Eagles, Chiefs Punch Super Bowl Tickets

The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs won their conference championship games and will meet up in Super Bowl 57 in Arizona in two weeks. 

The Eagles dismantled the visiting San Francisco 49ers, 31-7 in the NFC title game while the Chiefs won a 23-20 thriller at home against the Cincinnati Bengals, many of whom had the audacity to call Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium . . . "Burrow"head Stadium as they had beaten the Chiefs three straight times heading into the AFC Championship game on Sunday. 

 

The Eagles celebrate their big win.

PHILADELPHIA 31, SAN FRANCISCO 7 - The Eagles rolled in this game, taking a 21-7 lead at halftime as the 49ers lost starting quarterback Brock Purdy to an elbow injury, which forced Josh Johnson, their fourth QB on the roster, into the game. The Eagles took full advantage and scored 24 unanswered points to get the win. Philadelphia rushed for 148 yards and scored four rushing touchdowns, with two of them by Miles Sanders along with Boston Scott and QB Jalen Hurts also scoring on runs. The lone 49ers TD came on a 23-yard scoring run by running back Christian McCaffrey. 

 

The Eagles defense dominated in this game as the 49ers were limited to eleven first downs and 164 total yards of offense. In addition, the Philly defense forced three turnovers (all fumble recoveries) and had three sacks. San Francisco also committed eleven penalties in the loss. 

KANSAS CITY 23, CINCINNATI 20 - The Chiefs are going back to their third Super Bowl in the last four years as they won at home on a 45-yard field goal by Harrison Butker with three seconds remaining in the game. It was the third field goal in the game for Butker, who drilled two first quarter kicks for a 6-0 lead. 

Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes was limping around noticeably in the second half, but gutted it out and passed for two touchdowns along with 326 passing yards and also scrambled to get his team into the field position for the game winning kick after a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty was added onto his run. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce had seven catches for 78 yards and a 14-yard TD reception for a 13-3 lead late in the second quarter. Kansas City took a 13-6 lead into the half. 

Chiefs stars Travis Kelce (left) and Patrick Mahomes raise the AFC championship trophy. 

 

The Bengals rallied back twice in the second half as QB Joe Burrow (270 passing yards, one TD and two interceptions) connected with wide receiver Tee Higgins for a 27-yard scoring pass to make it 13-13 with 9:54 left in the third quarter. The Chiefs came right back when Mahomes threw a 19-yard TD pass to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling with 4:15 remaining in the quarter for a 20-13 lead. 

 

In the final quarter, Cincinnati tied the game at 20-20 on a two-yard scoring run by Samaje Perine with 13:30 left to play. Both teams had turnovers on ensuing drives in the fourth quarter and the Chiefs defense, which recorded five QB sacks, forced a punt in the final two minutes which led to their drive for the game winning field goal. 

Never Again

If this guy is actually allowed to run for President of the United States again, it's anything goes. 

LITERALLY ! 

This piece of shit is the chief purpose of the insurrection that took place a little over two years ago and he is nothing but a traitor to this country that we call the United Sates of America. Anyone who supports that is one and the same. 

People like that cannot be able to run for any political office, let alone the highest office in the land.

There is no sugar coating any of this and if a person really cares about this country, there's no denying that people like him (see current Florida gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas gov. Greg Abbott among many other republican political characters) are a clear and present danger to the stability of American Democracy. 

That's it folks . . . 

Period. 

End of story. 

Saturday Hodge Podge

 Random photos of folks and celebs through the years  . . . 

AFC Championship Game Preview

 The Kansas City Chiefs will get another chance to solve the one team that seems to have their number over the past two seasons. The Cincinnati Bengals have knocked off the Chiefs three times since the 2021 season, including in last year's AFC title game, which was also played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. 

 

The Bengals are led by quarterback Joe Burrow and a high powered offense that features a trio of wide receivers that can burn any defense. Last year, the Bengals overcame a 18-point deficit and beat the Chiefs, 27-24 in overtime to advance to the Super Bowl. In addition, the Cincinnati defense has been steadily improving and got after Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen last week, forcing three turnovers as they blasted the Bills, 27-10. 

The Chiefs beat Jacksonville last Saturday to get to this stage and they know the Bengals will be a tough challenge. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is dealing with an ankle sprain and from all indications, he will be ready to go this Sunday. If Mahomes cannot be his usual effective self, it could get ugly for the Chiefs. 

Look for a high scoring game in this one with another overtime possible. The Bengals should make it four in a row over Kansas City and a lot will depend on whether Kansas City's defense can get to Burrow and force some mistakes. The call here is that won't happen and the Bengals will get back to the Super Bowl for a second straight year. 

Heftyinfo pick -  Cincinnati 30, Kansas City 28

 

NFC Championship Game Preview

On Sunday in Philadelphia, the Eagles will host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game. 

The Eagles have been flying high all year and had the best record in the NFL (14-3) during the regular season, led by quarterback Jalen Hurts and a high scoring offense. The defense has been tremendous as well, boasting a league leading 70 quarterback sacks in the 2022 season. They also have a ball hawking secondary that knows how to make things happen by creating turnovers.

But the 49ers will not be intimidated at all as they have league's best defense in yardage and scoring. They can bring the pressure as well and they had the second best rushing defense in the regular season. On offense, San Francisco has many weapons and the quarterback play has been stellar since Brock Purdy took over late in the season when both Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance (injured in September) went down for the count. 

This game should be a hard hitting affair with both teams holding their own on the defensive front. A lower scoring game would not be a surprise at all with turnovers likely deciding the winner in this one. Anything can happen and usually does when the NFL post-season gets going, but the two top seeds in the NFC are here and this game should be close. 

 

Heftyinfo pick -  San Francisco 24, Philadelphia 20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL Playoffs - Divisional Round Recap

And then there were four. 

The NFC and AFC Championship games are set. 

It will be the Philadelphia Eagles hosting the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC and the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC title tilt. The Bengals beat the Chiefs in Kansas City a year ago to get to the Super Bowl and they will be going for the repeat performance next Sunday. 

The Bengals are going back to the AFC Championship game.

 

Cincinnati 27, Buffalo 10 - On Sunday afternoon, the Bengals blasted the host Buffalo Bills, 27-10 with the defense dominating and quarterback Joe Burrow tossing two touchdown passes and running back Joe Mixon scoring a rushing touchdown while the offense compiled 412 yards (172 rushing and 240 passing) and 30 first downs.

