Key events
TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 10-16 Giants 0:20, 2nd quarter
The G-men take a possibly unwanted lead that might move them out of the second overall draft pick as high as five or six. Jaxson Dart just evades the sack as he underhand flips the ball to Bellinger for the receiver to scamper home. Totally off script, no less effective mind.
TOUCHDOWN! Browns 14-12 Bengals 0:18, 2nd quarter
TOUCHDOWN! Titans 7-28 Jaguars 1:56, 2nd quarter
Insert stop kicking him, he’s already dead meme. The Jaguars are steamrolling the Titans with Trevor in the driving seat showing absolutely no mercy.
TOUCHDOWN! Saints 7-10 Falcons 4:31, 2nd quarter
The rookie puts the Saints on the board with his third rushing touchdown of the year.
Titans 7-21 Jaguars 4:23, 2nd quarter
Trevor Lawrence is driving the Jags again with a nice 28-yard gain to Brenton Strange. The QB is 12/15 for 147 yards and two scores.
It’s GOOD! Saints 0-10 Falcons 9:54, 2nd quarter
Amid all the AFC South drama, Atlanta have kicked a two-score lead. Panthers fans are purring even louder now.
PICK SIX! Titans 7-21 Jaguars 8:07, 2nd quarter
The battle for the AFC South looks over already. The Jags reel off three scores without reply after Cam Ward exits with a shoulder injury and Brandon Allen coughs up the pick six.
TOUCHDOWN! Colts 10-20 Texans 8:32, 2nd quarter
Here the pass rush comes! The Texans sack Riley Leonard and recover the ball on the two yard line. The QB does the rest.
Titans 10-14 Jaguars 9:40, 2nd quarter
Tennessee move over midfield with a 21-yard gain from Brandon Allen to Chimere Dike. Can the backup keep this one going and tie it up?
TOUCHDOWN! Colts 10-13 Texans 9:34, 2nd quarter
The Texans take the lead to keep a bit of pressure on the Jags. Excellent play from Stroud as he rolls out to his left and waits to the last second to find his man on the sideline.
TOUCHDOWN! Browns 14-6 Bengals 13:21, 2nd quarter
Cleveland’s defense score again with a scoop and score after the pick six!
TOUCHDOWN! Titans 7-14 Jaguars 11:37, 2nd quarter
Trevor is cooking now. An almost identical play to the first score has Strange in free space in the centre of the end zone with Lawrence finding him with ease.
TOUCHDOWN! Cowboys 10-6 Giants 0:29, 1st quarter
The rookie running back scores on his first start of the season. Saving the best for last are they? Maybe more like kicking the tires on Blue before next season. They look solid so far, six carries for 53 yards and a score.
Saints 0-7 Falcons 1:13, 1st quarter
Juwan Johnson just casually pulling off an OBJ impression with an unbelievable one-handed grab for 28 yards.
It’s GOOD! Colts 10-6 Texans 0:34, 1st quarter
It’s GOOD! Cowboys 3-6 Giants 2:04, 1st quarter
Big shout out to Jadeveon Clowney whose sack forces the field goal. How is he only 32?! The evergreen defensive end will hopefully be back again next year. What a career he has had.
TOUCHDOWN! Saints 0-7 Falcons 3:02, 1st quarter
Ooh if the Saints are happy to leave Drake London wide open in the end zone then they are going to be punished. Panthers fans rejoice!
PICK SIX! Browns 7-6 Bengals 0:56, 1st quarter
Myles Garrett turns blocker to lead the Devin Bush almost the entire length of the field for the score.
Titans 7-7 Jaguars 4:38, 1st quarter
Cam Ward is questionable to return with a shoulder injury for the Titans. Branden Allen in at QB. Let’s see how this goes. Big shame considering how good Ward’s touchdown drive was.
It’s GOOD! Colts 7-6 Texans 6:36, 1st quarter
The kicker boots his second of the day through the posts.
TOUCHDOWN! Titans 7-7 Jaguars 6:02, 1st quarter
The golden-haired gunslinger throws a beauty across the front of the endzone that leads Parker Washington out from the defender to make the grab. Washington has to leap for it but hangs on. Poetry in motion.
