Miami Dolphins (4-4) vs. Houston Texans (5-3
Final Score: Texans 42, Dolphins 23
Recap
A switch finally flipped with young QB Deshaun Watson, who matched a career high with five touchdowns passes to lead the Texans to their fifth straight victory over Miami. Watson had help from Miami native Lamar Miller’s second straight 100-yard game, which got the Houston offense rolling. They had contributions from both DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller (who later left with an injury) in the touchdown department and just outmatched Miami. The Dolphins offense was couldn’t beat J.J. Watt and company and had to result to trick plays to score. This was a terrible homecoming for Brock Osweiler, who signed a huge deal with Houston a few years back, and a great resurgence for both the Texans and Deshaun Watson.
Both Kenyan Drake and Lamar Miller kicked off the game with touchdown runs in the first quarter to make the game 7-7. After an Osweiler interception, Watson found Jordan Thomas for a 13 yard score, and then found the tight end again in the third quarter to make the score 21-10. The Dolphins roared back on a tricky Amendola pass to Drake, cutting the lead to four. But the Texans answered quickly on a 73 yard touchdown catch by Will Fuller to make it a one score game. From there on out it was the Deshaun Watson show. He managed to find DeAndre Hopkins twice in the fourth quarter and eventually sealed the game 42-23.
Notable Performances
Miami Dolphins
Brock Osweiler, QB: 21/37, 241 yds, 1 INT
Kenyan Drake, RB: 12 rush, 58 yds, 1 TD, 4.8 ypc; 2 rec, 37 yds, 1 TD
DeVante Parker, WR: 6 rec, 134 yds
Houston Texans
Deshaun Watson, QB: 16/20, 239 yds, 5 TD
Lamar Miller, RB: 18 rush, 133 yds, 1 TD, 7.4 ypc
Will Fuller V, WR: 5 rec, 124 yds, 1 TD
Written by: George Haraktsis
Philadelphia Eagles (4-4) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5 (London)
Final Score: Eagles 24, Jaguars 18
Recap
For all of Jacksonville’s struggles recently, they played a much better game expected against an Eagles team that looks like it has finally rebounded from a slow start. Despite being sacked 4 times and committing 2 turnovers, Carson Wentz played an excellent game, posting a 70% completion percentage and tossing 3 touchdowns. Blake Bortles was his usual inaccurate self, but he was still able to keep it close. Both defenses really showed up, and this game might be the spark for both teams to get going this season.
The game started out slow, with Carson Wentz committing two turnovers on his first two drives, one of which was in the endzone. The Jaguars could hardly capitalize, however, scoring just two field goals by halftime. The Eagles recovered a Jacksonville fumble late in the first half and took a 10-6 lead going into the break. Things opened up after halftime, with 5 scores within 6 drives. The difference is that the Eagles were scoring touchdowns while the Jaguars were settling for field goals. Jacksonville had a golden opportunity to pull within 2 points after a long TJ Yeldon run, but rookie DJ Chark bobbled the catch. The Eagles stay a game out of first, while Jacksonville falls two games behind the surging Texans.
Notable Performances
Philadelphia Eagles
Carson Wentz, QB: 21/30, 286 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT, 1 FUM; 6 rush, 28 yds
Josh Adams, RB: 9 rush, 61 yds, 6.8 ypc
Jordan Matthews, WR: 4 rec, 93 yds
Jordan Hicks, LB: 12 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 QB Hits
Jacksonville Jaguars
Blake Bortles, QB: 24/41, 286 yds, 1 TD; 8 rush, 43 yds
T.J. Yeldon, RB: 2 rush, 7 yds, 3.5 ypc; 7 rec, 83 yds
Donte Moncrief, WR: 4 rec, 54 yds
Written by: Alexander Amir
Denver Broncos (3-5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (7-1)
Final Score: Chiefs 30, Broncos 23
Recap
This game ended up being a lot closer than I expected. The Chiefs were led by another outstanding performance from early MVP favorite Patrick Mahomes. He finished with 303 yards and four touchdowns through the air. His success was in large part due to a breakout game from wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who accounted for 107 yards and two touchdowns. For the Broncos, Case Keenum finished with 262 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, that would not be enough to keep up with the Chiefs’ offensive attack, as they held on to win 30-23.