 

Burrow (242 passing yards) connected with wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase for 28 yards for the first touchdown and then with tight end Hayden Hurst on a 15-yard scoring pass for a 14-0 lead with 3:47 remaining in the first quarter. Bills QB Josh Allen scored from a yard out to make it 14-7 midway through the second quarter. The Bengals kicked a field goal just before the half for a 17-7 edge. Buffalo would close to within seven points (17-10) when Tyler Bass kicked a 25-yard field goal with 7:42 left in the third quarter, but then Mixon scored on the one-yard run late in the third quarter and Evan McPherson sealed the game with a 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter for the final outcome.

 

Kansas City 27, Jacksonville 20 - A day earlier in Kansas City, the Chiefs outlasted the Jacksonville Jaguars, 27-20 as they overcame QB Patrick Mahomes getting a sprained ankle in the game. Backup QB Chad Henne led a 98-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter as Kansas City built a 17-7 lead. Henne threw a one-yard TD pass to tight end Travis Kelce, who had 14 receptions for 98 yards and two scores. Mahomes had thrown a eight-yard scoring pass to Kelce in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead. 

The Chiefs held a 17-10 halftime lead as the Jags had a field goal late in the half to go with a ten-yard TD pass from QB Trevor Lawrence to wide receiver Christian Kirk. In the third quarter, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker made his second 50-yard field goal for a 20-10 led. The fourth quarter saw Jacksonville get to within three points (20-17) when running back Travis Etienne had a four-yard scoring run. Then Mahomes, who returned to action, connected with WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling on a six-yard scoring toss for a 27-17 lead with 7:08 remaining. 

Then Jacksonville had back-to-back turnovers as RB Jamal Agnew fumbled inside the Kansas City five-yard line and Lawrence was intercepted on the next possession. Riley Patterson made a 48-yard field goal with 25 seconds left to account for the final score as the Chiefs then recovered the onside kick to end things to get back to their fifth consecutive AFC Championship game.

 

Philadelphia 38, N.Y. Giants 7 - On Saturday night in Philadelphia, the Eagles crushed the visiting New York Giants, 38-7 with QB Jalen Hurts throwing two TD passes and the offense rolling up 268 rushing yards along with three scoring runs to pace the easy win. The Eagles outgained the Giants, 416-227 in total yardage. 

The Eagles celebrate big win over the Giants.

 

Philly running back Kenny Gainwell rushed for 112 yards and scored on a 35-yard run while Miles Sanders ran for 90 yards and Boston Scott added a three-yard TD run along with Hurts scoring on a five-yard run. The Giants defense had no answers and their offense mustered just one score midway through the third quarter on a eight-yard TD run by Matt Breida to cut their deficit to 28-7. The Eagles defense shut them down the rest of the way, getting an interception and five QB sacks while the offense added ten more points.

 

San Francisco 19, Dallas 12 -  The game in San Francisco between the 49ers and Dallas Cowboys was a defensive struggle and 49ers came away with a hard fought 19-12 victory as Robbie Gould kicked four field goals and RB Christian McCaffrey scored on a two-yard run with 14:58 left in the fourth quarter to help make the difference in the final outcome. 

The 'Niners took a 3-0 lead on Gould's first kick (26 yards) but then the Cowboys took a 6-3 lead with 9:25 left in the second quarter when QB Dak Prescott (206 passing yards, one TD, two interceptions) threw a four-yard scoring pass to tight end Dalton Schultz. The extra point was blocked and then Gould drilled two more field goals, including a 50-yarder as time expired for a 9-6 halftime lead. 

In the second half, Dallas would tie the game 9-9 on a 25-yard field goal by Brett Maher with 9:08 left in the third quarter. From there, McCaffrey scored his touchdown prior to Maher drilling a 43-yard field goal to trim the San Francisco lead to 16-12 with 11:03 remaining. Gould would make a 28-yard field goal with 3:08 left and then the 'Niners defense twice stopped the Cowboys to end the game and advance to their third NFC Championship game in the last four years. 

 

NFL Playoffs - Divisional Round Preview

The NFL Playoffs advance to the divisional round and the four home teams all are favored to win. That doesn't necessarily mean they will of course as this round of the playoffs usually provides the biggest surprises. 

Both of the Saturday games are re-matches as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Jacksonville Jaguars (Chiefs won regular season game, 27-17 in K.C.) and the Philadelphia Eagles swept the New York Giants, an NFC East divisional rival, this past regular season. The two Sunday games have the Buffalo Bills hosting the Cincinnati Bengals and of course, we all know what happened on January 2 when they were supposed to play in Cincinnati on Monday Night Football. The final game of the weekend takes place in San Francisco where the 49ers will host the Dallas Cowboys. 

Here's a look at all four games with the Heftyinfo predictions following up. 

Saturday, January 21 

Jacksonville Jaguars at Kansas City Chiefs - The Chiefs are coming off the bye week as the top team in the AFC this year. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are fortunate just to be in this round after falling behind the Los Angeles Chargers, 27-0 in the wild card round. Of course, they staged the third biggest comeback win ever in NFL playoff history to get here. So don't tell them and quarterback Trevor Lawrence they cannot beat the Chiefs. 

Kansas City just keeps rolling along after all the naysayers were claiming QB Patrick Mahomes would have a hard time without speedy wide receiver Tyreek Hill (traded to Miami) but all he did was throw for a league high 41 touchdowns and also 5,250 passing yards with just 12 interceptions. The Jags can hang with the Chiefs, especially if their defense steps up and pressures Mahomes while limiting the K.C. ground game. It's a a tall order, but that will be the key for Jacksonville having the chance to win. 

The Jags can score as long as Lawrence is given time to do his thing, which they proved in the second half last Saturday by outscoring the Chargers, 31-3 to win the game. Lawrence overcame four first half interceptions along the way and if Jags can duplicate the balanced offensive attack they have, this one will be close. 

 

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles are the number-one seed in the NFC and they blasted the Giants in a 48-22 road win  in early December with the offense clicking and the defense limiting Giants running back Saquon Barkley to only 28 rushing yards while the defense also had seven QB sacks in the rout. But that was then and doesn't matter after the Giants showed they are playoff ready with the 31-24 win at Minnesota last week. 

The G-Men were rolling on offense and QB Daniel Jones had a big day, passing for 301 yards and two scores while also rushing for 78 yards and Barkley scoring two rushing touchdowns. The Giants offensive line will need to protect Jones from the formidable Philly pass rush, which totaled 70 sacks in the regular season. The New York defense will have to contain Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, who only played in one of the final three Eagles regular season games after suffering a shoulder injury in Week 15.

Hurts is a dual threat as he passed for 3,701 yards (22 TD, six INT) and also rushed for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns. Miles Sanders led the Eagles in rushing with 1,269 yards and scored eleven rushing touchdowns. Wide receivers DeVonta Smoith (95 receptions, 1,196 yards, seven TD) and A.J. Brown (88, 1,496, 11 TD) are the dual threats in the Eagles' passing game. The Giants must contain them or it will be a long day for them. 

