2016 NFL Week Six

It is getting tougher and tougher for me to get these out quickly, but I am going to continue to try my best.  Not only do I enjoy writing them, but the loyal readers who keep coming back to check for more seem to enjoy reading them.  Thank you, as always, for your continued support, and if you like what you read, share it!  Also, please feel free to leave a comment.  I’d love to read your thoughts.  Away we go!!!!

@ San Diego Chargers 21, Denver Broncos 13

• The Broncos would have looked better if they had worn white pants. That all-orange getup made them look hideous.  I liked the navy-blue version of their old helmets, though.
• San Diego tight end and perennial Pro Bowler Antonio Gates might be washed up. He dropped a perfectly thrown pass on the first play from scrimmage, one week after his butterfingered performance against Oakland.
• San Diego’s first drive of the game took seven minutes and ended in a touchdown.
• I didn’t think that San Diego made it when they went for it on fourth-and-inches with 11:36 left in the second, but they did.
• Why wasn’t Denver linebacker Von Miller flagged for shoving Philip Rivers late with 10:35 left in the second? Rivers was running out of bounds, and it was obvious.  The shove was completely unnecessary.
• When the Broncos started their possession with 10:35 left in the second, it was only their sixth play from scrimmage.
• Denver started unloading the cheap shots in the third quarter. One was a late hit by offensive tackle Donald Stephenson after the fumble with 9:27 left, and the other was a roughing the passer penalty with 6:07 left.
• Clever safety punt by Denver with 12:04 left in the fourth. Punter Riley Dixon kicked it high and end-over-end.  Guard Kenny Wiggins signaled for a fair catch and muffed it.  Denver then fell on the loose ball.
• What a HORRIBLE offensive series by the Chargers after giving up the first Bronco touchdown with 8:13 left in the fourth. Terrible job of run blocking on first and second down, and then that third down play was PATHETIC.  Denver stacked the line, showing blitz, and instead of running a play that gave Rivers several quick mid-yardage options, they ran longer routes, and Rivers was sacked by the heavy Denver pass rush.
• What a recovery by San Diego on the ensuing drive! It looked like the Chargers had given up a 20+ yard rushing touchdown, but Denver was penalized for holding instead.  On the next play, Simien got steamrolled for a sack and a 10-yard loss.  On the play after that, after Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas caught a pass, San Diego forced and recovered a fumble on the run after the catch.
• The next San Diego drive was better. Not great, but better.  They at least converted a few first downs and took time off of the clock.
• After blowing so many games in the fourth quarter, San Diego needed this. Not only to win, but to hang on in the fourth.
• However, it must be said that San Diego should have won by a much higher margin, since they dominated the game, but settled for field goals several times.

@ Tennessee Titans 28, Cleveland Browns 26

• Tennessee is better than their record. They’re young and talented; they just need to learn how to avoid beating themselves.  Any time a team needs to learn that, the prescription is to play someone like the hapless Cleveland Browns.
• Tennessee scored a touchdown on its opening drive of the game. The last time that happened was September of last year.
• Tennessee receiver Kendall Wright’s touchdown catch on a 48-yard pass from Marcus Mariota with 11:51 left in the second was one of my favorite of the season. Mariota slightly overthrew the wide-open Wright, who made a diving catch, got up, and then was tackled into the end zone by Cleveland safety Derrick Kindred.  Yes, the throw should have been better, but it was quite fun to watch.
• I liked the one-handed grab by Cleveland wide receiver (and former college quarterback) Terrell Pryor with 47 seconds left in the second.
• Pryor’s leaping touchdown catch with 40 seconds left showed off how talented of an athlete he is. His jersey was being held, and he still got high enough to make the catch.
• Tennessee WR Rishard Matthews made a beautiful diving catch with 11:40 left in the third.[1]
• Mariota’s inaccuracy ended up haunting him with 14:45 left in the fourth and Tennessee nursing an eight-point lead. He threw a ball that his receiver and the defender both dove for, and the defender – Tramon Williams – made an outstanding catch to intercept the ball.
• Mariota’s touch pass to tight end Anthony Fasano was gorgeous. He placed it well, and then Fasano’s footwork to stay inbounds long enough to reach the end zone before being pushed out was impressive.
• Cleveland quarterback Cody Kessler got CLOBBERED while throwing a 14-yard pass to Pryor with 5:10 left in the fourth.
• Kessler showed great poise when he scrambled and found an open Andrew Hawkins for a first down pass with 2:14 left in the fourth.
• On the very next play, Kessler’s out-of-bounds pass to the right of the end zone was caught by Tennessee safety Kevin Byard. I thought he bowled over the cameraman, but when I watched the play again, I saw that the squatting cameraman had rolled out of the way.
• On the play after that, Kessler threw another touchdown pass to Pryor and got pasted right after he threw it.
• Bad decision by Cleveland ‘s coaching staff to go for two when they made the score 28-19. Go for one there to make yourself be down by 8, then go for two if you score another touchdown.  Don’t box yourself in.  Because of this, when Cleveland recovered the ensuing onside kick, it was still a two-possession game.
• I disagree with the “only one foot came down, so it’s not a catch ruling on the challenge with 2:05 left in the fourth. Yes, only one foot came down, but it was because the defender hit the receiver while he was still in the air.  But, if that’s the rule, then the officials called it correctly.  I just think it’s a bad rule.
• Cleveland scored a touchdown and kicked the PAT to make the score 28-26, but they could not recover a second straight onside kick and lost. That was unfortunate for Cleveland.
• Poor Cody Kessler took a beating. Tennessee’s pass rush had a field day.