The Broncos opened this game strong with a one-yard touchdown run by Phillip Lindsay. But the Chiefs accumulated 16 unanswered points with a field goal by Harrison Butker and two touchdown passes from Mahomes. Denver followed with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Keenum to Tim Patrick to make it a 16-14 game at the half. The Chiefs separated themselves with a huge third quarter with touchdown passes to Kareem Hunt and Watkins. Denver tried to make things interesting in the fourth quarter by adding a Jeff Heuerman touchdown catch and a field goal, but it was too little, too late as they were still a touchdown short.
Notable Performances
Denver Broncos
Case Keenum, QB: 23/34, 262 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Phillip Lindsay, RB: 18 rush, 95 yds, 1 TD, 5.3 ypc
Courtland Sutton, WR: 3 rec, 78 yds
Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes, QB: 24/34, 303 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Kareem Hunt, RB: 16 rush, 50 yds, 3.1 ypc
Sammy Watkins, WR: 8 rec, 107 yds, 2 TD
Written by: Ryan Lippert
Cleveland Browns (2-5-1) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2-1)
Final Score: Steelers 33, Browns 18
Recap
The Pittsburgh Steelers physically dominated the Cleveland Browns in every facet of this game. James Conner ran roughshod over the Browns front 7. Conner averaged 6.1 yards-per-carry, which indicates just how dominate the Steelers were all day. The Browns, like most NFL teams, couldn’t cover Antonio Brown. Brown capitalized on a couple breakdowns in coverage, and he scored 2 touchdowns. Baker Mayfield had a very up-and-down game, and the Steelers were able to get to him early and often. The Browns did not take many shots down the field, and the Steelers defense was ultimately able to contain the lackluster Browns offense.
The Browns fired Hue Jackson and Todd Haley after Sunday’s performance. Cleveland will hand the torch over to Gregg Williams, who will be tasked with trying to keep the Browns afloat for the rest of the season. The Browns will surely look to find an offensive-minded head coach that will get the most out of Baker Mayfield and the young but talented offense. The Steelers will look to continue their hot streak of 3 straight wins, as they will be taking on the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday.
Notable Performances
Cleveland Browns
Baker Mayfield, QB: 22/36, 180 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT; 1 rush 9 yds
Nick Chubb, RB: 18 rush, 65 yds, 3.6 ypc
Antonio Callaway, WR: 5 rec, 36 yds, TD
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger, QB: 24/36, 257 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT; 2 rush, 6 yds
James Conner, RB: 24 rush, 146 yds, 2 TD, 6.1 ypc; 5 rec, 66 yds
Antonio Brown, WR: 6 rec, 74 yds, 2 TD
Written by: Jake Leicht
Washington Redskins (5-2) vs. New York Giants (1-7)
Final Score: Redskins 20, Giants 13
Recap
Here’s an interesting stat — since last season’s week 8 bye, the Giants have scored over 21 points exactly 3 times. That’s 17 total games. It’s no wonder that they have a 3-14 record since then. Meanwhile, the Redskins continue to surprise the NFL by leading the NFC East, in large part thanks to their #2 ranked rush defense that just held Saquon Barkley to 38 yards rushing on 13 carries. They also accumulated 6 sacks and 2 interceptions. Meanwhile, after trading Damon Harrison to the Lions, the Giants were gashed by Adrian Peterson to the tune of 149 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. The rest of their defense played well, holding Washington to just 20 points and under 180 receiving yards, but their offense just failed to show up once again.
The Redskins jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on a Peterson reception to end their 2nd drive of the game. The teams traded punts before the Giants threatened, but Eli Manning threw a horrible interception on Washington’s 11 yard line. After that, despite the Giants having 1st and goal on the Redskins’ 4 yard line, no more touchdowns were scored until Adrian Peterson shot out of the backfield for a 64 yard touchdown run with 3 minutes left in the game. It was too little too late for the Giants, who scored one more touchdown but ran out of time to make a comeback.
Notable Performances
Washington Redskins
Alex Smith, QB: 20/32, 178 yds, 1 TD; 3 rush, 13 yds
Adrian Peterson, RB: 26 rush, 149 yds, 1 TD, 5.7 ypc; 1 rec, 7 yds, 1 TD
D.J. Swearinger, FS: 5 tackles, 2 INT
New York Giants
Eli Manning, QB: 30/47, 316 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Saquon Barkley, RB: 13 rush, 38 yds, 2.9 ypc; 9 rec, 73 yds
Odell Beckham Jr., WR: 8 rec, 136 yds
Written by: Alexander Amir
Seattle Seahawks (4-3) vs. Detroit Lions (3-4)
Final Score: Seahawks 28, Lions 14
Recap
After losing their first two games of the year, both teams came into this game winning 3 of their last 4 games and rolling both offensively and defensively. Another “W” would have put the Lions in 1st place of the NFC North; instead Russell Wilson and company took it to Detroit, beating them thoroughly in all aspects of the game. The Seahawks caused 3 turnovers, which wound up being the deciding factors in the game. An early fumble on a kick return in the 1st quarter not only swung the momentum but amounted to a minute and 12 second, 14-point swing. The Lions continued to battle but couldn’t recover from coughing up the ball another two times late in the game.