Sunday, January 22 

Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills - This will be the game that hopefully people will be talking about for the right reasons as time goes by. The Bills and Bengals were supposed to play three weeks ago, but the tragic collapse of Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin due to coronary attack put things in perspective and that game was canceled. 

The game this weekend in Buffalo is for a chance to advance to the AFC Championship Game and both teams are very capable of making that happen. The Bengals are the defending AFC champions and QB Joe Burrow has been stellar once again this year and all the weapons he has to throw to make the Bengals a strong team indeed. Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd are a tremendous trio of wide receivers and the Bills secondary will have their hands full. The Cincy defense is also solid and has been improving all season long and was the big reason they beat the Baltimore Ravens last week as DE Sam Hubbard took a fumble back 98 yards to the house in the fourth quarter in the win. 

The Bills are looking to get past the divisional round after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs last season in that memorable game in K.C., which the Chiefs won in overtime. Bills QB Josh Allen and WR Stefon Diggs were clicking against the Miami Dolphins last Sunday in the wild card game and more of the same will be in order against the Bengals. The Bills can move the football, but Allen turned it over three times last week (two INT and one fumble lost) and that has to be avoided because Burrow and the Bengals will make you pay if given too many extra chances. Look for a close one here in the game with Buffalo sneaking out the win in the closing minutes. 

 

Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers -  The Cowboys and the 49ers. 

These two teams have a storied history in the NFL playoffs and they could add to that with this weekend's game. The 49ers whooped the Seattle Seahawks last weekend while the Cowboys crushed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-14 in their first road playoff win since the 1992 NFC title game . . .  against the 49ers. 

Dallas QB Dak Prescott no doubt had his finest post-season moment in the easy win last Monday night, throwing for four scores and also running for one. Meanwhile, the Cowboys defense showed up and manhandled Tom Brady and the Bucs offense. Meanwhile, the 49ers keep humming along with "Mr. Irrelevant" quarterback Brock Purdy as he was equally impressive in his playoff debut last week. The 'Niners defense got after the Seahawks and should also be looking to do the same against Prescott, who has been prone to crumbling under pressure, especially in the playoffs. 

The big question for Dallas will be whether their defense can rattle Purdy, who is 6-0 as the starting QB for the 49ers and has shown no signs of letting up. The Cowboys know they can win on the road in the post-season now that they finally did get it done, but they are facing a top notch defense and must avoid turnovers or this one could get away from them very quickly. Look for the 49ers to win this game, but the Cowboys will not just roll over and go down quietly. 

 

The Heftyinfo picks for the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs . . . . . .  (Home teams are listed in bold) 

Kansas City over Jacksonville 

Philadelphia over N.Y. Giants 

Buffalo over Cincinnati 

San Francisco over Dallas 

 

Last Week's Record - 3-3 

Playoff Record - 3-3 

Regular Season Record - 175-94-2

 

NFL Playoffs - Wild Card Round Recap

 

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence helped lead huge comeback win.

The NFL playoffs got started with the Wild Card round on Saturday in San Francisco where the host 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks, 41-23 in the first of three NFC wild card games as they pulled away in the second half, with the critical play being a fumble recovery on a hit on Seattle quarterback Geno Smith when the Seahawks were in the red zone and trailing 23-17. The 49ers turned that into a touchdown drive and QB Brock Purdy had three scoring passes and a one-yard TD run to lead the way. 

Seattle fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter before rallying as Smith threw a 50-yard TD pass to wide receiver DK Metcalf  for a 14-13 lead. The teams exchanged field goal before the half as Seattle held a 17-16 lead. But the second half was dominated by San Francisco as Purdy connected with Deebo Samuel for a 74-yard scoring pass and also threw a seven-yard TD strike to running back Elijah Mitchell. 'Niners RB Christian McCaffrey (119 yards rushing on 15 carries) also caught a scoring pass in the first quarter as his team piled up 505 yards in total offense to bring home the victory. 

On Saturday night in Jacksonville, it was definitely a tale of two halves as the Jacksonville Jaguars pulled out a 31-30 win against the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC wild card match. The Chargers jumped out to a quick lead after the first of four interceptions (three picks by Asante Samuel, Jr.) from their defense against Jags QB Trevor Lawrence, who would wind up the game with both four picks thrown and four touchdown passes. Chargers RB Austin Ekeler scored on a 13-yard run for the 7-0 lead and the 'Bolts added a field goal and two more scores for a 24-0 lead midway through the second quarter as Ekeler added another scoring run and QB Justin Herbert threw a nine-yard TD pass to tight end Gerald Everett. Another field goal made it 27-0 before Jacksonville finally got going as Lawrence threw a nine-yard pass for a TD to tight end Evan Engram with 24 seconds left in the first half. 

It was all Jacksonville in the second half as they continued the momentum from the late score in the first half, scoring on three successive drives with Lawrence throwing three more scoring passes. The Chargers had a 30-14 lead late in the third quarter after a 50-yard field goal by Cameron Dicker. The Jaguars came right back when WR Zay Jones hauled in a 39-yard pass for touchdown and a 30-20 deficit entering the fourth quarter. 

Jacksonville scored again with 5:25 to play and got the two-point conversion on a one-yard sneak by Lawrence to trim the score to 30-28. The Chargers had missed a field goal (40 yards wide left) prior to that and the next time they had the football they went nowhere and punted. With 3:01 left in regulation, the Jags took the ball downfield and a fourth down-and-one yard play resulted with a 25 yard run by Travis Etienne (20 carries for 109 yards) to the Chargers 16-yard line and set up the game winning field goal, a 36-yarder by Riley Patterson as time expired to complete the third largest comeback win in NFL playoff history. 

The first of the three Sunday games saw the host Buffalo Bills hang tough for a 34-31 win against a gritty Miami Dolphins effort. The Bills raced out to a 17-0 lead thanks to the first of three touchdown passes by quarterback Josh Allen (352 passing yards, three TD, two interceptions) and a 12-yard scoring run by James Cook.  However, Miami scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter and they tied it at 17-17 when rookie third string QB Skylar Thompson (220 passing yards, one TD and two INT) hit tight end Mike Gesicki on a seven-yard TD pass. The Bills then got a 39-yard field goal from Tyler Bass at the end of the first half for a 20-17 advantage. 

The Dolphins actually took a 24-20 lead early in the third quarter when they sacked Allen and he lost the fumble, which the Dolphins DL Zach Sieler scooped up and scored a touchdown from five yards out. But then Allen threw two scoring passes within a 3:11 span to get the Bills back in front, 34-24 with 2:07 remaining in the third quarter. Miami scored once more with 10:53 left in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by Jeff Wilson, Jr. to account for the final score. 

