Category: Game Analysis

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

ARI 21, CAR 31
The Cardinals drop their second game in a row and both had them favored. The same team that opened the year winning in San Francisco  looked out of sorts versus the Panthers. Kenyan Drake only gained 35 yards on 13 rushes and never had a target. He’s dropped significantly from how he ended 2019. Kyler Murray passed for 133 yards and three touchdowns and while DeAndre Hopkins led the receivers like usual, he only gained 41 yards on seven catches and no score. Christian Kirk scored but only ended with 19 yards on three receptions. That hot start to the year has cooled the last two weeks.

The Panthers are the opposite. They won their last two games after being written off as dead without Christian McCaffrey. Mike Davis ran for 84 yards and a score while catching five passes for 27 yards. Teddy Bridgewater passes for 276 yards and two scores plus ran in a touchdown on his six runs for 32 yards. Robby Anderson led the team with eight receptions for 99 yards while DJ Moore only managed 49 yards on his four catches.  The 2-2 Panthers are no longer a “soft spot” on the schedule. They head to Atlanta this week where passing games come to life. The 2-2 Cardinals  are back on the road to face the Jets in what should be a “turn around” game.

JAX 25, CIN 33
This matchup did not look like a 58 pointer, but here we are. The Bengals finally logged their first win with Joe Mixon rushing for 151 yards and two touchdowns and he added six catches for 30 yards and a score. After three disappointing outings, Mixon finally turned in the big performance his drafters had expected. Joe Burrow passed for 300 yards and the one touchdown to Mixon. Tyler Boyd (7-90) and Tee Higgins (4-77) led the receivers. The rookie finally notched his first win thanks to Mixon finally getting on track.

The Jaguars dropped their third-straight game which kinda says “same old Jags.” James Robinson ran for 75 yards and caught four passes for 32 yards while Gardner Minshew threw for 351 yards and two scores that both went to DJ Chark (8-95, 2 TD). The rookie Laviska Shenault was next best with five catches for 86 yards but no other receiver did much.  There were seven receivers with 20+ yards and Minshew didn’t lock onto anyone other than Chark. The loss sends the 1-3 Jaguars to Houston this week while the 1-2-1 Bengals head to Baltimore for a likely loss.

NO 35, DET 29

The Saints pulled this out despite trailing 14-0 in the first quarter. Alvin Kamara ran for 83 yards and a touchdown and added three catches for 36 yards but failed to score twice for the first time this year. Latavius Murray ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns for one of his best games as a Saint. Drew Brees passed for 246 yards and two touchdowns that both ended up with Tre’Quan Smith (4-54, 2 TD). Emmanuel Sanders led the team with 93 yards on six catches while the team covered for Michael Thomas again. The rushing effort was the biggest help, particularly with Murray’s contribution.

Matt Stafford faced a secondary that missed its two starting cornerbacks but only ended with 206 passing yards and three scores. Kenny Golladay (4-62, TD) was the top receiver but only caught half of his eight targets. Adrian Peterson ran for 36 yards and one touchdown on his eleven runs and the rookie D’Andre Swift ran for 22 yards and  scored on his four receptions for 30 yards.  Only two receivers gained more than 31 yards and that’s a disappointment for a passing offense that was expected to be much better than this, especially facing a visiting secondary without their best cornerbacks. The 2-2 Saints return home to face the Chargers while the 1-3 Lions go onto their bye.

MIN 31, HOU 23
The Vikings finally got back ontop the winning track with this mild surprise upset. Dalvin Cook ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns on his 27 runs and even allowed Alexander to steal a score late in the game. Kirk Cousins passed for 260 yards and one touchdown on only 20 pass attempts. Adam Thielen (8-114, TD) came back to life to lead the team and the rookie Justin Jefferson  (4-103) topped 100 yards for the second-straight week. The dominating rushing effort won the game and freed up Cousins to be both effective and efficient when he did throw.

DeSean Watson is not the problem. He threw for 300 yards and two scores with a 110.7 QB rating. Will Fuller (6-108, TD) was the only receiver with more than 50 yards but six different players ended with 20 or more receiving yards. He brought the team back from a 31-16 deficit in the fourth quarter but then fell short. The Texans reached the Minnesota one-yard line with 1:18 to play but could not punch it in on four attempts. David Johnson ran for 63 yards on 16 carries but failed to score on two runs and then fumbled the exchange from Watson on third down. The 1-3 Vikings  head to Seattle this week where they’ll have a tougher time and the 0-4 Texans host the Jaguars for an excellent chance to notch their first win.

SEA 31, MIA 23

The Seahawks are like the Cowboys in that they have a great offense and a bad defense. Unlike the Cowboys, the Seahawks still win their games. Chris Carson entered the game questionable and left to be checked for a concussion but later returned. He still ended with two touchdowns on his 16 runs for 80 yards and added 20 more on three receptions. Russell Wilson threw for 360 yards and two scores that split out mostly to the wide receivers – D.K. Metcalf (4-106), David Moore (3-95, TD) and Tyler Lockett (2-39). This was a much closer matchup than expected but the Seahawks scored twice in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

The Dolphins were unable to mount any rushing offense with Myles Gaskin leading the team with 40 yards on ten runs and the only rushing score belonged to Ryan Fitzpatrick who turned in 47 rushing yards on six runs.  He also threw for 315 yards. Devante Parker (10-110) was the only receiver with more than 50 yards in the game. He had his best matchup of the year but only completed 29-of-45 with two interceptions. Mike Gesicki (1-15) and Preston Williams (1-15) were nonfactors. The 1-3 Dolphins travel to San Francisco this week while the 4-0 Seahawks return home to face the Vikings.

LAC 31, TB 38

What a wonderful point-fest. The Chargers ran for just 28 yards on 17 carries and lost Austin Ekeler for the game (or more). The impressive rookie Justin Herbert finished with 290 yards and three touchdowns and completed 20-of-25 passes. Those included Jalen Guyton (1-72, TD) and Tyron Johnson (1-53, TD) made the most of their single catches, and Keenan Allen (8-62) was the only receiver with more than three receptions. The loss digs a hole and losing Ekeler for any amount of time will have a negative impact. But it would be a surprise to see the Bolts return to using Tyrod Taylor at any point.

The Buccaneers fell behind 24-7 in the second quarter and Tom Brady threw yet another pick-six. But Ronald Jones ran for 111 yards with Leonard Fournette out and LeSean McCoy injured during the game. Brady passed for 369 yards and five scores for his best effort as a Buccaneer. Mike Evans (7-122, TD), Scott Miller (5-83, TD), and O.J. Howard (3-50, TD) were the most productive though Howard would later leave injured. This was a home game against a weaker team, but at least all the parts of the offense worked well. The win sends the 3-1 Buccaneers to Chicago this week while the 1-3 Chargers travel to play the Saints.

BAL 31, WAS 17

This game was never in doubt. Lamar Jackson made up for his struggles last week when he ran for 53 yards that included a 50-yard touchdown right up the middle of the defense. He passed for 193 yards and two scores that both ended with Mark Andrews (3-57) while Marquise Brown led the receivers with four receptions for 86 yards. Mark Ingram scored on his eight runs for 34 yards while Gus Edwards’ nine carries netted 38 yards. The Ravens defense carried this win and Jackson was efficient when he passed. He and Andrews are still the only Ravens that are must-start players in this offense.

The Football Team only got 46 yards on 13 carries by Antonio Gibson but he ran in a score. No other back gained more than nine yards. Dwayne Haskins ran in a meaningless touchdown in the final minute and passed for 314 yards and no scores. Terry McLaurin (10-118) was the only wideout with more than 29 yards and the passing favored the running backs the most between Gibson (4-82) and J.J. McKissic (7-40).  Haskins has been on thin ice with poor performances this season, but the Ravens did him a favor by sitting on an early lead and letting him dink-and-dunk with running backs. The 3-1 Ravens host the Bengals this week while the 1-3 Football Team hosts the Rams.

NYG 9, LAR 17

Such a great, high-scoring weekend and then there was this flop. Is there a chance that the Rams did not take this game seriously enough? Is there a chance that they didn’t? Daniel Jones passed for only 190 yards and one interception and none of the receivers were better than Darrius Slayton’s 48 yards on three catches. Evan Engram could only turn ten targets into six catches for 35 yards. No running back rushed for more than 45 yards but Devonta Freeman totaled 68 yards with his four receptions added in. There’s not enough production here to yield a fantasy starter and yet they still divide that up with three different rushers.

The Rams only led 10-9 until late in the fourth quarter. Darrell Henderson only ran for 22 yards on eight runs and Malcolm Brown was given nine runs to produce 37 yards. The two-yard rushing touchdown was scored by tight end Gerald Everett on his only carry. Jared Goff passed for just 200 yards and one score thanks to Cooper Kupp catching a 55-yard touchdown or the game would have been even more embarrassing. The Rams mailed it in and got away with it. The 0-4 Giants  head to Dallas where all things are possible and the 3-1 Rams travel to Washington to play the Football Team.

IND 19, CHI 11
Big scores in all the early games and then the afternoon mostly did a face plant. Mo Alie-Cox scored in the first quarter and that was the lone touchdown until the final minute of the game. Jonathan Taylor ran for 68 yards on 17 rushes but only caught one pass for 11 yards. The best receivers were Zack Pascal (3-58) and T.Y. Hilton (3-29). The expectations were low playing in Chicago and they were soundly met. Rivers only completed 16 of 29 passes and no receiver caught more than three passes. They took the win thanks to  four field goals by Rodrigo Blankenship.

The Bears had even less success than the Colts. David Montgomery only gained 27 yards on ten carries but added 30 yards on three catches.  Nick Foles finished with 249 yards and one score but only produced a 76.4 QB rating. Allen Robinson caught a team-high seven catches for 101 yards and the fourth-quarter touchdown to make it look like the offense was ever there. No other receiver ended with more than 52 yards or any score. The 3-1 Bears drop their first game and host the Buccaneers this week. The 3-1 Colts won their last three games and travel to Cleveland.

BUF 30, LV 23
This match-up was better than expected. Neither team had much success running the ball. Devin Singletary gained 55 yards and a touchdown on 18 rushes and Josh Allen lost a net yard on his three runs. He threw for 288 yards and two scores between Cole Beasley (3-32, TD) and Gabriel Davis (1-26, TD) while Stefon Diggs (6-115) continues to see high production in this offense. The Bills had to score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to secure the win and recover the onsides kick attempt by the Raiders.

Josh Jacobs was held to only 48 yards on 15 runs and added 25 yards on three catches for a mediocre performance. Derek Carr passed for 311 yards and two touchdowns but the final came with only 1:29 left to play as they failed to finish a comeback. Darren Waller (9-88) was the top receiver and will likely stay that way with both rookie wideouts on the sideline. Hunter Renfrow (5-57) and Nelson Agholor (4-44, TD).  Both teams saw success passing but mostly later in the game. The 4-0 Bills head to Tennessee (maybe) this week while the 2-2 Raiders travel to Kansas City.

PHI 25, SF 20

Nine road teams won so far this week and the Eagles are likely the biggest surprise. The 49ers led 14-8 in the third quarter but the Eagles kicked a field goal, connected on a 42-yard touchdown bomb to Travis Fulgham (signed fromm practice squad on Saturday) and then a pick-six by the defense with five minutes to play. The 49ers switched to C.J. Beathard and reached the Eagles 33-yard line when time expired. Jerick McKinnon ran for 54 yards and one score on 14 rushes and caught seven passes for 43 yards. Brandon Aiyuk  only caught two short passes for ran for a 38-yard touchdown. George Kittle caught 15 passes for 183 yards and one score.

The Eagles didn’t perform much better other than fewer turnovers (1 vs. 3) and returning the interception for a score. Miles Sanders only ran for 46 yards on 13 carries and added two catches for 30 yards. Carson Wentz only passed for 193 yards and one score but rushed in a touchdown for the third-straight game.  The only notable receiver was the practice-squadder Fulgham (2-57, TD). The first win is obviously important and they went in as 6.5-point underdog but the offense did not look any better. The 1-2-1 Eagles head to Pittsburgh for an even tougher task while the 2-2 49ers host the Dolphins.

The Game-o-the-Week

CLE 49, DAL 38

The Cowboys and Seahawks seem to own this spot. This week, the Cowboys.

This was a dagger to the heart for the Cowboys that couldn’t handle the visiting Browns and gave up a franchise-record 307 rushing yards to a team that lost their starting running back at the start of the second half. Nick Chubb ran for 43 yards before leaving and Kareem Hunt gained 72 yards and scored twice on his 11 carries. D’Ernest Johnson plowed through the Cowboys defense with 95 yards on 13 rushes. Even Odell Beckham turned in a back-breaking 50-yard touchdown run to nail down the win.

Baker Mayfield faced the worst defense in the NFL but only passed for 165 yards and two scores because the rushing effort worked so well. Odell Beckham finally had his breakout game of the season when he caught five passes for 81 yards and two more touchdowns. No other receiver was better than Jarvis Landry who also threw one of the touchdowns to Beckham. The Browns trailed 14-7 and then reeled off 34 straight points before the Cowboys scored again.

Ezekiel Elliott was limited to 54 yards on 12 rushes but added eight catches for 71 yards. When he gains more as a receiver than as a rusher in a home game, chances are it did not go well. And it didn’t.

Dak Prescott threw for 502 yards and four touchdowns with one interception to kill the final comeback drive. Amari Cooper (12-134, TD), CeeDee Lamb (5-79, 2 TD), and Dalton Shultz (4-72, TD) handled the scoring. With 502 yards to distribute, it was impossible to find any Cowboys’ receiver that didn’t have a big game… except for Michael Gallup (2-29).

The 3-1 Browns  host the Colts this week while the 1-3 Cowboys host the Giants for a great shot at an actual win. In other news, start your Giants’ receivers…

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

CHI 30, ATL 26
There are precious few absolutes in the world, but one seems to be don’t bet on the Falcons to hold a lead. Yet again, they gave up  26-10 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. At home, no less. David  Montgomery only ran for 45 yards on 14 carries as the rushing effort fell flat. Mitchell Trubisky only completed 12-of-22 for 128 yards and one score with one interception when he was benched for Nick Foles midway through the third quarter. Foles used the final 21 minutes to throw for 188 yards and three touchdowns in a dramatic comeback as the Falcons, once again, crumbled in the final quarter. Allen Robinson (10-123, TD) and Jimmy Graham (6-60, 2 TD) did the most damage while Anthony Miller caught the game-winning 28-yard touchdown with under two minutes left to play.

Matt Ryan only managed 238 passing yards and one score to Hayden Hurst on his only catch in the game. Julio Jones was out but Calvin Ridley continues to impress with five catches for 110 yards that included a 63-yard gain. No other receivers had more than 41 yards or scored. Todd Gurley ran for 80 yards and a score on 14 carries while Brian Hill turned in nine runs for 58 yards and a touchdown. There’s going to be more than a little soul-searching by the Falcons who blew huge leads in the last two games and are now 0-3 and playing in Green Bay this week. The 3-0 Bears host the Colts.

WAS 20, CLE 34
This was a win in the manner that the 2020 Browns hope to do every week. Nick Chubb ran 19 times for 108 yards and two touchdowns while Kareem Hunt ended with 46 yards on 16 rushes plus two catches for 18 yards and a score. The combination of the two works very well when games are kept close and both offer up significant fantasy value so far. Baker Mayfield only threw 23 passes and ended with 156 yards and two scores. Odell Beckham (4-59) and Jarvis Landry (4-36) were still the top two receivers for the Browns and yet still had minimal fantasy points.

The Football Team backfield is, and will always be, a mess. Antonio Gibson ran for 49 yards and a touchdown on nine carries but only added 11 yards on three receptions. Five other backs and wideouts recorded at least one carry though none had more than 22 yards. Dwayne Haskins threw for 224 yards and two scores but also three interceptions. Terry McLaurin (4-83) led the group though Dontrelle Inman (3-38, 2 TD) did all the scoring. The defense is still good, at least against the pass, but isn’t nearly good enough to cover for the mediocre offense. The 1-2 Football Team host the Ravens while the 2-1 Browns head to Dallas this week.

