Exciting Finishes

Here we are, Week 17, only a few playoff spots are up for grabs. Only one division title is up for grabs and that would be the NFC South crown. The Panthers or the Saints could get the chance to take the NFC South. In the AFC, both wild card spots are up for grabs and all the division races are over. The other teams are playing for positioning in this final week. Let's get into what happened in the final week of the regular season.

Lions 35 Packers 11
Lions QB Matthew Stafford threw for 323 yards and three touchdowns as Detroit finished their season with a win over Green Bay to get to 9-7 on the season. Packers QB Brett Hundley threw for 172 yards and a touchdown as Green Bay finished their season at 7-9.

Colts 22 Texans 13
QB Jacoby Brissett threw for 114 yards and a touchdown and Frank Gore added 100 rushing yards as the Colts took down the Texans. Texans RB Alfred Blue added a rushing touchdown. The Colts ended their season at 4-12. The Texans finish their season at 4-12 as well.

Vikings 23 Bears 10
Vikings RB Latavius Murray rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns as Minnesota clinched a first round bye with a home victory over Chicago. The Bears got a punt return touchdown by Bryce Callahan for the team's only score. The Bears end their season at 5-11.

Patriots 26 Jets 6
Tom Brady threw for 190 yards and two touchdowns and Dion Lewis rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots clinched home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs as they knocked off the Jets. Jets kicker Chandler Catanzaro kicked two field goals. The Jets finished their season at 5-11.

Giants 18 Redskins 10
Giants RB Orleans Darkwa rushed for 154 yards and a touchdown and QB Eli Manning threw for 132 yards and a touchdown as the Giants finished their season with a victory over Washington. Kirk Cousin threw for 158 yards and a rushing touchdown.

Cowboys 6 Eagles 0
Dak Prescott threw to Bryce Butler in the fourth quarter as the Cowboys took the season finale in Philadelphia. Prescott threw for 179 yards and Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 103 yards in the victory. Eagles QB Nate Sudfeld threw for 134 yards in his pro debut.

Steelers 28 Browns 24
Landry Jones threw for 239 yards and a touchdown and wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster had nine catches for 143 yards and a touchdown and also had a kick return for a touchdown as the Steelers knocked off the Browns. Browns QB DeShone Kizer threw for 314 yards and two touchdowns. Cleveland finished their season at 0-16 to be only the second team to do it. The Steelers would be the number two seed in the AFC Playoffs.

Chargers 30 Raiders 10
Chargers QB Philip Rivers threw for 387 yards and three touchdowns and RB Melvin Gordon rushed for 93 yards as the Chargers knocked off the Raiders. Raiders QB Derek Carr threw for 243 yards and a touchdown and Marshawn Lynch rushed for 101 yards. The Chargers finished their season at 9-7 and just barely missed the playoffs.

49ers 34 Rams 13
San Francisco QB Jimmy Garappolo threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns and RB Carlos Hyde rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns as the 49ers finished with a five game winning streak as they knocked the Rams. The Rams rested several starters such as Jared Goff and Todd Gurley as they had clinched the NFC West. Rams RB Lance Dunbar had the team's only touchdown.

Titans 15 Jaguars 10
Marcus Mariota threw to Derrick Henry for a 66 yard touchdown and Ryan Succop kicked three field goals as the Titans clinched a playoff spot with a home victory over Jacksonville. The Jaguars' Yannick Ngakoue returned a fumble 67 yards fir the team's only score. The Jaguars clinched the AFC South division title last week.

Buccaneers 31 Saints 24
Jamesis Winston would connect with rookie receiver Chris Godwin for a 39 yard touchdown pass with nine seconds left as the Buccaneers took down the Saints.  Saints QB Drew Brees threw for 245 yards and a touchdown and Alvin Kamara had a rushing touchdown.

Falcons 22 Panthers 10
Matt Ryan threw for 317 yards and a touchdown to Davonta Freeman who had nine catches for 85 yards and only rushed for 23 yards as the Falcons clinched a playoff spot with a victory over Carolina. Panthers QB Cam Newton threw for 180 yards and a touchdown in the loss. The Panthers have a wild card spot clinched.

Bills 22 Dolphins 16
Bills QB Tyrod Taylor threw for 204 yards and a touchdown and DL Kyle Williams added a rushing touchdown as Buffalo clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1999 with a victory over the Dolphins. Dolphins QB David Fales threw for 265 yards and a touchdown and a rushing touchdown.

Cardinals 26 Seahawks 24
Cardinals QB Drew Stanton threw for 145 yards and a touchdown and RB Elijhaa Penny added a rushing touchdown as the Cardinals knocked the Seahawks out of the playoffs. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

Chiefs 27 Broncos 24
RBs Anthony Sherman and Kareem Hunt each had a rushing touchdown and QB Patrick Mahomes threw for 284 yards as the Chiefs knocked off division rival Denver. Broncos QB Paxton Lynch threw for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

Bengals 31 Ravens 27
Andy Dalton would find Tyler Boyd for a 49 yard touchdown with 44 seconds left as the Bengals kept the Ravens out of the playoffs. Dalton threw for 222 yards and three touchdowns for the Bengals. Ravens QB Joe Flacco threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns.

Playoff Schedule
Wild Card Weekend
Sat 4:35 PM Titans at Chiefs
Sat 8:15 PM Falcons at Rams
Sun 1:05 PM Bills at Jaguars
Sun 4:40 PM Panthers at Saints


Hope you enjoyed following along during the regular season and stay tuned for a Wild Card Weekend review later this week and all eleven playoff games will be covered on this blog. It was quite an exciting finish to the regular season and hope the playoffs will be just as exciting.

Barkley shines in Penn State's victory over Washington

The Washington Huskies and the Penn State Nittany Lions traveled to Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl. It's a very interesting matchup with running backs. Saquon Barkley of Penn State and Myles Gaskin of Washington. Who would come out on top in this Fiesta Bowl matchup? Let's find out! The Nittany Lions would start with the ball. Penn State faced a third and 10 at their own 17 and Trace McSorley would find Saquon Barkley for 12 yards. On second and 1, Barkley would go for 12 yards to midfield. They would face a third and 8 and McSorley would DaeSean Hamilton for 48 yards for the touchdown and a 7-0 Penn State lead. The Huskies would go three and out on their first drive of the game. The Nittany Lions would face a third and 6, McSorley would go to Mike Gesicki for 17 yards. After a defensive holding on the Huskies, McSorley would get intercepted by Byron Murphy in the end zone for a touchback. The Huskies would not capitalize and go three and out. The Nittany Lions would go on an eleven play drive that would end with Saquon Barkley going for a two yard touchdown run for a 14-0 advantage for Penn State. On the first play of the second quarter, Jake Browning for a one yard touchdown run on a five play drive. Penn State would capitalize with a seven play drive ending with a one yard touchdown run by Miles Sanders. The Huskies would go three and out. On the second play of the drive, at their own eight yard line and Barkley would go 92 yards for the touchdown and a 28-7 lead. The Huskies would have another three and out. First play of the drive for Penn State, the Nittany Lions would fumble and would be recovered by Washington. The Huskies would capitalize with a six play drive ending with a 13 yard touchdown run by Myles Gaskin with make it 28-14 in favor of Penn State. The Nittany Lions next drive would end in a punt. The Huskies next drive would lead us to halftime with Penn State leading 28-14. The Huskies would start with the ball in the second half and went on a 13 play drive ending with Browning going to Aaron Fuller for a 28 yard touchdown to cut the Penn State lead to 28-21. The Nittany Lions would capitalize with an eight play drive that ended with McSorley going to Hamilton for a 24 yard touchdown for their second connection and a 35-21. The Huskies would end with a three and out. The Nittany Lions would drive into the red zone as we headed to the fourth quarter. The drive ended with McSorley getting intercepted by Austin Joyner. The Huskies would be unable to capitalize and would be forced to punt. The Nittany Lions would go three and out on the next drive. On the third play of the Huskies drive, Myles Gaskin would go 69 yards for the touchdown to make it 35-28 Penn State. The Nittany Lions would get the ball back with 6:40 left. Penn State would face a third and 7 and McSorley would go to Juwan Johnson for 12 yards. They would face a third and 1 and Barkley would go for three yards. The Huskies would start taking their timeouts and Penn State would face a third and 8 and McSorley would find Hamilton for 14 yards. The Nittany Lions would face a fourth and 6 and they would miss the field goal. The Huskies would face a fourth and 10, and Browning would find Fuller and would lateral it around but would be fumbled and recovered by Penn State and would seal their victory.

