NFL - Week Fourteen Review

 

Bills QB Josh Allen was solid in a big win against the Steelers.

The Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) defeated the host Miami Dolphins, 33-27 with quarterback Patrick Mahomes throwing for a pair of touchdowns and 393 passing yards, but he was intercepted three times as the Dolphins (8-5) built an early 10-0 lead. However, Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill scored two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) and Mecole Hardman took a punt back 67 yards for another score to help Kansas City take control. Dolphins rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa ran for a touchdown and also passed for 316 yards and two touchdowns and one interception in the loss.

In the Sunday night game in Buffalo, the Bills (10-3) took over the game in the second half  en route to a 26-15 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The spark was actually a "pick six" 51-yard interception by Bills DB Taron Johnson that gave them a 9-7 halftime lead. From there, it was all Buffalo as QB Josh Allen (pictured above right) passed for 238 yards and two touchdowns, including a 19-yard TD strike to WR Stefon Diggs (ten receptions for 130 yards) and the defense, which limited the Steelers (11-2) to 224 yards in total offense, including just 47 rushing yards. 

The Monday Night Football game was one for the ages as the Baltimore Ravens (8-5) outlasted the host Cleveland Browns (9-4) in a wild and crazy 47-42 victory. Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker decided the game with a 55-yard field goal with just two seconds remaining. That spoiled a great drive by Cleveland to tie the game 42-42 with just 1:06 remaining when Browns QB Baker Mayfield connected with running back Kareem Hunt on a 22-yard TD pass.

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson rushed for 124 yards and had two scoring runs and also had one touchdown pass (a 44-yard TD pass to WR Marquise Brown with two minutes left for a 42-35 lead) while RB Gus Edwards scored twice on the ground and J.K. Dobbins had a rushing score as well. The Browns, not to be outdone, scored 22 points in the fourth quarter and had a 35-34 lead with just over two minutes remaining.  Mayfield passed for 343 yards with two touchdowns (one interception) and also rushed for a score. Browns running backs Nick Chubb (82 rushing yards and two TD) and  Hunt (one rushing TD and 77 receiving yards and the game tying TD) helped the cause but in the end, the Ravens came out on top in this one.

The Indianapolis Colts (9-4) rolled over the Raiders, 44-27 in Las Vegas as Philip Rivers had a pair of scoring passes and the defense scored on a 50-yard interception return by defensive back Khari Willis while rookie running back Jonathan Taylor rushed for 150 yards with two touchdowns, including a 62-yard run. The Raiders (7-6) lost for the third time in four games with QB Derek Carr throwing for two scores and the one interception.

Tampa Bay won at home, 26-14 against the Minnesota Vikings (6-7) with QB Tom Brady tossing a pair of touchdown passes and the defense getting six quarterback sacks. The Buccaneers (8-5) scored 23 unanswered points to take control of the game and Vikings kicker Dan Bailey had a miserable day, missing an extra point and three field goal attempts.

The Philadelphia Eagles (4-8-1) surprised the New Orleans Saints, 24-21, snapping the Saints (10-3) nine-game winning streak in the home win as rookie QB Jalen Hurts won his first start by throwing for a touchdown along with 167 passing yards while also rushing for 106 yards. The Eagles gashed the Saints defense for 246 rushing yards while building a 17-0 halftime lead. Eagles RB Miles Sanders rushed for 115 yards and two scores, including an 82-yard TD dash and the defense registered five QB sacks to help snap a four-game losing streak.

The Green Bay Packers (10-3) clinched the NFC North division title for the second consecutive season as they won, 31-24 in Detroit as QB Aaron Rodgers had three TD passes and a scoring run and the Green Bay defense had four sacks while holding the Lions (5-8) to 293 yards in offense and only 51 rushing yards. The game was close before Rodgers threw his third TD pass of the game to give the Packers a 28-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.

 

                                                           Elsewhere Around the NFL  . . . . . . . . .    

 

The Arizona Cardinals (7-6) smashed the host New York Giants, 26-7 in a dominating game from the defense, which had eight QB sacks (including FIVE by linebacker Haason Reddick, who also had three forced fumbles) and limited the Giants (5-8) to just 159 total yards in offense, which included 81 passing yards. Cardinals kicker Mike Nugent made four field goals and QB Kyler Murray threw a TD pass to help lead the way . . .  The Washington Football Team (6-7) won a fourth consecutive game, getting a 23-15 decision on the road against the San Francisco 49ers (5-8) as their defense scored twice. Defensive lineman Chase Young took a fumble back 47 yards for one score and DB Kamren Curl raced 76 yards with an interception for another to pace the win, which put them in first place all alone in the NFC East . . .  The Tennessee Titans steam rolled the host Jacksonville Jaguars, 31-10 to remain atop the AFC South with a 9-4 record while giving the Jags (1-12) their twelfth straight defeat. Titans RB Derrick Henry rushed for 215 yards and two scores and QB Ryan Tannehill had two TD passes in the rout . . .  Seattle (9-4) crushed the winless New York Jets, 40-3 with QB Russell Wilson throwing four TD passes and the team dominating on defense, allowing only 185 yards in total offense by the Jets (0-13) . . .  The Los Angeles Chargers (4-9) won 20-17 at home against the Atlanta Falcons (4-9) as kicker Mike Badgley made a 43-yard field goal as time ran out. The Chargers defense intercepted Falcons QB Matt Ryan three times to help get the win . . .  Dallas (4-9) won on the road, 30-7 against the Cincinnati Bengals (2-10-1) as QB Andy Dalton threw two TD passes against his former team and DL Aldon Smith scored on a 78-yard fumble return for an early 10-0 lead. The Bengals had three fumbles in the loss, which was their fifth in a row . . .  The Chicago Bears (6-7) snapped a six-game losing streak with a 36-7 trouncing of the visiting Houston Texans (4-9) with the defense getting seven QB sacks and two fumble recoveries and a safety. Bears QB Mitch Trubisky threw for three touchdowns and RB David Montgomery ran for 113 yards and scored on an 80-yard rush on the Bears' first play from scrimmage . . .  In the Thursday night game, it was all Los Angeles Rams as they dominated the visiting New England Patriots, 24-3 to improve to 9-4 this season. Rams linebacker Kenny Young took an interception back 79 yards for a touchdown while QB Jared Goff ran for a score and passed for another while RB Cam Akers rushed for 171 yards (on 29 carries) to lead the way. The Patriots fell to a 6-7 record while being limited to 220 yards in total offense as QB Cam Newton was also sacked six times . . .  The Denver Broncos (5-8) won a 32-27 road game against the Carolina Panthers (4-9) as QB Drew Lock had four touchdown passes and Diontae Spencer took a punt return 83 yards for the first score of the game to lead the way. Panthers RB Mike Davis had two rushing touchdowns in the loss.