Russell Wilson finished with a perfect passer rating of 158.3, completing as many touchdowns (3) as incompletions. His teammate and running back Chris Carson had his 3rd 100+ yard rushing game of the season, going for 105 yards on 25 carries and 1 TD. The Seahawks defense was able to stifle a Lions run game that had been one of the league’s best over the past few weeks, holding them to only 34 total yards on the ground. QB Matt Stafford made some impressive plays throughout the game including two touchdown passes to Marvin Jones, one of which featured Stafford avoiding multiple pass rushers and hitting Jones with a perfect touch throw in the endzone. The Seahawks won the two most important battles of the day — they dominated both sides of the trenches and won the turnover battle 3-0. Don’t look now, but the ‘Hawks are not a team to be reckoned coming into the midpoint of the season.
Notable Performances
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson, QB: 14/17, 248 yds, 3 TD
Chris Carson, RB: 25 rush, 105 yds, 1 TD, 4.2 ypc
David Moore, WR: 4 rec, 97 yds, 1 TD
Ed Dickson, TE: 2 rec, 54 yds, 1 TD
Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford, QB: 27/40, 310 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Kerryon Johnson, RB: 8 rush, 22 yds, 2.7 ypc
Marvin Jones Jr., WR: 7 rec, 117 yds, 2 TD
Written by: Jack Bourgeois
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)
Final Score: Bengals 37, Buccaneers 34
Recap
Coming into this weekend, Tampa Bay was looking to build off of an ugly home overtime win against the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals, on the other hand, weren’t looking to lose three straight, especially at home. Something had to give, and with 5:40 to go in the 2nd quarter, the latter of the two would prove to be true. The Bengals were up 21-0 and although the Buccaneers continued to move the ball, turnover, after turnover, after turnover would plague the team’s chances at another historic comeback. The Bengals offense was nearly nonexistent in the 2nd half, as they were outscored 25-3, but were able to march down the field and hit a game winning field goal when it counted most.
The biggest storyline of this matchup was the putrid play of Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston. He threw 4 interceptions in three quarters of play, including a pick-6, and missed several wide open receivers throughout the game. The fairytale story that is FitzMagic once again balled out, digging his team out of an 18-point 4th quarter deficit and tying the game up, just to see it slip away due to a last second Bengals field goal. Between Joe Mixon tearing up a Kwon Alexander-less Bucs rush defense and Tyler Boyd going for 138 yards through the air, Tampa Bay’s defense is arguably the worst in the league. There’s just not enough magic in the world to fix the Buccaneers’ D at this point. Regardless, if not for the 4 turnovers by Winston, this surely would have been a different game.
Notable Performances
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jameis Winston, QB: 18/35, 276 yds 1 TD, 4 INT
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: 11/15, 194 yds, 2 TD
Peyton Barber, RB: 19 rush, 85 yds, 1 TD, 4.5 ypc
Mike Evans, WR: 6 rec, 179 yds, 1 TD
Cincinnati Bengals
Andy Dalton, QB: 21/34, 280 yds, 2 TD
Joe Mixon, RB: 21 rush, 123 yds, 2 TD, 5.8 ypc
Tyler Boyd, WR: 9 rec, 138 yds, 1 TD
A.J. Green, WR: 5 rec, 76 yds, 1 TD
Written by: Jack Bourgeois
New York Jets (3-5) vs. Chicago Bears (4-3)
Final Score: Bears 24, Jets 10
Recap
The short-handed Chicago Bears took down the New York Jets without key contributors Allen Robinson and Khalil Mack on offense and defense. Mitchell Trubisky was shaky at times, but his two touchdowns were enough to help the Bears finish on top. Trubisky had help on the ground and in the air in the form of Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, who both had touchdowns on the day. Chicago’s defense held Sam Darnold in check, as he threw for just 153 yards, and stifled a running game that only managed 57 yards. This was the second straight loss for a Jets team that looked bad on both sides of the ball, and an important win for the Bears, who not only picked up a win after their two game skid but the division lead as well.