TEN 31, MIN  30
Game-o-the-week contender. The struggling Vikings kept just ahead of the Titans from the second quarter onward and took a 30-25 lead with about ten minutes left to play but then gave up two 54+ yard field goals over the last six minutes to lose. Derrick Henry ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns while Ryan Tannehill passed for 312 yards. Kalif Raymond was a surprise with  three catches for 118 yards while Corey Davis (5-69) was next best. Jonnu Smith still managed 61 yards on five receptions. The Titans had problems punching in touchdowns and Stephen Gostkowski went from a disastrous season opener to kicking six field goals with three over 50 yards.

The Vikings had success on offense. Dalvin Cook ran for 181 yards and a score on 22 carries plus 18 yards on two catches. Kirk Cousins finally had a big day with 251 yards and three touchdowns. The rookie Justin Jefferson enjoyed his breakout performance with a team-high seven receptions for 175 yards and a score. Adam Thielen (3-29, TD) and Kyle Rudolph (2-11, TD) both scored but did little else in the game. This could have been a sorely-needed win for the 0-3 Vikings  who now hit the road to play the Texans. The 3-0 Titans host the Steelers for Week 4 and start a three-game streak of home games.

LV 20, NE 36
The outcome was never in question but both teams score more than expected. Derek Carr threw for 261 yards and two scores with Hunter Renfro (6-84, TD) as the only receiver with more than 48 yards. Josh Jacobs ran for 71 yards on 16 carries and added three catches for 12 yards for a down performance that was expected. Darren Waller was held to only nine yards on two receptions which less surprising after last week’s fireworks showed the Pats that he was the primary receiver to shut down.

Cam Newton only ran for 27 yards on nine rushes and passed for 162 yards and one score – a big step down from the first two games but likely a game plan for future defenses. Rex Burkhead was a nice waiver wire scrape that was the leading receiver with seven catches for 49 yards and a score plus he ran for 49 yards and two touchdowns and 49 yards on six runs. Sony Michel gained 117 yards on nine runs and added two catches for 23 yards. This was a solid win by the Patriots who didn’t need to pass much. But a bad sign for the passing game elements whenever the Pats play at home or against lesser teams. The 2-1 Raiders host the Bills in Week 4 and the 2-1 Patriots  head to Kansas City.

SF 36, NYG 9

Both teams were dealing with significant injuries, but the Giants were able to remotely compensate for their missing players. Jerick McKinnon was the primary back but only gained 38 yards on 14 carries but scored once and caught three passes for 49 yards. Jeff Wilson only had 15 yards on 12 carries but also scored via a rush and again on his three receptions for 54 yards. Brandon Aiyuk was the starting wideout, and he led the team with five catches for 70 yards and even ran in a touchdown on his three rushes for 31 yards. Nick Mullens is still a great plug-in. He threw for 343 yards and one score with no turnovers. The names may have changed on the 49ers offense, but the results were still the same.

The first game without Saquon Barkley and the 2020 prospects are dim. The backfield used all three running backs – in a home game – and only gained 17 yards on ten rushes. Daniels Jones was the leading rusher with 49 yards on five runs but he only passed for 179 yards and one interception. Darius Slayton (3-53) was the leading receiver. The Giants couldn’t generate much offense even with the 49ers missing several defenders. The rest of the season went dark the moment that Saquon Barkley left the field. The 2-1 49ers host the Eagles this week while the 0-3 Giants  travel to play the Rams.

CIN 23, PHI  23

Oh boy, a tie. And just when you thought that at least one team would get their first win. The Bengals only rushed for  49 yards on 17 carries by Joe Mixon who added two catches for 16 yards. Joe Burrow continues to play very well for a rookie and passed for 312 yards and two scores that both went to Tee Higgins (5-40, 2 TD). Tyler Boyd led the team with ten catches for 125 yards while A.J. Green (5-36) continues to underwhelm in his return. Burrow had a 105.5 QB rating and looks like a veteran. This was yet another game that he almost won.

Carson Wentz played more like a rookie than a veteran. He only threw for 225 yards and one score against two interceptions with a QB rating of 62.8.  Miles Sanders ran for 95 yards on 18 carries and added four receptions for 12 yards. Wentz ran for 65 yards and a score that he stole from Sanders. The only notable receivers were Greg Ward (8-72, TD) and Zach Ertz (7-70). Both DeSean Jackson and Dallas Goedert left injured. The tie has to be more of a win for the Bengals and just continued proof that the Eagles offense has taken a big step down, and maybe with worse to come since they continue to suffer injuries on the offensive line. The 0-2-1 Eagles head to San Francisco this weekend while the 0-2-1 Bengals host the Jaguars.

HOU 21, PIT 28
The Texans led 21-17 at the half but then remembered where they were and who they are. David Johnson scored once but only ran for 23 yards on 13 carries with no rush for more than five yards. Deshaun Watson passed for 264 yards and two scores with one interception and he did a solid job spreading the ball around against the Steelers secondary. Randall Cobb (4-95, TD) and Will Fuller (4-54, TD) led the receivers and Brandin Cooks (3-23) still cannot shake coverage. Keeping the score difference to just one touchdown was a victory of sorts for the Texans defense.

James Conner distanced himself from the embarrassing Week 1 by rushing for 109 yards and one score and adding four catches for 40 yards. Ben Roethlisberger turned in a moderate showing with 237 yards and two scores that were divided between Eric Ebron (5-52, TD) and Juju Smith-Schuster (4-43, TD) while no other receivers gained more than 36 yards.  The Steelers opened sluggishly and fell behind  14-3 in the second quarterback but then got into gear and finished the game. The 0-3 Texans host the Vikings while the 3-0 Steelers  head to Tennessee.

NYJ 7, IND  36
This matchup went even more poorly than expected, and it had almost no expectations on the injury-ravaged Jets. Frank Gore gained 57 yards on 15 rushes but Sam Darnold only managed 168 passing yards and one touchdown against three interceptions. Braxton Berrios (4-64, TD) was the only notable receiver and all others remained below 45 yards with no scores. Darnold has no time to throw and no one to throw to, so his 47.0 QB rating is not hard to understand. The Jets defense really isn’t that bad, but they are constantly placed into impossible situations.

The Colts defense scored two touchdowns and recorded a safety. The offense was held to only 59 yards and a touchdown for Jonathan Taylor and Philip Rivers passed for 217 yards and a score on just 21 passes thrown. T.Y. Hilton (3-52) led the team while Mo Alie-Cox (3-50, TD) caught the only passing touchdown. The Colts defense won this because the Jets offense just gets worse and cannot afford the injuries.  The 0-3 Jets host the Broncos while the 2-1 Colts head to Chicago to face the Bears.

CAR 21, LAC 16
The Panthers lost their all-world running back, so of course they win a road game against a good defense. Mike Davis ran for just 46 yards and 25 of those came on one run. He added eight catches for 45 yards and a touchdown though as yet another reminder to back-up your first-round running backs. Teddy Bridgewater was efficient, completing 22-of-28 for 235 yards and the one score to Davis.  DJ Moore (2-65) and Robbie Anderson (5-55) were the top receivers in this mildly surprising win that thanks to five field goals by Joey Slye.

The Chargers had offense. Austin Ekeler ran for 59 yards and a touchdown plus caught 11 passes for 84 yards while Joshua Kelley tacked on 43 more on eight runs. Justin Herbert threw for 330 yards and one score with one interception. Keenan Allen again profited with 13 catches for 132 yards and the one passing touchdown. Hunter Henry (5-50) helped out but no other receiver turned in more than 23 yards.  The problem for the Chargers was the interception and three lost fumbles. They ruined a chance to start out with two wins but now the 1-2 Chargers head to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers while the 1-2 Panthers  host the Cardinals.

DET 26, ARI 23
Here is another game that says “don’t get too comfortable yet.” The winless Lions came in with their confusing backfield and struggling passing game but apparently Kenny Golladay makes all the difference. Adrian Peterson ran for 75 yards on 22 carries with a ten-yard catch. Kerryon Johnson only ran three times and had one reception as a non-factor. Matt Stafford finally looked to be in his 2019 form (pre-injury) when he passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Golladay (6-57, TD) led the receivers while T.J. Hockenson (4-53) and Marvin Jones (3-51) were next best. It was the first sign that the Lions offense might start to resemble the formidable passing attack of last season.

Kenyan Drake ran for 73 yards on 18 rushes but only caught one pass for six yards. Kyle Murray scored the only rushing touchdown when he ran for 29 yards on five scampers, and also threw for exactly 270 yards and two touchdowns but added three costly interceptions. DeAndre Hopkins (10-137) is still a pass sponge but Andy Isabella (4-47, 2 TD) finally showed up and will no doubt leave waiver wires this week. The Lions defense played better than expected and held the Cards scoreless in the fourth quarter while Matt Prater kicked field goals to tie and then to win as time expired. The 1-2 Lions return home to face the Saints while the 2-1 Cardinals  head to Carolina to meet the Panthers.

TB 28, DEN 10
The Broncos offense couldn’t begin to stay in this game without Drew Lock, though the outcome would likely had been much the same with him there. The Buccaneers backfield remains indecipherable, this time swinging back towards Ronald Jones who ran for 53 yards on 13 carries while Leonard Fournette crawled back under the rock with just 15 yards on seven rushes.  Both caught two short passes and neither scored. Tom Brady turned in his best game as a Buccaneer with 297 yards and three touchdowns without any interceptions. Chris Godwin (5-64, TD) was effective before leaving against with a hamstring issue. Mike Evans had the ever-so rare two catches for two yards and two touchdowns. Scott Miller led the team with 83 yards on five catches. The passing offense looked great while the rushing offense is a weekly coin flip that sometimes no one wins.

The Broncos couldn’t generate much offense. Melvin Gordon was held to only 26 yards on eight runs as they abandoned the run. But Jeff Driskel completed 17-of-30 for 176 yards and one score with one interception and was benched. Brett Rypien was no better throwing for 53 yards and one interception.  The Broncos added Blake Bortles last week, so he may show up in Week 4. Jerry Jeudy was able to play but only totaled 55 yards on five receptions while Noah Fant was next best with just 46 yards on five catches. The passing game is in the dumpster right now and doing no favors to the rookies Jeudy or KJ Hamler. The 2-1 Buccaneers  host the Chargers this weekend and the 0-3 Broncos head to New York to face the Jets.

LA 32, BUF 35

The Rams were all the Bills could handle and they almost won despite trailing 28-3 in the third quarter. The Rams reeled off four straight touchdowns to lead 32-28 with only 4:30 minutes left to play but Josh Allen led a drive to the LA-30 yard line on third-and-25 and took a timeout on when Stephon Diggs caught a 17-yard pass with 25 seconds left to play. On fourth-and-three, he threw an incompletion but the Rams were called for  defensive pass interference and made it first down at the three yard line with 21 seconds left. Allen connected with Tyler Kroft for the winning score and the Rams ruined a near-historic comeback.

Darrell Henderson ran for 114 yards and one touchdown and Jared Goff also ran in a touchdown. He passed for 321 yards and two touchdowns between Cooper Kupp (9-107, TD) and Robert Woods (5-74, TD). Josh Reynolds (4-60) also helped in the comeback that almost was.  Goff only totaled 94 passing yards at the half and almost all production came in the final 20 minutes of the game.

Devin Singletary ran for 71 yards on 13 carries with Zack Moss out and also added 50 yards on four receptions. Josh Allen once again blew up with a rushing touchdown while passing for 311 yards and four touchdowns. Cole Beasley (6-100) and Gabriel Davis (4-81) were the top receivers while John Brown left injured. Stefon Diggs (4-24, TD) and Tyler Kroft (4-24, 2 TD) mattered most near the end zone. The Rams fall to 2-1 and host the Giants for a “get right” game. The 3-0 Bills head to Las Vegas to play the Raiders.

GB 37, NO 30

Yet another Game-o-the-Week contender. Both teams had great quarterbacks that missed their elite wideouts. But the Packers had the better defense, if only marginally so. Aaron Jones ran for 69 yards and one touchdown with two catches for 17 yards and almost a second score. Aaron Rodgers passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns that mostly went to Allen Lazard (6-146, TD) and Robert Tonyan (5-50, TD). The score was tied 27-27 entering the fourth quarter but the Packers scored ten straight points while the Saints could only manage a field goal at the end. The Packers are using their tight ends much more often in recent games and two of the top three receivers were Tonyan and Jace Sternberger (3-36).

Without Michael Thomas, Drew Brees still threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns but struggled to connect with the wide receivers or sustain drives as he once did. Alvin Kamara was their best weapon with 58 rushing yards on just six carries and 13 receptions for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Emmanuel Sanders (4-56, TD) and Tre’Quan Smith (4-42) were the next best in this game of constant checkdowns to Kamara.  Jared Cook left injured as well but from the start, Kamara was the only way to move the ball. The 3-0 Packers return home to face the Falcons with what should be an obscene amount of points scored. The 1-2 Saints stumble into Detroit to meet the Lions.

The Game-o-the-Week

DAL 31, SEA 38
At this rate, the only question is if the Game-o-the-Week contains the Cowboys, Seahawks or Falcons. Each can post a ton of points and yet cannot stop other teams from doing the same. In a word – “delightful.”

The only difference between the Cowboys win over the Falcons and their loss to the Seahawks is that Russell Wilson can accomplish that final winning drive that eluded Matt Ryan. The Seahawks led 30-15 in the third quarter when the Cowboys reeled off two touchdowns and then kicked a 42-yard field goal to take the lead 31-30 with 3:59 left to play.

The Seahawks took over on their own 25-yard line and Wilson marched them down the field and then had a fourth-and-three from the Dallas 47-yard line. Wilson connected with Greg Olsen for 11 yards for the first, then Travis Homer ran for seven yards because Chris Carson was injured. On the first play after the two-minute warning, Wilson hit DK Metcalf for a 29-yard touchdown.

The Cowboys reached the Seattle 26-yard line with 16 seconds left to play when Prescott threw an interception. It was a wild game and hopefully both teams will continue to provide such a bounty to the fantasy community.

Ezekiel Elliott only ran for 34 yards on 14 carries but he scored once and added six receptions for 24 yards. Dak Prescott ended with 472 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. Michael Gallup (6-138, TD) and Cedrick Wilson (5-107, 2 TD) took care of the scoring while Amari Cooper (9-86) led in receptions. CeeDee Lamb was relatively quiet with five catches for 65 yards. With 472 yards to distribute, everyone was involved. The Seahawks tried to shut down Cooper and Lamb and were almost killed by Gallup and Wilson.

Chris Carson ran for 64 yards on 14 rushes and caught three passes for 12 yards but left injured. Russell Wilson set an NFL record by throwing for 14 touchdowns over the first three games of the season. He passed for 315 yards and five scores that mostly favored DK Metcalf (4-110, TD) and Tyler Lockett (9-100, 3 TD). Greg Olsen (5-61) also had a big role though Jacob Hollister scored on his only catch. It was a wild game that the Cowboys almost pulled off. They committed the one unforgivable error this year – they left Russell Wilson too much time.

Sunday Snippets

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

NYG 13, CHI 17
This was the snore-fest we feared and made tragically memorable when Saquon Barkley was helped from the field with what appeared to be a torn ACL. Sterling Shepard also left the game and Daniel Jones only managed 241 yards and one interception. Even Engram (6-65) was the top receiver while Golden Tate (5-47) was the best wide receiver which was clearly just a relative term. Dion Lewis becomes the free agent of the week with Barkley out but only gained 20 yards on ten carries with one touchdown. Lewis did add four catches for 36 yards so he’ll have fantasy value. Not Saquon Barkley value by any means, but he’ll be a starting running back that catches the ball well.

The Bears lost David Montgomery temporarily but he returned to the game and ended with a credible 82 yards on 16 carries and was also the leading receiver with only three catches for 45 yards and a score. Mitchell Trukisky only threw for 190 yards and two scores with two interceptions in what may be his easy matchup of the month. Allen Robinson was held to only 33 yards on three catches and the passing game is benefitting no one so far… except for Dion Lewis. The 0-2 Giants host the 49ers this week, and the 2-0 Bears play in Atlanta.