Just like their regular season game three weeks ago, the Minnesota Vikings and visiting New York Giants played yet another back and forth game only this time the Giants came out on top, 31-24 to advance to the divisional round next weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles, the top team in the NFC. 

Running back Saquon Barkley scored two rushing touchdowns and QB Daniel Jones threw for two more scores along with 301 passing yards to lead the way. Barkley's two-yard TD run with 7:47 remaining in the fourth quarter was the difference in the final score. The Giants defense stopped the Vikings ensuing drive in the final two minutes and then ran out the clock.

The Vikings led 7-0 early on when Kirk Cousins scored on a one-yard run but then New York scored 17 straight points with Barkley scoring on a 28-yard run and Jones throwing a 14-yard TD pass to WR Isaiah Hodgins and a field goal. Cousins would throw a pair of scoring passes to get Minnesota within 24-21 midway through the third quarter and they later tied it 24-24 when Greg Joseph kicked a 38-yard field goal with 12:34 to go in the final quarter. 

 

The final game in the AFC wild card round on Sunday night went to the Cincinnati Bengals, 24-17 over the visiting Baltimore Ravens, who were once again without starting QB Lamar Jackson. The Ravens are know for their defense and they did their part in the loss, limiting the potent Bengals offense to 234 total yards. 

Sam Hubbard (middle) scored the winning TD for Bengals.

But the story of the game was the Cincinnati defense as they turned the tide when defensive end Sam Hubbard took a fumble recovery back 98 yards for what was the winning touchdown with 11:39 left in the fourth quarter. The game was a back and forth affair with the Bengals getting a 9-0 lead thanks to a field goal and then a seven-yard scoring pass from QB Joe Burrow to WR Ja'Marr Chase. But the Ravens came back as running back J.K. Dobbins took a two-yard scoring pass from QB Tyler Huntley and then Justin Tucker drilled a 22-yard field goal just before halftime for a 10-9 edge. 

The Bengals went back ahead with 5:02 left in the third quarter when Burrow snuck it in from one yard out and then completed the two-point conversion pass to WR Tee Higgins for a 17-10 lead. Baltimore would come right back when Huntley connected with WR Demarcus Robinson on a 41-yard TD pass with 2:13 remaining in the third quarter. The Bengals will now travel to Buffalo to face the Bills next Sunday in the divisional round. 

The final wild card game took place on Monday night and the visiting Dallas Cowboys throttled the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-14 for their first road playoff victory since the 1992 NFC Championship Game. 

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott put on a show as he threw four touchdown passes (two of them going to tight end Dalton Schultz) and also had 305 passing yards and also scored a rushing touchdown to pace the rout. Dallas led 18-0 at the half and increased the lead to 24-0 early in the third quarter when Prescott hit WR Michael Gallup on a two-yard scoring pass. The Buccaneers were never in this game and QB Tom Brady wound up passing 66 times, completing 35 of them for 351 yards and two touchdowns along with one interception, which was in the Dallas end zone in the first quarter with Tampa Bay down, 6-0 at that point. 

Dallas went up 31-6 early in the final quarter on Prescott's fourth TD pass (18 yards to WR CeeDee Lamb) to put it away and get them into the divisional round, where they will face the San Francisco 49ers on the road next Sunday.

NFC Wild Card Games

San Francisco 41, Seattle 23

N.Y. Giants 31, Minnesota 24 

Dallas 31, Tampa Bay 14 

AFC Wild Card Games 

Jacksonville 31, L.A. Chargers 30 

Buffalo 34, Miami 31

Cincinnati 24, Baltimore 17 

 

NFL Playoffs - Wild Card Round Preview

The NFL Playoffs are back again and the action kicks off this Saturday with two games and then three on Sunday, including the "prime time" night game and finally the Monday night game. This is the second year of the format the league went to last year when the playoffs expanded from 12 to 14 teams. 

The following previews look at the AFC and NFC games this weekend as six teams look to advance to the divisional round next week. 

 

AFC 

Los Angeles Chargers (10-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8) - The Jaguars smoked the Chargers, 38-10 back in late September in L.A. but that was four months ago and the Chargers were severely banged up, including quarterback Justin Herbert (rib injury) as well as defensive star Joey Bosa, who suffered a severe groin injury in that game. Both Herbert and Bosa and other key members for L.A. are healthy now and would love to pay back the upstart Jacksonville team for the beat down. However, one of the Chargers' top wide receivers, Mike Williams, is being ruled out with a back injury sustained in the final game of the season.

As for the Jags, their quarterback is Trevor Lawrence and he has been tremendous in recent weeks as they reeled off five straight wins to reach the post-season for the first time in six years. The Jags have been a relentless defense in the streak as well, forcing turnovers and putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. 

The key will be which team can force the other into mistakes and whichever team that is will likely be the winner. The Chargers offense is more potent while the Jaguars defense has been more steady throughout the entire season. The Jags can run on the Chargers, but the pass defense for the Bolts has been stellar in the last six games. This game will most likely be close with a field goal at the end possibly deciding the outcome. 

Miami Dolphins (9-8) at Buffalo Bills (13-3) - The Bills should roll in this game at home with the crowd behind them and perhaps even having Damar Hamlin in the house just two weeks after his near fatal cardiac arrest during the Monday night game in Cincinnati. All of the things the Bills have endured the past two weeks and the fact the Dolphins will not have starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) for this game and will rely on third stringer Skylar Thompson just makes the task that much more difficult for Miami. 

The Bills have Josh Allen at quarterback and Stefon Diggs leading the wide receiving corps. The running game Buffalo has is much improved during the their seven-game win streak. Defensively, the Bills have been solid all season long, even without linebacker Von Miller, who is out for the season with a knee injury. The secondary will challenge the speedy tandem Miami features at wide receiver in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who both put up eye popping numbers this season. Hill had 119 receptions for 1,710 yards and seven touchdowns and Waddle caught 75 passes for 1,356 yards and eight touchdowns.

The teams split the two games this year, but with Tua not at QB for this game and the Bills looking for an extra rush of adrenaline with Damar back in person this Sunday, forget about it. Take the Bills in this one. 

Baltimore Ravens (10-7) at Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) - Very similar to what Miami will be facing against Buffalo, the Ravens will be likewise facing against the Bengals on Sunday night.  

The Ravens will likely be without quarterback Lamar Jackson and perhaps Tyler Huntley, the number-two man at quarterback. That leaves Anthony Brown and he didn't show much when he played recently for the team. The vaunted running game has been injury plagued again this season, but Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins were effective when healthy. Both have been dinged up again in recent weeks. The Bengals defense pretty much held Baltimore's offense in check in both games this season, allowing just 35 points over the two games, which the teams split. 

