the game for the Jets with a 34-yard TD early in the final quarter to help them improve to 4-2 for the season.

The Giants were at home against the Baltimore Ravens (3-3) and came out on top, 24-20 as QB Daniel Jones threw for two touchdowns and running back Saquon Barkley had a one-yard rushing score with 1:43 to play in the fourth quarter to lead the way and help the Giants improve to 5-1. Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson threw a costly interception that set up the winning TD drive for the Giants. 

 

The Vikings celebrate another big win.

Minnesota (5-1) continues to lead the NFC North division and they went into Miami and beat the
Dolphins, 24-16, which was the third consecutive defeat for Miami (3-3) as RB Dalvin Cook scored on a 53-yard touchdown run while QB Kirk Cousins had two TD passes. Dolphins QB Teddy Bridgewater (329 passing yards with two TD and two INT) wasn't expected to play, but was pressed into duty when starter Skylar Thompson was injured (thumb) and tried to lead his team back, but it wasn't quite enough, even with the Dolphins outgaining Minnesota by a 458-234 yardage margin.

The Indianapolis Colts (3-2-1) rallied from behind to defeat the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars, 34-27, scoring the go ahead TD with only 17 seconds remaining in the game on a 32-yard pass from QB Matt Ryan (389 passing yards with three TD) to WR Alec Pierce. The Jaguars (2-4) had gone ahead 27-26 when QB Trevor Lawrence connected with WR Christian Kirk on a four-yard TD pass with 2:44 remaining. Lawrence also had a rushing touchdown in defeat.

How about the New England Patriots (3-3) and rookie QB Bailey Zappe, who passed for 309 yards and a pair of touchdowns to pace the offense as they throttled the host Cleveland Browns, 38-15. Patriots running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Tyquan Thornton each had two scores and the Pats defense forced four turnovers (two fumbles, two interceptions) and had four sacks, which helped drop the Browns to 2-4 this season.

The Cincinnati Bengals improved to 3-3 with a win in New Orleans, 30-26 as QB Joe Burrow passed for three touchdowns and 300 yards, with two of the TD tosses going to wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (seven receptions for 132 yards) as they scored the final ten points in this one. The Saints (2-4) got four field goals from kicker Will Lutz along with a TD pass by QB Andy Dalton and a 44-yard TD run from Rashid Shaheed in the losing effort.

The Atlanta Falcons (3-3) knocked off the visiting San Francisco 49ers, 28-14 behind a rushing score and two TD passes by QB Marcus Mariota. The 49ers came into the game with numerous injuries, especially on defense and hung tough in the first half, but dropped to 3-3 with the setback. San Francisco QB Jimmy Garoppolo had 296 yards passing along with two TD and two interceptions, but they were shutout in the second half.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) lost starting QB Kenny Pickett (one touchdown pass) to a concussion, but Mitch Trubisky stepped right in and led the way to a 20-18 win at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) by throwing a six-yard scoring pass to WR Chase Claypool for a 20-12 lead early in the fourth quarter. The Bucs had just four field goals until Tom Brady threw a 11-yard TD pass to RB Leonard Fournette with 4:38 left to play, but the two-point conversion failed and the game ended with the Steelers snapping a four-game losing streak.

In the Thursday night game in Chicago, the Washington Commanders (2-4) beat the Bears, 12-7 as they recovered a fumbled punt return and turned it into a one-yard TD run by Brian Robinson for the win, which snapped their four-game losing streak. The Bears (2-4) took a 7-3 lead in the third quarter on a 40-yard TD pass from QB Justin Fields to WR Dante Pettis. For the game, Chicago totaled 392 yards to just 214 yards for the Commanders, but Fields was intercepted once and sacked five times while the Bears were turned away in the red zone four times.

The Seattle Seahawks used a suffocating defense as they sacked Arizona QB Kyler Murray six times and won at home, 19-9 to improve to 3-3 this season. It was all field goals until Chris Banjo recovered a fumble in the zone for a Cardinals touchdown to trim the Seattle lead to 12-9. Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker scored a rushing touchdown to put it out of reach and help put the Cards at 2-4 and in the NFC West basement while forcing a three-way tie for first place with San Francisco and the L.A. Rams.