DET 21, GB 42

The Packers appear unwilling to give the NFC North to anyone else this season. The Lions led 14-3 in the first quarter and then it all went very bad, very quickly. Matt Stafford ended with 244 yards and two scores but that was well short of what was needed to be competitive. He still misses Kenny Golladay and it shows. T.J. Hockenson led the receivers with 62 yards on four catches while D’Andre Swift is making a bigger mark as a pass-catcher than a rusher. He  snared five passes for 60 yards but was held to only 12 yards on five carries. Marvin Jones (4-23, TD) scored once to salvage his fantasy value. The backfield was neatly split between the ineffective Swift, Adrian Peterson (7-41) and Kerryon Johnson (8-32, TD) so there is almost no reliable fantasy value here.

Aaron Rodgers only needed to pass for 240 yards and two scores but missed Davante Adams (3-36) who pulled his hamstring. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (3-64) had one long catch and left the game temporarily. Aaron Jones was the difference maker with four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown, plus he ran for 168 yards and two more scores. That included a 75-yard touchdown jaunt. The 2-0 Packers need a healthy Adams but pummeled the Lions regardless. They travel to New Orleans this week for their biggest challenge to date. The 0-2 Lions visit the Cardinals in what is becoming the desert of death.

MIN 11, IND 28
The Vikings offense has looked worse before, probably, but when was that? Dalvin Cook gained 63 yards and a score on his 14 carries but his touchdown came when they trailed 28-3 late in the fourth quarter when the Colts defense was chasing a passing ice cream truck. Kirk Cousins completed just 11-of-26 for 113 yards and three interceptions. His final QB rating was 15.9. The Colts secondary is good, but it is not usually stringing-up-barbed-wire great. Even Adam Thielen was held to three catches for 31 yards despite a team-high eight targets.

This wasn’t the pass-happy fest expected for the Colts but it was clearly not a need for the win. Jonathan Taylor ran for 101 yards and a touchdown on his 26 carries. No one likes to see an injury, but every Taylor owner is less bothered by Marlon Mack landing on IR. Philip Rivers threw for 214 yards and one score to Zach Pascal while T.Y. Hilton (3-28) still has yet to get started. Mo Alie-Cox replaced Jack Doyle as the lead receiver with five receptions for 111 yards. The 0-2 Vikings host the Titans this week while the 1-1 Colts host the Jets.

BUF 31, MIA 28
This matchup defied conventional thought be becoming a high-scoring aerial battle. Josh Allen passed for 417 yards and four touchdowns as a career-best. Stefon Diggs ended with eight catches for 153 yards and one score, while John Brown (4-82, TD) and Cole Beasley (5-70) both enjoyed above-average performances. Devin Singletary ran for 56 yards on ten carries while Zack Moss went for 37 yards on his eight rushes. CB Byron Jones left injured so the passing became easier.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 328 yards and two scores with Mike Gesicki (8-130, TD) leading the team and Isaiah Ford (7-76) popping up on the box score. Devante Parker only caught five passes for 53 yards but scored once. The backfield is still without any real fantasy value, since Myles Gaskin (7-46), Matt Brieda (7-37) and Jordan Howard (5-4, TD) all share the meager production. The 2-0 Bills host the Raiders this week while the 0-2 Dolphins travel to Jacksonville. All things considered, the Fins should be happy with “close” after last year.

SF 31, NYJ 13
This was a beat-down as expected, even though the 49ers were jettisoning starters along the way. Raheem Mostert totaled 107 yards thanks to an 80-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game but left with a knee sprain. Jimmy Garopplo was efficiently winning the game but left with a high-ankle sprain. Jordan Reed replaced Jimmy Kittle and caught both touchdown passes and ended with seven receptions for 50 yards in a very Kittle-esque performance. Jerick McKinnon becomes a red-hot free agent pick-up this week (providing Mostert remains out) thanks to his 55-yard run and a 16-yard touchdown.

The Jets came in without Le’Von Bell and Jamison Crowder and was never remotely in this game. Frank Gore gained 63 yards on 21 carries as Bell’s replacement but recorded no receptions. Sam Darnold only passed for 179 yards and one score to Braxton Berrios (6-59, TD). Chris Hogan (6-75) led the receivers but later left with a rib injury. The notion that Chris Herndon was going to have a break out season remains a secret. The banged-up (1-1) 49ers  play at the Giants this week while the (0-2) Jets travel to face the Colts.

LA 37, PHI 19
After two weeks, it seems that maybe the Rams are really that good and the Eagles are really that bad. The Rams lost Cam Akers early in the game but just switched to Malcolm Brown (11-47) and Darrel Henderson (12-81, TD) for a committee situation no one wants to see. Jared Goff passed for 267 yards and three touchdowns that all ended up with Tyler Higbee (5-54, 3 TD). Cooper Kupp (5-81) was the only wideout with any significance.  The Rams resorted to six different runners including Robert Woods (3-19, TD) and Van Jefferson with one carry.

The Eagles have lost significant offensive linemen and that has derailed the offense that has little time to get plays executed. Miles Sanders ran well regardless with 20 rushes for 95 yards and one score but had several stuffed rushes He also added three catches for 36 yards as the only rewarding fantasy play for the team. Carson Wentz only threw for 242 yards and two interceptions against the Rams secondary. DeSean Jackson (6-64) and Zach Ertz (5-42) were as good as it got. The (0-2) Eagles offense sputters badly outside of Sanders  but host the Bengals this week when it should all work much better. The 2-0 Rams are passing and rushing well, and using a wide variety of players each week. They  travel to face the Bills.

DEN 21, PIT 26
This was a very competitive game even though the Broncos were on the road and lost Drew Lock at the first of the game. Jeff Driskel passed for 256 yards and two scores in replacement. Courtland Sutton (3-66) was able to play but then later left with his knee bothering him. Jerry Jeudy (4-62) and Noah Fant (4-57, TD)  were better than expected as well. Melvin Gordon took over the backfield with Phillip Lindsay out and ran for 70 yards on 19 carries plus he caught a touchdown on his two receptions for 14 yards. The Broncos lost, but they far exceeded expectations.

Ben Roethlisberger passes for 311 yards and two scores between Diontae Johnson (8-92) and Chase Claypool (3-88, TD) with the rookie including an 84-yard catch-and-score. JuJu Smith-Schuster was held to only 48 yards on his seven receptions. James Conner returned as the starter and ran for 106 yards and a score on his 16 runs while Benny Snell (3-5) took a back seat.  The 2-0 Steelers host the Texans this week while the 0-2 Broncos welcome the Buccaneers to Denver.

CAR 17, TB 31
The Panthers defense will be their Achilles heel all season long. Christian McCaffrey totaled 88 yards and two scores but left the game late with an ankle injury. Teddy Bridgewater struggled to throw in the first half but finally caught fire later in the game and ended with 367 passing yards but no scores. D.J. Moore (8-120) finally came back to life and Robby Anderson (9-109) turned in his second productive showing as a Panther. Mike Davis is the backup that almost no McCaffey owner grabbed and he just caught eight passes for  74 yards and will replace McCaffrey if needed.

Tom Brady only needed to throw for 217 yards and one score but at least he discovered Mike Evans (7-104, TD). No other receivers mattered in this one and Chris Godwin’s absence did not matter. The backfield is a bit more convoluted though since Ronald Jones (7-23, TD) started the game and scored first, but then later Leonard Fournette (12-103, 2 TD) was vastly better than his Week 1 showing of five yards on five runs. Almost as notable is that tight ends combined for only one catch and Rob Gronkowski had zero receptions.  The 0-2 Panthers travel to face the Chargers while hoping that McCaffrey’s MRI is good news. The 1-1 Buccaneers play in Denver.

JAX 30, TEN 33
The Titans won on a last-second field goal but the Jaguars gave them all they could handle. James Robinson ran for 102 yards and a score and even added three receptions for 18 yards. He’s truly one of the biggest surprises that popped up right before the season started. Gardner Minshew passed for 339 yards and three touchdowns but threw to ten different receivers. DJ Chark (4-84) and Keelan Cole (6-58) were the most productive but eight of them caught at least three passes.This Jaguars team is already better on offense than expected.

Derrick Henry only gained 84 yards on 25 carries as the Jaguars defense continues to surprise. Ryan Tannehill did the damage with 239 passing yards and four touchdowns. Jonnu Smith (4-84, 2 TD) Adam Humphries (5-48, TD) stepped up with AJ Brown out and Corey Davis scored again but was held to only 36 yards on three catches. The Titans outlasted a furious comeback attempt by the Jaguars with Stephen Gostowski nailing a 49-yard field goal and he made a 51-yarder earlier in the game after missing three in Week 1. The 2-0 Titans  head to Minnesota this week while the 1-1 Jaguars  host the Dolphins.

WAS 15, ARI 30
The jury is still out about how good or bad Washington is this year. Not so for the Cardinals who were stellar in both games while facing good defenses. Kenyan Drake ran for 86 yards on 20 carries but only gained nine yards on two receptions. Kyler Murray threw for 286 yards and one touchdown to DeAndre Hopkins (8-68, TD) while the second-year quarterback ran for 67 yards and two scores on eight scrambles. The Washington defense was good against all facets – except for Murray running when they had no answer. So far, Hopkins is a pass-sponge and that depresses the other receivers.

The Football Team backfield is still a mess to forecast. Peyton Barber scored twice on his 17 carries in Week 1 and then had just one run for one yard versus the Cards. Antonio Gibson finally showed up with 13 runs for 55 yards and one score but only one catch that lost three yards. J.D. McKissic ran for 53 yards on eight carries and yet had no targets. This will likely all change next week anyway. Dwayne Haskins passed for 223 yards and one score which mostly went to Terry McLaurin (7-125, TD). There are no other fantasy plays among the receivers and the backfield rotation is still a’changing. The 1-1 Redskins head to Cleveland this week while the 2-0 Cardinals host the Lions.

BAL 33, HOU 16

How was it this team failed to reach the Super Bowl? Hard to tell with the way they opened the season. This is another committee backfield that is harder to read. J.K. Dobbins ran in two scores in the season opener but then had only two carries in Week 2 – and yet gained 48 yards since one went for 44 yards. Mark Ingram gained 55 yards on nine rushes and scored on a 30-yard run as a wildcat quarterback. Gus Edwards is still around with ten runs for 73 yards while Lamar Jackson settled for 54 yards on his 16 rushes.  He only passed for 204 yards and one score, No receiver topped 42 yards. They were always in the lead and just did not need to throw much.

The Ravens held David Johnson to only 34 yards on 11 runs and he added just two catches for 16 yards. Deshaun Watson passed for 275 yards and one score with Brandon Cooks (5-95) finally making himself known as a Texan after a quiet Week 1. Randall Cobb turned in 59 yards on five catches while Jordan Akins led the team with seven catches for 55 yards. The Ravens defense was just too much to handle and the Texans had to settle for just two field goals in the second half. The 2-0 Ravens  host the Chiefs on the next Monday night game while the 0-2 Texans play in Pittsburgh.

KC 23, LAC 20
Not many quarterbacks that can be down ten points and it only elicits a  “yeah, so?” The Chiefs always have trouble with the Chargers and trailed 6-17 in the third quarter.  Harrison Butker kicked his second 58-yard field goal in the game to win in overtime. Clyde Edwards-Helaire calmed down with only 38 yards on ten carries but added six catches for 20 yards. Patrick Mahomes ended with 302 yards and two touchdowns which mostly happened in the fourth quarter and overtime. The beauty of the Chiefs is that only the fantasy starters post big stats. Tyreek Hill (5-99, TD) and Travis Kelce (9-90, TD) were the two leading receivers and only ones with a score, or more than 30 yards.

Tyrod Taylor re-aggravated a chest injury in pregame warmups and the Justin Herbert era began. The rookie threw for 311 yards and one score while keeping the fantasy fortunes of Keenan Allen (7-96) and Hunter Henry (6-83) still productive. Austin Ekeler ran for 93 yards and added 55 more on four catches while the rookie Joshua Kelley gained 64 yards on 23 runs and caught two passes for 49 yards.  The Chargers ran the ball 44 times in a game that they thought they won. Almost did. The 1-1 Chargers  host the Panthers this week so everything should look better. The 2-0 Chiefs  play in Baltimore on Monday night.

NE 30,  SEA 35

Nice shoot-out to end the day. This came down to the final play and is a contender for the Game-o-the-Week. Cam Newton ran for 47 yards and two touchdowns while passing for 397 yards and one score. Julian Edelman set a career-best with eight catches for 179 yards while Damiere Byrd (6-72) and N’Keal Harry (8-72) both stepped up. There was nearly no rushing with Sony Michel held to only 19 yards on seven carries. But Newton not only rushed effectively, he looked good passing and very nearly produced the game-winning drive from his own 19-yard line in the final 1:55 and it ended on the Seattle two-yard line on a failed rushing attempt.

Chris Carson rushed for 72 yards and added three catches for 36 yards and a score. Russell Wilson completed 21-of-28 passes for 288 yards and five touchdowns. D.K. Metcalf caught four passes for 92 yards that included a 54-yard scoring catch over the top of CB Stephon Gilmore. Tyler Lockett (7-67, TD) and David Moore (3-48, TD) also led the effort. Wilson played nearly flawlessly and ended with a 132.1 QB rating. This is a passing offense that handled arguably the best set of corners in the NFL. The 2-0 Seahawks  host the Cowboys this week while the 1-1 Patriots  host the Raiders who will be on a short week.

The Game-o-the-Week

ATL 39, DAL 40

What a great game that the Cowboys did not even deserve to win. The Falcons led 20-0 in the first quarter since they had recovered three lost fumbles that killed Dallas drives.  They led 29-10 at the half. With just under eight minutes to play, they went up 39-24. But the Cowboys reeled off two touchdowns and a last-second field goal to score 16 straight points in the final 4:57 of the game.

Matt Ryan passed for 273 yards and four touchdowns that went to Calvin Ridley (7-109, 2 TD), Hayden Hurst (5-72, TD), and Russell Gage (6-46, TD) while Julio Jones was held to only 24 yards on two catches. Jones did drop what should have been a 50-yard touchdown. Todd Gurley ran for 61 yards on 21 rushes but never had a target and Ito Smith was used at the goal line (unsuccessfully). The Falcons’ inability to run out the clock left too much time for the Cowboys.

Dak Prescott was one of the best fantasy plays of the day. He threw for 450 yards and one score and ran for three touchdowns. No one in NFL history had ever thrown for over 400 yards and rushed in three scores. CeeDee Lamb (6-106) and Amari Cooper (6-100) both hit the century mark while Dalton Schultz surprised with nine receptions for 88 yards and a score. Michael Gallup only caught two passes but gained 58 yards. Ezekiel Elliott ran for 89 yards and one score on 22 carries and added six catches for 33 yards.

This was the shootout that was expected though it seemed more likely that the Falcons would be the ones playing catch up. Somehow, the Cowboys shaky secondary could cover Julio Jones but no one else.

This was great weekend with 15 teams exceeding 30 points and generating plenty of fantasy benefit. But there were numerous injuries and the shake-out from that won’t be known until during the week.

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games from a fantasy perspective.

Sunday Snippets

SEA 38, ATL 25
 This was never really in doubt by the end of the third quarter when the Seahawks led 31-12. Russell Wilson ended with 322 yards and four touchdowns which were divided up between D.K. Metcalf (4-95, TD), Chris Carson (6-45, 2 TD),  and Greg Olsen (4-24, TD). Tyler Lockett caught eight passes for 92 yards in this pass-happy scoring fest. Carson only ran for 21 yards on six carries and the lone rushing touchdown was given late to Carlos Hyde (7-23, TD).  This was a competitive game but only the Seahawks stepped up their play after the halftime. The Seahawks rushing offense disappointed, but it did not matter.

Matt Ryan threw for 450 yards and two scores that both went to Calvin Ridley (9-130, 2 TD) while Julius Jones (9-157) and Russell Gage (9-114) both had monster performances when the Falcons were forced to the air. Todd Gurley ran in a score on his 14 runs for 56 yards but only added two catches for one net yard. He was not a factor after halftime and started strong but quickly faded. The Seahawks host the Patriots this week while the Falcons head to Dallas.