 

Week Fourteen Results 

L.A. Rams 24, New England 3 

Chicago 36, Houston 7

Tennessee 31, Jacksonville 10

Denver 32, Carolina 27

Tampa Bay 26, Minnesota 14

Dallas 30, Cincinnati 7

Arizona 26, N.Y. Giants 7 

Kansas City 33, Miami 27

Indianapolis 44, Las Vegas 27

Seattle 40, N.Y. Jets 3 

L.A. Chargers 20, Atlanta 17 

Philadelphia 24, New Orleans 21

Green Bay 31, Detroit 24

Washington 23, San Francisco 15

Buffalo 26, Pittsburgh 15

Baltimore 47, Cleveland 42

 

NFL - Week Fourteen Preview

For the first time in three weeks, the NFL looks to be in the clear for all the games to go off as scheduled. The COVID-19 virus has been doing much damage to the league in recent weeks and the action for Week Fourteen kicks off tonight with the New England Patriots (6-6) taking on the Los Angeles Rams (8-4), who lead the NFC West division, in L.A. in a game that has big time playoff implications for both teams. 

 

 

The Patriots have won four of their last five games to get back into contention in the AFC playoff picture while the Rams have been battling the Seattle Seahawks all season long for first place in the NFC West. These two teams played in the Super Bowl two years ago in what became the lowest scoring contest in the history of the game as the Patriots won, 13-3 to get their sixth title. Pats QB Cam Newton just needs to avoid mistakes and keep the ground game going if they want to win this game. Things could go either way in this one for the Rams, with they key being quarterback Jared Goff protecting the football, as he has ten turnovers in the last five games.

On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs travel to play the Miami Dolphins (8-4) and their strong defense. The Chiefs (11-1) have won seven straight games and lead the AFC in scoring and are second in the NFL to only the Green Bay Packers, averaging 30.8 points per game. Meanwhile, the Dolphins give up 17.4 points per game, which is second best in the NFL. If the Dolphins can contain Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense, they could pull off the victory. Miami is equally as hot as the Chiefs as well, winning seven of their last eight games. This one could go down to the wire. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) host the Minnesota Vikings (6-6) in a huge game for playoff positioning in the NFC. The Bucs have struggled in recent weeks as QB Tom Brady has been throwing an unusual amount of interceptions. The Vikings have won five of six after a terrible 1-5 start this season and if quarterback Kirk Cousins doesn't turn the ball over, then Minnesota can keep it close and perhaps get the win. 

The surging New York Giants are 5-7 and have won four in a row and lead the NFC East division and will host the Arizona Cardinals (6-6), losers of four of their last five games. The Giants defense was tremendous last week in an upset win at Seattle while the Cards lost at home to the Rams. The Giants might have Daniel Jones back as the starting quarterback for this game so that could be a boost on the offense. The Giants defense has allowed 16.5 points per game during the win streak and if they can pressure Arizona QB Kyler Murray into mistakes and turnovers, they could make it five straight wins. 

A big game in Las Vegas will have the Raiders (7-5) hosting the Indianapolis Colts (8-4) as both teams are right there in the AFC playoff race. Colts QB Philip Rivers has been steady after a rough start to the season and if the Colts can get the running game going again it will be a tough combination to beat as they have averaged 27.5 points per game while winning three of their last four games. The Raiders survived the lowly New York Jets last week, getting a last second TD pass from QB Derek Carr to wide receiver Henry Ruggs in the 31-28 win. This one could be a high scoring affair that could be decided by whoever has the ball last. 

The two "prime time" games this weekend will have the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night and then the Baltimore Ravens (7-5) face the Cleveland Browns on Monday night. 

The Steelers (11-1) lost their first game last week against Washington and now have to go against one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The Bills are 9-3 and are coming off a Monday night win against the San Francisco 49ers on the road. Bills QB Josh Allen has been on fire and threw four TD passes last week while Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger struggled somewhat in the loss. Pittsburgh has to establish a running game if they want to make life easier for Big Ben, who attempted 53 passes last week. The Bills also need to run the ball better as they have averaged just over 95 yards rushing per game this season. This game will be tight and protecting the ball is a must. 

