Tag: Final Score

Same old Saints: Banged-up offense blows opportunities in loss to Eagles

The banged-up Saints offense blew their opportunities in Week 3’s loss to the Eagles. Klint Kubiak can’t hide Derek Carr forever:

The honeymoon phase is over. The New Orleans Saints didn’t look anything like the team that became the talk of the NFL through the first two weeks in Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Klint Kubiak can’t hide Derek Carr forever, and even if they had some key injuries, the offense just looked completely out of sorts. No wonder they lost 15-12.

Already without their best chess piece in Taysom Hill, the Saints had to play without Erik McCoy after just a couple of snaps, which disrupted communication on offense throughout the afternoon. But much of the blame falls on Carr. He threw too many bad balls in this game. Two touchdown passes to Rashid Shaheed were dropped because his placement was off. He foolishly turned the ball over on a game-losing interception in the final minute by biting off more than he could chew attacking the deep middle of the field.

Kubiak did a great job limiting Carr’s responsibilities through the first two weeks by leaning on play action and sliding his release point around in the pocket. But the Eagles defensive line played with a lot of discipline and didn’t give Carr any time to move and read the field. Not every defense can do that. Those that can have proven Carr can’t carry this team to a win.

And ultimately this all falls on the head coach. Dennis Allen’s defense created a lot of opportunities for the offense, including a couple of turnovers and a first-half shutout, but they folded late. Tight end Dallas Goedert had a  career day against them (10 catches for 170 yards), including a pivotal field-flipping reception when three Saints defenders collided with each other on third-and-long. Allen has preached that bigger defensive linemen are better too stop the run but his defense gave up 6.9 yards per carry on Sunday. Saquon Barkley had his best game in years.

This was a humbling loss for the Saints. It brought many of their flaws back into the light, and we’ve gotten back to asking uncomfortable questions about them. Can Allen win three games in a row? He hasn’t yet. Can his team compete with good teams? Results are mixed. Can Carr guide them to the playoffs? Not if he plays like this, going 14-of-25 for just 142 yards.

It doesn’t get easier from here. The Saints need to regroup and prepare for a divisional matchup with the Atlanta Falcons next week. If they had won they could’ve seized the top spot in the NFC South after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got spanked by the Denver Broncos. Instead they’re praying on the Falcons’ downfall, but they were doing that anyway.

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Final score: Harrison Butker kicks Chiefs to 26-25 victory over Bengals

The Kansas City #Chiefs narrowly earned a 26-25 victory over the Cincinnati #Bengals in Week 2.

The Kansas City Chiefs won their Week 2 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals with a final score of 26-25 when kicker Harrison Butker nailed a 51-yard field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes struggled to find his groove against the Bengals’ defense and threw two interceptions that helped keep Cincinnati in the game.

Despite his struggles, Mahomes threw two touchdown passes and ran for 29 yards on four attempts. One of Mahomes’ touchdowns was thrown to offensive lineman Wanya Morris, the other was caught by wide receiver Rashee Rice.

https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1835460937324589231

On defense, Kansas City was led by second-year defensive back Chamarri Conner, who scored a touchdown on a fourth-quarter fumble recovery after the Chiefs sacked Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

The game’s one-point difference in the final score was ultimately facilitated by a pass interference penalty called against Cincinnati’s rookie safety Daijahn Anthony, which put Butker within field goal range.

Kansas City will face the Atlanta Falcons on September 22 in Week 3 of the regular season.

Saints made ‘Scorigami’ history in Week 2 win vs. Cowboys

The Saints made ‘Scorigami’ history in their Week 2 win vs. Cowboys. It’s the first time an NFL game has ended with this score:

https://twitter.com/NFL_Scorigami/status/1835407666346098903

The New Orleans Saints made ‘Scorigami’ history in their Week 2 win over  the Dallas Cowboys. It’s the first time an NFL game has ended with this score — a margin of 44-19. How did we get here?

