NFL - Week Nine Recap

 

Jets rookie Sauce Gardner and the defense helped beat the Buffalo Bills.

The New York Jets pulled off the stunner of the day as they beat the Buffalo Bills, 20-17 on Sunday to go to 6-3 this season. Greg Zuerlein made his second field goal (28 yards) of the game with 1:43 remaining to make the difference. The Bills (6-2) got two rushing touchdowns from quarterback Josh Allen, who also was sacked five times and threw two interceptions, but the Jets defense thwarted the final drive to preserve the win. Running backs Michael Carter and James Robinson each provided touchdowns for the Jets as they led 17-14 entering the fourth quarter. 

Minnesota (7-1) won for the sixth straight time with a fourth quarter rally to erase a 17-7 deficit to beat the host Washington Commanders, 20-17. Vikings kicker Greg Joseph nailed the game winning 28-yard field goal with twelve seconds left. The Commanders (4-5) took a ten-point lead on the second TD pass from QB Taylor Heinicke early in the fourth quarter. But the Vikes stormed back on a 12-yard TD pass from Kirk Cousins to RB Dalvin Cook and the two field goals to get the victory. 

The Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) blasted the visiting Carolina Panthers, 42-21 as RB Joe Mixon scored FIVE touchdowns (four rushing and one receiving) to lead the way. Mixon ran for 153 yards and also caught four passes for 58 yards. The Bengals defense overwhelmed the Panthers (2-7) by forcing three turnovers (including two interceptions) and holding them to just 228 total yards in offense. 

The Miami Dolphins (6-3) won on the road, 35-32 against the Chicago Bears for their third consecutive win as QB Tua Tagovailoa had three TD passes and a 25-yard scoop and score by Andrew Van Ginkel off a blocked punt helped determine the final score. The Bears (3-6) kept things close throughout thanks in big part to QB Justin Fields, who set an NFL single game record for rushing yards by a quarterback as he went for 178 yards (on 15 carries) which included a 61-yard TD romp to get the Bears to within 28-25 in the third quarter. 

Tampa Bay (4-5) snapped a three-game losing streak as QB Tom Brady threw a one-yard scoring pass to tight end Cade Otton with just nine seconds remaining to get a 16-13 win against the visiting Los Angeles Rams. Buccaneers kicker Ryan Succop made three field goals to help the effort while Rams QB Matthew Stafford connected with wide receiver Cooper Kupp on a 69-yard TD pass for an early lead, but it wasn't enough as the Rams dropped to 3-5 this season. 

Last Thursday night, the Philadelphia Eagles ran their record to a league best 8-0 as they won 29-17 on the road against the Houston Texans (1-6-1). Eagles QB Jalen Hurts had a pair of TD passes along with two rushing scores (by Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell) in the win. The Texans got two scoring passes from QB Davis Mills (along with two INT) and were tied with Philly 14-14 at the half, but could only get a field goal in the second half. 

The Seattle Seahawks got a road win, 31-21 in Arizona as QB Geno Smith threw two scoring passes and RB Kenneth Walker scored twice on the ground to help them improve to 6-3 this year. The Seattle defense registered five sacks on Cardinals QB Kyler Murray, who also had two TD passes in the loss, which put the Cards at 3-6 this season. 

The Detroit Lions (2-6) snapped a five game losing streak with a 15-9 home win against the Green Bay Packers (3-6), who dropped their fifth straight game as QB Aaron Rodgers was intercepted three times, including twice in the red zone. Lions QB Jared Goff had two TD passes in the victory.

The Los Angeles Chargers improved to 5-3 with a 20-17 road win against the Atlanta Falcons (4-5) when kicker Cameron Dicker made a 37-yard field goal as time expired. The Chargers were without their top two wide receivers and a tight end, but RB Austin Ekeler scored twice with a rushing touchdown and a one-yard scoring pass from QB Justin Herbert. The Falcons raced out to a 10-0 first quarter lead as RB Cordarrelle Patterson (two TD in game) scored on a one-yard run and Younghoe Koo drilled a 29-yard field goal, but the 'Bolts led 14-10 at the half with Ekeler scoring twice. 

 

In the Sunday night game, the Kansas City Chiefs (6-2)  outlasted the visiting Tennessee Titans, 20-17 in overtime as QB Patrick Mahomes (pictured right)  scored on a 14-yard run late in the fourth quarter and then did the same on a two-point conversion to tie it 17-17. The Titans (5-3) got two scoring runs from RB Derrick Henry (115 rush yards) to help build a 17-9 lead, but Mahomes (who went 43-for-68 with 446 passing yards and one TD, one INT in the game) did his thing as he also racked up 63 rushing yards to help keep his team atop the AFC West division. 

 

The New England Patriots (5-4) won for the second straight time as they leveled the visiting Indianapolis Colts, 26-3 with the defense scoring on a 17-yard "pick six" by Jonathan Jones and also getting a scoring pass from QB Mac Jones to go with four field goals by Nick Folk. The Colts (3-5-1) gained a paltry 121 yards in total offense in the game and allowed NINE QB sacks. Earlier today, they fired Head Coach Frank Reich and replaced him with interim coach Jeff Saturday, who played with the team for 14 seasons. 

Jacksonville (3-6) beat the visiting Las Vegas Raiders, 27-20 to end a five-game losing streak as RB Travis Etienne scored twice on the ground and rushed for 109 yards along with a TD pass from QB Trevor Lawrence to lead the way. The Raiders (2-6) led 17-0 in the second quarter when QB Derek Carr threw his second TD pass of the game, but after that it was all Jaguars as the defense shut down Las Vegas in the second half and they also used a balanced offense (403 total yards with 168 rushing and 235 passing) to get the win.

On Monday Night Football, the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) won 27-13 against the host New Orleans Saints (3-6) as RB Kenyan Drake scored two touchdowns and rushed for 93 yards while QB Lamar Jackson had a TD pass. 

WEEK NINE RESULTS 

Philadelphia 29, Houston 17 

Miami 35, Chicago 32

Cincinnati 42, Carolina 21 

L.A. Chargers 20, Atlanta 17

Detroit 15, Green Bay 9 

Minnesota 20, Washington 17 

Jacksonville 27, Las Vegas 20

New England 26, Indianapolis 3

N. Y. Jets 20, Buffalo 17 

Seattle 31, Arizona 21

Tampa Bay 16, L.A. Rams 13

Kansas City 20, Tennessee 17 (OT) 

Baltimore 27, New Orleans 13