As for the game in Cleveland between the Ravens and Browns (9-3) on Monday Night Football, it should be a tilt as the Ravens seemed to get back to their brand of football last week, rushing for 294 yards in a 34-17 rout of the Dallas Cowboys. The Ravens did blast the Browns, 38-6 in the season opener in Baltimore as well. Meanwhile, the Browns (winners of four straight games) rolled over the Tennessee Titans for a road win last week to keep them two games ahead of Baltimore in the rugged AFC North division. They mirror the Ravens in that they can run the football and have a good tandem of backs just like Baltimore does. Avoiding turnovers and controlling the clock will determine the winner of this game. 

 

The rest of the action in Week Fourteen is featured below in the capsule style form and the Heftyinfo predictions follow up. 

Houston (4-8) at Chicago (5-7) - Can the Bears snap their six-game losing streak? The Texans are tough with Deshaun Watson at quarterback. 

Dallas (3-9) at Cincinnati (2-9-1) - The stinker game of the week with both teams playing backups at quarterback. The Cowboys QB is Andy Dalton, who is making his return to Cincinnati, where he played for nine seasons. 

Denver (4-8) at Carolina (4-8) - This game will be close with two pretty good defensive teams going at it. 

Tennessee (8-4) at Jacksonville (1-11) - The Titans need to bounce back after getting blown out last week. The Jaguars are looking to snap their eleven game losing streak. 

New York Jets (0-12) at Seattle (8-4) - The Seahawks can't lose at home to an inferior team for the second straight week can they? Not a chance. 

Green Bay (9-3) at Detroit (5-7) - The Lions usually play the Packers tough at home, so this game could be a close one. 

New Orleans (10-2) at Philadelphia (3-8-1) - The Saints have won nine in a row while the Eagles have lost four straight and have benched their starting quarterback. Take the Saints. 

Atlanta (4-8) at Los Angeles Chargers (3-9) - These two teams both find ways to lose football games. Who knows, maybe this game ends up in a tie. 

Washington (5-7) at San Francisco (5-7) - (Game played in Glendale, AZ) - The 49ers have to win out to have a shot at the playoffs while Washington is flying high after stunning the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road last week. Toss up in this one. 

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

L.A. Rams over New England 

Chicago over Houston 

Dallas over Cincinnati 

Kansas City over Miami 

Arizona over N.Y. Giants

Tampa Bay over Minnesota 

Carolina over Denver 

Tennessee over Jacksonville 

Indianapolis over Las Vegas 

SEATTLE over N.Y. Jets 

Green Bay over Detroit 

New Orleans over Philadelphia 

L.A. Chargers over Atlanta 

San Francisco over Washington 

Pittsburgh over Buffalo 

Baltimore over Cleveland 

 

Last Week's Record -  8-7 

SEASON RECORD -  134-57-1 

Lock of the Week Record -  10-3 

NFL - Week Thirteen Review

Browns QB Baker Mayfield and his team got a huge win on Sunday in Tennessee.

The Cleveland Browns raced out to a huge 31-point halftime lead and then coasted in the second half as they toppled the host Tennessee Titans, 41-35 to improve to 9-3 this season. The Titans (8-4) still hold first place in the AFC South for now. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield threw four touchdown passes in the first half as his team built a 38-7 lead. The Cleveland defense was able to hold Titans running back Derrick Henry in check, limiting him to just 60 yards rushing in the game while Titans QB Ryan Tannehill attempted 45 passes with three TD passes and one interception along with 389 passing yards in the loss.

In the surprise of the day, the New York Giants (5-7) won their fourth straight game, 17-12 in Seattle as their defense sacked Seahawks QB Russell Wilson five times while running back Alfred Morris scored two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) and fellow back Wayne Gallman gained 135 yards on 16 carries to account for 190 yards rushing in the game. The Seahawks (8-4) out gained the Giants in total yardage, but two turnovers contributed to the loss as they fell out of first place in the NFC West.

The Los Angeles Rams (8-4) moved back into first place in the NFC West division as they topped the host Arizona Cardinals, 38-28, sending the Cards (6-6) to their fourth loss in the last five games. Rams QB Jared Goff ran and threw for a touchdown and the L.A. defense scored on a 35-yard "pick six" by cornerback Troy Hill along with rushing touchdowns by Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson to pace the win. Arizona QB Kyler Murray had three TD passes and one interception in defeat.

The Las Vegas Raiders (7-5) got a big play against the New York Jets, winning 31-28 as QB Derek Carr (381 passing yards with three TD and one INT and also a rushing TD) threw a 46-yard TD pass to wide receiver Henry Ruggs with five seconds remaining in the game. The Jets (0-12) took the lead on a one-yard TD run by running back Ty Johnson (104 rushing yards) with 5:34 left in the fourth quarter. Jets QB Sam Darnold threw for two scores and ran for another in the losing effort.

The Green Bay Packers moved to 9-3 with a 30-16 home victory against the Philadelphia Eagles as QB Aaron Rodgers had three touchdown passes and running back Aaron Jones went 77 yards for the clinching score. Wide receiver Davante Adams hauled in two touchdowns and had 121 yards on ten receptions while Green Bay had balanced offense with 288 yards passing and 149 rushing yards in the effort as they maintained a three-game lead in the NFC North division. The Eagles benched starting QB Carson Wentz and replaced him with rookie Jalen Hurts, who threw one touchdown pass along with one interception as the Eagles (3-8-1) lost their fourth consecutive game. 