@ Miami Dolphins 30, Pittsburgh Steelers 15

• Miami has been very undisciplined so far this season, having big plays negated by boneheaded penalties time and time again. With 5:59 left in the first, it happened once more.  Miami sacked Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger on third and 10, but it didn’t count – not only because a Miami defender held a receiver who was trying to run his pattern, but because after the sack, defensive tackle Jason Jones shoved Pittsburgh lineman Alejandro Villanueva to the ground.  Instead of fourth and a mile, Pittsburgh had a new set of downs.  On the very next play, receiver Derrius Heyward-Bey ran an end-around that went 60 yards for a touchdown, and the two-point conversion made the score 8-3, Pittsburgh.  That’s part of why Miami entered the game 1-4.
• Pittsburgh had trouble protecting Roethlisberger. It seemed like every other play he was picking himself up off the ground.
• I was impressed by Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s accuracy and arm strength on the 53-yard pass to tight end Dominique Jones with 10:05 left in the second to set up first-and-goal from the one-yard line.
• To continue with the “lack of discipline” motif…on the next play, a beautiful touchdown pass-and-catch was negated by an illegal formation penalty. Seriously, guys?!??[2]
• On the first play of Pittsburgh’s ensuing possession, with 8:18 left in the second, Miami safety Reshad Jones made a spectacular diving interception, got up, and returned the ball 17 yards to the Pittsburgh 13. There was a flag on the field.  I was thinking, “What did Miami do this time to negate a great play?”  Imagine my surprise when the penalty turned out to be holding on Pittsburgh, which was declined.
• On the previous play, Roethlisberger was injured when a defender dove and clipped his heel.[3] With all of the punishment he had taken up to this point, I thought he would have been hurt on one of the bone-crushing hits he took while being sacked.
• Roethlisberger returned in the second half, but he was clearly not at full strength.
• The second half became The Jay Ajayi Show. The Miami running back ended up running for 204 yards, capping it off with a 62-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage after Pittsburgh had narrowed the Miami lead to eight points.
• With all of the dead ball unsportsmanlike conduct and personal foul penalties, one would think that these teams were bitter divisional rivals who face each other twice a year.   Perennial playoff teams who meet every year?  Nope.  It was just one of those games….

Jacksonville Jaguars 17, @ Chicago Bears 16

• Coming into this game, Jacksonville averaged over 10 penalties a game for over 75 yards. That’s tied for fourth in the league.  Their first penalty came on the third play from scrimmage, when defensive tackle Jared Odrick gave an extra shove to an opponent after the whistle, popping the player in the back of the head.[4]
• On Jacksonville’s first drive, they drove deep into Chicago territory, largely aided by two different pass interference penalties. Of course, it didn’t matter, since on third-and-goal from the two, Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles threw an interception in the end zone.
• Chicago’s defense dominated most of the third quarter. With 45 seconds left, a play occurred that took the wind out of Chicago’s sails.  On second and seven, Bortles narrowly escaped a sack and then threw incomplete.  A flag came in from the referee.  I thought it was for the obvious hold on left tackle Kelvin Beachum, who grabbed ahold of linebacker Sam Acho.[5]  Instead, it was for roughing the passer on defensive end Willie Young, who was reaching out to grab Bortles, only to be held by tackle Jeremy Parnell.  As a result, Young’s slap at the football ended up smacking Bortles in the facemask.  I cannot believe the referee penalized that – which was a pretty weak roughing the passer call – instead of either of the holds.  Huge gift for Jacksonville, who should have been facing either third-and-seven or second-and-a-mile.
• Jacksonville took advantage of the gift, and on the very next play, Bortles completed a 29-yard pass to receiver Allen Hurns, giving Jacksonville first-and-goal on the three as the third quarter ended. After a defensive holding penalty, Jacksonville scored a touchdown when running back Chris Ivory barreled his way into the end zone.
• Young made up for his (unfair) penalty on Jacksonville’s next possession. With 11:44 left in the fourth, Young chased down a scrambling Bortles from behind, forcing a fumble that was recovered by defensive end Akiem Hicks.
• Jacksonville’s next touchdown went down in the box score as a 51-yard pass from Bortles to receiver Arrelious Benn, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Benn and Chicago cornerback Tracy Porter – who was caught out of position – both fell to the ground as Benn caught the pass.  When Benn got up, Porter was still down, so he easily ran all the way for a touchdown.
• I do not feel like the better team won this game.[6]