It took six Saints touchdowns (four of them from Alvin Kamara), a blocked point-after attempt against the Saints and too many kicks by Dallas, who settled for four field goals. But that extra point try going awry is what made this win auspicious. There hasn’t been a final tally like this in the history of the NFL.

But the Saints are more concerned with their 2-0 record than the dominance of this 25-point upset. That’s what will make the difference in the division standings and, maybe, playoff seeding later this season. Dennis Allen’s team is proving many of its doubters wrong through the first two weeks. Let’s see them keep it up.

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Bo Nix struggles, Broncos lose to Seahawks 26-20 in Week 1

Bo Nix struggled until late in the fourth quarter and his late touchdown wasn’t enough as the Broncos fell 26-20 to the Seahawks.

Bo Nix struggled in his NFL debut as the Denver Broncos lost to the Seattle Seahawks 26-20 at Lumen Field on Sunday afternoon.

Nix went 26-of-42 passing for 138 yards with no passing touchdowns and two interceptions. It was a day to forget for the rookie and Denver’s entire offense.

Denver’s defense, on the other hand, came out flying, starting the game with a Jonathon Cooper sack on Seattle’s first snap. One play later, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith threw an interception to Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton.

That takeaways set Denver’s offense up with good field position, but the Broncos had to settle for a 35-yard Wil Lutz field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Seattle matched that field goal to make it 3-3 later in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Denver drove down to the Seahawks’ 21-yard line, but the drive ended with Nix’s first career interception, a poor decision thrown into coverage. That turnover set Seattle up at its own one-yard line and their offensive line was penalized for holding on the next play, a foul that resulted in a two-point safety. That gave the Broncos a 5-3 lead.

Later in the second quarter, Denver safety JL Skinner recovered a muffed Seahawks punt return at Seattle’s nine-yard line. The Broncos’ offense then settled for another Lutz field goal to make it 8-3.

The Seahawks erased that deficit on their next drive when Smith rushed 34 yards for a touchdown to make 9-8 (their 2-point attempt failed).

Denver made another big play on special teams later in the second quarter when cornerback Tremon Smith and Skinner teamed up to pin Seattle at its own one-yard line on a punt. One play later, Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet was tackled by Zach Allen in the end zone for another safety that made it 10-9.

Lutz added a 45-yard field goal just before halftime to extend the lead to 13-9. After the offense went three-and-out to open the second half, the Broncos’ defense allowed a 23-yard touchdown run to Ken Walker as the Seahawks retook the lead 16-13.

On Denver’s ensuing drive, running back Jaleel McLaughlin lost a fumble near midfield. That led to a Seattle field goal that made it 19-13.

In the fourth quarter, Charbonnet scored on a 30-yard touchdown catch to extend the lead to 26-13. Nix later threw a second interception that essentially sealed the Broncos’ fate. Nix’s garbage time four-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter proved to be too little too late as Denver fell 26-20 after the Seahawks ran out the clock.

Up next for Denver is a home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2. After sitting out Week 1 with a calf injury, Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson has an uncertain status for next week’s game at Empower Field at Mile High.

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Final score: Chiefs defeat Ravens 27-20 in regular season home opener

The Kansas City #Chiefs defeated the Baltimore #Ravens in Week 1 to advance their record to 1-0 in the 2024 regular season.

The Kansas City Chiefs managed to win their Week 1 matchup against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night with a final score of 27-20.

This game was a rematch of January’s AFC Championship Game, which also ended in a Chiefs victory by a seven-point margin.

Patrick Mahomes ended the game with 291 passing yards and a touchdown but threw an interception that helped keep Baltimore in the game.

Rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy was among Kansas City’s top performers against the Ravens after scoring two touchdowns and combining for 68 yards on three touches.

https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1831903823897526694

On defense, the Chiefs were led by veteran cornerback Jaylen Watson, who combined for 11 tackles in an outstanding effort.

While Kansas City’s 1-0 record speaks for itself, the defending Super Bowl champions have plenty of work to do in the coming weeks to sharpen their approach for the middle part of their regular season schedule.