In Los Angeles, the Rams (3-3) knocked off the hapless Carolina Panthers, 24-10 with QB Matthew Stafford getting a TD pass along with rushing touchdowns by Darrell Henderson and Ben Skowronek. The Panthers (1-5) only touchdown came on a "pick six" 30-yard INT return by Donte Jackson right before halftime. The Rams defense limited the Panthers to just 203 yards in total offense. 

The Sunday night game in Philadelphia saw the Eagles (6-0) get out to a 20-0 lead against the Dallas Cowboys (4-2) and then hold on for a 26-17 victory to stay undefeated. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts had two touchdown passes to go along with Miles Sanders' five-yard TD run and two field goals from Jake Elliott to make the difference. The Cowboys cut the deficit to 20-17 early in the fourth quarter when QB Cooper Rush threw a TD pass following a 14-yard TD run by running back Ezekiel Elliott, but the Eagles scored on Hurts' second TD pass to put the game away. 

The Los Angeles Chargers (4-2) outlasted the Denver Broncos in the Monday night game, 19-16 in overtime, thanks to a fumble recovery on a punt late in the extra quarter, which led to the game winning 39-yard field goal by Chargers kicker Dustin Hopkins, who made four field goals in the game despite an injury to his kicking leg. Denver (2-4) had a 10-0 lead after one quarter as kicker Brandon McManus made a 51-yard field goal and QB Russell Wilson threw a 39-yard TD pass to tight end Greg Dulcich. But L.A. came back on a six-yard scoring run by RB Austin Ekeler and a field goal by Hopkins. The rest of the game was all field goals for both teams with the Chargers getting their third straight victory to tie Kansas City for first place in the AFC West division. 

WEEK SIX RESULTS 

Washington 12, Chicago 7 

N.Y. Jets 27, Green Bay 10 

Minnesota 24, Miami 16 

N.Y. Giants 24, Baltimore 20 

New England 38, Cleveland 15 

Atlanta 28, San Francisco 14 

Pittsburgh 20, Tampa Bay 18 

Cincinnati 30, New Orleans 26 

Indianapolis 34, Jacksonville 27 

Buffalo 24, Kansas City 20

L.A. Rams 24, Carolina 10

Seattle 19, Arizona 9 

Philadelphia 26, Dallas 17 

L.A. Chargers 19, Denver 16 (OT)

College Football Top Ten

 The Heftyinfo College Football Top Ten   (Week ending October 16) 

1. Georgia (7-0)

2. Tennessee (6-0)

3. Ohio State (6-0)

4. Michigan (7-0)

5. Clemson (7-0)

6. Mississippi (7-0)

7. Alabama (6-1)

8. UCLA (6-0)

9. TCU (6-0)

10. Oregon (5-1)

NFL - Week Six Preview

 

Lots of big games on tap this weekend around the NFL, including the Buffalo Bills at the Kansas City Chiefs (both teams are 4-1) for the top spot in the AFC race. Also, the Sunday night game in Philadelphia between the undefeated Eagles (5-0) and the red hot Dallas Cowboys (4-1), winners of four straight and boasting one the best defenses so far this season in the NFL. 

The Chiefs won a squeaker last Monday night against the Las Vegas Raiders while the Bills pounded the Pittsburgh Steelers with quarterback Josh Allen throwing four touchdown passes. But K.C. quarterback Patrick Mahomes also had four TD tosses in their win and both of these guys know this is a huge game (even if it is only Week Six) and who knows, perhaps fans will be treated to another shootout like last year's playoff game. 

The Cowboys defense has been making life miserable form opposing teams and if they show the same relentlessness against the Eagles on Sunday night, it could be a fifth consecutive win and a tie for first place atop the NFC East. Philly QB Jalen Hurts can run and throw and will not be intimidated by the new "Dooms Day" defense the Cowboys have shown. Look for a close one here with a late field goal deciding the outcome. 

Not to be outdone are the New York Giants (4-1), who can be tied for first place in the NFC East (provided Dallas beats Philadelphia) if they win at home against the Baltimore Ravens (3-2) on Sunday afternoon. The Giants shocked the Green Bay Packers in London, England a week ago and now face Lamar Jackson and company, fresh off their Sunday night win at home against the Cincinnati Bengals, where "super toe" Justin Tucker nailed the game winning kick from 43 yards out as time expired. 