@ New England Patriots 35, Cincinnati Bengals 17

• This was Tom Brady’s first home game of the season.
• New England had a tough time getting their offense going in the first half. Give credit to the Cincinnati defense.
• The holding penalty that Cincinnati running back Jeremy Hill committed with 11:54 left in the second was one of the most obvious that I’ve seen, but it was understandable. New England linebacker Elandon Roberts was going to blast Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton into orbit, so Hill did that to protect his quarterback.[7]
• AMAZING goal line stand by New England at their own 1 with 9:55-9:05 left in the second.
• Cincinnati ran a nice quarterback option with 3:11 left in the second to score a touchdown and go up 7-3.
• New England’s first offensive breakthrough came on a 39-yard pass reception by Chris Hogan with 1:09 left. That was also one of the first plays where Brady actually had time to throw.  My good friend Matt Sbalcio has said for years that the way to beat New England is to get pressure on Brady, because New England’s line is so good that he’s not used to throwing under pressure.  Consequently, whenever he is under pressure, he doesn’t play nearly as well simply because he isn’t used to it.[8]
• After New England’s first touchdown, Cincinnati opened the second half by marching 80 yards over a span of nine plays, capping off the drive with a beautiful touchdown pass that featured some graceful footwork by receiver Brandon LaFell to stay inbounds.
• I have to question why Hill caught the New England punt at the five with 8:05 left in the third. That would most definitely have gone into the end zone, and he only returned the ball to the 16.
• On the next play, Hill was stuffed at the line for no gain. Two plays later, New England linebacker Donte Hightower sacked Dalton in the end zone for a safety.  And it all started with a poor decision by the returner.
• Safeties can often swing momentum, especially if the team scoring the safety immediately scores a touchdown, which is what New England did. It was capped by a diving five-yard touchdown reception by superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski[9] on an intentionally low throw from Brady.[10]
• After Cincinnati was quickly forced to punt, New England steamrolled down the field for another touchdown. Dependable New England kicker Stephen Gostowski then missed the extra point for the third time this season.[11]  Bill Simmons’ theory about the shaky kicking throughout the NFL is the longer extra point.  He feels that the short kicks gave kickers reps to keep them in practice, and, as a result, they were more apt to make the longer field goals.
• With 7:52 left in the fourth, Gronkowski was (rightfully) penalized for taunting. It set off several Cincinnati defenders, including notorious headcase Vontaze Burfict.  If there is any team to taunt, it’s Cincinnati.  I wonder how many teams will intentionally take a taunting penalty in an effort to set off the volatile Cincinnati defenders.  The playoff game last year showed how poorly Cincinnati plays when they get riled up.
• Cincinnati safety Shawn Williams was out of control on the New England drive that happened with between 3:32 and 0:51 left in the fourth. On the second play, he added extra shoves to Blount after tackling him.  Later, he tried to spear New England running back James White as he was being tackled.  And then, after Blount’s touchdown run, he tried to spear someone again, but hit the pile.  Blount’s subsequent shouting match with Cincinnati defensive tackle Pat Sims led to a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for ripping Sims’s helmet off.
• This game got chippy as the fourth quarter progressed and Cincinnati’s frustration grew.[12]

@ Buffalo Bills 45, San Francisco 49ers 16

• Buffalo’s infamous swirling wind made kicking and passing interesting at times. In the first quarter, I saw sheets of paper flying in all different directions.  Punting was strange.  Also, the second half kickoff was blown off the tee as Buffalo kicker Dan Carpenter was running up to the ball to kick it.
• What was Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy complaining about when he was penalized for a facemask foul with 10:59 left in the first? That was as obvious as they come!
• On the very next play, McCoy burst up the middle for a 16-yard gain that put Buffalo in a third-and-five situation.
• Great run by McCoy and an even better job by Buffalo’s offensive line on the first touchdown with 14 seconds left in the first. Sure, it was “only” four yards, but he was untouched.
• SF receiver Tory Smith was all by himself on his 53-yard touchdown reception with 13:56 left in the second. It was a complete coverage breakdown.
• On the ensuing drive, it started to look like San Francisco couldn’t defend McCoy. He made some of the defenders look like they were standing still.
• Unbelievable! With about nine minutes left in the third, Kaepernick spun out of what looked to be a sure sack in his own end zone, then scampered to the 16 yard line, where he was downed.
• Either Buffalo’s running game was outstanding or San Francisco’s run defense was horrible. Hard to say which one, since Arizona ran all over SF, but both Arizona and Buffalo have an elite running back.[13]