TOUCHDOWN! Browns 0-6 Bengals 7:51, 1st quarter
TOUCHDOWN! Colts 3-7 Texans 10:36, 1st quarter
So much for that Texans defense. The rookie smokes the secondary with a bomb to Alec Pierce.
Saints 0-0 Falcons 8:07, 1st quarter
Bad news for Panthers fans … Kirk Cousins has just been picked off.
TOUCHDOWN! Titans 7-0 Jaguars 10:58, 1st quarter
Incredible start for the Titans. Ward stomps down the field and finishes the drive off in style. He reads the defense like a book, takes off and smashes over near the right sideline. Texans fans will be thrilled. Long way to go mind.
Titans 0-0 Jaguars 10:16, 1st quarter
Even better for Tennessee they are in the red zone after a 39-yard pickup from Elic Ayomanor on a lovely deep ball from Cam Ward. 1st and Goal on the way.
It’s GOOD! Colts 0-3 Texans 12:05, 1st quarter
Houston on the board as the kicker makes the long-ranger look like a chip shot. As per usual.
Browns 0-0 Bengals 12:38, 1st quarter
After two weeks of swinging and missing, Myles Garrett is still looking for the NFL regular season sack record. He needs just one of Joe Burrow to break it today. The defensive end has 11 takedowns of Burrow in his career so should be feeling good about making history.
Titans 0-0 Jaguars 13:40, 1st quarter
On 2nd down Lawrence throws it in the dirt and shakes his head. 3rd and 28 … the quarterback drops back and is almost sacked and picked off!!! Not the start the Jaguars wanted. Punt on the way.
Titans 0-0 Jaguars 14:14, 1st quarter
We are underway in Duuuuuuval. Trevor Lawrence is under center and takes a huge sack on the first play! Speared from behind. Ouch.
Rookie Riley Leonard is making his first start today for the Colts against the Texans who own one of, if not the most brutal defense in the NFL. Good luck to the young warrior.
As we near the start of the playoffs, it feels right to look back at the highlights and some lowlights across this wild season. The key moments that have led us to what feels like one of the most wide-open postseason brackets maybe … ever? You could make a case for almost every team making the Super Bowl.
But before we crown the Jacksonville Jaguars as victors of SB60 (what?!) let’s enjoy this crazy game-changing play from Tampa Bay’s linebacker Lavonte David whose interception helped set up a 38-35 last-gasp comeback win for the Bucs over the mighty Seahawks in a week five shootout for the ages.
Send me your favourite moments, I’ll bang them up for everyone to enjoy!
Preamble
Hello everyone, that bittersweet time of the season has come at last where we say goodbye to the regular season. Why it seems like only yesterday the Bills were roaring back from a 40-25 deficit (they’ve been quite good at roaring back this year) to beat the Ravens by a single point in September. Time certainly flies. Hopefully we have an equally exciting bookend to match today across six early games starting at 12pm CST/1pm EST/6pm GMT:
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(6-10) New Orleans Saints v Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
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(4-12) Cleveland Browns v Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)
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(8-8) Indianapolis Colts v Houston Texans (11-5)
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(3-13) Tennessee Titans v Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4)
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(9-6-1) Green Bay Packers v Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
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(7-8-1) Dallas Cowboys v New York Giants (3-13)
What is left still to contend for? There is a hugely impactful matchup going down in Atlanta that will decide the outcome of the NFC South … finally. It certainly feels very on brand for the winner to be decided by the outcome of a match featuring neither the Panthers (8-9) or Buccaneers (8-9) after both have thrown chances away to claim it outright. If the Falcons beat the Saints then the Panthers advance to the playoffs and if the Saints win or there is a tie then the Bucs progress.
Elsewhere the Jaguars need to win to the clinch the AFC South and stay in the hunt for the No 1 seed. The Texans will be praying they do the opposite so they can steal the division crown with a win over the Colts if the Jags lose.
Then later we have seven more matches that will decide the destination of that No 1 seed for good. Here we go!