The Giants play solid defense and have so far done just enough on offense to win. Can QB Daniel Jones keep up with Lamar? Both can run the football effectively, but Jackson rates the edge in that area. Baltimore's defensive focus will be to stop Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who leads the NFL in scrimmage yardage through five games. This game will likely be a close one and if it comes down to the Ravens with the ball last, Tucker is money. 

The rest of the NFL action is featured in the capsule style previews and the Heftyinfo picks for this week follow. (Note- Four teams have a bye this week, which is the first time this season)

 

Washington (1-4) at Chicago (2-3) - Two bum teams on the Thursday night game . . . what else is new? 

San Francisco (3-2) at Atlanta (2-3) - The 49ers should win this one, but the Falcons are a tough out.  

New England (2-3) at Cleveland (2-3) - Who will be the starting QB for the Patriots? Might not matter if the Browns can get the running game going in this one. 

New York Jets (3-2) at Green Bay (3-2) - Can the J-E-T-S (Jets, Jets, Jets) pull this one out in Lambeau Field? Not likely. 

Jacksonville (2-3) at Indianapolis (2-2-1) - The Jaguars humiliated the Colts last month (24-0 shutout win) so the host team will be looking to get some revenge. 

Minnesota (4-1) at Miami (3-2) - The Dolphins are so banged up at the quarterback position, it's almost not fair. The Vikings rate the edge, but they always play on the edge themselves. Toss up here. 

Cincinnati (2-3) at New Orleans (2-3) - Who Dey? vs. Who Dat?  So . . . who wins? Take the Saints at home in a tight one. 

Tampa Bay (3-2) at Pittsburgh (1-4) - The Steelers are reeling. The Buccaneers have been so-so in their first five games. This one could go down to the wire. 

Carolina (1-4) at Los Angeles Rams (2-3) - Rams need a win in the worst way. Panthers just fired their head coach, so watch out. 

Arizona (2-3) at Seattle (2-3) - The loser of this game will likely be alone in the NFC West basement. Cards win in a squeaker. 

Denver (2-3) at Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) - The Monday night game between two teams whose head coaches have been called out for some interesting decisions this season. Chargers rate a slight edge at home in this game. 

 

The Heftyinfo picks for Week Six  . . . . . . . . . . .     (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS) 

Chicago over Washington 

San Francisco over Atlanta 

Cleveland over New England 

Green Bay over N.Y. Jets 

Indianapolis over Jacksonville 

Minnesota over Miami 

New Orleans over Cincinnati 

Baltimore over N.Y. Giants 

Tampa Bay over Pittsburgh 

L.A. RAMS over Carolina 

Arizona over Seattle 

Kansas City over Buffalo 

Dallas over Philadelphia 

L.A. Chargers over Denver 

Last Week's Record - 10-6 

SEASON RECORD - 46-33-1 

Lock of the Week Record - 3-2

 

NFL - Week Five Recap

The Philadelphia Eagles moved to 5-0 this season with a 20-17 win against the host Arizona Cardinals (2-3) and they escaped with the victory when Arizona kicker Matt Ammendola missed a potential game tying 43-yard field goal in the closing seconds. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (pictured left) scored two rushing touchdowns and kicker Cameron Dicker made two field goals, including the winning 23-yard field goal with 1:45 remaining. Cards QB Kyler Murray had a TD pass and 42 rushing yards in defeat.

The New York Giants (4-1) pulled off a surprise in London, England by beating the Green Bay Packers, 27-22. They overcame a 14-point deficit to win it as their defense stymied the Packers (3-2) in the second half, including batting down the final two passes by Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the red zone to seal it. Three rushing touchdowns for the Giants led the charge to the comeback win. Saquon Barkley scored the go ahead TD on a two-yard run with 6:12 remaining in the fourth quarter.

In Cleveland, the Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) survived for a 30-28 victory as Browns kicker Cade York missed a 54-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds. Chargers running back Austin Ekeler rushed for 173 yards and scored twice, a 22-yard run and a 12-yard receiving touchdown and kicker Taylor Bertolet made three field goals to provide the difference in the final outcome. The Browns (2-3) jumped out to a 14-0 lead and RB Nick Chubb (134 yards rushing) scored twice on the ground, but it wasn't enough. 

The Dallas Cowboys (4-1) won their fourth straight game, 22-10 on the road against the Los Angeles Rams (2-3) thanks to a 57-yard TD run by Tony Pollard and a 19-yard fumble return for TD by DeMarcus Lawrence to get it done. In addition, the Cowboys defense forced three turnovers and had five sacks. Rams WR Cooper Kupp had a 75-yard scoring catch in defeat. 

