Other news:
- Suggs has been claimed by the Chiefs. It will be interesting to see if he shows up. - The Saints have signed Janorious Jenkins. We'll see how well he behaves. - The Raiders last game was debacle with the Black Hole going out as only it could. - Troy Aikmen is saying that Dak has a hairline fracture in his finger. Buffalo Bills 17, Pittsburgh Steelers 10 1. In a battle between two of the conference's strongest defenses and strangest offenses, it was only fitting that the X-factors of Buffalo's victory came on the defensive sides of the ball. While Josh Allen and Devlin "Duck" Hodges traded wild throws and improbable deep completions, the Bills and Steelers defenses swapped big plays and body blows. For Pittsburgh, Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt was all over the field, logging half a sack, two QB hits, two TFLs, a pass defensed and a forced fumble. For Buffalo, All-Pro candidate 2. Speaking of the playoffs, the Bills will most definitely be there. Buffalo secured its second playoff berth in three seasons and its first 10-win year since 1999 with the victory. It's an impressive achievement for Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane, who were left for dead last season with a lottery-team roster but have bounced back in 2019 by maximizing their potential. Offseason additions like John Brown (game-high seven catches, 99 yards), Tyler Kroft (game-winning TD) and Devin Singletary (87 yards) carried the load on Sunday night, and franchise quarterback Josh Allen made few mistakes and extended just enough drives with his legs to get Buffalo back to the dance. The Bills' path to an AFC East title is not of their own making, though. They would need to beat New England next week and then have the Patriots lose to the lowly Dolphins at home in Week 17. 3. Pittsburgh's playoff hopes didn't necessarily take a hit with Sunday's result, as everyone else behind them in the wild-card race also lost this weekend -- Indianapolis plays New Orleans on Monday night -- but the Steelers' confidence might have been bruised. Tied at 8-6 with Tennessee in the sixth seed, the Steelers have the Jets and Ravens (potentially without their starters) the next two weeks. Those will be tests for a confounding offense to get back on track after Sunday's display. With JuJu Smith-Schuster out and James Conner back on the active roster, Pittsburgh relied heavily on Hodges (38 attempts) instead of its ground game (14 attempts for RBs, and eight for Conner) against Buffalo. Hodges hit on a few deep balls to James Washington (83 yards, five catches on 11 targets) and Diontae Johnson (62 yards, five catches) and picked up a few clutch conversions, but Pittsburgh scored just one offensive touchdown in 12 drives and had as many giveaways as punts (5). That's no way to win in December, and if the Steelers keep it up, they won't have to worry about playing that way in January. -- Jeremy Bergman Atlanta Falcons 29, San Francisco 49ers 22 1. Julio Jones broke the plane and the 49ers' hearts. With two seconds remaining, Matt Ryan hit Jones over the middle at the goal line for the game-winning score. The Falcons wideout was initially ruled down at the 1, where time would have run out, but the call was overturned. It came one play after Ryan seemingly hit Austin Hooper for the go-ahead TD, only the tight end pressed the ball against the ground before appearing to make an acrobatic catch. The wild sequence was capped off by Atlanta picking up a fumbled lateral in the end zone on the ensuing kickoff to score its second touchdown in the final five seconds. The Falcons scored on their final two possessions to rally from a 19-10 deficit in the final 10 minutes. It continues a late-season surge under embattled coach Dan Quinn, who's relinquished some defensive responsibilities to his staff while guiding Atlanta to four wins in its past six games. You have to think Quinn's familiarity with former OC Kyle Shanahan had a lot to do with how Sunday played out. 2. The NFC no longer goes through San Francisco. The 49ers (11-3) still have the conference's best record but aren't even leading their division. That distinction belongs to the Seahawks given the head-to-head tiebreaker. Both teams clinched playoff berths Sunday thanks to a Rams loss. San Francisco, which hosts the Rams next week, will have to win in Seattle in Week 17 to have any chance of regaining its footing atop the NFC West, much less the NFC. The 49ers have lost three of six and are currently the fifth seed in the conference, which would mean their postseason run begins on the road. They've lost just once outside of Levi's this season and are back in the playoffs for the first time in six years. But to not host a playoff game would be bittersweet after beginning the season 8-0. 3. George Kittle is arguably the 49ers' best player. But he can't be the offense's only one. The Pro Bowler was Jimmy Garoppolo's go-to target to a fault against the Falcons. Through three quarters, Garoppolo had 15 completions and Kittle had 15 targets -- and 12 catches. The star tight end had accounted for 131 of Jimmy G's 142 passing yards until that point. Accordingly, the Niners continuously stalled on offense, essentially producing just one TD drive. (Special teamer Ross Dwelley forced a fumble that Kyle Juszczyk recovered at the Falcons' 1 to set up San Francisco's only other TD.) Kittle, perhaps exhausted, caught just one pass in the fourth quarter, a third-and-four pass to the flats that slipped out of his arms and out of bounds, just short of the sticks. The 49ers then settled for a field goal that gave them a 22-17 lead and ultimately left them vulnerable to a Falcons comeback. It was a complete 180 for San Francisco's offense, which produced more than 500 yards and six touchdowns in a shootout against the Saints. We'll find out in two weeks if the relative no-show cost the Niners a first-round bye. -- Adam Maya Dallas Cowboys 44, Los Angeles Rams 21 1. After a wonky start that included a pre-game coin toss controversy and the opening kick landing out of bounds, the Cowboys played their most complete game of the season, dismantling the Rams in every phase. The stars all shined bright in Dallas for the first time in weeks. Dak Prescott delivered bombs, including a 59-yard TD to Tavon Austin. Ezekiel Elliott ate and ate and ate some more, gobbling up 160 scrimmage yards. Zeke (117, 2TD) and Tony Pollard (131, TD) each went over the century mark rushing. Jason Witten snatched a one-handed highlight-reel touchdown to open the scoring. The Cowboys thrashed Wade Phillips' defense every which way to the tune of 475 total yards. The offensive line dominated, blowing the Rams off the ball. The defense stepped up, holding L.A. under 150 yards until garbage time, and a futile 4 of 12 on third downs. Sean Lee turned back the clock, making big plays, including a second-quarter INT and a sack. And the special teams arrived, with newly signed Kai Forbath making all seven of his kicks, including three field goals. For a team engulfed in a tumultuous season, the Cowboys put on their best showing of the season. For at least a week, Jerry Jones can be happy his team finally earned a win in a big spot. 2. The Rams got punished in the trenches on both sides of the ball. The offensive line reverted to its early-season form, opening few holes in the ground game, and allowing pressure after pressure. Jared Goff struggled from the get-go, and a first-half thumb injury clearly affected him as the game wore on. The QB missed easy throws and was off the mark repeatedly, completing 33 of 51 passes for 284 yards, two TDs, one INT and was sacked twice. Most of his stat line, however, was generated after the game got out of hand. After looking spry in recent weeks, Todd Gurley was silenced. The running back had no holes and was held to just 20 rushing yards on 11 attempts with a garbage-time touchdown. With Gurley an afterthought and Cooper Kupp nonexistent for three quarters, the Rams offense never found traction, earning just eight first-half first downs. Goff's thumb injury played a role in the stagnant offense, but the Rams were struggling even before hit smacked it on a helmet. All season, L.A.'s offense has been up and down. With the playoffs on the line, Sean McVay's group laid an egg in Dallas. 