@ Detroit Lions 31, Los Angeles Rams 28

• There were a lot of empty seats near the field when the game started.
• Los Angeles receiver Kenny Britt made a slick spin-move and lunge to get the ball into the end zone with 5:15 left in the first. He caught it around the five and had two Detroit defenders between him and the end zone.  I was impressed.
• Detroit’s goal line defense on LA’s second touchdown left enough running room on the right side of the field for Case Keenum to run it into the end zone himself. Look at the replay and you’ll see why.
• Detroit’s touchdown on fourth-and-goal with 3:07 left in the second was exciting. Quarterback Matthew Stafford scrambled under duress and threw off-balance to the right sideline of the end zone, where receiver Andre Roberts caught the ball and wrestled it away from the defender.
• Easy call for the official when Detroit defensive back Glover Quin was penalized for hitting a defenseless receiver with less than a minute left in the first half.
• Despite LA getting first and goal at the nine after the penalty, Detroit made a great goal-line stand to keep them from scoring any points.[14]
• LA’s first punt came in the third.
• The long bomb near-touchdown by Detroit receiver Golden Tate on a pass from Stafford with 10:35 left in the third was incredible for multiple reasons:
  • Stafford was creamed as he threw, yet it was still an accurate throw.
  • Tate juked one defender out of his socks and almost got by the second one, but was tripped up as he danced around him.
• Detroit’s propensity for dramatic finishes struck again. Their defense finally stopped LA from scoring after Detroit fell behind 28-21.  The offense responded with ten straight points.  The defense capped the victory with an interception on LA’s final drive.
• Detroit fans, I don’t know how you have any fingernails left when you watch these games.

@ New Orleans Saints 41, Carolina Panthers 38

• Going into this game, Carolina had won the previous three meetings between these two teams.
• Am I the only one who feels like the Superdome is a rather dark building?
• Carolina defensive tackle Kyle Love committed a dumb penalty with 10:50 left in the first that gave New Orleans second life. On third and six from the Carolina 18, New Orleans QB Drew Brees completed a pass over the middle to running back Travaris Cadet for a four-yard gain, bringing up fourth and two.  But instead of the kicking unit running out onto the field, New Orleans got a first down due to an inexcusable roughing the passer penalty.  Four plays later, New Orleans scored a touchdown.
• Carolina QB Cam Newton’s 30-yard pass to receiver Kelvin Benjamin with 3:47 left in the first was initially ruled a catch. However, New Orleans challenged the ruling, and the call was reversed.  It looked to me like he caught the ball.  After seeing the replay, however, I see why it was reversed: Benjamin never had full control of the ball until after he slid out of bounds.
• Which Carolina defensive back fell asleep and let New Orleans receiver Brandin Cooks free for the 87-yard touchdown reception with 2:31 left in the first? Or was it the entire secondary?
• How is it that Carolina punter Andy Lee took the best tackling angle out of the ENTIRE PUNT UNIT on Tommy Lee Lewis’ long return with 52 seconds left in the first?
• New Orleans DB Sterling Moore made a heckuvan interception in the end zone with 8:59 left in the second. It was an over-the-shoulder basket-catch of a tipped ball.
• It looked like New Orleans scored on a blown play with 4:56 left in the third. Receivers Coby Fleener and Willie Snead were both in the same area of the field.  Fleener caught it, Snead’s tumble to the ground took out linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, and Fleener was off to the races for a 50-yard touchdown catch-and-run.
• I disagreed with the intentional grounding call on New Orleans QB Drew Brees with 2:09 left in the third. It was good that the officials revised their call.
• I can’t criticize the officials for initially getting the call wrong on New Orleans’ eventual touchdown with 6:02 left in the fourth. That was tough to see without replay.
• What was Cam Newton doing after he scored the touchdown with 2:58 left in the fourth? He ran almost all the way to the tunnel!
• I was stunned that Carolina even made a game out of this, let alone tied it. Teams tend not to do that when they fall behind, 21-0.
• How exciting for rookie New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz to make the game-winning field goal from 51 yards, especially given how disappointed he was after he missed what would have been the game-winner in Week One from 61 (?!???) yards.