NYJ 17, BUF 27
The Jets did not look anywhere nearly as good as the score may suggest. The Jets led 21-0 at the half. Little worked for the Jets until the Bills stopped caring. All combined, they only ran for 46 yards on 14 carries but Josh Adams ran in a late score. Sam Darnold passed for 215 yards and a touchdown but only managed 8-18-86 yards at the half with one interception. Jamison Crowder scored a 69-yard that salvaged the passing stats and ended with 115 yards on seven catches. Chris Herndon was used more with six receptions for 37 yards but this offense looked no better than last year, if not worse. And Le’Veon Bell left injured.

Josh Allen ran for 57 yards and a score plus passed for 312 yards and two touchdowns for one of his best performances. Newly signed Stefon Diggs led the crew with 86 yards on eight catches and John Brown scored on his six receptions for 70 yards but Allen missed several wide-open passes to both. It just did not matter this time. Disappointing was that the backfield workload was split into two with Devin Singletary (9-30) and Zack Moss (9-11) ineffective. In fairness, the Jets defense played well in that one facet. Great to see Allen with better passing stats but they could have been even more. The Jets host the 49ers this week while the Bills  head to Miami.

CHI 27, DET 23
 This was a tale of two halves. The Lions led 23-6 in the third quarter but then allowed the Bears to string out 21 straight points to take the win. Mitchell Trubisky passed for 242 yards and three touchdowns but almost all of that was in the fourth quarter. Anthony Miller (4-76, TD) caught the winning 27-yard touchdown in the final two minutes and Allen Robinson (5-74) was the only other notable wideout. Jimmy Graham only managed three catches for 25 yards but one was a score. David Montgomery gained 64 yards on 13 rushes but Tarik Cohen was given seven carries for 41 yards and even Cordarelle Patterson (4-19) also pitched in the always frustrating rotation in the backfield. Three quarters of play said the Bears were in trouble this year. The final one suggested maybe they just start slowly.

Matt Stafford passed for 297 yards but only one score to T.J. Hockenson (5-56, TD). Danny Amendola was the top receiver with 81 yards on five receptions but the absence of Kenny Golladay was evident. Adrian Peterson ran for 93 yards on 14 carries while Kerryon Johnson left injured. D’Andre Swift scored once but only ran for eight yards on three carries and dropped what could have been the winning touchdown catch at the end of the game. With Johnson likely out for a while, the Peterson addition makes more sense. We’re still waiting for Swift to be busier but he missed time in the summer because of injury. The Bears host the Giants this week while the Lions travel to Green Bay.

MIA 11, NE 21
The Dolphins were expected to struggle in this and likely all other games this year. Ryan Fitzpatrick flopped with only 191 passing yards and three interceptions while the Pats secondary is still pretty good even with the losses to COVID-19 opt-outs on defense. The backfield is a mess with Myles Gaskin the most productive with 40 yards on nine catches and Jordan Howard scoring once despite only gaining seven yards on his eight rushes. Matt Breida was almost a no-show until five carries for 22 yards proved he was at least there. Devante Parker left injured and yet was still the top receiver with 47 yards on four catches.

Overall… it looked like the New England Panthers. Cam Newton only passed for 155 yards but ran for 75 yards and two scores on 15 rushes. Sony Michel ran for only 37 yards on ten carries but scored once. Throw in Rex Burkhead (7-32) and the only running back with reliable fantasy value appears to be Cam Newton. James White (3-30) is not going to figure in much with Newton just running the ball instead of tossing dump-offs like Tom Brady. The Pats won and their defense played better than expected. But almost nothing here looked like the Patriots we’ve seen for the last 20 years. The Dolphins host the Bills this week and the Pats  head to Seattle.

PHI 17, WAS 27
 The Eagles led 17-0 in the second quarter and the game seemed to be over by halftime. But then they sputtered and turned the ball over three times while the Football Team woke up on defense. Carson Wentz passed for 270 yards and two scores but two interceptions. Dallas Goedert  became the top receiver with eight receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown while Zach Ertz (3-18, TD) caught the other score. Miles Sanders missed the game and Boston Scott only gained 54 total yards. Corey Clement pitched in with only 19 yards on six runs. DeSean Jackson (2-46) and Jalen Reagor (1-55) caught long passes, just not very many of them. No rushing game hurt the Eagles and then Wentz had a surprisingly difficult time passing in the second half.

The Football Team did little on offense. Dwayne Haskins ended with 178 yards and one score but completed just seven of 16 for 77 yards at the half. Antonio Gibson only ran for 36 yards on nine carries while Peyton Barber scored twice on his 17 rushes for 29 yards. Terry McLaurin was the best receiver but only had five receptions for 61 yards. The Washington defense showed up after a slow start and the offense did just enough to get the win. The Eagles host the Rams while the Football Team heads to Arizona.

LV 34, CAR 30
This game bodes well for both teams. At least on offense. The Raiders only saw Derek Carr pass for 239 yards and one score but Josh Jacobs ran in three touchdowns on his 25 carries for 93 yards. Jacobs also added four receptions for 46 yards for one of his career-best games. The new-look receivers only provided Henry Ruggs with three catches for 55 yards (and one went for 45 yards) before leaving injured. Bryan Edwards only managed one catch for nine yards but the Raiders were getting solid gains from their backfield. Darren Waller still turned in the most receptions with six for 45 yards.

The Panthers new offense kept them in the game the entire way but their old defense couldn’t seal the deal. The new offense still used Christian McCaffrey for 23 rushes for 96 yards and two scores plus three catches for 38 yards but his role as a receiver was reduced from 2019. Robby Anderson had a big debut with 115 yards on six catches and included a 75-yard touchdown catch. DJ Moore was limited to only 54 yards on four catches as a disappointment. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 270 yards and one score but wasn’t quite good enough to catch up to what his defense was giving away. The Raiders home debut comes against the Saints while the Panthers  head to Tampa Bay.

IND 20, JAC 27
The debut of HC Doug Marrone and OC Jay Gruden was a definite success. Gardner Minshew passed for 173 yards and three touchdowns between Keelan Cole (5-47, TD), Laviska Shenault (3-37, TD), and DJ Chark (3-25, TD). James Robinson was the surprise starting running back and kept the offense going with 16 runs for 62 yards and a catch for 28 yards. The Jags won mostly thanks to the defensive effort that was far better than expected.

Philip Rivers debut saw him with 363 passing yards but only one touchdown and two interceptions. Parris Campbell turned in a team-high six catches for 71 yards while T.Y. Hilton ended with four catches for 53 yards. Jonathan Taylor only ran for 22 yards on nine carries but caught six passes for 67 yards and takes over as the primary back since Marlon Mack tore his Achilles. The Colts’ offensive line should have been better than this. For now, the Colts disappointed while the Jaguars have to be pleased. The Colts will  host the Vikings this week and the Jags  head to Tennessee.

CLE 6, BAL 38
The Ravens looked like they are ready for the AFC Championship while the Browns were never in this blowout loss. The debut of HC Kevin Stefanski was set-up for disappointment playing in Baltimore anyway, but the Browns looked like they weren’t quite ready for the NFL. Baker Mayfield threw for 189 yards and one score to David Njoku (3-50, TD) who left injured. Jarvis Landry (5-61) and Odell Beckham (3-22) both struggled and Beckham had ten targets. Nick Chubb was limited to ten runs for 60 yards while Kareem Hunt took the lead with 13 carries for 72 yards. The loss was expected, but the Browns never really in this or even saw trash time production.

Lamar Jackson opened the year with 275 passing yards and three touchdowns while “only” rushing seven times for 75 yards.  Mark Ingram only managed 29 yards on ten runs while the rookie J.K. Dobbins scored twice on his seven carries for 22 yards as the short-yardage guy. Marquise Brown opened with a big Week 1 showing for the second year in a row with five catches for 101 yards. Willie Snead (4-64, TD) and Mark Andrews (5-58, 2 TD) also enjoyed their first game. The Ravens were at home and the Browns are installing yet another offense, but these Ravens looked like they were in mid-season form and the Browns didn’t seem prepared to play. The Ravens go to Houston this week and the Browns have their home opener versus the Bengals.

LAC 16, CIN 13
The Chargers slink out of Cincinnati with a win thanks to Randy Bullock pulling a hamstring while missing a last-second 31-yard field goal to tie. There wasn’t much happening in this one by either team as the score indicates. Austin Ekeler ran for 84 yards  but only caught one pass for three yards. Justin Jackson left injured and the rookie Joshua Kelley gained 60 yards and a touchdown on his 12 carries. But Tyrod Taylor only passed for 208 yards and no score with Hunter Henry (5-73) and Mike Williams (4-69) as the top receivers. Keenan Allen was held to only 37 yards on four receptions. The Charger ran the ball 33 times but split it up enough that no one had a big performance.

Joe Burrow’s debut saw him complete 23 of 36 for 193 yards and one interception. Pretty standard. Burrow ran for 46 yards and the only team touchdown. Joe Mixon only gained 69 yards on 19 rushes and A.J. Green (5-51) led the receivers. He had the game-winning catch at the end of the game but was called for a push-off. The offense was predictably sluggish but almost pulled it off. That errant field goal ruined a chance for Burrow to get a win. The Chargers  return home to face the Chiefs while the Bengals head to Cleveland.

TB 23, NO 34
Great game, just not in the way we were used to seeing. The first time dueling 40-year-old quarterbacks ever met saw Tom Brady throw for 239 yards and two scores, but also two interceptions including a pick-six. His 78.4 QB rating was lower than usual but he did steal the only rushing touchdown from the backfield. Chris Godwin led the crew with 79 yards on six catches while Mike Evans was held to only one catch for two yards (but a touchdown). Ron Gronkowski (2-11) still not a factor. Ronald Jones opened the game as the starting running back and gained 66 yards on 17 carries plus caught two passes for 16 yards. Leonard Fournette only gained five yards on five carries and caught a 14-yard pass.

Drew Brees only passed for 160 yards and two scores while Michael Thomas went from 11-182-2 in this matchup last year to only three catches for 17 yards though he sprained his ankle during the game. Jared Cook was the lead receiver with 80 yards on five catches and the best fantasy play was Alvin Kamara with a score on his 12 runs for 16 yards and a second touchdown on his five catches for 51 yards. He came within inches of a third score at the end of the game. The Saints took the win, but it wasn’t nearly the offensive fireworks that this matchup generated last year. The Bucs get their home opener against the Panthers this week and the Saints head to Las Vegas.

ARI 24, SF 20
Is the power shifting in the NFC West? The Cardinals left San Francisco as the better team this week when Kyler Murray threw for 230 yards and a score plus gained 91 yards on 13 runs plus one touchdown. Kenyan Drake also scored on his 16 carries for 60 yards though he only caught two passes for five yards. The best feature of the Cardinals was newly-signed DeAndre Hopkins with 14 catches for 151 yards though, as usual, he drained the fantasy value out of all other receivers.  The Cardinals played a solid game but their defense was as much to credit for their win.

Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 259 yards and two scores that included a 76-yard touchdown pass to Raheem Mostert (4-95, TD) who also ran for 56 yards on 15 rushes. The other receivers had a very quiet day though both Deebo Samuels and Brandon Aiyuk were out. George Kittle was held to only 44 yards on four catches though he sprained his knee during the game. We need next week to see if the Cardinals defense is that good or if the 49ers offense is just struggling. The Cardinals host the Football Team this week while the 49ers play at the Jets.

DAL 17, LAR 20
Not exactly the point-explosion that was hoped for, but at least several players turned in significant fantasy production.  Dak Prescott passed for 266 yards and one score  and ran for 30 yards as well. Amari Cooper led the receivers with ten catches for 81 yards and CeeDee Lamb debuted with five receptions for 59 yards. The Cowboys relied mostly on Ezekiel Elliott who ran for 96 yards and a touchdown on 22 rushes and caught three passes for 31 more yards and a second touchdown. The Rams secondary was able to mostly handle the Cowboys vaunted set of receivers. Blake Jarwin may be lost for the year but as expected, the tight ends did not play a major role for the Cowboys with three talented wideouts.

The Rams relied on a committee backfield that saw Malcolm Brown run for 79 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries and add 31 yards on three receptions. The rookie Cam Akers gained 39 yards on 14 rushes and appeared a definite No. 2 behind Brown for now. Jared Goff passed for 275 yards but no scores while Robert Woods (6-105) was the only successful wide receiver.  Cooper Kupp was limited to only 40 yards on four catches which was a disappointment against a Cowboys secondary that lost talent in the offseason. The Cowboys host the Falcons this week while the Rams head to Philadelphia.

The Game-o-the-Week

Packers 43, Vikings 34
This was a great fantasy game. It also wasn’t nearly as close as the score looks. The Packers led 29-10 entering the fourth quarter and the Vikings did almost all of their scoring after the Packers dropped back in the prevent. Dalvin Cook was limited to only 12 runs for 50 yards but scored twice. Kirk Cousins ended with 259 yards and two scores entirely thanks to trash time. Adam Thielen (6-110-2) was the only receiver of any note. The Vikings passing game struggled badly until the Packers stopped caring. Either the Packers’ defense is much better than expected, or the Vikings offense is much worse. Maybe both.

Aaron Rodgers had a monster game with 364 yards and four touchdowns. Davante Adams blew up with 14 catches for 156 yards and two touchdowns and even Marquez Valdes-Scantling ended with 96 yards and a score on four catches. Aaron Jones ran for 66 yards and a score on 16 rushes but that was the Packers’ final touchdown in the game. Jones added four catches for ten yards and wasn’t that productive until the final touchdown. The Packers host the Lions and the Vikings travel to Indianapolis this week.

It was a great opening week and most teams did not play  as sloppily as feared after far less time in practices and without any preseason games. There were surprises and flops as there also are and on average, one out of every 16 players just had their best game of the season. There were no big injuries aside from Marlon Mack’s Achilles but soft tissue problems like hamstrings started showing up in practice last week.

We’re on to a couple of Monday night games and then Week 2. And it feels pretty good to see football again.

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

Sunday Snippets

NYJ 13, BUF 6

The Bills rested Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, and John Brown so they were never going to score much in this meaningless game. The only notable was that WR Duke Williams (6-108) and TE Tommy Sweeny (5-76) were the only notable players for the Bills. Frank Gore (6-26) went out with a whimper. The Wildcard Round awaits. The Bills finish 10-6 on the year.

Sam Darnold threw for 199 yards and a touchdown to Jamison Crowder (8-66) but no one else did much even with the Bills only casually involved with the game. Le’Veon Bell ran for 41 yards on 16 carries and added five catches for 36 yards. The Jets finish 7-9 on the season.

NO 42, CAR 10
The Saints needed to win to ensure a first-round bye and they did that with a vengeance. Drew Brees stayed in almost the entire game and threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns. Michael Thomas only ended with 37 yards on four catches but Jared Cook (2-44, TD) scored once. Once again, Alvin Kamara had a surprisingly good game with 57 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers put up little fight and no Saint gained more than 61 yards in the game. The Saints rise to 13-3 and net a first-round bye.

The McCaffreys had Kyle Allen pass for 295 yards but on scores. Christian Panthers ran for only 26 yards on nine carries but scored once and added seven catches for 72 yards. The top receiver was Brandon Zylstra (6-96) who just tripled the production from his two years in the league. The Saints bottled up McCaffrey whenever he ran so the Panthers had no chance. The loss drops the Panthers to 5-11 while the coaching staff is currently scouring the dumpsters behind grocery stores looking for empty boxes.

CLE 23, CIN 33

The much-anticipated Battle of Ohio actually provided 56 total points so a surprise. The Browns scoring was all about Baker Mayfield pretending he was playing Madden Football and just threw bombs on most plays. He ended with 279 passing yards and three touchdowns just like was expected in the first 15 games (and yet… and yet… ). Jarvis Landry (2-82, TD), Odell Beckham (3-81, TD), and Damion Ratley (2-64, TD) averaged 41, 27, and 32 yards per catch, respectively. Nick Chubb only ran for 41 yards on 13 carries because Mayfield didn’t use that button much. The loss drops the Browns to 6-10 with a three-game losing streak. HC Freddie Kitchens is checking his desk drawers looking for that U-Haul coupon.