3. For the first time this season, the Cowboys beat a team with a winning record. Dallas moves back to .500 on the season at 7-7 to stay tied atop the NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles, who won earlier in the day. Sunday's pummeling sets up a Week 16 matchup with the Eagles in Philly with the division on the line. Jason Garrett's crew will need a similar complementary performance from all three phases once again. One thing we've learned this season in Dallas is that nothing is predictable. For the Rams, the loss puts their season on life support Falling to 8-6, L.A. needs to win its final two games of the season and have Minnesota lose their final two matchups. A year removed from a Super Bowl trip, it looks as though McVay's squad will miss the postseason tournament for the first time in his tenure. -- Kevin Patra Jacksonville Jaguars 20, Oakland Raiders 16 1. Guess who's back, back again? Minshew Mania's back, tell a friend (that's not a Raiders fan). After a few weeks out of the spotlight, the legend of Gardner Minshew (17/29, 201, 2 TDs) returned to add its most storied chapter in the Raiders' final game inside of Oakland Coliseum. For the better part of the day, the Jags' offense struggled mightily, ending the first half with 75 net yards (19 plays), two first downs, and punts on four of their first five possessions. Conversely, Oakland netted 273 yards (45 plays), 17 first downs and scores four of their first six drives. It was more of the same in the third until suddenly the switch flipped following a Josh Lambo 43-yarder to make it 16-6 to end the quarter. From then on, the problems that plagued them all day -- no D.J. Chark and little production from Leonard Fournette -- didn't seem to matter. After totaling 113 yards through three quarters, Minshew came alive, avoiding sacks and gaining yards on timely scrambles and going 10-of-13 for 88 yards and two TDs to propel the Jags to the win. To top it off, he also earned his third career game-winning drive, all of which have come on the road. 2. The Raiders knew they couldn't lose their last game in Oakland. And yet, that's still what happened in the most heartbreaking fashion one could expect. The late collapse by a franchise that has now lost four straight was the result of a lack of execution in all three phases. The defense manhandled the Jags for most of the day but the offense stalled after their opening drive TD, scoring three FGs over their remaining eight drives. Derek Carr (22/36, 267 yards, TD) was efficient yet again but it didn't result in much of anything for the offense; focal points TE Darren Waller (8/122) and Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner RB Josh Jacobs (24/89) got their expected numbers but neither made a real impact. The defense went from holding Fournette to 42 rush yards to allowing Minshew to find him -- and the rest of the Jags' receiving corps -- through the air en route to scoring 14 unanswered points late. 3. This was a bad loss for the Raiders to send their fans home with but perhaps the most difficult part about this game came on the back-to-back misses by Daniel Carlson from 50 and 45 yards, respectively, with two minutes remaining. A roughing the kicker penalty afforded them the mulligan but both sailed wide left, and so did Oakland's chance to go up by six to possibly end the Oakland era with a win. On to Las Vegas. -- Jelani Scott Houston Texans 24, Tennessee Titans 21 1. Titans fans at Nissan Stadium and beyond had to feel a bit of deja vu Sunday. Presented with a chance to take control of the race for the AFC South -- much like Week 17 last season against the Colts -- the Titans couldn't muster the strength to prove their legitimacy. Houston built a 14-0 lead on consecutive touchdown passes to Kenny Stills and looked like it would run away with the game as long as it could maintain possession, which Tennessee realized and countered with a third-quarter drive that lasted nearly 10 minutes. They couldn't quite get past the Texans, though, and that's really the story of this game: Houston rose to the occasion, taking an opportunity and making the most of it by building an early lead and icing it with a late possession to go ahead by 10. For the first time since early November, Derrick Henry failed to reach 100 yards, another achievement for Houston's defense. In appropriate fashion, a sack of Ryan Tannehill finished it, pushing the Texans (9-5) into a one-game advantage atop the South with two to play. 2. For the first time in Tannehill's Titans career, he showed small glimpses of the struggles that ultimately ended his time in Miami. Credit goes to the Texans for playing excellent coverage downfield in a variety of important situations, including breaking up a pass attempt on a fake punt late in the first half and pressuring the quarterback late while nursing a seven-point lead. Such a performance makes one wonder how this defense might perform if it reaches the playoffs and is able to welcome back J.J. Watt, a pass-rushing force it has lacked for most of the season. Adding consistent quarterback pressure would make the Texans -- currently 27th in the NFL in sacks with 26 -- a much more formidable team in January. 3. The Titans (8-6) are still very much in this playoff race, but need to win out in their final two weeks, which includes a rematch with this Texans team. They showed a surprising wrinkle Sunday with the increased involvement of tight end Jonnu Smith, and their offense did enough to get it back in the game, but a similar performance -- which included a timely interception that kept the Texans from pushing their lead to 21-7 and led to a game-tying score -- against Houston would mean another loss. They'll obviously have to be better in key moments, but they aren't far off. Crunch time has arrived in Nashville. -- Nick Shook Minnesota Vikings 39, Los Angeles Chargers 10 1. With the Packers winning early in the day and the Rams losing to Dallas, the Vikings couldn't afford a hiccup on the road against a Chargers team coming off one of its most impressive performances of the season. After falling behind for a fleeting moment in the second quarter, Mike Zimmer's defense forced a whopping seven turnovers, covering for an offense which lost star running back Dalvin Cook to a shoulder-injury aggravation and benefitted from just 27 yards in Adam Thielen's long-awaited return from a nagging hamstring. The Vikes entered halftime with plenty of momentum after Danielle Hunter's strip sack was returned for an Ifeadi Odenigbo touchdown with just seven seconds left on the clock. Minnesota's club coasted the rest of the way, taking much of the suspense out of the Rams' bid to usurp the NFC's No. 6 seed. 2. In a year without an obvious front-runner for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter put forth a strong argument with a sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery while the contest was still close. The youngest player to reach 50 career sacks since the statistic became official in 1982, Hunter entered the game ranked first among pass rushers in QB hurries, third in sack yardage, fourth in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss. The dearth of forced fumbles was perhaps the most obvious blemish in his case for first-team All Pro versus the likes of T.J. Watt, Shaquil Barrett, Cameron Jordan, Chandler Jones and the Bosa brothers. 3. The Chargers' offense and special teams placed the improving defense in compromising positions all afternoon, starting with a pair of Melvin Gordon fumbles, extending to Philip Rivers' horrendous ball protection and continuing through an Eric Wilson blocked punt deep in Bolts territory. It's been a rough contract year for each of Rivers and Gordon. The latter cost his team dearly in October by playing poorly in his return from an ill-fated holdout and spent the final 25 minutes of today's action watching from the head coach's doghouse. The former has struggled with turnovers and tight-window throws throughout the season and may have narrowly avoided his own benching in favor of Tyrod Taylor two weeks ago. Don't be surprised if the Chargers open SoFi Stadium with a new quarterback-tailback tandem in 2020. -- Chris Wesseling Kansas City Chiefs 23, Denver Broncos 3 1. It's outrageous how easy Patrick Mahomes makes quarterbacking look, even in a driving snowstorm. This was a bad-weather clinic by the 2018 MVP, with all of his skills on display in a 340-yard effort: touch, accuracy, arm strength, timing and mobility. With very little running game to help him, this was the Chiefs passing attack I've wanted to see since Mahomes returned from injury, with Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill taking turns making big plays. With all respect to MVPGOD Lamar Jackson, there's no QB I'd rather have down the stretch than Mahomes. 2. The weather was a big factor, but this was Drew Lock's regression game. The Broncos quarterback completed less than half his passes and was flummoxed by Kansas City's blitz packages. Then again, Lock wasn't given much of a chance because the Chiefs racked up 10 QB hits, including yet another dominant performance by Chris Jones. He'd be one of my DPOY candidates if not for missing three games. 3. Jones is part of a Chiefs pass defense that makes them a legitimate title contender. While they still trail the Patriots by a game in their search for a bye, the outstanding combination of Tyrann Mathieu and Juan Thornhill at safety (three combined passes defensed, one sack and one INT on Sunday) can give any opposing quarterback fits. They cover up blitzes and change coverages as well as any tandem in football. -- Gregg Rosenthal Green Bay Packers 21, Chicago Bears 13 1. The 200th meeting between the Packers and Bears was epitomized by fourth downs. Green Bay scored a first-quarter touchdown on a fourth-and-four dime from Aaron Rodgers to Davante Adams to give the Packers an early lead they'd never relinquish. Chicago, meanwhile, went 0-3 on fourth-down attempts that stalled drives and helped cause the Bears to come up just short. The Packers jumped out to a 21-3 lead after back-to-back touchdown drives to open the third quarter. At the start of the second-half, Rodgers feasted on big plays to quickly blast down the field, including a pretty pass to Jake Kumerow down the sideline that went for 49 yards, setting up Aaron Jones' second TD run. As it has for much of the past month, however, the Green Bay offense was inconsistent when the splash plays weren't there. The Packers' final five drives all ended in punts, including four three-and-outs to close the game. In what could have been a blowout, the Green Baby lulls allowed the Bears to hang around. Rodgers and Co. will need to cut out the cold streaks against playoff-caliber teams come January if they want to play into February. 