@ New York Giants 27, Baltimore Ravens 23

• UNBELIEVABLE play with 14:11 left in the first! Baltimore QB Joe Flacco was flattened by blitzing New York safety Andrew Adams as he threw deep, and the pass was caught in traffic by receiver Breshad Perriman with a leaping catch.  Wow!
• Good call by the officials to rule it a fumble by Odell Beckham Jr with 10:03 left in the first.
• I never get tired of seeing a short touchdown resulting from a good, old-fashioned diving leap over the line by a running back. Baltimore’s touchdown with 6:42 left in the first came as a result of that play.
• I felt like referee Jeff Tripplette was on a repeating video loop in the first half with the number of times he had to announce a holding penalty.
• Eli Manning’s touchdown pass to receiver Roger Lewis Jr. with 2:28 left in the second was the 300th of his career. Only seven other quarterbacks[15] have thrown for that many.
• New York’s opening drive of the second half was promising, and they should have scored a touchdown but didn’t. Have to give Baltimore credit – that was quite a goal-line stand.
• The Baltimore interception with 4:36 left in the third angered New York’s fans. They felt that the receiver was interfered with.  I agree with the no-call: it looked like the players’ legs got tangled up inadvertently.
• Odell Beckham made a beautiful fake to get open on the 75-yard touchdown pass with 2:10 left in the third.[16] On the ensuing possession, Flacco predictably[17] threw long as well, hitting receiver Mike Wallace for a long gain.  When Wallace was tackled, cornerback Janoris Jenkins tackled him by way of a severe facemask foul.[18]
• New York made a great goal-line stand of its own with 14:55 left in the fourth to keep Baltimore out of the end zone after Baltimore had first-and-goal from the three.
• I greatly disagreed with the defensive pass interference call on New York cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with 2:16 left in the fourth. That looked like offensive pass interference to me.  The defense has just as much of a right to catch the ball as the offense.
• HOLY COW!!!!!! What a play by Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. on 4th and 1 with 1:24 left in the fourth to retake the lead!!!!  Beckham ran a slant route, Manning threw a perfect pass to hit him in stride, then Beckham ran around the defender and was off to the races for a 66-yard touchdown.
• Baltimore got a gift from New York when defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa roughed Flacco on an incomplete pass on 4th down with 15 seconds left in the game.
• Flacco overthrew a wide-open Wallace with 11 seconds left that would have brought Baltimore inside the five.
• When this game ended, Manning had 302 career passing touchdowns. That means that the Manning brothers – combined – had thrown 841 touchdown passes.  Adding their father Archie to the mix brings that total to 966 touchdown passes.
• What a great game! Both teams played well in a back-and-forth game that went down to the wire.  I enjoyed this one.

@ Washington Redskins 27, Philadelphia Eagles 20

• The first score of the game did not occur until there were 57 seconds left in the penalty-filled first quarter, but it was well worth the wait. It came on a beautiful 16-yard lob pass from Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins to receiver Jamison Crowder.
• After Washington’s second touchdown, which happened on a 13-yard pass from Cousins to tight end Vernon Davis with 7:53 left in the second, Davis was penalized for excessive celebration.[19]. This put the kickoff at the 20 instead of the 35. Philadelphia then returned the kickoff for a touchdown.  So frustrating for the Washington coaches.
• With 3:55 left in the second, Philadelphia tied the game on an interception return for a touchdown by cornerback Malcolm Jenkins. At this point, the Philadelphia offense had done very little.
• Washington receiver DeSean Jackson dropped what should have been a touchdown with 20 seconds left in the second.
• Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz finally threw a deep pass with 4:52 left in the third, and he hit his receiver – Dorial Green-Beckham – in stride and in traffic. Nice!
• Washington kicker Dustin Hopkins did a nice job to make the 50-yard field goal with 9:43 left in the fourth. Not only did he kick it cleanly, but it split the upright almost perfectly in half.
• Washington’s defense stepped up in a big way – especially when Philadelphia tried to tie the game on its final possession. They sacked Wentz on both second down and third down for big losses.
• These two offensive lines need to start blocking and stop holding. It seemed like a large majority of the large gains in this game came back due to penalties.
• This was a pretty fun game to watch, but Washington was clearly the better team throughout the game.

Kansas City Chiefs 26, @ Oakland Raiders 10

• A GAME IN A DRIVING RAINSTORM!!!! WOOHOO!!!!![20]
• The announcer for this game was Kevin Harlan, who also does play-by-play for TNT basketball coverage. He’s currently one of the best announcers in any sport, and, consequently, I believe that he could announce any sport well.  Thoughts, readers?  Leave a comment with your opinion on this.
• The rain had an impact on the first interception of the game, which came with 7:51 left in the first. Oakland quarterback Derek Carr couldn’t set his feet, and on the other end, receiver Michael Crabtree slipped and fell when he tried to come back to get the errant throw.  It was an easy interception for Kansas City cornerback Marcus Peters.
• Kansas City’s offensive line did a great job in the red zone during their first touchdown drive. On the final two plays, they got a tremendous push and gave their running back a nice path to run down.
• The weather wreaked havoc on the kickers. In the first half, both missed a field goal – and these were well within their respective ranges.  Plus, Kansas City kicker Cairo Santos missed a PAT.
• Kansas City linebacker Derrick Johnson’s hit with 3:26 left in the fourth made me cringe.
• Dominant performance by Kansas City that raises concern with Oakland in my book. The weather greatly affected Oakland’s ability to score points, and consequently, they were blown out.  What happens if Oakland runs into a smothering defense or foul weather in the playoffs?  The same result?  If I were an Oakland fan, this would worry me.