 

Bills QB Josh Allen celebrates with WR Gabriel Davis.

The Buffalo Bills (4-1) smashed the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers, 38-3 as they rolled up 552 total yards in offense. Buffalo QB Josh Allen had four TD passes in the rout and the defense had three sacks. It was the fourth straight loss for the Steelers (1-4) as they were dominated. Bills WR Gabriel Davis had two TD grabs, including a 98-yarder from Allen and finished with 171 receiving yards on just three receptions while Stefon Diggs had eight receptions for 102 yards and one touchdown.

 

The New England Patriots (2-3) won at home as they shut out the Detroit Lions (1-4), the NFL's highest scoring team through the first four games, 29-0 with the defense getting two sacks and forcing two turnovers, including a 59-yard fumble return TD by Kyle Dugger. Nick Folk made five field goals and rookie QB Bailey Zappe had a TD pass as well to pace the easy win. 

The San Francisco 49ers (3-2) crushed the host Carolina Panthers, 37-15 behind a stingy defense that had six sacks and a 41-yard interception return for a score by cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, who later suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for the rest of the season. Running back Tevin Coleman scored twice (rushing and receiving) to go with two TD passes from QB Jimmy Garoppolo and a rushing TD by Jeff Wilson, who had 120 yards rushing in the game. The Panthers fell to 1-4 with the loss and also fired Head Coach Matt Rhule earlier today. 

The New Orleans Saints (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with a wild 39-32 win at home against the Seattle Seahawks (2-3) in a huge game from Taysom Hill (nine carries for 112 yards), who scored three rushing touchdowns (including a 60-yard sprint to seal the win) and also threw a TD pass to lead the way. Seahawks QB Geno Smith had three TD passes in the loss and RB Ken Walker scored on a 69-yard run filling in for Rashaad Penny, who left with a broken leg that will keep him out for the rest of the season. 

The Minnesota Vikings (4-1) won at home against the Chicago Bears, 29-22 after jumping out to a 21-3 lead in the first half as RB Dalvin Cook scored two rushing touchdowns and QB Kirk Cousins (296 passing yards) threw a TD pass. But the Bears (2-3) bounced back thanks to a TD run by David Montgomery and a scoring pass from QB Justin Fields as well as three field goals by kicker Cairo Santos. But after falling behind, 22-21, Cousins scored the deciding TD on a one-yard run to make the difference. 

The AFC East division got a shakeup as the New York Jets routed the Miami Dolphins, 40-17 with QB Zach Wilson leading the offense by scoring one of five rushing touchdowns to improve them to 3-2 this season. The Jets ground game was led by rookie Breece Hall (97 yards and one TD) and Michael Carter, who scored two times. The Dolphins (3-2) had to turn to third string QB Skylar Thompson after backup Teddy Bridgewater suffered a concussion.  

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) survived against the visiting Atlanta Falcons (2-3) thanks to a controversial roughing the passer call on a sack of QB Tom Brady in a 21-15 win. The penalty allowed the Bucs to continue a late game drive and run out the clock. Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette had a pair of touchdowns, a rushing score and a one-yard pass from Brady to make it 21-0 late in the third quarter. The Falcons scored 15 points in the final quarter to make it close, but it wasn't enough. 

The Baltimore Ravens took over first place in the AFC North with a 19-17 home win against the Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) as kicker Justin Tucker made his fourth field goal of the game on Sunday night, a 43-yarder as time ran out. The Bengals had forged ahead, 17-16 when QB Joe Burrow scored on a one-yard run with 1:58 remaining in the fourth quarter. Burrow also had a 19-yard scoring pass to tight end Hayden Hurst in the second quarter to trim the deficit to 10-7. Baltimore led 10-0 following a field goal and then a TD pass from QB Lamar Jackson to TE Mark Andrews. 

The Houston Texans (1-3-1) became the last team this season to get a win, 13-6 at Jacksonville as RB Dameon Pierce scored on a one-yard run and Ka'imi Fairbairn made a pair of field goals. The Jaguars (2-3) just couldn't get things done on offense when it mattered and QB Trevor Lawrence was intercepted twice. 