The Washington Football Team (5-7) won their third game in a row as they shocked the host Pittsburgh Steelers, 23-17 on Monday evening to give the Steelers (11-1) their first loss this season. Washington QB Alex Smith had a TD pass and RB Peyton Barber scored a rushing touchdown to go with three field goals from kicker Dustin Hopkins. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger attempted 53 passes in the loss, throwing for two touchdowns to give his team a 14-0 first half lead. The Washington defense came up with a deflected interception with less than two minutes to go to help seal the win.

                                                             Elsewhere Around the NFL  . . . . . . . .    

 

The New Orleans Saints moved to 10-2 this season with their ninth straight win and clinched a playoff spot as they won on the road, 21-16 against the Atlanta Falcons (4-8) as QB Taysom Hill had two TD passes and rushed for 83 yards while RB Alvin Kamara had 88 rushing yards and one rushing TD to lead the way . . .  The New England Patriots improved to 6-6 as they crushed the host Los Angeles Chargers, 45-0 behind a suffocating defense that picked off two passes along with three QB sacks while limiting the Chargers (3-9) to just 258 yards in total offense. The Pats special teams accounted for two touchdowns on a blocked field goal return and a 70-yard punt return by Gunner Olszewski, who also had a 38-yard TD pass reception while QB Cam Newton ran for two scores and passed for another . . .  The Indianapolis Colts (8-4) held off the Houston Texans, 26-20 for the road win as their defense got a safety in the fourth quarter for the only points in the second half. Colts QB Philip Rivers passed for 285 yards and two touchdowns . . .  The Detroit Lions (5-7) took advantage of a fumble by Bears QB Mitch Trubisky late in the fourth quarter inside his own 10-yard line as RB Adrian Peterson scored his second rushing TD of the game with only 1:37 remaining to provide a 34-30 road victory. Lions QB Matthew Stafford had three TD passes and threw for 402 yards. The Bears (5-7) dropped their sixth game in a row as their defense was shredded for a second consecutive game . . . The Miami Dolphins (8-4) beat the listless Cincinnati Bengals (2-9-1) in a 19-7 contest for the home win as kicker Jason Sanders made four field goals and rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa threw for a score to lead the way. The Dolphins defense limited the Bengals to only 196 yards in total offense, including just 40 rushing yards . . .  The Minnesota Vikings (6-6) survived a scare from the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-11) in a 27-24 overtime win as kicker Dan Bailey made the 23-yard field goal to win it. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins passed for 305 yards along with three touchdowns and one interception, which was taken back for a score while rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson caught nine passes for 121 yards and one touchdown . . .  The Kansas City Chiefs held off the stubborn Denver Broncos (4-8) for a 22-16 home win on Sunday Night Football to improve to 11-1 this season while also clinching a playoff berth for the sixth consecutive year. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes threw a 20-yard TD pass to tight end Travis Kelce and Harrsion Butker made five field goals to help make the difference. Broncos QB Drew Lock had two TD passes (both to WR Tim Patrick) along with two interceptions while RB Melvin Gordon went for 131 yards on 15 carries in the loss . . .  The Monday Night Football game saw the Buffalo Bills (9-3) smash the San Francisco 49ers, 34-24 at a neutral site (in Glendale, Arizona) due to COVID-19 county restrictions regarding the 49ers home stadium. Bills QB Josh Allen had four TD passes and 375 passing yards while 49ers QB Nick Mullens had 316 passing yards along with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The 49ers fell to 5-7 with the loss . . .  The Baltimore Ravens (7-5) ran all over the Dallas defense in a 34-17 rout in Baltimore on Tuesday night, amassing 294 yards on the ground. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson rushed for 94 yards and one score and also had two touchdown passes (and one interception) in the win while Gus Edwards rushed for 101 yards and J.K. Dobbins added another 71 yards rushing along with a scoring run. The Cowboys fell to 3-9 this season in the losing effort as QB Andy Dalton threw for two scores along with an interception.

 Week Thirteen Results 

Detroit 34, Chicago 30

Cleveland 41, Tennessee 35

Miami 19, Cincinnati 7

Indianapolis 26, Houston 20

New Orleans 21, Atlanta 16

Las Vegas 31, N.Y. Jets 28 

Minnesota 27, Jacksonville 24 (OT)  

New England 45, L.A. Chargers 0 

L.A. Rams 38, Arizona 28

N.Y. Giants 17, Seattle 12

Green Bay 30, Philadelphia 16 

Kansas City 22, Denver 16  

Washington 23, Pittsburgh 17

Buffalo 34, San Francisco 24

Baltimore 34, Dallas 17

 

NFL - Week Thirteen Preview

Week Twelve is finally complete and the NFL is now in Week Thirteen with some huge games coming up regarding playoff implications. The Steelers and Ravens finally got their game in on Wednesday afternoon in Pittsburgh and this week the Steelers will host the Washington football team on Monday as the second game to the regularly scheduled Monday night game between the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers, which is being played in Glendale, Arizona because the county where the 49ers play in has strict COVID-19 virus guidelines in effect. 

That is the NFL (and all of the sports world) in 2020. 

As for the Ravens, they will host the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday night and are hopeful to have more of their starting players back from the COVID-19/IR list. Dallas got smoked on Thanksgiving Day and is 3-8 and in danger of not making the playoffs once again this season. Meanwhile, the Sunday night "prime time" game features the Denver Broncos (4-7) at the Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) in what should be a blowout win for the Chiefs. The Broncos are looking to have at least two of their regular quarterbacks for this game after having to go with the emergency QB last week because of COVID-19 protocols. 