@ Seattle Seahawks 26, Atlanta Falcons 24

• This is Bird Bowl I out of five this season.[21]
• The first half made Atlanta look like their 4-1 record was much better than their actual skill. Seattle dominated in every aspect of the game and led at halftime, 17-3.
• Atlanta took advantage of blown coverage by Seattle to score their first touchdown on a 36-yard pass from quarterback Matt Ryan to receiver Julio Jones with 11:07 left in the third.
• After the first Atlanta touchdown, Richard Sherman was irate on the sideline and got into the face of one of his teammates. I like Richard Sherman and think he’s a talented player, but I would hate to be on his team.  He’s a border-line psychopath during the game, and he would terrify me.
• What did Atlanta discuss in the locker room during halftime? They came out in the third quarter like gangbusters: they scored a touchdown, forced a punt, and scored another touchdown in less than ten minutes of game time to tie the game at 17.  Wow!
• What in the world was Atlanta punt returner Eric Weems thinking when he caught a punt on his own three-yard line with 3:44 left in the third? He’s lucky that his offense turned this into an emphatic touchdown drive, otherwise he may have walked home from the stadium.
• Seattle fans were howling for a flag when quarterback Russell Wilson overthrew receiver Jermaine Kearse with 7:02 left in the fourth. They felt that cornerback Robert Alford grabbed him before the ball got there.  He may have,[22] but the pass was over Kearse’s head.
• The play that Alford made against Kearse with 4:53 left in the fourth was an obvious pass interference penalty, however.
• What a play by Atlanta’s kick block unit to block the extra point on Seattle’s touchdown that made the score 24-23 with 4:43 left in the fourth!
• CRAZY play that led to Seattle defensive back Earl Thomas’ interception with 3:48 left in the fourth. Atlanta receiver Julio Jones couldn’t handle the pass, instead tipping it into the air, where another defender tipped it again before Thomas hauled in the interception.
• Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn had every reason in the world to be livid about the no-call with 1:30 left in the fourth. Julio Jones was CLEARLY interfered with, but the officials chose not to flag it.  It came on fourth down, and it was the nail in the coffin for Atlanta’s game-winning efforts.
• The officials did not win this game for Seattle, nor did they lose it for Atlanta, but the game would have been different had the penalty been called like it should have been.[23]

Dallas Cowboys 30, @ Green Bay Packers 16

Note: I watched this game on November 28th, but I knew that the Cowboys had won it shortly after the game ended.

• Thom Brennaman and Troy Aikman announced this game. Joe Buck was covering Game Two of the NLCS between the Dodgers and Cubs, so Brennaman took his place.
• Why was Dallas’ first touchdown reviewed? That was a clear touchdown!  Beasley had caught the ball, took two steps, dove, broke the plane, and then lost the ball as he hit the ground.  Thank goodness that sanity prevailed.
• Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers entered this game with a 56.1% completion percentage…last in the NFL. However, this does not tell the entire story.[24]  His receivers have dropped a lot of passes.  His line has not protected him well, causing him to throw the ball away a lot.  His receivers also have not done a good job of getting open.  All in all, the low completion percentage was a team effort.
• Dallas rookie quarterback Dak Prescott broke Tom Brady’s record of 162 pass attempts to start a career without an interception late in the first quarter.
• One pass attempt later, Prescott threw his first interception. At least he appeared  He dropped back to pass, getting hit at the Green Bay 27 by defensive tackle Julius Peppers as he threw the ball.  The ball fluttered directly to linebacker Joe Thomas, who snatched it and returned it six yards before being tackled at the 30.  The play was ruled a fumble that was caught before it hit the ground.  Upon viewing replay…that is exactly what happened.  When Prescott was hit, his arm was still moving backward, and the ball popped out before he actually threw it.
• Green Bay cornerback Demetri Goodson was complaining about his pass interference penalty with 8:07 left in the second, but he hit Dallas receiver Cole Beasley well before the ball arrived. It was an easy decision for the official who threw the flag.
• I pride myself on knowing the rules of football very well.[25] Not well enough, apparently.  With 2:15 left in the second, Dallas tried to call a timeout that they did not have.  It caused weirdness at the line as Green Bay snapped the ball, and the officials blew it dead.  I thought, “Why is it a technical foul in basketball to call a timeout that you do not have, but it’s nothing in football?”  Immediately after I thought that, referee Brad Allen announced a penalty for delay of game by Dallas for asking for a timeout when they did not have one.  Well, then.  I learned something new.[26]
• With one minute left in the first half, Green Bay pinned Dallas on their own two-yard line. The fans were loud, and Green Bay had all three timeouts.  It was a tremendous opportunity for Green Bay to quickly get the ball back with good field position, which would be huge while trailing 10-6.  Then…BOOM!  Four-yard run up the middle by Elliott.  BOOM!  Five-yard run up the middle by Elliott.  BOOM!  26-yard end-around run to the left side by receiver Lucky Whitehead, who stepped out of bounds to stop the clock.  BOOM!  42-yard pass from Prescott to receiver Terrance Williams, who then stepped out of bounds.  BOOM!  20-yard touchdown pass from Prescott to receiver Brice Butler.  Five plays, 98 yards over a span of 33 seconds, and after the extra point, Dallas led, 17-6.
• The interception that Rodgers threw with 10:12 left in the third was atrocious. It went right to Dallas defensive back Barry Church.  As he threw the ball – and before Church intercepted it – Brennaman said, “Terrible play.”
• With 5:40 left in the third, Green Bay receiver Devontae Adams ran a slant route and caught the pass from Rodgers for a first down. As he made the tough catch, he was tackled from behind by Dallas cornerback Anthony Brown and was lit up from the front by Dallas linebacker Sean Lee.  Adams did not move after the hit, lying face-down atop the football.  I initially thought that Lee hit him illegally helmet-to-helmet.  I began to (angrily) wonder why no official threw a flag.  Then I watched the replay to see that Lee’s hit wasn’t a helmet-to-helmet hit at all, but a standard chest tackle that came with a tremendous amount of force behind it.
• When Rodgers fumbled on the Dallas four-yard line while trailing 20-6 with 1:10 left in the third, Green Bay looked deflated. Three plays later, on third-and-eight for Dallas, Green Bay defensive back Morgan Burnett intercepted Prescott’s pass that was intended for Dallas tight end Jason Witten, and Green Bay had new life.  They did not capitalize, however, and had to settle for a third field goal.
• On the ensuing possession, it looked like Green Bay’s defense was trying too hard. They overpursued, and it cost them big-time, as Whitehead came out of the backfield on a play-action fake.  The linebacker bit on the fake, and Whitehead slipped by him – wide-open – for an easy 35-yard reception.[27]
• Green Bay scored a late consolation touchdown, but it was too little, too late. What a dreadful performance.
• This is the type of game that can derail a season. Why?  It exposed a lot of problems that Green Bay’s future opponents will see on film and exploit the heck out of.  Honestly, I’m not sure that Green Bay is all that good.  We shall see.