Longhorns take the Texas Bowl over Missouri

The Texas Longhorns and the Missouri Tigers played in the Academy Sports & Outdoors Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Both teams looked to end their season with a win. Who would come out on top in this bowl game matchup? Let's see what happens! The Longhorns would start with the ball and on second and 10, Missouri would get called for pass interference and Texas would get a first and 10 at their own 40 yard line. Missouri would get called for holding for another Longhorns first down and on second and 3 at the Misssouri 37 yard line and Shane Buechele went to Armanti Foreman for a one yard gain but yet another penalty by the Tigers, a facemask, would give the Longhorns a first down at the Tigers 22 yard line and on the next play, Buechele would go to Daniel Young for a 22 yard touchdown and a 7-0 Texas lead. The Tigers would go three and out on their first possession of the game. The Longhorns would get the ball at midfield and Buechele would get ten yards on second and 10 but that was all they could muster and would be forced to punt. Texas and Misssouri would trade three and outs. After another three and out by the Tigers, the Longhorns would take over at their own 45 yard line and on the first play, Sam Ehlinger would go to Daniel Young for 42 yards to the Missouri 13 yard line. They would face a third and 4 and Ehlinger would find John Burt for a seven yard touchdown pass and a 14-0 Longhorns lead. The Tigers and Longhorns would trade three and outs once again. The Tigers would take over at their own 12 yard line. On second and 6, Drew Lock would go to Kendall Blanton for 23 yards to the Tigers 39 yard line. The Tigers would face a third and 6 as we head to the end of the first quarter. First play of the second quarter, the Tigers faced a third and 6 and the pass by Lock would go to Larry Rountree but would be two yards short of the first down and would be forced to punt. After a Longhorns three and out, the Tigers would take over at midfield. First play of the drive, Lock would go to J'Mon Moore for 19 yards to the Longhorns 31 yard line. On a second and 8, Lock would go to Moore again but from 15 yards out to the Texas 14 yard line. After a holding call on the next play, the Tigers would have a first and goal at the Longhorns seven yard line. On second and goal from the Longhorns four yard line, Ish Witter would go in for a four yard touchdown to cut the Longhorns' lead to 14-7. The Longhorns would be forced to punt on their next possession. The Tigers would take over and on second and 5, Ish Witter would move the chains with a five yard run. The Tigers faced a third and 2 and Witter would go for eight yards but would fumble and would be recovered by Anthony Wheeler and returned 38 yards for the Longhorns touchdown to increase the lead to 21-7. The Tigers would take over but the series would end with another fumble recovered by the Longhorns and was recovered by Breckyn Hager. The Longhorns and Tigers would trade punts as we head to halftime with the Longhorns leading 21-7. The Tigers would start with the ball in the second half and on the first play of the drive, Lock would go to Johnathan Johnson for a 79 yard touchdown. The two point conversion would fail and it would 21-13 in favor of the Longhorns. The Longhorns would punt on their next drive and the Tigers and Lockhorns traded three and outs. The Tigers would go on a long 16 play drive that ended with a 28 yard field goal by Tucker McCann to make it 21-16. The Longhorns would go three and out on their next possession and downed the ball at the ten yard line. The Longhorns would get a safety on second and 10 to make it 23-16 and the Longhorns would take over and would go eight plays ending with a 41 yard field goal by Joshua Rowland to make it 26-16 Texas. The Tigers would be forced to punt on their next drive. The Longhorns would drive as far as the Tigers 35 yard line but would be forced to punt and downed at the four yard line. On the first play of the drive, Lock's pass would be intercepted by Davante David at the Missouri 14 yard line. An unsportsmanlike conduct would back the Longhorns to the Tigers 29 yard line with 3:15 remaining in the game. The Longhorns faced a third and 1 and Kyle Porter would go for two yards for a first down. On the next play, Armanti Foreman would go 18 yards for the touchdown to seal the victory with 1:39 left to make it 33-16. The Longhorns would force a fumble and they would recover to give them the victory 33-16.

The Final Week

As we hit the final week of the regular season, several teams have clinched playoff spots, division titles, and some have a first round bye sealed up. As we head to this week, home field advantage hasn't been clinched in neither conference as of this week. With all that being said, here is how Sunday's action went down.
 
Panthers 22 Buccaneers 19
QB Cam Newton threw for 160 yards and a rushing touchdown and Graham Gano kicked three field goals as the Panthers clinched a playoff spot with a victory over Tampa Bay. Buccaneers QB Jamesis Winston threw for 367 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Bears 20 Browns 3
Bears RB Jordan Howard had two rushing touchdowns and Mitch Trubisky also added a rushing touchdown as Chicago kept the Browns winless with a home victory. Browns QB DeShone Kizer threw for 182 yards in the loss.

Bengals 26 Lions 17
Andy Dalton threw for 238 yards and a touchdown and Giovanni Bernard rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown as the Bengals eliminated the Lions from playoff contention with a victory. Lions QB Matthew Stafford threw for 203 yards and a touchdown.

Chiefs 29 Dolphins 13
Chiefs QB Alex Smith threw for 304 yards and a touchdown and Kareem Hunt rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown as the Chiefs clinched the AFC West Division title with a win over the Dolphins. Dolphins QB Jay Cutler threw for 286 yards and a touchdown.

Patriots 37 Bills 16
Tom Brady threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns and RB Dion Lewis rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots got one step closer to home field advantage with a home victory over Buffalo. Bills DB Jordan Poyer returned an interception for a touchdown for the team's only score.

Saints 23 Falcons 13
Drew Brees threw for 239 yards and a touchdown and Mark Ingram added a rushing touchdown as the Saints took down the Falcons to clinch a playoff spot. Falcons QB Matt Ryan threw for 288 yards and a touchdown in the loss. The Falcons have a chance to clinch a playoff spot if they knock off the Panthers or a Seahawks loss.

Chargers 14 Jets 7
Philip Rivers threw for 290 yards and a touchdown and Melvin Gordon rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown as the Chargers took the road victory over the New York Jets. Jets RB Bilal Powell rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown in the loss. The Chargers are still alive for a playoff spot but would need some help to clinch a playoff spot.

Rams 27 Titans 23
QB Jared Goff threw for 301 yards and four touchdowns and Todd Gurley rushed for 118 yards and had 10 catches for 158 yards and two touchdowns as the LA Rams clinched the NFC West title as they knocked off the Titans. Titans RB DeMarco Murray had the team's lone touchdown of the game. With the Titans loss, the Jaguars clinched the AFC South division title. The Titans are in next week if they beat the Jaguars next week.

Redskins 27 Broncos 11
Redskins QB Kirk Cousins threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns to three different receivers as Washington took the home victory over the Denver Broncos. Broncos RB CJ Anderson rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

49ers 44 Jaguars 33
49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for another as the 49ers took their fourth straight victory as they knocked off the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jaguars QB Blake Bortles threw for 382 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the loss, the Jaguars clinched the AFC South division title but cannot go no higher than the three seed in the postseason.

Cardinals 23 Giants 0
Drew Stanton threw for 209 yards and two touchdowns and the Arizona defense forced three turnovers as the Cardinals shutout the Giants. Giants cornerback Ross Cockrell had two interceptions on the day in the loss on the road.

Seahawks 21 Cowboys 12
Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw for two touchdowns and DB Justin Coleman returned an interception for a touchdown as the Seattle kept their playoff hopes alive and eliminated the Dallas Cowboys from making the playoffs. Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey kicked four field goals in the loss.