The Joe Burrow Bengals end on a high note not only with a win but still owning the first overall Joe Burrow draft pick in April. Andy Dalton only threw for 190 yards and one score but Joe Burrow would have to C.J. Uzomah (5-25, TD). Joe Mixon ends with 26 rushes for 162 yards and two touchdowns, still wondering why the Bengals did not notice him on the roster until mid-season. Let the Joe Burrow era rebuilding begin! The Bengals finish up with a 2-14 record.

GB 23, DET 20

The Packers squeaked out a win on a field goal as time expired and that doesn’t bode well in the playoffs when they won’t face the injury-ravaged Lions again. Aaron Rodgers passed for 323 yards and two touchdowns split between Davante Adams (7-93, TD) and Allen Lazard (4-69, TD) who are collectively known as “the only receivers that ever matter.” Aaron Jones ran for 100 yards on 25 rushes and added 43 yards on two catches. The win brings the Packers to 13-3 and a first-round bye.

The Lions stayed in the game despite David Blough throwing for only 122 yards and the lone passing touchdown was thrown by Danny Amendola on a trick play where he threw it back to Blough. Kenny Golladay led the receivers with 72 yards on three catches. Kerryon Johnson ran for 53 yards and a touchdown on his 11 carries knowing that you will only remember this game, not the other 19 that he missed over the last two years. The loss drops the Lions to 3-12-1.

LAC 21, KC 31

Chiefs wanted to preserve the first-round bye afforded them generously by the Patriots and led this from the second quarter onward. Patrick Mahomes only passed for 174 yards and one score to Demarcus Robinson (1-24, TD) while Tyreek Hill (4-61) and Travis Kelce (3-24) had quiet games. Mecole Hardman returned a kick for a 104-yard touchdown. Damien Williams ran for 124 yards and two scores for his first full game in six weeks and he’s really sorry about abandoning your fantasy team. The Chiefs end 12-4 and net a first-round bye.

The Chargers lost their last three and finished up with Philip Rivers passing for 281 yards and two scores with two interceptions. Keenan Allen (9-82, TD) and Hunter Henry (5-42, TD) caught the touchdowns. Melvin Gordon only ran for 46 yards on 14 carries but scored once and added 76 yards on six receptions. Austin Ekeler ran for 46 yards on nine rushes and caught nine passes for 43 yards. The Chargers end 5-11 on the season.

CHI 21, MIN 19
The Bears logged a win but it took a field goal in the final ten seconds against a Vikings team that had most of the starters on the sideline in this meaningless game. David Montgomery ran for 113 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries like he should have for the entire season. Mitchell Trubisky threw for only 207 yards and no scores. Allen Robinson (9-71) was the only notable receiver like every other game. The Bears finish with an 8-8 record and have to find .500 a better ending than they seemed capable of reaching in this inconsistent offense.

The Vikings almost won this accidentally, using only Sean Mannion at quarterback and relying mostly on Alexander Hollins (2-46) and Obisi Johnson (3-34) since the talent was sitting on the bench. Mike Boone ran for 148 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries and he hopes that the newspaper clipping does not mention the word “meaningless”. The Vikings end 10-6 on the season and will face the 49ers as the sixth seed.

MIA 27, NE 24
Fans for 97% of the NFL (31 of 32 teams) had to enjoy this seemingly improbable ending to a game that the Pats were favored to win by 16 points. At home with a first-round bye on the line, no less. The Fins saw Ryan Fitzpatrick pass for 320 yards and a touchdown to Mike Gesicki (4-34, TD) with Devante Parker (8-137) and Albert Wilson (5-59) as the top receivers. Fitzpatrick also ran in a touchdown while no Dolphin gained more than 21 rushing yards. The ultra-satisfying win raised the Dolphins to 5-11 on the year.

Losing to the visiting Dolphins did not just suddenly happen. The Fins led 10-0 in the second quarter, 17-10 in the third quarter and then scored a touchdown with 24 seconds left for the comeback win. Tom Brady passed for 221 yards and two scores with one interception that was returned for a touchdown. Philip Dorsett (1-50) was the top receiver while  Sony Michel (18-74, TD) was the best rusher. The Pats now fall to the 12-4 and become 3rd seed. It is the first time since 2009 they do not have a first-round bye.

ATL 28, TB 22
This game went into overtime and then ended with – wait for it – a 27-yard return of a Jameis Winston interception. He passed for 201 yards and two scores with two interceptions. Ronald Jones ran for 106 yards on 11 carries and Breshad Perriman (5-134, TD) continued his great sense of timing right before he becomes a free agent. No other Buccaneer gained more than 27 yards. They stopped scoring in the second quarter though expect that their kicker Matt Gay is not on the roster for long after missing all three field goals. The Bucs finish up with a 7-9 record.

The Falcons won in part because Younghoe Koo made all five field goals and they returned the interception in overtime. Devnta Freeman only ran for 58 yards on 18 carries and Julio Jones was the top receiver with 78 yards on seven catches. Matt Ryan threw for 313 yards but only one touchdown. Ryan threw to ten different receivers during his 51 passing attempts. The win also brings the Falcons to a 7-9 record

PIT 10, BAL 28
No matter that the Ravens sat all their star players (and they have quite a few), the Steelers trotted out their injury-decimated, gave-up-already offense to allow Devlin Hodges to complete 9 of 25 passes for 95 yards. Benny Snell ran for 91 yards and a touchdown but this was another whimper of an ending for a team that lost their first starting quarterback at the start of the year and everything went downhill from then on. The Steelers amazingly ended up 8-8 but lost their last three.

The Ravens sat Lamar Jackson, Mark Ingram and Mark Andrews, to name a few, but the rest still had fun.  Robert Griffin III probably did not make any inroads to replacing Lamar Jackson when he only threw for 96 yards and one touchdown. But Gus Edwards ran for 130 yards, Griffin ran for 50 yards and Justice Hill rumbled for 39 yards and a touchdown. The defense also recovered a fumble for a touchdown and recorded a safety. The Ravens end up with an NFL-best 14-2 record and a bye next week.

WAS 16, DAL 47
The Cowboys remain the bully when facing bad teams. The Redskins had Case Keenum pass for 2016 yards and a score to Steven Sims (5-81, TD). The rest of the remaining receivers made no impact or scored. Adrian Peterson ran for 78 yards on just 13 rushes in what could be his final year. The Skins end up 3-13 with a four-game losing streak and can finally start interviewing new coaches for 2020.

Jason Garrett’s swan song at least produced 47 points thanks in no small part to facing at home against a terrible team. Dak Prescott threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns with Michael Gallup (5-98, 3 TD) producing a career-best. Amari Cooper (4-92) and Randall Cobb (5-81) were big contributors as well. Ezekiel ends the year with 18 runs for 122 yards and two touchdowns. The search for a new coach begins today and will likely attract more attention than it deserves. The Cowboys end up 8-8 on the year.

OAK 15, DEN 16
It is only appropriate that these lack-luster teams end up with a 31-point total. Derek Carr passed for 391 yards and one score to Hunter Renfrow (6-102, TD).  Darren Waller (6-107) ends as the second tight end that Jon Gruden’s offense ended up revolving around. Dwayne Washington (17-77) replaced Josh Jacobs. The Raiders end up 7-9 for their second losing season under Gruden.

The Broncos won thanks to three field goals by Brandon McManus.  Drew Lock passed for only 177 yards and one score and no receiver managed more than 65 yards. Phillip Lindsay was the top rusher with only 53 yards. The Broncos finish out 7-9 and their first hire of the new year will be someone that can count all the holes they have on offense.

TEN 35, HOU 14
This looks great if you discount that the Texans never cared and sat out most of the best starters including Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins. A.J. McCarron threw for 225 yards but no receiver gained more than 65 yards and almost all of them sent people thumbing through their game programs to figure out who they were.  The Texans were locked into their seeding and just played to keep the team healthy. They end 10-6 on the year and will face the 5th seed Bills next week.

The Titans were delighted to discover the Texans stadium empty of opponents. Ryan Tannehill passed for 198 yards and two touchdowns. A.J. Brown (4-124, TD) ends his first regular-season already a star wideout and no other receiver managed more than 44 yards. Derrick Henry turned in 32 carries for 211 yards and three touchdowns which would have been much nicer last week instead of sitting out fantasy championship week. The win gives the 9-7 Titans a chance to play in New England next week.

IND  20, JAC 38

An interesting finish for a Colts team that spent the season sending players to the blue tent or the injured reserve. Jacoby Brissett threw for 162 yards and T.Y. Hilton (3-72) did better than usual because Jaylen Ramsey was inactive. No other receiver gained more than 31 yards. Marlon Mack ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. The Colts led 20-13 in the second quarter before the Jaguars reeled off 25 straight points. The Colts end 7-9 on the season.

The Jaguars vary between looking like they are just going through the motions and yet like they are highly motivated in other games. This was a good one. Gardner Minshew did not make the offseason any easier for the Jags deciding what to do with Nick Foles. The rookie passed for 295 yards and three touchdowns spread over DeDe Westbrook (7-72, TD), Keelan Cole (3-67, TD), and Ryquell Armstead (5-52, TD).  Armstead led the rushers with only 33 yards on ten runs. The Jaguars end up 6-10 and ready to also go coach searching.

ARI 24, LAR 31
The Cardinals put up a great fight at the Rams and kept it close for the entire game. Kyler Murray was a game-time decision that would end up active and passing for 325 yards and two touchdowns. TE Dan Arnold (4-76, TD),  Damiere Byrd (7-74, TD), and Christian Kirk (7-60) all had a big part in the offense while Larry Fitzgerald’s potential final game only produced four catches for 45 yards. Kenyan Drake ran for 60 yards and a score on just 12 carries. The Cardinals end 5-10-1 in Murray’s first season.

PHI 34, NYG 17
The Eagles had to win to ensure their right to get beat next week by the Seahawks. Carson Wentz threw for 289 yards and one touchdown even though the receiving corps were without Zach Ertz or any other recognizable name. Miles Sanders left with an ankle injury after gaining 52 yards on nine runs and Boston Scott ended with 19 runs for 54 yards and three touchdowns. The Eagles end 9-7 with sole ownership of the broken-down Ford Fiesta known as the NFC East.

The Giants may have lost just to spite the Cowboys. Daniel Jones passed for 301 yards and one touchdown to Golden Tate (5-68, TD) while the rookie Kaden Smith (8-98) showed just what Evan Engram should have been doing. Saquon Barkley ran for 92 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries and added 25 yards on three catches. The Giants slip to just 4-12 on the year and now they know what would happen if Barkley was out or limited in most games. And it is not worth repeating.

SF 26, SEA 21
The NFL stuck this one at the end of the day – good job! A spirited game that went back and forth and ended on the one-inch line for the Seahawks comeback bid. Jimmy Garoppollo passed for 285 yards with Deebo Samuels (5-102) and George Kittle (7-86) as the lead receivers and Raheem Mostert (10-57, 2 TD) as the top rusher. Samuel also added 33 yards on two rushes that included a 30-yard touchdown. The win cements the No. 3 seed for the 49ers and the chance to host the Vikings this week.

Travis Homer (10-62) and Marshawn Lynch (12-34, TD) led the rushing attack. Lynch was never a speedster, but he looked in game shape and even scored on a goal-line hurdle over the line. Russell Wilson passed for 233 yards and two scores between DK Metcalf (6-81, TD) and Tyler Lockett (6-51, TD). The game came down to a fourth-down play that ended right at the goal line. The loss drops the Seahawks to 11-5 and they’ll play in Philadelphia as the No. 5 seed.

The Game-o-the-Year

Buccaneers 55, Rams 40 – Week 4

Runner up – 49ers 48, Saints 46 – Week 14

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

Sunday Snippets

JAC 12, ATL 24
The Jaguars continue their descent with Gardner Minshew passing for 181 yards and one score to Chris Conley (2-56, TD). DJ Chark (2-18) did play. sort of, only wasn’t any help to the Jags or fantasy owners. Leonard Fournette ran for 71 yards and added 34 yards on three catches but the Jaguars trailed 24-6 until the final two minutes. Now the 5-10 Jaguars finish up hosting the Colts.

The Falcons received one of those games from Devonta Freeman that you’ll, unfortunately, remember as being far more common than they really are. He ran for 53 yards and one score plus caught nine passes for 74 yards and another touchdown. Where was that all year? Matt Ryan threw for 384 yards and that one score while Julio Jones (10-166) and Austin Hooper (7-82) both turned in great showings. The 6-9 Falcons head to Tampa Bay for their final game.

BAL 31, CLE 15
The Browns scored first but then it was pretty much all Ravens, as expected. Mark Ingram turned in 102 total yards and one touchdown before leaving injured. Lamar Jackson ran for 103 yards and threw for 238 and three touchdowns. Mark Andrews rewarded fantasy owners with a team-high six catches for 93 yards and two scores. The win secures the No. 1 seed for the 13-2 Ravens who host the Steelers in a meaningless game.

Baker Mayfield threw for 192 yards and two scores but the offense had a much tougher time than their upset win in Baltimore earlier this year. Nich Chubb only ran for 45 yards on 15 carries with no catches. Kareem Hunt ran for no gain on three carries and caught just four passes for 33 yards. Jarvis Landry (7-74) and Odell Beckham (4-44, TD) were both held to just short catches. The loss drops the Browns to 6-9 and they end the year in Cincinnati.

CAR 6, IND 38

You know how rookie quarterbacks sometimes debut to a big performance? Not so with Will Grier. The Panthers rookie passed for 224 yards and three interceptions. Christian McCaffrey ran for 54 yards and while no other receiver managed more than three catches or 33 yards, McCaffrey caught 15 passes for 119 yards. He paid off every week this year and still had 173 yards and 15 catches for the fantasy championships where he was well represented in many leagues. The Panthers fall to 5-10 and host the Saints this week.

The Colts had no trouble here and that was with Jacoby Brissett passing for only 119 yards. No receivers gained more than T.Y. Hilton’s three receptions for 26 yards because there wasn’t any need to throw. Marlon Mack (16-95, TD) and Jordan Wilkins (9-84, TD) both ran well and even Brissett rushed in a score. Throw in two punt-returns for a touchdown (first time since 1997) and the beat was on. The Colts rise to 7-8 and finish at the Jaguars with a chance for a .500 season.

PIT 10, NYJ 16
On a day with such wonderful high scores, we have this dog. The Steelers benched Devlin Hodges (84 YDS, 2 INT) but then Mason Rudolph (129 YDS, TD) ended up with a concussion, so Hodges had to return. Diontae Johnson (8-81, TD) was the only notable receiver while James Conner was held to only 32 yards on six rushes. The loss sends the 8-7 to finish up against the Ravens who may be resting players, so a .500 season is still possible.

Le’Veon Bell faced his old team but only ran for 72 yards on 25 carries. He caught four passes for 21 yards for 93 total yards – better than usual. And better than James Conner. Sam Darnold passed for 183 yards and one touchdown to Robby Anderson (2-32, TD). Jamison Crowder (4-60) led the receivers but there wasn’t much offense happening here. The win brings the Jets up to 6-9 and they’ll finish at the Bills.

NO 38, TEN 28
Great game with big implications for the playoffs. The Saints fell behind 14-0 but then reeled off 24 straight points. They did not secure the win until the final two minutes when Michael Thomas scored. He ended with 12 catches for 136 yards and that touchdown to break the single-season record for receptions which is now 145. And he has one more game to play at the Panthers who rank No. 30 against wide receivers. Can he hit 150? 160? Maybe!

Drew Brees passed for 279 yards and three touchdowns that also included Jared Cook (3-84, 2 TD) and almost no one else. Alvin Kamara was a major disappointment for fantasy owners and yet for the few that may have still reached their league championship, he finally showed up with 80 yards and two scores on 11 carries plus 30 yards on six catches. The win raises the Saints to 12-3 in a tie for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Ryan Tannehill threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns that mostly favored Tajae Sharpe (5-69, 2 TD) and Jonnu Smith (3-63, TD). A.J. Brown was held to just one catch for 34 yards but rushed in a touchdown on a 49-yard run. Derrick Henry was a scratch to rest his hamstring so Dion Lewis (15-68) filled in. The loss drops the Titans to 8-7 and they’ll play in Houston this week hoping to sneak into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed.

