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