@ Houston Texans 26, Indianapolis Colts 23 (OT)

• Up until Houston safety Robert Nelson Jr. intercepted a pass that Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck should not have thrown – which happened with 42 seconds left in the first half – very little from this game interested me. Play-by-play announcer Al Michaels even sounded bored.
• Other than the aforementioned interception, what interested me from the first half was how automatic Indianapolis kicker Adam Vinatieri is. He kicked two field goals, which were his 40th and 41st consecutive field goals, two shy of the record.  Michaels suggested that the 43-year-old Vinatieri is the best kicker ever to play in the NFL so far.  I won’t argue that point.[28]
• Houston finally put together a good drive on their first possession of the second half, when they drove 82 yards over 10 plays for a touchdown. It was capped by a great one-yard run up the middle by running back Lamar Miller.  The drive took over five minutes of game time.  They had some good things happen on that drive.[29]  If only they could do this consistently.
• With 3:19 left in the third, Indianapolis faced a third-and-three at the Houston 32. Houston defensive end Whitney Mercilus sacked Luck for a 13-yard loss that knocked Indianapolis out of field goal range.  At least, they WOULD have knocked Indianapolis out of field goal range.  Mercilus drug Luck down by his facemask, which resulted in a 15-yard penalty from the previous spot and an automatic first down.  Discipline, discipline, discipline.
• I don’t understand why Indianapolis went for it on fourth-and-one at the Houston eight-yard line. A field goal would have put them up by seven.
• One play later, Indianapolis defensive back Vontae Davis intercepted Houston quarterback Brock Osweiler’s pass attempt toward receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and two plays after that, Luck scrambled for a touchdown. The extra point made the score 20-9.
• What a touchdown reception by Houston running back Lamar Miller on a pass from Osweiler with 2:47 left in the fourth! It shows up in the box score as “TD – Miller 10 pass from Osweiler (Novak kick).”  But that doesn’t do it justice.  The run after the catch was spectacular.  He looked like he was going to be stopped for a two-yard gain at the nine, but he slipped out of the tackle, cut back to the left, and weaved through the Indianapolis defense with the help of some great blocking for the touchdown.  Wow!
• After the touchdown, Houston made a huge defense stop, forcing Indianapolis to punt from its own end zone on fourth-and-21. After a two-yard run by Indianapolis running back Frank Gore, Houston cornerback Andre Hal sacked Luck on second-and-eight for an 11-yard loss.  Then Gore was stopped behind the line for a one-yard loss, forcing the punt.  The entire drive took about 40 seconds.
• Houston took over at its own 47, then marched 53 yards for the game-tying touchdown and extra point that was capped by a 26-yard touchdown reception by tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz from Osweiler.
• After that, Indianapolis could not get into field goal range, forcing overtime.
• Indianapolis had the first possession of overtime, but their drive was ended by a hard sack that made me feel sorry for poor Andrew Luck.[30]
• Osweiler’s 36-yard pass to J. Strong with 9:44 left in overtime was caught in acrobatic fashion. He dove to make the spectacular catch.
• Houston kicker Nick Novak sealed the game with a field goal.
• This turned out to be an exciting game. Houston was the better team and deserved to win, but Indianapolis, at the same time, completely blew a very winnable game.

@ Arizona Cardinals 28, New York Jets 3

Note: I did not see this game until November 30, but I knew the outcome the night that it happened.