2. Coming off his best two games of the season, Mitchell Trubisky gave the Bears a chance to climb back into the game with some great strikes over the middle, repeatedly finding Anthony Miller for chunk gains. Trubisky put up a season-high 348 yards on a whopping 53 pass attempts (29 completions), added a TD toss and two picks. It was his inconsistency, however, that ultimately caused the Bears to come up short. Trubisky tossed a brutal interception to Packers defensive lineman Dean Lowry and was wayward in several key spots. The Bears went 9-of-20 on third downs, 0-3 on fourth and converted just one of three red-zone appearances into a TD. After a slow start, Trubisky got in a groove in the second half and made some stellar plays. But the inconsistencies, especially when he didn't set his feet, proved too much to overcome. The lack of a running game hurt the Bears, and Trubisky didn't use his legs as much as we'd seen in recent weeks. Miller (9/118/1) and Allen Robinson (7/125) each gobbled up the Packers secondary, but it wasn't enough on the road to complete the comeback bid. 3. Pulling off the victory vaults the Packers to 11-3. Green Bay clinched a postseason berth with the Los Angeles Rams' loss to the Cowboys. The Packers' third straight win sets up a massive showdown with the Minnesota Vikings with the NFC North likely on the line. Sitting in the No. 2 spot in the conference, Matt LaFleur's team can lock down a first-round bye by winning out the final two weeks. The loss knocks the Bears to 7-7, and all but eliminates Chicago from the postseason. After winning the division in his first season, Matt Nagy's second year in Chicago has been an up-and-down disappointment that was epitomized by coming up short at Lambeau Field on Sunday. -- Kevin Patra Tampa Bay Buccaneers 38, Detroit Lions 17 1. With postseason possibilities long since dissipated into offseason questions for both the Buccaneers and Lions, the prevailing storylines of this game were much the same as they have been for the season. For Detroit, injuries and overall struggles continued to mount. For Tampa Bay, the one-man roller coaster known as Jameis Winston sped along, staying on the tracks despite all the familiar signs that it would derail. With his second career-high 400-yard outing in as many weeks, Winston threw four touchdowns -- including three to Breshad Perriman -- as the Buccaneers blasted past the Lions, 38-17, with lost seasons for both coming closer to their conclusions. Just as the day is long and water is wet, Winston is good for a turnover. As has happened time and again, he threw an interception (his league-leading 24th of the year) on the first drive of the game. True to form, he threw a touchdown on his next, as a ridiculous first quarter was on its way. Winston threw for 221 yards on just 10 completions, turning in the most passing yards in a first stanza in the league this season, while the Lions bumbled to one yard (yes, one yard) of offense in the same 15 minutes and trailed, 14-0. In the same quarter, Shaq Barrett notched a sack -- putting him at 16.5 for the season and in a tie with Warren Sapp for the most in team history. Somehow the Lions later made a game of it as this Bucs season has very much been characterized by gaudy individual numbers and struggling team results. Overall, though, this was a splendid day for Winston, who completed 28-of-42 passes for 458 yards, four scores and a 124.9 rating. The Buccaneers (7-7) are .500 and have won four in a row. With no playoffs to play for, this is about as good an outcome as Tampa Bay could have hoped to achieve. 2. Wes Hills did his best Bo Scarbrough. On Saturday, Hills was signed off the practice squad and by Sunday afternoon was the lead back for the Lions -- just as Scarbrough did the week before he too fell to injury like seemingly every other Lions starter. Hills had two touchdowns on the day, his second drawing Detroit to within 24-17 somehow, someway in a game that started and felt like a massive blowout. When Hills bulled in for his second touchdown run of the game, it gave him six yards on nine carries -- an average of 0.7 yards per carry. He finished with 21 yards in his NFL debut and was emblematic of a team ravaged by injuries and seemingly playing with its 17th string. The David Blough feel-good story lasted all of a few drives on Thanksgiving as the Detroit third-stringer had a pair of interceptions Sunday, though it somehow seemed like more, and a 54.4 rating. Dismantled by injuries and losers of seven straight, for this pride of Lions (3-9-1), the offseason, rest for the weary and an abundance of changes cannot come soon enough. 3. With a season lost, the Bucs lost a superstar for a second straight week. Mike Evans left with a hamstring injury following a touchdown score a week ago and this time around it was his fellow 1,000-yard receiver Chris Godwin. After a five-catch, 121-yard outing, Godwin came up limping after running a route. After taking a seat on the field, he grabbed the back of his left leg. He limped to the sideline under his own power accompanied by trainers before he was carted to the locker room and lost for the remainder of the game. The talent of the Bucs wideout tandem has been showcased and has likely been the largest highlight of the season for Tampa Bay. Unfortunately, Evans and Godwin have limped to their season's end before the rest of the squad. -- Grant Gordon Seattle Seahawks 30, Carolina Panthers 24 1. Things got hairy late, but the Seahawks' defense, down four starters, held it together in the win. Until Carolina's late 14-0 run, it was hard to tell that Jadeveon Clowney, Ziggy Ansah, Mychal Kendricks and Shaquil Griffin were inactive, but it was clear they were missed down the stretch. Prior to exiting with a little under seven minutes to go, linebacker Bobby Wagner was rolling, tallying 10 tackles, two passes defensed and an interception. On the drive following Wagner's injury, the Seahawks' depleted D allowed an efficient seven-play, 84-yard Panthers TD drive. Still, the comeback attempt, while discouraging after giving up 28 points to the Rams in Week 14, wasn't meant to be; Carolina only scoring a field goal on the four second-half drives before the TDs likely had something to do with that. Linebacker K.J. Wright finished with two picks -- his first career multi-INT game -- to go with two PDs and four tackles. Corners Tre Flowers (six tackles, forced fumble) and Bradley McDougald (six tackles, PD) held it down in the secondary, but the D-line, which pressured Allen often but sacked him once, missed the depth. Wagner's health (coach Pete Carroll said postgame it looks like a sprain) will be a hot topic to watch. 2. It may have been a different day but it was more of the same stuff from the Panthers offense: Kyle Allen (25/41, 277 yards, 1-3 TD-INT) raised questions while Christian McCaffrey raised eyebrows with another monster performance, en route to becoming the first Panther to accumulate 2,000 scrimmage yards in a season. Coming into the game, McCaffrey accounted for over 50 percent of Carolina's offensive touches; on Sunday, he finished with 19 carries for 87 rush yards and two TDs -- his first scores since Week 12 -- and eight catches for 88 yards. 3. The Seahawks hadn't scored on an opening drive since Week 9; they rattled off three straight TDs to begin the afternoon. Over the last four weeks, Russell Wilson had not been looking like himself, throwing more picks (four) in that span than he had in the previous nine games combined (one). He made up for that with 286 yards and two scores. As usual, Tyler Lockett (8/120/1), D.K. Metcalf (2/36/1) and Josh Gordon (1/58) were on the other end of some spectacular Wilson throws. Running back Chris Carson (24/133/2) also had a special day, becoming the first 'Hawks running back since Marshawn Lynch in 2014 to have consecutive 1,000-yard-plus rushing seasons. -- Jelani Scott New England Patriots 34, Cincinnati Bengals 13 1. It was neck and neck between the Patriots and Bengals in the first half, but New England's defense turned up the heat in the second half to clinch a playoff spot. The Patriots picked off Andy Dalton four times, with three in the third quarter alone. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore recorded two of the interceptions, one he took to the house for a 64-yard touchdown. Gilmore leads the league with six interceptions. This was his third career multi-interception game -- his first with the Patriots, per NFL Research. New England leads the league with seven non-offensive TDs for the season. 2. The Bengals ran through the Patriots defense in the first two quarters. They ran the ball on eight straight plays before Dalton threw an eight-yard pass to tight end Cethan Carter to score a TD on their opening drive for the first time this season. The Bengals used the run game to dominate the time of possession in the first quarter by rushing Joe Mixon 10 times for 72 yards. Mixon helped the offense avoid its first interception of the day by catching a deflected pass from Dalton for 11 yards. Mixon finished with 156 scrimmage yards. Dalton played a better first half than Tom Brady, but the Patriots defense dug a hole in the second half that the Bengals could not get out of. Dalton finished the day 17-for-31 for 151 yards and a touchdown. 