The Bengals are led by QB Joe Burrow, who had a great season, passing for 4,475 yards with 35 touchdowns and just twelve interceptions and he has many weapons to throw to, including Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who both topped 1,000 receiving yards. Joe Mixon heads up the rushing attack for the potent offense. The Ravens defense will be ready and know they can battle the Cincy offense. The key will be getting pressure on Burrow and forcing mistakes. If they cannot do that, it could be a long day for the Ravens. 

NFC 

Seattle Seahawks (9-8) at San Francisco 49ers (13-4) - This is yet another game that features teams that met in  the regular season as both reside in the NFC West division, which the 49ers ran away with this season. The 'Niners have won ten games in a row and their defense has been the NFL's best this year. Rush end Nick Bosa had 18 1/2 QB sacks and the 49ers went through a stretch recently where they didn't allow a second half touchdown for over a month. 

The Seahawks have been a real feel good story this year as many predicted they would be lucky to win five games. Quarterback Geno Smith has been the comeback player of the year for sure, throwing for 4,282 yards with 30 touchdowns and only eleven picks thrown. DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett lead the receivers for Seattle and Kenny Walker ran for over 1,000 yards this season. They will look to solve the solid San Francisco defense. The 49ers won both games this year, but the 'Hawks hung tough at home in late December after getting pounded in San Francisco back in week two. 

The 49ers offense will be the key as surprising QB Brock Purdy continues to roll along after injuries to Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance. Christian McCaffrey does it all at the running back position and Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk are the top wide receivers, along with tight end George Kittle, who led the team with 11 TD receptions. If the 49ers show the balance they have and protect Purdy, they should score enough points to win this game. 

New York Giants (9-7-1) at Minnesota Vikings (13-4) - Can the Giants do enough to beat the Vikings this time around? The last time they played three weeks ago in Minnesota, it took a team record setting 61-yard field goal by Greg Joseph for Minnesota to get a 27-24 win. 

This time around, the Giants must get the needed breaks and take advantage of them, because Minnesota will not take them lightly. The Giants are the surprise team of the NFC along with Seattle being in the playoffs. Running back Saquon Barkley should be used early and often against the suspect Vikings defense, which allowed over 120 yards per game as well as 427 points allowed. In fact, the 13-4 record for Minnesota shows they won tons of close games while being outscored by three points over the entire 17-game schedule. Also, Giants QB Daniel Jones just needs to take care of the football and rely on his legs and not try to force things if the passing game doesn't get going. 

The New York defense will look to create turnovers and perhaps put Minnesota QB Kirk Cousins back into the mistake prone passer he has been in big time games. If that happens, the Giants can pull off the upset, but Minnesota has WR Justin Jefferson and he was ridiculous this year. He had 128 receptions for 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns. Running back Dalvin Cook ran for 1,173 yards and scored eight times as well making 39 receptions and two more touchdowns. So don't expect the Vikings offense to just go cold all of a sudden. Vikings should get the win in a tight one again. 

Dallas Cowboys (12-5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9) - When looking at the records of these two teams, you would think the Cowboys should roll to an easy win right? 

Not when the opposing quarterback is Tom Brady. 

Brady is 45 years old and will be entering his 20th season as a playoff quarterback. That definitely counts for something and the Bucs are hoping he brings it on Monday night as they host the up and down Cowboys team that was blown out by the Washington Commanders to end the regular season. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers won the putrid NFC South division and have a losing record, but they did beat the 'Pokes, 19-3 in the season opener back in September. 

Can Dallas' offense get it rolling again after disappearing last weekend? Prior to the debacle in their season finale, the Cowboys won six of seven games and averaged 35.7 points per game in that span. But QB Dak Prescott has been throwing way too many interceptions in recent weeks and if the Tampa Bay defense takes advantage of that, it will be lights out for the Cowboys. You simply cannot give Brady and company too many opportunities because he will make you pay. 

This game could go either way. The Cowboys could come out and get a lead and force the Bucs to try and come from behind, which they have shown they can do, even if it was against weaker opponents than the Cowboys and their defense. Dallas will look to pressure Brady and LB Micah Parsons (13 1/2 sacks) know how to make it happen. One intangible for this game must be mentioned. The Cowboys seems to always get tight in the playoffs and Brady is the unquestioned master of the post-season, which includes seven Super Bowl titles. Something has to give and the choice here is to take the Buccaneers at home in a close game.  

 

The Heftyinfo picks for the weekend Wild Card round games . . . . . (Home teams are listed in bold) 

 

San Francisco over Seattle 

L.A. Chargers over Jacksonville 

Buffalo over Miami 

Minnesota over N.Y. Giants 

Cincinnati over Baltimore 

Tampa Bay over Dallas 

 

Last Week's Record - 10-6 

FINAL REGULAR SEASON RECORD - 175-94-2 

Lock of the Week Record - 16-2 

 

 

 

GEORGIA WINS COLLEGE FOOTBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

In the National Championship Game for college football, the Georgia Bulldogs won back-to-back national championships as they demolished TCU, 65-7 (an all-time record for college football playoffs) and are the no doubt about it number-one team this season.

 

 

 

Heftyinfo FINAL College Football Top Ten  (2022 Season)

1. Georgia (15-0)

2. Michigan (13-1)

3. Ohio State (11-2)

4. Alabama (11-2)

5. Tennessee (11-2)

6. Penn State (11-2)

7. TCU (13-2)

8. Washington (11-2)

9. Tulane (12-2) 

10. Clemson (11-3) 

NFL - Week Eighteen Recap

The Buffalo Bills (13-3) rode two kickoff returns for touchdowns by Nyheim Hines (pictured left) who went 96 yards and also 101 yards to get a 35-23 win over the New England Patriots (8-9) and clinch the number-two spot in the AFC playoffs. The Patriots were eliminated from playoff contention with the loss and Miami's win over the New York Jets. Bills QB Josh Allen had three TD passes to offset Patriots QB Mac Jones' three scoring passes. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8) won 20-16 at home on Saturday night against the Tennessee Titans (7-10) as linebacker Josh Allen scooped up a fumble and went 37 yards for the game winning touchdown with 2:51 remaining in the game. It's the first playoff berth since the 2017 season for Jacksonville as they won the AFC South division. The Titans lost their final seven games this season and they limited the Jags offense to 222 yards in offense in the game, but it wasn't enough.

In Cincinnati, the Bengals (12-4) clinched the AFC North title with a resounding 27-16 victory against the Baltimore Ravens (10-7) with QB Joe Burrow throwing for a score, running back Joe Mixon running for another and the defense getting a fumble recovery for another touchdown to lead the way to their eighth consecutive win. The Ravens committed four turnovers in the loss, but still are in the playoffs as the number six seed in the AFC.