NYG 41, WAS 35
Definite contender for Game-o-the-week. Two of the more disappointing teams came together for a 76-point offensive explosion right when fantasy leaguers needed it most. Saquon Barkley was mostly a dud as the first-overall pick in most leagues but he blew up for 189 yards and a score on 22 carries,  plus caught four passes for 90 yards and a second touchdown. Daniel Jones passed for 352 yards and five touchdowns thanks to overtime. Golden Tate (6-96) and Sterling Shepard (6-76, TD) were the top receivers while Kaden Smith (6-35, 2 TD) showed just what Evan Engram could have done if he had played. The 4-11 Giants host the Eagles this week.

Dwayne Haskins was having a great game with 12-of-15 completions for 133 yards and two scores but left injured and Case Keenum finished the game with 158 yards and a third passing score. Terry McLaurin (7-86) and Steven Sims (6-64, 2 TD) were the top receivers. Adrian Peterson (15-36, TD) became the No. 4 all-time scorer for running backs but only added 19 yards on two catches for a down game. The overtime loss has the Redskins at only 3-12 and they finish at the Cowboys.

DET 17, DEN 27
The Lions led this 17-13 in the fourth quarter of this snore-fest before the Broncos added two touchdowns to win. David Blough passed for 117 yards and one score to Kenny Golladay (6-66, TD), who salvaged his fantasy value, unlike any other receiver. Kevin Johnson led the backfield with ten carries on 42 yards while Bo Scarbrough only managed 34 yards on eight carries. The Lions only seemed to be in this game thanks to a punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter. They fall to 3-11-1 and end the year hosting the Packers.

Drew Lock only threw for 192 yards and one score to DaeSean Hamilton (6-65, TD) while Courtland Sutton settled for just five catches for 41 yards. Phillip Lindsay (19-109, TD) and Royce Freeman (9-28, TD) handled most of the first downs and touchdowns. The Lions on the road was never going to be tough and falling behind because of a punt-return just delayed the inevitable. The 6-9 Broncos finish up hosting the Raiders.

OAK 24, LAC 17
The Raiders were on the road without Josh Jacobs but that did not matter. Dwayne Washington (23-85, TD) added 21 yards on two catches for a 100-yard performance. Derek Carr passed for 291 yards and one score to Hunter Renfrow (7-107, TD) who suddenly appeared from the shadows. Tyrell Williams (4-82) even had one of his better games. The win propels the Raiders to 7-8 and a highly unlikely yet mathematical possibility of winning a wild card.

The Chargers backfield accounted for only 26 yards on 13 carries though Melvin Gordon punched in two 1-yard touchdowns. Philip Rivers ended with 279 passing yards while Keenan Allen totaled five catches for 71 yards to lead the team and Austin Ekeler (5-58) was the only other notable receiver. This was an overall low-scoring game with Dwayne Washington as the best fantasy play. The 5-10 Chargers finish their season with a loss at the Chiefs.

DAL 9, PHI 17
Whoops. This latest loss won’t play well with home town fans and Jason Garrett supporters are pretty hard to find. Instead of cleanly taking the NFC East by beating a 7-7 team, the Cowboys opted to make their march to the playoffs as challenging and meaningless as they could. Ezekiel “Cashing Checks” Elliott ran for 47 yards on 13 carries. Pro Bowl snub Dak Prescott was held to 265 yards and no touchdowns against a defense that was ravaged by injury at every level. Michael Gallup (5-98) and Randall Cobb (5-73) were the best fantasy plays while Amari Cooper (4-24) continued his tradition of disappearing in every road game. The Cowboys fall to 7-8 and yet still can win the division by beating the Redskins while the Eagles can win it by winning at the Giants.

Carson Wentz ended with 319 yards and one score to Dallas Goedert (9-91, TD) who took over once Zach Ertz was injured. Miles Sanders was more than the Cowboys could handle with 79 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries plus he caught five passes for 77 yards like Ezekiel Elliot was paid to as the top fantasy play. The Eagles entered the game banged up, constantly lost more players, and yet still held the Cowboys to only field goals. The Eagles rise to 8-7 at the top of the NFC East but are not a lock to win it.

ARI 27, SEA 13
Well, is it too late for a trap game? Do we still have time? Oh, we do? Great, because the Seahawks at home just lost to the visiting Cardinals that rank in the bottom-five of every defensive category. Russell Wilson passed for 169 yards and one score versus the No. 32 defense versus quarterbacks. Jacob Hollister (5-64)  was the top receiver and the only one with more than 26 yards. Chris Carson (8-40) was knocked out for the rest of the year and apparently took the keys to the offense with him. The 11-4 Seahawks fall behind the 49ers but play them this week. If they can beat them, then they still win the NFC West. Otherwise, they are a wildcard.

The Cardinals not only beat the Seahawks in Seattle, they did it with Kyler Murray on the sideline with a hamstring injury. But the Cards combined for only 167 passing yards and one score to Larry Fitzgerald (4-48, TD). Kenyan Drake ran for 166 yards and two scores plus caught three passes for 18 yards. It was a trap game, but it was a refreshing win for the 5-9-1 Cardinals who travel to the Rams this week.

KC 26, CHI 3
The game was never in doubt. Patrick Mahomes passed for 251 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing in a score. Travis Kelce (8-74, TD) and Tyreek Hill (5-72) were the only notable receivers while Damien Williams ran for 65 yards on 16 carries plus caught three passes for 27 yards and a touchdown. LeSean McCoy was inactive and both Spencer Ware and Darwin Thompson each had five carries as well. The win brings the Chiefs to 11-4 still battling for the No. 2 seed. They host the Chargers this week.

The Bears offense sputtered in this home finale’. Mitchell Trubisky played across from Mahomes who was drafted later and yet only managed 157 yards and no scores. Allen Robinson (6-53) was the top receiver but nothing on this offense worked well. David Montgomery ran for 57 yards on 13 rushes and had no impact on the game. The Bears fall to 7-8 and play at the Vikings this week.

The Game-o-the-Week

CIN 35, MIA 38

This game was over, seemingly, when the Dolphins scored and made it 35-12 with only 11 minutes left in the game. But on the next series, the Bengals marched down the field and Andy Dalton hit C.J. Uzomah with an eight-yard touchdown to make it 35-19 with 6:15 left to play. The Dolphins then reached the CIN 29-yard line where they had to settle for a field goal with 3:07 left to play. But the 47-yard kick went wide left. The Bengals took over on the CIN 37-yard line and bled the clock down to only 33 seconds left when Dalton threw another touchdown to Tyler Boyd to make the score 27-35 after the successful two-point conversion.

The obligatory onside kick was recovered by the Bengals with 28 seconds left. After an incomplete, Dalton found Boyd for a 29-yard completion to the MIA 25-yard line. They had no time outs left and when they were able to spike the ball, there were only three seconds left. The final play was a 25-yard pass to the middle of the end zone where Tyler Eifert CAUGHT THE FREAKING BALL. Still trailing 33-35, they went for two points and ANDY DALTON RUNS IT IN! SCORE TIED! OVERTIME!

The ten minute overtime saw each team with two possessions and then the Dolphins drove down and kicked a 37-yard field goal to win as time expired.

How great is it when two of the worst teams in the NFL play like they are in the Super Bowl? This game between teams that total only five wins on the year scored a total of nine touchdowns. Just imagine next year, when they have real players and a chance at the postseason!

Andy Dalton passed for 396 yards and four touchdowns that included Tyler Boyd catching nine passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Eifert (4-57, TD) and C.J. Uzomah (4-37, TD) both scored. Even John Ross (6-84) had one of his top performances. Joe Mixon ended with only 50 yards on 21 carries but added 23 yards on two catches. That’s a lot of fantasy points from a set of players that likely did not appear in your league championship. The Bengals are still the lock for the No. 1 overall pick in April. Andy Dalton did his best to keep the Bengals from filling out the card in advance with “Burrows” this week. The Bengals host the Browns this week.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 419 yards and four touchdowns. Devante Parker (5-111, TD) and Mike Gesicki (6-82, 2 TD) were the top receivers. Albert Wilson (7-79) and Isaiah Ford (5-68) also had one of their better efforts for the season. Myles Gaskin ran for 55 yards and a score while Patrick Laird took a backseat. Gaskin was later injured so the worst backfield is even worse. The win raises the Fins to 4-11 and they finish at the Patriots.

All bad teams should produce 73 total points. Now that is a Christmas Miracle (“a” miracle, not “the” miracle).

Happy Holidays!

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

Sunday Snippets

SEA 30, CAR 24
Great game from a fantasy perspective. Chris Carson ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns on 24 rushes made easier with Rashaad Penny out of the picture. Russell Wilson passed for 286 yards and two touchdowns with Tyler Lockett (8-120, TD) doing what we wanted him to do all season. DK Metcalf (2-36, TD) also scored but Lockett and Carson handled most of the work. The 11-3 Seahawks host the Cards this week before welcoming the 49ers in Week 17. The 49ers loss makes the Seahawks the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Kyle Allen passed for 277 yards and a score but once against had turnover problems with three interceptions. DJ Moore came through with eight catches for 113 yards while Christian McCaffrey ran for 87 yards and two scores plus caught eight passes for 88 yards. Curtis Samuel (5-31, TD) was the only other notable receiver. At least the offense wasn’t just McCaffrey. It was McCaffrey and Moore. The loss drops the Panthers to 5-9 on a six-game losing slide.

NE 34, CIN 13
This was about as expected. Sony Michel ran for 89 yards but Rex Burkhead (6-53, TD) got the score with a 33-yard run. Tom Brady only passed for 128 yards and two touchdowns between James White (3-49, TD) and N’Keal Harry (2-15, TD). The Patriots padded their score with an interception return for a score. They actually trailed 7-10 at the end of the first quarter until someone finally noticed they were playing the Bengals. The win raised the Pats to 11-3 and still one game behind the Ravens. All they have left are home games against the Bills and Dolphins.

Joe Mixon is ending his year well with 136 yards on 25 carries and he added three catches for 20 yards. But Andy Dalton only passed for 151 yards and one score while tossing four interceptions. The turnovers (they lost a fumble as well) was a major difference between the two teams. No receiver ended with more than 44 yards. Mixon was the only notable fantasy play. That loss drops the Bengals to 1-13. Next week the Dolphins are their last road loss of the year.

TB 38, DET 17
We should be able to weather a fractured thumb by throwing for 458 yards and four touchdowns like Jameis Winston. Chris Godwin (5-121) left with a hamstring injury but Breshad Perriman (5-113, 3 TD) was the correct answer to the question, “what happens without Mike Evans?” Even Scotty Miller (3-49, TD) caught a 33-yard touchdown while Justin Watson (2-17) did not repeat his success from Week 14. The Buccaneers only ran for 40 yards on 21 carries from their backfield. The Bucs rise to 7-7 on the year and spend the last two weeks hosting the Texans and Falcons.

The Lions were never really in this. David Blough passed for 260 yards and two interceptions with Danny Amendola (8-102) as the only receiver with more than 50 yards. Bo Scarbrough was a scratch and the Lions Wheel of Fortune landed on Wes Hills (10-21, 2 TD) who was just called up from the practice squad on Saturday and saw his first NFL action. The loss sends the Lions down to 3-10-1with a seven-game losing streak. Next week the Broncos finally get a much-needed win.

CHI 13, GB 21
The Bears made a game of this with ten points in the fourth quarter. David Montgomery only ran 14 times for 39 yards while Mitchell Trubisky passed for 348 yards and one touchdown along with two interceptions. Allen Robinson ended with 125 yards on seven catches and Anthony Miller (9-118, TD) roared out of nowhere for a great performance. It wasn’t enough and the loss drops the Bears to only 7-7 and ends their three-game winning streak.

Aaron Rodgers only threw for 203 yards and one score to Davante Adams (7-103, TD) but no other receiver topped 49 yards and no other receiver ever matters this year anyway. Aaron Jones only ran for 51 yards on 13 carries but scored twice. Jamaal Williams ran eight times for 26 yards which should have all gone to Jones. The win brings the Packers to 11-3 and still atop of the NFL North by a game over the Vikings.

DEN 3, KC 23

The Broncos couldn’t get much going. Phillip Lindsay only ran for 32 yards on seven carries. Drew Lock passed for 208 yards and one interception. Noah Fant (2-56) still gives optimism to 2020 and turned in a 43-yard catch. Courtland Sutton (4-79) was the only other receiver of any note. The loss drops the Broncos to 5-9 but they get to host the Lions this week.

The Chiefs cobbled together 80 yards on 21 carries using three running backs while Patrick Mahomes threw for 340 yards and two scores. Travis Kelce (11-142) and Tyreek Hill (5-67, 2 TD) were the only receivers with any success and the only ones you would have started anyway. They saved the game from being surprisingly boring. The win brings the Chiefs to 10-4 and they play in Chicago this week.

MIA 20, NYG 36
No surprise here. The Dolphins had a better rushing effort than expected with Patrick Laird and Myles Gaskins combining or 89 yards on 21 carries. Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 279 yards and two scores that both went to Devante Parker (4-72, 2 TD) and Albert Wilson (5-59) was the only other notable receiver. Ryan Fitzpatrick is still in the running for the Dolphins leading rusher for the season. The Fins fall to 3-11 and host the Bengals this week.

Eli Manning passed for 283 yards and two scores (and three interceptions) in likely his final home game as a Giant. Sterling Shepard (9-111) and Golden Tate (1-51, TD) were the top receivers and Darrius Slayton (2-31, TD) also scored. The great part of this matchup was that Saquon Barkley ran for 112 yards and two scores plus gained 31 yards on four catches. File that performance under “too little, too late.” It was nice that Manning left with a win and the home town crowd gave him a standing ovation at the end of the game. The Giants rise to 3-10 and play in Washington this week.

HOU 24, TEN 21
The Texans take sole control of the AFC South. Carlos Hyde ran for 104 yards and a touchdown while Deshaun Watson passed for 243 yards and two scores. DeAndre Hopkins turned in the obligatory 119 yards on six catches while Kenny Still (3-35, 2 TD) just caught touchdowns. The game was close throughout and the Texans held off the Titans comeback at the end. These teams play again in Week 17 in Houston, so it is not over yet. The Texans play in Tampa Bay this week which is no automatic win.

The Titans ran Derrick Henry 21 times for 86 yards but the rushing score went to Ryan Tannehill. He passed for 279 yards and two touchdowns. A.J. Brown (8-114, TD) continues his breakout rookie season while Jonnu Smith (5-60) also ran for 57 yards on one play. Tannehill hit ten different receivers and just fell short. They fall to 8-6 and need to beat the visiting Saints this week for the Week 17 rematch with the Texans to matter.

PHI 37, WAS 27
This game was much closer than the score suggest. The Eagles returned a fumble for a score on the final play. Miles Sanders blew up with 122 yards and a score on 19 carries and added six catches for 50 yards and a second touchdown. Carson Wentz passed for 266 yards and three touchdowns. Greg Ward (7-61, TD) and Zach Ertz (5-61, TD) did the most damage. Dallas Goedert (5-55) also stepped up since the Eagles were without most of the wide receivers. The win brings them to 7-7 and they remain tied with the Cowboys for the division that should be settled next week when they host them in the NFC East Championship. That’s not a formal title for the game, but it will be a final victory of any significance for the year regardless of who wins.

The Redskins led 27-24 until the final 26 seconds when the Eagles scored. Dwayne Haskins passed for 261 yards and two scores like an NFL quarterback and Terry McLaurin (5-130, TD) is getting his groove back with the rookie quarterback finally stepping up. Adrian Peterson ran for 66 yards and a score plus caught three passes for 25 yards. The Skins drop to 3-11 but host the Giants this week.

MIN 39, LAC 10
No surprise that the Vikings won, but the beatdown was not expected.  Kirk Cousins threw for 207 yards and one score with Stefon Diggs (4-76) as the best play and no one else better than 48 yards. Dalvin Cook left with yet another shoulder aggravation and nine different players carried the ball. Back-up Mike Boone led the backfield with 13 runs for 56 yards and two touchdowns. The Vikes also returned a fumble for a score. They looked like they were in top form and ready for the playoffs. The win elevates the Vikings to 10-4 just one game behind the Packers who they host this week for a critical NFC North matchup.