3. The offense continues to be an issue for the Patriots. Bill Belichick might have to use Gilmore on the other side of the ball since he was the team's best receiver today. Julian Edelman (two receptions for nine yards) did not look like his normal self on the field. Before the game NFL Network's Mike Giardi reported that he was dealing with a tendon issue in his left knee. After the game he told reporters "everyone is dealing with something." -- Lakisha Wesseling New York Giants 36, Miami Dolphins 20 1. Sunday's tilt marked the end of an era of Giants football. With Daniel Jones still recuperating from a high-ankle sprain, veteran quarterback Eli Manning got the start once again for what is expected to be his final home game as a Giant. After a season full of miscues and injuries, it is fitting their best game of the 2019 campaign comes during the two-time Super Bowl champion's farewell. The Giants (3-11) took the win, beating up on the struggling Dolphins, and Manning's career record moves back to .500 (117-117). The Giants' offense got off to a slow start in the first half, scoring once on a 51-yard touchdown pass to Golden Tate. With a little over six minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Giants' defense came up clutch, forcing a safety -- thanks to Sam Beal -- which led to a TD on the next drive. Crazy enough, that was the first safety for the Giants in 40 games. N.Y. pulled Manning with 1:50 remaining in the game to give the Giants' legend a proper sendoff as he was met with a standing ovation and "Eli" chants. Manning finished the matchup 20-of-28 with two TDs and a trio of interceptions. 2. Saquon Barkley is back. The Giants running back looked like his former self for the first time since battling an ankle injury earlier this year. Barkley galloped to 112 yards and two touchdowns -- which is his second-most rushing yards in a single game this season. The second half showed a Giants offense finally clicking after season-long debates about what is wrong with this team. Obviously, it's too little too late for Big Blue. But Barkley got the monkey off his back Sunday, proving he can be the player that earned numerous accolades and praise last season. 3. Despite Ryan Fitzpatrick's wizardry, the Dolphins were unable to muster up any FitzMagic on the road. The Dolphins (3-11) came out of the gate plucky and looked like they would make this a difficult afternoon for the Giants. But then the second half happened. The Fins collapsed and fumbles, drops, and missed opportunities sealed the fate for the club. One thing is for sure, Fitzpatrick is an exciting player to watch when he's put under pressure and the Giants' D afforded that opportunity several times. -- Andie Hagemann Philadelphia Eagles 37, Washington Redskins 27 1. The Eagles had to have this, and they barely got it. So it goes in the NFC East, where teams rarely beat winning teams. Philadelphia, owner of the division's three wins against teams over .500, didn't finish off the three-win Redskins until the final play at FedExField. Washington stood at Philly's 42 with six seconds remaining when a botched hail Mary attempt morphed into an ill-fated lateral that Nigel Bradham scooped up for a 47-yard touchdown. Carson Wentz played hero before that, guiding the offense on a pair of long scoring drives. Both came with the Eagles trailing, the latter highlighted by a four-yard pass to Greg Ward. It was Wentz's third TD toss of the game and capped off his second fourth-quarter comeback win in as many weeks. The Eagles (7-7) are .500 again and tied with the Cowboys, who beat the Rams this afternoon and travel to Philly next weekend. 2. Dwayne Haskins won't come out of this one celebrating. But he can watch the film appreciating what he did. The rookie QB had arguably his best game since becoming Washington's starter in November. With former college coach Urban Meyer watching from the owner's suite, Haskins completed 19 of 28 passes for a career-high 261 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. In fact, he didn't record a turnover until the game's final play. Haskins closed out the third quarter leading a 75-yard scoring drive that briefly put the Redskins ahead. Adrian Peterson finished it off with a 10-yard TD, tying Walter Payton for fourth in rushing touchdowns (110). Peterson also surpassed Curtis Martin for fifth on the all-time rushing list (14,102). But the more notable development as it concerns Washington's future was Haskins. He led consecutive touchdown drives in the first half, one of which being a 75-yard scoring pass to Terry McLaurin. The fellow rookie caught five passes for 130 yards. Whomever Dan Snyder tabs to lead his team in 2020, this game, albeit a loss, provided reason for optimism. 3. Philadelphia appears to have finally found its running back. It had been more than two years since they had a 100-yard rusher. It was 10 years ago that LeSean McCoy set the franchise's rookie record for rushing yards. Miles Sanders changed all that Sunday against the Redskins. The second-round pick ran 19 times for 122 yards, giving him 687 for the season. He became the Eagles' first 100-yard rusher in 42 games, last achieved by LeGarrette Blount. Sanders didn't stop there. He held on to an absolute dart from Carson Wentz in the corner of the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown, giving him two scores in the game. Sanders tallied six catches for 50 yards in the win. He now has 1,120 yards from scrimmage on the season, breaking DeSean Jackson's franchise rookie record. Sanders, of course, still has two games left to play. -- Adam Maya Arizona Cardinals 38, Cleveland Browns 24 1. Two weeks after an absolutely dreadful performance, the Arizona Cardinals looked like a completely different team, starting with the offense. The Cardinals punched the Browns in the mouth with their opening drive, a 10-play, 90-yard march capped by a speed option run for a Kenyan Drake touchdown. Drake had four -- yes, four -- rushing touchdowns on the afternoon as part of an offense that ripped up 226 yards on the ground against a defense that gave up 100 less than that on average per game entering Sunday. Patrick Peterson made good on his guarantee to the CBS broadcast crew that he'd snag an interception when he picked off Baker Mayfield in the end zone on Cleveland's first possession. It was a total team victory for the Cardinals, who at 4-9-1 are playing for the future, but proving in the last two weeks that they just might be turning an early corner in Kliff Kingsbury's first season as head coach. 2. Sunday was a meeting filled with familiarity. Freddie Kitchens was returning to the place he called home for a decade as an assistant coach. Steve Wilks was back in the stadium in which he served as a head coach for the 2018 season. Ricky Seals-Jones caught two touchdowns against his old team. But it was Kingsbury and Kyler Murray, former coach and teammate of Mayfield, who took it to the Browns, putting up 38 points and scoring on six of their nine total possessions. Wilks' return to Arizona wasn't what he'd likely envisioned, and the same goes for Freddie Kitchens, whose team was outplayed on all fronts in a game his squad absolutely had to win to keep postseason hopes alive. So much for happy reunions. 3. The game permanently turned early in the fourth quarter when the Browns were stopped short at Arizona's 27 and, trailing by 11, elected to attempt a field goal, infuriating Jarvis Landry. As the kicking unit trotted on for the try, a frustrated Landry barked at his coach on the sideline in an exchange caught by CBS cameras. Austin Seibert's miss further frustrated Mayfield, Landry and Beckham, who finished with eight catches on 13 targets but was left only to gaze dejectedly on the bench alongside Landry, who held his hands below his hung head. It was the Browns' season in one image. CBS color commentator Jay Feely said the Browns looked "uninspired, they haven't played hard, haven't played physical" and he's correct. In a game they needed to win or else, they wilted, and the postseason book all but closed on them. How the Browns finish their final month might influence the organization's direction come January. They didn't look too good in that department Sunday.
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The Seahawks won’t have wide receiver Josh Gordon in the lineup the next two weeks or in the postseason.
The NFL announced on Monday that Gordon has been suspended indefinitely. The suspension stems from violations of both the substance abuse and performance-enhancing drug policies. Gordon has served several other suspensions over the course of his NFL career and stepped away from the Patriots this summer in order to manage his treatment. He returned to play for the Patriots in six games, but wound up being released off of injured reserve last month. The Seahawks brought him on and Gordon caught seven passes for 139 yards in five games with the team. He had one catch for 58 yards in his final game with the team on Sunday. Given the suspension and Gordon’s overall history, it wouldn’t be a great shock if it also turns out to be his final NFL game for any team. In celebration of the NFL's 100 years, lets through out some lesser known tidbits about the NFL. Let's start with why the rivalry between the Bears and Packers is nasty and it goes back to when the Bears got the Packers kicked out. The following is from a 2015 article on Packers.com. The Packers were actually kicked out in January 1922 for using at least three players with college eligibility remaining under assumed names in a non-league game against Racine. The game was played Dec. 4, 1921, in Milwaukee and was billed as a battle for the state championship.