Tarik Cohen’s first quarter 70-yard screen for a touchdown gave this match the looks of a shootout, but the game’s next touchdown would not be scored until the middle of the third quarter. The Jets finally found the scoreboard on a Jason Myers 42 yard field goal in the second quarter to make the game a close 7-3, but Anthony Miller’s score in the third put the Bears up 11 points. The Jets weren’t done though. After a Cody Parkey field goal put Chicago up two scores, a Chris Herndon touchdown from Sam Darnold at the beginning of the fourth cut the lead to seven. Unfortunately, the Jets never really had control of the game, and a 2-yard Jordan Howard score with seven minutes to go all but iced the game.
Notable Performances
New York Jets
Sam Darnold, QB: 14/29, yds, 1 TD
Isaiah Crowell , RB: 13 rush, 25 yds, 1.9 ypc
Deontay Burnett, WR: 4 rec, 61 yds
Chicago Bears
Mitchell Trubisky, QB: 16/29, 220 yds, 2 TD
Jordan Howard, RB: 22 rush, 81 yds, 1 TD, 3.6 ypc
Tarik Cohen, RB: 1 rec, 70 yds, 1 TD; 5 rush, 40 yds, 8.0 ypc
Written by: George Haraktsis
Baltimore Ravens (4-4) vs. Carolina Panthers (5-2)
Final Score: Panthers 36, Ravens 21
Recap
The Baltimore Ravens looked like a shell of themselves on the defensive side of the ball on Sunday. Cam Newton absolutely demolished them with a combination of his passing and running. The Ravens were not able to make Cam throw the ball in tight windows, and he simply was able to make plays in the pocket. He was also able to pick up over 50 yards on the ground. Even though Christian McCaffrey did not have his normal game receiving the ball, he was able to find the endzone twice. The Ravens’ offensive unit looked very porous. Joe Flacco did not do enough to finish the game, as the Ravens called on Lamar Jackson to mop up the 4th quarter duties.
The Ravens may look to Lamar Jackson a little more often after his week 8 performance. Jackson looked comfortable in the pocket, and he was able to make some plays with his feet. The Ravens have been trending downward, and Jackson is their future. Could they give him a few games later on in the season to get some game film on him if they are out of playoff contention? If Flacco cannot get this offense going, I would not hesitate to give Jackson more snaps.
Notable Performances
Baltimore Ravens
Joe Flacco, QB: 22/39, 192 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT; 2 rush 14 yds
Lamar Jackson, QB: 4/5, 46 yds, 1 TD; 3 rush, 26 yds
Alex Collins, RB: 11 rush, 49 yds, TD, 4.5 ypc
Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton, QB: 21/29, 219 yds, 2 TD; 10 rush, 52 yds, 1 TD
Christian McCaffrey, RB: 14 rush, 45 yds, 1 TD, 3.2 ypc; 4 rec, 11 yds, 1 TD
Greg Olsen, TE: 4 rec, 56 yds, 1 TD
Written by: Jake Leicht
Indianapolis Colts (3-5) vs. Oakland Raiders (1-6)
Final Score: Colts 42, Raiders 28
Recap
The Colts and Raiders got into a back-and-forth shootout Sunday afternoon that Indianapolis eventually pulled away in the 4th quarter. Oakland got their offense to finally click and Derek Carr looked closer to the player that we saw a couple years ago. Andrew Luck and the offense are humming right now, which helped the Colts stay in the game when the Raiders were rolling on offense. Jack Doyle made his presence known in his first game back since his injury and caught a touchdown, which gave Indianapolis the 4th quarter lead. Oakland’s lack of pass rush once again was a big factor in why another opposing quarterback had his way against their defense.
The Raiders still had a chance to tie the game up and give themselves another opportunity to get back into this game. The following series after the Colts took the lead, Darius Leonard forced a game-sealing fumble by Doug Martin on the first play. The Colts punched in a touchdown for the two score lead and will be heading into their bye week on a two-game winning streak. Oakland has yet to play a complete game and will look to make things right on a short week, as they will be facing the 49ers this Thursday night.