The Tennessee Titans (3-2) took over first place in the AFC South division with a hard fought road win in Washington. The Titans won 21-17 as RB Derrick Henry had a pair of one-yard scoring runs and QB Ryan Tannehill threw a touchdown pass. The Commanders (1-4) dropped their fourth consecutive game even with QB Carson Wentz (359 passing yards) throwing two TD passes, but also one costly interception late in the game. 

The Thursday night game was all field goals as the Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1) beat the host Denver Broncos, 12-9 in overtime. Colts kicker Chase McLaughlin drilled his fourth field goal of the game from 48 yards in the OT session and the defense held the Broncos (2-3) out of the end zone to win it. Broncos kicker Brandon McManus had three field goals in the loss and both quarterbacks in the game threw two interceptions. Colts QB Matt Ryan was sacked six times and Broncos QB Russell Wilson was dropped four times in the scrum. 

The Monday Night Football game saw the Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) overcome a 17-0 deficit and defeat the visiting Las Vegas Raiders, 30-29 behind four TD passes by Patrick Mahomes (292 passing yards), with all of them going to tight end Travis Kelce. The Raiders (1-4) were dominant throughout most of the first half with QB Derek Carr (241 passing yards, two TD) connecting with WR Davante Adams (124 yards on three receptions) on the first of two TD passes they combined for along with a rushing TD by Josh Jacobs, who had 154 yards rushing in the loss. The second half belonged to the Chiefs as Mahomes and Kelce took over and the defense did just enough to help out.

WEEK FIVE RESULTS 

Indianapolis 12, Denver 9 (OT) 

N.Y. Giants 27, Green Bay 22   

L.A. Chargers 30, Cleveland 28

Minnesota 29, Chicago 22

N.Y. Jets 40, Miami 17

Tennessee 21, Washington 17 

Houston 13, Jacksonville 6 

Buffalo 38, Pittsburgh 3 

New England 29, Detroit 0 

New Orleans 39, Seattle 32 

Tampa Bay 21, Atlanta 15

San Francisco 37, Carolina 15

Dallas 22, L.A. Rams 10

Philadelphia 20, Arizona 17

Baltimore 19, Cincinnati 17

Kansas City 30, Las Vegas 29

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL - Post-Season Preview and Predicitons

 The Major League Baseball post-season gets started this weekend and this time around there will be four Wild Card series (not just one single elimination game as in the past) going on with the top two teams in each league getting the bye in the opening action. The Wild Card series is a best of three with the team ranked higher hosting all necessary games.

The Houston Astros (top seed) and the New York Yankees earned the first round byes in the American League while the Los Angeles Dodgers (best record in MLB in the 2022 season) and Atlanta Braves get the bye in the National League. 

This will be an interesting and (hopefully) exciting playoffs this October with the World Series going into early November. The opening rounds and then the divisional series and league championship series will be predicted along with the World Series. 

So here goes nothing as Heftyinfo previews the Wild Card rounds and forecasts the rest of the post-season. 

 

AMERICAN LEAGUE 

Wild Card Round -  (Tampa Bay over Cleveland in three games) - The Rays limped home at the end of the regular season, but they have a lot of playoff experience. The Guardians have been on a magic carpet ride this season. 

(Toronto over Seattle in two games) - The Blue Jays have a potent lineup and just enough pitching to be able to handle the Mariners, who are making the first post-season appearance for the franchise in 21 years. 

Divisional Series - New York Yankees over Tampa Bay in four games; Houston over Toronto in five games. 

ALCS - Houston over New York Yankees in six games. 

NATIONAL LEAGUE 

Wild Card Round - (St. Louis over Philadelphia in two games) - The Cardinals are loaded and should be able to get past the Phillies. 

(New York Mets over San Diego in three games) - The Mets have better pitching than the Padres and that will be the difference in this series. 

Divisional Series - Atlanta over St. Louis in five games; Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Mets in five games. 

NLCS - Los Angeles Dodgers over Atlanta in six games. 

WORLD SERIES   

Los Angeles Dodgers over Houston Astros in five games.

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Five Preview

 

Week Five kicks off on Thursday night with the Indianapolis Colts taking on the Denver Broncos in Denver. Each team will be missing their top running back in this one as Javonte Williams is out for the season with a knee injury for Denver while the Colts' Jonathan Taylor has an ankle issue and will not be active for the game. 