Eagles clinch home field advantage with close victory over the Raiders

The Oakland Raiders traveled east to Philadelphia on Christmas Day to take on the Eagles. The Raiders were eliminated on Sunday with a couple teams winning. The Eagles have sealed up a first round bye and hope to get home field advantage with one more victory or a win. Who would come out on top in the final Monday night football game of the season? Let's get to it! The Eagles would start with the ball and would go three and out on the opening drive. The Raiders would get as far as the Eagles 42 yard line and faced a fourth and 2 and Derek Carr's pass would go incomplete and the Eagles would take over. The Eagles would go on an eleven play drive and end with Nick Foles going to Jay Ajayi for the 17 yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 Eagles lead. The Raiders would go three and out on their next drive. The Eagles would be forced to punt on their next drive as the first quarter came to an end. On the second play of the Raiders drive, Carr would go to Amari Cooper for the 63 yard touchdown to tie the game at 7. The Eagles would punt once again on the next drive. The Raiders would get as far the Eagles 47 yard line but back-to-back penalties would move them to their own 35 yard line and were unable to convert and were forced to punt. The Eagles would go on an 11 play drive that resulted in a 33 yard field goal attempt and Elliott would miss it wide right to keep the game tied at halftime 7-7. The Raiders would start with the ball in the second half and went on an eight play drive that resulted in a 25 yard field goal by Tavecchio to give the Raiders a 10-7 lead. The Eagles would go three and out on their first drive of the second half. The Raiders and Eagles would trade three and outs til the Raiders had a third down late in the third quarter and the pass was intercepted by Patrick Robinson and returned to the Raiders 44 yard line. The Eagles would fumble on their second play of the drive and the Raiders would recover. The Raiders would fumble it and the Eagles would recover to get it back once again. The Eagles would take advantage of the good field position and tied the game at 10 with a 35 yard field goal by Jake Elliott. The Raiders would forced to punt after getting an early first down as we head to the fourth quarter. The Eagles would go three and out on their next possession. The Raiders would go on a nine play drive that ended with a 48 yard field goal attempt and Tavecchio missed the kick wide right to keep the game tied at 10. First play of the Eagles' drive, Foles' pass would be intercepted by Reggie Nelson and returned to the Eagles 40 yard line. Carr would find Richard for 23 yards on a second and 20 and on the next play, Richard would fumble and it would be recovered by the Eagles' Jenkins to their own 16 yard line. The Eagles were unable to capitalize as they went three and out once again and would punt the ball back to the Raiders. The Raiders would go three and out and the Eagles would take over after almost losing the ball on a muffed punt. The Eagles would go three and out once again as we head to the two-minute warning and the Raiders would take over with 1:07 remaining. On the second play for the Raiders, the pass would be intercepted by Ronald Darby and the Eagles would take over at their own 48 yard line with 54 seconds to go. On a second and 5, Foles would go to Nelson Agholor for eight yards. They would be unable to get another first down and would go for a 48 yard field goal attempt by Elliott and he would make it to give the Eagles a 13-10 lead with 22 seconds to go. The Raiders would take over with all of their timeouts remaining at their own 36 yard line. After three straight incompletions, the Raiders would face a fourth and 10 with three seconds left. The Raiders would try to lateral the ball but the Raiders would fumble and Derek Barnett recovered the fumble and returned it for a touchdown as the Eagles took the victory 19-10 and clinched home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Steelers blowout Texans to clinch first round bye

The Pittsburgh Steelers were looking to seal up a first round bye as they traveled to Houston to take on the Texans. The Texans are looking to play spoiler as they are eliminated from playoff contention. The Steelers are coming off a tough loss at home to New England and are looking to bounce back and get a first round bye. Who would come out on top in this Christmas Day matchup? Let's find out! The Steelers would start with the ball and go on an eight play drive and would result in a 34 yard field goal by Chris Boswell for a 3-0 Steelers lead. The Texans would go three and out on their first drive. The Steelers would go on a six play drive highlighted by Ben Roethlisberger going to Martavis Bryant for 36 yards to the Texans 11 yard line and ended with Roethlisberger going to Justin Hunter for a five yard touchdown for a 10-0 lead. The Texans would get as far as their own 49 yard line but would be forced to punt. Pittsburgh would be forced to punt for the first time on their next possession as we head to the end of the first quarter. The Texans would get a 48 yard run by Alfred Blue to the Steelers 18 yard line. They would face a third and 9 and TJ Yates would get 11 yards to the six yard line. They would face a fourth and goal at the one and the pass would get picked off by Burns as the Steelers kept Houston off the scoreboard. The Steelers would capitalize with an 11 play drive ending with a one yard touchdown run by Roosevelt Nix for a 17-0 lead. Houston would fumble on their next drive and the Steelers would recover and Pittsburgh would capitalize with a 36 yard field goal by Boswell for a 20-0 lead. The Texans would go three and out and the Steelers would waste the clock to get to halftime with the 20-0 lead. The Texans got the ball to start the second half and would get as far as the Steelers 46 yard line but would move back on the drive and would be forced to punt. The Steelers and Texans would trade three and outs and then the Steelers would go on a seven play drive that would end with a 10 yard touchdown run by Le'Veon Bell to make it 27-0 in favor of the Steelers. The Texans would get on the scoreboard early in the fourth quarter with a seven play drive ending with TJ Yates going to DeAndre Hopkins who had an amazing catch for the three yard touchdown. The two-point conversion would fail after the Steelers went offsides on the extra point and the score was 27-6. The Steelers would go on a five play drive that was highlighted by JuJu Smith-Schuster. He would haul in a 49 yard pass to the Texans 21 yard line and then would get an 18 yard touchdown to give the Steelers a 34-6 lead. The Steelers would cruise for the victory to clinch the first round bye as they knocked off the Texans 34-6.

Vikings shutout Packers for road victory

The Minnesota Vikings traveled to Green Bay, Wisconsin to take on the Packers on Saturday night. The Packers have already been eliminated from playoff contention with the loss last week to Carolina. The Vikings have already clinched the NFC North title and are looking to get home field advantage or at least a first round bye so that they would not need to leave their home state for the reminder of the playoffs as the Super Bowl is at their home field. Who would come out on top in this NFC North matchup on Saturday night? Let's find out! The Packers would start with the ball and the drive would result in a punt. The Vikings would go on a nine play drive that ended with a 49 yard field goal by Kai Forbath for a 3-0 Vikings lead. The Packers would go three and out on their next drive. The Packers defense would answer with a three and out. The Packers would go three and out again and the Vikings would take over. They would go on a quick five play drive with Case Keenum going to Stefon Diggs for a four yard touchdown and a 10-0 lead. The Packers would punt the football once again. The Vikings and Packers would trade three and outs. The Vikings looked like they were driving the ball but the drive would end with a punt once again. The Packers would drive the ball all the way to the Vikings 15 yard line but the drive would end with an interception by Harrison Smith. The Vikings couldn't capitalize before the half and would go to halftime with a 10-0 lead. The Vikings would get the ball to start the second half and would punt on their first possession of the second half. The Packers would drive down the field and faced a fourth and 7 and Brett Hundley's pass would fall incomplete and the Vikings would take over. The Vikings would go on a 12 play drive that ended with a 20 yard field goal by Forbath to make it 13-0 Vikings. The Packers and Vikings would trade three and outs. The Packers would drive all the way to the Vikings 13 yard line and faced a fourth and 3 and Hundley's pass would fall incomplete and the Vikings would take over. The Vikings would punt on their next possession. The Packers would face a fourth and 10 at their own 29 yard line and the pass would fall incomplete once again. The Vikings would take advantage of the good field position to get a 27 yard field goal to make it 16-0 Vikings lead. The Packers would face a fourth and 1 and Hundley's pass would be intercepted by Harrison Smith for his second pick of the game as the Vikings shutout the Packers 16-0.