One of the biggest games this Sunday afternoon will see the Cleveland Browns at the Tennessee Titans (both teams are 8-3) in what should be a good old fashioned, grind it out type of game with the way these two squads run the football. Look for a tight game with the winner being the team that protects the ball and perhaps has it in the final two minutes of play. 

The NFC West division has been a tight battle all season long and this weekend the Los Angeles Rams (7-4) travel to play the Arizona Cardinals (6-5) for the first time in the 2020 campaign. The Rams lost on the final play last weekend to the 49ers, 23-20 and the Cards also lost their game on the last play when the New England Patriots hit on a 50-yard field goal for a 20-17 victory. This one should also go down to the wire as these two teams chase the Seattle Seahawks in the division race. 

All of the NFL action for this week's games is featured in the capsule style format and the Heftyinfo picks will follow up. 

Cleveland (8-3) at Tennessee (8-3) - The Titans and Browns both run the football well and Cleveland's two headed monster of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt will give Derrick Henry and the Titans all they can handle. 

New Orleans (9-2) at Atlanta (4-7) - Can the Falcons snap the Saints eight-game winning streak? It's possible. 

Detroit (4-7) at Chicago (5-6) - The Bears looking to end a five-game losing streak. The Lions have a new head coach for this one. Toss up. 

Indianapolis (7-4) at Houston (4-7) - This one could go down to the wire. Colts rate the edge with a better defense. 

Cincinnati (2-8-1) at Miami (7-4) - The Miami Dolphins looking to keep a good thing going in this game. Bengals are banged up and looking toward next season. 

Jacksonville (1-10) at Minnesota (5-6) - The Vikings should win this one and that would put them right in the thick of the NFC playoff hunt after a terrible start this year. 

Las Vegas (6-5) at New York Jets (0-11) - The Raiders try to snap a two-game losing streak against perhaps the worst team in the NFL. 

Los Angeles Rams (7-4) at Arizona (6-5) - This game could go either way. Take the Cardinals in a close one. 

New York Giants (4-7) at Seattle (8-3) - Take the Seahawks in this one as the Giants three-game roll comes to an end. 

Philadelphia (3-7-1) at Green Bay (8-3) - Packers roll ! 

New England (5-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (3-8) - The Chargers finally win a close game. 

Denver (4-7) at Kansas City (10-1) - Chiefs roll ! 

Washington (4-7) at Pittsburgh (11-0) - Steelers need to get back on track on offense, but the Washington defense could keep it closer than most people might think.

Buffalo (8-3) at San Francisco (5-6) - (game played in Glendale, AZ) - The 49ers could spring a surprise in this one on Monday Night Football. 

Dallas (3-8) at Baltimore (6-5) - Perhaps the NFL's two most under achieving teams go at it on a Tuesday night in this one. Take the Ravens. 

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

 

Tennessee over Cleveland 

New Orleans over Atlanta 

Chicago over Detroit 

Indianapolis over Houston 

Miami over Cincinnati 

Minnesota over Jacksonville 

Las Vegas over N.Y. Jets 

Arizona over L.A. Rams 

Seattle over N.Y. Giants 

Green Bay over Philadelphia 

L.A. Chargers over New England 

KANSAS CITY over Denver 

Pittsburgh over Washington 

San Francisco over Buffalo 

Baltimore over Dallas 

 

Last Week's Record -  13-3 

SEASON RECORD -  126-50-1

Lock of the Week Record - 9-3 

 

 

 

 

 

NFL - Week Twelve Review

The Kansas City Chiefs improved to a 10-1 record with a 27-24 road win at Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon behind three touchdown passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes (pictured left) to wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who also had 13 receptions for 269 yards. Mahomes passed for 462 yards as Kansas City raced out to a 17-0 first half lead. The Buccaneers (7-5) battled back in the fourth quarter to provide the final outcome as QB Tom Brady threw for three scores, but was also intercepted twice. 

Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill had a huge game.

 

 

 

 

The Buffalo Bills (8-3) won at home, 27-17 against the Los Angeles Chargers (3-8) with a balanced offense (172 rushing yards and 160 passing yards) to overcome three turnovers. Bills QB Josh Allen had a scoring pass and run while Chargers QB Justin Herbert passed for a score and had 316 passing yards in defeat.

The Tennessee Titans (8-3) turned the tables on the host Indianapolis Colts (7-4) with a 45-26 trouncing to take over sole possession of first place in the AFC South division. Tennessee running back Derrick Henry rushed for 178 yards (on 27 carries) and scored three touchdowns to lead the way. The game was tied 14-14 early in the second quarter before the Titans scored 21 unanswered points to blow it open at halftime and avenge a blowout loss to the Colts (in Tennessee) just over two weeks ago. Colts QB Philip Rivers had two TD passes and one interception in the loss. 

The San Francisco 49ers (5-6) topped the Los Angeles Rams, 23-20 as kicker Robbie Gould made a 42-yard field goal as time expired. Rams QB Jared Goff had three of the four turnovers (two interceptions and one fumble lost), including a "pick six" touchdown for the 49ers defense. The Rams (7-4) also scored on defense with a fumble return while getting three turnovers on an interception and two fumble recoveries.

Cleveland (8-3) won at Jacksonville, 27-25 to send the Jaguars (1-10) to their tenth consecutive defeat while maintaining control of second place in the AFC North race. The Browns used a balanced offensive attack (207 rushing yards, 252 passing yards) to hold off the Jags, who could not convert a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Browns QB Baker Mayfield had two scoring passes and RB Nick Chubb rushed for another score and had 144 rushing yards, offsetting two TD passes by Jaguars QB Mike Glennon and rushing touchdown by RB James Robinson, who had 128 rushing yards in the loss.

