Eagles 28-23 over the Panthers: It was a very close game with fumbles by both teams but it was one QB who shined over the other. 1. Future MVP QB Carson Wentz had 3 TD passes with two of those TD passes going to TE Zach Ertz. While on the other end former MVP of two years ago QB Cam Newton had a rushing TD with one passing TD, but he had three interceptions with the final one being late in the fourth quarter to seal the game.
Dolphins 20-17 over the Falcons: 1. QB Jay Cutler threw an interception towards the end of the 1st half making it look like the game was over with Miami being down 17-0. But they came back with 20 unanswered points of their own. Cutler threw 2 TD passes to his WRS Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills (filling in for injured Davante Parker). RB Jay Ajayi with exactly 130 yard rushing chewed so much time off the clock it prevented Atlanta from having time to finish.
Bears 27-24 over the Ravens: The Bears were leading going into halftime into the fourth quarter but had to still pull it off in overtime with a field goal. With less than two minutes left the Bears gave up a punt return TD and a two point conversion. It was the 2nd time in the game Chicago let Baltimore score on a special teams TD, the earlier one being a kickoff return. 1. The Bears also returned one of the two interceptions by QB Joe Flacco for a TD and had one forced fumble. 2. RB Tarik Cohen threw for 1 TD pass and QB Mitchell Trubisky had no interceptions along with a TD pass.
Texans 33-10 over the Browns: Well the Texans harassed newly minted QB Kevin Hogan as they sacked him four times, forced him to fumble, forced an end zone penalty leading to a safety, and picked him off three times two by CB Jonathan Joseph, who returned one of them for a TD. 1. QB DeShaun Watson had 3 TD passes with all 3 going to his WRS, DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller V, and former Ohio State QB turned WR Braxton Miller. 2. But Cleveland got some laughs in a loss with an interception return TD off Watson, and Hogan threw one TD pass in the fourth quarter.
Vikings 23-10 over the Packers: It was the RB Jerick McKinnon show despite one fumble he was the offense for the Vikings scoring on both a rushing TD and passing TD. Minnesota was missing QB Sam Bradford again and their #1 WR Stefon Diggs. So it was bad enough Green Bay lost to their division rivals who were missing two of their best players, but they their season might be officially over. For those who didn’t know like me who the backup QB was for the Packers, it’s Brett Hundley (no relation to any of the catchers in MLB), and he fumbled and threw three interceptions in relief of QB Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers left the game early with what they fear is a broken collarbone and could be season ending for him and Green Bay.
Saints 52-38 over the Lions: Well it was a messy game for both sides as both QBS threw for as many interceptions as TDS. QB Drew Brees had 2 TDs but had 2 interceptions with one being returned for a TD. QB Matthew Stafford had 3 TDs but had 3 interceptions with one being returned for a TD. While the Saints defense in total had three interceptions-one leading to a TD, two forced fumbles leading to a TD, and they sacked Stafford five times. 1. On the offensive side of the QB play, RB Mark Ingram had 114 rushing yards and 2 rushing TDS for New Orleans. 2. The Lions had a punt return TD as well.
Patriots 24-17 over the Jets: 1. Tom Brady wasn’t his usual self having only 2 TD passes for fewer than 260 yards with one interception, but his counterpart had two interceptions. QB Josh McCown also had 2 TD passes. Both teams did fumble the ball away as well. 2. Both of Brady’s TD passes were to TE Rob Gronkowski. 3. The difference was a rushing TD by RB Deion Lewis for New England. 4. The Jets had a TD taken away from late in the fourth quarter which would have been TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins 2nd of the game.
Redskins 26-24 over the 49ers: The difference in the game was one team had a QB and the other has a journeyman QB who was benched in favor of a rookie name CJ Beathard. 1. QB Kirk Cousins did have an interception but he did throw for 330 yards with 2 TD passes and rushed one in for a TD. 2. The only real offense for San Francisco who hasn’t won a game yet was RB Carlos Hyde who had 2 rushing TDs.
Cardinals 38-33 over the Buccaneers: This was a back and forth sloppy game as the Cardinals fumbled the ball three times by their three oldest but best players on offense, one being returned by Tampa Bay for a TD, and QB Carson Palmer with an interception. QB Jameis Winston left the game with a shoulder injury and QB Ryan Fitzpatrick came in and had two interceptions of his own. 1. The positives were that Palmer had 3 TD passes one of them going to WR Larry Fitzgerald who had 138 receiving yards. In his debut RB Adrian Peterson had 2 rushing TDS and 134 yards filling the RB void Arizona had. 2. In relief of Winston, Fitzpatrick had 3 TD passes but missed two 2 point conversions. RB Doug Martin did have a rushing TD and one was for two on 2 point conversions.
Rams 27-17 over the Jaguars: It was a special teams game for Los Angeles. They scored on an opening kickoff play returning it for a TD and blocked a punt for a TD. 1. QB Jared Goff only had 1 TD pass and RB Todd Gurley had 116 rushing yards. They didn’t need to do much since the special teams and the defense did their job as they picked off QB Blake Bortles once and forced him to fumble twice. 2. RB Leonard Fournette had 130 yards rushing with a TD.
Steelers 19-13 over the Chiefs: 1. Ben Roethlisberger recovered from his one of his worst games ever with an average game of 1 TD and 1 interception. His one TD sealed the game late as he connected with WR Antonio Brown for a TD who finished with 155 yards receiving. From there he relied on his defense and running game. RB Le’Veon Bell had 179 yards rushing and a rushing TD. The defense held QB Alex Smith to only 1 TD pass, slowed down RB Kareem Hunt in the rushing game despite his 89 yards receiving, and forced a fumble in the end zone for a safety.
Chargers 17-16 over the Raiders: Either QB Derek Carr rushed back too early from injury or the Chargers defense really got to him. He threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball once. He did have one TD pass to WR Michael Crabtree but it wasn’t enough to stop the RB Melvin Gordon show for San Diego. Gordon had 83 yards rushing with a rushing TD and 67 yards receiving with a receiving TD. While WR Cordarrelle Patterson who a 47 yard rushing TD his 2nd rushing TD of the season. Again QB Phillip Rivers was down late almost in his own end zone where he led his team down field before kicker Nick Novak who was brought back in kicked the game winning field goal.
Giants 23-10 over the Chargers: 1. Eli Manning only had 1 TD pass to TE Evan Engram (he did lose four of his WRS in one game last week with no one else out there to throw to). He didn’t have an interception though he did have a fumble. He let his all of a sudden rushing attack and defense/special teams do their job. RB Orleans Darwka 117 rushing yards to chew time off the clock, his kicker had three field goals (did miss one but the other team’s kicker missed two) and his defense picked off QB Trevor Siemian two times taking one back for a TD and forced him to fumble and his WR Demaryius Thomas did as well. QB Brock Osweiler even made an appearance in this this game for Denver.
Titans 36-22 over the Colts: It was an eight field goal game in total and a 13-9 lead for the Colts at half time. This was followed by an interception TD for the Colts that made you think the game was over. Despite that pick six by QB Marcus Mariota, he lead this team back in the fourth with a TD pass to rookie WR Taywan Taylor, and both his RBS showed up. Derrick Henry had 131 yards rushing with a TD, and DeMarco Murray also had a rushing TD. It’s now a three way tie in the AFC South between the Titans, Jaguars and Texans as all three teams are 3-3.