Ravens are one step closer with victory over the Colts

The Indianapolis Colts looked to play spoiler as they traveled to Baltimore to take on the Ravens. Having been eliminated from playoff contention, hope to derail the Ravens' chance at the postseason. The Ravens are currently tied for the sixth spot in the AFC but Buffalo owns the tiebreaker as of right now, with a win and a Bills loss means they would be on the inside track for the playoff spot. Who would come out on top in this late December matchup? Let's find out! The Colts would start with the ball and would go three and out. The Ravens would go on a long 14 play drive that would result in a 30 yard field goal by Justin Tucker for a 3-0 Ravens lead. The Colts would go on an 11 play drive that would end up with a 38 yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri that ended up blocked by the Ravens' Jefferson to keep the game 3-0. The Ravens would go on a 10 play drive that would result in Joe Flacco going to Michael Campanaro for a six yard touchdown for a 10-0 lead with 12:16 remaining in the second quarter. The Colts would answer with a nine play drive with Jacoby Brissett going to Frank Gore for the 14 yard touchdown to cut the Ravens lead to 10-7 with 7:38 remaining in the second quarter. The Ravens would however go on an 11 play drive that would result with a Justin Tucker 39 yard field goal to make it 13-7 with 1:55 remaining in the second quarter. The Colts would end up punting and the Ravens would get the ball back with 36 seconds to go and they would go three and out and the Colts would get the ball back once again. The Colts would be able to get a shot at points with a 60 yard field goal but the kick would be short as we head to halftime leading 13-7. The Ravens would start with the ball in the second half and would go on another 11 play drive ending with a 36 yard field goal by Tucker to make it 16-7. The Colts would answer with a seven play drive ending with a 48 yard field goal by Vinatieri for a 16-10 lead by the Ravens. The Colts defense would get a three and out. The Colts would go on a seven play drive that would end with another field goal by Vinatieri to cut the lead to 16-13. As we headed to the fourth quarter, the Ravens would face a third and 3 and Flacco would go to Danny Woodhead for eight yards and a first down. The Ravens would face a third and 9 and Flacco would go to Campanaro for seven yards but a defensive holding call on the Colts would give the Ravens a first down. They faced another third down, the pass would fall incomplete but a pass interference call would give the Ravens another first down. On second and 2, Collins would get four yards for a first down. The Ravens would face a third and 2 at the Colts four yard line and Flacco would find Maxx Williams for the four yard touchdown to make it 23-13. The Colts would face a fourth and 1 and Jacoby Brissett go run for seven yards. On second and 5, Brissett would find Rogers for 19 yards. They would face a third and 6, Brissett would find TY Hilton for 16 yards. The Colts would have to settle for another Vinatieri field goal to make it 23-16. Joe Flacco would find Mike Wallace for 14 yards. However, they would be unable to get another first down and the punt would get blocked by the Colts and Indianapolis would recover at the Ravens 27 yard line. On second and 6, Brissett would find Doyle for six yards as we head to the two-minute warning. The Colts would face a fourth and 10 and Brissett would go to Hilton but the pass would fall incomplete as the Ravens survived an upset bid by the Colts and kept their playoff hopes alive.

Second Half Surge Propels Royals over GAR

The GAR Grenadiers traveled to Holy Redeemer on Friday night to take on the Royals in a crossover between Division 2 and 3 teams. Both teams looked to start with a record of 1-0 in conference play. Who would come on top in a matchup of highly ranked teams? Let's get to it! Both teams would trade a basket each early then Will Johnson hit a three pointer to give the Grenadiers a 5-2 but a pair of baskets by JD Turosky and a basket by Joey Judge gave the Royals an 8-5 lead but a three by Khairi Carson tied the game up at 8, then a pair of Will Johnson free throws gave GAR the lead back at 10-8 and the lead increased by 3 when Eli Ruiz made one of two free throws. Judge would get the Royals within one with a basket but GAR would go on a 9-2 to lead 20-12 at the end of the first quarter. The Royals would cut the lead to 6 until Carson hit back to back threes to increase the lead to 12. A basket by Nick Prociak and a three pointer by Sean Wills cut the GAR lead to 7 but another Carson three pointer would make it a 10 point game once again. Prociak and Wills would hit two pointers to make it a six point game. Once again, Carson would hit yet another three pointer for a nine point game. Collin Cook would sink a three but an Anthony Hawk shot at the buzzer would make it 36-28 at halftime. Holy Redeemer and GAR would match basket for basket until the Royals went on a huge 14-0 run where they would lead 47-41. The scoring drought for the Grenadiers would end with a three pointer by Simon Peter but the Royals went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter for a 54-44 lead after three. The Grenadiers would try to get back into the game but the Royals would answer with another basket and Holy Redeemer would take the victory 72-62 over GAR.

Thoughts on the game: It was a truly a tale of two halves. GAR's Khairi Carson couldn't miss in the first half, scoring 18 points. He scored 25 total during the game. The Royals just dominated the second half of the game with their overall effort. I thought they played very well overall and looked like the better team. It was very balanced with their scoring with Prociak scoring 14, Judge with 20 and Cook with 19. I believe both teams could get better as the season goes on.

Lady Comets escape with road win over Pittston Area

The Crestwood Lady Comets traveled to Yatesville to take on the Pittston Area Lady Patriots. Both teams looked to start off WVC play at 1-0. Who would come out on top in this highly regarded matchup? Let's get into the game! The start of the game would go pretty much back and forth with each making a basket and a three pointer. Pittston Area would take a 7-5 lead with a Alexa Noone basket. Crestwood would tie it up however with a pair of free throws by Helena Jardine. Leah Hodick would get a three point play to take a 10-7 Pittston Area lead. A Julia Makowski would cut the Patriots lead to 10-9 as we get to the end of the first quarter. The Comets would take the lead early with a three pointer by Sara Hopkins but Andrea Ruby would tie the game at 12 quickly. Julia Makowski would make 2 of 4 free throws to give the Lady Comets a 14-12. A pair of Mary Silinskie free throws would tie the game up at 14. However, the back and forth game would continue as Makowski made another basket to tie it once again. A pair of Hodick free throws tied it once again. Makowski would make 1 of 2 to make the game a one point lead and a pair of Hodick free throws would give the Patriots a 18-17 lead at halftime. Much like the second quarter, Crestwood would take the lead on a pair of Makowski free throws but Emily O'Brien's four straight points would give the Lady Patriots a 22-19 lead. Makowski would answer with five straight points to give Crestwood a 24-21 lead. After Hodick made 1 of 2 free throws, Hopkins would give the Comets the biggest lead at 26-22. Leah Hodick would make two free throws to cut the lead to 26-24 and with time running out, Mary Silinskie would get an offensive rebound and hit a buzzer beating layup to tie the game at 26 at the end of the third quarter. It looked like the Patriots were gaining momentum as Alexa Noone started the fourth quarter with a three pointer for a 29-26 lead. Andrea Shipton would cut the lead to one with a basket but Leah Hodick would make it a three point lead at 31-28. Four straight points by Makowski would give the Comets a 32-31 lead. Both teams would go back and forth with the lead. With the Patriots leading 35-34, Riley Magin would sink a three pointer with under a minute left to give the Comets a 37-35. After a Comets defensive stop, they would shoot a 1 and 1 but a lane violation would give the Patriots the ball back with 7.8 seconds to go. A foul would be called on Crestwood but the Patriots would miss the free throw and Andrea Shipton would get fouled and would sink both free throws to seal the victory with a 39-35 victory over Pittston Area.

Thoughts on the game: Pretty good game til the end. It was a back and forth affair where there were several lead changes and makes it very exciting. Julia Makowski had a really good game for Crestwood, scoring 18 points in the victory. For Pittston Area, Leah Hodick was impressive despite the loss, she scored 16 points and kept the Patriots within striking distance. We'll see how both teams fare during conference play but it could be a pretty good season for both teams and they will meet each other again in February.