The Green Bay Packers (8-3) demolished the visiting Chicago Bears, 41-25 in the Sunday night game with QB Aaron Rodgers throwing four TD passes. The Packers defense forced three turnovers in the win, including a fumble recovery for a 14-yard score by linebacker Preston Smith for a 27-3 lead in the second quarter as Chicago (5-6) lost their fifth consecutive game. The Packers rushed for 182 yards in the game while amassing 393 total yards in offense. Bears QB Mitch Trubisky had three TD passes and two interceptions in his first start since the third week of the season. 

On Wednesday afternoon, nearly one week after the game was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving night, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens finally played their game and the Steelers won, 19-14 to remain unbeaten at 11-0 while the Ravens dropped to 6-5 this season. 

The Ravens were without many starters on both offense and defense due to the COVID-19 restricted list and that included starting QB Lamar Jackson. But Pittsburgh's defense scored the first touchdown of the game when Joe Haden took an interception back 14 yards for the score. The Ravens forged ahead, 7-6 on a one-yard TD run by Gus Edwards. Following two field goals by kicker Chris Boswell, the Steelers scored on a one-yard TD pass from Ben Roethlisberger to WR JuJu Smith-Schuster for a 19-7 lead. The Ravens then scored with 3:10 remaining in the game on a 70-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley to WR Marquise Brown. From there, the Steelers were able to run the clock out.

                                                               Elsewhere Around the NFL   . . . . . . . .  

 

The Atlanta Falcons (4-7) stunned the visiting Las Vegas Raiders, 43-6 as their defense forced five Raiders turnovers, including a 67-yard TD interception return by Deion Jones to put the game away in the third quarter. Falcons QB Matt Ryan had two TD passes and kicker Younghoe Koo made five field goals to help send Las Vegas (6-5) to a second straight loss . . .  The Minnesota Vikings (5-6) scored on a ten-yard TD pass from QB Kirk Cousins (three TD passes in the game) to WR Chad Beebe with 46 seconds remaining to defeat the Carolina Panthers, 28-27. The Panthers (4-8) took a 21-10 lead after defensive back Jeremy Chinn scored his second TD of the game on a fumble return in the third quarter, but then Minnesota made the comeback . . .  The Miami Dolphins improved to 7-4 with a 20-3 road win against the New York Jets (0-11) as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had two TD passes . . . The New York Giants (4-7) won their third straight game, 19-17 at Cincinnati (2-8-1) as Graham Gano kicked four field goals and the defense limited the Bengals to only 155 total yards in offense . . .  The New Orleans Saints (9-2) crushed the host Denver Broncos, 31-3 for their eight consecutive victory while holding the Broncos (4-7) to 112 yards in total offense, including just twelve passing yards as Denver was forced to use Kendall Hinton as the emergency quarterback due to the league COVID-19 protocols. Saints RB Latavius Murray scored twice on the ground while rushing for 124 yards to pace the rout . . . The New England Patriots beat the visiting Arizona Cardinals, 20-17 on a 50-yard field goal by Nick Folk as time ran out to move to 5-6 this season. The Cardinals (6-5) missed a chance to take the lead late in the fourth quarter when Zane Gonzalez missed a 45-yard field goal. Patriots RB James White scored two rushing touchdowns as did Cards RB Kenyan Drake . . .  In the Thanksgiving Day games, it was no contest as the Houston Texans (4-7) blasted the Detroit Lions, 41-25 with QB Deshaun Watson tossing four touchdown passes along with 318 passing yards with two of the scoring passes going to WR Will Fuller, who had six receptions for 171 yards. The Lions (4-7) turned the football over three times in the loss and also fired Head Coach Matt Patricia the following day . . .  In the game at Dallas, the Washington football team (4-7) rolled past the Cowboys, 41-16 by scoring 21 unanswered points with RB Antonio Gibson going for 115 rushing yards and three touchdowns for the game, including two in the decisive fourth quarter. Montez Sweat had a 15-yard interception return for another score as Washington's defense limited the Cowboys (3-8) to just 60 rushing yards and 247 yards in total offense while also getting four quarterback sacks . . . The Monday night game went to the Seattle Seahawks (8-3) as they earned a 23-17 road win against the Philadelphia Eagles (3-7-1), who dropped their third straight game. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw a one-yard scoring pass to WR David Moore and RB Chris Carson scored a rushing touchdown while kicker Jason Myers made three field goals and wide receiver DK Metcalf had ten receptions for 177 yards to lead the way. Eagles QB Carson Wentz was sacked six times, but had two TD passes and threw one interception in defeat.

 

Week Twelve Results 

Houston 41, Detroit 25

Washington 41, Dallas 16

Atlanta 43, Las Vegas 6

Buffalo 27, L.A. Chargers 17 

Minnesota 28, Carolina 27

Tennessee 45, Indianapolis 26 

New England 20, Arizona 17 

Cleveland 27, Jacksonville 25

N.Y. Giants 19, Cincinnati 17 

Miami 20, N.Y. Jets 3  

New Orleans 31, Denver 3

San Francisco 23, L.A. Rams 20

Kansas City 27, Tampa Bay 24 

Green Bay 41, Chicago 25 

Seattle 23, Philadelphia 17  

Pittsburgh 19, Baltimore 14

 

NFL - Week Twelve Preview

The traditional Thanksgiving Day football games will be going back to a time when only two games were played. That is because it was announced by the NFL the night game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers (in Pittsburgh) was being moved back to Sunday afternoon due to the many issues of COVID-19 concerns with the Ravens football team. (The latest update as of 11/27/2020 is the Ravens at Steelers game is now being moved back until Tuesday, December 1.)