• Arizona’s first touchdown – which came on a 58-yard run by running back David Johnson with 9:51 left in the first – could not have been run any better.
  • QB Carson Palmer did a great job selling the misdirection.
  • Johnson ran off-tackle, getting to the outside and turning the corner quickly.
  • Receiver Larry Fitzgerald threw a PERFECT block[31] to free Johnson up.
  • Off to the races!
• New York receiver Charone Peake got belted with 2:21 left in the third and dropped the ball. He was slow to get up.  It was painful for me to watch.
• Poor Ryan Fitzpatrick threw yet another interception in the end zone, this time with 46 seconds left in the third. He’s having a tough time this season, but it’s not like any New York quarterback has played well consistently this season.  It’s a shame that his coaching staff has lost confidence in him.
• Embattled Arizona receiver Michael Floyd made a beautiful catch on an outstanding throw by Palmer to the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown with 8:20 left in the fourth.
• The New York Jets are a mess. They can’t seem to get anything going.
• Other than the fact that my favorite team whooped up on New York,[32] this game wasn’t all that exciting. New York isn’t playing very well, it was a complete mismatch, and it was a penalty fest.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016 11:49 PM MST

[1] Mariota’s inaccuracy on deep balls gave his receivers chances to make highlight-reel catches.

[2] If Miami head coach Adam Gase has a heart attack some time this season, I will only be mildly surprised.

[3] He landed weird on his left leg after getting his heel clipped, injuring his left knee.

[4] At what point does this start to come down on the coach?

[5] If he hadn’t grabbed Acho, Bortles would have been flattened.

[6] Sorry, Jaguar fans.  I just don’t.

[7] A ten-yard penalty is better than your starting quarterback potentially being injured.

[8] Matt is as anti-Brady as they come, but that doesn’t mean that you can automatically discount what he says.  He makes very good points.

[9] Gronkowski played college ball at my alma mater – the University of Arizona.  It was such a treat to watch him play.

[10] Brady threw it low so that only Gronkowski would be able catch the ball.

[11] Recall that Denver’s victory in last year’s AFC Championship Game came partly as a result of a missed extra point by Gostkowski.

[12] After their infamous meltdown in last year’s wild card playoff game against Pittsburgh, this is not surprising.

[13] Arizona has David Johnson and Buffalo has LeSean McCoy.

[14] No one should criticize LA for going for it on fourth down.  They were inside the one.

[15] As of Week Six, the other seven were Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Dan Marino, Fran Tarkenton, and John Elway.  Interesting to note that the only one of those quarterbacks whose career ended before the 1980s, when the restrictions against defenders tightened, is Tarkenton.  Also, another amazing thing about Eli Manningis that he’s never missed a start in his pro career.  Considering how thin he is (I’ve heard him described as “scrawny”), that is amazing, given the bone-jarring hits he’s taken.

[16] This was the 301st touchdown pass of Manning’s career, which moved him past John Elway to seventh on the all-time list.

[17] Flacco has a reputation as the most accurate deep-ball passer in the league, and he’s proud of it.  What slips under the radar, though, is how accurate Eli Manning is on deep balls.  In fact, I think he’s slightly more accurate than Flacco.

[18] That was painful to watch.  Jenkins about ripped his head off.

[19] He shot the football like it was a basketball.  You aren’t allowed to use the ball as a prop.  I can understand this rule – but why not make it a 5-yard penalty for delay of game?

[20] The rain cleared up before halftime, but the field was still water-logged and slippery.

[21] All of the “bird” teams in the NFL (Cardinals, Eagles, Falcons, Seahawks) play each other a lot this year.  The Falcons are the only ones who play all of the others.

[22] It certainly LOOKED like he did.

[23] How do we know that Atlanta wouldn’t have fumbled on the next play?  Or that their kicker would make the game-winning field goal?  We don’t.  But we should have been allowed to find out.

[24] Baseball manager Lou Pinella once said, “Statistics are like bikinis.  They show a lot, but not everything.”

[25] I officiated high school football for several years.  I wore out my rulebooks every year.  I didn’t ever want to be in a situation where a coach knew a rule better than I did.

[26] I’m glad that the penalty for asking for a timeout when you don’t have one is five yards for delay of game.  A 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty would be way too harsh.

[27] Brett Favre – whose name was added to the Ring of Honor at halftime – was in the booth, being interviewed by Brennaman and Aikman.  Favre said, “Uh-oh” as soon as Whitehead slipped past the defender.

[28] I’ve met Adam.  He’s a nice, easy-going guy who is great to have a conversation with.  It was in the spring of 1997.  A good friend of his was a security guard at my school, and Adam dropped by to visit after school was out for the day.  I got to talk with him for a good 20 minutes.  Great memory that I will never forget.  By the way, when I met him, he had just finished his rookie year with the Patriots.

[29] Unfortunately, kicker Novak missed the extra point, so it only cut the Indianapolis lead to 13-9 instead of 13-10.

[30] My goodness, he’s getting beaten up back there this season.  I hope he doesn’t get injured.

[31] Fitz is known for his blocking ability.  Of all the receivers in the league, he probably is the best blocker.

[32] The only touchdown by a New York Jet was when their team plane landed at Sky Harbor International Airport.  I can’t take credit for coming up with this quip – I saw it on a hilarious meme.