Expect to see Mahomes, Worthy, and Watson in rhythm when the Chiefs face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2 on September 15.

Final score: Chiefs lose to Bears 34-21 in preseason finale at Arrowhead Stadium

The Kansas City #Chiefs fell to 0-3 in the preseason after a 34-21 loss to the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night.

The Kansas City Chiefs lost in their preseason finale against the Chicago Bears at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night.

The game’s final score was 34-21 in Chicago’s favor and left Kansas City’s preseason record at 0-3.

Though several players popped for the Chiefs in the loss, turnovers and poor defensive play proved too much for Kansas City to overcome, and ultimately doomed the defending champions to finish their exhibition schedule without a win.

Rookie running back Carson Steele was among the Chiefs’ most effective players against the Bears, ending the game with four rushes for 50 yards and a touchdown to cap off his exceptional preseason.

Now that the preseason has run its course, head coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach will have to make some difficult decisions to cut down Kansas City’s roster down to 53 players and a 16-man practice squad next week.

Stay tuned to Chiefs Wire over the next few weeks to see which players stick around in Kansas City for the 2024 regular season.

Raiders first teamers can’t get anything going, fall to Cowboys 27-12

Whatever excitement that may have been created by the Raiders in their first preseason game last week was not there for an encore performance in Week two. The Raiders fielded nearly all of their healthy starters on both sides of the ball. The only …

Whatever excitement that may have been created by the Raiders in their first preseason game last week was not there for an encore performance in Week two.

The Raiders fielded nearly all of their healthy starters on both sides of the ball. The only players absent unexpetedly were wide receiver Davante Adams and tight end Brock Bowers.

Meanwhile the Cowboys fielded all reserves from the start. And yet the Raiders couldn’t find the end zone in the first half and never led in the game.

Gardner Minshew got the start this time at quarterback and played well into the second quarter before giving way to Aidan O’Connell who played well into the second half.

Over five drives with Minshew at the helm, the Raiders offense managed just one field goal. That score came on a stalled drive after a 48-yard connection with WR Tre Tucker on a deep ball. It was the second week in a row Minshew and Tucker connected on a deep ball. Last week it was a 44 yard bomb

The other drives yielded two punts and two failed fourth down conversion attempts for turnovers on downs.

A huge punt return by Tucker (there’s that man again) in the second quarter would put the Raiders in field goal range and Daniel Carlson put the Raiders up 6-3.

With Trey Lance in at QB for the Cowboys, going against mostly first team defenders for the Raiders — only the starting defensive line had been pulled — the Cowboys marched down the field for the touchdown to take a 10-6 lead. And a Brandon Aubrey 66-yard field goal in the final seconds gave the Cowboys a 13-6 lead at the half.

The third quarter was a rollercoaster for Aidan O’Connell. He drove the Raiders for their first touchdown of the game on a short pass for Harrison Bryant to bring it to a one-point game. The Raiders went for two and O’Connell threw from a backpedal to no one and the score remained a 13-12 Dallas lead.

The Cowboys didn’t respond, so the Raiders had.a chance to take the lead. Instead, O’Connell was intercepted and it was returned for a touchdown to make it a 20-12 Cowboys lead early in the fourth quarter.

That would be O’Connell’s last play in the game as he was replaced at QB by Carter Bradley.

Unlike the preseason opener, Bradley was actually allowed to put the ball in the air. And he completed his first six passes . But consecutive incompletions and the Raiders had to punt.

Once again, the Cowboys marched down the field, again led by Trey Lance, going 98 yards on 13 plays and with Lance finishing it off with keeper for the touchdown. That was the final score of 27-12.

Final score: Chiefs lose to Lions 24-23 in preseason home-opener

The #Chiefs fell just short of securing their first win of the 2024 preseason on Saturday after losing to the #Lions by one point at Arrowhead

The Kansas City Chiefs lost their second game of the 2024 preseason on Saturday, falling to the Detroit Lions by a single point after a fourth-quarter collapse at Arrowhead Stadium.