Notable Performances
Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck, QB: 22/31, 239 yds, 3 TD
Marlon Mack, RB: 25 rush, 132 yds, 2 TD, 5.3 ypc; 2 rec, 17 yds
Jack Doyle, TE: 6 rec, 70 yds, 1 TD
Oakland Raiders
Derek Carr, QB: 21/28, 244 yds, 3 TD
Doug Martin, RB: 13 rush, 72 yds, 5.5 ypc
Jared Cook, TE: 4 rec, 74 yds, 1 TD
Written by: Cody Manning
San Francisco 49ers (1-7) vs. Arizona Cardinals (2-6)
Final Score: Cardinals 18, 49ers 15
Recap
The San Francisco 49ers keep finding ways to lose, and they had to work hard to do that in their week 8 divisional matchup on Sunday. This wasn’t just any loss; they won the turnover battle, including a fumble in the game’s final minutes, but gave the ball back after a quick three and out netting all of 4 yards. Following a nauseating first half that produced a total of 8 points, San Fran appeared to hit stride, as Marquise Goodwin beat Patrick Peterson on a short pass and sprinted 55 yards for a touchdown. On their next possession, the 49ers underwent an 11 play drive that included three rushes in a goal-to-go situation. But they settled for a Robbie Gould field goal, a passive approach that left the Cardinals down two scores instead of a game clinching three. It was the fourth quarter when the game flipped script.
The Cardinals answered the call in the fourth quarter with a pair of Josh Rosen touchdown passes to cut down the lead. The first came on a 13 yard strike to veteran Larry Fitzgerald with just over 11:00 remaining. Although Jermaine Gresham fumbled the ball with 4:44 remaining, the 49ers failed to pick up a first down. After a 73 yard drive, Rosen hit Christian Kirk for the game winning 9 yard shot. With Larry Fitzgerald successful in his 2 point conversion attempt, it was the next 49er possession that really sums up their season. Down by three, and in desperation mode, CJ Beathard marched his team down to the 49 yard line with 7 seconds left. The final snap sailed over his head, ending the game without an attempt at overtime. It seems as though the 49ers find new ways to lose each week, and this one ended with Josh Rosen’s first 4th quarter comeback victory.
Notable Performances
San Francisco 49ers
CJ Beathard, QB: 14/28, 190 yds, 1 TD; 5 rush, 9 yards
Matt Breida, RB: 16 rush, 42 yds, 2.6 ypc
Marquise Goodwin, WR: 1 rec, 55 yds, 1 TD
Arizona Cardinals
Josh Rosen, QB: 23/40, 252 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT; 2 rush, 12 yards
David Johnson, RB: 16 rush, 59 yds, 3.7 ypc; 4 rec, 41 yds
Larry Fitzgerald, WR: 8 rec, 102 yds, 1 TD
Christian Kirk, WR: 3 rec, 42 yards, 1 TD (Game Winner)
Written by: Jason Feiner
Green Bay Packers (3-3-1) vs. Los Angeles Rams (8-0)
Final Score: Rams 29, Packers 27
Recap
A win is a win, and the Rams now at 8-0 know that better than anyone. The Rams barely escaped week 8 as the only undefeated team left in the league. The Packers, coming off a bye, jumped out to a 10 point lead, but it was not enough to keep the lead against the NFL’s #1 ranked offense. Aaron Rodgers may be the best QB in all of football, but his surrounding talent just cannot match up with teams such as the Rams, who are better across the board in nearly every positional group on the field. LA started off slow, having their worst statistical half of their 2018 season, but would eventually find their rhythm, finishing with 416 yards of offense and narrowly outscoring Rodgers.
Believe it or not, it took LA’s special teams and defense to spark the Rams comeback. The punt team was able to pin Green Bay on the 1-yard line, forcing a safety with just over two minutes to go. Jared Goff was able to build off of that, driving the ball down the field and connecting on a 32 yard pass down the sideline to Todd Gurley, and scoring a few plays later. In the second half, the Packers were able to get the ground game going with Aaron Jones, but it was Todd Gurley who would take over, totaling 195 yards. Goff and Rodgers would trade blows in the 4th and the game would eventually come down to one play. Down 2 points with 2 minutes to go, Ty Montgomery deciding to go rogue and take the ball out on the kickoff, defying his coaches, coughing up the football, and robbing Rodgers of a signature comeback attempt. Gurley would then run out the clock by allowing himself to be tackled before the endzone, sealing his team’s 8th victory of the season and proving that the Rams truly are the NFL’s best team.