Neither one of these two teams are very good at this point and this game could be another Thursday night dud that streams out to football fans. The Colts have to cut down on the turnovers, especially quarterback Matt Ryan, who has been giving the football away more than a charity event in the first four games. Meanwhile, Broncos QB Russell Wilson hasn't been cooking at all on the offense. Broncos should win this game, but there are no guarantees in this year's version of the NFL. 

There is another game over in London, England this weekend as the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants go at it and both teams are sporting 3-1 records. Green Bay barely beat a depleted New England Patriots team in Lambeau Field last Sunday and the Giants were able to hold off the Chicago Bears in New Jersey. Anything can happen in this one and probably will. 

An interesting game this Sunday takes place in New Jersey with the New York Jets (2-2) facing the Miami Dolphins (3-1), who will be without QB Tua Tagovailoa (concussion and neck injury issues) and that could be a problem for them on offense. The Jets are flying high after pulling one out of the fire against Pittsburgh last week and who knows, maybe they can get a home win for a change. 

The Dallas Cowboys (3-1) have been rolling without Dak Prescott as reserve QB Cooper Rush has never lost a football game as the starting quarterback. This week, they travel to face the Los Angeles Rams (2-2) who just got smacked down on Monday night against the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams have been erratic through their first four games and they need to get things straightened out if they expect to beat Dallas. 

The Sunday night game features a battle in the AFC North division with the Baltimore Ravens hosting the Cincinnati Bengals. Both teams are 2-2 and this game is a big one to determine things in the divisional race, where three teams are 2-2 (Cleveland) with the Pittsburgh Steelers one game behind. The Ravens lost a tough one at home last week, blowing a 17-point lead against Buffalo. The Bengals throttled the Miami Dolphins and QB Joe Burrow has been playing mistake free football since the debacle in the opener. This one is a toss up and (Ravens QB) Lamar Jackson will likely be the pivotal player to decide the outcome.

The rest of the action for Week Five is included in the capsule style format and the Heftyinfo predictions will follow up.  

 

Pittsburgh (1-3) at Buffalo (3-1) - The Bills will not be surprised by the Steelers this year. 

L.A. Chargers (2-2) at Cleveland (2-2) - Toss up game here. Both of these teams are a mystery through the first four games. 

Houston (0-3-1) at Jacksonville (2-2) - The Jaguars should win this one, but there are NO guarantees in the NFL, especially the 2022 version. 

Chicago (2-2) at Minnesota (3-1) - The Bears are usually a thorn in the Vikings side, who are also coming off the trip overseas. 

Detroit (1-3) at New England (1-3) - The Lions are still the Lions it seems, finding ways to lose football games. Patriots aren't very good either. 

Seattle (2-2) at New Orleans (1-3) - Saints need this one to get back into the NFC South race. 

Atlanta (2-2) at Tampa Bay (2-2) - Who would have guessed that the Falcons would be in a battle for first place in the NFC South at this point?  Yet here they are. 

Tennessee (2-2) at Washington (1-3) - Another toss up game . . . Titans rate a slight edge. 

San Francisco (2-2) at Carolina (1-3) - The 49ers should win, but the Panthers won't just roll over for them. 

Philadelphia (4-0) at Arizona (2-2) - The Eagles better be ready for this game because the Cardinals are right there in the NFC West race and could spring a surprise. 

Las Vegas (1-3) at Kansas City (3-1) - The Monday Night Football game between the Raiders and the Chiefs . . . In Kansas City . . .  Take the Chiefs. 

 

The Heftyinfo picks for Week Five  . . . . . . . . . .   (Home teams are listed in bold; Lock of the Week is listed in BOLD CAPS) 

 

Denver over Indianapolis 

Green Bay over N.Y. Giants (Game being played in London, England)

Buffalo over Pittsburgh 

Cleveland over L.A. Chargers 

Jacksonville over Houston 

Minnesota over Chicago 

New England over Detroit 

New Orleans over Seattle 

N.Y. Jets over Miami 

Tampa Bay over Atlanta 

Tennessee over Washington 

San Francisco over Carolina 

Arizona over Philadelphia 

L.A. Rams over Dallas 

Baltimore over Cincinnati 

KANSAS CITY over Las Vegas 

Last Week's Record - 10-6 

SEASON RECORD - 36-27-1 

Lock of the Week Record - 2-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Four Recap

 

The Kansas City Chiefs served notice on Sunday night in Tampa Bay that they are not going away any time soon  even without (traded star wide receiver) Tyreek Hill. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes (pictured left) had a huge game against the Buccaneers, passing for 249 yards with three touchdowns (and one interception) as the Chiefs beat the Bucs, 41-31 to improve to 3-1 this season. Kansas City raced out to a 21-3 lead in the second quarter and never looked back as running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (92 rushing yards) scored twice, one rushing and one receiving to help pace the attack. Tom Brady had three TD passes (along with 385 passing yards) in defeat as the Buccaneers dropped to 2-2 this season. 