Falcons take down Tampa Bay in dramatic fashion

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are looking to play spoiler as they hosted the defending NFC Champions, the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons are looking to get back to the Super Bowl after falling last season. Who would come out on top in this NFC South rivalry game on Monday night? Let's find out! The Falcons would start with the ball and would go three and out. The Buccaneers would also go three and out as well. The Falcons would go on a nine play drive on their second possession ending with Matt Ryan going to Hardy for the six yard score and a 7-0 lead. Tampa Bay would respond on their next drive with an eight play drive ending with Jamesis Winston going to tight end OJ Howard for a 30 yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7. The Falcons would take the lead early in the second quarter as Atlanta went on a nine play drive that ended with Davonta Freeman for the one yard rushing touchdown. The Buccaneers drive got to the Falcons nine yard line but would end with a fumble and recovered by Atlanta at the five yard line. The Falcons would capitalize that would go for six plays and resulted in a 57 yard field goal by Matt Bryant for a 17-7 advantage. The Bucs were forced to punt on their next possession. The Falcons would take over with 1:43 left but were unable to score and were forced to punt and we would go to halftime with the Falcons leading 17-7. The Buccaneers and Falcons would start the second half with a three and out. The Buccaneers would start with good field position at their own 47 yard line and on second and 6, Winston would find Peyton Barber for seven yards and on the next play, Winston would go to Mike Evans for a 42 yard touchdown to cut the Falcons lead to 17-14. The Falcons would go on a long 16 play drive that would result in a 33 yard field goal attempt and the Buccaneers would block the kick to prevent them from scoring. The Buccaneers were unable to capitalize as they were forced to punt early in the fourth quarter. The Falcons would face a third and 3 and Ryan would find Freeman for 11 yards. On second and 3, Ward would go for nine yards. Ward would go for 13 yards on second and 10 and on a third and 2, Freeman would go for 32 yards for a touchdown to give the Falcons a 24-14 lead. The Buccaneers need a score to keep the game alive and on the first play of the drive, Winston would find Chris Godwin for 18 yards and then on second and 10, Winston would find Humphries for 14 yards to the Falcons 43 yard line. They would face a third and 1 and Barber would go for seven yards. On a second and 11, Winston would find Cameron Brate for 12. On second and 10, Winston would find Humphries for a 16 yard touchdown to cut the Falcons lead to 24-21 with 4:07 remaining in the game. The Bucs defense need a stop to get the ball back. The Falconss would face a third and 6 and Ryan would find Freeman for seven yards and the Buccaneers would call their final timeouts and the Falcons would face a third and 9 at the two-minute warning. After the two minute warning, on third and 9, Ryan would go back to pass and tried to escape the rush and get sacked by Clint McDonald for a fourth down and be forced to punt. The Buccaneers would get the ball back with 1 minute left at their own 28 yard line. Winston would go to Brate for a 13 yard completion and on the next play, Winston would go to Martino for an 11 yard completion and would spike the ball and then Winston would find Brate for 11 yards and would spike the ball with five seconds left and they would attempt a 54 yard field goal attempt by Patrick Murray and the kick looked like it had the distance but was wide right and the game ended with the Falcons taking the victory over Tampa Bay 24-21.

The Holiday Season

The last two weeks of the NFL season fall on a holiday. This week's set of games fall on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I won't lie, I love this time of year. The NFL's regular season hits it's finish and playoff races are always very interesting. There were some interesting games yesterday and some teams punched their ticket into the postseason and some team's chances died with their losses this past week. With all that being said, here is what happened on Sunday. 

Bills 24 Dolphins 16
Tyrod Taylor threw for 224 yards and a touchdown and also added 42 yards rushing and a touchdown. LeSean McCoy had 50 rushing yards and a touchdown. He would eclipse 10,000 yards rushing on his career as the Bills got one step closer to the playoffs with a home victory over the Miami Dolphins. Dolphins RB Kenyan Drake rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown.

Panthers 31 Packers 24
Cam Newton threw for 242 yards and four touchdowns and tight end Greg Olsen had nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown as the Panthers stayed in first place with a victory over Green Bay. The Carolina defense forced four turnovers in the win. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers made his return and threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

Ravens 27 Browns 10
QB Joe Flacco threw for 288 yards and a touchdown pass to Ben Watson as the Ravens kept the Browns winless with a road victory. Flacco also added a rushing touchdown. Browns RB Duke Johnson Jr had the lone touchdown for Cleveland.

Jaguars 45 Texans 7
QB Blake Bortles threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns and wideout Jaydon Mickens had four catches for 61 yards and two touchdowns as Jacksonville clinched their first playoff appearance since 2007 with a victory over the Texans. Texans QB TJ Yates threw for 128 yards and a touchdown pass to Deandre Hopkins.

Vikings 34 Bengals 7
QB Case Keenum threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns and RB Latavius Murray rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown as the Vikings clinched the NFC North Division title as they beat the Bengals. Bengals RB Giovanni Bernard had the lone touchdown for Cincinnati.

Saints 31 Jets 19
Saints QB Drew Brees threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns and RB Mark Ingram ran for 74 yards and two touchdowns as New Orleans stayed tied for first with the Panthers as they knocked off the New York Jets. Jets QB Bryce Petty threw for 179 yards and a touchdown in the loss.

Eagles 34 Giants 29
Eagles QB Nick Foles threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns in place of the injured Carson Wentz and wideout Nelson Agholor had seven catches for 59 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles took down the Giants as they got a first round bye with the victory. Giants QB Eli Manning threw for 434 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.

Redskins 20 Cardinals 15
QB Kirk Cousins threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns and wideout Jamison Crowder had five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown as Washington took down the Cardinals. Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson kicked five field goals in the loss.

Rams 42 Seahawks 7
RB Todd Gurley ran for 152 yards and three touchdowns and QB Jared Goff threw for 120 yards and a touchdown as the Rams took down the Seahawks on the road and are only one win away from clinching the NFC West. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson threw for 142 yards and a touchdown pass to Luke Willson.

49ers 25 Titans 23
Robbie Gould kicked six field goal, including the game-winner and QB Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 381 yards and a touchdown as the 49ers won their third straight game with a victory over the Titans. Titans QB Marcus Mariota threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

Cowboys 20 Raiders 17
Dallas QB Dak Prescott threw for 212 yards and had a rushing touchdown and Rod Smith added a rushing touchdown as the Cowboys took down the Raiders on the road. Raiders QB Derek Carr threw for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

NFL Standings
AFC
AFC East
1 Patriots 11-3 (clinched division)
2 Bills 8-6
3 Dolphins 6-8
4 Jets 5-9

AFC North
1 Steelers 11-3 (clinched division)
2 Ravens 8-6
3 Bengals 5-9
4 Browns 0-14

AFC South
1 Jaguars 10-4 (clinched playoff spot)
2 Titans 8-6 2 GB
3 Texans 4-10 E
4 Colts 3-11 E

AFC West
1 Chiefs 8-6
2 Chargers 7-7 1 GB
3 Raiders 6-8 E
4 Broncos 5-9 E

NFC
NFC East
1 Eagles 12-2 (clinched division)
2 Cowboys 8-6
3 Redskins 6-8
4 Giants 2-12

NFC North
1 Vikings 11-3 (clinched division)
2 Lions 8-6
3 Packers 7-7
4 Bears 4-10