Notable Performances
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers, QB: 18/30, 286 yds, 1 TD, 1 rush, 5 yards
Aaron Jones, RB: 12 rush, 86 yds, 7.6 ypc, 1 TD
Davante Adams, WR: 5 rec, 133 yds
Los Angeles Rams
Jared Goff, QB: 19/35, 295 yds, 3 TD, 5 rush, 7 yards
Todd Gurley, RB: 25 rush, 114 yds, 4.5 ypc; 6 rec, 81 yds, 1 TD
Josh Reynolds, WR: 3 rec, 42 yds, 2 TD
Written by: Jack Bourgeois
New Orleans Saints (6-1) vs. Minnesota Vikings (4-3-1)
Final Score: Saints 30, Vikings 20
Recap
It’s widely assumed that the Saints came into Minnesota with revenge on their minds after last year’s “Minni Miracle”, a divisional playoff game in which the Vikings pulled off an improbable, last second victory. Newly crowned All-time NFL Passing Leader Drew Brees stated on several occasions that this is just another game against a team they’ll possibly see once again come the postseason. Is this the NFC’s newest rivalry? I’m not sure, but what I do know is that Minnesota played this game quite banged up and it showed! Six Vikings starters weren’t able to suit up, including star CB Xavier Rhodes (ankle), LB Anthony Barr (hamstring), OT Riley Reiff (foot), OG Tom Compton (knee), and S Andrew Sendejo (groin). While the backups played better than expected, the Saints were able to exploit nearly every mismatch associated with the laundry list of 2nd stringers on the field.
Early on, Kirk Cousins was able to connect with his insanely talented duo of wideouts in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, the latter of which had yet another 100+ yard receiving game. But a costly fumble in the final minutes of the first half by the NFL’s best WR would be a huge momentum swing for the Saints. The Vikings marched into the redzone for the 3rd time in the first half and were en route to go up two scores, but Thielen's fumble was returned 53 yards and Alvin Kamara scored two plays later. Brees and company were able to do enough to secure a victory, but it was the Saints defense that picked off Cousins, returning it 45 yards for a TD and putting the game out of reach for Minnesota.
Notable Performances
New Orlean Saints
Drew Brees, QB: 18/23, 120 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Mark Ingram II , RB: 13 rushes, 63 yds
Alvin Kamara, RB: 13 rushes, 45 yds 1 TD; 7 rec, 31 yds, 1 TD
Michael Thomas, WR: 5 rushes, 81 yds
Minnesota Vikings
Kirk Cousins, QB: 31/41, 359 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Latavius Murray, RB: 13 rush, 56 yds, 1 TD
Stefon Diggs, WR: 10 rec, 119 yds, 1 TD
Adam Thielen, WR: 7 rec, 103 yds, 1 TD
Written by: Jack Bourgeois
New England Patriots (6-2) vs. Buffalo Bills (2-6)
Final Score: Patriots 25, Bills 6
Recap
What some thought would be a blowout turned into a strange win for the Patriots. New England came out of the gate sputtering on offense, not able to score a touchdown in the first half. Buffalo’s fast defense was able to track down the Patriots skill positions and get after and in Brady’s face. Buffalo only manufactured three points in the first half, but looked better on offense than usual. They used a surprising dose of Wildcat, mixed in with deep plays, to move the ball on the Patriots. When the second half began the tide started turning, New England and Buffalo matched field goals in the third quarter but the fourth was different. New England scored the game’s first touchdown and responded with a pick six on the Bills’ next drive to score the game’s final points. After a few attempts by Anderson to get the ball down the field, the Bills turned the ball over and Brian Hoyer knelt the ball for a Patriots ugly win.
The game’s first half can be described as a myriad of field goal makes and misses. The game didn’t really heat up until late in the second half. Both teams came out sputtering in the third, trading field goals, but the fourth is where the action started. After a Buffalo punt, Brady marched the team down the field at the beginning of the 4th quarter and capped of the drive with a James White touchdown run. On the very next drive, a Devin McCourty pick six scored the deciding points in this matchup.
Notable Performances
New England Patriots
Tom Brady QB: 29/45, 324 yds, 0 TD
James White, RB: 8 rush, 15 yds, 1 TD,1.9 ypc; 10 rec, 79 yds
Julian Edelman, WR: 9 rec, 104 yds
Buffalo Bills
Derek Anderson QB: 22/39, 290 yds, 1 INT
LeSean McCoy, RB: 12 rush, 13 yds, 1.1 ypc; 6 rec, 82 yds
Lorenzo Alexander, OLB: 6 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 TFL
Written by: George Haraktsis