Philadelphia won at home, 22-16 over the New York Giants (9-7-1) to clinch the NFC East division and the top spot in the NFC playoffs as they built a 19-0 lead in the third quarter before the Giants made things interesting late with two fourth quarter touchdowns. The Eagles finished the season 14-3 as RB Boston Scott scored on an eight-yard run and Jake Elliott kicked five field goals to help get it done.

On Saturday, the Kansas City Chiefs (14-3) routed the host Las Vegas Raiders, 31-13 to get the top seed in the AFC playoffs. Three rushing touchdowns by three different backs and a TD pass by QB Patrick Mahomes was more than enough for the Chiefs as they rolled up 168 rushing yards in a balanced offensive attack.

The Miami Dolphins (9-8) clinched the seventh seed in the AFC playoffs with a 11-6 home win over the New York Jets (7-10) that was decided by kicker Jason Sanders making a 50-yard field goal with 18 seconds left to play. It's the first playoff appearance for the Dolphins since the 2016 season.

Seattle (9-8) beat the Los Angeles Rams, 19-16 in OT as kicker Jason Myers drilled a 32-yard field goal to win it and keep their playoff hopes alive for the time being, pending the Sunday night game result in Green Bay. And when Detroit knocked off the Packers, the Seahawks playoff ticket was punched. The Rams (5-12) held a 16-13 lead inn the fourth quarter, but Myers made a 22-yard field goal with 2:19 left in the fourth quarter to tie it up. Myers would also miss a 46-yarder as time expired to force the overtime.

The San Francisco 49ers (13-4) rolled past visiting Arizona, 38-13 for a tenth consecutive win and they clinched the second seed in the NFC playoffs with the defense forcing four turnovers (fumble and three INT) and RB Elijah Mitchell scoring twice on the ground and QB Brock Purdy tossing three scoring passes, including two to tight end George Kittle. The Cardinals (4-13) fired Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury after the season ending loss, which was the final game for J.J. Watt, who had two sacks in the game.

The Minnesota Vikings rolled past the host Chicago Bears, 29-13 to finish 13-4 and a number three playoff spot in the NFC. The Bears (3-14) dropped their tenth straight game and will get the top draft pick in the NFL Draft. Minnesota RB Alexander Mattison scored two rushing touchdowns and the Vikings defense intercepted two passes in the rout.

Houston (3-13-1) stunned the host Indianapolis Colts, 32-31 on a 28-yard TD pass on 4th down-and-20 with 50 seconds remaining by QB Davis Mills to tight end Jordan Akins and then they converted the two-point conversion pass to win it. However, Texans Head Coach Lovie Smith was fired following the game. The Colts (4-12-1) came back twice from ten-point deficits to get a 28-24 lead early in the fourth quarter when TE Mo Alie-Cox hauled in a four-yard scoring pass from QB Sam Ehlinger, but couldn't finish the job.

Denver beat the Los Angeles Chargers, 31-28 in a meaningless game as QB Russell Wilson had three TD passes to help the Broncos finish a miserable 5-12 season, which included firing Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett two weeks ago. The Chargers (10-7) were already locked into the fifth playoff spot in the AFC and QB Justin Herbert tossed two scoring passes in the regular season finale. The Chargers will be on the road and face the Jacksonville Jaguars next Saturday night in the wild card round.

Atlanta (7-10) topped Tampa Bay, 30-17 as three rookies led the way with RB Tyler Allgeier rushing for 135 yards, QB Desmond Ridder throwing two TD passes and WR Drake London (six catches for 120 yards) doing enough to knock off the playoff bound Buccaneers (8-9).

The Carolina Panthers won a yawner in New Orleans, 10-7 when kicker Eddy Pineiro made a 42-yard field goal as time expired. Both teams finished the season at 7-10 (along with Atlanta) in the NFC South division. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8) won at home to finish their season at .500 or better and kept intact Head Coach Mike Tomlin's streak of never having a losing season since taking over in 2007 as they beat the Cleveland Browns, 28-14 in the Steel City. Steelers running back  Najee Harris rushed for a touchdown and rookie QB Kenny Pickett had a TD pass as well. The Browns (7-10) got two TD passes from QB Deshaun Watson in the losing effort.

The Washington Commanders ambushed the visiting Dallas Cowboys, 26-6 to finish 8-8-1 and ensure the Cowboys (12-5) would be the fifth seed in the NFC playoffs. The Washington defense limited Dallas' offense to ten first downs and a paltry 182 yards in total offense while also taking an interception back 29 yards for a touchdown by Kendall Fuller. Commanders QB Sam Howell had both a scoring pass and run in the rout.

And finally in the Sunday night game in Green Bay, all that was left to decide the final spot in the NFC playoffs was whether the Packers would win and get in or the Detroit Lions (9-8) would spoil the party with a win at Lambeau Field, which would allow the Seattle Seahawks to get in. 

The result was a win for the Detroit Lions, 20-16 and both teams are out of the playoff mix. Lions RB Jamaal Williams scored two rushing touchdowns and Michael Badgley made two field goals to provide the difference. The Packers (8-9) held a 9-6 halftime lead as both teams exchanged field goals. After Detroit went ahead 13-9, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw a 13-yard TD pass to WR Allen Lazard for a 16-13 lead with 3:17 left in the third quarter. But Detroit took the lead back with 5:55 remaining in the game on Williams' one-yard rushing score and the defense did the rest, intercepting Rodgers deep pass and then the offense ran out the clock.

 

WEEK EIGHTEEN RESULTS 

Kansas City 31, Las Vegas 13 

Jacksonville 20, Tennessee 16

Buffalo 35, New England 23 

Minnesota 29, Chicago 13 

Houston 32, Indianapolis 31

Miami 11, N.Y. Jets 6 

Cincinnati 27, Baltimore 16

Pittsburgh 28, Cleveland 14 

Atlanta 30, Tampa Bay 17 

Carolina 10, New Orleans 7 

Denver 31, L.A. Chargers 28

San Francisco 38, Arizona 13 

Philadelphia 22, N.Y. Giants 16

Washington 26, Dallas 6

Seattle 19, L.A. Rams 16 (OT)

Detroit 20, Green Bay 16

 

 

NFL - Week Eighteen Preview

 

Here we are at the final regular season weekend around the NFL and there are still questions as to which teams will make the playoffs as three spots remain. 

The AFC has five teams already in and four games will determine which two teams will get in. The Tennessee Titans (7-9) face the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8) on Saturday night for the AFC South division title and the trip to the playoffs. On Sunday, The New England Patriots (8-8) will travel to face the Buffalo Bills (12-3) and we all know how the Bills are as they head into this one in the wake of the Damar Hamlin incident in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The young man is still listed in critical condition following the heart attack he suffered on the field. His health and well being is much more important than the outcome of the game itself. 