Therefore, the two teams that always play on Thanksgiving Day, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, will host their games. The Lions (4-6) face the Houston Texans (3-7) while the Cowboys (3-7) will play Washington, which is also 3-7 in the putrid NFC East division race. 

The Cowboys finally got a win last weekend and along with Washington and the New York Giants are tied for second place in their division with the Philadelphia Eagles in first place with a 3-6-1 record. Meanwhile, the Lions laid an egg last weekend and were shutout by the Carolina Panthers, 20-0 to remain in the basement of the NFC North division. The Texans have won two of their last three games and could pose a big challenge to the Lions on turkey day. 

As for the Steelers and Ravens, it's round two this season as Pittsburgh won, 28-24 in Baltimore a month ago. The Ravens (6-4) have lost three of their last four games and trail the Steelers (10-0) and Cleveland Browns (7-3) in the AFC North chase. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has struggled in recent weeks and looks nothing like the MVP from the 2019 season. Meanwhile, the Steelers have allowed the fewest points in pro football this year while Baltimore ranks third in the NFL in that area. 

Look for the teams to battle it out again and perhaps the Ravens can get back some of the players they were going to be missing had the game taken place on Thanksgiving Day due to positive tests for the virus. The Steelers rate the edge in this one as they have been more consistent on both sides of the ball and QB Ben Roethlisberger has been outstanding so far this season, passing for 24 touchdowns with just five interceptions. 

Two other games of note this weekend include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4) hosting the Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) and the battle for first place in the AFC South division between the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts taking place in Indy. Both teams are coming off overtime victories last week, The Colts outlasted the visiting Green Bay Packers, 34-31 while the Titans came back to defeat the Baltimore Ravens, 30-24 with running back Derrick Henry leading the way and scoring the winning touchdown on a 29-yard run. 

The Buccaneers fell at home last Monday night to the Los Angeles Rams, 27-24 with QB Tom Brady struggling all game long, including a costly interception in the final two minutes of the game. The Chiefs won a thriller in Las Vegas last Sunday night, 35-31 against the Raiders to run their winning streak to five games. This one could go in one of two directions. The Chiefs could blow out the Bucs or it could come down to the final possession with quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Brady going at it with the passing attacks. 

The rest of the action for Week Twelve is included with the capsule style format and the Heftyinfo predictions following up. 

 

Las Vegas (6-4) at Atlanta (3-7) - Falcons could spring the upset in this one, but the Raiders cannot afford to lose this game in what is a wild AFC playoff race. 

Arizona (6-4) at New England (4-6) - Exciting young Cardinals QB Kyler Murray goes against aging, but one time exciting QB Cam Newton for the Patriots in this one. Toss up. 

Miami (6-4) at N.Y. Jets (0-10) - Can this be the game where the Jets put it together and get a win? It's possible, but not likely. 

Cleveland (7-3) at Jacksonville (1-9) - The Jaguars have lost nine consecutive games. The Browns are in serious playoff contention. Recipe for an upset? Not likely, but you never know. 

L.A. Chargers (3-7) at Buffalo (7-3) - The Chargers have been in every game they play this season, so the Bills better be ready. 

N.Y. Giants (3-7) at Cincinnati (2-7-1) - The Giants could emerge from this game tied for first place in their division. The Bengals begin the rest of the season without rookie QB Joe Burrow. Toss up in this one.

Carolina (4-7) at Minnesota (4-6) - The Vikings let one get away last week while the Panthers rolled past the Detroit Lions. Toss up here as well.

New Orleans (8-2) at Denver (4-6) - The Saints are going for their eighth consecutive victory while the Broncos will look to rattle reserve QB Taysom Hill with their defensive attack. Saints win in a squeaker. 

San Francisco (4-6) at L.A. Rams (7-3) - The Rams should win this game, but the 49ers will not just roll over. 

Chicago (5-5) at Green Bay (7-3) - The Bears play their arch rivals in "prime time" on Sunday night with perhaps Mitch Trubisky back as the starting quarterback. Packers would like to put more distance between themselves and the rest of the divisional foes. 

Seattle (7-3) at Philadelphia (3-6-1) - The Monday night game in the battle of the birds. Seahawks better be ready because the Eagles are a desperate football team. 

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

 

Thanksgiving Day Games

Houston over Detroit 

Dallas over Washington 

Sunday Games 

Atlanta over Las Vegas

Buffalo over L.A. Chargers 

N.Y. Giants over Cincinnati 

Minnesota over Carolina 

Indianapolis over Tennessee 

New England over Arizona 

Miami over N.Y. Jets 

Cleveland over Jacksonville 

New Orleans over Denver 

L.A. RAMS over San Francisco 

Kansas City over Tampa Bay 

Green Bay over Chicago 

Monday Night Game

Seattle over Philadelphia 

Tuesday, December 1 (subject to change)

Pittsburgh over Baltimore 

 

Last Week's Record -  11-3 

SEASON RECORD -  113-47-1 

Lock of the Week Record -  9-2

 

 

NFL - Week Eleven Review

 

Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship celebrates game winning field goal.