The Buffalo Bills (3-1) roared back from a 17-point deficit to defeat the host Baltimore Ravens, 23-20 when kicker Tyler Bass made a 21-yard field goal as time ran out. Baltimore dropped to 2-2 as they saw a 20-3 first half lead melt away when Bills QB Josh Allen threw for a touchdown and also scored one rushing (11-yard TD) to go with the three field goals by Bass for the win. Bills safety Jordan Poyer  intercepted Lamar Jackson's pass in the end zone on fourth down late in the fourth quarter to help set up the game winning drive. 

The Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) remained unbeaten as they battled back from an early 14-0 deficit to beat the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars, 29-21 in soggy Philadelphia. The rain poured down throughout the game as the Eagles saw the Jaguars score quickly in the first quarter on a 59-yard interception TD by safety Andre Cisco and then a scoring pass by QB Trevor Lawrence. But the Eagles then scored 29 unanswered points on four scoring runs and a field goal before the Jaguars (2-2) made it closer on the second TD pass from Lawrence to wide receiver Jamal Agnew, but it was not enough as the Eagles came away with the victory. 

Over in London, England the Minnesota Vikings outlasted the New Orleans Saints, 28-25 when kicker Greg Joseph made a 47-yard field goal with 24 seconds left. The Saints (1-3) then drove into field goal range, but Will Lutz, who had made a 60-yard FG to tie the game 25-25 just two minutes earlier, saw the 61-yard attempt "double doink" off the upright and crossbar and the Vikings (3-1) got the win. Minnesota got five field goals and also a scoring run by WR Justin Jefferson (three yards) and a TD pass by Kirk Cousins to offset a TD pass by New Orleans QB Andy Dalton and a touchdown run from Taysom Hill. 

The Green Bay Packers (3-1) won their third consecutive game as they knocked off the visiting New England Patriots, 27-24 in overtime on a 31-yard field goal by Mason Crosby. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw a pair of scoring passes, but was also a victim of the "pick six" INT by Patriots DB Jonathan Jones for a 40-yard touchdown. New England (1-3) was down to their third string QB with Bailey Zappe filling in for Brian Hoyer, who suffered a concussion earlier in the game. Zappe had a TD pass to keep it close before the Packers were able to get the win. 

The New York Jets improved to 2-2 with another road win, 24-20 against the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) as Zach Wilson made his first start at quarterback this season and threw a fourth quarter TD pass to WR Cory Davis along with the go ahead two-yard scoring run by RB Breece Hall with only 16 seconds remaining. Wilson also caught a two-yard scoring pass in the first half. The Steelers pulled starting QB Mitch Trubisky in favor of rookie QB Kenny Pickett, who was intercepted three times, but two of them were off deflections. Pickett had two rushing touchdowns in the loss. 

Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa was knocked out of the game.

 

Last Thursday night the Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) won their second straight game as the toppled the visiting Miami Dolphins, 27-15 with QB Joe Burrow leading the way with two TD passes while WR Tee Higgins (seven receptions for 124 yards) had a touchdown and RB Joe Mixon scored a rushing touchdown. The Dolphins (3-1) lost for the first time in 2022 and also lost QB Tua Tagovailoa to a serious neck and head injury as he was carted off the field on a stretcher. He will likely be out for Week Five action as well. 

 

The New York Giants (3-1) beat the Chicago Bears, 20-12 with QB Daniel Jones scoring twice on the ground (even though he suffered an ankle injury and was out for part of the game) and the defense limiting Chicago (2-2) to 155 pass yards and getting six QB sacks in the win. The Bears could only muster up four field goals in the loss. 