The Miami Dolphins (8-8) are in the mix and they will host the New York Jets (7-9) in an AFC East tilt with a chance to make the playoffs. Miami needs New England to lose to the Buffalo Bills and win their game to get in. They have lost five straight games and will likely be without both quarterbacks Tua Tagvailoa (concussion) and Teddy Bridgewater (finger injury) for this game. The Jets would love to play the spoiler in this game. Meanwhile, the surging Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8) have won three in a row and five of six games to get back into the playoff race. If they can beat the Cleveland Browns (7-9) in the Steel City on Sunday and both Miami and New England lose, they will make the playoffs as the seventh seed. 

In the NFC, the picture is much more simple. There are currently six teams already in the playoffs and the only question is which team will get the number seven spot. The Green Bay Packers (8-8) will host the Detroit Lions (8-8) on the Sunday Night Football game and if they win, they are in. If Detroit wins, the could be in, but that would depend on how the Seattle Seahawks (8-8) do on Sunday when they host the Los Angeles Rams (5-11). The Seahawks will get in if they win and Green Bay loses. 

That's it folks . . . the scenarios for the remaining playoff spots. As far as seeding goes, the Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) can clinch the top spot and the bye in the NFC with a home win against the New York Giants (9-6-1), who are locked into the sixth seed. Having QB Jalen Hurts (shoulder injury) back for this one would definitely boost the Eagles' chances. Both San Francisco (12-4) and Dallas (12-4) can steal the top spot with wins and an Eagles loss. Dallas is currently number five in the NFC chase and would need to win and see both the 49ers and Eagles fall to get the top spot. Not likely for that to happen, so the Cowboys should plan on seeing Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in Florida during the Wild Card round.

The AFC is complicated for a reason as the Bills are second right now as a result of the game in Cincinnati last Monday night being canceled. The Kansas City Chiefs (13-3) are the top team in the AFC and face the Las Vegas Raiders (6-10) on the road on Saturday. The Cincinnati Bengals are 11-4 and host the Baltimore Ravens (10-6) and have a chance to move up from their number three spot, but it's trivial as to where they wind up after what happened on Monday night against Buffalo. Whoever it is getting the bye when all is said and done remains to be seen. But one thing for certain is that none of it matters much with Damar Hamlin in recovery. 

Football is a game, it isn't life.  

The capsule style look at all 16 games in this final week of action follows along with the Heftyinfo picks for Week Eighteen. 

 

Kansas City (13-3) at Las Vegas (6-10) - Take the Chiefs even though the Raiders will likely put up a tough fight in this one. 

Tennessee (7-9) at Jacksonville (8-8) - The Titans have dropped six in a row and are going with a third string quarterback for this game. Meanwhile, The Jaguars are on fire and should get the win and the AFC South title. 

Tampa Bay (8-8) at Atlanta (6-10) - The Buccaneers have already clinched the NFC South, but would like to avoid having a losing record entering the playoffs. 

New England (8-8) at Buffalo (12-3) - No question the Bills will be playing with a lot of emotion (and possible anxiety) in this game after what happened to their teammate Damar Hamlin. Bills Mafia !

Minnesota (12-4) at Chicago (3-13) - Take the Vikings in a laugher. The Bears are a mess.

Baltimore (10-6) at Cincinnati (11-4) - Bengals should get the win here. Ravens could move up to number five seed in AFC with a win. 

L.A. Chargers (10-6) at Denver (4-12) - The Broncos and Chargers always seem to play close games. This time around, the Chargers have real incentive to avoid that as they would like to stay at the number five spot in the AFC playoffs. 

Houston (2-13-1) at Indianapolis (4-11-1) - Toss up here as these two teams tied each other way back in Week One. 

N.Y. Jets (7-9) at Miami (8-8) - Dolphins should get the win, even with their third string QB playing. The Jets have fallen off badly down the stretch, losing five consecutive games and seven of their last nine.  

Carolina (6-10) at New Orleans (7-9) - Toss up in this one. Both teams playing out the schedule. 

N.Y. Giants (9-6-1) at Philadelphia (13-3) - The Eagles will look to soar once again and get the top spot in the NFC playoffs. 

Cleveland (7-9) at Pittsburgh (8-8) - Steelers are on a big time roll and even if they don't make it to the playoffs, they should avoid a losing season once again in the Mike Tomlin era. 

Arizona (4-12) at San Francisco (12-4) - 49ers roll ! 

L.A. Rams (5-11) at Seattle (8-8) - Seahawks have everything to play for and the Rams are looking to put this disastrous season behind them. 

Dallas (12-4) at Washington (7-8-1) - The Cowboys should get the win in this one, but you never know with that team. The Commanders have stumbled big time and are out of the playoff picture.  

Detroit (8-8) at Green Bay (8-8) - The Packers are rolling with four straight victories and should get it done on Sunday night to make the playoffs and prove QB Aaron Rodgers right. The Lions still have playoff hopes, but need help along with a win. Not likely to happen for them. 

 

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

 

Kansas City over Las Vegas 

Jacksonville over Tennessee 

Tampa Bay over Atlanta 

Buffalo over New England 

Minnesota over Chicago 

Cincinnati over Baltimore 

L.A. Chargers over Denver 

Indianapolis over Houston 

Miami over N.Y. Jets 

New Orleans over Carolina

Philadelphia over N.Y. Giants 

Pittsburgh over Cleveland 

SAN FRANCISCO over Arizona 

Seattle over L.A. Rams 

Dallas over Washington 

Green Bay over Detroit 

 

Last Week's Record - 12-3

SEASON RECORD - 165-88-2

Lock of the Week Record - 15-2

NFL - Week Seventeen Recap

Tom Brady scored winning TD for the Buccaneers to help clinch division title.

Two more playoff spots were locked up this weekend when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) won at home, 30-24 against the Carolina Panthers to clinch the NFC South division. And the New York Giants (9-6-1) clinched a wild card spot in the NFC playoffs as they throttled the Indianapolis Colts, 38-10. It is the first playoff appearance for the Giants since the 2016 season. 

In Tampa, the Bucs rallied from a 14-point deficit as quarterback Tom Brady (432 passing yards) had three TD passes and the go ahead scoring run from one yard with 1:58 left to play in a 30-24 win at home against the Carolina Panthers (6-10) to return to the NFC playoffs. All three of the touchdown passes went to wide receiver Mike Evans, who had ten receptions for 207 yards. Panthers QB Sam Darnold had three TD passes along with 341 passing yards in defeat.

The Giants were led by a tenacious defense and QB Daniel Jones, who rushed for two touchdowns and also had two scoring passes in the rout. Defensive back Landon Collins had a "pick six" 52-yard interception score and the New York defense limited the Colts (4-11-1) to just 252 yards in total offense.