There were plenty of close games and exciting finishes around the NFL this weekend and none more so than the Indianapolis Colts 34-31 victory in overtime against the visiting Green Bay Packers. The Packers (7-3) raced out to a 28-14 halftime lead, but the Colts defense stifled the Packers offense in the second half and forced the OT session, where they came up with a fumble recovery that set up the game winning 39-yard field goal by kicker Rodrigo Blankenship. 

Both (quarterbacks) Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers had three touchdown passes and one interception in the game with turnovers being the key in the Colts win. Green Bay turned it over four times while the Colts (7-3) committed two turnovers.

Another game that went into overtime saw the Tennessee Titans (7-3) beat the host Baltimore Ravens, 30-24 when running back Derrick Henry (28 carries for 133 yards) scored on a 29-yard run. The Titans came back from a 21-10 second half deficit thanks to QB Ryan Tannehill (two TD passes in the game) and three field goals from Stephen Gostkowski. The Ravens (6-4) lost for the third time in four games to drop into third place in the AFC North division. 

In the Thursday night game, the Seattle Seahawks (7-3) held on for a 28-21 victory against the Arizona Cardinals (6-4) with QB Russell Wilson throwing for two scores and RB Carlos Hyde rushing for another touchdown to lead the way. The Seahawks defense held off the Cardinals late in the game to help preserve the win. Arizona QB Kyler Murray had two touchdown passes in defeat. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0) remained perfect this season with a 27-3 drubbing of the host Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9) as their defense intercepted four passes and limited the Jags to just 209 total yards in offense. Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw for two touchdowns and his team controlled the clock throughout the game. 

In the Sunday night game, the Kansas City Chiefs (9-1) defeated the host Las Vegas Raiders, 35-31 with QB Patrick Mahomes (pictured right) throwing his second TD pass of the game to tight end Travis Kelce (eight receptions for 127 yards) from 22 yards with just 28 seconds remaining in the game. Raiders QB Derek Carr had three TD passes, but was intercepted to seal the game in the final seconds. Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire had a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Chiefs, as the team totaled 460 yards in total offense.

 

The New Orleans Saints rolled to an NFC best 8-2 record as they beat the visiting Atlanta Falcons, 24-9 with Taysom Hill filling in at quarterback for the injured Drew Brees. Hill scored twice on rushing touchdowns and RB Alvin Kamara added another TD run to pace the win. The Falcons (3-7) managed just three field goals in the loss and QB Matt Ryan was sacked eight times and threw two interceptions. 

The big Monday Night Football showdown between the Los Angeles Rams (7-3) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4) ended in a 27-24 decision for the visiting Rams as their defense harassed Bucs QB Tom Brady (two TD passes and two INT) into a costly interception as they were driving in the final two minutes of regulation. The Buccaneers totaled just 258 yards in offense, including a meager 42 rushing yards.

Rams QB Jared Goff passed for 376 yards and three touchdowns along with two interceptions while kicker Matt Gay made two field goals, including the deciding boot from 40 yards with just under three minutes to play. 

                                                        Elsewhere Around the NFL  . . . . . . . .     

The Carolina Panthers (4-7) shutout the Detroit Lions, 20-0 to snap a four-game losing streak as P.J. Walker (258 passing yards, one TD, two INT) made his first start at quarterback. The Lions (4-6) managed just 185 total yards in offense and just ten first downs . . .  The Denver Broncos (4-6) surprised the Miami Dolphins, 20-13, snapping Miami's five-game winning streak. The Denver defense had six QB sacks and limited the Dolphins (6-4) to only 223 total yards in offense while RB Melvin Gordon scored two rushing touchdowns to help make the difference . . .  Dallas (3-7) won 31-28 on the road against the Minnesota Vikings (4-6) as QB Andy Dalton had three TD passes after missing two games due to injury and COVID-19 restrictions. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins threw for three scores in the setback, which snapped the Vikings three-game win streak . . .  The Los Angeles Chargers (3-7) won at home, 34-28 against the New York Jets (0-10) with rookie QB Justin Herbert passing for 366 yards and three touchdowns while wide receiver Keenan Allen had 16 receptions for 145 yards and one touchdown . . .  The Washington football team (3-7) beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 20-9 with a balanced attack (164 rushing yards and 161 passing yards) to move into a three-way tie for second place in the NFC East. The Bengals dropped to 2-7-1 and lost starting QB Joe Burrow (knee injury) for the remainder of the season . . .  The Cleveland Browns improved to 7-3 with a 22-17 home victory against the Philadelphia Eagles (3-6-1) with running back Nick Chubb rushing for 114 yards and RB Kareem Hunt scoring a rushing TD to help pace the win in bad weather. Eagles QB Carson Wentz had two TD passes along with a pair of interceptions, including a "pick six" that gave Cleveland an early 7-0 lead . . .  The Houston Texans (3-7) outlasted the New England Patriots (4-6) for a 27-20 home win as QB Deshaun Watson had two TD passes and a rushing score along with 344 passing yards to offset 365 passing yards and one TD pass from Pats QB Cam Newton. 

 

Week Eleven Results

Seattle 28, Arizona 21

Carolina 20, Detroit 0

Tennessee 30, Baltimore 24 (OT)

Pittsburgh 27, Jacksonville 3 

Washington 20, Cincinnati 9 

Cleveland 22, Philadelphia 17

Houston 27, New England 20 

New Orleans 24, Atlanta 9

L.A. Chargers 34, N.Y. Jets 28 

Dallas 31, Minnesota 28

Denver 20, Miami 13

Indianapolis 34, Green Bay 31 (OT) 

Kansas City 35, Las Vegas 31

L.A. Rams 27, Tampa Bay 24