By the time the Packers were admitted to the American Professional Football Association (now the NFL) on Aug. 27, 1921, they had already started practicing with many of the same local players they used in 1919 and ’20. Then they played four non-league games using several of those local players and some new recruits with state ties. But heading into their first APFA game on Oct. 23 against Minneapolis, the Packers added three players with pro experience within 48 hours of kickoff. Although the Packers were 4-0 in those non-league games, they may have had good reason for panic. The late Jack Rudolph, noted Green Bay historian, wrote years later the rumor was Green Bay had to beat Minneapolis to remain in the league. My suspicion is it wasn’t necessarily a win-or-else ultimatum, but Green Bay needed to win, or at least be competitive, to have any chance of scheduling future home games or attractive opponents. The Packers beat the Marines and added two more experienced pros the next week. Of those five new players, four played at Notre Dame with Curly Lambeau in 1918 or the following year. Turnover of the roster continued and in late November the Chicago Cardinals and Chicago Staleys (now Bears) both agreed to play the Packers. At the time, many games were scheduled week to week. It was a big deal for the Packers to land the games in Chicago, but by then they didn’t have enough local players to even practice in Green Bay. Their players were scattered across the Midwest and met in Chicago to practice on Friday and Saturday before both games. According to The Milwaukee Journal, the Packers also practiced in Chicago before the Racine game. Meanwhile, rumors flew all week that Racine was loading up with ringers for the game. The result was a 3-3 tie. The next day, the Racine Journal-News reported, “Green Bay has (sic) several Notre Dame men from this year’s lineup with her.” The Journal-News listed them as Buck Shaw, Hunk Anderson and Fred Larson. What’s more, among the lineups that appeared in the Racine, Green Bay and two Milwaukee papers, there were three positions at which three different starters were listed for the Packers. In all, a total of six different names were listed that hadn’t previously played for them. News traveled slow in those days, and it wasn’t until eight days later that the South Bend Tribune reported Anderson, Larson and Arthur Garvey, all of whom had eligibility remaining, had played for the Packers in Milwaukee, and that Notre Dame had declared them ineligible and stripped them of their football letters. Pro football came under fire and Green Bay was forced from the league at the next APFA meeting in January. Six months later, the APFA changed its name to the National Football League and thanks to Lambeau’s persistence Green Bay was readmitted. Thus the hated between the teams is actually justified, as compared to the fake hatred between most teams. Below are the five tight ends, seven offensive tackles, seven guards, four centers and four more coaches on the All-Time Team, as revealed Friday on NFL Network, along with comments from Belichick, Collinsworth and the DBs and specialists from the All-Time Team:
Tight ends Mike Ditka (1961-1972) 1988 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Bears in 1st round (5th overall pick) of 1961 draft... 1st TE elected to Hall of Fame... NFL Offensive Rookie of Year after becoming 1st TE with 1,000+ rec yards (1,076) in a season, 1961... Led TE in receptions in each of 1st 4 NFL seasons, 1961-1964... At retirement ranked 1st among TE in receptions (427), 2nd in rec yards (5,812) and rec TD (43) in NFL history... Won NFL title as player, asst coach and head coach... 5 straight Pro Bowls, 1961-1965 seasons... 2-time 1st-team All-Pro... Member of NFL's 75th Anniversary Team... Born October 18, 1939, in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. Collinsworth: A no-brainer. Whether you're talking about a player, and, you know, right from his rookie year on, [he] exploded. We've seen the scenes where he made the catch, runs over the guy. And, as a coach, coached arguably, my friends in Miami won't agree with me but, the best team in NFL history, the '85 Bears. Tony Gonzalez (1997-2013) 2019 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Chiefs in 1st round (13th overall pick) in 1997 draft... Also played basketball in college at Cal... Holds all-time TE records with 1,325 receptions (3rd among all players), 15,127 rec yards (6th)... Ranks 2nd among TE all-time with 111 rec TD... Led NFL with 102 receptions, 2004... 4-time 1,000-yard receiver, tied for most among TE in NFL history... Played in 270 of possible 272 possible games in career... Named to 14 Pro Bowls, NFL record for TE (T-1st in NFL history among all players)... 6-time 1st-team All-Pro, NFL record for TE... Named to NFL All-Decade Team for 2000s... Born February 27, 1976, in Torrance, California. Gonzalez (on getting benched twice his second year in the league): It was the best thing that ever happened to me. It changed my career. Collinsworth: I just thought everything you did was natural. ... It's one thing to extend your arms and make a catch. It's another to be able to catch it fully extended. I just thought that was something you were born with, but it's something you figured out in Year 2. Belichick: Just about time we think we've got you doubled and figured out, there's some other way you beat the double team. Then, they outlawed the punt-return double team we put on you down in Atlanta. ... So we can't do that anymore. Then you retired, thank God. That took us off the hook. ... When I vote for the top 100 players, tight ends, if we double-covered 'em on every single play so they couldn't get the ball, check, vote. ... Tony is really kind of the prototype tight end in that he can get open, he can catch the ball, he can score points and gain yards. That's really what football's about. Rob Gronkowski (2010-2018) Selected by Patriots in 2nd round (42nd overall pick) of 2010 draft... Ranks 3rd among TE with 79 career receiving TD, which leads all NFL players since 2010... Leads NFL TE with 12 career receiving TD in playoffs, 2nd only to HOF Jerry Rice among all players... Set NFL single-season record for TE with 17 receiving TD, 2011... 4-time 1,000-yard receiver, tied for most among TE in NFL history... Owns NFL record 5 seasons with 10+ receiving TD by TE... 3-time Super Bowl champion with Patriots... Earned 5 Pro Bowl selections... 4-time 1st-team All-Pro... Born May 14, 1989, in Amherst, New York. Belichick: Rob was kind of a shot in the dark. He came up on his pre-draft visit, had a bad visit. We put him in a room, came back, he was asleep on the floor. Didn't make a very good impression. So, slow start there. ... We traded up for him and bet that he would come through and he certainly did, big time. He was a tremendous blocker. He's a great kid. Whatever his public persona is on the dance floor, at a party or whatever, in the building there's no better teammate. He works extremely hard. He had a great catch radius; for as stiff as he is, he could get balls on his shoelaces, he could get them over his head and he could get them behind him. Gonzalez: He's like a Shaquille O'Neal, just a big, enormous guy that is unstoppable. You can't stop him. Probably the most dominant player, fouled on every play. ... That's the only drawback when I was watching his career, I was like, man, I don't know how long he's gonna last because big tree falls hard. And he's a big old guy and I remember he'd make these catches and just fall down and I was like 'Oh my god, that's got to hurt.' John Mackey (1963-1972) 1992 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Colts in 2nd round (19th overall pick) in 1963 draft... 2nd TE elected to Hall of Fame... Helped revolutionize TE position as offensive weapon in addition to being great blocker... Long-distance threat who scored 6 TDs of 50+ yards, 1966... Averaged 20+ yards per reception twice, 1963, 1965... Caught deflected pass for 75-yard TD in Super Bowl V victory with Colts... Was 1st NFLPA President, 1970-1973... Made Pro Bowl in 5 of first 6 seasons... 3-time 1st-team All-Pro, 1966-1968... Named to NFL All-Decade Team for 1960s... Born September 24, 1941, in New York, New York. Kellen Winslow (1979-1987) 1995 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Chargers in 1st round (13th overall pick) in 1979 draft... Became premier TE of his era... Led all NFL TE with 541 receptions, 6,741 rec yards and 45 rec TDs during career span... 3-time 1,000-yard receiver (T-4th most among TE)... Led NFL in receptions twice, 1980-1981... Had 13 receptions, blocked field goal in epic 1981 AFC playoff win in OT vs Dolphins... 5 career Pro Bowls, including 4 straight, 1980-1983 seasons... 3-time 1st-team All-Pro (T-5th all-time among TE)... Member of 75th Anniversary All-Time Team... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1980s... Born November 5, 1957, in St. Louis, Missouri. Gonzalez (on studying tape of Winslow going into third season): I used to watch that tape religiously. Watched the athleticism, the way he would run routes, the way he would catch the ball. And I'm from L.A. and so growing up in the 80's, of course I knew who Kellen was. He was the greatest of all-time, that was the guy, that was the benchmark of all tight ends coming in. We want to be like this guy from a receiving standpoint. He had a huge influence on me. Belichick: Winslow being in the middle of that offense, along with [running back Chuck] Muncie, really created a lot of problems. ... I was so tired of hearing that San Diego, "Super Chargers" song. I still hear it ringing in my ear. They had 41 points at half-time, I don't think they ever stopped playing the stupid song. It never stopped. Offensive tackles Anthony Munoz (1980-1992) 1998 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Bengals in 1st round (3rd overall pick) in 1980 draft... Won national championship in football, College World Series as pitcher at USC, 1978... Great agility, exceptional straight-on blocker... Caught 7 career passes, scored 4 touchdowns on tackle-eligible plays... Earned 11 Pro Bowl selections from 1981-1991 seasons (T-5th most all-time among OL)... 9-time 1st-team All-Pro selection (T-2nd among OL in NFL history)... Member of 75th Anniversary All-Time Team... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1980s... Won NFL Man of Year award, 1991... Born August 19, 1958, in Ontario, California. Collinsworth: There are 100 unbelievable players that are going to be on this board. There's not one of 'em I would trade for him. ... I'm talking about one of the great athletes that has ever put on a helmet in the National Football League sitting right there. Gonzalez: When I saw you play football, it was like, 'OK, here's somebody with a Latino last name.' And my Latino background, it was like, it's just kind of extra motivation that I could get to the NFL too. I've been following him for a long time. Forrest Gregg (1956; 1958-1971) 1977 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Packers in 2nd round (20th overall pick) in 1956 draft... Vince Lombardi called him "best player I ever coached" ... Versatile, durable, hard-working... Played in 188 straight games, 1956-1971... Member of 6 NFL titles teams, including 3 Super Bowl champions (2 with Packers, 1 with Cowboys)... Made 9 Pro Bowls in 10-year span, 1959-1968 seasons... 7-time 1st-team All-Pro selection (T-5th among OL in NFL history)... Member of 75th Anniversary All-Time Team... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1960s... Born October 18, 1933, in Birthright, Texas. Munoz: The way he would move and stay in front of the guy, it's impressive, but to have his hands in here and maintain contact with the defensive lineman and then at the last second, he would just finish the guy, I'm impressed. Art Shell (1968-1982) 1989 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Raiders in 3rd round (80th overall pick) in 1968 draft pick... Possessed size, speed, agility, intelligence, strength to be premier OT... Mild-mannered, hard-working, reputation as great team player... Played in 207 regular season games, 23 in postseason... Won 2 Super Bowl titles with Raiders, 1976, 1980. Became NFL's 2nd all-time black head coach (1st in modern era), 1989. Made 8 Pro Bowls, including 7 straight from 1972-1978 seasons... 2-time 1st-team NFL All-Pro. Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1970s... Born November 26, 1946, in Charleston, South Carolina. Roosevelt Brown (1953-1965) 1975 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Giants in 27th round of 1953 draft... Joined Giants as raw 20-year-old but quickly won starting role, held it for entire 13-year career... Excellent downfield blocker, classic pass protector, fast, mobile... Helped power Giants to 6 division titles and 1956 NFL championship... Named NFL Lineman of Year, 1956... Elected to 9 career Pro Bowl teams (T-2nd most among Giants franchise)... 6-time 1st-team All-Pro selection (2nd-most in Giants history)... Member of 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1950s... Born October 20, 1932, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Jonathan Ogden (1996-2007) 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Ravens in 1st round (4th overall pick) in 1996 draft... Highly decorated OL in college at UCLA as All-American, Outland Trophy winner (best interior lineman), 1995... Dominant pass protector, run blocker... One of NFL's tallest players ever at 6-foot-9... Won Super Bowl XXXV with Ravens, 2000 season... Paved way for Jamal Lewis, who became 5th player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, 2003... Earned 11 Pro Bowl selections from 1997-2007 seasons (T-5th most all-time among OL)... 4-time 1st-team All-Pro... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 2000s. Born July 31, 1974 in Washington, D.C. Belichick: Ogden was such an impressive player. Obviously a first-round pick. He originally played guard his rookie year and then went back to his more natural position at left tackle and was a stalwart there for a decade. Big guy. Really good pass protector. Very good foot. Good technique. He was an outstanding pass blocker and could really cover it up in the running game with his great size, length and athleticism. Cal Hubbard (1927-1933; 1935-1936) 1963 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Most feared lineman of his time... Rookie star with Giants defense, 1927... Played end with Giants, switched to tackle with Packers... Key member of 4 NFL championship teams (1 with Giants, 3 with Packers)... Only member of Hall of Fames for pro football and baseball (as umpire)... Earned 4 1st-team All-Pro selections, including 3 straight, 1931-1933... Member of 75th Anniversary All-Time Team... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1920s... Born October 31, 1900, in Keytesville, Missouri. Walter Jones (1997-2008) 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Seahawks in 1st round (6th overall pick) in 1997 draft... Started all 180 career games... Mike Holmgren called him the best offensive player he's ever coached... Team leader and integral part of Shaun Alexander's MVP season in 2005 when RB ran for franchise-record and NFL-high 1,880 yards, setting NFL mark for total TDs (28) in a season (since broken)... Seahawks credited him with just 23.0 sacks allowed in 12-year career... Named to 9 Pro Bowls (most in Seahawks franchise history)... 4-time 1st-team All-Pro (Seahawks record)... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 2000s... Born January 19, 1974 in Aliceville, Alabama. Guards Jim Parker (1957-1967) 1973 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Colts in 1st round (8th overall pick) in 1957 draft... All-American, Outland Trophy winner at Ohio State, 1956... Was 1st full-time offensive lineman named to Hall of Fame... Played half of 11-year career at tackle, half at guard... Exceptional blocker, specialized in protecting quarterback... Elected to 8 consecutive Pro Bowls, 1958-1965 seasons... Earned 8 straight 1st-team All-Pro selections, 1958-1965 (4th in NFL history among OL)... Member of 75th Anniversary All-Time Team... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1950s... Born April 3, 1934, in Macon, Georgia. John Hannah (1973-1985) 1991 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Patriots in 1st round (4th overall pick) in 1973 draft... Possessed size, speed, competitiveness... Excelled as pass protector, run blocker, pulling guard on sweeps... Renowned as premier guard of era... 4-time NFLPA Offensive Lineman of Year... Helped Patriots to NFL single-season record 3,165 rush yards, 1978... Elected to 9 Pro Bowls, including 8 straight from 1978-1985 seasons... 7-time 1st-team All-Pro selection (T-5th among OL in NFL history)... Member of 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1970s and 1980s. Born April 4, 1951, in Canton, Georgia. Belichick: He was literally at the point of attack on every play. If they ran to the right, then he was the puller as he is here on the power type play. If they ran to the left, they ran behind them. That's classic A strong punch in pass protection. Good use of hands and this is an explosive guy. ... His height, he used it to his advantage here. He got under defenders, played with great leverage and explosion. I mean, he wiped some guys out consistently. Larry Allen (1994-2007) 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Cowboys in 2nd round (46th overall pick) in 1994 draft... Versatile, played every position on OL except center in 12 seasons with Cowboys... Won Super Bowl XXX with Cowboys, 1995 season... Blocked for HOF QB Troy Aikman, HOF RB Emmitt Smith with Cowboys... Helped Cowboys rank in top 5 with fewest sacks in season 5 times in first 6 seasons... Earned 11 Pro Bowl selections (T-5th most all-time among OL)... 6-time 1st-team All-Pro selection (T-10th among OL in NFL history)... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1990s and 2000s... Born November 27, 1971 in Los Angeles, California. Collinsworth: (Larry Allen executing a pull block) is the single most frightening thing I have ever experienced in football. Gene Upshaw (1967-1981) 1987 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Raiders in 1st round (17th overall) in 1967 draft... Was 1st player who played guard exclusively to enter Hall of Fame... Won regular left guard job as rookie with Raiders... Possessed size, speed, intelligence, intensity, exceptional leadership ability... Extremely effective leading sweeps... Played in 10 AFL/AFC title games, 3 Super Bowls in 3 different decades -- including 2 championships, 1976, 1980... Served as longtime head of NFLPA... Made 7 career Pro Bowls, including 6 straight from 1972-1977 seasons... 5-time 1st-team All-Pro... Born August 15, 1945, in Robstown, Texas. Dan Fortmann (1936-1943) 1965 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Bears in 9th round (78th overall pick) of 1936 draft (1st NFL draft in history)... At 20, became youngest starter in NFL at the time... Famous for being 60-minute line leader, battering-ram blocker... Deadly tackler, genius at diagnosing enemy plays... Earned medical degree while playing in NFL... Team captain for 3 NFL championship Bears teams, 1940, 1942-1943... Made 3 straight Pro Bowl teams, 1940-1942 seasons... 6-time 1st-team All-Pro selection (T-10th among OL in NFL history)... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1930s... Born April 11, 1916, in Pearl River, New York. Randall McDaniel (1988-2001) 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Vikings 1st round (19th overall pick) in 1988 draft... Extremely durable, started 202 consecutive games in regular season for Vikings... Blocked for 6 RBs with 1,000+ rush yards, 5 QBs with 3,000+ pass yards in single season... Anchored OL on explosive Vikings team that scored then-record 556 points, 1998... Earned 12 Pro Bowl selections from 1989-2000 seasons (NFL record for most consecutive Pro Bowls, T-2nd all-time among OL)... 7-time 1st-team All-Pro (T-5th among OL in NFL history)... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1990s... Born December 19, 1964 in Phoenix, Arizona. Bruce Matthews (1983-2001) 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Oilers in 1st round (9th overall pick) in 1983 draft... Played in more games (296) than any positional player in NFL history at time of retirement (currently 3rd all-time)... Played at every position on offensive line, known as arguably most versatile OL in league history... Never missed a game due to injury... Earned Pro Bowl selections in each of final 14 seasons (NFL record among OL, T-1st in NFL history for all players)... 7-time 1st-team All-Pro selection (T-5th all-time among OL)... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1990s... Born August 8, 1961, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Munoz:He could not only play every position but play every position extremely well. ... He had it all, he was the total package. Centers Mike Webster (1974-1990) 1997 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Steelers in 5th round of 1974 draft... Full-time regular by 3rd season... Started every game in 10 straight seasons, 1976-1985... Durable, missed 4 games in first 16 seasons... Steelers' team captain for 9 seasons. Played in 6 AFC championship games, won 4 Super Bowl titles with Steelers... 9 career Pro Bowls, including 8 straight from 1978-1985 seasons... Earned 5 1st-team All-Pro selections in 6-year span from 1978-1983... Member of 75th Anniversary All-Time Team... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1970s and 1980s. Born March 18, 1952, in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. Belichick: He was a strong, powerful guy. Not real long but thick and could really play well against the nose tackle which, at that time, there were a lot of 3-4 teams in the league and so having a strong center that could anchor the line of scrimmage against that defense was important. Obviously, part of some great Steeler teams under coach [Chuck] Knoll. Tough, gritty, he was a good player. Dwight Stephenson (1980-1987) 1998 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Dolphins in 2nd round (48th overall pick) in 1980 draft... Exceptionally quick blocker with explosive charge off snap... Recognized as premier center of his time... Started for Dolphins at center in 3 AFC championship games, 2 Super Bowls (XVII, XIX)... Dolphins longtime offensive captain... Career cut short by severe knee injury... Made Pro Bowls in each of last 5 NFL years, 1983-1987 seasons... Earned 4 straight 1st-team All-Pro selections, 1984-1987... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1980s... Named NFL Man of the Year, 1985... Born November 20, 1957, in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. Jim Otto (1960-1974) 1980 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Selected by Minneapolis franchise in 2nd round of 1960 AFL Draft (team folded; rights reverted to Raiders)... Anchored Raiders' offensive line for 15 seasons... Noted for pride, dedication, leadership, intelligence... Sure-handed ball-snapper, superior blocker with wide range... Played in 6 AFL/AFC title games, Super Bowl II loss vs Packers... Never missed a game in AFL/NFL career (210 career games)... Made 12 straight Pro Bowls (T-2nd all-time among OL)... Earned NFL/AFL record 10 1st-team All-Pro selections, 1960-1965, 1967-1970... Named to AFL's All-Time Team... Born January 5, 1938, in Wausau, Wisconsin. Mel Hein (1931-1945) 1987 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Initially wrote to 3 NFL clubs offering services, with Giants making high bid at $150 per game... Developed into 60-minute regular for 15 years in NFL (also played DL)... Injured only once, never missed game in career... Flawless ball-snapper, powerful blocker, superior pass defender... Won Joe F. Carr Trophy as NFL's MVP, 1938... Played in 7 NFL championship games, winning 2 titles with Giants, 1934, 1938... Made 4 consecutive Pro Bowls, 1938-1941... 5-time 1st-team All-Pro... Member of 75th Anniversary All-Time Team... Named to NFL's All-Decade Team for 1930s... Born August 22, 1909, in Redding, California. Belichick: Hein was a very interesting two-way player. He was probably the most accurate snapper of his era. Coaches George Halas (1920-1929; 1933-1967) 1963 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Coached Bears for 40 seasons and won six NFL titles... Founded Decatur Staleys, attended league organizational meeting in 1920... Only person associated with NFL throughout first 50 years... Record mark of 324 wins (including playoffs) stood for nearly three decades... Recorded many "firsts" in pro coaching, administration... Also played end for nine seasons... Born February 2, 1895, in Chicago, IL. Belichick: One of the founders of the league. Just a tremendous guy. ... Mr. Halas was really a very personable guy, in spite of his rough and gruff background. He was always a very nice, generous man. I think he just epitomized that hard-nosed, tough Midwestern football that he believed in and his Bears reflected his ownership and coaching. Curly Lambeau (1921-1953) 1963 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Founded pre-NFL Packers in 1919... Coach-general manager for Packers until 1949... Credited with keeping pro football alive in Green Bay... First coach to make forward pass an integral part of the offense... 33-year NFL coaching record: 229-134-22 (including playoffs) with 6 championships in Green Bay... Played halfback for 11 years until 1929... Born April 9, 1898, in Green Bay, WI. Belichick: He learned [coach Knute] Rockne's offense when he was at Notre Dame and that was really the offense that he implemented when he got back to Green Bay. In the 30's, Lambeau really opened up his offense and made the passing game more of a part of it. Tom Landry (1960-1988) 1990 Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductee... Noted for impassive, sideline demeanor... Perfected "flex" defense, multiple offense, revived shotgun (spread) offense... 29-year tenure with one team tied NFL record... Career record: 270-178-6 (including playoffs)... 270 wins 4th-most ever... Had 20 straight winning seasons, five NFC titles, two Super Bowl wins... Defensive back, punter with Yankees (AAFC), Giants (NFL),
We already saw the Baltimore Ravens, led by probable League MVP Lamar Jackson, beat the Jets on Thursday Night Football, to clinch the AFC North title. What other games this weekend matter? Playoff implications: Team earns playoff berth if: New England
Buffalo
San Francisco
Green Bay
Seattle
The Patriots aren't the only team in the league that's been accused of cheating. The Vikings have a history of it that goes way back. Let's talk about what they've done.
We need to strip this team of all their Lombardi trophies, hahahaha. Stop me if you've heard this one, the Patriots have been caught video taping another team.
Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor said Monday that the NFL is investigating if the Patriots had a videographer film the Bengals sideline from the Cleveland press box during Sunday's game. "I'm aware there was an incident, but I know the league is investigating it," Taylor said when asked at the end of his press conference. "I've got no comment." Taylor had no comment to follow up questions on the matter. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the league currently has yet to comment. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, via a source informed of the Patriots' situation, that New England reached out to the Browns for a credential for a videographer to shoot a behind-the-scenes piece on an advanced scout as part of their "Do Your Job" video series. Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Monday on WEEI that he has "absolutely nothing" to do with the production of the video series. "I heard about this and evidently this is our production people on the TV show that were there and I have absolutely nothing to do, we have absolutely nothing to do with anything that they produce or direct or shoot," Belichick said. "I have never even seen any of their tapes or anything else. This is something that we 100 percent have zero involvement with. This is something you'd have to talk to the production people about and what they were doing, or whatever it was. We have never seen anything that they've shot, other than what has come down on TV." Belichick added: "As I understand it, they were videotaping him to show kind of what an advanced scout does, or something like that." Pelissero reported that a Bengals scout noticed the recording in the press box and alerted a Cincinnati executive, who alerted NFL security. Security then spoke with the Patriots staffer and obtained the video. "What really drew the interest of the Bengals is the fact they were shooting into the bench area," Pelissero said on The Aftermath. "I have spoken with several people familiar of what was in that tape, including one person who has seen that tape, and said it included video of the Bengals coaches making signals and then panning out into the field." Belichick added his scouting department is aware that it is against NFL rules to film opponents. "A scout can't film the opponents, as an advanced scout," Belichick said. "Our video people are not even allowed to point the camera at our opponents during pregame warmup or their side of the field or anything else to test out their equipment. They 100 percent know, all of our scouts, all of our video people and everything, absolutely know what that is. Again, I have nothing to do with the TV production shows. I have no idea what they do, what their projects are or anything else." The Patriots play at the Bengals this Sunday so expect a final score around 42-10. Watching the Patriots/Chiefs game, one thing became readily apparent (As if it wasn't already):
NFL OFFICIALS SUCK BALLS. First order of business: The 3rd and 4. Sammy Watkins was short of the 1st down marker. Refs made wrong call, NE challenged, Refs refused to correct an obviously bad spot. NE loses a challenge. Second: Travis Kelce obviously fumbles the ball, NE recovers, and gets a large gain. Rather than let the play continue, as they do for every other instance when a fumble MIGHT have occurred, they immediately blow the whistle, ruling Kelce down. NE Challenges, and this time, the refs reverse the call on the field, as they should have...However, this leaves NE with no challenges remaining. Third: This is where not having any challenges left, because the Refs made two obviously bad calls previously, cost New England the game, or at least a chance at overtime. Near the beginning of the 4th quarter, NE had 1st and 10 at the 15, with the score KC 23, NE 13. Brady completes to N. Harry, who scores a TD. The Refs ruled he was out of bounds at the 3. NE cannot challenge. Instant replay clearly shows that Harry never went out of bounds, that he was inbounds. But because it was outside of the two minute window, and because NE had no more challenges (thanks to 2 previously terrible calls by the refs), instead of making the score 23-20, NE had to settle for a FG, making the game 23-16. Thing is, all scoring plays are automatically reviewed. If they had simply let the play go, the review would have upheld that it was in fact, a TD and that he never stepped out of bounds. But because they ruled him out of bounds, there was no replay possible, even though it was clearly a bad call. Fourth: This is where all of these mistakes by the officials come together. With 1:06 left in the game, NE found themselves in a 4th and 3, at the KC 5. Because they had to settle for the FG previously, because they couldn't challenge the erroneous out of bound play, they had to go for it. Had the refs gotten ANY of the 3 fucked up calls correct, the score wouldn't have been 23-16, it would have been 23-20, as either the TD would have been ruled correctly, or NE would have still had a challenge to get the non-TD call reversed...either way, that play, would have ended as a TD for the Patriots. So on their final drive, NE would have simply kicked the FG to force OT. The line of scrimmage was the 5 yard line. Odds are pretty good Folk makes that...Instead, they were forced to go for it, and missed. Point is, if the refs call the non-TD play a TD, or if they had called the non-TD play wrong, but gotten either of the previous two bad calls correct, NE would have still had a challenge left for that non-TD call. Truth be told, if they had gotten the spot foul correct, the Kelce fumble never would have happened (it was on the same drive), and NE would have had both challenges left for the incorrect out of bounds/non-TD call. Referee mistakes cost New England both of their challenges, and then cost them a clear TD that would have had a huge effect in how the end of the game played out. Patriots fans have a right to be pissed right now. Seems like an obvious answer...nobody could ever do what Michael Vick, especially in Atlanta, could do, right? I mean, Madden 04 and Madden 05 Michael Vick is the only video game athlete to ever give Tecmo Bo Jackson a run for his money!!! Well, in the words of legendary ESPN College Gameday host Lee Corso, NOT SO FAST, MY FRIEND! If you actually look at the stats between what Lamar Jackson is doing this year, even if you cherry-picked Michael Vick's BEST seasons ever in that particular statistical category, Lamar Jackson wins, hands-down. It's not even close. As you can see, even with a cherry-picked "Super season" for Michael Vick, when you account for the fact that Lamar Jackson still has 4 games left to go this year, Michael Vick's best season in each stat, doesn't beat Lamar Jackson's 2019 stats in any category. I forgot to include QB rating in that graphic, but in case you are curious, Lamar Jackson would win that category 100.9 to 100.2.
In a nutshell, there isn't a single category, in any year of Michael Vick's career, where he beats Lamar Jackson's 2019 numbers. Michael Vick never had the type of season Lamar Jackson is having right now. Ron Rivera never got to hoist a Lombardi Trophy in Charlotte, but his nine-year run with the Carolina Panthers ended Tuesday with plenty of positive memories.
During his tenure, Rivera won two AP NFL Coach of the Year awards, made a Super Bowl appearance, won back-to-back-to-back NFC South titles, and became the winningest coach in team history. The Panthers made four playoff appearances under Rivera. The franchise made the playoffs four times in 16 seasons before he took over in 2011. Wednesday morning, Rivera met with the Carolina media -- an unusual move for a coach just fired, which speaks to his standing within the organization even though owner David Tepper decided it was time to choose his own coach. In what started out slightly spicy, with the fired coach defending the ups-and-downs of nine seasons, Rivera said he was proud of the turnaround under his watch. The 57-year-old also made it clear he's looking to get right back into coaching if he gets a shot. "I do believe I will get another opportunity, and I will coach again," he said, laughing that he's taking the next four weeks off before getting back to work. The 30-plus-minute press conference could be used as a pre-interview appetizer for any owner considering hiring Rivera for an opening. We know the Washington Redskins need a new head coach. If history is any indicator, several others will also be in the market. Rivera was asked what pitch he'd make to owners considering him for a coaching job. "There are a lot of things I would do differently, there really are, but I think I've got the right kind of experience," he said. "I mean, I do. I just think that, having gone through the things that I've gone through, been through the things that we've been through, been where we've been, it gives me experience. Doesn't mean I'll be better than anybody else but what it does is it gives me a different perspective ...I'll be honest I'm kind of excited, I really am. I'm really looking forward to a lot of opportunities, I'm looking forward to a little bit of time." Rivera noted that his desire to leap right back into another gig if given a chance is to continue to influence the lives of young men. "I love coaching and not just coaching because it's about winning football games but coaching because you have an opportunity to impact young men and people and that's what I want to do," Rivera said. "I want to be able to coach people, impact people, win football games and hopefully win a Super Bowl... "It's young men like Greg Olsen and Eric Reid, who are going to change this world and make it a better place," Rivera said. After the outpouring from players following his firing, it's clear that Rivera earned respect through his nine years as a head coach in Carolina. The praise continued Wednesday in the locker room as team leaders like Olsen discussed the solemn nature of their first day without Rivera as coach. "This is as a bad a day as I've been a part of in the NFL," Olsen told reporters."To lose a coach and have a coaching change at the top, I've never gone through it before. I've been very fortunate in 13 seasons, only played for two head coaches and Ron was nine years of that. "To have him come say his goodbyes and say our goodbyes after nine years of a lot of great moments that we've shared together football and non-football related -- it's terrible. Ron means a lot to a lot of guys in here for a lot of things outside of the football. The biggest thing you hear from guys today, current players, former players, guys who played for him in different organizations. I think the biggest consistent narrative is how much he meant to guys." If an owner is looking for an esteemed person to take over and perform a culture change, Rivera's Wednesday presser could give a window into a potential future, with the ex-coach coming off well, and somehow pulling off an oddity: Winning a post-firing presser. At the end of Wednesday's media meeting, Rivera held up two shirts, the second said "Thank You" for a great nine years. The first defined the greatest lament for his time in Carolina: "Missed opportunities." For the next owner thinking of giving Rivera another shot to coach in the NFL, weighing his leadership and character against his role in those missed opportunities will be the pivotal calculus in whether he's coaching again in 2020. |
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