Not-so-happy returns, playing both sides of rivalries, and a Hat Trick from Hell highlight the unlucky NFL Week 13 Recap.
Bengals 20 I don’t care that Andy Dalton is 5-13 in primetime. Or that Ben Roethlisberger surpassed 50,000 career passing yards. Or that Cincinnati committed a ridiculous 173 yards in penalties. I just hope that Ryan Shazier walks again. (AP Photo/Frank Victores)
AP Photo/Frank Victores
Seahawks 24 Seattle snapped Philly’s nine-game win streak in impressive fashion to simultaneously keep the Seahawks’ playoff hopes alive and well, and force the Eagles to wait another week to clinch the NFC East. Even if a playoff rematch is played in Philadelphia, the Eagles better pray to the football gods this is the last time they see the ‘Hawks. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
Saints 31 Alvin Kamara is just the third rookie in NFL history with at least 600 rushing yards and 600 receiving yards in a season. The other two? Billy Sims (1980 Offensive Rookie of the Year and 3-time Pro Bowler) and Charley Taylor (the Redskins’ Hall-of-Famer). This kid is special. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Blaine Gabbert was 10-10 targeting Larry Fitzgerald and 8-22 on all other passes today. pic.twitter.com/zAyJjkw3Dc
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 4, 2017
Raiders 24 It’s cool that Geno Smith is only the second QB to throw a TD pass for both the Jets and Giants but I’d be remiss if I didn’t also mention that he’s the first ever black quarterback to start a game for the 92 year-old New York Giants franchise. I know they’ve had remarkable consistency at that position but in 2017 being the last team in the NFL to start a black QB is still a fail. Big Blue has also failed to score big in the soon-to-end Ben McAdoo era (update: it’s officially ended); the Giants have been held under 30 points in 27 straight games, the 3rd longest active streak in the NFL. Methinks his key card is about to stop working, especially when you consider his track record isn’t much better than this kid’s. https://twitter.com/xmasape/status/933876725812953088 (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images
Chargers 19 Cleveland’s lone win of 2016 came against the Chargers. This year, L.A. made history by becoming the first team in 13 years to go 6-2 after an 0-4 start. At this point, does anyone doubt the Bolts complete the turnaround by winning the AFC West? (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Ravens 44 Joe Flacco stopped breaking braces and started busting coverages in what has to be his best performance of the season (it was Flacco’s first multi-TD game without a pick in three years). If Baltimore’s offense can muster four more performances like that down the stretch, they’re a tough draw in the AFC playoffs. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Jets 38 Kansas City’s offense finally woke up (here’s a cool stat: Alex Smith is the first player in the Super Bowl era with a 70-yard completion and 70-yard rush in the same game) but the Chiefs still couldn’t keep from falling into a three-way tie for first place in the AFC West. KC hosts the Raiders and Chargers the next two weeks so we’re about to find out if this 4-game losing skid is a mid-season slump or a full blown free fall. And talk about a non-story … Darrelle Revis was paid by the Jets to play for the Chiefs, but only lasted a half. Andy Reid’s explanation for the latter might be the most clumsy thing he’s done all year — which is a helluva statement for a guy coaching a team that’s lost six of their last seven games. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images
Jaguars 30 Calais Campbell set a new Jaguars franchise record for sacks in a season (12.5), proving two things: 1. Campbell is the best free agent signing of the year.
2. Jacksonville really hasn’t had many quality pass rushers. Of course, the Indianapolis offensive line is a turnstile … Jacoby Brissett took 14 sacks against the Jaguars in two games this season, the most in a season by any QB against one opponent since 2012. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack
Dolphins 35 Former Broncos Adam Gase and Jay Cutler kicked Denver while they’re down … in more ways than one. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Titans 24 Not to be prisoner of the moment, here … but how is Derrick Henry not getting more carries than DeMarco Murray? Henry’s game-clinching TD run is his second 70-yarder in the 4th quarter this season and Murray entered Sunday averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. The future in Tennessee is now. And after this Hat Trick from Hell, Jeff Allen playing left tackle in Houston should be a thing of the past. https://twitter.com/fearthe_beard11/status/937479099638988800 (AP Photo/Mark Zaleski)
AP Photo/Mark Zaleski
Packers 26 (OT) Talk about a cruel return for Jameis Winston: He gets sacked seven times to lose to a career backup’s historically inept outing (Brett Hundley led Green Bay’s offense to just 77 passing yards, the Packers’ fewest in a win in exactly 26 years) and gets clowned by the worst QB in the league. Somebody give that man a hug. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Bears 14 Jimmy Garoppolo’s first start for San Francisco yielded no touchdowns and his first career interception, but he also showed some flashes that he could be the 49ers’ long term answer at QB: The Illinois native went 5-for-6 for 54 yards on the game’s final drive to get the Niners in position for Robbie Gould’s game-winning kick against his former team. Don’t be surprised if next week’s trip to Houston yields the first win streak of the Kyle Shanahan era. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Bills 3 New England has won double-digit games for the 15th straight season and Tom Brady is 26-3 against Buffalo all-time, tied for the most win by any starting quarterback over a single opponent during the Super Bowl era — all while the Bills watched their only competent starting QB leave on a cart and their offense fail to reach the end zone despite a big day on the ground. And now you see why the fans are using some NSFW symbolism. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
AP Photo/Adrian Kraus
Falcons 9 This one came down to the QBs: Case Keenum didn’t throw an incompletion in the 2nd half of Minnesota’s 8th straight win, and Matt Ryan’s NFL-best streak of 30 straight games with a passing TD ended. Amazingly, that wasn’t the biggest mistake on Atlanta’s field Sunday. Seriously though … the Vikings defense just shut down the reigning MVP in his own house. With all due respect to Baltimore, this is the best defense in the NFL. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Cowboys 38 In almost predictable fashion, an ailing Dallas offense got well against their longtime rival. The Cowboys mustered only 15 points in their previous 11 quarters played? They surpassed that at halftime. Dak was the only starting QB without a TD pass since Week 9? Here, have two. And the coup de grace: Alfred Morris has his first 100-yard game since he was a Redskin (ironically, against the Cowboys), becoming only the second player have a 100-yard game for both sides of the rivalry. The ‘Skins are done — and they deserve to be after this primetime no-show. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