The Los Angeles Chargers put aside all the injury problems they have had in the first three weeks to defeat the Houston Texans, 34-24 on the road with QB Justin Herbert throwing a pair of TD passes and RB Austin Ekeler having a big day, getting three touchdowns (two rushing and one receiving) to pace the effort. The Chargers defense had two interceptions and also four sacks to hold off the Texans (0-3-1) comeback effort in the second half. Texans QB Davis Mills had two TD passes to help get his team back within three points after trailing 27-7 at the half. But the 'Bolts went on a long drive in the fourth quarter to seal the deal with 2:28 left to play when Herbert connected with Ekeler on a 14-yard scoring pass. 

The Las Vegas Raiders (1-3) finally won as they topped the Denver Broncos, 32-23 in Vegas with Josh Jacobs scoring twice and gaining 144 rushing yards to go with a 68-yard fumble return for TD by DB Amik Robertson. The Broncos (2-2) got a rushing TD from QB Russell Wilson along with two TD passes, but lost running back Javonte Williams for the season with a knee injury. 

Arizona (2-2) won a yawner game in Carolina, 26-16 with quarterback Kyler Murray throwing for two touchdowns and also scoring a four-yard rushing touchdown to lead the way. The Panthers (1-3) got a defensive TD (33-yard INT return by linebacker Frankie Luvu) for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and later a 13-yard scoring pass from Baker Mayfield to RB Christian McCaffrey in the fourth quarter, but by that time the Cardinals were on their way to the win. 

The Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions combined for a ton of points and yardage in a wild one in Motown. The Seahawks (2-2) came away with a hard fought 48-45 victory as they amassed 55 total yards in offense. Meanwhile the Lions (1-3) gained 520 yard in total offense with QB Jared Goff throwing four TD passes in the loss. Seattle QB Geno Smith had two TD passes and a rushing score as well, but RB Rashaad Penny scored twice on the ground, including scoring runs of 36 and 41 yards, to go with 151 yards for the game on 17 carries. A 40-yard INT return for touchdown by rookie corner Tariq Woolen helped make the difference for the Seahawks in the winning effort. 

The Dallas Cowboys improved to 3-1 with a third consecutive victory as they beat the visiting Washington Commanders, 25-10 as QB Cooper Rush had two scoring passes along with four field goals by Brett Maher. Washington (1-3) dropped their third straight game as they turned the ball over twice on interceptions. 

The Atlanta Falcons won at home, 23-20 against the Cleveland Browns (2-2) with Younghoe Koo drilling his third field goal (45 yards) of the game to make the difference with 2:28 remaining in the game. The Falcons (2-2) had two rushing touchdowns as did the Browns as RB Nick Chubb scored one and had 118 rushing yards in defeat. 

Tennessee (2-2) gained a share of first place in the AFC South division as they bested the host Indianapolis Colts, 24-17, dropping Indy to 1-2-1 this season. Titans RB Derrick Henry rushed for 114 yards and scored a touchdown on a 19-yard run while QB Ryan Tannehill had a pair of scoring passes. The Colts turned the football over three times in the loss that saw QB Matt Ryan throw two TD passes along with one interception.

The San Francisco 49ers (2-2) continued their recent regular season dominance against the Los Angeles Rams, winning at home, 24-9 on Monday Night Football. The 'Niners used good defense, including a game clinching 52-yard interception return for a score by Talanoa Hufanaga to beat the Rams (2-2) along with touchdowns by RB Jeff Wilson (32-yard run) and WR Deebo Samuel, who scored on a 57-yard TD pass from QB Jimmy Garoppolo. Rams QB Matthew Stafford turned the ball over twice (interception and fumble) and was sacked seven times in the loss.

WEEK FOUR RESULTS 

Cincinnati 27, Miami 15 

Minnesota 28, New Orleans 25  (Game played in London, England)  

N.Y. Giants 20, Chicago 12 

N.Y. Jets 24, Pittsburgh 20 

L.A. Chargers 34, Houston 24 

Philadelphia 29, Jacksonville 21 

Seattle 48, Detroit 45

Buffalo 23, Baltimore 20 

Atlanta 23, Cleveland 20 

Dallas 25, Washington 10 

Tennessee 24, Indianapolis 17 

Arizona 26, Carolina 16

Green Bay 27, New England 24 (OT)

Las Vegas 32, Denver 23

Kansas City 41, Tampa Bay 31

San Francisco 24, L.A. Rams 9