The Chargers led 10-9 midway through the second quarter but never scored again. Philip Rivers ended with 307 yards and one score along with three interceptions and a lost fumble. Melvin Gordon only ran for 28 yards on seven carries and caught five passes for 36 yards but lost two fumbles.  Austin Ekeler only ran for 19 yards and caught five passes for 62 yards. Keenan Allen (9-99) and Mike Williams (4-71, TD) led the receivers. The Bolts were competitive and then disappeared in the second half thanks mostly to turnovers. They fall to 5-9 and host the Raiders this week.

JAC 20, OAK 16
The Jags ended their five-game losing streak even though they were behind 16-3 at the half. They owned the fourth quarter when Chris Conley (4-49, 2 TD) scored both of their touchdowns. Gardner Minshew passed for 201 yards and the two scores though he only had 69 yards at the half. Leonard Fournette ran for just 42 yards on 15 runs but added five receptions for 31 yards. Keelan Cole replaced DJ Chark and ended with a team-high 76 yards on three catches. The win lifts the Jags to 5-9 but they are back on the road to Atlanta this week.

The Raiders extended their four-game losing stretch. Josh Jacobs was held to 89 yards on 24 runs and caught just two passes for 20 yards. Derek Carr threw for 267 yards and one score to Tyrell Williams (2-45, TD) but Darren Waller’s eight catches for 122 yards paced the team and his ten targets were seven more than any other receiver. The Raiders are still stuck throwing to their tight end just like 2018. The loss drops the Raiders to 6-8 and worse yet, it was their final home game in Los Angeles before leaving for Vegas next year. They wind up on the road at the Chargers and Broncos.

LAR 21, DAL 44

The Rams were outplayed and dominated thoroughly. The fourth quarter had the Cowboys leading 37-7 and the Rams scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes to make it look like it was a competitive game that it was not. Todd Gurley ran for only 20 yards on 11 carries and scored once in trash time. He also caught a touchdown.  Jared Goff ended with 284 passing yards with two scores. Tyler Higbee again had a big game with 111 yards on 12 receptions while no other receiver gained more than 46 yards. Cooper Kupp (6-41, TD) saved his value with a meaningless fourth-quarter score. The Rams never looked worse and fall to 8-6 with a matchup in San Francisco this week.

The Cowboys ended their three-game losing streak in a big way, finally beating a team with a winning record. And they did it entirely differently than any games previous this year. Ezekiel Elliott ended his month-long drought with 117 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries plus he caught three passes for 43 yards. Tony Pollard turned in 131 yards and a touchdown playing mop-up at the end of the game. Dak Prescott only passed for 212 yards and two scores that were split between Tavon Austin (1-59, TD) and Jason Witten (4-36, TD). Amari Cooper (1-19) and Michael Gallup (1-6) had nothing to do with the win. The 7-7 Cowboys remained tied with the Eagles and visit them this week for the Battle of the NFC East.

CLE 24, ARI 38
One of the more surprising games. The Cardinals led throughout mostly thanks to Kenyan Drake who ran for 137 yards and four touchdowns while the Browns average defense became a no-show. Kyler Murry ran for 56 yards and passed for 219 and a score. Damiere Byrd (6-86) was the leading receiver (go ahead, check your program, I’ll wait). No other receivers gained more than 42 yards. This was the final home game for the year and the Cardinals sent the home field fans off with a solid win. The Cardinals rise to 4-9-1 and likely won their last with road trips to the Seahawks and Rams left to play.

Baker Mayfield ended with 247 yards and two touchdowns but had only 82 yards at the half. Odell Beckham (8-66) and Kareem Hunt (8-62) were the top receivers while Nick Chubb ran for 127 yards and one score on just 17 carries. The Cards came into this with the worst secondary and played like the ’86 Bears. Jarvis Landry only netted five catches for 23 yards. The Browns made it look competitive by the end but the Cardinals had no trouble winning. The loss leaves the Browns 6-8 and they’ll need to beat the Ravens and Bengals to finish at .500. So – another losing season.

BUF 17, PIT 10
This matchup was just as boring as the score suggests. The Bills took this game largely because they had fewer turnovers. Josh Allen threw for only 139 yards and one touchdown to Tyler Kroft (1-14, TD). John Brown was the only receiver with more than 14 yards when he caught seven passes for 99 yards. All other receivers combined for only 40 yards. Devin Singletary ran for 87 yards on 21 runs while Frank Gore was allowed a mind-bending two runs to gain 15 yards. Josh Allen (7-28) would score the only rushing touchdown. The Bills rise to 10-4 and lock-up no worse than a wild card. The Bills are playing for the AFC East title at the Patriots this week. Week 16, meaningful game, Buffalo Bills. It is a brave, new world.

The Steelers had James Conner back but he only gained 42 yards on eight runs and caught four passes for nine yards with the lone Steeler’s touchdown. Devlin Hodges passed for 202 yards and the one score but also four interceptions. James Washington (5-83) and Diontae Johnson (5-62) carried the mediocre passing offense. The loss drops the Steelers to 8-6 and they wind up on the road to the Jets and Ravens to finish the year.

The Game-o-the-Week

ATL 29, SF 22
This was a great game. Maybe not the normal amount of points that the Game-o-the-Week prefers, but just a fun ending against one of the league bullies that seemed to lose their intensity after their big win at the Saints last week.

The 49ers just wasn’t anywhere near as productive as usual. Raheem Mostert scored once on his 14 carries for 54 yards but he only added one catch for five yards. Jimmy Garopollo ended with only 200 passing yards and one score to Kyle Juszczyk. George Kittle (13-134) tried to carry the team but no other receiver gained more than 29 yards. Deebo Samuels (1-29) and Emmanuel Sanders (2-9) both had surprising struggles versus a below-average secondary. The loss drops the 49ers to 11-3 and they are tied with the Packers, Seahawks and likely the Saints depending on Monday night.

The Falcons only had their backfield produce 56 yards on 14 carries while Matt Ryan settled for 210 yards and two scores. The entirety of the Falcons offense ended up on Julio Jones (13-134, 2 TD) who enjoyed the absence of CB Richard Sherman. Jones was thrown 20 targets – 14 more than any other receiver. Qadree Ollison only had one run but it scored a one-yard touchdown.

The 49ers led 10-19 in the fourth quarter when the Falcons finally drove the field and Qadree Ollison scored to trail 17-19 with 5:15 left to play. The 49ers reached the Falcons 25-yard line where Robbie Gould kicked a 43-yard field goal to make it 17-22 with only 1:42 left to play.

The Falcons would reach midfield four plays later thanks to a 25-yard run by Matt Ryan. He hit Julio Jones with a 25-yard strike to reach the 49ers 24-yard line with 47 seconds left. He ran for nine yards, threw an incompletion and then found Julio Jones for ten yards to reach the 49ers 5-yard line with 12 seconds left. And incomplete made it second-and-goal with eight seconds. Ryan hit Austin Hooper for a touchdown but upon review, it was reversed – no touchdown. With only five seconds left on the final play, Ryan hit Jones right at the goal line where he was called down at the half-yard line as time expired.

But that too was reviewed. And the play was reversed for an exciting win at the 49ers by a Falcons squad that is getting hard to predict. The 49ers likely were a bit flat from the victory in New Orleans. But they took down the best defense on a drive that ended as time expired. The playoffs are not as settled as some may think.

Taking a quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

Sunday Snippets

CAR 20, ATL 40
Apparently, firing a head coach doesn’t improve the team. Kyle Allen passed for 293 yards and a score to Ian Thomas (5-57, TD) but also tossed two interceptions. Christian McCaffrey ran for 53 yards as the leading rusher and caught 11 passes for 82 yards as the leading receiver. DJ Moore (4-81) was the only other notable receiver. Like every week, the offensive revolves around McCaffrey and little else. That drops the Panthers to 5-8 and on a five-game losing streak.

Matt Ryan threw for 313 yards and two scores with no turnovers. While Julio Jones (5-66) and Calvin Ridley (5-76, TD) turned in moderate production, the top receiver was, of course, Olamide Zaccheaus. The undrafted wideout from Virginia made his first (and only) NFL catch be a 91-yard touchdown. Devonta Freeman ran for 84 yards and one score and added four catches for 10 yards. Brian Hill added 62 yards and a touchdown on his nine carries. The win raises the Falcons to 4-9 and ends their two-game losing streak.

BAL 24, BUF 17
Solid efforts by both but the defenses kept everything in check. Lamar Jackson only gained 40 yards on 11 runs but threw for 145 yards and three touchdowns. Hayden Hurst (3-73, TD) caught a 61-yard touchdown but no other receiver ended with more than 29 yards. Mark Ingram only gained 50 yards on 15 rushes but caught three passes for 29 yards. It was a low-key performance by all against s tough Bills defense. The win raises the Ravens to 11-2 on the season and makes it nine straight wins.

Josh Allen only ran for nine yards on two runs and threw for only 146 yards and one touchdown to Cole Beasley (4-29, TD). Dawson Knox (1-37) had the most receiving yardage while Devin Singletary was the only notable player with 89 yards on 17 carries and 29 yards on six receptions. The Ravens defense won this game. The Bills fall to 9-4 and end their three-game winning streak.

CIN 19, CLE 27
The Bengals lost but made a game of it and Joe Mixon ran for 146 yards and one touchdown plus caught three passes for 30 yards. As any Mixon owner will echo – “where has that been all year?” Andy Dalton passed for 262 yards but only Tyler Boyd (5-75) gained more than 50 yards. Randy Bullock kicked four field goals because the Bengals could only get close. The loss drops the Bengals to 1-12 and keeps that No. 1 overall pick in their back pocket.

The Browns benefited from a 61-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first quarter. Nick Chubb rushed for 106 yards while Kareem Hunt gained 28 yards and a score on his nine carries and added 40 yards on two catches. Baker Mayfield ran in a touchdown but only threw for 192 yards and two interceptions. Jarvis Landry (4-76) and Odell Beckham (2-39) did do much and no other receivers had more than one catch. The win elevates the Browns to 6-7 and keeps theoretical playoff hopes alive.

WAS 15, GB 20
The score suggests a mail-in effort that worked and that’s not inaccurate. The Redskins final touchdown to Terry McLaurin (4-57, TD) came in the final 1:17 to play so he benefited from trash time. Dwayne Haskins ended with 170 passing yards and one score and Chris Thompson (7-43) was his favorite target. He only threw passes to four different players. Derrius Guice ran for 42 yards on five carries and left with a knee injury. Adrian Peterson gained 76 yards on 20 rushes and ran in a touchdown.  The loss leaves the Redskins at 3-10 and ends their two-game winning streak.

The Packers didn’t do much outside of Aaron Jones who rushed for 134 yards and one score plus was the leading receiver with six catches for 58 yards.  Aaron Rodgers-lite only threw for 195 yards and one score, so, yeah, mail-in time. Jimmy Graham (3-49) and Davante Adams (4-41) was as good as it got for the receivers. It was a low-key game on an otherwise good weekend. The win propels the Packers to 10-3 and maintains their lead in the NFC North.

DEN 38, HOU 24
Well. Ain’t that Drew Lock something? The rookie debuted with 309 yards and three touchdowns in yet another one of those shockingly good first games (see Kyle Allen, Daniel Jones, etc.). Noah Fant (4-113, TD) was the leading receiver despite later leaving with a foot injury. No other receiver caught more than 50 yards and Lock impressed by connecting with ten different receivers.  Philip Lindsay ran for 51 yards and one score while Royce Freeman was limited to only 24 rushing yards but caught two passes for eight yards that included a touchdown. The win brings the Broncos to 5-8.

The Texans trailed 38-3 in the third quarter before mounting a failed comeback. The Texans came out flat probably because of their critical matchup in Tennessee next week only now they face the Titans with matching records. Deshaun Watson passed for 292 yards and one touchdown plus ran for 44 yards and two more scores. Carlos Hyde (14-73) ran well, just not enough to matter. DeAndre Hopkins (7-120, TD) but only had three catches for 30 yards at the half. Keke Coutee (5-69) was not only the next best receiver, but he also did not get injured. The loss drops the 8-5 into a tie with the Titans.

DET 7, MIN 20
Oh look, we’re playing the Lions. Let’s dial down the effort. Kirk Cousins only passed for 242 yards and one score but at least Stefon Diggs (6-92) provided solid production even if no other receiver gained more than 42 yards and the 9-yard touchdown went to Bisi Johnson on his only catch. Dalvin Cook only gained 62 yards on 18 rushes and added 13 yards on two catches. Alexander Mattison also ran 14 times for 46 yards and gained 18 yards on his two receptions. The Lions never scored until the final 2:09 so the game was never in doubt. The win raised the Vikings to 9-3.

The Lions never had a chance. David Blough ended with 205 yards and the one score but had two interceptions. He only totaled 59 yards at the half. Kenny Golladay (6-58) happily accepted the trash time slop. Marvin Jones was next best with just 38 yards on three catches. Bo Scarbrough ran 19 times for 65 yards in a game where they should not have bothered with the run. The loss drops the Lions to 3-9-1 with their sixth straight loss.

MIA 21, NYJ 22
Close does not count but at least it makes the game look more competitive than expected. Ryan Fitzpatrick was the leading rusher with 65 yards on seven runs while Patrick Laird (15-48) embraced being the last man standing in the Fins backfield. Fitzpatrick also threw for 245 yards with Isaiah Ford (6-92) adding to his two other career catches. Devante Parker (2-28) finally cooled down just when you think he is reliable. Jason Sanders kicked SEVEN field goals despite the fact that almost no one would have started him on their fantasy team. The loss drops the Dolphins to 3-10.

The Jets were without Le’Veon Bell so Bilal Powell ran for 74 yards and added 14 more on two catches. Sam Darnold passed for 270 yards and two touchdowns. Robby Anderson (7-116, TD) had a big game and yet no other receiver managed more than 37 yards. Demaryius Thomas (2-28, TD) turned in the other score to save his fantasy value. The Jets kicked their final field goal as time expired to take the win and rise to 5-8.

IND 35, TB 38
Obvious game-o-the-week contender. Jacoby Brissett ended with 251 passing yards and two scores between Marcus Johnson (3-105, TD) and Zach Pascal (5-74, TD) on a day where the tight ends only had Jack Doyle end with two catches for 27 yards.  Marlon Mack was back, sort of, but only gained 38 yards on 13 runs and one touchdown. The Colts led 35-21 in the third quarter before giving up 17 unanswered points. the loss drops the Colts to 6-7 and all but ends any playoff hopes.

The Buccaneers only totaled 22 runs for 70 yards from their backfield. But Jameis Winston had a monster game with 456 passing yards and four touchdowns, plus he ran in a score, plus he threw three interceptions so the Colts could keep up. Chris Godwin (7-91) and O.J. Howard (4-73) were the leading receivers and about the only players on the team without a touchdown. Mike Evans only caught one pass but it went for a 61-yard touchdown but he pulled up lame at the end. This was a classic Buccaneers game that spewed fantasy points. The win brings the Bucs to 6-7.

LAC 45, JAC 10
This is what happens when a team finally throws the towel in for the season. The Chargers are not this good but the Jags are this bad. Gardner Minshew threw for just 162 yards and one score to Nick O’Leary (4-30) while DJ Chark (9-75) was the only other receiver of any note. Dede Westbrook ended with only 25 yards on six catches. Leonard Fournette ran for 50 yards and added 13 more on 13 receptions. It was a flat, uninspired effort in a home game. It is also could be the final straw for HC Doug Marone.

It all worked for the Chargers. Austin Ekeler ran for 101 yards on eight carries and was the leading receiver with four catches for 112 yards and a touchdown. Melvin Gordon ran 12 times for 55 yards and scored once, plus added five receptions for 29 yards. Philip Rivers ended with 314 passing yards and three touchdowns. Keenan Allen (5-83), Mike Williams (2-63, TD), and Hunter Henry (2-39, TD) all turned in good fantasy production. The win brings the Bolts to 5-8.