In the AFC, the New England Patriots (8-8) dealt the Miami Dolphins (8-8) playoff chances a serious blow with a 23-21 home win as QB Mac Jones had two TD passes and Kyle Dugger ran an interception back 39 yards for a touchdown. The Dolphins dropped their fifth straight game as two interceptions thrown by quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson proved to make a difference in the losing effort. The Patriots can clinch the last AFC playoff spot with a win at Buffalo next week.

The Green Bay Packers (8-8) won their fourth straight game as they pounded the Minnesota Vikings, 41-17 to keep their playoff chances in tow. The Packers defense scored when Darnell Savage raced 75 yards for a touchdown off an interception, one of three the defense snared against Vikings QB Kirk Cousins as Minnesota (12-4) dropped to the third seed in the NFC playoffs. Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers had both a scoring pass and run and a balanced offense (163 rushing yards and 152 passing) combined with the defense forcing the four turnovers, led the way. The Packers can clinch the last NFC playoff spot with a win at home against Detroit next week. 

The Detroit Lions improved to 8-8 as they crushed the visiting Chicago Bears, 41-10, which was the ninth consecutive loss for the Bears (3-13) as the Lions piled up 504 yards in total offense, including 265 yards on the ground. Lions RB D'Andre Swift had a pair touchdowns, including a 21-yard scoring pass from QB Jared Goff (255 passing yards) who had three TD passes, including two to tight end Brock Wright.

The New Orleans Saints (7-9) stunned the Philadelphia Eagles, 20-10 for their third win a row as the defense scored (Marshon Lattimore with a 12-yard "pick six" INT) to seal the win and they also had six sacks. The Eagles (13-3) lost for the second straight time as reserve QB Gardner Minshew had a TD pass and the interception. Philadelphia can still clinch the top spot in the NFC playoffs with a win over the New York Giants next Sunday.

In Washington, the Commanders (7-8-1) lost for the third straight game and were eliminated from the NFC playoff race as they fell at home, 24-10 to the Cleveland Browns (7-9). Commanders QB Carson Wentz started for the first time in weeks and was intercepted three times as the Browns defense limited Washington to 260 total yards of offense. Browns QB Deshaun Watson had three TD passes in the win, including two to wide receiver Amari Cooper.

The Kansas City Chiefs (13-3) had a tough one at home, but managed to beat the Denver Broncos, 27-24 with QB Patrick Mahomes (328 passing yards and completions to ten different players) throwing for three touchdowns, including a pair to RB Jerrick McKinnon. The Broncos (4-12) hung tough as QB Russell Wilson threw a scoring pass and also ran for two more touchdowns, but they fell short as Kansas City beat them for the 15th consecutive time.

Last Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys (12-4) knocked off the host Tennessee Titans, 27-13 behind a pair of TD passes from QB Dak Prescott to tight end Dalton Schultz and Ezekiel Elliottt added a scoring run to pace the win, which keeps Dallas in contention for the NFC East title. The Titans (7-9) lost for the sixth straight time, but can still win the AFC South division with a win at Jacksonville on Saturday night.

In Houston, the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8) blasted the Texans, 31-3 with balanced offense (169 rush yardage and 168 passing yards) while the defense scored a touchdown on a 12-yard fumble return by Tyson Campbell. Jags Running back Travis Etienne went for 104 rushing yards and had a 62-yard TD jaunt as well. The Texans (2-13-1) fell behind 21-0 in the first half and never recovered in this game.

The Seattle Seahawks (8-8) stayed alive in the NFC playoff hunt as they walloped the visiting New York Jets, 23-6 behind two TD passes from QB Geno Smith and three forced turnovers by the defense, including two interceptions. The Jets (7-9) were eliminated from playoff contention as they lost for the fifth straight time.

The San Francisco 49ers (12-4) outlasted the host Las Vegas Raiders, 37-34 in overtime to get their ninth consecutive win as kicker Robbie Gould made a 23-yard field goal to win the game. The winning kick was set up by a 56-yard interception return by safety Tashaun Gipson. The see-saw battle had four lead changes as the Raiders (6-10) went with backup QB Jarrett Stidham (365 passing yards with three TD, two INT) and he connected with WR Davante Adams (seven receptions for 153 yards) twice for scores. 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (121 rush yards and six catches for 72 yards) had a 14-yard scoring run and QB Brock Purdy threw two scoring passes to help the winning effort.

The battle of Los Angeles went the Chargers way as they crushed the Rams, 31-10 with running back Austin Ekeler scoring two rushing touchdowns (including a 72-yard TD romp) and QB Justin Herbert throwing for a pair of scores to lead the way. It was the fourth straight victory for the Chargers (10-6), who moved up to the number-five spot in the AFC playoff picture. The Rams (5-11) managed only 277 yards in total offense and twelve first downs as they lost for the eighth time in the last ten games. 

The Atlanta Falcons won at home, 20-19 against the Arizona Cardinals (4-12) when kicker Younghoe Koo made a 21-yard field goal as time ran out. The Falcons (6-10) got running touchdowns from Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson to help out in the win. Arizona QB David Blough threw for 222 yards and a touchdown in defeat.

In the Sunday night game in Baltimore, the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8) rallied from ten points down to beat the Ravens, 16-13 when rookie QB Kenny Pickett threw a ten-yard scoring pass to RB Najee Harris with just 56 seconds remaining. From there, the defense came through as safety Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted a pass by Baltimore QB Tyler Huntley to seal the win. The Ravens (10-6) went ahead 10-3 at the half when QB Tyler Huntley threw a seven-yard TD pass to WR Isaiah Likely, but couldn't hold on and dropped back to the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs.

NOTE - The Monday Night Football game in Cincinnati between the Bengals and Buffalo Bills was  suspended and then postponed after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after a collision with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter. Hamlin was taken off the field in an ambulance after being administered CPR by medical personnel and transported to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. Further details were pending.

 

WEEK SEVENTEEN RESULTS 

Dallas 27, Tennessee 13 

N.Y. Giants 38, Indianapolis 10 

Detroit 41, Chicago 10 

New England 23, Miami 21

Cleveland 24, Washington 10 

New Orleans 20, Philadelphia 10 

Atlanta 20, Arizona 19

Jacksonville 31, Houston 3 

Kansas City 27, Denver 24

Tampa Bay 30, Carolina 24 

Seattle 23, N.Y. Jets 6 

Green Bay 41, Minnesota 17 

L.A. Chargers 31, L.A. Rams 10

San Francisco 37, Las Vegas 34 (OT) 

Pittsburgh 16, Baltimore 13 

Buffalo - Cincinnati  (Game postponed)