NFC South
1 Saints 10-4
2 Panthers 10-4
3 Falcons 9-5 1 GB
4 Buccaneers 4-9 E

NFC West
1 Rams 10-4
2 Seahawks 8-6 2 GB
3 Cardinals 6-8 E
4 49ers 4-10

Playoff Picture
AFC
1 Patriots 11-3
2 Steelers 11-3
3 Jaguars 10-4
4 Chiefs 8-6

5 Titans 8-6
6 Bills 8-6

In the Hunt:
Ravens 8-6
Chargers 7-7 1 GB
Raiders 6-8 2 GB
Dolphins 6-8 2 GB


NFC
1 Eagles 12-2
2 Vikings 11-3
3 Rams 10-4
4 Saints 10-4

5 Panthers 10-4
6 Falcons 9-5

In the Hunt:
Lions 8-6 1 GB
Seahawks 8-6 1 GB
Cowboys 8-6 1 GB

Patriots take tight road victory over the Steelers

It's a battle for the top seed on a Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh as the defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots took on the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. The Steelers are coming off a dramatic win over the Ravens and the Patriots had a setback when they fell in Miami on Monday night. A Steelers win today would guarantee them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. A Patriots win wouldn't guarantee them home field advantage but it would give them a front row seat to it, however. Who would come out in this big time matchup between two AFC powers? Let's get to it! The Steelers started with the ball and on the first play, Ben Roethlisberger would find Le'Veon Bell for 17 yards but that would be all the Steelers could get and would be forced to punt. The Patriots would go on a six play drive that resulted in a one yard touchdown run by Rex Burkhead to make the game 7-0. The Steelers would answer with an eight play drive that ended with Roethlisberger going to Eli Rogers for the 18 yard touchdown to tie the game up at 7. The Patriots' next possession would end in a punt. The Steelers would take the lead on a nine play drive that resulted in a 51 yard field goal by Chris Boswell to make it 10-7 Pittsburgh. The Patriots would answer with a nine play drive that ended with a 32 yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski to tie the game at 10. The Steelers would go on a long 15 play drive that resulted in Roethlisberger going to Martavis Bryant for a four yard touchdown to make it 17-10 as we head to halftime. The Patriots would start with the ball in the second half and resulted in Tom Brady going to Brandin Cooks for the four yard score. The extra point would be missed and the Steelers would still lead 17-16. The Steelers' next possession would end in a punt. The Patriots possession would end with Brady being intercepted by Williams and returned to the Patriots 22 yard line. The Steelers would capitalize with a five play drive that ended with a three yard touchdown run by Bell for a 24-16 lead as we go to the end of the third quarter. The Patriots' next possession ended with another punt. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Bell would get five yards on second and 2. Then on third and 3, Roethlisberger would go to Bell for four and a first down. They faced another third down and from 4 yards out, Roethlisberger would go for five yards and another first down. However, two penalties would kill the drive and would result in a Steelers punt. The Patriots would face a third and 1 and Dion Lewis would go for 12 yards. On a second and 3, Brady's pass looked like a big play to Cooks but Cooks would go out of bounds and was called for an illegal touching. A pass interference penalty on Pittsburgh would give New England a first down. The Patriots would face a third and 10 and the Steelers' Bud Dupree would get the sack and would result in a 46 yard field goal by Gostkowski to make it 24-19 in favor of Pittsburgh. The Steelers would go three and out on their next possession and the Patriots would take over with 2:06 left. On second and 10, Brady would find Rob Gronkowski for 26 yards to their own 49 yard line as we headed to the two-minute warning. Next play, Brady would find Gronkowski again for 26 yards then it was Brady to Gronkowski for 17 yards this time and a first and goal at the eight yard line and then on first and goal, Lewis would score from eight yards out and Brady would go to Gronkowski once again for the two point conversion for a 27-24 Patriots lead with 56 seconds to go. First play of the drive, Roethlisberger would throw a short pass to Smith-Schuster and he would go 69 yards to the Patriots 10 yard line for a first and goal. On first and goal, Roethlisberger would find Jesse James and looked like it was a touchdown but the ball moved when James left his feet and it was called an incomplete pass after the review. Roethlisberger would find Heyward-Bey for four yards and Roethlisberger tried a fake spike and the pass was deflected and intercepted by Harmon as the Patriots took down the Steelers 27-24 and clinched the AFC East title and currently are the top seed in the AFC.

Chiefs win big divisional matchup, knock off Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers traveled to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to take on the Chiefs. Both teams are tied for first place in this late season matchup. The Chiefs started off 5-0 but have lost six of their last eight games. The Chargers started the season 0-4 but have won seven of their last nine games. Who would come out on top in a matchup of AFC West Division rivals and be all alone in first place in the division? Let's get started! The Chargers would start with the ball and would start off with a punt. The Chiefs and Chargers would each go three and out. The Chiefs would go on a long 15 play drive that would result in a 31 yard field goal by Harrison Butker for a 3-0 lead as the first quarter came to a close. The next Chargers possession would result in another punt. The Chiefs would go on a quick four play drive that ended with Alex Smith going to Tyreek Hill for a 64 yard touchdown and a 10-0 Kansas City lead. The Chargers would answer with a 10 play drive that would end with a Melvin Gordon two yard touchdown run but the extra point would be missed to make it 10-6. The Chiefs would go on a nine play drive but Butker would miss a 52 yard field goal wide left as the Chiefs would take a 10-6 lead at halftime. The Chiefs would start with the ball in the second half and they would be forced to punt. The Chargers would take the lead as they would go six plays and end with Philip Rivers going to Antonio Gates for a 10 yard score to make it 13-10. The Chiefs would answer as they would go 12 plays and end with Alex Smith going to Kareem Hunt for a three yard score for a 17-13 Chiefs lead. Rivers would be intercepted by Marcus Peters on the next possession and would result in a 24 yard field goal by Butker. The Chargers would fumble and the Chiefs would recover and resulted in another field goal and this time, it was from 51 yards out. Rivers' pass would be intercepted by Parker on the next possession. The Chiefs would capitalize once again but this time, they would get into the end zone with a five yard touchdown run by Kareem Hunt. The Chargers would try to score to get back into the game and would face a fourth and 1 and Melvin Gordon would get four yards for the first down. A pass interference on Kansas City would give the Chargers another first down. They would face a third and 20 and Rivers' pass would be intercepted by Peters for the second time tonight. The Chiefs would try to run out the clock but were unable to and would punt the ball back to the Chargers. The Chargers would be unable to score as the Kansas City Chiefs would be all alone in first place in the AFC West with a victory over the Chargers.

Lions keep playoff hopes alive with win over Chicago

The Chicago Bears traveled to Ford Field as they played the Detroit Lions. The Lions are looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. Meanwhile, the Bears are looking build momentum for next season with rookie QB Mitch Trubisky. Who would come out on top in this Saturday matchup of NFC North rivals? Let's get to it! The Lions started with the ball and went on an eight play drive that resulted in a 48 yard field goal by Matt Prater that gave the Lions a 3-0 lead. On the Bears next possession, Mitch Trubisky would go to Jordan Howard for 11 yards but the Bears wouldn't get another first down and would be forced to punt. The Lions would be forced to punt on their next drive after getting a first down on the first play of the drive. The Bears would go three and out on their next possession. The Lions would go on an 11 play drive that would result in a 31 yard field goal by Prater to make it 6-0 at the beginning of the second quarter. The Bears would punt once again on their next possession. The Lions would go on a 10 play drive that ended with Matthew Stafford going to TJ Jones for a three yard score to make it 13-0 Lions. The Bears would move the ball as far as the Lions 42 yard line but would be forced to punt as the Lions would get the ball back with 57 seconds left in the first half. The Lions would fumble however and the Bears would recover and it would result in a field goal but the Lions would lead at halftime 13-3. The Bears would start with the ball in the second half and on second and 8, Trubisky's pass would be picked off by Darius Slay and the Lions would capitalize with Stafford going to Eric Ebron for an eight yard score to make the score 20-3. The Bears would punt once again on their next possession. The Lions would go three and out on their next possession. On the first play of the Bears possession, Trubisky would go to Howard for 11, then on third and 18, Trubisky found Markus Wheaton for 22 yards. The Bears would get a first and goal at the eight yard line as the third quarter came to an end. On third and goal, Trubisky's pass would be intercepted by Quandre Diggs in the end zone to end the Chicago threat. The Lions wouldn't be able to capitalize and would punt the ball back to the Bears. The Bears would go on a long 13 play drive that would end with Trubisky going to Benny Cunningham for the nine yard score to make the score 20-10 in favor of the Lions. The Lions would go three and out to give the Bears one more chance down by ten. After the two minute warning, on a third and 2, Trubisky would go to Tarik Cohen for seven. On second and 8, Trubisky would go to Bellamy for 19 yards. On a second and 10, Trubisky would go to Kendall Wright for 12. Trubisky would go to Cunningham for 10 and then on the next play, Trubisky would go to Brown for 11. The next play, Trubisky's pass would be intercepted by Slay for his second of the game as the Lions sealed the victory and kept their postseason hopes alive.

Broncos' Second Half Surge propels them over Colts

The Denver Broncos traveled to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to take on the Colts. Both teams are only playing for pride at this point as they are both eliminated from the playoff race. Jacoby Brissett has done well filling in for the injured Andrew Luck. The Broncos have been unstable at quarterback this season and have Trevor Siemian at the helm but the defense is coming off a shutout of the Jets. Who would come out on top in this Thursday night matchup? Let's get into the game! The Broncos would start with the ball and would face a third and 4 and Trevor Siemian would find Emmanuel Sanders for seven yards. On a second and 8, CJ Anderson would go for 14 yards but on second and 9, Siemian's pass would be picked off by Moore and returned to midfield for the Colts. The Colts would capitalize with a seven play drive that ended with a Jacoby Brissett seven yard touchdown run for a 7-0 Indianapolis lead. The Broncos would answer with a 12 play drive that would unfortunately end with a missed field goal by Brandon McManus from 40 yards out. The next Colts possession would end with a punt as the first quarter came to an end. then the Broncos would go three and out on their next drive. The Colts would go on a 10 play drive that ended with a 45 yard field goal by Adam Vinatieri for a 10-0 lead. The Broncos would answer however with an 11 play drive with Brock Osweiler going 18 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 10-7. Both teams would get a chance to score before halftime and neither would capitalize as we headed to halftime with the Colts leading 10-7. The Colts would start with the ball and go on a 12 play drive that ended with a 39 yard field goal by Vinatieri for a 13-7 Indianapolis lead. The Broncos would answer with a nine play drive ending with Brock Osweiler who came in after an injury to Siemian in the first half, threw a touchdown pass to Cody Latimer from 22 yards out for a 14-13 Broncos lead. The Colts would go three and out on their next possession and the Broncos would capitalize with a three play drive that ended with Osweiler going to Jeff Heuerman from 54 yards out and the two point conversion from Osweiler to Latimer would make it 22-13. The Colts would have to punt on their next possession as the third quarter came to an end. The Broncos would go on a long 16 play drive that ended with a 40 yard field by McManus to make the lead 25-13. The Colts would try to get back into it and would face a third and 6 and Brissett would go to Doyle for seven yards. They would face a fourth and 1 at their own 45 yard line and Brissett's pass would fall incomplete and the Broncos would run out the clock and the Colts would take a knee on the final play as the Broncos took down the Colts 25-13.