PIT 23, ARI 17
The Cardinals never led but they were as close as 20-17 with under two minutes to play. Kenyan Drake ran for 37 yards and caught three passes for 30 yards and has lost almost all magic by this point. David Johnson gained 19 yards on three runs and caught two passes for 34 yards and a touchdown so now he seems like he is “playable” again? Maybe? Maybe not? Kyler Murray passed for 194 yards and two scores. Christian Kirk (8-85) was the only notable receiver as all others only gained 20 yards at most. The Cardinals never gave up but just ended a bit short. They fall to 3-9-1 and this is their fifth straight loss.

The Steelers did nothing special.  Devlin Hodges passed for only 152 yards and one score to Diontae Johnson (6-60, TD) but no one else gained more than 33 yards as a receiver. No running back gained more than 41 yards.  An 85-yard punt return for a score made up the winning margin. The Steelers won their third straight game despite minimal offense and are 8-5.

KC 23, NE 16
Another big game and satisfying for the fans of 31 NFL teams. The Patriots defense held Patrick Mahomes to 283 yards and a 48-yard touchdown to Mecole Hardman on his only catch. Travis Kelce (7-66) and Tyreek Hill (6-62) were mostly held in check. LeSean McCoy led the rushers with only 39 yards, and even Kelce ran in a four-yard touchdown. The Chiefs led 23-7 in the third quarter and held off the Patriots rally. The win lifts them to 9-4 and keeps them within striking distance of a first-round bye.

The Patriots struggled surprisingly at home versus a defense that is mostly below average. Tom Brady passed for just 169 yards and one score to Julian Edelman (8-95, TD). No other receivers gained more than 35 yards. James White ran for 33 and added five catches for 27 yards. Sony Michel cannot be healthy since he ran for eight yards on five carries versus the No. 32 defense versus running backs. The Patriots stayed close enough to suggest they could catch up and in most past years, they would have. This time – they didn’t. They fall to 10-3 and drop behind the 11-2 Ravens.

TEN 42, OAK 21
Yeah, that Tannehill guy is a difference-maker.  If only compared to Marcus Mariota. The ex-Dolphin passed for 391 yards and three touchdowns that mostly favored A.J. Brown (5-153, 2 TD).  Jonnu Smith (3-29, TD) caught the other score. Derrick Henry rumbled for 103 yards on 18 carries with two touchdowns in this easy beatdown. Tannehill ended with a 140.4 QB rating. He’s not going anywhere else next year.

The Raiders disappeared after halftime when they were tied 21-21. With Josh Jacobs out, DeAndre Washington ran for 53 yards and one touchdown and also caught six passes for 43 yards. Derek Carr threw for 263 yards and two scores but only Darren Waller (6-73) did much. The Raiders still lack any credible wideouts. The loss drops them to 6-7 and puts a major dent in any hope they could make the playoffs.

SEA 12, LAR 28
Only three games left to the season and still no need to get comfortable yet. The Seahawks ended their four-game winning streak in a convincing manner. Russell Wilson was held to only 245 passing yards and no scores. DK Metcalf (6-78) and Tyler Lockett (4-43) were as good as it got. Chris Carson ran for 76 yards and added 15 more on three receptions while Rashaad Penny injured his knee and left with only one catch. This was a down game for the Seahawks and against a divisional rival. At 10-3, they again trail the 49ers by one game.

It all worked well for the Rams. Todd Gurley ran for 79 yards and a touchdown on 23 rushes plus added 34 yards on four receptions. Jared Goff threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns between Robert Woods (7-98, TD) and Cooper Kupp (4-45, TD). Tyler Higbee (7-116) took advantage of Gerald Everett out while facing the No. 28 defense against tight ends. The win raises the Rams to 8-5 and they remain in the thick of the race for a wildcard.

The Game-o-the-Week

SF 48, NO 45
Oh, that they could all be 93-point games. And involve the No. 1 defense.

This was one of the best games of the year. It was 35-33 entering the fourth quarter and there were five scoring events in the final quarter with three touchdowns and two field goals – the final being the 30-yard field goal by the 49ers as time expired. There were a total of 16 scores – 12 touchdowns and four field goals.

Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 349 yards and four touchdowns with Emmanuel Sanders (7-157, TD) doing the most damage. Deebo Samuel (5-76) and George Kittle (6-67, TD) both made critical catches. Tevin Coleman only ran for six yards while Raheem Mostert (10-69, TD) nor only was the best rusher but also caught two passes for 40 yards and a second touchdown. Matt Breida only needed six runs to gain 54 yards. On the road at the Saints, the offense proved it was just as good as the defense (at least usually).

Drew Brees passed for 349 yards and five touchdowns plus ran in a score as well. While Latavius Murray totaled 94 yards, Alvin Kamara only ran for 25 yards and added 18 more yards over four catches. Michael Thomas (11-134, TD) still dominated against the best secondary in the NFL. Jared Cook reeled in two receptions for 64 yards and two scores. The game was full of offensive production yet the two primary backs – Kamara and Coleman – were the worst among the normal fantasy starts.

It was just a great game to watch with constant scoring and lead changes.

Scoring typically declines in the latter part of the season but not this week.  Nine teams exceeded 30 points on the day. Six games totaled 60 points or more. And no bad weather.  Kinda makes it feel like a bad week is going to come soon.

A quick rundown of the Sunday NFL games with a fantasy perspective.

SF 17, BAL 20
This was the defensive battle that fantasy football did not want to see. Raheem Mostert ran for 146 yards and one touchdown while Tevin Coleman was held to only six yards on five carries. Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 165 yards and one touchdown to Deebo Samuel (2-41, TD) but none of the other receivers mattered. Aside from Mostert, none of the 49ers were able to do much on the slick field in Baltimore.

Lamar Jackson only threw for 105 yards and one score to Mark Andrews (3-50, TD) while none of the other receivers did anything. Marquise Brown caught one pass for one yard. But Jackson ran for 101 yards and a score on 16 rushes and Mark Ingram gained 59 yards on his 15 carries. Overall, a slow game with mostly rushing and neither team threw more than 23 passes. But the 49ers held on to the end and a rematch on neutral ground would be a coin flip.

WAS 29, CAR 21
Hello, upset! The Redskins only passed for 147 yards but won the game thanks to the rushing effort of Derrius Guice (19-129, 2 TD) and Adrian Peterson (13-99, TD). Dwayne Haskins struggles a bit more than he should but it doesn’t matter when the rushing offense can produce so well.

Kyle Allen passed for 278 yards and two scores between DJ Moore (6-75, TD) and Curtis Samuel (4-65, TD) and the quarterback even ran in one touchdown. Christian McCaffrey only ran for 44 yards on 14 carries but added seven catches for 58 yards to save his fantasy value. The Panthers looked like they planned on taking the afternoon off when they had the 14-0 lead in the first quarter. They never scored again until the final two minutes.

NYJ 6, CIN 22
It’s a Christmas Miracle! The Jets became the “it” team when they allowed the Bengals to win their first game of 2019. Is it still a trap game if the home team is 4-7? Apparently yes. Sam Darnold only threw for 239 yards with Robby Anderson (7-101) the only receiver of any note.  Le’Veon Bell faced his best situation of the year and only ran for 32 yards on ten carries and caught four passes for 35 yards. The Jets were lethargic and were caught trying to mail it in.

Andy Dalton’s return to starting produced 243 passing yards and one score. Auden Tate (4-66) and Tyler Boyd (5-59, TD) were the top receivers and Joe Mixon ran for 44 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries and added four receptions for 26 yards. The Bengals offense didn’t do anything special but their defense was more than the Jets could handle. When was the last time that happened? It wasn’t this year, to be sure.

TEN 31, IND 17

The Titans are not going away this season. Ryan Tannehill threw for 182 yards and two touchdowns although no receiver gained more than 45 yards and Adam Humphries scored on his only catch in the game. Kalif Raymond also scored on his only catch. Derrick Henry ran for 149 yards and a score on his 26 carries. The Titans controlled the ball with the run and played solid defense. They also blocked two kicks and returned one for a touchdown.

Jacoby Brissett ended with 319 passing yards and one score with two interceptions. Zach Pascal (7-109) and Jack Doyle (6-73, TD) were the primary receivers with T.Y. Hilton out. But Jonathan Williams short streak as a starting running back is over with only eight rushes for 14 yards while Jordan Wilkins gained 47 yards on 11 runs. Nyheim Hines only ran four times but gained 22 yards and scored once. The Colts killed themselves with two interceptions and one lost fumble. But they were also playing without Marlon Mack, T.Y. Hilton, Eric Ebron, and Parris Campbell.

TB 28, JAC 11

This was a head-scratcher. Nick Foles was at home against the worst secondary in the NFL and ended up benched when he was 7-of-14 for 93 yards and one interception at the half. Gardner Minshew didn’t fare much better with 147 yards and one touchdown to Dede Westbrook (5-60, TD).  DJ Chark faced the worse cornerbacks in the league and only caught two passes for 47 yards. Leonard Fournette ran for 38 yards on 14 carries and added nine catches for 53 yards.

To add to the odd results, Jameis Winston passed for 268 yards and no touchdowns because Peyton Barber (17-44, 2 TD) was the preferred option instead of Ronald Jones (6-8). It gets better. The top receivers were not Mike Evans (4-53) or Chris Godwin (4-50), but instead were Brett Perriman (5-87) and O.J. Howard (5-61). It was like sitting for three hours and just listening to the “B” side of the record.

GB 31, NYG 13
The Packers took this game with ease but only led 17-13 to start the fourth quarter. Aaron Rodgers ended with 243 passing yards and four touchdowns. Alan Lazard (3-103, TD) and Davante Adams (6-64, 2 TD) were the only notable receivers. Aaron Jones only ran for 18 yards on 11 carries and added four catches for 13 yards for one of his worst showings this year. The Packers had no turnovers and Rodgers picked the secondary apart.

D.J. Jones threw for 240 yards and a score but had three interceptions. The best receiver was the second-string rookie tight end Kaden Smith (6-70) subbing for Evan Engram. Sterling Shepard caught three passes for 40 yards and the one touchdown. Saquon Barkley ran for 83 yards on 19 carries for one of his better recent efforts and he added 32 yards on three receptions. The Giants were overmatched and Jones kept losing the ball.

CLE 13, PIT 20
The Steelers got back at the Browns for that loss a couple of weeks ago though they changed quarterbacks to Devlin Hodges to remove the temptation for anyone to try to conk Mason Rudolph on the head again. Hodges threw for 212 yards and one score to James Washington (4-111, TD) who has warmed up to Hodges lately. No other receivers gained more than 28 yards. Benny Snell ran for 63 yards and one score while Jaylen Samuels turned in 32 yards on seven runs and caught two passes for 22 yards.

Baker Mayfield was limited to 196 passing yards and one score to Kareem Hunt (5-19, TD) who also ran for 46 yards on seven carries. Jarvis Landry (6-76) and Odell Beckham (3-29) were the top receivers. Nick Chubb ran for 58 yards on 16 carries but only caught one pass for 21 yards. The offense was lethargic and this was just another 33 total-point game where both teams struggled to produce points.

LAR 34, ARI 7
The Cardinals were never in this. Their lone score was the final one in the game and prevented a 34-0 shutout.  Kyler Murray passed for 163 yards and one interception and no receiver gained more than Larry Fitzgerald (6-56). Kenyan Johnson finally had a quiet game with only 31 yards on 13 carries and two catches for 20 yards. David Johnson showed up for four rushes that gained 15 yards. Despite playing at home, the Cardinals have never looked more outmatched than this game.

Jared Goff held off his critics this week with 424 passing yards and two touchdowns. Robert Woods (13-172) and Tyler Higbee (7-107, TD) led the offense while Cooper Kupp (6-65, TD) still managed to score. Todd Gurley ran for 95 yards and a score but only caught one pass for 20 yards. Goff look great and was in synch with his receivers while not focusing on just Kupp. Woods fielded a ridiculous 19 targets so he is back from his personal issue with a vengeance.

LAC 20, DEN 23
This was a close, last-second loss just like the Chargers often do. The Chargers tied the game with only 14 seconds left to play. Drew Lock had one play and threw an incompletion to Courtland Sutton who was interfered with by Casey Hayward and that placed the ball at the LAC 35-yard line where the 53-yard field goal was good to end the game. That’s a bitter way to lose. Philip Rivers passed for 265 yards and two touchdowns between Keenan Allen (6-68, TD) and Austin Ekeler (4-51, TD). Mike Williams (5-117) led the crew. Melvin Gordon ran for 99 yards and added 11 more on two catches.

Drew Lock’s debut ended with 134 passing yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Courtland Sutton (4-74, 2 TD) caught both scores in the first quarter and no other receiver gained more than 15 yards. Phillip Lindsay ran for 58 yards on 17 carries. This was a defensive game and Lock didn’t do much after the first quarter. The defense kept the Broncos in the game and the loss was stinging for the Chargers to battle back, tie the game and in one play, let a 37-yard penalty spot them a winning field goal to Denver.

OAK 9, KC 40
The Raiders never scored until it was 31-0 in the fourth quarter. Derek Carr ended with 222 passing yards and one score but threw two interceptions. Darren Waller (7-100) and DeAndre Washington (3-44) were the lead receivers and no other receivers gained over 15 yards. The wide receivers combined for only six catches for 47 yards Josh Jacobs ran for 104 yards on 17 carries but never had a pass. The Raider’s inability to throw to more than the tight end and a running back doomed them in this matchup.

Patrick Mahomes only threw for 175 yards and one touchdown in the blustery conditions and Travis Kelce (5-90) turned in half of that yardage. Darrel Williams (6-13) was ineffective and left injured. LeSean McCoy (5-10, TD) scored but did little else. Darwin Thompson (11-44, TD) was the best running back but the overall results were mediocre like most games for the Chiefs. The defense scored on an interception return and even scored two points when they blocked the extra point and returned it.

NE 22, HOU 28

That just happened. The vaunted Patriot defense that had only allowed four passing touchdowns this year just gave up four more. Deshaun Watson not only passed for 234 yards and three touchdowns, DeAndre Hopkins even threw one as well – to Watson! Hopkins ended with 64 yards on five catches while Watson focused more on the rest of the roster. Kenny Stills (3-61, TD), Duke Johnson (5-54, TD), and Darren Fells (2-23, TD) all scored. The backfield was limited to just 53 yards on 19 carries but the Texans led by as much as 21-3. It was a feel-good game for the hometown crowd.

Tom Brady passed for 326 yards and three touchdowns – most of it in the second half. Julian Edelman (6-106, TD) and James White (8-98, 2 TD) were the top receivers and White even ran for 79 yards on 14 carries to lead the offense. Sony Michel was held to 45 yards on ten rushes. At halftime, Brady only had 82 passing yards and Edelman only caught two passes for 23 yards. The Texans dropped back once they got the big lead and let the Patriots draw closer.

The Game-o-the-Week

PHI 31, MIA 37
I’m sorry, what did you say? What?

The Eagles have joined with the Cowboys to make the NFL East the division that no one wanted (or at least deserved).  The Eagles led 28-14 in the third quarter and then the Dolphins laid down 23 straight points to lead 37-28 with only 3:37 left to play. The Eagles drove to the MIA-19 but settled for a field goal with 1:55 left to play. After an unsuccessful onside kick, the Fins went three and out and punted to the  PHI-31 with only eight seconds left. The game ended on an interception.

Carson Wentz passed for 310 yards and three touchdowns and Alshon Jeffery (9-137, TD) finally had a monster game this year. Dallas Goedert (6-66) and Nelson Agholor (3-41) were better than usual. Miles Sanders was given almost every touch for the running backs and ended with 83 yards on 17 carries and caught five passes for 22 yards and one touchdown. It was a nice showing by the rookie and a reminder of what can happen when a team ditches the committee approach.

Ryan Fitzpatrick led all fantasy quarterbacks with 365 yards and three touchdowns. DeVante Parker turned in a career-best seven catches for 159 yards and two touchdowns. Mike Gesicki (5-79, TD) was the other top receiver. There was no rushing production of note like every week since they ended with 15 runs for 25 yards all combined.

The play of the game, and perhaps the winning margin, was a trick play on a field goal attempt when the punter (holder) dropped into a quarterback position with all others spread out to either side. He threw a touchdown to the kicker. How great is that?

The Dolphins are 3-9 and won three of their last four games. The Eagles fall to 5-7 but are still, amazingly, in the race for the NFC East.