Though the Chiefs’ disastrous results against Detroit won’t affect their Super Bowl LVIII defense campaign in the regular season, it is sure to hurt Kansas City’s pride, especially after the team’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.

Despite their latest defeat, the Chiefs got a great look at some of their young prospects in the game, and fans even got to see Patrick Mahomes complete a behind-the-back pass to Travis Kelce that may prove to be the best highlight of the entire preseason.

Kansas City will face the Chicago Bears next week in their final exhibition matchup before the 2024 regular season.

Expect to see the Chiefs play with a chip on their shoulders against the Bears as they vie to finish the preseason on a high note.

Final score: Chiefs fall to Jaguars 26-13 in preseason debut

The Kansas City #Chiefs fell to the Jacksonville #Jaguars in their preseason debut on Saturday night.

The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their preseason debut on Saturday night. The Chiefs scored 13 points in the game, falling well short of the 26 points that the Jaguars managed to put on the board.

Kansas City’s offense wasn’t able to hit its stride against Jacksonville’s stout defense after Patrick Mahomes came off the field in the first quarter, and a few special teams gaffes by the Chiefs ultimately cost the defending champions the game.

Though the results of this contest won’t count for anything once the regular season starts in September, there are sure to be a few bruised egos when Kansas City returns to practice at training camp this week.

Expect to see the Chiefs perfect their strategy for the NFL’s new “dynamic kickoffs” during workouts this week, and for Kansas City’s coaching staff to experiment with a few different personnel looks in their next game.

Alabama vs. UNC in Sweet 16 could be highest-scoring March Madness game

Two electric teams that can put up points? Sign us up! See why some experts believe Alabama and North Carolina could combine for a March Madness game to remember.

In a Sweet 16 matchup that many expect to be electric, No. 4 seed Alabama takes on No. 1 seed North Carolina. March Madness games are always very unpredictable, though some will still try to come up with some bold projections.

One prediction that is making the rounds now has to do with the scoring ability of both teams. Could it be possible that this game sets a new all-time March Madness record for the most points scored in a single game? Let’s break it all down.

USA TODAY college basketball experts Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith and Eddie Timanus go as far as saying this contest “will require a second official scorer,” because of how many points there could be.

“OK, this may be a bit of exaggeration. But given the pace that the Crimson Tide love to play at and the ability of the Tar Heels to thrive in an open-court environment, we could be looking at one of the highest-scoring games of the tournament Thursday. Alabama has scored at least 90 points in eight games since the start of February. It has allowed at least 88 nine times in the same span. Don’t expect Alabama coach Nate Oats to go conservative now that the stakes of the tournament have gotten higher. Just sit back and watch the wildness unfold.”

The highest-scoring game in March Madness history was a 1990 round of 32 upset when No. 11 seed Loyola Marymount defeated No. 3 seed Michigan with a final score of 149-115, for a combined total of 264 points. It has the lead by a comfortable margin, with the second-highest-scoring game only having a total of 234 points.

Alabama’s first-round win over Charleston had enough total points to make it the thirteenth-highest-scoring game in March Madness history with a total of over 205.

Let’s face it, the Crimson Tide’s biggest weakness all season has been a lack of defense. In the team’s first two games, Alabama has played spectacular defense, but will that last? If not, it opens the door for the Tar Heels to put up some serious points.

This Sweet 16 contest features the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation (Alabama) and the No. 20 scoring offense (UNC), while also featuring two defenses that aren’t necessarily the strongest.

North Carolina has allowed an average of 70 points per game, which has the Tar Heels ranked No. 70 in the nation. Compared to the Crimson Tide’s rank of No. 345, North Carolina might as well be a brick wall in front of the hoop. Alabama has allowed a whopping 80.9 points per game this season.

Is it likely that a new record is set? Far from it. However, there’s a great chance we see the highest-scoring game of this year’s tournament and possibly have a new entry in the top 10 highest-scoring March Madness games of all time.

Neither team will have this in mind. All that matters is scoring more points than the other team, staying alive, and moving on to the Elite Eight.

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