Bowl Season

Well, here we are, College Football’s bowl season. Now most team’s goals for the season usually goes as such, get into the playoff and win the National Championship. Some teams had high expectations but two losses put them behind and fell out of contention for a spot in the playoff. Yeah, when people talked about having a playoff, people thought immediately (at least those for the BCS) that this would be the end of the bowl system and it would make the regular season less relevant. Well as it turns out, the regular season is still very important and the bowl system is about the same with the exception of a few to accommodate the playoff games being hosted on those
sites. Well with all that being said, let’s get into the bowl games and the College Football Playoff Games.

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

Troy vs North Texas

December 16^th 1 PM

Troy comes in with a record of 10-2 and North Texas has a
record of 9-4. Trojans senior QB Brandon Silvers has thrown for 2,985 yards and
13 touchdowns on the season. Mean Green sophomore QB Mason Fine has thrown for
3,749 yards and 28 touchdowns for the year.

Prediction: Troy

Autonation Cure Bowl

Western Kentucky vs Georgia State

December 16^th 2:30 PM

Western Kentucky has a record of 6-6 and Georgia State
comes in with a record of 6-5. Hilltoppers senior QB Mike White has thrown for
3,826 yards and 24 touchdowns. Panthers senior QB Conner Manning (no relation
to Peyton and Eli Manning) has thrown for 2,870 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Prediction: Georgia State

Las Vegas Bowl

Boise State vs Oregon

December 16^th 3:30 PM

Boise State has a record of 10-3 and Oregon comes in with
a record of 7-5. Broncos sophomore RB Alexander Mattison has rushed for 1,074
yards and 12 touchdowns. Ducks senior RB Royce Freeman has rushed for 1,475
yards and 16 touchdowns on the season. This is probably the two teams most
recognizable in the early bowl games, we’ll see who will come out on top.

Prediction: Oregon

Gildan New Mexico Bowl

Marshall vs Colorado State

December 16^th 4:30 PM

Marshall has a record of 7-5 and Colorado State comes in
with a 7-5 record as well. Thundering Herd junior wideout Tyre Brady has 56
catches for 777 yards and seven touchdowns. Rams senior RB Dalyn Dawkins has
rushed for 1,349 yards and eight touchdowns.

Prediction: Colorado State

Raycom Media Camellia Bowl

Mid Tennessee vs Arkansas State

December 16^th 8 PM

Mid Tennessee comes in with a record of 6-6 and Arkansas
State has a 7-4 record. Blue Raiders sophomore wideout Ty Lee has 74 catches
for 916 yards and five touchdowns. Red Wolves QB Justice Hansen has thrown for
3,630 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Prediction: Arkansas State

Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl

Akron vs FAU

December 19^th 7 PM

Akron comes in with a record of 7-6 and Florida Atlantic
has a record of 10-3. Zips QB Thomas Woodson has thrown for 1,777 yards and 14
touchdowns. Owl sophomore RB Devin Singletary has rushed for 1,796 yards and 29
touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: FAU

DXL Frisco Bowl

LA Tech vs SMU

December 20^th 8 PM

Louisiana Tech has a record of 6-6 and SMU comes in with
7-5 record. Bulldogs sophomore QB J’Mar Smith has thrown for 2,758 yards and 13
touchdowns. Mustangs sophomore QB Ben Hicks has thrown for 3,442 yards and 32
touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: SMU

Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl

Temple vs FIU

December 21^st 8 PM

Temple comes in with a record of 6-6 and Florida International
comes in with a record of 8-4. Owls sophomore QB Logan Marchi has thrown for
1,658 yards and nine touchdowns on the year. Golden Panthers senior QB Alex
McGough has thrown for 2,791 yards and 17 touchdowns this season.

Prediction: Temple

Bahamas Bowl

UAB vs Ohio

December 22^nd 12:30 PM

Both UAB and Ohio come in with records of 8-4 on the
season. Blazers freshman RB Spencer Brown has rushed for 1,292 yards and ten
touchdowns on the season. Bobcats sophomore QB Nathan Rourke has thrown for 2,018
yards and 15 touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: UAB

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Central Michigan vs Wyoming

December 22^nd 4 PM

Central Michigan comes in at 8-4 on the season and
Wyoming has a record of 7-5. Chippewas senior QB Shane Morris has thrown for
2,908 yards and 26 touchdowns this season. Cowboys junior QB Josh Allen has
thrown for 1,658 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: Central Michigan

Birmingham Bowl

Texas Tech vs USF

December 23^rd 12 PM

Texas Tech comes in with a 6-6 record and South Florida
has a 9-2 record. Red Raiders senior QB Nic Shimonek has thrown for 3,547 yards
and 30 touchdowns on the season. Bulls senior QB Quinton Flowers has thrown for
2,600 yards and 21 touchdowns and has rushed for 972 yards and 10 touchdowns on
the year.

Prediction: USF

Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl

San Diego State vs Army

December 23^rd 3:30 PM

San Diego State has a record of 10-2 and Army comes in
with a record of 9-3. Aztecs senior RB Rashaad Penny has rushed for 2,027 yards
and 19 touchdowns on the year. Knights senior QB Ahmad Bradshaw has rushed for
1,566 yards and 12 touchdowns and has thrown for 279 yards and a touchdown.

Prediction: San Diego State

Dollar General Bowl

Applachian State vs Toledo

December 23^rd 7 PM

Applachian State comes in with a record of 8-4 and Toledo
has a record of 11-2. Mountaineers senior QB Taylor Lamb has thrown for 2,606
yards and 27 touchdowns. Rockets sophomore wideout Diontae Johnson has 72
catches for 1,257 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Prediction: Toledo

Hawai’I Bowl

Fresno State vs Houston

December 24^th 8:30 PM

Fresno State comes in with a 9-4 record and Houston comes
in with a record of 7-4. Bulldogs junior QB Marcus McMaryion has thrown for
2,384 yards and 14 touchdowns.  Cougars junior RB Duke Catalon has rushed for 621 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

Prediction: Fresno State

Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl

Utah vs West Virginia

December 26^th 1:30 PM

Utah comes in with a record of 6-6 and West Virginia has a 7-5 record on the season. Utes sophomore QB Tyler Huntley has thrown for 2,246 yards and 15 touchdowns. Mountaineers junior QB Will Grier has thrown for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Prediction: West Virginia

Quick Lane Bowl

Duke vs Northern Illinois

December 26^th 5:15 PM

Duke comes in with a record of 6-6 and Northern Illinois has a record of 8-4. Blue Devils QB Daniel Jones has thrown for 2,439 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. Huskies freshman QB Marcus Childers has thrown for 1,440 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Prediction: Duke

Catcus Bowl

Kansas State vs UCLA

December 26^th 9 PM

Kansas State comes in with a record of 7-5 and UCLA comes in with a 6-6 record. Wildcats RB Alex Barnes has rushed for 702 yards and six touchdowns. Bruins QB Josh Rosen has thrown for 3,717 yards and 26 touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: UCLA

Walk-On’s Independence Bowl

Southern Mississippi vs Florida State

December 27^th 1:30 PM

Southern Mississippi comes in with a record of 8-4 and Florida State comes in with a 6-6 record. Golden Eagles RB Ito Smith has rushed for 1,321 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. Seminoles freshman QB James Blackman has thrown for 1,997 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Prediction: Florida State

New Era Pinstripe Bowl

Iowa vs Boston College

December 27^th 5:15 PM

Iowa and Boston College both come in with a record of 7-5 on the season. Hawkeyes sophomore QB Nathan Stanley has thrown for 2,338 yards and 25 touchdowns. Eagles freshman RB AJ Dillon has rushed for 1,432 yards and 13 touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: Boston College

Foster Farms Bowl

Arizona vs Purdue

December 27^th 8:30 PM

Arizona comes in with a record of 7-5 and Purdue has a 6-6 record on the season. Wildcats QB Khalil Tate has thrown for 1,289 yards and nine touchdowns and has rushed for 1,353 yards and 12 touchdowns. Boilermakers QB Elijah Sindelar has thrown for 1,703 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Prediction: Arizona

Academy Sports& Outdoors Texas Bowl

Texas vs Missouri

December 27^th 9 PM

Texas comes in with a record of 6-6 and Missouri has a record of 7-5. Longhorns freshman QB Sam Ehlinger has thrown for 1,803 yards and 10 touchdowns and has rushed for 368 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Tigers junior QB Drew Lock has thrown for 3,695 yards and 43 touchdowns on the year.

Prediction: Texas

Miltary Bowl

Virginia vs Navy

December 28^th 1:30 PM

Virginia and Navy each come in with a record of 6-6 each. Cavaliers senior QB Kurt Benkert has thrown for 3,062 yards and 25 touchdowns on the season. Midshipmen junior QB Zach Abey has rushed for 1,325 yards and 14 touchdowns and has thrown for 805 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Prediction: Virginia

Camping World Bowl

Virginia Tech vs Oklahoma State

December 28^th 5:15 PM

Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State each come in with records of 9-3 on the season. Hokies freshman QB Josh Jackson has thrown for 2,743 yards and 19 touchdowns on the year. Cowboys senior QB Mason Rudolph has thrown for 4,553 yards and 35 touchdowns this season.

Prediction: Virginia Tech

Valero Alamo Bowl

Stanford vs TCU

December 28^th 9 PM

Stanford enters with a 9-4 mark for the season. TCU comes in with a record of 10-3 on the year. Cardinal junior RB Bryce Love has rushed for 1,973 yards and 17 touchdowns on the year. Horned Frogs QB Kenny Hill ha thrown for 2,838 yards and 21 touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: Stanford

San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl

Washington State vs Michigan State

December 28^th 9 PM

Washington State and Michigan State each have records of 9-3 on the year. Wildcats QB Luke Falk has thrown for 3,593 yards and 30 touchdowns on the season. Spartans QB Brian Lewerke is throwing for 2,580 yards and 17 touchdowns. 

Prediction: Michigan State

Belk Bowl

Wake Forest vs Texas A&M

December 29^th 1 PM

Wake Forest and Texas A&M each come in with a record of 7-5 on the season. Deacons QB John Wolford has thrown for 2,792 yards and 25 touchdowns. Aggies RB Trayveon Williams has rushed for 733 yards and seven touchdowns on the season. 

Prediction: Texas A&M

Hyundai Sun Bowl

NC State vs Arizona State

December 29^th 3 PM

NC State has a record of 8-4 and Arizona State enters with a 7-5 mark. Wolf Pack RB Nyheim Hines has rushed for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns. Sun Devils QB Manny Wilkins has thrown for 2,918 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Prediction: NC State

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

Kentucky vs Northwestern

December 29^th 4:30 PM

A battle of the Wildcats in the Music City Bowl! Kentucky comes in with a record of 7-5 and Northwestern has a record of 9-3. Kentucky RB Benny Snell Jr has rushed for 1,318 yards and 18 touchdowns on the year. Northwestern QB Clayton Thorson has thrown for 2,809 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Prediction : Northwestern

Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl

New Mexico State vs Utah State

December 29^th 5:30 PM

New Mexico State and Utah State each come in with a record of 6-6. NMSU QB Tyler Rogers has thrown for 3,825 yards and 26 touchdowns on the year. USU RB LaJuan Hunt has rushed for 695 yards and 10 touchdowns. 

Prediction: Utah State

Goodyear Cotton Bowl

USC vs Ohio State

December 29^th 8:30 PM

It's a matchup of highly touted QBs in this Cotton Bowl matchup. Both teams have a record of 11-2. Trojans QB Sam Darnold has thrown for 3,787 yards and 26 touchdowns. Buckeyes QB JT Barrett is throwing for 2,939 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Prediction: Ohio State

Taxslayer Bowl

Louisville vs Mississippi State

December 30^th 12 PM
Louisville and Mississippi State each come in with a record of 8-4 on the season. Cardinals junior QB Lamar Jackson has thrown for 3,489 yards and 25 touchdowns on the season. Bulldogs RB Aeris Williams is rushing for 1,019 yards and five touchdowns. 

Prediction: Louisville

Autozone Liberty Bowl

Iowa State vs Memphis

December 30^th 12:30 PM
Iowa State comes in with a record of 7-5 and Memphis comes in with a mark of 10-2. Cyclones sophomore RB David Montgomery is rushing for 1,094 yards and 11 touchdowns on the season. Tigers senior QB Riley Ferguson is throwing for 3,971 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Prediction: Iowa State

Playstation Fiesta Bowl

Washington vs Penn State

December 30^th 4 PM
Washington and Penn State each have a record of 10-2 on the season. Huskies junior RB Myles Gaskin has rushed for 1,282 yards and 19 touchdowns on the year. Nittany Lions RB Saquon Barkley has 1,134 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: Penn State

Capital One Orange Bowl

Wisconsin vs Miami (FL)

December 30^th 8 PM
Wisconsin comes in with a record of 12-1 with their only loss coming to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship game. Miami comes in with a record of 10-2 on the season and lost to Clemson in the ACC Championship game. Badgers freshman RB Jonathan Taylor has rushed for 1,847 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. Hurricanes QB Malik Rosier has thrown for 2,917 yards and 25 touchdowns. 

Prediction: Miami

Outback Bowl

Michigan vs South Carolina

January 1^st 12 PM
Michigan and South Carolina come into the bowl game with a record of 8-4 on the year. Wolverines junior RB Karan Higdon is rushing for 929 yards and 11 touchdowns. Gamecocks sophomore QB Jake Bentley is throwing for 2,555 yards and 16 touchdowns on the season.

Prediction: Michigan

Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl

UCF vs Auburn

January 1^st 12:30 PM
UCF comes in with a undefeated mark of 12-0 on the season and Auburn comes in with a record of 10-3. Knights sophomore QB McKenzie Milton has thrown for 3,795 yards and 35 touchdowns on the season. Tigers junior RB Kerryon Johnson has rushed for 1,320 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Prediction: Auburn

Citrus Bowl

Notre Dame vs LSU

January 1^st 1 PM
Notre Dame and LSU each have a record of 9-3 on the season. Fighting Irish QB Brandon Wimbush has thrown for 1,818 yards and 16 touchdowns on the year. Tigers RB Derrius Guice has rushed for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Prediction: LSU

College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl

(3) Georgia vs (2) Oklahoma

January 1^st 5 PM
Both teams are coming in with a record of 12-1 on the season and are a victory away from playing in the National Championship. Bulldogs freshman QB Jake Fromm has thrown for 2,173 yards and 21 touchdowns. Senior RB Nick Chubb has rushed for 1,175 yards and 13 touchdowns and senior wideout Javon Wims has 38 catches for 631 yards and six touchdowns. Sooners QB and Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield has thrown for 4,340 yards and 41 touchdowns. Sophomore RB Rodney Anderson has rushed for 960 yards and 11 touchdowns and sophomore Marquise Brown has 49 catches for 981 yards and six touchdowns. 

Prediction: Georgia

College Football Playoff at the Sugar Bowl

(4) Alabama vs (1) Clemson

January 1^st 8:45 PM
Alabama comes in the four seed and have an 11-1 mark on the season. Clemson is the top seed and the ACC Champion with a record of 12-1. Crimson Tide sophomore QB Jalen Hurts has thrown for 1,940 yards and 15 touchdowns. Junior RB Damien Harris has rushed for 906 yards and 11 touchdowns and junior wideout Calvin Ridley has 55 catches for 896  yards and three touchdowns.

Prediction: Clemson